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Raul Marquez continues to punch the clock in every possible way after Showtime ends

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3 months ago

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Versatility has always been Raul Marquez’s advantage.

A gifted left-handed ring technician who earned a spot at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, Marquez could also transform into a pressure fighter when the situation called for it and was no stranger to bloody brawls (even if almost all of that blood was his own).

A bilingual presenter, “El Diamante” broke through on both HBO and Showtime, as well as other international networks and channels, enjoying particular popularity because he could play the role of the former champion’s analyst in both English and Spanish, depending on the need.

And in 2024, Marquez’s versatility was needed more than ever. Since Showtime ended boxing overdue last year, and with it his most stable, reliable job, Marquez has been in full work mode, loving saying yes to opportunities and adding dashes and slashes to the list of job descriptions that could appear before his name.

“It’s all about cashing checks,” Marquez told Boxing Scene. “You cash checks wherever you can, and it all adds up.”

Marquez, now 52, ​​is a television host (for multiple stations), gym owner, head trainer, real estate owner, advertising executive, husband and father of five.

“I’m not afraid of work,” he explained. “No matter what, work doesn’t bother me.”

It’s been a tough year for nearly everyone who’s been employed by Showtime Sports. Marquez’s situation is not unique in that regard; his fellow broadcasters, PR team, production team, management team and other front office staff have all spent 2024 in similar circumstances. And of course, there are plenty of athletes who were Showtime regulars who haven’t been as lively this year as they would have liked.

Some of Showtime’s former employees have joined Amazon Prime, and Marquez spent the first few months of 2024 hoping to get that connection. Not those who get the call were booked — there were only three such events through August this year. But Marquez, who admits he skipped one show while he waited to hear from PBC, wasn’t done offering phone fights to Amazon.

“Listen, after what happened last year, I knew it was going to be a tough year,” Marquez said. “The beginning of the year, not knowing what was going to happen, no doubt, was super stressful. But I managed to stay busy.”

Fight fans continued to see Marquez on their TV screens (or other streaming devices) as he commentated on DAZN fights for promoter Dmitry Salita’s “Large Time Boxing USA” cards — alongside his former Showtime colleague Al Bernstein. Salita approached Marquez about working on a Showtime event in overdue 2023 when Paramount’s decision to shut down Showtime Sports was announced, so El Diamante knew he’d be landing at least one commentary gig in 2024.

He quickly chose another while commenting on the streaming fights Team Fight League. He also worked one card that aired on ESPN+, Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez’s win over Robert Barrera in July. And Marquez is hoping for another opportunity behind the mic, which he got a call about last week. He wouldn’t go into details, other than to say that “it’s a massive name” and “it could be massive.” He’s also in talks to work on weigh-ins for PBC/Amazon events with a few antique friends at Showtime.

While Marquez awaits further word on the matter and occasionally competes in DAZN fights, his main priority in making money in his hometown of Houston is his Raul Marquez Boxing Fitness gym in Humble, Texas.

“When I was making money for Showtime, the gym was more of a hobby for me,” he said. “I was only opening classes three times a week, and I was also doing private lessons. It was just extra money. But now I’m expanding it. I’m working more hours, teaching more classes, and Giovanni is working with me.”

That would be Raul’s son, 23-year-old Giovanni Marquez, a junior welterweight with a professional record of 10-0 (5 KOs). The second-generation boxer last fought in May and is expected to return to the ring on Oct. 4, with his father in his corner as his primary trainer. Trying to mold Giovanni into champion material is an understandable priority in Raul’s career and life.

On top of that, Marquez makes extra money doing his best Rocky Balboa by promoting Beast Aftershave. Cavender Grande Ford brings Marquez to San Antonio every month, and he throws his antique championship belt over his shoulder and cuts car sales ads for a few hours.

He also owns several rental properties and plans to add one more. “I’m not trying to buy 10 properties or anything, but I’m looking for at least one more,” he said. “Every investment is risky, so I’m trying to be clever.”

And here is the most crucial thing about Marquez gig: being a dad. Giovanni and his two older brothers don’t necessarily need Raul to guide them through the world every day, but El Diamante started over in the 2010s with his wife Jeannette and youthful children Liam and Alina — and spent a lot of time this summer taking 7-year-old Liam to tee-ball tournaments.

Hey, it has to be admitted that Marquez leans towards the sport where you hit the ball off the tee and no one fires it back at you.

Life as a father and working in the gig economy have kept Marquez busy, and while this year has brought its own challenges, the artist insists no one has to worry about him.

“Thank God I’m doing pretty well financially, and whatever I made on Showtime, I didn’t blow it,” he said. “I’m not the kind of guy who’s going to blow all my money, you know? I live in a nice neighborhood, but it’s nothing crazy. I have nice cars, but I don’t drive Lamborghinis. I don’t live that kind of life.”

There’s certainly a contrast between the way Marquez lives his life in his early 50s and the way his antique Olympic roommate lives it. Thirty-two years ago, Marquez was bunking in the Olympic Village with the only gold medalist on the 1992 U.S. boxing team, Oscar De La Hoya — a man who briefly became the talk of boxing’s social media last weekend when a video of him dancing in a G-string surfaced online. (The less said about that, the better, probably.)

Marquez was an intriguing sight to behold last year when the HBO documentary “The Golden Boy” was released, largely a portrait of De La Hoya, a Hall of Fame fighter and successful promoter who has publicly struggled with demons and addiction.

“Oh my,” Marquez said when asked what he thought of the documentary. He paused, searching for what he wanted to say. “I thought… I’ll put it this way: He should never have made that documentary. He should never have made it. I don’t think it did him any good. I’ll leave it at that.”

Marquez and De La Hoya are no longer in touch.

“He was my buddy, man,” Marquez recalled. “When we were amateurs, when we were traveling the world together, when they saw Oscar, they saw me, and when they saw me, they saw Oscar. I don’t know what happened. You know, in my professional career, I challenged him. I challenged him, I wanted to fight him — why wouldn’t I? He was the money guy, everybody wanted to fight him. But I challenged him, and I don’t know if maybe he took it personally.”

Marquez was not interviewed for the documentary. “I should have been there. They left out all the great stories we had — with women in Italy, women in Australia, all over the world.”

But Marquez — again, a conscientious father of youthful children these days — wasn’t forthcoming about any of those stories in this interview. “We had a great time, man. We were youthful, we were single, we were living life, and that’s all I’m going to say.”

A lot has changed since then—for several 1992 Olympians who became former competitors, and for Olympic boxing in general. And in the case of the latter, the change hasn’t been for the better, according to Marquez. The 2024 Games just ended in Paris, and Marquez wasn’t the least bit interested in them.

“If a top amateur asked me now, ‘Should I wait until the next Olympics?’ I would advise them not to,” Marquez said. “Amateur experience is very crucial. I have always emphasized amateur experience. The amateur system will always be in my heart, and before you become a professional, you should gain that amateur experience. But when you feel you are ready to become a professional, then become a professional. Waiting for four whole years just to to see if you can get to the Olympics? I don’t think it’s worth it. I don’t even know if a gold medal means what it used to.”

Marquez parlayed his Olympic experience into a solid 16-year professional career — a 41-4-1 (29 KO) record, a 20-month reign at junior middleweight and high-profile fights with the likes of Shane Mosley, Fernando Vargas and Jermain Taylor — and parlayed it into a steady commentary career that included 12 years on Showtime, 12 years he looks back on fondly.

“I had a great time working with Showtime,” he said. “It was like a family and I learned a lot working with that group. Honestly, we were spoiled working at Showtime.

“But maybe things happen for a reason. We’ll just have to see what happens next.”

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Boxing

Mike Tyson had absolutely no chance of knocking out Jake Paul

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1 day ago

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November 21, 2024

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Mike Tyson comeback black

One 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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Lauren Price looks to win Jonas vs Habazin with an undercard victory

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2 days ago

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November 21, 2024

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Lauren Price

Lauren Price MBE will defend her world title for the first time on Saturday, December 14 at the Exhibition Center in Liverpool, while the Welsh champion plans to stage an all-British unification clash with welterweight rival Natasha Jonas, which will headline the Collision Course that night.

Price defends her WBA welterweight title against undefeated Colombian challenger Bexcy Mateus on the same night as Jonas attempts to unify the IBF and WBC titles with Ivana Habazin as part of BOXXER’s ‘Collision Course’ fight night, which can be seen live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK UK and Ireland and Peacock in the US.

Price MBE (7-0, 1 KO) made history with an excellent performance, defeating former undisputed welterweight world ruler Jessica McCaskill in front of her fans in Cardiff in May.

Price, the first Welsh boxer to win Olympic gold, once again entered the record books by becoming the country’s first world champion in just her seventh professional fight. The 30-year-old from Ystrad Mynach, who has yet to lose a round as a professional, will now defend her world titles for the first time as she focuses on dominating the welterweight division.

Mateus (7-0, 6 KO), ranked No. 5 in the WBA rankings, is undefeated in the professional ranks and has won all but one of her seven fights by knockout. The 29-year-old from Bogota, fighting outside her native Colombia for the first time, will now have her first chance at global fame, with her goal to dethrone Price and take the top spot in the welterweight division.

Lauren Price said: “I’m excited to defend my belts and complete what has been an crucial year for me. I have full respect for Mateusz. I will prove that I am the best in the division and I will not let anything or anyone stand in my way of being undisputed.”

BOXXER Founder and CEO Ben Shalom said: “It’s a massive night for the women’s welterweight division with three world champions competing. Natasha Jonas returns to her hometown for a mandatory unification fight against Ivana Habazin, and Lauren Price defends her world titles against undefeated challenger Bexcy Mateus. The fight for the undisputed continues. If Natasha and Lauren win on December 14, it will set the stage for a massive “Battle Of Britain” world title unification fight next year.

There’s reason to celebrate as BOXXER delivers a Christmas cracker to end the year. In addition to the world championship fights between Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price, fight fans can expect a gala full of drama and entertainment.

Undefeated Irishman Stephen McKenna (15-0, 14 KO) will face English champion Lee Cutler (14-1, 7 KO) in an invigorating super welterweight fight for the silver WBC International title.

McKenna impressed fans in his three-round fight against Joe Laws last August at Oakwell Stadium in Barnsley. The two struck out in the first round, then McKenna began to apply the pressure, losing Laws three more times and maintaining his undefeated record after a third-round stoppage.

English cruiserweight champion Viddal Riley (11-0, 6 KO) returns to action from a rib injury that has kept him out of the ring since a career-best victory over Mikael Lawal in March. Riley will be looking to shake off the ring rust as he takes on high-profile opponents in the recent year.

Undefeated Chorley super middleweight Mark Jeffers (18-0, 5 KO) scored an explosive fifth-round knockout victory over Darren Johnston in May and will be looking to bring more drama to Liverpool’s Exhibition Center as he goes in search of his 19th professional win.

Mason Cartwright (20-4-1, 8 KO) from Cheshire, a former two-time British title challenger from Ellesmere Port, will be counting on local support as he returns to the title track.

After signing a promotional contract with BOXXER, local star Frankie Stringer (8-0, 1 KO) can achieve his third victory in 2024, when he returns in front of his fans in Liverpool. The 23-year-old lightweight fighter is a player of the notable city team Rotunda ABC, and his manager is former world champion Liam Smith.

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Boxing

Heavyweight who knocked out Lewis to break Tyson’s record days after the feat

Published

3 days ago

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November 19, 2024

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Heavyweight Oliver McCall returns 2024

Mike Tyson will miss his final record-breaking days after becoming the oldest former heavyweight champion to walk through the ring.

“The Baddest Man on the Planet” reached an all-time high in Texas on Friday night, returning from a two-decade absence. However, Tyson gave the achievement five days later to former Lennox Lewis conqueror Oliver McCall.

On Tuesday night at The Troubadour in Nashville, Tennessee, the former WBC heavyweight champion returns to action and will face veteran Stacy Frazier in a fight scheduled for four rounds. At age 59, McCall will set the record for a sanctioned fight, beating Tyson by fourteen months.

McCall was born in April 1965, and Tyson’s mother gave birth to him in June 1966. “The Atomic Bull” hopes to score his 60th career victory tonight. He enters the fight with a record of 59-14, including 38 knockouts.

The Chicago native believes his continued activity over the last 19 years will be what separates his performance on Tuesday night from what Tyson looked like on Friday.

“I’m ready. I’ve been training here in Nashville for a few weeks now, but I’m always in shape,” McCall said. “It will be a completely different match than what the fans saw on Friday.

“I think being lively has a lot to do with it. I haven’t fought in five years because of the pandemic and a few things that didn’t work out.

“If you look at my record, since 2005 I have fought 25 times, of which I have won 19-6 times against quality fighters and won various regional titles.

McCall fights without financial motivation. He sees his fighting days approaching and is already planning his post-retirement plans.

“I want to do this for another year. This means I will be 40 years into my career as a professional boxer. Then I want to train and become a manager. I want to return the favor and assist the next generation of players try to become world champions.

“I came here to Nashville and contacted the manager who took me to the title [Country Box] promoter Jimmy Adams. I’m learning a lot about this aspect of the sport. I love the players here and everything that happens with Country Box.”

The Country Box 25 gala will also feature eight-round fights between super bantamweight Elon DeJesus (8-1-2, 7 KO) and Dominique Griffin (5-7-2, 2 KO), as well as super middleweight fighters. Sean Hemphill (16-2, 10 KO) fights Bryant McClain (6-5-2, 1 KO).

Airy heavyweight Isaac Carbonell (8-0, 5 KO) will face Antonio Louis Hernandez (7-19-4, 4 KO) in six-round fights; Joel Mutombo (6-0, 4 KO) vs. Kevin Torian (3-2, 3 KO) in a cruiserweight fight.

In a four-round fight, Ryan Zempoaltecatl (2-0, 1 KO) will face Raymond Chacon (10-64-1, 2 KO).

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