Terry Flanagan of Manchester is thrilled he will be appearing on the July 9 under-card of heavyweight champ Tyson Fury and his defence against ex-champ Wladimir Klitschko in their rematch in his hometown, but fans may not like the man chosen to be the unbeaten WBO lightweight’s challenger. 26-year-old Flanagan, 30-0(12) will face 42-year-old Mzonke Fana of South Africa next month. Now, to be fair, his age aside, Fana, 38-9(16) is not a bad, or shot fighter, even if he has seen better days.
James Slater
Jarrell Miller, the best young heavyweight up-and-comer on the scene?
He’s big at approx 280-pounds, he has genuine punching power and Jarrell Miller is young at age 27. Further good news for those fans who feel the Brooklyn talent is the next big thing in a heavyweight division that has been referred to by many as “wide open,” comes with Miller’s plans to stay active. “Big Baby,” as Miller, 17-0-1(15) is curiously nicknamed, fought just a week ago – crushing an overmatched Nick Guivas inside a couple of rounds – yet he is scheduled to be back in action on August 19th, his manager Greg Cohen told ESPN.com.
Jessie Vargas-Kell Brook – does Vargas need a KO to win?
It’s a very solid, if not overly intoxicating fight, and a WBO/IBF welterweight unification showdown between Britain’s Kell Brook and California’s Jessie Vargas is all set to go in either August or September. Vargas signed on for the fight on Tuesday of this week, no doubt enticed greatly by the promise of a career high payday of $1.7 million. Brook, who has craved a meaningful fight for months now, is expected to sign imminently and promoter Eddie Hearn told RingTV.com how he expects to officially announce the fight – for either Aug. 27 or Sept. 3rd in a big stadium in Sheffield – next week.
Amir Khan says he “would love” to fight in Rio 2016, wants to represent Pakistan
Former 140-pound world champ Amir Khan, last seen being brutally KO’d in a brave challenge of then middleweight champ Saul Canelo Alvarez, could be on the verge of a most astonishing comeback – at the Olympic games this year. Khan, unlike fellow big name fighters such as Mike Tyson, George Foreman and David Haye, has expressed positive words about the recent decision to allow pro boxers to compete at the Olympics.
It’s official now: pro boxers are now allowed to fight at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio
For weeks now, fight fans may have read about the notion that pro boxing will be allowed in the Olympic games, beginning in Rio 2016. Well, it is now official, thanks to a vote by members of The AIBA, who voted in favour of approving the rule change. This means, in theory, that up to 26 pro boxers will be able to box at the Games, which of course start in August.
Liam Smith says if a reasonable offer is made, he’ll definitely take Canelo Alvarez fight
There are some good judges who feel unbeaten Liverpool fighter Liam Smith, the reigning WBO super-welterweight champion, is one of the best largely unknown world champions in the sport right now. Smith wants to prove his worth and at the same time boost his global profile with a big fight. The 27-year-old makes the second defence of his title on Saturday night, when he faces once-beaten Predrag Radosevic at The Echo Arena in his hometown, and Smith is hoping a Canelo Alvarez fight – which has been spoken about as a real possibility in the past – is again offered to him.
Artur Beterbiev wants all the belts at light-heavyweight; and superstardom
Exciting and talented light-heavyweight puncher Artur Beterbiev looks to make up for lost time this Saturday in a fight to be televised live by ESPN. The former amateur great will take on Ezequiel Maderna in Montreal in what will be the 31-year-old’s first fight in almost a full year. The 9-0(9) contender suffered a bad right shoulder injury and needed surgery. Now, the Russian destroyer aims to take aim at the 175-pound champions, Sergey Kovalev especially.
Adonis Stevenson-Thomas Williams Jr – an easy or risky fight for “Superman?”
For a man who claims he is the best light-heavyweight in the world, WBC king Adonis Stevenson has neither been overly active of late, nor has he been facing elite challengers. It seems we can totally forget about Stevenson and fellow 175-pound ruler Sergey Kovalev fighting, ever. It is a real shame that this, the biggest and best fight that can be made at light-heavyweight, appears destined to be filed under the, ‘what could’ve been’ section of the sport.
No unlucky number: British boxing now boasts 13 world champions – from heavyweight down to bantamweight
For a population of around 65million (tens of millions less than America) the UK boxing scene currently boasts a truly exceptional number of world champions – 13, in fact. America currently has just nine reigning world champions. Quite amazing, really. The success British fighters have been enjoying over the past year or so just keeps on growing. With Sunday’s fantastic, underdog win by Tony Bellew in capturing the WBC cruiserweight title, British boxing now boasts a world champion in no less than ten weight divisions.
Tony Bellew-David Haye: could this fight really happen?
Talk is cheap, as we know, and the mere fact that brand new WBC cruiserweight champ Tony Bellew has called out David Haye, insisting he would beat him and KO him, does not mean the fight will actually happen. But Bellew, who overcame a very capable and dangerously avoided fighter in Ilunga Makabu on Sunday night, has got the attention of the former undisputed cruiserweight king. Haye, as fans know, is campaigning as a heavyweight these days (since 2008 in fact) but he has not ruled out a fight with Bellew.