Where do you rank the above and how does each fight play out?
Throw Lomachenko in there as well!
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Where do you rank the above and how does each fight play out?
Throw Lomachenko in there as well!
I’m picking Haney, Loma and Teo ducking him so blatantly says a lot to me. If they don’t think they can beat him why should I think they can beat him?
So you are picking the least proven of them all because you think everyone is ducking him? Let’s be honest, Haney looks to have a ton of talent and could possibly be the best of them all, but as of now, he has definitely proven the least.
Teo has tons of options so let’s wait to see what else he does. Many of his options are better options than Haney. Tank and Garcia are the same. I would love for Haney to get in the mix too, but I’m not calling a duck unless these fighters are picking weak opponents. All three of them just beat good fighters while Haney fought Gamboa.
On form (who you beat)
Teo
Garcia
Tank
Haney
Who comes out on top in a round robin
Teo
They are picking lesser fighters though, and giving up the shot at undisputed. It says something that they would rather have less money and not be undisputed.
I agree Haney is the least proven. He’s also the one out there at every fight “fight me” and they all have reasons where they want less money and no belt.
Maybe Haney isn’t that good. He certainly didn’t look great in his last fight. But I’d like to see one of these guys step up to his challenges. And saying you’ll fight him for 10 million is saying you won’t fight him
I'll give young Ryan his props. He got dropped flat on his arse and popped up and pressed for and made the ko. That's big. But I have a sneaking suspicion he runs the risk of being one of those guys whos flaws are glossed over and not corrected before he's put into the deep mixes. Flaws incorporated. Berto, Broner, Wilder type of push a little bit. But every fighter can improve with the top training he has with him..the problem is he is insisting on the very best next out. Once you reach the top tier, you cannot learn backwards and go unscathed. I think Teo and Davis will be too physical and punch diverse for him. Getting clipped repeatedly with long lefts is one thing but those two get that leverage om both hands, uppercuts to short hooks etc. Teo has that footwork too. Haney seemingly has a full tool box but need to see much more. He looked a little bit pedestrian in spots with Gamboa. Coasted. Gotta see that fire in the gut.
What lesser fighters are they picking? Teo fought Loma who many people considered #1 p4p. Before that, he fought Commey who was a proven lightweight. He hasn’t picked his next fight yet so we will see. I will see your point of ducking Haney if he fights a low quality fighter next.
Tank is still technically at 130 so we will see what he does. I do agree that Tank has definitely been dodging some people. I’m not sure so much if it’s Haney but he hasn’t been fighting the best competition lately.
Garcia just fought Campbell who is a established lightweight that he could get real recognition for. Beating Haney before beating Campbell would most likely result in Haney being called overrated rather than Garcia being legit.
Again, let’s wait and see what these fighters do in their next outing first. We will also see what Haney does. It’s easy to call out top fighters when you are the unproven one. If Haney fights and beats a caliber of fighter that the other 3 have done in their last fight then he has more of a case to be their top priority. As of now, I don’t think Haney is a top opponent of any of them.
Loma gave up his belt to not fight him. He fought Campbell, Garcia fought Campbell, watch, Garcia will turn down his mandatory. We don’t need to wait for it, we know it’s coming. Teo is fighting Cambosos(spelling???) for 0 belts. Teo said he needs 10 million to fight Haney, that’s a joke and everyone knows it. I’ll just keep my years and years long tradition of telling you all what will happen going. Garcia will turn down his mandatory.
At some point people need to stop defending ducking. Look at GGG ducking Charlo “we will never fight Charlo”, that should be railed about but people call him a “take all comers” guy. It’s dishonest.
Care to bet if Garcia takes his mandatory?
Let’s be honest though, you are biased for black fighters just like you are saying everyone is biased against black fighters. I’m not saying it’s a problem, it just clouds your judgment. You notice that you brought up Loma which wasn’t even part of this discussion and you happened to omit Tank who is the oldest and has definitely been ducking more fighters recently. Then you bring up the GGG and Charlo thing. Charlo was definitely more proven than Haney is right now so I don’t think that counts.
Again, with Teo, he literally fought the #1 p4p fighter in the world. He also fought Commey before that who was known as dangerous and a top lightweight. He hasn’t been ducking people. We will see with Kambosas but it’s not an awful fight. I would definitely agree that I would rather him fight Haney. I would love a round Robin, but we will see what Haney does if he gets a big win. If he beats Teo, Tank, or Garcia, I bet that you will go silent if he doesn’t take on the next one right after.
Find me defending Tanks opponents. Good luck with that. I would pick Haney over him, Loma over him, Teo over him. I pick smart fighters as a rule. Tank is neither dedicated enough or smart enough. I think he starches Garcia because Garcia’s head is there for the taking. But I also think Garcia could well beat Teo or Haney because of his speed/length/power. We’ve already seen Teo struggle with a tall fighter and Haney is an unknown.
The excuse, let’s see what Haney does after a big win is dodging the issue. It’s a never ending circle because none of the top guys will fight him. Let’s see after, let’s see after, who has he fought, who has he fought, we can’t get there if they won’t fight him. Notice you didn’t want to bet if Garcia would accept his mandatory. Let’s skip the bet, just give me your opinion. It’s been ordered, does Garcia accept his mandated fight for Haney’s belt or do they refuse the title shot? I know the answer and I think you do too so let’s hear it?
If you think Loma gave up his belt to not fight Haney(known), Teo doesn’t want undisputed to not fight Haney(known) and Garcia won’t accept his mandatory position(will be known soon) to not fight Haney. Then you have to admit there is a problem that is not Haney
Also, biased for black fighters because I want people to give Haney a shot and Charlo a shot? Is this really where we are? Oh, I also wanted one of the top guys to starch Wilder and Thurman to give Spence his shot.
Tell me which of those biased things shouldn’t rightly have happened?
Tank ducked Loma.
Lomo ducked Haney.
Teo beat Loma.
Teo should be the A side, but apparently in this crazy WBC Canelo worshipping world - Garcia is the A side in everything.
In terms of proven thus far in the ring Teo is on top....
As for who out of them is the best, I THINK Davis could be something special if he keeps focus.....
All great talents though with plenty of other talent in and around the lightweight division we should enjoy watching/following who goes the furthest.
I think the last time this question came up I had Haney as being the eventual number 1 guy and Garcia 2nd and Davis last :S...... Well Davis certainly had a better performance v Gamboa than Haney did and lopez went and beat lomachenko. So good job me...... I'm going to stick with Haney having a great career though, he's got a lot of skill and is still very young I think he'll beat Garcia if they fight(I doubt it will be soon)... I was quite disappointed with Garcia performance v Campbell, obviously it was a great KO and he won just about all the rounds but he went down hard and there was a few times he backed up badly and looked unsure of what to do, a bugger wilder chap would have had him out I think... His left hook to the head seemed mostly ineffective too and he hit a lot of glove but still, good speed and great power..
Obviously teofimo lopez has to be seen as the number one at this time.
Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia agree to fight in heated exchange on Mike Tyson's podcast
Following a heated exchange over FaceTime while appearing on a taping of former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson’s “HotBoxin’’’ podcast on Wednesday, newly crowned interim WBC lightweight champion Ryan Garcia agreed to fight WBA champion Gervonta Davis.
Garcia was discussing his Saturday victory over Luke Campbell with Tyson and co-host Jeremy Piven. Garcia said on the show he wanted to fight Davis next, and Davis FaceTimed in.
Tyson held the iPhone for Garcia so he could see Davis, and the two got into an animated exchange.
At one point, Garcia said, “You’re 5-5. You’re going to need a ladder to hit me. You’re going to need a StairMaster. You won’t be able to touch me. You ain’t never fought a 135-[pounder] in your life. This is different. I don’t care what you say. You ain’t got nothing.”
If the fight happens — and Garcia promoter Oscar De La Hoya would have to close a deal with Davis promoter Leonard Ellerbe to make it a reality — it would pit two of the rising stars in the crowded and talented lightweight division.
The 26-year-old Davis, who is coming off a KO of the Year-caliber finish of Leo Santa Cruz, is 24-0 with 23 KOs. He holds both the WBA lightweight belt and the WBA super featherweight title.
Garcia, 22, is 21-0 with 18 KOs. Until his win over Campbell, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, he was known mostly for his massive social media following. Garcia has 506,000 followers on Twitter and 8.2 million on Instagram.
On Monday, Davis posted a mock poster to his Instagram that shows him and Garcia. The text says “Davis versus Garcia,” and below that it reads, “There is nowhere to hide.” Davis has 2.6 million Instagram followers.
Tyson was gleeful as Garcia and Davis went back-and-forth. Later, Tyson released a statement exclusively to Yahoo Sports in which he expressed delight at being able to help put the two young stars together in the ring.
“This just became one of the biggest events of 2021 and it was perfect to announce on ‘Hotboxin’’,” Tyson said. “Stay tuned: We’ve got a lot of big things coming.”
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/gervonta...210558281.html
I think the boxers might be getting ahead of the promoters a bit here. Or maybe they already agreed to it and they're just trying to hype it. But it's not the fight you would expect to see get made next for either of them.
Undisputed world lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez is eyeing a fight with Britain's Josh Taylor as he plots a step up the divisions.
Scot Taylor hopes to add the WBC and WBO light-welterweight belts to his IBF and WBA titles by beating Jose Ramirez.
Outlining hopes to take on the winner, Lopez, 23, told BBC Radio 5 Live: "They got to make that happen. Absolutely. I would love to do that fight in the UK.
"The main guy I do want to win from that fight is Josh Taylor."
Speaking to the boxing podcast hosted by Mike Costello and Steve Bunce, the American added: "It'll go to show everyone that we talk a lot, but we back it up."
Lopez beat Vasyl Lomachenko by a unanimous points decision in Las Vegas in October to become the undisputed lightweight champion, adding the WBA, WBO and WBC 'franchise' titles to his IBF belt.
He is the youngest four-belt undisputed champion, with an unbeaten record of 16 wins from 16 bouts.
Taylor, 30, is hoping for a unification fight against Ramirez in 2021 and told BBC Scotland last month he wants to retire in two or three years as a three-weight world champion.
Lopez said he is planning two fights this year at 135lb (lightweight) and one at 140 (light-welterweight).
He believes a bout with unbeaten compatriot Devin Haney is most likely next as plans to fight Australia's mandatory IBF challenger George Kambosos have been scuppered by travel restrictions, and he ruled out fighting Ukrainian Lomachenko again.
"We beat him fair and square, we beat him clearly," said Lopez.
"Had this fight been a split decision, then yes, we could talk about something but this turned out to be a unanimous decision for a reason.
"We outboxed the boxer, we beat the boxer, now it's on to bigger and better things."
Lopez believes he will prove even better when rising up the weights, eventually fighting at welterweight (147lb).
"We are resisting my full potential, because we want to make these other fights happen. At 140, you guys will see my full potential. At 147, you will see a lot more," he said.
Mike Costello, boxing commentator: "He seems very keen on a Josh Taylor fight if that unification contest comes up against Ramirez. What struck me was him saying that at 147, at welterweight, that's where you're really going to see the best of me.
"Quite often my gut feeling is it can't be done but then I reflect on how small Floyd Mayweather looked when he was making those same noises. They've been talking about it for so long. I don't think they would have done if it hadn't been realistic."
Steve Bunce, boxing pundit: "Reading what his father said after the victory over Lomachenko, and hearing what he said there, I'm not so sure he will dawdle too long at lightweight."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/55630730
i dont know if he understands how to throw a straight punch, since the mechanics of that punch are a lot different, but ryan garcia can throw a left hook. the mechanics of that punch are simple enough; just let your hip pull your arm. to do that the tip of your elbow has to start behind your hip. a lot of trainers will tell you not to do that. they want you to push your punches. did ryan garcia play baseball? i know that guys like rocky marciano and charley burley played baseball. i have a little theory that if you can throw a baseball, you can throw a punch.
Keep in mind folks Teo is lying. He says he has sent contracts to Haney and Kambosos, even Arum says that’s ridiculous BS
https://youtu.be/pyHSfoG41T0
Watched Ryan Garcia talking to Teddy Atlas
Very quickly I can see why Ryan Garcia has got millions of followers. Such a positive energetic person.
In the last fight, he was reminiscent of GoldenBoy at that early stage of career and a lot more personable
Ryan Garcia is on an upward trajectory in the world of boxing – but that doesn’t mean he’s focused solely on the present.
Garcia, 22, plans to retire from boxing at 26. When he uses the word “retirement,” though, he doesn’t mean he’ll permanently walk away from combat sports. Garcia won’t simply fight just to fight. Instead, he’ll take on challengers who people think will defeat him.
“You’ve seen in the past fighters who retired and came back,” Garcia said in a recent interview on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “This is what I will say. I still plan to retire at 26 – yet, if I am to return back to the ring, I will only battle people (who) people at that time say, ‘There’s no way Ryan will beat him.’ That’s the only way I’m coming back. ”
Garcia has been a professional boxer since 17. While boxing has been his sole competitive focus, the WBC interim lightweight champion isn’t ruling out a transition to MMA – should it be in the public’s interest. It’s about the challenge, even if that challenge is UFC star Conor McGregor.
“At 26, I still plan to retire,” Garcia said. “But if I do return back in the ring, I will promise everybody that I will fight people that they say I won’t beat. (Do) you know what I’m willing to do? I haven’t really said this out loud. What I plan to do is – say, at 26, I’m done, retired, and boxing is all good, right? … If they say, ‘OK, you’ve beaten everyone in the ring, right?’ (If) somebody goes, ‘This ain’t real fighting. Real fighting is legs, choking, submissions, all that.’ Guess what I’ll do? I’ll go prove to them that I’m the best fighter all-around in the world. I’m talking about hands. I’m talking about wrestling.
“I’ll go to MMA to prove a point that God is greatest. I’ll go beat whoever in MMA they say I won’t beat. If it has to be Conor McGregor (I fight), I will. I’m not saying this to get money. I don’t care about money. I’m saying this because it’s just how I feel.”
Fresh off a body-shot TKO victory over Luke Campbell earlier this month, Garcia (21-0 boxing) doesn’t have his next fight booked.
Meanwhile, McGregor (22-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC) is scheduled to headline UFC 257 on Jan. 23 against fellow lightweight contender Dustin Poirier in a rematch of their September 2013 bout.
https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2021/...rove-point-ufc
Garcia and Haney fought at least 6 times in Amateurs.
Garcia claims Haney not responding to him, implying he's not as keen on a match up.
I think both Teo and Davis knock out Garcia. I've always favored the hard-scrabble, tough young fighters who rise despite their persistent anonymity. Garcia is another "golden-spoon" hype product. Not saying he ain't good... only that he would meet a harsh reality against any of those two. I'm not a Davis fan, mostly based on his off-the-ring shenanigans... but I can't deny his greatness and potential.
Yet the following fight he destroyed the very durable and rugged Commey. Teo is allowed the occasional mediocre day, but it's those high peaks that matter.
Gervonta yeah... he's got his chinks in the armor. I don't like the way he let a gimpy (but brave) Gamboa hang around till the final round. But man... his knockout over Santa Cruz was some scary stuff right there. True, Gervonta's naturally bigger than Leo... and Leo's style was made to order for that uppercut... but still.
But they're hyping Garcia like they hyped the Golden Boy in his time like they hyped the Red-Headed One. I hate hype for the sake of hype. I say let the man prove himself further in the ring before you start falling all over yourself for him.
So I told you all a long time back Teo would fight Kambosos and Garcia would not enact his mandatory position. I sat off quietly waiting for it to play out
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EY5i97LBKug
And Garcia is trying to fight ANYONE but Haney.
At some point you all will have to accept that what I say is going to happen is going to happen. Or you can make personal attacks, whatever
Garcia has already spoken about Haney during the interview with Teddy Atlas
Teofimo Lopez: ‘This is the takeover. I’m going to be the face of boxing’
Teofimo Lopez still remembers the first time boxing broke his heart. Before being crowned the undisputed lightweight world champion, before dismantling one of the sport’s modern greats with searing impudence, he was competing at an amateur boxing tournament in Florida, and he was running. After the result was read aloud, the eight-year-old sprinted out the gym, not physically beaten but psychologically bruised, and the tears streamed uncontrollably down his cheeks. “I started crying because I felt like I’d let my father down,” he says. “I just ran and ran, I didn’t stop. My dad used to call the cops and they’d try and look for me for hours. I was ashamed. But little by little, I learned to take the losses like my wins. A true champion has to learn that. You can’t be a sore loser.”
In keeping with boxing’s rituals, Lopez preaches a lurid brand of trash talk with near-biblical intensity - few, after all, have earned the right so emphatically. But every so often, moments of genuine grief slip from behind that swaggering mask. “I’ve had my heart broken by boxing seven times,” he says. The worst was not the mortification of that first ever defeat, though, but the reaction to his greatest triumph when he dethroned Vasyl Lomachenko last October. “Achieving what I did and have everyone kind of discredit that. That was the biggest.”
Make no mistake, there has been plenty of adulation, too. Lopez’s captivating victory will always be remembered as the night when one of the sport’s divine technicians was stripped of his majesty. Lopez was immediately instated as one of boxing’s pound-for-pound superstars and was named 2020’s fighter of the year. But then, inevitably, boxing’s more lamentable machinations sputtered into life.
First, Lomachenko bizarrely claimed the ringside judges had been bribed and demanded a rematch. Soon afterwards, largely as a result of the governing bodies’ greed and an endless supply of titles, prodigious rivals Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia both began signalling their own claims of supremacy. Throughout his short but staggeringly successful career, Lopez has always become fixated by those slights, a sense of injustice that he sometimes deliberately blows out of proportion, hoarding it as a fire that burns “in the heart” and is then channelled into every punch.
“I’m the king of the division. There’s only one and that’s Teofimo,” Lopez says, raising each of his belts aloft in evidence. “At 23, I did something that’s never been done before in my division. That’s the difference between myself and these other guys. They’re fake champions. [When people discredit me] they don’t realise that’s what motivates me. From the Olympic Games [when Lopez was denied a place on the US team and then lost a controversial decision while representing Honduras], when I was younger in the amateurs, still not being acknowledged as the best. The damage has been done since I was little.”
Sometimes, the hurt has been self-inflicted. One of Lopez’s earliest memories is of training at a local gym with his father and catching his arm on an exposed hook while hitting the punchbag. “I had a big gash, it was so open, and I went up to my dad and he freaked out and took me to the hospital,” he says. “I think I had something like 36 stitches… That was my sacrifice. I gave blood to the sport. I was six years old.”
Largely, though, the “rage” and determination has been inherited. Lopez’s father was born in Brooklyn but spent a large part of his childhood in Honduras. He stole and sold to make ends meet - later serving 11 days in jail on drug charges -and already had a reputation for fighting in the street before his volatile life was tragically upended by the deaths of his parents. Lopez Sr only had one amateur fight, but when his son was born, he transferred his passion for boxing with equal measures of love and fury. “He first put gloves on me when I was two years old,” Lopez says. “My father is very intense, just like every other coach.”
For all Lopez Sr’s pugnacious antics, which are now better recognised in furious denunciations of his son’s opponents, his fierce passion and prowess as a trainer are inarguable. As a young teenager, with minimal outside influence, Lopez won national championships and proved himself as one of boxing’s most valuable prospects. His career has been fast-tracked ever since, but the pursuit of success also bears a toll, and in one memorable televised interview prior to the Lomachenko fight, Lopez broke down when discussing how the relationship with his father had deteriorated.
“It took us a long time to find the balance [between being a father and a coach],” Lopez says now of that rift. “Nothing comes easy when it’s done the right way. Now we’ve understood each other more, we respect each other in a much better way. Sometimes I have to be like the father and talk to him about certain things. A lot of people think we’ll break up eventually, but that will never be the case. He’s a tremendous father and an incredible coach and I think a lot of people need to give him more respect. For everyone out there, he may seem different, he may seem crazy, but he knows what you need to become an undisputed champion.”
For all their bluster, Lopez Sr’s lofty prophecies for his son have almost always been realised. So, perhaps, it is only right that Lopez taps into that same vein when considering what comes next. “Last year, I put my foot on everyone’s necks. This year, I’m choking them,” he says, before bursting into laughter. “What I did with Lomachenko was just a little taste. This is just the beginning. Tyson Fury, I love you. Canelo, te amo. But this is the new generation. Teofimo is taking over and nobody can stop that. We’re going to be the face of boxing.”
And what of the man behind that face, who still remembers every heartbreak? Slowly, Lopez says, the image of that small child running out of the gym will be hidden from view completely. “People don’t need to know [what’s happening behind the mask],” he says. “I am who I am in boxing because I have to be. It's a very dirty sport. When people think you’re soft, they think they can do something. It’s about protection. Whether they like me or not, they’re still going to watch Teofimo.”
https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/teo...102746890.html
UNHAPPY Teofimo Lopez may emulate Floyd Mayweather in splitting from Top Rank promoters – ‘If you can’t meet the terms, I’m taking my talents somewhere else’
Teofimo Lopez may emulate Floyd Mayweather by splitting from promoters Top Rank to capitalise on his success.
Lopez cemented himself among the elite by becoming the unified lightweight champion when he beat Vasyl Lomachenko in October last year.
The 16-0 fighter is ranked as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world and, at just 23, has some of his biggest fights ahead of him.
Lopez hinted that he is unhappy with Bob Arum’s Top Rank and may look elsewhere to cash in on his success.
“I’m looking forward, and I’m moving forward,” Lopez told ESPN. “If you can’t meet the terms, then like I said, I’m taking my talents somewhere else.
“Because you got the best fighter in the world on that display. It’s all paid dues. And that’s what we did; we paid our dues. I am your favourite fighter’s favourite fighter. That sets the tone, and I think that everybody needs to realise that.
“I am the truth. I am the best in the division. I can’t take it or leave it no more. It’s more so about it’s a takeover. I earned it. It’s not something that’s a given. You’ve gotta earn it.”
Lopez would not be the first fighter to split from Top Rank as Floyd Mayweather famously bought himself out of his deal with the promotion in 2006 for $750,000.
The 50-0 boxer later admitted that signing with the promotion was one of his worst decisions.
“As of today, the worst thing I ever did in my career was sign with Top Rank,” Mayweather told FightHype in 2018. “One of my family members was money hungry and went behind my back. That’s the worst thing I ever did.
“The worst thing I ever did was sign with Top Rank, because I was destined to be big anyway.
“I was destined to be a superstar anyway.”
Mayweather’s net worth is said to be around $560million, although he disputes this and puts the figure closer to $1billion.
https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/8...plit-top-rank/
PRINCE OF DARKNESS New US golden boy Vergil Ortiz Jr reveals shock OAP Brit rocker Ozzy Osbourne has helped inspire sensational 16-0 start
BOXING’S new Fab Four could be overshadowed by the terrifying Prince of Darkness this year.
Lightweight sensations Teofimo Lopez, Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis are all grabbing world titles, mega-money deals and social media fame with their actions online and in the ring.
But fame-dodging 22-year-old welterweight Vergil Ortiz Jr has raced to 16-0 - all via brutal KO - on a diet of heavy-rock guitar thrashing straight out of bat-chomping Ozzy Osbourne’s playbook.
It’s hard to believe Dallas’ young fighting force is fueled by the tunes of a 72-year-old Birmingham make-up lover but piano-playing throwback Ortiz Jr is full of surprises.
“I like to play music, it is a big part of my life and, I can’t lie, it started with Guitar Hero,” he told SunSport.
“Just playing that computer game got me into rock music and then it taught me timing and hitting the right notes and strumming at the same time.
“Playing a real guitar is the same thing really, there are just a lot more f****** notes to learn and remember!
“I love Black Sabbath and play a lot of their songs, if I could have been born in any other era it would have been the 1970’s so I could have really enjoyed the music of the 80’s and 90’s.”
Ortiz Jr’s last win over the respected Samuel Vargas - who takes on Conor Benn on April 10 - went viral for hitting all of the right notes.
The sickening sounds of the shots that stopped the veteran inside seven punishing rounds were harder to listen to than even one of Kelly Osbourne’s tracks.
But to menacing Ortiz, the rasping shots and thudding blows were music to his finely tuned ears.
“That’s what I liked about the Vargas fight”, he said. “I always go back and watch my fights, often on the same night.
“Punches usually never really sound like they should do but when I watched the Samuel Vargas fight back they sounded exactly exactly how I heard them as we were fighting.
“I definitely have an on and off switch, I can control my emotions.
“Even in the locker room I am still smiling and feeling relaxed. Once they call my name I start changing and, once the bell rings, I am a whole different person.”
Ortiz Jr’s name was thrown into the headlines last year when his legendary promoter Oscar De La Hoya labelled him the ‘future of boxing’.
The praise could have blown him off track or off the rails but instead it has inspired him to work even harder and take a massive challenge against ex-world champ Maurice Hooker on March 20.
He said: “It was an honour when Oscar made that comment, I don’t even know how many weight divisions he won world titles in but I know it’s a lot.
“A comment like that coming from someone of that calibre means a lot and it motivates me to work even harder.
“I was really happy when he said that but it also confirmed that my hard work isn’t done. I will never be satisfied.
“I don’t care about what people have to say about me, people will always talk and I think it’s a healthier lifestyle just to focus on yourself.”
Ortiz Jr is trained by the brilliant Robert Garcia as well as his father Vergil Sr.
Boxing history is littered with tragic tales of father-and-son teams collapsing and even Lopez broke down in tears over the fractured relationship with his father before the brilliant undisputed win over Vasiliy Lomachenko.
But the Ortiz family are working hard to keep their emotions separate from their trade.
“Me and my dad are still the same, we separate home life and our boxing careers,” Ortiz Jr said.
"At home he is my dad and at the gym he is my coach.
“We do a really good job at separating those, my dad cares about me but he will be tough on me because he wants the best for me.
“I am not the sort of bratty kid who will ever think his dad is being hard because he wants to be mean, I am not dumb, I will always know why he is doing things to make me better.”
The welterweight division is perhaps one of the most frustrating in the sport right now as top stars Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr refuse to fight each other to designate an unquestionable No1.
But that could be good news for British fans as Ortiz would have no problem clashing with an English hero while he waits for his chance to strike out for gold.
“The division is being held up a bit by some of the world champions, once we get an undisputed champion I assume they will move up and the belts will get moved around again.
“But ideally I would get to fight all of these top guys at their best, before they move up.”
When SunSport floats the idea of an Amir Khan or Kell Brook cracker, Ortiz beams over Zoom: “Oh definitely!”
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/14295...t-vergil-ozzy/
George Kambosos vows to ‘destroy’ Teofimo Lopez and end ‘four kings’ era of Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney
GEORGE KAMBOSOS has vowed to 'destroy' Teofimo Lopez and the 'four kings' lightweight era at the same time.
Throughout the 1980s, boxing was graced by Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns.
They were a quartet of superstars who all fought each other and earned the 'four kings' nickname.
Now promoters and managers are licking their lips at the prospect of another golden era, this time in the lightweight division.
Unified champion Lopez sits atop of the throne, with ready-made unbeaten rivals awaiting him in Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney.
But Aussie Kambosos, who challenges for Lopez's belts in May, has promised to wreck those super-fights by ruling over the lot of them.
He told SunSport: "What's a king to an emperor? A king might rule one land but the emperor will come over and rule many lands.
"They can be the 'four kings' no problem but the emperor is coming and coming to rule America.
"I've already ruled Australia, I came over to the UK and ruled there.
"Now I'm coming over to rule the US and destroy the supposed top leader, their king, the guy who is holding it down for them."
Lopez, 23, shot to superstardom in October, as he dethroned pound-for-pound contender Vasiliy Lomachenko, 32, on points.
Floyd Mayweather protege Davis, 26, is a career super-featherweight but has the power and backing to move up the weights.
Haney, 22, also mentored by Mayweather, was controversially handed the WBC belt in 2019, with Lomachenko elevated to 'Franchise' champ.
And Garcia, also 22, is primed as America's next 'Golden Boy', but is yet to fight for world honours.
Kambosos, 27, meanwhile muscled his way into title contention by fighting across America and Europe, climbing the ranks.
He sealed the deal in October, flying 9,000 miles to beat ex-champion Lee Selby, 34, in London to become IBF mandatory.
And Kambosos is adamant his career stands out above the other contenders, having travelled far and wide while taking on all comers.
He said: "I've earned it the hardest way.
"Lopez has all the belts, he's beat three former or world champions, the second guy is myself, I've beaten two former world champions.
"Devin Haney has only beaten one, and Gamboa was shot as ever, Ryan Garcia hasn't beaten a world champion yet.
"Davis, he's all over the place, he's at 130, so he's not really in the mix at 135.
"I've had to earn this the hard way. I've been overseas, the US, preparing all over the world with hard sparring sessions.
"This has been well earned, everything that has come has been deserving, but now I'm ready for those world titles."
Lopez rolled the dice when negotiating his first title defence, refusing a package put together by his Top Rank promotion.
Instead, he gambled and went to purse bids, with social media app Triller blowing the competition out of the water with a £4.3million bid.
The huge payment to secure the rights further increased Lopez's argument as a box office attraction, which started the night he upset Lomachenko.
But Kambosos is ready to stand up to the New Yorker and burst his bubble while spoiling his reign before it even gets going.
He explained: "No one has ever turned round to Teofimo and said, 'I'm coming straight at ya. I don't care what you've done'.
"They've all been scared of him, I don't know why. He's a young, 23-year-old little kid.
"I'm not scared of any man, I saw what Lomachenko did in that fight in the later part, I'm bigger, stronger, faster and more explosive and more violent.
"Just like Lopez shocked the world, it's going to be very embarrassing come our fight."
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/14298...a-devin-haney/
Garcia literally petitioned to be removed from his mandatory position. As I told you all he would months ago. It’s boring being right so far ahead of time.
Davis may not be fighting anyone for some time. https://www.badlefthook.com/2021/3/2...xing-news-2021