Some 16 years ago, John Ryder made a promise to his partner, Nancy, one he vows to finally honour on Saturday night
in Guadalajara, Mexico. That promise? To become a world champion boxer.
'I told her I was going to be world champion,' he told Mail Sport. 'Two kids later – we’re not married yet, that
will come – I still need to achieve that dream... She’s stuck with me so far, so she needs to see I wasn’t full of
s**t!'
On Saturday - or the early hours of Sunday morning, depending on where you're watching from - we'll find out exactly
what Ryder is made of, in what representes one of the toughest challenges in boxing: fighting Canelo Alvarez in Mexico on Cinco de Mayo weekend.
Indeed, the Echo Arena in Liverpool
can be an unforgiving battlefield, as Ryder found out when he was controversially beaten by Callum Smith in his sole world title bid to
date. But the circa 50,000 fans set to cram inside the Estadio Akron as Canelo entertains a Mexican crowd for
the first time in almost 12 years will create an entirely different atmosphere.
Likewise, the prize on offer is worlds apart. Not a world title, but four. And not a win over a domestic
rival, but a genuinely legacy-defining, all-time great British win on away soil. Pressure... or so you'd think.
'All the pressure is on Canelo,' Ryder, who has a record of 32 wins and five defeats, continued. 'There’s no
pressure on me. It’s his first time back home in 12 years. I feel like I’m coming off a career-best year, while
he’s potentially coming off a career-worst.
'I know it’s against a different level of opposition, but he lost to Dmitry Bivol and then gave a lacklustre
performance against Gennnady Golovkin. He didn’t look as he should have done.
'A lot of people were expecting him to get Golovkin out of there, but he couldn’t. He’s had surgery on his
wrist after that, so we’ll just have to see what he’s got left.'
It's true: Canelo was undoubtedly the face of boxing in November 2021 when he beat Caleb Plant to become undisputed super-middlweight champion - a title
he still holds.
Having reigned as the unified middleweight champion, and after a brief jump to light-heavyweight where he
dethroned Sergey Kovalev, Canelo embarked on a year-long mission, defeating titleholders Callum Smith, Billy Joe
Saunders and finally Plant to become the first-ever undisputed champion at 168lbs. History.
But less than two years later, his reputation has been hit somewhat. Losing emphatically to Dmitry Bivol back up at light-heavyweight was not
part of the plan. And, in truth, apoints win over a 40-year-old Gennady Golovkin wasn't quite the statement
he wanted to make. Oleksandr Usyk, Noaya Inoue and Terence Crawford now arguably sit higher in the
pound-for-pound standings.
At the same time, Ryder has continued to put together a stunning run of wins, claiming victories over Daniel Jacobs and Zach Parker and making plenty of noise while doing
so. As mandatory challenger Ryder says: 'I deserve to be in this position and I’ve earned my shot over and over
and over. I’m going to take what’s rightfully mine.'
But this isn't Ryder looking to strike while the iron's hot. The 34-year-old has wanted a fight with Canelo
for years - and he still wants to face the best version of Canelo. 'If Canelo knocked out Bivol and then
Golovkin, I’d still want this fight,' he said.
'Whether people are thinking he’s on the decline or not, I want the biggest and best fights. I think we all
expected Canelo to go in there and blast Golovkin out.
'We know Golovkin's getting on a bit now. He’s been a formidable force for years, and he’s still got that
concussive punch power, but I think we all expected Canelo to put on a real show and put that one to bed. We
didn’t get that, and then obviously it came out about the surgery on his wrist.
'I’m hoping that he’s had the surgery and he’s back to his best, because I want to fight the best version of
Canelo. I’m going to be the best version of myself on May 6, so I hope he is. I want to beat Canelo at his
best.'
As the fight's strapline 'the King is coming home' alludes to, Canelo's return to Mexico is a big deal for
his country. Their press conference on Wednesday was as much a celebration of the Mexican as an opportunity for
the two fighters to come face-to-face.
Ryder was met with polite applause, Canelo a hero's welcome. The crowd won't be so friendly towards the
challenger on Saturday night, though, but the Brit assures they won't be able to help Canelo in the ring.
'It’s going to be huge,' Ryder explained. 'It will be intimidating at times, but I’ve just got to block that
out, channel my energy into that ring. It’s just me and him in there.
'They can be as loud as they want out in the stands, but ultimately it’s me and him hitting each other. They
can’t help him that much.'
If Ryder is to be successful, the immediate question is: what's next? The 34-year-old insists fame and
fortune has not crossed his mind - but, as an Arsenal fan, he already knows where he wants the rematch.
'For me now, it’s fight by fight,' Ryder said. 'Beat Canelo, I’m sure we’ll get the rematch at the Emirates
or Las Vegas and we’ll go from there.
'I want to hold on to these titles for a while, and that starts on May 6.
'Obviously Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) fought Henry Cooper at the old Arsenal stadium, so for me to be the
first headline event at the new stadium would be a dream come true for sure.'
Original Article:
FightersTalkTV.com – Anthony Joshua has been tipped to go head-to-head with Tyson Fury later this year in a hotly-anticipated showdown. And the fate of the contest could be decided today as the duo’s teams are set for a make-or-break meeting to thrash out the final details.
Fury, 34, announced his retirement from boxing following his victory over Dillian Whyte at Wembley in April. But he has since put an offer on the table to get in the ring with Joshua. Joshua, 32, has suffered disappointment over the last 12 months after being defeated by Oleksandr Usyk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September, before losing the rematch in Saudi Arabia last month.
But a fight between Joshua and Fury, which could take place in Cardiff on December 3, looks to be on the cards. And the Gypsy King’s promoter Frank Warren says today is a key day. “I don’t want to get into all this publicly but there is a meeting on Monday that I think could be the final piece of the jigsaw to get it over the line,” he said.
“And that is what we have to do. They have had the contract since last Friday and it’s not the Yellow Pages. It’s a straight-forward contract and AJ is getting everything he wants in it.”
Anthony Joshua (left) and Tyson Fury
Anthony Joshua (left) could be set to go head-to-head with Tyson Fury later this year.
BT Sport and DAZN are set to attend the meeting to decide how the bout would be broadcast and how the revenues would be split. Fury is contracted to the former, with Joshua recently signing a deal with the latter.
A fight between the two has been talked about for years. And Warren thinks Joshua would be making a mistake if he were to now turn the opportunity down. “If he doesn’t take this fight, then what’s he going to do, have a couple of fights to get back in a mandatory position where he will get 20 per cent to fight one of our guys,” added the 70-year-old. “He’s getting 40 per cent off Tyson for this fight – it’s a no-brainer.”
As reported, Warren is optimistic that both sides can come to an agreement as the contract is signed.
“And then we’ve got the broadcasters. The broadcasters haven’t got together yet because we haven’t signed our contract yet, but I don’t see that being a problem.
“How can any broadcasters stop this fight from happening?
“I mean if they did that, they could not have the best interests of British boxing.
“I think our side [BT Sport], all they wanna do is make this fight happen and that’s where we’re at.
“And I’m sure the DAZN people will be the same. Why wouldn’t they want this fight to happen?”
Frank Warren is optimistic the fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will happen in this year.
Warren concluded on the matter: “We’ve made this a deal you can’t refuse. And there is no reason it should be refused because AJ came out and said he wanted it.
“So if he wants it, he’s got to instruct his team to make it happen.”
He also emphasized that Fury has been more than generous with his demands in trying to get a fight with Joshua. If for whatever reason, a deal is unable to make, the fault will not lie with Fury and the team.
“Tyson is the number one heavyweight in the world. It’s his title on the line. AJ’s ranked about number six at the moment … and that’s what it is. But we’re bending over backwards – I’m sorry, Tyson’s bending over backwards to make it happen. Let’s make it happen. There’s no reason why this fight shouldn’t go on.
“If it doesn’t go on, for any reason, it won’t be from our side. If it doesn’t go on I can’t believe that AJ – after what he’s come out and said that he wants to fight – that it can be down to him (Fury). So make it happen. We only have a short window to do this. By the end of this week we need this – it’s either on or it’s not. And if it’s not we’ll move on. And they’ll do what they got to do.”
“If it doesn’t happen, do not be looking at us,” Warren warned. “Do not be blaming us.”
FightersTalkTV.com – Britain’s Joe Joyce walked through everything New Zealander Joseph Parker had to offer to knock him out in the 11th round of a heavyweight thriller in Manchester. Manchester’s AO Arena witnessed a breakout performance from Joe ‘The Juggernaut’ Joyce as he systematically broke down New Zealand’s former heavyweight world champion Joseph Parker.
In a fight that was dubbed a 50/50 contest heading into Saturday night, Joyce started fast to pepper out a stabbing jab and assert his authority on the smaller man Parker early on. The New Zealander certainly had a success of his own and landed a huge right-hand to the forehead of Joyce in the fourth.
Remarkably however the thirty-seven-year-old remained undeterred and continued to throw bundles of hooks of his own, a response which must have been demoralising for Parker who just seconds earlier landed the shot of the contest so far only for it to have little to no impact. As the fight reached the midway point, Parker looked to be slowing down, tiring under the relentless pressure of the man before him, his legs looking sluggish as he continued to try and evade the hounding work of the Juggernaut.
Joe Joyce needs eleven rounds for stop Joseph Parker.
Joyce took the large majority of the middle rounds as he continued to grow more and more dominant on the night, and opened a cut on the left eye of Parker in the seventh after a clean right-hand. Parker appeared to be hurt in the eighth by another punishing right, showing incredible heart and grit to stick it out as he continued to try and push Joyce back.
Parker, despite shipping a wealth of punishment already on the night, incredibly fought on and looked to regain a second wind in the tenth as Joyce finally showed a human side and looked to take a breather. The New Zealander took the round but Joyce continued to remind his opponent of his greater physicality, making Parker work every second of the round.
The eleventh, a round that seemed out of reach for Parker given the state he looked to be in halfway through the bout, finally saw the end of the contest. Perhaps an accumulation of the punishment he had shipped in the previous ten rounds as well as the sheer exhaustion of everything he had put into the contest, Parker found himself on his back in the home corner following a near perfect left-hook thrown by the Juggernaut which caught the New Zealand man flush with a minute of the round remaining.
Referee Steve Gray began to administer a count, with Parker remarkably summoning the will to regain his footing by the time the count reached eight but it was clear that there was little need for the contest to continue with the writing seemingly on the wall for the thirty-year-old. Gray eventually waved the contest off, a merciful decision after a brave showing from Parker, while Joyce gets his breakout moment to announce himself as one of the standout fighters in the division.
A crashing left-hook finally put a dent in Parker who had shown incredible heart throughout the contest.
Despite defeats to Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte, Joseph Parker told ID Boxing in the post-fight press conference that Joyce was his toughest challenge yet.
“At this stage of my career, Joe was the toughest challenge. As you guys saw tonight, the pressure that he put on, and every time I hit him he kept coming back, and we knew exactly what he was going to do, but, you know, I just… everything didn’t work as I thought it would, but hey, it’s boxing.”
When asked to compare Joyce to his previous opponents, Parker shared his honest opinions, “He’s very tough. Compared to other fighters, listen, you guys saw tonight, he put on a lot of pressure. So congratulations to him and he’s one hell of a fighter.”
The heavyweights went toe-to-toe in a back and forth contest before a stunning left hook landed flush on the chin of Parker.
Joyce claimed the WBO interim heavyweight title with the biggest win of his career and now has his eyes set on challenging heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2023.
Joyce is now mandatory challenger for Oleksandr Usyk’s WBO title.
The Briton’s step up in class had been debated after 14 professional fights against lower-level opponents. He turned 37 this week having only turned pro when he was 31 after a late start to his amateur career.
But Joyce showed a granite chin to become the first man to stop Parker, a former world champion.
The thirty-seven-year-old Joyce then called out unified champion Oleksandr Usyk in his post-fight interview after confirming himself as the WBO mandatory for the Ukrainian in what would be a mouth-watering affair between two men who already have history after fighting in the amateur code years ago.
“Joseph Parker… what a fighter and what a fight,” Joyce said.
“It was a tough fight and praise to Parker. I really enjoyed it and I had to dig deep to get through the rounds. I hit him with everything I’ve got, I tried it all and he was still coming forward.
“I managed to drop him at the end but it was hard work. Usyk let’s get it on.”
FightersTalkTV.com – Eddie Hearn has officially filed a lawsuit against Jake Paul after his demands for an apology from Paul is ignored. Hearn sued Paul for $100 million following his defamation of bribing a boxing judge in two major fights this year.
Paul posted a social media video and claims Matchroom of paying judge Glenn Feldman’s scorecards in the women’s boxing bout between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano in April and the match of Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk II last month in Saudi Arabia. He said Feldman, who shows up in Saudi and scores Joshua to win the fight, is getting paid money by Matchroom Boxing in the Serrano’s loss.
Hearn and Paul collaborated on a historic bout between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden in April. After Taylor defeated Serrano by a split decision, Paul took issue with judge Glenn Feldman’s scorecards and alleged would play.
Eddie Hearn’s lawyer Frank Salzano has clarified that Hearn is seeking damages in excess of $100 million in his defamation lawsuit against Jake Paul.
“Both legally and ethically there is a clear line separating opinion from defamatory lies,” Frank Salzano told TMZ.
“Jake Paul knows that, and he purposely crossed that line when he wrongly accused Matchroom Boxing and Eddie Hearn of fixing fights.
“Nonetheless, he was still given an opportunity to retract his defamatory statements and refused to. Now he will face the legal consequences of his actions of Matchroom and Mr. Hearn will be seeking damages in well excess of $100million given the value and goodwill attached to the Matchroom business and the harmful nature of Mr. Paul’s comments.”
Eddie Hearn, Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano and Jake Paul. Credit: Alamy
Eddie Hearn and Jake Paul in their Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano bout’s collaboration last April.
There are still no responses yet from Paul about this, but this will be a very expensive lesson for him.
Here is the text of the lawsuit, filed in United States federal court in Manhattan (known as the Southern District of New York):
Plaintiffs, Matchroom Boxing Limited (“Matchroom Boxing”) and Edward (Eddie) John Hearn (together, “Matchroom” or “Plaintiffs”), by their attorneys Salzano, Lampert & Wilson LLP, allege as follows:
It is axiomatic that a reputation is earned slowly and lost quickly.
For over three decades Matchroom has worked tirelessly to build its reputation as the preeminent boxing promoter in the world. Matchroom unequivocally respects the rules and guidelines of the boxing profession, acts with integrity and transparency, and treats boxers and others involved in the boxing profession fairly and with dignity.
Defendant Jake Paul (“Paul” or “Defendant”) has earned tens of millions of dollars as a social media influencer, boxer, and boxing promoter. He is frequently interviewed by the media and is well-known in the boxing profession and mainstream media. Paul also maintains a substantial following on social media, with approximately 20.7 million followers on Instagram, 20.4 million subscribers on YouTube, 16.6 million followers on TikTok, 5.7 million followers on Facebook, and 4.4 million followers on Twitter.
In light of his substantial following, when Paul speaks, boxing fans, media, and the boxing profession listen. The spoken and written words of the Paul are inevitably spread globally with the potential to harm the reputation of any individual or entity.
Although playful banter and even smack talk criticizing rivals is common in the boxing profession, Paul’s recent, outlandishly false and baseless accusations against Matchroom, which are detailed below, crossed far past the line of banter, and clearly constitute defamation.
On or around September 20, 2022, Paul made outrageously false and baseless accusations against Matchroom in a video that was posted online and made available free of charge to anyone across the world. Paul claimed without a shred of evidence to substantiate such claims that Matchroom paid off boxing judge Glenn Feldman (“Feldman”) to score the recent bout between Oleksandr Usyk (“Usyk”) and Anthony Joshua (“Joshua”) in Saudi Arabia, and that Matchroom also paid off Feldman to score a separate bout between Katie Taylor (“Taylor”) and Amanda Serrano (“Serrano”) in April 2022 that was held at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Paul further stated that, because of Matchroom’s bribes, Feldman scored in favor of Joshua and Taylor (the “Fighters”) respectively. Matchroom was the promoter for both Fighters, with Taylor securing a split decision victory over Serrano and Joshua losing by split decision to Usyk. Paul was and remains the promoter of Serrano.
Specifically, on or around September 20, 2022, Paul stated: “clearly this guy is getting paid money by Matchroom Boxing.” At the time he made the statement, Paul recognized the enormity of his proclamation against Matchroom: “that’s a bold statement and an accusation that I don’t take lightly, but it’s just so blatantly obvious and they’re not even trying to hide it.” Paul went even further in his false and baseless claims against Matchroom, stating: “you’d think they would try to get a different judge to try and hide thecorruption they are bringing to this sport but it’s just so blatantly obvious.” Paul likewise stated that Matchroom has engaged in “a repeated crime.”
Thus, not only did Plaintiffs recognize that Paul’s statements crossed the line from banter and clearly amount to defamation, Paul himself, at the time he made the false and baseless statements, explicitly acknowledged that his accusations were “bold.”
Such accusations are obviously deeply offensive as well as damaging to Plaintiffs. They are also patently false. As Paul should be aware (given his own activities as a boxing promoter), the applicable boxing commission, i.e., the Middle Eastern Professional Boxing Commission for the bout between Usyk and Joshua, and the New York State Athletic Commission for the bout between Taylor and Serrano – not the promoter of the bouts – is responsible for choosing the judges. Therefore, by definition, the Plaintiffs could not have appointed Feldman as Paul insinuated. Furthermore, it is worth noting that: (i) the majority of media concurred with Feldman’s scorecard in respect of the Taylor bout and many remarked on the remarkable achievement of both fighters in what was deemed a closely contested ‘fight of the year’ candidate and (ii) Mr. Hearn himself publicly disagreed with Feldman’s scorecard in respect of the Usyk-Joshua bout, stating that he believed Usyk won the fight.
Paul’s wild accusations against Matchroom caused a media and social media frenzy undoubtedly exacerbated by Paul’s enormous social media following.
Within 24 hours of Paul’s false statements, several news and social media sites replayed Paul’s false and accusatory statements, while others wrote about Paul’s claims regarding Matchroom.
Media characterized Paul’s statements as “damning accusations” against Matchroom and “EXTREMELY STRONG ACCUSATIONS” against Matchroom.
The media blitz has continued up to the filing of this complaint, and is likely to continue into the foreseeable future. Given Paul’s far-reaching social media presence, his statements have reached tens of millions of individuals across the globe.
Paul’s defamatory statements were made with malicious intent and have caused financial and reputational harm to Plaintiffs, which is precisely what Paul intended when he made the outlandish accusations.
Following Paul’s explosive and unfounded statements, Matchroom representatives contacted Paul through his agent, and urged Paul to retract the false accusations. Paul refused to comply with Matchroom’s request, thus doubling-down on his malicious and defamatory statements against Matchroom.
Matchroom brings this complaint against Paul for defamation.
[…]
Matchroom Boxing is a private limited company organized and existing under the laws of the United Kingdom, with its principal place of business in the United Kingdom.
Eddie Hearn is an individual, who resides in Essex, England, and is the chairman of the Matchroom group of companies, a boxing promoter, sports executive, media personality,and award-winning author.
Paul is an individual, and upon information and belief, resides in Dorado Beach, Puerto Rico.
Paul is a social media influencer, boxer, and boxing promoter, and recently launched a sports-betting company called Betr.
Paul also co-founded the boxing promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions.
According to a news report, Paul maintains over 70 million followers on social media and is one of the most searched public figures on Google.
A. Matchroom’s Excellent Reputation in the Boxing Profession
Matchroom is firmly established as the foremost fight promoter in the world.
With over three decades of vast experience in the boxing industry, the company hastaken boxing onto another level with a series of ground-breaking promotions that have broken all records for ticket sales and viewership Matchroom’s current stable of fighters includes well-known athletes such as Joshua, Taylor, Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez, Julio Cesar Martinez, Jesse Rodriguez, Jessica McCaskill, and many more.
To earn and maintain its fantastic reputation, Matchroom unequivocally respects the rules and guidelines of the boxing profession, acts with transparency and integrity, maintains robust and unwavering anti-bribery and corruption policies, and has long treated boxers fairly and with dignity.
B. Paul’s Defamatory Statements Against Matchroom
On or about September 20, 2022, Paul made outrageously false and baseless accusations against Matchroom.
Paul claimed that Matchroom paid off scoring judge Feldman to score the bout between Usyk and Joshua (which was held in Saudi Arabia), as well as an earlier bout between Taylor and Serrano (which was held in Madison Square Garden in Manhattan), in favor of Joshua and Taylor respectively, due to those fighters’ professional connections to Matchroom.
Referring to Feldman, Paul stated: “clearly this guy is getting paid money by Matchroom Boxing.”
At the time he made the statement, Paul recognized the enormity of his proclamation against Matchroom: “that’s a bold statement and an accusation that I don’t take lightly, but it’s just so blatantly obvious and they’re not even trying to hide it.”
Paul went even further in his false claims against Matchroom, stating: “you’d think they would try to get a different judge to try and hide the corruption they are bringing to this sport but it’s just so blatantly obvious.”
Paul likewise stated that Matchroom has engaged in “a repeated crime.”
All of Paul’s foregoing statements regarding Matchroom are false.
Matchroom did not provide authorization to Paul to make any of the aforementioned statements.
On information and belief, the foregoing statements of Paul were made and published (i) with actual malice and knowledge of their falsity, and (ii) with the design and intent to harm Matchroom in its profession.
C. Paul’s Defamatory Statements Reached a Broad Audience
In less than twenty-four hours, Paul’s defamatory statements reached a very broad audience. In large part this is due to the fact that Paul enjoys a substantial social media following—with over 70 million followers—and due to the fact that Paul is one of the most searched public figures on Google.
For example, iFL TV, a well-known boxing media site, when publishing the interview, referred to Paul’s statements in a Twitter post as “EXTREMELY STRONG ACCUSATIONS” against Matchroom.
An article on Boxing Social, another well-known boxing media site, boasted in a headline that “Jake Paul Makes Extremely Serious ‘Corruption’ Allegation Against Matchroom.”
The Boxing Social article noted that Paul, as a promoter, was on the losing end of the Taylor-Serrano fight. The article further explained that although scoring disagreements are common in boxing, “rarely do they result in such a stark and targeted accusation.” A separate article, published on the respected website, Boxing Scene, was titled “Jake Paul Alleges Judge Glenn Feldman ‘Clearly . . . Getting Paid Money by Matchroom Boxing.’”
The Boxing Scene article referred to Paul’s statements as “damning allegations.” The article further pondered why Paul, rather than note his disagreement with the scoring, claimed “corruption between Feldman and Matchroom.”
The aforementioned articles represent just a small subset of publications that highlighted Paul’s outlandishly false and defamatory statements regarding Matchroom.
D. Paul Knew, or Should Have Known, That His Statements Were False
Paul knew, or should have known, that his accusations were false at the time that he made them.
Not only is Paul a boxer, he is also a boxing promoter and a co-founder of a boxing promotional company. As such, Paul is—or at the very least should be—intimatelyfamiliar with how judges are selected for fights.
As Paul should be aware—the applicable boxing commission, i.e., the Middle Eastern Professional Boxing Commission for the bout between Usyk and Joshua, and the New York State Athletic Commission for the bout between Taylor and Serrano—not the promoter of the bouts—is responsible for choosing the judges.
Thus, it is factually impossible for Matchroom to have engaged in what Paul called “corruption” by bringing Feldman in as a judge. It simply was not Matchroom’s decision to do so, and Paul knew, or should have known, that.
Furthermore, there is absolutely no evidence that Matchroom has engaged in any wrongful conduct, let alone bribing a judge in both of the aforementioned bouts.
Paul’s motivations for his false, baseless, and accusatory statements are not difficult to discern. Paul was the promoter for Serrano in the Taylor-Serrano fight, and Matchroom was the promoter for Taylor. Taylor won the fight in what Sports Illustrated later called “the fight of the year—full stop.” Sports Illustrated, a preeminent sports media publication, detailed how the fight between the women was “a classic,” and further wrote that Taylor’s win “cemented her place” as one of the most accomplished fighters in women’s boxing,and arguably “enhanced her case to be called the greatest women’s boxer of all time.”
Nothing in the article even remotely called into question the scoring of the fight, let alone mentioned any potential wrongful conduct on the part of Matchroom.
E. Matchroom Has Suffered Damages Due to Paul’s Defamatory Statements
Matchroom has suffered, and will continue to suffer, significant financial and reputational damages due to Paul’s defamatory statements.
The world of professional boxing is closely knit, with only a handful of individuals and companies vying for the right to work with premier boxers. Matchroom’s strengths as trusted advisor, promoter, matchmaker, and ultimately presenter of fair, compelling and competitive televised contests have been core components of the company’s undisputed integrity in the business. Paul’s defamatory statements are therefore particularly damaging to Matchroom and go to the very core of its business.
The negative impact of Paul’s defamatory statements about Matchroom have been magnified because once Paul initiated his false and scandalous allegations, they have been repeated and paraphrased by reporters throughout the United States and internationally.
These additional publications and paraphrasing of Paul’s defamatory and libelous statements were foreseeable, and, on information and belief, Paul anticipated and desired such additional publications in order to cause even more injury to Matchroom’s business and reputation.
DEFAMATION
[…]
58. Paul made his false and defamatory statements deliberately and maliciously with the intent to intimidate, discredit, and defame Matchroom.
Paul has made statements of fact against Matchroom that are false.
At the time Paul made his statements, Paul knew, or should have known, that the statements were false.
Paul’s statements were made to reporters, newspapers, and other public outlets, among other places and persons. The statements were not privileged.
Paul’s statements were published to a broad audience.
Paul deliberately made the statements knowing they would be disseminated to a broad audience and would harm Matchroom’s reputation and good standing. Paul acted with spite and malice when making the defamatory statements. As intended by Paul, Paul’s defamatory statements were, in fact, widely published and disseminated around the world, including in the Southern District of New York.
Given the absence of any evidence to substantiate Paul’s statements, Paul issued his statements with actual knowledge that such statements were false and in reckless disregard for their falsity. In either case, Paul issued these statements intending to harm Plaintiffs.
Paul’s statements harm Plaintiffs’ reputation in the public, impute the commission of a crime, and/or call into question Plaintiffs’ fitness to perform its work in its trade and profession.
Paul’s false statements constitute slander, as he spoke false statements about Plaintiffs in a video that was, upon information and belief, recorded by a third party, and knew that the statements were going to be transmitted in writing, and widely disseminated on the Internet in video and/or in print. Paul intended his false statements to be published by newspaper andother media outlets internationally, and they were, in fact, published globally, including within the Southern District of New York.
Paul’s false statements constitute slander per se, including that they accused Matchroom of a crime of significant proportion in the sport of professional boxing, and including that they exposed Matchroom to public contempt, ridicule, aversion, and disgrace, and induced an evil opinion of Matchroom in the minds of right-thinking persons
Paul’s false statements constitute libel, as he knew that they were going to be transmitted in writing, and widely disseminated on the Internet and in print. Paul intended his false statements to be published by newspaper and other media outlets internationally, and they were, in fact, published globally, including within the Southern District of New York.
Paul’s false statements constitute libel per se, including that they accused Matchroom of a crime of significant proportion in the sport of professional boxing, and have thus, exposed Matchroom to public contempt, ridicule, aversion, and disgrace, and induced an evil opinion of Matchroom in the minds of right-thinking persons.
Paul’s false statements also constitute libel per se, inasmuch, among other reasons, as they tended to injure Matchroom in its professional capacity as a premier promoter of boxing events, and inasmuch as they intended to destroy Matchroom’s credibility and reputation among members of the boxing community and profession.
Because Paul’s conduct was undertaken in bad faith and with fraud, malice, and oppression, Matchroom is entitled to punitive damages.
Paul knowingly made false statements to third parties with actual malice and knowledge of their falsity, and which tended to injure Matchroom in its profession constituting defamation per se.
As a consequence of Paul’s defamatory statements, Matchroom is entitled to substantial and significant damages in an amount to be determined at trial.
Paul’s false statements have caused, and continue to cause, Matchroom economic damage and reputational harm, and other direct and consequential damages and losses.
Matchroom is also entitled to recover punitive damages from Paul in that Paul made his defamatory statements: (i) with knowledge of its falsity and/or with wanton and reckless disregard for its truth; and (ii) Paul’s decision to defame was motivated by hatred, ill will, spite, and/or a criminal mental state as directed at Plaintiffs.
Punitive and exemplary damages are necessary in this case to deter Paul and others from wantonly and maliciously using a campaign of lies to discredit Matchroom and other boxing promoters.
PRAYER FOR RELIEF
WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs respectfully request judgment against Paul awarding compensatory, consequential, special, exemplary, and punitive damages in an amount to be determined at trial, but in excess of the $75,000 jurisdictional requirement; costs of suit; attorneys’ fees; and such other and further relief as the Court may deem just and proper.
JURY DEMAND
Plaintiffs hereby demand a trial by jury on all causes of action asserted within this pleading.
FightersTalkTV.com – Chris Eubank Jr. responds 10 days after his father, Chris Eubank Sr., claimed to have pulled him out of his upcoming fight with Conor Benn. The Next Gen breaks his silence and admits his father’s worry about his weight-cutting due to the catchweight fight against Benn.
“I can’t have any negative thoughts or worries from any other people affect my mindset and how I will proceed with this fight,” Eubank Jr told the Daily Star.
“He’s my father, he may be worried about me cutting the weight and all the rest of it but I can’t let that affect me and what I want to do. I have to believe in myself.
“I’m not saying he doesn’t believe in me or believe that I’m going to do it but he’s saying it’s a danger. He probably is right. It is a danger but I’m a dangerous man.”
“It’s upsetting and sad that he may have those thoughts going through his head, but that’s him.
“As a man I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do to win and to be able to perform at my best mentally.
Chris Eubank Jr as agreed to weight demands against Conor Benn - going against the advice of his father
Chris Eubank Jr as agreed to weight demands against Conor Benn – going against the advice of his father.
Eubank Jr had previously said that his dad would be in his corner on fight night and while that is looking increasingly unlikely, he still remains hopeful.
“I’m still hopeful that as we get closer to the fight we can come to some type of agreement,” Eubank Jr said.
“As of this moment in time, I don’t know what his thoughts are.”
As previously reported, Chris Eubank Sr. came out to express his concerns over his son coming down to the agreed 157lb catchweight, and even pulling the Junior out of the fight. But the claims were ignored by Benn and his promoter, who said that Eubank Sr didn’t have the power to cancel the agreement.
Eubank Jr. and Benn are set to clash in a fight on October 8, that will continue the legacy of their fathers, who engaged in two epic contests in the early 1990s. Eubank Jr. must hit 157lb, three pounds lighter than the middleweight limit he has spent a lot in his career at, on the Friday before the fight.
The Brighton boxer admits it is ‘upsetting’ that his father – former two-weight world champion Chris Sr – is worried for his health and concerned he could lose another son after the death of Sebastian Eubank last year.
Eubank Sr is trying to pull Eubank Jr away from the bout
Eubank Sr is trying to pull Eubank Jr away from the bout.
“It is hard for me to hear that but it is something that I have to block out of my mind. The fight is going to happen, I’ve signed for it. I can’t have this going over in my head. I have to block that out of my mind,” Eubank Jr. added.
“It’s upsetting and sad that he may have those thoughts going through his head, but that’s him. As a man I’ve got to do what I’ve got to do to win and to be able to perform at my best mentally.
“Mentally you can’t worry about family, friends or what’s happened in the past. I’m using my brother as fuel, I’m doing this for him.”
The British Boxing Board of Control has been monitoring Eubank Jr’s weight throughout training camp to ensure he is losing it safely. It should always be done, following the Brighton boxer laughed off worries he might miss the weight by scoffing at birthday cake when he celebrated his 33rd birthday last Sunday and posting it on social media.
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FightersTalkTV.com – Despite the contract not being signed, Tyson Fury’s promoter Frank Warren is optimistic that the potential Anthony Joshua fight will happen on December 3. Warren’s team has sent a contract over to AJ’s representatives last week and they are currently reviewing them, but no further progress made yet.
“No. It’s not signed yet. We’re waiting for them to come back to us,” Warren told talkSPORT in a recent interview.
“But I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be signed.
“The main crux of the negotiations are the splits which are agreed – 60/40.
“There’s a rematch clause which is agreed – 50/50.
“The big problem was when the fight would take place, it’s December.
Fury is the WBC heavyweight world champion
Tyson Fury still holds the WBC belt following his announcement to cancel his retirement last month.
“To give everybody comfort we’ve even said that they can be involved in all the broadcast contracts, sponsorships and everything, so they can see that everything’s above board.
“That side of it, we satisfied any worries they may have.
“There’s no worries about payment because they will get paid direct from the respective TV companies, so that side of it’s sorted out.
Warren also made sure about the broadcasting rights. Fury has exclusive broadcasting deals with BT in the UK and ESPN in the USA, while Joshua has his own exclusive partnership with DAZN. He is optimistic that both sides can come to an agreement as the contract is signed.
“And then we’ve got the broadcasters. The broadcasters haven’t got together yet because we haven’t signed our contract yet, but I don’t see that being a problem.
“How can any broadcasters stop this fight from happening?
“I mean if they did that, they could not have the best interests of British boxing.
“I think our side [BT Sport], all they wanna do is make this fight happen and that’s where we’re at.
“And I’m sure the DAZN people will be the same. Why wouldn’t they want this fight to happen?”
Warren concluded on the matter: “We’ve made this a deal you can’t refuse.
“And there is no reason it should be refused because AJ came out and said he wanted it.
“So if he wants it, he’s got to instruct his team to make it happen.”
Despite Warren being optimistic about the fight, he is still waiting and gives a deadline for Joshua to provide a response by the end of the week. He also emphasized that Fury has been more than generous with his demands in trying to get a fight with Joshua. If for whatever reason, a deal is unable to make, the fault will not lie with Fury and the team.
“Tyson is the number one heavyweight in the world. It’s his title on the line. AJ’s ranked about number six at the moment … and that’s what it is. But we’re bending over backwards – I’m sorry, Tyson’s bending over backwards to make it happen. Let’s make it happen. There’s no reason why this fight shouldn’t go on.
Frank Warren (right) is waiting for the AJ’s response by the end of this week.
“If it doesn’t go on, for any reason, it won’t be from our side. If it doesn’t go on I can’t believe that AJ – after what he’s come out and said that he wants to fight – that it can be down to him (Fury). So make it happen. We only have a short window to do this. By the end of this week we need this – it’s either on or it’s not. And if it’s not we’ll move on. And they’ll do what they got to do.”
“If it doesn’t happen, do not be looking at us,” Warren warned. “Do not be blaming us.”
The ball is now on Anthony Joshua, will he accept Fury’s last call and prove that he deserves to still be in the business or pass it and put the gloves out waiting for another heavyweight fighter to challenge him?
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FightersTalkTV.com – Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez retained the IBF/WBC/WBO/WBA/Ring super middleweight titles after winning over Gennadiy ‘GGG’ Golovkin in their trilogy clash on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena. Alvarez answered the speculation about who is the best between them over the past five years of their rivalry by a 12-round unanimous decision.
With no debate, fans finally agreed that Alvarez dominated the fight and deserved the unanimous decision victory. Though the judges awarded him with scores of 116-112, 115-113, and 115-113, fans saw Alvarez should win more than that points.
The full scorecards
The full scorecards of Alvarez vs GGG in their trilogy fight.
Regardless, the post-fight embraces between Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin were genuine signs of respect from foes who’ve spent 36 rounds trying to take each other’s heads off over the past five years. Golovkin even kissed Alvarez on the cheek as they hugged right after the final bell sounded Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.
Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) indicated during their post-fight press conference that the professional respect he showed Golovkin (42-2-1, 37 KOs) doesn’t mean he has forgotten all of the negative things Golovkin has said about him since the Mexican superstar twice tested positive for a banned substance, clenbuterol, before their rematch was initially supposed to take place in May 2018. The four-division champion made it clear that he still has doubts about Golovkin’s character outside of the ring.
“I respect him like as a fighter,” Alvarez said. “As a person, I don’t know. But I’m not gonna put (it on) that level because I consider myself a good person. So, I say to him, ‘I’m glad to share the ring with you. And we give the people three good fights.’ So, and I’m glad to share the ring with him and have these three fights (that) is gonna be in the history of boxing.”
The 32-year-old Alvarez always emphasized that their second and third fights were very personal to him because Alvarez constantly called him a cheater for failing the aforementioned performance-enhancing drug tests. Golovkin continually stated that their rivalry wasn’t personal for him but strictly business.
They embraced in Las Vegas
Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin embraced after the final bell rang at T-Mobile Arena.
However, they feel about each other, Alvarez and Golovkin will forever be connected through one of boxing’s best rivalries of the 21st century.
Alvarez is the only opponent who has beaten Kazakhstan’s Golovkin during the longtime middleweight champion’s 16-year pro career. The Guadalajara native’s victory Saturday night was much more convincing than his 12-round, majority-decision win in their 12-round, a 160-pound rematch in September 2018 at T-Mobile Arena.
“To be honest,” Alvarez said, “you know, I’m really happy that I managed to beat one of the best fighters in the world, Gennady Golovkin. Perhaps in the future another fighter will come along who I’ll have a similar relationship with. You know, we had three great fights, and I respect him as a fighter.”
FightersTalkTV.com – Deontay Wilder has ignored the offer of a fight against Anthony Joshua that was sent by Eddi Hearn. The manager, Shelly Finkel admitted that he avoided Hearn’s approach to organise a mouth-watering clash between Wilder and AJ, instead choosing to focus on the American’s upcoming fight with Finland’s Robert Helenius.
“It’s come out a few times by Eddie Hearn that I avoided him. That’s partially true, well it’s wholly true. We have a fight coming up with Robert Helenius. Eddie emailed me, “Can we talk? I have some big (offer) for Deontay,” Finkel told talkSPORT.
“Right now we have the Helenius fight, that’s all we need to concentrate on. Because if something went wrong there, nothing else would be. And if it goes right, it’ll all get worked out.
“And I felt if I got on a call with Eddie, the next thing you would be on the call to me, “Oh, did you and Eddie talk?” So I said to Deontay and Al Haymon, “What do you think?” And they said, “Let’s just get this fight out of the way.”
Shelly Finkel (left) admitted to avoiding an offer of an Anthony Joshua fight from Eddie Hearn
Shelly Finkel (left) admitted to avoiding an offer of an Anthony Joshua fight from Eddie Hearn.
“And sure enough, [Hearn says], “Shelly didn’t even talk to me.” I think he also has this feeling that I dislike Eddie. No. I don’t always agree with him, we’re on opposite sides, he has a fighter who will hopefully be an opponent for one of my guys, in this case Deontay, and it’s nothing of the sort.
“Barry Hearn and I, we go back 30/40 years and it’s always been very cordial. And the Eddie thing, look, he’s been around not as long as he thinks he has, but he’s done some really exciting good things, so I give him credit for that.
“And when it comes time to make a deal, it’ll get done, or not. It got done with Wladimir Klitschko and now he seems to be on a path to fight Tyson Fury, I wish him well.”
Tyson Fury is expected to square off with AJ on December 3 in the most highly-anticipated bout in the history of the division, with the final contracts being sent out last week. Meanwhile, Wilder is set to fight Helenius on October 3, and Oleksandr Usyk is keen on setting up a meeting with Wilder.
Wilder and his people are focusing on an upcoming fight in October against Robert Helenius
Wilder and his people are focusing on an upcoming fight in October against Robert Helenius.
The Ukrainian holds the WBO, WBA and IBF belts and seemed close to a clash with Fury, before the Gypsy King seemed to switch his focus to an all British showdown with Joshua.
And Usyk has also turned his gaze elsewhere, identifying Wilder as his next potential opponent, declaring that he wants to be ringside for his clash with the Finnish fighter next month.
“The other day we got a message that Usyk will fight us if Joshua goes the route of Fury, yeah, we’re open to that, we’re not opposed to that at all,” Finkel added.
“And if not, there’s Andy Ruiz Jr, there’s several other options.
“In my mind, until the Fury [vs Joshua] thing came, I was thinking that after the fight with Helenius we would be talking, Eddie and I, but things happen.”
Wilder Criticised AJ Career
Meanwhile, Deontay Wilder has criticised Anthony Joshua’s career and suggested it has been made for him. Wilder added that while he respects Joshua as a person, in a “business” sense he doesn’t like him.
“Y’all gon’ make me strike up a blunt, man,” Wilder told Brian Custer on The Last Stand Podcast. “The things I’ve been saying before, many things I’ve been saying before. They made Anthony Joshua. They made him.
“This has nothing to do with, ‘oh he don’t like him’, nah it ain’t that, know what I’m sayin’? I don’t like him in a business sense.
Deontay Wilder has not fought since he lost for the second time in a row to Tyson Fury in 2021
Deontay Wilder has not fought since he lost for the second time in a row to Tyson Fury in 2021.
“As a person, Anthony Joshua as a man, as a person, I don’t have nothing that I dislike as a person, but as a businessman, in this business? I don’t like him at all.
“I don’t like the antics of business and how they conduct business because this is a gladiator business. Again, personally, I have nothing against him. Personally, I don’t know him as a man.
“As far as business is concerned, I don’t care nothing for him. But they made him. From the Olympics to the pro rankings. You know that. Business is business. We’re born to do it. Not made it. For me, a lot of people agree they gave him, even with the Olympics they gave him that medal. With these belts, they bought a lot of these belts.
“There’s nothing wrong with that because a lot of people buy certain positions, certain things, whatever. So if you have the money or whatever then go do it. But I think the way they move him and prepared him for certain moments that he was not ready for.”
Wilder, 36, returns for the first time since his consecutive knockout losses to Tyson Fury when he fights former sparring partner Helenius on October 15. ‘The Bronze Bomber’ considered retiring from boxing after losing twice to Fury, but insisted his “job is not done” in the heavyweight division as he looks to become a two-time champion.
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FightersTalkTV.com – Gennadiy ‘GGG’ Golovkin was just beaten by his long-term rival Saul Canelo Alvarez in their trilogy for the undisputed super middleweight world champion last Saturday night in Las Vegas. But, it didn’t take long for him to be challenged by a top middleweight fighter just moments after the fight ended.
Is the British Chris Eubank Jr., the man who sends the challenge to GGG to fight in the 160lb. The Next Gen Eubank Jr. has called Golovkin for a showdown in December following the Kazakh’s defeat to Alvarez.
Taking to social media at a time when he should have, out of respect, at least allowed GGG some time to come to terms with his defeat, Eubank Jr. instead called GGG out, in a typically classless fashion.
“GGG you had a great run. Come back down to middleweight & let’s fight for those belts you still have in December or just pass ‘em over & I’ll look after them for the next couple of years while you enjoy your retirement… you earned it champ.”
Despite losing to Alvarez for the undisputed world champion, Golovkin still has the WBO and IBF middleweight belts. However, it is not wise for Eubank or someone else to have no respect for someone who was just defeated in a valuable fight.
Canelo Alvarez Defeats Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin by Unanimous Decision with No Debate
As we know, Eubank Jr. and Golovkin were close to agreeing on a fight in 2016, only for a deal to fall through when Junior failed to sign the fight contract that was right in front of him. Since then, Eubank Jr., who has done nothing at the elite level, has called Golovkin out multiple times.
Chris Eubank Jr, Gennadiy Golovkin boxing image / photo
Golovkin still holds the IBF and WBA middleweight titles.
There are no responses yet from GGG, who suffered two losses in his career, but it is probably that GGG will give the same reaction when he responds to the last challenge from the British in March.
“Yeah, Chris is something from the past, I already forgot about him. I honestly don’t understand why it’s worth mentioning him at all, there are some other fighters who are worth mentioning,” told Golovkin in an interview with Michael Benson.
Now it is entirely up to Golovkin what he does next, he might fight Eubank or not. But, GGG will not be passing over his belts to Eubank, nor will he be fighting again as soon as December, as Eubank has to know. One thing is for sure, the veteran warrior quickly dismissed any retirement talk and insists he now intends to return to the middleweight division where he is still reigning IBF and WBA champion.
Eubank Jr this week dismissed suggestions he could be withdrawn from his upcoming fight against Conor Benn, which took on 8 October at a catchweight of 157lbs. Despite his father Chris Eubank Sr. sharing his grave concerns over the weight requirements for their fight.
Chris Eubank Sr Claims He Has Pulled His Son Out Of Fight Against Conor Benn
Chris Eubank Jr. Warn Conor Benn For Their Catchweight Fight
“As fighters we take chances, we gamble, and I don’t believe Conor is going to be able to take me into deep waters,” Eubank told Telegraph Sport.
“Maybe I’m wrong but I don’t feel that that’s what he’s going to be able to do, so I agreed to this weight.
Eubank Sr has expressed concerns about the agreed weight for his sons fight against Benn
Eubank Sr (right) has expressed concerns about the agreed weight for his sons fight against Benn.
“If I was going in there with someone that I considered a killer, I would never do anything like this, I just don’t see that pedigree or grade from Conor so I’m taking the risk of cutting to a weight I’ve never been before and I’m taking the risk of not being able to fully hydrate after the fight.
“Is it a concern? I mean I guess so yeah, I’ve never had to do anything like this in my career so I don’t know how my body is going to react, I don’t know how I’m going to feel on the night, I know I’m not going to be 100 per cent.”
It will be better for Eubank Jr. to focus on his own war, especially with the weight and power that he will bring into the fight in less than a month. *zz