It has been almost a week since the Russian Alexander Povetkin successfully blasted out former undisputed Heavyweight Hasim Rahman of the United States to retain the WBA “Regular” title in just two rounds at the Sporthalle in Hamburg, Germany.

The questions are: what did we learn from this fight and what is next for the fighters?

It was the first fight that Povetkin has had with his new trainer, former undisputed Light-Welterweight world champ and Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu since firing Teddy Atlas.

In this bout, Povetkin looked leaner and more muscular at his weight of 229lbs [16 stone 5lbs] as well as being lighter and quicker on his feet, able to get in and out before the older and heavier Rahman had a chance to effectively counter.

Povetkin also dictated the fight from centre ring, using his jab and and even rocking Rahman with it. He also seems to benefit from having a Russian speaker, Tszyu, in his corner, giving calmer and incisive instructions rather than getting bawled out by the American Atlas.

In the second round, Povetkin displayed strong aggression after rocking Rahman, forcing the veteran to cover up in the ropes, but bulldozed with his head rather than taking his time in picking off the helpless Rahman, who was at one point holding himself up with one arm on the ropes, as he sagged like a discarded teddy bear.

It was a scrappy and untidy stoppage from referee Gustavo Padilla and one that this writer feels should have occurred earlier when Rahman was sent reeling back in no state to defend himself as Povetkin switched effectively to the body.

Given more time working with Tszyu, Povetkin's bull rushing shall be reduced and the switches to the body will occur more often. More...

Within the last 48 hours, reports have emerged from South Africa that 46 year old former WBO Heavyweight Champion Corrie Sanders, one of the most popular sportsmen in the country, has been shot and killed in an armed robbery while celebrating his nephew’s 21st birthday.

The South African southpaw, who hailed from Pretoria in the Gauteng region, was known as "The Sniper" for his fast-handed big-hitting style, accruing a 46 fight record consisting of 42 wins, of which 31 came by knockout.

Sanders got his first victory back in 1989 when he defeated the colourfully named King Kong Dyubele with a first round knockout in Cape Town.

In just his 11th professional fight, Sanders defeated the more experienced Johnny DuPlooy with a first round knockout in Sun City in 1991 and was unbeaten in 23 bouts before losing to the American Nate Tubbs in Hammanskraal in 1994.
Sanders returned to his winning ways against former Cruiserweight king Carlos DeLeon and also defeated future Cruiserweight world champion Johnny Nelson.

In his youth, Sanders was a very talented sportsman, being a near scratch golfer and a fly half on the rugby pitch.
In 1997, in Hammanskraal, Sanders, then aged 33 and in his 34th fight, faced America's Russy Purrity for the minor WBU title and was victorious with a wide points decision.

The southpaw went onto score victories against two weight world champion Bobby Cycz in 1998 in Connecticut with a second round knockout and former Cruiserweight champion Alfred Cole before Sanders lost his title to future undisputed champion Hashim Rahman in May 2000, prompting Rahman to state that he had never been hit as hard in his life than when he fought Sanders.

In March, 2003, at age 37, Sanders finally got his much deserved crack at a major world title when he travelled to Hannover, Germany to take on Wladimir Klitschko for the WBO trinket.

Giving up two inches in height, 17 pounds in weight and four inches in reach, Sanders was a huge underdog, and despite being so far away from home, he put the giant Ukrainian under pressure with his hand speed and power, dropping the younger Klitschko four times enroute to a second round stoppage. More...

It has now been more than a week since the man regarded many a fight fan around the world as the true King of the Middleweights, Sergio Martinez, successfully regained the WBC title from the Mexican Princling, Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr., in front of a packed Thomas and Mack Centre in Las Vegas, taking a wide points decision.

Since that time, the fight has been discussed in bars on the strip and on the Internet and the Thomas and Mack Centre prepares for its next event.

The big question is; what’s next for Martinez and Chavez?

For the 37 year old "Maravilla", now a two Middleweight World Champion, the initial priority would be to recover from injuries received during the effort to regain his WBC trinket as he suffered a broken left hand and a knee ligament injury before he has to make a defence of his newly returned crown.

Once Martinez recovers, he will have no end of options as the Middleweight division is starting to boil up quite nicely.

The options that Martinez and his promoter Lou DiBella have on the table for them could be a unification match up with either Gennady Golovkin, the unbeaten big hitting Kazakh who holds the WBA’s “regular” title, and who recently defeated Polish southpaw and current European Middleweight king Gregorz Proska with a fifth round stoppage.

That could provide an exciting stylistic match up of big puncher Golovkin, who has one punch knockout power and a fluid boxer puncher in Martinez, who has scored four knockouts in his last five fights.

However, Golovkin is the mandatory challenger for the same sanctioning body’s ludicrous “super” title against the newly unified champion, Daniel Geale of Australia, who recently ended the long reign of Germany’s Felix Sturm two weeks ago, which could mean an extremely mouth watering unification match with the two best Middleweights in the world. More...

At a press conference in his home city of Manchester, two weight world champion and former British Light-Welterweight champion Ricky Hatton announced his return to the ring after a three year absence.

The 33 year old Hatton's announcement confirmed the speculation about a return to the ring as he had recently been seen in excellent condition rather than the out-of-shape state that had often been the norm.

At the press conference, which was broadcasted by Sky Sports News, Hatton stated that although he had his own promotional business and brought through a stable of fighters, that did not satisfy his desire to return to the ring.

He stated that it was only through taking out his trainer’s licence with the Board of Control that Hatton felt he was getting the buzz that he had lost when he announced his retirement from the ring after being brutally dispatched in just two rounds by Manny Pacquiao, leading to his well documented personal problems.

Since then, Hatton's promotions business has been going from strength to strength, steering Martin Murray to a Lonsdale belt at Middleweight and eventually a world title shot against recently dethroned WBA belt holder Felix Sturm in a questionable draw in Germany and also handling Super-Bantamweight prospect Scott Quigg to his own Lonsdale belt as well.

These successes as a promoter and, more recently, as a trainer, sparked the urge for Hatton to make a comeback to the squared circle, which he announced on Friday his intention to return to the ring as a Welterweight. More...

It has been announced by Matchroom Sport that newly crowned IBF and two time WBC Super Middleweight Champion Carl Froch will be making the maiden defence of his IBF Super Middleweight title against two time world title challenger Yusaf Mack of the United States at the Nottingham Arena on November 17th.

The 35-year-old Froch won the IBF version of the 12 stone title back in May when he stopped the big hitting Canadian-Romanian Lucian Bute in just five rounds in front of Bute's partisan home crowd.

Many knowledgeable figures within this sport regard Froch's victory as not only his finest performance of his 31 fight professional career to date, but also one of the finest by a British fighter in a world title bout of all time.

Froch applied intelligent, relentless pressure against the powerfully elegant southpaw to clinch his third world title and secure his future within the sport.

Prior to the fight, Froch had stated had he lost to Bute he would have been left to consider his future in the sport as he had no desire to step down to British level. More...

Following the example of his elder brother Vitali, who is scheduled to take on unbeaten German based Syrian Manuel Charr, WBA Super, WBO, IBF and IBO Heavyweight Champion of the World, Wladimir Klitschko, returns to the ring to defend his titles at the O2 World Arena against the undefeated Pole and current WBC International Champion Mariusz Wach of Poland.

The fight, which will be the 14th defence of the younger Klitschko in his current reign as the Heavyweight Champion of the World and the 62nd in his glittering career, gives the Ukrainian icon his toughest test.

The 32 year old Wach, who is undefeated in 27 bouts with 15 of these wins coming by knockout and is one a run of seven knockout wins in his last eight bouts, albeit against inferior opposition in comparison to Klitschko, stands an half an inch taller at 6ft 7inch and half in comparison to Klitschko’s 6ft 6inch and a half frame and also has a one inch reach advantage of 82 inches to Klitschko’s 81 inches.

It is also only the third time during his current reign that Klitschko has faced an unbeaten opponent and the first time in three years with the last man being the Uzbek southpaw Ruslan Chagaev, who Klitschko battered into a ninth round retirement in Gelschenkirken at the Veltins Arena. More...

It has now been almost two weeks since the Closing Ceremony brought down the curtain on the London Olympics. The venues are being either tidied up for the Paralympics or returned to their traditional usage such as Lord’s for the final test between England and South Africa.

The overall postmortem’s of Team GB’s performance at the Olympics, which saw 29 Gold medals, the highest ever haul since the 1908 games, which were also held in London, has started.

While the rowing team delivered the usual amounts of success under the excellent system headed by the German Head Coach Jurgen Grobler, Britain topped the medals table at the regatta, which was located at Eton Dorney, and the cycling team, led by Tour De France winner Bradley Wiggins, continued to built on their success on track and road.

But it is the boxing squad that got the headlines in the morning newspapers. The boxing squad of 10 also matched the expectation that was placed up on it.

The success that the GB Performance Squad achieved may have not have attracted much overall headline success in the mainstream press until Nicola Adams and Anthony Joshua served the two golds, but to many a boxing observer the overall success it is not a surprise.

The foundations for the success were built in Beijing back in 2008 when James DeGale delivered gold at Middleweight for the first time since Chris Finnegan in Mexico City back in 1968, and bronze medals for David Price and Tony Jefferies respectively, and respectable performances from Joe Murray and Khalid Yafai, amongst others. More...

Reports have emerged from the Southern Hemisphere that New Zealand All Black rugby star and occasional boxer Sonny Bill Williams is rumoured to have signed a contract to fight the veteran South African Heavyweight Francois Botha.

The 26 year old All Black star, who is currently playing rugby in Japan for the Top League rugby union team Panasonic Wild Knights, located in the city of Ota, who were All Japan Champions in 2008.

Williams, who turned professional back in 2009, describes his boxing career as good off season training for Rugby as he has an agreement with the New Zealand Rugby Union to box.

He's had five professional bouts and clinched the New Zealand Heavyweight title in just his fifth professional bout. If this fight is confirmed, Williams will face, without doubt, his toughest opponent in the form of the 43 year "White Buffalo", Botha.

Botha, who turned professional back in 1990 in Johannesburg, defeating fellow countryman Johan Zyl in just one round, will provide a tough test for Williams despite being losing three of his last four fights, all by knockout, and most recently against Carlos Takam for the WBO Africa title in Saint Denis France. More...

Today it has been announced that current WBA “interim” title holder and former British and European Super Middleweight Champion, Brian Magee, has been awarded his second crack at a full “major” title, this time against American Southpaw stylist/puncher Andre Dirrell on the 17th November.

The 37 year old Magee, from Belfast in Ireland, was given the opportunity to fight the American Dirrell, a former amateur star and Super Six alumni, following the stripping of the Hungarian Karoly Balzsay, who choose not to fufill his mandatory challenge against Magee so the title has since been made vacant.

Against Dirrell, Magee has the edge in experience having had 41 fights since turning professional back in 1999, stopping journeymen Dean Ashton on the undercard of Clinton Woods’ ninth round stoppage win over Crawford Ashley to win the British, Commonwealth and European titles at Light-Heavyweight.

During his 13 year professional career, Magee has fought some of the best Super-Middleweights in Europe and the world such as Lucian Bute, against whom he lost in the 10th round after being repeatedly dropped with sickening body shots.

Also Magee was defeated by Carl Froch, who inflicted the Irishman’s first stoppage in 11 rounds for the British and Commonwealth titles at 12 stone. Another former World Champion that Magee has been in with is ex-WBC champion Robin Reid, against whom Magee was dropped four times en route to losing his IBO title at the Kings Hall back in 2004 More...

Today is has been announced that Welterweight prospect and former ABA champion Ronnie “Babe” Heffron faces the toughest test of his professional career to date in a British Welterweight eliminator shot against former British champion David Barnes on the 12th October at the Bowler Exhibition Centre.

The 22 year old Heffron, from Oldham in Manchester, turned professional in December, 2009 on the bill of Amir Khan’s one round blowout of American Dmitriy Salita at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle in a four round contest against trial horse Chris Brophy.

Since then, Heffron has been gradually stepped from four round, to six round and eight round contest and faces his first 10 round contest against the 31 year old Barnes, a two weight British champion at Light Welter and Welterweight, with in the latter division he won the prestigious Lonsdale belt outright.

At a time when Barnes won the Lonsdale belt outright back in 2004, he was regarded as one of the brightest young prospects in British boxing but inactivity saw his stock waver considerably because of it.

Barnes’ record as a professional would give him a clear advantage as favourite, having fought top line domestic Welterweight and Light-Welterweights such as former European champions Ted Bami, whom Barnes defeated on a wide points decision back in March 2008 in a British title fight.

Also, Barnes has defeated Finnish boxer Juho Tolppola back in 2005 in the Braehead Arena in Glasgow in a 10 round contest, Scotsman Kevin McIntyre back in 2003, former Commonwealth champion James Hare and most recently former WBA Light-Welterweight Vivian Harris, against whom he picked up a fifth round technical draw.

Also on the bill, former European Welterweight boss Matthew Hatton is scheduled to make his ring return after losing a wide points decision against Kell Brook earlier this year against an opponent yet to be named. More...

This week it has been announced that newly unified WBO and IBF Super Bantamweight champion Nonito Donaire will face a tough maiden unification defence of his titles against the Japanese Super-Bantamweight star Toshiaki Nishioka at the Home Depot Centre on the 13th November in Carson, California.

This contest is widely seen as one of the best match-ups in the sport, which pits Donaire, currently ranked number one at Super Bantam and Nishioka who is ranked number two.

It will be the second time in a row that the 36 year old southpaw “Speed King” Nishioka will be fighting in the United States, having defeated big hitting two weight world champion Rafael Marquez on points at the Marquee Ballroom at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas back in November 2011.

Following that victory over Marquez, Nishioka chose to take a break from the sport, giving up his WBC super bantam belt.

The younger Donaire, who in just 30 fights is already a three weight world champion at Flyweight, Bantamweight and Super-Bantamweight, is an American regular despite being Filipino born and has made himself a crowd favourite with his big hitting all action style.

Donaire is potentially the man who flies the flag for Filipino boxing once Manny Pacquiao finally decides to ring the bell on his ring career to concentrate on his political ambitions.

The Nishioka bout continues a tough run of fights for the 29 year old Filipino, who unified the titles against tall South African Jeffrey Mathebula on points, defeating former WBO champion Wilfredo Vazquez Junior in 2012 and last year dominating two-weight Argentinean World Champion Omar Andres Narvaez points.

Donaire knocked out big hitting three-weight Mexican world champion Fernando Montiel in just two rounds in February 2011 to take Montiel’s WBC and WBO Bantamweight belts. Prior to this, he defeated former WBA bantamweight king Volodymyr Sydorenko of Ukraine with a four round KO on his Bantamweight debut and back in 2007, knocked out big hitting Armenian Vic Darchinyan. More...

Following his American televised debut against former IBO Super-Middleweight title challenger Francesco Sierra in a 10 round contest in San Jose, California, George Groves has been forced to postpone (yet again) his forthcoming defence of his Commonwealth and British Super-Middleweight titles.

Groves was due to rematch former victim Kenny Anderson, which had been scheduled on September 14th, but due to a cut over his right eye during the third round of the Sierra contest the bout has been postponed for a second time.

Groves stopped Sierra in the sixth round to take his record to 15-0 with 12 knockouts.

Over the last 12 months, Groves has only fought once, a second round stoppage over former British champion Paul Smith, as he has been cursed with considerable bad luck, suffering hand, back and nose injuries respectively.

Even worse for Groves’ camp, a WBO title shot against Robert Steiglitz, which was scheduled to take place in May in Germany, has seen former IBF Middleweight champ Arthur Abraham take Groves’ place in the opposite corner to Stieglitz this month.

It is depressing, not just to Groves, but to fight fans as well, that such an exciting and talented young fighter in the shape of the 24 year old Groves is forced out of the ring through yet another injury, but as it is due to a cut, his absence will not be too long. More...

Earlier this week, it was announced that former British Lightweight Champion Anthony “Million Dollar” Crolla has signed up for the latest edition of the Prizefighter series, which is promoted by Matchroom Sport.

This latest edition of Prizefighter will take place at the Olympia in Liverpool on the sixth of October and will provide the start for a great fortnight of boxing in the fight city of Liverpool.

The following week, popular Scouse Heavyweight David Price makes the first defence of his British and Commonwealth titles against Audley Harrison on a packed bill at the Echo Arena.

Crolla is looking to rebuild his professional career since losing his British Lightweight title to Liverpool’s Derry Mathews in a sixth round stoppage back in April.

Crolla will also be facing a potential opportunity to gain his revenge against Mathews, who has also signed up for Prizefighter following his defeat to Gavin Rees in a domestic fight of the year candidate for the British and European Lightweight titles.

Also on the bill, former Prizefighter Super-Middleweight winner Rocky Fielding’s challenges for the Central Area Super-Middleweight title against Sheffield’s Wayne Reed.

Former British Super-Featherweight champion Gary Sykes will be making his second appearance in the series, having been knocked out by Gary Buckland in the super feather smi-final back in 2010 at York Hall.

Mathews might have an opportunity to avenge another knockout by Buckland in the same tournament. More...

Following the announcement of David Price’s first defence of the British and Commonwealth Heavyweight titles against Audley Harrison in a battle of the Olympians at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on October 13, an intriguing chief support bout has been added to the bill as Blackpool’s Brian Rose will be making the first defence of his British Light-Middleweight title against former title holder Sam Webb.

The 27 year old Rose won the Lonsdale belt back in December, 2011 after defeating fellow Lancastrian Prince Arron on a tight points verdict in Wigan before two points defences against former conqueror Max Maxwell in Blackpool and Scotsman Kris Carslaw in Manchester.

The 31 year old Webb, from Chislehurst in Kent, won the Lonsdale belt back in 2010 with a points win over Anthony Small, gets the chance to get his old title back, which he lost on a 12th round stoppage against Arron.

Previously, Webb had defeated former European champion Matthew Hall at the Royal Albert Hall in March this year on the bill of Billie Joe Saunders’ Commonwealth title win over Tony Hill.

The younger Rose, who has 22 fights to Webb’s 20, possesses the height advantage standing at 6ft to Webb’s 5ft 9in, and will obviously look to try and dominate the bout with his jab while looking to box and move.

The smaller Webb will be looking to work inside and dig to the body to slow down the taller Rose. Webb has been in with the superior opposition, having faced former Commonwealth title challenger Martin Concepcion, Small and Arron, while Arron is the biggest name on Rose’s slate so far.

Both men have low knockout percentages so it is likely to be a tough and skillful 12 round contest with the younger Rose likely to be victorious and secure the Lonsdale belt outright.

Also added to the bill is local Flyweight Kevin Satchell, who will be challenging Stoke’s two weight British champion Chris Edwards in a unification match for the British and Commonwealth Flyweight titles. More...

Following a defeat to Polish prospect Andrzej Fonfara on points in a 10 round contest, Jamaican Road Warrior Glencoffe Johnson has chosen to call time on his professional career at the age of 43.

Johnson's 70 fight professional career commenced back in 1993 at the age of 24 and saw him take on some of the best fighters at Light-Heavyweight and Super Middleweight over the last 15 years.

Johnson’s record stops at 51 wins (35 by knockout) 17 defeats with only 1 stoppage loss on the slate against fellow ageless 40 something Bernard Hopkins back in 1997 for the IBF Middleweight title.

"The Road Warrior" carved out a reputation as a fighter willing to take on all comers at either 12 stone or the classical 12 stone 7lbs divisions and faced off against opponents such as Antonio Tarver, splitting two points decisions with "The Magic Man", going 1-1-1 with Sheffield’s Clinton Woods here in the UK in a tight and often overlooked trilogy of fights.

Johnson lost two tight points decisions to current WBC Light-Heavyweight king Chad Dawson, but it was the dramatic ninth knockout of a prime Roy Jones Jnr back in 2004 when Jones was at his majestic pomp despite losing all his titles to Tarver in his previous bout that Johnson will be most remembered for.

In that contest, Johnson countered Jones’ superior athleticism and speed with accurate and effective counter punching to dominate the fight in eight rounds before scoring the ninth round knockout.

However, Johnson’s career has been littered with setbacks. In his most recent fights, there was an overwhelming one sided loss to Lucian Bute for the IBF Super-Middleweight title, a belt Johnson once challenged for unsuccessfully against Sven Ottke in Dusseldorf back in 1999. More...