Napa dapa after receiving European title chance

By Ben Carey

Pocket dynamo Ian Napa is to challenge for the European bantamweight title against title holder Carmelo Ballone. The European Boxing Union has stated that interested parties must submit purse offers by 1 August.

Napa, once always the bridesmaid and never the bride, is enjoying the best form of his career. The Hackney stylist finally won a major championship by outpointing Jason Booth to claim the vacant British bantamweight title 12 months ago and has since secured a Lonsdale belt outright with impressive wins over Martin Power, Lee Haskins and Colin Moffett.

WBC extend deadline for Froch-Taylor title clash

By Ben Carey

The World Boxing Council has extended the date for Carl Froch’s and Jermain Taylor’s representatives to agree terms and submit contracts to the WBC Offices in Mexico City until Friday, 1st August 2008 to confirm their clash for the WBC super-middleweight title vacated by Joe Calzaghe.

Last month, Froch questioned whether Taylor would accept the challenge. The WBC’s subsequent extension to allow negotiations to continue would seemingly support Froch’s fears.

“I’m delighted to get the title fight and just hope Taylor shows a real fighting heart and goes through with this fight,” previously said Froch, who has stopped 19 opponents in 23 fights.

“I’ve heard he was talking about fighting Jeff Lacy next but that fight is a mismatch in my opinion.I would knock Lacy out in a round or two and it is an easy fight for Taylor, so I just hope Jermain doesn’t squirm out of this situation with me and I think the broadcasters shouldn’t allow him to either.”