Interviews
Liam Davies vs. Shabaz Masoud
A breathtaking fight of the undefeated will culminate this Saturday at Resorts World in Birmingham, where Liam Davies defends his IBO super bantamweight title for the first time against venerable amateur rival Shabaz Masoud.
TNT Sports will broadcast the Davies vs. Masoud fight live in the UK, with Frank Warren and Queensberry on promotional duties.
Davies (16-0, 8 KO) has made huge progress over the past two years, starting with winning the British title with a handy scoring win against Marc Leach in June 2022. The Telford man backed this victory he overtook Ionut Baluta for the European crown five months later and stopped Jason Cunningham in the round last July to maintain his momentum.
After stopping Vincenzo La Femina in five fights last November, Davies was sidelined once in 2024 and defeated Erik Robles Ayala in two in March to claim the vacant IBO crown, which he defends this weekend.
Masoud (13-0, 4 KO) has defeated Davies twice in unpaid mode and will be looking to complete a hat-trick here in the professional ranks. The Stoke-on-Trent ‘Maverick’ has only been dropped twice since stopping Jack Bateson in the twelfth and final round in November 2022, with the first time taking a ten-round split decision against Jose Sanmartin in November last year.
While waiting to face Davies, Masoud dismissed Marvin Solano in the first round of their July meeting before winning all eight sessions.
Prediction: This might be a technicality as both will be successful, but I’m leaning towards the more experienced Davies winning the third game, probably clearly on points.
Cameron argues with Berghult.
The card features four ten-round fighters, led by former undisputed super lightweight world champion Chantelle Cameron (19-1, 8 KO). She will face Patricia Berghult (17-1, 4 KO) for the WBC interim title at 140 pounds.
Chantelle Cameron hosts, #DaviesMasoud subcard.
Defending the interim WBC world title, @chantellecam returns to Birmingham!
Tickets on sale here: https://t.co/aue6cqLUjq pic.twitter.com/SbJc29kTLH
— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) October 2, 2024
Cameron had two thrillers with Katie Taylor in 2023, winning by majority decision before dropping one in the rematch, but the move to Queensberry was a needy debut for her as she took another majority decision, this time against Elhem Mekhaled.
Berghult is a former WBC super welterweight champion, but her only loss was a crushing loss to Natasha Jonas in September 2022. Since then, she has won two modest six-round victories.
Prediction: Cameron will be looking to impress here and I don’t think Berghult will cause too many problems. Cameron can perform well on the scorecards.
Essuman, James and Taylor return to action.
Ekow Essuman (20-1, 8 KO) is fresh off a thrilling last-round stoppage of Owen Cooper to capture the WBO European welterweight title in July and could set another undefeated record here when defending against Ben Vaughan (10-0, 3 ) KO), who never exceeded six frames. Essuman is selected after being retained at the end.
Ethan James (12-1, 0 KO) was beaten by Cooper in his last outing and retired after nine in March in Birmingham, but he can get back to winning ways here, defeating Jermaine Osbourne-Edwards in ten rounds in welterweight and scoring points (11-0, 1 KO).
In the delicate heavyweight division, Ezra Taylor (9-0, 6 KO) may win the fight against Latvian Kristaps Bulmeistars (12-2, 5 KO).
This way of thinking since @EzraTaylor_ 👏💥#DaviesMasoud | November 2 | bp pulses LIVE, Birmingham pic.twitter.com/5iRMZ4MO3V
— Queensberry Promotions (@Queensberry) October 22, 2024
The remainder of the bill covers four circular issues.
Eoghan Lavin (2-0, 0 KO) can win his middleweight match against Remi Scholer (4-12, 1 KO) on points, and in the super flyweight fight Bradley Thompson (5-0, 2 KO) should defeat Sean Jackson ( 0-25-1), on the referee’s card.
Also in the super flyweight division, Mykyle Ahmed (1-0, 1 KO) may need all four sessions to claim victory over Yin Caicedo (10-24-4, 4 KO), while heavyweight debutant Lewis Williams will also likely need time. to raise his hand in the fight against Lamah Griggs (3-9-1, 0 KO).
Speculation continues to swirl over Anthony Joshua’s next move following his crushing knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois last month.
It seemed likely that Joshua would go straight into a rematch with the IBF world heavyweight champion, but recent comments from promoter Eddie Hearn indicate that may not be the case.
The lost to Dubois was AJ’s fourth career defeat and second after the break, and most observers believe it was the most one-sided defeat by a Watford player to date.
Former cruiserweight world champion turned pundit Johnny Nelson has weighed in on what Joshua should do next – and believes it’s time to call it quits.
I’m talking to Seconds OutNelson explained that his reasoning came “from a good place.”
“My answer to that question is, in my opinion, and I will give a valid reason, it comes from a good place. I didn’t like it [knockout to Dubois] what happened with “AJ”.
“The math in my head as to why this happened tells me he should go.
“If this continues after all the success you’ve had, after what you’ve done for British boxing and all the champions you’ve fought, and you keep going back to this fight where such fundamental mistakes are made, it’s going to keep happening again and again. repeatedly”.
While those around Joshua have been adamant that a rematch with Dubois would be the favorite to make his next move, there has been a change in tone over the past week.
Matchroom boss Hearn suggested that his protégé might wait for the result of the rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury, which will take place on December 21, before writing about his next fight.
𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗥 𝗔𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗢𝗧𝗧𝗧𝗧
Now it seems @AnthonyJoshua can wait for a potential fight with Tyson Fury..
Thinks?#Box #EddieHearn #AnthonyJoshua pic.twitter.com/FYAmMT8W5u
— Professional boxing fans (@ProBoxingFans) October 24, 2024
Dubois’ promoter Warren, who boasts a number of heavyweights in his growing stable, insists there are plenty of options for his fighter that don’t involve a second fight with Joshua.
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.
Gary Russell Jr responds to Devin Haney’s insults
Robson Conceicao and O’Shaquie Foster 3 best wins
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