Tag: Frank Warren

Carl Frampton to face Darren Traynor on Saturday in London

Carl Frampton will face late replacement Darren Traynor in a 10-round lightweight bout Saturday at the BT Sport Studio in London.

Carl Frampton will face late replacement Darren Traynor in a 10-round lightweight bout Saturday at the BT Sport Studio in London, Top Rank announced.

The card will be televised on ESPN in the U.S.

Frampton was scheduled to fight Vahram Vardanyan, an Armenian who lives in Latvia, but he couldn’t get into the U.K. as a result of visa issues and pulled out of the fight last week.

MTK Global, Frampton’s management company, reportedly had been paying Traynor for several weeks in preparation for just such an emergency.

Traynor (16-3, 7 KOs) is a two-time Scottish titleholder but hasn’t faced an opponent of Frampton’s caliber.

Frampton (27-2, 15 KOs) is a former two-division world titleholder and 2018 Fighter of the Year. He hasn’t fought since he shut out Tyler McCreary last November.

“I’m delighted to get an opponent over the line,” Frampton stated in a news release. “I have to credit MTK Global for seeing there could have been issues with the original opponent getting into the country, and they have been paying Darren Traynor for a number of weeks to train.

“He’ll be in decent shape and will be up for it as well. There is no pressure on him, but it is up to me to look good. I want to be taking this guy out and then moving on to think about Jamel Herring.

“I can’t be complacent in the slightest. I know I’m the big favorite in the fight, but I want to win and want to look good, and I want to win by knockout. I feel like he’s a better opponent as he’s fought at a higher level than Vardanyan, and he’s coming in at lightweight.

“I haven’t made my debut at junior lightweight yet, and I’m already jumping in at lightweight, so that’s obviously a little bit in his favor. But I’m looking forward to not having to struggle at all in fight week and then putting on an explosive show.”

Said Frank Warren, Frampton’s co-promoter: “Carl is gunning for a third world title at a third different weight and cannot afford any mishaps on Saturday night. Darren Traynor is ready to step in and fully prepared to give Carl the competitive fight he needs before heading into a WBO world championship battle against Jamel Herring, hopefully, later this year.”

Frank Warren proposes ‘Queensberry vs. Matchroom’ series to Eddie Hearn

Frank Warren says the time is right for he and Eddie Hearn to put their differences aside for the good of British boxing.

Frank Warren has issued a challenge to rival boxing promoter Eddie Hearn to set up a card in the near future pitting some of Warren’s best Queensberry Promotions fighters against Matchroom Boxing’s elite.

However, many — including Hearn himself — seem to be uncertain as to whether this is something Warren would really like to discuss or if it’s simply gamesmanship on the road to an eventual heavyweight unification megafight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

Warren wrote in a column on his official website entitled ‘A Message To Matchroom And Sky’ that “the time is right to throw off the shackles”.

Those “shackles” would presumably be the delicate nature of television rights, with Warren’s Queensberry airing on BT Sport as opposed to Matchroom’s deal with Sky.

With both promotions working to find a way around that conflict and deliver Joshua vs. Fury in the future, it appears Warren doesn’t believe that all-British heavyweight extravaganza should be the only cross-promotional outing.

Hearn was quoted in June as saying titleholders champion Fury and Joshua had agreed to a two-fight deal, though the finer details were yet to be worked out.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 has forced both promoters to get creative in order to get live fights back on the schedule. Hearn has begun to stage Fight Camp shows from the back garden of his headquarters, while Warren has been operating out of BT Sport studios in London.

“Queensberry’s finest versus the best of Matchroom,” wrote Warren. “What I am proposing is to break down the borders and give the fans the fights they want to see.

“Forget about promoter pride and egos, it is not about us,” he continued. “This is the time to turbo-charge boxing right back into the mainstream and capture the imagination of the watching public.

“Who wouldn’t want to see Dillian Whyte taking on the best young heavyweight in the world, Daniel Dubois, later this year or early next while Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are busy making other plans?

“Any takers for Joe Joyce against Dereck Chisora? Archie Sharp v Zelfa Barrett? Hamzah Sheeraz v Ted Cheeseman? Charlie Edwards v Kal Yafai?

“What about seeing Nathan Gorman step in the ring with Dave Allen? There are numerous potential bangers there to be made and no good reason not to make them.

“You could say I am throwing down the gauntlet and I would hope this honest proposal is taken at face value and not blithely dismissed. For the long-term good of our sport, now is the time to put up or shut up.”

Hearn later responded to the challenge, noting that while he’s open to some co-operation down the line, it isn’t as easy as Warren is suggesting.

“It was an interesting move,” Hearn told the Mirror. “There’s no reason why we can’t discuss it. But it’s important for people to know that last week alone, the British Boxing Board of Control received three or more emails of complaint from Queensberry about our Fight Camp card, trying to grass on things that didn’t even exist.

“Apart from that, all I ever get from them is legal letters and fake Twitter accounts. So let’s see where it goes, but I understand it’s tough times, so if I can help them out in any way, I will consider it for sure. Right now I’m laser focused on our business and delivering for our fighters.”

On Wednesday, Warren responded to Hearn’s quotes on Twitter:

While it’s understandable that Hearn (and others) would question the sincerity of Warren’s proposal, there’s no denying the appeal of such an inter-promotional challenge series, if this post-coronavirus age did indeed make it the right move for all involved.

Brad Foster excited to head first post-lockdown card in U.K.

Boxing returns to the U.K. on Friday. And Brad Foster is thrilled to be at the center of it.

Boxing returns to the U.K. on Friday. And Brad Foster is thrilled to be at the center of it.

The junior featherweight prospect is scheduled to defend his British and Commonwealth titles against James Beech Jr. in the main event of a five-bout card at the BT Studios in London, the first show in Britain since the coronavirus took hold.

No spectators will be allowed at ringside but plenty are expected to tune in on television.

“You saw the craziness and interest when football came back last month and it’s the same with boxing, lots of boxing fans want their live boxing back and my fight is the first main event after lockdown,” Foster told ESPN.

“A lot of eyes will be on me and that’s why I’m going in there to shine, to impress. People haven’t watched boxing for ages so they will be tuning in on Friday night. A lot of people are staying in at the moment and there’s not much else to watch on Friday.

“People will want to watch it, so it might well be my largest audience.”

Brad Foster fights James Beech Jr. on Friday in London. Luke Walker / Getty Images

Foster (12-0-2, 5 KOs) understands that things will be different fighting amid a pandemic.

No crowd. Tightly controlled environment. Coronavirus testing. All of it. The former kickboxer will have to adjust but pointed out that everything will be familiar once he steps through the ropes.

“I’m going down there for business, not a holiday,” he said. “I’ve got to go down and stay in a hotel all week [beginning Tuesday] so we self isolate, and that’s going to be weird.

“It will be different but the job is still the same and the aim is still the same, to come back home with the belts.”

Foster, a 23-year-old from Lichfield, England, last fought on Feb. 22, when he stopped Lucien Reid in six rounds. Among his sparring partners for that fight: Beech (12-0, 2 KOs).

The coronavirus pandemic took hold the following month, making training for all boxers an unusual challenge. Foster told ESPN that he has had sufficient sparring in preparation for Beech but training in general has been unusual, to say the least.

“You haven’t got the facilities you normally have, and had to train on your own for a while,” he said. “I like to go to David Lloyd (a gym and fitness club) for the steam rooms and saunas. It’s good for the muscles and recovery, but I’ve not been able to do that because they’ve all been closed.

“But I’ve had some good sparring, that’s not been a problem. Even if I didn’t get the sparring in, I’ve fought before without sparring like when I first won the British title.

“I’ve worked hard and all my focus has been on this next fight.”

Frank Warren announces summer fight series beginning July 10

Promoter Frank Warren and broadcast partner BT Sport have announced the launch of a summer series that will kick off on July 10.

Boxing is set to return to the U.K.

Promoter Frank Warren and broadcast partner BT Sport have announced the launch of a summer series that will kick off on July 10 and feature prospects in three British title fights, BoxingScene.com is reporting.

The fights will take place at the BT Sport Studio in London — without spectators — because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The first card reportedly will feature Brad Foster (12-0-2, 5 KOs) vs. James Beech Jr. (12-0, 2 KOs) for the British and Commonwealth junior featherweight titles.

Two other regional title fights, for which dates have not been determined, also were mentioned. Anthony Cacace (18-1, 7 KOs) will defend his British junior lightweight belt against Leon Woodstock (12-2, 5 KOs). And Lerrone Richards (13-0, 3 KOs) will defend his British and Commonwealth super middleweight titles against Umar Sadiq (10-1, 6 KOs).

Warren said at least five televised shows are planned.

“I am thrilled to inform the fans that the wait for live boxing to return is coming to an end,” Warren said. “It has been a long haul and a trying time for everyone but we can now see the first flicker of light at the end of the tunnel.

“I am so excited to get going again after a period of unprecedented planning and detail to get to where we are. Unfortunately boxing without fans at the venue is the new, but I am sure temporary, normal and we have made it our business to bring the sport back at the earliest opportunity in line with government guidelines regarding health and safety protocols.

“Our opening show on July 10 is just for starters, and we will be looking to go bigger and better as we move along in our summer season that will see us deliver at least five TV shows.

“Across these dates it is our intention to showcase highly competitive fights between hungry young domestic fighters and increase the stakes from show to show. No easy fights, just British boxing as it should be.

“I am also looking forward to seeing our unparalleled crop of brilliant young fighters step up the risk levels and really make the most of what will be huge exposure for them across the BT Sport platforms.”

Warren added: “This is just the beginning. It’s going to be a magnificent summer of great British boxing, so sit back and enjoy every round live on BT Sport.”

The July 10 undercard reportedly will include a junior middleweight fight between Hamzah Sheeraz (10-0) and Paul Kean (12-1, KO) and separate fights featuring heavyweight David Adeleye (1-0, 1 KO) and lightweight Mark Chamberlain (5-0, 3 KOs).

Reports: Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua in talks for fight this winter

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are in talks to stage a heavyweight title-unification bout on the Arabian Peninsula when boxing resumes.

The biggest-possible fight in boxing could happen before anyone expected.

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are in talks to stage a heavyweight title-unification bout in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere on the Arabian Peninsula when boxing resumes, meaning Deontay Wilder, due a rematch with Fury, presumably would have to be paid step-aside money.

No specific dates were reported by ESPN, which broke the news. However, The Athletic reported that organizers are targeting December.

MTK Global, a boxing management firm, reportedly is negotiating for Fury on behalf of his co-promoters Bob Arum and Frank Warren because of a rift between Warren and Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn. MTK is waiting for an offer from promoters in Saudi Arabia, according to ESPN.

Sources told ESPN that the offer would have to big enough to pay Fury and Joshua, as well as compensate Wilder to step aside.

One potential hitch in the plan: Sources told ESPN that Wilder and his handlers are aware of the Fury-Joshua talks, but Shelly Finkel, Wilder’s advisor, said that isn’t so. Wilder, who was stopped by Fury in February, has a contractual right to face him again.

“As far as we’re concerned, the next fight [for Wilder] is the third fight [with Fury],” Finkel told ESPN.

Another possible conflict: Joshua was scheduled to defend his titles against Kubrat Pulev on June 20 but that fight was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re talking to MTK about where that fight would take place,” Hearn told ESPN. “At the moment, the main focus for everybody [is] the contractual situations.”

Hearn went on: “The conversations between myself and MTK are that we’ve had an approach. We’ve had a number of approaches from territories to stage that fight. So the only discussions at the moment are where this fight takes place. And we don’t even know when this fight could take place. … We’re certainly open to have discussions about the possibility of this happening this year or in the next fight.”

Arum said he’s in a waiting mode.

“Let’s see what type of offers we get from the Middle East,” he said, “because there is a real frenzy with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, with the Emirates, to do events, to open up these countries in the winter and into next year. It would be foolish for us to not consider those types of offers.”

Fury obviously is open to fighting anyone anywhere.

“I’ll fight in Timbuktu if the money’s right,” he said. “I have a bag, and I will travel.”

Frank Warren calls Tyson Fury floppy glove theory ‘just pathetic’

Frank Warren, Tyson Fury’s co-promoter, called the notion that Fury’s gloves were doctored for his rematch with Deontay Wilder ‘pathetic.’

Frank Warren, Tyson Fury’s co-promoter, apparently has had enough of the floppy glove theory.

Some people believe that Fury’s left fist somehow slipped down to the wrist portion of the glove for his rematch with Deontay Wilder in February, which, in effect, allowed him to punch Wilder without padding.

Warren, speaking to The Daily Express, dismissed that notion.

“When they wrap their hands the people who are there are obviously Tyson’s camp, his trainer and the guy who is wrapping his hands,” Warren said. “You’ve got someone from local from the commission.

“In the background, you’ve got the drug testing guys who are with you all the time plus there is someone from the other camp watching and inspecting to make sure they are happy with the way the hands are wrapped. That’s why someone from Tyson’s camp was in Wilder’s dressing room.

“Then they warm up. When it comes to putting the gloves on they put the gloves on, the commissioner signs the gloves on the tape and in the case of the last fight there was someone from the camp there.

“So once those hands are in that glove how on earth can you move your hand? It’s impossible. It’s stupid. I don’t know what planet they are on to come up with stuff like that. I’ve seen the footage and all it is an open glove.

“It’s just pathetic. The best man won on the night end of story. No excuses, nothing about costumes or whatever else. On the night the best man won.”

Fury put Wilder down twice and stopped him in seven rounds to win a heavyweight title Feb. 22 in Las Vegas.

British promoters at a loss: ‘We don’t know what we’re dealing with here’

British boxing promoters find themselves in a state of doom and gloom as a result of the ravaging effects of the coronavirus…

For once, boxing promoters are tongue-tied. 

The coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc on the sport, forcing promoters to cancel high-profile boxing cards. In Britian, as elsewhere, the virus has left a preternaturally cutthroat group of veterans scratching their heads, wondering what’s next.

In a recent interview with the British magazine Boxing News, promoters Kalle Sauerland, Eddie Hearn, Frank Warren and Mick Hennessy described how the global pandemic has impacted their business.

Leaders in the art of fabrication, few of them could find a way to put a positive spin on the news. For once, they admit to being in a state of helplessness. 

“We’re not ‘in the know’ of anything,” said Sauerland, who had to postpone the March 21 World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight final bout between Mairis Briedis and Yuniel Dorticos. (The new date has been tentatively scheduled for May 16.)

“We don’t know anything about timelines, we don’t know anything about restrictions or the different kind of restrictions,  so we will continue being experts at what we do, but we will be under the guidelines of authorities, local and international.

“We have to look at the policies of different governments, but they’re not all aligned. … That makes it even more complicated, especially when when you run an international operation. So, for us, we are bound to what the experts are telling us because we’re not experts in this field. And I think any promoter giving any other advice, apart from talking about left hooks and uppercuts, should stick to their own business.”

Like Top Rank’s Bob Arum, Hearn is exploring the possibility of staging fights closed off to the public but admits that such endeavors come at a high financial cost. Hearn, who promotes shows on both sides of the Atlantic, recently had to postpone the March 28  Josh Kelly-David Avenesyan bout in London and the April 17 Regis Prograis-Maurice Hooker bout in Oxon Hill, Maryland.

“We are certainly open to events behind closed doors, but the bigger events are always dependent on the revenue generated at the box office,” Hearn said. “There are plenty of moving parts, but we are thinking on our feet to make sure our fighters are taken care of and the public safety is of course considered.”

Said Hennessy, the former promoter of Tyson Fury: “The whole situation is crazy, it’s on another level. I’ve never experienced anything as potentially devastating to boxing in all my career. There is no insurance to cover us for this. We’ve made lots of plans and payments.”

Of all the promoters it was Warren, the oldest of the group, who sounded the most distraught.

“When you think about it, our industry is in trouble,” Warren said. “The boxers don’t get a wage. Unlike footballers, they get paid when they fight. So if they don’t fight, they don’t get a wage.

“All I care about is the long-term health of the sport, and at the moment, that’s at a risk. The TV companies make money by showing sport on their channels, but they’ve got no sport to show at the moment. Those same TV companies bring a lot of money into boxing, so it’s quite challenge to say the least.

“We don’t know what we’re dealing with here.”

Jamel Herring, Carl Frampton agree to fight. When? Who knows?

Carl Frampton and Jamel Herring have an agreement to fight but they don’t have a date or a place because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Jamel Herring and Carl Frampton have an agreement. But they don’t have a date or a place.

Welcome to a new way of doing business. Tentative is the operative word for as long as the coronavirus pandemic forces the world into quarantine.

Frank Warren, of Queensberry Promotions, announced the deal Wednesday on his Twitter account, saying: Terms are agreed. … News on date and venue coming soon.’’

But the date and place are subject to when the contagious virus subsides. There are no reliable odds on that. Just fears that it will continue.

Warren is hoping to stage the bout on June 13 in Belfast, Ireland, Frampton’s hometown.

Herring-Frampton, for Herring’s junior lightweight belt, has been speculated for months. At first, there were questions about whether it would ever happen because of injuries to Frampton (27-2, 15 KOs), a former junior featherweight and featherweight champion who underwent surgery for fractures in both hands after his decision unanimous over Tyler McCreary on Nov. 30 in Las Vegas.

Herring (21-2, 10 KOs), a Marine and Iraq war veteran, is coming off a unanimous decision over Lamont Roach in his first title defense on Nov. 9 in Fresno, California.

Demetrius Andrade, Liam Williams in negotiations for title fight

Middleweight titleholder Demetrius Andrade and Liam Williams reportedly have entered talks for a fight as early as June.

Boxing fans are eager to see Demetrius Andrade test himself against his fellow top-tier middleweights, fighters like Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin. Instead, it appears he’ll defend his WBO title against Liam Williams.

Andrade and Williams, ranked No. 2 by the sanctioning body, reportedly have entered talks after the WBO ordered them to do so. They will have 30 days to reach an agreement or the promotion will go to a purse bid, according to BoxingScene.com.

The fight is expected to take place as early as June, possibly in Providence, Rhode Island, Andrade’s hometown.

Andrade (29-0, 23 KOs) won his title by outpointing Walter Kautondokwa in October 2018 and has successfully defended three times, but he has yet to face an elite 160-pounder.

The slick, athletic boxer is coming off a ninth-round TKO of Luke Keeler in January.

Williams (22-2-1, 17 KOs) has won six consecutive fights since he lost back-to-back bouts against Liam Smith in 2017. The Welshman knocked out Alantez Fox in five rounds in December.

“I want a world title shot without fail. If the right opportunity came, I would even move up to super middleweight,” Willliams told the BBC. “I feel like I am a world-title level fighter. I have a new lease of life, I have found my happiness again in the sport.”

Frank Warren, Williams’ promoter, confirmed that negotiations have begun.

“We are in negotiations, the fight will take place in the next 90-120 days,” Warren told the BBC. “Liam can win this fight, he can beat Andrade, I know he can.”

Eddie Hearn: ‘Of course, I’ve spoken to Bob Arum’ about Fury-Joshua

Eddie Hearn fired back at rivals Bob Arum and Frank Warren, insisting he has spoken to Arum about a Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua matchup.

Eddie Hearn and Bob Arum are, or are not, talking to each other about an Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury later this year. Hearn says yes. Arum says no.

But they are talking at each other through the media in a noisy trash-talk exchange that figures to rage on – and on – for the next three to four months.

Hearn fired back at Arum and promotional partner Frank Warren, who trashed Hearn for saying there had been preliminary discussions about a possible Joshua-Fury fight in December. Warren called it rubbish. Arum said there was no reason to talk, because the fight will never happen. Kubrat Pulev, Arum says, will beat Joshua.

But Hearn counters, saying that, of course, Joshua-Fury was mentioned during negotiations for Pulev-Joshua on June 20 at Tottenham in north London. Hearn promotes Joshua; Arum is Fury’s co-promoter and also promotes Pulev.

“Of course, I have,’’ Hearn told iFL TV. “Firstly, I have been negotiating the Pulev fight with him. So, how many times have I spoken to Bob Arum in the last three weeks? Half a dozen times? A dozen? How many times have I spoken to Bob Arum about the Fury-vs.-Joshua fight? Four times. Of course, I’ve spoken to Bob Arum.’’

Hearn was just getting warmed up. He went on:

“What do you think? Bob Arum isn’t going to call me about it? Mate, this geezer is all over it like a rat up a drain pipe. He was the first one calling me. ‘Oh, what do we got to do to make this fight? How are we going to make this fight?’ Blah-blah-blah-blah.

“We’ve been talking loads.’’

More loads to come.

 

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Frank Warren, Bob Arum insist there are no Fury-Joshua talks