New WBO Heavyweight Champion Shannon "The Cannon" Briggs manager Scott Hirsch says he is incensed by the proposed protest recently made public by the camp of former champ Sergei Liakhovich. "This seems to me to be a very desperate attempt to regain the title without getting back in the ring because they know Shannon would beat him even worse in a rematch!” says the Florida businessman. “Sergei took a terrible beating and my hope read more ...

Shannon Briggs (48-4-1, 41 KOs) scored an explosive twelfth round knockout over Sergei "White Wolf" Liakhovich (23-2, 14 KOs) to claim the WBO heavyweight championship on Saturday night at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. Action was very measured for most the fight as both fighters appeared wary of engaging in exchanges. Finally in the twelfth round, with about 30 seconds left in the fight, Briggs floored Liakhovich, then when read more ...

All the major world heavyweight titles belong to fighters from former Soviet bloc countries. Shannon Briggs thinks that's wrong. And the Brooklyn-born-and-bred Briggs plans to change it by defeating WBO champion Sergei Liakhovich, a native of Belarus, on Saturday night at Chase Field. It's the first heavyweight title fight ever staged in Arizona. read more ...

“It’s funny,” he said, “because when everyone thinks of me, they think I am old because I fought George Foreman and Lennox Lewis, and other guys. But those fights were when I was very young. When I tell people my age, they’re like, ‘Naw, you can’t be.’ For the record, the six-foot-four-inch Briggs is just 34 and has won 11 consecutive fights, all by knockout. A dangerous threat to any boxer in the heavyweight division, he is the World Boxing read more ...

Liakhovich, born in Vitebsk, Belarus, and now fighting out of Scottsdale, Arizona, will make the first defense of his WBO crown when he faces Brooklyn's Shannon Briggs Saturday night on Showtime. Liakhovich won the WBO belt with an exciting decision over heavily favored Lamon Brewster last April 1. The give-and-take 12-round slugfest is a serious candidate for the 2006 Fight of the Year read more ...

Liakhovich stated that he's become a better fighter since winning the title against Lamon Brewster. "November 4 everyone will see a much better boxer, a new Sergei Liakhovich," stated Lyakhovich. "He's a good fighter, a strong fighter. He's got good hand speed and a good right. But if he tries to knock me out he will be in trouble. This guy says he will take the title from me. Well see. I fought hard for this title, and it's just not going to happen." read more ...