The Oz Report: Lucas Browne tips Wilder to topple Ortiz, Sam Soliman set to retire later this year, Kambosos Jr. announces Yordan fight, Darragh Foley clashes with Steven Wilcox in title eliminator, Nathaniel May training at Wild Card
By Anthony Cocks
WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder will defeat Luis Ortiz this weekend but only if he lands something big early.
That is the opinion of heavyweight contender Lucas "Big Daddy" Browne, who fights WBC #1 contender Dillian Whyte at the O2 Arena in London on March 24.
But don’t expect Wilder to have it all his own way.
“I think it’s going to be messy because Ortiz is obviously a very good boxer and a southpaw, which I think will trouble Wilder,” said Browne 25-0 (22) on Monday, two days before flying out to England to finish his training camp.
"I don’t rate Wilder as a boxer, but he surely can hit. So when he does hit you, you get hurt. From that point of view if he comes out with the windmills like he normally does, it’s going to be messy as hell. So I still put it as Wilder winning 60-40, just because he’s got the power, nothing else.”
Browne has had an ongoing war of words with his upcoming opponent, with Whyte baiting him on Twitter and Browne returning serve. Last week the undefeated former WBA "regular" champion called the 29-year-old from Brixton a "dickhead" in a video posted to his social media accounts.
Browne believes that Whyte’s smack talk reflects his fighting style – he can give it but not take it.
"That’s pretty much it,” he agrees. “In all honesty I think he’s all mouth because he needs to sell the fight. He’s not the most exciting fighter out there so he knows he needs to sell the fight one way or another.
“And even though he’s from London and the fight is [being held] in London, I think half the fans will be there to watch me knock him out rather than anything else.”
The heavily tattooed 38-year-old former bouncer, who has fought five times in the UK already, says he won’t be satisfied with anything less than a knockout.
“Regardless of anything else, I don’t want it to go the distance,” said Browne, who has an 88% knockout ratio. “I don’t like having my livelihood in the hands of three people who are watching the fight.
"If I stop him, knock him out, whatever it may be, there’s no argument that I won. So I’ll be looking for a knockout. I won’t be chasing it or anything but if it’s there I’m going to take it for sure.”
With Whyte’s best performances coming against Anthony Joshua in a losing effort and Dereck Chisora is a close 12 round fight, Browne believes that "The Body Snatcher’s" record flatters to deceive.
“One hundred percent, I think that is exactly what it is," he said. "No doubt he can fight, he can bang. But he’s become the new Chisora so to speak.
"He may get to a world title fight but he won’t win it. He’s very much the gatekeeper, so if you were going to beat him you’re on to bigger and better things, and if you can’t beat him, well then there’s something wrong."
As the WBC Silver champion and leading contender to Wilder’s heavyweight crown, Whyte 22-1 (16) is taking a big gamble by taking on the 6-foot-5, 260-pound Browne.
“From my point of view all the pressure will be on Whyte because it’s probably one of the dumbest fights he could ever take," said Browne. "Holding the [WBC Silver] title and being in the position that he is in and fighting someone who’s going to knock him out, I think it’s quite silly to be honest.
"But that’s his call, that’s his team’s call. It’s putting a present in my lap to be honest.
"I’m extremely happy about it.”
EVERGREEN SAM SOLIMAN TO RETIRE AT END OF YEAR
On the eve of his sixty-first professional bout former IBF middleweight champion Sam Soliman says that the secret to his longevity is loving what he does and living a clean lifestyle outside the gym.
“Firstly, doing what you love is just as important as the hard work in the gym,” Soliman 45-14 1NC (19) told Maxboxing from his new gym ‘Sam’s Stable’ in Southbank just off the Melbourne CBD after sparring eight fast-paced rounds with super middleweight contender Jayde Mitchell on Saturday morning.
“And even more important than that is how you live your life outside of boxing. And I live it like a fighter should live it. The sacrifices I’ve made to win a world title and to be able to keep pace with the young guys proves that anyone can do it.”
Soliman faces Wes Capper 19-2 (12) on March 17 at the Melbourne Pavilion for the vacant IBF International middleweight crown. The popular 44-year-old is expecting an action-packed slugfest from the Perth banger.
“He’s a good fighter in terms of his ability to go the distance without dropping the pace,” said Soliman. “I look forward to the fight for that reason, to put on a good show for the crowd. Being that he’s that type of fighter and so am I, we have something in common.
“Styles make fights and in this case it’s going to be a ripper.”
After more than 21 years as a professional boxer coming after a successful career as a kickboxer, Soliman plans to hang up his gloves at the end of the year.
“This is my last year of fighting,” said Soliman, who will turn 45 in November. “I’ve never retired before. I’ve had people come up to me before and say ‘Sammy, you’re making a comeback’. I only fought five months ago, when did I say I was going to retire? I must’ve missed it!
“I don’t think I’m one to say I’m giving it away and then come back, so no comebacks. This is my last year in the sport. If this fight goes well, maybe a title defence, and then if that goes well, one more, then give it away at the end of the year.”
Over his long and storied career Soliman has boxed a remarkable 521 professional rounds. In that time he has locked horns with some of the best at middleweight and even competed as high as cruiserweight early on in his career.
Among the standout competitors Soliman has faced are longtime middleweight champion Felix Sturm, former undisputed middleweight champion Jermain Taylor, and former super middleweight titleholders Anthony Mundine and Sakio Bika.
But there is one name in particular that stays with him.
"Winky Wright, because he was a traveller like me,” said Soliman, who lost a razor-thin 12 round points decision to a prime Wright in late 2005. “He went from my fan to my foe top back to my fan. That’s just the type of gentleman he was. He was a road warrior just like I was, he travelled the world and fought anyone, anywhere, anytime, so we had a lot in common there.”
At the time that Soliman fought Wright the American was coming off a virtual shutout of Puerto Rican legend Felix Trinidad. Before that, he won back-to-back fights against “Sugar” Shane Mosley. Soliman was able to outwork him in a number of rounds and came within a hair’s breadth of victory, eventually going down by scores of 113-115, 112-115 and 110-117.
Another notable fight for Soliman was, perhaps surprisingly, his IBF middleweight title defence against Taylor in Biloxi, Mississippi in October 2014.
“Jermain Taylor was my other highlight, being for the world title. My knee may have collapsed, but I won the first four rounds according to the judges’ scorecards. Once the knee collapsed I was like a yoyo, bouncing up and down off the ground. But I have no regrets in taking that fight. We went there and I was able to prove that I could still go twelve rounds on one knee,” said Soliman.
The King says that his knee is fully healed and that he doesn’t expect it to be an issue when he squares up against the hard-charging Capper.
“It’s holding up great, only because I had to test it three times over against a super middleweight,” said Soliman, who appeared in season three of the reality TV show The Contender in 2007, losing in the semi-finals to eventual winner Bika. “And against a good super middleweight like Jayde Mitchell who just doesn’t know the word reverse. He’s not just a walk-up fighter but he gives me angles, which gives me the confidence with the work I’ve done already – I’ve done 28 rounds with him and have had absolutely no niggles, so I just hope it continues that way.”
GEORGE KAMBOSOS JR ANNOUCNES BACK-TO-BACK WORLD TITLE ELIMINATORS
George Kambosos Jr 13-0 (7) enjoys defying convention. It comes as little surprise then that rather than taking it "one fight at a time" the cocky Sydney lightweight has announced a July fight with tough Indonesian Daud “Cino” Yordan 37-3 (25) just weeks after revealing plans to fight Canada’s Tony Luis 25-3 (8) in April.
Announcing the fight on Facebook, WBA #6 Kambosos said: "After lengthy negotiations with Yordan’s team we have now secured Daud Yordan WBA # 2 and former two-time IBO world champion signature in a top of the table WBA Lightweight World Title Eliminator. Whack Promotions in association with Ferocious Promotions would like to thank Daud CINO Yordan and his Manager for accepting to take this fight in Sydney Australia.
“George Ferocious Kambosos Jr will only fight the best starting with Tony Luis from Canada in a mouth-watering clash on April 14th 2018 and after he dismantles Luis, George will then retire Daud Yordan on the 28th of July 2018.
“This is boxing, to be the best you fight the best.”
Love him or hate him, you’ve got to admire Kambosos for his ambition.
DARRAGH FOLEY CLASHES WITH STEVEN WILCOX IN WORLD TITLE ELIMINATOR ON ST PATRICK’S DAY
Sydney junior welterweight Darragh Foley 14-2 (8) will have a lot on his plate when he squares up against Canadian contender Steven Wilcox 18-2-1 (5) in the next instalment of Johnny Lewis’ Ultimate Fight Night at the Star Casino in the Sydney suburb of Pyrmont on March 17.
The 29-year-old, who was born in Kent County in southern England to Irish parents, knows how much it means to be headlining a show on St Patrick’s Day. It is something he takes very seriously.
“I was just thinking about this the other day,” said Foley, the WBA #9 and WBO #15 junior welterweight. “But I’m ready. If I’m not ready now I never will be. Maybe two years ago in the big [Brandon] Ogilvie headline fight around St Patricks Day I wasn’t mature enough to deal with the occasion, but I definitely am now. I’m honoured to be fighting on the most sacred day for the Irish people.”
Wilcox, 27, who hails from the port city of Hamilton in Ontario about 735km north-west of New York, took up boxing at the age of 11 and turned pro ten years later. His two losses were both by split decision over eight rounds. He was able to reverse the December 2016 loss to Oscar Arjona six months later with a 10 round shutout by scores of 100-88 across the board.
“I’ve watched a bit of him. He’s a solid fighter who fights behind a sharp lead hand, good skills but doesn’t mind a tear-up,” said Foley, who isn’t afraid to mix it up himself.
“I won’t back down from one anyway, that’s for sure, but there’s a solid game plan in place to dissect him and that’s what I plan on doing.”
Listed as almost six-foot tall, Wilcox is a big 140-pounder. The WBA #11 will be staking his NABA title against Foley’s WBA Oceania strap.
“He’s quite tall for the weight, taller than me and I’m a big 140, so we have been going north in the weights to get bigger guys with sharp boxing like Mark Lucas, Tim Tszyu, Ben Saava and Allesandro Mammoliti to name a few. I’ve had good varied sparring this camp and I’ll be ready for whatever he brings to the table,” said Foley.
Foley fought four times for four wins last year but he didn’t have it all his own way. In April he was trailing on two of the judges’ scorecards and even on the third when he knocked out Sonny Katiandagho in the sixth to secure the win. In his last bout in December crafty Filipino Ernie Sanchez had Foley on the canvas twice making their fight much closer than it deserved to be.
“He gave me a tough fight in the sense he had me down twice, although the first knockdown was just a flash a minute into the first and the second knockdown was a clear low blow [that] the referee actually apologised to me after for missing,” explained Foley, who also tore ligaments in his hand in the fourth round of the fight and spent his Christmas in a splint.
“I feel like I dominated the whole fight apart from these two stanzas, but he was a crafty veteran who knew how to survive and tough as they come.
“A lot of people fail to realise he had over five weeks to prepare, not the usual couple of days or weeks he’s accustomed to, so all up I felt I done a decent job on the best version of Ernie Sanchez.”
With the junior welterweight division wide open after Terrence Crawford vacated his titles to move north to welterweight, Foley has his sights sets on the WBA strap that will soon be contested by Las Vegas-based Cuban Rances Barthelemy 26-0 (13) and Belarussian banger Kiryl Relikh 21-2 (19) at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas on March 10.
“I’m currently number nine and he’s number 11 so surely you would envisage me going top five after this fight, but I’m not caught up on that,” said Foley. “Control the controllables. Two more overseas fights, one in England against their best, one in the US vs Rances Barthelemy for the world title. That would be my perfect year.
“This may be my last fight in Australia for some time so I urge all the fans to get out and see my last dance.”
FEATHERWEIGHT CONTENDER NATHANIEL MAY TO TRAIN AT THE WILD CARD GYM
Featherweight hotshot Nathaniel “Cheeky” May 19-1 (11) has flown to the United States to train under the guidance of Freddie Roach at world famous Wild Card Boxing Gym in Los Angeles.
The 22-year-old from Bunbury in Western Australia was trained by the late Peter Stokes, who passed away earlier this year from cancer at the age of just 45.
“There are the best promoters there and world champion boxers,” the IBF number six told The West Australian newspaper recently. “And to work with Freddie is a good opportunity. He is a legend.
“To train under him means you are heading the right way in the sport.”
Roach and Stokes formed a strong bond over the years with the Denning Boxing Gym coach travelling to the United States periodically to get his star pupils world-class sparring.
“This is something Stokesy worked hard for me to get,” he said. “Now it is here I cannot just stop, so I am going forward.”
May is confident that he will get a world title opportunity before the year is out.
“I have already told this to a lot of people and whenever I say something, I make it happen,” said May.
In his last outing May scored an impressive fifth round stoppage of previously unbeaten Brazilian power-puncher Aelio Mesquita on the Jeff Horn vs Gary Corcoran undercard in December.
SURE SHOTS
Louisa “Bang Bang Lulu” Hawton 7-1 (3) from Perth, Western Australia was unlucky not to get the nod over Mexican journeywoman Anahi Torres 17-17-1 (2) on the undercard of Superfly II at the Forum in Inglewood, California on Saturday night. Hawton, the former WIBA junior flyweight champion, was the aggressor throughout the bout, backing up Torres with the crisper, cleaner shots. Scores were 77-75 twice and 79-73. It was an ordinary result for her USA debut… The date for WBA #6 lightweight George Kambosos Jr of Sydney, NSW versus WBA #11 Tony Luis of Canada has been pushed back a few days to April 14… World-ranked junior middleweights Dennis Hogan and Jimmy Kilrain Kelly have been bumped up the WBO rankings to numbers three and four respectively ahead of their world title eliminator in Brisbane on April 7. The winner will be well-positioned for a crack at newly-minted champion Sadam Ali, who lifted the WBO strap from living legend Miguel Cotto in December… Former minimumweight world title challenger Omari Kimweri 16-4 (6) has been added to the international show on March 17 at the Exhibition Centre in Bendigo, Victoria where he will take on Indonesian Rachmat Santoso 12-6 (6) at super flyweight. The 35-year-old Kimweri, who dropped a 12 round decision to undefeated WBC champion Chayaphon Moonsri in Thailand last June, is planning on hanging up the gloves at the end of the year… After the sudden cancellation of his USA visa, super featherweight Billel “Babyface” Dib 21-2 (10) has been added to the March 24 card at Seagulls Rugby League Club in Tweed Heads, NSW where he will take on Tanzanian Bruno Vifuaviwili 20-1-1 (5) over 10 rounds… Jeff Fenech protégé Brock Jarvis 12-0 (11) will headline a pro-am card when he takes on Indonesian Hamson Tiger Lamandau 8-1-1 (5) at Mediterranean House in Five Dock, Sydney on Friday night. It will be the talented bantamweight’s first fight over 12 rounds with the vacant WBC Asian Boxing Council title up for grabs…
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