Dune Bud
Another week, one other megastar linked with a serious debut in Saudi. This time, on Wednesday, Turki Alalshikh tweeted an image of Terence Crawford with a shrug emoji. In the previous, a Tweet like that would appear innocuous, however nowadays it’s going to ship the entire app right into a spin. This was a type of days.
It ramped up when Crawford replied with a trio of the emoji the place the little yellow bloke is holding one among his little yellow fingers over his lips, and by the tip of the day, Crawford had already been linked with Kingdom fights with the likes of Josh Kelly and Israil Madrimov. Later this week, one other identify would additionally enter the chat.
Meanwhile, battle week for Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia was in full swing (pun meant), however not on the baseball. The pair got here collectively on the Empire State Building that afternoon and issues acquired a bit of bodily. As a end result, when the pair arrived at Citi Field for the New York Mets in opposition to the Pittsburgh Pirates, they had been advised they’d not be throwing out the ceremonial first pitch as a result of officers had been nervous about one other fracas.
However, he later added: “Just wait on it. Don’t be surprised when this fight happens in September.” We reside in hope.
Grim pickings
Sticking in New York, there was lots to hate about Thursday’s ultimate press convention as Garcia acquired right into a back-and-forth with somebody within the crowd which included some needlessly lewd retorts. But even these weren’t the worst quotes from the build-up, as Bill Haney, father and coach of Devin, declared that his son was going to kill Ryan Garcia.
“I’m sending my son to go and kill him,” Haney Snr mentioned. “I don’t care what nobody says, if you don’t want to watch it and you don’t want to see it, then don’t watch it. It was a suicide for him to sign up [for this fight] and it’s going to be a homicide on April 20 because of all the disrespect. That’s what my son is going to do. It’s going to be an annihilation.”
Just to be clear, these phrases got here from the daddy of one of many combatants; a grown man who ought to know higher.
Of all of the putrid stuff spouted over the course of this complete promotion, which may simply be the worst in a really aggressive area.
As a results of the stress all week and your complete nature of the press convention, it was additionally determined that there could be no face-off on the occasion, though the pair would come collectively the day after on the weigh-in.
The weight is over
Despite his insistence on the week’s open exercises that he was bang on the burden, Ryan Garcia got here in at a whopping 143¼bs, nicely over the contracted 140lbs. He insisted he had tried his finest to make the restrict, after showing to glug a bottle of beer, and responded angrily to the gang as they booed him for lacking weight so dramatically. Due to the phrases of their contract, Garcia then needed to cough up $500,000 per pound missed, giving Haney an much more inflated purse for his or her mega-money showdown.
There was additionally time for Bill Haney, recent from his “kill” feedback, to conflict with Bernard Hopkins as the 2 fighters posed for his or her ultimate head-to-head.
Back on the Crawford story, Thursday additionally introduced with it an image of one other top-tier welterweight, Jaron Ennis, photographed alongside Turki Alalshikh. Elsewhere, throughout an interview with DAZN, Ennis’ promoter, Eddie Hearn, revealed that ‘Boots’ has already advised him he may nicely end his profession all the best way up at light-heavyweight after securing world titles in 5 completely different weight lessons.
Jaron Ennis
Ryan’s world
FIRST on Saturday there was a serious present announcement because it was confirmed that Gervonta Davis would return to the ring in his long-mooted bout with Frank Martin. The pair will conflict on June 15 in Las Vegas in a PBC on Amazon Prime occasion.
Of course, the principle story of Saturday was Garcia in opposition to Haney, which did really occur regardless of the scarcely plausible antics of the promotion. It was bizarre all the best way as much as the battle too, as Garcia employed a string quartet to take a seat in his dressing room and play him classical music as he acquired prepared. Surely a primary.
By the time he really acquired to the ring, it was a symphony of his trademark left hooks which paved the best way to a shock majority determination victory, which included Haney being knocked down 3 times. It was an prompt traditional.
Also, a point out for one of many maddest set of scorecards for a very long time after the battle between Sean McComb and Arnold Barboza. Judge Benoit Roussel had it 98-92 for McComb, whereas Tom Schreck (96-94) and Don Trella (97-93) each scored it in favour of Barboza.
Fractious enterprise
NO sooner had Garcia carried out the enterprise on the Barclays than he was again on social media making noises about his subsequent battle. And, having missed the burden so dramatically, it doesn’t appear as if he has plans on trying to make 140lbs once more.
Instead, one of many males in his sights on the Sabbath was welterweight Conor Benn, and the pair engaged in a bit of back-and-forth.
All Benn had carried out was Tweet “great performance from Garcia”, and that was sufficient to get the ball rolling on a battle between the 2.
“Let’s run it in London at the O2,” Garcia replied. “I will fracture you SPLEIN and then eat it,” he added, suggesting a lack of expertise on the variety of bones in a spleen. “Shoutout London.”
There was additionally some fallout from that Barboza-McComb controversy on Sunday.
Promoter Lou DiBella Tweeted: “There are bad decisions and there are BAD DECISIONS. Barboza winning that fight was CRIMINAL. NO. FUCKING. WAY.”
McComb’s supervisor Lee Eaton later confirmed: “formal appeal/complaint lodged.”
Wishlist set for actuality?
AFTER his Tweet on Wednesday, the chairman of the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, went one higher on Monday as he hosted an Ask Me Anything on Reddit, the place he confirmed numerous plans for the following stage of his boxing revolution.
One of his solutions confirmed a need to match Crawford with Ennis – nonetheless, that specific matchup was not within the high three fights he hopes to make. Those had been Tyson Fury in opposition to Anthony Joshua (me too), Canelo Alvarez in opposition to Crawford, and David Benavidez in opposition to the winner of Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol in Saudi on June 1.
There was a time when a listing like that was principally pointless, as a result of fights of such magnitude would usually fall by the wayside, however now shouldn’t be that point. There is each probability Turki will get his wish on all three throughout the subsequent 12 months.
Over in Tokyo, it was confirmed that No.1 super-flyweight Kazuto Ioka will face No.2 Fernando Martinez in a scrumptuous matchup set for July 7.
Sequel confirmed
AFTER months of negotiations, it was lastly confirmed on Tuesday that British cruiserweight duo Chris Billam-Smith and Richard Riakporhe will tangle of their long-awaited rematch on June 15.
A hat tip to Billam-Smith, the defending champion, who has agreed to go to Selhurst Park, the house of Crystal Palace, which is South Londoner Riakporhe’s manor. CBS gained the IBF title in his hometown of Bournemouth, however will fortunately head to the capital for his probability at revenge – and his legion of supporters will too.
Undefeated Riakporhe gained their preliminary conflict again in July 2019 by way of break up determination at The O2 and has not put a foot flawed since. Billam-Smith, in the meantime, pulled off one of many largest shocks of 2023 when he beat Lawrence Okolie.
“I’m going to emotionlessly batter you on the 15th of June,” Riakporhe mentioned. “Your time is coming to an end. The Midnight Train is going to prevail.”
An impish Billam-Smith responded: “Get derailed, did you say?” Fight night time is a bit of over seven weeks away. Great battle.
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