Tag: Tony Yoka

Fight Week: Claressa Shields vs. Marie-Eve Dicaire headlines PPV card

Fight Week: Claressa Shields-Marie-Eve Dicaire headlines a pay-perv-view card on Friday.

FIGHT WEEK

Three-division titleholder Claressa Shields returns to the boxing ring against Marie-Eve Dicaire in an all-woman pay-per-view show Friday night in Shields’ hometown of Flint, Mich.

***

SERHII BOHACHUK (18-0, 18 KOs)
VS. BRANDON ADAMS (22-3, 14 KOs)

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

  • When: Thursday, Feb. 27
  • Where: Municipal Boxing Gym Felix Pagan Pintor, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
  • TV/Stream: NBC Sports Network
  • Division: Junior middleweight (154 pounds)
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Danielito Zorrilla vs. Ruslan Madiyev, 10 rounds, junior welterweights
  • Prediction: Bohachuk UD
  • Background: Bohachuk couldn’t have had a better start to his professional career, having stopped all 18 of his opponents in six rounds or less since turning pro in 2017. However, Adams, a former title challenger, represents a step up in opposition for the 25-year-old Ukrainian. The Los Angeles resident, a solid boxer-puncher, lost a wide decision to middleweight titleholder Jermall Charlo in June 2019 but bounced back to stop Sanny Duversonne in two rounds this past December. Bohachuk was last in the ring last September, when he knocked out Alejandro Davila in six rounds in Mexico. Bohachuk is ranked by two of the four major sanctioning bodies, Adams by one.

***

CLARESSA SHIELDS (10-0, 2 KOs) VS.
MARIE-EVE DICAIRE (17-0, 0 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1P0kH0_w_U

  • When: Friday, March 5
  • Where: Dort Financial Center, Flint, Mich.
  • TV/Stream: Pay-per-view (FITE TV)
  • Division: Junior middleweight (154 pounds)
  • At stake: Shields’ WBC and WBO, Dicaire’s IBF and vacant WBA titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Raquel Miller vs. TBA, 10 rounds, junior middlweights; Danielle Perkins vs. Monika Harrison, six rounds, heavyweights; Nadia Meknouzi vs. Samantha Pill, eight rounds, light heavyweights
  • Prediction: Shields UD
  • Background: Shields and Dicaire are the first women to headline a pay-per-view card since Laila Ali outointed Jacqui Frazier in 2001. The fight was originally set for May but was postponed multiple times, which accounts for Shields’ long layoff. She last fought in January of last year, when she defeated Ivan Habazin by a near-shutout decision to capture two vacant junior middleweight titles. DiCaire, who has been out of the ring since November 2019, will be making the fourth defense of her title. Shields is thrilled to be in the featured fight of a pay-per-view event. She told ESPN: “I’m super excited to be having my first pay-per-view card and I’m hoping that everybody who has been waiting on me to fight, everybody that supports me, that they all get behind me and get behind the women athlete movement and just join us because not only are we yelling equal pay, equal opportunity, equal TV time, we’re also working just as hard. We’re equally working.” Shields has begun training for her MMA debut.

[lawrence-related id=18160,17176,15949]

***

TONY YOKA (9-0, 7 KOs)
VS. JOEL DJEKO (17-2-1, 8 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1MsVzZHudU

  • When: Friday, March 5
  • Where: H Arena, Nantes, France
  • TV/Stream: ESPN+
  • Division: Heavyweight (unlimited)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Estelle Yoka Mossely vs. Verena Kaiser, 10 rounds, lightweights
  • Prediction: Yoka UD
  • Background: Yoka, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist, is looking to take another step toward his first shot at a world title. The 6-foot-7 Frenchman is coming off a shutout decision over Christian Hammer this past November, also at the H Arena. The 28-year-old Parisian has yet to fight outside his native country. Joel Tambwe Djeko is a 31-year-old Belgian who is based in Essex, England. He’s coming off a first-round knockout of John Cortez in January of last year, his eighth consecutive victory.

Fight Week: Claressa Shields vs. Marie-Eve Dicaire headlines PPV card

Fight Week: Claressa Shields-Marie-Eve Dicaire headlines a pay-perv-view card on Friday.

FIGHT WEEK

Three-division titleholder Claressa Shields returns to the boxing ring against Marie-Eve Dicaire in an all-woman pay-per-view show Friday night in Shields’ hometown of Flint, Mich.

***

SERHII BOHACHUK (18-0, 18 KOs)
VS. BRANDON ADAMS (22-3, 14 KOs)

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

  • When: Thursday, Feb. 27
  • Where: Municipal Boxing Gym Felix Pagan Pintor, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
  • TV/Stream: NBC Sports Network
  • Division: Junior middleweight (154 pounds)
  • At stake: No titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Danielito Zorrilla vs. Ruslan Madiyev, 10 rounds, junior welterweights
  • Prediction: Bohachuk UD
  • Background: Bohachuk couldn’t have had a better start to his professional career, having stopped all 18 of his opponents in six rounds or less since turning pro in 2017. However, Adams, a former title challenger, represents a step up in opposition for the 25-year-old Ukrainian. The Los Angeles resident, a solid boxer-puncher, lost a wide decision to middleweight titleholder Jermall Charlo in June 2019 but bounced back to stop Sanny Duversonne in two rounds this past December. Bohachuk was last in the ring last September, when he knocked out Alejandro Davila in six rounds in Mexico. Bohachuk is ranked by two of the four major sanctioning bodies, Adams by one.

***

CLARESSA SHIELDS (10-0, 2 KOs) VS.
MARIE-EVE DICAIRE (17-0, 0 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1P0kH0_w_U

  • When: Friday, March 5
  • Where: Dort Financial Center, Flint, Mich.
  • TV/Stream: Pay-per-view (FITE TV)
  • Division: Junior middleweight (154 pounds)
  • At stake: Shields’ WBC and WBO, Dicaire’s IBF and vacant WBA titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Raquel Miller vs. TBA, 10 rounds, junior middlweights; Danielle Perkins vs. Monika Harrison, six rounds, heavyweights; Nadia Meknouzi vs. Samantha Pill, eight rounds, light heavyweights
  • Prediction: Shields UD
  • Background: Shields and Dicaire are the first women to headline a pay-per-view card since Laila Ali outointed Jacqui Frazier in 2001. The fight was originally set for May but was postponed multiple times, which accounts for Shields’ long layoff. She last fought in January of last year, when she defeated Ivan Habazin by a near-shutout decision to capture two vacant junior middleweight titles. DiCaire, who has been out of the ring since November 2019, will be making the fourth defense of her title. Shields is thrilled to be in the featured fight of a pay-per-view event. She told ESPN: “I’m super excited to be having my first pay-per-view card and I’m hoping that everybody who has been waiting on me to fight, everybody that supports me, that they all get behind me and get behind the women athlete movement and just join us because not only are we yelling equal pay, equal opportunity, equal TV time, we’re also working just as hard. We’re equally working.” Shields has begun training for her MMA debut.

[lawrence-related id=18160,17176,15949]

***

TONY YOKA (9-0, 7 KOs)
VS. JOEL DJEKO (17-2-1, 8 KOs)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1MsVzZHudU

  • When: Friday, March 5
  • Where: H Arena, Nantes, France
  • TV/Stream: ESPN+
  • Division: Heavyweight (unlimited)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Estelle Yoka Mossely vs. Verena Kaiser, 10 rounds, lightweights
  • Prediction: Yoka UD
  • Background: Yoka, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist, is looking to take another step toward his first shot at a world title. The 6-foot-7 Frenchman is coming off a shutout decision over Christian Hammer this past November, also at the H Arena. The 28-year-old Parisian has yet to fight outside his native country. Joel Tambwe Djeko is a 31-year-old Belgian who is based in Essex, England. He’s coming off a first-round knockout of John Cortez in January of last year, his eighth consecutive victory.

Tyson Fury still open to crossing over to UFC … at some point

Tyson Fury says he has spoken to UFC President Dana White about crossing over to MMA but he has unfinished business in boxing.

Tyson Fury has a lot on his plate at the moment, most notably a third fight with Deontay Wilder when the coronavirus pandemic allows it. That could be followed by an all-British showdown with Anthony Joshua. And Fury he’ll probably give professional wrestling another go.

One more possibility down the line? A foray in the UFC. He said during a chat with Kugan Cassius on his Instagram Live workout that he has spoken to UFC President Dana White on the subject.

Fury has trained with UFC middleweight Darren Till.

“I’ve had plenty of conversations with Dana White about potentially having a fight with one of the guys,” Fury said. “But, at the minute, I don’t need to fight UFC guys. … I need to clear up some of my own stuff [in boxing]. There’s a few guys that need to be fought in this era. I need to fight Wilder again. I’ve got to fight Joshua. I need to fight Dillian Whyte.

“I’ll fight anyone. And there’s a lot coming up, too, like Joe Joyce, Daniel Dubois and Tony Yoka. A lot of fresh meat to beat on. There’s even fights like Luis Ortiz, whoever.”

Fury continued to reel off potential boxing opponents but then circled back to UFC.

“There’s so many heavyweights today,” he said. “Efa Ajagba, the Nigerian. He looks pretty good, big tall kid. Filip Hrgovic, he looks amazing, too. Oleksandr Usyk. Derek Chisora, he’s in the mix. There’s so many good heavyweights out there to be fought and fights to give the fans.

“Until then, I don’t need a fight with Francis Ngannou. I don’t need Stipe Miocic, Brock Lesnar, whoever. I don’t need these guys to fight in a crossover match right now. When I’m finished what I’m doing in my own career, we can look at something like that.”

There is no telling precisely when or where Fury-Wilder III will take place because of the pandemic. Promoters are shooting for the fall and reportedly are considering sites outside the U.S. and U.K., including China and Australia.

Heavyweights galore: Top Rank in talks with Jarrell Miller, Tony Yoka

Bob Arum’s Top Rank is close to signing Jarrell Miller and Tony Yoka, according to various reports.

Top Rank’s burgeoning heavyweight stable could get a little more crowded.

The Las Vegas-based promotional company headed by Bob Arum is in talks with highly regarded heavyweights Jarrell Miller and Tony Yoka on multifight deals, according to various reports. The fighters would join a heavyweight roster headed by Tyson Fury, who will challenge titleholder Deontay Wilder on Feb. 22 in Las Vegas.

Miller (23-0-1, 20 KOs), a 31-year-old New Yorker, is one of the top heavyweight contenders. He came under fire last summer after he tested positive for multiple banned substances ahead of a scheduled fight against British titleholder Anthony Joshua, who ended up losing to Andy Ruiz Jr. in a historic upset in June. Miller is co-promoted by Dmitry Salita and Greg Cohen. (Cohen was recently sentenced to six months in federal prison for wire fraud unrelated to boxing).

Yoka (7-0, 6 KOs), a 27-year-old native of Paris, won the super heavyweight gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He was promoted in the past by Richard Schaefer. Like Miller, Yoka saw his career stymied for reasons related to PEDs. In 2018, French officials suspended him for one year for allegedly missing three scheduled doping tests. Yoka returned to the ring in July 2019 with a knockout win over Alexander Dimitrenko. He followed up that with a stoppage victory over Michael Wallisch in September.

Arum was in France recently to meet with Yoka. Arum told the French news outlet RMC that negotiations were headed in the right direction.

“All the parties are in agreement, even if we haven’t signed anything yet,” he said. “The reason we’re here is to discuss the terms of the contract. Tony is a unbelievable young man, very intelligent, and we hope to see him fight in the United States in the spring under the Top Rank banner.”

After years of relative neglect when it came to boxing’s so-called glamour division, Top Rank has spent the past couple of years stockpiling heavyweights. It signed veterans Kubrat Pulev and Agit Kabayel. It has also scoured for big men on the grassroots level, scooping up prospects Sonny Conto, Guido Vianello and Jared Anderson.

Both Miller and Yoka are managed by James Prince, who also handlesTop-Rank promoted featherweight Shakur Stevenson and heavyweight Bryant Jennings.