David Price in the running to challenge WBO heavyweight champ Parker; Jarrell Miller, Hughie Fury also on shortlist

David Price in the running to challenge WBO heavyweight champ Parker; Jarrell Miller, Hughie Fury also on shortlist

Newly crowned WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker is lining up his first title challenger for April 8, and there are at least three names in the running for the shot. Parker could fight a British foe in David Price or Hughie Fury, or he could face unbeaten New Yorker Jarrell Miller.

According to a piece on Sky Sports News, who spoke with Price, Parker’s people are keen on “showcasing” Parker in the UK, and would therefore prefer a British challenger for April. Bob Arum, who was quoted as speaking with Boxing Talk, said the April challenger will be either Price or “Big Baby” Miller.

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Deontay Wilder set to defend WBC title against Andrzej Wawrzyk, February 25 in Birmingham

Deontay Wilder set to defend WBC title against Andrzej Wawrzyk, February 25 in Birmingham

It seems as though reigning WBC heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder has found his next challenger and ring return opponent. According to The Tuscaloosa Times, Wilder will return to action against Polish contender Andrzej Wawrzyk on February 25th in Birmingham, Alabama.

Wilder, inactive since his summer stoppage win over Chris Arreola, where “The Bronze Bomber” severely injured his biceps and his right hand, is anxious to get back in there and fight – but what kind of a fight can the once-beaten Wawrzyk give him? At 33-1(19) the 29-year-old has a nice enough record, but a closer look lets you get to the truth of the matter. Smashed by Alexander Povetkin (quite ironically as the Russian star was supposed to face Wilder in a big fight this past May) back in a WBA title challenge in May of 2013, Wawrzyk has no really notable wins on his record.

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Artur Beterbiev vs. Isidro Prieto this Friday, the last big fight before Christmas Day

Artur Beterbiev vs. Isidro Prieto this Friday, the last big fight before Christmas Day

Fight fans could be in store for one more exciting battle of punchers before Christmas, as light-heavyweights Artur Beterbiev and Isidro Prieto clash on Friday night in Canada. Unbeaten Beterbiev, 10-0(10) is seen by many as the most dangerous 175-pounder on the planet and a star in the making.

Comparisons have even been made between Beterbiev and feared middleweight king Gennady Golovkin (what a pity these two will never fight one another; they won’t, right!?) Yet despite all this, Prieto and his camp are very confident of scoring the upset this week. As quoted by BoxNation (who will televise the fight live in the UK), Prieto’s manager Sergio Rodriguez said there has been a plan on how to beat Beterbiev formed for four months and that the puncher from Paraguay is “hungry” and “not afraid to trade and go to war.”

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Charles: Chisora has got at least 24-36 months left in his career

Charles: Chisora has got at least 24-36 months left in his career

Trainer Don Charles admitted to Sky Sports yesterday how he once had to question his ability to take his heavyweight, Dereck Chisora, as far as Chisora wants to go. It was after the second loss to Tyson Fury (just the second stoppage defeat of Chisora’s pro career) that Charles walked away – temporarily.

Chisora soon reunited with Charles and the result was the terrific performance a fully committed Chisora gave in his FOTY contender with Dillian Whyte. Chisora, 32, lost the fight via split decision, but the war was so brutal and so close it could have gone either way – Charles had it a draw, which probably would have been the fairest result, what with the two British heavies going tooth and nail for all 12 rounds, seemingly impossible to split as they were on December 10th.

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Is Joe Smith Junior The Fighter of The Year?

Is Joe Smith Junior The Fighter of The Year?

Go back to the start of this year and chances are you had never heard of Joe Smith Junior. But then, in June, “The Irish Bomber” scored a huge upset when he took out the tough and well known Andrzej Fonfara inside a round. This win certainly got the 27-year-old known, and the stoppage victory also earned Smith Jnr an even bigger fight – one with living legend Bernard Hopkins, and we all know what happened there this past Saturday night.

Now, with his fighter going 3-0(3) in 2016, Promoter Joe DeGuardia feels Smith is more than worthy of picking up The Fighter of The Year award. Speaking with Ringtv.com, DeGuardia explained why Smith, 23-1(19) is more worthy than Terence Crawford; Crawford being the front-runner for the distinction in the opinion of many people.

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2017 shaping up as a great year for boxing

2017 shaping up as a great year for boxing

James DeGale-Badou Jack, Carl Frampton-Leo Santa Cruz II, David Haye-Tony Bellew, Keith Thurman-Danny Garcia, Gennady Golovkin-Danny Jacobs, Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitschko. These are just some of the big and potentially great fights that have been officially confirmed for the boxing calendar in 2017.

If all these fights go ahead without a hitch (I.E: with no postponements due to injury and the like) we will have some year next year. With the possibility of other fascinating match-ups to be announced for 2017 – maybe Canelo Alvarez-Julio Cesar Chavez Junior, Canelo-GGG! and maybe even Joshua-Deontay Wilder!! – fight fans just might get one of the best 12 months the sport has seen in a long, long time.

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Hearn: AJ-Wilder unification showdown will happen late 2017 or early 2018

Hearn: AJ-Wilder unification showdown will happen late 2017 or early 2018

The heavyweight division could have two enormous world title fights next year. As fans know, Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko will meet in an April blockbuster in 2017, and after that, another, perhaps even bigger fight could take place.

Recently, WBC heavyweight ruler Deontay Wildeer said that “all being well” he will make his ring return in February and “get the winner of the Joshua and Klitschko fight next,” and yesterday, promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports that he sees the unification fight happening soon enough – perhaps towards the end of next year.

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Muhammad Ali truly was the boxing king of the talk shows; Michael Parkinson’s shows were the best of the best

Muhammad Ali truly was the boxing king of the talk shows; Michael Parkinson's shows were the best of the best

As electrifying and as entertaining as the incomparable Muhammad Ali was in the ring, it’s often a close call as to whether or not The Greatest was equally as entertaining, as special, when he was talking, and talking, and talking.. Far above any other pro boxer in the sport’s long history, Ali truly was the king of the interviews.

Whether he was being interviewed by Howard Cosell, Don Dunphy, Reg Gutteridge, Dickie Davies or Michael Parkinson, Ali was ways witty, ultra-interesting, controversial, funny or thought provoking; sometimes he was all of these things and more at once. It was Ali’s four appearances on The Parkinson Show, the first and third especially, that proved the most memorable of his interviews though.

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Smith Jnr-Hopkins: will there be a rematch; will Hopkins roll the dice for one more “final 1!”

Smith Jnr-Hopkins: will there be a rematch; will Hopkins roll the dice for one more “final 1!”

The fairy-tail ending didn’t come for the great Bernard Hopkins last night, as his “Final 1” against the much younger Joe Smith Junior saw the amazing 51 year old punched out of the ring in the 8th-round and TKO’d to defeat. Hopkins cried foul afterwards, saying Smith pushed him out of the ring, but replays show Hopkins was punched out.

It’s a shame Hopkins, 52 next month, wasn’t able to go out a winner, while it’s also a shame Hopkins was unable to accept the loss for what it was – a loss. Hopkins suggested the result should have been a no-contest, and while he also said last night’s bout will indeed be his last one as advertised, there is always a chance Hopkins will change his mind in the coming days, weeks or months.

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Povetkin vs Duhaupas Livestream

Povetkin vs Duhaupas Livestream

It seems there is a good chance the show will go on today in Russia. With the Alexander Povetkin fight off due to Povetkin coming up positive for a banned substance and Bermane Stiverne understandably opting to fly home to Las Vegas in disgust, it could be that Frenchman and former world title challenger Johann Duhaupas, 34-3(21) will step in to fight Povetkin in a non-title fight.

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