British Boxing News
The American boxing icon, who is a former four-weight world champion won an Olympic silver medal and was voted Fighter of the Decade in the 1990s, will face an opponent to be named at the prestigious Aintree Equestrian Centre.
The only boxer in 106 years to win the middleweight and heavyweight world titles during a career spanning more than two decades, Jones is set to clash with a local name for the vacant World Boxing Federation Inter-Continental cruiserweight title on September 12.
Top super middleweight prospects Callum Smith and Rocky Fielding will face the biggest tests of their careers tonight at Liverpool’s Echo Arena, as they look to confirm a long awaited local showdown, already scheduled for 26th September.
Smith, 16-0 (12KO’s), tops the bill in his clash with Frenchman and former George Groves foe Christophe Rebrasse, 23-3-3 (6KO’s) over 12-rounds for the vacant WBC Silver super middleweight championship.
It’s now looking next to certain that former WBO light-heavyweight champion Nathan Cleverly will return to the ring in October against Chicago-based Pole Andrzej Fonfara in a bout that is set to be screened on Sky Sports, promoter Eddie Hearn revealed today.
Cleverly was out in a blink and you’ll miss it affair last month on the recent ‘Rule Brittania’ undercard that was headlined by Kell Brook and Frankie Gavin’s IBF welterweight clash. It was a return to 175 lb for the Welshman who flirted with an ill-advised move to cruiserweight following his 4 round destruction at the hands of Sergey Kovalev two years ago.
If the news comes as any surprise, then you have either been living under a rock – OR you bought into the ‘Golovkin at Wembley’ hype from the man himself – but in the surest sign yet we have seen the fighting last of Nottingham’s Cobra, promoter Eddie Hearn has gone on record to say it’s “likely Carl Froch will retire.”
We thought that might happen in fairness. At least, those of us with one foot in reality did anyway. With Golovkin’s promoter Tom Loeffler admitting talks with the Froch team have ground down to nothing and stalled – they are now looking toward a battle of the puncher’s at 160 with new IBF champion David Lemieux.
He makes his debut under the Matchroom promotional banner tomorrow night in Liverpool, fighting up at 168 lb for the very first time against Georgia’s George Beroshvili in what is something of an “easing into the division” fight – yet Martin Murray has his sights on the division’s big-guns – and is hopefully looking towards big money-fights with new IBF champion James DeGale and WBC mandatory George Groves in the none too distant future.
Murray, who extended Gennady Golovkin further than any man previously when he took him 11 rounds in Monaco back in February, spoke to iFLtv about his fight tomorrow night – and just what lies in store beyond that.
He was heavily criticized for over-shooting the 172 lb catch-weight limit against Andre Ward last weekend by 4.4 lbs in a fight that from before the first bell, there was only ever one winner – and come the 9th round a bloodied and battered Smith was mercifully halted in what, according to trainer Joe Gallagher, should be the last fight of Paul Smith’s long career.
He said in the Liverpool Echo;
“I’ve told Paul to probably consider retiring now.”
This Friday at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, arguably the leading the light of the “next-gen” of British 168 lb fighters, Callum Smith, looks to make a statement in the next step toward his world title ambitions when he fights Frenchman and former George Groves victim Christopher Rebrasse.
He hasn’t been in the ring since avenging his 2011 loss to Nathan Cleverly in their snooze-fest of a fight last November, yet this Friday Liverpool’s Tony Bellew (23-2-1, 14 ko) once again boxes in front of his hometown fans when he fights aging Czech cruiserweight Lubos Suda (33-9-1, 25 ko) at the Echo Arena, live on Sky Sports.
Ahead of the fight, Bellew – who has recently returned from filming the new Rocky spin-off ‘Creed’ – has insisted he cannot wait to get back between the ropes and under the bright lights, telling the channel that he has sorely missed punching people in the face.
Matchroom Sport will make their return to Leeds on September 5th, when hometown favourite Josh Warrington takes on Australia’s Joel Brunker in what represents a stern test for the British 126 lb #2 as he defends his Commonwealth title from the First Direct Arena live on Sky Sports.
It certainly will be a good fight for comparative purposes as to how far behind Warrington is in relation to new IBF 126 lb champion Lee Selby, who boxed and outclassed Brunker himself in October of last year, securing a 9th round stoppage – although the tough and experienced Aussie gave the Welshman a little trouble early on depsite the Welshman rarely getting out of first gear.
On June 26th in his home city of Liverpool, one of Britain’s most gifted young fighters, Callum Smith, takes the next step towards his world title dreams when he takes on former George Groves victim Christopher Rebrasse, live on Sky Sports in the UK.
Arguably the most naturally gifted of the fighting Smith brothers, 25 year old Callum, who is now ranked #3 with the WBC, has spoken out to state his intention to hunt down British rival Groves, who challenges WBC 168 lb champ Badou Jack in September – and make the WBC title his own.