Who would have predicted earlier in the week that Frank Warren would be on the radio Friday in a heated conversation with Dillian Whyte’s attorney? Their debate over the airwaves is the highlight of five days of preparation for an action-packed weekend that takes you from Buenos Aires to London to Las Vegas via Leeds and Minneapolis.
While the word Escrow may be repeating in your head, here are some other week’s headlines that you may have missed. Welcome to the March 26 edition of Hooks and Jabs.
Charlie Edwards joined his brother Sunny at Probellum. The former WBC flyweight champion signed an endorsement deal this week with Richard Schaeffer’s outfit and the 29-year-old is now aiming to create history and legacy for himself.
“I want the title in the super fly and cross the weight classes, I intend to be one of the greatest boxers in British boxing history,” he said.
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Boxxer’s tournament series returns April 16 at Coventry’s Sky Dome live on Sky Sports. The lightweight division is the focus this time around and tough Rylan Charlton leads the eight-man event. Also included are Dylan Cheema, Tion Gibbs, Scott Melvin, Otis Lookham, Shaun Cooper, Joe Hughes and Brooklyn Tilley. This format consists of 3 x 3 minute rounds in each match with the winner going away with prize money at the end of the night.
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Another addition was made to the May 7 Canelo Alvarez-Dmitry Bivol card in Las Vegas. Mexico’s Gabriel Valenzuela (25-2-1, 15 KOs), who made headlines in his win over Robbie Davies Jr a year ago, faces Matchroom USA’s Montana Love (17-0-1, 9 KOs) in a super light competition . Also, this week, it was confirmed that the IBF heavyweight belt remover between Filip Hrgovic and Zhilei Zhang will also be at T-Mobile Arena.
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Britain’s Jack Massey will make his first defense of his IBO cruiser title on April 30. The 28-year-old beat Bilal Laggoune to claim the title in November at the Bolton Whites Hotel. No opponent announced, but the cruiser Chesher will return to the same site where she defeated the Belgians. The card will be broadcast on FightZone.
“I’m ready to take on another knockout performance and prove I’m one of the best cruisers in the world,” Massey said.
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Hannah Rankin will defend her WBA and IBO women’s super title on May 13 at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro. The Scots face Alejandra Avala of Mexico live on FightZone but is aiming for unity against this year’s WBO champion Natasha Jonas.
“It will be a great fight for women’s boxing – both Tasha and I, world champions, in the same weight class, in this country – both raising the flag for women’s boxing and pushing it’s going forward and trying to be the change in the sport we want to see,” Rankin told Sky Sports.
