Latest news with #JaronEnnis
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Norman Jr stops Sasaki with one-punch knockout
Brian Norman Jr stopped Derrieck Cuevas (right) to win the WBO world title in March [Getty Images] Brian Norman Jr retained his WBO welterweight world title by stopping Jin Sasaki with one explosive punch in Tokyo. The American dropped Sasaki twice in the first round and the one-way traffic continued once the challenger rose quickly to his feet. Advertisement Sasaki, 23, tried to fight fire with fire in front of his home crowd, but that approach was punished in the fifth when Norman Jr landed a powerful left hook. The shot put Sasaki out cold and the Japanese fighter was worked on by medics for several minutes, before being taken out of the ring on a stretcher. It meant Norman stood alone in the ring without his opponent as the official result was read out. The 24-year-old extended his unbeaten record to 28-0, adding his 22nd knockout and his third stoppage in a row. The Georgia native is eager to add more world titles to his collection after a knockout of the year contender. Advertisement Norman Jr did have his sights set on fighting IBF and WBA champion Jaron 'Boots' Ennis, but his domestic rival confirmed this week he intended to move up in weight. "I wish I had a certain fight coming up," he said afterwards. "But they heard B Norman the Storm was coming. Y'all know what happens when a storm's coming, they grab their boots and run. "We shall see what's next for me, hopefully October or November." More boxing from the BBC
BBC News
12 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Norman Jr stops Sasaki with one-punch knockout
Brian Norman Jr retained his WBO welterweight world title by stopping Jin Sasaki with one explosive punch in American dropped Sasaki twice in the first round and the one-way traffic continued once the challenger rose quickly to his 23, tried to fight fire with fire in front of his home crowd, but that approach was punished in the fifth when Norman Jr landed a powerful left shot put Sasaki out cold and the Japanese fighter was worked on by medics for several minutes, before being taken out of the ring on a meant Norman stood alone in the ring without his opponent as the official result was read 24-year-old extended his unbeaten record to 28-0, adding his 22nd knockout and his third stoppage in a Georgia native is eager to add more world titles to his collection after a knockout of the year Jr did have his sights set on fighting IBF and WBA champion Jaron 'Boots' Ennis, but his domestic rival confirmed this week he intended to move up in weight."I wish I had a certain fight coming up," he said afterwards."But they heard B Norman the Storm was coming. Y'all know what happens when a storm's coming, they grab their boots and run."We shall see what's next for me, hopefully October or November."
The Independent
15 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Jaron ‘Boots' Ennis makes major career move and gives up world titles
Jaron 'Boots' Ennis has announced he is moving up to super-welterweight, vacating the IBF and WBA welterweight titles in the process. The unbeaten American, 27, has been one of the standouts at welterweight in recent years, especially with Terence Crawford leaving the division after becoming undisputed in July 2023, and Errol Spence Jr not having boxed since losing to Crawford that month. Ennis long eyed a bout with Crawford, but the latter's sole bout since beating Spence Jr took place at super-welterweight, where he collected the WBA title with a win over Israil Madrimov last August. And now, Crawford is preparing for a super-middleweight megafight with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, the undisputed champion. With Ennis's biggest welterweight fight having eluded him, he is set to emulate Crawford, 37, in moving up in weight. Or is he chasing the pound-for-pound star? While Crawford is due to face Canelo at 167lb in September, it is possible that the American could return to 154lb thereafter. His bout with Madrimov saw him compete at a career-highest weight – which he will of course exceed against Canelo – as he stayed unbeaten and became a four-weight champion. 'ITS TIME! 154,' Ennis wrote on Instagram on Wednesday (18 June). 'YALL SAID THIS WHERE THE SMOKE AT RIGHT!? 'LETS HAVE IT THEN! 2X WEIGHT DIVISION CHAMP • 4X TIME WORLD CHAMP LOADING.' Crawford still holds the WBA super-welterweight title, while Sebastian Fundora holds the WBC and WBO belts, and Bakhram Murtazaliev is IBF champion. Last time out, Ennis dropped and stopped Eimantas Stanionis in the sixth round in April, retaining the IBF welterweight strap and collecting the WBA version.
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Where is Josh Taylor positioned in the welterweight division?
This is Taylor's first fight at welterweight after consecutive losses to Jack Catterall and Teofimo Lopez at 140lbs. The 34-year-old will be hoping for an accelerated run towards a world title given his status as a former undisputed champion. First, he will have to get through a veteran welterweight in Essuman to establish himself in the division. With that in mind, we break down where Taylor is currently positioned at welterweight and who his obstacles to becoming a two-weight world champion are. Watch Josh Taylor vs Ekow Essuman exclusively with a DAZN subscription. . The kings of the welterweight division The welterweight division is currently topped by three champions: Brian Norman Jr (WBO), Jaron Ennis (WBA, IBF and The Ring) and Mario Barrios (WBC). Norman Jr, 27-0 (21), had his interim title elevated to full champion status after Terence Crawford vacated to fight at super welterweight in 2024. He has since defended his belt against Derrick Cuevas in March of this year and is scheduled to fight the number 2 ranked Jin Sasaki on the 19th of June in Tokyo. Jaron 'Boots' Ennis, 34-0 (30), is the unified welterweight champion, in possession of The Ring, WBA and IBF world titles. Ennis' interim title was upgraded in 2023 when Crawford was stripped by the IBF for not agreeing to fight the Philadelphia man as his mandatory. After defending his title by forcing David Avenesyan to retire, he had a unification bout with Eimantas Stanionis in April this year, claiming his WBA belt and the vacant The Ring championship. Mario Barrios, 29-2-1 (18), was also a beneficiary of Crawford vacating his welterweight titles, becoming a fully-fledged champion in June 2024. He has only fought once since, in a draw with Abel Ramos six months ago in Texas. He will defend his WBC title in a controversial fight against the 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao in July. Where is Taylor Ranked? With a well-established hierarchy in the welterweight division after the chaos of Crawford's departure, where is the Scot ranked as a welterweight? BoxRec have Taylor ranked at number four among the British welterweights behind Jack Catterall, Lewis Crocker and Harlem Eubank. Among the four major organisations, the former undisputed super lightweight champion has been ranked just outside the top ten with the WBO, the title he last held before losing to Teofimo Lopez, and the WBC, who both place him at number eleven. Although winning this fight could be the key to unlock world title opportunities at welterweight, Taylor is not looking past Essuman, admitting it will be a challenging debut at welterweight. Taylor told ESPN: "Get the win this weekend then I'm in the mix for some big fights at welterweight, but I'm not thinking about that because Ekow's a very tough test," he explains. He's tried and Commonwealth and British champion so I'll have my hands full."
Forbes
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Josh Taylor Vs. Ekow Essuman Results: Fight Card Results & Scorecards
Ekow Essuman upset Josh Taylor's homecoming in Glasgow. Behind a steady right hand, poise, and superior cardio, he handed Josh Taylor a unanimous decision loss (116-113, 116-112, 115-113). Taylor looked surprised as the judges' decision was read, but his team didn't appear to share the shock, nor did the commentators on DAZN's stream. The judges got it right. Essuman was a bit out-boxed through the first third of the fight. Taylor's experience and pedigree were on display, but he seemed to gas midway through the fight and was only able to compete in spurts. Taylor's defense also seemed to betray him throughout the fight. Specifically, his left hand was consistently too low or too wide. It left openings for Essuman's right hand straight up the middle or around the lazy guard. Essuman rode these openings to the victory. Here is a look at how I scored the fight. R1: 10-9 | R2: 10-9 | R3: 9-10 | R4: 9-10 | R5: 10-9 | R6: 9-10 | R7: 10-9 | R8: 9-10 | R9: 9-10 | R10: 9-10 | R11: 9-10 | R12: 9-10 After Essuman's huge win, he asked for a title shot at welterweight. He could attempt to challenge Jaron 'Boots' Ennis, unless the IBF and WBA champion elects to go for a unification bout against WBO champ Brian Norman—or the winner between the latter and Jin Sasaki. In any case, we may have a new championship player at 147 pounds. As for Taylor, he didn't look great at his new weight class. With all due respect to Essuman, he's not on the level of Ennis or Norman. If Taylor is getting bested by Essuman, who is 36, there's probably not a practical path to a championship. The question is: can he accept that? Collins produced the best performance of his career against a major name in British boxing. Collins finished McGregor on the strength of a clipping right hand, which produced the first of three knockdowns. The second one came after a left hook to the midsection. McGregor got back to his feet—though he looked less willing than he did following the first knockdown. Moments later, Collins closed the deal with another hard body shot that doubled McGregor over in pain. The referee made the proper decision in stopping the fight immediately. Collins is perhaps on the cusp of challenging for a featherweight championship. He came into the fight ranked No. 4 in the WBC, and he seems like a great matchup for Carlos Castro or Brandon Figueroa, who are ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Itauma continues to impress. The 20-year-old heavyweight sensation improves to 12-0 with a devastating KO of Balogun (21-2) in the second round. Balogun had a horrendous defensive strategy, approaching Itauma with a low right hand. It was only a matter of time before the southpaw slugger began to connect with power shots. The first one landed in the opening round. Itauma dropped the American with a clubbing left hand that left Balogun lying flat on his face. To Balogun's credit, he got to his feet and finished the round. Balogun didn't cower after being dropped. He came forward, and his willingness to engage cost him. A huge right cross dropped Balogun on his back. There was no way I thought Balogun was going to get up—Itauma admitted he was surprised as well when the American got to his feet. Balogun didn't just get to his feet, he came forward with even more vigor. Well, that didn't work out well either. Itauma dropped him again with a destructive hook, and the referee made the right decision to stop the fight immediately. Balogun was trying to get up, but it was academic at this point. The 41-year-old had come crashing into his ceiling. Itauma will likely return to the ring in July, and perhaps he'll have his biggest challenge in December.
