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Giant Heavyweights Wilder and Fury Start a Rumpus at L.A. Press Confab
LOS ANGELES-They may be giants.
The human Sequoias known as Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury showed up Wednesday at the Novo Theater at LA Live to hype their upcoming world title clash. A pair of taller heavyweight title challengers does not exist.
It was the third leg of their three-day press junket spanning from London to New York City to the city of Angels.
Angels they are not.
WBC heavyweight titlist Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs) pits his trinket against lineal heavyweight champion Fury (27-0, 19 KOs) on Dec. 1, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Their clash will be televised on Showtime pay-per-view.
These guys are extremely tall.
When you look at them side by side it’s easy to imagine them starting on the L.A. Lakers who play at the Staples Center. Both are the size and girth of power forwards. But these two pack a serious wallop.
Wilder has only failed to knock out one opponent in his career – Bermane Stiverne. The second time they met he connected with a punch so hard families in Stiverne’s native Haiti were in prayer for the fallen fighter. He recovered.
Fury became the lineal champion when he defeated the vaunted champion Wladimir Klitschko by decision back in 2015. The win snapped a nine-year winning streak by the Ukrainian.
The term “lineal champion” was coined years ago when the heavyweight title was split into different claimants. It means the owner of the title is a direct descendant of the very first heavyweight champion in the modern era John L. Sullivan, after the Marquess of Queensberry rules were adopted.
It’s a title often lost in the milieu of championships.
Back in the 19th century the very first world championship belt was given to Sullivan who held the heavyweight title until 1892, when he was given his first defeat by San Francisco’s Gentleman Jim Corbett. It was a thin ribbon-type belt with a metal buckle. It still exists today.
When Corbett lost the title it was passed on to Bob Fitzsimmons and his solar plexus punch. He in turn lost to Southern California’s Jim Jeffries of Burbank, a small suburb located in the county of Los Angeles. That same title has been passed on and on and now Great Britain’s Fury holds the lineal title.
The boisterous Fury dangles the phrase like a sword.
“I’m the lineal champion. That goes back to John L. Sullivan,” said Fury, 30. “(Deontay) says he’s a knockout puncher I don’t believe it at all. He’s a dreamer.”
Wilder admits that Fury could possibly be the best he’s faced but nothing else.
“He’s among the best and he was a champion two years ago,” said Wilder, 32, whose yellow and black shirt helped him stand out. “He’s named after Mike Tyson. He’s from another country. That’s all going to be more pleasing when I knock him out.”
Scrum
During the war of words on the theater stage the two massive heavyweights got too close and both exploded into a shoving contest that saw chairs flying and boxing manager Shelly Finkel tossed to the floor like a paper cup.
Luckily no physical damage occurred except for some bent folding chairs.
For about 10 minutes the two shouted challenges and insults while two dozen men held them from possible injury before the fight.
“I’m ready now,” shouted Wilder.
“I’ve been ready for a month,” replied Fury. “Let’s fight this weekend.”
Poor Finkel looked like he may have injured something when he rolled over a fallen folded chair. The advisor for Wilder looked excited but conscious.
Chin Tests
Fury said he will be training nearby in Big Bear, Calif. for this heavyweight showdown. He added that training in Southern California is needed to acclimate to the surroundings. But he also likes the setting.
“I’ve been planning to move to L.A. since 2015,” Fury said.
When you compare Wilder and Fury to heavyweights in the past its’ extremely hard to imagine either fighting someone like Joe Frazier, Ezzard Charles or Rocky Marciano who were all under six-feet tall.
Size is not enough however in the fight game.
“Deontay may be able to punch but he’s got a glass jaw,” said Fury adding that he’s seen tapes of Wilder as an amateur getting knocked out. “This is going to be the easiest fight of my career.”
Wilder openly laughs at the derisive comments.
“He’s great for the heavyweight division. He can talk,” said Wilder. “When I knock him out you all will know I knocked someone out who was fearless.”
The two giant heavyweights taunted and laughed at each other’s remarks.
Will it be the best heavyweight fight that L.A. has seen since Lennox Lewis beat Vitali Klitschko in 2003, or a misfire?
“It’s a fantasy matchup,” said Showtime’s Stephen Espinoza. “This is about legacy and this is about history.”
Photo credit: Al Applerose
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The IBHOF Unveils its Newest Inductees: Manny Pacquiao is the Icing on the Cake
The IBHOF Unveils its Newest Inductees: Manny Pacquiao is the Icing on the Cake
PRESS RELEASE — CANASTOTA, NY – DECEMBER 5, 2024 – The International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum is thrilled to announce the newest class of inductees to be honored during the Hall of Fame Induction Weekend June 5-8, 2025 in “Boxing’s Hometown” Canastota, NY.
The Class of 2025 includes Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao, “The Pazmanian Devil” Vinny Paz and Michael “Second To” Nunn in the Men’s Modern category; Yessica “Kika” Chavez, Anne Sophie Mathis and Mary Jo Sanders in the Women’s Modern category; Cathy “Cat” Davis in the Women’s Trailblazer category; referee Kenny Bayless, cut man Al Gavin (posthumous) and referee Harry Gibbs (posthumous) in the Non-Participant category; broadcaster / journalist Randy Gordon and television producer Ross Greenburg in the Observer category; Rodrigo Valdez (posthumous) in the Old Timer category and Owen Swift (posthumous) in the Pioneer category.
Inductees were voted in by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and a panel of international boxing historians.
“We’re extremely excited about the Class of 2025 and are very much looking forward to honoring the newest class of inductees to earn boxing’s highest honor,” said Executive Director Edward Brophy.
The 2025 Hall of Fame Induction Weekend is scheduled for June 5-8th in “Boxing’s Hometown.” Many events will take place in Canastota and nearby Turning Stone Resort Casino throughout the four-day celebration including ringside talks, fist casting, fight night, 5K race / fun run, boxing autograph card show, banquet, parade and induction ceremony.
For more information on the 2025 Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, please call (315) 697-7095.
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Navarrete-Valdez and Espinoza-Ramirez Rematches Headline Phoenix Fight Fiesta
The annals of boxing abound with iconic rematches, and there’s a good chance that list will get longer after this Saturday in Phoenix’s Footprint Center with Top Rank’s ESPN card featuring Emanuel Navarrete (38-2-1, 31 KOs) versus Oscar Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs) and Rafael Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs, against Robeisy Ramirez (14-2, 9 KOs).
Valdez’s ties to the local area and multiple Arizona appearances give his bout against Navarrete top billing, but WBO featherweight titlist Espinoza’s initial encounter with Ramirez was the better bout the first time around, deemed Fight and Upset of the Year by many observers.
That’s not to say Navarrete-Valdez 1 didn’t hold plenty of drama as Navarrete captured the WBO junior lightweight belt with a relatively widespread unanimous decision. Valdez got himself into an immediate bind in the first fight by walking into Navarrete’s jab, enabling Navarrete to score early with looping right leads from his six-inch reach advantage. Valdez’s corner implored him to stay patient but it seemed there was no avoiding a firefight that played into Navarette’s always busy hands.
By round 3 Valdez’s face was heavily marked and often on the defensive, waiting to establish an offense that never fully arrived. Though he scored with some big shots down the stretch, his swollen right eye closed by the 9th frame and the eventual outcome seemed obvious.
“I know there’s a lot of pride at stake in a Mexico versus Mexico battle,” said Navarrete. “I believe this will be an even better fight than before because we’re familiar with each other. I know I have to push Valdez to his limits.”
“I made mistakes the first time, the biggest one was trying to knock him out,” reflected Valdez. “I still have a few fights left in me, not everyone gets a second chance. I know what I needed to train for (this time) and I’ll make the most of it.”
Offense was never a problem for either Espinoza or Ramirez, who traded knockdowns in a give-and-take affair that might have gone either way. It was the gloved-up version of mongoose versus cobra as two time Olympic gold medalist Ramirez charged in behind blurring punches up the middle while the much taller Espinoza fired shoulder level combinations. In this case, it was the underdog cobra who triumphed.
Three days from first bell an unofficial consensus of online odds listed the previous winners as favorites, Espinoza by a hair and Navarrete by a solid margin. While the initial winners may still have an edge, that all disappears after the bell, and previous action indicates a pair of pick-em contests isn’t unlikely.
Boxing history is also full of tie-breaking trilogies, too. It wouldn’t be a big surprise if that’s what we’re looking at again in both these cases.
Adding to the electric atmosphere in Phoenix are a solid batch of undercard extras featuring multiple first-rate performers that should get the audience more than ready for the night’s headliners.
Top Rank junior welterweight prospect Lindolfo Delgado, 21-0 (15) from Nuevo Leon, meets skilled Dominican Jackson Marinez, 22-3 (10) in a contest that could qualify as main event worthy in many locales.
Undefeated southpaw heavyweight Richard Torrez, Jr, who earned the silver medal in that division for the USA at the 2020 Olympics faces off against Mexican big boy Issac Munoz Gutierrez, 18-1-1 (15) who reportedly packs a respectable wallop. None of Torrez’s pro opponents have made it to the final bell.
San Diego’s highly ranked welterweight title challenger Giovani Santillan, 31-1 (17) faces Fredrick Lawson of Ghana, 30-5 (22). Lawson has dropped his last two outings but that was against good opposition and he won’t be an easy test.
21 year-old DJ Zamora, a hot prospect at 13-0 (9) from Las Vegas meets experienced Roman Reynoso, 22-5-2 (10), from Argentina and emerging new stablemate Albert “Chop Chop” Gonzalez, 11-0 (7), who recently signed a long term Top Rank contract faces Gerardo Antonio Perez, 12-6-1 (3).
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R.I.P Israel Vazquez who has Passed Away at age 46
Israel Vazquez, a three-time world champion at 122 pounds and one of the most crowd-pleasing prizefighters of any era, has passed away at the age of 46. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman revealed the bad news today (Dec. 3) on his social media platform.
Born on Christmas Day 1977, Vazquez began his pro career in his native Mexico City at age 17. He was 16 fights into his pro career when he made his U.S. debut in El Cajon, California, under the management of Frank Espinoza.
Vazquez is most remembered for his four-fight rivalry with fellow Mexico City native Rafael Marquez.
The first two meetings were contested before small crowds in Carson, California, and Hidalgo, Texas.
Marquez won the first meeting thanks to a left hook that broke Vazquez’s nose in the opening round. The nose swelled to the point that Vazquez, who was making the fourth defense of his WBC super bantamweight title, could no longer breathe and he was all done after seven rounds.
Vazquez won the rematch (TKO 6), setting the stage for a rubber match that would be a fight for the ages. The bout, contested on March 1, 2008 at the soccer stadium in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, was a shoo-in for Fight of the Year, earning that accolade from the BWAA, The Ring magazine and others.
Vazquez pulled that fight out of the fire in the final round, knocking Marquez to the canvas to win a split decision. Ron Borges, writing for this publication, wrote, “they knocked pieces off each other that could never be fully reattached.”
That was true of the detached retina in Vazquez’s right eye. It would require multiple surgeries before Vazquez, nicknamed “El Magnifico,” fought again and the eye would eventually be replaced by a prosthetic.
Their fourth meeting, contested before a celebrity-studded crowd at LA’s Staples Center, was anticlimactic. Vazquez, damaged goods, was stopped in the third round and never fought again.
All four meetings were televised on Showtime which celebrated the rivalry in 2015, airing highlights from all four fights on March 7 of that year. TSS West Coast Bureau Chief David A. Avila, looking back at the series, wrote, “[It was] 28 rounds of the most scientifically brutal and awe-inspiring prizefighting at an elite level.” Avila would also call Israel Vazquez one of the sport’s greatest gentlemen, a class act, as evinced in his energetic handshake whenever meeting a new fan.
Vazquez used his ring earnings to open a boxing gym in the Greater Los Angeles City of South Gate.
Vazquez’s passing wasn’t unexpected. Mauricio Sulaiman announced last month that Vazquez had been diagnosed with Stage IV Sarcoma, a particularly virulent strain of cancer and along with Oscar Valdez and Top Rank, established a GoFundMe account to defray his medical expenses. Today, Sulaiman wrote, “Israel Vazquez is finally resting in peace. May God give strength and support to his wife Laura, their children, family and friends during these difficult times.”
We here at TSS share that sentiment and send our condolences.
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