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Happy 40th to GGG who May Not Be So Happy on Saturday Night

Happy 40th to GGG who May Not Be So Happy on Saturday Night
Gennadiy Golovkin turns 40 on Friday. The following day he returns to the ring in Saitama, Japan, to oppose Ryota Murata. Two pieces of the world middleweight title will be at stake.
The prizefighter commonly referenced as GGG or Triple-G was still in his twenties when he captured his first world title with a 58-second wipeout of Milton Nunez in Panama City. In hindsight that was no great achievement. Nunez, a Colombian, was propped up by the WBA. Since his brief encounter with Triple G, heās 16-27 and has been stopped 21 times. But while no great achievement, it was certainly no fluke. In the ensuing years, Triple G would stamp himself as one of the most fearsome punchers of all time.
During one run, he scored 23 consecutive wins inside the distance, all but the first five coming in matches certified as world title fights. His 21 world title defenses broke the record for the middleweight division established by Bernard Hopkins.
GGGās two matches with Canelo Alvarez were blockbusters, both commercially and artistically. Their first match on Sept. 16, 2017, ended in a draw. Most observers thought that Golovkin, who forced the action, deserved the nod. Their second encounter in September of the following year very nearly ended in another draw, but the verdict favoring Canelo was generally deemed to be fair.
Three-and-a-half years have elapsed since GGG-Canelo II. In the ensuing months, the LA-based Kazakh warrior acquired a new trainer, replacing Abel Sanchez with Johnathon Banks, and added three more wins to his record, advancing his ledger to 41-1-1 (36 KOs). He looked as good as new against overmatched opponents Steve Rolls (KO 4) and Kamil Szeremeta (TKO 7), but the middle fight with rugged Sergiy Derevyanchenko was a grueling affair in which GGG was pushed to the limit.
Pundits were seeing signs of skill erosion in GGG even before his encounters with Canelo. On March 15, 2017, he knocked Daniel Jacobs down in the fourth round but couldnāt finish him. Jacobs rallied and nearly pulled the fight out of the fire.
Frank Lotierzo, who has a very respected opinion, saw signs of erosion in GGG in his first fight with Canelo Alvarez, notwithstanding the fact that ā scoring off the TV ā Lotierzo had Golovkin winning eight of the 12 rounds.
Bernard Hopkins, as we all know, continued to dominate the middleweight division long after reaching the age of 40. But itās worth noting that Hopkins didnāt have much of an amateur background; all of his amateur fights were in prison. By contrast, GGG, a 2004 Olympic silver medalist, reportedly had nearly 400 amateur fights.
Murata
Ryota Murata, an Olympic gold medalist in 2012, is no spring chicken. Heās 36 years old. But with only 18 pro fights under his belt, Murata (16-2, 13 KOs) has far fewer miles on his odometer.
Murataās first loss came at the hands of French-Cameroonian veteran Hassan NāDam NāJikam. It was one of those rare instances where the local man got hosed. The split decision that went against him was so outrageous that the two WBA judges that favored Hassan were slapped with 6-month suspensions.
The match was sanctioned for the vacant WBA world middleweight title. Murata came up empty, but rectified the wrong in the rematch, forcing Hassan to quit on his stool after seven rounds.
Murata had the title taken from him by Rob Brant who decisively out-pointed him in Las Vegas. But once again, Murata rose to the occasion in a rematch, reclaiming the title with a career-best performance, stopping Brant in the second round. He successfully defended the belt with a fifth round TKO of Canadaās Steven Butler.
Ryota Murata is promoted by 74-year-old Akihiko Honda, a 2009 inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Honda says that Murata is Japanās most popular boxer ever. When he was robbed of the title by Hassan NāDam NāJikam, it was a major news story that expanded his fan base many times over. Itās hard to envision a close fight going against him once again if contested on his home turf.
The big question surrounding Murata ā other than the obvious question of whether he can withstand GGGās power ā is whether he will carry too much ring rust. He hasnāt fought since fighting Steven Butler, missing all of 2020 and 2021 because of COVID restrictions. Saturdayās fight was originally scheduled for New Yearās Eve.
The view from here, however, is that GGG is vulnerable; too far past his prime to perform like the GGG of old. Murata has no chance if he performs as he did against Rob Brant in their first fight ā the unexceptional Brant made him look ordinary — but the 6/1 odds favoring the Kazakh strike this reporter as far too high. The underdog is tugging.
Note: Golovkin vs. Murata will be live-streamed on DAZN. Owing to the time difference, the fight will air at approximately 5 a.m. ET on Saturday.
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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

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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