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Ranking Naoya Inoue's top super bantamweight opponents: Who … – Sporting News

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Japanese boxing star Naoya Inoue officially vacated a plethora of bantamweight world titles on January 13 and will now go on the hunt for bigger game.
Following a four-and-a-half-year reign of terror at 118 pounds, “The Monster” emerged as the first undisputed bantamweight champion in almost half a century. He also emulated the accomplishment of his legendary countryman Fighting Harada, who held that title during the sixties.
Only once did Inoue struggle with a piece of the bantamweight jigsaw. In November 2019, the 29-year-old boxer-puncher was tested to the limit by fellow multi-weight world titlist Nonito Donaire, but still emerged victorious on a unanimous decision. Two and a half years later, when the pair met in a rematch, Inoue destroyed “The Filipino Flash” in just two rounds.
The bantamweight puzzle was finally solved when Inoue picked up the WBO title at the expense of Britain’s Paul Butler (KO 11) in December. It wasn’t vintage Inoue, but the speed, power, viciousness, and thirst for combat were still in evidence.
MORE: Pound-for-pound rankings entering 2023

During his post-fight interview, an elated Inoue made it clear that he would be moving on to the super bantamweight division in a bid to become a four-weight world champion.
The Sporting News now looks at five intriguing 122-pound matchups that can be made for one of the finest pound-for-pound fighters in boxing today:
Record: 21-0 (8 KOs)
Status: WBC/ WBO super bantamweight titleholder
This is the one we all want to see.
Fulton, 28, possesses the requisite speed, ring craft, and defensive finesse to give any 122-pounder problems. The Philadelphia star took the WBO title from Angelo Leo (UD 12) in January 2021, and unified in an all-out war with WBC counterpart Brandon Figueroa (MD 12) the following November. In his only outing of 2022, “Cool Boy Steph” whitewashed former unified champ Daniel Roman.
A large portion of fans and experts feel that Fulton has the best chance of derailing “The Monster.” However, it was announced this week that a February 25 rematch with Figueroa at featherweight will soon be made official. If this is a permanent move up in weight, then Fulton vs. Inoue could be dead in the water.
MORE: The 30 fights we want to see in 2023
Record: 11-0 (8 KOs)
Status: IBF/ WBA super bantamweight champion
While Fulton would seek to impose his technical skills on Inoue, the marauding “MJ” would be looking to drop 122 pounds of southpaw fury directly on his head.
In January 2020, with just 22 months of pro experience, Akhmadaliev was fast-tracked to world title glory when he won a 12-round split decision over then-unified champion Daniel Roman. The 28-year-old from Uzbekistan has made three title defences: Ryosuke Iwasa (TKO 5), Jose Velasquez (UD 12), and Ronny Rios (TKO 12).
Is Inoue too powerful and accurate for Akhmadaliev, or will the naturally bigger man be able to absorb The Monster’s fury and return fire? One thing is for sure, this would be one very exciting matchup.
Record: 33-1 (25 KOs)
Status: Former WBC bantamweight and super bantamweight champion
There’s some history here.
In August 2017, Nery was one of the most exciting and popular young fighters in the lower weight divisions after blasting through then-WBC bantamweight champ Shinsuke Yamanaka (TKO 4) in Japan. However, when it was discovered that Nery had tested positive for a banned substance (zilpaterol), the dynamic completely changed.
MORE: Naoya Inoue’s path to becoming 2023’s pound-for-pound king
Amid controversy, the WBC allowed Nery to keep the belt he’d wrenched from Yamanaka and a rematch was ordered. This time, the Mexican lefty weighed in a full three pounds over the bantamweight limit and mercilessly destroyed the ex-champ in two rounds. The Japanese were so incensed by Nery’s lack of discipline that he was banned from ever fighting in the country again.
Inoue vs. Nery in a pseudo revenge mission? They can’t do it in Japan, but this one is sure to produce fireworks in the U.S. or Mexico.
Record: 30-4 (23 KOs)
Status: Former IBF super flyweight and WBO bantamweight champion
This is another blast from the blast.
Tete was part of the line-up for the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight tournament that Inoue would go to win in 2019. Unfortunately, the South African star was forced to withdraw due to injury following his quarter-final win and he was ultimately replaced by Nonito Donaire.
Following a stunning knockout loss to John Riel Casimero (TKO 3), Tete disappeared for two years and many thought his career was over. He returned to action with a spectacular 55-second knockout of countryman Iddy Kayumba and blasted out Britain’s Jason Cunningham (KO 4) in July
The 34-year-old Tete currently holds a No. 8 ranking with Ring Magazine at 122 pounds. A bout with Inoue – title or non-title – would be eagerly anticipated.
Record: 20-0 (12 KOS)
Status: Top-rated super bantamweight contender
Aleem doesn’t have the same world-level experience as the other fighters on this list, but he has showcased electrifying hand speed, punching power, and bundles of natural talent.
Known as “The Beast,” this sharp-shooting 32-year-old from Michigan took a step up in class when he faced Filipino-based contender Mike Plania in September. Not only did Aleem rise to the occasion, but he also dominated all 10 rounds for a shutout decision win over a Ring Magazine-rated 122-pounder.
Would Aleem’s brain trust allow their charge to go straight in with a fighter as seasoned as Inoue? They’ll probably look for one or two more development fights first. However, Aleem’s time is coming, and it’s likely to coincide with Inoue’s 122-pound ascent.

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Bleacher Report Boxing Pound-For-Pound Rankings: Feb 2009 – Bleacher Report

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Bleacher Report Boxing Pound-For-Pound Rankings: Feb 2009  Bleacher Report
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What time is Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III today? Schedule, main card start time for 2023 exhibition boxing fight – Sporting News

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Floyd Mayweather once again steps inside the ring to compete in an exhibition fight. This time, he faces someone with legit combat sports experience and a last name nobody will ever forget. Mayweather faces John Gotti III, the grandson of infamous gangster John Gotti, on June 11.
The fight is inside the FLA Live Arena in Florida and airs on the Zeus Network. 
Gotti turned pro in 2017. Winning five in a row to start his MMA career, Gotti lost his last fight in 2020 against Nick Alley. The 30-year-old has since competed in boxing bouts, winning two contests in the past eight months.
Calling this fight a “pinch-me moment,” Gotti has nothing but respect for Mayweather. However, he will not let his fandom get in the way of what he needs to do. 
MORE: Boxing vs. MMA history: Mayweather vs UFC’s McGregor and more
“I’ve been following him since I was eight years old,” Gotti said via Boxing Scene. “This was my idol. This was a guy I did school projects on. It was a guy I looked up to. The fact that I’m in a position to stand across the ring from Floyd is a tremendous honor. But make no mistake, June 11, I’m bringing bad intentions to that man. I don’t care if it’s an exhibition or not. You signed to fight me, there’s no quarter. It’s kill or be killed.”
This is the latest exhibition for Mayweather, who retired in 2017 at 50-0. In 2018 he teamed with RIZIN and beat young kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa via TKO. Mayweather fought Logan Paul and former training partner Don Moore in non-scored bouts. He beat Mikuru Asakura and YouTuber Deji in 2022 via TKO. In February, Mayweather went the distance against MMA fighter Aaron Chalmers.
Here is all you need to know regarding Mayweather vs. Gotti, from the time, channel, and card.
Mayweather vs. Gotti begins at 6:30 p.m ET | 3:30 p.m. PT. Ringwalks are scheduled for 10 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. PT, depending on how long the undercard fights last. 
MORE: How to bet on combat sports
Floyd Mayweather vs. John Gotti III can be streamed on Zeus Network. 
Fans in the U.S. can pre-order the fight for $15.99. They can also sign up for the network at the annual rate of $59.99 per year. In the U.K., the pre-order price is about £13, $21 in Canada, and $23 in Australia. 
MORE: History of boxing video games
Daniel Yanofsky is a combat sports editor at The Sporting News.

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Tyler Durden & Angel Face Got Together After Fight Club's Ending (Really) – Screen Rant

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Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club 2 comic brings back the character played by Jared Leto in the movie for an unexpected, but critical role.
Angel Face, played by Jared Leto in the Fight Club film adaptation, makes a surprise return in Chuck Palahniuk's comic book sequel to his original Fight Club novel – coming back with both revenge, and, oddly enough, love on his mind, following the vicious beating he received from the Narrator a decade earlier.
Fight Club 2 – by Chuck Palahniuk, Cameron Stewart, Dave Stewart, and Nate Piekos of Blambot – features the son of the Narrator and Marla Singer being kidnapped, with a returning Tyler Durden being the prime suspect, compelling the Narrator to reintegrate himself into Fight Club. In the closing pages of the series' fourth issue, the permanently-scarred Angel Face reappears.
Related: Fight Club 3 Makes Tyler Durden's SON The Star
In a brutal display that directly mirrors the original, Angel Face administers a brutal beating to the Narrator. He ends up knocking the Narrator into unconsciousness, which triggers Tyler Durden to awaken in his place at the start of Issue #5. Angel Face knows what's happened immediately, and subsequently is horrified as Tyler mercilessly returns the meeting. It is not until a few issues later, in Fight Club 2 #9, that it is revealed Tyler has been having an affair with Angel Face for quite some time. The Narrator discovers this only when he's awake, rather than Tyler, at a moment Angel Face kisses him.
As the Narrator's therapist says, on the same page as the reveal, ""a sociopath will sleep with anyone to gain her allegiance … or his." The re-emergence of Angel Face gives readers a glimpse of exactly how being a Fight Club member for so many years has worn on Angel Face's body. Aside from the distorted face the Narrator gave him ten years prior, he is littered with scabs, scars, and bruises from decades of sparring. It's clear that Angel Face has clung on completely to the ideas that Tyler put in his head years prior, whether it is because he's a true devotee, or he has nothing else.
Angel Face is depicted as not only unflinchingly loyal to Tyler Durden's ideals, but to the man himself. It remains ambiguous in the text whether Tyler returns Angel Face's feelings, or the extent to which he can feel at all. Angel Face is in love with Tyler – for Tyler, a physical relationship may just be a way to retain Angel Face's loyalty, to continue holding power over him. In this way, it is reminiscent of how the Narrator describes Tyler's relationship with Marla in the opening pages of the original book. "This is about property as in ownership. Without Marla, Tyler would have nothing."
Tyler's connection to Angel Face may not run as deep as with Marla in Fight Club, but Angel Face is still a useful vessel for him, one that someone as possessive as Tyler isn't willing to give up so easily. On the chance that Angel Face may have harbored these feelings in the original Fight Club, it also re-contextualizes their previous dynamic. It certainly offers a new explanation as to why Angel Face stays a follower of Project Mayhem/Fight Club for a decade after the Narrator beat him up. Most certainly, it further complicates Fight Club's iconic twisted love triangle of Marla, Tyler, and the Narrator.

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Joe Anthony Myrick (or JAM) is a comics writer who specializes in, of course, covering the big figureheads of the industry (Marvel and DC), as well as lesser-known indy parties and some personal favorites like BOOM! Studios. 

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