British Boxing News
David Haye has been forced out of the rematch with Tony Bellew after tearing his bicep in training.
Haye and Bellew were set to renew hostilities again at The O2 in London on December 17 following their rollercoaster first meeting in March won by Bellew, but the two teams will now work towards a new date for the rematch early in 2018, with news on that to come this week.
Carl Frampton got the job done last night in winning an exciting and hard-fought ten round decision over tough and game Mexican Horacio Garcia. “The Jackal,” having his first fight in a number of months and his first fight under new trainer, former European, British and Commonwealth champ Jamie Moore, overcame some tough spots; even being knocked down (the call proving with the aid of replay to be a bad one – Frampton having slipped in the seventh-round).
Tony Bellew (29-2-1, 19 KOs) believes David Haye (28-3, 26 KOs) will come in at the lightest weight in many years when the two face each other in one month from now on December 17 at the O2 Arena in London, UK.
Go back a few years (around four but it sure seems longer) and it could have been argued that David Price was the best and most exciting up and coming British heavyweight on the scene. An Olympic medal winner who also held a win over an amateur Tyson Fury, Price was putting opponents away in quick and impressive fashion.
Then the likeable giant from Liverpool ran into Tony Thompson (twice) and it all fell apart. Ever since, though he has gamely tried to rebuild, Price has been looked at as a ‘what might have been’ figure: stoppage losses to Erkan Teper and, this past February, Christian Hammer not helping in the slightest.
In the East of Scotland something of a boxing renaissance is underway, headed by rising super lightweight Josh Taylor, whose success has helped inspire a revival in the sport’s popularity in this part of the world. Taylor’s most recent outing under the McGuigan Cyclone banner saw him take apart with impeccable skill former lightweight world champion Miguel Vazquez in front of a packed crowd at a sold out Royal Highland Centre just outside Edinburgh.
Billy Joe Saunders, the unbeaten WBO middleweight ruler, has a tough assignment to come through in December, against proven power-puncher David Lemieux – but already the gifted southpaw is looking at other massive fights.
Speaking with Sky Sports, BJS said he accepts the challenge of Danny Jacobs – who will be at ringside in Canada to watch the hugely intriguing and tough-to-pick Saunders-Lemieux clash (clash, as in clash of styles and personalities) – Saunders adding how he is willing to go to New York for the fight. Once again though, Saunders made it clear that the man he really wants to fight is world champ Gennady Golovkin.
Yesterday, as per ‘Tha Boxing Voice,’ a story broke on how David Haye, who has been training very hard for his must-win return fight with arch-rival Tony Bellew, had suffered yet another injury (groan!) and how the fight was in serious jeopardy.
Stories like this often break on one boxing site or another; very regularly proving to have zero substance (and ‘Tha Boxing Voice’ is a fine boxing site all in all) – but due to Haye’s track-record, a good number of people got worried, with a number of other web sites running with the story. But Eddie Hearn, Bellew’s promoter, who is hoping for another big show on December 17 as well as a repeat win by his fighter, has quashed these rumours.
We’ve heard it before and until we actually see him in the ring, we’ll be understandably cynical. But Peter Fury, uncle and head trainer of former heavyweight champ Tyson Fury told BBC Sport yesterday how the unbeaten 29 year old will be back in the ring in April of next year.
Fury, who hasn’t boxed for two full years, his out of the ring problems overwhelming him shortly after his great upset win over the now retired Wladimir Klitschko, is said to be back in training and losing weight. The target, as the outspoken giant has made more than clear, is a mega-fight with reigning and unbeaten WBA and IBF heavyweight ruler Anthony Joshua.
Last night in Edinburgh, Scotland unbeaten 140 pounder Josh Taylor made a big statement in becoming the very first man to halt tough, clever and hugely experienced former IBF lightweight champ Miguel Vazquez.
Cracking the Mexican with a wicked right hand to the body in the 9th round, Taylor got the stoppage he was looking for. The punch knocked all of the wind out of the 30 year old former champ, Vazquez counted out as he tried and failed to suck in oxygen. 26 year old Taylor of Prestonpans, Scotland is now 11-0(10), the skilled southpaw having retained his WBC Silver title. Vazquez falls to 39-6(15).
Liam “Beefy” Smith (26-1-1, 14 KOs) defeated Liam Williams (16-2-1, 11 KOs) by a 12 round majority decision on Saturday night in a WBO 154 lb. title eliminator in their rematch at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England.