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Raymond Muratalla calls Gervonta Davis world’s best lightweight, predicts KO of Vasiliy Lomachenko

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Undefeated lightweight contender Raymond Muratalla is out to make a name for himself in the talent-laden 135-pound division.

Muratalla (20-0, 16 KOs) will take on former world champion Tevin Farmer (33-5-1, 8 KOs) on July 13, in a Top Rank on ESPN event at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The California product hopes a win brings him closer to challenging for a world title – against one of the division’s elite.

In a recent interview with BoxingScene.com, the 27-year-old Muratalla tabbed boxing superstar and WBA 135-pound world champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis as the world’s best lightweight and tipped him to beat IBF counterpart Vasiliy Lomachenko if their potential November unification bout takes place.

“If I have to rank the top lightweights in the world currently, I think Tank is first, then [WBC champion] Shakur Stevenson, then Lomachenko and then [IBF champion] Denis Berinchyk,” said Muratalla.

“Tank and Loma’s fight will be a good one, and I think if Loma can box throughout the fight, he can do something. But all in all, I believe Tank will win. I think his power will be too much for Lomachenko in later rounds of the fight.”

Muratalla, rated No. 2 by both the WBC and the WBO at lightweight, is eager to place himself in the mix of these high-profile fights. “I’m willing to fight any of the four champions in the division. I think my power can change a fight easily, and that’s another great fight with Tank if it happens.

“Shakur is another fighter that we want, and as far as he is with Top Rank, we can make that one happen for sure,” Muratalla said. “Either of the WBC or WBO is fine for me. I’ll take any of those offers.”

Muratalla has also been called out by undefeated lightweights Keyshawn Davis and William Zepeda.

On a possible fight with phenom Davis (11-0, 7 KOs), Muratalla said, “I like Davis. I want to fight him, too, but it all depends on Top Rank to make the fight, and hopefully, we can make that for the fans.”

Regarding the hard-hitting Zepeda (30-0, 26 KOs), Muratalla believes he doesn’t bring enough to the table.

“I don’t think Zepeda can trouble me with his counterpunching skill at all because I think I am too big, too strong, fast and quick. My IQ in the ring is different to these guys, and I can’t wait to show it when I face them.”

Muratalla’s skills might bring him success in the ring, but he believes he’ll need to do more in order to gain the kind of recognition and attention he believes he deserves.

“It seems I have to be talking more trash to raise my profile. I think that is what is missing, and I need to start doing that more to get the fights,” he said.

“I have always been a no-nonsense guy. I started boxing at a very tender age, and I have always trained hard because it is a dangerous sport. I think I’m right there. Hopefully I get that shot before the champions in the division unifications. I deserve to be in that conversation.”

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BOXING

Ryan Garcia leaks explosive messages: Will Gervonta Davis accept a million-dollar rematch?

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Gervonta Davis

Alittle over a year ago, Gervonta Davis gave Ryan Garcia a resounding knockout in seven rounds. Like any good athlete, “King Ryan” was not very satisfied with the defeat and today he is looking for revenge for a stratospheric sum of money.

The fight, held on April 22 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, was one of the most anticipated of the year. It ended in the seventh round when “Tank” Davis landed a solid hook to the liver. Garcia couldn’t get up at the count of 10, and Davis emerged victorious.

Although they are bitter rivals in the ring, Garcia and Davis have developed a good friendship and apparently exchange messages with some regularity, as demonstrated by recent screenshots that Ryan shared on one of his social media accounts.

In the middle of the conversation, Garcia made it clear that he would like to set up a rematch with Davis, with a substantial purse involved. Although “Tank” did not give a concrete answer, the prize proposed by Garcia could tempt the current lightweight champion of the World Boxing Association (WBA).

ill there be a Garcia vs. Davis rematch?

In a message dated May 26, Garcia offered Davis a deal: “Bro, can we run it back again?” referring to a rematch for their fight from April last year. He also proposed a sum for the purse to be shared, “Make 200ms,” the Californian suggested.

At that time, Davis still had his fight against Frank Martin pending. “Beat Frank up and let’s make real bank,” proposed “King Ryan” and even gave Davis some advice for the fight, saying, “BODY SHOT.”

“Yepppp,” “Tank” responded, and Garcia reiterated, “Cool body shot bro. He is weak to the body.” “And to the chin,” Davis completed.

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Uncategorized

Prince Naseem Hamed Gives ‘Honest’ Verdict On Fury-Usyk Rematch: “He’s Another Level”

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Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury

British boxing legend, ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed, has made his thoughts clear on the upcoming rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.

Back in May the Ukrainian became the first man to beat ‘The Gypsy King’ and with that captured all the belts at heavyweight to add to his former undisputed status at cruiserweight.

With a contractual rematch clause in place the two will now run it back later this year.

Speaking to iFL TV about the rematch, ‘Naz’ was full of praise for everything Fury has done for the sport.

Pushed for a prediction, Hamed made it clear he would ‘love’ for the Brit to get the victory but seems to be leaning towards Usyk to get his hand raised once more.

Usyk-Fury 2 takes place on December 21 in Saudi Arabia as part of Riyadh Season.

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BOXING

Israil Madrimov vs. Terence Crawford – Eddie Hearn has his say on huge clash

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Terence Crawford
Crawford is back this summer.

Eddie Hearn has warned boxing fans not to look past Israil Madrimov when he faces Terence Crawford on August 3.

The pair will meet in Los Angeles, live on DAZN, and Madrimov will be putting his world title at 154lbs up for grabs against the Nebraska man.

If Crwaford secures the win and becomes a four-weight world champion, it’s very likely that he will jump up in weight to face Canelo Alvarez.

First though, he faces a stern assignment against Madrimov and Hearn has had his say on the bout.

“I think they’re underestimating him. He’s extremely tough, he hits very hard, and it’s all like, ‘Canelo after this,’ said Hearn when speaking to FightHype.

“Don’t get me wrong. Crawford is the favourite in the fight, but Madrimov is a very, very tough fight. He’s got great movement, he’s a fit, strong guy in his prime, and as I said, he punches very hard, and that’s not an easy fight.”

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BOXING

Terence Crawford Dismisses Pound-For-Pound Star Saying He Would KO Him: “There’s Levels”

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Terence Crawford

Terence Crawford is a man confident in his abilities.

Despite his undisputed welterweight bout with Errol Spence Jr being billed a 50/50 by many, ‘Bud’ Crawford was adamant he would show the world a win with relative ease. He did just that.

It was yet another crowning moment in a campaign full of them, and the 36-year-old from Omaha was branded the best on the planet by plenty of fans, fellow fighters and analysts.

Another man hovering around the top of that list, although competing weights below, is Gervonta Davis.

When it was put to by Charlamagne Tha God on The Breakfast Club that ‘Tank’ – currently WBA Champion at 135 – had once said he would knock him out at welterweight, ‘Bud’ Crawford said ‘there are levels.’

However unrealistic the bout is, it’s something Crawford says he would consider because of the money it would generate.

The gap in weight is instead getting bigger, with Crawford making his 154 debut on August 3 against undefeated WBA Champion Israil Madrimov. Should he win, he’s made it clear that he wants to move up even further to super-middleweight and face undisputed champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

Davis has entered talks for a lightweight unification against Ukraine’s Vasiliy Lomachenko.

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BOXING

Terence Crawford left ‘next Floyd Mayweather’ on canvas with ferocious uppercut in huge KO against ‘toughest opponent’

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Terence Crawford

Terence Crawford produced a scintillating stoppage in 2014, against a fighter who he later named his ‘toughest opponent’.

Crawford has fought some huge names in the sport during his meteoric rise to become a pound-for-pound great, including Errol Spence, Amir Khan and Jeff Horn.

But despite reigning as undisputed champion at two weights, one of his biggest statements came 10 years ago in a huge battle with highly talented Cuban Yuriorkis Gamboa.

Gamboa was undefeated with 23 wins at the time and had turned professional having won a gold medal the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

It was Crawford’s maiden defence of his WBO lightweight world title, and began at a ferocious pace with the Cuban on top in the early rounds.

The American switched to the southpaw stance and after a tough start, he began to reverse the momentum in the fourth period.

His breakthrough came in the fifth round as he dropped Gamboa for the first of four times, and his rival survived but was on wobbly legs.

Crawford scored another knockdown of the Cuban in the eighth with a brutal combination, but the resillient challenger battled on.

Although it was just a matter of time as the domination paid off in the ninth, as ‘Bud’ dropped his opponent for a third time.

But the curtain-closing moment came when he was briefly hurt by a response shot from Gamboa who desperately tried to fight back.

Crawford floored him with a ferocious uppercut as the lively exchange saw Gamboa on the canvas again, and this time the referee halted the contest.

When assessing that famous night in August 2023, Crawford named Gamboa as his toughest career challenge given his comparisons to boxing legend Floyd Mayweather.

He told Joe Rogan last year: “I would say Gamboa, because of the experience at the time.

“You have got to understand, I came from fighting six-round fights to a ten-round fight on HBO when I got the Breidis Prescott fight.

“So then I fight him, another guy for the Interim NABO, and then I fight for a title eliminator Klimov.

“Then I fight Ricky Burns, and come back and fight Gamboa when I become champion.

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BOXING

Phil Mickelson names three things LIV Golf has that PGA Tour wants to replicate

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Phil Mickelson has highlighted three main features of LIV Golf that the PGA Tour is eager to incorporate, as he weighed in on the evolving dynamics of the sport in recent years.

Mickelson was the first big name to pledge his allegiance to the Saudi-backed league over two years ago, and hasn’t looked back since leading a slew of top players to the LIV setup. One of the primary reasons for Mickelson’s switch was the limited media rights players had while competing on the PGA Tour.

“It’s not public knowledge, all that goes on,” Mickelson shared with Golf Digest in February 2022. “But the players don’t have access to their own media. If the Tour wanted to end any threat, they could just hand back the media rights to the players…. There are many issues but that is one of the biggest. For me personally, it’s not enough that they are sitting on hundreds of millions of digital moments. They also have access to my shots, access I do not have. They also charge companies to use shots I have hit.

“And when I did ‘The Match’ – there have been five of them – the tour forced me to pay them $1 million each time. For my own media rights. That type of greed is, to me, beyond obnoxious.” Mickelson’s remarks were widely reported at the time, marking the end of his 30-year relationship with the PGA Tour.

Two years on, the world of professional golf seems to be finding its footing again. The PGA Tour is deep in talks with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) to resolve their beef with LIV Golf.

Mickelson has been reflecting on the whole drama, pointing out how LIV Golf’s presence has shaken things up for players across the board.

“We have elevated events every week out here on LIV,” Mickelson shared with Bloomberg. He didn’t stop there, adding a couple more wins to his tally: “We have equity, and we have the ability to use or social media platforms however we want to promote the game. This is starting to change now, and is changing on the PGA Tour.”

Mickelson might be onto something, as the rebel league’s fat stacks seem to have nudged the PGA Tour into action. Jay Monahan’s crew has rolled out ‘Signature Events’ that stack up to the £15.8 million ($20m) prize pots at LIV competitions.

The PGA Tour has also kicked off a ‘Player Equity Program’, giving players a slice of the pie in the tour’s money-making arm, PGA Tour Enterprises. It’s a page out of LIV’s playbook, where they let their golfers grab equity and ownership in the 13 teams tearing it up on their tour.

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BOXING

Ricky Hatton Makes Big KO Prediction For Anthony Joshua-Daniel Dubois: “He’s A Beast”

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Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua returns to Wembley Stadium this September to face Daniel Dubois.

The Olympic Gold Medalist is looking to become a three-time champion against recently-elevated Dubois, and will enter the ring a strong favourite to do so.

Speaking to Prime Casino, British Hall of Famer Ricky Hatton first addressed the stories that Dubois put Joshua down in sparring – something the former champ denies but does concede to being ‘cracked by a good shot.’

As for a prediction, ‘Hitman’ Hatton backs the more-experienced Joshua to get the job done early.

Joshua and Dubois face off on September 21 in what will be Dubois’ first defence of his IBF World Title.

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BOXING

Gervonta Davis’ trainer shares insanely confident plan to face Vasiliy Lomachenko

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Gervonta Davis

It’s only been two weeks since Gervonta Davis fought, but it’s already been all but confirmed that Tank’s next opponent will be Vasiliy Lomachenko. At least, that’s what all of the reports are pointing to.

Davis has barely been able to celebrate what was yet another stunning knockout victory, this time against Frank Martin. Davis once again showed his elite power. The manner in which he won has become the norm for Tank, with some wondering if we’ll ever see him have to use more of his technical side in any fight.

Boxing coach Kenny Ellis says Tank can outbox Loma

Davis’ trainer Kenny Ellis has heard the whispers from fans that Lomachenko can “outbox” Davis, but he isn’t having any of it.

Ellis believes Davis’ ring IQ is better than anyone gives him credit for, but he’s adamant that the general philosophy for Tank won’t change if him and Loma face off: knockout or nothing.

That type of gameplan has clearly worked for Davis up until this point. Tank has 28 knockouts in 30 career fights and is yet to lose a bout. Lomachenko has never been knocked out, but it wouldn’t be the first time Davis creates a first for another boxer.

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BOXING

Devin Haney makes Gervonta Davis pay for turning his back in 18-minute video of infamous sparring session

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Extended footage of Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis’ infamous sparring has leaked online.

The world champion duo clashed in a notorious training session in 2016, and both men have claimed to have gotten the better of the other ever since.

In March, Ryan Garcia posted a clip of Haney, who was just 16 years old at the time, being punched around the ring by Davis as Floyd Mayweather watched on.

‘Tank’ can be seen unloading a barrage of heavy punches on Haney.

However, the brief snippet seemed to be edited in a way to flatter Davis, who was 21 years old and well into his professional boxing career.

On Saturday night, while he was stretching his perfect record to 30-0 by knocking out Frank Martin, Fight Hype shared an 18-minute video that showed the six-round sparring session in its entirety with one particular moment catching the attention of boxing fans.

‘The Dream’ posted a three-second clip of him whacking Davis around the side of his head when he turned his back and began conversing with someone in the corner.

Unfortunately, Haney didn’t get the reaction he was after from his followers.

One person tweeted: “Bro threw a pillow at Tank.”

Another said:” Bragging about a shot where he had his back turned is nasty work.”

Someone else commented: “S*** did 1 damage.”

Haney is currently recovering from the first defeat of his career.

The 25-year-old was the undisputed lightweight champion before moving up in weight and taking on Garcia, who missed the 140lb limit ahead of their clash in April.

‘King Ry dropped Haney three times en route to a decision win.

The American is currently campaigning to get his lone loss overturned because Garcia tested positive for ostarine in the aftermath of their fight.

It’s currently unclear if Haney will get his wish, but it seems certain that he will square off with Davis one day.

Only time will tell if their sparring session is any indication of how an actual fight between the two boxing superstars will play out.

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