WBA welter champ Vyacheslav Senchenko proved his title winning effort in April was no fluke as the 31 year old made his first defense on Saturday at Sportspalace Drusba in Donetsk.

Challenging Senchenko was Japanese visitor Motoki Sasaki, who brought a seven bout win streak to Donetsk.

Sasaki, a reigning OPBF champion from Tokyo, tried to take the fight to the taller champion but ate significant amounts of leather for his trouble.

The challenger was frustrated by his inability to pierce Senchenko's defense and had two points taken away in the sixth frame for headbutting. More...

Last night at Glasgow's Bellahouston Sports Centre, British Featherweight title challenger Paul Appleby, 13-0 (8), won his most important test to date by outpointing former super bantamweight triple champion Esham Pickering, 33-8 (13), after twelve rounds.

Appleby was aggressive from the start and looked to tire the aging Pickering but the Newark stylist drew on his long experience to survive the onslaught and even win a few rounds later in the bout when the champion began to flag from the effort.

But Pickering, never a big puncher, just couldn't keep his 21 year old antagonist off and loses the third bout over his last four outings on points. Appleby retains the British Featherweight title for the first time.

The man Appleby defeated to win that belt, fellow Scot John Simpson, 18-6 (6), was also in action on the bill, outpointing Kenyan import John Gicharu, 10-3-1 (5), in a competitive eight round featherweight contest.

Rising Scottish boxing star Paul Appleby will be put to the test this Friday when the 21 year old sensation puts his British featherweight title on the line against his most experienced and dangerous opponent to date at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow.

The South Queensferry youngster turned professional in January, 2006, following an illustrious amateur career and battered his way up the ranks until gaining a British title shot against fellow Scot John Simpson in June.

After 12 arduous rounds of combat, Appleby, 12-0 (8), was declared the winner by close margins on all three cards but now must put his newly minted belt at risk against highly decorated former triple champion at super bantamweight, Esham Pickering.

Pickering, 33-7 (13), has had many ups and downs during his 12 year career. As a 21 year old in 1998, he lost a British featherweight title bid and two years later was blown out in the first round during a WBO bantamweight title challenge. More...

**With Slideshow**

© Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing

On Friday night at the Robin Park Arena, Wigan, England Andy Bell faced Lee Haskins in a British Super Flyweight title contest on a Frank Maloney promoted fight night billed as "The Explosive Thin Men!" Bell was making his first defence of the title he won in March against Stoke's Chris Edwards.

Bellie, aka "The Iceman", enters the ring wearing Doncaster colours of red and white alongside trainer Matt Scriven, who is himself a pro boxer. Haskins - fighting out of Chris Sanigar's gym in Bristol - has won 17 of his 19 contests.

Just inside the first minute of round one, both men land on the floor in a wrestling type move. Little did we know that this would be the first of many wrestling falls thought out this contest.

Haskins has the more open-style of boxing, leaving the upper part of his body exposed and flicking the straight right up his taller opponent's head. Both men land on the canvas again in a tangled bundling over - but Bell reaches down with both gloves to help his opponent up off the canvas. A messy first round. More...

Promoter Frank Maloney returns to Robin Park Centre in Wigan, England tonight, Friday, November 7, with an evening of competitive fights, featuring the best young talent fighting out of the UK today.

British super flyweight champion Andy Bell, 11-3 (3), faces his toughest test to date in the form of ex-Commonwealth flyweight titlist Lee Haskins, 17-2 (9), who has never lost while fighting below the bantamweight division. Bell has won seven straight, including the intense firefight against Chris Edwards eight months ago to win the British belt, but has yet to meet an opponent as crafty and experienced as Haskins, who must win at Robin Park if he is to realize ambitions to compete at European level. More...

In just two days time, British super flyweight champion Andy Bell has vowed to turn up the heat on challenger Lee Haskins and turn the canvas at Robin Park Centre into a hot coal carpet when the two meet this Friday in Wigan, England.

Bell put in a scorching performance to rip the Lonsdale belt away from Chris Edwards at the end of March and the towering 23 year old from Doncaster is preparing a hellish reception for Haskins. More...

Frank Maloney Promotions returns to the north of England on Friday, November 7 when Andy Bell puts his British super flyweight championship at risk against veteran southpaw Lee Haskins at the Robin Park Centre in the Manchester suburb of Wigan.

23 year old Nottingham man Bell clawed his way to the forefront of the UK super flyweight division by overcoming Chris Edwards in a thrilling slugfest that shattered the gritty Stoke grafter's hold on the British title this past March. More...

Andy Bell aims to make up for missing out on Young Boxer of the Year by coming through a successful first defence of his British super-flyweight title. The Doncaster youngster risks his title when he faces Bristol southpaw Lee Haskins at Robin Park Arena on Friday, November 7. More...

Last night at the characterful York Hall, Bethnal Green in London, England, Esham Pickering and Matthew Marsh slugged it out for the British Super Bantamweight title on a Hennessy Sports promoted fight night.

The champion Pickering was looking to win the Lonsdale Belt outright as he defended it a second time - this time to younger, less experienced opponent in the 25 year old Marsh.

On home-ground, Marsh, from West Ham, was wearing his usual claret and blue trunks. ‘Brown Sugar’ Pickering was sporting a skin-head haircut bearing a bleached blonde raised logo of "Jordan".

The contest gets off to a fast start and Marsh is keen to impress - getting straight to work on Pickering and looks to have taken the first round.

Pickering is under pressure in the opening minute of round two as Marsh unloads a number of shots backing, the champion onto the ropes. Using combinations and body-punches, Marsh looks to over-power Pickering, who sees out the end of the tough round.

Pickering leaves himself wide-open in round three, getting caught with more shots from his younger opponent. Marsh keeps focussed while adopting a ‘tight’ defence. There’s a ‘nick’ under the left eye of Pickering. More...

© Jane Warburton / Saddo Boxing

This Friday night at the York Hall in Bethnal Green, London, England, Esham Pickering puts his British Super Bantamweight title at risk against Matthew Marsh.

In a Hennessy Sports promoted fight night, thirty one year old ʽBrown Sugarʼ Pickering of Newark, Nottinghamshire, makes his second defence of the title against the lesser-experienced, younger, Marsh of Sidcup. More...

Esham Pickering is warning challenger Matthew Marsh not to underestimate him ahead of their British Super Bantamweight title fight at the York Hall in Bethnal Green in London on Friday, June 27, 2008.

Former European and Commonwealth Champion Pickering, of Newark, defends his British title against Marsh, of Welling, on what promises to be a thrilling Hennessy Sports show in association with GoldenPalace.net at the home of British boxing with Sky Sports televising the action live. More...

John O’Donnell continues on the comeback trail as part of a talented and exciting bill at the York Hall in Bethnal Green this Friday, June 27, 2008.

Top of the Hennessy Sports in association with Golden Palace bill is the British Super Bantamweight title fight between Esham Pickering of Newark and Matthew Marsh of Welling and there is plenty of quality on display before the main event featuring London boxers. More...

Lenny Daws believes he will deserve another crack at the British title if he beats experienced Frenchman Mihaita Mutu at the York Hall this Friday, June 27, 2008.

The Hennessy Sports light welterweight is chief support on the same excitement packed bill as British super bantamweight champion Esham Pickering versus Matthew Marsh, which Sky Sports will televise live. More...

As their British Super Bantamweight title fight looms, reigning champion Esham Pickering and challenger Matthew Marsh will come together for the final time before hostilities commence when the rivals have their weigh-in on Thursday in London's East End.

Two-time British Champion Pickering, 33-6 (13), has also held the European and Commonwealth titles at super bantam but the 31 year old "Brown Sugar" from Newark is looking to solidify his domestic standing before trying to reacquire his former honours. More...

Esham Pickering feels he has a point to prove when he defends his British Super-Bantamweight Title against Matthew Marsh at the York Hall in Bethnal Green on Friday 27th June 2008.

Pickering (Newark) will make his second defence of the British crown on a Hennessy Sports in association with GoldenPalace.net after stopping Sean Hughes in the ninth round in January. More...