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+--- Thread: Heavyweight Division (/showthread.php?tid=21)
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RE: Heavyweight Division - diehard - 12-20-2022
Worst sh**fight I’ve ever seen’: NRL bad boy caught up in crazy Dubai boxing scandal
Roosters prop Matthew Lodge has been sensationally caught up in a Dubai boxing scandal where Australian fighters were robbed of their purses, left “on the street” and now searching for a promoter who has disappeared.
Only months after making headlines as a potential opponent for Paul Gallen’s boxing farewell, Fox Sports Australia can reveal Lodge was set to instead make his professional debut in secret, and in the Middle East, over the weekend.
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In a bizarre twist to his already controversial career, the NRL bad boy was planning to compete on the undercard of an event involving several Aussie fighters — including heavyweight Lucas Browne, super featherweight contender Paul Fleming and Olympian Alex Winwood.
However, the group are all now back home in Australia – and in some cases, significantly out of pocket – following what one Aussie boxing manager described as “the worst sh**fight I’ve ever seen”.
Only days after the fighters, including Lodge, touched down in Dubai, the entire event was called off and promoter Andre Spencer of Iconic Promotions Dubai disappeared.
Apart from reports of fighters having to pay for their own hotels, The Middle East Professional Boxing Commission also cited a string of safety concerns for the event eventually being called off.
It is understood Lodge flew his father, brother and manager to Dubai for the event that was set to be headlined by heavyweights Browne and Mahmoud Charr – both of whom have previously held the WBA ‘Regular’ world title.
In recent days, Browne had also posted Instagram videos showing himself and the 27-year-old Roosters forward sparring.
With his professional boxing debut canned, the prop will now return to pre-season training.
Yet for the other Australians on the card, moves are already underway to get the fights rescheduled — potentially on home soil.
Interviewed following the cancellation, both Browne and Charr were extremely critical of Iconic Promotions Dubai and Andre Spencer.
A furious Lou DiBella, who now promotes the Aussie heavyweight, branded the event an “organised scam”
Said Charr: “(Spencer) didn’t make the fight happen, he lied to all of us — the fighters, the promoters, the managers.
“And now, I come to this hotel, and some of the fighters here are on the street because the hotel was not paid …”
One of those fighters without a hotel room was Winwood, a promising Australian amateur who fought at both the Tokyo Olympics and 2022 Commonwealth Games. Only last month, the breakout flyweight made his professional debut, earning a second round TKO.
Yet after arriving in Dubai, Winwood was forced to share a room with his trainer Angelo Hyder and, according to the coach, was not given even the daily food allowance that had been promised to him.
Fleming, too, said he could not believe the way things had unfolded.
“I’ve never been involved in anything like this,” the fighter dubbed Showtime told Fox Sports Australia shortly after arriving home on Tuesday.
“Personally, it has also cost me a few thousand dollars from my Christmas fund.
“And I actually hear now that the promoter is on the run.”
A win over Ziani would likely have put the Aussie no more than one more win away from challenging IBF world champion Shavkat Rakhimov.
The cancellation means he will now try to have the fight on home soil.
Asked about Spencer, Fleming continued: “Picked me up from the airport and says ‘hey we’re moving the fight to Tuesday’.
“Then once we got to the hotel things got weirder.
“A few of the Australian guys were already suss because hotel rooms hadn’t been booked, things like that.
“That was Wednesday.
“And by Friday, everything fell to pieces.
“He kept saying he was going to meet us but never did. He wouldn’t answer his phone, then later would send a message saying ‘yep, I’m coming’ … but he never showed.”
Fleming was also able to shed light on the ‘safety’ issues which saw the event cancelled.
“Because my fight was so big, you need a certain (level) of judge,” he said. “But the proper judges weren’t there.
“Then we were also supposed to have brain scans done.
“But (when they realised) there wasn’t enough days left to get the scans done and the results back.
“Even when they were going to put the fight back a couple of days there wasn’t time.
“Initially, there had already been a few question marks around the whole thing because our (airline) tickets were taking a while to arrive – people just kept saying ‘they’ll be here tomorrow’.
“But then once Lucas got on a flight, everybody thought ‘OK we’re on here’.
“The promoter flew Lucas business class.
“He even flew me business class with Emirates.
“That’s an $11,000 ticket.
“It was one of the two good things that happened over there.”
And the other one?
“Got the best Acai bowl I’ve ever had,” Fleming laughed.
RE: Heavyweight Division - diehard - 12-21-2022
https://www.boxing247.com/boxing-news/malik-scott-says-he-wants-deontay-wilder-to-return-in-march/256037
RE: Heavyweight Division - diehard - 12-23-2022
Charr stops Seferi in two
Charr SeferiLast weekend heavyweight Mahmoud “Diamond Boy” Charr was supposed to meet Lucas Browne in a duel between ex-WBA world champions, but the event fell apart at the last minute suddenly stranding all the athletes and officials in Dubai. Charr’s promoter Erol Ceylan, however, had Charr flown in from the UAE and with the support of the BDB was able to hastily arrange a fight for Charr on Wednesday in Hamburg’s ECB Gym against “The Albanian Tyson” Nuri Seferi, who was in training for another fight that had fallen through. Charr (34-4, 20 KOs) punished Sefari (42-11, 24 KOs) for the better part of two rounds and got the TKO2 win when Seferi’s corner threw in the towel.
“I wish all boxing fans a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,” Charr stated after the fight. “And to the haters: support the athletes more. They get into the ring for you and want to perform. When one is hated, there’s no funding for the athletes or the promoters. Due to the current situation and general situation in German boxing, the sponsors have turned off the tap. There is hardly an event that is broadcast on TV. If you want boxing to stay alive, then support us!”
RE: Heavyweight Division - diehard - 12-27-2022
Shaw to replace Rivas against Ajagba
Looks like unbeaten heavyweight Stephen “Big Shot” Shaw (18-0, 13 KOs) will step in to face Efe Ajagba (16-1, 13 KOs) on ESPN January 14 at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, New York. Shaw was originally slated to face Guido Vianello in the co-feature of that card, but when WBC bridgerweight champion Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas was forced to pull out of the Ajagba bout with an eye injury suffered in sparring, Shaw jumped at the chance. “They asked me will I step in?! Abso-f**kin-lutely!!!” proclaimed Shaw on social media. “January 14th tune in live on ESPN and watch me take him to school! My time is NOW. All Praise Be To Allah!”
RE: Heavyweight Division - bart - 12-28-2022
I actually enjoy listening to this guy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_VwfRQlnug
RE: Heavyweight Division - diehard - 12-30-2022
Good interview with Wilder. Yeah, that guy is pretty knowledgeable.
RE: Heavyweight Division - diehard - 01-01-2023
https://www.boxing247.com/boxing-news/bakhodir-jalolov-fighting-in-may-or-june-against-top-10-heavyweight-says-lou-dibella/256115
RE: Heavyweight Division - diehard - 01-02-2023
https://www.boxing247.com/boxing-news/the-final-pound-for-pound-rankings-of-2022-who-ended-the-year-as-the-man/256196
RE: Heavyweight Division - diehard - 01-03-2023
Excellent plan, if all the stars are aligned:
https://www.boxing247.com/boxing-news/eddie-hearn-talks-anthony-joshua-three-fight-plan-in-2023/256220
RE: Heavyweight Division - diehard - 01-05-2023
Top Rank inks unbeaten heavyweight Knyba
Undefeated heavyweight prospect Damian “Polish Hussar” Knyba (10-0, 6 KOs), standing 6’7 with an 86-inch reach, has inked a multi-year promotional agreement with Top Rank. The 26-year-old Knyba, who was born in Bydgoszcz, Poland, is scheduled to return in April on a to-be-determined card.
“Damian Knyba is a supremely talented heavyweight, and he is already a fan favorite among the passionate and knowledgable Polish fans. I expect Damian to take a big leap forward in 2023,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum.