Notebook: Eubank seeks revenge in rematch after Smith 'miracle'
Spence makes decision on Crawford rematch; Rocha-Santillan details; a new WBA heavyweight mess; TR signs promising heavyweight; Quick hits; Show and tell
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Chris Eubank Jr. was the favorite when he squared off with Liam Smith on Jan. 2 in an all-British middleweight showdown but Smith, always a confident sort, paid the odds no mind.
The former junior middleweight titleholder badly hurt Eubank with right hand on the chin and followed with two lefts, a hard left uppercut that snapped his head back and another left that put him on his rear end in a corner.
The discombobulated Eubank was left grabbing onto the ropes to help him get to his unsteady feet. Referee Victor Loughlin allowed the fight to continue even though Eubank looked in terrible shape and Smith charged right to him and floored him again under heavy pressure.
Eubank rose quickly, but before Loughlin could even begin his count Eubank nearly fell over and Loughlin stopped it, giving Smith the biggest win of his career.
Now, they are going to meet again with Eubank, this time the slight underdog, aiming for revenge instead of repeat on Saturday (ESPN+ in the U.S., 1 p.m. ET; Sky Sports Box Office in the U.K) at AO Arena in Manchester, England, the same site as their first fight.
Eubank exercised his right to an immediate rematch, which was initially scheduled for June 17 and then delayed to July 1 because Smith suffered a back injury. However, Smith was not going to be ready two weeks later and the rematch was put off until Saturday.
That has given Eubank a lot longer to think about what went so wrong in the January fight. Surely, he will fight the demons of the memories of that night but has, to no surprise, talked a big game leading up to the rematch, which has featured far less trash talk than the intense nastiness that preceded the initial confrontation.
“Even to Liam, he may not admit it, he was not expecting the fight to go how it finished,” Eubank said at the fight-week news conference. “Nobody did. I have to prove that I am the better fighter. Me saying it, me believing it, is not enough.
“If he pulls it off again, I can’t argue with anybody. I can’t argue with him. I can’t argue with the boxing public. He will be the better fighter and that will be it. But the performance I’m going to have on Saturday night is going to be exquisite, supernatural.”
Eubank has given Smith little credit for his victory, instead referring to his knockout win as “a miracle” and insisted he won’t be able to do it again.
Eubank, despite previous losses to George Groves in a super middleweight world title fight in 2018 and a European title fight with Billy Joe Saunders in 2014, had never previously been stopped.
“The miracle was you walking away with a win over me,” Eubank said to Smith. “You shouldn’t have won the fight and I am going to rectify that.”
Smith (33-3-1, 20 KOs), 35, took exception to Eubank’s characterization of his punishing victory.
“Which shot was the miracle, Chris? The miracle was how easy it was,” Smith boasted. “If he makes the same mistakes, I’ll punish him for them.”
Eubank (32-3, 23 KOs), 33, may think Smith’s win was a miracle, but he took it seriously enough to change trainers for the rematch. Gone is Roy Jones Jr., the Hall of Fame legend, who Eubank has long tried to emulate. He was replaced by Brian McIntyre, who is fresh off having had his longtime fighter, Terence Crawford, knock out Errol Spence Jr. on July 29 in their mega fight for the undisputed welterweight title.
“He already knows what he has to do,” McIntyre said. “He just needs someone around him, a good team to remind him of the small, simple things. Just correct our mistakes. I stated that from day one when we started talking.”
Eubank admitted there is pressure on him given what happened in January.
“It is a new pressure that I have never had to deal with before, but I’m enjoying it,” Eubank said. “I’m enjoying the hardship I’m having to go through mentally and physically to execute the game plan on the night. I’m excited to go out there and see how I react.”
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Spence opts for Crawford rematch
Errol Spence Jr. has invoked his right to an immediate rematch with Terence Crawford, a source with knowledge of the decision told Fight Freaks Unite, confirming various media reports.
Crawford knocked Spence down three times (in the second round and twice more in the seventh round) en route to a shockingly one-sided ninth-round knockout victory in their long-anticipated showdown to determine the first undisputed welterweight champion of the four-belt era on July 29 in a Showtime PPV fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
During Spence’s in-ring interview after the fight, and again at the post-fight news conference, he said he would seek the rematch and has followed through. He had 30 days after the fight to exercise the rematch option.
Both fighters had the contractual right to an immediate rematch in the event of a loss but with the winner determining whether the bout would take place at welterweight or junior middleweight.
Spence, who had a lot of trouble making weight, said he hoped the rematch would be at 154 pounds instead of 147. Crawford said after the fight that he was open to fighting Spence again at 154.
However, the weight and the date of the rematch have not been set, the source said.
Contractually, according to the source, the rematch has to take place by the end of 2023, although nothing would prevent the camps from amending that term and setting up the bout for early 2024.
With the victory, Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs), 35, of Omaha, Nebraska, who entered the fight as the WBO champion, took the WBC, IBF and WBA belts from Spence (28-1, 22 KOs), 33, of DeSoto, Texas, and stamped himself as the pound-for-pound king.
Crawford, a three-division champion, also became the first male boxer to become an undisputed champion in two weight classes in the four-belt era, having also fully unified the junior welterweight division in 2017.
Rocha-Santillan is on
Welterweight contenders Alexis Rocha and Giovani Santillan will meet in the 12-round main event of a Golden Boy card on Oct. 21 (DAZN) at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, the company announced on Friday, confirming an earlier Fight Freaks Unite report.
The fight is key for a welterweight division in transition with undisputed champion Terence Crawford potentially moving up to junior middleweight for his rematch with Errol Spence Jr., meaning belts likely will be vacant in the coming months.
“Alexis’ confidence and dedication can be seen in the fact that he fights more often than any contender in the sport and takes on all comers — including those with undefeated records,” said Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya, referring to the fact that it will be Rocha’s third fight of the year. “While ‘Lex’ fully deserves a title shot, he also knows the value of staying active as demonstrated by his vast improvement over the last few years.”
Rocha (23-1, 15 KOs), 26, a southpaw from Santa Ana, California, is Crawford’s WBO mandatory challenger but he agreed to step aside, which allowed Crawford’s July 29 victory over Spence in the year’s most significant fight to be for all four major titles.
The ever-improving Rocha has won seven fights in a row since a 12-round decision loss to Rashidi Ellis in October 2020, most recently a fifth-round knockout of Anthony Young on May 27.
“October is a big month in my career. This is the type of match up that I have prepared for,” Rocha said. “I know my opponent and his entire team well. I respect them all, and I know I’ll need to be at my best come fight night. But that’s what I demand of myself in every fight and that’s what will happen come Oct. 21. I will be at my best, and my best is at a different level. I know Giovani asked for this fight, but like my coach always says, be careful what you wish for.”
Santillan (31-0, 16 KOs), 31, a southpaw from San Diego, who has been with Top Rank since 2020, owns a decision win over former lightweight titlist Antonio DeMarco and is coming off a decision over Erick Bone on July 22.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for an opportunity against a fighter of Rocha’s caliber,” Santillan said. “Defeating Rocha puts me in the world title mix and in position for even bigger fights, but I am focused on the task at hand. I wanted this fight, so as soon as Top Rank and my management told me this fight was happening, I was thrilled. This is my time, and I am going to take full advantage of this opportunity.”
Said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum: “This is going to be a tremendous battle between two of Southern California’s welterweight warriors. I have no doubt Giovani will rise to the occasion. I also give Alexis Rocha credit for accepting this challenge. He is on the verge of a world title shot and risking a lot in facing Giovani.”
The rest of the card was not announced but hot lightweight prospect Floyd Schofield (15-0, 11 KOs), 21, of Austin, Texas, will face a foe to be named in the 10-round co-feature, Golden Boy president Eric Gomez told Fight Freaks Unite.
In another undercard bout, IBF women’s flyweight titlist Arely Mucino (32-3-2, 11 KOs), 34, of Mexico, will make her first defense against Gabriela Fundora (11-0, 4 KOs), 21, a southpaw from Coachella, California, and the younger sister of junior middleweight contender Sebastian Fundora, according to Gomez and Fundora promoter Sampson Lewkowicz.
WBA heavyweight mess
After the WBA “regular” heavyweight title was eliminated when secondary titlist Daniel Dubois got knocked out by unified titleholder Oleksandr Usyk last Saturday, the belt is back despite the WBA’s promise to rid the organization of having multiple titles in the same division.
Over the past two years the WBA eliminated all interim titles and had gotten down to just four remaining “regular” titles — until Friday, when the regular heavyweight title made an unwelcome return.
The WBA announced that as part of a settlement with Mahmoud Charr, who previously was stripped and sued the organization, among others, he has been reinstated as the “regular” heavyweight titlist.
“The agreement reached, which puts an end to a long dispute brought by the boxer and his team, will allow the WBA to close this chapter, settling a dispute that has been going on for more than a year,” the WBA said in a statement. “After the fight in which Oleksandr Usyk defeated Daniel Dubois, the Ukrainian had remained as the only (WBA) heavyweight champion. However, the organization is forced to make the decision to reinstate Charr as regular champion in order to continue with the normal operation of the body.”
Charr won the vacant “regular” title by decision against Alexander Ustinov in November 2017 and never defended. He was idle for 3½ years during which time was made “champion in recess” and eventually stripped of that status in December 2021 after a planned bout with interim titlist Trevor Bryan did not come off despite two purse bids and the fight being scheduled but canceled for various reasons related to Bryan promoter Don King, visa issues and the WBA.
As part of the settlement, the WBA announced that Charr must face Jarrell Miller on or before Oct. 14 and that the winner is obligated to then make a mandatory defense against a contender to be determined by the WBA. Miller is rated No. 5 by the WBA but no explanation was given why the boxers ahead of him were not mandated to face Charr.
“For the time being, such a juncture only delays the institution's purpose of having only one champion per category,” the WBA said. “However, far from abandoning the path, the pioneer organization will continue to work resolutely to achieve this goal within the framework of its ‘one champion only’ policy.”
Charr (34-4, 20 KOs), 38, a Syria native fighting out of Germany, last boxed in December and knocked out journeyman Nuri Seferi in the second round in Hamburg, Germany.
Miller (26-0-1, 22 KOs), 35, of Brooklyn, New York, has had multiple suspensions for several positive drug tests and was idle because of them for 3½ years between late 2018 and mid-2022. Since returning, Miller has won three fights in a row, most recently by sixth-round knockout of Lucas Browne in March in Dubai.
TR signs heavyweight Moore
Heavyweight Brandon Moore (12-0, 8 KOs), 29, of Lakeland, Florida, who is 6-foot-6, 235 pounds, has signed a multi-year promotional deal with Top Rank, the company announced.
“Brandon Moore has all the physical tools to develop into a top heavyweight,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. “The heavyweight division is loaded with talent, and I believe Brandon will be squarely in the world title mix before long.”
Moore, a former amateur standout, who turned pro in February 2020, has gained valuable experience sparring with Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz, among others.
“I’m extremely blessed to have signed with Top Rank. My career has been a roller coaster ride,” Moore said. “I wasn’t an Olympian coming out of the amateurs. I had to put in the work to get to where I am. After almost four years in the pro game, I am finally seeing the fruits of my labor. I can’t wait to make my Top Rank debut and show the fans what I’m all about.”
Moore, who scored a second round knockout of Elijah McCall, son of former heavyweight titlist Oliver McCall, in his most recent fight on June 24 following a nearly 15-month layoff, will make his Top Rank debut later this year.
“I feel like the heavyweight division is ready for some fresh faces, and Top Rank is the biggest and best promotional platform for Brandon to showcase his talents,” said Ryan Rickey, Moore’s manager. “We look forward to a long-term working relationship.”
Moore joins a Top Rank stable of heavyweights that includes champion Tyson Fury, emerging contender Jared Anderson, 2020 Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist Bakhodir Jalolov, and Efe Ajagba.
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 the two top fights on Saturday’s Boxxer card in Manchester, England: the middleweight rematch between Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr. and junior welterweight Adam Azim versus Aram Fanyan. We also took viewer questions and comments and discussed the latest boxing news! Please check out the show here:
Quick hits
Weights from Manchester, England, for Saturday’s Boxxer card (ESPN+ in U.S., 1 p.m., Sky Sports Box Office in U.K.): Liam Smith 160 pounds, Chris Eubank Jr. 159.5 (rematch); Adam Azim 139, Aram Fanyan 139; Frazer Clarke 270, David Allen 257; Mark Heffron 167, Jack Cullen 167 (for Heffron’s British and Commonwealth super middleweight title); Mikaela Mayer 141.3, Silvia Bortot 139; Florian Marku 146.3, Dylan Moran 145; Lauren Price 146.3, Lolita Muzeya 147.3; Frankie Stringer 135.3, Engel Gomez 134.
At a ceremony prior to the Ohashi Promotions card on Wednesday in Tokyo, newly crowned unified junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue (25-0, 22 KOs), 30, was presented with his WBC and WBO 122-pound world title belts by representatives of the organizations. His father and trainer, Shingo Inoue, also received the special belt the WBC gives to trainers. Pound-for-pound star Inoue, who vacated the undisputed bantamweight title, moved up to junior featherweight and dominated Stephen Fulton en rout to an eighth-round knockout on July 25 in Tokyo to take his two belts and win a world title in his fourth division. Inoue is expected to next face IBF/WBA titlist Marlon Tapales in December for the undisputed title.
Flyweights Angel Ayala Lardizabal (16-0, 7 KOs), 23, of Mexico, and Nicaragua’s Felix Alvarado (39-3, 34 KOs), 34, a former IBF junior flyweight titlist, will meet in an IBF title eliminator Oct. 14 in Merida, Mexico, in a fight confirmed by the IBF. The winner will become the mandatory challenger for Sunny Edwards, who first meets WBO titlist Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez in a unification fight Dec. 16. In March, MP Promotions won a purse bid for the eliminator between Cristofer Rosales and Alvarado with a bid of only $2,500 (and a $5,000 participation fee). With such a low bid the fight was not finalized. That led to Alvarado facing Lardizabal, whose biggest win was a 12-round decision over former WBC flyweight titlist Rosales in April 2022.
Montreal promoter Eye of the Tiger announced it has signed light heavyweight Imam Khataev (3-0, 3 KOs), 29, a 2020 Russian Olympic bronze medalist, who eliminated England’s highly touted Ben Whittaker in the semifinals. Now living in Australia, Khataev, who had one pro fight in 2021 and one in 2022, also claimed a bronze medal at the 2023 Amateur World Championships. “I’m particularly pleased to add Imam to the roster,” Eye of the Tiger promoter Camille Estephan said. “He’s a real beast; very talented powerful and the consummate pro in being super serious and disciplined. His upside is absolutely huge and is very charismatic. The sky is the limit.”
Golden Boy announced it has signed junior lightweight Daniel Luna (2-0, 2 KOs), 21, of Victorville, California, who will have the first bout of the deal in a four-rounder on the Raul Curiel-Courtney Pennington card Sept. 7 (DAZN) in Indio, California. Luna, who has boxed since he was 5 and is trained by father, Daniel Luna Sr., had more than 100 amateur fights. Luna, who is of Mexican and Hawaiian descent, was a five-time national champion. “I am excited to start my journey with Golden Boy,” Luna said. “They are the home team here in Southern California, and I have seen how they’ve been able to build their world champions.” Said Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya: “I have been watching Daniel since he was 14, and I have been impressed with his steady growth in the sport. He has a unique look and a charming smile. In the ring, he is an assassin. We have the formula to take his raw talent and build him into a potential world champion.”
Former title challenger Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kalajdzic (27-2, 19 KOs), 32, a Serbia native fighting out of Saint Petersburg, Florida, meets England’s Mickey Ellison (14-4, 5 KOs), 33, in the 10-round main event of the Sept. 6 ProBox TV card at the company’s headquarters in Plant City, Florida. Kalajdzic has been inactive, partly due to injuries and a promoter change, but he has won three fights in a row since a fifth-round KO loss challenging Artur Beterbiev for the IBF title in 2019. Kalajdzic has not fought since May 2022. Also on the card: former junior bantamweight title challenger Jonas Sultan (18-6, 11 KOs), 31, of the Philippines, faces Florida’s Frank Gonzalez (12-3, 6 KOs), 26, in an eight-rounder at bantamweight. Sultan is coming off a decision loss to then-WBO interim bantamweight titlist Paul Butler in April 2022.
Show and tell
Heavyweight Oliver McCall knocked out Lennox Lewis in the second round of their first fight to win the WBC title in a huge upset and then defended it against aging legend Larry Holmes. For McCall’s second defense he traveled to London to meet England’s Frank Bruno, who had the reputation as a lovable loser. He had lost three previous title shots, an 11th-round knockout challenging Tim Witherspoon for the WBA title; a fifth-round destruction at the hands of the prime Mike Tyson in a shot at the undisputed title; and a seventh-round knockout to countryman Lewis two fights before Lewis lost the WBC title to McCall.
McCall and Bruno met at Wembley Stadium and the fourth time was the charm for Bruno, who won a unanimous decision — 117-111, 117-111 and 115-113 — to become just the third British-born fighter to win a heavyweight title, joining Bob Fitzsimmons and Lewis. Bruno would fight just once more, getting destroyed in his first defense in a rematch with Tyson. But Bruno’s crowning moment against McCall took place on Sept. 2, 1995 — 28 years ago on Saturday. Here’s a program in my collection.
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Photos: Smith-Eubank Jr.: Lawrence Lustig/Boxxer; Spence-Crawford: Esther Lin/Showtime; Charr: Martin Rose/Getty; Inoue: Naoki Fukuda
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Bad call by Spence I agree with you Stuart he should of had a couple fights before going again with Crawford the fight will be lucky to get half of what the gate and ppv got in the first if that I don’t know if I will pay for it
Not surprised Spence elected for an immediate rematch but his career may have been better served to get a couple more wins under his belt, or a couple wins and another belt under his belt before going back into the lions den. My only disappointment is that it hampers Crawford’s chances of getting the mega fight with Canelo.