Boxing
Mid-Year Boxing Awards: Best Knockout, Fighter, Fight and More
Published
6 months agoon
By
J. HumzaAfter more than six months of boxing and a slew of fight cards around the world, it’s time to pick the best from the first half of 2024. From incredible individual performances in the heavyweight division, to unforgettable knockouts, upsets and all-action fights, the sport of boxing has set the bar high for the rest of the year.
For the first time since Lennox Lewis in 2000, we have an undisputed heavyweight champion, and for the first time in history, an undisputed strawweight champion has been crowned in women’s boxing. A champion made a huge impression with a stunning knockout, and another suffered a huge surprise on his way home.
Mike Coppinger and Nick Parkinson look back at memorable moments from the middle of the year.
Men’s player of the half-year: Oleksandr Usyk
Usyk achieved an incredible feat by winning a split decision over Tyson Fury in May, his second undisputed championship after winning all four cruiserweight belts.
Fury outweighed Usyk by nearly 40 pounds and had a significant height and reach advantage. The “Gypsy King” used all of that in the first half of the fight, outboxing Usyk from range.
However, the Olympic gold medalist managed to mobilize himself and showed incredible skills that allowed him to win the heavyweight title with two victories over Anthony Joshua.
Now Usyk is the undisputed heavyweight champion, the first since Lennox Lewis in 2000. The victory also vaulted him to the top of ESPN’s non-weight rankings. The 37-year-old Ukrainian should be able to secure the Fighter of the Year title with another victory over Fury in a rematch scheduled for December 21 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Women’s player of the half-year: Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada
In March, Estrada was crowned undisputed strawweight/minimum champion by defeating her biggest rival, Costa Rican Yokasta Valle, solidifying her position among the best women’s boxers.
The lighter weight classes receive less attention in boxing, but Estrada deserves credit for becoming the first undisputed lightweight champion in women’s boxing history.
Estrada (26-0, 9 KOs), 32, of Los Angeles, came out on top in a thrilling fight with Valle, as her hand speed and counterpunching proved crucial in some rounds in a close fight. Estrada changed stances to stop Valle, and a rematch would be popular because of their rivalry. Sandy Ryan and Gabriela Fundora also picked up massive wins in 2024.
Men’s fight of the half-year: Usyk-Fury
It was a heavyweight boxing championship at the highest level, with two competitors, without division into weight categories, fighting for the most essential prize in the sport.
Usyk-Fury had almost everything you want in a fight of the year titles. There were a lot of lively changes, with Fury leading on the scorecards heading into the second half of the fight.
The drama was immense as Usyk landed 14 unanswered punches that nearly forced referee Mark Nelson to stop the fight, but it ultimately ended in a ninth-round knockdown as the ropes held Fury in. The fight was evenly matched, with Usyk defeating Fury on the cards via split decision.
Fury’s KO victory over Deontay Wilder was named ESPN’s Fight of the Year for 2021, and now Fury has a great chance to earn that honor for the second time in his Hall of Fame career.
Women’s Fight of the Half Year: Natasha Jonas vs. Mikaela Mayer
Jonas sealed the best win of her career by defeating Mayer by split decision to defend her welterweight title in January. Jonas held on for a mighty finish against her American rival, who felt she should have been declared the winner.
But Jonas had the stronger start in the fight with fierce exchanges. Jonas (15-2-1, 9 KOs), 40, who turned pro in 2017 after competing as an amateur in the 2012 Olympics and having a daughter in 2015, had a great fifth round, but Mayer was better in the latter rounds and landed more power punches.
Mayer (19-2, 5 KOs), a 34-year-old Olympian, moved up in weight to face Jonas and has never been a frail contender in the welterweight division.
While the fight was stimulating, a rematch seems unlikely as Jonas is set to retire this year. Mayer has not yet announced her next opponent.
KO of the Half-Year: Gervonta “Tank” Davis defeated Frank Martin (KO in the eighth round)
While the above two picks were obvious, this fight was a huge risk, especially considering Joshua’s brutal second-round knockout against Francis Ngannou back in March.
But Davis, in his second boxing fight, faced a real lightweight title contender rather than an MMA fighter, and knocked out Martin with a perfect sequence of punches that knocked him out frosty.
Davis pinned Martin in the corner, staggered him with a left hook that froze him, and then floored the defenseless fighter with a powerful left cross. With the decisive victory, Davis retained his No. 1 ESPN lightweight ranking heading into November’s unification fight with Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Half-year surprise: Liam Paro defeated Subriel Matias (unanimous decision)
According to ESPN BET, Paro had odds of +640 for the fight against Matias, but when you consider the Puerto Rican’s crushing record and his growing reputation as a boxing terror, it’s an even bigger surprise than the odds indicated.
Australian Paro outboxed Matias and didn’t back down, landing combinations that stopped the usual pressure from the junior welterweight champion. Paro did it in Puerto Rico as well, making the victory all the more impressive because it spoiled Matias’ homecoming.
It was Paro’s second consecutive impressive performance, having knocked out Montana Love in the sixth round in December. The undefeated 28-year-old left-hander could rematch Matias later this year, this time in Australia.
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Boxing
Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC
Published
2 days agoon
January 13, 2025The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).
If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.
“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”
29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.
Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.
“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”
Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.
The next move is Badou Jack’s.
Boxing
Floyd Mayweather’s record is not normal, it can’t happen in 70 years
Published
3 days agoon
January 12, 2025Floyd Mayweather’s incredible 50-0 record is not normal and cannot be repeated in sports for another seventy years.
This is the view of Saudi Arabian president Turki Alalshikh, who wants to adopt the UFC model in which fighters lose many fights during their career.
In a speech as he hosted the Ring Magazine Awards after acquiring the long-running boxing publication from Oscar De La Hoya, Alalshikh was unequivocal in his opinion.
“Now losing some fights in boxing must be normal,” he explained. “All fighters want a career similar to Floyd Mayweather – no losses. This may happen once every 50, 60 or 70 years.
“We need it [to be] like currently in the UFC model, where champions lose and win,” added the matchmaker during the Riyad season.
Mayweather rose through the sport in the tardy 1990s to become one of its youngest superstars. Mayweather’s professional success came after winning a bronze medal at the Olympics after losing to Serafim Todorov.
Winning world titles in five weight classes, Mayweather was untouchable. The Grand Rapids native only came close to defeat a few times. He dominated Manny Pacquiao and overtook Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya after heated debates, with decisions that should have been made unanimously.
Towards the end of his career, Mayweather chose to face Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, easily winning and ending his boxing career at the age of 50 without ever going out. Calling himself “the greatest of all time,” Mayweather earned first-ballot Hall of Fame honors and is widely considered one of, if not the greatest defensive fighter of all time.
However, Alalshikh says this type of career needs to end so that fans can get the most out of boxing, as is the case with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Boxing needs to become more attractive, and Alalshikh sees the failures of top stars as a way to keep interest at an all-time high.
In this sport, many boxers enjoy undefeated streaks, the most notable of which is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian Pound for Pound King is 23-0 and has beaten the best he has to offer in his division and cruiserweight classification.
It remains a mystery how Alalshikh plans to make Usyk suffer while he dominates everyone else. By the time his grand plan goes into action, Usyk will be long gone, and Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney may be more realistic targets.
Boxing
Manny Pacquiao remains the favorite to win the title against Mario Barrios
Published
1 week agoon
January 6, 2025WBN understands that despite alternative options emerging, it is more likely that Manny Pacquiao will face Mario Barrios next.
Bob Santos, coach of WBC welterweight champion Barrios, told World Boxing News that he is currently in contact with Pacquiao’s team. Asked by WBN if he had spoken to Pacquiao or representatives of any other challenger, Santos replied: “Yes, Pacquiao’s promoter, Sean Gibbons.” Pressed on whether Barrios vs Pacquiao might happen next, he added: “It’s challenging to say. We’ll have to see how this plays out.”
WBN contacted Santos after Conor Benn emerged as a potential alternative to Barrios. The British fighter, who recently returned from a suspension following two positive drug tests, is keen to return to competition.
Benn showed favor with the World Boxing Council at the recent WBC Convention, the WBC Evaluation Committee and during an interview with the sanctioning body over the weekend. “The Destroyer” is ranked second in the rankings at 147 pounds, despite less than solid opponents during his time in exile, during which Benn competed twice in the United States while his career in the United Kingdom was in doubt.
As he battled to clear his name and with the British Anti-Doping Authority finding no evidence that Benn had intentionally taken ostarine, the 28-year-old’s career took a pointed nosedive. Despite this, he remains highly rated and at least one step away from fighting for an eliminator or one of the remaining championship titles.
However, Pacquiao remains Barrios’ favorite. Now it’s up to the boxing legend and Hall of Famer who got the first votes to secure his shot. WBN believes a July date – most likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – is the most realistic date for a Nevada swan song.
Pacquiao could extend his record as the oldest welterweight champion by six years if he can secure a huge victory over the 29-year-old world champion. At 46 years antique, such a scenario remains unlikely, but he can never be compared to one of the greatest players of this generation.
Unlike heavier boxers and his training regiment, Pacquiao looks in great shape despite his advanced age. Everything is set for a massive return to the boxing capital of the world, provided Pacquiao and his team can manage his political ambitions, which are expected to run from this month until May. After that time, Pacquiao could find himself in the summer finals and become the all-time champion, regardless of the result.
Barrios is based in the city, where he trained with Santos, and would be the perfect opponent to see out the career of one of the greatest fighters in history.
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