Tonight in London on David Haye’s Hayemaker Promotions card at The O2, 2016 Olympic silver medal winner Joe Joyce made his pro debut a successful one, the red-hot heavyweight prospect taking on and halting experienced 16-fight pro Ian Lewison in a scheduled ten rounder. The end came at the 2.35 mark of round-eight, as a battered Lewison was pulled out by his corner when under fire.
Murat Gassiev: I want to unify the division, then move to heavyweight
Russia’s unbeaten cruiserweight star Murat Gassiev is in action tonight – he will face former 200-pound champ Krzysztof Wlodarczyk in the WBSS tournament – but the reigning IBF champ has bigger goals than merely winning the tournament.
Gassiev, 24-0(17) and trained by Abel Sanchez, tells RT Sports how he aims to win the WBSS, unify the cruiserweight division and then make the move up to heavyweight. It’s still early days, and Gassiev could have his hands full against the tough and experienced Wlodarczyk in New Jersey tonight, even if he is favoured to win, but Gassiev might just have the tools and the talent to achieve his goals.
Miguel Cotto – Sadam Ali Live on BoxNation on 12/2
BoxNation will air the end of an era fight when four-division and six-time world champion Miguel Cotto enters the ring for the final time to defend his WBO light-middleweight world title in a 12-round battle against Sadam “World Kid” Ali exclusively live on December 2nd. (Photo Credit: Matt Easley – Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions)
Taking place at the iconic Madison Square Garden, Cotto will fittingly bring down the curtain on an illustrious career at the world famous arena which has become a second home for him having fought there on numerous occasions.
Results: Joe Joyce stops Ian Lewison
Joe Joyce stopped Ian Lewison as he made an impressive start to life as a professional in the main event of the inaugural Hayemaker Ringstar Fight Night — live on free-to-air entertainment channel Dave. Fellow Hayemaker Ringstar debutants Michael ‘Venom’ Page and Willy Hutchinson also produced dazzling displays to record victories in front of a packed house at London’s Indigo at The O2.
Tipped by promoter David Haye as “the future of the heavyweight division”, Joyce confidently took care of Lewison in a tough assignment for the novice pro.
DiBella speaks: The greatest danger to AJ in the world is Deontay Wilder
British promoter Eddie Hearn has a great idea: Deontay Wilder gives his fighter Dillian Whyte a shot at the WBC title and then the winner fights Anthony Joshua in a massive unification showdown next year.
But US promoter Lou DiBella doesn’t like the idea, not one bit. DiBella, in speaking with Sky Sports, said that in his opinion Dillian Whyte is “irrelevant” in the career of Deontay Wilder and that “the concept that we would somehow feel obligated, or the necessity to fight Dillian Whyte for a chance to fight Anthony Joshua is a joke.”
Rob Brant ready for Juergen Braehmer
Rob Brant (22-0, 15 KOs) is confident he will beat Juergen Braehmer (48-3, 35 KOs) in their Ali Trophy quarter-final clash on October 27 in Schwerin, Germany. In fact Brant is confident he will win the whole tournament.
(Photo credit: World Boxing Super Series)
27-year-old Brant was born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota, but is now living and fighting out of Dallas, Texas. In this interview he take us back to where it all started and reveals his ambition to win the super middleweight division of the World Boxing Super Series.
When the “O” goes – fighters who were never the same after losing for the first time
Some fighters, be they at the start of their career, at the middle or even coming towards the end, come back stronger after suffering their very first defeat, while other fighters are never, ever the same again after tasting the pain of losing.
Great fighters such as Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Bernard Hopkins and James Toney have over the years proven how there is so much more than holding an unbeaten record in boxing; each legend returning from a loss with a vengeance. However, some fighters, a number of them closing in on greatness at the time, were all but finished, at least compared to what they had been, after losing their “O,” their prefect record.
Results: Rosado TKOs Tapia
Gabriel “King” Rosado (24-11, 14 KOs) earned himself another shot against the top ten of the middleweight division after stopping Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia (23-5, 15 KOs) in the sixth round of the scheduled ten-round main event of the latest edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN at Park Theater at Monte Carlo. Rosado, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, took the center of the ring at the start of the fight, asserting his veteran skills before landing a powerful lead left hook in the sixth round. The hook began a series of more blows that dropped the native of Passaic, New Jersey, who got to his feet once more before another flurry of punches forced the referee to end matters at 1:15 of the same round. Tapia was taken to the hospital shortly after the bout ended.
Steve Collins-Nigel Benn III: The unlikely fight becomes more likely as Collins obtains a license to box
Despite the fact that both 1990s stars, Nigel Benn and Steve Collins, are now well into their fifties, talk of a third fight between the two refuses to go away. In fact it’s a case of quite the opposite, as “Celtic Warrior” Collins, who twice stopped Benn in the final days of “The Dark Destroyer’s” career, has just been granted a license to box.
Jason Sosa vs. Robinson Castellanos added to Kovalev-Shabrankskyy card
Two of the most experienced fighters in the stacked 130-pound division will continue the heated Puerto Rico vs. Mexico rivalry when Jason “El Canito” Sosa (20-2-4, 14 KOs) takes on Robinson “Robin Hood” Castellanos (24-13, 14 KOs) in a 10-round super featherweight fight at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on the televised undercard for Kovalev vs. Shabrankskyy. The event takes place Saturday, Nov. 25 and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.