In the first of two featured fights that can now be revealed, two-weight world champion and now heavyweight contender Lawrence Okolie, the WBC Silver champion, will defend his title by taking on the former IBO world cruiserweight champion and WBA world heavyweight title challenger Kevin Lerena from South Africa.

At light heavyweight, the British and Commonwealth champion Lewis Edmondson will go up against a Ukrainian challenge in the undefeated IBF Intercontinental and WBA Continental champion Daniel Lapin, with the two international belts on the line.

Some tickets remain for the Usyk vs Dubois superfight at Wembley Stadium on 19 July and are available from ticketmaster.co.uk and rtticket.com.

Okolie, 21-1 (14 KOs), won the WBO cruiserweight world title in 2021 with a knockout victory over Krzysztof Glowacki and went on to make three successful defences. He then won the WBC bridgerweight world title with a first round KO of Lukasz Rozanski in Poland before making the switch up to heavyweight and winning the WBC Silver title with another first round triumph over Hussein Muhamed in December 2024. At cruiserweight, Okolie was also British, Commonwealth and European champion after featuring at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

Lerena, 31-3 (15 KOs), became IBO world cruiserweight champion in 2017 with victory over Youri Kayembre Kalenga and went on to make six successful defences before making the switch to heavyweight and claiming the IBO Intercontinental title by defeating Mariusz Wach.

Now 33, Lerena came very close to becoming the architect of a major upset when he travelled to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December 2022 to take on current IBF world champion Daniel Dubois on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s world title defence against Derek Chisora. After losing a decision defeat to Justis Huni, Lerena’s most recent action came against Serhiy Radchenko in Pretoria, where he stopped the Ukrainian in the third round.

Edmondson, 11-0 (3 KOs), became British and Commonwealth champion in his 10th fight when he took a step up in class against former European champion Dan Azeez in London and inflicted an unexpected defeat over 12 rounds in his first title fight. Most recently, the 29-year-old defended his Commonwealth belt against the previously unbeaten Oluwatosin Kejawa and secured victory via a unanimous decision in Bournemouth.

Lapin, 11-0 (4 KOs), is an established member of Team Usyk and the Kyiv southpaw won his maiden title, the IBO Continental, with a defeat of Aro Schwartz in 2023. The 27-year-old added the WBA Continental title the following year with a first round stoppage of Octavio Pudivitr in Riyadh before securing the IBF Intercontinental title in December with a unanimous points victory over Dylan Colin.

Some tickets remain for the Usyk vs Dubois superfight at Wembley Stadium on 19 July and are available from ticketmaster.co.uk and rtticket.com.

Former unified Heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua scored a brutal second round stoppage over former UFC champion Francis Ngannou in a scheduled 10-round bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

In round one, Joshua landed a perfect right to the jaw that put Ngannou on the deck. In round two, Joshua landed a perfect counter right that put Ngannou in the canvas aagain. Ngannou was clearly clearly hurt with a bloody lip and then ate a humongous right hand that bent him over his right leg and out cold at 2:31.

Joshua, 252.4 lbs of London is 28-3 with 25 knockouts. Ngannou, 272.6 lbs of Cameroon is 0-2.

Parker Decisions Zhang; Captures WBO Interim Heavyweight Title

Joseph Parker survived two knockdowns and won the WBO Interim Heavyweight totle with a 12-round majority decision ovr Zhilei Zhang.

In round three, Zhang landed a little left hand that put Parker on the seat of his pants.

In round eight, Zhang landed a little right hook on the inside that put Parker down for a second time.

Zhang did not capitalize on the knockdowns and Parker did a little more to win by scores of 115-111, 114-112 and 113-113.

Parker, 247.6 lbs of South Auckland, NZ is 35-3. Zhang, 291.6 lbs of China is 26-2-1.

Vargas and Ball Battle to Draw in Featherweight Title Bout

Rey Vargas built up a nice lead, and he needed it as Nick Ball scored two knockdowns in the second half of their fight and battle to a split draw. Vargas keeps his WBC Featherweight title.

Vargas dominated the first half of the fight as he landed hard body shots. The fight started turning in the second half of fight.

In round seven, Ball rocked and buckled Vargas on two occasions. In round eight, Ball was able to register a knockdown when he was off balance and Ball landed a left hook. Ball continued to sure forward in the ensuing rounds. In round 11, Vargas was dropped again as Ball landed a hard right on the chin.

Vargas landed 118 of 536 punches. Ball was 111 of 472.

Scores were 114-112 for Vargas, 116-112 for Ball and 113-113.

Vragas, 125 lbs of Mexico is 36-1-1. Ball, 125 lbs of Liverpool is 19-0-1.

Madrimov Stops Kurbanov in 5 to win Super Welterweight Title

Israil Madrimov won the WBA Super Welterweight title with a fifth round stoppage over Magomed Kurbanov.

Madrimov dominated the action by landing some hard right hands over the first four frames. Kurbanov showed some life but that was short lived as in round five, Madrimov landed a hard right that rocked Kurbanov to the ropes. Madrimov followed up and landed two more hard overhand rights that forced a stoppage at 2:20

Madrimov, 153.6 lbs of Uzbekistan is 10-0-1 with seven knockouts. Kurbanov, 153.6 lbs of Ekatinberg, RUS is 25-1.

Mark Chamberlain stops Gavin Gwynne in 4

Mark Chamberlain stopped Gavin Gwynne in round four of their 10-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Gwynne started to swell around his right eye. In round three, Gwynne’s eye was shutting rapidly. Chamberlain continued to pour on the offense and in round four, landed a hard right hook that drove Gwynne to the ropes. Chamberlain followed up with a flurry and the fight was stopped at 2:46.

Chamberlain, 134.6 lbs of Portsmouth, ENG is 15-0 with 11 knockouts. Gwynne, 134 lbs or Treharris, WAL is 17-3-1.

Huni Hangs on and Decisions Lerena

Justis Huni was hurt bad in the 10th and final round but was able to hang on and defeat Kevin Lerena via 10-round unanimous decision in a heavyweight bout.

The bout was close throughout. In round 10, Lerena landed a huge left that rocked Huni across the ring on bad legs. Lerena followed up but was not able to put him down.

Huni, 243.2 lbs of Brisbane, AUS won by scores of 98-92 and 96-94 twice and is now 9-0. Lerena, 232.4 lbs of Johannesburg, SA is 30-3.

Louis Greene scored an emphatic first-round stoppage over Jack McGann in a 10-round super welterweight bout.

Greene landed a booming right hand that put McGann hard on his back. McGann got to his feet, but the fight was waved off at 1:29.

Greene, 153.2 lbs of Kent, ENG is 17-4 with 11 knockouts. McGann, 153.4 lbs of Liverpool, ENG is 9-1-1.

In a battle of undefeated heavyweights, Roman Fury won a four-round decision over Martin Svarc.

Fury, 224 lbs of Manchester, ENG won by a 39-37 score and is 4-0. Svarc, 225 lbs of CZE is 2-1.

Fury is the brother of WBC Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who was ringside.

Ziyad Almaayouf remained undefeated with a six-round decision over Christian Lopes Flores in a super lightweight contest.

Almaayouf, 144.4 lbs of Riyadh, SA won by a 60-54 score and is now 6-0. Flores, 142 lbs is 14-36-2.

Andrii Novytskiy scored a third-round stoppage over Juan Torres in a eight-round heavyweight bout.

Novytskiy, 239.4 lbs is now 10-0 with nine knockouts. Torres, 255.6 is 11-6-1.

Tyson Fury beat up and battered Dereck Chisora and scored a 10th round stoppage in front of over 60,000 fans at Tottenham Spur Stadium in London, England.

Fury hurt Chisora throughout the fight and closed his right eye. The fight could have been stopped anytime for the last several rounds and was finally and mercifully called off at 2:51.

This was the third win for Fury in a trilogy with Chisora

Fury, 268.6 lbs of Manchester, ENG is 33-0-1 with 24 knockout. Chisora, 260.6 lbs is 32-13.

Daniel DuBois survived three first-round knockdowns, but came back to defend his WBA “Regular” Heavyweight title with a third-round stoppage over Kevin Lerena.

It was a tumultuous round one for DuBois as he ate a right hook to the top of the head that staggered him and put him on the canvas. DuBois then went down on his own for a second knockdown. A left seemed to put Dubois down again. In round three, DuBois turned the tables by dropping Lerena with a right hand, DuBois ended the fight by landing a huge uppercut that snapped Lerena’s head and the fight was stopped just as the bell to end the round sounded.

DuBois, 240.3 lbs of London, ENG is 19-1 with 18 knockouts. Lerena, 230.9 lbs of Johannesburg, SA is 28-2.

Denys Berinchyk won a 12-round unanimous decision over Yvan Mendy in a lightweight bout.

Berinchyk, 134.75 lbs of Kiev, UKR won by scores of 117-112 and 116-112 twice and is now 17-0. Mendy, 134.6 lbs is 47-6.

Karol Itauma remained undefeated with an eighth and final round stoppage over Vladimir Belujsky in a light heavyweight bout.

In round seven, Itauma sent Belujsky to the canvas with a flurry to the head. In round eight, Itauma contimued to beat up Belujsky and the bout was stopped at 1:19.

Itauma, 177.1 lbs of Kent, ENG is 9-0 with seven knockouts. Belujsky, 176.6 lbs of Cork, IRE is 12-4-1.

Royston Barney Smith made quick work of Cruz Perez by scoring an opening round stoppage in their four-round lightweight bout.

Smith landed a perfect counter left that spun the head of Cruz and sent him to the canvas, and the fight was stopped at

Smith, 133.8 lbs of Southampton, ENG is 4-0 with two knockouts. Perez, 133.25 lbs of Nicaragua of 3-4.

Kevin Lerena (21-1, 9 KOs) says he is fully focused on Artur Mann (15-0, 8 KOs) as ‘The KO Kid’ puts his IBO World Cruiserweight title on the line against the German challenger on Saturday at the Emperors Palace in Johannesburg.

Lerena claimed the IBO strap with a split decision over Youri Kayembre Kalenga in September 2017, before successfully defending his belt with unanimous points wins against Dmytro Kucher and Roman Golovashchenko.

Heading into his third defence, the 26 year-old insists he is leaving nothing to chance, and admits he has even been waking up thinking about his opponent.

“I know everybody is talking about Oleksandr Usyk moving up to heavyweight, and what’s going to happen to his belts, but to be honest, I don’t really care,” said Lerena. “My only focus is this fight. I wake up and think of Artur Mann.

“I know I need to take care of business against him. He’s 15-0, he’s coming off a very credible record, and he has my full attention. This is a big fight for me. Yes, on paper, I’ve had big fights before, Kalenga, Kucher, Golovashchenko, Nielsen, but these are in the past, and I need to focus on what’s in front of me.

“I’m war ready! I know he’s going to bring it, and I’m going to bring it too. I’ve never been a guy to cherry pick opponents. I want tough fights because I believe I elevate myself the harder the fight, and I enjoy the challenge.”

Lerena’s coach Peter Smith, of Smith’s Gym, echoes his fighter’s sentiments, and states they will not be taking the Hannover-boxer lightly.

“This is a serious fight for us,” he says. “We’re not overlooking Artur Mann in anyway. Artur is a serious opponent with a great team behind him. We’re taking this fight very seriously, and looking forward to a great battle!”

Lerena-Mann is a co-promotion between Team Sauerland and South Africa’s premier promoter Golden Gloves, led by Rodney Berman, who describes Saturday’s match-up as one of the country’s ‘biggest cruiserweight fights ever’.

“This has got to be one of the biggest cruiserweight fights ever in South Africa,” said Berman. “It’s common knowledge that Usyk is going to be moving up, so now every other cruiserweight is fighting for their place in the sun, and Kevin will be the only remaining World Champion when he gives up the belts.”

German boxing fans can watch all the action from the Emperors Palace live on Sport1, with Timo Schwarzkopf and Xhek Paskali fighting on the undercard.

Artur ‘Thunder’ Mann (15-0, 8 KOs) has arrived in South Africa ready to realise his World title dream as he challenges Kevin Lerena (21-1, 9 KOs) for the IBO Cruiserweight crown on Saturday at the Emperors Palace in Johannesburg.

The 28 year-old Hannover-hotshot is full of confidence as he enters his first World title contest following convincing wins over teak-tough Russian Alexey Zubov and the previously undefeated Alexander Peil in his last two bouts.

Having added legendary Cuban coach Pedro Diaz to his training team, Mann believes everything is in place for a memorable victory as he goes behind enemy lines in an attempt to dethrone the Johannesburg-native.

“First of all, I would like to thank my promoter Team Sauerland, and Golden Gloves, for this great opportunity,” said Mann. “My dream has always been to box for World titles, but I never thought it would happen so quickly.

“I’m excited and extremely motivated to challenge Kevin Lerena for the IBO belt here in South Africa. I know Lerena is a tough opponent, but there are no easy fights at this level, and I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I could win.

“Lerena is a World Champion and deserves the utmost respect. He’s currently among the top five cruiserweights in the world, a position you have to earn. However, I believe I’m the more complete fighter, and I will give everything in the ring to prove I’m the better man, and to bring the belt back to Germany.”

On the addition of Diaz, whose current stable includes former unified featherweight champion Guillermo Rigondeaux, IBF Super Lightweight King Ivan Baranchyk and fast-rising heavyweight star Filip Hrgovic, Mann states:

“Pedro works meticulously. With him, a lot of the emphasis is placed on our physical fitness and getting the right technique, but above all, it’s on the tactics. He analyses each of his fighters and their opponents in great detail, and that amount of detail can make all the difference at World level.”

The IBO World Cruiserweight title showdown between Kevin Lerena and Artur Mann is a co-promotion between Team Sauerland and Golden Gloves. German boxing fans can watch all the action from the Emperors Palace live on Sport1.

Artur Mann (15-0, 8 KOs) challenges Kevin Lerena (21-1, 9 KOs) for the IBO World Cruiserweight title on March 16 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Mann, undefeated in fifteen professional contest, lands this dream World title shot following a unanimous points win over Alexey Zubov in Chicago, and is full of confidence as he travels to South Africa in search of World glory.

“This is the moment I’ve been working my whole life for,” says Mann. “Who would have thought a year ago that today we would be preparing for an IBO World title fight in Johannesburg. I can’t thank my promoter Team Sauerland and the Sauerland family enough that this dream could be realized so quickly. Thanks also to my management Daniel Todorovic and Marius Schulze.

“This is a huge opportunity, and one I will not miss. Kevin Lerena will certainly have a home advantage as the reigning champion and local hero, but I like a challenge, and I’m convinced I will bring the IBO belt home to Germany.”

Lerena claimed the IBO strap with a split decision win over Youri Kayembre Kalenga on September 9, 2017, and has since recorded two successful defences against Ukraine’s Dmytro Kucher and Roman Golovashchenko.

“I’m excited to be back in the square jungle against such a formidable opponent as Artur Mann,” he said. “The public can look forward to a fan friendly fight with no quarter asked or given. Whilst I respect Mann’s record, only one hand will be raised in victory – AND STILL – This is the year of Kevin Lerena !”

“Kevin Lerena vs. Artur Mann for the IBO Cruiserweight title at the Emperors Palace – an evenly matched and mouth watering fight between two outstanding boxers,” said Rodney Berman, for Golden Gloves. “Both can ill afford a loss at this stage of their careers with the cruiserweight division enjoying such popularity, which is in no small measure due to the World Boxing Super Series.

“We look forward to staging this main event in association with Team Sauerland with whom we have always enjoyed an excellent relationship.”

“We’re delighted to be working with Rodney Berman and Golden Gloves to deliver this spectacular cruiserweight Wold title showdown,” said Nisse Sauerland, for Team Sauerland. “This is a fantastic opportunity for Artur and one he must seize with both hands. I’m expecting a fan friendly contest, with both men leaving it all on the line. Germany is due a World Champion, and now Artur has the chance to write his name in the history books.