Briggs returns from ban, seeks oldest heavyweight crown

By Daily Sports on December 22, 2017

Two-time heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs is seeking to become boxing’s oldest-ever heavyweight champion.

The 46-year-old made his comeback announcement on Thursday after serving a doping ban.

"I'm really happy to be getting back into training and I want to fight in 2018," Briggs said in a statement.

"This past year was a tough year for me. It has been a long road, with many twists and turns, but I battled through it and feel good about the future."

Should he realize his goal, Briggs would become the oldest fighter to claim the crown in the elite division, surpassing George Foreman's feat at age 45.

But any road to a meaningful title figures to be a long and complicated one, with rival unbeaten champions Anthony Joshua of Britain and Deontay Wilder of the United States seeking a unification showdown and New Zealand's unbeaten Joseph Parker, the World Boxing Organization champion, also staking a claim on heavyweight supremacy.

Briggs was issued a six-month ban by the World Boxing Association for failing a doping test with elevated testosterone levels ahead of a canceled June title fight against Fres Oquendo for a secondary WBA heavyweight crown. Briggs completed the suspension period last month.

Briggs, 60-6 with one draw and 53 knockouts, beat Foreman in 1997 for the lineal heavyweight crown but was stopped in the fifth round in 1998 when he challenged Britain's Lennox Lewis for the World Boxing Council crown.

In 2006, Briggs stopped Siarhei Liakhovich of Belarus in the 12th round to claim the WBO title but dropped a unanimous 2007 decision to Russian Sultan Ibragimov in his first defense of the crown.

•Photo shows Shannon Briggs.

Source Daily Sports

Posted December 22, 2017


 

You may also like...
Allardyce replaces Pardew’s as Crystal Palace manager

Rio Olympics: Forget German defeat; go for bronze,...

Solskjaer Banking On Man United Strikers To Fire...

EPL results, Table, other top European League

Asaba 2023: Team Delta Leads On Medals Table,...

Messi angers Mourinho

 

Latest News Ezekiel headlines NCAA Athlete of Year final shortlist WAFCON: NFF launches campaign to unite fans behind Falcons Joshua weighs in on Nigeria-Ghana rivalry National Sports Festival: SWAN Decries Exclusion From Enugu 2025 LOC NOC/NTF to co-Host Taekwondo Course in Abuja Sacking Postecoglou was emotionally difficult - Levy Bellingham makes Dortmund debut in Fluminense draw Pressure and lack of belief - the challenges facing Alonso Ramos scores as Monterrey hold Inter at Club World Cup De Laurentiis desperate to sign Lookman Delap markes debut with an assist as Chelsea win at the Club World Cup Fans found guilty of hate crimes against Vinicius Jr

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (55,536 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,696 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,709 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (44,309 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (44,309 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (44,301 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (44,094 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,639 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,751 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,369 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,811 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (39,237 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media