Tyson Fury Stripped of 'Ring' Magazine Title Following Failure to Meet Deadline for Proposed Return

Lawrence Okolie says he will make ‘jealous’ Isaac Chamberlain pay for disrespecting his amateur achievements when they clash at The O2 on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports.

Okolie represented Team GB at the Rio games in 2016 before turning pro with Matchroom Boxing under the management of Anthony Joshua’s AJ BXNG.

Chamberlain has been vocal about Okolie’s amateur success in the build-up to the clash, downplaying the Hackney talent’s journey that took him from flipping burgers in McDonald’s to amateur success and the 7-0 record he puts on the line in Greenwich.

“The rivalry on his side stems from jealousy,” said Okolie. “They say that they've been watching me since I went to the Olympics as we've known each other a long time. They see me as a big money fight and here it is – we'll see if it's too early for him or too early for me.  

“Can Isaac take my power? Can Isaac take me into the later rounds? We're all going to find out the reality. I see boxing in a different way to most people. Isaac is a good fighter, he’s fast, good boxing IQ and he's resilient, but I don't see that being enough as I am going to get to him and get to him viciously.

“People in Isaac's gym know what it takes to get into the Olympics because they didn't get there. He has never taken a risk as an amateur or a professional. He's been the a-side in all of his fights and all bar two of his opponents have come in off a loss. He's done nothing to show levels of pedigree, he's had a life-or-death with Wadi Camacho at Southern Area level.

“They say that everything has been given to me. I get the praise and attention because of what I did in the amateurs and the performances I've put in as a pro. If I'd been putting in the performances in the pros that he has, I wouldn't get this attention.

“I dislike what Isaac represents, it's a cult of Cruiserweights who are active, come together on social media and backing each other up to talk down to me, "so what he was in the Olympics he's rubbish" blah blah, they discredit everything I have done.  

“They say I've had an easy ride, but Eddie Hearn didn't come to Hackney and take me out of McDonalds, take me to Team GB then take me to Rio for the Olympics.

“Team GB didn't say ‘only 10 GB fighters can go to Brazil and only 16 fighters can fight in the tournament at each weigh - but do you know what, we're going to give you the golden ticket and you don't have to qualify or work hard’.

“The reality is, I've worked so hard to get me and it annoys me that he and his team have disrespected what I've achieved and how hard I've worked to get here and how hard I will work to get to where I want to be.”

Chamberlain and Okolie clash on a huge night of action in Greenwich as   Watford’s Reece Bellotti puts his Commonwealth Featherweight title on the line for the first time against Crawley’s Ben Jones.

Rising Essex force Ted Cheeseman faces a real step-up in international class against a familiar face in Carson Jones, the Oklahoma man who twice met former Welterweight World ruler Kell Brook and Brian Rose, and won on his most recent visit, stopping Ben Hall last November and comes into the fight after facing modern great Antonio Margarito in September.

Team GB Rio Olympian Joshua Buatsi laces them up for a fourth time in the paid ranks, Paul Butler gets valuable rounds as he hunts a shot at the WBA World Bantamweight crown, former World title challenger Charlie Edwards looks to get back on the road to major honours, and Felix Cash is full of confidence after moving to 7-0 with a second successive first round KO win last week and is looking to land a first title shot at Middleweight in 2018.

Limited tickets remain on general sale at   www.theO2.co.uk   priced at £40.  

Face value tickets for February 3 are available from   http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/   . StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.

Source: Matchroom Boxing [Press Release]

Tonight, IBF cruiserweight champion Murat Gassiev (25-0-0, 18 KO's) will face WBA titleholder Yunier Dorticos (22-0-0, 21 KO's) in the second semi-final of the World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight tournament.

At stake are not only two World championship belts, but also a place in the final against the tournament number one seed, Oleksandr Usyk, who outpointed Mairis Briedis last weekend in Riga. In Gassiev facing Dorticos, the tournament pits two of the division’s heaviest hitters against one another, both of whom are coming off sensational knockout victories and full of confidence as they seek to book their place in the final.

At only twenty four years of age, Murat 'Iron' Gassiev is the young lion of the tournament. The Russian native, who will hold home advantage on Saturday night in Sochi. Despite a low-key amateur career, Gassiev has progressed quickly in the professional ranks under the expert tutelage of Abel Sanchez, best-known as the trainer of middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.

In his last two fights, Gassiev has stepped up the level of his opposition: impressing on both occasions. In the first, he outpointed and dethroned one of the cruiserweight division’s toughest and most-respected veterans, Denis Lebedev, capturing the IBF title in the process. Gassiev then followed up by becoming the first man to stop long-time former champion Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, knocking him out with a pulverising bodyshot in their World Boxing Super Series quarter-final bout in October 2025.

Alexander Povetkin will defend his WBA Inter-Continental and WBO International Heavyweight titles against David Price at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on March 31, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Former WBA ruler Povetkin is the mandatory challenger for the WBA Super title held by Anthony Joshua MBE, who meets Joseph Parker in a unification blockbuster at the top of the bill. The Russian powerhouse will be targeting a showdown with the main event winner, but must first make a second successful defence of his titles having seen off Christian Hammer in December after winning the belts in July against Andriy Rudenko.

“I’m very excited to be fighting on this huge show,” said Povetkin. “I expect to put on a great performance and then go on to fight the Joshua vs. Parker winner later this year.”

Price has other ideas as he lands a golden opportunity to take a seat at the top table in the Heavyweight division. The Liverpool favourite returned to action in December in Essex after his loss to Hammer in February, and the 34 year old is determined to take this golden chance on a ‘life changing’ night.

“It is a massive, massive chance for me and it has come from nowhere,” said Price. “I wasn’t expecting an opportunity like this to appear so it was a no-brainer.

“It is a big ask for me to go out and win this fight but upsets do happen in sport. I have been on the wrong end of upsets in boxing and I think I am due a bit of luck. I have a belief that this fight has come at the right time for me and I have a belief that I am going to win the fight. 

“Without doing myself a disservice, every dog has its day and I have a feeling that this is doing to be my day and everything that has happened has led to this.

“I have never found myself in this position where I have been the big underdog and I have everything to gain. I will go in there completely free of any pressure and I think people will see the best of me for that very reason.

“Make no mistake, I am coming to win. At first, I was just grateful for the opportunity but now in my mind I have to win this fight. There is plenty to gain and too much upside for me not to win this fight – it could be life changing. I am desperate to win this fight and I will do everything in my power to do so.

“I know it will be a hard fight, anything can happen in a fight and I may have to get off the floor to win. It is going to be the hardest fight of my life but something is telling me it is going to be my night.

“Sparring will be key for me. I am going to have to take myself out of my comfort zone when it comes to sparring for this fight. I need to bring in world-class sparring partners who will test me every day. We will go away to Germany for some sparring, we haven’t got any names yet but we are having a look. 

“In the past I have performed my best when I have been really tested in the gym and in sparring, so that will be key for this fight. I need to be prepared for what is to come because it is going to be a hard fight and as long as I am prepared physically and mentally then nature will take its course.”

Povetkin and Price clash on a huge night of boxing in Cardiff as Joshua and Parker battle for the IBF, WBA Super, IBO and WBO World titles.

Limited tickets remain on sale for the event priced at £300 and £600 from www.stubhub.co.uk

Coach packages are on sale via www.seetickets.com  with various pick up/drop off locations available throughout the UK.

For accessibility and wheelchair tickets – please contact the Principality Stadium via 02920 822432.

Official hospitality packages are available to purchase directly from Principality Stadium Experience. Both private suite and premium lounge packages are available to purchase, with prices starting from £450 per person + VAT. For further information please call the team on 02920 822 413.

Official Hospitality packages are also available via Sportsworld via www.sportsworld.co.uk  or by calling 0208 9712966

Authorities are strongly advising fans to allow plenty of time to get into both Cardiff and Principality Stadium and to plan their travel before purchasing a ticket. Details can be found via the Information tab at:  http://www.principalitystadium.wales/events/v/joshua-v-parker-2018-03-31

 Source: Matchroom Boxing [Press Release]

Isaac Chamberlain wants to celebrate three years as a pro by inflicting a first career to Lawrence Okolie at The O2 in London on Saturday night, live on Sky Sports.

Chamberlain headlines at The O2 after making his debut there three years ago today (January 31) and the unbeaten Brixton talent has grafted hard to get to his place at the top of the bill.

The 23 year old passed a gut-check in his sixth fight when he battled through a dislocated shoulder to take the Southern Area Cruiserweight title from Wadi Camacho in September 2016 – and it’s that grit and determination that Chamberlain feels is the difference between the pair. 

“It's going to be an amazing experience headlining my own show at The O2,” said Chamberlain. “From coming from nothing to this stage is humbling. I'm not one of these guys that goes out partying after fights and blow all my money, I'm trying to buy a house, get a mortgage, set my life up and live right, and this is a big fight and one that pays well.

“I want to be great, I want to win belts and I want to fight top fighters. I've tasted titles against Camacho and I'm fighting on top of a big bill at The O2, this is what I am in the sport for.

“Nothing has been given to me in boxing, that's been the case from day one and it still is. I will always have that underdog mentality and go into fights to take everything. I won’t stop at any cost, I'm always going to be in the gym and living right because I don't want this journey to end.

“I think it's a good thing that I've had to work hard for what I've got. Boxing is hard at every level, from bottom to top. When you are a World champion there's a target on your back and everyone hunts you down, that's not easy. 

“My ride has made me mentally stronger, if I'd had things handed to me, I wouldn't know what it's like to dig deep and grit my teeth to get through the tough moments. I know that when it gets tough, I can bite down on the gumshield and get to the other side with the win.”

Chamberlain and Okolie clash on a huge night of action in Greenwich as Watford’s Reece Bellotti puts his Commonwealth Featherweight title on the line for the first time against Crawley’s Ben Jones.

Rising Essex force Ted Cheeseman faces a real step-up in international class against a familiar face in Carson Jones, the Oklahoma man who twice met former Welterweight World ruler Kell Brook and Brian Rose, and won on his most recent visit, stopping Ben Hall last November and comes into the fight after facing modern great Antonio Margarito in September.

Team GB Rio Olympian Joshua Buatsi laces them up for a fourth time in the paid ranks, Paul Butler gets valuable rounds as he hunts a shot at the WBA World Bantamweight crown, former World title challenger Charlie Edwards looks to get back on the road to major honours, and Felix Cash is full of confidence after moving to 7-0 with a second successive first round KO win last week and is looking to land a first title shot at Middleweight in 2018.

Limited tickets remain on general sale at  www.theO2.co.uk  priced at £40. 

Face value tickets for February 3 are available from  http://www.stubhub.co.uk/matchroom-boxing-tickets/  . StubHub is the official ticket partner and marketplace of Matchroom Boxing and Anthony Joshua.

Source: Matchroom Boxing [Press Release]

Qais Ashfaq has signed a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing. 

Ashfaq represented Team GB at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, the culmination of a blossoming amateur career that included Commonwealth Youth Games gold and silver in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.

The Leeds talent can now focus on getting his career up-and-running in the paid ranks with a debut to be announced shortly, and Ashfaq is determined to make up for lost time and build a fan base all over the UK.

“I’m so happy to be joining Matchroom Boxing and be on Sky Sports, it’s the best place for me to be to showcase my skills and I so excited to have a date in place for my debut,” said Ashfaq, who will campaign at Super-Bantamweight.

“I’m out to prove a point and I want to be part of the big shows coming up in the next few months. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do and I want to be as busy as possible.

“It’s been stop start and I’ve lost a year of my pro career so I feel that I have something to prove, not just to the public but to myself. That’s why being with Matchroom is great because there’s so many fight nights coming up all over Britain and I think I can progress quickly and pick up fans everywhere. I’m a Leeds boy though so of course I would love to box in my city.

“I really want to fight on Amir Khan’s comeback show in April. He’s got at least three fights with Matchroom and it would be amazing to be on those bills. When I was a kid, I hadn’t had any fights and I walked in the gym, I looked at  Boxing News  and Amir was in the middle of a Team GB pic as he was the only one to qualify for the Olympics. My coach said ‘if he can do it, you can do it too’. Amir’s been such a huge inspiration for me and it’s great to be part of the same stable as him.”

“I’m delighted to welcome Qais to the team,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Qais is a richly talented fighter and one that will become an instant hit with fans all over Britain. I’m looking forward to his imminent debut and then showcasing him all over the UK.”

Source: Matchroom Boxing [Press Release]

Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing are delighted to announce a radio broadcast deal with talkSPORT for SEVEN huge fight nights – including Anthony Joshua MBE’s World Heavyweight unification battle with Joseph Parker. 

The deal begins on Saturday night as unbeaten Cruiserweight talents Lawrence Okolie and Isaac Chamberlain settle their ‘British Beef’ at The O2.

Next up, Kell Brook makes his debut at Super-Welterweight in Sheffield on March 3 against Sergey Rabchenko and a week later, Scott Quigg aims to become a two-weight World champion as he challenges Oscar Valdez for the WBO Featherweight crown in Los Angeles.

Heavyweight boxing is the focus in a huge fortnight of action at the end of March, starting at The O2 on March 24 where Dillian Whyte defends his WBC Silver title against Lucas Browne before Cardiff takes centre-stage as Anthony Joshua MBE and Joseph Parker clash in a huge unification battle.

Amir Khan returns to action for the first time since May 2016 as he meets Phil Lo Greco at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on April 21, and then Tony Bellew and David Haye renew hostilities at The O2 on May 5.

Liam Fisher, National Radio controller at talkSPORT, said: “Another day and more mouth-watering boxing rights for talkSPORT. Our team of pundits will be there for a host of exciting clashes as talkSPORT cements its place as radio’s home of boxing.”

Eddie Hearn said: “Fights don’t get much bigger than this and I’m delighted that we have talkSPORT, the world’s biggest sports radio station, to broadcast all the drama. There’s nothing quite like two titans meeting in the ring and this will be one not to miss.”

Source: Matchroom Boxing [Press Release]

The O2 Arena plays host to the fiercely anticipated 'British Beef' showdown this Saturday, with long-standing Cruiserweight rivals Lawrence Okolie (7-0-0, 6 KO's) and Isaac Chamberlain (9-0-0, 4 KO's) squaring off in a battle of two undefeated prospects. 

With just one Southern Area title and a combined sixteen fights between the pair, neither man has experienced headlining a big fight night live on SkySports. However, that will count for little when they enter the ring on Saturday night, with the WBA Continental Cruiserweight title on the line - as well as considerable bragging rights.

Hackney’s Lawrence Okolie, trained by Brian O’Shaughnessy, has yet to go past the sixth round as a professional, entering the paid ranks just one year ago under the guidance of manager Anthony Joshua and promoter Eddie Hearn. Despite having only boxed 15 professional rounds against modest opposition, the former Team GB star is still regarded as a special talent.

Standing at 6ft 5", Okolie enjoys a three inch height advantage over Chamberlain, and while still appearing rough around the edges, the 25-year-old has impressed in the early stages of his career with an excellent variety of shots and rangy, fight ending power. 

By contrast, despite being two years Okolie's junior, Chamberlain has amassed a total of 43 rounds from his nine fights, going the full ten round distance once in a 2016 dogfight with veteran Wadi Camacho. The bout, which saw Chamberlain claim the Southern Area title, was regarded by many as one of the standout contests of the year, with the Brixton man dislocating his shoulder in the third round before going on to grit out a gruelling decision victory in front of a raucous York Hall crowd.

Training out of Miguel’s Gym in Brixton, 23-year-old Chamberlain is trained and managed by his uncle - and former European super lightweight champion - Ted Bami. Despite having less than ten amateur fights, Chamberlain turned professional in January 2015, ironically at the same venue he will face Okolie on February 3rd: London's O2 Arena. Since his debut, he has racked up nine consecutive victories, and enters the bout with Okolie on a run of four four stoppage wins in his last five outings.

Boxing behind a solid jab and boasting a smooth in-ring manner, Chamberlain's slick skills have seen him used as a sparring partner for some of the world's finest cruiserweights. After sharing the ring with the likes of Mike Perez and Mateusz Masternak, Chamberlain visited consensus best fighter in the division Oleksandr Usyk in preparation for the Ukrainian superstar's two most recent contests. 

It is testament to the skill and willingness to pit himself against the best in the world that have seen Chamberlain's reputation grow within the boxing community. Time will tell if those attributes will be a determining factor when he enters the ring against Okolie. 

Following a heavily-hyped build-up, there seems to be genuine animosity between the pair. In the past week, the two men have exchanged relatively good-humoured barbs. First is was Chamberlain, who took out an advert mocking Okolie in the Hackney man's local newspaper, while Okolie replied by driving a burger van to Chamberlain's Brixton base in response to his opponent's taunts about his former occupation in McDonalds.

This fight itself is going to answer a lot of questions about both men. It is a boost to British boxing to see two relative novices - albeit with tremendous potential - risk their unbeaten unbeaten records by meeting so early on in their careers. The bout represents a significant risk, though win or lose, there is still a place in the current boxing scene for either fighter to continue down their chosen path.