Liam Smith scored a fourth round stoppage over Chris Eubank Jr. in their scheduled 12-round middleweight fight at The AO Arena in Manchester, England.

In round four, Smith hurt Eubank with a hard right in the corner that set off a vicious six-punch barrage that featured a left uppercut and a left hook that put Eubank on the deck. Eubank was badly hurt and tried hold on, but Smith landed another flurry of punches that put Eubank down again, and the fight was stopped at 1:09.

Smith of Liverpool, ENG is 33-3-1 with 20 knockouts. Eubank is 32-3.

Riakphore Stops Glowacki in 4

Richard Riakphore stopped former world champion Kryzystof Glowacki in round four of their scheduled 10-roud cruiserweight bout.

In round four, Riakphore hurt Glowacki with a hard right hand that drove him to the ropes. Four punches later the bout was stopped at 2:44.

Riakphore of England is 16-0 with 12 knockouts. Glowacki of Poland is 32-4.

Essuman Decisions Kongo

Ekow Essuman won a 12-round majority decision over Chris Knongo in a welterweight bout.

Essuman of England won by scores of 116-113, 115-114 and 114-114 and is now 19-0. Kongo is 14-2.

Parker Decisions Massey

Former world Heavyweight champion Joseph Parker won a 10-round unanimous decision over Jack Massey.

In round eight, Massey was deducted a point for holding. In round 10, Massey was cut over his left eye.

Parker of New Zealand won by scores of 97-97, 96-93 and 97-93 and is now 31-3. Massey is 20-2.

Clarke Stops Espindola in 4

Frazer Clarke remained undefeated with a stoppage after round four of his scheduled eight-round heavyweight bout with Kevin Espindola.

Clarke of England is now 5-0 with four knockouts. Espindola of Argentina is 7-7.

The British & Commonwealth, IBF European and WBC International Silver Welterweight titles will be on the lines as Ekow Essuman and Chris Kongo go head-to-head in a scintillating addition to the undercard of Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith on Saturday, January 21 at Manchester’s AO Arena.

‘The Engine’ produced a comprehensive, unanimous points victory over BOXXER’s Samuel Antwi at the same venue last September to retain his British & Commonwealth titles and protect his flawless record (18-0, 7 KOs).

But Essuman will undoubtedly face a tough test in the form of ‘2 Slick’ Kongo in what promises to be a barnstorming title clash.

Kongo captured the vacant WBC International Silver Welterweight crown when he defeated Sebastian Formella last June in London. And he’ll be hungry to start the new year in style by putting the first dent on Essuman’s burgeoning CV and claiming two prestigious titles.

Rising heavyweight sensation Frazer Clarke is another sterling addition to the event which is broadcast live, in the UK and Republic of Ireland, on Sky Sports Box Office.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medal hero is eager to ascend up the heavyweight rankings this year and will return to the scene of his last victory.

An opponent will be named in due course but Clarke (4-0, 3 KOs) will be keen to remind the division of his incredible power as he did last November when he outclassed Kamil Sokowlski over six rounds.

Another explosive heavyweight prospect is confirmed for January 21 too in Matty Harris.

The hard-hitting Coventry fighter (3-0, 2 KOs) burst on the scene in 2021 and last year added two impressive stoppages to his résumé, defeating Mait Metsis and Pawel Strykowski. An opponent for Harris will be named soon.

And unbeaten Scottish cruiserweight starlet Scott Forrest (3-0, 3 KOs) will be keen to showcase his talent on the night when he collides with Amine ‘The Beast’ Boucetta (7-5-0).

BOXXER Founder and CEO, Ben Shalom said: “These are four terrific additions to what is already a blockbuster card. Tickets are selling out fast with a bumper crowd all set for an incredible night of boxing in Manchester.”

The main event – in association with Wasserman Boxing – sees bitter middleweight enemies Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith face-off in what promises to be an epic domestic clash for the ages as both rivals bid to take a giant leap towards their desired world title pursuits. 

Elsewhere on the stacked pay-per-view card, Richard Riakporhe battles former two-time WBO cruiserweight world champion Krzysztof G?owacki, as local lad Jack Massey steps up to the heavyweight division to fight former world champion Joseph Parker. 

Final remaining tickets are on sale now at Boxxer.com.

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

Joe Joyce won the WBO Interim Heavyweight title with an 11th round stoppage over former WBO champion Joseph Parker at the AO Arena in Manchester, England.

In round two, Parker began to bleed from his nose. In round six, he began to bleed from around his right eye.

In round 11, Joyce landed a booming heft hook that put Parker on the canvas. Parker was badly hurt, and the fight was stopped at 1:03.

Joyce, 271 lbs of England is 15-0 with 14 knockouts. Parker, 255 lbs of South Auckland, NZ is 30-3.

Serrano becomes Undisputed Featherweight Champion

Amanda Serrano became the undisputed Featherweight champion with a 10-round unanimous decision over Sarah Mahfoud.

In round two, Mahfoud was cut on her hairline from a clash of heads.

Serrano, 124 lbs of Brooklyn, NY was the WBA/WBO/WBC champion, added Mahfoud’s IBF belt by scores of 99-92 and 97-93 twice and is now 43-2-1. Mahfoud, 124 lbs of Copenhagen, DEN is 11-1.

Nathan Heaney won a technical unanimous decision over Jack Flatley when a headbutt caused a bad gash over the right eye of Heaney in round five.

Heaney won by scores of 50-45 and 49-46 twice and is now 16-0. Flatley is 19-3-1.

Anthony Cacace won a 12-round split-decision over Mark Magnesi in a super featherweight bout.

In round five, Cacace was cut over the left eye.

Cacace, 129 lbs of Belfast, NI won by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and Magnesi took a card 116-112.

Cacace is 20-1. Magnesi, 129 lbs of Italy is 21-1.

Ekow Essuman won a 12-round unanimous decision over Samuel Antwi.

Essuman won by scores of 117-112, 116-113 and 115-113 and is now 18-0. Antwi is 14-2.

Mark Heffron destroyed Martin Balucio in the opening round of their super middleweight bout,

In the opening round, Heffron landed a hard right that was followed by a crunching left hook and then a right to the chin the froze Balucio and the bout was stopped at

Heffron is now 30-2-1 with 23 knockouts. Balucio of Argentina is 10-7.

Raven Chapman won a eight-round unanimous decision over Jorgelina Guanini

ANTHONY CACACE, EKOW Essuman, Nathan Heaney, Raven Chapman and Mark Heffron all feature in the supporting cast of the September 24 Joyce-Parker ‘Nowhere to Run’ blockbuster at the AO Arena, Manchester being shown exclusively live on BT Sport Box Office. Joyce vs Parker is promoted by Frank Warren for Queensberry Promotions in association with BOXXER.

The main event heavyweights Joe Joyce and Joseph Parker will, of course, be fighting for the right to take on the winner of the rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua, along with the WBO International, Intercontinental and WBC Silver heavyweight championships. Plus, Amanda Serrano will be bidding to win four world title belts at featherweight when the Puerto Rican superstar battles the unbeaten Dane Sarah Mahfoud.

Cacace (19-1, 7 KOs), 33, will challenge for the IBO world super featherweight title against the unbeaten Italian champion Michael Magnesi (21-0, 13). The 27-year-old from Lazio won the title by defeating Dennis Contreras in April and the British champion from Belfast is his first defence.

Nottingham’s British, IBF European and Commonwealth welterweight champion Essuman (17-0, 7) will be making a third defence of his belts against former English champion Samuel Antwi (14-1, 6) from Stockwell in London.

Essuman, 33, last defended in April at Wembley Stadium with a points verdict over Darren Tetley, having won his British and Commonwealth titles by defeating Chris Jenkins via stoppage in July of last year. Antwi won the vacant English title against Tetley in February 2021 and made a successful defence in February of this year with a unanimous decision win over Conah Walker.

Stoke middleweight Heaney (15-0, 6) will make a second defence of his IBO International title against Bolton’s Jack Flatley (19-2, 4), a recent European title challenger at super welterweight.

Heaney, 33, who is striving towards a major title challenge at the home of his beloved Stoke City, won his IBO belt with a seventh-round stoppage of the experienced Sladan Janjanin in November 2021 and returned to action in April in Telford and survived a first-round scare to ultimately overcome the dangerous Diego Ramirez by a significant margin over 10 rounds.

Former English champion Flatley, known as ‘Quiet Storm’, will come into the fight off two straight victories following his EBU title defeat to Kerman Lejarraga in December of last year. Flatley has a draw on his record against the current British super welterweight champion Troy Williamson.

The Queen of Queensberry, Raven Chapman (3-0, 2), moves quickly into title business with a challenge for the vacant WBC International featherweight championship against Argentina’s Jorgelina Guanini (10-4-2, 1).

The 28-year-old Chapman, known as ‘The Omen’, made her Queensberry debut in May in explosive fashion when she stopped Gabriella Mezei in less than a minute.

She will be stepping up in levels against Guanini, a former IBF world champion at super flyweight, who recently defeated the then unbeaten Brit Stevi Levy in Barcelona. The 30-year-old has previously lost on points to British opposition in Rachel Ball and Ellie Scotney.

The new British super middleweight champion Mark Heffron (28-2-1, 22) from Oldham will also feature on the card in an eight-round contest.

Liverpudlian James Heneghan (7-0) is back out in a six-rounder, while the card is finished off with up-and-coming Queensberry fighters Amaar Akbar (3-0) and Tommy Fletcher (1-0) both in four-round action.

“It is certainly going to be an all-action on BT Sport Box Office in the lead-up to the big heavyweight showdown at the top of the bill in Manchester,” said promoter Frank Warren. “I am thrilled to deliver a major fight for Anthony Cacace after his obvious disappointment over missing out at Wembley Stadium in April and winning this title against an unbeaten champion will put him in such a strong position in the super featherweight division.

“Ekow Essuman will be able to call the British title belt his own if he overcomes a strong challenger from Samuel Antwi in what is his mandatory defence of the belt. The impressive Ekow will quickly be able to move on to European and world honours if he can do the business at the AO Arena.

“It will be exciting to see Nathan Heaney in a good domestic scrap against the tough and very capable Jack Flatley. Nathan has developed and improved enormously in three tricky assignments against overseas opposition, and I am sure his army of fans will be looking forward to this one.

“Our current First Lady, Raven Chapman, really looked the part on her Queensberry debut in May when her opponent was blitzed in just 58 seconds. It showed us that Raven is ready for a step up and former world champion Jorgelina Guanini will provide a stern test of her credentials, with a WBC title on the line.

“Mark Heffron, fresh from his brutal stoppage of Lennox Clarke in July, is fully deserving of a fight closer to home and it will be good to see him really building some momentum as he heads into significant title action later this year.

“Add these four title fights to the four belts being on the line between Amanda Serrano and Sarah Mahfoud, plus the high-stakes heavyweight collision between Joe Joyce and Joseph Parker at the top of the bill and we should be in for a thrilling night of top-class action on September 24 that is not to be missed.”

Tickets for ‘Nowhere to Run’ – the heavyweight clash between Joe Joyce and Joe Parker on 24 September at the AO Arena, Manchester being shown exclusively live on BT Sport Box Office – are priced from £40 and are on sale now exclusively from Ticketmaster.co.uk.

Tyson Fury retained the WBC Heavyweight championship with an one=punch sixth round stoppage over Dillian Whyte in front of 94,000 fans at Wembley Stadium in London.

In round four, Whyte was cut over his right eye from a headbutt. There was a lot of grappling and both guys had trouble setting a pace.

That all changed in round six as Fury landed a monstrous right uppercut to the chin that knocked Whyte flat on his back. Whyte got to his feet, but wobbled all over the ring and the fight was 2:59.

Fury is now 32-0-1 with 23 knockouts. Whyte is now 28-3.

Fury said, “I’m overwhelmed with the support. I can’t believe that my 94,000 countrymen and women have come here tonight to see my perform. I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much to every single person who bought a ticket here tonight or stayed up late to watch it on TV.
 
“Dillian Whyte is a warrior. And I believe that Dillian will be a world champion. But tonight, he met a great in the sport. I’m one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. And unfortunately for Dillian Whyte, he had to face me here tonight. There’s no disgrace. He’s a tough, game man. He’s as strong as a bull. He’s got the heart of a lion. But you’re not messing with a mediocre heavyweight. You’re messing with the best man on the planet. And you saw that tonight with what happened.
 
“I think Lennox Lewis could even be proud of the right uppercut tonight.”

Essuman Decisions Tetley

Ekow Essuman scored a 12-round unanimous decision over Darren Tetley in a welterweight bout.

Essuman landed 215 of 795 punches; Tetley was 144 of 691.

Essuman win by scores of 117-111 and 116-112 twice and is now 17-0. Tetley is 21-3.

Nick Ball Stops Isaac Lowe in 6

Nick Ball remained undefeated by stopping Tyson Fury-stablemate Isaac Lowe in round six of a 10-round featherweight bout.

In round two, Ball dropped Lowe with a big left hook. In round three, Ball was bleeding from the nose. In round four, Lowe was bleeding badly from his left eye.

In round six, with Lowe turned around, Ball drilled Lowe with two hard lefts and the bout was stopped at 1:45

Ball is 15-0 with eight knockouts. Lowe is 21-2-3.

Adeleye stops Healey in 4

David Adeleye stopped Chris Healey in round four of a scheduled eight-round heavyweight bout.

In round four, Adeleye landed a hard left and a big right that forced a referee stoppage at 52 seconds.

Adeleye, 232 lbs of London is 9-0 with eight knockouts. Healey, 282 lbs of England is 9-9.

Tommy Fury defeated Daniel Bocianski via six-round decision in a light heavyweight bout.

In round five, Bocianski was cut over the left eye. Later in the round, Fury landed a big right that put Bocianski on the canvas.

Fury landed 80 of 255 punches; Bocianski was 20 of 159.

Fury, 177 lbs of Manchester, ENG won by a 60-54 score and is now 8-0. Bocianski, 175 lbs of Poland is 10-2.

Karol Itauma remained undefeated with a second round stoppage over Michael Ciach in a scheduled four-round light heavyweight bout.

In round one, Itauma sent Ciach to the canvas with a hard flurry on the ropes. In round two, Ituma dropped Ciach with an overhand left and the fight was stopped.

Itaima, 175 lbs of Kent, ENG is now 7-0 with five knockouts. Ciach, 175 lbs of Poland is 2-12.

Royston Barney-Smith remained perfect with a four-round decision over Constantin Radoi in a super featherweight bout.

Barney-Smith, 132 lbs of Southampton, ENG won by a 40-36 tally and is now 2-0. Radoi, 132 lbs of Swinton, ENG is 0-11.

Kurt Walker remained undefeated with a four-round decision over Stefan Nicolae in a junior lightweight bout.

Walker of Lisburn, Northern Ireland won by a 40-35 score and is now 2-0. Nicolae is 3-32-2.

EKOW ESSUMAN WILL defend his British, Commonwealth and IBF European welterweight titles against Darren Tetley at York Hall on Friday April 29, live on BT Sport.

On a night where Frank Warren and Queensberry will again provide a showcase for their multitude of elite prospects, Southampton featherweight Ryan ‘The Piranha’ Garner will fight for a first title, the vacant WBC International Silver championship, plus two unbeaten talents collide at middleweight.

Nottingham’s Essuman (16-0, 7 KOs), known as ‘Ekow the Engine’, impressively seized the Lonsdale belt from former champion Chris Jenkins in July of last year and made a spectacular defence in October against the previously unbeaten Danny Ball, who was brutally knocked out in the sixth round.

Bradford’s Tetley (21-2, 9 KOs) won the WBO European title in May 2015 against Mason Cartwright and remained unbeaten for a further four fights before losing out in a thriller against Liam Taylor in August 2020. A challenge for the vacant English title against Samuel Antwi did not go his way in February of last year, but the 28-year-old got back into winning ways in November over six rounds.

Garner, 24, has long been regarded as one of the brightest prospects on the UK scene and his 11-0 record features six impressive stoppages. He was stepped up in November against the 9-1 Angolan Pedro Manuel Gomes and passed his test with flying colours over eight rounds.

Now he wants to be in big fights and replicate his amateur experience that saw him reach minors finals at the age of 11 before winning two schoolboy championships. He also reached the quarterfinals of the world junior championships, as well as bagging European gold at junior level.

In a battle of the middleweight unbeatens, James Heneghan (6-0) from Merseyside jumps in with Finchley’s Jonathan Kumuteo (3-0, 1 KO).

Also in action at York Hall is Buckhurst Hill super bantam Adan Mohamed (4-0, 1 KO), Cranleigh super welterweight Levi Frankham (2-0, 1 KO) and Beckton lightweight Mohammad Bilal Ali (4-1, 1 KO).

Former amateur superstar Charles Frankham (4-0, 2 KOs) from Crowthorne is back in action at super featherweight, along with ex-Team GB product Callum Thompson (3-0, 1 KO), the Joe Gallagher-trained lightweight from Liverpool.

Two recent Queensberry signings complete the card, with featherweight Raven Chapman (2-0, 1 KO) having her third fight in the professional ranks and Blu Bowers from Fareham making his debut at super bantamweight.

“It is great news that we are able to deliver another ‘Prospects Show’ that gives our young talent a chance to shine on a major platform and showcase their abilities to a huge audience,” said promoter Frank Warren.

“Of course, every show needs a headline act and we’ve got a multi-title battle between British welterweight champion Ekow Essuman and Darren Tetley.

“I’ve been so impressed with Ekow since he teamed up with Queensberry and the honest truth is that I would confidently put him in with any welterweight in Britain. Darren is a real warrior so we should have a cracker on our hands with this one.

“Ryan Garner is a young fighter I have admired from day one and had great belief in. He has had his ups and downs but is now completely focused on his craft and he is getting his reward with a first title chance.

“We should really see more of young pros trying their luck against each other so I am happy that James Heneghan and Jonathan Kumuteo are backing themselves in what should be a smashing fight at middleweight.

“Many of our other top prospects will be on parade, but I would like to welcome our new signings Raven Chapman and Blu Bowers to the Queensberry ranks and I look forward to seeing them in action on April 29.”

Tickets for the show at York Hall on Friday, April 29 are on sale now, available directly from the fighters or via eventbrite.co.uk or call: 01992 505 550 (office hours).

THE BRITISH WELTERWEIGHT champion Ekow Essuman has signed a new three-year deal to continue his promotional association with Frank Warren and Queensberry.

Ekow, 32, who holds a record of 16-0 with seven KOs, had three fights under his previous agreement, which also reaped the IBF European title along with the Commonwealth belt in the space of just over a year.

So it was a productive period for the Nottingham man known as ‘The Engine’, who seized the British and Commonwealth titles from Chris Jenkins in July of last year and defended against the previously unbeaten Danny Ball in October. Cedrick Peynaud was defeated in September 2020 for the IBF European honours.

“I am ecstatic  to sign because I know that in the next three years I will be pushed and catapulted up the ranks,” reacted the former Team GB product. “I am really excited because I know Frank is one of those promoters that, when he is behind you, can really elevate you up the rankings.

“You need to catch his eye and I went about doing it in the right way. Basically, everybody knows what I am about now.”

Ekow agreed that, over the course of the last year and a bit, he has set about rubber stamping his undoubted potential and proved himself a genuine threat in the division that domestic contenders are not queuing up to fight.

“The first fight with Peynaud was a warm-up for everything and I knew I had to prove myself after that. I wanted a statement performance but the ring rust played a little part in that. Against Chris Jenkins I did that and the Danny Ball performance was the icing on the cake.

“I had always said to people that I just needed the right opponents to bring out the different sides to my boxing and from now on people can just expect exciting matches.

“My next fight will be an IBF defence because, after the last one, it is hard to find opponents for a next British defence without anybody being made mandatory. So it will be an IBF fight against a really good opponent and I can’t wait for that, to show people another side to my style.

Promoter Frank Warren added: “Ekow has shown himself to be a contender of genuine class in his last two fights and I have been so impressed with what I have seen. I would happily put him in with any welterweight in Britain at the moment and expect him to triumph, but they all know how good he is and won’t fancy the job.

“We won’t hang about and will plot a route for him through the world rankings because Ekow is at the point of his career where he is ready for anything.”

EKOW ESSUMAN has declared he is “gunning for” domestic rivals Conor Benn and Michael MicKinson.

Essuman has been frustrated after an injury to double champion Chris Jenkins delayed their fight especially after seeing rivals Benn and McKinson win recently.

The Nottingham boxer explained “When I saw the competition winning it got me itching to show people what I have been working on and how much I’ve improved.

“While I’ve been waiting for the fight to be rescheduled Conor Benn and Michael McKinson have had good wins.

“After I take the  British and Commonwealth title from Jenkins there are a lot of tasty fights out there.

“They are the fights I have to aim for, but as soon as I win those titles they will be coming for the jugular.

“Conor’s matchmaker has been spectacular. They have picked the right opponents to help him build his confidence in what he does.

“No disrespect to his opponents, but a lot of the things they did complimented what Conor does as opposed to putting him in there with a good mover.

“Take Benn v McKinson. Despite Benn’s strengths McKinson would win all day. He is awkward and wouldn’t play up to Conor’s strengths

“I will meet them both. I am gunning for them. It’s just when and where.”

Essuman (14-0, 5 KOs) believes that he will finally face Swansea’s Jenkins (22-3-3, 8 KOs) on a Queensberry card next month.

Normally mild mannered Essuman is even doubting whether Jenkins suffered a perforated ear drum before their scheduled clash in March.

“I have had perforated ear drums before and they clear up in two weeks. When I heard he needed longer I asked myself, ‘Is this guy playing games?’, he added

“I did a lot of rounds with David Avanesyan before he fought Josh Kelly and I remember sitting down with him. I asked him how he coped mentally with the all the postponements over two years.

“He said that it had been a long time, but he was able to work on things that he needed to. That sat with me.

“I have taken that on board and I just have longer to cement the things I need to do against Jenkins.

“By the time I get to fight Jenkins things will be instilled in me and I will do them without even thinking.

“I see myself winning in good fashion. I don’t want to give too much away, but it won’t reach the final bell.”

Anthony Yarde vs Dec Spelman, Nathan Gorman vs Richard Lartey, Mark Heffron vs Denzel Bentley and Ekow Essuman vs Cedrick Peynaud have today all been announced for a bumper Queensberry Promotions card on September 12.

Anthony Yarde will take on Dec Spelman, in what will prove an ideal chance to directly compare himself against potential future foe Lyndon Arthur – who last month edged Spelman on points behind-closed-doors.

Yarde challenged for a World Title against Sergey Kovalev in 2019 and has been absent since his Russian mission – where he came within seconds of toppling the legendary champion.

The light heavyweight Beast from the East is now back in business against an opponent who extended Manchester’s Arthur to 12 rounds of work in July. Commenting on the fight on behalf of BT Sport on the night, Yarde complained over a lack of entertainment from the pair and that he needed paying to stay awake.

Yarde will be looking to provide more entertainment on September 12.

Also featuring on what will be a huge night of action is the heavyweight return of Nathan Gorman, 16-1, who will fight Richard Lartey from Ghana (subject to visa approval) in an eliminator for the Commonwealth title. Both have a shared experience of taking on Daniel Dubois, with the 14-2 Lartey engaging in an explosive shootout with the young Londoner before being stopped in four rounds at Wembley Arena in April of last year.

Gorman, just 24, will be seeking to put the domestic heavyweight division on notice that he is back in the fold and in the bidding for major titles once again.

The vacant IBF European welterweight championship will be on the line for English champion Ekow Essuman when he goes in with the Frenchman Cedrick Peynaud. The Paris-based Peynaud took part in two epic struggles against Connor Benn across 2017-18 where both men were put to the canvas and it represents an ideal test for Essuman, who is in the British title mix along with Benn and the champion Chris Jenkins.

In what is a huge fight for the middleweight division in this country, a battle of the big punchers is confirmed between Battersea’s Denzel Bentley (13-0) and Oldham’s Mark Heffron (25-1).

For a fight that surely cannot fail to deliver fireworks, the IBF European title is the prize for the winner between two men who have not been shy in calling each other out across social media. 

Promoter Frank Warren – who will also showcase the talents of lightweight Mohammad Bilal Ali on the night, along with new signings Amin Jahanzeb (7-0, featherweight) and Joshua Frankham (debut, super welterweight) – said: 

“This is a card with the potential to deliver for the fans watching on BT Sport in a big way.

“Boxing is a game of ego’s and Anthony is keen to show the world that he can go one better than Lyndon and blast Spelman out early.

“Spelman is not an easy fight for anyone, but if Anthony comes through we’ll be on course for Yarde vs Arthur later this year hopefully.”

“I am delighted to be bringing Anthony back because he needs a competitive fight before his big domestic showdown against Lyndon Arthur and he will be determined to do a better job on Dec Spelman than his rival. He has put the onus on himself to find an explosive performance after complaining about Lyndon’s fight with Dec being boring!

“I still firmly believe Anthony is a world-level elite operator and he will prove as much given time but, for now, he needs to keep busy and remind the public of what he is all about.”

Anthony Yarde said:

“The people want explosive action and knockouts so I will not be hiding behind my jab and sending everyone to sleep,” stated the 19-1 man from Ilford. 

“This will be all about me reminding people that I am the force of the division and I am heading right back to the top where I intend to dominate and reign for a long time to come.

“I respect Dec Spelman as a fighter but this is the chance for me to show everyone what they can expect when I get to share a ring with Lyndon Arthur.”

Dec Spelman said:

“If Yarde comes to fight then so much the better for me. Lyndon made our fight a technical affair that I was disappointed I couldn’t really get to grips with, so if Yarde wants some action then bring it on.

“I will actually be his first test at domestic level so we will see how he looks on the night.”

FULL DETAILS FOR FURTHER SHOWS ON SEPT 26 (Headlined by Josh Taylor vs Apinun Khongsong) and OCT 10 COMING VERY SOON

ENGLISH CHAMPION WELTERWEIGHT Ekow Essuman has signed a promotional agreement with Frank Warren to fight under the Queensberry Promotions banner.

The former decorated amateur – who reached the Podium Squad within the Team GB set-up – has now reached 13-0 as a professional, with five of those wins coming via KO.

The Nottingham man took possession of the English title in October 2018 with an impressive stoppage victory over Andy Keates before perhaps his most notable win arrived in March 2019.

The redoubtable former British champion Tyrone Nurse was selected for a voluntary defence of his belt and the man known as ‘The Engine’ showed just why by edging his more experienced opponent over ten rounds.

The most recent defence of the now 31-year-old came back in November at York Hall when he ventured down south to put his belt on the line against the previously unbeaten Curtis Felix Jr. Essuman inflicted a first defeat on the home fighter with an eighth round stoppage and now has the British title firmly in his sights.

“I am ecstatic, really ecstatic,” said Essuman on joining forces with the Hall of Fame promoter. “I have been a pro since 2016 after missing out on the Olympic draft – even though I was on GB and fighting across the world – and I have got myself to English champion and defended against someone like Tyrone Nurse to getting myself into position for a British eliminator.

“So I am thrilled to be coming on-board with Frank Warren now and he is the perfect person to take my career and showcase it to the public. I want to show people what I am about because I have been going under the radar a bit, although it has worked out in my favour at the same time because when fighters get matched up with me now it will be too little, too late to know everything about me.

“I have been on one Frank Warren show before in Leicester and that was a wicked experience as well. Now I have this fantastic opportunity and it has come just at the right time, with it being the perfect platform to show what I can do.”

The British welterweight title – currently held by Chris Jenkins, who is set to defend against former champion Johnny Garton – represents a next logical ambition for the Botswana-born Essuman. The welterweight jigsaw is one he has been keeping close tabs on and wishes to figure prominently in, preferably with a fight against a famous fighting name.

“I’ve been watching them closely for a while now, back when Garton was fighting against (Gary) Corcoran and before that. The weight division is really busy and I love it because to reach the top of a division like this you really have to have earned it.

“It is not an easy weight to reach the top in, but I am all about it, giving out that free smoke and taking people on their word. It doesn’t matter where it goes down because the cream will always rise to the top.

“I’ve been told that I will be fighting Liam Taylor in a British eliminator, Jenkins will defend his title against Garton, with Connor Benn being the mandatory for them.

“After I do my bit and put myself up the next mandatory I will get to face my good friend Connor Benn, although we are not actually friends!

“I have sparred him a couple of times then I saw him when my friend Derrick Osaze won the Ultimate Boxer and we spoke about the British scene and whether we would meet. It was interesting. I’ll put it like this, I can’t wait to fight him and I will make sure I put myself in that position.”

——-

Watch Ekow Essuman’s first interview as a Queensberry fighter on The Lockdown Lowdown here