Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
TOTTENHAM, NORTH LONDON — Chris Eubank Jnr started as he meant to go on during Thursday’s London press conference for his April 26 grudge match against Conor Benn, insisting he didn’t cross any lines before debunking Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn’s claims at a 60-40 financial split, among other public declarations. Continue reading “Eubank Jr verbally spars Hearn, refutes 60-40 claims, pledges £50k for nixed undercard”
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA — In the Mandarin Hotel’s lounge area, a fan spots Hamzah Sheeraz and asks for a picture. He’s not the only one. Soon enough one turns to three and before long, the 25-year-old’s engaging in conversation as he gears up for his maiden world title shot against WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames, some 11 miles from here, on February 22. Continue reading “Hamzah Sheeraz and embracing the weight of expectation”
Ben Shalom and Sky have embraced Adam Azim as their fast rising star, which the 22-year-old’s head coach Shane McGuigan believes is justified and reinforced by the increased maturity from an ambitious contender eager to assert himself on the world scene – starting with a former champion Saturday. Continue reading “McGuigan hails Azim’s maturity before Lipinets test, Billam-Smith’s return set”
Two-and-a-half years after their catchweight clash was set, then dramatically cancelled on fight week after news of a failed drug test, Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn will now box in a two-fight series later this calendar year. Continue reading “Chris Eubank Jr vs. Conor Benn: Two-fight deal set, rematch guaranteed by December”
BOXXER chief Ben Shalom was optimistic when previewing the 2025 calendar, providing updates across various weight divisions with activity and momentum in mind during the Azim-Lipinets media day before their first show this year in Sheffield, headlined by Callum Simpson on Saturday night. Continue reading “Ben Shalom: Riakporhe, Clarke and Whittaker all set to return in April”
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”
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”
Billed as a crossroads clash, this quickly proved anything but. Rising middleweight contender Hamzah Sheeraz wasted no time scoring a marquee maiden main event win and let his boxing talk for him, needing less than a full round to complete a stunning demolition job against former world title challenger Liam Williams as a shocked Copper Box Arena crowd watched on. Continue reading “Sheeraz swarms Williams, scores two knockdowns en route to fantastic R1 finish”
Janibek Alimkhanuly was patient, hurt Vincenzo Gualtieri repeatedly en route to a sixth-round stoppage win over the now-former IBF middleweight champion as the hard-hitting Kazakh scored a second KO in five months and successfully unified two titles at 160lbs overnight. Naturally, it’s only intensified his thirst to become undisputed but the division’s future at the top remains uncertain. Continue reading “Janibek Alimkhanuly unifies WBO, IBF middleweight world titles after logging R6 KO vs. gun-shy Vincenzo Gualtieri”
Chris Eubank Jr started well, didn’t get overzealous as many have come to expect, and was sharp with punch output en route to a tenth-round finish of a sluggish Liam Smith avenging his first career stoppage loss. Seven months later in the same venue, he silenced critics – at least for now – before calling out Conor Benn and two-time middleweight world champion Gennadiy Golovkin. Continue reading “Eubank Jr drops, stops Smith to score R10 finish with career-best display in rematch”
He told everyone that would listen. Yet you had to see to believe: Liam Smith becoming the first man to drop, and stop Chris Eubank Jr with a rather emphatic fourth-round TKO win during their PPV main event on January 21. Talk immediately turned to the latter’s rematch clause, a potential illegal elbow, weight complications and much more besides earlier this month. Continue reading “Rip up the script: Rewind to Liam Smith’s stunning R4 TKO win vs. Chris Eubank Jr, what’s next?”
His matchup against Liam Smith may be less than a month away now, but that hasn’t stopped former world title challenger Chris Eubank Jr from reiterating his desire to secure a Gennadiy Golovkin showdown in 2023 for the Kazakh’s middleweight world titles – while retaining an interest in rescheduling the Conor Benn matchup, despite the 26-year-old’s positive drugs test. Continue reading “Eubank Jr insists he wants once-cancelled Golovkin matchup in 2023, provided he beats Smith”
Mo and Sports 