Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Light-heavyweight world contender Joshua Buatsi ended a 50-week layoff as he cruised to a decision victory over ten rounds against Poland’s Pawel Stepien, ending the 32-year-old’s unbeaten streak in Birmingham overnight. Given the fanfare surrounding his exclusive BOXXER deal, many were left short-changed.
Continue reading “Buatsi measured in wide UD win vs. Stepien, but leaves you wanting more”
WBO interim super-middleweight champion John Ryder has insisted he hasn’t gone to Guadalajara, nor brought multiple team members with him, for a holiday before this weekend’s Mexico showdown. The 34-year-old has experienced an exhausting road to reach this point, but the timing couldn’t be any better to face the 168lb undisputed king Canelo Álvarez. Will it matter? Continue reading “John Ryder endured an arduous road to a Canelo title shot, at the best possible time”
Saturday proved a night to savour in Cardiff, as Joe Cordina regained the IBF world super-featherweight title he never lost in the ring – after emerging stronger from a pulsating 12-round war with unbeaten champion Shavkat Rakhimov. Read on as his promoter, Eddie Hearn, told me plenty afterwards. Continue reading “Eddie Hearn confirms plan moving forward for Cordina, Barrett and others”
Joe Cordina absorbed some big bombs and scored a sweet second-round knockdown of his own, en route to becoming a two-time world champion at super-featherweight, after navigating through danger before ultimately outpointing a relentless Shavkat Rakhimov showing via split decision (115-112, 114-113, 111-116) in-front of a boisterous Cardiff International Arena crowd.
Continue reading “Joe Cordina wades through danger, is two-time world champion after Shavkat Rakhimov battle”
322 days after experiencing the high of a lifetime on home soil in winning a world title, Joe Cordina seeks to do so again. Stripped after sustaining a freak injury, Shavkat Rakhimov pounced to seize a vacant IBF belt against Cordina’s compatriot Zelfa Barrett. Aware he’d face the 31-year-old in his first defence when fully healed, will the savvy southpaw depart Cardiff still unbeaten?
Continue reading “Cardiff beckons again for Joe Cordina, but Shavkat Rakhimov looks to play spoiler”
Having watched Tim Tszyu’s career-best win against former champion Tony Harrison on the Showtime broadcast earlier this month, undisputed light-middleweight titlist Jermell Charlo has provided an injury update and given a two-month summer timeline for the first defence of his 154lb titles. Continue reading “Jermell Charlo rehabbing broken hand, targets July-August for title defence vs. Tszyu”
“I was a little surprised but when I caught him, I knew he was hurt bad and didn’t want to show it because he’s a fighter,” Gervonta Davis declared post-fight. The 28-year-old improved to 28-0 (26 KOs) after a R9 TKO over WBA super-featherweight champion Hector Luis Garcia, inflicting the Dominican’s first professional defeat. However some hurdles remain, including an ongoing jury trial starting next month, before the Ryan Garcia megafight can be confirmed for April. Continue reading “Ryan Garcia next? Davis rocks, briefly blinds WBA super-featherweight titlist Hector Garcia in R9 TKO”
_1672889142.jpg)
Jaron Ennis acknowledges that trash talk isn’t his style, but the 25-year-old welterweight contender instead feels patience and persistence will aid him in a long-running effort to finally get a shot at the world titles. He faces Ukraine’s Karen Chukhadzhian in the co-main event of this weekend’s Gervonta Davis card, with the victor being rewarded the IBF’s interim belt.
Continue reading ““I do my talking in the ring,” Jaron Ennis insists before weekend’s bout against Karen Chukhadzhian”
Although it will have been at least a year since his last bout once the three-belt welterweight champion returns, Errol Spence Jr pushed back the idea of tune-up fights and said he wouldn’t be as motivated in training as he would if the opponent was a more known quantity who posed more danger. The 32-year-old, rumoured to defend his titles against PBC stablemate Keith Thurman next, is expected to finally face WBO champion Terence Crawford sometime this year.
Continue reading “Errol Spence Jr rubbishes idea of tune-up fights, with April-June timeline for his next bout”
Teofimo Lopez’s Takeback season continues against Spain’s Sandor Martin in the early hours on Sunday, as the 25-year-old former unified lightweight champion looks to continue his light-welterweight campaign with another standout showing. Judging by his bullish comments and a plan to shake up the landscape at 140lbs, will his latest challenge be all plain sailing? Continue reading “Teofimo Lopez vs. Sandor Martin: With big 2023 plans set, is Teo again overlooking his opponent?”
41 months after falling narrowly short in Russia, Anthony Yarde finds himself with a second chance to become a world champion at light-heavyweight in the new year. He came close against Sergey Kovalev, and now faces an even bigger task against a destructive puncher in Artur Beterbiev (18-0, 18 KOs), who has become more fearsome with age and title defences. Continue reading “Beterbiev vs. Yarde press conference: Regardless of the outcome, Jan. 28 will host a compelling watch”
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”
Mo and Sports 