Tag: Umar Salamov

Joe Smith Jr. vs. Steve Geffrard: date, time, how to watch, background

Joe Smith Jr. vs. Steve Geffrard: date, time, how to watch, background.

JOE SMITH JR. WILL DEFEND HIS LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE AGAINST STEVE GEFFRARD ON ESPN

Joe Smith Jr. (27-3, 21 KOs) vs. Steve Geffrard (18-2, 12 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Jan. 15
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Turning Stone Resort and Casino, Verona, New York
  • TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
  • Division: Light heavyweight
  • At stake: Smith’s WBO title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Smith 9½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Abraham Nova vs. William Encarnacion, featherweights; Lyubomyr Pinchuk vs. Jose Mario Flores, heavyweights
  • Prediction: Smith KO 8
  • Background: Smith has overcome limited ability and disappointing setbacks to realize his dream of winning a world title, which he claimed by outpointing Maxim Vlasov in a gritty performance this past April. Some thought the hard-punching Long Islander had hit his ceiling when he lost wide decisions to Sullivan Barrera and Dmitry Bivol in 2017 and 2019. However, he followed the Bivol setback with a surprisingly one-sided victory over Jesse Hart and then stopped capable Eleider Alvarez, which set up the fight with Vlasov for the vacant title. Smith was supposed to have made his first defense against Callum Johnson but the Englishman tested positive for COVID-19. Geffrard, who had been training for a fight on another card, agreed on eight days’ notice to step in as Smith’s opponent. The 31-year-old from Miami, a solid boxer with heavy hands, returned from a three-year layoff to defeat journeyman Denis Grachev by a unanimous decision in an eight-round bout last March. He has won 18 consecutive fights since starting his career with back-to-back losses but has never faced an opponent of Smith’s caliber. “I give Steve credit for taking this fight on short notice,” Smith said. “He is a tough guy, and I expect him to bring everything he has for this opportunity. I’m ready to fight regardless of who is in the ring with me. My goal is the same, which is to defend my world title and keep it on Long Island, where it belongs.” Smith was originally scheduled to fight Umar Salamov on Oct. 30 but Smith had to pull out after contracting the coronavirus. The fight was rescheduled for this month. However, Salamov, from Russia, couldn’t obtain a visa to enter the U.S. Johnson then agreed to fight Smith.

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Joe Smith Jr. vs. Steve Geffrard: date, time, how to watch, background

Joe Smith Jr. vs. Steve Geffrard: date, time, how to watch, background.

JOE SMITH JR. WILL DEFEND HIS LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE AGAINST STEVE GEFFRARD ON ESPN

Joe Smith Jr. (27-3, 21 KOs) vs. Steve Geffrard (18-2, 12 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Jan. 15
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Turning Stone Resort and Casino, Verona, New York
  • TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
  • Division: Light heavyweight
  • At stake: Smith’s WBO title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Smith 9½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Abraham Nova vs. William Encarnacion, featherweights; Lyubomyr Pinchuk vs. Jose Mario Flores, heavyweights
  • Prediction: Smith KO 8
  • Background: Smith has overcome limited ability and disappointing setbacks to realize his dream of winning a world title, which he claimed by outpointing Maxim Vlasov in a gritty performance this past April. Some thought the hard-punching Long Islander had hit his ceiling when he lost wide decisions to Sullivan Barrera and Dmitry Bivol in 2017 and 2019. However, he followed the Bivol setback with a surprisingly one-sided victory over Jesse Hart and then stopped capable Eleider Alvarez, which set up the fight with Vlasov for the vacant title. Smith was supposed to have made his first defense against Callum Johnson but the Englishman tested positive for COVID-19. Geffrard, who had been training for a fight on another card, agreed on eight days’ notice to step in as Smith’s opponent. The 31-year-old from Miami, a solid boxer with heavy hands, returned from a three-year layoff to defeat journeyman Denis Grachev by a unanimous decision in an eight-round bout last March. He has won 18 consecutive fights since starting his career with back-to-back losses but has never faced an opponent of Smith’s caliber. “I give Steve credit for taking this fight on short notice,” Smith said. “He is a tough guy, and I expect him to bring everything he has for this opportunity. I’m ready to fight regardless of who is in the ring with me. My goal is the same, which is to defend my world title and keep it on Long Island, where it belongs.” Smith was originally scheduled to fight Umar Salamov on Oct. 30 but Smith had to pull out after contracting the coronavirus. The fight was rescheduled for this month. However, Salamov, from Russia, couldn’t obtain a visa to enter the U.S. Johnson then agreed to fight Smith.

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Fight Week: Joe Smith Jr. to make first title defense against Steve Geffrard

Fight Week: Joe Smith Jr. is scheduled to make his first title defense against Steve Geffrard on Saturday.

FIGHT WEEK

JOE SMITH JR. WILL MAKE THE FIRST DEFENSE OF HIS LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE AGAINST STEVE GEFFRARD ON AN ESPN/ESPN+ CARD FROM VERONA, NEW YORK.

Joe Smith Jr. (27-3, 21 KOs) vs. Steve Geffrard (18-2, 12 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Jan. 15
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Turning Stone Resort and Casino, Verona, New York
  • TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
  • Division: Light heavyweight
  • At stake: Smith’s WBO title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Smith 9½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Abraham Nova vs. William Encarnacion, featherweights; Lyubomyr Pinchuk vs. Jose Mario Flores, heavyweights
  • Prediction: Smith KO 8
  • Background: Smith has overcome limited ability and disappointing setbacks to realize his dream of winning a world title, which he claimed by outpointing Maxim Vlasov in a gritty performance this past April. Some thought the hard-punching Long Islander had hit his ceiling when he lost wide decisions to Sullivan Barrera and Dmitry Bivol in 2017 and 2019. However, he followed the Bivol setback with a surprisingly one-sided victory over Jesse Hart and then stopped capable Eleider Alvarez, which set up the fight with Vlasov for the vacant title. Smith was supposed to have made his first defense against Callum Johnson but the Englishman tested positive for COVID-19. Geffrard, who had been training for a fight on another card, agreed on eight days’ notice to step in as Smith’s opponent. The 31-year-old from Miami, a solid boxer with heavy hands, returned from a three-year layoff to defeat journeyman Denis Grachev by a unanimous decision in an eight-round bout last March. He has won 18 consecutive fights since starting his career with back-to-back losses but has never faced an opponent of Smith’s caliber. “I give Steve credit for taking this fight on short notice,” Smith said. “He is a tough guy, and I expect him to bring everything he has for this opportunity. I’m ready to fight regardless of who is in the ring with me. My goal is the same, which is to defend my world title and keep it on Long Island, where it belongs.” Smith was originally scheduled to fight Umar Salamov on Oct. 30 but Smith had to pull out after contracting the coronavirus. The fight was rescheduled for this month. However, Salamov, from Russia, couldn’t obtain a visa to enter the U.S. Johnson then agreed to fight Smith.

[lawrence-related id=19315]

Fight Week: Joe Smith Jr. to make first title defense against Steve Geffrard

Fight Week: Joe Smith Jr. is scheduled to make his first title defense against Steve Geffrard on Saturday.

FIGHT WEEK

JOE SMITH JR. WILL MAKE THE FIRST DEFENSE OF HIS LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE AGAINST STEVE GEFFRARD ON AN ESPN/ESPN+ CARD FROM VERONA, NEW YORK.

Joe Smith Jr. (27-3, 21 KOs) vs. Steve Geffrard (18-2, 12 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, Jan. 15
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Turning Stone Resort and Casino, Verona, New York
  • TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
  • Division: Light heavyweight
  • At stake: Smith’s WBO title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Smith 9½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Abraham Nova vs. William Encarnacion, featherweights; Lyubomyr Pinchuk vs. Jose Mario Flores, heavyweights
  • Prediction: Smith KO 8
  • Background: Smith has overcome limited ability and disappointing setbacks to realize his dream of winning a world title, which he claimed by outpointing Maxim Vlasov in a gritty performance this past April. Some thought the hard-punching Long Islander had hit his ceiling when he lost wide decisions to Sullivan Barrera and Dmitry Bivol in 2017 and 2019. However, he followed the Bivol setback with a surprisingly one-sided victory over Jesse Hart and then stopped capable Eleider Alvarez, which set up the fight with Vlasov for the vacant title. Smith was supposed to have made his first defense against Callum Johnson but the Englishman tested positive for COVID-19. Geffrard, who had been training for a fight on another card, agreed on eight days’ notice to step in as Smith’s opponent. The 31-year-old from Miami, a solid boxer with heavy hands, returned from a three-year layoff to defeat journeyman Denis Grachev by a unanimous decision in an eight-round bout last March. He has won 18 consecutive fights since starting his career with back-to-back losses but has never faced an opponent of Smith’s caliber. “I give Steve credit for taking this fight on short notice,” Smith said. “He is a tough guy, and I expect him to bring everything he has for this opportunity. I’m ready to fight regardless of who is in the ring with me. My goal is the same, which is to defend my world title and keep it on Long Island, where it belongs.” Smith was originally scheduled to fight Umar Salamov on Oct. 30 but Smith had to pull out after contracting the coronavirus. The fight was rescheduled for this month. However, Salamov, from Russia, couldn’t obtain a visa to enter the U.S. Johnson then agreed to fight Smith.

[lawrence-related id=19315]

Dmitry Bivol cruises past countryman Umar Salamov

Dmitry Bivol cruised past countryman Umar Salamov on Saturday in Russia.

It was more of the same from Dmitry Bivol on Saturday.

The unbeaten WBA light heavyweight titleholder defeated fellow Russian Umar Salamov by a one-sided decision in a 12-round bout in Ekaterinburg. The scores were 119-109, 118-109 and 118-110.

Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs) outboxed the capable Salamov (26-2, 19 KOs) from beginning to end, as he has done with most of his opponents.

The winner will now target bigger names, including fellow 175-pound titleholder Artur Beterbiev, He also has been mentioned as a potential opponent for super middleweight champ Canelo Alvarez.

 

Dmitry Bivol cruises past countryman Umar Salamov

Dmitry Bivol cruised past countryman Umar Salamov on Saturday in Russia.

It was more of the same from Dmitry Bivol on Saturday.

The unbeaten WBA light heavyweight titleholder defeated fellow Russian Umar Salamov by a one-sided decision in a 12-round bout in Ekaterinburg. The scores were 119-109, 118-109 and 118-110.

Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs) outboxed the capable Salamov (26-2, 19 KOs) from beginning to end, as he has done with most of his opponents.

The winner will now target bigger names, including fellow 175-pound titleholder Artur Beterbiev, He also has been mentioned as a potential opponent for super middleweight champ Canelo Alvarez.

 

Dmitry Bivol vs. Umar Salamov: date, time, how to watch, background

Dmitry Bivol vs. Umar Salamov: date, time, how to watch, background.

175-pound TITLEHOLDER DMITRY BIVOL WILL DEFEND HIS BELT AGAINST UMAR SALAMOV ON SATURDAY in russia.

Dmitry Bivol (18-0, 11 KOs) vs. Umar Salamov (26-1, 19 KOs)                  

  • Date: Saturday, Dec. 11
  • Time: 11:45 a.m. ET / 8:45 a.m. PT
  • Where: Ekaterinburg, Russia
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Light heavyweight
  • At stake: Bivol’s WBA title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Bivol 13½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Magomed Kurbanov vs. Patrick Teixeira, junior middleweights; Eduard Skavynskyi vs. TBA, welterweights; Ruslan Kamilov vs. Dmitrii Khasiev, junior lightweights; Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov vs. Rilwan Oladosu, junior lightweights; Artysh Lopsan vs. Ramil Gadzhyiev, super middleweights
  • Prediction: Bivol KO 10
  • Background: Bivol, arguably the best 175-pounder in the world, will be making the second defense of the WBA title (eighth if you count the WBA’s “regular” title) against Umar Salamov. The champ, a boxer-puncher from Russia, bowled over in succession Sullivan Barrera, Isaac Chilemba, Jean Pascal and Joe Smith Jr. to establish himself as a force in the division. He’s coming off a closer-than-expected decision victory over Craig Richards in May. Bivol had been out of the ring for 19 months. Salamov, a Las Vegas-based Russian, has won seven consecutive fights since he lost a close decision to Damien Hooper in 2017 in Hooper’s native Australia. He last fought in April, when he defeated Sergei Ekimov by a split decision in Russia.

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Dmitry Bivol vs. Umar Salamov: date, time, how to watch, background

Dmitry Bivol vs. Umar Salamov: date, time, how to watch, background.

175-pound TITLEHOLDER DMITRY BIVOL WILL DEFEND HIS BELT AGAINST UMAR SALAMOV ON SATURDAY in russia.

Dmitry Bivol (18-0, 11 KOs) vs. Umar Salamov (26-1, 19 KOs)                  

  • Date: Saturday, Dec. 11
  • Time: 11:45 a.m. ET / 8:45 a.m. PT
  • Where: Ekaterinburg, Russia
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Light heavyweight
  • At stake: Bivol’s WBA title
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: Bivol 13½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Magomed Kurbanov vs. Patrick Teixeira, junior middleweights; Eduard Skavynskyi vs. TBA, welterweights; Ruslan Kamilov vs. Dmitrii Khasiev, junior lightweights; Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov vs. Rilwan Oladosu, junior lightweights; Artysh Lopsan vs. Ramil Gadzhyiev, super middleweights
  • Prediction: Bivol KO 10
  • Background: Bivol, arguably the best 175-pounder in the world, will be making the second defense of the WBA title (eighth if you count the WBA’s “regular” title) against Umar Salamov. The champ, a boxer-puncher from Russia, bowled over in succession Sullivan Barrera, Isaac Chilemba, Jean Pascal and Joe Smith Jr. to establish himself as a force in the division. He’s coming off a closer-than-expected decision victory over Craig Richards in May. Bivol had been out of the ring for 19 months. Salamov, a Las Vegas-based Russian, has won seven consecutive fights since he lost a close decision to Damien Hooper in 2017 in Hooper’s native Australia. He last fought in April, when he defeated Sergei Ekimov by a split decision in Russia.

[lawrence-related id=19860]

Top Rank’s four-man light heavyweight tournament reportedly set

Top Rank’s light heavyweight tournament will pit Eleider Alvarez against Joe Smith Jr. and Umar Salamov against Maksim Vlasov…

A new light heavyweight titleholder will be crowned in the coming months.

A de-facto four-man tournament will soon take place featuring Umar Salamov vs. Maksim Vlasov on one side and Eleider Alvarez vs. Joe Smith Jr. on the other. The winners of each bout will face off later this year for the WBO title, which was relinquished by Canelo Alvarez shortly after he seized it from Sergey Kovalev.

All participants are associated with Top Rank, which reportedly just signed Salamov and Vlasov to promotional deals, so all bouts will be televised and/or streamed on ESPN/ESPN+.

The Athletic was first to report the news.

Absent from the tournament is the WBO’s No.1 light heavyweight contender Gilberto Ramirez, who was originally slated to be involved. The Mexican hasn’t fought since his he stopped journeyman Tommy Karpency last April. He reportedly is at odds with Top Rank over his purse for that fight and is trying to buy out his contract. Ramirez’s retreat essentially opened up a spot for Smith.

Russians Salamov (25-1, 19 KOs) and Vlasov (45-3, 26 KOs) are relatively unknown stateside, but both Alvarez and Smith are known quantities.

Alvarez (25-1, 13 KOs) won the WBO title when he upset Kovalev in the summer of 2018 but lost it promptly in the rematch.The Colombian is coming off a one-punch knockout of Michael Seals last month, his first fight since returning from an Achilles injury.

The week prior, Smith (25-3, 20 KOs) picked up a solid points win over Jesse Hart. Smith, who works full-time as a day laborer in Long Island, is best known for ending the career of Bernard Hopkins in 2016.

Top Rank also promotes Russian bruiser Artur Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KOs), who defends two his light heavyweight belts against China’s Fanlong Meng (16-0, 10 KOs) on March 28 in Montreal. A potential unification bout between the winner of the WBO tournament and Beterbiev, should he remain undefeated, could conceivably be scheduled for the end of the year or the first quarter of 2021.

The lone light heavyweight titleholder that Top Rank does not control is WBA titlist Dmitry Bivol (17-0, 11 KOs), who is promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing and the Russian outfit World of Boxing.

Joe Smith Jr. left out of light heavyweight title eliminator  

Joe Smith Jr. thought he was going to fight Eleider Alvarez for a shot at a vacant light heavyweight title, but that doesn’t seem likely.

When hard-hitting light heavyweight contender Joe Smith Jr. notched a solid decision over Jesse Hart last month, the expectation was that the Long Island construction laborer would get a chance to contend for a world title in his next bout. Or at least that’s what his people say they were told by the powers that be.

But Smith is now looking like the odd man out of a four-man light heavyweight eliminator for a shot at the WBO title. The participants are Eleider Alvarez Gilberto Ramirez, Umar Salamov and Maxim Vlasov. No Smith.

Jerry Capobianco, Smith’s trainer, was under the impression that his charge would fight the winner of the Eleider Alvarez-Michael Seals bout, which Alvarez won by an explosive seventh-round knockout. Yvon Michel, the co-promoter of Alvarez, was also informed by Top Rank, the promoter of both Smith and Alvarez, that a vacant title fight between the two would be next.

Capobianco expressed his disappointment with the development in a recent episode of the Everlast TalkBox Podcast.

“Joe beat the No. 3 contender in the world. Jesse Hart was a solid three,” Capobianco said. “And Eleider Alvarez fought Michael Seals. … (Seals) was rated on BoxRec, I’m pretty sure, at No. 65. So going into this fight, they were saying whoever wins this fight will fight Eleider Alvarez for the belt, the belt that Canelo [Alvarez] left behind.

“People were saying that this was the next fight. So Joe fought, he won and Alvarez fought and won. Now we hear that there’s an eliminator and Joe’s not in it.”

So what gives? More alphabet soup shenanigans? Capobianco doesn’t say, but he’s not happy. In the latest WBO rankings, Ramirez is No. 1, followed by Salamov, Vlasov and Alvarez.

“Joe was rated fifth with the WBO when he beat the No. 3 guy,” Capobianco said. “To me, that doesn’t make too much sense.”

A silver lining for Smith might be that Ramirez reportedly is trying to buy out his contract with Top Rank. That’s music to Capobianco’s ears.

“I’m reading that Gilberto Ramirez may not fight in the eliminator, which would automatically bring Joe up to the fourth spot,” Capobianco said.

A purse bid for Alvarez-Ramirez has been scheduled for Feb. 20 after the sides failed to reach a deal