Unified and undefeated heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua spoke to members of the media on a SHOWTIME-hosted conference call to discuss his upcoming title defense against IBF mandatory challenger Carlos Takam. The fight will be televised LIVE on SHOWTIME at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT from Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
The British sensation Joshua (19-0, 19 KOs) and Takam (35-3-1, 27 KOs) will meet in front of what is expected to be more than 70,000 boxing at Welsh’s national stadium.
Former world champion Ishe Smith battles top 154-pound contender Julian “J-Rock” Williams in a 10-round super welterweight clash that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on Bounce live from The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Saturday, November 18.
In the co-feature, Lionell Thompson clashes with unbeaten prospect Earl Newman in a 10-round light heavyweight bout. Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with unbeaten prospects Tugstsogt Nyambayar and Xavier Martinez going head-to-head in a 10-round featherweight fight.
Defining fights: they’re something all great fighters have on their record. But when you hear the name James Douglas, or Buster as the former heavyweight king was/is known, it’s tough to pick his defining fight. Was it that stunning night in Japan when Douglas fought his defining fight, or was it that weak night in Las Vegas, a few months later when Buster gave us the fight he is today best remembered for?
Though Dillian Whyte has his own fight to concentrate on – against the dangerous and determined Robert Helenius – Whyte also has major interest in Saturday night’s headline fight between Anthony Joshua and late replacement foe Carlos Takam.
Whyte (who, interestingly, AJ told Eddie Hearn was the man he would most liked to have fought after Kubrat Pulev was forced to pull out due to a shoulder injury) told Sky Sports how he sees this Saturday’s fight as “an easy fight” for WBA/IBF ruler Joshua.
Yesterday in Tokyo, Japan, Ryota Murata pleased the many thousands of his homeland fans in attendance as he ripped the WBA middleweight “regular” title from Hassan N’Dam, the Frenchman remaining on his stool after seven torrid (for him) rounds.
As jubilant and as emotional as he was in becoming the first Japanese fighter to win a version of the middleweight title in over twenty years, Murata, 13-1(10) was also very respectful when speaking about the man he knows he must defeat if he’s to become the universally accepted middleweight king: Gennady Golovkin.
Carl Frampton MBE will face Mexico’s Horacio Garcia in a ten round Featherweight contest on his highly-anticipated Belfast homecoming at the SSE Arena on Saturday 18th November, live on BT Sport and BoxNation.
It will be the three-time World Champion’s first fight in his home city since he successfully defended his IBF Super-Bantamweight crown against American Chris Avalos at the same venue back in February 2015.
Juergen Braehmer (48-3, 35 KOs) and Robert Brant (22-0, 15 KOs) meet in the ring on Friday October 27 when the World Boxing Super Series’ super middleweight division and the quest for the Ali Trophy illuminate the Kongresshalle in Schwerin, Germany.
“I am very glad the World Boxing Super Series can announce a date and venue for my quarter-final against Rob Brant,” said 38 year-old Braehmer.
It’s arguably THE biggest fight fans want to see take place aside from a return between Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez: it’s Anthony Joshua-Deontay Wilder in what would be a monster heavyweight unification showdown. But the promoter of one of the two fighters says the fight will only go ahead if Wilder agrees to take substantially less than a 50-50 purse split.
Earlier today in Tokyo, Japan local hero Ryota Murata stopped Hassan N’Dam to take the WBA middleweight title and also avenge an earlier, controversial loss to the man from France. Murata, in total control of the fight, forced N’Dam to remain on his stool after seven completed rounds.
Now 13-1(10) the 31 year old from Tokyo has arrived as a major player in the 160 pound weight class. 33 year old N’Dam, who was never in the fight, falls to 36-3(21).
Last night in his home town of Leeds, unbeaten featherweight contender Josh Warrington improved to 26-0 and scored a rare KO (his sixth in total) in halting Denmark’s Dennis Ceylan in the tenth-round. With the win over the previously unbeaten Dane who is now 18-1-2(8) Warrington earned himself a shot at Lee Selby’s IBF crown.