To watch Nikolai Valuev prepare to strip down and weigh in for the final time was to watch a man attempt and fail to find a hiding place inside his own body. Surrounded but alone, the giant Russian had been dragged to a Nuremberg shopping centre on a Friday afternoon for the sole purpose of attracting eyeballs and was now, as he waited, doing his best to avoid them. When not bowing his head, the heavyweight could be seen cowering in an alcove, attracting, despite the futile effort to make himself small, the attention of all the people his promoter knew would be there. Some presumably recognised Valuev as the boxer, that tall one, whereas others were drawn to him simply because he was so much larger than everyone else in the shopping centre that day. He could try, you see, but being seven-feet tall there was no escape for Nikolai Valuev. There were no hiding places in the shopping centre, nor could he find one in his own body, no matter how hard he looked. In fact, his body, more so than the man he was set to fight, represented Valuev’s biggest and toughest opponent, something true for some time. If he wasn’t being punished physically by acromegaly, he was, by virtue of his sheer size, prevented from ever experiencing either privacy or normality when out in public. That said, Valuev’s size did provide him with many things, too. For one, it gave him his career as a professional boxer. It also gave him his nickname: “The Beast from the East.” It even gave him the kind of attention most fighters, especially nowadays, would either kill their grandparents or fail a drug test to sample just once. Yet what in the end made Nikolai Valuev so different and so interesting was the fact that his size and the attention it brought led only to a desire to shrink in public, as was evident in Nuremberg. Just as he had no say in his size, he had no say in how people greeted him, or looked at him, and this left us all free to gawp in a way different than we would when in the presence of any other heavyweight. The alternative, of course, was to run, which would have been the move of many upon hearing that a supposedly violent man of seven feet roamed unsupervised in a local shopping centre. However, one fleeting glance at Valuev in Nuremberg and you soon realised there was no reason to worry, much less flee. More scared of you than you were of him, he avoided eye contact with even the people tall and brave enough to initiate it, and he remained in his alcove, or cave, until finally beckoned to follow David Haye, his next opponent, onto the scales. At that point, as per tradition, The Beast was watched by one and all, served up on a stage as photographers snapped away, click click click . The public, meanwhile, waited for the number, knowing it would, like him, be abnormally and almost comically big. They then got it: 316 pounds (22 stone 8). Earlier Haye, the challenger, had weighed 217 pounds, meaning there was just shy of a 100-pound difference between the pair, enough to excite even those shoppers with no interest in boxing. Once they then learned the challenger’s first name was David, their interest only increased, for now a boxing match had a language they all understood: David vs. Goliath. Most Valuev fights were sold on the same premise, of course, but this one, in 2009, really nailed its marketing. More than just the name, Haye brought to the occasion the energy Valuev lacked, the ego Valuev lacked, and the desperation to be seen Valuev clearly lacked. It made him, in other words, the perfect foil for The Beast from The East from a commercial standpoint, yet, equally, a nightmare to both fight and be around. Even before struggling to pin him down in the ring, Valuev had to listen to Haye taunt him, call him names, and try to entice him from his cave. It was, to Haye, all a bit of fun, harmless, key to the promotion, only with cheap shops in place of slingshots never was it really David and Goliath. The next day, just hours from the fight, Haye imagined slaying Valuev while in his hotel room, stabbing left jabs from a crouched position whenever up on his feet. He would, when seated, watch fights involving tall fighters against smaller fighters – including Floyd Mayweather vs. Diego Corrales and Shane Mosley vs. Antonio Margarito – and obsess over the details of the tale of the tape: the difference in height, the difference in reach. He would then amuse himself by comparing the magnitude of his own task with those of Mayweather and Mosley, comforted only by the belief that Valuev possessed neither the speed nor skill of the likes of Corrales and Margarito. Valuev, in fact, was considered by many to be lucky to still be WBA heavyweight champion at the time. Some said only his size had got him opportunities in the first place, while others, the kind more generous, said that Valuev, although a credible fighter, should have lost his belt in a 2008 defence against Evander Holyfield. That fight took place in Switzerland and appeared to be a fight Holyfield won, even at the age of 46. It was certainly all the incentive Haye and his team required to switch their focus from Vitali Klitschko, against whom he was set to fight, and pursue Valuev instead. In Valuev, you see, the danger was the challenge – the size challenge – more so than the beast itself. He had already been soundly beaten by Ruslan Chagaev and since that night in 2007 had gone the 12-round distance five times, a testament to his stamina, yes, but also a sign Valuev was “beastly” in appearance only. Haye, someone whose durability was often questioned, knew exactly what he had to do and just about did it. He used his speed to get in and out and did enough to win most of the 12 rounds they were always destined to share. There were, for him at least, plenty of hiding places in a ring purposely large and there were also many spots on Valuev’s body to hit whenever brave enough to stop moving and engage. All this combined had Valuev, the champion, again experiencing that feeling with which he was now familiar: one of being surrounded but alone. Three days after the fight, on November 10, Valuev spoke of retiring from boxing, citing persistent injuries as the primary reason. This was due as much to his size as his sport and Valuev underwent two operations for bone and joint problems in 2010 which required a minimum of six months recovery. There was also the suggestion of a benign brain tumour which in itself would be reason to quit. Either way, he retired from boxing with a record of 50-2 (34) and remains both the tallest and heaviest world champion in history. In his retirement, Valuev, who is now 51, would go on to become a member of the State Duma through the United Russia Party in 2011 and the following year supported the law in Russian Parliament banning the adoption of Russian orphans by citizens of the United States. It was then in 2016 that The Beast was announced as the new host of Good Night, Little Ones! , Russia’s long-running TV show for kids. Samuel Johnson, the renowned English writer, once said, “He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man,” and of this we see evidence all the time in boxing; a sport in which damaged and flawed human beings are encouraged to become beasts in order to both thrive and fit in. But I have often wondered whether the reverse of this is possible and whether beasts can become men as easily as men can become beasts. In boxing, a sport home to more beasts than honest men, I struggle to imagine how it would be.
To watch Nikolai Valuev prepare to strip down and weigh in for the final time was to watch a man attempt and fail to find a hiding place inside his own body. Surrounded but alone, the giant Russian had been dragged to a Nuremberg shopping centre on a Friday afternoon for the sole purpose of attracting eyeballs and was now, as he waited, doing his best to avoid them. When not bowing his head, the heavyweight could be seen cowering in an alcove, attracting, despite the futile effort to make himself small, the attention of all the people his promoter knew would be there. Some presumably recognised Valuev as the boxer, that tall one, whereas others were drawn to him simply because he was so much larger than everyone else in the shopping centre that day.
He could try, you see, but being seven-feet tall there was no escape for Nikolai Valuev. There were no hiding places in the shopping centre, nor could he find one in his own body, no matter how hard he looked. In fact, his body, more so than the man he was set to fight, represented Valuev’s biggest and toughest opponent, something true for some time. If he wasn’t being punished physically by acromegaly, he was, by virtue of his sheer size, prevented from ever experiencing either privacy or normality when out in public.
That said, Valuev’s size did provide him with many things, too. For one, it gave him his career as a professional boxer. It also gave him his nickname: “The Beast from the East.” It even gave him the kind of attention most fighters, especially nowadays, would either kill their grandparents or fail a drug test to sample just once.
Yet what in the end made Nikolai Valuev so different and so interesting was the fact that his size and the attention it brought led only to a desire to shrink in public, as was evident in Nuremberg. Just as he had no say in his size, he had no say in how people greeted him, or looked at him, and this left us all free to gawp in a way different than we would when in the presence of any other heavyweight. The alternative, of course, was to run, which would have been the move of many upon hearing that a supposedly violent man of seven feet roamed unsupervised in a local shopping centre. However, one fleeting glance at Valuev in Nuremberg and you soon realised there was no reason to worry, much less flee. More scared of you than you were of him, he avoided eye contact with even the people tall and brave enough to initiate it, and he remained in his alcove, or cave, until finally beckoned to follow David Haye, his next opponent, onto the scales.
At that point, as per tradition, The Beast was watched by one and all, served up on a stage as photographers snapped away, click click click . The public, meanwhile, waited for the number, knowing it would, like him, be abnormally and almost comically big. They then got it: 316 pounds (22 stone 8).
Earlier Haye, the challenger, had weighed 217 pounds, meaning there was just shy of a 100-pound difference between the pair, enough to excite even those shoppers with no interest in boxing. Once they then learned the challenger’s first name was David, their interest only increased, for now a boxing match had a language they all understood: David vs. Goliath.
Most Valuev fights were sold on the same premise, of course, but this one, in 2009, really nailed its marketing. More than just the name, Haye brought to the occasion the energy Valuev lacked, the ego Valuev lacked, and the desperation to be seen Valuev clearly lacked. It made him, in other words, the perfect foil for The Beast from The East from a commercial standpoint, yet, equally, a nightmare to both fight and be around. Even before struggling to pin him down in the ring, Valuev had to listen to Haye taunt him, call him names, and try to entice him from his cave. It was, to Haye, all a bit of fun, harmless, key to the promotion, only with cheap shops in place of slingshots never was it really David and Goliath.
The next day, just hours from the fight, Haye imagined slaying Valuev while in his hotel room, stabbing left jabs from a crouched position whenever up on his feet. He would, when seated, watch fights involving tall fighters against smaller fighters – including Floyd Mayweather vs. Diego Corrales and Shane Mosley vs. Antonio Margarito – and obsess over the details of the tale of the tape: the difference in height, the difference in reach. He would then amuse himself by comparing the magnitude of his own task with those of Mayweather and Mosley, comforted only by the belief that Valuev possessed neither the speed nor skill of the likes of Corrales and Margarito.
Valuev, in fact, was considered by many to be lucky to still be WBA heavyweight champion at the time. Some said only his size had got him opportunities in the first place, while others, the kind more generous, said that Valuev, although a credible fighter, should have lost his belt in a 2008 defence against Evander Holyfield. That fight took place in Switzerland and appeared to be a fight Holyfield won, even at the age of 46. It was certainly all the incentive Haye and his team required to switch their focus from Vitali Klitschko, against whom he was set to fight, and pursue Valuev instead. In Valuev, you see, the danger was the challenge – the size challenge – more so than the beast itself. He had already been soundly beaten by Ruslan Chagaev and since that night in 2007 had gone the 12-round distance five times, a testament to his stamina, yes, but also a sign Valuev was “beastly” in appearance only.
Haye, someone whose durability was often questioned, knew exactly what he had to do and just about did it. He used his speed to get in and out and did enough to win most of the 12 rounds they were always destined to share. There were, for him at least, plenty of hiding places in a ring purposely large and there were also many spots on Valuev’s body to hit whenever brave enough to stop moving and engage. All this combined had Valuev, the champion, again experiencing that feeling with which he was now familiar: one of being surrounded but alone.
Three days after the fight, on November 10, Valuev spoke of retiring from boxing, citing persistent injuries as the primary reason. This was due as much to his size as his sport and Valuev underwent two operations for bone and joint problems in 2010 which required a minimum of six months recovery. There was also the suggestion of a benign brain tumour which in itself would be reason to quit. Either way, he retired from boxing with a record of 50-2 (34) and remains both the tallest and heaviest world champion in history.
In his retirement, Valuev, who is now 51, would go on to become a member of the State Duma through the United Russia Party in 2011 and the following year supported the law in Russian Parliament banning the adoption of Russian orphans by citizens of the United States. It was then in 2016 that The Beast was announced as the new host of Good Night, Little Ones! , Russia’s long-running TV show for kids.
Samuel Johnson, the renowned English writer, once said, “He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man,” and of this we see evidence all the time in boxing; a sport in which damaged and flawed human beings are encouraged to become beasts in order to both thrive and fit in. But I have often wondered whether the reverse of this is possible and whether beasts can become men as easily as men can become beasts.
In boxing, a sport home to more beasts than honest men, I struggle to imagine how it would be.
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez is at the point even at the tender age of 24 when he no longer has to be a warm-up act to any other fighter.
Ranked in the top five of most pound-for-pound lists, coming off a main-event knockout of distinguished veteran and two-division champion Juan Francisco Estrada in June and pursuing unifications and fellow titleholders in each fight, Rodriguez, 20-0 (13 KOs), is set to return to action Saturday in Philadelphia.
And while it’s not precisely the way his career path is likely to play out from here on, Rodriguez will meet Mexico’s veteran WBC interim junior bantamweight titleholder Pedro Guevara, 42-4-1 (22 KOs), to fulfill his duties and stay busy.
“If it were up to Bam, he probably would have waited because he wants the fights that mean something, that make sense,” said Robert Garcia, Rodriguez’s trainer.
“So we told him, ‘If we don’t do this mandatory, the WBC may put you as a champion in recess.’ Guevara’s a Mexican kid and interim champion … and now we’re waiting until next year. It was not a fight that even I wanted. … We don’t need to be on the undercard of [Jaron] ‘Boots’ Ennis. In Philadelphia. It doesn’t make any sense. But Matchroom didn’t have another date. So we took it on.”
Not much about this DAZN-streamed, Matchroom-promoted card is compelling if the conversation were only about matchups.
Philadelphia’s Ennis, 32-0 (29 KOs), is being forced into a mandatory welterweight title defense by the IBF even after sweeping the scorecards against the same opponent, Karen Chukhadzhian, in January 2023.
And Rodriguez admits he feels he has become the antidote for rugged veteran junior bantamweights after previously defeating former world titleholders Carlos Cuadras, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Estrada before getting to the 35-year-old Guevara.
“For him, it’s his last opportunity, so he’s going to come very strong and very motivated,” Rodriguez told BoxingScene as he completed as training session recently at Garcia’s training camp in Riverside, California. "But I’m at the top of my game right now. I don’t see anyone beating me."
“This is just another fight for me. I’m taking it as serious as any other fight. Any opponent they throw at me now is just another fight. I know some will be more dangerous than the others, but I’m ready for them all.”
A dedicated student of the sport and relentless worker, Rodriguez opted to strike a three-fight extension with Matchroom while pushing for a promise that each fight would be a junior bantamweight title unification.
Weeks ago, it seemed that was a position that could allow Rodriguez to realize his dream of becoming an undisputed champion in just two fights.
Yet the division has undergone a transformation since, with Argentina’s Fernando Martinez vacating his IBF belt to pursue a WBA title rematch versus former titlist Kazuyto Ioka of Japan and new WBO belt holder Phumelele Cafu upsetting former titleholder Kosei Tanaka in October.
The IBF still has to crown its replacement champion. Cafu will likely avoid someone as skilled as Rodriguez in his first title defenses. And Martinez and Ioka still need to stage their rematch.
“Things happen,” Rodriguez said. “We have to take care of our mandatory and then go on to bigger fights. [The division] has changed up a lot, but the end goal is still the same – to beat everyone and get all the belts. The way the division’s set up, [becoming undisputed] can happen. It’s something I want to accomplish.”
It might not be worth the wait, trainer Garcia admitted, especially as bigger fights beckon.
One could be former four-division champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, who helped prepare Rodriguez for Estrada through three rugged eight-round sessions.
While Rodriguez and Gonzalez’s Japanese promoter Akihiko Honda have asked the promotional teammates not to fight each other, Rodriguez’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, has said he would like the bout to occur. As would Garcia.
There is a Feb. 22 open date in Saudi Arabia that could accommodate the bout.
“Mr. Honda doesn’t want them to fight," Garcia said. "But he can’t stop him from challenging us, and he can’t stop ‘Bam’ from saying, if there’s no unification available, ‘I want Chocolatito.’”
Rodriguez knows there seems to be speculation simmering around his name continually given the interest in his progress. He has heard of the “Chocolatito” whispers and says this:
“I wait for the call. When I get the call, I come out here to Riverside and start getting ready,” Rodriguez said. “There’s bigger fights that are ahead. If [‘Chocolatito’] happens, I don’t mind it.”
Garcia also foresees a late 2025 or early 2026 date for Rodriguez against current bantamweight titleholder Junto Nakatani, and perhaps a date three years away against undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue.
“‘Bam’ will be 27, right in his prime," Garcia said. "Big fights – that’s all he wants."
Until then, Rodriguez has reported to Philadelphia, fighting under another titleholder for the first time since he was under Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
“I’ve known Boots before we were ever pros. … This says a lot about Boots’ star potential. One day, he’ll be one of the pound-for-pound greats,” Rodriguez said.
He should know. At 24, Rodriguez already is one.
Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.
Last weekend, Ellie Scotney flew across the Irish Sea to watch her friend, Robbie Davies Jnr beat Javier Fortuna in Belfast.
Next weekend you might bump into the IBF and WBO super bantamweight champion at the York Hall or at an amateur club show.
As much as Scotney loves boxing, the novelty of turning up to shows as a supporter as opposed to turning up to fight is beginning to wear thin. There are certain contests she’s more invested in than others, however.
“When I'm watching a friend or someone like Robbie, I'm a nervous wreck. It makes me feel ill so, in that moment, and when they win, it's mad,” Scotney, 9-0, told BoxingScene.
“Second hand happiness is mental, isn't it? The feeling you get is insane so when I go to nights like that, it takes my mind off that I’m not boxing and it doesn’t enter my head so going there helps me.
“But when you go to a casual show or you watch one on TV though…”
Scotney hates waiting, she just wants to fight. Unfortunately, she has had to get used to not doing so.
She has boxed only nine times since turning professional four years ago and just when it looked like she would finally get the chance to capitalize on the momentum she created by collecting another super bantamweight division against Segolene Lefebvre in April, bad luck struck.
No sooner had she been given a date for a mandatory defense of her titles against New Zealand’s tough Mea Motu, than a calf injury forced her out of the gym.
Desperate to fight and unsure as to just how long she would need to wait for a new date, Scotney agonized over withdrawing but eventually had to accept that this isn’t the time for risks.
Hopes that the fight could be rescheduled quickly evaporated and Scotney has had to take a ticket and join the back of the queue.
“I couldn’t watch the Manchester show I was supposed to have been on,” she said. “I went out the house and turned my phone off for a couple of days. It's sickening when you're having to watch it and I'm a massive boxing fan. So the fact it's brought me to that point, it's worrying at times.”
It would be tragic if boxing politics ground down the Londoner’s enthusiasm.
Scotney is one of the purest fighters in British boxing. She lives for the sport but, even if it is something as simple as the Mars bar and Ribena she received for first following her brother to the gym, she also loves the idea of being rewarded for her efforts.
Yes, she has unified two super bantamweight titles within nine fights but outside of the streets surrounding her home in Catford, her efforts go largely unrecognized.
When Scotney talks about getting her just deserts she isn’t only talking about bigger paychecks.
Yes, money is important for a 26-year-old attempting to build a life outside the sport but that would come hand in hand with the activity and opportunities that Scotney believes her achievements deserve.
Scotney hasn’t been brought up to complain and pestering and nagging don’t sit well with her but she has realized that, from now on, she is going to have to be more assertive.
After all, if you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always got.
“It’s more like I feel I’ve accomplished the pressure goals. I’ve done some of the things I felt I should do when I turned over,” she said.
“I just think that for what I've got, everything else doesn't seem to match up.
“My last fight, for instance, I come out of that fight and - hand on my heart - I can tell you I haven't ever had that sort of feeling. That's probably the happiest I've ever been. You think ‘This is it, this will be the turning point for me.’
“I know humble Ellie has always been the Ellie but from now on, I’ve not exactly gotta get a chip on my shoulder but I’ve gotta be more demanding, I guess.
“All the work you've put in over the years, you reap what you sow and I'm just like, ‘Hang on a minute, when's that bit coming?’ That's kind of where we're at.”
Scotney will readily admit that she could have pushed her own cause a little harder at times but, maybe naively, she believed that actions would speak louder than words.
Outside of the ring, Scotney is one of the most popular fighters in British boxing but when she turned professional she didn’t do so with the intention of becoming famous or talking her way to the top.
Scotney never benefited from the kind of regular routine wins that other prospects get where a good piece of matchmaking can make a fighter look spectacular and provide them with much needed camera time.
Instead, Scotney has been fighting hardened former or existing world champions since her fourth fight. It is hard to criticize an approach which has seen her accomplish her childhood dreams but it hasn’t opened the doors she hoped it would.
Scotney falls back in love with the sport once she signs a contract to fight but, while waiting to do so, hates business outside of the ropes.
“I feel like your boxing style can sometimes represent who you are and I feel like I can kind of do that in a good way.
“Because I’ve always stayed true to myself, I'd never question any decision or the way I go about things but that bit, I've never understood. I feel like I've done everything right. I could go to a show and talk to anyone and everyone like I’ve known them forever and I'm just like, ‘Hang on a minute, what's the missing part that no one wants to push?’ I think I'm missing that part.”
Frustratingly, she has no real idea why she hasn’t been pushed more.
“No, I wish I did because if you knew, you would change it, wouldn't you? But I feel like when I look back, it's probably been the pattern of my career from the get-go.
“I've always had to earn the recognition. I've always took the harder fights because that was more their selling point if that makes any sense.”
In female boxing, the big names transcend the sport. A promising female fighter can collect an armful of title belts and put together a long unbeaten run but in order to make people really sit up and take notice, they need to take one of those prized scalps
As a super bantamweight, Scotney doesn’t have the same kind of star making opponents as the women fighting 15lbs up the weight scale and - Mea Motu apart - nobody seems keen on calling her name.
However, she is within touching distance of two fighters who would provide her with the challenges and platform she is desperate for.
Multi-weight world champion, Amanda Serrano, is a giant of the sport and WBC featherweight title holder, Skye Nicolson, has been developed into a major name.
Given the choice, going up in weight and earning her respect is exactly the way Scotney would choose to do it.
All she wants is the opportunity.
“Obviously, I've got my mandatory next and everything starts with that. I’m treating the fight with Motu as the most important of my career. If I want to move on, I have to beat her. I want to put in a good performance and make sure I stay in people’s memories from now on,” Scotney said.
“After that I want to unify. Then go undisputed. Go Mercado [the WBC champion] and then Romero [the WBA title holder], then up to featherweight. That would be my ideal plan but if I box Motu and then the unification is hard to deal with, I'll be moving up and chasing the champions at featherweight whether that's Skye or Serrano. 100 per cent,” she said.
"They're the type of big fights where people will take notice and with that comes money, recognition and being a two-weight world champion.
“You've got to recognise the big name girls. It's almost as if their names themselves are world titles because we know in female boxing that world title fights can come very quickly.
“Unifying will make you break out a bit. Become undisputed and you’re recognised but the bigger fights with the big girls, sometimes they make more sense than the titles. It’s like you just need the name to kind of get the worth financially and to be noticed as a breakout.”
Frank
Warren has confirmed that Hamzah Sheeraz will box for a world championship on
the huge Riyadh Season card that is being planned for February 22.
Sheeraz has
cemented himself as a leading contender at middleweight with two stoppage
victories against Austin Williams and Tyler Denny.
Those wins
secured Sheeraz’s position as mandatory challenger to WBO and IBF 160-pound
champion, Janibek Alimkhanuly. The two were ordered by the WBO to come to an
agreement for a bout by October 23, but an extension was granted until November
11.
Now,
Sheeraz’s promoter, Warren, looks to have hinted that a deal has been made
between the two and named the Riyadh Season card in February as a home for the
contest.
“His next
fight will be for the world title,” Warren told BoxingScene. “When we announce
it, you will [get a name]. He will be fighting in February for a world title.
The event
in February is expected to also feature IBF heavyweight titlist Daniel Dubois’
first fight since his destructive performance against Anthony Joshua. A rematch
between Dubois and Joshua was originally being planned but Joshua’s team, amid
rumors of an injury, have said their man won’t be ready for February, leading
Warren to look for other options.
“I hope
Daniel Dubois will be on that show,” he said. “The February show is going to be
something special. Riyadh Season on the 21st of December is exceptional
and we are kicking off next year with something that’s going to be phenomenal.
“We were
looking to do the rematch, but I don’t believe that’s going to happen. We are
looking at various options – whoever it is, it will be a big, big fight.”
Joseph
Parker established himself as a heavyweight deserving of a title shot with his
victories over Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang. His trainer, Andy Lee, declared
his fighter would be ready for Dubois on the February date.
“If I was Joseph Parker, I’d be
throwing my name into the hat,” said Warren. “They all want this fight, and
There’s about three or four names, as I said, we’ll make that decision.”
In this
week’s mailbag, we tackle a pair of topics related to the Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk rematch (Fury’s legacy and his best possible strategy); a pair of your takes on Floyd Schofield following the lightweight contender’s most recent victory; plus letters about Katie Taylor being the gold standard of women’s boxing, Jaron Ennis being a disappointment at welterweight, Jesse Rodriguez being relegated to the sidekick role underneath other fighters, and whether Errol Spence has again set himself up for failure.week’s mailbag, we tackle a pair of topics related to the Tyson Fury-Oleksandr
Usyk rematch (Fury’s legacy and his best possible strategy); a pair of your
takes on Floyd Schofield following the lightweight contender’s most recent
victory; plus letters about Katie Taylor being the gold standard of women’s
boxing, Jaron Ennis being a disappointment at welterweight, Jesse Rodriguez
being relegated to the sidekick role underneath other fighters, and whether
Errol Spence has again set himself up for failure.
featured in the mailbag? Comment or ask a question in the comments section
below. Submissions may be edited for length and clarity. We also may select
readers’ comments from other BoxingScene stories.
TYSON
FURY’S LEGACY WILL BE DECIDED BY OLEKSANDR USYK REMATCH RESULTFURY’S LEGACY WILL BE DECIDED BY OLEKSANDR USYK REMATCH RESULT
It's going to be very, very
heavily weighted for calculating Tyson Fury's place among his fellow
heavyweight greats. A very, very important fight for his legacy.
Being bounced off the floor like
a basketball by Deontay Wilder, holding the linear title hostage due to
inactivity, playing around with a harmless MMA champion, and dropping a
squeaker to the skilled and resourceful Oleksandr Usyk can all be overlooked —
and will be — if Fury regains the title in style.
But if he loses this rematch, he
sinks clearly below the real great ones forever. It's just like that.
-Willow The Wisp
Tris Dixon’s response: I can’t see Tyson Fury not getting into the
International Boxing Hall of Fame.
I agree that his resume is
shallow given his reputation, and the Wilder results depend on how highly you
regard Wilder, I guess. The first fight was incredible given where he was in
his comeback, and I felt Fury was robbed of victory. He was brilliant in the
second fight. The third was Fight of the Year. I was impressed with Fury’s win
against Dillian Whyte. That might have been him at his best. The Francis
Ngannou fight was always going to be a no-win for Fury – though perhaps his
bank manager would argue contrarily.
If, however, Fury beats Usyk
well, widely, or even stops him, that will likely be his signature win. It will
certainly mean he’s defeated both every fighter he has faced in the pros and
the best fighter he has faced in the pros.
There is still a huge appeal in
the UK for a fight between Fury and Joshua. It won’t mean what it would have
meant a few years ago to people like you and me, but it would fill a soccer
stadium, and a win over Usyk and then victory over Joshua would make Fury’s
resume much more favorable.
JARON
“BOOTS” ENNIS IS A FRAUD AT WELTERWEIGHT Jaron “Boots” Ennis is in love“BOOTS” ENNIS IS A FRAUD AT WELTERWEIGHT
with being a prospect. He’s achieved nothing at 147. He only fights at that
weight because he needs months to fight at 147. He is a fraud.
-Knuckle sandwich
Lucas Ketelle’s response: Talented fighters struggle these days to land
regular fight dates. At the same time, people on social media seem more focused
on tearing down rather than building up fighters’ reputations.
As one of the biggest defenders
of Jaron Ennis, it’s disheartening to see him still waiting for that marquee
matchup. While it’s understandable that securing fights is a challenge in a
landscape no longer built on being the best, Ennis could make strategic
concessions to push for these bouts. Instead, he’s faced with a largely
uninspiring rematch against Karen Chukhadzhian in a mandatory title defense
against an opponent Ennis clearly beat in 2023.
extreme. Ennis has passed multiple tests along the way. But “frustration” seems
like a more fitting replacement. Fans are clamoring for Ennis to unify titles
or at least engage in fights viewed as 50-50 matchups. This upcoming bout marks
his second fight of 2024 — a step in the right direction. And if he can make
the weight, there’s nothing fraudulent about that.
We’re living in an age where
calling someone a “weight bully” is intended to shame fighters who’ve mastered
their weight cuts like athletes in “The Hunger Games” training for survival. At
the core of this issue is a pressing question: Does Ennis possess Hall of Fame
potential? With only one significant fight under his belt, uncertainty
continues to loom over his future. And the longer that remains, the more fans
will get frustrated.
BAM
RODRIGUEZ RELEGATED TO SIDEKICK ROLE UNDER MATCHROOM BOXINGRODRIGUEZ RELEGATED TO SIDEKICK ROLE UNDER MATCHROOM BOXING
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez is an
[idiot] to take Eddie Hearn’s offer. He's pretty much a sidekick, not getting
paid as much but fighting tougher competition while Jaron “Boots” Ennis acts
like a draw while fighting trash in a dead division.
-Groin Grabber
Tris Dixon’s response: There is a lot of negativity about Hearn in the
United States. With Bam, he is very much needed to support a show that was
otherwise a tough sell without him. That’s not Hearn’s fault. That’s the IBF’s
for giving Boots a rerun of a fight he already won easily.
Time will tell for Bam, but as
long as he keeps winning, I think he will find himself in some more big fights.
As a boxer, he doesn’t strike me as someone who does not want to test himself.
I’m sure he and trainer Robert Garcia will want all of the smoke — and they
will be pushing Hearn to deliver the most meaningful fights.
You can’t forget the possibility
of him showing up on a bill in Riyadh in a huge fight, and he does great
business in Phoenix, which is promptly becoming one of the world’s best fight
cities, so I’m sure he will have options. A key thing is activity. This
mandatory defense against Pedro Guevara is not necessarily a fight we wanted,
but Bam is keeping his tools sharp, and he’ll be ready to go again in early
2025.
FLOYD
SCHOFIELD HAS A POSSIBLE PATH FORWARDSCHOFIELD HAS A POSSIBLE PATH FORWARD
Floyd Schofield has a lot of
career upside if he can use his boxing ability and stay out of too many
slugfests. Fast hands, a fighter's demeanor, and refreshingly candid post-fight
interviews had me entertained.
-Left Hook Louie
Tris Dixon’s response: I like Schofield for what he brings in and outside
the ropes. As you say, sometimes we just need guys to get their hands dirty
and, perhaps more pertinently, guys who aren’t afraid to do that. Of course,
too many slugfests are not good for longevity, but the fact Schofield is
already calling out the likes of Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta “Tank” Davis
indicates to me that Schofield might not be thinking about boxing for another
10 years already.
The sport will be a brighter
place if he does. That post-fight interview showed what boxing needs. I’ve
always said it would be boring if everyone was the same, and Schofield has done
a great job of setting himself apart from his peers.
FLOYD
SCHOFIELD DOESN’T DESERVE THE HYPESCHOFIELD DOESN’T DESERVE THE HYPE
Floyd Schofield is overrated as
hell. I see why Shakur Stevenson was laughing. This guy has so much developing
to do, it's not funny. All that in-close switching and being confused is crazy
also. Schofield isn’t ready for any of the top guys after fighting this basic
fighter [Rene Tellez Giron] and just looking OK.
-Hitmanjosh
Tris Dixon’s response: The thing with Schofield is he has time on his
side. He’s 18-0 (12 KOs) and only 22 years old. He clearly has skills, but if
managed and matched properly — fighting three times a year with the right
fights as he matures, learns and improves — imagine where he could be in three
years. He would be 25 years old and 27-0 if he wins them all. Yes, I realize
he’s only fought once this year, but Schofield might become a much more rounded
fighter.
I agree that talk of Schofield
facing the big guns at 135 is otherwise premature. But I’m all for a strong,
deep division, and the emergence of Schofield is another bright spot at
lightweight. Credit to Giron, too. He is tough.
KATIE
TAYLOR IS THE TOP STAR IN WOMEN’S BOXING, FAR AND AWAYTAYLOR IS THE TOP STAR IN WOMEN’S BOXING, FAR AND AWAY
There is only one female fighter
who commands the title of “Golden Girl” (“
youngest undisputed champ
And it isn't’ Gabriela Fundora. It's Katie Taylor. All other female fighters
can thank Katie Taylor for the money they now receive fighting. So until Katie
retires, this girl can stay in the queue.
-pad
Tris Dixon’s response: Katie has been outstanding for women’s boxing — and
boxing on the whole. She is a wonderful poster girl for the sport and carries
herself brilliantly. She has also been in a number of excellent fights, is
fan-friendly and has faced some of the best opposition.
In Ireland, she is a brand of
her own, but I’m not sure she gets similar fanfare elsewhere. That said, let’s
see what her rematch against Amanda Serrano on the upcoming Jake Paul vs. Mike
Tyson show in Texas does for Taylor’s profile. It could really be a
gamechanger.
With that said, there is room
for more than one top female fighter, as I’m sure Claressa Shields would agree.
ONCE AGAIN,
ERROL SPENCE ISN’T DOING HIMSELF ANY FAVORSERROL SPENCE ISN’T DOING HIMSELF ANY FAVORS
Does Errol Spence really want to
continue fighting? He's made the same mistake of being too inactive again. I
get it: Terence “Bud” Crawford beat him up. But you can't be too inactive and
expect to be effective.
-Lefty0616
Tris Dixon’s response: Errol Spence didn’t sound too convincing to me
about his future or his recent past
all. Even Spence himself probably doesn’t know what he has left, and he might
not be given a true answer if he again goes in at a high level for his return –
if it happens.
I’d much rather Spence take a
couple of lesser fights and warm to the task again. But when you get to that
level, you only want certain money. And an eight-rounder on an undercard isn’t
going to pay the bills.
Of course, an Errol Spence at
his best and on the rampage at 154 would be incredible for that stacked
division. The odds are against Spence being at his best, however. His
inactivity on its own is rough enough. When added to Spence’s catalog of
trauma, the signs are not promising.
TYSON FURY
NEEDS TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE IN OLEKSANDR USYK REMATCH Tyson Fury needs a performanceNEEDS TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE IN OLEKSANDR USYK REMATCH
like he had in the Deontay Wilder rematch. Oleksandr Usyk can't handle
pressure; Derek Chisora showed us that. Pressure him, fight him and run him
down, and he will fold to the Gypsy King. Sadly I fear Fury may try to fight on
the back foot again. Big mistake.
-RoadOfTheGypsy
Owen Lewis’ response: There are a couple pieces to this. First: that Fury
needs the kind of performance he showed in his second fight with Deontay
Wilder. Nothing went wrong for him on the day that he bullied Wilder. And Fury
primarily did so by coming forward, which to many, seemed a suicide tactic
beforehand given Wilder’s napalm-laden right hand. Wilder proved unable to
fight going backward, leaving him a sitting duck for Fury’s right hand. It was
a phenomenal gameplan.
Which leads us to your second
point: that Fury needs to do this against Usyk, and that Usyk has proven
himself vulnerable to pressure. Here, I think you’re off base. The Chisora
fight is often cited as the perfect game plan for fighting Usyk. But in rewatching
it to answer this question, I thought Chisora’s mauling aggression was
successful for all of two and two-thirds rounds. Then a sharp left hand from
Usyk buzzed Chisora. The big man started to slow down, and Usyk more or less
had his way for the rest of the fight. And while Usyk certainly seemed
uncomfortable in that initial phase, at no point did he look significantly
hurt.
Guess who was in attendance that
night, watching keenly? Anthony Joshua. And guess who also failed to employ the
come-forward, bullying strategy against Usyk for more than a couple rounds at a
time, despite fighting him twice.
There’s a reason why no one has
been able to steamroll Usyk. Multiple reasons, actually: He has fast, accurate
hands capable of landing sharp counters. His elite footwork and fitness tires
his opponents out quickly. And, though it’s less talked about than his other
attributes, Usyk has one hell of a chin. I actually think Fury, despite his
propensity for bizarre press conference answers,
“If it was easy to walk Usyk
down… that’s Anthony Joshua’s style, that’s Daniel Dubois’ style. They’re big,
strong men who walk someone down with their hands up and batter them into
submission and knock them out. They couldn’t do it [to Usyk]. My style is
slickness, jabbing, moving, slipping and sliding. Why would I give that up to
walk forward… it doesn’t make sense. I wouldn’t do it. All I’ve got to do to
win this rematch is little, tiny adjustments. And I mean small adjustments.”
I think Fury is right. When he
was in full flow in his first fight with Usyk, he arguably won five straight
rounds (the third through the seventh), and in doing so not only hurt Usyk but
made Usyk look more ordinary than ever before. Sticking to what worked before
rather than adopting a radically different strategy — against a much more
skilled opponent than Deontay Wilder, mind you — seems like the best bet.
Perhaps Fury is hiding his true intentions, as is his wont, but I don’t think
he’s mistaken in this line of thinking.
Now none of this is to say that
the blueprint from the Wilder II fight can’t work against Usyk. If Fury
sustains a torrid pace for four rounds and targets the body with venom, I can
picture him putting Usyk under even more duress than he did in their first
fight, and maybe knock Usyk down, for instance.
But I wouldn’t recommend this
game plan to Fury. Unless he can get a stoppage, which seems extremely
difficult given how tough Usyk is, that strategy will put Fury in deep trouble.
If he gasses out, then Usyk will dominate. Then there’s the matter of Fury’s
chin. In the first fight, Usyk not only showed he could hurt Fury badly but
probably weakened Fury’s punch resistance significantly with that brutal salvo
in the ninth round. By refusing to box from a distance, Fury would be walking
his vulnerable chin into Usyk’s preferred range.
As for Chisora, the man who you
say showed that Usyk can’t handle pressure?
by a swarming style, that Usyk exhausts his opponents early in fights and, most
notably, “100 per cent” will beat Fury again. Recall that Chisora has fought
Fury three times and been stopped by him twice.
The second Wilder fight might be
best viewed as an aberration, a great night against an opponent with enormous
power but also clear limitations. Fury, at heart, is an extraordinary boxer,
and in Usyk he is fighting another one. It’s no surprise, or a mistake, that
the Gypsy King wants to fight in the style that suits him best.
Want to be featured in the mailbag? Comment or ask a question in the comments section below. Submissions may be edited for length and clarity. We also may select readers’ comments from other BoxingScene stories.Want to be
featured in the mailbag? Comment or ask a question in the comments section
below. Submissions may be edited for length and clarity. We also may select
readers’ comments from other BoxingScene stories.
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez labeled himself the “legend slayer” after he stopped Juan Francisco Estrada in June.
Since his breakout win in 2022 against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Rodriguez, 24, has also steamrolled through Carlos Cuadras and Sunny Edwards while picking up titles at 112 and 115 pounds.
Rodriguez, 20-0 (13 KOs), is BoxingScene’s No. 5 pound-for-pound fighter. He will look to defend his WBC super flyweight title on November 9 when he takes on the 42-4-1 (22 KOs) Pedro Guevara. Should the heavy favorite Rodriguez score the win at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on DAZN, he wants bigger fish to fry.
After three separate spirited sparring sessions totaling 24 rounds against Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, Rodriguez now wants a real fight against the four-division champion he’s long admired.
“It can happen if I don't get the unification fights at 115 pounds,” Rodriguez told BoxingScene. “A Chocolatito fight would interest the fight fans. It would probably have to be at 115 because I have the belt. So there is no reason to fight at 118 pounds for no belt. It has to make sense. If the numbers aren't right, there really is no point.
“He's mentioned he would like to fight me. The feeling is mutual. I would love to go in there and share the ring with a legend. I believe that it would be the fight of the year.”
Rodriguez has previously stated that he never thought a fight against Gonzalez would happen due to their mutual respect toward one another and their shared affiliation with Japanese promoter Akihiko Honda, the president of Teiken Promotions.
After losing two out of his last three fights to Estrada over the last three years, Gonzalez, 37, returned to his native Nicaragua in July and made his 118-pound debut to score a 10th-round TKO against Rober Barrera.
Before heading into the fight, Gonzalez was preparing Rodriguez for Estrada.
“That sparring was amazing,” said Rodriguez. “It was back and forth every round. Each sparring session was fireworks. The sparring was harder than some of the fights I've had.”
Another superstar the San Antonio-based southpaw slugger has his eyes on is Naoya Inoue, the current 122-pound king.
Rodriguez, trained and managed by Robert Garcia, was game when he was asked if he’d consider climbing up two weight classes to clash against the four-division champion Inoue.
“Yeah, of course, down the line, I think it could happen. It's just a matter of time before it happens,” said Rodriguez.
“That's something we have to discuss with the team. It's a risky fight to move up two weight classes against a natural 122-pounder. We would have to talk about it.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter whose work has appeared on ESPN, Fox Sports, USA Today, The Guardian, Newsweek, Men’s Health, NFL.com, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Ring Magazine and more. He has been writing for BoxingScene since 2018. Manouk is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.
Chris Eubank Jnr’s promoter, Ben Shalom, has attempted to clear up any confusion surrounding a potential fight with Mexican superstar, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
Three weeks ago, Eubank Jnr, 34-3 (25 KOs), stopped Kamil Szeremeta in Saudi Arabia and speculation about his next opponent started almost immediately.
Last week, Shalom told Sky Sports: "We've already started small conversations around the Canelo fight.”
Within days, the super middleweight champion’s manager and trainer, Eddie Reynoso, made his position clear on a fight between his charge and Eubank Jnr clear.
Referencing the breakdown in negotiations which scuppered a potential September fight between the two, Reynoso left little room for confusion.
“It’s totally false,” he told Dan Rafael’s Fight Freaks unite. “We will not touch base with him again for a future fight! Whatever I tell you is always true!”
Shalom was at the WBO convention in Puerto Rico when he heard about Reynoso’s comments. Rather than entering into a ‘he said, she said’ situation, Shalom believes that the mixed messages are the result of a simple breakdown of communications on the Mexican great’s side.
“I had my mates messaging me. I was in Puerto Rico at the [WBO] convention and I’m looking through my phone going, ‘Am I going mad?’” Shalom told Sky Sports.
“I’ve obviously been talking to his lawyer, Greg Smith, who we’re always talking to about that fight and we’ve spoken since the Szeremeta fight so I think it’s perhaps a communication issue on their side.”
Eubank Jnr has been talking about major fights for some time now but, at 35 years old, he needs to make his move. Thankfully, it looks like 2025 will be the year the talking stops.
His long running, bitter rivalry with Conor Benn seems all but certain to come to a head over the next few months but a clash with
Canelo is the fight that every fighter campaigning between 160lbs and 175lbs dreams about.
Shalom is still positive that it will take place.
“For me, I still believe the fight can happen. I still believe the fight will happen. I don’t think it was ever gonna be next because Canelo traditionally fights in May and September and we want to see Chris out in February or March but, yeah, I was surprised to see that,” Shalom said.
“I think it’s a communication on their side because we’ve spoken and, as I said at the time, I saw it blow up as everything does with Canelo. We had small conversations and reached back out and that’s all it was.”
Conor Benn announced today on social media that the National Anti-Doping Panel (NADP) had “finally cleared” him of any wrongdoing regarding two separate failed tests in 2022.
Benn’s October 2022 clash with Chris Eubank Jnr was cancelled two days before it was scheduled to take place when news broke of Benn testing positive for clomiphene.
Though the WBC initially cleared Benn of any wrongdoing, he was placed under provisional suspension by United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD) in March 2023 before the NADP lifted that suspension in July 2023. Benn, who has since fought twice in America, was then returned to a state of provisional suspension following a successful appeal by the British Boxing Board of Control and UKAD against that NAPD ruling.
Today Benn said: “ I am thankful that after an incredibly challenging two years the National Anti-Doping Panel has today finally cleared me of any wrongdoing. This past 24 months has unquestionably been the toughest fight of my life. As someone who is so passionate about boxing and an advocate for clean sport, I hope now I have been cleared it can be understood why I have maintained my innocence so strongly throughout.
“As a man of God I bear no ill will toward UKAD or the British Boxing Board of Control, we have a shared ambition of a clean sport and I look forward to reconciling with the board and moving forward together. I have stayed disciplined and focused despite the challenges faced which is a testament to my desire to be great. I’m relieved to finally close this chapter and am excited to get back in the ring to realise my ultimate potential.”
In response to Benn’s social media address, a spokesperson for UKAD said: “UKAD notes that professional boxer Mr Conor Benn has made public comments today regarding the outcome of proceedings before the independent National Anti-Doping Panel.
“UKAD can confirm that it received the decision of the independent National Anti-Doping Panel this afternoon. The Panel concluded that it was ‘not comfortably satisfied’ that UKAD had proved that Mr Benn had committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation for the use of clomifene. The provisional suspension previously in place has been lifted and the charge against him has been consequently dismissed.
“UKAD will now carefully review the Panel’s decision in accordance with its appeal rights under the UK Anti-Doping rules.”
Welterweight Alexis Rocha is gearing up for his December 14 showdown against 2016 Mexican Olympian Raul Curiel at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California. Both fighters are under the Golden Boy Promotions banner, but the stakes are high and the winner could find themselves in line for a title shot. Rocha, 27, from Santa Ana, California, is coming off a year of rebuilding following his knockout loss to Giovani Santillan in October 2023. That defeat put a pause on his title aspirations. Now, with two victories under his belt in 2024, Rocha holds an improved record of 25-2 (16 KOs). His most recent win came in July, when he handed undefeated puncher Santiago Dominguez a unanimous decision loss. “I initially wanted a world title shot, to be honest, but all the titles are taken right now,” Rocha told DAZN. “So Curiel is another name thrown out my way, and then just so be it.” At 28, Curiel is actually older than Rocha, though he’s still considered a prospect in some circles. The Guadalajara native Curiel, who trains at Wild Card Boxing Club with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, enters the fight on a 10-bout knockout streak and boasts a 15-0 (13 KOs) record. Rocha acknowledged his familiarity with his opponent and said it is a fight he saw coming.
“Given the fact that I fought pretty much every Golden Boy welterweight in this stable? Yeah, I did… [He’s] just another name. Just another name. That's it… He's an aggressive fighter. Likes to put his combinations [together], if you let him.”Welterweight Alexis Rocha is gearing up for his December 14 showdown against 2016 Mexican Olympian Raul Curiel at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.
Both fighters are under the Golden Boy Promotions banner, but the stakes are high and the winner could find themselves in line for a title shot.
Rocha, 27, from Santa Ana, California, is coming off a year of rebuilding following his knockout loss to Giovani Santillan in October 2023. That defeat put a pause on his title aspirations. Now, with two victories under his belt in 2024, Rocha holds an improved record of 25-2 (16 KOs). His most recent win came in July, when he handed undefeated puncher Santiago Dominguez a unanimous decision loss.
“I initially wanted a world title shot, to be honest, but all the titles are taken right now,” Rocha told DAZN. “So Curiel is another name thrown out my way, and then just so be it.”
At 28, Curiel is actually older than Rocha, though he’s still considered a prospect in some circles. The Guadalajara native Curiel, who trains at Wild Card Boxing Club with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, enters the fight on a 10-bout knockout streak and boasts a 15-0 (13 KOs) record.
Rocha acknowledged his familiarity with his opponent and said it is a fight he saw coming.
Rocha said his loss to Santillan shaped him, and he has taken plenty from defeat.
Rocha emphasized the value of resilience and added: “Like I said, it’s not really a lesson if you don’t learn from it.”
With an eye toward a potential title shot, Rocha said: “I feel like I’m one win away from fighting for [a] world title. First things first, handle Curiel and then go for the world title shot.”
On the prospect of a Santillan rematch, Rocha kept the door open, but also believed that the two are now in opposite positions as Santillan was knocked out by Brian Norman Jnr this year. “It’s always there. It’s always there to get that get-back from the loss,” Rocha said. “But you know, we’re going different routes right now. He’s on the comeback season after the Brian Norman loss, and [our] trajectories [are] to go somewhere else.”
[=img:111103::=]
Welterweight Alexis Rocha is gearing up for his December 14 showdown against 2016 Mexican Olympian Raul Curiel at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.
Both fighters are under the Golden Boy Promotions banner, but the stakes are high and the winner could find themselves in line for a title shot.
Rocha, 27, from Santa Ana, California, is coming off a year of rebuilding following his knockout loss to Giovani Santillan in October 2023. That defeat put a pause on his title aspirations. Now, with two victories under his belt in 2024, Rocha holds an improved record of 25-2 (16 KOs). His most recent win came in July, when he handed undefeated puncher Santiago Dominguez a unanimous decision loss.
“I initially wanted a world title shot, to be honest, but all the titles are taken right now,” Rocha told DAZN. “So Curiel is another name thrown out my way, and then just so be it.”
At 28, Curiel is actually older than Rocha, though he’s still considered a prospect in some circles. The Guadalajara native Curiel, who trains at Wild Card Boxing Club with Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, enters the fight on a 10-bout knockout streak and boasts a 15-0 (13 KOs) record.
Rocha acknowledged his familiarity with his opponent and said it is a fight he saw coming.
“Given the fact that I fought pretty much every Golden Boy welterweight in this stable? Yeah, I did… [He’s] just another name. Just another name. That's it… He's an aggressive fighter. Likes to put his combinations [together], if you let him.”Rocha said his loss to Santillan shaped him, and he has taken plenty from defeat.
“You just carry yourself different. You live, you learn, and sometimes you just gain from it. It’s not really a loss if you look at it as a learning lesson. I fit into his game plan with the crowd and everything, and I just kind of fell into his game plan that night. Moving on, I just learned to be controlled and calm and patient in there.”Rocha emphasized the value of resilience and added: “Like I said, it’s not really a lesson if you don’t learn from it.”
With an eye toward a potential title shot, Rocha said: “I feel like I’m one win away from fighting for [a] world title. First things first, handle Curiel and then go for the world title shot.”
On the prospect of a Santillan rematch, Rocha kept the door open, but also believed that the two are now in opposite positions as Santillan was knocked out by Brian Norman Jnr this year. “It’s always there. It’s always there to get that get-back from the loss,” Rocha said. “But you know, we’re going different routes right now. He’s on the comeback season after the Brian Norman loss, and [our] trajectories [are] to go somewhere else.”
Junior welterweight prospect Ernesto “Tito” Mercado has quickly made a name for himself by destroying reputable opponents like Hank Lundy, Jeremiah Nakathila, Jayson Velez and Xolisani Ndongeni since making his pro debut in 2021.
BoxingScene’s 2023 Prospect of the Year was moving along fast as a free agent by headlining shows staged and funded by his father and coach Neto or making cameo appearances for the likes of 360 Promotions, MarvNation Promotions, Red Owl Boxing, and most recently in July, for Salita Promotions.
But Mercado (16-0, 15 KOs) is no longer unsigned hype because the wrecking machine landed an exclusive promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing in September.
On Saturday, the 23-year-old from Pomona, California will make his promotional debut and graduate from the small halls to the big stage when he faces Jesus Saracho (14-2-1, 11 KOs) at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The fight will stream on DAZN as part of the Jaron “Boots” Ennis and Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez doubleheader.
“I'm definitely looking to steal the show and to show boxing who I really am,” Mercado told BoxingScene. “Hardcore boxing fans may know who I am but now it's time to put the casual fans on notice. It's a great undercard to be on featuring two guys like Boots and Bam who are on the verge of becoming superstars.”
Mercado’s fights have lasted, on average, less than three rounds each. He’s expecting Saracho to give him some serious work.
“Saracho is a tough guy and a good southpaw who's beaten undefeated fighters, and that's what we wanted,” said Mercado. “He's a strong guy who has a heavy punch and is someone who is going to push me to my limits. When we get the spectacular KO, it's going to be that much sweeter.”
Mercado signed with Matchroom because he believed Eddie Hearn was best equipped to fast-track him to a championship run.
“There are so many opportunities,” said Mercado. “He has such a big stable at 140 pounds. Hopefully, we're able to get a world title shot by next year. It doesn't matter who. I know Eddie can make it happen. I'm excited about the future.
“The way we see it, there is no promoter like Matchroom that is making the big fights happen. If I want the biggest names, I think a guy like Eddie Hearn can make it happen. Eddie is doing a great job making fighters into global superstars, and that's what we wanted. It was a fit for me. Everyone says he's a good salesman, and it's up to me to make sure the product is as good as he promises it is.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter whose work has appeared on ESPN, Fox Sports, USA Today, The Guardian, Newsweek, Men’s Health, NFL.com, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Ring Magazine and more. He has been writing for BoxingScene since 2018. Manouk is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) , Instagram , LinkedIn and YouTube , through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com .
Undefeated middleweight Osleys Iglesias, a Cuban fighter based in Berlin, Germany, looks to cap off an impressive 2024 tomorrow night in Montreal. Once relatively unknown, Iglesias has surged into the top ten of the middleweight ranks after a series of explosive performances.
The 26-year-old Iglesias will face Petro Ivanov of Karlsruhe, Germany, at the Montreal Casino, with the fight airing on ESPN+ in the U.S.
Iglesias, 12-0, (11 KOs), tipped the scales at 167.0lbs, one pound under the contracted weight, while Ivanov weighed in marginally heavier at 167.2lbs. Iglesias brings a six-fight knockout streak into the ring, including a first-round KO of Marcelo Coceres in March—who had previously dropped Edgar Berlanga.
Iglesias followed that up by stopping Evgeny Shvedenko in one round—Shvedenko had recently lost an IBF title eliminator to current champion William Scull—and knocked out Sena Agbeko in two rounds in his last outing, totaling just four rounds in his last three fights.
Ivanov, 18-0-2 (13 KOs), 28, also enters on a six-fight knockout streak and brings an undefeated record to his first fight in Canada.
In the co-main event, Montreal’s own Steven Butler aims to rebound from a ninth-round knockout loss to Patrice Volny. Butler, 34-5-1 (28 KOs), weighed in at 165.3lbs and will take on the 12-2 (4 KOs) Fernando Farias from Junin, Argentina, who came in at 165.5lbs. The eight-round super middleweight bout marks another chapter in Butler’s quest to re-establish himself.
Weigh-in results are as follows:
Super middleweight – 12 rounds
Osleys Iglesias, 167.0lbs vs Petro Ivanov, 167.2lbsSuper middleweight – eight rounds
Steven Butler, 165.3lbs vs Fernando Farias, 165.5lbsJunior lightweight – eight rounds
Thomas Chabot, 129.5lbs vs Jesus Daneff, 129.3lbsLight heavyweight – eight rounds
Wilkens Mathieu, 171.6lbs vs Marcos Karalitzky, 171.7lbsLightweight – 10 rounds
Dzmitry Asanau, 134.7lbs vs Matias Rueda, 133.9lbsJunior lightweight – eight Rounds
Jhon Orobio, 138.3lbs vs Jacopo Colli, 139.7lbsPromoter Ben Shalom believes that the lessons Ben Whittaker learned during his controversial draw with Liam Cameron will make the talented light heavyweight an even better fighter in the future.
Whittaker had become embroiled in a real struggle with the former Commonwealth middleweight champion on October 12 when, at the end of the fifth round, they fell into a clinch and toppled backwards over the ropes. Whittaker was unable to continue and left the arena in a wheelchair as the result was announced to the crowd.
Given the way the fight was panning out, Cameron and his team are understandably keen for a second crack at Whittaker and have tried to keep the controversy front and center of the boxing news cycle ever since.
For his part, the Olympic silver medallist has kept his counsel on the fight, the unusual ending and the apparent neck and ankle injuries he suffered during the now infamous tumble over the ropes.
Whittaker, 8-0-1 (5 KOs), has begun to emerge from his hibernation in recent days. The 27-year-old made a couple of cryptic posts on social media and on Wednesday his promoter, Ben Shalom, appeared on Sky Sports News to provide an update on his progress.
“The rematch is front and center in the mind of Team Whittaker,” Shalom said. “I think, first and foremost, because of the neck injury and because it kept him out so long last time, there are precautions that we have to take. He will have to do some rehab.
“We’re talking about March or April. I’d like to headline in Wolverhampton. That was the original plan. That was what we were looking at for September last year.”
Nobody but Whittaker will ever know what went through his mind at the end of that fifth round but What is indisputable and clear to anybody who watched the fight is that he turned in a below-par performance.
Any fighter can have an off night but when Whittaker examines what went wrong in Riyadh, he may be alarmed at just how ragged he became at such an early stage of proceedings.
Cameron didn’t produce any fireworks or pose any particularly complicated problems but he was neat, tidy and determined. He held his shape during the early stages of the fight and was able to steadily ratchet up the pressure as the rounds ticked by.
Whittaker is renowned as a hard trainer and may well have found his second wind and re-established control of affairs but the fight only looked to be going one way when it came to its sudden and unsatisfactory conclusion.
Shalom believes that far from doing irreparable damage to Whittaker’s reputation and confidence, the entire experience could end up having a positive effect on his career.
The truth always reveals itself and if Whittaker had begun to take his talent for granted, Cameron was robust and talented enough to shine a light into the dark, hard parts of his preparation that may have been neglected.
“It was a difficult night. It’s alright people telling you things in life. Sometimes you have to experience those,” Shalom said.
“He’s had such a meteoric rise and been given everything in a way that he’s deserved on a plate. Big sponsorship deals, commercial brands flying at him. Money that no fighter at that stage of their career usually ever sees. I’m not making excuses for him but that’s a lot to take in for any young man.
“I think from that experience you can learn a hell of a lot. Because of the attention, because of the scrutiny, because of the interest in his career, he’s had a serious moment in his career that had a big impact and was seen all over the world. That takes big shoulders and a man to work out what’s gone wrong. As his promoter I think I’m going to look back and be glad of this experience because it’s not often you can have an experience like this to prepare you for what it’s like when you get to that world level.
“Fingers crossed for me. He’s gotta look at his team. He’s gotta look at having world class people around him as a world class talent and it gives him an opportunity to prove people wrong, which he loves to do.”
Middleweight Troy Isley didn’t hold back how he felt at the press conference ahead of his Friday night fight against Tyler Howard at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.
“Friday night, Troy Isley is going to dominate Tyler Howard, every round, every second of the fight,” Isley said.
Isley, 26, a 2020 U.S. Olympian from Alexandria, Virginia, is eager to impress his local supporters, who will find the four-hour drive to Norfolk easier than traveling for his previous fights. Training alongside Keyshawn Davis, who headlines the event, and under Brian “BoMac” McIntyre, Isley’s confidence was evident.
Isley owns a 13-0 (5 KOs) record and has been on an impressive run in the past year, including a unanimous decision over Vladimir Hernandez, a stoppage of Marcos Hernandez, and a victory over amateur rival Javier Martinez. At the press conference, the 20-1 (11 KOs) Howard of Crossville, Tennessee was annoyed at Isley’s confident demeanor.
“He is talking like he is Hercules, like he got all his wins by knockout,” Isley said. “He got, what, 20 wins and 11 KOs.”
Howard, 30, responded, “You’re 13-0 with five knockouts, and you're talking about a knockout ratio.”
Isley fired back, “I am going to stop you though.”
“He keeps interrupting,” Howard said. “We’re going to square up on Friday, bro. I’ll be there,”
“I want you to be there,” Isley replied.
Howard, whose last official result was a majority decision over Raul Solomon in August 2023, had been largely inactive since a unanimous decision loss to Ian Green in November 2021. This year, Howard participated in Team Combat League five times, which has kept him in the ring.
“They call me Hercules for a reason,” Howard said. “Everyone that comes forward, you going to get rocked, bro. It’s going to happen. He’s over here talking, but he can’t fight for you. You ain’t Keyshawn.”
“You're going to see Friday night,” Isley said. “That’s why they call me the transformer.”
The 10-round co-main event is set to air on ESPN+.
Ahead of his rematch with Karen Chukhadzhian on Saturday, Jaron Ennis said his goal was to be undisputed at 147 pounds. Philadelphia’s Ennis, 27, returns to the ring four months after retiring David Avanesyan in five rounds. This time, Ennis comes up against 28-year-old Chukhadzhian of Ukraine to defend his IBF welterweight title at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia – a familiar foe he outpointed in January last year. Ennis anticipates a great show in Philadelphia against a familiar opponent. “It was a blessing to be able to fight at the Wells Fargo Center,” said Ennis during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “It was the first fight there in a while and it was historic. I'm glad to be able to do it. I'm glad to do it again. I feel like this one is gonna be even bigger and better.” Ennis has struggled to land a shot at fighting some of the best 147 pounders such as Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jnr who have moved to campaign at 154. The duo joins a junior middleweight division made up of so many talented fighters such as Sebastian Fundora (WBC and WBO titlist), Bakhram Murtazaliev (WBA), Vergil Ortiz Jnr, Tim Tszyu, and Serhii Bohachuk among others. Commenting on the pool of talent at 154, Ennis, 32-0 (29 KOs), refused to rule out a move up to junior middleweight in the future. “Maybe we'll be at 154, maybe not. I don't know, we'll sit. I mean, they're way popping right now. Hopefully, you might see me up there. So, you never know. They’re all great fighters.” Ennis is focused on recording a big win against Chukhadzhian in their rematch on Saturday having won a unanimous decision in their first fight. According to Ennis, he must record an emphatic win on Saturday. “That's what I need to do and then when I look for an outcome that's what's gonna come. He doesn’t do anything that concerns me. It was more of myself, it was me just not doing what I was supposed to be doing. I mean, it's me looking for the knockout instead of me letting it come to me.” Bernard Neequaye is a sports journalist with a specialty in boxing coverage. He wrote a boxing column titled “From The Ringside” in his native Ghana for years. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) at @BernardNeequaye, LinkedIn at Bernard Neequaye and through email at bernardneequaye@gmail.com .
Ahead of his rematch with Karen Chukhadzhian on Saturday, Jaron Ennis said his goal was to be undisputed at 147 pounds.
Philadelphia’s Ennis, 27, returns to the ring four months after retiring David Avanesyan in five rounds. This time, Ennis comes up against 28-year-old Chukhadzhian of Ukraine to defend his IBF welterweight title at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia – a familiar foe he outpointed in January last year.
Ennis anticipates a great show in Philadelphia against a familiar opponent.
“It was a blessing to be able to fight at the Wells Fargo Center,” said Ennis during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “It was the first fight there in a while and it was historic. I'm glad to be able to do it. I'm glad to do it again. I feel like this one is gonna be even bigger and better.”
Ennis has struggled to land a shot at fighting some of the best 147 pounders such as Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jnr who have moved to campaign at 154. The duo joins a junior middleweight division made up of so many talented fighters such as Sebastian Fundora (WBC and WBO titlist), Bakhram Murtazaliev (WBA), Vergil Ortiz Jnr, Tim Tszyu, and Serhii Bohachuk among others.
Commenting on the pool of talent at 154, Ennis, 32-0 (29 KOs), refused to rule out a move up to junior middleweight in the future.
“Maybe we'll be at 154, maybe not. I don't know, we'll sit. I mean, they're way popping right now. Hopefully, you might see me up there. So, you never know. They’re all great fighters.”
Ennis is focused on recording a big win against Chukhadzhian in their rematch on Saturday having won a unanimous decision in their first fight. According to Ennis, he must record an emphatic win on Saturday.
“That's what I need to do and then when I look for an outcome that's what's gonna come. He doesn’t do anything that concerns me. It was more of myself, it was me just not doing what I was supposed to be doing. I mean, it's me looking for the knockout instead of me letting it come to me.”
Bernard Neequaye is a sports journalist with a specialty in boxing coverage. He wrote a boxing column titled “From The Ringside” in his native Ghana for years. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) at @BernardNeequaye, LinkedIn at Bernard Neequaye and through email at bernardneequaye@gmail.com .
There haven’t been many better performances in British rings this year than the virtuoso display Shabaz Masoud turned in to take Liam Davies’ unbeaten record and IBO junior featherweight title on Saturday night.
Masoud was composed, accurate and showed exactly why his trainer, Ben Davison, has always spoken so highly of him.
When people discuss the long list of talent at Davison’s gym, Masoud’s name will now be mentioned alongside the likes of Moses Itauma, Anthony Joshua, Pat and Luke McCormack, Leigh Wood and Aloys Junior.
Another of Davison’s brightest hopes is 20-year-old Royston Barney-Smith, 12-0 (6 KOs). The unbeaten junior lightweight was supporting Masoud at last weekend’s show and spoke about just what it is like being a part of such a busy, talented stable.
“It's good because we’re all striving for greatness,” he said. “We’re all chasing one another to get there first. Each fight everyone has, everybody wants to outdo it in their next one. That’s the great thing about being in the gym. Being around greatness makes greatness.”
Barney-Smith has had a busy year. His ability makes it easy to forget just how young he is and the first two and a half years of his career have been spent slowly getting him used to life as a professional.
Just two weeks ago, he notched up his fourth win of the year by stopping Carlos Rayo, 13-2 (7 KOs), with a well picked second-round body shot and has already begun preparations for fifth. He will box on the undercard of the British middleweight title fight between Brad Pauls and Denzel Bentley.
Next year, the training wheels will come off. Barney-Smith looks ready for title level and, although he refrained from mentioning any names, he revealed that he will be stepping up in class early in 2025.
“I’m boxing again in December on the Magnificent Seven show, I’m looking for another step up in opponent and next year I want to push on for bigger and better things,” he said.
“I’m gonna give it to you after this next fight [his step up opponent]. I’m gonna get this one out of the way with hopefully another KO or stoppage and then I’ll announce it in the ring.”
John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X @John_Evans79
WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis is the self-proclaimed ‘face of boxing’ but his résumé has come under scrutiny in recent months. Now, with Keyshawn Davis the latest fighter hopeful of landing a lucrative fight against ‘Tank’, the 135lb title-holder has leaked some private messages with his new rival.
Gervonta Davis (30-0), who turned 3-years-old today, is a three-weight world champion with 30 victories and 28 inside of the distance, yet still fans are questioning the abilities of the Baltimore-born knockout artist.
The hard-hitting southpaw has now confirmed that he will be fight WBA super-featherweight champion Lamont Roach Jr. in a second defence of his lightweight world title and Davis has been criticised as a result for failing to fight natural lightweights.
Although, in his defence, there is currently a lack of high-profile and willing lightweight competitors for Davis, with Shakur Stevenson the only possible mega-fight now that Vasyl Lomachenko has openly refused a proposed showdown.
However, that is not to say that there will not be worthy contenders in the near future, in a division that is home to a number of up-and-comer’s with high expectations on their shoulders.
One of these prospects is 25-year-old Keyshawn Davis, who claimed the silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and has been vocal in his call-outs of both Gervonta Davis and Teofimo Lopez.
After yet another call for the opportunity to face ‘Tank’, ‘The Businessman’ finally triggered a response from the WBA lightweight king, who
KD – “You be signing fighters?”
GD – “Yea”
KD – “If it’s cool, I’m tryna come train out in Vegas wit y’all.”
Gervonta Davis’ clash with Roach Jr. has now been rescheduled to take place in January and has been rumoured to appear on the same card as David Benavidez’s salivating meeting with David Morrell.
Meanwhile, Keyshawn Davis (11-0), who is ranked amongst the top three contenders in the world with the WBC, WBO and IBF, takes on Gustavo Lemos (29-1) on Friday night, live on DAZN.
This time last month Frazer Clarke was hopeful of defeating fierce rival Fabio Wardley in their rematch before moving up to the world level but unfortunately that contest ended in a catastrophe. Now, after some doubted whether Clarke would remain in the sport, it has been revealed when ‘Big Fraze’ is targeting a return to the ring.
Wardley and Clarke were ordered to face one another for the British heavyweight title in early 2023, but the latter pulled out amid concerns that he had not partaken in enough rounds as a professional.
A full ten-rounder with Mariusz Wach and a stoppage win against David Allen soon followed, providing the Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist with the necessary experience as his rivalry with Wardley built and the pair finally went toe-to-toe back in March.
In an instant classic that was full of drama and momentum shifts, the judges were unable to split the domestic duo and both men retained their undefeated records – although it was Wardley who retained the Lonsdale Belt.
Seven months on, Wardley and Clarke met again, this time as the co-main event on the high-profile Beterbiev-Bivol card and a similarly close-fought battle was expected.
However, Fabio Wardley needed just one round to run through Clarke and send out a statement to the rest of the heavyweight division – leaving Clarke’s hopes and face dented respectively after the brutal beatdown.
As a result, many fans have questioned whether the Burton-born heavyweight will return to the professional game, pondering the severity of the injuries and the limited time for progression for the 33-year-old.
Yet, in an interview with Sky Sports, Clarke’s promoter Ben Shalom revealed that his fighter is targeting a return to action as soon as April, after receiving positive news regarding his health.Conor Benn calls out Ryan Garcia after being cleared of cheating
“Frazer Clarke, first of all, thankfully no real long, long-term damage,”
“He had that brain scan, and it was a sigh of relief for everyone involved.
“It was operated on without plates and without screws which is another massive plus. He will need the rest of the year to recover before he can get back in a gym.
“April for us is a target month so to be sat here now talking about when he might next fight is testament to him because that can affect you physically, psychologically.
“But the way he has dealt with it, the way he has come on, the way he is now talking, the motivation to get back in there is great to see.
“Big Frazer is a big fan favourite and I think he can use this experience to go on and achieve what we all know he is capable of.”
In terms of who may come next for Clarke, promotional stablemate Jeamie Tshikeva (7-1) is a name being mentioned, alongside the likes of popular domestic contender Johnny Fisher (12-0).
Naoya Inoue is undoubtedly one of the pound-for-pound superstars in the sport of boxing, boasting an undefeated record which has seen him become a multi-divisional four-belt undisputed champion.
However, the Japanese sensation now seems set to lose his undisputed title outside of the ring, after a mammoth super-bantamweight showdown was ruled out.
‘The Monster’ is the face of Japanese boxing and made history when he knocked out Paul Butler in 2022, becoming Japan’s first undisputed champion after adding Butler’s WBO bantamweight title to his collection.
Yet, it was Inoue’s run in the twelve months that followed that truly captured the attention of the western world, halting both unified super-bantamweight title-holders Stephen Fulton and Marlon Tapales in 2023 to conquer yet another weight-class.
Ever since, there has been demands for Inoue to venture further through the weight-classes, but the 31-year-old has decided to stick around at his optimal weight of 122lbs for now, stopping both Luis Nery and TJ Doheny in title defences this year.Naoya Inoue by stoppage 27 -0 24 ko 16 of 17 of his last wins are by KO And in championship fights The skill is unreal He’s special#InoueNerypic.twitter.com/YzoE5wGEMa
— 112 Fighting Sports (@112FIGHTNSPORTS) May 6, 2024
Although, during that time, there has been one man calling for a showdown with Inoue but to no avail – WBA mandatory challenger and former unified champion, Murodjon Akhmadaliev.Frank Warren announces postponement of major ‘Riyadh Season’ card
The Uzbek has been demanding an opportunity to dethrone Inoue throughout 2024 but has continuously been snubbed, with Inoue’s announcement of an upcoming clash with Sam Goodman leading Akhmadaliev towards taking legal action.
Instead, it was presumed that Akhmadaliev would be the opponent for the second bout of Bob Arum’s three-fight plan for Inoue but on Instagram, ‘MJ’s’ promoter Eddie Hearn revealed that he doesn’t believe the fight will happen.
“No, [I don’t think Inoue-Akhmadaliev will happen during 2025].
“For some reason he will not fight him, even though it has been ordered twice.”
Consequently, it can be expected that Inoue will be stripped of his WBA world title during 2025 should the fight not take place.
Therefore, any proposed encounter with fellow undefeated Japanese pound-for-pound star Junto Nakatani during late 2025 would be for the unified title rather than the undisputed crown.
Anthony Joshua has been the poster boy of British boxing for the last decade but he now appears to have entered his twilight years, with a devastating knockout loss preventing ‘AJ’ from becoming boxing’s fifth three-time heavyweight champion.
As some call for Joshua to hang up the gloves, his promoter Eddie Hearn has declared when the 35-year-old will return to action.
The London 2012 gold medallist lost his heavyweight titles for a second time when he was defeated by Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and was then unable to reclaim them in the rematch.
Unconvincing performances against Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius followed, encouraging Joshua to appoint a fifth different trainer within two years, this time working under Tyson Fury’s former cornerman, Ben Davison.
However, despite fears that Joshua’s time at the top was coming to a close, Davison was able to bring the best out of Joshua and the pair soon turned a corner with impressive knockout wins over Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou – which lined ‘AJ’ up for a shot at the IBF heavyweight title against Daniel Dubois.
In the headline attraction of a record-breaking event under the famous Wembley arch, the experienced knockout-artist was expected to dispatch of his countryman with relative ease.
Although, it was instead Dubois who was able to shake up the heavyweight division and score an emphatic and disorientating stoppage victory.Todd DuBoef on the expiration of Top Rank’s agreement with ESPN in 2025
In the weeks that followed that damning September defeat, Anthony Joshua and Eddie Hearn have maintained their interest an immediate rematch with Dubois, regardless of the one-sided beatdown.
Yet, the scheduled date of February 22nd has come too soon for the two-time champion, and he has now been officially ruled out through injuries sustained in their first encounter.
Consequently, many are questioning whether or when the Watford-born heavyweight will make his ring return and one fan quizzed Eddie Hearn on the subject on Instagram, whilst sharing his concern that Joshua is at his best when he is active.
In response, Matchroom promoter Hearn offered an encouraging reply, revealing that Joshua will return in the summer of 2025.
“He had 5 fights in 18 months, he will be fine. Back in the summer.”
In terms of whom may be in the opposing corner for Joshua’s return, the long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury will remain as a lucrative proposal and could well be on the cards if ‘The Gypsy King’ suffers a second consecutive defeat to Oleksandr Usyk next month.