Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Having become undisputed welterweight world champion this time twelve months ago after dismantling Errol Spence Jr, three-division titlist Terence Crawford has some newfound shine behind him. He looks to make it a fantastic fourth next weekend at Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium against a new titleholder – by no means an easy task – in the form of heavy-handed Uzbek Israil Madrimov. Continue reading “Crawford cranking up legacy before 154lb debut vs. WBA world champ Madrimov”
Jaron Ennis’ new promoter Eddie Hearn insisted the prime priority is for the 27-year-old to unify a welterweight division devoid of longtime champions Errol Spence Jr and former undisputed king Terence Crawford, as the appetite for the Philly fighter to finally face the latter has again intensified following his fifth-round TKO win over former Crawford opponent David Avanesyan on home turf.
Continue reading “Crawford again the buzzword, as Ennis stops Avanesyan in Philly homecoming”
Nathan Heaney speculation in the rearview mirror, Carlos Adames prepares to make the first defence of his newly-elevated WBC middleweight championship this weekend against former light-middleweight title challenger Terrell Gausha on a stacked Las Vegas bill, but insisted fans want to see him in a unification bout against WBO and IBF titleholder Janibek Alimkhanuly before long. Continue reading “As Nathan Heaney rumours fade, Carlos Adames now targets Janibek unification”
Oleksandr Usyk started well, adjusted after some shaky middle rounds and scored a ninth-round knockdown en route to earning a gruelling split decision victory over Tyson Fury in the battle of unbeaten heavyweight world champions to be crowned the division’s first undisputed champion since 1999 in Riyadh.
Continue reading “Usyk adapts, drops Fury during SD12 win to become undisputed heavyweight king”
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”
Tomorrow night should see Jai Opetaia make the third defence of his IBF world cruiserweight title. Instead, it’s for a vacant belt in a rematch against the man who inflicted a double jaw break against him, less than two full years ago. Having made light work of two Brits in-between, the Aussie is on a mission to unify the cruiserweight division – and disrespect has fuelled that intensity. Continue reading “Disrespected, denied but stronger for the experience: Jai Opetaia is going nowhere”
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”
Ahead of a proposed matchup against undisputed champion Naoya Inoue, IBF and WBO mandatory challenger Sam Goodman believes he’s seen enough from the Japanese star’s stoppage win over Luis Nery on Monday to provide him with the tools for an unlikely upset victory later this year. Wishful thinking? Continue reading “Anyone can be beat, insists mandatory challenger Goodman as Inoue bout next”
Things got off to a disastrous start. Yet they ended with a familiar finish as undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya Inoue responded well to early adversity – being caught clean and dropped for the first time in his career – to outsmart, bait and overwhelm two-division titlist Luis Nery through excellent punch placement on a memorable evening in Japan’s Tokyo Dome.
Continue reading “Undisputed 122lb king Inoue rallies after career-first knockdown, stops Nery in six”
It’s a much-anticipated matchup more than five years in the making, and in six weeks’ time, we’ll finally crown an undisputed king at 175lbs when unified champion Artur Beterbiev boxes long-reigning WBA titlist Dmitry Bivol in a battle of two unbeaten Russians. Even as time has passed, the general public appear split on who will prevail and how this fight will be won and lost.
Continue reading “Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol: At long last, light-heavyweight will have one undisputed king”
Joshua Buatsi started sharp, invested in body attacks well and logged a pair of knockdowns in round 11 en route to a wide unanimous decision win over friend and former sparring partner Dan Azeez, inflicting his first professional defeat to unify domestic titles at light-heavyweight – as the clamour to see him finally tested at world level vs. long-reigning WBA champion Dmitry Bivol resumes.
Continue reading “Buatsi scores two knockdowns, outboxes Azeez and inches closer to world title shot”
Continue reading “Tszyu gets inactive Thurman; Romero-Cruz compelling on Prime Video debut”
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