Boxing News

LEIGH WOOD wasn’t about to let three and a half pounds stand between him and his dream of gaining revenge over Mauricio Lara, an opponent who beat him in heartbreaking circumstances only a few months ago. Plenty felt his team, or the British Boxing Board of Control, should have been the ones to cancel the bout after the Mexican failed to make weight correctly, however. It wasn’t a decision that was made in haste. There was real concern. Assurances were sought on the day of the contest that Lara, already stripped of his featherweight belt, had not ballooned too much overnight. He hadn’t. The fight was to go ahead. The risk was worth taking. Six days before, Chris Billam-Smith woke up feeling unwell and by Tuesday and Wednesday he was losing fluids to…

IT WAS a good fight and I feel okay now. What is important to me is that I try my best, win or lose, and I did try my best. I enjoy boxing and I know I will come again. I don’t think the crowd played a part in Chris Billam-Smith’s victory. He was doing a lot of good stuff in the ring. When I let the shots go, I was doing well, but when I was forcing it, he was able to get short, sharp shots off. He really had momentum after the first knockdown. That knockdown, from the left hook, I thought, ‘Wow, good shot’ and then I was like, ‘Damn, he got me.’ The other two, being honest, I didn’t really feel like they were knockdowns. With all the…

BOXING has taken a battering lately for a variety of factors, and with good reason. But only boxing, though, can give moments of almost indescribable joy, as it did on Saturday night for Chris Billam-Smith. I feel privileged to have been ringside for such a special occasion, both for Bournemouth and for a very special individual. Hats off to a real warrior in the ring who lives up to his nickname of 'The Gentleman’ outside the ring. This success really couldn‘t have happened to a nicer man. Tim Farmer OKOLIE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DQ'D WHAT a night for Chris Billam-Smith. A great buildup, a great fairytale ending, boxing needs more of this - hometown heroes in hometown events where the community can get behind their fighter. Glad he got the verdict but, for me,…

1 CLARESSA SHIELDS She calls herself the GWOAT (Greatest Woman of All Time) and it’s hard to argue. Currently, Shields is unbeaten in 13 pro fights and holds all the middleweight titles. She also previously held all the major belts at super-welterweight, and three at super-middle. 2 CHANTELLE CAMERON A new star on the scene, Cameron announced her arrival at the highest level on May 20 with an upset win over Katie Taylor in Dublin. 3 KATIE TAYLOR Despite suffering her first pro loss, against Cameron last month, Taylor remains a legend of the sport and an icon in Ireland. She reigned as world lightweight champion from 2017 to 2022 and has won 22 of 23 pro fights. 4 AMANDA SERRANO Serrano turned pro all the way back in 2009 and has, quite incredibly, managed to win…

IT WAS a story of chickens and faith in Portland when Roy Jones Jnr delivered his eight belts to the table and Clinton Woods arrived with a sponsor temporarily tattooed on his back. Jones talked lyrically about his love and admiration for chickens and all other animals in the days leading to the fight; Woods admitted that he would quit boxing before having to pack away his carp fishing kit. They were both mavericks and we need more fighters like that. They entered the ring at the Rose Garden in September of 2002 with faith in the boxing gods. The fight had been scheduled for Sheffield in May, but Jones had just a few too many demands. His request to the BBC to appear on Top of the Pops was easily met;…

BROADCASTS MAJOR cards across England and Northern Ireland. Arenas and stadiums packed out with fans. ‘World’ titles changing hands. Vicious knockouts and upsets galore. But this was not a good weekend for boxing. Despite giving us all of the above, there is such a lack of cohesion here in the UK that the sport just cannot get out of its own way, and fans were left suffering for it. And this wasn’t much of a surprise: we knew heading into this weekend that there would be competing broadcasts on Sky Sports, BT Sport and DAZN on Saturday night. On Sky, Chris Billam-Smith defeated Lawrence Okolie in front of a delighted Bournemouth crowd. The Belfast supporters who turned out for Michael Conlan were left far more disappointed after their man was stopped in five by…