IT IS SURE to be a big bash at the Copper Box on Saturday night, especially when you consider two of the most explosive talents in world boxing are once again on parade. The main course of our bumper show – to be broadcast live on BT Sport and BoxNation – is rightly headlined by two world renowned performers, James DeGale and Lee Selby – defending their world titles, but our starter menu doesn’t half pack a punch.
With Miguel Cotto’s world title fight against Sadam Ali coming up this Saturday, many in the boxing world are sorry to see Cotto putting on his gloves for one last time - and promoter Frank Warren is among them. When asked by Steve Lillis during our BoxNation podcast, Frank stated that he hopes the Puerto Rican four weight world champion isn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet.
Hall of Fame Promoter Frank Warren paid a special visit to The Boxing Academy in Hackney yesterday along with rising British stars Anthony Yarde and Daniel Dubois ahead of their fights at London’s Copper Box Arena next Saturday.
Promoter Frank Warren has invited Scott Quigg to compete with fellow featherweights Carl Frampton, Josh Warrington and Lee Selby next year. Quigg worked as a pundit for BT Sport during Frampton's homecoming in Belfast, and when asked in an interview on the brand new BoxNation Podcast about where the Bury boxer fits into the Featherweight division, Warren invited Quigg into the mix.
THE PACKED HOUSE at the hugely atmospheric SSE Arena in Belfast were treated to something of a variety show on Saturday night. We saw a bit of history being made with a sledgehammer right hook bringing about the quickest ending to a world title fight; we had an emerging world champion with potential superstar written all over him and then the local hero opting to treat the fans to a good old fashioned tear-up.
The fight Carl Frampton wants the most is a rubber match against Leo Santa Cruz. The former two-division champion split a pair of back-to-back featherweight championship matches with Santa Cruz and Frampton is eager to prove his superiority over his Mexican-American rival. Frank Warren, Frampton’s new promoter, promised, however, that the Belfast native won’t waste time waiting around for Santa Cruz to agree to a third fight against him.
Frank Warren has revealed he wants to Carl Frampton to be fighting for a world title next summer. The Queensberry Promotions boss watched on at the SSE Arena in Belfast on Saturday as ‘The Jackal’ outpointed Horacio Garcia by unanimous decision to return to winning ways.
Liam Smith booked himself another world title shot with a points win over Liam Williams. The former WBO super-welterweight world champion made sure to repeat the result of their first fight, a controversial stoppage back in April at Manchester Arena, this time on neutral territory.
THE ONLY PREDICTION I can make with any real certainty about our show at the Metro Arena in Newcastle this coming Saturday is that I reckon it will be edge of the seat stuff pretty much from start to finish. None more so than our headliner, which is the return tear-up between Liam Smith and Liam Williams, with the prize for the winner being a direct shot at the WBO world super welterweight title.
I WAS DELIGHTED to formally present James DeGale and Lee Selby to the media, in London this week with the prestigious pair both topping our fight roster for December 9 at the Copper Box in Stratford. For me, it is simply a continuation of what we are successfully striving to deliver – the best fights and fighters for the boxing public.