Latest news with #ArielxAde
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dave Allen on Johnny Fisher KO: I'm no 'world-beater, but to beat me you have to be pretty good — and he's not there yet'
When Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn faced off this past month, it was a fight between two of British boxing's bad guys. Eubank and Benn, for different reasons, were hated in boxing's inner circle. But the fight this past Saturday at the Copper Box Arena in London was the polar opposite — Dave Allen and Johnny Fisher are two of boxing's good guys. Despite it being a pro-Fisher crowd, both men got cheered into the ring, and you would've struggled to find a single boo directed Allen's way on the night. Advertisement Allen produced a highlight-reel fifth-round knockout of Fisher in their heavyweight rematch. Fisher had won a controversial split decision when the pair met this past December in Riyadh. Although it was the biggest on-paper win of Allen's career on Saturday, he insists that it wasn't his greatest moment. "I don't think it tops the Lucas Browne fight [in 2019] for me, personally," Allen told Uncrowned and DAZN's "Ariel x Ade" show on Tuesday. "I'm from Doncaster, which is a little town up north. It's not the most glamorous place. And at 27, I headlined the biggest arena in the UK. [I] beat a guy that held a version of the world title. So for a kid at 27 — and at 27 my life was pretty hectic — to headline The O2, a kid from a little village three or four hours up north, I don't think I'll ever top it really." Allen's win over Browne came at a time when he wasn't far removed from a heavy gambling addiction, which saw him bet and lose the value of his upcoming fight purses before even entering the ring. Allen had struggled to stay motivated enough to train for his fights and admittedly went into several major bouts with minimal preparation. But in 2019, Allen turned a new leaf. He teamed up with the former world middleweight champion Darren Barker, and in their first fight together, Allen knocked out Australia's former WBA champion Browne inside three rounds. Allen's win over Browne was a glimmer of light for the Doncaster man at the end of a dark journey. Advertisement "When I was doing things in my 20s, I was doing them even though it was against all odds," Allen said. "Like when I boxed Johnny Fisher on Saturday, if I didn't beat [him], I'd be heartbroken. [I've] been boxing 17 years now, [I was a] national amateur champion. When I turned pro, at least locally, everyone was like, 'This boy can box for world titles.' "And that went down the wayside in my 20s, I got a little bit lost. Life kind of got in the way for me. But at 33, I've got a normal life now. I have got a family, I've got kids, I have stability, I have world-class boxing coaches. I should be beating Johnny Fisher. So I'm doing what I should be doing now. Finally, at 33, I'm doing what I should be doing." Although the Fisher fight came in front of 8,000 fans and represented Allen's highest-profile win, Allen puts it into perspective. Not only did it come at a time when Allen's life was much more stable than in previous years, but the nature of the opponent could be compared to when Allen knocked out Nick Webb in 2018 — another hyped heavyweight prospect who fell short in his first real test. Allen's uptick in motivation to succeed can be attributed to the stability provided to him by his family life. It's a common tale told by boxers that after having their first child, they are not only boxing for themselves, but for somebody else as well, and that becomes their biggest incentive. And the story rings true for Allen as much as anybody. Advertisement "I don't really do things for me, I'm not interested," Allen said. "If I was left to my own devices — before I met my missus, I didn't even have a sofa, I didn't have a bed, I didn't have a kettle, I didn't have anything. I just slept on the floor. I had a TV — I think I had a TV — and two settee cushions. I don't do things, I don't like doing things, I don't want to do things, I'm not interested. "I can't believe how many years passed me by. I met [my wife], the kids — and I look at my kids, and I love them. I get emotional thinking about them. I want to give them nice things. I've got no real hard-luck story. My upbringing — it was a working-class upbringing. It was hard at times, but there was no real hard-luck story, so nothing really to write home about. It was just hard. But I don't want my kids to have a hard life, I don't want them to go without, I want them to have everything." Advertisement Experiencing tragedy helped the making of Allen. He said the death of his grandmother in recent years showed him that he could survive the worst things life could throw at him. Whatever obstacles the boxing game put his way, they were inconsequential compared to the loss of his loved ones. Allen had retired from boxing in 2020 after being knocked unconscious on his feet in sparring by current heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. Allen cited the event as the final straw for him in the sport and announced his departure soon after. "I'm not an idiot, so I know when it's time to finish," Allen said at the time. But the retirement lasted less than a year. Allen was back to boxing on club shows against losing-record journeymen. "The White Rhino" managed four straightforward wins before getting another chance on the big stage against Frazer Clarke, however he put on a poor showing and lost comfortably. It was the fight that gave Fisher's team the confidence to match their man with Allen in December 2024. Allen believes Fisher managed to be as competitive as he was in their first fight because of the lingering inactivity Allen suffered at the world level after his abandoned exit from boxing in 2020, and that an immediate rematch would suit him as the older and more experienced fighter. Advertisement "I told them myself. I said the day after the first [fight], I literally told them on-camera [and] off-camera, I said, 'Johnny, don't box me again next, because when I boxed you in Saudi Arabia, I'd had six rounds with Frazer Clarke, and apart from that, I'd not had a real fight for five years.' So I boxed running the first time. The first three or four rounds were hard, my timing was off. It wasn't even off — it wasn't even there. I got through the first three or four rounds being a tough old man who's got a bit of experience. And then I got to him in five rounds, and I shouldn't be getting to anybody in five rounds. I was just fit and hard and had a bit of experience. "The first fight did me a world of good. As soon as I got back in the gym, I thought, 'Wow, them 10 rounds are going to be the world of good.' I thought, 'Johnny Fisher cannot live with me.' I got back in the gym February time [and] I sparred Pat Brown. I was about 22 stone (308 pounds). I'd put about 3 stone on (42 pounds), three or four stone. It was Christmas and January — because I'm an animal, it's what I do — I sparred Pat Brown and I got back in the gym and I thought, 'Wow, I'm three or four stone overweight and I feel sharp as anything.' "Fast-forward to March-April, and me, Jamie [Moore, trainer], and Nigel [Travis] said, 'Johnny Fisher, he can't compete with me.' And Saturday, that was the case really. I felt — I do feel — I could've ended it in a round or two if I wanted to, if I'd have let my hands go. But I'm very cautious and safety first. I went the rounds and waited until he was gone and took him out. Johnny Fisher is a nice fella, and he will be a good fighter, but he is a raw novice fighting someone who, in me, isn't a world-beater, but to beat me, you have to be pretty good — and he's not there yet." With Allen's win over Fisher, he's now tied to a two-fight promotional deal with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing. It's as been a lifelong dream for Allen to win the prestigious British heavyweight title. David Adeleye and Jeamie TKV are expected to contest the championship on an upcoming DAZN show after Frank Warren's Queensberry Promotions won the purse bids for the rematch earlier this month. Advertisement Allen previously won eliminators for the British title and almost claimed the Commonwealth belt in 2017, but an apparent lack of preparation saw him lose a split decision to the inferior Lenroy Thomas. Allen sees himself as a fighter capable of capturing the British and Commonwealth belts at this point in his career. He hopes to stay active with three more fights before the end of the calendar year. Although unlikely, a British heavyweight title shot in 2025 is within reach for Allen, and should Adeleye defeat TKV again, it could even become the next installment in the Matchroom vs. Queensberry rivalry.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Conor Benn: Rematch with 'drama queen' Chris Eubank Jr. targeted for September, 'I've got a relit fire in me'
Conor Benn is probably among the few people in boxing who has yet to watch back his incredible 12-round battle with Chris Eubank Jr. The April 26 clash between second-generation British boxers saw Eubank (35-3, 25 KOs) earn a thrilling unanimous decision in front of more than 60,000 spectators at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London. Benn (23-1, 14 KOs) suffered his first career defeat, though his stock could not be any higher in present day after their instant classic. Advertisement One day, he'll bring himself to review the third chapter in the 35-year boxing family rivalry. 'I haven't watched it back yet, fully,' Benn confessed Tuesday on Uncrowned's and DAZN's "Ariel x Ade" show. 'I've got to build up the courage to watch it back. 'There are loads of mistakes I made. Loads of things I didn't do in there that I know I should have done. So, I haven't had the courage to watch it back.' Benn, 28, entered the fight unbeaten and with hopes to one day challenge for a welterweight title. Still, the opportunity to resurrect his grudge match with Eubank was enough of a priority to move up two divisions to middleweight for the occasion. Advertisement Fittingly, the same weight division housed the first meeting between their famous fathers. Nigel Benn saw his WBO middleweight title reign come to an end when he was stopped in the ninth round by Chris Eubank Sr. in their 1990 meeting in Birmingham, England. The fight helped usher in a pivotal moment in the British boxing history, enough to where the two ran it back nearly three years later. Both fighters moved up to and won titles at super middleweight, but fought to a draw in their 1993 WBC/WBO unification match in front of 47,000 fans at Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester, England. Thus, the onus was on the younger Benn to put his family on the scoreboard. Advertisement April's grudge match came 14 months after Benn's previous in-ring appearance, but also two and a half years after the cancellation of the original Eubank vs. Benn date in October 2022. A drug-testing scandal ultimately shut down that event, and Benn was left to prove to the world that he was a clean fighter after having tested positive for clomiphene. It was a long road back to respect. Benn and career-long promoter Eddie Hearn — chairman of Matchroom Boxing — gained little public sympathy even after Benn was cleared to fight in the U.S. in September 2023. A pair of wins stateside helped shake loose some rust, but not much of the ongoing scrutiny. Benn literally wore egg on his face at the end of the kickoff press conference to confirm their rescheduled affair. Eubank smashed yolk and shell across the right side of Benn's face, his own visual for the scientific alibi provided that the positive drug tests were the result of egg contamination. 'Everyone knows what I've been through for the past two and a half years,' noted Benn. 'I haven't fought in England in three years. For me to get to that moment, it was a proud moment. You made it, Conor. I've been through a lot. I've been through hell and back. Advertisement 'You don't know how much life has taken out of you when you go through things like that. It's in the back of your head, 'What do I have left in me?' I still have that fire. I still have that ambition and that drive to be the best fighter I can possibly be.' Eubank further embraced the role of a fighter with a massive chip on his shoulder throughout the buildup. He only added to it after arriving well late to the weigh-in, only to still miss the mark by .05 pounds. The fight proceeded, after Eubank was dealt a $500,000 fine and contractually bound to still make the next-day 10-pound rehydration limit. Advertisement Benn's cut of the unexpected windfall has been put to good use, including the purchase of a brand new Rolls Royce. 'Aside from the fight and the night and occasion, this was the second happiest moment of my year,' Benn joked. 'This was my gift because he was 0.05 over. He paid for my private jet and also for my Rolls Royce. 'Full respect, daddy. Cheers, Chris. You're a diamond. Miss weight again, will ya?" That said, Eubank's scale fail was another reminder that Benn — who weighed 156.4 pounds — was naturally the much smaller fighter. Still, he didn't come this far just to come this far. Benn delivered the performance of his career; unfortunately, it was on a night where there was no quit in his opponent. The fight was nip and tuck through 10 rounds before Eubank swept the 11th and 12th rounds to prevail. Advertisement Hearing identical scorecards of 116-112 read in favor of the 35-year-old Eubank was difficult for Benn, who believed he deserved the nod. It was a tough way to break up his perfect record, though he takes comfort in knowing his name will remain etched in British boxing history for the right reasons. 'What I am happy of is that this will go down as a British classic,' said Benn. 'Your stock goes up from fights like that, giving people value for their money. People don't want to watch fighters who go in there to just to nick the fight, or to just win a round, just to get by. There was a lot on the line. We fought with our hearts in there.' Conor Benn (right) and Chris Eubank Jr. put on an instant classic at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. (). (Mark Robinson via Getty Images) Both boxers had plenty of motivation. A reminder of the stakes came with their respective ringwalks, as they were accompanied by their fathers. Advertisement A father-son stroll to the ring was always in the cards for the Benns; not so much for the Eubanks. The elder Eubank was always against the idea of the second-generation fight, going back to when it was first planned for 2022. He hadn't spoken with his son in years, until the eve of fight night. The scene of his arrival at Tottenham Hotspur, followed by their subsequent ringwalk, somehow outshone the incredible 12 rounds of action produced in the ring. 'Seeing him there, I was over the moon,' Benn said of the moment. 'It wouldn't have been the same without Senior turning up. I was happy for Chris. My dad is always in my corner, that goes without saying. My dad is my shadow. 'If the fight mended that relationship … money can't buy that.' Advertisement That said, the younger Benn and Eubank were each well compensated for their resurrected grudge match. A massive amount of hype surrounded the event, to where it was never believed that anything in the ring could ever match. Somehow, they overdelivered. Short of coming to grips with his first loss, Benn can at least find comfort in the circumstance under which it was dealt. 'Even being able to give the public that level of entertainment, that makes me proud,' admitted Benn. 'There are so many fighters out there who don't entertain or take the responsibility to entertain. At the end of the day, I'd rather lose an exciting fight than win a boring fight. Because then I sit there and go, 'Did you actually even win?' 'That's my mindset. Ultimately, it's the entertainment business. Jumping up two weights and challenge Chris was a great experience. I thought I won the fight, I thought I nicked it, but it was my fault for letting it get back that close.' Advertisement The good news for Benn is that he won't have to wait another two and a half years for a shot at redemption. While there was some discussion of a return to welterweight and a hoped-for title shot, nothing will pay better than a sequel with Eubank — and part four in England's most storied boxing family rivalry. Nor will the potential for any other victory come with greater satisfaction. 'It's definitely Eubank [next],' Benn insisted. 'If I don't do Eubank next, that ship [has] sailed. It has to be Eubank next. If I don't, then that chapter's closed. 'Fingers crossed, we're working on a date now. There's talk about returning in September. The reality is, I'm ready to go [in] August. I stayed in the gym. While Eubank was in the hospital being a drama queen, I was back in the gym on the treadmill training. So I think I've got a relit fire in me.'
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has his confidence back ... with 'hate in my heart'
Deontay Wilder is planning for 2025 to be the first calendar year since 2019 when he will fight on more than one occasion. It was announced March 28 that Wilder would return to the ring June 27 in a 10-round bout against Tyrrell Herndon at the Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas. Now Wilder has revealed to Uncrowned and DAZN's "Ariel x Ade" show that he has a second bout lined up as well. Advertisement "We've got two [fights] scheduled right now, for sure," Wilder revealed Tuesday. "We're looking to do another [fight] in December. I think this year is going to be filled with just making sure I'm back tuned up. I'm tuning myself up, making sure I'm where I say I am." Wilder has boxed outside of North America just three times. In 2013, he ventured to Sheffield, England, to knock out the 2000 Olympic gold medalist Audley Harrison in the opening round. His last two fights ended in defeat in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang. The former WBC heavyweight champion hopes to change that international losing streak in December in a unique location for a boxing event. "We're going to be out of the country," Wilder said about his December fight. "Somewhere in Korea, South Korea." Advertisement Tyson Fury's retirement from the sport following back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk has left a void in the heavyweight division. A fight between Fury and Anthony Joshua had been building up for almost a decade, but now it appears that we may never see that fight. Deontay Wilder is looking to be active in 2025. () (Richard Pelham via Getty Images) Another clash boxing fans had hoped to see for many years was Wilder vs. Joshua, and with Fury supposedly bowing out of the sport, the matchup makes even more sense now. But Wilder has insisted that his comeback is not centered around any specific opponent. "I'm like any other boxing fan, I just want the best fights possible," Wilder insisted. Advertisement "I'm not looking for any particular [fight], but I want the best of the best. Whoever's the best in the division, that's who I want. "The mission is still — I've still got to unify the division. That's one of the main things that I came in [with] and a goal that I set forth. I never had a true opportunity to get that accomplished due to other circumstances of different obligations of other people, but I never had that opportunity. And we're still here, I'm still young, I'm healthy." Wilder will hope to shake off the cobwebs against Herndon, who will be the least accomplished foe he has faced in more than a decade. "We had options of coming back and fighting in big opportunities," Wilder explained. "But we didn't want to take that route, we wanted to make sure that I say I'm good and everything is good, no doubts. Because many times I have said that I was good, but maybe [I] had a little doubt." Advertisement Although Wilder will end a year-long layoff when he faces Herndon, the "Bronze Bomber" insists he never contemplated retirement after his recent stumbles, and his lengthy period of inactivity was due to factors out of his control. "We've been doing many different things [since the Zhang fight]," Wilder revealed. "But just staying in shape most of all because we knew we were going to return. We just didn't have a certain type of date to return because of all the injuries that I had and the outside — all the different things outside that was going on. We wanted to make sure that I was just fully healthy — physically, mentally, and emotionally. I had to take a wellness check. I had to sit back and get a lot of things together in my life. "Especially with the shoulder injuries. Anyone that knows about shoulder injuries knows that's one of the longest injuries that you can go through. I [ended] up injuring my shoulder at one point in time, and it healed, and then I ended up having an accident and falling on it on the same shoulder, and then I had to start the process all over again. "All I had was pain [for] 24 hours. Every time I threw my right hand, it would be nothing but pain. I had to really deal with it. I have a high tolerance [for] pain. So I had to deal with a lot of different things. But [to] make a long story short, I'm fully healed with everything. I don't have [any more] pain at this point in time. And all my burdens have been cut loose from me, I'm free." Advertisement Wilder had an epiphany after his brutal loss to Zhang in June 2024, when he realized how his lingering issue was preventing him from performing at his best. Now he hopes to showcase a better version of himself. "There were never [any] retirement questions in my mind whatsoever because I couldn't understand what was going on with me at that moment in time," Wilder said. "I couldn't pinpoint why certain things were happening or why certain events were occurring. After the Zhang fight, I finally caught it. I finally realized what was going on with me, and I immediately took action at that." In the build-up to his November 2019 rematch with Luis Ortiz, Wilder famously told Ortiz, "I only have to be perfect for two seconds [to win the fight]," in what turned out to be a prophecy. Wilder lost six straight rounds to Ortiz before knocking him out with a single right hand in the seventh. Wilder had supreme confidence in his ability to finish a fight in an instant at the time, but the former heavyweight champion claimed to have lost his self-belief after feeling a sense of betrayal from people close to him. Advertisement "I never [thought that I would have] a point of time in my life where I [would lose] my confidence in myself," an emotional Wilder said. "Things got so crazy in my life, you know, that it altered my mindset and I lost confidence in myself. I never thought I would be a man to be able to do that, but certain things in your life and you have certain people around that you never think would break your heart and when they do, it changes you. "I never had hate in my heart, but now I do."
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vergil Ortiz Jr. reacts to TKO 'changing the whole sport of boxing,' gives 3 fights he's targeting for 2025
Vergil Ortiz Jr. has a new hit list of targets after a career-best win over Israil Madrimov in February. Ortiz defeated Madrimov by unanimous decision on the stacked Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 undercard to retain his WBC interim super welterweight title. Now the American is setting his sights on the other titleholders at 154 pounds, as well as one of the weight class' bigger names. "[I want to fight Sebastian] Fundora for sure, he has the WBC [world title]," Ortiz Jr. told Uncrowned and DAZN's "Ariel x Ade" show on Tuesday. "I believe [Jermell] Charlo is a good fight. There's a lot of people saying that he's done, and then you've got people saying I can't beat him. I feel like people would love to see that fight. I think that he's a good fighter and I'd love the opportunity to fight him. "As for [number] three, probably [IBF champion Bakhram] Murtazaliev." Although rumors have swirled in recent days about a potential Ortiz vs. Murtazaliev fight on a June card being planned by Turki Alalshikh, Ortiz denied that was the case. "I learned about it on Twitter like everybody else," Ortiz said of potential Murtazaliev negotiations. "I'm just like, 'OK, what's going on?' I talked to my manager and I talked to my dad, just trying to get into the loop of things. As far as right now — because I heard it's supposed to happen in June or something — well, my hands are not ready. I have a cut that I got in the [Madrimov] fight because of the head-butts — that is [also] not ready. So the chances of it happening are slim to none." While Ortiz vs. Murtazaliev won't happen in June, Ortiz reiterated that he's open to facing Murtazaliev in the future. When reports leaked of a potential fight between the pair, Ortiz took it upon himself to scour the comments beneath said reports and gauge the initial fan reaction to the matchup. "I think that [Murtazaliev is] a good fighter as well, that's a fight that everyone wants to see," Ortiz said. "I was reading all the tweets, everyone was excited about that [fight]. I'm not one to shy away from a fight, I think that's a very good fight as well." Many picked Ortiz to fall short against Madrimov, considering how difficult a fight Terence Crawford had with the Uzbek in 2024. Ortiz, however, impressed with how comfortably he dealt with Madrimov compared to Crawford — and simultaneously made his case for being the super welterweight division's No. 1 ranked fighter. "[I stuck] to the game plan, [I didn't get] hit with many big shots — I would give myself a solid A," Ortiz said of his performance. "Not an A + or A-, just a solid A. "I think that is [a] top-three [best performance of mine]. I would say it's right up there with the Mauricio Herrera fight because that fight — I think I had the same kind of calmness and poise in this fight as well. Against a very tough opponent, I stayed calm the whole time, and I was able to execute everything that we wanted to do." Ortiz scraped past Serhii Bohachuk in his prior bout before Madrimov, surviving two knockdowns to outpoint the Ukrainian via majority decision in their Fight of the Year candidate. Although Bohachuk was easily the toughest challenge of Ortiz's career to date, many of Ortiz's rivals in the top 10 likely watched that contest and came away from it believing they could get the better of Ortiz, as did Bohachuk at times. Ortiz's fight with former champion Madrimov was significantly different, though. His pressure and volume forced Madrimov to hold his feet and trade with the Texan at times, yet Madrimov consistently came in second pace in those exchanges due to Ortiz's obvious edge in power. "There were a lot of times when I was watching the video back," he said, "and I was like, 'There were so many times where they didn't see the little jabs of you popping his head back or him throwing punches, and I was just catching them with my gloves.' Not only was he moving a lot, but he didn't throw a whole lot. He definitely didn't throw as much as I did. While the rounds were fairly slow in the beginning, I didn't think he really did [much to me]. I didn't think the fight was as close as some of the scorecards had it." In the past few days, Turki Alalshikh, TKO Group Holdings — the parent company of WWE and UFC — and Saudi Arabia's Sela announced a multi-year partnership to establish a new boxing promotion and league. The project has been the talk of the boxing world, with UFC CEO Dana White expressing his desire to see the sport revert to the one-belt system used in the UFC, among other drastic changes. "It can be a good thing, I don't know. I feel like this is like changing the whole sport of boxing, and I don't know if I'm qualified enough to even have an opinion on that," Ortiz said. "I just fight people, you know? We'll see though, we'll see how it goes. I understand the logic behind it, I really do. It's just a huge change, so I just don't know how that'll impact the sport."
