SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING – 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME
IBF Welterweight World Championship
Errol Spence Jr.: 147 pounds
Lamont Peterson: 146 ¾ pounds
Tyson Fury’s ring return gets official green light as BBB of C agrees to lift suspension
It’s official: Tyson Fury is able to fight again, with The British Boxing Board of Control today agreeing to lift the heavyweight champion’s suspension. Chiefs met with the unbeaten Fury today and they told the 29 year old they will reinstate his licence to box once Fury has provided them with up-to-date medical records.
Jeff Horn vs Terence Crawford set for April 14 at Madison Square Garden
Every fighter dreams of fighting under the bright lights of Las Vegas, and of boxing inside the deeply historic Madison Square Garden in New York. It was thought Australian warrior Jeff Horn would get the opportunity to do the former this coming April, but now it has been announced how the reigning WBO welterweight champion will instead experience the latter.
Horn’s mandatory defence against the unbeaten Terence Crawford, originally thought to be on for April 21 in Las Vegas, has been brought forward a week and to New York’s legendary venue. Naturally Horn and his whole team are thrilled at the news.
British boxing legend Herol “Bomber” Graham fighting depression, financial woes
One of the genuine good guys of the sport, British great Herol Graham – arguably THE finest British fighter to have never won a world title – is in a pretty bad way right now. Reportedly, Graham is in hospital fighting depression, while his wife has advanced cancer and can no longer earn an income.
A web site has been set up for those fans who wish to help: www.justgiving.com
Tyson Fury Tipped To Face Shannon Briggs In First Bout Back
Former World Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury has had the ban on his boxing license lifted, with Shannon Briggs the instant frontrunner to face the ‘Gypsy King’ in his return to the ring. And the odds of a 2018 clash with Anthony Joshua have been slashed by bookmakers.
Mercito Gesta and Tewa Kiram talk Linares & Matthysse
PABA Welterweight Champion Tewa Kiram (38-0. 28 KOs) and lightweight contender Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta (31-1-2, 17 KOs) hosted a media workout today at Westside Boxing Club in Los Angeles, Calif. ahead of their respective world championship bouts. Kiram will take on former interim WBC Super Lightweight Champion Lucas “La Maquina” Matthysse (38-4, 35 KOs) in a 12-round fight for the vacant WBA Welterweight World Title, while Gesta will take on WBA, WBC Diamond and Ring Magazine World Champion Jorge “El Nino De Oro” Linares (43-3, 27 KOs) in a 12-round battle. The action takes place on Saturday, Jan. 27 in a special double main event at the “Fabulous” Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The doubleheader will be televised live on HBO Boxing After Dark®beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.
Spence-Peterson final press conference quotes for Sat. on Showtime
Undefeated welterweight world champion Errol Spence Jr. and two-division world champion Lamont Peterson faced off Thursday at the final press conference before they enter the ring Saturday, January 20 in the main event live on SHOWTIME from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING®, and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.
Josh Taylor to face another former world ruler from Mexico; will fight Humberto Soto on March 3
One of the hottest young fighters in the world today (calling him a prospect is no longer accurate), Scotland’s Josh Taylor believes he is “two or three fights away” from a world title shot, and the unbeaten 140-pounder will face another former world champion in his next fight – another big name from Mexico.
Egis Klimas shoots down talk of a Lomachenko Pacquiao fight, says such talk is”ridiculous” and “insane”
Well, that didn’t last long. Yesterday a “news” story that claimed Manny Pacquiao and his team were ” in negotiations” for a fight with reigning pound for pound king Vasyl Lomachenko caused something of a stir. The story began to gather some steam, with a number of prominent boxing websites picking up the story.
We needn’t have bothered.
Former Pound-for-Pound King Roman Gonzalez in no mood to retire, will fight again this spring
The career of one-time Pound-for-Pound king Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez looked to be over back in September of last year, when the Nicaraguan was brutally KO’d by Thai fighter Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in their rematch. Leaving the ring as a 46-2 former champ, Gonzalez heard the talk from some people, who urged him to, if not flat-out get out, then at least drop back down in weight. Junior-bantam is simply a weight division too far for Gonzalez, these people said, and Gonzalez should drop back down to flyweight if he wants to fight on.