3/9 DAZN Dmitry Bivol vs Joe Smith Jr (WBA Light Heavyweight Title)

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patscorpio

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Tickets for the World title double-header starring Dmitry Bivol and Maurice Hooker defending their belts at Turning Stone Resort Casino on Saturday March 9 live on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports in the UK are on sale NOW


Bivol puts his WBA Light-Heavyweight title on the line against Joe Smith Jr, the fifth defense of his belt after moving to 15-0 (11KOs) in November, with a comprehensive to a points win over former unified champion Jean Pascal in New Jersey. Bivol’s win over the Canadian was the latest impressive name on his growing CV, following a points triumph over Isaac Chilemba, a final round stoppage of Sullivan Barrera and a highlight real first round KO of Trent Broadhurst.

The Russian star will meet a stern test of his ambitions to unify the division in the shape of Smith Jnr (24-2 20KOs) the Long Islander who famously stopped Bernard Hopkins in the Philadelphia legend’s last pro fight in December 2016 and destroyed Andrzej Fonfara inside the opening round of their clash in Chicago six months earlier.

Hooker defends his WBO Junior-Welterweight title against unbeaten challenger Mikkel LesPierre, with Hooker making the second defense of his title following his stunning victory in November, climbing off the canvas in the second round against Alex Saucedo in the challengers Oklahoma City backyard to hand a first career loss to the 24 year old in the seventh round.

Hooker (25-0-3 17KOs), who won the title on the road earlier in the year in Manchester to take Terry Flanagan’s ‘0’ in June, will add upstate New York to his travels as he targets a major hometown defense in the summer. Trinidad and Tobago born Brooklynite LesPierre (20-0-1 9KOs) fights for his first World title against Hooker.

“I want to thank Joe and his team for taking the fight as I think that our styles will make for a great fight - but I will keep my title,” said Bivol. “I'm so happy that my team have come up with a great plan for my future on DAZN, it's an exciting new chapter in my career and I cannot wait for March 9.

“This is a huge opportunity for me and one I'll take full advantage of,” said Smith Jr. “This is everything that I've worked for, really hard, for my whole life, so I'm going to give it everything I've got, and come March 9, I will be 100 per cent ready to take that title home.”

“I can guarantee you that I’m leaving New York City with another ‘W’ in the win column,” Hooker said. “I’m hungry to get back to competing and I’m going to put on a great show so that I can bring my belt back to Dallas for my next bout.”

“We’re very excited that Mo will be fighting in New York, giving him the opportunity to shine in the biggest city in the world,” Roc Nation Sports boxing promoter Dino Duva said. “He had an unforgettable 2018 and we’re confident that he’ll sustain that momentum in 2019.”

“It's been a long time coming, I've been grinding underground out of the public eye - so when I come to fight, I go to work and get the job done,” said LesPierre.

“I took this fight in a heartbeat. I don't listen to what people say, some might not think I deserve this shot but come March 9, I will show people that I belong at this level. I've moved up the rankings and put the work in – there's no-one out there that works harder than me or wants this more than me. I've put myself in position to get to this point and now it's time to shine.”
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Yamaguchi Falcao Set To Face Paul Mendez March 9 on DAZN

Unbeaten and WBC #8 rated middleweight Yamaguchi Falcao will meet IBA champion Paul Mendez in a ten round contest Saturday, March 9 at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY.

The Falcao-Mendez bout airs as part of a world title doubleheader on DAZN featuring WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitriy Bivol defending his title against Joe Smith Jr. and WBO junior welterweight kingpin Maurice Hooker against Mikkel LesPierre.

Tickets from $49 are on sale by calling the Turning Stone box office or at Ticketmaster.com.

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Hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil but now living and fighting out of Plant City, FL, Falcao’s a perfect 16-0 with 7 wins by knockout. In his most recent bout, the skilled southpaw bested world rated Elias Espadas over ten rounds. A bronze medalist at the 2012 Olympics, Falcao’s eager to challenge the world’s best 160 pound fighters but faces a tough test in Mendez.

“March 9 is the start of what will be a great year and I expect to face the best version of Paul Mendez,” said Falcao. “I’ve been challenging all the best at 160 pounds and none have stepped up to the plate yet. The plan is to put on a great performance and show the world that I’m ready for the world’s best middleweights.”

Born and raised in Delano, CA, Mendez’ has an excellent 20-3-2 record with 10 knockouts. He owns a decision victory over longtime contender David Lopez and battled future champion Dmitrii Churdinov to a draw. On January 26, Mendez stopped veteran Israel Ornelas in three rounds.

“Falcao is the future of the middleweight division,” said Eric Gomez, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “This fight is another step towards his desired goal of becoming a world champion, we’re grateful that it will be presented by our partners at DAZN.”

“We are very thankful that Golden Boy Promotions is providing this great opportunity on DAZN” said Falcao’s manager Jody Caliguire of Fire Fist Boxing. “Team Falcao is extra motivated not only to be seen by fans all across the world on DAZN but also because on the same card there are two world title fights. Yama has what it takes to be a world champion and Mendez is a very good pro in his own right so we’re making sure to be on point come March 9.”
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Sergey Kuzmin and Dmitry Bivol have shared the same card on six previous occasions, including an April ’17 show in Maryland which saw Bivol win his first major title.

Their next adventure together could put the unbeaten heavyweight one step closer to joining his stablemate.

Russia’s Kuzmin will fight for the first time in 2019 in supporting capacity to Bivol’s light heavyweight title defense versus Long Island (N.Y.)-based contender Joe Smith Jr. on March 9 in upstate New York. An opponent has been revealed for Kuzmin, as BoxingScene.com has learned he will face Philadelphia’s Joey Dawejko in a scheduled 10-round contest.

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Both bouts will stream live on DAZN, marking the platform debut for Kuzmin (14-0, 11KOs), who along with Bivol is guided by high-powered manager Vadim Kornilov. Also on the card, unbeaten 14-pound titlist Maurice Hooker (25-0-3, 17KOs) makes his first defense versus undefeated challenger Mikkel LesPierre (21-0-1, 10KOs).

The 31-year old former amateur standout from Russia has been matched aggressively since turning pro in Nov. ’14. To date, nearly all of Kuzmin’s opponents have enjoyed vastly more pro experience than the rising heavyweight, with his next assignment following suit.

Dawejko (19-6-4, 11KOs) will never be confused for a world beater, but has always provided a tough night at the office for all previous foes. The 28-year old Philadelphia-bred pug has only been stopped once in his near 10-year career, the lone such occasion coming in a 3rd round knockout at the hands of then-unbeaten Charles Martin in a 2013 fight he accepted on barely one week’s notice.

A record of 11-3-2 has since followed, with hard fought losses to local rivals Amir Mansour and Bryant Jennings going the distance and with the veteran gatekeeper remaining on his feet for all 10 rounds each time. His level of toughness is precisely the test Kuzmin seeks while remaining active in pursuit of a heavyweight title for which he plans to challenge by year’s end.

Bivol’s first such opportunity came in April ’17, when he upended Samuel Clarkson in four rounds to pick up a vacant interim light heavyweight strap on a show where Kuzmin scored a 3rd round knockout. The heavyweight is 6-0 (5KOs) on nights where he and Bivol share a bill, hoping that the next one will end in similarly dominant fashion and also warrant future title consideration.

“My fight against Dawejko is another step on my way to the world title,” insists Kuzmin, who is ranked in the Top 15 by the WBC, WBA and IBF.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox

Tags: Sergey Kuzmin Joe
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IceDragon

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Should be Bivol with another W at the end of the night but i'm going to make a case that things could possibly go wrong. Joe smith has power but lacks in skill delivering that power. However there's something about Bivol that seems so...green, i don't know he seems like he's liable to make a rookie mistake despite his talent. Now if Bivol's chin is really good then it's already over for Smith.
 
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