The Ghana Boxing Federation (GBF) is taking a cautious approach following the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s (CAS) dismissal of the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) appeal against the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to withdraw the association’s recognition.   Speaking to asaaseradio.com, Charles Sergius Jojo Ephson, communication director for the GBF said, “We in Ghana are not an independent body. We listen to our mother ministry, which is the Ministry of Youth and Sports, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, because when it happens that way, it becomes a ..read more

The International Boxing Association’s appeal against the removal of its status as the sport’s world governing body has been rejected.   The IBA was stripped of the status by the International Olympic Committee in June 2023 and took the appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.   Cas said the IBA had not made enough change in financial transparency, integrity of officials and its culture.   “As a consequence, these three elements justified the IOC’s decision,” it said.   The IOC’s executive board recommended the move after the IBA failed to meet set reforms following i ..read more

Light welterweight Adeyemi “Spirit” Adekanla, says he’s snatching the West African Boxing Union (WABU) title from current champion, Segun “War” Adeyemi, when they confront each other at GOtv Boxing Night 31 on May 1.   The 10-round title fight is one of the seven bouts scheduled for the boxing event at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.   Speaking about his preparation for the fight, ‘Spirit’ said he aims to keep his unbeaten record by claiming the WABU title. “I am preparing really hard for this fight. It is my turn to have the WABU title ..read more

More than 360 non-professional boxers, both men and women representing a total of 41 nations, are set to feature in the inaugural Mandela African Boxing Cup tournament.   This has been scheduled to take place from 15 to 21 April at the Durban International Convention Centre.   The International Boxing Association (IBA) announced that the family of the late state president Nelson Mandela had given their blessing for the naming of the competition after the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize recipient.   Chris Roberts OBE, the IBA’s secretary general and chief executive officer (CEO), said th ..read more

Fast-rising super featherweight Aliyah Phiri of Zimbabwe will know the fate of his disputed win against Harry Simon Jr. of Namibia early next week, after the local boxing board finally set the arbitration date.   Zimbabwe National Boxing and Wrestling Control Board acting chief executive officer Priscilla Kadungure has written to both parties advising them that the arbitration will be conducted in Harare on April 9.   “This letter serves to notify you that the arbitration of Aliyah Issah Phiri and Harry Simon Junior’s disputed bout will take place on April 9, 2024 at a venue to be a ..read more

It was over before it really began in Saudi Arabia as Anthony Joshua pummeled his way past Francis Ngannou with a devastating knockout blow in the second round.   It was a much-needed victory for the 34-year-old Briton who has struggled to find his best boxing over the last few years. But this showing looked like the Joshua of old as he brutally eased past his opponent in Riyadh. Coming into the fight, there was lots of excitement surrounding Ngannou in what was just his second ever professional boxing bout.   The French-Cameroonian had made a living in the UFC, where he had been h ..read more

Undisputed Super Middleweight World Champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will defend his titles against unbeaten top contender Jaime Munguia in an all-Mexico battle Saturday, May 4, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, in a Premier Boxing Champions pay-per-view available on Prime Video.   While it’s not the fight many fans were hoping for, Munguia represents a solid punch. The unbeaten, 27-year-old Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs), a former WBO 154-pound world champion from Tijuana, prevailed as the opponent in the high-profile renewal of Alvarez’s annual Cinco de Mayo affair which Alvarez announced on Insta ..read more

South African heavyweight Kevin Lerena lost via unanimous decision on the Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou undercard – as he took to the ring just two days after his mother’s death.   The 31-year-old took to the ring on Friday as one of the earlier bouts in Riyadh, as Joshua and Ngannou prepare to go toe-to-toe in a night dubbed ‘Knockout Chaos’.   However, despite an emphatic performance in the final round of the bout, Lerena was dealt a defeat by his Australian counterpart on the night.   In the 10th round, Lerena had his opponent Justis Huni staggering around the ring after ..read more

Joseph Parker picked himself off the canvas twice to defeat Zhilei Zhang by majority decision in Saudi Arabia.   The New Zealander was floored in the third and eighth rounds, but refused to be overpowered by the heavy-handed Zhang as his superior work-rate and accuracy was rewarded with scores of 114-112, 115-111, while a third judge scored it 113-113 on the Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou bill. Zhang took the centre of the ring in the opening round, prodding out range-finding punches before unleashing a left hand that narrowly missed Parker.   A cuffing shot from Zhang knocked P ..read more

Renowned promoter Nestor Tobias says their next boxing event will be in honor of Namibia’s late President Hage Geingob.   Speaking at a press conference in the capital yesterday, Tobias said the event, which was originally intended to celebrate Namibia’s independence, will now commemorate the late Geingob’s legacy.   He reflected on the support Geingob provided to aspiring boxers like himself and Harry Simon, emphasizing the pivotal role played by the late President in their careers. He highlighted how Geingob’s assistance contributed to Simon’s success in his first world title figh ..read more