Tyson Fury’s world heavyweight title rematch with Wladimir Klitschko has been confirmed for 29 October.
British world champion Fury, 28, claimed the WBO, WBA and IBF belts from the 40-year-old Ukrainian in November 2015, but pulled out of a July rematch with an ankle injury.
The fight is at Manchester Arena.
“I’m delighted that we can finally get the fight back on. We can now focus on giving the fans what they deserve,” said Fury’s manager and uncle Peter.
Klitschko was undefeated for 11 years and had held the belts since 2006 before losing to Fury in Dusseldorf on a unanimous points decision.
He tweeted: “Finally the rematch is fixed. I’ll remedy my mistake on 29 October at Manchester Arena. See you there.”
Manchester fighter Fury is unbeaten in 25 professional bouts, with 18 knock-outs, while Klitschko is 64-4, with 54 knock-outs.
Fury had originally held three of the world belts, but his IBF title was stripped from him soon after he won it when he failed to face his mandatory challenger.
British heavyweight Anthony Joshua is the current holder.
Fury also has a doping suspension hanging over him after being charged by the UK’s anti-doping body (Ukad) in June, the same day he pulled out of the Klitschko rematch with injury.
Fury appealed and the provisional ban has been lifted pending a hearing in front of the independent National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) at a later date.
Ghana’s sole Boxing representative at the Rio 2016 Olympics, Abdul Omar Wahid will begin his quest for a gold medal with a bout against Argentinian Melian Alberto Ezequiel on Thursday August 11, 2016.
The 23 year old boxer who least expected his qualification is set to make history in his first appearance at the World stage and he is feverishly preparing for the bout.
He came fourth at the African games in Yaonde and will be fighting in the bantamweight division.
Wahid’s contender Alerto Melian lost a bantamweight bout at the summer 2012 Olympics against Sergey Vodopyanov but however his qualification to this stage proves his capabilities.
In an interview ahead of team Ghana’s departure last week, Wahid’s Coach Larteyquaye Lartey expressed optimism that his athlete can bring back home a medal.
“We are going to perform. Wahid deserves to be at the Olympics because he has sacrificed a lot, from Morocco, Cameroon and Congo. He has so many injuries but he fought himself through. I know God will help him to get a medal.” he said.
The boxer also expressed high hopes of winning a medal at the global showpiece.
“It is very difficult to qualify for the Olympics and I know it’s a very big platform. I don’t care about anyone but I know they are all good boxers. I am just training hard to bring out the best in me.”
Emmanuel ‘Game Boy’ Tagoe has successfully defended his WBA International lightweight title after knocking out Filipino boxer Carlo Magali at the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday Night.
The Round 9 knock out ensured that Tagoe takes his impressive boxing record to 26-1(13KO).
The bout, under the auspices of Baby Jet Promotions and Box Office Sports Promotions, was witnessed by several dignitaries including Ghana sports minister Nii Lante Vanderpuije, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Azumah Nelson, former world champions Nana Yaw Konadu and Alfred Kotey, and Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) President Peter Zwennes.
The dignitaries however, did not leave in dismay as “Game Boy”, the defending champion made light work of Magali in what was a thoroughly entertaining bout.
Tagoe dominated the bout from the first round until his opponent was unable to continue the fight in round nine.
And speaking to reporters after the victory, the Ghanaian fighter said his utmost ambition is to have a shot at the world and he is on course to achieving it.
“The gameplan was to stop Magali in round six but he proved stubborn,” Tagoe said.
“I thank the fans for their support. Magali is a warrior because with all the punishment I gave him, he managed to travel to round eight.
“The next target is to get a world title shot and that has been the plan since from day one and we are on course in achieving that. I would like to thank my promoters Baby Jet Promotions for believing in me and I will not let them down”, the Game Boy added.
Magali trainer Joven Jorden post-fight comments congratulated Tagoe describing the victory as a deserved one.
“I want to congratulate Tagoe for the win, he really deserved it,” he said.
“We came into the fight with a strategy to attack but Tagoe was too good as the second round cut took a lot out of my boxer.
“With this kind of performance displayed by Tagoe, I think he is ready for a world title shot when he is given the opportunity and I wish him good luck in his future bouts.” Jorden added.
Kazakhstan’s Gennady Golovkin has 32 knockouts from his 35 fights
Middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin is closing in on a deal to fight Britain’s Chris Eubank Jr, his promoter says.
Tom Loeffler told the Associated Press that both camps were “working on finalising details”.
The fight would take place in England in September, he added.
WBC, WBA and IBF champion Golovkin, 34, has won all of his 35 fights while Brighton’s Eubank Jr, 26, has lost just one of his 24 fights.
He successfully defended his British middleweight title for the first time last week, with a fourth-round stoppage of the previously unbeaten Tom Doran.
Sergey Kovalev is set to defend his world light-heavyweight titles against Andre Ward in Las Vegas on November 19.
The Russian (29-0-1-KO26) currently holds the WBA Super, IBF and WBO crowns and has reportedly agreed to a clash with unbeaten American Ward (29-0-KO15), who recently stepped up to 175lbs having dominated as a super-middleweight.
In order for what would be one of the most eagerly anticipated ‘super-fights’ of recent years to take place, both men will have to remain undefeated in the intervening months; Kovalev being booked in to face Isaac Chilemba on July 11 and Ward likely to return to action soon after.
ESPN reported: “The Kovalev-Ward fight, which was signed long ago but is contingent on each remaining undefeated through interim bouts, will take place Nov. 19 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.”
Main Events CEO Kathy Duva added: “We went back and forth with [Las] Vegas and New York for quite a while, as both venues were very enthused about hosting the event.
“In the end, the T-Mobile option made the most sense to us for a number of reasons, including ease of access and affordability for the media.”
Kovalev is famed for his punching power and has been taken the distance just once since moving up to and beyond 10-round bouts – by Bernard Hopkins, while Ward has already outclassed the likes of Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch.
Muhammad Ali has died at the age of 74, a family spokesman has said.
The former world heavyweight boxing champion, one of the world’s best-known sportsmen, died at a hospital in the US city of Phoenix in Arizona state after being admitted on Thursday.
He was suffering from a respiratory illness, a condition that was complicated by Parkinson’s disease.
The funeral will take place in Ali’s hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, his family said in a statement.
Born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Ali shot to fame by winning light-heavyweight gold at the 1960 Rome Olympics.
Nicknamed “The Greatest”, the American beat Sonny Liston in 1964 to win his first world title and became the first boxer to capture a world heavyweight title on three separate occasions.
He eventually retired in 1981, having won 56 of his 61 fights.
Crowned “Sportsman of the Century” by Sports Illustrated and “Sports Personality of the Century” by the BBC, Ali was noted for his pre- and post-fight talk and bold fight predictions just as much as his boxing skills inside the ring.
But he was also a civil rights campaigner and poet who transcended the bounds of sport, race and nationality.
Asked how he would like to be remembered, he once said: “As a man who never sold out his people. But if that’s too much, then just a good boxer. I won’t even mind if you don’t mention how pretty I was.”
Ali turned professional immediately after the Rome Olympics and rose through the heavyweight ranks, delighting crowds with his showboating, shuffling feet and lightning reflexes.
British champion Henry Cooper came close to stopping Clay, as he was still known, when they met in a non-title bout in London in 1963.
Cooper floored the American with a left hook, but Clay picked himself up off the canvas and won the fight in the next round when a severe cut around Cooper’s left eye forced the Englishman to retire.
Ali’s boxing career
Won Olympic light-heavyweight gold in 1960
Turned professional that year and was world heavyweight champion from 1964 to 1967, 1974 to 1978 and 1978 to 1979
Had 61 professional bouts, winning 56 (37 knockouts, 19 decisions), and losing five (4 decisions, 1 retirement)
In February the following year, Clay stunned the boxing world by winning his first world heavyweight title at the age of 22.
He predicted he would beat Liston, who had never lost, but few believed he could do it.
Yet, after six stunning rounds, Liston quit on his stool, unable to cope with his brash, young opponent.
At the time of his first fight with Liston, Clay was already involved with the Nation of Islam, a religious movement whose stated goals were to improve the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of African Americans in the United States.
But in contrast to the inclusive approach favoured by civil rights leaders like Dr Martin Luther King, the Nation of Islam called for separate black development and was treated by suspicion by the American public.
Ali eventually converted to Islam, ditching what he perceived was his “slave name” and becoming Cassius X and then Muhammad Ali.
In 1967, Ali took the momentous decision of opposing the US war in Vietnam, a move that was widely criticised by his fellow Americans.
He refused to be drafted into the US military and was subsequently stripped of his world title and boxing licence. He would not fight again for nearly four years.
After his conviction for refusing the draft was overturned in 1971, Ali returned to the ring and fought in three of the most iconic contests in boxing history, helping restore his reputation with the public.
He was handed his first professional defeat by Joe Frazier in the “Fight of the Century” in New York on 8 March 1971, only to regain his title with an eighth-round knockout of George Foreman in the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) on 30 October 1974.
Ali fought Frazier for a third and final time in the Philippines on 1 October 1975, coming out on top in the “Thrilla in Manila” when Frazier failed to emerge for the 15th and final round.
Six defences of his title followed before Ali lost on points to Leon Spinks in February 1978, although he regained the world title by the end of the year, avenging his defeat at the hands of the 1976 Olympic light-heavyweight champion.
Ali’s career ended with one-sided defeats by Larry Holmes in 1980 and Trevor Berbick in 1981, many thinking he should have retired long before.
He fought a total of 61 times as a professional, losing five times and winning 37 bouts by knockout.
Soon after retiring, rumours began to circulate about the state of Ali’s health. His speech had become slurred, he shuffled and he was often drowsy.
Parkinson’s Syndrome was eventually diagnosed but Ali continued to make public appearances, receiving warm welcomes wherever he travelled.
He lit the Olympic cauldron at the 1996 Games in Atlanta and carried the Olympic flag at the opening ceremony for the 2012 Games in London.
Ghanaian boxer, Samuel Neequaye on Friday suffered a 10-round unanimous decision loss to Washington, D.C. native, Anthony Peterson in their lightweight bout at the Washington DC Stadium Armory.
The bout marked Neequaye’s return to the ring after two years of no action. Peterson fought Neequaye in very close quarters within which, he had the upper hand, hitting Neequaye with some good jabs.
The former Ghanaian Olympian however stood his grounds despite suffering a blow below the belt and managed to keep the fight going in a bid to announce his return to the ring.
The fight ended in favor of Peterson after the judges scored it 100-90, 97-93 and 96-94. The American boxer fought to the cheers of a strong home crowd.
Speaking with reporters after the bout, Neequaye expressed delight with his return to the ring.
“It is always nice to fight for your country and prove yourself to the world. Tonight was not a great night as I did not win, but it was a great stage for me to announce my return to boxing so I hope to build up from here.” he said.
“I also want to thank my manager and trainer Nelson Lopez Jr. for believing in me all this while and patiently preparing my return. I thank God for a new beginning and want my fans to watch out for the next fight,” he added.
Neequaye was a member of the Ghana national amateur boxing team, the Black Bombers that represented Ghana at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in China.
The April 1 event was featured was headlined by four-division world champion Adrien Broner taking on British contender Ashley Theophane.
Additional action inside the ring included J’Leon Love in a 10-round bout against Nigeria’s Michael Gbenga, Demond Nicholson versus Ghana’s Joshua Okine, Kareem Martin versus Somner Martin, Patrick Harris versus Ghana’s Samuel Amoako , as well as Shyngyskhan Tazhibay versus Riarus Dudley.
Captain of the national amateur boxing team, the Black Bombers, Suleiman Tetteh has rubbished claims that, the team failed to qualify for 2016 Rio Olympic Games, due to their demand for per diems.
Mr. Gideon Quartey, the President of the Ghana Amateur Boxing Federations (GABF), was reported to have said that, the team failed to qualify for the competition during the qualifiers in Cameroon, because of the demand for per diem by the boxers.
Tetteh, described the claims as “total lie” saying “we never demanded for money because we knew when we qualify to the Olympic Games, we will be rewarded well, so why should we do that.
“If you see how the likes of Azumah, Musah Rahman and Abdul Rahman fought in Cameroon, you realise we wanted to qualify”, captain Sulemanu Tetteh told Starr FM in Accra
The Black Bombers have widely been criticized for their failure to secure a single berth to this year’s multi sports event in Brazil, after the sports ministry doled out $20,000 to aid their travel to Cameroon for the qualification.
Team Ghana was represented by eight male boxers with one female boxer, but none made it to the finals, making it the worse results for Ghana’s boxing history for the past 20 years.
Boxing has a “major problem” with drugs, according to Liverpool’s European cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew.
Australian Lucas Browne tested positive for a fat-burning drug after beating Ruslan Chagaev for the WBA heavyweight title.
“I think professional boxing has a major problem with drugs,” said Bellew.
“There are not lives at risk in a 100m race. There are in a boxing ring and that is why it is so alarming.”
Australian Browne, 36, has denied any wrongdoing and had said that he will clear his name.
Drug testing was a major issue of contention during Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao’s long-running negotiations for their May 2015 superfight, with both fighters eventually agreeing to unannounced blood and urine testing.
Sheffield fighter Kid Galahad was banned for six months after failing a drugs test for steroid Stanozolol in September 2014.
Bellew believes the greater risks in boxing should correspond to lengthier bans.
“Steroids allow people to train much much harder and recover much much quicker,” he added.
“If someone is taking them in the couple of months in the lead-up to a fight they have such a huge advantage
“I suggest nothing less than a lifetime ban. It shouldn’t take someone dying in the ring at the hands of a steroid-user for this to happen.”
Bellew is to fight Congo’s Ilunga Makabu for the WBC cruiserweight world title this summer, with Goodison Park mentioned as a possible venue.
Manny Pacquiao says it would be “an honour” to prolong his career to fight for the Philippines at the Olympics.
The president of amateur boxing’s governing body, Wu Ching-Kuo, is proposing a rule change that would allow professional fighters to compete at this summer’s Rio de Janeiro Games.
And Pacquiao, who takes on Timothy Bradley for a third time in April in what he insists will be his final paid contest, is ready to make the trip.
“It would be my honour to represent the country in the Olympics,” he told AFP. “If I would be asked to represent boxing, why not? I would do everything for my country.”
Pacquiao has won world titles at eight different weights since making his pro debut as a 16-year-old in 1995 but has not competed in the Olympics.
Former WBO inter-continental super featherweight champion Joseph Laryea will face Tanzania’s Issa Nampepeche alias Peche Boy in an eight-round, non-title fight on February 6th.
Laryea has under his belt 42-fights with 19-wins, lost 9 and an enviable 14 technical Knockouts whilst Tanzanian Nampepeche goes into the bout with a record of 27 fights, 20 wins, 3 losses and 4 draws.
The Detroit based Laryea will be staging a return to the ring for the first time since his unanimous win over fellow countryman Yaw Sakiya in 2015 at the Lebanon Club House in Accra.
Laryea is determined to regain prominence on the national scale but will have to deal with an equally hungry, 21 year-old warrior from East Africa.
The card is scheduled to take place at the Cedar Court Hotel in Bradford, United Kingdom.
Dzanie Kotey, popularly known as “Alloway” one of the best boxing trainers in the country has passed away after a short illness.
Alloway, was reported to have passed away on Saturday, and his death described as a great loss to Ghana boxing.
The renowned coach brought into the limelight boxers like Bukum Banku, Joshua Clotey, Joseph Agbeko, Ayitey Powers, Joshua Okine, George Ashie, Philip Kotey and Latei Lartey.
Alloway also played a major role in the lives of both Azumah Nelson and Nana Yaw Konadu although the two were being handled the Spanish Buffalo and Baba Sumaila.
The late Coach Alloway also helped in grooming boxing trainers who are currently spread across our boxing gyms and contributed immensely in boxing commentary and analysis and ring Announcer.
Alloway, was a boxing gem, guru and a walking library and the President of the Boxing Trainers Association of Ghana and the former technical director of the Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) in the administration of Samir Captan.
The Ghana Amateur Boxing Federation (GABF) will need about $20,000 to participate in the qualifiers for the 2016 Olympic Games.
The Black Bombers, will require the said amount to participate in the qualifiers in Cameroon from March 9-20, 2016.
Gideon Quartey, President of the Boxing Federation said the amount covers airfares, accommodation and logistics for 20 boxers, coaches coaches and other team officials for the qualifier.
He said the federation aims to qualify at least six boxers for Rio 2016 where they are expected to continue the country’s rich history of participating in the boxing competition.
Quartey said, competition provides the best opportunity for the Black Bombers to qualify for the Olympics, because the cost involved was low.
Four Black Bombers qualified for the London 2012 Olympics at the Continental qualifier in Morocco.
Ghana has won four medals at the Olympics with three of them coming from boxing.
Micheal Gbenga, currently based in the United States of America (USA) is demanding an immediate re-match with Cruiserweight Champion, Braimah “Bukom Banku” Kamoko after recording sixth round knock out over Ayitey Powers last Saturday.
Gbenga, who previously fought both Kamoko and Powers in Accra, losing a unanimous decision and the then-vacant Africa Boxing Union Light heavyweight belt to Kamoko on April 1, 2005 before scoring a ninth round KO over Powers to win the Ghana Light heavyweight title in 2011, believes time is up for him to take up another challenge with the tough talking Banku.
Gbenga, who before the fight between Banku and Powers, demanded to meet the winner said, “I am ready to throw down again with either of the two old foes and possibly both.
“I am calling for the winner of the fight to take me on and now that we have a winner i want to Banku again.
“The winner of the bout must face me now and am sure they are willing to face me now.
Gbenga, who has lost his last eight bouts and 14 of the last 15 but says he has gained enough experience to seek out a rematch.
“I fought both of them at Light Heavyweight, but I see they are both now fighting at Cruiserweight.
“That shows how disciplined they are. They can be 180, 190, I will just weigh 170 and fight them in the name of the game we all love and which puts food on our table.”
Gbenga has also expressed profound respect and appreciation to Joy Dadi Industries and Landmark Promotions for putting up the expected big fight in Kumasi.
“I really appreciate the promoters and sponsors for putting so much money into boxing, trying to keep the sport alive. It’s great and encouraging.”
Bukom Banku confirmed his supremacy over rival Ayittey Powers with a knockout win on Sunday dawn to drive home a brand new Range Rover Vogue car.
Real named Braimah Kamoko, Banku dished out punishment on his funny-haired opponent to clinch a 6th round TKO.
Powers had sworn to avenge the defeat he suffered against Banku on their first bout last year.
That fight traveled the full distance with Banku winning on unanimous points decision, this one didn’t.
Bukom Banku being announced winner by TKO
The Baba Yara Stadium had been packed to capacity at 4am when the main bout of the night between Banku and Powers – a Cruiserweight contest – was announced.
Banku however looked the clear winner from the start despite the improved challenge of Powers but was at a diminishing rate as his energy kept sapping.
Banku dominated and dictated the pace of the fight while setting up Powers for a knockout in the sixth round as he promised.
Powers went into his corner after the fifth round and failed to answer the bell for the sixth, he was done for the night.
Fans were surely entertained by the ring thrills of both fighters but their excitement had to be cut short as Powers yielded in midway through what was to be a long dawn in the office.
Ashanti Regional Police Commander Kofi Boakye was present to witness the bout
For his prize for beating Ayittey Powers again, Bukom Banku was handed the keys to a brand new Range Rover Vogue SUV, a GH₵ 100,000 cash prize and tickets to a holiday trip to South Africa.
