Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Joe Cordina lost his IBF super-featherweight world title in startling fashion on Saudi shores seven months ago and while he’s been raring to go in a new weight division after suffering a first professional defeat, the Welshman doesn’t have leverage nor seemingly a promotional deal with which to pursue the big fights he’s long been coveting. That won’t stop him searching for more in 2025. Continue reading “After rollercoaster 2024, Cordina can’t wait to get into lightweight mix in 2025”
Press conference delays and an 11-minute staredown wasn’t exactly on the bingo card for Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2, deep into the depths of an eagerly-anticipated fight week, but at this stage nothing should come as a surprise. Jostling for heavyweight gold this weekend, it was advantage Usyk. Continue reading “Usyk-Fury 2: Tyson blinks first in 11-minute staring contest to finish presser”
Much has been said about the inclusion of a rematch clause if, in the event of a disastrous outcome, they want to run it back. Frank Warren is hopeful that they aren’t making a mistake, thrusting his prodigious teenage heavyweight into the evening’s co-feature against a world-level operator who boxed in an IBF final eliminator for world championship honours last August. Time will tell… Continue reading “Usyk-Fury 2: Warren hopeful they haven’t pulled the trigger too early with Itauma”
Having seen Tyson Fury narrowly miss out on undisputed heavyweight gold seven months ago today, Queensberry chief Frank Warren believes his man doesn’t have to make as many adjustments as some might think before his immediate rematch with Oleksandr Usyk this weekend. Instead, he told me, the outcome of their second Saudi showdown will come down to two factors. Continue reading “Usyk-Fury 2: Warren believes rematch is about attrition, who lost more in May?”
Not for the first time, WBA lightweight world champion Gervonta Davis has revealed a readiness to step away from the sport at the peak of his powers. 30 this year, a young father and aware of the sport’s tolls on his mental health – not to mention the physical sacrifices – this show of maturation has been long overdue. It doesn’t mean anyone’s ready to see him retire just yet, though. Continue reading “Gervonta Davis’ maturation feels long overdue – retiring in 2025 feels premature”
Richardson Hitchins declared he was on another level to Liam Paro, but needed to go prove it. That’s exactly what he did, earning a deceptively comfy SD12 (116-112 x 2, 111-117) victory over the now-former light-welterweight champion to seize the IBF world title and realise his championship aspirations three weeks before Christmas. Now though, comes the hard part heading into 2025. Continue reading “Hitchins humbles Paro in Puerto Rico to clinch IBF light-welterweight world gold”
Unbeaten light-welterweight contender Richardson Hitchins (19-0, #1 IBF) finally gets his chance centre-stage against Liam Paro on Saturday night in Puerto Rico and while the machismo has seemingly diluted any goodwill between the pair, the Brooklyn-born challenger respects a world champion he believes just isn’t good enough to match him down the stretch. Time will tell. Continue reading “Hitchins does rate IBF champion Paro; insists he’s a better boxer and will show it”
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”
Many expected this to be tactical and tense over twelve rounds. Instead, Olympic champion Galal Yafai wasted no time with a clinical showing en route to the seventh stoppage win of his career, clinching the WBC’s interim world flyweight title after a dominant display to banish Sunny Edwards’ revival ambitions. His ex-amateur rival announced an immediate retirement post-fight. Continue reading “Yafai stops Edwards in six to win WBC interim flyweight world title, rival retires”
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”
IBF welterweight champion Jaron Ennis dropped and outpointed Karen Chukhadzhian, leaving his hometown Philadelphia craving more. The Ukrainian’s improved fight and vigour after their previous meeting last April leaves Ennis questions to answer as defensive frailties leaked against a game opponent never expected to hear the final bell over 24 rounds – doing so twice. Continue reading “Bam blasts past Guevara, Boots leaves you wanting more in Chukhadzhian rematch”
Keyshawn Davis’ Norfolk homecoming went smoothly, as the world-level lightweight contender scored three knockdowns and delivered a vicious second-round stoppage win over an overweight Gustavo Lemos to boost genuine championship credentials in his first headline bout at the Scope Arena. Continue reading “Davis dices overweight Lemos in two, stakes claim for world title shot at 135lbs”
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