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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”
It was far from straightforward, but WBO cruiserweight world champion Chris Billam-Smith produced an inspired seventh round packed with body shots which eventually saw challenger Mateusz Masternak retire on his stool before the start of round eight, retaining world honours at 200lbs in an eventful first title defence at a tense Bournemouth International Centre on Sunday evening. Continue reading “Billam-Smith’s body shots force Masternak to retire after seven gruelling rounds, retains WBO cruiserweight world title”
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After more than 15 months out of the ring – largely due to factors out of his control – you can excuse WBA (Regular) World welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis for being a little impatient as far as assembling big bouts are concerned. Vergil Ortiz Jr is out indefinitely, though IBF interim titlist Jaron Ennis publicly put his name in the hat after dismantling Roiman Villa on July 8. Continue reading “As inactivity intensifies, Stanionis longs for a good dance partner – Ennis included”
Chris Billam-Smith weathered an early storm, taking Armend Xhoxhaj’s best punches before ultimately landing a devastating KO punch at the end of an eight-shot combo to finish 2022 with aplomb – remaining on course for a cruiserweight world title shot in the new year. Prior, there were contrasting stoppage victories for Dan Azeez and Caroline Dubois among others. Continue reading “BOXXER Bournemouth: Billam-Smith weathers Xhoxhaj storm in style, Azeez overwhelms Fielding”
With a potential cruiserweight world title shot against IBF titlist Jai Opetaia in the offing for 2023, Chris Billam-Smith can’t afford to overlook tough opposition when welcoming Kosovo’s Armend Xhoxhaj to Bournemouth tonight. Elsewhere at 175lbs, Dan Azeez dares to be great as he entertains world-level opposition in Rocky Fielding and more besides happens in 2022. Continue reading “BOXXER Bournemouth preview: Big stakes await Billam-Smith, Azeez-Fielding and more to finish 2022”
The dust has settled and with a rare weekend lacking big boxing or UFC fights, I reflect in detail on Vergil Ortiz Jr’s R9 TKO win over crafty British southpaw Michael McKinson three weeks ago. Ortiz Jr ended his long-awaited return while maintaining his stoppage streak (19-0, 19 KOs), but what’s next for him and McKinson – who feels this display shows he belongs at world level? Continue reading “Rewind: Vergil Ortiz Jr’s R9 TKO win vs. Michael McKinson, a look at what’s perhaps next for both”
Vergil Ortiz Jr ends a 53-week layoff later tonight (Sunday, 4am BST) as he faces fellow unbeaten boxer Michael McKinson in their WBA welterweight world title eliminator. Will the 24-year-old rising star have it all his own way, against a hard-working Brit, or is a surprise in store? Continue reading “Vergil Ortiz Jr vs Michael McKinson tonight: Time to shine bright, or a step too far?”
An untimely diagnosis, mid-fight week, means the highly-ranked welterweight prospect will have to wait indefinitely before rebooking what was to be his first in-ring appearance of 2022 against a bullish Brit making his US debut as two of the WBO’s top-5 at 147lbs were set to duel. Continue reading “Scary rhabdomylosis diagnosis forces Ortiz Jr out of weekend McKinson fight”
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