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• Security steps in as Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez kept apart ahead of fight

  Josh Taylor was held back from world title challenger Teofimo Lopez by a New York policeman and several security guards during a bizarre pre-fight press conference.

  Promoters Top Rank dispensed with the usual face-to-face photographs following some highly charged comments between the pair in the media in the lead-up to this weekend’s fight at Madison Square Garden.

  A statement before the media event read: “Instead of a traditional face-off, a layer of security will separate the combatants. Additional security has been hired due to the intense pre-fight rhetoric between the two combatants.”

  After a question-and-answer session with the event host, a burly police officer entered the stage flanked by security guards either side and put his arms on Taylor several times to prevent the Scot approaching American Lopez.

  The 25-year-old challenger stated last month that he liked the thought of being able to kill in the ring and get away with it, which prompted Taylor to warn “let’s see who ends up in the back of an ambulance” if he tried to do so during their WBO super-lightweight title fight.

  When asked at Thursday’s media conference whether his comments relayed genuine hostility, Lopez said: “It is what it is, I speak my truth, that’s how I feel. Everything I speak out I am just trying to make into existence.”

  When asked the same question, Taylor, who unified the division before vacating several titles, said: “It is a little bit genuine. I say what I mean as well. There is a bit of genuine dislike there.

  “He has been disrespectful. A lot of words he has said, I am going to make him pay for on Saturday. I can’t wait to get in there and get tore in amongst him.”

  Ring magazine belt-holder Taylor later branded Lopez, a former lightweight world champion, a “clown” after quoting Mike Tyson and called on him to produce his own saying.

  Lopez, wearing a white suit with no shirt, responded: “Aim for death because that’s where life begins. Everyone is scared of death, I don’t know why, we all going to die, but at least if I die I will die for something that means something, that is going to last forever. It’s what greats are all about. Something that you don’t really know.”

  Taylor, wearing a Scotland football top, was quickly manhandled by the police officer and joined on stage by six security guards when he moved towards his opponent to speak to him during the photoshoot.

  The fight is due to start about 4am UK time in the early hours of Sunday morning.

• Jamaica Boxing Board and J.Wray & Nephew partner on new community boxing series

  The Jamaica Boxing Board (JBB) and J. Wray and Nephew Overproof Rum have partnered to stage an eight-month boxing series for amateur and professional boxers with the first bout on Saturday, July 1, 2023, at Cling Cling Oval in Kingston.

  The program is designed to create a dynamic platform that enables elite amateur boxers to refine their skills in preparation for international competitions while simultaneously providing professional athletes an opportunity to launch and cultivate their careers in front of their home crowd.

  Stephen Jones, President of the Jamaica Boxing Board (JBB) believes the initiative will help re-invigorate the sport in the country.

  “By combining our shared vision and expertise, we are confident that this partnership will facilitate the growth and development of boxing in Jamaica, create exciting opportunities for our boxers and continue to positively impact the communities we serve,” Jones said.

  “It is only natural to align ourselves with the company that not only helped kick-start this movement but also possesses the means, vision, and determination to actualize our goals of expanding the footprint of boxing both locally and worldwide.”

  Meanwhile, J. Wray & Nephew Limited’s Marketing Manager Pavel Smith is elated that the partnership will provide an opportunity for Jamaicans to support the careers of local boxers.

   “Jamaica has a love affair with boxing and Wray & Nephew remains a bedrock in the advancement of the sport in Jamaica,” he said.

  “This series gives our talented boxers more opportunities to increase their visibility and fight counts that will, in turn, make them contenders for larger global opportunities.”

  The new boxing platform offers talented boxers more than just local recognition. It aims to empower participants to chart a course that leads them all the way to the prestigious world titles. In addition to showcasing boxing talent, the series will foster community cohesion as the fights will be held in communities on a rotational basis every six weeks.

  The JBB’s overarching vision has always been to establish Jamaica as a hub for international boxing.

  Jones explained that, “We firmly believe that once this endeavor takes flight and garners momentum, ProAm shows will become an enduring fixture in our annual calendar, further solidifying Jamaica's reputation as a global boxing destination.”

• On this day in 2014: Carl Froch knocks out George Groves in Wembley rematch

  Carl Froch knocked out George Groves in their rematch at Wembley Stadium on this day in 2014 as the Nottingham fighter retained his WBA and IBF super-middleweight titles.

  Froch added to his victory in the initial bout in Manchester the previous November, in which he had recovered from a first-round knockdown and terrible start to stop Groves controversially in the ninth.

  This time he finished the contest with a breathtaking eighth-round punch which knocked Groves out in front of a crowd of 80,000.

  Froch said afterwards: “I showed tonight why I’m a four-time champion of the world, why I’ve defended my world title 13 times on the spin.

  “I am amongst the best fighters in the world – that’s who George Groves was in there with tonight.

  “The finish of that (fight) showed why I’ve mixed with the elite for many years and how hard it is to get to that level.”

  He added: “I am feeling unbelievably elated. This is the best moment in the history of my boxing career.”

  Groves made a solid start to the contest which began cagily, with neither fighter wanting to give anything away. Froch was patient, waiting for his opening and Groves struggled to keep pace as the fight wore on.

  “I knew it was only going to take a couple of big right hands to the chin and I timed it perfectly,” Froch said.

  Groves said: “It’s boxing and fair play to Carl, he caught me and I went down. Obviously I felt I was doing very well in the fight, I was in my groove and I was boxing well but it’s boxing.

  “I’ll come back bigger, better and stronger. Ultimately I feel like I let myself down but congratulations to Carl, fair play, he got the punch.”

  It proved the last fight for Froch – aged 36 at the time – before retirement, with him hanging up his gloves with a professional record of 35 bouts, 33 wins and two defeats, 24 of the victories coming by knockout.