Latest news with #professionalboxing
BBC News
01-08-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Murphy wants to 'repay the faith' against Pearson
Belfast's Colm Murphy says he wants to repay the faith shown in him when he takes on Luke Pearson for the vacant European silver featherweight title at Girdwood Community Hub on 25-year-old has won all of his 14 professional contests, with five of those inside the distance, but takes a step up against Surrey's Pearson who is also yet to suffer a blemish on his record after 10 fights which have all gone to the scorecards.A mandatory slot for the full European title is the prize and, therefore, it is a huge opportunity to make a significant is already within touching distance of British and Commonwealth honours, but can take another major step forward in his career this weekend and give something back to those who have followed him from the beginning of his journey."I never wanted to let them down and show how far in the sport I can go," he told BBC Sport NI."Some people have never missed a fight. That's a lot of money that they've spent throughout their life and now look where I've got to with that."Some of those people, they were the ones who would have said when I was younger 'Murphy's going to make it if he keeps doing what he's doing'. They believed in me when I didn't believe in myself, so it's good to pay back that support with me making the best effort throughout the years." 'People thought I would quit' Methodist College in Belfast is renowned for producing top-class stars in a range of sports, most notably rugby, but professional boxers have not been as was first drawn to the sweet science through the Rocky films and this prompted him to lace up the some questioned that choice, national honours as an amateur and a professional have proven his ambitions were far from a pipedream."I didn't have a sport, or a sense of achievement or belonging," he explained."People in my class said, 'you'll give it up' and 'who do you think you are to do boxing?'."I stuck it out and kept up when people said I would quit."Murphy, whose most recent win occurred on the BBC Nations Fight Night against Kasimu Hamad Haji in January, does not fit the typical stereotype attributed to a degree in Quantity Surveying and a Masters in Construction Law, many would question why he continues in a tough trade like professional pathways will be there when he feels it's time to move on from the sport but there is still plenty to achieve for Saturday, he predicts his best will beat whatever Pearson can bring to the table and the past experiences of appearing on big fight cards will serve him well on his biggest night to date."It's a huge step up, but taking it in my stride," he said."I've done everything I could ask of myself, not even for this fight, but the last three or four. All the hard work I've put in over the last year and a half has given me a bit of a confidence boost."I've got a test on my hands against someone who's coming in fully anticipating to have that Rocky moment but I've prepared for the best version of Luke Pearson. I honestly believe the best version of me beats him easily."
The Independent
21-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Johnny Fisher splits from coach Mark Tibbs after knockout loss to Dave Allen
Johnny Fisher has announced 'with a heavy heart' that he is parting ways with coach Mark Tibbs, as the heavyweight aims to bounce back from his first professional loss. In May, Fisher was knocked out by Dave Allen in the fifth round of their rematch, five months after beating the British veteran via a controversial decision. After an unconvincing performance in their first fight and a one-sided loss in their second meeting, Fisher has decided to seek a new trainer – a decision, he says, that Tibbs agrees with. 'It is with a heavy heart that after almost five years of being on this professional journey together, me and Mark have decided to part ways,' Fisher wrote on Instagram Monday (21 July). ' Boxing is the toughest sport in the world, and to continue I feel I need a fresh start to get the best out of myself. 'Me and Mark have made some special memories and reached some milestones in my career that many thought we never would achieve. 'More importantly than all of this though is the friendship we have gained, and to know that I have Mark and Jimmy in my life and to be able to call them both friends is an honour. Thank you for everything.' Fisher, 26, was referring to Tibbs's father Jimmy, who is also a respected coach in boxing. Prior to losing to Allen at London's Copper Box arena, Fisher went 13-0 with 11 knockout wins. In the same venue, in July 2024, he stopped Alen Babic in 36 seconds. But in December, on the undercard of Tyson Fury's rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, Fisher was floored by Allen in the fifth round of a back-and-forth contest, before ultimately emerging as a split-decision winner over his former sparring partner. And in their rematch, Allen again dropped the 'Romford Bull' in the fifth round – two times on this occasion. As Fisher tried to recover from the second knockdown, his corner threw in the towel.
The Guardian
21-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
The essence of Usyk: motivation and discipline key to Dubois destruction
Just before midnight on Saturday, in the depths of Wembley Stadium, Oleksandr Usyk stroked his moustache as he listened to a question arising from his magisterial destruction of Daniel Dubois. The 38-year-old Ukrainian had once again become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world after a performance filled with light, panache and a kind of battering precision that had normally sober ringside observers reaching for words such as 'genius' and 'magician'. In the wake of such savage alchemy, someone asked Usyk a question that made his face light up again. After all he had done, and with almost desperate speculation as to who might be able to challenge him now, how did Usyk find the motivation to keep fighting? 'Oh, listen, bro,' he said, as he made a distinction crucial to any clear understanding of his extraordinary achievements in and out of the ring, 'I don't have motivation. I have discipline. Motivation? It's temporary. Today, for example, you have motivation. But tomorrow you wake up early and you don't have motivation.' He flashed his familiar gap‑toothed grin. 'When I wake up early for training I never have motivation. I have only discipline. Motivation is needed only for amateur sportsmen – not for professional boxers. Amateur boxers might only work three times in a week. They say: 'Oh, but today I don't have motivation for training.' Uh-uh. No, bro. Motivation is good but discipline is better.' Those seven little words reveal the essence of Usyk. His brilliance is rooted in iron discipline. In a similar way he is not always motivated to speak about death and grief in Ukraine as the bombs fall and the body count rises. Usyk once told me that he wished I had interviewed him long before the war with Russia. 'I'm a really funny guy,' he said. 'I love to laugh and to dance. But it's not possible when we need to talk about what Russia is trying to do to Ukraine. We need to be focused and disciplined in telling the world the truth.' Usyk did not really want to come out and talk after the intensity of his display against Dubois. His manager, Egis Klimas, urged us to keep the post-fight conversation short and to avoid repetitive questions. Usyk wanted to be with his wife after being separated from her and their four children for 14 long weeks. But the champion, as always, brought discipline and decency to his press conference. He listened closely, kept saying 'good question' and, even in his halting English, produced a depth of thought that does not always illuminate such encounters. 'Boxers only have three punches. It's the jab, the hook and the uppercut,' he said as he demonstrated each one to us. 'But combinations take a long time [to master].' He explained how the shimmering combination that dropped Dubois in round five meant his stricken rival was open for the final shuddering overhand left that ended the fight. It came from the lessons they had learned during his previous victory against Dubois in August 2023: 'We learn from the first fight and we had a long time – two years. We prepare combinations.' Usyk imitated the last clubbing blow that had left Dubois sprawled across the canvas. 'It's a punch we named Ivan. The left hook is like this …' He offered up a textbook punch before reverting to the roundhouse smash which closed the show. 'That is Ivan!' he exclaimed. 'It's a Ukrainian name. Ivan is like a big guy who lives in the village and works on a farm. A really big guy!' Usyk puffed himself up to look like a hulking Ukrainian farmer. 'What is your name?' he asked himself. Using a low growl, Usyk replied in the voice of the imagined farmer: 'My name is Ivan.' The boxer grinned helplessly. 'Yeah, it's a hard, hard punch.' Usyk was pressed on who he may fight next. 'Now I want to rest. I cannot say who my next opponent will be. I prepare for three and a half months. I don't see my family, my wife. Every day I live with my team, with 14 guys, in one house [he laughed again in mock despair]. Every day only the same faces. Now I want to go back home.' Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion Joseph Parker: This is the most logical next bout for Usyk as Parker, apart from being the WBO's mandatory challenger, is in a rich vein of form. He deserves another world title shot and, while he would be a heavy underdog, his brilliant trainer Andy Lee is the one man in boxing who might just have the intelligence to ask a few fresh questions of Usyk. Derek Chisora: It is a curious anomaly that a relatively crude brawler like Chisora, who should have retired years ago, has been the only heavyweight to make Usyk look uncomfortable. When they met in 2020 it was only Usky's second fight as a heavyweight and he found Chisora's maundering pressure initially hard to handle. Two of the three judges had Usyk winning by an extremely tight 115-113 margin. But we should shudder to think what Usyk might do to the battered veteran in a rematch. Tyson Fury: There is little doubt that Fury is the most skilful and toughest opponent Usyk has faced. Their first fight, in May 2024, was a classic and the rematch seven months later was another gruelling battle. Usyk won both and Fury, claiming to have been robbed, retreated into retirement. But, inevitably, The Gypsy King is already talking of a comeback and, on Saturday, he said: 'Oleksandr Usyk knows there is only one man who can beat him. I did it twice before. I am the man and, no matter what anyone wants to say, I won those fights.' Jake Paul, the former YouTuber, had climbed into the ring an hour earlier and come face-to-face with Usyk. The master cackled again at the surreal certainty that he would pick apart a boxing novice as easily as a small boy might separate a butterfly from its wings. 'I'm ready for Jake Paul,' he joked, 'but I need to rest.' Usyk discussed his faith and the transient nature of life, then paid tribute to Britain, which he described as his 'second home' as he has won so many of his greatest fights in this country – from Olympic gold to becoming the undisputed world heavyweight champion for a second time at Wembley. 'I'm very grateful for this country,' he said, with characteristic charm. 'Thank you so much.' Discipline shone out of Usyk as he raised his arms and then lowered his head in a respectful bow before, as if in a puff of magic, he disappeared into the dark and rainy night.
The Guardian
20-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
The essence of Usyk: motivation and discipline key to Dubois destruction
Just before midnight on Saturday, in the depths of Wembley Stadium, Oleksandr Usyk stroked his moustache as he listened to another question which followed his magisterial destruction of Daniel Dubois. The 38-year-old Ukrainian had once again become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world after a performance filled with light, panache and a kind of battering precision which had normally-sober ringside observers reaching for words like 'genius' and 'magician'. After such savage alchemy, someone asked Usyk another question which made his face light up again. After all he had done, and with almost desperate speculation as to who might be able to challenge him now, how did Usyk find the motivation to keep fighting? 'Oh, listen, bro,' he said as he made a distinction which is crucial to any clear understanding of his extraordinary achievements in and out of the ring, 'I don't have motivation. I have discipline. Motivation? It's temporary. Today, for example, you have motivation. But tomorrow you wake up early and you don't have motivation.' He flashed his familiar gap-toothed grin. 'When I wake up early for training I never have motivation. I have only discipline. Motivation is needed only for amateur sportsmen – not for professional boxers. Amateur boxers might only work three times in a week. They say: 'Oh, but today I don't have motivation for training'. Uh-uh. No, bro. Motivation is good but discipline is better.' Those seven little words reveal the essence of Usyk. His brilliance is rooted in iron discipline. In a similar way he is not always motivated to speak about death and grief in Ukraine as the bombs fall and the body-count rises. Usyk once told me that he wished I had interviewed him long before the war with Russia. 'I'm a really funny guy,' he said. 'I love to laugh and to dance. But it's not possible when we need to talk about what Russia is trying to do to Ukraine. We need to be focused and disciplined in telling the world the truth.' Usyk did not really want to come out and talk after the intensity of his display against Dubois. His manager, Egis Klimas, urged us to keep the post-fight conversation short and to avoid repetitive questions. Usyk wanted to be with his wife after being separated from her and their four children for 14 long weeks. But the champion, as always, brought discipline and decency to his press conference. He listened closely, kept saying 'good question' and, even in his halting English, produced a depth of thought which does not always illuminate such anodyne encounters. 'Boxers only have three punches. It's the jab, the hook and the uppercut,' he said as he demonstrated each one to us. 'But combinations take a long time [to master].' He explained how the shimmering combination which dropped Dubois in round five meant his stricken rival was open for the final shuddering overhand left which ended the fight. It came from the lessons they had learned during his previous victory over Dubois in August 2023: 'We learn from the first fight and we had a long time – two years. We prepare combinations.' Usyk imitated the last clubbing blow which had left Dubois sprawled across the canvas. 'It's a punch we named Ivan. The left hook is like this …' He offered up a textbook punch before reverting to the roundhouse smash which closed the show. 'That is Ivan!' he exclaimed. 'It's a Ukrainian name. Ivan is like a big guy who lives in the village and works on a farm. A really big guy!' Usyk puffed himself up to look like a hulking Ukrainian farmer. 'What is your name?' he asked himself. Using a low growl, Usyk replied in the voice of the imagined farmer: 'My name is Ivan'. The boxer grinned helplessly. 'Yeah, it's a hard, hard punch.' Usyk was pressed on who he might fight next. 'Now I want to rest. I cannot say who my next opponent will be. I prepare for three-and-a-half months. I don't see my family, my wife. Every day I live with my team, with 14 guys, in one house [he laughed again in mock despair]. Every day only the same faces. Now I want to go back home.' Joseph Parker: This is the most logical next bout for Usyk as Parker, apart from being the WBO's mandatory challenger, is in a rich vein of form. He deserves another world title shot and, while he would be a heavy underdog, his brilliant trainer Andy Lee is the one man in boxing who might just have the intelligence to ask a few fresh questions of Usyk. Derek Chisora: It is a curious anomaly that a relatively crude brawler like Chisora, who should have retired years ago, has been the only heavyweight to make Usyk look uncomfortable. When they met in 2020 it was only Usky's second fight as a heavyweight and he found Chisora's maundering pressure initially hard to handle. Two of the three judges had Usyk winning by an extremely tight 115-113 margin. But we should shudder to think what Usyk might do to the battered veteran in a rematch. Tyson Fury: There is little doubt that Fury is the most skilful and toughest opponent Usyk has faced. Their first fight, in May 2024, was a classic and the rematch seven months later was another gruelling battle. Usyk won both and Fury, claiming to have been robbed, retreated into retirement. But, inevitably, The Gypsy King is already talking of a comeback and, on Saturday, he said: 'Oleksandr Usyk knows there is only one man who can beat him. I did it twice before. I am the man and, no matter what anyone wants to say, I won those fights.' Jake Paul, the former YouTuber, had climbed into the ring an hour earlier and come face-to-face with Usyk. The master cackled again at the surreal certainty that he would pick apart a boxing novice as easily as a small boy might separate a butterfly from its wings. 'I'm ready for Jake Paul,' he joked, 'but I need to rest.' Usyk discussed his faith, the transient nature of life and then paid tribute to Britain which he described as his 'second home' as he had won so many of his greatest fights in this country – from Olympic gold to becoming the undisputed world heavyweight champion for a second time at Wembley. 'I'm very grateful for this country,' Usyk said, with characteristic charm. 'Thank you so much.' Discipline shone out of Usyk as he raised his arms and then lowered his head in a respectful bow before, as if in a puff of magic, he disappeared into the dark and rainy night.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
York boxer Granger itching for more after professional debut victory
YORK boxer Joel Granger is keen to 'have as many fights as possible as soon as possible' having won his debut professional match in a super welterweight contest against veteran Newark fighter Connor Meanwell. The bout took place on an open-air show at Wakefield's DIY Kitchens Stadium organised by Manchester-based promoter Steve Wood's VIP Promotions. "I surprised myself with how calm I was in the ring, settled even, despite the heat, over 30 degrees," explained Granger, 22. "I knocked him down with a first round headshot, but he got through the standing eight count. "That said he wasn't a pushover. I kept the pressure up. He knew I meant business." Hailing originally from Acomb and a former student of Millthorpe School, Granger is both managed and coached by Wayne Woods at his east Leeds gym. "Joel's been with us less than a year," said Woods. "He's applied himself and is determined to make a success of it. "This was the right time for Joel to join the pro ranks as he's matured enough to discipline himself to give the full commitment which makes this sport demanding." "I've been around boxing all my life," added Granger. "Our family's heavily involved in the amateur sport. "I'm grateful to Wayne who's provided me with a superb opportunity. I plan to make the most of it. Joel Granger poses with his team after celebrating a first professional victory. (Image: VIP Boxing Promotions) "I've got three generous sponsors making it possible for me to concentrate on my boxing full time. "Ticket sales haven't been a problem because I know lots of people and I'm a warm, chatty person who's keen to get on with everyone." Granger admires boxers Terence Crawford and 'Boots' Ennis: "Mainly because they've achieved what I want to achieve. I'm keen to be out there again soon, certainly a couple more times this year." Any other individuals or companies interested in joining Granger's sponsorship team should contact his manager Wayne Woods on Instagram @waynewoods86 or e-mail woodswayne8@
