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Vasyl Lomachenko has retained his WBO World Super Featherweight title after a bizarre sixth round retirement from Guillermo Rigondeaux.

The historic bout, which pitted two double-Olympic gold medallists against each other for the first time in the sport's history, never really caught fire, with the most competitive round of the contest coming in the opener - a session made up largely by posturing by both men.

Lomachenko would prove to be the busier, fresher and more active fighter throughout, finding a home for his jab while negating the sparse return fire from his opponent. The fourth round saw Lomachenko force the action, landing a succession of uppercuts that caught Rigondeaux on the chin. The action - if you could call it such - was interrupted frequently by spoiling and clinching from both men, with Rigondeaux warned several times by referee Steve Willis for excessive holding and ducking below the waist.

As the contest continued, Rigondeaux was unable to establish any sort of rhythm in the bout, becoming less and less active in landing fewer than three punches in each of the completed six rounds. Lomachenko, who started the bout in watchful fashion, became more and more adventurous in the fifth round, and appeared to shake Rigondeaux with a left hand to the top of the head.

Following numerous warnings for fouling, Rigondeaux was docked a point in the sixth (and final) round before being caught again by a southpaw left from Lomachenko shortly after.

With Lomachenko firmly in the ascendancy in the sixth round, the bout was called to a halt in bemusing circumstances, as Rigondeaux retired from the bout - seemingly on impulse - at the end of the sixth: shaking his head at trainer Pedro Diaz, to bring the fight to a premature and, frankly, disappointing end.

"I think I should change my name." said Lomachenko in his post-fight interview.

"I think they should call me 'No-Mas-chenko'!" he joked, in reference to making his last four opponents retire in their corner.

Rigondeaux's post-fight soundbites were of a less jovial nature, where he revealed a supposed injury to his left hand at the end of the second round as the reason - and the only reason - he lost the fight.

"Lomachenko is a good fighter, but he is a normal fighter." said the previously unbeaten Cuban.

"I make no excuses, but he didn't win the fight. I lost the fight because I hurt my hand in the second round and couldn't do anything." he finished, amidst the disapproving hisses of a short-changed live audience.

The bout, in truth, failed to reach anywhere near the level of excitement many fans who had wished for the bout had hoped for: with the speed and youth advantage of Lomachenko apparent from the second round onwards. For Rigondeaux, who seemed to have no clear game-plan in dealing with the Ukrainian maestro, it is - you would imagine - a frustratingly apt end to his boxing career.

With no belt to offer (having been stripped the the WBA at the conclusion of the fight), his lacklustre performance will certainly do him no favours in appealing to the networks that have shunned him throughout his professional vigil.

... Be careful what you wish for, boxing fans. You just might get it.


Article by: Rob Tebbutt

You can follow Rob on Twitter at: @RobTebbutt

It was a successful night for the GB boxers on Thursday evening, at the annual GB Boxing Championships at Sheffield’s Institute of Sport, as they came away with victory in all but one of their fights.

Harris Akbar and Louis Lynn led the way with superb performances to claim the welterweight and bantamweight titles respectively, however a few of the UK’s leading amateurs were involved in some close calls on their way to domestic glory.

Akbar dazzled against Scotland’s Stephen Newns, showing his class to add to the English title he won back in April. Newns gave it everything he had, but the flashy Akbar got better as the rounds wore on, picking him off with ease on his way to a unanimous decision victory.

Lynn was simply dominant as he breezed past Welshman Kyle Morrison, who took some big shots and did well to survive past the first round. Morrison was given a standing count and was wide open all night for Lynn to clatter him with some stinging shots. The Englishman unsurprisingly won by unanimous decision.

Popular middleweight Jordan Reynolds came through a tough test with Lewis Richardson, suffering a cut around his right eye in the process as he earned his unanimous decision win, whilst George Crotty was dominant in the end over Harry Woods, as he added light-heavyweight gold to his growing resumé.

Conor Loftus left with a convincing victory over Martin McDonagh, pressing the action and landing some heavy shots to win light-welterweight gold, whilst a sharp Mickey McDonagh won the lightweight title with a sharp performance, although he didn’t have it all his own way, against Thomas Hodgson by split decision.

Lewis Williams was the sole loser for the GB squad, as he was beaten by Natty Ngwenya in the heavyweight division, in a clash that the Army man really grew into and deserved the split decision win. Hosea Stewart and Mitchell Barton clashed in an entertaining super-heavyweight battle, which saw England’s Stewart get the better of the Scot by unanimous decision.

Matthew McHale secured himself a shot at a GB assessment, as he left with the flyweight crown, edging a tight battle with Muzzy Fuyana, representing England. Lisa Whiteside capped off another good year with victory over Carly Skelly in a very tight affair at flyweight, which could have gone either way, with the judges favouring Whiteside by split decision.

Crystal Barker performed well under the constant pressure of Nina Hughes to win the featherweight crown by split decision, whilst Megan Reid of Scotland could perhaps feel slightly hard done by, as she came out of the wrong end of a split decision against GB’s Claudia Havranek at light-welterweight.

GB’s Lauren Price put on an excellent display to get past Stephanie Wroe by unanimous decision at welterweight, whilst Natasha Gale was a level above Roseanna Cox in the middleweight final, dominating the three rounds from start to finish to win by unanimous decision.

Earlier in the night, two other bouts took place, led by Sean Lazzerini’s win over Boris Crighton in a box-off to secure his place on the Scottish team at the Commonwealth Games in Australia next year. Lazzerini will represent his country in the light-heavyweight division on the Gold Coast.

Finally, the closing bout of the night saw GB’s Omarah Taylor prove too good for Scotland’s Gardner Moore in their welterweight exhibition. Taylor won by unanimous decision, which also saw Moore given a standing count in the third.

Article by: Matt Bevan

You can follow Matt on Twitter at: @Matt_Bevan68

Rob Tebbutt ( @RobTebbutt ) - Head of U.K. Operations

Vasyl Lomachenko is, in my opinion, the best fighter in the world. He is a unique, mesmeric talent and my favourite fighter in the sport. That being said, I cannot help but pull for Rigondeaux in this fight. His career has been blighted by inactivity and a lack of opportunity - largely through no fault of his own - and he now sees himself in a position where he has to take a fight against a prime pound-for-pound fighter two weight classes heavier than him, or risk falling completely into oblivion. It's a tough ask against anyone, but against Vasyl Lomachenko it is virtually impossible.

Taking my personal feelings out of the equation, I think the activity of Lomachenko will be enough to see him pull away down the stretch. He has fought regularly and against good - albeit not great - opposition, and is undoubtedly the "form" fighter coming into the contest. I see Rigondeaux being able to be highly competitive in the early rounds, due to his extensive pedigree over the shorter format (not that Lomachenko doesn't have the same experience!) - but I feel that Lomachenko's freshness and recent in-ring experience will play a pivotal role in the mid-to-late sessions.

Rigondeaux deserves enormous credit for taking the fight, which should he lose, I am certain he will not  get - but it is just too tall an order for the diminutive Cuban. Should he win, I think there is little doubt that he would become the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing and it would go down as one of the greatest victories in the history of the sport. Lomachenko is young enough and talented enough that he can forge a 'Hall of Fame' legacy - even off the back of a defeat - but for Rigondeaux, a loss would almost certainly spell the end of a career that deserved so much more.

Lomachenko by decision in a very competitive fight.

Paul Lam ( @PaulTheWallLam ) - Staff Writer

For all the criticism he has faced for his supposedly ‘boring’ style, Guillermo Rigondeaux deserves massive respect for moving up not one but TWO weight divisions to face a beast like Vasyl Lomachenko. The Cuban phenom is one of the most talented fighters of his generation, but in Lomachenko, he will face an opponent boasting a skill-set and athleticism comparable to his own and who happens to be the bigger, younger, stronger man. Loma rarely gets hit flush, but when he has taken shots, from fully fledged featherweights and super featherweights who can punch, he has taken them well. On the other hand, we have seen Rigondeaux hurt by the likes of Robert Marroquin and Hisashi Amagasa. Moreover, he is not known for a high work-rate, whereas Lomachenko has volume to complement his punching accuracy. I expect Rigondeaux to hold his own and set Lomachenko problems that he has never had to deal with in a professional ring, but ultimately I believe the age-old adage that ‘the good big man always beats the good little man’ will hold true in this fight.

Lomachenko by unanimous decision or late stoppage in a competitive, compelling fight .

Gareth Gonet ( @garethgonet ) - Staff Writer

I’m expecting a fascinating chess match between the pair, in which each will be looking to set traps for the other. If Rigondeaux is to win, he will have to take the initiative: something he is unaccustomed to doing. I cannot see him winning by sitting back and picking single shot counters. Lomachenko is likely to land at a higher connect percentage than any previous Rigondeaux opponent, and thus the Cuban will need to exceed his average punch output to win the fight.

I don’t envisage size being as telling a factor as some are making out, due to both Rigondeaux’s defensive awareness and the fact that Lomachenko is unlikely to enter the fight with a view to imposing his physical advantages on the naturally smaller man. That said, Rigondeaux has been dropped several times at 122lbs. However, if he is to be hurt by Lomachenko, I believe that it will be down to skill rather than size.

A Rigondeaux victory would see him go down among the best ever to lace up the gloves. As I touched on previously however, this would require him to put it all on the line by taking the fight to the Ukrainian. All things considered, I give Lomachenko the edge on account of the fact that he is the naturally busier fighter, and it is unlikely that Rigondeaux will be able to completely neutralise his attack as has been the case against each of his previous opponents.

Lomachenko by decision in twelve rounds of pugilistic pornography.

Navi Singh ( @hombre__obscuro ) - Staff Writer

I'm backing the underdog, but he has a tremendous obstacle to overcome in the volume-punching Lomachenko. I think Rigondeaux's key to victory is to slow the overall pace of the fight down, by somehow keeping the Ukrainian honest and gaining his respect, preferably early on. Rigondeaux's strategy, in my opinion, should be to deter his opponent's forward advances with sharp, accurate counter-punching. However, realistically, I think at the end of the day Lomachenko will be too big, too busy and too dynamic for Rigondeaux - who is definitely punching above his weight - and will provide the Cuban with the first loss of his career.

Lomachenko via a lopsided decision or a mid-to-late stoppage.

Daniel Gregory ( @mrdanielgregory ) - Staff Writer

As they always say - a great big guy beats a great small guy, and I expect Lomachenko to win this one. The fact Rigo has taken this fight just goes to show how much he is avoided at his own weight, which is a shame. I'm predicting Lomachenko to take a wide points decision from a technical, tactical fight.

Lomachenko by decision.

Matt Bevan ( @Matt_Bevan68 ) - Staff Writer

Lomachenko will win it but Rigondeaux will not be overwhelmed by the dynamic Ukrainian. Rigondeaux has the ability to stink out the joint or flatten you with a single left hand, however landing cleanly on Lomachenko is a challenge in itself. He has made good fighters look like rank novices, but to just call Rigondeaux a good fighter is disrespectful to the Cuban star. If Rigondeaux can neutralise the movement of Lomachenko then he can pull this off, but that is about as difficult a thing to do as there is in world boxing. It won’t win any fight of the year contests but you won’t be able to do anything else but admire the skills that are on display with this pair.

Lomachenko will take it on points in a fight you won’t be able to take your eyes off.

Luke Madeira ( @lukemadeira15 ) - Staff Writer

For me, Lomachenko is simply going to be too big for Rigondeaux. The fight will be an intriguing one as the pair are without doubt the best technical boxers in the world, but Lomachenko has all of the natural attributes in his favour. Rigondeaux has shown he can beat bigger opponents (most notably in Hisashi Amagassa) but with the ability that Lomachenko possesses, there are very few (if any) people that can beat him, in my opinion.

Lomachenko by decision.

Isaiah Benjamin ( @Mr_IsaiahG ) - Staff Writer

I expect a cautious, chess match type of start with both looking to set traps and establish a rhythm. It’d be surprising if Rigondeaux were to change his style, the world class operator out of Cuba won’t waste any punches, will throw them when he is least likely to be hit and look to land with great precision.

Lomachenko is renowned for his entertaining style but can leave himself open and Rigondeaux, the bigger puncher of the two, is capable of exploiting that. For that reason I feel Lomachenko will begin patiently and up the tempo as the fight progresses, using his lateral movement and work rate to overwhelm the unbeaten 37-year-old. Rigondeaux moving up two weight divisions to Super Featherweight will play a part in this fight and I predict Lomachenko to win on points.

Lomachenko by decision.

Emmily Simcock ( @emmily_jane ) - Staff Writer

I think this will be a very interesting tactical fight for the boxing fans. Lomachenko, the bigger fighter, has amazing footwork and will attack from all angles, whereas Rigondeaux has some of the best defensive skills in the business making him an elusive target. He also enjoys a three inch reach advantage over Lomachenko.

I think the fight goes 12 rounds with Lomachenko winning by decision.

Michael Rueda ( @wolf2988 ) - Staff Writer

This match-up is a hardcore boxing fans dream. It is a fight with many intangibles. Who is the better technician? Can Rigondeaux neutralise Lomachenko's offensive strengths? And after showing vulnerability throughout his career, can he handle the power of the naturally bigger man? For Lomachenko, can he land cleanly on the elusive Cuban maestro? If Rigondeaux's power carries up and he is able to catch Lomachenko, how will the Ukrainian react? Will the size difference play as big a part as many expect? In my opinion, I believe it will be a chess match in the beginning, and Rigondeaux will frustrate Lomachenko en route to building an early lead. I believe the constant pressure from Lomachenko will start to tell in the mid-to-late rounds, with Lomachenko being the more active fighter working to his advantage.

Lomachenko by ninth round stoppage.

Will Lott ( @WillLott27 ) - Staff Writer

I’m going to go for a Lomachenko stoppage win. I feel Rigondeaux’s inactivity and against top opposition - through no fault of his own - will play a part in his downfall. Lomachenko will be too fast, throwing powerful combinations and displaying superior ring IQ. However, I cannot take anything from Rigondeaux: he is still a smart fighter with solid power, but I think Lomachenko will be just too good.

Lomachenko by stoppage.

Jaime Ingleby ( @jaime_ingleby79 ) - Staff Writer

Vasyl Lomachenko and Guillermo Rigondeaux are difficult to split. Both men are double Olympic champions, professional World champions and personal favourites. A look at history offers evidence to back both men for the victory. Lomachenko starts as the favourite, with many people pointing towards his size and weight advantage. While Rigondeaux undoubtedly has the skill to counteract his physical inferiority. In the end: they are both that good. I’ve long been a fan of the Cuban style of boxing and one of its greatest exponents in Guillermo Rigondeaux: and I am picking the little man to upset Bob Arum once again, as he did against Nonito Donaire.

Rigondeaux by decision.

Allan McGoldrick ( @AMCGUK ) - Staff Writer

Lomachenko is the naturally bigger man, having won a lightweight gold medal in the 2008 Olympics before beginning his professional career at Featherweight - still heavier than Rigondeaux has been at any stage of his boxing career. However, Nonito Donaire was also significantly bigger and came up well short against the Cuban in their heavily-hyped 2013 clash. Rigondeaux brings something else to the table than Lomachenko’s previous opponents, and I believe he will pull off the upset with a shocking points win.

Rigondeaux by decision.

Jack Hopgood - Staff Writer

Lomachenko comes into the fight with nearly every advantage, and even Rigondeaux at his very best would have a tough time winning. My prediction is Rigondeaux is not able to set up any real offense, and after the first three rounds, Lomachenko picks up the pace and stops him around the 6th to 9th round. The many hardcore fans hoping for a great technical chess match will be disappointed when Lomachenko makes Rigondeaux look old. I think the cracks have been showing for a while now, and this may be Rigondeaux’s final fight.

Lomachenko by mid-rounds stoppage.

TOTAL: 

Lomachenko - 12

Rigondeaux - 2

Former World Champion Jean Pascal Stops Previously Unbeaten Ahmed Elbiali in Round Six of the Main Event of a Special Friday Night Edition of Premier Boxing Champions TOE-TO-TOE TUESDAYS on FS1 & BOXEO DE CAMPEONES on FOX Deportes from Hialeah Park in Miami, Florida

Top Heavyweight Contender Luis Ortiz Scores Second Round Knockout of Daniel Martz with Heavyweight World Champion Deontay Wilder Ringside

Bryant Perrella Earns Unanimous Decision Over Alex Martin &  Stephen Fulton Defeats Adam Lopez in Battle of  Unbeaten Prospects

MIAMI (December 9, 2025) -The co-main event of the telecast saw top heavyweight contender Luis "King Kong" Ortiz (28-0, 24 KOs) deliver a second round knockout of Daniel Martz (16-6-1, 13 KOs) and swiftly call out heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder , who had joined the FS1 broadcast ringside.

The towering heavyweights exchanged words in the ring after the fight, with both men looking forward to a possible matchup in 2018.

"I've wanted you and I'm going to bless you again with another opportunity," said Wilder. "I was ready the first time. This is a new day for you. I think you're one of the best heavyweights in the world and I want to prove that I am the best. We must fight each other. You will have your fight."

"Anthony Joshua doesn't want to fight either of us, let's give the world this fight," said Ortiz. "There will be no excuses. I will be ready to do this for Cuba!"

Ortiz made quick work of his opponent, knocking him down with body shots in round one before delivering a counter left hand that put Martz down and prompted referee Samuel Burgos to stop the fight 43 seconds into round two.

Additional televised action featured welterweight prospect Bryant Perrella (15-1, 13 KOs) return to the ring to drop Alex Martin (13-3, 5 KOs) on his way to a unanimous decision victory."I felt pretty good about the fight," said Perrella. "There are some things I'd like to have done different, but considering I was out for 15 months and injured for a long time, I'm pleased with what I was able to accomplish. I didn't get the knockout after hurting him, but I was able to handle him better than anyone else before me."

Perrella got off to a fast start when he landed a thudding lead right hook from the southpaw stance that put Martin on the canvas. Martin was able to recover enough to survive the round and rebounded to put together several good rounds while showing off impressive boxing ability.

The Florida-native Perrella was able to stabilize his lead and ride the momentum from the early knockdown to victory as he picked up his jab and overall aggressiveness in the second half of the fight. After 10 rounds the judges saw the fight in favor of Perrella by scores of 79-72 twice and 77-74.

The opening bout of the telecast saw a battle of unbeaten featherweight prospects as Philadelphia's Stephen Fulton (12-0, 5 KOs) earned a majority decision victory over Adam Lopez (8-1, 3 KOs).

"I worked hard to get the win," said Fulton. "I had to adjust after the first two rounds but I took the fight to him and controlled the pace. He thought he had me hurt in round two, but it wasn't anything. He landed a good shot but that was it. I never stressed about how the fight would turn out as long as I stuck to the game plan."

Lopez had his best moment of the fight late in round two when he staggered and appeared to hurt Fulton, who took a series of right hands before hearing the bell. Fulton was able to adjust and use his jab effectively while countering and rarely allowing Lopez to cut off the ring. Lopez was successful when he was able to get Fulton pinned against the ropes, but after eight rounds the judges ruled in favor of Fulton by scores of 78-74, 77-75 and 76-76.

Tickets for the Ali Trophy semi-final bout in the cruiserweight edition of the World Boxing Super Series between WBO World Champion Aleksandr Usyk (13-0, 11 KO's) and WBC World Champion Mairis Briedis (23-0, 18 KO's) go on sale on Monday December 11th at 12.00 (Noon) CET, via bilesuserviss.lv  with prices starting at €50.

This biggest Cruiserweight unification fight for several years, takes place at the Arena Riga in Latvia on January 27, 2018.

“Usyk, World Champion and the number one seed in the tournament collides with Briedis, national hero and World Champion. It doesn’t get much bigger than this,” said Kalle Sauerland, Comosa’s Chief Boxing Officer. "The noise from 10.000 fans when Mairis Briedis faced Mike Perez at the Arena Riga in September was one of the highlights of the quarter-finals in the World Boxing Super Series."

And Ukrainian Usyk promises another night to remember for boxing fans at the arena and around the world: “Fans at the arena and in front of their TV’s can look forward to a beautiful and interesting battle between two world champions.”

Said Briedis: “I am looking forward to fight once again in front of the incredible crowd at the Arena Riga and I will do everything to make them proud with another victory.”

Fans are asked to sign-up for ticket alerts at worldboxingsuperseries.com  to receive the ticket link emailed directly to their inbox and avoid disappointment.

Source: World Boxing Super Series [Press Release]

Ahmed Elbiali arrived in New York with his mother and brother when he was just four years old.

Soon, his father began working in Miami, and the family joined him there, where they settled, raising a family just like any other American couple.

Elbiali would travel back to Egypt, his native land, every year since age 11 to see relatives, but that soon became impossible.

You see, he’s a DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Action) recipient, and the Trump Administration is seeking to end the program. Elbiali is one of the 800,000 or so Americans protected by DACA, children who arrived in the United States as illegal immigrants.

With DACA in limbo, Elbiali says he can’t even leave the country.

Luckily, the biggest fight of his career, a Friday meeting with former light heavyweight champion Jean Pascal, takes place minutes outside Miami in Hialeah (9 p.m. ET, FS1).

“I’m living on the edge right now, but I just renewed (my DACA request) in November, I have two years,” Elbiali said during a phone interview with RingTV.com . “I’m Gucci for two years. I’m checking my iPhone every day (for DACA news).

” … It’s only going to last so long. I can maybe have a positive influence on other kids like me. There’s so many better kids than me. Tennis (players) and physicists and doctors. They’re doing good things and they’re DACA, too.

Elbiali (16-0, 13 knockouts) tried out for Egypt’s national team, but after that, the Arab Spring crisis occurred, a series of violent and non-violent demonstrations that broke out in North Africa and the Middle East on December 17, 2010.

The revolutionary wave of protests, riots, coups and civil wars stopped Elbiali from visiting home since 2011. The uprising ended in 2012, but now he can’t go back at all.

Through boxing, he may soon be able to return. But to do, he must keep winning, beginning with his toughest test yet. Pascal is well past his best days, with just two wins in his last five fights. But the Canadian is still a savvy vet levels beyond anyone Elbiali’s faced.

If Elbiali, 27, can rise through the ranks of one of boxing’s most loaded divisions, he can apply for citizenship. To obtain an EB-1 green card, you must show proof of “exceptional ability” in a field, like sports or music.

Winning a title at 175 pounds would certainly prove that, but it’s no easy task. The titleholders right now include Sergey Kovalev, Dmitry Bivol, Artur Beterbiev and Adonis Stevenson.

An impressive victory over Pascal will bring Elbiali one step closer to his dual dream of becoming a citizen and a champion, too.

“I just have to keep winning and my time will come, it’s inevitable,” said Elbiali, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in kinesiology FIU, with a Master’s in international business from Nova Southeastern on hold while he focuses on boxing. “My weight class has the best fighters in it, and it’s a weight class that’s going to be remembered forever. God willing, I’m a part of it, so it’s exciting.”

Elbiali realizes Pascal, 35, is calling this his last fight, but he doesn’t care. He needs to win. Not just to advance his career from prospect to contender, but to bring himself one step closer to staying in the country he loves.

He also knows that if he continues to rise through the sport, he could become the first ever champion from not just Egypt, but the Middle East. Amir Khan and Prince Naseem Hamed are of Middle Eastern descent, but Khan wasn’t born in Pakistan and Hamed wasn’t born in Yemen. They both are natives of England.

“I can help them break through,” Elbiali said. “There’s a ton of good champions from Egypt. … I’m in to win it. I’m here to throw big punches.”

A punch that could secure his ticket back to Egypt, and in the United States for good.

Article by: Mike Coppinger (Ring TV)

You can follow Mike on Twitter at:  @MikeCoppinger 

East London's Copper Box Arena plays host to an evening of championship boxing tomorrow night, as James DeGale makes the fourth defence of his IBF super middleweight title, returning from an eleven-month lay-off against American Caleb Truax (28-3-2, 18 KO's). 

It has been a somewhat frustrating 2025 for the Harlesden southpaw switch-hitter, after being ruled DeGale out for several months following injuries sustained from an unsuccessful unification attempt against then-WBC champion Badou Jack in January.

In an entertaining contest where both men exchanged knockdowns in the first and last rounds respectively, WBC champion Jack rose to his feet and fought in characteristically tenacious fashion for the remainder of the fight. Cheered on by promoter Floyd Mayweather at ringside, 'The Ripper' dramatically floored DeGale in the final round to secure a majority-draw on the scorecards, a verdict many felt was the least Jack deserved on the night.

The loquacious, talented 'Chunky' has made numerous defences of his IBF championship against accomplished operators at 168lbs, and will undoubtedly be looking to assert himself among the division's elite with an emphatic victory on Saturday night.

Also in action, DeGales' featherweight counterpart, Lee Selby (25-1-0, 9 KO's) defends his own IBF strap against undefeated Mexican Eduardo Ramirez (20-0-3, 7 KO's).

Welshman Selby initially captured the title two years' ago with a dazzling display against Russian Evgeny Gradovich, and will most likely be facing his mandatory challenger - undefeated Leeds fan favourite Josh Warrington - in the new year, provided he emerges triumphant from his title defence this Saturday night.

Heavy-handed light heavyweight prospect Anthony Yarde (13-0-0, 12 KO's) faces an opponent who has never been stopped in Nikola Sjekloca (32-4-1, 11 KO's). Nevertheless, the fighter from the Balkans will making his debut at 175lbs against one of the most devastatingly powerful contenders in the division, and it appears unlikely that he will be able to withstand the onslaught that Yarde will unquestionably bring.

Also featured on the card is 6'5" Heavyweight prodigy Daniel Dubois (5-0-0, 5 KO's), a monstrous puncher by all accounts and someone who allegedly knocked down Anthony Joshua in a sparring session. Incidentally, the 20-year-old Dubois is up against former AJ opponent Dorian Darch (12-5-1, 1 KO).

Meanwhile, DeGale, the bonafide main event attraction on the card, has stressed his desire to trade leather with his triumvirate of primary domestic rivals (Smith, Groves, Eubank) - irrespective of who ultimately wins the WBSS – in addition to unifying against the likes of WBC champion David Benevidez and WBO champion Gilberto Ramirez.

A win in style on Saturday night therefore represents a crucial stepping stone for DeGale to realise his aspirations.

Article by: Navi Singh

You can follow Navi on Twitter at: @hombre__obscuro