Michael Beasley Stops Delonte West In Adin Ross’ Brand Risk Ring

Michael Beasley beat Delonte West by a first-round technical knockout at Adin Ross’ Brand Risk 16, turning a return to the streamer’s fight promotion into a better result under boxing rules.

The former NBA players met on the October 16 card at the Brand Risk Warehouse in Miami. MMA Fighting reported that West went down during the opening round and failed to beat the referee’s 10-count.

Beasley had the height and reach advantage. The report described West pressing forward with big swings, while Beasley worked from outside his range. Their exchange ended with West on the canvas and the referee stopping the contest.

The finish reversed Beasley’s experience at Brand Risk 14 in May, when he tried mixed martial arts against Lance Stephenson in Las Vegas. The pair had also competed in Big3 basketball and played one-on-one for $100,000. Stephenson took him to the mat and won with a rear-naked choke, a hold applied from behind that forced Beasley to submit.

Beasley was still open to boxing afterward, even as he made clear that grappling had given him trouble.

“Practicing getting choked and getting choked ain’t the same!” he said after that May loss.

His meeting with West brought another familiar basketball face into the ring. The two had played against each other in the NBA and China’s top league before joining Ross’ crossover event.

The bout was West’s first appearance in combat sports, while Beasley returned after the Stephenson loss. Ross’ promotion put their matchup on a card that also featured streamers, social-media personalities and R&B singer YK Osiris.

Osiris faced Deshae Frost in another boxing bout on the same show. The promotion streamed the event free across its social channels and Ross’ Kick channel, continuing its mix of established sports names and internet entertainers.

Their face-to-face meeting during fight week was friendly despite the coming contest. Interviewer Fred Beck asked West about seeing Beasley, and West described a shared past that included both competition and scuffles, Athlon Sports reported.

“Oh, yeah, yeah. We’re two fierce competitors, you know. And we both want to win. We love to win,” West said.