Boxing
Oleksandr Usyk requests exception to IBF mandatory defense against Filip Hrgovic
Published
6 months agoon
By
J. HumzaOleksandr Usyk has taken the first step – and perhaps the last sigh – to keep his undisputed heavyweight championship intact.
The Ring confirmed that the undefeated two-division champion filed an exception to avoid being stripped of his IBF title. The request to delay the outstanding mandatory title defense came six days after Usyk defeated Tyson Fury in a split decision aimed at fully unifying all heavyweight titles. Fury’s representatives confirmed plans to introduce a rematch clause.
It also comes eight days before he faces another title challenger. Mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic and England’s Daniel Dubois collide on June 1 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyad, Saudi Arabia. The historic victory of Usyk took place in the same place, crowning the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the 21st century.
Ukrainian Usyk (22-0, 14 knockout) entered his undisputed RING clash with Fury knowing that a decision on his mandatory IBF defense would be made immediately.
Croatian Hrgovic has been the top IBF heavyweight contender since his victory over Zhilei Zhang in August 2022. Since then, Ring’s sixth heavyweight has fought just twice, largely due to the mandatory challenger rotation system for unified titles. Finding willing opponents was also a problem, even with the interim IBF title at stake.
Immediately after Usyk’s victory on May 18, it was widely speculated that his undisputed reign would last less than two weeks. It was strongly suggested that the belt would be available to Hrgovic-Dubois. The heavyweight bout will be part of the 5-on-5 Matchroom vs. Queensberry, which will take place on June 1.
The matter is now in the hands of the IBF. The decision will be made before Hrgovic-Dubois, but not much sooner, as the application was only received on Friday.
The threat of an immediate split in the reign emerged when Usyk and Fury (34-1-1, 24 KO) agreed to fight terms. The matter became even more complicated when the originally scheduled date of February 17 was postponed by three months. Fury suffered a cut during sparring, which postponed the historic championship clash.
Usyk won the WBA, IBF and WBO titles following a points victory over Anthony Joshua (27-3, 24 KO) in September 2021 in north London. Usyk repeated the feat, this time via split decision in the August 2022 rematch. On the same show, Hrgovic defeated Zhang and became the mandatory challenger.
Usyk’s approach of staging one fight a year since moving up to heavyweight has contributed to the current dilemma. Hrgovic was forced to wait for Usyk’s ordered WBA title consolidation fight with Dubois due to the rotation system. Usyk won the fight by knockout in the ninth round on August 26 in Wrocław.
At this point, Saudi advisor Turki Alalshikh revealed his plans for major boxing events in his kingdom. In the first outing of the 2023 season in Riyad, Fury narrowly defeated Francis Ngannou and won a ten-round decision in a non-title fight on October 28 in Riyad. Fury then agreed to risk his WBC belt against Usyk, although it was no secret that the winner would have to deal with a long-term IBF situation.
At the post-fight press conference, the topic of an immediate rematch was discussed. Fury gave a typically wide-ranging response, but his team eventually informed Usyk of their plans to get him back.
Usyk, in turn, has now gone to great lengths to ensure exactly the same stakes in the second act. Even one less belt on the scale will not change the meaning. Usyk is the champion of The Ring and is widely considered the king of the heavyweight division.
That said, he learned one of two scenarios to play against Hrgovic-Dubois.
There is still a possibility that the full title will be available next weekend. Another option would be for the IBF to provide an interim title. The winner would be guaranteed – on paper, anyway – an immediate shot at the Usyk-Fury II winner.
Usyk’s victory over Fury brought additional accolades. The 37-year-old southpaw was ranked No. 1 in The Ring’s pound-for-pound rankings.
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Boxing
The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena
Published
5 hours agoon
November 23, 2024In a clash of forces between two world title contenders, NABO welterweight titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-0, 16 KO) will put his skills to the test against undefeated knockout and NABF welterweight titleholder Raul “El Cugar “. Curiel (15-0, 13 KO).
The 10-round main event will take place on Saturday, December 14, live from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.
“‘The best versus the best’ is Golden Boy’s mantra and that’s what fans will see as Rocha and Curiel take on everything that’s on the table,” said President and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Rocha is a veteran whose goal is to win the world title, Curiel is an undefeated blue-chip prospect with huge potential. It’s really a 50/50 fight and I’m looking forward to it.”
Tickets for the Rocha vs. match Curiel will go on sale on Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, excluding applicable service fees. A confined number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available, including exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades. Standard and VIP tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboy.com or at the Toyota Arena box office from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:00
“I’ve seen Raul Curiel all these years and he never once mentioned my name,” Alexis Rocha said. “After my last defeat, he suddenly became interested in fighting me. If he thinks I’ve lost a step or somehow had an simple fight, he’s in for a rude awakening. I can’t wait to make a statement and show the world what I’m capable of.”
Santa Ana, California Rep. Alexis “Lex” Rocha comes from a struggling family. The younger brother of Ronny Rios, he was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics at the age of 14 in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world by becoming a six-time national champion during his amateur career. Rocha signed with Golden Boy in January 2016 and made his professional debut in March 2016, defeating Jordan Rosario at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Since then, he has amassed an enviable record of powerful knockouts over top contenders and plans to return to world title contention, with his last fight being a victory over undefeated Santiago Dominguez on July 19 last year.
“The fans can expect a war,” said Raul Curiel. “I’m going to prepare well to put on a great show. This will be the most essential fight of my career so far. I know Alexis is a great fighter, a good opponent and will also show up prepared. My focus is on Alexis and if I can beat him, I know it will give me a chance to fight for the world championship.
Boxing
George Kambosos moves up to 140, adds Eddie Hearn to team
Published
22 hours agoon
November 23, 2024Former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos approached promoter Eddie Hearn asking for more massive fights.
Kambosos has signed a co-promotional deal with Eddie Hearn, under which the Greek-Australian slugger will continue his association with DiBella Entertainment Inc. and his own company, Ferocious Promotions.
The 21-3 star will move up to the super lightweight division of Matchroom Boxing’s lively division. He aims to become a two-weight world champion in early 2025, and as part of the deal, a title fight is promised as long as he continues to win.
Since his stunning victory over Teofimo Lopez, Kambosos has never shied away from competing against the best. Those three losses on his resume came to Devin Haney [twice] and Vasily Lomachenko, all at home and all for world titles.
The 31-year-old is now set to face compatriot Liam Paro after defending his IBF title against Richardson Hitchins in December in Puerto Rico.
“I am thrilled to be working with Matchroom Boxing. I am excited to have signed a three-way promotional cooperation agreement with my long-time promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc. and Ferocious Promotions,” Kambosos said.
“I made great success and history when I moved up the Matchroom shows by winning my UK elimination fight against Lee Selby. The most noteworthy and unforgettable is my victory against Teofimo at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York to become the 135-pound world champion.
“I am officially announcing that I will be moving up to 140 pounds and signing with Matchroom will ensure my continued success and the legacy I want to leave in the sport of boxing.”
Hearn, who adds an experienced campaigner to his stable, added: “I am delighted to welcome George to the team. George’s victory over Teofimo tore up the script and showed that George was the man for the massive time. He has proven to be a huge attraction in Australia and one of the real driving forces behind the rapid growth of boxing Down Under.
“The 140-pound division is full of massive names and massive potential fights. Adding George to the mix only elevates the level, and a possible fight with Liam Paro is a truly appetizing prospect. If Liam manages to win in a great fight against Richardson on December 7th [the fight could be on].
Lou DiBella, who has worked with Kambosos for years, said: “I’m glad I was able to make a deal with my antique buddy Eddie to work with George Kambosos Jr. and Ferocious Promotions.
“Throughout his career, George has been a fighter who has never shied away from a challenge, and now he wants to test himself against top junior welterweights.
Matchroom works with top 140-pounders, including George’s compatriot Liam Paro, and, like DiBella Entertainment, is heavily invested in Australia.
“It’s a natural partnership,” added the Up-to-date Yorker.
Boxing
Mike Tyson had absolutely no chance of knocking out Jake Paul
Published
2 days agoon
November 21, 2024One of the hottest topics surrounding Mike Tyson’s return at the age of 58 was the possibility of the boxing legend scoring a knockout of Jake Paul.
WBN has weighed in on this topic several times, questioning the validity of five-second training clips that revealed nothing about Tyson’s abilities at this overdue age. One of the most intriguing observations during the preparations was the opinion of UFC commentator Daniel Cormier.
Speaking on his show “Funky and the Champ,” Cormier reflected on Tyson’s social media videos and offered an informed opinion on the meaning of the clips.
“I understand that [he is in amazing shape at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels as though he can compete]– Cormier said. “And I agree that when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro, it looks like there’s still something left in him.
“But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I saw Jake Paul get overwhelmed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But Jake has a reserve tank he can go to and benefit from because he’s 28 years ancient. Then he comes back and finally finishes Mike Perry.
“At the beginning of the fight, Mike Perry gets beaten up and dropped. He looks trained and unmatched. This worries me because what if it looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man while Mike can’t employ the backup tank to stay and compete with this newborn kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.
He added: “What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over. Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the sport.”
Unfortunately for Tyson, this revenge backfired spectacularly, as the former heavyweight champion’s return was the only event that bombed. Tyson had nothing left twenty years after he had nothing left in his tank and no desire to box in his mind.
Paul parlayed this into a money-making scheme that would forever be a success for him and his company, but would be poorly received by the die-hard boxing fraternity.
Cormier’s words resonate, especially after what happened in the ring when Mike Tyson struggled to shift into first gear, warning former fighters thinking about returning after 50.
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The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena
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