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Odds and Ends: Studio Fights, Mayweather Gym notes, Adrien Broner and More

Odds and Ends: Studio Fights, Mayweather Gym notes, Adrien Broner and More
Back in the day when folks watched boxing on little black-and-white TVs and boxing aired in primetime several nights a week, Nat Fleischer said he could envision the day when fights were held in a TV studio without a live audience. Small fight clubs were then falling by the wayside, attendance was plummeting at the larger arenas, and everyone blamed television for giving away the product for free.
Itās turns out that Fleischer, who died in 1972, was prophetic. However, he certainly didnāt foresee the circumstances that may rumple boxing into a studio sport during these trying times.
In a conversation with the hosts of a daily boxing show on SiriusXM radio, Bob Arum acknowledged that he has been talking to the Nevada Athletic Commission about staging fights in a studio. For this to happen, said Arum, everyone allowed on the premises ā the fighters, cornermen, officials, TV production crew, etc. ā would first have to be tested for the coronavirus.
ESPN, noted Arum, would be amenable because at the moment the network is in desperate need of content. And boxing, more than any other major sport (and we donāt count snooker or darts, both popular in the UK) can be squeezed into a very small space such as a TV studio.
One fight that may be āstudio-izedā is the match between IBF/WBC light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev and mandatory IBF challenger Fanlong Meng. Scheduled for March 28 on ESPN, the bout was headed to Quebec City, Canada, but orphaned when the provincial government instituted a temporary ban on gatherings of over 250 people. Meng is from China, but has been training in New Jersey and hasn’t been back to his homeland since the epidemic hit.
The April 25 fight between IBF/WBA bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue and WBO title-holder Jphn Riel Casimero may also be studio-bound if things havenāt loosened up by then. The Top Rank promotion was announced for Mandalay Bay, an MGM property on the Las Vegas Strip. (There is a TV studio in the new state-of-the-art UFC headquarters in Las Vegas. Whether the organization would rent it to Top Rank is another story; Arum and Dana White havenāt been on the best of terms.)
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The Mayweather Gym was unusually quiet when we peeked in on Friday afternoon. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are the days set aside for sparring and these are usually the busiest days of the week.
We also looked in on Thursday and when we were there Floyd Mayweather Sr. was working the pads with a cute little girl that I guessed to be about nine years old. She was delivering fast combinations and her punches had some mustard behind them.
Layla McCarter was also there working the speed bag. She had a date vs. TBA for promoter Steve Forbes at the Clackamas Armory outside Portland, Oregon, on April 5 but that event has been scrapped by gubernatorial decree. McCarter last fought in January of last year. Finding opponents has been tough. Despite her advancing age, none of the good boxers from 135 to 147 want to get in the ring with her.
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While weāre on the subject of womenās boxing, there was a big upset on Saturday at an Olympic qualifying tournament in London. Belgiumās Delfine Persoon (44-2 as a pro) lost a close decision to Nikoleta Pita of Greece.
Persoon fought Katie Taylor last June at Madison Square Garden underneath Joshua-Ruiz I. All four meaningful belts in the lightweight division were at stake. Persoon out-landed Taylor in a humdinger of a fight but came out on the short end of a majority decision. In many quarters and especially in Belgium, the verdict was viewed as a heist.
Persoon started slowly against the unheralded, 22-year-old Pita and it cost her. Pita won the first two rounds on four of the five scorecards and won a 4-1 decision. Persoon will get another chance to secure a berth in Tokyo at the Last Chance tournament scheduled for May 13 in Paris.
By the way, the 35-year-old Persoon isnāt the oldest woman in the tournament. That honor goes to Finlandās Mira Potkonen, a 39-year-old mother of two who won bronze at the 2016 Games. Potkonen, a lightweight, will be in action Tuesday against Caroline Dubois, the 19-year-old sister of fast-rising heavyweight contender Daniel Dubois. Caroline has never lost, but this is her first tournament at the senior level.
The London qualifying tournament is an 11-day event, but what are the odds that it will be allowed to run its course? The Americas qualifying tournament, which would have included Team USA and the always formidable Cuban team, was called off. It was slated to begin in Buenos Aires on March 26.
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Has any boxer ever had a more apt nickname than Adrien āThe Problemā Broner?
More details have emerged regarding Bronerās arrest this past Friday evening in Miami Beach. According to TMZ, which received a copy of the police report, Broner was found passed out behind the wheel of a Rolls Royce SUV which was stalled in a traffic lane with the engine running. The boxer failed a field sobriety test and was arrested for DUI.
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Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury on Feb. 26 in a Potential Pay-Per-View Blockbuster

Itās now official. The twice-postponed āgrudge matchā between Jake Paul and Tommy Fury will come to fruition on Sunday, Feb. 26, at Riyadh in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. An 8-rounder contested at a catch-weight of 185 pounds, the match and several supporting bouts will air in the U.S. on ESPN+ PPV at a cost of $49.99.
The hook for this promotion ā a come-hither that will be hammered home incessantly in the coming weeks – is that Jake Paul will finally touch gloves with a legitimate professional boxer. Paulās previous opponents were a fellow YouTube influencer (AnEsonGib), a retired NBA player (Nate Robinson), and three former MMA champions: Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, and Anderson Silva. He fought Woodley twice.
Tommy Fury, the half-brother of reigning WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, made his pro debut in December of 2018 in a four-round bout in his hometown of Manchester. He was two fights into his pro career when he became a contestant on the TV reality show āLove Island.ā An enormously popular show in Great Britain, especially among the coveted 18-34 demographic, āLove Islandā was in its fifth season.
Fury was paired with supermodel Molly-Mae Hague with whom he finished second. They developed a great chemistry, on and off the set, became engaged, and purportedly welcomed a baby girl this week.
What about Tommy Fury the boxer? How legitimate is he?
Furyās record currently stands at 8-0 (4 KOs). His first opponent was a professional loser from Latvia whose current ledger reads 10-113-3. His next six opponents were a combined 4-73-2. Finally, in his last fight, which occurred in April of last year, he met an opponent with a good record, Polandās Daniel Bocianski, who was 10-1. But look closer and one discovers that all but one of Bocianskiās 10 triumphs came against opponents with losing records. The exception was a 6-round decision over a fellow Pole whose record currently stands at 18-16-1 and who has been stopped 13 times.
Fury bloodied Bocianski and won a wide 6-round decision, but his performance was underwhelming. āFury had the Hollywood teeth, tan, and diamante-colored shorts,ā wrote Chasinga Malata of the London Sun, āleaving only his performance without sheen and sparkle.ā
There is nothing in Tommy Furyās background, aside from his biological pedigree, to suggest that he has the tools to become a world-class boxer. If he were a member of the Three Stooges, he would be Shemp.
Jake Paul, by contrast, may actually be legit. Those in the know that have watched him train have come away impressed. It says here that Paul isnāt moving up in class on Feb. 26; itās the other way around.
In the co-feature, Ilunga Makabu (29-2, 25 KOs) will make the third defense of his WBC world cruiserweight title against Badou Jack (27-3-3, 16 KOs). A Congolese-South African, Makabu is the older brother of heavyweight contender Martin Bakole. Jack, four years older than Makabu at age 39, formerly held world titles at 168 and 175 pounds.
Although Badou Jack was born in Sweden and keeps a home in Las Vegas where he has long been affiliated with the Mayweather Boxing Club, he will have the home field advantage in Saudi Arabia where he has cultivated a loyal following. A devout Muslim, Jack will be making his fourth straight start in the Persian Gulf Region. In his last outing, he outpointed Richard āPopeyeā Rivera at Jeddah, winning a 10-round split decision.

Badou Jack
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 223: A Lively Weekend in SoCal with Three Fight Cards in Two Days

Avila Perspective, Chap. 223: A Lively Weekend in SoCal with Three Fight Cards in Two Days
Big money prizefighting returns to the Los Angeles area with back-to-back shows. First, Serhii Bohachuk heads a 360 Promotions card on Friday and then Alexis Rocha is featured on Saturday in a Golden Boy Promotions production. And on the same day Riversideās Saul Rodriguez fights in his hometown.
Bohachuk, Rocha, and Rodriguez are aggressive big hitters.
Ukraineās Bohachuk seeks to regain footing in the super welterweight division. He was rapidly climbing up the ratings ladder when first he was defeated by Brandon Adams two years ago. And then the invasion of his home country Ukraine stalled him even more.
On Friday Jan. 27, at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello, Calif. Bohachuk (21-1, 21 KOs) meets Nathaniel Gallimore (22-6-1, 17 KOs) in the main event. UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Boxing Promotions card.
Few fighters are as well-liked outside of the prize ring as Bohachuk. Always amiable, heās one of the handful of fighters that always smiles. Inside the ring, heās a killer. No one leaves without someone getting knocked out.
Gallimore, 34, is no slouch. He has a knockout win over former world titlist Jeison Rosario and has battled almost all of the top super welterweights. He is a veteran and very crafty.
The Quiet Cannon venue is not very large, but it does have a patio and good food and drink. Most of the crowd ventures from all over Southern California to attend the fights at that venue. It gets packed.
Golden Boy in Inglewood
Welterweight contender Alexis Rocha headlines the Golden Boy Promotions card on Saturday, Jan. 28, at the brand new YouTube Theater in Inglewood, Calif. DAZN will stream the fight card.
Rocha (21-1, 13 KOs) faces George Ashie (33-5-1) in the main event set for 12 rounds. Finally, there is an opponent for the left-handed fighter from Santa Ana. It didnāt look like he was going to fight after opponent after opponent fell out for one reason or another.
āYou have to be ready for anybody they put in front of you. If itās you or George Ashie, I have to prepare for it. I have to focus on what I can do,” said Rocha.
Others on the card include super middleweight Bektemir Melikuziev (10-1) vs Ulises Sierra (17-2-2) set for 10 rounds. Also, good looking lightweight prospect Floyd Schofield (12-0, 10 KOs) meets Alberto Mercado (17-4-1).
Schofield fights out of Austin, Texas and looks like someone to watch.
Doors open at 3 p.m.
Neno Returns in San Bernardino Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā
Garcia Promotions stages a boxing card on Saturday Jan. 28, at the Club Event Center in San Bernardino. Garcia Promotions is associated with trainer Robert Garcia and family whose training compound is located in nearby Riverside.
A primarily local fight card featuring all fighters from Garciaās gym will be performing.
Headlining is Saul āNenoā Rodriguez out of Riverside, California.
Itās been nearly three years since Rodriguez (24-1-1, 18 KOs) last fought and he faces Mexicoās Juan Meza Angulo (6-1, 3 KOs) in the co-main event.
At one time Rodriguez was a big fan favorite because of his fast work and knockout ability. Once he got to the top plateau he ran into another knockout puncher in Miguel Angel Gonzalez and lost by stoppage.
Prizefighting is a tricky road. One loss can mean difficulty in finding a big-time promoter or it can mean discovering what you need to do to re-establish your skills. A fighter can go the road of Kermit āThe Killerā Cintron and find out other ways to win without a kill-or be-killed style. Or they can travel the road of Marco Antonio Barrera who was knocked out by Junior Jones but adapted a more boxer-puncher style that allowed him to defeat Erik Morales twice and Prince Naseem Hamed.
Rodriguez, 29, still has time to make a good run for a title bid. It all starts on Saturday.
Others on the Garcia Promotions card are fighters who are part of trainer Garciaās stable including Gabriel Muratalla, Leonardo Ruiz, Jose Rodriguez and others.
Doors open at 4 p.m. with amateurs opening the boxing program.
Fights to Watch
Fri. UFC Fight Pass 7 p.m. Serhii Bohachuk (21-1) vs Nathaniel Gallimore (22-6-1).
Sat. ESPN+ 11:30 a.m. Artur Beterbiev (18-0) vs Anthony Yarde (23-2).
Sat. DAZN Ā 5 p.m. Alexis Rocha (21-1) vs George Ashie (33-5-1).
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Artur Beterbiev:Ā āIād prefer to fight Bivol because he has the one thing I needā

Russian Artur Beterbiev, triple champion of the 175-pound division, is the only current world champion who, thanks to the enormous power he wields in his fists, has won all his fights inside the distance.
Beterbiev has 18 victories by way of chloroform since he debuted as a professional fighter in June 2013 when he anesthetized retired American, Christian Cruz, in the tenth round at the Bell Center in Montreal where Beterbiev currently resides.
Beterbiev, who turned thirty-eight last Saturday, will defend his WBC, IBF, and WBO titles against Brit Anthony “The Beast from the East” Yarde (23-2, 22 KOs) on Saturday, January 28th at the OVO Arena in London.
Beterbiev obtained the WBO belt on June 18th this past year when he defeated American Joe Smith (28-4, 22 KOs) in the second round at Madison Square Garden. This was Smithās second defense of the belt.
Earlier, in November 2017, Beterbiev won the vacant IBF belt after defeating German Enrico Koelling (28-5, 9 KOs) by knockout in the twelfth round in Fresno, California.
Two years later, Beterbiev seized the WBC belt from Ukrainian Oleksandr Gvozdyk (17-1, 14 KOs) in Philadelphia. Three knockdowns in the tenth round forced referee Gary Rosato to stop the lopsided bout with 11 seconds remaining in the round.Ā Beterbiev maintains that although his intention is to win each fight, in no way does he want to harm his rival and that his greatest wish is for both of them to leave the ring healthy.
Referring to his upcoming matchup, Beterbiev told BoxingScene that “after the fight, I just hope he (Yarde) is okay.”
He acknowledged that he does not know much about the British boxer, although he has watched several of his fights: āHeās a good fighter, has good experience as a professional and heās a boxer. Heās dangerous so I have to prepare for this fight like I always do.ā
Beterbiev said that his main motivation is to successfully defend the three belts he owns and that is why he will try to be one hundred percent ready and then it will be evident who is the better fighter.
Regarding his knockout streak, Beterbiev emphatically denied that he enjoys knocking out his opponents: āNo. Thereās no pleasure in it. I just hope everything is OK with them. I just want to do good boxing, not hit people.ā
Beterbiev smiles enigmatically and stares at the horizon when they ask him to what he attributes the strength of his fists to. āI know for sure, 1000 percent, that the secret to my power is somewhere in my boxing gym but I donāt know exactly where,ā he adds. āI donāt know which exercise or bag gave me this secret. I donāt know where it comes from. I wasnāt always like this either, it has come from working every day. But really my dream is to be a good boxer one day.ā
Aside from the upcoming fight with Yarde, Beterbiev acknowledges in each interview that his goal is to be the undisputed champion of the division, which means facing (and defeating) the undefeated Russian Dmitry Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs), who holds the WBA light heavyweight super championship belt.
āI need Bivol,ā Beterbiev admits. āIād prefer to fight Bivol because he has the one thing I need. I hope I fight him in 2023 but the hold-up is not from my side, itās from their side. In the last three years he always says he will fight me next but in this time weāve done unification fights against Oleksandr Gvozdyk and Joe Smith. Weāve done that whereas he has just been talking about it.
Beterbiev recalled that he was with Bivol on the Russian national team where they were amateurs. āI knew him then, but he is younger than me. We havenāt talked for 10 years now. He was 75kg back then, too small for me. We were never friends.ā
Article submitted by Jorge Juan Alvarez in Spanish.
Ā Please note any adjustments made were for clarification purposes and any errors in translation were unintentional.
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