Boxing Archives - Page 49 of 183

As per the reports, the WBO is making a move that could prove symbolic. They’re ordering a fight between Terence Crawford and newly crowned junior middleweight champion, Sebastian Fundora. The problem? Fundora’s eyes are likely set on a different kind of crown – the one atop Errol Spence Jr.‘s head, and the massive payday that comes with it. Fundora’s promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, makes no secret of their desire to maximize their earnings.

Spence, with his impressive record and PPV drawing power, seems the clear choice. This leaves Crawford facing a potential fight with Josh Kelly, a far cry from the high-profile bout he craved. Will the WBO’s order change Fundora’s mind, or will Crawford be forced to take a lesser fight while the ‘Towering Inferno’ chases a bigger payday?

What did the WBO Prez actually say?

The World Boxing Organization (WBO) has set the wheels in motion for a potential welterweight showdown. In a social media post, WBO President Paco Valcarcel announced that they will be mandating negotiations between newly crowned junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora and Terence Crawford, the undisputed welterweight king.

He wrote, “Great fight in Vegas @Tim_Tszyu show again that he is one of the best 154 pounders..Congrats to Tim and @SebastianFundo1 ,tremendous @WorldBoxingOrg title bout in which Fundora received judges decision..Next week wbo will order negotiations for Fundora vs @terencecrawford.” While the WBO’s order sets a clear path forward, boxing fans will be watching closely to see which fight Fundora prioritizes.

However, many boxing aficionados believe that Fundora will experience a better monetary benefit if he plans to fight Errol Spence Jr. first and then move on to clash with Crawford. Even the Mayweather Promotions CEO falls under this category.

Leonard Ellerbe votes for Errol Spence Jr.

Promoter Sampson Lewkowicz made it abundantly clear that Errol Spence Jr., despite his recent loss to Crawford, is likely to get the winner of the Sebastian Fundora fight. Why? Because Spence is “family” with PBC boss Al Haymon, while Crawford remains a free agent. Ellerbe isn’t shy about the business side of boxing. He highlights the “bigger fight” potential of Spence against Sebastian Fundora, fueled by the lucrative PPV deals a PBC fighter brings.

Crawford’s undeniable talent seems to take a backseat to corporate allegiances. Ellerbe said, “People don’t understand the business. Errol lost a fight. He lost to the better man that night, who is a phenomenal fighter in Terence Crawford. Many people believe he’s the best fighter in the world. But sometimes the performance is different from the business.”

BOXING

Fundora Says He Would Like To Fight Crawford

WBO and WBC light middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora said he would like to fight his compatriot Terence Crawford.

Fundora said at a press conference:

Recall that in the morning of 31 March

Fundora won a split decision over Tim Tszyu.

The 26-year-old Fundora previously entered the ring for the fight April 2023 and lost to Brian Mendoza by knockout in the seventh round. He has 21 wins (13 by knockout), one defeat and one draw on his record.

BOXING

Arum raises Fury, Joshua fight doubts

Legendary boxing promoter Bob Arum has posed a theory which could see Tyson Fury fight Anthony Joshua earlier than expected.

Fury has always maintained he will have a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk but Arum reckons that may not happen to bring forward a bout with his fellow Brit.

Joshua beat Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia in early March to push forward his case of a shot at becoming undisputed heavyweight champion.

Fury and Usyk will go head to head for all four belts on May 18 and it is expected that Joshua will eventually fight the winner.

Fury says he is contracted to fight Usyk twice before he considers arranging a bout with Joshua.

However, Arum has come up with a scenario which could see Fury and Usyk only battle it out once.

The 92-year-old believes if the Fury-Usyk fight in May is a classic, then a rematch would be on the cards.

But if it turns out to be a one-sided affair, Arum can see an ‘arrangement’ where a rematch is scrapped and Joshua gets to fight Fury earlier.

Arum told the Daily Mail: “I think the knock on Joshua has been that he’d lost his confidence. If a fighter loses his confidence, he’s very diminished.

“Now Joshua seems to be regaining his confidence, and if that continues Joshua will be a very dangerous fighter that could compete with anybody.

“What happens if Fury-Usyk turns out to be a classic? A fight that is so exciting and so thrilling that the public wants to see it again.

“Then that would certainly trump a Joshua fight, and contractually, it’s a fight that has to happen.”

“Now, what happens if it’s a one-sided fight and Fury wins the fight? Then maybe everybody can sit down with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and work out some arrangement to go right to Fury-Joshua.”

“If Usyk wins the fight, I don’t think there would be that much demand for an Usyk-Joshua fight because after all they fought twice and Usyk beat him twice. So, one fight at a time, that’s my motto.”

BOXING

Gervonta Davis Ignores Errol Spence Jr’s Warning About Frank Martin

Like any other promoter who believes in his boxers despite their competition, Errol Spence Jr. believes in Frank Martin ahead of the expected fight against Gervonta Davis, now Abdul Wahid after converting to Islam. In addition to being stablemates, Frank Martin has always seen Errol Spence Jr. as one of his inspirations in the sport. On that note, ahead of Frank Martin vs. Gervonta Davis, Errol Spence Jr. publicly warned ‘Tank’ of Martin’s preparation.

However, the boxer from Baltimore remained unbothered. In fact, the current WBA Lightweight champion ridiculed Spence Jr.’s support for Martin. Here is what happened.

Gervonta Davis ridicules Errol Spence Jr.’s support for Frank Martin

Ahead of Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford, Frank Martin openly supported ‘The Truth’ against all odds. Speaking to Showtime’s Brian Custer, although Martin admitted ‘Bud’ Crawford was a “good fighter,” he announced that the boxers Terence had beaten were not Errol Spence Jr. “You know, those guys ain’t Errol Spence Jr.,” he had said. Likewise, he had shown faith in Derrick James and Spence Jr.’s abilities. Now, Errol Spence Jr. exhibited faith in Frank Martin, 18-0-0, ahead of the fight against Gervonta Davis, 29-0-0.

Although several people doubt Martin’s fate against Gervonta Davis, Spence Jr. took to X and wrote, “Frank staying focused“. However, the WBA Lightweight champion remained unbothered. In now a deleted tweet, Davis replied, “Ask us do we care.”

In this context, it is worth mentioning that in March this year, after Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin was announced, Spence Jr. had taken to X to side with Martin. “I’m team me & whoever signed with me which is team Frank Martin,” Errol Spence Jr. had written. To which, Gervonta Davis, who sparred with Martin, had said, “Errol better watch out. He’ll get his fighter [Frank Martin] hurt bad like I did before.”

Meanwhile, while Gervonta Davis remains unfazed, ‘The Truth’ called out Sebastian Fundora after ‘The Towering Inferno’ defeated Tim Tszyu via UD last night. In his reply, Fundora showed interest in Spence Jr. as well. However, Terence Crawford, who plans to move up to Super-Welterweight too, asked Spence Jr. to wait in the line as ‘Bud’ hopes to challenge Fundora for the Super-Welterweight titles first. Anyway, what do you think of Spence Jr. warning Davis of Martin? Let us know in the comments below!

BOXING

Isaac Cruz Is Open to Gervonta Davis Rematch, Devin Haney and Subriel Matias Showdowns

Isaac Cruz made Rolando Romero eat his words Saturday night.

Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) started off fast and beat Romero (15-2, 13 KOs) from pillar to post, from the opening bell until the fight was stopped in the eighth round. Romero simply had no answer for the pressure that Cruz applied and only had small moments of success.

With the victory, Cruz captured a junior welterweight title.

Romero trash-talked Cruz throughout the leadup to the fight, referring to him as a chihuahua instead of his nickname of “Pitbull.” The hype culminated with Romero sporting a gold chain with a chihuahua amulet featuring Cruz’s face during fight week.

When asked about the chain at the post-fight press conference, Cruz’s father and trainer, Isaac Cruz Sr., didn’t hold back.

“We made him eat his words,” the elder Cruz said. “We trained hard and did what we planned. As far as the chain goes, he can keep it because that is a lifelong reminder of the beating my son gave to him.”

As for his future plans, Cruz didn’t rule out any opponent. He said that he is open to fighting anyone.

The media mentioned unification bouts against Subriel Matias, Devin Haney and Gervonta “Tank” Davis (in a rematch) as possible future opponents. Cruz said he was open to facing all of them.

“I have always said that I have no problem fighting anyone,” Cruz said. “It is very simple: Both sides just need to come to an agreement, and we can make any fight happen. It is just a matter of negotiating a fight and coming to terms.”

BOXING

Devin Haney Beats Gervonta Davis and Shakur Stevenson at This Weight, Reveals Curmel Moton

On April 20th, Devin Haney will defend his Super-Lightweight title against Ryan Garcia in Brooklyn. On the other hand, after the victory against Edwin De Los Santos in Las Vegas last year, Shakur Stevenson is expected to return against Artem Harutyunyan on July 6 in Newark. Meanwhile, Gervonta Davis is expected to make his comeback since the Ryan Garcia fight in April 2023 against former sparring partner Frank Martin. But, what if Davis, Shakur, and Haney fought one another?

Floyd Mayweather’s protege Curmel Moton, who just won his third professional fight against Anthony Cuba last night on the undercard of Tim Tszyu vs. Sebastian Fundora, has answered the above question! Having trained with Davis and Shakur, Moton believes Haney will exceed the two at Terence Crawford’s weight.

Curmel Moton thinks Devin Haney exceeds Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta Davis at Welterweight

Curmel Moton has always considered Gervonta Davis one of his role models in the sport. On the other hand, the 17-year-old has always spoken about Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney respectfully. On the other hand, Shakur Stevenson praised Moton’s skills after sparring with the latter ahead of his fight against Shuichiro Yoshinho. According to Shakur, Moton had speed and skills. Meanwhile, Moton has predicted Devin Haney will beat Ryan Garcia via UD. On that note, since Curmel Moton “rides with” Haney, Shakur, and Davis, he was asked who would win if the trio fought one another at 147 lbs.

While Gervonta Davis is 5′ 5½″, Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson are 5′ 8″. However, last year, Devin Haney moved up to Super-Lightweight to challenge Regis Prograis for the WBC Super-Lightweight title. After 12 rounds, Haney won the contest via UD. At this, provided Haney’s size and resume, Curmel Moton feels Haney will beat both Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta Davis should they fight at 147 lbs where Terence Crawford was the undisputed champion.

“At 147, Devin. I feel like Devin’s the only one big enough to go up that high. They are all great. I don’t even think they’ll fight as of right now. So, we’ll see in the future,” Curmel Moton told Champside.

Well, with that said, as boxing fans, we have to wait to see whether or not Davis, Haney, and Shakur consider moving up to the Welterweight division. But, as of now, do you agree with Curmel Moton’s argument? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below. For more boxing updates, follow EssentiallySports!

BOXING

Oscar De La Hoya Names “Biggest Money Fight” for Terence Crawford and It’s Not Sebastian Fundora

Terence Crawford, the undisputed welterweight champion, hasn’t been seen in the ring since his dominant win over Errol Spence Jr. in 2023. Will inactivity hurt his legacy? Fans are eager to see Bud back in action, but who will be his next opponent? Newcomer Sebastian Fundora just pulled off a major upset, becoming the WBO super welterweight champion.

But is Fundora the biggest draw for Crawford? Is he next in line for Crawford? Oscar De La Hoya teases a different opponent, hinting at a matchup that could eclipse all others. Who could be Crawford’s lucrative next dance partner?

Will Terence Crawford finally return to the ring?

Oscar De La Hoya, not long ago, imparted sage advice to Terence Crawford, urging the champ to prioritize legacy over immediate financial gain. “Don’t think about the money and then legacy, think about legacy and then the money,” De La Hoya advised, emphasizing the enduring value of a boxer’s heritage in the sport. Fast forward to now and De La Hoya’s perspective seems to have broadened, encompassing both legacy and lucrative matchups.

His tweet, “Can’t wait, the biggest money fight for both guys. @VergilOrtiz vs @terencecrawford,” pivots sharply towards a bout that promises both financial windfall and a potential legacy-defining moment for Crawford. This shift in focus from De La Hoya underlines a strategic vision for Crawford’s career path, marrying the concepts of legacy and financial success in one fell swoop.

But isn’t Fundora mandated to fight Crawford? And what are his views on this fight suggestion?

Fundora eyes Crawford clash

After a gripping victory that seized the T-Mobile Arena’s spotlight, Sebastian Fundora, the new unified super welterweight champion, is setting his sights on future glories. While the immediate aftermath buzzed with talk of a rematch against Tim Tszyu and a daring challenge from Errol Spence, Fundora’s ambitions stretch further, hinting at a tantalizing showdown with Terence Crawford.

“Whatever they give me. Errol Spence is a great opportunity… but Terence Crawford is the best fighter in the world. I would like to fight him,” Fundora asserted, acknowledging the high stakes. His focus on maximizing fight opportunities, as echoed by his promoter Sampson Lewkowicz, underscores Fundora’s readiness to ascend to the pinnacle of the 154lbs division, targeting a clash that could redefine his career.
How would a matchup between Fundora’s towering presence and Crawford’s unparalleled skill reshape the landscape of boxing? Let us know what you think in the comment section.

BOXING

Terence Crawford tells Errol Spence to ‘wait in line’ as they compete to fight new world champion Sebastian Fundora

Terence Crawford was not impressed with Errol Spence’s attempts to muscle in on his potential fight with Sebastian Fundora.

Both men are actively pursuing a contest against the new WBC and WBO super-welterweight champion after the ‘Towering Inferno’ beat Tim Tszyu on Saturday night to claim the belts.

Fundora’s win was a bloodbath with Tszyu sustaining a horror cut in the second round after being caught with an accidental elbow.

Tszyu valiantly fought on but was unable to do enough to get his hand raised as he fell to the first defeat of his professional career via split decision.

In the immediate aftermath, Spence entered the ring to call out Fundora and drum up interest in their potential fight.

“It’s time to get it on, he’s got the big dog now,” said Spence.

“This is my first time seeing him in person and he’s got pretty good height but we will break him down, we always do.”]

The imposing 6ft 6ins champion then replied: “I think it will be great [fighting him].

“He’s one of the greats right now, he’s one of the pound-for-pounds, so if I can fight him and get a win off of him it will be good history for me again.”

However Crawford, who is the WBO mandatory challenger for Fundora, had a thing or two to say about his former foe’s attempts to jump the queue.

“@ErrolSpenceJr sorry buddy you gotta wait in line sir,” he tweeted.

“You lost sir gotta work yo way back up,” he added in reference to his stoppage victory over Spence last July.

Crawford has activated his status as the WBO’s ‘super champion’ at welterweight to become Fundora’s mandatory challenger at super-welterweight.

The preeminent designation is reserved for fighters who are champions of ‘high recognition’.

Oleksandr Usyk previously used his WBO ‘super champion’ status to become Anthony Joshua’s mandatory in 2021.

BOXING

Tyson Fury’s promoter reveals how he can seal Anthony Joshua fight sooner than expected with ‘arrangement’ theory

TYSON FURY could accelerate his chances of fighting Anthony Joshua by putting on a masterclass against Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury faces Usyk in the heavyweight division’s first four-belt unification bout on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.

And the two are contracted to an immediate rematch right after, leaving AJ with a wait to fight either.

But Fury’s Hall of Fame US promoter Bob Arum believes if the Gypsy King can beat Usyk convincingly enough, the rematch could be scrapped.

And it would then allow Joshua, 34, to fill in to commence a Battle of Britain bout sooner than expected.

Arum told the Daily Mail: “I think the knock on Joshua has been that he’d lost his confidence. If a fighter loses his confidence, he’s very diminished.

“Now Joshua seems to be regaining his confidence, and if that continues Joshua will be a very dangerous fighter that could compete with anybody.

“What happens if Fury-Usyk turns out to be a classic? A fight that is so exciting and so thrilling that the public wants to see it again.

“Then that would certainly trump a Joshua fight, and contractually, it’s a fight that has to happen.

“Now, what happens if it’s a one-sided fight and Fury wins the fight?

“Then maybe everybody can sit down with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and work out some arrangement to go right to Fury-Joshua.

“If Usyk wins the fight, I don’t think there would be that much demand for an Usyk-Joshua fight because after all they fought twice and Usyk beat him twice.

“So, one fight at a time, that’s my motto.”

BOXING

I trained Andy Ruiz for Anthony Joshua KO upset win and one key factor helped us make history

Andy Ruiz’s monumental upset win over Anthony Joshua will forever hold a place in boxing history.

Ruiz was a relative unknown in the boxing world, until he was thrust into the biggest opportunity of his life as a short-notice replacement for Jarrell Miller in a unified heavyweight world title clash against Anthony Joshua in June 2019 on AJ’s US debut.

The Mexican came in as an overwhelming underdog given little hope in the fight, but caused one of the biggest upsets in boxing history by dropping Joshua four times en route to a famous win in New York’s iconic Madison Square Garden.

It was a monumental achievement which was regularly compared to Buster Douglas’ phenomenal upset of Mike Tyson, and it was masterminded alongside trainer at the time Manny Robles.

In an exclusive interview with talkSPORT.com, Robles, who will work as a coach in the upcoming Team Combat League, has opened up about exactly how he believed five years ago that they could rewrite history inside the ‘Mecca of Boxing’, due to the perfect timing of the call.

He said: “It wasn’t really at short notice, what people don’t know is we were just coming off of a fight with Alexander Dimitrenko in LA.

“So we went through a full camp, and a week later we had the fight with Anthony Joshua.

“So we got back into the ring and the timing was perfect.

“We fought someone who was very similar to Joshua, a week later we then got the call for the huge fight against Joshua.

“So we had like a month in camp, but the hard work was already done as Dmitrenko was very similar to Joshua, a big strong and solid guy.

“The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, and we were able to win the heavyweight championships of the world.

“It was definitely one of the biggest achievements of my career, it was definitely special.”

Seismic shockwaves travelled through the boxing world, after Ruiz was left bouncing around the ring in a famous celebration after defying all odds.

Joshua was clearly not at his best, but the Mexican had shown defiance and a serious boxing skillset while carrying out a turgid game plan to capitalise on AJ’s weaknesses on the night.

Despite the defeat, the Briton was seriously gracious to Ruiz and his attitude helped earn him an immediate shot at redemption just several months later.

Robles, the man who masterminded the win over Joshua, is extremely complimentary of his reaction to this day, and believes he should be used as a role model to the next generation of heavyweight talent.

“People don’t know this, but to this day after that night I look up to Anthony Joshua,” he continued.

“He is a role model to people around the world, athletes and people in general. He is someone that kids should inspire to be like.

“He is such a gentleman outside of the ring, he is so humble. Even in defeat, he is humble enough to keep his head up.

“In victory, he always gives respect and praise to his opponents and that says a lot about a person.”

Ruiz was unable to keep hold of the titles, having admitted he got carried away with celebrations and did not prepare adequately for the rematch in February 2020, which the Briton won on points.

Robles has since split with Ruiz, and the pair have not spoken for several years since pulling off the remarkable feat as a seemingly unbreakable team.

Since this day, AJ has suffered two more defeats to Oleksandr Usyk but has again responded putting together a neat win streak under new coach Ben Davison.

Ruiz is currently outside of the heavyweight world title mix, and despite looking in tremendous shape has not competed for several months.

He returned in 2021 against Chris Arreola picking up a lacklustre points win over the experienced campaigner with many expecting his trajectory to move back upwards again.

However, he has fought just once since against Luis Ortiz in 2023 picking up another points win but has yet to cement his name back in the mix for the world titles.

Ruiz Jr called for a shot against Deontay Wilder prior to the American’s recent defeat to Joseph Parker, but a fight failed to materialise.

Negotiations were underway last year, but despite trading social media pleas, talks never were concluded and the former champion appears to be frozen out for a significant period.

Robles will coach in season two of the fast-growing boxing competition Team Combat League this year.