Table of contents for 23 May 2024 in Boxing News

@KOwriting Editor EVERYONE loves a spot of home cooking – except in boxing. In football, it is widely understood that a fixture in your own stadium gives your team an edge over the opposition, but it is often underestimated how much home advantage counts in boxing and, crucially, how much it pays. How often have we heard that a close or controversial title fight ‘could have gone either way’ – yet, almost without exception, falls in favour of the ever-grateful house fighter. ‘Close’ fights tend to follow the money line and the simple laws of averages and probability seem hollow here. Toss a coin 10 times and it won’t land on one side every time, but in boxing it will 9 times at worst - these statistical miracles are regrettably…

Reporters’ star ratings for main events and undercards are based on in-ring entertainment, competitiveness and whether overall expectation was met @DeclanTaylor87 RINGSIDE WE HAVE an undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. We should absorb this fact and enjoy it, because they do not come around too often. Oleksandr Usyk is our first for 25 years and the stark reality of modern boxing is that he will likely remain so for only a matter of days, with one sanctioning body already lurking with their axe sharpened. But, on one heady night in the capital of Saudi Arabia, the world got to see who the best heavyweight on the planet really is. This might be a short reign with ‘all the belts’ but it matters little. Usyk is the best of his…

May 24 LUKASZ ROZANSKI vs LAWRENCE OKOLIE Rzeszow, Poland SKY SPORTS (WBC bridgerweight title) May 25 DINA THORSLUND vs SEREN CETIN Royal Arena, Copenhagen (WBC/WBO bantamweight title) JOSH TAYLOR vs JACK CATTERALL II First Direct Arena, Leeds DAZN Cheavon Clarke vs Ellis Zorro (vacant British cruiserweight title) Paddy Donovan vs Lewis Ritson CHRISTIAN MBILLI vs MARK HEFFRON Shawinigan, Canada ESPN Jun 01 DMITRY BIVOL vs MALIK ZINAD Riyadh, Saudi Arabia DAZN (WBA Super light-heavyweight title) Daniel Dubois vs Filip Hrgovic Zhilei Zhang vs Deontay Wilder Ray Ford vs Nick Ball (WBA featherweight title) Hamzah Sheeraz vs Austin Williams Willie Hutchinson vs Craig Richards Jun 07 CALLUM WALSH vs CARLOS ORTIZ Chumash Casino, Santa Ynez ADRIEN BRONER vs BLAIR COBBS Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Ft Lauderdale Cassius Chaney vs Michael Hunter OSCAR COLLAZO…

BRITISH and Commonwealth welterweight champion Harry Scarff saw his ambitious bid for a shot at IBF king Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis fall short as he was outpointed by more seasoned Ukrainian Karen Chukhadzhian in a final eliminator at the Hotel Elysee. Scores were 116-112 on all three cards in favour of the man from Kiev. It always looked to be a tough ask for the Derby fighter, who nevertheless proved he could compete at this level with a spirited display. Chukhadzhian had already gone the full 12 rounds with Ennis in Washington in January 2023 and, despite losing every round on all three cards, was trampolined into another tilt at the title. Such is the nature of sanctioning bodies and their politics Taller and rangier, Scarff entered the bout with confidence…

HORNCHURCH middleweight Mitchell Frearson began the rebuilding process when he outpointed Islington centurion Jordan Grannum in the six-round main event on the Goodwin Boxing show at York Hall. It was Frearson’s first fight since September when, in this same ring, he tested Brad Pauls before being stopped in eight for the English 160lbs title. In this comeback, Frearson used his long arms well, jabbing his way in and following up with the right hand to win 60-54 for referee Kieran McCann Grannum is known for finishing bouts strongly, but he never got the chance in this one, as Frearson came out fast in the last, doubling up his left hook to head and body and also landing a solid right. The remainder of the bill comprised seven four-rounders, the best being…

simonoldtimers@googlemail.com EBA correspondent THE sun shone as the minibus took off from Croydon, carrying a group of CEBA members to Brighton EBA’s monthly meeting at The Romans. There, we were greeted by Entertainments Officer Lee Town, Acting Chairman for the day, and a host of BEBA members. Stalwarts Leigh Crompton, Rob Benson and Jimmy Butler, who regularly make the trip to CEBA meetings, were there – and Paul Fairweather and Tommy Mellis brought a lot of belts and other memorabilia for an impressive display. Tommy produced Randolph Turpin’s Lonsdale belt – we best remember Turpin’s achievements at middleweight, but he also stepped up to light-heavy, won the British title there, relinquished it, won it again and made two successful defences before retiring – and the belt awarded to Charlie Mitchell…

I HAVE just got back from visiting St Pancras gym. Many gathered to pay their respects to Sherif Lawal. CJ Hussein was there to comfort and reassure the youngsters. He said how Sherif wanted to box first on the show as he had to go to work Monday morning. That was the kind of steadfast, responsible man he was. I was told Derek Chisora has been a great support to CJ. He came to the hospital on the previous Sunday night and I believe he and Southern Area chairman Mick Collier later visited Sherif’s family, which was a great comfort to them. A Go Fund Me page has been set up for Sherif’s family and funeral costs at www.gofundme.com/f/sheriff-almighty-lawal Philip Sharkey TOO MANY VOICES THE undisputed clash between Tyson Fury…

@ElliotWorsell Senior Writer IF ever you have sauntered across a park on a Sunday morning and happened upon a football pitch and scores of screaming kids, you will know that there is no sound more terrifying than that produced by the parents watching these screaming kids from the sidelines. A blend of encouragement, negativity, and personal regret, it comes in waves, this wall of sound, and increases in volume whenever a contentious decision is made or a goal is either scored or conceded. To hear the noises as a passerby is one thing, but to hear them as a son or daughter is something else. For them, the ones at whom these commands are aimed, there is no escape and all they can do to silence them is to be…

@DeclanTaylor87 RINGSIDE ANTHONY CACACE stole the show on the hefty nine-fight undercard at the Kingdom Arena on Saturday night. As ever, the Saudis ensured there was a full supporting cast for the main event. These were all either 10- or 12-rounders, with an insistence on quality across the board. But it was the underdog Cacace who produced arguably the best performance of the entire undercard as he dropped and stopped two-time super-featherweight champion Joe Cordina to inflict the Welshman’s first defeat, and claim the IBF title for himself, too. It has been a long road for Cacace, who has been steadily rebuilding since losing to Martin J Ward for the British and Commonwealth titles way back in 2017, stealthily waiting for an opportunity like this one. He insisted he had…

Previewing the best upcoming fights around the world The star ratings indicate how well the writer believes the fighters match up, the fight(s)’ contextual significance, and how good the fight(s) will be LIKE any couple convinced that going their separate ways would be the key to future happiness, they tried, Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall. They tried to convince themselves that their rival meant nothing, and that their past rivalry was something to forget. They tried to convince themselves that they were bigger than the thing they had created together and that alone they could be every bit as successful as they were, for a brief period, when joined. Then, of course, came the reality. Now, more than two years after they first met, both Taylor and Catterall have realised there…

Mamma Mia IT was an inauspicious start to the week for your humble columnist, who sat down with none other than Lennox Lewis and Frank Warren for a spot of lunch at an upmarket Italian restaurant in Riyadh. Fury-Usyk was top of the agenda, but Lewis also had a good line about his old mate Mike Tyson: “I hope he does a good job out there and saves some Jake Paul for me.” Later that evening, once the risotto and burrata had been cleared away, it was over to the open workouts ahead of Saturday night. Most of the boxers sheepishly shadowboxed, but Fury did a few rounds of pads – all in southpaw, while Usyk did all of his in orthodox. By now, it’s impossible to tell what is…

IF DENYS BERINCHYK needed additional inspiration in his fight against Emanuel Navarrete for the vacant WBO lightweight title, he received it in the form of a phone call from his good friend and Olympic 2012 teammate Oleksandr Usyk. “Now it’s your turn,” Usyk told his fellow Ukrainian. Earlier, Usyk had defeated Tyson Fury to unify the world heavyweight title. That Usyk took the time to phone Berinchyk and lend his support at such an emotional time could have only added to the smaller fighter’s resolve. Berinchyk capped the greatest day in Ukrainian boxing history by upsetting Navarrete on a split decision, getting the nod from judges Patrick Morley 115-113 and Pat Russell 116-112. Benoit Roussel dissented, going for Navarrete 116-112. Jack Reiss refereed. It was very hard to score. Crisp…

WITH Paul Kean coming in 8lbs overweight for his Commonwealth middleweight title eliminator with Matt McCallum, refusing to face off for the cameras, then booking sick, it was left to the undercard fighters to save the show at the DoubleTree Hilton. After almost a year away, Edinburgh’s Lee McGregor returned to face Columbian Jorge Moya. It was obvious that the plan was for the former British, Commonwealth and European bantamweight champion to ease back, and this looked prudent for the first couple of minutes as he found his range and timing. By the final minute, however, he started to employ the jab, and the second round lasted only 21 seconds. McGregor caught Moya in his own corner with a flush right before beating him in a circuit of the ring…

The very best action, previews and news from Olympic-style boxing SEQUELS rarely top originals – which proved the case when a return between national heavyweight finalists ended in a disqualification on Middlesbrough ABC’s otherwise excellent second show of the season. Ollie Hockney beat King of the Ring international tournament winner Charlie Loughran on a split decision when they boxed in last year’s National Development Championships final. Loughran accepted a chance to avenge his only loss in a rematch on Hockney’s home show, but fell short again when he was disqualified in the second round for repeated holding. Gloves fastened to his temples and looking through his eyebrows, Hockney got a thudding jab going in the first few seconds, which immediately caught Loughran’s attention. A right hand to the ear also knocked…

Boxing historian EDDIE THOMAS of Merthyr excelled at every level of the sport for around 40 years. He will still be remembered today by veterans of the game as an astute manager who ran a compact little stable from his office in an ice-cream parlour in his hometown, nestled deep inside the Welsh valleys. Among the many wonderful fighters that Eddie steered to stardom were Howard Winstone, Ken Buchanan and Colin Jones. He had a host of other fighters throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including Eddie Avoth, the British light-heavyweight champion between 1969 and 1971, and Carl Gizzi, who challenged for the British heavyweight title in 1969. As a fighter himself, Eddie was rated world number two at welterweight in the January 1951 issue of The Ring. To show how…

When and why you started boxing: II was 11, and I went because I had been diagnosed with ADHD. I needed something to channel that energy into something. It seemed to work, and I haven’t looked back. Favourite all-time fighter: Canelo Alvarez. He is such a good all-rounder. Canelo can do it all. Best fight you’ve seen: The first between Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns in 1981. Personal career highlight: Walking to the ring for my WBO title fight against Segolene Lefebvre in 2023. It was such an electrifying moment. Toughest opponent: I would have to say Nina Hughes. Nina is relentless and really tough. Best and worst attributes as a boxer: I’m very sharp with my counters. My worst attribute is probably that I can get caught up…