Boxing
Noise Blocking – Denzel Bentley is turned on due to the “threat” of Danny Dignum
Published
8 months agoon
By
J. HumzaDENZEL BENTLEY admits it can be tough for him to motivate himself for a fight he hopes to win.
Distractions, or as he describes it, “external noise,” can enter his head and distract him from the task at hand. It was widely expected that Bentley would defend his British middleweight title against Nathan Heaney in November and would be the one to put an end to Heaney’s underdog history.
In the main event at the Manchester Arena, after Nick Ball, Liam Davies, Harry Scarff, Nathaniel Collins and Solomon Dacres had found success in the ring, Heaney delivered the biggest shock of the night and year. The underdog pounced on Bentley and eventually won a well-deserved decision to take the Lonsdale belt.
Bentley (18-3-1 (15 KO) didn’t want to make excuses when he spoke to him in the weeks after the loss, but he believed his wife’s pregnancy and the premature birth of his first child had an impact on his preparation.
He then said:
Four months later, Bentley will now face Essex middleweight Danny Dignum, 16-1-1 (9 KO), on Saturday night (May 11) at York Hall. Two years ago, both men faced “Qazaq Style” Zhanibek Alimkhanuly in Las Vegas six months apart. Dignum caught up with him in May 2022, lasting two rounds, but Bentley went the distance and then proved he was worthy of being a world title contender.
“If I go into another fight and I don’t win, what’s my excuse,” Bentley laughed.
The 29-year-old initially told him about his experience last week with Steel Warriors, a charity fighting knife crime, but graciously took more time to talk about the fight with Dignum, who headlines Saturday’s fight night on TNT Sports.
“I have to be there,” he said.
If I don’t perform next time, I shouldn’t be in the ring. But this time I feel good. Danny Dignum is a good player. In my opinion, a better player than Nathan [Heaney]. I’m excited to make a statement and get back to the same place I was before because I was in a good position before [loss]and I let Nathan take it from me. This hurt me a bit. I know this feeling and I don’t want it anymore. I have to perform well, get back in my place and move forward.
“He’s a good boxer, very technical,” Bentley said of Dignum.
“He’s a southpaw, he’s got good straight shots, he’s got good shot selection and he’s only lost once. He is a good fighter. I tell people it’s not a comeback fight. This is the fight I could have had after Heaney if I hadn’t gotten the chance to fight for the world title. It’s a real competition.
“I know we haven’t seen Dignum for a while and he hasn’t been vigorous, but I know he stays in the gym because I know where he trains. And I know they are quite vigorous at this gym. I don’t expect it to be rusty. I’m waiting for a good version of it. I’m excited about this fight, I’m really excited, I can’t express how much.
Like many boxing fans, Bentley is enjoying a period in the sport where the best fights are taking place. Undefeated records are not wrapped in protective materials because more and more players are willing to fail, knowing that it is not the end of their career. The financial injection from Saudi Arabia probably made the risk factor easier to swallow, but let’s not forget that boxing is also a fight for prizes.
“This is the phase we are in,” Bentley said.
“Good fighters take good fights and lose, so the undefeated stuff goes out the window. They realize that if you put up the right fights, you’ll get paid right. We are in a good phase in boxing because we are seeing good fights now.
“The most critical thing in boxing is that if you fight a good fight and present yourself well, people will still want to see you again. This is sport, this is competition. You can lose in a competition, that’s how you rebuild.
“I am a competitive person,” he added. “If I’m fighting someone who’s not at my level, it’s tough for me to oppose him. Sometimes I’m good at blocking out outside noise if the task at hand is more critical than what’s happening. When you’re fighting someone who you think isn’t as good as you or not at your level, sometimes outside noise can seep in and you don’t pay attention to it. I know you’re supposed to act professional, but that’s human nature.
“At the moment Danny Dignum is a threat and he can take something away from me. And all the outside noise that’s going on is straightforward for me to tune out because I have energy. There is a threat in front of me and I need to concentrate.
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Boxing
Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC
Published
5 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
6 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
2 weeks 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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