Notebook: Postponed Beterbiev-Smith fight gets a new date
Riakporhe bails on cruiserweight title shot vs. Opetaia; Matchroom wins Foster-Hernandez purse bid; Quick hits; Show and tell
A note to Fight Freaks Unite readers: I created Fight Freaks Unite in January 2021 and eight months later it also became available for paid subscriptions for additional content — and as a way to help keep this newsletter going and for readers to support independent journalism. If you haven’t upgraded to a paid subscription please consider it. If you have already, I truly appreciate it! Also, consider a gift subscription for the Fight Freak in your life.
Three-belt light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev and mandatory challenger Callum Smith, a former super middleweight champion, have had their bout rescheduled for Jan. 13 at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada, Top Rank and Eye of the Tiger announced on Tuesday.
The fight was originally schedule for Aug. 19, also at the Videotron Centre, but was postponed last week because Beterbiev got a bone infection in his jaw as a byproduct of having had to have a tooth extracted. Top Rank initially hoped to reschedule the bout for November. Instead it will kick off 2024 and headline a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card (ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET).
“It’s a few months later than originally planned, but I am thrilled that Artur Beterbiev will have a chance to defend his titles in front of the incredible Quebec City fans,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. “Artur has a clean bill of health, and I know Callum, a supremely talented former champion, will be at his best.”
Montreal’s Beterbiev (19-0, 19 KOs), 38, a Russia native, has made seven title defenses and is boxing's only world champion with a 100 percent knockout ratio. He is coming off an exciting brawl with England’s Anthony Yarde, whom he knocked out in the eighth round in January.
Smith (29-1, 21 KOs), 33, of England, has won both of his fights since moving up to light heavyweight following a near-shut out loss that cost him the WBA super middleweight title to Canelo Alvarez in their 2020 title fight in which Alvarez also won the vacant WBC title.
Ticketholders for Aug. 19 have the option to either keep the tickets or get a refund.
Upgrade to a paid subscription for full access to all posts and comments
Thaboxingvoice appearance
I was live on Thaboxingvoice stream on Tuesday night talking about a variety of boxing topics, including Terence Crawford’s future, Anthony Joshua-Robert Helenius and a ton more, including taking viewer questions. Check out the show here:
Riakporhe dismisses title shot
England’s Richard Riakporhe , who is the IBF cruiserweight mandatory challenger, withdrew on Tuesday ahead of the purse bid scheduled later in the day for his shot at champion Jai Opetaia.
Riakporhe (16-0, 12 KOs), 33, is the second mandatory challenger in recent weeks to pull out of a purse bid rather than face Opetaia (22-0, 17 KOs), 27, an Australian southpaw. Riakporhe took over the mandatory position when Poland’s Mateusz Masternak pulled out of a recent purse bid in order to “go in another direction,” although he has not announced his next move yet.
What Riakporhe plans to do next is unclear — although there is probably no bigger opportunity than fighting for the lineal/IBF title — but Boxxer’s Ben Shalom, Riakporhe’s promoter, told Fight Freaks Unite, “There is something else.”
Riakporhe addressed the last-minute withdrawal in a statement.
“I have worked extremely hard the past two years to get myself to the top of the cruiserweight division,” he said. “We had accepted an offer to fight for the IBF title on two occasions in two different locations. For reasons unclear to me and my promoter, these offers were then withdrawn. During these negotiations, I’ve missed out on other opportunities, which has left me inactive. It is clear other parties were simply trying to disrupt my journey, which I won’t let happen.
“I would like to thank the IBF for their support and I look forward to fighting for their prestigious title one day. However, I have chosen to go a different route and will be sharing news of another world title opportunity very soon.”
Even if there is another opportunity it’s not clear why Riakporhe waited until the morning of the purse bid to withdraw. Tasman Fighters promoter Mick Francis, who co-promotes Opetaia with Matchroom Boxing, was disappointed by the withdrawal.
“It’s clear to us that Jai Opetaia is the most avoided cruiserweight in the world,” Francis said. “Twice we’ve had mandatory challengers pull out on us at the last minute, once with Mateusz Masternak and now with Richard Riakporhe. I’ve been in regular contact with Ben Shalom from Boxxer the whole way during this negotiating period. I was amused to read that Richard stated he had accepted offers for the fight on two occasions. That’s news to me. If he accepted, then why were we going to purse bids in a couple of hours’ time?
“When Masternak pulled out, we petitioned the IBF to have a voluntary defense. Boxxer stood in our way and enforced Riakporhe’s rights as mandatory challenger. For Riakporhe to pull out at the last minute is an extremely poor reflection on Boxxer and how badly Richard wanted the fight in the first place.”
Opetaia has been idle since outpointing Mairis Breidis for the lineal/IBF title in July 2022 because of a broken jaw suffered in the bout. He was also disappointed that another mandatory challenger has avoided him.
“Normally fighters dream of fighting for the world title, so to be given an opportunity and pull out, makes no sense to me,” Opetaia said. “I’m ready for the next challenge. I can’t wait to defend.”
Quick hits
Matchroom Boxing was the only bidder on Tuesday when it won the promotional rights at a WBC purse bid for the fight between junior lightweight titleholder O’Shaquie Foster (20-2, 11 KOs), 29, of Orange, Texas, and the Matchroom-promoted Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez (34-1, 31 KOs), 25, of Mexico, who has won six fights in a row. Matchroom Boxing bid $466,666. The site and date of Foster’s first defense are to be determined but it must take place within 90 days of the bid. The WBC will hold 10 percent of the purse ($46,666.60), which will go the winner as a bonus. Of the remaining 90 percent, Foster is entitled to 70 percent ($293,999.58) and Hernandez 30 percent ($125,999.82).
Boxxer announced that junior welterweight top prospect Adam Azim has been added to the undercard of the middleweight rematch between Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr. on Sept. 2 at AO Arena in Manchester, England. Azim (8-0, 6 KOs), 21, of England, will face Ukraine’s Aram Fanyan (22-1, 4 KOs) in a 10-rounder. Azim-Fanyan was originally scheduled for June 16 in London but called off when Azim was forced to withdraw due to an infection caused by cuts on his left knuckles. “Fanyan isn’t coming to roll over. He’s dangerous, he’s experienced and we all know what's going on in Ukraine right now,” Azim said. “He wants to win for his country as much as anything. He's very motivated and he’s not a guy to underestimate, so he’s definitely a good opponent. He’s the toughest opponent of my career so far and I’m looking to put on a great performance which shows beyond doubt that I am ready to step up to that next level and start winning some titles.”
Social media influencer turned WWE star and boxer Logan Paul, the older brother of Jake Paul, will box MMA fighter Dillon Danis in a six-rounder at 195 pounds on Oct. 14 (DAZN PPV) at AO Arena in Manchester, England, in the co-feature of the MF & DAZN: X Series event headlined by the previously announced eight-round 185-pound bout between social media influencer/cruiserweight KSI and Tommy Fury, who is coming off a February split decision over Jake Paul. Logan Paul last boxed in an exhibition against Floyd Mayweather in June 2021 and has since become a sensation in the WWE.
Show and tell
Brazilian star Acelino “Popo” Freitas is my second all-time favorite fighter behind the late Hall of Famer Arturo Gatti. I named dearly departed pet cats after both of them (Popo and Thunder). Freitas was charismatic, exciting and for pure one-punch power one of the biggest hitters of the early 2000s. Having covered some of his fights and having also gotten to know him a bit, he is a very nice and humble guy. He was at his peak when he defended his unified junior lightweight world title against Jorge Barrios in Miami in a Showtime main event that was also a major nationalistic rivalry bout pitting Brazil against Argentina, Barrios’ home country.
They put on a mesmerizing battle in which Freitas badly cut Barrios, who at one point used the referee’s shirt to wipe away the blood pouring from his cuts in an unforgettable moment. Freitas, who was 33-0 going into the fight, got knocked down in the eighth and 11th rounds but he also dropped Barrios in the 11th and 12th rounds, securing the knockout victory at 50 seconds of the final round. It is one of the great fights of the 2000s and one of my personal favorites. It took place on Aug. 9, 2003 in Miami — 20 years ago on Wednesday. Here is a mint full ticket and a gorgeous and scarce site poster in my collection.
A note to subscribers
I sincerely appreciate your readership. If you’re reading, it means you love boxing just like I do. If you’ve been reading you also know the quality and quantity of what I produce. It’s one-stop shopping. Read the newsletters and there is no need to search multiple websites or click a multitude of links to get the latest news, opinion and detailed fight schedule. Everything you need is in one spot and delivered directly to your inbox (or via phone alert if you download for free the superb Substack app). You don’t have to hunt for the news; it comes to you.
I believe that is worth something, so while I will continue providing stories, notes and the schedule for free, I encourage you to upgrade to a paid subscription for the most content. A paid subscription is your way of keeping this reader-supported newsletter going and supporting independent journalism. I am beholden to no network, promoter, manager, sanctioning body or fighter. If you have read my work at all during the past 23 years I’ve covered professional boxing you know that I keep it real and that will not change.
To upgrade your subscription please go here:
Thank you so much for your support of Fight Freaks Unite!
Photo: Riakporhe: Lawrence Lustig/Boxxer
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danrafael1/
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanRafael1
Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanRafaelBoxing
