Tyson Fury shares Anthony Joshua's interest in a world heavyweight title fight but he must await the outcome of Monday's hearing with UK Anti-Doping before securing any return to the ring. The former IBF, WBA and WBO champion has not fought since his November 2015 defeat of Wladimir Klitschko, who was stopped in 11 rounds by reigning IBF, IBO and WBA champion Joshua at Wembley on Saturday.
Those fight mad Mexicans craze nothing better than a fistic fiesta to brighten up their national Cinco de Mayo holiday and this year they’re treated to a tasty looking catchweight civil war between the nation’s two most popular active fighters.
Zolani Tete would probably be a good man to take shopping with you. Last weekend in Leicester, he fought for one belt and then ended up getting another one for free. The brilliant South African was set to compete in a final eliminator for the WBO world bantamweight title at the Leicester Arena against Arthur Villanueva, but this was then upgraded to an interim title fight by the governing body after the champion Marlon Tapales was stripped of the title after failing to make weight ahead of his defence against Shohei Omori in Japan.
As is often the case, there were a few conspiracy theories floating about following the withdrawal of Hughie Fury from his WBO world heavyweight title challenge against the champion Joseph Parker. The fact of the matter is that Hughie is injured and, let’s be honest here, he is not going to have given up such a bumper payday lightly.
In an interview last weekend, I am told that Eddie Hearn finally raised the possibility of a Manchester derby dust-up between Terry Flanagan and Anthony Crolla, saying he had ‘reached out’ to us over the match-up. Better late than never, I suppose. It is a fight we were very keen on putting together while Crolla was in possession of a world title belt, but our interest was never reciprocated.
The packed house inside the Leicester Arena – as well as those tuning in on BT Sport or BoxNation – are in for a genuine fistic treat when a little magician, who throws punches like he is waving a wand, hotfoots it into the ring on Saturday. That is because the magnificent Zolani Tete is in town on business, with the objective of booking himself another world title shot.
Jamie Cox has been released from his promotional agreement. The Swindon man (21-0, 12 KOs), who is a former Commonwealth super-welterweight titlist, confirmed the news on social media. Cox, 30, has been out of the ring since last October when he outpointed Martin Fidel Rios over 10 rounds in Bolton.
I’ve been around the business of boxing for a very long time now and, as such, have attended personally and viewed more shows on TV than I care to remember. So I think I am pretty well placed to judge on the broadcast presentation of a promotion and, I have to say, I believe the quality of BT Sport’s production of our Manchester show on Saturday was first class.
Joseph Parker's reign as WBO Heavyweight Champion will be a short one according to colourful English boxing promoter Frank Warren. Warren, who just so happens to manage the career of the Kiwi's first challenger, Hughie Fury, believes his fighter will 'outsmart' Parker when the meet at Vector Arena on May 6 in Auckland.
The launch show of our groundbreaking partnership with BT Sport went off with a bang on Saturday night in Manchester, with the most telling shots fired by the two Liams in a much-anticipated fight that didn’t disappoint. It was the classic encounter we all expected it to be, with the only downside being the premature ending due to the open gash on the eyelid of Williams.