Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
For anyone still keeping up with former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown outside of the league’s investigation into him, here is the latest.
For anyone still keeping up with former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown outside of the league’s investigation into him, here is the latest.
UFC’s Dana White made it clear that any deal he has with Floyd Mayweather would involve “Money” actually fighting.
When UFC president Dana White and Floyd Mayweather were spotted sitting next to each other at a Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Clippers game on Nov. 20, heads turned in the combat sports world.
Soon thereafter, White was asked about the conversation and subsequent social media posts that seemed to hint at an unknown something. In the media rounds for UFC on ESPN 7 in early December, White elected not to go in depth beyond saying the he talked business with Mayweather.
In a recent interview with ESPN, however, White delved a little deeper.
“We both started talking,” White said. “The easiest way to explain it to you is Floyd and I both feel that we add value to each other, and we’re going to figure something out.
“Some things have to play out, and then I’m going to start talking to (Mayweather’s promoter Al) Hayman maybe this summer and then I’ll have something for Floyd in the fall.”
What would this mean exactly? Mayweather and White collaborating as promoter-promoter? Fighter-promoter? Or something else? Apparently, the undefeated boxer is thinking about another fight.
“Compete,” White said. “The money is in Floyd competing.”
White isn’t fond of crossover fights. But when Mayweather-esque demand is there, White said he’s willing to overlook any hesitation.
“We’ll see,” White said. “We can do some crossover stuff here, or we can do something in boxing. Our last experience, Floyd was actually pretty easy to deal with. Haymon is incredible to deal with. Floyd and I got a handshake deal at the basketball game, and we’ll get the rest figured out.”
He continued, “I don’t love them (crossover fights). … (But) when the demand is there. I felt the demand for McGregor vs. Mayweather, felt it, I knew it would be big, so we started talking. Then once I started to really feel it, that’s when I started to take it serious, and I made an offer. … It will be interesting to see if we start to see that kind of demand again with any kind of crossover fight.”
As we get closer to the Final Bell of the 2010s, let’s take a look at the 10 best.
By now, you know most of the great boxing movies. There’s Rocky, the ultimate battle of uncontested headshot to uncontested headshot against Apollo Creed, or that time he won over the hearts of Russia while defeating Ivan Drago. Humphrey Bogart’s performance in The Harder They Fall was perfect, just as Hitchcock’s imagery and choreographed perfection in The Ring was anything—oddly enough—but silent. And it’s almost impossible not to hoist Raging Bull and Million Dollar Baby atop the “All-Time Boxing Films” list.
Because the genre works so well with audiences, complemented by the rise of documentary films, more and more boxing tales are being produced, including over 10 in this decade.
As we get closer to the Final Bell of the 2010s, let’s take a look at the 10 best.
I.M.B.D. Score: 5.9
Rotten Tomatoes: 69%
So, technically this makes the 11th entry, but what’s a good boxing experience without a solid undercard? China Heavyweight is an interesting look at the rise of boxing in China after the 1959 ban was finally lifted. The documentary follows boxing coach Qi Moxiang and his search for boxing hopefuls who will compete in the Olympics (and beyond). The makeup of the documentary follows a widespread theme boxing film fans are used to experiencing: Rags to Riches.
In this case, it’s a chance for peasant teenagers to escape hardships and obtain something better. With that kind of stakes, director Yung Chang does a beautiful job capturing the all-in desperation each fighter is willing to subject themselves to, with the hopes of one day competing for not just a medal but also the admiration of the country.
Heading into Ruiz vs. Joshua 2, we remember 10 unforgettable heavyweight boxing rematches
The rematch between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua on Saturday is as compelling as it gets because of their first fight.
Ruiz, a replacement opponent known as much for his paunch as his ability, pulled off one of the great upsets by putting Joshua down four times and stopping him in Round 7 on June 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Can Ruiz do it again in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, the site of the rematch? Or will Joshua have made the necessary adjustments and avenge his career-changing setback?
Of course, we can only imagine whether Ruiz-Joshua II will live up to the original. Some sequels are as good or better than the first fight, some fall short.
Here are 10 heavyweight rematches – or third fights – that remain in our consciousness for reasons unique to each of the fights.
Bet $1, WIN $100 in free bets if either Anthony Joshua or Andy Ruiz Jr. get knocked down during their fight Saturday, December 7, 2019. Bet Now!
New customer offer, visit BetMGM for terms and conditions
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OeeCfbahwQ&w=560&h=315]
Date / Location: Sept. 22, 1927 / Chicago
Result of first fight: Tunney UD
Result of rematch: Tunney UD
Background: Tunney, the superior boxer, had no trouble outpointing the once-feared knockout artist to become heavyweight champion in September 1926. Their second meeting – dubbed “The Long Count Fight” – wouldn’t be quite as uneventful. Tunney was winning again after six rounds when, in Round 7, Dempsey put him down with ferocious flurry of punches but Dempsey then made a mistake. He forgot the new rule requiring fighters to go to a neutral corner after a knockdown; instead, he hovered over his wounded prey. The referee got Dempsey to retreat but that process extended the count, allowing Tunney more time to recover. Did he need that time? That debate rages to this day. Tunney won another unanimous decision and Dempsey never fought again.
Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Anthony Joshua weigh-in results heading into their Saturday boxing event.
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Andy Ruiz Jr. (33-1, 22 KOs) and Anthony Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs) have their much-anticipated boxing rematch Saturday, December 7. When they last met, which ended with a seventh-round knockout for an upset win by Ruiz, he weighed 268 pounds while Anthony was 247.75 pounds.
The two boxers checked in for Friday’s weigh-in, resulting in noticeable changes for both.
Ruiz’s trainer, Manny Robles, wanted his boxer to slim down and get in the 250s, per ESPN.com. They had a three-month training period to make it happen compared to a one-month notice last time out. Robles didn’t get his wish when Ruiz hit the scale Friday, as the 6-foot-2 boxer tipped the scales at 283.7 pounds for Ruiz vs. Joshua 2. He was, however, also sporting a sombrero and a shirt during the weigh-in …
Joshua, on the other hand, sports a vastly different physique. He dropped down to 237 pounds for the rematch, almost an 11-pound swing. The 6-foot-6 boxer hasn’t been in that weight range since he fought at 236.5 pounds in a 2014 bout.
During his first two professional fights, Ruiz Jr. fought in the mid-290s, so this weight range isn’t completely foreign to him. That was, however, almost a decade ago.
Per BetMGM, Joshua (-250) enters as the favorite to win the rematch. There is also already talk of a third fight between these two boxers.
Bet $1, WIN $100 in free bets if either Anthony Joshua or Andy Ruiz Jr. get knocked down during their fight Saturday, December 7, 2019. Bet Now!
New customer offer, visit BetMGM for terms and conditions
New to sports betting? -250 odds gives Joshua an implied 71.43% chance to win, which is 2/5 in fractional. A $10 wager on Joshua to win returns just a $4 profit.
Meanwhile, Ruiz Jr. enters as the +188 underdog vs. Joshua, per BetMGM. That’s a 34.72% implied chance of victory. And it’s much more profitable on the betting side, as a $10 wager here returns an $18.80 profit if Ruiz Jr. can make lightning strike twice in six months.
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BetMGM has the odds of this one being a draw at +3300. As for the predicted length of time, the oddsmakers don’t like this one going the full 12 rounds, which has +275 odds on it. Anything less than 12 is the heavily favored oddsmaker point of view, coming in at -400.
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Diriyah, Saudi Arabia at the Diriyah Arena
The event is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. ET with the main event scheduled for 3:45 p.m. ET.
This one comes at you via live stream on DAZN. Subscribe to DAZN now.
If you’re in New Jersey, access BetMGM and take part in their special boxing prop bet.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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The much anticipated Andy Ruiz Jr. vs. Anthony Joshua rematch is here, will Joshua be able to seek revenge after his June loss?
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The boxing world and sports bettors are in for another treat this weekend, as Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua meet in a much-anticipated rematch.
It was just back on June 1st when they last met, which ended with the underdog Ruiz Jr. knocking out Joshua in the seventh round. Ruiz Jr. defied the 11:1 odds against him and came out on top… and, yet, the champion is the underdog again!
Ruiz (33-1, 22 KOs) has won his last four fights and brings the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight championships on the line, while Joshua (22-1, 21 KOs) looks for revenge against the only boxer who has ever beat him.
Per BetMGM, Joshua (-250) enters as the favorite to win the rematch.
Bet $1, WIN $100 in free bets if either Anthony Joshua or Andy Ruiz Jr. get knocked down during their fight Saturday, December 7, 2019. Bet Now!
New customer offer, visit BetMGM for terms and conditions
New to sports betting? -250 odds gives Joshua an implied 71.43% chance to win, which is 2/5 in fractional. A $10 wager on Joshua to win returns just a $4 profit.
Meanwhile, Ruiz Jr. enters as the +188 underdog vs. Joshua, per BetMGM. That’s a 34.72% implied chance of victory. And it’s much more profitable on the betting side, as a $10 wager here returns an $18.80 profit if Ruiz Jr. can make lightning strike twice in six months.
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BetMGM has the odds of this one being a draw at +3300. As for the predicted length of time, the oddsmakers don’t like this one going the full 12 rounds, which has +275 odds on it. Anything less than 12 is the heavily favored oddsmaker point of view, coming in at -400.
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Diriyah, Saudi Arabia at the Diriyah Arena
The event is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. ET with the main event scheduled for 3:45 p.m. ET.
This one comes at you via live stream on DAZN. Subscribe to DAZN now.
If you’re in New Jersey, hit up BetMGM and take part in their special boxing prop bet.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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Previewing Saturday’s Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. heavyweight boxing matchup, with boxing betting odds, picks and best bets
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Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr. will go toe-to-toe for the world WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight championship titles in a rematch of last summer’s stunner at New York’s Madison Square Garden. This time the two will duel in a 15,000-seat open-air stadium in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, dubbed “Clash on the Dunes.” The fight is Saturday with the main event expected to start around 3:45 p.m. ET. This one comes at you via live stream on DAZN.
Joshua (22-1-0, 21 KOs) is back in the ring looking for revenge after his shocking seventh-round loss at Ruiz Jr. (33-1-0, 22 KOs) in June.
Joshua was heavily favored in the first bout, but he was unable to make it through seven rounds. Ruiz Jr. pulled off an upset of historic proportions, similar to Buster Douglas stunning Mike Tyson, Hasim Rahman taking down Lennox Lewis, and Corrie Sanders upending Wladimir Klitschko.
Ruiz Jr. beat Joshua with speed, hurting him early and going in for the kill after some tentativeness and a lack of recovery on the Briton’s part. Joshua was wounded early in the fight, and he seemed to get rattled early due to Ruiz’s lightning speed and the fact he was hurt and unable to recover.
Ruiz might not be an Adonis as far as his physical attributes, and some might expect his cardio not to be up to snuff, but once he gets into the ring he’s all business — and every bit physically fit. In fact, his outstanding speed is a bit surprising considering he appears to be out of shape at first glance.
Bet $1, WIN $100 in free bets if either Anthony Joshua or Andy Ruiz Jr. get knocked down during their fight Saturday, December 7, 2019. Bet Now!
New customer offer, visit BetMGM for terms and conditions
Per BetMGM, Joshua (-250) is a moderate favorite to return the favor against Ruiz Jr. (+188) on the 3-way betting line, with a draw (+3300) also a choice. You might want to avoid that, however, as it is extremely unlikely.
This has trilogy written all over it, and there are already some rumblings from the Ruiz camp that if Joshua scores the win, they would want a Joshua-Ruiz Jr. III bout. Expect that to happen.
Joshua is likely going to be a little more measured and less reckless than the first fight, and you can bet he spent a lot of time on his defense. That might help the fight go a little deeper, although he will still be champing at the bit looking to repay Ruiz for the embarrassing defeat in June, too.
Joshua (+350) at full distance might not be a terrible play, but a wager on Joshua winning in Rounds 7-12 (+250) is a much better bet, and gives you more opportunity. He’ll get the knockout, and his belts back, and you can expect we’ll get a third installment of this series, too.
If you like Joshua for the KO/TKO/technical decision or DQ victory, BetMGM, you’ll have to lay a little money, but not much at (-125). A win on points by Joshua fetches a return of +350, which is a bit enticing, too. It’s a good bet, as mentioned above, to take the knockout instead, however. Joshua should be focused, determined and ready to return the favor. BetMGM has a special prop bet for those looking for the victory via KO or TKO, too.
If you feel the fight will go 12 rounds, with either fighter winning on points (+275), it is a bit of an intriguing play, but it went just seven last time, and Joshua should fire out of the box looking to end it sooner rather than later.
Are you new to sports betting? A $10 wager on Joshua straight up at -250 to win outright would return a $4.00 profit.
My recommendations are playing JOSHUA IN ROUNDS 7-12 (+250), while BETTING HIM STRAIGHT UP on the 3-way fight result line at (-250). I have a hard time seeing Ruiz betting him in two consecutive bouts, especially since that would eliminate the need for a third fight in this series. And let’s face it, boxing loves drama, and there would be none with another Ruiz win.
If you want some action on this title bout or other boxing matches, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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Northern Irish boxing superstar and WBO interim featherweight champion Carl Frampton chats from the UFC Performance Institute as he trains for his upcoming fight with American Tyler McCreary in Las Vegas.
Northern Irish boxing superstar and WBO interim featherweight champion Carl Frampton chats from the UFC Performance Institute as he trains for his upcoming fight with American Tyler McCreary in Las Vegas.
Sports streaming service DAZN has nearly eight million global subscribers, according to a report,
Sports streaming service DAZN is up to nearly 8 million subscribers worldwide, according to a report.
DAZN, which is offered in nine countries, doubled its number of subscribers since June – by roughly four million – after it launched in Brazil and Spain, according to London-based SportsPro Media. DAZN’s key selling point for its international customer base is its rights to European soccer leagues.
DAZN’s U.S. operations account for nearly 10 percent of its global subscriber base, or around 800,000 subscribers, according to SportsPro. DAZN streams boxing, Bellator and a wrap-around Major League Baseball talk show in the U.S, where it launched last year. Its long term plans are presumed to include rights to major sports leagues like the NFL and NBA.
By comparison, it was recently announced that ESPN’s streaming app ESPN+ – which is available only in the U.S. – had surpassed 3.5 million subscribers. That number is expected to spike after the unveiling of Disney+, the streaming app produced by ESPN’s parent company. Along with Hulu, the apps are offered in a bundle at a low cost.
In a recent interview, DAZN’s Executive Chairman John Skipper, who formerly ran ESPN, said the company does not plan to release its subscriber numbers.
Luis Ortiz had comfortably won the first six rounds of the fight, but all it takes is one punch from Deontay Wilder.
Luis Ortiz was beating Deontay Wilder on Saturday night in their heavyweight fight. It was the seventh round, and for a lot of boxing experts, Ortiz had won the first six … and was on his way to winning the seventh.
Wilder looked out of sorts, uncomfortable, not able to handle the technique of Ortiz.
Then Wilder punched him so hard it ended the fight.
This is what Deontay Wilder is really good at doing! And people can knock him for not having any boxing talent, but punching someone extremely hard is a talent.
It also makes the heavyweight division, long irrelevant and now getting back in the spotlight finally, such an interesting one. To hang with Wilder, you can’t just be a good boxer, as Ortiz showed he was on Saturday night. You have to be able to take a Wilder punch.
Here’s a clip of the knockout:
The end. #WilderOrtiz2 #BombZquad pic.twitter.com/jNnv80vDXx
— Ryan Maquiñana (@RMaq28) November 24, 2019
And here was how the boxing world reacted to the fight.
ERASER!!!!!
— _jrosales13. (@J_rosales13) November 24, 2019
I read a lot on here that wilder is rubbish and has no talent but he has his attributes abd he uses them well yes he has freakish power but it’s not as easy as just throwing them and landing he knows how to set them shots up expertly like no other in the division
— Enzo Maccarinelli (@theRealEnzoMac) November 24, 2019
I really need to start betting on my knowledge 🙂 Ortiz was a live opponent, but Deontay’s equalizer is the best in division. The 7th was the 1st rd Ortiz slowed down & that was it … he fought a great fight. Deontay knew it was just a matter of time. He’s now on to a big 2020🥊 pic.twitter.com/6GyVriZGzY
— Audley Harrison MBE (@audleyharrison) November 24, 2019
The one thing Wilder has that is an intangible, is his self-belief. He never thinks he's ever out of a fight.
And with that right handed bomb of his — he isn't#boxing #WilderOrtiz
— Steve Kim (@StevESPNKim) November 24, 2019
I don’t work with the dude anymore, but the “Wilder has no talent” narrative is trash. The ability to destroy an “A” level opponent, with a single punch, at any SECOND of a fight, is a singular, awesome TALENT. Give @BronzeBomber the credit he deserves. He is a scary man. #boxing
— Lou DiBella (@loudibella) November 24, 2019
Ortiz stayed right there at the end of Wilder's jab while looking for a KO thinking he had Wilder hurt. Right hand came after it with surprising speed and that was it. Wilder has the kind of power you can't play against, even if you think you have him hurt
— Patrick Connor (@PatrickMConnor) November 24, 2019
Good finish from Wilder, good fight from Ortiz until that last punch landed. I hope Ortiz is ok. That being said, it’s time for the rematch !
— Andre S.O.G. Ward (@andreward) November 24, 2019
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