By Declan Taylor
Wednesday, January 3
BABYJACKER
Whereas The Week was lastly sharpening off the final of the Celebrations, dumping all remaining stilton right into a broccoli soup and tossing the dishevelled tree off a third-story balcony, the game of boxing was already motoring into the brand new 12 months in some fashion.
Maybe a poor alternative of phrases there as probably the most stunning information of the day got here when Jarrell Miller, the Huge Child himself, was arrested in Florida and charged with carjacking and not using a firearm or weapon and housebreaking with assault or battery. His bond was set at $30,000.
In line with an area tv station, Miller stole a Black Dodge Ram pickup truck from a automotive dealership in Hollywood after continuing with what prosecutors described as a deliberate assault on one of many workers. What a begin to the 12 months for Miller, who suffered the primary defeat of his skilled profession on the again finish of 2023.
That story got here sizzling off the heels of the information that Polish southpaw Krzysztof Glowacki, who was stopped by Richard Riakporhe in 4 rounds 12 months in the past, has been banned for 4 years by the BBBoC after testing constructive for the anabolic steroid boldenone following that defeat. Effectively I by no means, somebody move me a miniature Twix instantly.
Thursday, January 4
TAKEOVER CONTINUES
It was confirmed on Thursday that Teofimo Lopez will return to the ring on February 8 (which is, because it occurs, one other Thursday) to face Jamaine Ortiz on the Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas on ESPN.
Lopez has not boxed since producing one of many performances of 2023 to outpoint Josh Taylor at Madison Sq. Backyard in June – his one and solely struggle of the 12 months. However it appears to be like like he may very well be set for a busy 2024 and can get off and operating early subsequent month on the Thursday earlier than the Tremendous Bowl, which additionally takes place in Vegas. That ought to be a quiet week in Sin Metropolis.
One man who won’t be in Vegas anymore, nevertheless, is Joe Joyce as he confirmed on Thursday that he’ll not be making ready below Ismael Salas however shall be staying in England to work with Steve Broughton. The Juggernaut, who was stopped twice by Zhilei Zhang final 12 months, is hoping to bounce again with ‘two or three’ fights in 2024 as he makes an attempt to plot a path again in the direction of the highest of the heavyweight tree, which brings us properly onto Friday.
Joyce and coach Ismael Salas
Friday, January 5
TIS THE SEASON (AGAIN)
But extra proof, if it have been ever wanted, on Friday that we live within the Saudi Arabia technology of boxing because it was revealed that Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou will meet in a 10-round heavyweight attraction as a part of Riyadh Season.
Eddie Hearn took to Twitter to substantiate the information late within the day, revealing {that a} press convention to substantiate all the small print will happen on January 15. “Tonight we affirm it’s a achieved deal!” Hearn mentioned. “Anthony Joshua v Francis Ngannou collide on an enormous evening in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.”
It’s understood that the struggle will land on the second weekend of March, possible on Friday eighth, because of the grand prix in Saudi on the ninth. This encounter will characterize Joshua’s fourth outing in simply 11 months – which is exercise he has not achieved since manner again in 2015.
Whereas AJ’s earnings throughout that interval has reportedly risen into 9 figures, it was a a lot smaller sum which piqued The Week’s curiosity elsewhere on Friday because it was confirmed by Boxing Information that Boxxer supremo Ben Shalom has pledged £5,000 to the Ringside Charitable Belief after assembly with their founder Dave Harris late final 12 months. The pair will meet once more this month to debate a extra long-term plan too. Bravo.
Saturday, January 6
40-YEAR-OLD AT VIRGIN
Essentially the most notable card on the primary preventing Saturday of 2024 was on the Virgin Lodge in Las Vegas however the two predominant fights each lasted lower than three minutes.
On the high of the invoice, Vergil Ortiz Jr, the previous welterweight prodigy, boxed for the primary time in almost 18 months in what was his debut at 154lbs. Ortiz’s profession has been rocked by some main well being issues however he’s mentioned to be protected to field on the new weight and did the enterprise towards Fredrick Lawson within the first spherical. However referee Tony Weeks acquired criticism for a way rapidly he stepped in to cease the struggle – extra on Weeks on Monday.
Earlier than that, there have been few complaints in regards to the pace at which referee Celestino Ruiz stepped in to cease Ismael Barroso’s first-round beatdown of Hackney’s Ohara Davies on the Virgin Lodge. The 40-year-old southpaw from Venezuela dropped Davies early and, though he received again to his ft, he was by no means in a position to reestablish a foothold within the struggle.
“It’s a struggle I noticed myself successful,” Davies mentioned afterwards. “I made a mistake and I paid for it. I simply need to say I’m sorry, I didn’t see this coming and I don’t suppose anybody else did. This isn’t how the script is supposed to go.”
Ismael Barroso (Picture by Steve Marcus/Getty Photographs)
Sunday, January 7
BENN, IN THE USA
With regards to Las Vegas, one other Brit who shall be in Nevada in Q1 is Conor Benn. The Destroyer had been hoping to struggle Chris Eubank Jr, or anybody really, at Tottenham on February 3 however when these plans did not materialise, Staff Benn determined to hit the highway once more.
He landed on American soil on Sunday and can now put the ending touches on his preparation to face Peter Dobson on the Cosmopolitan on February 3. Earlier than the flight, The Week caught up with Benn, who was in philosophical temper after a testing 2023.
“I’d say 2022 was the worst 12 months for me however 23 was a 12 months of studying and rising,” he mentioned. “I’d say I turned extra accepting of the scenario I used to be in. I came upon I used to be having just a little daughter, which is a blessing and spent a whole lot of time with my dad. For me it was a 12 months of development personally. This actually has made me a greater man.”
Whereas Benn makes his Vegas debut in a matter of weeks, Australian Tim Tszyu is anticipated to do the identical in March. And following his victory over Fredrick Lawson, it was Vergil Ortiz who spoke up a possible conflict with the Australian. “There’s a whole lot of fighters I would like however Tim Tszyu, with all due respect, I would like him subsequent.”
Monday, January 8
WEEKS’ VOLUMES
There’s nothing like a superb, old style Twitter meltdown however that’s precisely what occurred on Monday morning after it appeared that referee Tony Weeks gave his facet of the Vegas story over on Fb.
The put up uploaded to Week’s account, which has now been deleted, learn: “What the general public didn’t know that previous to the struggle they did a mind scan on him and it got here up that he had an aneurysm, and so they did a take a look at once more, and the identical aneurysm camp up. One other physician was introduced in and gave him the identical examination and he take a look at damaging for the aneurysm, they cleared him to struggle.”
It’s a really beautiful paragraph, which didn’t final very lengthy on his Fb however was circulated extensively throughout Twitter and goes some strategy to explaining why Weeks appeared to cease the struggle earlier than Ortiz had actually landed something of any observe cleanly.
Golden Boy, in the meantime, responded with a noticeably brief assertion of their very own, which learn: “Fredrick Lawson was cleared by a Nevada State Athletic Fee sanctioned physician to struggle on Saturday evening.”
And if all of that was not sufficient, Jarrell Miller (bear in mind him?), additionally determined to hit social media for a spot of explaining. “GOD offers the hardest battles to HIS strongest troopers,” a part of the assertion learn. “I’m prayerful and look ahead to a beneficial decision of this case.”
Tuesday, January 9
WORDS, SMITH
On the day on which scientists confirmed that 2023 was formally the most well liked 12 months on report, huge Callum Smith may need been questioning what occurred to Quebec Metropolis, the place temperatures sat at round -12.
Smith, in fact, is there on enterprise as he prepares for Saturday’s conflict towards arguably the No.1 light-heavyweight on the planet, Artur Beterbiev who’s 19-0 with 19 knockouts. The pair have been supposed to satisfy again in August however the struggle was pushed again on account of issues following some dental surgical procedure for Beterbiev.
“Mentally it’s just a little bit more durable,” mentioned Smith of the postponement. “I’ve had Beterbiev on the mind for a very long time. It’s one thing I’ve been serious about for almost two years now. However I’ve at all times watched him and felt I had the fashion to beat him. I like my probabilities on this struggle.”
Elsewhere, Errol Spence uploaded a video to his Instagram the place he gave the impression to be getting pushed round in a wheelchair with a bandage over his proper eye. On Twitter he wrote: “You may kill the retire shit tho. Yea I received my ass beat, shit was overdue. I didn’t reside precisely like a boxer for probably the most half lol”.
And with that, The Week 2024 roadshow was formally up and operating. Till someone carjacks us, anyway.
