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.