Indholdsfortegnelse for 24 April 2025 i Boxing News

IT would probably be overdramatising matters to say that the shadow of PEDs hangs over Saturday’s big fight between Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn, but it’s undeniable that illegal substances are a talking point where this fight is concerned. I don’t think we need to go too deeply into the PEDs process that delayed the fight. It has been well documented. But, to recap briefly, Benn, having twice tested positive for a banned substance, steadfastly disputed allegations of intentionally taking a banned substance. There needs to be a universally applied deterrent to PED use A two-year legal struggle involving sanctioning bodies and drug-testing agencies ensued. The WBC’s independent study concluded that a highly elevated consumption of eggs could have led to increased testosterone levels in Benn’s system. We had…

THERE was a time in the boxing business when Barry Hearn was fighting to survive in some harsh places and against the odds. This week, Barry will understandably be big news in the sport when the sons of two men he helped make famous and wealthy fight each other in front of more than 60,000 people. Back in 1998, a few years after the lunacy and glory of Chris Eubank’s reign, including the two fights with Nigel Benn, there were dark nights for Hearn. On a Wednesday night in April 1998, Hearn went with an odd show at the Everton Park Sports Centre, and I was there. There was an Olympian, David Burke, and the British flyweight champion, Ady Lewis, in a non-title fight. It was a small hall show,…

KEYS TO VICTORY FOR EUBANK: SHANE McGUIGAN: “Use his jab and length, move his feet and set traps for Benn as he comes in. Physically tie Benn up on the inside, where Benn would want to get his work off. Eubank being the naturally bigger man, he should be able to lean on Benn and oversize him up-close. “Be calm. Eubank is more seasoned and has more experience in big fights – albeit he hasn’t always won them, but he’s been involved in fights as the underdog and dealt with that pressure. So, he should use his experience in big fights and stay calm. “Set a high tempo! Eubank isn’t a massive puncher, but he has a phenomenal workrate, which is something that Benn will be relying on, but if…

“ONLY Chris Eubank, Nigel Benn and their respective accountants know for sure whether that million-pounds payday was tabloid hype or cash on the table, but whatever promoter Barry Hearn paid them for their epic encounter at Birmingham on Sunday it wasn’t enough. “How much should you pay a man to bare his soul? Because that’s what Benn and Eubank did, in the most thrilling contest I have ever watched in a British ring. “Sunday’s battle was won and lost in the mind as much as the body, in the rock-hard resolve and flawless concentration which drove Eubank to victory. “The challenger came out in a crab-like sideways scuttle at the opening bell, hoping to disconcert Benn with an unorthodox lead right. “Eubank stood stock still in the second – a…

Reporters’ star ratings for main events and undercards are based on in-ring entertainment, competitiveness and whether overall expectation was met BIRMINGHAM APRIL 20 MAIN EVENT UNDERCARD ATMOSPHERE BEN WHITTAKER produced a blistering performance, so fast that even his flamboyant style could not keep up, to halt light-heavyweight rival Liam Cameron. Six months removed from their controversial encounter in October, the often flashy 27-year-old, now operating under the tutelage of head trainer Andy Lee, looks a vastly different fighter. Gone was his typical braggadocious flair – at least, to an extent – and in came a more polished and ruthless approach that could only have been forged within the confines of a structured training camp, void of distractions. Indeed, the disciplined nature of his preparation was evident from their opening exchanges, with…

OCEANSIDE, CA APRIL 19 MAIN EVENT GABRIELA FUNDORA completed her first headline event in style, stopping Mexico’s Marilyn Badillo in the seventh round of their flyweight battle. The pair threw down in the Frontwave Arena on a Golden Boy Promotions card. Fundora retained her undisputed title status, leaving the ring with all four belts (WBC, IBF, WBA and WBO). Improving to 16-0, 8 KOs, the 23-year-old, known as ‘Sweet Poison’, had too much for Badillo, 19-1-1, 3 KOs, who had never fought at this level before and was unable to cope. Boxing behind her powerful jab, Fundora was able to find a home for most of her power shots as the smaller challenger bobbed, weaved and ducked out of range. Her task became harder when a bump on the head…

SWANSEA APRIL 19 WHOLE SHOW SWANSEA’S Willy Gilheaney (5-0, 1 KO) delivered his promise to dominate and dethrone Welsh super-middleweight champion Ethan George (5-2, 2 KOs). The crowning 99-91 scorecard was a full circle moment for Gilheaney. The decorated amateur overcame depression during a lengthy absence from competition and shed some 70lbs for his debut 18 months ago. Gilheaney’s discipline was rewarded here. Endless upper-body movement was complemented by fast feet, enabling him to control the range for large portions. George struggled to measure the distance. Gilheaney shortened it in the closing stages and smiled his way to victory. There was an electric Celtic title eliminator at super-lightweight, and Cardiff’s Rashid Omar (8-2, 2 KOs) needed a last-round knockdown to clinch a razor-thin 95-94 nod against Perth’s Luke Bibby (9-1,…

EX-BRITISH featherweight champion Vernon Sollas is a London EBA regular, and March 25 marked the 50th anniversary of his winning the title, hammering former conqueror Jimmy Revie in four rounds at the Albert Hall. The title was vacant, champion Evan Armstrong (who beat both Sollas and Revie) having retired from boxing. I saw Vernon box several times, including the two Revie bouts – both at the Albert Hall, one day short of a year apart. On the BN staff, I previewed both – I tipped Vernon to win the first, and Revie the second (based on their previous meeting). Sadly, Vernon lost the title in his first defence, in eight rounds to Allan Richardson (whom he had previously beaten – and who today is Leeds EBA President, and a great…

A HEAD of Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn, we look back at some of the defining moments from British boxing’s favourite family rivalry. 1985 OCTOBER 3: Eubank makes his pro debut in Atlantic City, outpointing Tim Brown over four rounds. He had been sent to the States by his father when he was 16 years old. 1987 JANUARY 28: Benn, the 1986 ABA middleweight champion, launches his pro debut with a second-round stoppage of Graeme Ahmed (16-10) in Croydon. Eubank is 4-0 at the time, with all his fights taking place in Atlantic City. DECEMBER 2: Benn ends his first year as a pro with a 12th straight KO. Reggie Miller lasts into the seventh round. “His early fights were on small-hall shows screened on regional television,” said Jim…

“THE drawn verdict arrived at by the two American and one British judges provoked howls of outrage from the Benn camp, a philosophical shrug from the shoulders of Eubank, and a heartfelt “More please” from the 41,000 who crammed into Old Trafford and the astonishing 16.5 million viewers who justified ITV’s reported £1.5m outlay on the fight. “The rematch may have lacked the spite and venom which made their first encounter so compelling, but it was still an utterly absorbing battle of wills and skills which held the interest throughout and at the final bell had the spectators as divided as the judges on the outcome. “The crowd’s reaction was more one of disappointment at the failure to find an outright winner than outrage, which suggests that the verdict was…

NO matter how many times a fighter steps through the ropes, boxing is a sport that never gets any easier. Even for the few champions that remain unbeaten, there will always be spells of adversity, or perhaps times when a shred of doubt creeps into their mind, that are almost expertly designed to test one’s strength of character. As it happens, a willingness to respond to such challenges, not with a degree of ego but instead an openness to improve, remains firmly within Chris Billam-Smith’s wheelhouse, tucked away until drawn upon at a moment’s notice. In that sense, his defeat to unified world cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez in November has only drenched fuel over the flames in his belly, offering ‘The Gentleman’ a period of reflection which, ahead of his…

BETHNAL GREEN APRIL 19 WHOLE SHOW CAMBRIDGE southpaw Shona Whitwell (132lbs) cruised to victory in her debut, against Czech Republic’s Katerina Dvorakova (3-6, 3 KOs, 132lbs). Under the experienced leadership of John Ryder, Whitwell took advantage of her height and kept the fight long with accurate straight shots. Dvorakova’s only successes came from short uppercuts in the third, but Whitwell drew her effectively on to the left hand in the later rounds to take the fight 60-54 on Amy Pu’s scorecard. The sole stoppage inside York Hall came in the opening contest, when Surrey’s Alfie Winter (8-2, 2KOs, 154lbs) halted Liverpool’s Steven Wallace (0-4, 153lbs). Winter landed effective work to the body in the early rounds and his right hand was a constant threat throughout. By the fourth, this proved…

SEND us your club’s news, results or upcoming events to submissions@boxingnewsonline.net DERBY APRIL 19 TEENAGE dreams came true at the National Amateur Championships final at Derby Arena where Billy Macey, Harley Burrows and Alice Pumphrey took top honours at 48kgs, 75kgs and 50kgs, respectively. The 48kgs final was between 18-year-olds Macey and Yusuf Uddin (Fearless). Uddin was long and fast, but couldn’t keep Macey off. The swarming Londoner got on top in the last minute of the opening round and went on to dominate the second, handing Uddin two standing counts with rights. Uddin was grabbing desperately from another right in the dying moments of the round and Macey (Rainham) had him on shaky legs in the final minute of the bout with a two-fisted burst of shots to force…

IN any conversation about this county’s best ever middleweights – and there have been a few – the names of Tony Sibson and Kevin Finnegan are bound to crop up. Both men came up against Marvin Hagler, and Sibson, who was contesting the world middleweight title in 1983, came a cropper in six rounds. Kevin boxed Marvellous Marvin twice, two months apart in Boston in 1978, and he gave the great man plenty to think about, being stopped on cuts in both contests. In their first contest, Boxing News, under the headline ‘Finnegan – A Man of Courage’ reported that “Finnegan was cut over both eyes, on the forehead, and under the left eye, but it was the two-inch split on his left cheekbone which compelled cornermen Freddie Hill and…

Apr 26 CONOR BENN vs CHRIS EUBANK JR Tottenham Hotspur Stadium DAZN PPV/SKY SPORTS PPV Liam Smith vs Aaron McKenna Viddal Riley vs Cheavon Clarke Anthony Yarde vs Lyndon Arthur III Chris Billam-Smith vs Brandon Glanton May 02 TEOFIMO LOPEZ vs ARNOLD BARBOZA Times Square, New York  (WBO super-lightweight title) Ryan Garcia vs Rolando Romero Devin Haney vs Juan Carlos Ramirez May 03 CANELO ALVAREZ vs WILLIAM SCULL The Venue, Riyadh DAZN PPV (WBC, WBA Super, WBO and IBF super-middleweight titles) Badou Jack vs Ryan Rozicki (WBC cruiserweight title) Bruno Surace vs Jaime Munguia II Martin Bakole vs Efe Ajagba May 04 NAOYA INOUE vs RAMON CARDENAS T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas Sky Sports/ESPN (WBA Super, WBC, WBO and IBF super-bantamweight titles) Rafael Espinoza vs Edward Vazquez (WBO featherweight title) May 10…

“OPINION within the trade is sharply divided on the point. There are many, insiders and fans alike, who hold that Eubank is more show than substance, that his arrogant and verbose front masks nothing more than his own lack of ability, maybe even of genuine self-confidence. A classic case of whistling past the graveyard, in fact.” “Eubank will, I feel, goad Benn into errors and then punish them severely enough to drain the strength and the will from him, much as Watson did. Benn’s best hopes, clearly, are for a quick win. He has not proved himself over the distance, and the probability is that the longer the fight goes the less effective and more carless Benn’s work will become.”…

ON DECEMBER 9, 1908, The Sporting Life introduced an article entitled ‘Where are the Champions?’ with the words “Perhaps the most difficult problem at the present moment is both to define and determine who the champions of England and the world are at the various weights, in the first place because so many of the men have not met lately, and secondly because at the present moment there is no fixed rule as to how long a man can hold the championship. The necessity for an emphatic ruling on this point is all important”. While all of this was true, the fact that, in 1908, there was no system of fixed weight classes was not commented upon at all, and I think this was the most glaring issue that needed…

CHELYABINSK, RUSSIA APRIL 18 WHOLE SHOW SERGEY KOVALEV brought down the curtain on his storied ledger on Friday night, as the former three-time light-heavyweight champion dropped Artur Mann twice en route to a seventh-round TKO victory in Kovalev’s hometown of Chelyabinsk. Making just his third in-ring appearance in more than five years, the now-42-year-old ‘Krusher’ (35-5-1, 29 KOs, 192¼lbs) looked a mere shadow of the man who blitzed Nathan Cleverly in Cardiff back in 2013. Nevertheless, even in his deteriorated form, Kovalev still possessed far too much class and technical ability for Kazakh-born-German Mann (22-4, 13 KOs, 198½lbs), dropping him with a vintage two-one combination towards the end of the second round that had Mann badly shaken when he rose to his feet. After surviving the ensuing Kovalev onslaught at…

HOUGHTON LE SPRING APRIL 19 WHOLE SHOW DARLINGTON 2 Argentina 0. Not the scoreline you would see every Saturday. Or any Saturday. But that was the story of Jobes Boxing’s promotion at Rainton Arena, where Josh Babb and Hannah Robinson extended their winning professional runs with victories over South American opposition. Robinson showed little sign of a seven-month hiatus as she earned a 60-54 verdict over Erica Alvarez from referee Danny McFarlane. Having turned pro with Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis, the 31-year-old has returned to her hometown and is back with old coach Peter Shepperson. Alvarez (8-11, 1 KO, 140¾lbs), beaten by Georgia O’Connor and April Hunter on previous visits to the North East, fought with spirit and telegraphed numerous overhand rights, but struggled with the energy and output of…