Ringside Report’s Fight Report of Recent Results and Upcoming Bouts Around The World
By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart
UK – biggest and most notable
Saturday 25th June
Super welterweight Sam Eggington won a curious points victory in Coventry, against Przemyslaw Zsyk live on Sky. At times it must have looked to Eggington that he was facing a heart shaped mirror as Zsyk fought back and refused to back down. Eggington ended the fight marked whilst Zsyk looked as if he had never been near a ring and was as fresh faced looking as when he arrived! Eggington is now, even curiouser the IBO world title holder. It is curious because the IBO have always maintained that their rankings are objectively based on some computer algorithm and Zsyk and Eggington are far from numbers 1 and 2! But it isn’t going to matter to the home fighter, Eggington who can now look forward to a bigger fight in the months to come. As for Zsyk, he deserves another run out on the TV
International headline in the UK
Saturday 25th June
In San Antonio, Texas, the WBO, WBC, IBO, IBF and WBA welterweight titles remained around the waist of Jessica McCaskill as she comprehensively beat Alma Ibarra. Ibarra refused to come out for the 4th round, leaving the champion clutching her baubles. Controversially, it has been claimed that Ibarra quit because she did not like McCaskill’s holding! By the end of it, the holding onto the titles was the only holds which mattered.
Under the radar
Saturday 25th June
Also, on the Sky card in Coventry, the two winners of the last two Boxxer series appeared. Given that they had won a short fight format, there were lesser expectations, rightly, over their fights as they are potential stars of the future rather than headliners right now. Both had decent fights, showed up pretty well but failed to set the heather alight as super lightweight Cori Gibbs beat Carlos Perez the current Spanish champion in his first outing since winning the series on points over 8 rounds. Then lightweight Dylan Cheema got a 4 round points win over Stu Greener.
Mentioned in dispatches.
Saturday 25th June
The Celtic middleweight title went to Graham McCormack who beat Dominic Donegan in Belfast on points, whilst the Sky card in Coventry, saw the successful debut of Olympic featherweight Kariss Artingstall who dominated the teak tough Lithuanian, Vaida Masiokaite, on points over 6 rounds.
In San Antonio, Texas, the WBA and IBF super bantamweight contest between Murodjon Akhmadaliev and Ronny Rios, saw Akhmadaliev stopping Rios in the 12th whilst the WBC super flyweight battle between Jesse Rodriguez Franco and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai also ended with a stoppage though this time in the 8th and Franco was the victor.
Fast Forward – the week to come as viewed from one side of the Atlantic
UK – biggest and most notable
Saturday 2nd July
BT Sport deliver in Wembley with a bill topped by the man who beat the man who is the WBA heavyweight champion now, Joe Joyce, facing a replacement opponent in Christian Hammer. There has been a bit of toing and froing in interviews in why Joyce is not facing Joseph Parker and to be fair to Parker, it is a short career and if he can maximise his cash through Sky rather than Frank Warren, then who can blame him. Given the amount of effort that the Warrens put in to make the Joyce/ Parker fight happen – only they can! As a consequence, I think it is safe to say that this is not what people were hoping to see and Joyce should make light work of Hammer.
International headline in the UK
Saturday 2nd July
In Queensland, Australia, we have the IBF cruiserweight title fight between Mairis Breidis and Jai Opetaia, which shall be of massive interest to British fighters like Lawrence Okolie and Richard Riakporhe. Since losing a majority decision against Oleksandr Usyk in the World Boxing Super Series, the Latvian, Breidis has hardly put a foot wrong. Opetaia, though unbeaten and with a massive number of regional titles to his name, has not faced anyone like Breidis before so we all expect what we think should be a perfunctory defence for Breidis.
Under the radar
Saturday 2nd July
The BT Sport bill at Wembley, has quite a few decent fights on it, the cream for me is the return of Callum Johnson at light heavyweight who takes on Igor Mikhalkin for the bizarre WBO Global title. Irrespective of the title being fought over, Johnson has found his star being eclipsed in the recent past as Joshua Buatsi and Anthony Yarde have stolen the limelight. But for Johnson this is far more than just getting back in the ring, it is about getting back in the mix which he should do – barring disasters.
Mentioned in dispatches.
Friday 1st, Saturday 2nd July
Plenty of fights across the UK with bills in Bolton, York Hall and Rotherham on the Friday whilst on Saturday Plymouth, York Hall – presented by FightZone, Solihull, Barnsley and Hull add to the televised Wembley card. On that Wembley card we also have lightweight Mark Chamberlain taking on Marc Vidal for the IBF European title, middleweight Nathan Heaney faces Nizar Trimech for the IBO international belt, and super bantamweight Jason Cunningham is up against Zolani Tete for the IBF international and Commonwealth crowns.
Future History – and the week to follow…
UK – biggest and most notable
Saturday 9th July
In the 02 in London, two former world title contenders – Derreck Chisora and Kubrat Pulev – headline a DAZN show with much of interest in the evening but not much by way of belts…
International headline in the UK
Saturday 9th July
In Texas, we have the WBC featherweight title fight between Mark Magsayo and Rey Vargas.
Under the radar
Saturday 9th July
Highly touted prospect, super bantamweight Ramia Ali is in London to face Augustina Marisa Belen Rojas.
Mentioned in dispatches.
Saturday 9th July, Sunday 10th
The 02 in London hosts heavyweight Solomon Dacres, middleweight Felix Cash, heavyweight Fabio Wardley and the super middleweight Caoimhin Agyarko against Lukasz Maciec for the WBA international belt. There are cards throughout the weekend in Liverpool, Worksop and Birmingham.