Tag: Birmingham

CHAVEZ JR: I CAN BEAT ALL THE 168LBS CHAMPS

Post author By f/s
Post date December 16, 2019

December 10, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Julio Cesar Chavez Jr works out at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, CA. Mandatory Credit: Lewis Ward/Matchroom Boxing USA

CHAVEZ JR: I CAN BEAT ALL THE 168LBS CHAMPS

Mexican star wants win over Jacobs to launch World title bid

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr has issued a warning to the World Super Middleweight champions that he’s coming for their titles after he takes on Daniel Jacobs at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Phoenix, Arizona on Friday December 20, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

Chavez Jr (51-3-1 33 KOs) takes on fellow former Middleweight king Jacobs (35-3 29 KOs) in a crunch clash at 168lbs, with both men gunning for a shot at the clutch of talented fighters with belts in the division in 2020.

The 33 year old returned to action with a first round KO in Mexico in August after two years out following his clash with fellow countryman Canelo Alvarez in May 2017, and Chavez Jr believes that a big win over the ‘Miracle Man’ will set him up for a title shot against the likes of Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders.

“This is the right fight to get me back to the top,” said Chavez Jr. “It’s a big risk because of the activity he’s had, but I am not a stepping stone for him, I am ready and I need to win the fight and I know I have the skills and the heart to win.

“There are a lot of good fighters out there at 168lbs; not big names but strong guys. I feel I can beat them all and with the right decisions I will get there, and that starts with a win over a great fighter like Jacobs. I am a fighter and I take the risks, now I am doing things right.

“I think this is my time, and now I need to take the next big step. It’s going to be a good fight for the fans and after that I’ll be ready to win another World title. This feels like a World title fight as Danny is a true champion and so am I.”

Chavez Jr and Jacobs clash on a huge night of action in Phoenix as Julio Cesar Martinez takes on Cristofer Rosales for the vacant WBC World Flyweight title.

The Welterweight division is in focus on the card as Maurice Hooker starts his quest to become a two-weight World champion as he moves up to Welterweight and takes on Uriel Perez on his bow at 147lbs. Josh Kelly is one of the stand out talents in the Welterweight division, and he meets Winston Campos as he closes in on a clash with European champion David Avanesyan at the start of 2020. Olympic gold medal man Daniyar Yeleussinov is another Welterweight star on the card and he looks to impress in his ninth pro outing against Alan Sanchez.

Gabriel Rosado will have a keen eye on the main event as he fights for the 38th time as a pro against Humberto Ochoa while Brit star Liam Smith continues his charge to a second World title reign in a ten round clash with Roberto Garcia.

Three of Matchroom Boxing USA’s bright young things complete the stacked card in Nikita Ababiy, Reshat Mati and Raymond Ford.

WORLD TITLE CHALLENGER DUHAUPAS: “HRGOVIĆ’S STYLE AND ABILITY ARE SIMILAR TO VITALI KLITSCHKO”

Post author By f/s
Post date November 29, 2019

WORLD TITLE CHALLENGER DUHAUPAS: “HRGOVIĆ’S STYLE AND ABILITY ARE SIMILAR TO VITALI KLITSCHKO”

Former WBC World Heavyweight Title Challenger and WBA International Heavyweight Champion Johann Duhaupas has compared Filip Hrgović (9-0, 7 KOs) to legendary three-time World Heavyweight Champion Vitali Klitschko.

The experienced Frenchman has been in Miami sparring Hrgović, alongside undefeated British heavyweight prospect Fabio Wardley and top Belgian cruiserweight Joel Tambwe Djeko, ahead of his WBC International Title clash with Eric Molina (27-5, 19 KOs) on December 7th at the purpose built Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia.

Duhaupas, who first encountered Hrgović at a Wladimir Klitschko training camp in Austria, says he has been impressed with the fast rising Croatian star, and states his ‘style and ability’ are similar to the elder Klitschko brother Vitali.

“I first met Filip at the Klitschko camp in Austria and he impressed me,” said Duhaupas. “He has a good right hand, fast and strong, and you can see he aims to become a World Champion. I smell it in him. His style and ability are similar to Vitali Klitschko.

Duhaupas is renowned for fighting some of the heavyweight division’s elite talent having faced the likes of Deontay Wilder, Alexander Povetkin and Jarrell Miller, and believes Hrgović is now ready to face similar big names.

“Deontay is a killer, but Filip already has a good right hand and maybe in one year with more muscle and power he could punch as hard as Wilder,” says Duhaupas. “With good mental and physical preparation, I believe Filip could win by KO against Miller or Povetkin.”

Hrgović must first overcome two-time World Title Challenger Molina from Texas, USA. A challenge Duhaupas believes the Olympic Bronze Medalist is ready for.

“It’s a really big opportunity for him,” he says. “When you are a good boxer with a good team you don’t care about travel, you only care about winning your fight. Filip wants to fight and he knows what he wants to achieve, I am very happy to train with him because his mentality is similar to mine.”

Hrgovic-Molina features on the undercard of the unified World Heavyweight Championship fight between Andy Ruiz Jr and Anthony Joshua which tops a stacked event at the Diriyah Arena, Saudi Arabia.

Also on the card are heavyweight clashes between Alexander Povetkin and Michael Hunter, Dillian Whyte against Mariusz Wach, Mahammadrasul Majidov vs Tom Little and more. All the action will be available to watch on DAZN in the US and other territories, RTL in Croatia and Sky Sports in the UK.

ANTHONY JOSHUA PROMISES THE WORLD AN “ICONIC EVENING OF BOXING”

Post author By f/s
Post date November 25, 2019

ANTHONY JOSHUA PROMISES THE WORLD AN “ICONIC EVENING OF BOXING” AS HE ARRIVES IN SAUDI ARABIA

Anthony Joshua OBE has promised the world an “iconic evening of boxing” as he lands in Saudi Arabia ahead of his rematch with World Champion Andy Ruiz Jr in the Clash On The Dunes.

The boxing superstar landed last night at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh as arrives to set up his pre-fight training camp to prepare for the epic bout on December 7.

The first Heavyweight World Title fight to be held in the Middle East, the Clash On The Dunes will take place in the custom-built 15,000 seat Diriyah Arena in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage site known as the home of heroes and kings.

Joshua will be looking to regain his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO belts after suffering defeat to Ruiz in New York earlier this year, but the British Heavyweight will have the backing thousands of UK fans joining boxing enthusiasts from more than 60 countries.

“It’s going to be an incredible night and I’m thrilled so many of my fans are going to be there, particularly from the UK,” said Joshua. “It’ll definitely be a night people will tell their grandchildren they were at, one of those iconic evenings of boxing. Everyone from Saudi has been brilliant to work with.”

The Clash On The Dunes forms part of the Diriyah Season, epic month of sports which kicked off with Formula E at the weekend, the Diriyah Tennis Cup featuring eight of the best men’s players on the planet, and the Diriyah Equestrian Festival, an elite competition with Tokyo Olympics 2020 qualifying points on the line.

The Diriyah Season is also supported by the Diriyah Music Festival with huge concerts taking place around the event. On December 6, the night before the Clash On The Dunes, major artists who are yet to be announced will perform. So far artists such as Imagine Dragons, DJ Alan Walker, Clean Bandit and Maluma have performed to 40,000 concert goers.

Tickets for all of the Diriyah Season’s spectacular events, concerts and entertainment will be available at www.diriyahseason.sa. Follow Diriyah Season’s news and announcements on the official social media pages on twitter and Instagram @diriyahseason.

About Diriyah Season

Diriyah Season is an unmissable set of international sports and entertainment events, happening at the historic city of Diriyah, the birthplace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Sports fanatics, entertainment seekers, foodies and shoppers, are invited to a month of energy, excitement, elegance, and memorable moments as the world comes to Diriyah!

Watch the world’s top sporting events:

· Diriyah Equestrian Festival on December 12^th, 13th, 14th, 19^th, 20^th and 21^st , where contestants from all over the world will be one with their horses to qualify for TOKYO 2020

Debut Manchester event among 7 new UK dates for 2020 schedule

Post author By f/s
Post date November 21, 2019

Debut Manchester event among 7 new UK dates for 2020 schedule

Cage Warriors confirm 7 new dates for their 15-event 2020 schedule, including their first ever event in Manchester.

2020 will be Cage Warriors’ most ambitious year yet, with a record-breaking 15 events for the promotion.

Just added to the schedule are dates in Manchester, London, Birmingham and Cardiff. That’s 10 events now confirmed for the new year, with further events still to be announced.

Kicking off the year will be Manchester on March 7th, when Cage Warriors will stage their debut fight night in the stomping ground of their former champion and UFC legend Michael ‘The Count’ Bisping.

The city of Manchester has churned out some serious fighting talent in recent years, including current Cage Warriors bantamweight champion Jack Cartwright, who stunned Europe with double knockouts during the title tournament at ‘Unplugged 2’ this September.

Returning to continue building the sport of MMA in numerous UK cities, Cage Warriors President Graham Boylan has also confirmed 2020 dates in Cardiff, London and Birmingham. These cities have produced some of the most elite champions in Cage Warriors history, including Jack Shore, Nathaniel Wood and Jai Herbert.

Boylan said: “Finding and building the next biggest stars of the sport is simply what we do, and 2020 will be no different.

“15 events is the most we’ve ever put on in a single year. It means we can return to places where we’re established to keep giving local fighters a platform to grow – and giving fans the fights they want to see – but also to break into new cities that have called for Cage Warriors shows for a while.

“We’re turning up the dial next year, that’s for sure.”

Cage Warriors’ 2020 schedule is now as follows, with a number of dates still to be announced.

March 7th – Manchester

March 20th – London

April 18th – Birmingham

May 16th – Belfast

June 13th – Cardiff

June 20th – London

July 25th – Cork

September 26th – Belfast

October 10th – Birmingham

November 27th – London

JAKE TINKLIN

Post author By f/s
Post date October 24, 2019

Boxing has really helped with my confidence and has brought me out of my shell much more as an individual”.

They often say, “don’t meet your heroes”. Often people are disappointed, they are left wondering why they are so different to what they envisioned, why they didn’t fulfil their expectations and how they became ordinary once the initial excitement passed.

Much like many other fighters who grew up idolizing the sport’s most famed athletes, from the mainstream to the niche, from the Muhammad Alis and Mike Tysons to the Emanuel Augustus’ and Dave Allens, Jake Tinklin (6-0) grew up hoping he would one day be as good, if not better than his native idol: Gavin Rees (38-4-1).

The professional fighter from Risca (Tinklin) came from a boxing family who were accomplices of the former Welsh world champion (Rees) and ever since Tinklin was a youngster he had wanted to follow tradition.

“I first got involved in boxing through my father’s friend: Jamie Weetch. At the time he was a well-known amateur from Cwmcarn ABC and has now moved to Australia and competes as a pro. Me and my other five siblings got introduced to the head coach: Gary Butcher and we’ve never looked back since! Boxing has really helped with my confidence and has brought me out of my shell much more as an individual”.

After getting his first taste for the sport in the Welsh amateur circuit, Tinklin quickly began to develop and attract the attention of domestic coaches looking for a prospect to start working with. It wouldn’t be long before the young and ambitious Tinklin would yield the attention of his idol, and now trainer.

Gavin Rees: “I’ve known Jake’s family all of my life and that’s how I first came to meet him. I’ve been working with him for four years now, we’ve been very unlucky not to get Welsh titles in the amateurs and Jake (Tinkin) has boxed a load of brilliant lads. I think the pro system suits his game to a tee, he might be used to the fast 3-round pace of the amateurs but once he settles into the 6-8 rounds he’ll really do well”.

The 22-year-old welterweight had the early ambition to be recognized as one of Wales’ most prestigious fighters, he wanted to be held in the same stead as the Calzaghes, Wildes, Selbys and most importantly his chosen favourite: Rees. At the age of 18 and still competing as a top-level amateur, Tinklin would bare arms with the very man who brought him to the squared circle.

“My dad used to take me to watch him (Rees) fight all the time and is still my boxing idol today and even better he’s now my trainer. Dreams do come true!”

“I have to thank Gavin (Rees) for being such a great friend and mentor to me. He puts so much

time and effort into me and I’m really thankful for him. His training is so hard and he doesn’t let

you stop, but that’s what you need in this sport”.

By the age of 18, Tinklin had already achieved one of his most important goals in the sport. Since they formed an allegiance in the amateurs, Tinklin and Rees have been working together ever since and appear to have one of those unique coach/fighter relationships that many of the sport’s greats have shared. They often say that boxing is not just an individual sport, it’s who you have in your corner, and for Tinklin his corner is among the best available in the country.

It has been seen many times in the sporting world before, an athlete will achieve their lifelong goals too early and peak at a young age, leading to a disastrous fall from grace when motivation slowly diminishes and the drive behind their beginnings begin to fade, much like Connor McGregor’s rise and fall from superstardom. Tinklin is not in any danger of falling into that bracket however, as the Welsh prospect is still yet to fulfil his childhood dream of becoming one of Wales’ most famed prizefighters. Tinklin has found motivation in multiple avenues of life along his road to today, and his drive for success only grows every day.

Now 5 fights into his professional career, Tinklin has a new source of motivation to add to his list of ambitions.

“I’ve always been self-motivated as I love the sport so much, but now I want it even more to provide for my son and so he has something to look back on. I want to provide a big future for him when he’s older and that’s why I’m heading to the top”.

The father to be speaks of a bold future in the sport, but his confidence seems justified with a deep knowledge and understanding of boxing acquired over a high-level amateur career and frequent sparring contested against the best fighters in the UK.

“The best part of my ability as a boxer would be my jab, I can work behind it and create openings wherever the fight may lead. I always put 110% into every single fight and the same goes for my training camps. There’s blood and sweat everyday”.

Looking toward his future goal of becoming Wales’ next great, Tinklin remains optimistic yet calculated.

“I’m not going to stop until I get those titles. In five-years-time I want to be somewhere where my son can look up to, I want to be in huge televised fights so I can really show the world what I can do and make something for my little boy.”

Tinklin has the privilege to work with his boxing idol in the quest for superstardom and domestic glory, whereby the pairing will be keen to pursue titles in the foreseeable future. It might seem a monumental task to achieve similar feats to Calzaghe and Rees, but Tinklin’s intentions remain set in stone.

“Losing is not an option for me. I will get those titles”.

TAYLOR BIDS TO BECOME TWO-WEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION IN MANCHESTER

Post author By f/s
Post date September 17, 2019

TAYLOR BIDS TO BECOME TWO-WEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION IN MANCHESTER
Irish sensation meets Linardatou for WBO Super-Lightweight crown

Katie Taylor will bid to become a two-weight World Champion when she meets Christina Linardatou for the WBO Super-Lightweight World title at Manchester Arena on Saturday November 2, shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US.

On the same bill, Manchester favourite Anthony Crolla bids farewell at the venue he was crowned World Champion, rising Light-Heavyweight star Joshua Buatsi steps up again to take on another former World title challenger in Blake Caparello, Felix Cash defends his Commonwealth Middleweight title against English Champion Jack Cullen and Gamal Yafai and Qais Ashfaq continue their march towards titles.

Taylor (14-0, 6 KOs) completed her journey for Olympic gold to undisputed Lightweight World Champion with a thrilling points win over Belgium’s Delfine Persoon on the blockbuster Joshua vs. Ruiz card at Madison Square Garden on June 1.

After a bloody and brutal battle that captivated the New York crowd, the Irish star added Persoon’s WBC belt to her IBF, WBO and WBA titles to hold all four at 135lbs and cement her place as the number one Lightweight on the planet.

Linardatou (12-1, 6 KOs) landed the WBO crown with a sixth round TKO win over Kandi Wyatt in her home city of Athens in March. The 31-year-old made the first defence of her title against Deanha Hobbs three months later in Greece, dominating the Australian over ten rounds.

Her sole career loss came against Delfine Persoon in June 2016 when she was outpointed in a challenge for the former champion’s WBC title in Belgium – her first World title attempt before moving up in weight to Super-Lightweight.

“I had some of my early pro fights at Manchester Arena and to come back in November and headline a card there a couple of years on is amazing,” said Taylor. “It’s played host to some huge nights in boxing history so I’m honoured to be part of that tradition.

“It’s a new challenge at a new weight and something I’m really excited about. I still feel like I have so much left to achieve in the sport and becoming a two-weight World Champion is one of those goals.

“There are still so many huge fights out there for me like the Amanda Serrano fight, a rematch with Delfine Persoon and a fight with Cecilia Brækhus but the first goal is November 2nd and winning another World title.

“I don’t have any issues making Lightweight so I think I can move comfortably between the two weights. I always want to push myself and Christina’s an excellent World Champion so it will be a big test for me.”

Linardatou said: “I plan on leaving England with my title. If I need to knock Katie Taylor out in order to retain the title, that’s what I’ll do.”

Former Lightweight World Champion Crolla (34-7-3, 13 KOs) fittingly returns to the scene of his greatest triumph to call the curtains on a memorable career after challenging pound-for-pound star Vasiliy Lomachenko for the WBA and WBO Lightweight titles in Los Angeles earlier this year.

The Mancunian hero won the WBA Lightweight crown against Darleys Perez on a hugely emotional evening at Manchester Arena in November 2015 and successfully defended his title against Ismael Barroso at the same venue the following year.

Croydon’s Buatsi (12-0, 10 KOs) fights in Manchester for the first time as a professional after extending his explosive KO streak to seven fights as he stopped Canada’s Ford in seven rounds at The O2 in London on the Lomachenko vs. Campbell card.

Next up on his World title quest is Australia’s Caparello (30-3-1, 13 KOs), a former opponent of WBO Light-Heavyweight World Champion Sergey Kovalev and former IBF Super-Middleweight ruler Andre Dirrell, who arrives on these shores coming off four wins.

Cash (11-0, 7 KOs) was due to defend his Commonwealth title against Little Lever’s Cullen (17-1, 8 KOs) in July before an injury ruled him out but the pair will now clash in November after Cullen stopped John Harding Jr in eight rounds in Liverpool, while Yafai (16-1, 9 KOs) was last seen stopping Brayan Mairena in Birmingham last September.

“I’m so happy to be back in Manchester for this huge show,” said Eddie Hearn. “Katie Taylor is now established as one of the biggest stars in world boxing and she bids to make more history by becoming a multi-weight World Champion by challenging WBO Super-Lightweight champ Christina Linardatou.

“Hometown hero Anthony Crolla rolls the dice one more time as he takes part in his final fight in the sport in the arena that has hosted so many epic Anthony Crolla nights. The stabilisers are off for Joshua Buatsi as he takes a huge step up against tough Australian Blake Caparello in a WBA World title eliminator and there is a brilliant domestic Middleweight clash between Commonwealth champ Felix Cash and English champ Jack Cullen – there’s plenty more beneath these four fights on what will be a huge night of boxing.”

Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be showing the best female boxer in the world back on Sky Sports on this huge show. This is another major test for Katie Taylor as the undisputed Lightweight champion takes on all comers and continues to cement her extraordinary legacy in the sport.

“Katie is a marvellous ambassador and inspiration to so many and we are delighted to be working so closely with her as we look to feature both the very best in boxing and also in women’s sport on Sky.”