Allen v Thomas added to Brook v Spence, Sheffield card.

On the 27th of May on the Brook v Spence card at Bramall Lane Sheffield, aspiring heavyweight contenders David Allen and Lenroy Thomas meet for the vacant Commonwealth title..   Both fighters have had ups and downs but neither could be described as anyone's pushover ..

25 year old David Allen is a heavyweight with ambition, 4 and a half years a pro and only 14 bouts he's eager to impress and fearless..   Up until 2016 Allen was 10 fights unbeaten, only a draw to Plamen Nikolov in 2014 blemishing his record, when he found himself in a huge domestic grudge match with Dillian Whyte by way of social media. Allen lost a unanimous decision but covered himself in glory with his durability and bravery against the more experienced Whyte..  5 months later Whyte again showed his character by stepping in to face unbeaten 26-0  Cuban Luis Ortiz in Manchester, lasting 7 rounds before being saved from himself by referee Darren Sarginson..  8 weeks later, in February of this year David returned to action, supercharged on making a statement, scoring a one round Ko over Lukasz Rusiewicz in Hull, then 7 days later demolishing 12-4 David Howe in 2 at the O2..   David is currently 11-2-1 (8 Ko's)

32 year old Lenroy Thomas turned pro 11 years ago, losing his debut to an obscure character named Ruben Rivera, before going on a sensational 16 fight winning streak..  Thomas faced defeat for a second time in 2010, this time being stopped in 4 by Aaron Lyons, a damaging loss that was followed by a 3 year ring absence..  In 2013  the Caribbean native was handed the opportunity to face the unbeaten Dominick Breazeale on the Abner Mares v Jhonny Gonzales card in California, the step up following the inactivity saw Thomas knocked out once again in 4, by his most noted opponent to date..
The return in 2014 saw Thomas score 2 straight wins, over Travis Fulton and Jason Pauley, followed by a bizarre 7 round split verdict over Jason Estrada, in a bout where both fighters were forced to box a 7th tie-breaking round at the conclusion of a 6 round draw, as part of an ESPN tourney.. 2015 would see Thomas lose once more, this time to tough Andrey Fedosov in 3.. Lenroy's most recent outing was a 4th round knockout over Grover Young 10 months ago..
Lenroy is 20-4 (10 Ko's)

Despite his 7 years more experience, Thomas and Allen aren't that far removed from each other, both guys falling short on their two biggest opportunities yet both guys eager to impress regardless of shortfalls..  Thomas, based in Florida spends time sparring in good company with Luis Ortiz, while Allen has been cutting his teeth sparring guys like Dillian Whyte, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua..  Both guys have had a taste of the big stage and understand what it requires to take that next step..  This fight provides that platform for both..  Its a very intriguing fight.

Dillian Whyte faces Mariusz Wach at the O2, June 3rd.

June 3rd at the O2, Dillian Whyte finally gets the chance to shine in his own right as he headlines for the first time, taking a calculated risk against the tough Pole, Mariusz Wach...  Wach took Wladimir Klitschko the distance for four World titles in 2012 and is ranked 7th in the WBC and 14th in the IBF..  The 29 year old Whyte is returning from his epic battle with Derrick Chisora last December where he won a split decision and is planning on making a huge statement on June 3rd, with the intention of making the respective champions take note.. 

“I’m super excited to be headlining at The O2,” said Whyte. “I’ve being working hard to be a standalone headline fighter and to headline against someone of the stature of Mariusz Wach is great."
Wach 33-2 (17 Ko's) who's only other defeat came at the hands of former WBA champion Alex Povetkin, recently beat tough Erkan Teper, and could pose a real threat to Whyte 20-1 (15 Ko's)  who's own sole loss came in his highest profile outing to date against current IBF Champion Anthony Joshua in 2015.  Whyte has consciously selected Wach for the occasion knowing full well, a world title match would most probably thrust him in against a taller rangy opponent , Wach at 6 foot 8 inches passed the audition, but also has the potential to pose a stern test..

The support card underneath Whyte v Wach, is led by British light-heavyweight champion Frank Buglioni defending his title for the first time against Ricky Summers. Buglioni was set to defend his belt against the unbeaten Tipton man in Greenwich in March on the undercard of Tony Bellew’s epic win over David Haye, but injury forced him to postpone. Buglioni puts the belt on the line for the first time since taking it from Hosea Burton via a memorable 12th round stoppage last December.

Also featuring will be exciting cruiserweight Isaac Chamberlain and Unbeaten 2016 Olympian, Lawrence Okolie..

Indongo dethrones Burns in Glasgow to unify WBA/IBF

In an important super lightweight unification bout, unbeaten IBF champion Julius Indongo (22-0, 11 KOs) snatched the WBA title from champion Ricky Burns (41-6-1, 14 KOs) with a dominant twelve round unanimous decision on Saturday night at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland. After a tentative start, the little known Namibian found his rythym, outworking Burns throughout most of the fight..  Despite the fast pace Indongo continued to meticulously break Burns down into the late rounds..   The WBA champ tried a last ditch rally but it was a task too great as the physically imposing Indongo was too strong to subdue..  Burns was on the canvas in the final round, more from exhaustion and desperation as it was ruled a slip..  Indongo swept the board with Scores of 120-108, 118-110, 116-112.
Little known Namibian Indongo was overlooked going into this fight in what many press members scripted as shades of Breidis Prescott's..

Other Results:

Charlie Edwards  UD12  Iain Butcher (super flyweight)
Vacant British title.
Scores: 120-108, 120-109, 120-108

Robbie Barrett   MD12   Scotty Cardle (lightweight)
British lightweight title..
Score: 115-113, 114-112, 114-114

Okolie moves to 2-0 in Glasgow.

                                     

24 year old 2016 Olympian, cruiserweight Lawrence Okolie made it win number 2 last night in his second pro appearance on the SSE Hydro card in Glasgow..  Okolie stopped tough Lukasz Rusiewicz inside a round after twice previously dropping the pole with body shots..  Okolie however got a rude awakening a split second before stopping Rusiewicz, he got caught with a solid right hand that bloodied the Londoners nose..  Okolie showed real grit in responding to the shot by setting up the his own right hand to force the stoppage..  Okolie boxed his debut only 2 weeks ago, beating inept Geoff Cave in a round on the Crolla v Linares card..  Okolie was very critical of his performance yet knows he's a relative novice in the sport..  Lawrence is pencilled in to appear on the Wembley show on the 29th of April, supporting fellow Olympian Anthony Joshua..   Okolie moves to 2-0 (2 Ko's) while Rusiewicz drops to 22-30 (13 Ko's)

Bivol and Rahman jr, victorious in Maryland.

Undefeated WBA Interim Light Heavyweight champion Dmitroy Bivol scored a sensational 4 round stoppage over an overwhelmed Samuel Clarkson to retain his belt in Fridays main event at the MGM National Harbor Casino in Oxon Hill, MD.
Bivol pressed the action from the off, dropping Clarkson twice with right hands early..  Clarkson gallantly battled his way into the bout but was completely outgunned as Bivol meticulously worked Clarkson over. Bivol would land a terrific two piece combination that would send Clarkson down to the canvas for the third and final time. Referee Harvey Dock stopping the action at 1:40 of the fourth round.
Bivol is now 10-0, 8 KO’s. Clarkson 21-4, 12 KO’s.

In his pro debut, son of former world heavyweight champion namesake, Hasim Rahman Jr. of Baltimore, MD needed just 40 seconds to stop fellow debutant heavyweight Ralph Alexander of Lanham, MD. Under his fathers watchful eye, Hasim looked composed, enjoying the occasion, controlling the bout behind a high guard, until deciding to end proceedings in Alexander’s corner with a volley of accurate shots, forcing referee Bill Clancy to stop the bout.

Hasim Rahman jr makes debut at heavyweight, tonight in Maryland.

This Friday at the MGM National Harbour, Oxon Hill in Maryland, a famous name continues a local legacy as Hasim Rahman Jr, son of Baltimores former world heavyweight champion of the same name makes his professional debut, as a heavyweight.. Hasim, better known as Gold Blooded, had an outstanding career as a 201 pound amateur, with over a 100 fights, but it looked almost certain in time, that he would attempt to step into his fathers footsteps as a paid fighter..  I remember Hasim jr from 2011, sparring with then established heavyweight contender Friday Ahunanya, for the Nigerians scheduled bout with Tony Thompson in Las Vegas ..  Rahman showed up at the Hit Factory gym with his mother, got warmed up and proceeded to exchange leather with the experienced Ahunanya regardless of being outweighed by nearly 50 pounds..  Rahman acquitted himself well and came across as lovely kid, leaving a lasting impression..  unfortunately, in 2012, Hasim was involved in a horrific automobile accident, where a delivery driver was tragically killed. Rahman was the driver and has since served time, but upon release appears a more driven and determined fighter..  The 25 year old Hasim has added muscle to his once skinny 6 ft 3 frame and will enter the ring close to 240 on fight night, where he faces another debutant in Ralph Alexander also a local Maryland fighter..  Hasim got exposure on the famed HBO 24/7 series, when he battled with Donovan Cameron in a Mayweather gym doghouse rules bout, for honour over Camerons previous defeat of his younger brother Sharif..  Hasim has a vast experience having sparred with numerous top class heavyweights and cruiserweights since taking the sport seriously in his teens..  He is indeed one to watch. The Banner Promotions show, alongside Greg Cohen promotions features Dmitry Bivol v Samuel Clarkson for the WBA interim light heavyweight title..

Usyk defeats Hunter in exciting fight to defend WBO cruiser title.

WBO cruiserweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk, 12-0, 10 KOs, retained his belt with an highly entertaining 12-round unanimous points win over unbeaten Mike Hunter of Las Vegas, 12-1, 8 KOs, on the HBO show at the MGM National harbour in Maryland last night..  The fight was a close affair over the first six rounds, before the Ukrainian stepped up the pace to pull away winning the majority of the last 6. Hunter boxed exceptionally but Usyk eventually found a way to figure him out, landing the harder shots with terrific accuracy as the fight wore on..  In the final round, Usyk decided to put his foot on the gas, opening up on the fading challenger, Hunter did amazingly well to survive the onslaught, only being forced to take a count when a series of shots hurled him into the ropes with only moments remaining..  Bill Clancy could easily have jumped in and saved Hunter with seconds remaining, but the tough Las vegan had proven his grit enough to complete the course..
All three scores were the same, 117-110, in favor of Usyk.

Linares repeats WBA title victory over game Crolla.

WBA lightweight champion Jorge Linares (42-3, 27 KOs) scored a repeat twelve round unanimous decision over Anthony Crolla (31-6-3, 13 KOs) in their rematch last night at the Manchester Arena..
Linares once again brought his class to the table, coasting through a large portion of the fight unmoved by anything the local challenger had to offer..  A hugely impressive display of accuracy and power dominated the bout, flooring Crolla with an uppercut  in the seventh. Linares came within an ace of scoring the stoppage, but the defiant former champion showed courage beyond the call of duty..  The popular Crolla would have proved a match for almost any lightweight in the world on the night, but Linares has proved that he is a bit special, winning comfortably by 118-109 unanimously..

In a chief support, Blackpool's rising middleweight star Jack Arnfield scored a landmark unanimous decision victory over friend and former stablemate, Brian Rose in defence of his WBA international title..   Rose, 29-5-1 (8 Ko's) looked in control of the first half of the fight with good assertive attacks, catching the upright champion with straight shots..  However the second half of the fight saw the younger man rally to close the gap, using the jab and effective body punching from close range..  Arnfield, 24-2 (6 Ko's) overcame a cut eye in the 8th while Rose had to endure the trademark cut nose towards the final sessions..  I had Rose slightly ahead going into the 12th, a round that I also had him winning, but a unanimous verdict saw Jack retain his title with scores of 113-115 twice and 112-116..

Lawrence Okolie turns pro on Saturday.

24 year old Lawrence Okolie will dip his toe into the professional ranks this weekend, making his paid debut on the Crolla v Linares card in Manchester..  Okolie who boxed in last years summer Olympic's is a relative novice, but showed extreme maturity in defeat at the hands of Cubas highly experienced Erislandy Savon, in what was Okolie's 26th ever ring appearance..  The Hackney born fighter, of Nigerian descent stands 6ft 5 inches tall and originally stepped into the gym to lose weight, Lawrence was a clinically obese 19 stone (266lbs) but began to quickly excel, soon becoming European amateur heavyweight champion and university champion..   Lawrence steps into the ring on Saturday as a cruiserweight having shed over 70lbs..   Okolie was thrust into controversy last September when news surfaced that he'd dropped IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in sparring, although never confirmed... it was never denied..    Lawrence looks the part and is eager to be let out if the cage..

Rungvisai upsets Chocolatito in NY.

WBC Super Flyweight champion and current pound 4 pound candidate Roman Chocolatito Gonzalez (46-1, 38 KO’s) widely considered to be the best fighter in the world, lost his title, unbeaten record and P4P status on Saturday night on the Madison Square Garden card, when he was dropped, cut and outpointed over 12 by relatively unheralded Srisaket Sor Rungvisai of Thailand in a huge upset..   Chocolatito got off the floor from a body shot in the first, to battle his way back into the fight. A clash of heads opened up a horrendous cut over his eye which left Gonzalez peering through a mask of blood throughout the remainder of the battle..  Both fighters had consecutive successes, in a bout that would have justified a draw..  But it was Rungvisai (42-4-1, 38 Ko's) who was handed the 12-round majority decision by scores of 114-112 (twice) and 113-113.
The announcement of the decision was hugely unpopular, after such an entertaining close fight, it seemed a sorry way for such a highly regarded champion to lose his title..
Following the decision, highly regarded, Hall of fame referee and judge Joe Cortez Stated that he thought the judges got it wrong and made a mistake in awarding Rungvisai the decision..   Cortez scored it in favour of Gonzalez by 6 points, having watched the bout from an elevated position where he saw Chocolatito land far more punches throughout the fight..  offering consolation that even Muhammad Ali lost fights, Gonzales needs to come back and avenge the defeat.

Golovkin unifies in highly disputed decision in NY.

Unified World middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (37-0, 34 KO’s) had his toughest assignment to date on Saturday in New York when he was forced to the wire over 12 for the first time since 2008, winning a debatable unanimous decision victory against WBA regular Champion Danny Jacobs (32-2, 29 KO’s). Most experts had Jacobs written off beforehand and were almost made to eat their words.. Both fighters started cautiously, each respectful of the other, but it was Jacobs who soon settled into a rhythm, cleverly picking his spots using nice movement..  The pattern continued through 3, with Jacobs earning what looked like a healthy lead..  In the fourth, Golovkin finally found his mark, dropping Jacobs on the ropes with a left hook, right hand combination..   Jacobs recovered well but chose to try meet fire with fire, losing much of his early momentum..   Golovkin barely took a backward step but was often on the end of clever counters from the more composed Brooklyn man..  Jacobs appeared to be outboxing Golovkin through the majority of the later rounds, with the Kazakh fighter urgently pressing for another breakthrough, looking strong but predictable.. The bout was difficult to interpret, but many fighters at ringside saw Jacobs the victor after a strong finish..   Golovkin won a surprising decision on scores of 115-112 (twice) and 114-113..   My own scorecard had Jacobs edging it by 114-113.

Shockingly, after four rounds Golovkin was ahead 39-36 on all three cards (Three rounds many ringsiders had Jacobs winning comfortably) while after eight rounds, GGG remained ahead 77-74, 77-74 and 78-73. After Golovkin won the ninth round across the board, Jacobs needed at least a knockdown to draw. Even though Jacobs took the last three rounds on two cards, and two on the third card, it wasn't enough..  Golovkin edged it 114-113 on the cards of Max DeLuca and Don Trella, while Steve Weisfeld had GGG ahead 115-112.

Jacobs, disappointed afterwards vented that he'd clearly won the fight, and insinuated that the decision was political, Golovkins victory smoothing the way for a moneyspinning fight with Saul Alvarez in the summer.