WBC gone mad? Anthony Joshua world’s No2..
Full Stop
Another fascinating week goes by with no retirements, matches planned and suggested, trainers quoted and news made.
Paul Smith claims he is in good shape with his trainer, Joe Gallagher having the right game plan to beat Andre Ward in their 172lb catchweight contest on the 20th June.
By Donald C Stewart (@communearts)
This is a massive fight for Smith after losing twice to Arthur Abrahams and no more than he deserves.
There was talk at one time of it being a world title fight but no belt does not diminish the significance of a Smith win if he can manage that…
In the heavyweight division, have the WBC gone mad? Anthony Joshua is now ranked number 2!
We are all for the young lad but number 2?
Mind you it would take some beating the WBA who have ranked Yemeni boxer, Ali Raymi number 11 in their latest junior flyweight rankings.
According to local reports Raymi was killed by an air strike on 23rd May; the WBA released their rankings on the 4th June…
I wonder how Middle East champion Lazarus fared this year…
The heavyweights continue to give us great headlines though as Dillian Whyte – the last guy to beat Joshua in the amateurs – has been widely quoted, tipped and punted as a future opponent for Joshua – next outing is in July – could the match be made?
We also have David Haye and David Price tipping their hats in the Joshua direction.
Both would be great domestic fights with Joshua likely to triumph in my view over both.
Also on the lookout for big scalps is Martin Murray who has just signed with Matchroom and targeting James DeGale and George Groves!
Both would be massive fights.
Kell Brook looks certain to fight Brandon Rios next and according to his trainer, Dominic Ingle, next up for the Sheffield fighter would be Manny Pacquiao.
Less of a fight perhaps than Floyd Mayweather Jr but still a massive step up into the stratosphere.
Having been badly beaten by Danny Green and Denis Lebedev we could have been forgiven for thinking that the next thing on Roy Jones Jr’s mind was retirement but instead it is not one but two contests this coming August.
Jones was once the pound for pound king in the ring, if he is not careful he is skating close to becoming the jester.
Japanese southpaw, Shingo Wake is the new IBF mandatory challenger for Carl Frampton after beating Mike Tawatchei in an eliminator in Tokyo.
With Scott Quigg facing Kiko Martinez this could be Frampton’s next scrap before we get the fight we all want? Right…
Actually not as Quigg’s next fight is reputedly going to be in November and in Dubai against Nonito Donaire on a Bob Arum bill.
According to Quigg the man who is stopping that domestic fight we all want against Frampton from happening is Barry McGuigan.
I have a sneaking suspicion that McGuigan just wants the biggest pay day possible for his man and is engineering bigger hype and more publicity before he signs any form of contract.
Frampton is off in the US to fight as he makes his debut on 18th July in Texas against Mexican Alejandro Gonzalez.
Paul Butler returns to the ring on Saturday the 11th July at Manchester against Mexican Gustavo Molina having lost his IBF super flyweight attempt against Zolani Tete.
Good to see him back and hopefully get another world title shot thereafter.
Flash Back
We start with news of a demolition job that was enacted, not on these shores but in Brooklyn where Miguel Cotto proved once again how good he is by demolishing Daniel Geale for the WBC middleweight title.
I thought Geale would surprise us and in one way, the way he capitulated, it could be argued I was right; just a pity I did not mean it.
The busy month of June continued in Scottish boxing with a Friday night card in Bellahouston where I hear that super middleweight David Brophy beat Darren McKenna, super welterweight John Thain triumphed over Chris Jenkinson, welterweight Gary Murray managed to get past veteran William Warburton, the debut of middleweight Brian Forsyth saw him beat Christian Hoskin Gomez, the debut of Commonwealth Scottish heavyweight Ross Henderson has been delayed and middleweight Marc Kerr saw off Arvydas Triznon.
In York Hall, on the same evening, cruiserweight Tony Conquest appeared in front of Jiri Svacina.
At time of writing I have no idea the result but shall update next week!
Fast Forward
And so to tonight, the 13th June, and in York Hall we see heavyweights Larry Olubamiwo and David Abraham face each other.
Abraham is in his 2nd fight with Olubamiwo having been a prospect, now making a living out of the game.
It looks likely that Abraham shall have a tough contest but a win nonetheless.
In Bristol we have the interim IBF bantamweight title between Lee Haskins and Ryosuke Isawa with Haskins clearly the favourite to take the win and become interim champion.
Whilst it shall be no walkover as Isawa has only 1 loss in his 20 fight career I still think Haskins has enough.
We also have the Commonwealth light heavyweight fight on that bill between Bob Ajisafe and Daniel Wanyoni.
Ajisafe is a great fighter and would expect him to be lifting the belt at the end of this.
In Preston we have welterweight Denton Vassell facing Gary Boulden and whilst Vassell remains a name for me, his star is beginning to lose some of its lustre.
Having said that I can see Vassell having a twilight twinkle in his career and would expect him to win tonight.
In Bedworth we also have 2 fights on their bill.
Next Friday the 19th June in Newport there is the cruiserweight contest between Craig Kennedy and Courtney Fry where I think Kennedy may shade it.
Future History
Saturday 20th
Essex – 6 fights
Manchester – 14 fights
Villa Park, Birmingham – 8 fights
Derby County FC – 2 fights
Oakland, USA
Andre Ward v Paul Smith (non-title, catchweight 172lb)
Las Vegas, USA,
Shawn Porter v Adrien Broner (non-title welterweight)
Montreal, Canada,
Hassan N’Dam v David Lemieux (vacant IBF middleweight)
Friday 26th
Barnsley – 9 fights
Portsmouth – 11 fights
Liverpool
Callum Smith v Christopher Rebrasse – WBC Silver super middleweight title; Rocky Fielding v Brian Vera – WBC international super middleweight; cruiserweight Tony Bellew v Lubos Suda; middleweight Tom Doran
Saturday 27th June
Blackpool – 3 fights
Wishaw
Light middleweight Sandy Robb v Jody Meikle; featherweight David Agadzhanyan; middleweight Ronnie Nailen v Nathan Decastro; welterweight George McIlroy v Sevak Bagdasaryan; and cruiserweight Kevin Barr (debut) v Lee Kellett.
Carson, USA
Timothy Bradley v Jessie Vargas (vacant WBO welterweight)
Preston – 9 fights
Swindon – 6 fights
Saturday 4th July
York Hall
Heavyweight Tom Dallas
Walsall – 8 bouts
Rotherham
Super middleweight – Navid Mansouri v Sam Sheedy – English title
Bournemouth – 12 bouts
Sunday 5th July
Sunderland
Super bantamweight – Martin Ward v Leigh Wood – English title
Saturday 11th July
Birmingham, Alabama
Deontay Wilder v Eric Molina – WBC heavyweight title
Vaasa, Finland
Heavyweights – Robert Helenius v Beka Lobjanidze
Gillingham – 12 bouts
Manchester
Liam Walsh v Troy James – British and Commonwealth super featherweight; Terry Flanagan v Jose Zepeda – WBO lightweight; Paul Butler v Gustavo Molina super flyweight; WBO intercontinental super lightweight fight – Jack Caterall; and middleweight Billy Joe Saunders.
Cannock – 11 bouts
Friday 17th July
Bethnal Green – 1 bout
