Archive for the ‘Boxing’ Category

Lee Selby: surprise winner in Liverpool

Lee Selby produced a stunning performance to knock out unbeaten home favourite Stephen Smith and claim the British and Commonwealth featherweight titles in Liverpool.

Selby, with a record of 10 wins and a loss but only two knockout wins, had never been past six rounds before.

Yet the Welshman dominated the fight from the off, as former amateur star Smith looked ragged and almost too eager to please his hometown support. Smith was expected to improve as the fight wore on but his recklessness was punished decisively in the eighth.

As he leaned in to throw a shot, Selby threw a left counter which did not land cleanly but caught the top of Smith’s head. The champion was out for the count before he had even hit the canvas, with referee Victor Loughlin waving the fight off quickly.

Smith regained his senses quickly enough with medics clambering into the ring but looked inconsolable having lost the British belt in his first defence.

Tyson Fury: Too good for Firtha

British heavyweight champion Tyson Fury maintained his unbeaten record with a fifth-round stoppage of American Nicolai Firtha at the King’s Hall in Belfast.

The 6ft 9in Fury captured the public’s imagination with his win over Dereck Chisora to claim the domestic title in July and was keen to build on that momentum.

He started with intent, too, ramming the jab and right hand home and bloodying Firtha’s nose badly in the first.

Experienced Firtha turned the tables in the third round by exposing Fury’s vulnerable defence and hurting the Englishman, but the youngster rode it out and fired back.

The 23-year-old regained the upper hand and landed some telling blows, forcing his opponent to take a count in the fourth round.

Referee John Keane’s stoppage looked untimely in the following round, but Firtha did not seem too upset to be spared further punishment.

The win took Fury’s record to 16 wins, 11 by way of knockout.

Mayweather and Ortiz face off

Floyd Mayweather Jr and Victor Ortiz both made the weight for their huge WBC welterweight title showdown in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

They stepped onto the scales in front of thousands of frenzied fans inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Friday afternoon.

Mayweather (41-0), the challenger, weighed in at 146.5lbs for his first fight in 16 months since that virtuoso victory over ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley at the same venue.

Ortiz meanwhile (29-2-2), who claimed the title in his last fight with a career-best victory over the previously-unbeaten Andre Berto, was 147lbs, right on the welterweight limit.

Mexican legend Erik Morales and his opponent Pablo Cesar Cano will clash on the undercard for the vacant WBC light-welterweight title. Both tipped the scales right on the limit of 140lbs.

And in Los Angeles, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez weighed in at 153.6lbs for his WBC light-middleweight title defence against Alfonso Gomez (152.6lbs) at Staples Center, also on Saturday night.

Mayweather: Keen to notch another victory

Floyd Mayweather sets foot in the ring for the first time in 16 months in Las Vegas on Saturday night still having to duck questions about a prospective match-up with Manny Pacquiao.

The biggest fight in boxing history seems as far off as ever with Mayweather still insisting on random drug tests for the Filipino, and Pacquiao seemingly intent on pursuing other plans.

Mayweather prepares to take on Victor Ortiz for the WBC welterweight title while dismissing claims he is deliberately avoiding Pacquiao in order to protect his 41-fight unbeaten record.

The 34-year-old Mayweather insisted: “I’m not ducking or dodging anybody. I’m in a no-win situation. The only thing I can do is go out there and keep winning, keep proving myself over again.”

But despite suggestions Mayweather deliberately picked Ortiz as an opponent in order to prepare him for fellow southpaw Pacquaio, the lucrative match-up appears as far away as ever.

Continuing to question Pacquiao’s dramatic rise in the sport, Mayweather added: “A guy doesn’t all of a sudden get to an age and become good. He just all of a sudden pops up and becomes good out of the blue?”

Meanwhile the fast, hard-hitting Ortiz has been talking a good fight in his quest to get under the favourite’s skin. Ortiz claimed the WBC title with a controversial win over Andre Berto in April.

But a sixth-round stoppage defeat to future Amir Khan victim Marcos Maidana in 2009 at the light-welterweight limit does not bode well for his chances of backing up his boasts.

Ortiz said: “I hope the actual Floyd Mayweather shows up. I don’t want a Mayweather that’s lost his speed or power. He’s got that beautiful mouth that just never stops, but I’m going to knock him out.”

Lloyd-Taylor: Fairytale victory at Bethnal Green – www.leighdawneyphotography.com

Last-minute replacement Robert Lloyd-Taylor stunned the York Hall crowd to win the light-middleweight Prizefighter title on Thursday night.

The 31-year-old heating engineer from Hayes – a 25/1 outsider at the start of the night – stepped in for the unwell JJ Bird to become the first-ever reserve to win the crown and £32,000 cheque.

Lloyd-Taylor, who didn’t even bring his trainer to the arena such was the unlikelihood of him making the line-up, overcame Takaloo and favourite Peter Vaughan before easing past an exhausted Nick Quigley in the final.

Bird pulled out of the competition after fainting in the dressing room in the build-up and, after Lloyd-Taylor won the coin toss to take his place, he immediately cashed in by overcoming veteran Takaloo on a split-decision in a low-quality opening quarter-final.

Dominated

Wayne Goddard (9-9) and Vaughan (4-4) then put their unbeaten records on the line in a high-octane contest, which also divided the judges.

However, it was Banbury fighter Vaughan who edged it to secure a semi-final showdown with Lloyd-Taylor.

Former Billericay footballer Kris Agyei-Dua then picked himself up off the canvas to overcome Jeff Thomas and reach the last four.

The Essex fighter was sent tumbling by a thundering left hook from Thomas in round one but dominated the rest of the fight and, despite a first-ever draw, won the contest on the referee’s scorecard.

A Merseyside showdown between Stephen Harkin and Nick Quigley completed the quarter-final action and it was the latter who prevailed on the cards to extend his unbeaten run to eight fights.

Contrasting styles collided in the first semi-final as the all-action Vaughan and silky smooth Lloyd-Taylor went head-to-head.

And it was the last-minute replacement who came through courtesy of a third-round stoppage.

Ecstatic

After putting Vaughan on the canvas with a stunning uppercut, Lloyd-Taylor unleashed another flurry of brutal punches and the referee came in to stop the bout.

All three judges were finally in agreement in the second semi-final as Liverpool’s Quigley overcame Agyei-Dua 30-27 in the fight of the night.

But Lloyd-Taylor proved too strong in the final and afterwards said: “I’m ecstatic. It was great. Last time I was on Sky I didn’t perform too well so I think I’ve done myself proud tonight.

“I came in late, late notice and I’ve done the business. Prizefighter always opens doors so hopefully this brings me something decent.”

Haye: Wants Vitali Klitschko fight.

David Haye looks set to delay his retirement plans in order to face WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko.

Haye has been keeping a low profile since losing his WBA crown to the Ukrainian’s younger brother Wladimir in a lacklustre points defeat in July.

The Londoner was ridiculed by many after he failed to live up to his pre-fight boasts and blamed his poor performance on a broken little toe sustained in training.

However, the former cruiserweight king now appears keen to box on beyond his 31st birthday after Vitali threw down the gauntlet following his 10 round win over Tomasz Adamek at the weekend.

“I’ll knock him out, I’ll smash his jaw,” Haye told German daily Die Welt. “Vitali, I’ll fight you, if you are man enough.

“It doesn’t matter to me where I fight you, I’ll fight you on the moon,” added Haye in response to Vitali’s desire to fight at Wembley Stadium.

“He has my contact details, I’m waiting for him. No fight at heavyweight would generate more publicity than Haye against the old Klitschko.

“I am the most popular heavyweight on the planet and with me he will earn the most money.”

Amir Khan: Says Floyd Mayweather Jr is avoiding him

Amir Khan has called Floyd Mayweather Jr “a chicken” who has avoided both him and P4P king Manny Pacquiao.

Khan is hoping to face ‘Money’ in the near future, while a megabucks fight between Floyd Jr and Pacquiao has been boxing’s holy grail for the last two years.

Khan says Mayweather Jr, who faces Victor Ortiz in Las Vegas on Saturday night, is terrified of losing his perfect unbeaten record, which currently stands at 41-0.

He told The Sun: “In my opinion, Mayweather is a chicken. He is doing everything to avoid me just as he did everything to avoid fighting Manny Pacquiao.

“I don’t want to sound cocky or arrogant but I believe the real reason for Mayweather avoiding me is that he knows I have his number. Mayweather knows if he ever fights me his 0 will go.

“All Floyd does is pick fights that he knows he will win. I thought world championship boxing was about proving who is the best but if he keeps turning his back on me how can he still say he is the best?”

Khan has a potential mandatory world title defence against Lamont Peterson coming up, and says that could be his last fight at light-welterweight before moving up to welter and the likes of Mayweather and Pacquaio.

Talk is cheap

Amir claims that Floyd Jr isn’t the only fighter currently trying to avoid him.

“I will fight anyone put in front of me but there seems to be a lot of boxers who talk a good fight but when push comes to shove they won’t get in the ring with me,” he added.

“Tim Bradley was offered fortunes to fight me for his IBF title but it never happened and now he has been stripped of his belt.

“Erik Morales was offered a fight against me but he is now saying he won’t be ready for me until next year.

“I must admit it is all very frustrating as I try to unify the world titles. All I can do is fight whoever is put in front of me but there is an increasing small number willing to do just that.”

Hatton: Has been given back the second’s licence he lost last year

Ricky Hatton is set to begin a new career as a trainer after being granted his licence by the British Boxing Board of Control.

The Mancunian, a former two-weight world champion, announced his retirement as a fighter back in the summer of 2010.

He had already set up a promotional company beforehand but Hatton was also keen to work on a daily basis with boxers in the ring, something he can now do after being given the green light by the authorities.

“The board have shown great faith in me by handing back my second’s licence and giving me a trainer’s licence for the first time.”Ricky Hatton Quotes of the week

The 32-year-old has also been given back the second’s licence he lost last year after allegations of drug use while battling depression.

“The board have shown great faith in me by handing back my second’s licence and giving me a trainer’s licence for the first time,” he said.

“It means they are putting their trust in me to go in a corner with a boxer and look after his welfare.”

Tests

Hatton had to come through various tests to regain his second’s permit at the weekend to allow him to work in fighters’ corners. He will, for the time being, continue to assist veteran trainer Bob Shannon at his own gym in Hyde

“I have been in the gym helping Bob’s fighters and that was the whole purpose of deciding to take a trainer’s licence,” he continued.

“I left school when I was 16 years old and apart from fitting a few carpets badly for my dad, the only job I have had is boxing. I am dedicated to being a trainer as much as I was being a fighter because boxing is a hard game and you only get once chance.

“I have got that little spring in my step and I hope it won’t be long before future champions start knocking on my door asking me to train them.

“I am fully on board running my businesses, but my office has always been the boxing gym and that is where I give my best advice.

“It makes sense to go into coaching because I am involved in the game I love. It was hard to come to terms with retirement, and boxing is the best feeling in the world, but the next best thing is throwing punches for one of your fighters.”

Hatton has now taken over from his father, Ray, as head of the Hatton Group, and will wait before applying to regain his manager’s licence.

“I will eventually manage fighters, but there won’t be an abundance of them because I have so many irons in the fire at the minute,” he added.