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‘Perfectly Prepared’ Jose Valenzuela Set to Shock Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz

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RIVERSIDE, Calif. – It was a fight that was quickly arranged, with the opponent invited after losing two of his last three fights, including a knockout loss.

Perhaps that’s all the fight organizers need to know for up-to-date WBA 140-pound champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, given the popular Mexican’s penchant for delivering devastating blows that only the most granite jaw can withstand.

But Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela has a richer story, one that is obscured by superficial analysis of his record and boxing highlights. And now, with Cruz in the ring, and a title shot within reach, he can tell it.

“People underestimate me, but I think that’s a good thing,” Valenzuela recently told BoxingScene after training at his trainer Robert Garcia’s gym.

Let’s first go back to that third-round knockout defeat on Sept. 4, 2022, at the hands of Edwin De Los Santos, Valenzuela’s Dominican replacement opponent, whom the 23-year-old, training under Jose Benavidez Sr., didn’t take seriously and wasn’t prepared for.

“Everybody disrespects me because of the De Los Santos fight, but if you knew the conditions I fought in, everybody would have lost. People say I’m quinic. I don’t think I’m quinic because he hit me a lot… Two weeks before the fight, I had surgery on my leg, a sleeve, antibiotics,” Valenzuela said.

He believes that the failure was caused by youthful recklessness and overconfidence.

“I don’t want to criticize anyone. I take the blame for being youthful, winning every fight, always being in the spotlight, being around (former undefeated super middleweight champion) David (Benavidez) … I got caught up in the moment and (the loss) was a good, humbling experience,” he said.

Still, it stung, and Valenzuela was furious when he later learned from his parents that supporters of Cruz — who knocked out Eduardo Ramirez in the second round that same night — had rubbed salt into the wound of Valenzuela’s defeat.

“When I lost to De Los Santos, Pitbull’s team threw Pitbull flags at my family after I got knocked out,” Valenzuela said. “That’s always stuck with me. I’ve always held a grudge against Pitbull to get him.”

In addition to working with Garcia — an early favorite for trainer of the year who counts super flyweight champion Jessie “Bama” Rodriguez, undefeated junior middleweight Vergil Ortiz and former unified 140-pound champion Jose Ramirez among his stable — Valenzuela said he changed “everything” about the people around him after suffering another unanimous decision loss to Chris Colbert on March 25, 2023.

Valenzuela, he said, is referring to “everyone around me — (connecting with) clear-minded people who love me and who will tell me what I need to hear.”

The left-handed Valenzuela returned to seek revenge for his sixth-round knockout loss to Colbert in December.

is the Spanish word for lightning.

“(‘Rayo’) is very aggressive, he throws challenging punches with great power. ‘Rayo’ probably has more power than ‘Pitbull,’” Garcia said in a stunning statement. “His power is crazy. And he listens. He boxes well, using that straight line and those angles — and that’s all part of the plan.”

It is also not widely known that Valenzuela has been in Garcia’s gym for four months straight.

He began preparing for revenge against De Los Santos when the phone rang. Premier Boxing Champions had scheduled Cruz’s increasingly popular first title defense on an Aug. 3 card in Los Angeles, billed by Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh and her Riyadh Season.

Will Valenzuela miss De Los Santos’ title fight?

The answer “Yes” was delivered immediately.

“Being world champion has been my dream since I was 10,” Valenzuela said. “After losing everything to De Los Santos and Colbert in the blink of an eye, after leaving Benavidez and finding my way, getting my hunger back and being with my team, this is a second chance to do what I love.”

Since making the decision to fight, Valenzuela (13-2, 9 KOs) has admitted he feels fate played a part in it as well.

When he started boxing at age 10, he recalls his first training mile, putting on his headphones and listening to an Eminem song. Valenzuela later learned that Alalshikh would bring Eminem to an Aug. 3 event headlined by the rapper’s friend, undefeated three-division champion Terence Crawford.

“It’s crazy because it’s full circle – my first run for my first title,” Valenzuela said.

Garcia can’t wait to send his well-prepared protégé into the ring, knowing his hungry challenger has a complicated left-handed stance and the ability to throw a series of punches and powerful strikes, while the champion can see this as a coronation of sorts in front of a cordial Los Angeles crowd.

Both Valenzuela and Garcia watched as left-handed Giovanni Cabrera troubled Cruz in their July 2023 fight, which was decided by a one-point split decision.

“A left-hander is always going to be tough for a right-hander. In most fights, we try to avoid lefties because they always pose problems,” Garcia said. “(Cruz) didn’t look too good against a left-hander (Cabrera), so that’s something we look at. He didn’t have much success against a towering, skinny left-hander. ‘Rayo’ is much, much better than Giovanni Cabrera. We’re also working on his punches up the middle. If he lands well, he’ll hurt ‘Pitbull.’

“And being in the gym for so long is good. His mind is focused on the fight. He’s ready.”

Garcia makes one more point.

“Valenzuela is very focused. He’s fighting for the title against the most beloved fighter from Mexico. Nobody in Mexico loves ‘Pitbull’. It’s a great opportunity – because ‘Rayo’ was also born in Mexico and he wants to let the world know that there are two Mexicans in the ring, which makes the fight more intriguing.

“He has a great chance and I think that even though ‘Pitbull’ is an incredible fighter that we respect, they’ve also done a great job promoting him and picking his opponents.”

Much like Eminem’s lyrics in “Lose Yourself,” Valenzuela expects fight night to be an opportunity to reflect on the hardships he’s experienced.

Raised in Washington, D.C., and born in Mexico, he recalls that his parents, father Arturo and mother Yagna, made large concessions to support his boxing dream.

“They sacrificed everything for me — two hours to get to the gym, making minimum wage ($10 an hour). They put the last $30 in the gas to get me there,” Valenzuela said. “Coming home, the lights were out. They invested all their money in me — money and time they didn’t have. The fact that I was so close to losing everything … to being here now. I’ll leave it all in the ring.”

Arturo and Yagna Valenzuela will be present at the fight.

“This is the perfect moment in my life,” said Jose Valenzuela. “Everything happens for a reason. I don’t think I’m as ready as I am right now. Everything has prepared me perfectly.”

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Tyson’s conqueror, Danny Williams, was “never considered” for Morrison

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Kenzie Morrison Danny Williams

World Boxing News has learned that Danny Williams was never considered for a fight against Tommy Morrison’s son Kenzie on November 9.

WBN has learned from a source that Williams was scheduled to face Morrison next month when he returns to action at Firelake Arena in Shawnee. However, promoter Tony Holden confirmed what WBN initially reported, namely that Williams had been offered for the fight.

BoxRec also briefly placed Williams within Morrison’s record on November 9, before removing the former British champion. Williams famously knocked out Mike Tyson in 2004, but has since lived off his victory despite losing his British license more than a decade ago.

Holden, who represents Morrison and is looking for an opponent for the competition in three weeks, explained the situation exclusively to WBN.

“I never confirmed William’s story and I never considered him,” Holden said. “I said no when a local promoter suggested it.”

Williams, 51, last fought in August 202, losing for the 33rd time in his career. With 88 professional fights under his belt, Williams seems unable to turn down a payday despite his advanced age.

Morrison, a power puncher who has stopped 19 of his 21 wins, will look for his next conquest elsewhere. The fight with Mike Balogun remains on the table for 2025 after it was postponed from its original October date.

Balogun, who knocked out Kenzi’s brother Trey in the first round, claimed Morrison was pulled from the fight to spare him the loss.

Holden denies this view.

“Even though this post isn’t up to my standards, I’m going to write it anyway. Mike Balogun falsely claimed that I pulled Kenzie Morrison out of the fight because I was afraid he would lose. Please allow me to correct you, Mr. Balogun,” he stated.

“The decision was not made by Kenzie. Let’s raise the stakes and make it fascinating. If you emerge victorious this month, Kenzie will fight in November.

“We may decide this early next year. If your confidence remains unshaken, we can place a significant bet. Watch Kenzie take revenge on her brother and end your career.

Balogun, a former San Francisco 49ers linebacker, responded to Holden by increasing his salary for a potential collision next year.

“No matter how fair and honorable your decision was, just remember that ‘yesterday’s price is not today’s price,’” said the 2010 undrafted pick.

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Andrew Moloney is confident that if given the chance, he would have beaten Phumelele Cafu and Kosei Tanaka

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Andrew Moloney (left) attacks Pedro Guevara – photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Few people were more disappointed than Andrew Moloney when Kosei Tanaka lost his WBO super flyweight belt to Phumelele Cafu at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on Monday night.

The 33-year-old Australian veteran was hoping to get a shot at beating Tanaka in the lucrative Japanese market.

Those dreams were dashed when South Africa’s Cafu delivered the performance of his life, knocking out Tanaka in the fifth round and finishing the fight strongly, beating the four-weight world champion by split decision.

“The plan was to target the WBO and really chase the Tanaka fight, but it all fell apart on Monday night,” Moloney (26-4-1NC, 16 KO) told The Ring. “I think the WBO is probably still the direction we go, but I’m not sure if they have a rematch clause or if Tanaka will take it. But after watching the fight yesterday, I would be really confident that I could fight one of these guys and win. We would like to follow this path.

“I would love to fight Tanaka in Japan as a four-division world champion. He’s definitely someone I’ve looked up to and wanted to fight for a long time.

“Last night was a little hard to watch. The way he performed, I’m more confident than ever that I have what it takes to beat Tanaka.

I assume there will be a rematch and I hope that Tanaka will regain the belt and I will be able to return to the ring and climb the rankings, and maybe this fight will still happen.

Tanaka entered Moloney’s orbit four years ago when he debuted at 115 pounds. Earlier this year, it looked like they were also on a collision course, with Moloney being number one in the WBO rankings. However, when an offer was made for the vacant IBF lightweight title fight between Vasily Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr. in May in Perth, Western Australia, Moloney felt he couldn’t turn her down.

This decision ended in disaster. Moloney faced Carlos Cuadras, who withdrew from the fight with a ruptured Achilles tendon and was replaced by Pedro Guevara. Moloney entered the fight with a torn bicep and was largely reduced to boxing with one hand, which circumscribed his punching power.

Still, Moloney felt he did more than enough to win, and was shocked when Guevara was declared the winner by split decision. He was so disappointed that he announced immediately after the fight that he was leaving the ring, but a few days later he withdrew these comments.

It was a breakthrough moment in his career.

“Looking back, it’s a wonderful thing, but watching the Tanaka-Cafu fight made me think that maybe I would do a lot of things if I could turn back time a little bit,” Moloney explained.

“Before my last fight, I was number one in the WBO rankings and I rejected the option of waiting to fight Tanaka. But the opportunity arose to fight Guevara in Australia for the interim WBC title on a major card, and to be candid, I kind of regretted that the Tanaka fight was hanging in the balance, but ultimately we decided to stay busy and take the opportunity to fight in Australia.

“Also, the injury before the fight was another thing I thought about: will I undergo surgery, keep the top spot and wait for Tanaka, but I made the decision to go ahead with the fight with Guevara. Looking back now, maybe it wasn’t the smartest thing to do. And looking at the way Tanaka fought last night, I thought maybe I should have waited. I’m sure I could beat Tanaka and take the belt away from him.

“So I take some consolation, but unfortunately you can’t turn back time.”

It’s been a frustrating year for Moloney, but he’s still hitting the gym and his team is working to get him another fight. The window of opportunity to box again this year is closing quickly, but he still hopes to return to the ring in December, most likely in his native Australia.

“I really hope so,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been working on. I have been training strenuous at the gym for some time, quite a few months. I hope to return before the end of the year.

“At this stage it will probably be December. I’m trying to block something, but so far no luck. I’m still training away as if the fight was to take place in December, the team is currently working on it and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll be able to finish it.

“I just hope we can get out before the end of the year, get back into the winner’s circle and start climbing the rankings again.”

Moloney, who fought at bantamweight for the first three years of his professional career before dropping down to super flyweight, surprisingly, said he would even consider moving up to another weight class given the right opportunity.

“It’s a tough time in the super flyweight division,” said Moloney, the eighth challenger to The Ring’s 115-pound title. “There’s a lot going on and it’s always strenuous to plan which route to take because everything changes so quickly. I’d pick Bam Rodriguez to beat Guevara, then there’s talk of a rematch between Kazuto Ioka and Fernando Martinez on Up-to-date Year’s Eve. And then there’s talk of Bama, if they win, fighting the winner of that game in unification. The WBO seems to me the fastest way to win the title, so that’s the path we will follow.

“We have also rejected for some time the idea of ​​moving up to flyweight and getting crack there. There’s also some engaging scene going on there right now, but it’s still uncertain. I’d probably feel a little better at super flyweight, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens with Cafu and Tanaka, but like I said, I’d feel comfortable and confident against either of them, so hopefully he can make it it will happen sooner rather than later.”

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Doubts that fuel 19-year-old Benjamin Johnson

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Despite an impressive amateur resume, welterweight Benjamin Johnson of Springdale, Maryland, enters the professional ring with a shoulder injury.

Johnson will face Kevin Pantoja in a four-round fight at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, Maryland, promoted by his trainer Lamont Roach Snr’s NoXcuses Promotions. The fight will be broadcast on Saturday on ProBox TV.

Johnson, 1-0 (1 KO), spent just 2:23 in the ring in his professional debut, displaying the quick, aggressive hands that won him multiple national titles. However, 19-year-old Johnson feels an advantage, believing he is being overlooked by his NoXcuses Boxing Gym teammates.

Pantoja, 1-1, 27, has never stopped being a professional – Johnson aims to change that.

“People underestimate me,” Johnson said. “It’s been like that since I was an amateur.”

He added that this underestimation increases his motivation in the gym. Johnson is determined to prove his worth not only to himself, but also to those who doubt him or, worse, don’t recognize him. “I never felt like I was recognized as that guy, so I feel like I’m underappreciated,” Johnson said of his amateur and now professional career.

Johnson sees the fight as a key step in his career, compared to feared forward David Benavidez by some teammates and touted by others as one of the most ready-to-fight prospects in the country.

“I train as much as I can,” Johnson said. “It’s about making a statement. The way you win shows people what you’re capable of, and I’m ready to show my best.

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