Katie Taylor will defend her WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine Lightweight crowns against WBA Mandatory Challenger Firuza Sharipova on the same night that Welterweight star Conor Benn steps up against former World Champion Chris Algieri at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool on Saturday December 11, live worldwide on DAZN.

Irish sensation Taylor (19-0, 6 KOs) is within touching distance of a huge showdown with Amanda Serrano in 2022 but must overcome a final hurdle in the shape of Kazakhstan’s Sharipova after cruising to another successful defence of her titles against the USA’s Jennifer Han at Emerald Headingley Stadium in Leeds.

Sharipova (14-1, 8 KOs) has picked up titles at Super-Featherweight, Lightweight and Super-Lightweight since joining the professional ranks in May 2016, and the 27-year-old from Taraz is ranked at No.1 in the world at Lightweight by the WBA having remained undefeated since a shock four-round points loss on her debut.

Chatteris Featherweight talent Jordan Gill (26-1, 7 KOs) returns to the ring to challenge EBU European Featherweight Champion Karim Guerfi (30-5, 9 KOs) after scoring behind closed doors wins over Reece Bellotti in August 2020 and Cesar Juarez in February 2021 to land the WBA International Title. 

France’s Guerfi became a two-weight European Champion by outpointing Andoni Gago in Marbella, Spain earlier this year to land the 126lbs strap. The 34-year-old from Manosque previously held the EBU Bantamweight Title before losing it to undefeated Scottish talent Lee McGregor at the Bolton Whites Hotel in March. 

‘The Welsh Wizard’ Joe Cordina (13-0, 8 KOs) continues his push for Super-Featherweight World Title action in 2020 after scoring a sensational first round knockout win over the USA’s Joshuah Hernandez at Fight Camp in August, former European, British and Commonwealth Super-Lightweight Champion Robbie Davies Jr (21-3, 14 KOs) fights for the second time under new trainer Shane McGuigan, undefeated Belfast Middleweight talent Caoimhin Agyarko (9-0, 6 KOs) makes his Matchroom debut, former Team GB star Calum French makes his professional debut at Super-Lightweight, Tokyo Olympian Peter McGrail (1-0) steps though the ropes for the seconds time as a pro and is joined on the bill by his debutant brother Joe McGrail, while former professional footballer Paddy Lacey (1-0) looks to build on his pro debut win over Stanko Jermelic last month. 

 “I’m looking forward to ending the year on a high with another defence of my titles,” said Taylor. “I know there are some huge fights out there for me in 2022 but for now my sole focus is on December 11 and this mandatory defence against Sharipova.”

Tickets are priced £40, £60, £80, £100 & £300 (VIP).

General Sale tickets can be purchased via StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk)

Mauricio Lara and former world champion Josh Warrington fought to a technical draw after a clash of heads opened up a cut over Lara’s left eye after two rounds at Headlingley Rugby Stadium in Leeds, England.

The fight was just starting to open up when the headbutt occurred. The fight was a rematch of a contest that saw Lara knockout Warrington in February.

Lara, 125 1/2 lbs of Mexico City is now 23-2-1. Warrington of Leeds, ENG is 30-1-1.

Taylor Decisions Han; Retains Undisputed Lightweight Title

Katie Taylor retained the undisputed Lightweight world championship with a 10-round unanimous decision over Jennifer Han.

In round eight, Taylor dropped Han with a left hook. Replays showed that it could have been a slip. Han also started to swell under her right eye in the round.

Taylor landed 93 of 340 punches; Han was 66 of 338.

Taylor, 134 3/4 lbs of Bray, IRE won by scores of 100-89 on all cards, and is now 19-0. Han, 134 1/4 lbs of El Paso, TEX is now 18-4-1-1.

Benn Decisions Granados

Conor Benn remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision in a welterweight bout.

Benn landed 152 of 460 punches; Granados was 99 of 429.

Benn, 146 1/2 lbs of Brentwood, ENG won by scores of and is now 19-0. Granados, 146 1/2 lbs of Chicago, IL is 21-9-3.

Hughes Decisions Straffon

Maxi Hughes pounded out a 12-round unanimous decision over Jovanni Straffon in a lightweight bout.

Hughes hurt Straffon on several occasions including almost having him out in round four.

Hughes, 134 1/4 lbs of Rossington, ENG won by scores of 120-107 twice and 119-109 and is now 24-5-2. Straffon, 134 1/4 lbs of Mexico City, MEX is 24-4-1.

Bridges Decisions Gangloff

Ebanie Bridges won an eight-round decision over Mailys Gangloff in a bantamweight fight.

Bridges, 118 lbs of New South wales, AUS fought through a welled right eye and injured right hand but still won by a 77-76 score and is now 7-1. Gangloff, 116 lbs of Aix-les-Bains, FRA is 5-3.

Hope Price remained undefeated with a 2nd round stoppage of Zahid Hussain in a scheduled 10-round super bantamweight fight.

Just as the bell rang to end round one, Price landed a perfect right hook that clipped the jaw and sent Hussain on his backside. Fortunately for Hussain, he got to his feet to end the round. In round two, it was a combination that put Hussain down for a 2nd time. Price finished the fight with a barrage of punches that forced a referee stoppage at 2:33.

Price, 121 3/4 lbs of Leeds, ENG is 6-0 with two knockouts. Hussain, 121 lbs of Leeds, ENG is 16-2.

Jack Bateson survived a knockdown to win a six-round decision over Felix Garcia in a super bantamweight bout.

In round three, Garcia dropped Bateson with a looping right hand to the chest. Bateson was about to steady himself and win the rest of the fight.

Bateson, 124 lbs of Leeds, ENG won by a 58-56 score and is now 14-0. Garica, 123 lbs of Juigalpa, NIC is now 7-3-1.

Brandon Stansfield won a four-round decision over MJ Hall in a super welterweight bout.

Stansfield, 149 1/2 lbs of Leeds, ENG won by a 40-36 score and is now 2-0. Hall, 148 1/2 lbs of Brierley Hill, ENG is 2-62-2.

In round one, Hall began to bleed from his nose.

Mali Wright made a successful pro debut with a stoppage of Antony Woolery after round two of their scheduled four-round light heavyweight bout.

Wright, 180 bs of Chapeltown, England is 1-0 with one knockout. Woolery, 181 3/4 lbs of Wolverhampton, England is 2-7.

Jennifer Han believes she can pull off the mother of all victories when she challenges Katie Taylor for the Undisputed World Lightweight Championship at Emerald Headingley Stadium in Leeds this Saturday September 4, live worldwide on DAZN. 

Han (18-3-1 1 KO) is back in World Title action after giving birth to her second son earlier in the year, and the former IBF Featherweight ruler is more than confident she’s back in fighting shape for the biggest night of her career.

‘El Paso’s Sweetheart’, a six-time national amateur champion, landed the vacant IBF strap in September 2015, and went on to make four successful title defenses of the belt before taking time out to start her family. Han’s last fight came in February of 2020, a unanimous decision win against Jeri Sitzes on home turf at the El Paso County Coliseum.

The 38-year-old is moving up to 135lbs for the fight of her life and fights outside of America for the second time in her career, having been edged out by majority decision in South Korea by Ji Hye Woo in March 2013, and knows that she has to be at her very best to take the titles from the number one female fighter.

“I’ve been a road warrior, I know how it is, the odds are stacked against me, she’s the hometown girl – I get it,” said Han. “When I went to Korea, I felt I dominated the fight and the decision was taken away from me, so this time I have to not only dominate but be in command of every single round or go for the KO.

“This is huge, it’s the biggest fight of my life and you can’t get bigger than Katie Taylor. I’m going to be fighting for all her belts, this is the greatest opportunity that God has blessed me with, I’ve worked my whole life for this, and I am ready.

“After I fought last year, I was meant to defend my title again versus the interim champion, but she lost, and the new champion wasn’t ready to fight yet. The IBF granted me the opportunity to fight Jeri, and then they made me the number one contender at Lightweight so I could fight Katie – but then COVID got in the way and crushed those dreams. 

“Americans weren’t allowed to go over to the UK, so the fight was shelved, there was nothing out there for me, so I had baby number two. I kept my number one spot which I did, I didn’t think that the opportunity would come around so soon, but it has, you must be prepared for this, and I am, it’s great and I have trained so hard for this and it’s going to be so worth it. 

“I was IBF champion for five years, but I was only fighting once a year because I couldn’t get the big fights. I can’t pause my life, I don’t have that luxury, so I had my baby, I’m very lucky and happy. I am in great shape, and I want to fight the best of the best, and that’s what I am doing on Saturday.

“She has amazing strengths, an Olympic gold medalist, Undisputed World Champion, she’s beaten a lot of talented fighters, but they are not the same as me, and I think what I bring to the table she hasn’t seen before so I hope that I surprise her with my technique.

“I hope she underestimates me and takes into consideration all the things that are stacked up against me. I hope she hasn’t trained hard; she’s taken me for granted, that’d be sweeter for me.

“I was hoping to just be on TV and become a two-weight World Champion, but this is the biggest platform possible for me. I’m not going to take anything away from her, but she’s beatable. Believe me, my camp and I are studying her inside and out. We have plenty of strategies.”

Taylor vs. Han is part of a huge night of boxing in Leeds, Mauricio Lara (23-2, 16 KOs) and Josh Warrington (30-1, 7 KOs) face each other again in a huge rematch for the Featherweight division, rising Welterweight star Conor Benn (18-0, 12 KOs) faces Adrian Granados (21-8-3, 15 KOs) after their Fight Camp Week 1 headliner fell through, Mexico’s Jovanni Straffon (24-3-1, 17 KOs) makes the first defence of his IBO Lightweight World Title against the in-form Maxi Hughes (23-5-2, 5 KOs), Australia’s Ebanie Bridges (6-1, 3 KOs) looks to build on her impressive KO win over Bec Connolly at Fight Camp earlier this month when she meets Mailys Gangloff (5-2, 2 KOs), Super-Bantamweight prospect Hopey Price (5-0, 1 KO) steps up against Zahid Hussain (16-1, 2 KOs) in an all-Leeds clash, undefeated Super-Bantamweight talent Jack Bateson (13-0, 3 KOs) clashes with Felix Garcia (7-2-1, 3 KOs) over six rounds, 1-0 Super-Welterweight Brandon Stansfield takes on MJ Hall (2-61-2) and Light-Heavyweight Mali Wright makes his pro debut against Anthony Woolery (2-6).

Limited remaining tickets are available from StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk).

Katie Taylor says she is relishing the opportunity to make the latest defence of her Undisputed Lightweight crown in front of 20,000 passionate Leeds fans at Emerald Headingley Stadium on the blockbuster Lara vs. Warrington 2 card this Saturday September 4, shown live worldwide on DAZN.

The Irish star (18-0, 6 KOs) was forced to dig deep as she retained her World Titles via a unanimous decision victory after another memorable meeting with Natasha Jonas last time out at Manchester Arena in May – nine years on from their London 2012 Olympic Games bout.

This time Taylor puts her belts on the line against six-time national amateur champion and former IBF Featherweight World Champion Jennifer Han (18-3-1, 1 KO) – her latest Mandatory Challenger who heads into this weekend’s clash on the back of an eight-fight winning streak.

“My father was born and raised in Leeds, so we all grew up as Leeds United fans,” said Taylor. “There are still a few Leeds United fans out there! I’m really excited to fight in Leeds and in front of so many fans. It’s kind of like a second home to me so I just can’t wait. It’s going to be so exciting boxing in front of 20,000 people. The atmosphere is going to be insane. Leeds fans are very passionate and loud.

“I think the last 12 months have been fantastic for me personally. I’m still sitting here as the Undisputed Champion, 18-0 with some fantastic performances and some amazing fights under my belt. The fights I’ve been in have elevated women’s boxing to another level. This is the pinnacle of professional boxing – holding all of the belts, that’s what everyone in professional boxing wants to do. Everyone’s dream is to become the Undisputed Champion.

“I’m going to try my best to hold on to every one of those belts for as long as I can. This is what I’m in the sport for. I want to make history, I want to be a World Champion and I want to hold all of the belts – I’m all in. “The women are definitely more inclined to take a few more risks and actually go in and take the bigger fights. I love that about the female fighters. We actually want the big fights. We’re willing and able to actually step in the ring and fight all of these other champions. 

“I’m expecting the toughest fight from Jennifer. She has a lot of amateur experience and she’s a very technical fighter. She’s a six-time World Champion. She was my No.1 Mandatory as well so I had to take the fight. These girls have stepped up – they’ve boxed beyond themselves, they have raised their game against me. I’m expecting a very very tough fight and I’m going to be prepared like I have been for every single fight I’ve had over the last few years.

“She is a fighter that believes in herself. This fight is going to bring the best out of the both of us. I love the fact that she’s stepping into the ring confident like I am as well. I don’t really take much notice of what other fighters say, I just focus on my own performance and my own preparation. We’re going to be stepping into the ring 100% prepared. The only words that matter are, ‘and still’. Training is going well – I feel good and sharp. I can’t wait to step in again on September 4 and get another great victory.”

Taylor vs. Han is part of a huge night of boxing in Leeds, Mauricio Lara (23-2, 16 KOs) and Josh Warrington (30-1, 7 KOs) face each other again in a huge rematch for the Featherweight division, rising Welterweight star Conor Benn (18-0, 12 KOs) faces Adrian Granados (21-8-3, 15 KOs) after their Fight Camp Week 1 headliner fell through, Mexico’s Jovanni Straffon (24-3-1, 17 KOs) makes the first defence of his IBO Lightweight World Title against the in-form Maxi Hughes (23-5-2, 5 KOs), Australia’s Ebanie Bridges (6-1, 3 KOs) looks to build on her impressive KO win over Bec Connolly at Fight Camp earlier this month when she meets Mailys Gangloff (5-2, 2 KOs), Super-Bantamweight prospect Hopey Price (5-0, 1 KO) steps up against Zahid Hussain (16-1, 2 KOs) in an all-Leeds clash, undefeated Super-Bantamweight talent Jack Bateson (13-0, 3 KOs) clashes with Felix Garcia (7-2-1, 3 KOs) over six rounds, 1-0 Super-Welterweight Brandon Stansfield takes on MJ Hall (2-61-2) and Light-Heavyweight Mali Wright makes his pro debut against Anthony Woolery (2-6).

Limited remaining tickets are available from StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk).

Mauricio Lara and Josh Warrington will rematchin an epic showdownat Emerald Headingley Stadium on Saturday September 4, live worldwide on DAZN. The co-main event will also feature undisputed Lightweight World Champion Katie Taylor, who puts all her belts on the line against IBF Mandatory Challenger Jennifer Han. ‘The Leeds Warrior’ (30-1, 7 KOs) was floored and ruthlessly finished by Mexico’s Lara (22-2, 15 KOs) in a sensational knockout loss at The SSE Arena, Wembley in February that put a massive dent in the former IBF Featherweight World Champion’s unification plans. 

Warrington endured a stunning upset defeat as he was dropped and nearly stopped in the fourth round before ‘Bronco’ sent him crashing to the canvas again in the ninth to end the 30-year-old’s unbeaten record. 

The upset-of-the-year contender sent shockwaves through the 126lbs division and now Warrington will look to exact revenge in front of a capacity crowd at the home of the Leeds Rhinos in the biggest fight of his career. 

Undisputed Lightweight rulerTaylor (18-0, 6 KOs) defends her WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine crowns against her latest Mandatory ChallengerHan (18-3-1, 1 KOs) in the co-main event, another huge stage for the best in women’s boxing.

The Irish star was forced to dig deep as she retained her World Titles via a unanimous decision victory after another memorable meeting with Natasha Jonas last time out at Manchester Arena in May – nine years on from their London 2012 Olympic Games bout.

Han, a six-time national amateur champion fighting out of El Paso, Texas, won the vacant IBF Featherweight World Title against Helen Joseph in September 2015 and went on to make four defences of her Title – most recently against Lizbeth Crespo in February 2018. “I’ve never been much of a talker, I’d rather do my talking in the ring,” said Lara. “I’m going for a repeat performance on September 4. Hit once, hit twice. Warrington should know that I am coming for him. This is all about pride. This is for Mexico!”

“It’s been an up and down period, time for reflection and to reassess myself, said Warrington. “I’ve watched the first fight a dozen times, I’m mentally and physically prepared for Mauricio. It won’t be the same result, I want revenge. It’s going to be a huge event in Leeds, I can’t wait to get back in there and rewrite the script. It’s nothing personal, just business. September 4th we get back on track to the top.”

“I’m really excited to defend my Titles in front of a live crowd again and especially in Leeds,” said Taylor. “I grew up as a Leeds United fan so it’s fantastic to see them back in the Premier League and doing so well again. 

“My last few fights have effectively been behind closed door and it’s definitely a strange experience so I think to have crowds back again and outdoors in Leeds will make for a very special atmosphere. I’m back in the US in training camp, working hard and focused on putting in another big performance against a tough and experienced opponent on September 4.”

“I want to thank Katie for this opportunity,” said Han. “Enjoy your belts while you still have them. I will see you in September.”

Fresh from his devastating first round demolition job on James Tennyson, Mexico’s Jovanni Straffon (24-3-1, 17 KOs) will make the first defence of his IBO Lightweight World Title against the in-form Maxi Hughes (23-5-2, 5 KOs).

‘Impacto’ dropped and stopped Belfast’s Tennyson in a powerful performance at Manchester Arena in May to become the latest Mexican to spring an upset against British opposition in the UK. 

‘Maximus’ is relishing his new lease of life after picking up incredible wins over former World Title challenger Jono Carroll, previously undefeated Kazakh talent Viktor Kotochigov and Paul Hyland Jr to earn the British Lightweight Title in March. 

The full supporting undercard will be announced shortly.

“What better way to celebrate the return to normality for boxing than 20,000 passionate Leeds fans at Headingley Stadium. This is the biggest fight of Josh Warrington’s career and this time he has his city behind him in a must win fight that can only be a thriller,” said Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman. “The greatest female fighter of all time Katie Taylor faces Mandatory Challenger Jennifer Han in another great fight. Katie is a lifelong Leeds United fan and I know how excited she is to fight in the city. Another Mexican upsetter Jovanni Straffon tries to derail the fairy tale story of Yorkshire’s Maxi Hughes who looks to take a giant leap in the World Lightweight landscape. There’s plenty more additions to be announced shortly in what will be a huge night of boxing live on DAZN.”

“Our game-changing global partnership with Matchroom has kicked off with an epic line-up, starting with Fight Camp – an unmissable summer of boxing based at the stunning Matchroom HQ in Brentwood, and leading into this huge double-header event. With many surprises still to come for the months ahead, this cements DAZN as the global home of boxing,” said Joseph Markowski, EVP at DAZN Group.

Tickets are priced £40, £60, £80, £100, £150 and £300 VIP and are available via StubHub to Fight Pass members on Thursday July 15 and on General Sale on Friday July 16 (both at Midday)

Former Heavyweight champion Joseph Parker survived a opening seconds knockdown to comeback and win s 12-round split decision over Derek Chisora at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.

Chisora floored Parker in the opening 10 seconds when he landed an overhand right to the top of the head. The fight had some good back and forth moments and some sloppy moments, but it was an entertaining scrap that saw each have some good moments throughout the fight.

Chisora landed 245 of 613 punches; Parker was 181 of 593.

Parker, 241,2 lbs of Auckland, NZ won by scores of 116-111 and 115-113. Chisora took a card 115-113.

Parker is 29-2. Chisora, 250.8 lbs of Finchley, ENG is 32-11.

“I am feeling it,” Parker told Matchroom. “Derek landed a lot of shots on me. I’ll probably feel it more tomorrow. The plan was to come out and box smartly and stay focused. I got caught right at the beginning. I think it was round the back of the head, I didn’t see it.

“The plan was to box and move and be smart. With the guidance of Andy I was able to box. We didn’t have the longest time together. I know I needed a lot of work. I need to keep learning from Andy and practicing the things we work on in the gym. 

“It was a tough fight and I got caught right at the beginning. I just had to dig deep and stay focused and follow the plan that we had in place. Swayed off a bit, but Derek is a very tough opponent. He came forward, put pressure on me from the beginning. Threw big bombs and landed a lot. 

“The boxing skills won me some rounds towards the end. It was a very close fight. I thought it could go either way, and I’m very thankful and blessed to get the win today. He brought the smoke. If you want to feel it, jump in the ring with him. 

“It’s very achievable [World Title fight]. I just have to get back to the training. There’s a lot of things I have to work on. I had a good plan in place. There’s still a lot I can show, I just have to keep working with Andy, and more camps ahead. We could do it next fight.”

Taylor wins narrow decision over Jonas; Retains Undisputed Lightweight Title

.Katie Taylor retained her undisputed lightweight world titles with a close unanimous decision over Natasha Jonas in a battle of Olympians.

Taylor, 134.8 lbs of Bray, IRE won by scores of 96-94 and 96-95 twice and is now 18-0. Jonas, 134.7 lbs of Liverpool, UK is 9-2.

“Again, it was probably a bit too exciting for my liking,” Taylor told Matchroom. “It was definitely a toe to toe battle in there. I thought I was a bit flat early on, but I dug deep to win the championship rounds. I definitely showed the heart of a champion in there and that’s what won me the fight in the end.

“She showed everything it takes to win a World Title in her last two performances. Tonight was a brilliant showcase for women’s boxing and boxing overall. Every time we fought as amateurs it was that type of fight as well. I’d prepared for a hard ten-round battle tonight and that’s exactly what it was.

“Eddie was saying that fight would have brought the PPV sales up a small bit. That’s obviously a great start. I feel sorry for the main event coming out after that fight. It was a thrilling fight. I’m just delighted to come out of it with the belts and still undefeated. 18-0, onwards and upwards. This is what I’m in the sport for, I want to be involved in the biggest fights. There’s plenty of those fights out there for me.”

Eubank Jr. Decisions Morrison

Chris Eubank Jr. won a 10-round unanimous decision over Marcus Morrison in a middleweight bout.

Eubank, 161.9 lbs of Brighton, ENG won by scores of 98-92 on all cards, and is now 30-2. Morrison, 161.8 lbs of Hattersley, ENG is 23-4.

“My last fight lasted two rounds, so really it’s been two years since I had a twelve-round fight,” Eubank Jr told Matchroom. “There was definitely some ring rust, and there was definitely some getting back into the swing of things. I had him hurt bad in the second round. I backed off. I wanted him to recover so that I could be seen again. 

“I’m back on TV, I’m back fighting, this is my home. This is my life; this is what I do. I wanted to go the distance and get those rounds in. I’m happy with the performance. I followed instruction; he was telling me to do things in the corner and I went out there and did it. That’s kind of alien to me. Usually most of my career has been dependent on what I want to do, my instincts and my reaction. But now we have a head coach in Roy Jones Jr and I full trust him. I’m happy to be paired with him.

“This is the beginning of a long and great journey for me. I want to be very active this year, I want to fight at least twice more. This is a good start. Full credit to Marcus. I’ve hit guys with shots like that and they’ve gone. He kept coming. A lot of respect for Marcus. There’s a lot of World Champions in the Middleweight division. There’s a lot of big names out there for me to go and fight. Golovkin is the end goal, and anyone with a World Title. I’m coming, they’re all on the radar.”

Bivol Defends Light Heavyweight Title with Decision over Richards

Dmitry Bivol defended the WBA Light Heavyweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Craig Rchards.

Bivol was 234 of 609 punches; Richards was just 76 of 756 punches.

Bivol, 174.2 lbs of Saint Petersburg, RUS won by score of 118-110, 115-114 and 115-113 and is now 18-0. Richards, 174.6 lbs of Crystal Palace, ENG is 16-2-1.

“I’m not happy but I’m okay,” Bivol told Matchroom. “It was a long rest for me and I went into the ring after one and a half years. It’s fine. My opponent was a good fighter, really good. He’s smart and he thinks. He was thinking for the whole fight.

“It’s okay. I was feeling that I’d won. I gave him a couple of rounds for recovery. I landed more clean punches. I respect him and I respected him before the fight. I think he can make problems for all fighters because of his style.

“He moved a lot. Fighters who move a lot and have good speed are really hard. He is a good fighter, but I have more weapons in my arsenal. I’m glad I have had another defence. Of course, I want unification fights. I still want them. I haven’t had a chance to fight for another belt, this is why I defend my belt.

“I’d like to fight for another belt, it would be a good challenge for me. I believe I can become the Undisputed World Champion one day, this is why I train, that’s why I have a good team. I believe one day I will be if I train hard. Thanks to everyone who supports me and watched this fight.”

Straffon stops Tennyson in 1st

Jovanni Straffon stopped James Tennyson in round one of a scheduled 12-round lightweight battle.

Straffon landed a booming right that put Tennyson on the canvas. Tennyson got to his feet but he was butchered against the ropes, and the fight was stopped at 2:10.

Straffon, 133.2 lbs of Mexico City is now 24-3 with 17 knockouts. Tennyson, ,134.7 lbs of Belfast, NI is 28-4.

“I dreamed about this several years ago,” Straffon told Matchroom. “I know I was up against everything. I knew he was a very strong fighter. He called himself ‘The Assassin’, but he was assassinated. He punches hard, but nothing punches harder than life.

“It has been a very good year for Mexican boxing. There has been lots of surprises and upsets. I’m not really surprised about what happened. I have been well prepared for a year. I knew I was the big underdog but now I’m the winner.

“I would really like the opportunity to work with Eddie Hearn. I would like to thank my manager and promoter. I hope some really good things are coming my way. I believe I just won an opportunity to get some of the tough and big names out there. Don’t give up on anything, always keep on dreaming because dreams do come true.”

Scott Fitzgerald stopped Gregory Trenel in round three of their scheduled eight-round super middleweight bout.

In round three, Fitzgerald landed a barrage of punches on the ropes, and the fight was stopped by referee Steve Gray at 2:43

Fitzgerald, 169.4 lbs of Preston, ENG is 15-0 with 10 knockouts.  Trenel, 166.2 lbs of Dainville, FRA is 13-7-2.

Johnny Fisher stopped Phil Williams in round three of a scheduled four-round heavyweight bout.

Fisher dominated and the fight was stopped at 1:40 of round three.

Fisher, 254.7 lbs of Romford, ENG is 2-o with two knockouts. Williams, 268.7

“I thought it was brilliant to get out on such short notice,” Fisher told Matchroom. “Credit to Sam Jones and Eddie Hearn for getting the fight there for me. Phil Williams is an awkward and tough opponent; he’s only been stopped four or five times in 30 bouts. Awkward fight, but I got him out of there and I showed I could go three rounds and keep a high pace.

“I’m trying to find the balance between having that killer instinct and sitting behind my boxing. Sometimes in there you probably get caught between the two. As I progress, I’ll be able to use that killer instinct more effectively. It was an awkward fight, but I showed that I’ve got the strength and the power to stop people. I stopped him in the third round. We’ll go against for the next one as soon as we can. 

“If you stay ready, you’ll get opportunities, especially at Matchroom and with S-JAM Boxing. I showed I can turn up and get the job done. I’m very grounded. I played rugby for a long time. That teaches you a lot of discipline. I’ve got family and a support network who believe in me. They always tell me the truth as well, and I’ll always be truthful about my own performances.

“It’s all systems go, ready for the next one. I’ve got to get that jab off, because in the gym it’s coming off lovely. When you get under them lights, you can have a bit of eagerness. I’ve only had four amateur senior fights and I’ve got a long way to go in the professional ranks.”

Campbell Hatton won a four-round decision Levi Dunn in a lightweight fight..

Hatton, 135.9 lbs of Manchester, ENG won by a 40-36 score and is now 2-0. Dunn, 134.5 lbs of Prestwich, ENG is 0-5.

“I could tell during the whole build up that I’d be a lot better in this fight,” Hatton told Matchroom. “I’ve just been so much more relaxed. It’s night and day. I’ve not watched it back yet, but I think I did show a lot smarter boxing and a bit more composure. 

“There’s still room for improvement but I’m buzzing with it. I’ve not had probably 10% of what I had to do last time. I’m grateful for it. I think I was hurting him a bit more this time. In a spar, it isn’t about taking them out is it. He was doing a lot of holding. He’s a tough kid and he’s done the job that he was here to do. I think I would have got him out of there if there was a bit less holding.

“My heroes have boxed here, so it’s a box ticked for me. It was weird walking down the ramp with no crowd. I can’t wait to do it again here when it’s packed. It’s not new to me now, I’ve got a bit more used to it. I’ll be straight back in the gym ready to go again. It’s all learning, and by keeping busy, I think I’ll be flying soon.”

Tasha Jonas says she has “unfinished business” with former amateur foe Katie Taylor and has promised to settle the score when she faces the Irish star for the Undisputed Lightweight World Titles at the AO Arena, Manchester on Saturday May 1, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in all markets excluding the UK, Ireland, China, New Zealand and Samoa.

‘Miss GB’ came agonisingly close to winning her first World Title at the age of 36 last summer when she battled to a thrilling draw with WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight Champion Terri Harper at Matchroom Fight Camp. It was the first time that two British women had competed against each other for a Word Title, and the all-action fight more than lived up to the occasion. 

The Liverpudlian met Taylor in the quarter-final stages of the London 2012 Olympic Games, losing out on points to the eventual winner of the tournament. The pair meet again nearly ten years down the line this weekend, and Jonas is confident of avenging her loss and handing a first defeat to the icon of women’s boxing. 

“I’ve finally established myself at world level which is where I always wanted to be,” said Jonas. “I think I was a bit unlucky that night. I’ve always said I’m not going to keep banging on the door of Terri Harper. I’ve put myself in mandatory positions and I’ll make the fight have to happen again, but I’m not going to wait around and I haven’t done that. Other opportunities have come forward and they’re the ones that I have taken. 

“Ever since I turned pro that’s always been the fight that everybody has wanted to see. There was 12,000 people in the arena at the time and we got the loudest crowd participation – that was the Irish and the Scousers going at it! It was brilliant. My amateur coach had been all around watching boxing, some of the biggest fights, and he said he’d never heard an atmosphere like it. It’s a little bit sad that fans won’t be there this time, but it was a spectacle and that’s what we hope to do again. 

“All eyes will be on us again and I think both of us will step up to the plate. I know I have to be better than I was last time. Without disrespecting anyone, she’s in a different league to any other opponents before. I’ve fought her before, and I’ll be ready. I’ve always wanted to be a World Champion, one fight could give me that, and everything else. It’s a huge moment for me and my career. I have to be better than I was before, which I’m prepared to do. 

“People say you have these turning points in life. As successful as my amateur career was, I didn’t achieve things that I wanted to. That was the whole point of me coming back and being a pro. There was unfinished business. Katie Taylor has been the unfinished business since 2012. To come back and not only beat her and win her Titles, to become Undisputed – what more could you ask for as a professional boxer? That’s everything. You’ve done it all within one fight. 

“Even throughout her amateur career she’s always set the bar really high and we’ve always had to catch her up. She presents herself well. She’s very positive. She’s been a great role model. That’s carried on into the professionals. When we step into the ring on fight night, she’s going to have to earn that respect. I’ve got all of the admiration and respect for her outside of the ring, but in the ring, you have to earn it. That’s what I’ll do.

“I don’t visualise anything if I’m honest. I prepare myself for every eventuality. That’s what I did with Terri and that’s probably the only time we’ve done that. That’s probably what I’ll do this time. Whatever Terri came with, I had an answer for. I think I’ll do the same with Katie. I’ll prepare for every best version of Katie. Any way that she can come at me, I’ll have an answer for it. The best version of me is a tough fight for anyone, Katie included.”

Taylor vs. Jonas is part of an unmissable night of action in Manchester, Derek Chisora (32-10, 23 KOs) and Joseph Parker (28-2, 21 KOs) collide in a huge Heavyweight clash, undefeated WBA Light-Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol (17-0, 11 KOs) puts his Title on the line against Craig Richards (16-1-1, 9 KOs), Chris Eubank Jr (29-2, 22 KOs) returns against Marcus Morrison (23-3, 16 KOs), Belfast’s James Tennyson (28-3, 24 KOs) faces Mexico’s JovanniStraffon (23-3-1, 16 KOs) for the IBO Lightweight World Title, Preston Super-Welterweight Scott Fitzgerald (14-0, 9 KOs) makes his long awaited return and Lightweight prospect Campbell Hatton (1-0) fights in his home city for the first time as a pro. 

BBC Radio 5 Live will broadcast three huge fight nights live on the radio, kicking off this weekend with Demetrius Andrade defending his WBO World Middleweight title against Liam Williams in Florida on Saturday night, then from Manchester on May 1 with the stacked card led by the Heavyweight clash between Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker and Katie Taylor’s undisputed Lightweight defence against Natasha Jonas, and the blockbuster World Super-Middleweight unification clash between Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders from Texas on May 8.

Andrade (29-0 18 KOs) puts his title on the line for the fourth time against Welsh mandatory challenger Williams (23-2-1 18 KOs) and fight fans in the UK will be able to tune into the crunch battle from 11pm GMT on the BBC on Saturday night.

On May 1, it’s a huge night of action in Manchester as Heavyweight favourite Chisora (32-10 3 KOs) faces former World ruler Parker (28-2 21 KOs), undisputed World Lightweight champion Taylor (17-0 6 KOs) defends her titles against Jonas (9-1-1 7 KOs) in a rematch of their 2012 Olympic scrap and WBA World Light-Heavyweight king Dmitry Bivol (17-0 11 KOs) defends his crown against Londoner Crag Richards (16-1-1 9 KOs).

One week later, the biggest fight of the year so far takes place at the home of the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas as pound-for-pound king Alvarez (55-1-2 37 KOs) battles unbeaten Briton Saunders (30-0 14 KOs) for the WBC, WBA Super, WBO and Ring Magazine straps at 168lbs.

Louise Sutton, 5 Live Sport Editor, said: “BBC Radio 5 Live Boxing has provided superb live coverage of some colossal fights over this past year, with many more to come.
This deal with Matchroom confirms another three thrilling nights of action for fans to enjoy, including some of the most anticipated fights of the year. We’re delighted to be providing UK boxing fans with live free-to-air coverage of each head-to-head, alongside expert analysis, opinion and some special guests.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn said: “I am delighted that BBC Radio 5Live will be covering these three massive nights of action. Andrade vs. Williams is a great fight in Florida on Saturday, as Demetrius aims to make a statement and Liam can become Wales’ 13th World champion.

“The May 1 show is a monster. It’s topped by the Heavyweight showdown between Chisora and Parker which is sure to set fire early and leads a stacked bill with two great World title fights in Taylor vs. Jonas and Bivol vs. Richards.

“Completing the trio is the biggest fight of the year so far, as the pound-for-pound boss Canelo Alvarez taking on the UK’s finest in Billy Joe Saunders in front of over 70,000 fans on Cinco De Mayo weekend in Dallas on May 8 – that is going to be an unforgettable occasion and a mammoth fight.”

Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker will collide in a huge Heavyweight clash on a blockbuster night of action that sees Irish star Katie Taylor defend her Undisputed Lightweight crown against former amateur rival Natasha Jonas and undefeated WBA Light-Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol put his Title on the line against Craig Richards, as well as the return of Chris Eubank Jr, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in all markets excluding the UK, Ireland, China, New Zealand and Samoa.

Former World Title challenger Chisora (32-10, 23 KOs) was last seen pushing Ukraine’s pound-for-pound star Oleksandr Usyk all of the way in their 12-round battle for the WBO Intercontinental Heavyweight Title at The SSE Arena, Wembley last October, and the fan favourite is chomping at the bit for his next challenge.

A meeting between the pair scheduled for October 2019 fell through at three-and-a-half weeks’ notice when Parker’s team revealed he was suffering from the aftereffects of a spider bite. Chisora, who was unconvinced with Team Parker’s reasons for pulling out in 2019, has labelled Parker a ‘chicken’ in recent weeks and says he has unfinished business with the Heavyweight contender. 

Former WBO World Champion Parker (28-2, 21 KOs) is fresh off a hard-fought 12-round decision over long-time amateur nemesis Junior Fa at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand last month that settled an 11-year old rivalry with his compatriot, a win that he hopes will kickstart his route back to the top of the Heavyweight division. 

Ranked at No.3 with the WBO, New Zealand’s Parker is well known on these shores having defended his WBO Title against Hughie Fury at Manchester Arena in September 2017, before taking unified ruler Anthony Joshua the distance at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff in March 2018. His last appearance in the UK came against Dillian Whyte in a dramatic points loss in July 2018.

“We’ve been here before, in 2019 I flew to Vegas to film the ‘Face To Face’ with Parker, I called Haye as soon as I left and told him, ‘This guy isn’t going to get in the ring with me’, I could see the fear in his eyes,” said Chisora. “Now, second time around I hope he fights, I’m looking forward to the fight, I cannot wait to get back in the ring! I love fighting, it is what I love the most. Good luck to Joseph Parker and his new team, we shall see you for WAR on May 1^st!”

“I’m excited to start this new chapter in my career with a new coach and some fresh ideas,” said Parker. “I’ve settled in and Andy and I are bonding well. Chisora and I have unfinished business and inside the ring one of us will get the job done. I am well aware that a win on British soil and on world-wide television will put me in pole position whereas a loss will be catastrophic.  I am more than up for the challenge. Bring it on Del Boy.”

Taylor (17-0, 6 KOs) defeated Jonas (9-1-1, 7 KOs) in the quarter-final stages of the London 2012 Olympic Games on route to capturing Ireland’s first gold medal of the summer. The pair will meet again nearly ten years down the line with Taylor’s WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Titles on the line. 

Since their first meeting in the amateurs, Taylor has gone on to cement herself as the best female fighter on the planet by winning World Titles in the Lightweight and Super-Lightweight divisions and remaining undefeated in all 17 of her professional contests. ‘KT’ was last seen outclassing her WBA Mandatory Challenger Miriam Gutierrez with a masterful display in November. 

‘Miss GB’ came agonisingly close to winning her first World Title at the age of 36 last summer when she battled to a thrilling draw with WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight Champion Terri Harper at Matchroom Fight Camp. It was the first time that two British women had competed against each other for a Word Title, and the all-action fight more than lived up to the occasion. 

“Natasha proved in her last fight that she is still performing at the highest level so it’s a great challenge for me and I’m really looking forward to it,” said Taylor. “It’s a fight that people have been asking for and those are the type of fights you want to be part of.

“People still talk about our fight in the 2012 Olympics and I think that proved to be a real eye opener for people in terms of what women’s boxing is all about. I’m expecting another tough fight on May 1^st and I’m looking forward to successfully defending my Titles.”

“I’m really excited about getting the fight, I made a lot of noise about not wanting to go down in level or class after establishing myself on the world stage in my last fight,” said Jonas. “I know Katie is a different type of animal to Terri Harper, but I believe every time I’m asked to step up, I do. I said I wanted to be a champion and anybody at 130 to 140 was in my sights, I know I’m a world class boxer and I can win a World Title. 

“From the minute Eddie signed me this fight has been on the cards. Me and Katie had a great story from the Olympics, and we have both been pioneers in our own way. I’m glad that it’s happening and it’s a great fight for women’s boxing and for British and Irish boxing.”

Russia’s Bivol (17-0, 11 KOs) is regarded as one of the best technical boxers in the sport, mixing his dazzling skills with KO power. The 30-year-old was elevated to full WBA 175lbs World Champion from interim champion ahead of his 12th pro fight with Trent Broadhurst in Monte Carlo in November 2017 and celebrated with a devasting one-punch KO in the first round.  Bivol has subsequently defended his crown five times, but has been away from the ring since October 2019 when he widely outpointed Lenin Castillo at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Richards (16-1-1, 9 KOs) delivered a Fight of the Year contender last time out in December against fierce rival Shakan Pitters as he stopped the Birmingham man in nine rounds to earn the British Light-Heavyweight crown. ‘Spider’ is ranked at No.8 in the WBA world rankings and has earned his shot by remaining undefeated since sole career loss against former World Title challenger Frank Buglioni in October 2017.

“I have been out of the ring for a year and a half and I have sorely missed boxing,” said Bivol. “I can’t wait to step through the ropes for my next fight on May 1^st. I have always wanted to fight in the UK and I’m happy to tick that box. Craig Richards is a fast and technical boxer and I’m expecting a great fight as I make another defence of my World Title.”

“I feel good and I feel very confident,” said Richards. “I know that he’s renowned as one of the best fighters out there, but I just believe that I’ve got the tools to beat him and I’m very confident in my abilities. I know I’ve got power as well, and I’ve got a very good chin. We’ve been planning for everything and anything.

“We know he’s been operating at world level for a long time and can bring different things to the table. I raise the level of my performance against my better opponents. The bigger the fight the better I perform. A fight like Bivol will allow me to go through my gears to show what I’m really about.”

Having previously campaigned at Super-Middleweight, Eubank Jr (29-2, 22 KOs) returned to the Middleweight division to claim the WBA Interim Middleweight World Title for the second time with a TKO win over former World Title challenger in December 2019, while making his US debut at the Barclays Centre in New York. In what will be his first fight back in the UK in over two years, the Brighton man faces Manchester’s Marcus Morrison (23-3, 16 KOs), who is enjoying a seven-fight winning streak that stretches back to June 2018.

“This is a good fight for me,” said Eubank Jr.  “Since signing with Sauerland my camp has been firing on all cylinders, I’ve been training with Roy in Miami and focussing on improving my game. I have the absolute best people around me, I have everything I need to push on to that next level and dominate the Middleweight scene.

“People have a lot to say about me and my career. There’s talks about why fights haven’t happened previously, but all I’ve been doing is focussing on number one, training hard and making sure I’m always ready. I’m now in the best place I can be and I’m ready to take what is mine.”

“I’m well aware that this is a massive opportunity and fight for me and my career,” said Morrison. “I got into boxing at the age of 7, and these are the type of fights I’ve always wanted to be involved in. Chris is a very good fighter, and I know what he brings to the table. I honestly believe the best version of me is still to be seen, and I look forward to showing it on the night. I can’t afford to not leave everything in there on May 1.”

“This is one of the strongest shows we’ve promoted and there is still even more to come,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Chisora vs. Parker is a brilliant style match up that has been brewing for years and Taylor vs. Jonas is one of the biggest fights in women’s boxing. The Eubanks are always box office and it’s a massive chance for Marcus Morrison after his brilliant win in Italy. Craig Richards goes for World Title glory against the brilliant Russian Dmitry Bivol and there are further announcements to follow. Buckle up and enjoy this one!”

“WAR Chisora realises this is a massive opportunity to gate-crash the Heavyweight division,” said David Haye of Hayemaker Promotions. “He has come close, in his last battle against unified Cruiserweight World Champion and No.1 ranked Heavyweight Usyk, two of the judges’ score cards had it 7 rounds to 5 –  winning just one more round would have captured a draw and Derek would have retained his WBO International Title that night. Since, he has been working, living the life of a professional. Derek doesn’t simply want to beat Joseph Parker, he wants to make a statement to the world. This is his time.”

“There’s definitely unfinished business between Parker and Chisora,” said David Higgins, Founder and Director of DUCO Events. “I think the fight will be a real fan pleaser. It could be the Heavyweight Fight of the Year. You’ve got Chisora who likes to stand and trade and come forward, and then you’ve got Parker who has the speed and the pedigree. This fight has got a bit of history and it has been building for a while. It’s fantastic that it’s finally happening. This is a proper 50-50 matchup where the winner could go on to a World Title shot and the loser will go to the scrapheap. Credit to both Parker and Chisora for putting it all on the line.”

Chicago, IL (March 17, 2021) – Fresh off her second consecutive victory over future Hall of Famer, Cecilia Braekhus, undisputed welterweight champion, Jessica McCaskill is looking to fight the biggest names on the female circuit.

McCaskill of Chicago, easily outpointed the legendary Braekhus by scores of 100-89, 99-90 and 98-91 to win her fifth consecutive and raise her record to 10-2.

“I felt my aggression was really good, just keeping the pressure non-stop, and we are ready for what is next. She was running in, and crowded herself, and I figured if she was going to run in, I would have to get at least one or two shots off, and she kept doing it, so I kept doing it as well. I wanted to move and show some more angles, but she kept coming straight in, so she was right there,” said McCaskill.

“A fight with Katie Taylor might be the next thing on the agenda. If that is what it is, that would be great. If that does not work out, then there are a couple of other names out there. As for Claressa Shields, McCaskill thinks a fight with her can happen, “That could be a possibility if Claressa could come down to 147 pounds. At first, she said that she would not give up any weight, and now she is saying she would, so we are just going to have to see if they are going to take this seriously.”

Said McCaskill’s promoter, Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing, “Jessica proved yet again that she is one of the top fighters in the world. She has now dominated the fighter that has been the long-time pound for top boxer. We would love to fight anyone, and a fight with Katie Taylor would most certainly have a different outcome then their first fight. Fights with Taylor or Claressa would be historic fights as it would match two of the reigning undisputed champions against each other.”

(Friday, March 5, 2021 – Flint, MI) Women’s superstar Claressa Shields furthered her claim as boxing’s “GWOAT” Friday night and became the unified WBC, WBO, IBF & WBA Super Junior Middleweight World Champion, by scoring a one-sided 10-round unanimous decision over Marie-Eve Dicaire of St-Eustache, Quebec, Canada, in the 10-round main event of the historic all-women’s “SUPERWOMEN: SHIELDS VS. DICAIRE event at the Dort Financial Center and live on pay-per-view in Shields’ hometown of Flint, Michigan.

Shields (11-0, 2 KOs) also became the first boxer in the four-belt era to become an undisputed world champion in two weight divisions by virtue of her shutout victory (100-90 by all three judges) over now former champion Dicaire (17-1).

Uncharacteristically, the 25-year-old Shields turned counterpuncher early in this fight, to offset Dicaire’s attempts to bounce in and out of range. Relying on her reflexes to punish any attempt at aggression by Dicaire, Shields shut the Canadian down and then turned back to her customary forward aggression later in the bout.

Dicaire landed a quality southpaw left on Shields in round four, possibly her only significant blow of the fight, and Shields simply shook it off to no effect.

I can’t be mad about my performance,” said Shields after the bout. “She just kept elbowing and headbutting me. I tried for the knockout and I almost had it a couple times, but we’ve got two minutes and the ref not breaking it up when she’s holding me and elbowing me. I’m happy but I still wanted the knockout. I just didn’t have enough time. At the end of the day, I am the new undisputed champ at 154 and the first boxer to be undisputed champ twice.”

Shields said she was happy to have accomplished her latest piece of history in front of her family and friends in Flint, even if the pandemic meant a lot fewer fans in attendance.

“With Covid, we couldn’t have a full capacity. There are 300 here and that’s the capacity of the day, so we have a full house. We couldn’t have full capacity, but I know if we could have, we would have had 6000 people in here. I’m happy to have been able to do it here (in Flint). I started boxing here at Berston Fieldhouse at 11 years old. Never in a million years did I think I’d be on pay-per-view and fighting for an undisputed title and be one of the biggest stars in boxing. I just wanted to win an Olympic Gold medal. God has given me two Olympic medals. I have 12 championship belts now. It doesn’t feel real to say undisputed twice.”

When asked about two of her remaining rivals in boxing, fellow superstar Katie Taylor of Ireland and her one-time conqueror in the amateurs, Savannah Marshall of the UK, Shields brimmed with confidence.

“Katie Taylor is not the worry. 147 pounds is. They’d have to pay me a lot to lose my butt and go down to 147. At the end of the day, I’m a woman. I don’t have big breasts, but I got a nice butt, so come with that dough and I’ll be there. At least a million and I’ll be there.

“Savannah Marshall can’t f* with me. Let’s keep it real. Savannah Marshall, you won a lucky decision when we were kids. Also London was hosting the Olympics. If you want to gloat about beating me 14 points to 8… come on now. And then I went on to become world champion in three different division and she broke. She knows she cannot and will not ever be able to f* with me. She can come to America. I will go to the UK. We can go to Mexico. We can go anywhere, and I will f*** her up. She knows that. She’s scared of me. Savannah Marshall can get it. Tell Eddie Hearn, he came that whack-ass 250K. Tell him to come with 500K… 750K if he wants me to go to the UK and smoke his girl. Pay me.”

Dicaire continued her graciousness in post-fight questioning and promised not to let the loss dampen her future in the sport.

“I think Claressa did a good job tonight,” said Dicaire. “Tonight, she was the best. Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn. Tonight, I learned. I think this is just going to allow me to grow stronger. I don’t box to protect my record or keep my record at 0 losses. I box to beat champions. Tonight, I had the chance to fight the real champion. She won this time but count on me to go back to the gym and work hard and be world champion again for sure.

Shields, who says her much-publicized MMA debut will likely be in Las Vegas in June, threw 409 punches in the fight and landed 128 including 34.9% of her power punches. Dicaire threw 263 punches in return but landed just 31.

“Flint Michigan got the baddest boxer in the world!” said Shields to her fans. “We two-time undisputed. Pacquiao who? Canelo who? When someone else does what I did let me know.”

In the night’s co-main event, Houston’s undefeated Danielle Perkins (3-0, 1 KO) showed marked improvement and had a much easier time in her rematch against Georgia’s Monika “Lay Em Down” Harrison (2-2, 1 KO), scoring a dominant eight-round unanimous decision while picking up the WBC Silver Heavyweight Championship in the process.

The former amateur world champion Perkins used every bit of her superior athleticism, 6’ height and 72-inch reach to move around the ring and keep the 5’ 10” Harrison at bay with a punishing southpaw right jab and a steady diet of strong left hands to the head and body. At times, Referee Michael Griffin appeared to be considering a stoppage, but the durable Harrison kept coming forward and swinging for the fences for all eight rounds, despite the firepower coming her way.

The scores were 80-72 from all three judges.

“I apologize for not getting a knockout. I swear next time I’ll come back and give it to you, Flint,” said Perkins, post-fight. “Monika made some adjustments this time. I hit her with some solid hammers and that girl stayed on her feet so kudos to her.”

Perkins threw 353 punches in the fight and landed 121 including 40.9% of her power shots. Harrison threw 273 shots, but only found a home for 21 of them.

“I want to be the undisputed female heavyweight champion of the world,” continued Perkins. “I want to be the best you’ve ever seen.”

Undefeated bantamweight Jamie “The Miracle” Mitchell (6-0-2, 43 KOs) of Pacific Grove, California, looked impressive in battering and stopping more-experienced veteran Noemi “La Rebelde / No-No” Bosques (12-16-3, 2 KOs) in five one-sided rounds.

With the two-fisted punishment from Mitchell steadily increasing with every passing round, Referee Gerard White decided the stumbling and retreating Bosques had had enough and mercifully waved the fight off at 1:49 of the fifth.

“I was just zoned out. I was doing whatever fit the moment,” said Mitchell, post-fight. “That’s how I got the knockout. Thanks to my coaches and thanks to Claressa Shields for putting me on this card. This is an unforgettable moment for women.”

Prior to scoring the technical knockout, Mitchell landed 48% (80/167) of her power punches, and 40% (94/234) of her total punches. Noemi Bosques only landed 24 of 153 punches.

“I like to pick on myself to do better,” said Mitchell of her performance. “There were certain things I wanted to do, but they don’t call this girl a gatekeeper for nothing. I wish I had gotten her out of there quicker and been crisper with my jab. She was a bit tricky.”

In the opening bout of the broadcast, 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza (9-1, 1 KO) stayed busy ahead of her scheduled challenge of WBC Flyweight Champion Ibeth Zamora in April with a dominant six-round unanimous decision over Canada’s Shelly Barnett (now 4-4-2, 2 KO).

Barnett tried to be aggressive, but Esparza’s skills allowed her to pot shot her bigger opponent, nearly at will, especially as the fight wore on. “We knew she was tough and bigger,” said Esparza. “I wanted someone with more weight because I never fight above 112 lbs. and I think I handled it well. I’m happy about the way everything played out. I’m happy to have been part of this event and to be working with Claressa again.”

Esparza threw 352 punches in the fight, landing 126, including 26 body shots and 38.4% of her power shots. Barnett threw 291 and landed 49. The judges’ scores were 60-54, 6-53 x 2.

On the free pre-show portion of the pay-per-view, middleweight Timur Kerefov stayed undefeated (11-0, 6 KOs) with a TKO 3 over Saint Petersburg, Florida veteran Manny Woods (now 16-11-1, 6 KOs). Woods left eye couldn’t hold up under the onslaught of punches from the Russian former amateur star. The time was 1:06. Kerefov, Detroit via Shalushka, Russia and now training at Kronk Gym, threw 190 punches in the abbreviated encounter, landing 80, including 24 body shots. Woods threw 122 and landed just 17.

SUPERWOMEN: SHIELDS VS. DICAIRE was presented by Salita Promotions in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, dedicated to this year’s International Women’s Day (Monday, March 8, 2021) and proudly sponsored by online gambling titans Betonline.net and plant-based online marketplace Vejii.

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About International Women’s Day
The first National Women’s Day was observed in the United States on February 28, 1909. In 1910, Europe established a Women’s Day to honour the movement for women’s rights and to build support for achieving universal suffrage for women. After World War II, March 8 started to be celebrated in a number of countries. In 1975, during the International Women’s Year, the United Nations began celebrating March 8 as International Women’s Day. In 1995 the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a historic roadmap signed by 189 governments, focused on 12 critical areas of concern; and the inclusion of Goal 5: “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This year’s theme of #ChooseToChallenge looks to call out gender bias and inequity and celebrate women’s achievements.

For more information, please visit internationalwomensday.com.

About Salita Promotions
Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including Showtime, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YouTube Channel for regular video updates of boxing’s greatest legends, its best fighters, toughest contenders and brightest prospects in action.

BOSTON (February 17, 2021) – Boston featherweight Troy Anderson, Jr. hasn’t made his pro debut yet, but he did get the opportunity to recently spar with undisputed world lightweight champion Katie Taylor (17-0, 6 KOs), the 2012 Olympic gold medalist from Ireland, who was a 5-time AIBA world champion as an amateur.

The 28-year-old Anderson, who is managed by Ryan Roach’s Fighter Locker, was supposed to make his pro debut earlier this year in Mexico. He showed up but his opponent tested positive for COVID-19 and their fight was canceled.

Taylor frequently travels from Ireland to Connecticut, where she prepares for fights with her trainer, Ross Enamait.

Anderson, a union Sheetmetal worker in local 17, was a decorated amateur who won a gold medal at the 2016 Rocky Marciano Tournament, as well as The New England’s Tournament twice in 2018-2019, and won Central Division of the New England Golden Gloves Tournament twice and runner-up twice during his four-year (2016-2019) run. He also competed in three national tournaments.

Anderson benefitted from being a southpaw when his trainer, Marc Gargaro, was contacted by Enamait about needing a lefthanded sparring partner for Taylor. “I’ve only sparred with her once,” Anderson said, “but I believe I will be getting more work with Katie at her training camp in the near future. I’ve already been asked back for more sparring.

“In the ring, Katie is patient, sharp, and quick with her combinations. She also doesn’t waste any movements all all. She is very tough and aggressive. Outside the ring, she is very nice, always smiling when talking, and a generous, decent human being.”

There’s nothing better for a young boxer than to train and spar with a world-class athlete, even if it’s a female against a male, the experience in invaluable.

I believe getting experience with a world champion helped me build up my confidence. It definitely opened my mind and eyes to trying new things like different movements and combinations, as well as make sure my defense and foot work was on point. Learning to become better at changing the tempo of combinations I was throwing. Also, realizing the things Katie did during and after sparring, understanding her mentality, and letting me know and see what it takes to be the best in the world, will help me grow big-time as a boxer.

“It is a little different sparring a woman but, honestly, it helped me work on my craft in areas I’ve been trying to improve on. I am still available to give and get good, solid work and effort. It’s expanding my mind, I was still able to pick and choose when to dig hard shots to make sure I was still solidly sparring for her, unlike with guys’ majority of punches are thrown hard.

Ortiz’ manager Ryan Roach commented: “This is a great opportunity for Troy. Anytime you share the ring with a world champion, even sparring, is a great way to elevate your level of confidence. As many know there are a lot of levels to this sport and these opportunities are crucial in building a fighter. I am really proud of Troy. His debut got pushed back, but he’s stayed in the gym and remains positive waiting for his shot. He has a great coach and team at Nonantum Boxing.”

Sparring Taylor may not have erased the disappointment of Anderson’s pro debut being canceled; however, the experience will surely make him a better fighter.

“Sparring a world champion was unbelievable,” Anderson concluded. “Just having the opportunity to step foot in the ring with world champion Katie Taylor was amazing. Literally, leading up to the day of sparring, that’s all I could focus on and think about. I was extremely locked in, because I wanted to give Katie Taylor good work and show her that reaching out to my coach Marc was not a mistake, and his words about me were solid. Seeing how Katie is when moving, throwing combinations, and on defense picking and choosing when to be aggressive and not, is unexplained. It was truly a blessing and I will forever be grateful and thankful for the experience and opportunity to be able to spar with a world champion, Katie Taylor”

INFORMATION:
WEBSITE: fighterlocker.com, punch4parkinsons.com
FACEBOOK: /fighterlocker
TWITTER: @RoachRyan, @_troyandersonjr
INSTAGRAM: @RyanRoach82

ABOUT FIGHTER LOCKER:
Established in 2019, Fighter Locker is a comprehensive sports agency that manages professional boxers. Fighter Locker also helps to brand boxers by finding their voice with a 100-percent customized service. Fighter Locker does not really believe in working models. It believes in partnership optimization models in motion.

Fighter Locker uses four creative steps because it believes in “the foundation is everything”: 1. wisely conceived, 2. creatively restrained, 3. Proudly judged, 4. sharply targeted.

Irish icon Katie Taylor has been crowned The Ring Magazine’s pound-for-pound number one women’s fighter in the world following her brilliant Undisputed Lightweight World Title defence against Miriam Gutierrez at The SSE Arena, Wembley. 

The Irish star showed her superiority from the opening bell, flooring Spain’s Gutierrez in the fourth round as Taylor sealed a masterful unanimous decision victory with scores of 100-89, 100-90 and 99-91 at the top of the bill on an historic night for boxing. 

Sky Sports made the World Title triple-header, featuring Terri Harper and Rachel Ball, available to all, customers and non-subscribers alike, via multiple digital platforms including their YouTube channel, Facebook page and website.

The show, promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, was a big success, with over 2 million in the UK and Ireland viewing Taylor extend her unbeaten record in the pro ranks to 17-0 as she closed out the year in style against WBA Mandatory Challenger Gutierrez.

“It’s great to be considered the pound-for-pound number one and it’s a very satisfying way to end the year,” said Taylor. “It’s obviously been a very difficult year for everyone due to the pandemic so it’s been great to have had the opportunity to get two fights in. Hopefully next year I can be even busier. There are so many great fights and challenges out there for me and I’m so excited about what’s to come.”

The Ring Magazine Associate Editor Tom Gray said: “Katie Taylor has had an extraordinary career to date. Fulfilling her dreams of becoming undisputed Lightweight Champion was a historical accomplishment as was her ability to capture a second title at 140 pounds. To reach the top of the female pound-for-pound list is hopefully the icing on the cake. Her resume sparkles with some of the finest names in the women’s game and the frightening thing is that the best potentially lies ahead.

“As an ambassador and role model for the sport, Katie is unrivalled. On behalf of the Women’s Ratings Panel and The Ring Editorial Board, we are honoured to have Katie as our lightweight champion and new pound for pound No. 1. Ireland and thousands of aspiring female fighters will be proud.”

Katie Taylor’s masterful Undisputed Lightweight World Title defence against Miriam Gutierrez at The SSE Arena, Wembley drew more than 2 million views across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Sky Sports made the historic World Title triple-header, featuring Terri Harper and Rachel Ball, available to all, customers and non-subscribers alike, via multiple digital platforms including their YouTube channel, Facebook page and website.

The fight generated more than 1.5 million views on Facebook, 550k on Sky Sports’ YouTube live stream and across Sky Sports’ website and apps there were 227k views, with over 600k viewers on Sky Sports’ TV platform, making it a bumper night for new audiences.

As part of Sky Sports’ commitment to women’s sport – first announced back in March – the move came with the aim of ensuring elite women’s sport is more widely available to the public through both increasing its existing coverage and by strengthening its digital output. 

Irish star Taylor looked phenomenal as she completely outclassed her WBA mandatory challenger in the evening’s main event, dropping the tough Spaniard in the fourth round on route to a unanimous decision that improved her unbeaten record to 17-0.

Earlier in the night, Denaby’s WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight ruler Harper stopped Norway’s Katharina Thanderz in nine rounds to retain her belts and Ball picked up the Interim WBC Super-Bantamweight World Title by outpointing Argentina’s Jorgelina Guanini.

Matchroom Sport Managing Director Eddie Hearn said: “What a night and what a monumental moment on Saturday. This huge audience got to see a great night of boxing and a performance of pound-for-pound quality. We have made tremendous strides in women’s boxing but the job is still only half done. Together with these great athletes we will continue to push the boundaries.”

Adam Smith, Sky Sports’ ?Head of Boxing Development, said: “We’re thrilled with the fantastic viewing figures, on all platforms, for a truly momentous evening of women’s title fights, topped by Katie Taylor’s masterful performance. 

“Rachel Ball produced a fantastic win, the launch pad for her to pursue World Titles, while Terri Harper was composed and clinical in her defence of the WBC Super-Featherweight belt. It was then Katie Taylor’s time to produce a punch perfect display. Simply dazzling.

“Katie is an unbelievable ambassador for the sport and we decided to stream  her historic fight night for free, a sign of our long-term commitment to women’s sport with Matchroom. We’ve started something special as we continue to showcase the best talent in women’s boxing on Sky Sports.”

Katie Taylor retained her undisputed Lightweight world title with a 10-round unanimous decision over an overmatched Miriam Gutierrez at the SSE Arena in London.

At the end of round four, Taylor dropped Gutierrez with a hard right-left combination. Taylor beat up Gutierrez, who hung in the fight, only to keep eating some vicious shots from Taylor.

Taylor, 134.7 lbs Bray, IRE won by scores of 100-89, 100-90 and 99-91 and is now 17-0. Gutierrez, 134.6 lbs of Madrid, SPA is 13-1.

“I thought it was a great overall performance,” Taylor told Matchroom afterwards. “I boxed well at long distance and close. I did a bit of everything in there tonight. I threw everything but the kitchen sink at her. I just couldn’t get her out of there. She’s tough as nails so credit to her. She hung in and she was there to fight until the very end. She’s obviously big and strong and that showed tonight. 

“I thought it was important for me to stamp my authority right from the first round. She hadn’t fought outside of Spain and was out of the ring for a year. I thought it would be good to start fast. I thought I was going to get her out of there at one stage. She hung in there and she kept swinging shots. She was actually very dangerous when she was swinging shots. I had to be a bit more cautious later on in the fight. Overall it was a great performance. 

“Obviously I would have loved to get a stoppage in there tonight. I haven’t got a stoppage in a long time. It is hard to hurt these girls, they’re very strong and durable. I did everything that I could to get the stoppage but she hung in and I have to be happy with a points win. I’m going home with all of the belts and I’m still the undisputed champion. I’m still unbeaten and this is a great end to the year.

“This was absolutely huge. I think every girl on the card tonight boxed brilliantly. Three fantastic fights. It’s just an amazing showcase. As I’ve said before, Eddie has given us this platform. Women’s boxing is on fire right now because of the platform he has given us. What an amazing few years of women’s boxing. That’s what it’s all about for myself, inspiring the next generation. Hopefully there was a few young girls watching through Facebook on the livestream. It’s all about inspiring the next generation and what an amazing platform to do it on.”

Harper Stops Thanderz in 9; Retains 130 lb. Title

Terri Harper retained the WBC Super Featherweight title with a 9th round stoppage over preciously undefeated mandatory challenger Katharina Thanderz.

Harper battered Thanderz, and in round nine, she landed hard body shots that broke the spirit of Thanderz, and the fight was stopped at 1:12 after barrage of punches.

Harper, 129.5 lbs of Denaby, ENG is 11-0-1 with six knockouts. Thanderz, 127.9 lbs of Oslo, NOR is 13-1.

“I’m buzzing,” said Harper. “That’s my birthday and Christmas all in one. That’s made my year. Obviously having that tough fight with Tasha, there was doubts, and there was wrongs that I needed to put right. We came away and I’ve worked my butt off. I’ve just gone out there and breezed it.

“I hurt my hand in the fourth round, I couldn’t throw it, and when I did throw it it was painful. I stuck to my jab, kept long and just moved. I knew she got frustrated at one point. She stood in the middle of the ring. I didn’t want to look like I was running but there was nothing else that I could really do. I’m happy.

“I caught her with the head, that’s probably from me lunging in, accidental. I could see that her nose was troubling her. The sound of her breathing changed. She was getting distracted by the blood. I threw a nice left hook to the body, caught her and I heard her wince. She backed off and I just went for the kill and the ref jumped in.

“I got a few stoppage wins early on in my career so it’s nice to get another one. I’m going to say a big thank you to my S&C coach Danny Wilson, he’s given me the confidence that I can go through those gears and that I have got the strength. God knows what I’m going to be like after my next camp. I want to fight the best. I’m coming for you Mayer! Slowly but surely we’ll get there and I’ll be punching you in the face very soon.”

Ball Decisions Guanini; Wins Interim Super Bantamweight Title

Rachel Ball won the vacant Interim WBC Super Bantamweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Jorgelina Guanini.

Ball, 121.9 lbs of Aldridge, ENG won by scores of 99-91 twice and 99-92 to raise her mark to 7-1. Guanini, 125.7 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG is 9-2-2.

“I’m so grateful to Matchroom and BCB for continuing to support my journey,” said Ball. “I felt confident that it was mine. I was landing my shots pretty well. She was running around the ring and I feel like I used my distance a lot better. 

“Everything happens for a reason and perhaps she was what I needed at this time. Fair play to her, it was a really good fight. I’m glad I used my assets a bit more in this fight. When I had the opportunity I did go forwards. I went to the body a bit more which I’m pleased about.

“Look how far Terri has gone and look how far Katie has gone. I’d love to be able to be as successful as them. That would be amazing. It’s all good experience. I hope we inspire some girls out there to try boxing and do something different.”

Jack Cullen survived a knockdown early in round one to eek out a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated John Docherty in a super middleweight bout.

Docherty dropped Cullen in the opening 30 seconds with a left on the inside. In round three, Docherty was cut under his right eye.

Cullen began to grind out rounds and won by scores of 96-94 twice and 95-94.

Cullen, 167.7 lbs of Little Leaver, UK is 19-2-1. Docherty, 116.9 lbs of Montrose, SCO is 9-1.

“First round I ended up slipping on my ass,” Cullen told Matchroom afterwards. “If people thought it was a knockdown, it wasn’t. I had to work and push it. Every time I went back to the corner Michael and Dave said, ‘look, you need to get stuck in here and dig deep’. That’s what I feel like I did to win the fight. 

“That’s the first time I’d ever fought a southpaw. I was getting caught with stupid shots for the first couple of rounds. It was time to tuck up and dig deep. I feel like I was really coming on after the fourth round. I still feel like it was a big step up for him.

“I take my hat off to him for taking the fight. We were supposed to be fighting different people tonight. We’re young and we’ll fight anybody, there’s no reason not to. There’s a lot more for me to work on. They’ve only had me for between six and eight weeks which isn’t a lot of time.

“I feel like I’m going to come on bigger, stronger and better. This is my natural weight at Super-Middle. I’ve grown into it and it’s time to takeover. I’m here for a fight and I’m here to takeover and win. I’m young and I’ve got self-belief. I feel like I’m good enough.”

Kash Farooq won a 10-round unanimous decision over Angel Aviles in a bantamweight contest.

Farooq, 117 lbs of Glasgow, SCO won by scores of 100-90, 100-91 and 99-91 and is now 14-1. Aviles, 120 lbs of Altamirano, MX is 20-6-1.

“First round I ended up slipping on my ass,” Cullen told Matchroom afterwards. “If people thought it was a knockdown, it wasn’t. I had to work and push it. Every time I went back to the corner Michael and Dave said, ‘look, you need to get stuck in here and dig deep’. That’s what I feel like I did to win the fight. 

“That’s the first time I’d ever fought a southpaw. I was getting caught with stupid shots for the first couple of rounds. It was time to tuck up and dig deep. I feel like I was really coming on after the fourth round. I still feel like it was a big step up for him.

“I take my hat off to him for taking the fight. We were supposed to be fighting different people tonight. We’re young and we’ll fight anybody, there’s no reason not to. There’s a lot more for me to work on. They’ve only had me for between six and eight weeks which isn’t a lot of time.

“I feel like I’m going to come on bigger, stronger and better. This is my natural weight at Super-Middle. I’ve grown into it and it’s time to takeover. I’m here for a fight and I’m here to takeover and win. I’m young and I’ve got self-belief. I feel like I’m good enough.”

18:10 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS FACEBOOK

8 x 3 mins Light-Heavyweight contest 
THOMAS WHITTAKER-HART 12st 6lbs 9oz v JERMAINE SPRINGER 12st 5lbs 4oz
(Liverpool, England)                                          (Bradford, England)

Followed by

19:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS 

10 x 3 mins vacant WBA Continental Bantamweight Title  
KASH FAROOQ 8st 5lbs 0oz v ANGEL AVILES 8st 8lbs 0oz        
(Glasgow, Scotland)                 (Altamirano, Mexico)

followed by

10 x 3 mins British Super-Middleweight Title Eliminator
JOHN DOCHERTY 11st 12lbs 9oz v JACK CULLEN 11st 13lbs 7oz
(Montrose, Scotland)                        (Little Lever, England)

followed by

10 x 2 mins vacant Interim WBC Super-Bantamweight World Title
RACHEL BALL 8st 9lbs 9oz v JORGELINA GUANINI 8st 13lbs 7oz
(Aldridge, England)                (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

followed by

10 x 2 mins WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight World Titles
TERRI HARPER 9st 3lbs 5oz v KATHARINA THANDERZ 9st 3lbs 10oz
(Denaby, England)                    (Oslo, Norway)

followed by

10 x 2 mins Undisputed Lightweight World Titles
KATIE TAYLOR 9st 8lbs 7ozv MIRIAM GUTIERREZ 9st 8lbs 6oz
(Bray, Ireland)                          (Madrid, Spain)

Eddie Hearn:

“It’s great to be back inside the bubble. It is unquestionably the best bubble in boxing. It is definitely the most expensive bubble in boxing! We do it properly. It is great to see all of the fighters here looking fit, well and healthy ahead of a huge night of boxing on Saturday back at Wembley Arena. A World Championship triple-header and a great opportunity for women’s boxing to carry on progressing. We’re live on Sky Sports in the UK and live across America on DAZN as well. The beauty of this card is although we have three women’s World Title fights, we also have three really good men’s fights. Domestic fights, young talent coming through, a big Super-Middleweight clash too.”

Katie Taylor – Bray, Ireland – 16-0, 6 KOs – defending her WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Titles against Miriam Gutierrez:

“I never get sick of looking at all the belts – it’s something I’ve worked extremely hard for. The journey has definitely been more exciting that I could have expected.

“One punch can change a fight in professional boxing. She is an unbeaten fighter and better than people expect.

“Hopefully I will do a bit of everything – outbox her and outfight her. There are no easy fights at this stage. This is a huge opportunity for her.

“Complacency is very, very dangerous. I’m ready for whatever comes my way. People haven’t seen the best of me.

“Every belt is on the line. She has a lot to fight for. But this is the position I’ve always wanted to be in, defending my titles. I’m prepared to walk away the Undisputed Champion.

“It’s a privilege to be headlining such a big show, an historic show. I never thought when I turned pro that we would see three women’s World Title fights on a show.

“I want to make history and create legacy and, to do that, you have to be active and take risks. We’re in this sport to inspire the next generation. It’s incredible to me that female fighters are household names now.”

Miriam Gutierrez – Madrid, Spain – 13-0, 5 KOs – challenging Katie Taylor for her WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Titles:

“I’m really looking forward to the fight coming around. It has been a long wait, particularly being in a bubble, it’s a bit different but I’m really looking forward to the fight. I can’t wait for it to come around.

“Of course I am really focused, that’s not to say I don’t admire her, I have followed her career both in the amateur ranks and now in the professionals. We’ve been working really hard for this so I am totally focused.

“It’s a lovely situation to be in and it’s a big opportunity for me. I have been working really hard for it so hopefully I can take advantage of this.”

Terri Harper – Denaby, England – 10-0-1, 5 KOs – defending her WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight World Titles against Katharina Thanderz:

“I’m still as hungry as ever. This is only the beginning for me. I want to get out there and fight the other champions, the best in my division.

“I’ve seen a few people on social media saying I can’t box! I’m not doing badly for someone who can’t box. A mistake we’ve made in the past was to look past the fight that was coming up towards future plans.

“The fight I had with Natasha Jonas? I learned a lot. That fight was a blessing in disguise which brought me back to reality, slowed me down, made me realised that I needed to make changes and improvements.

“Thanderz will throw the kitchen sink at me but I have to make sure that I stay champion. She’s very good at coming forwards, very game. I need to use my long arms and not get dragged into a scrap like I did [against Jonas].”

Katharina Thanderz – Oslo, Norway – 13-0, 2 KOs – challenging Terri Harper for her WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight World Titles:

“It’s great to be here and it is a great opportunity. I’ve been waiting a long time for this, I’m really excited. It’s an amazing thing to see how female boxing is growing. It’s always good to have great examples like the current fighters we have to look up to. Of course in Norway for many years we had Cecilia Brækhus. She did a lot for boxing in Norway and Scandinavia. It’s great to be part of this. 

“To become WBC World Champion on Saturday would mean everything. It is what I have been working towards for years. I really enjoy training, that’s what I enjoy the most. For me it isn’t hard work, I really enjoy it. It would mean a lot.”

Rachel Ball – Aldridge, England – 6-1 – fighting Jorgelina Guanini for the vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title:

“Every time I hear people say it, it gets more and more real. It’s still crazy and I’m just so grateful to be here. I’ve taken this opportunity with both hands. I’ve done everything that I can. I’m not going to leave anything in there on Saturday. 

“It’s a fantastic time to be a part of women’s boxing – there’s loads of great girls coming through, now it’s time to live up to the expectations, to step up and deliver. Expect an all action fight from me every time. Expect fireworks, I’m definitely going to deliver them.

“I’ve got a 10-round fight ahead of me so I won’t be daft in the first few rounds but I’m not scared of tearing it up. I’m a very resilient person so I don’t think the pressure affected me [in my last fight]. This time, I’m more prepared.

“People will remember these kinds of shows forever. Katie and Terri will go down in history and hopefully I will too. People will look back and say: ‘That set a precedent like Jane Couch back in the day’. What she did for women’s boxing, hopefully we will too.”

Jorgelina Guanini – Buenos Aires, Argentina – 9-1-2, 1 KO – fighting Rachel Ball for the vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title:

“First and foremost thank you for the compliment on my new haircut! This is an incredible opportunity for me and it’s an opportunity that I’m really looking forward to. I’m really grateful for this. It’s true that I am pretty small. I have been smaller than all of my opponents I have faced. I have probably never faced someone as tall as Rachel but I am up for fighting whatever opponent that is put in front of me.”

John Docherty – Montrose, Scotland – 9-0, 7 KO’s – fighting Jack Cullen in an Eliminator for the British Super-Middleweight Title:

“He’s just another man in my way. This takes me a step closer to the British Title and he’s in my way. He’s not stopping me and I’m going to go through him like Felix Cash did. I’m going to go through Jack Cullen on Saturday night and put on a good performance. I’m going to put on a standout performance in the Super-Middleweight division. I’m not taking anything away from Jack Cullen but I’m levels above him. I know I can’t say that in the pro game because I haven’t showed it yet. I’m going to put him to sleep, it’s as simple as that.”

Jack Cullen – Little Lever, England – 18-2-1, 9 KOs – fighting John Docherty in an Eliminator for the British Super-Middleweight Title:

“I’m not taking it personally, I think it’s a load of shit to be honest with you. What he’s got to realise is I’m not a Middleweight anymore, I’m a Super-Middle and I’m a big Super-Middle. I’m coming to win. Obviously you’ve given me another chance, Matchroom have given me another chance and I’m here to prove a point. In beating John Docherty I will prove my point. I’m going to show how good I really am. He’s fought journeymen. He’s not fought anyone decent yet. He’s going to see on fight night how good I am.”

Kash Farooq – Glasgow, Scotland – 13-1, 6 KOs – fighting Angel Aviles for the vacant WBA Continental Bantamweight Title:

“Fingers crossed everything goes well and you’ll see me in the ring on Saturday night putting on a good performance. Friday night was a long night for me. I brushed myself down and went back to the gym on Sunday morning and carried on. I’ve got to thank everyone for getting me on this bill. Every fight is hard and I’m expecting a tough challenge against Angel. He’s going to be there all night and he’s going to bring the best out in me. I expect myself to be the winner.”

Angel Aviles – Altamirano, Mexico – 20-5-1, 1 KO – fighting Kash Farooq for the vacant WBA Continental Bantamweight Title:

“You can expect a good fight from me. I have to say thank you very much for brining me to this city to fight. I have had some good fights and I’ve had four fights at championship level so I’m used to going the distance and I expect to win this fight.”

Thomas Whittaker-Hart – Liverpool, England – 4-0, 2 KOs – fighting Jermaine Springer in an eight round Light-Heavyweight contest: 

“I’m made up to have someone that’s coming to win against me. I feel like you’ll get more out of me if you’ve got someone in front of me who’s ready to push me. I’m excited to show what I can do. I know Jermaine is going to come to win and it’s going to be exciting. It’s not about the pressure, I don’t really think too much into that. I’ve been doing this since I was a young boy so I’m just taking things in my stride and going with it.”

Jermaine Springer – Bradford, England – 7-1, 1 KO – fighting Thomas Whittaker-Hart in an eight round Light-Heavyweight contest: 

“There’s no pressure on me. I’m coming here to fight. I rate Tom, he’s a good fighter. I’m going to bring the fire. I’m here to spoil the party. I can’t leave the ring disappointed or having regrets. I need to give it everything that I’ve got. I’ve got to put the pressure on and turn it into a real fight. I’ve fought unbeaten fighters before and I’ve gone there to win. This will be the first time that he’s thought someone with my mindset.”

Jermaine Springer insists that all of the pressure is on Matchroom new boy Thomas Whittaker-Hart ahead of their eight round Light-Heavyweight battle on the Katie Taylor vs. Miriam Gutierrez undercard this Saturday at The SSE Arena, Wembley, shown live on Sky Sports and DAZN. 

Liverpool’s Whittaker-Hart, managed by former WBC Cruiserweight king Tony Bellew, signed promotional terms with Eddie Hearn last month and will be hoping to impress on his Matchroom debut as he kicks off a huge night of World Title action, but Bradford’s Springer has other ideas. 

Trained by Al Osta at the Ultra Flex Gym in Leeds, ‘Showtime’ heads into his first TV appearance sporting a record of seven wins and one loss since turning pro in March 2018, and the 32-year-old says he is ready to cause an upset against former amateur standout Whittaker-Hart. 

“I’ve got nothing to lose,” Springer told Seconds Out. “He’s just signed a multi-fight deal with Matchroom, he’s managed by Tony Bellew and he’s the amateur star that has all of the pressure and expectation on him. For me, I’ve just got to go out there and have a fight. It’s a much more simple situation for me. It’s a lot more complicated for him. 

“I’ve seen more of his amateur stuff. We know what he’s about. I think it will be a good fight. He’s not just a one trick pony. He’s an all round good fighter. He’s got good speed, good power and a good jab. He can fight at distance and he can fight up close on the inside. I think our styles will gel.

“I’m going to bring the fire. This is my opportunity. I don’t get opportunities like this. I’m used to fighting at small hall shows. This is what I dream about, fighting on Matchroom shows live on Sky Sports. I’m normally watching them on TV.

“I’m a massive boxing fan. It’s a dream come true and I’m going to give it everything that I’ve got. I 100% believe in myself and I am going there to cause the upset. I can’t leave anything in the ring and end up disappointed. I have to put on a good show and get the win.”

Taylor vs. Gutierrez tops an historic night of World Title action in the Capital, Denaby’s Terri Harper (10-0-1, 5 KOs) defends her WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight Titles against Katharina Thanderz (13-0, 2 KOs), Rachel Ball (6-1) faces Jorgelina Guanini (9-1-2, 1 KO) for the vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title, big-punching John Docherty (9-0, 7 KOs) steps up against ‘Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver’ Jack Cullen (18-2-1, 9 KOs) and Glasgow Bantamweight talent Kash Farooq (13-1, 6 KOs)makes his Matchroom debut against Angel Aviles (20-5-1, 6 KOs).

Sky Sports has today announced that it will make this Saturday’s Fight Night boxing – including Undisputed Lightweight Champion Katie Taylor’s defence against Miriam Gutiérrez – available to all via multiple digital platforms.

Taylor’s Lightweight bout against Spaniard Gutiérrez – as well as Terri Harper’s WBC Super-Featherweight defence against Katharina Thanderz and Rachel Ball’s WBA Bantamweight Title fight with Jorgelina Guanini – will be available to Sky Sports customers and non-subscribers alike, this Saturday from 7pm on the broadcaster’s YouTube and Facebook channels as well as on www.skysports.com. 

As part of Sky Sports’ commitment to women’s sport – first announced back in March – the move comes with the aim of ensuring elite women’s sport is more easily accessible to the public through both increasing its existing coverage and by strengthening its digital output. 

Adam Smith,Sky Sports Head of Boxing Development said:“We’re delighted to be able to make Saturday’s triple-header of women’s World Title fights, a world first, available to a wider audience to showcase some of the brightest talents in the sport. We’ve been with Katie from the beginning of her journey and are proud to be a part of the boom we’re seeing in women’s boxing. Through live streaming the action, we are able to bring more boxing fans closer to the hard-hitting action than ever before with this world first.”

Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Sport said: “This is more ground-breaking news that helps us push women’s boxing to where it needs to be. The momentum of the last few years led by Katie Taylor has been special to watch but we have still got a long way to go. Nights like Saturday change the narrative of the sport, and as I have said before, it’s not men’s boxing and it’s not women’s boxing, it’s just boxing. Katie Taylor is a trailblazer and it is only right that she headlines this card on Saturday on a moment that we have all been working towards for a very long time. The key is to give these great fighters the platform to become stars and achieve their dreams. Without the support from Sky Sports this would not be possible and I’m so happy that so many people will be able to watch Saturday’s event.”

As always, Sky Sports will take fans to the heart of the sporting drama, follow @SkySportsBoxing or go to skysports.com/boxing.

To read more about Sky Sports’ commitment to women’s sport click here

END
For more information:
Sky Sports Press Office
0207 032 1445 
skypress@sky.uk

About Sky

With 24 million customers across seven countries, Sky is Europe’s leading media and entertainment company and is proud to be part of the Comcast group. Our 31,000 employees help connect our customers with the very best of Sports, News, the arts and to our own local, original content.

Following the success of Sky originals like Chernobyl, Patrick Melrose, Das Boot and Gommorah we launched Sky Studios and now plan to more than double our investment in original drama and comedy over the next five years.

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We also believe that a company of our scale has a responsibility that goes beyond our business, and into the community. Our Sky Ocean Rescue campaign has reached millions across Europe, we’re on track to be free of single-use plastic by 2020, we’re investing £25million over five years in ocean-saving tech and we’re a proud employer – recognised by The Times and Stonewall for our approach to inclusivity.

Matchroom Boxing will take over The SSE Arena, Wembley for four events in October, November and December, starting with the highly-anticipated Heavyweight showdown between pound-for-pound star Oleksandr Usyk and Derek Chisora on Saturday October 31, shown live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in all of its nine markets including the U.S., and ending with a night of World Championship boxing on Friday December 4 that will be announced shortly.

Over the course of six weeks, the famous venue in North-West London will play host to colossal Heavyweight rematches, historic World Title triple-headers, all-British World Title clashes, European Title action and British and Commonwealth Title fights as Matchroom close out the year in style with a packed schedule of boxing.

Former Undisputed Cruiserweight king Usyk and fan favourite Chisora kick things off next week on a huge night of action that sees Lee Selby and George KambososJr square off in a Final Eliminator for the IBF Lightweight World Title, Savannah Marshall and Hannah Rankin collide for the WBO Middleweight crown, Heavyweight cult hero Dave Allen returns to action, Belfast’s Tommy McCarthy meets Belgium’s Bilal Laggoune for the European Cruiserweight Title and Amy Timlin faces off with Carly Skelly for the Commonwealth Super-Bantamweight Title.

Then on Saturday November 14, Undisputed Lightweight queen Katie Taylor puts her belts on the line against Mandatory Challenger Miriam Gutierrez on an historic World Titletriple-header as Terri Harper faces her first WBC Mandatory challenger in Katharina Thanderz, RachelBall takes on undefeated Australian Ebanie Bridges for the WBA Bantamweight crown, Swindon’s Jamie Cox returns against ‘Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver’ Jack Cullen, big-punching John Docherty steps up against Jack Arnfield and recent Matchroom Light-Heavyweight signing Thomas Whittaker-Hart meets Jermaine Springer.

The rematch that everyone is talking about lands on Saturday November 21 when Dillian Whyte looks to put things right against Russia’s Alexander Povetkin after his shock KO loss on the final weekend of Matchroom Fight Camp, fast-rising Welterweight talent Conor Benn takes a huge step up in class against Germany’s Sebastian Formella, a former IBO World Champion who went the distance with Shawn Porter in August, and big-hitting Bournemouth Cruiserweight Chris Billam-Smith clashes with undefeated English Champion Deion Jumah for the British and Cruiserweight Titles, with more fights to be confirmed shortly. 

“I’m delighted to have The SSE Arena, Wembley as our new home for the next six weeks, we’ve got a remarkable schedule especially considering the current environment,” said Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Sport. “It’s so important to be as creative as you can with behind closed doors events and here we have a huge space that we can create a high end viewing experience for the fans at home. Whilst we have made the decision to proceed with these huge nights without a crowd, we are working hard with The SSE Arena, Wembley and the authorities to try and bring fans back safely during this period.” 

John Drury, VP & General Manager, The SSE Arena, Wembley said: “It’s such an honour that we’ve been chosen to host this Matchroom residency. We’ve seen some massive shows over the years, and circumstances now make these particularly special. Not only are they huge events in their own right, but they’ll be giving vital work to some of our supply chain contractors, which has been almost completely missing since March.”

Matchroom will promote the first ever women’s World Title triple-header on Saturday November 14, with Katie Taylor, Terri Harper and Rachel Ball all starring in an historic evening of boxing shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US. 

Taylor (16-0, 6 KOs) retained her Undisputed Lightweight World Title with a unanimous decision win over Delfine Persoon as their highly anticipated rematch produced another brutal battle on the final weekend of Fight Camp in August. 

The Irish star puts her World Titles on the line once more against Mandatory Challenger Miriam Gutierrez (13-0, 5 KOs), the undefeated Spaniard who has held the WBA’s Interim World Title since November 2019 following her win over Keren Batiz.

“I’m delighted to be headlining another fight night on Sky Sports,” said Taylor. “When I turned professional it was a bit of step into the unknown in terms of how it all would go so to have these opportunities to headline cards is something I never take for granted.

“It’s been a pretty quick turnaround from my last fight but I’m always looking towards the next challenge and I really wanted to fight again before the end of the year. The pandemic has obviously made it a very uncertain time in terms of scheduling fights so I’m really excited to have a date to focus on.

“I’m expecting a very tough fight against an undefeated challenger, but I’ve been back in training camp in the US for the past couple of weeks and I’m looking forward to successfully defending my titles on November 14.”

“I am very happy, eager and excited,” said Gutierrez. “I am preparing myself 100% for this fight with Katie. This is the great challenge that I have pursued in my sports career, to be able to fight for the undisputed crown.”

Denaby’s Harper (10-0-1, 5 KOs) retained her WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight World Titles with a thrilling split decision draw against Liverpool’s Natasha Jonas in an historic Fight of the Year contender at the top of the bill on Fight Camp Week 2.

‘Belter’ faces her first WBC Mandatory challenger in Spanish-Norwegian Katharina Thanderz (13-0, 2 KOs), the undefeated Interim WBC Super-Featherweight World Champion who claimed the title against Brazilian Danila Ramos after a brutal ten round battle last November. 

“This is the most excited I’ve been for a fight, I feel like I’ve got a lot to prove,” said Harper. “We’ve had the opportunity in this camp to work on lots of new things, having a strength and conditioning coach join the team. I want to go out and put the wrongs right.”

“It’s an amazing feeling to know that I’m finally fighting for the World Title,” said Thanderz. “I’ve been waiting such a long time for this moment, and I just know I’ll give my everything to win the title. Harper is a young and talented fighter. I think she’s a very hard-working girl. She’s fast, she has a good technique, she has stamina, and she’s a very good fighter. It will a pleasure to share the ring with her. 

“I am confident I can beat her. I have a very good feeling, and I’m working very hard in my camp to be the best version of myself. I know it will be very difficult, especially because of the circumstances of the fight, but I’m prepared to surprise and shock everyone when I get the win. I feel very good about fighting in the UK. I’ve never fought in England, so I can’t wait to have the experience of fighting in a completely new country with so many boxing fans.”

Walsall’s Ball (6-1) lands a dream World Title shot on the back of her breakout win over Shannon Courtenay on the third week of Fight Camp. The 29-year-old takes on popular undefeated Australian Ebanie Bridges (4-0, 2 KOs) for the vacant WBA Bantamweight crown. 

“I’ve been craving a big fight, now I’ve got it,” said Bridges. “I’m not coming to Britain to mess around; I’m going to take this opportunity with both hands and take that belt back to Australia with me in exciting style.”

“After my last fight I’m hungrier than ever, training harder than ever and asking myself everyday how I can improve,” said Ball. “I couldn’t be more excited for this fight. We’re friends but this fight isn’t going to be pretty, it’s business.”

“This a historic moment,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “A huge night of boxing that will be headlined by not one but three women’s World Title fights. Katie Taylor has spun the game on its head since she turned pro and has paved the way for so many great female fighters. Katie faces the second Mandatory Challenger during her undisputed reign in tough undefeated Spaniard Miriam Gutierrez. 

“While fresh off a Fight of the Year contender at Fight Camp, Terri Harper faces her first Mandatory Challenger in undefeated Spanish-Norwegian Katharina Thanderz and in a fairy tale story Rachel Ball has a chance to become World Champion against popular Aussie Ebanie Bridges. This is a major statement from us and our broadcast partners, don’t miss an incredible night on November 14.”

“Katie Taylor continues her epic journey as one of the world’s elite boxers on a terrific triple-header of women’s World Title action,” said Adam Smith, Head of Boxing Development at Sky Sports. “The Irish star displayed grit and determination in a punishing rematch win over Delfine Persoon in Fight Camp, and her renowned skills should also be on show against Miriam Gutierrez.

“Terri Harper battled to a thrilling draw with Natasha Jonas in one of the year’s most enthralling fights and she is back in action, defending her WBC belt versus Katharina Thanderz. Rachel Ball also receives a World Title fight after she dropped and shocked Shannon Courtenay, but she must now overcome Ebanie Bridges. Three fantastic World Title fights – all live on Sky Sports!”