LIVERPOOL, OCTOBER 17 – New IBO world featherweight champion Jazza Dickens has issued a withering put down to Leigh Wood, telling him: “You’re conning the public”.

Dickens won the vacant IBO strap at Probellum Liverpool II on Saturday night, out-pointing South Africa’s Lerato Dlamini after 12 hard rounds.

The popular Liverpool fighter, 31, now wants to unify his IBO title with Wood’s WBA regular belt in a major all-British world title showdown.

Dickens, who has beaten Wood as both an amateur and professional, doubts the Nottingham man is mentally strong enough to accept a third fight between the pair but has urged his rival to “put up or shut up” having not fought since March.

“Three months ago, I went back to Ireland to start training for Leigh Wood, but we didn’t hear back, and I found out through social media that he was fighting someone else,” Dickens revealed to Probellum.com.

“He doesn’t want to fight me! I know he doesn’t want to fight me, and I knew he didn’t want to fight me in 2020 but he had to because it was a tournament. In terms of mentality, I knew I had him then and I’ve still got him now.

“He’s supposedly taking these big fights, but he’s not, he’s conning the public, he’s saying that he’s going to fight Lara, and then pulling out, he’s saying he is going to fight Santa Cruz, and then pulling out.

“Put up or shut up. Stop telling people you’re doing this and doing that because you’re not. He won the world title, so give him his props. I was proud of him that night, he did really well, but he’s blagging it right now. If he wants to come here, to Liverpool, and try and blag it, he won’t get away with it.”

Dickens had twice before failed in world title attempts but on an emotional night, in front of his home fans, he got the better of the dangerous Dlamini, to win via a unanimous decision with the ringside judges.

And no sooner was the IBO belt fitted around his waist, then Jazza set his sights on Wood.

“We’ve got history, we’ve fought twice before and that seems to be the common-sense fight to make,” he said.

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LIVERPOOL, OCTOBER 14 – Peter McGrail says victory over Alexander Espinoza will be the launchpad towards title fights and “big things” next year.

McGrail shared a final stare down with Nicaraguan puncher Espinoza at Friday’s weigh-in ahead of his headline fight at Probellum Liverpool II. 

The future world champion has only had four fights as a professional, but the Liverpudlian’s stellar amateur career means he is ready to be moved quickly towards title class. 

And McGrail, who tipped the scales at 124.2lbs at the Eventim Olympia, knows a win over the experienced Espinoza will catapult him towards fights with domestic rivals Jason Cunningham, Liam Davies and Gamal Yafai – fighters the Everton fan is already confident of beating. 

“At this moment in time, I’m nowhere near close to the rankings as I’ve only had four fights, but I believe over the next two or three fights, I’m going to be pushing into that top 10 domestically,” McGrail said.  

“But there’s no-one even in the top four that I wouldn’t back myself against. I believe the experience I’ve had in the amateurs and boxing for Great Britain over the years, none of them in the top 10 in Great Britain would worry me. 

“Cunningham has been European champion and Davies has the British, one million per cent, I believe I’d beat them.  

“But I’m not one to call people out. I leave all of that down to my management team, Probellum and my coach Paul Stevenson. All I can do is make sure I am at my best in fights and I’m pretty sure that over the next few years we’re going to be showing that I’m number one. 

“This feels like the start of big things for me. Next year will be the looking to start collecting some belts, it’s been a long time coming.” 

Probellum Liverpool II, which also features the IBO world featherweight title fight between Jazza Dickens and Lerato Dlamini, streams live and for free at Probellum.com from 6pm. 

MAIN EVENT?? 

10 Rounds Super Bantamweight Contest 

Peter McGrail (4-0) 124.2lbs 

Alexander Espinoza (21-4-2) 121.4lbs? 

VACANT IBO WORLD FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE 

Jazza Dickens (31-4) 125.12lbs 

Lerato Dlamini (18-1)?125.2lbs? 

?
6 Rounds Lightweight Contest?? 

?Steven Cairns (3-0) 136.8lbs 

Angelo Turco (8-26-2) 133.4lbs 

6 Rounds Super Bantamweight Contest 

Joe McGrail (5-0) 124.1lbs 

Alexander Taylor (20-36-2) 124.1lbs 

6 Rounds Bantamweight Contest  

Blane Hyland (6-1) 119.6lbs 

Mikey Young (2-5-1) 117.1lbs 

6 Rounds Bantamweight Contest 

Will Cawley (2-0) 124.1lbs 

Angel Gabriel Chavez (3-3-1) 120.4lbs 

4 Rounds Featherweight Contest  

John Edwardson (3-0) 131.8lbs 

Simas Volosinas (7-103) 132lbs 

Doors open at 5pm 

Key fighter imagery from the press conference and event artwork can be found HERE 
(Please credit Probellum if used) 

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Paul Butler won the WBO Interim Bantamweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Jonas Sultan in Liverpool, England.

But was originally supposed to take on John Riel Casimero, but Casimero was ruled out of the fight due to Casimero’s use of a sauna.

Butler won by scores of 116-112, 118-110 and 117-111.

Butler, 117.8 lbs of Liverpool, ENG won by scores of and is now a two-time world champion with a record of 34-2. Sultan, 117.6 lbs of Philippines is 18-6.

The new champion said: “It’s unbelievable, what a feeling!

“I have waited a long time to be a two-time world champion.

“It’s been a long journey and we only had 48 hours to come up with a gameplan for Sultan but that’s what I can do.  I nullified the bull tonight.”

McGrail Stops Lopez in 4

Peter McGrail remained undefeated with a fourth round stoppage over Uriel Lopez in a scheduled eight-round featherweight bout.

In round four, McGrail dropped Lopez and the bout was stopped.

McGrail, 124.4 lbs of Liverpool, ENG is 4-0 with two knockouts. Lopez, 124 lbs of Mexico is 15-18-1.

McGrail, now 4-0, said: “I am going to keep getting better and better.

“And hopefully, in the future, there will be some big nights coming to Liverpool.  We’re the next stock coming through, and we will be bringing world titles back to this city.”

Meneses Shocks Maxwell in Scoring 9th Round stoppage

Alejandro Meneses scored a stunning ninth round stoppage over previously undefeated Sam Maxwell in round nine of their 10-round super lightweight bout.

In round four, Meneses dropped Maxwell with a big right.

After battering Maxwell for the better parts of rounds seven and eight, Meneses dropped Maxwell with a hard right in round nine. Meneses continued his assault until the bout was stopped at 2:39.

Meneses, 134.2 lbs of Mexico is 16-5 with nine knockouts. Maxwell, 136.8 lbs of Liverpool, ENG is 16-1.

Dickens Stops Gago in 5

James Dickens stopped Andoni Gago in round five of their 10-round featherweight bout.

In round three, Dickens scored a knockdown with a solid left. In round five, it was a left uppercut that sent Gago down and the fight was stopped at 2:52.

Dickens is now 31-4 with 12 knockouts. Gago, 125.2 lbs of Spain is 25-5-4.

“The next step for me is a big world title eliminator, if not a world title.

“I need a world title next.  It can be Leigh Wood or Josh Warrington, but I would prefer Leigh Wood, who I have beaten before.

“It is hard to see another man with your world title.”

Fielding Stops Laine in Three

Former world titlist Rocky Fielding stopped Timo Laine in round three of their eight-round light heavyweight bout.

Fielding landed a hard combination that forced a referee stoppage at 1:34.

Fielding is now 30-2 with 18 knockouts. Laine is 30-18.

“I had never retired; I was just sitting back with the pandemic and was concentrating on my family and kids.

“But it’s good to be back fighting and the break has done me the world of good, I’ve been boxing since the age of nine without any break.”

Frankie Stringer made a successful pro debut with a four-round decision over Simas Volosinas in a lightweight fight.

Stringer of England won by a 40-36 card and is 1-0. Volosinas of Lithuania is 7-103.

(September 22, 2020) — Two MTK Global Golden Contract champions will be crowned Wednesday, Sept. 30 at Production Park Studios in Yorkshire, England. The 10-round super lightweight and featherweight championship matches will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+ beginning at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. 
 
Here’s what’s in store when the championship combatants fight behind closed doors.
 
Ryan Walsh (26-2-2, 12 KOs) vs. James “Jazza” Dickens (29-3, 11 KOs)
Featherweight
Walsh has run roughshod through the featherweight bracket, toppling Hairon Socarras by ninth-round stoppage and knocking down Tyrone McCullagh twice en route to a decision victory. A former British champion, Walsh has not tasted defeat since October 2016. Dickens has won seven in a row since back-to-back losses and won a majority decision over Leigh Wood in their semifinal bout.
 
Ohara Davies (21-2, 16 KOs) vs. Tyrone McKenna (21-1-1, 16 KOs)
Super Lightweight
Davies entered the tournament coming off a controversial decision over former world champion Miguel Vazquez, but the former English champion has appeared revitalized. He knocked out Logan Yoon in seven rounds in his quarterfinal match and stopped Jeff Ofori in six rounds to advance to the championship. McKenna, from Belfast, bested French contender Mohamed Mimoune in the semifinals via decision.
 
In other action on ESPN+:

• In a Golden Contract light heavyweight semifinal match scheduled for 10 rounds, all-action British favorite Liam Conroy (18-5-1, 9 KOs) will face 2016 German Olympian Serge Michel (10-1, 7 KOs). Conroy and Michel shared a bill last December, and each man won their respective quarterfinal bout by unanimous decision. 

• Middleweight prospect and former amateur star Ben Fail will make his professional debut in a six-rounder against Robbie Chapman (6-4).
   
• In a six-round cruiserweight tilt, former WBO European light heavyweight champion Steven Ward (12-1, 4 KOs) moves up in weight to fight Jone Volau (5-5, 2 KOs).

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service from Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) segment and ESPN. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to 8.5 million subscribers, offering fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks, as well as premium editorial content.