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“Scary” Harry Scarff ready to step up to the plate against Karen Chukhadzain

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For a few compact weeks, it looked like Harry Scarff had finally become the main beneficiary of the boxing business that had kept him on the fringes for so long.

Last November, Scarff did his part by defeating Ekow Essuman to win the British and Commonwealth welterweight titles and earn a high ranking in the IBF.

The sanctioning body then rewarded his efforts by ordering a world title final eliminator between Scarff and Ukrainian Karen Chukhadzian.

When Scarff’s promoter Wasserman won the bid to stage the fight, it seemed like the stars had finally aligned perfectly for the 30-year-old from Derby, England.

It wasn’t meant to be. Boxing policy means that if Scarff is to earn the right to fight Jaron Ennis for the IBF title, he will first have to defeat Chukhadzian in Hamburg, Germany.

The disappointment quickly passed.

Scarff has been on the road for all of his biggest fights, and while he would have preferred to walk into a familiar arena filled with recognizable faces on the biggest night of his career, that doesn’t matter right now.

The most vital part of the contract is still in force, and Scarff (13-2, 3 KO) will get the fight he has always dreamed of.

“Wasserman won the bid and we were looking forward to it happening locally,” Scarff told BoxingScene. “It didn’t work out that way. I think they fought for a date and location that matched the TV dates, and their team insisted and insisted and appealed to the IBF, and that’s how it started. I’m just glad I’ve sorted it out at this stage. I kept my head down, continued training and now I’m just ready to go.

– It’s like Harry Scarff, isn’t it? I’m looking forward to this though. I will take advantage of this opportunity.”

Scarff’s nickname “Scary Harry” is one of the more eye-catching ring nicknames in the sport, but while it suited him perfectly early in his career, it now does a disservice to his boxing skills. The technical details of Scarff’s game are hidden in an angular frame that gives the impression that each collision of bone against bone hurts. Scarff is not a sullied fighter, but if the situation calls for it, he is more than capable of pulling off an ugly, mighty victory.

The inexperienced Scarff suffered a couple of losses early in his career to Anthony Fowler and Troy Williamson as a junior middleweight, but has performed admirably since he dropped down to 147 pounds two years ago. The virtual defeat to Louis Greene looks even better considering the way Greene has been competing as a junior middleweight recently, and his title-winning decision over Essuman last November was a textbook demonstration of how to tame, negate and then dominate an undefeated, full-fledged opponent’s action. master.

Despite having to travel to Germany, Scarff will rely on his ability to adapt to the challenge before him, rather than taking a more aggressive approach in trying to impress the judges.

“I’ll just be myself. I think this is the best way,” he said. “I’ve always approached huge fights this way and that’s generally how I am. I like to look at you and then really grab them and drag them into the deep end where they don’t want to go. At this weight I am huge, athletic and mighty. I have an awkward fighting style, I can fight in two ways. It’s a tough night for everyone.

“It’s strenuous for people to prepare for it. I have many strings on my bow and I feel like I can unravel and deal with it as I need to.

Chukhadzian is known to boxing fans for going the distance against the standout Ennis in the previous must-see IBF title fight. Chukhadzian (28) showed resilience but caused Ennis several problems and suffered a crushing points defeat in January last year.

Scarff expects a different version of Chukhadzian on Friday night. The Ukrainian Chukhadzian will undoubtedly value him much less than Ennis, and with such a high prize on offer, it seems he will surely put up a very different kind of fight.

Scarff analyzed Chukhadzain’s style and background and found nothing that would cause him to lose sleep at night during the preparation period. In fact, a case can be made that his victory over Essuman trumps any of the Ukrainian’s 23 welterweight victories in history.

“Honestly, I don’t recognize anyone other than Ennis. I’ve fought some good names in the past. I have no problems with this fight,” he said.

“He was often on the defensive against Ennis. He ran around a lot that night, trying to pick and poke at things. In other fights we’ve seen, he’s been on his feet a little better. He still likes to work at angles, has quick feet and quick hands. I feel like I’ll push him onto his back foot and he’ll feel my size and strength. I think after that I will really take control of the fight. I think if you win exchanges, it’s a good start in boxing.

The way fighters are promoted and built today means that many reach world-class level without having to meet an opponent who has a similar level of skill and determination as them. Scarff’s journey was different.

His 15 professional fights were spread over seven years, and he developed a win-at-all-costs mentality that comes from being an unfashionable opponent with a string of losses under his belt.

Scarff’s mental strength cannot be questioned, and he believes the Essuman fight proved that he, too, has the ability to thrive at the highest level.

“I was quite content with the fight against Ekow,” he said. “I like that I started pretty aggressive, then I got into the box, then he pushed a little bit and I was able to finish the championship rounds aggressively. So I was content with that. I’m thinking about doing this and showing many aspects of my game. I will try to do something similar.

“I think Eko was already rumored to be an IBF eliminator final – albeit against a different opponent – ​​but he was at that level. I am more than confident that I will rise to the challenge here and take the top spot in the welterweight division.”

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Brooklyn heavyweight Pryce Taylor is looking forward to 2025

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Heavyweight Pryce Taylor

Fighting for the first time with the full support of his promoter, Salita Promotions, undefeated Brooklyn heavyweight Pryce Taylor later said he was confident and confident he could do well in boxing.

Taylor (5-0, 3 KO), 28, defeated KeShawn Jackson last Thursday night in Flint, Michigan, fighting in an exhibition put on by his promoter in which he recorded an impressive third-round stoppage to finish his 2024 campaign on a high. year note.

“It was good to fight on a bigger stage, in a compact arena, in a nice atmosphere,” Taylor said about his first fight with a promotional contract. “My manager, Keith Sullivan, supported me by agreeing to sign with Salita Promotions. He talked to several promoters, but we felt that Dimitri Salita would be the right candidate for me.

“I felt like I had succeeded; I felt essential, but that was just the beginning. It was the same on fight night, I felt respect and appreciation from the entire Salita promotional company. My goal is to be a more recognizable player and be recognized by the fans. I’m hungry to perform in the coming year.”

“Four knockdowns were counted. I really hurt him with a body shot and when he felt my power he was done. I threw a barrage of punches into the corner (ss photo below) and he tried to hit me with a windmill punch. Then I hit him with a check hook, which ended the fight. He (Jackson) didn’t want to get knocked out, so he tried to show he was still fighting.”

“Of course,” Sullivan commented, “I’m joyful with the victory. This was another developmental fight and Pryce is learning and developing as a fighter. We had a busy year with 8 fights scheduled and 5 that actually crossed the line, so it was a very good first year for him as a pro. Right after that, I talked to Dimitri to arrange the next fight. We hope to have it scheduled in the coming weeks.”

Looking ahead to 2025, Taylor wants his next fight to be a six-rounder scheduled for his next outing, then move up to eight to fight for the junior title.

“I will now train to play 10 rounds,” Taylor concluded, “so that I will be ready when it comes time to play 12 rounds.”

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AI referee ‘free from bias and human error’ during audit of Usyk vs. Fury 2 match

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Usyk vs Fury 2 full size poster

Oleksandr Usyk’s rematch with Tyson Fury on Saturday night will go down in history for several reasons, but now there are more of them than any other.

Turki Alalshikh has confirmed that the Usyk vs. Fury 2 fight will be supervised by an AI referee in a first-of-its-kind boxing event. Artificial intelligence statistics are nothing recent in sports and have been developed for years by companies such as JABBR, which claim that “technological progress eliminates elements of human error from sports.”

AI referee overseeing the Usyk vs Fury 2 fight

Riyad’s season leader, Alalshikh, has taken the first step to ensure the future of the sport where all boxers who deserve to win receive their reward. The fourth scorer will only be present this time to check the score, but if he proves successful, he may become a indefinite player in the sport.

Explaining his intentions, Alalshikh said: “For the first time in history, the fight will be monitored by an artificial intelligence referee. [The judge will be] Free from bias and human error, which The Ring offers you [his recently purchased magazine].

“This groundbreaking experiment, which will have no impact on official results, will debut during the biggest fight of the century, Usyk vs. Fury 2, on December 21. Don’t miss the history in the making,” he added.

The news came during the Grand Arrivals event, which featured a monumental clash that will see Usyk and Fury fight for a unified heavyweight crown at the Kingdom Arena. Usyk [20-0, 13 KOs] puts his WBC, WBA and WBO belts on the line against former two-time heavyweight champion Fury [33-1-1, 24 KOs]. The highly anticipated rematch will take place on Saturday, December 21, worldwide on DAZN PPV at 11:00 a.m. ET.

Usyk vs Fury card information updated

Former interim WBC 154-pound titleholder Serhii Bohachuk [24-2, 23 KOs] Now he will face British boxer Ishmael Davis [13-1, 6 KOs] in a 12-round super welterweight fight after Israil Madrimov was forced to withdraw due to illness.

Rising heavyweight star Moses Itauma [22-0, 10 KOs] and his opponent, Australian Demsey McKean (22-1, 14 KO), are ready to fight. Undefeated Johnny Fisher [12-0, 11 KOs[ squares off against former Commonwealth title challenger Dave Allen [23-6, 18 KOs].

Meanwhile, former Commonwealth Games gold medalist Peter McGrail [10-1, 6 KOs] takes over from Rhys Edwards at the last minute [16-0, 4 KOs] in a super featherweight fight. Isaac Lowe is also on the bill [25-2-3, 8 KOs[ will face Lee McGregor [14-1-1, 11 KOs] in a featherweight fight.

Daniel Lapin completes the card [10-0, 4 KOs]in which he will face another undefeated lightweight champion prospect, Dylan Colin [14-0, 4 KOs]and heavyweight knockout artist Andrii Novytskyi [14-0, 10 KOs] will face Edgar Ramirez [10-1-1, 4 KOs].

As is the tradition of the season, Riyad will feature local talent as Mohammed Alakel looks for a 2-0 win over Joshua Ocampo [8-33-5, 6 KOs].

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Billy Dib wins the final battle after a successful battle with cancer

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Billy Dib final fight

Former two-time world champion and cancer survivor Billy Dib won an eight-round super lightweight farewell bout against Game, the brave but outclassed Atilla Kayabasi.

The Z’s, aka all-time greats Carlos Zarate and Alfonso Zamora, brought “Billy The Kid” to the ring accompanied by the sweet tones of Frank Sinatra singing My…what else? Adolescent Bridger Walker performed Round Card duties between rounds.

Billy gave us a virtuoso performance, making Atilla’s face turn red with every strike on the book. The gulf of experience and a cascade of blows would have defeated a weaker man, Atilla survived it. Billy raised his hand moments before the bell rang to end the eighth and final round.

By winning his last fight, the WBC Champion of Hope achieved the impossible. He and Atilla embraced, and WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman entered the ring to say: “This is an extraordinary dream come true. Now we welcome Billy outside the ring.”

Dib said, “Alhamdulillah, I won and left on my own terms. There’s no better way to close this chapter. Thank you to Mauricio Sulaiman, my wife, my son Laith, my family and my amazing fans for all the love. I dedicate this victory to Israel Vázquez, every cancer warrior, and to my brother Vames.”

Billy brave. Billy the fearless one who fought against the darkest and most pressing adversities. Our tears of joy and admiration for the Hero who always smiles, even in the darkest hour, before the dawn.

The results of the glorious fight night organized at the 62nd World Boxing Council Convention at the Grand Elysee Hotel saw several hard-fought fights for the WBC championship from nuclear to heavyweight.

In the main fight of the evening, WBC super flyweight champion Asley González successfully defended her title against Mary Romero.

The more compact and harder-hitting Asley pursued a longer-armed, short-haired opponent who was constantly spinning in retreat.

There was some heated exchanges when they came together, but the lasting combinations came from Asley, who actually got caught with some tough, but single, solitary rights. Her level of work, more precise, concise beam punches and high-pressure fighting forcing Mary to constantly retreat won UD over.

Tough-hitting southpaw striker Mourad Aliev defended his WBC International Silver heavyweight title with a sixth-round KO victory over Davide Brito. Physically more imposing, Mourad made contact and often.

In the third round, David suffered a nosebleed and his mouthguard was broken, causing him to fall from one side of the ring to the other. He tried to fight back sporadically, but in round six he was trapped on the ropes and dropped by a massive right hand. Everything is over.

Serkay Comert won the WBC International silver title by defeating Yassin Hermi via UD. In the third round, it turned into an all-out war, which continued into the next round.

Serkay often struggled against the ropes and landed frequently. Yassin’s face swelled and in the sixth round a series of punches landed on him, and before the eighth round the ring doctor looked at him for a long time. He fought tough but got hit, especially down the stretch.

Ermal Hadribeaj won the MD title by defeating Eddy Colnenares to win the WBC International super welterweight belt. The lanky, much taller Eddy, who has the reach of an albatross, was shaky for the first three rounds. He then came to life and there was a lively exchange of words.

Southpaw Ermal was constantly jumping and weaving to avoid those long ramrod arms. He was more concerned with getting the win.

Benjamin Gavazi defeated Branimir Malencia in the tenth and final round to win the WBC international silver featherlight heavyweight title. Ben was catching Bran with right hands and various uppercuts. While Bran tried to crowd him and deal damage from head to toe. Two left-right headshot combinations in round ten convinced Bran to throw in the red towel at 1.41. So… TKO.

Esneidy Rodriguez defeated Sana Hazuki via UD for the WBC Silver Atomweight belt. The taller Suri tried to keep him at bay, but was relentlessly pursued by the more compact and powerful and grimly determined Esneidy, who landed several piercing combos and uppercuts. Suri had some success with long straight rights, but paid the price when Esneidy negated the range.

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