Time capsule comparisons.. Proper Heavyweight development..

Every several years a heavyweight comes along that captures the imagination, and it’s interesting to compare the learning curves, timescales of progression and ultimately that moment of truth where they were asked to meet a crisis head on. 

Going back 25 plus years we had the 6 ft 5 adonis, Michael Grant.  Grant turned pro at 22 in 1994 after a very brief run in the amateurs. By 1999 Michael looked like the next big thing, trained by Don Turner, Michael had bagged a deal with HBO network and was 31-0 with 22 knockouts. 

The First time Michael was taken the distance was by 55 fight veteran Danny Wofford in fight  number 9 over 8 rounds, Grant would be forced over the line several times more in the second half of his career so far, more justifiably by capable guys, Jeff Wooden, Ray Anis, Ross Purity and Lou Savarese.  The first prominent name that Grant faced was Mike Dixon in his 14th outing. Mike began to prove himself as a noted puncher, and got rid of some top drawer heavyweights of the period including Corey Sanders, Alfred Cole, Jorge Gonzalez, David Izon, Obed Sullivan and Ahmad Abdin..  in 1994 Michael made 10 ring appearances and in 1996 made 8, quite impressive activity. The first sign of cracks in Michael’s game came in his 31st fight, headlining against the very dangerous Andrew Golota who had twice quit in fights that he appeared to be winning against Riddick Bowe 3 years prior..

Entering the fight Michael was 27 and had never been under any significant pressure..  in round 1 Grant was dropped and forced to climb off the floor twice to avert an imminent crisis. After maintaining some composure Michael steadily pressured Golota and stood his ground in a competitive contest. In round 10 Grant dropped Golota heavily, as the Polish heavyweight climbed to his feet, he turned away from the referee displaying his nature and a frontrunner, handing victory to the surprised Grant. 

What the Golota fight showed us was that Michael had minerals..  but it also exposed some evident flaws especially early in the fight..  

5 months later Michael would challenge for Lennox Lewis's unified titles (2 relevant belts) a fight where he would once again run into hot water early, displaying his lack of fundamentals at the highest level. Michael was dropped 3 times by Lewis in the opener then knocked unconscious in round 2, in an event that appeared far too big for him considering his limited time in the sport. 

Toledo Ohio’s Jared Anderson appeared the 2024 heavyweight in waiting, he turned pro in 2019, aged 19 and by 2024 marked up an impressive run of 17-0 with 14 knockouts. Jared was pushed over the distance on 2 occasions against former IBF champion Charles Martin in his 15th fight and by durable Ryad Merhy in fight 17, the Martin fight being the first real fighter of note that Anderson had faced. In fight number 18 Jared would run into his first crisis, where he was dropped 3 times by the heavy handed Martin Bakole and stopped in round 5. Anderson has since only returned to the ring once to face token opposition. Anderson was averaging between 3 to 4 fights per year until 2024.

The UK’s Moses Itauma appears the current heavyweight of the hour, he turned pro at 18 and at the present time has an impressive record of 13-0 with 11 kos. Despite earning a reputation as a noted world class puncher, Moses was twice forced the 6 round distance as early as his third and fourth fights. Since bout 4, Itauma has got rid of every man he’s faced in double quick fashion, the first notable name being former world title challenger Mariusz Wach who he stopped in 2 rounds in his 10th outing. Since then he dispatched 2 durable once beaten opponents in Dempsey Mckean in 1 and Mike Balogun in 2, before his most significant step up last year when he knocked out the world ranked Dillian Whyte in a single round. As far as activity goes, in his brief 3 and a half years as a pro he boxed 7 times in 2023, 4 times in 2024 and twice last year. Moses is due to take on the durable and tested Jermaine Franklin in a few weeks, in a bout designed to gauge where he is on the large scale. So far Itauma hasn’t encountered anything even close to a crisis situation. 

 

It’s tough between the three comparisons, Jared and Moses moved towards the top of the division in different ways, with Grant boxing far more frequently in comparison to today and against more varied and proven guys. Itauma may prove to be the real thing as his career progresses but it shows that there is indeed a fine line when it comes to the progression and correct development of a young heavyweight prospect, it’s almost a work or art and as we’ve seen in two of these instances, poor timing and bad matchmaking can signal curtains for costly and time consuming exercise. Boxing is a game where the snakes are long and the ladders are extremely short. 

Chief Support and Undercard action from Saturdays Zuffa event in Las Vegas.

In a scheduled 10 round Welterweight chief support, Vlad Panin boxed competently against  Shinard Bunch, steadily building up rounds before forcing referee Allen Huggins to call a halt at 2:30 of the penultimate round to prevent the pointless exercise from reaching the scorecards. Vlad landed an unanswered cluster of shots and was headed to a wide points win. Vlad Panin goes forward to 24-2 (15 KOs) Bunch drops to 22-4-1 (18 KOs).

In a heavyweight 8 rounder, Undefeated Joshua Juarez outscored the equally tough Jardae Anderson in a relatively pedestrian affair. Both fighters routinely letting their hands go for the final 15 seconds of each session. Ringside judges scored the bout 79-73.. 78-74.. 77-75 unanimously for Juarez who continues on his unbeaten run at 15-0 (9 KOs) Anderson drops to his second defeat at 11-2 (9 KOs).

At Featherweight Ethan Ramos and Jaycob Perez engaged in a 6 round bar-burner which saw both men visiting the canvas, Ramos dropped in round 2, then Perez finding himself on the floor a round later.  The closely matched bout was scored at ringside as 57-55 Ramos and 56-56 twice, ruling a majority draw. Perez moves on at 8-0-1 (3 KOs) while Ramos mives to 4-1-1 (1 KO).

At featherweight Emiliano Alvarado dictated Erick Rosado comfortably over 6. Alvarado dropped Rosado in round 2, before controlling the majority of the bout.. Ringside judges scored it unanimously at 59-55. Alvarado moves to 11-0 (6 KOs) whilst Rosado declines to 16-5 (11 KOs).

At Lightweight. Brady Ochoa fought an entertaining and closely matched 6 rounder..   The ringside judges scored the bout 58-56 in favour of Ochoa…. 57-57 twice, ruling a popular majority draw. Serrano remains at 6-0-2 (3 KOs) Ochoa moves to 9-0-1 (2KOs.)

Undefeated heavyweight Teremoana Teremoana takes on Curt Harper on March 21st in Florida.

On 21st March. Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom in association with Boxlab Promotions sees undefeated Australian based knockout artist Teremoana Teremoana 9-0 (9 Ko’s) take on his first notable opponent at the Caribe Royale in Orlando Florida when he takes on the colourful Curtis Harper 19-11 (13 Ko’s) of Jacksonville Florida. Last time out the huge Samoan stopped German Montes in a round last December. Teremoana 28 has boxed 9 times in 5 years as a pro and is looking to develop towards a significant step up fight in the coming months. Harper most known for his viral 2018 financially fuelled walkout prior to his bout with Efe Ajagba has mixed in class, facing names like Cris Arreola, Richard Torrez, Guido Vianello, Bakhodir Jalolov, Zhilei Zhang and Gerald Washington (losing on each occasion) with his last significant victory being a unanimous decision over the previously undefeated Christian Thun in 2022. Harper’s visible condition sometimes belies his ability as his 2015 losing effort to three time world title challenger Cris Arreola proved highly competitive. 

The Chief support bout sees WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adams 24-1-1 (18 Ko’s) take on the challenge of Austin Ammo Williams 20-1 (13 Ko’s) 

Both fighters have faced a common opponent in undefeated Briton Hamza Sheeraz, with Adames being unfortunate to come away with a split draw in 2025, whilst Williams suffered a 11th round Tko in 2024 in what remains his sole loss. 

The show will be broadcast exclusively on DAZN. 

Jai Opetia outguns tough Brandon Glanton in Las Vegas.. Crowned Zuffa World Cruiserweight Champion.

Universally acknowledged World cruiserweight champion Jai Opetia 30-0 (23 KOs) put on a masterclass by outboxing and out-gunning the very durable Brandon Glanton 21-3 (18 KOs) on his way to a lopsided victory at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas on Sunday night. The rugged southpaw entered the fight steely focussed after a distracting fight week that saw him stripped of his IBF belt only days prior to the landmark promotion. Opetia entered the ring solely as Ring Magazine champion and opted to boxed intelligently throughout the early sessions, offering Glanton a moving target whilst pot shotting behind a jab from range. As the fight entered the middle rounds the champion appeared content to meet Glanton at close quarters, enjoying the better of the exchanges, trading in a fashion more suited to the Atlanta fighter. By round 8 Glanton was displaying physical signs of wear and slowed down to a pace much easier to target and was forced to withstand accurate well timed assaults from Opetia. Entering the championship rounds it became apparent that Glanton was purely surviving the frequent and clinical assaults from the champion who by round 12 had all but vaporised every ounce of ambition that the challenger might have had. Opetia spiteful and well timed punching closed the show assertively, within a whisker of forcing a stoppage by the final bell. 

Hyper vigilant referee Allen Huggins harshly took a point from Glanton in round six for holding and again in the eighth for punches that strayed low. Surprisingly a point was deducted in the penultimate round  for holding.  Ringside Judges Eric Cheek, Patricia Morse Jarman and David Sutherland scored the fight unanimously 119-106, crowning Opetaia as the first official Zuffa world champion. 

Jack Blackburn.. a modern day genius.

Jack Blackburn had an extensive career as a fighter but is honored in the Hall of Fame for his achievements as a trainer, most notably of Joe Louis. Charles Blackburn was Born in Versailles, Kentucky in 1883, the son of a minister.  Blackburn would later settle in Indiana where he first began boxing. Jack would soon move to Pennsylvania first to Pittsburgh and then Philadelphia to further his boxing career. Blackburn had a great Jab, quick reflexes and a powerful left hook, and weighed only 135 pounds, but would often fight much larger opposition.  Jack was competitive against greats like Joe Gans and Sam Langford (who considerably outweighed him ), and gave Philadelphia Jack O'Brien no end of trouble before settling for a no-decision in 1908.

In January 1909, Blackburn's career was halted when out of character he would set off on a furious rampage with a gun in Philly following a dispute...  Blackburn would kill three people, one being his wife..   He was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to ten to fifteen years in the penetentiary. Blackburn proved a model prisoner, gave boxing instructions to the warden and his children and was released on good behavior after four and a half years.

Blackburn returned to the ring, boxing both Ed ("Gunboat") Smith and Harry Greb before retiring from prize fighting in 1923 after losing by knockout to Panama Joe Gans and Ray Pelkey. Blackburn's career record was a stellar 38-3-12 with nearly 50 no-decisions, although claimed to have fought 385 times.

Blackburn would then become a trainer and guide Sammy Mandell to the lightweight title in 1926. Blackburn also trained Bud Taylor, who won the bantamweight title in 1927. Blackburn worked closely for a short time with the great Jersey Joe Walcott.

Blackburn then met Joseph Louis Barrow..  at first Jack was apprehensive about Louis, predicting that a black heavyweight would have limited opportunities. Nevertheless, Blackburn worked tirelessly with Louis, schooling him every step of the way in every aspect of fighting, focus on balance and accuracy. According to Eddie Futch, Blackburn changed Louis from a "box and move" type to a more aggressive fighter. Though Blackburn was tough on Louis, the two grew close and called each other "Chappie." Louis later said, "Chappie made a fighter out of me. He was my closest friend."  Blackburn was a huge disciplinarian, one specific time during a public workout, Blackburn would scowl at the onlooking press and direct Joe to continue with what he'd call "The real pain" behind locked doors, in private..

Blackburn later had issues with drink, along with bouts of arthritis during the time he trained Louis. In 1935, he was indicted for perjury and manslaughter in a case that was later dropped. Soon Blackburn's health would catch up with him and in 1942, he died of a heart attack...  One of the modern day greats...

Jai Opetia stripped of IBF cruiserweight title ahead of his Zuffa title bout with Brandon Glanton in Las Vegas.

In a late revelation, Jai Opetaia is set to be stripped of his IBF cruiserweight title the moment he enters the ring to face challenger Brandon Glanton tonight in Las Vegas.

Opetaia is scheduled to fight Glanton for the inaugural Zuffa Boxing World Cruiserweight title and was originally scheduled with the blessing of the IBF, to defend their belt, however the New Jersey based organisation has withdrawn sanction of the optional defence in a late U turn. 

The IBF stated that they had initially approved the bout as Opetaia's team had told them the Zuffa Boxing fight in Las Vegas would not be a unification bout and that any belt awarded would be characterised as a trophy or token of recognition. 

However, following a review of the final news conference on Friday, it became apparent that the Zuffa World Cruiserweight title would be contested for and announced in the same breath as the established IBF championship. The IBF made it clear that they do not recognise Zuffa Boxing and as far as they were concerned it was now an unsanctioned bout.

It has been universally acknowledged that unification by definition is determined between the holders of the time established and proven governing bodies (WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF) 

An unsanctioned contest in this context is a bout which the IBF has not formally approved for sanction or where sanctioning has been formally withdrawn.

The IBF stated “If a champion participates in an unsanctioned contest within his prescribed weight limit, the title will be declared vacant whether the champion wins or loses the bout."

Australias Opetaia will therefor forfeit his IBF belt but will keep possession of the Ring cruiserweight title which he simultaneously holds. 

Zuffa Boxing is fronted by UFC CEO Dana White and hosted its first flagship event in January and has unveiled ambitious plans to transform professional boxing.

White's goal appears to be to end the current monopoly of the four traditional sanctioning bodies - WBO, WBC, IBF and WBA - and elevate Zuffa's belt as the ultimate prize in boxing in allegiance with the Ring Magazine title, championed and owned by Saudi boxing aficionado Turki Alalshikh.

Apart from having signed Opetaia, Zuffa recently scalped the signature of Britains Conor Benn, who controversially left Matchroom Boxing to jump aboard.

Ty Mitchell outclasses Gabriel Rosado in Derby on MF Duel 2 card.

Tonight at the Vaillant Live in Derby, Misfits boxing’s MF Duel 2 show produced some entertaining bouts, headlined by hometown light heavyweight Ty Mitchell’s first step into recognised class against former world title challenger Gabriel Rosado of Philadelphia. Rosado 28-17-1 (16 Ko’s) was entering the bout for the first time at light heavyweight having last boxed a year ago in a lower division beating Vaughn Alexander. Mitchell, a regular on Misfits boxing shows enjoyed every advantage including a significant height and reach edge over the American. Mitchell 5-2 (3 Ko’s) started fast and laid solid foundations by gauging a comfortable distance and establishing the jab against the experienced Rosado. Ty remained patient for the first 3 sessions, mounting up a comfortable and safe lead, shutting Rosado out with clever feints and counters. On paper the class gulf should have been immense, Rosado having mixed with names like Charlo, Golovkin, Mosley jr, Munguia and jacobs and having once owned the NABF title, however timing is everything and the rising on form Mitchell despite having only 7 fights since turning pro 16 years ago appears to have found momentum and jumped up levels within such a short space of time. Rosado did rally in the final 2 sessions of the 6 rounder but found the dimensions of the Derby man too much to deal with at this point in his lengthy career.  All three judges scored it 59-55 With Mitchell taking a unanimous verdict of 5-1 on the cards. Following the bout Mitchell made it clear that he fancied a step up bout with undefeated Midlands rival Ben Whitticker in the near future. 

Undercard results:

Walid Sharks  stopped Argentinian in the 2nd round.

Pearl Gonzalez decisioned Carla Jade unanimously (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)

Jordan Banjo stopped Tempo Arts in 4 in an entertaining heavyweight battle. 

Jade Jones scored a stunning second round knockout over Egypt Criss.

Wil Anderson stopped Jake Cornish in the 3rd.

and Justin Ibarrola scored a 4th round Tko over James Springer.

WBA regular heavyweight champion Murat Gassiev’s team want Usyk’s Super title brought under the microscope ahead of gimmick fight.

Current WBA regular champion Murat Gassiev's camp believe Oleksandr Usyk should be stripped of his WBA super world title if he hasn’t been passed to defend it against Rico Verhoeven.

Usyk has received a negative backlash after announcing his upcoming voluntary defence against largely unknown kick-boxer Rico Verhoeven in Egypt this May in Egypt.

The WBC made confirmation that their version of the heavyweight title will be on the line, but the IBF and WBA belts are not set to be sanctioned for defence. 

Usyk has already been forced to vacate his WBO belt after displaying little interest in facing the then mandatory challenger Fabio Wardley, who was subsequently upgraded to WBO champion. 

Gassiev earned the title with a surprise stoppage of the stagnant previous holder Kubrat Pulev last year and his promoter Al Siesta wants his fighter to receive the same courtesy that Wardley did in similar circumstances, even if the Ukrainian is stripped of the WBA.

Siesta stated that they were awaiting communication from the WBA regarding the status of Usyk as 'Super' champion, in these circumstances. 

The fact remains that Usyk has not made a mandatory defence of his WBA title since August of 2023, when he faced Dubois in Poland, largely due to the champion having larger obligations to the priority of unification fights.

On this occasion Usyk appears to be looking to cash in financially against a kick-boxer, in the same vein that Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury did before him in gimmick matches with Francis Ngannou. All that Gassiev’s people are asking is that such events don’t clog up the traffic in a lively heavyweight division.

If the WBA heavyweight title (Super Version) is not at stake for Usyk against Verhoeven, then it only makes logical sense to strip him of the title or reduce him to the position of Champion in Recess.

A move of this nature would allow Murat Gassiev to be promoted to Super champion. Siesta guarantees that Murat will defend his WBA title with pride against the most deserving opponent available and is not interested in gimmick type fights.

The proven Gassiev who previously boxed Usyk at Cruiserweight has serious designs on the champion's WBA strap, stating, ‘if Usyk wishes to reclaim his title, Murat would be more than happy to oblige him.’

At its 63rd Annual Convention in Bangkok, Thailand, the WBC granted Champion Usyk a voluntary defence.

Subsequently, the WBC received a petition to sanction the Usyk v Herhoeven fight as a voluntary defence, the championship committee came to unanimous approval to back the defence taking into consideration Usyk’s impeccable reputation and activity at world level and is the sole championship belt that draws universal attention to his upcoming fight. 

Mouthwatering heavyweight action added to April 11th Netflix Show in London.

On Saturday April 11th at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium London an expected sellout crown will peer above the Parapet once again to catch a glimpse of the come-backing self proclaimed Gypsy king when he meets big strong Russian import Arslanbek Makhmudov, however a strong support card props up what should be an exceptional night of boxing. As of last week it was announced that Conor Benn, who recently signed a one fight deal with Zuffa boxing would meet former world champion Regis Prograis 30-3 (24 Ko’s) back down at welterweight.  Benn 24-1 (14 Ko’s) who’s most recent ring appearances have been up at Middleweight will be returning to 146 pounds for the first time in 4 years and might find a lively and competitive night from Prograis. 

The rest of the card belongs to the heavyweights, with the return of Jeamie Tkv as he defends his British heavyweight title against the tough Richard Riakporhe 19-1 (15 Ko’s) 

Jeamie (real name) Tshikeva is 9-2 (5 Ko’s) but has shown some mettle in his previous two outings, losing controversially to David Adeleye in his first crack at the vacant British title then returning to the ring last November to defeat  tough Frazer Clarke against the odds 

to earn the covetous prize. Riakporhe a former world ranked cruiserweight is having his third outing up at the heavier weight class and is coming off an impressively destructive victory over young Tommy Welch also in November. 

In another chief support bout at heavyweight, Frazer Clarke 9-2-1 (7 Ko’s) coming off a loss to Jeamie Tshikeva to take on the highly touted and once beaten Justis Huni 12-1 (7 Ko’s) who is coming off an impressive losing effort to newly crowned WBO champion Fabio Wardley last June, when clearly ahead on points was stopped by a single shot howitzer from the Ipswich man. Both guys have great pedigree and have both fell foul to Wardleys power and may prove an interesting and entertaining match. 

I’m sure that in the coming weeks we’ll see more colourful names added to the card which will be broadcast live and exclusively on Netflix on a PPV platform. 

Undefeated Craig Parker patiently closes in on the Cruiserweight championship.

Many fighters through history have run silently under the radar, springing to prominence on that rare occasion that a life changing opportunity presents itself. In his 8 years as a pro, Las Vegas based Cruiserweight Craig Parker has moved silently beneath the divisions waters compiling an impressive 21-0 record with 20 knockouts. Up until his 2025 bout with Dionardo Minor in Tennessee, the 35 year old Parker hadn’t boxed beyond the second round in the entirety of his first 20 fights, obtaining only 23 rounds worth of work in 20 pro starts and a 95% knockout ratio. The 5 ft 10 inch Chicago natives relentless style appears reminiscent to that of a young Joe Frazier, with an intelligently aggressive low to the ground approach, offering perpetual head movement whilst closing the distance on opposition. During his 21 fight career, Craig appears to be technically evolving as a fighter, developing mentally and physically into a well rounded pressure fighter with undeniable power. If you dig a little beneath the surface. You’ll find a mild mannered and polite individual who is God fearing and extremely engaging, a stark contradiction to what becomes evident throughout his 21 appearances within the ropes. Parker owes much of his personal development to Elijah Thomas, an ageless veteran boxing mentor who had once been instrumental in guiding another Chicago powerhouse, Oliver McCall to the heavyweight championship. Elijah was a patient and knowledgeable man who lived by strong principals and great faith, qualities that have rubbed off onto the philosophical Parker. Elijah once insisted that many fighters rushed like a freight train towards the championship, but fell by the wayside equally as fast. At this season of his career, Parker has adopted the approach that by constantly winning and steadily maintaining momentum, over time it will be hard for those controlling the mechanics of the sport to ignore his presence. Elijah Thomas passed in 2024 aged 91 and Parker fully understands that the mission set in place by his teacher must continue in his absence and has since been under the guidance of the experienced veteran trainer of champions Jesse Reid. Parker has based himself primarily in Las Vegas for the last 7 years but on occasion calls Rock Hill, South Carolina his home, attracted by the calmer, more serene surroundings and following a number of hometown appearances had procured a loyal fan base along with that of his native Chicago but understands that for the progression of his career, Las Vegas is a valuable necessity. Craig is steadily gaining some momentum and despite not having the luxury of a Tv network or the backing of a mainstream promoter, doesn’t sit around waiting for opportunities to come looking for him. Craig recently visited the United Kingdom not for the first time, but this time was purely business, where he trained for a number of weeks in various locations and sparred former WBO world Cruiserweight champion Chris Billam Smith almost the moment that he stepped off the plane. Becoming recognised in the Uk could prove profitable, it has a vibrant and healthy Cruiserweight scene and could provide a platform for Parker to establish a base with a broader scope of opportunities available. Craig is a throwback, a student of the sport who studies ring masters of the past like Georgie Benton, Curtis Parker, James Toney and Buddy McGirt. Craig displays stark style similarities to his hero Joe Frazier and admired Evander Holyfield who like Parker was a deeply religious, dedicated fighter with great mental strength. Craig is very aware of the competition that surrounds him, Las Vegas based Robin Safar and current IBF cruiserweight champion J’ai Opetia as literal neighbours. Potential matchups on British soil are a fantastic bonus against guys like Billam Smith, Isaac Chamberlain and Chev Clarke all a realistic possibility, along with current WBC champion Noel Mikaelian who in Craigs own words is very beatable. Craig intends to remain active throughout 2026 and hopes that doors will start to open for him so that he can fulfil his full potential and Elijah Thomas’ prophecy and stand alongside the likes of Alfonso Ratliff and Leroy Murphy as the latest native Chicagoan World Cruiserweight champion. Patience is a virtue and pressure breaks pipes, Craig Parker has both. 

Craig currently trains at Real Boxing on Sahara and Jones in North West Las Vegas and is promotionally unattached.

Craig can also be reached through me via- Stephen_mirage@yahoo.com

Queensbury, Zuffa and Top Rank present 3 interesting additions to the boxing calendar in the coming months;

Queensbury promotions, Zuffa Boxing and Top Rank bring three entertaining boxing shows throughout March and April. 

March 28th Top Rank present a show at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, featuring undefeated US Olympic heavyweight Richard Torrez 14-0 (12 Ko’s) pitching himself into the stiffest test of his career when he meets the once beaten and much avoided Cuban Flash, Frank Sanchez. Sanchez  25-1 (18 Ko’s)  last boxed in February of last year, bouncing back from his sole loss to Kabayel, stopping Ramon Echeverria. Frank’s most notable win was his 2021 victory over the on form Efe Ajagba which earned him the NABO belt.  Torrez most notable win to date was a unanimous win over the tough Guido Vianello last April to earn the NABO that once belonged to Sanchez. The hard punching Torrez last boxed in November with a 1 round blast out of Tomas Salek.

On April 11th at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London Zuffa Boxing has added an interesting bout to the Tyson Fury v Arslan Makhmudov card, featuring the return of once beaten action fighter, Conor Benn 24-1 (14 Ko’s) meeting former world champion and equally exciting southpaw Regis Prograis 30-3 (24 Ko’s). Prograis, a former 2 time super lightweight champion has faced a glossary of notable opposition throughout his 14 year career, including Devin Haney, Jack Catterall, Josh Taylor and Julius Indongo. It’s fair to say that his premium years are in the rear view mirror, however he’s a class operator who always entertains. Regis last boxed in august where he earned a unanimous win over Joseph Diaz. 

Benn appears to riding the crest of a wave, enjoying his new found fame since his two high profile fights with Chris Eubank Jr at Middleweight. However despite these popular performances, the only notable name at his current and more natural weight was a 4th round knockout of Chris Algieri in 2021.  Conor hasn’t boxed at 146 pounds for 4 years and may find Prograis a level above where he has been operating. Benn recently caused a stir by signing a very unique 1 fight 8 figure deal with Zuffa boxing without consulting personally with his current promoter Eddie Hearn who appeared to have salvaged Benn’s career several years prior, following the dark cloud of the banned substance allegations. Youth and energy may win the day in this one, but the questions that may be asked surround Conor’s return to 146 pounds.  

Finally on April 25th at the Adidas arena in Paris France, Queensbury boxing in association with DAZN, present a clash of two former Olympians who have ambitions of gatecrashing the very active heavyweight scene when once beaten former 2 weight world champion Lawrence Okolie 23-1 (17 Ko’s) takes on the enigmatic and erratic 2016 Olympic super heavyweight champion, Tony Yoka of France 15-3-0 (12 Ko’s).

Going into 2022, Yoka appeared to have the world at his feet with an undefeated record of 11-0 with 9 knockouts, however, Tony took a step up in 2022 and suffered a damaging defeat to Martin Bakole, followed by back to back defeats at the hands of Ryad Merhy and Carlos Takam. The tall rangy former Yoka has since sprung back into contention with 4 straight wins albeit against sub par opposition. Yoka has also since based himself primarily in the Uk and harboured aspirations of landing the AJ fight.  Yoka’s most impressive performance on paper was possibly his 2020 stoppage of former World title challenger Johann Duhaupas. Yoka last boxed in November, scoring a 1 round stoppage of Patrick Korte. 

Since moving up to heavyweight, Lawrence Okolie has been begging for the more notable names and Yoka shouldn’t disappoint. This will be Lawrence’s 4th fight up at heavyweight having previously held both the WBC Bridgerweight and WBO cruiserweight championships.  and his sole loss was a 2023 majority decision defeat to Chris Billam Smith, weighing almost 70 pounds less than he does currently. At heavyweight Okolie appears to have found his true calling, he has reinvented himself as a monster, frequently weighing between 260 and 270 pounds. In Okolie’s last appearence, he forced a second round stoppage last December over the usually durable Ebenezer Tetteh in Nigeria.