Tag Archives: Avni Yildirim
Jake Paul Believes He’s A “Much Better Fighter” Than Both Avni Yildirim And Billy Joe Saunders
By: Hans Themistode
Not only does Jake Paul continue to reiterate that at some point, he’ll take on a professional boxer but also, in the near future, he’ll be well equipped to take on Canelo Alvarez.
For now though, the social media star will face someone who isn’t well versed in the boxing ring. On August 29th, Paul will take on former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley. While Paul has openly admitted that Woodley will present him with a much more difficult fight than Ali Eson Gib, Nate Robinson and Ben Askren, his three previous victims, he’s also extremely confident that he’ll still pick up the knockout victory.
With the win virtually guaranteed in his mind, Paul would like to shift his focus to Alvarez. Currently, the Mexican native is in possession of the WBC, WBA, WBO and Ring Magazine super middleweight titles. He’s also considered by most as the number one fighter in the world.
Still, regardless of the superlative words used to describe him, Paul believes that in just a few short years, he’ll be able to compete with him. Although Alvarez stopped his two most recent opponents in Avni Yildirim and Billy Joe Saunders, Paul has absolutely no doubt that at this very moment, his overall skills dwarfs that of those previously mentioned names.
“I’m a much better fighter than both of those boxers,” said Paul to a group of reporters. “I’m bigger, faster, stronger, and more athletic.”
Alvarez, 30, made things look incredibly easy against Yildirim earlier this year, stopping him in the third round. As for Saunders, he proved to be much more difficult. The British native and former two-division titlist gave Alvarez fits during their showdown in early May. Ultimately though, Alvarez stopped his man in the eighth round, breaking his right orbital bone and shattering his eye socket in the process.
Regardless of the end result, Paul was seemingly unimpressed with the way things played out. While he wouldn’t go as far as to say that he’s prepared to challenge Alvarez at this very moment, Paul does believe that in only a handful of years, he just might be able to hold his own.
“If Billy Joe Saunders, who fights like a wild chicken, can go in there and get a payday and fight Canelo and last that many rounds or Yildirim the Turkish Warrior can last three rounds, can Jake Paul in three years go 12 rounds with him and beat him? We’ll see.”
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Canelo Alvarez Hands Avni Yildirim A Beating Of A Lifetime, Stops Him In Three Rounds
By: Hans Themistode
No matter who you spoke to, they all said the same thing. That is, Avni Yildirim had no chance of defeating unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez. Not only was he given virtually no chance at winning but the mere thought of the pair sharing the ring with one another was thought to be ludicrous.
From the moment the opening bell rang, the thoughts of everyone was proven to be factual.
Alvarez wasted no time in pummeling his man in front of a socially distanced crowd at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Florida.
For some perplexing reason, Yildirim simply walked forward and absorbed the punishing blows of his man without throwing anything back in return.
With a clear round for Alvarez already in the bank, the pound for pound star turned things up a notch in round two, dropping his man with a clean one, two. While Yildirim managed to stumble back to his feet, he would take another pounding in round three.
Throughout the duration of the round, the referee watched closely as Yildirim was taking a hellacious beating. By the time Yildirim walked back to his corner, his coaches had already made up their mind and pulled their man from the contest before the start of round four.
With the win officially under his belt, Alvarez revealed what many of us already knew. That he was taking on WBO belt holder Billy Joe Saunders on May 8th.
Saunders was originally set to have a front row seat to watch Alvarez up close and personal, however, due to COVID-19 protocols and travel restrictions, the British native found it impossible to actually appear in Miami Florida in person.
The long time belt holder was always believed to be next for Alvarez, all that was needed was for the Mexican product to take care of business.
Now, with his next opponent set in stone, Alvarez will look to add a third world title to the three currently draped around his shoulders.
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Chris Eubank Jr.: “Why Is Canelo Fighting A Guy I Knocked Out In Three Rounds Three Years Ago?”
By: Hans Themistode
Chris Eubank Jr. just needs somebody to explain to him how in the world did Avni Yildirim hit the lottery. Somehow, after getting brutally knocked out in their contest in 2017, Yildirim has managed to score a showdown with the one fighter he has been craving to face the most in Canelo Alvarez.
The two are slated to face off in the main event slot at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Florida.
Although Yildirim had managed to win five fights in a row before losing his most recent contest against Anthony Dirrell in 2019, Eubank Jr. still doesn’t understand how the man he took care of relatively easily, scored the most lucrative ticket in all of boxing.
“Why is Canelo fighting a guy I knocked out in three rounds three years ago?” Said Eubank Jr. on his Twitter account.
Eubank Jr. has always expressed his desire in facing Alvarez. Still, even with the British native campaigning one weight class lower, he doesn’t mind facing the current unified super middleweight champion on his turf.
At the moment, Eubank holds the interim WBA middleweight title. Through his own admission, his eyes are locked and loaded on full belt holder Ryota Murata. But even though his immediate future doesn’t involve a clash with Alvarez, Eubank Jr. is confused as to how Yildirim is facing him to begin with.
With the vast majority of the boxing world under the impression that Alvarez is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Eubank Jr. believes that, considering what he was able to do to the Turkish product several years ago, that Alvarez should have little to no trouble one-upping him.
After all, if Alvarez is what many say he is, then Eubank Jr. is steadfast in his belief that Alvarez should be able to get the job done before fans get comfortable in their seats.
“I guess if he’s really the P4P (pound for pound) like people claim, he’ll stop him in the first round tonight. Let’s see.”
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Ahmet Oner, Trainer Of Avni Yildirim, Believes His Fighter Shares Similarities With Another Canelo Alvarez Opponent: “He Has The Style Of Golovkin”
By: Hans Themistode
There’s been an incredulous look on the face of manager Ahmet Oner for roughly two months now. The moment his fighter in Avni Yildirim was tabbed as the next opponent for Canelo Alvarez, oddsmakers have essentially given him no shot at winning their contest which will take place this Saturday night at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
With Alvarez listed as a -5000 favorite, in order to win $100 on the pound for pound star, a bettor would have to risk $5,000. If that same bettor decided to switch sides and place his $100 on Yildirim, he would be rewarded with roughly $2,500.
In the opinion of Oner, how in the world could this be possible when just a few years ago, Alvarez was viewed as the underdog in back to back contests against a fighter he believes Yildirim compares favorably to in Gennadiy Golovkin.
“He’s similar in size to Golovkin, there’s not much difference,” said Oner during an interview with IFL TV. “He’s brave like Golovkin. Both can go forward, both have the jab and both are not afraid.”
Alvarez, of course, fought Golovkin on two separate occasions. In their most recent meeting, the Mexican product was handed a close majority decision win. One year prior to that however, most of the boxing world was under the impression that Alvarez was both outworked and outboxed in their first contest. Yet, their showdown was ruled a split decision draw.
Like most of the public, Oner believes that Golovkin should have been given the decision.
“I saw him against Golovkin, the first fight in my opinion he lost.”
At first glance, few if any would agree that Yildirim is a facsimile of Golovkin. Regardless of those thoughts, team Alvarez and his promotional outfit at the time in Golden Boy Promotions, hand-picked Yildirim to be a sparring partner to Alvarez in preparation for his first contest against Golovkin. And while he was unable to assist Alvarez for their second matchup, Oner reveals that Golden Boy Promotions were on their hands and knees imploring them to come back.
“They used Avni as a sparring partner for the Golovkin fight. That tells you that not only I think Yildirim has the style of Golovkin but also his matchmakers, coaches and promoters at the time. For the last Golovkin fight, Golden Boy at that time begged me to send Avni saying we need him but I told them we couldn’t because we had a title eliminator against Lolenga Mock. Here is a guy who has a similar style to Golovkin.”
Regardless of what Oner has been preaching, bookies simply aren’t buying it as they still consider Yildirim a long shot. At this point, Oner won’t fulminate with anyone. Instead, he’ll gladly sit back and allow the public to place a large amount of pressure on Alvarez and ultimately watch him crumble underneath the weight of it.
“An underdog has less pressure in my opinion. The favored guy has more pressure because he has to prove that this guy is the underdog. Why would you favor a Turkish fighter? When have we ever had a Turkish world champion? Never.”
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Eddie Hearn: “If There’s Anyone That Will Beat, Or Could Beat Canelo Alvarez, It’s Billy Joe Saunders”
By: Hans Themistode
Some people believe it will be Caleb Plant. Others are under the impression that David Benavidez will be the one to get it done. A small contingent of fans speculates that Gennadiy Golovkin will eventually knock him off his high horse.
Regardless of how great any of those fighters are, promoter Eddie Hearn doesn’t believe any of them have much of a chance against unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez. That said, he knows exactly who can get the job done.
“I’ll tell you one thing, if there’s anyone in the division that will beat or could beat Canelo Alvarez, I think it’s Billy Joe Saunders,” said Hearn during an interview with Fight Hub TV.
Hearn’s confidence in the WBO super middleweight titlist isn’t simply because of his undefeated record. No, having spent years watching Saunders over the course of his career, Hearn has witnessed the British product outbox opponents without seemingly breaking a sweat. That, and his tendency to not care who he’s facing on any night, is the reason why Hearn is firmly standing in his corner.
“He has the style and movement. He also has something different in his head, no fear. He’s an underdog in the fight of course but he’s a bit crazy. He won’t have fear and he’s slick.”
In just a few short months, Hearn will find out if he was spot on in his predictions, or if Alvarez will move one step closer to becoming the first undisputed super-middleweight of all time.
First things first however, Alvarez has to take care of business this Saturday night against Avni Yildirim at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Florida. While most are expecting the Turkish native to get annihilated, Hearn believes he has more than just a puncher’s chance.
“With Yildirim, no fear, he’ll let his hands go but that’s very dangerous. Yildirim can punch and has plenty of heart and guts. I know he’s a massive underdog but he’s not coming to survive. He knows the only way to beat Canelo is to fight fire with fire.”
Still, even with Hearn singing his praises, the long-time promoter ultimately believes that at some point, Alvarez will score the knockout win which would then subsequently lead to a unification contest between Alvarez and of course, Saunders.
“When Canelo knocks him out, we’ll go in the ring and celebrate.”
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Canelo Alvarez Smiles Before Answering If He Can Knockout Avni Yildirim: “Yes, Absolutely I Can Do It”
By: Hans Themistode
If you were to ask around, it’s as though Canelo Alvarez is facing someone who is stepping into the ring for the first time in their life. Oddsmakers, fans and media personnel have essentially given mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim no chance of winning when the two face off at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Florida this Saturday night.
While Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 KOs) appreciates all of the support, he is paying little to no attention to it. With major upsets spread across boxing history, the Mexican star shows no interest in adding his name next to the likes of Mike Tyson and Anthony Joshua when they slipped up as huge favorites against James “Buster” Douglas and Andy Ruiz Jr. in 1990 and 2019 respectively.
To avoid the sort of upset that would make him place his head down in shame, Alvarez is viewing Yildirim (21-2, 12 KOs) as the exact opposite of how most analyze him.
“Avni Yildirim is a great fighter,” said Alvarez during a recent interview with IFL TV. “He’s very strong and comes forward so we have to be very alert. I’m not overconfident, I prepared very well. I don’t underestimate any opponent so I’m here and very prepared.”
Yildirim’s long-shot odds are due to various reasons. For starters, the Turkish native simply hasn’t been in the ring often. It’s been two years since he was seen walking through the ropes and roughly two and a half since he’s picked up a win.
At no point has Yildirim ever shown the ability to compete at an elite level, case in point would be his 2017 third round stoppage loss against Chris Eubank Jr. in 2017.
Alvarez, by and large, is viewed as the best fighter in the world. In his last ring appearance, which came just a few months ago at the end of 2020 against Callum Smith, was about as one-sided a championship match as you’ll see. Despite Smith being highly rated and holding onto both the WBA and Ring magazine super middleweight titles, Alvarez had little trouble handling him.
With the numerous world titles draped around the shoulders of Alvarez, along with global recognition as the best fighter in the world, it comes as no surprise that just about everyone expects him to take care of business this Saturday night.
Yet, even with most of the public overlooking Yildirim, Alvarez continues to preach that he is taking him seriously. With that being said, when asked if he can knockout his man come fight night, the pound-for-pound star flashed a bright smile before giving his answer.
“Yes, absolutely I can do it.”
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Trainer Joel Diaz Believes Avni Yildirim Will “Shock The World” Against Canelo Alvarez
By: Hans Themistode
Super middleweight contender Avni Yildirim has essentially become an afterthought. His upcoming showdown against the consensus best boxer in the world in Canelo Alvarez has already been chalked up as a loss.
In addition to what round Yildirim will be knocked out in, fans are already discussing how Alvarez will fare in his matchup against Billy Joe Saunders. The doubters however, don’t bother Yildirim or his trainer Joel Diaz. They simply ask that you don’t jump out of your seat once they take care of business in a few short weeks.
“Avni may be an underdog but he doesn’t care what anybody says,” said his trainer Joel Diaz. “He’s fighting for his country and he’s going to shock the world. This guy is not only a gym rat and a hard worker, but he’s a smart fighter, he loves learning. It doesn’t matter how hard the work is, he never complains.”
Yildirim, of course, is an overwhelming underdog against Alvarez come February 27th. In the mind’s eye of many, the Turkish native is fortunate to be in the position he is in today. Having been out of the ring for two years, Yildirim hasn’t officially won a fight since 2018. In his most recent ring appearance, Yildirim came up just short in his first bid to become a world champion. However, the loss wasn’t without a bit of controversy.
Roughly two years ago, Yildirim took on former belt holder Anthony Dirrell with the vacant WBC super middleweight title on the line. Although he came out of the gates slow, Yildirim picked up momentum during the second half of their contest. While Yildirim appeared to be the fresher and stronger fighter down the stretch, an unfortunate clash of heads in the seventh round forced their bout to end prematurely due to the gash on Dirrell’s eyebrow refusing to close.
Yildirim would then reluctantly accept a technical decision loss as the scorecards were read. Despite the defeat and ring inactivity, for some inexplicable reason, the WBC left Yildirim in the mandatory position and now finds himself in the most high-profile matchup of his career.
Regardless of his lack of ring appearances, Yildirim’s time on the sidelines wasn’t spent twiddling his thumbs. He worked constantly with Diaz as the COVID-19 induced shutdown helped speed up their time together. Now, with years to help mold him into the fighter he wants, Diaz believes he has just the right man to make the rest of the boxing world look stupid for doubting him.
“He’s a completely different fighter from when he fought Dirrell. I said to him, you are a physically stronger guy than Dirrell but you had no defense. That’s why they called him ‘Mr. Robot’, but there’s no robot in him now, I can tell you. I made a complete transformation because I dedicated time to him. The COVID situation helped him in a way because there was nothing to do. There were no fights, so just to keep him busy we would go to the gym and work on technique and making him a better fighter. Any trainer would like to have him, he just does what you tell him to do. He’s a true soldier – you tell him to do something, he just does it.”
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Canelo Alvarez Takes On Avni Yildirim On February 27th At The Hard Rock Stadium In Miami Florida
By: Hans Themistode
As expected, WBA, WBC and Ring magazine super middleweight belt holder Canelo Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 KOs) has agreed to terms with Matchroom Boxing for a February 27th, mandated title defense against Avni Yildirim at The Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Florida.
Reports of the deal began to surface several weeks ago as promoter Eddie Hearn attempted desperately to keep the pound for pound star on the DAZN platform after the pairs recent publicized split. While the entirety of the deal has not yet been revealed, there is a belief that should Alvarez win his showdown against Yildirim, that he would then move on to a unification bout against WBO belt holder Billy Joe Saunders in May.
For Alvarez, the quick turnaround will serve as a makeup for lost time. During a 2020 that was filled with a global pandemic, postponed events and a messy legal battle with former promoter Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions as well as DAZN, Alvarez stepped into the ring just once. While his appearances were few and far between, the Mexican native made the most of it as he dismantled former super middleweight belt holder Callum Smith.
As for Yildirim (21-2, 12 KOs), his bout with Alvarez will be his first in two years. The Turkish contender was last seen on February 23rd, 2019 against former titlist Anthony Dirrell. The 29-year-old would see his first bid at a world title dashed away from him as he suffered a close technical decision loss on the night.
