Boxing
Sulaiman Segawa surprises Ruben Villa by defeating featherweight contender on points in 10-round thriller
Published
4 months agoon
By
J. HumzaLAS VEGAS – Sulaiman Segawa wasn’t afraid to face his opponent in a hostile environment.
Segawa proved to be the more effective fighter, especially in the second half of the fight, winning a unanimous decision over Ruben Villa on Saturday before a rousing crowd at The Pearl Theatre at The Palms Resort Casino.
The scores were 98-92, 97-93 and 96-94 for Segawa, who improved to 17-4-1 with 6 knockouts.
Coming into the fight, Villa, a featherweight ranked No. 10 by The Ring, was the odds-on favorite. Both left-handed fighters were very energetic from the opening bell. Segawa opted to stay in the pocket with Villa, which led to a back-and-forth exchange of punches.
Villa was effective in the middle and when initiating exchanges. When creating space, Segawa connected with left crosses to Villa’s head, sometimes landing back on his head with left hands.
As the fight moved into the middle rounds, Segawa found space for left and right hooks to the head. Villa began landing punches, hooks and left hands to the body in round 6. Tardy in the round, Villa loaded up and landed two right hooks to Segawa’s head.
Segawa was effective early in round 7, landing Villa with a few straight left and right hooks to the head. Undeterred, Villa responded by landing a series of combinations to win the round.
Halfway through round 8, Segawa stunned Villa twice. Villa retreated to regroup, but moments later a right punch to the body hurt Segawa, who had to hold on until the bell sounded to end the round.
Villa and Segawa traded hooks and crosses in the final two rounds. Segawa was cunning to avoid the flush as Villa was the aggressor. Segawa continued to throw and land hooks to Villa’s head, focusing his attack on the body until the final bell sounded.
Segawa, a native of Kampala, Uganda, who now lives in Silver Springs, Maryland, lost a unanimous decision to Mirco Cuello on March 30. The 33-year-old had been undefeated in his previous four fights since a knockout loss to Jamaine Ortiz in a lightweight bout in November 2020.
Villa, who lives in Salinas, California, is coming off a 22-2, 7 KO loss. In his previous fight on April 13, the 27-year-old Villa defeated Christian Cruz Chacon by unanimous decision. He has won his previous four fights since losing to Emanuel Navarrete in October 2020.
Before Saturday’s fight, Villa was ranked number one in the WBC rankings.
Junior lightweight Jonathan Lopez scored a first-round knockout victory over Leonardo Padilla. Lopez improved to 16-0, 12 KOs.
During an exchange of blows in the corner, Lopez landed a left hook to the body. Padilla’s momentum nearly sent him into the ring ropes. Lopez threw and landed another body punch, forcing Padilla to a knee. Referee Alan Huggins counted Padilla out at 1:43.
Lopez, 21, of Orlando, Florida, is trained by Eddy Reynoso, who also trains Canelo Alvarez, the undisputed Ring magazine super middleweight champion.
Padilla, who is based in Caracas, Venezuela, drops to 23-6-1 1 NC, 16 KOs. Padilla was undefeated in his previous four fights.
Junior welterweight Charlie Sheehy of Brisbane, California defeated Ricardo Quiroz (13-5, 7 KOs) of Oxnard via unanimous decision. Scores were 77-75, 77-75, and 78-74 for Sheehy, who moves to 10-0, 5 KOs.
Quiroz was the more effective fighter in the first half of the fight. Sheehy found opportunities and made more contact in the second half of the fight.
Welterweight contender Art Barrera Jr. stopped Fresh Orleans’ Javier Mayoral (6-6-1, 1 KO) once in the first round and once in the fourth en route to a one-sided points victory. All three judges scored the fight 60-52 in favor of Barrera, who improved to 6-0, 4 KO. Barrera, 18, lives in the Los Angeles suburb of Lynwood.
Junior lightweight Albert Gonzalez of Moreno Valley, California, crushed Conrado Martinez of Odessa, Texas, before ending the fight at 1:23 of the sixth round. The barrage of punches forced referee Thomas Taylor to stop the fight.
In the junior welterweight bout, Israel Mercado of Pomona, California, improved to 11-1-1, 7 KOs by defeating Dondrell Haynes by unanimous decision. The scores were 59-55, 59-55, 60-54 for Mercado. Haynes, who is based in Hallettsville, Texas, drops to 8-2, 7 KOs.
In the opening fight of the Top Rank card, junior lightweight Javier Zamarron defeated 19-year-old Mikey Bracamontes (9-2-1, 5 KOs) of Santa Ana, California via unanimous decision. All three judges scored the fight 59-55 for Zamarron, who improved to 9-0, 4 KOs.
Zamarron, Gonzalez and Barrera are trained by Robert Garcia.
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Boxing
The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena
Published
22 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
2 days 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
3 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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