RICKY HATTON believes Kiryl Relikh should be granted a shot at the WBA super-lightweight title following his demolition of Brazil’s Joaquin Carneiro Batista in Bolton, England on Friday night (May 13).
The hard-hitting Belarusian, defending successfully his WBA Intercontinental super-lightweight title, was dominant from the outset and rocked Carneiro’s head back several times.
As the sessions progressed, Relikh’s unleashed further heavy artillery and in the fourth round Carneiro’s corner raised the towel to pull their man out.
Kiryl Relikh, who has a perfect record of 21 contests, 21 wins with 19 inside, is currently ranked at number four in the world’s WBA ratings, and Hatton feels he should have been nominated to fight number one rated Michele Di Rocco for the vacant world title ahead of Ricky Burns, who is rated at number seven.
“I think Kiryl showed his class and I believe he should have gotten the fight with Di Rocco, but I can’t blame Burns and his team for negotiating the fight as they are doing what is best for them,” Hatton stated.
“We’re entitled to take the winner of Burns and Di Rocco within ninety days of their contest and we’ll be ready for either of them.
“Personally, I hope Burns wins and does Scotland proud and then we can hopefully get a shot at him.
“Kiryl’s a man in a hurry. He wants to fight everybody so I don’t think he’ll have any problems going in against Burns or anyone else at the weight.
“He’s go 19 stoppages from 21 fights now, but I think people will be pleasantly surprised when they see him step up a level to world class because I don’t think he’s shown half of what he’s got yet, his fights have been over that quickly.”
Red-hot Hackney Super-Bantamweight prospect Lucien Reid is delighted to have signed a three year a promotional deal with Frank Warren. Undefeated Reid, 4-0 3 KO’s, makes his eagerly-anticipated BoxNation debut in a four round contest at the home of boxing York Hall on June 10.
‘Lethal’ Lucien enjoyed a glittering amateur career, winning a national junior novice title with Repton ABC before switching to West Ham ABC, where he reached another junior final and again won a London ABA title. The former Senior ABA Elite Champion and England international is promising BoxNation viewers explosive entertainment.
“I’m all about speed, power and knockouts. I’m looking to impress on June 10th because I haven’t boxed in five months and I need to start stepping up my career now I’m in the mandatory position for the Southern Area and English titles. I’ll be looking to have a go at them in the next four months so I need a good performance on June 10th to put me in good stead,” said Reid.
Reid learnt his trade at the famous Repton and West Ham amateur boxing clubs and says he can stand and trade or box and move. Managed by Peter Sims, Reid joins an action-packed York Hall card and is prepared for whoever he steps in the ring with.
Reid said: “I started off at Repton and then moved to West Ham after 6 years so I’ve learnt both styles. Repton was a very classy boxing style and West Ham was a very gruelling, hard-core fighter style so I’ve learnt both styles which has put me in good stead. If anyone wants to try and come at me I can box and if anyone wants to try and move I can fight as well.”
22 year-old Reid, a proud father to 2 year-old son Hudson Beau, is looking forward to taking his career to the next level under Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren and is driven by the desire to make his son proud.
He said: “I just want to get as many titles as I can to show my little boy. That’s what it’s all about; impressing my little boy. I want to be able to take home belts like when I was an amateur and see his face light up. I want to win more!”
Warren said: “Lucien comes from great fighting stock and has already shown his promise with three impressive knockouts in his first four professional fights. His speed and power make for an exciting fighting style and he’s capable of mixing it up. Under the guidance of our team Lucien can take his career onto the next level.”
Enzo Maccarinelli headlines an action-packed night of boxing where he challenges Dmytro Kucher for the Vacant European Cruiserweight Championship. Red-hot Mitchell Smith makes his eagerly anticipated return to an action in an eight rounder, English Light-Heavyweight Champion Tom Baker fights over ten rounds and Light-Heavyweight monster Anthony Yarde goes in search of another KO. Top prospects Lyon Woodstock, D.P Carr, Billy Long, Jez Smith, Charlie Duffield, Nathaniel Wilson and pro-debutant Ryan Garner all feature.
Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.co.uk and Eventim.co.uk at prices of £40 and £60.
England Boxing, the national governing body (NGB) for boxing in England, has announced the appointment of Micky (Michael) Norford and Hilary Lissenden as new Boxing Directors.
The pair have nearly 50 years’ experience of working in the sport at all levels and will join the Board with immediate effect following an open recruitment process.
Micky Norford is based in Portsmouth and has been involved with boxing for over 35 years as a boxer, coach, administrator and international referee. Until his retirement in 2012, he was one of the highest qualified referees in England and refereed at major international tournaments, including World and European Championships, and on numerous occasions at major domestic events including the England Boxing National Elite Finals.
He was part of LOCOG’s boxing team at the London 2012 Olympic Games where he was the International Federations Boxing Group Leader.
A Royal Navy officer for over 37 years (until retirement in 2012), Micky was an Inter Services Boxing Champion and a member of the executive board for both the Royal Navy Boxing Association (RNBA) and Combined Services Boxing Association (CSBA) from 1995 to 2012, during which time he contributed to the strategic leadership and management of both organisations to ensure that Armed Forces boxing was administered in line with the requirements of the NGB.
Hilary Lissenden lives in South East London and is a founding director and the Chief Executive Officer of London Community Boxing (LCB), a charity based around boxing in all its forms – from recreational to elite competition – as a pathway to personal development and social cohesion. Under Hilary’s leadership, in less than four years LCB has engaged more than 3,000 individuals through the medium of boxing, many of them previously inactive or at risk of exclusion, and forged links with over 30 community partners. Her work has secured the funding and support for LCB to set up a permanent base in Peckham in South East London, which serves as a fully accessible boxing facility for the community as well as being home to London Community Boxing Club’s competitive squads, whose 54kg female Ramla Ali recently won the 2016 National Elite Championships.
Hilary is a regional grade referee and a national grade judge for England Boxing, as well as a published author, having written two books on boxing fitness. Prior to her involvement in the sport, she worked in the publishing industry as a commissioning editor, copywriter and literary agent. She has management and communications experience with several international companies, including Philip Morris International, International Book Development, and the former International Amateur Athletic Federation.
The two new Directors will join the England Boxing Board, which is made up of Chairman, Caspar Hobbs, and five other Boxing Directors, Giorgio Brugnoli, Darren Chapple, Henry Herbert, Dr Michael Loosemoore and David Newth. The non-Executive Directors are Alkit Patel, Philip Beard and Tove Okunniwa. England Boxing will be looking to recruit a fourth Non-Executive Director in the near future.
Caspar Hobbs, Chairman of England Boxing said: “We have appointed two absolutely outstanding candidates who will significantly enhance the skills and capabilities of the Board.
“They have a wealth of experience in boxing at all levels and I am confident that, along with our existing Board members, they will make a significant contribution to the future development and success of both the sport and England Boxing.”
England Boxing is responsible for the Whole Sport Plan for boxing, 2013-17, and receives £5 million of funding from Sport England to grow and sustain participation and create opportunities and pathways for the most talented boxers to progress to the elite level. It has more than 18,000 members and oversees a network of over 900 clubs.
According to the most recent figures from Sport England (Active People 9, December 2015), once-a-week participation in boxing has grown by 44% since 2006 from 115,500 to 166,400.
At the elite level, English boxers won four of Team GB’s five boxing medals at the 2012 Olympic Games and at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Team England came top of the boxing medal table with five golds, one silver medal and one bronze.
