British Boxing

British Boxing News

Martin Murray v Jose Miguel Torres on September 5th in Leeds

Martin Murray v Jose Miguel Torres on September 5th in Leeds

Britain’s Martin Murray will face veteran 36 year old 2nd tier Colombian Jose Miguel Torres (31-6, 27ko) on September 5th in Leeds UK as part of what’s shaping up to be a pretty underwhelming card all in all.

In all fairness to new Matchroom signing Murray, and even promoter Eddie Hearn, the St.Helen’s man is stepping in to fill a gap on the bill left by Gavin McDonnell, who is helping twin Jamie prepare for his world title rematch with Tomoki Kameda in Texas, and it can’t have been easy to get a decent test in time, even though it is being billed that way.

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Good News for Liam Smith: Michel Soro Out / Now Fights American John Thompson for WBO 154lb Strap

Britain’s unbeaten Liam Smith (20-0-1, 10ko) has a new opponent for his October 10th challenge for the vacant WBO light-middleweight title after dangerous Frenchman Michel Soro has been ruled out following an unspecified “internal disagreement” with his promoters, Bob Arum’s Top Rank.

It’s fair to say that replacement American contender John Thompson (17-1, 6ko) presents a far more winnable proposition for the talented young Scouser, who is looking to be the first of his family of fighting brothers to lift a world title.

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David Price Can Come Again If He Chooses says Anthony Joshua

David Price Can Come Again If He Chooses says Anthony Joshua

It doesn’t seem so long ago that David Price was being touted as the next big thing in British heavyweight boxing, tipped for the top ahead of domestic rival Tyson Fury, who now finds himself challenging Wladimir Klitschko for 3/4 of the world heavyweight crown in October, just a few short months after Price himself was iced by Erkan Teper in 2 rounds in Germany, the 3rd brutal KO loss of his career – How times change.

The man who now finds himself carrying the next generation of heavyweight hopes is Olympic gold medalist Anthony Joshua, currently unblemished with 13 straight knockouts from as many fights, and is well accustomed to the pressure that Price felt on his shoulders before running into wily old American veteran Tony Thompson. “AJ” doesn’t think this latest loss has to spell the end.

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Andy Lee: Venue Switch Can Potentially Change the Game / Fight “Closer” Than Before

Andy Lee: Venue Switch Can Potentially Change the Game / Fight "Closer" Than Before

After a venue switch from Thomond Park in his Limerick, Ireland hometown, to the Manchester Arena in England, WBO middleweight champion “Irish” Andy Lee has conceded that the dynamic of his October 10th fight with Hatfield’s Billy Joe Saunders has ostensibly shifted, now that it is the challenger, rather than Lee himself, who will be on “home” soil.

The “party line” is that the champion was suffering from a virus that caused the change of date and location for the contest, although poor ticket sales are still thought to have been a deciding factor – something that will no longer be a problem given the stacked “World War 3” triple-world title bill the fight now headlines.

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Josh Warrington Wants Future Lee Selby Fight

Josh Warrington Wants Future Lee Selby Fight

If he comes through his September 5th Commonwealth title fight with Australia’s Joel Brunker (28-1, 16ko) in Leeds, then unbeaten featherweight Josh Warrington (21-0, 4ko) is eyeing a potential world title clash with new IBF champion Lee Selby in the none too distant future.

While it’s no foregone conclusion that the fanatically supported Yorkshireman will beat Brunker – whose sole blemish came against Selby last October – Warrington is confident he can indeed do the business and disagrees with Selby’s assertion that Brunker will beat him next month.

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Wladimir Klitschko v Tyson Fury Set for Huge 54,600 Sell-Out says Mick Hennessy

Wladimir Klitschko v Tyson Fury Set for Huge 54,600 Sell-Out says Mick Hennessy

Tyson Fury’s October 24th world heavyweight title challenge to dominant lineal champion Wladimir Klitschko at the 54,600 capacity Espirit Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany is poised for a sell-out according to Fury’s long-time promoter Mick Hennessy.

The fight, which became a done deal at the 11th hour ahead of a scheduled purse bid, has seen a huge demand for tickets from passionate Brits who believe the giant 6ft 9″ challenger may well be able to pull off the upset over the Ukrainian WBO/WBA and IBF champion, especially given the rare size advantages Fury is set to enjoy over “Dr. Steelhammer.”

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Carl Frampton Fight No Nearer says Scott Quigg / “Out of My Hands”

Carl Frampton Fight No Nearer says Scott Quigg / "Out of My Hands"

There are a couple of big all-UK world title fights the fans there want to see, and sadly it seems, neither are any closer to fruition.

One is obviously the seemingly dead in the water Kell Brook/Amir Khan fight that I guess we can dream of happening one day if Amir runs out of excuses to avoid it, and the other is the seemingly unlikely fight (at least for now) between IBF 122lb champion and rival divisional belt holder, WBA (reg) champion Scott Quigg.

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Andrzej Fonfara v Nathan Cleverly Looks Set for October in Chicago

Andrzej Fonfara v Nathan Cleverly Looks Set for October in Chicago

It was announced some time back that former WBO light heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly (29-2, 15ko) would be fighting Chicago-based Pole Andrzej Fonfara (27-3, 16ko) in the Autumn/Fall, and it’s now looking set that the two will indeed clash in the “Windy City” on October 16th, according to multiple sources.

It is a very, very dangerous fight for Cleverly in Fonfara’s adopted backyard, with defeat surely spelling the end for the Welshman in terms of operating at a meaningful level and being in any kind of future world title contention.

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Billy Joe Saunders Remaining Focused Ahead of World Title Challenge

Billy Joe Saunders Remaining Focused Ahead of World Title Challenge

Hatfield middleweight Billy Joe Saunders is remaining upbeat ahead of his world title challenge to WBO 160 lb champion Andy Lee on October 10th in Manchester, in the face of a venue switch that delayed the biggest fight of his career by three weeks.

Saunders, who boxed a tune up last month against Yoann Bloyer in London, headed out to the MGM facility in Marbella to get his head down away from the distractions that have presented themselves at earlier points in his career, though was called back after Andy Lee ostensibly “picked up a virus,” and the fight was switched from Thomond Park in Limerick, to topping a world title triple header in Manchester that will also feature Terry Flanagan and Liam Smith in respective world title bouts.

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Sam Eggington v Frankie Gavin a Done Deal for October 17th in Birmingham

Sam Eggington v Frankie Gavin a Done Deal for October 17th in Birmingham

It will be do or die for Birmingham welterweight Frankie Gavin (22-2, 13ko) when he challenges new British and Commonwealth welterweight champion and fellow Brum Sam Eggington (16-2, 9ko) on October 17th at the city’s Barclaycard Arena.

It’s a must win for the former world amateur champion against the young 21 year old up-and-comer, who began his professional career with ambitions to become a journeyman, ostensibly fighting only for the money.

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