'Hot Rod' ready to make statement against Sullivan Barrera on ProBox TV, eyes Bivol next

Credit: ProBox TV 

Press Release: By  ProBox TV - Light heavyweight contender 'Hot Rod' Radivoke Kalajdzic is setting out to make a statement against fellow world title challenger Sullivan Barrera this Wednesday night on ProBox TV.

Kalajdzic returned to the ring last year, stopping the tough Mickey Ellison, and is fully focused on Sullivan Barrera as a championship fight looms for the winner.

'Hot Rod' ready to make statement against Sullivan Barrera on ProBox TV, eyes Bivol next

Light heavyweight contender 'Hot Rod' Radivoke Kalajdzic is setting out to make a statement against fellow world title challenger Sullivan Barrera this Wednesday night on ProBox TV.

Kalajdzic returned to the ring last year, stopping the tough Mickey Ellison, and is fully focused on Sullivan Barrera as a championship fight looms for the winner.

'Hot Rod' opened up about his regional title clash this Wednesday night, "Barrera is a quality fighter, I have a lot of respect for him. He has competed at the top level and fought the best out there.

"I haven't overlooked this fight for one second, this is light heavyweight boxing, anyone can get caught cold, however, I believe I can stop Sullivan Barrera this Wednesday and put the division on notice again."

'Hot Rod' joined ProBox TV in 2023, and has already reinstated himself in the world ratings, and now sets his sights on challenging 175 champion Dmitry Bivol.

The Tampa based light heavyweight discussed a potential showdown with Bivol. 

He said, "Look, I have all my focus on Barrera right now, and want to show my class against him on Wednesday night, but I will leave it down to my team Ryan Rickey and ProBox TV to push for the Bivol fight.

"We were close to making that fight last year but he chose the easier fight with Lyndon Arthur. That makes no odds to me we can fight next or I can work myself into a mandatory position. 

"Whatever we need to do to make the fight with Bivol, we will after I make a statement this Wednesday against Barrera." 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON NEWS, TALK SHOWS AND LIVE EVENTS VISIT PROBOX TV

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Anthony Joshua Makes A Statement In Knocking Out Ngannou

The Heavyweight fight between two-time World Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and former UFC Heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou was a spectacle that was right in line with several of what this observer refers to as “Novelty" fights featuring either the top stars of the sports of Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) or celebrities from other realms that for one reason or another decide to enter Combat Sports. What made this particular encounter different was the fact that Francis Ngannou had proven in his previous foray into Boxing that he had the potential to transition to a career as a professional boxer in October of last year in putting forth an impressive showing against undefeated current WBC Heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury.

Not only did Ngannou score a shocking knockdown of Fury, a two-time world champion, who was expected to outclass Ngannou primarily based on the significant experience gap between the two, but by the time the fight was over, Ngannou had succeeded in turning many skeptics into believers in dropping what was seen as a controversial ten round split decision that many, this observer included, felt he deserved the victory. It was off of that performance that the term “Novelty" was removed regarding Ngannou and the question of how he would do in his next fight in the Boxing ring began to stir and over the ensuing months gained more and more buzz.

Although he would have been justified to seek what some might call lesser opposition, if nothing else, as a means of gaining more experience in what was and is a new sport for him, Ngannou chose to face another proven commodity in the form of former two-time Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua on March 8th in the same location as his bout with Fury, The Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Even though there was no world title at stake in this fight, the atmosphere was one that some Boxing fans might associate with some of the major Boxing events that have taken place in Las Vegas.

Despite his impressive showing against an under-prepared champion, who underestimated him, Ngannou faced a similar challenge in this fight in going against a two-time world champion, who is still a top contender and one might even say had a higher overall pedigree than Fury. It was also worth noting, despite suffering some setbacks in his career, Anthony Joshua has always been a well-conditioned fighter who was not likely to make a similar error in treating his bout with Ngannou with a seemingly “Kid Gloves" approach as Furry did.

Joshua made it a definite that this would be a different flight and it took only a short time for him to show that he did take Ngannou seriously and prepared accordingly. The approach Joshua implemented in this fight was one of fundamentals and patience. Upon the opening bell, the former two-time Heavyweight world champion established that he would vary his approach of Ngannou by looking to land jabs to the body as well as changing levels and looking to maintain distance between himself and the former UFC Heavyweight world champion.

As he had done last October in his fight against Tyson Fury, Francis Ngannou attempted to land hooks and tried to set up opportunities for himself to counter Joshua. The primary difference between Joshua and Fury however, was one fighter had a lackadaisical approach, was not disciplined, and left opens that frankly made him look amateurish that Ngannou was able to exploit to a certain degree. Joshua's approach meanwhile had discipline at its core, and Ngannou was not able to take advantage of openings because there were not as many opportunities as there were when he fought Fury. Joshua was also defensively responsible in doing what he could to try and avoid the majority of wide hooks thrown by Ngannou, which were mostly blocked or deflected by Joshua's gloves and defensive guard.

The patience Joshua showed in simply biding his time and waiting for an opening came late in the first round when he dropped Ngannou hard with a perfectly timed and beautifully thrown straight right hand down the middle, which hit Ngannou flush on the chin and sent him down to the canvas. Despite being dropped, to his credit, Ngannou was able to get up from the knockdown and did connect with a hook to the head of Joshua before the round was over.

Nevertheless, a point had been proven in the opening round that unlike Fury, the still unbeaten holder of the WBC world championship in the Heavyweight division, Anthony Joshua took his assignment more seriously against Ngannou and was intent on making a statement in this fight. It would not be long before Joshua would accomplish what seemed to be a clear mission to send a message to not only Fury, not only Oleksandr Usuk, who ended his second reign as a world champion and retained his portion of the World Heavyweight championship over Joshua in a hotly contested rematch, but to the whole Heavyweight division.

As he had done in the first round, Joshua maintained his patience at the start of round two and did not recklessly approach Ngannou in trying to force a finish to the fight. A change for Joshua who has been susceptible to being caught when he has gotten overly aggressive in the past. This time, he simply waited for his opportunity. When the opportunity arose, Joshua dropped Ngannou for the second time with a right hook to the jaw. Although he was clearly stunned and had a look on his face that indicated that he did not know what hit him, Ngannou showed his heart by once again getting up from the knockdown. Joshua, one of the most devastating finishers in the sport, quickly walked across the ring and ended matters by decking Ngannou with a brutal straight right hand that momentarily knocked Ngannou out cold. The fight was over.

As brutal and infatic as Joshua's knockout of Francis Ngannou was in only taking a round and a half to end the night for a fighter who may still go on to be a player in the division if he chooses to remain in Boxing, the reality is, this is what Anthony Joshua as a world-class boxer, who is a two-time world champion should have been expected to do against a fighter in Ngannou, who only had one professional fight as a boxer. If one is being honest, they would also say that the same was expected of Tyson Fury, a man who is still atop the division, despite turning in what frankly should be viewed as an embarrassing performance as well as questionable scoring, which allowed him to remain unbeaten when he fought Ngannou.

While this does not take anything away from Francis Ngannou, ultimately, another point was proven in this fight that has been proven several times when Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighters step into a Boxing ring against boxers who are primarily trained for Boxing, and when boxers choose to venture into an MMA ring or cage. Not only are Boxing and MMA two different sports and should be viewed as such, despite Boxing being a martial art/discipline, but also regardless of whether it is a Boxing ring or under an MMA format, a fighter venturing into a sport that is not their primary discipline in which they compete. will be at a competitive disadvantage both in terms of experience as well as overall skill compared to an opponent that primarily competes in that sport most of the time.

Francis Ngannou deserves all the credit in the world for rolling the dice and venturing into a different sport in the middle of his competitive prime. It is something that takes guts and one should also not underestimate the learning curve that is involved for a fighter switching sports at an advanced age. While we live in a time where anyone, regardless of background or credibility can share their point of view and are likely voicing opinions that may mock him based on the end result of this fight, the fact is Francis Ngannou has stepped in the ring with two of the best Heavyweight boxers in the world in his two fights as a professional boxer. Although he has yet to score an official victory, credit should be given where it is due. 

While there will also likely be calls for him to return to MMA, Ngannou still has value in Boxing and will likely still be able to secure significant paydays off of his name value. What this knockout loss should show him however, is he needs time to polish and refine his Boxing skills. No different than any other fighter just starting in the sport. If he remains committed to Boxing, gives himself adequate time to learn and is able to face opponents that one would expect to face as they develop, who range from just starting their careers to those fighters with some experience that can serve as helping a fighter in their development/learning process, and if he is able to develop under the guidance of experienced Boxing trainers, Francis Ngannou could still end up being a player in the Heavyweight division.

As is being learned by the various YouTubers/Influencers and others that venture into Boxing from other realms, very seldom is one able to start their career at the very top and succeed. Some may choose to try and take shortcuts, but ultimately the process of learning the fundamentals of the sport, polishing and refining one’s skills, which will always be a work in progress even for those at the very top of the sport, as well as a fundamental understanding of how the sport is structured, needs to be respected. Francis Ngannou has nothing to be ashamed of. If he is truly committed to Boxing and is willing to take the time required to go through the aforementioned learning process that the sport demands, his knockout at the hands of Anthony Joshua will be a chapter of his career as a boxer, not the end of the story.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

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Predictions: Joshua-Ngannou

Press Release: By  InstantCasinos.com - March 8, 2024- InstantCasinos.com recently got predictions and thoughts from numerous figures in the sport of Boxing on today's Heavyweight showdown between former two-time World Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and former UFC World Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, which can be seen below.

Carl Froch

Joshua will want to retire if he loses to Ngannou

Carl Froch: “Depending on how the fight goes with Ngannou, and if he was to lose, there’s always options for him. A loss isn’t always the end of the road. I’m not going to say if he loses to Ngannou he should retire. But if he does lose to Ngannou in a bad fight and gets knocked out, he’ll probably want to retire. Because you’ve made that much money, you’re in such a good position financially, why go on boxing and getting your head punched in when you don’t need to? That’s why I retired. I retired at 36 years old, because I thought I’d made enough money, I’ve got three kids at home and I’m healthy.”

Ricky Hatton

Hatton explains big Joshua ‘Worry’ ahead of Ngannou fight

Ricky Hatton: “It is a very interesting fight because AJ, as much as we love him, he can get hit and hurt. This could be a tricky night. Normally, from a defensive point of view, Fury is a lot harder to hit than AJ. I mean, AJ can sometimes be in front of you a little bit too much, which worries me in the Ngannou fight a little bit. There’s every chance that if Ngannou lands clean he could win.”

Ebanie Bridges

Glass chin AJ will be KO'd by Francis - says ex World Champ

Ebanie Bridges: "Of course Ngannou will {knockout AJ}. He's got the power. Anthony Joshua has a bit of a glass chin, doesn't he? He can get dropped and he seemingly gets hurt in every single fight. Joshua got hurt by Usyk, and he’s not even known for his power. Most definitely, Ngannou could go for the KO.”

Material and Courtesy of: InstantCasinos.com Used with permission.

Joshua vs. Ngannou takes place on Friday, March 8th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen globally on DAZN Pay-Per-View for $38.99 beginning at 11AM ET/8AM PT. For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, to subscribe and order this special pay-per-view event please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved. 

NETFLIX AND MOST VALUABLE PROMOTIONS PARTNER ON JAKE PAUL VS. MIKE TYSON, A GLOBAL LIVE SPORTS EVENT TO STREAM EXCLUSIVELY ON NETFLIX ON SATURDAY JULY 20

Credit: Most Valuable Promotions/Netflix

Press Release: By  Most Valuable Promotions And Netflix March 7, 2024- THE LIVE PROFESSIONAL SPORTS EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE AT AT&T STADIUM IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS

Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) today announced their first-ever partnership in a heavyweight boxing mega-event headlined by The Problem Child, Jake “El Gallo” Paul (9-1, 6 KOs) vs. the Baddest Man on the Planet, Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs). Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson will stream live globally, exclusively on Netflix on Saturday, July 20, 2024 from the 80,000-seat capacity AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. 

 

Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson marks Jake Paul’s most-anticipated fight to date and his second fight of 2024 following back-to-back sensational knockouts against professional boxers and Golden Glove winners Ryan Bourland this past Saturday, March 2 and Andre August in December 2023. Paul has shown tremendous growth as a boxer on his path to becoming a world champion, but now will take on one of the best and most dangerous boxers of all time in Mike Tyson.

 

“It’s crazy to think that in my second pro fight, I went viral for knocking out Nate Robinson on Mike Tyson’s undercard. Now, less than four years later, I’m stepping up to face Tyson myself to see if I have what it takes to beat one of boxing’s most notorious fighters and biggest icons,” said Jake Paul. “Within just two and a half years of founding MVP, we’re about to produce the biggest fight in history, a fight in the biggest NFL stadium in the US, broadcast live, on the biggest streaming platform in the world – a testament to all we’ve accomplished in such a short amount of time. Whether you’re tuning in on Netflix or showing out in person, whether you’re team Paul or team Tyson, or whether you’re a lifelong boxing fan or watching your first fight, you’re not going to want to miss this event. I could not be more excited to make this amazing fight available to all Netflix subscribers alongside the hardest hitter of all time, Mike Tyson, on Saturday, July 20th. My sights are set on becoming a world champion, and now I have a chance to prove myself against the greatest heavyweight champion ever, the baddest man on the planet and the most dangerous boxer of all time. This will be the fight of a lifetime.”

 

Mike Tyson, the legendary former undisputed world heavyweight champion, is one of the biggest stars the sport of boxing has ever seen. The “Baddest Man on the Planet” is recognized as one of the greatest fighters of all time, ESPN’s #1 hardest hitter in heavyweight history, and the youngest heavyweight champion ever at just 20 years old. His explosive power and ferocious fighting style led to a staggering run of 37 consecutive victories, with 33 of those wins coming by knockout.

 

“I'm very much looking forward to stepping into the ring with Jake Paul at the AT&T STADIUM IN ARLINGTON, TEXAS,” said Mike Tyson. “He's grown significantly as a boxer over the years, so it will be a lot of fun to see what the will and ambition of a “kid” can do with the experience and aptitude of a GOAT.  It's a full circle moment that will be beyond thrilling to watch; as I started him on his boxing journey on the undercard of my fight with Roy Jones and now I plan to finish him.”

 

Since establishing MVP in 2021, Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul have disrupted combat sports, producing some of the world’s biggest events, making history in women’s boxing and giving a new platform to young fighters. Partnering with Netflix to bring Paul vs Tyson to audiences worldwide is a strategic decision to ensure this once in a lifetime event that connects six generations of sports fans is distributed globally to hundreds of millions of fans.

 

“Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson is a once in a lifetime dream matchup and I anticipate it will be the most-watched boxing event in modern boxing history,” said Nakisa Bidarian, founder of Most Valuable Promotions. “Partnering with Netflix for this deal presents an unparalleled opportunity to bring Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson to the world on an unprecedented scale and we look forward to delivering this incredible clash of two of sports biggest names. Six generations of boxing fans will have a stake in the outcome and will be able to watch an anti-hero, Jake Paul, put it all on the line  against the baddest man on the planet, Mike Tyson. Thank you to Netflix for their vision and trust in MVP to put on this historic event.”

 

Netflix is the premier home for great sports entertainment with hits like Untold that featured Jake Paul the Problem Child episode last year, along with Formula 1: Drive To Survive, Full Swing, NASCAR: Full Speed, Quarterback, Tour de France: Unchained, Under Pressure: The U.S. Women’s World Cup Team and Six Nations: Full Contact. And beginning in 2025, Netflix will become the new home of WWE Raw. Paul vs. Tyson will be Netflix’s third live sports event, following The Netflix Cup and The Netflix Slam. 

 

"Mike Tyson is one of the biggest icons in boxing history and Jake Paul is one of the biggest disruptors in boxing history,” said Gabe Spitzer, Vice President, Nonfiction Sports, Netflix. “Saturday, July 20 will be pure drama in the ring in Texas. We are thrilled to partner with Most Valuable Promotions for this historic event and we can't wait for these two to face off for fans all across the world on Netflix."

 

Additional information, including the co-main event and undercards, will be announced at a later date. For the opportunity to sign up for presale tickets, click here.

 

About Jake Paul

Jake Paul has shown tremendous growth as a boxer on his path to becoming a world champion. Since turning pro in 2020, Paul has collected multiple accolades for his commitment to the sport of boxing, including ESPNRingside’s 2021 Knockout of the Year, Sports Illustrated’s 2021 Breakout Boxer of the Year, ESPNRingside’s 2022 Viral Moment of the Year, and was the cover of Sports Illustrated’s “The 50 Most Influential Figures in Sports” issue, awarded specifically for his groundbreaking work to revolutionize the sport through equitable pay, providing a platform for young fighters, and his support of female boxers. Paul also recently announced a partnership with USA Boxing ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, continuing his mission to elevate the sport and its future champions. In November 2020, Paul faced Nate Robinson on the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. card.

 

Paul also continued his record-breaking streak in his latest fight, MVP’s Serrano vs. Meinke feat. Paul vs. Bourland by achieving the highest boxing gate in Puerto Rico history. Previously, Paul vs. August in December 2023 was the highest recorded gate for a boxing event in Orlando’s history, and broke the record for highest average ticket price, matching the average ticket price of Paul’s fight vs. Nate Diaz at the American Airlines Center in Dallas in August 2023.

 

About Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson’s legacy is undisputed. As the former undisputed heavyweight champion and one of the most feared boxers in the ring, Mike Tyson holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA, and IBF world heavyweight titles and the first heavyweight boxer to hold the titles simultaneously, earning him nicknames as "Iron" Mike, Kid Dynamite, and The Baddest Man on the Planet. In 2011, Tyson was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame, and in 2013 he was inaugurated into the Las Vegas Hall of Fame. Tyson returned to the ring to face Roy Jones Jr. in an eight-round exhibition fight in November 2020 at The Staples Center in Los Angeles. The boxing match was the 8th highest viewed on pay-per-view in history.

Tyson’s enduring mass appeal garnered multiple successful entrepreneurial, film, and TV ventures, including The Hangover, The Hangover 2, Vendetta, and Asphalt City, Bollywood hit Liger, as well as documentary projects and his critically acclaimed one-man Broadway show Mike Tyson: UNDISPUTED TRUTH. Tyson launched his premier cannabis company, Tyson 2.0, in 2021, runs merchandise company the Mike Tyson Collection and boxing apparel and equipment company Tyson Pro, and recently announced his latest venture, testosterone treatment protocol Iron Remedy. Tyson also hosts the HotBoxin' podcast, launched in 2018, talking with some of the world's greatest sports legends, actors, and more. HotBoxin' has garnered over 40 million listeners, while Tyson's expansive digital footprint reaches over 400 million people and notably accumulated over 1.4 billion impressions on social media in 2019. Tyson's memoir Undisputed Truth, written with Larry Sloman, is a NYT best seller.

 

About Netflix

Netflix is one of the world's leading entertainment services with over 260 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.

 

About Most Valuable Promotions (MVP)

Most Valuable Promotions was founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian in 2021. With the mission to provide more creative control to fighters, MVP works to identify, grow, and maximize return for its own events and talent partners. Since inception MVP has consistently produced the biggest combat sports pay-per-view events. One year into its inception, MVP was nominated as one of the prestigious Sports Breakthroughs of the Year in 2022 by Sports Business Journal. The company signed one of the most decorated Hispanic athletes of all time, Amanda Serrano in its first year. Serrano and MVP made history in April of 2022 when Serrano went head to head with Katie Taylor, marking the first female fight to headline at Madison Square Garden, recently earning a nomination for Event of The Year by Sports Business Journal. Co-founder Nakisa Bidarian was an executive producer of the historic Triller Presents Mike Tyson v. Roy Jones Jr., which is the 8th most bought pay-per-view event in history.

 

About AT&T Stadium

AT&T Stadium is the largest, most technologically advanced entertainment venue in the world. Designed by HKS and built by Manhattan Construction, the $1.2 billion stadium features two monumental arches, the world's largest HDTV video board cluster, an expansive retractable roof and the largest retractable end zone doors in the world. Features of the stadium include seating for 80,000 and expandability for up to 100,000, over 300 luxury suites, club seating on multiple levels and the Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop, open to the public year-round. Outside the stadium, the Miller Lite® House is a branded destination that boasts a 70-yard Cowboys turf field featuring field games, four video boards and over 60 television screens, two fantasy football screen walls and over 87,000 outdoor square-footage for event day experiences. The space also features two beer gardens and a walk-in beer cooler. The stadium is also home to a world-class collection of contemporary art, made up of over 92 works of art by 62 established and emerging artists displayed on the walls and in the grand public spaces of the venue. In addition to being the home of the Dallas Cowboys since opening in 2009, the stadium has hosted Super Bowl XLV, the 2010 NBA All Star Game, the annual Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, the 2014 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2015 inaugural College Football Playoff Championship Game, the 2015 50th Anniversary Academy of Country Music Awards show and WrestleMania 32 & 38. The venue has also played host to high school and college football, concerts, championship fights, international soccer matches and other special events. For more information, go to attstadium.com.

Material and Courtesy of Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix Used with permission.

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.