The British heavyweight star added the WBO belt to his IBF and WBA ‘super’ titles as he produced a disciplined display against the rugged Parker to earn a wide unanimous decision with scores of 118-110, 118-110 and 119-109 at the Principality Stadium.

Joshua’s perfect run of 20 knockouts was ended by Parker, who retained his reputation for toughness, but AJ moved one belt away from becoming the undisputed champion.

Parker was escorted by Samoan chiefs as he arrived for the biggest battle of a 24-fight career, followed by the home favourite Joshua, whose white robe was lit up by pyrotechnics while he strolled confidently towards his 21st opponent.

The hand speed of Parker was on show in the opening round as he pushed out probing jabs at Joshua, who edged forward menacingly on the front foot.

Joshua began to measure Parker with his own ramrod jab in the second, while the Kiwi was muscled to the ropes by a crunching combination in the third.

Forced onto his heels, Parker was kept at arm’s length by that thudding jab in the fourth, but he ripped a right hand through Joshua’s guard in the fifth and smiled after the bell.

Parker charged out for the sixth, chasing Joshua to the ropes, and both traded big punches as a tense duel turned into a brutal encounter.

Crunching body shots from Parker slowed Joshua’s stride in the seventh, although Joshua sparked to life in the eighth to land a searing left hand.

Parker’s raiding attacks continued to unsettle AJ, who was forced to hold in the ninth, but Joshua’s spiteful work opened a cut over his foe’s eye in the 10th.

Both men traded hooks in the 11th as Parker’s renowned chin held firm and Joshua resisted the urge to pursue a last-round knockout, controlling the last three minutes with his spearing jab to seal victory.

–

Source: BBC

The post Anthony Joshua defeats Joseph Parker on points appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

An intercepted email from the IBO’s President Ed Levine, charged Emmanuel Tagoe to defend his IBO World Lightweight title against Russian Fedor Papazov not later than the 15th of June 2018.

Papazov beat Howik Bebraham via a split decision on the 10th of March to become the IBO Intercontinental Lightweight champion and number one contender for Tagoe’s title.

The IBO has charged the two camps to begin negotiations and come to an agreement within 30 days from the tabled date.

It added that should the parties fail to reach an agreement the IBO shall determine a date to receive purse bids.

The email concluded that either party may notify the IBO if an agreement is not reached to allow the IBO to proceed with arrangements for a purse bid.

Emmanuel Tagoe was heavily criticized for his performance despite beating Argentine Fernando David Saucedo in his first defense of the IBO strap at the Bukom boxing Arena in Accra in January.
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By: Hans Mensah Andoh/ Beach FM

The post IBO orders Emmanuel Tagoe to fight Fedor Papazov appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

It will be recalled that Dogboe (18-0-0) called out Magdaleno (25-0-0) shortly after dispatching Mexican Cesar Juarez by TKO for the interim WBO World Super Bantamweight title last January in Accra.

“Jessie Magdelano I’m coming for you baby. I know you are going to run but guess what the lion is here,” Dogboe taunted.

The American did not respond to that jibe but has suddenly found his voice and is coming directly for Dogboe’s head literally.

Magdaleno, 26, fired a salvo on Instagram with a picture of him mopping Dogboe’s decapitated head from a boxing ring with a mop.

A caption accompanying the photograph said: Hey @isaacbraveson hurry up and sign the damn contract and let’s get this fight going so I can mop you out this division!!.

The Royal Storm fired back poking at Magdaleno’s blonde hair by describing him as a “Becky with the good hair”.

“Becky With The Good Hair” @elpeligrosojmag …Firing Shots At Man, You Know! Tread Carefully My Blond Amigo…,” Dogboe posted.

Magdaleno later shared another edited picture of Dogbe shedding tears and urged his followers to supply captions for the chance to win autographed boxing gloves.

At this point, Dogboe, 23, got on Facebook and reminded Magdaleno of their sparring session in the past which he said had to be halted earlier than the intended 10 rounds because Magdaleno could not stand him.

He posted: “YOU DON’T WANT TO GET ME ANGRY Jessie Magdaleno *Keep Chatting Bare* It’ll encourage me to want to Knock YOU OUT, b. Hope you remember when we sparred in Vegas your corner stopped the sparring in the 5th Round whilst we were supposed to go for 10 … I was ONLY 4-0 back then Amigo…Guess what, Pretty Guy…

“TREAD VERY CAREFULLY With your MEMES and your words, Amigo.

“You’re a great guy but careful now, you’re entering into a Different Territory… Your Management can’t Save you…” Dogboe warned.
–
Source: Graphic Online

The post Dogboe, Magdaleno in social media war ahead of April 28 clash appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Berchelt flattened Awuku twice in the 3rd round. Berchelt finished the job after the second knockdown in connecting with several hard shots that caused the referee to stop the fight. Awuku was still upright when referee Hector Afu stopped the fight.

If the referee had waited a moment longer before stopping the fight, Berchelt would have knocked Awuku down for a third time. The fight was stopped at 2:46 of round 3. Awuku wasn’t hurt as bad he could have been if not for the quick actions by Afu in pulling the plug on the fight.

Knockdown No.1 in the 3rd round came from a right hand from Berchelt that put Awuku down on his backside. Moments before that, Berchelt had hurt Awuku with 2 hard shots to the head. Awuku had talent the shots, but his legs looked rubbery, Berchelt then put Awuku down with the next right. Knockdown No.2 in the 3rd round came from Berchelt landing a blizzard of shots of Awuku after he’d backed up against the ropes. Awuku slid down onto the canvas after taking the punches.

Surprisingly, Awuku didn’t look that hurt. He was hurt obviously enough for him to go down, but he wasn’t staggering or swaying after he got back to his feet.

If Awuku was in that kind of shape, the referee would have stopped the fight. Awuku’s corner should have thrown in the towel after the 2nd knockdown, because he was just keep going down if he referee hadn’t stopped the contest. Berchelt was too strong for Awuku, and he wasn’t going to let up on him.

The southpaw Awuku landed some shots in all 3 rounds. Awuku was catching Berchelt, 26, coming in and backing away. The punches weren’t hard enough to hurt Berchelt.

That was the problem. Awuku didn’t have the power to keep Berchelt off of him or make him pay when he would come forward to land his punches.

”I feel very happy and satisfied,” Berchelt said after the fight via Fight News. ”his is a very special night for me. I fulfilled a dream I had as a child. I didn’t feel a punch and from the first knockdown know I would knock him out,” Berchelt said.

There was never any doubt that Berchelt wasn’t going to knockout Awuku. This is what Berchelt was expected to do with him fighting a guy that is unranked and just pulled in as a replacement.

It’s too bad that Berchelt didn’t have a good opponent for the fight like Miguel Roman because it would have been a lot more interesting fight to watch.
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By:Boxing247.com

The post Miguel Berchelt beat Ghana’s Maxwell Awuku to retain WBC title appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Like Ahmed, Awuku looks outmatched and is without question a huge underdog going into this fight. As expected though, he’s confident of snatching victory despite being second best in every department of this fight.

“I’m not just a puncher. I’m a natural and a quick counter-puncher. We Africans are brave, with a lot of professional shame. To fight for the title of the world and the WBC belt is a unique opportunity that will change my life and my family and I will not waste it. I want to thank everyone who intervened for me to be in Mexico to fulfill a dream,” he said.

The Ghanaian is not short on self-belief and confidence, but will he return from Cancun with the WBC Super Featherweight title which is considered an heirloom by Ghanaians?

Azumah Nelson’s WBC Titles

The WBC featherweight and super featherweight titles hold a significant place in Ghanaian boxing folklore because of the legendary Azumah Nelson. The Professor held the titles at various times from 1984 to 1989, only once venturing out of the two divisions in an unsuccessful attempt to dethrone the classy Pernell Whitaker as the IBF and WBC World Lightweight champion.

Nelson beat Boxing Hall of Famer Wilfredo Gomez to win the WBC featherweight title in December 1984 and defended it six times in a space of 3 years. He vacated the title and stepped up to win the super featherweight strap against Mario Martinez in 1988. The Professor defended the title ten times between 1988 and 1993. His doubleheader against Australia’s Jeff Fenech is the stuff of legend. If the first of the two fights which ended in a draw was famous for Azumah’s missing mouthpiece before the start of round 10, the second erased any doubts about his superiority over his Australian opponent, as he recorded a sensational eighth round knock out to retain his title. He lost the title to Jesse James Leija but at 35 years Nelson was far from done. He beat Gabriel Ruelas to regain the title and defended it against Leija, opening a ghastly cut above his right eye to leave the referee with no choice but to stop the fight. Nelson had landed 227 punches out of 443 (51%) at the time of the stoppage in round 6. More than half of Azumah Nelson’s 39 fights were world title fights, a fact which goes to further strengthen his claim as the greatest African boxer of all time.

It is not likely Ghanaians will ever see a boxer of Nelson’s quality. In his prime, Azumah Nelson’s fights brought the country to a standstill. He was the country’s biggest sporting export. Awuku will never be half the boxer “Zoom Zoom” was, but if he can return to Ghana with the WBC super featherweight title, he’ll be half as loved. For a Ghanaian boxer that would be worth more than anything, he’ll ever achieve in his career.

Awuku the underdog

An understatement is to say that Maxwell Awuku goes into this fight as an underdog. The odds are heavily stuck against him. He’s second best in every department. We often talk about the punchers chance but the gulf in class at play here makes nonsense of any possibility of a lucky punch. A fight record of 44-3-1(30KO’s) should give Awuku more of a chance than the pre-fight analysis would suggest, but below the numbers lie a list of inferior opponents, and underpins his status as the underdog.

Only four of his 48 fights have come outside Ghana. Even telling is the fact that it has culminated in two of his three defeats. A 2010 decision defeat to Liam Walsh in the UK and a 2015 defeat to Daud Yordan in the Philipines. Seven of his opponents had lost their last six fights prior to facing him with sixteen of them losing two or more. His last six opponents had lost a combined 26 fights from 36. That’s an average of 4 defeats per boxer(out of 6) and a total loss percentage of 72.

Bechelt has had a majority of his fights in his country but the quality of opposition renders the location inessential. His last six opponents have a combined 30 wins from 36. Awuku’s last two opponents John Oblitey Commey and Jonathan Yartey had not won a fight in their last six before facing him. Oblitey Commey’s fight record currently reads an embarrassing 9-31-0 with 24 of his defeats coming via knock out. He’s not won a fight in his last 21. Jonathan Yartey has lost as many as he’s won in a 28 fight career. Such bouts do not prepare a fighter for a world title showdown. He’s an underdog for a reason. It is difficult to point to an area where Awuku has an upper hand over his opponent. He points to his counter punching ability as his greatest asset. It may be true for B or C level fights but will it be enough in an A level fight against an opponent like Berchelt? Awuku is ranked 106 by boxing statisticians Boxrec while his Mexican opponent is ranked 104 places above him in 2nd place. That surely puts things into proper perspective.

Late replacement and GBA decision to approve

“The Mexicans believe that they will take me by surprise and I am not prepared, they have made a big mistake, I will spoil the party before for their people, I will knock out their champion and then I will go to enjoy the beautiful beaches of Cancun,” Awuku said during an interview.

Perhaps Awuku should visit the beaches of Cancun to reflect on his decision to accept this challenge before he steps into the ring. How the Ghana Boxing Authority gave Awuku the go-ahead for this fight leaves me scratching my head in confusion. Miguel Berchelt was originally scheduled to take on former two-time junior bantamweight world champion Cristian Mijares in a second title defense but a reported disagreement between the camps scuppered the bout. Mijares was replaced by Filipino Carlo Magali.

While the fight was signed and approved by the WBC, boxing regulators in the Philipines refused to rubber stamp it because Magali had not had the required days of rest after his last fight on January 13. Awuku took this fight with only two weeks left for the event and surprisingly got approval from the Ghana Boxing Authority.

The GBA is supposed to be the custodian of Ghana boxing. The Peter Zwennes led administration has a duty to protect Ghana’s boxing reputation which has been built on the back of great performances characterized by strength and sheer determination by the likes of Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey and David Kotei. A reputation that has been eroded in the last few years due to boxers taking up world title challenges they’re clearly not up to. One can easily point to the one-sided pummeling of Habib Ahmed by Gilberto Ramirez barely a week ago in an event televised across the world by ESPN. Ahmed had more than two weeks to prepare and offered zilch by means of a challenge. It is almost easy to gauge how Awuku will fare with a couple of weeks training camp against a Mexican world champion.

The Ghana boxing authority has set up Ghana for another night of ridicule and shame. They had a simple task; weigh Awuku’s chances of winning a world title against the implication of a defeat on Ghana’s boxing credentials. The current generation of Mexican boxers has global respect and recognition because of the exploits of priors such as Julio Caesar Chavez, Clemente Sanchez, Oscar De La Hoya, Jose Luis Castillo and Salvador Sanchez who handed our own Azumah Nelson his first defeat. They also know that Mexicans have high expectations and are mindful of the level of performances they showcase.  The GBA is morally and ethically bound not to approve fights involving Ghanaian boxers when they’re clearly overmatched.

I would have no qualms if this fight was a non-title fight. Ghanaian boxers must go into world title fights with a decent chance of winning. The GBA must ensure this by setting a minimum standard that boxers must meet to challenge for a world title. The ramifications of cumulative losses over a period in world title fights could be dire for the later generation of Ghanaian boxers.

Prediction

Maxwell Awuku has never been knocked out but that could change by Sunday morning as I can’t see this fight travelling the distance. Just like Habib v Ramirez, Bercherlt v Awuku is another mismatch. The Mexican took steps forward towards better opposition in Francisco Vargas and Takashi Miura, but Awuku is a big step back and rather meaningless if this fight is meant to serve as a resume booster. Berchelt faces the WBC’s number one ranked Miguel ‘Mickey’ Roman should he successfully defend his WBC title against Awuku. For a Ghanaian boxer who made his pro debut sixteen years ago, one suspects this fight represents a huge pay day for Maxwell Awuku and signals the beginning of the end to a career which probably never took off. Buckle up Ghanaian boxing fans. Another night of misery awaits.

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By: Hans Mensah Andoh
Facebook: Hans Mensah Andoh
Twitter: @hans_mvp

The post Berchelt vs Awuku: A hopeless hunt for ‘Azumah’s title’ appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Before that was an emotional rant aimed at the Sports Writers Association of Ghana for handing the sports personality of the year award to ex-footballer Anthony Baffoe, for his exploits at FIFA that saw him coordinate historic matches at the 2016 Rio Olympic game as well as the finals of the 2016 Club World Cup.

Tagoe may have earned the right to be mentioned among the illustrious few to have won world titles for Ghana but that fact in itself has become problematic for him and his promoters Baby Jet promotions, which is bankrolled by star footballer Asamoah Gyan.

Most Ghanaians are simply indifferent about Tagoe’s status as a world champion but it will be tantamount to heresy to put him in the same bracket with the country’s other world champions. Azumah Nelson, Ike Quartey, Alfred Kotey, Joshua Clottey, Joseph Agbeko…Emmanuel Tagoe. It will be sheer folly on the part of Tagoe to think himself even remotely close to Azumah Nelson and the other Ghanaian world champions despite being in possession of the IBO world title in his division.

Tagoe also lamented the lack of recognition vis-à-vis his status as a world champion before his fight against Saucedo. He referenced supposed “hype” around Richard Commey who lost to IBF Lightweight titleholder Robert Easter Junior and Isaac Dogboe who beat Caesar Juarez to set up a mandatory clash with Jesse Magdaleno for the world title.

For a country that takes so much pride in the sport of boxing and the men who have brought glory to a land where structures for the development of the sport reflects its deep socioeconomic woes, Tagoe’s lack of recognition relative to other Ghanaian world champions raises questions. The fact that he is currently Ghana’s only world title holder makes it even more inexplicable.

He’s often blamed the lack of support and recognition on the Ghanaian media.

“I don’t remember the Ghanaian media making mention of my world title but they always mention other boxers. They always hype Richard Commey and Isaac Dogboe but compare their titles to mine and tell me if I get the support I deserve’

He added that the media is ‘always hyping them (Commey and Dogboe) and blacking me out”.
Ghanaians love their world champions but there’s a feeling that this particular world champion hasn’t earned that status. Is Emmanuel Tago the biblical prophet without honour in his hometown, among his relatives and his family?

Perhaps not.

Emmanuel Tagoe’s clash against Filipino Ronald Pontillas in 2013 at the Accra sports was meant to repair his reputation and erase any doubts about his abilities, after what many saw to be a rather dubious majority decision against George Ashie a year prior. It however deepened doubts and raised further questions about his prowess and credentials. Five months after what many considered to be the height of robbery in Ghanaian boxing Emmanuel Tagoe won in a similar fashion against Pontillas as Judge Fred Ghartey scored it a 115-115 draw.

I covered the bout that night and in my opinion, Judge Ghartey’s scorecard was as close to an accurate representation of what had transpired over 12 rounds. As you would expect the numbers on the other judges’ scorecards left most people scratching their heads and questioning Game Boy’s quality. Judge Shadrack Aquaye scored it 116-112 in favour of Tagoe. If Mr. Aquaye’s numbers were shocking, Bertlin Adohn’s 118-111 for Tagoe was heart-wrenching, and I wasn’t alone. Azumah Nelson, considered the greatest African boxer of all time restrained himself from criticizing Tagoe’s performance, deliberately throwing my questions regarding Game Boy’s performance back at me, but he did not hold back in his criticism of referee Roger Banor, who in his opinion frustrated the Filipino.

George Ashie won on the score cards of most spectators but the judges held different opinions. Nigerian judge Tony Legson scored the bout 114-114. Benin’s Bertin Adohn scored it 113-115 in favour of Tagoe. Ghanaian judge Confidence Hiagbe however shocked the crowd at the Accra Sports Stadium when his score card read 116-112 in favour of Tagoe. There were two sticking points from the figures that had Tagoe declared as the winner of that fight.First, Confidence Hiabge’s 116-112 was nowhere near the true reflection of the fight. Second and even more upsetting for many people was the fact that Ashie did not win on any of the judges score card despite being the better fighter in the view of many.

The reputation of Ghana boxing would have taken a battering after the Tagoe v Pontillas showdown but for the exploits of a Ghanaian Super Leightweight fighter who obliterated his Kenyan opponent Michael Odhiambo in spectacular fashion in one of the evening’s undercard bouts. His Name? George “Red Tiger” Ashie. Emmanuel Tagoe fought in the main event but George Ashie was the name on everyone’s lip.

Emmanuel Tagoe and his handlers betray a lack of understanding about what it takes to be a star attraction in boxing. In modern day boxing a boxer must sell himself. Part of a boxer’s job is to sell tickets. Boxing is a business and no promoter will have a boxer on their show if he cannot sell himself through eye-catching performances to draw crowds to his fight. This applies to the small promotions right up to the biggest global shows.

How does a fighter sell himself to the paying public? How does he make himself marketable for the top promoters? The obvious answer is through great, entertaining and consistent performances in the ring. Styles make fights they say.Ike Quartey was a specialist at breaking down opponents and wrecking havoc with his left jab. Azumah Nelson was a warrior who stood toe to toe with the very best in the world. He earned his status as a boxing hall of famer through sheer will, brawn and determination. What is Emmanuel Tagoe’s style?

Tagoe’s lack of recognition is not limited to Ghana. The most telling reason is because he’s fought just once outside Ghana. His 2013 fight in the US in front of a few hundred spectators against Gerardo Robles, who had lost a whooping 11 out his 27 fights failed to capture the attention of the American media and boxing fans. And why not? After eight rounds of terrible boxing exhibition, Robles failed to respond to the bell for the ninth.

Establishing yourself as a boxer in the US goes beyond winning a piece of horse leather with a metal plate in front. The fundamental feature of boxing may be its competitive aspect, but a chunk of its commercial weight rests in its entertainment value. There are countless examples of very talented boxers who were passed over and never got the opportunity their skills warranted. The US is the Mecca of boxing and out there being exciting is as important as winning.

Tagoe beat Robles in the US but failed to leave a lasting impression. The dynamics of modern day boxing is such that whether in victory or defeat you must find a way to make the fans either love you or better still love to hate you. He failed to achieve either in his only appearance in Trump-Land.

As the International Boxing Organisation’s world Lightweight champion Emmanuel Tagoe is not rated by any of the other boxing sanctioning bodies. In a lot of ways it is indicative of the status of the IBO as a sanctioning body and the value of their titles. There are four major belts that are widely recognised as ‘legitimate’ world titles. These are the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO titles.

How do I put this? The IBO world titles are worthless on their own unless a fighter holds other titles. In other words IBO world champions require one of the WBC, IBF, WBA and WBO titles to legitimize their status as world champions as is the case with heavyweight king Anthony Joshua.

The IBO as a sanctioning body is rated on the same level as the Universal Boxing Organisation (UBO), the Global Boxing Union (GBU), and the World Boxing Federation (WBF). To put it bluntly, the IBO is second rate. IBO belts are often associated with other belts for the purpose of providing unified champions with an ‘extra piece of arm candy’ for the cameras. IBO title fights by themselves receive little recognition, as seen from the Renold Quinlan v Chris Eubank ‘world title fight’ last year.

Robert Easter Junior holds the IBF Lightweight title. The WBC and WBA have Mikey Garcia and Jorge Linares as their Lightweight champions respectively. The WBO title is vacant after it was vacated by Terry Flanagan.

A fight involving any of these names is a potential Pay per view event. Throw in Mayweather promotions’ Gervonta Davis, Anthony Crolla, and Ghana’s Richard Commey and one begins to question how and why the IBO came up with Emmanuel Tagoe vs Mzonke Fana for a world title match up in Ghana. South African Fana had lost 10 of his 38 fights going into the Tagoe world title fight and was without question not a world championship material. He’s gone on to lose his last two fights after.

Emmanuel Tagoe’s desire to have the support and recognition of his country will be difficult at this point. Those 10 rounds against Fernando Saucedo were painful to watch not only because of the Argentine’s technical ineptitude but more so because of Tagoe’s boring style and needless comedy in the ring. It will also be difficult because getting proper fights against credible opponents in the shape of Jorge Linares, Mikey Garcia and Gervonta Davis look impossible. His lack of recognition in the US will always be a sticking point in any negotiation. Emmanuel Tagoe doesn’t command a following in the US and a showdown against any of these names in Ghana is out of the question.

It appears Tagoe’s options in his quest for recognition as a world champion are limited. His IBO title doesn’t guarantee that he will land the big fights, neither does his wretched US reputation. Emmanuel Tagoe called himself the “king and prophet” of Ghana boxing before his underwhelming victory against Fernando Saucedo. Unlike the biblical prophet with honour everywhere except his hometown, this prophet seems to have no honour anywhere.

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By: Hans Mensah Andoh
Facebook: Hans Mensah Andoh
Twitter: @hans_mvp

The post Emmanuel Tagoe: A ‘prophet’ without honour [Article] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Ramirez dominated Habib throughout the fight and stopped him in round 6 when Habib’s corner threw in the towel.

The bout, at Corpus Christi, Texas-USA saw Ramirez winning all six rounds.

Ahmed (25-1-1, 17 KO), came in as an ‘unknown’ professional with his opponent while Ramirez (37-0, 25 KO) had many vouching for him due to past performances.

Analysts say the fight proved Ahmed was an overmatched title challenger to Ramirez.

Ramirez would potentially go to Australia to fight Rohan Murdock in the fall, then maybe return for a December fight.

This was Habib Ahmed’s first professional loss, who started his boxing career in 2011. All his previous 26 bouts were in Ghana.

26-year-old Ramirez has held the WBO super middleweight title since 2016, and is the first Mexican boxer to win a major world title in that weight class.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Ghana’s Habib Ahmed loses WBO super middleweight title fight appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The much-publicized fight failed to live up to expectations as both boxers failed to explode on the night.

Tagoe dominated the early rounds and dropped Saucedo in the 2nd round, but the Argentine beat count.

Saucedo in round three was inactive as Tagoe dominated him with persistent jabs.

Tagoe scored his second knockdown in the fight with a straight right-hand jab into the Argentine’s jaw, but Saucedo again beat the referee’s count.

Tagoe piled pressure on Saucedo in round five, but the former world title contender remained resolute

The Ghanaian, in round six, taunted his opponent with some dancing moves landing some telling punches which forced the Argentine to defend deep.

Round seven was the best moment for Saucedo as he landed some clean shots, but Tagoe didn’t despair as he fired back in a true champion’s fashion.

Tagoe went for a more aggressive tactic in the eighth and ninth rounds looking for a knockout but Saucedo proved too strong as he received Tagoe’s best shots with ease.

In the tenth round, Tagoe pressed and landed a punch on the back of Saucedo’s head before connecting a left hook that sent the Argentine crashing to the mat.

Saucedo rose up and complained to the referee about what he deemed as an illegal blow, but to the surprise of many, referee Roger Banor stopped the fight.

The decision from the referee received a lot of backlash from most of the fans at the Bukom Arena.

Tagoe will now be eyeing a possible unification bout with either the WBA or the WBO lightweight champion.

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By Citi Sports

The post ‘Gameboy’ Tagoe stops Saucedo in 10th Round to retain IBO title appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Dogboe (18-0, 12 KOs) made Ghanaians proud by stopping Mexico’s Cesar Juarez (20-6, 15KOs) in round five to win the interim WBO World Super Bantamweight belt.

Accompanied by his father and trainer Paul Dogboe, his manager Marwan Zakem and his uncle the team showed up at the office of the leading automobile dealer to present the title in appreciation of the support received for the fight.

Speaking in an interview with the media, Isaac Dogboe informed that SSAL has been a great partner with Team Dogboe and Rising Star Promotions for raising the awareness and profile of the team as such they deemed it appropriate to be present to celebrate the feat with them as an appreciation.

He observed that as a rising star in the ring it is always good to be associated with a great brand like Silver Star Auto / Mercedes-Benz as it provides the opportunity for growth and a positive image needed for promotion. “Promoting boxing is just like promoting a vehicle brand so as Team Dogboe and Silver Star Auto join forces we should expect nothing but history in the making on the Ghanaian boxing scene”.

The team was received by top Executives of the company including the Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Nouhad Kalmoni; the General Manager, Passenger Vehicles, Mr. Francis Amegayibor; Sales Manager for Mercedes-Benz, Passenger Vehicles, Mr. Rabie Agha and Sales Manager for Suzuki, Mr. Kwaku Sintim Boamah.

On his part, Mr. Nouhad Kalmoni described the visit as a humble gesture “right from the first day the team contacted the company, they did not ask for fancy things but a little support to promote the fight and coming back to show appreciation tells corporate Ghana this is a humble team that deserves support”.

According to him, “Isaac Dogboe’s ambition is to go through several weight categories and we believe that with his international exposure, hard work ethics and commitment, he should be able to go far” and urged the boxer to keep on training well and living healthy.

Mr. Kalmoni hoped what was being witnessed will be the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship between the company and Team Dogboe / Rising Star Promotions as the company gears towards supporting the boxing fraternity just as it has done over the past for other sporting activities in the country.

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Source: Silver Star Auto

The post Silver Star pledges support for boxing as Dogboe visits company appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Joshua, 28, holds the IBF and WBA belts, while New Zealander Parker is the WBO champion.

Cardiff’s Principality stadium – where Joshua successfully defended his titles against Carlos Takam in October – will host the bout.

“I’m delighted to get this fight made – it’s been a long time coming,” said Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn.

“It’s the first time in history that two reigning heavyweight world champions have met in Britain.”

Joshua added: “These fights aren’t easy because there is a lot on the line – so respect to team Parker for taking the challenge.

“I’m looking forward to it. Training camp is under way and before you know, 31 March will be upon us.”

Parker’s representative David Higgins arrived in the UK last week to finalise a deal. Talks had previously stalled over how the purse would be split but a compromise was reached last month which will see Parker, 25, earn 30-35%.

Parker is undefeated in his 24 professional fights, with 18 of those wins coming by a knockout.

“Anthony Joshua is in for a huge shock,” Parker said. “A couple of months ago I heard him say: ‘Why should I be worried about this little kid from New Zealand?’

“Well, now he’s about to find out. And the world is about to find out whether AJ can really take a punch.”

Joshua became IBF heavyweight champion by defeating Charles Martin at London’s O2 Arena in April 2016.

The following April, he added the WBA belt by beating Wladimir Klitschkoin front of 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.

Whoever wins in March is certain to then face undefeated American Deontay Wilder, who holds the fourth belt in the heavyweight division. No boxer has held all four heavyweight belts simultaneously.

Parker’s camp have been pushing for the fight ever since Joshua defeated Takam last year.

They staged a news conference in November featuring clips of Joshua being knocked down in his amateur days and offered £20,000 to anyone with footage of him being floored.

That prompted Joshua to hit back, saying he was being “demonised” by the Parker camp. But Higgins later told BBC Sport Joshua was “rattled”.

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Source: BBC

The post Joshua vrs Parker fight announced appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.