Notebook: Jake Paul to next face a boxer, not an MMA fighter
Morrell's opponent for Showtime's final fight; Benavidez-Andrade undercard finalized; Muhammad Ali artwork; Walsh following GGG's footsteps; DAZN adds events; Quick hits; Show and tell
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Jake Paul has an opponent for his next fight and it is not an MMA fighter crossing over to boxing nor is it on pay-per-view.
Paul, the popular content creator and YouTube personality turned boxer, will face professional boxer Andre August in an eight-round cruiserweight fight that will headline a card on DAZN put on by Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions on Dec. 15 at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida, they announced on Wednesday.
Paul (7-1, 4 KOs), 26, of Cleveland, has only faced one other boxer, an eight-round split decision loss to Tommy Fury, the half brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, in February. The rest of Paul’s opponents have been MMA fighters or other non-boxers and all of his previous fights other than his pro debut have been either pay-per-view headliners or on PPV undercards.
But Paul has steadfastly said he is serious about improving his skills and working his way to a world title fight and to do that he needs experience against similarly experienced boxers, which is what he will face in August (10-1-1, 5 KOs).
“I’m a professional boxer and I want to be world champion, so I need to pursue the path towards greatness against people who have been boxing their whole life,” Paul said. “So far, my entire boxing career has been on pay-per-view, but now it’s about more than business. Now I want to build my experience in the ring against seasoned fighters. I’m coming to prove my greatness on December 15th live on DAZN for the world to see.”
The bout will be Paul’s third of the year. In February, Paul suffered the loss to Fury and in August he won a one-sided 10-round decision over former UFC star Nate Diaz, who was making his professional boxing debut.
“Jake’s global star power has already made him one of the biggest names in boxing. He’s sold more pay-per-views over his first eight fights than any other boxer ever and he’s one of the few names in the game advocating for women and prospects in the sport,” MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said. “And now he’s once again doing what very few of the best and biggest boxers in the world have done in their ninth professional fight — fighting someone with a better record and more experience.
“Terrence Crawford fought a 9-14-1 opponent in his ninth fight; Canelo Alvarez fought a 0-1 opponent; and Gervonta Davis fought an opponent that had 31 losses. But Terence, Canelo and Gervonta didn’t have the world watching. Jake Paul does, and he’s once again putting it all on the line taking on a 10-1-1 opponent.”
August, 25, of Beaumont, Texas, who has won five fights in a row, has been a pro since 2013, although he has had breaks along the way. He is coming off a lopsided six-round decision over previously undefeated Brandon Martin on Aug. 11 in St. Louis. The bout was August’s first since November 2019.
“I don’t talk very much. I’m all about that action,” August said. “Jake Paul has the money, the fame, the team and the resources but he doesn’t have my hunger. When that bell rings, I am going to go straight to Jake Paul and ring his bell and send him back to YouTube for good.”
The card will also include the previously announced fight between Shadasia Green (13-0, 11 KOs), 34, of Paterson, New Jersey, and former women’s undisputed super middleweight champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn (8-2, 2 KOs), 36, of Baltimore. They will square off for the vacant WBC title.
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PBC making plans
While Showtime will exit boxing following a Dec. 16 card, Premier Boxing Champions and TGB Promotions, which puts on all of the PBC shows, aren’t going anywhere.
On the agenda for the Nevada State Athletic Commission meeting this coming Tuesday is a request by TGB to hold an event on Jan. 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas with the card “to be televised on PPV,” according to the agenda.
PBC’s Al Haymon has been looking to make a deal with a new broadcaster because Paramount, the parent company of longtime PBC broadcaster Showtime, is shuttering Showtime Sports at the end of the year.
The final “Showtime Championship Boxing” card, which has not been announced yet but is slated for Dec. 16 at The Armory in Minneapolis with WBA “regular” super middleweight titlist David Morrell in the main event, likely will see him defend against Sena Agbeko, sources told Fight Freaks Unite.
Morrell (9-0, 8 KOs), 25, a Cuban defector based in Minneapolis, and Agbeko (28-2, 22 KOs), 31, a Ghana native fighting out of Nashville, were scheduled to fight in the Gervonta Davis-Ryan Garcia co-feature on April 22 in Las Vegas on Showtime PPV, but the Nevada commission did not license Agbeko due to an undisclosed medical issue. The sources said that issue has been resolved.
On April 22, Morrell instead faced late replacement Yamaguchi Falcao and knocked him out in the first round for a fifth successful title defense.
Agbeko has won five fights in a row since a lopsided 10-round decision loss to unbeaten Vladimir Shishkin on Showtime’s “ShoBox” series in February 2021.
Rest of Benavidez-Andrade card
Premier Boxing Champions on Wednesday announced the remainder of the undercard for the David Benavidez-Demetrius Andrade Showtime PPV event that will take place on Nov. 25 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Besides the four previously announced fights on the PPV, former junior welterweight titleholder Sergey Lipinets (17-2-1, 13 KOs) and Michel Rivera (24-1, 14 KOs), who is moving up from lightweight, will meet in a 10-rounder, confirming last month’s Fight Freaks Unite report.
That bout, along with a 10-round junior middleweight fight between Vito Mielnicki Jr. (15-1, 10 KOs), 21, of Roseland, New Jersey, and Alexis Salazar (25-5, 10 KOs), 28, of Norwalk, California, will stream on the Showtime Sports YouTube channel and Showtime Boxing Facebook page beginning at 6 p.m. ET, before the start of the pay-per-view at 8 p.m. ET ($74.99).
Lipinets (17-2-1, 13 KOs), 34, a Kazakhstan native fighting out of Woodland Hills, California, is coming off a one-sided eighth-round knockout of former lightweight titlist Omar Figueroa Jr. in August 2022 that sent Figueroa into retirement.
Rivera (24-1, 14 KOs), 25, of the Dominican Republic, is coming off a one-sided 12-round decision loss to Frank Martin in December in Las Vegas, after which Rivera tested positive for a two banned substances (hydrochlorothiazide and triamterene) and was suspended for six months and fined $10,000 by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
In non-televised bouts, Pablo Vicente (23-1, 17 KOs), 30, a Cuba native fighting out of Panama, and Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov (20-1, 11 KOs), 28, a southpaw from Tajikistan, who has had most of his fights in Russia, will meet in a WBC junior lightweight title eliminator as both make their United States debuts.
Among the other non-TV bouts, junior lightweight Curmel Moton (1-0,1 KO), 17, of Las Vegas, the heavily hyped Floyd Mayweather protégé who turned pro with a fist-round KO on the Canelo Alvarez-Jermell Charlo card on Sept. 30, will face Hunter Turbyfill (3-0, 1 KO), 28, of Memphis, in a four-rounder.
Muhammad Ali art
Muhammad Ali, of course, is known around the world as “The Greatest,” the first three-time heavyweight world champion and the most famous boxer who ever lived. He had many memorable fights inside the ring but he also waged an important one outside of it, one that caused millions to hate him in a court case related to his refusal to serve in the Vietnam War due to his religious beliefs.
It was a case that went all the way to the United States Supreme Court and one that Ali eventually won, even though it cost him more than 3½ years of his prime as he sat out and was stripped of the heavyweight championship.
Artist Willard Mullin drew a famous picture showing his take of Ali pleading his case to the court. The drawing graced the cover of the June 1966 issue of The Ring magazine.
Renowned art collector Ingo Wegerich has purchased the original drawing and added it to his incredible collection of boxing art. He asked me to write a bit the Ali court case that was the reason for Mullin’s drawing. There are photos of the art and what I wrote about Ali’s case on Wegerich’s website. I encourage all boxing fans — which you are one if you are reading Fight Freaks Unite — to check it out here: https://wegerich-fineart.com/en/portfolio/muhammad-ali-in-court-en/. You can also view many of the pieces in the tremendous Wegerich collection here: https://wegerich-fineart.com/en/artworks/.
Walsh ready for NYC debut
In just his ninth pro fight, junior middleweight prospect Callum Walsh is set to headline at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, where he will fight Ismael Villarreal in a 10-rounder on Thursday night (UFC Fight Pass).
Promoter Tom Loeffler of 360 Promotions and Garden officials have high hopes for Walsh, who they envision as a fighter who eventually will rise to the top and pack the main arena with New York’s passionate Irish fan base.
Walsh (8-0, 7 KOs), 22, a southpaw from Ireland, who fights out of Hollywood, California, and is trained by Hall of Famer Freddie Roach, is excited to fight in New York after having all of his bouts on small cards in Southern California and one fight in Boston.
In Villarreal (13-1, 9 KOs), 26, of Bronx, New York, Walsh is facing his best opponent so far. Villarreal won his only fight since a 10-round split decision to unbeaten prospect Andreal Holmes in February.
“This is only my ninth fight and they’ve gone all in on the promotion,” Walsh said in thanking Garden officials at Tuesday’s fight-week news conference. “Sitting me courtside last night at the Knicks game, putting me up on the big screen and giving me a jersey, it doesn’t get any better than that.
“And thanks very much to (UFC boss) Dana White for all his support. I look forward to putting on the best show possible on Thursday night. I love being in New York and look forward to spending the weekend here after the fight.”
Loeffler is taking the same approach with Walsh that he took with Gennadiy Golovkin when he came to the United States as a middleweight titleholder, which means he wants to keep Walsh active, winning entertaining fights, being media friendly and aligning with the Garden.
“This is 10 years to the week from when GGG headlined The Theater at Madison Square Garden against Curtis Stevens, which was a huge launching pad and it really feels like we're using the same steps with Callum,” Loeffler said. “With the marketability and the charisma that Callum has it feels like we’re recreating the situation with GGG where he was able to successfully fight on both coasts, here in New York City and Los Angeles. He’s got a great future in front of him.”
DAZN adds shows
DAZN is continuing to add cards from promoters other than its main providers, Golden Boy and Matchroom Boxing, announcing events with England’s Wasserman Boxing, which it has worked with on other shows, and France’s Y12 Boxing.
On Friday, DAZN will stream a Wasserman card worldwide (except the United Kingdom and Ireland). The card is headlined by junior welterweight Harlem Eubank (18-0, 7 KOs), 29, who is the nephew of British legend Chris Eubank Sr., against Timo Schwarzkopf (22-5, 13 KOs), 32, of Germany. Their 10-rounder will take place at the Brighton Centre in Eubank’s hometown of Brighton, England.
The undercard includes cruiserweight Roman Fury (2-0, 0 KOs), 27, of England, who is the younger half brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, in a four-rounder against Bradley Davies (1-5-1, 1 KOs), 31, of England.
On Dec. 2, DAZN will stream worldwide the Y12 event from the Palais des Sports in Marseille, France, which will be headlined by Kevin Lele Sadjo (20-0, 18 KOs), 33, of France, defending the European super middleweight title for the second time when he faces mandatory challenger Giovanni De Carolis (33-10-1, 16 KOs), 39, of Italy, a former WBA “regular” super middleweight titlist, who has won five fights in a row.
Quick hits
Mexican countrymen and former world titlists Carlos Cuadras and Pedro Guevara will vie for the vacant WBC interim junior bantamweight title on Nov. 17 on a card that will take place as part of the WBC’s annual convention in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the WBC announced. Cuadras (41-5-1, 28 KOs), 35, made six defenses of the WBC junior bantamweight title during his 2014 to 2016 reign. He has won two in a row since a decision loss to Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez for that vacant belt in February 2022. Guevara (40-3-1, 22 KOs), 34, a former WBC junior flyweight titleholder with two successful defenses during his 2014 to 2015 reign, has won 10 in a row since a decision loss challenging Kenshiro Teraji for that title in 2017.
Former WBO junior lightweight titlist Jamel Herring (24-4, 12 KOs), 38, a southpaw from Coram, New York, ended an 18-month retirement and knocked out Nick Molina (13-1, 5 KOs), 24, of Lowell, Massachusetts, in the first round of a scheduled eight-round junior lightweight bout Tuesday night at New York’s Edison Ballroom. Herring came into the bout having lost two fights in a row, his title via 10th-round knockout to Shakur Stevenson followed by an upset decision to Jamaine Ortiz at lightweight in May 2021, before retiring. In his first fight with trainer and former bantamweight titlist Wayne McCullough, Herring dropped Molina twice, forcing referee Arthur Mercante to stop it at 2 minutes, 49 seconds. Herring, who served in Iraq as a U.S. Marine, topped the DiBella Entertainment “Heroes On The Hudson” card ahead of Veterans Day with some proceeds going to support veteran organizations.
Boxxer announced that British cruiserweight Richard Riakporhe, the mandatory challenger for WBO titlist Chris Billam-Smith, has been added to the card headlined by prospect Adam Azim’s challenge of European junior welterweight champion Franck Petitjean on Nov. 18 (Peacock in U.S., Sky Sports in U.K.) at Civic Hall in Wolverhampton, England. Riakporhe (16-0, 12 KOs), 33, will face Dylan Bregeon (13-4-1, 3 KOs), 29, of France, in a 10-rounder. “I am back and reminding everyone why I am the No. 1 contender,” said Riakporhe, whose last fight was in January. Bregeon went the distance with Billam-Smith in losing a 2021 European title fight.
Golden Boy announced its final card of the year, which will take place on Dec. 14 (DAZN) at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California. The “Golden Boy Fight Night” show will be topped by Cathedral City, California’s Jose “Tito” Sanchez (11-0, 7 KOs), 23, who is promoted by Miguel Cotto, against Walter Santibanes (12-2, 2 KOs), 32, of Phoenix, in a 10-round junior featherweight bout.
Listen to the latest podcast! We recapped a busy weekend, went over news of the week and shared memories on the anniversary of three major fights. Also subscribe to the pod for an alert as soon as the next episode drops.
Show and tell
Bernard Hopkins, the legendary Hall of Famer, was 49 when he set yet another age-related boxing record by dropping and clearly outpointing Beibut Shumenov to unify the IBF and WBA light heavyweight titles to become the oldest fighter to unify belts. Undefeated WBO titlist Sergey Kovalev, 31, meantime, was smashing his way through the division and destroying one challenger after another, but he had never faced somebody an opponent remotely as good, as experienced or as battle tested as the seemingly ageless Hopkins when they were matched for a much-anticipated fight on HBO to unify their three belts at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where Hopkins had pulled major upsets against Kelly Pavlik and Antonio Tarver
The question at hand was whether Hopkins’ guile, well-rounded game, solid defense and chin would carry the day or if it would be Kovalev’s smash-mouth aggression and devastating power. The answer was clear in the opening round when Kovalev knocked Hopkins down. He would go on to pound Hopkins for the entire fight and won a shockingly dominant shutout decision — 120-107, 120-107 and 120-106 — in a great performance to unify the titles in what would turned out to be the second-to-last fight of Hopkins’ decorated career. The fight, which I covered at ringside, took place on Nov. 8, 2014 — nine years ago on Wednesday. Here is a site poster and an HBO poster from the fight in my collection.
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Photos: Morrell: Ryan Hafey/PBC; Walsh: Lina Baker/360 Promotions
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great stuff Dan! Thanks for the info.
Jake Paul looks 35, everytime I see his age I do a double take.
UFCFightPass aired Tues Dibella card and will air tonight's card. Usually couple times a year you can snag a 50% off code that cuts the yearly down to 50 bucks. If you're just in it for boxing might not be worth it but if you also like mma like me it's a steal.