Weigh In Results:
Deontay Wilder 228.6 vs. Johann Duhaupas 236
Dominic Breazeale 228.2 vs. Fred Kassi 222.6
Charles Martin 247 vs. Vicente Sandez 249
Heavyweight world champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder and French heavyweight Johann “Reptile” Duhaupas faced-off for the first time Thursday before they enter the ring for Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on NBC Saturday, September 26 from the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
Fight # 1 – 17:10 hrs
6 X 3 Minute Rounds Lightweight Contest
EDIZ HUSSEIN V ALEX PHILLIPS
Fight # 2
8 X 3 Minute Rounds International Lightweight Contest
ROMEO ROMAEO V CHRIS ADAWAY
Fight # 3 – 18:20 hrs
8 X 3 Minute Rounds International Lightweight Contest
JAMIE KAVANAGH V REYNALDO MORA
For a week or so now, it’s been something of an open secret in boxing circles that interim WBA middleweight titlist Chris Eubank Jr will be signing with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Sport.
The news became official today with the ‘unveiling’ of the British legend’s son at a press conference in London, announcing that he will indeed box on both the October 24th Brook v Chaves bill in Sheffield, as well as making a second outing in December on the Joshua/Whyte card at the O2 as part of an initial 3-fight deal.
Matchroom boxing’s Eddie Hearn – promoter of IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook – says that he can envision his fighter cleaning house at welterweight before moving up in pursuit of world titles at both 154 and 160.
Brook fights Argentina’s Diego Chaves on October 24th in Sheffield before supposedly then closing out his year in December on the big Anthony Joshua/Dillian Whyte bill from London’s O2, that it’s mooted will be the 3rd Matchroom/Sky PPV of 2015.
Andre Ward’s trainer Virgil Hunter says that if he is to become a fully fledged 175 lb fighter and sign to fight Russian banger Sergey Kovalev, it will happen when they are ready to do it and not the other way around.
Ward returned after 19 months out at a catch-weight of 172 lbs in June, beating up on overmatched British challenger Paul Smith and there is strong rumour that the Roc Nation star will next appear against a TBA opponent on the undercard of November’s Cotto/Canelo mega-fight, as he prepares for an eventual move to 175 good and proper.
Irish boxing legend Steve Collins is predicting that not only will Frank Buglioni (17-1-1, 13ko) dethrone Fedor Chudinov (13-0, 10ko) tomorrow night when the two go head-to-head for the Russian’s WBA (reg) title at the SSE Arena in London, but that the ‘Wise Guy’ will move on to become a force in the 168 lb division.
Collins, along with his brother Paschal, train Buglioni largely from their Celtic Warriors gym in Dublin and claim they have prepared their man better than ever before as he makes the huge jump from domestic to world level, with a focus on tightening the notoriously leaky defence that saw him stopped on his feet by Belarusian trial horse, Sergey Khomitsky last year.
IBF middleweight champion David Lemieux claims he is unconcerned about being the betting underdog when he goes into October 17th’s huge unification showdown with WBA (super) champion, Gennady Golovkin at Madison Square Garden, saying he is ready to ‘shock the world.’
After his thrilling title winning fight in June against France’s Hassan N’Dam, in which he decked the European four times, the big hitting Lemieux goes out of the pan and straight into the fire against Golovkin, one of the most feared fighters P4P in all of boxing at the moment – and certainly the most destructive at 160.
The much sought after 122 lb UK unification clash between IBF boss Carl Frampton and WBA (reg) titlist, Scott Quigg is closer than ever before according to both parties, although it’s still far from a done deal yet.
The ongoing, back and forth saga, has seen numerous shifts toward hot and cold, on and off, with Hearn previously offering a flat £1.5 million offer that was rejected by team Frampton when the financial minutiae – including PPV revenue – was scrutinzed, potentially leaving Frampton worse off than Quigg, who is only a 2nd tier belt holder.
Matchroom Sport’s unbeaten London 2012 gold medalist Luke Campbell (12-0,10ko) has been added to the December 12th Anthony Joshua/Dillian Whyte bill, with a promise that the lightweight star will be in a big fight on the night, quite possibly in a WBC title eliminator against Dagenham’s Kevin Mitchell.
Campbell (WBC #8) was last seen at the beginning of August, outclassing domestic rival Tommy Coyle en route to earning a 10th round stoppage, picking up the lightly regarded WBC international 135 lb strap in the process and improving his ranking with the Mexico-based governing body.
Legendary 50 year old future Hall of Famer and certified freak of nature, Bernard Hopkins (55-7-2, 32ko), is in talks about a potential 2016 bout with Germany’s WBO super-middleweight champion, Arthur Abraham (43-4, 29ko).
Hopkins has made no secret about wishing to capture a world title at 168 lbs, having previously dominated at 160, as well as claiming world 175 lb honours over the course of his 27 year professional career.