Watching Junto Nakatani lift his record to 29-0 with a 22nd knockout to close a two-day festival of title fights in Tokyo last week left Top Rank President Todd DuBoef feeling quite confident over a matter certain to thrill the boxing public.

“I thought (Nakatani) looked terrific. He is maturing impressively,” DuBoef told BoxingScene of the three-division champion who finished Tasana Salapat in six rounds while defending his WBC bantamweight belt Monday.

“If he and (Naoya) Inoue happens, it makes a lot of sense. I could see it happening in 2025.”

Just imagine: Four-division champion Inoue 28-0 (25 KOs) defending his undisputed junior-featherweight title versus a driven countryman who increasingly is swinging a wrecking ball through his division.

Before it happens, there’s formalities to be tended to.

Inoue is headed to a likely Christmas Eve meeting against his IBF mandatory challenger, Australia’s Sam Goodman. The IBF earlier this week announced a purse bid open to outside promoters is scheduled October 29 for the bout as Inoue and Goodman’s promoters have thus far failed to strike a deal.

And Nakatani, who trains in Southern California with cornerman Rudy Hernandez, would likely also opt to take an interim fight before such an immense showdown.

Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum previously told BoxingScene after watching Inoue – nicknamed “The Monster” – stop challenger TJ Doheny by seventh-round body blow in September that he envisioned an Inoue-Nakatani showdown in the U.S. in the late spring.

A company official said at that time that Arum’s hope was premature.

But now that DuBoef has watched Nakatani flex his ability, the dream showdown is appearing increasingly likely.

DuBoef said he told trainer Hernandez that Nakatani “is starting to look like” Hernandez’s late brother, the former super-featherweight champion Genaro Hernandez, “except (Nakatani) can punch.”

Rudy Hernandez grinned at the comment, DuBoef said.

DuBoef said he was impressed at how Nakatani performs in his 5-feet-8 frame with a 68 ½-inch reach.

“He’s so lanky … lanky with those long arms, throwing these punches that come from nowhere,” DuBoef said.

Match that against the destructive power of pound-for-pound elite Inoue and the mind races as to how this national battle would play out.

Adam Azim, now 12-0 (10 KOs), produced a stunning display to stop Ohara Davies (25-4, 18 KOs) in eight rounds at the Copper Box Arena in London, England.

Azim and Davies had spent all fight week talking up their admiration and respect for each other after spending a stint together as amateurs in the Peacock Boxing Gym. You wouldn’t have thought the pair were close during the contest, however, with both throwing with bad intentions from the off.

Azim clearly had the edge in every department and after he dropped Davies in Round 5 it seemed only a matter of time before the contest came to a close.

The end came in the eighth, when Azim, 22, delivered one of his trademark hooks to the head and Davies stayed down for the full 10-count. Azim had impressed a packed-out London crowd in his biggest test of his professional career.

At the sound of the first bell, all Azim’s respect for Davies went out the window as he asserted his dominance behind a stiff left jab. Davies didn’t want to over-commit and backed off, attempting counters but having little success. 

Azim’s blistering speed was on full display and Davies did well to avoid his lightening quick right hand. Azim, though, was continuing to hunt down Davies and it seemed only a matter of time before one of his powerful shots landed. 

Davies, 32, appeared to grow in confidence in the third and started throwing his long leaver, punishing Azim for keeping his left hand low. He caught Azim and smiled but the youngster came out for the fourth with bad intentions. The two friends met toe to toe and swung away at each other, forgetting all about their history. The round then ended with a smile from both, and the two tapped gloves as they returned to their corners.

The fight started to heat up in the fifth; Azim’s shots were landing and landing hard. Ohara was smiling through the blood pouring from his nose but a left to the body eventually brought him to his knees. He sucked up the pain and survived the round but this time Azim was not interested when Davies attempted to touch gloves. 

Azim returned to his boxing in the sixth, using his razor-sharp jab to bust up the face of Davies. The 32-year-old, however, finished the round well, landing two left hooks before the bell sounded. Davies was looking more and more defeated as the rounds went by and, when he returned to his corner after the seventh, his cornerman had a stern word.

He came out for the eighth with more determination, but it didn’t matter. Azim landed a lightning-quick left hook which landed behind Davies’ guard. Davies slumped to the floor and had the look of defeat on his face. The fighter stayed down for referee Mark Lyson's full 10-count. Azim ran over to console his former stablemate; he had said before the contest that they were friends before and they would be friends after. The time of the stoppage was 1 minute 18 seconds of the eighth round.

Anthony Yarde, now 26-3 (24 KOs) made an underwhelming start to life on BOXXER and Sky Sports with a hard-fought win over the game Ralfs Vilcans (17-2, 7 KOs).

Yarde, 29, had been out of the ring for four months but made a flying start, dropping Vilcans with a counter right hand just seconds into Round 1. The Englishman didn’t rush his work and seemed happy to let his opponent see out the round. Yarde’s skills were on display in the second; he used his movement to avoid the oncoming attacks before flicking a sharp left hand back. 

Vilcans, 30, made up for what he lacked in skill with heart and continued to pressure Yarde even after being heavily countered in the fourth. Yarde seemed relaxed in the corner, enjoying being back under the bright lights, but he was getting caught. However, the punches seemed to not affect him and he waved Vilcans forward in the fifth. 

In the sixth Yarde had decided he’d had enough of a runout and started to walk Vilcans down. He walked through the Latvian’s punches and landed hard, clean shots which brought a cheer from the onlooking crowd. Vilcans was not deterred, however, and seemed to be comfortable with the power of Yarde, even after being dropped in the first.

Yarde focused his attacks on the body of Vilcans in the eighth, hoping that they would have more of an impact than his failed assault on the head. Vilcans again seemed unfazed by Yarde’s shots and, in the ninth, started to push the Englishman into the corner.

Yarde may have been landing the heavier and more eye-catching shots, but he was being outworked by Vilcans. In the tenth, Yarde attempted to finish an underwhelming performance with a knockout, but again he struggled to deter Vilcans. The final bell sounded and Victor Loughlin, the sole adjudicator, awarded the fight 98-92 to Yarde. 

Vilcans may have only won two rounds but that didn’t tell the story of the fight. Yarde will have to step up his game if he is to challenge Joshua Buatsi.

Earlier, Tulani Mbenge (21-2, 15 KOs) defeated Michael McKinson (26-2, 4 KOs) for the IBO welterweight championship.

McKinson, 30, started the better of the two, using his sharp southpaw jab and left to the body early in the first. He switched his attacks upstairs and hurt Mbenge, but the travelling South African fought back.

Mbenge, 33, pressed the action in the second, determined not to let McKinson grow in confidence. He pushed him back to the ropes and was able to find a home for shots over the low guard of the Englishman. More of the same followed in the third as McKinson struggled to get the respect of Mbenge and had to resort to countering when he could. 

Mbenge continued his hunt for McKinson and powered home body shots that were clearly having an effect. McKinson slowed down in the fourth, resulting in him sitting on the ropes at times, but that only played into Mbenge’s hands. He again punished McKinson, delivering shots to the head and body. 

In the fifth and sixth, McKinson seemed to work out the style of Mbenge and started to slip the shots that were previously landing. He sat in the pocket with the South African, slipping and sliding, while landing counters to the body. He was, however, being out-worked.

The body shots that Mbenge had been banking throughout the fight finally started to pay dividends in the seventh. McKinson, gasping for air, had to dig deep and settle for working with his back to the ropes.

The eighth and ninth proved to be the most entertaining rounds of the fight; both men stood in the pocket and fired away at each other. The bigger shots came from Mbenge but McKinson didn’t shy away from landing his own left hand. 

McKinson tried his best to turn the tide in the championship rounds but with limited success. Mbenge was too strong and continued to march forward. Both men embraced after a hard-fought 12 rounds before Mbenge then had his hand raised. The scorecards read 117-111 and 116-112 twice to the South African. 

Adam Azim’s trainer, Shane McGuigan, believes Azim can be as good as his former fighter and undisputed junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor.

McGuigan was in Taylor’s corner for the majority of his professional career, helping the Scot win the World Boxing Super Series and unify the IBF and WBA junior welterweight titles. Taylor then left McGuigan to join Ben Davison and became undisputed champion against Jose Ramirez. 

Azim is McGuigan’s newest 140lbs prodigy and has taken well to life as a professional, winning the European title in just his 10th fight. McGuigan has high hopes for his young fighter and believes he could reach the level of his former boxer, Taylor.

“Josh Taylor was an undisputed world champion,” McGuigan told BoxingScene. “I wouldn’t have wasted my time training him if I didn’t believe he could do that, and I think it’s very much the same with Adam Azim. I like to train guys who I believe can beat anyone in the division and become the best fighters on the planet – Adam Azim has got that capability.”

Azim will step up this Saturday and takes on the experienced Ohara Davies at the Copper Box Arena in London. This won’t be the first time McGuigan has been in the opposing corner against Davies after he led Taylor to a stoppage victory back in 2017. McGuigan is wary of the potential banana skin that is Davies, but believes Azim has beaten better fighters. 

“There is an element of risk to most fights,” McGuigan said. “We took a guy called Aram Faniian before the European title, that was a banana skin, could [Faniian] have beaten Ohara Davies? Probably. I think he’d beat a lot of good guys, and I think he’s a very good fighter Faniian. And Ohara Davies is, what he lacks in technique, he makes up for in awkwardness, power, range, and timing.

“It’s a completely different fight than against someone who might be a bit more schooled. You need to be able to adapt to a multitude of styles. Josh Taylor, for instance, boxed fantastic against Ohara Davies, but he struggled to figure out Miguel Vasquez. That’s just because styles make fights, this is a risk, but a calculated risk in my opinion. I think it’s going to make him look sensational.

  “I think [Azim stops Davies],” he continued. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if he hits Ohara and Ohara goes more into survival mode. You don’t get to world honors if you’re not a good all-round fighter. I would hope that he stops him but there’s multiple things that can happen in that ring and the most important thing is he walks away with the win.”

  Victory over Davies, who has boxed in and around world level, will put Azim up there with some of the big names in the division. McGuigan, however, is in no rush for his fighter to be given a title shot and insists he will be given the right fights at the right time.

  “I think it’s jammed up there [at the top],” he said. “He is 22, does he need to fight for a world title in a year? He wants to. Politics is politics, it’s strong at the top of boxing. But there are multiple fights out there for him. Whether they're former world champions or guys that are unbeaten at the same stage of their career.

  “I think the most important thing is to continue to keep him active, keep him busy, get him in with guys that have either been world champions or fought for world titles and given a good account of themselves. And that's just gaining more and more experience. Obviously, there's a big domestic rivalry against Dalton Smith and potentially a fight against Jack Catterall as well. There are some good names in the division at 140 and he wants to beat everybody. He doesn't just want to nick a world title and then sail away.

“He wants to fight everybody, so that's important,” McGuigan continued. “But it's my job, looking after his career, to make sure that we sort of harness that belief and sort of let it go out slowly and match him at the right times.

  “There are three or four names that we'll make for a fight after this, but if I do tell you a little man called Edward Hearn will get on the phone and try and offer them other fights, try and sabotage our opponents. So for now, I’ll keep hush.”

Argentinian Lucas Bastida (22-3-1) stopped Ukrainian, based in Latvia, Bohdan Sobol (18-1) 30 seconds into the eighth round of their middleweight bout in Riga, Latvia.

Basitida was the sharper puncher of the two and floored Sobol in the second. Sohol, however, came back afterwards and seemed to gain control in the fourth and fifth, working well behind the jab as Basilda appeared to have punched himself out.

But the tide turned again in the sixth as Sohol kept walking into sharp counters and a bad swelling around the right didn't help. 

Early in the eighth, Bastida really hurt his opponent with a left hook and followed with a barrage of punches - Sohol was knocked down and was out of it. It was a bad knockout and while Sohol regained consciousness he was very unsteady and was dragged out of the ring  - hopefully to be put on a stretcher - while Bastida and his team celebrated.

On the undercard Estonian cruiser Stiven Aas outscored Latvian veteran Reinis Porozovs in a three round professional boxing match. Porozovs was down in the final round and that sealed his fate.

Latvian light heavy champ Juris Zandovskis outscored Pole Maksymilian Kapcpdzyk in another three roudner.

Jeamie Tshikeva (7-1, 4 KOs) picked up a sixth-round stoppage victory over Franklin Ignatius (6-1-1, 1 KOs) at London’s Copper Box Arena tonight (October 19).

Tshikeva, 30, started the fight on the front foot and Ignatius strangely seemed to be happy to sit in the corner, attempting to counter with limited success. Ignatius, 29, came out for the second with more desire, standing and trading center ring with his opponent, having success with the jab. 

Tshikeva pressed the action in the third, but Ignatius was able to counter well, showing his clear advantage in speed. Tshikeva, however, had the size and power over Ignatius; he used it to his advantage and walked his opponent down.

Tshikeva had his best round of the fight in the fourth and pinned his man in the corner, unloading heavy shots. In the fifth, the pressure of Tshikeva started to have more of an effect on the retreating Ignatius and he was forced to hold. 

The end came in the sixth when Ignatius finally succumbed to the big shots coming his way. Tshikeva landed a powerful left hook that rocked Ignatius and forced him to do what he could to avoid the oncoming onslaught. He couldn’t keep away from the shots, however, and referee Victor Loughlin jumped in after 2 minutes 32 seconds of Round 6.

Before that, Francesca Hennessey (5-0, 1 KO) was lucky to pick up a decision victory over the game Ana Karla Moraes, now 5-1 (2 KOs). The bout was supposed to be a step up for young Hennessey, only 19, and she struggled to deal with the sheer size and aggression of her opponent.

De Moraes, 34, came out to assert dominance in the first, and Hennessey struggled to deal with the clear power difference of her opponent. Hennessey began to use her boxing skills in the second but again was forced into wild exchanges with the attacking De Moraes.

Hennessey didn’t shy away from the oncoming De Moraes, at times holding her feet and swinging a little too much to her corner’s liking. She would again try and box from a distance but was unable to gain the respect of her aggressive opponent. 

De Moraes came out with bad intentions in the fifth and bullied the young Hennessey around the ring. The wild shots were clearly having an impact on Hennessey and her face showed a picture of the fight. The brave youngster again didn’t shy away from the action and finished the round on the front foot.

De Moraes seemed to tire in the sixth after her efforts in the previous round. Hennessey landed the best shot of the fight, countering a lazy jab with a right hand that stumbled the Brazilian backward. 

De Moraes rallied in the seventh, bringing the pressure that had brought her success throughout the fight. Hennessey still managed to find room for her counters but she was again being outworked by the oncoming De Moraes. 

Hennessey came out for the final round knowing that she probably needed it to be in with a chance of getting a decision on the cards. The round was scrappy but again the work rate and power from De Moraes gave her the more eye catching shots. 

Hennessey’s trainer Bradley Skeete lifted her up at the sound of the final bell. De Moraes already knew what was about to happen. She didn’t bother celebrating and when a score of 78-74 was read out she didn’t bother to complain. Hennessey’s team may have seemed like they were happy with her performance, but they will know there is much to improve on.

Now that Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol is behind us, I’ve started to look forward to Bakhram Murtazaliev-Tim Tszyu more and more.

I’m a big fan of Tszyu. I love the way that he fights; the way that he carries himself; his willingness to fight anyone and everyone in the biggest fights possible. He’s a breath of fresh air. 

Murtazaliev – who beat Jack Culcay in April – is a very tough opponent. He’s young; he’s strong; he’s big; he’s got a good right hand, and he’s got an engine that meant that he finished the fight against Culcay very strongly. 

For a junior middleweight Murtazaliev is tall. He’s also very aggressive, and varies his powerful right hand. Against Tszyu – a good mover and counter puncher – that aggression could prove a blessing or a curse, because there are times he’s off-balance as a consequence of overthrowing that right hand. He really tries to hurt his opponents – he goes looking for the knockout – but his instincts also mean that he’s open to getting countered.

He doesn’t mind getting hit, so a key test will likely come in how well he can take Tszyu’s power. His footwork also suggests that he can be outmanoeuvred. He falls forward with shots; he steps through, and throws punches from awkward angles but delivers them with power – for a tactician, fighters like Murtazaliev are the hardest to figure out. 

Tszyu will need to be a lot more tactical than simply fighting head to head. He also hasn’t shown a great deal of outmanoeuvring to date – he typically puts a lot of pressure on opponents by staying in front of them, and he counters them impressively, but at under 5ft 9ins at 154lbs, he fights with a disadvantage against his taller rivals. 

Fundamentally, Tszyu’s a very sound fighter. He has great balance, and applies his pressure intelligently; he’s capable of standing in front of opponents but pulling straight back to counter with the right hand, and he varies his right hand beautifully. He also has a very quick, and underrated, jab. Tony Harrison, one of his former opponents, once told me: “His hands were way quicker than I expected.” And he’s dogged in his approach; he’s difficult to frustrate and take away from his game plan, as we saw when he fought Sebastian Fundora in March. He couldn’t see, but stuck to his game plan, and he was successful in a lot of the 10 rounds that followed that cut opening up. 

His doggedness, regardless, can hurt him. Against Fundora he struggled to switch up, even though he was at a disadvantage because of the blood in his eyes. That discipline, focus and mentality can hurt him if he falls behind and has to make adjustments on the fly. 

Psychologically, Tszyu’s very strong – I’ve little doubt he’s put the defeat by Fundora well behind him. He was ready to fight Vergil Ortiz – he’s locked in, and he’s moving forwards. 

His father, Kostya, is going to be ringside at one of his fights for the first time since his professional debut in 2016. I had family members around me for my entire career, so I understand the extra pressure – and possibly the distractions – of having someone so close to you shouting instructions at you, like Kostya did to Tim that night. But the noises they’ve made suggest that Tim’s in a good place regarding Kostya being around, which is important – and it could prove a positive for him against Murtazaliev.

Tszyu agreed, a late notice after an injury suffered by Keith Thurman, to fight Fundora on the night Premier Boxing Champions and Amazon Prime were working together for the first time. He then fought on for 10 dramatic rounds with a cut when he perhaps should have been pulled out at the end of the second. PBC owed it to him to deliver for him an immediate shot at a title.

I don’t believe that Tszyu did that out of loyalty – it’s just who he is as a fighter. But I suspect PBC reflect fondly on him doing so, and wanted to reward him. Murtazaliev, also, was perhaps owed a big fight – he’d taken a lot of step-aside payments to allow other opportunities to proceed. 

The circumstances surrounding Tszyu-Fundora mean that defeat didn’t really set him back. If he loses to Murtazaliev, that story will change – another defeat, to a low-profile opponent, would be disastrous, and leave Tszyu’s career requiring rebuilding.

Ultimately, I favour Tszyu. His superior fundamentals, his physicality, and how hungry he is – I expect him to be around for a long time; he’s got all of the makings to be a dominant champion – give him the edge. But it’s not going to be an easy fight. 

Beterbiev-Bivol, by the way, was a great fight. It was very, very tactical, which I’d expected; both produced a masterclass in positioning and at such a high level; they manoeuvred each other all night on.

I thought Bivol edged it and deserved victory, but it wasn’t a robbery, even though I found it difficult to find a path to give Beterbiev enough rounds to win, and even though the one score of 116-112 blew my mind.

A rematch, as soon as possible, makes the most sense for all parties. The money’s there; Beterbiev will get a bigger portion as the winner, and knows what it’s like to share the ring with Bivol, which should appeal more than fighting a young, hungry lion like David Benavidez. Bivol can also get a big payday, and can get revenge. 

Despite seeing Bivol as the winner in Riyadh, I’d favour Beterbiev to win a rematch. The more time he spends in the ring with anyone, the more chance he has of hurting them with his incredible power. Bivol was masterful in his defence and in slipping punches, but Beterbiev can benefit from the 12 rounds they’ve shared to find ways to hurt him if they fight again.

Promoter Boxxer announced Friday that they had formed a partnership with Riyadh Season, which would start with Saturday’s show at the Copper Box Arena in London.

The bill is headlined by Adam Azim versus Ohara Davies and, according to a press release, “The partnership sees Riyadh Season become official partner of all upcoming Boxxer events in the UK and Ireland with integrations into pre-promotional activity in the build-up to every show and as part of fight night.”

Boxxer, founded by Ben Shalom in 2018, has exclusivity with Sky Sports in the UK and they played a significant part in the Riyadh Season show in Saudi Arabia last weekend, with Chris Eubank, Ben Whittaker and Frazer Clarke all on the bill. Eubank was the only one to emerge victorious, and all might have headlined their own shows in the UK before the end of the year had they not all fought on the same card.

There have been plenty of murmurs of discontent over the schedule in Britain heading into the winter months, but Shalom moved to allay any concerns.

“I think people are adjusting,” said Shalom, who has another leading star, cruiserweight champion Chris Billam-Smith boxing in Saudi Arabia next month. “Whittaker, Eubank, Frazer Clarke, would have all headlined shows of our own in Britain, and they were all on the same card. We can’t complain. We’re seeing some huge, huge fights and huge nights. [But] Saturday night [at the Copper Box] is a huge night for British boxing. I know we had a lot of noise over last week [in Riyadh], but this card on Saturday is phenomenal, Azeem-Edmondson, McKinson-Mbenge, Jeamie TKV-Franklin Ignatius, and the top of the bill [Azim-Davies].

“We’re trying to make sure now that we prioritise some massive, massive cards in the UK. I’d like to see Buatsi-Yarde land in the UK at the O2. I think that’s where it should be. It’s a London fight. I think it’s one of those fights. But, equally, what His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh] and Riyadh Season have done is make it easy to make those fights.  

“Buatsi-Yarde, we’ve been trying to make since last March and it’s not happened, and that’s where the frustration lies and I think all the promoters are adjusting. His Excellency and Riyadh Season still want boxing to be big in the respective territories and still want it to be big, especially in the UK, and so I think we’ve got nothing to worry about. I think we’re gonna get the best of both worlds and I think it’s just a bit of an adjustment phase now to reconfigure what those big British shows are going to look like.”

Shalom felt that with the Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury rematch taking place on December 21, a Yarde-Buatsi fight would likely fall into early 2025, if it could be made.

Shalom, while excited to be in league with Riyadh Season, said a series of Boxxer events would be unveiled in the next two weeks.

Former bantamweight world champion Shannon Courtenay (8-2, 3 KOs) returned to the ring after two years out with a flat performance, losing to the now 6-3-1 (0 KOs) Catherine Tacone Ramos on points.

Courtenay’s time out of the ring was made to show as she struggled to deal with the attacking Ramos from the opening bell. Courtney was pushed back into the corners and, while trying to slip the oncoming attacks, was caught heavy.

The third and fourth followed a similar pattern, with Courtenay struggling to deal with the aggressive nature of her opponent. Courtenay dug in deep in the fourth and, with her back to the ropes, whipped in shots to the oncoming Ramos. 

Ramos again steamed forward with relentless pressure and towards the end of the fifth it was clear that Courtney was running out of ideas. The sixth was maybe Courtney’s best round but again she was on the end of sharp right hands from Ramos.

Courtenay lifted her arms at the sound of the final bell, but the look on her trainer John Gillies’ face said it all. Her celebrations were quickly ended, and Ramos fell to her knees in joy as a score of 58-56 was read out.

Meanwhile, Sam Hickey, now 1-0 (0 KOs), made an impressive start to his professional career with a shutout win against John Henry Mosquera (5-18, 1 KO) on his debut.

The Scottish middleweight’s well-drilled fundamentals, which he has brought with him from a successful amateur career, were on display from as early as the first round and it was soon clear he was a level above Mosquera. The jab and straight-right hand worked well for Hickey throughout the first two rounds. In the third, Hickey switched his attacks to the body of Mosquera and seemed to slow down the movement of his retreating opponent. 

Hickey came out for the fourth determined to get a debut stoppage victory, pressing forward and throwing heavy shots to Mosquera’s head. The Colombian soaked up the pressure and Hickey looked unhappy not to have stopped his man at the final bell. He did, however, look much happier when a score of 40-36 was read out in his favour. 

Friday, October 18

Bakhram Murtazaliev-Tim Tszyu outlasted the threat posed by Hurricane Milton to remain at Orlando’s Caribe Royale, but at Friday morning’s weigh-in – the “weigh-in” seen from 4pm in the afternoon was ceremonial – it was briefly threatened by inaccurate scales.

One set showed the fighters that they were on weight. The next – those being used to officially weigh them in – showed them to be in the region of half a pound over. One fighter even left in preparation to shift the additional weight he believed that he was carrying, until promoters Premier Boxing Champions investigated and realised that the chosen scales were inaccurate, and the 11 fights scheduled were gradually approved after the fighters successfully made weight.

The extent to which, on the occasion of Murtazaliev’s first defence of his IBF junior-middleweight title, Tszyu is the attraction was again demonstrated at the ceremonial weigh-in, also at the Caribe Royale. His value to Australian broadcaster Fox’s pay-per-view platform Main Event means that he and those around him have numerous media commitments that don’t apply to the non-English speaking Murtazaliev, of Russia, but even the host of Friday’s weigh-in announced Murtazaliev – who was born in Grozny but has relocated to Oxnard, California – as living in Glendale, which unlike Oxnard forms part of Los Angeles and is an hour away. 

Perhaps his manager, the influential Egis Klimas, has also detected that his fighter is being overlooked. Klimas, who also works with, among others, the great Oleksandr Usyk and Vasily Lomachenko, regularly translates on behalf of his fighters, but when doing so for Murtazaliev on stage at the same ceremonial weigh-in he made little effort to hide his disinterest. Perhaps, like others, he was wondering about the whereabouts of PBC’s still-absent Tom Brown.

“Why don’t you talk about [Sebastian] Fundora’s nose?” BoxingScene was asked by another of Murtazaliev’s team – acting as a considerably more willing translator for the Russian before he left – regarding Tszyu’s previous opponent. “It was smashed. It was bloody too. Why doesn’t no one talk about that?

“They were both bloody. We’re all talking about [Tszyu’s] blood. Why?

“This guy has better PR; better marketing. They wanna market him as fighting for another title after a loss. There we go. That’s good marketing.” 

That strength of how Tszyu is marketed has regardless been enhanced by the presence of his celebrated father Kostya. Kostya’s arrival in Orlando – after he travelled from Moscow, to Istanbul, to Miami and finally from Miami to be present on Thursday – meant that he saw Tim’s younger brother Nikita for the first time in 11 years. 

Tszyu’s separation from his first wife Natasha – the mother of Tim and Nikita – had tested the strength of their bond as a family, but in 2024 those bonds have been rebuilt to the extent that it was Natasha who persuaded Nikita to pay for Kostya’s flights to be in town, therefore also guaranteeing he would attend one of Tim’s fights for the first time since December 2016. 

“She was the one who convinced Nikita,” Main Events’ Ben Damon told BoxingScene. “They’re a remarkable family that’s had a lot of focus on them [in Australia] for a long, long time. They’ve handled it really well and you can see that before in the way that Tim’s conducting himself this week and the way that they’re all handling it.”

In this week’s mailbag, trainer Stephen “Breadman” Edwards looks back on the undisputed light heavyweight bout between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, assesses how to score, looks at the cards and also addresses the immediate future of the 175lbs greats.

Hey Bread, I am not sure if someone poisoned the water, but if you tuned into boxing for the first time this past weekend, the broadcast team would have had you believe Bivol was the greatest pugilist that has ever laced them up. The obvious bias was staggering, but not uncommon in our sport. At the end of the fight, I figured it was either a draw or 115-113 for Beterbiev. I watched him get his hand raised, said to myself “that's about right” and went to bed. Woke up to OUTRAGE online. My lord! It was like I watched a completely different version of the fight. I thought the fight was close. Is 116-112 a bit wide? Sure… But it’s ONE ROUND DIFFERENT FROM 115-113, which most people were fine with. If it was 118-110 I would be asking for the judge to be tested for drugs, but 116-112 I was “meh” about. It's as if people decide to score a fight posthumously going off "how it felt" rather than round by round. I don't even fault some people for thinking Bivol won. But through my eyes, Beterbiev enforced more of his fight and kept Bivol on the back foot with his ear muffs on far too often for me to be convinced Bivol was controlling the fight.

Brent from Canada

Bread’s Response: Very good comment. I agree with some and disagree with other parts. I agree about the controversy. I saw a very evenly contested fight myself. But I was watching with a few people. The people who thought Bivol won referred back to the commentary. Besides bad judging, commentary is the reason why there is so much controversy in our sport. But here is the thing. I said what you said during the fight. I noticed that the replays all favored Bivol also. An algorithm was created for Bivol’s success. There was a narrative that Bivol was pitching a masterpiece. I saw Bivol fighting a great fight. But I didn’t see a one-sided masterpiece. 

I saw an even fight where Bivol stood up to a monster with a 100% ko ratio. But Beterbiev’s ability to answer Bivol’s attacks, use his jab, apply his defense and impose himself were overlooked in my opinion. Had the announcers been more fair towards Beterbiev, I don’t believe we would have this controversy. And for the record I don’t remember who the commentators were. I was watching from a stream and there were a lot of people where I was. But whoever they were, they were pro Bivol. That’s for sure. 

Where I disagree with you, is suggesting because  Beterbiev kept Bivol on the back foot, that he deserves more credit. I couldn’t care less who comes forward and who goes backwards and I don't even like those terms back foot and front foot. The rule is who’s more effective with their aggressiveness. If Beterbiev is going forward and Bivol was lighting him up, it wouldn’t matter, Bivol would be winning.

I have seen fights like Buddy McGirt vs Simon Brown where Brown came forward all night but ran into shots all night and was clearly and cleanly outboxed. If there is a person who saw that fight and thinks that Brown won because he came forward, they need to have their eyes removed. We can’t score a fight on what we like. We have to score a fight on the rules that are set in place. Clean punching, effective aggressiveness, ring generalship and defense. And we have to remember it’s not a thirty six minute event. It’s twelve individual rounds.  

I thought Bivol fought a better fight overall. But I don’t know if he won seven clean rounds. I thought Beterbiev showed a little more determination at the end. But winning the last three rounds, counts the same as winning the first three. We have to be careful with adding false caveats to scoring a fight. 

I also don’t think it’s fair to Bivol to use examples of what Algieri and Valenzuela did in their fights vs Provodnikov and Cruz. No disrespect to them, but Bivol is a much better and more accomplished fighter. And Beterbiev is a much better and more accomplished opponent. Context is important. There are things that Ruslan Provodnikov and Issac Cruz allow you to do, that Arthur Beterbiev does not. You make a good point about punches touching the gloves. That’s a tough call so let me add some context. 

If a fighter is blocking punches with his gloves and he’s not able to return fire because his gloves are so pre-occupied blocking punches, I’m going to give his opponent credit for controlling the action. That’s RING GENERALSHIP. A fight that illustrates that the most to me is Pacquiao vs Clottey. Clottey didn’t get destroyed in terms of punishment taken. But he could barely punch back because Manny was so busy. No way you can give Clottey more than one round in that fight. So in a case like that I would give Pacquiao credit for winning the rounds. In this case, it’s more difficult because Bivol and Beterbiev landed almost the same amount of punches and Bivol did find room to land his shots. 

Hey Bread, Hope you're doing well. You have long favored Benavidez against Bivol. After last week, I don't think Benavidez holds a candle to either guy. Both Beterbiev and Bivol are 100 per cent legendary fighters. Also I think Bivol won the fight. Sergio Mora had summarized it well, he said “more and more judges are getting influenced by ineffective aggression.” Beterbiev threw 1000 plus punches and landed just 200 something and was also quite behind on impactful punches. Even if judges only have their eyes to rely on, one can easily see that Bivol was more cleaner and Beterbiev was just busier and that doesn't translate to winning the round unless you don't score defense at all, which has to be scored as per the rules. This just makes one appreciate defensive fighters more as their style is not properly understood, it happened to Floyd against Oscar and Canelo. This fight highlighted that boxing scoring should not discourage a 10-10 round score because scoring swing rounds is beyond the aptitude of the current judges.

Bread’s Response: I personally score defense. But it’s not paramount to clean punching. Both displayed good defense. But it’s no doubt that Bivol was the more efficient fighter. He threw less and almost landed the same amount of shots. But before you get upset. There is nowhere in the handbook that states the fighter who lands the higher percentage of shots should win. It’s the fighter who lands the cleaner shots, the fighter who is the most effective aggressor, the fighter who controls the action the most and the fighter who displays the best defense.

Now, what I can say is Bivol displayed great defense because Beterbiev landed a small percentage of his punches. That I will give you. But when I assess these things. I don’t get into what I specifically like. I just simply score the fight on the things that the judges are supposed to score the fight on. That’s it. My subjective preference doesn’t go into it.

Stephen: Good morning, I am true to my word! You picked Beterbiev and you were correct, from the interview that you gave Millcity Boxing you were surprised and I quote, “Bivol’s toughness surprised me. I’ve watched him stand up to three huge punchers and not break mentally,” said Edwards.

Bread’s Response: I was very surprised at Bivol’s toughness and composure under pressure. He’s a special guy. Great fighter. I also agree that Canelo or Benavidez will fight Beterbiev next year.

I want to know how you scored the Beterbiev-Bivol fight. Directly after the fight, I thought Bivol had proved himself as the best fighter on the planet. I thought the even scorecard was incredibly kind to Beterbiev. When I heard the 116-112 score, I was certain Bivol had won. Then Beterbiev’s name was announced and I’m still shocked. It’s not a terrible decision but I just don’t see how Beterbiev was given the majority of the rounds. Please help me see it or help me justify my belief that Bivol won. Thank you!

Bread’s Response: I couldn’t tell who won while watching it. My initial impression was a DRAW. I haven’t seen it again.

Hey Bread, Hope you’re well. Last week, interestingly you mentioned Conwell and Tszyu as Ennis future rivals. Not high on Ortiz anymore? What’s up with Garcia? The one you beat. Are you sold on Bivol’s toughness and heart? I feel we all felt he wasn’t as resilient. I’m impressed. I thought he edged it by one round but a draw would have been fine too. I think Beterbiev can do better in the rematch. Bivol fought great. Do you see a more violent fight than Benavidez vs Beterbiev? I can’t imagine anything more destructive. 

Cheers

Diego

Bread’s Response: I think Vergil Ortiz is an excellent fighter but the tough time he had with Bochachuk is concerning to me. Ortiz is much more talented than Bochachuk and he had life in death in that fight. So much so that I don’t know if he left a piece of himself in the ring that night. 

So while I’m still high on Ortiz, if you’re talking about future fights. I don’t expect Ortiz to have career longevity because fighters who usually have longevity, have mastered the art of not just winning, but winning with ease. The Bochachuk fight was too hard of a fight in my opinion. But I will leave room for me to be wrong and to possibly be underestimating Bochachuk. Right now I will say Conwell and Tszyu will be around to fight Ennis. I feel like Conwell and Ortiz are in the same stable and I can see Conwell beating him if they fought next.

Beterbiev vs Benavidez would be the fight of the century.

Assalaam alaykum Mr Edwards,

Bread’s Response: It was an excellent fight. I really enjoyed it. I didn’t think it was a great fight. But it was well fought in my opinion. Both displayed why they were in that position in the first place. Fighters who are that sound fundamentally with that type of pedigree won't usually produce FOY level fights. But they will produce fights that up and coming fighters can look at and learn from and fights that hardcore fans can enjoy.

Greetings Bread! Hoping all is well with you and yours my man. It’s been a bit since I’ve written in but the Breadbag remains a Saturday morning highlight! Unsurprisingly, you were the only voice I heard even talking about Beterbiev by decision lol. Kudos to you! I knew you’d be inundated with letters immediately after Plant’s victory a few weeks ago so thought I’d hold off before asking. Firstly, congratulations on a terrific performance! Which brings me to my question. It’s pretty universally believed that Canelo got exponentially better after being defeated (schooled) by Floyd, especially in his defense and overall craftiness. Now, Caleb did not get schooled by any means in the Benavidez fight, but lost a close competitive decision to a generational talent and one of the best inside fighters in the game. How much do you think that experience with such an effective inside fighter contributed to Plant, never known for that particular wrinkle in his game, completely taking over his most recent fight and brutalizing his opponent with such effective ferocity on the inside? I know you guys worked on that in sparring too, which is why I ask if the Benavidez fight played a role or not but it sure seemed like it might’ve to me. In either case, he did some exceptional inside work and it was a spectacular performance, and evidence that Plant is the type of fighter who learns in defeat and comes back better. You guys are one hell of a team and I can very easily see Plant becoming the number 1 guy at ‘68, especially with Benavidez moving to 175. Incidentally, if Canelo does ever fight David, I think he’ll wait until he’s fully adjusted to 175, then fight him at 168 with a rehydration clause. If that happens, I hope the Mexican Monster tells him to pound sand and protect his own legacy and reputation. I hate those rehydration clauses! Porter is the only major fighter I’ve seen not be obviously affected by a rehydration clause in his victory over Broner (144 I think it was). It’s usually a guaranteed L for the guy who’s not able to rehydrate. Fans and boxing media need to call this out more loudly so A side fighters are embarrassed to request them. Just my two cents, but do you agree? Thanks for all you do Breadman and Keep Punching!

Bread’s Response: We worked on Caleb’s inside game since I started training him in the summer of 2022. But you can’t rush development. It happens when the fighter gets it. Against Dirrell, Caleb didn’t need the inside game so much. He was able to outbox Dirrell from the outside and there was no reason to go inside when he was winning from the outside. But obviously Caleb needed it against Benavidez. The fight went how it went, and we worked on it afterwards. And it finally showed in a real fight. I don’t fret over that type of stuff. Because I understand development. I taught Julian Williams the move where he rips gloves down in 2010. He didn’t use it in a fight until years later. You can’t rush development. You can only cultivate it. If a fighter is on the level, he will eventually get it.

Well Breadman, I don't know what to make of that. Beterbiev's corner told him he needed a knockout in round 10 and had the demeanour of a team who lost, and Bivol's corner had the demeanour of the team that won. Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren both had it for Bivol 116-112, and Frank had actually picked Beterbiev beforehand. I'm seeing a lot more people immediately after saying Bivol won, and a lot of them have it as wide as Eddie and Frank. It seemed a close fight to me. I would have to watch it again and score it round by round but it looked draw-ish or 115-113 either way. I felt like neither guy really went for it except for maybe Beterbiev in the last two rounds, which may have won him the fight. However, that judge who had it 116-112 for Beterbiev was way off. Truthfully, I decided not to bet on the fight when I saw the way the ring was set up. I got a weird feeling my spidey-sense started tingling. It looked small and unusual with like a good 2 or 3  foot of space outside the ropes as though they had been set further in than normal? I don't think I've seen a ring like that before. Maybe it was just a botch job given the way the two guys went over the ropes earlier in the night. Not many had Beterbiev by decision so I will say congrats on your pick, even if I'm not sure right now if the right guy got the nod. I think an immediate rematch is fair and warranted - and before Beterbiev gets any older. Did you score the fight, what did you make of the ring (if anything), and did it play out like you expected? The way Bivol started the fight feinting and speeding Beterbiev is how I thought the whole fight would go, but I guess he couldn't maintain it. Much, much respect

Bread’s Response: I didn’t notice anything wrong the ring. What happened? Was it not 20 x 20?I thought it was an even fight. 115-113 either way. Or 114-114. No more or less for either guy.

I don’t mind Beterbiev’s corner edging him on with urgency. And I don’t look at that as an indicator of who won or lost. Maybe their expectations were different from Bivol’s corner. You have to remember they had never been the distance before. So maybe they wanted to ensure victory.

Thanks. Beterbiev by decision paid +750!!!

Hello Mr. Edwards,

Bread’s Response: This is a great question. I believe the very best athletes are at their very best when everyone is looking. But there is so much pressure and expectations on successful athletes that I do see sometimes they over press when family and friends show up. Personally, I’ve seen it affect the fighter in a negative way and a positive way. 

I have seen fighters show out and have the best night of their lives in front of friends and family. And also have absolutely the worst night of their lives. 

It’s not up to me to say if family and friends should attend fights. But it does affect me if they become a distraction. Honestly, there is always a level of distraction from family and friends because they are not just there to support the fighter. They are also there for their own personal experience. Rooms, local attractions, tickets etc. Are all things they want and expect. And someone has to accommodate them. 

What I always suggest to fighters is have someone handle those things. Don’t take the calls and requests themselves because it will distract them. It will cause anxiety. Here is the thing about boxing. It’s hard to put down rules on a grown man who pays you. But I do let them know my feelings and then they can do whatever they want. So here are my personal rules. 

Rule#1 Do not let your woman sleep in your room the night before the fight. Obviously no sex. But no distractions. You’re not on vacation. You’re getting ready for a fight. So if she’s in your room, she’s going to talk on the phone, turn the TV on, get up to go to the bathroom. In a high anxiety event, this can be taxing. So I tell fighters to not be cheap. Get your woman their own room, then room together after the fight if you want. If they choose to have their women in their room overnight, it's on them. And I don't have to say anything because they know where I stand already.

Rule #2. Hire someone to take the family request. Simple but not easy. Trust me I have seen fighters handle that stuff.

Rule #3 and the most important one. Don’t let your family and friends make it about them. Because it’s about us. Some fighters I don’t have to say that to. Some I do. But after I say it, when it happens it’s on them and not me again

What are your thoughts on Ben Whittaker? I don’t know what to make of the incident and him. On one hand he seems incredibly talented. On the other hand he seems more bark and less bite. Where do you rate him and his potential?

Bread’s Response: I think Whittaker is talented but talent is not enough. You need to have the right stuff under the hood of the car. I don’t want to call him a quitter because I haven’t seen anything on the diagnosis of his injury. But his behavior was concerning. I felt his opponent was coming on and had just hurt him with a left hook to the body. The momentum was not in Whittaker’s favor at the time the fight was stopped. I would have liked to see if Whittaker could overcome that and take over in the second half of the fight. But it didn’t work out that way. 

Many years ago Julian Williams fought Hugo Centeno in a prospect 50/50 fight. Julian was dominating the fight. He was up 3 rounds to 0. In the 4th round there was a headbutt. Nothing serious. Centeno told the referee he couldn’t see. Williams was cut also and the referee conveniently took the losing fighter to see the doctor. I still don’t know why he picked Centeno to go see the doctor. Both fighters had small cuts. The fight was stopped. It’s on YouTube.

Centeno and his team celebrated afterwards in the MGM. I thought to myself, in that moment, Centeno should have tried to overcome his poor start and he may have kept his 0 but he cheated his character. His career and character would have been better served. But he didn’t and he never reached the heights he thought his career would ascend to.

If Whittaker doesn’t pan out, his critics will look back at that exact moment he fell out of the ring. Fighters who have truculent flamboyant personalities usually don’t respond well to losses. Ali is one of one. And Whittaker’s countryman Chris Eubank Sr. was an absolute gun. But many like them fall by the wayside when they lose or have a bad performance. 

Naseem Hamed is an absolutely great fighter. But after he lost to Barrera, he fought maybe once and was done. Hector Camacho was never the same after he was hurt by Edwin Rosario. Even Josh Kelly recently lost and it’s obvious he just doesn’t have his mojo. 

This won’t be easy for Whittaker. The opponents will fight him harder. And the media will criticize him harder. He’s going to have to be a man’s man and fight through this. He’s going to have to have something under hood that he hasn’t had to show. I’m not writing him off. But I am curious now to see what he has. A step in the right direction would be to heal up and give his opponent an immediate rematch. We shall see how that works out.

Send Questions & Comments to dabreadman25@hotmail.com

Boxxer promoter Ben Shalom has thus far had a week to forget, with marquee fighters Frazer Clarke and Ben Whittaker having the worst nights of their young careers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and having exchanged barbs with rival promoters via YouTube channels. 

On Saturday, at the Copper Box Arena in London, Shalom will promote a show headlined by exciting young star Adam Azim, who meets veteran puncher Ohara Davies. 

“It’s a massive step up. It’s a huge step up,” Shalom said of the task facing the 11-0 (8 KOs) Azim.

“Ohara Davies obviously lost in the first round [to Ismael Barroso] but that can happen to any fighter. We’ve seen him stepped up to world level. You see his resume before that, he’d only lost to Jack Catterall and Josh Taylor. He’s had a great career and he’s been at the top a long time. This is a fight of real jeopardy. I know how good a camp Ohara has had. I know how much he’s focused on this fight, despite what he’s said . And I’ve said to Adam, don’t be fooled. He’s very experienced. He wants to win this fight more than anything.

Throughout the year, there has been speculation that Azim might fight rising Sheffield rival Dalton Smith. Former European champion Azim handed his title back rather than face Smith, his mandatory challenger, but Shalom remains confident not only that that fight will happen, but that Azim is focused on Davies and his more immediate task.

Asked whether there was any danger of Azim looking beyond Davies, in a way that perhaps Anthony Joshua was fielding questions about Deontay Wilder on the eve of his shocking loss to Andy Ruiz, Shalom said: “Definitely not with Adam. I think other people are. I try and get people to remember that he’s 22 years old, so it’s hard to compare it to those. He’s in a development stage after 10 or 11 fights. This is a big step up for him, this is what he has to focus on. Anything can happen. I don’t know for 100 per cent what’s going to happen on Saturday night. 

“What I do know is Adam Azim is a supremely top talent with huge potential which I’m very proud of, given when he first walked into our office he was shuffling round, not saying much, couldn’t look you in the eye. We’ve seen him become a man outside of the ring and I think that’s going to translate to his performances inside the ring and he’s got a huge night on Saturday night so looking beyond that is difficult.

“Of course, the Dalton Smith-Adam Azim fight is a fight that everyone talks about, similar to other rivalries where they are sort of always compared, and they’ll always be compared. I believe if everyone keeps winning, then it can happen next year.”

Also on the bill, light heavyweight contender Anthony Yarde fights on a Boxxer show for the first time, and Shalom is still hopeful that Yarde in the future will face London rival Joshua Buatsi, in the capital. 

It is a fight he has been trying to make for months.

“At the time we offered the deal, Buatsi still hadn’t fought Willy Hutchinson,” Shalom added. “You never know what can happen in there, so I couldn’t guarantee the Buatsi fight at that stage. We then also, from a Buatsi point of view, were looking at Bivol-Beterbiev, and if someone had vacated, or won clearly, or whatever, Buatsi’s next in line. He’s the interim champion. And that is the fight of choice if it can happen within a certain time period. 

“It looks as though Bivol and Beterbiev could fight each other again, and there’s going to be a rematch, and outside of that, there’s no other fight for Joshua Buatsi [than Yarde]. I don’t think the fans will accept it. I don’t think anyone will accept it. There is no other fight and it’s got to that point we predicted which was what happened on Saturday night, a very close fight, Josh has come through Willy Hutchinson and now it’s all set up. 

“And Anthony Yarde, we know, is absolutely desperate for that fight. Joshua Buatsi has the interim belt. Josh is the guy, he [Yarde] knows is his biggest fight of his career. I know he’s fought for world titles, but this is something that will capture the public’s imagination. This is kind of thing that has the chance to translate into the mainstream audience as well and it’s a huge fight and it’s one we really want to see.”

Middleweight Marquis Taylor didn’t get the call he expected after handing undefeated Cuban prospect Yoelvis Gomez his first defeat. 

A big fight seemed inevitable, but instead, his phone stayed silent—until former titleholder Shawn Porter rang, offering help.

For the last two months, Taylor, 17-1-2 (3 KOs), has been working with Porter, a partnership that has helped refine his approach as he eyes the top of the middleweight division.

“It’s been great,” Taylor told BoxingScene about working with Porter. “Shawn came in and started helping me with my foundation, my feet, just polishing things up. He’s been giving me advice on conditioning too, really everything. He always said, ‘If you ever need anything, call me.’ So one day, I hit him up, asked for some help, and eventually told him I wanted him to coach me, we tried it out, and it’s been clicking ever since.”

Taylor’s rugged, high-pressure style mirrors Porter’s, making the partnership even more fitting. The two-time titleholder has focused on sharpening Taylor’s overall set of skills.

Taylor’s last bout came in August, when he stopped Roberto Garcia, 47-7-1 (29 KOs) in the fifth round. In April, Taylor from Galena Park, Texas, will mark a full decade without a loss. Now approaching his 31st birthday, which comes next month, he has grown—literally and figuratively—from his start at a little above 140lbs.

“I was still growing,” Taylor said. “In the amateurs, I was fighting at 140, so when I turned pro, I thought I’d stick there. But I kept getting taller. I went from 5ft 10ins to 6ft 2ins. After my first couple of pro fights, I couldn’t make 140 anymore, so I moved up to 147, then 154, and eventually 160. I thought maybe as a smaller middleweight, I’d get more opportunities, but that hasn’t been the case.”

The victory over Gomez, aired on Showtime, initially felt like Taylor’s breakthrough moment. It soon became a mixed blessing.

“My dad called it after the fight,” Taylor said. “He told me, ‘You’re not going to get any more fights.’ I thought for sure I’d get calls, at least one big fight a year. He was right. No B-side offers, nothing. Even as the A-side, nobody wants to fight me.”

Despite the frustration, Taylor remains focused and motivated, confident that his time will come.

“It gets hard sometimes, but I’ve got too many people who believe in me to quit,” Taylor said. “When I spar undefeated fighters and champions down here in Houston, and I’m only at 60 per cent, I know I’m too good to stop now.”

With major fights elusive, Taylor is taking the sanctioning body route, aiming to become a mandatory challenger to force a fight.

“I just defended my NABF title, and I went from ranked 30 to 19,” Taylor said. “But it’s funny—all 18 guys ahead of me would never fight me.”

Looking ahead, Taylor has his sights set on the top names in the middleweight division. When asked who he wants he made it clear, he wants the titleholders.

“I want Janibek, Carlos Adames, and Erislandy Lara,” Taylor said.

Anthony Joshua is now able to resume his boxing career.

For those unaware, Anthony Joshua was suspending from boxing after his knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois.

After the result, the British Boxing Board of Control handed out a routine 28 day suspension to Joshua.

This process is standard for any fighter on the end of a stoppage defeat.

With today being the 19th October, the 28 day period has now expired.

Meaning that the former two-time undisputed world heavyweight champion is now able to get back in the ring again.

With the suspension now in the rear view mirror, attention will turn to what is next for the Watford based heavyweight.

All indicators seem to be pointed towards a rematch with Daniel Dubois.BBBofC spokesperson comments on Fabio Wardley gloves investigation claim

A decision on that is likely to come sooner rather than later.

Turki Alalshikh has already suggested that he’s looking to put the fight on in February 2025.

On top of that, the IBF have set a deadline for any Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois rematch.

Realistically, we’ll know well in advance of that deadline what AJ’s plans are.

Without a suspension hanging over him, it’s likely that we’ll get an update from Joshua in the coming weeks around what his plans are next.

There doesn’t seem to be any indication that he’s looking to step away from the ring and fight fans will be eagerly anticipating an official decision from Anthony Joshua whenever that arrives.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has done it all in the world of football.

Having played for the likes of Manchester United, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, LA Galaxy and AC Milan amongst others, the Swedish striker has an impressive CV.

After a career spanning nearly 25 years, the legendary goalscorer hung up his boots in 2023.

Since then, he’s become a senior advisor for AC Milan.

But it seems that the competitive urge for Zlatan hasn’t died down.

Known for his fiery temper and competitive nature while playing the game, Zlatan Ibrahimovic still seems to have the itch to compete.

Even before he entered the world of football, Zlatan had a combat sports background.

Zlatan received an honorary black belt in taekwondo in his hometown of Malmo in Sweden.

He is also seen posting images of him working out on his social media pages.

But it now seems that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is looking to pursue a career change and has his eyes on a potential boxing match.

According to SunSport, Misfits Boxing are in conversations with Zlatan about potentially stepping in the ring with them.

Misfits co-president Mams Taylor has lifted the lid on discussions.

“I’ve tried to convince Zlatan and he can fight,” Taylor told the publication.Fabio Wardley gloves under investigation after brutal Frazer Clarke KO

“I’m good friends with his manager and we had a FaceTime, the three of us.

“It was really cool because he’s seen a lot of Misfits fights and he’s followed it.

“He was a kickboxer, he’d be a good one as well.

“But yeah, there’s other names that aren’t quite as big as these guys that are but still very respected and have achieved a lot that are interested.

“And because it’s so realistic that those guys are going to fight, I’m not gonna give you their names.

“But, I will say that Zlatan and Wayne Rooney, there’ve been conversations and I think it’s a matter of time.

“At some point it will materialise.”

As stated by Mams Taylor, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not the first Manchester United legend that they’ve been in discussions with.

Wayne Rooney has also spoken to the group about boxing with them.

Rooney is another former footballer who is known for his keen interest in the sport.

Zlatan and Rooney were teammates at Old Trafford when they played together under Jose Mourinho at United.

It seems that conversations have been positive and it’s only a matter of time before one of these ex-Manchester United stars steps into the ring for a fight.

Promoter Ben Shalom nodded in agreement when told last weekend in Riyadh was not a good one for him.

The stock of two of his highest profile signings, heavyweight Frazer Clarke and light heavyweight Ben Whittaker, plummeted sharply after Clarke was stopped by a Fabio Wardley right hand in the first round and Whittaker looked listless until he and Liam Cameron jointly fell backward over the top rope and Whittaker failed to continue.

Clarke had surgery on a broken jaw, Whittaker left the ring in a wheelchair.

Shalom, comparatively inexperienced when compared to many of the veteran promoters in the sport, is now charged with bringing back two profile fighters who are only at the beginning of their professional journeys.

Asked how Clarke was recovering, Shalom said: “He’s well. He’s motivated. I heard him today talking about coming back. He’s gutted, because one punch can change your career and change a fight completely. But the main thing is he’s safe and, in that moment, nothing else matters.

“For me, Frazer Clarke is a talented fighter. For me, he’s a more talented fighter than Fabio Wardley, but he got caught by a ruthless finish and that’s something he will have to go back, discuss with his team and make sure he’s more prepared than last time. But there’s some massive British fights out there. I’d love to see the Johnny Fisher fight. I think that is a fight we were discussing, or looking at, potentially doing prior to this fight. I think David Adeleye, Jaimie TKV, there’s some big domestic fights there that you can see getting Frazer Clarke back in the ring and back on the road to the top of the division.”

For Whittaker, the road back is different. He will be more widely questioned then Clarke, partly because of the ending of his technical draw with Cameron and partly because he went viral for very different reasons than the showmanship that has attracted millions of followers on social media.

“It was a bad performance. It was a bad, bad performance,” Shalom admitted. “I’d never seen him box like that. I’ve never seen him get caught with shots like that. Something wasn’t right. His timing wasn’t right a nd I think for me, having had time to reflect on it, it's one of those moments in a sportsman or women's career where you can go either way. And I think this will be the making of him. And I think sometimes you can have so much coming at you. He’s become one of the most recognized sports people in the UK overnight. He's got brand deals coming out of his arse. He's got more money being thrown at him – not from his boxing – just because of the star that he’s become as well and sometimes you just need that moment, that reality check to say, ‘Remember what’s important. And what goes on in the ring and your development is important. You might have all the talent in the world, but these guys are fighting for their lives in that ring and every day there in that gym’. And I believe this will be the making of him. I know him very well.

"He’s hurting a lot right now, naturally, and he’s a perfectionist, but a lot of people have been waiting to jump on him and he’s going through it now. But he will be back, and he will use this, I believe, to really change a lot of things.” 

Boxlab Promotions' rising undefeated heavyweight prospect, Dainier "The Fear" Pero, is set to face Indianapolis native Willie Jake Jnr in an eight-round heavyweight showdown on the undercard of the Tim Tszyu-Bakhram Murtazaliev event on October 19. The fight will take place at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. 

Pero sports an 8-0 record (6 KOs) and at 25, is far younger than most of the current or former heavyweight champions who remain active. A victory over Jake Jnr would keep his unblemished record intact, but also potentially help situate him for a title shot once the current generation of heavyweights ages into retirement. 

"Jake Jnr is a tough opponent, and I know he’ll come in with a lot of heart,” Pero said. “But I’ve been training hard, and I’m ready to show that I’m on another level. A win here keeps my name in the mix as one of the top heavyweights to watch. Training in Las Vegas with Coach Bob Santos has been a game changer for me. The work we put in has sharpened my skills and taken my conditioning to a new level. I’m feeling stronger, faster, and more prepared than ever for this fight."

"Dainier has shown incredible growth and maturity as a fighter, especially over the past few months training under Bob Santos,” Boxlab Promotions President Amaury Piedra said. “We’re excited to see him take the next step in his career against Willie Jake Jnr. This fight will be another opportunity for him to display his skills and power on a big stage, and we’re confident he’ll rise to the occasion.”

Jake (11-5-2, 3 KOs), 41, enters on a two-fight losing streak, including a notable stoppage loss to Top Rank prospect Richard Torrez Jnr.

Since signing with Boxlab Promotions, Pero has become a fan favorite at the Caribe Royale Hotel, where he has fought his last three bouts, scoring knockouts in each.

"The Caribe Royale has become like a second home to me, and I’m excited to be back fighting here in Orlando,” Pero said. “It’s always great to have the support of the local fans, and I’m looking forward to giving them another great performance. Building my brand in Orlando means a lot to me, and I plan to end the night early with a knockout.”

Junior lightweights Frankie “The Franchise” Scarboro and Wayne Lawrence will put their undefeated records on the line in an eight-round bout this Saturday at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, Maryland. 

The fight, promoted by Lamont Roach Snr's NoXcuses Promotions, will air on the ProBox TV app.

Scarboro, 28, from Cheverly, Maryland, has a deep backstory with the 23-year-old Lawrence, who hails from Toledo, Ohio. The two fighters, different in so many ways, have exchanged heated words leading up to the match.

Scarboro described Lawrence as “a guy who was privileged,” accusing him of using his early fame—highlighted by appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and ESPN First Take—as a stepping stone without the hard work that comes with boxing. “I forgot he even existed,” Scarboro said. “And then he DM’d me, saying, ‘Let’s fight.’”

Scarboro felt the tone of Lawrence's words was condescending, leaving him “on read,” a significant insult among younger people that refers to messages being read but essentially ignored. Scarboro recalled a particularly cutting remark from Lawrence, who claimed he was "never going to be anything" and was "running out of time."

“So I definitely took that personal, and this fight is big to me,” Scarboro said. “Don't poke a sleeping bear, and I think he poked a sleeping bear. Saturday is my show.”

Tension escalates further with Lawrence’s recent victory over Ferris Dixon Jnr in August. Scarboro acknowledged a connection between them: “There’s a sneaky teammate connection. Dixon and Wayne grew up together. They trained together. It’s kind of the same gym,” Scarboro explained. “I understand it’s harder the second time around. If you beat a football team, they come back harder. I’m well prepared.”

While boxing is Scarboro's primary focus, he emphasizes the importance of education and helping others. “I’m a business administration major,” he said. “My career goals outside of boxing are through the roof. I want to chase my dreams, and I’m glad to be doing it in real life.”

Scarboro's father, Francois Scarboro Snr, reflected on the differences between his son and Lawrence. “Nobody wants to take the long road to success, and we are the epitome of the long road,” he said. “Everyone is going to find out what hard work gets you versus a paint job on trash. I am not calling the kid trash. But anybody who tells me they stop the sport for a while to do what they want to do and then want to come back and beat someone who, even with a broken hand, was in the gym strengthening his left, or who, with sprained ankles, put a stool in front of a speed bag and hit it for hours, or someone who gets up at 6am every morning to swim for two hours, followed by five hours on the bridge, and still has time to sit in as a substitute teacher—there's no way Bam, Bam is going to win this right here. We have the power of love behind us, the skill set, and it’s our destiny.”

As anticipation builds for this matchup, both fighters prepare to showcase their skills and ambitions in the ring. Scarboro’s confidence shines through, underscored by his strong religious belief: “I feel like I’m in the right situation at the right time. It's a quote that I have tattooed on my arm: 'God's timing is perfect.' I honestly believe God’s timing is perfect, and I have all the things in my world and myself.”

Joshua James Pagan didn’t just step into the ring in Puerto Rico on Friday night—he made it his own.

Under the bright lights of the Coca-Cola Music Hall in San Juan, Pagan earned a unanimous decision victory over veteran Haskell Rhodes, headlining the DAZN-televised main event of Big Time Boxing Puerto Rico.

The scores were 100-90, 99-91, and 99-91, all in favor of Pagan, who ascends to11-0 (4 KOs).

Pagan, a 24-year-old from Grand Rapids, Michigan, took a measured approach early. It was Rhodes who landed the first notable punch of the night—a crisp overhand right in the opening round. Rhodes, 37, from Las Vegas, used his hand speed to outmaneuver the 5ft 10ins Pagan early on, despite giving up five inches in height. By round two, Rhodes was bullying Pagan on the ropes, and the crowd erupted as the two traded shots. Pagan closed the second with a sharp right to the temple, a sign that he was settling in.

In the third round, Pagan turned up the pace, controlling the fight and landing the more effective shots. His active jab kept his opponent at bay. Rhodes, who took the fight on short notice, began to show signs of rust. In the fifth, Pagan put together a flurry of punches that pushed Rhodes into his own corner, blood trickling from his nose.

Pagan’s momentum continued in the sixth when a powerful right hand sent Rhodes backward. Rhodes responded with a low blow that momentarily halted the action, but Pagan resumed control with a series of power shots before the round ended.

A hard jab snapped Rhodes' head back in the seventh, and while Rhodes had a strong showing in the eighth, reminiscent of his early rounds, the younger Pagan had clearly taken over. Rhodes' mouthpiece flew out in the ninth as he pressed forward, determined to test Pagan's conditioning and toughness.

The 10th and final round saw both fighters exchanging punches to the delight of the fans. Rhodes landed a few shots after the bell, leaving Pagan briefly dazed, before the two embraced after a slight delay. 

This was Pagan’s second win of 2024, following a tough eight-round unanimous decision over Roger Hilley in May. With the loss, Rhodes saw his two-fight win streak come to an end and his record fall to 31-7-1 (16 KOs).

Carrillo outclasses Castillo

In the co-feature, Juan Carrillo defeated former title challenger Gilbert Lenin Castillo via a 10-round unanimous decision. The scores were 100-90, 99-91, and 98-92.

The first round set a slow pace. Both are heavy knockout punchers and both showed caution in the face of their opponent’s firepower. Carrillo, 32, from Barranquilla, Colombia, found his rhythm in the second round, landing an overhand left and following up with a right to the body. The crowd grew restless, offering only mild boos as appreciation for the tactical fight. Carrillo closed the second with a solid left hand, but Castillo, 36, from Miami, Florida, absorbed it well – a theme of the bout.

Both fighters were focused on timing each other’s power hands, with Castillo looking to counter Carrillo’s left with his right. Carrillo began to establish his jab in the third round, once again landing a strong left to finish the round.

In the fourth, Carrillo took more risks, but Castillo’s inactivity limited Carrillo’s chances for a big counter. Castillo pressed forward in the sixth, targeting the body, but Carrillo’s higher work rate kept him ahead.

Carrillo picked up the pace in the seventh, pinning Castillo on the ropes. A right hand from Castillo was ruled a low blow by referee Luis Pabon, but Castillo responded moments later with a good right to the body, forcing Carrillo to take a deep breath before countering with body shots of his own.

A clash of heads in the eighth briefly halted the action, with Carrillo closing the round with another meaningful left. Despite Carrillo’s dominance, Castillo remained durable. In the ninth round, Carrillo landed a low blow but used the break to regain control, pouncing on Castillo when the action resumed.

Carrillo landed another solid left hand in the final round, but as throughout the fight, Castillo, now 25-6-1 (19 KOs) took it without faltering.

This victory brought Carrillo’s record to 13-0 (9 KOs) and marks his second fight in 2024, following a March knockout of Quinton Rankin in three rounds. Carrillo is currently ranked No. 14 by the IBF and No. 15 by both the WBA and WBO.

Tapia tap-dances to win over Dudek

Junior lightweight Kiria Tapia won a six-round unanimous decision over Beata Dudek in her hometown. All three judges scored the fight 60-53. 

Tapia, now 5-0 (0 KOs) at 34 years old, found success early, landing her left hand against the 31-year-old Dudek, who hails from Miskolc, Hungary and is 4-5 (4 KOs). At the end of round one, Tapia connected with a right hook to the body, and while Dudek didn’t touch the canvas, referee Melva Santos ruled it a knockdown. 

By the third round, Tapia was dictating the action with her jab, closing the distance and firing combinations to both the head and body. Despite the lack of punching power her record would suggest, Tapia caught Dudek’s attention in the fourth with a solid overhand left. 

Tapia, trained by Hall of Famer Ivan Calderon, stepped up the pressure in the final round, throwing relentless combinations, but Dudek, a tricky veteran who has never been stopped, managed to survive.

This marks Tapia's second win in 2024 and her third straight fight in Puerto Rico, after starting her career with two bouts in Kissimmee, Florida.

Dudek, fighting at junior lightweight for the first time, has primarily competed at junior featherweight and bantamweight. She previously fought in September, losing an eight-round unanimous decision to Bree Howling.

Smith smites Santos

In the opening bout, super middleweight Da’velle Smith secured a first-round technical knockout over Gilberto Santos. A 24-year-old from Taylor, Michigan, Smith dropped the 47-year-old Brazilian Santos with a right hand after Santos recklessly charged forward and walked into the punch. Smith, now 10-0 (8 KOs) and standing 6ft 2ins, towered over the 5ft 6ins Santos—16-16 (12 KOs) and capitalized on the size difference, landing a left hook to the body that sent Santos to the canvas again while he was against the ropes.

After Santos got back to his feet, Smith landed a right hand followed by a left hook, prompting referee Ramon Pena to step in and stop the contest at 2:28 of the first round.

Smith has now knocked out his last two opponents. Before tonight, he last fought on September 12, returning just over a month after his previous bout.

It is nearing 20 years since the great Kostya Tszyu was last an active fighter, against Ricky Hatton in one of the fights of the year.

It is eight since he attended one of his eldest son’s fights – the occasion of Tim Tszyu’s professional debut, a victory over Zorran Cassady in December 2016.

When on Thursday Kostya arrived in Orlando to be present for Tim’s IBF junior-middleweight title fight with Bakhram Murtazaliev, perhaps most significantly of all he then saw Nikita – Tim’s younger brother – for the first time in 11 years.

In so many ways fittingly, so little has been seen of him since 2005 when he encountered Hatton. 

In 2011 he was rightly recognized for a career in which he established himself as among the finest of junior welterweights by being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. There was his appearance at Tim Tszyu-Cassady, in 2016, and interviews conducted in the build-up to his son’s victory over Jack Brubaker three years on. 

Tszyu has regardless otherwise kept a lower profile in Moscow, Russia, where he has become obscure among the city's population of 13 million people. The murderous puncher has taken to civilized life in the recognizable metropolis, and while blending in with his surroundings he is raising a new family from a new life and home.

“No time,” the 55-year-old told BoxingScene, when asked why so little of him has been seen. “It’s a new life for me. I’ve got a new family; kids. I’ve got two young kids, 10 and eight years old – Alexander and Victoria [with second wife Tatyana].

“I’ve got many, many things. Public speaking a lot. I’ve got a boxing gym; I’ve got a restaurant. I’ve got lots of businesses.

“Lots of things. Clothing. Not everything I can say. Some other business stuff.

“Actually, I do miss [boxing], but at the same time I’m busy enough, and I do a lot of things in Russia – all around boxing – but I’m not officially putting myself there. I’m undercover.

“I’ve had my life [in boxing]. I know the value of my life now. I’m happy – that’s the important part. I’m not regretting anything, and I’m satisfied with my life.”

Unlike so many of his contemporaries there have rarely been suggestions that Tszyu is unhappy in retirement, struggling financially, or agonising over returning. 

That he bowed out at the very highest level and after the most entertaining and competitive of fights may have contributed – his conqueror Hatton, a considerably more tortured soul, himself later spoke of wanting to end his career similarly – ensuring that Tszyu recognises that not only did he retire after building so memorable a legacy, but that none of those who came to admire him throughout the course of his decorated career will remember him in any way other than as he was near his intimidating best.

“My mum [Valentina] – honestly, this is an important message,” he says. “My mum asked me, ‘Don’t fight again; don’t do this again – please’, and I said, ‘Okay’. After that fight, she said to me, ‘Please don’t fight again’, and I did promise to her that I would never fight again. She’s close to 80.

“It’s their decision [if Tim and Nikita want to fight]. This is their way. They asked me. I said, ‘If you want it, I’m on your side.’

“It’s their decision. Their lives. I’m very proud [of the] the way they chose a not easy life. They could do it the easy way, but they’ve never done it the easy way. 

“As a father – as a person who knows what it’s all about – I have to be 100 per cent confident in Tim’s ability, to give him extra motivation; extra strength. That’s 100 per cent.

“Wait for Nikita now. Do you know how many father-sons have been world champion? Not many. It’s very rare. But we’ve never had two sons and the father world champions.”

Earlier in 2024 the 29-year-old Tim and Kostya had spent time together in Thailand, when under Kostya’s supervision Tim trained in the heat. 

In March, against Sebastian Fundora in Las Vegas, he lost for the first time, and largely because for 10 rounds his head was a bloody mess. His reputation was harmed so little that he has been rewarded, in his following fight, with the opportunity to reclaim a world title; there also exists the reality that Premier Boxing Champions recognize the marketability that complements his having a household name.

“[Murtazaliev’s] a good fighter,” said the Serov-born Kostya. “I haven’t seen him train; I’ve seen him in the ring just briefly, but he’s a good fighter.

“He’s a good fighter. He’s a world champion. But to be honest I never wanted my son to fight Russians – but he has, and he’s got, something that’s supposed to be in Tim’s hands. His belt. It’s nothing personal. But he’s got something that’s supposed to be Tim’s.

“I never fought Russians. Tim’s Australian, but he’s [also] Russian, and I really want him to fight one day in Russia. All the support he’ll get – he’ll get much bigger support if he doesn’t fight Russians. He handles it very well. [Tim’s] attitude is completely right. Not many have got that.

“He handles [the pressure that comes with his surname] very well. We’ve discussed this matter – his team – and I said, ‘Look, what I did, it doesn’t matter. What you do – this matters. We discuss, but I never compare myself with you, and I don’t want you to compare yourself with me – we’re different.’ We have different backgrounds; we have different hunger. 

“Tim’s doing everything – so much that I’m so proud of. I think it’s very important, when a father is proud of his son – and I am… I’ve already said, the way he conducts himself in the ring, and outside of the ring, makes me enjoy what he’s doing.”

Tim had previously been reluctant to have his father ringside, owing to how animated a spectator Kostya became in 2016. In Nikita’s two-and-a-half-year career his father hasn’t once been present. The scars of Kostya’s separation from his wife Natasha Anikina – Tim’s and Nikita’s mother – can still be detected, but for all of the independent Tim’s unmistakeable conviction in his identity, it was the 26-year-old Nikita, with Natasha’s encouragement, who paid for Kostya’s flight to ensure that he will be ringside on Saturday night.

“I love [seeing Nikita],” says Kostya, a 13-year professional. “I miss the kids. They’re still kids for me. We do talk, but not often enough.

“He’s a bugger – not bloody answering his phone. That’s the problem. Not only to me – to many people. It’s not easy to call from Russia. It’s only a particular time I’m able to reach him. I get him sometimes at my parents’ place – using Skype we can talk to each other; see each other. Usually he’s not answering. 

“But, it’s good, and I’m hoping [for] a new future – we’ll go to a training camp together, probably in Thailand.

“Of course [it makes me sad]. But I can’t change it.

“I am an emotional guy. I can be myself in the family, and I’m myself with them.

“I’m very different to how I used to be.

“I’ll spend some time with the kids. We’ll spend time and we’ll have a good talk. 

“[But] I won’t put pressure [on Tim]. I want to be just a father – that’s all.”