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Olympics 2024: Meet Team GB’s boxing hopefuls for Paris

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Team GB is the third most successful boxing team in Olympic history, behind the United States and Cuba, with a combined 18 gold, 13 silver and 25 bronze medals at all Olympic Games. Team GB won six medals in Tokyo three years ago, but in Paris they will have their smallest team since 17-year-old Amir Khan was the only British boxer at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where he won silver.

With fewer men taking part in the tournament, fewer boxers travelled to Paris than at previous games, but Great Britain is still expected to be well represented on the podium at Roland Garros, where the boxing tournament will be held.

There will be more women boxing in Paris than in Tokyo three years ago, but there will be at least 63 fewer men in a reduced seven weight classes, the fewest since 1908.

The likes of James DeGale, Anthony Joshua, Nicola Adams and Lauren Price have gone from Olympic gold medalists to world champions in the professional game. Who are the six boxers who are trying to emulate their success in Paris and could become stars in the paid game?

Delicious Orie

Super Hefty (92kg+)

Age: 27

Record: 29-8 (2 KOs)

Instagram: @deliciousboxing

If the top names were to receive gold medals, super heavyweight Team GB would be a mighty contender. Team GB have a mighty tradition in this division, having won two gold medals (Audley Harrison 2000, Joshua 2012), a silver (Joe Joyce 2016) and a bronze (Frazer Clarke 2021).

Orie, a 6ft 1in son of a Nigerian father and a Russian mother, was born in Moscow. His family moved from Russia to the UK to escape racism and seek a better life when he was seven.

Wolverhampton-based Orie, who only started boxing at the age of 18, will probably have the biggest expectations of the team but has benefited from sparring sessions with two-time heavyweight world champion Joshua, who, like Orie, came to boxing delayed in life. Orie’s potential in Paris was underlined when he won a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, but he enters the Olympics having suffered three points defeats in four fights this year.

Outside of boxing, Orie graduated with an honours degree in Business and Management from Aston University and was named after singer Delicious Kennedy of American R&B band All-4-One.

Patrick Brown

Hefty (92 kg)

Age: 24

Record: 19-3, 4 KOs

Instagram: @patbrown__

Brown trained at the same amateur club (Sale West) as Ricky Hatton and will be trying to win Britain’s first heavyweight medal in over 100 years. He comes into the Games in good form.

The Manchester boxer has been a Great Britain international for two years and beat Mateusz Bereźnicki in a heavyweight bout at the first Olympic qualifiers to secure his place in the qualifying tournament. Now he will be looking to fulfil his dreams in Paris.

Lewis Richardson

Junior Middleweight (71 kg)

Age: 27

Record: 44-18, 1 KO

Instagram: @lewisjrichardson_

The Colchester boxer secured his place at the Olympic Games in June at the final qualifying event after the 75kg category was removed from the Olympic programme and he had to drop down to a lower weight class.

He only started boxing to keep fit for football, but won silver at the European Championships and bronze at the Commonwealth Games as an amateur boxer. Outside of boxing, he is studying part-time for a master’s degree in sports business management.

Chantelle Reid

Age: 26

Average weight (75 kg)

Record: 17-7, 2 KOs

Instagram: @chantelle_reid1_

Reid had to take a six-year break from boxing due to a degenerative disc condition before returning to the sport in 2023. She completed an internship in wealth management and mortgages, investments and pensions, but swapped sitting at a desk for a return to the gym, impressing at the National Boxing Championships the same year she returned.

The Derby fighter has lost her last three fights heading into the Games after qualifying in March, although her last two defeats have come by split decision.

Rosie Eccles

Age: 28

Welterweight (66 kg)

Record: 51-23, 9 KOs

Instagram: @rosieccles1996

The Welshwoman heads to Paris after missing the last Olympics due to three separate COVID-19 attacks and suffering nerve damage in her shoulder. Eccles, from Cardiff, won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and has an honours degree in sports studies and a master’s degree in sports psychology. She is a mighty contender for a medal in France.

Charley Davison

Age: 30

Bantam weight (54 kg)

Record: 35-12, 2 KOs

Instagram: @charley_sian_davison

Mother-of-three Davison is the only Team GB boxer with Olympic experience, having lost a medal in the quarter-finals in Tokyo three years ago, and has moved up from flyweight to bantamweight for Paris.

The Lowestoft boxer initially returned to boxing only to lose weight after giving up the sport to have children (Arnell, Armani and Amir). In April, she won four fights in the US, her only fights in 2024.

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Boxing

Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC

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Badou Jack Rozicki Mikaelian WBC

The 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.

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Floyd Mayweather’s record is not normal, it can’t happen in 70 years

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Floyd Mayweather 50-0

Floyd 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.

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Manny Pacquiao remains the favorite to win the title against Mario Barrios

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Manny Pacquiao vs Barrios

WBN 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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