Latest news with #WorldBoxingCouncil
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Fundora batters Tszyu to retain WBC superwelter crown
Sebastian Fundora defeated Australia's Tim Tszyu by technical knockout to retain his World Boxing Council super-welterweight crown in Las Vegas on Saturday. A bruising, action-packed scrap at the MGM Grand Garden Arena ended when a bloodied Tszyu failed to come out for the eighth round. Fundora -- who had beaten Tszyu in their first meeting last year -- once again used his towering 6ft 6in (1.98m) frame and huge reach advantage to dominate the short, stocky Australian. Tszyu was quickly in trouble, knocked down by Fundora in the first round by a crisp left hand, and finished the second round with a nasty cut over his right eye. Although Tszyu battled bravely, jolting Fundora with some shuddering right hands in the middle rounds, the American continued to land damaging punches. The end came after the seventh, when a weary Tszyu declined to come out for the next round. ALSO READ: Usyk vs Dubois 2 — Oleksandr knocks out opponent to become world heavyweight champion again 'I gave it everything, but I just couldn't do it,' Tszyu said afterwards. 'Victory belongs to Sebastian Fundora -- he's the best 154-pounder on the planet right now. 'He was the better man. He's very hard to land, and he's tall ... I felt like I was shadow boxing with myself at times. It is what it is.' Fundora, 27, who improved to 23-1-1, with 15 knockouts, said he had been determined to exploit his advantages of height and reach. 'I felt like obviously I'm the bigger guy, and everyone's calling me a bully -- so you know what, let's start bullying these guys,' Fundora said. Related Topics WBC
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
At 46, Manny Pacquiao is determined to prove his doubters wrong: ‘I can still fight'
In his return to boxing after four years without a fight, Manny Pacquiao says he has more 'passion and determination' than ever. The 46-year-old Filipino star says his disciplined training regimen will help him shine in the ring Saturday and defeat World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion Mario Barrios — a fighter 16 years Pacquiao's junior — in the main event at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas (5 p.m. PDT, Prime Video). The 30-year-old champion Barrios is known for his effective counter-punching and is in the prime of his career. But the most important opponent for 'Pacman' will be weathering Father Time. The last time Pacquiao was in a competitive fight was when he lost in late 2021 by unanimous decision to Cuba's Yordenis Ugas, throwing a lot of punches, but connecting on few. 'It's my passion, and the fire in my heart, in my mind is still there,' Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) said in an interview with The Times at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood. 'I can still work hard in training and I can still fight.' If he wins, Pacquiao would make history in many categories: he would become the second oldest champion in boxing history, after Bernard Hopkins became the oldest world champion at 46 years and 126 days by beating Jean Pascal in 2011. He would also be the oldest oldest champion in a division below light heavyweight and the only active champion to be part of the Boxing Hall of Fame. Pacquiao noted that one of his goals in his return to boxing is to become the oldest fighter in boxing alongside trainer Freddie Roach, extending an illustrious career in which he has won titles in eight different divisions. The Filipino is the only boxer to conquer and retain titles during each of the past four decades. 'He's having very good combinations, his power is still there,' said Roach, who first met Pacquiao in 2001. 'My goal is to be the oldest champion and retire as champion,' said Pacquiao, who expects to participate in two or three more fights, including some exhibition bouts. Prior to this fight against Barrios, Pacquiao held two exhibition fights against South Korean DK Yoo in 2022 and kickboxer Rukiya Anpo in 2024. Pacquiao said that despite going four years without fighting competitively, he maintained a strict training regimen for this contest. 'Sometimes my trainers ask me to stop,' Pacquiao acknowledged. 'They don't want me to overtrain. They want me to give my body time to rest, give me time to recover.' Pacquiao received a lot of criticism for being a direct contender for a world title after such a long break and being given a shot at the world championship without any recent bouts. 'All I can say is, like, I'm different than fighters to prepare for a fight. When I prepare for a fight like this, I'm seriously 100% disciplined and I work hard,' Pacquiao noted. Barrios, known as 'El Azteca,' is not only 16 years younger than Pacquiao, he also has a seven-inch height advantage. The Mexican-American won his title by defeating Ugas by unanimous decision in 2023 after knocking him down twice. He defended his crown twice in 2024 by beating Fabian Maidana and recently had a draw with Abel Ramos on the same bill as the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson showdown in November. 'I've been working with the mindset that I'm facing a legend. At the end of the day, it's another man trying to take my title. I respect what he's done in the sport and the person he is, but come fight night, that respect won't be there,' Barrios said at his camp in Las Vegas. 'When they proposed the fight to me, I didn't know whether to take it as disrespect or respect because he wanted me. But it doesn't matter, I'm the champion for a reason and I'm going to show why I have the WBC belt.' Also on the bill, Pacquiao's eldest son, Emmanuel, 24, will be making his professional debut, despite having limited amateur experience. According to Pacquiao, Emmanuel's arrival in professional boxing by sharing an evening with him is a 'blessing from God.' 'My advice to him is to work hard, look at my training, the way I prepare, the way I punish myself, the way I focus on training,' Pacquiao said. The Las Vegas card will also feature WBC super welterweight world champion Sebastian 'The Towering Inferno' Fundora taking on Australian Tim Tszyu in a rematch of the 2024 bout won by Fundora. Former world champion Isaac Cruz will now square off against Omar Salcido Gamez in a 12-round super lightweight bout after Angel Fierro withdrew from the event on Friday due to health concerns. Also, former two-division world champion Brandon Figueroa will battle Joet Gonzalez in a 10-round featherweight showdown. This article was first published in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.
eNCA
3 days ago
- Sport
- eNCA
Pacquiao, Barrios make weights for Vegas showdown
LAS VEGAS - Filipino star Manny Pacquiao comfortably made the weight for his comeback world title fight against Mario Barrios on Friday, tipping the scales at just under the 147-pound welterweight limit. The 46-year-old eight-division world champion -- who is returning to the ring after a four-year absence -- weighed in at 146.8 lbs during a packed ceremony at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Pacquiao's opponent in Saturday's fight, reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion Barrios, was also inside the weight limit at 146.2 lbs. "I'm so happy I'm back because boxing is my passion and I missed boxing," Pacquiao said after making the weight. The Filipino star -- whose last victory came against Keith Thurman in 2019 -- is aiming to pull off an upset victory in Saturday's bout. Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 knockouts) announced his return to boxing in May, taking advantage of a WBC rule that allows former champions to request a direct title shot when coming out of retirement. He will be facing the much younger Barrios, who will take a 29-2-1 record in Saturday's contest. Barrios, 30, said he was unfazed by the prospect of taking on living legend Pacquiao, who could become the first fighter to win a major world title after being inducted to boxing's Hall of Fame. "I'm approaching this the same way I have all my other fights -- I treat it as just another title defense," Barrios said. "Manny has accomplished so much, but it's my time now."
The Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Pacquiao, Barrios make weights for Vegas showdown
FILIPINO star Manny Pacquiao comfortably made the weight for his comeback world title fight against Mario Barrios on Friday, tipping the scales at just under the 147-pound welterweight limit. The 46-year-old eight-division world champion -- who is returning to the ring after a four-year absence -- weighed in at 146.8 lbs during a packed ceremony at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Pacquiao's opponent in Saturday's fight, reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion Barrios, was also inside the weight limit at 146.2 lbs. 'I'm so happy I'm back because boxing is my passion and I missed boxing,' Pacquiao said after making the weight. The Filipino star -- whose last victory came against Keith Thurman in 2019 -- is aiming to pull off an upset victory in Saturday's bout. Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 knockouts) announced his return to boxing in May, taking advantage of a WBC rule that allows former champions to request a direct title shot when coming out of retirement. He will be facing the much younger Barrios, who will take a 29-2-1 record in Saturday's contest. Barrios, 30, said he was unfazed by the prospect of taking on living legend Pacquiao, who could become the first fighter to win a major world title after being inducted to boxing's Hall of Fame. 'I'm approaching this the same way I have all my other fights -- I treat it as just another title defense,' Barrios said. 'Manny has accomplished so much, but it's my time now.' - AFP
The Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Pacquiao makes weight for comeback fight vs Barrios
FILIPINO star Manny Pacquiao comfortably made the weight for his comeback world title fight against Mario Barrios on Friday, tipping the scales at just under the 147-pound welterweight limit. The 46-year-old eight-division world champion -- who is returning to the ring after a four-year absence -- weighed in at 146.8 lbs during a packed ceremony at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Pacquiao's opponent in Saturday's fight, reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight champion Barrios, was also inside the weight limit at 146.2 lbs. 'I'm so happy I'm back because boxing is my passion and I missed boxing,' Pacquiao said after making the weight. The Filipino star -- whose last victory came against Keith Thurman in 2019 -- is aiming to pull off an upset victory in Saturday's bout. Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 knockouts) announced his return to boxing in May, taking advantage of a WBC rule that allows former champions to request a direct title shot when coming out of retirement. He will be facing the much younger Barrios, who will take a 29-2-1 record in Saturday's contest. Barrios, 30, said he was unfazed by the prospect of taking on living legend Pacquiao, who could become the first fighter to win a major world title after being inducted to boxing's Hall of Fame. 'I'm approaching this the same way I have all my other fights -- I treat it as just another title defense,' Barrios said. 'Manny has accomplished so much, but it's my time now.' - AFP
