Selby and Brunker Dispute Title Shot

10/10/201410/09/2014 Dean Tinklin

This coming Saturday at the O2 Arena, London, two top-level pugilists will be putting it all on the line in a clash that will define exactly who has the right to fight Evgeny Gradovich for his IBF World Featherweight Title.

The Australian, Joel Brunker, has fought twenty-seven men so far and he’s beaten every single one of them. Brunker’s last victory was in Atlantic City, USA, over the respected Mike Oliver whom Brunker beat comfortably, as indicated by the unanimous decision. In support of Brunker’s unblemished professional record is his supreme level of fitness and conditioning which is a result of his sheer hard work and dedication to being the best that he can possibly be. The IBF ranks Brunker at number 3 in the world.

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DeGale faces Periban on 11/22 on Bellew-Cleverly 2 card in Liverpool

10/09/201410/09/2014 Bill Phanco

Boxing fans will be seeing #1 IBF, #4 WBO James DeGale (19-1, 13 KOs) stepping into the ring to fight #11 WBC Marco Antonio Periban (20-2-1, 13 KOs) on 11/22 at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, UK. DeGale’s promoter Eddie Hearn made the announcement that DeGale-Periban has been added to the Tony Bellew – Nathan Cleverly 2 card as likely the chief support. Periban is a decent, but hardly great opponent.

It would be a lot more interesting to see DeGale fighting the guys that recently beat Periban in Sakio Bika or J’Leon Love. Hearn obviously doesn’t want to take any chances of DeGale getting beaten by matching him against someone with a decent chance of beating him like Bika and Love.

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The Competitive Way Forward – Nurse V Ryan

10/10/201410/09/2014 Ryan Forde-Kelly

All British World Title fights are certainly in vogue at this moment in time, showing time and again that in terms of passion, drama and the ability to draw a crowd, there are few occasions that measure up. The success of both Froch v Groves promotions captured the imagination and paved the way for further grudge matches, with both major promotion outfits, to be made.

It would seem that finally, the landscape has changed for the better and the fans are to be treated to consistent, meaningful fights at not just World level, but European and domestic level also. With fights such as, Bellew v Cleverly 2, Fury v Chisora, Saunders v Eubank, alongside muted bouts featuring Kell Brook v Amir Khan and Carl Froch v James DeGale, the British public are salivating, with I’m sure the boxing world at large closely behind, reaching for their handkerchiefs.

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Josh Warrington Incites a Riot

10/05/201410/04/2014 Ryan Forde-Kelly

Whatever it is about Josh Warrington, which inspires what I witnessed in Leeds tonight, if he possessed a pint of it, he would never have to enter the ring again, such is the sheer value it would command.

Backed by a support, more likely to be seen in a field Glastonbury, Warrington, 23, produced the performance of his career to date with a scintillating 4-round demolition of the brave Davide Dieli. Clearly carrying the sporting hopes of a City on his shoulders, you could forgive the young man for being apprehensive, nervous even.

Not a bit of it, he embraces the expectation and wears it as a badge of honour, refusing to wilt under the pressure, instead allowing it to fuel him, spurred on by the desire to please his fans. In his own word’s, “If they tell me they are going to make a day of it, it fires me up to train harder and put the graft in.”

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Warrington v Dieli the Undercard

10/05/201410/04/2014 Ryan Forde-Kelly

The Matchroom promoted Battle Lines, presented a stacked undercard, which contained Ricky Burns, Callum Smith and Brian Rose no less, not to mention an all British Commonwealth title fight at Light Welterweight.

Ricky Burns v Alexandre Lepelley

Ricky Burns began his campaign at Light Welterweight in good style, knocking down the Frenchman with a hard right hand, followed by a left hook to seal the deal. Unfortunately, that is as good as it got for the 2-time former World Champion.

Although Burns was winning the rounds, the distance between the fighters reduced as the fight went on, descending into a war of attrition, which was not the order of the day. The Scotsman continued to win the rounds, but he didn’t look great in doing so.

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Burns beats Lepelley; Warrington conquers Dieli; Rose defeats Fraga

10/05/201410/04/2014 Jeff Sorby

In an impressive performance, #14 WBA Josh Warrington (19-0, 3 KOs) gave his Italian opponent Davide Dieli (15-4, 5 KOs) a methodical beat down in defeating him by a 4th round TKO tonight to win the vacant EBU featherweight strap at the First Direct Arena, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom. Warrington, 23, knocked Dieli down once in the 4thb with a fight hand.

After Dieli got back to his feet, Warrington unloaded on him with a flurry of shots that resulted in Dieli’s corner tossing in the towel to have the fight stopped. The official time of the stoppage was 1:42. Warrington doesn’t usually score knockouts, but he had the right opponent in front of him tonight for him to make that happen.

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Battle Lines – Main Event Preview

10/04/201410/03/2014 Ryan Forde-Kelly

Saturday night marks the eagerly awaited return of local favourite Josh Warrington (18-0 2KO’s), who meets Italian Davide Dieli (15-3 5KO’s) for the vacant EBU Featherweight title at the impressive First Direct Arena in the heart of his beloved Leeds.

When Eddie Hearn described Josh Warrington as “The biggest ticket seller in the country right now” he wasn’t kidding. Alone, Warrington has shifted 1500+ tickets, for what is the first fight in a bumper 5 fight deal with Matchroom, that’s no joke, in fact it’s a following that would embarrass many World Champions.

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Battle Lines – Undercard Review

10/03/201410/02/2014 Ryan Forde-Kelly

Saturday night marks the eagerly awaited return of local favourite Josh Warrington, who meets little known Italian Davide Dieli for the vacant EBU Featherweight title at the impressive First Direct Arena in the heart of his beloved Leeds.

Eddie Hearn and Matchroom have taken the opportunity of what promises to be a raucous occasion to assemble a deep card, packed with notable names from their growing stable.

Returning to action in the chief supporting bout, this time at Light Welterweight is former two-weight World Champion Ricky Burns. The Scotsman contests what appears to be a routine 8-rounder against Frenchman Alexandre Lepelly (17-1-1 3KO’s). Burns (36-4-1 11KO’s) now under the tutelage of Tony Sims, comes into the fight on the back of 3 straight defeats (If you correctly count the Raymundo Beltran debacle as a defeat) and will take the opportunity to feel his way into a new weight class, against a fighter not renowned for his punching ability.

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Cleverly/Bellew rematch live on Sky Sports Box Office

10/01/201410/01/2014 Matchroom Boxing

DeGale, Joshua, Quigg, McDonnell and Callum Smith all feature on massive undercard

Tony Bellew will finally seek his revenge against arch rival Nathan Cleverly when the pair meet in the hugely-anticipated grudge match exclusively live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Three years ago, Cleverly defeated Bellew by a tight majority decision as he defended is WBO World Light Heavyweight crown and finally the rematch is on. On November 22 the pair will go head to head for the second time but at Cruiserweight back at the Echo Arena in Bellew’s home town of Liverpool.

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Abraham vs Smith: ‘That’s What Happens In Germany’

10/01/201409/29/2014 Ryan Forde-Kelly

First of all, congratulations to Paul Smith who delivered a career best performance, which he promised, on the night when it mattered the most. A monumental effort behind enemy lines, which was appreciated by every set of fully functioning eyeballs which had the joy of tuning in for what was a tremendous fight.

Isn’t it such a shame that we find ourselves on familiar ground once again, marveling at inconceivable ineptitude that points to the darker side of boxing, which has soiled its name for far too long.

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