Promoter Frank Warren will make a request to the International Boxing Federation to order an immediate rematch between Ovill McKenzie and the organisation’s World Cruiserweight Champion Victor Emilio Ramirez. McKenzie fought the fight of his life against Argentina’s Ramirez in his backyard at the Villa La Ñata Sporting Club, in Buenos Aires on Friday night, despite taking the fight at only 11 days’ notice.
Unfortunately, valour was not enough for Frank Buglioni to win the world title he craved. We always knew it was a case of rolling the dice, but he certainly didn’t disgrace himself against the talented WBO super-middleweight czar Fedor Chudinov at Wembley. The Russian was savvy and a good boxer with a great jab who fights in that old Eastern block style that is so hard to penetrate. I thought it was a brave performance from Frank and a chance well worth taking.
Liverpool’s Paul Butler (8st 7lbs 6oz) made short work of Argentina’s Hector Rolando Guzman (8st 3lbs 4oz) at Wolverhampton's Civic Hall tonight in his second fight since losing his IBF Super flyweight title to Zolani Tete in March, a stunning eighth-round KO reverse.
Ovill McKenzie is such delightful guy, which is why I will be among the many in boxing on our feet applauding if he becomes the IBF World Cruiserweight champion in tonight’s BoxNation-screened title fight against Argentina’s Victor Ramirez in Buenos Aires. Here is a real trouper of the ring, never out of training, always ready to step in at a moment’s notice – one of those bags-packed, have- gumshield-will-travel pros who are the very backbone of boxing.
Talking of Frank Bruno, like everyone in boxing I am saddened that he is back in hospital having treatment after apparently struggling with a severe bout of depression for several weeks. It is such a shame that one of Britain’s best-loved sporting icons, who suffers from bi-polar disorder, should again be experiencing these mental issues. I’ve always felt that it has not been to do with the actual boxing, but some of the things surrounding it, such as when Lennox Lewis and then Oliver McCall called him an Uncle Tom. I think that shattered him. It really affected him and maybe he has never really got over it.
Like the rest of the sporting world I was stunned when Japan pulled off what Sir Clive Woodward called the greatest single moment in the history of the rugby World Cup by snatching an historic and enthralling victory over mighty South Africa last weekend. As sporting earthquakes go, it was atop the Richter Scale. This was a team which had won only one previous World Cup match in history hailing from a nation where sumo and sushi are far more familiar to the average Japanese than a scrum.
Fedor Chudinov hit the ground running upon arriving in London for this weekend's showdown with Frank Buglioni. The unbeaten super middleweight held an open workout on Tuesday, vowing to the local media on hand of his intention to upset the local favorite ahead of Saturday's super middleweight clash at Wembley Arena in London.
Taxing time for Money Man-but will boxing’s Terminator be back? Quit while you are ahead remains the oldest and sagest advice either at the roulette table or in the ring. It is a maxim Floyd Mayweather Jnr asks us to believe he is about to follow. Whether we should take him at his word is the 64 million dollar question. No, in his case, make that the 640 million dollar question.
I feel a little sorry for George Groves. His split decision defeat by Badou Jack was a result that could have gone either way and had he not been fighting one of Floyd Mayweather’s men in Las Vegas he might be WBC champion today. But it wasn’t a robbery. George gambled-and lost. He did not play his cards right and probably paid the price for that first round knock-down and not being quite positive enough.
WBA World Super-Middleweight Champion Fedor Chudinov says he bring more heartache to British fans when he destroys Frank Buglioni on Saturday 26th September at the SSE Arena, Wembley. Chudinov watched George Groves slump to a third world title defeat when he lost to WBC World Champion Badou Jack at the weekend and says he will do the same to London star Buglioni. The 27-year-old from Serpukhov stunned the boxing world when he defeated German great Felix Sturm in his backyard in May and wants to demolish Buglioni in front of his home crowd. And the Russian hitman has targeted more Brits once he’s finished off Buglioni with IBF Champion James DeGale on his hitlist as well as aiming to lure former four-time world champion Carl Froch out of retirement. Chudinov, who’s annihilated 10 of his 13 opponents with seven coming inside five rounds, says he’ll have too much firepower for Buglioni and with boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. now training him he’ll be unbeatable. “It is coming close to fight time now and Buglioni will be starting to realise what he has got himself into,” said Chudinov.