Jamie McDonnell Lands Dream World Title Shot

Jamie McDonnell will face Tabtimdaeng Na Rachawat for the vacant WBA Bantamweight title at Wembley Stadium connected by EE on May 31 live on Sky Sports Box Office in association with Betway.

McDonnell faces the Thai star on the undercard of Carl Froch’s blockbuster rematch for the WBA and IBF World Super Middleweight titles against George Groves.

The former IBF champion from Doncaster won his first World title on May 11 on home turf at the Keepmoat Stadium against Julio Ceja and will bid to regain World champion status against the 30 year old former PABA champion who has racked up 52 wins with 34 inside the distance.

McDonnell has boxed twice since beating Ceja with a pair of wins in eight-round clashes in November and December, and the 28 year old says he cannot wait to get the chance to box for a World title once again on an historic night in London.

“I am so excited to be fighting for a World title on the biggest boxing show in British history,” said McDonnell. “I’m honoured to be a part of it and especially to be fighting to become a World champion again, I am absolutely flying with this news and it’s going to be a great boost in training.

“It’s been a full year since I last fought for a World title and it’s been tough to be honest. I had a little taste of being a World champion, I loved it and it made me want it even more. Reaching the top of the world changes your life and I want to feel that again.

“I don’t know much about Na Rachawat and I will leave that to the team. His record says he can bang a bit and he is a come-forward fighter who is game, so it will be an entertaining fight as that suits me. I’m expecting to win and win well.”

“I’m delighted to deliver this opportunity for Jamie on a huge night for British boxing,” said Hearn. “It’s going to be a tough night for Jamie but no one deserves a shot more in the division and I’m excited about watching him win his World title back.”

McDonnell’s clash with Na Rachawat joins a top-class undercard on May 31 with James DeGale MBE facing Brandon Gonzales in a final eliminator for the IBF crown contested by Froch and Groves while Olympic Heavyweight sensation Anthony Joshua faces a step-up in his sixth pro fight.

A further allocation of tickets will be released on sale soon and fans can register for updates at www.MatchroomBoxing.com

Good luck to the kid....Deserves a shot..

His opponent sounds like horse crap...

Pleased for Jamie. Got absolutely screwed over being stripped in the first place so hope he can get a title back.

Happy days, Hearn is sticking to his word about other world title fights at least. He's such a good friend to us here. I get butterflies just thinking about him. He can't do anything wrong.

Is this "the" WBA title though or "a" WBA title?

Regular with extra fries WBA version.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Regular with extra fries WBA version.

Would you like to supersize that belt for an extra 40p?

Why did he get stripped of the belt in the first place?

He was instructed by the IBF that he had to sign for a defence within 90 days of winning the belt or something. He Was in the process of leaving Dennis Hobson to move to Matchroom so failed to do this and they stripped him straight away. May have been by the letter of their rules, but was extremely inflexible and harsh. Governing bodies should do what they can to ensure their belts are only ever lost in the ring, where practical and giving Jamie a couple of weeks breathing space would have almost certainly ensured this could happen.

Adam D wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Regular with extra fries WBA version.

Would you like to supersize that belt for an extra 40p?

Why did he get stripped of the belt in the first place?

He got some bad advice off a guy who is giving a lot of advice these days.

It other words he changed promoter and in the process lost his title because he did not make his mandatory defense within the allotted time period.

Who in the hell is Tabtimdaeng Na Rachawat?

catchweight wrote:Who in the hell is Tabtimdaeng Na Rachawat?

He's a little fella from Thailand.

Is he a boxer? Or would that be a bonus? Can he cook?

No one here should support Mcdonnell.

He has boastfully, proudly, stated that he is not a boxing fan and does not even know who Muhammed Ali is.

His surname is like somebody asking what Froch's girlfriend's surname is

Its a shame that jamie is going down the scott quigg route of being 'regular' wba champion as anselmo moreno is the current champion at the weight for the wba

Never a world champ in my eyes. Fights someone with a pulse.

To become a world champion you have to actually fight one and beat them...
or is that just wishful thinking these days?;

I dont think it is wishful thinking the wba is by farthe worst for having two people as champion at the same weight to be fair jamie did win the ibf strap fair and square and therefoore was a legit world champion but this i am afraid liike the scott quigg reign is a farce until he meets moreno the current wba champion at weight

Can you blame him blagging the system after how he was treated by the system?

Well i just dont like it i mean you can say oh hes playing the system etc but surely he cannot be satisfied in himself knowing that hes not the true champion at the orgainisation, i just hopethis sets up a fight between moreno and jamie however given the rigondeuax quigg situation i dont hold out much hope

These WBA regular titles are the absolute drizzling sh1t

I agree i do think the wba are by far the worst of any of the sanctioning bodies for this regular title rubbish

Can't blame the fighters or promoters exploiting the system, it's the system being their to exploit in the first that's the problem.

This will be very tough fight for McDonell Tabtimdaeng Na Rachawat is a very good little fighter.

I've to be hoest it makes me laugh you all think this guy is poobecause you aven'theard of him. He's Bantamweight who fights in Thailand,of course 95% of you haven't heard of him. Most of you had't heard of GGG before he started fighting on HBO, or Kovalev until he fought in the states. Or Kazuta Ioka who Chris recently made a thread about opening most of you up to him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tWhTt-F-4k

Do some research before you start slating fighters.

Spot on Chris, I've said before people slate a lot of cards of fights because they don't recognise a fighter. Instead of actually watching the fights and then making an informed decision.

Alex, have you been drinking today?

No, just mad at daft supposed boxing fans.

IBO computerized rankings (which aren't brilliant but are the only set that go far enough down) have this as the number 12 ranked bantamweight versus number 43.

The WBA have it as number 3 against number 4.

Hammersmith harrier wrote:The WBA have it as number 3 against number 4.

Which highlights what an absolute nonsense their ranking system is.

Normally I would agree but having seen Mcdonnell treated out of the ordinary by the IBF he deserves an easy title shot.

Hammersmith harrier wrote:Normally I would agree but having seen Mcdonnell treated out of the ordinary by the IBF he deserves an easy title shot.

I don't begrudge the fighter but these belts are no longer an indication of who the best fighters in the division are - they're bargaining chips and little more.

It's more confusing when there isn't a clear number in the division, Moreno is in my opinion the number one but he's not been mixing with the best consistently.

TBRB have Yamanka, Moreno and then Kameda.

Tamanka's opposition has been even worse, Moreno at least got to Vic Dar first and has Sydorenko even if it was years ago.