WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders (23-0, 12 KOs) has suffered a muscle injury and will be unable to defend against Russia’s Artur Akavov (16-1, 7 KOs) on October 22 at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff, Wales.
The Briton, who dethroned Ireland’s Andy Lee on points last December, will now make his first title defence on November 26 at the same venue.
British light middleweight champion Liam Williams, who was scheduled to fight on the undercard against Ahmet Patterson, also sustained an…
Tyson Fury’s boxing licence suspended
The British Board of Boxing Control (BBBofC) announced on Thursday that Tyson Fury’s boxing licence has been suspended pending further investigation into anti-doping and medical issues.
Fury, who was crowned world champion after he outpointed Wladimir Klitschko in Dusseldorf last November, vacated his WBA and WBO heavyweight titles on Wednesday to focus on medical treatment for depression.
The Briton tested positive for cocaine before his scheduled October 29 rematch with Wladimir Klitschko,…
Tyson Fury vacates world heavyweight titles
Tyson Fury (25-0, 18 KOs) has vacated his WBA and WBO heavyweight titles.
Fury, 28, is being treated for depression and having tested positive for cocaine in two random drug tests last month said he vacated the belts to focus on his treatment.
“I feel that it is only fair and right and for the good of boxing to keep the titles active and allow the other contenders to fight for the vacant belts that I proudly won and held as the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world when I defeated the…
Aaron Pryor dies at age 60
Former world champion Aaron Pryor died on Sunday morning after a long battle against heart disease at the age of 60.
Pryor, who was WBA light welterweight champion from 1980-1983 and IBF light welterweight champion from 1983-1985, is best remembered for his two fights with Nicaragua’s Alexis Arguello. Pryor defeated the three-weight world champion by KO each time.
The American hung up his gloves in 1991 with a record of 39-1 (35 KOs). Pryor was also inducted into the International Boxing Hall…
Burns retains title with points win over Relikh
WBA light welterweight champion Ricky Burns (41-5-1, 14 KOs) outpointed previously unbeaten Kiryl Relikh (21-1, 19 KOs) on Friday night at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.
The Scotsman displayed good boxing skills and toughness to overcome relentless assaults by the Belarusian challenger and retain his title by scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 116-112
Burns was on the backfoot for most of the first two rounds as Relikh connected with a flurry of hooks.
But Burns soon started to land hard…
Cleverly beats Braehmer to become two-time world champion
Nathan Cleverly (30-3, 16 KOs) beat defending champion Jurgen Braehmer (48-3, 35 KOs) to win the WBA light heavyweight title on Saturday night at the Jahnsportforum in Neubrandenburg, Germany.
Cleverly threw nonstop punches throughout the fight before Braehmer pulled out after the 6th round due to suffering a dislocated right elbow.
With the win, Cleverly, who lost the WBO belt when Sergey Kovalev stopped him in 2013, claimed his second world title.
The Welshman took the fight to Braehmer from…
Parker pounds Dimitrenko in three
Joseph Parker (21-0, 18 KOs) halted Alexander Dimitrenko (38-3, 24 KOs) in the third round on Saturday night at the Vodafone Events Centre in Manukau, New Zealand.
Parker knocked Dimitrenko down four times en route to the TKO victory.
The New Zealander dropped Dimitrenko with a left-right combination in the first round and sent the 6’7″ Russian to the canvas two more times in the second with more hard shots.
Dimitrenko went down for the fourth time from a body shot in the third and while he…
Boxer Mike Towell dies aged 25 after KO loss
Scottish boxer Mike Towell has died in hospital following a fifth-round KO loss to Dale Evans on Thursday night at St Andrews Sporting Club in Glasgow.
Towell, who had been undefeated with 11 previous wins and one draw, was knocked down in the first round and again in the fifth prior to the stoppage of the British welterweight title eliminator.
The 25-year-old was stretchered from the ring and rushed to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
Having suffered severe bleeding and swelling to the…
Tyson Fury tests positive for cocaine
WBA and WBO heavyweight champion Tyson Fury (25-0, 18 KOs) has reportedly tested positive for cocaine.
According to ESPN, Fury tested positive for the substance benzoylecgonine, the central compound found in cocaine, in a test administered by Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) on September 22, the day before he pulled out of a rematch with former champion Wladimir Klitschko.
Team Fury announced that the Briton withdrew from the Klitschko fight because he had been declared medically unfit…
Billy Joe Saunders to make first title defence against Artur Akavov on October 22
WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders (23-0 12 KOs) will make his first title defence against Artur Akavov (16-1 7 KOs) on October 22 at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff.
The Briton dethroned Ireland’s Andy Lee in December 2015 but pulled out of a scheduled defence against Ukrainian Max Bursak in April due to a hand injury.
Now he will fight Russia’s Akavov, who is a southpaw and holds the WBO European Middleweight title. Akavov has won all of his last 11 fights and has never been…