Weigh in results from Los Angeles.

Ahead of tomorrow’s epic heavyweight title clash, WBC champion Deontay Wilder gave away a staggering 44 pounds to linear Champion Tyson Fury at the weigh in at Los Angeles convention centre.. Wilder scaled 212.5 pounds, the lowest weight of his title reign, while Fury weighed 256.5, a huge 140 pounds down from his heaviest..

Full results.

Deontay Wilder 212.5 vs. Tyson Fury 256.5
(WBC heavyweight title)

Jarrett Hurd 152.6 vs. Jason Welborn 152.5
(WBA, IBF super welterweight titles)

Luis Ortiz 241 vs. Travis Kauffman 229

Joe Joyce 262 vs. Joe Hanks 247.5

Venue: Staples Center, Los Angeles
Promoter: TGB Promotions, DiBella Entertainment
TV: Showtime PPV

David Defiagbon.. 1970-2018.. RIP

As a gangling 20 year old light middleweight, David Dejiro Defiagbon took his first step into the competitive headlights of championship boxing when representing his native Nigeria, he grabbed a gold at the 1990 commonwealth games in New Zealand. Two years later would appear in at the Olympic Games in Barcelona, unfortunately being eliminated in the early stages.. David was raised in relative poverty in the Delta state city of Sapele, and sought boxing as his escape to a better life.. Canadian National coach Taylor Gordon Met Defiagbon on a trip to Lagos, the young Nigerian begged that Gordon help him leave his oppressed country and move to Canada with the influential trainer. David threw himself onto his knees and grabbed Gordon’s feet with tears running down his face, begging for the life saving opportunity.. Gordon vowed to help Defiagbon, and later sent the plane fare to allow the fighter to begin his new life as a Canadian.. As David was about to board the flight, military police intervened and moved Defiagbon to a military jail, beating and torturing him whilst holding the young fighter for weeks.. Eventually David was released and took the long trip to Halifax Nova Scotia to begin his new life.. With very few belongings and no money to his name, David worked tirelessly to earn himself a place on the national team, being granted National status on the day he described as the happiest of his life.. David would appear in 1996 at the Atlanta Olympics as a solid fully developed heavyweight, grabbing a silver medal, beating Nate Jones and Christophe Mendy on the way to meeting Cuba’s Félix Savon in the final.. Later that year David would take another leap of faith, moving to Las Vegas to be part of Thell Torrence’s stable of promising professionals including fellow team mates, Montell Griffin, Duncan Dokiwari and Christophe Mendy, the man he’d beaten in the Olympics.. Turning pro as a Cruiserweight, David soon grew into a solid heavyweight, racking up a string of victories whilst enjoying life in his new adopted home town.. By 2000 Defiagbon was 11-0 and now promoted by Cedric Kushner, appearing on regular Heavyweight Explosion events, getting national tv exposure, beating respected names like Lou Monaco, Ramon Hayes, Harold Sconiers and Augustin Corpus. In 2004 David would pick up a WBA Fedecentro title by beating Ron Guerrero by knockout on a Star boxing show in Bermuda, taking his record to 21-0 with 12 knockouts.. This victory earned Defiagbon his first step up fight against tough New York based Russian Oleg Maskaev.. Defiagbon would suffer a 6th round knockdown in a tough fight losing for the first time by a split decision at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.. A year later aged 35 David would travel to Madenberg Germany to take on undefeated former world Cruiserweight champion Juan Carlos Gomez, the return to the ring following his first loss against such a formidable opponent wasn’t a wise one, Defiagbon suffered his first stoppage defeat in what would be his final ring appearance..
David was a fabulous talent who unfortunately carried too much emotional baggage to adapt to such a high profile successful life, he was kind and generous and lit up a room with his smile.. As an ex fighter David looked to have the idyllic life, Married to a beautiful wife Mandy, with a baby daughter to dote on, working shifts as security in designer stores in luxurious las Vegas resorts, David was respected and loved by all around him, he was a success story.. Unfortunately David’s marriage broke down and work became sporadic, David found himself lost in an adopted city without the purpose that brought him there.. I met David for the first time in 5 years last May, he was wandering around in the 6am sun in south Las Vegas, he looked tired and slightly unkempt. His teeth looked stained and his skin was tough, appearing as though he had been neglecting his health.. I gave David some money and we spoke for a while whilst waiting for the bus along Tropicana.. He told me he was returning to the hospital to pick up a jacket he’d left there the day before, after being admitted following a fall, he’d drank too much, in his own words.. This was an Olympic Silver medalist, I’d asked about his wife and daughter, David shook his head and explained in no uncertain terms why things failed, he blamed himself completely, ‘My dumb ass messed that up..’ I cheered him up with stories about better days, he smiled but appeared intermittently to stare out into space.. I hugged David before he exited the bus, heading to a gas station on Maryland Parkway, I watched him walk away, with a M&Ms plastic bag, old worn out Track pants and flip flops.. I regretted not spending more time with my friend.. On Tuesday I got the dreadful news that David had passed away, aged just 48.. He’d admitted himself to hospital with chest pains and later passed due to heart complications.. This story should have been much different, but unfortunately David crammed a lifetimes worth of struggle and adversity into those 48 years, he’d found the comfort of a successful life but sadly died with very little material worth to show for his achievements.. I won’t ever forget David Defiagbon, I just wish I could have done more..

Jarrell Miller gets stoppage over Dinu in Kansas.

In an interesting bout between undefeated heavyweights, highly ranked Jarrell Miller (23-0-1, 20 KOs) took on the relatively unknown Romanian, Bogdan Dinu (18-1, 14 KOs) on Saturday night at the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas. 78 pounds of added bulk only appeared to hinder the New Yorkers performance through the first three rounds as the unheralded Dinu outboxed his much larger opponent with intelligent clusters of punches in short bursts.. Unfortunately the visitor was unable to maintain his success into the fourth as Miller finally found the mark, dropping Dinu twice with single shots, getting the stoppage at 2:45 of the round.. Although unsuccessful regarding the victory, Dinu did expose Millers inability to box at a decent pace against a mobile opponent.. Jarrell continues to close in on a title shot of sorts, but really needs quality work before locking horns with one of the current champions.

WBA and IBF female middleweight world champion Claressa Shields (7-0, 2 KOs) added the vacant WBC title to her collection with a dominant ten round unanimous decision over Hannah Rankin (5-3, 1 KO). Scores were 100-90 unanimously.

2016 Olympian Nico Hernandez (6-0, 4 KOs) outpointed Josue Morales (8-8-3, 0 KOs) in an entertaining eight rounder at Flyweight. Scores were 80-72, 80-72, 79-73.

Former world champion Brandon Rios (35-4-1, 26 KOs) scored a ninth round TKO over Ramon Alvarez (27-7-3, 16 KOs) in a light middleweight ten rounder. The lively action was finally stopped at :38 of the round, with Alvarez taking far too many headshots from the classy Rios.

The colourful Gabriel Rosado (24-11-1, 14 KOs) and Luis Arias (18-1-1, 9 KOs) fought to an eventful twelve round draw at middleweight, Scores were 116-112 Rosado, 116-112 Arias, 114-114.

Las Vegas Jeremy Nichols (9-1—1, 3 KOs) demolished Jeremiah Page (3-6, 2 KOs) in the opener of a middleweight 8 rounder.. Page down four times. Time 2:34.

Evenings Boxing Promoted by Matchroom Boxing, Greg Cohen in association with Salita promotions..   Broadcast by DAZN.

Usyk v Bellew undercard action.

On Saturdays Manchester undercard, a WBA lightweight eliminator saw number 4 ranked Anthony Crolla (34-6-3, 13 KOs) outpoint number 2 ranked Daud Yordan (38-4, 26 KOs) in a convincing yet laborious twelve rounder in the chief support.. Scores were 116-112 unanimously.

Former three-division world champion Ricky Burns (43-7-1, 16 KOs) rolled back the years to knock out tough Scott Cardle (23–3-1, 7 KOs) in the third round of a lightweight matchup.. A single right hand dropped Cardle heavily at 2:06, the Lytham man beat the count but was in poor shape and was saved from himself.

Heavyweight David Allen (16-4-2, 13 KOs) bit off more than he could chew with rugged Ariel Esteban Bracamonte (8-2, 5 KOs) The soft bodied Argentinian started fast and had Allen in all sorts of trouble for the first 5 rounds.. Allen in poor condition struggled to dig into his reserves to subdue the tough South American, until a savage right hand in round 6 opened a cut on the bridge of Bracamontes nose.. The sight of blood appeared to spur the teak tough Doncaster heavyweight to life, rallying to hurt the visitor repeatedly before the corner pulled Bracamonte out at the conclusion of round 7.. Allen was disgusted with his performance and lack of condition after the bout, saying that if he wasn’t such a hard bastard, he’d have easily lost the bout, to whom he described as one of the toughest men he’s ever faced..

Usyk retains his unified titles with 8th round knockout of brave Bellew.

Colourful Unified cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (16-0, 12 KOs) boxed patiently for 7 tense rounds before knocking out former WBC champion Tony Bellew (30-3-1, 20 KOs) on Saturday night at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. The bout unfolded as a chess match for the first six sessions with neither man committing. Usyk moved through the gears in the seventh, before rolling the dice in round 8, knocking out Bellew with a clinical left hook over the jab.. Time was 2:00. Bellew was surprisingly ahead on two of the three scorecards at the conclusion of round 7.

The magnanimous Bellew expressed his appreciation of Usyk, calling him the most complete and talented fighter that he’d ever shared the ring with before emotionally announcing his retirement from the sport.. Oleksandr gave very little away in the post fight presser, but has previously expressed his interest in moving to heavyweight in the near future..

Hunter scores last round stoppage over Bakole in London.

At the legendary York Hall in Bethnal Green, London on Saturday, undefeated heavyweight prospect Martin Bakole 11-0 (8) took a calculated risk by taking on previously undefeated world Cruiserweight title challenger Michael Hunter 15-1 (10) in an international contest for the IBO intercontinental title.. Hunter a Las Vegas based Californian is the son of former fighter Mike The Bounty Hunter, but was giving away height and around 40 pounds in weight to Bakole, a Scottish based native of the Congo, but came into the contest with a considerable amount of experience at a higher level than that of his larger opponent.. In the early rounds Bakole attempted to intimidate Hunter with a walk forward stalking approach, but soon found the illusive American a much more spirited handful than first anticipated.. By round 4 Hunter had gained a healthy lead with aggressive counter punches, that initially didn’t appear to be visibly bothering Bakole.. The massive Bakole began to find some success in the fifth as the busy Hunter began to show signs of fatigue, at this point Martin used his added weight and size to manoeuvre the tiring Hunter onto his deliberate but hurtful shots.. Round 7 saw Bakole absorb a lot more punches than he needed too from Hunter, and although the much smaller man, Hunters shots did appear to stop Bakole in his tracks. Midway into the round Hunter, cut on the eyelid but handily ahead on points started to take unnecessary risks, trading leather and walking onto shots from the massive African, ending the round looking the worse for wear for the first time in the bout.. Hunter returned to boxing in the eighth and once again began to pepper Bakole with accurate jabs, setting up fast eye catching right hands, at the conclusion of the round an exhausted, Bakole winced as he returned to his corner, obviously in pain from what looked like a shoulder injury.. Between rounds Martin looked on the verge of quitting before experienced trainer Billy Nelson convinced him to continue by just working with the left hand.. Round 9 was awkward to watch as the unbeaten Bakole struggled to keep Hunter, now fully aware of the situation at bay, the demoralised fighter seemed lost as the smaller Hunter poked and prodded spearing punches through his one handed defence, Nelson unfortunately allowed his completely handicapped fighter to enter the tenth and final round horribly at a disadvantage. Hunter a streak ahead on the cards appeared to be on his way to a unanimous points win, but with a minute left in the round opened up with a rally of hooks and straight right hands that for the first time staggered Bakole into the ropes, a further barrage, followed by a straight right hand to the head and a left hook, forced referee Phil Edwards to jump in and stop the action at 2.19 of the final stanza.. The jubilant Hunter had pulled off what the bookmakers had considered an upset, as the beaten Bakole had been making noises amongst a who’s who of British heavyweights in sparring sessions, convincing many to favour him over the American. Hunter who many had only considered a mere Cruiserweight, had previously boxed in two Olympics as a heavyweight, and was the top USA Super heavyweight several years prior.. A tough pill to swallow for Bakole and Nelson as their calculated risk had backfired, but a wonderful jump start into the heavyweights for Hunter as his international profile received a well earned boost.

Saunders denied Massachusetts licence, WBO strip him of championship.

Tonight the Massachusetts state boxing commission took the step of denying WBO Middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders a licence to defend his belt against number one mandatory challenger Demetrius Andrade on the 20th October, due to his recent positive test for the banned stimulant Oxilofrene. In accordance to the ruling, the WBO have enforced that Saunders be stripped of his crown, leaving Andrade 25-0 (16 Ko’s) to face last minute replacement challenger Walter Kautondokwa 17-0 (16 Ko’s) at the TD Garden Arena in Boston on Saturday week.. Billy Joe won the WBO title in December of 2015, beating Andy Lee by Majority decision in Manchester.. Saunders 26-0 (12 Ko’s) made three successful defences, against Artur Akavov, Willie Monroe jr and David Lemieux all unanimous points..
Upon hearing the ruling via speakerphone, Saunders told the Commission to “Suck his prick.” This is the second time in a month that the outspoken fighter has faced disciplinary action.. Only weeks ago, Saunders was fined in the region of £100.000 by the BBB of C, for a disturbing video that was released showing Saunders and a companion, make lewd propositions to a desperate drug dependent female, resulting in the woman striking a passing male at the command of the fighter for the promise of a fix.. Its time that this obviously talented young man took control of his life and returned to what he does best, a fighters window of opportunity is narrow, I wish Billy Joe well..

What became of Rufus Hurricane Hadley?

In the late 1970s, Former Marine, Rufus Hadley was a budding amateur heavyweight carving a reputation onto the Detroit boxing scene.. In 1979 by the tender age of 18 Hadley found himself representing his country in the Pan American Games, miraculously reaching the semi finals where would face the legendary Teofilo Stevenson. Although the fearsome Cuban knocked out the youngster in a single round, an appearance on this kind of platform was a moral Victory for Rufus.. The tall handsome 220 pounder turned pro in 1983, and within 3 years would rack up an unbeaten run of 10 fights including notable victories over Rick Keller and Donnie Long.. The 4th round knockout of Long came only months after the tough Ohio man had fallen in front of future champ Mike Tyson.. By the time Tyson had captured a portion of the title in the November of 1986, Hadley had just scored another knockout of one of the champions former victims, Sammy Scaff.. a month later Rufus Hadley was on the champions payroll.. As a sparring partner Hadley proved invaluable, not only to Mike, but for the whole camp morale.. Rufus was an eccentric character, a hysterical comedian who often featured on the Las Vegas standup circuit along with a penchant for hairdressing, serving as an unlikely camp barber.. I remember Hadley mostly from being around the Las Vegas gyms in the late 80s, he’d been part of team Tyson for at least 4 title defences and appeared a more successful spar-hand than his professional fighter in his own right.. By 1989 Hadley had wrapped up his own career following losses to promising fighters Orlin Norris and Michael Williams, with a closing record of 10-4-1 (8 Ko’s). Rufus still hung in familiar surroundings with guys like James Broad and Jesse Ferguson, was always impeccably dressed and made great first impressions wherever he went, I remember standing next to him in Johnny Toccos gym, eager to get a glimpse of Michael Dokes who was getting ready for the Holyfield fight, very often he’d let out a random shreak whenever a clean shot found its mark, a trait he often carried into his own sparring, a rarer more unique character you’d struggle to find..
I lost touch with Rufus in 1991, but kept occasional contact with guys from camp like Tyrone Armstrong and James Broad, but based on past appearances, I often pictured Hadley sitting somewhere smoking a cigar with a huge smile on his face surrounded by a gang of young offspring..

Two and a half decades later as I thumbed through some old photographs, I thought for a moment about Rufus Hadley, acting on my reminiscent nature I googled his name to see if any recent photos emerged from possible social media activity.. unfortunately something else emerged which I hadn’t prepared myself for, a recent unfiltered photo of a grinning black man, with shrunken ageing features next to a caption, 55 year old Rufus Hadley, Missing since 2015.. The Detroit press release detailed how the former talented fighter, was now 80% legally registered blind and was now diagnosed as Bi-polar. In November 2015 Hadley was admitted to hospital by family members following a fall at home, but in bizarre circumstances had literally walked straight out of the building and literally disappeared.. The last report was of a 6 foot 4 Male weighing 200 pounds, wearing a black and gold Phat Farm jacket and black cargo pants was missing, last seen in the Detroit area.. I have yet to discover what became of Rufus, he’d be 58 by now, and I’m still in the process of researching police reports to uncover the conclusion to the story.. Very rarely is the story of former professional sparring partners an optimistic one, but the stark reality of the decline of this once handsome athletes health paired with the uncertainty of his future is shocking.. I’m praying for a happy ending to this episode..

Matt Cameron ruins script for debutant Nkosi Solomon.

In a disastrous pro debut, former USA boxing’s number 1 ranked super-heavyweight Nkosi Solomon, dropped a unanimous 4 round decision to local Cruiserweight Matt Cameron 3-1-1 (1 Ko).. The New York based Guyana native suffered knockdowns in round 3 and 4, before suffering 2 point deductions for holding in the final session.. Big things were expected from the 6 foot 3 amateur standout, the loss stands as a stark reminder that you can’t take anything for granted.. Cameron came to fight and boxed impressively..
Scores were 39-33 across the board.

Roman stops brave McDonnell in 10.

In the first of the feature attractions at the Wintrust in Chicago last night, WBA super bantamweight champion Daniel Roman (26-2-1, 10 KOs) boxed exceptionally to retain his belt with a tenth round KO over the spirited Gavin McDonnell (20-2-2, 5 KOs) handing the Englishman only his second pro defeat.. Roman dictated the majority of the bout, stunning McDonnell in round ten, before dropping the challenger, forcing the stoppage.. A tough pill to swallow for Gavin having previously failed to lift the vacant WBC version in his only previous defeat to Rey Vargas last February.. A jubilant Roman called out every champion by name following the bout, stating that his sole intention is unifying the division..

Beterbiev overcomes scare to retain IBF title in 4.

Unbeaten IBF light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev (13-0, 13 KOs) held onto his title after a scare, with a fourth round KO over previously unbeaten yet lightly regarded challenger Callum Johnson (17-1, 12 KOs) last night at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Beterbiev caught Johnson between the ropes at the end of the first, scoring a strange looking knockdown. In haste to finish the job at the beginning of the second, Artur walked onto a huge left hook from the challenger which handed the champion his first trip to the canvas. Johnson fought aggressively throughout the remainder of the second through the third, again drawing confidence from his early success.. Bloodied and tired, the Brit gamely stood his ground into round 4, until a short right hand to the temple dropped Johnson to save Beterbiev’s unblemished knockout streak..

The champion paid a great tribute to his brave challenger after the bout, summing up the fight as “I hit him, he hit me, then I hit him again.. he was a great fighter..” explaining his first trip to the canvas as “That’s boxing, another thing experienced, but I get the win.. “

Disappointment for Callum Johnson, and even though he was nothing to lose, he came mighty close to scoring upset of the year in that second round, showing that there is a whole lot more to come in this young mans career..

Jesse Vargas and Thomas Dulorme box a 12 round draw..

Las Vegas’ former two division champion Jessie Vargas (28-2-2, 10 KOs) and Puerto Rico’s Thomas Dulorme (24-3-1, 16 KOs) fought a competitive twelve round draw on last nights Chicago card.. The highly entertaining bout saw Dulorme on the floor in round ten, followed by Vargas taking a trip to the canvas in round twelve. The draw appeared a fair outcome, leaving the Vacant WBC Silver Welterweight title still up for grabs.. scores were 113-113, 113-113 and 115-111 for Vargas.

Jarrell Miller stops Tomasz Adameck in 2.

Colourful undefeated Brooklyn Heavyweight, Jarrell Miller 22-0-1 (19 Ko’s) scored an impressive second round knockout over former two weight world champion Tomasz Adameck 53-6 (31 Ko’s) at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago last night, thrusting his career that bit closer to a championship shot.. The notably bigger 317 pound Miller showed deceptively fast hands in breaking down the tough Pole, first staggering Adameck with a sneaky right uppercut midway into the round before closing the action with the same shot moments later.. At a glance Miller looks anything but an athlete, but in recent showings has displayed impressive attributes that contradict his body type.. The likeable Belize born New Yorker continues to threaten the top tier of the division, but by self admission knows that he needs a victory over a name opponent if he’s to jump the queue to the title.. Adameck, outweighed by nearly 90 pounds found the imposing Miller far too much to fend off, it appeared that the overwhelming physical presence more than actual punch power won the day..

Dubois dominates Johnson to remain unbeaten in Leicester.

Undefeated British heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois (8-0, 8 KOs) was extended for the first time in his brief career by wily veteran Kevin Johnson (32-11-1, 16 KOs) on Saturday night at the Leicester Arena in England.  The 22 year old Dubois started extremely fast, pressing the durable American from the opening bell.. In the middle rounds Dubois settled into a more manageable rhythm and went on to win nearly all of the ten rounds (100-91) The 39-year-old Johnson had a vast experience having boxed Vitali Klitschko, Tyson Fury, Dereck Chisora and Anthony Joshua but was coming off two straight losses..  Incidentally Kevin last won in October of 2017 by stopping Francesco Pianetta who recently extended Tyson Fury over 10 in his latest comeback fight..  Dubois looked comfortable doing the ten round distance, but did on occasion appear to lack variation in his repertoire..  

On the Cheif support in Leicester, Unbeaten WBO #2 rated super lightweight Jack Catterall (23-0, 12 KOs) won a twelve round unanimous decision over Ohara Davies   (18-2, 14 KOs) in a domestic grudge match.. The bout was a disappointing long range affair with both men picking shots carefully amidst a clash of styles..  Scores were 118-110, 115-113, 15-113. Catterall retained the WBO Intercontinental title and moves on now towards a possible world title shot..  Davies suffers his second pro defeat and is forced to go back to the drawing board..

Don King and Bermaine Stiverne start legal proceedings against Ryabinsky and Povetkin.

Veteran promoter Don King and former heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne are taking legal action against former Olympic gold medalist and WBA champion Alexander Povetkin regarding their scheduled bout from back in December of 2016.. Stiverne was due to meet Povetkin in Yekaterinburg, Russia in a WBC final eliminator, when on the day of the fight news broke that Povetkin had failed a drug test for the stimulant Ostarine, cancelling the fight.. Don King Productions and Stiverne will now attempt to settle the unresolved issue in court as they have filed a suit for $2 million in the Court of Arbitration for Sport against Alexander Povetkin and the World of Boxing.
Don King Productions and the World of Boxing had an agreement that the winner of the 2016 bout would stand in line to face Deontay Wilder.. Both fighters were to have received purses of $1,424,250 and the winner grabbing an additional $316,500. The test failure was the second by Povetkin in a seven-month period.
Stiverne did eventually face Wilder in a rematch, but still holds hopes of continuing his career..
“Povetkin and Ryabinsky can’t play by the rules of the WBC and VADA,” barked King, “they denied Bermane the opportunity of a lifetime to become heavyweight champion. All of the hard work leading up to the fight and then waking up the morning of the fight in Russia and being told that there wouldn’t be a fight is devastating.”
Incidentally, Povetkin still boxed in December of 2016 against an alternative opponent, Johann Duhaupas..

Sad news.. Graciano Rocchigiani dies in Italy.

Several days ago we were made aware of the terrible news that former two weight world champion Graciano Rocchigiani has died following a dreadful auto accident whilst vacationing in Catania, Sicily.. It’s unclear whether Graciano was a passenger in the vehicle of was struck whilst walking.. Rocchigiani held titles at both Super-Middleweight and light heavyweight. In 2003 Rocchigiani sued the WBC for misrepresentation as their champion and received an out of court settlement in the region of $30 Million. Graciano was brother of fellow world champion Ralph and continued in the sport as both a trainer and ringside commentator.. Graciano’s ring record was 41-6-1 (19 Ko’s) he was 53 years old.

Figueroa, Joyce and Ajagba all victorious in Ontario Ca.

Due to the unfortunate arrest of former champion Victor Ortiz and the last minute cancellation of his bout with John Molina jr, Main event status at the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario Ca belonged to Undefeated super bantamweight Brandon Figueroa (17-0, 12 KOs) who scored an impressive Knockout victory over Oscar Escandon (25-5, 17 KOs) on Sunday evening.. Figueroa controlled the majority of the bout and appeared to be on his way to a popular points win, when a clinical uppercut dropped Escandon for the count.. Time was 1:42 of round 10. Incidentally Brandon is the brother of former world champion Omar Figueroa.

In the Co-feature, Unbeaten Olympic super heavyweight silver medalist Joe Joyce (6-0, 6 KOs) boxed competently, scoring a fifth round TKO over the very game Iago Kiladze (26-4, 18 KOs). Joyce displayed great accuracy and versatility, dropping Kiladze in rounds two and three. Joe finally dropped Kiladze for the final time towards the end of the fifth round, Iago picked himself up off the canvas but appeared in no condition to continue.. Joe is a huge athlete with very good power, and in time will be a real danger to a lot of credible heavyweights.. The only negative I could take from this outing, was his willingness to stand and take unnecessary shots from Kiladze once he had the fighter hurt, otherwise the victory was a clinical performance.. Time was :41 of the fifth.

In an interesting clash of unbeaten heavyweights, Nigeria’s Efe Ajagba (7-0, 6 KOs) scored a first round KO over Nick Jones (7-1, 5 KOs). The first meaningful right hand that Ajagba set up dropped Jones heavily, the Oklahoma man robotically rose from the knockdown but the fight was waved off at 2:25. Efe is coming off a controversial victory over Curtis Harper, when the Florida man left the ring at the sounding of the opening bell.. Ajagba is in good hands with Ronnie Shields and is showing the makings of a promising heavyweight..

Former double IBF super middleweight champion James DeGale (25-2-1, 15 KOs) returned to action tonight for the first time since vacating his title, scoring a third round stoppage over former WBC lightweight title challenger Fidel Monterrosa (39-19-1, 31 KOs)

19 year old Devin Haney remains unbeaten in Temecula Ca, Haney Promotions debut.

Sensational lightweight prospect Devin Haney 20-0 (13 Ko’s) took two huge steps on Friday night at Pechanga Resort in Temecula California.. Firstly headlining in a ten rounder against former world title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos 33-3-2 (21 Ko’s) by far his most experienced opponent to date, and secondly headlining on his own show debuting as a promoter. Devin Haney Promotions not only shedding light on himself, but a growing stable of young fighters boxing under his tutelage.. Haney didn’t disappoint, boxing a very mature professional display to outclass the very capable Burgos over the ten round distance by scores of.. 97-93, 100-90, 100-90. Haney looks every inch in the mould of a young Floyd Mayweather, but is already steps ahead of his predecessor with already 20 bouts under his belt, still yet to turn 20 years of age.. Devin became the youngest ever fighter to appear at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas back in 2016 when he beat Rafael Vasquez on the Pacquiao v Bradley undercard, and now appears to have become the youngest ever listed boxing promoter... Haney and co, are promising some big things in 2019, with a real possiblity of a world title fight materialising.

Smith beats Groves to claim WBSS trophy.

Liverpool super middleweight Callum Smith (25-0, 18 KOs) scored a hugely impressive knockout of George Groves (28-4-2, 20 KOs) on Friday night to claim the WBA super middleweight title and WBSS crown at the King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Smith hurt Groves badly with a left hook in round 7, before finishing the job with a body shot and ruthless barrage, dropping the demoralised Groves to the canvas for the full count.. The undefeated Smith becomes the first winner of the prestigious World Boxing Super Series Muhammad Ali trophy.

In the co-main event, WBSS semi-finalist Chris Eubank, Jr. (27-2, 21 KOs) scored an early knockdown before forcing tough J.J. McDonough (16-5, 8 KOs) to quit after the third round of a one sided bout.. JJ couldn’t continue after suffering a shoulder injury.. In the post fight interview, Eubank had no sympathy for his beaten opponent, claiming that he quit when the going got tough.. Insulted by the comments, McDonough became animated and threatened to take the fight further outside the ring, strange for a man who only moments earlier claimed he couldn’t box on with a debilitating injury..

Joshua overcomes shaky start to stop Povetkin.

WBA/IBF/WBO world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua 22-0, (21 KOs) overcame a shaky start to regain composure and score a spectacular seventh round KO over former champion Alexander Povetkin (34-2, 24 KOs) on Saturday night at Wembley stadium. Povetkin started fast, landing quick combinations early, startling Joshua.. landing a left hook that rocked the champion right at the end of the session.. By the second Joshua looked to have some nose damage. Povetkin rocked a defensive Joshua again in the second forcing the champion to hold out and concede the round.. Joshua appeared to maintain his composure as the bout progressed, whilst the 39 year old Povetkin began to labour. Anthony found his first solid breakthrough in the seventh, stunning Povetkin with a left hook, before dropped him heavily with a straight right. Povetkin showed his grit by struggling to his feet with every intention of firing back into battle, but Joshua denied him the opportunity, jumping on him with a brutal flurry that sent him over again to be rescued by referee Steve Grey..
Time 1:59.

Price staying relevant in the division by facing unbeaten Kuzmin.

On Saturday night on the Joshua v Povetkin card at Wembley, former British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion David Price 22-5 (18 Ko’s) returns straight off the back of his knockout loss to Alexander Povetkin, to roll the dice once again, when he faces 6 foot 4 Russian powerhouse Sergey Kuzmin 12-0 (9 Ko’s). Many onlookers would be quick to criticise the decision to jump straight back into the fire against an unbeaten puncher, knowing the Liverpool mans track record, having been knocked out or stopped in every one of his 5 defeats, but David recently warned people not to be too quick to judge.. Price explained that he had truly only been knocked out twice, and had really very little mileage on the clock, in regards to those who appear to fear for his health in the sport.. “I’m fresh as a daisy and I know that to remain relevant in the sport, I need to jump at these kind of opportunities.” David knows the risks involved in facing Kuzmin, having initially prepared to face lightly regarded Sean Turner in Ireland, but is confident that the small alterations that he has had to make in preparation will have him 100 percent ready to spring the upset.. “Everyone is quick to tell me when I should retire, but it’s only because the public like to see fighters like me retire, only to satisfy their curiosity to see what they do after boxing, and why? Because the public are nosey cunts..” Kuzmin has made all of the right noises so far in his career, his last 3 opponents records tally an impressive 62-7-2, so he’s not looking for the easy route, and in many regards, the pressure is really on him come Saturday.. David is always dangerous, he showed in losing bouts with Thompson and Hammer how heavy handed he is by dropping the opposition early before falling apart later, even against Povetkin, David gave the former champion his first real scare since his only defeat, by handing him a standing count just before the end of round 3.. If Price can hold it together without over thinking the task, he could very easily hand Kuzmin his first loss, but on past form, it’s tough to see this leopard suddenly change his spots overnight.. Kuzmin picked up both Gold and Silver in the 2010 and 2013 European Amateur Championships, even scoring an impressive one round stoppage over Olympic silver medalist Joe Joyce, albeit an extremely green Joyce at those 2013 games.. Price is a huge man with plenty of courage, but since 2013, he has tallied 7 wins and 5 losses, without a single ranked opponent in amongst those victories, in fact the last time he beat an opponent of note was possibly 6 years ago when he beat Audley Harrison and Matt Skelton in British title defences.. If anyone deserves some luck it’s David, but the bookmakers see him a 5/3 underdog on Saturday night, and the bookies rarely get it wrong..

Erislandy Lara, eager to seek Canelo revenge.

35 year old former WBA Super Welterweight Champion Erislandy Lara 25-3-2 (14 Ko’s) voiced his opinions concerning Saturdays unification fight between a Gennady Golovkin and Saul Alvarez, with huge enthusiasm to step up and box the winner, whom he lost to in a controversial split decision back in 2014.. Lara went on to beat Ishe Smith in his very next bout to pick up the WBA super title, then make 5 successful defences before his gallant split loss last year to the now champion Jarrett Hurd.. Lara says he will face either man and isn’t afraid to make the jump to 160, but is very excited at the prospect at having revenge over Alvarez, a man that he feels he has already beaten.. Lara’s first loss was a Majority decision defeat back in 2011 to former welterweight champion Paul Williams, but since then has only came up second by split verdicts, something that a man of Lara’s character finds hard to deal with.. The Cuban was a huge favourite to take Olympic gold in 2008, but decided a year prior to defect, whilst boxing in the pan Am Games, unfortunately his first attempt was scuppered by Brazilian authorities and he was forced to return to Cuba, banned from resuming his chosen sport.. However Lara mounted a second defection effort, this time travelling by speedboat to Mexico, before travelling to Hamburg Germany to join fellow Cuban National Olandier Solis as part of the Arena Boxing Stable.. These days Lara is based in Houston Texas and is trained by Ronnie Shields..

Alvarez edges Golovkin in long awaited rematch..

Almost exactly a year to the day since their first meeting Saul Alvarez 50-1-2 (34 Ko’s) and Gennady Golovkin 38-0-1 (34 Ko’s) met once again on Saturday night in Las Vegas in the long awaited rematch of their controversial epic split draw.. The bout that was initially scheduled for Cinco de Mayo weekend, didn’t disappoint, both guys bringing their A game with all but one of the 160 pound marbles on the table..
Once again the fight proved hugely contentious with divided opinions, after Alvarez was awarded the decision by the slimmest of Majority verdicts...
scores were 114-114, 115-113, 115-113.. Golovkin must feel hard done to with this his first defeat after appearing to many to have won the first meeting..

On the Undercard former champion David Lemieux 40-4 (34 Ko’s) Montreal Canada, demolished the colourful Irish Spike ‘O Sullivan 28-2 (20 Ko’s) in the opener with a huge hook.. Lemieux, a former Golovkin victim looks highly likely to be in the near future of Canelo Alvarez having previously faced both Golovkin and Saunders.. But I’ve no doubt a Golovkin v Alvarez third fight could take precedence..

Tank Davis arrested in D.C.

Reigning WBA super featherweight champion Gervonta Davis was arrested in Washington D.C. yesterday morning after a reported street altercation… The incident is alleged to have began at The Rosebar Lounge, where sources say Davis had spent more than $10,000.. An independent source reported that there was a dispute over a bill that quickly escalated, Davis and an unnamed male took the argument out into the street. According to the police report the two men got physical, starting to exchange punches.. Bystanders reported that the altercation turned violent with both men exchanging blows..  Several bystanders tried to break up the fight, when both men fled the area.. Police later detained both assailants, who were arrested for disorderly conduct.. Davis was arrested to a nearby station where he underwent the processing formalities..
In the released video footage, Davis is seen in handcuffs being walked towards a squad car.
Gervonta is one of the most talented young fighters around today, but appears to be taking advice from the wrong type of associates.. Davis made an appearance at last weeks fight card at the Barclays centre in Brooklyn, looking a few pounds north of his recommended fighting weight, later documented making a scene with fellow young champions Errol Spence and Robert Easter, in one clip punching a cellphone out of a fans hand whilst fooling around after the bouts.. Tank has come a long way from an underprivileged delinquent youth to become champion.. Let’s hope this kind of behaviour doesn’t become a frequent occurrence.. Davis is currently part of Mayweather promotions Money team, but of late appears unhappy with his current circumstances ..

Kownacki outhustles Martin in Brooklyn.

In a fabulous fan friendly bout, Brooklyn based Adam Kownacki beat former IBF champion Charles Martin by unanimous decision at the Barclays Centre tonight..  The undefeated Pole started fast and out-hustled the shockingly sedate Martin over the first 3 sessions, Adam literally walking through the flicking Southpaw Martin jab, frustrating the Las Vegas based heavyweight with a deceptively high workrate..  Just when it appeared that the Kownacki pressure was getting to Charles, he found his groove, boxing more assertively, landing a series of straight lefts behind the jab, extinguishing much of Adams relentless tempo..  By round 6 both guys were scoring successfully with clusters of shots, Martin now opting to stand on the inside to crowd Kownacki's leverage..  Adam did shake Martin up briefly but proceeded to walk onto a heavy leather in the process..  Kownacki did slow considerably by the ninth and allowed Martin to make up ground, hurting the Pole with single shots whilst ponderously walking in..   The 10th and final round was a showstopper, midway into the session Kownacki found himself in serious trouble, on the receiving end of a snappy combination that visibly shook the portly fighter badly, Martin seized the opportunity, with a repertoire of clean unanswered head shots looking moments away from turning the fight around..  With a minute left in the round Kownacki sprung to life with a volley of stiff head shots to stun Martin in return, causing the former champion to cling for life on the ropes. Both men continued to exchange leather until the final bell in a round that was worth its weight in gold..   Although competitive, the bout always appeared to be bossed by the busier Kownacki, but an honourable mention has to go to Charles Martin, for immense courage, responding with the fortitude that we once doubted of him..   Scores were 96/94 across the board unanimously..

Kownacki and Martin meet in Brooklyn Saturday.

In a very interesting feature bout on tomorrow’s Garcia v Porter card in Brooklyn, Undefeated Heavyweight Adam Kownacki 17-0 (14 Ko’s) takes on former IBF champion Charles Martin 25-1-1 (23 Ko’s) in a fight which could propel the winner towards some lucrative opportunities.. Charles looked to have the world at his feet back in 2015, he was ranked by all governing bodies and was maintaining a knockout reputation whilst heading towards a title shot. This particular Charles Martin would have breezed past an Adam Kownacki quite routinely. In the following 6 months, Martin picked up and lost the IBF title, then ran completely off the radar, lying largely inactive for 18 months along with negetively erratic behaviour, resulting in the acquisition of a souvenir gunshot wound. This has left us with an puzzling version of the Missouri heavyweight, with very little recent activity to judge, making this bout closer to a pick em bout due to the current standing of the man in the opposing corner.. Adam Kownacki has knocked out or stopped 14 of his 17 victims, those statistics are merely numbers, until you analyse recent performances, which include a 4 round knockout of former WBC title challenger Artur Szpilka last year and clinical wins over half decent company like 19-1 Joshua Tufte and most recently 26-1 Lago Kiladze in January.. Adam is a Brooklyn based Pole with the deceptive body of a pastry chef, but the potential to upset a lot of quality fighters with his no frills style and evident power. Martin is the naturally bigger man, the more athletic man with the obvious favoured credentials as a former champ, but what statistics don’t allow for is mental state and inactivity, the solitary loss to Anthony Joshua exposed Charles’ heart or lack of it in a tough situation, and if any fragments of doubt remain, Kownacki is the kind of guy who could exploit them.. Kownacki v Martin has great ingredients and high mystique that may add up to a pretty entertaining battle.. The honours are literally up for grabs..

Jennings, Hart and Stevenson successful in NJ.

After an awakening fourth round knockdown, North Philadelphias Bryant Jennings, 24-2, 14 KOs, battled back to stop German based Alexander Dimitrenko, 41-4, 26 KOs, in the ninth round of a competitive main event at the Ocean Resort Casino.
Climbing off the canvas appeared to elevate Jennings into a more disciplined frame of mind that led him to dominate the remaining 5 sessions, completely dictating the action before scoring repeated knockdowns of the demoralised Dimitrenko.. Jennings set up and dropped the huge Russian twice in the eighth, first a delayed reaction to a left hook, then later by a cluster of shots..
Dimitrenko would hang in there until the end of the round, but would succumb to a couple of savage uppercuts moments later in the ninth.. Referee Allen Huggins waved the fight off immediately at 1:56 of the session, with Dimitrenko later appealing that he was coherent enough to continue.. The win grabbed Jennings both the NABO and the IBF-International titles..

In a scheduled 10 rounder at super middleweight, Jesse Hart, 25-1, 21 KOs, dropped Tacoma’s Mike Gavronski twice in the third, scoring a TKO at 52 seconds with a clinical performance.. Hart scored both knockdowns with solid right hands to retain his NABF title.. Gavronski, 24-3-1, 15 KOs, bravely survived both knockdowns but was deemed in no condition to continue by referee Eric Dali at the time of the stoppage..

Completing the local triple, 2016 Olympian Shakur Stevenson, Newark, NJ, elevated his pro tally to 8-0, 4 KOs, with a predictable one-sided unanimous 8-round points decision over Mexican Carlos Ruiz, 16-5-2, 6 KOs. All three scores were 80-72.

Fury brushes past Pianeta, sets up potential Wilder fight.

Under the watchful eye of reigning WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury 27-0 (16 Ko’s) returned to the ring for his first meaningful bout since his 2 and a half year hiatus to take on potential banana skin, Francesco Pianeta 35-5-1 (21 Ko’s) at Windsor Park in Belfast tonight.. If his ring return last month was pure comedy, tonight’s approach was all business, with Fury dominating every round to earn an impressive and lopsided decision victory. Pianeta showed little substance once Fury began finding his range, looking decidedly weary as the rounds escalated.. Fury displayed tremendous mobility, along with extreme versatility against an opponent whom had twice challenged for a world championship.. It was the perfect showcase for a serious challenge, and it appears the challenge will more than likely come in the shape of Wilder..

Following the fight Wilder and Fury faced each other and aired their views concerning a possible match, each cordially showing respect for the other. Fury did vocally show the first sign of defiance when he threatened to knock Wilder the F*** out in Las Vegas.. It was pure pantomime as Wilder retaliated with a similar retort.. Both men did explain that with a Joshua fight dead in the water, this meeting was a natural match up and took almost no time for both guys to..  Nothing is signed or set in concrete, but was guaranteed as an almost certainty by promoter Frank Warren, referring to the terms and conditions of the event as mere formalities.. Fury and Wilder reached over and touched hands in a show of mutual respect before leaving the ring..

Jennings, Hart and Stevenson headline this weekend in AC.

This weekend at the Ocean Resort Casino in Atlantic City, Top Rank bring us a triple header featuring some of Philadelphia’s finest.. Bryant Jennings 23-2 takes on Germany’s former world ranked Alex Dimitrenko 41-3 over 12 rounds at heavyweight.. Jennings is coming off a points win over Joey Dawejko, having only lost back in 2015 with back to back defeats at the hands of Luis Ortiz and Wladimir Klitschko.. Dimitrenko is coming off a victory over Miljan Ravcanin on paper, a fight which Dimitrenko originally lost and was then announced as a draw, until the German federation pulled a shady ruling that Ravcanin was deducted points on three separate occasions.. Dimitrenko had previously lost to Kubrat Pulev, Eddie Chambers and Jo Parker.. 

 Also featuring is Jesse Hart, defending his NABF super middleweight title in his third fight back following his WBO title challenge defeat to Gilberto Ramirez.. Hart 24-1 takes on Mike Gavronski 24-2-1.. The Tacoma native last boxed a NC against tough Andrew Hernandez last November in a bout he’d originally appeared to win via 8th round Tko..

Also as a feature attraction Newark’s 7-0 former amateur standout Shakur Stevenson takes a step closer to title contention as he takes on 16-4-2 Carlos Ruiz in a featherweight 8 rounder.. The 21 year old Stevenson was the Bantamweight silver medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics and is highly touted as a future champion..

The evenings boxing will be televised by USA ESPN and is a Top Rank promotion.. Matchmakers, Brad Goodman and J Russell Peltz..

Tyson Fury weighs in with surprise guest appearance.

A routine weigh in for Frank Warrens Belfast show featuring Carl Frampton and Tyson Fury, turned into a media frenzy when proceedings were interrupted by an uninvited appearance from WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder.. Moments after Fury’s weigh in, the colourful Wilder reached out to shake the hand of John Fury before screaming ‘Bombzquad’ at the former heavyweight journeyman.. Fury Sr responded by telling Wilder to ‘shut up’ before Deontay shouted “Make sure you win your fight baby, cause I’m coming,” followed by “Its all over..”. Infuriating John Fury, who had to be restrained by security.. Wilder found the incident rather entertaining and continued to snap photos with fans.. Later Fury and Wilder, separated by hoards of fans exchanged jibes all in the taste of hyping a future title fight..
Fury has to take care of Francesco Pianeta this weekend regardless, if any of the future plans are to remain in place..
Both heavyweights weighed in with Tyson Fury tipping the scales at 254.5lbs, whilst Francesco Pianeta weighed slightly heavier at 258lbs.

Rest of the card weigh in results,
Carl Frampton 126 vs. Luke Jackson 124.25
(WBO interim featherweight title)

Cristofer Rosales 111.1 vs. Paddy Barnes 112
(WBC flyweight title)

The event is staged at Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Promoted by Frank Warren and televised by BT Sport in the Uk and Showtime in the US..

BJ Flores v Trevor Bryan elevated to WBA interim title status in alphabet pantomime.

The Vacant WBA interim heavyweight championship will now be on the table for the winner of Saturday nights bout between unbeaten Trevor Bryan (19-0, 13 KOs) and tough veteran B.J. Flores (34-3-1, 21 KOs) at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix, AZ. The interim title status was approved only yesterday with the pending WBA regular championship bout between Manuel Charr and Fres Oquendo is currently in legal limbo according to Bryan’s promoter Don King. The fight is however still scheduled for September 29, with the concerned parties solving their differences, if any to allow the fight to commence as arranged..
“These two warriors are both very hungry and they both dream of becoming a heavyweight champion,” said promoter Don King. “This should be a classic battle on Saturday night with the title on the line. We’ll decide the title in the ring, while the courts decide on what they will do with Charr and Oquendo.”
It all looks very much like typical Don King stunt to create interest in one of his marquee fighters.. In any case, anyone who regards the interim title as a claimant to any manifestation of a WBA championship has no business in the game.. The interim title is a poor mans version of a regular belt.. which itself is a poor mans version to the major title that remains in the hands of Anthony Joshua.. Bryan v Flores is an interesting fight, but deserves placement in a small hall as a mere curiosity..

Doors for tonight’s fight open at 5 p.m. The Celebrity Theater is located at 440 N. 32nd St. in Phoenix.

Second tier heavyweight title bout, still scheduled despite unrest claims by King.

Despite claims by Don King that the bout between between WBA heavyweight champion Manuel Charr and Fres Oquendo is on shaky ground while both parties litigate, it’s been confirmed by Pat English, a representative of Manuel Charr that the bout will still go ahead as scheduled on September 29th and will take place at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany. Charr is the lightest regarded title holder due to the existence of the WBA super title, currently in the hands of Anthony Joshua.. Claimant to the regular title is in all honesty a mere bargaining tool to step into a more meaningful unification bout with the ‘Real’ players.. Oquendo is the recognised challenger in the eyes of the WBA but has not boxed in over 4 years since his previous challenge for the same belt belonging to Ruslan Chagaev in 2014.. It’s a case of a desperate promoter, clutching at straws to scupper a bout between a transient second class champion and an over ranked inactive challenger who has no business as in a number one position.. Regardless, the bout is allegedly still a go, and Charr is still the recognised regular champ.

Whyte outguns Parker in epic eliminator.

WBC Number 1 ranked heavyweight Dillian Whyte (24-1, 17 KOs) took a large step closer to finalising a title fight on Saturday night by scoring an exciting twelve round unanimous points decision over former World Boxing Organization champion Joseph Parker (24-2, 18 KOs) at the O2 Arena in London.
Parker started the bout purposefully outboxing Whyte with an intelligent, patient approach.. Whyte stood his ground however, steadily figuring Parker out whilst beginning to establish his jab.. In round 2 Parker stumbled to the canvas after an obvious head clash, whilst referee Ian Jon Lewis took up a count as a legitimate knockdown. Parkers momentum following the head clash appeared to be disjointed at a critical time where Whyte began to dictate the pace of the action.. Whyte starting to land more frequently whilst dragging the fight into the gutter.. By round 8 Whyte was controlling the action, landing the jab on command and nullifying almost everything the tentative Parker threw in return.. The real telling statement came in the ninth when Whyte dropped Parker legitimately with a big left hook for the first time in his whole career..
The fight looked in the bag for the determined Londoner going into the final stretch, with both men struggling with the elevated pace with the punch output dropping considerably.. The desperate former champion being urged to rally by his animated corner.. The final round brought high drama, whilst leading comfortably, Whyte ran into a huge Parker right hand, visibly distressed and fatigued the Brixton man intelligently took a knee and bought himself precious time.. Whyte arose calmly and managed to stifle and smother the Kiwis final onslaught to the final bell..

Scores were 113-112, 115-110, 114-111.

Parker attempted to dominate Whyte with clean cut boxing ability, whilst the starving hungry Whyte approached the bout with a win at all costs attitude, untidy at times and dirty on occasion, but in a fight of this magnitude and with so much at stake, no one in attendance could blame Dillian for his tactics..

Whyte now stands in the top 3 rankings in every governing body, a huge opportunity has to materialise soon..

Chisora scores 8th round knockout over Takam in sensational fight.

In a wonderful heavyweight scrap for the vacant World Boxing Association International heavyweight title, former world title challengers Dereck Chisora (29-8, 21 KOs) and Carlos Takam (35-5-1, 27 KOs) dug in and provided a sold out O2 arena in London with a sensational, unforgettable battle, which ended spectacularly when Chisora scored a surprise eighth round KO. The fight was boxed at close quarters for the most part with Takam pressing the majority of the action.. Chisora took the initiative to bring the fight into the centre of the ring in round 8, where he rolled the dice, dropping Takam twice with huge right hands.. Time was 1:01.

It has to be noted that Dereck hasn’t beaten a world ranked fighter in almost 10 years and very few fighters have been able to put the very capable Takam away in this manner.. This has to rank as one of Chisora’s career highlights and could very easily propel him back into a huge significant fight..

David Allen scores dramatic knockout over unbeaten Nick Webb.

In a fight which literally materialised on a few days notice, Undefeated Nick Webb took on the experienced David Allen at the O2 tonight in a bout which had huge significance on both men’s careers.. Webb had previously been linked to names like Gorman and Joyce, but was testing his level for the first time against a man who’d mixed in a much higher pedigree. Both fighters started cautiously, looking for openings, with Webb being the much more adventurous, letting his hands go more frequently.. The pattern stayed constant through the second round with Webb letting clean power shots go, and Allen showing his trade mark durability.. The third session saw Webb slow a little and absorb a few sneaky right hands from the Doncaster fighter but still stealing the round with steady workrate.. Round four unfolded sensationally, when a reluctant Webb backed into the ropes to avoid a thumping left hook to the body and was knocked onto his back by a savage looping right hand from out of nowhere.. Webb tried valiantly to get to his feet but stumbled onto the matt for a second time, before staggering once more and falling backwards to be counted out in a fight that he was comfortably winning.. It was a redemption victory for David who had hinted at retirement prior to the fight.. An emotional Allen received one of his highest paydays to date and appeared overwhelmed by his victory, only weeks ago suffering a knockout loss to Olympic champion Tony Yoka in France.. The win over Webb must thrust him into a possible bout with Nathan Gorman or Daniel Dubois.. Webb must return to the drawing board..

Oleksandr Usyk stands alone as undisputed world Cruiserweight champion.

In the spectacular conclusion to the WBSS Cruiserweight tournament, number one seeded Oleksandr Usyk (15-0, 11 Ko’s) dominated in a flawless 12 round display to earn a unanimous decision over Previously unbeaten Murat Gassiev (26-0, 19 Ko’s) to be crowned the first undisputed Cruiserweight king since Evander Holyfield back in 1987.. A packed to the rafters Olimpiysky Sports plaza in Moscow, Russia saw Usyk claim the coveted Muhammad Ali trophy with a masterclass of rapid jabbing, turning, counterpunching and illusiveness, that proved too much for the accomplished Gassiev.. Usyk’s ridiculous work rate appeared to overwhelm Murat, winning with scores of 120-108 and 119-109 twice.. After the lengthy awards ceremony following the bout, Usyk showed an interest in possibly meeting Tony Bellew in the near future, opening the door for what appears an interesting little matchup.. “If he wants it here (at Cruiserweight) fine, if he wants it at heavyweight, I’m prepared to move up..” before making the passing quip, “I’ll take extra spaghetti at dinner to move up for him.”

Jonathan Palata, heavyweight newcomer on a fast track.

A new face on the healthy uk professional heavyweight scene is Jonathan Palata, an explosive counter puncher who boxed out of the Balham amateur boxing club in London before turning pro last May.. Jon won the Haringey box cup tournament, along with both the novice and London ABA titles before reaching the senior quarter finals in his first year.. Palata looked destined to move along the international scene towards an Olympic spot in 2020, but decided to take his aggressive yet illusive style to the paid ranks under the guidance of Steve Goodwin Promotions.. valuable sparring with David Haye along with a great relationship with new trainer Don Charles prepared him perfectly for his first dip into the pro game last May, where he scored a second round knockout of Aleksey Spazov ..  Jonathan already has a second outing scheduled for September 22nd on the huge Goodwin promotions card at the York Hall, along with preliminary dates for several other future options.. Palata who started out as a 201 pounder in what would be considered a Cruiserweight class in the pros, but soon grew and adapted into a comfortable super heavyweight, now boxing as a full blooded professional heavyweight.. Palata is well conditioned and well grounded with obvious faith in his own ability.. The plan looks to be keeping Jon busy and rack up as many fights as is possible within the next 12 months before making a move towards the current rising crew of Dubois, Joyce, Gorman etc.. Palata makes all the right noises and insiders value his chances of becoming a dominant future force highly..

Rocky Fielding scores huge upset in Germany to arrest WBA 168lb title from Tyron Zeuge.

In quite a significant upset, Liverpool’s Rocky Fielding (27-1, 15 KOs) scored a fifth round stoppage victory over WBA super middleweight champion Tyron Zeuge (22-1-1, 12 KOs) to grasp the championship tonight at the Baden-Arena in Offenburg, Germany. Fielding looked too respectful of the German title holder in the early rounds, but soon found his size and strength were causing Zeuge to slow down dramatically.. From round 3 onwards Fielding meticulously outgunned Zeuge, hurting him in round four and finally finishing him off with a devastating body shot in the fifth score the upset.. Zeuge was possibly the weakest and most inexperienced of the current champions, but the victory places Fielding in prime position to compete with the huge names once the WBSS has expired..

Tyson Fury promises serious approach to Belfast return against Pianeta.

Tyson Fury has promised to keep the approach strictly professional for the second phase of his return to action, when he meets the experienced Francesco Pianeta in Belfast on August 18. Fury took his clowning a little too far throughout both the buildup and fight against overmatched Sefer Seferi at the Manchester Arena in June, kissing the visitor before the action began and lifting his Albanian opponent at the scales.. Tyson knows that for his date with former world title challenger Pianeta, his trainer Ben Davison expects him to have his game face on and not to court the expected sell-out crowd at Windsor Park, which will simultaneously play host to Carl Frampton defending his WBO world interim featherweight title against Luke Jackson on the same evening.
Tyson explained that he’s not exactly the serious type of guy, he’s spontaneous and impulsive, but knows he has to curb his mischievous side come fight night on this occasion..
Frank Warren shares the thoughts of trainer Davison and believes Tyson is more likely to stick to the script because of the more serious nature of the selected opponent for this event..
The 33 year old Pianeta has twice challenged for the championship and was 29-0 before meeting Wladimir Klitschko in 2013..
Other losses have come at the hands of solid operators Kevin Johnson and Ruslan Chagaev, along with a recent defeat at the hands of Petar Milas only a few weeks ago..
Pianeta is tall and rangy southpaw with decent power, and in the middle of his peak years had to take a hiatus from the sport to defeat his toughest foe, testicular cancer.. Its the best opponent we could ask for at this particular time for Fury, and every credit to Francesco for taking the fight..

Green light for George Groves to appear in delayed Super series final.

The ongoing saga regarding the Muhammad Ali Trophy Super-Middleweight Final between George Groves and Callum Smith has finally been put to bed, and will go ahead later this summer with the currently injured Groves being granted his well earned place.
Contrary to some very premature hearsay on social media about the Hammersmith fighter being replaced by Chris Eubank Jr, Comosa AG and Kallie Sauerland officially announced that the World Boxing Super Series will be delaying until late August or early September thus allowing Groves adequate time to recover and rightfully take part in the grand conclusion of the groundbreaking  tourney.
The WBA Super Champion (28-3, 20KOs) suffered a dislocation of his shoulder in the final round of his victory over Chris Eubank Jr in February. There had been an original deadline imposed by  Comosa AG to complete the competition by late July, but after many inside discussions and reception to public demand it has been decided that a postponement was the popular  arrangement..
On the opposite side of the table to Groves, the final now signals WBC Diamond Champion, Callum Smith's (24-0 17 Ko’s) first shot at a world championship, having Patiently sat in mandatory positions numerous times over the last couple of years.. it’s a fabulous night for both men and for British boxing with two of its own fighters in different career positions battling for such a prestigious award..

Carmona misses weight, Yafai’s title not on the line in Fresno.

On the scales tonight ahead of his WBA Super-flyweight championship challenge for Kal Yafai’s title at the Save Mart Center in Fresno California, David Carmona missed weight by a substantial 3.6 pounds, exceeding the 115lb division limit.. Yafai tipped in at 114, to Carmona’s 118.6.. The bout will go ahead as scheduled, with Yafai’s title not on the table..

The combatants for tomorrow evenings IBF junior Bantamweight co-feature weighed in on point.

Jerwin Ancajas 114.8 vs. Jonas Sultan 114.4

Promoter of the event, Top Rank.

Broner goes public to expose Hearn ‘Slave offer’

Controversial four weight champion, Adrien Broner has recently taken to his Instagram page in an attempt to expose the terms of a $6.5 million, triple fight offer from promoter Eddie Hearn. Broner claimed that Hearn offered him a worse deal than an previous rebuffed offer from Roc Nation, made several years ago.. Broner attached the hashtag #SlaveDeal to his outspoken post followed by five insulting emojis. The problem with the situation is this.. Several years ago Broner looked a future all time great in the making with the increasing potential to emulate Floyd Mayweather as a financially affluent champion.. Unfortunately over the last 5 years, cracks appeared in not only his fighting potential, but his personal behaviour.. Broner flopped in a series of important bouts and has since struggled to regain momentum.. Adrien is currently coming off a loss to Mikey Garcia and a draw with Jessie Vargas, along with a disappointing outing with Adrian Granados and weight failure prior to a title fight with Ashley Theophane.. If Broner actually put his ego aside and looked closer at the offer, he’d realise that in consideration with his current standings, Eddie’s numbers were probably fairly accurate...
Hearn offered Broner 3 guaranteed fights with the following tier purses..

Fight 1.. $2,000,000

Fight 2.. $2,250,000

Fight 3.. $2,500,000

Hearn is looking to attach fighters to Matchroom after reaching a reported one billion dollar streaming deal with DAZN.

Lomachenko overcomes Linares in an epic.

Vasily Lomachenko continued in his quest to stake his claim as the pound for pound governor on Saturday night when he stopped WBA lightweight champion Jorge Linares in the tenth round of a highly entertaining fight at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Lomachenko (11-1, 9 KOs) notched up the win as many predicted, but was forced to go above and beyond in a competitive duel, climbing off the floor from a sixth-round flash knockdown and surviving some gut check moments late in the bout before demoralising the physically imposing Linares.
Jorge (44-4, 27 KO’s), cruising on a 13 fight, 6 year unbeaten run showed immense character throughout the gruelling battle, overcoming huge hurdles and firing back.. Regardless of his competence and class, Linares found himself second best, visibly marked with a broken resolve by the time he was floored by a vicious body shot in the 10th. Although thoroughly defeated Jorge attempted to continue but was saved with 52 seconds remaining in the round.
The scores at the conclusion varied.. 86-84 Lomachenko.. 86-84 Linares, with the final judge scoring the bout even at 85-85.
The scores reflected the back and forth nature of the battle that will go down as possibly the highlight of the years action..
Linares did dictate his own fair share of the early rounds and managed the surprise knockdown, with a straight right hand in the last minute of the sixth, giving Lomachenko the rarest of occasions to climb off the floor. The Ukrainian overcame the glitch and battled back with accurate shots to both head and body, bloodying the champions nose.. Linares persisted to offer resistance into the ninth, connecting with stiff left hooks and fast combinations, keeping Lomachenko occupied.. Lomachenko found the final breakthrough in the tenth, connected with a series of clean uppercuts before dropping Linares with a beautiful left to the body, forcing the stoppage at the 2:08 mark.