WBA World lightweight champion Jorge Linares (44-3, 27 KOs) had a harder time than expected in defeating #15 WBA Mercito Gesta (31-2-2, 17 KOs) by a 12 round unanimous decision in a stay busy fight at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The scores were 118-110, 117-110 and 118-110.
(Photo Credit: Tom Hogan – Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions)
WBO cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk won a close 12 round majority decision on Saturday night against WBC cruiserweight champion Mairis Briedis in thier semifinals fight in the World Boxing Super Series at the Riga Arena in Riga, Latvia. The scores were 115-113, 115-113 for Usyk, and 114-114.
Briedis seemed to fade after the 2nd round. Usyk came on to dominate until the later rounds. Briedis fought well in rounds 1, 6, 9 and 12.
Lucas Matthysse (39-4, 36 KOs) chased the inexperienced little known #1 WBA Tewa Kiram (38-1, 28 Kos) around the ring for the first 7 rounds before finally catching up to him in the 8th round to knocking him out to capture the vacant WBA World welterweight title on Saturday night at the Forum in Inglewood, California.
Deontay Wilder is a most exciting fighter, a very powerful and dangerous fighter and a very determined fighter. By his own admission, the 39-0(38) KO-King is also wild, but at the same time “very hard to prepare for.”
But Wilder has yet to convince fans he is the best heavyweight, puncher or otherwise, in the world today. In contrast, by the time of his very first world title fight, Mike Tyson was already being looked at by many as THE best heavyweight on the planet. And just recently – via a short interview with TMZ Sports – Wilder, upon being asked the question, how would he do against the ’86 version of “Iron Mike,” swiftly replied how he would have “Kicked his ass!”
It seems Frank Warren has beaten Eddie Hearn to the punch in terms of being able to make a deal with the soon-to-return Tyson Fury. Hearn has said he would love to work with Fury, but Fury is, according to a piece via The Independent, “on the verge of agreeing a multi-fight deal with Frank Warren;” the first fight of which would take place on either April 14 or April 21.
The countdown is over and tonight at the Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra, Ghana, Emmanuel ‘Game Boy’ Tagoe will step into the ring for a first defence of his IBO Lightweight world title against Fernando David Saucedo of Argentina.
Both Tagoe (27-1, 13 KOs) and Saucedo (61-6-3, 10 KOs) made weight on Friday, both tilting the scales at 135 lbs to set the stage for the ring battle in the Ghanaian capital on Saturday night.
It’s proven so, so hard for a number of great fighters to exit the sport on a win. So often we’ve seen legends battle on for too long; taking that ‘fight too many.’ Sadly it happened to at least three of the immortal heavyweights featured in the now 30 year old “Champions Forever” video tribute (still a fantastic watch a full three decades on).
Once again, Deontay Wilder has urged Anthony Joshua to face him in a huge unification clash in America. The reigning WBC king, readying himself for his March 3 defence against Cuban dangerman Luis Ortiz (Wilder admitting that he does have some concern over Ortiz possibly failing another drugs test; this of course ruining Ortiz’ challenge of Wilder last November) – says AJ must fight him in America and that he will earn far more money if he does so.
Oleksandr Usyk and Mairis Breidis meet head-up in a cruiserweight unification bout at Arena Riga in Riga, Latvia. Back in July 2017 this division sparked a buzz amongst avid followers of the sport once it was revealed all major sanctioning bodies would be involved in the World Boxing Super Series. The ho-hum quarterfinals played out as more of opportunity to get all 4-fighters on the same schedule. Now the time has come for the big boys to find out if they measure up versus the elite.
Dillian Whyte certainly has plenty of rage inside him; at least this is how things have appeared – what with Whyte getting into intense pre-fight roarings with Dereck Chisora, Anthony Joshua, Lucas Browne and even David Allen. Simply put, Whyte is a get-in-your-face type of guy and he is always hyped up before, during and after any fight.