By Steve Bunce I SAT with two Olympic dreamers 10 days before the first bell in Paris. It was Callum Smith and Tasha Jonas, and the venue was an outdoor bar in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle. They had the same dreams at the same time, and they had been dreaming of boxing at the Olympics since … Read more
1) Jermell and Jermall Charlo Jermell has been a world super-welterweight champion, on and off, since 2016, while his twin brother, Jermall, is a former super-welterweight champion who now operates at middleweight, where he has won a WBC title. Jermell has fought – and lost – against Canelo Alvarez and no doubt Jermall would in … Read more
John Scully, assistant trainer to Artur Beterbiev, sheds light on what sets the light-heavyweight champion apart as he gears up for a clash with Dmitry Bivol – and reveals a surprising side to him outside the ring… BN: Are preparations underway for the June 1 fight against Dmitry Bivol? JS: Artur always maintains his fitness … Read more
AFTER a strenuous week in the friendship between Joshua Buatsi and Dan Azeez both men appeared to be back on amicable terms after battling one another last night at The OVO Arena, Wembley. Their British light-heavyweight title bout which doubled up as a final eliminator for a shot at Dmitry Bivol’s WBA belt was engrossing … Read more
1) Tyson Fury (Queensberry) vs Anthony Joshua (Matchroom) They’ve had long enough to make it, but still the all-British heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua escapes us. Perhaps now, though, with Matchroom and Queensberry forced to hold hands by Turki Alalshikh, we are closer than ever to common sense prevailing. Joshua lands his … Read more
Anthony Yarde (Light-heavyweight contender) I believe that eventually, Beterbiev will figure Smith out and his calculated pressure will corner him and land the shots he needs. He mentioned that our fight was the toughest of his career, and at 38 years old, we don’t know what Beterbiev’s capabilities will be in the future. Smith is … Read more
By Elliot Worsell ALTHOUGH it would be a stretch to call light-heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev a jovial fellow, or even a man with a sense of humour, there can be no denying that he is having fun, both in the ring punching and whenever asked by someone for his opinion. When, for example, he called … Read more
THE RESULT: Artur Beterbiev retains his trio of world light-heavyweight belts in Quebec City dropping Callum Smith twice in round seven. Smith’s trainer Buddy McGirt signalled to referee Michael Griffin he had seen enough after the second knockdown. KEY MOMENTS: The 20-second burst of shots from Beterbiev in the opening round. It was a signal … Read more
By Elliot Worsell THE one good thing about the delay Artur Beterbiev and Callum Smith have had to endure recently is that in the end it benefits neither of them. It is no good for Smith, who has fought just twice in three years (registering shy of six rounds at that) and it is no … Read more
THERE has been an awful lot of noise generated by Artur Beterbiev’s ‘atypical finding’ following Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) testing on December 6. Atypical findings are not unusual, they do not constitute test failures and ordinarily wouldn’t be made public knowledge. On this occasion, journalist Kevin Iole broke the story on January 10. So, what … Read more
