Home/Sports/Boxing News/13 June 2024/In This Issue
Boxing News|13 June 2024Star powerMark Butcher@KOwritingEditorWHILE some debate who is boxing’s pound-for-pound No.1 (no need, it’s Oleksandr Usyk), perhaps an equally important distinction is the identity of the fight game’s most exciting and compelling protagonist.That label of excitement may conjure images of Arturo Gatti and Matthew Saad Muhammad lolling on the ropes, sailing perilously close to defeat, before being shot by a mystical lightning bolt and swinging for the fences. Their highlight reels wind on indefinitely.But the most exciting fighter today, who delivers pure box office fight after fight and attracts a non-boxing audience, brings extra dimensions. Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis is as technically brilliant as he is brutal, with a personality that brings street swagger similar to that of a peak Mike Tyson.“I never hid my story and I think a lot of people…4 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024NEW LEASE OF LIFELawrence OkolieWBC bridgerweight championIT was reinvigorating being in Poland and winning the WBC bridgerweight title. I had to draw on a lot of experience but it righted a lot of wrongs for me and it’s given me a new lease of life in boxing.This is a new chapter in all aspects. Stylistically, motivation, all of it’s very different. All of it’s focused on being explosive and being as good as I possibly can be because I believe I’m moving towards my peak years. I’ve already been back in the gym getting my runs in, lifting weights, keeping myself in shape. I’d like to fight again in September. I’d be happy to squeeze out three fights this year but as soon as possible.I’ve got different motivation now. When I became British,…3 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024THE WEEKWater way to put itOLEKSANDR USYK is never short of an excellent quote but his description of British pair Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, who he has now won world heavyweight titles from, has to go straight into his top five.“Anthony Joshua is classic boxing,” Usyk told the Three Knockdown Rule podcast. “But Greedy Belly, my friend Tyson Fury… Listen, it’s like still water and sparkling. Still water is Anthony Joshua, sparkling water is Tyson Fury.”He was also asked whether 6ft 9ins Fury, who seemed to hurt Usyk regularly during the first half of their undisputed clash, hit him harder than anyone else. But he said: “Biggest punch? No. Because Derek Chisora is a very tough guy. One punch hit my gloves and I said ‘Oh my God’. It was…6 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024MONSTER’S BALLDAVID BENAVIDEZ is 27 years old, boasts a record of 28-0 with 24 knockouts, and is coming off what he defines as the “breakout” year of his career, when victories in two pay-per-view headliners catapulted him towards boxing superstardom.But ask him if he feels like he is reaching his prime and Benavidez can only laugh. On the contrary, the Mexican Monster is still planning to fight on for another 15 years – and is adamant the elusive Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez clash is closer than ever despite his move up in weight.“YOU HAVEN’T EVEN SEEN THE BEST OF ME. AT THIS NEW WEIGHT, I WILL SHOWCASE ALL MY TALENT”Benavidez will face Oleksandr Gvozdyk on Saturday in his debut at light-heavyweight after an unsuccessful pursuit of Canelo at 168lbs. Victories in 2023,…8 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024THE EVIL EMPIREI AM NOT the only one of a certain age (don’t ask) who longs for “the good old days” – the days when there were only eight weight divisions and only one world champion in each. There were no “sanctioning bodies” – well, there was the North American Boxing Association, but no one paid any attention to them.Title fights were held over 15 rounds and national championships were prized by fighters as second only to world belts. Tobacco was the addictive substance of choice and, if people had heard the word testosterone, they probably thought it was the name of an Italian-American baseball player. Oh, happy days!That’s the rose-tinted spectacles view, because back in the 1950s and early 1960s there was evil lurking at the very heart of boxing in…15 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024CHAMPION DISPLAYReporters’ star ratings for main events and undercards are based on in-ring entertainment, competitiveness and whether overall expectation was metLUTON southpaw Frankie Storey had a productive night at York Hall, winning the vacant Southern Area super-bantamweight title with a clear 10-round points win over Newham’s Ryan Walker. Scoring referee Reece Carter had it 99-91. Walker, trying to regain the belt, just couldn’t cope with the greater strength and variety of his opponent.A head clash cut Storey on the left eye in round four and troubled him enough that he lost both that session and the next, as Walker finally got close and worked the body. But then Storey, who had bossed the opening three rounds with his accurate left crosses, regained control in the sixth – and never lost it.Early…4 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024Statement madeIT WAS an emotional occasion at the St Andrew’s Sporting Club for their commemoration night for Willie Limond at the Radisson Blu.Sadly, another 10 bells rang for Scottish featherweight champion Andy Tham after his tragic passing following a motorcycle accident. He was just 28 years of age.Matt McHale defeated Tanzania’s Mustafa Mkupasi in three rounds of a scheduled 10-round headliner.The Edinburgh boxer held the centre of the ring for the first round, keeping his opponent on the back foot with carefully selected shots -a more cautious approach than in some of his previous fights - possibly due to the visitor’s reputation of heavy hands (10 of his 12 wins had come inside the distance).However, by the second, Matty found his range and upped his combinations while dodging the occasional, winging…2 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024THRILLS AND SPILLSThe very best action, previews and news from Olympic-style boxingTHE second edition of the Capital Cup took place over three days at Broadwater Farm Community Centre in Tottenham, ending with some quality finals on May 27.Former NAC runner-up at 67kgs, Ram Singh of Don Davis BA was a convincing 5-0 unanimous points winner over Marcus Abraham (St Ives) in the 71kgs final.Abraham boxed the first two rounds as a southpaw before switching to orthodox in the last, but it made little difference – the taller Singh stayed in control with his hurtful right cross, forcing a count in the third.Abraham picked up a warning for holding in the middle stanza but never stopped trying. Singh had been made to work by Gabriel Passelle (Lion) before winning their semi unanimously the…4 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024TRIBUTES TO ANDY THAMEVERYONE at Boxing News was deeply saddened to hear of the untimely passing of Scottish featherweight champion Andy Tham.Tham’s motorcycle was involved in a collision with a car on the B8039, near Cumbernauld, on May 30. He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow but the 28-year-old sadly passed away the following Sunday (June 2).“Andy was a champion in the ring and a character out of the ring,” read a statement from Tham’s promoters, St Andrews Sporting Club. “It has been an honour to have him in our stable for the entirety of his professional boxing career and he will be greatly missed by us all.”British and Commonwealth 126lbs champion Nathaniel Collins was among many in the Scottish boxing community to pay tribute to the genuinely popular…2 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024LAST FIGHT BLUES FOR THE BIG BOYSSteve Bunce@BigDaddyBunceVoice of boxingIF the last moments of Deontay Wilder’s career took place in the Riyadh ring when he stumbled, turned and was hit flush by Zhilei Zhang, he would be in great company.His last act in a boxing ring was to try and convince the referee, Kieran McCann, that he was fine; a second later he fell into McCann’s arms and at 1:51 of the fifth round it was the end for Wilder. He made a fortune in his career as the heavyweight champion of the world, he was in the neon glare at the end and not making peanuts in a shack on the edge of town.A short history of the very last fights of heavyweight champions is depressing reading; there are tragic extremes, predictable failings and very…5 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024Champion mindsetTHE success of Chris Billam-Smith is a two-sided coin. On one side it seemed unexpected and on the other it’s been fully expected.Billam-Smith, who will celebrate his 34th birthday on August 2, will on Saturday go into battle at another Premier League football stadium to defend the WBO cruiserweight crown he won inside Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium just over a year ago.He will, at London’s Selhurt Park, rematch long-time rival Richard Riakporhe. The storyline centres on their first encounter, a 10-round contest Riakporhe shaded on a split decision five years ago.That was another page in the surprising story of ‘The Gentleman’, which has pieced together a tale of discipline, determination, family, hard work, success and a neverending hunger to improve. Ambitions of world titles and moments fit for the big screen…7 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024MAJOR FIGHT SCHEDULEJun 14ABASS BARAOU vs MACAULAY McGOWANPremier Suite, Toughsheet Community Stadium, Bolton(European super-welterweight title)CHANNEL 5Jun 15CHRIS BILLAM-SMITH vs RICHARD RIAKPORHE IISelhurst Park, LondonSKY SPORTS(WBO cruiserweight title)Isaac Chamberlain vs Jack Massey(European and Commonwealth cruiserweight titles)Ben Whittaker vs Eworitse Ezra ArenyekaSUBRIEL MATIAS vs LIAM PAROManati, Puerto RicoDAZN(IBF super-lightweight title)GERVONTA DAVIS vs FRANK MARTINMGM Grand Garden Arena, Las VegasAMAZON PPV(WBA lightweight title)David Benavidez vs Oleksandr Gvozdyk(WBC interim light-heavyweight title)Carlos Adames vs Terrell Gausha(WBC middleweight title)Gary Antuanne Russell vs Alberto Puello(WBC Interim super-lightweight title)Jun 21LYNDON ARTHUR vs LIAM CAMERONPremier Suite, Toughsheet Stadium, BoltonCHANNEL 5RAFAEL ESPINOZA vs SERGIO CHIRINOFontainebleau, Las VegasSKY SPORTS/ESPN(WBO featherweight title)Jun 22TYLER DENNY vs FELIX CASHResorts World Arena, BirminghamDAZN(European middleweight title)Shannon Ryan vs Emma Dolan(British and Commonwealth super-flyweight titles)Jun 29PIERCE O’LEARY VS DARRAGH FOLEYSSE Arena, BelfastTNT SPORTSConor Quinn vs Conner Kelsall(Commonwealth flyweight title)JUAN…2 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024Record collectorPreviewing the best upcoming fights around the worldThe star ratings indicate how well the writer believes the fighters match up, the fight(s)’ contextual significance, and how good the fight(s) will beEVER since knocking out Leo Santa Cruz in 2020 with one of the scariest punches thrown that turbulent year, Gervonta Davis has seemingly made it his mission to ruin the unbeaten records of lightweights and super-lightweights.Four of his next five opponents, in fact, started the night against ‘Tank’ with an unblemished record only to then leave the ring with a newfound awareness of both how defeat feels and how good Davis really is.His next fight, on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, will see Davis once again tackle an unbeaten fighter, this time in the shape…5 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024HOLMES NICKS ITBY his own admission, Earby prospect Josh Holmes made his 10-rounder with Darryl Tapfuma harder than necessary. He looked a level above when he stepped into range, fired off flurries and moved back out. However, machismo led him to be dragged into the trenches all too often. Ultimately, he prevailed 96-95 for Darren Sarginson in the 10-round main event at Oldham Leisure Centre.Holmes put several early rounds in the bag by using a solid jab to before letting his hands go. By the middle rounds, though, it was becoming Tapfuma’s fight as his pressure paid dividends and he was having the final say in the exchanges.A clash of heads in the seventh left Holmes with a nasty cut close to his left eye, but the injury galvanised him as he…3 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024Dickens decisionWITHIN just four weeks of each other earlier this year, both Ryan Dickens and Connor Goulding lost their unbeaten records against Sheffield-based Cameroonian Serge Ambomo in this same hall. Goulding was edged in an exciting contest over six, whilst Dickens never really got going against a tough but inspired visitor at the Grand Central Hall.Arguably a crossroads fight for both men, the two commendably faced off here and, after six non-stop rounds that gained applause from all at the end, Dickens was proclaimed the winner with a 59-56 score from referee Jamie Kirkpatrick. Both had their moments but it was a busy Dickens with the more powerful, eyecatching shots who rightfully took the decision.Returning after 27 months out, local favourite Sean Arkwright won 40-36 against Grimsby’s Tom Ramsden. Mark Lyson…2 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024OSADOLOR SETTLES SCOREDERRICK OSADOLOR ensured the last bout of a long day’s boxing at Derby Arena was worth waiting for. The super-heavyweight final gave Osadolor and Alex Williams (Oxford) the chance to put their name in the record books alongside Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Joe Joyce.All of the above would have been proud of the way the 22-year-old from Heart of Portsmouth became NAC super-heavyweight champion in only his 21st bout.Osadolor went in to the final with a score to settle. He had been left fuming after Williams had inflicted a stoppage defeat on a club show in Oxford earlier in the season. When they met again, Osadolor only needed one right hand.“When you look at the size of his arms, you know that if he hits you, it’s all over,”…2 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024MIXED FORTUNESTHE Adamson brothers featured in the best fights of the night when LA Boxing Academy staged a show on the pitch at the Eco-Power Stadium, home of Doncaster Rovers FC.First up was Raegan Adamson in a 3x3 Youth match against Luca Jefferson (Firefight). Jefferson came with a puncher’s reputation but Adamson stood in front of him throughout the second and third rounds trading shots.Adamson landed enough left hooks and rights to edge the exchanges in a give-and-take second round before tightening his defences in the last. Adamson blocked and countered effectively, but Jefferson still got through with enough punches to leave his opppnent’s nose bloodied at the final bell.Raegan won a deserved unanimous decision and then watched elder brother Joe Adamson battle Hakeem Niwaz (Sheffield City) for the vacant Yorkshire…2 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITHMiles TempletonBoxing historianA FEW weeks ago, I had the pleasure of presenting a talk to the Royal Navy and Marines Ex-Boxers Association at their annual reunion. The Royal Navy championships were first held in 1903 and they have produced some wonderful individual fighters over the years, including Terry Marsh, Seaman Tommy Watson, Bugler Larry Lake and Randolph Turpin.The peak years of naval boxing occurred between 1978 and 1983, when the senior service won 44 individual combined services titles and six consecutive team titles, beating the best the Army and RAF had to offer. Of the 10 weights, Navy boxers won nine championships in 1981 and eight in both 1978 and 1982. At the time, the team was coached by Tony Oxley, revered to this day for rebuilding the team after…3 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024MORE 5 VS 5, PLEASEAFTER a great night of boxing on June 1, I watched Steve Bunce interview both Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn and was absolutely thrilled to hear them say that they’d love to keep this format going.They mentioned they would like to do it from Area title fights onwards and, in this day and age where so much is put on boxers having unbeaten records against journeymen and European opponents before engaging in a genuine 50-50 fight, this is music to my ears!It would also be brilliant for the lesser known fighters to get some exposure like the NXTGEN and old BoxNation days! Here’s to more great fight nights.Adam Whitehead, Tebay.CURSE OR NECESSITY?ELLIOT WORSELL in his article (BN May 30) describes those who avoided payment to watch Usyk-Fury live on TV…3 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024Cult of personalityElliot Worsell@ElliotWorsellSenior WriterTHERE is a moment in the 1994 film Pulp Fiction where Jules Winnfield, played by Samuel L Jackson, attempts to explain his reluctance to eat pork – or “dig on swine” – by describing pigs as “filthy animals” in conversation with John Travolta’s Vincent Vega. This then leads to Vincent Vega asking if his fellow hitman also considered dogs to be filthy animals, to which Jules Winnfield says: “I wouldn’t go so far as to call a dog filthy, but they’re definitely dirty. But a dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.”Never is this truer, I have often thought, than in boxing. Show some semblance of a personality and you have a good chance of getting a job, particularly if you are able to self-promote and show…5 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024The platform“I thought everyone could punch hard. I thought it was a normal thing. Someone told me it’s not normal”BEFORE the internet, before social media, and when an X was a kiss on your birthday card, boxing fans relied on television, radio and print media.In this day and age, just by touching the screen on your phone you can buy tickets, discover a fighter’s estimated worth, look at photos of their latest purchase, who they sparred with that day or what product they will next be advertising. Selling a fight to the public has never been so important and necessary with the number of avenues available. One tweet, one YouTube interview, one online argument, can make all the difference to a promotion.Richard Riakporhe knows a thing or two about marketing and…6 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024RUSSELL MEMORYTHERE were times during this latest training camp when Gary Antuanne Russell would have sworn his dad was still in his corner.Last month brought up two years since the death of Gary Russell Sr, the man behind one of boxing’s greatest dynasties. Now 27-year-old Gary Antuanne, known as ‘The Last Russell’, is determined to ensure his late father’s hard work does not go to waste.“It goes back to how our family is structured,” explains the erudite and lucid southpaw from Maryland. “We started off as a close-knit family and practiced a royal concept, a royal order. You’ve got the king, you’ve got the queen, then the king passes away, ascends, then the next in line is the junior. Then the junior ascends and the next in line moves up. But…8 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024The long goodbyeWHILE there is sometimes a pressing need for a rematch, and no better time for it to happen than immediately, often the best rematches are those given breathing space to develop into something even more compelling.In the case of Chris Billam-Smith and Richard Riakporhe, there is five years between fights one and two and yet this takes nothing away from the intrigue going into Saturday’s fight at Selhurst Park, home of Crystal Palace Football Club. If anything, it increases the appeal of the rematch, as well as returns to their rivalry an element of the unknown.After all, both Billam-Smith and Riakporhe are now considerably improved versions of themselves, with the wins to back it up. As WBO cruiserweight champion, Billam-Smith needs to provide no more evidence of his progress, but,…4 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024Amos in chargeJUST three short months after last promoting here at Rushcliffe Arena, Scott Calow was hit terribly by a slew of pull-outs on fight week, and what had initially been a lengthy card dwindled to just a quartet of four-round bouts.Former Midlands Area super-welterweight champion Ryan Amos, fighting here as a middleweight, has an eye on potential further title opportunities in the hopefully not-too-distant future and he was quickly into his stride in a keep-busy encounter against Islington’s sometimes-dangerous ‘Brown Eagle’ Jordan Grannum.Amos earned his successes by working behind the jab, switching stances, and scoring to the body, sometimes with single shots and sometimes with combinations.A little right downstairs from Grannum bucked the trend momentarily early in the last and brought a decent right in return from the Clifton, Nottingham, man…2 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024Banshee roarsTHERE was plenty for the locals to enthuse about on this five-bout Tommy Owens promotion at the Sports Connexion, as Warwick-born but Coventry-based ‘Celtic Banshee’ Jessica Barry relieved Stoke’s Beccy Ferguson of her Midlands Area super-featherweight title, thanks to a sixth-round stoppage.‘Firebomb’ Ferguson had won the then-vacant title on home soil as recently as March by outscoring Chesterfield’s Amy Greatorex, but she found five-bout Jess, still really a novice, an altogether tougher proposition.The Coventry girl proved too strong and seemingly wanted it that little bit more and she was ultimately rewarded when referee Chris Dean stepped in to call a halt to proceedings 55 seconds into the sixth of a scheduled 10-rounder.Inside-the-distance finishes turned out to be the order of the day at the Ryton venue with two of the…2 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024HUSSAIN TAMES MOYOTHERE was a thrilling one-round shootout on Box Smart Elite’s show in Cannock.Innocent Moyo is a seasoned campaigner with heavy hands and a solid CV, but he came unstuck when he went toe-to-toe with Qasim Hussain (Black Country Boxing) in the Premier Suite at Bar Sport.The light-welterweights were straight down to business in their 3x3s. The taller boxer by a couple of inches, Hussain came out firing jabs. The rangy 20-year-old backed Moyo to the ropes and lashed him with looping shots until Moyo put a dent in him with a left hook to the jaw.Moyo got to the centre of the ring, got his own jab working and then closed the gap, to score with punches on the inside. The referee gave Hussain an eight count after Moyo connected…3 min
Boxing News|13 June 2024RESPECT FOR RAYSimon Euan-Smithsimonoldtimers@googlemail.comEBA correspondentCROYDON EBA enjoyed a lively monthly meeting at The Orchard on May 26, with the raffle raising £90.We were delighted to welcome a party from Brighton – Rob Benson, Jimmy Butler, Leigh Crompton, Harry Scott and, in a delightful surprise, Jane Davison, who we hadn’t seen for a while. Chairman Barry Penny said Jane had “helped to build Brighton EBA”.Naturally, there was a lot of talk about CEBA’s recent visit to Brighton. Barry said it was a great day – everyone enjoyed it, and our hosts treated us very well. As a result, we’re thinking about more trips in the future – a visit to Home Counties has been mooted. These visits between EBAs are not only enjoyable, they’re very important in keeping friendships going.On a sad note,…3 min
