British Boxing News
Billy Joe Saunders believes he has already won a battle of mind games with David Lemieux following a fiery weigh-in ahead of their WBO world middleweight title showdown in Quebec.
Champion Saunders (25-0, 12KO) and challenger Lemieux (38-3, 33KO) both weighed in at the Place Bell on Friday with tempers flaring as the pair made the 160lb limit.
(Photo credit: HBO Boxing)
All eyes will be on returning former heavyweight king Tyson Fury next year; providing of course he is granted a licence in January, as is widely expected will be the case. As fans know, the unbeaten 29 year old has been cleared by UKAD to fight on and Fury has been working hard in the gym; appearing to have lost a substantial amount of weight already.
Simon Vallily has insisted that “Christmas is cancelled” as he focuses on his English title shot on the undercard of George Groves’ massive World Boxing Super Series clash against Chris Eubank Jr.
Sauerland Promotions have confirmed that MTK Global-managed cruiserweight Vallily will clash with defending English champion Arfan Iqbal on February 17 on a huge night for world boxing when Groves and Eubank meet in the WBSS super-middleweight semi-final at the Manchester Arena.
Together they have both had problems landing the big fights they want, and now, British heavyweight rivals Hughie Fury and Dillian Whyte could be heading towards a fight with each other – and what an intriguing prospective match-up this one really is.
Unbeaten Heavyweight prospect Daniel Dubois (6-0, 6 KOs) picked up his 6th consecutive knockout in stopping journeyman Dorian Darch (12-6-1, 1 KOs) in the 2nd round on Saturday night at the Copper Box Arena, London, England. Dubois, 20, knocked Darch down 4 times in the fight with 3 knockdowns coming in round 3. The fight was halted after the 3rd knockdown in round 3.
“I think if I had a chance of beating him, the referee put a stop to that” … continue
Michael Conlan is eager to turn heads with a big undercard win on big Lomachenko-Rigondeaux bill in New York on Saturday night
Michel Conlan insists that he will not be a bit-part player at Madison Square Garden Theater on Saturday night when he fights in the chief-support bout to the world super-featherweight title clash between Vasyl Lomachenko and Guillermo Rigondeaux.
Former IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook will be trying to revive his sinking career on March 3 in a fight in the junior middleweight division in Sheffield, England. Brook will be fighting for the first time since being stopped in the 11th round by Errol Spence Jr. on May 27 at Bramall Lane in Sheffield.
Might we see an Anthony Joshua-Alexander Povetkin fight next year some time? This particular match-up, one that seemed to have virtually no chance of happening a while back, in light of the Russian star’s failed drugs test, could be closer than you may think.
As Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn explained to Sky Sports, he will be having a meeting with WBA president Gilberto Mendoza soon, and one of the topics for conversation will be AJ’s new WBA mandatory challenger. Luis Ortiz may be back in business with the WBC, but he is still no longer the WBA mandatory. Hearn is waiting to see who will take “King Kong’s” place:
With the (apparent) retirement of superstar Floyd Mayweather Junior – “apparent” because there are still some suggestions that say the 40 year old will indeed box again – Floyd himself denying any such notions; for now at least – who is the current biggest star in US boxing? The probable answer is Canelo Alvarez; the Mexican hero being hugely popular in many countries other than his own, America included.