It has been a busy old week for boxing. Fury-Whyte has been made official as has Canelo’s May 7 return against Dmitry Bivol.
This weekend we have Josh Taylor defending his undisputed super-lightweight crown against Jack Catterall, Lawrence Okolie looking to prove he and his latest world title challenger Michal Cieslak are Poles Apart and there are outings for super-featherweight contender Chris Colbert and boxing’s Gandalf Guillermo Rigondeaux.
As usual there has also been a bundle of boxing stories floating around the sport which you may have missed.
Welcome to this week’s Hooks and Jabs.
Fabio Wardley and Nathan Gorman used Twitter to express their interest once again in fighting one another for the British heavyweight title that is still in the hands of the world rated Joe Joyce.
Wardley fights tomorrow on the Lawrence Okolie undercard while Gorman returns on April 2 on a show headlined by WBO Female middleweight champion Savannah Marshall.
“There really isn’t a better fight for the British title than me and Fabio Wardley,” said Gorman.
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Sticking with heavyweight business Probellum have signed Frenchman Mourad Aliev to their ever-expanding roster. Aliev fought recent pro debutant Frazer Clarke in the 2020 Olympics but was disqualified for illegal use of the head.
“I will use the pain of that experience to make sure I achieve great things,” said Aliev. “I would love a rematch with Clarke. I was winning our fight before it was called off. I watched his debut which was a joke of a fight.”
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Puerto Rican super-lightweight Jose Pedraza wants to ‘give the fans a war’ when he faces Mexico’s Jose Carlos Ramirez on March 4. The former world champions meet in a crossroads fight and one that takes its place in a long line of battles between fighters from the two fighting nations. “It’s a great thrill to give the fans a legendary match that they will remember forever,” said Pedraza.
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Tim Tszyu has criticised unified super-welterweight champion Jermell Charlo for not facing him on March 19. Charlo was set to face Brian Castano in an undisputed super-welterweight clash which would have been a rematch from their July 2021 battle. Tszyu will still fight on the19 th against Terrell Gausha at a new location to be announced.
“[Charlo] calls himself a lion, but he’s a little pussy cat, that’s all he is,” Tszyu told Foxsports.com.au.
“There could be political stuff involved with it, but my main concern is to fight and not sit around.”