Boxing News

This Friday at the Leagues Club in Parramatta, NSW featherweights Jackson Asiku and Heriberto Ruiz tangle for the vacant IBO crown in what should be a thrilling contest.

Asiku, 25-3 (13), comes into this one riding a 14 fight win streak over the last five years and during that time the 31 year old native born Ugandan has held the Commonwealth, Australian, African Boxing Union and IBF Australasian titles.

The Adelaide resident has picked up notable wins over Gairy st. Clair, Jamie McKeever and Marc Callaghan during that stretch but now has to come to terms with his most experienced opponent to date.

32 year old Ruiz, 42-8-2 (24), is a textbook Mexican warrior who has fought just about everyone at bantam and super bantam over the course of his 15 year career, losing only to ex-world champions Steve Molitor and Eric Morel over his last nine contests.

The Los Mochis native will be stepping to to featherweight for the first time in his career however and that will almost certainly be a factor in this hotly anticipated clash. More...

"King" David Tua recaptured the crown of New Zealand boxing today when the former world heavyweight title challenger put an end to the aspirations of rugged Kiwi Shane Cameron at The Mystery Creek Events Centre in Hamilton.

It was well expected that Cameron would have to stick and move if he were to keep the much shorter and huge-punching Tua at arm's length and the 31 year old tried to do just that once the bell sounded.

But the far more experienced Tua knew how to negate Cameron's attempts and was soon putting dents into his opponent with big, booming shots.

Cameron was just about finished by the end of the the first round but was saved by the bell. No such luck came to his aid in the second as Tua simply picked up where he left off and the one-sided contest was mercifully halted. More...

This Saturday sees the comeback of former heavyweight contender David Tua, who headlines a night of boxing at Mystery Creek Events Centre in Hamilton, New Zealand.

It could be a changing of the guard in respect to just who is the kiwi heavyweight king as old guard Tua, 49-3-1 (42), tangles with up and coming slugger Shane Cameron, 23-1 (20).

Tua's past history is well documented elsewhere but hasn't faced a world class competitor since drawing with Hasim Rahman during an IBF title eliminator in 2003.

The real story however is that the soon to be 37 year old has been absent from the ring for two years following a second round TKO win in a tune up bout against Cerrone Fox. More...

Three good fight cards took place over the last few days and we kick things off with Thursday's show at The Orion Function Centre in Campsie, NSW.

Former two-time super middle world title challenger Sakio Bika, 28-3-2 (19), annihilated chinny Argentine import Nestor Fabian Casanova, 22-15 (9), in the first round to win his sixth bout in a row.

The iron-chinned Cameroon born Sydney resident could be heading for another title challenge and to date has only come up short against Joe Calzaghe, Lucien Bute and Sam Soliman.

Also on the bill, Solomon Egberime, 20-2 (10), retained the Australian light welter title with a ten round unanimous verdict over NSW welter champ Bobby Antonakos, 11-3-1 (3), despite losing a point for low blows in the sixth frame.

On Friday at Cronulla Sutherland Leagues Club in Cronulla, NSW, Ryan Waters, 16-2-1 (10), put a 13 bout win streak and the WBO Oriental light middle belt on the line against IBF Australian light middle and former Australian welterweight titlist Shannon McMahon, 16-4-1 (6). More...

Two good card in Oz this week with Anthony Mundine coming one step closer to challenging for a major world title at middleweight by capturing the IBO crown and super middle Shannon Taylor winning the vacant IBF Pan Pacific belt.

On Wednesday at the Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, ex-two time WBA super middle champ Mundine fought his second bout at middleweight, challenging reigning IBO titlist Daniel Geale in a hotly anticipated showdown in front of an audience of over 8,000.

Geale had the reputation as the country's best pure boxer going into the clash and gave Mundine all he could handle over twelve hard to score rounds, going toe to toe at times or making Mundine miss and nailing "The Man" with sharp counters.

But Mundine also gave a superb performance, landing bracing single right hands and left hooks that shook Geale and won rounds. More...

There was a good show at Wyong Rugby League Club in Kanwal, NSW on Friday with some big names on the bill including William Kickett, Jackson Asiku and Fatai Onikeke.

Promising 22 year old super feather Kickett took another step on the road back from his shocking first round KO defeat to Ahmed Elomar last November by outboxing Filipino journeyman Roel Mangan, 13-11-1 (3), over four rounds.

Kickett, 15-1 (5), wrapped up his second consecutive victory by outpointing the Cebu City man 40-36 on all three scorecards. More...

Light heavyweight Beibut Shumenov continued the auspicious start to his career as the talented upstart stopped former two-time super middleweight world champion Byron Mitchell in the fourth round of their clash yesterday at Stadium Khaddjimukan in Chimkent, Kazakhstan.

25 year old Shumenov, 8-0 (6), took the fight to Mitchell, who traded on even terms before falling to the quick combination shots of the local man in the fourth round.

35 year old Mitchell, 27-5-1 (20), beat the count but was unable to defend himself from Shumenov's followup assault and the bout was called when Mitchell's corner threw in the towel. More...

Big weekend Down Under with the pick of the litter being today's great show at Challenge Stadium in Perth, headlined by the long awaited return of former WBA Light Heavyweight Champ Danny Green but also including Jackson Asiku, Gairy St. Claire and William Kickett.

16 months after shocking the boxing world by walking away from the sport and WBA title, big punching local hero Green began his comeback today with a bang, crushing South African import Anthony Van Niekerk, 21-7-2 (13), in just two rounds.

The glory days of former South African and All Africa Middleweight titlist Van Niekerk came nine years ago and the 35 year old, who was recently stopped a year ago by Daniel Bruwer in a South African Light Heavy title challenge, was the perfect choice for Green to return against. More...

There were a few good shows over the weekend and we kick things off with a cracking Saturday night bill at Tokyo's legendary Korakuen Hall where there were two Japanese titles at stake.

Reigning domestic lightweight titlist Ichitaro Ishii, 21-3-1 (16), had big plans following his OPBF title winning effort against Filipino Randy Suico last December but the Yokohama man was stopped by Ryuji Migaki in a shocking ninth round loss last night.

Migaki, 13-1 (9), suffered a KO loss in his pro debut five years ago but responded by reeling off 12 straight going into last night's contest in Tokyo. The Sagamihara stylist had never gone more than eight rounds previously and was not expected to knock off Ishii.

The upsets at Korakuen Hall didn't stop there as the reigning Japanese welterweight champ Norio Kimura, 35-7-2 (19), was dethroned by Yosukezan Onodera via a substantial unanimous 10 round decision. More...

There were two good cards Down Under on Friday, and we start off at the Manly Leagues Club in Brookvale, NSW where there was a battle for the vacant WBO Oriental Light Heavyweight title.

New Zealander Kariz Kariuki, 16-7-2 (15), bounced back from a KO loss at the hands of slugger Victor Oganov almost a year ago to crush New Caledonia's Iau Kamisak, 9-4-1 (7), in the very first round,

The Kiwi based Kenyan Kariuki captures the WBO Oriental belt with the win and has had an interesting career since turning pro in late 2000. More...

It was a great weekend of boxing Down Under but the most important results actually took place well before the week ever ended as there was a superb fight card this past Wednesday at The Cube in the Sydney suburb of Campbelltown.

Local man Leonardo "Lenny Zappa" Zappavigna, 18-0 (13), solidified his status as the top light welter in Australia with a dominant IBF Pan-Pacific title defense over ex-IBF Super Feather Champion Gairy St. Clair, 41-9-2 (18), on a 12 round unanimous decision.

Zappavigna was just too quick and too big for the iron-chinned St. Clair, who was outpointed 120-107, 120-108 and 119-108. At just 21 years od age, Zappavigna clearly has a very big future in the sport.

IBO Middleweight titlist Daniel Geale, 21-0 (13), is perhaps the sharpest boxer in Oz but the 28 year old from Mt Anan didn't need the toolkit in a non-title affair against chinny Canadian Ian Mackillop, 25-11-3 (14), who was belted out in the very first round.

An interesting clash at heavyweight took place at The Cube as ex-Australian and OPBF titlist Colin Wilson, 34-24-1 (20), and undefeated prospect Solomon Haumono, 15-0-1 (14), went at it. More...

There were a few good cards this weekend in Australasia, with two decent shows Down Under and a bill in Japan.

The action last night took place at Rugby Park in Gisborne, New Zealand as Auckland's "Mountain Warrior", Shane Cameron, saw off his second straight American opponent, stopping Robert Davis, 32-10 (20), in the 11th round.

31 year old Cameron, 23-1 (20), retained the IBF Pan-Pacific Heavyweight title with the win, coming after a decision victory over Terry Smith last September in Christchurch for the WBO Oriental and WBO Asia Pacific belts.

Cameron has held a myriad of regional titles and to date has only lost to American based Nigerian, Friday Ahunya, when "Friday the 13th" stopped him in the twelfth and final round in Auckland in November, 2007. More...

Big weekend in Oz with a good card in both The Philippines and Japan but we kick things off Down Under on Saturday night at Fonterra Echuca Sports and Entertainment Centre in Echua, Victoria.

One of Australia's top light welters, Lance Gostelow, 18-2 (14), roared back from defeat to former PABA Lightweight kingpin Somachai Nakbalee, 12-7-1 (5), of Thailand last October to win the rematch on points after ten hard fought rounds of combat.

Melbourne based Gostelow recaptured the WBO Oriental crown and could be in line for a high profile domestic dustup against the likes of Aussie Champ Chris McCullen or Brisbane veteran Mick "Pony" Shaw.

The chief support bout saw local heavyweight prospect Justin Whitehead, 2-0 (1), win the WBF Asia Pacific belt from Melbourne puncher Kim Heta, 8-3 (6), via ten round decision. Neither fighter had gone more than six rounds previously. More...

Anthony Mundine won his 12th straight contest by defeating popular fellow Aussie Shannan Taylor this past Wednesday at WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollogong, NSW but more importantly, "The Man" made a successful transition to middleweight, breaking 72.7 kilos for the first time in his career.

33 year old former two-time WBA Super Middle Champion Mundine used his world class handspeed to outbox ex-WBC Welter and IBF Middleweight title challenger Taylor and had to contend with the hard-nosed rough and tumble tactics of the "Bulli Blaster", who lost a point in the ninth frame.

After 12 rounds, Mundine swept the cards by scores of 120-108 and 120-107 twice to win the WBA International Middleweight title and is now the mandatory challenger of WBA Middleweight Champion Felix Sturm.

Also on Mundine's schedule is a rematch with Perth's former WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Danny Green, who ended his retirement to announce that he will have a few more fights to lead up to a rematch with Mundine, who defeated Green on pints in front of 30,000 fans at Sydney Football Stadium in 2006. More...

Australia's top light middleweight was in action earlier today as Daniel "The Rock" Dawson won his fifth straight by knocking out Ariel Gerardo Aparicio in the third round at the WA Italian Club in Perth.

The big punching local man's patient pressure style proved to be too much for Argentina's Aparicio, 26-10-1 (10), who had previously shared the ring, in losing efforts, with Raul Balbi, Lovemore N'Dou, Sebastian Andres Lujan, Marcos Rene Maidana and Chad Bennett.

Dawson retains the PABA title while winning the vacant IBF Pan Pacific crown and moves to 34-1 (24).

The 31 year old Perth resident has only ever come up short during a brief move to middleweight where he was outpointed by sharp boxing fellow Aussie Daniel Geale for the vacant IBO title.

Since turning pro in 2002, "The Rock" has also won the WBA Pan African, WBO Asia Pacific and Australian titles at light middle along with the Australian and WBF belts at middleweight.

There were two good fight cards this weekend Down Under and we kick things off on Friday night where two of the country's best boxers were on display at the Cube in the Sydney suburb of Campbelltown, NSW.

Undefeated sensation Leonardo Zappavinga, 17-0 (13), continues to show his amateur success was no fluke as the 21 year old Leppington man moved up to light welter and added the vacant IBF Pan Pacific crown to a trophy cabinet that already includes the Australian and IBO Asia Pacific Lightweight titles.

"Lenny Zappa" was just too quick and powerful for local man and two time former world featherweight title challenger Tommy Browne, 26-6-1 (11), who was stopped in the sixth round.

IBO Middleweight titlist Daniel Geale, 20-0 (12), of Mt Annan was put on the canvas in the eighth frame by WBO Oriental Super Middle Champ Daniel McKinnon, 12-4-1 (6), of New Zealand but regrouped to drop McKinnon, who was on the floor four times altogether, twice in the same round before posting a wide points decision in a non-title ten rounder.

IBO Asia Pacific Welter titlist Matthew Paulley, 17-5-5 (7), of Currans Hill, won a six round technical decision over another Kiwi, David Wiremu, 14-19-3 (6), in a non-title affair and local super feather prospect Davey Browne, 15-0-1 (4), outpointed Sydney based Rey Anton Olarte, 5-9-1 (0), after six rounds. More...

Last night at the RSL Club in Blackburn in suburban Sydney, hard punching local cruiserweight Dominic Vea, 9-1 (7), retained his OPBF crown for the second time with a third round technical decision over 42 year old New Zealand man Bob Gassio, 11-12 (3).

Gassio rode an eight bout win streak coming into the contest but failed to make weight and lost his chance at the OPBF belt even if he had defeated Vea. Having fought at 221 pounds just 13 days previously, it's no surprise that the Auckland man could not get below 207 pounds at the weigh-in on Thursday.

Vea's only loss came at the hands of Daniel Ammann by majority decision for the Australian title two years ago, also at the Blackburn RSL Club, but was avenged in May of this year during a OPBF title defense.

Also on the bill, ex-Australian Light Middle and Middleweight Champion Josh "The Chainsaw" Clenshaw, 26-13 (13), outpointed Auckland based Pakistani Kashif Mumtaz, 3-7-1 (2), after eight rounds at super middle.

At Town Hall in Malvern, super middleweight Luke Maloney, 12-3 (0), had a tough challenge for the Victoria State title but pulled out a split decision against Frank Ciampa, 7-12-(3), to win his ninth straight contest.

Shannon McMahon, 15-3-1 (6), kept hold of his Victoria State Light Middle belt with an eight round UD against Auckland veteran Paz Viejo, 10-33-2 (1).

The big news Friday night Down Under was the shocking knockout loss of one of the world's top prospects, William Kickett, at the Central Coast Leagues Club in Gosford, NSW.

At just 21 years of age, "Cool Willie" had stormed out of Balga to win 13 straight contests at lightweight and super feather in just a year and a half, turning back such far more experienced opponents as Gairy St. Clair and Tommy Browne in the process.

In August, Kickett won the vacant WBO Asia Pacific and IBF Pan Pacific Youth Super Feather belts against WBO Latino Champ Vincente Martin Rodriguez of Argentina and defended those titles against Indonesian southpaw Zoel Fidal a month later.

In his bouts, Kickett showed tremendous handspeed and accuracy, finding openings in the defense of opponents whether he was backing up or lunging forward with hurtling hooks and crosses.

The phenom from Western Australia relied on pure quickness, head movement and shoulder blocks to avoid punishment but his best defense was a real feel for counterpunching, taking away the confidence of rivals. More...

Wasn't too terribly bad a weekend Down Under with the big action taking place on Friday night but there was a good rumble on Saturday as well. We kick things off on Friday at Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre in Shoalhaven Heads in New South Wales where two of the biggest names on the domestic scene were victorious.

At 36, Shannan Taylor, 48-6-3 (44), is still going strong as "The Bulli Blaster" proved by retaining his PABA Middleweight crown with a twelfth and final round stoppage of seasoned Sydney based Filipino Dondon Sultan, 16-15-3 (8), a former PABA/Phillipine/WBF/ Welterweight Champion.

Taylor is still in the midst of an amazing career that has seen him win the Australian title at light welter and super middle, the PABA crowns at light middle and middleweight, the IBF Australasian belts at light middle, middle and super middle along with the OPBF welter, IBF Pan Pacific light middle, WBA Fedelatin light middle, WBF super middle titles.

The Wollongong slugger has made bids for the WBC, Commonwealth, Australian and WBO Asia Pacific welterweight titles and the IBF and IBO belts at middleweight.

Ex-IBF/IBO Super Featherweight Champion Gairy St. Clair, 41-7-2 (18), was also on the bill and the 33 year old Sutherland resident stayed busy for an upcoming WBF Lightweight title clash with undefeated Mlungisi "The Killer Shark" Dlamini later this month in South Africa by knocking out southpaw lightweight Junmar Dulog, 5-16-1 (2), in the second round.

St. Clair has also had a long, illustrious career and has shared the ring with Diego Corrales, Cassius Baloyi, Malcolm Klassen, Vivian Harris, Leonard Dorin, Jackson Asiku, Amir Khan and William Kickett since turning pro on October 16, 1994 as a super bantamweight. More...

WBA Featherweight kingpin Chris John, 44-0-1 (22), went on the road last night for the third time over the course of his nine title defenses and the 29 year old Indonesian stylist outpointed local sensation Hiroyuki Enoki, 27-1-2 (19), after twelve rounds.

29 year old Enoki came into the bout as the OPBF titlist and had never lost a bout although he had been held to a draw in his most recent outing against Japanese Champ Takahiro Aoh, during a WBA title eliminator in April.

John proved to have too much in the arsenal for Enoki to overcome as the quick handed Semarang man cruised to victory by wide margins of 118-110, twice, and 117-111.

Also on the bill, lightweight Ryota Kajiki, 12-4 (7), decisioned Nobuo Maruyama, 9-3 (1), after eight rounds.