Innholdsfortegnelse for 6 November 2025 i Boxing News

THE HEAVYWEIGHT fight between Fabio Wardley and Joseph Parker not only lived up to expectations, it probably surpassed them. Nevertheless, there was a whiff of controversy over referee Howard Foster’s intervention in the 11th round. Should the fight have been stopped? Let’s look into it. Parker was in front on two of the judges’ scorecards, but that shouldn’t, of course, be a consideration where a fighter’s safety is concerned. And, in any case, the referee doesn’t know how the judges have a fight scored. Wardley hurt Parker with a big right hand to put the skids under the boxer from New Zealand. I counted some 40 punches thrown from Wardley in the ensuing barrage. Parker threw two punches – a left hook that missed, and a right hand that was…

BRITISH and European super-middleweight champion Callum Simpson (18-0, 13 KOs) looks set to return in December on the BBC. While nothing is yet confirmed, indications suggest that Troy Williamson (21-4-1, 15 KOs) is the leading contender to face the popular 29-year-old from Barnsley. The European Boxing Union (EBU) website – not always the most reliable of sources – has listed the fight for December 20 in Leeds. Last month, Simpson’s manager, Kevin Maree, told Boxing News he believed ‘Trojan’ Troy was a worthy challenger. “Troy definitely deserves a shot,” he said. “He’s a great fighter. Him and Callum would make for an excellent fight and you would have the English, British, Commonwealth and European titles on the line.” Williamson, 34, earned his place in the conversation with a thrilling upset…

WHOLE SHOW EVER SINCE the loquacious Belfast heavyweight Martin Rogan slumped on to the ring apron in the York Hall to wax lyrical following his inaugural Prizefighter win, British boxing fans have held a soft spot for frenzied one-night tournaments. The popular Prizefighter series, which ran from that night in 2008 to 2015 across 34 instalments, wasn’t the first competition to adopt such a style, and it won’t be the last. This Saturday, in Hull’s Connexin Arena, eight domestic super-middleweights will fight for a £25,000 cash prize in GBM’s one-night shootout labelled The Heist. GBM Sports’ head honcho Izzy Asif hit the nail on the head when he said that names don’t matter as much in these tournaments. History has shown that both the fleet-footed former amateur and the bareknuckle-esque…

NEWTONABBEY NOVEMBER 2 WHOLE SHOW BELFAST’S newest prodigy, Kyle Smith (2-0, 1 KO, 156lbs 2oz), sent The Theatre at The Mill into a frenzy when he stopped Derry journeyman Paul Cummings (3–92–1, 1 KO, 159lbs 2oz) after just over a minute of action. The decorated amateur (pictured below) was keen to showcase his attributes in the pro game, attacking at the opening bell and dropping Cummings 30 seconds later with a flurry of hooks. Referee Hugh Russell Jr–who officiated and scored all night – waved the super-welterweight contest off moments later when Cummings was pinned to the ropes and unable to retaliate to Smith’s barrage. Cathal Jennings (3-0, 146lbs) came through his toughest test yet against a very game Matthew King (8–12–1, 1 KO, 145½lbs), winning the welterweight bout 59–57 on Mr…

AFTER Phil Scott’s crushing defeat at the hands of Jack Sharkey in their world title final eliminator at Miami Beach on February 27, 1930, British heavyweight boxing was at a very low ebb. Scott went on to have two further ignominious defeats that put paid to his career for good. Firstly, the American fighter, Young Stribling, came over to in the summer of 1930 to take on Scott in a 10-rounder at Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium. Things could not have gone worse for Scott as, in front of a crowd of around 40,000, he was taken apart by Stribling in only two rounds, with Boxing News reporting that “Phil Scott’s display was literally pitiable”. Eleven months later, Scott boxed in the open air again, this time at Leicester, and he was…

ABOUT 10 years ago, I put together a database of every British amateur championship contest I could find. Primarily focused on the ABAs, my research also included every international match involving the home countries and Ireland, the Services, and the very many traditional tournaments for youths and schoolboys, including the London Feds, the NABC, Sea Cadet and Schools championships. I only produced the data for the period 1940 to 1979, but there are nearly 30,000 results there. One thing this research threw up were the very many occasions when two men who went on to become successful pros fought each other as amateurs. Sometimes the matchups themselves were surprising and sometimes it was the result that was. One that had both, and a particular favourite of mine, occurred in the…

ALMOST three years ago, Derek ‘Sweet D’ Williams wrote ‘An Open Letter to Danny Williams’, published in Boxing News, in which he implored his fellow former heavyweight contender to stop boxing. Danny Williams was near his 50th birthday and had recently lost to 4-0 novice Nelson Hysa. It was, according to BoxRec, the 32nd defeat of Williams’ once-proud career – but there have been more than that, given ‘The Brixton Bomber’ has also engaged in several unrecognised and unlicensed bouts. ‘Sweet D’ praised Danny for beating Mike Tyson, fighting his many domestic rivals, and challenging for a world championship, but equally highlighted how long ago these had happened. The Tyson upset and subsequent WBC title shot had come 18 years prior; Williams had last fought for the British title in…

GLASGOW OCTOBER 30 WHOLE SHOW THE TOP table at the Radisson Blu was lined with past and present champions as the St Andrew’s Sporting Club hosted the inaugural Debra Fight Night in Scotland, raising an impressive sum for the charity before the evening’s action began. Debra is a charity that provides support and funds research for people affected by epidermolysis bullosa, a genetic skin-blistering condition Glasgow’s Axel Ngoy (152lbs) moved to 2-0 with a 39–37 win over Rotherham’s Nathan Darby (2-32-3, 1 KO, 155lbs). Ngoy began cautiously, working behind the jab while trying to read the southpaw’s rhythm. The tempo lifted in the second as both men opened up, though the rounds grew scrappy, with Darby’s spoiling tactics drawing visible frustration from the Glaswegian. Ngoy pressed hard in the last,…

ORLANDO NOVEMBER 1 WHOLE SHOW DELIVERING more function than form, Cuban heavyweight Lenier Pero was able to grind out the win over Manchester’s Jordan Thompson in the Caribe Royale. Improving to 13-0, 8 KOs, Pero earned a unanimous decision victory as momentum meandered between the pair. Two of the judges totalled 96-93, while the third had it 97-93, all for ‘El Justiciero’. While agreeing post-fight that his opponent had made things competitive, Pero remarked that Thompson’s repetitive combinations were easy to read and respond to. This was Thompson’s first venture up to heavyweight. The 32-year-old Englishman’s sizeable frame allowed him to arrive at a still-lean 238lbs, a vast increase on the 198½lbs he weighed in his last outing, a cruiserweight title challenge versus Jai Opetaia. That was more than two years…

UNDERNEATH the railway arches in Peckham, South London, a clinical psychologist feels the full brunt of a teenager’s fist. Gyms such as this one, London Community Boxing, have long offered sanctuary to troubled youths. Here, however, the team leading the padwork offer much more than the usual sessions of catharsis and physical beastings. Founded in 2017, In Your Corner is a youth charity with a difference, offering a blend of clinical psychology with boxing coaching to some of London’s most difficult-to-reach young people. Boxing News spoke with their CEO, January Jones, about their work. Tell us a little about the charity’s inception. Kathy Adcock, who founded the charity, is a clinical psychologist as well as an amateur boxer. She started out working in the NHS and CAMHS [Child & Adolescent…

SUPER-HEAVYWEIGHT 95+kgs 1. Damar Thomas | England 2. Matthew Williams | England 3. Mitchell Barton | Scotland 4. Jesse Olupitan | England 5. Anthony Ibekwe | England 6. Clinton Achusim | England 7. Wisdom Ovlawe | England 8. Joshua Sims | England 9. Alex Williams | England 10. George Allen | England HEAVYWEIGHT 90kgs 1. Isaac Okoh | England 2. Akinola Tijnai | England 3. Connor Williams | Wales 4. Ollie Hockney | England 5. Kenneth Anigboro | England 6. Zak Nearney | England 7. Matthew Maynard | England 8. Luke Selby Grace | England 9. Kieran Cooper | England 10. Demur Macharashvili | England CRUISERWEIGHT 85kgs 1. Teagn Stott | England 2. Robert McNulty | Scotland 3. Dominic Owoo | England 4. Divine Omojor | England 5. Omar Augustine…

SADLY, Croydon EBA Chairman Barry Penny was laid low with a bug and couldn’t make October’s meeting – but the good news is that he’s now a lot better and fully intends to make November’s. That will be our last this year, and we always celebrate by giving every paid-up member a free drink. Several other regulars couldn’t make it, for various reasons, but it was still a lively, happy meeting, and the raffle raised £55. As Acting Chairman, I informed the meeting of the BBBofC’s generous gesture in donating £500 to every EBA. Everyone was properly grateful and there were several suggestions (not all serious) of how the money could be used. Karl Barwise said late member Bobby Wells’ funeral had been very well-attended. “There was a lovely turnout,”…

WATCHING Colin Jones watch his first fight with Kirkland Laing is wonderful. Jones does not need to stand and throw the punches that hurt Laing, there is no need for hollering as the tiny gloves connect – Jones was not about thrills then and he is not about thrills now. Last week at Bar Sport in Cannock, Jones just nodded, moved his eyes slightly and gently smiled as he watched. The two Laing fights are stunning, brutal and shocking. The short punch at the end of the eighth, which really finishes the second fight, is savage in slow motion. Jones does throw it, and it travels about six inches on the stage; it travelled the same distance that night at the Royal Albert Hall in 1981 – there is no…

PREVIEWS Previewing the best upcoming fights around the world The star ratings indicate how well the writer believes the fighters match up, the fight(s)’ contextual significance, and how good the fight(s) will be MAIN EVENT THERE is a lot of interest in boxing circles about a proposed match-up between undefeated 154-pounders Vergil Ortiz Jr and Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, and it would indeed be a huge fight. However, nothing is certain, and in any case Ortiz has an obstacle to clear when he meets Erickson Lubin in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday. Ortiz (23-0, 21 KOs) is the favourite. He’s had the bigger wins, he’s perceived as the puncher in the fight and he’s boxing in his home state. And, as the saying goes, he hasn’t learned how to lose. That…

Reporters’ star ratings for main events and undercards are based on in-ring entertainment, competitiveness and whether overall expectation was met MANCHESTER NOVEMBER 1 MAIN EVENT UNDERCARD ATMOSPHERE IT WASN’T my best performance” admitted a deflated, but not defeated, Joshua Buatsi after a controversial majority-decision win over Zach Parker left a sour taste in the mouths of British boxing fans – and not only those of the latter’s loyal Derby contingent. Following his defeat to Callum Smith in February, Buatsi (20-1, 13 KOs, 174lbs 10oz) knew he must end 2025 on a sweeter note and overcome Parker atop this Frank Warren card at the Co-op Live Arena on his Queensberry debut, if he was to realistically retain his world title ambitions. Meanwhile, Parker (26-2, 18 KOs, 174lbs 9oz) understood that victory over…

GLASGOW OCTOBER 31 WHOLE SHOW A HALLOWEEN meeting of the McDonalds on this Sam Kynoch promotion at Crowne Plaza Hotel saw unbeaten Kirkinner cruiser Connal McDonald (3-1, 1 KO), just eight months after debuting, in against Sheffield’s Sheldon McDonald, who came with something of a reputation as a puncher. Maybe not too much of a surprise then that the Yorkshireman (10-1, 4 KOs, pictured below), in at short notice and living up to type, should silence the supporters of the brave but outclassed home favourite by securing a third-round stoppage victory, with a classy combination sealing the win. Wishaw’s Darren Johnstone (12-1, 3 KOs), with a Channel 5-televised clash in Brighton against Stockport’s Niall Brown beckoning later this month, had twice previously exchanged pleasantries with York’s ‘Pocklington Rocket’ Harry Matthews…

HE WAS so popular that many called him “The Fifth Beatle”. Even his pre-fight weigh-ins were an event. “When he fought,” remembered promoter Don ‘War-A Week’ Chargin a few years ago, “Thousands of people would show up just to see him.” “He had Oscar’s [De la Hoya] looks, and people went completely crazy for him,” added Chargin. He was Oscar before Oscar. He was Mando Ramos. Chargin had been promoting fights since the late ’50s. A verbal warning from a goodfella to stay away from the Los Angeles boxing scene, or end up in the hospital like a friend of his, had not persuaded Chargin to take a hike. He promoted boxing at the Hollywood Legion Arena before accepting the same job at the Olympic Auditorium in 1964. Chargin would…

Nov 07 OTTO WALLIN vs CHRIS THOMAS Tropicana Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City Bruce Seldon Jr vs Jose Medina Nov 08 THE HEIST Connexin Live, Hull DAZN VERGIL ORTIZ JR vs ERICKSON LUBIN Dickies Arena, Fort Worth DAZN Darius Fulghum vs David Stevens Robin Sirwan Safarvs Derick Miller Jr Nov 13 STEVEN BUTLER vs STEPHANE FONDJO Casino de Montreal Jhon Orobio vs Xolisani Ndongeni Nov 14 GERVONTA DAVIS vs JAKE PAUL (exhibition) Kaseya Center, Miami NETFLIX Alycia Baumgardner vs Leila Beaudoin (WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO super-featherweight titles) Cherneka Johnson vs Amanda Galle (WBC, WBA, IBF & WBO bantamweight titles) Gary Antuanne Russell vs Andy Hiraoka (WBA super-lightweight title) Yokasta Valle vs Yadira Bustillos  (WBC strawweight title) ANGELINA LUKAS vs KATHERINE RENEE LINDENMUTH Cairo National Stadium Nov 15 CHRIS EUBANK…