Tag Archives: Chisora

Posted on 11/05/2019

By: Waqas Ali

Former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk is being pushed on the forefront for many big names in the heavyweight division.

The 32-year-old was recently announced as a potential opponent for Deontay Wilder’s WBC heavyweight title based on recent performance and credentials.

Moving in the queue, he is listed No.5 on the ranking. Overlapping the likes of Adam Kownacki, Joseph Parker, Kubrat Pulev and Oscar Rivas, that had been dropped down the list.

The Ukrainian star is also eligible for a voluntary defence by Wilder.

Dillian Whyte, who is the main mandatory for Wilder’s belt has had no luck in getting that opportunity.

He is currently awaiting a response from UKADA and VADA over an adverse finding in a UKAD test taken before his fight against Oscar Rivas, whom he defeated to secure the mandatory spot.

If cleared, he will be become the mandatory challenger in February 2021, according to the WBC.

With that being said, Usyk could lead the race as this would mean that a bout with Wilder could be in the works next year.

Without a doubt, Usyk is one of the best talents in boxing today. He currently boasts a record of 17 wins (13 KOS) and no defeats.

He conquered the cruiserweight division claiming the WBO, WBA, WBC and IBF titles.

In his first heavyweight bout, he retired Chazz Witherspoon in the seventh round. Usyk’s footwork, speed and power were exceptional and well-executed.

In round six, around the 1:59 mark, he threw a blistering four-punch combination that pushed Witherspoon on the dodge of his feet and roared the crowd as they cheered for him.

He landed an astonishing 70% of his power punches and 40% of his overall shots.

In his post-fight interview, he said that he was ready for whoever is there for him next because he had been made mandatory challenger for the WBO belt.

“I am ready, I am ready to fight whoever. If they give me the [WBO] mandatory then of course I am ready to take it,” Usyk said.

Just like with the WBC, Whyte was mandatory but did not get a shot at the title. The WBO stated in that because Usyk claimed all four major belts and earned the title ‘Super Champion’.

He was also available to fight at the time of the report being released whereas Whyte was scheduled to fight on July 20th.

Boxing sources have stated that no mandatory challenger has been filled until after the Ruiz vs Joshua rematch.

British contender Dereck Chisora was named another candidate for Usyk and since he recently defeated fellow Brit David Price, he had been urging for a fight against the newly heavyweight.

His manager David Haye said: “He’s mandatory for the WBO world title and Dereck’s just won a WBO trinket. It would make sense to make the fight.”

A potential clash between Usyk and Chisora would be a huge sell. British boxing fans have taken Usyk as a fighter of a great resume, risks and rewards.

To support this point, in the fight against Tony Bellew, it generated more than 600,000 in viewership with 20,000 fans in attendance at the Manchester Arena.

The level and popularity of Usyk in the boxing world is strong and huge. He is well appreciated and strongly commended from the hardcore boxing fans who study the manly art of the sweet science.

His punches are sweet to see but sour to taste.

Posted on 09/04/2019

By: Hans Themistode

Although the negations took longer than expected, former Heavyweight champion Jospeh Parker (26-2, 20 KOs) and Dereck Chisora (31-9, 22 KOs) have finally agreed to terms for their bout. Both men are set to clash on October 26th, at the O2 arena, in the United Kingdom.

Chisora has always been up and down through out his career. He has been in countless big fights but has come up short every time out.

Bouts against Tyson Fury, David Haye, Vitali Klitschko and Dillian Whyte (twice) have ended with Chisora on his back. On the 26th of October he won’t just have a former champion in front of him but an opportunity to change the narrative surrounding his career.

It was as recent as 2016 when Parker was labeled as a world champion. With back to back wins under his belt, Chisora could claim the biggest scalp of his career thus far. The motivation will be at an all-time high for Chisora but so will it be for Parker.

New Zealand’s first world champion will have his chance to get back into the championship mix. Parker will also be given the chance to erase several bad memories that are associated with the United Kingdom.

The former champions two defeats came across the pond when he took on former unified Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and former title challenger Dillian Whyte. Parker fought hard in both contest but he did not come out with the victory.

Parker’s contest with Chisora will be the second of a three fight deal he has signed with promoter Eddie Hearn earlier this year.

The record of Chisora, which included nine losses won’t provide comfort for Parker. Chisora is a veteran in the sport of boxing and has been on a roll ever since losing to Whyte. In fact, Chisora is undefeated during the 2019 calendar year.

“He’s coming off two good wins, so he’ll be full on confidence and out to make a statement,” said Parker. “As always, I back myself against any fighter on this planet and I’m expecting an exciting war on October 26th.”

One of those previously mentioned wins for Chisora came against Artur Szpilka, a 2016 title challenger. Chisora obliterated him in just two rounds earlier this year. He’ll be looking to do the exact same thing come October 26th to Joseph Parker.

“I’m a real fighter,” said Chisora. “I’m always ready to go to war. Szpilka felt what Derek ‘War’ Chisora is all about.”

At this point in their respective careers, neither man can afford a loss. A win can propel either man to the front of line in terms of championship aspirations.

Posted on 07/05/2019

By: Shane Willoughby

With Dillian Whyte’s bout against Oscar Rivas scheduled for Sky Sports box office, it’s a perfect time to look at how well Whyte vs Chisora ll done on PPV.

Whyte vs Chisora 2 reportedly sold 438,000 PPV buys on Sky Sports. Which is a little short of the million buys Hearn was hoping for.

Whilst it didn’t do as well as many were expecting as it’s less than Whyte’s previous PPV against Joseph Parker; it’s still a good amount of buys?

Financially it’s very solid, generating just under £9million. It’s unprecedented for two fighters who have never held a world title to generate that amount money and sell that much PPV.
Not to mention the fact that it clashed with Frampton vs Warrington and being 3 days before Christmas.

It may have even done more buys than Wilder vs Fury on BT sports but the PPV numbers for that fight haven’t officially been released. Make of that what you will.

With all of that said, Can Whyte vs Rivas do more buys? The obvious answer is no. But with this being Matchroom’s first mega-event taking place in the UK this year, the British boxing fans are desperate for a big fight.

Which introduces another question. Could the body snatcher replace Anthony Joshua? After AJ’s loss to Ruiz most English fight fans are lost in the wilderness – searching for a fighter to provide some form of sustenance.

In addition to that, most of Britain’s top fighters are fighting stateside. This leaves a massive void for someone to fill. Could that be Dillian Whyte?

The WBC number 1 contender will be hoping to exactly that and an impressive win over the tough Columbian Oscar Rivas will be a great start.

Posted on 12/22/2018

By: Ste Rowen

Ending 2018 on a high at London’s O2 Arena, Dillian Whyte scored a come-from-behind knockout of long-time foe, Dereck Chisora in the 11th round to once again cement his claim as the number one heavyweight contender.

Now 25-1 (18KOs), Whyte put to bed the controversy that remained from his first fight with Chisora in 2016 and spoke post-fight,

‘‘I knew it would come. They kept mentioning my left hook, so I worked on the right hand. I hit him with a right hand…He kept on making the same mistake, so I threw a lazy right hand, slipped a bit and then, BOOM.’’

In his customary British-coloured balaclava, Chisora entered the ring as confident as ever. Dillian, the WBC’s ‘Silver’ champion stepped over the ropes to the sound of AC/DC’s ‘Back In Black.’. The younger man by four years, it felt like Whyte knew he had a point to prove throughout the build-up.

The first bell rang, and though neither fighter needed an invitation to start wildly swinging, the instant action had calmed by the end of the first 180 seconds. The shaven-headed heavyweights put their foots back on the accelerator for the start of round two.

At the beginning of round three, ‘Del Boy’ looked to bob, weave and hook his way to victory as he landed on Whyte but only enough to back him up to the ropes, and not enough to stop his fellow Londoner. Whyte looked a little bamboozled as the third ended.

Chisora dominated into round five but took more shots to land some in the same round. Dillian, as long as he stayed on his feet, seemed alive in the bout no matter how hard his opponent hit. Once the fight entered the halfway stage, it was difficult to see a situation where Chisora wasn’t up on the cards. But then, a shining light for the ‘Body Snatcher’ as, with time remaining in round 8, Chisora was deducted a point for low shots.

Through to the ninth, though struggling to land cleanly, Dereck was clearly the man on top. He continued to step forward, land and weave his way out of the way of Dillan’s only attack.

By round 10, only a KO or a travesty-decision would save Whyte. Dillian continued to back up, as the crowd implored him to fight fire with Chisora’s fire, but he didn’t seem able or willing to do so. At the start of round 11, the referee took another point off Chisora for pushing down. Maybe Whyte would be handed the decision by default.

But then, to avoid controversy, with 1:16 left of the eleventh, Whyte landed a huge left counter-left hook to the jaw that dropped and finished off Dereck without doubt. ‘Del Boy’ stayed down for a concerningly long time but rose to applause from all, and the acknowledgement of his foe, Dillian.

With Anthony Joshua joining Whyte in the ring post-fight, it seems inevitable that the much anticipated Joshua-April opponent will be the rematch with Dillian. You can’t say the ‘Body Snatcher’ hasn’t earned it.

Rosales vs. Charlie Edwards
Charlie Edwards became the new WBC flyweight champion of the world with a suspect decision victory over now, 28-4 (19KOs), Cristofer Rosales.

Now 14-1 (6KOs), Edwards looked lively through rounds 1-3 but as the rounds drew on, the Brit struggled to reply whenever the Nicaraguan beat him to the punch. As the fight moved into round 8, Charlie continued to struggle to evade his opponent’s attack and rarely managed to lay off his own assault.

Through to round 10 it was a little worrying to see, on the UK broadcast at least, highlights only showing Edward’s best bits. Rosales took his fair share of head shots, but the champion was on top for the neutral viewer. His blue gloves kept Charlie constantly on the run and the Brit’s red face was only darkening as the fight grew on.

Edwards threw, and Edwards missed. A little like his first world championship attempt against John Riel Casimero, Charlie seemed a level below. Cristofer was making his second defence and seemed calm even when his opponent maneuvered his body behind the champion.

Edwards had a resurgent eleventh but spent almost all of the final round on the retreat, but both fighters saw the final bell. It was now up to the judges.
Boxing is already difficult to judge but when the commentators have an obvious bias, as in the UK broadcast, there’s very little point in their ‘live’ scorecards . The final judge’s scorecards were, 118-110, 117-111, 116-112 all for the new WBC flyweight champion of the world, Charlie Edwards. Hopefully a rematch will be his first defence. Don’t hold your breath.

Buatsi vs. Quinlan
In an absolute shocker of a fight, that counted as chief support – TO A PPV CARD – light-heavyweight prospect, Joshua Buatsi knocked out career super-middleweight, Renold Quinlan within the 1st round to move to 9-0 (7KOs) and retain his WBA ‘International’ title.
It’s another good development victory for the former Olympian but Joshua will no doubt be wondering why his promoter stuck him on as chief support against an unlively opponent.

Quickfire Undercard
Ryan Walsh, now 23-2-2 (11KOs), became the new British featherweight champion with a split decision victory over Reece Bellotti. The final scorecards came back as 116-112 (x2), 113-116.

Carlos Takam made early work of challenger Senad Gashi with a seventh round KO of the Kosovan challenger. Now 36-5-1 (28KOs), Takam is one to watch as the heavyweight contenders in 2019 look to make their next move outside of Joshua, Wilder and Fury.

Not for the only time tonight fans were treated to a suspect decision as David Price shifted to 23-6 (19KOs) with an unusual stoppage victory over fellow Brit, Tom Little.

Little was retreating as Price fired off right hooks, but it seemed he should have been given more of a chance to reply than the referee gave him. The fight was waved off and Price re-entered the scene for the heavyweight Lonsdale strap in 2019.

Posted on 12/19/2018

By: Ste Rowen

Sequels and reboots are rarely worth the time it takes to make them, but unlike in the movies, boxing’s rematches and reignited rivalries, more often than not, entertain. This Saturday night’s box office event sees Dillian Whyte vs. Dereck Chisora 2: This Time It’s Personal…or something along those lines.
Whatever the tagline for the fight, a rematch of one of the best, all-action and non-title heavyweight fights is just days away after the original controversial decision, a LOT of back-and-forth; Whyte and Chisora are ready to get the O2 Arena rocking.

The two men fought just over two years ago on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs. Eric Molina in Manchester. That night, with all the talk of Dillian gearing up for a big 2017, and whether Dereck was already ‘washed’, once the bell rang both men went hell for leather in a ‘Fight of the Year’ candidate.

The first fight began riding off a wave off an amplified bit of hype, including a press conference confrontation that saw one-time world title challenger, Chisora declare he was the ‘baddest man on the planet’ before literally launching a table in Whyte’s direction. So much was the anticipation for the bout that by the time the first bell rang, it seemed the only logical conclusion would be a disappointing matchup. That wasn’t the case.

Nearly knock-downs, heavy head & body slugging, and a controversial decision to top it all off; for 12 brutal rounds the two Brits went all out in a power-punching, but technically sloppy, classic. ‘Del Boy’ seemed to spend more of the fight on the front foot but Dillian ‘The Body Snatcher’ regained ground through sweeping, almost wild hooks, connecting.

Whoever you saw as the winner, it was close, and the judges thought so too as they awarded a split decision to Whyte.

‘‘I think I won,’’ Dereck, 29-8 (21KOs), said of the first fight when the two fighters sat down for Sky Sports Gloves Are Off programme, ‘‘They gave it to him because of what happened during the press conferences.’’

‘‘It was old school. I just went in there and thought ‘You know what? Let me go all out. If I get knocked out, I get knocked out’, I was just ready to go.
I’m gonna knock this fool out.’’

Fighting at the O2 for the third time in a row, Dillian is convinced he’s a different animal to the one who fought his domestic rival in 2016,

‘‘I never underestimated him. I knew he was a tough guy…He’s a veteran where every fight he has is last chance saloon…I’m a warrior by nature and so’s he. We had it and I think the same thing is gonna happen again this time, except somebody’s getting knocked out this time.’’

‘Del Boy’ linked up with his former opponent, David Haye in recent months, but Whyte isn’t worried about his rival teaming up with a past world champion,
‘‘I hope he does come in shape, I hope David can give him a 10% cos he’s gonna need it. He fought a very inexperienced Dillian Whyte. I had doubts about going the distance but now, I’m a different person.

He’s gonna get banged out!’’

Since the first fight, Whyte, 24-1 (17KOs), has teetered on the edge of a first world title shot with WBC champion, Deontay Wilder but was constantly made to wait, instead decisioning Robert Helenius, savagely knocking out former WBA ‘Regular’ titlist, Lucas Browne and roughing it out to a decision win over former WBO champion, Joseph Parker.

Chisora took 10 months off before stepping back in the ring after the Whyte defeat, but since then he’s won two walk-over bouts, dropped a decision to European champion, Agit Kabayel but, in one of his greatest wins, fought out another classic to stop Carlos Takam in 8 rounds.

The winner of Saturday’s main event will almost certainly be Joshua’s Wembley opponent, although fan pressure for the Wilder-unification fight could derail those plans. But if the rematch between Whyte and Chisora is anything like the first bout, we could be being setup for a rubber match in 2019.

Also on Saturday night’s O2 card…
Fighting for the WBC flyweight world championship, Cristofer Rosales takes on one-time world title challenger, Charlie Edwards. Nicaraguan, Rosales is coming off a body-shot KO victory over former Olympian Paddy Barnes – his first title defence.

Edwards fought and loss for the IBF belt in 2016 where he was stopped by John Riel Casimero. Since then he’s stayed busy but had little impact on the division.

Ryan Walsh vs. Reece Bellotti

Ryan Walsh looks to defend his featherweight British title when he goes up against 13-1 (11KOs), Reece Bellotti.
Bellotti tasted professional defeat for the first time this year when he was stopped by Ryan Doyle in June but bounced back four months later with a dominant 6-round points win over Brayan Mairena.
Walsh, 22-2-2 (11KOs) drew his only fight of 2018 when he fought out 12 entertaining rounds with the unbeaten, Isaac Lowe.

David Price vs. Tom Little

In the second all British heavyweight bout on the card, David Price looks to once again return from a stoppage defeat when he takes on Tom Little.

Price quit on his stool in after the 4th round of his matchup with Sergey Kuzmin in September. A loss that followed a devastating knockout to Alexander Povetkin earlier this year.

Also heading into this weekend on a run of defeats, Little was stopped by rising star, Daniel Dubois in five rounds six months ago; before that he was taken out by another prospect, Filip Hrgovic in four.

Joshua Buatsi vs. Renold Quinlan

Speaking of rising prospects, light-heavyweight, Joshua Buatsi looks to defend his WBA ‘International’ strap for the second time in a 10-round fight with career-168lber, Renold Quinlan.

Buatsi, 8-0 (6KOs), made lightwork of Tony Averlant in October and Saturday’s bout will be his sixth of 2018.

Quinlan, most famous for his 11th round stoppage to Chris Eubank Jr in 2017, goes into the Buatsi fight off the back of his second pro loss where he was stopped by Damien Hooper in nine rounds back in April.

Posted on 12/18/2018

By: Sean Crose

The first time Dereck Chisora and Dillian Whyte fought, fans were treated to a heavyweight slugfest. Although the hard hitting Whyte won courtesy of a split decision that night in Manchester, England, the twelve round rematch, which will go down this Saturday at the O2 Arena in London, promises similar fireworks. “The first fight was a great fight,” admits Chisora, “but they gave it to him, and I was like why?” Chisora, however, was eager for a second chance with his fellow Englishman.

“I kept on saying, I want the rematch, I want the rematch,” Chisora says, “and they didn’t want to give it to me and they were pushing Dillian towards AJ, and then suddenly people kept saying they want the rematch, so they gave it to me.” Chisora, 29-8, who has been boxing professionally since 2007, has clearly been at the fight game for quite some time. “I was a fat kid,” he says, “went to Finchley to box, plus I was under probation for three years, actually the Metropolitan Police paid for my boxing class, they bought my first boxing boot, boxing gloves, headguard, gumshield, everything!”

It’s doubtful Chisora needs to worry about finding himself on probation again. Like his friend Tyson Fury, the fighter is openly religious. “Like the big man, Tyson (Fury) himself,” says Chisora, “you listen to his interviews, all I heard him say is ‘praise God, praise God,’ because he went and believed that little bit of Jesus which helped him to come back the great fighter he is.” Like Fury, Chisora embraced faith while being in a dark place. “I lost the fight in Monaco (against Agit Kabayel) which I was not supposed to lose and then, as I was giving my interview, something said, you know what?, you just need to give yourself to the Lord. It’s made me a better person.”

Heading into his crossroads bout on Saturday, Chisora appears upbeat. After the match, he claims: “I’m going to leave the ring, go home, and attack that Christmas Turkey!” If the rematch with Whyte is anything like the first bout, however, Chisora may be in for the fight of his life. “I’m going to war,” he says. “I hope he’s ready to go where I’m ready to go. If he’s not, he’s stupid. I’m coming. Hunt him down, just go hit him, hit him, just hit him, hit him, and hit and hit and pounce and pounce, pounce, pounce, pounce!”

Posted on 12/18/2018

By Jake Donovan

The brass at Showtime has taken great pride in maintaining an industry stance as the leading destination for today’s heavyweight landscape. No prouder moment came than with its coverage of the memorable 12-round draw between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury.

It hardly meant the staff was content to bask in the glow of the aftermath.

In a surprise move, the U.S. cable giant has secured stateside broadcasting rights for this weekend’s heavyweight rematch between Dillian Whyte and Dereck Chisora. The event will air live from The O2 in London on its flagship network (Saturday, 5:30p ET) in the US and on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom.

The event will serve as a one-bout telecast in regards to Showtime’s coverage. The rest of the show—including Cristofer Rosales’ flyweight title defense versus Charlie Edwards—will be limited to UK televised coverage on Sky Sports Box Office, which is carrying the Whyte-Chisora II PPV in its entirety.

The bout serves as a rematch to their Dec. ’16 thriller, with Whyte (24-1, 17KOs) claiming a split decision win in a back-and-forth battle that warranted year-end awards consideration.

“SHOWTIME continues to lead the industry by delivering more of the most compelling boxing events from around the world to our premium cable subscribers and online streaming customers,” said Stephen Espinoza, president of Showtime Sports in a statement released through the network’s press office. “This network has televised all of the most important heavyweight fights during the division’s renaissance and we are proud to join Matchroom Sports in delivering Whyte-Chisora II to our audience.

“Their first fight was action-packed from bell to bell. Now, with the stakes as high as they have ever been for both men, this bout promises to be even better. I hope that the boxing pundits have not yet cast their vote for Fight, Knockout and Round of the Year. Saturday’s matchup may challenge some of this year’s best.”

Chisora (29-8, 21KOs) has won three of his last four starts since then, including an 8th round knockout of Carlos Takam, in supporting capacity to Whyte’s 12-round win over former heavyweight titlist Joseph Parker also at The O2 this past July.

The wins were enough to prompt the brass at Matchroom Boxing to once again pair the two in the ring, this time raising the stakes. The winner is widely believed to land a coveted title shot versus unbeaten, unified titlist Anthony Joshua, who is currently tabbed to return next April 13 at Wembley Stadium in London.

With Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn having since moved over to DAZN, it was widely believed that the sports streaming platform would serve as the primary provider to all things Matchroom Boxing.

However, a development first reported by BoxingScene.com senior writer Keith Idec revealed that the relationship between Hearn and DAZN apparently doesn’t exclusively extend to its UK content.

It also raises interest in how deep Showtime can continue to delve into to the once-again thriving heavyweight landscape.

The network has been a major stakeholder in the heavyweight rebirth dating back to Deontay Wilder’s Jan. ’15 title-winning effort over Bermane Stiverne in their first fight. At the time, Wladimir Klitschko still served as the lineal champion, having also possessed every other piece of major heavyweight hardware aside from Wilder’s belt and with his bouts carried by then-industry rival HBO.

That changed in a very big way following Klitschko’s upset loss to Tyson Fury in Nov. ’15 and its subsequent fallout—Fury being stripped of a title and their twice-canceled rematch never coming to fruition leaving HBO in the dust and every other title up for grabs.

Showtime was the ultimate benefactor, pairing a vacant title fight between Charles Martin and Vyacheslav Glazkov on the undercard of Wilder’s title defense versus Artur Szpilka in Jan. ’16. Martin ultimately won the title via 3rd round injury stoppage, a move that paved the way for Joshua to enter the title picture.

The unbeaten Brit—who captured a Gold medal for Great Britain in the 2012 London Olympics—began a two-year run with Showtime in his two-round destruction of Martin in April ’16. The bout was the first of six straight that would air live on the U.S. premium cable outlet, a run that saw Joshua collect three alphabet titles including his epic off-the-canvas knockout victory over Klitschko in their 2017 Fight of the Year-level war and the not-so-thrilling but still effective 12-round win over Joseph Parker to become a three-belt titlist this past March.

The latter win came four weeks after Wilder survived some very rocky moments to eventually stop previously unbeaten Luis Ortiz in their March 3 war in Brooklyn. The two dates were scheduled by design, with hopes that it would lead to an eventual collision for all the heavyweight marbles later in the year.

It didn’t quite work out that way, as Joshua and Hearn instead took its services to DAZN. Joshua’s knockout win over Alexander Povetkin steered the platform’s maiden voyage in the US market this past September.

The move prompted Showtime to throw its support behind another unbeaten Britiish heavyweight in Fury.

Battling through drug and alcohol addiction and severe mental health issues, Fury enjoyed a triumphant ring return this past June in a knockout win over Sefer Seferi. His first fight since a career-defining win over Klitschko some 31 months prior was streamed live on Showtime’s YouTube channel, as was Fury’s subsequent 10-round nod over Francesco Pianeta in August.

The latter bout was far more pertinent to Showtime’s investment in his services, as it paved the way for his memorable clash with Wilder who was seated ringside that night and joined Fury in the ring immediately after the final bell. Their battle was announced a few weeks later, their December 1 instant classic headlining the first Showtime Pay-Per-View in the post-Floyd Mayweather era—and their first PPV that didn’t involve Mayweather since 2011.

Despite their eventual stalemate sparking wide debate as to whom really deserved the nod, the event generated worldwide buzz and a groundswell of support for an immediate rematch. It was a welcomed escape from dragged out “will they/won’t they” talks—or lack thereof—between Joshua and Wilder.

While Showtime remains entrenched in the Deontay Wilder business, Saturday’s rematch landing on Showtime rather than DAZN, the next question would be just who will get to hold the stateside rights to Joshua’s next ring appearance.

Any other answer than the one previously assumed makes this latest development a potential game-changer.

Posted on 11/01/2018

By Jake Donovan

With a high-profile rematch versus unbeaten heavyweight titlist Anthony Joshua potentially waiting in the wings, Dillian Whyte sets his sights on another past adversary to remain active in the interim.

The top-rated heavyweight contender will once again meet with Dereck Chisora, as their long-discussed rematch is officially set. The sequel to their Dec. ’16 Fight of the Year-level war will take place December 22 at O2 Arena in London, England.

Photo Credit: Matchroom Boxing Twitter Account

“It’s on,” Eddie Hearn, Whyte’s promoter enthusiastically exclaimed through his verified social media account on Thursday. “[The] Dillian Whyte and Derek ‘WAR’ Chisora rematch, Dec. 22 (at) The O2!”

The matchup was formally announced during a press conference Thursday in London. Among the details revealed were broadcasting rights, with the heavyweight scrap to air live on Sky Sports Box Office in the United Kingdom and on sports streaming platform DAZN in the United States, both for whom Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing serves as the primary boxing content provider.

Their rematch comes just over two years after their Dec. ’16 thriller, in which Whyte (24-1, 17KOs) prevailed by split decision in a bout where both men were rattled but neither ever hitting the canvas.

For Whyte, the victory is among a current eight-fight win streak following the lone defeat of his career, a 7th round stoppage at the hands of Joshua who would go on to score knockout wins over Charles Martin and Wladimir Klitschko to become a unified heavyweight titlist.

Whyte’s name has surfaced high among the short list of candidates to man the corner opposite Joshua on a planned April 13, 2019 bill at Wembley Stadium in London. While it was important to remain active ahead of that potential fight date, a rematch with a career spoiler such as Chisora is a risk he didn’t have to take—but nevertheless boldly embraces.

More so, he sees a repeat win as a guaranteed ticket to his first career title shot.

“This will be Chisora’s last fight, the donkey’s last ride,” vows Whyte, whose impressive 2018 campaign already includes wins over previously unbeaten Lucas Browne and former titlist Joseph Parker. “I think that he needs to really have a good think about taking this fight because he’s going to be heading home after the fight looking like he’s been run over by a truck.

“I believe that I’ll knock him out in devastating fashion this time. Last time was my first 12 rounder and I was a little bit inexperienced but this time I’ll know exactly what to do. He’s at the end of the road.”

Wherever he may be in his career, Chisora (29-8, 21KOs) remains a dangerous task for any heavyweight on the planet. The divisional trialhorse—who turns 35 just a week after his forthcoming sequel with Whyte—is a modest 3-1 since their first fight but resurfaced in the heavyweight fold following an 8th round knockout of Carlos Takam this past July.

The bout came on the undercard of Whyte’s win over Parker, a show designed to set up a second pairing between the two. Talks stalled with the two seemingly intent on heading in opposite directions after Chisora signed with Hayemaker Promotions, run by his prior conqueror and one-time heated rival David Haye. Hearn intimated as much to media members when questioned after his October 20 show in Boston, revealing that the hunt was still on for a quality heavyweight to face Whyte.

Momentum somehow picked up in the past couple of weeks, though. With every other notable heavyweight either just coming off of a fight or booked in the foreseeable future, it only made sense for the two UK-based contenders to do it again—even if viewpoints vary on the delay in getting to this point.

“Dillian has spent the last two years avoiding getting back in the ring with me,” insists Chisora. “He knows exactly what it feels like to go toe-to-toe with me. For the next seven weeks he will have sleepless nights knowing what he has finally signed up to. His last couple of opponents didn’t come for battle, they didn’t even put heat on Dillian, on December 22nd I’m coming to burn him up!

“I was cheated in our first fight by the judges, everyone knows that I was the true victor. This time I have a score to settle, Dillian won’t be hearing the final bell to be saved by the judges. I will be stepping in the ring a different fighter. I have everything to prove and it all to lose. ‘Dell Boy’ is no more, ‘WAR’ Chisora doesn’t cut corners, he doesn’t skip sessions, he doesn’t look for the easy option. I’m in the gym every day pushing my body to its limit. I’m in complete control of my destiny, December 22nd will be WAR.”

His longtime rival welcomes the challenge—and the opportunity to once and for all turn the page on this chapter of his career.

“This is Heavyweight boxing and you never know what’s around the corner, but I’ve done what I need to do to secure a shot at a World title,” Whyte believes. “There’s always something getting in the way, other fights being made or money and politics ruining things, but after I finish Chisora nobody can deny me my shot.”

TICKET INFO

Per Matchroom Boxing press release:

Tickets are priced £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200, £300 and £600 VIP.

On sale dates: O2 Priority (Thursday 1 November) Matchroom Fight Pass (Friday 2 November, 1pm) and general sale via StubHub on Saturday 3 November at 1pm.

Posted on 08/09/2018

By: Daniel Smith

“CRACK!” A whamming freight train of a left hook smashes against the granite jaw of Joseph Parker, as a thrash of thick, spume-like slaver oomphs from his gaping mouth, while a spattering-lash of sweat pelts from his drenched glistening crown. In that precise moment, Joseph Parker’s body is scaffolded by legs of thin splints as he falls to the canvass like a mighty oak that’s been chopped down and defeated by a burly powerhouse lumberjack in, Dillian “the body snatcher” Whyte.

The “Whyte vs. Parker” fight was certainly a brutal crackerjack of a slugfest which demonstrated the power, iron-grit and determination of Dillian Whyte. So, with the World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman, declaring that Whyte is being overlooked in place of Tyson Fury as the challenger for Deontay Wilder’s WBC world heavyweight title; it wouldn’t be hard to imagine “The Gypsy King” vs. “The Bronze Bomber” is maybe a fight Wilder would much prefer.

Let’s see why.

At 6ft 9″ and 18 stone; the former WBA, WBO, IBF, IBO and Lineal champion, Tyson Fury is a dangerous foe to any fighter within the heavyweight division and a man whose adept boxing capabilities and unorthodox, hybrid style is awkward and extremely tricky to overcome. Fury sports an impressive record of (26-0-0), with nineteen coming back way of knockout. It’s certainly clear Tyson Fury can “bang”; however, he’s not a “banger” per se – unlike the power-punching calibre of Wilder, Whyte and Joshua.

Fury (in theory) can and probably should win the bout against Deontay Wilder. Although, as we know, fights are not won theoretically and the cold reality is, Fury’s had a long hiatus from the sport and a showdown with a formidable knock-out merchant, such as Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder, may possibly be too soon for the Lineal champion. Presently, this clash favours the WBC champion – a fight with Lineal status on offer will too much of an enticement and opportunity for Wilder turn down.

Dillian ‘the Body Snatcher’ Whyte. (24-1-0)

At 6ft 4″ and 18 stone; the former British heavyweight champion and current WBC Silver world heavyweight titleholder is a bull of a man that configures a solidly-strapping, bulky-muscular physique. A lethal certified stalwart-banger who is equally equipped and capable to dance within the parameters of the sweet science as well as tearing it up in an ugly, broiling-brawl. A man whose boxing abilities have certainly slipped a gear or two in the last eighteen months. Whyte is one of the most lethal heavyweights competing right now, who’s hungry and ready to annihilate both Wilder’s and Joshua’s aspirations of becoming unified champions.

But, with no title fight this year on the horizon, it looks as though the second rumble with Derek Chisora may be likely. The two heavyweight scrappers met in 2016 and tore shreds out of one another for twelve rounds, in a dynamite exchange of heavy artillery. However, there was some controversy regarding the result as”The Body Snatcher” had seemingly “snatched” the victory in a points win. If the title-hungry fighters return for a second fight, we could well expect another 10 oz gloved straightner from two heavy-handed warriors. Plus, Chisora’s savage knockout over Carlos Takam is a testimony to his devastating, one punch- power ability and how just one beefy, chopping slog could render Whyte out cold and potentially out of the mix for a title shot.

Only time will tell.

But, whether it’s Whyte vs. Chisora or Wilder vs. Fury; one thing’s for certain: heavyweight boxing is ablaze and roaring right now with a glut of talented boxers who are revved up and raring to go – relishing the opportunity to be No 1 and King of the heavyweight division. Interesting, enticing, and exciting times are most definitely upon us within the noble art of boxing.

Posted on 04/18/2017

Boxing Insider Notebook: Klitschko, Joshua, Mayweather, McGregor, Ward, Kovalev, Canelo, Chavez, and more…
Compiled By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of April 11th to April 18th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Photo Credit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME

Klitschko vs. Joshua US Television Rights Settled for April 29th

Matchroom Sport, Klitschko Management Group (KMG) and K2 Promotions have reached agreement with U.S. premium television giants Showtime and HBO to televise the most significant heavyweight world championship match in more than a decade. On Saturday, April 29, IBF Heavyweight World Champion Anthony Joshua will face former unified world champion Wladimir Klitschko from a sold-out Wembley Stadium in London.

Showtime is the exclusive U.S. television partner of Joshua, while HBO has an exclusive agreement with Klitschko in the States. Each premium network will produce its own separate telecast of the main event match for the U.S. audience. SHOWTIME will televise its SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING presentation live at 4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT, while HBO will televise its WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING production at approximately 10:45 p.m. ET/PT.

Joshua (18-0, 18 KOs) and Klitschko (64-4, 53 KOs) will meet for Joshua’s IBF World Championship and the vacant IBO and WBA World Championships. The British sensation Joshua has knocked out all 18 of his professional opponents in a meteoric rise to stardom, while the long-reigning world champion from Ukraine, Klitschko, aims to win back titles he previously held in his 11-year rule as heavyweight world champion. Joshua vs. Klitschko is promoted by Matchroom Boxing, KMG and K2 Promotions and has officially sold out Wembley Stadium with a record-setting 90,000 tickets sold.

“I’m extremely happy and thankful that our respective U.S. TV partners Showtime and HBO reached an agreement,” said Bernd Boente, Managing Director of Klitschko Management Group. “This happened before in the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao and the Lewis vs. Tyson fights and shows you the magnitude of our event at Wembley Stadium on April 29.”

“I’m delighted to announce this historic deal that will see Britain’s biggest ever fight shown on both HBO and SHOWTIME in the U.S.,” said Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport. “It takes a special fight to break down barriers and boundaries but also networks and executives who believe in working with the best interest of fight fans in mind. With the obstacles in place it would have been any easy resolution to not air the fight in the States but I want to thank HBO and Showtime for their perseverance and allowing America to see one hell of a fight at our national stadium in front on 90,000 passionate fans. Joshua vs. Klitschko is a fight for the ages and we look forward to the show!”

“We are thrilled to be delivering Joshua vs. Klitschko to the U.S. audience live on SHOWTIME,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “On the afternoon of April 29, U.S. sports fans will be able to tune in to SHOWTIME to join a record-breaking crowd of 90,000 at Wembley Stadium and a worldwide television audience in witnessing an event that represents not only the contesting of the heavyweight world championship, but potentially the changing of the guard in the most influential division in boxing. We are proud to be Anthony Joshua’s exclusive U.S. television partner as he attempts to establish his legacy against the legendary Wladimir Klitschko, live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, as Showtime continues its unrivaled commitment to the sport.”

Said Peter Nelson, executive vice president, HBO Sports: “Both promoters and both networks have found a solution that enables boxing fans in the U.S. to watch the world heavyweight championship. This agreement ensures that our subscribers have access to same-day primetime coverage of the fight. It will mark Wladimir Klitschko’s 22nd appearance on HBO and the first for Anthony Joshua.”

The 27-year-old Joshua has been perfect since turning professional shortly after winning Gold at the 2012 Olympics for Great Britain. Joshua, of Watford, England, won the IBF Heavyweight World Championship with a second-round knockout of defending champion Charles Martin in April 2016, earning a heavyweight belt in the fewest number of fights in more than 20 years. He has since successfully defended the title twice—against Dominic Breazeale in June and Eric Molina in December.

Joshua is just the sixth Olympic Gold Medalist at super heavyweight to go on to win a professional heavyweight world title, joining Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Lennox Lewis, Alexander Povetkin and his rival on April 29, Wladimir Klitschko.

HBO has been the long-time home of Klitschko’s professional boxing career in the States. The 41-year-old has been a kingpin in the heavyweight division since winning Gold at the 1996 Olympic Games. He turned pro shortly after the Atlanta games and ran an undefeated campaign for 24 fights before suffering his first defeat to experienced veteran Ross Puritty. Klitschko quickly rebounded by winning 10 in a row and captured his first world title (WBO) with a unanimous decision victory over Chris Byrd in 2000, a win which avenged a loss by his brother, Vitali, earlier that year.

Klitschko’s most recent reign at heavyweight began in 2006 when he captured the IBF and IBO belts via knockout in a rematch against Chris Byrd. He went on to make 17 consecutive defenses of the IBF and IBO crowns, 13 consecutive defenses of the WBO belt, and eight consecutive defenses of the WBA title. Along the way, he amassed victories over Sultan Ibragimov, Hasim Rahman, Ruslan Chagaev, David Haye, Samuel Peter, Alexander Povetkin, Kubrat Pulev and more. In total he has fought in 28 total world title fights – a unique record in the history of the heavyweight division – compared to just 18 total professional fights for Anthony Joshua. He was the longest reigning world champion (2006-2015) after Joe Louis.

This will be Klitschko’s first outing since losing the IBF, IBO, WBA and WBO titles to Tyson Fury in 2015, his first defeat in 11 years.

Closed Circuit Venues Announced for Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr.

The hottest ticket in town is for the sold-out Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. mega fight that is set for Saturday, May 6 at T-Mobile Arena. Due to the demand of closed circuit telecast tickets, additional locations have been added for the Cinco de Mayo weekend showdown between two-division world champion Canelo Alvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) and former WBC World Middleweight Champion Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (50-2-1, 32 KOs).

In addition to the previously announced MGM Grand Ballroom viewing location, Liberty Loft at New York-New York Hotel & Casino and The Still at The Mirage Hotel & Casino will now show Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. live on Saturday, May 6, giving fans the opportunity to experience an exciting night of boxing live in Las Vegas in an electrifying setting side-by-side with other fight fans.

Tickets for the closed circuit telecast of Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. are priced at $75, not including applicable fees. All seats are general admission and additional tickets go on sale Wednesday, March 12 at 10 a.m. PST at any MGM Resorts International box office or concierge desk. Tickets also can be purchased by phone with a major credit card at 800-745-3000.

Canelo vs. Chavez, Jr. is a 12-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Adriana’s Insurance and Interjet. Lemieux vs. Reyes is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye of the Tiger Management, Matthysse vs. Taylor is a 10-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Arano Boxing and Star Boxing. Diaz, Jr. vs. Avila is presented by Golden Boy Promotions. The event will take place on Saturday, May 6 at T-Mobile Arena and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Kovalev vs. Ward II Tickets on Sale

Tickets for Ward-Kovalev 2: “The Rematch” go on sale to the public today at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT. Tickets priced at $1,255, $755, $505, $355, $255 and $105 not including applicable service charges will be available on axs.com and at the Mandalay Bay Events Center box office.

Ward vs. Kovalev 2: “The Rematch,” a 12-round mega-fight for the WBO/IBF/WBA Light Heavyweight World Championships, is presented by Roc Nation Sports, Main Events, Andre Ward Promotions, Krusher Promotions and Corona Extra, and is sponsored by Monster Products and Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. The championship event takes place Saturday, June 17 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Follow the conversation using #WardKovalev.

TMZ Sports Reports Mayweather vs. McGregor is Still Not Close

Dana White recently told TMZ Sports that the rumored Mayweather vs. McGregor fight isn’t even close to happening. TMZ also reports to not expect much movement on the fight being made until after Conor’s baby is born, as Dana White has said they plan to meet up after McGregor’s girlfriend gives birth.
Dana also told TMZ that Ronda Rousey hasn’t officially retired yet.

Read more at: http://www.tmz.com/2017/04/17/dana-white-mayweather-mcgregor/

Helenius Hits Back at Chisora: “You Are Going to Get Knocked Out!”

Robert Helenius (24-1, 15 KOs) has hit back at claims made by Dereck Chisora’s (26-7, 18 KOs) coach Don Charles ahead of their rematch for the WBC Silver World Heavyweight title on May 27 at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland.

‘The Nordic Nightmare’ holds a controversial split decision win over Chisora from their all-action showdown December 2011, which many, including Charles, believed the British boxer did enough to win.
“Every fighter needs an incentive, and the incentive here is to correct the original decision,’’ said Chisora’s trainer. ‘’Dereck has to be the referee, judge and the jury. We are not leaving anything to chance.

“I hate giving fighters instructions to go out looking for the KO, but for this fight, Dereck is under strict instruction to go out there and knock this guy out.

“Robert is a good fighter, but without a doubt he has not been the same man since he first fought Dereck. Dereck knocked every last inch of confidence out of him. I am very confident that Dereck will knock him out!”

On hearing these comments, Helenius has issued a video message to his long-time rival, in which the Finnish heavyweight states: ‘’You can be the judge, you can be the referee, I don’t care, you are going to get knocked out anyway, On 27th May, I’m going to be coming to the ring with both my hands so you better be ready!’’

Caleb Plant Makes Impact Speech to At Risk Youths at Spring Mountain in Las Vegas

This past Saturday, undefeated super-middleweight contender, Caleb “Sweet Hands” Plant (15-0, 10 KOs), made an impact while doing a speaking engagement to at-risk teens at the Spring Mountain Youth Camp (SMYC) in Las Vegas. Caleb spoke to the youth about a variety of subjects but mostly about staying focused on their goals.

“I really wanted to come talk with these kids instead of at them,” said Caleb Plant. “The kids were very well mannered and they asked a lot of questions. I was honest with them and I believe I made a positive impact on the entire group. They have a boxing program up there and I was able to give a few pointers to some of the kids. It was a very uplifting experience for me and I’m grateful to the Spring Mountain youth leaders for inviting me.”

About Spring Mountain Youth Camp: (SMYC) is a staff-secure correctional facility, housing male youth between the ages of 12 and 18. This division provides for the therapeutic, educational, social, medical and recreational needs of approximately 240 young men each year. SMYC is located at Angels Peak in the Mt. Charleston National Forest Area. It sits at an elevation of 8,470 feet and has a capacity of 100 youth.

Andre Dirrell and Jose Uzcategui to Battle for Interim World Title on May 20th

An exciting night of action will feature super middleweight contenders Andre Dirrell and Jose Uzcategui in a matchup for the Interim IBF Super Middleweight World Championship plus two-division world champion Rances Barthelemy in a WBA 140-pound world title eliminator against Kiryl Relikh on Saturday, May 20 from the recently opened MGM National Harbor in Maryland and live on SHOWTIME.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast is headlined by WBC Featherweight World Champion Gary Russell Jr. making the second defense of his title when he faces top challenger Oscar Escandon.

Top 168-pound contenders Dirrell (25-2, 16 KOs) and Uzcategui (26-1, 22 KOs) are set to meet in a 12-round matchup with the winner in line to face IBF champion James DeGale, who is currently recovering from injuries sustained in his draw against Badou Jack in January on SHOWTIME.

“This fight is a massive step towards my journey to success in 2017,” said Dirrell. “To me, this is my championship fight leading up to the rematch with the current champion, James DeGale. Jose has all of the tools of a champion, so he’s fierce competition for me. But I will show the world that I’m up for the task. This is my year!”

“I’m very excited to be facing a fighter the quality of Andre Dirrell,” said Uzcategui. “These are the types of fights that I’ve wanted and I look forward to coming out victorious. This fight will be another step on the way to my dream of becoming a world champion.”

A world champion at 130 and 135-pounds, Barthelemy (25-0, 13 KOs) and the former world title challenger Relikh (21-1, 19 KOs) will battle in 12 rounds of action for the right to be the mandatory challenger for current WBA Super Lightweight Championship held by unified champion Julius Indongo.

“I’m very excited to be back in the ring, especially on SHOWTIME against a top-ranked contender in Kiryl Relikh,” said Barthelemy. “This victory will get me one step closer to fulfilling my dream of becoming the first Cuban to win world titles in three different weight classes. I’m very motivated and I will not be denied on May 20.”

“I’m thrilled to have this opportunity in a world title eliminator,” said Relikh. “Rances Barthelemy is a good fighter, but my experience at this weight will help me get the victory. I’m ready to do whatever it takes to get this win and eventually wear that world title belt around my waist.”

Tickets for the live event, promoted by TGB Promotions, are priced at $200, $150, $100 and $50, and are now on sale. To purchase tickets go to http://mgmnationalharbor.com/.

Representing his hometown of Flint, Michigan, Dirrell looks to take one step closer to a rematch with DeGale after dropping a narrow decision to the current IBF champion in May 2015. The 33-year-old bounced back from the defeat in his last outing by earning a wide unanimous decision over Blake Caparello last April. After a decorated amateur career that saw him win two U.S. Amateur World Championships in addition to an Olympic bronze medal, Dirrell was unbeaten in his first 18 pro fights before losing a split decision to Carl Frosh in 2009.

Born in Venezuela, Uzcategui now fights out of Baja California, Mexico, where he won two fights last year by knockout. The 26-year-old shot up the rankings in 2015 when he stopped previously unbeaten Julius Jackson in the second round after knocking his opponent down four times. Uzcategui was undefeated in his first 22 pro fights and enters this bout on a four-fight win streak.

A Cuban amateur national champion, 30-year-old Barthelemy has yet to taste defeat since turning pro in 2009. Born in Cuba but now fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev. he won a super featherweight world title in July 2014 by defeating Argenis Mendez in impressive fashion, and followed that up with a second round TKO victory over Angino Perez. After dominating former champion Antonio DeMarco in June, he won a world title in a second division when he impressively defeated Denis Shafikov in December. Most recently, Barthelemy made the lone defense of his lightweight belt with a decision over former champion Mickey Bey last June.

Fighting out of Minsk, Belarus, Relikh returns to the ring after challenging the former champion Burns for the WBA title in October 2016. The 27-year-old was undefeated after turning pro in 2011 leading up to his world title shot. Relikh owns wins over veteran contenders Christian Ariel Lope, Joaquim Carneiro and Lazaro Santos de Jesus.

Posted on 04/04/2017

Boxing Insider Notebook: Pacquiao, Helenius, Alvarez, Chavez, Chisora, and more…
Compiled By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of March 28th to April 4th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Pacquiao to Possibly Face Jeff Horn

Bob Arum recently stated that Manny Pacquiao and Jeff Horn may face each other in the summer after Pacquiao abandoned the planned fight to pursue a showdown with Amir Khan.

This fight is being discussed to take place in Australia, but no set date or venue has been established.
Arum is currently working on finalizing the deal, but nothing has been set in stone yet.

Helenius and Chisora Ready to Renew Rivalry

Robert Helenius (24-1, 15 KOs) and Dereck Chisora (26-7, 18 KOs) came face-to-face for the first time since their controversial December 2011 showdown today at the Hotel Kamp in Helsinki, Finland as they prepare to renew their rivalry on May 27.

Helenius was awarded a split decision victory in their first bout, despite many people believing the British boxer did enough to win. Chisora now has the chance to settle the score when they return to the Hartwall Arena to contest the WBC Silver World Heavyweight title in a hotly anticipated rematch.

Chisora is coming off the back of another contentious decision in a ‘fight of the year’ contender versus countryman Dillian Whyte, while Helenius has scored back-to-back knockout victories against Konstantin Airich and Gonzalo Omar Basile.

‘’I don’t think Robert took me seriously last time,’’ said Chisora. ‘’But this time he will need to train harder than ever. I’m going to take him to places he has never been before, and I’m going to stop him. I’m not playing around. This guy is in trouble. When I come back to Helsinki, I’m going to be in war mode.”

‘’I’m looking forward to this fight,’’ said Helenius. ‘’Dereck is a tough fighter and I think we will put on a great show for the fans. My hand was raised after our first fight and I can’t see any other outcome this time. This is a big opportunity for me. A victory will bring me closer to a World title fight, and that is my goal.’’

‘’This is going to be the biggest fight on Finnish soil in recent history,’’ said promoter Nisse Sauerland. ‘’It’s a fight that’s been six years in the making, and we’re delighted to be back in Helsinki and back at the Hartwall Arena.’’

Canelo Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. Coming Live to the Big Screen on May 6th

Cinemas across the U.S. will play host to a Cinco de Mayo weekend mega-fight with a pulse-pounding live broadcast event featuring two of Mexico’s finest boxers: “Canelo Álvarez vs. Julio César Chávez, Jr.” in a historic showdown that will rival the biggest fights in Mexico’s rich boxing history. Two-division world champion Canelo Álvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) will square off against former WBC World Middleweight Champion Julio César Chávez, Jr. (50-2-1, 32 KOs) in a 12-round battle.

Presented by Fathom Events and Golden Boy Promotions, the one-day cinema broadcast is set for Saturday, May 6 at 6:00 p.m. PT / 7:00 p.m. MT / 8:00 p.m. CT / 9:00 p.m. ET, live from the sold-out T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In addition to catching all the in-ring action up close and personal, event attendees will receive an exclusive commemorative fight mini-poster.

Tickets for “Canelo Álvarez vs. Julio César Chávez, Jr.” can be purchased beginning Friday, April 7, 2017 online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). A complete list of theater locations will be available April 7 on the Fathom Event’s website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

On May 5, 2016, Álvarez celebrated T-Mobile Arena’s first boxing event with a knockout of Amir “King” Khan. Álvarez last fought on September 17, 2016, knocking out the previously undefeated WBO junior middleweight champion Liam Smith. Chávez, Jr. was last in action on December 10, 2016, when he secured a unanimous decision victory over highly-regarded German fighter Dominik Britsch.

Álvarez says, “Julio César Chávez, Sr. is one of the best, if not the best fighter in history. I grew up watching him and learned a lot from him, but that won’t have any influence when I fight his son… I want to remind you that when two Mexican fighters face-off, a spectacular show is guaranteed, and I can assure you that May 6 will be no exception.”

“This is going to be a tough fight. Every fight is important, and this one especially because it is between two Mexicans fighting each other for the glory,” Julio César Chávez, Jr. said. “I’m going to win, but my country will too, because this is the fight that boxing needs.”

Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions said, “Mexican boxing is the best, and when you have these two top boxers who want to give the best to the fans, we couldn’t pass it up. Canelo, the biggest boxing star, will take on not only a former world champion in Julio César Chávez, Jr., but the son of the biggest star in the history of boxing in Mexico.”

“There’s nothing like seeing these warriors – Canelo Álvarez and Julio César Chávez, Jr. – do battle, larger than life, on the big screen,” John Rubey, CEO of Fathom Events said. “It’s like having a real ring-side experience in your local cinema surrounded by other fans!”

Samuel Clarkson Laser-Focused on Interim WBA World Title Fight

A laser-focused Samuel “Main Event” Clarkson (19-3, 11 KOs) will step onto the world stage on Friday, April 14, as the Uprising Promotions light heavyweight faces unbeaten prospect Dmitry Bivol (9-0, 7 KOs) for the Interim WBA World Championship. The bout will serve as the feature attraction of ShoBox: The Next Generation, with the fight taking place at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md., just outside of Washington, D.C.

“Preparation for this fight has been awesome. I’m ready, and I’m excited,” said Clarkson, who moved his training camp to New York for this bout. “I will definitely owe this victory to New York City and of course Uprising Promotions, Ronson Frank and my dad. This was a very hard camp, but it has made me mentally become a stronger person. Physically, I’m definitely a stronger person. Going through life from this day forward, I’m just a different person.”

A Texas native, Clarkson and his father/head trainer, Samuel, Sr., opted to move this camp to New York where Uprising Promotions President Ronson Frank has been able to secure sparring with many of the top prospects in the region.

“Preparation in New York has been awesome,” Clarkson continued. “I’m not taking anything away from my people in Dallas, but I came out here and got exactly what I wanted. I stepped out of my comfort zone, and we’re ready for war now. All the hard work is just about done.”

Clarkson has gone unbeaten since joining Uprising Promotions and is currently riding a nine-bout winning streak. Among those victories included a decision over former world title challenger Cedric Agnew and knockouts of highly touted prospects Jerry Odom and Lavarn Harvell on ShoBox. The 26-year-old pugilist has been continually improving and showing significant growth since signing with Uprising Promotions in 2015, and a newfound dedication to his craft now leads him into the biggest opportunity of his professional career on April 14.

“Coming here and being out of our comfort zone has been great for two key reasons,” said Samuel Clarkson, Sr., who has worked alongside his son throughout his amateur and professional campaigns. “For one, this has enabled Samuel to fully prepare mentally. Two, the quality of sparring we have gotten has been tremendous. We have sparred with some top quality guys here in New York. Being embraced by all of these highly skilled fighters in New York has just made this whole thing a great experience. We’re really thankful to have this opportunity.”

Uprising Promotions President Ronson Frank, who initially started the promotion in 2013 to help himself get fights as an undefeated light heavyweight prospect, has aggressively build the foundation for his company over the past four years and feels very confident as its lead stablemate heads into this world title opportunity.

“Camp has been great, and everything has gone very smoothly,” said Frank. “We have a nice, strong game plan, and we have put in all of the preparation necessary to be ready for a fight like this. We are good to go and can’t wait until the fight.”

Standing opposite Clarkson on April 14 will be Bivol, who had an extensive amateur career that he finished off with a record of 285-15. The 26-year-old won the Interim WBA Light Heavyweight Title last May in Moscow with a unanimous decision over previously undefeated Felix Valera.

“We have some tricks up our sleeves,” Clarkson concluded. “Fans are definitely going to see an amazing fight. Anybody who knows me, you know I’m going for the knockout. If it shows up early, we’re taking it. If it’s later in the rounds, then that’s where we’ll take it. I’m just coming, and I’m going to be vicious. I’m always aggressive. I’m not afraid of this guy, so people are going to see a really exciting fight from bell to bell.”

Diego De La Hoya to Headline Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN on May 18th

Looking to continue his meteoric rise up the Super Bantamweight division, undefeated WBC Youth World Champion Diego De La Hoya (17-0, 9 KOs) will headline the Thursday, May 18 edition of Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN in a 10-round battle against crafty veteran Erik Ruiz (16-6-1, 6 KOs) at Casino Del Sol Resort in Tucson, Arizona and televised on ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes starting at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST.

“I’m excited and thankful to be headlining Golden Boy Promotions’ new venture with ESPN in Tucson!” said Diego De La Hoya. “I have a tough opponent in Erik Ruiz, but I’ll be more than ready for him! I know ESPN is expecting great matchups from Golden Boy, and this fight is no exception!”

“I am thrilled to be getting the opportunity to fight Diego De La Hoya,” said Erik Ruiz. “I’ve had many ups and
downs in my career and I know a win against Diego can help erase some of those bumps. This fight has given me a renewed motivation. Only in boxing can one win change your life and a win against De La Hoya can change mine for the better. This will be a great fight for the fans!”

“We are thrilled to be adding Casino Del Sol Resort as one of our designated ESPN stops as an effort to ensure that fight fans around the country have the opportunity to see top talent give all they have in the ring,” said Golden Boy Promotions Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Diego is a natural in the ring and he’ll do anything to make sure he takes back home that belt. On the other hand, Erik Ruiz will look to vindicate himself, and will not hold back on Diego.”

US Olympian Nico Hernandez Building Wichita into a Fight Town

Last Saturday night at Kansas Star Arena in nearby Mulvane, 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Nico Hernandez planted a seed in hopes of growing Wichita into a fight town, as world champions Terence Crawford and Deontay Wilder have already accomplished in the respective hometowns, Omaha (NE) and Birmingham (AL).

More than 3,100 fans purchased tickets Hernandez’ successfully professional debut, stopping Pat Gutierrez in the fourth round. To put that attendance figure in its proper perspective, Wichita has a population of less than 400,000 and in this hoop-crazed state, the appropriately named “KO Night Boxing: History Begins” went head-to-head with the popular Kansas Jayhawks quintet playing on national television in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball championship, as well as The Wichita Force playing at home in indoor football.

The 21-year-old Hernandez is practically a sports franchise in Wichita, second only to the Wichita State University (WSU) men’s basketball team. The city turned out in force at a parade honoring Hernandez upon his return home from the Olympics and WSU awarded him an open-ended four-year college scholarship.

“The show was a huge success and Nico, as a pro fighter, produced a more complete body of work than we had expected,” Hernandez’ promoter John Andersen (KO Night Boxing) said. “I was very impressed. His amateur background converted to an even better pro style. It really showed his potential and that’s one of the primary reasons we signed him. We really believed in Nico. He is the only fighter we have signed, right now; Nico is our stable! We see things from a different angle than big-time promoters. We understood that he’s a hometown hero, so we had him headline at home his pro debut on national television (CBS Sports Network). We produce our shows on television and we enjoy telling stories like Nico’s. We’d like to come right back to Wichita with Nico fighting in June.”

Lifelong Kansas Sean Wheelock, a non-paid member of the Kansas Athletic Commission that oversees boxing, in addition to calling last Saturday’s fights as a member of the KO Night Boxing announcing team on CBS Sports Network, has a unique perspective on the significance of last Saturday evening’s in terms of local boxing history.

“It was huge for Kansas boxing,” Wheelock explained, “the biggest show in this state since the Tommy Morrison Era (early-to-mid 1990’s). Morrison was an adopted son, though. Nico was born here and he has a deep investment in the Wichita community. Drawing 3000-plus for his pro debut, in a non-boxing market, was phenomenal and he has the potential to do what Crawford has done in Omaha and Wilder in Birmingham. Boxing has strong roots in Kansas and across the Midwest, but MMA has taken over and lately, most boxing in Kansas has been on hybrid shows with MMA and kickboxing.

“Fans were loudly chanting, ‘Nico’ and ‘316’ (Wichita’s area code) before, during and after his fight. I’ve never heard fans chanting for a city like they did, ‘Wichita’, for an individual athlete. And they were also chanting ‘USA’. As a native Kansas, I’m proud that this state has become more ethnically and culturally diverse with more Hispanics living in Wichita. Nico is engaged in the Hispanic community and he is a fantastic kid, too. Because of his personality and fighting style, he can draw locally from Wichita, throughout all of Kansas, and nationally among Hispanics and Americans across the country because of his accomplishment in the Olympics.”
Hernandez is also fighting in one of the hottest divisions in boxing — 115-pound junior bantamweight/super flyweight — showcasing name fighters such as Naoya Inoue, Roman Gonzalez, Carlos Cuadras, Juan Francisco Estrada and recent addition Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. Conspicuously absent, however, are top 20 ranked American fighters in this weight class, excluding 36-year-old Brian Viloria, the four-time, two-division (junior flyweight and flyweight) world champion. The opportunity is right there for Hernandez to quickly establish himself as the preeminent American boxer in this weight class.

“There’s no reason for Nico to fight outside of Wichita for a couple of years as he develops,” Andersen noted. “I feel that he can win a regional title next year. Our goal is to have him in a world title fight position within three years. Our goal is to get him 13 to 15 fights and then promote a super fight in Wichita. He started out in a six-round fight. I think he’ll only have a couple more and then move up to eight-round bouts.

“Nico doesn’t waste a lot of punches, so the number of scheduled rounds won’t be a problem for him. Another fighter would have punched himself out in two rounds, fighting at home in front of a crowed like he had supporting him, but Nico showed tremendous poise, settling down and putting his punches together very well. He didn’t chase Gutierrez, he effectively cut off the ring, and his powerful body attack was something he didn’t do as an amateur. We wanted to see how he reacted to resistance and he passed that test with flying colors.”

Andersen noted that his company has promoted several successful shows, noting the big difference is last weekend’s show featured a world-class fighter in Hernandez. “Making the Olympics was a big deal for Nico,” Andersen added, “whether he medaled or not. Nico is to us what Manny Pacquiao is to Top Rank, ‘Canelo’ Alvarez to Golden Boy. We’re lucky to start out with a fighter like Nico. Fighting in Wichita was risk for everybody but it’s already paying dividends.

“We know who and what we are as a promotional company. Nico is our top priority, our only fighter right now, and now we have a great opportunity to build off last weekend’s success. We give Nico all the attention he deserves and he’s going to take advantage of this situation. And we also discovered that there’s some other talented boxers in this market. Whit Hayden did a wonderful job making very competitive fights. That’s his history, he never has blowouts. Whit is one of the most knowledgeable people I know in boxing. He’s the perfect matchmaker to guide Nico’s career, along with Nico’s father (head trainer) Lewis Hernandez, who we work closely with in many ways, in and out of the ring.”

Posted on 03/28/2017

Boxing Insider Notebook: Golovkin, Canelo, Fortuna, Chavez, Lemieux, and more..
Compiled By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of March 21st to March 28th, covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

Gennady Golovkin’s Promoter Tells TMZ Canelo Alvarez Fight Needs to Happen

Gennady Golovkin’s promoter told TMZ that the Canelo Alvarez fight needs to happen and that both sides want it done and that there’s just way too much money to be made.

Golovkin’s promoter, Tom Loeffler, says he’s been in serious talks with Golden Boy about a possible September date as long as Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. doesn’t beat Canelo in May.

He also indicated that there’s a lot of options for a venue, including Madison Square Garden and T-Mobile Arena.

Read more at: http://www.tmz.com/2017/03/25/gennady-golovkin-promoter-canelo-alvarez-fight/

Javier Fortuna Renews Promotional Agreement with Sampson Boxing

Former WBA Featherweight and Super Featherweight Champion Javier “El Abejon” Fortuna (31-1-1, 22 KOs) has renewed his long-term promotional agreement with promoter Sampson Lewkowicz and Sampson Boxing.

From La Romana, Dominican Republic, the 27-year-old Fortuna has won two straight since dropping his super featherweight belt in a shocker against Jason Sosa in June 2016. He came back with an impressive two-round blowout of fellow Dominican Marlyn Cabrera in September 2016 and then, in November took the undefeated record of Delaware’s Omar “Super O” Douglas by unanimous decision.

“Sampson Lewkowicz is and always will be my promoter,” said Fortuna. “He has done right by me and my career at every turn. I will be world champion again with Sampson in my corner.”

Lewkowicz, who says he’s working on a big fight for Fortuna, says Fortuna has become like family.
“Javier is a son to me. I am honored to be his promoter and look forward to continuing to work for him. He is a great champion with many great fights left. After he won his first title, he told me we would work together for his entire career and he has kept his word. I will do everything to make him a champion again.”

Hasim Rahman Jr. Pro Debut Moved to Friday, April 14th

When promoter Greg Cohen announced he had finalized arrangements for his next event, the decision to delay his promising heavyweight hopeful, Hasim Rahman Jr.’s, professional boxing debut two more weeks became an easy one.

Originally scheduled to turn professional on March 23, Baltimore native Rahman will now have his first four-round fight in front of a huge contingent of hometown family and friends on Friday, April 14, at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md.

Rahman will face Kansas City’s Brian Imes (1-4, 1 KO) on the non-televised undercard portion of an event that features the live telecast of undefeated Dmitry Bivol defending his interim WBA Light Heavyweight title against Samuel Clarkson in the 12-round main event of a ShoBox: The New Generation tripleheader (10 p.m. ET/PT). In the co-feature, unbeaten welterweight prospects Juan Ruiz and Malik Hawkins will square off in an eight-round bout, and Baltimore’s undefeated featherweight Glenn Dezurn will open the telecast.

Tickets for the event, which is co-promoted by Greg Cohen Promotions and Banner Promotions in association with World of Boxing and Uprising Promotions, are priced at $103, $73 and $48 and can be purchased at www.TicketMaster.com.

“You only get one pro debut, so when Greg announced this show, he and I thought it would be a great idea for me to turn pro on this show instead, in front of my hometown friends and family,” explained Rahman.
The 25-year-old, son of Hasim “The Rock” Rahman, who famously knocked out Lennox Lewis in April 2001 to win the WBC and IBF Heavyweight Championships, says to being at home is a very important part of his mission.

“I’m doing this for my family and my friends and my city, so I think I should start right in front of them,” Rahman continued. “And someday I’ll bring them back the heavyweight championship. I can’t wait to fight on the same show as my brother with all my loved ones watching. It’s going to be a very big night.”
“We didn’t get the final word we were doing the Maryland show until a few days ago,” said Greg Cohen. “But once we knew it was happening, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to let Hasim Jr. turn pro at home. It just worked out perfectly.”

Barry Tompkins will call the ShoBox action from ringside with Steve Farhood and former world champion Raul Marquez serving as expert analysts. The executive producer is Gordon Hall with Rich Gaughan producing and Rick Phillips directing.

David Lemieux and Joseph Diaz Added to Canelo vs. Chavez Jr. HBO PPV Telecast

Less than two months after delivering the top knockout of 2017, Canadian knockout artist David Lemieux (37-3, 33 KOs) will return in a 10-round fight against Marco “Dorado” Reyes (34-4, 25 KOs) as the chief support to the highly anticipated battle between Canelo Álvarez and Julio Cesar Chávez, Jr. on Saturday, May 6. The mega-event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Opening up the stacked Cinco de Mayo weekend card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, former U.S. Olympian and current undefeated NABF Featherweight champion Joseph “JoJo” Diaz, Jr. (23-0, 13 KOs) will face perhaps his toughest challenge to date when he defends his title against the undefeated Manuel “Tino” Avila (22-0, 8 KOs) in a 10-round battle.

These two fights along with the main event and the previously announced brawl between Argentinian slugger Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (37-4, 34 KOs) and Emmanuel “Tranzformer” Taylor (20-4, 14 KOs) will round out the pay-per-view telecast on Saturday May 6.

“With three of Golden Boy Promotions’ most exciting contenders appearing on the pay-per-view, as well as the biggest star in the sport, Canelo Álvarez, the Cinco de Mayo card can be described in one word, ‘stacked’,” said Golden Boy Promotions Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “I fully expect four action-packed fights that will have fans out of their seats for the entire evening.”

The hard-hitting Lemieux is riding a three-fight winning streak and was last seen delivering a thunderous third-round knockout of the highly touted Curtis “Cerebral Assassin” Stevens that has put the Canadian directly back into the title picture.

“I’m thankful to have the opportunity of being part of this event during the Cinco de Mayo celebrations,” Lemieux said. “I think I was able to send a clear message on March 11 with my performance against Stevens and I intend to do the same on May 6. I want to make sure that everyone understands that David Lemieux is making his way towards the top and that he intends to stay there.”

Reyes, a 29-year-old former WBC FECOMBOX middleweight champion, has knocked out 25 opponents and went toe-to-toe with Chavez, Jr., in a unanimous decision defeat that many spectators had closer than what came up on the scorecards.

“I know everyone is talking about the Lemieux knockout, but I’m ready to take him out,” Reyes said. “With my Mexican fans supporting me on Cinco de Mayo weekend, I’m ready to turn Lemieux’s lights out.”

“Following his performance against Curtis ‘The Cerebral Assassin’ Stevens at Turning Stone Resort Casino, fight fans wanted to see David in the ring again as soon as possible,” said Eye of the Tiger Management President Camille Estephan. “Being part of such a tremendous card that will be featured on May 6 with eyes on us from all around the world represents an incredible showcase opportunity. We are convinced that David will shine. He is in great shape and is more motivated than ever to conquer the top of the middleweight division,”

In the opening battle of the HBO Pay-Per-View telecast, two undefeated fighters will go toe-to-toe with both Joseph Diaz, Jr. and Manuel Avila risking their undefeated records for a chance at greater glory.
“I’m excited to return for the first time in 2017 and put my title on the line against such a tough competitor,” Diaz, Jr. said. “This fight will put me one step closer to a world title shot.”

“This is a golden opportunity to move myself into world title contention, and I’m not planning to let that chance slip away,” Avila said. “I know all about JoJo’s undefeated record, but he’s never faced anyone like me, and at the end of the night, my hand will be raised in victory.”

Preliminary bouts for the May 6 show will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets for a closed circuit viewing of the fights at the Grand Ballroom at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino are on sale for $75, not including applicable fees. All seats are general admission and can be purchased at the MGM Grand box office or by phone with a major credit card at 800-745-3000.

Helenius and Chisora Set for Huge Heavyweight Rematch

Robert Helenius (24-1, 15 KOs) and Dereck Chisora (26-7, 18 KOs) are set for a huge heavyweight rematch on May 27 at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland.

There is a lot of the line for both men, in what promises to be the biggest fight on Finnish soil in recent history, with both the WBC Silver World Heavyweight title and a shot at the current WBC World Champion Deontay Wilder up for grabs.

Helenius holds a controversial split decision win over Chisora from their all action showdown in December 2011, which many believed the British boxer did enough to win. However, the Finnish fighter says this time the decision will be left in no doubt.

‘’Chisora is a good fighter and I’m expecting a tough fight, but I’m very confident I will win,’’ said the 33 year-old. ‘’Before our first match, I injured my right shoulder and had to fight for twelve-rounds with just one arm. If I was able to beat him with one arm, I don’t see any problems beating him when I have two.

‘’I am in great shape now, and I feel stronger than ever. It’s been a long road back since my shoulder operation, and I’ve been waiting a long time for an opportunity like this. I believe I am ready, and after I beat Chisora, I will be in a good position to challenge for the World title.’’

‘’I’m looking forward to going back to Helsinki and putting on another great show for the fans,’’ said Chisora. ‘’It’s a beautiful city with a lot of beautiful people. We had a lot of fun last time, and everyone knows who really won that fight. He can make all the excuses he wants, but that won’t help him on May 27.

‘’I feel like this is my time, I’m in my prime, and I can’t wait. I might be relaxed now, but when I leave London, I’m going to war. When I get on that flight I become a different person. Mr. Nice Guy is gone. It brings the vicious side out in me, and he’d better be ready!’’

‘’We’re delighted to be bringing this huge heavyweight attraction to Helsinki,’’ said promoter Nisse Sauerland. ‘’The first fight between Robert and Dereck was something special, and this promises to be even better. They’ve got unfinished business, and on May 27, they’ve finally got the chance to settle the score.’’

Tickets for the WBC Silver World Heavyweight Championship clash between Robert Helenius and Dereck Chisora will go on sale Monday, March 27 at 9.00 (EET) and are available online via www.ticketmaster.fi or by calling the ticket hotline on 0600 10 800.

Life Saving Brain Scanners Debut at Exclusive Boxing Event in Malta

Last Friday evening the cream of Maltese Glitterati descended on the Le Meridien Hotel in St Julian’s, Malta, for a rather exclusive Professional Boxing event, sanctioned by the British & Irish Boxing Authority (BIBA) in conjunction with the Malta Boxing Commission (MBC).

With tickets priced at almost ten times the normal for a boxing event in the Mediterranean haven, joining the rich and famous from the Islands were in excess of sixty international high rollers, each and every one of them attending to support Damon Booth as he made his professional boxing debut, against Ireland’s Marty Kayes, as well as to watch the highly decorated multi-World Champion Scott Dixon in action against England’s Will Cairns

However, those in attendance for the swanky event were totally unaware that in the background was an historic event also taking place, as for the first time on the Islands and only the second time ever at a professional boxing event anywhere in the World, the ground breaking hand held Infra-Scanners, that can detect bleeds to the brain of the combatants, were in action both pre and post fights.

The Infra-Scanners, that were successfully introduced by the BIBA just two weeks prior, at an event in Paisley Scotland, following a number of high profile life changing head injuries incidents at professional boxing events in the UK last year, most notably the death of Scottish Boxer Mike Towell, even though these tragic incidents were on events sanctioned by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) and not by themselves.

The Infra-Scanner is a hand held brain scanner that is designed to detect bleeding on the surface of the brain inside the skull, so epidural and subdural bleeds, which are the common bleeds associated with an impact to the head, ones that can commonly cause life changing injuries or in the worse case scenario, death, in a short space of time.

Within Boxing, the Infra-Scanner is not intended to replace an MRI scan, which is required annually for Professional Boxers, but allows Doctors at Ringside to undertake a two or three minute scan, to determine if as a result of the boxing match that a boxer may have sustained an epidural and subdural bleed to the head.

Should the scan produce a positive result this will enable the Ringside Doctors to ensure that the Boxer is admitted immediately to the nearest specialist unit, where the appropriate care can be undertaken.
Malta Boxing Commission (MBC) Chief Medical Officer and British & Irish Boxing Authority (BIBA) Medical Advisory Committee Member Dr Mark Xuereb spoke briefly after the successful introduction of the Infra-Scanners at the special event.

“My comments as a Boxing Doctor for both the MBC & BIBA and having been in this profession for in excess of ten years, I can say I’ve seen a lot of boxers and sometimes as a clinician the team has a dilemma do you refer to hospital or don’t you, which is a crucially important decision because you are potentially toying with death.

Without wanting to dramatize, this is a fantastic tool, the Infra-Scanner is a crucial tool to aid in that decision process. It’s easy, it’s simple, any paramedic or doctor can be trained to use it and it helps with the triage system, which is crucially important decision, because we decide what is current urgent versus future important.

We have guidelines for head injuries charting, whether to refer or not refer, as always this will not replace clinical assessment, however shall we say it fortifies and confirms your clinical hunch.
So easy to use, perfect, would I use in the future, absolutely, the research results are undeniable, and it’s making waves all over the world, so I would really like to thank whoever invented it because it is really going to help us as health & safety in any sport is first and foremost, brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, five stars and hopefully as it develops it will get smaller and lighter, although saying that must say it is already lightweight and reasonable in size, so brilliant all round.”

Maltese Heavyweight Billy Corito, who had attended the event became the first Maltese boxer to be scanned, even though he wasn’t boxing on the event had this to say about the technological breakthrough.
“I was overwhelmed to be asked by Dr Xuereb to be the first Maltese boxer to have a Brain scan using the infra-scanner.

Could not believe this little remote looking device can save a boxers life! It was so quick and easy to detect if I have an injury or blood on my brain or anyone else’s.

It was over in just a couple of minutes, so just imagine if all boxing federations have one of these on every boxing event how quick lives would be saved.

As the saying goes, boxing saves lives, well now its Infra-scanners who are saving lives”

Scott Dixon, who was the actual first competitor to be scanned post fight at the event also spoke about the infra-scanners and the positive effect he believes having them ringside will have on the sport.

I think it’s an absolute revelation that BIBA have now bought in the head scanners to Malta, before and after every contest, this is the way forward, the only way forward.

There have been a few fatalities in the ring and most notably when I had my first fight on Friday the 13th October 1995 my best friend James Murray died in the boxing ring.

It took me a long time to get over that and I always hoped and wished that the rules would become more stringent. Back then it was British Boxing Board of Control, but hey now the British & Irish Boxing Authority are ruling the waves now with their pro-active approach to boxer safety.

BIBA make it their number one priority to look after the fighters and that’s the way it should be, their regulations are amazing, so I’m delighted to be a BIBA license holder and to be the first boxer to undertake a scan after my fight here in Malta, forget the rest BIBA’s the best.

I came to Malta eleven years ago and when I came here boxing was virtually nonexistent, they never knew a left hook from a fishhook, but now they’ve progressed and moved forward, so much so that having the scanners here are leading the charge in boxer safety.

Scott then went on to praise the BIBA on their professionalism with regard to another of their procedures, this time regarding dope tests, particularly due to an unsavory brush with the local doping authority, who not only failed to follow correct procedures at one of his previous fights that was sanctioned by the Malta Boxing Association (MBA), but then decided to charge him with failing to undertake a doping request, which is currently under appeal.

“I’m also delighted that tonight BIBA even regulated the doping screening, I volunteered to take the tests as they were going to pick them at random which is standard procedure, but I volunteered as I have nothing to hide.

The true procedure is that you are notified before that you will be subject to dope testing, obviously like I said, I volunteered, I done one test before the contest.

After my fight I was escorted, to the dressing room, by BIBA officials, to make sure there was no dodgy business, I went straight to the dressing room and was observed and did another doping test.
Obviously both were clear, as always, because I’m a professional athlete, I’ve been a professional 23 years now.

Now I’ve done thirty dope tests during my career in total, the correct procedure is you be notified and like I said BIBA followed the correct procedure and in an appropriate manner.

I’m so pleased to be part of this set-up, I mean listen there are so many cowboys in this sport, let’s be honest you have the MBA here in Malta for an example, so if you want to join a circus you go with them, if you want to be part of a truly professional set up you go with MBC or BIBA, as they look after the fighters safety first and foremost and that’s the only way forward and that’s why we’ve gone with the top of the chain.”

Posted on 12/28/2016

Dillian Whyte Flags a Possible Next Opponent and Signals WBC Title Ambitions
By: G.E. Simons

Dillian Whyte has confirmed his interest in facing former WBC world champion Bermane Stiverne, in what could provide a final eliminator for the right to challenge current WBC heavyweight title holder Deontay Wilder.

Whyte’s options became more interestingfollowinghis wafer thin victory over Dereck Chisora in their chief supporting clash on the Joshua/Molinacard in Manchester, England on 10th December.

Theirs was always going to be the fight most likely to ignite the Warehouse City night, before Anthony Joshua offered Eric Molina the opportunity to take a look at his IBF belt and enjoy a payday as part of his visit to the once industrial north – and so it was.

The dark vaudeville of the build up saw glasses of SKY Sports water thrown, press conference tables flipped and see-you-outside threats made, that ominously suggested the violence might be taken out of the workplace and into a far more domestic argument.

So it was no surprise that the fight itself played out with a brutal intensity reminiscent of a brawl between cuckolded steelworkers on a gravel car park illuminated by the headlights of parked up big rigs.

It was a great domestic settler, borne of genuine needle between two very similar fighters but at very different stages of their careers. The action confirmed the pugnacity that we know Chisora possesses and rubber-stampedthe toughness of Whytewhich we witnessed in his defeat to Anthony Joshua.

Dereck Chisora is unsurprisingly keen on a rematch because it sure was close, but a replay offersonly the revenues it will generate rather than the athletic challenge or the chess board move it represents for him career wise.

Chisora now finds himself check mated in the ‘bloody good opponent’ category for any rising young prospect and one who, for the next 24 months at least, will provide a searching examination of his opponent’s heart, chin and will to win.

Whyte however has now passed that examination, enjoys a #9 WBC ranking and payday aside, has no conceivable motivation to be re-examined by Del Boy.

Stiverne, the Las Vegas based Haitian, possesses a credible record in contemporary heavyweight terms, consisting of 25 wins with 21 stoppages, a single draw and just two defeats. The last of which being a defiant unanimous decision loss to Wilder in 2015, where the WBC title changed hands.

Since that loss Stiverne rebounded with an unremarkable points victory over professional opponent DerricRossy at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
ADecember 17thdate in Ekaterinburg, Russia with Alexander Povetkin to contest the WBC Interim title was next.

But.

20 hours before the ring walks Povetkin returned positive results for the muscle-building substance obstarine, from tests taken on 6th December.

The WBC withdrew its sanctioning.

Andrey Ryabinsky,Povetkin’s promoter described the positive test as “not clear where it came from.”

Stiverne flew home to Las Vegas, saying “There’s no reason to fight if the WBC won’t sanction the bout.”

Povetkinscored a 6th round knock out of late replacement Johann Duhaupas in a then dubious and pointless work out.

A new sample provided by the Russian to the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) a week after the original tests, returned a negative result

Povetkin has retained his #1 WBC ranking and is back in the mix, but the latest complications offerDillian Whyte the potential for real progression within the World Boxing Council landscape by slipping in to secure a fight with the man-sized, #2 rankedBermaneStiverne.

Elsewhere, the WBC ranks recent Matchroom Boxing acquisition Luis Ortiz at #3 and an active KubratPulev at #4, who also offer potentially interesting match ups for Whyte from within the WBC talent pool.

Whoever the opponent, Whyte appears to have wisely aligned himself with a sanctioning body in the WBC, where just one more fight could open the door to a crack at a title that connects Muhammed Ali to Larry Holmes to Mike Tyson to Lennox Lewis, against a current holder in Deontay Wilder who remains strangely disconnected from the general heavyweight discussion.

Posted on 12/23/2016

Best 10 Boxing Fights of 2016
By: Jordan Seward

With the new year approaching it’s time to reflect on the best boxing action of 2016, so in no particular order….

Orlando Salido vs Francisco Vargas

The two Mexicans treated us to a classic right up to the final bell for Vargas’ (23-0-2) WBC World Super Featherweight title. Vargas, coming off the back of Fight of the Year for 2015 faced a true, steely warrior in the 36-year-old Salido (43-13-4). It was a back-and-fourth slug fest between two champions who don’t know when to quit. In the end the pair couldn’t be separated and the judges correctly scored it a draw.

Tony Bellew vs Ilunga Makabu

The real life rocky story that saw Bellew (28-2-1) finally crowned a world champion. Just after starring in the new rocky film ‘The Bomber’ got his third bite at the cherry facing a dangerous and feared Congolese who had chalked up 18 knockouts in 19 fights. A packed crowed inside his beloved Everton football club’s stadium were stunned when Makabu (19-2) sent Bellew rolling over at the end of the first. The Everton man climbed off the canvas Balboa esque and rallied to stop Makabu in the third with a flourish of heavy punches to claim the vacant WBC World Cruiserweight strap.

Dillian Whyte vs Dereck Chisora

This one had it all. Filled with controversy from the start these two Heavyweights threw everything but the kitchen sink. A table was thrown though. At a press conference. Which, as a result meant the British title wasn’t on the line. But after all the talk, the bad mouthing and the attempted scrapping Whyte (20-1) and Chisora (26-7) done it properly in the ring and fought out a clean and action-packed-12-rounder. Both men were rocked and absorbed a lot of punishment, but Whyte’s superior stamina was just about enough to nick it for him on the judges’ scorecard by split decision.

Keith Thurman vs Shawn Porter

Thurman (27-0) was getting in the ring with probably the best opponent he’s faced. The only man to previously have defeated Porter (26-2-1) was Kell Brook, but, in a fierce competitive fight, Thurman successfully defended his WBA World Welterweight title dishing out Porter’s second loss of his career with a 115-113 unanimous decision. Although the announcement was greeted by booing, the stats suggested Thurman deservedly had his hand raised at the end, landing 43.6% of his punches while his opponent made 35.6%.

Andre Ward vs Sergey Kovalev

The fight that everyone scored differently. It was a fight we all wanted as soon as Ward made the jump up from Super-Middleweight. The defensive suave of Ward (31-0) met the aggressive power of ‘The Krusher’ (30-1-1) at the T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas. The American, fighting on home turf, was put down in the second round for only the second time in his illustrious career. But Ward, as Ward does, after falling behind on the cards managed to take the second half of the fight and claim Kovalev’s WBO, IBF and WBA Super World Light Heavyweight titles by unanimous decision.

Carl Frampton vs Leo Santa Cruz

After unifying his IBF super-bantamweight title by outpointing Scott Quigg, the Northern Irishmen capped off his impressive year by adding Leo Santa Cruz’s (32-1-1) WBA Super World Featherweight belt. ‘The Jackal’ (23-0) jumped up a weight division and battled it out with the Mexican champion in an absolute barn burner. After a hard and punishing 12 rounds it went to the judges’ scorecards and Frampton, was given the nod. Now, just for us, they’re doing it all again at the MGM Grand on the 28th January. Not a bad way to start the new year.

Hosea Burton vs Frank Buglioni

Words were exchanged between the pair in what was a heated build up to this Light-Heavyweight contest for the British title. But when the fighting started it quickly turned in to a very watchable and enjoyable scrap. Both Burton (18-1) and Buglioni (19-2-1) continuously plowed forwards, in attempts to assert their dominance. They were both taking serious damage and in the twelfth-round Burton’s chickens came home to roost. The 28-year-old was slowing down and deserved to hear the final bell but with just one minute left in the bout Buglioni landed some hurtful blows and the ref waved it off.

Thomas Williams Jr. vs Edwin Rodriguez

A fiery, hard fought contest… while it lasted. At the StubHub Center, on the undercard of Andre Berto’s knockout win against Victor Ortiz, Rodriguez, (28-2) displayed courage, grit, determination, and, a chin. In this two-rounder, it was Williams Jr (20-2) who was landing the more powerful and hurtful shots but a number of times Rodriguez remained upright and proudly came firing back. In the end, it took a monster left hook to knock the resolute 31-year-old out.

Gennady Golovkin vs Kell Brook

As far as unexpected fights go, this one took the biscuit. You couldn’t have called it. This was not a fight many had in mind, but, when it was made it was all the talk. The IBF World Welterweight champion, Brook, jumped up two weight division to face the feared Middleweight kingpin at the O2 Arena. Looking in great shape and as confident as ever the Englishman made a great start to the fight. However, as the fight went on we began to realise Brook wouldn’t be making history as Golovkin’s power started to take its toll and Brook’s trainer, Dominic Ingle threw in the towel stopping proceedings in the fifth round.

Anthony Crolla vs Ismael Barroso

After prizing away the WBA World Lightweight title from Darleys Perez in their second meeting, Crolla, (31-5-3)made his first defence against the man who, effectively, sent world title challenger Kevin Mitchell into retirement. As expected, the Venezuelan (19-1-2) started strong and, typical of a Joe Gallagher fighter, Crolla did not. He absorbed some early punishment and probably lost the first five rounds. It became clear after six though, that Crolla’s tactics were spot on, as the challenger noticeably began to tire. He had thrown all he had and was on empty, Crolla seized his chance and overwhelmed his opponent, eventually stopping him in the seventh.

Posted on 12/16/2016

Chisora vs Whyte – My Fight Of The Year
By: Oz Ozkaya

Well, well, well. It has been just over 5 months since I wrote a devastatingly harsh piece on the status quo of world level heavyweight boxing, and I am saddened to say that this notion was proven once again in Saturday’s underwhelming clash between IBF world champion Anthony Joshua and challenger Eric Molina. Prior to this, the recent fight between Luis Ortiz and Malik Scott in Monaco last month had a similar effect, in addition to the dire showing between Dereck Chisora and Kubrat Pulev that we witnessed back in May. Maybe I am being a little cynical with my criticism of Joshua, after all, it’s not his fault he’s easily able to knockout the mediocre opponents that are always put in front of him!

Yet, as you recall from my last heavyweight-boxing piece, I am here to say that there may yet be some brighter days ahead. Chisora and Dillian Whyte made me very aware of this during their undercard performance on the Joshua vs Molina show. They proved me and my anti-heavyweight division rhetoric wrong in such gladiatorial fashion that the main event that followed had a near impossible task of living up to it. I can’t remember the last time such a scenario occurred in boxing.

Chisora (26-7), a now 32-year-old veteran of the sport, behaved like a human rhino in the build up to the fight – puffing a lot of steam and making a lot of noises. One scene, in particular, resulted in a table being thrown in the middle of a press conference, this resulted in Chisora being slapped with a £30,000 fine and being handed a two-year ban (suspended) by the boxing authorities. Whyte, on the contrary, was in such a chipper mood during Chisora’s meltdown that he decided to goad and excite ‘Del Boy’ further, which accumulated in bottles being thrown from all corners and trainers and coaches alike looking for a piece of the action too.

Weeks before this, unsurprisingly, Chisora and Whyte had engaged in a near “fisty cuffs” affair at a Sky presser before being separated by a rather speedy army of security. Chisora, again, the culprit on that occasion that sparked the fire by exploding a bottle of water on Whyte (excuse the reverse pun) before motioning towards him in a “ready for battle” manner. This scene only fuelled public interest for the fight; I, however, still wasn’t convinced. After all, we have been here many times before with this overly scripted WWE styled melodrama, right?

For Chisora, many (myself included) had dubbed this fight as an almost ‘last chance saloon’ at the time of its announcement. Having previously fought and lost to Wladimir Klitschko, David Haye, Tyson Fury (twice) and Kubrat Pulev at world level, it would be easy to think that there aren’t many corners left for Chisora to turn to if he were to lose this one. But, lose he did. However, this is where the story gets interesting as I believe that Chisora did just about enough to take the victory on the night. Chisora was in the best shape and form of his career. It was a big change to the overweight and out of touch character that we had seen a few times in the past.

Dillian Whyte, on the other hand, will be overjoyed to have nicked the victory on Saturday. Only a year after his spectacular matchup with Anthony Joshua at the 02 Arena in London, Whyte looks more focused and better than ever. The one thing does remain from that loss to Joshua is that Whyte is still one hard-headed machine. A number of crushing haymakers and steely uppercuts Chisora landed on him were getting beyond countable towards the end. His resilience and determination were two factors that may have earned him the victory from those two judges. The split decision really did say a lot.

After the sluggish affair that followed this firework like frenzy, you may have wished that Joshua had been billed to fight one of these two instead. There was energy, determination, resilience and desire on both sides. And although it was originally only billed as a British title fight (which the boxing board subsequently aborted following the antics of Chisora) the fight actually lived up to world title level, which is fitting considering Whyte will now be one step closer in the eliminator contest for Deontay Wilder’s WBC crown.

On the night it was during the 5th round where I believe the show really took off between Chisora and Whyte. Chisora seemed more charged up at the start bell before he wobbled Whyte with a thunderous overhead right – a punch that may well have ended another opponent.

The following round it was clear to see that the adrenaline rush had slowed Del Boy down, and it was in this period where Whyte came back with some lethal combinations of his own.

In the 8th and 9th, both Men offered some sublime boxing virtuosity, Whyte, in particular, using some great jab for jab combinations and scoring intelligently against the now deflated Chisora. However, Chisora would go on to land another huge left hook that would have led you to believe it was the beginning of the end. Whyte was again resilient and somehow hung on in.

In the 10th Chisora excelled again by appearing to have landed the punches with greater effect, and I for one was stunned at how Whyte was able to sustain such power. At this point, I had a flashback to last year when Whyte so admirably gave Joshua his longest and most difficult fight.

As the 12th came around you wondered if either fighter had any energy left in the tank, but as their determination kicked in at the start of the bell you knew that it was going to end in an appropriate style. Both men extremely sluggish, but still had enough encouragement to try for the knockdown. It wasn’t to be, and Whyte nicked it 115-113. 115-114 to the one judge who scored it 115-114 to Chisora.

The aftermath reaction of the fight just goes to show the profound effect that this match has had, with many in the boxing business and outside calling for a second fight on its own headline. I don’t usually rant and rave about a heavyweight contest in the way that I am about this one, especially as I was adamant that it was going to be a lousy fight with two over deflated heavyweight’s looking for a fast payday, it just wasn’t to be.

I do feel slightly sorry for Chisora after this one though as his record now has another unnecessary blemish following his previous loss – another split decision to the fridge sized Bulgarian, Kubrat Pulev. Whyte should be in no rush for his heavyweight title chance if and when that comes against Wilder. He and his promoter should be thinking of getting in the ring with Chisora again, using the experience gained from the win and training that little bit harder to try and beat Chisora just that little bit more convincingly.

Hopefully, this match will invigorate the rest of the heavyweight division as more fights like this are most definitely needed to keep up public interest. Far too many pointless and unappetising showdowns have left many of us looking elsewhere for that quality boxing entertainment.

Dereck and Dillian, I tip my hat to you both!