Posts: 12,618
Threads: 286
Joined: Jan 1970
Joseph Parker's training partner Izu Ugonoh has been knocked out in his first fight in the United States.
The Polish heavyweight, who is also trained by Kiwi trainer Kevin Barry in Las Vegas, went into his fight against Dominic Breazeale with a record 17 win zero loss record, with 14 of those wins coming by knock out.
Eight of his professional fights had been in New Zealand on the undercard to Parker's fights.
Barry was predicting Ugonoh to make a big statement on the undercard of the Deontay Wilder-Gerald Washington heavyweight bout but it was far from a statement.
It was Breazeale's first fight back after being knocked out by Anthony Joshua in London in June.
Ugonoh started the fight well and did rock Breazeale.
However he was then knocked down in the third round before Breazeale finished him with a series of blows in the fifth round of the scheduled 10 round bout.
A strong right right hand sent Ugonoh to one knee early in the fifth round.
Ugonoh got up but Breazeale delivered a left-right combination which ended the fight.
It was Ugonoh's first fight under new promoter Al Haymon after he made the switch from New Zealand-based Duco Events.
- Stuff
Posts: 12,618
Threads: 286
Joined: Jan 1970
Wilder TKOs Washington in 5 to retain WBC heavyweight title
By Tracy Morin and Brenden Nasianceno at ringside
Deontay Wilder (38-0, 37 KO) put his WBC heavyweight belt on the line against Gerald Washington (18-1-1, 12 KO) in a fight that featured few highlight reel moments–that is, until its explosive end. After a feeling-out first round, Washington landed a couple of solid rights to the body in an otherwise quiet second. The third featured its share of clenches as both tried to establish a rhythm, but both worked on the inside while tied up. Though neither fighter was offering much output, Deontay upped the pace slightly in the fourth (perhaps the first round he clearly won). However, the knockout artist was just biding his time and launched a missile of a right hand and left hook in the fifth that put Washington down. He rose on shaky legs, but Wilder smelled blood, keeping a laserlike focus on his opponent before he unleashed a slew of unanswered punches. Ref Mike Griffin stepped in to stop the fight at 1:45 of the fifth, after which a dazed Washington pitched across the ring, clearly saved from further damage.
Posts: 12,618
Threads: 286
Joined: Jan 1970
Posts: 12,618
Threads: 286
Joined: Jan 1970
Posts: 12,618
Threads: 286
Joined: Jan 1970
Wilder: I want to unify the division
By Tracy Morin
Deontay Wilder: We knew Washington would have a lot of adrenaline, fighting for a world title the first time, and I knew he’d bring the best Gerald Washington. Everybody wants to put their name on that [WBC] belt. My hands feel wonderful, and I still have power–Alabama country power. [He didn’t hurt me] at all. It was a patient fight. We used the 3-2 [left hook, right hand], which we worked on in camp but were very specific about in the dressing room. I didn’t throw too many jabs, more as a measurement, and we knew he couldn’t move to his right. It was all timing. I knew he was wearing down. I knew it was coming. We were looking to set up the 3-2. We changed our whole game plan in the dressing room. I was just waiting on that big moment. Washington was just as tall and long as me, so if I made the wrong move, I could be the one on the ground. I didn’t want to take any big chances. I don’t care about being down on the cards, especially in the early rounds. I take my time and do what I gotta do.
I saw Joseph Parker after the fight and greeted him. I’m a gentleman outside the ring. I’m in love with boxing, but I don’t want to do it long. I think I have 10 years or less. I want to unify the division, defend it a couple times, and I’m outta here. I really feel in 2017 I’m going to injure someone, to the point they’re going to have to put a red tag on somebody’s toe. I really feel that way; this is no joke.
The more experience I get, the more dangerous I become. I’m a very smart fighter in the ring. I’m very calm and patient. I set my opponents up. From the first round to the twelfth round, I can get my opponent out any time, especially when that right hand lands. I wanted to display more with the left hand. I didn’t do it this time. I want to unify the division next. With Parker and the WBO belt, and Joshua and Klitschko fighting for the IBF and WBA, at the end of the year we can combine them once and for all.
Jay Deas, Wilder’s trainer: We do really long scouting reports on our opponent, from psychological to physical and strategic. We narrow it down to three or four things we really think we can capitalize on. Watching Deontay in the dressing room, [the 3-2] kind of hit–that’s the move. Get Gerald to move to his right, which he doesn’t do as well, and come with the left hook and right hand. Seeing it and doing it are two different things, so I give a lot of credit to Deontay for seeing it and executing it at the right time. Deontay has four mitt men because of the damage he does. [The power] is for real.
Lou DiBella: Right now, no heavyweight champion has had the knockout ratio Deontay has: 97.4%.
* * *
Gerald Washington: He’s a good boxer. He was staying safe, I was staying safe. I got a little impatient, but I’ll be back. [Deontay Wilder] is a good guy and a gentleman, a heck of a champion, and I hope he gets all the belts. I’ll go back to the drawing board and hopefully catch him again later. The best have gone down, all the great champions. It’s what you do after that–keep your head up, keep moving forward and learn from this process.
John Pullman, Washington’s trainer: We’re definitely disappointed, but the upside is that Gerald realized he’s as good as any of the top heavyweights. The problem was the moment, the experience. He was excited and a little anxious. I thought he was in control, but in [Deontay’s] backyard, he wants to be more in control and is fishing a little bit. He just lost focus for a split second, and against a devastating puncher like Deontay Wilder, you can’t do that. It’s a learning lesson. To win at the top level, you have to be focused the whole time. And we’ll be back.
I think the problem Gerald presented was his defense. Deontay had a hard time hitting him with anything, so he wasn’t punching a lot. Gerald needed to stay patient the whole time, but he wanted to be more assertive and prove he’s winning. We needed it to be a stinker, more boring the whole time, because Gerald was more effective with that. It’s hard to say [if Gerald could have continued at the time of the stoppage]; I know he could’ve kept going, and maybe the stoppage was a little early for my taste, but the referee is making a gut call. Deontay’s a devastating puncher, everybody knows that, and Gerald wasn’t all there on his legs. But if Gerald hadn’t made the mistake, he never would have got caught, so it’s really our fault, not the referee’s fault. Gerald just wanted to beat the champ convincingly, and maybe he got a little impatient and got excited, loaded up a bit much. It’s a big moment. But I bet you Gerald will be better for this. He didn’t get beat up.
Posts: 12,618
Threads: 286
Joined: Jan 1970
Deontay Wilder: I'll fight Joseph Parker anywhere
WBC champion Deontay Wilder is willing to take his heavyweight belt on the line if necessary.
American WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has reiterated his willingness to fight in New Zealand to try to take the WBO belt off Joseph Parker.
Parker was ringside in Alabama on Sunday to watch Wilder retain his title with a fifth round knockout of fellow American Gerald Washington.
Wilder called out Parker while still in the ring enjoying the immediate aftermath to his victory.
The pair met up in more cordial circumstances in Wilder's dressing room after the fight.
There appears to be a genuine appetite for the two heavyweights to fight to try to unify two of the four major belts.
Parker first has to get past a mandatory defence against Hughie Fury.
If successful, Parker's handlers at Duco Events will then have to weigh up whether they continue to pursue the lucrative British market or look to further strengthen their fighter's claims in the United States via Wilder.
Much will depend on the April clash between Anthony Joshua and former champion Wladimir Klitschko in London where the IBF and WBA belts are on the line.
The sport is desperate to find a unified champion with plenty of contenders, none more so than the unbeaten Parker.
Wilder appears to be a viable option and his continued talk about taking his belt on the road is encouraging. He would prefer a US fight but he's happy to come to New Zealand if necessary.
"We're thinking June, July. That's what we're trying to schedule," Wilder told ESPN of plans to fight Parker.
"I think we're going to take it to Las Vegas, maybe Barclays Center [in Brooklyn, New York]. They've wanted me to come back since the [Artur] Szpilka fight [in January 2016]. So I think it will be a great opportunity to come back and present myself in New York, the media capital of the world, but a great thing for Parker as well to get known in America."
But, Wilder who was happy to see his hands survive against Washington after successful surgery, shrugged off any concerns about hitting the road if that's how it works out.
"If it lands in New Zealand, it would be lovely to go over," Wilder said after recording his 37th KO in 38 fights following an 11-month layoff.
"I was willing to go to Russia, I've gone to Mexico, been to England. My belt says heavyweight champion of the world. It doesn't just say 'of Alabama' or just 'of this country.' Either way it goes, I just want the fight made. I don't care about location. I don't care about date. I just want it made because my goal is to unify and I will unify."
Wilder is high on regard for Parker but low on knowledge of the unbeaten Kiwi.
"My first time seeing him fight was against Andy Ruiz, which I thought he lost that fight. But that's the only thing I've saw of him. I like the intensity and the courage his team has to want to unify," Wilder told ESPN.
Parker's trainer Kevin Barry suggested a date later in the year, possibly August or September, was the more likely scenario for a fight with Wilder.
"We've made no secret we would like to fight Deontay. We'd like to unify those belts," Barry said.
"I think that would be a good time for us. We'd like it to be in America. We're trying to make this unification. We're doing our part. We hope whoever wins the other belts [in the Joshua-Klitschko fight] keeps both belts and puts them up. It would be fantastic for the heavyweight division to have one champion. We'd like to go after the big fights with Joe."
- Stuff
Posts: 12,618
Threads: 286
Joined: Jan 1970
WBC orders Deontay Wilder vs. Bermane Stiverne II fight
By Scott Gilfoid: The World Boxing Council has ordered WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder to face #1 WBC Bermane Stiverne for next mandatory challenger. Depending on how you look at the World Boxing Council’s decision to install the 38-year-old Stiverne as the 6’7” Wilder’s mandatory, it could be either good news or bad news.
The fact of the matter is Stiverne (25-2-1, 21 KOs) is a former WBC heavyweight champion, and he did give Wilder (38-0, 37 KOs) his toughest fight of his 9-year pro career in their fight on January, 2017. Wilder beat Stiverne by a 12 round unanimous decision, but the final scores didn’t accurately show tough the fight was for the 6’7” Wilder.
It was definitely a hard fight, and it was one in which Wilder had to stay on his bike for the full 12 rounds after he fractured his right hand in round 4. As most boxing fans already know, Deontay’s main weapon in his offensive arsenal is his right hand or at least it was back in 2015 when he fought the 6’2” Stiverne. With Wilder fighting largely with just his left hand, he was able to box his way to a one-sided decision by the scores 118-109, 119-108 and 120-107.
The main negative for Stiverne being Wilder’s new mandatory challenger is the fact that Stiverne has been so inactive since 2015. He’s fought only once since the Wilder fight in struggling to beat high level journeyman Derric Rossy by a 10 round unanimous decision on November 14.
Stiverne was shockingly knocked down in round 1 of that fight, and he had to labor to win the fight by the scores 86-93, 96-93 and 95-94. Some boxing fans see that close fight as an indication that Stiverne has slipped a notch since his loss to Wilder. I think it’s more of a case of Rossy being a very tough journeyman fighter. You’ve got to bring your A-game to the ring when you fight Rossy, because you can’t just show up and expect to trounce him like you would normal 2nd tier fighters.
Stiverne was dehydrated the night that he fought Wilder, and in no condition to fight at high level. There’s been a lot of questions how a heavyweight could let himself become dehydrated going into a big fight. Usually, it’s the other weight classes that have fighters that dehydrate themselves in order to make weight. Heavyweights don’t need to make weight in the same manner. Stiverne just didn’t drink enough fluids for the fight. He can’t have that problem for the rematch if he wants to have a chance of winning.
The negotiations between Wilder and Stiverne could drag out for a while like they in 2015. It took a while for the fight to finally get made. I would expect the negotiations to be tough once again.
Stiverne was going to face Alexander Povetkin last December, but he pulled out of the fight after the Russian heavyweight tested positive for a banned substance. That fight would have been a good one for Stiverne to show the boxing public that he deserves a second match against Wilder.
Without Stiverne having earned the rematch with Wilder by beating someone talented, it’s likely going to prevent the Wilder-Stiverne contest from attracting a lot of interest from the fans. It’s still going to be a good fight, but it’s probably not going to excite the boxing fans like it did when the two fought each other in 2015.
Posts: 12,618
Threads: 286
Joined: Jan 1970
Posts: 1,030
Threads: 19
Joined: Nov 2014
Looks like they building up the Wilder and Breazeale fight already.
Two more fights in 2017 for Wilder: Stiverne and Breazeale
Posts: 1,596
Threads: 56
Joined: Jan 2016
|
