George Kambosos Jr. and Lee Selby are scheduled to fight in a lightweight title eliminator on Oct. 31.
One of Teofimo Lopez Jr.’s mandatory challengers is about to emerge.
George Kambosos Jr. is scheduled to fight Lee Selby in an IBF lightweight title eliminator on the Oleksandr Usyk-Derek Chisora card on Oct. 31. The site of the show has not been finalized.
The IBF has Kambosos ranked No. 3, Selby No. 4. The Nos. 1 and 2 slots are vacant.
Kambosos (18-0, 10 KOs) traveled from his home in Australia to fight American Mickey Bey this past December at Madison Square Garden and emerged with a split-decision victory, which set up the fight with Selby.
Lopez outpointed Vasiliy Lomachenko to become undisputed 135-pound champ last Saturday.
“Beating Lee Selby means everything to me,” Kambosos said. “I’m hungry, focused and have trained like a man possessed to handle business on October 31st. This is a young man’s sport and Lopez proved that against Lomachenko when he became the unified lightweight world champion. and I will prove it once again against Lee Selby.
“This hungry young lion will become mandatory, that is my complete focus, this is why I have sacrificed so much and then you best believe that ‘Ferocious Kambosos’ will be primed and ready to take all the belts off another hungry, young lion in Teofimo Lopez. Let’s see who the real king of the jungle is.”
Selby (28-2, 9 KOs) is coming off a majority-decision victory over Ricky Burns in October of last year. That was his second consecutive win since losing his featherweight title to Josh Warrington by a split decision in 2018.
“He’s very confident in himself,” the Welshman said. “If you listened to him talk, you’d think he’s the next Muhammad Ali, which he’s not. Looking at his record, it’s difficult to gauge how good he really is. His best win came against Mickey Bey when he was past his best at 36 and inactive. The rest of his record is padded.
“This fight has been a long time coming, and I’m glad we’re just over a week away now. I’m one step away from a shot at the IBF lightweight world title and my dream of becoming Wales’ first ever two-weight world champion.”
Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs), the former unified cruiserweight titleholder, faces his first significant test at heavyweight against longtime contender Chisora (32-9, 23 KOs).
Cruiserweight titleholder Mairis Briedis said he’s considering a move up to heavyweight.
Mairis Briedis is thinking big after his victory over Yuniel Dorticos on Saturday in Munich. Literally.
The 35-year-old Latvian says he’s thinking about following in the footsteps of Oleksandr Usyk by moving up to heavyweight after winning his second cruiserweight title by a majority decision in the World Boxing Super Series final.
Usyk handed Briedis his only loss, a close majority decision in January 2018.
“I am considering a move to heavyweight,” Briedis said. “But right now I will rest a bit before I make any decisions.”
He earned a rest. He clearly outboxed his Cuban opponent, which was reflected on the two 117-111 scorecards. The third judge had it 114-114.
Briedis took Dorticos’ 200-pound belt with the victory.
“It feels fantastic to have won the Muhammad Ali Trophy, it feels like a dream,” he said. “Me, my team, my family have been waiting for such a long time for the trophy. Thank God we did it, and I am really happy about it.”
He went on: “In the first rounds I felt how dangerous Dorticos is, but I got used to his style, and in the later rounds we didn’t risk too much, we just boxed what we had prepared. I’m very satisfied with my performance.
“… I hope I produced a fight for the Latvian fans to be proud of me. The fans couldn’t be at the arena, but at least through TV I hopefully brought them emotions.”
The loss to Usyk was an emotional setback for Briedis (27-1, 19 KOs). Who knows? Maybe he’ll get another crack at his rival in the sport’s glamour division.
“I was down after the Usyk fight,” he said. “Usyk was better that night, and it is what it is. But looking back I can see that a lot of things around me and in my team have changed. And everything has gone better since that fight.
“I really don’t know if I would have won that night if my career would have advanced the way it has.”
Cruiserweight titleholder Mairis Briedis said he’s considering a move up to heavyweight.
Mairis Briedis is thinking big after his victory over Yuniel Dorticos on Saturday in Munich. Literally.
The 35-year-old Latvian says he’s thinking about following in the footsteps of Oleksandr Usyk by moving up to heavyweight after winning his second cruiserweight title by a majority decision in the World Boxing Super Series final.
Usyk handed Briedis his only loss, a close majority decision in January 2018.
“I am considering a move to heavyweight,” Briedis said. “But right now I will rest a bit before I make any decisions.”
He earned a rest. He clearly outboxed his Cuban opponent, which was reflected on the two 117-111 scorecards. The third judge had it 114-114.
Briedis took Dorticos’ 200-pound belt with the victory.
“It feels fantastic to have won the Muhammad Ali Trophy, it feels like a dream,” he said. “Me, my team, my family have been waiting for such a long time for the trophy. Thank God we did it, and I am really happy about it.”
He went on: “In the first rounds I felt how dangerous Dorticos is, but I got used to his style, and in the later rounds we didn’t risk too much, we just boxed what we had prepared. I’m very satisfied with my performance.
“… I hope I produced a fight for the Latvian fans to be proud of me. The fans couldn’t be at the arena, but at least through TV I hopefully brought them emotions.”
The loss to Usyk was an emotional setback for Briedis (27-1, 19 KOs). Who knows? Maybe he’ll get another crack at his rival in the sport’s glamour division.
“I was down after the Usyk fight,” he said. “Usyk was better that night, and it is what it is. But looking back I can see that a lot of things around me and in my team have changed. And everything has gone better since that fight.
“I really don’t know if I would have won that night if my career would have advanced the way it has.”
Heavyweights Derek Chisora and Oleksandr Usyk will finally meet on Oct. 31 after their rescheduled fight was confirmed.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.
***
Heavyweights Derek Chisora and Oleksandr Usyk will finally meet on Oct. 31, it has been announced.
The fight was originally scheduled for May 23, but it was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs), a former unified cruiserweight champion, began his career as a heavyweight with a seventh-round knockout victory over Chazz Witherspoon in October of last year.
Chisora (32-9, 23 KOs), a former world title challenger, beat David Price in four rounds the same month Usyk beat Witherspoon. Usyk isn’t underestimating his opponent.
“I have really missed boxing,” said Usyk. “I am working hard in my training camp to show a spectacular performance on October 31. I expect a real test in Derek. He is strong, tough and resilient. He is a really big guy and he hits hard.”
Usyk explained why he made the move to heavyweight.
“As a cruiserweight, I reached the highest heights as undisputed champion and now I am following the same path as a heavyweight,” he said. “I need to test myself against world class heavyweights on my new road to undisputed and Derek stands in front of me.
“Many people say that Derek is a monster, but deep down he is a kind man. I don’t expect to see that good side of him. I know that he wants to break me, but I am water, wind and fire all together. Derek Chisora, I am coming for you.”
Chisora is similarly keen on getting back into the ring.
“Usyk, I’ve been ready for you all year,” he said. “It’s my home turf and after such a tough year for everyone, I’m going to give the British public the Halloween party they deserve and finally get revenge for my boy Tony Bellew.” he said.
Said promoter Eddie Hearn: “Yesterday’s news from the government was a kick in the nuts, so to bounce back with this fight at this time is so important for boxing. You’ve either got to sit back and say it’s not possible or find a way to make it happen, and I’ve got to say a big thanks to Team Usyk, ‘Del Boy’ and [manager] David Haye for staying patient and helping get this over the line.
“It’s an absolute firecracker and a fight that’s so important to the heavyweight division over the next few months. We saw a stunning victory from Povetkin recently to shake up the mandatory situation, can ‘War’ Chisora spring the upset and KO the undefeated undisputed world champ?
“I know he will do everything he can to try and get the victory and this will be another night of heavyweight drama.”
Heavyweights Derek Chisora and Oleksandr Usyk will finally meet on Oct. 31 after their rescheduled fight was confirmed.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on DAZN.com.
***
Heavyweights Derek Chisora and Oleksandr Usyk will finally meet on Oct. 31, it has been announced.
The fight was originally scheduled for May 23, but it was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs), a former unified cruiserweight champion, began his career as a heavyweight with a seventh-round knockout victory over Chazz Witherspoon in October of last year.
Chisora (32-9, 23 KOs), a former world title challenger, beat David Price in four rounds the same month Usyk beat Witherspoon. Usyk isn’t underestimating his opponent.
“I have really missed boxing,” said Usyk. “I am working hard in my training camp to show a spectacular performance on October 31. I expect a real test in Derek. He is strong, tough and resilient. He is a really big guy and he hits hard.”
Usyk explained why he made the move to heavyweight.
“As a cruiserweight, I reached the highest heights as undisputed champion and now I am following the same path as a heavyweight,” he said. “I need to test myself against world class heavyweights on my new road to undisputed and Derek stands in front of me.
“Many people say that Derek is a monster, but deep down he is a kind man. I don’t expect to see that good side of him. I know that he wants to break me, but I am water, wind and fire all together. Derek Chisora, I am coming for you.”
Chisora is similarly keen on getting back into the ring.
“Usyk, I’ve been ready for you all year,” he said. “It’s my home turf and after such a tough year for everyone, I’m going to give the British public the Halloween party they deserve and finally get revenge for my boy Tony Bellew.” he said.
Said promoter Eddie Hearn: “Yesterday’s news from the government was a kick in the nuts, so to bounce back with this fight at this time is so important for boxing. You’ve either got to sit back and say it’s not possible or find a way to make it happen, and I’ve got to say a big thanks to Team Usyk, ‘Del Boy’ and [manager] David Haye for staying patient and helping get this over the line.
“It’s an absolute firecracker and a fight that’s so important to the heavyweight division over the next few months. We saw a stunning victory from Povetkin recently to shake up the mandatory situation, can ‘War’ Chisora spring the upset and KO the undefeated undisputed world champ?
“I know he will do everything he can to try and get the victory and this will be another night of heavyweight drama.”
Oleksandr Usyk plans to exercise his right to face the winner of Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev next, assuming Usyk beats Derek Chisora.
Oleksandr Usyk evidently won’t back down.
The WBO’s mandatory heavyweight challenger told Sky Sports that he plans to exercise his right to face the winner of the Anthony Joshua-Kubrat Pulev fight next, assuming Usyk beats Derek Chisora this fall.
Joshua holds three heavyweight titles, including the WBO version. He has expressed interest in fighting the winner of Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder to unify all four major titles.
“Usyk has been the WBO mandatory challenger for more than one year,” his co-promoter Alexander Krassyuk told Sky Sports.
“He has agreed to let AJ versus Pulev happen, with regards that the winner fights him next. This statement is still solid. Our plan is ‘A’ beat Derek Chisora, ‘B’ push AJ to comply with WBO rules or vacate the title, ‘C’ defeat AJ [or Pulev].
“Simple and practical.”
No date has been set for Usyk-Chisora.
“According to our latest talks with [co-promoter] Eddie [Hearn], Usyk vs Chisora has to go at the end of October,” Krassyuk said. “Still, much depends on COVID-19 restrictions, but we all want to make it happen.”
Joshua-Pulev has been targeted for Dec. 12. The third Fury-Wilder fight has no date.
Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs) is the former undisputed cruiserweight champion. He made his heavyweight debut against Chazz Witherspoon last October, winning by seventh-round stoppage, and hasn’t fought since.
Oleksandr Usyk plans to exercise his right to face the winner of Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev next, assuming Usyk beats Derek Chisora.
Oleksandr Usyk evidently won’t back down.
The WBO’s mandatory heavyweight challenger told Sky Sports that he plans to exercise his right to face the winner of the Anthony Joshua-Kubrat Pulev fight next, assuming Usyk beats Derek Chisora this fall.
Joshua holds three heavyweight titles, including the WBO version. He has expressed interest in fighting the winner of Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder to unify all four major titles.
“Usyk has been the WBO mandatory challenger for more than one year,” his co-promoter Alexander Krassyuk told Sky Sports.
“He has agreed to let AJ versus Pulev happen, with regards that the winner fights him next. This statement is still solid. Our plan is ‘A’ beat Derek Chisora, ‘B’ push AJ to comply with WBO rules or vacate the title, ‘C’ defeat AJ [or Pulev].
“Simple and practical.”
No date has been set for Usyk-Chisora.
“According to our latest talks with [co-promoter] Eddie [Hearn], Usyk vs Chisora has to go at the end of October,” Krassyuk said. “Still, much depends on COVID-19 restrictions, but we all want to make it happen.”
Joshua-Pulev has been targeted for Dec. 12. The third Fury-Wilder fight has no date.
Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs) is the former undisputed cruiserweight champion. He made his heavyweight debut against Chazz Witherspoon last October, winning by seventh-round stoppage, and hasn’t fought since.
The Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list hasn’t budged because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list hasn’t budged because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Some fighters on the list have fights scheduled but many don’t as promoters, managers and matchmakers try to figure out how to get the best fighters into the ring without fans in attendance or wait until until COVID-19 subsides enough to allow spectators.
Here is an updated look at our Top 15 and their immediate plans.
BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND
Vasiliy Lomachenko — The pound-for-pound king is scheduled to meet honorable mention Teofimo Lopez on Oct. 17 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Terence Crawford — Promoter Bob Arum is in talks with the representatives of Kell Brook for a possible meeting on Nov. 14.
Canelo Alvarez — Golden Boy reportedly has circled back to British 168-pound titleholders Billy Joe Saunders and Callum Smith in his search for an opponent for November or December.
Naoya Inoue — Inoue reportedly is set to face Jason Moloney in November.
Oleksandr Usyk — The meeting with Derek Chisora is targeted for Oct. 31.
Gennadiy Golovkin — Triple-G still plans to defend his title against Kamil Szeremeta, possibly in November.
Errol Spence Jr. — Spence vs. Danny Garcia is on for Nov. 21.
Tyson Fury — The plan is still to fight Deontay Wilder. Dec. 19 was floated as a possible date but the fighters don’t seem to be close to finalizing a deal.
Juan Francisco Estrada — There has been talk about a rematch with Carlos Cuadras in October but nothing has been settled.
Mikey Garcia — He’s still a prime candidate to face Manny Pacquiao but the Filipino icon seems to be focused on other things, including COVID-19 in his country.
Artur Beterbiev — Reportedly scheduled to face Meng Fanlong on Sept. 25 in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
Josh Taylor — Scheduled to defend his title against Apinun Khongsong on Sept. 26 in London.
Manny Pacquiao — Who knows?
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai — Made a successful return on Aug. 1, defeating Amnat Ruenroeng. He wants another fight with Estrada but that could take a while.
Leo Santa Cruz — Set to meet Gervonta Davis on Oct. 24 in Uncasville, Conn.
Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Miguel Berchelt, Mairis Briedis, Teofimo Lopez, Shawn Porter and Kosei Tanaka
The Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list hasn’t budged because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list hasn’t budged because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Some fighters on the list have fights scheduled but many don’t as promoters, managers and matchmakers try to figure out how to get the best fighters into the ring without fans in attendance or wait until until COVID-19 subsides enough to allow spectators.
Here is an updated look at our Top 15 and their immediate plans.
BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND
Vasiliy Lomachenko — The pound-for-pound king is scheduled to meet honorable mention Teofimo Lopez on Oct. 17 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Terence Crawford — Promoter Bob Arum is in talks with the representatives of Kell Brook for a possible meeting on Nov. 14.
Canelo Alvarez — Golden Boy reportedly has circled back to British 168-pound titleholders Billy Joe Saunders and Callum Smith in his search for an opponent for November or December.
Naoya Inoue — Inoue reportedly is set to face Jason Moloney in November.
Oleksandr Usyk — The meeting with Derek Chisora is targeted for Oct. 31.
Gennadiy Golovkin — Triple-G still plans to defend his title against Kamil Szeremeta, possibly in November.
Errol Spence Jr. — Spence vs. Danny Garcia is on for Nov. 21.
Tyson Fury — The plan is still to fight Deontay Wilder. Dec. 19 was floated as a possible date but the fighters don’t seem to be close to finalizing a deal.
Juan Francisco Estrada — There has been talk about a rematch with Carlos Cuadras in October but nothing has been settled.
Mikey Garcia — He’s still a prime candidate to face Manny Pacquiao but the Filipino icon seems to be focused on other things, including COVID-19 in his country.
Artur Beterbiev — Reportedly scheduled to face Meng Fanlong on Sept. 25 in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
Josh Taylor — Scheduled to defend his title against Apinun Khongsong on Sept. 26 in London.
Manny Pacquiao — Who knows?
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai — Made a successful return on Aug. 1, defeating Amnat Ruenroeng. He wants another fight with Estrada but that could take a while.
Leo Santa Cruz — Set to meet Gervonta Davis on Oct. 24 in Uncasville, Conn.
Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Miguel Berchelt, Mairis Briedis, Teofimo Lopez, Shawn Porter and Kosei Tanaka
Viktor Postol gave an inspiring performance in defeat against Jose Ramirez on Saturday in Las Vegas.
A critical look at the past week in boxing.
GOOD
Viktor Postol (right) made a strong impression in defeat against Jose Ramirez on Saturday night. Mikey Williams / Top Rank
The sight of an aging former champion giving a hot young star all he can handle is always inspiring.
That’s what Viktor Postol did against junior welterweight titleholder Jose Ramirez on Saturday in Las Vegas. He boxed beautifully, moved well, was tough when he had to be and nearly pulled off one of the bigger upsets in recent years.
The fact he came up short – losing a majority decision – had to be frustrating for the 36-year-old Ukrainian, who knows such opportunities are precious. However, he left the ring with the admiration of everyone who witnessed his effort.
In fact, his performance probably changed the perception of him to some degree. He has been seen as a good fighter but not quite at the level of such stars as Terence Crawford and Josh Taylor, both of whom defeated him by unanimous decisions.
On Saturday, he fought on even terms with that-level opponent. One judge and Boxing Junkie scored the fight 114-114. That’s a significant accomplishment, perhaps along the lines of Nonito Donaire’s strong performance against Naoya Inoue last year.
That has to provide Postol some gratification. After all, he did something special. That’s precious, too.
Ramirez?
He might be excused for a flat performance. He hadn’t fought in 13 months. The fight was postponed twice because of COVID-19 before it finally happened, meaning Ramirez and Postol had to endure three camps. He also cited personal problems.
And, in the end, he had his hand raised. No one said every fight was going to be easy.
Still, Ramirez didn’t look like a pound-for-pound fighter, which is the image of him that will stick for a while. Of course, you’re only as good as your last fight. His performance on Saturday will be forgotten if he fights and beats Taylor for all the 140-pound titles.
BAD
Could contender Oleksandr Usyk ultimately stand in the way of heavyweight title-unification fight. Scott Heavey / Getty Images
First, Dillian Whyte. Now Oleksandr Usyk?
Whyte entered his fight against Alexander Povetkin as the longstanding mandatory challenger to the WBC heavyweight title, held by Tyson Fury. Had he beaten Povetkin, the Fury-Deontay Wilder winner might’ve been forced to defend against Whyte or risk being stripped of the belt.
Thank goodness Povetkin won, which seemed to open the door to a fight between the winners of Fury-Wilder and Anthony Joshua-Kubrat Pulev for the undisputed heavyweight championship.
Now promoter Eddie Hearn is suggesting that Oleksandr Usyk could stand in the way of a title-unification fight. The former undisputed cruiserweight champion reportedly will become the WBO’s mandatory challenger to Joshua’s title if Usyk beats Derek Chisora this fall.
That, Hearn said, could put Joshua – if he beats Pulev – in a position where he must choose between the WBO belt and a fight with Fury or Wilder. So, if Hearn is right, we could be back where we were with Whyte.
What the hell is going on here?
I understand the purpose of mandatory challengers. In theory, the system forces titleholders to defend against the best possible opponents. However, you and I know better. Many times, fighters are maneuvered into the top position because it benefits greedy sanctioning bodies. And only occasionally does the system produce fights fans want to see most.
Are the alphabet organizations really going to be allowed to stand in the way of a fight that will produce an undisputed heavyweight champion, which is good for sport? Let’s hope not.
WORSE
Tim Tszyu (right) dominated Jeff Horn on Wednesday in Australia. Ian Hitchcock / Getty Images
Tim Tszyu’s breakthrough performance against Jeff Horn on Wednesday in Australia could’ve landed in the “good” category in this column. Instead, the actions of Jeff Horn’s trainer stole the focus.
The talented son of Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu was brilliant in his demolition of the former welterweight titleholder, who survived only eight of a scheduled 10 rounds. We might be witnessing the rise of a true star down under.
Of course, Tszyu was celebrated afterward. However, a conversation between Horn and trainer Glenn Rushton at the end of the fight dominated much of the conversation even days after the fact.
Horn was exhausted, beaten, unable to defend himself adequately, utterly spent as he sat on his stool after the eighth round. And everyone watching knew it – except Rushton, apparently.
The trainer asked Horn whether he had one more minute in him, one more punch, the hope being that he could produce a miracle. That’s not Rushton’s job. His most important function is to determine whether his fighter is in danger of serious injury and save him from it.
In the end, it was another cornerman who told the referee to stop the fight and Horn remained on his stool.
Some observers have called for the revocation of Rushton’s license to work corners. That might be over the top. However, it’s particularly difficult to defend him when he refused to admit afterward that he had done anything wrong.
The fact is he did. He was willing to place his fighter in undue danger to give him a minuscule chance winning. Once again: We need to do a better job of protecting the fighters.
