Hurd overpowers Harrison to grab the IBF junior middle title.

Also on the Wilder v Washington card in Birmingham, Alabama, undefeated Jarrett Hurd (20-0, 14 KO) took on Tony Harrison (24-2, 20 KO) for the vacant IBF junior middleweight title..   After a cautious start, Harrison found success catching Hurd with clever counters coming in, Hurd making the mistake of stalking his taller opponent, aimlessly..  Harrison found his range in the third, landing fast flurries on the move, making the Maryland fighter look pedestrian..  Harrison continued to use good movement in the fourth, although Hurd did start to close the gap, utilising the jab. Hurd finally found his range in the fifth, shaking Harrison with a right hand at the end of the round..  Harrison rallied in the sixth, putting together clean combinations, with Hurd attempting to capitalise on his success from the previous session..  Hurd's patience paid off in the seventh as he was able to visibly rock the Detroit man several times throughout the round, continuing his assault into the eighth, catching Harrison frequently with solid right hands..  The deceptive Harrison would at times appear frail and on the verge of surrender, before whipping out a dangerous reminder that he was still around.  The breakthrough came in the ninth, Hurd landed a clinical right hand on Harrisons chin, causing the fighter to collapse dramatically, the Detroit man got back to his feet, but spit out his mouthpiece, giving enough reason for the referee to call a halt at 2:24.

Breazeale outlasts Ugonoh in a firefight.

2012 US Olympian and former world title challenger Dominic Breazeale (18-1, 16 KO) returned to action following the Joshua defeat last night, by taking on unbeaten Izuagbe Ugonoh (17-0, 14 KO) in what turned out to be a mini classic at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
Ugonoh sprung out of the blocks from the outset, relentlessly smashing away at the huge trunk of Breazeale, forcing the bigger man to keep it long range..  Ugonoh’s rifling shots appeared to catch the eye more, while Breazeale seemed to telegraph with looping punches..  The bout caught fire in third, both guys launching missiles, with Ugonoh getting the upper hand, yet it was Breazeale who drew first blood, clipping the Polish import on the way in to score the first significant knockdown..  Ugonoh rallied back with a vengeance to cut Breazeale’s over the left eye, physically rocking him with solid right hands..  Ugonoh maintained the pressure throughout the fourth, scoring a solid knockdown of his own, leaving Breazeale shaken and looking ready to go. Breazeale however managed to swing things his way in the fifth, and with the eye swelling worsening, let it all hang out, mounting an attack of well placed head shots to score a much needed knockdown, Ugonoh rose at 8, but was ill prepared to cope with such a crisis, Breazeale trapping him on the ropes before unleashing relentless shots to knock Ugonoh onto the apron, offering the referee no option but to halt the scheduled 10-rounder at 0:50 of Round 5.
It's a bitter pill to swallow for Ugonoh, but it's valuable experience learned at the hands of a man who showed that little bit more substance when the going got tough..

Wilder springs to life to stop Washington in 5.

Deontay Wilder (38-0, 37 KO) awoke from 4 rounds of patient stalking to stop tough Gerald Washington (18-0-1, 12 Ko's) to successfully defend his WBC heavyweight championship for the fifth successive time last night at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.. the bout saw very little action for four rounds, with Washington initiating what action there was, Wilder appeared to be lining the challenger up for single shots, often being beaten to the punch by the huge unbeaten Californian..  Wilder did offer a little more in the 4th, possibly the only single round he won, before closing the show in the middle of the fifth.  A right hand left hook combination dropped Washington, who calmly regained his composure, albeit on unsteady legs, Wilder took the opportunity to finish the job, flailing away uncontrollably until referee Mike Griffin stopped the bout at 1:45 of the round..  Washington was on his feet at the time of the stoppage but had taken a lot of heavy weather, without reply..

Tabiti remains unbeaten in Temecula Ca.

Rising welterweight star Justin DeLoach (17-1, 9 KOs) scored a second round KO over Chris Pearson (14-2, 10 KOs) last night at the Pechanga Casino & Resort in Temecula, California. In the second round DeLoach had Pearson on the floor twice, the second time Pearson couldn't recover, forcing the stoppage... The time was 2:30.

Unbeaten lightweight Saul Rodriguez (21-0-1, 15 KOs) scored a contentious split decision verdict over tough Oscar Bravo (22-7, 10 KOs). Bravo controlled most of the action throughout the fight even dropping Rodriguez in the fifth. Somehow the judges preferred Rodriguez’ busier workrate over Bravo’s aggressive approach.. Scores were 95-94, 97-92 for Rodriguez and 95-94 for Bravo.

In one of the more intriguing fights of the night, Mayweather promoted Andrew Tabiti (14-0, 12 KOs) scored a sixth round TKO over Quantis Graves (11-2,0) 4KOs) in a battle of unbeaten cruiserweights, to successfully defend his NABF belt..  Highly regarded Tabiti dictated the action from the first bell, visibly troubling Graves with accurate punching, forcing an extremely game Graves to resort to survival tactics early in the bout..  By the fourth, it looked as if Graves was evasively trying to avoid the inevitable..  Tabiti landed a series of heavy artillery in the fifth, eventually dropping Graves in the 6th..   At the start of the seventh, a compassionate Graves corner pulled their fighter out, of a fight that he seemingly couldn't win..  The result was incorrectly announced as a fifth round TKO, but was recorded as a 6th round retirement..  Tabiti remains NABF champion and moves that bit closer to a championship shot..

Alvarez v Chavez jr, all bets are off..

During a recent press tour to promote their May 6th clash, Saul Alvarez and Julio César Chávez Jr agreed to make a large cash bet on the outcome of the fight, against the will of Julio Cesar Chavez Sr, who was completely against the idea of any wager, considering it unethical. Following an appearance on TV in Los Angeles, Alvarez and Chavez Sr. agreed to put an end to the whole wager issue..
“I am a man of my word but just for you, because I respect you, we’ll put an end to this, only because of you,” Canelo told Chavez Sr.
Alvarez has made no secret in the past that ring legend, Chavez Sr was an idol to him growing up, Canelo's immense respect made it almost impossible to cause a feud with his hero over a trivial bet, Alvarez and Julio touched fists after the show and agreed to put an end to the bet..

Weights from Birmingham, Alabama.

Deontay Wilder 222lbs v  Gerald Washington 239lbs
(WBC heavyweight championship)

Tony Harrison 153.6lbs v  Jarrett Hurd 153lbs

(IBF light middleweight championship)

Dominic Breazeale 263lbs v  Izu Ugonoh 230.6lbs

Tugstsogt Nyambayar 127.8lbs v  Jhon Gemino 128.6lbs

Caleb Plant 147.8lbs v  Thomas Awimbono 148lbs

Alantez Fox 159.8lbs v  Kenneth McNeil 158.6lbs

Promoted by DiBella Entertainment in association with Fox Sports..
From the Legacy arena in Birmingham, Alabama..

Visa issues for Peter Fury surrounding April 1st title challenge.

When Hughie Fury travels to New Zealand in 6 weeks to challenge WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker, there is a real possibility that his father and trainer, Peter Fury may not be granted the permission to enter the country to be by his sons side...  Immigration New Zealand has indicated that Peter will need a special exemption and character waiver due to his extensive criminal past to enter the country. Peter served 10 years in jailed back in 1995 for possession and intent to supply class A drugs, only to be dealt a further two years upon release for further drug related activities including money laundering.
Peter’s last application for a visa to travel overseas was to accompany his nephew Tyson Fury to the United States for his bout with former cruiserweight champion, Steve Cunningham, 4 years ago, an application that was rejected by immigration, preventing his entering the States and working in Tyson's corner..
Co-promoter of the Championship bout, David Higgins of Duco Events is confident that Peter Fury will be successful in applying for a Visa to visit New Zealand in this instance,
"He [Peter] comes across as quite a solid bloke with a good head on his shoulders…he’s now just one of the world’s best boxing trainers who took Tyson Fury to victory against all odds over Wladimir Klitschko. That’s what he’s devoting himself too.”
If Peter fails in his attempt to enter New Zealand he will be forced to miss out on one of the biggest nights in his sons life, the possibility of him lifting the world heavyweight crown, and for any father that would be heartbreaking, I hope the issue resolves itself smoothly..

Broner squeaks past Granados by the skin of his teeth.

Former multi division world champion, Adrien Broner had problems on his hands last night in the form of tough Adrian Granados, with both men having sporadic success, in the main event on SHOWTIME, with Broner eventually squeeking out a split decision victory at The Cintas Center in his hometown of Cincinnati.
The fight, which was scored 97-93 Broner, 97-93 Granados and 96-94 Broner, could have been scored from a variety of views, Granados (18-5-2, 11 KOs), a native of Chicago, was the busier man, hustling out 683 total punches compared to 403 for Broner (33-2, 24 KOs). Broner however connected at a lower percentage, yet showed the more classier arsenal, landing less frequently, but far more accurately..
The fight was fought mainly at close range , which Broner later revealed was due to a hand injury that occurred in the opening round, preventing him from controlling the bout with his jab..   All credit to Granados though, who was able to make the fight into the rough affair he was more comfortable with..  Very complimentary, Broner and Granados exchanged jokes afterwards, Granados requesting a fair shake in a possible rematch, without a weight clause..  Adrien Broner took a moment to express his apologies to fans for his outrageous past behaviour, with what appeared to be a heartfelt promise to turn over a new more mature leaf..

Avanesyan dethroned by rejuvenated Peterson.

DC's Lamont Peterson (35-3-1, 17 KOs) returned from a short absence to dethrone WBA (regular) welterweight champion David Avanesyan (22-2-1, 11 KOs) in an entertaining 12 round clash, by unanimous decision (115-113, 116-112 twice) to become a two-division champion last night at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.
What soon became a very physical fight was mostly boxed at close quarters. Peterson, who had early success with the jab, found more success working on the inside, looking equally as competent a fighter as when he unified the 140-pound division. Avanesyan and Peterson traded body punches throughout, but it was Peterson who was the more effective in the later parts of the bout..  Ananesyan's team knew going into the final session that their man was trailing, voicing their need for a knockout, while Barry Hunter, fully aware of Peterson's lead, still instructed him to close the show strong urging him to push for the stoppage..  

Tonight's odds, AB card in Cincinnati.

Former 140lb world champion Lamont Peterson starts off as a 2/7 favorite to beat WBA interim welterweight champion David Avanesyan tonight at the Cintas Center, Cincinnati, Ohio. Avanesyan comes in at 13/5, which surprises me as a title holder..  Also former multi division world champion Adrien Broner is a 1/4 pick to beat Adrian Granados in the main event, Granados starts an 11/4 underdog..  

Boxing shorts, Wilder, Jones jr, Joshua and Michael Watson.

This coming weekend sees the return of WBC World heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (37-0, 36 KOs) as he defend his title against undefeated Californian Gerald Washington (18-0-1, 12 KOs) in the PBC main event on Saturday in Alabama..  Washington replaces Andrzej Wawrzyk of Poland, who twice failed mandatory drug tests.. Deontay is returning from hand and bicep injuries and is looking to make a statement to all concerned that he is back..

A version of Roy Jones Jr. (65-9, 47 KOs) last night returned to the ring in Wilmington Delaware, carrying an overmatched Bobby Gunn (21-7-1, 18 KOs) for seven rounds, before several carefully selected shots signalled the beginning of the end, a right hand, left hook combination at the end of the round physically hurt the game Gunn, who's very wise seconds called a halt several seconds into the 8th of a scheduled 12 round cruiserweight bout.  The win earned Jones the lightly regarded WBF cruiserweight title.  Jones looked clinical in spells, but looked like he barely got out of first gear by an opponent who self admittedly didn't belong in the same ring as any version of Roy Jones.. The bout was promoted by David Feldman Promotions, Kings Promotions and Nelson Promotions, in association with The Casino at Delaware park.

Anthony Joshua overcame a personal hurdle this week by finally securing a United States visa, despite his previous drugs conviction.
If Joshua defeats Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium on April 29, it's a distinct possibility that he could make his US debut, later in the year in Las Vegas..  The Visa application did raise some concern for Anthony, taking into consideration his 2011 arrest in the UK for possessing cannabis and intent to supply. Joshua was actually suspended from the Team GB boxing squad, sentenced to a 12-month community order and 100 hours of unpaid labour, leaving his future dreams of starring on the Las Vegas Strip a huge question mark...  
Before his conviction, Joshua did make a sole appearance there as an amateur for Team GB, but en route to Cologne via private jet on Wednesday's for a press obligation with Wladimir Klitschko, AJ admits that appearing in Vegas is very high on his wish-list, following Iconic fighters of the past like Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali towards fulfilling his own legacy..
"I had to go to the embassy like everyone else, queue up and wait around all day," said Joshua, 27, who recently visited New York with Klitschko to promote April's fight. "It was a long day.
"I had to get a lawyer to get all the paperwork done so it was a long process but we got there in the end.
"I had long meetings about my visa. I haven't been there on holiday yet but it meant a lot to me to get it. They accepted me in even though it's harder to get into countries at the moment."

Terrible news today concerning former world title challenger Michael Watson and his carer, Lennard Ballack, who were last night hospitalised following an incident in Chingford where the former world title challenger was dragged out of his car.
According to witnesses, the 51-year-old Watson was in the passenger seat, with Mr Ballack driving, when a Volkswagon Golf slammed into the back of their vehicle.
The unknown assailants sprayed a substance into Mr Ballack’s eyes before punching him, and pulling Watson out of the car, dragged him along the street.
It is believed the attackers were attempting to steal the car, but fled the scene.
Watson suffered burns to the skin as a consequence of being dragged along the street, but both he and Mr Ballack were released from hospital today. The attack is unforgivable considering the struggles Michael has had to overcome so far, just to get to where he is today, it's just a blessing that both men are reasonable fine.

Layla McCarter signs with Mayweather promotions.

Former six-time world champion, Layla McCarter  (38-13-5, 9 KO's) has this week, become only the second female boxer to sign an exclusive contract with Mayweather promotions, behind 5 fight fledgling Latondria Jones..

37 year old McCarter brings impressive credentials to the TMT table, having held titles across four different divisions, over two decades, she is currently the world ranked #2 at junior welterweight.  Layla's resume is like a who's who of female boxing, having mixed with and beaten former champions like Sandra Yard, Elena Reid, Tracy Byrd, Belinda Laracuente and Jelena Mrdjenovich...   Layla's more recent outing was a fourth bout with rival Melissa Hernandez where she scored a unanimous decision victory at the legacy arena in Birmingham Alabama on the Deontay Wilder v Chris Arreola show in July of 2016.
Layla had a very brief amateur career, following a very early introduction to martial arts and kick boxing in Spokane Washington, she took the plunge into the paid ranks in 1998 before relocating to her newly adopted home of Las Vegas..
Within her first 3 years as a pro, McCarter would suffer 5 defeats, before dramatically turning things around, her last loss was a controversial points defeat to Melissa Hernandez in 2007, since then she has amassed a 15 fight winning streak. Unfortunately Layla's name appears to be the elephant in the room when it comes to today's so called major players, McCarter has paid her dues and often paid available opponents from her own pocket to remain active..    The news of her signing with such an iconic and reputable company is the icing on the cake for one of the best female fighters to walk the planet, its due time Layla McCarter got the recognition and rewards she deserves..

"We have shown with our recent signees that we are here to bring fight fans great shows," said Leonard Ellerbe. "We look to continue to build and diversify our roster of fighters, and Layla McCarter is a great example of a world-class athlete."

With the recent emergence of girls like Nicola Adams, Katie Taylor and Claressa Shields, turning pro after Olympic successes, woman's boxing deserves a long awaited boost, let's hope Mayweather promotions can open the doors for some long overdue opportunities involving Layla and the current belt holders..

Jermall Charlo vacates IBF 154 title.

Undefeated IBF junior middleweight champion Jermall Charlo has vacated his title today, with a view to a move up to middleweight...
Charlo had been contemplating the move for some time, mainly due to weight making struggles at the current division.  Jermall made two quick defences following his title victory, realising his time as champion could be limited by his weight issues...  If there was a huge fight of note at 154, it could have attracted Charlo to stick around a while, but it looks like 160 serves more lucrative opportunities, without the struggles of weight making..

Charlo’s trainer, Ronnie Shields, is in favor of the move to 160, confirming that it was a necessity, considering it pointless his fighter struggling to hold himself down to make weight, when he's easily capable of making the same impact on the division just 6 pounds higher..
“There's nothing special Jermall will have to do to make 160, because it's literally what he naturally is, a middleweight."

Charlo has been going through what he refers to as 'a mini training camp' shaking out and loosely going through his drills..  
There is no rush for the move, Charlo is looking roughly at May for his middleweight debut, with intentions on making his mark as a two weight champion..

Brook to defend against Spence Jr, May 20th.

Eddie Hearn, promoter of IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook has revealed that the Sheffield fighter will defend his title for the 4th time against the highly talented Errol Spence Jr in Sheffield on 20th May..
Brook embraces the challenge, after negotiations to make the Amir Khan fight seemed to evaporate..
Errol Spence 21-0 (18 Ko's) has been a pro fighter for only 5 years, but Since 2014 he's scored 8 successive stoppages, including impressive Knockouts of the usually durable Chris Algeri and Leonard Bundu in the last 12 months.. The Texan based southpaw will be facing his toughest opponent by far in Brook, but doesn't appear phased by the task.
Brook 36-1 (25 Ko's) will be defending the IBF welterweight title that he won back in 2014 with a Majority decision over Shawn Porter, over in the US..
Brook made 3 rather tame defences against JoJo Dan, Frankie Gavin and Kevin Bizier before stepping up to middleweight last September to challenge mister invincible, Gennady Golovkin for the undisputed 160lb title. Brook boxed exceptionally, frustrating Golovkin for 4 rounds, more than holding his own, before suffering a fractured orbital in the fifth and having to retire, a blemish that remains the sole defeat in his 13 year career..

Brook v Spence Jr is possibly the biggest fight to be announced on these shores, in recent years, barring Joshua v Klitschko, since Brook v Golovkin..

Wilder victorious in Povetkin courtcase.

Undefeated WBC world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is set to defend his belt for the fifth time on February 25 against Gerald Washington, but scored a moral victory yesterday in a Manhattan courthouse, along with claiming his $4.5m purse from his cancelled megafight with Alexander Povetkin.
Money from the contest, scheduled for May 2016 was held in escrow, following Povetkins positive WADA test for the banned substance Meldonium.
Wilders purse would have been a career-high payday against Povetkin until the bout was scrapped with just a couple of days to go.. Promoter Lou DiBella is elated at the outcome, calling it a huge victory for the sport of boxing in the fight against PED and substance abuse, thanking attorneys Judd Burnstein and Peter Schalk and all concerned in for the successful conclusion..
Incidentally Wilders upcoming defence against Gerald Washington only came about after original opponent Andrzej Wawrzyk, failed a steroid test as part of the WBC's clean boxing program..  Wilder chose Gerald because of the way he always conducted himself, Washington, also unbeaten always made a point of cordially addressing Wilder whenever they met and consistently made it known that if he was ever considered as a future opponent, he vowed he'd be ready.
Having scored 15 wins and one draw throughout his career, Washington fits the bill..
For Povetkin and promoter Andrey Ryabinsky, the court loss will almost certainly lead to an appeal as the Russian continues to protest his innocence.
Previously, Ryabinsky had provided evidence of only a tiny amount of drugs in the ex-world title holder's system, although any trace in the eyes of WADA is seen as too much. Povetkin is now tarnished as a proven drug cheat for the remainder of his career..

WBO cruiser champ Usyk fires trainer Bashir, opts for Lomachenko sr.

It appears that WBO Cruiserweight Champion, Oleksandr Usyk , (11-0, 10 KO’s) has parted ways with long time trainer James Ali Bashir...   Usyk released a statement, explaining that he thinks the world of Bashir and appreciates everything he has done for him, but realises that what James brings to the table is not enough for his progression..  Oleksandr also hopes that he and Bashir can stay in close contact and remain friends..
Usyk has opted to train under the tutelage of Anatoly Lomachenko, father of WBO super featherweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko.
Last September Usyk, the 2012 Olympic heavyweight Gold medalist, won the WBO cruiserweight championship in a record 10 fights, when he beat Krzysztof Glowacki in Poland, edging the previous record held by Evander Holyfield, who won his WBA belt in just 12 bouts..
Usyk made his US debut last December on HBO, beating Thabiso Mchunu in 9 at the LA Forum, and is widely regarded as the best Cruiserweight on the planet.

Finally.. Shakur Stevenson signs with TR and ALP...

Bob Arum's Top Rank and Antonio Leonard Productions have managed to sign 19 year old 2016 Olympic silver medalist Shakur Stevenson. Stevenson looked set for gold in the Rio summer games, breezing though the competition before losing a controversial split decision in the bantamweight final to 2012 flyweight champion Robeisy Ramirez of Cuba. Ramirez appeared to have took the first session, with Stevenson levelling the score in the second, at the conclusion of a close final round, two judges opted in favour of the Cuban, leaving Shakur a runner up by the slimmest of margins..
The highly touted Stevenson's signing is a huge catch, his current management team comprises of Andre Ward and James Prince along with attorney Josh Dubin. Shakur recently managed to make Forbes magazines '30 Under 30' in the Sports category, the only boxer to do so..  Stevenson will look to make his pro debut in the featherweight division. The New Jersey native was recently inspired by close friend Gervonta Davis, who picked up the IBF super featherweight title at aged 22 in just 17 pro fights..  details of Stevenson's pro debut will be announced nearer the time..

Hughie Fury will challenge Jo Parker in NZ, April 1st.

Hughie Fury, the younger cousin of former unified heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, is set to challenge for the World Boxing Organisation heavyweight crown against champion Joseph Parker 22-0 (18 Ko's) with the bout looking set for April 1st in New Zealand.
The 22 year old Fury is undefeated in 20 contests, and currently holds the WBO Inter-Continental title, a belt he picked up in a less than flattering performance back in April when he scored a 7th round technical decision over Fred Kassi. Fury who was training over in France throughout the Christmas and New Year period, is delighted with the news, having been let down previously by broken promises to challenge Deontay Wilder for the WBC in 2016.
Parker's promoters, Duco Events, in association with Bob Arum, stuck to their guns in bringing the bout to Auckland, where the Samoan claimed the world title back in December in a close bout with Andy Ruiz..  Kevin Barry the trainer of Parker recently commented in jest about his fighters weight following the Christmas break, but made it clear that his charge would be 100% come time to defend..
interestingly the #1 contender in the WBO is David Haye, whom if all goes according to plan in the Bellew bout, could challenge the winner in July..

James Kirkland injured, Cotto fight cancelled.

Roc Nation Sports today revealed that James Kirkland 32-2 (28 Ko's) has suffered a broken nose while in preparation for his bout against five time champion Miguel Cotto 40-5 (33 Ko's) which has forced him to pull out of the February 25th HBO main event which was scheduled to take place at the Ford Centre at the Star in Frisco Texas..
Because of the news the whole show has been cancelled.
It's unfortunate news for both fighters, who's last appearance was incidentally against the same opponent, Saul Alvarez in 2015, Kirkland was stopped in the 3rd while Cotto lost a 12 round unanimous decision.

Beterbiev v Barrera purse bids won by Groupe Yvon Michel

Purse bids for the upcoming IBF light heavyweight championship eliminator between world #1 Artur Beterbiev and #2 ranked Sullivan Barrera were held today at the IBF headquarters in Springfield New Jersey..  The two registered bidders were the New Jersey based Main Events, and Canadian 'Groupe Yvon Michel.'
G.Y.M. took control with a bid of $251.000, outbidding Main Events $181.000.
The fight has 90 days to materialise.
Artur will start a heavy favourite heading into this fight, at 11-0 (All Knockouts) and a much higher grade amateur pedigree, looked ruthless in his last outing where he deposed Isidro Prieto in Quebec a month ago, inside a round..  Barrera a Miami based Cuban 18-1 (13 Ko's) lost his only professional bout last March to Andre Ward, but returned in style last December, stopping Vyacheslav Shabranskyy in the 7th in Indio California picking up the vacant WBC USNBC title..