Ex-championship prizefighter Oscar De La Hoya, now an established promoter and businessman, has given boxing aficionados around the world ample reason to lament following his curious and highly controversial acquisition of the sport’s last remaining link to legitimacy. For those of us who still give a damn, and who, for reasons perhaps unknown even to…
It’s Now Or Never He is a faceless title holder in an increasingly faceless sport, but come September 7 WBC Light Welterweight champion Junior Witter will get the opportunity to stand up and be seen. Witter, 33, is only weeks away from a career defining showdown with number one contender Vivian Harris, and has declared…
Light middleweight prospect Gary “Hot Stuff” Woolcombe suffered his first loss as a professional last night at the hands of the awkward and deceptively good Andrew ‘Smiley’ Facey. Woolcombe, who fell to 22-1 (7), attempted to press the action throughout but was rendered more or less ineffective by his crafty opponent, who made full use…
Fourteen years after his father told him that, if he was going to become a professional boxer, winning a British title would make him the most proud, Norwich’s John Thaxton broke down in tears after finally accomplishing that goal on Friday night. Headlining the Sky Sports televised bill at the Goresbrook Leisure Centre in Dagenham,…
With last weekend’s double shooting fresh in the memory, local promoter Derek Williams teamed up with anti-street violence organization Mothers Against Guns to bring to Elephant & Castle an auspiciously timed message wrapped within an action-packed night of boxing. Lucy Cope, chairperson of Mothers Against Guns, co-promoted the heavily-stacked card which took place on Saturday…
Over-Anxious Calzaghe Wins Ugly, Remains Unbeaten On a night in which he was under considerable pressure to sparkle, WBO and IBF super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe was forced to dig deeper than anyone expected in order to overcome tough Cameroonian Sakio Bika. Having set a near flawless standard for himself when trouncing heavily hyped American…
Bermondsey’s David Haye will make the third defence of his European crown against unbeaten Italian Giacobbe Fragomeni on Friday, November 13 at the world-renowned York Hall in Bethnal Green, London. In an announcement made earlier this week, promoter Frank Maloney confirmed that the cruiserweight clash has been sanctioned as a final eliminator for the WBC…
Humbled heavyweight boxer Audley ‘A-Force’ Harrison has this week claimed that he is determined to regain his credibility as a fighter after suffering a pair of reputation-shattering losses within a year. The booming declaration came after it was revealed that Harrison, 34, will challenge countryman Matt Skelton for the Commonwealth title on Saturday, December 9…
Samuel ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ Peter must grant James ‘Lights Out’ Toney an immediate rematch to determine an official challenger to champion Oleg Maskaev, ruled the WBC Board of Governors earlier this week. The decision comes after a sustained public outcry over the outcome of the pairs September 2 bout, which was awarded to Peter via split…
Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion Matt Skelton has passed up the opportunity to challenge for a major world title in his next outing, revealed the fighter’s promoter last week. It is believed that Team Skelton were offered a 23 December ate with newly crowned WBC Champion Oleg Maskaev, but turned down the title shot after deeming the…
Light welterweight Ted Bami aims to echo the feats of countrymen Ricky Hatton and Junior Witter this Friday when he meets travel-hardened Italian Giuseppe Lauri for the vacant EBU title on a Sky Sports televised bill at London’s famed York Hall. Bami, 28, is reeling off seven straight victories – four inside the distance –…
A slow start was the difference between him and WBC super featherweight champion Marco Antonio Barrera when they met on May 5 at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, reflected Rocky Juarez on a recent conference call to promote his upcoming rematch against the Mexican icon. Juarez, 26, lost a controversial split decision to Barrera…