<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="1530097" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Gabriel-Rosado">Gabriel Rosado</keyword> destroyed <keyword id="3039564" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Bektemir-Melikuziev">Bektemir Melikuziev</keyword> on Saturday in Texas.</li><li>Melikuziev was considered a top prospect but Rosado, the underdog, scored an unlikely win.</li><li>Watch the third-round poleaxing right here.</li></ul>Tough Philly boxer <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/gabriel-rosado" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gabriel Rosado</a> crushed one of the sport's top prospects with a devastating knockout Saturday at the Don Haskins Center in El Paso, Texas.Since he was a street-fighting six-year-old, Rosado has been used to the underdog status.But this weekend he ripped up the form book and scored a monumental win as he inflicted a first pro defeat onto Bektemir Melikuziev, a 25-year-old silver medal Olympian who had been tipped for <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/boxing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boxing</a> stardom.Everything had been going to plan for Melikuziev, who floored Rosado in the first round with a body shot, and looked like he would score another easy win.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-DAZN <keyword id="6362171" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Boxing">Boxing</keyword> (@DAZNBoxing) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1406362777258766336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2021</a></blockquote>And though he was leading on the scorecards, the momentum switched in the third, when Rosado caught Bek "The Bully" with an impeccably timed but risky counter shot that separated the Uzbek super middleweight from his senses.It was a thunderous punch dispatched with good technique but bad intentions.That final shot was only the 10th Rosado had landed in the entire fight, with half of those directed at the head, and the other half at the body, according to Compubox data sent to Insider.Melikuziev, meanwhile, had landed 42 of his 77 punch attempts for a 54.5% accuracy, with his power blows dictating all but the final few seconds of the bout.Watch Rosado's hammer blow right here:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1406364451234844673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2021</a></blockquote>With his unlikely victory, Rosado improved his record to 26 wins (15 knockouts) against 13 losses and one draw.He could move into a big fight against the middleweight boxer Jaime Munguia, who defeated Kamil Szeremeta in the Golden Boy on DAZN main event.

Tough Philly boxer Gabriel Rosado crushed one of the sport's top prospects with a devastating knockout

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="1736075" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Daniel-Jacobs">Daniel Jacobs</keyword> wants to demolish <keyword id="1530097" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Gabriel-Rosado">Gabriel Rosado</keyword> on Friday so he can tee up big super middleweight matches with the best in the division.</li><li>Jacobs played down the threat Rosado poses when, speaking to Insider this week, he said the Philadelphian is a mere stepping stone to better things.</li><li>The only reason they're fighting appears to be because of a chance encounter in Las Vegas two years ago.</li><li>It led to a confrontation at the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino, has led to further trash-talk down the line, and so now we're here — with Jacobs wanting to knock Rosado down and seemingly out before 168-pound fights with Jermall Charlo or Caleb Plant.</li><li>Jacobs told us he also wants to do what he can to score a rematch with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, whom beat him by decision in 2019.</li></ul>Gabriel Rosado is a mere stepping stone before big time matches against Jermall Charlo and Caleb Plant, his Friday opponent Daniel Jacobs told Insider this week.A former WBA world middleweight champion, Jacobs is currently campaigning in the super middleweight divsion, where he intends to reclaim championship status.His 168-pound match with Rosado tops the five-bout Matchroom USA-promoted card inside the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, which airs on <keyword id="6970799" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="DAZN">DAZN</keyword>."I want all of those fights," he said.The 33-year-old has beaten Caleb Truax, Peter Quillin, and Sergiy Derevyanchenko, coming unstuck only to top tier fighters Dmitriy Pirog, Gennadiy Golovkin, and Saul Alvarez.It is clear Jacobs, a bone cancer survivor, does not shy away from challenges.But there is a significant talent gap between himself and Rosado, who is a +1500 (15/1) underdog heading into the bout.It seems the reason they're fighting is to settle a grudge which seemingly began in the lobby of the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino during a Las Vegas fight week.Jacobs told us that Rosado has had a lot of negative things to say about him over the years, and even said he'd "smack" him should they ever meet face-to-face.So as he saw Rosado travel down an escalator at the casino, and he wanted to test if he really would try and smack him in the streets, away from the ring."If you're a boxer, your hands are in gloves … so you can't smack a fighter in the ring," he told us."I automatically knew that meant you want to smack me when you see me. We encountered each other in Las Vegas. I was going about my business, and he was coming down an escalator, and I waited for him to come down to press him exactly what he meant by wanting to smack me — here's an opportunity to smack me."For the most part, what I got was he was just saying all these things just to get a fight. I respect that. I respect a fighter who can admit that the only reason they're saying these negative things is to get under a fighter's skin … so from that point on I went about my business."But there's just been more, and more, and more of Gabe Rosado's comments," Jacobs said."So how, as fighters, do we settle our differences? We're in the same promotional company, same weight class now. Coming out of this pandemic, it's the perfect fight, to make him eat his words for all the things he's said about me, my career, and my life."<h2>Jacobs learned Rosado is more bark than fight, he said</h2><div type="image" title="Cosmopolitan hotel in Las Vegas" height="750" width="1000" msid="79452894" hostid="261"></div>If fighters haven't met before a bout, they might only see each other for the first time at a pre-match event at the earliest, or, at the weigh-in ceremony at the latest.It is at these moments they may get a greater understanding of who they are coming up against — they could be given an eye test for height, reach, or bulk advantages. Fighters are also generally curious if their opponent looks like they've struggled with the weight-cut. Perhaps other mental advantages could be ascertained.So did Jacobs learn anything from that chance encounter at the Cosmopolitan?"I learned that his energy did not match the words that came out of his mouth," Jacobs laughed. "He did not truly want to smack me, or do that harm, as he had an opportunity to do that."I'm not going to put myself in a position where I'm going to fight in the streets — that's not my character, but at the same time it's almost inevitable to press a situation where a man is talking about you in such a negative way."As two men, two fighters, especially coming from the mean streets of Brooklyn and him coming from Philadelphia, we handle it a certain way. And I just think that it's the best way for us to do it now."Not doing it outside the ring causing chaos and commotion. That's not what I'm about, but at the same time … I'm happy I have a chance to prove it now."<h2>Jacobs wants to win, in style, and then call-out the champions in his new division</h2><div type="image" title="Daniel Jacobs and Gabriel Rosado" height="1335" width="2000" msid="79452897" hostid="261"></div>The New Yorker is desperate to batter Rosado so mercilessly it puts him on a collision course with the greatest super middleweights in <keyword id="6362171" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Boxing">boxing</keyword> today, starting with "Canelo" Alvarez in what would be a rematch from his mid-2019 defeat to the Mexican.Jacobs is loathe to say it's a regional battle between his hometown Brooklyn and Rosado's Philadelphia roots, even if he lauded Philly heart. Regardless, "there's a large gap in skill," he told us."I'm glad there's somebody who feels they can stand in there with me. He has heart, Philly grit, determination, doesn't quit. Whether he's cut, gets knocked down, he always gets up and puts on a good show."That, for me, is what it's all about," Jacobs said, determined to be the one putting him down Friday."After this fight, with me being victorious, I'm going to call out the world champions in the division."The Charlo fight, Canelo rematch … all these different fights serve as a good opportunity for me being in a more comfortable weight class."I can fully feel strong, hydrated, focused … there's no issues concerning my weight. I'm 100% at ease and can go out there and give it my all without restrictions."It served me well in my last fight with [Julio Cesar] Chavez Jr. and, I look forward to continuing that same campaign."Read more:<a href="https://www.insider.com/gabriel-rosado-was-once-a-street-fighting-6-year-old-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Philly underdog Gabriel Rosado was a street-fighting 6-year-old but got inspired to box when he saw Mike Tyson and Felix Trinidad for the first time</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/jake-paul-caused-chaos-at-press-event-nate-robinson-says-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jake Paul was hellbent on causing chaos at media events for the Mike Tyson and Roy Jones exhibition, his opponent Nate Robinson said</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/british-boxing-promoters-are-furious-with-the-uk-government-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">British boxing's most powerful people are apoplectic about the UK government's failure to support the sport during a COVID winter</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/dana-white-to-meet-khabib-nurmagomedov-to-discuss-ufc-plans-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UFC boss Dana White says he'll meet with Khabib Nurmagomedov soon to discuss future plans</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/kayla-harrison-was-surprised-her-bloody-mma-bout-wasnt-stopped-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kayla Harrison said she was surprised her bloody MMA bout wasn't stopped and did think: 'This is barbaric'</a>

Daniel Jacobs said his Gabriel Rosado fight is a stepping stone for big time American boxing matches with Jermall Charlo and Caleb Plant

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="1530097" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Gabriel-Rosado">Gabriel Rosado</keyword> fights <keyword id="1736075" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Daniel-Jacobs">Daniel Jacobs</keyword> in Hollywood, Florida, on Friday.</li><li>He is a huge underdog and victory would likely be one of the biggest <keyword id="6362171" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Boxing">boxing</keyword> upsets of 2020.</li><li>Rosado's life story is one of two fighting communities colliding. He grew up in the fight-crazy city of Philadelphia, and has Puerto Rican heritage.</li><li>Rather than get side-tracked with the money fights in the division, he is focused only on Jacobs as a win would write his own Rocky story.</li></ul>Philadelphian underdog Gabriel Rosado was a street-fighting 6-year-old but got inspired to box when he saw Mike Tyson and Felix Trinidad for the first time.A 34-year-old veteran of 39 pro fights, Rosado returns to the ring Friday for the first time in the pandemic, and takes on Daniel Jacobs at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida, in a super middleweight match which tops the five-bout Matchroom USA-promoted card on <keyword id="6970799" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="DAZN">DAZN</keyword>.Rosado is not expected to beat Jacobs, who is a former champion looking to use the Philly fighter as a stepping stone toward another title fight so he can reclaim that lost championship status.Regardless, Rosado told Insider this week that he sees specific weaknesses in his opponent, and will look to expose those so he can snatch the momentum Jacobs has, and make that title shot his own.The fight is one Rosado had been hoping would materialize since before the coronavirus jeopardized live events early this year. He's now excited it's finally here, ready to compete once again, and try to prove critics who give him little to no chance of winning wrong."He has speed and he can punch, but I wouldn't say he has the best defense — that's one of his weaknesses," Rosado said of Jacobs."He does get touched, gets hit. I just feel like that at this point in our career, we both have 13-14 years as professionals. It'll come down to skill, but mainly the will … who really wants it?"Jacobs turned pro in 2007, has strong wins over Caleb Truax, Peter Quillin, and Sergiy Derevyanchenko. He also has three defeats on his ledger, losing to Dmitry Pirog, Gennadiy Golovkin, and Saul Alvarez — <a href="https://www.insider.com/who-are-the-best-pound-for-pound-boxers-in-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insider's No.1 boxer in the world</a>.On what he could learn from his opponent's losses and look to replicate on fight night, Rosado said: "Every fight is different. In the Canelo and Golovkin fights, they applied really smart pressure on him and made him a little bit uncomfortable."But my style is different. And I think it's just about being smart, keeping the head offline. A lot of head movement."Canelo made him miss a lot. Danny's a quick guy when it comes to throwing one shot, but with combinations he's not a fast guy."<h2>Rosado has been fighting since he was six-years-old</h2><div type="image" title="Daniel Jacobs and Gabriel Rosado" height="1335" width="2000" msid="79447000" hostid="261"></div>Rosado was born in the city that spawned boxing legends 'Smokin' Joe Frazier, Bernard 'The Executioner' Hopkins, Jersey Joe Walcott, and the "Rocky" movie franchise.He carries that distinctive boxing culture with him today, despite relocating to Los Angeles six years ago. There he opened his own gym called Badlands, a name riffing on the "Badlands" area of North Philadelphia, which is renowned for its <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/kensington-drug-market-gun-violence-homicide-racial-segregation-opioid-crack-20191207.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">open-air drug markets and drug-related violence</a>.Puerto Rico —another region that has acted as a conveyor belt for top tier boxers like Wilfredo Benitez, Miguel Cotto, and Felix Trinidad — is also in Rosado's blood."It's the best of both worlds," Rosado said of a teak-tough fusion of two rich fighting communities."Philadelphia is a fighting city," he told us. "We call it boxing headquarters."<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BSCcSYyB7YW" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by KGR (@kinggabrosado)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></div></blockquote>And fighting is something Rosado has been doing for decades, even going back to when he was a kid.In the late 1980s, Rosado's brawls weren't started over a girl they liked in class or a stolen basketball, but because it was fun and there was pride on the line."I've always been a fighter growing up," said Rosado. "Philly is a tough neighborhood. I started fighting in the first grade all the way to high school — it was just normal to have a fight every day."Sometimes the fights weren't even about not liking each other and were just about being competitive. There's another kid to fight, I think I'm better than him and he thinks he's better than me, so after school we meet up around the corner and handle it. You'd pull up and shake hands after. It was all pretty normal."Rosado's life choices as a youngster would likely have saddened his parents who were pastors at a Philly church before they separated when he was 13, <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/philly/sports/boxing/20131020_Philly_s_Gabriel_Rosado_keeping_the_faith_ahead_of_title_shot.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as reported by The Philadelphia Enquirer</a>, because through those years they were also getting phone calls from disappointed teachers.It appeared to be at odds with a key part of his life — his faith.Though Rosado dropped out of school aged 18, he found his calling in Philadelphia's boxing clubs where he seemed to thrive representing his gym, going to another boxing club to knock out their best guys in hard sparring sessions."You have to have that reputation for being tough in the gym," he said, regarding what epitomizes Philadelphia's boxing culture."There's no such thing as sparring days. It's more like a war, knocking people out in sparring. You go to someone's gym and you better represent. And the man in that gym better make sure they represent for their gym — it's a pride thing."You don't really have too much but respect in the city, and getting off on a top guy from another gym is a big deal."That's why with Philly fighters you see they're tough, don't quit, and they're mean. It's just the way we grew up in the gyms."<h2>Felix Trinidad sparked Rosado's love of boxing, and Mike Tyson cemented it</h2><div type="image" title="Mike Tyson and Felix Trinidad" height="750" width="1000" msid="79447005" hostid="261"></div>Shortly after Rosado began street-fighting as a young kid, Felix 'Tito' Trinidad won his first world championship — the IBF welterweight world title. The Puerto Rican beat Maurico Blocker in the second round of a June 1993 bout.Over the years he added further notable victories to his resume, defeating countryman Hector Camacho, the all-time defensive wizard Pernell Whitaker, and even Oscar de la Hoya.It is no surprise he was a hero to the young Rosado. Trinidad was a pin-up for many Puerto Ricans as a young, fit, and massively-successful man."I was a big Tito Trinidad fan," Rosado said. "I wanted to be like Tito. So, with the street-fighting I was thinking, 'Man, I can fight … I can be like Tito.' So I joined a gym and turned street-fighting into something positive."Insider asked him if he's ever told Trinidad to his face that he was the main reason he got into boxing, perhaps avoiding walking down an alternative path that could have gotten him into trouble."I haven't, but, man … that would be on my bucket list."Trinidad's era as a mind-blowing operator from the 147-pound weight class through to 160 followed Mike Tyson's time, who wrecking-balled his way through the heavyweight scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s.Tyson, too, shaped Rosado's life."He's just a savage but a student of the game," Rosado said. "He knows his boxing like a crazy encyclopedia, and I can relate to a lot of things about Mike Tyson."Tyson is an example of how strong the mind is. When Mike had [his former trainer] Cus D'Amato … he was unstoppable."But when he lost that, he lost that focus, confidence, and things went downhill for him."Mike is a good example of keeping your mental [game] locked in. Because you're unstoppable when you have that and you are on point."I learned a lot from Mike and would put him right there with Tito as far as inspiration."Tyson returns to the ring Saturday with Roy Jones Jr. for an exhibition as highly-anticipated as it is weird, <a href="https://www.insider.com/mike-tyson-roy-jones-behind-the-scenes-fight-causes-tension-2020-11">as the organizers have been at odds with the commission over what the ruleset of the show actually is.</a>The California State Athletic Commission has forbidden both athletes from pursuing a knockout, which the organizers — Triller and League of Legends — is attempting to override by saying the fight can finish early.Rosado laughed at the thought of Tyson and Jones holding back. "Those guys are fighters. Once a fighter, always a fighter."When the moment comes when someone actually gets touched and they start to feel embarrassed, they're going to come out swinging. Mike doesn't even know how to fight soft, he'll rip your head off."He has that switch and when that switch is gone, it's on. There's no telling what's going to happen. Who knows what we're going to see, but I doubt it's going to be soft."<h2>Rosado knows he's the underdog in his fight, but is motivated by what victory would mean</h2><div type="image" title="Daniel Jacobs and Gabriel Rosado boxing" height="1333" width="2000" msid="79447008" hostid="261"></div>Rosado is a +1500 (15/1) underdog heading into Friday night's fight with Jacobs. He is not tipped to have much chance of victory, but knows a win — however unlikely — catapults him into title contention. It would be his own Rocky story."The 168-pound division is loaded with big names, superstars, and a few world champions. I'm excited about it," he said."I'm looking forward to the fight, and I'm not looking past it by getting sidetracked with Canelo, David Benavidez, Caleb Plant, or any of the other champions in the division."Jacobs is a former champion so a win over him is as good as anything else. The fans will be ready to see me in a big fight after as [it would be a win] that puts me right back into title contention."I've been focusing on him for the entire year, and only concentrating on that."A victory would be huge."Read more:<a href="https://www.insider.com/british-boxing-promoters-are-furious-with-the-uk-government-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">British boxing's most powerful people are apoplectic about the UK government's failure to support the sport during a COVID winter</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/dana-white-to-meet-khabib-nurmagomedov-to-discuss-ufc-plans-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UFC boss Dana White says he'll meet with Khabib Nurmagomedov soon to discuss future plans</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/kayla-harrison-was-surprised-her-bloody-mma-bout-wasnt-stopped-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kayla Harrison said she was surprised her bloody MMA bout wasn't stopped and did think: 'This is barbaric'</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/conor-mcgregor-and-manny-pacquiao-will-definitely-fight-in-future-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Conor McGregor and Manny Pacquiao will 'definitely' fight in the near future, according to their shared manager</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/kubrat-pulev-says-anthony-joshua-lacks-mental-toughness-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kubrat Pulev says Anthony Joshua lacks mental toughness and he'll expose him December 12</a>

Philly underdog Gabriel Rosado was a street-fighting 6-year-old, but got inspired to box when he saw Mike Tyson and Felix Trinidad for the first time

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="13419741" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bektemir-melikuziev" source="Orion">Bektemir Melikuziev</keyword> launched a seemingly unstoppable knockout body shot in his fight Saturday.</li><li>Punches like the ones Bek 'The Bully' threw are a reminder of how painful <keyword id="11922196" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="boxing" source="Orion">boxing</keyword> can be.</li></ul>LOS ANGELES — Resurging light heavyweight boxer Bektemir Melikuziev obliterated a 41-fight veteran <keyword id="13419742" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="david-zegarra" source="Orion">David Zegarra</keyword> with a single shot to the body Saturday at the Golden Boy Promotions event that was broadcast on DAZN.A World Amateur Championship and Olympic silver medalist, Melikuziev entered the pro <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/boxing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boxing</a> game in 2019 with great acclaim but came unstuck when teak-tough Philadelphian fighter Gabriel Rosado knocked him out in the third round of a 2021 bout.The Uzbek climbed back up the rankings by outpointing Sergei Ekimov in his home country at the end of the year, and upon his return to the US this week, won in style with a punch that looked hideously painful.Footage shows the precise shot that did the damage — a left hand that Bek 'The Bully' lasered into Zegarra's midsection.It is yet another brutal reminder for how devastatingly painful body shots can be.Shots like the one Melikuziev threw can end a fight in an instant, as they make the victims simply writhe around on the floor.Or, in Zegarra's case, remain on one knee with all the fight beaten out of him."Everything feels good and this went like I expected it to go," said Melikuziev after the fight, in a statement sent to Insider.He added that he is now targeting one thing and one thing only: "The only thing on my mind is a re-match with Gabe Rosado."Watch Melikuziev's finish right here:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1505364588669415429">March 20, 2022</a></blockquote>With victory, Melikuziev advanced his pro boxing record to nine wins (seven knockouts) against one loss.Earlier in the evening, American puncher <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-alex-rincon-scores-2-knockdowns-in-boxing-win-saturday-2022-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alex Rincon destroyed middleweight opponent Luis Sanchez before appearing to collapse</a> after the win.Emerging <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-miguel-gaona-scored-30-second-ko-said-not-surprised-2022-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">star prospect Miguel Gaona stole the show with a blistering 30-second knockout win over super lightweight opponent Gilberto Aguilar</a> near the start of the card.Ramla Ali bulldozed through Shelly Barnett, Dalis Kaleiopu beat Manuel Lara late in the fourth round by knockout, John Ramirez overcame Roberto Pucheta after six rounds by decision, and Alejandro Reyes, who <a href="https://www.insider.com/alejandro-reyes-uses-canelo-blueprint-to-ensure-success-in-boxing-2022-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insider profiled earlier this week after speaking to the youngster and his coach Jose Saucedo</a>, earned the seventh win of his career by defeating Daniel Evangelista Jr.The Golden Boy event on DAZN was topped by a main event featuring charismatic welterweight <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/blair-cobbs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Blair Cobbs</a> and emerging rival Alexis Rocha.Knockout puncher <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/vergil-ortiz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vergil Ortiz Jr.</a> was due to headline the show but spent Monday night in hospital because of rhabdomyolysis.In a statement upon the start of his recovery, <a href="https://www.insider.com/vergil-ortiz-posts-a-statement-after-staying-overnight-in-hospital-2022-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ortiz said "things could have been worse."</a>

Bektemir Melikuziev's latest knockout is a painful reminder of how devastating body shots can be

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. are not the only fighters taking part in a highly-anticipated Los Angeles event Saturday.</li><li>Though the main event is regarded as an exhibition, a co-main event between YouTuberJake Paul and the former NBA player <keyword id="111552" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Nate-Robinson">Nate Robinson</keyword> is a legitimate fight.</li><li>The pair have been trying to generate interest in their six-round cruiserweight match in recent weeks.</li><li>But throughout the promotion, <keyword id="6130340" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jake-Paul">Jake Paul</keyword> has been acting like an unprofessional "asshole," Robinson said.</li></ul>YouTube sensation turned novice pro boxer Jake Paul was apparently hellbent on causing chaos at media events designed to generate interest in his November 28 bout against former NBA player Nate Robinson.That's according to Robinson himself, who told Insider earlier this month that Paul acted like an unprofessional "asshole" when they were filming commercials ahead of their showdown Saturday.Paul and Robinson compete in a legitimate six-round pro bout in the cruiserweight division, a fight which serves as the penultimate bout on a highly-anticipated Los Angeles event topped by Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr.'s exhibition.Robinson told Insider that he's "pretty excited" at competing on the card, even though he hadn't even sparred until this year."I had a few scuffles in my NBA days, not really throwing fists but got into a couple of wrestling matches or a slap or two," he said."Male testosterone, men wanting to be the alpha-omega — tempers flare. Guys playing on the court, trying to win, guys talking a lot of trash, showing them up … it happens."A five-foot-nine point guard who played for the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Denver Nuggets, Robinson is the NBA's first-ever three-time slam dunk champion.He told Insider it's a completely different fitness having to train for <keyword id="6362171" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Boxing">boxing</keyword>, though."The first time I've ever been in a sparring match, it was just eye-opening for me how tired you get at the beginning."It was like, 'Wow, this is what Floyd Mayweather, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson go through?' You have to be in really good shape. That was the first thing, I knew I had to get in boxing shape."I could play basketball all day, football, run, and soccer, but being in boxing shape is way different. I knew I had to work on a lot, and get started, so I jumped right into it."<h2>Jake Paul has been 'a goof' throughout the promotion, according to Robinson</h2><div type="image" title="Nate Robinson fight" height="1499" width="1998" msid="79449101" hostid="261"></div>Robinson, who makes his pro boxing debut this weekend, fights Paul, who is competing in his second pro bout having knocked out a fellow content creator AnEsonGib in his own debut earlier this year.Prior to that, Paul had taken part in an unofficial, non-professional bout against Deji Olatunji, during the Logan Paul vs. KSI event 2019 which really spawned this bizarre new era of YouTubers-turned-boxers. Deji and Jake are KSI and Logan's brothers.It is Jake, rather than his brother, who appears keen to take it to a new level, adhering to boxing-style training camps, taking on further fights, and telling Insider this week that he wants to organize boxing bouts against well-known UFC fighters.Robinson said it's hard to assess how good or bad Paul actually is because "the guys he's been fighting are terrible."But part of Paul's strategy appears to involve causing chaos, and Robinson said he's been unprofessional in the build-up to the weekend event to date.After the virtual press conference which Insider attended earlier this month, Robinson told us that Paul was "being obnoxious and interrupted" him the whole time."He's not taking this seriously and is squandering the opportunity," Robinson said. "He wasn't saying much at the conference … it doesn't really matter."That's just him not being a professional, acting like Jake Paul. I'm not taking s--- personal."It wasn't even the first time Paul had acted up during an event they were at together, according to Robinson."We saw each other a couple weeks [before the virtual conference] and we came to LA to do promo for the fight."He came in, being loud, interrupting [me] doing commercials, and he was just being an asshole. Not cool. He started acting like he wanted a photo with me, but really, he's just being a goof."He calls me boring, that I don't talk enough s---, but I said I'll show him who I really am when we fight November 28."The main card of the Tyson vs. Jones exhibition begins at 9 p.m. ET airing on cable provider pay-per-view, and online platforms Triller and Fite TV, and costs $49.99 to watch.Read more:<a href="https://www.insider.com/gabriel-rosado-was-once-a-street-fighting-6-year-old-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Philly underdog Gabriel Rosado was a street-fighting 6-year-old but got inspired to box when he saw Mike Tyson and Felix Trinidad for the first time</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/british-boxing-promoters-are-furious-with-the-uk-government-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">British boxing's most powerful people are apoplectic about the UK government's failure to support the sport during a COVID winter</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/dana-white-to-meet-khabib-nurmagomedov-to-discuss-ufc-plans-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UFC boss Dana White says he'll meet with Khabib Nurmagomedov soon to discuss future plans</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/kayla-harrison-was-surprised-her-bloody-mma-bout-wasnt-stopped-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kayla Harrison said she was surprised her bloody MMA bout wasn't stopped and did think: 'This is barbaric'</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/conor-mcgregor-and-manny-pacquiao-will-definitely-fight-in-future-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Conor McGregor and Manny Pacquiao will 'definitely' fight in the near future, according to their shared manager</a>

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Tough Philly boxer Gabriel Rosado crushed one of the sport's top prospects with a devastating knockout

Alan Dawson

Daniel Jacobs said his Gabriel Rosado fight is a stepping stone for big time American boxing matches with Jermall Charlo and Caleb Plant

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Philly underdog Gabriel Rosado was a street-fighting 6-year-old, but got inspired to box when he saw Mike Tyson and Felix Trinidad for the first time

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Bektemir Melikuziev's latest knockout is a painful reminder of how devastating body shots can be

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Jake Paul was hellbent on causing chaos at media events for the Mike Tyson and Roy Jones exhibition, his opponent Nate Robinson says

Alan Dawson