Fight Week: ‘Mean Machine,’ Anthony Yarde to return to ring

Egidijus Kavaliauskas faces Michael Zewski on Saturday in Las Vegas, the Lithuanian’s first fight since he lost to Terence Crawford.

FIGHT WEEK

A capsulized look at the coming week in boxing.

EGIDIJUS KAVALIAUSKAS (21-1-1, 17 KOs)
VS. MIKAEL ZEWSKI (34-1, 23 KOs)

Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas (left) was stopped by Terence Crawford in his most-recent fight. Mikey Williams / Top Rank

When: Saturday, Sept. 12
Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas
TV: ESPN+
At stake: No titles
Odds: NA
Also on the card: Miguel Marriaga vs. Joet Gonzalez, featherweights; Andrew Cancio vs. Saul Rodriguez, junior lightweights
Prediction: Kavaliauskas by KO 8
Background: Kavaliauskas is probably best known for his nickname, “Mean Machine,” and a solid effort in his ninth-round TKO loss to titleholder Terence Crawford in December. There is more to him than that. The 32-year-old Lithuanian, a 2008 Olympian, has a solid skillset and he can crack. Seventeen KOs in 21 victories is impressive. The bad news is that he’s in a rut. He’s 0-1-1 in his last two fights, a disappointing draw with Ray Robinson in March of last year and the setback against Crawford. Kavaliauskas must win this fight if he hopes to get another title shot. “I am excited to return to the ring, as I still have unfinished business,” Kavaliauskas said. “I still believe I have what it takes to become a world champion, and that journey resumes against a tough opponent in Mikael Zewski.”

Zewski replaced Amir Imam as Kavaliauskas’ opponent. The Quebecois also was a solid amateur and has a gaudy pro record but that might be misleading. He has beaten no one of note. And the one time he faced a recognizable opponent, he was outclassed by Konstantin Ponomarez in 2015. He has won eight consecutive fights against second-tier opponents since. He’s solid but probably not in Kavaliauskas’ class.

ANTHONY YARDE (19-1, 18 KOs)
VS. DEC SPELMAN (16-4, 8 KOs)

Then-light heavyweight champ Sergey Kovalev (right) was tested by Anthony Yarde but emerged victorious. AP Photo / Anton Basanayev

When: Saturday, Sept. 12
Where: BT Sport Studio, London
TV: BT Sport (in U.K.)
At stake: No titles
Odds: NA
Also on the card: Mark Heffron vs. Denzel Bentley, middleweights; Cedrick Peynaud vs. Ekow Essuman, welterweights
Prediction: Yarde by KO 3
Background: Yarde has endured a tragic stretch: He lost both his father and grandmother to the coronavirus only days apart in late March and early April, after which he pleaded with the public to act responsibility in the face of the pandemic. He now returns to work. The Londoner pushed then-light heavyweight titleholder Sergey Kovalev harder than some thought he would before he was stopped in 11 rounds in August of last year. He rebounded by knocking out 4-49-3 journeyman Diego Jair Ramirez in two rounds in February. Yarde is a huge puncher: Only one of his victories has come by decision. He’s ranked by two of the four major sanctioning bodies, meaning he’ll get another shot at a title fairly soon if he continues to win. Spelman isn’t the pushover Ramirez was but he’s probably no threat to Yarde. He’s coming off back-to-back decision losses to unbeaten prospects Shakan Pitters and Lyndon Arthur. Yarde reportedly is being lined up to face Arthur.

“The people want explosive action and knockouts so I will not be hiding behind my jab and sending everyone to sleep,” Yarde said. “This will be all about me reminding people that I am the force of the division and I am heading right back to the top where I intend to dominate and reign for a long time to come. I respect Dec Spelman as a fighter but this is the chance for me to show everyone what they can expect when I get to share a ring with Lyndon Arthur.”

[lawrence-related id=4073,7971]

Fight Week: ‘Mean Machine,’ Anthony Yarde to return to ring

Egidijus Kavaliauskas faces Michael Zewski on Saturday in Las Vegas, the Lithuanian’s first fight since he lost to Terence Crawford.

FIGHT WEEK

A capsulized look at the coming week in boxing.

EGIDIJUS KAVALIAUSKAS (21-1-1, 17 KOs)
VS. MIKAEL ZEWSKI (34-1, 23 KOs)

ANTHONY YARDE (19-1, 18 KOs)
VS. DEC SPELMAN (16-4, 8 KOs)

[lawrence-related id=4073,7971]

Errol Spence Jr. vs. Terence Crawford? Spence trainer says money not there

Errol Spence Jr.’s trainer, Derrick James, said the money isn’t there for a showdown between Spence and Terence Crawford, at least not yet.

Errol Spence Jr.’s trainer, Derrick James, said what fans didn’t want to hear: The money isn’t there for a showdown between Spence and Terence Crawford, at least not yet.

One reason is that exorbitant pay-per-view fees aren’t tenable in the current economic climate, which might limit the amount of money promoters are able to generate even for such a compelling matchup.

Spence and Crawford probably will demand eight-figure paydays.

“The money for the fight, from my perspective, is not there yet,” James told BoxingScene.com. “Promoters can put whatever they put up, but they’re in the business of making money. And if the money’s not there, especially anytime soon with this coronavirus crisis and most people who buy these fights are not working right now, this will be something that happens down the line.

“It just pushed the fight back a little bit further, I think. But the money’s not there right now. My perspective is the numbers aren’t there, so we’ll see.”

For the time being, both fighters have other prospective opponents in mind.

Spence, who says he has recovered from his horrific single-car accident in October, is targeting Manny Pacquiao (who isn’t?) or Danny Garcia for the fall. Kell Brook, who Spence stopped in 2017, reportedly is first in line to face Crawford next.

Of course, fans will be tune in no matter who Spence and Crawford fight. However, they’ll never stop clamoring for the two unbeaten titleholders to share the same ring until it happens. Spence and Crawford themselves have said repeatedly that they want the fight.

That fact isn’t lost on James.

“I hope that it happens,” he said. “I want for [Spence] what he wants for himself. If Crawford keeps winning – and I don’t think Kell Brook is better than the last guy he fought [Egidijus Kavaliauskas] – so if he keeps winning and he keeps doing what he’s doing, and Errol keeps winning, we’ll see.

“It could be possible. I believe that it will happen eventually, but who knows?”

Errol Spence Jr. still eyeing a showdown with Terence Crawford

Errol Spence Jr. reiterated that he plans to overcome frustrating obstacles and fight Terence Crawford no later than next year.

Errol Spence Jr. reiterated that Terence Crawford remains in his plans.

The welterweight titleholder, who has recovered from his horrible car crash in October, insists the fight can – and will – happen in spite of the fighters’ competing promotional-managerial and television loyalties.

“[That fight can happen] whenever, this year or next. We are going to fight. If we do not fight this year, it will definitely be next year,” Spence said to FightHype.com.

Spence was expected to fight Danny Garcia early this year but those plans changed the moment Spence’s Ferrari hit a center median and flipped multiple times, ejecting the boxer. Somehow he survived and has returned to training.

He reportedly is targeting Garcia again for a fight this summer, assuming the coronavirus shutdown ends and boxers are able to get back to work.

Spence also had been a possible opponent for Manny Pacquiao but the Filipino icon appears to focusing his efforts on making a fight with Mikey Garcia this summer.

Meanwhile, Crawford, a Top Rank fighter whose top rivals are aligned with Premier Boxing Champions, has had trouble finding legitimate opponents since becoming a 147-pounder.

While the PBC welterweights have been fighting each other the past few years, Crawford has fought Jeff Horn, Jose Benavidez Jr., Amir Khan and Egidijus Kavaliauskas. Those foes were solid but no where near Crawford’s level.

And Crawford reportedly has not embraced the possibility of facing Shawn Porter, the PBC fighter who lost a close decision to Spence last September and a genuine threat to Crawford. The Nebraskan is reportedly leaning toward a fight with Kell Brook, who was stopped by Spence in 2017.

Brook outpointed Porter in 2014 but most observers believe the Brit is in decline, which means he would be perceived as another second-tier opponent for Crawford.

Maybe Crawford is holding out his best-possible opponent, Spence. That’s certainly the fight fans want to see. And apparently Spence does too.

Terence Crawford’s quest for top-tier opponent goes on

Terence Crawford’s trainer Brian McIntyre says the welterweight titleholder will likely fight twice this year.

New year, same old question: Who will Terence Crawford fight?

The welterweight titleholder is counted as one of the sport’s finest talents, but his career prospects have noticeably dimmed in recent years because of his inability to land meaningful fights. Blame the sport’s wretched partisan divisions. All of the other titleholders – namely, Manny Pacquiao and Errol Spence Jr. – and most of the top contenders reside under the Premier Boxing Champions banner led by Al Haymon, who doesn’t do much business with Top Rank’s Bob Arum, Crawford’s promoter

Crawford overcome a shaky start to stop little known contender Egidijus Kavaliauskas in the ninth-round at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 14 in New York City. The Nebraskan was in vintage form, but at 32, one figures he needs bigger names and bigger fights to remain a compelling attraction.

How desperate is Crawford and Co.? Arum recently announced he would be interested in offering the UFC’s Conor McGregor a two-fight deal to face Crawford, one fight under boxing rules and the other using mixed martial arts rules.

It’s not all doom and gloom in the Crawford camp, however. Brian McIntyre, Crawford’s chief trainer and manager, is confident that things will work out. He told Boxing Junkie that he recently sat down with Top Rank head Bob Arum “to talk about options” for Crawford’s next fight.

A few potential scenarios were broached: A pay-per-view fight distributed either on the ESPN+ app or through the ESPN linear channel, to take place in either Crawford’s hometown or in Las Vegas. McIntyre stayed mum on the potential opponent, but offered a general time table for his charge’s return to the ring.

“Late May, early June,” he said.

Of course, one of the biggest matches that boxing fans have been clamoring for is between Crawford and Errol Spence Jr., who defeated Shawn Porter last September to unify two welterweight belts. McIntyre insisted that they are still targeting Spence, who survived a horrific car crash in October. (Spence announced at a public appearance in December that he would return in the summer.)

“A stay busy fight [and then], at the end of the year, a potential fight with Spence,” McIntyre said.

In the meantime, there have been rumors swirling that contender Josesito Lopez is the running for Crawford’s next fight. McIntyre shut that down, saying, “Who the hell wants to fight him?”

Pressed on why a potential fight with Shawn Porter fell through, McIntyre offered no comment.

Terence Crawford vs. Shawn Porter: 3 reasons to make fight

A welterweight matchup between Terence Crawford and Shawn Porter makes sense for a lot of reasons.

No one knows which – if any – of the PBC welterweights will fight Terence Crawford any time soon. Promotional and TV rivalries are often unyielding.

That said, if there is any accuracy to current chatter, it seems that momentum is building toward a showdown between Boxing Junkie’s No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter and Shawn Porter. If nothing else, the veteran contender said that the fighters, not Top Rank (Crawford) and PBC (Porter), will decide whether they will fight.

If it happens, fans are in for a treat. Crawford’s all-around ability and Porter’s relentless pressure should make for an entertaining matchup.

Here are three reasons I would like the fight to happen:

CRAWFORD NEEDS A TEST AT 147

Crawford is arguably the best fighter pound-for-pound in the division, as I mentioned earlier. However, he’s probably No. 2 at the weight – behind Errol Spence Jr. – because he hasn’t proved enough at 147 pounds. His victims in the division: Jeff Horn, Jose Benavidez Jr., Amir Khan and Egidijus Kavaliauskas.

A fight with Porter, a respected former two-time welterweight titleholder coming off an inspired performance against Spence, would provide Crawford with the opportunity to prove he can beat a next-level opponent and demonstrate his credentials at 147.

Of course, any of the top PBC welterweights – Porter, Spence, Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman or Manny Pacquiao – would serve that purpose.

SPENCE BEAT PORTER

The best possible opponent for Crawford is Spence. The winner of the fight would be the undisputed king of the division.

The next best opponent? Porter, because Spence just beat him – barely. Spence had to dig deeper than he ever had to in his previous fights to win a split decision – 116-111, 116-111 and 112-115 – and maintain his perfect record.

If Crawford can beat Porter, particularly if he can beat him more easily than Spence did, he will have made a strong statement and added intrigue to a potential future matchup with Spence.

THEY BOTH DESERVE THE OPPORTUNITY

Crawford is a three-division titleholder and, even if you have reservations about him, a Top 5 fighter in the world. Indeed, he has dazzled us fight after fight with his ability, power and killer instinct, which we saw in his most recent fight against Kavaliauskas on Dec. 14.

The thought of the 32-year-old future Hall of Famer failing to lure another top welterweight into the ring because of boxing politics is depressing.

Porter gave the performance of his long, successful career against Spence, pushing his more highly regarded opponent to his limit, only to lose a split decision – and his title – in a fight-of-the-year candidate in September.

To fight that well and that hard yet come up empty was devastating for Porter, who proved he belonged in the ring with the very best. He earned a shot at Crawford and his title.

Pound-for-pound: No. 2 Terence Crawford retains his ranking

Terence Crawford rallied from early trouble to stop Egidijus Kavaliauskas in the ninth round Saturday in New York City.

Terence Crawford met with tougher resistance from Egidijus Kavaliauskas than anyone expected Saturday in New York City. And, in the end, that was fortunate for him.

Kavaliauskas’ success – including what appeared to be a knockdown in the third round that the referee missed – early in their welterweight title fight made Crawford’s knockout 44 seconds into the ninth round all the more spectacular.

And, in the end, Boxing Junkie’s No. 2 fighter certainly didn’t hurt his pound-for-pound status. In fact, he might’ve enhanced it.

“Crawford helped himself,” said Boxing Junkie staffer Norm Frauenheim. “He dealt with adversity not often seen in his unbeaten career. He got rocked in the third round, literally holding on in what should have been ruled a knockdown. There is no bigger test of a fighter than exactly that moment.

“He thought and fought through the adversity, eventually taking control and finishing the fight with a beautiful sequence of three punches, each delivered with lethal precision.”

Said Sean Nam, another staff writer: “Crawford may be a tad slower in his reflexes, as evidenced by the way Kavaliauskas buckled him ever so briefly in that third round, but the image that persists is how Crawford dismantled his game opponent down the stretch, leaving no doubt as to who was in charge. For that, I think Crawford should retain his spot.”

The Boxing Junkie staff agreed that Crawford’s rousing victory allows him to hold his No. 2 position … but that’s it. We didn’t feel a victory over Kavaliauskas was enough to threaten No. 1 Vasiliy Lomachenko.

Kavaliauskas, a two-time Olympian from Lithuania, obviously is a good fighter but he doesn’t have the professional track record to vault Crawford to the top.

A lot could change in 2020 if either or both of two fights take place. Lomachenko seems to be on track to face new lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez early next year. And Crawford and Shawn Porter have expressed interest in fighting one another.

The results of those fights could give the top of the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list a different look.

Check out our Top 15 list below. And let us know what you think.

BOXING JUNKIE

POUND-FOR-POUND

Vasiliy Lomachenko
Terence Crawford
Canelo Alvarez
Naoya Inoue
Oleksandr Usyk
Gennadiy Golovkin
Errol Spence
Juan Francisco Estrada
Mikey Garcia
Artur Beterbiev
Josh Taylor
Manny Pacquiao
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai
Leo Santa Cruz
Kosei Tanaka

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Miguel Berchelt, Mairis Briedis, Tyson Fury, Shawn Porter, Julian Williams

Good, bad, worse: Terence Crawford gave inspiring performance

Terence Crawford received more resistance than expected from Egidijus Kavaliauskas but responded like the champion he is.

GOOD

I’m sure there are people who believe Terence Crawford was exposed somehow in his title defense against Egidijus Kavaliauskas on Saturday night in New York. I don’t agree … at all. In fact, I think more of him now that I did before the fight.

So a good fighter (which is what Kavaliauskas is) landed some flush punches to Crawford’s face and body in the first half of the fight. So what? Fighters who take risks also take punches, even great fighters (which is what Crawford is). Crawford’s moments of vulnerability mean nothing to me.

And it’s not as if Crawford acted confused or disheartened when the clever Lithuanian had success. Instead, he got angry. He dug in, refusing to retreat, as if to say, “I’ll show you who the better man is,” and then did.

Crawford switched to an orthodox stance in the seventh round, which made it more difficult for Kavaliauskas to land his right. That was the turning point in the fight.

In the next two-plus rounds, Crawford, on fire with determination, put Kavaliauskas down three times – once in the seventh and two times in the ninth – and hurt him in the process. The referee saved the challenger from further punishment 44 seconds into Round 9.

Was it the most dominating performance ever? No. It was impressive, though. I loved Crawford’s reaction to Kavaliauskas’ success. I thought when it became clear that Crawford was trying to knockout his tormentor, “Those are the instincts of a champion.” And the way he finished off Kavaliauskas was breathtaking, both in its efficiency and thoroughness.

That’s what a great fighter does, battle fearlessly through adversity and win in spectacular fashion.

BAD

Richard Commey fell into a desperate situation very quickly. Mikey Williams / Top Rank

I’m using the word “bad” here as something positive, as in Teofimo Lopez is a “bad” man.

The Honduran-American’s fight against lightweight titleholder Richard Commey on the Crawford-Kavaliauskas card was supposed to be a 50-50 proposition. Instead, it was a showcase for the next great star.

Lopez essentially ended the fight with a crushing right hand that put Commey down and left him discombobulated early in the second round. The Ghanian managed to get up but a vicious barrage of hard shots from Lopez ended the fight, giving him a major 135-pound title in his 15^th fight.

That’s what you call a career-defining victory. And he’s only 22.

A star was born? No, a star was born 22 years ago. Lopez has unusual God-given gifts, which have been finely honed over the years. Add to that his power, his killer instinct, his poise and his ability to do a back flip and you get a truly special fighter.

And he’s just getting started.

Next up? Could be Vasiliy Lomachenko, which is playing with fire. All the momentum he has built could come to a sudden halt against the No. 1 fighter pound-for-pound. One thing, though: Lopez is naturally bigger than Lomachenko. Is that equalizer?

Should be interesting.

WORSE

Terence Crawford reiterated after his victory on Saturday that he’ll fight anyone, anytime. Let’s hope his top rivals were listening. Mikey Williams / Top Rank

I agree with those who say this: If Crawford wanted to fight the welterweights at Premier Boxing Champions, he probably shouldn’t have signed a long-term contract with Top Rank.

That said, I also agree with the thrust of Tim Bradley’s ringside diatribe against the PBC 147-pounders for refusing to cross promotional barriers and fight Crawford.

Like it or not, Crawford is the top welterweight and arguably the best fighter in the world. And fighters constantly say, “I want to fight the best.” Fighters also say regularly in so many words, “I want to give the fans the fights they want.” It couldn’t be more obvious that the fans want to see the PBC welterweights fight Crawford.

So why haven’t any of the them – Errol Spence, Shawn Porter, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, Manny Pacquiao, et al – taken the steps necessary to make it happen?

I can only come to two conclusions: One, they don’t want to fight the best. And, two, they really don’t care what the fans want. If they did, they would demand to fight Crawford. None of them have, not even Spence, the one fighter fans had been dying to see in the ring with Crawford before his car accident.

And it’s not like PBC and Top Rank are complete strangers. For example, the companies will work together on the Deontay Wilder (PBC)-Tyson Fury (Top Rank) rematch in February.

I understand the business of boxing. Promoters and managers are territorial. They want to keep their big fights – and the money they generate – in house if possible. To be sure, PBC and its welterweights aren’t breaking new ground.

It’s just a shame, from the standpoint of Crawford and the fans, that a fighter as good as he is can’t test himself against the best possible opponents because of boxing politics.

Terence Crawford batters, stops Egidijus Kavaliauskas in Round 9

Terence Crawford stops Egidijus Kavaliauskas in 9th round to successfully defend his welterweight title at Madison Square Garden.

NEW YORK CITY – For a moment or two, panic took root Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

It started in Round 3, when a mean overhand right sent the sweat flying from Terence Crawford’s brow, causing the welterweight titleholder to hold onto the man who threw the punch, the challenger Egidijus Kavaliauskas. An unfamiliar sight. A slew of combinations from the Lithuanian led to Crawford touching the canvas in what should have been ruled a knockdown – but referee Ricky Gonzalez saw otherwise, calling it a slip.

And it continued in the next round, with Kavaliauskas landing flush right-hand counters. The message was clear enough: Kavaliauskas, the fighter whose name did not even merit spelling or pronouncing leading up to the fight, did not make the trek to New York City to simply lie down.

And Crawford? The Omaha native simply smiled, bit down on his mouth piece and trawled forward in the direction of the gunfire.

In what played out to be his most challenging fight at welterweight, Crawford still found a way to break down Kavaliauskas, dropping him three times and stopping him 44 seconds into Round 9.

Terence Crawford’s performance wasn’t always a thing of beauty but the result was familiar. Mikey Williams / Top Rank

“I thought I had to entertain ya’ll for a little bit,” said Crawford (36-0, 27 KOs). “He’s a strong fighter, durable, and I thought I’d give the crowd something to cheer for.”

After Kavaliauskas (21-1-1, 17 KOs) connected on his blistering right in Round 3, Crawford gave up on finesse and adopted a far more dogged approach: high guard, plodding footwork and a mindset geared toward hurting his man. “Take two to land one,” as the dictum goes.

“I wasn’t hurt at all,” Crawford said, regarding Round 3. “I got up and went straight to him. I wasn’t hurt by no means. I walked through everything he threw all night.”

Case in point was the pivotal Round 7. Crawford, who by this time had switched from a southpaw to an orthodox stance, absorbed two point-blank left and right punches from Kavaliauskas. Crawford’s response? He simply stood in the pocket and responded with his own fierce combinations, before eventually landing two straight rights that dropped the Lithuanian for the first time in the fight.

From then on, Kavaliauskas was a marked man. Crawford opened up his arsenal, landing an array of straight lefts, uppercuts and sweeping right hooks that had Kavaliauskas teetering from pillar to post. Chants of “Crawford” filled the arena from a reported 10,101 in attendance.

Crawford’s demeanor after the fight said, “That’s how I planned it.” Mikey Williams / Top Rank

“The round before that, my coaches kept telling me [to] stop loading up,” Crawford said. “I was loading up a lot because the first couple clean shots I landed, I knew I hurt him. I wanted to give the crowd a knockout. When I started letting my hands go, I started landing more fatal shots.”

Crawford delivered the finishing touches in Round 9, dropping Kavaliauskas with a left hand, right uppercut. Referee Ricky Gonzalez allowed the fight to go on, but after Crawford downed the challenger again with a right hook, Fields waved off the fight.

The promotion had been clouded by talk of Crawford’s inability to lure into the ring other top 147-pounders, who are aligned with Premier Boxing Champions. Crawford, who fights for Top Rank, addressed those concerns by shifting the burden of responsibility to the likes of Errol Spence, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia, Manny Pacquiao, et al.

“I’ll fight anybody,” Crawford said. “I’ve been saying that for I don’t know how long. I’m not ducking anyone on the PBC side or Top Rank platform.

“I want to fight all the top guys.”

Michael Conlan dominates Vladimir Nikitin, gets his redemption

Michael Conlan dominated Vladimir Nikitin in almost every conceivable way to win a 10-round featherweight bout Saturday in New York City.

It’s not an Olympic medal but Michael Conlan will take it.

Three years ago, at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the Irishman was eliminated by Vladimir Nikitin of Russia in the quarterfinals by a decision that didn’t reflect what happened in the ring. The Irishman famously let the judges know how he felt by showing them his middle finger.

This evening, on the Terence Crawford-Egidijus Kavaliauskas card, Conlan got the only redemption available to him.

Conlan dominated Nikitin in almost every conceivable way in a 10-round featherweight bout, outboxing him, outslugging him and ultimately outpointing him by a wide margin in front of his adopted fans at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

This time the scores were spot on: 98-92, 99-91 and 100-90, all for Conlan.

“I always said I had no ill feelings toward Vladimir, nothing personal. I just had to get that one back,” Conlan said in the ring afterward.

Conlan (13-0, 7 KOs) controlled the fight from the opening bell. In the early rounds, he was content to keep his distance from the aggressive Nikitin and outbox him, jabbing, pounding his body with consistency, landing shots to the head and moving when trouble approached.

Then, in the second half of the contest, Conlan decided to fight Nikitin’s fight by standing toe to toe with him at times. However, even then, even though he stepped bravely into a danger zone, he still got the better of the exchanges.

The only thing Conlan couldn’t do was knock out Nikitin (3-1, 0 KOs), although his body work and hard shots to the head late in the fight certainly got his opponent’s attention.

Conlan seemed to enjoy the inside exchanges, which pumped life into what became an entertaining fight, but he said afterward that it probably wasn’t a good idea when he could’ve cruised to victory from the outside.

“You could see, when I wanted to trade, I could do it better than him,” he said, “but this game is about longevity.”

Conlan didn’t want to discuss his future after the fight, saying his immediate goal is to enjoy his Christmas dinner. He did say that he expects to fight for a world title within a year, which is another dream of his.

He can focus 100 percent on that now. The Olympic thing has been settled.

FIGHT WEEK

EGIDIJUS KAVALIAUSKAS (21-1-1, 17 KOs) VS. MIKAEL ZEWSKI (34-1, 23 KOs)

FIGHT WEEK

EGIDIJUS KAVALIAUSKAS (21-1-1, 17 KOs) VS. MIKAEL ZEWSKI (34-1, 23 KOs)

EGIDIJUS KAVALIAUSKAS (21-1-1, 17 KOs)
VS. MIKAEL ZEWSKI (34-1, 23 KOs)

EGIDIJUS KAVALIAUSKAS (21-1-1, 17 KOs)
VS. MIKAEL ZEWSKI (34-1, 23 KOs)