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Lots to Like as Sturm and Zbik Collide in Cologne

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DSC00214ALREADY RUMBLING BY THE RHEIN – The bruised left eye Felix Sturm sported at the final prefight press conference before his nearly sold-out engagement against Sebastian Zbik probably said something about Friday night's potential result.Just what that might be, however,remained as unclear as how the heated rivalry will unfold once the bell rings.

Maybe Sturm's observations about changing his primary training regimen back to more boxing basics as opposed to the general strength and conditioning routine he'd been doing will prove to be more than typical prefight hype. The fresh shiner could be evidence of the type sparring demands it takes to remain at the top of one's game, year after year, as Sturm has.

Or, it could signal that training camp was not so smooth, with some younger sparring partner leaving his mark.

Either way, Sturm, the usually model of decorum, was more agitated than usual in assessing the upcoming contest.

“I'm happy to be fighting Zbik and I think I will perform better than in my last fights,” said Sturm, acknowledging recent controversial decisions in his favor. “I know he's a good fighter, but not on my level. They gave Zbik a title and he lost it in the next fight, and now he questions my record?”

While Sturm, 36-2 (15),is the logical favorite due to factors from hometown edge to championship experience, it doesn't mean Zbik, 30-1 (10),doesn't have a decent shot.33 year old Sturm is due to show his ring age one of these nights. While Zbik, 30,isn't quite the cream of the middleweight crop, he's still a very solid performer, and if he had any real punching power you could call it a very close fight to call.

“I heard Sturm had two options, fight me or fight Gennady Golovkin,” said Zbik smugly. “He thinks it's better to fight me first, but he's going to lose anyway.”

Sturm has been criticized for serving up Deutschland home cooking in his recent, self-promoted defenses of the “super” WBA belt and seems to be increasingly more sensitive on the matter, especially since Golovkin got a version of his own belt. While a relaxed Zbik seemed to be merely prodding Sturm along during prefight promotional appearances, Sturm looked genuinely pissed off.

Sturm remains one of the most disciplined athletes in the gloved up game,but it might take much less than usual to upset him this time.A spokesman for Zbik's promoter Universum stated issues with Sturm's promotional practices leading up to the fight.

Sturm took it like a slap, then another, across the lips.

Sturm, one of the very few boxers you are likely to see with a Calvin Klein endorsement, prides himself on propriety. Even when Martin Murray or Matthew Macklin questioned the outcome of their contests, they mentioned the first rate treatment they received from Sturm the promoter.

When Sturm and Zbik exchanged angry greetings during an early media gathering, for the polite German ensembles the bickering became the equivalent of Dereck Chisora and David Haye rolling in the Munich deep.

“I'm glad you grew some balls and finally got ready to fight me,” mused Zbik.

“I'm glad you grew some balls,” responded Sturm.

“We are not friends,” said Zbik later, still amused.”There's a lot of emotion in this fight. I think there will be a high pace and lot of action. I've seen all his recent fights and I'm not worried. He calls himself a 'super champion' but he should fight better. I had to criticize him on Facebook to get a chance to show I'm better than others. I'm sure Sturm doesn't have the power of Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. Chavez is a totally different fighter.I don't think Felix is that strong.”

Zbik may have gotten under Sturm's skin, and may have relit an old motivational fire in Sturm, who is now a few comfortable years into the family and business sides of life.

“I 've had problems with Zbik since we were both with Universum in Hamburg,” observed Sturm. “After I left, he starts to talk trash. A guy like him can not talk about me. I've wanted to fight him for a while. He's an interesting opponent for me. We almost completed negotiations with him before this,but the WBC wanted him to fight Chavez. This is a very good fight for Germany. I think it's a good story, with our history.”

Sturm has or makes no illusions about his apprenticeship in the promotional realm. With a series of well received cards, and no apparent shortage of A list sponsors,Sturm doesn't claim any success beyond maintaining his independence and winning his fights, with hopes of another two or three years at the top before taking on more of an administrative role. “I have a great team,” says Sturm. “Most of the time I just worry about training. They set up opportunities for me and I just sign things.”

Zbik, of course, wants to send Sturm the fighter packing toward retirement.

Both men looked well prepared at the weigh in, Sturm coming in just over 159 and Zbik about half a pound more. The vibe says pick 'em, so we'll say the most likely scenario looks like Sturm UD 12, by a score of 116-113. No knockdowns but plenty of first-rate action.

This is the type of fight that one should avoid wagering on, unless there are highly favorable odds to bait you, something not likely to appear in this instance.

Whatever happens, Zbik already has a clear target, in deep purple, just below Sturm's left eye.

It could lead to the best contested bout on yet another strong weekend of boxing around the globe.

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Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue is Headed to Vegas after KOing Ye Joon Kim

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Japan’s magnificent Naoya Inoue, appearing in his twenty-fourth title fight, scored his 11th straight stoppage tonight while successfully defending his unified super bantamweight title, advancing his record to 29-0 (26 KOs) at the expense of Ye Joon Kim. The match at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena came to an end at the 2:25 mark of round four when U.S. referee Mark Nelson tolled “10” over the brave but overmatched Korean.

Kim, raised in a Seoul orphanage, had a few good moments, but the “Monster” found his rhythm in the third round, leaving Kim with a purplish welt under his left eye. In the next frame, he brought the match to a conclusion, staggering the Korean with a left and then finishing matters with an overhand right that put Kim on the seat of his pants, dazed and wincing in pain.

Kim, who brought a 21-2-2 record, took the fight on 10 days’ notice, replacing Australia’s Sam Goodman who suffered an eye injury in sparring that never healed properly, forcing him to withdraw twice.

Co-promoter Bob Arum, who was in the building, announced that Inoue’s next fight would happen in Las Vegas in the Spring. Speculation centers on Mexico City’s Alan Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) who is ranked #1 by the WBC. However, there’s also speculation that the 31-year-old Inoue may move up to featherweight and seek to win a title in a fifth weight class, in which case a potential opponent is the winner of the Feb. 2 match between Brandon Figueroa and Stephen Fulton. In “olden days,” this notion would have been dismissed as the Japanese superstar and Figueroa/Fulton have different promoters, but the arrival of Turki Alalshikh, the sport’s Daddy Warbucks, has changed the dynamic. Tonight, Naoya Inoue made his first start as a brand ambassador for Riyadh Season.

Simmering on the backburner is a megafight with countryman Junto Nakatani, an easy fight to make as Arum has ties to both. However, the powers-that-be would prefer more “marination.”

Inoue has appeared twice in Las Vegas, scoring a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney in October of 2020 at the MGM Bubble and a third-round stoppage of Michael Dasmarinas at the Virgin Hotels in June of 2021.

Semi-wind-up

In a 12-round bout for a regional welterweight title, Jin Sasaki improved to 19-1-1 (17) with a unanimous decision over Shoki Sakai (29-15-3). The scores were 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.

Also

In a bout in which both contestants were on the canvas, Toshiki Shimomachi (20-1-3) edged out Misaki Hirano (11-2), winning a majority decision. A 28-year-old Osaka southpaw with a fan-friendly style, the lanky Shimomachi, unbeaten in his last 22 starts, competes as a super bantamweight. A match with Inoue may be in his future.

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Eric Priest Wins Handily on Thursday’s Golden Boy card at the Commerce Casino

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Model turned fighter Eric Priest jabbed and jolted his way into the super middleweight rankings with a shutout decision win over veteran Tyler Howard on Thursday.

In his first main event Priest (15-0, 8 KOs) proved ready for contender status by defusing every attack Tennessee’s Howard (20-3, 11 KOs) could muster at Commerce Casino, the second fight in six days at the LA County venue.

All ticket monies collected on the Folden Boy Promotions card were contributed to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation as they battle wildfires sprouting all over Los Angeles County due to high winds.

Priest, 26, had never fought anyone near Howard’s caliber but used a ramrod jab to keep the veteran off-balance and unable to muster a forceful counter-attack. Round after round the Korean-American fighter pumped left jabs while circling his opposition.

Though hit with power shots, none seemed to faze Howard but his own blows were unable to put a dent in Priest. After 10 rounds of the same repetitive action all three judges scored the fight 100-90 for Priest who now wins a regional super middleweight title.

Priest also joins the top 15 rankings of the WBA organization.

In a fight between evenly matched middleweights, Jordan Panthen (11-0, 9 KOs) remained undefeated after 10 rounds versus DeAundre Pettus (12-4, 7 KOs). Though equally skilled, Panthen simply out-worked the South Caroliina fighter to win by unanimous decision. No knockdowns were scored.

Other Bouts

Grant Flores (8-0, 6 KOs) knocked out Costa Rica’s David Lobo Ramirez (17-4, 12 KOs) with two successive right uppercuts at 2:59 of the second round of the super welterweight fight.

Cayden Griffith (3-0, 3 KOs) used a left hook to the body to stop Mark Misiura at 1:43 of the second round in a super welterweight bout.

Jordan Fuentes (3-0) floored Brandon Badillo (0-3-1) in the third round and proceeded to win by decision after four rounds in a super bantamweight fight.

A super featherweight match saw Leonardo Sanchez (8-0) win by decision over Joseph Cruz Brown (10-12) after six rounds.

Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 310: Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue and More

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Many proclaim super bantamweight world champ Naoya Inoue to be the best fighter in the world today. It’s a serious debate among boxing pundits.

Is he Japan’s best fighter ever?

Inoue (28-0, 25 KOs) takes another step toward immortality when he meets Korea’s Ye Joon Kim (21-2-2, 13 KOs) on Friday Jan. 24, at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. ESPN+ will stream the Top Rank and Ohashi Promotions card.

Inoue defends the IBF, WBC, WBA and WBO world titles.

This is Inoue’s third defense of the undisputed super bantamweight division that he won when he defeated Philippines’ Marlon Tapales in December 2023.

Japan has always been a fighting nation, a country derived from a warrior culture like Mexico, England, Russia, Germany and a few others. Professional boxing has always thrived in Japan.

My first encounter with Japanese fighters took place in March 1968 at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. It was my first visit to the famous boxing venue, though my father had performed there during the 1950s. I was too young to attend any of his fights and then he retired.

The main event featured featherweights Jose Pimentel of Mexico against Sho Saijo of Japan. Both had fought a month earlier with the Mexican from Jalisco winning by split decision.

Pimentel was a friend of my female cousin and gave my father tickets to the fight. My family loved boxing as most Latino families worldwide do, including those in the USA. It’s a fact that most sports editors for newspapers and magazines fail to realize. Latinos love boxing.

We arrived late at the boxing venue located on Grand Avenue and 18th street. My father was in construction and needed to pick me up in East L.A. near Garfield High School. Fights were already underway when we arrived at the Olympic Auditorium.

It was a packed arena and our seats were fairly close to the boxing ring. As the fighters were introduced and descended to the ring, respectful applause greeted Saijo. He had nearly defeated Pimentel in their first clash a month earlier in this same venue. Los Angeles fans respect warriors. Saijo was a warrior.

Both fighters fought aggressively with skill. Every round it seemed Saijo got stronger and Pimentel got weaker. After 10 strong rounds of back-and-forth action, Saijo was declared the winner this time. Some fans booed but most agreed that the Japanese fighter was stronger on this day. And he was stronger still when they met a third time in 1969 when Saijo knocked out Pimentel in the second round for the featherweight world title.

That was my first time witnessing Japan versus Mexico. Over the decades, I’ve seen many clashes between these same two countries and always expect riveting battles from Japanese fighters.

I was in the audience in Cancun, Mexico when then WBC super featherweight titlist Takashi Miura clashed with Sergio Thompson for 12 rounds in intense heat in a covered bull ring. After that fight that saw three knockdowns between them, the champion, though victorious, was taken out on a stretcher due to dehydration.

There are so many others going back to Fighting Harada in the 1960s that won championships. And what about all the other Japanese fighters who never got the opportunity to fight for a world title due to the distance from America and Europe?

Its impossible to determine if Inoue is the greatest Japanese fighter ever. But without a doubt, he is the most famous. Publications worldwide include him on lists of the top three fighters Pound for Pound.

Few experts are familiar with Korea’s Kim, but expect a battle nonetheless. These two countries are rivals in Asian boxing.

Golden Boy at Commerce Casino

Middleweights Eric Priest and Tyler Howard lead a Golden Boy Promotions fight card on Thursday, Jan. 23, at Commerce Casino in Commerce, CA. DAZN will stream the boxing card.

All ticket money will go to the Los Angele Fire Department Foundation.

Kansas-based Priest (14-0, 8 KOs) meets Tennessee’s Tyler Howard (20-2, 11 KOs) in the main event in a match set for 10 rounds.

Others on the card are super welterweights Jordan Panthen (10-0) and Grant Flores (7-0) in separate bouts and super lightweight Cayden Griffith seeking a third consecutive win. Doors open at 5 p.m.

Diego Pacheco at Las Vegas

Super middleweight contender Diego Pacheco (22-0, 18 KOs) defends his regional titles against Steve Nelson (20-0, 16 KOs) at the Chelsea Theater at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas on Saturday, Jan. 25. DAZN will stream the Matchroom Boxing card.

It’s not an easy fight for Pacheco.

“I’ve been fighting for six years as a professional and I’m 22-0 and I’m 23 years old. I feel I’m stepping into my prime now,” said Pacheco, who trains with Jose Benavidez.

Also on the card is Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz and Southern California’s dangerous super lightweight contender Ernesto Mercado in separate fights.

Fights to Watch (All times Pacific Time)

Thurs. DAZN 6 p.m. Eric Priest (14-0) vs Tyler Howard (20-2).

Fri. ESPN+ 1:15 a.m. Naoya Inoue (28-0) vs Ye Joon Kim (21-2-2).

Sat. DAZN 9:15 a.m. Dalton Smith (16-0) vs Walid Ouizza (19-2); Ellie Scotney (9-0) vs Mea Motu (20-0).

Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Diego Pacheco (22-0) vs Steve Nelson (20-0).

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