Chris Billam-Smith retained the WBO Cruiserweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Richard Riakporhe at Crystal Palace Stadium un London.

Billiam-Smith, 200 lbs of Bournemouth, ENG won by scores of 116-111 and 115-112 twice and is now 20-1. Riakporhe, 200 lbs of London is 17-1.

Ben Whittaker remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Ezra Arenyeka in a light heavyweight bout.

Whittaker, 175 lbs of West Bromwhich, ENG won by scores of 100-89 and 99-90 twice and is now 8-0. Arenyeak, 175 lbs of Chesire, ENG is 12-1.

Jack Massey won a 12-round unanimous decision over Isaac Chamberlain in a cruiserweight bout.

Massey, 196 lbs of Manchester, ENG won by scores of 116-112 and 115-113 on two cards and is now 22-2. Chamberlain, 196 lbs of Brixton, ENG is 16-3.

Dan Azeez and Hrvoje Sep battled to an eight-round draw in a light heavyweight bout.

The referee score was 76-76. Azeez, 188 lbs of London is now 20-1-1. Sep, 179 lbs of Croatia is 12-2-1.

Francesca Hennessy remained undefeated with a eight-round decision over Dorota Norek in a super bantamweight bout.

Hennessy, 121 lbs of Kent, ENG won by a 77-75 score and is now 4-0. Norek, 119 lbs of Poland is 7-5.

LONDON, UK (May 7, 2024) – Former British, Commonwealth and European Light Heavyweight Champion ‘Super’ Dan Azeez joins British boxing’s biggest event of the summer as the latest addition to BOXXER’s star-studded Selhurst Park stadium show on Saturday, June 15th, live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and Peacock in the USA.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Azeez returns to action after a thrilling twelve round clash with friend and fellow South Londoner Joshua Buatsi on February 3rd at the OVO Arena Wembley.

The Lewisham man lost a hard-fought points decision to Buatsi in a final eliminator for the WBA World Light Heavyweight Title.

Despite suffering his first career defeat, Azeez’s stock has risen following his ‘Fight Of The Year’ contender and the 34-year-old plans to waste no time in getting back into title contention and targeting the top names in the division.

Dan Azeez said: “I’m looking forward to getting back in the ring. This is my job and I wear this sport on my chest like a badge of honour. I’m ready to put the graft in like I always do to prove I belong at the top of the sport. I always aim for the top and I’m excited to be a part of a huge stadium show in South London, where I am from! Selhurst Park is going to be rocking and I’m excited to put on a show for all the fans who turn out.”

BOXXER Founder and CEO Ben Shalom said: “It’s great to see Dan Azeez back in the ring so quickly. I know he will have learnt a lot from such a great fight with Joshua Buatsi. He has become one of the country’s most popular fighters and I now expect him to be well equipped to go right to the top of the division.”

Fans attending the huge GAME ON! show will be part of history as boxing returns to Selhurst Park in its centenary year.

The epic Chris Billam-Smith vs Richard Riakporhe clash tops a huge bill in South London and kick-offs a huge summer of world-class sport with a blockbuster night of world championship boxing and celebrations.

A stacked undercard features Brixton’s Isaac Chamberlain challenging the fierce punching Pole Michal Cieslak for the European Cruiserweight crown.

Ben Whittaker faces undefeated rival and press conference crasher Ezra Arenyeka for the WBA Gold Light Heavyweight belt, plus the return of 19-year-old bantamweight starlet Francesca Hennessy.

A percentage of every ticket sold will be donated to the Palace For Life Foundation, the official charity of Crystal Palace F.C, which has been working with the community for over 25 years, helping young people grow through the power of sport, inspiring them to find a better path in life and to lead a healthier life.

This event is presented in association with official partners bet365, Integritas Property Group and HELL Energy.

Tickets are on sale now via BOXXER.com

LONDON, UK (May 1, 2024) – Ben Whittaker will look to silence press conference crasher Ezra Arenyeka when the unbeaten fighters clash for the WBA Gold Light Heavyweight Title as part of a blockbuster night of boxing on Saturday, June 15th at South London’s historic Selhurst Park stadium, live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and Peacock in the USA.

TICKETS ON GENERAL SALE TOMORROW AT 10AM

Known as the ‘African King’, Arenyeka, who is 12-0 as a professional with 10 knockout wins, had to be held back by security after making a surprise appearance at a press conference ahead of Whittaker’s fight with Leon Willings last month.

The 28-year-old from Nigeria stormed the stage to demand a fight with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Silver medallist and has since vowed to punish Whittaker for what he perceives to be disrespectful behaviour towards his opponents in the ring.

Whittaker has become a viral sensation as a result of his flamboyant showboating, amassing a huge following online and wowing audiences across the country with his fan friendly performances.

Whittaker recently returned from the USA where he has already built a huge fan base. The 28-year-old from the West Midlands can now continue his journey to superstardom as he takes on undefeated rival Arenyeka for the WBA Gold strap.

Whittaker and Arenyeka will come face-to-face today at 1pm at the official launch press conference for BOXXER’s summer stadium show at Selhurst Park.

WATCH LIVE LAUNCH PRESS CONFERENCE STREAM ON SKY SPORTS BOXING’S YOUTUBE CHANNEL

Fans attending the huge GAME ON! show will be part of history as boxing returns to Selhurst Park in its centenary year.

The epic Chris Billam-Smith vs Richard Riakporhe clash tops a huge bill in South London and kick-offs a huge summer of world-class sport with a blockbuster night of world championship boxing and celebrations.

A stacked undercard features Brixton’s Isaac Chamberlain challenging the fierce punching Pole Michal Cieslak for the European Cruiserweight crown.

A percentage of every ticket sold will be donated to the Palace For Life Foundation, the official charity of Crystal Palace F.C, which has been working with the community for over 25 years, helping young people grow through the power of sport, inspiring them to find a better path in life and to lead a healthier life.

This event is presented in association with official partners bet365, Integritas Property Group and HELL Energy.

Tickets for the huge summer stadium event at Selhurst Park go on sale tomorrow at 10am.

LONDON, UK (February 15, 2024) – ‘The Surgeon’ is back! Future boxing superstar Ben Whittaker brings his unique style to The O2 in London as the latest addition to BOXXER’s action-packed ‘Bad Blood’ card on Sunday, March 31st, live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and Peacock in the USA.

Whittaker (6-0, 5 KOs) has become a viral sensation with clips of his flamboyant showboating during his stoppage win over Khalid Graidia on February 3rd generating millions of views and global interest on social media.

Tipped for superstardom, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Silver Medallist will look to capitalise on his new-found attention by delivering another show stealing performance following his win over Graidia on the Buatsi-Azeez card in Wembley.

Whittaker will add star power to an already stacked card on Easter Sunday topped by the ‘Bad Blood’ showdown between unbeaten heavyweights Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke for the British and Commonwealth Titles.

Florian Marku and Chris Kongo will settle their simmering welterweight rivalry following an explosive press conference altercation last year, whilst Alen ‘The Savage’ Babic takes on Newcastle’s Steve Robinson and rising super middleweight star Callum Simpson closes in on a British Title shot.

BOXXER Founder and CEO Ben Shalom said: “The reaction to Ben Whittaker’s performance against Khalid Graidia has been incredible. It shows the power of social media. He gained hundreds of thousands of followers overnight and there’s clips of him online with millions and millions of views. We’ve known from day one that we’ve got a superstar on our hands with Ben Whittaker. With his style and personality, we believe he can become the biggest star in world boxing.”

This event is presented in association with official partners bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE, Integritas Property Group and VOW Nutrition.

Tickets, priced from just £30, go on sale today (Thursday, February 15th) from midday. For more details visit: https://www.boxxer.com

In a very competitive and high-stakes battle of undefeated light heavyweights, Joshua Buatsi won a 12-round unanimous decision over Dan Azeez at The Ovo Arena in London.

The fighters took turning taking rounds early as Azeez looked ti get inside and land power shots, while Buatsi was able to set up his power shots behind a long jab.

In round 11, Buatsi dropped Azeez with a right hand. At the end of the round, Azeez went down again when a left landed and Azeez went down on his front. In round 12, Buatsi rocked Azeez across the ring

Buatsi landed 228 of 841 punches. Azeez was 159 of 713.

Buatsi, 174 lbs of London won by scores of 117-109 and 116-112 twice and is now 18-0. Azeez, 172.3 lbs of London is now 20-1.

Adam Azim remained undefeated with a fifth round stoppage over Enock Poulsen

In round five, Azim put Poulson down with a left hand. Poulson complained of a right shoulder injury and the bout was stopped at 2:39.

Azim, 140 lbs of England is 11-0 with eight knockouts. Poulsen, 139.5 lbs of Denmark via Zambia is 14-1.

Ben Whittaker remained undefeated with a five-round beatdown of Khalid Graidia in a scheduled eight-round light heavyweight bout.

In round two, Whittaker dropped Graidia with a left hand.

In round five, Whittaker battered Graidia with nine unanswered hard blows and the fight was stopped at 1:57

Whittaker, 175 lbs is 6-0 with five knockouts. Graidia, 176 lbs is 10-14-5.

Caroline Dubois won a 10-round unanimous decision over Miranda Reyes in a lightweight bout.

Dubois, 134.5 lbs of London won by scores of 100-90 on all cards and is now 9-0. Reyes, 134 lbs of Houston is 7-2-1.

Jeamie TKV won a six-round decision over Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko in a heavyweight bout.

TKV, 263 lbs of Tottenham, ENG won by a 58-55 score and is now 6-1. Dovbyshchenko, 255 lbs of Ukraine is 10-15-1.

LONDON, UK (January 16, 2024) – Future boxing superstar Ben Whittaker will look to steal the show as he returns to action on the undercard of the huge all-British showdown between unbeaten #1 and #2 world ranked light heavyweights Joshua Buatsi and Dan Azeez on Saturday, February 3rd at the OVO Arena Wembley in London, live and exclusive on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and Peacock in the USA.

Whittaker closed the year in style with a highlight reel knockout of Stiven Leonetti Dredhaj in Bournemouth. Now 5-0, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Silver medallist is aiming to kick-start the New Year with another spectacular performance when he takes on Swiss-based French fighter Khalid Graidia over eight-rounds.

Graidia returns to British shores having previously shared the ring with Whittaker’s domestic rivals Zach Parker, Ezra Taylor and Karol Itauma in London. Graidia also took British and Commonwealth Champion Dan Azeez the distance when they squared off in Milan in July 2023.

“The Surgeon is back and ready to start 2024 with another clinical performance. I’m putting the whole light heavyweight division on notice. Another big year is on the way so don’t miss the start of it on February 3rd,” said Whittaker.

“This is the start to a huge year for Ben Whittaker,” said BOXXER CEO and Founder Ben Shalom. “He will bring his star power to an already massive night for the light heavyweight division on February 3rd in London. Ben is a special talent and we expect to see him headlining shows and fighting for major titles this year.”

Having dethroned Franck Petitjean in front of a capacity crowd in Wolverhampton last year, Adam Azim makes the first defence of his EBU European Super Lightweight Title against undefeated former champion Enock Poulsen.

Rising featherweight star Francesca Hennessy and heavyweight hope Jeamie TKV are also confirmed for action in the capital. Hennessy, who has wowed fans with her explosive style since joining the paid ranks last year, goes in search of her third professional victory, while TKV looks to get back to winning ways having suffered his first career defeat to Igor Macedo in September 2023.

This event is presented in association with official partners Bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE, Integritas Property Group and IFX Payments.

Tickets starting from £30 are available via BOXXER.com

BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND (November 23, 2023) – The stage is set for another unmissable night of boxing in Bournemouth as local hero Chris Billam-Smith makes a triumphant return to defend his WBO World Cruiserweight Title against Mateusz Masternak on Sunday, December 10^th live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and Peacock in the USA.

Billam-Smith captured the WBO crown in May with a fairytale victory over countryman Lawrence Okolie in front of a record-breaking crowd at the Vitality Stadium, home of his beloved A.F.C. Bournemouth.

‘The Gentleman’ will make the first defence of his title at the Bournemouth International Centre against Polish powerhouse Masternak, who returns to the UK for the first time since his 2015 European championship war with Tony Bellew.

And fans have even more to look forward to with the full undercard revealed for the sold-out, south coast show.

As previously confirmed, 2020 Olympic Gold Medallist Lauren Price will face former European Champion Silvia Bortot. Having made history earlier this year by becoming the first female to win a British title, Price (5-0, 1 KO) will be aiming to end 2023 with a statement win against Italy’s Bortot (11-3-1, 3 KOs), who previously went the distance with former unified world champion Mikael Mayer.

Fellow 2020 Olympic Medallist Ben Whittaker has an opponent set for his hugely-anticipated return to the ring. Future boxing superstar Whittaker (4-0, 3 KOs), who has been wowing crowds around the country with his flamboyant and unorthodox style, returns to the scene of his spectacular pro debut to take on Stiven Leonetti Dredhaj (11-2-1, 3 KOs).

Having impressed on previous visits to Bournemouth, Michael McKinson (25-1, 4 KOs) will make the short trip from Portsmouth to take his place on the undercard. The 29-year-old southpaw stopped Lebin Morales last time out at Vitality Stadium and will be hoping a similar victory can set him up for a title run in 2024.

Following his victory over Stanley Stannard in an official eliminator bout during BOXXER’s visit to Bournemouth in May, Lee Cutler (13-1, 7 KOs) will face Obi Egbunike (8-2-1, 1 KO) for the vacant English Super Welterweight Title in a potential show-stealing 50-50 clash.

Southampton light heavyweight Lewis Edmondson (7-0, 3 KOs) joins the bill as he looks to extend his unbeaten record against Dmytro Fedas (8-4-2, 5 KOs). ‘The Saint’ claimed his seventh pro win with a technical decision victory over Petar Nosic on the undercard of Billam-Smith’s world championship winning fight in May.

And fresh from her impressive debut, 18-year-old bantamweight Francesca Hennessy (1-0, 1 KO), the daughter of renowned boxing manager and promoter Mick Hennessy, can continue the perfect start to her professional career when she gets back under the bright lights in Bournemouth.

BOXXER CEO and Founder Ben Shalom said: “The Bournemouth International Centre is going to be rocking on December 10th as we end the year with another spectacular sold-out show on the south coast. We have Olympic medallists, local stars, and some of British boxing’s hottest young talents in action. This show is a real Christmas cracker and one you do not want to miss!”

RETURN OF THE KING: Chris Billam-Smith vs Mateusz Masternak takes place on Sunday, December 10^th at the Bournemouth International Centre and will be broadcast live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and Peacock in the USA. Tickets for the year-ending, south coast show are already sold out.

This event is presented in association with official partners bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE, Integritas Property Group and Who Dares Gyms.

BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – (November 6th, 2023) – Future boxing superstar Ben Whittaker is back in action next month as he joins the BOXXER: RETURN OF THE KING card in Bournemouth on Sunday, December 10th, headlined by WBO World Cruiserweight Champion Chris Billam-Smith defending his title against Mateusz Masternak and airing live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK and Peacock in the USA.

Whittaker has got off to a blistering start to his career since turning professional in the wake of his 2020 Olympic Games silver medal glory, wowing crowds around the country with his flamboyant and unorthodox style.

Now the 26-year-old is returning to the south coast, where he made his professional debut, and is looking to end the year on a high with another memorable performance to set the stage for a massive 2024. 

Whittaker was aiming to fight in his hometown on November 18th as part of the BOXXER: WOLVES AT THE DOOR card but rehabilitation on a couple of niggling injuries, which have kept him out of the ring since July, have delayed his return until December. 

“I’m looking forward to getting back to it. You already know what I bring so make sure you tune in on December 10th as I’ll be closing the year with another surgical performance,” said Whittaker. 

Ben Shalom, BOXXER founder and CEO, said, “Ben Whittaker is such an electrifying talent, I think fans would have him on every card if they could. We had a busy year lined up for him but he’s had some minor injuries to deal with following his fight in July. I’m excited to say he’s now fully fit and raring to go. On December 10th, fans are going to get another chance to see one of the boxing world’s biggest talents live in action ahead of what’s going to be a monumental 2024 for Ben.”

BOXXER: RETURN OF A KING takes place Sunday, December 10th in Bournemouth and sees hometown hero Chris ‘The Gentleman’ Billam-Smith (18-1, 12 KO’s) make the first defence of his WBO World Cruiserweight Championship against Polish powerhouse Mateusz Masternak (47-5, 31 KO’s) – a former European and IBF and WBA Intercontinental Cruiserweight Champion currently ranked #5 in the world by the WBO and #9 by the WBC.

A title shot has also been confirmed for Bournemouth’s Lee Cutler (13-1, 7 KO’s) following his victory over Stanley Stannard in an official eliminator bout during BOXXER’s visit to the Vitality Stadium in May. Cutler will face Londoner Kingsley Egbunike (8-2-1, 1 KO) for the vacant English Super-Welterweight Championship as part of an action-packed undercard with more fights to be announced soon. 

Fans can also now sign up to the Ben Whittaker Fan Club to be first to receive the latest Ben Whittaker news and fight announcements plus priority access to tickets for his fights.

Manchester, England – (June 20, 2023) – Two guaranteed crowd-pleasers were today confirmed for the BOXXER: Crews-Dezurn vs Marshall card, with highly-rated Manchester area super-middleweight Mark Jeffers seizing a huge opportunity to replace the injured Mark Heffron in a Commonwealth Silver title clash with Zak Chelli and the sensational Ben Whittaker stepping up another level in Manchester’s AO Arena on Saturday July 1st, live on Sky Sports.

Heffron had been due to defend his Commonwealth Super-Middleweight Championship against Chelli (13-1-1, 6 KO’s) next weekend but was forced to withdraw last week due to an injury sustained in training. The undefeated and hotly-tipped Jeffers (15-0, 4 KO’s) saw an opportunity to step in and take a big scalp in a clash which now has the vacant Commonwealth Silver Super-Middleweight Championship on the line. 

Fighting out of the Manchester satellite town of Chorley – also home to Jack Catteral – the rising Jeffers is trained by Michael Jennings, whose own standout professional career took him all the way to the USA to lock horns with all-time great Miguel Cotto in New York’s legendary Madison Square Garden. 

Jennings has declared his Jeffers to be “twice as good as I was at the same age” and is confident of his fighter’s ability to step in on short notice and upset the surging Chelli, who carries career-best form into the bout as he comes off his dominant win over former WBA Intercontinental champion Anthony ‘The Magician’ Sims Jr in February.

Whittaker (3-0, 2 KO’s) won a silver medal for Great Britain at the 2020 Olympic Games and has won a legion of fans since entering the professional ranks last year, his supremely confident showboating style harking back to his idol ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed and proving a huge hit with fight fans.

The Wolverhampton wonderkid has made no secret of his ambitions to fast-track himself to the bigtime: he went immediately into six-round fights after turning professional, skipping any four-round experience, and is now stepping up for an eight-round bout in what is only his fourth professional fight.

In Manchester he will take on Ireland-based light-heavyweight Vladimir Belujsky (13-6, 9 KO’s), a durable campaigner who has three times as many KO wins on his record as Whittaker has bouts. 

The heavy-handed Slovakian’s last UK visit saw him take Karol Itauma almost to the final bell of their eight-rounder, having earlier that year taken Jack Cullen eight rounds in the same Manchester arena he will now face Whittaker in. 

“Mark Jeffers is dangerous and talented. He will be stepping up to a huge opportunity to fight Zak Chelli after Mark Heffron pulled out via injury. I’m delighted to turn around such a great fight – possibly fight of the night – in a matter of days. Credit has to go to both guys for taking on such a big challenge,” said Ben Shalom, BOXXER founder and CEO.

“Zak Chelli is on a mission to prove himself the best super-middleweight in the country and he’s fearless in taking on anyone along the way. Chelli is a throwback fighter, he has that ‘anyone, anytime’ mentality and Jeffers is ready to meet him head-on, so I give full credit to both of them. They both know this is going to be a tough fight

“Ben Whittaker’s last performance got him on the radar of every sports fan in the country. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime type of talent and he’s said himself that he wants to be fighting at the top level as soon as possible. This will be his first fight over eight rounds. Vladimir Belujsky is tough, he’s tricky, but I think we’re going to see something special from Ben Whittaker once again in Manchester.”

BOXXER: Crews-Dezurn vs Marshall takes place Saturday, July 1st at the AO Arena Manchester and airs live and exclusively in the UK and Ireland on Sky Sports. 

The headline bout sees former world middleweight champion Savannah Marshall return to super-middleweight to challenge reigning champion Franchon ‘FCD’ Crews-Dezurn for the undisputed world championship in a clash which will be closely watched by FCD’s friend and Marshall’s bitter rival Claressa Shields.

This event is presented in association with official partners bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE and Village Hotels.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – (May 24th, 2023) – Savannah Marshall (12-1, 10 KO’s) is on track to land a record-setting 1-2 this summer as she follows October’s sell-out of The O2 London – the UK’s largest arena – by headlining a sold-out show at the AO Arena Manchester – the UK’s second-largest arena – on Saturday, July 1st.

The undisputed World Super-Middleweight Championship will be on the line when Marshall walks out to challenge defending champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn (8-1, 2 KO’s) and becomes the first female boxer ever to headline the UK’s two largest arenas in back-to-back events.

Previously set to occupy the co-headline slot, the undisputed world championship bout now takes main event status as Liam Smith postpones his rematch with bitter rival Chris Eubank Jr to recover from a minor but nagging injury which has dogged his training camp.

The two antagonists set a pay-per-view record for their weight class when they fought in January, a bout Smith won by fourth-round stoppage, and a stellar support card was put in place for their highly-anticipated rematch, which was also set to air as a Sky Sports Box Office pay-per-view event.

With two world title fights – Liverpool’s Natasha ‘Miss GB’ Jonas (13-2-1, 8 KO’s) is set to defend her unified world light-middleweight championship at the event – plus a guaranteed-fireworks British super-middleweight title fight pitting Manchester man Mark ‘Kid Dynamite’ Heffron (29-2-1, 23 KOs) against Zak Chelli (13-1-1, 6 KOs), that stacked undercard now becomes a stacked event which will air live on the Sky Sports network.

And BOXXER has today also announced that every fan entering the AO Arena on Saturday, July 1 will be issued with a £10 or £20 food and beverage voucher (depending on value of ticket held), courtesy of BOXXER, plus priority access to tickets for the new Smith vs Eubank II date when announced and a 10% discount code to use in their priority access window. 

Also confirmed for the card is once-in-a-lifetime talent Ben ‘The Surgeon’ Whittaker (3-0, 2 KO’s), who became one of the most talked-about athletes in the country earlier this month when his outrageous showboating at BOXXER’s Birmingham event went viral online and had him trending at #1 on UK twitter for the night of May 6th.

Another prospect heavily-tipped by boxing insiders is Callum Simpson (11-0, 9 KO’s), who journeys from his native Yorkshire on July 1st to make his second BOXXER appearance following his stunning third-round stoppage in the same venue in March.

“I’m gutted and sorry to all the fans about the postponement. I’ve always said a fully fit Liam Smith beats Chris Eubank Jr every time. I tried training through because I was desperate not to let anyone down but I’ve had to withdraw from the bout in July following the latest medical assessment this week. I’ll heal up now and then be fully fit for later in the summer,” said Liam Smith. 

“I wanted BOXXER to put a big card together and they more than delivered, so I’m honestly delighted that BOXXER is keeping the card on without the pay-per-view, which doesn’t always happen. I would encourage all the fans to get behind Tasha Jonas and Savannah Marshall in their world title fights, and the other fighters in a brilliant card.”

Ben Shalom, BOXXER founder and CEO, saluted Smith’s courageous efforts to stay on the card and looks forward to another record-setting night in Manchester.

“Nobody is more disappointed than Liam Smith, he’s the ultimate professional but he had no choice but to postpone the bout. We’re working on a new date for the fight and hope to announce that in a week or so. In the meantime we’ve got a huge night taking place in Manchester on July 1st,” he said.

“Savannah Marshall headlining the UK’s two biggest arenas in back to back fights is a first for a female fighter and shows the strength of the women’s sport today. She’s fighting for the undisputed world super-middleweight championship against the USA’s Franchon Crews-Dezurn – a fight which could headline any arena in the world. 

“Manchester’s own Mark Heffron defending his British title against Zak Chelli, Natasha Jonas laying her own world titles on the line, plus a once-in-a-generation talent like Ben Whittaker and the outstanding Callum Simpson takes on Boris Crighton – this is a card stacked with great fights and we are very excited for it.

“We understand a lot of fans will be disappointed to hear the Smith-Eubank rematch is being postponed, so we’ve arranged a free voucher for every fan in the venue to have a drink on us on fight night, plus they will receive priority access to Smith vs Eubank II tickets for the new date when it’s announced, and a discount on those tickets.”

Eubank Jr’s promoter Kalle Sauerland of Wasserman Boxing said a new date for the Smtih vs Eubank rematch will will be announced imminently. “We have been informed that Liam Smith is not fit to fight on July 1st. We are awaiting further medical reports before we announce the new date shortly.”

A new date for the rescheduled Smith vs Eubank II bout – which follows Smith’s stunning stoppage of Eubank in January – will be announced in the near future.

LONDON, ENGLAND – (May 9th, 2023) – BOXXER, the next-generation boxing promotion, today announced updates to the blockbuster SMITH vs EUBANK II: REPEAT OR REVENGE? event headlined by Liam Smith (33-3-1, 20 KO’s) and Chris Eubank Jr (32-3, 23 KO’s), with a new addition to the card confirmed plus a new date for the event at the AO Arena Manchester.

Middleweight sensation Ben ‘The Surgeon’ Whittaker considers ‘Prince’ Naseem Hamed one of his greatest inspirations and paid tribute to his idol in style on Saturday night with a stunning blend of skills and showboating which had him trending across UK social media.

The electrifying young talent won a silver medallist at the 2020 Olympics and is widely-tipped by boxing insiders to become a dominant world champion in the professional ranks and a potential all-time great. In July, Manchester fans will have their first chance to witness his magic in person.

The event – headlined by the highly-anticipated rematch between bitter rivals Liam Smith and Chris Eubank Jr. – also has a new date, moving to Saturday, July 1st.

The date change comes after Smith received medical advice to adjust his training camp for a two-week period in order to allow the healing of a minor injury which had begun flaring up.

With Eubank Jr consenting to the move, the two rivals will now return to the AO Manchester Arena in July, almost five months to the day from the four-round January firefight which took place in front of a sold-out crowd in the same venue – joined by a massive television audience watching on pay-per-view – and ended with Smith winning by stoppage in the first minute of the fourth round.

Determined to avenge the defeat and square the record between them, Eubank Jr activated the contracted rematch clause to set up a summer showdown which has taken their rivalry to new heights and looks set to draw an even larger audience.

Explaining his request, Smith commented, “It’s just an old injury niggle flaring up but I want to take the time to let it heal up so that I can enter the ring at 100% on fight night, because a 100% Liam Smith beats Chris Eubank Jr every day of the week and twice on Sunday.”

The co-headline bout remains in place, with former middleweight world champion Savannah ‘The Silent Assassin’ Marshall (12-1, 10 KO’s) challenging undisputed world super-middleweight champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn (8-1, 2 KO’s) for her four belts and undisputed champion status.

Having won a new belt in each of her three fights in 2022 unified world light-middleweight champion Natasha ‘Miss GB’ Jonas (13-2-1, 8 KO’s) will lay them all on the line in Manchester, with her challenger to be announced in the coming days. 

Jonas – a member of the 2012 Team GB Olympic squad – won the WBO world title in February last year, captured the WBC belt in September and added the IBF belt to her collection in November. 

British super-middleweight champion Mark ‘Kid Dynamite’ Heffron (29-2-1, 23 KOs) – a Champs Camp stablemate of Jonas under the tutelage of two-time trainer of the year, Joe Gallagher – will defend the prestigious Lonsdale Belt against Zak Chelli (13-1-1, 6 KOs) in a certain crowd-pleaser.

Chelli goes into the title challenge off the back of a stunning, career-best performance against American standout Anthony Sims Jr earlier this year. Having recently been mandated for the British title, the Londoner will now be hoping to cause a mighty upset in the North West when he stands toe-to-toe with Oldham native Heffron.

All tickets purchased for the originally-scheduled date remain valid for the newly-announced July 1st date. Ticket-holders who cannot attend the rescheduled date can obtain a full refund by contacting their ticket provider.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – (May 4, 2023) -World championship belts: that’s the goal for Joshua Buatsi in 2023 as he returns to the ring aiming to put the light-heavyweight division on notice and resume his world title campaign in the main event of the BOXXER: CROWNING GLORY event taking place this Saturday night at Birmingham’s Resorts World Arena.

Unified world champion Artur Beterbiev and WBA champion Dmitry Bivol are both on Buatsi’s radar – but world title opportunities depend on Buatsi successfully handling Poland’s undefeated Pawel Stepien this weekend atop a main card airing live from 7pm on Sky Sports Action and Sky Showcase.

“When you win an amateur tournament you come back with something tangible, a medal to show people,” the 2016 Olympic bronze medal winner told a busy pre-fight press conference today.

“In the professional ranks the equivalent is a world title belt and that’s what I want: something tangible to show people that I am the world champion. So the aim this year is to have something tangible to show the people.”

Buatsi is determined to force his way to a world shot, while Poland’s Stepien is looking for an upset that would see him seize the Londoner’s place at the top of the WBA rankings and position himself for a championship fight.

The two unbeaten boxers are putting their future plans on the line in Saturday’s fight.

“Buatsi is a very good fighter. I have watched and studied his fights and I’m happy that I can step in the ring with him on Saturday night and test my skills,” said Stepien.

“This is the height of my career. I’m even more happy that I’m in the main event.”

“He’s a good boxer, represented his country, which I must give credit to,” he said of Stepien. “I’m sure he’ll be strong and tough. But I’m here to win – there’s no other language, there’s no other thinking process, there’s no other thought. The aim is to win, and look good doing it.”

PRICE vs BAVINGTON

The bill also features a history-making event when Lauren Price and Kirstie Bavington fight for the first professional women’s British championship.

British championship belts for male boxers were inaugurated 114 years ago, but no female equivalent existed – until now.

Price is a trail-blazer who won Wales’ first Olympic boxing gold medal in 2021. But it is early in her pro career and Bavington is a seasoned fighter and a former European champion herself.

“It’s a beautiful looking belt as well. It’s great just to add more history to my name,” Price said. “I believe in myself and I’ll come out victorious. I know she’s game, she’s tough, she’s a pressure fighter, I believe I’m a level above.”

Bavington however will make sure the fight is no coronation for Price, who’s only had three professional fights so far in her career.

“She’s fighting me for 10 rounds. I’m here to win and that’s it. Come May 6 (Saturday), this is me, I’m going to bring that British title home.”

Price’s team-mate from Tokyo Games, Olympic silver medallist Ben Whittaker returns to action against Jordan “The Game” Grant.

Grant has taken exception to Whittaker’s comments and acknowledges there’s “needle” between them.

“It’ll be good when I beat him,” the Scotsman said. “I wouldn’t have taken this fight if I wasn’t confident. But obviously if you’re an Olympian and you’re getting medals you’re right up there in the boxing world. I’m under no illusions – it’s a mountain to climb, but it’ll be sweeter when I beat him. It’ll change my life. I’m ready for a war, so let’s go.”

Ben Whittaker and Jordan Grant continued to exchange words during the face-off ahead of their fight on Saturday night.

Whittaker however is certain that with his injury woes behind him, he is on course for another victory.

“‘The Surgeon’ is back. They call [my style] flash because they can’t do it. Saturday you’ll see more flash, more performances and why I’m special.”

Local men Kaisee Benjamin and Tyler Denny are relishing their bouts that will kick off the televised card, live on Sky Sports Action and Sky Showcase from 7pm on Saturday.

Benjamin fights Sean McComb, the skilled operator from Belfast, while Denny is boxing Macaulay McGowan, who like Denny is in good form.

“In front of the home crowd I’m looking to put on a dominant performance… I’m looking to come, win and do the business, and look good doing it as well.

“It’s a good fight, he’s a game fighter, I’m a game fighter and it’s going to match up really well. I can’t see it not being a great fight.

“It’s going to be fireworks.”

Saturday’s event begins with a live stream airing free on the Sky Sports Boxing YouTube channel at 5pm, followed by the main card which can be watched live from 7pm on Sky Showcase (for non-Sky Sports subscribers) and Sky Sports Action (for Sky Sports subscribers). 

LONDON, England – Wednesday, March 22 – BOXXER, the next generation boxing promotion, will warm up British boxing fans before the summer with three sizzling shows, stacked with some of the UK’s leading prize fighters – including its first-ever stadium show on home soil.

The headline news begins with BOXXER’s first-ever UK stadium show on Bank Holiday Weekend in May, as BOXXER heads back to Bournemouth for another blistering battle on the beach on Saturday, May 27, headlined by hometown hero Chris Billam-Smith (17-1, 12 KO’s). 

It takes place at the 15,000-capacity Vitality Stadium – home of Premier League football team AFC Bournemouth. An opponent for diehard Cherries supporter Billam-Smith will be revealed next Monday at a press conference in London (details to media will follow this week) in a main event that promises to be one of the fights of the year. 

“I think it will be an amazing event and an amazing show. To become number one in my division by winning at my team’s ground would be a dream. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. There’s been a lot of special moments there. Hopefully I can create another one,” said Billam-Smith.

And domestic cruiserweight quality will occupy the chief support slot on the South Coast with Mikael Lawal (17-0, 11 KO’s) making his first defence of the British Cruiserweight Championship he won by stopping David Jamieson in November.

Standing opposite him will be Isaac Chamberlain (14-2, 8 KO’s), making his second trip to Bournemouth following his unsuccessful attempt to take the Commonwealth and European cruiserweight belts from Billam-Smith in July last year.

Further fights will be announced in due course, along with ticket news for fight fans.

BOXXER’s terrific trio of electrifying events kicks off with ‘Crowning Glory’ on Saturday, May 6th at the Resorts World Arena, Birmingham when newly-announced BOXXER signing Joshua Buatsi (16-0, 13 KO’s) makes his eagerly-anticipated promotional debut. 

On the day King Charles III is coronated, the former British light-heavyweight champion – who is ranked No.1 in the world by the WBA – faces Pawel Stepien (18-0-1, 12 KO’s) in the headline bout and looks to end his Polish rival’s undefeated record in emphatic fashion as he kicks off his conquest for a world title.

In big news, generational prodigy Ben Whittaker (2-0, 1 KO’s) will make his long-awaited return to the ring in home city of Birmingham.The enigmatic 2020 Olympic silver medallist has already captured fans’ hearts and imaginations with his stunning skills, entertaining showboating style and inhuman reflexes – and he’ll be looking to come back with a bang for what will be his third professional outing.

BOXXER’s first visit to the UK’s second city will also feature Birmingham man Tyler Denny (16-2-3) defending his English middleweight championship in his home city. Denny won the belt in Coventry in June last year and will be making his third defence in this May bout with an opponent to be confirmed.

And Team GB golden girl Lauren Price MBE (3-0, 1 KO) – the nation’s most decorated amateur fighter of all-time – will return, fresh from her impressive victory away from home in Paris where she outclassed Naomi Mannes.

On Saturday, June 10 we head to London where new school meets old school as the incredible Adam Azim (8-0, 6 KOs) competes at the historic York Hall which holds a special place in British boxing folklore.

Azim, 20, has been heralded as a future world champion and last month overcame Santos Reyes at Wembley’s OVO Arena to extend his incredible, unbeaten start to life as a professional fighter.

BOXXER Founder and CEO, Ben Shalom, said: “We are excited to announce phase one of what is a huge schedule coming up for BOXXER and Sky Sports.

“It’s amazing to see new headliners get to the top, new marquee signings start with us and the return of fighters from injury. It really is going to be a groundbreaking few months with career-defining fights and huge nights.

“A special thanks to Joe Ashford-Ellis and AFC Bournemouth for making everything possible for us to stage our first-ever UK stadium show – and a first for the Premier League club too.”

For further details on tickets and event news, head to BOXXER.com

These events will be presented in association with official partners Everlast, WOW HYDRATE and Village Hotels.

Oleksandr Usyk remained the IBF/WBA/WBO Heavyweight champion as he won a 12-round split decision over former champion Anthony Joshua in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

It was much like the first fight where, Usyk was swiftly boxing with some solid jabs and left hands. What was different from the first fight, Joshua was more aggressive and landed some hard body shots. Joshua seemed to hurt Usyk a couple times, but every Usyk had an answer for all of Joshua’s offense.

Usyk landed 170 of 712 punches; Joshua was 124 of 492.

Usyk, 221.6 lbs of Ukraine won by scores of 116-112 and 115-113, while Joshua took a card 115-113 and is now 20-0. Joshua, 244.5 lbs of Warford, ENG is 24-3.

Hrgovic Gets Off Deck; Beats Zhang By Decision in Heavyweight Eliminator

Filip Hrgovic survived an early knockdown and a few tense moments to gut out a 12-round unanimous decision over Zhilei Zhang in a IBF Heavyweight elimination bout.

In round one, Zhang landed a cuffing right around the head that put Hrgovic down.  In round four, Zhang was cut on his forehead.  Hrgovic was rocked several times with right hooks, but was able to eek out rounds down the stretch with combination punching.

Hrgovic landed 208 of 705 punches; Zhang was 154 of 395.

Hrgovic, 242.9 lbs of Zagrab, CRO won by scores of 115-112 and 114-113.

“That was for my father who passed away a few months ago. He was a special man. Yes (he has been on my mind), but my beautiful wife, Marinela, was with me in my training camp in Houston and was able to give me energy.”

“Yes, it was a very close fight, I was losing the fight, but in the later rounds I pushed myself and gave everything. I landed some huge shots, and the last six rounds he was just standing there. The knockdown, I wasn’t hurt at all, I slipped on his feet and lost my balance.

“He surprised me, he’s better than I had thought he was.”

Callum Smith Destroys Bauderlique in 4

Former super middleweight champion Callum Smith took out Mathieu Bauderlique in round four of their 12-round light heavyweight bout.

In round four, Smith dropped Baudelique with a hard left hook. It was another vicious left hook that dropped Bauderlique on to the bottom rope and the fight was stopped ‘at

Smith, 174.7 lbs of Liverpool, ENG is 29-1 with 21 knockouts. Bauderlique, 174.4 lbs of France is 21-1

Jack Decisions Rivera

Former world champion Badou Jack won a 10-round split decision over previously undefeated Richard Rivera in a cruiserweight fight.

Jack landed 101 of 299 punches; Rivera was 85 of 411.

Jack, 199 lbs of Las Vegas, NV won by scores of 96-94 twice and 96-94 for Rivera and is now 27-3-2. Rivera, 194.9 lbs of Hartford, CT is 21-1.

Almaayouf Stops Alatorre in 1

Saudi-bred Ziyad Almaayouf stopped Jose Alatorre in round one of a four-round super lightweight bout featuring debutants.

In round one, Almaayou dropped Alatorre with a short right hand. Almaayouf ended things with Almaayouf sent Alatorre down with a flurry of punches and the fight was stopped at 2:55.

Almaayouf, 139.3 lbs of Los Angeles, CA via Saudi Arabia is 1-0 with one knockout. Alatorre, 136.9 lbs of La Paz, MEX is 0-1.

Ali Stops Nova in 1st

In the first female bout in Saudi Arabian history, Ramla Ali stopped Crystal Garcia Nova in the opening round of their eight round super bantamweight bout.

Ali landed a hard right hand that put Nova down and she did not get up before the 10-count at 1:05.

Ali, 122.7 lbs of Mogadishu, SOM is 7-0 with two knockouts. Nova, 122.9 lbs of Santo Domingo, DR is 10-3.

Andrew Tabiti stopped previously undefeated James Wilson after round five of their eight-round heavyweight bout.

In round five, Tabiti beat down Wilson and dropped him in the corner with a right uppercut. After the round, Wilson’s corner pulled the plug on the fight.

Tabiti, 216.7 lbs of Las Vegas, NV is 20-1 with 16 knockouts. Wilson, 238.5 lbs of Los Angeles, CA is 7-1-1.

2021 UK Olympian Ben Whittaker remained undefeated with a six-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Petar Nosic in a light heavyweight fight.

Whittaker, 173.7 lbs of West Bromwich, ENG won by scores of 60-54 and 59-55 twice and is now 2-0. Nosic, 175.3 lbs of Vrgorac, CRO is 6-1.

Tall light heavyweight and Usyk stablemate, Daniel Lapin remained undefeated with a eight-round unanimous decision over Josef Jurko in a light heavyweight bout.

Lapin, 173 lbs of Kiev, UKR won by scores of 80-72 on all cards and is now 6-0. Jurko, 176.1 lbs Kosice, SLO is 9-7-1.

Traycho Georgiev took a four-round split decision over debuting Rasheed Belhasa in a super welterweight bout.

Georgiev, 146.6 lbs of Sofia, BUL is 1-3. Belhasa, 148.5 lbs of Dubai, UAE is 0-1.

Bader Al Samreen stopped Faud Tarverdi in the fourth and final round of their super lightweight contest.

In round four Al Samreen dropped Traverdi. A follow up flurry forced a referee stoppage at 1:16.

Al Samreen

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – August 15th, 2022: Fresh from his incredible debut, rising British boxing superstar Ben Whittaker returns to the ring for his second fight this weekend as he faces a former foe in Saudi Arabia.

The Team GB Olympic silver medallist had everybody talking when he began his professional career in blistering fashion in Bournemouth just three weeks ago.

In a dazzling display, ‘B£NZO’ – who is also known as ‘The Surgeon’ – showed why many believe he is destined for world title glory as he blasted away Greg O’Neill with a devastating second-round stoppage.

Trained by SugarHill Steward, the 25-year-old matched his impressive in-ring prowess with an entertaining combination of bravado and showboating to immediately get fight fans excited about him.

And they won’t have to wait long for his next outing with the Tokyo 2020 Olympics hero now confirmed for a fight in front of 35,000 at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena, Jeddah on Saturday’s Anthony Joshua vs Oleksankr Usyk undercard.

Birmingham light-heavyweight Whittaker, 25, will go toe-to-toe with unbeaten Croatian boxer Peter Nosic (6-0, 3 KOs) in a six-round contest as part of the action-packed undercard, before the main card airs live and exclusively on Sky Sports Box Office.

Nosic, 23, boasts a 50% knockout record since turning pro back in June 2021.

Nosic and Whittaker are no strangers. On his amateur debut in 2015, the Croatian was stopped inside round two by the Brit – and Whittaker will be determined to repeat that feat in Jeddah.

BOXXER CEO and Founder, Ben Shalom said: “It’s great to have Ben back out so quickly on such a big show.

“His debut in Bournemouth was very impressive and we’re looking forward to a massive future.

“I’m sure we will see another entertaining performance in Jeddah and we look forward to seeing him boxing again on home soil very soon.”

Bournemouth, England – (30th June 2022) – The huge domestic clash between Chris Billam-Smith and Isaac Chamberlain at the Bournemouth International Centre on 30th July will headline a card featuring two 2020 Olympic Games medalists, one of the most explosive finishers in British boxing and a rising star tipped as a future great.

Ben ‘B£NZO’ Whittaker, who won silver at the latest Olympics and is now crossing over into the professional ranks with a stated intention of becoming the greatest British boxer of all time, will launch his professional career against solid opposition in the experienced County Durham fighter Greg ‘The Real Deal’ O’Neill (6-6-1, 1 KO).

Testament to Whittaker’s confidence in himself, he has elected to make his professional debut in a six-round fight, skipping the traditional four-round entry level. Coached by SugarHill Steward, who also trains Tyson Fury, the big-hitting Midlander is lauded as one of the most exciting prospects in the world.

Fellow medalist Frazer Clarke (1-0, 1 KO), who captained Team GB at the 2020 Olympics and won a bronze medal, returns to the ring for his second professional outing following his stunning first-round stoppage win on the undercard of Khan vs Brook in February.

The Burton-based ‘Big Fraze’ heads to Bournemouth in search of a second similarly emphatic finish, as he takes the next step of his journey towards conquering the domestic heavyweight scene.

Southampton KO sensation Joe Pigford (19-0, 18 KO’s) makes the short journey on the M27 to Bournemouth with his fanatical fans. He’s looking to put on another devastating performance, before returning home with his first championship title in his bag.

Thunderous puncher Pigford holds a 95% KO ratio and is on an unbroken 16-KO run. In Bournemouth he will challenge for the Vacant WBO European Super-Welterweight Championship and will take a huge step closer to world title contention if he wins.

Hard-hitting Scottish prospect John Docherty (12-1, 9 KOs) looks to make a big statement against the undefeated Manchester-based Brazilian puncher Diego Costa (8-0, 5 KOs) in an exciting shoot out that is sure to deliver drama.

Another 2020 Team GB Olympian in Caroline Dubois (2-0, 1 KO) continues on her career following her powerful first round stoppage of Martina Horgasz last time out and faces experienced Tanzanian Happy Daudi over six rounds.

Undefeated cruiserweight puncher Mikael Lawal (15-0, 9 KOs) looks for his sixteenth career win and possible tenth stoppage as he continues a journey which has taken him from homeless teenage gang member to the top tier of the British cruiserweight rankings.

One half of boxing’s hottest sibling talents, Hassan Azim (3-0, 2 KOs), will also look to extend his unbeaten record. After watching younger brother Adam capture his first championship title last week in Coventry with a blistering first-round stoppage, welterweight Hassan will be looking to display his own awesome firepower, following on from his own first-round KO win in March.

Completing the card is another hugely popular all-action Bournemouth fighter, Lee Cutler (10-1, 7 KOs). He has ended his last three fights inside two rounds, with his most recent victory winning him the Southern Area Super-Welterweight title.

Be first in line and get priority access to exclusive discounted tickets – join the waiting list at Boxxer.com

BOXXER: Billam-Smith vs Chamberlain, headlines a stellar card presented by BOXXER in association with official partners bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE and Village Hotels; with special thanks to K4 Global.

Manchester, England – 8 June 2022 – Fast emerging BOXXER talents Caroline Dubois, Hassan Azim and Brad Rea will showcase their talents on the undercard of the crunch heavyweight showdown between Hughie Fury and Michael Hunter at the AO Arena Manchester on Saturday 2nd July, live and exclusive on Sky Sports.

The trio of prospects will join another red-hot talent who makes his highly-anticipated entry into the professional ranks, 2020 Olympic silver medallist Ben ‘B£NZO’ Whittaker. Trained by SugarHill Steward, multi-decorated amateur Whittaker was one of the most sought-after Tokyo Olympians by promoters. With his sublime talent and unique flair, he aims to become this generation’s face of the sport.

Manchester prospect Rea (13-0, 5 KO’s), who defeated Lukas Ndafoluma last time out in April, fights in front of his home fans’ for the second time this year when he features in an eight-rounder against Welshman Morgan Jones (14-3, 5 KO’s). 

The all-action middleweight flattened Craig McCarthy for the count with one left uppercut on his last visit to the AO Arena Manchester on the Khan-Brook undercard in February. Prior to that he enhanced his growing reputation with an impressive victory over Jez Smith in a pulsating eight-round battle last October.

Lightweight sensation Dubois (2-0, 1 KO) has looked superb since turning pro last year and is now unbeaten in two fights at just 21 years old. ‘Sweet Caroline’ registered her first stoppage – a blistering first round TKO of Martina Horgasz in March – and will continue to show her rapid development under trainer Shane McGuigan again as she marches towards her first title.

Hard-hitting prospect Azim (4-0, 3 KO’s) and his brother Adam – who also both train under McGuigan – are two of the most highly-touted sibling talents in world boxing. Hassan has two first round KO’s from his four wins and aims to make it a knockout hat-trick as he continues to blaze a trail in the welterweight division. 

Also confirmed for the card are heavyweight Steve Robinson (4-1, 3 KO’s) and super-welterweight April Hunter (5-1), training partner of middleweight champion Savannah Marshall. 

“Caroline Dubois, Hassan Azim and Brad Rea are three of the best young talents in British boxing today and each of them has the potential to go all the way and become a global superstar in this sport. With an undercard showcasing the future of British boxing and a main event which will make waves in the heavyweight division, Manchester on 2 July is shaping up to be one of the best cards of 2022,” said Ben Shalom, BOXXER founder and CEO.

BOXXER: Fury v Hunter is a world-class event presented by BOXXER in association with official partners bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE and Village Hotels. 

Fury and Hunter headline the card in a high-stakes WBA World Title Eliminator which will send the winner forward for a shot at the world championship currently held by WBA World Champion Trevor Bryant, who faces British challenger Daniel Dubois in the US this Saturday.

Tickets are on sale now at boxxer.com. Prices from just £50

London, England – (1 June 2022) – British boxing’s newest star Ben Whittaker will launch his professional career on the big stage when he features on the undercard of the Hughie Fury-Michael Hunter WBA World Heavyweight Title Eliminator on Saturday 2nd July at the AO Arena Manchester, live and exclusively on Sky Sports.

Whittaker is the final member of the record-breaking Team GB Tokyo medallists to turn over from the amateur ranks and is one of the biggest and most exciting names in recent years to enter the pros.

Recognized internationally as a top prospect, ‘B£NZO’ made headlines around the world last month when he inked an exclusive long-term promotional agreement with BOXXER at a lavish promotional launch packed with media and VIP attendees.

Charismatic and talented, Whittaker has stated an aim to become a global star and one of Britain’s all-time greats as he prepares to make his professional debut in the dynamic and competitive light-heavyweight division.

Guiding the 24-year-old Wolverhampton native on his professional path will be trainer SugarHill Steward, trainer of heavyweight megastar Tyson Fury. He has compared Whittaker to the legendary Roy Jones Jr, noting that both turned professional after achieving Olympic glory. 

“Everything that’s happened so far has led me to this and I have been waiting my whole life for this moment. I am just so excited to get in the ring and show you all what you already know I can do, I am counting down the days,” said Whittaker.

BOXXER Founder and CEO Ben Shalom said, “I’m very excited ahead of the professional debut of Ben Whittaker and believe that we’re going to witness the start of a very special journey in his career on July 2nd. We’ve never seen so much interest in a fighter announcement. 

Adam Smith, Sky Sports Head of Boxing Development Adam Smith, said, “A brilliant main event is supported by the highly anticipated professional beginning for Olympian starlet Ben Whittaker. This is a huge moment for Sky, Boxxer, 258, his trainer SugarHill and Ben’s family. We think he’s got the mix of skill, strength and personality to become a massive star in the sport. With a stacked card featuring our other emerging talent, this should be a real summer sizzler on Sky Sports!”

BOXXER: Fury v Hunter is presented by BOXXER in association with official partners bet365, Everlast, WOW HYDRATE and Village Hotels. 

Registration for the Exclusive Ticket Pre-Sale is now open at BOXXER.com

Registered fans will have first access to the best tickets at least 24 hours before they go on sale to the public and will receive an exclusive discount on all tickets.

Tickets are priced at £50, £75, £100, £150, £250. 

A ticket for the BOXXER event will grant access to AO Manchester Arena from 17:30 for the duration of the evening. Tickets will subsequently grant free access to the Hatton v Barrera show by Europa Concerts which will begin after BOXXER’s event has concluded.