Martin Murray Added to Matchroom Leeds Show

08/12/201508/12/2015 Olly Campbell

St Helen’s Martin Murray has been pretty active since moving to 168 lbs and signing for Matchroom Sport earlier this year, with two outings against low-tier opposition in the last seven weeks already, yet the 3x world title challenger has now also been added to the September 5th show in Leeds, UK to fill the void left by Gavin McDonnell.

McDonnell will instead head out to the US to be with twin brother Jamie ahead of his WBA (reg) bantamweight world title defence against Japan’s Tomoki Kameda, and promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed he will have Murray included in a title fight on the bill.

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Sullivan Barrera: “I Want a Jean Pascal Fight”

08/12/201508/12/2015 Olly Campbell

Unbeaten Cuban light heavyweight prospect Sullivan Barrera (16-0, 11ko) , who fans last saw on the under card of Sergey Kovalev’s destruction of Nadjib Mohammedi last month, has publicly called out Canadian former world champion Jean Pascal.

Pascal boxed Barrera’s friend and fellow Cuban Yunieski Gonzalez on the same card in an all action thriller that saw the Haitian born fighter get the nod in a controversial decision – something former amatuer standout Barrera hasn’t taken kindly to – and he sees it as his duty to right the wrong as it were.

Speaking to ESPN.com, he said;

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Dereck Chisora: “I Have a Choice of 3 Opponents – Teper, Jennings or Browne”

08/12/201508/11/2015 Olly Campbell

An interesting tweet appeared on former world title challenger Dereck Chisora’s (21-5, 14ko) twitter account this afternoon, embedded with a short video discussing his immediate future options, that according to the Finchley fighter are European heavyweight champion Erkan Teper, American world title challenger Bryant Jennings, or Australian heavyweight contender Lucas Browne.

Chisora, who blasted out Beka Lobjanidze with the first serious punch of their fight last month in London, said in the clip;

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Anthony Joshua Sizes Up the Competition: Klitschko, Wilder & Fury

08/11/2015 Olly Campbell

Matchroom Sport have a lot invested in Britain’s London 2012 Olympic gold medalist Anthony Joshua (13-0, 13ko). The Watford born fighter has been embarking on the familiar career arc taken by nearly all young prospects, steadily increasing his level of opposition as the world waits to find out if he is indeed the real deal.

Joshua boxes Scotland’s Gary Cornish on September 12th in a fight many are viewing already as a foregone conclusion, including it would seem, Sky Sports, who have an exclusive broadcasting deal with Joshua’s promoters at Matchroom and have today published AJ’s assessment of the rival heavyweight big guns, including Wladimir Klitschko, Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and, ahead of their fight, Cornish himself.

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Bob Arum says He Can Make The Amir Khan / Manny Pacquiao Fight a Reality

08/11/201508/11/2015 Olly Campbell

After his relentless chasing of the Mayweather fight left, that for all intents and purposes amounted to glorified begging, Britain’s Amir Khan may just land a mega-money fight yet, seeing as cash, rather than public image and reputation seems to be “King” to Amir.

Sure, he won’t make the money he would’ve fighting Mayweather, though he can still bank a career high payday by fighting what is ostensibly the “next best thing” in former Wild Card stablemate and Filipino superstar, Manny Pacquiao.

Speaking in Britain’s Telegraph.co.uk newspaper, Top Rank’s Bob Arum, who looks after Pacquiao, has said that a fight between the two former teammates should be easy enough to put together.

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Bradley/Rios Still the Plan for Top Rank if Step Aside Deal With Sadam Ali Can Be Reached

08/11/2015 Olly Campbell

After Top Rank’s plans to match Brandon Rios with IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook fell through recently – for a host of reported reasons, chief of which is now believed to be financial minutiae – their attentions quickly turned on matching “Bam Bam” with another Top Rank fighter, new WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley, hopefully in December.

However, late last week the WBO ordered Bradley and Top Rank to begin negotiations for a mandatory defence against up and coming unbeaten New Yorker Sadam Ali, who is promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy.

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Judah: Berto Will Fight With Heart / Reluctant to Offer His Own Blueprint

08/10/2015 Olly Campbell

Zab Judah will return to the ring in September at 140 lbs after an almost 2 year layoff, which saw an out of sorts version of the former two weight world champ drop a wide points decision to fellow New Yorker Paulie Malignaggi in his last fight in December 2013.

Speaking to fighthype.com, Judah, who has inked a deal with Greg Cohen’s promotional outfit to co-promote his return alongside his own Super Judah Promotions firm, has addressed the Mayweather/Berto issue, insisting that whatever the result may be, Berto will grab the opportunity presented to him with both hands;

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Mosley and Mayorga Clash at Official Presser / “Sugar” Angered by ‘Fake’ Slurs

08/10/2015 Olly Campbell

It was a slight case of “handbags” at the press conference to promote their upcoming PPV fight on August 29th in Los Angeles, when veterans Shane Mosley and Ricardo Mayorga clashed after the loose cannon-ed Nicaraguan blew cigarette smoke in the face of Mosley in a scene some sections on social media called “contrived.”

There is clearly no love lost between the two ageing fighters, who are looking to settle their long running feud with a rematch of their 2008 encounter that saw Mosley finish Mayorga in the last few seconds of the 12th and final round.

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Saunders Training Well in Marbella Ahead of Andy Lee Title Challenge

08/10/201508/10/2015 Olly Campbell

After his recent stoppage (tune up) victory over Yoann Bloyer, Billy Joe Saunders landed in Marbella last Tuesday to the Macklin’s Gym facility in the Spanish city ahead of his September 19th challenge to WBO middleweight champion Andy Lee, that will take place at Thomond Park, Limerick, Ireland.

Saunders and Lee’s fight will be the first time that two men of traveller origins have contested a version of a world title and the Hatfield based former Olympian is determined to be in the best shape possible.

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Keith Thurman: Sounding a Little Tired of “Money”

08/09/201508/09/2015 Olly Campbell

Whatever you think about Amir Khan, he was a more deserving candidate than Andre Berto for the 49th fight of Floyd Mayweather’s career. So was IBF welterweight champ Kell Brook, or Ohio’s Shawn Porter. In fact, there are loads more deserving fighters, including Top Rank’s Tim Bradley – though let’s be honest was never going to get the call, but you get the point.

Hell, given more notice Danny Garcia could have picked up a career-high payday for his 147 debut rather than fight Malignaggi, yet one man who many fans would have liked to have seen in the opposite corner is Florida’s WBA (reg) welterweight champion, Keith Thurman.

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