UK Boxing
Johnny Fisher vs. Alen Babic – Preview and Predictions for the Large Fight
Published
6 months agoon
By
J. HumzaThis Saturday, London’s Copper Box Arena will host an old-school heavyweight clash as Johnny Fisher and Alen Babic go head-to-head over a scheduled ten rounds.
Eddie HearnMatchroom promotes Fisher vs. Babica and DAZN broadcast live around the world.
Babić (12-1, 11 KOs) was drafted by Hearn and manager Dillian Whyte as an inexperienced fighter, with the Croatian earning his place in the competition with a series of early victories that eventually led to a WBC featherlight heavyweight title fight in April last year.
However, the leap in class proved too much for “Dzikus”, who was stopped during the round by Łukasz Różański in Poland.
The 33-year-old returned in March, scoring a sixth-round knockout victory over Steve Robinson in a thrilling fight.
Now he meets another raw, tough fighter in Fisher (11-0, 10 KOs), who will bring his usual army of Romford fans with him.
Romford Bull has only covered the distance once and has since won six races on the schedule, including the Southern Area title.
The 25-year-old last stepped into the ring in February, when he defeated Dmytro Bezus in a fight in Las Vegas.
Bellotti fights Giles
The preliminary card promises a fascinating super featherweight clash as the resurgent Reece Bellotti defends his British and Commonwealth titles against Levi Giles.
Bellotti’s career was in tatters when he lost five of his seven fights between 2018 and 2021, but he has now bounced back impressively, winning the vacant Commonwealth title with a surprising eighth-round victory over Aqib Fiaz and then replacing Liam Dillon, who lost his British belt with a decision win in February.
Giles (15-1, 4 KOs) has only lost once – in March of last year, when he defeated Michael Gomez Jr. by split decision. He has won twice since then, although this time the Grimsby fighter took a step forward.
(18-5, 14 KOs)
Returns on collateral
There are two more 10-round fights on the schedule, the first of which will be a cruiserweight bout in which John Hedges could secure the vacant Southern Area title with a points win over Lewis Oakford.
Hedges (9-0, 3 KOs) didn’t fight longer than eight rounds, while Oakford (5-0) didn’t fight longer than six.
Courtney argues with Zapotoczna
Flyweight Maisey Rose Courtney (6-0) has a chance to go 10 rounds for the first time and win on points against Jasmina Zapotoczna (7-1), who gave Shannon Ryan a good workout before losing on points in February.
Remaining subcard
In six-round fights, Giorgio Visioli (3-0, 3 KOs) can maintain his perfect record with an early victory in the super featherweight division over Tampela Maharusi (10-6-4, 5 KOs), while in the middleweight division, Jimmy Sains (5-0, 5 KOs), who secured a knockout victory on Saturday, can repeat that feat in his fight against Damien Lacoudray (3-1-1, 1 KO).
Popular super welterweight contender Emmanuel Buttigieg (4-0, 1 KO) could win on points in his fight against Oliver Chudzik (3-0, 1 KO).
The only fight to go over four rounds will be in the heavyweight division, where Lewie Pochetty (2-0, 2 KOs) could hear the final bell for the first time in a points win over Amin Boucetta (8-13).
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UK Boxing
Tyson Fury sends an ominous warning to Oleksandr Usyk
Published
3 hours agoon
December 19, 2024Tyson Fury vowed to “seriously hurt” him in Saturday’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury is for revenge first defeat his professional career when he meets Usyk at the Kingdom Arena in Riyad, seven months after he was dropped by split decision at the same venue.
“The Gypsy King” has put in a solemn performance throughout the build-up and continued that attitude during Wednesday’s public training session.
The 36-year-old put on his gloves, greeted the audience and took off his gloves without landing a single blow on his pads.
The Briton, who is generally in a cheerful mood, revealed little in the interview DAZN then, but sent his rival a dire warning.
“A lot of pain.
“Smash and destroy.
“A lot of pain, solemn hurt.”
Fury, who is aiming to become a three-time world heavyweight champion, held a training camp in Malta ahead of the rematch and earlier this week claimed he had not had contact with his wife Paris for three months.
Usyk secured the undisputed heavyweight title in May but vacated the IBF belt to secure a rematch, while Daniel Dubois, who arrived in Riyadh earlier this week, was elevated to full champion after winning the interim title.
If the fighter from Morecambe exacts revenge, according to Fury’s British promoter, Frank Warren, a third fight with the Ukrainian has already been contracted.
However, Fury promised a victory so comprehensive that the 37-year-old would never fight again.
“I will definitely make him feel 37 years vintage,” Fury said Queensberry Promotions.
– He’ll be there with the Gypsy King, not whoever I was last time.
“I feel very good and I can’t wait for Saturday’s fight.
“I’m going to end him, end his career.
“You will never hear from Oleksandr Usyk again after this.”
UK Boxing
Referee Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk has always played a controversial role
Published
7 hours agoon
December 19, 2024Roberto Ramirez Jnr has been appointed referee for the highly anticipated rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, and his past has been controversial.
The two heavyweight titans will clash again next weekend, with the “Gypsy King” looking to settle the score following his first professional loss to the Ukrainian in May in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.
However, main center Ramirez Jnr, who will be overseeing the fight, has been embroiled in controversy before. Last year he officiated Chantelle Cameron’s high-profile rematch with Katie Taylor, in which Cameron became the first to defeat the Irish star before losing in the next fight. After the match, Cameron’s coach Jamie Moore criticized Ramirez Jnr, blaming him for Cameron’s defeat.
“She’s clearly devastated, you can imagine,” Moore revealed to BBC 5 Live Boxing. “She just feels like this whole scenario was set up for her to lose. In a way, we were determined to prove everyone wrong, just like we did last time. But last time she got away with it. I’m not saying, “First of all, I just want to say that from what I watched, it was a close fight that could have gone either way.”
“We were denied a knockdown in the first round, which should have happened. The knockdown is 100% justified. Before the fight, I was begging the referee in the locker room, please, she got away with it last time, holding tight. My athlete’s best work is close. Please don’t let her hold you like last time. And he let her do worse this time than last time. After securing victory, brawler Bray became the undisputed world champion in two weight classes.
Cameron herself later expressed doubts about the referee’s choice for their rematch with Taylor, speaking to BBC Radio Northampton: ‘It wasn’t just me and Katie in that ring. If that were the case, I would have accepted defeat and said I had won the better women that night. I had everything against me. The referee that night… it was such a high level fight, why would you hire a referee no one had heard of. It’s not my job, it’s my job, it’s my job to fight, don’t look at who’s refereeing, I’m just frustrated – if I could go back, I’d make sure everything was taken into account.
UK Boxing
Eddie Hearn turns heads in Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2 pick
Published
15 hours agoon
December 18, 2024Eddie Hearn has changed his mind about the outcome of Saturday’s rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.
Hearn will be a guest pundit on Riyad’s DAZN broadcast as Fury looks to exact revenge on Usyk, seven months after losing his undefeated record to the Ukrainian in the same arena via split decision.
The Matchroom boss initially sided with Usyk and secured his second victory in a row over “The Gypsy King”.
“I think it’s demanding for anyone to pick Tyson Fury to win the fight with balance,” Hearn said. talkSPORT.
“I think it will be an incredibly close fight. I think the last one was too.
“But I think given what we saw from Usyk in the first fight, his ability to absorb information, I think he’s very complex to put.
“I want Fury to win, I think he can win.
“I think he will have to do something extraordinary that we have seen before.
“But I think with common sense it is very complex not to choose Oleksandr Usyk in this fight.”
Fury took a disastrous ninth round to a eternal eight count before reaching the final bell and earlier this week vowed to end the 37-year-old’s career, although his promoter Frank Warren insists a third fight will be booked if he emerges victorious.
However, Hearn has now changed his mind and is backing his compatriot to seek revenge for the only loss of his professional career.
“I expect another really close fight on Saturday,” said the 45-year-old Boxing in the match room.
“I choose Tyson Fury for many reasons.
“I just have a sneaky feeling.”
“You start focusing on your pre-fight preparations.
“I saw these things yesterday [at the grand arrivals].
“I thought he looked very relaxed.
“Usyk talks really cocky, really different.
“I don’t know if it’s good or bad, but I’m going with Tyson Fury and Tyson Fury on points.”
Tyson Fury sends an ominous warning to Oleksandr Usyk
‘IF EUBANK JR VS BENN ISN’T NEXT, IT NEVER HAPPENS!’ – Ben Shalom also on Usyk vs Fury 2
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