Derek Chisora and Joseph Parker will collide in a huge Heavyweight clash on a blockbuster night of action that sees Irish star Katie Taylor defend her Undisputed Lightweight crown against former amateur rival Natasha Jonas and undefeated WBA Light-Heavyweight World Champion Dmitry Bivol put his Title on the line against Craig Richards, as well as the return of Chris Eubank Jr, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in all markets excluding the UK, Ireland, China, New Zealand and Samoa.

Former World Title challenger Chisora (32-10, 23 KOs) was last seen pushing Ukraine’s pound-for-pound star Oleksandr Usyk all of the way in their 12-round battle for the WBO Intercontinental Heavyweight Title at The SSE Arena, Wembley last October, and the fan favourite is chomping at the bit for his next challenge.

A meeting between the pair scheduled for October 2019 fell through at three-and-a-half weeks’ notice when Parker’s team revealed he was suffering from the aftereffects of a spider bite. Chisora, who was unconvinced with Team Parker’s reasons for pulling out in 2019, has labelled Parker a ‘chicken’ in recent weeks and says he has unfinished business with the Heavyweight contender. 

Former WBO World Champion Parker (28-2, 21 KOs) is fresh off a hard-fought 12-round decision over long-time amateur nemesis Junior Fa at Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand last month that settled an 11-year old rivalry with his compatriot, a win that he hopes will kickstart his route back to the top of the Heavyweight division. 

Ranked at No.3 with the WBO, New Zealand’s Parker is well known on these shores having defended his WBO Title against Hughie Fury at Manchester Arena in September 2017, before taking unified ruler Anthony Joshua the distance at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff in March 2018. His last appearance in the UK came against Dillian Whyte in a dramatic points loss in July 2018.

“We’ve been here before, in 2019 I flew to Vegas to film the ‘Face To Face’ with Parker, I called Haye as soon as I left and told him, ‘This guy isn’t going to get in the ring with me’, I could see the fear in his eyes,” said Chisora. “Now, second time around I hope he fights, I’m looking forward to the fight, I cannot wait to get back in the ring! I love fighting, it is what I love the most. Good luck to Joseph Parker and his new team, we shall see you for WAR on May 1^st!”

“I’m excited to start this new chapter in my career with a new coach and some fresh ideas,” said Parker. “I’ve settled in and Andy and I are bonding well. Chisora and I have unfinished business and inside the ring one of us will get the job done. I am well aware that a win on British soil and on world-wide television will put me in pole position whereas a loss will be catastrophic.  I am more than up for the challenge. Bring it on Del Boy.”

Taylor (17-0, 6 KOs) defeated Jonas (9-1-1, 7 KOs) in the quarter-final stages of the London 2012 Olympic Games on route to capturing Ireland’s first gold medal of the summer. The pair will meet again nearly ten years down the line with Taylor’s WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Titles on the line. 

Since their first meeting in the amateurs, Taylor has gone on to cement herself as the best female fighter on the planet by winning World Titles in the Lightweight and Super-Lightweight divisions and remaining undefeated in all 17 of her professional contests. ‘KT’ was last seen outclassing her WBA Mandatory Challenger Miriam Gutierrez with a masterful display in November. 

‘Miss GB’ came agonisingly close to winning her first World Title at the age of 36 last summer when she battled to a thrilling draw with WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight Champion Terri Harper at Matchroom Fight Camp. It was the first time that two British women had competed against each other for a Word Title, and the all-action fight more than lived up to the occasion. 

“Natasha proved in her last fight that she is still performing at the highest level so it’s a great challenge for me and I’m really looking forward to it,” said Taylor. “It’s a fight that people have been asking for and those are the type of fights you want to be part of.

“People still talk about our fight in the 2012 Olympics and I think that proved to be a real eye opener for people in terms of what women’s boxing is all about. I’m expecting another tough fight on May 1^st and I’m looking forward to successfully defending my Titles.”

“I’m really excited about getting the fight, I made a lot of noise about not wanting to go down in level or class after establishing myself on the world stage in my last fight,” said Jonas. “I know Katie is a different type of animal to Terri Harper, but I believe every time I’m asked to step up, I do. I said I wanted to be a champion and anybody at 130 to 140 was in my sights, I know I’m a world class boxer and I can win a World Title. 

“From the minute Eddie signed me this fight has been on the cards. Me and Katie had a great story from the Olympics, and we have both been pioneers in our own way. I’m glad that it’s happening and it’s a great fight for women’s boxing and for British and Irish boxing.”

Russia’s Bivol (17-0, 11 KOs) is regarded as one of the best technical boxers in the sport, mixing his dazzling skills with KO power. The 30-year-old was elevated to full WBA 175lbs World Champion from interim champion ahead of his 12th pro fight with Trent Broadhurst in Monte Carlo in November 2017 and celebrated with a devasting one-punch KO in the first round.  Bivol has subsequently defended his crown five times, but has been away from the ring since October 2019 when he widely outpointed Lenin Castillo at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Richards (16-1-1, 9 KOs) delivered a Fight of the Year contender last time out in December against fierce rival Shakan Pitters as he stopped the Birmingham man in nine rounds to earn the British Light-Heavyweight crown. ‘Spider’ is ranked at No.8 in the WBA world rankings and has earned his shot by remaining undefeated since sole career loss against former World Title challenger Frank Buglioni in October 2017.

“I have been out of the ring for a year and a half and I have sorely missed boxing,” said Bivol. “I can’t wait to step through the ropes for my next fight on May 1^st. I have always wanted to fight in the UK and I’m happy to tick that box. Craig Richards is a fast and technical boxer and I’m expecting a great fight as I make another defence of my World Title.”

“I feel good and I feel very confident,” said Richards. “I know that he’s renowned as one of the best fighters out there, but I just believe that I’ve got the tools to beat him and I’m very confident in my abilities. I know I’ve got power as well, and I’ve got a very good chin. We’ve been planning for everything and anything.

“We know he’s been operating at world level for a long time and can bring different things to the table. I raise the level of my performance against my better opponents. The bigger the fight the better I perform. A fight like Bivol will allow me to go through my gears to show what I’m really about.”

Having previously campaigned at Super-Middleweight, Eubank Jr (29-2, 22 KOs) returned to the Middleweight division to claim the WBA Interim Middleweight World Title for the second time with a TKO win over former World Title challenger in December 2019, while making his US debut at the Barclays Centre in New York. In what will be his first fight back in the UK in over two years, the Brighton man faces Manchester’s Marcus Morrison (23-3, 16 KOs), who is enjoying a seven-fight winning streak that stretches back to June 2018.

“This is a good fight for me,” said Eubank Jr.  “Since signing with Sauerland my camp has been firing on all cylinders, I’ve been training with Roy in Miami and focussing on improving my game. I have the absolute best people around me, I have everything I need to push on to that next level and dominate the Middleweight scene.

“People have a lot to say about me and my career. There’s talks about why fights haven’t happened previously, but all I’ve been doing is focussing on number one, training hard and making sure I’m always ready. I’m now in the best place I can be and I’m ready to take what is mine.”

“I’m well aware that this is a massive opportunity and fight for me and my career,” said Morrison. “I got into boxing at the age of 7, and these are the type of fights I’ve always wanted to be involved in. Chris is a very good fighter, and I know what he brings to the table. I honestly believe the best version of me is still to be seen, and I look forward to showing it on the night. I can’t afford to not leave everything in there on May 1.”

“This is one of the strongest shows we’ve promoted and there is still even more to come,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Chisora vs. Parker is a brilliant style match up that has been brewing for years and Taylor vs. Jonas is one of the biggest fights in women’s boxing. The Eubanks are always box office and it’s a massive chance for Marcus Morrison after his brilliant win in Italy. Craig Richards goes for World Title glory against the brilliant Russian Dmitry Bivol and there are further announcements to follow. Buckle up and enjoy this one!”

“WAR Chisora realises this is a massive opportunity to gate-crash the Heavyweight division,” said David Haye of Hayemaker Promotions. “He has come close, in his last battle against unified Cruiserweight World Champion and No.1 ranked Heavyweight Usyk, two of the judges’ score cards had it 7 rounds to 5 –  winning just one more round would have captured a draw and Derek would have retained his WBO International Title that night. Since, he has been working, living the life of a professional. Derek doesn’t simply want to beat Joseph Parker, he wants to make a statement to the world. This is his time.”

“There’s definitely unfinished business between Parker and Chisora,” said David Higgins, Founder and Director of DUCO Events. “I think the fight will be a real fan pleaser. It could be the Heavyweight Fight of the Year. You’ve got Chisora who likes to stand and trade and come forward, and then you’ve got Parker who has the speed and the pedigree. This fight has got a bit of history and it has been building for a while. It’s fantastic that it’s finally happening. This is a proper 50-50 matchup where the winner could go on to a World Title shot and the loser will go to the scrapheap. Credit to both Parker and Chisora for putting it all on the line.”

Chicago, IL (March 17, 2021) – Fresh off her second consecutive victory over future Hall of Famer, Cecilia Braekhus, undisputed welterweight champion, Jessica McCaskill is looking to fight the biggest names on the female circuit.

McCaskill of Chicago, easily outpointed the legendary Braekhus by scores of 100-89, 99-90 and 98-91 to win her fifth consecutive and raise her record to 10-2.

“I felt my aggression was really good, just keeping the pressure non-stop, and we are ready for what is next. She was running in, and crowded herself, and I figured if she was going to run in, I would have to get at least one or two shots off, and she kept doing it, so I kept doing it as well. I wanted to move and show some more angles, but she kept coming straight in, so she was right there,” said McCaskill.

“A fight with Katie Taylor might be the next thing on the agenda. If that is what it is, that would be great. If that does not work out, then there are a couple of other names out there. As for Claressa Shields, McCaskill thinks a fight with her can happen, “That could be a possibility if Claressa could come down to 147 pounds. At first, she said that she would not give up any weight, and now she is saying she would, so we are just going to have to see if they are going to take this seriously.”

Said McCaskill’s promoter, Leon Margules of Warriors Boxing, “Jessica proved yet again that she is one of the top fighters in the world. She has now dominated the fighter that has been the long-time pound for top boxer. We would love to fight anyone, and a fight with Katie Taylor would most certainly have a different outcome then their first fight. Fights with Taylor or Claressa would be historic fights as it would match two of the reigning undisputed champions against each other.”

(Friday, March 5, 2021 – Flint, MI) Women’s superstar Claressa Shields furthered her claim as boxing’s “GWOAT” Friday night and became the unified WBC, WBO, IBF & WBA Super Junior Middleweight World Champion, by scoring a one-sided 10-round unanimous decision over Marie-Eve Dicaire of St-Eustache, Quebec, Canada, in the 10-round main event of the historic all-women’s “SUPERWOMEN: SHIELDS VS. DICAIRE event at the Dort Financial Center and live on pay-per-view in Shields’ hometown of Flint, Michigan.

Shields (11-0, 2 KOs) also became the first boxer in the four-belt era to become an undisputed world champion in two weight divisions by virtue of her shutout victory (100-90 by all three judges) over now former champion Dicaire (17-1).

Uncharacteristically, the 25-year-old Shields turned counterpuncher early in this fight, to offset Dicaire’s attempts to bounce in and out of range. Relying on her reflexes to punish any attempt at aggression by Dicaire, Shields shut the Canadian down and then turned back to her customary forward aggression later in the bout.

Dicaire landed a quality southpaw left on Shields in round four, possibly her only significant blow of the fight, and Shields simply shook it off to no effect.

I can’t be mad about my performance,” said Shields after the bout. “She just kept elbowing and headbutting me. I tried for the knockout and I almost had it a couple times, but we’ve got two minutes and the ref not breaking it up when she’s holding me and elbowing me. I’m happy but I still wanted the knockout. I just didn’t have enough time. At the end of the day, I am the new undisputed champ at 154 and the first boxer to be undisputed champ twice.”

Shields said she was happy to have accomplished her latest piece of history in front of her family and friends in Flint, even if the pandemic meant a lot fewer fans in attendance.

“With Covid, we couldn’t have a full capacity. There are 300 here and that’s the capacity of the day, so we have a full house. We couldn’t have full capacity, but I know if we could have, we would have had 6000 people in here. I’m happy to have been able to do it here (in Flint). I started boxing here at Berston Fieldhouse at 11 years old. Never in a million years did I think I’d be on pay-per-view and fighting for an undisputed title and be one of the biggest stars in boxing. I just wanted to win an Olympic Gold medal. God has given me two Olympic medals. I have 12 championship belts now. It doesn’t feel real to say undisputed twice.”

When asked about two of her remaining rivals in boxing, fellow superstar Katie Taylor of Ireland and her one-time conqueror in the amateurs, Savannah Marshall of the UK, Shields brimmed with confidence.

“Katie Taylor is not the worry. 147 pounds is. They’d have to pay me a lot to lose my butt and go down to 147. At the end of the day, I’m a woman. I don’t have big breasts, but I got a nice butt, so come with that dough and I’ll be there. At least a million and I’ll be there.

“Savannah Marshall can’t f* with me. Let’s keep it real. Savannah Marshall, you won a lucky decision when we were kids. Also London was hosting the Olympics. If you want to gloat about beating me 14 points to 8… come on now. And then I went on to become world champion in three different division and she broke. She knows she cannot and will not ever be able to f* with me. She can come to America. I will go to the UK. We can go to Mexico. We can go anywhere, and I will f*** her up. She knows that. She’s scared of me. Savannah Marshall can get it. Tell Eddie Hearn, he came that whack-ass 250K. Tell him to come with 500K… 750K if he wants me to go to the UK and smoke his girl. Pay me.”

Dicaire continued her graciousness in post-fight questioning and promised not to let the loss dampen her future in the sport.

“I think Claressa did a good job tonight,” said Dicaire. “Tonight, she was the best. Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn. Tonight, I learned. I think this is just going to allow me to grow stronger. I don’t box to protect my record or keep my record at 0 losses. I box to beat champions. Tonight, I had the chance to fight the real champion. She won this time but count on me to go back to the gym and work hard and be world champion again for sure.

Shields, who says her much-publicized MMA debut will likely be in Las Vegas in June, threw 409 punches in the fight and landed 128 including 34.9% of her power punches. Dicaire threw 263 punches in return but landed just 31.

“Flint Michigan got the baddest boxer in the world!” said Shields to her fans. “We two-time undisputed. Pacquiao who? Canelo who? When someone else does what I did let me know.”

In the night’s co-main event, Houston’s undefeated Danielle Perkins (3-0, 1 KO) showed marked improvement and had a much easier time in her rematch against Georgia’s Monika “Lay Em Down” Harrison (2-2, 1 KO), scoring a dominant eight-round unanimous decision while picking up the WBC Silver Heavyweight Championship in the process.

The former amateur world champion Perkins used every bit of her superior athleticism, 6’ height and 72-inch reach to move around the ring and keep the 5’ 10” Harrison at bay with a punishing southpaw right jab and a steady diet of strong left hands to the head and body. At times, Referee Michael Griffin appeared to be considering a stoppage, but the durable Harrison kept coming forward and swinging for the fences for all eight rounds, despite the firepower coming her way.

The scores were 80-72 from all three judges.

“I apologize for not getting a knockout. I swear next time I’ll come back and give it to you, Flint,” said Perkins, post-fight. “Monika made some adjustments this time. I hit her with some solid hammers and that girl stayed on her feet so kudos to her.”

Perkins threw 353 punches in the fight and landed 121 including 40.9% of her power shots. Harrison threw 273 shots, but only found a home for 21 of them.

“I want to be the undisputed female heavyweight champion of the world,” continued Perkins. “I want to be the best you’ve ever seen.”

Undefeated bantamweight Jamie “The Miracle” Mitchell (6-0-2, 43 KOs) of Pacific Grove, California, looked impressive in battering and stopping more-experienced veteran Noemi “La Rebelde / No-No” Bosques (12-16-3, 2 KOs) in five one-sided rounds.

With the two-fisted punishment from Mitchell steadily increasing with every passing round, Referee Gerard White decided the stumbling and retreating Bosques had had enough and mercifully waved the fight off at 1:49 of the fifth.

“I was just zoned out. I was doing whatever fit the moment,” said Mitchell, post-fight. “That’s how I got the knockout. Thanks to my coaches and thanks to Claressa Shields for putting me on this card. This is an unforgettable moment for women.”

Prior to scoring the technical knockout, Mitchell landed 48% (80/167) of her power punches, and 40% (94/234) of her total punches. Noemi Bosques only landed 24 of 153 punches.

“I like to pick on myself to do better,” said Mitchell of her performance. “There were certain things I wanted to do, but they don’t call this girl a gatekeeper for nothing. I wish I had gotten her out of there quicker and been crisper with my jab. She was a bit tricky.”

In the opening bout of the broadcast, 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Marlen Esparza (9-1, 1 KO) stayed busy ahead of her scheduled challenge of WBC Flyweight Champion Ibeth Zamora in April with a dominant six-round unanimous decision over Canada’s Shelly Barnett (now 4-4-2, 2 KO).

Barnett tried to be aggressive, but Esparza’s skills allowed her to pot shot her bigger opponent, nearly at will, especially as the fight wore on. “We knew she was tough and bigger,” said Esparza. “I wanted someone with more weight because I never fight above 112 lbs. and I think I handled it well. I’m happy about the way everything played out. I’m happy to have been part of this event and to be working with Claressa again.”

Esparza threw 352 punches in the fight, landing 126, including 26 body shots and 38.4% of her power shots. Barnett threw 291 and landed 49. The judges’ scores were 60-54, 6-53 x 2.

On the free pre-show portion of the pay-per-view, middleweight Timur Kerefov stayed undefeated (11-0, 6 KOs) with a TKO 3 over Saint Petersburg, Florida veteran Manny Woods (now 16-11-1, 6 KOs). Woods left eye couldn’t hold up under the onslaught of punches from the Russian former amateur star. The time was 1:06. Kerefov, Detroit via Shalushka, Russia and now training at Kronk Gym, threw 190 punches in the abbreviated encounter, landing 80, including 24 body shots. Woods threw 122 and landed just 17.

SUPERWOMEN: SHIELDS VS. DICAIRE was presented by Salita Promotions in association with Groupe Yvon Michel, dedicated to this year’s International Women’s Day (Monday, March 8, 2021) and proudly sponsored by online gambling titans Betonline.net and plant-based online marketplace Vejii.

#

About International Women’s Day
The first National Women’s Day was observed in the United States on February 28, 1909. In 1910, Europe established a Women’s Day to honour the movement for women’s rights and to build support for achieving universal suffrage for women. After World War II, March 8 started to be celebrated in a number of countries. In 1975, during the International Women’s Year, the United Nations began celebrating March 8 as International Women’s Day. In 1995 the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a historic roadmap signed by 189 governments, focused on 12 critical areas of concern; and the inclusion of Goal 5: “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This year’s theme of #ChooseToChallenge looks to call out gender bias and inequity and celebrate women’s achievements.

For more information, please visit internationalwomensday.com.

About Salita Promotions
Salita Promotions was founded in 2010 by Dmitriy Salita, a professional boxer and world-title challenger who saw the need for a promotional entity to feature boxing’s best young prospects and established contenders in North America and around the world. Viewers watching fighters on worldwide television networks including Showtime, HBO, ESPN, Spike TV, Universal Sports Network, UFC Fight Pass, DAZN, ESPN+ and MSG have enjoyed Salita Promotions fight action in recent years. We pride ourselves on offering our fighters opportunities inside and outside the ring. Salita Promotions looks forward to continuing to grow and serve the needs of fight fans around the globe.

Check the Salita Promotions YouTube Channel for regular video updates of boxing’s greatest legends, its best fighters, toughest contenders and brightest prospects in action.

BOSTON (February 17, 2021) – Boston featherweight Troy Anderson, Jr. hasn’t made his pro debut yet, but he did get the opportunity to recently spar with undisputed world lightweight champion Katie Taylor (17-0, 6 KOs), the 2012 Olympic gold medalist from Ireland, who was a 5-time AIBA world champion as an amateur.

The 28-year-old Anderson, who is managed by Ryan Roach’s Fighter Locker, was supposed to make his pro debut earlier this year in Mexico. He showed up but his opponent tested positive for COVID-19 and their fight was canceled.

Taylor frequently travels from Ireland to Connecticut, where she prepares for fights with her trainer, Ross Enamait.

Anderson, a union Sheetmetal worker in local 17, was a decorated amateur who won a gold medal at the 2016 Rocky Marciano Tournament, as well as The New England’s Tournament twice in 2018-2019, and won Central Division of the New England Golden Gloves Tournament twice and runner-up twice during his four-year (2016-2019) run. He also competed in three national tournaments.

Anderson benefitted from being a southpaw when his trainer, Marc Gargaro, was contacted by Enamait about needing a lefthanded sparring partner for Taylor. “I’ve only sparred with her once,” Anderson said, “but I believe I will be getting more work with Katie at her training camp in the near future. I’ve already been asked back for more sparring.

“In the ring, Katie is patient, sharp, and quick with her combinations. She also doesn’t waste any movements all all. She is very tough and aggressive. Outside the ring, she is very nice, always smiling when talking, and a generous, decent human being.”

There’s nothing better for a young boxer than to train and spar with a world-class athlete, even if it’s a female against a male, the experience in invaluable.

I believe getting experience with a world champion helped me build up my confidence. It definitely opened my mind and eyes to trying new things like different movements and combinations, as well as make sure my defense and foot work was on point. Learning to become better at changing the tempo of combinations I was throwing. Also, realizing the things Katie did during and after sparring, understanding her mentality, and letting me know and see what it takes to be the best in the world, will help me grow big-time as a boxer.

“It is a little different sparring a woman but, honestly, it helped me work on my craft in areas I’ve been trying to improve on. I am still available to give and get good, solid work and effort. It’s expanding my mind, I was still able to pick and choose when to dig hard shots to make sure I was still solidly sparring for her, unlike with guys’ majority of punches are thrown hard.

Ortiz’ manager Ryan Roach commented: “This is a great opportunity for Troy. Anytime you share the ring with a world champion, even sparring, is a great way to elevate your level of confidence. As many know there are a lot of levels to this sport and these opportunities are crucial in building a fighter. I am really proud of Troy. His debut got pushed back, but he’s stayed in the gym and remains positive waiting for his shot. He has a great coach and team at Nonantum Boxing.”

Sparring Taylor may not have erased the disappointment of Anderson’s pro debut being canceled; however, the experience will surely make him a better fighter.

“Sparring a world champion was unbelievable,” Anderson concluded. “Just having the opportunity to step foot in the ring with world champion Katie Taylor was amazing. Literally, leading up to the day of sparring, that’s all I could focus on and think about. I was extremely locked in, because I wanted to give Katie Taylor good work and show her that reaching out to my coach Marc was not a mistake, and his words about me were solid. Seeing how Katie is when moving, throwing combinations, and on defense picking and choosing when to be aggressive and not, is unexplained. It was truly a blessing and I will forever be grateful and thankful for the experience and opportunity to be able to spar with a world champion, Katie Taylor”

INFORMATION:
WEBSITE: fighterlocker.com, punch4parkinsons.com
FACEBOOK: /fighterlocker
TWITTER: @RoachRyan, @_troyandersonjr
INSTAGRAM: @RyanRoach82

ABOUT FIGHTER LOCKER:
Established in 2019, Fighter Locker is a comprehensive sports agency that manages professional boxers. Fighter Locker also helps to brand boxers by finding their voice with a 100-percent customized service. Fighter Locker does not really believe in working models. It believes in partnership optimization models in motion.

Fighter Locker uses four creative steps because it believes in “the foundation is everything”: 1. wisely conceived, 2. creatively restrained, 3. Proudly judged, 4. sharply targeted.

Irish icon Katie Taylor has been crowned The Ring Magazine’s pound-for-pound number one women’s fighter in the world following her brilliant Undisputed Lightweight World Title defence against Miriam Gutierrez at The SSE Arena, Wembley. 

The Irish star showed her superiority from the opening bell, flooring Spain’s Gutierrez in the fourth round as Taylor sealed a masterful unanimous decision victory with scores of 100-89, 100-90 and 99-91 at the top of the bill on an historic night for boxing. 

Sky Sports made the World Title triple-header, featuring Terri Harper and Rachel Ball, available to all, customers and non-subscribers alike, via multiple digital platforms including their YouTube channel, Facebook page and website.

The show, promoted by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, was a big success, with over 2 million in the UK and Ireland viewing Taylor extend her unbeaten record in the pro ranks to 17-0 as she closed out the year in style against WBA Mandatory Challenger Gutierrez.

“It’s great to be considered the pound-for-pound number one and it’s a very satisfying way to end the year,” said Taylor. “It’s obviously been a very difficult year for everyone due to the pandemic so it’s been great to have had the opportunity to get two fights in. Hopefully next year I can be even busier. There are so many great fights and challenges out there for me and I’m so excited about what’s to come.”

The Ring Magazine Associate Editor Tom Gray said: “Katie Taylor has had an extraordinary career to date. Fulfilling her dreams of becoming undisputed Lightweight Champion was a historical accomplishment as was her ability to capture a second title at 140 pounds. To reach the top of the female pound-for-pound list is hopefully the icing on the cake. Her resume sparkles with some of the finest names in the women’s game and the frightening thing is that the best potentially lies ahead.

“As an ambassador and role model for the sport, Katie is unrivalled. On behalf of the Women’s Ratings Panel and The Ring Editorial Board, we are honoured to have Katie as our lightweight champion and new pound for pound No. 1. Ireland and thousands of aspiring female fighters will be proud.”

Katie Taylor’s masterful Undisputed Lightweight World Title defence against Miriam Gutierrez at The SSE Arena, Wembley drew more than 2 million views across the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Sky Sports made the historic World Title triple-header, featuring Terri Harper and Rachel Ball, available to all, customers and non-subscribers alike, via multiple digital platforms including their YouTube channel, Facebook page and website.

The fight generated more than 1.5 million views on Facebook, 550k on Sky Sports’ YouTube live stream and across Sky Sports’ website and apps there were 227k views, with over 600k viewers on Sky Sports’ TV platform, making it a bumper night for new audiences.

As part of Sky Sports’ commitment to women’s sport – first announced back in March – the move came with the aim of ensuring elite women’s sport is more widely available to the public through both increasing its existing coverage and by strengthening its digital output. 

Irish star Taylor looked phenomenal as she completely outclassed her WBA mandatory challenger in the evening’s main event, dropping the tough Spaniard in the fourth round on route to a unanimous decision that improved her unbeaten record to 17-0.

Earlier in the night, Denaby’s WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight ruler Harper stopped Norway’s Katharina Thanderz in nine rounds to retain her belts and Ball picked up the Interim WBC Super-Bantamweight World Title by outpointing Argentina’s Jorgelina Guanini.

Matchroom Sport Managing Director Eddie Hearn said: “What a night and what a monumental moment on Saturday. This huge audience got to see a great night of boxing and a performance of pound-for-pound quality. We have made tremendous strides in women’s boxing but the job is still only half done. Together with these great athletes we will continue to push the boundaries.”

Adam Smith, Sky Sports’ ?Head of Boxing Development, said: “We’re thrilled with the fantastic viewing figures, on all platforms, for a truly momentous evening of women’s title fights, topped by Katie Taylor’s masterful performance. 

“Rachel Ball produced a fantastic win, the launch pad for her to pursue World Titles, while Terri Harper was composed and clinical in her defence of the WBC Super-Featherweight belt. It was then Katie Taylor’s time to produce a punch perfect display. Simply dazzling.

“Katie is an unbelievable ambassador for the sport and we decided to stream  her historic fight night for free, a sign of our long-term commitment to women’s sport with Matchroom. We’ve started something special as we continue to showcase the best talent in women’s boxing on Sky Sports.”

Katie Taylor retained her undisputed Lightweight world title with a 10-round unanimous decision over an overmatched Miriam Gutierrez at the SSE Arena in London.

At the end of round four, Taylor dropped Gutierrez with a hard right-left combination. Taylor beat up Gutierrez, who hung in the fight, only to keep eating some vicious shots from Taylor.

Taylor, 134.7 lbs Bray, IRE won by scores of 100-89, 100-90 and 99-91 and is now 17-0. Gutierrez, 134.6 lbs of Madrid, SPA is 13-1.

“I thought it was a great overall performance,” Taylor told Matchroom afterwards. “I boxed well at long distance and close. I did a bit of everything in there tonight. I threw everything but the kitchen sink at her. I just couldn’t get her out of there. She’s tough as nails so credit to her. She hung in and she was there to fight until the very end. She’s obviously big and strong and that showed tonight. 

“I thought it was important for me to stamp my authority right from the first round. She hadn’t fought outside of Spain and was out of the ring for a year. I thought it would be good to start fast. I thought I was going to get her out of there at one stage. She hung in there and she kept swinging shots. She was actually very dangerous when she was swinging shots. I had to be a bit more cautious later on in the fight. Overall it was a great performance. 

“Obviously I would have loved to get a stoppage in there tonight. I haven’t got a stoppage in a long time. It is hard to hurt these girls, they’re very strong and durable. I did everything that I could to get the stoppage but she hung in and I have to be happy with a points win. I’m going home with all of the belts and I’m still the undisputed champion. I’m still unbeaten and this is a great end to the year.

“This was absolutely huge. I think every girl on the card tonight boxed brilliantly. Three fantastic fights. It’s just an amazing showcase. As I’ve said before, Eddie has given us this platform. Women’s boxing is on fire right now because of the platform he has given us. What an amazing few years of women’s boxing. That’s what it’s all about for myself, inspiring the next generation. Hopefully there was a few young girls watching through Facebook on the livestream. It’s all about inspiring the next generation and what an amazing platform to do it on.”

Harper Stops Thanderz in 9; Retains 130 lb. Title

Terri Harper retained the WBC Super Featherweight title with a 9th round stoppage over preciously undefeated mandatory challenger Katharina Thanderz.

Harper battered Thanderz, and in round nine, she landed hard body shots that broke the spirit of Thanderz, and the fight was stopped at 1:12 after barrage of punches.

Harper, 129.5 lbs of Denaby, ENG is 11-0-1 with six knockouts. Thanderz, 127.9 lbs of Oslo, NOR is 13-1.

“I’m buzzing,” said Harper. “That’s my birthday and Christmas all in one. That’s made my year. Obviously having that tough fight with Tasha, there was doubts, and there was wrongs that I needed to put right. We came away and I’ve worked my butt off. I’ve just gone out there and breezed it.

“I hurt my hand in the fourth round, I couldn’t throw it, and when I did throw it it was painful. I stuck to my jab, kept long and just moved. I knew she got frustrated at one point. She stood in the middle of the ring. I didn’t want to look like I was running but there was nothing else that I could really do. I’m happy.

“I caught her with the head, that’s probably from me lunging in, accidental. I could see that her nose was troubling her. The sound of her breathing changed. She was getting distracted by the blood. I threw a nice left hook to the body, caught her and I heard her wince. She backed off and I just went for the kill and the ref jumped in.

“I got a few stoppage wins early on in my career so it’s nice to get another one. I’m going to say a big thank you to my S&C coach Danny Wilson, he’s given me the confidence that I can go through those gears and that I have got the strength. God knows what I’m going to be like after my next camp. I want to fight the best. I’m coming for you Mayer! Slowly but surely we’ll get there and I’ll be punching you in the face very soon.”

Ball Decisions Guanini; Wins Interim Super Bantamweight Title

Rachel Ball won the vacant Interim WBC Super Bantamweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Jorgelina Guanini.

Ball, 121.9 lbs of Aldridge, ENG won by scores of 99-91 twice and 99-92 to raise her mark to 7-1. Guanini, 125.7 lbs of Buenos Aries, ARG is 9-2-2.

“I’m so grateful to Matchroom and BCB for continuing to support my journey,” said Ball. “I felt confident that it was mine. I was landing my shots pretty well. She was running around the ring and I feel like I used my distance a lot better. 

“Everything happens for a reason and perhaps she was what I needed at this time. Fair play to her, it was a really good fight. I’m glad I used my assets a bit more in this fight. When I had the opportunity I did go forwards. I went to the body a bit more which I’m pleased about.

“Look how far Terri has gone and look how far Katie has gone. I’d love to be able to be as successful as them. That would be amazing. It’s all good experience. I hope we inspire some girls out there to try boxing and do something different.”

Jack Cullen survived a knockdown early in round one to eek out a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated John Docherty in a super middleweight bout.

Docherty dropped Cullen in the opening 30 seconds with a left on the inside. In round three, Docherty was cut under his right eye.

Cullen began to grind out rounds and won by scores of 96-94 twice and 95-94.

Cullen, 167.7 lbs of Little Leaver, UK is 19-2-1. Docherty, 116.9 lbs of Montrose, SCO is 9-1.

“First round I ended up slipping on my ass,” Cullen told Matchroom afterwards. “If people thought it was a knockdown, it wasn’t. I had to work and push it. Every time I went back to the corner Michael and Dave said, ‘look, you need to get stuck in here and dig deep’. That’s what I feel like I did to win the fight. 

“That’s the first time I’d ever fought a southpaw. I was getting caught with stupid shots for the first couple of rounds. It was time to tuck up and dig deep. I feel like I was really coming on after the fourth round. I still feel like it was a big step up for him.

“I take my hat off to him for taking the fight. We were supposed to be fighting different people tonight. We’re young and we’ll fight anybody, there’s no reason not to. There’s a lot more for me to work on. They’ve only had me for between six and eight weeks which isn’t a lot of time.

“I feel like I’m going to come on bigger, stronger and better. This is my natural weight at Super-Middle. I’ve grown into it and it’s time to takeover. I’m here for a fight and I’m here to takeover and win. I’m young and I’ve got self-belief. I feel like I’m good enough.”

Kash Farooq won a 10-round unanimous decision over Angel Aviles in a bantamweight contest.

Farooq, 117 lbs of Glasgow, SCO won by scores of 100-90, 100-91 and 99-91 and is now 14-1. Aviles, 120 lbs of Altamirano, MX is 20-6-1.

“First round I ended up slipping on my ass,” Cullen told Matchroom afterwards. “If people thought it was a knockdown, it wasn’t. I had to work and push it. Every time I went back to the corner Michael and Dave said, ‘look, you need to get stuck in here and dig deep’. That’s what I feel like I did to win the fight. 

“That’s the first time I’d ever fought a southpaw. I was getting caught with stupid shots for the first couple of rounds. It was time to tuck up and dig deep. I feel like I was really coming on after the fourth round. I still feel like it was a big step up for him.

“I take my hat off to him for taking the fight. We were supposed to be fighting different people tonight. We’re young and we’ll fight anybody, there’s no reason not to. There’s a lot more for me to work on. They’ve only had me for between six and eight weeks which isn’t a lot of time.

“I feel like I’m going to come on bigger, stronger and better. This is my natural weight at Super-Middle. I’ve grown into it and it’s time to takeover. I’m here for a fight and I’m here to takeover and win. I’m young and I’ve got self-belief. I feel like I’m good enough.”

18:10 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS FACEBOOK

8 x 3 mins Light-Heavyweight contest 
THOMAS WHITTAKER-HART 12st 6lbs 9oz v JERMAINE SPRINGER 12st 5lbs 4oz
(Liverpool, England)                                          (Bradford, England)

Followed by

19:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS 

10 x 3 mins vacant WBA Continental Bantamweight Title  
KASH FAROOQ 8st 5lbs 0oz v ANGEL AVILES 8st 8lbs 0oz        
(Glasgow, Scotland)                 (Altamirano, Mexico)

followed by

10 x 3 mins British Super-Middleweight Title Eliminator
JOHN DOCHERTY 11st 12lbs 9oz v JACK CULLEN 11st 13lbs 7oz
(Montrose, Scotland)                        (Little Lever, England)

followed by

10 x 2 mins vacant Interim WBC Super-Bantamweight World Title
RACHEL BALL 8st 9lbs 9oz v JORGELINA GUANINI 8st 13lbs 7oz
(Aldridge, England)                (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

followed by

10 x 2 mins WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight World Titles
TERRI HARPER 9st 3lbs 5oz v KATHARINA THANDERZ 9st 3lbs 10oz
(Denaby, England)                    (Oslo, Norway)

followed by

10 x 2 mins Undisputed Lightweight World Titles
KATIE TAYLOR 9st 8lbs 7ozv MIRIAM GUTIERREZ 9st 8lbs 6oz
(Bray, Ireland)                          (Madrid, Spain)

Eddie Hearn:

“It’s great to be back inside the bubble. It is unquestionably the best bubble in boxing. It is definitely the most expensive bubble in boxing! We do it properly. It is great to see all of the fighters here looking fit, well and healthy ahead of a huge night of boxing on Saturday back at Wembley Arena. A World Championship triple-header and a great opportunity for women’s boxing to carry on progressing. We’re live on Sky Sports in the UK and live across America on DAZN as well. The beauty of this card is although we have three women’s World Title fights, we also have three really good men’s fights. Domestic fights, young talent coming through, a big Super-Middleweight clash too.”

Katie Taylor – Bray, Ireland – 16-0, 6 KOs – defending her WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Titles against Miriam Gutierrez:

“I never get sick of looking at all the belts – it’s something I’ve worked extremely hard for. The journey has definitely been more exciting that I could have expected.

“One punch can change a fight in professional boxing. She is an unbeaten fighter and better than people expect.

“Hopefully I will do a bit of everything – outbox her and outfight her. There are no easy fights at this stage. This is a huge opportunity for her.

“Complacency is very, very dangerous. I’m ready for whatever comes my way. People haven’t seen the best of me.

“Every belt is on the line. She has a lot to fight for. But this is the position I’ve always wanted to be in, defending my titles. I’m prepared to walk away the Undisputed Champion.

“It’s a privilege to be headlining such a big show, an historic show. I never thought when I turned pro that we would see three women’s World Title fights on a show.

“I want to make history and create legacy and, to do that, you have to be active and take risks. We’re in this sport to inspire the next generation. It’s incredible to me that female fighters are household names now.”

Miriam Gutierrez – Madrid, Spain – 13-0, 5 KOs – challenging Katie Taylor for her WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Titles:

“I’m really looking forward to the fight coming around. It has been a long wait, particularly being in a bubble, it’s a bit different but I’m really looking forward to the fight. I can’t wait for it to come around.

“Of course I am really focused, that’s not to say I don’t admire her, I have followed her career both in the amateur ranks and now in the professionals. We’ve been working really hard for this so I am totally focused.

“It’s a lovely situation to be in and it’s a big opportunity for me. I have been working really hard for it so hopefully I can take advantage of this.”

Terri Harper – Denaby, England – 10-0-1, 5 KOs – defending her WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight World Titles against Katharina Thanderz:

“I’m still as hungry as ever. This is only the beginning for me. I want to get out there and fight the other champions, the best in my division.

“I’ve seen a few people on social media saying I can’t box! I’m not doing badly for someone who can’t box. A mistake we’ve made in the past was to look past the fight that was coming up towards future plans.

“The fight I had with Natasha Jonas? I learned a lot. That fight was a blessing in disguise which brought me back to reality, slowed me down, made me realised that I needed to make changes and improvements.

“Thanderz will throw the kitchen sink at me but I have to make sure that I stay champion. She’s very good at coming forwards, very game. I need to use my long arms and not get dragged into a scrap like I did [against Jonas].”

Katharina Thanderz – Oslo, Norway – 13-0, 2 KOs – challenging Terri Harper for her WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight World Titles:

“It’s great to be here and it is a great opportunity. I’ve been waiting a long time for this, I’m really excited. It’s an amazing thing to see how female boxing is growing. It’s always good to have great examples like the current fighters we have to look up to. Of course in Norway for many years we had Cecilia Brækhus. She did a lot for boxing in Norway and Scandinavia. It’s great to be part of this. 

“To become WBC World Champion on Saturday would mean everything. It is what I have been working towards for years. I really enjoy training, that’s what I enjoy the most. For me it isn’t hard work, I really enjoy it. It would mean a lot.”

Rachel Ball – Aldridge, England – 6-1 – fighting Jorgelina Guanini for the vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title:

“Every time I hear people say it, it gets more and more real. It’s still crazy and I’m just so grateful to be here. I’ve taken this opportunity with both hands. I’ve done everything that I can. I’m not going to leave anything in there on Saturday. 

“It’s a fantastic time to be a part of women’s boxing – there’s loads of great girls coming through, now it’s time to live up to the expectations, to step up and deliver. Expect an all action fight from me every time. Expect fireworks, I’m definitely going to deliver them.

“I’ve got a 10-round fight ahead of me so I won’t be daft in the first few rounds but I’m not scared of tearing it up. I’m a very resilient person so I don’t think the pressure affected me [in my last fight]. This time, I’m more prepared.

“People will remember these kinds of shows forever. Katie and Terri will go down in history and hopefully I will too. People will look back and say: ‘That set a precedent like Jane Couch back in the day’. What she did for women’s boxing, hopefully we will too.”

Jorgelina Guanini – Buenos Aires, Argentina – 9-1-2, 1 KO – fighting Rachel Ball for the vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title:

“First and foremost thank you for the compliment on my new haircut! This is an incredible opportunity for me and it’s an opportunity that I’m really looking forward to. I’m really grateful for this. It’s true that I am pretty small. I have been smaller than all of my opponents I have faced. I have probably never faced someone as tall as Rachel but I am up for fighting whatever opponent that is put in front of me.”

John Docherty – Montrose, Scotland – 9-0, 7 KO’s – fighting Jack Cullen in an Eliminator for the British Super-Middleweight Title:

“He’s just another man in my way. This takes me a step closer to the British Title and he’s in my way. He’s not stopping me and I’m going to go through him like Felix Cash did. I’m going to go through Jack Cullen on Saturday night and put on a good performance. I’m going to put on a standout performance in the Super-Middleweight division. I’m not taking anything away from Jack Cullen but I’m levels above him. I know I can’t say that in the pro game because I haven’t showed it yet. I’m going to put him to sleep, it’s as simple as that.”

Jack Cullen – Little Lever, England – 18-2-1, 9 KOs – fighting John Docherty in an Eliminator for the British Super-Middleweight Title:

“I’m not taking it personally, I think it’s a load of shit to be honest with you. What he’s got to realise is I’m not a Middleweight anymore, I’m a Super-Middle and I’m a big Super-Middle. I’m coming to win. Obviously you’ve given me another chance, Matchroom have given me another chance and I’m here to prove a point. In beating John Docherty I will prove my point. I’m going to show how good I really am. He’s fought journeymen. He’s not fought anyone decent yet. He’s going to see on fight night how good I am.”

Kash Farooq – Glasgow, Scotland – 13-1, 6 KOs – fighting Angel Aviles for the vacant WBA Continental Bantamweight Title:

“Fingers crossed everything goes well and you’ll see me in the ring on Saturday night putting on a good performance. Friday night was a long night for me. I brushed myself down and went back to the gym on Sunday morning and carried on. I’ve got to thank everyone for getting me on this bill. Every fight is hard and I’m expecting a tough challenge against Angel. He’s going to be there all night and he’s going to bring the best out in me. I expect myself to be the winner.”

Angel Aviles – Altamirano, Mexico – 20-5-1, 1 KO – fighting Kash Farooq for the vacant WBA Continental Bantamweight Title:

“You can expect a good fight from me. I have to say thank you very much for brining me to this city to fight. I have had some good fights and I’ve had four fights at championship level so I’m used to going the distance and I expect to win this fight.”

Thomas Whittaker-Hart – Liverpool, England – 4-0, 2 KOs – fighting Jermaine Springer in an eight round Light-Heavyweight contest: 

“I’m made up to have someone that’s coming to win against me. I feel like you’ll get more out of me if you’ve got someone in front of me who’s ready to push me. I’m excited to show what I can do. I know Jermaine is going to come to win and it’s going to be exciting. It’s not about the pressure, I don’t really think too much into that. I’ve been doing this since I was a young boy so I’m just taking things in my stride and going with it.”

Jermaine Springer – Bradford, England – 7-1, 1 KO – fighting Thomas Whittaker-Hart in an eight round Light-Heavyweight contest: 

“There’s no pressure on me. I’m coming here to fight. I rate Tom, he’s a good fighter. I’m going to bring the fire. I’m here to spoil the party. I can’t leave the ring disappointed or having regrets. I need to give it everything that I’ve got. I’ve got to put the pressure on and turn it into a real fight. I’ve fought unbeaten fighters before and I’ve gone there to win. This will be the first time that he’s thought someone with my mindset.”

Jermaine Springer insists that all of the pressure is on Matchroom new boy Thomas Whittaker-Hart ahead of their eight round Light-Heavyweight battle on the Katie Taylor vs. Miriam Gutierrez undercard this Saturday at The SSE Arena, Wembley, shown live on Sky Sports and DAZN. 

Liverpool’s Whittaker-Hart, managed by former WBC Cruiserweight king Tony Bellew, signed promotional terms with Eddie Hearn last month and will be hoping to impress on his Matchroom debut as he kicks off a huge night of World Title action, but Bradford’s Springer has other ideas. 

Trained by Al Osta at the Ultra Flex Gym in Leeds, ‘Showtime’ heads into his first TV appearance sporting a record of seven wins and one loss since turning pro in March 2018, and the 32-year-old says he is ready to cause an upset against former amateur standout Whittaker-Hart. 

“I’ve got nothing to lose,” Springer told Seconds Out. “He’s just signed a multi-fight deal with Matchroom, he’s managed by Tony Bellew and he’s the amateur star that has all of the pressure and expectation on him. For me, I’ve just got to go out there and have a fight. It’s a much more simple situation for me. It’s a lot more complicated for him. 

“I’ve seen more of his amateur stuff. We know what he’s about. I think it will be a good fight. He’s not just a one trick pony. He’s an all round good fighter. He’s got good speed, good power and a good jab. He can fight at distance and he can fight up close on the inside. I think our styles will gel.

“I’m going to bring the fire. This is my opportunity. I don’t get opportunities like this. I’m used to fighting at small hall shows. This is what I dream about, fighting on Matchroom shows live on Sky Sports. I’m normally watching them on TV.

“I’m a massive boxing fan. It’s a dream come true and I’m going to give it everything that I’ve got. I 100% believe in myself and I am going there to cause the upset. I can’t leave anything in the ring and end up disappointed. I have to put on a good show and get the win.”

Taylor vs. Gutierrez tops an historic night of World Title action in the Capital, Denaby’s Terri Harper (10-0-1, 5 KOs) defends her WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight Titles against Katharina Thanderz (13-0, 2 KOs), Rachel Ball (6-1) faces Jorgelina Guanini (9-1-2, 1 KO) for the vacant WBA Bantamweight World Title, big-punching John Docherty (9-0, 7 KOs) steps up against ‘Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver’ Jack Cullen (18-2-1, 9 KOs) and Glasgow Bantamweight talent Kash Farooq (13-1, 6 KOs)makes his Matchroom debut against Angel Aviles (20-5-1, 6 KOs).

Sky Sports has today announced that it will make this Saturday’s Fight Night boxing – including Undisputed Lightweight Champion Katie Taylor’s defence against Miriam Gutiérrez – available to all via multiple digital platforms.

Taylor’s Lightweight bout against Spaniard Gutiérrez – as well as Terri Harper’s WBC Super-Featherweight defence against Katharina Thanderz and Rachel Ball’s WBA Bantamweight Title fight with Jorgelina Guanini – will be available to Sky Sports customers and non-subscribers alike, this Saturday from 7pm on the broadcaster’s YouTube and Facebook channels as well as on www.skysports.com. 

As part of Sky Sports’ commitment to women’s sport – first announced back in March – the move comes with the aim of ensuring elite women’s sport is more easily accessible to the public through both increasing its existing coverage and by strengthening its digital output. 

Adam Smith,Sky Sports Head of Boxing Development said:“We’re delighted to be able to make Saturday’s triple-header of women’s World Title fights, a world first, available to a wider audience to showcase some of the brightest talents in the sport. We’ve been with Katie from the beginning of her journey and are proud to be a part of the boom we’re seeing in women’s boxing. Through live streaming the action, we are able to bring more boxing fans closer to the hard-hitting action than ever before with this world first.”

Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Sport said: “This is more ground-breaking news that helps us push women’s boxing to where it needs to be. The momentum of the last few years led by Katie Taylor has been special to watch but we have still got a long way to go. Nights like Saturday change the narrative of the sport, and as I have said before, it’s not men’s boxing and it’s not women’s boxing, it’s just boxing. Katie Taylor is a trailblazer and it is only right that she headlines this card on Saturday on a moment that we have all been working towards for a very long time. The key is to give these great fighters the platform to become stars and achieve their dreams. Without the support from Sky Sports this would not be possible and I’m so happy that so many people will be able to watch Saturday’s event.”

As always, Sky Sports will take fans to the heart of the sporting drama, follow @SkySportsBoxing or go to skysports.com/boxing.

To read more about Sky Sports’ commitment to women’s sport click here

END
For more information:
Sky Sports Press Office
0207 032 1445 
skypress@sky.uk

About Sky

With 24 million customers across seven countries, Sky is Europe’s leading media and entertainment company and is proud to be part of the Comcast group. Our 31,000 employees help connect our customers with the very best of Sports, News, the arts and to our own local, original content.

Following the success of Sky originals like Chernobyl, Patrick Melrose, Das Boot and Gommorah we launched Sky Studios and now plan to more than double our investment in original drama and comedy over the next five years.

Our technology allows customers to watch what they want, when they want, how they want, and as we connect millions of families to content they love, it is our responsibility to do it safely – that’s why we offer services like Sky Broadband Buddy and the Sky Kids app. And our online streaming service, NOW TV, brings viewers all the enjoyment of Sky with the flexibility of a contract-free service.

We also believe that a company of our scale has a responsibility that goes beyond our business, and into the community. Our Sky Ocean Rescue campaign has reached millions across Europe, we’re on track to be free of single-use plastic by 2020, we’re investing £25million over five years in ocean-saving tech and we’re a proud employer – recognised by The Times and Stonewall for our approach to inclusivity.

Matchroom Boxing will take over The SSE Arena, Wembley for four events in October, November and December, starting with the highly-anticipated Heavyweight showdown between pound-for-pound star Oleksandr Usyk and Derek Chisora on Saturday October 31, shown live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and on DAZN in all of its nine markets including the U.S., and ending with a night of World Championship boxing on Friday December 4 that will be announced shortly.

Over the course of six weeks, the famous venue in North-West London will play host to colossal Heavyweight rematches, historic World Title triple-headers, all-British World Title clashes, European Title action and British and Commonwealth Title fights as Matchroom close out the year in style with a packed schedule of boxing.

Former Undisputed Cruiserweight king Usyk and fan favourite Chisora kick things off next week on a huge night of action that sees Lee Selby and George KambososJr square off in a Final Eliminator for the IBF Lightweight World Title, Savannah Marshall and Hannah Rankin collide for the WBO Middleweight crown, Heavyweight cult hero Dave Allen returns to action, Belfast’s Tommy McCarthy meets Belgium’s Bilal Laggoune for the European Cruiserweight Title and Amy Timlin faces off with Carly Skelly for the Commonwealth Super-Bantamweight Title.

Then on Saturday November 14, Undisputed Lightweight queen Katie Taylor puts her belts on the line against Mandatory Challenger Miriam Gutierrez on an historic World Titletriple-header as Terri Harper faces her first WBC Mandatory challenger in Katharina Thanderz, RachelBall takes on undefeated Australian Ebanie Bridges for the WBA Bantamweight crown, Swindon’s Jamie Cox returns against ‘Little Lever’s Meat Cleaver’ Jack Cullen, big-punching John Docherty steps up against Jack Arnfield and recent Matchroom Light-Heavyweight signing Thomas Whittaker-Hart meets Jermaine Springer.

The rematch that everyone is talking about lands on Saturday November 21 when Dillian Whyte looks to put things right against Russia’s Alexander Povetkin after his shock KO loss on the final weekend of Matchroom Fight Camp, fast-rising Welterweight talent Conor Benn takes a huge step up in class against Germany’s Sebastian Formella, a former IBO World Champion who went the distance with Shawn Porter in August, and big-hitting Bournemouth Cruiserweight Chris Billam-Smith clashes with undefeated English Champion Deion Jumah for the British and Cruiserweight Titles, with more fights to be confirmed shortly. 

“I’m delighted to have The SSE Arena, Wembley as our new home for the next six weeks, we’ve got a remarkable schedule especially considering the current environment,” said Eddie Hearn, Managing Director of Matchroom Sport. “It’s so important to be as creative as you can with behind closed doors events and here we have a huge space that we can create a high end viewing experience for the fans at home. Whilst we have made the decision to proceed with these huge nights without a crowd, we are working hard with The SSE Arena, Wembley and the authorities to try and bring fans back safely during this period.” 

John Drury, VP & General Manager, The SSE Arena, Wembley said: “It’s such an honour that we’ve been chosen to host this Matchroom residency. We’ve seen some massive shows over the years, and circumstances now make these particularly special. Not only are they huge events in their own right, but they’ll be giving vital work to some of our supply chain contractors, which has been almost completely missing since March.”

Matchroom will promote the first ever women’s World Title triple-header on Saturday November 14, with Katie Taylor, Terri Harper and Rachel Ball all starring in an historic evening of boxing shown live on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in the US. 

Taylor (16-0, 6 KOs) retained her Undisputed Lightweight World Title with a unanimous decision win over Delfine Persoon as their highly anticipated rematch produced another brutal battle on the final weekend of Fight Camp in August. 

The Irish star puts her World Titles on the line once more against Mandatory Challenger Miriam Gutierrez (13-0, 5 KOs), the undefeated Spaniard who has held the WBA’s Interim World Title since November 2019 following her win over Keren Batiz.

“I’m delighted to be headlining another fight night on Sky Sports,” said Taylor. “When I turned professional it was a bit of step into the unknown in terms of how it all would go so to have these opportunities to headline cards is something I never take for granted.

“It’s been a pretty quick turnaround from my last fight but I’m always looking towards the next challenge and I really wanted to fight again before the end of the year. The pandemic has obviously made it a very uncertain time in terms of scheduling fights so I’m really excited to have a date to focus on.

“I’m expecting a very tough fight against an undefeated challenger, but I’ve been back in training camp in the US for the past couple of weeks and I’m looking forward to successfully defending my titles on November 14.”

“I am very happy, eager and excited,” said Gutierrez. “I am preparing myself 100% for this fight with Katie. This is the great challenge that I have pursued in my sports career, to be able to fight for the undisputed crown.”

Denaby’s Harper (10-0-1, 5 KOs) retained her WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight World Titles with a thrilling split decision draw against Liverpool’s Natasha Jonas in an historic Fight of the Year contender at the top of the bill on Fight Camp Week 2.

‘Belter’ faces her first WBC Mandatory challenger in Spanish-Norwegian Katharina Thanderz (13-0, 2 KOs), the undefeated Interim WBC Super-Featherweight World Champion who claimed the title against Brazilian Danila Ramos after a brutal ten round battle last November. 

“This is the most excited I’ve been for a fight, I feel like I’ve got a lot to prove,” said Harper. “We’ve had the opportunity in this camp to work on lots of new things, having a strength and conditioning coach join the team. I want to go out and put the wrongs right.”

“It’s an amazing feeling to know that I’m finally fighting for the World Title,” said Thanderz. “I’ve been waiting such a long time for this moment, and I just know I’ll give my everything to win the title. Harper is a young and talented fighter. I think she’s a very hard-working girl. She’s fast, she has a good technique, she has stamina, and she’s a very good fighter. It will a pleasure to share the ring with her. 

“I am confident I can beat her. I have a very good feeling, and I’m working very hard in my camp to be the best version of myself. I know it will be very difficult, especially because of the circumstances of the fight, but I’m prepared to surprise and shock everyone when I get the win. I feel very good about fighting in the UK. I’ve never fought in England, so I can’t wait to have the experience of fighting in a completely new country with so many boxing fans.”

Walsall’s Ball (6-1) lands a dream World Title shot on the back of her breakout win over Shannon Courtenay on the third week of Fight Camp. The 29-year-old takes on popular undefeated Australian Ebanie Bridges (4-0, 2 KOs) for the vacant WBA Bantamweight crown. 

“I’ve been craving a big fight, now I’ve got it,” said Bridges. “I’m not coming to Britain to mess around; I’m going to take this opportunity with both hands and take that belt back to Australia with me in exciting style.”

“After my last fight I’m hungrier than ever, training harder than ever and asking myself everyday how I can improve,” said Ball. “I couldn’t be more excited for this fight. We’re friends but this fight isn’t going to be pretty, it’s business.”

“This a historic moment,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “A huge night of boxing that will be headlined by not one but three women’s World Title fights. Katie Taylor has spun the game on its head since she turned pro and has paved the way for so many great female fighters. Katie faces the second Mandatory Challenger during her undisputed reign in tough undefeated Spaniard Miriam Gutierrez. 

“While fresh off a Fight of the Year contender at Fight Camp, Terri Harper faces her first Mandatory Challenger in undefeated Spanish-Norwegian Katharina Thanderz and in a fairy tale story Rachel Ball has a chance to become World Champion against popular Aussie Ebanie Bridges. This is a major statement from us and our broadcast partners, don’t miss an incredible night on November 14.”

“Katie Taylor continues her epic journey as one of the world’s elite boxers on a terrific triple-header of women’s World Title action,” said Adam Smith, Head of Boxing Development at Sky Sports. “The Irish star displayed grit and determination in a punishing rematch win over Delfine Persoon in Fight Camp, and her renowned skills should also be on show against Miriam Gutierrez.

“Terri Harper battled to a thrilling draw with Natasha Jonas in one of the year’s most enthralling fights and she is back in action, defending her WBC belt versus Katharina Thanderz. Rachel Ball also receives a World Title fight after she dropped and shocked Shannon Courtenay, but she must now overcome Ebanie Bridges. Three fantastic World Title fights – all live on Sky Sports!”

Alexander Povetkin survived two knockdowns to comeback and stop Dillian Whyte to win the WBC Interim Heavyweight Title at Matchroom HQ in Essex, England.

In round four, Whyte dropped Povetkin with a left hook to the side of he head. Late in the round, Whyte sent Povetkin to the deck for a 2nd time with a left uppercut.

In round five, Povetkin landed a booming left uppercut on the jaw to sent Whyte crashing to the canvas, and the fight was stopped at 30 seconds.

Povetkin, 224 lbs of Russia is 36-2-1 with 25 knockouts. Whyte, 256.6 lbs of Brixton is 27-2.

Alexander Povetkin

On being knocked down twice: “I didn’t feel that I would finish the fight like this. I was pretty confident in the 4th round that, even though I went down twice, it was OK. It wasn’t too much damage.”

On the knockout punch: “I was watching his fights and taking into account that he was missing uppercuts from the left and from the right. During my training, I was training on putting combinations around those shots.” 

On a rematch clause: “First of all, my future plans don’t depend on me, it’s more a question for my promoter and for Eddie Hearn. So we will see what they decide. At the same time, I want to thank Andrei Ryabinski and Eddie Hearn for everything they do for me.” 

On everyone who doubted him: “I don’t have anything to respond to those people. I just want to box more. I want to thank all of the fans who believe in me.”

Whether this was the best punch of his career: “Yes, definitely.”

Dillian Whyte

Speaking to Eddie Hearn: “Can we get the rematch in December? I’m good, I’m good. It’s just one of those things where it just landed didn’t it. I was bossing it. It is what it is. Rematch. It’s cool, it’s all good. That’s what boxing is about. Cheers Eddie.”

Taylor Decisions Persoon Again; Retains Undisputed Lightweight Title

In a rematch of a terrific fight from last June 1st, Katie Taylor made it two in a row over Delfine Persoon to retain the Undisputed Lightweight Title.

In round two, Persoon’s right eye began to swell. It was a grueling fight that saw Taylor win by scores of 98-93 and 96-94 twice.

Interesting enough it was Persoon who landed 107 of 735 punches while Taylor was 95 of 308.

Taylor, 134.3 lbs of Ireland is 16-0. Persoon, 132.7 lbs of Belgium is 44-3.

Katie Taylor 

On if she thought she did enough to win: “I think so. I knew it was going to be a tough battle going into this fight. It’s never going to be an easy fight against Delfine. I knew I had to dig deep at some stage during the fight but I thought I boxed a lot better than last time. I still could’ve boxed a bit more.”

On facing a relentless opponent like Delfine Persoon: It’s always going to be tough. You can’t relax at all in there against someone like that. She’s going to come and come and come. Even though I am hitting her with clean shots, she is just on the attack all the time. That’s why it is such a tough fight against someone like Delfine. But congratulations on two fantastic fights. They were an amazing two fights for women’s boxing.” 

On if she silenced the critics of the first fight’s decision: “yeah, I think it was a lot more convincing tonight even though it was a tough fight. But as I said, it’s always going to be a tough fight against someone like that and you’re going to have to dig deep and show a lot of heart at some stage during the fight. But I think I did that well, I boxed well.”  

On a trilogy: “C’mon, give me a break!”

Delfine Persoon

On accepting the result: “Yes, this time I respect the result. For me this time, the weight was a little too much. I didn’t feel like I had enough power to hurt her this time. I tried to get my weight up but I could not hurt her this time. And if you don’t hurt her, it’s technical and she’s good at moving around. You have to hurt her otherwise she gets away. The power was not enough. I’ve got no problem with this decision and my respect she deserves. 

On a trilogy: “In the second round, I think I broke my nose so it was eight rounds boxing with my nose broken. First I must repair my nose and then I think super featherweight is better for me than lightweight. My trainer pushes me to eat, eat, eat but when you train a lot, it’s too much to gain the weight. My respect to her. She deserved to win today.

Chris Kongo remained undefeated with a 9th round stoppage over Luther Clay in a welterweight bout.

Kongo hurt Clay in round five, and then dropped him with a left hook in the 9th. Clay’s corner stopped the bout at 2:44.

Kongo, 145.5 lbs of Bermondsey is now 12-0 with seven knockouts. Clay, 145.8 lbs of Bracknell is 13-2.

“First of all I want to thank god for this victory,” said Kongo afterwards. “It has been 16 months since I last boxed. I’ve waited for the opportunity and here I am. There was no way I was leaving that ring without this belt around my waist. I was willing to die in there, I’m telling you. There was no way I was leaving that ring without the belt. 

“100%. I knew I had the speed, I had the power, I just had to go in there and pace myself. Like I said, it has been 16 months since I last got in the ring so it felt kind of new to me. In the first rounds I was trying to feel him out but then when it got into the middle rounds I hurt him. I knew before the fight ended I was going to get him out of there and that’s what I did. 

“We’e been working on a lot of things. Power was one of the attributes I have been working closely on. I’ve been working closely with my strength and conditioning coaches Nathan and Tyrone, but also when we’re in the boxing gym it is all boxing based with Jim. I want to defend the belt next. Look what I did there with 16 months out of the ring. Imagine when I’m fighting regularly what I’m going to do to these guys. I have full confidence in myself. I believe that I can be one of the best contenders in the world at Welterweight. I believe that I am the best Welterweight in the division in the UK.”

Alen Babic stopped Shawndell Wintera in round two of a scheduled eight-round heavyweight bout.

In round one, Babic dropped Winters with a left hook to the jaw. In round two, Babic kept up the onslaught by dropping Winters with a right that was follwed by a left hook that sent Winters don in the corner, and the fight was stopped at 2:20.

Babic, 205 lbs of Croatia is now 4-0 with all wins coming early. Winters, 194 lbs is 13-3.

“That was ‘The Savage’, be afraid of him,” said Babic afterwards. “That’s my alter-ego, when I go into that mental state I can do damage. I will fight these giants. Give me the biggest one you have. I knew it in the locker room. I know when I land. Every coach told me I have bombs in my hands. It is natural. This is my approach. One or two rounds. My fights won’t go past three rounds. I am different. I have a guy in mind, he’s from my country. Filip Hrgovic! He was calling me out. I don’t like him. I want to fight him.

“I’m a different breed of fighter. Old school, I don’t care about touching. I go in there and I finish people. I finished him in the second round. Parker took five rounds, I don’t need that. They say I’m small. I’m bigger than Jack Dempsey, and Jack Dempsey was a killer! Nobody can box like me. I had almost 60 knockouts in the amateurs, that’s rare. I go all in. I’m bringing something new. I’m going to go in there and I’m going to get it finished as quickly as I can.

“I just want people to love me. I don’t care about money. I was working as a doorman for nothing, for scraps. I’ve broken my hands thousands of times. Fighting on the big stage means everything to me. Hrgovic insulted me, he really insulted me. I’ll never forget that. That’s a fight I definitely want in the future and I will win.”

Zak Chelli and Jack Cullen fought to a 10-round split draw in a super middleweight fight.

In round four, Chelli had swelling under her left eye.

In round seven. Cullen was cut under the left eye.

Chelli won a card 97-93; Cullen took a card 96-95 and a 3rd judge saw the fight even at 95-95.

Cullen, 164.6 lbs of Little Lever is 18-2-1. Chelli, 164.8 lbs of Fulham is 7-1-1.

“I’m disappointed with two of the judges,” said Chelli afterwards. “The first judge said it was 97-93, that was fair, and that’s how the fight should have gone. I’m very disappointed. It was my first fight after 11 months, so I’m happy with my performance. There was a little bit of ring rust at the start but I dominated the last half of the fight and I believe I won it.

“I’m very disappointed with the draw. I definitely deserved the win. I put all of it into it but we move on. I’m 22, as I always say. Hopefully I’ll get a Title fight in my next fight. I’m not going to lie, with 11 months out of the ring I felt the ring rust at the start, but I worked through it and I ripped him to the body, got him to the head, cut him and made him bleed.

“At least the fans enjoyed the fight, I hope they did. He took the punches, he did well. I rate him for his durability but I still believe I beat him. My dad knows the truth, he knows I won that fight. I’m not going to lose hope. I’m going to keep going and train hard. I look forward to the next fight. Hopefully it won’t be another 11 month wait. There’s a lot more to come from me.”

The long awaited Heavyweight showdown between Dillian Whyte and Alexander Povetkin will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 5 Live this Saturday from 9pm.

The biggest fight since restrictions have been eased, Saturday night will see Alexander Povetkin take on Brixton’s Dillian Whyte for the WBC Interim Heavyweight Title and vacant WBC Diamond Title.

The huge clash, which has been rescheduled twice, will take place at Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing Fight Camp. 

Prior to Whyte vs Povetkin, BBC Radio 5 Live will provide live coverage of an exciting undercard, including the rematch between Katie Taylor and DelfinePersoon. Taylor will be hoping to silence her critics following her controversial points win over Persoon in June 2019. 

Broadcasting live from Fight Camp, commentary will come from Mike Costello and Steve Bunce, with more names to be announced. 

5 Live Boxing Commentator and BBC Sport Boxing Correspondent, Mike Costello said: “On the most significant night since the resumption of boxing, Dillian Whyte plays jeopardy with his career and Katie Taylor has a chance to remove what some consider to be a blemish on her record.

“If Whyte loses here, his hard-earned place in the Heavyweight mix disappears and that prospect might just motivate him to produce a career-best performance. Taylor and Persoon featured last year in the best women’s fight I’ve seen from ringside and Taylor wants to prove her superiority in a way that leaves no room for doubt this time.”

https://www.facebook.com/MatchroomBoxing/videos/1613774995470434/

https://www.facebook.com/skysportsboxing/videos/654598925152260/

Anthony Joshua joins Natasha Jonas and Tony Bellew on the Sky Sports Box Office team for Dillian Whyte versus Alexander Povetkin and Katie Taylor-Delfine Persoon 2.

Britain’s Unified World Champion will be ringside to watch his Heavyweight rival Whyte battle Povetkin this Saturday, live on Sky Sports Box Office, and Irish star Taylor also takes on Persoon in a World Title rematch in the finale of Fight Camp.

Joshua is relishing the opportunity to watch Taylor, a fellow gold medallist at the London 2012 Olympics.

“I really respect her,” Joshua told Sky Sports. “She is phenomenal. She is someone I sit back quietly and learn from.

“She is a real-life athlete – I am more reckless. I take inspiration from her. She is a dedicated athlete.”

The Sky Sports Box Office team of experts also includes Jonas, who came within touching distance of a World Title when she battled to a thrilling draw with Terri Harper in the second week of Fight Camp.

“The girls are leading the way in Fight Camp,” said Jonas. “I’m most looking forward to the Taylor fight and I think Taylor has got a point to prove this time, so she’ll be looking to make a statement.

“Anyone around my weight class, is someone I’ve always got my eye on. You’ve got to look at them from a tactical point of view – and I’ll be looking for weaknesses.”

Bellew, who twice toppled David Haye at Heavyweight, will also supply analysis and opinion with Adam Smith, Anna Woolhouse, Johnny Nelson and Matthew Macklin.

“I can’t wait to see Whyte-Povetkin and Taylor-Persoon,” said Bellew. “A fantastic night of fights and it’s going to be exciting from start to finish.

“Povetkin doesn’t know any other way than to meet fire with fire. Whyte, he fights anyone, and gets stuck in from the word go. Whyte is a vicious counter puncher and I just expect an explosive fight from the word go.”

Adam Smith, Sky Sports Head of Boxing Development, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that Anthony Joshua is part of our team for this Saturday’s Box Office event as Dillian Whyte risks his World Title ambitions against the dangerous Alexander Povetkin and Katie Taylor takes on Delfine Persoon in an epic rematch.

“AJ knows all about Whyte and Povetkin’s strengths, having already shared the ring with them, while he has followed Taylor’s career with interest since they were both Olympians at London 2012.

“Natasha joins us, just a few weeks after her thrilling draw with Terri Harper, and it could be a scouting mission for the Liverpudlian, who is keen to force her way into Taylor’s future plans.

“Tony Bellew is back on Box Office, this time behind the mic, and he knows all about the excitement surrounding a big Heavyweight clash. It’s a terrific Box Office team that will bring you every opinion and talking point in a thrilling finale to Fight Camp!”

Katie Taylor says she will silence her critics by putting on a “dominant performance” when she defends her WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Titles against Delfine Persoon in a huge rematch at Matchroom Fight Camp this Saturday August 22, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and DAZN in the US. 

The undefeated Irish star (15-0, 6 KOs) captured the WBC crown with a majority-decision victory last June in New York, which was greeted with dismay by Belgium’s Persoon after ten thrilling rounds that had the MSG crowd on their feet throughout, and they will renew their rivalry this weekend in the biggest women’s rematch in the history of the sport.

Taylor is looking to get a more definitive win over Persoon before moving on to further legacy fights as she continues to cement herself as one of the best female fighters of all time. A second fight with newly-crowned Undisputed Welterweight ruler Jessica McCaskill could be on the cards after the American caused a huge upset against long-reigning champion Cecilia Braekhus over the weekend.

“I’m in this sport to create history and leave a great legacy,” said Taylor. “These are the kind of fights that are going to leave a great legacy in my career. The first fight was too close for my liking. It has been hanging over my head over the last year, so I was delighted when the rematch was nailed down. I’m looking forward to putting on a more dominant performance on August 22^nd and shutting up everyone that has criticised me over the last year.

“I did watch the fight back and it was obviously a very close fight. That’s why there is a rematch. I definitely couldn’t have given her more than five rounds, so for people to say it was a disgraceful decision or it was a robbery, is a disgrace in itself. I felt like I deserved to win the fight even though it was very close. I wanted this rematch. At the end of the day, I want to be involved in the biggest fights and the fights that people are interested in. This is a huge fight for me and for Persoon. It’s a huge fight for the sport.

“I think I’m going to be a completely different fighter on August 22^nd. I think people are going to see a completely different performance and a completely different fight from my perspective. I got drawn into a bit of a fight in the first one and sometimes that happens. I’m definitely going to be a bit more disciplined in this fight. I’m going to be ready for whatever Persoon throws at me. I’m completely prepared for this fight. I’ve been training for a big fight since January so I’m more than ready to step in and put on a dominant performance.”

Taylor vs. Persoon 2 lands on a huge night of action that sees Dillian Whyte (27-1, 18 KOs) defend his Interim WBC Heavyweight World Title against Russia’s Alexander Povetkin (35-2-1, 24 KOs), Luther Clay (13-1, 5 KOs) defends his WBO Global Welterweight Title against Chris Kongo (11-0, 6 KOs), Super-Middleweights Jack Cullen (18-2, 9 KOs) and Zak Chelli (7-1, 3 KOs) meet over eight rounds and Croatian Heavyweight contender Alen Babic (3-0, 3 KOs) steps up to face Shawndell Winters (13-3, 12 KOs) over eight rounds. 

Jessica McCaskill wants to tee up a blockbuster rematch with Katie Taylor by ending the reign of undisputed World Welterweight champion Cecilia Brækhus on the streets of downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday August 15, live on DAZN.
 
McCaskill (8-2 3 KOs) first gained attention when she travelled to London to take on Taylor in December 2017 to be the first challenger for Taylor’s WBA World Lightweight title, pushing the Irish sensation all the way in a grueling contest.
 
The Chicagoan dusted herself off and used that experience to great effect in her next outing, welcoming WBC Super-Lightweight champion Erica Farias to the Windy City in October 2018 in the first Matchroom and DAZN show in the US, and McCaskill ripped the title from the Argentine to become World champion in just her eighth pro fight.
 
McCaskill then unified the Super-Lightweight division in Maryland in May 2019 against WBA champion Anahi Sanchez before inviting Farias back for a rematch and triumphing once again to defend the titles, and now strives for greatness once again against Brækhus (36-0 9 KOs).
 
The Norwegian is hunting history as she looks to pass Joe Louis 72 year record of 25 straight successful World championship defenses, but McCaskill has her own legacy in mind ahead of the Tulsa tussle, and wants to extend her sensational run of form in the biggest night of her career to date.
 
“I would love the Taylor rematch and a chance to get my revenge, and definitely in a place like Wembley Stadium on a huge bill,” said McCaskill. “If we have fans again that stadium has 100,000 people and that’s the kind of crowd that needs to be at that kind of fight. I have my eyes on Taylor and I want that fight.
 
“Going to the UK for the Taylor fight, I didn’t know what to expect but it turns out that we have a ton of fans in the UK. I still hear from the UK fans on a regular basis and from the airport to the hotel to the venue, there were so many people that reached out and showed love to me and my team. Katie said that people were scared to fight her and of course, we weren’t, we took it and we learned that we were at that level.”
 
In order for the Taylor rematch to materialize, not only does McCaskill need to beat Brækhus but Taylor needs to get past Belgian foe Delfine Persoon at Eddie Hearn’s Fight Camp in Essex, England next Saturday in a rematch of their epic battle in New York in June 2019. 
 
Taylor and Persoon’s second meeting is the third huge women’s World title action in as many weeks following the fight of the year contender between Terri Harper and Natasha Jonas at Fight Camp on Saturday, and McCaskill expects both her clash with Brækhus and the Taylor-Persoon rematch to continue the high quality of the action between boxing’s elite female fighters.
 
“I was in New York for the first Taylor-Persoon fight and it was massive,” said McCaskill. “There was a lot of contact and it was a lesson for Taylor that you cannot take people lightly, it was a close fight and she could’ve been on the wrong side of the result. I think the second fight will be another classic.
 
“There are a lot of people that are responsible for the rise of female boxing. Eddie Hearn has put a lot of money into female boxing and DAZN has been a great platform for us to perform on. 
 
“The Taylor fight was probably meant to be that way, nobody knew who we were, our background and our history, winning that fight could have probably massively disrupted the growth of women’s boxing. I don’t think anyone would’ve put a lot of money into me not knowing who I was. So, after Taylor won that fight, they put a lot of time and effort into Taylor and things developed from there.”
 
Brækhus-McCaskill tops the bill on a massive night of action in the unique setting of the downtown Tulsa streets as Matchroom return Stateside.
 
Rising Super-Welterweight Israil Madrimov (5-0 5 KOs) can close in on World title honors as he meets Eric Walker (20-2 9 KOs) in a final eliminator for the WBA World title while Madrimov’s fellow countryman Shakhram Giyasov (9-0 7 KOs) will now face Wiston Campos (31-7-6 19 KOs) after second replacement opponent Rey Perez was ruled out following original opponent Francisco Rojo being forced out of the bout after testing positive for COVID-19 during his training camp in his home city, and a trio of young talents complete the card in Nikita Ababiy (8-0 6 KOs), Raymond Ford (5-0 2 KOs) and the debut of amateur star Marc Castro.

Jessica McCaskill has the biggest fight of her career against undisputed Welterweight ruler Cecilia Brækhus on the streets of downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma on August 15, live on DAZN – and McCaskill believes that victory would lead to even more mega-fights.

McCaskill (8-2 3 KOs) has been a revelation in her last four fights, first travelling to the UK to give Katie Taylor the sternest of tests in her in the Irish star’s first defense of her WBA World Lightweight title in December 2017 in London.

The Chicagoan then became World champion herself in her next fight, moving to Super-Lightweight and taking on WBC title holder Erica Farias on home turf in the Windy City in October 2018, ripping the title from the Argentine in Matchroom and DAZN’s first fight night in the US.

McCaskill unified the division in her next outing when she added the WBA strap to her WBC belt against Anahi Sanchez in Maryland in May 2019 and held onto the titles in a gripping rematch with Farias back in Chicago five months later.

‘CasKILLA’ can now become a two-weight champion and undisputed 147lber in just her 11th pro outing, but while her focus is on the tough task of dethroning the unbeaten Brækhus (36-0 9 KOs) and the trappings of success that would come with the win, the ambitious 35 year old knows that even bigger fights would come next as women’s boxing continues to rise.

“We’ll be in the Hall of Fame after winning this, that’s the big prize in the fight,’ said McCaskill. “After that, we move on to more history, to bigger and more fights with the top tier names.

“The ultimate opportunity and reward in the fight is beating Cecilia, getting the belts and being in the history books. Then we’ll move on and things will be bigger and broader and we’re just continuing to look for the levels and the steps in female boxing.

“This is a massive step from even the last fight, we just want to continue to conquer every challenge that comes our way. Winning on August 15 is everything, it opens up more mega fights; the Katie Taylor rematch, Amanda Serrano, Claressa Shields at 145lbs – there’s so many doors that can be opened by beating Cecilia.

“I’m happy to be back and to be boxing on August 15 and headlining. We’ve headlined before so it’s exciting to add another one to the resume and this is a major fight but it does get bigger than this and that’s something that we’ll have to see once this one is done.

“We’ve fought at higher weights and lower weights, the adjustment is minimal and with every fight I’ve had, my body has developed more and more. The transition has been smooth and easy and we haven’t had to do much as far as weight is concerned.

“I am not approaching the fight any differently with their being no fans, I just feel it’s going to be a more focused and intense fight. I’ll be able to hear every word from my coach, I won’t have to bring myself down from the energy of the crowd, I’ll be able to go in focused and ready to fight.

“We’re under the Tulsa city lights and the stars in an outdoor event, it’s a spectacular venue and I’m excited to be part of it.”

Brækhus-McCaskill tops the bill on a massive night of action in the unique setting of the downtown Tulsa streets as Matchroom return Stateside.

Rising Super-Welterweight Israil Madrimov (5-0 5 KOs) can close in on World title honors as he meets Eric Walker (20-2 9 KOs) in a final eliminator for the WBA World title while Madrimov’s fellow countryman Shakhram Giyasov (9-0 7 KOs) puts his WBA International Super-Lightweight title against Rey Perez (24-11 8 KOs), after original opponent Francisco Rojo was forced out of the bout after testing positive for COVID-19 during his training camp in his home city, and a trio of young talents complete the card in Nikita Ababiy (8-0 6 KOs), Raymond Ford (5-0 2 KOs) and the debut of amateur star Marc Castro.

The biggest rematch in the history of women’s boxing has been confirmed for Matchroom Fight Camp as Katie Taylor defends her WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and Ring Magazine Lightweight World Titles against Delfine Persoon on Saturday August 22, live on Sky Sports Box Office. 

Taylor (15-0, 6 KOs) completed her fairy-tale journey from Olympic Gold to Undisputed Lightweight World Champion with a thrilling but controversial points win over Belgium’s Persoon on a historical night at the world-famous Madison Square Garden on the Joshua vs. Ruiz bill last year. 

After a bloody and brutal battle that captivated the New York crowd, the Irish star added Persoon’s WBC belt to her IBF, WBO and WBA Titles to hold all four at 135lbs and cement her place as the number one Lightweight on the planet.

The 34-year-old went on to create more history at Manchester Arena in November when she dethroned WBO Super-Lightweight World Champion Christina Linardatou to become a two-weight World ruler – becoming only the third Irish boxer to win World Titles in two weight classes.

Persoon (44-2, 18 KOs) held the WBC strap for five years, making nine successful defences in that reign, before losing it to Taylor in a Fight of the Year contender. Despite losing on two of the judges’ scorecards, Persoon was convinced she’d won after ten rounds of relentless action and has been lobbying for a rematch ever since. 

“With Amanda Serrano not taking the fight I wanted the biggest fight possible in August and I think a second Persoon fight is one that everyone wants to see,” said Taylor. “I’ve been looking forward to a rematch ever since the first fight and I’m delighted it’s been made. It was definitely very close first time around, but I felt I deserved the win and I intend to leave no doubts in the rematch.”

Persoon said: “I am ready to get the victory following the injustice last June in New York, not by words but in the ring – I am ready!”

“Wow! What a fight – what a night! To be honest I can’t quite believe this fight has been made, I can’t give enough credit to Katie and Delfine for agreeing to do it again,” said Eddie Hearn. “Since their epic Fight of the Year contender at MSG last year, everyone has wanted to see this once again and now we have it. I’m very proud to stage this fight especially at such a critical time for our sport – along with Whyte vs. Povetkin August 22 will be one not to forget.”

Adam Smith, Sky Sports Head of Boxing Development, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to confirm Katie Taylor’s eagerly awaited rematch against Delfine Persoon, with all the World Lightweight Titles on the line. Katie has called for a second fight ever since that thrilling first encounter when she received the verdict, much to the dismay of Persoon.

“They go again on the Whyte-Povetkin bill, which just got even bigger, and Katie will be determined to end any dispute with a resounding win. I’ve been speaking to Katie over the last few days and she’s more fired up than ever to show once again why she is a pound-for-pound star of the sport.

“Of course, we’ve also got Whyte’s high stakes showdown against Povetkin, with Dillian risking his WBC Mandatory Title shot. It’s repeat or revenge for Taylor and then Heavyweight fireworks in a fitting finale to Matchroom’s Fight Camp!”

Taylor vs. Persoon lands on the final week of Matchroom Fight Camp as Dillian Whyte  (27-1, 18 KOs) puts his WBC Interim Heavyweight World Title on the line against Russia’s Alexander Povetkin (35-2-1, 24 KOs) in a battle of the left hooks, Martin Bakole (15-1, 12 KOs) returns to the ring against Russia’s Sergey Kuzmin (15-1, 11 KOs) and Luther Clay (13-1, 5 KOs) defends his WBO Global Welterweight Title against Chris Kongo (11-0, 6 KOs). 

Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano will collide in a blockbuster super fight at Manchester Arena on May 2 as the Irish legend puts her Lightweight World Titles on the line against Puerto Rico’s seven-weight World Champion, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Two-weight World Champion Taylor can strengthen her status as one of the sport’s finest fighters against Serrano on the same night as Dillian Whyte risks his World Title ambitions in a huge Heavyweight encounter with the fearsome Alexander Povetkin.

Taylor (15-0, 6 KOs) sealed a dominant points win over Christina Linardatou to claim the WBO Super-Lightweight title at the same venue in November as she stepped up a division after becoming the Undisputed Lightweight ruler against Delfine Persoon in New York.

Serrano (38-1-1, 28 KOs) enhanced her reputation for thrilling fights with an action-packed points win over Heather Hardy at Madison Square Garden in September, while she sharpened her skills for Taylor in a stoppage win over Simone Aparacida Da Silva in Miami in January.

“It’s a fight that seems to have been talked about for years so I’m just glad it’s finally on,” said Taylor. “It’s a massive fight and one that I have been looking forward to for a long, long time.

“I’ve been working hard in training camp in the US since the start of the year so it’s great have a date to focus on now and I can’t wait for May 2nd.”

“I’m happy we finally got this big fight made because both myself & Katie deserve to be in this position,” said Serrano. “While our fight could have been a main event, I’m still grateful it’s happening. I’m not going to talk down to Katie, as I know she won’t to me, so I’ll leave it at this: one thing that’s for sure is that we’ll both leave it all in the ring. Thanks to my Promoter Lou DiBella, Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Boxing, DAZN & Katie Taylor for this great opportunity. See you in Manchester!”

“Katie Taylor versus Amanda Serrano for the Undisputed Lightweight Championship of the World – this is the biggest women’s fight of all time,” said Eddie Hearn. “The whole of Ireland and Puerto Rico are going to be watching this absolute war between the Undisputed champion and the seven weight division champion – it doesn’t get any bigger!”

“I’m proud to co-promote this historic fight with Matchroom, and to have it featured on a massive card in Manchester,” said Lou DiBella. “Two of the best female fighters in the world, two of the best of all time, will square up for boxing supremacy. Amanda didn’t shy away from moving back up in weight or from the fight being in the UK; she embraced the idea of winning on the road and cementing international stardom. Taylor vs. Serrano isn’t only the best of women’s boxing, it’s the best of what boxing is supposed to be.”

Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing Development, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to add Katie Taylor’s sensational showdown with Amanda Serrano to the Whyte-Povetkin bill. With Sky Sports increasing its commitment to women’s sport, we’ll be showcasing the biggest fight of Taylor’s professional career after following every step of her epic journey.

“We’ve witnessed Serrano’s all-action style, having covered her breathless battle with Heather Hardy. A magnificent multi-weight champion, Serrano now takes on Taylor, Ireland’s dazzling star, as two elite competitors collide in Manchester. Whyte also rolls the dice in a high-risk Heavyweight battle with Povetkin. Two explosive encounters that can only supply fireworks for fight fans.”

Tickets for Taylor vs. Serrano are priced £40, £60, £80, £100, £150, £200 and £400 (VIP).

Tickets are on sale to Fight Pass members NOW via StubHb (www.stubhub.co.uk) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com).

General Sale tickets are available to purchase from 10.00am on Friday March 6 via Manchester Arena (www.manchester-arena.com), StubHub (www.stubhub.co.uk) and Matchroom Boxing (www.matchroomboxing.com).

Irish fighter Katie Taylor was named the 2018 Female Fighter of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association on America (BWAA).

“I’m honored and delighted to be receiving this,” Taylor said. “This is one of the more prestigious awards in boxing. To receive it at the end of an amazing year is an even bigger honor.

“I think the biggest accomplishment this year was becoming the undisputed champion. Winning it at Madison Square Garden in one of the best fights of the year was huge for me, and huge for my country. It’s something I always dreamed of since I turned pro.”

Former lightweight world champion Anthony Crolla ended his career with a 10-round majority decision over Frank Urquiaga at the Manchester Arena in Crolla’s hometown of Manchester, England.

Crolla, 136.75 lbs won by scores of 98-92, 97-93 and 95-95 to finish his career with a record of 35-7-3. Urquiaga of Spain is 13-2-1.

Speaking after his fight Crolla said: “Getting the win was the main thing but now I know my time’s up. I wasn’t nervous coming into the arena but it did get to me a bit when I came out here – knowing it was for the last time.

“Hopefully I’ve left a bit of a legacy. And I’ll be back in the gym training the youngsters and hopefully some of the champions of the future.”

Taylor decisions Linardatou; Wins Super Lightweight Title

Katie Taylor won the WBO Super Lightweight title with a 10-round unanimous decision over Christina Linardatou.

Taylor of Ireland won by scores of 97-93 twice and 96-94 and is now 15-0. Linardatou of Greece is 12-2.

“I’m making history again,” said an emotional Taylor after her fight. “I’m breaking boundaries again and I’m a two-weight World Champion – and there’s still more to come. I thought I boxed beautifully on the outside and I didn’t get sucked into a fight.”

Cash stops Cullen in eight

Felix Cash remained undefeated with an eighth-round stoppage over Jack Cullen in a scheduled 12-round middleweight bout.

In round one, Cash dropped Cullen with a hard overhand right to the side of the head.

In round seven, Cash sent Cullen to the canvas with a body shot. In round eight, Cash jumped on Cullen and landed a big barrage of punches and the bout was stopped at 1:14.

Cash, 159 lbs of England is 12-0 with eight knockouts. Cullen, 159.6 lbs of England is 17-2.

Harper decisions Obenauf

Terri Harper remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Viviane Obenauf in a junior lightweight bout.

Harper, 129.75 lbs of England won by scores of 99-91, 99-92 and 97-93 and is now 10-0. Obenauf, 129 lbs of Switzerland is 14-6.

Bakole Stops Hernandez in 2

Martin Bakole stopped Rodney Hernandez in round two of a scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout.

Bakole hurt Hernandez throughout the 2nd frame, and then floored him with right hand, and the fight was stopped at 2:50.

Bakole, 263 lbs from The Congo is 15-1 with 12 knockouts. Hernandez, 262 lbs of California is 13-9-2.

“To stop two American guys in a few weeks is amazing for me,” the Congo Heavyweight told Sky Sports afterwards. “My corner told me this guy will give me a hard time, but I knew he would not be able to take my power. I’m looking forward to next year.”

16:30 DOORS AND FIRST BELL

6 x 3 mins Super-Bantamweight contest 
GAMAL YAFAI 9st 11oz v LEE CLAYTON 8st 9lbs 9oz
(Birmingham)                    (Heyward)

4 x 3 mins Super-Lightweight contest
NATHAN FARRELL 10st 2lbs 6oz v IVICA GOGOSEVIC 10st 7lbs 12oz
(Heywood)                                          (Croatia)

6 x 3 mins Super-Lightweight contest
DALTON SMITH 10st 2lbs 12oz v MICHAEL ISAAC CARRERO 10st 3lbs 4oz
(Sheffield)                                       (Nicaragua)

18:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS FACEBOOK

10 x 3 mins vacant WBA Continental Super-Bantamweight Title
QAIS ASHFAQ 8st 9lbs 11oz v JOE HAM 8st 9lbs 12oz
(Leeds)                                       (Gorbals)

19:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS 

10 x 3 mins Heavyweight contest
MARTIN BAKOLE 18st 11lbs v RODNEY HERNANDEZ 18st 10lbs
(Congo)                                       (California, USA)

10 x 2 mins IBO Super-Featherweight World Title
TERRI HARPER 9st 3lbs 10oz v VIVIANE OBENAUF 9st 2lbs 14oz
(Denaby)                                        (Switzerland)

12 x 3 mins Commonwealth Middleweight Title
FELIX CASH 11st 5lbs 4oz v JACK CULLEN 11st 5lbs 6oz
(Wokingham)                          (Little Lever)

10 x 2 mins WBO Super-Lightweight World Title 
KATIE TAYLOR 9st 13lbs 9oz v CHRISTINA LINARDATOU 9st 12lbs 8oz
(Ireland)                                       (Greece)

10 x 3 mins Lightweight contest
ANTHONY CROLLA9st 10lbs 11oz v FRANK URQUIAGA 9st 8lbs 2oz
(Manchester)                                        (Spain)

FLOAT

4 x 3 mins Super-Bantamweight contest
HOPEY PRICE 8st 12lbs 4oz v JOEL SANCHEZ 8st 11lbs 6oz
(Leeds)                                        (Nicaragua)