Notebook: Eubank Jr. emerges as possible Canelo opponent for the fall
Ryan Garcia sort of apologizes for racist posts, rant; Diaz, Masvidal hit the ring instead of cage for rematch; Quick hits; Show and tell
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Undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez is looking to finalize a deal with his next opponent, perhaps in the coming day, and the choice is down to two candidates, sources with knowledge of the discussions told Fight Freaks Unite.
One comes as no surprise as he has been in the running from the start in WBA mandatory challenger Edgar Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs), 26, a Puerto Rican from Brooklyn, New York, who is coming off a sixth-round knockout of Padraig McCrory in a final eliminator on Feb. 24. If he gets the fight it would fit into the pantheon of rivalry fights between Mexico and Puerto Rico.
The other is England’s Chris Eubank Jr. (33-3, 24 KOs), 34, whose recent emergence as a possible foe was first reported by ESPN Deportes and confirmed by sources with knowledge of the talks to Fight Freaks Unite.
Eubank, who has fought in recent years at middleweight, has also had numerous fights at super middleweight, where he owns wins against former titleholders Arthur Abraham and James DeGale.
In Eubank’s last fight in September, he knocked out countryman and former junior middleweight titlist Liam Smith in the 10th round of their immediate rematch at middleweight to avenge an upset fourth-round knockout loss in their first bout. Smith lost his world title to Alvarez by knockout in 2016.
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According to the sources, Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs), 33, of Mexico, is working once again with PBC on his next fight, which has been involved in the discussions with each opponent, Matchroom Boxing for Berlanga, and Boxxer for Eubank, who recently announced that he had parted ways with Wasserman Boxing.
Whomever Alvarez faces next the fight would headline a PBC on Prime PPV event, as was the case in May when he outpointed Jaime Munguia, according to one of the sources.
Alvarez plans to fight on Sept. 14 — Mexican Independence Day weekend — in Las Vegas despite there also being a UFC event planned the same night as the first combat event to take place at the city’s new Sphere Las Vegas.
There have been reports that former middleweight and junior middleweight titlist Jermall Charlo (33-0, 22 KOs), who has had various outside the ring issues, is also a candidate for the bout with Alvarez but one of the sources involved said he is not in the running. He has fought once in the past three years. Alvarez easily outpointed his twin brother, then-undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo, last September.
Ryan Garcia sort of apologizes
On Thursday, Ryan Garcia made a series of racist social media posts and comments during a livestream against Blacks and Muslins, including liberal use of the n-word.
In one post, he wrote, “Fuck all n------ and Fuck all Muslims.” In one comment on the livestream, he said, “I hate n------, I’m anti-black, I’m the KKK. Hey, let’s go bring George Floyd back to life and go kill that n----- again.”
He drew a harsh rebuke, including being expelled from any association with WBC. On Friday, Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya, Garcia’s promoter, issued a statement condemning Garcia’s comments.
“There is no room for hate or intolerance at my company. Period. I condemn Ryan’s words in the strongest terms possible,” De La Hoya said. “I see that he has apologized, and that is a start — but it is only a start to earn back the trust and respect of those of us who have and continue to support him. We hope Ryan will use the time he has away from the sport to work through the issues he has publicly discussed. We stand ready to help in whatever (way) we can.”
Earlier Friday, Garcia, 25, who was recently suspended by the New York State Athletic Commission for positive tests for performance-enhancing drugs and faces felony vandalism charges in California, made a series of social media posts attempting to apologize. He also announced that he was going to rehab for an alcohol and drug problem.
“I take all responsibility for my words,” Garcia wrote on social media. “I’m misunderstood, I just got a lot of trauma And It’s been a tough couple of months as everyone can tell but I AM SORRY. I struggle with substance abuse and it hard for me with everything going on. I actually love black people no cap which is why I’m actually said I offended all my black family and friends. This sucks but all I can do is be better and stop using stupid words and letting some people in my circle hype me up. Sorry everyone that I offended. I still stand on stopping black on black crime.”
Soon after that post, he added, “I am going to rehab btw.”
And then he made several more posts in an effort to seemingly justify his hateful language and spoke on another livestream.
“First and foremost, I want to apologize to the Black community,” he said. “I apologize to the Muslim community, basically for my language and my vocabulary. I obviously have a big responsibility as a famous athlete and I was very under the influence and I'm going through a lot, but I have no excuse.”
But he also blamed is comments and posts on friends who were “hyping” him up and “influencing” him to use the n-word.
Diaz, Masvidal hit ring, not cage
When Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal first fought they were the headliners of UFC 244 in a huge fight for the mythical BMF title in November 2019 at Madison Square Garden in New York, where Masvidal won by third-round stoppage when Diaz was unable to continue due to cuts.
Had they engaged in a rematch in UFC it would have been another major fight but it did not happen. But the rematch will happen now, even if it will take place in an official boxing match.
They may not be top level boxers but they still want a piece of each other and they will get that opportunity on Saturday (Fanmio PPV, 9 p.m. ET, $49.99) in the main event of a six-fight main card at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
They will meet in a 10-round light heavyweight fight in what will be the second professional boxing match for each man. Diaz, 39, of Stockton, California, is 0-1, getting knocked down and dropping a 10-round decision to Jake Paul last August. Masvidal, 39, of Miami, is 1-0, having won a four-round majority decision over 1-11-2 opponent Joseph Benjamin in 2005.
The animosity between Diaz and Masvidal seems evident even five years removed from their UFC fight as through several news conference and Friday’s weigh-in they have not engaged in an up-close face off, although their teams brawled at one of the early news conferences.
“There’s nothing heated for me. I’m here to do my job and get the job done,” Diaz said at the final news conference. “I trained hard and we’re here to win by any means necessary. That’s what it’s all about.
“I just feel like over time, I’m getting sharper. I’m always working and improving. I’m going to do what I always do. I’m here for the fun and I’m here for the business. I’m here to get the job done.”
Masvidal has no plans to change his style from how fought in the cage to how he will approach the fight in the ring.
“Nothing that happened before matters to me at all. I’m just coming to knock him out,” Masvidal said. “I never worry about my opponents. I focus on myself and training and what I have to do in the ring. I’m ready to get this going. Only thing I’ve ever brought to combat sports is violence and a little technique. That’s how I get my hand raised.
“I take every fight with the same amount of caution and respect. Whoever I’m fighting also has two hands. On a personal level, yeah, I don’t like the dude for what happened at the last press conference. He’s getting it. After that, training camp went from a boxing setting to a kill setting. That’s all I want to do.”
‘Last Man Standing’ PPV lineup
Light heavyweights: Nate Diaz (0-1) vs. Jorge Masvidal (1-0, 0 KOs), 10 rounds
Super middleweights: Daniel Jacobs (37-4, 30 KOs) vs. Shane Mosley Jr. (21-4, 12 KOs), 10 rounds
Light heavyweights: Chris Avilla (5-1, 0 KOs) vs. Anthony Pettis (1-0, 0 KOs), 6 rounds
Lightweights: Curmel Moton (3-0, 2 KOs) vs. Nikolai Buzolin (9-8-1, 5 KOs), 6 rounds
Lightweights: Amado Vargas (10-0, 4 KOs) vs. Sean Garcia (7-0-1, 2 KOs), 8 rounds
Lightweights: Devin Cushing (13-0, 10 KOs) vs. Manuel Correa (13-1, 8 KOs), 8 rounds
BetUS Boxing Show
If you missed the BetUS Boxing Show live at 1 p.m. ET on Friday on YouTube, please check out the replay (and also subscribe to the YouTube channel). We previewed and picked four weekend fights: Shakur Stevenson’s WBC lightweight title defense against Artem Harutyunyan and O’Shaquie Foster’s WBC junior lightweight title defense against Robson Conceicao on the Top Rank card; super middleweight Daniel Jacobs versus Shane Mosley Jr. on the Fanmio PPV card, and the junior bantamweight unification fight between Kazuto Ioka and Fernando Martinez. We also took viewer questions and comments and discussed the latest boxing news! Please check out the show here:
Quick hits
WBA junior flyweight titlist Kazuto Ioka (31-2-1, 16 KOs), 36, a four-division titleholder from Japan, weighed 114.75 pounds and IBF titleholder Fernando Martinez (16-0, 9 KOs), 32, of Argentina, was on the 115-pound limit at Saturday’s weigh-in ahead of their unification fight on Sunday at Ryogoku Sumo Arena in Tokyo. Ioka is making his second defense since winning the vacant title by decision in a rematch of a draw against Joshua Franco, who had been stripped for being overweight, last June. Martinez, who is promoted by former two-division titlist Marcos Maidana, will make his third defense since outpointing Jerwin Ancajas to win the belt in February 2022.
Weights from Newark, New Jersey, for the Top Rank card Saturday (ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET): Shakur Stevenson 134.1 pounds, Artem Harutyunyan 134.8 (for Stevenson’s WBC lightweight title); O’Shaquie Foster 129.9, Robson Conceicao 129.5 (for Foster’s WBC junior lightweight title); Keyshawn Davis 134.8, Miguel Madueno 134.7; Abdullah Mason 134.8, Luis Lebron 135.8; William Foster III 130.4, Eridson Garcia 130.7; Keith Colon 125.3, Hunter Turbyfill 124.1; Kelvin Davis 142.9, Kevin Johnson 142.5; Ali Feliz 219.5, Robinson Perez 245.1.
Weights from Anaheim, California, for the Fanmio card Saturday (Fanmio PPV, PPV.com, UFC Fight Pass PPV, 9 p.m. ET): Nate Diaz 175.6 pounds, Jorge Masvidal 175.2; Daniel Jacobs 169.2, Shane Mosley Jr. 167.6 (Jacobs 1.2 pounds overweight); Chris Avilla 175.6, Anthony Pettis 175.3; Curmel Moton 133.5, Nikolai Buzolin 137.7; Amado Vargas 134.1, Sean Garcia 138.1 (Garcia 3.1 pounds overweight); Devin Cushing 131.9, Manuel Correa 131.2; Luciano Ramos 139.2, Dan Hernandez 140; Alan Sanchez 146.3, Luis Lopez 146.3; Steven Dunn 213.5, Gabriel Costa 206.1; Jose Aguayo 149.9. Bryce Logan 149.7; Ken Lopez 175.8, Andres Martinez 173.2.
Per the California State Athletic Commission, official contract purses for the Fanmio PPV card: Nate Diaz $500,000, Jorge Masvidal $300,000; Daniel Jacobs $100,000 (but guarantee is hundreds of thousands more), Shane Mosley Jr. $160,000 (Jacobs fined 20 percent/$20,000 for being overweight, half to Mosley, half to commission); Chris Avilla $210,000, Anthony Pettis $350,000; Curmel Moton $40,000, Nikolai Buzolin $8,000 (fined 20 percent/$1,600 for being overweight, half to Moton, half to commission); Amado Vargas $100,000, Sean Garcia $50,000 (fined 20 percent/$10,000 for being overweight, half to Vargas, half to commission); Devin Cushing $60,000, Manuel Correa $15,000; Luciano Ramos $5,000, Dan Hernandez $3,500; Alan Sanchez $55,000, Luis Lopez $22,500; Steven Dunn $500, Gabriel Costa $2,500; Jose Aguayo $40,000, Bryce Logan $6,000; Ken Lopez $18,000, Andres Martinez $600.
Weights from Ontario, California, for the Golden Boy card Saturday (DAZN, 8 p.m. ET): William Zepeda 135 pounds, Giovanni Cabrera 137; Ricardo Sandoval 111.8, Angel Acosta 111.6; Manuel Flores 124.4, Nohel Arambulet 128.8; Joel Iriarte 146.2, Yainel Alvarez 146.8; Alex Martin 141.6, Pedro Campa 140.8; Gael Cabrera 123.5, Mychaquell Shields 123.8; Joshua Garcia 132, Jason Buenaobra 130.8; Anthony Salvidar 155.4, Roman Canto 156; Daniel Luna 129.4, Joseph Walker 132.8; Japhethlee Llamido 123.4, Ryan Allen 122.8.
Per the California State Athletic Commission, official contract purses for the Golden Boy card: William Zepeda $540,000, Giovanni Cabrera $110,000; Ricardo Sandoval $30,000, Angel Acosta $30,000; Manuel Flores $17,000, Nohel Arambulet $7,000; Joel Iriarte $6,000, Yainel Alvarez $6,500; Alex Martin $15,000, Pedro Campa $15,000; Gael Cabrera $4,000, Mychaquell Shields $4,000; Joshua Garcia $7,000, Jason Buenaobra $5,000; Anthony Salvidar $3,000, Roman Canto $4,000; Daniel Luna $2,500, Joseph Walker $2,000; Japhethlee Llamido $4,000, Ryan Allen $9,000.
Weights from London for the Matchroom Boxing card Saturday (DAZN, 2 p.m. ET): Johnny Fisher 240.5 pounds, Alen Babic 216.4; Reece Bellotti 129.4, Levi Giles 129.7 (for Bellotti’s British/Commonwealth junior lightweight titles); Leli Buttigieg 157.8, Jiri Hauke, 156.6; John Hedges 199, Lewis Oakford 197.1; Maisey Rose Courtney 111.6, Jasmina Zapotoczna 111.6; Giorgio Visioli 133.8, Tampela Maharusi 133.4; Jimmy Sains 163.1, Damien Lacoudray 161.5; Lewie Pochetty 216.6, Amine Boucetta 232.6.
Hours before a WBC purse bid for the fight between bridgerweight titlist Lawrence Okolie and interim titlist Kevin Lerena it was canceled Friday when they notified the organization that they made a deal for the mandatory bout. The purse bid was scheduled for last week but they were granted a request for a one-week delay. No date was announced for the bout. Okolie (20-1, 15 KOs), 31, of England, a former cruiserweight titlist, moved up to the new 224-pound division and on May 24 blew away Lukasz Rozanski in the first round to win the title on Rozanski’s turf in Poland. Lerena (30-3, 14 KOs), 32, a South African southpaw, is coming off a 10-round decision loss to Justis Huni in a heavyweight fight in March but in his previous bout he outpointed Senad Gashi in November in South Africa for the vacant interim belt.
Show and tell
After Wladimir Klitschko suffered the third stoppage loss of his career — and second in three fights — when he met Lamon Brewster for the vacant WBO heavyweight title in April 2004 many left him for dead. Even big brother Vitali Klitschko suggested that he retire. But Wladimir, a proud man with a big ego, used the loss as motivation that would carry him through the rest of what turned out to be an all-time great, Hall of Fame career. Following that loss, Klitschko wanted to prove everyone who said he was finished wrong and indeed he did. Klitschko would go on to win his next 22 fights in a row. During that streak, he won another world title, made 18 title defenses over a decade-long second title reign and unified three of the major belts in one of the great runs in heavyweight history.
During that second title reign, Klitschko cleaned up his Brewster mess. In his third title defense, which was an IBF mandatory, he battered him into a sixth-round knockout loss despite breaking the middle finger on his left hand in the first round. The rematch, which took place in Cologne, Germany, was on July 7, 2007 — 17 years ago on Sunday. Here is a program, which is published in German like so many Klitschko programs from fights that were in Germany, in my collection.
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Photos: Canelo: Esther Lin/PBC; Garcia: Ryan Hafey/PBC; Diaz-Masvidal: Esther Lin/Fanmio; Stevenson-Harutyunyan: Mikey Williams/Top Rank; Zepeda-Cabrera: Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy; Fisher-Babic: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
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CANELO is becoming a JOKE! and him saying : I can do what I want"...true BUT we will NOT Pay or WATCH!!!
You know what this is. Berlanga has been doing a bunch of interviews and sounding like he already has the Canelo fight locked up. It's possible that he's trying to overprice himself.
So in a negotiation, you bring in another viable option to let Berlanga know we don't need you. Nobody wants to see either guy vs Canelo. I'd rather see Charlo (since Benavidez is clearly off the table)