World Boxing News 2010-2013

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor ‘Sugar Shay’ awaits Mayweather release Light-middleweight contender Ishe Smith is ready to build on his first successful foray with Mayweather Promotions in May and has told WBN that he would be open to signing with 50 Cent’s newly-formed The Money Team Promotional outfit. Smith, 34, stopped Ayi Bruce in four rounds to score his 23rd victory in 28 contests recently and has been bombarded with fans asking whether he will be the latest name snapped up by the rapper-turned boxing promoter, following in the footsteps of Yuriorkis Gamboa and Andre Dirrell. “People are wondering and asking me what my future holds since the formation of TMT, asking is it the same as Mayweather Promotions and when am I fighting,” Smith told World Boxing News. “I have stayed in touch with Floyd Mayweather and I have the utmost respect for him and what he has done for me and my family. “He gave me an opportunity when no one else would and one of the things we have

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor ‘Panther’ sets sights on more British bouts Former world middleweight and super-middleweight title challenger Edison Miranda is hoping a victory over Tony Bellew in September can lead him to an IBF 168lb title bout with current belt holder Carl Froch. The 31 year-old, who has lost out to Lucian Bute and Arthur Abraham in his previous world title challenges, dismissed any attempt to take on Bellew rival Nathan Cleverly for his WBO 175lb title with a victory at London’s Alexandra Palace in the autumn. “The fans all over Europe have been great to me. I love that I get to fight in front of them,” Miranda told World Boxing News.  “I want to repay them by giving them an entertaining fight with a knockout ending that nobody will soon forget.  “Then I would like to fight again in London against Carl Froch. He and I are very similar and we both know how to sell a fight. We both can talk the talk and we both are not afraid to fight to the death.”

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor ‘Siri’ continues good form with Gutierrez victory WBO featherweight champion Orlando Salido made another successful foray up to 130lbs with a third round stoppage win over Moises Gutierrez at El Palenque de la Feria in Nayarit, Mexico. The experienced world title holder came out with a purpose from the first bell and although Gutierrez offered some resistance in round two, the outcome was never in doubt as Salido was clearly on another level. The end came in the third, with Salido scoring with a crunching combination to put the Chilean on the floor and even with just ten seconds left in the round, Gutierrez was in no position to continue. The 31 year-old now moves on to a possible defence of his title against the unbeaten Oxnard fighter Miguel ‘Mikey’ Garcia and will go into the contest on an impressive run of five knockouts.

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor American ready to resume career at Barclays Center Promising fighter Danny Jacobs will step in the ring for the first time in 19 months on October 20 at the Barclays Center in New York after recovering from a life threatening spinal illness. The 25 year-old, who has lost just once in 23 bouts, underwent a major operation last year to remove a rare form of cancer and has spent the past twelve months in recovery. ‘The Golden Child’ finally received a formal all clear from doctors this week and is delighted to be able to resume his career on a huge card in Brooklyn. "This is only the beginning,” Jacobs told World Boxing News. “Now that I'm cleared and have a second chance at this wonderful sport of boxing, there's nothing that is going to get in my way. I am destined for greatness! “I want to sat thanks to all the fans that supported me and I hope we all can share this wonderful moment together October 20 live in Brooklyn."

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Games official suffered suspected heart attack An autopsy has been carried out following the sudden death of Turkish Olympic referee Garip Erkuyumcu after the London 2012 official was found dead in his hotel of a suspected heart attack. The body of the 73 year-old, who was due to assist the third men in the ring at the upcoming boxing tournament in Stratford, was discovered on Thursday and will be flown back to his homeland next week.

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Middleweight eyeing top opponents Former world title challenger Martin Murray is growing frustrated in his attempt to lure some of the top domestic middleweights into a high-profile bout and could turn to Billy Joe Saunders for a British title defence. The 29 year-old, who pushed WBA champion Felix Sturm to a draw in December 2011, has constantly been linked to fights with Matthew Macklin and Darren Barker, although the two former European champions have spurned his advances. “We have tried a few times to get Macklin and Barker to accept a fight and is hasn’t come off,” Murray told World Boxing News. “With both fighters having fights lined up in September, Billy Joe Saunders may get his wish. “I think he should really be concentrating on the likes of Nick Blackwell for the next eighteen months as I haven’t got much to gain from fighting him. “If I beat him early then I do what I am expected to do and if it goes twelve rounds, people

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor ‘Bomber’ confident ahead of 'dangerous' test British light-heavyweight champion Tony Bellew is ready to prove his world credentials once again in September as the hard-hitting Liverpudlian tackles former world title challenger Edison Miranda at Alexandra Palace in London on September 8. Bellew, 29, has already taken WBO title holder Nathan Cleverly to the wire in 2011 and hopes to set up another world title crack with an eye-catching performance over the solid Colombian, who has faced some of the top fighters in the world in his career. “I've watched Miranda for many years, I know all about him and I have a lot of respect for him,” Bellew told World Boxing News. “I believe he is the most dangerous fighter I have ever faced. His record speaks for itself. “His knockout reel also makes great viewing. However if I'm to progress to the levels I hope to in this game, then I fully expect to be able to deal with what Edison Miran

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor ‘The Real Deal’ awaits next fight call Two-weight world champion Evander Holyfield has given his backing to David Haye against WBC title holder Vitali Klitschko, but only if the Briton comes into the fight 100% following his below-par performance against Wladimir last year. The fighting legend, who turns 50 in October, was impressed with Haye’s victory over Dereck Chisora earlier this month and gives the 'Hayemaker’ a fair chance of dethroning the Ukrainian if their touted March bout is finalised. "Haye v Chisora was a good fight,  David hit hard and had the speed to get the victory, ” Holyfield told World Boxing News. “It’s hard to predict if he can beat Vitali at this point or what he can do on the night, but if he is prepared he may be able to get the win.” Holyfield is still adamant that he will not fight unless there is a title involved and confirmed this when asked if a contest against the former WBA champion was possible.

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Klitschko reveals March sale of coveted prize Four-belt world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko has admitted cashing in his super-heavyweight Olympic gold medal and donating the funds to his own charity which he founded with brother Vitali. The 36 year-old, who travelled to Atlanta in 1996 as part of the Ukraine’s first independent athletics team, defeated Tongan Paea Wolfgramm   7-3  in the final to pick up the top amateur prize and told CNN of his pride at claiming the medal. "It was absolutely a highlight in my life and also a highlight for the country because Ukraine in 1996 for the first time traveled to the Olympic Games as an independent country," Klitschko told CNN. "We collected a lot of medals and we got ninth place worldwide, so we got in the top 10, which was a great achievement by the athletes." "I did sell the medal in March and 100% of the funds, which is $1 million, went to the Klitschko Br

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor ‘Panther’ ready to shock home fighter in London Former two-time world light-heavyweight challenger Edison 'Pantera' Miranda is looking to upset Briton Tony Bellew when the two fighters clash in London’s Alexandra Palace on September 8. The 31 year-old, who boasts 30 knockouts in 35 wins from 42 contests, is looking forward to returning to the UK following a fifth round stoppage win over Joey Vegas in 2009 and believes Bellew is in for a rude awakening. “I was looking for a good fight in Europe and especially London as my experience fighting there last time was amazing,” Miranda told World Boxing News. “I love the city and they have some of the best fans in the world. My manager told me Tony Bellew was looking for a fight and that he talks a good game, so I think a fight between us will be very entertaining. “I have watched some of his recent fights on YouTube and Bellew seems to have a good heart. I like that in a fighter and I k

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor World champion set for stint at 200lbs Nathan Cleverly is eyeing up a potential move up to cruiserweight in the next couple of years as the current WBO light-heavyweight attempts to unify his current division before moving up to 200lbs. Reports of a move to heavyweight are premature though according to Cleverly’s father and trainer Vince, who told WBN that the top division could be an option in the future, but is likely to be years down the line. “We have spoken about maybe trying heavyweight, but not for a good few years yet,” Vince told World Boxing News. “It would be an option that we would look at but Nathan is still eighteen months away from cruiserweight and would have a few more years filling into that weight. “We have just got to see how things go and at present are taking things one fight at a time.” Cleverly, 25, is currently negotiating with WBA title holder Beibut Shumenov about a possible fight in Las Vegas later this ye

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Golden Boy CEO praises ‘The Problem’ Richard Schaefer has laid praise on fledgling lightweight star Adrien Broner in the wake of the former WBO super-featherweight champion embarking on conquering his second weight-class in the coming months. The 22 year-old, who is undefeated in 24 contests, dominated Vicente Escobedo at the weekend to score his 20th career knockout and is now ready to seek out another world belt at the 135lb limit. Many are touting the youngster as the next pound for pound star of boxing with his defensive style, which mimics that of current box office king Floyd Mayweather, and Schaefer sees Broner as potentially one of the pay-per-view stars of the future. “Broner is an emerging superstar,” Schaefer told World Boxing News. “He talks the talk and walks the walk. He is without doubt one of the best talents we have seen in boxing for a long time and one of the most charismatic fighters. “He evokes emotions in people

Frank Stea Undefeated welterweight star Keith “One Time” Thurman 18-0 (17 KOs) stopped by to talk with the ATG Radio crew just 48 hours after his sixth round TKO win over Orlando Lora 29-3 (19KOs) on HBO this past Saturday night.  In the post-fight interview, Thurman unexpectedly called out the top fighters in the welterweight division. With the win, the 23-year old emerged as a rising star in the world of boxing, and after winding down from a tough training camp, “One Time” touched on a number of topics and explained his reasoning behind calling out boxing’s elite. Below are some quotes from Monday’s night’s interview. On calling out Paulie Malignaggi: “It comes from the desire within my heart to be a champion. If you’re a world champion, you have to be ready to face the world.” “I hear Paulie Malignaggi’s been tweeting about me, saying I shouldn’t be bringing his name up. The problem is, he’s walking around with the belt.” “You gotta understand that t

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Former Contender champion on the lookout for opponent Highly-ranked super-middleweight Sakio Bika has told WBN that his recent offer to fight Adonis Stevenson in an IBF title eliminator came just at the wrong time, leading to him having to turn the chance down. The former IBO title holder is now looking to return to the ring in the fall after stopping Dyah Davis in ten rounds at the Home Depot Center last month and hopes to secure a fifth world title challenge in the near future. “I was prepared to fight Stevenson in September after my victory over Davis in June, but they wanted to push the fight forward one month because it worked better for his Promoter's agenda. The negotiations finally fell through as they weren't prepared to compromise,” Bika told World Boxing News. “There have been a couple of things mentioned for my next fight but I have to leave all of this to my manager Al Haymon. “I would like to fight the winner or th

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Former British and Irish champion eyes huge bout Heavyweight contender Tyson Fury is set to return to the ring in November and hopes to persuade former WBA champion David Haye to divert his attention from Vitali Klitschko and face him in his 20th pro outing. The 24 year-old, who defeated Haye’s most recent foe Dereck Chisora in 2011, has stopped 14 of his victims so far and dropped American Vinny Maddalone last time out to continue his winning streak in the top division. Haye, 31, crushed ‘Del Boy’ with a spectacular left hook at West Ham’s Upton Park Stadium earlier this month and with Fury on the lookout for a big name scalp, the ‘Hayemaker’ and former world title challenger Tomasz Adamek are high on his list. “We are looking to return in November,” Peter Fury, Tyson’s trainer and uncle told World Boxing News. “We have a few American fighters in mind, but we are hoping to get David Haye or Tomasz Adamek to take the fight.  If they don’

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Veteran promoter slams Matchroom boss Frank Maloney is obviously still feeling the effects of his recent split with Sky and has taken a dig at the only promoter left dealing with the Network, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport in a recent interview with The Independent. The long-time promoter, who guided Lennox Lewis to the world heavyweight title, has signed a twelve-month deal with BoxNation this week and feels that his loyalty has gone unappreciated after over twenty years with the satellite TV giants. "I went with Sky when they first went to air against everyone's advice when everyone told me I was wrong,” Maloney told The Independent. “I could have done a deal with Barry Hearn to put Lennox Lewis on ITV, but I wanted to be independent and do it my way. It's ironic that Sky now tell me to do a deal with his son, Eddie Hearn. What he knows about boxing I could put on a postage stamp and still sign my name under it." &quo

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor September WBC bout on the cards Ajose Olusegun, the WBC mandatory challenger in the light-welterweight division, is set to accept an offer to fight tough Argentinian Lucas Matthysse for the interim title after awaiting his chance for almost year. The 32 year-old Nigerian, who based himself in the UK, defeated Ali Chebah in a final eliminator last September and had seemingly been overlooked by the WBC as Erik Morales and Danny Garcia avoided the unbeaten fighter. “I don't have to wait for Garcia if he is running scared and doesn't want to fight me. I just want to fight for the title be it against Matthysse for the interim WBC belt,” Olusegun told World Boxing News. The fight with Matthysse is now set to take place in the United States this fall, with the winner then expected to either challenge champion Danny Garcia or be elevated to full champion if the American vacates and keeps the WBA version. Matthysse, 29, impressively dis

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Former world title challenger intent on comeback Light-middleweight contender Delvin Rodriguez is ready to return to the ring in the coming months following his world title defeat to Austin Trout in June, according to manager AJ Galante who spoke with WBN recently. The 32 year-old, who gained the WBA opportunity on the back of two solid performances against the now-retired Pawel Wolak, is hoping to get back into contention for another crack at the world crown with a victory over a highly-ranked opponent. "I am a firm believer in that our loss in June will make Delvin better,” Galante told World Boxing News. “Delvin is back in the gym and hungrier than ever. He has been through so many ups and downs in his career, but the one constant is that he will never quit. “He's a throwback fighter and a true warrior and I am working with our promoters at STAR Boxing on the next installment. “We are all in agreement that we want to get b

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Frenchman expects to receive full title Interim WBO middleweight champion Hassan N’Dam N’Jikam remains hopeful that the WBO will install him as full champion after title holder Dmitriy Pirog firstly attempted to avoid fighting him and then suffered a back injury. Pirog, 32, was ready to fight WBA and IBO belt holder Gennady Golovkin in the United States in August without the permission of the WBO and it was then expected that N’Jikam would be immediately elevated to full status. The injury to the Russian has now inadvertently meant that the unbeaten fighter keeps his title for the time being, although N’Jikam, who is also undefeated, expects a decision regarding the title to go in his favour. “There have been rumours that I will be given the title, but I have not heard official word yet,” N’Jikam told World Boxing News. “It would be only fair because the two times I had arranged to fight him, he pulls out for reasons unknown to me. “

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Heavyweight set for homecoming Undefeated Mariusz Wach is set for his first fight on home soil for over three years in the fall after racking up a formidable 27-fight record and being put forward for a future fight with the Klitschko brothers. The 32 year-old, who has knocked out 15 opponents in his seven-year career, also told WBN that he would like to meet former WBA heavyweight champion after witnessing the ‘Hayemaker’ take Dereck Chisora apart in five rounds earlier this month. “My promoter, Mariusz Kolodziej wants me to fight at the end of September and the fight will most likely take place in my native country of Poland,” Wach told World Boxing News. “I'm really excited about it and I can't wait to get in the ring again. “Ideally, I would like to have at least two more fights with some experienced opponents and then I could go for a world championship. If this opportunity comes earlier, I will do my best to get more than 10

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor ‘Sugar Shay’ focused on world title shot Ahmed 'Babyface' Kaddour has told WBN that he would like to avenge his only two career defeats to Ishe Smith and Alfonso Gomez, which the Denmark-based fighter suffered in his ill-fated appearance on ‘The Contender’ series one in 2004. The 30 year-old spent time out of the sport with personal problems until a 2009 return and has gone on an eight-fight unbeaten run, leading to the light-midddleweight looking to erase his two losses from 28 bouts. “I would love to fight either one of them,” Kaddour told World Boxing News. “Ishe is a much better fighter and therefore I would love to fight him in Las Vegas. Everything around the fight has to be right too and I know the fight is worth a lot to interested fans worldwide. “We both should get paid well for a fight like that. “I am definitely willing to come to Vegas, so let Ishe contact (promoter) Floyd (Mayweather) and have them contact (my p

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Welshman ready to clear name Former world champion Enzo Maccarinelli will return to the ring upon the serving of his six-month ban for testing positive for a banned substance and hopes to clear his name of any wrong-doing in the coming months. The 31 year-old’s sentence will come to an end in October, leaving the Swansea fighter free to resume his career with minimal impact and Maccarinelli stated that he had no plans to walk away from the sport. "Retirement isn't on my mind, I just want to clear my name," Maccarinelli told thisissouthwales.co.uk. "I've had a couple of heavy defeats against boys who have gone to fight for world titles and I have been caught with clean shots. "I want to see how it goes, but up until this ban happened I was probably looking in the best shape of my life and I was back to my old self.” Maccarinelli went on: "I don't believe there should be cheats in sport. Nothing beat

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Filipino faces Barnett next month Lightweight contender Mercito Gesta aims to score his 26 th career victory on August 3 when the Filipino battles Washington’s Ty Barnett at the Texas Station Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 24 year-old, who started his career at 110lbs, has steadily built up his reputation and now stands on the cusp of a world title challenge, knowing that he can ill-afford any slips ups at this stage of his career. “I don’t really know too much about Barnett, I’ve watched some footage but I leave that to Vince (Parra, manager) and my dad,” Gesta told World Boxing News. “They watch the tapes and we make a plan. I know he doesn’t respect me and that’s enough for me. I'll be ready come August 3.” Last time out, Gesta stopped Oscar Cuero in eight rounds to record his 13th career knockout and ‘No Mercy’ is just one or two more victories away from gaining the world title chance he has craved his whole career. “I wou

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor ‘The Problem’ moves to 24-0 Former WBO super-featherweight champion Adrien Broner signed off from the 130lb division with an easy stoppage win over an out-of-depth and weight disadvantaged Vicente Escobedo in Cincinnati. The 22 year-old, who lost his title on the scales this past Friday, looked visibly bigger than the Woodland fighter in the ring and used all his extra strength to grind down Escobedo, forcing his corner to step in. Broner, using Floyd Mayweather’s successful defensive style, began the fight slowly before eventually scoring success from the fourth round and busted up Escobedo with regularity until the towel was raised to halt the fight at the end of the fifth. Escobedo had no answer to the power of Broner’s shots and ‘The Problem’ is now certain to be in line for a shot at one of the world champions at lightweight after declaring his intention to move up last week. The fight almost never took place as Escobedo, 30, protes

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Former champion overweight at second weigh-in Adrien Broner’s final fight at the 130lb limit will not go ahead tonight as the former WBO super-featherweight champion once again came in overweight for his bout against Vicente Escobedo. The 22 year-old, who lost his title on the scales at yesterday’s weigh-in after coming in 3.5lbs over, was given a mark of 140lbs for today’s second weight check and came in at 143lbs leading to the bout being scrapped altogether. Escobedo, 30, is set to be handed a shot at the vacant belt in the coming months, whilst ‘The Problem’ will now move up to the lightweight division as originally planned before the clash at the U.S Bank Arena.

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Fighter hopes to reschedule bout Middleweight Ryan Davis has told WBN that a failed MRI scan lead to his fight with Vanes Martirosyan being called off just 24 hours before they were scheduled to meet and the Illinois fighter is now seeking a second opinion. The 34 year-old’s 13-year boxing career in now in doubt after promoters Top Rank pulled the plug on the high-profile clash and Davis hopes to clarify the situation after seeking more medical advice. “With the MRI not going well, the doctor did not want me to fight,” David told World Boxing News. “I am getting another opinion and at this moment, I am not sure when my next fight will be.  “I have to get this taken care of first and have nothing in negotiation yet regards to rescheduling with Martirosyan. “I trained hard for that fight and I believe he is scared to fight me so hopefully we can get the fight on again at some point as I want to be ranked in the top 10 by one of the majo

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Jaw injury costs ‘Archie’ title An alleged confrontation with WBC light-middleweight champion Saul Alvarez seems to have cost Ulises Solis his IBF light-flyweight after a jaw-injury meant the Mexican was unable to meet the deadline to face interim champion Johnriel Casimero. The 30 year-old was reportedly involved in a street brawl with Alvarez and his companions, suffering a badly broken jaw and the IBF have now acted after Solis needed another six months to recuperate. Casimero, 22, was himself involved in a applaing situation as he stopped Luis Lazarte last February in Buenos Aires. The win over the home-fighter lead to a full-scale riot in which scores were injured as he picked up the interim version. 'Quadro Alas' has now been installed a full title holder and could make his first defence of the belt by the end of the year.

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor WBC women’s champion talks gender investigation Susie Ramadan has told WBN that there was definitely a difference in punching power when the Australian took gender-test fighter Usanakorn Kokietgym’s WBC bantamweight belt last weekend in Victoria. The 33 year-old, who triumphed via a unanimous decision, reacted to the news that Kokietgym recorded three-times the normal amount of testosterone in a pre-fight test and is now under investigation to determine the boxer’s gender. “I had suspicions when I saw some footage and pictures of Kokietgym,” Ramadan told World Boxing News. “Although it’s not really fair for me to judge people by their appearance, so I continued concentrating on my preparation and let my team take care of things. “I never met her personally (before the fight build-up) but I did get more suspicious when I first saw her at the weigh in, although I was too focused on my job ahead to let it affect me. “I haven’t been hit

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Former champion comments on drugs ban Shane McPhilbin has opened up to WBN on former opponent Enzo Maccarinelli’s recent six-month ban for testing positive for a banned substance and has branded the former champion’s actions ‘a disgrace’ to the sport. The former British cruiserweight champion, who lost his title to the Swansea fighter in March, follows Maccarinelli’s former trainer Enzo Calzaghe in condemning the actions of the 31 year-old fighter. “Well I think it’s a disgrace that someone of his profile can sink to drugs,” McPhilbin told World Boxing News. “He got six months ban, but if I had done it I would have been banned for life.” McPhilbin, 26, put Maccarinelli down in the first round of their meeting at the Civic Hall in Wolverhampton and controversy reigned when the Welshman was saved by the bell 47 seconds before the end of the round. Maccarinelli went on to take the title via a unanimous decision on the scorecards and McP

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor ‘Canelo’ ready to end ‘Rocky’ dream on September 15 Oscar De La Hoya described Josesito Lopez’s victory over Victor Ortiz as the young fighters ‘Rocky’ moment and WBC 154lb title holder Saul Alvarez will be out to avoid a case of ‘Rocky II’ on September 15 at the MGM Grand. The Mexican superstar has come of age now at 22, but with 41-fights already behind him, is a seasoned campaigner despite his tender years and participates in his sixth world title bout against the surprise opponent. ‘Canelo’ was visibly shocked when sitting ringside for Ortiz v Lopez last month as the fight was stopped in the ninth round and won’t be taking the challenger lightly, even though he could only scale 144lbs for a welterweight contest. “I think everyone watching was surprised that Lopez was that good.” Alvarez told World Boxing News. “Ortiz hit him with lots of hard punches and he just kept coming. It was a great fight to watch and just the kind of fights I l

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Kokietgym found with excess testosterone Former female WBC bantamweight champion Usanakorn Kokietgym is under investigation by officials after recording three-times the normal amount of testosterone in a pre-fight hormone test. The 24 year-old eventually went on to lose her title to Australian Susie Ramadan at the Melbourne Pavilion in Victoria, but was questioned by WBC physicians and refused to provide blood tests to prove her gender. Allegations are now out in the open that Kokietgym was potentially born a male and took oestrogen, for whatever purpose, to make him/her more female. The WBC are set to investigate the findings of the officials in the near future. Australian doctor Peter Lewis told theage.com.au of his suspicions after fight: ''There's a possibility that she started off as a man and has taken oestrogen. Or we could be dealing with a woman who is pumped up on steroids. Or she could be a hermaphrodite, where you hav

Enzo Maccarinelli Following my fight against Shane McPhilbin in March, I was extremely surprised and disturbed to have tested positive for a banned substance known as methylhexaneamine. I purchased a product called Dexaprine that contained this banned substance from a combat magazine. The advert stated that it was an approved substance and I checked the ingredients which had no reference to any banned substance that I was aware of.  In fact, it also stated that it was suitable for athletes. I have since found out that this ‘fat burner’ contained a substance and consequently I failed a dope test, albeit with a very low reading. I wish to state that this substance was in no way used to gain any advantage in the ring or enhance my performance and whilst I appreciate that it may look that way, I would certainly never cheat or cut corners in my preparation. I have been tested over 20 times in my career and have never failed any random or post fight doping test, but on thi

Professional boxer Enzo Maccarinelli has received a six-month suspension following an anti-doping rule violation. Mr Maccarinelli tested positive for  methylhexaneamine   (MHA) on 23 March 2012 following his bout with  Shane McPhilbin . He is banned from participation in all sports from 19 April 2012 to midnight on 18 October 2012. UK Anti-Doping Chief Executive Andy Parkinson said: “This is a timely reminder that, no matter what your sport, under the principle of strict liability athletes must exercise extreme caution over what they put into their body. “With this in mind, Olympic athletes should be aware that they are now in-competition from 16 July until 12 August and could be tested at anytime, anywhere. MHA is available in a range of supplement products, is banned in-competition, and can often be listed under a number of different names. “UK Anti-Doping continues to work closely with the British Boxing Board of Control to maintain the integrity of the sport.”

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Light-middleweight on winning streak Danish-based 154lb contender Ahmed Kaddour is surging up the rankings since returning to the sport following a three-year exile and hopes to be contesting world titles in the next twelve months. The 30 year-old, who appeared in the US TV show ‘The Contender’ in 2004 suffering his only two defeats to Ishe Smith and Alfonso Gomez, is now fighting under the world-famous Sauerland banner after his move to Europe. ‘Babyface’ scored a majority decision win over Gary Boulden in June over eight rounds to improve his record to 25-2-1, although the Lebanese-born fighter admits troubles in his personal life almost ended his career. “Well I have had lots of things that have gone wrong for me inside of the ring as much outside of the ring,” Kaddour told World Boxing News. “It took me awhile to adjust and get the hunger back, so all in all I am very happy I took the time off to get mentally 100% ready and in a figh