British Scene: Nathan Cleverly vs Danny McIntosh Preview

This Saturday at the York Hall, rising unbeaten prospects Danny McIntosh (pictured landing a right hand on the jaw of Steven Spartacus, photo © Justin McKie) and Nathan Cleverly clash for the vacant British light-heavyweight title. On the line as well will be Cleverly's Commonwealth title belt.

The under-card features former European lightweight champ Jonathan Thaxton taking on tough Essex fighter Tom Glover. Tyson Fury is also scheduled on the show, although an opponent for the young heavyweight has yet to be named.

Matt Chudley has the preview.

Make sure to check out Matt's recap of the show on Monday.

Saturday, July 18 Nathan Cleverly vs Danny McIntosh (ITV4) By Matt Chudley Unbeaten light-heavyweights Nathan Cleverly (16-0) and Danny McIntosh (10-0) headline this Saturday night's show at the York Hall. Cleverly will be putting the Commonwealth title that he won from Tony Oakey last October on the line for the 4th time, while the vacant British crown will also be up for grabs. While both fighters hold low hold knock-out ratios, both have come into their own recently and responded to a higher level of competition with more conclusive victories. McIntosh's last four fights have all ended early, including a picture perfect one punch KO of Rod Anderton on the undercard to Froch-Pascal. Fighting out of South Wales and a former Enzo Calzaghe pupil, the 22 year old Cleverly has shown great improvement over his last five fights and has began to sit down on his punches more. A Mathematics graduate from Cardiff University, he has also shown a large amount of ring savy in capitalizing on his skill set and impressive height at nearly 6'4. Proving to be one of the brighter prospects in the UK, Cleverly is heavily favoured to claim the coveted Lonsdale belt. Danny McIntosh - the house fighter after promoter Mick Hennessy won the purse bids - got a late start to the pro game at the age of 25. He's made up for lost time by moving through the pro-ranks quickly, establishing himself as a British title contender after only 8 fights by capturing the English title with a stoppage win over local rival Steven Spartacus in a heated contest last October. Against Cleverly, he finds himself as the underdog for the first time out and will undoubtedly need to show more than he has to date in order to overcome the slick accurate work of his taller and arguably faster opponent. On the under-card… Jonathan Thaxton (pictured against Juan Carlos Diaz Melero, photo © Justin McKie) takes on Tom Glover in his return to action for the first time since losing his European title to Anthony Mezaache back in February. Now 34 and having engaged in many memorable all out wars with the likes of Ricky Hatton and Eamonn Magee, Thaxton will be looking to stay sharp of a possible clash with John Murray for the vacant British Title this autumn. Glover is on a 3 bout winning streak, having scored narrow points victories over Scott Wolford, Chas Symonds and claiming a DQ win over Nadeem Siddique in his last outing a little over a month ago. Given the styles of the two men, this could very well be the most entertaining of the night’s contests. Heavyweight prospect Tyson Fury also gets another outing against a short notice opponent. With an English title showdown with John McDermott in the works, Fury will be looking to continue his impressive knock out streak and unleash some more headline grabbing sound bytes. e-mail Matt Chudley

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Mark's top 40 at 40: 2

We're all the way down to #2 on the Mark Lyons countdown. If you've been following along with Mark's list, you know he's counting down his 40 favorite fighters to celebrate turning 40 this year.

This week Mark's letting it all hang out in honor of one of the sport's all-time great warriors.

Take it away Mark..

2. Evander Holyfield Career Record: 42-10-2 (27) Three favorite fights: Too difficult to narrow it down to just 3. Recipe for manliness- 1 part Erik Morales, 1 part Joe Frazier, 1 part Matthew Saad Muhammad and 14 parts Evander Holyfield. Back when the Olympics and amateur boxing actually meant something, I watched this man blaze through his competition like a shuttle to outer space. We all know the story of when he destroyed Kevin Barry so thoroughly that he brought Evander up to the podium, so I wont rehash it. I really am at a loss for words and quite honestly I'm both humbled and a little choked up in trying to do justice to this man. It astounds me when I run into people that have hate for perhaps the truest warrior/bad ass this sport has ever seen. He walked into the ring every time (still does) begging his opponent to out-man him. 46 yrs old, undersized and without the majority of his skills... I defy anyone to find the guy who can throw his nuts on the table and have them be bigger than Holyfield's. In fact, all of these steroid allegations came up because Evander needed a way to shrink his balls so they could fit in his pants. "Who wants some?" That's his motto, always has been and always will be. Unfortunately I'm just a working class man, but if I was Donald Trump, I would be offering Chris Arreola a fortune to get in the ring with The Real Deal. If I was down and out, I would bet my food stamps that we'd see Arreola on his face via the greatest left hook the division has ever seen (sorry Joe). For some ridiculous reason, everything about Holyfield is a "can't". The only real "can't" when it comes to Evander are that you can't hurt him, you can't take his punch and you can't beat him. 12th professional fight- 15 rounds with Dwight Muhammad Qawi. Are you kidding me?! One of the most epic wars the sport has ever seen. One of many to come. It's fairly clear that even a lot of modern fans haven't seen that piece of work. Hit me once and I'll hit you back forty times. After cleaning out a few other champs afterwards they rematch... "Qawi has never been off his feet" Oops. KO4 Holyfield. A bit before this was I was telling all my friends that Evander Holyfield was the guy to kick Mike Tyson's ass. Many say it, I lived it, and to the point that people got nauseated by how often I demanded the inevitable. And yeah, any age, anyplace, anytime, Mike Tyson is Evander's bitch. 100 times out of 100. Holyfield would never lose. You know why? Too much man. He would never acknowledge Tyson's hardest punch with anything less than a snarl. The Tyson apologists are nobody to be taken seriously. But at the same time, Mike was shot? His head wasn't in it? Twice? Really? Evander made him a girl when he was supposed to die in the ring. Don't you get it? He is Rocky. All you haters will be telling your kids that you once saw Evander Holyfield dodge a speeding bullet and leap a tall building in a single bound, because he kicked Superman's ass. March 11th, 1989, the day after my 20th birthday, Michael Dokes took him to the limit in the 8th round. You can say this guy is the man as much as you want, but until you see him get hit with 15 or 20 unanswered punches and get pissed about it, you don't really know. After an epic battle, a short, compact hook (the GOAT if you're paying attention) sent Dokes tumbling across the ring until the God of War sprinted across to help his descent to the canvas. Then what? A good bit of ducking from Don King followed. There are many things you can say about King, but keeping Tyson far away from Evander wasn't one of his bad choices. Holy was Mike's daddy 365/24/7, when they finally met it was decided in a matter of seconds. Right hand by Tyson...harder right hand from Holyfield, and a sneer from heaven that said, "Yeah boy, I got you now." That's the most overwhelming thing about Evander Holyfield, he always had you. When he danced with Riddick Bowe in maybe the greatest round I've ever seen and later said "I think I got him", who the hell didn't believe him? Should I go on all night and all day tomorrow? I can. One of the most beloved boxers of his era and conversely one of the most sickeningly underrated. Is there anyone you can confidently take against him? So many memories, for so many years all the way up to the cannonball left hook he sent Lou Savarese to the ground with. Hey Lou, big props baby. Joe Frazier never hit Ali that hard. Oh, by the way, Bert Cooper got brutalized in the very round he "almost stopped Holyfield". What's the best way to counter a wild knockdown? I'd have to say with 75 consecutive uppercuts. YouTube Break Holyfield vs Cooper Legendary Nights: Bowe Part 1 Legendary Nights: Bowe Part 2 Legendary Nights: Bowe Part 3 That trilogy, one of the greatest ever, ruined the victor forever. The refusal from so many to give their respect to Holyfield has made Bowe a somewhat underrated figure in heavyweight history. Would you bet money on Joe Louis against the Riddick Bowe that challenged Holyfield? Me either. The greatest example I have of the fighter and the man Evander Holyfield was from the Jim Rome show hyping the rematch with Lennox Lewis. "It must be crazy watching a guy that big run from me. Who won? Who cares? Why don't we fight until someone gets knocked out?" Lewis was many things, but he wasn't stupid. You don't try to stand up to Holyfield. You can't win. Some personal highlights The first Bowe fight I lost a beard bet with a friend that would go for three months. I had said he would whip Tyson for so long that people remembered it for a decade. I got a call from a long time friend I had lost contact with to say congratulations. The night of, my roomate and I drank a half keg and didn't have anyone else over. It was our night with the great one. I issue a challenge to any reader, show me a fight when Holyfield got outballed and I'll buy you dinner. That's like asking you to show me a sexy Roseanne Barr picture. To recap... -beat supreme bad ass Dwight Muhammad Qawi over 15 grueling rounds in his 12th fight. -became the first man to knock Qawi out. -beat Michael Dokes in an ultimate test of manhood. -destroyed the conquerer of Tyson . -hurt George Foreman with all-time combination punching. -threw the first 40 consecutive uppercut combination in history vs. Cooper. -took Riddick Bowe's prime. -dropped Ray Mercer. -made Mike Tyson his bitch. -avenged his loss to Moorer ten fold (yeah haters, they fought twice). -brought the girl out of Lewis. -knocked out Ruiz with a body shot and then schooled him in the third fight. -kicked Rahman's ass. -schooled Valuev at 46 years old. Buddy, I am ashamed to have one fighter ahead of you, but you have been a bright light in my life. Nobody has proven me right more times than you have. One of history's greatest fighters and quite possibly the greatest warrior the sweet science has ever known. Nobody ever outmanned you and nobody ever will. Someday, God willing, I'll be in heaven listening to the Hendrix/Lennon band, eating steamed crabs and watching Holyfield/Frazier LXXIV. Your impact on boxing is under-appreciated by many, but not here. Evander Holyfield- Champion, warrior, and an inspiration to me always.

Mark's previous entries: Intro, 40-36, 35-31, 30-26, 25-21, 20-16, 15-13, 12-10, 9-8, 7-6, 5, 4 & 3.

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British Scene: Haskins Stops Burnkinshaw

Bristol's Lee Haskins had little trouble with British soldier Ross Burnkinshaw this past Friday night at the Seaburn Centre in Sunderland. Olympic Bronze medalist Tony Jeffries was also in action, picking up his 3rd win to remain perfect as a pro.

Matt Chudley has the recap.

Check out The Boxing Bulletin's preview of this Saturday's Sky Box Office show: Amir Khan vs Andriy Kotelnik Preview

Friday, July 10 Haskins Stops Burkinshaw in 4 By Matt Chudley Southpaw Lee Haskins made a successful first defense of his British super-flyweight title with a one-sided 4th round stoppage of Ross Burkinshaw. In his customary stance with his hands down by his waist, Haskins settled into the contest quickly, using his quick feet, sharp reflexes and upper body movement to avoid the incoming while loading up with powerful hooks and uppercuts from unorthodox angles. Possibly overwhelmed in appearing on live national TV for the first time, Burkinshaw came out extremely tentatively, as he looked to cover up and weather the early storm. Though it was clearly his intention to try and see out Haskin's best, Burkinshaw failed to catch many of the Bristol man's lead-off hooks and uppercuts on his gloves and was shipping clean shots from the opening moments. Despite his impressive height for the weight, Burkinshaw currently lacks a sturdy jab and was unable to capitalize on this advantage and coupled with his flat feet and lack of power it meant the Sheffield fighter posed little threat to Haskins. He briefly opened up midway through the 3rd but went back into his shell after Haskins connected with a right hook. The young soldier began to take sustained punishment in the 4th when Haskins two fisted attack continued to land consistently prompting referee Ian John-Lewis to step between the fighters and call an end to the action. Many felt that the stoppage may have been premature but as soon as the referee advanced, Burkinshaw tried to take a knee and then made no protest after realizing the contest had been stopped. Next up for Haskins appears to be an attractive contest against Frank Warren prospect and unbeaten holder of the Commonwealth title, Don Broadhurst. With Broadhurst being named the mandatory challenger for the Lonsdale belt, purse bids will be called if necessary but Maloney and Warren are on much better terms in recent times and an agreement is likely to be reached. On the under-card… Hometown favourite Tony Jeffries was responsible for selling nearly all the tickets and didn’t disappoint his loyal following, blasting out Ilya Shakuro midway through the 1st round. The limited Shakuro proved too game for his own good, looking to engage the heavy handed Jeffries from the start. With Shakuro dropped and hurt from a left hook to the body, Jeffries pressed on with a vicious two fisted attack to leave the Belarussian defenseless and reeling on the ropes, with ref Gary Williams no choice but to jump in and save the visiting fighter. With the win, Jeffries improved his record to 3-0, while Shakuro falls to 2-2. Fellow North East prospect Travis Dickinson was equally impressive in stopping the 9-6 Hamed Jamali with a short counter right in the second round after suffering a cut from a clash of heads in the first. Also in action, light middleweight Brian Rose extended his unbeaten record to 13-0-1 with a hard fought 8 round decision over durable Frenchman Francis Tchoffa. e-mail Matt Chudley

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Live Blog: Vic Darchinyan vs Joseph Agbeko

Welcome to The Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of Vic Darchinyan vs Joseph Agbeko. With two hard hitting tough offensive minded fighters going at it, we should be in for a good one.

Coverage will start at 9 PM with the main supporting bout of the evening featuring lightweights Antonio DeMarco and Anges Adjaho.

Thanks for joining us for tonight's Boxing Bulletin live blog coverage. If you've been with us before for a live blog, welcome back. If this is your first time, thanks for checking us out. Feel free to participate by giving your scores and comments.

Coverage starts at 9 PM EST Antonio DeMarco 134.5 lbs (21-1-1) vs Anges Adjajo 135 lbs (25-1) - 12 rounds Vic Darchinyan 117.5 lbs (32-1-1) vs Joseph Agbeko 116.5 lbs (26-1) - 12 rounds If you are here early, check out The Boxing Bulletin's preview for tonight's main event, as well as our preview for next week's Khan vs Kotelnik show: Vic Darchinyan vs Joseph Agbeko Preview: It's All The New Raging Bull Amir Khan vs Andriy Kotelnik Preview

Refresh this page often as updates will be frequent 8:30 PM... Check back with us in 30 minutes for the start of tonight's round by round coverage. Before we get started, The Boxing Bulletin wishes to extend our condolences to the family and friends of Arturo Gatti. RIP Champ. 9:03... Showtime boxing is on the air. If you're watching at home along with us, feel free to use the comment form to share your scores and any other opinions you might want to add. 9:06... Gus Johnson and Al Bernstein will be calling the action. 9:09... First up is Antonio DeMarco vs Anges Adjaho. The fighters are in the ring, waiting for the introductions. 9:10... Tale of the tape is almost identical. Both fighters are 5'9, with an almost identical reach. Al mentions that DeMarco's used to being the taller man, so this will be something he's not used to. I'd imagine the same is true for Adjaho. 9:11... Jimmy Lennon Jr. with the intros. 9:14... Intros are complete. Final instructions are being given. 9:15... We're underway. 9:18... DeMarco fighting out of the southpaw stance, while Adjaho is a righty. Action is tentative to start. 1 minute in, and all we've had is some probing jabs from a distance. DeMarco just jabbed to the body, and Adjaho countered with a jab. As DeMarco came forward, he nearly stepped on Adjaho's foot. I have a feeling that might be an issue, as it often is with righty/lefty match-ups. DeMarco just landed a straight left. Johnson mentions that DeMarco is a natural righty and was converted to a southpaw. 30 seconds left in what has been mostly a feeling out first round. Adjaho just threw a jab, and DeMarco countered with a hard straight left on the money that backed Adjaho off and looked like it may have hurt a bit. 9:22... Round 2 is underway. Both fighters with their guard up, flicking jabs out and looking for openings. Adjaho just pressed forward and landed a right hand. Again he comes forward with a flurry. Both fighters very similar in their approach so far - except one is looking to land his straight right and the other his straight left. Al comments that Adjaho is using the jab and straight right, and having success with it. Other than that sharp left hand at the end of the first round, he's looked very comfortable. He's sticking the jab home nicely. Al comments that DeMarco is a little unsure of how to attack so far. Johnson comments that not a whole lot is going on early, and Al mentions that what is going on is coming from Adjaho. Some scattered boos from the crowd as the round comes to an end. 9:26... Johnson mentions that DeMarco also started off very slowly against Kid Diamond. Nice combo from Adjaho. He landed a good right hand to finish that up. He's jabbing, and throwing the right hand to the chest and upstairs. DeMarco looking very cautious. He's occasionally coming forward behind his jab and throwing a straight left. Al comments that DeMarco can't get into position to land his right hook. He just tried to counter a jab with a hook, and Adjaho ducked right underneath it. Adjaho doing nice work with his jab. He just followed it up with a right hand. DeMarco tried to respond but was a little late with his counter. Adjaho with a right hand to the body. Al comments on how passive DeMarco has been so far. Round 3 comes to an end with some more scattered boos from the crowd who wants to see more action. 9:27... DeMarco's corner just told him he's losing. "You got to fight, you got to fight, let's go!" 9:30... Adjaho is sticking the jab in there. Johnson comments that he's showing good head movement as well. He's slipping DeMarco's shots effectively so far, although DeMarco has been reluctant to open up. Adjaho also mixing in the occasional left hook. Good exchange there, with both men landing hard shots. Al again comments that DeMarco just can't find a way to get his right hook going. He lands a decent left hand though and pressed Adjaho up against the ropes. Adjaho fires back. Action moves back into the center of the ring. DeMarco trying to edge forward a little. He's letting his hands go more this round, and just landed a little upper-cut. He comes forward just before the bell with a jab/left combo. Better stuff that round from DeMarco. 9:31... Demarco's corner tells him he needs to keep putting the pressure on - "when you put pressure, he doesn't know whta to do." There was a clash of heads in the round, but no damage. 9:34... Adjaho starts off round 5 sticking his jab in. DeMarco tries to counter with a left, and Adjaho backs off. DeMarco is just short with another straight left. He does land a jab though. Adjaho misses with a hook. Al comments that never in DeMarco's dreams did he anticipate such a tactical fight. DeMarco with a jab and a left hand. He now fires a left tot he body as Adjaho backs into the ropes. He also lands a right hook. Adjaho comes firing back off the ropes though with his right hand. Action heating up here with about a minute to go in the round. Adjaho with a right hand, and then throws another to the body with his short. He just got a nice one through, and DeMarco comes back with his left, and then eats a right from Adjaho in return. Good action there. There's the bell. Good round. 9:35... Adjaho's corner telling him not to wait in there and to stay off the ropes. 9:35... Johnson comments that the two fighters have a lot of respect for each other and were friendly at the weigh-in. Adjaho had to weigh-in twice to make weight. 9:38... Adjaho is just landed a decent left hook about a minute into the round. Best punch of the round so far. He just landed a nice couple of right hands. DeMarco responds with an uppercut. DeMarco tries to follow up with some pressure, and lands a nice straight left. That was on the money. He just missed with a big upper-cut. DeMarco showing some initiative here, and he just landed a big right left hand, which had Adjaho holding on. Adjaho backing off here. DeMarco going after him. Adjaho holds on for a sec, and then fires back and quickly gets on the move. DeMarco just attempted a big left, and Adjaho stumbled as he alluded it - the punch didn't land though - and then as DeMarco went after him, he stumbled and went down. Good last minute of the round for DeMarco. 9:39... A replay showed that their feet got tangled right before DeMarco landed his big left. That's a concern with these two, as their front feet are right up against each other all the time. 9:39... Press row all have Adjaho up. 2 points on 2 cards and 1 point on the other. 9:42... DeMarco is slowly looking like he's taking control here. He's steadily moving forward and commanding his space effectively, while Adjaho is looking to move and then counter. Not too much happening in round 7. DeMarco stalking, but not really having the same kind of success he had in the last couple of rounds. Adjaho flicking out his jab. He just landed a decent left hook. One of the best shots of the round. DeMarco landed a couple good left hands that backed Adjaho up. There's the bell. 9:43... Al mentions that Vic weighed in 6 pounds heavier than Agbeko for the second weigh-in earlier today. 9:46... DeMarco just landed a decent right hook early in the round, but Adjaho responded with a nice right hand. He just landed another nice one. Now he lands a hard combo that shook DeMarco. Adjaho with another combo that backed DeMarco up and he goes after him. Only for DeMarco to rock Adjaho with a counter shot... and now it's Adjaho backing up. DeMarco goes after him. Adjaho doesn't look to steady. Now Adjaho is backing up and circling as DeMarco stalks. Adjaho missed with a hook, and then sticks home a jab. Adjaho looks like he's got his legs back... but he's still on the move. Now DeMarco with a hard left hand. Adjaho tries to counter. DeMarco pressing forward. DeMarco just missed over the top with a left and Adjaho ties him up. Adjaho using his jab to try and keep distance now. There's the bell. Best action of the fight in that one. 9:47... It was a good straight left hand from DeMarco that turned the tide in the 8th. Press row has Adjaho up 78-74, 78-75 and 78-74. 9:48... I have a feeling that it's a little closer than that. Adjaho was up 3-0, but I think DeMarco's won at least 3 of the next 5. Al also seems to think it's a bit closer. 9:50... DeMarco is moving forward, while Adjaho is backing up and circling. He's using his jab well to keep DeMarco at a distance. He's also firing off the occasional straight right, but not as many as he was throwing early in the fight. DeMarco needs to let his hands go a little more. He's been very economical so far in this round. Stalking, but not really opening up. Now he landed a decent left hand. Adjaho responds with a right hand, and a little flurry before moving. Al comments that the round is very close. 30 seconds left. Adjaho sticking some jabs home, and follows with a right hand. DeMarco with a ncie left hand that hurt Adjaho. He's down. He's not getting up. Adjaho says he got hit late. He's not happy. The ref has counted him out. 9:51... Let's see that again. Some confusion here. 9:52... Adjaho was hit by a left hand. He took a knee. DeMarco then hit threw a shot to the back of Adjaho's head - although it didn't really look like it connected with any force. Adjaho then went down face first. He took the count and then he jumped up. "Clearly he was looking for the call." - Al. It looks that way, and it's cost him the fight. 9:53... Adjaho screwed up big time. He should have got to his feet and then complained. The ref was counting over him. If the ref is counting, and you're okay... you get up. You don't wait until the ref's counted to 10 and then start to complain. 9:54... All Adjaho had to do was get to his feet. The round was almost over. He could have said what he had to then. Instead he mind bogglingly chose to stay on the canvas until after the count was done. Crazy. 9:55... Gus Johnson... "The man to blame is Adjaho himself." 9:57... According to the ref, Adjaho backed off and took a knee because he was hit in the eye. That explains why Adjaho backed off so quickly. Nothing though can explain what he did afterward. Even if he was hit while he was down, which is debatable on the replay (his knee may have been touching when the shot grazed the back of his head)... he still should have got up. 10:00... After a bit of a slow start, that was turning into a decent fight. Oh well. The judges had it 85-85, 86-84 Adjaho and 86-84 DeMarco after 9. 10:04... We're waiting for the main-event fighters to enter. 10:09... Still waiting. 10:13... Nate Campbell is in attendance, and being interviewed on his upcoming fight with Timothy Bradley. He's confident of being strong at 140. 10:14... That's coming up on August 1st. Devon Alexander and Junior Witter also on the card. 10:21... The main event should hopefully be coming up soon. 10:22... Vic is ready make his entrance. He's dedicating this fight tonight to the memory of Alexis Arguello. 10:24... Vic is in the ring. Gary Shaw gives him a big hug upon his arrival. Agbeko is now making his way in. 10:25... Agbeko has a big smile on his face as he makes his way towards the ring. Al comments that Agbeko's exuberance reminds him of Azumah Nelson. 10:27... In tribute to Michael Jackson, Agbeko is wearing a white glove over his left boxing glove. 10:28... Both fighters are 5' 5 1/2". Agbeko has a one inch read advantage. 10:29... The ref is Tommy Kimmons. 10:32... We've had the intros and the final instructions and we're ready to get this one underway. 10:36... Vic quickly comes forward, he's probing with the jab, and looking to land his hook. Coming from the southpaw stance of course. Agbeko with his gloves up, sticking out the jab. Now he throws a right which Vic alludes. Agbeko with a right hand that lands. He tries to jump in with a combo, but misses. Vic edging forward, but it's Agbeko who lands a counter. Now Agbeko lands a hook. Vic tries to come back with a left hand, but misses. Vic misses with another left. Now Vic lands a little hook inside. Al just guaranteed that this one isn't going 12 rounds. No chance he says. 1:00 to go in round 1. Vic with a combo, I think he might have gone one through... and then he walks into a big right hand from Agbeko that momentarily staggered him. Vic looking a bit wild here. Agbeko didn't try and press after that shot landed. A good exhange, as Agbeko pressed forward throwing his right. There's the bell. Interesting round. I think there might have been a clash of heads late as Vic was pawing at his head as he walked to the corner. 10:36... It was a right hand that nailed Vic. I think he was a bit off-balance more than anything. 10:40... Vic trying to edge forward and let his hands go. Agbeko though looking comfortable when Vic presses. Vic lands a little uppercut. Then he walks into a big right, but I don't think it quite landed flush. Now Agbeko with a hard right hand. They're trading power shots now. Agbeko tries to jump in with a shot and missed. Vic with a counter that missed. A good exchange there. Agbeko's left hand got in. Action in the center of the ring. Both guys loading up, unafraid to trade big shots. Agbeko a little off balance at times when he jumps in... and of course there's the danger of a clash of heads when he lunges in. Vic landed a nice left that landed. Agbeko responded with his right. Agbeko with acouple jabs. Vic with a shot to the body and a nice uppercut. 10:40... A clip of their heads clashing at the end of the round. Hopefully that doesn't cause a premature end to this one. Vic has a cut over his left eye. 10:44... Agbeko just came inside and tripped over Vic's foot. He went down, but no knockdown. Vic just misses with an overhand left. Vic just misses with a hook to the body. Agbeko with a right right. Vic is sticking the jab out, not trying to land it, but maybe trying to get Agbeko to open up when he does. Agbeko with a left right that's a little wild. Now they clinch. Al comments that Agbeko showing good ability to slip Vic's left. Agbeko jumps in with a right. Vic tries to respond. Agbeko keeps jumping in with that right hand. We'll see if Vic an time him with a bib uppercut or hook when he does that. Vic jumps in with a hook, but misses. Vic came charging in, and got caught as he did so, and nearly tripped over Agbeko's foot, and then they both threw wildly. 10:44... There's a highlight of Agbeko landing a nice straight right. 10:48... We've seen some wild exchanges so far. Someone is going to walk into something big. It seems only a matter of time. Vic just landed a nice left after they both missed with their initial shots. Agbeko again goes down - not a knockdown - this time a forearm combined with maybe a tangle of feet. Now Agbeko lands his lead right. Good action, although it's been a little messy. We've got the southpaw/orthodox thing going on, plus agbeko likes to really jump in when he throws his right. Vic misses with a left hand. Agbeko with a right hand. Al comments that the right hand of agbeko has been the story of the fight. He just landed another one. Vic meanwhile has not been able to land much this round. Vic with a left that misses. Vic with a a left over the top that landed. There's the bell. Vic had a little flurry at the end where he scored a couple of shots. 10:48... Vic's corner is telling him that Agbeko's tired. "He's not strong... take your time." 10:52... We should see some press row scores this round. Vic just missed with a left hand. He's missing over the top a lot with it. Agbeko still jumping in with his right hand. He's landing it. He lands a right to the body. Vic feints with the left and tries to land his right, but misses. Agbeko just missed with a left hook. Agbeko with a right hand. agbeko misses wildy with a left hook. Vic misses wildly in return with a couple of lefts. Now he misses with his hook. He's really having a tough time landing clean. Agbeko with a nice shot downstairs. Agbeko is warned for hitting in the clinch. Vic tries to push Agbeko back into the ropes. Vic with a flurry at the end, although not sure if much landed. 10:52... Vic's corner is working on his nose and his eye. 10:55... We're now in round 6. Agbeko starts it off by landing a straight right. And another. Now Agbeko jumps in and they clinch. He lands another one. Vic's not offering much in return right now. He's lunging in with shots, but having trouble finding the mark. He's flicking out the jab, but not following up. Now he lands a straight left. Vic fires a left hand that just misses over the top. Agbeko with a jab. Follows it up with a right. Vic tries to respond but is short, and Agbeko digs to the body. Vic again misses over the top. JOhnson comments that Vic is having all sorts of problems finding his range. He does just land a nice little uppercut though. Agbeko jumps in and misses with a right. 10 seconds to go in the round. Vic with a nice hook. There's the bell. 10:57... Press row has it 57-57, 59-56 and 58-56 for Agbeko. 11:01... Agbeko with a jab, and vic with a counter left. Agbkeo tries to come forward behind his jab, but is short with a right. Johnson comments on how relaxed Agbeko looks. Action a bit slower this round so far. Both fighers keeping a bit of distance. Vic just lunged forward with a couple shots that came up way short. Agbeko is jumping in with the occasional right hand still. Not landing them with much power, but they are connecting. Vic is responding, but he's having a difficult time landing clean. Vic with a nice left. Agbeko just went down at the end of the round. He says it was a slip, but it's being ruled a knockdown. We'll have to see that again. He's up right away. Not sure what happened there. The round should be over. Not sure what Kimmons is doing here. That was right at the end of the round. At least I thought it was. Finally the round is over. 11:01... Looks like a push there. But it counts as a knockdown. 11:02... Gus Johnson comments... "A number of mistakes in that round." An incorrect call on the knockdown, and an extra minute from the timekeeper. 11:02... Al comments that was a round that Agbeko had won almost all of. That could be a 3 point swing. 11:05... Agbeko just landed a nice combo, and Vic responded with a good shot of his own. Agbeko with a right hand. Vic wildly tries to respond, but misses. Agbeko with a nice right hand. That seemed to bother Vic a little. He tries to counter, but is wild. Agbeko with a right hand and a left hook. Vic is backing up here. Agbeko with a good spurt there. 1:00 to go in the round. Vic lunges in, and gets tagged in return with a hook. Now Vic lands a left. Agbeko with a right hand. Vic misses with a counter. Now Vic drills Agbeko low... and we'll have a break here. Agbeko says he's fine and is ready to go. 18 seconds left in the round. "Keep them up." Kimmons says. Some great action over the last 15 seconds, as both guys traded wildly. Agbeko looked a little wobbly as he goes back to the corner. He may have got tagged clean with something big during that exchange. 11:06... It was a right hook that landed low from Vic. Their heads were banging away at the end of the round, and that might have wobbled Agbeko. 11:10... We're now in round 9. Al comments that Vic's left hand has been a little more effective in the last couple rounds. Vic with a nice left hand. Agbeko took it well. Agbeko misses wildly and nearly slips, but regained his balance. Vic with a straight left. Agbeko jumps back in with a right. Now Agbeko misses wildly with a hook. Al comments on how wide both men are when they open up. Al comments that Agbeko's hands have come down a lot. Vic jumps in with a hook. He just misses with a left hand. Agbeko comes back with a wild hook. Vic with an nice right hand. A good exhange with both fighters landing. Vic with another decent left hand. 10 seconds left in the round. Another good exchange, which I think Vic got the better of. And they trade again as the round comes to a close. 11:10... Press row has it 86-85 twice for Agbeko, and 85-85 on the other card. 11:14... Agbeko jumps in and misses. They trade and Vic lands a little right hook in close. Agbeko is getting wilder. He just missed with a wild left hook. Perhaps getting a little tired. Now he lands a decent left hook. Their heads clash again. That's happened a bunch of times, but Vic wasn't happy about that one as he got the worst of it. Agbeko with a right hand. Agbeko with a left hand. Vic's right eye is bloody now. Agbeko with a right hand. Vic's looking a little rough suddenly. Now Vic throws Agbeko down. Agbeko gets right back up and he's ready to go. They get right back in there throwing. Vic misses over the top with a left, and Agbeko fires to the body. Agbeko with a right hand. Vic misses with a left. Agbeko with a hook, and Vic responds with a left hand. Agbeko fires back with his own right. 20 seconds to go in the round. They both miss with shots. Agbeko working the body in close. Now they clinch. There's the bell. Vic's eye looks nasty. It happened from that clash of heads. 11:14... Vic's face is a bit of a mess right now. 11:17... Agbeko with a right to start the round. Now he lands a left hook. Vic complained about a low blow, but Kimmons missed it. Now Vic responds by pushing Agbeko backwards and to the ground. Agbeko gets back up and we're back underway. Things are getting rough in there. Al comments that Vic very well might need a knockout to win. Agbeko jumps in with a right. Agbeko with another right. Vic needs to get something going here if he's going to pull this out. Agbeko is the one showing more initiative this round. Vic tries to hold him in close, and Agbeko drills a couple shots into the ribs. 1:00 to go in the round. Gus Johnson brings up the controversial knockdown which might loom large when the final totals are added up. Agbeko though is taking things to Vic this round. He's the one throwing shots and coming forward. Vic is looking a little ragged. Agbeko with a flurry. Now there's a clinch. Both flurry as the round ends. 11:21... Agbeko with a right hand early in the round that lands. They got a bit tangled up int he clinch there. Vic lunges in wildly and misses. Agbeko with a right hand that lands. 2:00 left in the round. Vic lunges in again and misses wildly. Agbeko lands a straight right. Both men looking tired, as they clinch. Agbeko jumps in, but misses with a right. 1:30 to go in the fight. Agbeko tries to throw his right, and they again get tied up. Vic tries to respond, and there's another clinch. Been a sloppy 12th round. Agbeko misses with a hook. Vic tries to respond, but he's short. There's another clash of heads. Agbeko jumps in with a right. They clinch again. Agbeko with a good right hand. Vic misses with a left hand. Vic tries to jump in and flurry here as the round comes to a close. There's the bell. 11:22... Agbeko is jubilant at the bell. Vic looks quite subdued. 11:23... Agbeko gets a hug from Don King who says, "You did it! You did it!" 11:24... Don King with some choice words about Tommy Kimmons. Vic's eyes both have nasty looking cuts. They show a replay of the "knockdown", which I imagine is one of the things that upset Don. It should be said that it was a rough encounter all around and not the easiest fight to ref. 11:25... Jimmy Lennon Jr. with the scores... 116-111, 114-113, 114-113 all for the winner... Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko. 11:26... I think those scores are a little generous to Vic. 11:27... Jim Gray talking with the winner. He's a very happy man. 11:28... Press row had it 116-112, 116-112 and 115-112 for Agbeko. 11:30... Jim Gray is talking with Darchinyan. Vic has no complaints with the decision. He said he was trying too much to land one big shot. Vic credits Agbeko's movement for not letting him find the position to land something big. To close he says, "I'm going to work on my mistakes." 11:31... That's it for the Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of tonight's show. Antonio DeMarco and Joseph Agbeko are your winners. I hope you enjoyed our coverage, and please join us again next time.

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Vic Darchinyan vs Joseph Agbeko Predictions

The "Raging Bull" Vic Darchinyan makes the move up to bantamweight tomorrow night when he takes on Joseph "King Kong" Agbeko at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida.

The Boxing Bulletin writers offer their thoughts on the match-up after the jump...

Check back with us at 9PM EST Saturday night for our live blog of this event starting with the supporting bout between Antonio DeMarco and Anges Adjaho.

Very tough fight for me to get a handle on. Both men are powerful and tough, Vic is probably a bit smarter in there. I know that sounds odd but he isn't as crude as we all thought he was. I have a feeling it's going to be, rough, exciting & tight. I'll take Darchinyan by split, with zero confidence in the winner or the method. - Mark Lyons

I'm really looking forward to this one. Two tough fighters with an offensive mentality in there means we should see some real fireworks. As for the winner - I'm in the same mind as Mark... leaning ever so slightly towards Darchinyan, but not by enough to make a confident pick. - Andrew Fruman

I'm taking Agbeko by late stoppage. Basically, I'm not confident Darchinyan can take heat from a strong guy his own size. Donaire, Pacheco, and Gorres all hurt him to varying degrees. Mijares isn't much of a puncher and Arce barely laid a glove on him. Still a hard fight to call since Agbeko is wide open for a counter uppercut, Vic's bread and butter. But I feel upset season began with Maidana, continued with Chambers, and will keep rolling this weekend. - Michael Nelson

Agbeko's poor balance will hurt him at times, but he'll be the one throwing more, and I think he'll find a home for the straight right. Should be a real war. Could go either way after 12. - Lee Payton

I like Darchinyan here. Agbeko is a world class fighter, but Vic is a more dynamic commodity and I think his speed and power advantage will be evident early. Should be an entertaining fight either way. - Jeff Pryor Check out Jeff's preview of the fight: Vic Darchinyan vs Joseph Agbeko Preview: It's All The New Raging Bull

Additional Thoughts from Boxing Blogger, Joseph R. Holzer: Darchinyan's bottomless well of confidence will prove to be his greatest disadvantage if he chooses to stand and trade with Agbeko. The Raging Bull must become the matador and catch the charging Ghanaian from various angles. Agbeko can bang with both hands, so Darchinyan -- who tasted canvas against Nonito Donaire -- can't be content with standing in the titlist's wheelhouse. If Vic goes flat- footed, he'll be on his back again. I don't think the three added pounds will diminish Darchinyan's pop, either. He has the quicker hands of the two. Agbeko, who appears off balance anyway, won't be able to load up hard right hands if Vic utilized his awkward lateral movement consistently. Darchinyan has to stay on his toes and use the ring, much like William Gonzalez did in the ninth round against Agbeko. It was the clearest round for Gonzalez that night. His decision to shy from that approach throughout the middle rounds lost Gonzalez a close decision. I don't know what they put in the water in Accra, but -- like countryman Joshua Clottey -- Joseph appears to have a solid beard. Gonzalez landed some devastating-looking straight lefts, and Agbeko seemed unphased. He doesn't go to the body as much as he should, and that would be beneficial against Darchinyan. Taking the wind out of Vic's sails early is key. King Kong showed signs of running out of steam in the championship rounds with Gonzalez. He's only fought three times in the last two years as opposed to Darchinyan, who has doubled that amount against quality opposition including Mijares, Arce and Gorres. Agbeko has shared the ring with only about seven guys with a pulse, so there is a question of whether he can acclimate to a bout of this prominence. Agbeko's jab is all but non-existent, so Darchinyan should be able to land his patented sneaky right hook often. Joseph leads with his head, often inviting the uppercut. That's his downfall, and that's my call. Vic lands said uppercut, sidesteps right for the hook and flattens King Kong with a straight left in the 11th round of a fight of the year candidate. Check out Joseph's blog: Pugilism 101

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Amir Khan vs Andriy Kotelnik Preview

Dave Oakes previews next Saturday's big Sky Box Office show from Manchester featuring Amir Khan and Andriy Kotelnik.

Amir Khan takes a step-up in weight and class on 18 July when he faces WBA light-welterweight champion Andreas Kotelnik in what is sure to be an intriguing match up at the M.E.N Arena, Manchester.

Khan is coming off a career best victory against a faded Marco Antonio Barrera and is brimming with confidence, whilst this will be Kotelnik’s first fight since winning on a split decision against Marcos Maidana in February.

The Maidana victory is looking far more impressive since Maidana went on to stop the much touted Victor Ortiz in the sixth round of an up and down tear up last month. Kotelnik had his hands full against Maidana and had to show courage, strength and stamina as well as his usual technical prowess and solid chin to get him through the fight.

Make sure to check out The Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of this event.

Kotelnik is a clever boxer who always takes the first few rounds of a fight to watch his opponent and work out a game plan to beat him. He’s very methodical in the way he goes about the job, he never throws desperate punches, always keeps his chin tucked in and is very astute when it comes to identifying and exploiting his opponents’ weaknesses. He doesn’t do anything exceptionally; he just keeps plugging away and adjusting to what his opponent does, he’s very much a textbook boxer.

Despite the fact that this will be Khan’s first fight at light-welterweight, I don’t think the added weight will have a negative effect on him. He’s tall enough to carry the extra weight well and looked much bigger than Kotelnik at the recent press conference for the fight.

A lot of people are wrongly viewing Kotelnik as a step down from Khan’s last fight against Barrera. Barrera may be a bigger name than Kotelnik but he’s well past his best and was much smaller than Khan. In other words, it was the perfect fight for Khan to look good in. That’s not to take anything away from Khan, who did a thorough job against him and looked much better defensively than he had done previously.

The move to Freddie Roach’s Wildcard Gym might be the best decision Khan has ever made. In the two fights under Roach’s tutelage, Khan has looked a much more rounded boxer; he now seems content to wait for his opportunity to attack rather than trying to force the knockout from the opening bell. There has also been a vast improvement in his footwork and defence; he’s stopped bouncing around as much as he used to and keeps his hands higher and tighter around his chin than before.

His chin remains the major worry for Khan. He still claims that his chin is solid but he’s been dropped and hurt that many times in a short career that it’s become obvious that he doesn’t take a punch well at all. The feather fisted Willie Limond, had him down and staggering around like a drunk, career super-feather Michael Gomez dropped him heavily and Breidis Prescott had him down and then out inside a round in Khan’s only defeat in the paid ranks.

The Prescott defeat may be a blessing in disguise for Khan, he seemed to think he was invincible before that fight and it must have been a real shock to him that he was blown away so easily by someone who was relatively unknown until then. That defeat brought about the change in trainer as well as a change in attitude for Khan. Out went the easy distractions and celebrity lifestyle in his hometown of Bolton; in came hard work, hard sparring and anonymity in Roach’s well run gym. Khan seems to be thriving in these new conditions and will be much better equipped to challenge for a world title now than he was twelve months ago.

Kotelnik might not be a big puncher, with only thirteen of his thirty-one victories coming inside the distance, but he’s very accurate and is capable of hurting Khan if he lands clean combinations like he did against Gavin Rees when winning the title in March of last year.

Kotelnik had an easy night against Rees, as the much smaller man struggled to penetrate Kotelnik’s defence and found himself getting caught more and more as the fight wore on. Rees’ face was bloody and swollen when he was stopped in the 12th round.

The victory over Rees was Kotelnik’s second attempt at the world title after a draw against Soulemayne M’Baye in his first effort. He’s also got a loss against M’Baye and a loss against former world champion Junior Witter in what are the only two defeats on his otherwise impressive record.

There’s a feeling in Kotelnik’s camp that their man will be too experienced and will break Khan down in the later rounds. It’s a point well worth making that Khan has only gone the championship distance on one occasion, a one-sided drubbing of Gairy St Clair, where as Kotelnik has gone the distance on nine occasions. Khan looked comfortable in doing twelve rounds against St Clair but there was very little for him to worry about in a fight that was barely more than a sparring session.

I believe Khan has the stamina be able to box the full twelve rounds but his concentration level has got to be spot on if he wants to avoid another defeat. Controlled aggression is what Roach will be looking for, if Khan can box to instructions and not get carried away by the atmosphere and occasion, he should be able to out-speed and outwork Kotelnik to take a points decision around the 117-111 mark.

A busy undercard sees Enzo Maccarinelli in a make or break fight against the undefeated Denis Lebedev. It will surely be the end of Maccarinelli’s career if he suffers another defeat after being knocked clean out in two of his past three fights.

Kell Brook, the hottest prospect in Britain, defends his British welterweight title for a third time against the light punching but always competitive Michael Lomax. Brook should get some much needed rounds under his belt before stopping Lomax in the mid to late rounds.

Matthew ‘El Torito’ Hall makes the first defence of his Commonwealth light-middleweight title against the big mouth from the south, Anthony Small. The slick, switch-hitting Small will be an awkward opponent for the short and aggressive Hall. That said, I believe Hall will knock Small out if he can get on the inside and land his trademark hooks.

The undercard also sees the further development of the Olympic stars of Beijing, with Frankie Gavin, James De Gale and Billy Joe Saunders all participating in four rounders.

e-mail Dave Oakes
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British Scene: Haskins vs Burkinshaw Preview

Sky will be in Sunderland this Friday night for the Lee Haskins vs Ross Burnkinshaw British super-flyweight title fight. Haskins will be attempting the first defense of the crown he won last November from Andy Bell.

The card also features fan favourite light-heavyweight Tony Jeffries. The Olympic bronze medalist will be making his 3rd pro appearance in a 4 rounder against Ilya Shakuro.

Matt Chudley has the preview.

Make sure to check back in after the weekend for Matt's recap.

Friday, July 10 Lee Haskins vs Ross Burkinshaw (Sky 2) By Matt Chudley This Friday night at the Seaburn Centre in Sunderland, Lee Haskins defends his British Super-flyweight title against serving British Soldier Ross Burkinshaw. The main attraction and reason why both Haskins and Burkinshaw are fighting more than 100 miles from home is the occasion of Tony Jeffries's third pro fight. The Olympic Bronze medalist and North-East sports personality of the year has quickly emerged as a fan favourite and huge ticket seller. In a similar vein to Ricky Hatton, Jeffries has a strong affiliation with his local football team and possesses a humble yet jovial disposition. With Sky Sport's minimum requirement for a live Friday Fight Night card being a British or Commonwealth title fight, it can be expected that many a Frank Maloney promoted title fight will gravitate to the Tyne and Wear vicinity over the next few years. Defending his Lonsdale belt for the first time, Lee Haskins will be looking to remain unbeaten below Bantamweight. The once hyped prospects' two defeats both came at the 118lb limit, in a one sided 6th round stoppage at the hands of the classy Tshifhiwa Munyai and then a withdrawal after 7 rounds against Ian Napa due to a hand injury. Struggling to make 112lbs and having come unstuck at bantam, Haskins believes he has found his niche following the 2007 introduction of the British super-flyweight title and will be looking to rebuild his career there after having featured in the WBO top 10 at flyweight back in 2006. Currently a member of the Rifles Regiment of the British Army, the 22 year old Burkinshaw will be contending for the Lonsdale belt in only his 10th professional fight. Holding a 6-1-2 record and formerly a two time combined services champion in the amateurs, Burkinshaw has been given the opportunity to fight in the paid ranks as part of a PR move by the Army. With his only defeat resulting from a dislocated shoulder and being tall for the weight at 5'8, the teak tough soldier will present some interesting problems for the wild southpaw from Bristol who struggled with the superior reach of Munyai previously. The undercard... The aforementioned Jeffries will take on 2-1 Belarussian Ilya Shakuro in the featured preliminary. The 20 year old Shakuro is on a two fight winning streak, after starting his career with a loss last November. Also on the bill is fellow Northumberland prospect Travis Dickinson. Dickinson won two junior ABA titles defeating blue chip prospect George Groves in the process and will be joined on the card by his brother Jon-Lewis. Travis will take on 9-6 Iranian Hamed Jamali over 4 rounds at light heavyweight, while Jon-Lewis will go against a short notice opponent over 4 at cruiserweight. Brian Rose 12-0-1 will also see action against 5-2 Frenchman Francis Togba Tchoffo in a 154lb 8 round contest. e-mail Matt Chudley

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Vic Darchinyan vs Joseph Agbeko Preview: It's All The New Raging Bull

Jeff Pryor previews this Saturday night's highly anticipated Showtime main event between bantamweights Vic Darchinyan and Joseph Agbeko.

Photo © Tim Barry / timbarry.wetpaint.com

It is fraught with peril, he whosoever chooses to take the name of a legendary boxer... few have ever succeeded in such an endeavor. Ray Leonard and Shane Mosely are on that short list. Jack Dempsey too.

Jake Lamotta, though known more colloquially as "The Bronx Bull" is probably better known by todays era of fans as the "The Raging Bull" due of course to Scorsese's movie. Lamotta in his heyday, and even now sitting ringside in his cowboy hat is a real character and was a great middleweight prize fighting champion. The only man to beat Ray Robinson in his first 130 fights. Big shoes to fill for anyone looking to shoulder the mantle of the "Bull".

There are few boxers like Vic Darchinyan. Brash and disrespectful, insulting and arrogant. Blazingly devastating, and diabolically awkward. Perhaps most closely related to Prince Naseem Hamed in the boxing family tree; he is equally as despised by many, dynamically difficult to match up with and non too shy in proclaiming exactly the hellfire he is about to rain down upon his opponents.

Make sure to check out The Boxing Bulletin's live blog coverage of this event

The pint sized Armenian is often seen stalking menacingly towards his opponent, chest puffed out like some muscle bound mouse, part menacing, part hilarious. But for all his overwrought trash talking bravado and hyperbole he has backed it up in spades about 97% of the time.

As he steps into the ring with "King Kong" Joseph Agbeko this weekend, another fighter with a nickname built of hollywood homage, this Blockbuster Brawl ought to provide as much entertainment as a few hype job summer popcorn flicks; complete with explosive action, cheesy one liners such as "I will transform 'King Kong' Agbeko from champion to chimpion" and a predictable ending, in this case a triumphant Vic Darchinyan.

Some would argue that the ending is far from scripted, that Agbeko has a decent shot at the upset and maybe he does, in the sense that any iron chinned Ghanian who can punch does.

On the list of attributes that Agbeko can claim to hold over Darchinyan, however, there are few to name. He has been the bigger man, fighting, (in so far as I can tell, as most of his bouts were in Ghana and for which details are sketchy) at as high a weight as 121lbs., though he only holds a half inch height advantage over Darchinyan.

It's hard to find another category in which Agbeko could be said to hold an advantage. Darchinyan brings more to the table in virtually every meaningful area; he has shown more explosive power, speed, and boxing skill. He has an extensive amateur career as well as top flight pro opposition which he has nearly unilaterally destroyed.

On the other hand Agbeko's record is shrouded in the ambivalence of fighting the vast majority of his career in Ghana. You've never heard of any of the opponents he faced there... their own mothers might not have heard of them, and due to the corruption involved in the sport within the country, it is impossible to ascertain the true records of those names which make up the meat of Agbeko's work there. In looking over his tally it would probably be generous to say that Agbeko has been in the ring with approximately seven live bodies. If one were being critical, you might say only three. And one of those, Wladimir Sidorenko, he lost to.

In his previous two bouts, also his only meaningful wins, against Luis Alberto Perez (25-1) and William Gonzalez (21-2), Joseph was entertaining and tough, but inconsistent. He has attributes that should make him a real challenge for Darchinyan or any other top prizefighter, but like his countryman Joshua Clottey he may not have that extra something it often takes at the very highest level of the sport.

While in my opinion Agbeko is merely grist for Darchinyan's proverbial mill, the reason why you should tune in to watch the little dynamo fight is not because of the outcome of this bout, but because of what will precede it.

Darchinyan's stalking, smirking, systematic slaughter of opponents is a sight to see.

In keeping with the Hollywood motif that permeates this bout (or at least this hack-kneed article), for a moment let's go "Back to the Future".

If you've only come to know Vic Darchinyan over his stint on Showtime the last few years, then seeing him at the start of his career might be a bit of a revelation to you. The earliest pro incarnation of "The Raging Bull" was decidedly less raging. Quick, precise and even patient, Vic 1.0 was a terrificly skilled boxer. With solid defense and effective offense, you get the sense, when watching his first ten bouts or so, that Darchinyan was slow to shed the amateur mindset. Understandably so in that his extensive career included 176 fights and an appearance at the 2000 Olympic games.

Darchinyan's debut against Sande Kizito was fought at a surprisingly high level of competence for two men whose combined record was 0-0-0. Darchinyan ground out a hard fought 6 round decision and even re-matched Kizito twice. The second bout getting another nod in a slightly easier affair, and then finally knocking Kizito out in seven, to round out the one sided, but competitive trio of fights.

Those three bouts took place over the course of Vic's first seven fights. As one watched his progression, it was clear that while their initial bout was fought on virtually even terms, Darchinyan was improving at a much faster rate than old Sande Kizito was. One wonders why exactly Kizito's people insisted on shoving him back in with Vic over and over. In fact, Kizito faced Darchinyan three times and an 18-0 Hussein Hussein once, all in his first six fights. Talk about a murder's row to start your career with.

Vic 2.0 beta version, really didn't appear until midway through his career. After that trilogy and a series of fights against tough, but outclassed opposition, almost all of which Darchinyan had begun to knock out, a subtle shift in his style started to take place. Around the time he fought Wandee Singwancha for the second time, which would be his 18th fight, he had started to gain confidence in his power. His boxing started to take more and more of a backseat to his grandstanding power game.

That confidence would eventually change to utter infatuation, around the time he began to show up on Showtime regularly a few fights later. At this point he was the full version of Vic 2.0. An awkward crablike monstrosity of a pug toughman, who, with a mocking sneer on his lips, would strut forward and dash straight left hand after straight left hand into his opponents face, daring them to try and keep their feet under the assault.

Caution was thrown to the wind, defense was thrown out the window and virtually all semblance of his boxing acuity was sacrificed in his lust for destruction. With each concurrent fight his pre-bout banter grew more coarse and his in the ring ferocity more brutal, eventually putting Victor Burgos in the hospital and on the edge of death.

The zenith of his arrogance came as he stepped into the ring against Nonito Donaire in mid 2007. Though his usual brawling tactics were not working, he continued without change and ultimately failed to realize that though Donaire was the naturally bigger man, he was also the faster.

After suffering his first loss in that knockout of the year, Darchinyan 3.0 has emerged. A dynamic combination of the best parts of the two earlier versions of himself. This new Vic maintains the viciousness and explosiveness of recent years, but combines it with the discipline and boxing ability that he had strayed from at the height of his success.

This new animal is one who has impressively blown out a solid contender in Dimitri Kirilov, knocked out a pound for pound technician in Cristian Mijares and ground down a battle tested and courageous warrior in Jorge Arce.

Rarely do fighters truly learn from their losses. Darchinyan has proven to be unique in this way too, remaking himself into a more complete fighter, by adding back in what he willingly subtracted. He is now a balanced fighter. Violently combustive with leaping left hands and an unpredictable pawing, hooking right, all the while maintaining a sneaky defense that appears much more porous than it really is.

It appears that as he has moved up in weight, from flyweight to super flyweight, his power has clung to him with devastating effect. Should that continue to hold, his run at Bantamweight should be as entertaining as everything he has brought us so far. Particularly if a match can be made with Fernando Montiel, the hard hitting technician who like his countryman Juan Manuel Marquez has recently shed his reputation for clinical performances to infuse action and drama into his bouts.

Montiel vs. Darchinyan is among the best fights that can be made in the sport and one only hopes we get to see it before one or the other of them begins the inevitable twilight of their career, such as was the case with Jorge Arce who was a couple years past his optimum time to have faced Darchinyan.

One thing can be certain when talking about Vic Darchinyan's immediate future and his place in the sport. He is filling a role that some embrace and others despise. The lovable villain. So brashly cocky that you almost have to admire him.

Though equally polarizing, the difference between what Vic does and what a Floyd Mayweather jr. has done, is that while each have proclaimed what devastation lies ahead for their opponents, Darchinyan has backed it up in the ring.

It's not the bold, sometimes ridiculous, even offensive braggadocio that marks Darchinyan as a special fighter. It's what he does after saying these things that makes him someone to watch. Whether it be in hopes of his humiliating defeat or of his smugly victorious mighty mouse facade once he's dispatched another adversary.

While we've had our share of famous Sugar's in the sport, the big shoes of Jake Lamotta are ironically being filled by a pugilist who tips the scale at just under 120lbs.

Darchinyan has proven that he is worthy of his legendary namesake, not just for his eccentric style and trash talking, but for the very real devastation he unleashes in the ring.

As he steps in to face "King Kong" this weekend, it's nice to know that when Vic asked Agbeko earlier "Where would you like me to hurt you most? In the body or in the face?" That he was actually taking notes.

It's with this attitude that "The Raging Bull" has stomped, snorted and sneered his way to a legacy befitting his fabled title.

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Slimmed-down Eddie Chambers Dominates In Germany

Michael Nelson gives his thoughts on Eddie Chambers' performance yesterday in his impressive victory over Alexander Dimitrenko.

"Fast" Eddie Chambers proved the naysayers wrong Saturday, thrashing the favored Alexander Dimitrenko. One of those naysayers being me.

He said he'd snatch the WBO title eliminator by winning so convincingly he couldn't be denied victory, even in Dimitrenko's backyard. Judge Paul Thomas tried his best to deny him anyway with an incomprehensible 113-113 card (more on him later), but his two colleagues made certain that justice prevailed with scorecards of 116-111 and 117-109. I was a non-believer, having heard Eddie say the same before, just to look hesitant and lackluster against Calvin Brock, Alexander Povetkin, and Sam Peter.

An indication that he wasn't selling wolf tickets this time was when he weighed in at 208 and 1/4th pounds Friday, the second lowest of his nearly nine year career. He didn't exactly have a six-pack, but he was clearly more defined in his chest, back, and shoulders. The man came to put some hurt on his much larger foe.

The first four rounds were competitive, though largely controlled by the Pennsylvania native. Dimitrenko found it difficult to hit his 6'1" inch target, as Chambers did a good job slipping jabs and ducking under right hands. And every time Dimitrenko left his left hand out as a measuring tool, Chambers didn't just slap it away, he nailed it with a left hook. Fast Eddie was showing wrinkles to his game that seemed to frustrate the 26 year old giant.

In round five, the beating began; Chambers would move Dimitrenko around with stiff jabs and counter right hands, and strafe him with him left hooks and uppercuts when he got him along the ropes. Compounding Dimitrenko's issues was the punishment he received whenever Chambers directed his attention towards the midsection. He turned his back to Chambers and doubled over in pain in the 7th while complaining about a kidney punch as Referee Genaro Rodriguez gave him a standing eight count. Alexander would react badly to a body shot at least two other times in the remainder of the fight.

Eddie punctuated the most impressive win of his career by knocking Dimitrenko down with a beautiful left hook in the 10th, and rocking him several times in the final stanza.

To be sure, while Chambers noticeably increased his punch output, he wasn't exactly '92 Holyfield in there. He had a hurt, gassed man in front of him throughout the second half of the bout and didn't apply enough pressure to stop him. He still lacks a certain blood lust. But he threw his hands enough to be dominant, and if he continues fighting at that pace against opponents more dangerous than Alexander Dimetrenko, he'll be a tough man to handle for anyone.

Indeed, something is in the air. 2009 has been a comeback year for talented fighters who have refused to let their hands go in the past. In the last four months, we've seen Brian Viloria, Rocky Juarez, and now Eddie Chambers give inspiring efforts against opponents who were sizable favorites over them. Each man has recently been through a rebuilding process with a new, highly acclaimed trainer. In Eddie's case, Rob Murray Sr., who trained Steve Little and Will Taylor, took over after the Povetkin fight to smooth some of Eddie's technical deficiencies.

It appears to have paid off. Now he's in line for a shot at Wladimir Klitschko. If he comes in similar shape, he may make it an interesting fight. He'd undoubtedly have to apply more even pressure, and learn how to work harder inside of the clinch against someone who would drape his arms over him as soon as he got close.

But for now the slimmed-down Chambers has introduced himself as a major player in the division. A David amongst Goliaths, he may be the best heavyweight America has.

113-113?

Judge Paul Thomas managed to score Saturday's fight 113-113. Think about that. He found seven rounds to give to Dimitrenko.

I've seen incompetence, and this is stretching beyond incompetence. To score seven rounds for Dimitrenko would mean to give at least two of Chambers' dominant rounds to the German in addition to the competitive ones. There weren't seven rounds anywhere near close enough to even feign legitimacy for a 113-113 scorecard.

Thomas, a man from the United Kingdom, seems to have become favored by the German promotion company Universum. This year, he's judged bouts involving Firat Arslan, Denis Boytsov, Ruslan Chagaev, and Andriy Kotelnik.

Make your own conclusions.

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British Scene: 2009's Best Fights (so far)

It's been an exciting six months in British and Irish rings, and with no shortage of quality battles to choose from, Dave Oakes and Matt Chudley had a difficult task in paring down the list of worthy candidates.

Here are their choices...

Make sure to check out The Boxing Bulletin's British Scene every Monday and Thursday for previews and recaps of all the big fight cards from the UK and Ireland.

1. Bernard Dunne vs Ricardo Cordoba Photo © Eoin Campbell Not many people gave Dunne a chance when he challenged the tough Panamanian for the WBA super-bantamweight title in March, and even fewer people thought he would stop Cordoba. That’s exactly what he did though, in what was a thrill a minute fight that included six knockdowns and some ferocious exchanges. Dunne’s chin was being questioned going into the fight after his one round capitulation against Kiko Martinez, but he showed tremendous resolve in getting off the canvas twice in the 5th round. This was after he’d already dropped Cordoba in the 3rd and was looking the stronger fighter, the knockdowns allowed Cordoba a way back into the fight but Dunne was not to be deterred and fought back toe-to-toe to eventually wear down Cordoba in the 11th round, dropping the champion three times before the referee stopped the fight. - Dave Oakes Check out the rest of Eoin Campbell's photos from this memorable bout. 2. Tony Quigley vs Tony Dodson Down on the cards, Tony Quigley dramatically stopped fellow Scouser Tony Dodson in the last round of their British super-middleweight title clash. The tiring Dodson had recovered brilliantly after being down, cut and close to being stopped in the 2nd round to build up an unassailable lead on the scorecards going into the 11th. Needing the stoppage, Quigley hurt Dodson late in the round, and piled on the pressure in the 12th, capping the stirring comeback by sending Dodson to the canvas twice, forcing referee Victor Loughling to call a halt to the thrilling contest. - Matt Chudley 3. Martin Rogan vs Matt Skelton Despite the lack of talent and exciting fights on the world stage, the British heavyweight scene has shown some very promising signs this year with the emergence of a handful of exciting prospects. Whilst the youngsters were learning their trade, it was two of the older fighters that provided the best heavyweight fight of the year so far. The likable Martin Rogan won the Commonwealth title after a bruising encounter with the usually dire to watch Matt Skelton. Rogan was the aggressor throughout the fight but Skelton had his moments and put in a gutsy effort. The fight was close until the midpoint when Skelton seemed to tire, Rogan’s better fitness in addition to his willpower came to the forefront and he wore down Skelton before bludgeoning him to the canvas and stopping him in the 11th round. - Dave Oakes 4. John Murray vs Lee McAllister Photo © Chris Royle Fleet footed Lee McAllister started his British title challenge against John Murray (pictured) impressively, out-boxing the unbeaten pressure fighter from the outside and using his sharper reflexes to stay out of trouble. However against the advice of his corner, McAllister dispensed with his thus far successful game plan and decided to stand and trade with Murray in the 5th round. It proved a costly mistake, as Murray unloaded heavy shots to the body as well as bloodying McAllister’s nose. With the damage impairing McAllister’s mobility, he was no longer able to pick and choose the exchanges and became an increasingly easier target for the Manchester fighter’s sustained pressure. In the 8th, Murray ended the spirited contest by dropping the plucky Scotsman with a ripping left hook to the body. - Matt Chudley 5. Rob Norton vs David Dolan This was a fight that surprised a lot of people. It was viewed as being a potentially cagey fight with the skilful Dolan expected to outbox the champion. Things don’t always go as planned though, especially in boxing. Dolan scored three knockdowns, the second of which looked like a finisher, but still lost the fight as both fighters forgot about tactics and just went looking for the knockout. Dolan was dropped twice as well, both of which were very debatable having looked like a slip and a push, it didn’t make a huge difference on the scorecards though, as the judges scored the fight in favour of Norton by surprisingly wide margins. This is another fight where a rematch is being discussed and one which all British fans are eagerly anticipating. - Dave Oakes Honourable mentions Martin Lindsay’s demolishing of the undefeated Paul Appleby in an unforgettably loud Ulster Hall, Gary Sykes beating Anthony Crolla in an undercard classic, Sam Sexton defeating the always entertaining Martin Rogan in another heavyweight war and Jamie Moore, who hasn’t been in any thrillers so far this year but no top fight list is complete without his name being mentioned somewhere.

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Eddie Chambers vs Alexander Dimitrenko Preview

Michael Nelson previews tomorrow's heavyweight match-up between Eddie Chambers and Alexander Dimitrenko.

"Fast" Eddie Chambers is well aware that it will take more than speed to win the WBO Heavyweight title eliminator in Hamburg, Germany against Alexander Dimitrenko.

“I have to step on the gas the entire night and (force him to) fight at a pace he isn’t used to.”

Awesome - if he maintains a high punch output, not only will we have a good fight on our hands Saturday, but the talented Chambers may be able to present himself as a legitimate threat to the Klitschkos. Problem is, we've heard this before. He has said something similar prior to every one of his significant fights since, well, people started noticing he didn't punch as much as he should. Notably, he got outworked in Berlin by Alexander Povetkin after promising to throw more punches than he did against Calvin Brock, and looked timid against an out-of-shape Sam Peter for long stretches of their March 27 bout after insisting that the Povetkin performance was an anomaly.

It's clear that it's not an anomaly. It's how he generally fights, which doesn't bode well for winning a decision in the backyard of a relatively active, athletic opponent six inches taller than him.

Along with a strong work rate for a heavyweight, Dimitrenko has a few stones in his hands. He's stopped seven of his last eight foes; taking out Luan Krasniqi with a body shot in the third round in his last bout, blowing out Malcolm Tann three rounds earlier than the aggressive Chris Arreola (who was 20 pounds lighter than he's recently been), and being the only man to stop Timo Hoffman.

The 26 year old German is also a determined body puncher; a dynamic that's refreshing to see from a European fighter with the physical dimensions of Wladimir and Vitali, who fight as if shots below the chest are illegal punches. Similarly refreshing, he has an active inside game that revolves around uppercuts instead of automatic clinching and draping around a shorter opponents' neck.

Even so, while Alexander is the stronger, busier puncher, Eddie is much quicker, has the better jab, and is harder to hit with flush punches. But Chambers will have to pump his jab energetically and shoot his right hand more than a few times a round. Diminitrenko often moves around the ring, so control of the center of the ring can be maintained by the shorter man with a stiff jab to the chest and face and a right hand established more as a consistent threat than a rare nuisance.

If Chambers steps out of character a bit, he'll give himself a good chance to win the title eliminator and set up his dream fight against Wladimir. If not, he'll see flashbacks of his last visit to Germany, and fans will see more excuses and broken promises from a skilled but underachieving heavyweight.

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British Scene: Jason Booth Defeats Rocky Dean

At a sweltering York Hall on Tuesday evening, a late arriving Jason Booth soundly defeated Rocky Dean to retain his British Super-Bantamweight Title with arguably one of the best performances of his 13 year pro career.

Matt Chudley has the recap.

Check out Matt's preview of the show: Booth vs Dean Preview

Tuesday June 30 Booth Scores Wide Points Win By Matt Chudley Onlookers could never have guessed that Booth arrived at the venue less than 40 minutes before the contest began - the result of a traffic incident - as he put on a clinical display in thoroughly outclassing the naturally bigger and stronger Rocky Dean. Despite suffering a small but deep cut on his forehead in the opening round, Booth stayed composed throughout, throwing over 1000 punches in out-thinking and out-boxing the East Anglia fighter. Dean had stated in the pre-fight build-up that he expected to do the better of his work in the second half of the fight and would be relying on his highly regarded stamina to grind down the smaller man. From the third round onwards, he attempted to make good on his claim as he started to press the action but it appeared that he had already let Booth settle into his rhythm. As Dean pushed forward, he managed to catch many of the free swinging Nottingham man's punches on his arms and gloves, but still found himself peppered with short punches and hooks. He also found it difficult to land, as Booth constantly presented angles while moving side to side. Aware that he was in with a durable opponent and a few pounds up from his comfort zone, Booth was content with a high volume assault and rarely loaded up, though he did stun Dean in the fifth with a straight right hand. With the early start, both fighters must have been feeling the heat from what was London’s hottest day of the past 3 years, but admirably continued to fight at a high pace as the bout moved into the later rounds. Dean’s best round of the fight came in the 9th when he really upped the pace on a tiring Booth, but still found the mark with few eye catching punches, and suffered a cut of his own from a clash of heads during the frame. He did manage to take the round on 2 of the 3 scorecards, saving himself from a total shutout on the cards. Booth seemed to find a second wind in the 10th, going back to his tidy work on the inside. Still light on his feet, he closed out the fight in the same slick way he started to keep the Lonsdale belt with scores of 120-108 and 119-109 twice. Next on the cards for the impressive Midlander appears to be an attractive fight with comebacking former world title challenger and once beaten Michael Hunter, who has now been named as the mandatory challenger for the British 122lb title. Should promoter Frank Maloney not want to risk his resurgent charge against Hunter, then a rubber match with Ian Napa in the more familiar confines of the bantamweight class could await Booth - provided of course that Napa first re-captures the British Bantamweight title on July 24th against Gary Davis. On the under-card… Unheralded Jamie Arthur (15-2) upset previously unbeaten Akaash Bhatia on referee Dave Paris's score of 96-95 over ten rounds in a British featherweight eliminator. Bhatia had received considerable hype during his assent up the ranks, though the level of his competition had been extremely limited and the North London fighter may not have been fully prepared for the step-up in class. Darren Sutherland was given the first test of his professional career against Gennadiy Rasalev. The tough Ukrainian seemed unfazed by Sutherland’s credentials, giving the Olympic bronze medalist some trouble in the second round, but by the time the bout was halted due to cuts in the 4th round, Sutherland had regained control. Also on the card, 6'6 Heavyweight prospect Tom Dallas punished the 3-1 Stas Belokon, dropping him 3 times before referee Dave Paris had seen enough. Flyweight Ashley Sexton kept busy with a 6 round decision win over Kemal Plavci ahead of a potential September clash with British and Commonwealth champion Chris Edwards. e-mail Matt Chudley

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