Results from Mescalero, NM
By David Finger at ringside
In the opening fight of the Impact Network televised card from Mescalero, New Mexico, heavyweight Alonzo Butler, 295.6, made quick work of Jesus Martinez, 292.4, stopping him at 2:22 of the first after scoring a pair of knockdowns.
Butler’s name has been making the rounds after rumors of a possible matchup with Riddick Bowe hit the internet last month. Although few expected Butler to be derailed by Martinez, there were questions as to how well the 40-year-old could cope with a layoff of nearly three years. Well, fans didn’t get the answer to that question but did get the answer to another one: Alonzo Butler can still punch.
Butler was content to stalk and look for his shots, but he dropped Martinez with a hard shot halfway through the round and scored a second knockdown moments later when he fired a hard left to the body followed by a right to the temple. Referee Stan Saavedra widely waved off the fight at 2:22. With the win Butler improves to 32-3-2, 25 KOs while Martinez falls to 23-14-1, 13 KOs.
Joyce Vs Dubois will be interesting, Dubois is the more devestating, explosive fighter, but Joyce is the bigger guy and his nickname of juggernaut is appropriate, he fights similar to Jarell Miller, 6'6" 270 that just comes forward throwing basically non stop heavy handed shots that really add up.
It's an interesting clash of styles and should be highly entertaining.
Riddick Bowe v Butler
If Big Daddy is allowed to step into the ring in his state to fight, people sanctioning it should be jailed.
Hearn: It Looks Like Alexander Povetkin Next For Dillian Whyte
By Jake Donovan Published On Sun Feb 2, 2020, 09:38 AM EST
MIAMI—It goes without saying that Dillian Whyte and his team are eager to move on from 2019 and charge forward in the year ahead.
The moves being made suggest precisely that, as his next fight seems to have fallen in place even as the one pursued failed to materialize. The top-rated contender is looking good for showdown with former secondary titlist Alexander Povetkin, to take place springtime in London, England.
“It looks like Povetkin next,” Eddie Hearn, Whyte’s longtime promoter told BoxingScene.com. “We’re just trying to slot the date in.”
The pairing of consensus Top 10 heavyweights was one of two pursued options for Whyte (27-1, 18KOs), who has won 11 straight since a December 2015 loss to Anthony Joshua when both were unbeaten rising contenders. Fittingly, one fight under serious consideration for the 31-year old contender from Brixton, England by way of Jamaica was a clash with Andy Ruiz, Joshua’s lone conqueror.
A generous offer was made to Ruiz (33-1, 22KOs), the former unified heavyweight titlist who rose to fame with an upset 7th round knockout of Joshua last June. The Imperial, California native came up well short in the rematch, showing up grossly out of shape and dropping a landslide decision to Joshua last December in Saudi Arabia.
Still, Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing was keen on remaining in the Ruiz business. A clash with Whyte would have served as a considerable sell, but with Ruiz set to move in another direction and—BoxingScene.com has learned—back under the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), with those plans to be announced soon.
Meanwhile, Whyte still needed a dance partner for his first fight of 2020, which presumably leads to Povetkin (35-2-1, 24KOs). The 2004 Olympic Gold medalist from Russia remains a dangerous divisional threat, even as a 40-year old post-prime contender. Whyte and Povetkin appeared in separate bouts on the undercard of Joshua-Ruiz II, producing middling results. Povetkin fought to an entertaining 12-round draw with Michael Hunter II, while Whyte—who was added the show on short notice—claimed a 10-round decision over Poland’s Mariusz Wach.
His late placement on the show came as the result of his waiting out a final ruling from a months-long investigation into a positive drug test produced through testing with United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD) ahead of his win over Oscar Rivas last July. Whyte tested positive for trace amounts of a banned substance but was able to provide the necessary evidence to convince UKAD to rule that the adverse test was due to contamination as any such charges were officially withdrawn just days ahead of his aforementioned win over Wach.
Now it’s on to the next one, with a clash versus Povetkin arriving as one of three major heavyweight-themed headliners that Matchroom Boxing has in store for the spring. Joshua (23-1, 21KOs) will defend his unified titles versus Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev (28-1, 14KOs), while mandatory challenger in waiting Oleksandr Usyk (17-0, 13KOs)—a 2012 Olympic Gold medalist and former World cruiserweight champion—will likely take on Whyte’s longtime divisional rival and countryman Derek Chisora (32-9, 23KOs).
“The trick now, is to stage all of these fights with proper spacing between them,” explains Hearn. “Ideally, we get Usyk-Chisora in (late March or early April), then Whyte-Povetkin a few weeks after that, followed by AJ and Pulev.
“For Whyte-Povetkin, it looks like early May but a matter of how the schedule plays out. It’s a fantastic fight and part of a massive heavyweight lineup we have in store.”
Efe Ajagba opponent named
Undefeated heavyweight Efe Ajagba (12-0, 10 KOs) will take on former title challenger Razvan Cojanu (17-6, 9 KOs) in the 10-round co-main event on FOX March 7 from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. Cojanu has lost four of his last five, but is coming off a six round decision win over Tamaz Zadishvili (5-13-1, 3 KOs) in October.
The night of heavyweight action is headlined by undefeated Adam Kownacki looking to thrill his hometown crowd when he takes on Robert Helenius in a 12-round WBA heavyweight title eliminator. The opening attraction will see rising heavyweight Frank Sanchez step in to face Philadelphia’s Joey Dawejko in a 10-round battle.
The non-televised undercard lineup will include super lightweight Zachary “Zungry” Ochoa (20-1, 7 KOs) in an eight-round fight and undefeated heavyweight Robert Alfonso (19-0-1, 9 KOs) in an eight or 10-round attraction against Carlos Negrón (20-3, 16 KOs).
Rounding out the action is heavyweight prospect Steven Torres (2-0, 2 KOs) in a four-round bout and the pro debut of Boston’s Francis Hogan in a four-round middleweight fight.
Deontay Wilder: I Was Very Disappointed in Andy Ruiz
By Boxing Clever Published On Mon Feb 3, 2020, 09:13 PM EST
WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is shaking his head when discussing Andy Ruiz's one-sided decision loss to Anthony Joshua from back in December in Saudi Arabia.
Ruiz shocked the entire sport when he dropped Joshua four times before the contest was stopped in the seventh round. Ruiz, who took the fight on late notice and was widely viewed as a massive underdog, captured the IBF, WBA, IBO, WBO world titles with the win.
But the rematch was a different kind of fight.
It was revealed in the aftermath of the loss, that Ruiz had partied for two months following his big win. He entered training camp late, and because of that he was overweight and out of shape of the second fight.
He was unable to get off with his punches, was plodding around the round, and that allowed Joshua to easily outbox him over twelve rounds.
Before the rematch, and before he knew about the antics of Ruiz, Wilder had picked the Mexican boxer to win the rematch with another knockout.
"I was very disappointed in Andy Ruiz, maybe because I was so invested in it. I really wanted to see him really achieve greatness. Especially where he came from in boxing, almost getting evicted from his apartment. I don't know what eviction feels like -- and I never want to know what that feels like to be homeless -- but that was the verge that he was on, and an angel came and saved him. Gave him an opportunity, a GREAT opportunity to be a megastar [against Joshua]," Wilder told Steve Kim of ESPN.
"Ruiz beat him, knocked him out, knocked him down four times and got him out of there. He had the biggest fight of his life -- he let it all go [in the rematch]."
Carlos Takam opponent named
Star Boxing has announced that heavyweight Carlos Takam (37-5-1, 28 KOs) will face Brazilian Fabio Maldonado (26-3, 25 KOs) in the co-feature of the February 28 edition of ”Rockin’ Fights” at The Paramount in Huntington, NY. Takam will make his second appearance in the United States under the Star Boxing banner and is aiming for his third straight win and a return to the world rankings, while Maldonado hopes to end a three-fight losing streak after winning his first 26 fights. Welterweight Cletus “The Hebrew Hammer” Seldin faces TBA in the main event.