Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Just shy of 50 days since his thrilling domestic duel against Fabio Wardley for British honours resulted in a split draw, British heavyweight contender Frazer Clarke finds himself on a business trip in Riyadh this week. Fury-Usyk might divide opinion, but a second instalment of Wardley-Clarke certainly doesn’t. Read more about that, his thoughts on British hopefuls elsewhere and more. Continue reading “Frazer Clarke interview: Wardley rematch, next steps and assessing domestic scene”
Nine undercard fights on offer, three that could easily headline their own bill including two world championship bouts in contrasting divisions without a dominant name. A quartet of Brits in action, some early Queensberry vs. Matchroom bragging rights to be had and plenty elsewhere on offer before the fight we’ve waited 25 years to see takes centre stage in Riyadh this weekend. Continue reading “Lowkey final presser for Ring of Fire as intrigue over many undercard bouts build”
After whispers on social media for weeks, Daniel Dubois vs. Filip Hrgovic was officially announced as one of the duels set for June 1 in the Queensberry vs. Matchroom 5v5 bill. Now though, there’s an additional twist which dangles for the prospective winner – a world title and even bigger opportunity against two-time unified world champion Anthony Joshua at Wembley later this year. Continue reading “Exclusive: Hrgovic-Dubois expected for soon-to-be-vacant IBF world title, Joshua to face winner in September”
As the fighters all weighed in before Friday’s Riyadh show, where the final touches are being wrapped up and the stage set… here’s a deeper look from someone with more intimate knowledge of Francis Ngannou’s MMA background – former UFC fighter-turned-analyst Dan Hardy, assessing his chances of an upset against two-time world champion Anthony Joshua tomorrow night. Continue reading “Interview: Dan Hardy on Ngannou being MMA’s flagbearer before Joshua encounter”
Deep into another Anthony Joshua fight week, build-up before Friday’s fantastic heavyweight clash continues. I spoke to Francis Ngannou’s highly-rated head coach Dewey Cooper about many topics including: how he and the team have studied the Olympic champion, helping their Cameroonian charge develop in a new sport while assessing the landscape across disciplines in 2024. Continue reading “Exclusive: Dewey Cooper interview – Joshua study, big predictions and future plans as Ngannou returns this Friday”
Armed with new improvements to his ever-changing team, Anthony Joshua has benefited from refreshing activity of late and continues that next weekend against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, buoyed by a moral victory on debut vs. Tyson Fury last October. Given the carrot dangling in the air for both here, the Brit must be sharp to avoid another banana skin.
Continue reading “Knockout Chaos: Finally active and in a groove, Anthony Joshua cannot leave Riyadh with regret next weekend”
Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk was supposed to have unfolded a week ago today, with two other championship bouts on the undercard – featuring the return of IBF super-featherweight world titlist Joe Cordina. While the three-month delay complicates matters out of his control, the Welshman has been clear on his stance should he be unable to secure unification bouts at 130lbs. Continue reading “Cordina’s unification desire lingers as IBF world champion enduring unclear future”
Two big shows set for Saudi Arabia unveiled in less than 24 hours. Two unbeaten champions put their unblemished records on the line when unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk faces WBC titlist Tyson Fury on Feb. 17, 2024 rather than the hastily reported Dec. 23 date, and we’ll have our first undisputed divisional king since Lennox Lewis in 1999. It couldn’t come soon enough. Continue reading “Ring of Fire press conference: Fury-Usyk undisputed world title fight set for Feb. 17”
Tyson Fury was expected to carry Francis Ngannou for a few rounds, then drop and eventually stop the former UFC heavyweight champion on the Cameroonian’s boxing debut. Instead, he had to rise from the canvas in round three and narrowly squeezed past with a split decision nod after 30 minutes, as the long-awaited undisputed world title fight against unified champion Oleksandr Usyk was again put on ice. What happens next, is unclear.
Continue reading “Sail into the sunset? Carl Froch, George Groves question Fury’s desire after Ngannou display – they’re not alone”
The difference in their body language at the final bell told its own story. The crowd rose, Cameroonian flags up high and the stunned reactions half-an-hour earlier were a thing of the past. Francis Ngannou had done the unthinkable, producing the most historic upset boxing had ever seen. Well, up until the judges’ scorecards were read out and WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury given a reprieve despite a third-round knockdown and anticlimactic finish. Continue reading “Ngannou stifles floundering Fury, who survives R3 knockdown to edge contentious split decision win”
With less than 24 hours until the Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou card gets underway in Riyadh, multiple boxing personnel – from boxers on the card to promoters and invested spectators – spoke with me for exclusive interviews over the course of Friday’s festivities, from the afternoon weigh-in to an evening gala dinner hours later. Click below to see what they said, on multiple topics. Continue reading “Fury-Ngannou: Oleksandr Usyk, Badou Jack among several interviewed the night before Saudi showdown in Riyadh”
Why haven’t the WBC stripped him? Just another money grab, wasting his prime years. Those are some of the phrases used to describe Fury-Ngannou before their Riyadh showdown this weekend and as fight week begins, the outside noise will pale into insignificance once the two heavyweights from differing disciplines do battle after their loaded undercard on Saturday night. Continue reading “Fury-Ngannou: However you feel about it all, their lucrative exhibition bout is here”
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