Boxing Thread

[shaz619]

Great performance from both Beterbiev and Bivol, very close fight; I gave Beterbiev the edge by a round or two for his pressure and stiffer shots, though Bivol’s work was a lot cleaner, both men have tremendous chins and took some real pomp in the fight. Bivol was well ahead early on due to his superior movement and lightning jab which have Beterbiev issues, then he settled in the second half, picked better shots and worked the body, with Bivol’s pace declining, he took more punishment but a lot less then prior opponents due to his exceptional defence. Bivol is a very boring fighter but this was probably his most fun fight, he is a very difficult fighter to open up, I also think Beterbiev (while he wasn’t loading up) power was impacted by the knee injury, he still has plenty there but I am not sure if it’s all available, he is bound to feel discomfort each time he turns the hips. A landmark victory nonetheless and Beterbiev deserves it.

 

[Double Trouble]

I had Bivol 7 to 5 due to the first half of the fight.

Artur is a beast of a fighter will love a rematch between these 2 warriors.

 

[ghalib kichlu]

Only watched very brief highlights where bivol seemed to be dominating and knocked beterbievs head back a few rimes and the commentators were noticing how well dimitry was performing.
The beterbiev who knocked down usyk a few times in the amateurs seemed to be troubled by bivol who didn't mind brawling with Artur.
Hopefully they have a rematch before beterbiev retires

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Clarke back in UK after surgery on broken jaw

Heavyweight Frazer Clarke has had surgery on his jaw and cheekbone following his first-round stoppage loss to Fabio Wardley in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

The 33-year-old was taken to hospital after suffering a fracture high on his jaw in their British title fight.

Boxxer promoter Ben Shalom said Clarke underwent "minor" surgery in Riyadh on Sunday. He landed back in the United Kingdom on Monday morning.

"He's feeling more motivated than ever to come back bigger and better in the new year," Shalom told Sky Sports.

Clarke, a 2020 Olympic bronze medallist, lost for the first time as a pro as Wardley, 29, retained his British title at the Kingdom Arena.

In a rematch of March's fight of the year contender which ended in a draw, Wardley hurt Clarke with a strong right hand in the first round after a flurry of punches.

Clarke rose to his feet but with his jaw visibly out of place, the referee stopped the contest.

Frazer Clarke has surgery on broken jaw after loss to Fabio Wardley

Heavyweight Frazer Clarke has surgery on his jaw and cheekbone following his first-round stoppage loss to Fabio Wardley in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

www.bbc.com

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Boxer Williams retires after 'several concussions'

World title challenger Liam Williams, one of Wales' best boxers of the past two decades, says he has retired from the sport after receiving "several concussions".

The 32-year-old, who won British, European and Commonwealth titles, says he is hanging up his gloves because he is worried about taking further blows to the head and suffering further damage to his brain.

Williams says he fought Chris Eubank Jr in 2022 despite knowing he was suffering the effects of a concussion and against medical advice heading into the fight as he "didn’t want to let down his fans".

Williams says he realised after his last fight - a first round KO defeat by Hamzah Sheeraz in February - that he "had taken too much", and does not want to "just fight for money" and "jeopardise his future with his family".

Williams says he worries about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a brain condition linked to repeated blows to the head and concussion. The condition, which gradually gets worse over time and leads to dementia, can only be diagnosed post-mortem.

"I know that boxing is brutal," Williams added.

Boxing: Welshman Liam Williams retires after 'several concussions'

World title challenger Liam Williams, one of Wales’ best boxers of the past two decades says he has retired from the sport after receiving "several concussions".

www.bbc.com

 

[shaz619]

Bivol took serious punishment in that fight, it’s not so obvious because Beterbiev looks like he is throwing arm punches all the time but the leverage he puts into his shots is very subtle, I don’t think he was loading up but just look at Bivol’s face after the fight.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Bivol took serious punishment in that fight, it’s not so obvious because Beterbiev looks like he is throwing arm punches all the time but the leverage he puts into his shots is very subtle, I don’t think he was loading up but just look at Bivol’s face after the fight.

Spot on!

Damage is key in combat sports inc Boxing. Artur's jabs are very heavy, rocked back Bivols head on numerous occasions esp in the 2nd half. His body shots hurt too, his right hooks even at the guard hurt, in fact everything this man throws hurts!

Bivol is tough as nails too, others would have lost focus and stopped moving but he stood up well.

Bivols plan was to win on points, hence he went in to win the early rounds knowing Artur starts slowly. It nearly paid off.

I scored it 115-113. I cant recall a fight which flew by so quickly. Not sure what you think but imo undisputed fights should be 15 rounds like yesteryear? Imo Artur would have ended the fight if another 3 rounds were available.

 

[shaz619]

Spot on!

Damage is key in combat sports inc Boxing. Artur's jabs are very heavy, rocked back Bivols head on numerous occasions esp in the 2nd half. His body shots hurt too, his right hooks even at the guard hurt, in fact everything this man throws hurts!

Bivol is tough as nails too, others would have lost focus and stopped moving but he stood up well.

Bivols plan was to win on points, hence he went in to win the early rounds knowing Artur starts slowly. It nearly paid off.

I scored it 115-113. I cant recall a fight which flew by so quickly. Not sure what you think but imo undisputed fights should be 15 rounds like yesteryear? Imo Artur would have ended the fight if another 3 rounds were available.

It’s difficult maybe for the casual observer to view and perhaps from the TV in general, but most ring side saw the damage he was doing, behind the gloves, through the guard and overlooked by a lot of people which you mentioned just now was the body work, yes I have no doubt even those punches on the gloves you actually feel those as well, and he wasn’t loading up! and he had a dodgy knee to! I will credit Bivol for his exceptional defence / toughness and back foot pedigree but it was not sustained and he struggled during the second half / championship rounds especially. I gave it to Beterbiev by a point but I missed Round 4 live, and most appear to point out that was the turning point and if he won that then I probably would have the same score as you.

It makes me appreciate Boxing legends and history in general so much, to think there was a point when you had police stoppages and then coming all the way down to 12 rounds, we would certainly avoid controversial scorecards with the extra three, no doubt about that and I am in favour of it for special fights especially, I am certain Hagler would have had his hand raised at the end of his war with Leonard.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

'Showman' Yarde targets Buatsi fight after lay-off

Anthony Yarde says he wants to fight Joshua Buatsi or Artur Beterbiev in the near future as he prepares to make his return to the ring on Saturday.

The light-heavyweight has spent nine months on the sidelines, due to a "contractual dispute" with his long-time promoters Queensberry.

Yarde, 33, makes his return against Ralfs Vilcans on the undercard of Adam Azim v Ohara Davies, an event promoted by Ben Shalom's Boxxer.

Speaking at a news conference Yarde dismissed criticism about his opponent, who is unheralded and has fought most of his pro career in his home country of Latvia.

"I want to be in the ring. Everyone is going to have their opinion on the level I should be fighting, or the fight, or how big the fight should be," Yarde said.

"I want the biggest fights out there. That's Joshua Buatsi, that's Beterbiev 2, that's [Dmitry] Bivol."

Yarde has a loss on his record to the newly crowned undisputed champion Beterbiev in 2023.

Beterbiev stopped Yarde in a defence of his world title before going on to beat Bivol in their undisputed contest last Saturday.

Yarde failed in his first world title attempt in 2019, but expects another opportunity and said "three's the charm".

Queensberry's Frank Warren has not commented on Yarde's fight with Boxxer, but Shalom said the Englishman has not signed a long-term promotional deal.

"We don't have many genuine superstars that can capture the attention as mainstream stars and Anthony Yarde is one of them," Shalom said.

"There's Josh Buatsi, there's Ben Whittaker, there's Anthony Yarde all in the domestic light-heavyweight scene [in the UK].

"You can expect a showman. There's not many fighters, if any, in the division that can fight the way Anthony Yarde can fight. He is a super talent."


BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Beterbiev ordered to face IBF mandatory challenger

Artur Beterbiev has been ordered to defend his IBF light-heavyweight title against the mandatory challenger, a day after Dmitry Bivol appealed to the four sanctioning bodies to back an immediate rematch.

Russian Beterbiev, 39, became the division's first four-belt world champion with a split-decision victory over compatriot Bivol in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Bivol's promoter Eddie Hearn and manager Vadim Kornilov publicly lambasted the scorecards, which were 114-114, 115-113 and 116-112 for Beterbiev.

Bivol, 33, sent a request through his lawyer on Wednesday to the WBO, WBA, IBF and WBC, asking for their support in securing a rematch with Beterbiev.

But the IBF has now officially ordered Beterbiev to begin "negotiations" with a mandatory challenger, German Michael Eifert.

This may well not be the end of the matter, however.

The IBF says Beterbiev can still request an "exception" to make a voluntary defence which would be considered.

As sanctioning bodies, the organisations authorise fighters to compete for their world titles, but none of the four major sanctioning bodies have the power to overturn an official result.

The British Boxing Board of Control was in charge of overseeing the weekend's event, as has been the case for most Saudi fight nights in the last 12 months.

While Hearn said the 116-112 scorecard was "disgusting", Bivol did not publicly question the result.

Bivol suffered the first defeat of his 24-fight career, while Beterbiev was taken the distance for the first time as a professional.

Boxing: Artur Beterbiev ordered to face IBF mandatory despite Dmitry Bivol appeal to sanctioning bodies

Artur Beterbiev has been ordered by the IBF to face a mandatory challenger.

www.bbc.com

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Wardley's dream Portman Road bout 'closer than ever'

British heavyweight Fabio Wardley says that his dream fight at Ipswich Town's Portman Road is still "on the cards" following some big wins in Saudi Arabia.

The 29-year-old knocked out fellow Briton Fraser Clarke on Saturday in the first round to defend his British and Commonwealth titles.

The devastating finish early on resulted in Clarke having to go to hospital and have surgery on his jaw and cheekbone.

Despite two of his last three contests being held in Saudi Arabia, Wardley still wants to live the dream of stepping into the ring at his beloved Ipswich Town.

"It’s still the dream and it’s on the cards," Wardley told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"If anything it’s closer than ever now because being with Frank Warren my promoter, he’s done stadium shows before and he knows how to put them on.

"When it happens is still a massive question but pieces are definitely falling into place for this."

Prior to Saturday's first round stoppage win, Wardley was held to a draw by the same opponent Clarke in a gruelling 12 round contest at London's O2 Arena.

The draw was the first time since his professional debut that he had not knocked out the man stood in front of him.

Wardley has been recognised by the Ring Magazine and entered their top 10 rated heavyweights, moving into ninth position.

"When you look at the rest of the names in there you’ve got Usyk, Fury and AJ," Wardley added.

"I’m like three or four places behind these people and it seems a bit mad, these are all great things for me though and I’m just buzzing for the future.

"I’ll sit down with my team next and decide which path we move onto next.

"I want to position myself as best as I can for a world title shot or eliminator, I need to take advice because right now I’m in uncharted territory in my career."


BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

The 'bumpy road' to Edmondson's British title win

Light-heavyweight Lewie Edmondson thanked his team for standing by him as he looked back on the "bumpy road" that has led him to winning the British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight titles.

The boxer from Southampton defeated Dan Azeez at the Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday, as part of a card headlined by super-lightweights Adam Azim and Ohara Davies.

At 28, this was Edmondson's first time fighting for a title and completing 12 professional rounds.

It was also his 10th pro victory in a career that has been successful but full of injuries and serious health scares.

"It’s been a bumpy road, I’ve had big operations and septicaemia but my team always stood by me." Edmondson told BBC Sport.

"I feel mentally tougher now because of what I’ve been through, I’ve had times in the hospital when I didn’t know If I’d pull through.

"We’ve also done multiple camps through injuries, we’ve just stayed in the gym working though and I’ve always pushed hard because we knew nights like this were destined for us."

Septicaemia, external is another term used to describe blood poisoning. It is a potentially life-threatening infection caused by large amounts of bacteria entering the bloodstream.

Edmondson says that this all initially came from an ingrown hair that he had a number of operations on. He did not box and was in and out of hospital for 18 months and admits he was close to "not being here today".

His bout on Saturday was a close contest as former European and British champion Azeez was familiar with having boxed him in the amateurs and sparred on many occasions.

After 12 rounds the fight went to the judges, Edmondson celebrating triumphantly in the ring as his majority decision victory was announced, one judge scoring it a draw and two in favour of the Southampton man.


BBC

 

[ElRaja]

great wins for hamzah and azim. hamzah looks ready for a title shot, which is nuts when u think how far he looked 3 years ago v skeete. hes really upped his game, learned to manage distance, and is getting stronger. if he keeps improving like he is, he is gonna be a massive problem in a few divisions. only thing that can hold him back now is either injury or externalities.

azim, i only saw the highlights, but looked strong, ive often complained about the one-dimensionality of his attacks, it looked good to see him put some combos together, and also a take few hits himself. ohara, clearly his heart wasn't in the game and has taken one last pay day, but its a good name on the cv for azim nonetheless. was also pleased to see some attitude from him over the whole dalton smith business, although i dont see what he, at 22, gains from fighting a 28 year old with signifcnalty more experience at this level. i think the eubank fight, with all the media that comes with it, might be a better risk reward play if that can be made again.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Joshua will fight Fury or Dubois next – Hearn

Anthony Joshua will definitely face either Daniel Dubois or Tyson Fury next, says the heavyweight's promoter Eddie Hearn.

Briton Joshua, 35, suffered a fourth career defeat when he was stopped by IBF world champion Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September.

Fury, who has long been linked with a super-fight with Joshua, will face unified champion Oleksandr Usyk on 21 December after losing to the Ukrainian in May.

"It's weird saying it after a knockout defeat but AJ is actually in a really good position," Matchroom boss Hearn told BBC Sport.

"We're going to fight Dubois or Fury next. That's it. No other interest or warm-up."

Dubois, 27, dropped Joshua multiple times in front of a reported British record crowd of 96,000 before the fight was halted in the fifth round.

A rematch had been mooted for 22 February in Saudi and the champion's promoter, Frank Warren, has confirmed Dubois will most likely fight on that date.

It may be against a different challenger, with Hearn saying Joshua may need more time to prepare.

"AJ desperately wants revenge but the only issue is timing," he said. "For the rematch to happen in February, training camp will have to start in a couple of weeks.

"There are always niggles and he had a few so physically it's just a case of whether AJ is ready to do that."

Joshua may instead await the outcome of 36-year-old Fury's rematch with Usyk.

"It would be frustrating if we made the Dubois rematch and Fury won," Hearn said.

"Then we're sitting there going 'hang on a minute, we're fighting Dubois but we could have fought Fury in May for the biggest fight in boxing.'

"Win or lose, we can fight Fury next summer. But if he wins, AJ fights him for the world title."

BBC

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Former WWE Champion Claims He Received Offer To Fight Mike Tyson Before Jake Paul​

During a recent signing event, Former WWE World Champion Bobby Lashley revealed that he had been offered the opportunity to fight Tyson several months back. “I was offered Mike Tyson several months back. I thought that would be a good fight. People asked me the same question about whether I can beat Mike Tyson. I’m not going to say, ‘Oh yeah, I can beat Mike Tyson,’ but I would like to do the fight. That’s what it’s all about to me.” Said Lashley, providing details about the offer.

Lashley has expressed interest in fights that align with his goals, and the chance to face Tyson certainly caught his attention. It was the same way in August 2022, where Lashley mentioned he’d been approached for a potential match with Tyson back then as well, though nothing has materialized yet on either occasion.

Now a free agent after parting ways with WWE, Lashley is rumored to be joining AEW, where his former stablemates Shelton Benjamin and MVP are already present.

Source: ProPakistani

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Briton Catterall beats Prograis in chaotic thriller

Jack Catterall earned his third headline win in a year and put himself in position for a title fight in 2025 with victory over Regis Prograis in their light-welterweight bout in Manchester.

A bruising, see-saw encounter at Co-op Live saw Catterall knocked down in round five following a flurry of blows from Prograis ending with a heavy right jab to the jaw.

Both men then hit the canvas in the eighth round, grappling before tumbling and almost falling through the ropes in a bout that was occasionally chaotic but always watchable.

Catterall brought his best in round nine, twice sending Prograis to the floor with solid right strikes. The American received a count to eight on both occasions before resuming.

Following a nervous start, Catterall grew into the fight and gained control in the latter stages as Prograis desperately sought a knockout, twice sweeping himself off his own feet with attempted haymakers.

Ultimately the judges all went for Catterall - one 117-108, the other two 116-109, 116-109 - as the 31-year-old Chorley-born fighter followed victories over Jorge Linares and Josh Taylor in the past year with another notable win.

On the undercard, Campbell Hatton was unable to avenge his defeat by Jimmy Joe Flint. The son of former world champion Ricky Hatton was beaten by unanimous verdict in front of his home Manchester crowd.


BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Sheeraz, Ball & Itauma sign new deals with Warren

World champion Nick Ball, middleweight star Hamzah Sheeraz and heavyweight sensation Moses Itauma have signed long-term deals with Frank Warren's Queensberry.

Belfast's IBF super-featherweight Anthony Cacace has also signed a new deal, alongside super-bantamweight Liam Davies who faces Shabaz Masoud on Saturday in Birmingham.

Undefeated lightweight Sam Noakes, who has 14 stoppages in 15 fights, also committed his future to Queensberry.

Warren secured Ball two world title fights in 2024 and the Liverpudlian is now on track for unification fights.

Ball, 27, is undefeated in 22 fights with one draw and successfully retained his WBA featherweight title on home soil last month.

"That Nick Ball, Anto Cacace and Liam Davies have reached world title status is a particular joy, and the good news is that I am certain there are more world champions to come from this group," Warren said.

Sheeraz appears one fight away from his first world title shot as a professional after 21 wins in a row and a dismantling of European champion Tyler Denny at Wembley Stadium in September.

Teenager Itauma has already been earmarked as a future world champion and will face Australian Demsey McKean on 21 December in a massive step up for the 19-year-old.


BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

McCrory claims tough points win over Carrillo in Belfast

Belfast's Padraig McCrory got back to winning ways with a tough fought points victory over Leonard Carrillo in Belfast on Friday.

The 36-year-old beat the Colombian on a 98-91 scorecard in his first bout since being stopped by Edgar Berlanga in February.

Carrillo arrived with a record of 17-5, with 16 of his wins inside the distance, so his threat could not be underestimated and he brought that power into the Belfast ring.

This was no easy return assignment for McCrory as his opponent tested his resolve form the start, stinging the home favourite on a number of occasions in what was a wild first round.

Referee Hugh Russell Jnr was the first on the deck as his slip brought a roar of amusement from the crowd and soon it was cheers as Carrillo was on the canvas from a punishing McCrory left.

The 35-year-old from Barranquilla rose and turned the tables on McCrory as the Belfast man found himself in real trouble but managed to stay upright.

Carrillo seemed happy to wait for his opportunity to counter with one big shot until a late surge had the home fighter in a little difficulty at times in what was a tense finish that ultimately went the way of McCrory.

On the undercard, Ruadhan Farrell claimed the Irish super-bantamweight title after a unanimous decision win over Connor Kerr (98-92, 97-93, 100-91).

The cards don't paint a true picture of the ten rounds that were competitive but Farrell - who won a March meeting between the pair for the BUI Celtic title - was getting the better of an entertaining battle and was a worthy winner nonetheless.

Also celebrating was Coleraine's Matthew Boreland who passed his first real test in just his fourth professional fight as he took a points win over Scotland's Calum Turnbull.

The main event saw Liverpool's Robbie Davies Jr recover from a 10th round knockdown to beat former super-featherweight world champion Javier Fortuna on points


BBC

 

[Geordie Ahmed]

Good performance from Masoud

No idea how that was a split decision

 

[shaz619]

Good performance from Masoud

No idea how that was a split decision

There’s always one dodgy card, but I found it a little shocking that Davies was the favourite, I guess a part of it would be the lower profile of Shabaz due to lack of media coverage and faith as well in the past with the relationship with Frank Warren not quiet working out. But he has been grinding behind closed doors and has a very decent following here in the midlands who have been loyal from the start of his career, in-fact I’d say he has more of a following here then Galal Yafai who has been handled very poorly. Shabaz’s boxing pedigree was evident from the start of his career and I’d actually say he is more of a natural orthodox fighter which wouldn’t be so obvious for someone tuning in now because he box’s superbly from the southpaw stance as well, you could argue Ben Davison deserves some credit for his development to because the two have been together from the beginning, Shabaz’s style is very much similar to Billy Joe and they got the right people in the camp who use to work with him as a pro in the past as well. Yes, he doesn’t bang, but that’s partly a choice, his style doesn’t rely on him loading up on his punches and I think he has enough pop to keep fighters at bay.

It is mad to think Davies was being touted as a future Inoue opponent, still a world class fighter and ranked consistently high by all respected publications unlike Shabaz was. But there are levels and Inoue unfortunately for the division, is an all time great fighter.

I don’t really want to see Shabaz in with Inoue anytime soon, I think they should build on this win and make the resorts world arena their territory, plenty of world ranked opposition to make fights with and take his progression to the next level.

 

[Geordie Ahmed]

I agree, when I heard about Inoue I was immediately thinking I don't see a situation where Shabaz wins that

Love watching Shabaz fight, it's entertaining but I've always felt the lack of serious power is what will stop him from hitting the top level

 

[shaz619]

I agree, when I heard about Inoue I was immediately thinking I don't see a situation where Shabaz wins that

Love watching Shabaz fight, it's entertaining but I've always felt the lack of serious power is what will stop him from hitting the top level

Shabaz seems like a bloke who wants to get better and it’s an area they can work on for sure, part of it is intent as well, though for this fight, it was right for him to pick Davies off who is known to hit harder. Some fighters are just blessed with heavy hands, but it certainly can be improved and when the desire is there, you can hurt any fighter if you keep catching them with cumulative shots or a high work rate; remember when Josh Warrington use to get ridiculed similarly, but he hurt so many of the elite names in his division. I think he has world level tools and should wait a bit for the alphabet titles to get split again, defo wouldn’t match him with Inoue who inevitably will move up I reckon

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Lewis wants Fury to be 'heavier' in Usyk rematch

Lennox Lewis thinks Tyson Fury will have to "to do a lot more" to beat Oleksandr Usyk in their heavyweight rematch on 21 December.

Fury, 36, will be seeking revenge against unified champion Usyk having lost their first encounter in May by split decision.

Lewis, a former undisputed heavyweight champion, is backing Fury to beat his rival if he learns from his mistakes in the first fight.

"I think Fury learnt what he needs to do next time because he didn't do enough. He needs to do a lot more. I like him a bit heavier for his fights and not moving around as much," Lewis told the 5 Live Boxing with Steve Bunce podcast.

"He has to conquer his own self first. He's been through these things before so I think he can do it because he knows what to do.

"He's been at lows before and at highs before. He's down here right now, he knows how to get back up here. He just needs to put in the work."

Before 37-year-old Usyk defeated Fury, British fighter Lewis was the last man to become reigning undisputed heavyweight champion in 1999.

The Briton defeated Evander Holyfield for the title, winning in a rematch after their draw earlier that year.

Lewis competed in three key rematches in his career. He twice came back to win after losing a first bout, once to Hasim Rahman in 2001 and once to Oliver McCall, who beat him in 1994 before folding to defeat in 1997.

Now 59, Lewis says he was driven by "revenge" in those contests and says Fury will be going through the same thing after the first loss of his career.

"Every day I woke up training for this person, ready for this person, thinking about them the whole day. I took it real serious," Lewis said.

"Wake up every day to their picture. Stick it on the wall. And be thinking about them all the time. It’s a mental war you’re going in against."



BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Benn's provisional doping suspension lifted

Conor Benn's provisional suspension has been lifted after a two-year battle with UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC).

Benn, 28, is an unbeaten welterweight with a 23-0 record, but in 2022 he twice tested positive for a banned substance, women's fertility drug Clomifene, in voluntary drug tests.

His suspension has been withdrawn after Ukad said the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) was "not comfortably satisfied" that it and the Board had proved he had committed an anti-doping rule violation.

Benn says he has been "cleared of any wrongdoing" and has always been "an advocate for clean sport".

Conor Benn: British fighter has provisional suspension lifted after two-year battle

Conor Benn's provisional suspension is lifted after a two-year battle with UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC).

www.bbc.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

Benn's provisional doping suspension lifted

Conor Benn's provisional suspension has been lifted after a two-year battle with UK Anti-Doping (Ukad) and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC).

Benn, 28, is an unbeaten welterweight with a 23-0 record, but in 2022 he twice tested positive for a banned substance, women's fertility drug Clomifene, in voluntary drug tests.

His suspension has been withdrawn after Ukad said the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) was "not comfortably satisfied" that it and the Board had proved he had committed an anti-doping rule violation.

Benn says he has been "cleared of any wrongdoing" and has always been "an advocate for clean sport".

"This past 24 months has unquestionably been the toughest fight of my life," Benn wrote in a statement published on X., external

"[It has been} a rollercoaster period within which the WBC had already decided that I was innocent and the NADP decided in the first instance that there was no case to answer and I was free to fight."

Ukad say the "charge against him has been consequently dismissed" however, they are reviewing the decision "in accordance with its appeal rights".

They have 21 days to lodge that appeal.

Ukad added it is "unable to publicly disclose" the full decision of the NADP at this time without Benn's consent.

A key issue at the heart of Benn's case was the drug tests were conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada) and paid for by Benn's promoters Matchroom Boxing, and not by Ukad.

The NADP lifted his ban in July 2023 but he was provisionally suspended again after appeals by Ukad and the BBBofC were upheld in May.

When will Benn box again?

Benn is now free to resume his fighting career in the UK and plans to reschedule a bout with Chris Eubank Jr.

Both fighters' teams are pushing for the contest and the preference is for the fight to take place in the UK, rather than in Saudi Arabia.

Eubank and Benn clashed in the Kingdom last month during the week leading up to Artur Beterbiev's victory over Dmitry Bivol. Benn then joined his rival in the ring after Eubank stopped Kamil Szeremeta.

Eddie Hearn, who promotes Benn, said he expects the fight to happen early in 2025.

"It's the easiest fight in the world to promote," he said.

"The first time we sold out the highest ever gate at the O2 for boxing. It was sold so quickly I can't even tell you. Now, with everything, its three or four times bigger," he said.

"I think you'll see it in February or March 2025. It can land in Riyadh but AJ-Dubois (Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois) was epic for British boxing and this will be too.

"It's always nice to have at least one stadium fight a year. To do that in the first quarter would be encouraging for what might follow."

What is the timeline for Benn's anti-doping case?

Benn was initially suspended from boxing in March 2023 after he failed two voluntary tests for clomifene before his cancelled bout with fellow Briton Chris Eubank Jr.

The pair were scheduled to meet on 8 October 2022 at a catchweight of 157lb, around 30 years after their fathers Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr fought. Eubank Sr won the first fight in 1990, while the 1993 rematch was declared a draw.

Clomifene can be used to boost testosterone levels in men, and is banned inside and outside competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).

BBBofC general secretary Robert Smith said Benn was provisionally barred from participating in any capacity in a competition organised, convened, authorised or recognised by his organisation.

Benn has always insisted he is innocent of intentionally doping. He has blamed "contamination" for the findings. His defence outlined there was a fault with the Vada testing laboratory.

An independent report by the WBC in February 2023 said his failed drugs test was not intentional and could have been caused by a "highly-elevated consumption" of eggs, but Benn was still under investigation by Ukad and the BBBofC.

NADP lifted the suspension last July and Benn believed he was free to fight in the UK again.

However, appeals made by Ukad and the BBBofC against that decision were upheld in May.

Speaking to BBC Sport in October, promoter Hearn said Benn had been "penalised by his resistance to accept guilt" and that his fighter would be fighting in the UK sooner had he taken a ban handed to him following the failed test.

"For me, knowing and believing he is innocent, to see what he has had to go through over the past two years is pretty brutal," Hearn said.

"Unfortunately because of the way the process has played out, he's ruffled feathers with the authorities and he hasn't played ball.

"They would have liked to tidy the situation up quickly but he wanted to appeal, explore and provide his reasoning and evidence."

Benn has fought twice in the United States with the most recent in February a unanimous points win over Peter Dobson in a welterweight contest in Las Vegas.

Had he accepted guilt and a subsequent ban in the UK, however, it is unlikely American athletic commissions – who tend to side with sanctions handed to fighters by their international counterparts – would have allowed Benn to compete in the country.

BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Taylor booed in narrow points victory over Serrano

Ireland's Katie Taylor was booed as she successfully retained her undisputed light-welterweight title with a contentious points win against Amanda Serrano at the AT&T Stadium in Texas.

The pair served up another classic in their rematch, with Serrano's relentless volume punching and Irishwoman Taylor's smart countering.

Taylor repeatedly leaned in with her head, causing a nasty cut above Serrano's right in the fourth round which opened up later in the fight as blood poured down the Puerto Rican's face.

The 38-year-old was docked a point for a headbutt in the eighth, which convinced those in attendance that Serrano had done enough to gain revenge for a close points loss in 2022.

But all three judges scored the fight 95-94 for Taylor.

"I knew it was an absolute slugfest in there, an absolute war," Taylor said as she welcomed a trilogy bout.

"I definitely didn't agree with the point deduction. I certainly wasn't fighting dirty. Sometimes it gets rough in there.

The fight was chief support to 58-year-old Mike Tyson's comeback fight against Jake Paul as Taylor defended her IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO titles, extending her record to 24 wins and one defeat.

For seven-division world champion Serrano, 36, it was only a third defeat in a remarkable 51 pro fights.

"I knew when it went to the judges it was going to be a little shady," Serrano said.

"Every time you get a cut it hurts. You get blood in your eye. She kept headbutting me, but we knew that from the very beginning, the first fight."

Taylor edges another close classic

The super-fight was deserving of topping the bill, yet the striking dome-shaped stadium was almost full when the boxers made their ring walks.

A smiling Serrano lapped up the applause, dancing her way through a line of Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders.

Taylor, in black with gold trim, was more understated in her ring walk but still soaking up the atmosphere as she sauntered down the runway without any real urgency.

Serrano began strongly, whipping in a left hook in the closing seconds of round one to buckle Taylor's legs.

Bray native Taylor knew all about her opponent's power, having somehow stayed on her feet in a memorable fifth round of the first fight.

She once again weathered the storm and landed combinations in the second as the bout began to heat up.

Promoter Eddie Hearn, who was not sure whether he would be given accreditation for the fight after criticising the Tyson-Paul bout, watched on at ringside.

The challenger complained to the referee about Taylor's excessive holding as both women trading punches in a terrific fifth, Serrano with the accurate blows.

The ringside doctor took a look at Serrano after another clash of heads in the fifth, as the crowd gasped at the close-up on the big screen.

Serrano valiantly continued, her eyesight hindered as she wiped blood every few seconds. Taylor targeted the damage with left hooks as both boxers threw caution to the wind.

Taylor was hurt by an uppercut in the seventh before replying with a two-punch combination. The fight was living up to all the hype, with Serrano's warrior spirit winning over those fans who may not have already been invested in the chief support.

After the point deduction, Taylor continued with her punches but so did Serrano.

Just like they did at New York's Madison Square Garden, Taylor and Serrano continued to throw hands until the final seconds of round 10.

Serrano outlanded Taylor and was more accurate in her punching. She also landed 324 punches over 10 rounds. More than they landed combined in their first fight.

An inspiring rivalry enters another chapter

Often the sequel is never as good, and while the standard of the first fight would have taken some beating, Taylor and Serrano delivered another masterpiece.

Two years on from their first fight in New York, they earn career-high seven figure paydays and remain two of the most recognisable and biggest draws in female boxing.

The close nature of a second fight and the controversy over the result sets up the trilogy bout nicely, as Taylor welcomed three-minute rounds for a third fight.

In a fight week dominated by the controversial main event, with Paul's foul language and Tyson slapping his opponent, Taylor and Serrano conducted themselves professionally and showcased the best side of the sport.

The hope is, though, that having entertained fans with 20 sensational rounds and a rematch being broadcasted to millions globally on Netflix, the Serrano-Taylor rivalry can inspire a generation of boxers and fans.

BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Ramirez outclasses brave Billam-Smith to unify titles

Mexican Gilberto Ramirez defeated Britain's brave and bloodied Chris Billam-Smith on points in Riyadh to become unified WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion.

The victory was a comfortable one for 'Zurdo' on the cards, the judges at ringside scoring it 116-112, 116-112 and 116-113.

Ramirez moves to 47-1 with his only professional defeat being by former light-heavyweight world champion Dmitry Bivol.

He dominated the majority of the fight in Saudi Arabia and landed a high volume of devastating blows as Billam-Smith admirably fought on, staying on his feet for the full 12 rounds but he was not at the level to dethrone Ramirez.

This defeat is the second blemish on the Bournemouth fighter's record, his other loss to Londoner Richard Riakporhe in 2019.

"I guess there's a bit of irony," Billam-Smith said in the ring after the bout.

"My initials are obviously CBS, I say 'consistency builds success' and I think he had the consistency tonight. They deserved to come out with the win. I have a huge amount of respect for him."

He added: "Next I will enjoy a rest, enjoy Christmas. We'll have to go back and keep improving."

Meanwhile, Ramirez continues his fine streak at his new weight, winning a second world title in only his second fight at cruiserweight.

"I feel great. I'm a true champion, everyone saw," Ramirez said.

"I mean, I'm prepared for those guys. We know he was a tough fighter. A strong guy. He was a champion. It was an honour for me to fight him and get the belt.

"Next I want to unify with all the champions. That's the main goal for me."

Ramirez draws blood and sets himself up for further unification

WBO champion Billam-Smith was the first to make his way to the ring at the Venue arena, a stern look on his face as he completed a lap of the canvas with his arm raised.

It was far from the raucous crowd Billam-Smith is used to back home, but at ringside there was some familiar faces with Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe - also a legendary former player and manager of Billam-Smith's beloved AFC Bournemouth - and some of his players in attendance.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund owns a majority stake in Newcastle, as the country continues to invest millions into sport.

The kingdom has been accused of using sport and famous sportspeople as vehicles for 'sportwashing' as Saudi Arabia continues to be criticised for its human rights record.

Just before the first bell, chants for both fighters could be heard and as it got under way, it was first Billam-Smith who landed clean.

He connected with some decent shots that snapped back the head of Ramirez.

However, Ramirez got to work in the rounds that followed, landing some powerful shots and in the fourth round, connecting with a huge right hook that ended up cutting Billam-Smith over his left eye.

In the fifth, the Mexican stunned the Briton with a huge left hand just before the bell rang.

The referee paused the action at the start of the seventh round, such was the damage done to Billam-Smith's left eye. The ringside doctor inspected the cut, and confirmed the fight could continue.

"It was a few rounds there where I couldn't see out of that eye," Billam-Smith admitted.

Ramirez continued on his destructive path in the final rounds, landing the more significant and eye-catching shots.

The Mexican appeared to tire towards the end of the bout, Billam-Smith having moments of joy but it was all too little too late, with the Briton's coach Shane McGuigan vocally frustrated at how the fight was playing out.

Billam-Smith emptied his gas tank in the final minute, but it was not to be as Ramirez became the first Mexican to unify world titles at cruiserweight.

Ramirez has now set himself up to further unify the cruiserweight division, with both IBF champion Jai Opetaia and WBC champion Noel Mikaelian sharing their desires to fight the winner of this contest.

BBC

 

[hassan918]

Eubank stays unbeaten in scrappy win over Erdogan​

Harlem Eubank stayed unbeaten and collected the 20th victory of his career by defeating Nurali Erdogan on points in Newcastle.

The 30-year-old was making his debut at welterweight, but put in a largely uneven performance over eight rounds against France's Erdogan.

All three judges saw it for Eubank, scoring the contest 77-73, 79-70 and 77-72.

"Different style tonight, first fight at welterweight, tough guy who just wanted to tie up," Eubank said of the fight.

"I went in there to get the job done. A unanimous decision win, I'm happy."

Of the grappling, Eubank placed the blame on his opponent, saying: "I felt strong in there, the grabbing made it difficult."

Eubank last fought just over 12 months ago and showed obvious signs of ring rust as he never really found his rhythm.

Erdogan, 27, was meant to be soft introduction to the welterweight division, with just one stoppage in 16 wins – but Eubank was untidy from the first bell.

He was warned repeatedly about holding, but it was Erdogan who was deducted two points for it in the second half of the bout.

In a fight lacking any real action, Eubank was wobbled momentarily by a left hook in the fifth round, but was otherwise untroubled by the visibly bigger Erdogan.

Eubank, who battled through a cut for the last two rounds, was eventually deducted a point in the final minutes, but Erdogan's previous point deductions had already secured a win for the Briton.

Eubank, the cousin of fellow boxer Chris Eubank Jr, was due to fight Adam Azim at light-welterweight but the bout never materialised, despite the pair facing off in the ring in March during the Fabio Wardley v Frazer Clarke card.

Speaking of future fights, neither Eubank or his team mentioned Azim, but said they were targeting "big things" in 2025.

Source: BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Golden Boy Promotions opposes Garcia exhibition bout

Golden Boy Promotions has denied Ryan Garcia is set to fight in an exhibition bout on 30 December in Japan.

Garcia, 26, announced he was due to face Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo and appeared alongside his opponent in a news conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

The American is currently serving a doping suspension in the United States until 20 April 2025 and will need to provide a clean urine test before his licence can be reissued.

Golden Boy chief Oscar de la Hoya reacted to the media event, saying his company had "exclusive rights" to any Garcia fights.

"The organisers of this event have acknowledged as such and have agreed in writing that our sign-off is needed for this event to occur," he said.

"As no such sign-off has been given, as of today there is no event with Ryan Garcia."

Garcia failed multiple drug tests before his win over Devin Haney in April.

That win was overturned to a no contest and the New York State Athletic Commission banned Garcia for one year from competing.

The proposed exhibition fight with Anpo is expected to be no more than eight, two-minute rounds with no winner announced.

Golden Boy Promotions had put out a release promoting Tuesday's news conference before De la Hoya made his statement on social media.

Speaking at the news conference, Garcia said the exhibition fight was his "only option to stay active".

"This is my only route, so I found a way. Obviously taking months off ruins you, you lose a step, so we're going to see how it goes.

"From there, we'll make a decision, I'm just trying to get in the mix of things after a long break, get used to training, stay in shape and just continue developing for a big fight in April."

BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Chisora to face Wallin in Manchester 'last dance'

British heavyweight Derek Chisora will face Sweden's Otto Wallin in Manchester on Saturday, 8 February.

A veteran of 48 fights, Chisora will turn 41 six weeks before the fight at the Co-op Live arena.

The Londoner, who earned a unanimous points decision win over Joe Joyce in July, suggested he is close to retirement.

"I've had some amazing nights in Manchester, both in the ring and in the warehouse raves, so it was only right I had one last dance up north," Chisora said.

Zimbabwe-born Chisora made his debut in 2007. He has lost 13 pro fights, including three to Tyson Fury and a world-title shot against Vitali Klitschko in 2012.

"Come 8 February I'm going to be bringing war to Wallin, be ready for my penultimate showreel knockout," he added.

Chisora was in negotiations to fight Jarrell Miller before the fight fell through amid a dispute between the American and his promoter.

Wallin, 34, has won 27 pro fights with two defeats.

He inflicted a cut on Fury which needed 47 stitches before losing on points in 2019 and was stopped by a dominant Anthony Joshua last year.

"I know I'm walking into the lion's den, but I will be ready for it and ready to get the victory," Wallin said.

British light-heavyweights Willy Hutchinson and Zach Parker will contest the chief support bout at the 23,500-capacity indoor arena.


BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Ukad will not appeal Benn suspension being lifted

Conor Benn's hopes of returning to the ring in Britain moved a step closer as a result of UK Anti-Doping's decision not to appeal his suspension being lifted.

The 28-year-old had his British licence revoked in 2022 by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) after two failed drugs tests in the lead up to his cancelled fight against Chris Eubank Jr.

The suspension was lifted earlier this month, with Ukad saying the National Anti-Doping Panel was "not comfortably satisfied" it and the BBBofC had proved he had committed an anti-doping rule violation.

Ukad was given 21 days to appeal but the organisation has decided against doing so.

Following the decision, the BBBofC also confirmed, external it would not be lodging an appeal.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has a separate period in which it can appeal.

The 28-year-old, who has an unbeaten 23-0 record in the welterweight division, tested positive for women's fertility drug Clomifene.

Benn, who has not fought in Britain since April 2022, has always denied doping and said he had been "cleared of any wrongdoing" when his suspension was lifted.

He has fought twice since his suspension, but both fights - victories against Rodolfo Orozco in September 2023 and Peter Dobson in February 2024 - were in the United States.

Benn is now free to resume his fighting career in the UK and plans to reschedule a bout with Eubank Jr.

Both fighters' teams are pushing for the contest and the preference is for it to take place in the UK rather than in Saudi Arabia.


BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Yafai puts on masterclass to beat Edwards

Olympic champion Galal Yafai put on a masterclass to beat long-term rival Sunny Edwards and win the interim WBC flyweight title.

Yafai dominated for six rounds before the referee stepped in to halt the action at BP Pulse Live in Birmingham.

Edwards, who reigned as IBF flyweight champion between 2021 and 2023, announced his retirement post-fight.

The victory extends Yafai's unblemished record to nine victories, with seven of those wins coming inside the distance - and it puts him in line for a shot at WBC champion Kenshiro Teraji in 2025.

"It means everything to me," Yafai told DAZN.

"I think people underrate me. I won Olympic gold. It was my night tonight.

"Winning gold in the Olympics was the best achievement I could ever do but beating Sunny tonight was a better feeling that standing on that podium."

Edwards beat Yafai when they met as amateurs in 2015 but was unable to match the intensity of his opponent in the Midlands.

The Londoner retires with 21 wins and two defeats on his record.

"Win, lose or draw I was always going into the sunset," Edwards told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"This was the last thing I wanted to do, fight Galal, but I left a few clues with my posts on social media 'the last dance'.

"My body is falling apart, I've got bad ankles, wrists, shoulders, back, everything is bad about me. It has been a hard career with the wear and tear on my body."

Yafai lives up to the hype

Yafai, long touted as a future world champion after collecting gold at the 2020 Olympics, did not take the opportunity to soak up the cheers from the majority of the 5,000 in attendance in his home city of Birmingham as he raced down the ramp and into the ring.

Some have questioned the quality of his previous opponents and there was no doubt that facing Edwards was a huge step up, but he exuded confidence from the first bell and overwhelmed his rival for every second of every round.

Both fighters promised fireworks in the build-up but only one managed to deliver on that promise, with Yafai exploding out of the blocks.

Yafai, fighting in Birmingham for the first time since August 2023, displayed the full catalogue of shots, working head and body seamlessly and denying Edwards any breathing space in the ring.

Edwards could be heard telling his trainer "I don't want to be here" in between rounds.

He struggled to find his rhythm and when he did manage to land heavy with a right, Yafai stopped, shook his head and smiled.

The pair both come from fighting families with Edwards' brother Charlie a previous holder of the WBC flyweight belt, while Yafai's brothers Kal and Gamal were WBA super-flyweight and European super-bantamweight champions respectively.

There was tension between their siblings, with Charlie, Kal and Gamal involved in several public disputes, including throughout fight week and in the locker room in the hours before the main event.

But the relationship between Sunny and Galal has always been respectful and that was evident at the end of fifth when they touched gloves and nodded at each other.

The action was finally halted in the sixth when Edwards was backed up on the ropes and unable to answer back with a flurry of punches landing on his head.

"I had the best camp I could - I was worried about what Sunny could do to me," Yafai told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Whatever Sunny decides to do, he has been the man for many years now. I've looked up to him.

"Sunny is someone I have always wanted to beat. I knew I was better. He has been a great advocate."

'Boxing has absorbed my life' - Edwards

In the build-up to Saturday's bout, Edwards dropped hints about not being in the right space and the potential of retiring, admitting "a loss can make or break a fighter but I think it depends on where they are at in their life".

Stepping on to enemy territory to face Yafai, it was no surprise that Edwards was welcomed into the arena by a wall of boos from a hostile crowd, however, it was nothing but cheers and respect from the crowd when he announced his retirement in the ring.

Edwards started boxing aged nine, following his older brother Charlie into the gym, and pugilism quickly consumed his life.

After training in Sheffield with Team GB and enjoying a successful amateur career, Edwards made the move into the professional ranks in 2016.

The 28-year-old ascended through the ranks with incredible skill, putting the British flyweight division on the map, and won the IBF title by beating Moruti Mthalane to extend his record to 16-0 in 2021.

After four successive defences, Edwards dared to dream but came up short when trying to unify against WBO champion Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez in December 2023.

Edwards bounced back to beat Adrian Curiel in June but was unable to find his groove against Yafai.

"I'm touching 20 years in a boxing career, and have been professional for about eight, and I've been busy," Edwards said.

"The only thing I think about when I get out of the ring is getting back in it and it has absorbed my life, my happiness, my effort.

"I've missed so many sports days, so many firsts of my kids' lives to do this.

"I couldn't get through a camp for the last four of five years without a bad wrist, a bad hand, a bad shoulder - I had to miss two or three weeks of training for this camp because I couldn't walk."

BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

World champion Dubois to face Parker in Saudi

Briton Daniel Dubois will defend his world heavyweight title against former champion Joseph Parker in Saudi Arabia on 22 February.

Dubois, 27, made a spectacular first defence of his IBF belt by beating Anthony Joshua in September.

New Zealand's Parker, 32, held the WBO title between 2016 and 2018 before losing it to Joshua.

Also on the card in Riyadh, Artur Beterbiev will defend his undisputed light-heavyweight crown in a rematch with fellow Russian Dmitry Bivol.

Undefeated Londoner Hamzah Sheeraz will challenge for his maiden world title against WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames.

Shakur Stevenson will put his WBC lightweight belt on the line against Floyd Schofield while Zhilei Zhang faces Agit Kabayel for the interim WBC heavyweight title to complete the blockbuster card.

Dubois captured the interim title with an impressive win over Filip Hrgovic last year and was elevated to world champion when Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt.

The Londoner legitimised himself as a world champion when he upset the odds by dismantling two-time champion Joshua inside five rounds at Wembley Stadium.

Parker earns a title shot after a four-fight winning streak, including impressive wins over Deontay Wilder and Zhang in his past two fights.

In October, Beterbiev defeated Bivol by majority decision to become the first undisputed light-heavyweight champion since 2002.

Many ringside observers felt Bivol, who suffered a first career defeat, should have been awarded the decision.

Ilford-born Sheeraz, 25, has won all 21 pro bouts with 17 stoppages. He withdrew from an ordered fight against WBO champion Janibek Alimkhanuly to take on Dominican Adames, who has lost once in 25 bouts.

BBC

 

[shaz619]

Yafai puts on masterclass to beat Edwards

Olympic champion Galal Yafai put on a masterclass to beat long-term rival Sunny Edwards and win the interim WBC flyweight title.

Yafai dominated for six rounds before the referee stepped in to halt the action at BP Pulse Live in Birmingham.

Edwards, who reigned as IBF flyweight champion between 2021 and 2023, announced his retirement post-fight.

The victory extends Yafai's unblemished record to nine victories, with seven of those wins coming inside the distance - and it puts him in line for a shot at WBC champion Kenshiro Teraji in 2025.

"It means everything to me," Yafai told DAZN.

"I think people underrate me. I won Olympic gold. It was my night tonight.

"Winning gold in the Olympics was the best achievement I could ever do but beating Sunny tonight was a better feeling that standing on that podium."

Edwards beat Yafai when they met as amateurs in 2015 but was unable to match the intensity of his opponent in the Midlands.

The Londoner retires with 21 wins and two defeats on his record.

"Win, lose or draw I was always going into the sunset," Edwards told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"This was the last thing I wanted to do, fight Galal, but I left a few clues with my posts on social media 'the last dance'.

"My body is falling apart, I've got bad ankles, wrists, shoulders, back, everything is bad about me. It has been a hard career with the wear and tear on my body."

Yafai lives up to the hype

Yafai, long touted as a future world champion after collecting gold at the 2020 Olympics, did not take the opportunity to soak up the cheers from the majority of the 5,000 in attendance in his home city of Birmingham as he raced down the ramp and into the ring.

Some have questioned the quality of his previous opponents and there was no doubt that facing Edwards was a huge step up, but he exuded confidence from the first bell and overwhelmed his rival for every second of every round.

Both fighters promised fireworks in the build-up but only one managed to deliver on that promise, with Yafai exploding out of the blocks.

Yafai, fighting in Birmingham for the first time since August 2023, displayed the full catalogue of shots, working head and body seamlessly and denying Edwards any breathing space in the ring.

Edwards could be heard telling his trainer "I don't want to be here" in between rounds.

He struggled to find his rhythm and when he did manage to land heavy with a right, Yafai stopped, shook his head and smiled.

The pair both come from fighting families with Edwards' brother Charlie a previous holder of the WBC flyweight belt, while Yafai's brothers Kal and Gamal were WBA super-flyweight and European super-bantamweight champions respectively.

There was tension between their siblings, with Charlie, Kal and Gamal involved in several public disputes, including throughout fight week and in the locker room in the hours before the main event.

But the relationship between Sunny and Galal has always been respectful and that was evident at the end of fifth when they touched gloves and nodded at each other.

The action was finally halted in the sixth when Edwards was backed up on the ropes and unable to answer back with a flurry of punches landing on his head.

"I had the best camp I could - I was worried about what Sunny could do to me," Yafai told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"Whatever Sunny decides to do, he has been the man for many years now. I've looked up to him.

"Sunny is someone I have always wanted to beat. I knew I was better. He has been a great advocate."

'Boxing has absorbed my life' - Edwards

In the build-up to Saturday's bout, Edwards dropped hints about not being in the right space and the potential of retiring, admitting "a loss can make or break a fighter but I think it depends on where they are at in their life".

Stepping on to enemy territory to face Yafai, it was no surprise that Edwards was welcomed into the arena by a wall of boos from a hostile crowd, however, it was nothing but cheers and respect from the crowd when he announced his retirement in the ring.

Edwards started boxing aged nine, following his older brother Charlie into the gym, and pugilism quickly consumed his life.

After training in Sheffield with Team GB and enjoying a successful amateur career, Edwards made the move into the professional ranks in 2016.

The 28-year-old ascended through the ranks with incredible skill, putting the British flyweight division on the map, and won the IBF title by beating Moruti Mthalane to extend his record to 16-0 in 2021.

After four successive defences, Edwards dared to dream but came up short when trying to unify against WBO champion Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez in December 2023.

Edwards bounced back to beat Adrian Curiel in June but was unable to find his groove against Yafai.

"I'm touching 20 years in a boxing career, and have been professional for about eight, and I've been busy," Edwards said.

"The only thing I think about when I get out of the ring is getting back in it and it has absorbed my life, my happiness, my effort.

"I've missed so many sports days, so many firsts of my kids' lives to do this.

"I couldn't get through a camp for the last four of five years without a bad wrist, a bad hand, a bad shoulder - I had to miss two or three weeks of training for this camp because I couldn't walk."

BBC

I was at the fight, I’d always back Yafai as a hometown guy and feel his promotion has been terrible when you consider he’s a gold medal winner. But at the same time am sad being a big fan of Edwards work in the past, he got pasted quiet badly, and while he was tentative compared to his peak form, and more battle worn, because Yafai was so good at cutting the ring off, Edwards could not glide around the ring like he use to. Terrific performance from Yafai though, needs more high profile fights, and box in the states as well because Hearns doesn’t really know what to do with the midlands market.

 

[aboveandbeyond]

I was at the fight, I’d always back Yafai as a hometown guy and feel his promotion has been terrible when you consider he’s a gold medal winner. But at the same time am sad being a big fan of Edwards work in the past, he got pasted quiet badly, and while he was tentative compared to his peak form, and more battle worn, because Yafai was so good at cutting the ring off, Edwards could not glide around the ring like he use to. Terrific performance from Yafai though, needs more high profile fights, and box in the states as well because Hearns doesn’t really know what to do with the midlands market.

Bro. What a Card we have for February 22nd . Every fight is a potential star billing.

 

[shaz619]

Bro. What a Card we have for February 22nd . Every fight is a potential star billing.

Absolutely, it’s the best card I’ve ever seen for the 21st century. Any of the fights could main event in their respective territories. Promoters calling it amazing with no shame given they’ve been responsible for spending very little on their undercard’s in the past.



The most intriguing thing for me is the quick turn around for Beterbiev & Bivol, you can make a case for either man in terms of who it benefits, just around 3 months since the last fight if you account for some rest as well!

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Former world champion Vazquez dies aged 46

Former world super-bantamweight champion Israel Vazquez has died aged 46.

It was announced in November that the Mexican, who was nicknamed 'Magnifico', had been diagnosed with cancer.

Vazquez held the IBF, WBC and The Ring super-bantamweight world titles in a 49-fight career that included 44 wins and five defeats.

He had a famous rivalry with compatriot Rafael Marquez, with the pair winning two fights apiece from their four bouts between 2007 and 2010.

Vazquez retired after losing their final fight.

"Thank you Israel for so many great memories that you have given us through your actions inside the ring but most importantly outside of it," wrote WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman on social media.

"You are now eternal, rest in peace, everything will be all right."


BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Okolie claims round-one TKO in debut at heavyweight

Londoner Lawrence Okolie made a dream start to life as a heavyweight with a first-round win over Hussein Muhamed at Wembley's OVO Arena.

The former cruiserweight world champion landed a well-timed counter-right hand to send Germany's Muhamed to the canvas with 46 seconds left in the round.

Muhamed, like Okolie, had only been beaten once before but was clearly out of his depth. He rose to his feet on the count of eight and stumbled towards the referee, who smartly ignored the away fighter's protests and waved off the contest.

"As soon as I hit them, they start going. I'm ready for the best in the world," Okolie said.

The 31-year-old jumped up divisions after losing his WBO cruiserweight title to Chris Billam-Smith last year.

He won the WBC bridgerweight title in May, before signing with promoter Frank Warren and stepping up to heavyweight.

Okolie weighed in at a whopping 18st 6lb on Friday, two and half stone heavier than his previous fight and more than four stone than he did against Billam-Smith.

He said he felt solid at the new weight.

"I felt tired having to make that [cruiserweight] - now I know every round I can be explosive and then recover," Okolie explained.

The Hackney fighter has been criticised over the years for his excessive grappling and clinching - a style which, albeit often effective, resulted in many dull contests.

Though much tougher tests await, he delivered on his pre-fight promise of an explosive performance as Warren told the fighter to expect "big fights in 2025".

Bentley outpoints Pauls, Adeleye demolishes Dacres

In the main event, Denzel Bentley won the British and European middleweight titles and remained on course for a second world-title shot by outpointing Brad Pauls.

Bentley edged a competitive back-and-forth encounter and dropped Pauls in the 10th round with a seemingly innocuous jab.

Pauls was well supported with chants of 'Newquay Bomb' by his travelling Cornwall contingency, though there were a number of empty seats in the arena, presumably some fans who may have considered buying a ticket on the door put off by Storm Darragh.

All three judges scored it in favour of Bentley, who is still the number one challenger for WBO champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, having lost to the Kazakhstani in 2022.

Earlier in the night, David Adeleye sent a message to other British heavyweights with a stunning first-round stoppage win over the previously undefeated Solomon Dacres.

Joe Joyce and 2024 Team GB Olympian Delicious Orie watched from ringside as Adeleye unleashed a powerful lead left hook one minute and 20 seconds into the contest.

The punch skimmed Dacres' head but appeared to scramble his senses as he crashed heavily into the ropes and to the canvas.

British and Commonwealth lightweight champion Sam Noakes continued his undefeated record with a dominant unanimous decision win over Ryan Walsh, after brother Sean Noakes had outpointed Matthew Rennie.

BBC

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Pauls will 'get more belts' after Bentley defeat

Brad Pauls says he will "get more belts" after losing his British middleweight title to Denzel Bentley.

The Cornish fighter, 31, lost a unanimous points decision to the Londoner at Wembley Arena on Saturday.

The win also saw Bentley claim the European and WBO International belts, making him the organisation's number one contender for its world title.

Pauls started slowly, but recovered to win a couple of the middle rounds before Bentley assumed control - knocking the Newquay fighter down in the 10th round.

"It was not the result I wanted, I'm absolutely gutted, but I did try my absolute best," Pauls said in a video message on social media after the fight.

"Massive respect to Denzel Bentley who's a great fighter, definitely above British level.

"I took a shot at something higher, it didn't work out, but I'll do what I always do and dust myself off and go again."

Brad Pauls voes to come back stronger after Denzel Bentley loss

Brad Pauls says he will "get more belts" after losing his British middleweight title to Denzel Bentley.

www.bbc.com

 

[BouncerGuy]

Inoue title defence postponed after Goodman injury

Naoya Inoue's planned Christmas Eve defence of his world super-bantamweight titles has been postponed after Australian challenger Sam Goodman suffered an injury in training.

Goodman's gym announced on Saturday that he had cut his eye while sparring, with reports saying he needed four stitches., external

A new date has been set for Friday, 24 January, at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo.

"I'm sorry to everyone who was looking forward to it," 31-year-old Inoue wrote on his X account., external.

"We hope you will come again on the new dates. Let's fight at our best."

Both fighters have a 100% record, with Japanese champion Inoue claiming 25 of his 28 wins via knockout.

He is putting his IBF, WBC, WBA and WBO belts on the line against 26-year-old Goodman, who has eight knockouts in his 19 victories.

BBC

 

[BouncerGuy]

Where is Joshua? I can't find him – Dubois

Daniel Dubois, the IBF heavyweight world champion, believes Anthony Joshua "wasn't ready" to fight him on 22 February next year, despite lengthy talks about their prospective rematch.

Dubois, 27, was expected to fight Joshua again after beating him in September, but will instead face top contender Joseph Parker in Saudi Arabia.

Joshua's team say the former unified world champion is carrying an injury and Dubois says Parker, 32, is a "different" challenge than his domestic rival.

"I don't think Joshua was ready for it. Where is AJ? I can't find him. I've been looking for AJ but I can't find him. On to the next one now," Dubois told BBC Sport.

"Parker's been on a good run, he's experienced and a veteran.

"I just have to be faster and better than him in every department. I think I'll do a job on him but it will be a good fight."

Dubois was speaking from his hotel in Riyadh having flown into town in time for Oleksandr Usyk's news conference with Tyson Fury on Thursday.

The world champion will be ringside to watch WBC, WBO and WBA (Super) champion Usyk defend his title against Fury on Saturday.

Dubois ran into his next opponent Parker in the hotel, embracing the New Zealander before giving him a fist bump.

Dubois targets Usyk v Fury 2 winner

Despite his upcoming title defence, Dubois is eager to fight the winner of Usyk-Fury and said he would take on either, but would prefer to face Usyk, who he lost to in 2023.

Dubois, who was stopped in the ninth round, floored Usyk in the fifth round of their unification contest but it was deemed a low blow.

"I'd be happy [to fight Fury] but I'd love to fight Usyk after what happened in Poland and the history behind it. I'd love to get that back and do a rematch," Dubois said.

"I don't think he would say no to business. Money talks in boxing and it would be a huge fight to get that back, to right that wrong.

"I'm the world champion and he's got the other belts to make it [an] undisputed [fight]."

Usyk has teased a move back down to cruiserweight should he beat Fury for a second time, but Dubois feels that is unlikely.

Having faced Usyk, Dubois said Fury would need to "jump" the Ukrainian to beat him, but when asked to pick a winner, he would not.

"They are both top guys. It was a good back and forth last time, Fury showed his chin," Dubois said.

"I'm sitting on the fence. Either man."

BBC

 

[ElRaja]

big fight tonight, my money is on fury, getting wilder 2 vibes, hes trying to feign like he coming in super heavy but i aint buying it, take away the showboating and i think he reckons he can outpoint usyk over 12 with a knockout chance in the 3rd quarter of the fight.

by the same token i dont think usyk falls for the gimmicks either. expect a cagey 2 rounds, followed by a technical exchange for the next 3 or 4, fury will weigh up his chances and go for the kill between 6 and 8 maybe, if he cant then he'll get off the gas and try to take the points.

usyk wants the fight to go deep, and im guessing he'll aim for not drop more than 2 rounds in the first 7 or 8, then finish strong. he'll expect fury to be a bit stronger a bit slower, and will likely expect as much and go hardest in rounds 9, 10 just after fury attempts to kill it off.

fury ko rounds 6-9, otw points win for fury IMO. but im a fury fan so maybe a bit biased.