Latest news with #KatieTaylor
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano Fight: Start Time, Card, How To Watch Taylor vs. Serrano Live
Live from historic Madison Square Garden in New York City, undisputed super lightweight champion Katie Taylor (24-1, 6 KOs) once again squares off against Amanda Serrano (47-3-1, 31 KOs) on Netflix! Will the third time be the charm for the fighter known as 'The Real Deal'? Serrano is 0-2 against Taylor, last losing an exciting bout against the super lightweight champ back in November at Netflix's Mike Tyson/Jake Paul event. Taylor vs. Serrano 3 will have a record-breaking 17 world titles on the line across five bouts as the main card features Alycia Baumgardner taking on Jennifer Miranda, Savannah Marshall battling Shadasia Green, Ellie Scotney colliding with Yamileth Mercado, and a four-fight preliminary card that'll stream live on Tudum and the Most Valuable Promotions' YouTube page. How can you watch all the action on Netflix? From start time to streaming info, here's everything you need to know. Is The Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano Fight On PPV? Nope. The fight is streaming globally on all Netflix plans. What's The Price Of The Serrano-Taylor Fight? If you're a Netflix subscriber… it's free! The Serrano/Taylor event is available at no additional cost to subscribers. What Time Does The Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano Fight Start? The preliminary card begins today (July 11) at 5:00 p.m. ET on Tudum and the Most Valuable Promotions' YouTube page. The main card features four fights and starts at 8:00 p.m. ET on Netflix. How To Watch The Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano Fight Live On Netflix: You can purchase Netflix for as little as $7.99/month. Ad-free monthly options are also available for $17.99 (the Standard plan) or $24.99 (the Premium option). Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano Fight Card: Along with Serrano/Taylor, the main card also features the following bouts: Alycia 'The Bomb' Baumgardner vs. Jennifer Miranda Savannah Marshall vs. Shadasia Green Ellie Scotney vs. Yamileth Mercado Enjoy the show!
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Boxing pound-for-pound rankings (July 2025): Katie Taylor dethrones Claressa Shields as No. 1 women's boxer
Katie Taylor made it 3-0 in her historic rivalry with Amanda Serrano earlier this month at a sold-out Madison Square Garden. Taylor and Serrano, two of Uncrowned's top pound-for-pound boxers, had two controversial Fight of the Year contenders in 2022 and 2024. But when they met for the third time on July 11, Ireland's Taylor outboxed the Puerto Rican for a more convincing victory to take a clean sweep in their much-hyped trilogy of fights. By doing so, Taylor convinced Uncrowned's panel of experts — Kel Dansby, Alan Dawson, Darshan Desai, Jake Donovan, Lewis Watson and Elliot Worsell — that she was worthy of dethroning Claressa Shields for the No. 1 spot in the Women's pound-for-pound rankings. But that isn't the only change to our list. The last month and a half of boxing has seen 8 fighters in Uncrowned's previous rankings compete with mixed results. So we thought this was the perfect time for our updated pound-for-pound list. Uncrowned's voters have ranked the men's and women's pound-for-pound best, one through 10, using a weighted points system to determine the final rankings. (Being voted No. 1 equals 10 points, No. 2 equals nine points, down to No. 10 equaling one point.) Without further ado, here are our rankings for July! MEN'S POUND-FOR-POUND 1. Oleksandr Usyk — Unified heavyweight champion (Prev: 1) Oleksandr Usyk brutally knocked out Daniel Dubois to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion at Wembley Stadium this past Saturday — and reassert his position as pound-for-pound the best fighter in boxing. A road warrior, Usyk has boxed in title fights in seven different countries, mostly against fighters from those regions. He won the World Boxing Super Series at cruiserweight by clearing out the best fighters in that division, and rivals Evander Holyfield as the best 200-pound fighter the world has ever seen. After becoming undisputed champion at cruiserweight, he then moved up to heavyweight and wasted no time defeating Anthony Joshua (twice) and Tyson Fury (twice), despite surrendering a considerable size advantage to the modern day giants. In that sense, he epitomizes what the concept of pound-for-pound is all about. Now, Usyk, 38, might have just one fight left in boxing. Whether it's Joseph Parker, Moses Itauma, or even Fury for a third time, rest assured that Usyk will produce something special on the night. 2. Naoya Inoue — Undisputed super bantamweight champion (Prev: 2) Like Usyk, Naoya Inoue is a two-division undisputed world champion. The Japanese fighter has held world championships across four weight classes and is building a hulking résumé, with signature wins over Nonito Donaire (twice), Stephen Fulton, and Luis Nery. Inoue was last in action this past May, where he exchanged knockdowns with Ramon Cardenas before stopping the game Mexican fighter in the eighth round of an instant classic at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Inoue will fight Matchroom's Murodjon Akhmadaliev in September, before a potential all-Japanese superfight with Junto Nakatani next spring. 3. Terence Crawford — WBA super welterweight champion (Prev: 3) Terence Crawford is your favorite fighter's favorite fighter. Even Usyk recognizes Crawford as the pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter in the world, over himself. "Bud" managed to clean out super lightweight without too much adversity, then dove into 147 pounds as a feared fighter. When Crawford finally landed his long-awaited superfight with Errol Spence Jr., he showed exactly why he was avoided for so long. A fight initially thought to be an even match on paper became a total mismatch in reality, as Crawford pummeled Spence for a ninth-round TKO win. It was a brutally one-sided demolition job. More recently, the Omaha native edged Israil Madrimov to become a four-division champion. He now heads toward a legacy bout with Saul "Canelo" Alvarez for the undisputed super middleweight world championship in September at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. 4. Dmitry Bivol — Undisputed light heavyweight champion (Prev: 4) Bivol held the WBA light heavyweight crown for seven years until falling short to Beterbiev in their undisputed title fight this past October. During his reign, Bivol made 12 successful defenses, which included an upset win over "Canelo" in 2022. Bivol managed to avenge his defeat to Beterbiev earlier this year and ascend as only the 11th man to become undisputed champion of the four-belt era. Bivol and Beterbiev are likely to run it back later in 2025 or early 2026. Outside of that, there are numerous other significant fights available for Bivol, including David Benavidez, a rematch with Alvarez, or the consensus No. 1 cruiserweight Jai Opetaia. Regardless, out of every fighter on this list, it is Bivol who has two of the most significant and meaningful wins, considering his victories over both "Canelo" and Beterbiev. His ticket to the Hall of Fame in Canastota has already been punched. 5. Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez — WBC & WBO flyweight champion (Prev: 5) Rodriguez stepped in to face Carlos Cuadras on five days' notice for his first world title in 2022. It was a two-division jump for "Bam," but his trainer, Robert Garcia, had no doubt he was up to the test. Rodriguez impressed to capture the WBC super flyweight crown and has never looked back. The 24-year-old has taken out three of the four kings at super flyweight and now chases undisputed status at 115 pounds. "Bam" is not just a fight fan's favorite anymore. He's now a star of the sport. He stopped Phumelela Cafu in a unification fight in front of 10,000 people at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, this past Saturday, and will look to add another belt to his name when he faces WBA titleist Fernando "Puma" Martinez on Nov. 22. Rodriguez even signed to fight Naktani — another man on this list — but Akihiko Honda, who co-promotes both fighters, vetoed the fight. 6. Artur Beterbiev — Former undisputed light heavyweight champion (Prev: 6) After edging a controversial decision over Bivol in October to become the undisputed light heavyweight champion, Beterbiev fell short in the rematch earlier in the year. Now the pair looks headed toward a trilogy — arguably the most significant three-fight series since Deontay Wilder vs. Tyson Fury. Beterbiev, 40, picked up boxing's 175-pound titles one by one prior to his first career loss and could move up to cruiserweight to become a two-division champion after the Bivol trilogy. A fight between Beterbiev and Opetaia would be a sensational matchup some time in the next 12 months, and there's a chance that it could be for all four cruiserweight belts — meaning a win would see Beterbiev join the top three names on this list as two-division undisputed champions. 7. Junto Nakatani — WBC & IBF bantamweight champion (Prev: 8) Nakatani is perhaps in the position Inoue was among the wider boxing community before Inoue's win over Fulton. As an undefeated three-division champion, but one based in the lower weights and away from the Western community, Nakatani is still building a fan base in the U.S. Nakatani knocked out David Cuellar in Tokyo on Feb. 24 to make the third defense of his WBC bantamweight title. He then added the IBF championship to his WBC crown with a 6th-round TKO win over Ryosuke Nishida in June. Nakatani could land his big breakout fight against Inoue in the spring of 2026. It has all the makings to be the Japanese equivalent of Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns. 8. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez — Undisputed super middleweight champion (Prev: 7) Alvarez has been the sport's biggest commercial star for almost a decade. The Mexican champion faced the best opponents boxing had to offer across many divisions until his May 2022 defeat to Bivol. But since then, Alvarez has seemingly become more reluctant to take on some of the bigger challenges available to him, and is arguably showing his age by throwing fewer punches. This past May in Saudi Arabia, "Canelo" made his Riyadh Season debut against William Scull, looking listless throughout the show but still securing a decision win. He has not knocked out anybody since 2021, and will now put his undisputed status at 168 pounds on the line against Crawford this September in Las Vegas at the home of the NFL's Raiders. Had that fight taken place last year, few would have picked against "Canelo." But questions are now being asked about whether Alvarez is finally showing his age in boxing years. It may well become a more competitive fight than what it once was. 9T. Shakur Stevenson — WBC lightweight champion (Prev: 10T) Shakur Stevenson produced the most exciting performance of his career when he outclassed William Zepeda earlier this month in New York. Not only was it compelling television, it also showcased the different facets of Stevenson's game. The three-division world champion isn't just a mover, but he can hold his feet and land the harder punches. For many years, fight fans have been calling for Stevenson to entertain them and show that there is more to his game than simply dominating dull, low-output contests against overmatched, befuddled opposition. He has now done that, but he is still crying out for a big name to share the ring with him. With Gervonta "Tank" Davis' latest issues outside the ring, Vasiliy Lomachenko recently retiring, and Keyshawn Davis set to move up to super lightweight, Stevenson might have to jump two divisions to welterweight and face Conor Benn for that big fight. 9T. David Benavidez — WBC light heavyweight champion (Prev: 9) A two-weight world champion, David Benavidez is proving to be a BMF for boxing as he seeks out the toughest fights and over-delivers with a relentless and grueling fighting style. With wins over Caleb Plant, Demetrius Andrade, Oleksandr Gvozdyk and David Morrell, Benavidez has continually delivered in elite fights. He has struggled to get Alvarez and Bivol to step into the ring with him, and so will return to face another top contender, Anthony Yarde, on Nov. 22 before setting his sights on the Bivol vs. Beterbiev 3 winner in 2026. Outside of that, Benavidez could jump up to cruiserweight and share the ring with Opetaia or "Zurdo" Ramirez. The hard-hitting champion certainly has the frame to compete at cruiserweight, and now that he features on Turki Alalshikh's Riyadh Season cards, it should become easier for "The Monster" to land the bigger fights. (Others receiving votes: Kenshiro Teraji, Lamont Roach.) WOMEN'S POUND-FOR-POUND 1. Katie Taylor — Undisputed super lightweight champion (Prev: 2) Taylor's sublime boxing ability was available for all to see when she comfortably outboxed Serrano for a decision win earlier this month. Some believed that Taylor's brilliant résumé, which includes wins over Serrano, Delfine Persoon, and Chantelle Cameron, wasn't enough to crown her as the No. 1 pound-for-pound women's boxer due to the closeness of her fights and the controversy stemming from several of them. But with her more convincing victory over Serrano, the time is now for Taylor to wear her crown as the best in the world. The Irishwoman is nearing the end of her pro career and could have just one bout left. Taylor hopes for a grand send-off at her dream venue, the 80,000-capacity Croke Park Stadium in Ireland, in 2026. 2. Claressa Shields — Undisputed heavyweight champion and WBO light heavyweight champion (Prev: 1) Shields is a five-division world champion and the only boxer, male or female, to have held undisputed titles in three different weight divisions of the four-belt era. She won undisputed gold at middleweight in 2019 (where there are only 37 active participants in the world), at super welterweight in 2021 (which has 63 registered boxers), and most recently at heavyweight, (home to just 18 fighters). With 118 fighters competing in the three divisions she's won the undisputed championships in, it's understandable why the two-time Olympic champion has struggled to find big-name dance partners. Regardless, she's beaten every contender put in front of her, and that's all that anyone can ask of any pugilist. Shields returns on July 26 to defend her undisputed heavyweight crown against New Zealand's IBF light heavyweight champion Lani Daniels. 3. Gabriela Fundora — Undisputed flyweight champion (Prev: 4) Fundora stopped Gabriela Alaniz in impressive fashion to unify the flyweight division this past November in Las Vegas. She then followed up that win with a seventh-round knockout over Marilyn Badillo Amaya at a Golden Boy show in Oceanside, California, in April. At just 22 years old, she is the youngest undisputed champion of the four-belt era — and she could very well be the face of women's boxing in the years to come. 4. Amanda Serrano — Unified featherweight champion (Prev: 3) Puerto Rico's Serrano was defeated for a third time by Taylor in their undisputed title fight earlier in July. This time, however, there was no controversy on the night — Serrano was simply beaten by the better woman. Regardless of coming out 0-3 in the historic series, Serrano will always be able to say that she took part in the first major trilogy of fights in women's boxing. It is unclear what the future holds for Serrano, but fights with Chantelle Cameron or Alycia Baumgardner — both of whom share a promoter with Serrano — would make for compelling viewing. 5. Chantelle Cameron — WBC interim super lightweight champion (Prev: 5) Chantelle Cameron captured the undisputed super lightweight title with victory over Jessica McCaskill in 2022, but her biggest triumph undoubtedly came when she upset Taylor in her homecoming bout at a packed 3 Arena in Dublin the following year. Taylor would produce a fantastic performance against all odds to defeat Cameron in the rematch and become a two-division undisputed champion. Cameron has since recorded three wins on the trot, including a decision over Jessica Camara on the Taylor vs. Serrano 3 undercard. The Brit wants another shot at Taylor, but the fight could prove difficult to make after the Irishwoman, uncharacteristically, fired shots at Cameron's commercial standing in the post-fight press conference after her third win over Serrano. 6. Alycia Baumgardner — Undisputed super featherweight champion (Prev: 7) Baumgardner announced herself to the pugilist community when she knocked out Terri Harper on her feet to win the WBC super featherweight title in November 2021. Baumgardner eventually became the undisputed champion at 130 pounds, beating Mikaela Mayer, but her career was halted for some time after failing an anti-doping test in the lead-up to her title defense against Christina Linardatou. The American fought to a no-contest against Delfine Persoon in her return fight this past September. Baumgardner has since made big moves in the women's game, signing with Jake Paul and Nikisa Bidarian's Most Valuable Promotions. She made her debut for the company on the Taylor vs. Serrano undercard, defeating Jennifer Miranda. Baumgardner now hopes to land a fight with Taylor for all of the marbles at 140. 7. Dina Thorslund — Former Unified bantamweight champion (Prev. 6) Thorslund has secured world titles in two weight classes: Bantamweight and super bantamweight. Since unifying in 2023, she has made three successful defenses of her bantamweight crown. Thorslund was scheduled to take on Shurretta Metcalf in a three-belt unification bout on the Taylor vs. Serrano 3 undercard, but the Danish woman withdrew one month out due to an impending pregnancy. Thorslund ended up relinquishing her WBC and WBO titles due to her extended period out of the ring. New Zealand's Chernkea Johnson defeated Metcalf for the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF undisputed bantamweight title on the Taylor vs. Serrano 3 bill. Thorslund's return could see her get a straight shot at the undisputed crown against Johnson. 8. Lauren Price — Unified welterweight champion (Prev: 10) There are few active fighters who are more decorated than burgeoning Welsh fighter Lauren Price, who won the gold medal for Britain at the 2020 Olympic Games, and has parlayed that success into the pro game. She's unified three major world championships, as well as The Ring Magazine title, after only nine bouts. In that short space of time, she's already defeated McCaskill and Natasha Jonas. At just 30 years old, the southpaw's best years may still be ahead of her. Price was hoping to unify her three titles with WBO champion Mayer in an undisputed bout, but the boxer's respective teams were unable to reach an agreement. Neither fighter's promoters, Top Rank or BOXXER, have a network deal at this time, so the fight could prove difficult to organize. 9. Ellie Scotney — Unified super bantamweight champion (Prev: Unranked) Ellie Scotney debuts on Uncrowned's women's pound-for-pound list at No. 9. She won her first world title when she outpointed New Zealand's Johnson, the current undisputed bantamweight champion, in June 2023. The Catford woman added the WBO belt to her collection with a dominant decision over Segolene Lefebvre in April 2024. Still, Scotney has struggled to gain recognition outside of the boxing community. To further her cause, she penned with Paul's Most Valuable Promotions earlier this year and added the WBC strap with a convincing win over Yamileth Mercado on the Netflix-streamed Taylor vs. Serrano 3 show, which was viewed by an audience of 6 million. Now Scotney has just one belt remaining to become undisputed champion — the WBA title currently held by the little-known Mexican Mayelli Flores. Outside Flores, Scotney could face the former WBC featherweight champion Skye Nicolson in a super bantamweight title defense after Nicolson moved down to 122 pounds following her loss to Tiara Brown in March. 10. Mikaela Mayer — WBO welterweight champion (Prev: 8T) Mayer has been on the wrong end of two disputed decisions. In 2022, she was considered unlucky not to get her hand raised after 10 brilliant rounds with Baumgardner, and in 2024, she came away second-best again in the eyes of the judges against Natasha Jonas. The rub of the green finally favored Mayer in September, though, when she edged Sandy Ryan to win the WBO welterweight title. Mayer vs. Ryan, alongside Taylor vs. Serrano 2, was the frontrunner for fight of the year honors in 2024. Mayer and Ryan fought a rematch on March 29, news of which was first reported by Uncrowned. It was a case of repeat rather than revenge as Mayer, again, won via decision. (Others receiving votes: Cherneka Johnson, Caroline Dubois, Yokasta Valle, Shadasia Green.) Here is how Uncrowned's boxing team voted: Kel Dansby MEN Oleksandr Usyk Naoya Inoue Terence Crawford Jesse Rodriguez Dmitry Bivol Saul Alvarez Junto Nakatani Shakur Stevenson David Benavidez Artur Beterbiev WOMEN Claressa Shields Katie Taylor Gabriela Fundora Amanda Serrano Alycia Baumgardner Mikaela Mayer Lauren Price Dina Thorslund Chernkea Johnson Chantelle Cameron Alan Dawson MEN Oleksandr Usyk Dmitry Bivol Naoya Inoue Terence Crawford Jesse Rodriguez Artur Beterbiev David Benavidez Lamont Roach Shakur Stevenson Junto Nakatani WOMEN Katie Taylor Claressa Shields Gabriela Fundora Chantelle Cameron Alycia Baumgardner Dina Thorslund Amanda Serrano Caroline Dubois Shadasia Green Ellie Scotney Darshan Desai MEN Oleksandr Usyk Naoya Inoue Terence Crawford Dmitry Bivol Jesse Rodriguez Artur Beterbiev Saul Alvarez Shakur Stevenson Junto Nakatani David Benavidez WOMEN Katie Taylor Claressa Shields Gabriela Fundora Amanda Serrano Chantelle Cameron Alycia Baumgardner Ellie Scotney Mikaela Mayer Lauren Price Cherneka Johnson Jake Donovan MEN Oleksandr Usyk Naoya Inoue Terence Crawford Dmitry Bivol Jesse Rodriguez Artur Beterbiev Junto Nakatani Saul Alvarez Shakur Stevenson David Benavidez WOMEN Katie Taylor Claressa Shields Gabriela Fundora Amanda Serrano Chantelle Cameron Dina Thorslund Lauren Price Mikaela Mayer Alycia Baumgardner Ellie Scotney Lewis Watson MEN Oleksandr Usyk Naoya Inoue Terence Crawford Dmitry Bivol Artur Beterbiev Jesse Rodriguez Junto Nakatani Kenshiro Teraji David Benavidez Shakur Stevenson WOMEN Katie Taylor Claressa Shields Gabriela Fundora Amanda Serrano Dina Thorslund Chantelle Cameron Ellie Scotney Alycia Baumgardner Yokasta Valle Lauren Price Elliot Worsell MEN Oleksandr Usyk Terence Crawford Dmitry Bivol Naoya Inoue Jesse Rodriguez Artur Beterbiev Saul Alvarez Junto Nakatani David Benavidez Shakur Stevenson WOMEN Claressa Shields Katie Taylor Gabriela Fundora Amanda Serrano Chantelle Cameron Lauren Price Ellie Scotney Alycia Baumgardner Mikaela Mayer Chernkea Johnson
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Boxing great thinks Katie Taylor is one of the greatest female athletes ever
Carl Froch believes Katie Taylor is one of the greatest female athletes of all time. Taylor returned to the ring earlier this month and turned in one of the best performances of her career as she dominated Amanda Serrano and picked up a unanimous decision victory to end the trilogy 3-0 in Katie's favour. That win further cemented Taylor's legacy in the sport, but former World champion Froch believes Taylor now deserves to be in the conversation for greatest female athlete ever, and not just the G.O.A.T. of women's boxing. Speaking to Froch said: "Katie Taylor for me is probably one of the most outstanding female athletes, especially in boxing of all time. I mean, you've got a couple of other close names, but with Katie Taylor, she's just phenomenal." Taylor has now been fighting for over two decades having begun life as an amateur. She went on to become one of the greatest amateur boxers ever, with her crowning moment coming at the 2012 Olympics when she won gold. Since turning professional after the 2016 Rio Olympics, Taylor has revolutionised women's boxing and is a key reason why female fights garner just as much attention and respect as their male counterparts. Carl Froch in July 2025. (Image: (Photo by Dave Benett/WireImage)) Now 39-years-old, Taylor has achieved virtually everything in the sport, and Froch for one believes now is the perfect time to step away from the sport: I think now it's probably time to hang up the gloves, but you never know if there's big money waiting for another fight. You need to enjoy life and settle down and give your body a rest at some stage. And I think if you're not going to do that before your 40th birthday, when are you going to do it?' While rumours ran rampant suggesting that Taylor would retire after her third Serrano bout, no announcement has been forthcoming from the Bray Bomber. After the fight, Taylor did suggest that she had a decision to make on her fighting future: "I'm just going to enjoy this victory right now and sit back, reflect, and then I'll make a decision about that soon," she said before suggesting that a fight-night at Croke Park would motivate her to carry on. That seems unlikely, but a move up in weight in a bid to become a three-weight undisputed champion could tempt Taylor into wrapping her hands one more time. "I'm willing to come down to 140 for Katie Taylor or she can take her shot at another division and fight me for my 147lb title," wrote Undisputed 147 lbs champion Mikaela Mayer on X last week. "Either way, I always hoped we would cross paths and this may be our last chance if Katie is looking to retire soon. Still think she's got a lot left tho!"
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
You know who's winning some fights right now? The old people. Saturday was another example
You know what this is? The elders putting their foot down. There's this stat that came into popular conversation in MMA a couple of years back, concerning the age of Dramatic Fall Off (or DFO) in the fight game. Champions who are 35 or older, especially at the lighter weights it was shown — and especially in the UFC — tend to fall off precipitously at that age. The proof of this was well documented. Younger competitors have been flushing the old birds out with duck calls or whatever and shooting them in flight. (With the obvious exception being Jon Jones, who doesn't respond to duck calls.) This stat was particularly true until it wasn't. That's because recently the old guard has gotten real, real stubborn, whether in the UFC or the boxing ring. Alex Pereira has done his best work north of 35, realizing a twilight windfall of cash. Valentina Shevchenko fended off Manon Fiorot at 37 years old at UFC 315. Alexandre Pantoja looked the best he ever has at 35 years young in his title defense against Kai Kara-France at UFC 317. Last week, 39-year-old Katie Taylor defeated Amanda Serrano for a third time at Madison Square Garden, bringing the greatest rivalry in women's boxing history to a close. Perhaps the most understated compliment we could pay her afterward was, 'She didn't look her age.' And this weekend? Why, this weekend was a veritable geriatric renaissance! An old-fashioned blue-hair revival! Older fighters showed up like it was early bird dinner at the Golden Corral and laid waste to the youth without regret nor conscience. Out in London, it was 38-year-old Oleksandr Usyk straight outclassing Daniel Dubois with counters and speed and in-ring acumen. The left he dropped Dubois with to end the fight in the fifth round was a masterclass of fast-twitch muscle memory and instinct, generated from a well harnessed source of power. 'Thirty-eight is a young guy, remember!' Usyk yelled into the microphone afterward, winning over Earl Court's finest quadragenarians. 'Thirty-eight is only the start!' What an icon. Only the start? That must explain why Manny Pacquiao, returning to the boxing ring at 46 years old to face Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title on Saturday night, gave 'El Azteca' all he wanted. The fight ended in a majority draw (!!), yet it was Pacquaio pulling away in the later rounds. He was out-foxing, out-quicking, and out-gunning a fighter who was 16 years younger. Scenes, baby, scenes! And think about that for a minute. When Barrios was born in 1995, Pacquiao already had facial hair and a driver's license. By comparison, when Pacquaio came into the world, 'The Dukes of Hazzard' was the hottest show on television. Maybe the DFO line is moving. If we thought that Terence 'Bud' Crawford, who turns 38 in September, might be a little long in the tooth for his epic boxing match with Saul "Canelo" Alvarez scheduled for that same month, we might think again. If the trend continues, Crawford — who was alive in the 1980s — could very well be in a sweet spot. 'Athletes are extending their prime performance age more so than ever before,' Most Valuable Promotions CEO Nakisa Bidarian posted on social media after the dust settled in the Pacquiao fight Saturday night. 'Plus they have experience.' Bidarian ain't wrong. Experience is having a freaking day. It was true at UFC 318 out in New Orleans, too. At 39 years old, Michael Johnson was a five-to-one underdog in his fight with 26-year-old Daniel Zellhuber, the Mexican brawler who put on the Fight of the Year against Esteban Ribovics at the Sphere last fall. When they showed Johnson in the promo before the fight, he was talking about 'making another name,' which sounded like rocking chair babble for a guy whose points are no longer all that lucid. So, what did Johnson do? He went out there and lit up Zellhuber for two of the three rounds, hurting him on occasion, dropping him, schooling him in the ways of 'experience.' And in the main event, when 36-year-old Dustin Poirier stood in the pocket and fired shots against 33-year-old Max Holloway, there was no sense of a dramatic drop off. There was only the bittersweet feeling that it was all coming to an end. That the Bayou-born Poirier was going out on his own terms, one last time into the breach, right in the heart of New Orleans, whether he won or lost. It's good to get out gracefully. It's rare to get out gracefully. Yet next to some of his counterparts, Poirier was still a proverbial spring chicken. Not that the young aren't holding their own if you pan back. Dakota Ditcheva, the 26-year-old phenom at PFL, reminded everyone why she's the hottest name outside the UFC down in South Africa, defeating Sumiko Inaba from pillar-to-post (even through a broken hand). Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez, 25, unified the WBC and WBO super flyweight titles by stopping Phumelele Cafu in the 10th. Ilia Topuria has done more by the age of 27 than some of the most decorated fighters of our generation did in their entire careers. But give it up to the mainstays, the veterans, the graying distinguished fighters who right now are defiantly staying relevant. Looking at you, Beneil Dariush. The gray on the temple is as menacing an omen as any cauliflower ear in the industry. Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson is the oldest fighter in the UFC at 42, and even though he lost to Gabriel Bonfim on the scorecards, he didn't really lose. Jim Miller may go on forever. And there's no telling how old Myktybek Orolbai is — the program says he's 27, but let's just say there's a museum of natural history out there somewhere missing a warrior from its exhibit of prehistoric man. Older, wiser, meaner. Usyk, Pacquiao, Johnson. Either the young guys are dropping off, or these guys are refusing to.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Boxing fans divided by potential fight between Jake Paul and Aussie weapon Jai Opetaia
It's the sight sport fans around the world would love to see — Jake Paul getting knocked out and cut down to size by a professional boxer. But will it actually happen? Paul's professional boxing record now reads 12-1, with his most recent victory a one-sided unanimous decision over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr — an underwhelming fight that never got out of first gear. That has been the theme for virtually all of Paul's fights. The 28-year-old YouTuber has chosen his opponents very carefully, allowing himself to build a solid record that saw him ranked in the top 15 of the WBA cruiserweight world rankings. His fight against Mike Tyson was one of the most watched sporting events ever, but it was a fizzer on a dark day for boxing. Paul's lone loss came against boxer Tommy Fury in early 2023, and the rest of his opponents have been washed up boxers, or former MMA and NBA stars. To his credit, Paul has created an empire and built up his boxing company Most Valuable Promotions, championing women's boxing and putting on all-female fight cards. The female fight extravaganza at Madison Square Garden last weekend, that saw Australia's Cherneka Johnson become undisputed world champion and Katie Taylor complete a trilogy clean sweep over Amanda Serrano, wouldn't have been possible without Paul's backing. 'I want tougher fighters, I want to be world champion,' Paul said after the win over Chavez Jr, including some of the biggest names in the cruiserweight division. 'Zurdo (Gilbert Ramirez) looked slow as sh*t tonight, that'd be easy work,' Paul said. 'I want everybody. Badou Jack, Anthony Joshua, Gervonta (Davis), and Tommy (Fury), stop running. 'I'm just getting warmed up in this sh*t. I'm staying active and fighting everybody.' One opponent that would certainly wet the appetite is Australia's Jai Opetaia, the current IBF world cruiserweight champion who has won his last three fights via knockout or stoppage. The 30-year-old is undefeated with 28-0 record (22 KOs) and he is eyeing a unification world title fight against Mexico's Ramirez, who holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight belts. But now Paul is world ranked, could we see Opetaia fight the YouTuber? It's unlikely in the short term given top level professional boxers are giving Paul a wide berth, conscious of their reputation taking a battering for even stepping in the ring with him. However, a fight against Paul would land a massive payday for Opetaia, who is Australia's best boxer but relatively unknown among mainstream Aussie sport fans. 'You'd want to make sure you're in your seat before the fight starts,' AFL great and Main Event commentator Jonathan Brown told about the prospect of a fight between Paul and Opetaia. 'Jake Paul's obviously done an amazing job getting publicity around the world, but I don't think any boxer is in the same conversation as Jai Opetaia at cruiserweight.' Opinion was split on a potential Paul vs Opetaia fight on a recent poll on sport Facebook page, which received thousands of comments. One reader commented: 'Jake Paul would never stand a chance.' A second said: 'That's a Jake Paul fight I'd watch!' A third said: 'Easy pay day … unless Jai signs the dive clause contract …' A fourth said: 'How much will Paul pay his opponents to be world champion. Let's see him fight opponents in their prime with out a 'take a dive' contract.' A fifth said: 'I'd actually like to see JP get served one helluva hiding.' Another added: 'No way. Jai is a professional cruiser weight undefeated IBF and ring magazine champ. He is on his mission of unifying all the belts of the division but those chickens are still running from him. Paul can find an opponent at the WWE.' The next 12 to 24 months could be massive for Opetaia — if he unifies the cruiserweight division against Ramirez, the next logical step would be moving up to heavyweight with an eye to fighting the likes of Oleksandr Usyk. 'He's an amazing fighter,' Brown said. 'He's the No. 1 Australian fighter at the moment and hopefully his profile especially here in Australia can grow. 'He's an amazing boxer and who knows, he could go up (a division). 'Usyk started at cruiserweight, we've seen some of the great heavyweights start at cruiserweight or even lower divisions, like (Evander) Holyfield. 'Maybe Jai Opetaia can follow the same path? He's cut a swathe through the cruiserweight division. If he can unify that, then who knows, could he go up another level to the big boys? 'It's a pretty exciting journey for Jai. He looks like a fantastic fella, tremendous character and him whole family should be very proud of him.' It's a massive weekend of top tier boxing this weekend, with Tim Tszyu taking on Sebastian Fundora in Las Vegas on Sunday in a rematch more than a year after his gut-wrenching loss. Brown is in Vegas as part of Main Event's coverage and said the stage is set for Tszyu to exact revenge and get 'redemption' after two losses in 2024 threatened to derail his career.
