From a potentially mouthwatering British heavyweight showdown to Jake Paul’s next fight, it’s been a busy week in the world of boxing. Here are five stories you might have missed.
BBBofC Order Fabio Wardley vs Frazer Clarke
British heavyweight champion Faio Wardley has been ordered by the British Boxing Board of Control to fight Frazer Clarke next.
The BBBofC issued a notice on Thursday for the unbeaten pair to face one another by the end of September, setting up a fascinating contest between two of Britain’s best, and hardest-hitting, up and coming heavyweight stars.
Wardley, who stopped Nathan Gorman in three rounds last November to pick up the title, moved to 16-0 earlier this month with another knockout win over Michael Polite-Coffie on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin at the O2 Arena.
Clarke, a bronze medallist at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, has gone 6-0 as a professional, winning all but one by way of knockout. A fight against Wardley would be his biggest test to date by some distance.
The fighters' promoters have been given until May 10 to agree a deal, after which the contest will be open to purse bids.
Savannah Marshall Set For Undisputed Super-Middleweight Clash?
Savannah Marshall is reportedly set to face WBA, WBC, IBF & WBO super-middleweight world champion Franchon Crews-Dezurn in the UK in June.
The WBC had ordered the American undisputed champion to face Shadasia Green earlier this week, but a deal had already been struck for her to face Marshall and the governing body were happy for that to go ahead and leave Green as the mandatory challenger for the winner.
‘Heavy-Hitting Diva’ Crews-Dezurn has been out of action since clinching the WBA and IBF titles to become undisputed last April, earning a unanimous decision win over Elin Cederoos at Madison Square Garden. Marshall’s last outing was a blockbuster showdown with Claressa Shields for the undisputed middleweight title, which she lost by unanimous decision.
Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank Jr Rematch “Back On”
Liam Smith says a rematch with Chris Eubank Jr is “back on”, but admitted that he would be fighting in June regardless of opponent.
Former world champion Smith upset the odds by stopping his compatriot in four rounds of their first bout at the AO Arena in Manchester.
Eubank Jr activated the rematch clause in his contract, but for a time it looked like he might face Conor Benn, the man he’d originally been set to fight before Smith until ‘The Destroyer’ was suspended by the BBBofC for adverse findings in a drugs test.
Now, according to Smith, the rematch could be back on track. Speaking to iD boxing, he said: “The rematch seems to be back on now and if that’s the case, then that’s the route that we’ll go.
“My next fight will be in June 99.99%,” Smith added. “I’m fighting June, regardless if it’s Chris or anybody. If it’s Chris, I beat him last time and I’ll beat him again.”
Jake Paul To Fight Former UFC Champion Nate Diaz Next
Having been handily beaten by an actual boxer in his last fight, Jake Paul is retreading old ground for his next fight when he takes on another former UFC star in Nate Diaz.
The two outspoken fighting personalities will clash on August 5 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The bout will be contested at a catchweight of 185lbs over eight rounds with 10 ounce gloves. It will be Diaz’s first fight outside of the UFC for 15 years and his first in pro boxing.
"My last fight didn't end the way I wanted, but the result was the best thing that could have happened to my professional boxing aspirations," Paul said in a statement. "Now, the world thinks I am vulnerable, when all I am is more focused than ever. My team wanted me to take an easy fight like KSI next, but that's not how I am built. Nate Diaz is considered one of the most bad-ass fighters of all time, but he and his team have been running their mouths for too long."
Ellie Scotney World Title Fight Moved To June
Last week it was reported that Ellie Scotney had been removed from the undercard of Chantelle Cameron’s undisputed light-welterweight showdown with Katie Taylor on 20 May in Dublin, at Cameron’s request.
Scotney had been in line to face Australia’s Cherneka Johnson for the IBF super-bantamweight belt, her first world title fight, but in a statement said that she had been pulled from the card due to Cameron’s experiences with Scotney's trainer, Shane McGuigan.
On Friday morning, promoter Eddie Hearn announced on Twitter that Scotney vs Johnson has now been moved to June 10th for a “big” show in London. More details on the card are set to drop next week.
