Tag: Rob Brant

Joe Smith Jr. outboxes, then lowers boom on Eleider Alvarez

Joe Smith Jr. stopped Eleider Alvarez 26 seconds in the ninth round Saturday in Las Vegas.

Joe Smith Jr. worked on his technique in preparation for his meeting with Eleider Alvarez on Saturday night in the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas. And he took his time in the fight, focusing on volume punching to wear Alvarez down.

However, in the end, it was the one quality most associated with Smith that ended matters: power.

Smith dropped a weary Alvarez with a brutal straight right hand, followed by a left, early in the ninth round of a scheduled 12-round bout and the former 175-pound titleholder was unable to get up. Referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight 26 seconds into the round.

With the victory, Smith is expected to face the winner of the Maxim Vlasov-Umar Salamov fight for the vacant WBO light heavyweight title.

“I feel this one is a big one,” Smith said of the victory. “I really needed it. I wanted to prove I’m not just a knockout guy. I proved my boxing ability, too, and I showed that tonight.”

Eleider Alvarez wasn’t able to get up from a brutal knockdown in the ninth round. Mikey Williams / Top Rank

Smith (26-3, 21 KOs) more or less chopped down the 36-year-old Alvarez (25-2, 13 KOs), who couldn’t keep pace with his fresher, 30-year-old opponent.

Alvarez had his moments, including a few solid right hands that got Smith’s attention in the eighth round. However, by the ninth, Smith had pounded most of the fight out of the former champion. He was ripe for a knockout.

Smith then did what he does best, deliver a decisive blow.

“Coming into this camp, I knew I had to work on my boxing,” Smith said. “I wanted to be sharp, throw a lot of straight punches. I watched his fight with [Sergey] Kovalev, and Kovalev kind of set the way to beat him. So we watched that and worked off of it.

“I knew coming in today I had to box a little more because he’s got that great right hand. He caught me with it a couple times, but I can take a punch, too. Every time he hit me, I wanted to come and stop him in his tracks, and I did that. I stuck to my game plan, and it was a great fight.”

Smith made a name for himself in 2016, when he knocked out Andrzej Fonfara and Bernard Hopkins in succession. He had a bad stretch after that – losing to Sullivan Barrera and Dmitry Bivol for a title in a span of three fights – but he has now beaten Jesse Hart and Alvarez back to back.

As a result, the union worker from Long Island, New York, is once again in thick of the title picture.

In preliminarys, Rob Brant (26-2, 18 KOs) stopped Vitaliy Kopylenko (28-3, 16 KOs) in the fifth round of a scheduled 10-round middleweight fight.

Junior welterweight prospect Julian Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs) knocked out Anthony Laureano (13-1, 4 KOs) only 2:50 into their scheduled 10-round bout.

And the popular Clay Collard (9-2-3, 4 KOs) continued his winning streak, stopping Maurice Williams (7-2, 3 KOs) at 1:54 of the second round of a scheduled eight-round middleweight fight.

 

Joe Smith Jr. outboxes, then lowers boom on Eleider Alvarez

Joe Smith Jr. stopped Eleider Alvarez 26 seconds in the ninth round Saturday in Las Vegas.

Joe Smith Jr. worked on his technique in preparation for his meeting with Eleider Alvarez on Saturday night in the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas. And he took his time in the fight, focusing on volume punching to wear Alvarez down.

However, in the end, it was the one quality most associated with Smith that ended matters: power.

Smith dropped a weary Alvarez with a brutal straight right hand, followed by a left, early in the ninth round of a scheduled 12-round bout and the former 175-pound titleholder was unable to get up. Referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight 26 seconds into the round.

With the victory, Smith is expected to face the winner of the Maxim Vlasov-Umar Salamov fight for the vacant WBO light heavyweight title.

“I feel this one is a big one,” Smith said of the victory. “I really needed it. I wanted to prove I’m not just a knockout guy. I proved my boxing ability, too, and I showed that tonight.”

Eleider Alvarez wasn’t able to get up from a brutal knockdown in the ninth round. Mikey Williams / Top Rank

Smith (26-3, 21 KOs) more or less chopped down the 36-year-old Alvarez (25-2, 13 KOs), who couldn’t keep pace with his fresher, 30-year-old opponent.

Alvarez had his moments, including a few solid right hands that got Smith’s attention in the eighth round. However, by the ninth, Smith had pounded most of the fight out of the former champion. He was ripe for a knockout.

Smith then did what he does best, deliver a decisive blow.

“Coming into this camp, I knew I had to work on my boxing,” Smith said. “I wanted to be sharp, throw a lot of straight punches. I watched his fight with [Sergey] Kovalev, and Kovalev kind of set the way to beat him. So we watched that and worked off of it.

“I knew coming in today I had to box a little more because he’s got that great right hand. He caught me with it a couple times, but I can take a punch, too. Every time he hit me, I wanted to come and stop him in his tracks, and I did that. I stuck to my game plan, and it was a great fight.”

Smith made a name for himself in 2016, when he knocked out Andrzej Fonfara and Bernard Hopkins in succession. He had a bad stretch after that – losing to Sullivan Barrera and Dmitry Bivol for a title in a span of three fights – but he has now beaten Jesse Hart and Alvarez back to back.

As a result, the union worker from Long Island, New York, is once again in thick of the title picture.

In preliminarys, Rob Brant (26-2, 18 KOs) stopped Vitaliy Kopylenko (28-3, 16 KOs) in the fifth round of a scheduled 10-round middleweight fight.

Junior welterweight prospect Julian Rodriguez (20-0, 13 KOs) knocked out Anthony Laureano (13-1, 4 KOs) only 2:50 into their scheduled 10-round bout.

And the popular Clay Collard (9-2-3, 4 KOs) continued his winning streak, stopping Maurice Williams (7-2, 3 KOs) at 1:54 of the second round of a scheduled eight-round middleweight fight.

 

Eleider Alvarez, Joe Smith Jr. to face off in crucial fight for both

Eleider Alvarez and Joe Smith Jr. are determined to get another shot at a title. They’ll have to go through the other to get there.

Eleider Alvarez and Joe Smith Jr. are determined to get another shot at a major light heavyweight title. They’ll have to go through the other to get there.

Alvarez and Smith are scheduled to fight in a title eliminator Saturday night in the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas. The winner will take a significant step forward, the loser possibly a step into oblivion.

“This fight is critical for both of our careers,” Alvarez said. “I respect Joe Smith, who has proven to be an elite fighter. However, I have all the tools to beat him, and that’s what I intend to do. My goal is to become a two-time light heavyweight world champion.”

Alvarez (25-1, 13 KOs) peaked in 2017 and 2018, when he beat in succession Lucian Bute, Jean Pascal and Sergey Kovalev. The Montreal-based Colombian stopped Kovalev in seven rounds to win a major title in August 2018.

Eleider Alvarez (left) and Joe Smith Jr. get one last good look at one another before they fight Saturday. Mikey Williams / Top Rank

Six months later Kovalev outpointed Alvarez to regain the title and he’s fought only once since, stopping Michael Seals with a single right hand in January.

Smith (25-3, 20 KOs) made a splash in 2016, when the relative unknown from Long Island, N.Y., stopped favored Andrzej Fonfara in the first round and then knocked Bernard Hopkins out of the ring to end his Hall of Fame career.

The 30-year-old union worker went to challenge Dmitry Bivol for one of the titles but lost a wide decision in March of last year, his only title shot. He bounced back to outpoint capable Jesse Hart in January to earn the fight with Alvarez.

Neither fighter can afford another setback.

“This fight means everything to me,” Smith said. “It’s my path to a world title fight, and I know this is my second chance to turn my dream into reality. Alvarez is a former world champion, and in my mind, I am treating this as a world title fight. To get there, I have to, and will win this fight.”

The card, which also features a middleweight fight between Rob Brant (25-2, 17 KOs) and Vitalii Kopylenko (28-2, 16 KOs), will be streamed on ESPN+.

[lawrence-related id=11551,5287,5004]

Eleider Alvarez, Joe Smith Jr. to face off in crucial fight for both

Eleider Alvarez and Joe Smith Jr. are determined to get another shot at a title. They’ll have to go through the other to get there.

Eleider Alvarez and Joe Smith Jr. are determined to get another shot at a major light heavyweight title. They’ll have to go through the other to get there.

Alvarez and Smith are scheduled to fight in a title eliminator Saturday night in the MGM Grand “bubble” in Las Vegas. The winner will take a significant step forward, the loser possibly a step into oblivion.

“This fight is critical for both of our careers,” Alvarez said. “I respect Joe Smith, who has proven to be an elite fighter. However, I have all the tools to beat him, and that’s what I intend to do. My goal is to become a two-time light heavyweight world champion.”

Alvarez (25-1, 13 KOs) peaked in 2017 and 2018, when he beat in succession Lucian Bute, Jean Pascal and Sergey Kovalev. The Montreal-based Colombian stopped Kovalev in seven rounds to win a major title in August 2018.

Eleider Alvarez (left) and Joe Smith Jr. get one last good look at one another before they fight Saturday. Mikey Williams / Top Rank

Six months later Kovalev outpointed Alvarez to regain the title and he’s fought only once since, stopping Michael Seals with a single right hand in January.

Smith (25-3, 20 KOs) made a splash in 2016, when the relative unknown from Long Island, N.Y., stopped favored Andrzej Fonfara in the first round and then knocked Bernard Hopkins out of the ring to end his Hall of Fame career.

The 30-year-old union worker went to challenge Dmitry Bivol for one of the titles but lost a wide decision in March of last year, his only title shot. He bounced back to outpoint capable Jesse Hart in January to earn the fight with Alvarez.

Neither fighter can afford another setback.

“This fight means everything to me,” Smith said. “It’s my path to a world title fight, and I know this is my second chance to turn my dream into reality. Alvarez is a former world champion, and in my mind, I am treating this as a world title fight. To get there, I have to, and will win this fight.”

The card, which also features a middleweight fight between Rob Brant (25-2, 17 KOs) and Vitalii Kopylenko (28-2, 16 KOs), will be streamed on ESPN+.

[lawrence-related id=11551,5287,5004]

Canelo Alvarez vs. Ryota Murata in Japan? They’re talking

Canelo Alvarez and Ryota Murata are negotiating to fight this spring, multiple outlets have reported.

Canelo Alvarez and Ryota Murata are negotiating to fight this spring, multiple outlets have reported.

Alvarez, who still holds two middleweight titles, told Sports Illustrated recently that he’s interested in fighting in Japan. Murata, a resident of Tokyo, is very popular in his home country.

“I’ve been thinking about fighting all over the world,” Alvarez told SI.com. “Tokyo, Japan, has been one of the primary places on my mind.”

SI reported that Alvarez has not committed to fighting Murata next. He reportedly is still considering 168-pound titleholders Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders.

Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs) has not announced the weight at which his next fight will take place. He’s coming off a knockout victory over Sergey Kovalev in November but gave up the title, a clear indication that he doesn’t want to fight at 175 pounds.

The prevailing wisdom is that Alvarez will fight at super middleweight, meaning his matchup with Murata (16-2, 13 KOs) could take place at 168 pounds or perhaps at a catch weight between 160 and 168.

Murata is best known for winning a gold medal in the 2012 Olympics. The 34-year-old has won two in a row since he lost a wide decision to Rob Brant in October 2018.

Jarrell Miller co-promoter Greg Cohen sentenced to prison for wire fraud

Promoter Greg Cohen was sentenced to 6 months in prison for wire fraud last week in the Southern District Court of New York.

Boxing promoter Greg Cohen is headed to federal prison for wire fraud.

Cohen was sentenced last week in the The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York to six months in prison, three years supervised release and 150 hours of community service on one count of defrauding an individual by means of false pretenses, a federal offense.

Cohen accepted $200,000 for a stock investment that he never made in 2016. A spokesperson with the Department of Justice confirmed that the matter is unrelated to boxing. Cohen had 60 days to surrender for his term of imprisonment.

Cohen, who promotes middleweight Rob Brant and heavyweight Jarrell Miller, pleaded guilty to the charge, in accordance with a plea agreement with the government, and agreed to repay the $200,000.

In court documents obtained by Boxing Junkie, Cohen “induced a victim to invest in a purported stock transaction,” in the amount of $200,000, and which was to be “facilitated by a particular investment manager and had a guaranteed return, when in truth and fact there was no stock transaction, the particular investment manager was not at all involved and the return was not guaranteed.”

The victim claimed he asked Cohen to refund the investment, plus interest, within approximately 90 days but Cohen continually delayed repayment. In November 2017, the victim reached out to the the investment manager purportedly involved in the transaction only to discover that the manager had no knowledge of the kind of stock the victim described. Cohen’s bank records corroborated this, as they showed no evidence of a wire transfer to the manager in the amount of $200,000.

Cohen was arrested on Jan. 10, 2019 but released on bail.

He was able to modify his bail terms to travel to Japan this past July to accompany Brant for a middleweight fight against Ryota Murata.