Charlie Edwards loses, then retains his title amidst controversy in London.

Julio Cesar Martinez appeared to score a dramatic upset win in the third round with a knockout over WBC Flyweight Champion Charlie Edwards to capture the title on the Lomachenko v Campbell undercard in London.. Moments after being declared the winner and new champion, Mauricio Sulaiman decided from Ringside as WBC President, to overrule the decision and declare the fight a No Contest following reviewing the footage of the final moments.. Charlie Edwards retains his title and an immediate rematch has been ordered.. The final shot by Martinez appeared to hit Edwards in the midsection after he’d touched down onto the canvas...

Ramadan Hiseni moves to 13-0 with victory over Gino Kanters in Switzerland.

Unbeaten Swiss middleweight Ramadan Hiseni 13-0 (4 KOs) scored an impressive 10 round unanimous decision over the tough Dutchman, Gino Kanters 7-3-1 (3 KOs) on Friday night at the Stadthofsaal in Uster, Switzerland.. Hiseni completely dominated the entirety of the bout picking up the WBC youth middleweight title in the process.. All three Judges scored the fight 98-92.
Hiseni is currently trained by James McGirt who was unable to make it to Switzerland for the event due to extreme weather warnings in his native Florida.. McGirt still advised his charge prior to the fight, telling the popular Hiseni not to get caught up in his hometown crown and stay focussed on the job in hand..

Buatsi provided with rounds by Ford..

World ranked light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi 12-0 (10 KOs) Found himself in a competitive fight for the first time in a while by tough Canadian visitor Ryan Ford before figuring his man out and scoring a seventh round stoppage.. Ford 16-5 (11 KOs) had never previously been stopped.. Buatsi retains his WBA International title with the victory.. A border line body shot hurt Ryan to set up the stoppage. Time was 1:07.

Undercard results from London..

Undefeated Lightweight Joe Cordina 10-0 (7 KOs) defended his British and Commonwealth titles against Gavin Gwynne 11-1 (1 KO) with a unanimous decision. Scores were 116-110, 116-110, 116-111. Both fighters had a single point deducted.

Lightweight James Tennyson 25-3 (21 KOs) won with 2 round KO over Atif Shafiq 21-2 (5 KOs) to grab the vacant WBA International title. Tennyson has scored 3 successive victories since being stopped by IBF super featherweight champion Tevin Farmer 10 months ago.

Number 7 ranked IBF super featherweight Martin Ward 23-1-2 (11 KOs) stopped Josue Bendana 10-13-4 (6 KOs) in the fifth.

Highly ranked Women’s super middleweight Savannah Marshall 7-0 (5 KOs) stopped tough Daniele Bastieri 2-1 (2 KOs) at the 2 minutes point of the 5th.. The Referee called a halt after Marshall dropped Bastieri..

Zerafa upsets Horn in Bendingo..

In what would be considered an upset, WBA Number 3 ranked Middleweight Jeff Horn 19-2-1 (13 Ko’s) suffered a 9th round stoppage defeat at the hands of Michael Zefara 26-3 (16 Ko’s) in a scheduled 12 rounder in Bendingo, Victoria, Australia..
Zerafa set off at a fast pace, and putting Horn on the floor in the second with a stiff right hand.. Horn encountered further problems in the third when he suffered a nasty cut.. Horn did find some composure in the fifth, putting together some eye-catching combinations.. Unfortunately Jeff began to tire in the 7th, allowing Zerafa to regain control of the fight.. The underdog dictated the action through round 8, with Horn completely exhausted.. Zerafa finished the job in the 9th when he hurt Horn, dropping him for a second time, forcing the referee to call a halt to the action..
The defeat has scuppered any plans Horn had for challenging Ryota Murata for the WBA middleweight crown in Japan on December 23..

Mirage Boxing retrospective.. Davey Pearl.. A small man with a huge presence.

Despite his 5 foot 4 inch size, David 'Davey' Pearl commanded great respect and affection from those who knew him in boxing..
Not only was he a terrific referee, he was a man of solid principles, hard nosed but a lovely guy as well, you'll rarely hear a harsh word spoken of Pearl, he was as straight as they come.. Pearl was truly dedicated to boxing, first as a judge then as a referee.
"I know he either lied about his age so he could continue working, or Nevada knew and decided it just didn’t matter," Mike Katz said. "Even at 80, and as small as he was, he still had the command necessary in the ring."
Before his celebrated career as a referee of more than 70 championship fights, Pearl took up boxing as part of a self-defense program.
After five years in the armed services, Pearl got a job judging professional fights. That led to referring, although it was several years before he landed a title fight.
"I was doing mostly club fights in Vegas, and they were always telling me I was too small to do a title fight," Pearl said in an earlier interview.
He finally got his chance to do a title bout, a junior middleweight world championship bout yet It wasn’t long after that fight that Pearl was asked to referee the biggest fight of his life the Ali-Spinks fight in 1978. That one elevated Pearls refereeing profile.
To Pearl refereeing wasn't about the money, it was his passion  (Pearl said the most he ever received as a referee was $1,500 for a fight, and when he received $1,000 for officiating Ali-Spinks, it was the first four-figure check ever paid to a Nevada referee), he’s had to rely on other sources of income. Despite his size, Davey refereed many more huge events, involving men who would dwarf him in physical stature, Larry Holmes v James Smith, and Shavers.. Mike Dokes v Lynn Ball, Dwight Muhammad Qawi v Jerry Martin and the huge first fight between Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns..  Yet years before all of these fights Davey was involved at the highest level in a different capacity..  In 1968 Pearl refereed the Sonny Liston v Bill McMurray fight in Reno, little did he know then that a year later Davey would become Sonnys official manager and friend...  Pearl was with Sonny for the final two fights of his career ending with a victory over Chuck Wepner in 1970..  Davey spoke openly about Liston,  proclaiming that Sonny sure as hell never killed himself with an overdose, Pearl was adamant that Liston was murdered, and that Sonny was portrayed by Ali as a monster and typecast in public as such..  Sonny was a great guy, a family guy, very caring, a complete contrast to what you've been fed..
Pearl had worked in casino bingo halls and had operated bars in Las Vegas, including the popular Davey’s Locker on East Desert Inn Road, which became synonymous with boxing characters..   During his final years, Davey was suffering from Alzheimer's, boxing friend and fellow referee Toby Gibson took the time to care for the ailing Pearl until his passing in 2006 aged 88.. 
Sadly two years later in an unrelated incident Toby Gibson would take his own life..
Davey Pearl was survived by his wife, Janet but was preceded in death by his twin brother, Lou, in 2004.

Daveys passing catchphrase that is so often used by referees today is "I've explained the rules to you both in the dressing room!"  That was a Davey Pearl original..

Mirage Boxing looking back.. Clifford Etienne, Breaking the habit of a lifetime.

Clifford Etienne took up boxing while serving a 40-year prison sentence for armed robbery in his home state of Louisiana. A hard puncher with torrid determination, Etienne won the state prison boxing championship in his first year. Etienne became a affiliated member of the notorious "Gunslingers" prison boxing team in Louisiana and reportedly had a 30–0 prison record. He was released on good behavior after serving 10 years.
Clifford had his sights on turning to professional boxing now as a means to going straight. He turned pro in 1998 with a one round knockout in Mississippi. By 2000 Etienne had racked up 19 straight wins and was named 2000's "Most Exciting Fighter to Watch" in the heavyweight division by Ring Magazine, largely the result of his unanimous decision over then-undefeated Lawrence Clay Bey. The fight was widely considered to be one of the best heavyweight matches of that year. He had also beaten Relentless Lamon Brewster, the future WBO heavyweight champion, on points after ten rounds in the May of that year. Clifford then landed a contract with Showtime, this elevated Clifford's profile and his stock was set to rise, but it would quickly fall after an upset first pro loss to Puerto Rican Fres Oquendo, who stopped Etienne in the eighth round of their fight in March 2001.
Clifford now had to try rebuild and by 2002 he had racked up five solid wins in a row plus a gutsy draw with highly ranked former IBF champion Franz Botha..  Etiennes fight with Botha caught the eye of the Tyson people who were on the lookout for a comeback opponent for the former champion...  In 2003 , in Memphis, Tyson v Etienne was made and Clifford was catapulted to the world's stage for an unlikely chance to pull off a huge upset.. Unfortunately Tyson showed up on this occasion and overwealmed Etienne who was prepared to exchange in the early seconds, but it wasn't for long, Etienne suffered a first-round knock-out only 49 seconds after being caught with a right hand.
After the loss to Tyson, Etienne's future seemed to be that of a journeyman opponent.  Former Olympian Calvin Brock stopped Etienne in the third round in January 2005.
The same year Etienne's last fight would be against Nikolai Valuev, who would go on to become the WBA champion. Valuev knocked Etienne out in the third round of their fight in Germany.
2006 saw Clifford Etienne find trouble again.. 
News Story..
Clifford Etienne was arrested Wednesday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on charges of armed robbery, kidnapping and the attempted murder of a police officer. Etienne allegedly robbed a local business, car-jacked a vehicle containing a woman and her children, then pulled a gun on police officers. He is being held in East Baton Rouge Parish Prison with a $70,000 bond.
On June 22, 2006, following his trial in Baton Rouge, Etienne was found guilty and sentenced to 150 years in prison without parole for an allegedly cocaine fueled crime spree that included robbing a check cashing business, Carjacking, kidnapping a family, and attempting to shoot two policemen. In April 2013 his sentence was reduced from 150 years to 105 years due to a technicality. Regardless..  Clifford Etienne won't be likely to see freedom in his lifetime..

Mirage Boxing revisiting.. Kenny Baysmore, a nearly man.

Washington Dc's Kenny Baysmore looked like he had the potential to go all the way as a pro, he had amateur pedigree and had won the 1979 national golden gloves at bantamweight. Two years later Kenny would turn professional.
For three years Baysmore would stay unbeaten and by 1983 he would be voted Ring Magazines prospect of the year, an accolade reserved for prospective future standouts. In 1984 for his 18th fight he would beat Freddy Chumpitaz for the USBA  super featherweight title, a year later in 1985 he would win a 12 round split decision over tough Myron Taylor in defense of his title.  Kenny was now 20 / 0 with 18 knockouts, and matched into the toughest fight of his career, a USBA title defense against the former WBA super featherweight champion Roger Mayweather.  Roger had only lost 2 of his 22 fights, and it was an acid test for the promising Baysmore..  Mayweather was too much for the USBA champion, and served Baysmore his first loss, by third round knockout in Texas..  Roger would go on to fight the great Julio Cesar Chavez for the WBC title in a highly publicized affair, while Kenny had to reassess the direction of his career. The first loss, especially by knockout hurt Baysmore's confidence and it was important for him to get back on the horse as soon as he could..  A full year later he would regain his USBA title by outpointing Anthony English in Atlantic city..  After two more successful defenses of his title it was again time to step up..  This time against tough Harold Knight in his opponents back yard of Atlantic city..  Knight was unbeaten in 14 fights, but had took a couple of years out between 1985 and 87..   Kenny got off to a good start against Knight, using good lateral movement, but in round six he stood too long in front of the New Jersey man and got stunned, by round 7 Baysmore had not recovered and suffered his second defeat, again by knockout.  A year later Knight would unsuccessfully challenge Rocky Lockridge for his IBF title, in what would be his last fight. Kenny Baysmore would return three months later, but would find it tough gain momentum with his career, by 1990 after his next six fights Baysmore would win 2, lose 2 and draw 2, all to inferior opposition.  Kenny needed a break from boxing and would take a 2 year hiatus from the game. 1992 saw a refreshed Baysmore beat Floyd Favors and Cliff Hicks both by second round stoppage..  Baysmore then took on promising US based Russian Sergey Artimiev, Artimiev was 16 / 1 and held an amateur victory over Shane Mosley. The fight was a last ditch fight to propel his Baysmore's career. The Artimiev fight was ill fated, Baysmore would suffer three knockdowns en route to a 5th round TKO..   Artimiev looked destined for huge honors until he almost died following his 1993, 10th round knockout loss to Carl Griffiths..  Baysmore's final night in the spotlight was an appearance on the Bowe v Ferguson undercard in DC against Sharmba Mitchell. Mitchell 29 / 0 and a huge puncher knocked Baysmore out in one round..   Kenny would box 7 more times until 2001, losing each time by knockout..  Kenny Baysmore was better than his 28 / 13 / 2  (24 KOs) record but was never able to step up to world level as a major player.. 
A two time USBA champion and a national golden gloves champion, Baysmore was a highly popular DC fighter who should have achieved so much more..

Matchroom Boxing weigh in results from London.

Vasiliy Lomachenko 134 v Luke Campbell 134
(WBA, WBO, WBC lightweight world titles)

Hughie Fury 224 v Alexander Povetkin 226
(WBA international heavyweight title)

Charlie Edwards 111 v Julio Cesar Martinez 110
(WBC flyweight world title)

Joshua Buatsi 172 v Ryan Ford 174
(WBA international light heavyweight title)

The Card is hosted by The 02 Arena, London
Promoted by Matchroom Boxing (Edward Hearn)
Broadcast by ESPN+ in the United States and Sky Sports in the United Kingdom.

Lara v Alvarez weigh in revelations leave the WBA title only available to the Cuban.

At the weigh in for tomorrow nights supposed WBA Super Welterweight title fight between Cuban Erislandy Lara and Ramon Alvarez, proceedings never went according to plan.. Lara made the weight comfortably at 153.8, whilst Alvarez showed up over an hour late and unprofessionally weighed in a whopping 4 and a half pounds over the weight limit.. As a result, the bout will commence as scheduled, but the WBA championship will only be on the line for Lara with a draw or an Alvarez victory resulting in the title remaining vacant.. The opportunity at the WBA championship should have been an honour for a fighter, frankly for a fighter as limited as Ramon, it’s shocking that a professional athlete being offered such a huge chance couldn’t have the devotion to meet his single weight obligation..

Full Weigh in results..
Erislandy Lara 153.8 vs. Ramon Alvarez 158.6
(WBA Super Welterweight title*)

Sebastián Fundora 153.5 vs. Jamontay Clark 154
Frank Sánchez 220 vs. Víctor Bisbal 275.25
Kyrone Davis 159 vs. Alexis Gaytán 159.8
Joahnys Argilagos 116.8 vs. Julio García 118.4

The Card is hosted by The Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota,
Promoted by TGB Promotions (Tom Brown)
Broadcast by FOX..

Prince Ranch Heavyweight Jonathan Rice meets Christian Mariscal in Tijuana, Saturday.

South Carolina based Heavyweight Jonathan Rice 12-4-1 (8 KOs) now based in Los Angeles meets Tijuana’s Christian Mariscal 13-3 (6 KOs) in the feature bout over 10 on Saturday evening at The Big Punch Arena in Tijuana, Mexico. The bout also has the rather insignificant WBC silver intercontinental title up for grabs.. Rice is managed by Greg Hannley, the CEO of Las Vegas based, Prince Ranch Boxing and is the only man to take 2016 Olympic gold medalist Tony Yoka to the final bell as a pro.. Rice travelled to Yoka’s backyard at the Xenith de Paris in France and made a competitive argument winning a couple of rounds over 6. Jon has won five of his last six and is eager to break into the world rankings.. Interestingly both fighters have 7 defeats between them, each loss to a currently undefeated fighter.. Rice dropping losses to Yoka, Irish prospect Con Sheehan, Arslanbek Makhmudov and Stephan Shaw.. Whilst the older Mariscal has defeats to Marcos Rodriguez, Evgeny Tishchenko and the colourful Cassius Chaney.. Despite being 39 years old, the Mexican has only been boxing for 2 and a half years, whilst 32 year old Rice has been active since 2014..
“Battle at the Border” as it has been named, is promoted by GM3 Presents and Gonzalez Boxing Promotions, The evenings boxing includes a 15 fight card with Pay on entry at the Arena, and boxing commencing around 7pm.

Usyk steps up to Heavyweight finally on October 12th.

Finally today it was announced that undefeated former unified cruiserweight king, Oleksandr Usyk 16-0 (12 Ko’s) will make his heavyweight debut at The Wintrust Arena in Chicago on October 12th.. The opponent of choice has not yet been finalised but is expected to be over 10 rounds against a top 10 ranked heavyweight.. Usyk was scheduled to have made this highly anticipated debut back on May 25th in the very same Chicago arena, against the tough French based Cameroonian world title challenger Carlos Takam, but an unfortunate bicep injury put paid to that exercise.. Takam is still a possibility to face Usyk on the 12th, although nothing has been set in stone.. Usyk unified the cruiserweight division, cleaning house by dominating the WBSS tourney before sealing it with one final classic performance last November, knocking out Tony Bellew in Manchester England.. Usyk‘s heavyweight debut will be broadcast by Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and DAZN in the States..

Felix Valera faces Vyacheslav Shabranskyy on September 14th.

WBA #2 light heavyweight contender Dominican Felix “Mangu” Valera (18-2, 15 KOs) is putting his high ranking on the line against puncher Vyacheslav Shabranskyy (20-2, 18 KOs) September 14th on the undercard of the Tyson Fury versus Otto Wallin bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Former WBA World interim light heavyweight champion Felix Valera 18-2 (15 Ko’s) will put his number 2 world ranking on the line when he faces Vyacheslav Shabranskyy 20-2 (18 Ko’s) on the September 14th undercard of the Fury v Wallin show at the T-Mobile arena in Las Vegas.. Dominican born Valera is contractually bound to Top Rank Boxing and despite two high profile losses to Dmitri Bivol and Sullivan Barrera, has remained unbeaten through his last 3 outings, most recently stopping Mario Aguilar in Stockton last May.. Ukrainian born Shabranskyy is a friend and stablemate of Vasiliy Lomachenko and until December of 2016 celebrated an unblemished record of 17-0.. Unfortunately the next 2 years would see him lose twice by Stoppage, Firstly to Sullivan Barrera, then more recently in a WBO title fight at the hands of Sergey Kovalev.. Vyacheslav has had a single victory since the Kovalev loss, a stoppage of Gilberto Rubio in May..
Neither man can afford a slip up, with a victory securing a championship opportunity for either man..

Erislandy Lara aims to become Champion again Saturday as he takes on Ramon Alvarez..

Former world super welterweight champion Erislandy Lara 25-3-3 (14 Ko’s) will continue his in his campaign to regain his place at the top of the division when he takes on Ramon Alvarez 28-7-3 (16 Ko’s) for the WBA super welterweight championship this coming Saturday in the main event at The Armory in Minneapolis.. Live on Fox..
Despite the fight offering Lara a chance at becoming champion once again, it offers him an opportunity to settle a personal score, and avenge a disputed defeat to Saul Alvarez back in 2014, the brother of the man that he faces on Saturday..
“This will be a good fight for the fans because I know Ramon Alvarez is coming with everything he’s got. I know he’ll be looking to end all controversy about me getting robbed when I fought his brother Canelo... Everyone knows I won that fight, so I’m going to take it out on Ramon, he’s had plenty of time to prepare for this bout, as I did, so we will both be performing at our very best. Stylistically, I feel I have the advantages. I’m going into this fight with the mindset to dominate and score a knockout.”
Each time Ramon has stepped up he has struggled, losing in 2018 in his last step up fight to Brandon Rios, having previously fallen short against Omar Chavez and Antonio Margarito.. You’ll find Alvarez’s record padded with the names of ageing champions like Vivian Harris and Ben Tackie which is why I’m surprised to see him featuring in such a high profile opportunity.. In reality Lara and Alvarez are light years apart, with only the Cubans brief history with the more talented Alvarez brother that adds flavour to such an event, remember Lara is still live and could prove a handful for anyone.

Undefeated heavyweight prospect Xavier Vigney signs managerial papers with Prince Ranch Boxing.

29 year old unbeaten heavyweight Xavier Vigney 3-0 (2 Ko’s) has signed a managerial agreement with Gregory Hanley of Las Vegas based Prince Ranch Boxing.. The 6 foot 7 monster will be trained by Brandon Woods and former Champion Clarence Adams.. Xavier is a rare breed, born of Native American descent crossed with German ancestry and first sprung to prominence as a kick-boxer, crossing over to conventional boxing following some impressive showings in sparring whilst dabbling with the sport..
Vigney is not contractually bound to any promoter to date and plans under his new outfit to return to action in the very near future.. Xavier a native of Oakland Ca. Jovially states that he is by nature a nice guy, but also stresses that inside the ring, he completely switches persona with a sole purpose of destroying my opponent.. Vigney has every faith in his new team and loves his new life in Las Vegas at Prince Ranch..
In these new surroundings with such accomplished boxing people behind him, Xavier feels that he has nothing to lose with an optimistic quest he become world heavyweight champion..
Greg Hannley the very personable CEO at Prince Ranch expresses how happy he is to have Vigney onboard..

"We are very excited to have Xavier join the Prince Ranch Boxing family," stated Vigney's manager Greg Hannley of Prince Ranch Boxing, Xavier has an incredible work ethic and I know with the right promoter, we will be unstoppable.. Right now, we are entertaining several promotional companies that are seeking to join forces with us. This kid has all the ingredients to become a huge star and I can't wait to announce his next fight."

Head Coach Brandon Woods echos the sentiments, boldly stating that he has no doubt in his mind that Xavier Vigney can become the heavyweight champion of the world..
“ All of the top heavyweights that come to Las Vegas to get some sparring he absolutely destroys... I'm not talking about journeyman type heavyweights, I'm talking undefeated heavyweights that are signed with bigtime promoters, Xavier is smashing all of them.. As soon as the public sees him fight, they will know he's the truth."

I have personally seen Vigney in gym action, he is indeed extremely competent and is improving gradually.. The most important thing right now is that he is in the exact right place to flourish with fighters like Hasim Rahman, Mike Hunter and Prince Ranch inc close by.. The old saying that iron sharpens iron may indeed prove the case here..

Maurice Hooker moves up to campaign at welterweight..

Former WBO light welterweight champion Maurice Hooker 26-1-3 (17 KOs) has opted to move up a weight division and will continue his career campaigning up at welterweight.. Mo feels that his last couple of outings were hampered by the 140 weight limit and doesn’t want to continue wasting time struggling for the remainder of his career.. The decision wasn’t taken lightly as both Hookers manager and promoter agreed that it was the best move forward for his future.. Maurice is in training for his first bout at 147 and already feels much stronger and energised closer to his natural weight..
Hooker won the title from Britain’s Terry Flanagan and in his last fight on July 27th, was stopped by WBC champ Jose Ramirez 25-0 (17 KOs) in a unification bout..

Terrence Crawford and Richard Commey set to feature in a doubleheader at MSG on December 14.

ESPN has announced plans to televise a world championship doubleheader at New York’s Madison Square Garden on December 14 featuring WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford and the IBF lightweight champion Richard Commey in separate co features.. Crawford 35-0 (26 KOs) will meet the WBO #1 mandatory challenger Egidijus Kavaliauskas 21-0-1 (17 KOs), while Commey 29-2 (26 KOs) would meet the IBF #1 mandatory challenger Teofimo Lopez 14-0 (11 KOs). The only other addition to the card that has been scheduled so far is an appearance by Irish featherweight prospect Michael Conlan 12-0 (7 KOs) who is proposed to box a 10 rounder against an opponent to be announced nearer to the event.

James Kirkland scores predictable knockout in ring return.

Hard punching middleweight James Kirkland returned from a four-year hiatus with a knockout win on Saturday night at the Erwin Center in Austin, Texas. Kirkland 33-2 (29 KOs) dropped the overmatched Colby Courter 13-15 (10 KOs) three times in the opener to score an expected stoppage of the unheralded visitor.. The victory was Kirkland’s first appearance since his KO defeat at the hands of Saul Alvarez back in May 2015.

Chisora v Parker almost a go for October in the UK.

A fight between former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker 26-2 (20 KOs) and Uk’s Former WBC title challenger and longtime world ranked Derek Chisora 31-9 (22 KOs) is in the pipeline, and according to reliable sources is almost a go, possibly for an October date.. Former Duco Promotions boss and longtime Parker promoter David Higgins testifies,

 “It’s pretty close to being done.. It’s been talked about for months and we finally received an offer yesterday which we will accept.. The email we received is for October in London and we will take the offer.. “
Higgins does appear a little put out that Parker v Chisora may not be a main event on the date, and that his fighter will once again be regarded as the B side of the matchup, stating that when Joseph last appeared on UK shores he took part in one of the biggest pay per views in UK history and ironically we back to being the opponent...
The outspoken Higgins also went on the have a poke at negotiation counterparts, David Haye and Eddie Hearn, explaining that doing business on this occasion has been extremely difficult..
“I do like Haye and Hearn, but they’re very wealthy British toffs.. Communications has been very poor on their side.. For the Joshua v Parker fight, Hearn was returning my calls immediately, but for this, I’ve been ignored for the most part of the dealings..”
Chisora is coming off an impressive knockout of Artur Spilka only weeks ago, whilst Parker most recently struggled to a 10th round stoppage of the overmatched Alex Leapai in Rhode Island in June..

Sergey Kovalev overcomes tough challenge of Anthony Yarde, scores 11 round stoppage.

WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev 34-3-1 (29 KOs) scored a hard earned eleventh round Knockout over undefeated mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde 18-0 (17 KOs) on Saturday night at the Traktor Sport Palace in Chelyabinsk, Russia. The first half of the fight was clearly banked by the champion, who dominated the action primarily with the jab.. Yarde came on steadily from round 6, craftily shooting for the body and pressing the action. Round 8 however was very nearly disaster for Kovalev as Yarde found his mark repeatedly, landing a series of damaging head shots.. Sergey survived the crisis but trainer Buddy Mcgirt made his opinions very clear between rounds 8 and 9, that he’d stop the fight if he saw his charge taking similar repeated punishment.. Kovalev entered round nine back behind the jab, and found the visitor very much spent following his huge effort in the previous round..
Yarde had missed his chance and the 36 year-old Kovalev responded like champions do, dominating Yarde throughout the ninth and tenth rounds.. By round 11 Anthony had the look of a beaten man, but wouldn’t surrender easily, in a last ditch attempt to go for broke, Yarde was left vulnerable and tired, finally hitting the canvas from a stiff left hand but appeared more exhausted than concussed.. Time of stoppage was 2:04.

Hrgovic and Smith score impressive victories in Mexico.

2016 Olympian and WBA Number 6 ranked heavyweight Filip Hrgovic 9-0 (7 KOs) scored a third round stoppage over tough Manuel Heredia 16-7-1 (13 KOs) last night as a co-feature at the Centro de Usos Múltiples in Hermosillo, Mexico. Heredia coming off an upset victory over Samuel Peter was expected to provide stiff opposition.. However Hrgovic hurt Heredia early dropping him with a stiff right hand for the full count.. Time was :43 of the session..

Britain’s Former WBO super welterweight champion Liam Smith 28-2-1 (16 KOs) made a rare appearance away from home, scoring a seventh round stoppage of Mario Alberto Lozano 33-10 (24 KOs). Smith overwhelmed Lozano dropping him in round six before finishing the job in round seven. Time was 1:02.

Unbeaten super lightweight Shakhram Giyasov 9-0 (7 KOs) took a swift 41 seconds to demolish former WBA lightweight champion Darleys Perez 34-6-2 (22 KOs) Perez succumbing to a left hook in the opener, a stark reality check for a man who was top of the world only a couple of years ago...

Makabu outguts Papin for WBC silver belt..

An entertaining 12 rounder between highly ranked cruiserweight punchers Ilunga Makabu 26-2 (24 Ko’s) and Aleksei Papin 11-1 (10 Ko’s) for the WBC Silver belt, surprisingly saw the final bell at the Traktor Sports Palace in Chelyabinsk Russia tonight.. After a torrid too and fro battle, a final round knockdown helped Makabu’s cause as he held out to grab a majority decision away from home by scores of 113-113, 115-113 and 115-113..

Caleb Truax pulls out of Peter Quillin rematch.

Former IBF super middleweight Champion Caleb Truax has pulled out from his August 31st rematch against fellow former middleweight belt holder Peter Quillin due to a recurring Achilles injury. The rematch appeared a natural following their first bout last April which unfortunately ended in a no-decision after Truax was cut as a result of an accidental head clash..
According to Calebs physician Dr. Paul Schaefer of Health Partners Stillwater Medical Group, Truax has a high-grade, partial-thickness tear of the Achilles tendon on his right side..
Truax initially sustained the Achilles injury in March, and the nature of the high-grade tear required surgery and non-operative management as best options.
Truax elected to avoid going under the knife, and spent six weeks in a boot, before undergoing physical therapy, where he was showing signs of significant progression, yet as his workouts intensified, he was concerned about the strength of the tendon before resuming sparring.
Dr Schaefer gave his opinion that Truax will not be properly rehabilitated and conditioned in time for the scheduled fight.. His concerns were that he would put his personal safety at risk in engaging in combat too soon.
Truax prides himself on the fact that he trains through injuries, pushing on regardless, but knows that long term this approach can prove foolish, athletes know their bodies and should respect that with significant rest..
“I’m disappointed because this was a huge opportunity to take a big step toward regaining my IBF super middleweight title,” he adds. “I’m disappointed for all my fans because I wanted to put on a great show for them at The Armory, but I didn’t want to go into this fight, not being able to perform at a level that people are used to seeing from me and also performing at a level so I can defeat a world-class fighter like Peter Quillin.”

Truax is currently reevaluating his future options, which includes possible surgery, but wanted to openly inform all parties of his situation as soon as possible. Promoter Tony Grygelko once again made it clear that the health and well-being of Caleb Truax is the highest priority of all concerned..

Oscar De La Hoya Foundation hosts boxing event in Pasadena, August 30th.

Promising Welterweight Ferdinand Kerobyan 11-1 (6 Ko’s) will face former Olympian Oscar Molina 13-2-1 (10 Ko’s) over 8 rounds at Pasadena City Hall on August 30th, headlining a Card that is hosted by Oscar De La Hoyas’s charity Foundation.. The Event will be completely open to the public and will be broadcast as part of a special Friday edition of Golden Boy DAZN Thursday night fights.. The boxing will also be streamed live on Facebook via the Golden Boy Fight Night Page.. The evenings proceeds will fund the Foundations youth and Community benefit program in the Pasadena area..

Amir Imam inks contract with Top Rank..

One time red hot Super lightweight contender Amir Imam 21-2 (18 KOs), has inked a multi year promotional contract with Top Rank.. Imam once Don King Productions hidden Ace was once 18-0 before losing disappointingly to Adrian Granados in 2015.. Imam resurfaced in 2016, putting together 3 successive victories, culminating in a shot at WBC champion Jose Ramirez’ title.. Amir lost his challenge by a unanimous decision more than 17 months ago and hasn’t fought since.. Imam is optimistic that a change will rejuvenate his career with the help of Florida based manager Peter Kahn..

James Kirkland returns, August 24th in Texas.

Texan knockout artist James Kirkland 32-2 (28 KOs) returns to the ring on August 24th after a 4 year hiatus from boxing.. Kirkland last boxed in 2015 losing by knockout to Saul Alvarez, only the second defeat of his 34 fight career.. James will meet tough Colby Courter 13-14 (10 Ko’s) at the Erwin Center in his hometown of Austin Texas.. Kirkland is having what is most probably the last roll of the dice at boxing, this being the 35 year olds 35th appearance in an 18 year career..

The Austin Card features three other quality fighters that appear under the Davies Entertainment promotional umbrella, Middleweight Eddie Ortiz 8-0-2 (4 KOs) who fights Jas Phipps 10-6-2 (5 KOs) in an eight round bout, welterweight Daniel Baiz 13-1 (5 KOs) who meets Marquis Hawthorne 7-11 (1 KO) in another 8 rounder and middleweight Ben Whitaker 11-3 (2 KOs) who matches up against Raymond Guzman 3-2 (2 Ko’s) in a six-rounder.

Spence v Porter, Los Angeles undercard taking shape.

The undercard feature bouts for the upcoming Errol Spence v Shawn Porter Card at the Staples Center on September 28th is slowly taking shape..
Unbeaten Super-lightweight Mario Barrios 24-0 (16 KOs) will meet fellow undefeated Batyr Akhmedov 7-0 (6 KOs) for the WBA title whist in the Co-Main event WBC Super-Middleweight champion Anthony Dirrell will defend against undefeated former title holder David Benavidez.. In an added attraction Josesito Lopez 36-8 (19 KOs) faces John Molina Jr. 30-8 (24 KOs) in a 10 round battle of experienced veterans at welterweight..
Also featuring on FOX as part of the Spence-Porter pay-per-view, former three time world champion Robert Guerrero 35-6-1 (20 KOs) faces Jerry Thomas 14-1-1 (8 KOs) in a 10-round fight made at welterweight, alongside undefeated super welterweight Joey Spencer 8-0 (6 KOs) who makes his 9th pro outing in a six-rounder against an opponent to be selected nearer the event..

Kovalev v Yarde to be streamed live on ESPN+.

A news announcement today revealed that ESPN+ will broadcast the WBO light heavyweight championship bout between Sergey Kovalev and mandatory challenger Anthony Yarde via live stream on August 24 from Traktor Arena in Chelyabinsk, Russia.. The veteran Kovalev 33-3-1 (28 KOs) now 36 years of age has appeared in 15 world title fights and has won the light heavyweight title on three separate occasions. Yarde 18-0 (17 KOs) is an undefeated puncher from the UK taking his first steps into a brave unknown territory..
The broadcast will also feature an interesting Cruiserweight bout between unbeaten contender Aleksei Papin 11-0 (10 KOs) and former world title challenger Ilunga Makabu 25-2 (24 KOs). Makabu boxed Tony Bellew for the WBC championship a couple of years back and is the brother of Uk based heavyweight Martin Bakole..

Joshua v Ruiz rematch unrest.

In light of the upcoming rematch between former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and newly crowned unlikely champion Andy Ruiz jr, much is being made of the recently announced venue, and the hearsay that the California based Ruiz is threatening to try scupper the show if his own personal terms are not met.. The reality of the situation is that Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn had put in place a watertight clause prior to the first fight that covered all bases in the eventuality of the upset.. The upset occurred and the losing party still legally hold the cards concerning the machinations of the return date.. Andy being a newcomer to holding the largest stake in the richest prize in sport is merely attempting to flex his muscles in the face of the situation.. Ruiz will no doubt enjoy the trappings of his achievement, but when vainly comparing his on site purse to that of Joshua’s, he appears obviously to have been put a little out of joint, when he sees the losing former champion lined up to receive more than 3 times than himself regardless of the rolls being reversed second time around. Joshua has every right to host the fight in Cardiff, the initial choice of venue, but in the spirit of equality to help smooth negotiations I think Hearn and those concerned opted for neutral ground ie.. Saudi Arabia... Now it appears that team Ruiz aren’t content with that either.. The December 7th date does seem to be set in stone, although many within the negotiation system seem to think the date and venue is still a provisional measure.. Andy has to agree to the defence and at least agree to the terms signed for upon landing his dream opportunity at some point, or risk losing the hardware that he worked so hard to capture.. The fight will happen, but don’t hold your breath on December 7th and Arabia..

Julio Cesar Chavez jr blasts Evert Bravo inside a round..

Former WBC middleweight belt-holder Julio César Chávez Jr 51-3-1 (32 KOs) returned to action on Saturday evening at the Antonio R. Marquez Stadium in Jalisco, Mexico where he put paid to Evert Bravo 25-11-1 (19 Ko’s) inside a minute and a half of the opener.. Chavez started patiently until the opening presented itself, Jr putting an end to the proceedings with a left hook to the body after trapping the 31 year old Colombian on the ropes.. The victory Julio’s first outing since his loss to Saul Alvarez two years ago..
Following the fight, Chavez made it very clear that he wishes to face Alfred Angulo next, possibly on a date in September.. Interestingly Chavez (Boxing comfortably now at light heavyweight) weighed in at 175.25 for the bout, technically a quarter pound into the cruiserweight division..

Steve Vukosa outhustles Juiseppe Cusamano in Rhode Island.

The Stop and start 18 year pro career of Boston heavyweight Steve Vukosa 11-1 (4 KO’s) reignited last night as he gave away 11 years to Juiseppe Cusamano 18-3 (16 KO’s) before dropping him and earning a popular unanimous decision over 8 rounds at The Twin River Casino in Lincoln, Rhode Island..
Vukosa, who turned pro in 2001 had been inactive for several spells, including a 12 year layoff before returning to beat Olympian Jason Estrada in 2014.. Following his sole loss to Donovan Dennis in 2015, Steve returned to winning ways earlier this year, before taking on the very popular and capable Cusamano last night..
Vukosa landed the more cleaner punches throughout, maintaining a workrate that isn’t often synonymous with a fighter of his advanced years.. Cusamano suffered a knockdown after walking into a right hand in the third.. The Danville fighter opted a cautious approach following the knockdown, but started to come forward more as the rounds advanced.. There’s no question that the physically imposing Cusamano is possibly the more physically stronger of the two, but couldn’t find the power to subdue the more experienced Vukosa, even as the older fighter began to fade.. With many of the middle rounds close, it was very possible that the scoring could be objective as a tense partisan crowd waited nervously for the scorecards to be announced.. The scores were finally announced as 76-75 (twice) and 77-74, all in favour of Vukosa.

The Event was promoted by Jimmy Burchfield’s Classic Entertainment and Sports

Clash on the Dunes heads to Saudi Arabia, Dec 7th.

The long awaited verification of a date and venue for the Anthony Joshua v Andy Ruiz jr rematch has been announced at the dissatisfaction of many boxing insiders.. Word had it that Anthony Joshua had a clause written into the contract of the ill fated first bout, stipulating that in the event of a rematch, that Joshua himself would be allowed the luxury of the final say in where the fight would be held.. Amidst rumours that the bout may end up over in the Uk, possibly in Cardiff, the newly crowned champion Ruiz insinuated that in the shadow of the Dillian Whyte saga, he wouldn’t be willing to come to Britain with the risk of an uneven playing field.. Legally, Joshua’s people would have been within their rights to enforce the event coming to these shores, but in the interest of making the fight happen with amicable and fast negotiations, the decision to take the bout to neutral ground makes sense to a degree.. So.. On Monday in London, Eddie Hearn will hold a presser with Omar Khalil of Skill Challenge Entertainment (The official event partner in Saudi Arabia) to formally announce that Andy Ruiz Jr. vs Anthony Joshua 2, will take place on December 7 in Diriyah, Saudi Ababia.. Saudi isn’t a destination that is synonymous with boxing, that paired with the travelling aspect for loyal fans of both interested parties makes for an uneasy promotion.. The word has it though, that the figures discussed were off the charts... More on the undercard etc. to publish in the coming weeks.

Josh Warrington defends for the 3rd time against Sofiane Takoucht in Leeds.

IBF featherweight champion Josh Warrington 29-0 (6 KOs) will defend his title for the 3rd time against Sofiane Takoucht 35-3-1 (13 KOs) on October 12th on home territory at Leeds’ First Direct Arena.. Josh is no stranger to this venue, having appeared 9 times throughout his career, most recently in a tough defence against Kid Galahad in June..
French national Takoucht is a former European champion and is ranked fourth in the current IBF rankings.
Promoter Frank Warren made it very clear that Josh’s primary intentions were to secure the unification fight with Oscar Valdez, but considering that Valdez is relinquishing the WBO title, the bout appeared less attractive as then next alternative, a unification bout with WBA champion Leo Santa Cruz, who doesn’t appear to be enthusiastic about taking the fight.. Looking at the IBF ratings, Takoucht is the best caliber opponent available for the October date, an experienced southpaw who back in 2009 held an unbeaten record of 16-0.. Sofiane has an 8 fight winning streak going back as far as 2014..

Devin Haney meets Zaur Abdullaev, September 13.. MSG.

Promising Lightweight Devin Haney 22-0 (14 KOs) faces fellow undefeated Zaur Abdullaev 11-0 (7 KOs) in a WBC final elimination bout on September 13 at Madison Square Garden’s, Hulu Theater in New York City.. The bout is a feature that will be broadcast live on DAZN in the United States and on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom.. Haney and Abdullaev are ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively in the World Boxing Council rankings.. Remember, Devin is just turned 20 and has been a professional for over 4 years already.. 25 year old Abdullaev has only been a pro for just over 2 years, but is coming off wins over Hank Lundy and Humberto Martinez, despite never having boxed outside of Russia before..

WBA and IBF super bantamweight titleholder Daniel Roman 27-2-1 (10 KOs) meets his WBA mandatory challenger Murodjon Akhmadaliev 6-0 (5 KOs) in the co-main event on the show..

In a special attraction women’s title fight, multi-weight world champion Amanda Serrano 36-1-1 (27 KOs) meets the WBO female featherweight champion Heather Hardy 22-0 (4 KOs) in what promises to be a scintillating battle..

Another important bout in the grand schemes of the underlying heavyweight picture, former world cruiserweight title challenger, now heavyweight Michael Hunter 17-1 (12 KOs) challenges tough Sergey Kuzmin 15-0 (11 KOs) for the WBA Intercontinental title... Michael, son of 80s heavyweight character Mike The Bounty Hunter, has been on a Giant killing mission since jumping to heavyweight, with his 4 previous knockout victims accumulatively outweighing him by 165 pounds.. The very capable Kuzmin made a meal out of the Joey Dawejko fight last March, but has previously beaten the likes of Konstantin Airich, Malcolm Tann, David Price and Amir Mansour.. Victory for Hunter would be a huge step towards a shot at a world championship come 2020..

Carl Frampton forced out of Saturday’s ring return following bizarre non boxing related injury..

Unfortunate news has been released that a freak accident at his hotel has thwarted Carl Frampton’s long awaited return to the ring on Saturday in Philadelphia.. Apparently a large ornamental pillar dropped onto the Belfast fighters hand, breaking two bones and forcing him to pull out of his ring return against Emmanuel Dominguez on just 4 days notice..
Frampton’s fight with Mexican Dominguez, 26-8-2 (18 Ko’s) would have been Carl’s first appearance since his upset championship loss to Josh Warrington 7 months ago.. The 32 year old Frampton 26-2 (15 Ko’s) held titles at both Super Bantamweight and featherweight and had reportedly been looking superb in his preparations for this coming weekends fight.. Ironically Carl found himself of the opposite end of a bizarre last minute fight cancellation back in 2017 when scheduled opponent Andres Gutierrez slipped in the shower only days ahead of their bout forcing a cancellation..
Frampton v Dominguez was scheduled to take place at The Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, hosted by his new promoters Top Rank..

Jean Claude Bouttier passes in France aged 74.

Former French and European Middleweight Champion and double world title challenger Jean Claude Bouttier, has passed away aged 74... Bouttier was a quality fighter in a remarkable era who twice challenged for the Middleweight championship unsuccessfully against the great Carlos Monzon, in times when there was literally one recognised title holder in each division, Monzon recognised Jean Claude as possibly the toughest challenger that he had faced.. Bouttier held victories over Emile Griffith, Tom Bethea and Bunny Sterling and retired from the sport with a record of 64-7-1 (43 Ko’s) Jean was held in the highest esteem in his native France almost as a national treasure, well after his years inside the ring.. Years into his retirement Jean got work as an actor and worked as a consultant and popular colour commentator for French Tv network Canal+ for close to 30 years.. Jean Claude struggled with Smoking related health issues for several years and passed following a short illness.. RIP..

Julius Indongo returns with impressive win in Alabama.

Former 140-pound title holder Julius Indongo 23-2 (12 Ko’s) returned to winning ways on Saturday with an impressive two round stoppage victory over Carltavius Johnson 4-2 (0 Ko’s) at The Bobby Miller Center in Tuscaloosa Alabama.. Indongo, coming off losses to Terrence Crawford and Regis Prograis appeared rusty in the early going having spent the best part of 18 months inactive.. Johnson took full advantage, opening up early with some decent punches, possibly the worse thing he could have done.. The onslaught seemed to wake Julius up who emerged a whole different fighter in the 2nd.. Indongo stunned Johnson with a stiff hook, dropping him with a crisp follow up flurry.. Carltavius (often known as Tay Jones) rose on shaky legs and was stopped at 1:12 of the session..

In a support bout, Colourful, undefeated Cuban heavyweight Robert Alfonso moved to 19-0-1 with 9 Knockouts with a third round stoppage of Steve Lyons.

The Card was put together by Brandon Owens and Jay Deas in association with Skyy Promotions.

Daniel Dynamite Dubois, returns on September 27th, challenges for the vacant Commonwealth title.

Undefeated, newly crowned British heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois 12-0 (11 KOs) aims to add the vacant Commonwealth title to his CV on September 27th at The historic Royal Albert Hall in Kensington.. Dubois will face Ghana’s Ebenezer Tetteh 19-0 (16 KOs) for the vacant title that was previously held by Olympian Joe Joyce. Dubois is coming off his most prominent victory to date, a 5th round knockout of the undefeated Nathan Gorman in July at the O2.. Dubois has already picked up 6 separate titles in his short 13 fight career..

Newly appointed WBO female flyweight champion Nicola Adams 5-0 (3 KOs) will appear on the September 27th Card, possibly in a unification match against the winner of the August 16 bout between Argentina’s IBF title holder Leonela Yudica and Mexico’s Isabel Millan..

Michael Conlan impresses in Belfast.

Top 5 world ranked featherweight Michael Conlan 12-0 (7 KOs) scored a 9th round Stoppage of Diego Alberto Ruiz 21-3 (10 KOs) on Saturday night in front of a packed crowd at Falls Park as part of Belfast’s ‘Féile an Phobail’ summertime festival.
Conlan dictated the tempo of the whole fight, dropping Ruiz in round 9 with a body shot before referee Michael Alexander called it off after Ruiz took a flurry of equally hurtful shots downstairs.. Time of the stoppage was 1:34.
A jubilant Conlan proclaimed that he was ready for a world title opportunity, following the impressive showing, vowing to have a recognised title around his waste within 12 months an opinion shared by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum..

Jean Pascal outfoxes Marcus Browne to score upset victory in Brooklyn.

Former world champion and considerable underdog Jean Pascal 34-6-1 (20 KOs) dethroned previously undefeated WBA interim light heavyweight champion Marcus Browne 23-1 (16 KOs) with an 8th round technical decision on Saturday night at The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
Pascal who was the WBC world champion back in 2009 and 2010, had Browne on the canvas in the 4th and twice more in the 7th.. Browne sustained a terrible cut over his left eye by an accidental headbutt in round eight which sent the bout prematurely to the scorecards where all three judges scored the Haitian, Canadian the winner by 75-74..
Many people wrote Pascal off going into this, mainly based on the fact that he really hadn’t won a high profile fight of note since his win over Lucien Bute back in 2014..
Browne looked exceptional winning the title from Badou Jack back in January, but appeared flat tonight allowing a 36 year old Jean to fight at his own pace..

Kownacki outhustles Arreola in an exceptional battle in Brooklyn.

Undefeated Brooklyn based Polish heavyweight contender Adam Kownacki 20-0 (15 KOs) won an exceptionally entertaining twelve round slugfest against former world title challenger Chris Arreola 38-6-1 (33 KOs) on Saturday night at The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
Both Kownacki and Arreola let it all hang out from the opening bell, trading vicious shots throughout the majority of the bout. Arreola injured his left hand during the middle rounds but continued almost single handed for the remainder of the match. Kownacki is relentless and moved forward throwing punches with a breathtaking work rate.. Arreola came in shape but more impressively showed great defensive skills to evade most of Kownacki’s heavy shots much differently that his usual brawling self.. Kownacki was a convincing winner by scores of 118-110, 117-111, 117-111.

One ringside observer, WBC champion Deontay Wilder stated that if Adam continues to win in the fashion that he is accustomed to, it would be only a matter of time before he’d be willing to grant the fan friendly Pole a shot at his title..

In Undercard bouts..
Junior middleweight Wale Omotoso 28-4 (22 KOs) scored a third round TKO over former middleweight title challenger Curtis Stevens 30-7 (22 KOs). Omotoso dropped Stevens in all three rounds forcing the bout was waved off at 1:28 of the third.. This bout was Curtis’ first fight at junior middleweight and in all honesty should be the last of a highly decorated career..

Heavyweight Brian Howard 15-3 (12 KOs) got rid of 2008 Puerto Rican Olympian Carlos Negron 20-3 (16 KOs) just outside of a minute into the opener...

Welterweight Brian Jones 15-10 (9 KOs) stopped previously undefeated Julian Sosa 13-1-1 (5 KOs) in the 5th..

Keeler and Jenkins victorious in Belfast.

In a clash of highly ranked middleweights, WBO #6 Luke Keeler 17-2-1 (5 KOs) scored a well earned ten round unanimous decision over WBC #8 Luis Arias 18-2-1 (9 KOs) at The Marquee at Falls Park, Belfast.. Arias was deducted a point for hitting on the break in round eight. Keeler had Arias on the floor briefly in the 9th..Scores 96-91 across the board..

In an entertaining affair for the British and commonwealth Welterweight straps, Chris Jenkins 21-3-2 (8 Ko’s) and Paddy Gallagher 16-5 (10 Ko’s) battled for 9 rounds before the bout was halted prematurely due to cuts suffered by Jenkins..
Both fighters started enthusiastically, opening up early, Gallagher losing his composure occasionally, allowing Jenkins to capitalise.. Gallagher closed the distance in the 3rd, making his presence felt, however Chris’s versatility saw him run the round close.. Once again Gallagher forced Jenkins backwards with consistent pressure although the occasional wild miss saw Jenkins land sneaky counters.. Gallagher making the mistake of following Jenkins too much allowed the Welshman the luxury of boxing at his own pace, midway through the round Jenkins picked up a nasty cut over his right eye, an injury that spurred on the local man..
The 6th saw Gallagher turn things around, steadily breaking the bleeding Jenkins down with constant pressure.. Jenkins was hurt by a left to the body at the end of the round, forcing him to the canvas..
With the fight relatively level by the 8th, Jenkins picked up a second cut, to match the original cut that appeared to be worsening.. The Corner worked feverishly to repair the dreadful new cut over the left eye between rounds and although Jenkins was allowed out to resume boxing, the injury did look look horrendous.. Midway into the 9th Referee Howard Foster halted the action to inspect the cut, immediately making the decision to stop the contest, sending the outcome to the scorecards, where Chris Jenkins was awarded a unanimous decision victory..
Scores were 86-85

Anthony Fowler, Ritson, Davies jr, Bakole, all successful in Liverpool.

Rising Middleweight Anthony Fowler 10-1 (8 Ko’s) returned from his first defeat with a convincing points win over Former world title challenger Brian Rose 31-6-1 (8 Ko’s) on Friday night at the Echo Exhibition Centre in Liverpool. Fowler won by scores of 98-92, 98-92 and 97-93.

Liverpool Welterweight Robbie Davies Jr 19-1 (13 Ko’s) outclassed tough Michal Dufek 25-22-2 (18 Ko’s) before halting the Czech in the third round. The former European super lightweight champion looked every inch a class above the brave visitor, the referee halting the bout when a high volume of punches overwhelmed Dufek..

Former undefeated British lightweight champion Lewis Ritson 19-1 (12 Ko’s) stopped a respectable Marek Jedrzejewski 14-3 (13 Ko’s) in three to retain his WBA Continental crown. Ritson dropped the late substitute opponent with a body shot, before denying the tough Pole the opportunity to recover, the referee’s intervening after a follow up barrage..

Scottish based Congolese Heavyweight Martin Bakole 13-1 (10 Ko’s) became the first man to stop the durable Ytalo Perea 11-5-2 (7 Ko’s), when he dazed the Ecuadorean in the opener, before forcing the referee to halt proceedings as Perea appeared unable to protect himself..

Louisiana’s Mr Boxing, Beau Williford passes.

This past Wednesday saw a sad day, as the highly respected and accomplished former trainer, Manager Beau Williford died at his home in Lafayette Louisiana after a battle with lung cancer aged 69.. Beau was a decent heavyweight with a record of 4-4 (3 Ko’s) back in the 1970s.. Beau served as sparring partner for many noted fighters including as short spell with with Muhammad Ali.. Williford faced only one notable opponent in his 4th outing in 1976 when he lost via Tko to former world title challenger Ron Stander in Oklahoma.. Beau began to train fighters in 1977, establishing the Ragin’ Cajun Boxing club in Lafayette and directing Jason Papillion and Deirdre Gogarty to world championship fights.. Beau also had a hand in steering the early career of former IBF cruiserweight champion Glenn McCrory and Managed Heavyweight James Tillis all the way to the heavyweight championship.. Those closest to Beau would remember his colourful descriptive self styled quotes, affectionately referring to himself as The Boss with the Hot Sauce, The man with The Plan and the Hard Working Handsome Beau.. RIP Mr Williford..

Kownacki v Arreola weigh in results from Brooklyn.

Adam Kownacki 266 v Chris Arreola 244
Marcus Browne 173 v Jean Pascal 174
(WBA light heavyweight title)
Curtis Stevens 153 v Wale Omotoso 153
Keeshawn Williams 146 v Mario Pérez 145
Carlos Negrón 242 v Brian Howard 207
Julian Sosa 144 v Brian Jones 144
Marsellos Wilder 202 v Nicoy Clarke 200
Helen Joseph 121 v Edina Kiss 122
Kestna Davis 153 v Jaime Meza 153
Cobia Breedy 126 v Ryan Lee Allen 123
Arnold González 146 v Jeremiah De Los Santos 144

The Event is hosted by The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY
Promoted by TGB Promotions
Broadcast by FOX Tv.

Saunders and Warren split after 11 years..

After a successful 11 year run, WBO super-middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders has mutually agreed to part ways with career long promoter Frank Warren.. Warren steered Billy’s career, and landed him his original shot at the Middleweight title back in 2015.. Saunders and his management team at MTK Global agreed that with certain fights not immediately available within the Warren / Saunders partnership, that it was within the best interests of both sides to advance separately.. Saunders and Warren were both in complete agreement, and the split is on amicable terms.. Saunders has had an offer from Eddie Hearn regarding future opportunities but the fighter and his team have not committed to anything at this stage..