SES Boxing announced today that the March 28 WBA interim light heavyweight title fight between champion Dominic Boesel and Zac Dunn is cancelled. After considering the daily dynamically changing circumstances of the global coronavirus pandemic, SES determined that staging the event on the scheduled date isn’t possible and a postponement is inevitable. Tickets to the SES event remain valid for the new date, which will be communicated as soon as possible.

“We deliberately and carefully considered this decision to postpone the SES boxing gala,” said promoter Ulf Steinforth. “We got expert advice very early on and would have held this event even after all the restrictions. Above all, our responsibility as part of society is the health and well-being of everyone involved. This was always paramount! Now the postponement is inevitable. I am sorry for our boxers, our SES boxing team, the people who looked after the organization so self-sacrificingly and helpfully and above all for our partners and service providers. Continue reading “Boesel-Dunn WBA title fight cancelled”

Up until today, UK government and health authorities had decided that all public events presently planned (including boxing events) were free to go ahead. That policy has now ended.

The British Boxing Board of Control today made the following announcement:

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

With regard to the above and the statement made by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, all public tournaments under the jurisdiction of the British Boxing Board of Control are unfortunately cancelled. Further consideration of the matter will take place at the beginning of April.

The cards definitely cancelled include:
March 20, Golden Contract LH semifinals, ESPN+
March 28, David Avanesyan vs. Josh Kelly, DAZN

Other cards in likely jeopardy are:
April 4, Lewis Ritson vs. Miguel Vazquez, DAZN
April 11, Joe Joyce vs. Daniel Dubois, ESPN+

Top Rank has now cancelled the March 28 ESPN card featuring WBC/IBF light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev and IBF mandatory challenger Meng Fanlong at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, Canada.

Top Rank has also called off a planned April 11 ESPN card featuring IBF junior bantamweight champion Jerwin Ancajas defending against Jonathan Rodriguez in Las Vegas, and an April 17 ESPN card featuring WBA super flyweight champion Andrew Moloney defending against Israel Gonzalez in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Due to the growing concerns over COVID-19, Premier Boxing Champions scheduled events for March and April have been cancelled and will be rescheduled for a later date. At this time there’s no information regarding future shows.

These shows include:
Luis Nery vs. Aaron Alameda, March 28, Showtime
Jamal James vs. Thomas Dulorme, April 11, FOX
David Benavidez vs. Roamer Angulo, April 18, Showtime

“The health and safety of the boxers, fans and those working the events are of utmost importance to us,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions and lead promoter for the cancelled shows. “We are all disappointed and as we get more information we will address future events.” Continue reading “All scheduled PBC events cancelled”

Matchroom Boxing USA’s event at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland on Friday April 17 has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Former World Super-Lightweight champions Regis Prograis and Maurice Hooker were due to meet in Maryland along with undisputed World Welterweight champion Cecilia Brækhus defending her titles against Jessica McCaskill, while Croatian Heavyweight Filip Hrgović was set to take on Jerry Forrest and Olympic gold medal man Daniyar Yeleussinov had his sights set on former unified World champion Julius Indongo. Matchroom Boxing USA is exploring alternative options around staging the event, including on a rescheduled date. Fans should visit their point of sale for ticket refunds.

By Ray Wheatley — World of Boxing

Former WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn’s scheduled bout with IBF #6, WBO #9 Tim Tszyu on April 22 is still on course to go ahead at the Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville, Queensland despite the announcement by the Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison that gatherings of more than 500 people will not be permitted by law because of the Coronavirus outbreak.

Promoters Dean Lonergan and Matt Rose made the decision to go ahead with the promotion.”We are still going on sale today for general admission tickets and have been on sale for corporate hospitality since Wednesday last week,” Lonergan said to WA Today. Continue reading “Horn-Tszyu still on track for April 22”

British tabloids are having a field day over a claim by a farmer who says he lied to UKAD (the UK anti-doping agency) about supplying current WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury with uncastrated wild boar in 2015. Fury and his cousin Huey tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone in 2015 and blamed it on tainted wild boar meat or supplements. The farmer claims he was promised £25,000 to lie, but was never paid. UKAD apparently is taking the claim seriously.

Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren, who co-promotes Fury, stated “The farmer making these outrageous allegations sent me a letter last October, full of errors and basically telling me he had committed perjury by signing statements under oath and lying. When I called him, he asked for money. I told him to clear off and get in contact with UKAD. He chose not to speak to UKAD but instead speak to a newspaper. Continue reading “Tyson Fury ‘tainted meat’ scandal erupts in UK”

By Joe Koizumi

All shows scheduled until April 30 were cancelled or postponed by the Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) and the JPBA (Japan Professional Boxing Association), the union of all licensed club owners (some 270), on Friday. Previously they had decided to cancel all up to April 15 but now extended the application of the forced cancellations for fifteen more days due to the unceasing coronavirus outbreak, which the WHO lately declared pandemic on Wednesday. Continue reading “All cards in Japan cancelled until April 30”

In response to the coronavirus, Latvian authorities have prohibited events with more than 200 people present until April 14. That means next Saturday’s scheduled WBSS cruiserweight final between Mairis Briedis and Yuniel Dorticos cannot take place as planned. The new proposed date for the WBSS final in Arena Riga is May 16, dependent on the current restrictions being lifted.

Mairis Briedis: “It is what it is and we will now adapt to the new situation and keep training to wait for the green light.”

Yuniel Dorticos: “I understood the impracticality and therefore l will have have to wait until May to win the tournament.”

Former middleweight champion Sergio Martinez is planning a comeback in Spain this June and he wants a real test, not a tune-up. The name of Marcos Maidana has been proposed and both sides are interested in the possibility, either in June or more likely in the following fight if Martinez looks good in his comeback. Both last fought in 2014. Martinez (45) against Miguel Cotto, and Maidana (37) against Floyd Mayweather.

In a major upset, former WBC female lightweight world champion Delfine Persoon (44-2, 18 KOs) was defeated by unheralded amateur boxer Nikoleta Pita in the opening round of today’s Olympic qualifiers at the Copper Box Arena in London. Scores were 29-28 4x for Pita, 29-28 1x for Persoon, who lost a very controversial decision against Katie Taylor for the undisputed women’s lightweight title last year at Madison Square Garden.

After close consultation with the New York State Athletic Commission, it has been determined that Saturday’s and Tuesday’s events cannot proceed in light of the ongoing Coronavirus crisis. Top Rank will work with the Commission to reschedule the events as soon as it is safe for all involved.

The health and safety of the fighters and their teams, and everyone involved in the promotion of these events, necessitated taking this step.

Following the examples of professional and amateur athletic organizations and associations in other states affected by COVID-19, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Department of Athletic Regulation has decided that the Showtime Presents: Grand Friday Night Fights event scheduled for Friday, March 13 at Grand Casino Hinckley will take place as scheduled, but will do so without a live audience. Attendance at the event will be limited to the fighters, their training staff and immediate family. This decision was made out of an abundance of caution, and not because of any specific threat of exposure to COVID-19. Continue reading “Restricted attendance at SHOBOX event”

Promoter Lou DiBella has announced that the Broadway Boxing event scheduled for March 19 at the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, which was to be streamed live on UFC FightPass, has been cancelled. “I urge all of our fighters and boxing fans to stay safe and follow the advice of health officials,” said DiBella.

Due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19, this Saturday’s Premier Boxing Champions event at MGM National Harbor in Maryland, headlined by James Kirkland vs. Marcos Hernandez and promoted by TGB Promotions, will be postponed until a later date.

“In the interest of public health and after reviewing the current information on COVID-19, we have decided the best course of action is to postpone Saturday’s event,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “We understand how disappointing this is to boxing fans and regret any inconvenience.” Continue reading “Kirkland-Hernandez card cancelled”