Craig Richards: record, next fight and profile →
Cheeseman, Garcia Final Press Conference Photos Gallery - Ted Cheeseman clashes with undefeated Spaniard Sergio Garcia for the EBU European Super-Welterweight crown at The O2 in London on February 2, live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US. (photos by Mark Robinson)
Jake Ball and Craig Richards will finally square off in the new year. The pair have been set to meet in a bitter light-heavyweight showdown for a while. But two failed meetings, including one at short notice back in October due to injury to the WBA International champion, have resulted in the pair trading insults.
Copper Box Arena, London - In a WBA final super middleweight eliminator, John Ryder (27-4, 15 KOs) knocked out previously undefeated Andrey Sirotkin (15-1, 4 KOs) in the seventh round. Sirotkin was in action back in March, when he won a twelve round decision over Ryan Fory, and last November he stopped former world champion Ricardo Mayorga in nine rounds.
Jake Ball (12-1, 9 KOs) is out of this weekend’s WBA Inter-Continental Light Heavyweight title fight against Craig Richards (12-1, 6 KOs). The Eddie Hearn promotion, to be shown live on Sky Sports, had already suffered a setback when Isaac Lowe withdrew from his rematch against Ryan Walsh for the British Featherweight title. The card was and still is still a stacked one, however, with John Ryder headlining the show from London’s Copper Box arena.
The early undercard at London’s O2 arena featured a mix of learning fights for young prospects and keep-busy run-outs for returning contenders. Super-bantamweight debutants Louie Lynn and Michael Horobin opened the show in a scheduled four rounder, with switch-hitting Lynn the sharper and busier boxer stopping a bloodied Horobin on his feet in the second. ‘Loco’, from Banstead in Surrey, looks like one to watch.
Frank Buglioni made a successful second defence of the Lonsdale belt. The Enfield light-heavyweight plodded through against late replacement Craig Richards at the Principality Stadium. Buglioni, who was marked, bumped and bruised at the final bell, took some unnecessary shots against the former Southern Area super-middleweight king, who was up at 175lbs for the first time, on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s bid to retain his IBF, WBA Super and IBO heavyweight world titles in Cardiff.
Manchester’s Hosea Burton (20-1, 10 KOs) believes that he should have been handed a rematch with British light-heavyweight champion Frank Buglioni (20-2-1, 15 early) on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s IBF World, WBA Super world and IBO title defence against Carlos Takam at the Principality Stadium in Wales this weekend but believes that the 28-year-old Londoner “bottled” it by opting to fight stand-in Craig Richards (10-0, 4 stoppages) instead.
Frank Buglioni has been forced to deal with a last-minute opponent change ahead of his next fight. The Enfield light-heavyweight had been due to challenge Commonwealth champion Callum Johnson for his title, exclusively live on Sky Sports Box Office. Buglioni was meant to box Johnson, with his British title also at stake, on the undercard to Anthony Joshua IBF, IBO and WBA Super heavyweight world title defence against Carlos Takam at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Tommy Coyle and John Wayne Hibbert will meet in a crossroads clash next month. The super-lightweight duo, who will go into the fight on the back of a defeat each, are set to do battle for a title to be confirmed, exclusively live on Sky Sports. Boxing Scene had previously reported that the clash was agreed and the only stumbling block was that a date was awaited.