Body shots do the trick for Munroe in successful Dublin defence

By Ben Carey

Rendall Munroe retained his European super-bantamweight crown for the third occasion when challenger Fabrizio Trotta quit midway through round five citing an injury to his wrist at City University in Dublin on December 18.

Barker ready to go after sparring with world champion Froch

Darren Barker has been left raring to go in his Commonwealth Middleweight Title defence on Saturday after sparring with new WBC Super-Middleweight Champion Carl Froch. Undefeated Barker (Barnet, England) makes his second defence against Jason McKay (Banbridge, Northern Ireland) at the Brentwood Centre on Saturday (13 Dec).

Co feature on the bill, Brian Magee (Belfast, Northern Ireland) challenges Steve Maguire (Glenrothes, Scotland) for the Vacant British Super-Middleweight Title, both fights will be shown live on ITV4 from 8.40pm.

McCullough contemplates one final comeback and looks to make history

By Jonny Stapleton

The press had him all but retired and out of boxing after his last fight, but Wayne McCullough is eyeing up a historical Irish comeback in October.

The Irish boxing legend had sparked rumours he had eventually decided to hang up his gloves when, after retiring on his stool after six rounds against Juan Ruiz, he addressed the crowd and said. “I think this is my last fight and I want to thank you all for coming. I’m disappointed with the way things went but I just felt I couldn’t go on.”

The Olympic Silver medalist and former world super-bantamweight champion has since refuted reports he was ready to pick up his pension and it appears he will prove the doubters wrong if he steps into the ring in Dublin next month.

Lee ready to bounce back

Andy Lee will look to return to winning ways on July 19th in his native Limerick but he realises he won’t have it easy when he faces Willie “The Gladiator” Gibbs on the next Ladbrokes.com Fight Night.

The fight will mark Lee’s return to the ring following his shock defeat at the hands of Brian Vera in March. It was huge upset for the highly touted Irish southpaw who was rated one of the 5 best prospects in world boxing.

“There’s no real point dressing it up and put a positive spin on the Vera fight,” admitted Lee. “It was very disappointing but I’m ready to move on now and can’t wait to get back in the ring. People have said that the defeat might lower expectations and take some weight off my shoulders but I didn’t have a problem with that weigh because nobody’s expectations were any higher than my own.

“I’ve taken some positives from it though, I definitely learned a few things from that fight so I’m keen to move on now and put it behind me. I’m really looking forward to the Gibbs fight because he’s very highly regarded. He’s only lost to the best so he has to be respected and a good win over him will get me right back on track again.”

It will be all Wright on the night

Reigning English Champion Nigel Wright believes he can put an end to Paul McCloskey’s unbeaten run when they clash on the Ladbrokes.com Fight Night in Limerick on July 19.

McCloskey is coming off a career best win over former World Champion Cesar Bazan but Wright is confident that he will be the first man to inflict a professional defeat on the Derryman at the University Sports Arena.

Wright says that he knows plenty about McCloskey and will be coming to Limerick full of confidence.

“I know Paul quite well from the amateurs,” revealed the 28-year-old Hartlepool native.

Gladiator Gibbs predicts Lee’s Downfall

Andy Lee has been handed an acid test as he looks to bounce back from the first defeat of his career when he headlines the next Ladbrokes.com Fight Night in his native Limerick on July 19th.

Lee will face Philadelphia puncher Willie “The Gladiator” Gibbs and the American is predicting a nightmare return to the University Sports Arena in Limerick for the hometown hero next month.

“I’m still scratching my head about this fight,” said a bemused Gibbs. “I mean the guy just suffered his first defeat and now they want him to suffer a second one straight away. It doesn’t make sense to me but I’ll do what I have to do and that’s come to Ireland to destroy Andy Lee.”

Martinez eyes Dunne rematch

By Jonny Stapleton

The man who disposed Bernard Dunne of his European super-bantamweight title in 86 seconds last year, Kiko Martinez, will offer the Dublin Destroyer a chance to regain the crown if he is successful in his rematch with reigning European champion Rendall Munroe in November.

Dunne’s manager and promoter Brian Peters had given up hope of a European second coming after Munroe declined all offers to fight the Neilstown native and had claimed they were now working toward world title shots. However, Spanish puncher Martinez has revealed that he has Dunne firmly in his sights. Martinez lost his European crown to Munroe on a majority decision in March but has been granted a rematch by the EBU to take place later this year.

Appleby comes of age to take Simpson’s British crown

Courtesy of Matchroomsport.com

PAUL Appleby has become Scotland’s youngest ever British Champion.

Appleby, 20, claimed the British Featherweight title with a tight points victory over John Simpson in Matchroom Sport’s latest boxing show.

A knockdown in the fifth proved crucial as Appleby got the decision by 115-114, 115-114 and 115-113 margins at the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow last Friday.

Oakey glad to receive another chance in Portsmouth

Press release

British light middleweight champion Tony Oakey has long been his hometown’s leading sports hero, but he now shares the limelight with the football team that brought the FA Cup back to Portsmouth, England.

Oakey puts his title at risk this Friday, June 13, 2008 at Portsmouth’s Mountbatten Centre on a promotion billed as “Fright Night” against massive punching Commonwealth champion Dean Francis.

Pryce eyeing WBO title crack

Bradley Pryce is eyeing a possible world title shot after entering this month’s WBO rankings at no.5 after previously being unranked.

The Welsh wizard is scheduled to defend his Commonwealth light-middleweight crown against former British title challenger Marcus Portman at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena on June 21. Pryce will be aiming to deliver a convincing performance to edge closer to securing a shot at current WBO champion Segei Dzinziruk.

To find out where the rest of the British fighters are ranked in the latest world rankings, click the link below.

Haye turns down Warren’s offer to fight Skelton

Press Release

 

Cruiserweight-slash-heavyweight sensation David ‘The Hayemaker’ Haye has reacted with both bewilderment and amusement to promoter Frank Warren’s £600,000 offer for the Bermondsey puncher to face Matt Skelton.

 

On the day that Haye, trainer/manager Adam Booth and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer put promoters on notice with the birth of Hayemaker Promotions, Haye received news that the less-than-alluring prospect of Bedford’s Skelton was waiting in the wings.

 

“The timing of the offer was priceless,” said Haye, the WBC/WBA and WBO world cruiserweight champion. “As Hayemaker Promotions are announcing their ethos and plans to break trends in boxing – to put on exciting, competitive and meaningful contests – Frank Warren’s Sports Network offer me a fight with a washed-up 40-year-old coming off a defeat with nowhere else to go. I’m sure I’m not the only one who saw the irony in that.

Munroe has do it all again against Martinez

European super-bantamweight champion Rendall Munroe, who surprised dangerous puncher Kiko Martinez to win his title on a majority decision in March, has been ordered to grant Martinez a rematch by the EBU. The contest is open for private negotiation and Promoters, Managers and Matchmakers have until the 2nd August to reach agreement.

The punching dustman made a successful first defence of his EBU crown by forcing Frenchman Salem Bouaita to retire after seven rounds at the beginning of this month. Martinez hasn’t fought since Munroe dented his unbeaten record.

Foster Jnr sets date for English title clash with Fehintola

Stephen Foster Jnr, so impressive when pushing Alex Arthur to the wire last year, has been given a date to challenge English super-featherweight champion Femi Fehintola. The fight will take place in Cardiff on July 5 at a venue to be advised by promoter Frank Warren.

To discover the latest English title news, click the link.

Brook to challenge for British title on Arthur-Guzman bill

Sheffield’s unbeaten welterweight prospect Kell Brook will challenge British welterweight champion Kevin McIntyre on the undercard of Alex Arthur’s WBO super-featherweight showdown with the outstanding Joan Guzman at the Meadowbank Sports Centre on May 3.

To see the rest of the forthcoming British title match-ups following the Board’s meeting today, click the link below.

Dolan believes amateur experience will lead him to Prizefighter glory

Sunderland boxer David Dolan believes his formidable amateur pedigree can lead him to glory in the Prizefighter heavyweight tournament later this week. Dolan, 28, is one of eight men competing in the first Prizefighter competition, which will be screened live on Sky Sports 1 from 9.30pm this Friday.

The event, organised by Barry Hearn’s Matchroom Sport, sees four quarter-finals, two semi-finals and final all take place in one night at the York Hall, Bethnal Green. Each bout will last a maximum of 3×3 minute rounds and Dolan, who represented England 54 times at amateur level and won three national titles, is the bookmakers’ favourite to win.

Tournament favourite Dolan handed tough Prizefighter draw

David Dolan, the pre-tournament favourite to win next Friday’s inaugural heavyweight Prizefighter competition, has been handed a difficult quarter-final draw against Welsh banger Darren Morgan made today on SKY’s Soccer AM programme. Morgan, arguably the competition’s biggest puncher, will fancy his chances of causing a shock and will enter the ring with almost a four-stone weight advantage over Dolan who is on the small side for a heavyweight.

Despite losing his last three professional contests on points to Martin Rogan (who is also taking part), Derek Chisora (one of two Prizefighter wildcards) and Sam Sexton, the free-swinging Morgan is a dangerous proposition early on and will be putting everything into catching Dolan. Although the barrel-chested Morgan suffers from poor stamina, he is bound to be suited to the tournament’s three three-minute round fights duration.

The Heavyweight Prizefighter Quarter-Final Draw

Bout 1 Dave Ferguson vs Billy Bessey
Bout 2 Alex Ibbs vs Martin Rogan
Bout 3 Paul Butlin vs Colin Kenna
Bout 4 Darren Morgan vs David Dolan

The winners of bouts 1 and 2 will meet in the first semi-final with the winners in bouts 3 and 4 meeting in the second semi with the winners of those contests meeting in the grand final. The winner will be declared on the night.