Boxing
Wilder vs. Zhang: Eddie Hearn’s confidence in ‘Brown Bomber’ return to glory
Published
6 months agoon
By
J. HumzaPromoter Eddie Hearn is counting on Matchroom Team captain Deontay Wilder to secure a knockout victory over Zhilei Zhang in their heavyweight challenger, helping Matchroom Boxing to victory in the 5-on-5 contest with Queensberry this Saturday night in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.
Hearn’s belief in Wilder’s rebirth
Hearn chose former WBC heavyweight world champion Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KO) because he can return to the form he enjoyed during his five-year career as world champion from 2015-2020. Promoter Matchroom is trying to save Wilder, which some say is overdone and not suitable for restoration.
Unfortunately, since 2020, Wilder’s career has plummeted. He has lost three of his last four fights and looks woefully faint.
He can still punch when he lands tidy, as we saw in his first-round knockout victory over Robert Helenius in October 2022. Still, he looked mentally timid in his last fight, losing to Joseph Parker by a 12-round decision last December.
Zhang’s early threat and Hearn’s prediction
Southpaw Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KO) will be threatening for Wilder early in the fight as he will look to connect with one of his left hands to take advantage of his faint chin. Tyson Fury knocked out Wilder twice with punches, showing that the Alabama native’s jaw is no longer up to par.
“Someone is getting knocked out in this fight. This is not distance. I’m just banking on Zhang,” Carl Frampton said Boxing newsselecting Zhilei Zhang to defeat Deontay Wilder on Saturday.
Zhang’s “Massive Bang” to settle the matter. He needs to take care of the case, both of us. They are at a crossroads. That’s the best thing about this fight,” said promoter Frank Warren. “They both know they have to win. They both have to give their all.”
The defeat of any of the competitors could mean their end. Zhang (40) and Wilder (38) are too senior to recover from successive defeats. Wilder’s situation is more dire as this would be his fourth defeat in his last five fights.
That’s too many losses in a compact period of time for him to come back, and it’s even worse that a non-striker like Fury knocked him out twice. It’s true that Fury used rabbit punches to score the knockout in their second fight, but in their trilogy match he combined with slap punches that also stopped him.
“They have to play their A game and nothing else, because whoever loses falls straight down the pecking order,” Warren said.
“The thing is, maybe we’ll even come back from the loss and win the tournament because that’s my captain’s choice,” said promoter Eddie Hearn, saying Deontay Wilder is the captain of his Matchroom Boxing team. “That’s my double bubble.”
Hearn must have at least some doubt that Wilder will get the job done because if he had 100% faith he would be talking about wanting to sign him to his Matchroom stable and field him against Anthony Joshua. It doesn’t say anything about signing Wilder or pairing him with AJ. This suggests that he has doubts about whether he can defeat Zhang.
If he knocks him out, we get four points and that could win the whole match. This is a great fight and it could go either way. I support Deontay Wilder to win this fight by knockout,” Hearn said.
“Both fighters have the potential to knock each other out. “Zhang is threatening in the first half of the fight,” Joseph Parker said of the Wilder vs. Zhang fight. “I feel like Zhang has been working on his fitness now after this fight and it will be vital for Wilder to operate his footwork and put Zhang where he wants to land his power shots.”
Wilder said he wanted to fight Zhang aggressively, but once he got in the ring with him and felt his strength, he would fight scared, just like he did when he lost to Parker, and he would hope to catch him with a spot-on shot.
“I would have to go with Wilder. After this defeat I feel like Wilder. Both players improved their training, focus and motivation. I feel like Zhang will be the main target as his activity decreases as the fight goes on,” Parker said.
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Boxing
The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena
Published
6 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
23 hours 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
2 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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The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena
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