Tag: Anthony Young

Weekend Review: Leigh Wood, Alexis Rocha, Luis Lopez all give stirring performances

Weekend Review: Leigh Wood, Alexis Rocha and Luis Alberto Lopez all gave impressive performances on Saturday in separate locations.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNERS
Leigh Wood, Alexis Rocha, Luis Alberto Lopez

Wood, Rocha and Lopez gave impressive performances Saturday in separate locations. Wood (27-3, 16 KOs) stood out. First, he made a bold move by facing Maurcio Lara (26-3-1, 19 KOs) in an immediate rematch after Lara knocked him out in February. And, second, he agreed to go through with the fight even though Lara came in three-plus pounds overweight. The British star’s confidence paid off in a big way. He dropped and outclassed his Mexican counterpart to win a wide decision, regain the 126-pound title he lost in the first fight and reestablish himself as one of the best in his division in Manchester, England. Rocha (23-1, 15 KOs) bolstered his position as a legitimate 147-pound contender by methodically beating up and stopping capable Anthony Young (24-3, 8 KOs) in five rounds in Indio, California. He wants the winner of Terence Crawford-Errol Spence Jr. in his next fight. Could Rocha compete against such superstars? Well, he has earned the right to try. And 126-pound titleholder Lopez (28-2, 16 KOs) looked like a beast against Michael Conlan (18-2, 9 KOs), stopping the two-time Irish Olympian with a single blow in the fifth round in Conlan’s hometown of Belfast. Lopez, an awkward, but efficient offensive fighter, is a threat to anyone in the featherweight division.

RABBIT PUNCHES

The showdown between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. is finally set for July 29 in Las Vegas. I wish the 30-somethings had fought a few years ago but I don’t want to dwell on the negative. They remain two of the best in the business. We should be celebrating. … Some might argue that Lara got what he deserved after missing weight by so much. No excuse is good enough. If you can’t make weight in one division, move up. He’s a dangerous fighter because of his power. He should do well at 130. … Lopez called out his fellow 126-pound champions (Wood, Rey Vargas and Robeisy Ramirez) after his victory. I think he could be a problem for anyone because of his style. … Conlan has been stopped in two of his last four fights. He might be finished as an elite fighter. …

Wood said after his victory that he’d like to face former titleholder Josh Warrington or one of the featherweight champions mentioned above. I would normally push for a title-unification bout but Wood vs. Warrington would be a massive event in the U.K. Remember, Warrington was stopped by Lara in 2021 and lost his belt to Lopez by a majority decision in December. I can see Wood taking that fight and then moving on to a unification bout. … Lawrence Okolie (19-1, 14 KOs) fell hard from the ranks of the unbeaten Saturday in England, losing a majority decision and his 200-pound title to countryman Chris Billam-Smith (18-1, 12 KOs) in a crazy fight. Okolie went down three times and lost two points for holding, which gave him no chance to win the fight. Judge Benjamin Rodriguez somehow scored it 112-112 in spite of the five points Okolie lost. Some have called Rodriguez’s scorecard “the worst of all time.” The other scores were more appropriate, 116-107 and 115-108.

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Weekend Review: Leigh Wood, Alexis Rocha, Luis Lopez all give stirring performances

Weekend Review: Leigh Wood, Alexis Rocha and Luis Alberto Lopez all gave impressive performances on Saturday in separate locations.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNERS
Leigh Wood, Alexis Rocha, Luis Alberto Lopez

Wood, Rocha and Lopez gave impressive performances Saturday in separate locations. Wood (27-3, 16 KOs) stood out. First, he made a bold move by facing Maurcio Lara (26-3-1, 19 KOs) in an immediate rematch after Lara knocked him out in February. And, second, he agreed to go through with the fight even though Lara came in three-plus pounds overweight. The British star’s confidence paid off in a big way. He dropped and outclassed his Mexican counterpart to win a wide decision, regain the 126-pound title he lost in the first fight and reestablish himself as one of the best in his division in Manchester, England. Rocha (23-1, 15 KOs) bolstered his position as a legitimate 147-pound contender by methodically beating up and stopping capable Anthony Young (24-3, 8 KOs) in five rounds in Indio, California. He wants the winner of Terence Crawford-Errol Spence Jr. in his next fight. Could Rocha compete against such superstars? Well, he has earned the right to try. And 126-pound titleholder Lopez (28-2, 16 KOs) looked like a beast against Michael Conlan (18-2, 9 KOs), stopping the two-time Irish Olympian with a single blow in the fifth round in Conlan’s hometown of Belfast. Lopez, an awkward, but efficient offensive fighter, is a threat to anyone in the featherweight division.

RABBIT PUNCHES

The showdown between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. is finally set for July 29 in Las Vegas. I wish the 30-somethings had fought a few years ago but I don’t want to dwell on the negative. They remain two of the best in the business. We should be celebrating. … Some might argue that Lara got what he deserved after missing weight by so much. No excuse is good enough. If you can’t make weight in one division, move up. He’s a dangerous fighter because of his power. He should do well at 130. … Lopez called out his fellow 126-pound champions (Wood, Rey Vargas and Robeisy Ramirez) after his victory. I think he could be a problem for anyone because of his style. … Conlan has been stopped in two of his last four fights. He might be finished as an elite fighter. …

Wood said after his victory that he’d like to face former titleholder Josh Warrington or one of the featherweight champions mentioned above. I would normally push for a title-unification bout but Wood vs. Warrington would be a massive event in the U.K. Remember, Warrington was stopped by Lara in 2021 and lost his belt to Lopez by a majority decision in December. I can see Wood taking that fight and then moving on to a unification bout. … Lawrence Okolie (19-1, 14 KOs) fell hard from the ranks of the unbeaten Saturday in England, losing a majority decision and his 200-pound title to countryman Chris Billam-Smith (18-1, 12 KOs) in a crazy fight. Okolie went down three times and lost two points for holding, which gave him no chance to win the fight. Judge Benjamin Rodriguez somehow scored it 112-112 in spite of the five points Okolie lost. Some have called Rodriguez’s scorecard “the worst of all time.” The other scores were more appropriate, 116-107 and 115-108.

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Alexis Rocha makes strong statement by dominating, stopping Anthony Young in fifth

Welterweight contender Alexis Rocha made a strong statement by dominating and then stopping Anthony Young in the fifth round on Saturday.

Alexis Rocha delivered a brutal beatdown Saturday in Indio, California.

The 147-pounder contender capped a dominating performance by stopping overmatched Anthony Young in the fifth round of a scheduled 12-rounder at Fantasy Springs Casino.

Roach (23-1, 15 KOs) bolstered his position as the WBO’s No. 1 contender, behind only champion Terence Crawford.

“I’m very hard on myself,” he said. “.. I give  myself about a ‘C’.” I still know I can develop a lot more. And we’re going to go from here.”

Everyone else would’ve given him a better grade.

The lefthander broke down Young (24-3, 8 KOs) with effective pressure, pounding his body incessantly and connecting on one powerful left to the head after another.

Young had success countering here and there but he couldn’t keep Rocha off of him and couldn’t avoid the winner’s big bombs.

The end came in an instant when Rocha landed a hard left that sent Young into the ropes and onto the canvas. He was able to get up but referee Thomas Taylor stopped the fight after looking Young in the eyes.

The official time of the stoppage was 2:15 of Round 5.

Rocha will have to wait to get Crawford into the ring. The titleholder is set to face Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed welterweight championship on July 29 in Las Vegas.

Rocha will be an interested observer.

“I’m the WBO mandatory,” he said. “I want the winner [of Crawford-Spence] next. And that’s it.”

Alexis Rocha makes strong statement by dominating, stopping Anthony Young in fifth

Welterweight contender Alexis Rocha made a strong statement by dominating and then stopping Anthony Young in the fifth round on Saturday.

Alexis Rocha delivered a brutal beatdown Saturday in Indio, California.

The 147-pounder contender capped a dominating performance by stopping overmatched Anthony Young in the fifth round of a scheduled 12-rounder at Fantasy Springs Casino.

Roach (23-1, 15 KOs) bolstered his position as the WBO’s No. 1 contender, behind only champion Terence Crawford.

“I’m very hard on myself,” he said. “.. I give  myself about a ‘C’.” I still know I can develop a lot more. And we’re going to go from here.”

Everyone else would’ve given him a better grade.

The lefthander broke down Young (24-3, 8 KOs) with effective pressure, pounding his body incessantly and connecting on one powerful left to the head after another.

Young had success countering here and there but he couldn’t keep Rocha off of him and couldn’t avoid the winner’s big bombs.

The end came in an instant when Rocha landed a hard left that sent Young into the ropes and onto the canvas. He was able to get up but referee Thomas Taylor stopped the fight after looking Young in the eyes.

The official time of the stoppage was 2:15 of Round 5.

Rocha will have to wait to get Crawford into the ring. The titleholder is set to face Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed welterweight championship on July 29 in Las Vegas.

Rocha will be an interested observer.

“I’m the WBO mandatory,” he said. “I want the winner [of Crawford-Spence] next. And that’s it.”

Fight Week: Mauricio Lara vs. Leigh Wood II highlights busy weekend

Fight Week: Mauricio Lara vs. Leigh Wood II highlights busy weekend.

FIGHT WEEK

Mauricio Lara will defend his 126-pound title against Leigh Wood on Saturday in a rematch of their February bout, which Lara won by KO. Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Michael Conlan and Alexis Rocha vs. Anthony Young also are on tap.

MAURICIO LARA (26-2-1, 19 KOS)
VS. LEIGH WOOD (26-3, 16 KOS)

  • When: Saturday, May 27
  • Time: 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: AO Arena, Manchester, England
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Featherweight (126 pounds)
  • At stake: Lara’s WBA title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Lara 2½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Jack Catterall vs. Darragh Foley, junior welterweights; Terri Harper vs. Ivana Habazin, junior middleweights (for Harper’s WBA title); Danny Ball vs. Jamie Robinson, welterweights
  • Prediction: Lara KO 5
  • Background: Lara has become a Brit killer. The 25-year-old Mexican knocked out Josh Warrington in 2021 in London to burst upon the boxing scene, after which the two fought to technical draw when Lara suffered a bad cut. That led to a shot at Wood’s title in February, when Lara stopped Wood with a monstrous left hook in the seventh round of a fight the loser was winning on the cards. Wood gets a second chance on Saturday. The 34-year-old from Nottingham delivered the performance of his career in March of last year, putting Michael Conlan through the ropes for a spectacular 12th-round knockout in defense of his belt. And he did well against Lara even though he was cut in the opening round. However, a left hook to Wood’s chin put him down and hurt him badly. He was able to get up on unsteady legs but his trainer threw in the towel.

 

LUIS ALBERTO LOPEZ (27-2, 15 KOS)
VS. MICHAEL CONLAN (18-1, 9 KOS)

  • When: Saturday, May 27
  • Time: 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: SSE Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland
  • TV/Stream: ESPN+
  • Division: Featherweight (126 pounds)
  • At stake: Lopez’s IBF title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Even (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Anthony Cacace vs. Damian Wrzesinski, junior lightweights; Nick Ball vs. Ludumo Lamati, featherweights; Pierce O’Leary vs. Alin Florin Ciorceri, junior welterweights
  • Prediction: Lopez SD
  • Background: Lopez is coming off a break-through victory, withstanding a late rally by Josh Warrington to win a majority decision and his first major title last December in England. The 29-year-old Mexican, a skillful boxer-puncher, has won 10 consecutive fights (seven by knockout) since he was outpointed by Ruben Villa in May 2019. Conlan, a 31-year-old Irishman, bounced back from his knockout loss to Leigh Wood in March of last year by outpointing Miguel Marriaga in August and stopping Karim Guerfi in the first round in December. The 2012 Olympic bronze medalist and a participant in the 2016 Games is a polished boxer but has yet to establish himself as a top-tier champion.

 

ALEXIS ROCHA (22-1, 14 KOS)
VS. ANTHONY YOUNG (24-2, 8 KOS)

  • When: Saturday, May 27
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Fantasy Springs, Indio, California
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Welterweight (147 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Melvin Jerusalem vs. Oscar Collazo, strawweights (for Jerusalem’s WBO title); Oscar Duarte vs. D’Angelo Keyes, lightweights; John Ramirez vs. Fernando Diaz, junior bantamweights
  • Prediction: Rocha UD
  • Background: Rocha has established himself as a legitimate 147-pound contender by winning seven consecutive fights since he was outpointed by slick Rashidi Ellis in October 2020. The 25-year-old from the Los Angeles area is ranked No. 1 by the WBO, below only champion and pound-for-pounder Terence Crawford. Young is a skillful technician from Atlantic City, New Jersey. The 35-year-old hasn’t lost a fight since 2016. His biggest victory was a third-round knockout of former 154-pound titleholder Sadam Ali in May 2019, Ali’s last fight. Rocha will be his toughest opponent since that fight. Young is ranked No. 8 by the WBO.

 

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

FRIDAY

  • Kevin Hayler Brown vs. Julian Smith, junior welterweights, Orlando, Florida (DAZN)

SATURDAY

  • Lawrence Okolie vs. Chris Billam-Smith, cruiserweights (for Okolie’s WBO title), Bournemouth, England (no TV in U.S.)
  • Sukhdeep Singh Bhatti vs. Sagar Narwat, junior middleweights, Brampton, Canada (DAZN)
  • Lani Daniels vs. Alrie Meleisea, heavyweights (for vacant IBF title), North Shore, New Zealand (FITE)

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Fight Week: Mauricio Lara vs. Leigh Wood II highlights busy weekend

Fight Week: Mauricio Lara vs. Leigh Wood II highlights busy weekend.

FIGHT WEEK

Mauricio Lara will defend his 126-pound title against Leigh Wood on Saturday in a rematch of their February bout, which Lara won by KO. Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Michael Conlan and Alexis Rocha vs. Anthony Young also are on tap.

MAURICIO LARA (26-2-1, 19 KOS)
VS. LEIGH WOOD (26-3, 16 KOS)

  • When: Saturday, May 27
  • Time: 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: AO Arena, Manchester, England
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Featherweight (126 pounds)
  • At stake: Lara’s WBA title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Lara 2½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Jack Catterall vs. Darragh Foley, junior welterweights; Terri Harper vs. Ivana Habazin, junior middleweights (for Harper’s WBA title); Danny Ball vs. Jamie Robinson, welterweights
  • Prediction: Lara KO 5
  • Background: Lara has become a Brit killer. The 25-year-old Mexican knocked out Josh Warrington in 2021 in London to burst upon the boxing scene, after which the two fought to technical draw when Lara suffered a bad cut. That led to a shot at Wood’s title in February, when Lara stopped Wood with a monstrous left hook in the seventh round of a fight the loser was winning on the cards. Wood gets a second chance on Saturday. The 34-year-old from Nottingham delivered the performance of his career in March of last year, putting Michael Conlan through the ropes for a spectacular 12th-round knockout in defense of his belt. And he did well against Lara even though he was cut in the opening round. However, a left hook to Wood’s chin put him down and hurt him badly. He was able to get up on unsteady legs but his trainer threw in the towel.

 

LUIS ALBERTO LOPEZ (27-2, 15 KOS)
VS. MICHAEL CONLAN (18-1, 9 KOS)

  • When: Saturday, May 27
  • Time: 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: SSE Arena, Belfast, Northern Ireland
  • TV/Stream: ESPN+
  • Division: Featherweight (126 pounds)
  • At stake: Lopez’s IBF title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Even (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Anthony Cacace vs. Damian Wrzesinski, junior lightweights; Nick Ball vs. Ludumo Lamati, featherweights; Pierce O’Leary vs. Alin Florin Ciorceri, junior welterweights
  • Prediction: Lopez SD
  • Background: Lopez is coming off a break-through victory, withstanding a late rally by Josh Warrington to win a majority decision and his first major title last December in England. The 29-year-old Mexican, a skillful boxer-puncher, has won 10 consecutive fights (seven by knockout) since he was outpointed by Ruben Villa in May 2019. Conlan, a 31-year-old Irishman, bounced back from his knockout loss to Leigh Wood in March of last year by outpointing Miguel Marriaga in August and stopping Karim Guerfi in the first round in December. The 2012 Olympic bronze medalist and a participant in the 2016 Games is a polished boxer but has yet to establish himself as a top-tier champion.

 

ALEXIS ROCHA (22-1, 14 KOS)
VS. ANTHONY YOUNG (24-2, 8 KOS)

  • When: Saturday, May 27
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Fantasy Springs, Indio, California
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Welterweight (147 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Melvin Jerusalem vs. Oscar Collazo, strawweights (for Jerusalem’s WBO title); Oscar Duarte vs. D’Angelo Keyes, lightweights; John Ramirez vs. Fernando Diaz, junior bantamweights
  • Prediction: Rocha UD
  • Background: Rocha has established himself as a legitimate 147-pound contender by winning seven consecutive fights since he was outpointed by slick Rashidi Ellis in October 2020. The 25-year-old from the Los Angeles area is ranked No. 1 by the WBO, below only champion and pound-for-pounder Terence Crawford. Young is a skillful technician from Atlantic City, New Jersey. The 35-year-old hasn’t lost a fight since 2016. His biggest victory was a third-round knockout of former 154-pound titleholder Sadam Ali in May 2019, Ali’s last fight. Rocha will be his toughest opponent since that fight. Young is ranked No. 8 by the WBO.

 

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

FRIDAY

  • Kevin Hayler Brown vs. Julian Smith, junior welterweights, Orlando, Florida (DAZN)

SATURDAY

  • Lawrence Okolie vs. Chris Billam-Smith, cruiserweights (for Okolie’s WBO title), Bournemouth, England (no TV in U.S.)
  • Sukhdeep Singh Bhatti vs. Sagar Narwat, junior middleweights, Brampton, Canada (DAZN)
  • Lani Daniels vs. Alrie Meleisea, heavyweights (for vacant IBF title), North Shore, New Zealand (FITE)

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Alexis Rocha vs. George Ashie: date, time, how to watch, background

Alexis Rocha vs. George Ashie: date, time, how to watch, background.

Welterweight contender Alexis Rocha will face late replacement George Ashie on Saturday in Inglewood, California (DAZN).

ALEXIS ROCHA (21-1, 13 KOS) VS. GEORGE ASHIE (33-5-1, 25 KOs)

  • Date: Saturday, Jan. 28
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: YouTube Theater, Inglewood, California
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Welterweight (147 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Floyd Schofield vs. Alberto Mercado, lightweights; Bektemir Melikuziev vs. Daniel Terry, super middleweights; Oscar Collazo vs. Yudel Reyes, strawweights
  • Prediction: Rocha UD
  • Background: Rocha has won five consecutive fights since he lost a unanimous decision to slick Rashidi Ellis in 2020, a streak that has lifted into the rankings of two of the four major sanctioning bodies. He’s the WBO’s No. 3 contender, behind only titleholder Terence Crawford, Vergil Ortiz and Keith Thurman. The 25-year-old boxer-puncher from Orange County, California, is coming off a near-shutout decision over Jesus Antonio Perez Campos last October. Ashie agreed to fight Rocha early this week after original opponent Anthony Young was removed from the card. Ashie has fought primarily in his native Ghana. The 38-year-old has won five consecutive fights — all in Ghana — since he lost a close decision to Irishman Stephen Ormond in 2018 in Scotland. He last fought in March of last year, when he countryman Robert Quaye in eight rounds in Accra.

Alexis Rocha vs. George Ashie: date, time, how to watch, background

Alexis Rocha vs. George Ashie: date, time, how to watch, background.

Welterweight contender Alexis Rocha will face late replacement George Ashie on Saturday in Inglewood, California (DAZN).

ALEXIS ROCHA (21-1, 13 KOS) VS. GEORGE ASHIE (33-5-1, 25 KOs)

  • Date: Saturday, Jan. 28
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: YouTube Theater, Inglewood, California
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Welterweight (147 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Floyd Schofield vs. Alberto Mercado, lightweights; Bektemir Melikuziev vs. Daniel Terry, super middleweights; Oscar Collazo vs. Yudel Reyes, strawweights
  • Prediction: Rocha UD
  • Background: Rocha has won five consecutive fights since he lost a unanimous decision to slick Rashidi Ellis in 2020, a streak that has lifted into the rankings of two of the four major sanctioning bodies. He’s the WBO’s No. 3 contender, behind only titleholder Terence Crawford, Vergil Ortiz and Keith Thurman. The 25-year-old boxer-puncher from Orange County, California, is coming off a near-shutout decision over Jesus Antonio Perez Campos last October. Ashie agreed to fight Rocha early this week after original opponent Anthony Young was removed from the card. Ashie has fought primarily in his native Ghana. The 38-year-old has won five consecutive fights — all in Ghana — since he lost a close decision to Irishman Stephen Ormond in 2018 in Scotland. He last fought in March of last year, when he countryman Robert Quaye in eight rounds in Accra.

Fight Week: Can Artur Beterbiev keep KO streak alive against Anthony Yarde?

Fight Week: Can Artur Beterbiev keep his knockout streak alive against Anthony Yarde on Saturday in London?

FIGHT WEEK

Unified 175-pound titleholder Artur Beterbiev will defend his belts and seek his 19th knockout in as many fights against Anthony Yarde on Saturday in London (ESPN+).

ARTUR BETERBIEV (18-0, 18 KOS) VS. ANTHONY YARDE (23-2, 22 KOS)

  • When: Saturday, Jan. 28
  • Time: 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: OVO Arena Wembley, London
  • TV/Stream: ESPN+
  • Division: Light heavyweights (175 pounds)
  • At stake: Beterbiev’s IBF, WBC and WBO titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Beterbiev No. 12
  • Odds: Beterbiev 7-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Artem Dalakian vs. David Jimenez, flyweights (for Dalakian’s WBA title); Willy Hutchinson vs. Emil Markic, light heavyweights; Karol Itauma vs. Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna, light heavyweights
  • Prediction: Beterbiev KO 8
  • Background: Beterbiev and Yarde have knocked out a combined 40 of their 41 victims, a clear indication that both men have unusual punching power. The problem for Yarde could be that Beterbiev has been stopping a higher level of opposition. The 38-year-old Russian won his first title against Enrico Koelling in 2017 and has added two more belts since, all in a span of seven fights. The two-time Olympian is coming off a second-round knockout of Joe Smith Jr. in a title-unification showdown last June. Yarde, a 31-year-old Londoner, was outboxed and then stopped by then-beltholder Sergey Kovalev in his first title fight in 2019. He’s 6-1 since, including an upset split-decision setback against Lyndon Arthur in 2020. He avenged that loss by stopping Arthur in four rounds in their rematch the following year. He followed that with another stoppage of Stefani Koykov last November, his most-recent fight. The Beterbiev-Yarde fight was originally scheduled for October but was pushed back because the champion was injured.

 

ALEXIS ROCHA (21-1, 13 KOS) VS. GEORGE ASHIE (33-5-1, 25 KOS)

Editor’s note: This preview was updated after original opponent Anthony Young was pulled from the card.

  • When: Saturday, Jan. 28
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: YouTube Theater, Inglewood, California
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Welterweight (147 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Floyd Schofield vs. Alberto Mercado, lightweights; Bektemir Melikuziev vs. Daniel Terry, super middleweights; Oscar Collazo vs. Yudel Reyes, strawweights
  • Prediction: Rocha UD
  • Background: Rocha has won five consecutive fights since he lost a unanimous decision to slick Rashidi Ellis in 2020, a streak that has lifted into the rankings of two of the four major sanctioning bodies. He’s the WBO’s No. 3 contender, behind only titleholder Terence Crawford, Vergil Ortiz and Keith Thurman. The 25-year-old boxer-puncher from Orange County, California, is coming off a near-shutout decision over Jesus Antonio Perez Campos last October. Ashie agreed to fight Rocha early this week after original opponent Anthony Young was removed from the card. Ashie has fought primarily in his native Ghana. The 38-year-old has won five consecutive fights — all in Ghana — since he lost a close decision to Irishman Stephen Ormond in 2018 in Scotland. He last fought in March of last year, when he countryman Robert Quaye in eight rounds in Accra.

 

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

WEDNESDAY

  • Cesar Francis vs. Jesus Sarocho, junior welterweights, Plant City, Florida (ProBox).

FRIDAY

  • Serhii Bohachuk vs. Nathaniel Gallimore, junior middleweights, Montebello, California (UFC Fight Pass).

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Fight Week: Can Artur Beterbiev keep KO streak alive against Anthony Yarde?

Fight Week: Can Artur Beterbiev keep his knockout streak alive against Anthony Yarde on Saturday in London?

FIGHT WEEK

Unified 175-pound titleholder Artur Beterbiev will defend his belts and seek his 19th knockout in as many fights against Anthony Yarde on Saturday in London (ESPN+).

ARTUR BETERBIEV (18-0, 18 KOS) VS. ANTHONY YARDE (23-2, 22 KOS)

  • When: Saturday, Jan. 28
  • Time: 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: OVO Arena Wembley, London
  • TV/Stream: ESPN+
  • Division: Light heavyweights (175 pounds)
  • At stake: Beterbiev’s IBF, WBC and WBO titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Beterbiev No. 12
  • Odds: Beterbiev 7-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Artem Dalakian vs. David Jimenez, flyweights (for Dalakian’s WBA title); Willy Hutchinson vs. Emil Markic, light heavyweights; Karol Itauma vs. Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna, light heavyweights
  • Prediction: Beterbiev KO 8
  • Background: Beterbiev and Yarde have knocked out a combined 40 of their 41 victims, a clear indication that both men have unusual punching power. The problem for Yarde could be that Beterbiev has been stopping a higher level of opposition. The 38-year-old Russian won his first title against Enrico Koelling in 2017 and has added two more belts since, all in a span of seven fights. The two-time Olympian is coming off a second-round knockout of Joe Smith Jr. in a title-unification showdown last June. Yarde, a 31-year-old Londoner, was outboxed and then stopped by then-beltholder Sergey Kovalev in his first title fight in 2019. He’s 6-1 since, including an upset split-decision setback against Lyndon Arthur in 2020. He avenged that loss by stopping Arthur in four rounds in their rematch the following year. He followed that with another stoppage of Stefani Koykov last November, his most-recent fight. The Beterbiev-Yarde fight was originally scheduled for October but was pushed back because the champion was injured.

 

ALEXIS ROCHA (21-1, 13 KOS) VS. GEORGE ASHIE (33-5-1, 25 KOS)

Editor’s note: This preview was updated after original opponent Anthony Young was pulled from the card.

  • When: Saturday, Jan. 28
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: YouTube Theater, Inglewood, California
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Welterweight (147 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Floyd Schofield vs. Alberto Mercado, lightweights; Bektemir Melikuziev vs. Daniel Terry, super middleweights; Oscar Collazo vs. Yudel Reyes, strawweights
  • Prediction: Rocha UD
  • Background: Rocha has won five consecutive fights since he lost a unanimous decision to slick Rashidi Ellis in 2020, a streak that has lifted into the rankings of two of the four major sanctioning bodies. He’s the WBO’s No. 3 contender, behind only titleholder Terence Crawford, Vergil Ortiz and Keith Thurman. The 25-year-old boxer-puncher from Orange County, California, is coming off a near-shutout decision over Jesus Antonio Perez Campos last October. Ashie agreed to fight Rocha early this week after original opponent Anthony Young was removed from the card. Ashie has fought primarily in his native Ghana. The 38-year-old has won five consecutive fights — all in Ghana — since he lost a close decision to Irishman Stephen Ormond in 2018 in Scotland. He last fought in March of last year, when he countryman Robert Quaye in eight rounds in Accra.

 

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

WEDNESDAY

  • Cesar Francis vs. Jesus Sarocho, junior welterweights, Plant City, Florida (ProBox).

FRIDAY

  • Serhii Bohachuk vs. Nathaniel Gallimore, junior middleweights, Montebello, California (UFC Fight Pass).

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