Boxing
Yoenis Tellez increases the score to 9-0 and Tapia vs Saavedra follows an explosive draw
Published
3 months agoon
Cuban Yoenis Tellez (9-0, 7 KO) defeated Johan Gonzalez (35-4, 34 KO) in the seventh round in a super welterweight fight. Tellez dropped Gonzalez three times in the final two rounds, with the last stoppage coming at 1:57 of the seventh round.
Tellez, 24, currently trains in Stafford, Texas under famed Ronnie Shields and showed off his explosive tools in his fifth fight at the Caribe Royale Resort. While Tellez seemed in control through the first rounds, Gonzalez remained competitive and eager to return fire.
“We were up against a very experienced player under the guidance of a great coach in Ismael Salas, so I knew it wouldn’t be effortless,” Tellez said. “I just followed my corner’s instructions so I could win.”
Tellez’s power began to shine in round six as he delivered an incredibly straight right hand that knocked out Gonzalez behind schedule in the round. Gonzalez got up and saw the bell for round seven, but he hit him with a perfect left hook that sent Gonzalez to the mat and almost went through the ropes.
“The most crucial weapon I have is the will to become world champion and the motivation to make my country proud,” Tellez said. “Ever since I left my country, I wanted to win for them.”
“I didn’t properly follow what my corner told me to do and that cost me the fight,” Gonzalez said. “Tellez is a good player and a good prospect. I think if I had been more disciplined, I could have handled this fight better.
Gonzalez again showed his eagerness to continue the fight, but Tellez wasted no time in landing another right hook that knocked Gonzalez to the ground and forced referee Emil Lombardi to wave the fight away.
“I’m here to fight and let my team take care of giving me great opportunities and great opponents,” Tellez said. “I’m ready to fight anyone.”
Kicking off the action on Prime Video, undefeated Mateo Tapia (17-0-1, 10 KO) and fierce Endry Saavedra (16-1-1, 13 KO) fought to a majority draw in an explosive 10-round middleweight fight that saw both men they hit the canvas. Ultimately, one judge’s score of 94-92 for Tapia was replaced by two scores of 93-93.
The action began to heat up in the second round when Saavedra forced Tapia to the ropes and unloaded by connecting with a sore right hand that knocked Tapia down in the final minute of the round. Tapia got up, but Saavedra continued to follow him around the ring and dropped him again before the bell rang to end the round.
“I thought I could get him out of there because I’m a Mexican fighter,” Saavedra said. “I did everything I could and I left everything in the ring. I was surprised he still got up, especially after the second time he was knocked down. But he’s Mexican and he wasn’t going to leave that easily.
“He was getting me in with some tiny shots from the inside and grabbing my legs, and I just had to keep working on him and stay in the fight,” Tapia said.
Saavedra appeared to be in control of the fight until round five, when Tapia responded electrically, knocking his opponent down with a perfectly timed counter right that knocked him to the ground. Saavedra looked more tired for several rounds after the knockdown as Tapia was able to consistently find his offense and avoid the shot he took.
The tide turned in Saavedra’s favor in round nine when he was able to close the distance on Tapia and stayed in the pocket before finally exhausting him and forcing Tapia to the mat again. Tapia showed heart once again to make it to the end of the round and landed some brutal right hands on Saavedra in the final frame. Tapia won the final round on all three cards and earned a draw.
“I was prepared for 10 hard rounds,” Tapia said. “I feel like it could have gone either way. It was a strenuous fight. I knew he was going to make a fight and I just tried to take advantage of it when I had opportunities. I’m glad we were able to give the fans a great fight.”
“Everyone saw the fight and I know the fans believed I won,” Saavedra said. “I can only do my job. The referees had to do their job.”
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Boxing
Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC
Published
1 week agoon
January 13, 2025The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).
If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.
“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”
29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.
Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.
“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”
Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.
The next move is Badou Jack’s.
Boxing
Floyd Mayweather’s record is not normal, it can’t happen in 70 years
Published
1 week agoon
January 12, 2025Floyd Mayweather’s incredible 50-0 record is not normal and cannot be repeated in sports for another seventy years.
This is the view of Saudi Arabian president Turki Alalshikh, who wants to adopt the UFC model in which fighters lose many fights during their career.
In a speech as he hosted the Ring Magazine Awards after acquiring the long-running boxing publication from Oscar De La Hoya, Alalshikh was unequivocal in his opinion.
“Now losing some fights in boxing must be normal,” he explained. “All fighters want a career similar to Floyd Mayweather – no losses. This may happen once every 50, 60 or 70 years.
“We need it [to be] like currently in the UFC model, where champions lose and win,” added the matchmaker during the Riyad season.
Mayweather rose through the sport in the tardy 1990s to become one of its youngest superstars. Mayweather’s professional success came after winning a bronze medal at the Olympics after losing to Serafim Todorov.
Winning world titles in five weight classes, Mayweather was untouchable. The Grand Rapids native only came close to defeat a few times. He dominated Manny Pacquiao and overtook Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya after heated debates, with decisions that should have been made unanimously.
Towards the end of his career, Mayweather chose to face Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, easily winning and ending his boxing career at the age of 50 without ever going out. Calling himself “the greatest of all time,” Mayweather earned first-ballot Hall of Fame honors and is widely considered one of, if not the greatest defensive fighter of all time.
However, Alalshikh says this type of career needs to end so that fans can get the most out of boxing, as is the case with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Boxing needs to become more attractive, and Alalshikh sees the failures of top stars as a way to keep interest at an all-time high.
In this sport, many boxers enjoy undefeated streaks, the most notable of which is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian Pound for Pound King is 23-0 and has beaten the best he has to offer in his division and cruiserweight classification.
It remains a mystery how Alalshikh plans to make Usyk suffer while he dominates everyone else. By the time his grand plan goes into action, Usyk will be long gone, and Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney may be more realistic targets.
Boxing
Manny Pacquiao remains the favorite to win the title against Mario Barrios
Published
2 weeks agoon
January 6, 2025WBN understands that despite alternative options emerging, it is more likely that Manny Pacquiao will face Mario Barrios next.
Bob Santos, coach of WBC welterweight champion Barrios, told World Boxing News that he is currently in contact with Pacquiao’s team. Asked by WBN if he had spoken to Pacquiao or representatives of any other challenger, Santos replied: “Yes, Pacquiao’s promoter, Sean Gibbons.” Pressed on whether Barrios vs Pacquiao might happen next, he added: “It’s challenging to say. We’ll have to see how this plays out.”
WBN contacted Santos after Conor Benn emerged as a potential alternative to Barrios. The British fighter, who recently returned from a suspension following two positive drug tests, is keen to return to competition.
Benn showed favor with the World Boxing Council at the recent WBC Convention, the WBC Evaluation Committee and during an interview with the sanctioning body over the weekend. “The Destroyer” is ranked second in the rankings at 147 pounds, despite less than solid opponents during his time in exile, during which Benn competed twice in the United States while his career in the United Kingdom was in doubt.
As he battled to clear his name and with the British Anti-Doping Authority finding no evidence that Benn had intentionally taken ostarine, the 28-year-old’s career took a pointed nosedive. Despite this, he remains highly rated and at least one step away from fighting for an eliminator or one of the remaining championship titles.
However, Pacquiao remains Barrios’ favorite. Now it’s up to the boxing legend and Hall of Famer who got the first votes to secure his shot. WBN believes a July date – most likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – is the most realistic date for a Nevada swan song.
Pacquiao could extend his record as the oldest welterweight champion by six years if he can secure a huge victory over the 29-year-old world champion. At 46 years antique, such a scenario remains unlikely, but he can never be compared to one of the greatest players of this generation.
Unlike heavier boxers and his training regiment, Pacquiao looks in great shape despite his advanced age. Everything is set for a massive return to the boxing capital of the world, provided Pacquiao and his team can manage his political ambitions, which are expected to run from this month until May. After that time, Pacquiao could find himself in the summer finals and become the all-time champion, regardless of the result.
Barrios is based in the city, where he trained with Santos, and would be the perfect opponent to see out the career of one of the greatest fighters in history.
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