Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Nine months on from a defiant display on the Fabio Wardley vs. Frazer Clarke undercard, skilfully outpointing then-unbeaten contender Florian Marku, career welterweight Chris Kongo (17-2, 7 KOs) has returned on two Riyadh Season midweek shows against unheralded opposition and failed to kick on from a career-best win. 2025 must feature better matchmaking than this. Continue reading “Usyk-Fury 2: Chris Kongo leaves you wanting more to close midweek show”
After an eight-month absence through a freak injury and other commitments, former EBU European light-welterweight champion Adam Azim has already tabbed his second fight in three-and-a-half months as the unbeaten contender bids to win IBO world gold at 140lbs against former IBF world titleholder Sergey Lipinets, headlining a BOXXER show at Wembley Arena on February 1. Continue reading “Adam Azim vs. Sergey Lipinets for IBO light-welterweight world title on Feb. 1”
Harlem Eubank marked his return after a 378-day layoff with a scrappy decision victory over eight rounds against former French divisional champion Nurali Erdogan at welterweight, improving to 20-0 before insisting 2025 will be a big year after his proposed Adam Azim clash fell through over the summer months. Continue reading “Eubank outpoints Erdogan in Newcastle headliner at welterweight, eyes big 2025”
Chris Billam-Smith’s second pro career defeat in Riyadh this past weekend wasn’t one to be ashamed of, fighting through injury and a bad cut over twelve rounds against now-unified WBO and WBA cruiserweight world champion Gilberto Ramirez, who appears set for a Jai Opetaia unification in 2025. Billam-Smith’s trainer Shane McGuigan spoke well on social media about his charge. Continue reading “McGuigan: CBS boxed with a broken hand, rib injury and cut in Zurdo unification loss”
Chris Billam-Smith produced a spirited display but absorbed too much damage and that proved the precursor to an unsuccessful attempt at unifying the cruiserweight division, as newly-crowned WBA world titleholder Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez boxed clever en route to a 12-round unanimous decision win in their Riyadh main event on Latino Night, wrestling WBO championship gold his way. Continue reading “Zurdo outboxes Billam-Smith to unify WBO, WBA world cruiserweight titles”
Olympic bronze medallist Frazer Clarke saw his career-best night end rather disastrously on Saudi shores earlier this month and after the initial shock — surgery, well-wishes as well as accepting a lengthy rehabilitation process — had dissipated, the 33-year-old insisted he’s mentally up for the challenge once more after a R1 KO defeat by Fabio Wardley. Will his body follow suit? Continue reading “Frazer Clarke counting on experience as challenging recovery from KO continues”
Two-time world light-heavyweight title challenger Anthony Yarde makes his return this weekend after an eight-month layoff against another unknown opponent in Latvia’s 17-1 pro Ralfs Vilcans, aware that his contractual situation and existing future at world level remain unclear at a time where the divsional landscape is starting to become clearer after last weekend’s undisputed bout. Continue reading “Anthony Yarde clears air before Oct. 19 return, after signing one-fight Boxxer deal”
Queensberry’s new signing Fabio Wardley made good on his promise to produce a statement showing, blasting Olympic bronze medallist Frazer Clarke in their rematch to retain British heavyweight honours. Elsewhere, IBF cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia showed levels as he forced a merciful stoppage inside six rounds vs. European titleholder Jack Massey. Read on for more.
Continue reading “IV Crown undercard: Wardley ices Clarke in R1, Opetaia breezes past Massey and more”
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”
Seven months after their thrilling first contest for British heavyweight honours, Fabio Wardley vs. Frazer Clarke 2 feels like a fitting chief support bout before another division gets an undisputed world champion when unbeaten light-heavyweight pair Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol duel for a piece of boxing history. Read what all had to say, on the eve of weigh-in day in Riyadh. Continue reading “IV Crown: Final presser as war awaits in Wardley-Clarke 2, Beterbiev jaws at Hearn”
Hours after contrasting victories for Joshua Buatsi and Hamzah Sheeraz on the Joshua-Dubois undercard at a sellout Wembley show on September 21, I spoke to former WBO super-featherweight world champion-turned-analyst Barry Jones for his thoughts on both unbeaten boxers as well as previewing this weekend’s undisputed light-heavyweight showdown in Saudi Arabia. Continue reading “Barry Jones interview: Where next for Buatsi and Sheeraz? Beterbiev-Bivol pick”
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