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Stephen Fulton will prove his worth once again as he takes on Carlos Castro

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Stephen Fulton (left) rolled to a near-flawless points victory over Daniel Roman in June 2022. (Photo: Ryan Hafey/PBC)

by Joseph Santoliquito |

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Stephen “Scooter” Fulton is openly wondering what else he needs to do. The former WBO and WBC junior featherweight champion believes he deserves to be on pay-per-view Saturday for the Canelo Alvarez-Edgar Berlanga fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The frustration has made Fulton uncharacteristically tight-lipped with the media, eroding his winning, upbeat personality and making him a bit gruff.

Perhaps that’s exactly what Fulton (21-1, 8 KOs) needs when he faces Carlos Castro (30-2, 14 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight bout on the preliminary, pre-PPV portion of the Alvarez-Berlanga card. It will be the first time in 14 months that Fulton has fought since his first professional loss, an eighth-round knockout to junior featherweight world champion Naoya Inoue on July 25 in Tokyo.

“You know I’m mad, mad at myself for not being better prepared, for not being the best version of myself for the Inoue fight,” Fulton admitted to The Ring in July at a Philadelphia club show. “I’m not saying I would have beaten Inoue, or he would have beaten me, but the best version of me was better than what I was doing. That’s what pisses me off. I had to look at myself. I learned a lot about myself, things that I need to improve about myself professionally and personally. I don’t want to dwell on the past too much. But I’m different.

“Expect me to look different.”

Inoue may be the only fighter in the world who could beat Fulton at 122 to 126 pounds.

But Fulton doesn’t want to hear about it.

He changed trainers, moving from trainer/manager Wahid Rahim to trainer Bozy Ennis, the father, manager and trainer of his son, IBF welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis, although Rahim continued to be Fulton’s manager. Fulton stressed that the change was necessary. Both felt it was in the best interest of each.

The Castro fight will not be televised nationally, so Fulton will have a chance to perform in front of the largest television audience he has ever fought.

“Scooter is in an incredible position from a business perspective,” Rahim said. “He’s one fight away from another world title fight. He’s got a chance to fight in front of a massive crowd. It’s a mental test for him. Scooter is a former world champion, recognized all over the world by boxing fans. He was a top-five fighter, and for him now, after the pay-per-view, it’s like he’s coming off the bench again. People have to understand something: This kid wasn’t given anything. Al Haymon and PBC were very good to him, don’t get me wrong.

“But Scooter had to work his way up. Personally, I don’t think he should come off the bench. It’s just about him proving himself again. I respect Bozy 100 percent. I didn’t want Scooter to fight Inoue because Scooter was the champion and a champion shouldn’t have to travel to defend his title. But Scooter is a special fighter. He’s ready to fight anyone, anywhere, so he went. We agreed that training wasn’t good for us. We were friends before we started working together, and I love him. We’ll always be friends. I still look after his business. Having Bozy on board is basically a win for our whole team. It took me time as his coach and gave me more time to work on his business and his future.”

But why has Fulton been so irate lately?

Anyone who knows Fulton also knows that this is not his true personality. He was curt with the media (who didn’t know him), gave curt answers to questions, and had an attitude that he didn’t want to be bothered. In other words, the complete opposite of Fulton’s upbeat personality.

“I get it, and we know he’s not,” Rahim said of Fulton. “The truth is, and he’s absolutely right, he’s put so much work into being a star that he feels like he’s starting over. The business side of it is that this fight will give him more exposure. I know he’s still feeling a lot of pain from losing to Inoue. I know that, you know that, anyone who knows him knows that. He knows he could have done better, a lot better than he did. That pisses him off. That pisses me off.”

“We hope this is the first of two fights this year. We want to fight again in December. I’ll say this, Carlos Castro better watch his ass. Scooter needed that kick in the ass that Inoue gave him. He’s got so much talent, so much skill, that sometimes Scooter doesn’t see it himself. That’s going to come out in the Castro fight. I’m not going to look at Castro. I know Scooter won’t do that. I know he’s ready to explode.”

Fulton’s grand plan to beat Castro, who is on a three-fight winning streak dating back to a July 2022 knockout loss to Brandon Figueroa, is to face the winner of Nick Ball’s WBA featherweight title defense against Ronny Rios on Oct. 5 in Liverpool, England.

“When Scooter is at his best, focused, ready, no one, not even Inoue, could beat him,” Rahim emphasized. “I don’t think about it seriously; I know that for sure. The only one who could beat Stephen Fulton is Stephen Fulton. I tell him that all the time.”

Follow @JSantoliquito [twitter.com]

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Boxing

George Kambosos moves up to 140, adds Eddie Hearn to team

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George Kambosos beats Teofimo

Former 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.

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Boxing

Mike Tyson had absolutely no chance of knocking out Jake Paul

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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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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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