Author Archives: Staff

Posted on 11/16/2018

By Jake Donovan

Diego de la Hoya wanted nothing more than to headline a show in his hometown of Mexicali, Mexico. The assignment he accepted this weekend to make that happen had already come at the expense of what could have been his first world title shot.

Instead of an in-ring homecoming, de la Hoya will instead spend the rest of the weekend in a hospital while his team is forced to think hard about his future.

Photo Credit: Diego de la Hoya’s Twitter Account

The 24-year old rising contender was forced to withdraw from his planned hometown showcase this weekend after being hospitalized following a fainting spell on Thursday. The incident was due to his trying to cut the last few pounds ahead of his planned clash with Edixon Perez, but passed out during a final training session and was rushed to the emergency room for immediate treatment.

“Diego was working on dropping his usual week-of weight, when he suddenly passed out,” Joel de la Hoya, Diego’s uncle and manager informed BoxingInsider.com on Friday. “[He] was taken by ambulance to a hospital where he was administered and EKG and potassium drip. He was kept overnight for observation.”

de la Hoya (21-0, 10KOs) will likely remain in the hospital over the weekend, as his potassium levels are still too low to be medically cleared.

The show will go on in Mexicali, with Senesia Estrada now being moved into the main event slot. The unbeaten junior flyweight from East Los Angeles will face Venezuela’s Debora Rengifo in a scheduled 10-round bout which will air live on TV Azteca.

While a speedy and healthy recovery is first and foremost for de la Hoya, the young contender and his team will have to have a tough conversation about his future.

The unfortunate incident marks the second time in less than a year that de la Hoya was unable to shrink down to the 122-pound super bantamweight limit. He was forced to bow out of a planned ESPN2-headlined clash with Jose Salgado last December.

Their bout was rescheduled, with de la Hoya dominating his countryman en route to a 7th round stoppage this past June in Verona, New York. The win—which will serve as his lone piece of ring action in 2018—was supposed to mark a turning point in his career, as he had at his disposal a mandatory title challenge of unbeaten reigning champ Isaac Dogboe.

However, de la Hoya agreed to allow for the next available contender, countryman Emmanuel Navarrete to jump the line in order to fulfill a career dream of fighting at home. The bulk of de la Hoya’s career has taken place in the United States, with the exception of a stay busy win over Alan Luques last summer on the road in Argentina.

Regardless of who prevails in the December 8 clash between Dogboe and Navarrete, a shot at the winner was very much a consideration for de la Hoya following this weekend. Given recent events, it’s possible that his first career title fight will have to come at a weight more befitting his overall health.

“I’ll talk to team in following days,” states Joel de la Hoya. “Diego has been campaigning at 118-122 for almost 10 years, so it’s definitely something to take into consideration.”

Posted on 11/16/2018

By: William Holmes

On Saturday, November 17th Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing will put on a stacked card live from the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane, Kansas on the DAZN streaming service.

The card was originally scheduled to take place in Atlantic City, but the addition of Olympic Bronze Medalist Nico Hernandez, already a big draw in Kansas, was a factor in the change of venues.

The card is stacked with talent, including fighters such as Anthony Sims, Gabriel Rosado, Luis Arias, Nico Hernandez, and Canelo’s older brother Ramon Alvarado.

The main event of the evening is a heavyweight bout between Jarell Miller and Bogdan Dinu, with future title implications on the line. The co-main event of the evening is between Claressa Shields and Hannah Rankin for Shield’s IBF and WBA titles as well as the vacant WBC Middleweight Title.

The following is a preview of the co-main event and main event of the night.

Claressa Shields (6-0) vs. Hannah Rankin (5-2); IBF/WBA/WBC Women’s Middleweight Titles

Claressa Shields is one of the biggest names in woman’s boxing, and she has her sight set on some possible big money matches against Christina Hammer, she first has to get past Scottish boxer Hannah Rankin.

Photo Credit: DAZN USA Twitter Account

Shields is easily one of the top pound for pound female boxers in the sport today. She’s a two time Olympic Gold Medalist and her only loss as an amateur was to Savannah Marshall. She’s never tasted defeat and has two stoppage wins on her record. She’s the same size as Rankin, both stand at about 5’8”. But she’s five years younger than Rankin as Shields is only 23 years old.

Rankin only has one stoppage win on her resume and she did not have the amateur success that Shields enjoyed. Rankin however, has never been stopped but did lost her last bout

Both boxers have been fairly active. Shields fought twice in 2018 and three times in 2017. Rankin fought three times in 2018 and four times in 2017.

Shields only has six professional fights but has never faced an opponent with a losing record. She has defeated the likes of Nikki Adler, Tori Nelson, Hanna Gabriels, and Szilvia Szabados. Rankin’s best win to date was against Sanna Turunen. She has lost to the likes of Joanna Ekedahl and Alicia Napoleon. Her wins include wins against opponents with records of 10-47-3 and 2-21-1.

Shields is an exciting fighter to watch, but Rankin is an opponent with little to no shot of winning. Shields should win easily on Saturday.

Jarrell Miller (22-0-1) vs. Bogdan Dinu (18-0); WBA “World” Heavyweight Title

Jarrell Miller is a very large heavyweight boxer who had a prior successful career as a kickboxer. He’s thirty years old, two years younger than his opponent, but will be giving up about one inch in height to Dinu. But Miller will undoubtedly be heavier than Dinu.

Photo Credit:DAZN USA Twitter Account

When he fought Gerald Washington he weighed in at 298 pounds.

Miller is known for his knockout power. He has stopped nineteen of his opponents, and only one of his past ten opponents made it to the final bell. However, Dinu also has considerable power. He has stopped fourteen of his opponents and is currently riding an eight fight win by stoppage streak.

Miller had some success in the United States as an amateur. He was a NY Golden Gloves Finalist. Dinu had some success on the European Amateur Circuit as a child, but neither boxer was highly successful on the international stage.

Miller has fought twice in 2018 and twice in 2017. Dinu has yet to fight in 2018 and had two fights in 2017 and two fights in 2016. Inactivity may be an issue for Dinu.

Dinu has fought exclusively in Romania and Canada and has not faced the level of competition that Miller has faced. His best wins to date were over Marino Goles and Kertson Manswell.

Miller has never tasted defeated and has beaten the likes of Tomasz Adamek, Johan Duhaupas, Mariusz Wach, Gerald Washington, and Fred Kassi.

This is a fight that Miller should win, but Dinu has the power to test Miller’s chin and the height to match Miller. A win for Miller could lead to a future showdown with fellow DAZN fighter, Anthony Joshua.

Posted on 11/16/2018

By: Sean Crose

“Jarrell is a good talker,” says undefeated heavyweight Bogdan Dinu of his opponent this weekend, the one and only Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller, “but I don’t care, I catch guys like him every morning.” Although widely unknown in America, Dinu, who is a Romanian policeman, aims to make his presence felt when he battles rising star Miller at the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas on Saturday. “The talking stops on Saturday night,” he adds. “It’s so exciting for me to fight in America, it’s a great opportunity. My team have given me an amazing chance and its’ up to me to take it.”

Dinu, whose record stands at 18-0 with 14 knockouts, isn’t just a tomato can meant to keep Miller busy. He’s got experience with some big names. In fact, he’s been a sparring partner for heavyweight kingpin Anthony Joshua. “I’ve sparred many excellent fighters like Anthony Joshua,” says Dinu. “That’s great experience, he’s a great champion and a real gentleman. He deserves his place as the best in the world.” Dinu may not have big names on his resume, but he certainly has put in some time with top level competitors.

“It was a great test for me to see where I am,” he says of the Joshua experience, “and being with AJ motivated me, taught me a lot and it was valuable. We did a lot of rounds before Wladimir Klitschko and the Carlos Takam fights.”

Miller, who boasts of a record of 22-0-1, with 19 knockouts, is one of the top names in the heavyweight division, a rising star with confidence, swagger, and ambition to burn. Miller makes no secret of the fact that he wants to face Joshua. Up until this point, however, the Brooklyn native hasn’t taken a single opponent lightly. Dinu knows the world is his, should he pull off the upset this weekend.

As promoter Matchroom Boxing states: “Dinu and Miller’s clash will open the doors to some of the biggest names in the division in 2019, and ‘Big Baby’ Miller has been typically outspoken in calling to face a big-name British fighter should he emerge with the win in Kansas.” Miller also “told Dinu…that he will KO him in spectacular style.” Dinu, who Matchroom states “is a special services police officer” in his homeland, has clearly heard such talk before. Miller, however, has always been able to back his talk up. Not that it bothers Dinu leading up to Saturday.

Posted on 11/16/2018

By: Michael Kane

Home town fighter Alex Saucedo is challenging champion Maurice Hooker for the WBO Super Lightweight title at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma on Friday 16th November.

This will be Hooker’s (24-0-3, 16 KOs) first defence of the belt he won back in June when he beat Terry Flanagan in Manchester, England. The Texan it seems doesn’t mind travelling to his opponents back yard.

Photo Credit: Top Rank Boxing Twitter Account

Saucedo (28-0, 18 KOs) is looking to emulate Sean O’Grady, by becoming Oklahoma’s second world champion. Its been a long wait, 1981 was the year O’Grady won the WBA Lightweight title. Saucedo last fought in June, when he stopped Leonardo Zappavigna in a fight of the year candidate.

Both boxers used to spar and train together when they were younger so should know plenty about each other.

“We both were young back then. We got better. I got better. He’s better. I just got a little more better than him. It’s going to be a good fight come Friday. I’m here in Oklahoma. I don’t care where I fight. It’s on.” Hooker said when asked about their past history at the press conference.

Hooker is unfazed fighting in Oklahoma, “l’ll fight anywhere. Outside your house, in front of your house, in the ring, on the sidewalk. I don’t care where I fight as long as I fight. I’m a fighter. I love to fight. I can outbox him. I can fight you on the inside. Come Friday, we’re going to see a good fight.”

Saucedo is dreaming of becoming the 2nd world champion from Oklahoma. He said, “I grew up just around the corner I always had the dream to bring championship fights back to Oklahoma, and now its here. I’m not going to let this opportunity go. I’m ready. We prepared ourselves in Big Bear for a very good fight. Like I’ve said, I’m ready for anything Maurice brings that night. I’m going to take that belt from him.”

When asked about his fight with Zappavigna, Saucedo replied, “It was a very tough fight. Everyone enjoyed it. I’m glad we’re here at this fight now. That fight got me to this point. Like I said, I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity.”

Also on the card, Californian based Lithuanian Egidijus Kavaliauskas defends his NABF welterweight tiltle against Nicaraguan Roberto Arriaza (17-0, 13 KOs).

Kavaliauskas (20-0, 16 KOs) won the NABF belt Mahonry Montes in September last year and has went on to successfully defend it twice.

Arriaza last fought in May and recorded a unanimous decision win over Juan Ruiz. Arriaza won the WBO Inter-continental title in March when he KO’d Sammy Valentin in the first round.

Press Conference quotes:

Egidijus Kavaliauskas

“Every fight for me is a step toward my dream. My dream is to become a world champion, so every fight for me, I’m bringing 100 percent of me because it’s a step. A big step. This fight is the same.”

“Big respect to Roberto. He’s a very good fighter. He and I have a similar style, so I know it will be a great fight.”

Roberto Arriaza

“I think this is a great opportunity. This is the opportunity of my life. I want to thank everyone involved for giving me this opportunity. I’ve been working hard for this.”

“I know he’s a great fighter. I have a lot of respect for him. Like always, I have a lot of faith, and in the name of God, I’m going to be victorious once again.”

Bob Arum

“It’s great to be back in Oklahoma City. It’s our second time here this year. {Sean O’Grady} is the pride of Oklahoma City. I never promoted Sean here, but he won the title from Hilmer Kenty of the Kronk group in Atlantic City, the {WBA} lightweight championship.”

Sean O’Grady

“I’ve kept my eye on Alex Saucedo since he was about 12 years old. And I can tell you right now, the kid can fight. He grew up in the amateurs. He was a great little fighter, even as a young man. At 12, 13, 14 years old, he was a great little fighter.”

“I like Maurice Hooker. He too has a great background in the sport of boxing. This is going to be a terrific matchup.”

ESPN, Midnight ET

Maurice Hooker (champion) vs. Alex Saucedo (challenger), 12 rounds, WBO junior welterweight world title

ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET

Egidijus Kavaliauskas vs. Roberto Arriaza, 10 rounds, Kavaliauskas’ NABF welterweight title

Cletus Seldin vs. Nelson Lara, 10 rounds, super lightweight

Jonathan Guzman vs. Roberto Castaneda, 10 rounds, super bantamweight

Albert Bell vs. Carlos Padilla, 8 rounds, lightweight

Trevor McCumby vs. Felipe Romero, 8 rounds, light heavyweight

Tyler Howard vs. Isiah Seldon, 8 rounds, middleweight

Aaron Morales vs. Francisco Lapizco, 6 rounds, bantamweight

Rasheen Brown vs. Sebastian Baltazar, 4 rounds, super bantamweight

Paul Kroll vs. Travis Conley, 4 rounds, super welterweight

John Rincon vs. Emanuel Williams, 4 rounds, lightweight

Posted on 11/16/2018

By: Sean Crose

“That’s his only stab at me,” Luis Arias says of this weekend’s opponent, Gabe Rosado, “to say that I ran like a bitch against Jacobs.” The Jacobs Arias is referring to is middleweight titlist Daniel Jacobs, one of the top fighters in one of boxing’s most dominant divisions. Arias dropped a unanimous decision to Jacobs, the man many felt was the first person to best the feared Gennady Golovkin. It was a defeat Rosado was happy to bring up after Arias mentioned Rosado’s number of losses in pre fight trash talk.

“But I didn’t get KO’d,” says Arias in his own defense. “He’s had two feet against plenty of guys and got KO’d, beaten up badly. I had a little scratch on my face after the Jacobs fight.” Still, the 18-1 Arias is looking for redemption. “I am putting pressure on myself ,” he says, “to erase the bad taste I left last time, that’s the task this weekend.” Rosado’s words have clearly hit their mark. “I need to prove that I am not a little bitch. It may have looked like I ran like one but I am not – I had to do that to survive and make the 12 rounds.”

“I am a true warrior and I love the wars,” says Arias. “I love to bang it out – I just wasn’t physically capable of doing that in the Jacobs fight.” Arias is particularly bothered by the fact that fans may have been upset by his performance against Jacobs. “I left a sour taste in the mouths of the fans in the Jacobs fight,” he says, “but I am a better and more mature fighter now, I’ve learned from it and I think that this is the fight that changes my career.”

Arias isn’t totally dismissive of Rosado, a hardened and respected 24-11 vet. “I’m a warrior,” says Arias, “he’s a warrior – it’s going to be bloody but the blood is not going to be mine.” Arias actually feels he would have performed better against Jacobs had he met Rosado earlier in his career. “He’s got a lot of miles on the clock but he’s durable. If I’d had this fight before the Jacobs fight then I would have been readier for that stage, but it didn’t work out that way. I get a fresh chance and a do-over now, and I’m going to do this right this time.”

Arias-Rosado will be part of a loaded card which will go down Saturday at the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane Kansas. The card will be aired live on the DAZN streaming service.

Posted on 11/15/2018

By Jake Donovan

Naoya Inoue traveled to the United States just to watch Emmanuel Rodriguez outlast Jason Moloney to set up their World Boxing Super Series bantamweight semifinal match.

For the moment, he’s just as willing to travel to his opponent’s homeland for said fight.

Photo Credit: Naoya Inoue Twitter Account

BoxingInsider.com has learned that negotiations are underway to potentially stage the bantamweight title unification bout in Rodriguez’ native Puerto Rico. A targeted date of March 2 is being set aside for the contest, with the winner between the unbeaten titlists to advance to the WBSS bantamweight finals.

“There’s a very good chance that it will take place in Puerto Rico,” Juan Orengo, Rodriguez’ promoter told La Primera Hora, who was the first to reportthe development. “I presented a preliminary proposal to the Department of Sports and Recreation and the (Puerto Rico) Tourism Company to endorse the (event).”

Inoue (17-0, 15KOs) revealed prior to the start of the tournament his willingness to take a road trip should he advance beyond the first round of competition. It took the 25-year old boxing prodigy just 70 seconds to make that happen, officially kicking off WBSS Season 2 with a stunning one-punch 1st round knockout of former champ Juan Carlos Payano.

That bout took place in Japan, where Inoue has spent the bulk of his young career. He’s fought just once outside of his homeland, knocking out Antonio Nieves in the 6th round of their Sept. ’17 super flyweight title clash in Carson, California. The tile fight was part of HBO’s now-defunct “Superfly” series, showcasing the best super flyweights in the world.

Inoue returned to Japan for his next two bouts, including the 7th and final defense of the super flyweight title he held since a 2nd round knockout of Omar Narvaez in Dec. ’14. His last fight at the weight would come exactly three years to the day, stopping Yoan Boyeaux in three rounds last December before setting his sights on the bantamweight division.

Less than two minutes were required to remind the boxing world why Inoue is among the very best in the game today, drilling Jamie McDonnell in one round to claim a bantamweight title—claiming championship status in his third weight class—this past May in Tokyo.

There is no guarantee that—even if he beats Rodriguez—that the finals matchup would necessarily take place in Japan. It’s a risk he’s willing to take for his next fight, which he seeks to achieve two things he’s yet to do as a pro: unify titles and beat an unbeaten boxer.

Meanwhile, Rodriguez (19-0, 12KOs) would love nothing more than to bring a world title fight to his beloved island. The 26-year old from Vega Baja has spent most of his career in Puerto Rico, but was forced to hit the road for his first world title fight. That moment came this past May, when he stormed to the United Kingdom to dominate former titlist Paul Butler to claim a vacant bantamweight strap.

While not quite a homecoming, Rodriguez was the clear crowd favorite in his first title defense—a hard fought 12-round split decision nod over the previously unbeaten Moloney in their WBSS round one bantamweight match. The event took place in Orlando, Florida, which is second only to New York City in U.S. states boasting the largest Puerto Rican population and where Inoue was seated ringside to scout his next opponent.

Regardless of where the forthcoming bout takes place, Rodriguez will conduct his training camp in Cuba. The decision was made to avoid distractions that would come with training at home, and Cuba being favored over South Florida.

Still, the hope is that he is afforded the chance to enjoy a home game for the fight itself.

“We want to make a big event in Puerto Rico,” said Orengo of bringing the fight to Puerto Rico. “We want to make history with two world champions. Manny will be fighting the very best fighter from Asia.”

The winner of the bout will advance to the finals, along with owning two bantamweight titles. Awaiting said victor will be whomever prevails in the other semifinal bout, also a unification clash between Nonito Donaire and Zolani Tete, which is also being targeted for the first quarter of 2019.

Posted on 11/15/2018

Tom Brown
Thanks everybody for joining us for this call for the December 1 SHOWTIME PPV® live from STAPLES Center presented by Premier Boxing Champions. The fight is headlined by the WBC World Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder defending his title against lineal heavyweight champ Tyson Fury in a blockbuster matchup of undefeated heavyweights. his is the most significant heavyweight fight in the United States since Lennox Lewis took on Mike Tyson in 2002.

Tickets are on sale for the live event and available at AXS.com, STAPLES Center Box Office or STAPLESCenter.com. It’s been a great year for SHOWTIME Boxing. It’s a great way to end the year for Stephen Espinoza. Stephen’s been instrumental in Deontay Wilder having a home at SHOWTIME and he was instrumental in creating this tremendous card for the fans here on December 1. So it’s my pleasure to introduce Stephen Espinoza, President Sports & Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc.

Stephen Espinoza
Thanks very much, Tom. Big-time heavyweight boxing heavyweight is definitely back. Wilder versus Fury will be the 13th heavyweight world title fight presented by SHOWTIME since 2015 — that includes three heavyweight world title fights so far this year in 2018. This is a showdown of undefeated consensus top five heavyweights. As Tom said, the most significant heavyweight title fight in the U.S. in almost 20 years. And with the 6’7″ Deontay Wilder and the 6’9″ Tyson Fury, we’ve got two of boxing’s greatest showmen with larger than life personalities and true heavyweight charisma.

Tyson, of course, is undefeated former IBF/WBA/WBO Heavyweight Champion. He is unique in the heavyweight division. His size, mobility, his footwork, his skillset — he presents a challenge unlike any other. Interesting side note here, both Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury are alumni of ShoBox. They’re among the 78 ShoBox fighters who have gone on to win world titles.

On behalf of the network, I’d like to extend our thanks to Tyson Fury and to John Fury and the entire Fury camp. For those of you that have seen the clip that we released earlier, you can see that Tyson has given us thorough access to his training camp. It’s been a fascinating experience and we are confident that those who are not familiar with Tyson are going to be enamored by him once they are exposed to him.

So, here in the U.S. “All Access” premieres on SHOWTIME this Saturday at 10:00 pm. ET.

T. Brown
Thank you very much, Stephen. There will be a slew of events leading up to the fight on the week of the fight. The main event press conference is on Wednesday. The undercard press conference will be on Thursday and we have a public weigh in on Friday. So now it’s my pleasure to introduce International Boxing Hall of Fame Promotor, Frank Warren.

Frank Warren
Good afternoon. Good evening, as we’re in the U.K. at the moment. Gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us. Tom, thanks for that statement. Tyson is a unique boxer — there’s no doubt about that in his unique style. As Stephen just said, Former WBA/IBF/WBO and current lineal champion and his trials and tribulations have been well documented. But if you look at him now and look where he’s at, he’s come quite a long way. He knows there were problems he had in early life, but he’s showing what a man he is by coming back and putting himself into a position now where I think he looks the best he’s ever been as far as everybody’s concerned who knows him. And that’s both mentally and physically.

He is doing what he always does — going to the other guy’s backyard and getting titles, this time titles that he never lost. He’s without a doubt — in my opinion — one of the best British heavyweight champions of all time. Undefeated and he’s a man on a mission. He’s in a position where a lot of people would hate to be where he was, the lowest you could ever be. But he’s come back with all the strength and character and he’s here in the most fantastic physical shape and maybe in his best mental shape as well.

So I think we’re going to get a great fight. He’s a great fighter, great champion and he’s undefeated. I think he’s going to show what he’s really worth. Is he as good as everybody thinks he is? This is without a doubt the toughest fight he’s ever going to have. Tyson wants to show the world that he is the best out there and it’s going to be a great fight and we’re looking forward to it. And Tyson’s here now and I’m sure he’s got some things to say that will be of great interest to you.

So I’m sure you want to hear from the Undefeated World Champion, Tyson Fury.

Tyson Fury
Hello. Good afternoon everybody on the line. I hope you’ve got some good questions for me.

Q
What what went into your decision to bring Freddie Roach aboard and how is he helping you along here in camp?

T. Fury
Yeah, we’re training at Freddie’s gym now in Hollywood at the Wild Card. It’s really good to have Freddie’s experience around, giving us good pointers. He’s also a very nice guy, so I thought I’d invite him to be a part of the team and he can give us some good experience in the corner.

Q
What will his role be on fight night? Obviously Ben Davison will be in charge, like usual? Is that the way it’s going to go?

T. Fury
Whatever Freddie wants to do he can do. Freddie is his own man. Whatever he wants to do, he’ll do in the corner. I’m sure he will.

Q
How much of an advantage do you feel that could be for you, Tyson? Being that Freddy has worked with so many great fighters and had so much success?

T. Fury
It’s always good to have experience in the corner. It’s always good to have a wise head in the corner and it’s going to be to my advantage.

Q
When did you shift your camp down to (Freddy’s) gym there? Did Big Bear not work for you? Or why did you do that exactly?

T. Fury
About three weeks ago. We always planned to move. Big Bear was altitude training. We had three and a half weeks in Big Bear. It was very good. I loved every minute of it. But we moved down to sea level to train for the fight.

Q
Is there any truth in the rumors that you knocked out Joe Joyce and was that one of the reasons why you left the Big Bear Gym?

T. Fury
No, there’s no truth in it and it’s got nothing to do with why I left. It was always planned to leave.

Q
Do you think this fight will be a tougher fight than your win against Wladimir Klitschko?

T. Fury
I’m hoping it’s going to be the toughest fight of my life. That’s what I’m preparing for, so if it’s anything less, than it’ll be easy for me.

Q
What are your feelings toward Deontay Wilder? What do you make of him?

T. Fury
I don’t really know him as an individual character. I only know him as a boxer, so I don’t really have an opinion on him. He’s in my way and that’s all I’m focusing on at the moment. I’m not going to hold no hard feelings. It’s just a sport.

Q
Do you see this fight going 12 rounds? Do you think you’ve got the power to knock him out?

T. Fury
We’re heavyweights. We both can knock each other out. We should be fit enough to do 12 rounds. So if not, there’d be no point in training for 12 weeks would there?

Q
Why would you say that this is the biggest fight of your career even when you do consider your old Klitschko one?

T. Fury
Because every fight that I fight is the biggest fight of my life up until that moment. They’re all the biggest fights — all of them. My last fight, the fight before that, the fight before that — they’re all the biggest fights because I don’t look back in the past. I only look forward to the future. So every fight that I come across is my biggest challenge to date.

Q
Do you think the winner of this fight should be considered the absolute Heavyweight Champion of the World, even with Anthony Joshua out there with some belts?

T. Fury
I’m not sure. People will always have an opinion on who’s that and who isn’t. So it’s really unimportant to me what people think who is the best or whatever. The most important is that we all fight each other and give the boxing fans of our era something to talk about. It would be a crying shame to not fight each other and all get in the mix. It’s going to be an exciting time. It’s an exciting time. Whether – who’s the best, we’ll all found out when we all fight each other.

Q
The fact that it is the first Heavyweight Championship in America in a long time, does that add to it even more or does the location not really matter?

T. Fury
The location is fantastic. To be in America, boxing on U.S. PPV, boxing in Los Angeles — it’s a fantastic place. I’m happy to be a part of such a massive event. I’m sure it’s going to go down in American boxing history. It’s the first time you’ve got two unbeaten world heavyweight champions — both giants, both have got big points to prove — fighting each other. I’m as excited as a boxing fan.

Q
Do you feel like you’re as supported as other British fighters and do you feel like you should have more support from them, considering all you’ve achieved in the ring?

T. Fury
I feel like I’ve got the support of the world behind me at the moment. Not just the British fight fans. I’m jogging down the road in Los Angeles and everybody’s cheering my name and saying I’m champ and I’m getting messages from all over the world. So I don’t just have support from the UK. I have support from all over the globe, which I’m very, very happy about.

Q
Do you expect British fans to travel in support of you? Do you expect to have, like, a large cheering section at this fight?

T. Fury
I’m sure I’ll have as many fans as Deontay Wilder at the fight, but let’s just say if this fight would have been in Manchester or anywhere in the UK, it would have sold 75,000 tickets. I’m happy that it’s here, because it gets me on the road again. I’m becoming a proper road warrior now traveling to countries and taking championships off champions in their own countries. So I’ve become accustomed to it. But make no mistake, if this would have been in Manchester, we could have had this at a stadium and that would have sold 75,000 tickets.

Q
Is it less distracting to be the traveling fighter and going to the other guy’s home grounds in order to fight than it would be if this was in the UK and all of the obligations that come with that?

T. Fury
Not really. I think it doesn’t really matter where the fight’s going to be. As a fighter it doesn’t really matter to me, because the outcome’s going to be the same; a fight is a fight. No matter how many funds you’ve got behind you or how many people want you to win, if you’re good enough, you’re winning, if you’re not, you’re going to lose. So it’s really unimportant where the fight is, traveling to different countries. But for me, as a fighter it makes it all the sweeter when I win in somebody else’s home backyard.

Q
When your comeback was announced earlier this year, did you envision getting the world title shot against Deontay Wilder just months after that first return fight against Sefer Seferi?

T. Fury
Yes, I did because I was very motivated and very determined. When I make my mind up on something I just do it; I don’t take no prisoners, I don’t beat around the bush, I don’t play games, I don’t play at boxing so whatever I want from boxing I take. And that’s the attitude I’ve got.

Q
How does training for this fight against Deontay Wilder compare to the training you went through close to three years ago when you were preparing for Wladimir Kitschko?

T. Fury
All training comes from the same whether I’m training for Francesco Pianeta, Wladimir Klitschko, Deontay Wilder or anybody, they’re all the same. You just train, eat, sleep, repeat for a long period of time and that’s it. The only thing that might change is the size of the sparring partners. The only thing that will change in the training camp ever is the size of the sparring partners, that’s it.

Q
When you’re preparing for someone like Deontay Wilder and his kind of knockout power, do you focus more on trying to get Wilder deep into the fight or being able to withstand Wilder’s shots and being able to trade with him?

T. Fury
I don’t really focus on any of that, to be honest, I just do what I do and that’s it. I don’t really care what Deontay Wilder is going to bring to the table. As long as I do what I do best, I’m not really bothered by anything he does. I just hope he comes to fight, so that’s what I’m hoping for.

Q
I’m wondering if boxing provides some type of therapeutic value for you and if so in what ways?

T. Fury
I’m not so sure it’s the boxing but definitely the training does help. See, when I don’t train I tend to get down and low so I need to train on a regular basis. When I train I’m fine. I think with the boxing side of things it’s always giving me something to look forward to, something to train for or a goal. And it’s really helped me in the last year or so.

Q
When you win this fight, what would your victory meal be? And where do you plan on going for vacation?

T. Fury
It’ll probably be about 4:00 in the morning when I get finished with the drug test and the press conference so I probably won’t be eating after the fight, I’ll go to bed straight away when I get finished. And my vacation I’ll be back at home where I live in the UK because I’ve been away for over three months. I’ve not seen my kids in over three months and my wife and all and we have Christmas coming up so that’s going to be like a good vacation for December.

Q
Is adding Freddie Roach part of the mind game or is this to improve Tyson Fury for this fight?

T. Fury
We always intended to train down to Los Angeles and then I asked for Freddie Roach in the corner because he’s been very hospitable to us. And I thought he’d be good if we got him in the corner as well and gives us some tips and just helps out generally. He’s very experienced and he’s a very nice guy. It’s not a mind tactic to Deontay Wilder, there’s no mind tactic things going on. I didn’t try and get involved in Klitschko’s mind, it just seemed to work out that way.

Q
Do you agree with the betting line that has you opening up at a plus 138, Wilder at minus 165 but Fury to win by decision is plus 200 and Fury by KO plus 600?

T. Fury
It means nothing to me the betting odds because I’ve defied the odds, just even being alive today I defied the odds. Being a world champion defied the odds; being named Tyson Fury defied odds too. So odds, I don’t really think about odds, they don’t mean anything to me at all. I’m not a gambling man at all.

Q
My mother was on the aircraft carrier during the promotional event in New York City, thinks you’re quite a character. She wants to know if you abandon sex during training?

T. Fury
No sex. No sex. No sex at all, boy.

Q
How do you really rate Deontay Wilder as a fighter and a threat on December 1?

T. Fury
I hope he can bring his biggest threat into the ring on December 1. As a person, as a fighter, and as a champion so he’s done his job. Congratulations to him for that.

Q
We always talk about styles make fights so can you give your assessment of the difference between yourself and Wilder as boxers please?

T. Fury
Yes, I’m very good looking and Deontay Wilder is not. That’s the difference between us.

Deontay Wilder is a good fighter. Styles do make fights as you’ve seen time and time again in the past. Very rare that we get to see two people over 6 foot 6 fighting each other, so it’s going to be an interesting clash. We’ve never probably seen this before, so people don’t know what to really expect. You’ve got someone who’s got dynamite power and he’s going to be looking to land it; and you’ve got someone who’s got great boxing skill and he’s going to be trying to use that. But at the end of the day it’s a fight and at some point or other, two men, heavyweights in the fight, will have to punch each other and stand and fight. And when that moment comes, you’re going to see who’s the better fighter, who can take the bad punches, and who can’t.

The loser of this fight rebuilds and the winner continues on along the road. The fans are the only winners in this fight. Me and Deontay Wilder, we have something to lose. I’ve been boxing my whole life and never lost a fight. So if I lose on December the 1st, I’ve lost something, I’ve lost everything I’ve worked for in the last – I don’t know how many years, 10 years or so. And I suppose Deontay Wilder is the same. The fans ain’t losing because they get to see two fighters punch each other to pieces.

But make no mistake, I can box for 12 hours on my toes. At some point he’s going to rip me and I’m going to rip him. It’ll be a 20-foot boxing ring so it’s not that big for two fighters to fight. At some point we’re going to have to stand and when that point comes I’m very confident that I can withstand his power and knock him out.

Q
You can’t avoid though getting drawn into a war because you’re known for being clever, aren’t you?

T. Fury
Well I don’t know about clever; if it was clever I’d be a rocket scientist and not a boxer. But I have got the ability to see punchesbefore that happens, which is a very good skill. And so like you say, I’ll be looking to avoid the knockout punches and land mine. Boxing is about hitting your opponent and not taking any in return, that’s the way I look at boxing.

I don’t look at boxing like I’m going to hit you in the face and you’re going to hit me back because then I’d be a fool because a heavyweight, you don’t want to be taking big punches to the head because it may cause brain damage sooner or later. And that’s not something that I want to occur and it’s my business to get out of the way.

T. Brown
Well thank you Tyson, and thank you, everybody, for joining us. Just one more time, the event is at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. Tickets are available on axs.com and this is a rare opportunity to see a real heavyweight championship fight, two undefeated heavyweight champions in one night on SHOWTIME PPV.

Posted on 11/15/2018

Unified 154-pound world champion Jarrett Hurd and Cuban heavyweight slugger Luis Ortiz hosted separate media workouts in Washington, D.C. and Miami on Thursday for their upcoming matchups on Saturday, December 1 on SHOWTIME PPV® from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Hurd returns to the ring to defend his IBF and WBA belts against Jason Welborn in his first bout since becoming unified champion, while Ortiz takes on Travis Kauffman in a 10-round heavyweight attraction. The PPV undercard also features rising heavyweight Joe Joyce battling Joe Hanks. The Premier Boxing Champions event is headlined by the Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury heavyweight championship showdown.

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by BombZquad Enterprises and Queensberry Promotions, in association with TGB Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, are on sale now and are available via AXS.com. Wilder vs. Fury will be produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV. The suggested retail price (SRP) for the pay-per-view telecast is $64.99 for standard definition.

The Accokeek, Maryland-native Hurd, who unified titles against Erislandy Lara in April on SHOWTIME, was joined at the Hillcrest Boxing Gym in Temple Hills by his trainer Ernesto Rodriguez and fights for the first time since undergoing rotator cuff surgery.

Ortiz, along with trainer Herman Caicedo, held his media workout at Caicedo Sports Training Center in Miami ahead of another opportunity to enter the ring and earn a potential rematch against Deontay Wilder after they engaged in a memorable heavyweight clash in March on SHOWTIME.

Here is what the fighters and their trainers had to say Thursday:

JARRETT HURD

“I can’t wait to get in there on December 1 and show everybody that ‘Swift’ is back at 100 percent. I’m expecting to show my versatility. I’ve shown that I can walk guys down and that I have a full tank of gas through 12 rounds. This time I want to show that I’m also strong defensively and can use my range and height.

“I’m going to really focus on using my jab in this fight. I want to establish that punch and also test out my rotator cuff and prove to everyone that I’m feeling great.

“Jason Welborn is a former British champion and I know that he’s going to be game. He’s coming off of two good wins against Tommy Langford. I know Welborn is going to leave everything in the ring because he has nothing to lose.

“The target is definitely on my back holding two titles. I’m in the position I want to be in. When you’re at the top, everybody is coming for your spot.

“The win over a long-reigning champion like Erislandy Lara solidified in everyone else’s mind what I already knew. Now I’m getting the respect I deserve.

“I showed against Lara that I can dig deep and pull out a win late if I need to. I have that inside of me. I also showed that I have power in both hands because usually I get a knockout with the right hand, but I was able to put Lara on the floor with a left.

“My goal for 2019 is to definitely get one more belt, and I’d also like to fight at home. I definitely want to fight Jermell Charlo for his WBC belt. Unification is what the division needs. I know for sure that me and Charlo both want this fight.

“Every time I’ve had an opportunity presented to me in this sport, I’ve taken full advantage of it. My family pushed me through all of the tough moments and helped get me to where I am today.”

LUIS ORTIZ

“I’m 100 percent ready for this fight. We never stopped working after my last fight and I’m going to show it on December 1. I love staying active. I just want to keep fighting and showing off my skills.

“I’ve only taken off about a month total since fighting Wilder in March, so I still feel sharp and like my training is just continuous. The training stays the same, and once we get the opponent locked in we can focus on a game plan.

“Travis Kauffman is a strong fighter who came up fighting in Philadelphia. I know that’s he’s a tough guy who’s going to come to fight and I’m going to be prepared it.

“I think that my performance against Wilder and since that fight have warranted a rematch. I had Wilder hurt, I just made mental mistakes during the fight. I was fatigued, but I did not get knocked out flat. The referee did his job, but I feel that I did enough to merit another shot. I’ve worked hard to correct the mistakes I made and in a rematch, it would be a different ending.

“Wilder vs. Fury will be an interesting fight. Wilder is fighting someone taller than him for the first time and that could make it go a lot of ways. But I really do believe Wilder is going to win and win by knockout.”

ERNESTO RODRIGUEZ, Hurd’s Trainer

“Training camp has gone very well. It was a bit different for this camp because of the injury but I think everything has been completed and right now we’re just sharpening up so we can peak fight week.

“I laid off of some of the shoulder strength and conditioning that I would usually do with Jarrett because of the injury. We had to do that to let the shoulder heal. He still got in all of his normal strength and conditioning.

“I think Jason Welborn is going to try to come forward and impose his toughness. He has everything to gain in this fight. I think he’ll throw hard shots and try to rough it up. He may just run into a punch and get knocked out, or we’ll pick him apart and stop him late.

“I think what makes Jarrett Hurd so special is his demeanor. He’s a humble kid who works hard and knows what he has to do. Every minute he’s in the ring he’s aware of what he has to do. He communicates well and he follows instructions as well as any fighter I’ve trained throughout the years.”

HERMAN CAICEDO, Ortiz’s Trainer

“Luis Ortiz went through the experience of what happened in the Wilder fight and that’s the best way to overcome it in the future. He lived it, he breathed it and now, he’s going to go out and earn a chance to change the outcome.

“We have no excuses for the way the Wilder fight ended. I thought Ortiz was doing fine, but Wilder’s punches certainly had an effect. It’s heavyweight boxing, so being knocked down first in the fifth round definitely drew from the power supply.

“Unfortunately when he let everything go in the seventh round against Wilder, and almost knocked Wilder out, that drained him completely. Wilder was able to recover and capitalize. But we now know what we have to do in a rematch.

“Ortiz told me that when he first buzzed Wilder he really saw it all right there. He saw himself with the WBC championship. He saw himself knocking out Anthony Joshua and becoming undisputed champion. So he decided to go for it all right there.”

Posted on 11/15/2018

At Exploration Place on Thursday afternoon, the boxing world saw a preview of what will prove to be a fully stacked Nov. 17 Matchroom Boxing USA fight night at the Kansas Star Casino with four bouts on the main card, including headliner Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller against Bogdan Dinu. In a press conference, Saturday night’s fighters gathered to discuss their preparation and predictions ahead of the big night.

Saturday’s event will stream exclusively on DAZN, with coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. CT and the main card starting at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT.

Jarrell Miller

“Everybody knows I’m out spoken, but I keep it PG13 because I’m a boxer. Bogdan, he’s a fighter like me, he had a different route growing up in Romania, and nothing was given to him, but he’s fighting Big Baby Miller and I’m a different animal. Saturday night I’m going to rip your head off.”

You’re in front of me and you’re trying to take something from me. I’m going to bury you Saturday night.”

“I want Anthony. If he’s not ready I want Whyte!”

Bogdan Dinu

“I need a big fight. Miller has had lot of big fights and now this will be a good test for me. I’m ready for this.”

Claressa Shields

On the fight and making weight: “I’m making the weight just fine, I feel good, I feel strong, and it’s just time for some redemption. A couple girls have been disrespectful, and it’s not about respecting me because I have two Olympic gold medals, it’s about respecting me because I’m a winner.

“I’m the greatest women’s boxer of all time whether you respect it or not, and just know you can’t beat me.”

On consistently going for the knockout: “There’s levels to this, if I have to go in there and dog it out to get the win, I’ll do that, if I have to go in there and box to get the win, I’ll do that. Only the girls who have the skill level and experience can last with me and she doesn’t have it. She’s talking all this bullshit, but bring the same game Saturday and I don’t want to hear any excuses.”

Hannah Rankin

“Camp has been great. I’m ready to go on Saturday. Claressa kept saying she’s going to knock me out, but that won’t happen.”

On Claressa looking past her: “I really hope she is because come Saturday night I got a surprise for you. I’m going to knock you out and I’m taking those belts back to the UK.”

On her confidence going into the fight: “I believe in myself, in my team, and I’m coming home with those belts.”

Gabriel Rosado

“I’ve been here before and know it was it takes. I’ve won some and lost some. A this point in my career I’m focused, I’m blessed, and excited. It’s going to be a great fight. Arias has been talking a lot of smack, but I’ve heard and seen it all before.”

Keys to victory: “For me to still be relevant and healthy says a lot. The experience factor is key in this fight. He came up short in his last fight and at end of day he hasn’t been against the competition I have. It’s going to be easy work.”

Importance of this fight: “I’m not putting pressure on me. I’m looking ahead and taking advantage of the moment. Not thinking of Canelo, Jacobs, any of those dudes. I’m focused 100%.”

Luis Arias

“Rosado, I don’t hate him and I don’t really like him. He turned Hollywood, still wearing sunglasses inside.”

“All this experience is bullshit. It’s all losses man. A loss is not good. The reason you have to fight people back-to-back is because you kept losing. You’re the name I need and I’m going to prove it Saturday night.”

“I’m just at a more mature, better stage in my life. I’m comfortable, and jumped on the opportunity.”

On his loss to Daniel Jacobs: “I was not ready for that fight. I’m better, stronger, no excuses.”

Prediction: “I don’t think this fight is going to go the distance.”

Brandon Rios

“I’m well prepared, ready to fight, and it feels good to be back in Kansas. I feel good and ready to put on a good show.

At the end of day, we ready and ready to show people we still have it. They must have forgotten. They think I’m done, over the hill. I have some losses in my career, but it’s okay.”

“I’m really excited for this card because Rosado and Arias is going to be the greatest fight ever. Tune in to DAZN, it’s going to be great fight with these two animals going at it.”

For more information, fans can follow DAZN’s U.S. social channels: @DAZNUSA on Facebook, @DAZN_USA for Twitter, and DAZN_USA for Instagram.

ABOUT DAZN

Globally, DAZN is a live and on-demand sports streaming service created by fans, for fans, that is leading the charge to provide access to sports anytime, anywhere. DAZN guarantees no long-term contract, no bundles, just one affordable price for access to all the service’s sports on connected devices including Smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. DAZN is currently available in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, Canada, Italy and now the U.S. at just $9.99 per month after a one-month free trial – where it is set to become a must-have service for fight fans, with 100+ fight nights already lined up from Matchroom Boxing, Bellator MMA, the World Boxing Super Series, Combate Americas and the newly announced Golden Boy Promotions.

Posted on 11/15/2018

By: Sean Crose

“We’re gonna make it happen,” Floyd Mayweather says on a TMZ video clip released on Thursday. He’s referring to a fight with Japanese kickboxing and MMA wunderkind Tenshin Nasukawa. The bout was recently announced to much fanfare by Mayweather, Nasukawa and Rizn Fighting Federation. Then, almost as soon as the news broke, Mayweather appeared to walk it back. “First and foremost,” Mayweather posted on Instagram within days of the announcement, “I want it to be clear that I, Floyd Mayweather, never agreed to an official bout with Tenshin Nasukawa.” It appeared then that matters might be settled, but this recent clip of Mayweather, as he emerges from Peter Marco’s jeweler in Beverely Hills, clearly suggests otherwise.

According to Mayweather, the bout will be an exhibition. “It’s going to be the highest paid exhibition ever,” he boasts to TMZ. “Just for promoting this event, so far I made 7 figures.” Mayweather is known to brag about his money, but in the clip, he defends himself against charges that he’s facing financial difficulty. “It’s more like this,” he says. “Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Oprah, they still go out there and do different things.” As for the belief that the former pound for pound kingpin may be strapped for cash?

“I’m far from hurting for money,” he says.

“It’s a no-brainer,” Mayweather adds in the clip. “Just because I’m retired from boxing. I still make appearances worldwide and make a ton of money.” Unlike his insanely lucrative novelty bout with Conor McGregor in the summer of 2017, Mayweather makes it clear that this bout will not go on his record. “Small, 9-minute exhibition,” he says. “It’s going to be a little boxing exhibition…no kicking at all.” The fight was originally supposed to go down on December 31st outside of Tokyo. No news has been presented as to when or where the match might now go down.

Posted on 11/15/2018

By: Patrick Mascoe

Anytime you create a list like this you are really just asking for an argument. So let me apologize right now. Judging fighters from different eras is extremely difficult and highly subjective. For example, I have only seen two of the fighters on this list fight in the ring. The others fought well before I was ever conceived and are known, not from what I have witnessed but from what I have read regarding the history of boxing. It can also be argued that most of Canada’s greatest boxers are not even Canadian. So, for the purpose of this list, the definition of a Canadian boxer is anyone who was born in Canada or moved to Canada at a young age and has called Canada home. This means one of two things: Canada as a nation has not produced a lot of home grown talent or Canada is a land of opportunity for those who wish to pursue a career in boxing. Let’s go with the second option.

If you are a Canadian reading this list, you will notice one glaring omission. George Chuvalo, who is easily Canada’s most famous boxer, was not necessarily one of our greatest boxers. Chuvalo twice challenged for the heavyweight title but lost both times by decision. In 93 professional fights, Chuvalo was never knocked down and that includes fighting the likes of Muhammad Ali (twice), George Forman, Joe Frazier, Cleveland Williams, Jimmy Ellis, and Buster Mathis. What keeps George Chuvalo off this list, and makes him an honourable mention, is that unlike all the other fighters on this list, he was never inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. However, any man who went fifteen rounds with Muhammad Ali and then bragged, “When it was all over, he was the guy who went to the hospital because he was pissing blood. Me? I went dancing with my wife” deserves to be mentioned when talking about Canadian boxers.

Without further ado, here is my countdown of Canada’s 5 greatest boxers of all-time:

5. Arturo Gatti (1972- 2009): Arturo Gatti was born in Cassino, Italy, but moved to Montreal as a child and eventually competed as a member of Canada’s National Boxing Team before deciding to turn pro. Gatti was known as a blood and guts fighter who possessed power in both hands. He was also extremely resilient and absorbed incredible amounts of punishment before coming back and winning fights he had no right to win. To say that he had a fan-friendly style is an understatement. Gatti was not great in the traditional sense. He did not have Pernell Whittaker’s defence. He did not have Ali’s speed. Nor did he have Mayweather’s technical skill. What he had was a warrior’s spirit and an entertaining style that made fans love him. He was a fearless all-action fighter. He held the IBF Jr. Lightweight Title from 1995-1998 and the WBC Super Lightweight Title from 2004-2005. He retired with a record of 40-9. Gatti was involved in the Ring’s “Fight of the Year” on four different occasions. Arturo Gatti may very well have been the most exciting fighter of his generation.

4. Jimmy McLarnin (1907 – 2004): McLarnin was born in Ireland and moved to Canada at the age of three. He took up boxing at the age of ten. Three years later he caught the eye of a former professional boxer named Charles Foster who believed McLarnin would one day be a world champion. McLarnin started his professional career fighting in Vancouver but was dissatisfied by the low pay and decided to pursue his craft in the United States. His youthful appearance was a hindrance, so he had to lie about his age. However, once in the ring there was no mistaking his power. It was for that reason he was known as the “Baby-faced Assassin.”

In 1928, he had a title shot against world lightweight champion, Sammy Mandell, but lost the fight by decision. Despite the fact that he beat Mandell twice in the following two years, as well as knocking out Benny Leonard, one of the greatest fighters of all-time, he was made to wait five years before getting another shot at the title. This time, when his opportunity came, he made the most of it by knocking out Young Corbett III in the first round to win the world welterweight title. He would lose his title to Barney Ross, then win it back again in a rematch, only to lose it again in their third match. Unlike many boxers of that era, McLarnin decided to retire while still at the top of his game. In his final two fights, he defeated hall of famers Tony Canzoneri and Lou Ambers. Despite many generous offers, McLarnin refused to come out of retirement. He certainly didn’t need the money as he had invested wisely and was a very wealthy man.

3. Tommy Burns (1881 – 1955): Tommy Burns is the only Canadian-born boxer to ever hold the world heavyweight title. He was born in Hanover, Ontario in 1881. Burns was an extremely small heavyweight, standing only 5 ft. 7 in. tall and weighing 175 pounds. In 1906, Burns was a 2 to 1 underdog when he faced heavyweight champion Marvin Hart. Not only did Burns win the heavyweight title, he went on to defend it eleven times.

Tommy Burns was a man well ahead of his time. Historically, his legacy should be far greater than it is. He is known as the boxer who was defeated by Jack Johnson, who became the first fighter of African descent to win the heavyweight title. As much as history recognizes Johnson’s feat, Burns also deserves a great deal of credit, as he was the first white boxer willing to put the heavyweight title on the line against a fighter of colour. At a time when boxing was almost completely divisive and no white fighter wanted anything to do with Jack Johnson, Tommy Burns had fought half a dozen bouts versus black boxers. He hired and worked out with black sparring partners, and was married for a time to a black woman. He claimed that he would defend his title against all comers and that no one was barred. “I propose to be the champion of the world. If I am not the best man in the heavyweight division then I don’t want the title.” Without this attitude of inclusion, Jack Johnson might not have been given the chance to make history. Johnson said as much in 1909, when he addressed an audience in Vancouver, saying that Burns deserved credit for being the only white heavyweight fighter willing to give a black man a chance to fight for the title.

Although Tommy Burns retired from boxing a wealthy man, he lost everything in the Stock Market Crash of 1929. He ended his career taking jobs as an insurance salesman and security guard. He died at the age of 73 of a heart attack.

2. Samuel Langford (1883 – 1956): According to ESPN, Sam Langford was the “Greatest Fighter Nobody Knows.” Born in Weymouth Falls, Nova Scotia, Canada, Langford started his pro career fighting out of Boston. This explains why he was known as the Boston Bonecrusher, the Boston Terror, and the infamous Boston Tar Baby. Despite standing only 5 ft. 7 ½ in., Langford fought from lightweight to heavyweight. Even though he always gave up either height or weight, he only lost 29 times out of an alleged 300 professional fights. The legendary, Jack Dempsey, once described Samual Langford as the greatest fighter we ever had.

One year after turning professional, Langford defeated World Lightweight Champion Joe Gans in a 15-round non-title fight. On April 26th, 1906 Langford fought future World Heavyweight Champion Jack Johnson. Langford gave up 30 pounds to Johnson and lost a 15-round decision. Apparently, Langford showed enough skill in that first fight to make sure that there would never be a rematch. Throughout his career, Johnson repeatedly refused to fight Langford, even though he was considered by many to be Johnson’s most dangerous challenger. Battling Jim Johnson, a man Langford had beaten nine times and had never lost to, was given a title shot against Jack Johnson, while Langford was left waiting. Langford never did get a rematch against Jack Johnson. When Jack Johnson, the baddest man on the planet, avoids you like the plague, then you know you possess greatness.

1. Lennox Lewis (1965 – Present): Lewis was born in London, England and moved to Canada at the age of 12. He represented Canada at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, winning a gold medal. He defeated Riddick Bowe in the final. After winning his first 22 professional fights, he was once again slated to fight Bowe, this time for his WBC Heavyweight Title. Rather than face Lewis, Bowe vacated the title and Lewis was declared the new champion. After defending his title three times, he suffered an upset loss to Oliver McCall. On February 7th 1997, Lewis got his revenge by stopping McCall in the fifth round and regaining the WBC Title.

On March 13th, 1999, Lewis faced WBA and IBF Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield. Lewis clearly won the match, out landing Holyfield 348 to 130, but somehow the match was declared a draw. A rematch was immediately ordered and this time the judges saw what everyone else in attendance saw – a clear unanimous decision victory for Lewis. He defended his titles three more times before again being upset by an underdog named Hasim Rahman. He fought Rahman again in an immediate rematch and won back his titles by way of 5th round knockout. He fought twice more after that, knocking out International Boxing Hall of Fame fighters Mike Tyson in 8 rounds and Vitali Klitschko in 6 rounds. Lennox Lewis retired with a 41-2-1 record and rebounded to defeat the only two men to ever beat him. Lewis, along with Ingemar Johansson and Rocky Marciano, are the only world heavyweight champions to retire with victories over every man they ever faced as a professional.

Posted on 11/14/2018

By: Ken Hissner

ShoBox: The Next Generation will be in the “City of Brotherly Shove” Friday featuring whom this writer considers the best Philly prospect since 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist Meldrick Taylor. He will be opposed by another Philly fighter, Ray “Tito” Serrano.

They will meet at South Philly’s 2300 Arena on a ten bout card promoted by Hard Hitting Promotions in association with Victory Promotions. Ennis, 21-0 (19) and Serrano, 24-5 (10), will headline in a ten round bout.

“When you are a boxer from Philly it means you have to put on a show. I love fighting at home, that’s the best feeling ever. People let the crowd get to them, I just feel at home. I feel comfortable and relaxed. I get to show out on SHOWTIME in Philly, get a win and look good doing it. My goal is to be world champ and be a great example for the kids. I want to unify, get all the belts, move up in weight and keep going. Watch out all 147’s. A young animal is on the way,” said Ennis.

In the co-feature super lightweight Kenneth “Bossman” Sims, Jr., 13-1-1 (4), of Chicago, IL, takes on Liberia’s Samuel “Tsunami” Teah, 14-2-1 (7), out of Philly, over 8 rounds. Super Bantamweight Ukrainian Arnold “Arni” Khegai, 13-0-1 (9), out of Philly, takes on Jorge Diaz, 19-5-1 (10), of New Brunswick, NJ, over 8 rounds.

Two NBA belts are up for grabs in fights featuring Philly Lightweight Branden “The Gift” Pizarro, 12-1 (6), taking on southpaw Jerome Rodriguez, 7-10-3 (2), out of Allentown, PA, over 8 rounds. In the other NBA title bout Super Featherweight Gadwin “Abayarde” Rosa, 8-0 (7), of Ocala, FL, taking on German “Panteonero” Meraz, 61-50-2 (38), of Sonora, MEX, over 6 rounds.

Other non-televised fights all 4 rounder’s feature Super Welterweight Kieran Hooks, 3-1-1 (1), of Philly, taking on Gledwin Ortiz, 5-2 (4), of the Bronx, NY. Super Featherweight Christian Tapia, 6-0 (5), of Coamo, PR, will be taking on Darnell Pettis, 3-12 (0), of Cleveland, OH. Philly Light Heavyweight Benjamin Sinakin, 1-0 (0), taking on southpaw Darren Gibbs, 1-5 (1), of Ferndale, MI. Super Bantamweight Angel Pizarro, 4-0 (3) taking on TBA and Cruiserweight David Stevens, out of Reading, PA, making his debut will be fighting Dustin Long, 0-1-2 (0), of Johnson City, TN.

Posted on 11/14/2018

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of November 7th to November 14th; covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Photo Credit: Lina Baker/360 Promotions

Cecilia Braekhus vs. Alexsandra Magdziak-Lopez and Chocolatito vs. Guevara Set for December 8th

Two of Boxing’s Biggest Stars make their highly anticipated return at the iconic Stubhub Center in Carson, CA. on Saturday, December 8 for an outstanding double-header featuring Undisputed Women’s Welterweight World Champion ‘The First Lady’ Cecilia Braekhus (34-0, 9 KOs) and Four-Division Pound for Pound World Champion Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez, (47-2, 39 KOs). The event will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 10:20 p.m. ET/PT.

Fighting out of Bergen, Norway, Braekhus, the Consensus #1 Ranked Women’s Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World will face two-time world title challenger, Aleksandra Magdziak-Lopes, (18-4-3, 1 KO), a native of Gilwice, Poland, now based in Marshfield, MA in the ten-round main event.

Former Men’s #1 Ranked Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World, Gonzalez of Managua, Nicaragua, clashes with former world champion Pedro ‘Jibran’ Guevara, (32-3-1, 19 KOs) of Sinaloa, Mexico in a ten-round super-flyweight bout.

Presented by Tom Loeffler’s 360 Boxing Promotions, advance tickets priced at $25, $50, $100 and $150 can be purchased through www.AXS.com starting This Friday, November 9 at 12:00 p.m. The StubHub Center is located at 18400 Avalon Boulevard, Carson, CA 90746. For more information please visit their website at www.StubHubCenter.com.

A press conference was held on Wednesday in Downtown Los Angeles to formally announce the event. Also appearing at the press conference was popular atomweight world title challenger Louisa ‘Bang Bang Lulu’ Hawton, (8-2-0, 4 KOs), of Perth, Australia, who will also be fighting on the non-televised portion of the show.

“I’m thrilled to be announcing my next title defense against Aleksandra Magdziak-Lopes,” said Cecilia Braekhus, currently training in Southern California with the renowned Johnathon Banks. “I know Aleksandra very well and this will be a very tough challenge for me.”

“It’s great to be back in Los Angeles, it’s starting to feel like my second home now. Right now, it’s pretty cold now in Norway so the sun and warm weather are treating me very good and I expect a lot of fans from Norway to come to my fight and experience the Southern California sunshine. My trainer Johnathon Banks and I have already started working very hard in the gym.”

“A big thank you to Tom Loeffler and 360 Promotions for putting together this great event. Thanks very much to HBO for putting me on the network again. I promise to deliver another big fight, my last fight was very exciting and this one will be as well, I don’t do boring fights.”

‘I’m defending all the belts as you see in front of me. They represent a life-time of hard work. Hopefully when it becomes time to retire I can do so undefeated, that is my dream, that is my goal. I thank you for all your support and to the fans here in the United States and those attending the fight Internationally.

“It’s been my dream to fight Cecilia and I can’t wait to fight her,” said Aleksandra Magdziak Lopes. “She is the best women’s fighter in the world and has been for many years but on December 8 I will be up to the challenge and come out victorious with her titles.”

Stated Roman Gonzalez, “Thanks very much to God, Mr. Honda, Teiken Promotions, HBO Boxing and 360 Promotions. I know Pedro Guevara very well, he’s a very tough fighter and I will have to be at my very best to continue my pursuit of a fifth world title.”

“It’s an honor to be on the same card as Cecilia Braekhus, we’re very blessed to be here. I was very happy with the knockout victory of my last fight and look forward to fighting in Los Angeles again in front of my fans.”

“Chocolatito was the best fighter in the world not too long ago and that is the fighter I am preparing for,” said Pedro Guevara. ‘It’s an honor to share the ring with him but on December 8 it will be another victory on my path to again becoming a world champion.”

Said Tom Loeffler, “This card truly is a tribute to HBO where the biggest stars in boxing have been made for decades. As we have seen with the ascent in popularity with Gennady Golovkin and as we continue to see with Cecilia and Roman their international popularity and marketability continues to increase with each appearance on HBO.”

“We’ve promoted some outstanding and record-breaking memorable nights of boxing at the Stubhub Center and we look forward to another great event on Saturday, December 8. We hold the record for the 3 largest gates at StubHub Center with GGG in his two fights at StubHub and Chocolatito with his sold out fight there last year.”

“Thanks to Dan Beckerman at AEG and everyone at StubHub Center for their support and for working on this show with us and to the California State Athletic Commission who have always been very fair while keeping the health and safety of the fighters as their number one priority.”

Fighting for the first time in Russia, Cecilia Braekhus won a 10-round unanimous decision over junior middleweight world champion Inna Sagaydakovskaya on July 21, 2018 in Moscow. The victory took place in front of over 25,000 spectators at the Olympic Stadium and an international televised audience. Prior to that, Braekhus was victorious in the first women’s bout televised by HBO in their 45-year history on May 5, 2018. Defeating Kali Reis by unanimous decision at the StubHub Center in Carson, CA, the fight drew an average of 904,000 viewers in the United States, the second highest viewership by the network for boxing in 2018.

Braekhus is currently ranked the #1 Pound-for-Pound Female Boxer by Ring Magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America. She was presented with the first women’s Ring Magazine Pound-for-Pound Title belt in Las Vegas on September 15, 2018. Since September 2014, Braekhus has held the WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO Welterweight World Titles and was just awarded 3 Guinness Book of World Records Awards this year at the WBC Convention in Kiev, Ukraine.

Magdziak-Lopes has twice previously challenged for world title. On September 17, 2016, she traveled to Gdansk, Poland to face Ewa Piatkowska for the vacant WBC Super Welterweight World Title, losing a hard-fought ten-round decision. In 2014, Magdziak-Lopes battled Mikaela Lauren in her hometown of Rocklunda, Sweden for the vacant WBC Super Welterweight World Title. At the end of a highly competitive ten rounds, Lopes would come up just short losing a majority decision to Lauren.

Magdziak-Lopes is unbeaten in her last 3 fight, including victories over Paty Ramirez and Lisa Noel Garland.

Returning to battle less than three months after a knockout victory, Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez looks to continue on his path towards a fifth world title. On September 15, 2018, the hard-hitting Nicaraguan dismantled Moises Fuentes with a ‘Knockout of the Year’ stoppage in the fifth round on the HBO Pay-Per-View® Undercard of the World Middleweight Championship between Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez.

Gonzalez has held world titles in four weight divisions; minimum weight, junior flyweight, flyweight and super flyweight. From September 12, 2015 to March 18, 2017, he was the Consensus #1 Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World.

The 29-year-old Guevara first became a world champion on December 30, 2014 with a seventh-round knockout of Akira Yaegashi in Tokyo, Japan, winning the vacant WBC Junior Flyweight World Title. After making two successful defenses in Mexico, Guevara would return to Japan losing a split-decision to Yu Kimura on November 28, 2015.

In 2018, Guevara has recorded two stoppage victories, an eighth-round knockout of Angel Guevara on May 18, 2018 followed by a tenth-round stoppage of Roberto Sanchez on September 1, 2018.

Revenge or Repeat? Zurdo-Hart 2 Set for December 14th in Corpus Christi
It was one of the best fights of 2017. WBO super middleweight world champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez had Jesse “Hollywood” Hart down and nearly out in the second round, only for Hart to come back with a furious late-rounds rally. Ramirez ultimately prevailed via unanimous decision that September evening in Tucson, Ariz., but Hart, the Philadelphia native with the legendary last name, had rematch on his mind immediately after the decision was rendered.

His wish has finally come true.

Ramirez will make the fifth defense of his world title against Hart, Friday, Dec. 14 at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. Ramirez-Hart 2 and a soon-to-be announced co-feature will stream live and exclusively at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in the United States— the new multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment in conjunction with ESPN. The entire undercard will stream live on ESPN+ beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zapari Boxing Promotions, tickets to the Ramirez-Hart 2 world championship event will go on sale Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 10 a.m. CST. Priced at $100, $65, $45, and $30, tickets may be purchased online at Ticketmaster.com, at the American Bank Center Box Office, Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. CST, or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.

“This will be a good fight. I feel better prepared than the first time and even more convinced that I will finish him,” Ramirez said. “I’ve always said that I wanted to be the king of the division. I’ve been waiting for unification fights, and I’m still patient. I’m at my best, and against Hart, I want to show why I’m the best.”

“I’m very grateful and humbled for this opportunity,” Hart said. “I just want to go out there and perform to the best of my ability. I have nothing derogatory to say about Gilberto Ramirez. At this point, I just want to go out there and perform.”

Ramirez (38-0, 25 KOs), the first Mexican-born super middleweight champion, will be defending the title he won from Arthur Abraham via shutout decision on April 9, 2016. A hand injury put Ramirez on the shelf until April 22, 2017, but he didn’t miss a beat, dominating Max Bursak en route to a unanimous decision victory. In his most recent outing, June 30 in Oklahoma City, Ramirez used his boxing skills to win a unanimous decision against Alexis Angulo. Ramirez, from Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, is a nine-year pro who is no stranger to Corpus Christi. He headlined a show at the American Bank Center on Feb. 3, knocking out the previously unbeaten Habib Ahmed in the sixth round to retain his title.

Hart (25-1, 21 KOs), the WBO No. 1 contender, is a former amateur standout, winning the 2011 National Golden Gloves and U.S. National championships at 165 pounds. A 2012 U.S. Olympic alternate, Hart turned pro in 2012 and won his first 22 bouts prior to challenging Ramirez. Hart last fought as the ESPN co-feature Aug. 18 in Atlantic City, battering Mike Gavronski en route to a third-round stoppage. After more than a year of calling out Ramirez for a return match, Hart has his shot at redemption. A proud native of Philadelphia, Hart is the son of Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, a feared middleweight contender in the 1970s who never received a world title shot. With Eugene Hart in his corner as head trainer, Jesse Hart will seek to bring a world title home to the City of Brotherly Love.

Split Site Doubleheader Featuring Adonis Stevenson and Julio Cesar Chavez Kicks Off Big Night of Boxing on December 1st

A split-site doubleheader airing live on SHOWTIME and streaming live on SHOWTIME Sports social media platforms will kick off a big night of boxing on Saturday, December 1, leading into the SHOWTIME PPV presentation of the Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury heavyweight blockbuster event presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

Adonis Stevenson will make the 10th defense of his WBC Light Heavyweight World Championship against undefeated, mandatory challenger Oleksandr Gvozdyk to start the action live from Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada. The two-fight telecast presented by Premier Boxing Champions continues live from Los Angeles, where Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. will take on Alfredo Angulo in a 10-round super middleweight clash at STAPLES Center.

COUNTDOWN LIVE: WILDER VS. FURY will begin at 6:45 p.m. ET/3:45 p.m. PT live on SHOWTIME and on SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and Facebook page, preceding the Wilder vs. Fury SHOWTIME PPV event that begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT from STAPLES Center.

The December 1 SHOWTIME PPV and COUNTDOWN LIVE presentations feature two of the most feared knockout punchers in the sport. With 39 knockouts in 40 professional fights, Wilder’s right hand is widely regarded as the biggest weapon in boxing. The southpaw Stevenson’s left has led to knockouts in six of his nine title defenses. On December 1, the two power-punchers will take on top-rated, undefeated opponents as they make the 10th and eighth defenses of their respective WBC titles.

Stevenson (29-1-1, 24 KOs) is boxing’s longest reigning world champion, having won the WBC 175-pound title in 2013. The Montreal-based southpaw will face his WBC-mandated challenger in Gvozdyk (15-0, 12 KOs), a Ukrainian with 12 knockouts in his 15 professional fights since a standout amateur career that included a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics.

In Gvozdyk, Stevenson will face his second consensus top-10 light heavyweight of 2018, following his Fight of the Year candidate draw with Badou Jack in May on SHOWTIME. Gvozdyk, an amateur teammate of fellow Ukrainians Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk, earned the mandatory status with a near-shutout decision over Mehdi Amar in March.

“I’ve been pushing myself in training to be ready to put on a great performance December 1 and defend my title once again,” said Stevenson. “My old trainer, the late great Emanuel Steward, used to tell me that ‘knockouts sell’ and that’s what I’m going for in this fight. I know I’m facing a good boxer who’s coming in very determined. He’ll be ready, but it won’t be enough. It’s going to be show time on SHOWTIME and another victory for ‘Superman’.”

“I have been waiting for this title shot for a very long time, and I will take full advantage of the opportunity,” said Gvodzyk. “It doesn’t matter where we fight. I am fully prepared to become the new WBC light heavyweight champion. Canada, ‘The Nail’ is coming to put on a show!”

Chavez, Jr. (50-3-1, 32 KOs) is the son of Mexican boxing legend and Hall of Famer Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr. The 32-year-old from Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico ripped off 46 straight victories to start his career using a gritty boxing style that denoted his toughness in the ring. Chavez is seeking to rebound from a unanimous decision loss to middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on May 6, 2017.

The 36-year-old Angulo (24-7, 20 KOs) is a tough brawler who has faced some of the best boxers in the sport. Angulo, who lives in Coachella, California but was born in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, is coming off a hard-fought split decision loss to former world champion Sergio Mora in April.

“I am excited to be back on December 1 to perform for the great Mexican fans in Los Angeles,” said Chavez Jr. “At my weight I know I can beat anyone. I am focused and feel strong. Angulo will be first, but then I will pursue a belt at 168. I’m putting the division on notice. Chavez is back.”

“I have been training very hard in anticipation of this fight and this is the best I have felt in a long time,” said Angulo. “I am looking forward to defeating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and getting a title opportunity in the near future. I’m thankful for everyone who has supported me and I promise to surprise a lot of people on December 1.”
Showtime Sports Captures a Day in Training Camp with Welterweight Prospect Jaron Ennis
s.sho.com/2QyCjOp
SHOWTIME Sports delivers a day in the life of training camp with Philadelphia’s Jaron Ennis as he prepares to face Raymond Serrano in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation this Friday, November 16, live on SHOWTIME at 9:35 p.m. ET/PT from 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

Ennis (21-0, 19 KOs), who knocked out Armando Alvarez in a third-round stoppage during his ShoBox debut in July, has knocked out 11 consecutive opponents. He faces perhaps the toughest test of his career in Serrano, a 29-fight veteran whose five losses have come against opponents with a combined fight night record of 89-1-1.

Training under his father Bozy, who also trained Jaron’s older brothers Derek Jr. and Farah, the 21-year-old undefeated prospect puts in work in what he describes as an ‘old-school’ training camp consisting of chopping wood, flipping tires and climbing rope. With victory in his hometown on his mind this Friday, Ennis vows to become a household name in the sport of boxing.

“When you’re a boxer from Philly, it means you have to put on a show,” says Ennis. “I love fighting at home, that’s the best feeling ever. People let the crowd get to them, I just feel at home. I feel comfortable and relaxed. I get to show out on SHOWTIME in Philly, get a win and look good doing it.

“My goal is to be world champ and be a great example for the kids. I want to unify, get all the belts, move up in weight and keep going, and keep going. Watch out all 147’s. A young animal is on the way!”

In the co-feature of Friday’s live ShoBox telecast, series veterans Kenneth Sims Jr. (13-1-1, 4 KOs) and Samuel Teah (14-2-1, 7 KOs) meet in an eight-round super lightweight bout. Undefeated Ukrainian Arnold Khegai opens the three-fight card when he takes on New Jersey’s Jorge Diaz (19-5-1, 10 KOs) in an eight-round super bantamweight bout.
Star Boxing Signs Undefeated French Welterweight David Papot

JOE DEGUARDIA, CEO of Star Boxing announced the signing of undefeated French super welterweight, former WBA Continental Middleweight Champion and current French Super Welterweight Champion, DAVID PAPOT (Saint Nazaire, France, 22-0 3KO’s) to a long-term promotional agreement

Papot, 27, who is also currently rated #7 Middleweight in the World (WBA) began boxing at the age of 5 in his hometown of Saint Nazaire, France, where he still currently resides. With an impressive amateur pedigree, Papot has fought over 100 amateur bouts, earning the titles of two-time junior French champion, two-time vice champion and senior champion of France. Papot fought a total of thirty bouts with the French national team, reaching the quarter-finals of the European Championship.

In March of 2017, Papot took on undefeated Belarus southpaw, DZIMITRY ATROKHAU (then 15-0 5KO’S), where he earned the WBA Continental Middleweight Title by a dominating unanimous decision victory, with scores of 116-112 and 115-113 (2X). In his next bout, Papot took on co-Frenchman BARTHELEMY LEFEBVRE (then 16-8-1 4KO’s), for the France Super Welterweight Title. Papot dismantled Lefebvre over the 10-round bout, winning another unanimous decision with scores of 99-91 and 98-92 (2X). Papot has successfully defended his title two times since being crowned Champion.

PAPOT has this to say about signing with Star Boxing, “Today I have global ambitions and that is why I need a strong team to accompany me to world titles and I trust my team and promoter Star Boxing to accomplish these goals. ”

Promotor JOE DEGUARDIA said this about the signing of Papot, “We are excited to have signed David Papot, who has reached the pinnacle of boxing in France and now, together with Star Boxing, we believe David will have every opportunity to reach his goal of becoming a world champion.”

Star Boxing anticipates announcing David Papot’s next bout in the near future.
Sullivan Barrera is a Promotional Free Agent, Targets Top Light Heavyweights
Top light heavyweight contender Sullivan Barrera bounced back into the win column with a dominant decision victory earlier this month in New York. Barrera started off strong and won by the scores of 99-91 and 98-92 twice.

Along with the victory, Barrera also became a promotional free agent and is looking to get the biggest possible fights.

“I saw on social media that Badou Jack is looking for an opponent in January and that time table works perfect for me. I am sure the fans would like to see me and Jack trade punches,” Barrera stated.

The Cuban slugger holds victories over Joe Smith Jr, Vyacheslava Shabranskyy, and Felix Valera and has also been in the ring with champions like Andre Ward and Dmitry Bivol.

Barrera is driven to accomplish his goal of becoming a world champion and will not stop until he fulfills his destiny.

“At this point in my career I only want to fight the best. I have always wanted to be a champion and I will accomplish my dream. I want to fight the Adonis Stevenson-Olesandr Gvozdyk winner, the Eleider Alvarez-Sergey Kovalev winner, Jack, Artur Beterbiev. Those are the guys I want. There are no excuses for these fights not to happen. I don’t have a promoter so any of these fights should be easy to make,” said Barrera.

“Beating Monaghan got me back on track. I was able to work on some things in the gym and I promise that the next time I get a shot at a world title I will win. I am just reaching my peak and the fans haven’t seen my best yet.”
Gamboa and Lopez Both Win, Set Up Future Bout
Yuriorkis Gamboa and Juan Manuel Lopez were both victorious this weekend and have set up a possible fight in the very near future.
Below are some quotes after their victories:
JuanMa Lopez Post Fight
“I don’t know how he absorbed all the punishment. I couldn’t know him out but it was a good fight.
It was uncomfortable because of his style but I’ve been fighting for a long time and it was an excellent warm up for the Gamboa fight.”

Gamboa trainer Post Fight:
“i have been working every day to make Gamboa a champion once again. And he is responding. It was a great night.”

Gamboa Post Fight:
“I was very happy with the results. I tried to work on my explosiveness and it worked well. It was a very exciting night for me. Here in Miami. My city. Great crowd.”

JuanMa after Gamboa’s fight grabs the mic in the ring:
“Enough of the waiting. We have been waiting long enough I did my part and you did your part now let’s get it on.”

Gamboa after JuanMa:
“If it’s a fight the fans want to see, let’s do it!”
Unified 154 World Champion Jarrett Hurd Returns on Wilder vs. Fury Showtime PPV Card
The most significant heavyweight event in the U.S. in more than 15 years will feature an undercard lineup of stellar fighters including the return of a unified world champion and two of boxing’s hardest-hitting heavyweights.

Undefeated, unified 154-pound world champion Jarrett Hurd along with heavyweight title contender Luis Ortiz and top heavyweight prospect Joe Joyce will fight in separate bouts on the SHOWTIME PPV® undercard of the Deontay Wilder vs. Luis Ortiz heavyweight blockbuster event presented by Premier Boxing Champions on Saturday, December 1 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

Hurd (22-0, 15 KOs) returns for his first fight since unifying the super welterweight division earlier this year to defend his IBF and WBA titles against British Commonwealth champ Jason Welborn (24-6, 7 KOs). Hurd, who edged Erislandy Lara in a leading candidate for 2018 Fight of the Year in April on SHOWTIME, will enter the ring for the first time since undergoing rotator cuff surgery as he targets another title unification in 2019.

Cuban heavyweight slugger Luis Ortiz (29-1, 25 KOs) will continue his quest for a second shot at a heavyweight world championship as he takes on American Travis Kauffman (32-2, 23 KOs) in a 10-round bout. Ortiz went toe-to-toe with Wilder in another contender for Fight of the Year in March on SHOWTIME and returns for his third bout of 2018 with his sights set on a rematch with Wilder.

In the opening bout of the SHOWTIME PPV, 2016 Olympic Silver Medalist and unbeaten heavyweight Joe Joyce (6-0, 6 KOs) will face his sixth opponent of 2018 when he meets Joe Hanks (23-2, 15 KOs) in a 10-round heavyweight bout.

“This fan-friendly undercard features two participants from 2018 Fight of the Year candidates, Jarrett Hurd and Luis Ortiz, along with one of the hottest rising talents in the heavyweight division,” said Stephen Espinoza, President, Sports and Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “Heavyweight boxing has re-captured the world’s attention and both of these potentially explosive fights will help shape the future of the division. Jarrett Hurd emerged as one of boxing’s most exciting fighters in unifying the super welterweight division in 2018. Now, he returns from a significant injury to risk his titles in his quest to become undisputed 154-pound world champion.”

Tickets for the event, which is promoted by BombZquad Enterprises and Queensberry Promotions, in association with TGB Promotions and DiBella Entertainment, are on sale now and are available via AXS.com. Wilder vs. Fury will be produced and distributed by SHOWTIME PPV. The suggested retail price (SRP) for the pay-per-view telecast is $64.99 for standard definition.

Hurd, who hails from Accokeek, Md., floored Erislandy Lara in the final minute of their unification showdown to earn the narrow split-decision victory over the divisions’ longest-reigning champion. Following the bout, Hurd underwent surgery and subsequent rehab to repair a rotator cuff. Hurd won the IBF title with a TKO of Tony Harrison in 2017 and handed Austin Trout his first loss via knockout later that year. The 28-year-old is known for his all-action, fan-pleasing style that had seen him record seven straight stoppages prior to his decision win over Lara.

“’Swift’ is back and Christmas is coming early,” said Hurd. “This is the perfect way to get ready for 2019. I expect it to be a big year with big fights that the fans will love. I’m locked in right now and ready to put on a great performance against Jason Welborn. Tune in on December 1, because I promise you it won’t go 12 rounds.”

Jason Welborn, from West Midlands, England, will make his U.S. debut on the heels of two wins over previously once-beaten Tommy Langford for the British middleweight title in 2018. Langford now moves back to the 154-pound class, where he has faced Matthew Macklin and Liam Smith in all-British encounters.

“Jarrett Hurd is a big talent who holds all the belts and I respect the challenge he poses,” said Welborn. “I was a huge underdog against Tommy Langford in May and I came through and shocked Britain. In December, I’m going to shock the world. I’ve been in training camp since my last fight and I’ve already been preparing for Hurd’s style. This is my time.”

The 39-year-old Ortiz returns to STAPLES Center for his second consecutive fight in Los Angeles after scoring a second-round knockout of Razvan Cojanu in July. In a March, Ortiz nearly had Wilder out on his feet in the seventh until he ultimately succumbed to Wilder’s power in the 10th round, suffering the first loss of his professional career. A consensus top-5 heavyweight, Ortiz will look for another knockout as he hopes to earn a rematch with Wilder in the revived heavyweight division.

“I feel blessed to be on the Wilder vs. Fury card and competing on a huge night of boxing in front of a full house,’’ said Ortiz. “In my last fight at STAPLES Center the fans showed me so much love and I can’t wait to be back. I know Travis Kauffman has a good record and I know he’s definitely got heart. If all goes as expected and Wilder puts Fury to sleep like I think he will, I want another shot at him ASAP. It will be an epic rematch between me and Wilder.”

Kauffman, of Reading, Penn., is coming off a majority decision over Scott Alexander in May in which the two heavyweights traded first round knockdowns. Kauffman is 14-1 (1 NC) in his last 16 fights with the sole loss coming to Amir Mansour in March 2017.

“I’m looking forward to stepping up and challenging myself in an exciting fight,” said Kauffman. “Luis Ortiz is the second best heavyweight in the world next to Deontay Wilder. But I’m the toughest fighter you’ll ever face. This is my chance to prove that I’m a great fighter and I’m excited to do it on this huge stage.”

The 6-foot-6 Joyce, of London, England, has started his professional career with a 100 percent KO rate after turning professional in 2017 at the age of 32. An accomplished amateur, Joyce claimed the super heavyweight silver medal for Great Britain at the 2016 Olympic Games. Joyce, who trains in Big Bear, Calif. under renowned trainer Abel Sanchez, made his U.S. debut in September with a fifth-round knockout of Iago Kiladze.

“It’s an honor to be part of this huge event and I give a lot of credit to Joe Hanks for stepping up and taking this fight,” said Joyce. “Hanks has a good record, but I am coming to take him out. If everything goes to plan and I come through this fight as I should, I am ready for a big fight early next year to show that I’m a force in this division.”

Hanks, of Newark, N.J., started his career with a 21-0 run before suffering consecutive losses to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2013 and Derric Rossy in 2014. After a three-and-a-half-year layoff following the loss to Rossy, Hanks, who lives in downtown Los Angeles, has recovered his form and returned to score a unanimous decision over Joel Caudle and a first round knockout of Terrence Marbra in consecutive fights.

“It feels good to be in the mix and getting exposure with the top heavyweights,” said Hanks. “I bring speed, athleticism and power to this fight. I’ve got a lot of great experience in my career sparring against guys like Deontay Wilder and Wladimir Klitschko, so I’m comfortable against a guy like Joe Joyce. I live in Los Angeles now and this is going to be like fighting in my front yard. I’m going to be feeling good on fight night.”

Posted on 11/14/2018

By: Sean Crose

Claressa “T Rex” Shileds was expecting to have a major bout this weekend against Christina Hammer. That bout, however, fell through. Therefore, the 6-0 Shields will be facing the 5-2 Hannah Rankin this Saturday at the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane, Kansas, headlining a card that will be aired live by the DAZN streaming service. Shields will be defending her IBF and WBA world middleweight titles. The WBC belt, formerly held by Hammer, will also be at stake. “The WBC crown was in the hands of Christina Hammer,” promoter Matchroom Boxing claims, “whom Shields was slated to meet this weekend in a unification blockbuster for all four belts, with the German also owning the WBO belt.”

“I’m thrilled,” Shields says, “to be able to continue my road to undisputed this weekend…Christina has first in line when I win the belt on Saturday, it’s not a fight that we are looking to avoid. If she’d been fit to face me then that would be the fight this weekend. I wanted that fight bad.” Shields claims she knew something was amiss with Hammer, who had to step out of the fight due to a medical condition that hasn’t been disclosed to the public.

“I felt that when we did the phone interview and we announced that we were fighting,” says Shields, “I sensed in her tone that something was wrong, that she wasn’t as excited as I was about the fight. She didn’t seem happy, and as a champion I sensed something was wrong and I was right as she was sick. As soon as she comes back, we can fight.” Shields, however, is not going to take Rankin lightly. “Hannah has been Christina’s toughest sparring partner,” says Shields of this weekend’s opponent, “so I am going to make her pay just for that. It’s not a let down for me, just getting in the ring and being able to fight is a joy to me, it makes me happy. Hannah has turned down another fight to take this shot and we’re fighting as a co-main event on DAZN, so it should be fun.”

Shields is reportedly willing to go up to super middleweight, or even down to super welterweight, in order to land fights. “None of the girls at 168lbs,” says Shields, “want to fight me. We’ve offered the fight to Alicia many times and fights to so many of them, they’ve all said I’m too big and they are too little, then they say we don’t offer good money – but we have TV and we’re offering good money for sure.” Shields is even open to fighting welterweight Cecilia Braekhus at a catchweight.

“I think I can go as low as 154lbs,” says Shields, “and I would do that to fight Cecilia for the pound-for-pound spot. I don’t want to go to 147lbs as I would only be able to win the fight and not go on to defend the belts. She can keep her belts, I just want the pound-for-pound spot – she can have the belts and be number two, I’m number one. We can meet at 154lbs, that would be huge.”

Posted on 11/13/2018

By: Sean Crose

Premiere Boxing Champions announced a major lineup of fights on Tuesday in Los Angeles, California. The highlight of the afternoon? The announcement of an Errol Spence – Mikey Garcia IBF welterweight title bout, which will go down on March 16th at AT&T Stadium in Texas. Garcia, 39-0, will be making a notable jump in weight divisions to face the 24-0 Spence, and will most likely step into the ring a prohibitive underdog, even though both fighters are known as world class talents.

Other notable PBC fights will appear on Fox, which recently made a deal with PBC. On January 26th, Keith Thurman, 28-0, will be making his long awaited return when he faces Josesito Lopez, 36-7, in a bout which will be aired live from the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn. Leo Santa Cruz will be defending his WBA featherweight tile when the 35-1-1 Californian faces the 23- 2 Miguel Flores in another live Fox broadcast, this one from Los Angeles on February 16th. Another major bout will feature WBC welterweight champ Shawn Porter, 29-2-1, as he battles the formidable Yordenis Ugas, 23-3, live in front of Fox cameras in Las Vegas on March 9th.

According to PBC, Fox will air “eight televised world title fights in the first three months of the new deal, featuring eight world champions and more than two dozen of the world’s best boxers going toe-to-toe. The schedule includes five world-class boxing fight nights live on FOX and FOX Deportes, four more on FS1 and FOX Deportes, and the first FOX PBC Pay-Per-View in March.”

PBC also “announced the on-air personalities who will call all the thrilling action.” Needless to say, some of the names are well known and quite respected. “Former heavyweight world Champion Lennox Lewis and former lightweight world champion Ray ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini join FOX Sports as boxing analysts,” PBC stated, “while Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Chris Myers and Emmy Award-nominee Kenny Albert serve as blow-by-blow announcers. Seasoned FOX broadcaster Kate Abdo joins as a studio and fight night host. Plus, Boxing Hall of Famer Larry Hazzard works as a Rules Expert/Unofficial Scorer.”

Fox Deportes can now boast of having “International Boxing Hall of Fame member and former four-division world champion Erik ‘El Terrible’ Morales,” on the team, “working with Jaime Motta and Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award winner Jessi Losada.” PBCs fight schedule will begin on December 22nd, when the Charlo brothers showcase their skills in Brooklyn, against Willie Monroe Jr, and Tony Harrison respectively, and will end on April 20th, when Danny Garcia, 34-2, makes his comeback fight against Adrian Grenados, 20-6-2, at a location to be announced.