Latest news with #LewisEdmondson
The Guardian
18-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Daniel Lapin, Ukraine's next big boxing hope, on Usyk bonds after Russia ‘broke' early career
Daniel Lapin pulls up a video on his phone and, having chatted away for 40 minutes, lets the images do the talking. Or, more accurately, the sounds. It is a scene he captured in the early hours of a Kyiv morning during the spring and what stands out above everything is the awful, incessant, gathering buzz of the Russian-controlled drones that plague Ukraine's capital almost every night. Sleep is rendered impossible for residents during those attacks, partly due to the sheer noise and in huge degree to the fear that you, or your loved ones, will be struck next. 'After a night like that you don't want to train,' he says. 'It can go on five nights in a row. You don't want anything, you're just walking around like a zombie.' On Saturday, though, Lapin will be fully alert to the task at hand. The light-heavyweight is Ukraine's next boxing hope, his promise and pedigree immense, and his fight against Lewis Edmondson will be a highlight of the undercard before Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois contest their undisputed world heavyweight title bout at Wembley. Lapin has seen Russia's aggression stall his career on two distinct occasions but is closer than ever to carving out a legend of his own. His bond with Usyk is tight. Although born in Poland he grew up in Simferopol, the Crimean city that was also home to Usyk. The superstar has honed a keen appreciation of the younger man's talent; Lapin is a trusted member of his camp and a regular training partner. 'Everything works like a Swiss clock,' Lapin says of the disciplined, intensely motivated regime implemented on the east coast of Spain. No phones are allowed, let alone any social media; news of the horrors that continue to unfold back home barely trickles through until camp members return to the outside world. It says plenty for Lapin's mentality that he has progressed this far. In 2014 he was 16 and thriving at amateur level, hoping to compete at the Youth Olympic Games and European Championships, when Russia annexed Crimea and a potentially critical period in his young career was effectively written off. 'It had been a very developed boxing scene, hard, a lot of competitors,' he says. 'But then Russia destroyed sport in Crimea. 'It became completely cut off from the rest of the world. I was there for three years under occupation and did almost nothing: I only wanted to box for Ukraine. The occupation broke my amateur career. It felt very bad, like a kind of depression.' Many of his friends became stuck, or went down undesirable routes. Would it not have been easy for Lapin's life to slide into disrepair, or worse? 'I had a dream to become a world champion and I have a mental goal to make it,' he says. 'I understood that, if I got into anything else, I wouldn't be anyone.' He was eventually able to leave for Kyiv and begin working with Usyk, who his father had previously coached. Lapin's brother is also Usyk's team director. The conditions were in place for quick development and, eventually, a winning professional debut in August 2020. He had grown to a towering 6ft 6in, his shape returning after those years out of competition, but the uncertainties of plotting a path to the top remained. 'I lived alone, had very little money, had to organise my own life around training sessions,' he says. 'Then when you go to the camp, there's a strict training regime but you return to your empty flat and have to cook for yourself. You're looking on YouTube for recipes. I'd cook a huge portion of buckwheat to last a week, but would end up burning it.' Nonetheless Lapin's professional life continued to blossom. By the time Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he had won five of five professional fights, overcoming Poland's Pawel Martyniuk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the Usyk-Joshua undercard five months previously. The rematch was in his sights when everything became unmoored again. 'I'd just recovered from Covid and was waiting to start shaping up again,' he says. 'That morning I got up, there were bangs, the building near us was cracked at the top. In the next four months I lost 11 kilos and it was hard to start training again. Russia disrupted my career twice.' Once again he bounced back, gathering himself to link up with the camp again and overcome Slovakia's Josef Jurko in Jeddah that August. Lapin views anticipation, 'seeing the punches', as his biggest strength but plenty of other attributes have amassed since he followed the family example and took up boxing, hesitantly at first, during childhood. He has won all 11 of his professional fights, four by knockout. A world title shot cannot be far off. Usyk is a constant source of encouragement and advice – 'He who is afraid dies' is Lapin's favourite – but he knows that, despite the network around him, the final push comes from within. 'Working with an undisputed world champion doesn't mean you'll become one too,' he says. 'It doesn't work that way. In the end it depends only on the fighter himself.' Lapin's time has been split between Kyiv, the Usyk camp and London in the buildup to Saturday. On the phone screen he shows more harrowing videos, this time taken by friends in the past week, of drones wailing to a crescendo before exploding close to residential buildings. Wembley will host an occasion that has significance far beyond the sport he loves but he knows at first hand that symbolism will only do a fraction of the job for Ukraine. 'Every activity that highlights Ukraine in the international area is massively important, of course,' he says. 'But we are waiting for actions, not only for highlighting.' For Lapin and the rest of the Usyk camp, action is what comes naturally.
The Sun
16-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Daniel Lapin vs Lewis Edmondson: Start time, TV channel, tickets, live stream, full card for Intercontinental title bout
SOUTHAMPTON superstar Lewis Edmondson and Ukrainian giant Daniel Lupin face off in an epic Intercontinental bout with TWO titles up for grabs! And this incredible spectacle has landed on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois 2. 4 The Saint currently snatched the Commonwealth light-heavyweight title off Dan Azeez after beating his British compatriot on points in a 12-round October 2024 affair. Edmondson then successfully defended his crown with a win over Nigerian challenger Oluwatosin Kejawa in March, and it also extended his impeccable undefeated streak to 11 wins in 11 fights. However, Edmondson is set to face his toughest test to date as the Brit boxer goes up against Lapin, who is also yet to lose a professional fight. Furthermore, Lapin, the Polish-born Ukrainian, will be optimistic after capturing the IBF International title with a unanimous decision win over Dylan Colin last December. Lapin is also a good friend and training partner of Usyk, so he'll be hoping to make his fellow Ukrainian proud. When is Lapin vs Edmondson? Daniel Lapin vs Lewis Edmondson will take place on Saturday, July 19. This fight is expected to be the third-billed match on the card and coverage of the main card starts at 5:30pm BST / 12:30pm ET. Ring-walk times are dependent on the undercard matches before. Wembley Stadium is the allocated arena for this huge fight and it can host approximately 90,000 roaring fans. 4 What TV channel is Lapin vs Edmondson on and can it be live streamed? Daniel Lapin vs Lewis Edmondson will be available to watch on DAZN. There are three options for a DAZN subscription, Annual - either paying a one-off fee or monthly - and a monthly option. An annual pass can be purchased for £119.99 in the United Kingdom. That's just £2.30 per week or 65p per fight (based on 185 fight nights per year). A monthly flexible pass is priced at £24.99 per month, which can be cancelled at any time. A subscription allows you to watch every live event and all on-demand programming on DAZN A DAZN subscription costs: Annual Super Saver: £119.99 annually Monthly Saver (12-month deal): £14.99 per month Monthly Flexible pass (cancel any time): £24.99 per month Lapin vs Edmondson FULL card 4 How can I get tickets for Lapin vs Edmondson? Tickets for Daniel Lapin vs Lewis Edmondson remain very limited, with over 83,000 already being sold due to it being on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk vs Daniel Dubois. However, if you want to be at the clash, there is still time! Tickets remain limited for the undercard fight on both StubHub. There is also the option to purchase premium hospitality seats via Seat Unique. *Please note that StubHub and similar secondary ticket resale sites may list tickets above face value.* What has been said? British star Lewis Edmondson has stated that everyone will see the "see the best" of him in his thrilling Daniel Lupin bout. Speaking to BBC Sports, The Saint said: "It's going to be a great night on a historic card," 29-year-old Edmondson told BBC Sport. "I'm proud to be part of it. "As a little boy when I first walked into an amateur boxing gym I used to dream about nights like this.
BBC News
09-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'I used to dream about nights like this'
Boxer Lewis Edmondson says that people can expect to "see the best" of him when he fights Ukrainian Daniel Lapin later this month. The unbeaten British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion will box at Wembley Stadium on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk v Daniel Dubois on 19 July. "It's going to be a great night on a historic card," 29-year-old Edmondson told BBC Sport. "I'm proud to be part of it."As a little boy when I first walked into an amateur boxing gym I used to dream about nights like this."This is as big as it gets really, I think people are going to see the best of me, I can't wait for it."His opponent Lapin is also unbeaten and part of Usyk's promotional company and has been involved in the heavyweight champion's training camp. In his last two outings, the 6ft 6ins southpaw has fought on big cards in Saudi Arabia and impressed with knockout and unanimous decision wins. Edmondson, who is 5ins shorter, is coming into the fight off the back of his first victory since picking up the British and Commonwealth light heavyweight titles. In late 2024 he beat Londoner Dan Azeez to claim the vacant belts and in March defended his Commonwealth title against the previously unbeaten Oluwatosin May, the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBOC) set a deadline of October for Edmondson to defend his titles against domestic rival Ezra Taylor. But after negotiations for that fight broke down, the Southampton man - who still hopes the Taylor fight can happen later this year - then jumped at the opportunity to appear on what will surely be one of the biggest cards of the year. "Lapin is an avoided fighter," he said. "A lot of people turn this opportunity down but not me, these kind of fights are what I'm in boxing for, a big night at Wembley Stadium with three belts on the line."To go from being in hospital with septicaemia, on death's door thinking I'd never box again, to fighting at Wembley Stadium it is crazy."Sometimes you don't get the chance to look back enough and I think it is important to appreciate the journey."Earlier on in his career Edmondson had some serious health scares, most notably septicaemia, external, another term used to describe blood poisoning. It is a potentially life-threatening infection caused by large amounts of bacteria entering the says that an ingrown hair had to be operated on a number of times, which meant he was unable to box and was in and out of hospital for 18 months and even "close to not being here today." Biggest stage yet for Southampton man After picking up his titles in London against Azeez, 'The Saint' - as Edmondson is known - decided to sign a deal with Frank Warren's Queensberry promotions. He is now being promoted alongside fellow Southampton boxers Ryan Garner and Royston Barney-Smith, with the trio all dreaming of one day fighting at their hometown St Mary's Stadium - the home of Southampton FC. But for now now just days out from the big event, Edmondson's mind is focused on the task at hand in the capital against Lapin. This will be the largest arena Edmondson has fought in through his whole career, and he is hoping to make it a night to remember."There's going to be hundreds and thousands watching, it'll be insane," Edmondson said."I think I've shown 10 percent of what I've got so far, I'm looking forward to showcasing my skills and showing what I can do."I'm going to be putting Southampton on the map, it'll be a historic night for the city because there is a massive win incoming for me."
BBC News
11-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Okolie & Edmondson added to Usyk-Dubois undercard
Britons Lawrence Okolie and Lewis Edmondson have been added to the undercard of Daniel Dubois' undisputed world heavyweight title fight with Oleksandr Usyk on 19 July at Wembley 32, fights seasoned heavyweight contender Kevin Lerena while 29-year-old Edmondson faces Daniel Lapin at contests will be over 12 rounds and are the first undercard bouts to be added to the Usyk-Dubois 2 continues his run at heavyweight having moved up to the weight last December after being a world champion at Londoner must move quickly if he is prove himself a world title contender, with the heavyweight division stacked with impressive talent waiting for their shot at Africa's Lerena, 33, has 31 wins and three losses in his career while Okolie has a 21-1 aims to become the first British heavyweight to hold all four major world titles in the four-belt era, while Usyk aims to become undisputed heavyweight champion for the second the Commonwealth and British light-heavyweight champion, faces Lapin with both undefeated in 11 fights. The Ukrainian often trains with Usyk. Usyk v Dubois 2 undercard Daniel Dubois v Oleksandr Usyk 2 - WBO, WBA (Super), WBC & IBF heavyweight world titlesLawrence Okolie v Kevin Lerena - WBC silver heavyweight titleDaniel Lapin v Lewis Edmondson - IBF inter-continental light-heavyweight title
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Rivals set to clash as Lewis Edmondson ordered to defend Commonwealth title against Ezra Taylor
Lewis Edmondson, 11-0 (3), and Ezra Taylor, 12-0 (8), will swap trading barbs for exchanging blows, with BBBofC ordering the two light heavyweights to meet for the British and Commonwealth titles. Southampton-based Edmondson currently holds both titles, with Taylor named his mandatory challenger after the latter's victory over Troy Jones on the undercard of Cacace-Wood last weekend. In the build-up to Taylor's bout with Jones, Edmondson attended a press conference to exchange words with his light heavyweight rival. Watch over 150 boxing events a year live on DAZN - subscribe now 29-year-old Edmondson earned both belts with a majority decision win over Dan Azeez in October 2024, despite being deducted a point in the eighth round for punching on the break. It will be Edmondson's second defence of his Commonwealth title, having beaten Oluwatosin Kejawa of Nigeria in March, with Taylor watching on from ringside. However, Edmondson is yet to defend his British title, which will also be on the line against Taylor. A statement from the BBBofC outlined the next steps for both fighters, reading: 'The Stewards decided to put out the above mandatory defence contest to Purse bids to be submitted in accordance with the Terms and Conditions to the Board's Head Office by 12:00pm on Wednesday, 11th June 2025, the contest to take place by the end of October 2025.' The BBBofC also confirmed that Edmondson's fellow Southampton fighter, super featherweight Ryan Garner, will be competing for the British title when he faces belt holder Reece Bellotti in Bournemouth, on Saturday, July 26. A statement from the board read: 'The Stewards decided to approve a request from Promoter Frank Warren for the above voluntary defence contest, which will take place on Saturday, 26th July 2025 in Bournemouth.' Alongside Garner, both Edmondson and Taylor are signed to Frank Warren's Queensbury Promotions.
