Hearn blast Haney having a heated verbal confrontation. It is clear that both sides are not happy. Hearn disclosed that there was an issue over getting tickets for the fight. Haney texted Hearn for tickets on late notice.
The Matchroom Boxing promoter replied that he did not have any to give out, given they had been already allocated. Hearn revealed that Haney should have contacted Riyadh Season to see if some tickets could be issued. That response did not receive a reply, but when Haney appeared at the arena, he let Hearn know how he felt about it. Hearn defended his stance as he slammed The Dream.
“So, at that point, we didn’t have the tickets. I said, ‘Look, it’s not solely our show. We’re just working on the event. You may have to ask Riyadh Season for the tickets.’ No reply. So, then I’m sitting there at the show, and it’s like, ‘Wow, Eddie Hearn didn’t get me tickets.
“He’s so two-faced.’ I just replied, ‘You’re an arrogant [person].’ I pulled him at the show and said, ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ He said, ‘Hey.’ I said, ‘No, hey, hey. What are you doing?’ I said, ‘One, you couldn’t be more arrogant. Two, why aren’t you messaging me after I messaged you? You put a Tweet out? You’re like a little kid,” Hearn said
This raises questions about whether Hearn and Haney still have a good relationship. Hearn has made several other big-name signings since Haney’s fight with Garcia. Jaron Ennis is the IBF Welterweight Champion and someone who is seen as the future of the sport. Boots also has a style that resonates with the wider audience, with an undefeated record of 32-0, including 29 knockouts.
Hearn has also signed Shakur Stevenson, the WBC Lightweight Champion. While his fighting style has been criticized, he is still regarded as one of the best generational talents in the sport. Conor Benncould also return soon following his failed VADA tests for Clomiphene. Prior to the failed test, Ben was seen as one of the biggest names in British boxing. While Hearn has not said anything to suggest that their relationship with Haney has soured, he was clear that he was not happy with the conduct shown by Devin.
“I said, ‘You used to be a good kid, you did.’ I said, ‘I don’t like this arrogance that I’m seeing from you.’ I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ He was like, ‘No, no. You said something about me in the media.’ I said, ‘No, I was just answering questions. I don’t represent you,” Hearn added.
In so many ways, in so many interviews, in so many fights, Claressa Shields has been trying to get her point across.
Whether the listener wanted to hear it, whether the principled message was being delivered correctly, or whether Shields was saying things that made the status quo uncomfortable, there has remained a divide keeping the masses from comprehending the greatest women’s boxer in history.
Now, as her life story, captured in the film “The Fire Inside,” heads to movie theaters in late December, Shields is hopeful her journey from Flint, Michigan, to two gold medals and world titles from junior middleweight to heavyweight will provide the needed perspective to illustrate where she’s coming from.
“I want people to understand when they watch my film that they understand what they haven’t before: that my boxing is a passion for me,” Shields said. “I’m not being forced to box, and I don’t have to box to heal. It has helped me grow into the person I was supposed to be.”
Shields, 29, sat down with BoxingScene during the recent Saul “Canelo” Alvarez fight week in Las Vegas, playing the trailer from her film written by Barry Jenkins and fighting tears knowing that her full story will be out there around Christmas, along with her return to the ring following her July second-round TKO of Vanessa Lepage-Joannise to capture the WBC heavyweight and WBO light heavyweight belts.
“By December-January, I’d like to have another fight. I’m all about history. I want the biggest and best challenges,” she said. “Right now, the heavyweight girls are calling me out. They want to fight me. I know them all, and undisputed at heavyweight will put me at the tops with Muhammad Ali and [Oleksandr] Usyk, Evander Holyfield. I’ll be able to talk to those guys.”
Before heading to training camp, Shields is savoring this experience of knowing her life story is heading to the silver screen, where so many amazing real-life and fictional works – “Raging Bull,” “Rocky,” “Ali,” “When We Were Kings” and “Million Dollar Baby” – have moved the world.
After learning a movie studio was picking up the rights to the documentary, “T-Rex,” that depicted three years of her life before and after the 2016 Olympics, Shields was contacted by Jenkins.
They met in person for four hours, with Shields maintaining her typically unfiltered, candid demeanor.
“I wanted to meet him to know I could actually trust him to do the storytelling,” she said.
She asked Jenkins, “What do you think my life story is? How do you see me? What is your perception?”
She listened to his response and replied, “OK, we’re somewhere near the same thing. This is my perception of it, and this is what I want to be included that I know you wouldn’t include in regular movies.”
About two months later, Jenkins sent Shields the script before any actors had been retained.
“Anything you want taken out, anything you want moved, anything you don’t want mentioned, let me know,” Jenkins told Shields.
She made one cut, declining to divulge what it was.
“He did a great job writing the story. Some of the stuff he included was great … because a lot of times, my story has been misconstrued,” Shields said.
It’s been known that Shields was sexually assaulted as a 5-year-old, that her mother battled alcohol abuse in Shields’ youth, and that she didn’t connect with her formerly incarcerated father until the age of 9 before taking up boxing at 11.
“People have written things that are not true or made it worse than what it was, or what I was focused on,” Shields said. “I had a very hard upbringing. But I also had boxing, and boxing saved my life.
“The story before was that I was some kind of angry black woman who got raped when I was a kid and I hate all men, so I learned how to box to fight men … that’s not my story. But that’s how it was depicted for a long time.
“So I wanted to make sure we didn’t go down that road, that we actually got it right and make it clear how I’m passionate about boxing. I love boxing. It’s what I chose to do. God chose me to box. And I’m the person who’s supposed to change the whole sport – not just with women’s boxing. But boxing, period. I’ve been able to do that.”
Shields is portrayed by actress Ryan Destiny, the boxer comparing the integrity of Destiny’s work to that of Will Smith’s in “Ali.” Rachel Morrison directed “The Fire Inside.”
“Everybody will understand that it’s always been about my passion for boxing. They think when you have trauma and then you box that it’s all about trauma, anger and boxing. That you’re angry,” Shields explained.
“I’m not angry to box. It’s something I’ve taken the most joy in my life from doing. I’m passionate about boxing.”
It’s why she’s had no problem calling out fighters like Gervonta Davis for his domestic violence, Ryan Garcia over his erratic behavior and Jake Paul over comments that he’s helped grow women’s boxing by putting multi-division champion Amanda Serrano on his cards.
“When you see a guy come talking trash to me and hear me say, ‘I’ll kick his ass,’ I really mean that – in the most humble way,” Shields said. “I’ve done that. I do that. I train very hard.”
She even took Alvarez to task, responding to his comment that he accepted the Sept. 14 date against big underdog Edgar Berlanga because Canelo had “fought everyone else.”
“Canelo hasn’t fought everyone. We still haven’t seen (David) Benavidez. Benavidez and (Dmitrii) Bivol. There’s people for him to fight, and there’s people for me to fight, too,” Shields said.
“When you can go as low as 154 and go all the way to heavyweight, there’s always going to be someone very good who can challenge you. There’s girls at 154 who I think can challenge me. They’re just scared. I think they’re good!”
By sparring against men for most of her boxing career, Shields said she has developed a toughness and grit that has contributed greatly to her 15-0 pro record.
“Me boxing – having to rise to these occasions, having to be on TV, having desires outside the ring – has helped me grow into the woman I am today,” she said. “It was all from my passion of fighting. It’s why I did MMA. I didn’t do MMA because I’m angry. I did it because I’m a great ass kicker. I can kick ass in MMA and boxing.”
Shields made it clear in her conversation with BoxingScene that she relishes being a woman.
“I can go to 147 (pounds), but I told (promoters and networks), ‘I need a couple million for that. Because my butt’s going to get little. And I don’t want that,’” Shields said, adding in her present-day weight of 178 pounds. “I like how I look. That means a lot. I’m a woman. These other girls out there looking all strong … I look strong, but I look feminine. That’s very important to me. I’m a woman boxer – woman first. I need to keep my curves and my looks. You want me to go to 147, I will. Just pay me my money.”
And while Alvarez, at 34, has expressed some fatigue with the business of boxing, Shields says she’s continually enthused by the sport.
“I’m always excited to fight. That’s the difference between me and other people. I’m in the back room dancing before a fight, they’re telling me, ‘Claressa, sit down, save your energy,’” she said.
“I’ve already put myself through the hard work, the brutal stress and the roadwork. Now, I get to eat, drink my water and juice and now I get to fight with no restraints.
“In sparring, you don’t want to knock your partners out. When you’ve got a fight, hey, it’s all or nothing. I love when I get to be as mean as I want to be, punch as hard as I want to punch, with nobody saying, ‘Hey, taper it down some.’ No, it’s, ‘Keep turning it up.’ I’m excited about that every time. And the buildup, too. These girls saying I don’t have power, that I haven’t fought nobody. It’s just, ‘Back it up when we get in there.’ When they can’t do that, I beat ‘em up real bad.”
Watching those scenes of her life play out on the big screen at the film’s screening in Toronto recently was powerful, leaving the strong-minded champion fighter reduced to a puddle of tears at times.
“God has done some miraculous things with my life that I can’t put into words. I’m grateful and thankful to see what God has done with this little Black girl from Flint,” Shields said.
She said she’s always been touched by a Biblical passage urging the faithful to maintain hope for the future, where prosperity awaits. Shields did so and was rewarded.
Asked what scenes made her weep, she said, “You have to come and see it, and you will know why I cry. Reliving it on film … you usually don’t get to do that with your life. You may get to watch a couple family videos. For me, to have a movie of my life is tear-worthy by itself.
“Happy tears, sad tears, all over the place. But you will leave feeling like you can conquer the world.”
The boxing champion, who suffered a devastating defeat by Daniel Dubois on Saturday, expressed his “sincerest apologies” after being caught speeding in his Range Rover back in May.
The 34-year-old, who lost in an upset to Daniel Dubois over the weekend, was caught by a Sussex Police officer driving at 44mph in a 30mph zone on the A26 in Lewes, East Sussex, on 29 May.
Joshua sought to justify his offence by saying a “lapse in concentration” due to a “very intense training camp” may have contributed to him speeding in his Range Rover Vogue.
According to court documents seen by the Press Association, Joshua, who already had three points on his licence at the time of the offence, offered his “sincerest apologies”.
“I am a professional athlete, currently in the middle of a very intense training camp,” he wrote in his defence.
“My schedule has been extremely demanding, and I was travelling to or from a training session at the time and date of the offence.
“The physical and mental fatigue from my training may have clouded my judgement, leading to this lapse in concentration.
“I recognise that such circumstances do not justify speeding, and I deeply regret allowing myself to make this error.”
He asked the court to consider the impact any driving ban could have on his career, due to his need to travel to and from training sessions.
“As an athlete, I rely heavily on my ability to drive to and from training sessions, which are often at locations that are difficult to reach.”
He was ordered to pay £1,167 in the case dealt with by Hastings Magistrates’ Court.
The Evening Standard reported this consisted of a £769 fine, with £90 costs and a £308 victim surcharge, and that he was also given four penalty points on his licence but was not banned from driving.
Joshua suffered a fifth-round knockout defeat to Dubois at a packed Wembley Stadium on Saturday, but on Monday insisted that his boxing career is “far from over”.
Highlights of the Canelo vs Berlanga fight for the WBO, WBA, WBC super middleweight titles. Live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Saul won after 12 rounds.
Saul Canelo Alvarez has always starred in one of the most important fights for Mexicans in the national month. This time it will not be the exception for the man from Guadalajara. From the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the cheers will be heard from the top when Saul faces Puerto Rican Edgar Berlanga. He will not be an easy opponent as many believe, some think that Canelo’s reign may come to an end on the most important day for him. But I think it will be one of the best performances of the Mexican, since he has not been pushed, according to boxing fans. The titles at stake will be the super middleweights of the WBA, WBC and WBO.
Saul arrives with a record of 60-2-2, with 39 KO’s. His last fight date was on 5-04-2024 against Jaime Munguía, winning and retaining his championships. Against Jermell Charlo he also retained. Against Jhon Ryder he also retained again. With Golovkin, he won again. His most recent defeat was to Dmitri Bivol for the WBA light heavyweight title, losing the fight on 5-07-2022.
The challenger Edgar Berlanga comes to this fight with a record of 22-0-0. With 17 KO’s. The Puerto Rican current WBO NABO super middleweight champion since 2021, remains undefeated. His most successful defense was against Steve Rolls, winning on the judges’ cards.
Saúl Canelo Álvarez’s last defeat was on 5-07-2022 against Dimitri Bivol. It was a very tough fight for the Mexican. He lost the WBA light heavyweight belt.
Saúl el Canelo Álvarez will earn more than 35 million dollars in the case of winning or losing, it does not matter. The Mexican is established on the list of athletes who earn the most money.
First Round
Canelo starts to throw the first right-handers. Berlanga protects his guard. The Mexican doesn’t take any risks in this first round.
Second Round
The second fight started, Berlanga started attacking hard. Canelo resisted and looked for the first contacts on the right. The Puerto Rican waited a long time for the Mexican. But both seemed to be wearing themselves out.
Third round
The Mexican knocked the Puerto Rican to the ground. Canelo threw several left blows and tried to finish him off, but Berlanga remained strong and resisted in the campaign that saved him.
Round 4
Berlanga has become more motivated and he went after Canelo. He was calm for the Mexican. Saul did not risk much to go for the fight. Few blows up and down.
Fifth round
The round got heated. Berlanga finished and hit Canelo. Saul held on at short distance. The Mexican showed long and short right hands. The Puerto Rican is saved again.
Sixth round
Canelo finds a better way to victory. He doesn’t take risks and keeps moving forward. He looks for short right hands to the center. He also goes to the corner.
Seventh round
Berlanga fell. He couldn’t hold on for long and the referee lifted him up and the fight went on. He said the fight was on for round 8. Canelo continues to dominate.
Eighth round
The Mexican continues to improve and looks for Berlanga at close range. With a right hook above the face. The man from Guadalajara has everything to win and the Puerto Rican continues to resist Saúl’s blows.
Ninth round
Canelo held his own against Berlanga. He did not despair in looking for the blows that would send the Puerto Rican to the ground. Canelo looked for the right hands in the lower part. We entered the last rounds.
Tenth round
Canelo hugged Berlanga. Waiting for the rounds to end. Saul Alvarez looked for the lower part and the fight was in the center of the ring. Both are already looking tired. Edgar closed better with a final blow.
11 round
Penultimate round. Canelo held out against Berlanaga for a long time. The Puerto Rican refuses to fall into Saul’s game. He takes breaks from the big blows he had in the first encounters. The last round comes and Canelo lands the final blow in the corner.
12 round
Canelo appears to be tiring just like Berlanga. But the last goals were quite key. They could not finalize the fight and Saul Alvarez will be the one in charge of winning the title.
Canelo won the fight
Saul Canelo Alvarez won against Edgar Berlanga. The Mexican was better in the ring, giving straight right-handed blows and knocking down the Puerto Rican, who had many problems. The man from Guadalajara came out strong in the last rounds. He retains his legacy and championships.
Canelo Alvarez has revealed who he wants to fight next after he defeated Edgar Berlanga to retain his WBC, WBA and WBO super-middleweight titles.
The two men were fighting at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with Alvarez dropping Berlanga on his way to a wide unanimous decision win.
Canelo was in control throughout the bout, and dropped Berlanga in round three after a left hook. The Puerto Rican showed great heart throughout the contest though, displaying that he would not give up.
Despite his bravery, Alvarez remained dominant, with the fight going the distance and the judges scoring it 118-109, 118-109 and 117-110 in the Mexican’s favour, who was pleased with his victory.
“I did good. Now what are they gonna say? They said I don’t fight young fighters. They always talk, but I’m the best fighter in the world.
“I got a little angry with his tactics, but I’m Mexican man. It means a lot to fight on this day. It’s an honor to represent my country on this day.
“My experience and my talent was the difference. It’s about hard work and intelligence. It’s everything together. If you have talent, you need discipline as well.
“A lot of people say we can’t, but we can. Las Vegas is like a second home for Mexicans. We are warriors and we never give up. I’m going to rest and then I’m going to decide what’s next.”
Bivol defeated Canelo back in May 2022, claiming a close unanimous decision win to deny the Mexican the chance to win the WBA light-heavyweight title.
As for Berlanga, the loss to Alvarez was the first defeat of his professional career, and he acknowledged how difficult it was going against the pound-for-pound great.
“I’m upset because at the end of the day I’m a winner. I fought a legend tonight and did my best to represent Puerto Rico. We’re fighters and we try to throw our opponent off their game.
“I took his best shot and I knew I could take his punches and return them. I could have jabbed a lot more, but I was in there with a legend.”
Elsewhere on the Canelo card, Erislandy Lara claimed a ninth round retirement win over Danny Garcia to retain his WBA middleweight title, and Caleb Plant stopped Trevor McCumby in the ninth round to win to win the interim WBA super-middleweight title.
There was also a dominant unanimous decision win for Rolly Romero against Manuel Jaimes, while Stephen Fulton recovered from a fifth round knockdown to defeat Carlos Castro by split decision.
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez proved he is still the man to beat in the super middleweight division after a win by unanimous decision against Edgar Berlanga.
Despite the dominant nature of the Mexican’s victory, Alvarez’s wait for a knockout continues. The 34-year-old has had to wait almost three years for a stoppage victory, since beating Caleb Plant in November 2021.
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez successfully retained his unified super-middleweight world title after a unanimous decision victory over Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas.
The 34-year-old won after scoring 117-110, 118-109, 118-109 on the judges’ scorecards, to inflict the first loss of Berlanga’s career.
Alvarez retained the WBA, WBC and WBO titles with this result, and hit back at his critics after the victory.
He said: “I did good. Now what are they going to say? They said I don’t fight young fighters.
“They always talk, but I’m the best fighter in the world.”
It looked like Canelo may have ended his three-year wait for a knockout when Berlanga was caught with a shot to the head in round three, but the American held on until the 12th round.
The 27-year-old took plenty of punishment from Canelo after the Mexican successfully landed a brilliant uppercut in the fifth round and a superb hook in the sixth.
Berlanga fell to the canvas in round seven after missing with an overhand shot and received a warning for a headbutt in the eighth.
Alvarez admitted to being upset by his opponent’s antics on a huge night for Mexican fighters, with seven mixed martial artists also taking part in the UFC 306 event to mark Mexican Independence Day on Sunday.
“I got a little angry with his tactics, but I’m Mexican man,” Alvarez added. “It means a lot to fight on this day. It’s an honour to represent my country on this day.”
However, Alvarez’s decision to take this bout cost him the IBF belt after failing to fight the division’s No.1 challenger William Scull.
It remains to be seen what lies next for Alvarez, with WBA super welterweight champion Terence Crawford stating he would be open to a super-middleweight bout with the 34-year-old.
However, those plans were put on the back-burner with Turki Alalshikh reportedly turning his attention away from setting up what would have been a mouthwatering clash.
He posted on X: “I decided to disregard the Canelo fight, as I don’t want it anymore.
“Instead, I will be focusing for the US market with bigger fights, especially for the legend Crawford.
“Additionally, I will support making fights for Boots [Jaron Ennis], [Devin] Haney, Shakur [Stevenson], Ortiz, [Jared] Anderson, [David] Benavidez, [William] Zepeda and more.
“Regarding Tim Tszyu, there’s something unclear with the communications from his team with our team, so I believe I will reconsider his situation.”
Terence Crawford is still angling for a fight with Canelo Alvarez.
Terence Crawford was ringside for Canelo Alvarez’s win over Edgar Berlanga tonight, and though his dream fight seems unlikely, he’s not given up on it just yet.
“Put me in the game, coach!” Crawford posted on social media, still angling for a bout with Canelo, which has been repeatedly shot down by Alvarez himself.
Canelo has most notably said that fights he does will happen on his terms, not on those of Turki Alalshikh, who attempted to make Crawford’s dream a reality with a big money offer.
Crawford is a current titlist at 154 lbs, while Canelo fights, of course, at 168, and because of that he feels that he would not get any credit for beating Crawford if the fight were to actually happen.
But you can’t blame “Bud” for continuing to hope, because it would potentially be an enormous amount of money for both sides.
Canelo (62-2-2, 39 KO) dropped Berlanga (22-1, 17 KO) and won a wide decision, but Berlanga got some credit from fellow fighters for his display of toughness.
“Edgar will learn a lot from this fight,” said Jamel Herring. “Nothing to be ashamed of.”
In a really thought-out bit of insight, Devin Haney declared that Berlanga is “not a hoe.”
Canelo Alvarez, boxing’s top star, retained his unified super middleweight championship with a unanimous decision victory over Edgar Berlanga on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.
Alvarez floored Berlanga with a monstrous left hook in Round 3 — his money punch — and prevailed via scores of 117-110, 118-109 and 118-109. ESPN scored it a 120-107 shutout.
This was the fifth consecutive decision victory for Alvarez, who hasn’t scored a knockout win since he defeated Caleb Plant in November 2021. It’s also the fourth consecutive bout where Alvarez scored a knockdown.
“Now what are they gonna say?” Alvarez, 34, said during his postfight interview. “I fight younger fighters. They say I fight older fighters. They always talk. … My experience, my talent, my hard work, my intelligence, everything together [makes me the best]. If you have talent but you don’t have discipline, you have nothing.”
Alvarez, ESPN’s No. 5 pound-for-pound boxer, is an all-time great. Berlanga, meanwhile, was fighting on the world-class level for the first time. Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) was a -1600 favorite, per ESPN BET, and a -250 favorite to earn the win inside the distance.
However, Berlanga (22-1, 17 KOs) rarely threw a power punch, clearly wary of presenting a counter-punching opportunity for one of the sport’s best at capitalizing on such openings. Following the knockdown, as Berlanga sat on the canvas and banged his gloves together, he entered survival mode.
Alvarez pressed forward and tried to close distance as Berlanga pumped his jab from out of range. And while Berlanga was rugged on the inside and showed some toughness, he clearly wasn’t willing to sell out and risk becoming a knockout victim.
“I’m upset,” Berlanga said. “I fought a legend tonight. Hopefully this is the start today of me becoming a future legend. … I took his best shot, I believe, in the third round.”
The Brooklynite of Puerto Rico heritage began his career with 16 first-round KOs, but as he stepped up in competition, his power dissipated. Berlanga, 27, entered his first title shot on the heels of a sixth-round knockout victory over Padraig McCrory in February.
Alvarez, naturally, is several levels above such an opponent, and his wealth of experience showed. He was the far more comfortable fighter, though he was frustrated on occasion by Berlanga’s roughhouse tactics, as referee Harvey Dock warned the pair numerous times.
“Fighters like to throw each other off their games,” Berlanga said.
Alvarez was once again headlining on Mexican Independence Day Weekend, one of two boxing holidays reserved for the sport’s top attraction. And he wasn’t ready to discuss whom he wants to face when he eventually returns on Cinco De Mayo Weekend.
In the lead-up to the bout, Alvarez told ESPN on Wednesday he was interested in a rematch with Dmitry Bivol, who defeated him in May 2022 at 175 pounds. That’s provided Bivol beats Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed light heavyweight championship Oct. 12 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Another option was ringside: Terence Crawford, the future Hall of Famer who remains undefeated. He made his 154-pound debut last month with a win over Israil Madrimov and told ESPN on Thursday he’d like to fight Alvarez at the full-fledged 168-pound limit with no rehydration clause.
“I think it would tell the No. 1 guy of this era in the post-Mayweather era, who’s the king of kings,” Crawford said.
Whomever Alvarez fights next, he’ll still be in search of his first knockout victory since November 2021, though he hasn’t lost many rounds in the process.
Said Alvarez: “I’m the best fighter in the world.”
There has been much bellyaching about the fight itself, but from all accounts, the Mike Tyson and Jake Paul fight is still a go.
However, there is a chance that the fight could be downgraded from a professional bout that’ll count on both fighters’ record, into an unofficial match — an exhibition — instead, according to a recent report by World Boxing News.
With Netflix, owner of over 270 million subscribers, airing the widely discussed fight, there’s plenty of incentive for all parties involved to put on the event despite a recent Tyson health issue that shifted the first scheduled date from July 20, to November 15. It’s being reported that both combatants will be thoroughly examined ahead of the fight to ensure everything goes according to plan.
Before ‘Iron Mike’ entered the ring in 2020 for the first time in 15 years to face fellow former world champion Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition match, he’d made it known that training was a thing of the past as it would spark his ego to hit the heavy bag.
After many battles with his fluctuating weight that he ultimately conquered, plus, finding content from within, Tyson made the decision to once again lace the gloves up and compete under the bright lights. Even in his 50s, the now humble boxer has stolen the internet’s attention with some flashes of excellence on the mitts:
Though the stocky fighter is built like a house, the recent health issue of a stomach ulcer earlier this summer set off red flags. It could have been connected to pushing his body a bit too hard in training, and high-ranking officials aren’t taking any chances when it comes to sanctioning this wild fight.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) will be leading the charge in terms of being diligent about whether this massive, cross-generational fight should be hosted as a professional fight to count on both competitors’ records, or as an exhibition bout. Nobody wants to see something horrific take place on live TV…
Back in May, Tyson had an ulcer flare up that was severe enough that he had to pull out of the fight. The TDLR will be making sure the former heavyweight champion is fit to compete. When speaking with the TDLR, World Boxing News discovered that they are aware of the public concerns over this controversial fight:
“TDLR is aware of media reports regarding an episode involving Mr. Tyson. At present, Mr. Tyson and Mr. Paul have met the medical requirements for this event, before the event, TDLR will conduct pre-fight physicals to ensure the health of both fighters.”
WBN reports that Tyson “has much to prove to convince organizers, including Netflix” that it should go ahead as a pro fight. “Tyson could face a rigorous health assessment, far more than the usual professional boxers undertake,” the news site added.
Downgrading the contest to exhibition status would unlikely take anything away from the attention and marketability of the event. As it stands, it still goes ahead, as a legitimate contest on each fighters’ record, when they trade blows November 15 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Jose Valenzuela rose to the occasion and shocked the boxing world, as he battered, bruised, and outboxed Isaac Cruz.
The American fighter bagged the WBA super lightweight gold as a result, and he is taking some time off before deciding on what he wants to do next. It seems the decision is out, and it might upset or cheer fans, depending on whom they support.
Valenzuela, 25, finds himself mentioned either as a logical rematch with Cruz, 26, or a stepping stone for Gervonta Davis if he finally decides to move to 140 and realize his long-muted move. However, the case is not a toss-up between the opponents. The champion wants to spend the rest of the year with family and mull over his choices, of which a rematch with ‘Pitbull’ makes more sense to him.
Fight Hook News turned to its X handle and reported that ‘El Rayo’ would not fight ‘Tank’ next and rather prefer to cherish some moments with his family. The handle also pointed out that Valenzuela, at 14-2, would return to the boxing ring in 2025 for a rematch with Cruz, at 26-3-1.
The post read, “WBA Junior Welterweight Champion Jose ‘EL Rayo’ Venezuela will Not be fighting Gervonta Tank Davis and will take off the rest of the year to spend time with family and return in 2025 for a Rematch with Pitbull. #pbcboxing #josevenezuela #elrayo #mexicanboxing #venezuelacruz2.”
While the Renton resident is away from the ring for the moment, his gritty display against Cruz remains the talk of the town. Leonard Ellerbe believed it was a long time coming, but gave full credit to Valenzuela.
In a conversation with Fight Hub TV, Ellerbe expressed that he watched the fight but didn’t score it. But Valenzuela had made it look easy by executing the game plan to the teeth. He said, “I didn’t really score, but he made it look easy. I fully expected Rolly to do that. But that didn’t happen. Great game plan. Just boxed the guy, turned him, made him miss, and scored.”
Interestingly, contrary to the recent report by Fight Hook News, the former Mayweather Promotions CEO didn’t shun a fight between Valenzuela and Davis. But a report by Fernando Barbosa disclosed that Davis was to return to the boxing ring on November 2. His opponent is not finalized yet. But it might be safe to say that Valenzuela might not be the one because of his family commitments.
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