James Slater

James Slater has been a respected voice at Boxing247.com (formerly East Side Boxing) for over twenty years. Known for his deep knowledge of the sport, he covers everything from breaking news and historical features to exclusive fighter interviews. Throughout his career, Slater has spoken with world champions, rising prospects, and boxing legends alike, offering readers trusted insight and genuine passion for the fight game.

Kell Brook-Jessie Vargas unification close for August 27th, fight set to be announced any day now

Kell Brook-Jessie Vargas unification close for August 27th, fight set to be announced any day now

It seems Eddie Hearn has worked his magic and enticed reigning WBO welterweight ruler Jessie Vargas to Sheffield to face IBF king Kell Brook in a unification match-up. According to a number of sources – trade paper Boxing News among them – an official announcement of the fight, set for Brook’s home town on August 27th, is “imminent.”

Brook, excited over the way he has finally bagged himself the kind of big fight he has been craving since he closely out-pointed Shawn Porter to take the IBF belt almost two years ago, has Tweeted “Any day now!” referring to the official announcement of the fight.

Tyson Fury comes clean: tales of being dropped in sparring, falling out with trainer, “just fooling”

Tyson Fury comes clean: tales of being dropped in sparring, falling out with trainer, “just fooling”

As a number of people suspected was the case all along, heavyweight champ Tyson Fury was merely messing around when he claimed he was floored three times in sparring this week and was on the verge of splitting with his uncle and long-time trainer Peter Fury. Ever the practical joker, the unpredictable 27-year-old announced on social media how he was decked and generally beaten up by a Belgian light-heavyweight fighter brought in for speed work ahead of his July 9 return meeting with Wladimir Klitschko.

Eubank Jr claims GGG “doesn’t deserve” to be considered the best middleweight in world, says he’d fight him “tomorrow”

Eubank Jr claims GGG “doesn’t deserve” to be considered the best middleweight in world, says he’d fight him “tomorrow”

As all fight fans have surely read, Mexican star Saul Canelo Alvarez has given up his WBC middleweight title and basically handed it over to unbeaten Kazakh puncher Gennady Golovkin. For the time being, that particular super-fight will have to wait; even though Canelo – who has been dubbed “yellow” by some angry fans who feel he has shown fear by continually avoiding GGG – maintains he will face him and will defeat him. We’ll have to take Alvarez at his word on that one.

Thurman-Porter winner must face Avanesyan-Shane Mosley winner says WBA President Mendoza Jr.

Thurman-Porter winner must face Avanesyan-Shane Mosley winner says WBA President Mendoza Jr.

The WBA, as fans may know, says it is fully attempting to put together a series of fights and tournaments designed to crown just one world champion in each weight class. The WBA currently has a number of champions in a number of weight classes – at heavyweight, for example, Tyson Fury, Luis Ortiz and Ruslan Chagaev all hold a version of the WBA crown – and Gilberto Ramirez Junior, the WBA President, wants to sort things out.

While this is a good idea on many fronts, the order the WBA has made regarding it’s welterweight champions could prove to have dangerous consequences for future Hall of Famer and former three-weight ruler “Sugar” Shane Mosley. Mendoza recently stated how the winner of the upcoming May 28th fight between “interim” WBA 147-pound champ David Avanesyan and Mosley must then be given a shot at the “regular” WBA title, set to be defended by Keith Thurman, 26-0(22) against challenger Shawn Porter, 26-1-1(16) in June.

So who will Shannon Briggs fight on Saturday night?

So who will Shannon Briggs fight on Saturday night?

It was officially confirmed at today’s press conference in London that Shannon Briggs will no longer be fighting Alexander Dimitrenko on Saturday night’s David Haye-Arnold Gjergjaj card at The O2. Fans raised eyebrows when it was announced how 44-year-old Briggs would box Dimitrenko – by far the most dangerous opponent so far in Briggs’ now 8-fight comeback – as a “warm up” for his agreed next fight with Haye (providing the two win on Saturday).

Fury says he was decked three times and beaten up in sparring – more games or is Tyson being serious?

Fury says he was decked three times and beaten up in sparring - more games or is Tyson being serious?

Heavyweight champ Tyson Fury is keeping his fans up to date with his preparations and training ahead of his July 9th rematch with Wladimir Klitschko by way of video messages on his Instagram account. And Fury has posted an account of how he was “bladdered” and beaten up in sparring by a light-heavyweight from Belgium he and his team have brought in for speed work.

Fury says in the video that he was put down three times, was cut across the eye and was generally beaten up! Now, as fans know – and are getting to know more and more as time goes by – Fury is a notorious practical joker and it is hard to know when he is being serious. Is Fury merely attempting to play yet more games with Klitschko (who may or may not read about the spar) or is he being down to earth and brutally honest?

David Price: “If I knew Teper was on drugs, I’d have done what Wilder did and the fight wouldn’t have happened”

David Price: “If I knew Teper was on drugs, I’d have done what Wilder did and the fight wouldn’t have happened”

July 17th, 2015 is a date British heavyweight David Price is destined to never forget. That was the day when the former British and Commonwealth champion was knocked out inside a couple of rounds by Germany’s Erkan Teper in a bout that contested the vacant European crown. At the time, the loss seemed to have brought an end to Price’s once promising world class career, but, as fans know, Teper subsequently failed a drugs test and he was banned from the sport.

Anthony Joshua speaks about the “war” he had in the gym with Tyson Fury; mutual respect

Anthony Joshua speaks about the “war” he had in the gym with Tyson Fury; mutual respect

Boxing is littered with tails of gym sparring sessions between two big names, who were either established at the time or became so afterwards. Dennis Andries, for example, is said to have broken hearts as well as bones in his numerous gym wars at Kronk in the late 1980s. And today, in speaking with Sky Sports, IBF heavyweight boss Anthony Joshua spoke about who bossed the sparring session he had with current world ruler Tyson Fury many moons ago.