WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING returns to BT Sport tomorrow night when Josh Taylor defends his unified IBF/WBA super lightweight belts against mandatory challenger, the unbeaten Apinun Khongsong from Thailand. Also in headline position is the return of former WBC world flyweight champion Charlie Edwards to the ring, where he will step up to bantamweight to take on Kyle Williams.

Earlier today, the four fighters took part in the official weigh-in ahead of tomorrows show.

Photos from todays press conference will be upload here

Weights below:

Josh Taylor 9st 13lb 8oz
Apinun Khongsong 9st 13lb 8oz

Charlie Edwards 8st 5lb 8oz
Kyle Williams 8st 5lb 12oz

Davey Oliver Joyce 8st 9lb 4oz
Ionut Baluta 8st 9lb 4oz

George Davey 11st 0lb 8oz
Jeff Thomas 11st 1lb 8oz

Eithan James 10st 1lb 4oz
Kris Pilkington 10st 1lb 4oz

Live coverage on BT Sport 1 begins at 7.30pm

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING returns to BT Sport on Saturday when Josh Taylor defends his unified WBA/IBF super lightweight belts against mandatory challenger, the unbeaten Apinun Khongsong from Thailand. Also in headline position is the return of former WBC world flyweight champion Charlie Edwards to the ring, where he will step up to bantamweight to take on Kyle Williams.

Earlier today, the four fighters took part in an online media conference ahead of Saturday’s event and below is a selection of the pre-fight comments.

Kyle Williams (11-2)
It is his coming out party but we are here to spoil that. Charlie is a fantastic athlete, I have watched him throughout his career, but when we get in there it is two men and I am looking to take what he’s got. I fought for the British title against Farooq and it was not a fight I was completely outclassed in. I showed that I’ve got the goods to be at that level and just got caught. Against Thomas Essomba it showed I’ve got the toughness for the game and showed that when it gets hard I stick in there and continue to fight, as Charlie knows.

Charlie Edwards (15-1)
First and foremost I would like to say it is so good to be back. I’ve missed being on the stage, missed being at the press conferences and I am really looking forward to the fight. Outside of the ring it has been really great for me this year, I have really settled and that has helped me with my training. I am feeling good, feeling strong and I am looking forward to getting back in there, putting the dark times behind me of making that terrible weight and moving forward with my career. Kyle is a good fighter, he is tough, game, he is gonna come and he is gonna try and make it awkward in there. It is what we expect at this level and this is his world cup final, his golden ticket so we expect him to come and have a right good go.

With not having to make flyweight it is nice to be able to string a sentence together now! Last time I couldn’t even do the media stuff. It is good and I feel ready. It is chapter 2 and I am looking forward to it.

Apinun Khongsong (16-0)
I am happy to fight here and being behind closed doors is good for me because there will be no people and boxing fans. I am very proud to fight Josh Taylor because he is a very good champion. I have prepared very well to fight him on Saturday. The plan is to stop Josh Taylor by knockout.

Josh Taylor (16-0)
I don’t think not having a crowd will affect my performance at all. I’ve been practicing in the gym with no music, no noise and nobody speaking, so we have been replicating what the experience will be like. I’m looking forward to getting in there on Saturday and I have kept fit and in shape throughout the year. I can’t wait to put on a strong performance.

You will see on Saturday what changes I have made working with Ben (Davison) and I am not going to give away what we have been working on. It is good and we’ve been working on a lot of things and this is a nice start to a whole new book. This is the start of it, it is going to be better than the last one and I can’t wait to get going on Saturday.

Khongsong is standing in the way of where I want to go so I need to get rid of him. This is his introduction to world boxing and I am going to make it a painful one for him. He doesn’t belong at this level and I am a couple of levels above him. I am going to go in there and knock him out on Saturday.

I have seen a lot I can exploit. He is a very good fighter and very strong, punches with both hands with power, but it is not enough to beat me. I am just really looking forward to getting in there on Saturday and putting on a strong performance.

Photos from todays press conference can be found here

Live coverage on BT Sport 1 begins on Saturday at 7.30pm

(September 17, 2020) — Former flyweight world champion Charlie Edwards will test out the bantamweight waters in a 10-rounder against Kyle Williams on Saturday, Sept. 26 as the co-feature to WBA/IBF junior welterweight world champion Josh Taylor’s title defense against Apinun Khongsong in London. Taylor-Khongsong and Edwards-Williams will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ beginning at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, with undercard bouts at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT.
 
Edwards (15-1, 1 NC, 6 KOs), from the London borough of Croydon, won the WBC flyweight world title in December 2018 with a one-sided decision over Cristofer Rosales, then defended it three months later with a shutout decision over Angel Moreno. He nearly lost his world title via knockout to Julio Cesar Martinez last August on the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Luke Campbell undercard, but the bout was ruled a no contest after Martinez hit Edwards while he was on the canvas. Williams (11-2, 3 KOs) is coming off a split decision defeat last October against an over-the-weight Ionut Baluta for the vacant WBO European bantamweight title.
 
In undercard action on ESPN+:

• Former Irish amateur superstar and 2016 Olympian Davey Oliver Joyce (12-1, 9 KOs) will make the first defense of his WBO European junior featherweight title against Baluta (13-2, 2 KOs) in a 10-rounder. Joyce moved down to junior featherweight following his shocking knockout loss to Leigh Wood last October in a bid for the WBO European featherweight title. In March, Baluta authored one of 2020’s biggest upsets, stunning former junior featherweight world champion TJ Doheny via eight-round unanimous decision.
• Top prospect Willy Hutchinson (12-0, 8 KOs), who notched a first-round KO last month, will face an opponent to be named in a 10-round super middleweight fight.
• Junior middleweight upstart George Davey (2-0) will see action in a four-round bout. The Queensberry Promotions prospect won a pair of Haringey Box Cup titles as an amateur.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service from Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to 8.5 million subscribers, offering fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, as well as premium editorial content. 
 
Fans subscribe to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $49.99 per year) at ESPNplus.com, ESPN.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of The Disney Bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) — all for just $12.99/month.
 

Johnny Schulz

JOSH TAYLOR’S World Super-Lightweight title unification clash against Apinun Khongsong has an undercard in place featuring former WBC World Flyweight champion Charlie Edwards.

Title contests featuring Taylor’s fellow Scot Willy Hutchinson and Irishman Davey Oliver Joyce will also take place on Saturday September 26.

IBF and WBA champion Taylor (16-0, 12KOs) had been due to meet Thai Khongsong (16-0, 13KOs), his IBF mandatory challenger in May, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced a delay to his contest against the heavy handed challenger.

The Edinburgh star heads another talent stacked card promoted by Frank Warren for Queensberry Promotions and Bob Arum for Top Rank, with the return of Edwards a big attraction.

Edwards (15-1, 6 KOs) moves up to bantamweight after relinquishing his world crown and faces Wolverhampton’s Kyle Williams (11-2, 3 KOs) in a non-title ten rounder.

It will be his first fight since a no-contest against Julio Cesar Martinez a year ago and his debut under Hall Of Fame promoter Warren who he joined recently.

The Croydon man said: “I’m looking forward to getting back in the ring. It feels like it’s been a long time coming.

“I have had 12 months out, but I have developed more than I did even when I was a world champion.

“My life away from boxing could not be any better. I am settled in a new home, I have got engaged and in January I will become a Dad.

“I have never been in such a good place mentally, physically and emotionally.

“Obviously I am not world class yet at Bantamweight and that might take time, but Kyle is a very decent opponent after so long out.

“I’m looking forward to putting on a show against a great fighter. This fight is a fantastic domestic clash.

“It would be great to have fans there, but I’ve had similar experiences as an amateur. I once boxed in a 30,000 capacity arena in Azerbaijan with 20 people there at a World Championship qualifier.”

Fast emerging Super-Middleweight Hutchinson (11-0, 7 KOS) will challenge for his first professional title with the vacant IBF European crown on the line, should he come through his bout tomorrow night on the undercard of Daniel Dubois vs Ricardo Snijders.

There will be a third title at stake when Joyce (12-1, 9KOs) makes the first defence of his WBO European Super-Bantamweight crown against Spain’s Ionut Baluta (13-2, 2KOs) over ten rounds.

Mullingar’s Joyce won the title in February when he stopped former IBF World Bantamweight champion Lee Haskins in five rounds.

Warren said: “Josh’s fight is a high end world title battle, and yet again we have delivered with brilliant supporting fights.

“I was very excited to sign Charlie who is a fighter I have always rated and enjoyed watching even when he wasn’t on out cards.

“I promised him that he would get the chance to become a two-weight world champion and this is the start of the journey for him. He is coming back at Bantamweight, but he could also do Super-Flyweight if the opportunity came.

“He has mixed with the best in the world and that is where Willy Hutchinson is heading. I have real faith that he will go all the way at Super-Middleweight and become part of Britain’s rich history in the division.

“Everyone at my office has been working hard and I’m delighted with what we’ve delivered for fans on these behind closed doors shows.”

There will also be a four round Super-Welterweight match between York’s George Davey (2-0) and Blackpool veteran Jeff Thomas (12-7-3, 1 KO). Northampton Super-Lightweight Ethan James (3-0) is also in action.

JOSH TAYLOR V APINUN KHONGSONG: PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

Josh Taylor defends his unified IBF, WBA and Ring Magazine belts in a homecoming occasion at the Hydro in Glasgow on May 2 against the unbeaten Thai ApinunKhongsong.

Taylor and the undercard fighters gathered today in Glasgow to preview the huge show, live on BT Sport, and below are a selection of the quotes.

Nathan Gorman

It is definitely good to be back and it has been a long time coming. It will be good to get back out under the lights on such a big show, with Josh defending his titles in Glasgow, so it is good to come back on such a good card. Hopefully I will get a good fight, dust off the cobwebs and get back into the mix this year. That is the idea. Losing to Daniel Dubois was obviously a bitter pill to swallow because losing your 0 is not nice, but it is one of those things and I have taken it as experience, being only 23 years of age. In heavyweight terms I am still a baby and, as long as I move forward, that is my aim.

Sunny Edwards

Josh, first and foremost, is a phenomenal fighter and has been since the amateur days. As someone who knows him personally I am proud of what he has achieved. I was quite surprised when I got offered a fight up in Glasgow on this date and was pleasantly surprised when I saw who the other fighters were on the bill. Everyone sat up here – except Steven Donnelly from Ireland – was on Team GB at some point and mostly at the same time as me. It just shows the strength in depth we have in this country.  To be on the same card as my stablemate Lee is a big thing and I have come up to Glasgow three times in the past for his fights. All the fighters on this card have taken opportunities early, taken risks early and that is why they are sitting where they are sitting. I’m trying to get big meaningful fights and I worked so hard to get the British title in my possession that I don’t want to give it back and want to win it outright.

Steven Donnelly

Troy has got a great record and you have to respect that. I know he has power where I have my boxing ability and I think that is what will pay off in this fight. It is a great fan-friendly fight and everyone was excited for it when it was announced. This is what I live for and what I have been asking for since my first few fights. There is no point fighting journeymen your whole career and, after this fight, every onewill be massive. If you take risks you will get rewards and that is what I’ve done. I had a great amateur career and I just knew I had the talent. We will respect each other and may the best man win on the night. I can’t wait for it.

Troy Williamson

Steven is a great fighter who has been to the Commonwealth Games at three different weights so he has got the boxing ability there and it will be a great fight, as he said. I don’t worry about his boxing ability because I can box myself and I have been in with world class amateurs too. It is not a three round fight, it is a ten rounder, so you can be as good an amateur as you like because it is the professional game. I have a lot of respect but on the night I will show I am the better fighter.

Willy Hutchinson

It will be good to fight at home sweet home because I only live about 20 minutes away and have a lot of friends and family here. It is time to shine. I’ve had 11 fights now and all I need to do is listen to Dominic Ingle and my manager Shelly Finkel, then I don’t think I can go wrong. Keeping on grafting in the gym is the only way forward for me, then titles will come and I will be ready. I’ve got big dreams and I am ready to accomplish them.  When I moved to Sheffield it was all new for me, but I was looked after and there was always someone doing stuff for me. I am married now and I am getting my washing washed and not sleeping in the same underpants for three nights solid! It has worked out for the good and I am happy. She buys me fresh pyjamas from time to time so I have hit the jackpot!

Lee McGregor

First of all the Farooq fight was a fantastic one to be involved in and all of the UK were impressed with how good a fight it was. It was close and I had to dig deep and I got it on a split decision. I feel like everyone is entitled to an opinion I can accept, but some folk are coming on saying things I don’t agree with. It is something I am more than happy to put right if we get that chance with hopefully something bigger at stake next time. Having the British and Commonwealth titles means a lot and when I turned professional I didn’t imagine I would have then after just eight fights. It is massive for me and I am not finished yet. I want a big 2020 with more titles. I am glad to be on the same bill as Josh and bringing the big cards back to Scotland. I have learned so much off of Josh and will continue to do that.

Josh Taylor

It is good to be back here in Glasgow for the first time since unifying because I thought I would have been away in America. I am delighted to be back here having a homecoming sort of fight to treat my friends and family before going Stateside to chase the big fights. I am really excited to be part of a great card and the talent on the undercard is brilliant. It will be a great night of boxing so make sure you tune in. I believe I am going to get the result and take care of business, so I have to remain focused and get the job done. He has had 16 fights with 13 knockouts and I don’t know much more than that. He looks pretty tall and stands tall, but it is hard to judge the quality of the opponents he has been in with because there isn’t great footage. He looks like he carries a lot of power, to be honest, and punches correctly through the target. From the bits I have seen he has rocked his opponents so he looks like he carries power. He will have my full attention and I must make sure I am switched on because if I don’t get this job done then my dreams and ambitions are shattered.——————————–

Tickets on sale via ticketmaster.co.uk.

Ticket Prices:

£300 – Inner Ring Hospitality
£200 – Floor
£150 – Floor
£100 – Tier
£80 – Tier
£50 – Tier
£30 – Tier

THE SUPPORTING CAST to unified world super lightweight champion Josh Taylor’s return to Glasgow on Saturday May 2 is beginning to take shape with a press conference scheduled for Wednesday to unveil the line-up.

Headliner Taylor makes his first ring appearance since conquering the World Boxing Super Series, which saw him defeat the previously unbeaten Regis Prograis in the final to unite the IBF and WBA titles, as well as claim the coveted Ring Magazine belt.

The Tartan Tornado undertakes his mandatory challenge in Glasgow against the unbeaten Thai Apinun Khongsong and he will be on hand at The Hilton Grosvenor hotel in Glasgow at 2pm on Wednesday to discuss this huge title defence.

Elsewhere on the card, it has been announced that the unbeaten Willy Hutchinson (11-0, 7KOs) from Carstairs gets the opportunity to perform in front of a home audience. Scotland’s only World Amateur champion will fight for a first championship at super middleweight.

The British super flyweight champion Sunny Edwards (14-0, 4KOs) will make a first defence of his Lonsdale Belt on the night, having won his maiden domestic title by defeating Marcel Braithwaite for the vacant honour in December.

Edwards’ Steel City Gym teammate and also British champion Lee McGregor (8-0, 6KOs) will also make a first defence of his treasured belt. The bantamweight champion added the British to his Commonwealth title by defeating fellow Scot Kash Farooq in an epic struggle in November.

Undefeated super welterweight Troy Williamson (14-0-1, 11KOs) from Darlington will make a defence of his IBF European title, while popular heavyweight contender Nathan Gorman (16-1, 11KOs) will return to action following a first career setback against Daniel Dubois last July.

The stacked card will also feature Glasgow super lightweight Craig McIntyre (11-0-1, 4KOs), Uddingston super welterweight Michael McGurk (12-0, 3KOs), Coatbridge featherweight Mark McKeown (2-0), with Berwick-Upon-Tweed heavyweight Mitchell Barton making his professional debut and York’s hugely promising super welterweight George Davey (2-0) completing the line-up.

————————

PRESS CONFERENCE DETAILS:

Time: 2pm

Date: Wednesday 4th March

Hilton Glasgow Grosvenor
1-9 Grosvenor Terrace
Glasgow
G12 0TA

MEDIA ONLY

———————

Tickets will be on general sale from midday on Wednesday via Ticketmaster

Ticket Prices:
£300 – Inner Ring Hospitality
£200 – Floor
£150 – Floor
£100 – Tier
£80 – Tier
£50 – Tier
£40 – Tier

UNIFIED WORLD SUPER lightweight champion Josh Taylor will fight in Glasgow again, at the SSE Hydro, for his mandatory defence of his IBF title against the unbeaten Thai Apinun Khongsong on Saturday May 2, live on BT Sport.

The event will be promoted by Frank Warren for Queensberry Promotions in association with Top Rank, and will see The Tartan Tornado make his first appearance in the ring since his triumph in the World Boxing Super Series in London, where he defeated the previously unbeaten Regis Prograis in the final to add the American’s WBA title to his own IBF version, while also claiming the WBSS trophy and the coveted Ring Magazine belt.

Taylor, now 16-0 (12 KOs), became world champion during the series when he defeated the then unbeaten Ivan Baranchyk via unanimous decision in Glasgow.

“I am super excited to kickstart the new year with a fresh start and with a new team.” Taylor said. “It’s great to have the teams at MTK Global, Queensberry Promotions and Top Rank in my corner and I’m delighted to be fighting on BT Sport and ESPN+ and even more so that this is happening in Scotland in front of a home crowd who have waited so long for this! I can’t wait to get the ball rolling with a great performance.”

His opponent Khongsong, 16-0 (13 KOs) hails from Bangkok and worked his way into mandatory position through his winning of the IBF Pan Pacific and IBF Asia titles. The Pan Pacific belt he has defended on three occasions.

Promoter Frank Warren said of delivering Taylor’s defence of multiple belts to his home nation: “I am delighted that we are able to be part of bringing Josh Taylor to Glasgow at such an important juncture in his career.

“Josh is destined for many big fights over in the States but he has got business to attend to first on the home front and this presents an opportunity for the Scottish fans to really get behind their man in huge world title action.

“I am also looking forward to returning to Glasgow where we have enjoyed many great nights in the past and I am thrilled we have secured Josh to perform on the BT Sport platform.”

Josh Taylor’s promoter, Top Rank chief Bob Arum, added: ““Josh Taylor is a truly special fighter who is set on becoming the undisputed 140-pound champion in 2020. I have no doubt he will put on a sensational performance for his home fans. I can’t wait for ‘The Tartan Tornado’ to return.”

MTK Global’s CEO Sandra Vaughan said: “We’re delighted to be working with BT Sport and ESPN+ to put on a show of this magnitude in Scotland with an incredible talent, Josh Taylor. Josh is a true ambassador for Scottish boxing and we are thrilled to be working with him, and the teams at Queensberry Promotions and Top Rank to make this happen.”

Tickets on sale next week. More details to follow.

Ticket Prices:
£300 – Inner Ring Hospitality
£200 – Floor
£150 – Floor
£100 – Tier
£80 – Tier
£50 – Tier
£40 – Tier

Sampson Lewkowicz of Sampson Boxing proudly announces he has won today’s IBF purse bid for the right to promote Scottish IBF Junior Welterweight Champion Josh Taylor’s mandatory defense against Thailand’s Apinun Khongsong.

Held at the IBF’s office in Springfield, NJ, Lewkowicz submitted a winning bid of $1.32M, topping Top Rank’s submission of $1.26M.

Under IBF rules, the fight must take place within 90 days of the bid or by April 20, 2020. Champion Taylor (16-0, 12 KOs) will be entitled to 65% of the winning bid ($858,000) while Khongsong (16-0, 13 KOs) will receive 35% ($462,000).

While the exact date and site are, as of now, unknown, Lewkowicz says he will get to work immediately arranging the particulars and wishes to reassure Taylor’s UK fans they will not be deprived of seeing their hero in action.

“I am honored to be promoting this fight between these two warriors and I want to make it clear I would not cheat UK fans of seeing this fight live,” said Lewkowicz. “It will be in Great Britain or Scotland. Please be patient, I will announce the full details very soon.”
About Sampson Boxing

Sampson Boxing has promotional partners all over North and South America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe and Central America. Sampson Boxing events have been televised on such premiere networks as HBO, Showtime, ESPN, ESPN+, DAZN, VS., FOX, Fox Sports and several international networks. For more information, visit sampsonboxing.com.

By Norm Frauenheim-

Top Rank’s roster got deeper and its reach grew farther with Thursday’s surprising announcement that it had signed Josh Taylor, the Scottish junior-welterweight whose imminent stardom was evident in his majority decision over Regis Prograis for two of the 140-pound belts in late October.

It was the second signing of worldwide significance for Top Rank, which signed bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue on the same day in November when he beat Nonito Donaire in a Fight of the Year performance.

From Japan to Scotland, the sun never sets on Top Rank’s promotional empire these days.

The top of the pound-for-pound debate provides a pretty good look at a promotional roster that is long on substance and name recognition. Among the top five, the order changes, but three are Top Rank fighters – Terence Crawford, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Inoue.  Canelo Alvarez of Golden Boy and Errol Spence Jr. of PBC complete the elite five.

There’s a chance, a good one, that more Top Rank fighters will begin to climb into pound-for-pound consideration on Top Rank’s ESPN schedule throughout 2020. There’s light-heavyweight Artur Beterbiev, junior-welterweight Jose Ramirez, lightweight Teofimo Lopez, featherweight Shakur Stevenson, junior-featherweight Emanuel Navarrete and now Taylor.

For Taylor, it all depends on how he does against Ramirez. Taylor’s new deal opened the door for a Taylor-Ramirez fight for all of the relevant pieces to the 140-pound puzzle. Look for that one later in year. First, Ramirez has a date against Viktor Postol on Feb. 2 in China.

On several levels, Taylor’s move is intriguing and controversial. It further stoked the fires of an already hot rivalry between Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn of the UK and Top Rank’s Bob Arum. Hearn in early 2020 is to Arum what Don King was to a younger Arum late in the last century. They just don’t like each other.

Arum is not shy about Hearn’s move into the United States. He threw verbal bombs at Hearn for Matchroom’s Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.-Danny Jacobs fight in Phoenix on Dec. 20 before fans threw beer bombs at Chavez when he decided not to continue after five rounds. Less than a month later, Arum moves into Hearn’s backyard and signs Taylor, who is Top Rank’s answer to Matchroom’s signing of Mikey Garcia last month.

The controversial side to Taylor’s move to Top Rank involves Barry McGuigan, who fired off a statement to UK media Thursday, saying Taylor was still under contract to Cyclone Promotions.

Taylor quickly countered with a statement of his own, saying he had ended the deal with Cyclone.

“I terminated my promotional agreement with Cyclone as a result of various breaches of contract including, in particular, breaches relating to a conflict of interest on the part of the promoter,” he said. “That allowed me to search for a new promoter, which I have found in Top Rank. I wanted to part ways amicably and without resorting to court proceedings [and] I thought and hoped the McGuigans would feel the same way given the litigation they are involved in with other fighters.’’

Cyclone Promotions has been in and out of court with Carl Frampton, a former featherweight champion from Belfast who is recovering from hand surgery in hopes of fighting junior-lightweight champion Jamel Herring in May.

The controversy figures to continue. But boxing wouldn’t be what it is without turmoil. On both sides of the ropes, the business is always fighting, yet always resilient enough to recreate itself with bouts worth watching. Taylor-Ramirez is one of them.

(Jan. 9, 2020) — The 2020 forecast is in, and “The Tartan Tornado” is coming to Top Rank and ESPN.

WBA/IBF junior welterweight world champion Josh Taylor, fresh off his tour de force in the World Boxing Super Series, has signed a multi-year promotional agreement with Top Rank. Taylor, from Edinburgh, Scotland, will make his Top Rank on ESPN debut in 2020 as he continues his quest to become the undisputed junior welterweight king.

“Josh Taylor is one of the world’s best fighters, and he is a fight fan’s fighter, a tough guy willing to fight anyone we put in front of him,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Whether it’s Jose Ramirez in a fight for the undisputed junior welterweight title or any of the welterweights out there, he’s ready for the biggest challenges. I want to thank Josh’s advisors at MTK Global, who have the same goal as us, which is to make him an international star.”

“A new year, a new decade with lots of new beginnings, and I’m starting this new decade with a big bang,” Taylor said. “2019 was a huge year for me, but 2020 looks set to be even bigger and I’m delighted to have signed a deal with Top Rank and ESPN and an advisory contract with MTK Global. I believe I am with the best team to take my career to the next level. I couldn’t ask for a better partnership, and I know the future looks bright with this team lighting the way.”

Said Jamie Conlan, MTK Global’s Professional Development Coordinator: “Josh Taylor was the 2019 Fighter of the Year, winning the World Boxing Super Series in fantastic fashion with his win over Regis Prograis. Now linking up with Top Rank and MTK Global, his sights are solely set on unifying the division and becoming a global star.”

ESPN’s Max on Boxing will feature an exclusive Max Kellerman interview with Taylor this Friday, January 10 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Taylor (16-0, 12 KOs), who turned pro in July 2015, soon established himself as one of Great Britain’s pugilistic prodigies, winning Commonwealth honors in October 2016 in only his seventh bout. In 2017, he knocked off fellow unbeaten prospect Ohara Davies via seventh-round stoppage and knocked out former world champion Miguel Vazquez in nine rounds.

In late 2018, following a decision win over former world champion Viktor Postol, he entered the World Boxing Super Series tournament. Taylor knocked out then-unbeaten Ryan Martin in the quarterfinals and scored a convincing decision over Ivan Baranchyk in the semifinals to win the IBF world title. Taylor authored his career-best win last October in the World Boxing Super Series championship, grinding out a majority decision over Prograis to unify titles and establish himself as a pound-for-pound player.

By Bart Barry-

ATLANTA – Traffic shapes your view of everything
here, and you’re not ready for it. 
You’re a medium-city guy who hails from one and likes others from them,
and you know infrastructure in medium cities is sometimes wanting, especially
in the South, spiritually unprepared as it is for immigration of all kinds, and
yet you’re not prepared for the perilous and timebending nature of this city’s
traffic.

This has something to do with Saturday’s match but
not too much, even if one of its combatants is from the American South.  Scotsman Josh Taylor had something that bent New
Orleans’ Regis Prograis in a way for which he was unprepared, howsoever
well-prepared he thought he was.  And
since I happen to be in Peach State for reasons entirely unrelated to our
beloved sport, why . . .

Class told early Saturday while ruggedness told
later, and that’s not oftenly how it goes. 
Taylor won WBSS’ third Muhammad Ali Trophy by majority-decisioning Prograis
in an excellent fight broadcast by the aficionado’s network, DAZN, from an O2
Arena near enough Taylor’s native Scotland to make it a homegame for the Tartan
Tornado (and since Taylor prevailed, he remains British).

In so doing Taylor joined Callum Smith and Oleksandr
Usyk on a shockingly short list of prizefighters since 2017 who’ve allowed
themselves be matched in single-elimination tournaments against the best
available men in their divisions and prevailed. 
While an argument might be made that Top Rank and PBC assets shouldn’t
be excluded from conversations about the world’s best 168- and 200-pound
fighters in 2018 and best 140-, 130- and 200-pound fighters in 2019, the ranks
of those capable of persuasively making such arguments ain’t exactly swelling.

There was much chatter, for instance, about Top
Rank junior welterweight champ Jose Ramirez, Sunday morning, with Taylor’s
establishing himself as the division’s best. 
Ramirez moves the gate for Top Rank, and the promoter’ll be in no hurry
to risk such prowess against a man who might beat him.  Which brings a very interesting question: Who
of Saturday’s combatants do Top Rank’s matchmakers, boxing’s best for a few
decades at least, think is less likely to beat Ramirez in a way that cancels
future sales?  That question, much more
than belts or rankings, will determine the next direction for the junior
welterweight division.

The aforementioned Smith and Usyk cases are instructive
here.  Both men did everything they might
to scour their divisions, and neither got rewarded with meaningful followup
challenges.  Middleweight champion Canelo
Alvarez decided a match with a 175-pound titlist was more attractive than a
match with Smith, and former middleweight titlist Gennady Golovkin, well, his handlers
now search Twitter profiles for a proximate opponent, #superwelter.  Usyk’s case is slightly different – there was
nobody left when he was done at 200 pounds – but he’s now at heavyweight, where
no champion is matched to lose unless by accident.

The Muhammad Ali Trophy is gorgeous but not magnetized.

Still, what Taylor and Prograis did in its pursuit
merits more words than granted thus far. 
Taylor unmanned Prograis for 2/3 of Saturday’s match by smothering him,
in a twist few anticipated.  Taylor’s
largest liability, going in, was his tendency to defend in the exact manner from
which Prograis’ attack would draw encouragement.

Then Taylor did nearly its opposite.  He introduced Prograis to a degree of
physicality Rougarou did not prepare for. 
What happened eventually, Taylor’s unemployable right eye, was exactly
what Prograis would’ve predicted had anyone told him Taylor’d be brazen enough
to get physical during minutes 4-35, but herein lay the problem for Prograis:
Taylor predicted the same in camp.

Nobody who watched the 12th round of Saturday’s
fight thinks Taylor could’ve prevailed were the match unexpectedly extended to
15 rounds – Prograis won the final round more clearly than either man won any
of its predecessors – but Taylor had a better plan and executed it more
precisely.  Fortune, they say, favors the
bold, and it did Saturday when a nasty gash opened over an eye Taylor wasn’t
using anyway; the southpaw Taylor’d long since replaced his lead eye with tactile
tactics and didn’t bother dabbing at his bepurpled right eyelid while there was
still a chance to counter the southpaw Prograis.

Saturday’s was not a great fight but an excellent
one.  Taylor would not have prevailed in
a great fight, one in which each man was felled or worse; had the match been
any more excellent than it was, in other words, Taylor would’ve been the one
giving a gracious postfight speech rather than Prograis.

A word or two about that, too.  How refreshing was Prograis’ comportment for
an American after losing a decision narrow enough to be attributable to
geography?  He promised no excuses and
made none.  He called his opponent – badly
faded, beatup and blinded – the better man more than once.  Prograis wasn’t chastened in defeat but
noble.  He’d gotten a fight more honest
than expected and talked like it.

That spoke, also, to what Taylor’d done.  When a man skitterskips his way from you,
husbanding his most violent acts for a finalbell chest slap, it’s impossible
not to feel cheated.  But when a man puts
his weight on you, shoulders you and forearms you, gets your sweat cleaned off his
gumshield after a round of knocking it from your head in halos, when he makes
it filthy intimate, that’s another thing entirely.  It’s easier to be gracious after such an
experience – and such things must be experienced to be believed.

Congratulations, then, Josh and Regis, we wish
there were more men like you!

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

17:00 DOORS AND FIRST BELL

8 x 3 mins Super-Middleweight contest 
DENIS RADOVAN 11st 13lbs 10oz v LUKE BLACKLEDGE 12st 8lbs 8oz
(Germany)                                            (Darwen)

4 x 3 mins Middleweight contest
AUSTIN WILLIAMS 11st 7lbs 7oz v MIROSLAV JUNA 11st 6lbs 12oz
(Houston)                                           (Czech Rep)

LIVE ON SKY SPORTS FACEBOOK

10 x 3 mins WBC International Super-Welterweight Title
ABASS BARAOU 10st 12lbs 14oz v JOHN O’DONNELL 11st 8oz
(Germany)                                           (Galway, Ireland)

LIVE ON SKY SPORTS BOX OFFICE

10 x 3 mins WBA Continental Welterweight Title
CONOR BENN 10st 6lbs 5oz v STEVE JAMOYE 10st 5lbs 4oz
(Ilford)                                         (Belgium)

12 x 3 mins EBU Cruiserweight Title
YVES NGABU 14st 3lbs 8oz v LAWRENCE OKOLIE 14st 3lbs 2oz
(Belgium)                                 (Hackney)

12 x 3 mins Lightweight contest 
RICKY BURNS 9st 8lbs 8oz v LEE SELBY 9st 8lbs 7oz
(Glasgow)                                  (Barry)

12 x 3 mins vacant WBO Inter-Continental Heavyweight Title
DEREK CHISORA 18st 8lbs 3oz v DAVID PRICE 18st 12lbs 4oz
(Finchley)                                        (Liverpool)

12 x 3 mins WBA Super, IBF, WBC Diamond & Ring Magazine Super-Lightweight Titles and WBSS
REGIS PROGRAIS 9st 13lbs 15oz v JOSH TAYLOR 9st 13lbs 9oz
(New Orleans)                                     (Prestonpans)

FLOAT

4 x 2 mins Bantamweight contest
SHANNON COURTENAY 8st 11lbs 6oz v JASMINA NAD 8st 7lbs 12oz
(Watford)                                                      (Serbia)

By Norm Frauenheim-

Star power is behind him. Star potential is within him. What looks so close, however, could suddenly become a star-too-far for Regis Prograis, who is a cutting-edge face to boxing’s emerging generation.

Much, if not all, depends on how Prograis tests his evident charisma and versatile skill-set against Josh Taylor Saturday in a bout (DAZN) loaded with career-defining elements.

Prograis, whose management team incudes Mark Wahlberg and filmmaker Peter Berg, has a back story to tell and he knows how to tell it.

He fled New Orleans and the devastation left by Katrina in 2005. Where there weren’t wrecked homes, there was personal chaos. Prograis survived, then thrived. Out of the storm, came the fighter.

The story introduces him. He’s done the rest, scoring 20 stoppages in 24 victories and winning a junior-welterweight belt. No matter the rating, he’s ranked among the top three at 140-pounds alongside Taylor and Jose Ramirez.

Now, he’s on the road in London, where he puts it all at risk against Taylor (15-0 12KOs), a fighter from Scotland’s Edinburgh who is a slight betting underdog yet figures to be a huge crowd favorite at the O2 Arena in southeast London.

Both left-handers, Taylor has advantages in size. At 5-feet-9, Taylor is an inch taller than the 5-8 Prograis. He has a 2 ½-inch edge in reach. In terms of volume, he figures to have all of the decibels from the crowd cheering in his favor.

It’s hard to pick against him.

“I’m quite a bit better than him in every department,’’ Taylor said Thursday at the final news conference.

No argument there. If a pre-fight news conference is the equivalent of a political debate, however, score this one for Prograis.

“He should be able to land a solid, flush punch on me and when that happens, nothing will happen,’’ said Prograis, who is as comfortable in front of the cameras as he is telling stories. “When that happens, things will change. He will realize that I am an iron-man with an iron jaw.

“Once he lands his hardest shot and I look at him with a face of disdain, he will think: ‘Damn, I’m in trouble.’ “

Damn, he might be right.

Taylor argues that Prograis’ unbeaten record is padded with a lot of nobodies and wannbes. He has yet to encounter Taylor’s kind of power, the Scotsman says.

Yet, it’s also evident that Prograis has almost a quick-silver way of adjusting. His mastery of different looks can confuse even a prepared opponent. In so many words, Prograis says Taylor doesn’t know, can’t see, what’s coming.

Prediction: Prograis wins a decision, unanimous, yet close on every scorecard.

Kalle Sauerland, Chief Boxing Officer of the WBSS:

“Good afternoon London, it’s great to be here and this is it, the Super-Lightweight final for the Muhammed Ali Trophy. I am very honoured to be sitting up here with two great athletes, warriors, fighters, fighting for the greatest prize in boxing. The winner of this fight will be the best man in the division, we saw it with Oleksandr Usyk and Callum Smith and these guys have got here not because we have put them together in a great fight but because they fought the best to reach the final. 

“On Saturday we will see the best vs. the best to find out who the man to beat at this weight class is. In a day and age of so many titles and confusions in this sport, its nice nice to have a simplistic format of a quarter final, semi final and final and we have had some dramatic fights up until this point. 

“We’ve had both Prograis and Taylor become World Champions and now we have it, on Saturday on what we believe is one of the biggest stages in world boxing. We have seen so many great fights here over the years at The O2 and Saturday night is about the best vs the best, the caviar of boxing. Two guys putting it all on the line for us, they didn’t have to enter this tournament but they did it to put themselves on the line!

“Great credit to Prograis and to Taylor who have fought the best to be here, and were really looking forward to seeing the Champions League Final of boxing on Saturday night.”

Eddie Hearn: 

“What a card on Saturday night! Conor Benn, Lawrence Okolie going for the European title against Yves Ngabu, Shane McGuigan in his corner. A brilliant domestic battle between Ricky Burns and Lee Selby, a mouthwatering Heavyweight contest between Derek Chisora and David Price which is headlined by this amazing fight. 

“One of the great things about the WBSS is that not only are we getting the best vs. the best but we’re getting it very quickly. I have to be honest If I was promoting Josh Taylor after that amazing win in Glasgow I probably would have taken a couple of easy defences! The great thing about the tournament for the fans is that they go straight into a unification match. 

“The best fight in the 140lb division with both guys coming off stunning wins. Regis looked great in his win against Kiryl Relikh and I was lucking enough to be up in Scotland to watch Josh Taylor’s great performance against Baranchyk where he won the IBF World title. 

“The Ali Trophy is on the line in this fight but also the World Championship belts of both men and the vacant Ring Magazine belt as well! Whether you feel that the titles, the Ali Trophy or the Ring Magazine belts carry the most weight in boxing, they’re all on the line in this fight, so everybody should be happy that we’re getting the best vs the best. 

“I’ve not got any association with these two guys so I get to sit there as a fan and just watch a great fight! Regis Prograis is a man who has been talked about in the States for a long time. Lou DiBella has been blowing the horn of Regis for a long time and he has an incredible story coming from New Orleans where we know he is very popular. 

“Josh Taylor has exploded onto the scene with world class performances and I really believe that both guys have a great opportunity to become stand-out stars in the sport on Saturday night. We are going to have 15,000 fans packed into the arena and the atmosphere is going to be incredible. 

“As always we are live and exclusive on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and we thank our partners DAZN in the states. I wish both guys the very best and Regis all the media you have done has been incredible. I can’t see anything but this being a fight of the year contender, we have been lucky enough to already have two fight of the year contenders in October and this can only follow suit. We can’t wait!”

Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing:   

“I echo Eddie’s words and Kalle’s as well, its wonderful to have these two fighting at The O2! It’s a perfect finale to what has been a fantastic series and the winner of this is going to be in a phenomenal position. They are both wonderful fighters!

“This is going to be a great night from top to bottom with some wonderful fights on the card.”Regis Prograis – New Orleans, USA – 24-0, 20 KOs – fighting Josh Taylor in the WBSS Super-Lightweight Ali Trophy Final with the WBA, IBF & Ring Magazine World titles on the line:

“He should be able to land a solid, flush punch on me and when that happens, nothing will happen. When that happens, things will change, he will realise that I am an iron-man with an iron jaw. Once he lands his hardest shot and I look at him with a face of disdain, he will think: ‘damn, I’m in trouble’.

“I’m versatile, that’s the biggest differences. My last 10 fights look different. When I hit you, I hurt you.

“It was a great thing to come here three weeks ago because I am comfortable and adjusted to the weather, food, people.

“Josh is the best in the world – apart from me. He’s taller, he’s longer. Does he hit harder? Maybe, maybe not. Faster? Maybe, maybe not. Better chin? Maybe, maybe not. The tale of the tape never matters. What matters is heart and boxing IQ, and mine are so high. That will be the difference.

“He gets hit. Josh has been hurt against Ivan Baranchyk and Viktor Postol who aren’t punchers like me. They’re not sharp, crisp like me, they don’t have the timing that I do.

“After his fight in Scotland I told him: ‘If you get hit by the same punches by me, you’ll get hurt.'”Josh Taylor – Prestonpans, Scotland – 15-0, 12 KOs – fighting Regis Prograis in the WBSS Super-Lightweight Ali Trophy Final with the WBA, IBF & Ring Magazine World titles on the line:

“Twenty-two of his fights have been against absolute nobodies, people who haven’t fought since, journeyman. It is a padded record.

“I don’t think it’s about tiny percentages – I’m quite a bit better than him in every department. Speed, power, timing, skill. I do it all better than him. He hasn’t been tested, he hasn’t been hit by anyone. He hasn’t fought anybody with the desire that I’ve got, or the skill-set that I’ve got.

“He’s not under my skin. I’m ready to fight. My mind-set is starting to change now, I’m in fight mode. I’m sick of the sight of him.”

Shane McGuigan, trainer of Josh Taylor:

“It’s the pinnacle of boxing isn’t it. It’s two World Champions boxing each other for a unified title on Sky Sports Box Office at The O2 arena. It’s something that, as Eddie mentioned, Josh has kind of gone under the radar and bounced onto the scene. We’ve spent four years working behind closed doors with Josh Taylor, building him up and making sure that he’s prepped and ready for this occasion.

“Camp has gone brilliantly, everyone always says that but it really has gone brilliantly. He’s razor sharp and he’s ready for whatever Prograis brings to the table. I think you see the best of Josh Taylor whenever he’s up against it, he’s definitely up against it on Saturday night. Prograis is a good puncher, he’s got very good distance and control and they’re raving about him in the states. I know my man is going to win and I don’t believe that it’s going to go the distance.”

Lou DiBella, promoter of Regis Prograis:

“When you see something like what happened to Patrick Day you realise just how much you have to appreciate the men and women that walk into that ring for our entertainment and the risks they take to entertain us. One of the best examples of that is coming this Saturday night. The two best 140lbers in the world are going to meet in the final of the World Boxing Super Series. 

“I have nothing but respect for Josh Taylor. You’re not going to hear me say a negative word about him or his team. I have long believed that the two best 140lbers in the world are Regis Prograis and Josh Taylor. I think on Saturday night Regis is going to prove that he is the number one 140lber on the planet and Josh is number two. Josh’s team feel differently. Time will tell. 

“At this moment in time it is hard for me to be as enthusiastic as I might otherwise be but I’ll tell you that I am expecting a great sporting event, a great boxing match and the best of what our sport can offer on Saturday night. My greatest wish for both of these guys, other than a Regis Prograis win which I expect, is that they both leave after giving a tremendous effort where they give everything that they have and they go home healthy to their families.”

Sam Katkovski, manager of Regis Prograis:

“I want to thank everybody for being so courteous to us here and making us feel at home. I want to thank our whole team for the past eight weeks of camp, from training, to PR, to marketing. They’ve all done a tremendous job.

“But most importantly I want to thank Regis. He has really embraced it, done everything that we have asked him to do and he’s loved doing every single one of them. He loves the UK fans and we’ve been promoting this fight feeling like we’re at home.

“Now we’re two days away we’re excited and we can’t wait. In two days the whole world will see his talent. October 26, buy the PPV and buy the few remaining tickets. You’re about to see a man continue to build his legacy and this fight is part of his legacy.”  

Josh Taylor has warned Regis Prograis against turning their highly-anticipated World Boxing Super Series Ali Trophy Final into a “dog fight” and insists that he possesses the power to knock his opponent “spark out” should the chance present itself.

The fierce Super-Lightweight rivals are days away from locking horns at The O2 in London in a fascinating match-up of two unbeaten southpaws with the WBA and IBF World titles also on the line, shown live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and DAZN in the US.

Proud Scotsman Taylor is oozing confidence ahead of his biggest fight to date against American foe Prograis in what will be the first defence of the IBF crown that he ripped from heavy-handed slugger Ivan Baranchyk at the The SSE Hydro in Glasgow earlier this year.

“The two best lads in the division are going for it,” said Taylor. “We are both undefeated, we are both hungry, both hungry for more success so it’s going to be a real interesting fight. I’m all about my speed, reactions and timing.

“My footwork is very good. I can offset you with feints and timing, but I punch real hard as well for someone of my size. I wouldn’t say I was a concussive, one-punch knockout artist, but I know if I hit you, you’re either going down or you’re going to be hurt and in trouble. So, I definitely think I can do a bit of everything.

“We’ll just have to wait and see how he comes out when that first bell rings. We can predict how he is going to fight and things like that, but you never know until that bell rings. It might be a skillful match throughout the entire fight, or we could just lock horns and fight, or a bit of both. You never know.

“I’m very confident that I can outbox him and outfight him as well. I can’t see anything other than a Josh Taylor win. If he tries to make it a ‘dog fight’, tries to walk me down and drag me into a fight, he is getting chinned. I will knock him spark out!”

Prograis vs. Taylor tops a huge night of action in London.

Liverpool Heavyweight fan favourite David Price (25-6, 20 KOs) steps in to face Derek Chisora (31-9, 22 KOs) in a huge all-British clash, three weight World Champion Ricky Burns (43-7-1, 16 KOs) tackles former IBF Lightweight ruler Lee Selby (27-2, 9 KOs) in an intriguing match-up at 135lbs, Yves Ngbu (20-0, 14 KOs) makes the third defence of his EBU European Cruiserweight title against Lawrence Okolie (13-0, 10 KOs), Conor Benn (15-0, 10 KOs) defends his WBA Continental Welterweight title against late replacement Steve Jamoye (26-7-2, 5 KOs), German Super-Middleweight talent Denis Radovan (12-0-1, 5 KOs) meets former Commonwealth Champion Luke Blackledge (26-8-2, 9 KOs), Watford Bantamweight prospect Shannon Courtenay (3-0, 1 KO) aims to go 4-0, Houston Middleweight talent Austin Williams (3-0, 3 KOs) fights in the UK for the first time and Berlin’s Abass Baraou (7-0, 4 KOs) takes on John O’Donnell (33-2, 11 KOs) for the WBC International Super-Welterweight title.

Tickets priced £40, £60, £80, £100, £200 and £500 (VIP) are available to purchase from StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk), The O2 (www.theo2.co.uk) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com).

London, England (October 17, 2019) Training in London, England, for his second week, WBA Super Lightweight and WBC Diamond Belt World Champion
Regis “Rougarou” Prograis (24-0, 20 KOs), of Los Angeles, CA, via New Orleans, LA, opened camp for a large contingent of local media just nine days prior to his highly anticipated unification clash with IBF Super Lightweight World Champion Josh “The Tartan Tornado” Taylor (15-0, 12 KOs), of Glasgow, Scotland, at the famed O2 Arena in London, England, on Saturday, October 26. The fight marks the finals of the World Boxing Super Series with the winner being awarded the Ali Trophy and will be telecast on DAZN in the United States and Sky Sports Box Office in the United Kingdom.

Under the watchful eye of longtime trainer Bobby Benton, the DiBella Entertainment-promoted Prograis spoke about the upcoming bout.

“I absolutely cannot wait to get in the ring next Saturday night, it’s been a long camp in Los Angeles, then Houston, now London, but come October 26, it will all be worth it. He can’t beat me and he knows it. I’m the best 140-pound fighter in the world and I’ll prove that next Saturday night.

“I was never scared of Taylor, that’s just complete nonsense coming from him and he’ll know that when we fight. Next Saturday night will be very special for the fans at the O2 Arena and those watching the fight around the world. I’m going to put on a show.

“This fight is everything I’ve wanted, to show people that I am the best at 140 pounds. It’s nice to see the rankings and hear people say it, but I always wanted to prove it in the ring.”

In his last bout during the semi-final round of the World Boxing Super Series, Prograis dominated and stopped WBA Super Lightweight World Champion Kiryl Relikh in the sixth round on April 27, 2019.

Prograis is currently ranked the #1 Super Lightweight by Ring Magazine in addition to being ranked the #9 Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World by Yahoo Sports.

Eddie Hearn:

Good afternoon everyone, thank you for being here today for a very special press conference ahead of our huge show on October 26 at The O2 Arena, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and DAZN.

What a card, what a main event and what a group of fighters we have here today. The Unification match up, the Ali Trophy, The World Boxing Super Series Final between Regis Prograis the WBC Diamond, WBA World Champion and Josh Taylor the IBF World 140lb champion. It’s an absolutely brilliant fight, I was lucky enough to be there in Glasgow when Josh Taylor won the World title against Baranchyk in the Semi-Finals and I am delighted to be working alongside Kalle Sauerland and the WBSS to bring this to Sky Sports Box Office on a huge card.

You have only got to look at the names, I feel a bit bad that these guys are on a bottom table if there was such a thing. Three-weight World Champion Rick Burns, former World Featherweight Champion Lee Selby, Conor Benn, Yves Ngabu, Lawrence Okolie brilliant European Cruiserweight match-up as well and of course Derek Chisora against Joseph Parker. The two came head-to-head in Los Angeles last week, we’ll be bringing you exclusive content of that. Parker is now in camp, he’s underway.

Adam Smith:

What a monster, monster show it really is a fantastic one. October 26, at The O2, we were treated by Vasiliy Lomachenko’s brilliance and Luke Campbells superb display as well and an amazing atmosphere the other week. Its a special place the O2 and it is going to be lit up by this card. As Eddie said the bottom table shouldn’t be. Ricky Burns is a three-weight World Champion that we have worked with for many years, Lee Selby, utter class down there. A fantastic European Title fight and Conor Benn is going great guns. Look up here, I know we are missing Joseph Parker but Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker is a wonderful Heavyweight fight in the blue-ribbon division. It’s a mouthwatering fight, Derek finding form even at this stage of his career and you never quite know what you’re going to get, what a terrific knockout against Artur Szpilka last time. Joseph Parker is young and hungry and wants to play a real part in this division.

As for this one, the World Super Series Final, Kalle I am so glad you have brought the guys to us. I’ve wanted Josh Taylor on Sky for so many years. We had him on the Semi-Final, that was fantastic. I wasn’t there that night in Scotland as we were in America but I cannot wait to be ringside for this. This young man to my right Regis Prograis could be a real superstar of this sport. He is dangerous, exciting and unbeaten like they both are. It’s a terrific top of the bill and I think it is one of the best cards Eddie you have put on in a long time. We’re not going to miss this one.

Kalle Sauerland: 

It’s great to be in London, it’s great to be putting this fantastic Ali Trophy final on and we have to thank Matchroom and Sky Sports Box Office for providing this great platform at The O2 in London. The atmosphere there is incredible and is fitting for this super final. This is it, the Champions League of boxing, the Super-Lightweight final. As a fan this is my peak, this is the one that when we set it out this was the golden final. The ticket to the Ali Trophy and it is a dream to have both guys, two undefeated and very young fighters with huge personalities. Two fighters who will come forward, both slick in different ways and both amazing to work with. It’s not often you see the best going against the best, this is one of the fights of the year and is an amazing card from top to bottom.

Conor Benn:

My career has been a rollercoaster. It feels like I have been pro for a long while but really it’s only been four or five years. It’s been so dramatic but I know that I have Britain behind me and all these learning fights are going to put me in good stead for the future. I have been dropped twice and managed to get back up off the canvas, put the other opponent down twice, boxed ten rounds, been cut and had injuries all these things. I am only 22 so when I am 25, 26 these things won’t be anything new to me so as far as I am aware, I’m on course and I’m excited to have a great year.

As I get older my man strength is coming and people are going to get laid out clean. They are not going to get back up! My last fight was expected to be a hard fight and when I looked at him I thought I’m in trouble here and then he came out flying in the first round and I managed to get him out of there. If people want to come and have it with me I will have it back with them. If I go down, then they’re going down with me. I’m not worried who they put in front of me, whoever it is there it will be the same outcome and I am going to go out there and do one job and one job only.

Yves Ngabu:

I came here one year ago to the UK with a plan, the first was to win my fight and the second was to fight the number one from the UK who is Lawrence Okolie. Lawrence is a good fighter but I know where I want to go and to get where I want to get – these are the things I have to do and get out of my way. 

I am focused on my work and we are going to see on October 26 how I am going to beat him. He is a good fighter, he is tall and strong and everything until now he has done perfectly but I believe I can beat him and I believe I am stronger than him.

Lawrence Okolie:

I’m happy to be here, shoutout to Josh Taylor. This is going to be the third Champion I have boxed. I have beaten the British Champion, beaten the Commonwealth Champion and I am looking forward to beating the European Champion next. I’ve seen a lot of interviews with him and I like the way he speaks, he speaks very confidently. I’m just looking forward to going through training camp and then going to work.

It is going to be a very exciting fight, he has got a style which is opposite to mine. He is a come-forward fighter who also knows how to box with good counter-punching. There is going to be a lot of things to deal with on the night but I will deal with them all comfortably and go on from there. The most important thing is to make weight in seven weeks and we can go from there.

Lee Selby:

The O2 has been great to me and I have boxed there more than any other venue. I won the Lonsdale belt there, won and defended my World title and now I am back there on October 26. I’ve got a tough opponent in front of me, Ricky Burns is a former three-weight World Champion and to be a World Champion and defend it once you have got to be a great fighter, to do it twice you have got to be brilliant and to do it at three different weights, you’re elite. I have got the upmost respect for Ricky Burns and we shared the ring back in 2014. He got me in for sparring in preparation for his fight with Crawford and from what I can remember it was great sparring, up and down. After each session, everyone in the gym would give us a standing ovation so if the sparring is anything to go by then we are in for a treat.

A few years back when I was British Champion making Featherweight was a real struggle and I remember you asking me Eddie, “how do you make the weight?”. The sacrifices and some of the stuff I had to do to make the weight you wouldn’t believe. Losing the World title was very upsetting but it was a weight lifted off my shoulders, I can fight at a more comfortable weight and I’m in the gym and feeling good.

Ricky Burns:

I’ve finally got a fight over the line, it has been a frustrating year for myself. We have had a couple of fights being spoke about but they fell through. My last fight was in November last year but we have pulled it out the bag with this one. I know that I am in for a tough fight, as Lee said, we sparred before and he came up to help me when I was boxing Crawford and I can always remember when we were sparring I said to him he “you’re so big for a Featherweight, how do you do it?”. It was competitive sparring and like I said, on the night the best man will win. I just feel like I am going out there to do a job, training has been going well so far and I can’t wait for October 26.

David Haye:

We know what Parker brings to the table, he is well established. More importantly he holds that all important win over Andy Ruiz Jr who is arguably the number one Heavyweight on the planet after the crazy stoppage victory he got over AJ in New York which I was ringside for. For me, Derek getting that win against Parker means more than just a win. It really catapults him up there to the top players in the division and he has shown time and time again that he can come again. Last time out against Artur Szpilka his training camp hadn’t gone well, sparring was a struggle but he managed to get it together in the last two sparring sessions. Fortunately the universe works in strange ways and I was in the Hayemaker gym round the corner today watching Derek Sparring for the first time since that fight in his first real war sparring and he is back. He is in a better place now seven weeks out than he was on fight night last time out. The fact he hasn’t had long out the gym and is back working hard means he is a great spot and he is going to build on what we brought to Artur Szpilka at the O2, an arena where he has a great history. Parker is in shape and is going to come to win this fight and I think it is going to be an absolute barnstormer. 

Dave Coldwell will no longer be training Derek Chisora because of a logistical issue in the sense that Dave couldn’t come down to London and Derek wasn’t able to get up to Dave. We will make an announcement in the coming weeks who will be in the corner but if sparring is anything to go by you are in for an absolute treat and Joseph Parker would never have had the heat that is going to be brought to him on October 26.

Derek Chisora:

I’m bringing war, I’m not playing. This is my show. Boxing is thriving because of the Heavyweights. Mike Tyson said it when AJ knocked out Klitschko, the money is back in the division. I want more money if I’m not headlining the show!

Josh Taylor:

I’m really looking forward to fighting for the first time in London, headlining at The O2 and I am so excited for it, I can’t wait.

I am fully confident going in to this fight. I am bigger than him, stronger, quicker and punch just as hard – I can beat him in every department. If he comes and tries to walk me down then I believe that he will walk onto a shot and I will get him out of there, if not I can outbox him for the full 12 rounds. I am fully confident I can win this fight either way It goes so I am happy and excited to be here. I have always wanted to box on a big show in London and I’ve been to watch shows here in the past. I am so excited to be headlining and to be a part of a great night.

I believe myself and Regis are one and two in the division – we’re the two guys to beat. We will prove this on October 26 and I feel like this is my time to shine. I can’t see him beating me at all and I am super confident. However it goes you will see a Josh Taylor win, I can’t see anything other than a win for myself.

Barry McGuigan MBE:

These are the two best Super-Lightweight fighters in the world. Prograis is a tremendous puncher, very aggressive and he can box on the back foot too – he is very exciting to watch. Josh Taylor has improved rapidly since he has turned pro. We have moved him very aggressively and I think that he is the best 140lb fighter in the world. 

Regis Prograis:

I am so glad to be here and I am so excited for October 26. It has been a dream for me for a long time to come and fight in London, the fans over here are some of the best in the world. For me, there is no animosity towards anybody and most fighters don’t get this chance in a lifetime. You have got four things on the line, my title, his title, the Ali Trophy and the Ring Magazine belt. I had a late start but a lot of fighters have been fighting for 20 or 30 years and never have got this opportunity. For me to be here is the opportunity of a life-time and this is about personal legacy right now.

To be getting this chance in London, at The O2 – I can’t wait! This is number one and number two, two undefeated fighters in their prime, both champions – sometimes you have two champions but they’re not number one and number two but this time it’s two prime undefeated guys. This is a huge show and I am so excited to be a part of it. Everybody that I have fought was supposed to be an even, 50-50 fight but I dominated. He is taller and longer than me but the tale of the tape doesn’t matter to me. You can’t determine my hook by the tale of the tape or my boxing IQ. I don’t just want to repeat what he said but I really cannot see how he can beat me. I am not being cocky or arrogant but I just can’t see it. He’s been hurt in his last fight and he was dropped too. The past is the past and this is going to be me and him and I think he will bring his A game like I will – this is going to be one hell of a fight.

I am not going to predict what round I will win I am just going to go out there and do my thing. Just like I always say, I go out there and I have fun and I do my thing. If I hurt him or knock him out I don’t know but so far I have been dominating and that’s what I plan to do on October 26.

Sam Katkovski:

We are so glad that everything got sorted out and was finalised – we cannot wait for October 26. We are coming to fight and will be finishing our camp over here in the UK – we’re looking forward to a great fight. Regis is special in and outside of the ring and to be able to fight on such a massive show is amazing and the winner will establish themselves in the P4P rankings. The winner potentially goes on to fight to be Undisputed for all four belts and that will be Regis Prograis. Every time he has told how he was going to do something that’s how it happened – all I am expecting is the same on October 26.

By Bart Barry-

Saturday in Scotland the World Boxing Super Series held the final semifinals matches in its bantamweight and super lightweight divisions, and they went even better than hoped. Hometown southpaw Josh “Tartan Tornado” Taylor defanged Russian Ivan “The Beast” Baranchyk, and Japan’s “Monster” Naoya Inoue proved exactly that against Puerto Rican Emmanuel Rodriguez. The fighters’ aggregate record Saturday morning was 69-0 (52 KOs).

This wonderful DAZN combination of excellent performances in authentic prizefights, the rare fusion of excellence and authenticity, is something WBSS, in only its second season, has given us more of than any of its rivals. Not peers, mind you – rivals. Peers would be doing their best to do what WBSS does, which is provide incentive enough to our beloved sport’s abundance of shortsighted agents to make them please both current consumers and would-be consumers (most of whom self-identify as former consumers).

To wit: across the digital spectrum Saturday a former giant in the prizefighting space – forget not, Showtime, when it was lean and innovative a decade ago, gave us the Super Six – appealed to the worst of its remaining viewership by promoting a mismatch with an a-side’s homicidal musings. Likely there’ll be more here about what Deontay Wilder did, in a few weeks, after Anthony Joshua fights, because unless those guys are fighting one another or Tyson Fury, neither of them nor their exploits merits more than half a column anymore.

It’s much easier to be cavalier about boxing’s flagship division the week after a Naoya Inoue fight, isn’t it? He is the very essence of what pound-for-pound was intended to measure when the concept got launched during Sugar Ray Robinson’s era. If you were able to make Inoue and Wilder and Joshua and Fury the same size and fight them in a round tournament the question is not whether Inoue would emerge as winner or even if Inoue would win every match by knockout but whether any of today’s best heavyweights could make it out the first minute with him. The gulf in craft, leverage and reflex is that great.

To attract casual fans, I know, we’re supposed to pretend this is not so, we’re supposed to squint to see something great about today’s heavyweights besides their mass, but it simply cannot be done during WBSS season, when prime world titlists fight one another, one after the other, showing each other respect before and after their confrontations while subjecting one another to relentless violence between the ropes. It makes farcical inauthentic much of the rest of the year’s fare.

Inoue is the world’s best prizefighter right now. Better than Bud, better than Hi-Tech, better than The Truth, better than Canelo. He is making highlight-reel showcase opponents out of world titlists in matches expected by experts to be competitive. I can’t name his promoter, I don’t know his training techniques, I don’t know if he was an Olympian, and if he’s a heartthrob in his native land I don’t know about that either. I don’t know, in other words, any of the flummery publicists pass our ways when it’s time to grow the brand and risking more than words is out of the question.

Here’s what happened Saturday in WBSS’s bantamweight semifinal: Emmanuel Rodriguez, a larger man making the third defense of a title he won on the road, went directly at Inoue the way a champion does when he thinks his challenger is a hypejob. He moved Inoue back, too, and chastened him with a few counters, and the first round was excellent and competitive, exactly as an aficionado, as distinct from a branding fanatic, should wish every round of every fight be. The second round was going competitively, too, until Rodriguez turned a touch too brazenly on a left hook and got spuncycled on the next. After that things got real academic real quick. Inoue went bodysnatching, not headhunting, as a man does when he wants his opponent’s submission more than he wants a YouTube clip, and Rodriguez collapsed for being caved-in.

It was decisive and quick, not sloppy or preordained. It was another chance to be euphoric at the spectacle of boxing done beautifully.

And it wasn’t even Saturday’s main. That came after a moment of mutual admiration between Inoue and his WBSS-finals opponent, Nonito Donaire, now enjoying a career resurrection complete as it is completely unexpected. Donaire’s winding transition from promoter-creation brat to international ambassador concluded prettily with his sincere congratulations to Inoue, a moment of affection and elegance enough to make you proud of your commitment to our sport, enough to make you wonder, however briefly, if Donaire, once considered a prodigy too, mightn’t have a last hook in him, a sink-all-coffins-to-one counter that he starts with Inoue’s a millisecond earlier and a millimeter shorter and makes all Japan inhale sharply.

It’s a farfetched scenario, indeed, though not farfetched as Donaire’s simple presence in the finals; “dear Lord, give me just one chance to throw the hook” – so went Nonito’s prayer at tournament’s start, and now he will have it. A more answerable prayer will have Josh Taylor who, after blackmatting Ivan Baranchyk a twotime in a prizefight proper brutal, looks forward to Regis Prograis in the finals.

There’s no reason to hold the decisive match on neutral ground, Super Six’s largest mistake; return to Glasgow and let Prograis try and stretch the Scotsman in his home gym, knowing if he lets European judges score one of their own he’ll have read to him by a kilted ring announcer three cards prefilled at Friday’s weighin. Same goes for Inoue-Donaire for that matter; let Nonito choose the venue – Inoue’s supporters have the means and willingness to travel wherever their man plies his craft.

O but the WBSS is so much better than everything else.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

NEW YORK (May 18, 2019) –After a long-wait, IBF Junior Welterweight champion Ivan “The Beast” Baranchyk will make the 1st defense of his crown when he takes on fellow undefeated Josh Taylor today at The SSE Hydro Arena in Taylor’s hometown of Glasgow, Scotland.

The bout can be seen live on DAZN at 2 PM ET

Baranchyk, who won the title with a 7th round beatdown of Anthiny Yigit on October 27th in New Orleans, is ready to prove that he is the definition of a world champion by stepping into the lions den of Glasgow.

Baranchyk of Amursk, Russia, who now calls Miami, Oklahoma home is considered one of the hardest punchers in boxing, and he knows that he will have to land some of his patented power shots in order to silence an expected sellout crown at The Hydro Arena.

The 26 year-old Baranchyk is a five-year professional, who already has wins over seven undefeated fighters, and he is looking for Taylor to be the eighth to fall while at the same time defending his title and advancing to the finals of the WBSS and meet Regis Prograis in what would be a big fight in The United States

The highly-regarded Taylor has a record of 14-0 with 12 knockouts, has wins over undefeated fighters Ohara Davies (15-0) and Ryan Martin (22-0) as well as former world champions Miguel Vazquez and Viktor Postol

“One of the great privileges of my life is being associated with Ivan Baranchyk. He is all class, and people have no idea about his level of determination. I expect him to win and to build a legacy as not just a champion but a great champion,” said David McWater of Split-T Management.

Baranchyk weighed in at 139.6 lbs. Taylor weighed in at 140.2 in his initial attempt, but came back and made the 140 lb weight limit an hour later.

Baranchyk is managed by Split-T Management and is promoted by DiBella Entertainment, Fight Promotions and Holden Productions.

Just 4 days until the WBSS Super-Lightweight and Bantamweight Semi-Finals – Josh Taylor vs Ivan Baranchyk and Naoya Inoue vs Manny Rodriguez – at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, UK!

Tickets available from TicketMaster.co.uk here.

The magnificent doubleheader on Saturday, 18 May will conclude the semi-finals stage the World Boxing Super Series and the quest for the Muhammad Ali Trophy in the 140lb and 118lb editions of the tournament.

Josh Taylor goes for his first World title, in the same city he won his Commonwealth Gold medal, against IBF champ Ivan Baranchyk! The winner will fight Regis Prograis in the Super-Lightweight Ali Trophy final later this year.

In the other main event, Japanese pound-for-pound star Naoya Inoue takes on Manny Rodriguez to find out who will face Nonito Donaire in the Bantamweight Final! The IBF World title and Ring Belt are on the line and both men have promised KO finishes… Blink and you’ll miss it!

Ticket Price Bands (Seating Plan below):
Cat.1 Ringside – £299
Cat.2 Ringside – £249
Cat.3 Floor – £109
Cat.4 Lower Tier 1 – £79
Cat.5 Lower Tier 2 – £59
Cat.6 Upper Tier 1 – £39
Cat.7 Upper Tier 2 – £29 – SOLD OUT

Tickets available from TicketMaster.co.uk here.

PUBLIC WEIGH-IN – 4pm Friday, 17 May (Main events on the scales 5pm)
Lomond Auditorium, SSE Hydro, Exhibition Way, Finnieston, Glasgow G3 8YW

Make sure you attend the Weigh-In and cheer your fighter on when they hit the scales! It’s free entry, all welcome!

Join the Glasgow Semi-Finals event on Facebook here!

Tickets available from TicketMaster.co.uk here.

Visit WorldBoxingSuperSeries.com for more information or follow @WBSuperSeries on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

IF EVERYTHING PLAYS out according to plan, Jack Catterall would like to be contemplating a world title unification clash against Josh Taylor in the not too distant future.

There are several obstacles standing in the way of such a prospect at present, not least the fact that Catterall has got his mandatory challenge to the WBO world super lightweight champion Maurice Hooker to navigate past first.

Taylor, meanwhile, is heavily embroiled in the World Boxing Super Series, where the Scot is scheduled to take on Ivan Baranchyk for the IBF belt at the semi-final stage in Glasgow next month.

If successful, the Edinburgh man will face either Regis Prograis or Kiryl Relikh in the final, with the WBA belt also on the line.

Catterall makes Taylor the favourite to emerge from the series with the bounty.

“The World Boxing Super Series is going on in the background in the meantime and the favourites to win it in my book are either Josh Taylor or Regis Prograis,” reasoned the 23-0 Catterall ahead of his own return to the ring on April 27 at Wembley. “I do pick Josh over Prograis slightly, although I have not seen too much of the American.

“My ideal scenario would be for me to win my world title and Josh to win the WBSS. Then we could get together for a unification fight.

“I’ve thought about fighting Josh because I’ve got to be looking at all the guys in the top ten in my division. Everyone is with different promoters but these fights are always possible. For me it is an obvious fight for the future,” added the 25-year-old who clearly backs himself against the best the division has to offer.

“I have definitely got the beating of him and I think I have got the beating of all the guys if I prepare right.”

In the meantime, Catterall will keep busy ahead of his shot at Hooker with a slot on the card at the SSE Arena, live on BT Sport. It is an assignment he views as essential but one he must view with caution given that his big opportunity is firmly on the horizon.

“I am definitely happy and grateful for the opportunity to get a fight at Wembley because it will keep me in a good place physically and mentally. I am under no illusion going into this fight that I have got to treat every one like a world title.

“I’m hoping to pick up a good win on April 27 and really kick on from then. It is a catch 22 because I can’t sit on the fence, not be active and earn no wages until my shot. I’ve just got to get a win and go from there.”

Daniel Dubois v Richard Lartey tops the bill at the SSE Arena, Wembley on April 27 on a card that also includes the Commonwealth super middleweight title fight between Lerrone Richards and Tommy Langford, as well as the Southern Area super middleweight title clash between Zak Chelli and Jimmy Smith. WBO European super flyweight champion Sunny Edwards and WBO European super featherweight champion Archie Sharp also feature.

Chorley-boxer Jack Catterall will be in action as he edges ever-closer to a world title challenge. Rangy Super Welterweight talent Hamzah Sheeraz will be back out after his impressive win over Rod Douglas Jnr. Hard hitting middleweight and Peacock gym product Denzel Bentley (9-0) and Belfast amateur middleweight star Caoimhin Agyarko will also return to action. There is a Queensberry debut for Sheffield middleweight Shakiel Thompson (2-0) – with Thompson being tipped by sparring partner Billy Joe Saunders as a star for the future. Ilford Super Middleweight Umar Sadiq (4-1) also returns as he looks to rebuild after his first career loss. Tunde Ajayi trained lightweight Bilal Ali (1-0) will have his second professional fight after making a successful start to his pro career, with Hoddesdon super lightweight Alfie Price set for his fifth.

Tickets will be priced as £40, £50, £75, £100 and £150 and are now ON SALE to purchase via Eventim, Ticketmaster, the SSE Arena website and AXS.com