WBC Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is set to take on former UFC title holder Francis Ngannou in a professional boxing contest later this year.
As per reports from ESPN’s Mike Coppinger, and renowned MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, the fight is expected to take place on October 28, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“It’s going to be a fight for the ages”, Fury tells talkSPORT’s Michael Benson.
Here’s everything we know about Fury vs. Ngannou so far.
The lead-up
A bout between these two has been rumoured for a number of months, with different types of matchups being teased by the pair. These ranged from hybrid exhibitions with mixed rules to a two-fight contract: one in a ring, one in an octagon.
Tensions and possibilities first heightened over a year ago, as Ngannou stepped in the ring following Fury’s knockout victory over Dillian Whyte in April 2022. The Cameroonian was under contract with Dana White’s UFC at the time, but revelations have since seen him leave the promotion for rivals PFL after failing to come to any contractual agreements.
Fury has previously worked with boxing promotion Top Rank, as well as Queensbury Promotions, both of which produce fight cards often shown on ESPN+, the same channel as PFL.
The fight
Fans and journalists alike are still predominantly in the dark in terms of any official news about the fight, other than it is happening.
Fury has held the WBC Heavyweight belt since overcoming long-time rival Deontay Wilder back in 2020, with his last defence coming in a heavily-criticised trilogy fight against Derek Chisora last December. Many in the boxing community expected the 34-year-old to take on the WBO, WBA and IBF champion Oleksandr Usyk in an undisputed heavyweight fight, however, negotiations for that fight hit a standstill.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman is yet to respond to questioning regarding the status of the WBC belt in Fury vs. Ngannou, but it is expected the title will not be on the line.
Queensbury Promotions owner Frank Warren, who has long been associated with the Fury family, just announced the fight will not be an exhibition bout, however he is “unsure whether it will count towards their official boxing records.”
Frank Warren has stated that Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou on Oct 28th in Saudi Arabia is NOT an exhibition bout, but said he's unsure whether it will count on their official boxing records. He added that Fury's WBC heavyweight world title is not on the line. [@talkSPORT]
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) July 11, 2023
What’s been said?
Fury vs. Ngannou will undoubtedly be one of the most-viewed boxing fights of the year. The duo’s scale and popularity within combat sports will draw eyes from all around the world, and it will certainly be the biggest boxing/MMA matchup since Floyd Mayweather Jr. took on Conor McGregor back in 2017.
Warren has stated:
“This has ‘war’ written all over it. It is a game-changer. Here we are in a super-fight. Tyson is at his best when he is breaking new boundaries and this event is one of a kind. History will be made in Riyadh.”
Although this fight will come with its controversy, Fury seems to be looking forward to the bout.
‘The Gypsy King’ discussed Ngannou:
“This guy is supposed to be the hardest puncher in the world, but let’s see how he reacts when he gets hit by big GK. I’m looking forward to showing that the Gypsy King is the greatest fighter of his generation.
“It’s gonna be a fight for the ages.”
One of the fight’s biggest criticisers so far is Usyk’s manager Egis Klimas, who took to Twitter to display his annoyances as Fury’s choice of opponent:
The biggest joke ever in boxing!!! I am sorry it’s not boxing it’s circus @Tyson_Fury becoming from positive person in boxing to negative joker in circus https://t.co/VYeOwxq0dt
— Egis Klimas (@KlimasBoxing) July 11, 2023
Ngannou is yet to release any quotes on the matter, although he took to social media to release a trailer and announcement of the upcoming fight.
Never doubt a man with hope and faith.#FuryNgannou | 10.28.2023 | #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/44pfCQgGgq
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) July 11, 2023
Date and Location
As previously mentioned, Fury vs. Ngannou will take place on October 28, 2023. As of now, no official times have been announced, although the European crowd will certainly be happier with an earlier start time compared to cards in the US.
The bout will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Fury has previously competed within the WWE.
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]]>Almost 29 years ago, two British fighters connected through a passionate rivalry, stepped into the ring for the second time. Three decades later, their son’s are set to repeat history.
This Saturday marks one of the most-anticipated boxing matchups seen by the UK public in some time. Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn are set to continue their fathers’ legacies in a catchweight bout at 157lbs. If the lead-up to the weekend hasn’t provided enough entertainment, then the main event almost certainly will.
The Build-Up
For obvious reasons, Eubank Jr. and Benn were built up massively during their come-ups in the sport. The latter is still, in fact, in that stage of his career.
Despite the duo making their names in different weight classes, there was always a sense of anticipation as to whether they would ever meet in the ring. Many were certain that their fathers’ would have passed down biased tales of their encounters, which often ended in verbal battles at the best of times.
Eubank Jr. is definitely the more experienced and accomplished of the pair, being a former two-time holder of both the WBA Interim Middleweight and IBO Super-Middleweight belts. The 33-year-old also claimed the British Middleweight title back in 2016.
Benn is a raw, powerful British prospect backed up by the full force of Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing. The 26-year-old has won all 21 of his professional fights, 14 of these by stoppage.
Travel back in time one generation prior, where Chris Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn backed up their words against each other in two fiercely contested bouts. The first ended in victory for Eubank via a ninth round TKO, the second in a split draw.
His father’s scars will certainly act as a reminder for the now-active boxer in the Benn family. Saturday is, in essence, the trilogy fight.
Fight Week – Will it go ahead?
The day is October 5, 2022, and a major story involving this weekend’s main event has just broken during the writing of this article.
Benn has tested positive for ‘clomifene‘, a substance on the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) banned list. A mediciation standardly used to treat infertility in women, but also to raise testosterone levels in men.
Brandeis MD, a male rejuvination centre, claim that “we can usually achieve a 100% increase in T (testosterone) levels with Clomid. In some cases, one may see up to a 200% increase.”
Each substance will obviously affect a person differently, and there is no telling if Benn has taken the substance knowingly at present. However, it’s not a good look.
Conor Benn has reportedly tested positive for clomifene in a VADA drugs test ahead of his fight with Chris Eubank Jr on Saturday night. Substance is on the WADA banned list. It’s claimed Eubank Jr still wants fight to go ahead regardless. [According to @MailSport]
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) October 5, 2022
Saturday’s bout is already one shrouded with concerns about its safety. Due to the catchweight agreement, Eubank Jr. will have to cut around 10 lbs more than he usually would, with only 5 lbs more allowed before the first bell.
This is around 5-10 lbs less than what fighters are usually allowed to rehydrate to following weigh-ins, making it more than likely Eubank Jr. will be coming into the fight nowhere near full strength. As he himself has repeatedly said: “60%”.
His father, Eubank Sr., has displayed increased concern throughout the build-up to the fight for this very reason.
The 56-year-old told the Daily Mail: “When they understand: I lost a son, Michael Watson happened, Gerald McClellan happened, Nick Blackwell happened, and the many warriors who have fallen or are disabled because of contests in the ring.
“You cannot come down in weight – especially against a fighter of the magnitude of Mr King, Conor Benn. This ain’t no joke.”
Eubank Sr., a former WBO Middleweight and Super-Middleweight champion, has also urged fans to boycott the fight out of fears for his son’s safety.
News is currently circulating of whether the planned bout will continue, a lot of which is dependent of Benn’s B-sample coming through negative. At the time of writing, the latest emergence able to be provided is Hearn’s interview with iD Boxing regarding the timings of drug-testing:
When will Conor Benn's B-sample be tested?
Eddie Hearn answers.
? https://t.co/MSnDqS2C8z#EubankJrBenn pic.twitter.com/kDqwFISp64
— iD Boxing (@idboxingnews) October 5, 2022
How will they match up?
Let’s presume the fight, controversially, goes ahead.
Eubank Jr. comes into the weekend’s main event off the back of a brilliant win against Welshman Liam Williams via unanimous decision. The 33-year-old knocked his opponent down four times in front of a Cardiff crowd, putting in what many believe to be a career-best performance.
Eubank made the contest look so simple in stages that he was able to begin showboating in the ring, just as his father had done ever so famously.
Under the highly-regarded coaching of Roy Jones Jr., the former title holder has become much more calculated in his movements, picking apart his opponents from range rather than than utilising constant pressure.
Benn similarly impressed in his previous appearance, knocking out South African welterweight Chris van Heerden in the second round.
‘The Destroyer‘ emerged the comfortable victor. The finish came after he pushed his opponent up against the ropes and began to deliver a barrage of punishing shots to the head and body.
Benn rounded out the exchange with a powerful right uppercut followed with a perfectly-timed overhand that connected over van Heerden’s block.
Both are clearly talented fighters, and Eubank Jr. comes into Saturday’s potential event as the favourite across betting sites. However, it is yet to be seen how the catchweight will affect either of the duo, and fans across the globe are all eagerly awaiting news as to whether the bout will be allowed to go ahead or not.
For the sake of boxing’s entertainment, some will be hoping there’s a way for the fight to resume. For the sake of boxing’s safety, others will be hoping there isn’t.
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]]>Millions of boxing fans worldwide witnessed the carnage that occurred throughout Canelo Álvarez and Gennady Golovkin’s first two fights, yet I’d assume only a small percentage could confidently state the winner of either.
A duo of closely-fought contests have resulted in a 1-0-1 Mexican lead, although the scoring of both has been heavily questioned by enthusiasts of the sport. Leading into this weekend’s clash, we look at how the bad blood has boiled to optimum temperature between the pairing.
The First Fight
It’s 16th September, 2017. A highly anticipated matchup between unified middleweight champion Golovkin and the exciting Canelo is set to take place that evening. Many top-tier fighters at 160 lbs had strayed clear of taking on the former, given his outstanding record and devastating power, but it was now time for the Kazakh’s toughest test yet.
Golovkin found out pretty early on in that fight what he was truly up against. Canelo made a strong start to the contest, hitting his opponent with pacey combinations while utilising excellent head movement. ‘Triple G‘ seemed slightly startled, and following several rounds it appeared the fight was headed in one direction.
Golovkin displaying his iron chin against Canelo when they met the first time in 2017.
This September (17th) will mark the 5-year anniversary of that fight, and the final chapter of their incredible rivalry.#CaneloGGG3 pic.twitter.com/YZRXXvzj5O
— Gorilla Productions (@GPboxing) May 24, 2022
Golovkin, however, was not going to give up easily, and began utilising his ever-present jab to control the pace of the bout. That is where he has always felt most comfortable, dictating the ring on his terms.
The once-aggressive Canelo was now on the back foot against a taller, stronger opponent. In the second half of that fight he repeatedly found himself with his back to the ropes, although it should be noted that the Mexican managed to maintain the majority of his speed and ferocity in combinations.
Both landed a number of destructive shots on their counterpart, but their chins held up equally well and the pair refused to go to the canvas at any opportunity. By the final bell it was an extremely difficult contest to judge.
Many pundits and fans alike still believe to this day that Golovkin was robbed of a win that night (as does the man himself), and it certainly didn’t help proceedings after judge Adalaide Byrd’s 118-110 scorecard was announced in favour of Canelo (she was eventually forced to stand down by the Nevada State Athletic Commission).
The two couldn’t be seperated and a draw was given. A rematch was announced shortly after, and the following period would mark where the growing tensions began to escalate.
Pre-rematch
Almost six months after their first encounter, and two months before the rematch, a crucial story hit the boxing world.
Canelo had tested positive for the banned substance ‘clenbuterol’, a decongestant drug used on sufferers of breathing disorders.
The Mexican’s camp put this result down to contaminated meat, in fairness a common occurence with athletes training in the South American country. Fights between Érik Morales, Danny Garcia and Francisco Vargas, Orlando Salido had previously had issues with the substance, but both were allowed to continue.
Canelo was not to be so lucky, and found himself banned from boxing for six months, preventing the original rematch date.
The rivalry was set to intensify, with Golovkin coming out and slating his opponent as a cheater.
At the time the Kazakh said:
“I told you, it’s not Mexican meat. This is Canelo. This is his team. This is his promotion … Canelo is cheating. They’re using these drugs, and everybody is just trying to pretend it’s not happening.”
Effectively branding all his achievements in the sport null and void, Canelo was outraged and refused to hide his anger at the re-arranged press conference in September that year.
He told reporters:
“I will knock him out to bring a great victory for myself, my family, my team and to my entire country on this Mexico Independence Day.”
The Second Fight
The scene was set. T-Mobile Arena, Nevada. September 25th, 2018.
Unsurprisingly, Canelo came out his corner like a steam train. The challenger looked completely different to what viewers had seen for the majority of the first fight. Now he was dictating the contest.
For the first time in ‘Triple G‘s’ career, he was certainly on the back foot with the situation not looking like it was changing anytime soon. The Kazakh had maintained his style from the first fight, and a lack of adaptation seemed to be making his movement more predictable.
Golovkin fought back in typical style, obviously, and again used his strong jab to establish himself back in the fight. The contest remained neck and neck, although the champion had a much higher mountain to climb.
Canelo’s early bodywork was paying off too, and he was repeatedly landing on the inside with those large liver shots. Golovkin returned staggering blows, following up on his jab set-ups with powerful hooks and overhands.
The bell rang, signalling an end to a 24-round endurance test which had left both men battered and bruised. After what is always a nail-biting wait, the judges’ scorecards read out 114-114, 115-113 and 115-113 in favour of Canelo by majority decision.
What’s happened since?
Two career paths seemingly in parallel unison have since altered their course.
Canelo has not only defended his Middleweight belts six times, beating the likes of Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders along the way, but also moved up in weight and won the WBO Light Heavyweight title against Sergey Kovalev back in 2019.
The 32-year-old did lose that belt earlier this year in a fairly one-sided contest against Dmitrii Bivol, although many count the fact he held a belt at 175 lbs as an impressive enough statistic anyway.
It does mean that Canelo is coming into this trilogy fight off the back of a loss, and it’s yet to be seen what effect that may have on his game. Compare this to ‘Triple G‘, who, since the second bout, has won four out of four contests.
Golovkin’s competition has undoubtedly been much easier than his rival’s, and his 2019 battle with Sergiy Derevyanchenko must have taken a lot out of the gas tank. The Ukrainian struck Golovkin with multiple damaging body shots which resulted in some grimaces from the usually ice cool Kazakh.
Going into the weekend’s bout, Canelo will surely be targeting this area again, and if he can execute a similar shift of bodywork throughout the opening rounds then we may see the contest over before the final bell.
Canelo Alvarez vs Gennady Golovkin III first face-off of fight week…
[? @MatchroomBoxing] pic.twitter.com/NHX4SMsXKT
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) September 13, 2022
The fight will very likely be decided by who lets their emotion slip first. Canelo is a strong, pressure fighter whose high level defensive techniques (slipping punches, bobbing and head rolling) complement his offense. His trainer, Eddy Reynoso, describes this as ‘classic Mexican style.’
As previously mentioned, ‘Triple G‘ is at his best when he’s able to dictate the fight’s pace. He’s struggled in recent years if this hasn’t been the case, and is certainly an ‘on top’ fighter, much like Conor McGregor in the UFC.
Another aspect to consider is the weight jump. The pairing will be coming in at 168 lbs, 8 lbs heavier than their two previous bouts. Some pundits are claiming this may suit Golovkin more (as it’s Canelo who’s having to cut), although he’s never fought at this weight before, and his opponent has won a WBO belt at 175 lbs.
This trilogy is now solely about legacy. Some are questioning why, after all the money he’s made in the past few years, Canelo would want to risk a Golovkin trilogy matchup.
It’s simple. The Mexican has constantly heard over the past four years that he didn’t win the first, with some even claiming the second either. A win, and a decisive one at that, should crush those murmurings surrounding scorecards and clenbuterol entirely.
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]]>Boxing Wiki describes the journeyman as ‘a fighter who has adequate skill, but is not the calibre of a contender or gatekeeper.’
This characterisation may seem insulting or condescending, but for boxers like Lewis van Poetsch, it is met with both pride of longevity and an acceptance of limitation.
Record to Date
‘Poochi‘ is known throughout the boxing community as being one of the most accomplished British journeymen to date. An almost decade-long career has included a staggering 162 professional fights (BoxRec), and despite a record of 11-148-3, his physical and mental resilience is evident for fans of the sport.
When asked about his emotions towards said record, van Poetsch replied: “I do take a lot of pride in being in that many fights. 161 – that’s mental, but it’s just all become normal to me now.
“I’m proud to say I’m a journeyman, because without journeymen there is no boxing. I’m a vital cog in the machine.”
Many boxing enthusiasts will associate journeymen with acting as a true test for the sport’s most promising youngsters. Prospects from around the world clash with these types of pros on a weekly basis, on both local and nationally televised cards.
The 31-year-old is more than familiar with this process, having fought recognisable youngsters (at the time) such as Idris Virgo and Jack Flatley throughout his time in boxing.
He said: “When people first start off in their professional career, their first step will be fighting against people like me.
“I always say, if they’re going to be any good, they’ll beat me easily and I’ll be in fifth gear going backwards.
“If these guys can deal with me easily and I don’t give them any problems, then they might do something. If they can’t then they probably aren’t going to go anywhere big.”
In terms of his ‘Poochi’s‘ best performance to date, there’s obviously a long list of possibilities from which he can look back upon fondly. But one in particular sticks out in his mind.
He continued: “In my 100th fight, I was fighting another journeyman in Scott Hillman, and everything just went right for me.
“Journeyman’s code means I’m not going to try and knock him out, I was getting the rounds in, I wanted to win my 100th fight badly.
“My head movement was great. I was picking beautiful, crisp punches. That was probably my best fight in terms of slick performances.”
Alongside 162 fights comes a multitude of different venues, each bringing their own size, location and most crucially, atmosphere to the table.
Van Poetsch’s career has seen him travel to all four corners of the country, as well as the occasional trip across the border and also into Europe in the early stages.
Even for a journeyman certain places stand out, and he stated: “York Hall in Bethnal Green has always been brilliant. Especially these days now you don’t get changed in the cellar anymore.
“It’s an iconic venue. It’s the home of British boxing.”
“I’ve boxed at the O2 Arena, The (OVO) Hydro in Glasgow. It’s always nice to get on one of the big arena shows because it makes you feel a bit more professional.”
“A big arena, big crowd, big ring walks. Yeah, it feels good.”
?????? ??? ??? ?? ??? ????
Lewis Van Poetsch makes his way to the ring for the second contest of today's main card#????????????????? pic.twitter.com/OHhSewNtMj
— Fightzone (@fightzonetv) June 11, 2021
The Early Days
Respect is a teaching which ties boxing and other combat sports together. We often see the sport’s youth come from hardships in their past, making it even more remarkable when they achieve incredible things.
For van Poetsch, his love for boxing began following a childhood of being picked on. Like many fighters, he was tired of being looked down upon and decided to do something about it.
When asked about his beginnings in boxing, he replied: “I was a bit of a weak kid at school. Through primary school I was sort of picked on because I was quite small and I wasn’t really too tough.
“I was probably around 13, I was getting picked on by this big lad while playing football. He started to fight me, but out of nowhere I managed to get myself free, threw a punch over the top which connected and cleaned him out!
“The following summer I went to watch a friend of mine fight on an amateur boxing card. He actually fought against Luke Campbell in the final. I loved the atmosphere, and thought I fancy a bit of this.
“I went to the gym the next week and took to it like a duck to water. After that I never looked back.”
To much of the outside world, all a professional boxer must dedicate themselves to is their craft, whether that’s putting in the hours on the punch bag or exchanging frightening gazes with their opponents at weigh-ins.
At a national level, however, the workload is increasingly demanding. Many fighters must find time to train around their regular jobs, as well as selling tickets to the local community should they be in the home corner.
These tasks are what turn many a boxer into a journeyman, some more successfully than others. ‘Poochi‘ works full-time as a lift engineer, providing an income outside the fight game, and his decision to move towards the travel-fighting lifestyle came at quite an early stage.
He said: “In professional boxing, unless you’re signed to a big promoter, very good or you can sell an abundance of tickets yourself, you aren’t going to go anywhere.
“It became quite apparent to me after my second fight that selling tickets in the home corner was going to get harder and harder.
“I was in and around the professional gyms with people like Joe Cordina, Lee Selby and Fred Evans. I’m seeing how good these lads are and I thought I’m way off that.”
He continued: “After my fourth fight I was gifted a hometown win and I hadn’t sold many tickets. I thought I’m not going to be a world beater, there has to be a way I can enjoy the sport for what it is.”
“Then I got my big break in Curtis Woodhouse, who’d just come off a knockout loss to Derry Matthews. I knew if I was to win this fight I was going to be in the driving seat in terms of big promoters.
“I didn’t. I lost the fight but I gave a great account of myself and put up a good fight. My stock grew massively from that, but I decided to go down the journeyman route. The rest is history.”
What attracts many people to the sport of boxing is the characters it produces. The flamboyant, cocky and unpredictable nature of many fighters often draws in mass attention from all around the globe.
The first characteristic that strikes you when speaking to Lewis van Poetsch is his down-to-earth nature, one which has made him a fan favourite amongst British boxing’s cult following.
When asked whether he feels like a professional in terms of personality, he said: “It’s funny, because I see some of these young lads that, because they’re professional boxers, they all think it’s glitz and glam.
“The way some of them big themselves up and post on social media, sometimes it’s laughable.”
“I’ve never taken myself too seriously. Even if I was unified world champion I’d be the same guy I am now. I treat people how I’d want them to treat me.”
The Future
Before last weekend, van Poetsch hadn’t fought for around three months. Boxing was taken out of his hands while awaiting news on a brain scan, which fortunately came back clear.
Eleven weeks may not sound like a lengthy period for the majority of fighters, but for the 31-year-old it had been his longest hiatus since the COVID-19 pandemic.
After so many fights, so many punches thrown and so many punches received, ‘Poochi‘s’ relentless nature and love of the sport continues to shine through.
The Sussex-born fighter has registered two wins since March (one coming last Saturday night against Derek Renfrew via TKO), but confirmed he’s also looking towards an end to his commendable career.
“This will be my final year as a professional boxer,” said van Poetsch. “I made that decision around the same time my brain scan results came back.”
“The goal was originally 200 fights, but I won’t get to that now because I’ve lost three months of my boxing career. If I have a good final year I should get to around 180.”
“My goal now is to get to ten years as a pro. That would be a great milestone for me and I can walk away with my head held high.”
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]]>Boxing fans witnessed the continuation of a slow-building legacy at the weekend, as exciting youngster Ryan Garcia defeated Javier Fortuna in dominating fashion.
The American delivered another noteworthy performance in front of 20,000 spectators at the Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night, putting an abrupt halt to the contest six rounds in.
Garcia dropped his ring counterpart in the fourth, connecting with a perfectly-timed left hook to the body, a shot that Britain’s Luke Campbell became all too familiar in the pair’s bout last year.
Fortuna went down again in the following round, before his opponent utilised his left hook once again, this time to the side of the Dominican’s skull.
After emerging victorious, Garcia exclaimed:
“I will fight Tank (Gervonta Davis) next. If Tank wants it, let’s get it. I have a spirit of competition in me, and you’re gonna see it when I fight Tank Davis, and I’m gonna whip his ass.”
Words Exchanged
Garcia and Davis have been back and forth at each other both on social media and with microphone in hand.
The former has been especially vocal recently, challenging his fellow American fighter in the aftermath of his devastating finish over rival Rolando Romero. Garcia has also continued this trend on social media, predicting an easy contest when the two do eventually take to the ring:
I won’t just beat tank, I will make it look like there was no reason for him to be in the ring with me. Easy Easy Lemon Squeezy.
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) July 18, 2022
Davis, on the other hand, gestured after Garcia’s win that he had accepted this call-out, posting a cryptic Tweet simply stating: “See you all at the end of the year.”
Although it seems nothing is set in stone, all involved parties will realise that this is the lightweight clash that boxing fans will want to see.
There have, however, been obstacles to overcome when attempting to deliver this fight to the fanbase. Davis has emerged under the wing of sport legend Floyd Mayweather Jr., and is signed to Premier Boxing Champions, which “Money’s” own business often works in parallel with.
Garcia is signed to Golden Boy Promotions, who have often hinted that an agreement would be much easier to come to should ‘Tank’ split with his current allegiances. Rumours of a departure did seem to be spiralling a few months ago, with reports of Golden Boy offering Davis a mammoth offer in an attempt to prise him away.
The duo are two of the most exciting young talents in the sport right now, and both appear more than intrigued with silencing the other come the end of the year.
Garcia also told DAZN: “If he (Davis) wants it, let’s get it. That’s going to give me the respect I deserve.”
The Potential Matchup
We haven’t seen a duo more poised to put on a showstopper at 130lb for a serious amount of time.
Davis ranks just one place above Garcia in The Ring‘s lightweight rankings, coming in at #5 on the global scale. The 27-year-old’s record currently stands at 27-0, with all but two of these wins coming via an early stoppage.
“Tank’s” knockout power is truly formidable, his last fight with Romero acting as Exhibit A. He’s also shown courage in adversity, defeating Isaac Cruz via decision despite injuring his hand midway through the bout.
There’s few boxing fans out there that still question the Baltimore native’s skill. You would even struggle to mention Garcia in the same breath as Davis at present when it comes to fight-ending power at 130lb.
The former WBC interim lightweight belt holder is 23-0 in his own career, 19 of these being knockouts. His ferocious speed combined with an ability to damage both head and body makes for a scary proposition for any fighter.
Garcia’s 5’10” frame combined with an orthodox stance would certainly make for an interesting matchup with his American rival given the stockier 5’6″ build and southpaw style.
Give us Ryan Garcia vs Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis next… pic.twitter.com/XXzyO4iihs
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) July 17, 2022
For too long boxing has trailed organisations like the UFC when it comes to setting up the most anticipated fights. Politics, promotions and money are all factors which have often come in the way of potential blockbusters.
Gervonta Davis versus Ryan Garcia is a bout all fans of the sport want to see, and the pair’s verbal trading has definitely led to increased hype surrounding the matchup.
It seems all parties involved will be pushing for a meeting before the end of the year.
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]]>Tonight marks a long-awaited bout between lightweights Gervonta Davis and Rolando Romero, as the former looks to defend his WBA title. Both will be hoping to maintain their so-far unbeaten records, and after almost a year of verbal back-and-forth, the champion will finally be decided.
Their Last Fights
Davis has built up his reputation over the years as a knockout specialist, and with 24 finishes in 26 fights, it’s hard to argue with the facts. This, mixed with the support of trainer and promoter Floyd Mayweather, led to global recognition and stardom. ‘Tank’ is currently ranked the tenth pound-for-pound fighter by the Boxing Writers Association of America, and the world’s best active lightweight by record-website BoxRec.
The 27-year-old beat talented Mexican fighter Isaac Cruz in his last matchup, but not in typical Davis fashion. In what was built up to be a simple contest for the American, he severely struggled with his counterpart’s onslaught.
It has since been confirmed that Davis picked up a hand injury midway through the bout, but the champion had shown a slight reluctance to throw even before that. He fired less than normal, mainly due to Cruz using his relentlessly swinging style against him, but still found a powerful counter uppercut on multiple occasions which saw him 7-2 up after nine rounds.
Despite a late flurry from his opponent, Davis managed to utilise world class head movement and jabbing to ride out towards victory. The judges’ scorecards read 116-112, 115-113, 115-113 in his favour.
Romero also emerged victorious from his last bout, earning a seventh round technical stoppage against step-in fighter Anthony Yigit. A dominative display was somewhat tarnished, however, as the crowd were less than pleased with ‘Rolly’s roughhousing tactics which included elbowing, grappling and pushing the Swede to the floor. He lost a point for this in the fifth, but followed this up with a perfectly-timed hook which dropped his opponent to the canvas.
The bout was waved off in the seventh after the American scored two more knockdowns, claiming his 14th successive professional win.
Tonight’s Event
Tempers have continued to flare in the build-up to tonight’s main event. Yesterday, viewers saw Davis push his ring counterpart off the stage at the final press conference, causing a ruckus to start between their two teams. ‘Tank’ also made multiple comments about Romero’s personality, suggesting he acted like a newcomer in a boxing gym.
Davis told talkSPORT: “We saw how he choked up when the lights are in his face. We’ll see how he reacts when everyone is cheering against him on fight night.
“Some people are made to do it, and some people just talk their way through it. We know what we’re coming here to do on May 28th.
“We’ll see what this guy brings on fight night, under the bright lights. I had to walk through the door when it was time and become the man.
“Come fight night, it’s time to step up to that plate.”
Romero said: “‘Tank’ gets punched a lot. I think he’s going to run right into something big.
“I’ve always been underrated. May 28th, you’re going to see my ring IQ on display. He’s the best fighter at 135 pounds and he’d be the best if he were at 130 pounds. It doesn’t matter to me though. I know what I’m capable of.”
UK and European viewers can watch the card on FITE.tv for a PPV of $12.99, with the main event’s ring walks set to take place at around 4am.
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]]>Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin are set to share the ring for a third time September 17th 2022.
The super fight will mark perhaps the biggest fight of the year, with the sports biggest star hoping to finally put Golovkin away for good.
The first two fights can be described as nothing short of controversial. The pair first crossed paths in 2017, fighting for the unified middleweight championship. After 12 rounds the fight was declared a draw, and while cases could be made for both fighters, a majority of boxing fans and critics alike, felt that GGG edged a victory.
Boxing judge, Adalaide Byrd scored the fight 118-110 in favour of Alvarez, a scorecard this one sided in a fight many though Golovkin edged was inexcusable. There was no perceivable way to justify scoring so strongly in favour of Canelo.
The two fighters crossed paths yet again in 2018 for a highly anticipated rematch. This was put under jeopardy, as Canelo failed a drug test at the start of 2018.
The fight eventually materialized with two facing again in September of 2018. Again, the fight was extremely close with Alvarez edging the score cards. However, for the second time it appeared that the majority of viewers felt that the fight was Golovkin’s. 10 of the 18 media outlets scoring the bout, also scored in his favour.
This September marks a redemption opportunity for Golovkin who felt he came out on top in both of their previous meetings. It will be a tough fight for the Kazakhstani boxer, who will be going into the fight as a heavy underdog. While the 40-year-old fighter currently holds the WBA and IBF middleweight belts the aging fighter has only fought 4 times since the pair last met in 2018.
Canelo on the other hand is widely considered to be the greatest fighter on the planet having racked up seven consecutive victories off the back of the 2018 bout. At the start of this month Canelo found himself in the ring yet again, this time the fight did not go in his favour. The seemingly invincible Canelo was outshone by Dimitry Bivol who fought a perfect fight keeping Canelo at bay and winning comfortably on points.
Perhaps this chink in Canelo’s armour could be Golovkin’s greatest asset as the aging fighter best chances of victory appear to have already passed him by.
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Former Unified Light-Welterweight champion Amir Khan has announced his retirement from boxing. The 35-year-old Olympic silver medallist retires as of the most entertaining boxers of his generation.
Amir ‘King’ Khan retires boasting a record of 34 wins, coming from 40 bouts, and is the youngest British Olympic boxing medallist in history, winning a silver medal in Athens back in 2004, aged just 17.
Khan hangs up his gloves after suffering a loss to long time boxing rival Kell Brook in February this year. There were doubts about Khan’s longevity before the fight, with many continuing to question Khan’s chin, a concern that has hovered over Khan for most of his career. The doubts were ultimately proved true as Khan was stopped in the 6th round via TKO.
After the Athens Olympics, the then 17-year-old fighter came back to Britain with the country’s expectations on his shoulders. The Bolton born boxer certainly lived up to what was expected.
Khan finally realised his dreams at the age of 22, becoming the WBA light-welterweight champion with a unanimous decision victory over Andreas Kotelnik. Making him one of the youngest Champions in British boxing history.
Khan went on to unify the Light-Welterweight belts, with a fifth-round TKO win over Zab Judah crowning him the IBF champion.
However, Khan has had a career of ups and downs. From very early on in his career, fans and critics alike voiced concern over Khan’s chin. This was first exposed after he was knocked out in just 54 seconds by Breidis Prescott back in 2008.
Five of Khans six defeats have come via stoppage, and many fans will be relieved that the national hero is retiring before serious damage has the potential to take place.
Khan announced his retirement on Friday via twitter, saying: “It’s time to hang up my gloves. I feel blessed to have had such an amazing career that has spanned over 27 years. I want to say a heartfelt thanks and to the incredible teams I have worked with and to my family, friends and fans for the love and support they have shown me.”
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]]>Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez remains unbeaten following a 4th round stoppage win over Dominic Boesel. The two light heavyweight contenders went toe to toe last night, with the Mexican born fighter coming out on top.
Ramirez went into the fight as the favourite, however, the bout turned out to be even more mismatched than expected. Zurdo dominated the fight, keeping the pressure on Boesel and controlling the centre of the ring.
Ramirez landed body shot after body shot, forcing Boesel continuously into the corners of the ring. The pressure eventually became too much for Boesel, and after getting dropped in the 4th round the referee immediately called off the fight.
Ramirez’s win catapults him to the top of the WBA light heavyweight contenders list, making him the mandatory challenger for current champion Dimitry Bivol. Bivol recently defended his belt with a near picture-perfect performance against Canelo Alvarez.
The fight went the distance with Bivol winning via unanimous decision, however many fans felt the fight was scored far too closely in Canelo’s favour.
Ramirez said after his win: “I feel great about my performance. As I said, I would put on a spectacular show here in L.A. I got the victory via knock-out. I was expecting his best; we were expecting heavy shots. I trained way too hard for this position, and no one will take it from me. I used my distance more, and I attacked the body more. I know my last fight was tough, but I was really prepared for this one. I ate more tacos for this fight. I feel this is my natural weight. Everyone knows I want Bivol. He needs to stop running and sign the contract. I’m coming for you and that belt. I deserve that fight. I think I can beat him since I’m bigger, stronger, and smarter.”
Ramirez may have to wait for his chance to challenge for the belts, as there is a high probability that Canelo will be after a rematch with Bivol to try and reclaim his title as the pound for pound king.
Live opponents such as Callum Smith, Maxim Vlasov and Anthony Yarde may all be on the horizon as the Mexican edges closer to world honours.
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]]>Jermell Charlo and Brian Castaño are set to put on a blockbuster event for boxing fans tonight, in the follow up to their epic twelve-rounder last year. The duo will both be looking to improve on the split draw decision last time out, with the much-anticipated rematch deciding the real identity of the undisputed champion.
The First Showdown
18 July, 2021 marked a significant date in the boxing calendar. A Texan crowd of over 18,000 spectators watched on as Charlo and Castaño put on a spectacular show, leaving many bewildered as to how an early finish never came. The fight was embedded in many viewers’ minds as one of the best of the year, despite a controversial decision from the judges’ scorecards.
The Argentinian came out the blocks flying, immediately walking his opponent down and pushing him against the ropes. Castaño was certainly the smaller, lesser-known boxer, but he utilised this to his advantage and took the fight to Charlo straight from the bell. This pace-setting style went on for multiple rounds, to the point where his counterpart nearly dropped to the canvas halfway through the third (resulting in a short stoppage from the referee). Castaño continuously jabbed at Charlo’s jaw, setting up a series of slashing hooks from both sides which seemed to affect the American. The tactic certainly seemed like quantity over quality, and ‘Iron Man’ was forced to show great heart and desire to remain standing.
On the occasions where Charlo landed shots of his own, his size and reach advantage caused Castaño’s legs to repeatedly begin wobbling. The 31-year-old did struggle to set up any rhythm throughout the rounds, but he showcased his notorious power in bursts on multiple occasions, which ultimately earned him a generous number of points on the scorecards.
After twelve gruelling rounds, the tie was concluded as a split draw, with the judges scoring the contest 117-111, 114-114, 113-114. The result was heavily scrutinised by large sections of the sport’s ever-vocal fanbase, aimed at Nelson Vasquez in particular, who judged Charlo to have won in a convincing fashion.
The Rematch
Ten months later and the decider is here. This weekend’s winner will become the first-ever undisputed 154lb champion in the four-belt era, adding greater significance to an already important super welterweight fight.
Charlo goes into the bout as the odds-on favourite, but many will believe it’s Castaño’s belt to lose. If the Argentinian remains composed while advancing, leaving few openings for his opponent to strike, then he could emerge victorious in true underdog fashion.
For Charlo, his main improvement will need to be his combinations, something coach Derrick James has already discussed. As previously mentioned, ‘Iron Man’ was unable to employ a regular tempo in the first fight, and his team will have needed to identify which strikes to throw at what time, so they can break up Castaño’s relentless pressing game.
The fight is being showcased on Showtime, and UK viewers will have to wait up until approximately 4:00am for the main event, with the main card starting around two hours before that.
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