Monthly Archives: August 2024

Without necessarily having a stand-out pound-for-pound number one or ‘face’ of boxing at present, the sport continues to flourish and is arguably in a better position when there are multiple contenders for each of those mantles. However, when it comes to who the most exciting fighter on the planet is, Frank Warren had no difficulties narrowing his list down to one man.

Turki Al-Alshikh’s intervention into the sport has provided a platform for numerous unlikely faces to make a name for themselves on the world stage, with Agit Kabayel, Martin Bakole and Daniel Dubois all finding success in the Middle East and emerging as heavyweight title contenders or even champions.

Although, one man who has benefited even more than that trio is Liverpool featherweight Nick Ball, who fought in back-to-back world title contests in Saudi Arabia, drawing the first with Luis Alberto Lopez before becoming WBA champion with a split-decision triumph over previously undefeated American Raymond Ford.

In an interview with Queensberry, Frank Warren declared ‘The Wrecking’ Ball to be the most exciting fighter on the planet, ahead of his homecoming event in Liverpool.

“He is the most exciting fighter in the world. For the amount of shots that he throws and the action, it is all-action. As soon as the first bell goes, he is just on you all of the time, letting his punches go and he has got a good defence as well. Don’t think he is some guy that just walks forwards, he slips punches and he is a very smart boxer, but he is exciting.

“Two very, very big fights in the space of ten weeks in Riyadh, as part of the Riyadh Season. He got robbed in the first one, where he fought the best featherweight in the world and he won that fight, it was a terrible decision. He certainly won the second fight, as we know, and he got that one.

Poster boy of British boxing Anthony Joshua is aiming to become boxing’s fifth three-time heavyweight champion when he takes on newly-crowned IBF title-holder Daniel Dubois next month. However, it seems as though one man is already eyeing up ‘AJ’, whether that be for a first defence of the belt or a potential comeback outing following a possible defeat to Dubois.

As is the norm following an undisputed bout in any division, the heavyweight scene is expected to be blown wide open in the coming months, as Oleksandr Usyk’s titles become fragmented. Already, Daniel Dubois has seen the benefit of an undisputed coronation, being upgraded from interim champion to full IBF champion shortly after Usyk’s famous victory over Fury, but that reign could soon be cut short by Joshua.

Elsewhere in the division, contenders are battling it out for a higher ranking with the sanctioning bodies, hoping to find themselves well positioned for a shot at either Usyk or a vacant title during the aftermath of the Ukrainian’s rematch with Fury this December.

Recently, we have witnessed the surprising resurgence of Joseph Parker and the unlikely rises of both Agit Kabayel and Martin Bakole take place, but now there is a new threat hoping to emulate their surges up the rankings and a recent knockout win could see those hopes come true in the near future.

In an interview with Boxing Social, Italian heavyweight Guido Vianello called for a showdown with Anthony Joshua but admitted that he would be willing to face anybody that sits above him in the rankings.

The Floyd Mayweather Jr. exhibition roadshow is set to recommence on Saturday night as he rematches John Gotti III, 14 months on from their last controversial meeting in Florida. Ahead of their scrap, Mayweather has made some surprise comments regarding Mexico, given all that has occurred during the build-up.

Mayweather has made a second career out of fighting in exhibitions since hanging up the gloves, taking part in seven boxing events since hanging up the gloves in 2017, ironically remaining more active than some current fighters and champions in the sport. However, this weekend’s opponent may be the most meaningful of all his post-professional dance partners, after what went down when the duo last stepped into the ring together.

After bossing the early exchanges, Mayweather saw his contest against Gotti waived off by the referee to due excessive trash-talking from both parties. Although, it was the brawl that followed shortly afterwards that made headlines, as the teams of both men collided in the ring in one of the most viral moments of boxing in 2023.

This time around, Mayweather has been taunted by fans, who chanted for Canelo Alvarez during the open workout, over a decade since ‘TBE’ outpointed the national superstar in Las Vegas. At the press conference, Gotti III made it clear that he believes himself to be the home fighter in the Mexico City rematch.

“All of the preparation is done, we did all of the work, I am ready to fight. I am excited to be here, I am blessed to be here. From the minute that we landed, we have been blessed with open arms, everywhere that we have been, restaurants and in the street, all of the hard-working Mexicans have pledged their loyalty to the Gotti’s and King Gotti.”

IBF welterweight champion Jaron Ennis is set for a breakthrough year after defending his world title and becoming the perceived top dog at 147lbs. Although, to truly emerge as one of the pound-for-pound superstars in the sport, ‘Boots’ will need to either triumph over a fellow pound-for-pounder or unify the world titles, and it appears as though his father has gotten in the way of the latter option.

Ennis has been highly thought of for a number of years as the natural successor to the Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. era in the welterweight division and now that his compatriots moved up to 154lbs, ‘Boots’ looks set to take over the welterweight scene. The Philadelphian was upgraded from IBF interim champion to full world titlist last November but it wasn’t until July that he competed in a first world title bout, but boy did he look the part.

The 27-year-old returned to his hometown and faced David Avanesyan at the Wells Fargo Center in front of 15,000 fans – the biggest crowd in the state since Marvin Hagler headlined against Bennie Briscoe in 1978. Ennis obliged with a fifth-round knockout to retain the belt, notably halting the Armenian one round before Crawford did, and then announced his plans to unify the world titles.

Just one month since that win, Ennis told YSM Sports Media that he had sent an offer to newly-crowned WBO champion Brian Norman Jr., but claimed that the ‘Assassin II’ had ‘turned it down’.

“An offer was sent two days ago. Someone sent me something where they said they would fight me at home, too. We sent an offer two days ago. They turned it down,”

“I want to collect these belts. I’m just frustrated. I don’t want to have no backward fights. My whole thing is to be undisputed [at 147] and collect these belts.”

Although, in response, Brian Norman Jr. detailed how he and his team did not decline the offer and that it was actually Ennis’ own father who believed it was best that the clash was ‘saved until later on’.

“My daddy called Bozy himself, ‘Yes, we accepted the fight, and my dad was trying to talk. But Bozy said, ‘Woah, woah, no. We ain’t trying to fight right now. We want to save that until undisputed [is on the line]. We want to save that until later on.’

It has been confirmed that a brand-new fly-on-the-wall documentary surrounding Matchroom is heading to Netflix and now promoter Eddie Hearn has provided further detail, admitting that the series will be a ‘game changer’.

Box To Box Films have had repeated success with Netflix documentaries in the past, most notably through the award-winning and ongoing ‘Drive To Survive’ series that is focussed around the drama that surrounds Formula One and has recently been renewed for a seventh season. Warren Smith, Head of Sports & Factual at Box to Box, claimed that ‘now is the time for the deal makers’.

“At Box to Box we are privileged to have access to some of the world’s biggest sports stars, teams and organisations.

“Now is time for the deal makers and there is none bigger than Barry and Eddie Hearn with their team at Matchroom.

“It’s a British success story that is going for global domination.”

On Matchroom’s website, it was revealed that they would be allowing Box to Box ‘to get up close and personal’ ahead of their latest series – which is currently titled as ‘Matchroom: The Greatest Showmen’ and is expected to be available to stream during 2025.