WBA heavyweight champion Lucas Browne (24-0, 21 KOs) failed a post-fight drug test following his world title bout against Ruslan Chagaev on March 5.
Australian Browne, who stopped Chagaev in the 10th round to win the WBA title in Grozny, Russia, tested positive for the banned substance Clenbuterol in a urine test and could now be stripped of the belt and have the result of the fight changed to a no-decision.
“I would like to assure all fans, the whole of the boxing world and all of Australia…
Ola Afolabi retires from boxing
Former three-time cruiserweight world title challenger OIa Afolabi (22-5-4, 11 KOs) has announced his retirement from boxing.
Afolabi, a Londoner with Nigerian parents, has decided to hang up his gloves on his 36th birthday.
He moved to America as a teenager and turned professional without any amateur experience in 2002.
Afolabi challenged Germany’s Marco Huck for the WBO title three times, drawing once and losing on points twice.
Then in his last outing, he was stopped for the first time in…
Dereck Chisora to fight Kubrat Pulev in IBF title eliminator on May 7
Dereck Chisora (25-5, 17 KOs) will fight Kubrat Pulev (22-1, 12 KOs) in a European heavyweight title fight and IBF world title eliminator on May 7 at the Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany.
Both men look to reclaim the European crown and land a second world title shot.
The winner will challenge for the IBF title, currently held by Charles Martin, who will defend the belt against Anthony Joshua on April 9.
Former British and Commonwealth champion Chisora, who was outpointed by Vitali…
Ricky Burns-Michele Di Rocco for vacant WBA light welterweight title on May 28
Former two-weight world champion Ricky Burns (39-5-1. 13 KOs) will fight Italy’s Michele Di Rocco (40-1-1, 18 KOs) for the vacant WBA light welterweight title on May 28 at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow.
The Scot held the WBO super featherweight title between 2010 and 2011, before moving up a weight and winning the WBO lightweight belt until losing on points to American Terence Crawford in March 2014.
Burns can now win a world title at a third different weight if he beats former European champion Di…
Flanagan decisions Mathews to retain WBO belt
WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan (30-0, 12 KOs) defeated Derry Mathews (38-10-2, 20 KOs) by unanimous decision on Saturday night at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.
Both fighters had their moments early on but Flanagan used his superior boxing skills to take over the second half of the fight and won by scores of 115-112, 117-110, 117-110.
Manchester man Flanagan connected with hard punches to head and body in the early rounds, but local fighter Mathews began to fight back and went on the…
Braehmer outguns Gutknecht to retain WBA belt
WBA light heavyweight champion Juergen Braehmer (48-2, 35 KOs) defeated fellow German Eduard Gutknecht (29-4-1, 12 KOs) by unanimous decision in a rematch on Saturday night at the Jahnsportforum in Neubrandenburg, Germany.
Braehmer dominated the action throughout, although Gutknecht had his moments and landed some good punches of his own, the champion connected with the more effective blows and won by scores of 116-111, 116-111 and 118-110.
Braehmer was cut above his left eye from a clash…
Anthony Crolla to battle Ismael Barroso in first title defence
WBA lightweight champion Anthony Crolla (30-4-3, 12 KOs) will make the first defence of his belt against Ismael Barroso (19-0-2, 18 KOs) on May 7 at the Manchester Arena.
Crolla won the WBA title when he defeated Darleys Perez by fifth round knockout, also at the Manchester Arena, in a rematch of their previous draw.
The win came less than a year after the 29-year-old Mancunian had overcome life-threatening injuries, sustained while confronting burglars at a neighbours home.
Barroso, a…
Lee Selby to defend IBF title against Eric Hunter on April 9
IBF featherweight champion Lee Selby (22-1, 8 KOs) will defend his title aganist mandatory challenger Eric Hunter (21-3, 11 KOs) on April 9 at the O2 Arena in London.
The fight will be on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s IBF heavyweight title challenge against Charles Martin.
Welshman Selby claimed the IBF belt with a dominant 8th round technical decision win over Evgeny Gradovich in May, and then traveled to the US to defend it when he won a lopsided points decision over former…
Guillermo Rigondeaux-James Dickens called off
Former super bantamweight world champion Guillermo Rigondeaux’s fight against Britain’s James “Jazza” Dickens, on Saturday at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, is off due to the Cuban having issues obtaining a UK visa.
The fight was scheduled to take place on the undercard of WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan’s defence against Derry Mathews, promoted by Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions.
Rigondeaux, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was training in Grozny, Russia with coach Pedro…
Billy Joe Saunders to defend WBO title against Max Bursak on April 30
WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders (23-0, 12 KOs) will make the first defence of his title against Max Bursak (32-4-1, 15 KOs) on April 30 at the Copper Box Arena in London.
The unbeaten Briton claimed the belt when he floored Ireland’s Andy Lee twice in the third round on the way to winning a majority decision in December, and now he defends it against Ukraine’s Bursak.
Saunders said: “Nothing comes easy in boxing and I’m definitely not taking Bursak for granted. He’s a good, good,…