Tag: Chris Eubank Jr.

Fight Week: Mike Garcia returns after 20 months to face obscure foe

FIGHT WEEK MIKEY GARCIA RETURNS AFTER A 20-MONTH LAYOFF TO FACE SANDOR MARTIN OF SPAIN ON SATURDAY. ALSO, ON FRIDAY, EMANUEL NAVARRETE WILL DEFEND HIS TITLE AGAINST JOET GONZALEZ. *** EMANUEL NAVARRETE (34-1, 29 KOs) VS. JOET GONZALEZ (24-1, 14 KOs) …

FIGHT WEEK

MIKEY GARCIA RETURNS AFTER A 20-MONTH LAYOFF TO FACE SANDOR MARTIN OF SPAIN ON SATURDAY. ALSO, ON FRIDAY, EMANUEL NAVARRETE WILL DEFEND HIS TITLE AGAINST JOET GONZALEZ.

***

EMANUEL NAVARRETE (34-1, 29 KOs) VS. JOET GONZALEZ (24-1, 14 KOs)

  • When: Friday, Oct. 15
  • Where: Pechanga Arena, San Diego
  • TV/Stream: ESPN+
  • Division: Featherweights
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Giovani Santillan vs. Angel Ruiz, welterweights
  • Prediction: Navarrete UD
  • Background: Navarrete is a two-division titleholder who will be making the second defense of his 126-pound belt, which he won by outpointing Ruben Villa when the title was vacant. The swarming volume puncher from Mexico City, who gradually wears his opponents down, established himself as an elite fighter by defeating Isaac Dogboe in consecutive fights in 2018 (UD) and 2019 (TKO 12). The first one was for the WBO 122-pound title. He successfully defended that belt five times before moving up to featherweight. The 26-year-old is coming off a 12th-round TKO of Christopher Diaz in April, a fight he was winning by a large margin at the time of the stoppage. Navarrete’s only loss came in his sixth pro fight, more than nine years ago. Gonzalez, a 27-year-old product of Los Angeles, might be best known for losing a wide decision to talented Shakur Stevenson in a fight for the vacant WBO 126-pound title, which Stevenson immediately vacated. However, Gonzalez is a good all-around fighter. He rebounded from the loss to Stevenson by easily outpoint veteran Miguel Marriaga and has other victories over solid opponents.

***

MIKEY GARCIA (40-1, 30 KOs) VS. SANDOR MARTIN (38-2, 13 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Oct. 16
  • Where: Chukchansi Park, Fresno
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Welterweights
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Garcia No. 11
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Elwin Soto vs. Jonathan Gonzalez, junior flyweights (for Soto’s WBO title); Esteban Bermudez vs. Jesse Rodriguez, junior flyweights
  • Prediction: Garcia KO 7
  • Background: Garcia was a prime candidate to face Manny Pacquiao but the Filipino star ended up fighting Yordenis Ugas. Then the former four-division titleholder was in talks to face Regis Prograis in what would’ve been a major fight but it didn’t happen. So now, just to keep busy, he’ll face a relatively unknown Spaniard and seek bigger and better challenges afterward. Garcia, 33, bounced back from his one-sided loss to Errol Spence Jr. in March 2019 to defeat veteran Jessie Vargas by a convincing decision in February of last year. That was his most-recent fight, meaning he will have been out of the ring for almost 20 months. He is ranked No. 3 by the WBO and No. 4 by the WBC. Martin, a 28-year-old from Barcelona, has a lot working against him. He has never faced anyone near Garcia’s ability, he’ll be fighting outside of Europe for the first time and he’s moving up in weight for the fight. He has won nine consecutive fights since losing a decision to Anthony Yigit in 2017 – including a decision over Kay Prospere in April, his last fight – but the streak figures to end in Fresno. On the undercard, Elwin Soto (19-1, 13 KOs) of Mexico will make the fourth defense of his WBO junior flyweight title against Puerto Rican resident Jonathan Gonzalez (24-3-1, 14 KOs).

Also fighting this weekend:

THURSDAY

  • Manuel Gallegos (18-1, 15 KOs) of Mexico will face countryman Gabriel Lopez (10-5-1, 7 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round super middleweight fight in Los Mochis, Mexico (UFC Fight Pass).

FRIDAY

  • Santiago Dominguez (24-0, 18 KOs) of Mexico will take on Jesus Antonio Rubio (13-4-1, 7 KOs), also of Mexico, in a scheduled 10-round welterweight bout in Los Mochis (UFC Fight Pass).

SATURDAY

  • IBF cruiserweight titleholder Mairis Briedis (27-1, 19 KOs) will defend his belt against Artur Mann (17-1, 9 KOs) of Kazakhstan in Riga, Latvia, Briedis’ home country.
  • Hughie Fury (25-3, 14 KOs) of England will face Christian Hammer (26-7, 16 KOs) of Romania in a scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout in Newcastle, England (Sky Sports in the U.K.). Also on that card, WBO middleweight titleholder Savannah Marshall (10-0, 8 KOs) of England will defend her belt against Lolita Muzeya (16-0, 8 KOs) of Zambia. And Chris Eubank Jr. (30-2, 22 KOs) of England will face Wanik Awdijan (28-1, 11 KOs) of Armenia in a scheduled 10-round middleweight bout.
  • New Yorker Cletus Seldin (25-1, 21 KOs) will fight William Silva (28-3, 16 KOs) of Brazil in a scheduled 10-round junior welterweight bout at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (FITE).

David Avanesyan takes out Liam Taylor in two rounds

David Avanesyan knocked out Liam Taylor in two rounds Saturday in London.

David Avanesyan took advantage of a significant opportunity on Saturday at The SSE Arena in London.

The U.K.-based Russian’s fight against Liam Taylor was elevated to main event status on the Sky Sports card when Anatoli Muratov had to pull out of his fight against Chris Eubank Jr. because of unspecified issues with his medicals.

And Avaneysan shined, taking out Taylor in the second round of their scheduled 12-round welterweight bout.

Avanesyan (28-3-1, 16 KOs) forced Taylor (23-2-1, 11 KOs) to take a knee with a hard right hand in the opening round. And, in the second, a brutal three-punch combination from Avanesyan with Taylor’s back against the ropes prompted referee Mark Lyson to stop the fight.

The official time of the stoppage was 2:18 of Round 2.

Avanesyan, ranked by two of the four major sanctioning bodies, has now won five consecutive fights since he was stopped in six rounds by Egidijus Kavaliauskas in 2018.

Promoters were unable to find a substitute from Muratov at the last minute.

David Avanesyan takes out Liam Taylor in two rounds

David Avanesyan knocked out Liam Taylor in two rounds Saturday in London.

David Avanesyan took advantage of a significant opportunity on Saturday at The SSE Arena in London.

The U.K.-based Russian’s fight against Liam Taylor was elevated to main event status on the Sky Sports card when Anatoli Muratov had to pull out of his fight against Chris Eubank Jr. because of unspecified issues with his medicals.

And Avaneysan shined, taking out Taylor in the second round of their scheduled 12-round welterweight bout.

Avanesyan (28-3-1, 16 KOs) forced Taylor (23-2-1, 11 KOs) to take a knee with a hard right hand in the opening round. And, in the second, a brutal three-punch combination from Avanesyan with Taylor’s back against the ropes prompted referee Mark Lyson to stop the fight.

The official time of the stoppage was 2:18 of Round 2.

Avanesyan, ranked by two of the four major sanctioning bodies, has now won five consecutive fights since he was stopped in six rounds by Egidijus Kavaliauskas in 2018.

Promoters were unable to find a substitute from Muratov at the last minute.

Chris Eubank Jr.: Improvements with Roy Jones Jr. have been ‘amazing’

Chris Eubank Jr. said that Improvements with trainer Roy Jones Jr. have been “amazing.”

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.

 

Chris Eubank Jr believes he is a much improved fighter after spending time with new trainer Roy Jones Jr, and hopes to earn a fight with Gennadiy Golovkin.

Eubank will face Anatoli Muratov on Saturday at the SSE Arena in London as he attempts to set up a world title bout.

Speaking to Sky Sports , Eubank praised the lessons learned from Jones.

“Me and Roy work great together. I am learning every day, even at the age of 31,” he said. “You saw a little taste of things to come in my fight with Marcus Morrison. But there is a lot more. As each fight comes you will see more improvements, more things that you haven’t seen from me in the past.

“I didn’t know what to expect when I first showed up at his farm. I thought I’d hit the bag for five rounds, shadow-box, skip, see you tomorrow! Someone like Roy, a legend, I didn’t think he would give me his time.

“I was completely wrong. He was onto me 100 percent from the moment I walked in. I was amazed. I knew after the first day: ‘This is the guy I need to spend time with.’ I’ve never had that.

“For most of my career I was left to my own devices. I am responsible and dedicated so I was able to make that work. Some guys need constant reminders. I never needed that, I would do it regardless.

“But having someone there to mesh everything together in the right way has been amazing. Everything has worked out way better than expected.”

Eubank now believes that a long-awaited clash with Golovkin could be made within the next six months.

“The fact that he is a world champion and, in the middleweight division, is the biggest name,” he said. “That fight could have been made years back but didn’t happen. We now have the opportunity to get the fight made. We will get it done within the next six months.

“Styles make fights, it couldn’t be anything other than epic. I throw non-stop punches and he doesn’t fight going backwards. Those styles clashing? What more do you want!

“You see guys in fights just trying to survive. Me and him would get straight into it. These are my last few years to make these fights happen. There are a lot of big names out there.”

[lawrence-related id=24118,19858]

Chris Eubank Jr.: Improvements with Roy Jones Jr. have been ‘amazing’

Chris Eubank Jr. said that Improvements with trainer Roy Jones Jr. have been “amazing.”

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.

 

Chris Eubank Jr believes he is a much improved fighter after spending time with new trainer Roy Jones Jr, and hopes to earn a fight with Gennadiy Golovkin.

Eubank will face Anatoli Muratov on Saturday at the SSE Arena in London as he attempts to set up a world title bout.

Speaking to Sky Sports , Eubank praised the lessons learned from Jones.

“Me and Roy work great together. I am learning every day, even at the age of 31,” he said. “You saw a little taste of things to come in my fight with Marcus Morrison. But there is a lot more. As each fight comes you will see more improvements, more things that you haven’t seen from me in the past.

“I didn’t know what to expect when I first showed up at his farm. I thought I’d hit the bag for five rounds, shadow-box, skip, see you tomorrow! Someone like Roy, a legend, I didn’t think he would give me his time.

“I was completely wrong. He was onto me 100 percent from the moment I walked in. I was amazed. I knew after the first day: ‘This is the guy I need to spend time with.’ I’ve never had that.

“For most of my career I was left to my own devices. I am responsible and dedicated so I was able to make that work. Some guys need constant reminders. I never needed that, I would do it regardless.

“But having someone there to mesh everything together in the right way has been amazing. Everything has worked out way better than expected.”

Eubank now believes that a long-awaited clash with Golovkin could be made within the next six months.

“The fact that he is a world champion and, in the middleweight division, is the biggest name,” he said. “That fight could have been made years back but didn’t happen. We now have the opportunity to get the fight made. We will get it done within the next six months.

“Styles make fights, it couldn’t be anything other than epic. I throw non-stop punches and he doesn’t fight going backwards. Those styles clashing? What more do you want!

“You see guys in fights just trying to survive. Me and him would get straight into it. These are my last few years to make these fights happen. There are a lot of big names out there.”

[lawrence-related id=24118,19858]

Good, bad, worse: Return of Andy Ruiz Jr., Parker vs. Chisora, more

Good, bad, worse: A look back at the return of Andy Ruiz Jr., the grueling Joseph Parker-Derek Chisora fight and more.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NevvImyONeM

Andy Ruiz Jr. wasn’t perfect on Saturday.

The former heavyweight champ was knocked down and hurt in the second round and took more punishment early in his fight against Chris Arreola in Carson, Calif., which had viewers momentarily contemplating the possibility of an upset.

But Ruiz weathered the storm, settled into a groove and controlled the remainder of what turned out to be a one-sided fight. He won 118-109, 118-109 and 117-110.

It was a solid performance given his 17-month layoff, which he said played a role in his early problems.

Ruiz (34-2, 22 KOs) began to turn a competitive fight into his personal showcase in the fifth or sixth round, when he started to land super-quick two- and three-punch combinations and avoid Arreola’s biggest shots.

That was the pattern in the second half of the fight, which allowed Ruiz to run away with the decision.

Ruiz didn’t seem to be pleased with his performance afterward but he probably was being too hard on himself. He shed rust and took a solid step toward another shot at a world title, which was the objective going into the fight.

And he’ll probably look better going forward. He obviously is putting in the work under new trainer Eddy Reynoso, which is how he came in 27.5 pounds lighter than he weighed in the second Joshua fight. Reynoso, one of the hottest trainers in the world, also will continue to polish Ruiz’s already-solid skills.

Andy Ruiz is back.

***

BAD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cexvsqGf7iU

You have to feel for Derek Chisora.

The longtime heavyweight contender has ended up on the wrong side of all four split decisions and one majority decision in his 14-year career, including his setback against Joseph Parker on Saturday in Manchester, England.

He lost split decisions to Dillian Whyte in England, Kubrat Pulev in Germany, Robert Helenius in Finland and now Parker. Plus, he lost a majority decision to Agit Kabayel in Monaco.

Of course, we can argue whether Chisora (32-11, 23 KOs) deserved his fate in those fights but we can agree he was competitive in all of them. You’d think one would’ve gone his way – he certainly does – but none did.

Hence his frustration after the fight on Saturday, which followed a close-decision loss to Oleksandr Usyk in his previous fight.

“I think they don’t like me,” he said.

The good news for Chisora is that he continues to get more opportunities, which should be the case again after a solid performance against the much younger and respected Parker.

He stalked the Kiwi from beginning to end, taking many of Parker’s quick, clean shots but also landing plenty of his own. In particular, Parker couldn’t seem to avoid Chisora’s right-handed bombs, one of which put him down in the opening seconds.

Two judges scored it for Parker (116-111 and 115-113) while the third had Chisora winning (115-113). Boxing Junkie scored it for Parker 115-112, eight rounds to four.

No matter how you saw it, Parker clearly was pushed to his limits.

“He brought the smoke,” Parker said. “If you want to feel it, jump into the ring with him.”

Parker offered Chisora a rematch. Saturday’s loser earned it.

***

WORSE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6Y5x4T9eko&t=37s

Omar Figueroa was excited about what amounted to a fresh start against Abel Ramos on the Ruiz-Arreola undercard.

The former lightweight champ spent a nearly two-year hiatus from boxing reassessing his priorities and letting his body heal from injuries. He seemed to come out the other side of the layoff in a good place both emotionally and physically.

He was in love with boxing again.

Then, when it came time to fight, he simply didn’t have it. Ramos, a rugged fringe contender, took some time to adjust to Figueroa’s awkward style and then proceeded to beat him up for six solid rounds.

Figueroa never stopped trying. He just wasn’t capable of doing anything to stop the assault.

I’ll never forget the image of him on his stool after the sixth round, his head hanging, spitting blood into a bucket. He was a beaten man. His trainer, Joel Diaz, did the right thing by instructing the referee to end the slaughter.

I know I’m not alone when I say that was difficult to witness.

Figueroa was once a good fighter. Between 2015 and 2019, he beat in succession Ricky Burns, Antonio DeMarco, Robert Guerrero and John Molina Jr. He was unbeaten until Yordgenis Ugas outpointed him in July 2019, which he said lifted the pressure of remaining undefeated.

Now he appears to be a shell. I don’t know whether Figueroa will get back into the ring – maybe he’d do better at 140 pounds – but it’s difficult to imagine after what we witnessed on Saturday.

***

RABBIT PUNCHES

Arreola, one of the most-engaging fighters you’ll ever encounter, has acknowledged that he swears too much. But he pushed even his own boundaries when he expressed his frustration over the scoring in a profane, cringe-worthy manner for everyone to hear. We can excuse him, though. To fight your heart out — as he did — and then, from his perspective, receive no respect from the judges must be devastating. Arreola is a good man with a big mouth. … The fight of the night Saturday was Sebastian Fundora vs. Jorge Cota. The junior middleweights went to war from the opening bell and didn’t let up until Cota (30-5, 27 KOs) could take no more at 2:35 of Round 4 on the Ruiz-Arreola card. Fundora (17-0-1, 12 KOs) took more shots that we’re used to seeing but he absorbed them and delivered a beating. No one in boxing is more fun to watch. … Jesus Ramos, the 20-year-old welterweight prospect, easily outpointed former U.S. Olympian Javier Molina (22-4, 9 KOs) on the Ruiz-Arreola card. Ramos (16-0, 14 KOs) can punch and he can also box, as he demonstrated on Saturday. And he fights with poise beyond his years. His goal of winning a world title before he turns 22 doesn’t seem farfetched. … Erislandy Lara (28-3-3, 16 KOs) provided the knockout of the night, stopping Thomas Lamanna (30-5-1, 12 KOs) with a single left hand only 80 seconds into their middleweight fight on the Ruiz-Arreola show. Lara obviously has more to give at 38. … Light heavyweight titleholder Dmitry Bivol (18-0, 11 KOs) looked so-so in his unanimous-decision victory over Craig Richards (16-2-1, 9 KOs) on the Parker-Chisora card. He said afterward that he was satisfied with his performance given the fact he hadn’t fought in almost 19 months. That’s reasonable. … Katie Taylor (18-0, 6 KOs) and Natasha Jonas (9-2-1, 7 KOs) gave fans the most-exciting fight on the Park-Chisora show. Taylor, defending her lightweight titles, won a unanimous decision but she has looked better. Of course, Jonas played a role in that by giving a spirited performance. The Liverpudlian has lost her last two fights – she fell just short against Terri Harper in August – yet enhanced her reputation as one of the best in the business. … Chris Eubank Jr. (30-2, 22 KOs) easily outpointed capable Marcus Morrison (23-4, 16 KOs) on the Parker-Chisora card. Eubank was more solid than spectacular. One thing I liked was his patience, which he evidently learned under the tutelage of trainer Roy Jones Jr. I think Jones is going to bring out the best in Eubank.

[lawrence-related id=19893,19880,19888,19883,19864,19862,19858,19860]

Good, bad, worse: Return of Andy Ruiz Jr., Parker vs. Chisora, more

Good, bad, worse: A look back at the return of Andy Ruiz Jr., the grueling Joseph Parker-Derek Chisora fight and more.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NevvImyONeM

Andy Ruiz Jr. wasn’t perfect on Saturday.

The former heavyweight champ was knocked down and hurt in the second round and took more punishment early in his fight against Chris Arreola in Carson, Calif., which had viewers momentarily contemplating the possibility of an upset.

But Ruiz weathered the storm, settled into a groove and controlled the remainder of what turned out to be a one-sided fight. He won 118-109, 118-109 and 117-110.

It was a solid performance given his 17-month layoff, which he said played a role in his early problems.

Ruiz (34-2, 22 KOs) began to turn a competitive fight into his personal showcase in the fifth or sixth round, when he started to land super-quick two- and three-punch combinations and avoid Arreola’s biggest shots.

That was the pattern in the second half of the fight, which allowed Ruiz to run away with the decision.

Ruiz didn’t seem to be pleased with his performance afterward but he probably was being too hard on himself. He shed rust and took a solid step toward another shot at a world title, which was the objective going into the fight.

And he’ll probably look better going forward. He obviously is putting in the work under new trainer Eddy Reynoso, which is how he came in 27.5 pounds lighter than he weighed in the second Joshua fight. Reynoso, one of the hottest trainers in the world, also will continue to polish Ruiz’s already-solid skills.

Andy Ruiz is back.

***

BAD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cexvsqGf7iU

You have to feel for Derek Chisora.

The longtime heavyweight contender has ended up on the wrong side of all four split decisions and one majority decision in his 14-year career, including his setback against Joseph Parker on Saturday in Manchester, England.

He lost split decisions to Dillian Whyte in England, Kubrat Pulev in Germany, Robert Helenius in Finland and now Parker. Plus, he lost a majority decision to Agit Kabayel in Monaco.

Of course, we can argue whether Chisora (32-11, 23 KOs) deserved his fate in those fights but we can agree he was competitive in all of them. You’d think one would’ve gone his way – he certainly does – but none did.

Hence his frustration after the fight on Saturday, which followed a close-decision loss to Oleksandr Usyk in his previous fight.

“I think they don’t like me,” he said.

The good news for Chisora is that he continues to get more opportunities, which should be the case again after a solid performance against the much younger and respected Parker.

He stalked the Kiwi from beginning to end, taking many of Parker’s quick, clean shots but also landing plenty of his own. In particular, Parker couldn’t seem to avoid Chisora’s right-handed bombs, one of which put him down in the opening seconds.

Two judges scored it for Parker (116-111 and 115-113) while the third had Chisora winning (115-113). Boxing Junkie scored it for Parker 115-112, eight rounds to four.

No matter how you saw it, Parker clearly was pushed to his limits.

“He brought the smoke,” Parker said. “If you want to feel it, jump into the ring with him.”

Parker offered Chisora a rematch. Saturday’s loser earned it.

***

WORSE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6Y5x4T9eko&t=37s

Omar Figueroa was excited about what amounted to a fresh start against Abel Ramos on the Ruiz-Arreola undercard.

The former lightweight champ spent a nearly two-year hiatus from boxing reassessing his priorities and letting his body heal from injuries. He seemed to come out the other side of the layoff in a good place both emotionally and physically.

He was in love with boxing again.

Then, when it came time to fight, he simply didn’t have it. Ramos, a rugged fringe contender, took some time to adjust to Figueroa’s awkward style and then proceeded to beat him up for six solid rounds.

Figueroa never stopped trying. He just wasn’t capable of doing anything to stop the assault.

I’ll never forget the image of him on his stool after the sixth round, his head hanging, spitting blood into a bucket. He was a beaten man. His trainer, Joel Diaz, did the right thing by instructing the referee to end the slaughter.

I know I’m not alone when I say that was difficult to witness.

Figueroa was once a good fighter. Between 2015 and 2019, he beat in succession Ricky Burns, Antonio DeMarco, Robert Guerrero and John Molina Jr. He was unbeaten until Yordgenis Ugas outpointed him in July 2019, which he said lifted the pressure of remaining undefeated.

Now he appears to be a shell. I don’t know whether Figueroa will get back into the ring – maybe he’d do better at 140 pounds – but it’s difficult to imagine after what we witnessed on Saturday.

***

RABBIT PUNCHES

Arreola, one of the most-engaging fighters you’ll ever encounter, has acknowledged that he swears too much. But he pushed even his own boundaries when he expressed his frustration over the scoring in a profane, cringe-worthy manner for everyone to hear. We can excuse him, though. To fight your heart out — as he did — and then, from his perspective, receive no respect from the judges must be devastating. Arreola is a good man with a big mouth. … The fight of the night Saturday was Sebastian Fundora vs. Jorge Cota. The junior middleweights went to war from the opening bell and didn’t let up until Cota (30-5, 27 KOs) could take no more at 2:35 of Round 4 on the Ruiz-Arreola card. Fundora (17-0-1, 12 KOs) took more shots that we’re used to seeing but he absorbed them and delivered a beating. No one in boxing is more fun to watch. … Jesus Ramos, the 20-year-old welterweight prospect, easily outpointed former U.S. Olympian Javier Molina (22-4, 9 KOs) on the Ruiz-Arreola card. Ramos (16-0, 14 KOs) can punch and he can also box, as he demonstrated on Saturday. And he fights with poise beyond his years. His goal of winning a world title before he turns 22 doesn’t seem farfetched. … Erislandy Lara (28-3-3, 16 KOs) provided the knockout of the night, stopping Thomas Lamanna (30-5-1, 12 KOs) with a single left hand only 80 seconds into their middleweight fight on the Ruiz-Arreola show. Lara obviously has more to give at 38. … Light heavyweight titleholder Dmitry Bivol (18-0, 11 KOs) looked so-so in his unanimous-decision victory over Craig Richards (16-2-1, 9 KOs) on the Parker-Chisora card. He said afterward that he was satisfied with his performance given the fact he hadn’t fought in almost 19 months. That’s reasonable. … Katie Taylor (18-0, 6 KOs) and Natasha Jonas (9-2-1, 7 KOs) gave fans the most-exciting fight on the Park-Chisora show. Taylor, defending her lightweight titles, won a unanimous decision but she has looked better. Of course, Jonas played a role in that by giving a spirited performance. The Liverpudlian has lost her last two fights – she fell just short against Terri Harper in August – yet enhanced her reputation as one of the best in the business. … Chris Eubank Jr. (30-2, 22 KOs) easily outpointed capable Marcus Morrison (23-4, 16 KOs) on the Parker-Chisora card. Eubank was more solid than spectacular. One thing I liked was his patience, which he evidently learned under the tutelage of trainer Roy Jones Jr. I think Jones is going to bring out the best in Eubank.

[lawrence-related id=19893,19880,19888,19883,19864,19862,19858,19860]

Avni Yildirim: Big opportunity, big underdog, big dreams

Avni Yildirim plans to shock the world in his title fight against Canelo Alvarez on Saturday in Miami.

Avni Yildirim’s worst night as a professional fighter occurred on Oct. 17, 2017, when Chris Eubank Jr. landed a brutal left hook to knock out the normally rugged Turkish fighter in three rounds.

And both fans and journalists won’t let him forget it.

That fight is one of many reasons Yildirim is given little to no chance of beating super middleweight titleholder Canelo Alvarez on Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami (DAZN).

Yildirm is tired of hearing the name Eubank.

“I want to tell you something,” he told Boxing Junkie on Wednesday. “Many of the journalists want to mention Eubank. That was 3½ years ago. After that, I had many fights. If you want to see my performance, come see it on Saturday.

“… I want to show something to people. I’m here. I’m ready.”

Yildirim (21-2, 12 KOs) has had some success post-Eubank. He won five consecutive fights, albeit against second-tier opposition. And, in his most-recent fight two years ago, he lost a 10-round technical decision against Anthony Dirrell – a fight shortened because of a cut above Dirrell’s left eye — for the then-vacant WBC 168-pound title.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J512f1Omhg

The Dirrell fight might’ve been Yildirim’s best performance given the quality of his opponent. Two judges scored it 96-94 (six rounds to four) while third had Yildirim up 98-92.

Still, Alvarez has climbed to roughly a 30-1 favorite to win the fight as of Wednesday evening, according to BetMGM. In other words, he’s in roughly the same boat as Buster Douglas against Mike Tyson and, later, Evander Holyfield and Tyson.

Yes, he has a chance, however small.

Yildirim’s nickname – “The Robot” – illustrates his come-forward, offense-oriented fighting style. That approach didn’t work against Eubank and it is unlikely to be effective against Alvarez, a hard, accurate puncher.

Yildirim seemed to acknowledge his limitations when he hired respected trainer Joel Diaz to help him prepare for this fight. Two things jumped out at Diaz immediately: He works hard and he listens, which has led to some improvement.

Perhaps you could call him Robot 2.0.

“When Avni came to me for the first time, I was surprised [by] his boxing ability,” Diaz told ESPN. “He had no defense whatsoever. He was a straightforward fighter, taking punches to give punches.

“We dedicated time to him to teach him more defense, more offense, more movement. … [But] I noticed that he was willing to learn. He never complains in the gym.

“I put him through some of the most extreme exercises and he never says no, he never complains. He’s mentally focused. He knows, in front of us, we have a tough task. With group preparation, we can become victorious.

“I am with him 100% from beginning to end.”

The oddsmakers say a Dolphins jersey will be the only prize with which Avni Yildirim leaves Miami. Ed Mulholland / Matchroom Boxing

Beginning to end has been quite some time for Yildirim. He became the mandatory challenger not long after David Benavidez stopped Dirrell to win the WBC title in September 2019, after which Benavidez lost the belt on the scales.

Yildirim then stepped aside so Alvarez could fight Callum Smith for the vacant title on Dec. 19 with the understand that Yildirim would face the winner, although he undoubtedly was also paid X amount for his trouble. Alvarez won a one-sided decision.

So now it’s Yildirim’s turn, a chance – however faint – to realize the dreams he’s had since he first stepped into an Istanbul gym at 13 years old.

The oddsmakers and the doubters in general can go you know where. He isn’t showing up simply for a payday and 15 minutes of fame. His plan is to shock the world, a la Douglas and Holyfield.

“I want to accomplish so many things I my life,” he said. “This fight is needed for that. It’s a great chance for me, to reach my goals. I’m not speaking about money. I’m speaking about honor. I want to be remembered as a superstar in boxing.

“I want to be remembered as a great champion.”

[lawrence-related id=18057,18040,17675]

Avni Yildirim: Big opportunity, big underdog, big dreams

Avni Yildirim plans to shock the world in his title fight against Canelo Alvarez on Saturday in Miami.

Avni Yildirim’s worst night as a professional fighter occurred on Oct. 17, 2017, when Chris Eubank Jr. landed a brutal left hook to knock out the normally rugged Turkish fighter in three rounds.

And both fans and journalists won’t let him forget it.

That fight is one of many reasons Yildirim is given little to no chance of beating super middleweight titleholder Canelo Alvarez on Saturday night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami (DAZN).

Yildirm is tired of hearing the name Eubank.

“I want to tell you something,” he told Boxing Junkie on Wednesday. “Many of the journalists want to mention Eubank. That was 3½ years ago. After that, I had many fights. If you want to see my performance, come see it on Saturday.

“… I want to show something to people. I’m here. I’m ready.”

Yildirim (21-2, 12 KOs) has had some success post-Eubank. He won five consecutive fights, albeit against second-tier opposition. And, in his most-recent fight two years ago, he lost a 10-round technical decision against Anthony Dirrell – a fight shortened because of a cut above Dirrell’s left eye — for the then-vacant WBC 168-pound title.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J512f1Omhg

The Dirrell fight might’ve been Yildirim’s best performance given the quality of his opponent. Two judges scored it 96-94 (six rounds to four) while third had Yildirim up 98-92.

Still, Alvarez has climbed to roughly a 30-1 favorite to win the fight as of Wednesday evening, according to BetMGM. In other words, he’s in roughly the same boat as Buster Douglas against Mike Tyson and, later, Evander Holyfield and Tyson.

Yes, he has a chance, however small.

Yildirim’s nickname – “The Robot” – illustrates his come-forward, offense-oriented fighting style. That approach didn’t work against Eubank and it is unlikely to be effective against Alvarez, a hard, accurate puncher.

Yildirim seemed to acknowledge his limitations when he hired respected trainer Joel Diaz to help him prepare for this fight. Two things jumped out at Diaz immediately: He works hard and he listens, which has led to some improvement.

Perhaps you could call him Robot 2.0.

“When Avni came to me for the first time, I was surprised [by] his boxing ability,” Diaz told ESPN. “He had no defense whatsoever. He was a straightforward fighter, taking punches to give punches.

“We dedicated time to him to teach him more defense, more offense, more movement. … [But] I noticed that he was willing to learn. He never complains in the gym.

“I put him through some of the most extreme exercises and he never says no, he never complains. He’s mentally focused. He knows, in front of us, we have a tough task. With group preparation, we can become victorious.

“I am with him 100% from beginning to end.”

The oddsmakers say a Dolphins jersey will be the only prize with which Avni Yildirim leaves Miami. Ed Mulholland / Matchroom Boxing

Beginning to end has been quite some time for Yildirim. He became the mandatory challenger not long after David Benavidez stopped Dirrell to win the WBC title in September 2019, after which Benavidez lost the belt on the scales.

Yildirim then stepped aside so Alvarez could fight Callum Smith for the vacant title on Dec. 19 with the understand that Yildirim would face the winner, although he undoubtedly was also paid X amount for his trouble. Alvarez won a one-sided decision.

So now it’s Yildirim’s turn, a chance – however faint – to realize the dreams he’s had since he first stepped into an Istanbul gym at 13 years old.

The oddsmakers and the doubters in general can go you know where. He isn’t showing up simply for a payday and 15 minutes of fame. His plan is to shock the world, a la Douglas and Holyfield.

“I want to accomplish so many things I my life,” he said. “This fight is needed for that. It’s a great chance for me, to reach my goals. I’m not speaking about money. I’m speaking about honor. I want to be remembered as a superstar in boxing.

“I want to be remembered as a great champion.”

[lawrence-related id=18057,18040,17675]

Fox Sports, PBC personalities thank coronavirus warriors

Fox Sports and Premier Boxing Champions put together a video featuring their biggest personalities to thank the coronavirus warriors.

Our health care workers and first responders have emerged as heroes in the ongoing fight against the coronavirus.

And that fact isn’t lost on those in the boxing world.

Fox Sports and Premier Boxing Champions took the time to put together a video (see below) featuring many of their biggest stars and personalities to thank those risking their lives.

Here are those who took part:

PBC Fighters

Manny Pacquiao, Errol Spence, Deontay Wilder, Leo Santa Cruz, Andy Ruiz Jr, Shawn Porter, Mikey Garcia, Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman, David Benavidez, Caleb Plant, Abner Mares, Erislandy Lara, Julian Williams, Tony Harrison, Anthony Dirrell, Andre Dirrell, Chris Eubank Jr, Andre Berto and Adam Kownacki.

PBC on FOX Personalities

Brian Kenny, Chris Myers, Joe Goossen, Kate Abdo, Jimmy Lennon Jr, Marcos Villegas, Heidi Androl, Jordan Plant, Steve Cunningham and Ray Flores.