WBO lightweight champion Terry Flanagan (30-0, 12, KOs) will be defending his title against South Africa’s Mzonke Fana (38-9, 16 KOs) on the Tyson Fury vs Wladimir Klitschko 2 card on July 9 at the Manchester Arena.
Flanagan, 26, won the vacant WBO belt last July when his opponent Jose Zepeda dislocated his shoulder and was forced to retire after the second round. He has since defended it twice, stopping American Diego Magdaleno in October and outpointing fellow Brit Derry Mathews last…
Bellew knocks out Makabu to win world title
Tony Bellew (28-2-1, 18 KOs) defeated Ilunga Makabu (19-2, 18 KOs) by a third round KO to claim the vacant WBC cruiserweight title on Sunday night at Goodison Park in Liverpool.
Bellew played the role of a boxer who fought for the world title at the home of his beloved Everton FC in the latest Rocky film. But the British cruiserweight has now done it in real life when he got off the canvas in the first round to knock out Makabu and claim his first world title, having lost two attempts at the…
Burns defeats Di Rocco to win WBA belt
Ricky Burns (40-5-1, 14 KOs) became Scotland’s first ever three-weight world champion with a dominant 8th round stoppage win over Michele Di Rocco (40-2-1, 18 KOs) to win the vacant WBA light welterweight title on Saturday night at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.
Burns, who previously won world titles at super featherweight and lightweight, boxed well behind his jab and landed hard shots throughout.
The Scot used good movement to avoid Di Rocco’s punches before a straight right hand…
Lucian Bute tests positive for banned substance after draw with Badou Jack
Former super middleweight world champion Lucian Bute (32-3-1, 25 KOs) tested positive for a banned substance following his draw against WBC champion Badou Jack on April 30.
The WBC announced on Thursday afternoon that it was notified by the D.C. Boxing and Wrestling Commission that Bute had tested positive for a banned substance in his postfight anti-doping test.
Romanian-born Bute, who resides in Canada, tested positive for the banned substance Ostarine, also known as Enobosarm, which can be…
Lara decisions Martirosyan, Charlo twins make history
WBA light middleweight champion Erislandy Lara (22-2-2, 13 KOs) defeated American challenger Vanes Martirosyan (36-2-1, 21 KOs) by unanimous decision on Saturday night at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
The pair met in November 2012 in a fight that ended in a technical draw. The end came when Martirosyan suffered a bad cut over his left eye from an accidental head-butt in the 9th round. Many thought that Lara deserved to win. This time they went all 12 rounds and the Cuban won by scores of…
Haye hammers Gjergjaj inside two rounds
British heavyweight David Haye (28-2, 26 KOs) easily halted previously unbeaten Arnold Gjergjaj (29-1, 21 KOs) inside two rounds on Saturday night at The O2 Arena in London.
Haye, a former heavyweight and cruiserweight world champion, floored the visitor with a big right after only 34 seconds.
Kosovo-born Gjergjaj, who resides in Switzerland, was down again at the end of the round, but the punch came after the bell had sounded and it wasn’t counted as a knockdown.
However, Haye dropped…
Lebedev halts Ramirez to unify world cruiserweight titles
WBA cruiserweight champion Denis Lebedev (29-1, 22 KOs) stopped IBF champion Victor Emilio Ramirez (22-3-1, 17 KOs) in the second round of their unification clash on Saturday night at the Khodynka Ice Palace in Moscow, Russia.
Russia’s Lebedev dropped the Argentine with a barrage of head shots in the second round. Then, after Ramirez got back up, Lebedev unloaded more hard shots on him until referee Steve Smoger stopped the bout at 1:57 of the round.
With the win, Lebedev retained his WBA…
Parker outpoints Takam to set up world title shot
Heavyweight contender Joseph Parker (19-0, 16 KOs) outpointed Carlos Takam (33-3-1, 25 KOs) by a 12 round unanimous decision on Saturday night in a IBF eliminator bout at the Vodafone Events Centre in Manukau City, New Zealand.
Parker won by scores of 116-112, 116-112, 115-113.
The 24-year-old New Zealander mostly jabbed in the opening round while Takam, 35, countered with some hooks. Parker started landing numerous hard shots in the following rounds but the France-based Cameroon fighter…
‘Canelo’ Alvarez vacates WBC middleweight title – but still eyes Gennady Golovkin fight
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 KOs) has elected to relinquish his WBC middleweight title, but vowed to still finalize a mega-fight with Gennady Golovkin (35-0, 32 KOs).
Following his 6th round knockout victory over Amir Khan earlier this month, the 25-year-old Mexican was mandated to fight Golovkin, the interim champion, with a likely date of September 17.
The two camps faced a deadline on Tuesday to make the mandatory fight or the WBC would schedule a May 24 purse bid, where promotional…
Deontay Wilder vs Alexander Povetkin called off
WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder’s defence against mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin on May 21 at the Khodynka Ice Palace in Moscow has been called off.
American Wilder was due to make the fourth defence of his belt but his Russian opponent failed a drugs test.
Povetkin tested positive for meldonium, a substance that was added to the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) banned list last year, and the WBC has decided to postpone the bout, pending an investigation.
The WBC said in a…