2,030 stories on BoxingScene are published under the Terence Dooley byline.
Every story follows our editorial policy. To report a mistake, use our corrections form; for anything else, contact us.
Nottingham’s Carl “The Cobra” Froch has revealed that is still close to his fighting weight as he ponders his next move. Froch, 33-2 (24), missed out on a fight with Julio Cesar Chavez Junior earlier this year, but there are still options out there for the former WBC, IBF and WBC 168lb champion.
BoxingScene understands that talks are underway between the representatives of Ola Afolabi, 21-4-4 (10), and Ovill McKenzie, 24-12 (12). The cruiserweights are in discussion for a summer showdown and hopefully there will be official news soon about the mooted 200lb encounter. If made, the bout could help Afolabi get right back into contention following April’s decision defeat to Victor Emilo Ramierz for the IBF's interim title. The 35-year-old has had a staccato schedule in recent years, fighting once thus far in 2015, once in 2014 and twice in 2013. You have to go back to 2011 to find a fairly active year for the former WBO interim titlist—three fights and three wins.
George Warren has outlined the reason why a rematch between Billy Joe Saunders and Chris Eubank Junior isn’t possible at this point in time. Negotiations were ongoing until Team Saunders were informed that a fight involving Eubank’s WBA interim belt could impact on his mandatory status with the WBO. “They’re not fighting because we couldn’t reach agreement with Chris Eubank Promotions,” said Warren when speaking to BoxNation’s Steve Bunce. “We had a timescale to the deal done in and had a complication that came late on in the negotiations over Chris Eubank Junior’s WBA interim world title.”
BoxingScene understands that Paul Smith’s dream fight with consensus Super middleweight champion Andre Ward hit a bump in the road last week as the BBBoC have suspended the Liverpudlian’s British boxing license after he failed to attend a formal meeting with them and didn’t submit the necessary paperwork in his absence. According to Board rules suspended fighters are not eligible to box abroad. However, BoxingScene has been informed that the relevant paperwork has been sent to the Board—it relates to his purse from the Abraham fight—and his license is expected to be reinstated by this Friday.
Scotland-based boxing manager Alex Morrison’s legal battle with Frank Warren has led him into bankruptcy. Warren won a libel claim against Morrison in October, but the £50,000 award to him has not been paid so he took his claim to the Glasgow Sheriff Court. The Court ruled in Warren’s favour and the same Court declared Morrison bankrupt last week. Morrison was not present to hear the verdict. The Court will now freeze his assets and an accountancy firm has been granted permission to sell them off.
David Price will fight in Liverpool for the first time in two years at the Echo Arena on Friday June 26 as part of a huge bill live on Sky Sports. The popular Heavyweight joins an all-star cast with World-rated Super Middleweight’s Callum Smith and Rocky Fielding in crunch clashes against Christopher Rebrasse and Brian Vera respectively, while Tony Bellew closes in on a first World title shot at Cruiserweight following his victory over bitter rival Nathan Cleverly in November.
Manchester’s Tyson Fury, 24-0 (18), gave his fans a boost yesterday after Paris Fury, his wife, accidently posted his mobile phone number to her Twitter feed. Instead of deleting the Tweet, Fury fielded phone calls for an entire afternoon before pledging to do it again at some point in the future. The 26-year-old went one step further today by posting the details of his afternoon run and encouraging fans to join him on it. ‘I'm going joging on Morecambe front @5pm if any1 wants to come meeting point battery pub. Every1 Wellcome #Workout&boxingtalk,’ he Tweeted.
Frank Warren’s office has informed BoxingScene that a deal has been reached between them and Top Rank over the WBO lightweight title showdown between Terry Flanagan and Jose Zepeda, so the fight will not go to purse bids. The date and venue have yet to be announced, but the contest will take place in the United Kingdom, handing Flanagan home advantage for his first world title tilt.
Liverpool’s Callum Smith returned to action after a six-month injury layoff to beat Olegs Fedotovs in a single stanza in Birmingham on Saturday night. The 25-year-old faces Christopher Rebrasse next on an Eddie Hearn-promoted bill at his hometown’s Echo Arena on July 26; he believes that an impressive win could eventually lead to a domestic showdown with George Groves, who beat Rebrasse by decision in September to lift the EBU Super middleweight title.
Manchester’s Anthony “Million Dollar” Crolla, 29-4-2 (11), will return to the ring in a big away, fighting for a world title on the undercard of Scott Quigg’s WBA World Super bantamweight title showdown against Kiko Martinez at the Manchester Arena on July 18.