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10-16-2018, 04:05 PM
(This post was last modified: 10-16-2018, 04:34 PM by diehard.)
Boxing back in Monte Carlo Nov 24
China’s 20-0 Heavyweight star Zhilei Zhang puts his WBO Oriental title on the line against Russia’s Alexander Ustinov (34-2, 25 KO’s) in the toughest fight of his career. The 2008 Olympic silver medallist is targeting a potential showdown with his old amateur rival, heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua.
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Good be interesting to see where both are at.
Alexander never seemed to capitalise on beating Tua, no title fights that I know of. I know he was close to fighting Furey at 1 stage but Furey pulled out.
Zhang I always saw as an opponent for JP in China for decent enough coin.
So I hope Zhang wins and him and JP fight b4 JP heads to UK or USA
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Spoke to Stu about Parker fighting Zhang. He said not now, Parker needs to be assured of getting a win next.
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Looks like Hearn wants to build Zhilei's profile for a possible future AJ opponent in China?
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Jarrell Miller Likely For Quick Return, Could Fight Either Fres Oquendo Or Trevor Bryan For Version Of WBA Title Soon
James Slater - 16/10/2018 1 Comment
Let’s face it, after his easy, easy night’s work against the woefully over-matched (and out-weighed) Tomasz Adamek in his last fight on October6, Jarrell Miller could box again this Saturday. Well, a quick return is reportedly in the works for “Big Baby,” if not one that is not quite that quick. According to his co-promoter Dmitry Salita, who spoke with Sky Sports, Miller is almost certain to fight for a version of the WBA heavyweight belt next – before the end of the year (the word according to a few other web sites is November 17, but nothing is yet official).
Miller, 22-0-1(19) is looking to fight either Fres Oquendo or the unbeaten Trevor Bryan (who stopped B.J Flores to pick up a secondary or ‘thirdary’ version of the WBA strap a couple of months back) and then, this belt (for what it’s worth) acquired, move on to a massive fight with full champ Anthony Joshua. Miller’s name has been mentioned alongside AJ’s for some time now, and if it’s not Deontay Wilder or Dillian Whyte next for the unbeaten British superstar, it could be Miller. Miller is certain his shot at Joshua will come in time, even if it’s not next April.
Miller would be a whopping favourite over either the creakingly inactive Oquendo, who is now 45 years old and has not fought in around four years, or over the still largely untested Bryan. In terms of the most interesting, possibly exciting fight of the two, it would probably be better if Miller fought Bryan. It is now up to the WBA to decide what will happen with that vacant “regular” belt – the one that was stripped from Manuel Charr due to his failed drugs test.
Another good question regarding Miller is what weight might he come in at for his next fight? Growing and growing it seems, Miller has, in a relatively short period of time, gone from 298, to 304, to the monstrous 317 he tipped-in at for the Adamek slaughter. Might “Bib Baby” scale even higher than 317 next time out?
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Hughey Fury: Pulev’s got to go
IBF #5-rated heavyweight contender Hughie Fury is putting the final touches on a “torturous” training camp and, with his team, will arrive in Sofia, Bulgaria, this Saturday. On October 27, Fury (21-1, 11 KOs) will face Kubrat “The Cobra” Pulev (25-1, 13 KOs) in a 12-round elimination bout at the Arena Armeec in Pulev’s hometown of Sofia. The winner that night will become the first in line to face champion Anthony Joshua.
“I made a promise to beat Pulev in his own backyard and that’s what I’m going to do,” said a confident Fury. “Nobody else wanted this tough fight. That’s because they’re not future champions. I know what it takes and what you have to do to become the man. I don’t care if I fight Pulev in his own house. He’s in my way of what I want, and he’s got to go.”
Fury and father/trainer Peter Fury have been pushing it to the limit in their Manchester Gym, training twice a day, six days a week for up to three hours per session. But Fury, the current BBBofC British Heavyweight Champion, says all the work will soon be worth it.
“It will all be worth it when my hand is raised,” he continued. “There are no holes in my game right now. I’m at the top of my craft and once Pulev is eliminated, I’ll be coming for Anthony Joshua. He looked vulnerable in his last fight. I’m the one who will capitalize on those vulnerabilities!”
Despite his supreme confidence, defeating Pulev will be no easy feat for 24-year-old Fury. 37-year-old Pulev is one of the most popular athletes in all of Bulgaria, and a former two-time European and IBF International Heavyweight Champion. Pulev’s only career loss came in a challenge for the undisputed heavyweight championship against Wladimir Klitschko in 2014. Britain’s Dillian Whyte and Americans Jarell Miller and Dominic Breazeale all declined to face Pulev before Fury accepted.
“After I walk right into Pulev’s hometown and take him out, something no other heavyweight would even dare to try, everyone is going to be talking about me and Anthony Joshua. I can’t wait to get this job done and move on to the world championship.”
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I ran in Sofia on Sunday, there were posters and massive bill boards advertising this fight all over the city.
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He's clearly very popular in his home city/country.
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I hope Fury can do it. I still rate him very highly and feel he can win a world title one day.
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If Hughie Fury Beats Kubrat Pulev Do You Want To See Him Fight Joshua Next?
James Slater - 19/10/2018
Hughie Fury is ultra-confident and, according to his father and trainer Peter, “as ready as possible” going into next Saturday night’s fight with fellow heavyweight contender Kubrat Pulev. Having taken the fight – an assignment in Pulev’s homeland of Bulgaria, the bout being an IBF final eliminator – the once-beaten Fury deserves much credit. Unbeaten New Yorker Jarrell Miller passed on the fight the cousin of lineal heavyweight champ Tyson Fury will now have on October 27th.
Fury is not only confident he can and will defeat Pulev (also once-beaten; the Bulgarian Cobra’s loss coming at the hands of then-heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko in 2014), he is also talking Joshua – as in Anthony Joshua. Fury, still only 24 years of age and perhaps now entering his prime years, says he wants a shot at AJ after he has beaten 37 year old Pulev.
“That’s the fight I want,” Fury, 21-1(11) said to BBC Sport. “I’d take him as soon as possible.”
So, if Fury does get past Pulev (in this, the second biggest fight of his career; the other being his points loss to defending WBO champ Joseph Parker last year), is he worthy of a crack at the British superstar who currently holds the IBF/WBA and WBO belts? In regards to the IBF belt Joshua holds, then yes, Fury would be deserving of a shot at it if he beats Pulev. But from a fan standpoint: is this a fight you want to see? Of course the big one we ALL wants is Joshua against either Deontay Wilder or, should he cause the upset on December 1, Tyson Fury.
But those troubled negotiations may never get any smoother and the two rival champions – be it AJ and Wilder or AJ and Fury – might never actually fight. In terms of Joshua’s next fight, pencilled in for April, wouldn’t Fury, if he is victorious over the 25-1(13) Pulev, make a better, more interesting challenger than Dillian Whyte, who AJ has of course already knocked out? Do we really need to see the December 2015 fight recycled? It was a good fight, sure, but it didn’t then, and it doesn’t now scream rematch.
Then again, Whyte, who has been active and who has beaten two potentially dangerous foes in elimination bouts of his own, does deserve a world title shot. This shot may come against the Wilder-Fury winner, who knows? But getting back to Fury: if he gets past Pulev, is he hot enough, is he marketable enough, is he exciting enough to be Joshua’s next challenger? Would the fans pay good money to see this fight?
Of course AJ is a star and as such fans will pay to see him pretty much fight anyone. There are a few names out there who are itching to rumble with Joshua next April – Hughie, Dillian and the aforementioned “Big Baby.” But which of these three makes the most interesting fight, or, if you like, which one presents Joshua with the toughest puzzle to solve?
Fury has to beat Pulev and he has to look good in doing so. Then, just maybe, he will land the big, big fight his cousin has been calling for for years. Hughie says he has seen “weaknesses” in Joshua and how he will exploit them if he is given the chance, and the fight. He could be just one win away from getting what he wants.
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