Traveller boxers on top of the world
Above: Ireland's Andy Lee defeated Matt Koborov for the WBO world middleweight title in December
BOXING in the Romany Gypsy and Traveller community has grown over time in both amateur and professional aspects of the sport. In the professional world, there are many Gypsy and Traveller contenders, but only a few have officially made it into world rankings of their weight categories.
Tyson Fury is ranked #3 by the WBC, #5 by the WBA, #3 by the IBF, and holds WBO Ranking #1. The major and minor titles he has held and is currently holding are the English, British, Commonwealth, Irish, WBO Intercontinental and European heavyweight titles. Fury could face WBO world heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko or American Deontay Wilder, who holds the WBC belt, after fighting Christian Hammer of Romania tomorrow night.
Fury, above, looks set to face either Wladimir Klitschko or Deontay Wilder by year's end
Andy Lee, the first ever World Middleweight Champion in the Romany Gypsy and travelling community, currently holds the WBO title. He is the first Irish boxer to win on American soil since 1934. "I don't know how long it's been since Ireland had a middleweight champion and I'm very proud to be champion from Ireland," said Lee after defeating Matt Koborov for the belt. "t's what I've worked for my whole life."
Billy Joe Saunders holds WBC #4 Ranking, #10 WBA Ranking and IBF #1 Ranking. He is the current British, Commonwealth and EBU (European Boxing Union) Middleweight Champion. Billy Joe Saunders' record currently stands at 21 fights, 21 wins with 11 by KO. His last fight was against Chris Eubank Jr. on 29th November last year. Billy Joe won on a split decision points victory over Chris Eubank Jr. The fight was a WBO title eliminator where the winner would fight reigning champion Andy Lee.
Above: British and Commonwealth champion Saunders impressed against Chris Eubank Jr in November
On Thursday 12th February 2015, Billy Joe Saunders was offered the chance to fight for the vacant IBF world middleweight championship but instead rejected the chance and chose to wait to face the winner of the WBO champion Andy Lee against Peter Quillin, who clash on April 11.
The IBF stripped American Jermain Taylor of the title after the American's latest arrest and offered Saunders the chance to take on Frenchman Hassan N'Dam for the vacant belt.
The European, British and Commonwealth champion Saunders was given until Thursday to decide if he wanted to take on N'Dam, whose only defeat in 32 fights came against Quillin on points in October 2012, and announced he was turning down the opportunity in a statement.
Irishman Lee, 30, makes the first defence of his WBO version of the world title against former champion Quillin, in New York in April. Quillin is an American who relinquished the same belt last year and is unbeaten in 32 fights.
Saunders could feature in a non-title fight on the undercard. Saunders is guaranteed a shot at the winner of the Lee-Quillin fight and if it is the promoter Frank Warren, he hopes to stage the fight on either side of the Irish Sea this summer.
“I was honoured to be asked to fight for the IBF world title, which has been held by some of the greatest fighters in the sports history, and it was not an easy decision to make', Saunders said in a statement on Thursday night.
“But I have a signed contract with the WBO to fight the winner out of Lee and Quillin and I want to go down that route," he said.
Saunders added: “I'm in boxing to prove that I'm great and bring more world titles back to Britain so I hope that the IBF title is still one that I can challenge for in the future in some big unification fights.”