Wales boxing News

Welsh fighter Nathan Cleverly defends his WBO world light-heavyweight title against Germany's Robin Krasniqi tonight.

The 26-year-old from Blackwood admits he needs to be punching well above his weight to beat the man who's won his last 38 matches and knocked out the last four of his opponents.

I've got to be on the top of my game. And to do that, preparation has got to be good. I've prepared well - and when I prepare well there's no one who's going to take that belt from me.

• Sport
• Nathan Cleverly
• Robin Krasniqi

One of Wales' greatest boxers is being remember on the day he would have celebrated his 100th birthday.

Rhondda-born heavyweight Tommy Farr won the British and Empire title and was involved in a memorable world title clash with American great Joe Louis in 1937.

He lost, but Farr's performance would ensure he would go down in boxing history.

• Sport
• Boxing

WBO light-heavyweight world champion Nathan Cleverly has had his scheduled title defence against mandatory challenger Robin Krasniqi postponed until April 20th.

The decision has been taken following the withdrawal of two other billed bouts, featuring Commonwealth

champion George Grove's attempt at the vacant European super-middleweight title and the lightweight unification bout between Miguel Vazquez and Rickey Burns.

Cleverley has also had his training interrupted by a stomach condition although Team Clev have moved to say that he has fully recovered from it and resumed full training.

The changes mean Cleverly will now have to wait another five weeks to meet Krasniqi at Wembley Arena.

Frank Warren Promotions say all tickets purchased for the fight will be valid for the rescheduled date of April 20th and any supporters unable to make the new show will be fully refunded.

• Sport
• Nathan Cleverly
• Boxing

Gavin Rees came up well short against rising star Adrien Broner, who retained his WBC lightweight title with a fifth-round stoppage in Atlantic City.

There was plenty of needle in the lead-up to the fight and that was perhaps in the 32-year-old Welshman's mind as he came racing out of the blocks.

But he had nothing to hurt Broner, the 23-year-old who justified his pre-fight trash talk by twice sending Rees to the canvas before the Welshman's corner called a halt to proceedings.

"He's the best I've been in with. He's world champion for a reason," Rees told Sky Sports 2. "He's already grown into a superstar.

"I made a lot of mistakes. My skillset's a lot better than that so I'm disappointed in a way.

"He was catching me with some great shots and the gameplan went out of the window. When you're stunned you don't think properly.

"I'm a warrior, I'm always going to get back up. I'd have carried on until he knocked me out cold."

Rees did all the work in round one, but Broner - whose shots were less regular but far more powerful - was unperturbed and demonstrated it with some trademark showboating in the second.

By the third there were signs Rees was already tiring himself out and he took a sustained barrage of hits to the head on the ropes just before the bell.

And any doubt which way the fight would go was erased in the fourth when Broner sent Rees crashing to the canvas with a huge right uppercut.

To his credit, Rees got back to his feet and even tried some showboating of his own in the fifth, but, though Rees had heart, Broner had an abundance of class and a shot to the body sent Rees to his knees.

Again the Welshman kept going, but with the shots raining in the trainer Gary Lockett waved the towel to signal the end and spare his man further punishment.

• Sport
• Boxing
• Gavin Rees

Fred Evans brought the curtain down on a great night for Welsh boxing at the inaugural World Series of Boxing Event at the Celtic Manor.

Newport fighter Evans was welcomed to the ring by an expectant crowd and gave them exactly what they had come to see as he got the better of a split decision against French National Champion Michel Tavares.

Evans' win helped Great Britian Lionhearts to run out 4-1 victors over reigning competition champions Italia Thunder with the series now moving onto London's Earls Court on 14th of December.

• Sport
• Newport
• Boxing