Indholdsfortegnelse for 11 September 2025 i Boxing News

IT TAKES a special kind of fighter to move up through the weight divisions and win multiple titles. Terence Crawford is that kind of fighter. Crawford dares to be great (or even greater) on Saturday when he leaps all the way from 154lbs to 168lbs to challenge Canelo Alvarez for the undisputed crown. If Crawford wins, a case can be made for this to be the greatest weight-jump win in history, outside of light-heavies becoming heavyweight champs. So, let’s take a look at notable successes and failures of boxers fighting for titles in a higher weight division and see where Crawford might fit in. One of the first names that comes to mind is that of Sugar Ray Robinson, the welterweight champion who became a five-time champion in the middleweight…

THERE WAS a spring in Paddy Donovan’s step when he strode into the Europa Hotel in Belfast for the press conference announcing his rematch with Lewis Crocker. Suited and booted, teeth gleaming and a smile as wide as the River Shannon, the 26-year-old from Limerick looked every inch a world champion. He carried himself like one, too, despite the fact he will not even challenge for the vacant IBF welterweight title until this Saturday night at Windsor Park. North meets south under open skies in the Northern Irish capital; a fight with the potential to shake Irish boxing to its foundations. For Donovan, it represents destiny. A world title fight in Ireland at just 26 years old is the stuff of fantasy – and yet here it is, laid out…

HOUGHTON LE SPRING SEPTEMBER 6 MAIN EVENT UNDERCARD ATMOSPHERE GREAT BRITAIN or the world: the options facing Pat McCormack after the finest night of his professional career. Having stopped Miguel Parra, who retired on his stool after nine rounds inside the Rainton Arena, it appears that a British title shootout with Conah Walker is now on McCormack’s radar. “It’s the fight everyone wants, so let’s do it,” he told Boxing News. “A lot of people don’t know what some of these belts mean, but they know what being a British champion is all about.” McCormack-Walker looks imminent, but the Washington 30-year-old spelled out his world credentials in spectacular fashion in this WBA eliminator vs Parra. The 32-year-old Mexican had given No.1 WBA welterweight Shakhram Giyasov problems last summer in California,…

DERBYSHIRE SEPTEMBER 6 WHOLE SHOW BENTLEY terrier Craig Derbyshire (12-29-4, 3 KOs, 107½lbs) secured a second successful defence of his Commonwealth title at Alfreton Leisure Centre. A unanimous verdict was handed down in his favour at the conclusion of the light-flyweight bout, which saw him outwork challenger Liam Dring (11-2, 1 KO, 107½lbs). If Team Dring were hoping that, after almost a year out of the ring, Derbyshire might have regressed a little, then that was certainly wishful thinking. His engine seems as good as ever, and he maintained quite a pace for the entirety of their contest. By the halfway point, I had the champion nursing a healthy lead, with his double-jab representing a particularly effective weapon. While the ‘Boxing Joiner’ – urged on by a large and noisy…

AMATEUR SCENE The very best action, previews and news from Olympic-style boxing SEND us your club’s news, results or upcoming events to submissions@boxingnewsonline.net LIVERPOOL SEPTEMBER 4-7 DAY ONE ELLIS TROWBRIDGE got the host nation off to a winning start. He quickly settled into his bout with Ardit Murja (Albania) behind his southpaw jab and went on to win unanimously. The 55kgs division provided the first outstanding performance of the championship. Carlo Paalam (Philippines) had too many tricks and moves for the willing Hsu Chiao-Chun (Taiwan) and won unanimously. Paris Olympian Chantelle Reid outclassed New Zealand’s Morgan Henderson at 70kgs. Boxing behind a polished lead hand and moving well, Reid won all three rounds on the five cards. Teenager Lauren Mackie – a late replacement for Charley Davison – was in…

THE WORD “influential” is defined in the Cambridge Dictionary as “having a lot of influence on someone or something”. What, then, is the definition of “influence”? Cambridge says it is “the power to have an effect on people or things”. Note that this definition does not suggest it is necessarily a good thing. Influence can be good, or bad, or even both. Calling someone “influential” is not a statement on their character or quality of work; it simply recognises that they wield power in their field. And, regardless of what you think of him as a person, as a boxer, or as a businessman, this is exactly what Jake Paul does: he wields power. In fact, he is the epitome of the modern social media phenomenon that is “the influencer”.…

JAIME MUNGUIA says he is free to resume his career after evidence of “accidental exposure” was accepted as the reason for his recent positive drugs tests. The 28-year-old super-middleweight tested positive for exogenous testosterone, a banned substance, following his unanimous decision win over Bruno Surace in May. Both his A and B samples, taken by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA), showed the same result, fuelling speculation about his wrongdoing. Munguia, however, maintained his innocence and claimed that contamination was to blame. Now, three major bodies appear satisfied with his explanation. According to Team Munguia, the WBC has ruled out any investigation, charge, or sanction, while the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) – via UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) – also accepted his defence. Munguia released a statement outlining the evidence submitted:…

THE WORD “superfight” gets thrown around, but every so often we get a match that truly earns the label. Not long ago, the idea of Canelo Alvarez sharing a ring with Terence Crawford was pure fantasy. Yet ambition, legacy and a dash of modern sports science have enabled fighters to climb weight divisions and not just compete, but dominate. Crawford has done exactly that – conquering 135lbs, 140lbs and 147lbs, and winning a belt at 154lbs. But in challenging for Canelo’s super-middleweight crown, has he taken a step too far? Boxing News asked 50 boxing figures for their predictions. ADAM BOOTH (Trainer) Canelo. Size matters. Combined with his incredible ability to get close, with his strength and slickness he’ll create opportunities. ROBERT SMITH (British Boxing Board of Control General Secretary)…

MAIN EVENT UNDERCARD NAOYA INOUE has been knocked down, dragged into deep waters, and forced to answer serious questions in the ring – yet rarely has he ever looked like a man on the verge of defeat. For every threat posed by a Nonito Donaire, a Luis Nery, or a Ramon Cardenas, the Japanese superstar has not only found solutions but delivered punishing, often brutal, responses. Inoue (30-0, 27 KOs) is not just another world champion churned out by boxing’s conveyor belt. He is a phenomenon – an undisputed super-bantamweight ruler and one of the sport’s true generational figures. Which begs the question: why is his next challenger, Murodjon Akhmadaliev, being billed by many as Inoue’s sternest test yet, when they collide on Sunday at Nagoya’s IG Arena. At 28,…

A FIGHTER’S personality and style can often mirror one another. Sugar Ray Leonard dazzled both in the ring and under the lights of the cameras, his smile and charm as slick as his combinations. Ricky Hatton, by contrast, was raw and relentless, the kind of fighter who made every contest feel like a pub brawl. Away from the ropes, he was equally relatable – a working-class lad with banter and everyday stories. Lewis Crocker (21-0, 11 KOs), meanwhile, is no-nonsense in every sense. In the ring, it’s head down, guard up, business only. In front of the media, he is just as straightforward. No gloss, no performance, no attempt to reinvent himself for the cameras. That bluntness has been tested ever since March 1, when the 28-year-old Belfast welterweight and…

BRENTWOOD SEPTEMBER 7 WHOLE SHOW ATMOSPHERE ONE PUNCH, and everything changed. What had developed into a night of fun suddenly became something more akin to a nightmare. As soon as Tom Welland dropped to the canvas, the Brentwood Centre fell deathly silent. Prayers were with the 21-year-old – for his safety more than the future of his promising career. An expertly timed right hook had floored Kevin Herrera (12-3, 5 KOs, 126lbs) in the second round. A passage of exchanges, most of them dominated by Welland (9-1, 5 KOs, 125lbs), then followed, before the home fighter found himself on the receiving end of a truly devastating left hook. The finish arrived at 2-13 of the fourth round, with Welland left flat on his back and then needing oxygen. He eventually exited…

MONTREAL SEPTEMBER 4 WHOLE SHOW OSLEYS IGLESIAS turned in a truly menacing performance last Thursday, giving his super-middleweight rivals even more of a reason to keep looking in the opposite direction. His ruthless stoppage victory over Vladimir Shishkin, a former world title challenger, has hardly allowed the ‘boogeyman’ to shake off his unofficial and rather undesirable moniker. What it did do, though, is crown Iglesias (14-0, 13 KOs), the IBF mandatory challenger, a position which should see him earn a world title shot before long. The 168lbs division is, of course, awaiting the outcome of Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford this weekend. Unsurprisingly, the Cuban got off to a typically ferocious start here, sending a vicious right hook tearing across the face of a vigilant-looking Shishkin (16-2, 10 KOs). And while the…

DURING the height of The Troubles, it was not surprising that there was no professional boxing taking place in Northern Ireland. On January 19, 1971, Danny McAlinden outpointed the American, Lou Bailey, over eight rounds at the Ulster Hall in Belfast and then, for the next four years, not a single tournament was held there. From 1975, two men came along who were both determined to change that. Gerry Hassett staged his first show at the Ulster Hall on March 5, 1975. After some difficult negotiations with the Northern Ireland Area Council, Hassett was given the green light to stage a £500 heavyweight competition featuring six local men, all of whom were boxing professionally for the first time. One can understand the risks that such a tournament might pose, but…

Sep 11 ANTHONY OLASCUAGA vs JUAN CAMACHO-RIVERA Fontainebleau, Las Vegas (WBO flyweight title) DAZN Sep 12 VINCENZO GUALTIERI vs RAMADAN HISENI Uber Eats Music Hall, Berlin ROMAN GONZALEZ vs HECTOR ROBLES Polideportivo Alexis Arguello, Managua Cristofer Rosales vs Camilo Mendoza Sep 13 SAUL 'CANELO' ALVAREZ vs TERENCE CRAWFORD Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas (WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO super-middleweight titles) NETFLIX Christian Mbili vs Lester Martinez Serhii Bohachuk vs Brandon Adams Callum Walsh vs Fernando Vargas Jr Ivan Dychko vs Jermaine Franklin Steve Nelson vs Raiko Santana Reito Tsutsumi vs Javier Martinez PADDY DONOVAN vs LEWIS CROCKER II Windsor Park, Belfast (vacant IBF welterweight title) DAZN Ishmael Davis vs Caoimhin Agyarko Tyrone McKenna vs Dylan Moran Molly McCann vs Kate Radomska JACOB BANK vs TYRON ZEUGE Sydbank Arena, Kolding, Denmark Sep 14 NAOYA INOUE vs…

FIDEL CASTRO officially opened the first edition of the world amateur boxing championships in the summer of 1974 in Havana. It was a very different boxing landscape. The event was planned in 1973, with New York and Montreal also in the running. In the end, it went to the country with the greatest amateur squad at that time. It was a daunting event, close to mythical in boxing circles in the ’70s. It was also wildly exotic. Amateur boxing bosses in England, Scotland and Wales decided not to send a single fighter. The event was simply too hard and packed with talent and, more importantly, unknown talent; the Soviets were masterful, and the Cubans had won three gold medals in Munich at the Olympics two years earlier. They formed an…

THE GREAT sadness about the career of Joe Bugner is that he was an excellent heavyweight and one of the best-ever British champions, but he failed to capture the hearts of the nation’s boxing public. Bugner, who passed away on September 1 at the age of 75, was perhaps never forgiven for getting the decision over the revered Henry Cooper in their 1971 title bout. In addition, fans considered him excessively cautious. They couldn’t understand why this 6ft 4ins, 215lbs man didn’t fight with greater urgency. But Bugner had wins over good fighters in a long career that ended with a very respectable mark of 69-13-1, 41 KOs. Bugner was born in Hungary and brought to Britain as a child after the Soviet Union invasion of his homeland. He was…

UNDERCARD WHILE the boxing world eagerly awaits Canelo vs Crawford on Saturday, the undercard is outstanding. The pick looks to be Christian Mbilli against Crawford sparmate Lester Martinez in a clash of undefeated super-middleweights. Mbilli (29-0, 24 KOs) is a tank-like aggressor, very strong, with a high punch-output. Martinez (19-0, 16 KOs) is the superior technician. Mbilli is a slight favourite at odds of 5/9. Born in Cameroon, Mbilli was a Rio Olympics quarter-finalist on the French team. He’s now based in Montreal. What you see is what you get with Mbilli. There’s no attempt at subtlety or slick moves. It’s full-on aggression from the opening bell. Mbilli rolled right over Polish veteran Maciej Sulecki in the first round in his last fight. Britain’s Mark Heffron folded from a left…

BETHNAL GREEN SEPTEMBER 6 WHOLE SHOW MARGATE lightweight Joe Roswell (4-0, 136lbs) secured a clear points win over Brighton’s Mark Butler (3-20, 1 KO, 135lbs) to impress his army of fans inside York Hall. Roswell landed sharp work to the body in the opening round. Butler responded well in the second with sharp right hands, but Roswell stuck behind a stiff jab to see the fight through. Referee Mark Bates scored the contest 40-36. Northolt light-heavyweight Issam Obada (178lbs) secured his fifth win (two inside schedule), outpointing Camden’s Robbie Chapman (13-57-9, 2 KO, 177lbs). Obada found it difficult to pin down Chapman in the opening round, but his right hand landed with great effect in the second. Obada put his shots together well in the third and let his work flow.…

The History of Boxing IN EARLIER instalments of this series, we have seen how the ABA was formed following a meeting held at Anderton’s Hotel on London’s Fleet Street on October 17, 1880, and how, within just a few short years, it had taken over from the Amateur Athletic Club (AAC) as the governing body for amateur boxing within this country. The first ABA championships took place in 1881 with entries accepted at just four weights – featherweight, lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight. The bantamweight class was added in 1884 and then, in 1920, flyweight, welterweight and light-heavyweight. I have in my collection a number of early programmes for these annual championships, and it is evident, from perusing the entries each year, that the competition was dominated by London boxers until…

COGAN’S CORNER and DNA ABCs teamed up to stage a show at Kings Norton Ex Servicemen’s Club. There were 14 bouts and highlights included a win for Andersons welterweight Imari Forrester. He stopped Ben O’Malley (Bulls Boxing Academy) in the dying seconds. The promising Forrester was on course for a points win against an out-of-sorts O’Malley and then found a body shot that unraveled him. The referee jumped in to wave the bout off. Reece Edwards was a winner for Bulls Boxing Academy in one of the bouts of the night. Edwards out-toughed Kai Masters (Wallop) in a hard bout between heavy-handed novice middleweights. There was another Wallop-Bulls Boxing Academy match that went the way of Wallop. Harry Coello set a pace Amir Ali couldn’t live with, and won unanimously.…

THERE was a lower turnout than usual, but Croydon EBA’s August meeting still went well, with its normal friendly atmosphere. We were delighted to welcome Peter Gorny back after a month in hospital. Still on the Sick List, and in hospital, are members Mick Hussey and Mick Hinton. Everyone wished them well. The reason some regulars didn’t make it was that they were at the Essex EBA/James Cook’s All-Stars charity cricket match at Hornchurch; proceeds to be divided between the Ringside Charitable Trust and the Pedro Club. While they were obviously missed at Croydon, they were applauded for supporting such a good cause. I was delighted to hear from London EBA Chairman Bob Cheeseman that the event went very well, and I hope to publish a detailed report soon. Member…