By Gabriel F. Cordero

WBC interim heavyweight world champion Alexander Povetkin is recovering well from Covid 19. The next step is to return to training and evaluate his performance. “Sascha” has undergone a comprehensive medical examination and we’ll soon know if his rematch with Dillian Whyte will take place at the end of January.

By Marco Bratusch

Today was a busy day at the EBU headquarters in Rome, in terms of bidding, as three fights had their respective deadlines expected at noon, local time.

Italy’s BBT Promotion earned the rights to stage the vacant European super-middleweight title between co-challengers Giovanni De Carolis (28-9-1, 13 KOs) and undefeated Leon Bauer (17-0-1, 9 KO). Promoter Davide Buccioni put in the envelope 28,600 Euro as the only bidder, a sum that leaves some questions on whether the 22-year-old German boxer would actually come to Italy in order to dispute the title.

Quite surprisingly, nobody bid on behalf of Callum Johnson (18-1, 13 KOs) for his long-awaited vacant European light-heavyweight title against co-challenger Igor Mikhalkin (23-2, 10 KOs), a former European champion from Russia. Continue reading “EBU Purse Bid Results”

Brooks on Errol Spence: “I can just tell EJ is hungry and determined to show that he’s still the top dog in the division”

By Jeff Zimmerman

In less than a week, unified welterweight champ Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. (26-0, 21 KOs), makes his long-awaited return to the ring against two-division world champ Danny “Swift” Garcia (36-2, 21 KOs). Spence looked in outstanding shape and was lighting up the heavy bag with left handed hooks in his recent media workout promoting the big showdown that takes place this Saturday, December 5 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and shown live on FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View.

But beating up a heavy bag that doesn’t hit back still makes many wonder how he will respond when Garcia lands one of his patented counter hooks to his chin for the first time. And not everyone is convinced that Spence will be the same fighter he once was after his devastating one car wreck just weeks after he unified the title against Shawn Porter at Staples Center in Los Angeles last September. Continue reading “Burley Brooks comments on Errol Spence”

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Fightnews.com® has been advised by IBF Public Relations Director, Jeanette Salazar, that IBF referee Lindsey Page Jr. has sadly passed away. “Unfortunately we have lost another member of the IBF family this year,” said Salazar. “Lindsey Page, Jr. passed away a couple of days ago. Lindsey was a well-known referee and judge, and an IBF member for many years. We are deeply saddened by his passing. At this time we do not have much information to share regarding services, etc.”

Lindsey started his career as referee in 1992 and worked a total of 226 bouts until 2017. He was born in Trenton, New Jersey and resided in Burlington, New Jersey. He will be sadly missed by family and friends.

Three-time world champion Lovemore Ndou takes readers of his recently published autobiography “Tough Love” on a journey through the hardship of his childhood in South Africa and bouts with Canelo Alvarez and Miguel Cotto and working as chief sparring partner to Floyd Mayweather and becoming a leading lawyer in Sydney, Australia. Continue reading “Lovemore Ndou releases autobiography”

In boxing, the top-level television boxers generally garner the headlines and bigger purses. The casual fans are usually unaware of the realities, struggles, and lower purses of the average fighter who usually does not fight on television. Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) president David Feldman a former professional boxer himself, launched the BKFC June 2, 2018. The events have featured a number of professional boxers since it began including former 2-division world champion Paulie Malignaggi and longtime contender Dat Nguyen. In this very short period of time, the interest level of some professional boxers to join has grown as has the viewership of the events by boxing fans. Continue reading “Boxers showing interest in bare knuckle fights”

After his KO loss to Joe Joyce, heavyweight contender Daniel Dubois spent the night in the hospital. According to the Daily Star, Dubois suffered a fractured orbital bone and also some nerve damage around the left eye. He’ll visit a specialist on Monday to see if surgery is necessary.

Dubois’ eye was swollen shut from repeated piledriver jabs from Olympic silver medalist Joyce. He finally took a knee in round ten and was counted out after Joyce connected with another jab.

Promoter Frank Warren confirmed. “Daniel Dubois will be back,” stated Warren. “He is still only 23 and has a huge and successful career ahead of him. He took a risk, and this time it didn’t come off. Full credit for fighting his heart out as long as he did with a fractured orbital bone and nerve damage around his eye.”

In an exhibition between ring legends, Mike Tyson, 54, and Roy Jones Jr., 51, entertained a PPV audience on Saturday night behind closed doors at Staples Center in Los Angeles. It was eight two-minute rounds of aggressive sparring. Tyson appeared to be in better shape. He threw mostly body shots that made a loud cracking sound when they landed. Jones landed a few of his trademark pot shots, but also spent a lot of time holding.

According to WBC remote scoring by Christy Martin, Chad Dawson, and Vinny Paz, the bout was “a draw.” No scores were announced. We had Tyson winning easily. Some sportsbooks accepted betting on the fight.

UPDATE: WBC remote scoring was Chad Dawson 76-76, Christy Martin 79-73 for Tyson, Vinny Paz 80-76 for Jones. Christy got it right. The other two cards were embarrassing, especially Paz. He scored four rounds even and gave the other four to Jones!!

After the fight, Tyson said he planned to do more of these events.

YouTube personality Jake Paul (2-0, 2 KOs) scored a vicious second round KO over 3-time NBA slam dunk champion Nate Robinson (0-1) in a cruiserweight clash on Saturday night at Staples Center in Los Angeles, no live audience. Paul dropped Robinson in round one. He knocked Robinson down again in round two. Robinson beat the count only to get dropped face first out cold. Time was 1:35.

Former two-time world champion Badou Jack (23-3-3, 13 KOs) brutally punished previously unbeaten Blake McKernan (13-1, 6 KOs) for eight rounds in a light heavyweight bout. The ex-champ pretty much teed off on the very tough McKernan the whole fight, but McKernan somehow went the full distance. Scores were 80-72 3x.

Unbeaten lightweight Jamaine Ortiz (14-0, 8 KOs) scored a seventh round TKO over Sulaiman Segawa (13-3-1, 4 KOs). A body shot dropped Segawa in round seven and Ortiz got the stop with his follow-up barrage. Time was 2:50. Ortiz claimed the vacant WBC USNBC silver belt. Another good action fight.

The featherweight clash between Irvin Gonzalez (14-3, 11 KOs) and Edward Vazquez (9-0, 1 KO) was rock’em sock’em robots for eight rounds. In the end, Vazquez won a split decision 77-75, 77-75, 75-77. What a war!

In a much-anticipated showdown between unbeaten heavyweights, WBC #11, WBO #11, IBF #13 and Rio Olympic silver medalist Joe Joyce (12-0, 11 KOs) used his jab to break down, then knock out WBO #2, WBC #7 Daniel Dubois (15-1, 14 KOs) on Saturday night behind closed doors at the historic Church House in London, next to Westminster Abbey.

Joyce connected repeatedly with the jab in round one and kept landing the jab all night long. Dubois connected with most of the power shots, but Joyce took Dubois’ punches well. Meanwhile the Joyce jab closed Dubois’ left eye. The end came in round ten when Joyce landed another jab right on the damaged eye and Dubois took a knee where he was counted out. Time was :36.

Big win for the 35-year-old Joyce, who was a +320 underdog.

Photos

WBO #15 super welterweight Hamzah Sheeraz (12-0, 8 KOs) successfully defended his WBO Euro belt with a tenth round TKO over Guido Nicolas Pitto (26-8-2, 8 KOs) on Saturday night behind closed doors at Church House in London, England. Sheeraz seemed headed to a one-sided decision, but got a referee’s stoppage after a series of unanswered punches at 1:11 of the final stanza.

WBO #1 jr welterweight Jack Catterall (27-0, 13 KOs) took a one-sided ten round decision over Abderrazak Houya (14-3, 2 KOs) ahead of his challenge for the WBO world title. After five workmanlike rounds, southpaw Catterall dropped Houya in round six and almost got him out of there. Catterall scored another knockdown in round nine, then cruised to a 99-90 win.

Unbeaten heavyweight David Adeleye (4-0, 4 KOs) scored a second round KO over Danny Whittaker (4-2, 0 KOs). Adeleye dropped Whittaker twice in round two before the fight was stopped. Time 2:09.

Cruiserweight Jack Massey (17-1, 8 KOs) outpointed Mohammad Ali Bayat Farid (16-2-1, 16 KOs) over eight rounds by a score of 79-74.

If you are still on the fence about buying tonight’s $49.99 Tyson-Jones Jr. PPV, maybe this video will help.

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Former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (56-5-1, 34 KOs) crushed Jeyson Minda (14-3-1, 8 KOs) in four rounds on Friday night at the Parque Revolucion, Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. The bout was contested at light heavyweight. Junior attacked Minda’s body ferociously, dropping him in rounds two, three, and four before Minda’s corner waved the towel.

In the co-feature, unbeaten bantamweight Karim Arce (18-0-2, 8 KOs) won a ten round unanimous decision over Jesus Carlon (9-8-2, 3 KOs). It was an entertaining fight with Arce, the nephew of Mexican ring legend Jorge Arce, having his arm raised at the end. No scores announced.

Former 2x middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs (37-3, 30 KOs) won a tactical twelve round split decision over Gabe Rosado (25-13-1 14 KOs) in a super middleweight clash on Friday night at Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Florida. After some seriously hard feelings were expressed in the build-up, the fight was a tactical chess match that never heated up. Scores were 115-113 Rosado, 115-113, 115-113 Jacobs. Continue reading “Jacobs edges Rosado in dull split decision”

Mike Tyson 220.4 vs. Roy Jones Jr. 210
(WBC frontline title)

Jake Paul 189 vs. Nate Robinson 181
Badou Jack 188.9 vs. Blake McKernan 186.8
Jamaine Ortiz 133.5 vs. Sulaiman Segawa 131.8
Irvin Gonzalez 124.4 vs. Edward Vazquez 125.4
Joe Cusumano 224.5 vs. Gregory Corbin 291.8

The Rashad Coulter vs. Hasim Rahman Jr. fight was scratched.

Venue: Staples Center, Los Angeles
Promoter: Triller
TV: PPV

Unbeaten IBF #10 heavyweight Tony Yoka (9-0, 7 KOs) scored a lackluster ten round unanimous decision over Christian Hammer (25-7, 15 KOs) on Friday night at H Arena in Nantes, France. Yoka, who won the super heavyweight gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, was in command all the way but never had Hammer in any trouble. Hammer was deducted a point in round six for hitting on the break.

Unbeaten heavyweight Victor Faust (5-0, 4 KOs) scored a six round unanimous decision over game Kamil Sokolowski (10-20-2, 4 KOs). Faust dropped Sokolowski in round three, but had to go the distance for the first time. Continue reading “Yoka defeats Hammer, remains unbeaten”

AT LAST, Dubois vs Joyce is finally happening. Ahead of another huge night of boxing on ESPN+ in the U.S. and BT Sport in the U.K. tomorrow, the competitors today weighed-in and faced off inside the fighter bubble hotel.

Daniel Dubois 244.5 vs. Joe Joyce 259

Jack Catterall 143.25 vs. Abderrazak Houya 141.75
Hamzah Sheeraz 153.5 vs. Guido Nicolas Pitto 152.75
David Adeleye 219.25 vs. Danny Whitaker 260.75
Jack Massey 201.5 vs. Mohammad Ali Bayat 200.5
Louie Lynn 126 vs. Paul Holt 129.25
Joshua Frankham 149.25 vs. Matt Hall 148.5
Mitchell Barton 258 vs. Matt Gordon 251

Venue: BT Sport Studios, London
Promoter: Queensberry Promotions
TV: ESPN+ (US), BT Sport (UK)

WBC #3 rated Panya Pradabsri (35-1, 24 KOs) took the “0” and the green belt from record-breaking previously undefeated WBC strawweight champion Wanheng Menayothin (54-1, 18 KOs) with a hard-fought twelve round decision on Friday at the City Hall Ground in Nakhon Sawan Thailand. It was a close fight with Wanheng coming on at the end, but the result was in doubt until Pradabsri’s arm was raised after scores of 115-113, 115-113, 115-113 were read in favor of the +600 underdog.

The 35-year-old Wanheng, also known as Chayaphon Moonsri, was making his 13th defense of the 105lb title. He eclipsed Floyd Mayweather’s 50-0 mark in 2018, and had briefly retired earlier this year at 54-0, but changed his mind.

By Wanheng absorbing this loss, Floyd gets back the recognition for best record in an unbeaten career.

By Hesiquio Balderas

“Son of the Legend” Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is ready to return to the ring tonight in Culiacán, México, against Jeyson Miranda.

“I will come back strong now I have two fights under my belt. I have more rounds. I haven’t stopped training even when they did me dirty in my last fight. My main focus is me, it doesn’t matter who my opponent is or was. I have to be ready and I am ready,” said Julio Jr.

“It’s been tough, what we’ve been through, but I just want to fight and I’m not making plans for the future, but I’ll keep fighting and fighting. That’s what I want to do. Continue reading “Chavez Jr: I will be champion again”

Former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (55-5-1, 33 KOs) will be back in the ring against Jeyson Minda (14-2-1, 8 KOs) on Friday night at the Parque Revolucion, Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. The bout will be contested at light heavyweight. Junior returns after a technical decision loss to Mario Abel Cazares in September, while Minda was stopped by Tyrone Spong in August. The event will be available as a PPV online via Sala Estelar.

“I just love punching people, it’s so therapeutic”

By Jeff Zimmerman

Former UFC heavyweight and part-time boxer Rashad Coulter (4-0, 3 KOs) out of Dallas, Texas, is moving from the cage to the ring on one of boxing’s biggest stages this Saturday, November 28 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, as he has landed on the Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr. exhibition extravaganza against Hasim Rahman, Jr. (9-0, 4 KOs), son of former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman.

Coulter was originally slated to fight Viddal Riley, a British pro boxer and Internet personality, known for training YouTube sensation KSI. Continue reading “UFC vet Coulter fighting on Tyson-Jones Jr card”

Daniel Jacobs 167.6 vs. Gabe Rosado 168
Daniyar Yeleussinov 146.6 vs. Julius Indongo 146.2
Nikita Ababiy 162.2 vs. Brandon Maddox 162
Mahammadrasul Majidov 232.6 vs. Sahret Delgado 291
Emmanuel Tagoe 134 vs. Mason Menard 134.8

Venue: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel/Casino, Hollywood, Florida
Promoter: Matchroom
TV: DAZN

Tony Yoka 239.2 vs. Christian Hammer 258.8
Victor Faust 237.0 vs. Kamil Sokolowski 234.6
Volkan Gökcek 143.3 vs. Aboubeker Bechelaghem 144.2

Venue: H Arena in Nantes, France
Promoter: Ringstar France
TV: ESPN+

Daniel Dubois: I’m gonna break Joe down, chop him up and send a message to the world

Joe Joyce: I will punch Dubois until he’s down

Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren today held the final head-to-head press conference ahead of the heavyweight showdown between unbeaten KO Kings Daniel Dubois (15-0, 14 KOs) and Joe Joyce (11-0, 10 KOs). The unbeaten Londoners collide in an explosive 12 rounder at Church House, Westminster on Saturday. Continue reading “Dubois-Joyce Final Press Conference”

By Robert Coster

TIME AND PLACE: 43 years to this date, November 26, 1977, at the Gimnasio Panama, Panama City, for the vacant WBA super bantamweight title

THE PROTAGONISTS: Hector Carrasquilla, 17-year-old prodigy from Panama, with an unbeaten record of 11 straight knockouts, literally crushing his opposition, vs Soo Hwang Hong (39-4-3) of South Korea, a former WBA bantamweight champion. Continue reading “Carrasquilla-Hwang: Remembering a boxing epic”