Interviews
“Khan-Brook will give us a fight to remember,” says Sky Sports’ Adam Smith
Sky Sports head of boxing development Adam Smith believes Amir Khan and Kell Brook could have put on an even better fight than if they had met in their prime.
Khan and Brook will finally settle their long-running 149lb catchweight feud on February 19 at the AO Arena in Manchester, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
British rivals pushed each other ahead first press conference last month and we exchanged words back and forth in several heated exchanges.
After years of talks and doubts whether this fight would even happen, BOXXER secured the promotional rights and tickets sold out in 10 minutes on Monday, and Smith believes it could exceed all expectations.
“Khan and Brook are great for this,” Smith said proboxing-fans.com at the first press conference on November 29.
“They don’t like each other, it’s true. They have not liked each other for many years.
“They don’t have the respect they have for other players and they want to get along with each other, so Amir will be training in Terence Crawford’s camp and they take it really seriously.
“That’s why Kell is with us [trainer] Dominik [Ingle]back to the place he knows best, back to Wincobank and they will be ready for February 19th and it will be fantastic, [a] I think it’s a case of last man standing.
“Stylistically and at this point in their careers, I think it could be an even better fight because I think there is a hole there.
“I think there’s still power there. I think the skills are there, but the speed is a little less, the reflexes will be a little less.
“They will be a little creaky in both bodies, but they will go through absolutely anything to get into top shape.
“I think being 149 and not 147 just above the welterweight limit is good for their bodies. I think they will give us a little fight back.”
Khan, a former unified super lightweight champion, has won three of his last five fights with losses to Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford and will end more than 19 months of inactivity on Feb. 19, having not fought since a fourth-round stoppage of Billy Dib in July 2019.
Former IBF welterweight champion Brook was defeated in four rounds by WBO champion Crawford last November and will fight for the first time since suffering only the third defeat of his career, with the other two facing Gennady Golovkin after a brave move to middleweight. before an 11th round loss to Errol Spence Jr.
The price of the Khan vs. Brook fight has not yet been confirmed, and Smith insists that the main attraction of the fight is that it will air on pay-per-view.
“Sky Sports Box Office is about special nights,” Smith explained.
“The box office attraction is in the name. It’s a starry fight, it’s a starry night.
“It’s something that regular football fans will love, it’s something that boxing fans have been waiting for for a very long time.
“We want to give our all in every fight, let’s be straightforward. We have a great lineup of fights on Sky. Eubank vs Williams, postponed fight, January 29 in Cardiff on Sky Sports, Josh Taylor vs Jack Catterall on Sky Sports.
“But there is a lot of money involved in this fight. You know it took a long time to do this. It is produced on Sky Sports Box Office.
“Better to have it on Sky Sports Box Office on February 19 than not to have it when they both retire.”
Watch the full interview with Adam Smith below:
Although the rematch between Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua has not been officially announced yet, it seems more likely that it will happen.
Dubois defeated Joshua in five rounds last month at Wembley Stadium, making the first defense of his IBF World Heavyweight Championship in style.
AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn he insisted that his protégé wanted to take another bite at the cherry, even though some observers urged him to go in a different direction – or even put his professional career on hold.
If another fight for the world title with “Dynamite” is to be the next event for the Watford fighter, according to IBF regulations it will have to take place by April 22.
Rule 5.A.2 of the IBF regulations for the heavyweight division states that “all optional defenses and all other fights by the champion must be completed at least 60 days prior to the date of the champion’s mandatory fight.”
Dubois will be informed of his mandatory appearance for June 21 in the spring and will likely be the winner of the recently ordered final eliminator between Agit Kabayel and Martin Bakole.
While there has been early speculation that Joshua might opt out of another domestic spat with the 27-year-old and perhaps focus on fighting the likes of Deontay Wilder and Dillian Whyte, that now seems unlikely.
“WILL 𝙅 DESERQUE BE 𝙅 BY LETTING A STRAIGHT BACHTA IN THERE?” 🤔
🥊 @Carl_Froch accounts @joeboxerparker & Zhilei Zhang should try to beat Daniel Dubois @anthonyjoshua 👀#Box #AnthonyJoshua #DanielDubois (By @frochonfighting) pic.twitter.com/9QYxA9bRSv
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) October 3, 2024
Matchroom boss Hearn also claimed that Saudi boxing boss Turki Alalshikh is interested in a second fight with Dubois.
“We are struggling with the season in Riyad. One of our options is to fight Daniel Dubois again and we have a contract with them.
“His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh] he will deal with Frank and Daniel and lead to this fight. The terms will have to be agreed with them.
“WILL 𝙅 DESERQUE BE 𝙅 BY LETTING A STRAIGHT BACHTA IN THERE?” 🤔
🥊 @Carl_Froch accounts @joeboxerparker & Zhilei Zhang should try to beat Daniel Dubois @anthonyjoshua 👀#Box #AnthonyJoshua #DanielDubois (By @frochonfighting) pic.twitter.com/9QYxA9bRSv
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) October 3, 2024
“We have already agreed our terms, we have the option of a rematch with Dubois.
“Our meetings with His Excellency, he wants a rematch. AJ will always want a rematch.
“Daniel also wants a rematch.
“This is the most essential fight for him and they will definitely enjoy it.”
Dubois’ promoter Frank Warren revealed yesterday that there are other options for his fighter, but it’s conceivable that a rematch with “AJ” is by far the most lucrative.
Artur Beterbiev became the undisputed lithe heavyweight champion, adding the WBA and IBO belts to his collection after a thrilling majority decision victory over Dmitry Bivol in Saudi Arabia.
Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KO) entered this fight on the back of 20 straight wins, winning a slew of world titles along the way, with the last one coming in January, beating Callum Smith in seven to Bivola (23-23-KO). 1, 12 KO) in his last fight in June, he stopped Malik Zanid in six rounds.
Bivol landed some decent counters and combinations in the first round, and after a serene second, the Russian was successful again, scoring more combinations in the third round.
However, Beterbiev moved forward and the fourth one increased the pressure, but his rival remained behind a tight guard.
39-year-old he was busy, but many of his punches were landing on Bivol’s gloves, though the sheer amount of work he was doing was starting to get him a few rounds.
Beterbiev began to apply pressure in the seventh set, landing several solid punches, but the 33-year-old WBA champion responded matter-of-factly, wobbling the unified champion with his left hand.
Beterbiev was told in his corner that he needed a knockout in the championship rounds and he responded to that advice as he had a very robust penultimate frame, landing several shots that troubled the tiring Bivol, but both boxers made it to the final bell in an extremely absorbing contest.
The 114-114 draw was broken by scores of 116-112 and 115-113 in favor of Beterbiev, who received the nod and walked away with all the belts.
Wardley destroys Clarke in the rematch
The long-awaited rematch between Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke ended emphatically as Wardley defended his British heavyweight title in less than a round.
The pair played at the O2 Arena in March in a thriller that ended in a draw, but Wardley (18-0-1, 17 KO) let the judges off the hook this time, defeating Clarke (8-1-1, 6 KO) with a barrage of weighty punches. that put him on shaky ground and he finished in style.
The right-hand hammer struck the Burton man’s senses and the referee waved his hand to end the fight.
Opetaia sails from Massey
Jai Opetaia did almost everything he wanted in his fight against Jack Massey, defending his IBF cruiserweight title for the first time in his second term as champion after the Briton threw in the towel in the sixth round.
Opetiaia (26-0, 20 KO) was in dominant form and although Massey (22-3, 12 KO) put up a brave challenge, he never actually took part in the fight and after being broken by punches to the head and body after the sixth hour, coach 31 -year-old Joe Gallagher found it necessary to withdraw his charge from the battle.
Eubank Jr burns Szeremeta
Chris Eubank Jr won the vacant IBO middleweight title against Kamil Szeremeta, scoring four knockouts in a seventh-round victory.
Szeremeta (25-3-2, 8 KO) landed a right hand in the first round, and in the sixth round he knocked him out with the same shot.
In the seventh round, the Pole lost twice more, and the referee wisely ended the action.
Eubank Jr (34-3, 25 KO) faced Conor Benn after the fight, with both hoping to reschedule the fight after it was infamously postponed to fight week in October 2022.
The Whittaker-Cameron fight ended in a strange draw
There was a controversial and bizarre ending in the lithe heavyweight division as Ben Whittaker and Liam Cameron (23-6-1, 10 KO) there was a technical draw after five rounds.
In the fifth set, both started aggressively clinching on the ropes and both fell out of the ring on the top rope.
Whittaker (8-0-1, 5 KO) performed worse, injured his leg and was unable to continue competing, and the fight was deemed an accidental foul.
The score of 58-57 for each fighter was deemed redundant as the third judge scored it 58-58 after five completed rounds.
Nicolson defeats Chapman
Skye Nicolson successfully defended her WBC featherweight world title for the second time, winning half the distance and scoring points over Raven Chapman (9-1, 2 KO).
Nicolson (12-0, 1 KO) defended her belt by two points 98-92 and third by a score of 99-91 in the historic first women’s world title fight in Saudi Arabia.
Super featherweight debutant Mohammed Alakel (1-0, KO0) started a winning four-round fight against Jesus Gonzalez (3-3, KO0) by scoring points.
Carl Froch has shared his predictions for this weekend’s undisputed lightweight heavyweight world title clash between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Froch will be one of millions of viewers as Russian compatriots Beterbiev and Bivol finally settle the score and decide who is the best 175-pound fighter in the world.
The fight has been described by many as the best in the sport, and the boxing world is seemingly split down the middle.
And two days before the evening’s fight, “The Cobra” revealed that he supports WBA champion Bivol, who will emerge with all his might in Riyad.
In a recent message to Froch on the fightThe 47-year-old explained:
“I think Bivol will do business.
“I just think that Father Time waits for no one and Beterbiev is approaching 40 years ancient.
“Bivol is 33 years ancient. I would expect 33-year-old Bivol to outwork and outlast 40-year-old Beterbiev.
“It will be a tough fight because Beterbiev will not stop trying. He will continue to come forward and throw massive bombs.
“But if I had to have a massive wedge in the bet, I would say that Bivol will beat Beterbiev on points, but there is always a chance that he will manage to win.
“This is boxing and Beterbiev is a powerful puncher.
Beterbiev and Bivol were scheduled to fight in June, but the fight was postponed after the former suffered a torn meniscus and required surgery.
“Anyone can get knocked out.” 💀@ABeterbiev There is NO reason to doubt your strength before the game @bivol_d on Saturday evening 🔥#Box #BeterbievBivol #ArturBeterbiew pic.twitter.com/GnNImVca5D
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) October 8, 2024
This is not the first injury suffered by “King Arthur” and some believe that he may play a key role in the clash with Kyrgyzstan Saturday night.
Bivol is the bookmakers’ slight favorite, but it would be foolish to write off Beterbiev, who has stopped all 20 of his opponents and is considered perhaps the most feared fighter in boxing.
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