8/22 ESPN+: Eleider Alvarez vs Joe Smith Jr.

[patscorpio]

Leave the judges at home because Eleider “Storm” Alvarez and Joe “The Beast” Smith Jr. are coming for the knockout.

Alvarez and Smith will face off in a WBO light heavyweight world title eliminator in Top Rank’s return to the MGM Grand Conference Center Saturday, Aug. 22. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Joe DeGuardia’s Star Boxing and Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM), Alvarez vs. Smith and a co-feature will stream live on ESPN+ starting at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

“I can’t wait to sit back and watch this fight, which features two of the light heavyweight division’s biggest punchers,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “It’s a 50-50 fight and a great way to kick off our return to MGM Grand.”

Said Alvarez, “This fight is critical for both of our careers. I respect Joe Smith, who has proven to be an elite fighter. However, I have all the tools to beat him, and that’s what I intend to do. My goal is to become a two-time light heavyweight world champion.”

Said Smith, “This fight means everything to me. It’s my path to a world title fight, and I know this is my second chance to turn my dream into reality. Alvarez is a former world champion, and in my mind, I am treating this as a world title fight. To get there, I have to, and will, win this fight."

Alvarez (25-1, 13 KOs) is a former Colombian Olympian who has made Montreal his home since turning pro in 2009. He gained widespread recognition following victories over Lucian Bute and Jean Pascal, but his August 2018 knockout win over longtime champion Sergey Kovalev earned him the WBO light heavyweight world title and recognition as one of the world’s top fighters. Alvarez lost a decision to Kovalev in a rematch the following February, but after recovering from a foot injury, he returned stronger than ever.

He headlined a Top Rank on ESPN main event January 18 and knocked out Michael Seals with a single right hand. The knockout, an instant viral video sensation, became an early frontrunner for Knockout of the Year.

Smith (25-3, 20 KOs), from Long Island, rose to prominence in 2016 as the construction worker member of the Laborers Local 66 union who knocked out top contender Andrzej Fonfara and living legend Bernard Hopkins in back-to-back fights. He fell short in his only world title shot, a March 2019 decision defeat to WBA champion Dmitry Bivol. The Bivol fight was a minor hiccup, as he returned in January and neutralized Jesse Hart over 10 one-sided rounds in a Top Rank on ESPN main event in Atlantic City. Smith, who now owns and operates a residential tree service company on Long Island, hopes to punch his ticket to another title shot.



A win over Alvarez will assure him of that opportunity.

Joe DeGuardia, Smith’s promoter, said, "I just love watching Joe Smith Jr. fight. He is a true throwback, a fan-favorite with tremendous punching power. It will be thrilling to see him against Alvarez, who is one of the top fighters in the game. Not only will boxing fans see two of the toughest light heavyweights battle it out in a fight that will ultimately determine the WBO world champion, but this has all the makings of the Fight of the Year.”

 

[patscorpio]

Rob Brant-Vitaliy Kopylenko ESPN+ Co-Feature For Alvarez-Smith Show 8/22
By Keith Idec

Published On Mon Aug 10, 2020, 09:17 PM EST

Rob Brant’s opponent has been secured for his comeback bout.

BoxingScene.com has learned that Brant will battle Vitaliy Kopylenko in a 10-round super middleweight match August 22 at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. ESPN+ will stream Brant-Kopylenko as the co-feature before Eleider Alvarez and Joe Smith Jr. meet in the main event, a 12-round WBO light heavyweight elimination match.

Brant (25-2, 17 KOs), a former WBA world middleweight champion, hasn’t fought since Japan’s Ryota Murata stopped him in the second round of their rematch in July 2019 in Osaka, Japan. Dallas’ Brant upset Murata (16-2, 13 KOs) by 12-round unanimous decision to win a version of the WBA’s 160-pound championship in October 2018 in Las Vegas.

Brant was supposed to return from this loss to Murata against Habib Ahmed on January 11 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. That fight, which ESPN would’ve televised, was canceled when Brant suffered a torn biceps while training early in December.

Ukraine’s Kopylenko (28-2, 16 KOs), who fights out of Oxnard, California, hasn’t boxed since losing a 10-round split decision to Montreal’s Steven Butler (28-2-1, 24 KOs) in May 2019 in Las Vegas.

Brant, 29, and Kopylenko, 36, are expected to meet slightly above the middleweight limit of 160 pounds.

Alvarez and Smith, meanwhile, will compete for the right to fight for the vacant WBO light heavyweight title next.

The Alvarez-Smith winner will face the victor between Umar Salamov and Maksim Vlasov for the unclaimed championship Canelo Alvarez gave up after knocking out Sergey Kovalev in the 11th round November 2 in Las Vegas.

Russia’s Salamov (25-1, 19 KOs) is ranked number one in the WBO’s light heavyweight ratings. Russia’s Vlasov (45-3, 26 KOs) is rated second by the WBO, one spot atop Alvarez (25-1, 13 KOs) and two spots above Smith (25-3, 20 KOs).

Alvarez, a Montreal resident raised in Colombia, and Smith, of Mastic, New York, were supposed to square off July 16 at MGM Grand Conference Center. Their 12-rounder was postponed late in June, when Alvarez sustained a shoulder injury while training.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.

 

[patscorpio]

Former middleweight world champion Rob “Bravo” Brant’s comeback begins in a Las Vegas “Bubble.” Brant, who lost his belt to Ryota Murata last July and had a January return scrapped due to a torn biceps, will fight Vitaliy Kopylenko in a 10-round middleweight tilt Saturday, August 22 from the MGM Grand Conference Center.

Brant-Kopylenko will serve as the co-feature to the Eleider-Alvarez-Joe Smith Jr. light heavyweight world title eliminator live and exclusively on ESPN+ (10 p.m. ET).

The undercard stream (ESPN+, 7:30 p.m. ET) features the return of boxing’s newest cult hero, “Cassius” Clay Collard, the former UFC fighter who is the leading contender for 2020 Prospect of the Year.

“We have a can’t-miss main event and the highly anticipated returns of Rob Brant and Clay Collard. What a night at the fights inside the ‘Bubble,’” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Rob is rejuvenated and ready to begin his ascent towards another world title. As for Clay, whenever he fights, he delivers.”

Brant (25-2, 17 KOs) upset the odds in October 2018, defeating Murata by unanimous decision to win the WBA world title nearly one year removed from his loss to Jürgen Brähmer. He defended his world title once, then traveled to Murata’s home country of Japan intent on repeating the deed. Instead, Murata turned the tables, knocking out Brant in the second round of a slugfest that saw 354 punches thrown in 334 seconds of action. Following the Murata defeat, Brant hired a new trainer in Brian McIntyre, who is best known for his work with pound-for-pound king Terence “Bud” Crawford and WBO junior lightweight world champion Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring.

Kopylenko (28-2, 16 KOs), from Vasylkiv, Ukraine hopes to rebound from a May 2019 split decision loss to Steven Butler. Prior to the Butler loss, he’d won six consecutive bouts. A 12-year pro, Kopylenko advanced to the semifinals of the 2014 “Boxcino” middleweight tournament, which aired as part of the ESPN “Friday Night Fights” series.

“I have worked extremely hard, even though the current climate through the pandemic has been a bit hectic,” Brant said. “After physical therapy, I stayed focused on my nutrition, thanks to my wonderful wife, Tiffany, and began doing a lot of distance running until I was cleared to start punching again. I have been in camp for close to three months now and feel very strong and confident. Kopylenko is talented with a great body attack. I am very confident, but I respect his skill set and will prepare like this is a world title bout. I’m back!”

Collard (8-2-3, 3 KOs) will face Maurice Williams in a middleweight bout scheduled for eight or six rounds, his third “Bubble” appearance since June 18. Collard is 4-0 in 2020, including three victories over previously undefeated prospects. Williams (7-1, 3 KOs) has won five in a row since a fifth-round TKO loss to Dennis Knifechief in November 2016. He has since avenged his loss to Knifechief twice, including a third-round TKO victory.

“I just look at this as another fight. Nothing’s really changed other than the attention I’m getting,” Collard said. “I’m loving all of this. I’m just training and getting ready to do what I love.

“I didn’t know how I’d like fighting without fans and being quarantined, but I enjoy fighting for Top Rank in the ‘Bubble.’ I’m just blessed to be part of this experience.”

In other undercard action:

In a 10-round duel of unbeaten junior welterweights, Julian “Hammer Hands” Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs) will take on “Action” Anthony Laureano (13-0, 4 KOs). Rodriguez, a seven-year pro from Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., went 3-0 in 2019 following a nearly two-year layoff.

Star Boxing-promoted prospect Wendy Toussaint (11-0, 5 KOs) will take on “Bubble” veteran Isiah Jones (9-2, 3 KOs) in a middleweight fight scheduled for eight or six rounds. Jones, who went 1-1 inside the “Bubble” in June, is coming off a majority decision victory June 30 over the previously unbeaten Donte Stubbs.

In scheduled six-round contests, Robert Rodriguez (8-0-1, 4 KOs) will fight Abel Soriano (10-0, 7 KOs) at bantamweight, while knockout artist Israel Mercado (7-0, 7 KOs) will battle fellow California native Adrian Valdovinos (5-0-1, 4 KOs) at junior welterweight.

Former U.S. amateur star Duke Ragan, from Cincinnati, will make his long-awaited professional debut against Luis Alvarado (1-1) in a four-rounder at featherweight.

 

[FreedMind]

I get excited for any Joe Smith bout.

 

[ℒℴѵℯJay ELECTUA]

I get excited for any Joe Smith bout.

me too!!

 

[patscorpio]

i wonder what TR has in store for "cassius" clay anyways...they are building him up and for what division?

 

[patscorpio]

damn canadians have it rough when it comes to boxing..the weirdest card are PPV for them

 

[patscorpio]

Eleider Alvarez-Joe Smith Weigh-In Results From Las Vegas
By Keith Idec

Published On Fri Aug 21, 2020, 04:54 PM EST

The same could not be said for some fighters on their undercard, but Eleider Alvarez and Joe Smith Jr. met their contractual obligations at their weigh-in Friday in Las Vegas.

Montreal’s Alvarez officially weighed 174.6 pounds for his 12-round, 175-pound WBO elimination match against Smith on Saturday night. Smith, of Mastic, New York, stepped on the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s scale at 174.9 pounds.

The winner between Alvarez (25-1, 13 KOs) and Smith (25-3, 20 KOs) will secure a shot at the WBO light heavyweight title in his next fight. Whoever wins will face the victor of another eliminator that’ll match two Russian contenders – top-rated Umar Salamov (25-1, 19 KOs) and second-ranked Maksim Vlasov (45-3, 26 KOs) – for the unclaimed WBO 175-pound title.

Salamov is ranked number one by the WBO, Vlasov is rated second, Alvarez is third and Smith is fourth.

Alvarez, 36, and Smith, 30, will square off in the main event of an eight-bout card ESPN+ will stream live from MGM Grand Conference Center, starting at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. Smith and Alvarez were supposed to fight July 16, but it postponed because Alvarez suffered a shoulder injury while sparring.

Earlier Friday, Rob Brant and Vitaliy Kopylenko made weight for the Smith-Alvarez co-feature, a 10-round super middleweight match.

Dallas’ Brant came in 161.1 pounds. Ukraine’s Kopylenko officially weighed 159.5 pounds.

The 29-year-old Brant (25-2, 17 KOs), a former WBA world middleweight champion, will fight for the first time since Japan’s Ryota Murata stopped him in the second round of their rematch in July 2019 in Osaka, Japan. Dallas’ Brant upset Murata (16-2, 13 KOs) by 12-round unanimous decision to win a version of the WBA’s 160-pound championship in October 2018 in Las Vegas.

Kopylenko (28-2, 16 KOs) will end an even longer layoff. He hasn’t boxed since losing a 10-round split decision to Montreal’s Steven Butler (28-2-1, 24 KOs) in May 2019 in Las Vegas.

The official weights for the first six bouts on Saturday’s card are listed below.

Julian Rodriguez (19-0, 12 KOs), Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, 141.5 pounds vs. Anthony Laureano (13-0, 4 KOs, 1 NC), East Hartford, Connecticut, 145.9 pounds, 10 rounds, welterweights. (Laureano came in nearly four pounds over the contracted weight limit of 142. Laureno refused to try to lose more weight, but the bout still is expected to take place.)

Wendy Toussaint (11-0, 5 KOs), Huntington, New York, 154.4 pounds vs. Isiah Jones (9-2, 3 KOs), Detroit, 157.2 pounds, 8 rounds, middleweights.

Clay Collard (8-2-3, 3 KOs), Burley, Idaho, 159.8 pounds vs. Maurice Williams (7-1, 3 KOs), Oklahoma City, 158.2 pounds, 8 rounds, middleweights.

Robert Rodriguez (8-0-1, 4 KOs), Riverside, California, 120.4 pounds vs. Abel Soriano (10-0, 7 KOs), Bellevue, Nebraska, 119.8 pounds, 6 rounds, junior featherweights.

Israel Mercado (7-0, 7 KOs), Pomona, California, 136.6 pounds vs. Adrian Valdovinos (5-0-1, 4 KOs), Hanford, California, 137.2 pounds, 6 rounds, junior welterweights.

Duke Ragan (pro debut), Cincinnati, 125.5 pounds vs. Luis Alvarado (1-1), Pasco, Washington, 126.8 pounds, 4 rounds, featherweights.

 

[Electric Ladyland]

i got Smith

power definitely real and he tries to improve his boxing every fight

 

[ℒℴѵℯJay ELECTUA]

i need a link for this fellas..

 

[Electric Ladyland]

damn me too, i thought it was on regular espn

crackstreams should have it, not a big fight so i dont expect any problems

 

[ℒℴѵℯJay ELECTUA]

damn me too, i thought it was on regular espn

crackstreams should have it, not a big fight so i dont expect any problems

Is that a site?

 

[Electric Ladyland]

Is that a site?

yea breh just add .com

undercard already there

 

[patscorpio]

 

[FreedMind]

Weird KO

Great shot on the replay. The way Alvarado went down I figured he got hurt to the body. He was legit out on his feet.