Whacky Wednesday
The start of the new week kicked off with a surge of commotion. Firstly, word spread about yet another last-minute cancellation of a purse bid. Following Adam Azim’s decision to withdraw from a potential match against Dalton Smith, Isaac Chamberlain followed suit by relinquishing his British cruiserweight title instead of facing mandatory challenger Chev Clarke.
Clarke’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, and Chamberlain’s promoter, Mick Hennessey, engaged in a Twitter exchange due to this occurrence.
On Wednesday, there was additional news that brought immense joy to Hearn. The announcement of Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis joining Matchroom as a prominent welterweight signing made it one of the standout signings of the year, leaving Hearn beaming with delight.
Tyson Fury had ample time to conduct a press conference at Morecambe FC’s venue, where he adamantly declared that the ‘old dosser’ Anthony Joshua will not replace him in a bout against Oleksandr Usyk. Instead, Fury emphasized that he will face Usyk first as per their contracted rematch.
Nevertheless, he subsequently emphasized, “Have patience. Do not be taken aback when this fight occurs in September.” We remain optimistic.
Return of the nerd
Brandon Scott, the ultimate nerd extraordinaire, has been absent from the world of boxing since August following his hand surgery. However, he made an epic comeback on Thursday, stealing the spotlight at a press conference by donning a Spiderman costume, just as he’s known to do.
This time, the Welsh starlet did not don the Marvel hero’s costume. Instead, it was Sunny Edwards who will assist in managing Scott alongside Lee Eaton. To make the announcement more exciting, Edwards dressed up as Spiderman, only for Scott to surprise everyone by revealing his true identity. This unique scenario could only happen in the world of boxing and Scott.
In the midst of the hardly discernible promotional rift these days, Frank Warren engaged in a conversation about the highly awaited match between Anthony Yarde and Joshua Buatsi. Warren had been diligently striving to arrange the fight, but on Thursday, Yarde announced on social media that he is now a free agent in terms of promotion. In response, Warren countered during an interview with Box Nation, stating, “Our stance is clear – we have a valid and active contract… We consistently uphold our contractual obligations. I won’t delve into specifics, but it is truly disheartening.”
Warren has been Yarde’s promoter since his transition as a novice amateur. Hopefully, they can reconcile and make the fight happen.
Brandon Scott (Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)
Lose-lose situation
On Friday, the Fight Hub YouTube channel released a significant interview featuring Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. Unfortunately, for those eagerly hoping for a David Benavidez fight, the news was not in our favor. As Alvarez gears up for his upcoming bout against Jaime Munguia on May 4, he has labeled a potential fight with Benavidez as a ‘lose-lose’ situation, particularly if there were to be a rehydration clause.
After defeating him, people will inevitably comment, “Ah, they included that clause just for this occasion.” It’s a situation where nobody truly wins. I have the ability to take on any opponent and earn a substantial income. I have the freedom to pursue whatever I desire, and I believe I deserve it all due to my unwavering dedication throughout my career.
That evening at York Hall, Charlie Edwards, who hadn’t boxed much since December 2021 due to the surge in Covid cases caused by the Omicron variant, displayed his skills and secured a unanimous decision victory against Georges Ory after ten rounds. Notably, Mikkel Kessler, known for his involvement in training Danish prospect Oliver Zaren, was also present at the event. Zaren emerged victorious over John Harding Jnr, winning on points after an eight-round match.
The Week has not yet confirmed or denied the rumors about Clarke potentially facing Whittaker in the near future.
Feeling supersonic
Ellie Scotney had an exceptional Saturday night in Manchester as she triumphantly unified two super-bantamweight titles. She made certain to commemorate the occasion in a remarkable fashion.
To begin with, she sought the assistance of the legendary Manchester trainer, Billy Graham, to accompany her with the belt during her entrance to the ring. As if that wasn’t sufficient, she opted to commemorate her journey up north by selecting an Oasis song for her walkout. Specifically, she chose “Supersonic,” Oasis’ inaugural single released three decades ago this month, and her performance truly embodied the spirit of the song’s title.
On the other hand, Naoya Inoue responded to assertions made by individuals like Shawn Porter suggesting that he must compete in America in order to achieve stardom. In a Tweet, the Monster countered, stating, “If you wish to witness my skills, come to Japan. If there is something superior to what the Japanese market offers in America, I would gladly consider going. However, Japan is where it’s all happening for me.”
Inoue, undoubtedly, is just a few weeks away from his highly anticipated bout against Luis Nery at the renowned Tokyo Dome. This event marks the first boxing spectacle at the Dome since Buster Douglas shocked the world by defeating Mike Tyson in February 1990. An impressive turnout of approximately 55,000 spectators is anticipated for the fight.
‘Proper fight this…’
A classic Sunday night fight announcement is hard to top, and this one certainly lived up to expectations. Just as we were settling down to enjoy our Week’s roast potatoes, Matchroom confirmed that Sunny Edwards will be taking on Adrien Curiel on the undercard of Jesse Rodriguez versus Juan Francisco Estrada in Phoenix on June 29.
This upcoming fight for Edwards will mark his return to the ring after suffering a defeat at the hands of Rodriguez in Glendale on December 16. It poses a significant challenge as he aims to bounce back from his first-ever loss in his career. Hearn expressed his concern about the tough nature of the fight, questioning Edwards, “Are you certain about this? You’ll be facing a former world champion in front of a crowd of 12,000 Mexican fans, right after your recent defeat.”
Dana White, the President of the UFC, is determined to beat Matchroom fighter Katie Taylor to the punch by hosting the first-ever combat sports event at the Las Vegas Sphere. This comes after previous news of Taylor’s potential return to the ring, with a possible rematch against Amanda Serrano.
He expressed his affection for Eddie Hearn, stating, “I consider him a close friend.” However, he firmly asserted that it was not feasible, saying, “That plan is out of the question. You can attend the event in the Sphere come October.”
Sunny Edwards (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Stick or twist?
The question is, where do we even begin with this one? On Monday, Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren unveiled the lineup of fighters for their exciting 5 vs 5 head-to-head event, set to occur on June 1, as part of the undercard for the Artur Beterbiev versus Dmitrii Bivol fight.
The press conference held at the HERE at Outernet venue in central London was quite unusual. As customary, the 10 boxers sat at the top table wearing peculiar masks and gradually unveiled their faces one by one. Although many details had already been leaked beforehand, all parties involved have pledged to keep future events like this a secret, possibly scheduling the next one for September.
However, let’s not focus on the fighters. One of the standout moments of the night was when Queensberry’s endearing troublemaker Dev Sahni brought Hearn to the stage, jokingly stating, “You may know him from his appearances on the cover of Men’s Health magazine and his countless daily YouTube interviews.”
Bravo! The promotional video for 5 vs 5, which was also unveiled today, could possibly be the most exceptional promotional content ever witnessed in boxing history.
Working breakfast
On Tuesday morning, the fighters participating in the ‘5 vs 5’ show continued their media engagements bright and early. Deontay Wilder was the first to appear, expressing his enthusiasm about his comeback after his disappointing loss to Joseph Parker in December. The sight of a towering 6ft 7in Alabaman stomping around the Swiss Cottage Marriott and shouting ‘Bomb Squad’ at the top of his lungs may have puzzled some of the regular hotel guests.
Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren, boxing’s best double act, reinforced their partnership during a 30-minute sit-down, further solidifying their credibility. Their seamless collaboration is so remarkable that they even finish each other’s sentences, creating an odd but intriguing dynamic.
Amidst all the hustle and bustle, Matchroom’s esteemed press officer, Dan Barnard, diligently crafted a press release for their upcoming event. Set to take place on June 22 in Birmingham, the show will witness Tyler Denny defending his European middleweight championship against the formidable Felix Cash. It promises to be an exceptional battle.
