Ringside Report’s Fight Report of Recent Results and Upcoming Bouts Around The World
By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart
UK – biggest and most notable
The past week in British boxing became even less busy as the bill from the Friday the 20th of August– in Manchester – was cancelled. It meant that the return of super featherweight Alex Dilmaghani was put off. Who knows when that shall be but when it does happen – I shall try and keep an eye out… unless there is something bigger to catch!
Under the radar
We also had a postponement for the WBO super lightweight world championship fight between Jessica Camara and Victoria Noelia Bustos. We did get Kali Reis beating Diana Prezek for the unified WBA and IBO titles at the same weight. It was a majority decision in Reis’s favor so who knows – there may be a rematch clause…
International – most intriguing
And then we got to the big guys. On Friday the 20th of August in Hamburg the WBA international heavyweight contest between Zhan Kossobutskiy and the American Joey Dawejko ended in the second round. Dawejko is a durable guy – just not this time and he ended up on the wrong side of yet another defeat when he was caught by a combination that sent him halfway out the ring! Kossobutskiy looks a handy addition to the mix and next up could it be a fringe world level contender like Martin Bakole? Dawejko claimed he was illegally hit and protested for some time after the stoppage but to no avail.
International headline in the UK
And then came the big fight and for one – the Filipino Senator Manny Pacquiao – the fight he lost more than the one in the ring was against Old Father Time. He was off the pace, lacking power and well beaten by the WBA title holder, Yordenis Urgas. Urgas has now beaten a ring legend and next shall be interesting for him and us watchers but the loss by the only ever eight division world champion was always going to be the headline. It shall be for some time. The likelihood that this is his final fight, increases the longer you think about it. I hope it is his last fight. He has absolutely nothing to give the sport back and his wealth has housed, clothed and fed many Filipinos as he is a true gentleman and charitable giver.
From this point forward though, the narrative must be about the Cuban, Urgas, but it won’t be…
Fast Forward – the week to come
UK – biggest and most notable
This coming Saturday the 28th of August in Birmingham, there is a full Queensberry card that includes light heavyweight Anthony Yarde taking on Alex Theran. It was all going so well. Yarde had taken a world title chance in Russia when he went out to face Sergey Kovalev. He made a decent fist of it and a proper fight but ultimately it was in vain and he lost. Returning form that excursion, his training regime was questioned and questioned and questioned as it was revealed that he did not spar; or at least did not spar a lot. From there came a British fight with an upstart by the name of Lyndon Arthur. In a tight fight, Arthur beat him. Yarde was incandescent. From being a world titlist, he has ended up with an also ran tag. Now he gets back in the ring in a warm up fight which shall be followed by a rematch with Arthur. Unless he loses. He won’t lose though, right?
Under the radar
On the same bill in Birmingham, the top of the card sees a huge grudge match between Akeem Ennis-Brown and Sam Maxwell for the British and Commonwealth titles – their promotional exchanges on YouTube are worth a watch. Both of them had a minimal recognition quality until the fight was announced and here we go – it is a fascinating looking contest.
International – most intriguing
The WBC, WBO, IBF female featherweight title fight in Ohio between Amanda Serrano and Yamileth Mercado is perhaps more notable, not because we await the result with anticipation but await news that once gone through this defense – shall the fight with Katie Taylor be announced? Taylor has her own fight next week as she defends her titles, in the UK. Then the super fight?
It would be wrong to just overlook the threat of Mercado. Though she is coming up in weight the WBC super-bantamweight champion will pose a challenge. Her two defeats came, in her first two title fights but since then she has been in two minor belt battles and then three world title fights – this ain’t her first rodeo.
Future history – and the week to follow…
UK – biggest and most notable
In Headingly, Leeds, the top of the bill is the featherweight rematch between Mauricio Lara and Josh Warrington – no titles, just pride on the line…
Under the radar
The IBO lightweight title fight between Jovanni Straffon and Maxi Hughes. Hughes got his chance because of an unexpected win against Jono Carroll… and boy has he taken advantage of it…
International – most intriguing
The ABU super welterweight fight between Hassan Mwakinyo is against Julius Indongo in Dar-Es-Salaam.
International headline in the UK
In Tokyo, we have the super flyweight WBO title fight between Kazuto Ioka and Francisco Rodriguez Jr.
Mentioned in dispatches…
Friday 3rd September
Fights in Colne, York Hall, Liverpool and Leeds
Saturday 4th September
Leeds
Super bantamweight Hopey Price takes on Zahid Hussain, the WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF lightweight title fight between Katie Taylor and Jennifer Han, welterweight Connor Benn takes on Adrian Granados for the WBA continental belt.
Plus fights in Liverpool, Belfast and Birmingham.
Sunday 5th September
Bedford hosts 7 contests.
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