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First-round stoppage victories over Fredrick Lawson and Thomas Dulorme across three months kicked off an eventful calendar year for Vergil Ortiz Jr in 2024, campaigning in a new weight division and looking to replicate his exciting welterweight success against elite junior middleweight opposition. We spoke about his last fight, Tim Tszyu criticism ahead of his Israil Madrimov matchup. Continue reading “Vergil Ortiz Jr rejects notion Tim Tszyu isn’t an elite boxer, says Aussie can rebuild”
Most expected Tim Tszyu to reclaim the championship gold he never should’ve lost seven months ago, with considerably less fanfare and against an unheralded opponent in Orlando this weekend. Instead, the Aussie proved too brave for his own good once more and now has a serious rebuild job to do at the elite level after four knockdowns in two rounds against Bakhram Murtazaliev. Continue reading “Murtazaliev mauling Tszyu to retain IBF world title serves as a cautionary tale”
Terence Crawford is three-and-a-half weeks removed from beating Israil Madrimov to become a four-division world champion and per the WBO today, WBC and WBO champ Sebastian Fundora has been ordered to face the star in a unification bout ambitiously slated for this winter, should the two sides agree terms within a 30-day timeframe before purse bids are sent. Will they though? Continue reading “WBO orders Fundora-Crawford to unify titles, after latter’s UD12 Madrimov win”
Terence Crawford’s weekend win in a fourth weight division means clamour around Vergil Ortiz Jr has cranked up a few notches before his main event matchup against WBC interim champion Serhii Bohachuk this Saturday night. The Ukrainian’s promoter, Tom Loeffler, has warned the 25-year-old’s team to stay sharp and not overlook his charge in a duel of world-level operators. Continue reading “Bohachuk’s promoter Tom Loeffler warns team Ortiz: stay focused before Saturday”
Having become undisputed welterweight world champion this time twelve months ago after dismantling Errol Spence Jr, three-division titlist Terence Crawford has some newfound shine behind him. He looks to make it a fantastic fourth next weekend at Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium against a new titleholder – by no means an easy task – in the form of heavy-handed Uzbek Israil Madrimov. Continue reading “Crawford cranking up legacy before 154lb debut vs. WBA world champ Madrimov”
Former WBO light-middleweight world champion Tim Tszyu expects to make his return down under on September 22, as the 29-year-old targets erasing the sour taste in his mouth after a contentious majority decision defeat by Sebastian Fundora in March. Erickson Lubin was targeted before news of an injury this week, though there’ll assess options for an alternative in two months’ time. Continue reading “Tim Tszyu readies return in IBF world title eliminator on September 22 in Australia”
44 knockout wins in 46 combined bouts. Both look to make a splash on the world championship scene come Aug. 10 at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay, a week after now-former undisputed welterweight king Terence Crawford goes for more greatness in a fourth weight division vs. WBA titleholder Israil Madrimov. Tim Tszyu might now be a spectator, but who said the 154lb division was dead? Continue reading “Bohachuk-Ortiz on Aug. 10: Tszyu’s cut created this, but we’re richer regardless”
Continue reading “Tszyu gets inactive Thurman; Romero-Cruz compelling on Prime Video debut”
WBO light-middleweight world champion Tim Tszyu still wants to box and defend his title again in March, but it won’t be against Erickson Lubin after reports claimed negotiations reportedly broke down between them – though the latter was unaware when addressing the news on social media. Continue reading “Tszyu-Lubin plans for March light-middleweight world title fight fall through”
On what was supposed to be a showcase night for Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions kicking off 2024, we saw one new signee flattened inside a round in the co-main event before veteran referee Tony Weeks produced another controversial early main event stoppage – this time souring Vergil Ortiz Jr’s long-awaited return against overmatched opponent Frederick Lawson.
Continue reading “Ortiz calls out WBO light-middleweight champion Tszyu after anticlimactic R1 KO”
Primed for a welterweight world title shot, Vergil Ortiz Jr was searching for answers after a prolonged health scare saw him withdraw on multiple occasions from career-altering bouts. A rhabdomyolysis diagnosis wasn’t heeded but eventually, he came to the conclusion 147lbs wasn’t a sustainable weight cut any longer – so now it’s onwards to the light-middleweight division. Continue reading “After 17-month layoff, serious health concerns and more – Vergil Ortiz Jr is back”
Callum Walsh’s Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach declared his belief that the rising Irish southpaw, still only 22, will become a world champion at some stage over the next year. Judging by his latest display, a gutcheck over ten rounds as he headlined the Madison Square Garden Theatre overnight, the light-middleweight prospect still has work to do before reaching that ambitious goal. Continue reading “154lbs prospect Callum Walsh withstands Ismael Villarreal firefight to stay unbeaten”
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