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Deontay Wilder vs Tyson Fury: Train Crash in Los Angeles
Even though both the American World Champion Deontay Wilder and the British challenger Tyson Fury possess anatomies that could be compared to enormous mastodons, their fighting styles are complete opposites, which creates the opportunity for this bout on Dec. 1st at the Staples Center in Los Angeles to be one of the best fights of the year.
Thanks to his incredible power, which has been endured until the finish line by only one man in all of his 40 victories, âThe Bronze Bomberâ Wilder is the favorite to defeat âThe Gypsy Kingâ Fury (27-0-0, 19 KOâs) by knockout, thus retaining the WBC World Heavyweight Title, which he has held since 2015 and successfully defended seven times.
What Could Happen
As we previously stated, Wilder and Fury possess drastically different boxing styles, leaving the stage open for this fight to become an absolute war. However, it wouldnât be surprising either if both were to be excessively cautious in order to avoid getting knocked out, a situation that would leave the crowd displeased, similar to what happened in the Fury vs Klitschko fight in November of 2015.
âThe Gypsy Kingâ was declared winner by unanimous decision in a fight of few punches, immeasurable clinching, and lack of technique, which led the referee to give warnings to both of them. Fury even had a point taken away in the 11th round due to landing an illegal âRabbit Punchâ. In that fight, Klitschko only landed 52 punches for an extremely low average of 4.3 punches per round, one of the lowest in title fight history. Fury was slightly better, landing 86 strikes with an average of 7.3 per round.
Wilder Did Not Look Good in the Open Media Workout
Like the popular saying âa picture is worth a thousand wordsâ, Wilder should be worried, because regardless of his optimism, the performance he displayed in front of the California media left many unconvinced.
âI feel like I’m at my very best right now. Mentally, physically and emotionally I’m ready to go. Everything is perfect. I just want to get in the ring and show action. Tyson Fury doesn’t know what he’s gotten himself into”, said Wilder, after concluding a session on the mitts with his trainer Jay Deas at the Churchill Boxing Club in Santa Monica.
In reality, Wilder was inaccurate with his powerful right hand when he tried to strike the mitts and similarly, his movements and footwork lacked coordination. In a general sense, he lacked rhythm, regardless of his previous eloquence.
âAs a true champion, I know how to adjust to any fighter thatâs in front of me. My experience facing fighters of all styles has prepared me for this special fightâ, stated Wilder, still covered in sweat from his training.
Born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Wilder will be defending his WBC World Heavyweight Title for the 8th time, which he acquired after unanimously defeating the Haitian-Canadian Bermane âB-Wareâ Stiverne in January of 2015 in Stiverneâs first title defense.
In his most recent bout, Wilder defeated the Cuban southpaw Luis âKing Kongâ OrtĂz, by TKO in the 10th round on March 3rd of this year at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. But even though he knocked down OrtĂz in the 5th and a few times in the 10th, the North American was on the edge of defeat in the 7th, when the Cuban rocked him during the final seconds of the round. The champion was saved by the bell, and in the next round, OrtĂz lacked the killer instinct that could have made him the first Cuban Heavyweight champion in the history of boxing. âKing Kongâsâ lack of aggression allowed Wilder to recover and take control of the fight. After the Cuban had been knocked down a few times, referee David Fields called a stop to the contest with 55 seconds remaining in the 10th round.
Wilder has stated that he has had excellent sparring sessions and is constantly making technical adjustments with Deas in order to be in optimal condition when he faces Fury, a fighter who lacks technique and constantly clinches, creating boring fights. This is how things transpired against the Ukrainian Klitschko exactly three years ago, when Fury won the IBF, WBA, WBO and fringe IBO title in a bout that took place in the German city of Dusseldorf.
In the weeks leading up to the fight, Jay Deas hasnât missed an opportunity to praise the âGypsy Kingâ, born in the city of Manchester, a 30-year-old mastodon with an extraordinary reach of 85 inches. âTyson Fury is kind of like a Rubikâs cube. But a Rubikâs cube can be solved. Fury is a very versatile fighter who can move, he can box and fight from lots of distances. Heâs the total package as a fighter and on top of that heâs strong-willed mentally,â stated Deas.
Wilder conquered Stiverne for the title on January 12th of 2015 and during the following months and years both of them proceeded to compete several times, awaiting a second confrontation, a rematch which finally took place November 4th of 2017, in New York. Wilder quickly demolished the Haitian, knocking him down 3 times in the first round.
Fury Comes Back With Two Victories
After a long 30 months away from the sport, Fury came back, meanwhile losing more than 100lbs and recovering from drug addiction and alcoholism. Fury also confessed that he suffered from depression. One of the three titles that he acquired through defeating Klistchsko was stripped from him for having accepted a rematch with the Ukrainian, instead of his mandatory. The other two titles were immediately stripped when he tested positive for cocaine, leading to the cancelation of the rematch with Klitschko.
Fury returned victorious when he defeated the Macedonian Sefer Seferi by RTD in the 4th round on June 9th of this year at the Manchester Arena in England. Regardless of accomplishing the main objective, Fury looked very bad against Seferi due to such a long period of inactivity.
Two months later, on July 18th in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the âGypsy Kingâ outpointed the Italian Francesco Pianetta in a 10 round match.
Fury looked better than he did against Seferi, but still punched erratically and with minimal movement, although he did use the jab more effectively. At the end of the fight, Fury invigorated the more than 25 thousand fans present at Windsor Park, by announcing that he had accepted the offer to fight Wilder for the WBC Heavyweight World Title.
“They called, I answered. I said send me the contract. I said ‘yes’. Now he gets his chance to fight the lineal heavyweight champion of the world. Believe me, I will go to Las Vegas and I will bring home the belt. I will knock this man out.” Said Fury, causing the crowd to roar in excitement.
Who Will Win Wilder or Fury?
My opinion is that if both giants decide to make it a slugfest from the very beginning, Wilder, 6â7â in height, will be the winner within no more than 2 thirds of the fight. His devastating right hand, lethal and effective, and his superior physical condition will be enough to put Fury to sleep, a fighter who was away from the ring for two years and seven months following the fight with Klitschko. Furyâs only true advantage will be his weight, carrying approximately 40 pounds more than his opponent on the day of the fight.
Add the fact that the âGypsy Kingâ Fury, 6â9â in height, is a clumsy fighter with predictable movements, who lacks defense, and he will be forced to go all out in the opening rounds, using the clinch as his main weapon, in order to avoid falling victim to one of the powerful punches of the Tuscaloosa-born fighter with dynamite in his right hand.
Only tactical errors on Wilderâs side (lowering his hands, not using the jab to maintain distance and avoiding falling into the clinch) will lead to Furyâs victory. In conclusion, the American will emerge victorious by knockout before the beginning of the 8th round.
Translated by E.G. for J.J. Alvarez of Boxeo.tv
Photo credit: Amanda Westcott / SHOWTIME
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 281: The Devin and Ryan Show
Over the years bouts between old foes such as Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia tend to be surprising.
Yes, both are only 25 but have known each other for many years.
When undisputed super lightweight champion Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) steps into the prize ring at Barclays Center to meet challenger Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) on Saturday, April 20, fans will be witnessing the continuation of a feud that began more than a decade ago.
And though the champion is a heavy favorite, familiarity is Garciaâs best weapon heading into their fight on the Golden Boy Promotions card that will be shown on PPV.COM with Jim Lampley and friends. DAZN pay-per-view is also streaming the card.
In many ways Haney and Garcia have ventured down the same path. From amateur sensations to fighting in Mexico while teens to asking for the biggest challenges available.
âWhichever version of Ryan shows up on April 20, I will be ready for him. Ryan Garcia is just another opponent to me,â said Haney who holds the WBC super lightweight title after his win over Regis Prograis.
The first time I saw Haney as a pro he battled the dangerous Mexican contender Juan Carlos Burgos at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula. It was an impressive performance against a fighter who fought three times for a world title.
Haney was 19 at the time.
My first look at Garcia as a pro was in his first bout in the U.S. when he met Puerto Ricoâs Jonathan Cruz at the Exchange in downtown Los Angeles. The Boricua looked at Garcia and tried intimidating him with stares, taunts and the usual patter. During the fight both swung and missed until the second round when Garcia zeroed in and took him out.
Garcia had just turned 18, the legal age to fight in California.
Both fighters did not have the Olympics credentials that lead to fame. But their talent has allowed them to fight through the dense smoke that is professional boxing.
Haney has defeated numerous world champions such as Prograis, Vasyl Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr., while Garcia has stopped champions Javier Fortuna and Luke Campbell.
As amateurs, Garcia and Haney battled six times with each winning three.
âThey know each other very well,â said Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions. âRyan is going to beat Devin Haney.â
Haney has a buttery-smooth style with one of the best jabs in boxing. Heâs very adept at keeping distance and not allowing anyone to fight him inside. His reflexes are outstanding, yet he seldom fights inside. Thatâs his weakness.
Garcia fights tall and has superb hand speed and a lightning quick left hook. Though his defense lacks tightness his ability to rip off three-punch combinations in a blink of an eye pauses opponents from bullying their way inside.
âThese guys always just look at me and look at me like I donât know how to box,â said Garcia on social media. âWhy was I one of the best fighters in the amateurs. Why was I a 15-time National championâŠwhy did I beat everyone I came across.â
Haney is a strong favorite by oddsmakers to defeat Garcia. But you can never tell when it comes to fighters that know each other well and are athletically gifted.
When Sergio Mora challenged Vernon Forrest he was a big underdog. When Tim Bradley fought Manny Pacquiao the first time, he was also the underdog. And when Andy Ruiz met Anthony Joshua few gave him a chance.
Haney and Garcia have history in the ring. It should be an interesting battle.
PPV.COM
Jim Lampley will be leading the broadcast on PPV.COM for the Haney-Garcia card at Barclays and texting with fans on the card live. He will be accompanied by journalists Lance Pugmire, Dan Conobbio and former champion Chris Algieri.
The PPV.COM broadcast begins at 5 p.m. PT. and is available in Canada and the USA.
Other News
MMA stars Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal will be holding a media day event on Friday, April 19, at NOVO at L.A. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
Diaz and Masvidal will be boxing against each other in a grudge match on June 1 at the KIA Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The two MMA stars met five years at UFC 244 with Masvidal winning by TKO over Diaz due to cuts.
This is a grudge match, but under boxing rules.
Fight card in Commerce, Calif.
360 Promotions returns to Commerce Casino on Saturday April 20 with undefeated super lightweight Cain Sandoval leading the charge.
Sandoval (12-0) faces Angel Rebollar (8-3) in the main event that will be shown live on UFC Fight Pass. Also on the card are two female events including hot prospect Lupe Medina (5-0) versus Sabrina Persona (3-1) in a minimumweight clash.
Doors open at 4 p.m.
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Boxing Odds and Ends: The Heavyweight Merry-Go-Round
Boxing Odds and Ends: The Heavyweight Merry-Go-Round
There were few surprises when co-promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren and their benefactor HE Turki Alalshikh held a press conference in London this past Monday to unveil the undercard for the Beterbiev-Bivol show at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on June 1. Most of the match-ups had already been leaked.
For die-hard boxing fans, Beterbiev-Bivol is such an enticing fight that it really doesnât need an attractive undercard. Two undefeated light heavyweights will meet with all four relevant belts on the line in a contest where the oddsmakers straddled the fence. Itâs a genuine âpick-âemâ fight based on the only barometer that matters, the prevailing odds.
But Beterbiev-Bivol has been noosed to a splendid undercard, a striking contrast to Saturdayâs Haney-Garcia $69.99 (U.S.) pay-per-view in Brooklyn, an event where the undercard, in the words of pseudonymous boxing writer Chris Williams, is an absolute dumpster fire.
The two heavyweight fights that will bleed into Beterbiev-Bivol, Hrgovic vs. Dubois and Wilder vs. Zhang, would have been stand-alone main events before the incursion of Saudi money.
Hrgovic-Dubois
Filip Hrgovic (17-0, 13 KOs) and Daniel Dubois (20-2, 19 KOs) fought on the same card in Riyadh this past December. Hrgovic, the Croatian, was fed a softie in the form of Australiaâs Mark De Mori who he dismissed in the opening round. Dubois, a Londoner, rebounded from his loss to Oleksandr Usyk with a 10th-round stoppage of corpulent Jarrell âBig Babyâ Miller.
Thereâs an outside chance that Hrgovic vs. Dubois may be sanctioned by the IBF for the world heavyweight title.
The May 18 showdown between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury has a rematch clause. The IBF is next in line in the rotation system for a unified heavyweight champion and the organization has made it plain that the winner of Usyk-Fury must fulfill his IBF mandatory before an intervening bout.
The best guess is that the Usyk-Fury winner will relinquish the IBF belt. If so, Hrgovic and Dubois may fight for the vacant title although a more likely scenario is that the organization will keep the title vacant so that the winner can fight Anthony Joshua.
Wilder-Zhang
The match between Deontay Wilder (43-3-1, 42 KOs) and Zhilei Zhang (26-2-1, 21 KOs) is a true crossroads fight as both Wilder, 38, and Zhang, who turns 41 in May, are nearing the end of the road and the loser (unless itâs a close and entertaining fight) will be relegated to the rank of a has-been. In fact, Wilder has hinted that this may be his final rodeo.
Both are coming off a loss to Joseph Parker.
Wilder last fought on the card that included Hrgovic and Dubois and was roundly out-pointed by a man he was expected to beat. Itâs a quick turnaround for Zhang who opposed Parker on March 8 and lost a majority decision.
Other Fights
Either of two other fights may steal the show on the June 1 event.
Raymond Ford (15-0-1, 8 KOs) meets Nick Ball (19-0-1, 11 KOs) in a 12-round featherweight contest. New Jerseyâs Ford will be defending the WBA world title he won with a come-from-behind, 12th-round stoppage of Otabek Kholmatov in an early contender for Fight of the Year. Liverpoolâs âWreckingâ Ball, a relentless five-foot-two sparkplug, had to settle for a draw in his title fight with Rey Vargas despite winning the late rounds and scoring two knockdowns.
Hamzah Sheeraz (19-0, 15 KOs) meets fellow unbeaten Austin âAmmoâ Williams (16-0, 11 KOs) in a 12-round middleweight match. East Londonâs Sheeraz, the son of a former professional cricket player, is unknown in the U.S. although he trained for his recent fights at the Ten Goose Boxing Gym in California. Riding a skein of 13 straight knockouts, he has a date with WBO title-holder Janibek Alimkhanuly if he can get over this hurdle.
The Forgotten Heavyweight
âUnbeaten for seven years, the man nobody wants to fight,â intoned ring announcer Michael Buffer by way of introduction. Buffer was referencing Michael Hunter who stood across the ring from his opponent Artem Suslenkov.
This scene played out this past Saturday in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. It was Hunterâs second fight in three weeks. On March 23, he scored a fifth-round stoppage of a 46-year-old meatball at a show in Zapopan, Mexico.
The second-generation âBounty Hunter,â whose only defeat prior to last weekend came in a 12-rounder with Oleksandr Usyk, has been spinning his wheels since TKOing the otherwise undefeated Martin Bakole on the road in London in 2018. Two fights against hapless opponents on low-budget cards in Mexico and a couple of one-round bouts for the Las Vegas Hustle, an entry in the fledgling and largely invisible Professional Combat League, are the sum total of his activity, aside from sparring, in the last two-and-a-half years.
Hunterâs chances of getting another big-money fight took a tumble in Tashkent where he lost a unanimous decision in a dull affair to the unexceptional Suslenkov who was appearing in his first 10-round fight. The scores of the judges were not announced.
You wonât find this fight listed on boxrec. As Jake Donovan notes, the popular website will not recognize a fight conducted under the auspices of a rogue commission. (Another fight you wonât find on boxrec for the same reason is Nico Ali Walshâs 6-round split decision over the 9-2-1 Frenchman, Noel Lafargue, in the African nation of Guinea on Dec. 16, 2023. You can find it on YouTube, but according to boxrec, boxingâs official record-keeper, it never happened.)
Anderson-Merhy Redux
The only thing missing from this past Saturdayâs match in Corpus Christi, Texas, between Jared Anderson and Ryad Merhy was the ghost of Robert Valsberg.
Valsberg, aka Roger Vaisburg, was the French referee who disqualified Ingemar Johansson for not trying in his match with LAâs Ed Sanders in the finals of the heavyweight competition at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Valsberg tossed Johansson out of the ring after two rounds and Johansson was denied the silver medal. The Swede redeemed himself after turning pro, needless to say, when he demolished Floyd Patterson in the first of their three meetings.
Merhy was credited with throwing only 144 punches, landing 34, over the course of the 10 rounds. Those dismal figures yet struck many onlookers as too high. (This reporter has always insisted that the widely-quoted CompuBox numbers should be considered approximations.)
Whatever the true number, it was a disgraceful performance by Merhy who actually showed himself to have very fast hands on the few occasions when he did throw a punch. With apologies to Delfine Persoon, a spunky lightweight, U.S. boxing promoters should think twice before inviting another Belgian boxer to our shores.
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Anderson Cruises by Vapid Merhy and Ajagba edges Vianello in Texas
Jared Anderson returned to the ring tonight on a Top Rank card in Corpus Christi, Texas. Touted as the next big thing in the heavyweight division, Anderson (17-0, 15 KOs) hardly broke a sweat while cruising past Ryad Merhy in a bout with very little action, much to the disgruntlement of the crowd which started booing as early as the second round. The fault was all Merhy as he was reluctant to let his hands go. Somehow, he won a round on the scorecard of judge David Sutherland who likely fell asleep for a round for which he could be forgiven.
Merhy, born in the Ivory Coast but a resident of Brussels, Belgium, was 32-2 (26 KOs) heading in after fighting most of his career as a cruiserweight. He gave up six inches in height to Anderson who was content to peck away when it became obvious to him that little would be coming back his way.
Anderson may face a more daunting adversary on Monday when he has a court date in Romulus, Michigan, to answer charges related to an incident in February where he drove his Dodge Challenger at a high rate speed, baiting the police into a merry chase. (Weirdly, Anderson entered the ring tonight wearing the sort of helmet that one associates with a race car driver.)
Co-Feature
In the co-feature, a battle between six-foot-six former Olympians, Italyâs Guido Vianello started and finished strong, but Efe Ajagba had the best of it in the middle rounds and prevailed on a split decision. Two of the judges favored Ajagba by 96-94 scores with the dissenter favoring the Italian from Rome by the same margin.
Vianello had the best round of the fight. He staggered Ajagba with a combination in round two. At the end of the round, a befuddled Ajagba returned to the wrong corner and it appeared that an upset was brewing. But the Nigerian, who trains in Las Vegas under Kay Koroma, got back into the fight with a more varied offensive attack and better head movement. In winning, he improved his ledger to 20-1 (14). Vianello, who sparred extensively with Daniel Dubois in London in preparation for this fight, declined to 12-2-1 in what was likely his final outing under the Top Rank banner.
Other Bouts of Note
In the opening bout on the main ESPN platform, 35-year-old super featherweight Robson Conceicao, a gold medalist for Brazil in the 2016 Rio Olympics, stepped down in class after fighting Emanuel Navarrete tooth-and-nail to a draw in his previous bout and scored a seventh-round stoppage of Jose Ivan Guardado who was a cooked goose after slumping to the canvas after taking a wicked shot to the liver. Guardado made it to his feet, but the end was imminent and the referee waived it off at the 2:27 mark.
Conceicao improved to 18-1 (9 KOs). It was the U.S. debut for Guardado (15-2-1), a boxer from Ensenada, Mexico who had done most of his fighting up the road in Tijuana.
Ruben Villa, the pride of Salinas, California, improved to 22-1 (7) and moved one step closer to a match with WBC featherweight champion Rey Vargas with a unanimous 10-round decision over Tijuanaâs Cristian Cruz (22-7-1). The judges had it 97-93 and 98-92 twice.
Cruz, the son of former IBF world featherweight title-holder Cristobal Cruz, was better than his record. He entered the bout on a 21-1-1 run after losing five of his first seven pro fights.
Cleveland southpaw Abdullah Mason, who turned 20 earlier this month, continued his fast ascent up the lightweight ladder with a fourth-round stoppage of Ronal Ron.
Mason (13-0, 11 KOs) put Ron on the canvas in the opening round with a short left hook. He scored a second knockdown with a shot to the liver. A flurry of punches, a diverse array, forced the stoppage at the 1:02 mark of round four. A 25-year-old SoCal-based Venezuelan, the spunky but out-gunned Ron declined to 14-6.
Charly Suarez, a 35-year-old former Olympian from the Philippines, ranked #5 at junior lightweight by the IBF, advanced to 17-0 (9) with a unanimous 8-round decision over SoCalâs Louie Coria (5-7).
This was a tactical fight. In the final round, Coria, subbing for 19-0 Henry Lebron, caught the Filipino off-balance and knocked him into the ropes which held him up. It was scored a knockdown, but came too little, too late for Coria who lost by scores of 76-75 and 77-74 twice.
Suarez, whose signature win was a 12th-round stoppage of the previously undefeated Aussie Paul Fleming in Sydney, may be headed to a rematch with Robson Conceicao. They fought as amateurs in 2016 in Kazakhstan and Suarez lost a narrow 6-round decision.
Photo credit: Mikey Willams / Top Rank via Getty Images
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