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Oleksandr Usyk broke the silence regarding giving up the world champion title and handing over the belt to the British boxer

Published

6 months ago

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Oleksandr Usyk says he gave up one of his world titles to give the next generation of players a chance. Usyk held all four heavyweight belts, but vacated his WBO belt when he was given the mandate to defend it against Fabio Wardley. As a result, Wardley gained full champion status and will make his first defense in 2026.

The Ukrainian insists that he wants to witness the fight between the Briton and stable boy Moses Itauma. Usyk’s camp manager, Sergey Lapin, revealed: “Oleksandr vacated the belt to give juvenile boxers a chance to fight for it. Let’s see how everything develops now. Fabio Wardley vs. Moses Itauma would be a great fight for both sides and it would be very intriguing to see who wins.”

Last month, Wardley wrested the interim title from Joseph Parker after a spectacular 11th-round stoppage and was forced to fight the Ukrainian.

However, the WBO confirmed Wardley as its fresh champion last week, after previously confirming that Usyk, who unified the world titles by defeating fellow Briton, IBF champion Daniel Dubois, in July, had officially announced his decision to vacate the belt.

Wardley’s promoter, Frank Warren, posted on

Wardley began his career in white-collar boxing, turned professional in 2017 and went on an impressive 17-fight win streak. After drawing a split decision against Frazer Clarke in March 2024, he defeated the same opponent in just one round seven months later.

This was followed by a comeback win over Justis Huni, which earned him a shot at Parker.

With this achievement, Wardley joins the ranks of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Henry Akinwande, Herbie Hide and Michael Bentt as the sixth Briton to hold the WBO heavyweight title.

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UK Boxing

Chris Billam-Smith vs. Ryan Rozicki – results and post-fight report

Published

8 hours ago

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June 6, 2026

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Billam-Smith had to weather Rozicki's early storm. Photo: Zuffa Boxing

Chris Billam-Smith forced Ryan Rozicki to retire on the stool at the end of the seventh round of a thrilling Zuffa Boxing UK fight on Saturday in Bournemouth.

Billam-Smith (22-2, 14 KO) finally defeated the tenacious Rozicki before the visiting corner pulled him out before the start of the eighth round of the cruiserweight clash at the Bournemouth International Centre.

Rozicki (21-2-1, 20 KO) started at a breakneck pace, forcing Billam-Smith to exchange pockets with him.

Favorite house obliged, and a cut was already noticeable under the Canadian’s left eye.

In the second round, Rozicki worked continuously, but in the same round he was deducted a point for constantly using his head.

Billam-Smith had to weather Rozicki’s early storm. Photo: Zuffa Boxing

Billam-Smith fired a huge uppercut in the third period, rocking Rozicki as he tried to continue trading.

‘The Bruiser’ regained momentum in the fourth quarter, pinning the Bournemouth player to the ropes and having to take several well-placed punches.

In a pulsating fifth quarter, both players continued to trade blow for blow, with both finding success inside.

The former WBO world champion landed at will in the sixth place, and yet Rozicki bravely and incredibly remained standing in the midst of an avalanche of almost eight punches.

Billam-Smith finally tired of Rozicki. Photo: Zuffa Boxing
Billam-Smith finally tired of Rozicki. Photo: Zuffa Boxing

The 31-year-old staggered back to the corner, looking distressed and bloody after throwing further unanswered punches tardy in the seventh period.

Rozicki’s corner saw enough and withdrew his man to give ‘The Gentleman’ his first win since overtaking Brandon Glanton last April.

Billam-Smith has lined up a potential clash with former IBF world champion and Zuffa stablemate Jai Opetaia.

Clarke survives two knockdowns, stops Massey in a thriller

Cheavon Clarke rose to the top twice, stopping Jack Massey in the seventh round of a thrilling cruiserweight bout.

Massey (23-4, 13 KO) was poised for an early stoppage after Clarke (11-2, 9 KO) floored Clarke (11-2, 9 KO) in the fourth with a powerful right hand.

Massey dropped Clarke twice in the fourth round. Photo: Zuffa Boxing
Massey dropped Clarke twice in the fourth round. Photo: Zuffa Boxing

“One Smack” increased the pressure and a body shot knocked down the Kent fighter again.

However, “C4” pulled himself together and delivered a right hand in the seventh set, knocking the 33-year-old down to his pants.

Clarke sensed a break and used a series of right hands, prompting referee Bob Williams to intervene.

Clarke rallied to stop Massey in race seven. Photo: Zuffa Boxing
Clarke rallied to stop Massey in race seven. Photo: Zuffa Boxing
Cutler said goodbye to Sutton after his injury

Lee Cutler returned to winning ways after losing to Sam Eggington, and Aaron Sutton withdrew from the competition due to an injury in the third round.

Cutler (16-2, 8 KO) landed a right hand that left Sutton (19-3, 3 KO) writhing in pain from a shoulder injury.

Cutler scored a TKO in the third round after Sutton was injured. ​​Photo: Zuffa Boxing
Cutler scored a TKO in the third round after Sutton was injured. ​​Photo: Zuffa Boxing
McKenna blows Streeter away

Stephen McKenna bounced back from his loss to Lee Cutler by defeating Casey James Streeter in the first round.

Streeter (15-4-2, 6 KO) somehow stayed on his feet after McKenna (16-1, 15 KO) detonated a brutal left hook, but the subsequent attack knocked him to the ground.

The American defeated the count, but McKenna was relentless and after another series of punches, he forced the referee to intervene.

McKenna stopped Streeter in the first round. Photo: Zuffa Boxing
McKenna stopped Streeter in the first round. Photo: Zuffa Boxing
Undercard remaining

Sam Hickey (5-0, 2 KO) defeated Todd Tompkins with a mighty right hand punch in the second round of the middleweight fight.

Tompkins (4-1) was administered oxygen while he was on the canvas, but the 29-year-old was fortunately back on his feet shortly after.

Heavyweight Ivan Dychko bounced back from his loss to Jermaine Franklin Jr. after a split decision he won against Harvey Dykes (7-1-1).

Dychko (16-1, 14 KO) came away with two scores of 97-92, outscored by a score of 95-94 in favor of Dykes.

Welterweight prospect Alex MacMillan (4-0, 3 KO) defeated Leo Fanthome (7-3, 1 KO) three times en route to a brutal second-round stoppage victory.

Potential airy heavyweight fighter Leon Hughes (5-0, 4 KO) defeated Mario Vergiev (8-5, 5 KO) in the third round.

The post Chris Billam-Smith vs. Ryan Rozicki – results and post-fight report appeared first on ProBoxing-Fans.com.

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UK Boxing

How to watch Fame Fighting vs Misfits Boxing – channel, live stream and start time

Published

12 hours ago

on

June 6, 2026

By

KSI, co-founder of Misfits Boxing (Photo: Getty)

Fame Fighting vs Misfits Boxing: Channel, Live Stream, Start Time and Full Card

  1. Event overview: The upcoming Fame Fighting vs Misfits Boxing event is being described as the Super Bowl of influencer boxing, bringing together two of the world’s biggest celebrity promotions for a massive night of crossover fights. Social media stars, reality TV personalities and crossover icons will face off in the highly anticipated fight series.

  2. Place and time: The blockbuster gala will take place this Saturday, June 6, at the Ostermann Arena in Leverkusen, Germany. Live coverage of the stimulating card action officially begins at 5:00 p.m. BST, with walk-ins for the main events expected at 10:00 p.m. BST, depending on the length of the undercard fights.

  3. Coverage in the UK, Ireland and USA: The entire event will be streamed exclusively online and via mobile devices via Sun Club, The Sun’s premium membership platform. UK viewers can access the broadcast on the website or via official apps by purchasing a crossover access card for £9.99, which also includes a full year of membership.

  4. The beginnings of the fight for fame: Fame Fighting was founded in 2023 by Eugen Lopez, a 33-year-old combat sports enthusiast born in Russia and living in Germany. The fast-growing promotion quickly evolved from hosting diminutive events in hotels to selling out arenas, with its long-term goal of building an international “Champions League” of boxing influence.

  5. Misfits The beginnings of boxing: Misfits Boxing was founded in 2022 by British YouTube star KSI, along with his manager Mams Taylor and sports promotion company Wasserman. Initially heavily criticized by boxing purists who said it was disrespectful to the sport, the brand has grown into the world’s leading celebrity boxing organization, combining influencer matches with professional fights.

  6. Main event: The main attraction of Saturday’s gala will be a gigantic heavyweight champion vs. champion clash between Chase DeMoor and Alex Petrovic. DeMoor, who secured the Misfits heavyweight crown after defeating Andrew Tate last December, will look to defend his status against Petrovic, the German reality TV star who holds Fame’s super heavyweight title.

  7. Featured Stars Undercard: Outside of the main event, the line-up includes renowned social media names such as American YouTube star and actor Slim Albaher, who is expected to fight Turkish-born German influencer Can Kaplan. Popular reality show star Filip Pavlovic, former winner of the German edition of “The Bachelor,” will also lace up his gloves to fight Misfits veteran Luis Alcaraz Pineda.

Full fight card:

  • Chase DeMoor vs. Aleks Petrovic
  • FaZe Temperrr vs MckyTV
  • Tobias Pietrek vs. Josh Brueckner
  • Slim vs. Can Kaplan
  • Tommy Pedroni vs. Fez Batista
  • Ediz Tasci vs. Nathan Barnatt
  • Filip Pavlovic vs. Luis Alcaraz Pineda
  • Oliver Ginkel vs. Norbert Ruzicka
  • Ty Mitchell vs. Aro Schwartz
  • FoxTheG vs. Shazan Idrees (Preliminary)

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UK Boxing

Boxing tonight: exact start times, TV channel, live coverage and fight cards

Published

20 hours ago

on

June 6, 2026

By

Boxing returns with a bang on Saturday night (Photo: Getty)

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How to tune into every boxing match today with three huge cards at your disposal

  1. Starting times and place: Chris Billam-Smith will face Ryan Rozicki on Saturday evening at the Bournemouth International Center in Bournemouth, England. The undercard fights will start at 5:00 p.m. and there is no confirmed time for the main card walkouts – the broadcast starts at 7:00 p.m., so the main fight may start around 10:00 p.m.
  2. Josh Padley vs. Aqib Fiaz: Meanwhile, Padley will face Fiaz at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield, with coverage taking place at 7pm. The expected ring walk for the first fight is scheduled for approximately 9:30 p.m.
  3. Aleks Petrovic vs. Chase DeMoor: The action of the hit Misfits vs. Fame Fighting event takes place at the Ostermann Arena in Leverkusen, Germany. The first fights will start at 5:00 p.m., with the main events available around 10:00 p.m.
  4. British TV channel: The Billam-Smith vs Rozicki fight will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Action and Sky One from 7pm. The event from Sheffield can be accessed on DAZN and the Petrovic vs DeMoor fight will be broadcast on The Sun.
  5. Live broadcast information: Those watching the Billam-Smith vs. Rozicki fight can watch the action on the Sky Go app, available on mobile devices and the web. DAZN subscribers will be the only ones able to access the Padley vs Fiaz match, with the pay-per-view service unavailable. It costs £25.99 for a monthly versatile pass or £119.99 for a one-off annual subscription. The Misfits vs Fame Fighting card is available exclusively through The Sun and can be accessed if you are a member of The Sun Club.
  6. Radio coverage in the UK: Sun Club will broadcast the audio broadcast of the Petrovic vs DeMoor match, with no scheduled radio broadcast of the Padley vs Fiaz match. TalkSPORT will broadcast the Billam-Smith vs Rozicki fight.
  7. How to watch in the US: American fans can watch the Billam-Smith vs. Rozicki main event on Paramount+ from 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT). The Padley vs. Fiaz fight will continue to be available on DAZN for US residents, and The Sun Club will be the only place to watch the Petrovic vs. DeMoor fight.
  8. Billam-Smith vs. Rozicki fight card: Alex Macmillan vs. Tyler Rivers (welterweight), Leon Hughes vs. Mario Vergiev (lithe heavyweight), Harvey Dykes vs. Ivan Dychko (heavyweight), Sam Hickey vs. Todd Tompkins (middleweight), Stephen McKenna vs. Casey Streeter (middleweight), Lee Cutler vs. Aaron Sutton (middleweight), Jack Massey vs. Cheavon Clarke (cruiserweight) and Chris Billam-Smith vs. Ryan Rozicki (cruiserweight).
  9. Padley vs Fiaz fight card: Chris Mulunda vs. TBA (Middleweight), Connor Mitchell vs. TBA (Featherweight), Leo Atang vs. TBA (Heavyweight), Edward Hardy vs. TBA (Featherweight), Adam Maca vs. TBA (Junior Lightweight), Aaron Bowen vs. Troy Coleman (Middleweight), Ibrahim Nadim vs. Ibraheem Sulaimaan (Junior Lightweight) and Josh Padley vs. Aqib Fiaz (Junior Lightweight).
  10. Petrovic vs. DeMoor fight card: FoxTheG vs. Pully Arif (preliminary), Ty Mitchell vs. Aro Schwartz, Oliver Ginkel vs. Norbert Ruzicka, Filip Pavlovic vs. Luis Alcaraz Pineda, Ediz Tasci vs. Nathan Barnatt, Tommy Pedroni vs. Fes Batista, Slim vs. Can Kaplan, Tobias Pietrek vs. Josh Brueckner, FaZe Temperrr vs. MckyTV and Chase DeMoor vs. Aleks Petrovic.
  11. READ THE LATEST BOXING NEWS: Oleksandr Usyk agrees to fight again after avoiding shock defeat to Rico Verhoeven

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