World Boxing News 2010-2013

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor British champion names MMA legend as tongue in cheek target Heavyweight contender Tyson Fury has admitted he ‘wants to do something crazy’ on his Twitter account today and upon thinking about it, has decided to challenge MMA star and former wrestler Brock Lesnar to a boxing or bareknuckle bout in the future. The Manchester-born fighter, who currently holds the Lonsdale Belt and Commonwealth crown, fancies sharing the ring with the former WWE star and made the admission on social networking site Twitter this afternoon as he awaits an opponent for his next bout on November 12 th. Fury, 23, is part of the travelling community where bareknuckle fighting has been an integral part of every day life and with friend and former fighter Paddy Doherty ringside for his last bout, the double title holder is no stranger to a bout without gloves or rules.

One of the world’s most feared fighters, heavyweight Kimbo Slice, returns to the ring October 15 for only the second time as a professional boxer, facing Tay Bledsoe in a four-round bout at Heartland Events Center in Grand Island, Nebraska. “Kimbo Slice is a tremendous puncher,” his co-promoter Gary Shaw said.   “We believe that he has unlimited potential in boxing.   He’ll learn each fight and become even more of a threat in the boxing ring than he ever was in mixed martial arts.” An underground combat-fighting legend, largely through You Tube, Kimbo Slice, aka Kevin Ferguson, made his much-anticipated MMA debut in a 2007 exhibition in Atlantic City, where he defeated former WBO heavyweight champion and Olympic gold-medalist Ray Mercer by way of a guillotine choke at 1:12 of the first round. Slice soon signed a contract with ProElite  and later joined the UFC. Slice’s development as a boxer has been on an accelerated pace because of world-renown trainer John Davi

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor ‘The Problem’ ready for anyone in November world title bout WBO super-featherweight title challenger Adrien Broner is on the cusp of becoming world champion after an amazing start to his professional boxing career and is just awaiting an opponent for  his November date in Cincinnati, Ohio. The 22 year-old has racked up an impressive 21 victories in just over three years, with 17 knockouts, ten of which have come in the first round and the American believes that former champion Ricky Burns was right to vacate the title rather than risk it against him on home soil. “I'm not unhappy [at Burns’ moving up],” Broner told World Boxing News. “I feel like every man know what’s best for their career, so at the end of the day I'm happy for him because to be honest, he and I know he couldn't beat me on my worst day.” Another undefeated prospect Eloy Perez, 24, had initially been linked to opposing ‘The Problem’ in November but was appa

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor Former British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion Dereck Chisora was touted for a comeback in September or October by promoter Frank Warren last month and is still to announce his next fight. Chisora, 27, lost his titles to Tyson Fury in July when he was on the wrong end a unanimous points decision to the Manchester-based traveller after a messy fight at Wembley Arena. 'Del Boy' has now had enough time away to contemplate his first loss, along with the fact that he blew his chance to face Wladimir Klitschko in December and the giant Ukrainian is now set to face Jean-Marc Mormeck instead. Writing in his column for The Sun last month, Warren said that Chisora would return in either September or October against a top-rated contender but that now seems impossible for the timescale and Chisora may just be able to scrape onto the huge November 5th bill at Wembley which features Ricky Burns and George Groves in title bouts if he is fit enough. M

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Prizefighter champion willing to meet British title holder Ireland-based Cuban heavyweight Mike Perez is open to starting negotiations with double champion Tyson Fury in the near future but wants a distinctly bigger offer than what was on the table to fight Fury earlier this month. The undefeated 25 year-old had the chance to share the ring with the Commonwealth and Lonsdale Belt holder on September 17 th but turned down the deal which was then offered to Nicolai Firtha and accepted. Fury, 23, took the Amercian out in five rounds and is now looking to get back in the ring on November 12 th with Perez thought to be one of several fighters in the frame. Perez (16-0) has expressed his interest in the bout after being out of the ring since his triumph in the eight-man Prizefighter tournament last May and would like Fury to up the stakes in order to seal the deal to put their unbeaten records on the line. "Put you money where your mou

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Champion retains title with fourth round stoppage Hard-hitting Marcos Maidana made the first defence of his WBA light-welterweight title last night with a fourth round technical knockout of Spain-based Russian Petr Petrov in Buenos Aires. The 28 year-old, who was due to meet Robert Guerrero last month until a serious injury ruled him out, put the brave challenger down three times in the fight before ending it with a crunching body shot in round four and the referee had seen enough. The Argentinian moves to 31-2 with his 28 th KO and may look to fight again before the New Year.

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor ‘Money’ frustrated at lack of challenges Floyd Mayweather has jokingly offered to move up to heavyweight to take on one of the Ukrainian world champion Klitschko brothers after his latest win over Victor Ortiz. The 34 year-old dominated the WBC welterweight champion over four rounds before a controversial knockout finish saw the unbeaten fighter take Ortiz’s title and claim an eighth world crown, eclipsing Manny Pacquiao’s seven. ‘Money’ has now admitted he is frustrated at not being challenged by other fighters in the welterweight division and said, tongue-in-cheek, that he may now move up to heavyweight to challenge WBA, WBO and IBF champion Wladimir or WBC belt holder Vitali. “I'm tired of beating up these guys. I'm thinking of moving up to the heavyweights and fighting the Klitschko brothers,” stated Mayweather, who has one major challenge left at 147lbs that the whole boxing world hopes happens in 2012. A fight between the

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Former champion retaliated for elbows Victor Ortiz has admitted that he head-butted Floyd Mayweather intentionally on Saturday night in Las Vegas in retaliation to a series of elbows by the new WBC welterweight champion. The 24 year-old, who dropped to 29-3-2 after being knocked out controversially by the undefeated Mayweather, told TMZ that he was frustrated that referee Joe Cortez did not act when he felt he was being fouled by his opponent. "I did the headbutt, but only because I told Cortez twice he used the elbow on my eyebrow," Ortiz explained. "I said, 'Cortez! Elbow, elbow!' and he says, 'fight out of it! and then Mayweather's smiling at me, so I was like, 'Alright. Boom!'" "I got deducted for the point and nothing happened to him from the headbutt. It would've been something else if I would've gashed him open.” Ortiz was then guilty of naivety as he apologised to May

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor 140lb champion backs Mayweather in OK debate Potential Floyd Mayweather opponent Timothy Bradley has thrown his weight behind the new WBC champion after watching the title fight unfold at the MGM Grand on Saturday night and believes Victor Ortiz got what he deserved. The 28 year-old, who currently holds the WBO light-welterweight title, is eyeing a future bout against ‘Money’ and believes that Ortiz’s head-butt was far worse the two blows Mayweather threw whilst Ortiz had his hands down. “I don’t see anything wrong with it,” Bradley told mydesert.com.  “Ortiz threw a cheap shot, so there you go. He got knocked out. “This is a dirty business. That’s why they say protect yourself at all times.” ‘Desert Storm’ himself has been accused of using his head in the past, something he denies as just in his style, but says there was no comparison between the two. “They say I head butt? You don’t see that in my fight,” explained Bradley.

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor New champion accuses interviewer of being unfair Floyd Mayweather and HBO interviewer Larry Merchant were involved in an after-fight exchange when the long-time presenter asked him about the controversial ending to his fight with Victor Ortiz. The 34 year-old seemed to hit Ortiz without referee Joe Cortez telling the fighters to box on as he deducted a point from the champion for a headbutt. Ortiz was subsequently knocked out following the blows and Merchant wanted to concentrate on that in the post-fight interview and even cut Mayweather off whilst he was thanking fans who ordered the PPV. ‘Money’ then told Merchant that ‘he never gives him a fair shake’ and that he should 'go and speak to Victor Ortiz' but Merchant confronted Mayweather stating ‘What are you talking about’ after which the argument got heated. ‘HBO need to fire you because you know s**t about boxing,” claimed Mayweather. “You ain’t sh**t. You’re not s**t.”

Floyd Mayweather v  Victor Ortiz ( WBC welterweight title ) MGM Grand, Las Vegas, USA 12x3                                                Mayweather                       Ortiz                               -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  Round 1                         10                                   9              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  Round 2                         10                                   9              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  Round 3                         10                                  9              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                   Round 4                          KO                                                ---------------------

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Mexicans claim victories in WBC title bouts Erik ‘El Terrible’ Morales is the new WBC light-welterweight champion after a punishing ten round fight with Pablo Cesar Cano at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The 35 year-old started off slowly allowing Cano, 21, to get a foothold in the bout in the first two rounds. The Mexican legend then got into the fight in round three and hit the younger fighter with some hard right hands which visibly marked-up ‘El Demoledor’ around the left eye. In the middle rounds, the swelling opened up a cut on the eyelid which affected Cano’s vision and Morales teed-off with some vicious combinations that Cano had no answer to. The end came after the tenth with the number twelve ranked fighter a bloody mess and with next to no vision out of his left eye to which Morales picked off at will. Morales’ victory gives him his seventh world title and the title of the first Mexican to win four world titles in four weight-class

Saul Alvarez v Alfonso Gomez ( WBC light-middleweight title ) Staples Center, California, USA 12x3                                                     Alvarez                        Gomez              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  Round 1                         10 (1)                            8              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                   Round 2                         10                                 9              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  Round 3                          9                                  10              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                   Round 4                         10                                  9                                         ----

Erik Morales v Pablo Cesar Cano (Vacant WBC light-welterweight title ) MGM Grand, Las Vegas, USA 12x3                                                      Morales                           Cano              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  Round 1                             9                                 10              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  Round 2                             9                                 10              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  Round 3                             10                                 9              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                   Round 4                            10                                 9              --------------

Jessie Vargas v Josesito Lopez (welterweight) MGM Grand, Las Vegas, USA 10x3                                                      Vargas                           Lopez              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  Round 1                           10                                  9              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  Round 2                           9                                   10              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  Round 3                           9                                   10              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                   Round 4                           10                                   9              ------------------------------------------

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Welshman claims British and Commonwealth belts Unheralded challenger Lee Selby successfully stepped up in class tonight to rip the British and Commonwealth featherweight belts from the previously unbeaten Stephen Smith in Liverpool. The 24 year-old took the fight to Smith from the off and seemed to surprise the home fighter with his centre of the ring tactics. Smith seemed easy to hit all night and was coming forward shipping punches for the majority of the bout. The end came in the eighth round as Smith, 26, walked on to a crunching uppercut that seem to connect on the side of the champions face and ‘Swifty’ was knocked unconscious to the canvas. The Liverpudlian lay prone on the floor for several seconds after the fight was waived off but happily got to his feet and was able to walk from the ring. Barry-born Selby now moves to 11-1 with only his third career knockout and will have former champion John Simpson, who fought and lost to Sm

Tyson Fury v Nicolai Firtha (heavyweight) The King's Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland 12x3                     Fury                             Firtha              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  Round 1                             10                                  9              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  Round 2                             10                                 9              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                  Round 3                             9                                  10              -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                   Round 4                            10 (1)                            8              ----------------------------------------------------

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor All-Mexican WBC clash at the Staples Center Former Contender star Alfonso Gomez will challenge for a world title once again tonight as the Mexican takes on compatriot Saul Alvarez at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The 30 year-old took on Miguel Cotto for the WBA welterweight title in April 2008, coming up short over five rounds and now get a second shot, this time at 154lbs against the WBC champion. Jalisco-born Gomez has predominantly been campaigning at 147lbs in his ten-year career thus far although he did move up to middleweight briefly to take part in The Contender TV Series in 2004, where he lost to Peter Manfredo in the semi-finals. Gomez (23-4-2), who came out of the NBC show as a worldwide star, will now attempt to become the first fighter to beat the 21 year-old champion in his 39th fight and goes into the bout a huge underdog. ‘Canelo’ stopped mandatory challenger Ryan Rhodes in the twelfth and final round in June to succe

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor ‘Money’ could overtake rival on Saturday night Five-weight world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. is on the verge of capturing his eighth world title on Saturday night and if successful against WBC welterweight belt holder Victor Ortiz at the MGM Grand, will overtake arch-rival Manny Pacquiao in total recognised belts won. The 34 year-old could claim the belt for the second time after previously reigning from 2006-2008 and eventually giving up the title. The strap was then claimed by Andre Berto who held it until April this year when he ran into a hungry Ortiz who took the famous green belt in a thriller. ‘Money’ picked up his first world championship at super-featherweight in 1998, beating the late Genaro Hernandez and has steadily moved through the weights picking up title after title to reach his current total of seven. Pacquaio, 32, is himself on seven although the Filipino has gone through an incredible seven weight-classes to get there a

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Witter conqueror eyes Lo Greco’s unbeaten record Welterweight contender Victor Lupo has begun a personal crusade to take fellow Canada-based fighter Phil Le Greco’s undefeated record after defeating former WBC title holder Junior Witter over ten rounds in February. Lupo, 32, has just one loss in 22 bouts and is eyeing a huge domestic fight with ‘The Italian Sensation’ before he heads towards a world title challenge at 147lbs and has waged a Twitter campaign against the 22-0 27 year-old in recent days. “Phil Lo Greco is a scared Italian Chicken,” Lupo told World Boxing News. “He hasn’t fought noboday and now he is avoiding me. He can’t hide on Twitter forever and he knows when we fight he will be 22-1. “He has too many excuses, he should take the challenge.”