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Ukraine on top, Kabayel the body snatcher and the Torrez tornado

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THE MOST IMPORTANT events from the last week of the campaign

Oleksandr Usyk was knocked out in the ninth round and won a split decision over Tyson Fury, thanks to which he unified the IBF, IBO, WBA, WBC and WBO titles and became the undisputed heavyweight champion.

Australian Jai Opetaia scored a unanimous points victory over Mairis Briedis to capture the vacant IBF cruiserweight title.

IBO super featherweight champion Anthony Cacace stopped IBF champion Joe Cordina in the title unification process.

Denys Berinchyk won a unanimous decision over Emanuel Navarrete for the vacant WBO lightweight title.

Brian Norman defeated Giovani Santillan twice to win the WBO interim welterweight title.

German heavyweight Agit Kabayel stopped undefeated Frank Sanchez.

Robin Sirwan Safar knocked down and outpointed former featherlight heavyweight titleholder Sergei Kovalev.

Also victorious in Saudi Arabia were Mark Chamberlain, Moses Itauma and Isaac Lowe.

Richard Torrez, Emiliano Vargas, Alan Garcia and Jonathan Lopez won the San Diego show.

Jin Sasaki stopped Joe Noynay for the OPBF and WBO Asia-Pacific titles.

Karen Chukhadzhian scored points by defeating Harry Scarff in an IBF welterweight eliminator.

Flavius ​​Biea and Ronald Gavril won in Romania.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – MAY 18: Tyson Fury punches Oleksandr Usyk during the IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO and Undisputed Heavyweight title fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk at Kingdom Arena on May 18, 2024 in Riyad, Saudi Arabia. (Photo: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)


Who won the week?

Most significant: Usyk’s victory over Fury was the undisputed heavyweight championship! Don’t say anything else.

Most fun: Usyk vs. Fury not only met expectations, but arguably exceeded them.

Warrior of the week: Usyk for the historic victory. Kudos to Fury for putting in a great fight.

Punch of the week: Usyk’s right, which shocked Fury so much in the ninth set, was a lightning bolt. Additionally, Brian Norman’s uppercut that finished off Giovani Santillan and Mark Chamberlain’s shot that knocked down Joseph Wahab for the first time.

Upset of the week: Brian Norman did not look like a threat to WBO No. 1 Santillan entering the ring.

Potential watch: Modern Zealand cruiserweight David Nyika (9-0) is worth watching.


Combat card observations

Rosette: Usyk and Fury for rising to the occasion.

Red card: Ahead of the IBF, which is expected to soon strip Usyk of his title for not fighting mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic.

It was necessary to stop one long series without defeat. As far as I know, the last time Usyk lost a fight was in 2009, when he was overtaken by Yegor Mekhontsev in the semi-final of the World Championships, and in 2007, Fury was overtaken by Maksym Babanin in the final of the European Junior Championships – but I (Eric) could be wrong!

What a good night for Ukraine. Usyk won the heavyweight title, Berinchyk won the WBO lightweight title, featherlight heavyweight Daniel Papin scored a first-round KO and welterweight Karen Chukhadzhian won the IBF eliminator title (on Friday night).


May 18

Kabayel dashed Cuba’s hopes of defeat in seven rounds. Sanchez was already tired in the fifth set, landing only single, sweeping punches and spending most of his time on the ropes, while Kabayel attacked him with left hooks to the body and right hands.

Sanchez didn’t give much in return while Kabayel bombarded him with punches. The seventh was about the same until after a few body shots, Sanchez fell on his haunches but was counted out. He got up at seven, then went down again with a left jab to the body and was counted out. Kabayel entered the heavyweight mix in a massive way.

Southpaw Chamberlain blasted Joshua “Wealth Machine” Wahab in the first round. Chamberlain immediately took control, firing difficult right-click punches as Wahab looked to tuck inside. Near the end of the round, Chamberlain landed his jab with a powerful straight left that knocked Wahab to the ground. Wahab got to his feet, and on the count of eight, Chamberlain landed a left that sent Wahab into the corner, crashing to the floor sideways. The referee waved off the fight as Wahab needed medical attention before he fully recovered.

In San Diego, Torrez defeated Moore in five rounds. Torrez was his usual ultra-aggressive self. Moore tried to hit with his southpaw, but he lacked the punch to stop Torrez’s attacks. Moore had a good period in the fifth, but when he threw a right, Torrez’s left hook sent him across the ring.

Torrez followed Moore and then landed a series of punches that knocked him down. Moore had barely made the count, stumbling and dazed under the violent attack, when the referee came in to end the fight.

Former British, European and Commonwealth champion McGregor made a winning comeback by defeating newborn Colombian Jorge Moya in the second round.

McGregor showed no signs of rust as he knocked Moya down with a body shot in the second. Moya stood up but was unable to continue.

Lee McGregor (Warren Little/Getty Images)

Karen Chukhadzhian overtook Harry Scarff in the IBF eliminator. Scarff started changing players well, which put pressure on Chukhadzhiana. Chukhadzhian used speed and skill to beat Scarff, who put pressure on fourth, fifth and sixth. Chukhadzyan fired a lot of body shots and dealt with a cut.

Chukhadzhian still had some left in the tank and planned a stronger finish to emerge the winner after a score of 116-112 on each of the three judges’ cards. The rounds were so close that it could have been called something else and there was no reason to complain.


MAY 18

Jordan White defeated former title challenger Jonathan Oquendo-Arnaldi in the first round. As the smaller Oquendo lunged forward, White caught him with a left hook that knocked him to the ground. Oquendo got up but was rocked by another left hook and took punishment against the ropes when the referee stopped the fight.

Now it’s 13 straight wins for white. Oquendo (40) had a chance to win the WBA featherweight and WBO super featherweight belts, but it was only his second fight in almost four years.

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Boxing

The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena

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Rocha vs Curiel

In 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.

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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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