Wildly popular Nathan Heaney and Brad Pauls fought to a 12-round split draw in a middleweight fight at The Resorts World Arena in Birmingham, England.

It was a very competitive fight that had the crowd into the fight from the beginning. Scores were 116-113 for Heaney; 115-114 for Pauls and 114-114.

Heaney, 159 lbs of Stoke-On-Trent, ENG is 18-0-1. Pauls, 159 lbs of Essex, ENG is 18-1-1.

Liam Davies stopped Erick Robles in round two of their 12-round super bantamweight fight.

In round two, Davies dropped Robles with a hard right uppercut that was followed by a left hook Robles was badly hurt and are two punches and was dropped on his back, and the fight was over at 1:17.

Davies, 121 lbs of Donnington, ENG is 16-0 with eight knockouts. Robles, 121 lbs of Ensenada, MEX is 15-2.

Former Interim world heavyweight champion Joe Joyce beat up and beat down Kash Ali and scored knockout in the waning seconds of their 10-round bout.

In round 10, Joyce landed a big uppercut that put Ali down on his back. He got up just as the referee hit the count of 10 at 2:53.

Joyce, 286 lbs of London, England won by scores of and is now 16-2 with 15 knockouts. Ali, 238 lbs of Ritherham, ENG is 21-3.

Zach Parker won a 10-round unanimous decision over former world champion Tyron Zeuge in a light heavyweight battle.

In round two, Zeuge dropped Parker with a short right hand.

Parker recovered and won most of the remaining rounds and took the cards by scores of 98-91, 97-92 and 96-94 and is now 24-1. Zeuge of Berlin, GER is 27-2-1.

Dennis McCann scored a 12-round unanimous decision over Brand Strand in a battle of undefeated welterweigts.

In round two, McCann dropped Strand with a perfect left-right combination from the southpaw stance. Stand’s face started to redden and bleed throughout the fight.

McCann, 121 lbs of Kent, ENG won by scores of 118-111, 116-111 and 116-112 and is now 15-0-1. Strand, 121 lbs of Liverpool is 11-1.

Owen Copper stopped Ethan James in round nine of a 10-round welterweight bout.

It was a good fight with guys landing good shots. Cooper took control of the fight as he started to snap the head back of James back in the later rounds. The corner of James pulled their man from the fight before round 10.

Cooper or Worcester, ENG is 10-0 with four knockouts. James of Northampton, ENG is 12-1.

Zhilei Zhang scored a third round stoppage over Joe Joyce to retain his interim WBO Heavyweight Title at Wembley Arena in London, England.

Zhang dominated the action and at the end of round three, landed a booming right hook on the jaw that put Joyce on the canvas face-first. Joyce got to his feet, but the fight was waved off at 3:07.

Zhang of China is now 26-1-1 with 21 knockouts. Joyce of London is 15-2.

The fight was a rematch of a Zhang stoppage from April.

Former two-time world title challenger Anthony Yarde stopped very late replacement Jorge Silva in round two of their light heavyweight fight.

In round two, Yarde landed a right hand that dumped Silva in the corner and the fight was stopped at 2:07.

Yarde, 177.9 lbs of Essex, ENG is now 24-3 with 23 knockouts. Silva, 178 lbs of Portugal is 22-9.

Ezra Taylor scored a eighth and final round stoppage over Joel Mcintyre in a light heavyweight bout.

Taylor dominated the bout and then opened up a big flurry in the corner and got the last second stoppage at 2:59.

Taylor, 176 lbs of Nottingham, ENG is 7=0 with five knockouts. Mcintyre, 178 lbs of Portsmouth, ENG is 20-8.

Tommy Fletcher dropped Alberto Tapia five times en-route to a fourth-round stoppage in a scheduled six-round cruiserweight bout.

In round one, Fletcher dropped Tapia with a hard straight left to the body. At the end of the round, Fletcher landed an uppercut that put Tapia on his knee. In round two, Fletcher landed a left on the inside that put Tapia down once again. Later in the round Fletcher scored a fourth knockdown with a left to the body. In round three, Fletcher dumped Tapia yet again with a left to the body.

In round four, Fletcher landed a flurry that included a hard right hook to the head and a straight left that forced the corner to throw in the towel at 1:28.

Fletcher, 198.2 lbs of Norfolk, ENG is 6-0 with five knockouts. Tapia, 197.5 lbs of Spain is 3-5.

Sean Noakes remained undefeated with a six-round decision over Lukasz Barabasz in a junior middleweight bout.

Noakes won by a 59-55 score and is now 6-0. Barabasz is now 2-9.

The WBO interim Heavyweight World Championship 12 x 3 Minute Rounds
Zhilei Zhang 287.2lbs
Joe Joyce 281.2lbs

The WBC International Super-Lightweight Championship 10 x 3 Minute Rounds
Pierce O’Leary 139.3lbs
Kane Gardner 139.6lbs

10 x 3 Minute Rounds International Light-Heavyweight Contest
Anthony Yarde 177.9lbs
Jorge Silva 178lbs

10 x 3 Minute Rounds International Super-Middleweight Contest
Zach Parker 170.9lbs
Khalid Graidia 168lbs

6 x 3 Minute Rounds International Heavyweight Contest
Moses Itauma 237.9lbs
Amine Boucetta 296lbs

8 X 3 Minutes Rounds Light-Heavyweight Contest
Ezra Taylor 176lbs
Joel McIntrye 178.2lbs

6 X 3 Minute Rounds International Super-Featherweight Contest
Royston Barney-Smith 131.6
Engel Gomez 132lbs

6 X 3 Minute Rounds International Cruiserweight Contest
Aloys Jr 203.1lbs
Eric Nazarayan 203.7lbs

6 X 3 Minute Rounds International Cruiserweight Contest
Tommy Fletcher 199.2lbs
Alberto Tapia 197.5lbs

6 X 3 Minute Rounds International Welterweight Contest
Sean Noakes 151.7lbs
Lukasz Barabasz 154lbs

Top Rank Boxing on ESPN presented by AutoZone: Zhang vs. Joyce will be presented live this Saturday, September 23 at 5:00 p.m. ET/ 2:00 p.m. PT exclusively on ESPN+ in the U.S. from OVO Arena Wembley in London, England.

The main event features a heavyweight rematch between Chinese southpaw Zhilei “Big Bang” Zhang and British superstar Joe Joyce.

Zhang (25-1-1, 20 KOs) captured an Olympic silver medal for his home country at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He turned pro in 2014 and compiled a 24-0-1 record before losing a controversial decision to Filip Hrgovic last August. He meets Joyce again just five months after snatching his WBO interim world title. Joyce (15-1, 14 KOs) is a 2016 Olympic silver medalist who turned pro in October 2017 and won the Commonwealth title in his fourth outing. He hopes to exact revenge in his hometown this Saturday.

Calling the action will be Hall of Famer, Timothy Bradley, Jr. and Bernardo Osuna.?

Digital, On Demand and Exclusive to ESPN+

ESPN.com 

• Out Thursday: Joe Joyce’s Last Chance by Nick Parkinson

ESPN+: On Demand Shows, Archives & Premium Articles

• Top Rank: Real Time– All-access with top fighters throughout fight week as they work their way to fight night. 
• Who Do U Fight 4?– Learn what drivesthe next generation of Top Rank stars. 
• State of Boxing– Post-show coverage of the biggest fights on ESPN and ESPN+. 
• Best of Boxing Spotlight – An archive of the all-time best Top Rank fights. 

Follow @ESPNRingside: Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok

Zhang vs Joyce (All Times ET)

About ESPN

LONDON (Sept. 21, 2023) –Top Rank on ESPN+ returns to London this Saturday with a special two-fight broadcast from OVO Arena Wembley.

In the main event, Chinese contender Zhilei Zhang defends his WBO interim heavyweight title in a highly anticipated rematch against British knockout artist Joe Joyce.

The co-feature will see former two-time world title challenger Anthony Yarde taking on Portugal’s Jorge Silva in a 10-rounder.

Promoted by Queensberry, Zhang-Joyce II and Yarde-Silva  will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ beginning at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT.

Zhang (25-1-1, 20 KOs) captured an Olympic silver medal for his home country at the 2008 Beijing Olympics before turning pro in 2014. He compiled a 24-0-1 record before losing a controversial decision to Filip Hrgovic last August. Less than eight months later, he faced Joyce for the first time, peppering the Brit with lefts until the ringside physician stopped the fight in round six due to the swelling engulfing Joyce’s right eye. Joyce (15-1, 14 KOs), a 2016 Olympic silver medalist, hopes to exact revenge in his hometown. Before the first Zhang fight, “The Juggernaut” stopped top contenders Carlos Takam, Daniel Dubois, and Joseph Parker during a five-fight knockout streak.

Yarde (23-3, 22 KOs) is a London native who debuted as a pro in May 2015. He went 18-0 before almost knocking out Sergey Kovalev for the WBO title in August 2019. He bounced back with two TKO wins before suffering a split decision defeat to Lyndon Arthur in December 2020. Yarde then notched three more wins, including a fourth-round knockout over Arthur in their December 2021 rematch. Yarde is coming off a valiant but unsuccessful effort against light heavyweight king Artur Beterbiev in January. Silva (22-8, 12 KOs) is a 19-year pro coming off a decision win over Jack Jones in June.

(Aug. 3, 2023) — Five months after Chinese southpaw Zhilei “Big Bang” Zhang shook up the heavyweight division with a stunning knockout, he’ll look to do it again. Zhang’s rematch with British superstar Joe Joyce — Saturday, Sept. 23 at OVO Arena Wembley in London — will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.
 
Zhang-Joyce II, the return of two-time light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Yarde against Ricky Summers, and additional undercard action begins at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.
 
Zhang (25-1-1, 20 KOs), who at 6’6 and 275-plus pounds more than lives up to his nickname, captured an Olympic silver medal for his home country at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He turned pro in 2014 and compiled a 24-0-1 record before losing a controversial decision to Filip Hrgovic last August. Less than eight months later, he faced Joyce at London’s Copper Box Arena, peppering the Brit with lefts until the ringside physician stopped the fight in round six due to the swelling engulfing Joyce’s right eye. Zhang snatched Joyce’s WBO interim world title in the process.
 
Joyce (15-1, 14 KOs), a 2016 Olympic silver medalist, hopes to exact revenge in his hometown. Before the first Zhang fight, “The Juggernaut” was known as boxing’s immovable force, stopping top contenders Carlos Takam, Daniel Dubois, and Joseph Parker during a five-fight knockout streak. Joyce turned pro in October 2017 and won the Commonwealth title in his fourth outing.

 # # #

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the No. 1 sports streaming platform, serving fans in the U.S. with exclusive access to more than 27,000 live sports events each year, an unmatched library of on-demand replays and acclaimed original content, and premium written articles by the top reporters and analysts from ESPN.com. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).  
 

ANTHONY YARDE HITS the comeback trail towards his next world title challenge on 23 September with an all-British clash against Ricky Summers at the OVO Arena, Wembley on the big Zhilei Zhang-Joe Joyce rematch card, live on TNT Sports.

Tickets to see the heavyweight clash between Zhilei Zhang and Joe Joyce at the OVO Arena, Wembley on Saturday 23 September, are on sale now available from AXS.com and ticketmaster.co.uk.

Yarde, the self-styled Beast from the East, won the admiration of the boxing public back in January when he gave unified world light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev his toughest fight to date before being retired by his own corner in the eighth round in front of a packed and enthralled crowd at the same Wembley venue.

For Yarde (23-3, 22 KOs) it represented a second world title challenge after previously going up against the formidable Sergey Kovalev in the then champion’s home town back in 2019.

Summers (19-3-1, 6), from Staffordshire, was most recently in big fight action in March when he defeated Joel McIntyre to win the English light heavyweight title. It was his second tilt at the English belt, having dropped a split decision against the current British and European champion Dan Azeez in April 2021.

Also featuring on the Wembley card, headlined by The Big Bang seeking to once again knock The Juggernaut off course, is WBC International Silver and Commonwealth lightweight champion Sam Noakes (11-0, 11) defending his titles, along with WBC International super lightweight champion Pierce O’Leary (12-0,7) making a second defence of his belt.

Also in the light heavyweights, the undefeated and flamboyant Nottingham stylist Ezra Taylor (6-0, 4) takes a significant step up when he faces Portsmouth man Joel McIntyre (20-7, 5) over eight rounds.

Former two-time European Amateur champion Royston Barney-Smith will have fight No.7 on his professional journey over six rounds.

Powerhouse cruiserweights and social media enemies Tommy Fletcher (5-0, 4) and Aloys Jr (4-1, 4) will brew their growing rivalry by both fighting in six-round fights to complete the card.

“I am delighted to be getting Anthony Yarde back in business following his January exploits against Artur Beterbiev,” said promoter Frank Warren. “He wants to be and we want him to be in a major fight again before the end of the year so a tough domestic opponent like Ricky Summers is the perfect test in order to bring Anthony back to his best.

“While Ricky will be an obvious outsider, we all know he will give his absolute all and make it as uncomfortable as possible for the favourite.

“A huge heavyweight showdown like Zhilei Zhang v Joe Joyce deserves a compelling undercard and that is what the fans will be getting on 23 September, live on TNT Sports.

“In Sam Noakes and Pierce O’Leary you will see two of the most exciting young fighters in the country and we also have the charismatic future light heavyweight star Ezra Taylor in a tough one against the experienced Joel McIntyre.

“The elite young super featherweight Royston Barney-Smith is also back on parade alongside our two explosive cruiserweight hopes in Tommy Fletcher and Aloys Jr.”

Tickets to see the heavyweight clash between Zhilei Zhang and Joe Joyce at the OVO Arena, Wembley on Saturday 23 September, are on sale now available from AXS.com and ticketmaster.co.uk.

JOE JOYCE WAS the talk of the tower when he took centre stage at the HQ of Talksport on Thursday to launch the build-up for his high-stakes rematch with Zhilei Zhang at the OVO Arena, Wembley on 23 September, live on TNT Sports.

Tickets for Zhang vs Joyce II go on sale at midday today (Friday 30 June) from AXS.com.

The ‘Big Juggernaut’ will be attempting to take back the WBO Interim world heavyweight title he surrendered to ‘Big Bang Zhang’ back in March when a severe swelling to his right eye rendered him unable to continue in the view of referee Howard Foster.

Hence the return match being tagged ‘An eye for an eye’.

Joyce, 37, teamed up with his Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren at the colossal News Building on London Bridge Street in SE1, where the wheels for the Wembley heavyweight spectacular were set in motion.

“I’ve had time to rebuild, relax, let my hair down a little and reflect on what went down and what I need to do to get back on the horse and ride into the sunset!” said Joyce, who now holds a record of 15-1 (14 KOs) up against that of Zhang, 25-1-1 (20).

“It is back to the drawing board and little improvements on things, nitpicking on bits I need to get right for this next camp coming. I think, watching it back and seeing the shots thrown and landed and stuff, it was terrible for me to experience that, but it is all a learning curve.

“I have taken losses in the amateurs and came back and won a silver medal – if not, the gold – and I can do it again in the pros. I’ve got the experience and the drive.

“I don’t want to take the long route to get back for the title, all I’ve got to do is beat him and I am back in line for a mandatory shot.

“That is important to me and I want to be a world champion and I want to deliver on my dreams, goals and aspirations. That is why I am here.

“I want to be in big fights and this is a massive fight. You think fights are going to happen and they don’t, but this fight is definitely going to happen.”

Promoter Frank Warren revealed that Joyce gave no consideration to potentially forfeiting his rematch to enable Zhang to challenge WBC king Tyson Fury.

“When we first made the fight Joe was champion, with Zhilei at No.2, so Joe went straight to the guy who was his immediate challenger with no messing about,” added Warren.

“We did put a rematch clause in there and, after the fight, we weren’t sure if Joe was going to be ready because he obviously sustained quite a bad eye injury, the reason why the doctor stopped the fight. So we were talking about Zhang fighting Tyson, but Joe said no, he didn’t want anyone in the middle and wanted the rematch.

“That tells you all you need to know about Joe Joyce. Straight in there, nobody else is getting in-between, ‘I’m in, I want to win my title back’.

“That was his prerogative, he insisted on it and we delivered it for him.

“It is now up to Joe. He is a sensible guy and one of the best people I have worked with in boxing, a nice person with a great team. He knows what he’s got to do and I think he has got the capability to win his title back.

“If he does that he becomes mandatory for the WBO version of the title and whoever is holding that after the fight between Usyk and Daniel Dubois, which takes place in August.”

Tickets to see the heavyweight clash between Zhilei Zhang and Joe Joyce at the OVO Arena, Wembley on Saturday 23 September, go on general sale at midday today (Friday 30 June) from AXS.com.

From 18th July, TNT Sports will be the new name for BT Sport.

HEAVYWEIGHT GIANTS Zhilei Zhang and Joe Joyce are all set for a highly anticipated rematch at the OVO Arena, Wembley on Saturday 23 September, live on TNT Sports.

Tickets go on general sale at midday on Friday 30 June (tomorrow) from AXS.com.

Big Bang Zhang and Juggernaut Joyce first collided in mid-April at the Copper Box Arena, where it was Zhang who left the venue in possession of the WBO Interim Heavyweight World Championship strap.

Referee Howard Foster stopped the fight in the sixth round due to the heavy swelling around the right eye of defending champion Joyce.

The Chinese hero Zhang lived up to his stage name in Stratford, ending the unbeaten professional record of the fellow Olympic silver medallist.

New York-based Zhang, 25-1-1 (20 KOs), turned in a career-best performance in London to elevate himself into challenging the elite band of heavyweights, but first he must once again repel the powerful advances of Joyce, 15-1 (14 KOs), who will be determined to regain his lost property and place himself back at the top of the WBO rankings.

“I created history last time,” said Zhang. “And I believe the best way to inherit history is to create new ones. I look at the rematch as if it was a new fight; I look at Joe Joyce as if I never fought him before. I started from zero and this is the new self.”

“I’m coming back to take back what’s mine,” declared Joyce. “September 2nd I am leaving everything in that ring. No compromises. No underestimating my opponent. Nothing, but a win.

“Last time out I lost my undefeated professional record. It was hard to take. But after the dust settled, all that will do is make me better. I’ve learned lessons. I’m ready. And I am coming for everything.”

“This is a fight with high stakes written all over it,” stated promoter Frank Warren. “The first fight in April was the best heavyweight fight made this year and I am expecting more of the same at the OVO Arena on September 23.

“Joe will acknowledge that Zhilei did a number on him at the Copper Box and he has a lot to work on to put it right. But he knows what he has got to do, and his immediate future depends on him regaining his position as WBO Interim world champion.

“Thankfully, for Joe’s sake, the rotation system for mandatory challenges with the governing bodies means the WBO contender against the unified champion has yet to be called, so victory in September will put Joe right back in the frame to fight whoever emerges victorious out of the current champion Oleksandr Usyk and his next challenger, Daniel Dubois.

“This is why the stakes are so incredibly high for both fighters and I hope and expect that Wembley will be packed to the rafters for such a significant heavyweight match.”

Tickets to see the heavyweight clash between Zhilei Zhang and Joe Joyce at the OVO Arena, Wembley on Saturday 23 September, go on general sale at midday on Friday 30 June from AXS.com.

From 18th July, TNT Sports will be the new name for BT Sport.

Zhielei Zhang won the WBO Interim Heavyweight title with a sixth round stoppage over previously undefeated Joe Joyce at The Copper Box Arena in London.

Zhang landed some heavy blows in rounds one and two. In round two, Zhang landed a hard straight left that buckled Joyce and bloodied his nose. In round three, the right eye of Joyce began to shut. By round five, the eye was shut. In round five, Zhang began to bleed from the nose. Zhang continued to land hard shots that worsened to the point that made the referee at 1:34 of round six.

Zhang, 278 lbs of China is 25-1-1 with 20 knockouts. Joyce, 256 lbs of London is 14-1.

Zhang said, “Today belongs to me. It belongs to everyone who showed up. It belongs to every Chinese person who showed up today.

“I’m 39 years old. But I’m disciplined. I train hard. The next step is for me to fight for a world title.”

Joyce said, “I’m just disappointed with my performance. The [left] hand kept hitting me, and I couldn’t get out of the way. So, respect to Zhilei Zhang. It was a good fight, but I think I could have done better.

“I haven’t fought a southpaw for so long. Credit to him because he’s a good fighter. I gave it my all, and I think I can do better. It’s just disappointing. I expected to win like I normally do.”

Mikaela Mayer moved up in weight and took a 10-round unanimous decision over very last minute replacement Lucy Wildheart to win the WBC Interim Lightweight Title.

In the final round, Wildheart was bleeding from her nose.

Mayer landed 296 of 592 punches. Wildheart was 131 of 462.

Mayer, 134.5 lbs of Colorado Springs, CO won by scores of 100-90, 98-92 and 98-91 and is now 18-1. Wildheart, 134 lbs of Brentoowd, ENG took the fight 24 hours ago after Christina Linatradou had a medical issue. Wildheart is 10-2

Mayer said, “She stepped in at the last minute, so that was really gutsy of her. It’s definitely a big fight for her to just jump in at 24 hours’ notice. But she was tough and durable. I see why she had the confidence to do that, so props to her.
 
“I like to fight on the inside, so once I knew that she couldn’t outbox me, I decided to take it to her a little bit and try to break her down to the body.
 
“I do believe that Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano are supposed to go for their rematch, so assuming that still happens, I will challenge the winner of that. So, it’s definitely really exciting for me. This is where I belong. I belong in big fights. I belong in world title fights. I’m in my prime. I feel great, and I want the toughest challenges possible, and right now at 135, that’s Katie Taylor.”

Moses Itauma went the distance for the first time in his life won a six-round decision over Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko .

The score was60-5 for Itauma, 247 lbs of Chatham, ENG is 3-0. Dovbyschenko of Ukraine is 9-13-1.

Heavy-handed Sam Noakes remained completely perfect by stopping Karthik Shartish Kumar 12-round lightweight bout.

In round one, Noakes dropped Kumar with a flush right to the head, Noakes continued with hard shots, and another right made Kumar’s glove touch the canvas, and the fight was stopped at 1:17.

Noakes, 134 1/2 lbs of Kent, ENG is 11-0 with 11 knockouts. Kumar, 134 1/2 lbs of India is 10-1.

LONDON (April 14, 2023) ­– Former unified junior lightweight world champion 

Mikaela Mayer has a new opponent for her lightweight debut. Mayer will battle Swedish contender 

Lucy Wildheart in a 10-rounder for the WBC interim world title tomorrow at London’s Copper Box Arena after her original opponent, Christina Linardatou, was forced to withdraw after not meeting British Boxing Board of Control requirements. Mayer-Wildheart will be the co-feature to the heavyweight main event between WBO interim champion 

Joe Joyce and 

Zhilei “Big Bang” Zhang. 

Promoted by Queensberry Promotions, Joyce-Zhang, Mayer-Wildheart and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ beginning at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT.
 Wildheart (10-1, 4 KOs), a 30-year-old boxer-puncher, enters this late-notice assignment riding a five-bout winning streak since a 10-round decision defeat to French standout Estelle Mossely. In 2021, she knocked out former Mayer foe Edina Kiss in the third round. Wildheart went 2-0 in 2022, winning a pair of six-round decisions on British soil.

# # #

 
About ESPN+ 
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 24.9 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). 

 •  Joe Joyce 256 lbs. vs. Zhilei Zhang 278 lbs
(Joyce’s WBO Interim Heavyweight Title — 12 Rounds)

   •   Mikaela Mayer 134.5 lbs vs. Lucy WIldheart 134.4 lbs
(Vacant WBC Interim Lightweight Title — 10 Rounds)

* Wildheart stepped in after Mayer’s original opponent, Christina Linardatou, was forced to withdraw after not meeting British Boxing Board of Control requirements

•  Moses Itauma 247 lbs vs. Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko241 lbs
 (Heavyweight — 6 Rounds)

•    Sam Noakes 134.5 lbs vs. Karthik Sathish Kumar 134 lbs
 (Lightweight— 12 Rounds)

# # #

About ESPN+ 
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 24.9 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). 

Top Rank presented by AutoZone: Joyce vs. Zhang and Mayer vs. Linardatou will be live this Saturday, April 15 at 3 p.m. ET / 12 noon PT exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+. The event takes place at Copper Box Arena, London, U.K.

The main event features a WBO interim heavyweight title clash between knockout artist Joe Joyce (15-0, 14 KOs) and Chinese contender Zhilei Zhang (24-1-1, 19 KOs).

British-born Joyce, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist, is unbeaten and has held various titles at the regional level. In his last fight, he captured the interim WBO title with an 11^th-round knockout over former title challenger Joseph Parker.

Zhang, a 2008 Olympic silver medalist, turned pro in 2014 and knocked out Curtis Tate in the first 17 seconds of round one. He maintained a winning streak until a draw in 2021 against Jerry Forrest. He went on to win two more fights before his first and only defeat in 2022 against undefeated Olympic bronze medalist Filip Hrgovi?.

In the highly anticipated co-feature, Mikaela Mayer (17-1, 5 KOs) makes her lightweight debut against former two-time junior welterweight champion Christina Linardatou in a 10-rounder for the WBC interim lightweight championship.

Mayer, a 2016 U.S. Olympian, signed with Top Rank in 2017 and captured the WBO junior lightweight championship with a unanimous decision victory against Ewa Brodnicka in October 2020. The following year, the Los Angeles native unified the WBO and IBF titles in an action-packed fight against Maiva Hamadouche. In her last fight, Mayer suffered the first defeat of her career, a razor-thin split decision setback to Alycia Baumgardner at London’s O2 Arena. 

Linardatou began her pro career with a first-round technical knockout over Claribel Ferreras. She remained undefeated until unsuccessfully challenging Delfine Persoon for the WBC lightweight world title in 2016. She bounced back with four more wins and captured the vacant WBO junior welterweight championship before losing her 140-pound belt to Katie Taylor in 2019. In 2020, Linardatou regained that title with a unanimous decision over Prisca Vicot. Last July after a 29-month layoff, she returned to boxing with a six-round decision over Aleksandra Vujovic.

Calling the action will be Hall of Famer Timothy Bradley, Jr with Mark Kriegel and Bernardo Osuna as reporters.

ESPN.com

How Mikaela Mayer is rebuilding her career by taking bigger challenges

Ahead of Mikaela Mayer’s return, Michael Rothstein talks to the former champion about what happened after her loss to Alycia Baumgardner and how she plans to get back to the top.

Out Thursday:

Meet Christina Linardatou ahead of her fight against Mikaela Mayer

Michael Rothstein talks with Christina Linardatou about her pregnancy, her return, and he also speaks to the WBO to find why she was stripped of her title.

Out Friday:

Meet Joe Joyce, the heavyweight interim champ that could be in line for a title shot if he wins on Saturday

Joe Joyce is on the brink of landing a world heavyweight title shot and his story is one you will hear more about over the next two years.

ESPN+, ESPN App Boxing Content: Live and Upcoming, On Demand, Studio Shows, Archives

• Top Rank: Real TimeGo all-access with top fighters throughout fight week as they work their way to fight night
• Boxing
• Top Rank
• State of Boxing

• Max on BoxingMax Kellerman hosts a 30-minute series weighing in on key boxing news and providing insights on the sport’s top fighters and upcoming events
• Who Do U Fight 4?Get to know the next generation of Top Rank stars and learn what drives them

Follow @ESPNRingside: Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok

All Times ET

About ESPN? 
ESPN, the world’s leading sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, ESPN Radio, ESPN.com, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more.?ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.?? 

About ESPN+  

ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 24.9 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at?ESPN.com,?ESPNplus.com?or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).?   

LONDON (April 12, 2023) – Top Rank on ESPN+ returns to London this Saturday with an action-packed doubleheader at the Copper Box Arena.

In the main event, undefeated British knockout artist Joe Joyce defends his WBO interim heavyweight title against Chinese contender Zhilei Zhang.

The co-feature will see former unified junior lightweight champion Mikaela Mayer making her lightweight debut against former two-time junior welterweight world champion Christina “Medusa” Linardatou in a 10-rounder for the WBC interim lightweight championship.

Promoted by Queensberry Promotions, Joyce-Zhang, Mayer-Linardatou and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ beginning at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT.

Queensberry Promotions hosted a media workout TODAY in London. CLICK HERE for courtesy photos.

Joyce (15-0, 14 KOs) captured a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and debuted as a pro following year. The 37-year-old has notched wins over former world champs Bermane Stiverne and Joseph Parker and against title challengers Carlos Takam and Bryant Jennings. In his last fight, Joyce stopped Parker in the 11^th round to capture the interim WBO title. The undefeated knockout artist is on the path towards a potential showdown with heavyweight king Tyson Fury, but he’ll need to defend his strap against a fellow silver medalist.

Zhang (24-1-1, 19 KOs), a 2008 Chinese Olympian, started his career in the paid ranks in 2014. He went 22-0 and captured various regional titles before fighting to a draw against Jerry Forrest in 2021. The 39-year-old then scored stoppage wins over Craig Lewis and Scott Alexander before suffering his first pro loss against undefeated Olympic bronze medalist Filip Hrgovic. In terms of height and reach, Zhang and Joyce are identical as both are 6’6” tall with 80-inch reaches.

Mayer (17-1, 5 KOs), a 2016 U.S. Olympian, signed with Top Rank in 2017 and captured the WBO junior lightweight championship with a unanimous decision victory against Ewa Brodnicka in October 2020. The following year, the Los Angeles native unified the WBO and IBF titles against Maiva Hamadouche. In her last fight, Mayer suffered the first defeat of her career, a razor-thin split decision setback to Alycia Baumgardner at London’s O2 Arena. Mayer wants to reverse her lone defeat, but she’ll first step up to lightweight to face Linardatou, the only woman to defeat Baumgardner in the paid ranks.

In 2016, Linardatou (14-2, 6 KOs) unsuccessfully challenged Delfine Persoon for the WBC lightweight world title. She then bounced back with four straight wins, including a victory over Baumgardner and a win against Kandi Wyatt to capture the vacant WBO junior welterweight championship. Linardatou lost the belt to Katie Taylor in 2019 but regained it with a unanimous decision over Prisca Vicot in February 2020. Linardatou returned from a 29-month layoff last July with a six-round points victory against Aleksandra Vujovic.

In other ESPN+ streaming action from London: 

• Undefeated heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma (2-0, 2 KOs) makes his third 2023 appearance in a scheduled six-rounder against Ukraine’s Kostiantyn Dovbyshchenko (9-12-1, 6 KOs). Itauma made his professional debut in January with a scintillating first-round knockout against Marcel Bode, a performance he replicated against Ramon Ibarra in March.
   
• In a battle of undefeated lightweights, England’s Sam Noakes (10-0, 10 KOs) will put his regional titles on the line in a 12-round fight against Indian standout Karthik Sathish Kumar (10-0, 4 KOs). Noakes is coming off a fourth-round TKO over then-unbeaten Calvin McCord last November, while Kumar notched a second-round TKO win over Meechaiya Kaiwiset in March. 

# # #
About ESPN+ 
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 24.9 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices).

JOE JOYCE HAS welcomed the development of former GB teammate Anthony Joshua mentioning his name as a potential future opponent, once his return fight against Jermaine Franklin has been settled on Saturday night.

Joyce, of course, also has big business of his own to negotiate in the shape of Chinese giant Zhilei ‘Big Bang’ Zhang at the Copper Box Arena on April 15.

Then we could be in for a battle of the Olympic titans.

MEDIA ACCREDITATION: Fill out this form to apply to cover Joyce vs Zhang.

“Joe Joyce interests me the most,” said Joshua during his media activities ahead of his return to the ring this weekend.

“I like the Joe Joyce fight, it’s one that interests the people and Joe Joyce is from the same country as me, so it makes sense.”

Fighting the Big Juggernaut would also offer Joshua a route back towards world title contention, with Joyce holding the WBO Interim world championship, which puts him firmly in line for a direct shot at the full champion.

“It’s good that Joshua’s finally mentioning my name now,” commented Joyce to the Sun.

“I thought he might have thrown his phone in the Hudson river after he lost in New York and stopped replying to my messages.

“I have a proper fight in two weeks against someone that he didn’t want that smoke with and backed away from – a fellow 6ft 6in Olympic silver winner. He’s fighting someone without that pedigree, who again looks about a foot shorter than him.

“ I saw AJ and Eddie (Hearn) promise that the winner of Franklin and Whyte last November was going to get this AJ fight and they’ve gone with the geezer who lost!

“But if we both come through I would love that fight in the summer. Two of the best in the UK going at it. The winner fights Tyson Fury! But I’m just not sure he really wants it. It’s an easy fight to make – my management and his management know each other well; and I would imagine Frank and Eddie and BT/DAZN would combine on it no problem. British boxing needs these kind of fights – no more messing around.

“So I’m up for it, no problem, but I expect them to find an excuse. And will probably back out when it actually comes time to sign the contract. I don’t think that AJ wants a tough opponent like me next.

“He may talk about tough fights against me and Fury, but he’ll probably want to fight someone he’s already beaten like Dillian Whyte. I think he feels the need to rebuild his confidence before he gets Juggernauted.”

Tickets for the Copper Box clash between heavyweight giants Joe Joyce and Zhilei Zhang on Saturday, 15 April are available from ticketmaster.co.uk

ZHILEI ZHANG PROMISES that Joe Joyce will feel the Far East force when the pair collide at the Copper Box Arena on April 15, live on BT Sport.

Big Juggernaut and Big Bang will trade bombs with Joyce’s WBO Interim world heavyweight title at stake, with the pair fighting for the right to challenge for the full world championship, currently held by unified champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Joyce is renowned for walking through heavy fire without flinching, as evidenced throughout his career and last year in fights against Christian Hammer and Joseph Parker.

Zhang, who fought a final eliminator for the IBF belt against Filip Hrgovic last year and rocked the fancied Croatian, warns that being prepared to take punishment would be a risky strategy against himself.

“Joe Joyce has good punch resistance but he has never felt Chinese power,” is the chilling warning coming from the 39-year-old who hails from Zhoukou in China.

Promoted by Queensberry Promotions, Joyce-Zhang will be broadcast live in the U.K. on BT Sport and streamed live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+.

Also featuring at the Copper Box will be the return of Denzel Bentley with a defence of his British middleweight title against Scottish challenger Kieran Smith. Peacock Gym puncher Bentley is back fighting in London after his unsuccessful WBO world title tilt against Janibek Alimkhanuly in November.

Former unified super-featherweight belt-holder Mikaela Mayer, fighting in the U.K. for the second time in a row, will make her lightweight debut against former two-time super-lightweight world champion Christina ‘Medusa’ Linardatou.

Commonwealth super bantamweight champion Dennis McCann will make a first defence of the title he won via defeating Joe Ham last time out, with his Queensberry iBox Gym teammate Sam Noakes defending his WBC International Silver and Commonwealth lightweight titles.

McCann made it a title treble at The O2 in November, with the 22-year-old Menace having won the WBC International Silver featherweight championship and the WBO Youth super bantamweight title in his previous two fights, beating James Beech Jr and Charles Tondo respectively.

Former amateur star Eithan James, winner of five national titles, is on the card in an eight round super lightweight contest. While another super lightweight Sonny Liston Ali will fight in a six-rounder with Dagenham super welterweight Joel Kodua fighting over four.

Tickets for the showdown between Joe Joyce and Zhilei Zhang on Saturday, 15 April at the Copper Box Arena, London are on sale now from: ticketmaster.co.uk

Images are free to use, please credit Queensberry

LONDON (Feb. 21, 2023) –Mikaela Mayer is coming back to the U.K. for the second time in a row.

The former unified junior lightweight champion will make her lightweight debut against former two-time junior welterweight world champion Christina “Medusa” Linardatou on Saturday, April 15, at Copper Box Arena in London.

Mayer-Linardatou will serve as the co-feature to the WBO interim heavyweight title clash between undefeated British knockout artist Joe Joyce and Chinese contender Zhilei Zhang.

Promoted by Queensberry Promotions, Joyce-Zhang, Mayer-Linardatou and undercard bouts will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+. 

“Mikaela Mayer made such a big hit in the UK that it only made sense to for her to fight across the pond again,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Mikaela is still one of the very best fighters in the world, and she demanded a tough fight for her lightweight debut. Linardatou has proven herself at the world-class level and should give Mikaela a run for her money.” 

Mayer (17-1, 5 KOs), a 2016 U.S. Olympian, signed with Top Rank in 2017 and captured the WBO junior lightweight championship with a unanimous decision victory against Ewa Brodnicka in October 2020. The following year, the Los Angeles native unified the WBO and IBF titles in an action-packed slugfest against Maiva Hamadouche. In her last fight, Mayer suffered the first defeat of her career, a razor-thin split decision setback to Alycia Baumgardner at London’s O2 Arena. Mayer wants to reverse her lone defeat, but she’ll first step up to lightweight to face Linardatou, the only woman to defeat Baumgardner in the paid ranks.

Mayer said, “The second I returned to the U.S. after my last fight in London, I called my team and told them to get me a fight ASAP. I didn’t want to wait, and I didn’t want to fight anyone other than a top contender! I’m hungry and motivated to prove that I’m still the best. When Top Rank sealed the deal with the tough and experienced Christina Linardatou, I was excited and inspired. She’s an aggressive, come-forward fighter, which is going to force me use all my tools. I always love the energy and support I get when visiting the UK, and I’m excited to come back and give everyone a great fight.”

Linardatou (14-2, 6 KOs) was born in the Dominican Republic but moved to Greece as a young child, where she developed her love for boxing. When she was 26, she returned to her native country to begin her pro career with a first-round technical knockout over Claribel Ferreras. The 34-year-old remained undefeated until unsuccessfully challenging Delfine Persoon for the WBC lightweight world title in 2016. Linardatou bounced back with four more wins, including a victory over Baumgardner and a win against Kandi Wyatt to capture the vacant WBO junior welterweight championship. Linardatou lost her 140-pound belt to Katie Taylor in 2019 but regained that title with a unanimous decision over Prisca Vicot in February 2020. Linardatou returned from a 29-month layoff last July, winning a six-round decision over Aleksandra Vujovic.

Linardatou said, “I’m excited to be fighting Mikaela. She is coming off a loss to Alycia Baumgardner, whom I easily beat some years ago. I know she will be looking to make a statement in this fight. This is my first big fight after having a baby, which means my mission is different. Prior to having a baby, I would fight for titles and money. Now, I am fighting for legacy and to show my son how great his mom is.”

# # #
About ESPN+ 
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 24.9 million subscribers. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). 

TICKETS FOR THE Copper Box clash between heavyweight giants Joe Joyce and Zhilei Zhang on Saturday April 15 are on sale today available from ticketmaster.co.uk

The WBO Interim world heavyweight title – held by the unbeaten Briton – will be on the line when the pair collide, live on BT Sport, with the winner in line to take on the holder of the full title, which is currently Oleksandr Usyk.

“You can expect a lot of big bangs from myself and Zhilei!” predicted the Big Juggernaut. “It is going to be a great, great fight, you haven’t seen me against a tall southpaw yet and someone who can really hit and test my chin.

“You will see if I can knock him down and see how our styles gel. It will be explosive and I don’t think it is going the distance. I know what to do with southpaws, so it should be good.”

Also featuring at the Copper Box will be the return of Denzel Bentley with a defence of his British middleweight title against Scottish challenger Kieran Smith. Peacock Gym puncher Bentley is back fighting in London after his unsuccessful WBO world title tilt against Janibek Alimkhanuly in November.

Commonwealth super bantamweight champion Dennis McCann will make a first defence of the title he won via defeating Joe Ham last time out, with his Queensberry iBox Gym teammate Sam Noakes defending his WBC International Silver and Commonwealth lightweight titles.

Super lightweight Sonny Liston Ali will fight in a six-rounder with Dagenham super welterweight Joel Kodua fighting over four.

Further exciting additions to the card will be announced shortly.

Tickets for the showdown between Joyce and Zhang on 15 April at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday, 15 April are on sale now available from ticketmaster.co.uk.

MEDIA ACCREDITATION: Fill out this form to apply to cover Joyce vs Zhang.

Images are free to use, please credit Queensberry

JOE JOYCE WILL defend his WBO Interim World Heavyweight title against the Chinese giant Zhilei Zhang at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday, 15 April, live on BT Sport.

It will be a first defence of the belt for the ‘Big Juggernaut’ Joyce, 15-0 (14 KOs), who put himself first in line for a shot at the full WBO title with a thrilling victory over Joseph Parker in September of last year in Manchester.

Tickets for the showdown between Joyce and Zhang on Saturday, 15 April at the Copper Box Arena go on sale at 11am on Wednesday, 15 February from ticketmaster.co.uk. Fans are encouraged to sign-up for Ticket Alerts to receive the ticket link directly to their inbox ahead of tickets going on sale.

With the current unified champion Oleksandr Usyk expected to fight for the status of undisputed against WBC ruler Tyson Fury this year, the 37-year-old Joyce will bolster his own heavyweight credentials by taking on the 6ft 6″ southpaw who resides in Bloomfield, New Jersey.

‘Big Bang’ Zhang, 24-1-1 (19 KOs) last saw action over in Jeddah in August when he fought in an IBF final eliminator against the Croatian Filip Hrgovic. The 39-year-old was declared the loser via the judges’ scorecards, but many commentators believed him to have won after dominating the early stages of the fight.

The Chinese fighter now gets the opportunity to put himself in the world title frame once again on what will be a first professional visit to the capital for the southpaw.

“It is a great fight,” reacted Joyce to his first defence being set. “He had a tough fight against Hrgovic but I thought he won the fight. Zhang is a big, strong southpaw who is massive, and he has been to the Olympics and all that. So, he has the experience and I think it will be a great fight.

“He bangs so I will have to watch out for it. As Hrgovic and I have a similar style, they had a great fight, so when we fight it should be entertaining.

“It will be carnage in the centre of the ring! I have lost my temper a few times in sparring and once was against a come-forward southpaw who was trying to knock me out. It was an exciting spar.

“I think with me and Zhang there will be real heavy punches exchanged and I am sure it will be a good fight. It will be a good preparation for Usyk or Fury, plus I haven’t fought a southpaw since I won the Commonwealth title against Lenroy Thomas.”

WATCH Dev Sahni’s EXCLUSIVE interview with Joe Joyce discussing The Juggernaut’s next opponent.

“It’s a new chapter in my career,” Zhilei Zhang added on the crunch heavyweight clash at the Copper Box. “I am always up for the challenge and when the opportunity rings the bell. Joe Joyce and I share a lot in common – we both are Olympic silver medalists, both are big punchers, and are nearly the same size. This is going to be an explosive, epic and tremendous fight.

“I want to thank my team and Joyce’s team for putting this together. I want all my fans in UK to show up and enjoy the event. Can’t wait to get in the ring on April 15th.”

“This is another cracker of a card that should be in keeping with the special night we all just enjoyed at Wembley,” said promoter Frank Warren. “We want to keep Big Joe busy while the heavyweight title scene unfolds but there can be no easy touches in a defence of his WBO Interim title. Zhilei Zhang is anything but an easy touch, he is a formidable powerhouse who can consider himself unlucky not to be still an unbeaten contender following his fight with Filip Hrgovic last year.

“Zhang being a southpaw ticks a significant box for Joe, with Usyk being a left-hander and Tyson carrying the ability to adopt either stance. That is what we want next for Joe and hopefully it will be a huge all-British collision against Tyson.”

“This is a great fight for boxing and a great opportunity for Zhilei,” said Terry Lane, Zhang’s manager. “Once again, he takes on a challenge that many are running from. There will be fireworks in London on 15 April.”

The undercard will be announced in due course with a host of Queensberry’s established and rising stars to be added to the bill.

Tickets for the showdown between Joyce and Zhang on 15 April at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday, 15 April go on sale at 11am on Wednesday, 15 February from ticketmaster.co.uk. Fans are encouraged to sign-up for Ticket Alerts to receive the ticket link directly to their inbox ahead of tickets going on sale.

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

THE TALKING IS now over and Joe Joyce and Joseph Parker are fast closing in on a huge heavyweight collision for the WBO Interim world championship at the AO Arena, Manchester on Saturday night, live on BT Sport Box Office.

This afternoon, the leading two heavyweights with the WBO and their respective teams, faced the media at the towering Hilton Hotel and below is a selection of key quotes from the event.

Photos from today’s press conference can be downloaded here.

George Warren (CEO, Queensberry)
“I think we are all just happy to get this fight on. Credit to both guys, it is a fight Steve Bunce summed up pretty accurately in the Independent when he said it is not a fight that either guy really needed, but here we are and testament to both guys for stepping up and doing it. WBO No.1 and WBO No.2, the Interim title is on the line and, while some people might not like that word, it is an important one particular at the moment in the heavyweight division. We all know Usyk, with the unified titles, is angling for a possible undisputed fight early next year with Tyson Fury, but the belt on Saturday night is going to pay a lot into 2023 in the heavyweight division.

“We are here because Joe Joyce wanted this fight, that is the reason. We have worked very hard to get here and both sides will probably admit it was not the easiest deal to get done. We thought we had it done, then we didn’t and then we thankfully managed to resolve some issues. It is going to be a cracking night, it is a stacked card and I am really happy to be working with so many different promoters, including Boxxer, and I appreciate their support, particularly Ben and Sky for making this happen and allowing us to make it on BT Box Office. That type of good spirited nature is required in this sport at times and we see it across the whole card. We’ve got Lou DiBella working with us in regards to the Cacace-Magnesi fight, plus the great Amanda Serrano looking to unify again working with MVP, Jake Paul and Nikisa. Plus our friends at Top Rank for taking this on ESPN+, so this really is a culmination of a lot of different promotional companies coming together, making fights happen and delivering for fight fans.”

Joe Joyce
“You have been in the sport a long time – a seasoned vet. He is seeing a psychologist so maybe there is some weakness in his mental capabilities that he needs to work on, I would imagine. I don’t believe there will be an easy night against me and he will find out with real time punches to his head, body and all over. He sees me as a lump and this big lump will be coming at him on Saturday night.

“I’ve had a really great camp with my team and Salas over there has been sending me little clips of what I need to work on in the fight. We are well prepared and have done all the biomechanics and polishing up of all my skills. It was really great to have that last fight against Hammer to show that I can take three or four right hands coming forward. I am in the better place and will improve on all the things I need to in this fight. I feel I am in the best place and what a great opponent in Joseph Parker. I just want to get the gloves on and fight him after this little talking session.”

Joseph Parker
“I don’t really care what he thinks or what his opinion is on my power or how I fight. He’ll get a taste of it on Saturday night. I’ve done the work and I back everything that Andy says. We’ve been in the gym every day grinding away with Tyson joining our runs and training, cheering us on with positive vibes. Everything has been ticked off in this camp so there are no excuses and no doubts. I will go in there and win, and win well. Joe Joyce has one style, I don’t see any adjustments or any change. I t just depends on how I show up.

“I see a lump when I look at him, a big man, a man who is confident and ready. And is going to be stopped in his tracks. I truly believe that and I am very confident going into this fight. Hype train.”

Ben Shalom (Boxxer)
“Outside maybe the top four guys, this is the biggest fight in the division with what’s on the line. Mentioning Joe Joyce wanted this fight, when we signed Joe Parker, despite him signing with us he said ‘Ben, if there is a way, make this fight happen’. We managed to work with George and get the terms that Joseph wanted and George was great with that. This is the fight Joseph Parker wanted, make no mistake about that. And so to be able to get it on for him, he feels this is coming at the right time in his career, he has had a few fights with Andy Lee, and he feels like he is coming into the peak of his career. He is 30 years old, a former world champion and seven years younger than Joe Joyce. He feels fresh, he feels ready, he’s got the experience and we felt this is the perfect fight. Thankfully, with Queensberry and BT as well, the fight is on and the fans are happy. I think the card is very, very good as well and I can’t wait for Saturday night.”

Ismael Salas (Joyce trainer)
“I’ve been following Mr Joe Parker and his team during training camp for this fight and he has been doing great conditioning, working hard. One thing I would like to say to his team, you can run, but remember you can’t hide. We have been working with so many good sparring partners and the Hammer fight broke the ice after a layoff without a fight. We will see on Saturday night, man down, man down!”

Andy Lee (Parker trainer)
“Any fight can be made an easy fight depending on what style you use and what tactics you use. Joseph Parker has been well drilled throughout this camp and knows what he has to do to make this an easy fight. I’m not going to say how he should do it, but he knows and I know. I mean no disrespect to Joe Joyce, we all know his credentials in the sport and what he has done so far. He hasn’t fought anyone like Joseph Parker yet. It will be a hard fight and at this level it is a minimum requirement, to work hard. Joseph Parker has all the skill, the speed and the talent, plus the determination to win this fight easily – if he does it well.”

Adam Moralee (Joyce manager)
“We have tremendous respect for Joseph Parker, a former world champion who has got the heart of a warrior and he is elite. A world champion and Joe wants to get there. I think that Joe Joyce can get there and will get there on Saturday night. Joseph’s team have publicly been saying things that show very little respect for Joe Joyce. I heard someone on their side say he has got zero boxing ability. I look at this man who is about to go 15-0. Show me a man who has got his resume at 14-0. He has not fought anyone with a losing record, he has fought former world champions, beaten Daniel Dubois, who people said would flatten him in two or three rounds. He consistently defies expectations and consistently defies the disrespect that he gets constantly. I think on Saturday you are going to see the real level of Joe Joyce and what he does when he faces off against a fighter at the very top of the division. No doubt when Joe wins people will still criticise things, but this guy is going up and up and only going one way. For me, Usyk, Fury and Joyce are the top three in the division.”

David Higgins (Parker manager)
“We’re feeling good and it is a privilege to be back in Manchester for the fourth time. Joe has had three wins in Manchester so far and has been welcomed by Tyson Fury and the wonderful people around him who are almost like family. So it is not like fighting on enemy territory, it is like a home fight and we love it here. Stuff flies around on social media, but to say we don’t respect Joyce is silly. We’ve massive respect for him and there is a reason most top heavyweights have avoided Joe Joyce. He is a formidable opponent, but our Joseph Parker has never shied away from risk and has stepped as quick as possible into the biggest fights and occasions with an eye for a world title. Outside of the title holders, in Joyce and Parker you’ve got the two heavyweights at the very top. It is an international blockbuster event on worldwide TV.”

(Aug. 24, 2022) — Joe Joyce and Joseph Parker, the WBO’s top-rated heavyweight contenders, will collide Saturday, Sept. 24, from the AO Arena in Manchester, England.

The unbeaten Joyce (14-0, 13 KOs) – a 2016 Olympic silver medallist — holds the WBO International and WBC Silver heavyweight titles and is a former British, Commonwealth and European champion.

Parker (30-2, 21 KOs) previously held the WBO world title, winning the vacant belt against Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2016 and making successful defenses against Razvan Cojanu and Hughie Fury before losing on points in a unification fight against Anthony Joshua.

Joyce-Parker headlines a loaded UK fight night that will stream live and exclusively in the U.S. on ESPN+ at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT. Joyce vs Parker is promoted by Frank Warren for Queensberry Promotions in association with BOXXER.

The ESPN+ stream also features the return of seven-weight world champion Amanda Serrano (42-2-1, 30 KOs), who will attempt to unify her WBO and WBC featherweight world titles against unbeaten IBF champion Sarah Mahfoud (11-0, 3 KOs). The fight will be promoted by Frank Warren for Queensberry Promotions in association with Most Valuable Promotions.

Serrano returns to the featherweight ranks after her valiant stand against undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor in April, which she lost by disputed split decision. Serrano has won world titles in every weight class from 115 to 140 pounds and is among the most decorated fighters in women’s boxing history.

‘Nowhere to Run’, Joyce vs. Parker, will be broadcast live in the UK on BT Sport Box Office.

About ESPN+
ESPN+ is the industry-leading sports streaming service that offers fans in the U.S. thousands of live sports events, original programming not available on ESPN’s linear TV or digital networks and exclusive editorial content from dozens of ESPN writers and reporters. Launched in April 2018, ESPN+ has grown to more than 22.8 million subscribers. 

Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $6.99 a month (or $69.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It is also available as part of the Disney Bundle that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu for $13.99/month (Hulu w/ads) or $19.99/month (Hulu w/o ads). Subscribers to Hulu + Live TV also receive ESPN+ at no additional cost. 

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.

UNIFIED FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD champion and women’s boxing superstar Amanda Serrano will bid to add another world championship belt to her collection when she takes on the IBF champion Sarah Mahfoud at the AO Arena, Manchester on 24 September. The fight will be promoted by Frank Warren for Queensberry Promotions in association with Most Valuable Promotions.

The unification bout is part of a blockbuster night of boxing topped by the huge heavyweight collision between Joe Joyce and Joseph Parker being shown exclusively live on BT Sport Box Office. Joyce vs Parker is promoted by Frank Warren for Queensberry Promotions in association with BOXXER.

Seven-weight world champion Serrano (42-2-1, 30 KOs) is the reigning WBO, WBC and IBO world champion at 126lbs and has her sights set on becoming undisputed champion at the weight. Having won titles in every division between 115 and 140 pounds, Serrano, a Puerto Rican southpaw from Brooklyn, holds the Guinness World Record for most women’s boxing world championships (7) won in different weight classes.

Her narrow split-decision loss to Taylor in a lightweight championship bout at Madison Square Garden was the first women’s fight in history to headline at MSG. Drawing a raucous, sold-out crowd of 19,187, Serrano nearly finished Taylor off with a barrage of punches in the fifth round, before ultimately dropping a split decision.

Mahfoud (11-0, 3 KOs) 32, from Denmark defended her IBF title back in April by defeating Nina Meinkeover 10 rounds in Copenhagen, having previously won the Interim title with victory over Brenda Karen Carabajal in February 2020 and was elevated to full world champion status in July of the same year.

Recognition of Serrano’s talents and accomplishments has been turbo-charged in recent times by her friendship and promotional association with Jake Paul and the pair fought on the same show in August 2021 in Cleveland where she defeated Yamileth Mercado in a fight broadcast on Showtime PPV. The Cleveland card also featured Queensberry fighters Daniel Dubois and Paul’s rival Tommy Fury.

“I am so excited over the prospect of fighting in the UK,” said Amanda Serrano. “It has been on my to-do list for a long time, with the amazing fans who really get behind the sport, as well as the huge growth in women’s boxing.

“To be fighting in the biggest arena on a big heavyweight night will make it an amazing occasion to win a fourth world championship belt at featherweight.”

“I would like to thank Frank Warren and Queensberry, along with Jake Paul and MVP, for making this possible for me and I promise the UK fans will not be disappointed.”

“This is an amazing opportunity for me to fight for four world title belts against one of the biggest stars in the sport of boxing,” added Sarah Mahfoud. “It will be an experience like no other to win three more belts in England and then take them all home to Denmark.

“It will be my first fight outside of Denmark and I cannot think of a better place to fully introduce myself and my talent to the wider world than beating Amanda Serrano in Manchester.

“I would like to send my appreciation to everybody involved for making this happen.”

Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren said on Serrano-Mahfoud landing in Manchester: “I am delighted to welcome a modern boxing icon in Amanda Serrano onto our huge September 24card with four world title belts on the line. The stakes are obviously very high, which fits in nicely with the main event between Joe Joyce and Joseph Parker fighting for the right to take on the winner out of Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua.

“I am looking forward to seeing Amanda fight in person once again after being present for her fight in Cleveland and what she has achieved in boxing is quite remarkable. She is bidding to become a four-belt world champion at featherweight against an unbeaten champion in Sarah Mahfoud, which makes it a superb attraction to add to our BT Sport Box Office event at the AO Arena in Manchester.

“We look forward to working with Jake Paul and Most Valuable Promotions again as Jake has cultivated an incredible following and is drawing them into the sport of boxing. When I was over in Cleveland with Daniel and Tommy you couldn’t fail to be impressed by the enthusiasm and fervour of the audience, who were in their seats and gripped from the start of the show right through to the main event.”

Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, from Most Valuable Promotions, added: “We cannot wait to have Amanda Serrano fight in front of the UK boxing fans on September 24 in Manchester live on BT Sport Box Office. It will be an incredible experience for both Amanda and the fans at the AO Arena.”

“To see her win a fourth world championship belt at featherweight against an unbeaten opponent in Sarah Mahfoud will be very special and to do it on the same card as a huge heavyweight showdown will only add to the occasion and it will be a magnificent showcase for Amanda. Thank you to Frank and George Warren for placing Amanda on the BT Sport Box Office platform in the UK.”

Southpaw Serrano, 33, won her first world title back in 2011 at super featherweight with a second-round stoppage of Kimberly Connor. The Puerto Rican, based in New York, has since competed in 15 further world championship fights sanctioned by the major governing bodies, winning 13.

Her last title challenge, up at lightweight, came at Madison Square Garden in April when she took on Katie Taylor in a fight which, in some quarters, was described as ‘Fight of the Century’. A classic encounter was declared in Taylor’s favour via a split decision on the judge’s scorecards.

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.