36-year-old super middleweight contender Arthur Abraham (45-5, 30 KOs) beat little known bottom dweller Tim-Robin Lihaug (15-2, 8 KOs) by an eighth round stoppage tonight in a showcase/confidence booster type of fight at the Max Schmeling Halle, Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany.
Abraham knocked Lihaug with a 1-2 combination in the 8th. After Lihaug got back to his feet, Abraham unloaded on him with power shots until the fight was stopped. The fight was stopped at 1:09 of the round.
Tonight in Cardiff, Wales, WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan had to go the full 12-rounds to retain his belt against South African veteran Mzonke Fana, to the surprise of almost everybody. Seen by most experts as too young, too strong and too powerful for the 42-year-old, Flanagan instead had his work cut out for him.
Promoter Bob Arum is, as fans known, very excited about Vasyl Lomachenko. The former amateur standout of standouts who is now just seven bouts into his pro career – despite this lack of pro fights the southpaw has already won five WBO title bouts and has captured two world belts – is being looked at by the Top Rank boss as perhaps the most talented fighter he has ever worked with. And the good news for British boxing fans is Lomachenko might be heading to a fight in the UK next year.
He lost out on a massive fight with middleweight ruler Gennady Golovkin (either because he was simply too late to the contract table, or due to not seeing the contract in time, depending on which side you listen to) but the career of Chris Eubank Junior goes on. In fact, all the publicity he received over his possible fight with GGG has likely made Eubank a bigger name. But who will he fight next?
Deontay Wilder was forced to reorganize against Chris Arreola, after his scheduled matchup in May with Alexander Povetkin got shelved due to an irregular-trace amount of a newly banned substance. Likely, Wilder will have to face Povetkin in the fall, that’s if the WBC agrees with WADA’s recent adjustment in their rules on meldonium. So it’s Arreola for Wilder to remain active near his home in the city of Birmingham, Alabama. If the main event doesn’t do the trick, the co-feature pits unbeaten Sammy Vasquez in tough with 2008 gold medalist Felix Diaz.
It was a good night for Russian super lightweight Sergey Lipinets (10-0, 7 KOs) who fought through a deep cut over his eye to score a rousing TKO over Nicaraguan brawler Walter Castillo (26-4-1, 19 KOs) in a Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on ESPN & ESPN Deportes main event that further solidified Lipinets as a force to be reckoned with in the 140-pound weight class. The night of fights, which emanated from Horseshoe Tunica Hotel & Casino in Tunica, Miss., marked the third PBC on ESPN & ESPN Deportes telecast in the month of July.
The weights are in for tomorrow night’s WBC heavyweight title fight between champ Deontay Wilder and challenger Chris Arreola – Wilder tipped-in at a fraction above 226-pounds at 226.2, while Arreola came in at 246.2, a decent weight for him. Wilder looked chiselled, Arreola looked like, well, Arreola. The challenger has trained hard for this fight though – it’s his last chance and he knows it.
WBA welterweight king Keith Thurman, last seen thrilling his millions of fans with that tremendous effort against an equally determined Shawn Porter, must next defend against David Avanesyan; the WBA interim champion who was last seen pounding out a wide 12-round unanimous decision over the ageing bit still tough Shane Mosley. The WBA named this mandatory title defence for Thurman and if the fight cannot be agreed upon by the respective camps, within a 30-day period, the fight will likely go to purse bids.
Since you’ve been working with Freddie, what’s been the biggest improvement in your game?
VIKTOR POSTOL: Every training camp that I’m here, I’m getting more serious. I’m getting more power, more speed, learning new combinations with Freddie. Overall, improving in every fashion.
As fans known, Gennady Golovkin and Kell Brook came face to face yesterday in New York, for the first press conference ahead of their massive September 10 clash in London. The two unbeaten champions – GGG the middleweight king, Brook the reigning IBF welterweight boss – had the opportunity to size one another up in person and Golovkin spoke later of how Brook is as tall as he is and will give him “the biggest test” in September.