British Boxing News
The Liverpool ace put on a ruthless performance tonight in front of his home fans at the Liverpool Echo Arena to destroy challenger Mark Thompson inside four rounds to successfully make the first defence of his title.
Smith, 25, who is now undefeated in 16 fights with six knockouts, is delighted to continue working with his promoter who he signed with in 2008 and is looking to achieve big things in 2014.
Dear Deontay,
I’m asking you man-to-man and hope that you have the honour and courage to accept my challenge and fight me.
I’m in this business to prove that I’m the best and to become a world champion which I’m sure you are too, so take me up on my challenge and let’s do this and get it on early next year.
I’ll be honest, I don’t rate you. You’ve put together a record of 30 knockouts from 30 fights, but I believe that you are grossly overhyped for knocking over nobodies – which is understandable for the first two years as a pro when you’re learning – but after 30 fights you’re still knocking over nobodies. As a guide I fought Vitali Klitschko for the world title in only my 18th fight. When are you going to step up and fight a real contender?
Heavyweight star Dereck Chisora begins his 2014 world title campaign on Saturday 8th February at London’s Copper Box Arena and aims to end the year as world champion.
Power-punching Chisora finished off Czech Ondrej Pala inside three rounds at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday night to successfully defend his WBO Intercontinental belt and add the Vacant WBA International title to add to his European crown.
The win caps a fantastic year for the Finchley ace who’s won all four fights by KO and is in a great position to start 2014 as he looks to get his second shot at a world title. In his first attempt in February 2012 he pushed the WBC World Champion Vitali Klitschko the distance and giving him his hardest fight since Lennox Lewis nearly a decade earlier.
Only a few years ago it took an ardent boxing fan to recall the name Carl Froch. A stunning comeback victory against Jermaine Taylor in 2009, coupled with a Gatti-esque performance against Mikkel Kessler and a dominating victory over Arthur Abraham affirmed Froch as the fighter with the sports toughest schedule from 2009-11. Facing 6 former world champions in a 3 year period burnished Froch’s reputation as a fighter not only willing to test himself against the best, but to define his reputation by doing so. However, it was his blistering demolition of the then unbeaten Lucian Bute in May of 2012 that finally made Froch a household name in his native Britain.
Those who have long followed Froch and those who have since made up for lost time and caught up on his bellicose exploits have become enamourned with a fighter who’s heart unceasingly triumphs his lack of speed and skill. Fighters like Froch, who to quote the often used boxing caption leave it all in the ring, merit a special admiration from fight fans. A boxer will always be praised, but a fighter will be adulated. Carl Froch is unmistakably a fighter.
When Pala got out of position briefly with his back turned facing Chisora in the corner, Chisora just started nailing him in the back of the head in what looked very dirty. A lot of heavyweights wouldn’t have taken advantage of the situation to land punches when their opponents back was turned to them, but Chisora went ahead and punched away and the referee stopped the fight without turning Pala around. It was very, very strange looking. Did the referee blow it by just letting Chisora hit Pala in the back of the head after he got out of position?
The fallout over last weekend’s epic yet controversial Carl Froch-George Groves fight continues. Amid reported death threats aimed at referee Howard Foster – who, as if you didn’t know, halted the fight in the 9th-round, instantly coming under fire from just about everybody, the feeling being that he halted the action prematurely – fans continue to talk about a possible rematch between the two British rivals.
Fans also continue to either praise Groves and have a go at Froch, or, is some cases, praise both fighters. But you will be hard pressed to find anyone who is entirely satisfied with what went down in Manchester last Saturday. The only way to end the controversy, the thinking goes, is to get Froch and Groves back in the ring ASAP. But it’s almost never that simple in boxing.
Former WBO World Light-Heavyweight Champion Nathan Cleverly has had to withdraw from his comeback fight at the Copper Box Arena this Saturday due to a back injury.
The Welsh star was making his long awaited return to the ring against Australian Daniel Ammann for his first fight in the cruiserweight division with the Vacant Commonwealth title on the line.
Finchley heavyweight Dereck Chisora still headlines the show when he defends his WBO International title against Ondrej Pala with the Vacant WBA International title also on the line, with London super-middleweight star Frank Buglioni challenging for his first title – the Vacant WBO European Championship, plus a cracking showdown between Bradley Skeete and Colin Lynes for the Vacant English Welterweight title.
At first glance it would appear that in the Froch/Groves fight last Saturday, George Groves was robbed too early in the fight.
On second glance, it wculd also be conceived the other way round.
Groves was clearly winning the fight up to the that point, 10/8 round to Groves in the first round and won most of the rounds after that until the 9th round.
Froch was slow and messy, Groves was sharp and to the point until the 6th round, at that point Groves power seemed to fade, decent combos deflected off the side of Froch’s face like we have seen from everyone who has fought him in the past.