Matchroom Sport are delighted to announce that European Middleweight champion Grzegorz Proksa has extended his promotional deal with the company.
The unbeaten Polish fighter claimed the vacant European strap after forcing the retirement of Sebastian Sylvester and his dominant display in Germany at the start of the month has seen the 26 year-old become hot property.
Proksa imposed himself on the former World champion and hometown favourite Sylvester from the first bell, silencing the partisan crowd with his commanding performance and winning new fans in the process. He signed terms with Barry Hearn at Matchroom’s Essex headquarters with his manager Krzysztof Zbarski, and said he’d always wanted to join up with the legendary sports promoter.
“Ever since watching Chris Eubank fight Graciano Rocchigiani in Germany in 1994 I’ve dreamed of joining up with Matchroom,” said Proksa. “I believe with Matchroom behind me I can go on to win a World title next year.”
The Sylvester victory was the 26th of the Surrey-based Pole’s career to date, and another win in hostile territory. Proksa made his debut in Las Vegas and has climbed into the ring against hometown fighters in England, Hungary and Spain to name a handful – but new promoter Barry Hearn believes the southpaw is ready to dominate the middleweight division on his own terms.
“Grzegorz was fantastic against Sylvester, he went into the lion’s den and dominated a World class fighter on his home patch,” said Hearn. “He is aggressive and relentless in the ring and ambitious out of it. The desire he has shown has impressed me greatly and we will be looking to get a well deserved World title shot next year.”
Williams Inks Boxfit Sponsorship Deal, Ahead Of Friday’s Title Showdown With Norton
Ahead of his British Cruiserweight title challenge, against Rob Norton at York Hall in Bethnal Green this coming Friday, Streatham’s Leon ‘Solid’ Williams has inked a sponsorship deal with Harold Wood, Essex, based boxing equipment retailer Boxfit.
On making the announcement Ken Mills, the owner of Boxfit, said, “Yes we are sponsoring Leon, we’re really pleased with that.
Hopefully Leon will do the business, wearing all our Boxfit kit.
It’s exciting times whenever you sponsor an up and coming fighter so hopefully Leon takes his chance and does the business”
Williams, the current Southern Area Champion, earned the shot at Norton’s title following two sensation stoppage finishes earlier this year.
The first came on his first defense, of the title he won in October 2010, against Danny Couzens. The first three rounds were close all action affairs, but just thirty seconds into the fourth Williams let rip with a peach of a right that sent Couzens crashing to the canvas. Initially there were some concerns as Couzens was out cold but shortly after the paramedics started to administer oxygen he soon recovered.
Four months later Williams returned to York Hall to exact the same punishment on Battersea’s fighting fireman, Nick ‘The Ox’ Okoth, albeit a little further into the fight, this time after one minute and thirty seconds of the fifth.
These scintillating performances bought the 27 year old to the attention of George and Francis Warren, who quickly signed him to their Queensberry Promotions organisation after which they presented Williams the opportunity to challenge Rob Norton for his British crown.
Leon ‘Solid’ Williams versus Rob Norton for the British Cruiserweight Championship headlines the Francis and George Warren’s Queensberry Promotions event at York Hall, Bethnal Green, London, and broadcast live on BoxNation (Sky Platform Ch. 456), on Friday the 21st October 2011.
Heading up the support card for this battle of the big boys will pitch Cromer, Norfolk’s Ryan Walsh against Melsham, Wiltshire’s Liam Richards for the vacant English Super Bantamweight title.
The stacked undercard also features the UK debut of unbeaten Irishman Dean ‘Irish Lightning’ Byrne, Penge’s unbeaten Welterweight Bradley Skeet, Croydon Light Welter Danny Davis and the debut of Peckham Welterweight John Garton, all against yet to be named opponents.
Tickets, priced £40 (standard seated) and £60 (ringside) for Williams vs. Norton are available now, either direct from Leon Williams – tickets are also be available at the TRAD TKO Boxing Gym, Gillian House, Stephenson Street, Canning Town, London E16 4SA and on-line at www.tkoboxoffice.com
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Blaschke Ready For Step-Up Against Nsafoah!
Promoter Turhan Altunkaya will present an intriguing match-up for the vacant World Boxing Federation (WBF) Intercontinental Cruiserweight title on Saturday October 22 at the Paul Horn-Arena in Tuebingen, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany.
Undefeated local fan-favorite, and current WBF International Champion, Bjoern Blaschke, 8-0 (5), takes on former WBF International Champion Ben Nsafoah, 13-5-2 (7), in what must be considered the home-mans toughest test to date.
“I am in the shape of my life, and will do anything to bring home the Intercontinental title”, said Blaschke. “I hope to receive the same kind of support from the spectators that I did last year, because with them behind me nothing can stop me”.
Blaschke won the WBF International title in nearby Reutlingen last December when he beat Jonathan Pasi on points. His opponent on October 22, Nsafoah, captured the same title in March 2010 when he beat undefeated Anthony Ikeji on another show promoted by Turhan Altunkaya. The Germany-based Ghanaian is currently on a four-fight winning streak.
The Blaschke vs. Nsafoah WBF Intercontinental Cruiserweight title fight is generating a lot of interest in Tuebingen, and several local celebrities have announced their intentions to attend.
“We have never had a fight of this magnitude in Tuebingen, and we are obviously very pleased with this first-class event taking place here”, said City Mayor Michael Lucke, who will himself be watching the fight from Ringside.
Both boxers have declared their hopes of fighting for the WBF World title in 2012, and the winner could well be in line to become the first challenger of the new World Champion, which will be decided next month.
www.worldboxingfederation.net