Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Rafael Espinoza exceeded expectations as an unheralded underdog in the best way possible last December and two days shy of the one-year anniversary since his 12-round firefight with Robeisy Ramirez, the 30-year-old gets another opportunity centre stage to banish Olympic champion and former titleholder Robeisy Ramirez on a night headlined by two world championship rematches. Continue reading “Espinoza-Ramirez 2 fast approaching – the new champ’s saying all the right things”
Kicking off fight week in his homecoming bout, a crossroads world title eliminator against an uber-dangerous talent in Gustavo Lemos, unbeaten lightweight contender Keyshawn Davis knows he has a job to do. First, the 25-year-old talent will soak up another motivating moment alongside his two brothers celebrating the arduous path en route to this juncture. Continue reading “Keyshawn Davis’ homecoming one filled with jeopardy and much-needed intrigue”
IBF world welterweight champion Natasha Jonas intended to rematch Mikaela Mayer after their entertaining 10-round Liverpool headliner, but factors outside her control meant the American ventured elsewhere – beating a Brit in the process – to become a two-division world titleholder last month. Now, their paths may align next year as the Scouser eyes 2-3 more fights before retiring. Continue reading “Natasha Jonas clarifies stance on Mayer rematch, retirement and return timeline”
Unified middleweight world champion Janibek Alimkhanuly voiced his displeasure at having to travel for a mandatory defence, but after being hospitalised for dehydration deep into fight week before the original July 13 date, couldn’t afford to be picky against Andrei Mikhailovich on Friday night. Now, the unbeaten Kazakh’s doubled down on his undisputed ambitions. Continue reading “Deja vu? Janibek urges fellow middleweight world champions Adames, Lara for bouts after R9 Mikhailovich KO”
Sandy Ryan returned Stateside to defend her WBO world welterweight title, left empty-handed and with a burning sense of injustice after a series of events during an emotional fight week saw the 31-year-old narrowly lose a fiery 10-round majority decision against former amateur sparring partner Mikaela Mayer, who became a two-weight world champion at the second attempt. Continue reading “Mayer ekes out MD10 win vs. Ryan, who returns to Derby feeling serious injustice”
The risk vs. reward battle of their proposed IBF, WBO welterweight world title unification bout meant this was always an unlikely possibility given one boxer is aligned with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom stable, the other steadily built by ESPN and Bob Arum’s Top Rank machine – leverage, high asking prices, back-and-forth versions of transparency playing out in public is never a positive sign. Continue reading “Brian Norman vs. Jaron Ennis unification plans shelved after messy public discourse”
Why haven’t the WBC stripped him? Just another money grab, wasting his prime years. Those are some of the phrases used to describe Fury-Ngannou before their Riyadh showdown this weekend and as fight week begins, the outside noise will pale into insignificance once the two heavyweights from differing disciplines do battle after their loaded undercard on Saturday night. Continue reading “Fury-Ngannou: However you feel about it all, their lucrative exhibition bout is here”
Since being outpointed by Liam Walsh in November 2019, British lightweight Maxi Hughes has won seven straight – including clinching IBO world gold last time out at former featherweight titlist Kid Galahad’s expense. One-time unified lightweight champion George Kambosos Jr makes his Stateside return this weekend, though the 33-year-old is confident he’ll spoil it Saturday. Continue reading “Maxi Hughes saying the right things as Kambosos Jr awaits tomorrow night”
Teofimo Lopez is a world champion once more, this time at 140lbs, after embracing the outside noise – letting it fuel his fire in more ways than one – en route to an impressive unanimous decision win over former undisputed titlist Josh Taylor. The Scotsman started promisingly but was exposed defensively and had no answers, as the 25-year-old dazzled before threatening a late finish.
Continue reading ““Do I still got it?” Teofimo Lopez silences critics as he outboxes Josh Taylor in UD12, seizes WBO light-welterweight title”
During his post-fight press conference, WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury answered a range of questions while vowing to give fight fans the big bouts “they really crave,” insisting a unification bout against Oleksandr Usyk can happen in the first quarter of 2023, before a domestic duel against Joe Joyce later on in the year – with Wembley a mooted destination.
Continue reading “Fury feels 2023 will be his biggest career year as he assesses contrasting matchups with Usyk, Joyce”
The Takeover was rebranded as the Takeback, and former lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez did plenty to turn heads on his junior-welterweight debut against a gamely Pedro Campa overnight. The 25-year-old’s fast hands and vicious combos helped him secure a R7 stoppage before calling out all the champions and top contenders at 140lbs – eyeing a return on Dec. 10 at Madison Square Garden – rounding off the year with two fights in four months. Continue reading “The Takeback begins: Lopez overwhelms Campa, secures R7 TKO on junior-welterweight debut”
This was billed as a clash of two heavy-handed champions, yet it was the boogeyman at 175lbs who raced to score four knockdowns en route to maintaining his unblemished record (18-0, 18 KOs). For all the talk surrounding Anthony Yarde’s WBO mandatory status for another world title shot, it’s increasingly difficult to see the powerful Brit overcome this test later this year.
Continue reading “Beterbiev blasts past Smith Jr inside two rounds – sorry Yarde, there’s bigger fish to fry”
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