Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND — Tonight proved a fitting celebration of Derek Chisora’s career. Win or lose – plenty of both over an 18-year career – many fans and contemporaries travelled across the country to witness supposedly his final appearance on British shores, in appreciation of a national treasure. Continue reading “Derek Chisora drops Otto Wallin twice, wins 49th fight in Manchester headliner”
Now-former English heavyweight champion Solomon Dacres was left dazed on the canvas, his unbeaten record erased and an excellent training camp all for naught by a motivated challenger in David Adeleye during their long-awaited December duel. A first pro loss won’t define his rebuild, the 31-year-old insists. Continue reading “Dubois’ sparring partner Dacres optimistic after Adeleye loss, eyeing April return”
Frank Warren was left a nasty surprise ringside upon hearing the scorecards for Usyk-Fury 2, as the Queensberry chief has again had to console his man after Tyson Fury suffered a second consecutive defeat – this time a 12-round unanimous decision, compared to a split loss by the Ukrainian on May 18. Continue reading “Usyk-Fury 2: Warren anger at judges’ second-half scoring, Fury again falls short”
Oleksandr Usyk weighed in at a career-highest 221lbs on Friday – 55 pounds lighter than Tyson Fury – though while plenty was said in the build-up, whether it be judging replacements, rules meeting disputes and more drama besides, the Ukrainian did as he always does: win. Fury’s flashes of vigour and encouragement ultimately weren’t enough during their immediate rematch. Continue reading “Usyk weaves his magic to leave Fury flat, retains unified world heavyweight titles”
Fernando Barbosa, one of the agreed upon judges for this weekend’s much-anticipated heavyweight rematch, has fallen ill and needs replacing. The problem? Both camps want separate replacements to take his place and two US-based judges have flown to Riyadh as they seek every possible advantage… Continue reading “Usyk-Fury 2: Judge Barbosa falls ill, rival camps in dispute over replacement official”
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”
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?”
They did battle in Riyadh five months ago to widespread acclaim and rightly so, as an undisputed world heavyweight champion was crowned for the first time since Lennox Lewis 25 years prior. While a strict sanctioning body means not all the marbles – just unified titles – will be on the line a second time, that doesn’t detract from another compelling clash. Will we get a definitive ending here? Continue reading “Usyk-Fury 2 presser: A tantalising heavyweight rematch needing few words”
13 months ago, Daniel Dubois was downtrodden and downbeat on his way back from Wroclaw after suffering a second career defeat – this time with contentious circumstances preceding it – against Oleksandr Usyk. Who would’ve thought, little over a year later, that he’d have knocked out the country’s superstar at a record Wembley crowd and become a legitimate world titleholder himself? Continue reading “Dubois: My time and redemption story, after R5 KO world title win vs. Joshua”
There’s still life in the old boy, as Derek Chisora scored a ninth-round knockdown and edged beyond Joe Joyce in their 10-round headliner from a raucous O2 Arena. Moses Itauma produced another statement showing at heavyweight, after Dennis McCann closed his Ionut Baluta chapter and a new English welterweight champion was crowned elsewhere on a busy undercard. Continue reading “Chisora outlasts Joyce in gruelling ten-round firefight as Garner, McCann win big”
After consecutive stoppage wins over previously unbeaten duo Jarrell Miller and now-former IBF #1 heavyweight contender Filip Hrgovic, Daniel Dubois’ head trainer Don Charles has praised the 26-year-old’s boxing evolution, three months before the newly-upgraded world champion boxes former two-time unified titleholder Anthony Joshua at Wembley in an exciting London duel. Continue reading “Don Charles hails Dubois’ maturity, declares himself the missing jigsaw piece”
Having inflicted Filip Hrgovic’s first pro loss on the Matchroom vs. Queensberry 5v5 card in Riyadh on June 1, Daniel Dubois has now been upgraded to become the full IBF heavyweight world champion after undisputed king Oleksandr Usyk had an extension request rejected and vacated – allowing Dubois vs. Anthony Joshua – two former foes – to box for world honours in three months’ time. Continue reading “Usyk vacates IBF heavyweight title, Dubois upgraded to full champion before Joshua bout on Sept. 21 at Wembley”
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