Galal Yafai first swapped leather with Sunny Edwards nearly nine-and-a-half years ago, back when they were both amateurs. Yafai was 22 years old; Edwards was 19.

The two flyweights will fight again on November 30 at BP Pulse LIVE in Birmingham . And they’ll be at very different stages in their lives and careers. 

Yafai is 31, a two-time Olympian who won a gold medal at Tokyo 2020, turned professional in 2022, and is 7-0 (5 KOs). 

Edwards is 28 years old, a former flyweight titleholder who lost his belt in December 2023 when he was stopped after nine rounds by Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez. Following a victory in June against Adrian Curiel, Edwards is 21-1 (4 KOs).

They both need a victory. Yafai to move his career forwards; Edwards to ensure his own doesn’t slide any further backwards; each also want to move towards a world-title shot.

There’s also that little matter of their shared history.

“We’ve had a rivalry for years,” Yafai told talkSPORT. “He beat me in 2015. It was a close fight, and he beat me in a split decision . I was still relatively new. He’s got the bragging rights now, if that’s what you want to call it. We can put the record straight.”

Edwards won the IBF belt at 112lbs back in April 2021 with a unanimous decision over Moruti Mthalane. He made four successful defenses, all via unanimous decision, over Jayson Mama, Muhammad Waseem, Felix Alvarado and Jose Campos, leading him into the collision with Rodriguez, who has since vacated the two belts and become the lineal champ at 115lbs.

“Sunny’s a relatively big name in our weight,” Yafai said. “He’s not a huge name. He’s not a superstar – not like he might think he is. But he’s a good name, especially at our weights.”

That name carries value – not just in boosting the money the two men will earn, but also in providing Yafai with motivation.

“I need something to get up for, as well,” Yafai said. “I’ve been fighting in America against people nobody knows. I want to fight somebody that everyone knows; people are gonna turn up to. People are gonna tune in. And that’s when you’re gonna get my best.”

Yafai’s past two appearances were in Arizona and Las Vegas, where he respectively outpointed the 22-2 Rocco Santomauro on the undercard of Rodriguez-Edwards and then stopped the 21-1 Agustin Gauto on the undercard of Richardson Hitchins-Gustavo Lemos.

Edgar Berlanga may have lost to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, but his stock has certainly risen in the super middleweight division. Berlanga stepped up in competition and showed he belongs among the top names, despite his unanimous decision loss on Saturday night in Las Vegas. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, sees a bright future ahead for the young fighter.

“If you look at the division now, my question is, tell me a more valuable fighter or a bigger name at 168 [besides Canelo],” said Hearn. “For me, it’s Edgar Berlanga. You’ve got Jaime Munguia, Caleb Plant, Jermall Charlo, and Diego Pacheco, but Edgar, after that performance, his personality, and charisma, I think he’s become a huge star, and I’m excited about the future.”

Though Berlanga’s record now stands at 22-1 (17 KOs), he has impressed his promoter and fans alike. Hearn hinted at a return to the ring for Berlanga in February 2025, with Puerto Rico, the land of Berlanga’s heritage, as a possible location for his next fight. This could provide the perfect stage for him to bounce back with a victory.

Diego Pacheco, another rising star in the super middleweight division, is also under Matchroom Boxing, but a fight between him and Berlanga isn’t likely anytime soon. Hearn appears to be more focused on allowing Berlanga to rebuild his confidence and continue his development before taking on another top contender.

With plenty of potential matchups on the horizon, Edgar Berlanga is now a name to watch at 168. The super middleweight division has no shortage of talent, but Berlanga’s grit and charisma make him a key player in the mix.

#EdgarBerlanga #CaneloAlvarez #EddieHearn #JaimeMunguia #CalebPlant #JermallCharlo #DiegoPacheco #SuperMiddleweight #BoxingNews #BoxingFuture #PuertoRicoBoxing #CaneloVsBerlanga #BoxingComeback #168Division #BoxingStars #MatchroomBoxing #BoxingFans #HearnMatchroom #BerlangaFights #SuperMiddleweightStar

The light heavyweight Dan Azeez is to fight Lewis Edmondson at London’s Copper Box Arena on October 19. 

Azeez, 35, last fought in June when on the undercard of Chris Billam-Smith-Richard Riakporhe he disappointed in drawing with Hrvoje Sep of Croatia over eight rounds.

In February he lost for the first time, against Joshua Buatsi via decision, having previously recorded 20 victories from his 20 fights. Against Edmondson, 28 and who defeated him as an amateur, he fights to return to towards the top of one of the most competitive weight divisions in the UK.

“Lewie is a good, skilful, young fighter,” said Azeez of the fight on the undercard of Adam Azim-Ohara Davies. “He whooped me as an amateur and now it’s time to return the favour.”

“I respect Dan as a fighter,” said the undefeated Edmondson. “He’s very experienced. He’s been there numerous times. We know each other well. 

“We fought as amateurs and sparred in the early days of my pro career. I’m expecting a tough and rough fight. What you see is what you get with Dan. I respect him as a person but it’s the fight game and it’s time to announce myself on the big stage. He’s had his time and it’s mine now.”

On the same Boxxer promotion, Michael McKinnon fights fellow welterweight Tulani Mbenge of South Africa, Jeamie TKV and Franklin Ignatius fight at heavyweight, and the promising bantamweight Francesca Hennessy will fight an opponent to be confirmed.

The IBF is allowing the new 130lbs champion Anthony Cacace to meet Josh Warrington in a non-title fight on Saturday at Wembley Stadium.

Should the former featherweight champion Warrington (31-3-1, 8 KOs) win the bout on the undercard of the Daniel Dubois-Anthony Joshua IBF heavyweight title fight, the IBF junior-lightweight belt will become vacant.

By winning the IBF title with an eighth-round stoppage of Joe Cordina on May 18, Cacace (22-1, 8 KOs) became obligated to defend it next against his mandatory challenger Eduardo Nunez (27-1, 27 KOs) of Mexico.

In its announcement on Monday, the IBF said that Nunez provided consent of Cacace-Warrington, sparring Cacace from being stripped of his new belt.

“ Should Anthony Cacace win on [Saturday], he must make a mandatory defense of the IBF junior-lightweight title against [top-]ranked mandatory contender Nunez within 180 days or by March 20,” the organisation announced.

Nunez is coming off of a sixth-round knockout of Miguel Marriaga on August 31.

Mario Barrios will defend his WBC welterweight title against Abel Ramos on the undercard of Jake Paul-Mike Tyson on November 15.

The ill-advised contest between Paul and Tyson, at the AT&T Stadium in Texas, was already on course to be supported by the rematch at super lightweight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano. 

Barrios agreeing to fight Ramos will regardless at least delay potential plans for him to fight Manny Pacquiao in what – should it come to pass – could prove a similarly ill-advised comeback for the retired Filipino.

“I’m thrilled to be part of this once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Barrios, 29. “The fight on the Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson card is huge, with millions watching live on Netflix. Abel Ramos is a tough Mexican fighter, just like me, so I know it’ll be a hell of a fight in front of my Texas people at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium. 

“I’m also excited to showcase my indigenous roots on this global platform. Don’t miss this fight – it’s going to be war, Puro San Antonio!”

Ramos, 33 and like Barrios of Mexican-American descent, said of the fight that falls on Mexican Independence Day: “I’m very excited to be fighting for the WBC title and I’m looking forward to a great fight against Mario Barrios. 

“He’s a warrior just like me and I’m going to give the fans at Cowboys Stadium and those watching around the world on Netflix an exciting fight on Friday, November 15th.”

The featherweight Mikkel Gribsholt (5-1) headlined a TK Promotion on September 14 in Ryomgarard, the small town north east of Aarhus, but his opponent, the Venezuelan Luis Guerrero (9-9-2), dominated and won via scores of 59-55, 60-54 and 60-54. 

The fight could have been stopped on a few occasions because the young Dane appeared to have little left. Guerrero hurt him with body shots, but had to settle for an upset victory.

Jakob Bank (14-0), the rising super middleweight, got a solid workout from the tough Georgian journeyman Iago Kiziria (7-15). Bank dominated and won via scores of 78-72 from the two judges and the scoring referee, but while the win was clear and beyond dispute, Bank also posed too much and threw a lot of ineffective arm punches. KIziria protected himself well and scored with some good counters (he also won a round on BoxingScene's scorecard).

The local hero, the middleweight Victor Hoveling (5-0), stopped Venezuelan veteran Luis Araguayan (16-16) at 1.53 of the second round. Araguayan showed little punch resistance, and was floored twice in the second, and once in the first. 

Morten Givskov (3-0), the heavyweight prospect, knocked out Georgia’s Paata Aduashvili (10-36-3) at 1.44 of the second round in an all southpaw contest. Givskov first dropped his out-of-shape opponent with a left to the body, and he then finished him with a combination to the head. Givskov shows potential, but needs to step up the level of his opposition.

The cruiserweight Steffen Rorstrom (3-0) had by then stopped Venezuela’s Pedro Perales (5-3-2), who retired and didn't come out for the sixth and final round. Rorstrom, a southpaw and much heavier than Perales, dominated behind his jab but could never hurt his opponent.

*

Agon's Italian middleweight Etinosa Oliha (21-0) stopped Germany’s Alexander Pavlov (21-4) in an IBF eliminator at the Agon Sportpark in Berlin. Pavlov was floored in the third round but got up, but he then injured his arm and was forced to retire.

*

Super bantamweights Vincenzo La Femina (14-1) and Jordan Camacho (10-0) will fight on October 26 in Palermo, Italy. In the co-feature of the OPI since 82 promotion, Armando Casamonica (13-0) and Alessandro Fersula (10-6) fight for the national super-lightweight title.

If the final stage of metamorphosis for the new and improved Anthony Joshua is the achievement of a zen state, Daniel Dubois would do well to pack his ballistic helmet and suit of armor for their heavyweight clash Saturday at London’s Wembley Stadium.

In an interview with Matchroom Boxing’s YouTube channel , Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) was still and sedate while exuding a predatory confidence about the fight and its lead-up. He spoke of his match with Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs) and its obligations as if it were yet another walk around the block to the corner bodega.

“Another day for me,” Joshua said. “Do some media stuff. Spirits are good, actually. Prepared for this. So it's not like taking time out of my schedule. Fits in well. And another day, another lion in the jungle, another lion ready to hunt. It’s just another day for me.”

Of course, we’ve been hearing about this version of Joshua at least since he began working with current trainer Ben Davison ahead of AJ’s win over Otto Wallin in December 2023. A more deliberate Joshua. More calculating. More effective?

“Preparation is everything,” Joshua said when told by Matchroom’s interviewer that his demeanor in the gym only a week earlier was “almost scarily relaxed.”

“If you prepare, you’re relaxed, because you’ve taken yourself there physically. You’ve taken yourself there mentally, and you truly believe in yourself. So I’m good.”

Yet Joshua presumably brought roughly the same focus, and spent similar amounts of time and emotional capital, in preparing for previous opponents – including Oleksandr Usyk in back-to-back fights, both AJ defeats, in 2021 and 2022. 

The prevailing theory behind those missteps – and some of Joshua’s own past words, which have bordered on blame-shifting – place responsibility on AJ’s former longtime trainer Rob McCracken. A move away from McCracken was followed by time spent in the gym with Derrick James, Angel Fernandez, Robert Garcia and, finally, Davison.

Joshua is on record as saying that by the time of his first career loss – a shocking upset at the hands of Andy Ruiz in 2019 – he had already stopped developing. When he began efforts to remake himself as a boxer-puncher, still under the tutelage of McCracken, Joshua says he discovered the limits of the partnership. It was Usyk who helped reveal it: “He is the master of that shit,” Joshua told “ The Boxing Show ” podcast last year.

But these days, Joshua and his team dwell less on past failings and focus more on the improvements that have breathed life into his career and leave him 12 rounds – or fewer – away from taking possession of a major heavyweight title for the third time in his career, and for the first time in more than two years.

“When we first started, we were a little bit raw, we were a little bit naive,” said promoter Eddie Hearn, who may have been referring only to Joshua but just as easily could have been including himself in the equation. When the promotion signed AJ back in 2013, Hearn had been at the Matchroom helm only two years and, at the time, was Joshua’s current age, 34.

“We knew what we were doing, but you don't really know what you're doing at that age,” Hearn said. “And as life develops, you just get a better understanding of what it's all about, how to compete, how to win. And now I look at him as a seasoned fighter – just like I looked at Canelo Alvarez when I was with him last week, or the Klitschkos. We're of that level now, and we're of that experience. And I think you relax a lot more when you've been there so many times. The buzz is still there, but it's like he says – it's another fight. Whereas back then it was like, ‘Oh God, what are we actually doing? I don't really know what to expect, what's going to happen.’”

Hearn recalled with a grin when he and Joshua randomly showed up for AJ’s contract signing in matching waistcoats, “looking like a couple of snooker players.” Explaining one of the differences between now and then, he echoed Joshua’s earlier sentiment, noting the assuredness that comes with experience and the calm in knowing that all the proper preparation has been done ahead of a night like the one ahead with Dubois.

At this, Joshua interjected and expressed something close to exuberance – at least compared to his previous tranquility.

“You can’t arrive here without having some sort of promise to be here,” Joshua said. “It has to be within you somewhere, because you can't just get here on pure luck. So yeah, we’re here. We’ve arrived. And if we can, let’s toast to a big show in Wembley. Let's go.”

Jason Langendorf is the former Boxing Editor of ESPN.com, has contributed to Ringside Seat and the Queensberry Rules, and has written about boxing for Vice, The Guardian, Chicago Sun-Times and other publications. A member of the Boxing Writers Association of America, he can be followed on X and LinkedIn , and emailed at dorf2112@hotmail.com.

IBF heavyweight world champion Daniel Dubois is gearing up for a defining moment in his career as he prepares to make a first defence of his world title against long-standing poster boy of British boxing, Anthony Joshua. Now, with all eyes on ‘Triple D’, one of his former stablemates has revealed details of a shocking spar that he and the fan-favourite knockout artist

Dubois received heaps of criticism for taking a knee during his stoppage defeat against Joe Joyce back in 2020 and the young prospect acted quick during the aftermath to split from trainer Martin Bowers and move in a different direction, appointing Mark Tibbs as his lead cornerman.

However, after just three months together, Dubois then decided to move on without even having a fight under Tibbs, instead opting to train under Shane McGuigan.

Although, those three months were enough for Dubois to cross paths with a then inexperienced super-middleweight named John Hedges, who now holds the Southern Area light-heavyweight title.

Speaking with , Hedges detailed the time that he accidentally punched Dubois in the face during a body spar.

“Me and him got on really well, as it goes. We were training together for about three months down at Newlands at the time, still under [Mark] Tibbs’ banner. It was one of them things, it was a freak accident. I’ll be honest with you, I was scared. I was trying to defend myself but he is a big man. Believe it or not, even if you duck to hit him, his head is still there.Liam Smith Replacement Confirmed As Josh Kelly Set To Remain On Joshua-Dubois Undercard

“He has got a big head on him, Joshua will know that when he gets into the ring with him but I accidentally hit him on the way out trying to defend myself and I had to try and call the spar off. It carried on and I was going ‘Daniel please, I didn’t mean to!’. There was no malice in it but it is one of them ones, it is boxing, Daniel is a gentleman and he is a very good man.”

“It was nice just to get the rounds in, I just wanted the experience. I think I was just a super-middleweight at the time, it is crazy.”

Dubois is now working with Don Charles, ditching McGuigan after two years in May 2023, but the improvements have been there for all to see, despite losing to Oleksandr Usyk in their first bout as a duo.

ll IBF heavyweight world champion.

Although, as a consequence of Dubois winning his belt outside of the ring, the 27-year-old still has it all to prove when he takes on ‘AJ’ in two weeks’ time at Wembley Stadium, in what looks set to be a famous night for British boxing.

#DanielDubois #AnthonyJoshua #Boxing2024 #IBFHeavyweightTitle #BoxingFans #BritishBoxing #AJFight #DuboisVsJoshua #HeavyweightClash #BoxingChampionship #KnockoutPower #WembleyStadium #DonCharles #JohnHedges #BoxingShowdown

In the eyes of many, Jai Opetaia has established himself as the top dog in the cruiserweight division over the last twelve months. Now the Australian is seeking to make the first defence of his second reign as IBF world champion but the man in the opposing corner, Jack Massey, believes he can exploit a chink in the armour of the undefeated title-holder.

A former IBO cruiserweight world champion, ‘One Smack’ Massey has always proven to be fearless when selecting opponents with the two defeats of his career coming against Richard Riakporhe and Joseph Parker, the latter being an unconventional and temporary step-up to heavyweight, but his meeting with Opetaia looks set to be the toughest test of the lot.

Although, Massey has already sprung one upset this year, that coming against Isaac Chamerlain on the Billam-Smith-Riakporhe undercard to claim the EBU European title and surge up the cruiserweight rankings, earning this world title shot on the blockbuster Beterbiev-Bivol card.

Speaking with Boxing News, Massey explained why he believes he can shock the world and put an end to Opetaia’s unbeaten streak, regardless of the fact that he is yet to experience a fight against a southpaw in his 24 professional outings to date.

“It is a very, very tough fight. It’s the first southpaw that I have come across in my professional career, but I have got Joe [Gallagher] in my corner and I have got a good corner team, we are working on things in camp and we have got a great game plan.

“He’s a very, very tough opponent and we have got a really tough night ahead of us but I am very confident of going in there and beating this guy. I am not turning up for no paydays, people know that anyway because I have said it in the past with the Parker fight.”Carl Froch Predicts Joshua-Dubois And Reveals The Undercard Fighter That Has Caught His Eye

“I believe that he is the best in the cruiserweight division, I think that he is at the top and that he is the best of the bunch. I am there to prove myself, there is no pressure on my side. He is a good fighter, but he has shown a few little leaks here and there with the last [Mairis] Briedis fight.

“I am a good twelve-round fighter, and I come on strong towards the end. I think that is what is going to be in my favour.

“He does like to get into a fight and sometimes, it showed in the last fight, he loads up a little bit too much. I think that is why he tired off during the back end of the fight because he was looking for that knockout and he was loading up, putting everything into his shots. That is when he let Briedis come into the fight, during the back end, but we can only see on the night, things change.”

Massey represents the third Briton that Opetaia has faced within the last year but the Cheshire-based contender will be hopeful that he does not face the same fate as Jordan Thompson and Ellis Zorro on October 12th, after both were brutally knocked out within four rounds.

#JaiOpetaia #JackMassey #CruiserweightChampion #BoxingTitleFight #IBFChampion #JoeGallagher #BoxingUpset #MasseyVsOpetaia #IsaacChamberlain #MairisBriedis #BoxingNews #BoxingStrategy #OpetaiaFight #BritishBoxing #CruiserweightDivision #BoxingFans

Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois are set to go toe-to-toe with one another in an all-British battle for the heavyweight world title. However, this will not be the first time that ‘AJ’ has

Joshua could become boxing’s fifth three-time ruler of the heavyweight division if he is successful in his title bid against his compatriot but even if ‘AJ’ casted his memory back to the year that he first claimed world honours, Dubois was still a name on his radar.

Whilst training under Rob McCracken, London 2012 gold medallist Joshua would regularly spar members of Team GB, including both Daniel Dubois and Frazer Clarke but those sessions with the amateurs were not completely one-sided, according to Anthony Fowler, a Team GB middleweight at the time.

In an interview with talkSPORT, Fowler recalled the fabled 2016 spar where Joshua was buzzed by an 18-year-old Dubois.

“They were just sparring normally. Dubois was really young, so he wasn’t really trying to win the rounds. I wouldn’t say he was in survival mode, but he wouldn’t take many risks.

“He was very cagey sparring Joshua. Obviously, Joshua was the main man on the team, so he was always quite wary, but he always punched really hard.

“Joshua must have been a little clumsy sparring him and he got caught with a short left-hook and Joshua’s legs completely went. Dubois could have hit him again and put him to sleep but Dubois had a bit too much respect for him to finish him off.Carl Froch Predicts Joshua-Dubois And Reveals The Undercard Fighter That Has Caught His Eye

“Obviously, everyone was stood there like ‘Wow’ and Joshua went and jogged around the ring because his legs were like jelly, and he was trying to get his legs back. Everyone was going ‘Wait, wait, wait’. Joshua wanted to carry on but Rob McCracken was like ‘Have a little break, get your legs back to normal, and then spar’ and then they continued sparring.

“He didn’t knock him out, he didn’t hit the floor but he was really, really hurt. Dubois probably could have hit him again and knocked him out, but he chose not to out of respect.”

Anthony Joshua would go on to become the IBF world champion with a stoppage win over Charles Martin, whilst Dubois would turn professional the following year.

These days, the roles are reversed and it is a rejuvenated ‘AJ’ challenging for Dubois’ IBF title, albeit as a sizeable favourite with the bookmakers. Still, Fowler went on to add his belief that Dubois is well capable of springing the upset.

“Joshua used to get the better of most of the sparring but Dubois nearly knocked him out with 18oz gloves and headguards so if he catches him with those 10oz gloves Joshua will be going to sleep.”

Joshua-Dubois will take place at Wembley Stadium, London next Saturday, topping a bill that features a plethora of high-quality domestic talent.

Just months after their legendary undisputed title showdown, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are chomping at the bit to go toe-to-toe once again and have begun exchanging words on social media as the clock ticks down ahead of their fascinating rematch.

Fury and Usyk met in the first undisputed heavyweight title bout of the century earlier this year and an instant classic ensued. At the halfway point, it seemed as though the size and awkwardness of the 6’9” ‘Gypsy King’ was a step too far for the former cruiserweight conqueror and that all four world titles would be headed back to Old Blighty in the hands of Tyson Fury.

However, as we have seen from the Ukrainian technician on countless occasions, Usyk was able to press the accelerator in the latter stages of the contest and almost halted the Briton in the ninth, before banking the final rounds to snatch the belts from under Fury’s nose and claim a famous split-decision win, putting an end to Fury’s 35-fight undefeated record.

Almost instantaneously, Fury utilised his option to trigger a rematch clause for the contest and Saudi catalyst Turki Al-Alshikh quickly pencilled in their second encounter in Riyadh for a December dust-up. Although, this time around, the undisputed throne will not be on the line.

Instead, Usyk was forced to vacate his IBF crown shortly after the Fury win with Daniel Dubois assuming position as IBF world champion after being upgraded from interim title-holder – a mantle earnt by knocking out Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic in June.

Still, with three belts on the line, the prospect of another meeting between two of the greatest heavyweights of this generation is one that is sure to captivate fans around the globe once again and the remarkable pre-fight build-up that has become expected of Al-Alshikh’s cards is likely to be as impressive as ever.

Yet, the pair needed no fancy promo, script or manufactured storyline to kick off pre-fight proceedings, as Oleksandr Usyk initiated the first back-and-forth ahead of their second scrap, simply asking his rival if he was ready in an Instagram post.

“My friend, Tyson Fury. I’m ready for 23rd December. Are you ready?”Edgar Berlanga Insane Fight Night Weight Gain Reported Against Canelo Alvarez🗣️ @usykaa 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 to @Tyson_Fury ahead of their rematch. #Usyk#TysonFury#Boxingpic.twitter.com/3Hltzxd9i6

— (@boxing_social) September 10, 2024

Meanwhile, Fury offered a more provocative response, informing the only fighter to have defeated him that he will be ‘smashed up’ on December 23rd.

“On the 23rd December you will still be smashed up, kid. The question is are you?”Tyson Fury with a message for Oleksandr Usyk on Instagram today ahead of their rematch on Dec 21st… pic.twitter.com/x5czgeqS5H

— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) September 10, 2024

Despite what Usyk and Fury state, their second fight will take place on December 21st, with December 23rdconfusingly being the date that their original bout was scheduled for.

As for the undercard, further details are expected to be revealed during the aftermath of Artur Beterbiev’s undisputed light-heavyweight showdown against Dmitry Bivol on October 12th.

However, one clash that is being rumoured is a heavyweight affair between rising contender Martin Bakole and ageing Chinese knockout-artist Zhilei Zhang – with the victor expected to get a shot at world honours during 2025.

Jake Paul’s prolonged and controversial showdown with Mike Tyson has split the world of boxing with many believing that the bout should not be going ahead and others arguing that ‘Iron’ Mike is capable of making his own decisions. However, Eddie Hearn has always been clear on his thoughts ahead of the contest and he has now collided with Jake Paul’s former coach as a result.

In terms of pay-per-view figures within the sport, Jake Paul finds himself right amongst some of the most talented fighters on the planet due to his immense social media following and his pantomime villain portrayal. Although, his upcoming scrap with heavyweight veteran Tyson is one that followers of the sport feel has crossed the line, due to the 31-year age difference between the pair and Tyson’s almost two-decade stretch of inactivity.

Yet, in a social media post, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions, Nakisa Bidarian, defended the bout and slammed Eddie Hearn for his public criticism, highlighting how the Brit is actually involved in the event through Katie Taylor’s lucrative rematch with Amanda Serrano.‼️ Nakisa Bidarian responds to Eddie Hearn after he stated that he would never be involved with Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson 🗣️

[Via – @MostVpromotions on IG] pic.twitter.com/9zyWQuZOsq

— IFN (@IfnBoxing) September 7, 2024

“I keep getting sent these articles of Eddie Hearn taking shots at Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson and how [he claims that] if you are involved then you have no empathy for the sport and how he would never been involved in a million years. Eddie, you are involved man. You are involved in a big way. Katie Taylor, your most celebrated fighter, is the co-main event and it is her biggest payday, as you know.”

Meanwhile, Paul’s former coach and one-time cruiserweight world title challenger BJ Flores exchanged his opinion with Hearn – who labelled the decision to make the fight as ‘sad’.Canelo Alvarez Names Next Target After Defeating Edgar Berlanga

BJF: “Eddie, I LOVE how you fight for your guys. You are 100% a TOP level business brain/boxing man. But let’s all admit that Jake Paul has done a massive amount for getting more eyeballs on the sport of boxing. Only 27-years-old. Jake moves the needle. Congrats to Katie [Taylor] and Amanda [Serrano].”

EH: “Absolutely, but from someone who idolised Mike Tyson and knows he should NEVER be in the ring again, I find it very sad.”

BJF: “100% understood. Mike wouldn’t have been my top choice. But, he is an absolute legend and a grown man that makes his own decisions. In addition, I think it will be more competitive than people think.”

EH: “He’s in his 50’s and when he last fought professionally 20 years ago it was sad to watch. I don’t believe he is healthy enough to fight and if it’s gonna be competitive then that says it all. As for a grown man making his own decisions, you know it’s up to the people around the fighters to make the right decision and you know he shouldn’t be fighting. You are a boxing man BJ! Anyway, god bless my friend.

Paul-Tyson will take place on November 15th at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas live on Netflix, where Mike Tyson will break a heavyweight world record just by hearing the opening bell.

British heavyweight veteran Derek Chisora has been campaigning in the division for 17 years now and has probably forgotten more about the fight game than most active fighters will ever know. As the ever-changing landscape of the sports’ glamour division, Chisora has

Turki Al-Alshikh’s invasion into the world of boxing has convinced fans that all fights are now possible and as such the heavyweight scene is thriving, with a first undisputed heavyweight title contest of the century hopefully marking a turning point where the best fights are regularly made rather than avoided.

Simultaneously, a resurgence from Anthony Joshua has seen ‘AJ’ being linked to a clash with Tyson Fury once again, after consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk were proved to have not spelt the end of Joshua’s time at the top table, despite the beliefs of many fans shortly after his second defeat to the Ukrainian.

Instead, Joshua’s decision to appoint Ben Davison as his new trainer has paid dividends and the two-time heavyweight conqueror now finds himself bidding for world honours once again, preparing to take on IBF champion Daniel Dubois next weekend.

In an interview with talkSPORT, Derek Chisora explained why he believes Joshua would not only come out on top against long-term rival Fury, but also that he would knockout Usyk in a trilogy contest.

“AJ will knock Fury out in six rounds and he will stop Usyk in round four. I’m telling you now. Because now he has got the right dancing partner, his trainer. That guy hasn’t stopped watching the two tapes of him fighting Usyk. Because he wants that fight badly, he wants the rematch. He wants Usyk to win the fight with Fury.”Edgar Berlanga Insane Fight Night Weight Gain Reported Against Canelo Alvarez

“I think the changes he’s made are Ben Davison and the people around him round him now. They’re listening to him, they’re understanding. They’ve gelled now. He was not knocking out his sparring partners and now he’s knocking them out. Because of Ben Davison.”

Meanwhile, as mentioned by ‘Del Boy’, Fury and Usyk are set to go toe-to-toe once again later this year. Regardless of the fact that Chisora believed his good friend to be ‘under-prepared’ for the first encounter, the 40-year-old fan-favourite went on to declare that Usyk will halt ‘The Gypsy King’ this time around.

“I don’t think Tyson was 100%. He had a massive cut. He didn’t spar the way that he wanted to spar and he was under-prepared. He was mucking around for the first four or five rounds because the confidence was not there. I think Usyk stops him this time. Him [Fury] and SugarHill Steward – that relationship is kind of dying down.”

Usyk-Fury II will take place on December 21st in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with the trash talk that is ever-present in a Tyson Fury fight already getting underway.

WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis has been linked with unification showdowns against both Shakur Stevenson (WBC) and Vasyl Lomachenko (IBF) throughout 2024 but it seems as though neither of those contests will take place. Instead, the latest whispers suggested that Tank would move up to super-lightweight for an instant world title shot, although those rumours have now been shut down.

Davis was upgraded from WBA (Regular) champion to full world champion last year and has appeared just once since, stopping Frank Martin with a knockout of the year contender in a first defence of the belt that re-established beliefs that he is the man to beat at 135lbs.

Yet, despite the allure of the apparently illusive clashes with Stevenson and Lomachenko, recent rumours were that the Baltimore-born knockout-artist would step up to 140lbs and challenge for Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela’s WBA super-lightweight crown, after he defeated Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz for the strap in August.

Those rumours were seemingly confirmed by world-renowned trainer Ricky Funez, who revealed that Tank would face a Robert Garcia fighter, in an interview with Pro Boxing Fans.

“I know who it is. It’s a secret, it’s going to be out. It is not public yet but it will be in November and I think that it is going to be in Las Vegas against one of Robert Garcia’s fighters.”

However, Robert Garcia has informed ES News that Valenzuela will not be fighting Davis next, explaining that Rayo will not fight until February and that Isaac Cruz is expected to be the next opponent, as he has a right to invoke a rematch clause following his defeat.Edgar Berlanga Insane Fight Night Weight Gain Reported Against Canelo Alvarez

“[They are] not [fighting] November 2nd. If they hold the fight for February then we are in.,

“It’s a good fight, Tank is a bada** man. Tank is a bad mother****er but that is the challenge when you are a world champion, you want to unify, you want to f***ing defend your title and you want to go against the best. So that is a fight that I would love and I am pretty sure that Rayo would love it too but we would have to go through Pitbull [Cruz] first, unless Pitbull steps aside. I think that he wants the rematch.”

“I would like the rematch and then Tank but we can go straight into Tank – why not?”

With all three lightweight champions looking elsewhere, Davis is now limited in terms of who he could face on November 2nd. At present, WBA super-featherweight champion Lamont Roach and recent Stevenson opponent, Edwin De Los Santos, are the names that seem possible. Although, Roach would be coming up from a lower weight-class and De Los Santos is coming off of a loss so both fights would likely be criticized.

Alternatively, one man who has been calling for a showdown with Davis is undefeated 22-year-old Floyd Schofield, ranked #2 with the WBA, but his father and trainer has claimed that Davis will never step into the ring with his son.

After weeks of speculation, it has now been confirmed that Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez will face Chris Billam-Smith in the headline fight of the November Riyadh Season card in a showdown for the unified WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles. Yet, for the event billed as ‘Latino Night, there has been two eye-catching changes to the undercard.

Initial reports for the event revealed that undefeated lightweight title hopeful William Zepeda would take on former unified champion George Kambosos Jr. in preparation for an eventual bid for Shakur Stevenson’s WBC crown. Meanwhile Bektemir Melikuziev would collide with undefeated Guatemalan Lester Martinez with the victor sure to edge closer to a shot at the super-middleweight titles.

Both of those bouts came in addition to contests between former unified super-lightweight conqueror Jose Carlos Ramirez and Arnold Barboza Jr in yet another affair with a world title shot on the line, whilst Oscar Duarte is scheduled to face Chicago’s Kenneth Sims Jr. in the welterweight division to cap off a plethora of well-matched clashes on the main card.

Although, in an interview with iFL TV, a disappointed Eddie Hearn, who now promotes Shakur Stevenson, let slip that Zepeda would not be taking on his Australian lightweight rival whilst sharing his frustrations at the fact that the fight between Zepeda and Stevenson had been put on ice.

“We were a bit disappointed because I talked to Shakur, Josh Duban, and the guys today, and we were told that [William] Zepeda wouldn’t be available in October, November, or September because he was having a child.

“Now, we’re hearing I believe he’s going to fight Tevin Farmer. I thought he [Zepeda] was going to fight George Kambosos, but he’s not fighting George Kambosos. I hear it’s Tevin Farmer. We were ready to go straight into that Zepeda fight, but maybe they’re not. So, we’ll see,”Liam Smith Replacement Confirmed As Josh Kelly Set To Remain On Joshua-Dubois Undercard

Last night, the event was officially announced and it was done so with some obvious absentees as Hearn’s rumour was confirmed and George Kambosos Jr. was dropped from the bill, as was Melikuziev’s scrap with Martinez.

Zepeda, who is ranked as the number one contender with all four sanctioning bodies, will instead fight Tevin Farmer, former holder of the IBF super-featherweight crown, despite the fact that Farmer is coming off of a loss to Raymond Muratalla.

Furthermore, a second world title contest has been added to the bill as Puerto Rican minimumweight sensation Oscar Collazo hopes to make a fourth consecutive defence of the 105lb WBO strap against Mexico’s Edwin Cano Hernandez

Whilst the decision to drop Kambosos card is yet to be fully understood, Lester Martinez is set to fight tonight on Pro Box TV, so his fight could be added at a later date, providing he is able to overcome Joeshon James without any hiccups or injury.

Zurdo-Billam-Smith will take place on November 16th in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and despite the quality of the card, the event will not be a pay-per-view one.

Canelo Alvarez is set to defend his unified super-middleweight titles against undefeated Puerto Rican Edgar Berlanga on Saturday night and both men are seeking a knockout win. However, upon hearing Berlanga’s prediction for the fight, the Mexican superstar struggled to keep a straight face.

Berlanga made a name for himself by winning the first 16 professional bouts of his career via first-round stoppages, putting the division on notice and convincing many that he could become a dominant champion in the future.

However, since that run was ended with a points win against Desmond Nicholson in 2021, ‘The Chosen One’ had underwhelmed and has been the beneficiary of some controversial scorecards.

Yet, after five consecutive decision victories, Berlanga put in an impressive display to halt Padraig McCrory earlier this year and has earnt this Saturday’s shot at Alvarez’s unified WBC, WBA & WBO titles as a result.

At the grand arrivals for the event, Edgar Berlanga told of his prediction to end the contest within six rounds and become the first man to stop Canelo Alvarez.

“I am ready, I have been in this game for over 20 years, we are about to make history, man. It is something special that is going to happen this weekend.

“This is war, it is Puerto Rico versus Mexico, it is something for the history books. As far as seeing Canelo, we always have respect for him and for his accolades, what he has done in the sport of boxing, but it is a fight on September 14th. We have got a big fight this weekend, he is going in there to hurt me and I have got to go in there to hurt him.

“I am going to knock him out in the sixth round. He told me eight rounds, I got him in six.”Liam Smith Replacement Confirmed As Josh Kelly Set To Remain On Joshua-Dubois Undercard

As for Canelo, the arguable ‘face of boxing’ is also in need of a knockout win, after going the distance in five back-to-back outings – the longest stretch of contests without a stoppage in his 65-fight career.

In a clip captured by Boxing News, Alvarez smiled as he explained that Berlanga brings nothing new to the table and revealed that he expects that the clash will not go past eight rounds.

“We will see. It is easy to say [that] but [on] Saturday he is going to see something different. It’s easy to say, we will see.

“Yeah, [I think I will knock him out in the eighth-round] or less.

“He is a good fighter, he is strong, young, but he is nothing new for me. I have fought everybody, every style, bigger than me, younger than me, older than me and so I know everything about boxing. I have a lot of experience, and he is going to feel it on Saturday night.”

Canelo-Berlanga takes place on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be available to watch live on Amazon Prime Video PPV around the globe.

Unified super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez will put all three of his belts on the line against undefeated Puerto-Rican contender Edgar Berlanga this weekend in a scrap that is unlikely to reach the final bell. Here, we at preview this weekend’s action and take a look at the additional fights on offer.

After former unified super-bantamweight champion Stephen Fulton (21-1) begins life as a featherweight on the prelims against Carlos Castro (30-2), attention will turn to the return of another recent world champion in Rolando Romero (15-2).

Rolly lost his WBA super-lightweight crown to Isaac Cruz back in March and has faced heaps of criticism since, with many fans ruling him out of world title contention in the future. However, Romero has shown glimpses of his quality in the past, notably in a relatively strong display against pound-for-pound star Gervonta Davis back in 2022, until Davis found the brutal knockout in the sixth-round.

Romero will face 24-year-old former WBC Youth champion Manuel Jaimes (16-1-1), who is on a four-fight win streak but is relatively unproven on the big stage and at the world level in what looks to be an intriguing crossroads battle.

Predicts – Rolando Romero by Decision

Fan-favourite former IBF super-middleweight champion Caleb Plant (22-2) will also be hoping to bounce back to winnings ways after two defeats in his last three contests – albeit against the likes of Canelo and David Benavidez. ‘Sweet Hands’ will end an 18-month spell of inactivity as he meets undefeated Trevor McCumby (28-0), who has banked three victors since ending a five-year hiatus in May 2023, although he is yet to prove himself to be of the same calibre as Plant.

With the 168lb world title a realistic possibility for Plant after Canelo was stripped and Benavidez and David Morrell moved up, a win here against the WBA #8 could thrust Plant back into the title picture after dropping out of the top fifteen with each of the other three sanctioning bodies.

Predicts – Caleb Plant by KO/TKOLiam Smith Replacement Confirmed As Josh Kelly Set To Remain On Joshua-Dubois Undercard

In the co-main event of the evening, 41-year-old Erislandy Lara (30-3-3) seeks to make a second defence of his WBA middleweight title against Danny Garcia (37-3) – in what is sure to be one of the highest combined age world title fights (77) this side of the 21st century. Lara was upgraded from Regular champion to full titleholder last year but proved himself worthy of the mantle with a second-round stoppage against Australian pantomime villain Michael Zerafa in March.

Meanwhile, former WBC super-lightweight and welterweight champion Garcia has fought just once since his 2020 defeat to Errol Spence Jr and will be fighting up at middleweight for the first time in what has to be deemed as a questionable world title opportunity. Nevertheless, the contest is still expected to be a closely-fought affair and if Garcia can make it past the opening six rounds we could see him spring an upset, but that is easier said than done.

Garcia did the full twelve rounds on his most recent outing against Jose Benavidez Jr. whilst Lara has won just one of his last three bouts to have gone the distance and has fought less rounds (11) since 2020 than the inactive Garcia (12), regardless of the fact that he has fought on three occasions to the challenger’s one.

Predicts – Danny Garcia by Decision

Finally, in the tenth contest of the evening, Canelo (61-2-2) and Berlanga (22-0) will take centre stage – each hopeful of securing a stoppage that will get the world talking. Alvarez has gone the distance for five consecutive bouts for the first time in his career after a dominant display against Jaime Munguia but his newfound tendency to go the distance has cost him his position as the pound-for-pound number one, as well as a sizeable portion of his pay-per-view draw.

Whilst Berlanga is yet to be defeated, he has been dropped in the past and he is likely to attempt to try and take the fight to Alvarez, given his phenomenal record of 16 successive knockouts from his debut onwards. Although that impressive run came to an end in 2021 and a string of unconvincing displays followed, his latest performance against Padraig McCrory may well have been his strongest to date and ‘The Chosen One’ is likely to be full of confidence, particularly against a supposedly declining Alvarez, who has not been in a fire fight for a number of years.

With both men predicting knockouts, the fabled chin of Canelo is likely to provide a further stumbling block for Berlanga and the challenger’s inexperience in the championship rounds, which he has only partaken in once, likely mean that Canelo will attempt to negate the early attacks of Berlanga before pressing his own accelerator in the latter stages.

Predicts – Canelo Alvarez by KO/TKO Rounds 7-12How To Watch

Canelo-Berlanga will take place on Saturday 14th September at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be available to purchase and watch live on Amazon Prime Video PPV or DAZN PPV.Full Card / Running OrderYoenli Hernandez (4-0) vs. Jose Sanchez Charles (21-5-1) – MiddleweightBek Nurmaganbet (11-0) vs. Joshua Conley (17-6-1) – Super-MiddleweightLawrence King (16-1) vs. Vaughn Williams (12-1) – Light-HeavyweightJonathan Lopez (16-0) vs. Richard Medina (15-2) – Super-FeatherweightRoiman Villa (26-2) vs. Ricardo Salas Rodriguez (19-2-2) – WelterweightStephen Fulton (21-1) vs. Carlos Castro (30-2) – FeatherweightRolando Romero (15-2) vs. Manuel Jaimes (16-1-1) – Super-LightweightCaleb Plant (22-2) vs. Trevor McCumby (28-0) – Super-MiddleweightErislandy Lara (30-3-3) vs. Danny Garcia (37-3) – WBA Middleweight TitleSaul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (61-2-2) vs. Edgar Berlanga (22-0) – WBC, WBO & WBA Super-Middleweight Titles

#CaneloAlvarez #EdgarBerlanga #CalebPlant #TrevorMcCumby #ErislandyLara #DannyGarcia #RolandoRomero #ManuelJaimes #Boxing #TMobileArena #DAZNPPV #AmazonPrimePPV #BoxingNight #SuperMiddleweight #BoxingFans #FightNight

Three-division world champion Shakur Stevenson was poised to make a second defence of WBC lightweight title against Wales’ Joe Cordina next month in an eyebrow-raising affair, but an injury has forced the American to withdraw. Now Stevenson has spoken out and revealed further details.

Stevenson was expected to take on William Zepeda, who is ranked as the number one contender with all four sanctioning bodies, before the end of the year until the Mexican asked for more time to prepare, only to then agree to a fight against an alternate opponent instead – much to the disappointed of Eddie Hearn, promoter of Stevenson.

The undefeated Newark sensation opted to make an additional defence of his strap whilst waiting for Zepeda and it was announced that he would give the opportunity to two-time IBF super-featherweight champion Joe Cordina, who would be coming in off of the back of a first career loss.

However, last night it was confirmed that the contest would no longer be going ahead due to a knuckle injury sustained by the champion and Hearn told Matchroom Boxing that he expects his new signing to make a ring return in early 2025, which is likely to be against Zepeda.

“He sent a pic of his hand last night after a session of sparring I believe; he has torn a tendon in his knuckle and has had to have immediate surgery. So unfortunately, he is out of the Joe Cordina fight on October 12thand won’t return until early 2025. As I said he has gone straight into surgery, so we are hoping for a good job in there and then back to work as soon as possible. He is very disappointed, obviously he was looking forward to fighting at Riyadh Season but obviously he had to get this done to continue fighting.”

On social media, Shakur Stevenson declared that 2025 will be his greatest year yet as the 2016 Rio silver medallist targets unification showdowns in the lightweight division, confirming the success of his emergency surgery.Liam Smith Replacement Confirmed As Josh Kelly Set To Remain On Joshua-Dubois Undercard

“God works in mysterious ways. Through the ups and downs, I’m steady, hungry and motivated more than ever. 2025 is going to be my best year yet. Surgery went great, it’s a minor setback for a major comeback. #ChasingGreatness.”

As for Cordina, it remains unclear whether he will remain on the Riyadh Season card, as he hopes to bounce back from his May defeat to Anthony Cacace. Speaking with iFL TV, Hearn admitted that the decision has not yet been decided.

“I don’t know, to be honest with you, it is all quite fresh. So, we will have to see.”

The remainder of the Beterbiev-Bivol card will take place on October 12 as the undisputed light-heavyweight title for the first time since the dawn of the four-belt era, whilst the likes of Jai Opetaia, Chris Eubank Jr. and a rematch between Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke appear on the stacked undercard.

#ShakurStevenson #StevensonVsCordina #BoxingInjury #WBCChampion #JoeCordina #EddieHearn #LightweightChampion #ChasingGreatness #RiyadhSeason #WilliamZepeda #Boxing2025 #StevensonComeback #StevensonInjury #KnuckleSurgery #BoxingNews

After being surrounded by seemingly endless controversy since the beginning of the year, Ryan Garcia appears to have mapped out his return to the world of boxing, targeting one fellow pound-for-pound contender ahead of his comeback.

Ryan Garcia suffered a damning defeat to Gervonta Davis back in 2023 but was able to bounce back with a stoppage victory over Oscar Duarte last December after ditching trainer Joe Goossen in favour of a move to work under Derrick James.

Following that victory, Garcia moved on to another blockbuster pay-per-view clash, squaring off against Devin Haney in what was originally a bid for the undefeated champion’s WBC super-lightweight title, until Garcia missed weight by four pounds and forwent the title opportunity. Still, the pair proceeded with the show and Garcia put together a career-best display to drop ‘The Dream’ on three occasions and pick up a majority-decision victory in one of the performances of the year.

However, shortly afterwards it was revealed that Garcia had failed a drugs test on both the day of the weigh-in and the day of the fight, which eventually resulted in his win being declared as a no contest and ‘King Ry’ being handed a one-year ban from the sport.

Still, in spite of the ban, Garcia has been vocal in his callouts of many opponents but has maintained that he will be unable to make the super-lightweight limit in the future.

In his latest social media request, the Californian called for a showdown with WBO super-lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez, who has also been rumoured to be eyeing a move up to the welterweight division in the past.Ryan Garcia vs Teofimo Lopez

For my return in April

Let’s make it happen teo

— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) September 12, 2024Carl Froch Predicts Joshua-Dubois And Reveals The Undercard Fighter That Has Caught His Eye

“Ryan Garcia vs Teofimo Lopez. For my return in April. Let’s make it happen Teo.”

Lopez is coming off of the back of disappointing points wins over Jamaine Ortiz and Steve Claggett but has the unteachable tendency of being able to step up to the occasion when tasked against the bigger names in the sport – notably defeating both Vasyl Lomachenko and Josh Taylor in the past.

When asked of his thoughts ahead of a potential scrap with Garcia earlier this summer, ‘The Takeover’ refused to rule out the proposed fight for the future and admitted his belief that he and the controversial 26-year-old would make for a ‘great fight’, Lopez told ‘Compas On The Beat’.

“Absolutely [I would take that fight in the future]. Ryan is just Ryan, he likes to do what he likes to do and he likes to talk. He likes to rile up the media, however the guy is very nice and polite in person. So, he is just who he is and I think that is what makes him ‘King Ry’. Overall, I wish him nothing but the best, to him and his family, to his mother. I think that, if that comes around, we will make a great fight.”

As mentioned by Garcia, it is expected that he will return in late April 2025 due to the fact that his one-year ban was backdated to his April 20th fight date against Haney. Meanwhile, Teofimo Lopez’s move to welterweight could be imminent, with each of the three other champions at 140lbs looking elsewhere, much to his frustration.

#RyanGarcia #GarciaVsLopez #TeofimoLopez #Boxing2025 #KingRy #BoxingComeback #RyanGarciaReturn #TeofimoVsGarcia #SuperLightweight #WelterweightBoxing #GarciaTeo #BoxingShowdown #GarciaVsLopez2025 #BoxingRumors #BoxingFans

We are now just over one week away from Anthony Joshua’s bid to become boxing’s fifth three-time heavyweight world champion, as the longstanding poster boy of British boxing seeks to end the reign of Daniel Dubois at the first attempt. Here, we at preview next weekend’s action and take a look at the additional fights on offer.

The staging of the Wembley version of Riyadh Season represents the first foray into the U.K. market for newfound catalyst of boxing Turki Al-Alshikh, but that is not to say that the Saudi kingpin is unaware of the domestic talent on offer in Old Blighty. In fact, one of Al-Alshikh’s favourite fighters is Portsmouth’s undefeated lightweight contender Mark Chamberlain (16-0), so it is no surprise that he will open the card and fight on a third consecutive Al-Alshikh show.

Ranked as the number eight world contender with the WBO after his successes in Riyadh, Chamberlain is now being linked with a shot at WBO world champion Denys Berinchyk in a move that will truly show the benefit of having close ties with Al-Alshikh and cap off a meteoric rise for the 25-year-old southpaw. Yet, to earn that opportunity, Chamberlain will likely need another impressive display against Doncaster’s Josh Padley (14-0).

A showdown at Wembley Stadium is a monumental step up for Padley, whose last two fights have taken place in Malta and then at the banqueting suite at Elland Road, so it would have to be considered as a major shock if the Yorkshireman manages to spring the upset against a supposed world title contender, although stranger things have happened.

Predicts; Mark Chamberlain by KO/TKO

Another man to shine on a recent Al-Alshikh card was Scottish light-heavyweight Willy Hutchinson (18-1), who triumphed over Craig Richards as the underdog on June’s ‘five versus five’ card. That victory has thrust Hutchinson up amongst the top British contenders in a stacked domestic division, putting his brutal 2021 stoppage defeat to Lennox Clarke behind him and beginning to deliver on that amateur pedigree that was lauded during the early stages of his career.

However, Hutchinson will be tasked with a man who is considered by many to be Britain’s greatest hope in the light-heavyweight scene, Rio 2016 bronze medallist turned undefeated British champion, Joshua Buatsi (18-0) – who dominated against Dan Azeez in his lone appearance during 2024 thus far.

Buatsi has been patient in picking a time to push on for world honours but at 31-years-old, the time seems right to press the accelerator in his career and another strong display against Hutchinson could give him the confidence to accept the challenge for the belts.

The WBO interim light-heavyweight title will be up for grabs in this contest and the victor will be well poised for a potentially vacant title shot, given the upcoming undisputed title showdown between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol that will likely lead to fragmented world titles.

The allure of the belt or a potential scrap with the winner of Beterbiev-Bivol, added to the ongoing pre-fight drama between the Buasti and Hutchinson, makes the contest an intriguing and tense one and it really could go either way.

Predicts; Joshua Buatsi by Decision

Anthony Cacace’s (22-1) win over Joe Cordina on the Fury-Usyk undercard rocked the 130lb division back in May as he managed to hand the Welshman the first defeat of his career and claim the IBF super-featherweight title.

Cacace has not lined up an easy dance partner for his return to the United Kingdom – far from it. Instead, he will take on two-time featherweight champion Josh Warrington (31-3-1), a man famed for his rough and relentless style who steps up in weight after he came close to defeating Leigh Wood for the WBA featherweight title last October.

Coming off of the back of two defeats and moving up to super-featherweight, there is a sense of last chance saloon in this contest for ‘The Leeds Warrior’ but the 33-year-old has that unteachable knack of turning up at his best when he is needed to and the clash of styles between he and Cacace is sure to culminate in an enthralling back-and-forth encounter.

Predicts; Josh Warrington by Decision

A lot has been made of Hamzah Sheeraz’s (20-0) potential over the last twelve months and the 25-year-old middleweight has both the confidence and hype to emerge as a superstar in the near future.

His 6’3” frame has seen complimentary comparisons to the likes of Thomas Hearns and Sheeraz’s ability to not only use his stature to his advantage but also be willing to fight in a phonebooth makes him an exciting watch each time he takes to the ring, whilst a run of fourteen consecutive knockout wins shows that Frank Warren’s man has the power to cause problems for any middleweight on the planet.

Yet, Sheeraz is not the only man going into this bout with a heap of momentum behind them. Since losing out to Linus Udofia in 2019, Tyler Denny (19-2-3) has blossomed from a two-time unsuccessful English title challenger into a European champion with wins over the likes of Felix Cash, Brad Pauls and Brad Rea.Liam Smith Replacement Confirmed As Josh Kelly Set To Remain On Joshua-Dubois Undercard

The 33-year-old has been overlooked continuously throughout his career but those expecting a Sheeraz showcase and writing Denny off should do so at their own peril. The never-say-die nature that is typical of so many competitors from the Midlands is not an attribute lost on the game Tyler Denny, who will likely give Sheeraz his toughest test to date.

Denny is capable of throwing a spanner into the works and will be a hard opponent to look good against, which Sheeraz will be desperate to do amid rumours of a possible meeting with Chris Eubank Jr. in the future. If Sheeraz is able to run through Denny as some expect him to, it is even more of a statement win than many would deem it and would signal that he is ready for Eubank Jr. or a world title opportunity.

Predicts; Hamzah Sheeraz by Decision

Former WBO super-welterweight champion Liam Smith (33-4-1) is another man eyeing up middleweight glory in a wide-open division, fresh from a disappointing stoppage defeat in his rematch with Eubank Jr.

On that occasion, it is safe to say that viewers did not witness to best version of ‘Beefy’, who was since spoken out and admitted that he made mistakes in the build-up and was not truly fit to fight, but still the ghosts of that performance will need to be forgotten if the Liverpudlian is to succeed here.

With no excuses for a similar showing, Smith has been matched up with the ever-confident Josh Kelly (15-1-1), a slick, hard to pin down operator that is hoping to advance to the world stage. In a crossroads battle, Smith will need to slow down the movement of his younger dance partner but the blueprint has been laid out by David Avanesyan in the past, after the Armenian battered Kelly from pillar to post in a 2021 knockout win.

Kelly has taken to the super-welterweight division like a duck to water since moving up following the bruising defeat to Avanesyan and has since become British champion but here he moves up once again to 160lbs and it will be interesting to see whether he can cope with the timing and punch power of Smith.

Predicts; Josh Kelly by Decision

Finally, we will come to the main-event where Anthony Joshua (28-3) and Daniel Dubois (21-2) meet in a third all-British heavyweight title fight in as many years.

Dubois was heavily criticised for the manner of his stoppage defeats to both Joe Joyce and Oleksandr Usyk in the past, taking a knee on both occasions and accepting the losses, being labelled as a ‘quitter’ as a result.

Although, those decisions appear to have paid dividends as a stubborn Dubois has been birthed, scoring back-to-back emphatic knockout wins against both Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic since losing out to Usyk, the latter resulting him being crowned as the IBF heavyweight champion.

The partnership between Don Charles and ‘Triple D’ has made Dubois a formidable force and the punch power that has been evident from his days as an amateur mean any opponent must always air on the side caution when exchanging with the front-footed brute, especially one such as Joshua who has shown vulnerability in the past.

However, there has been no signs of vulnerability in the new version of Anthony Joshua since teaming up with Ben Davison, resulting in two devastating stoppage wins.

A resurgent ‘AJ’ has rediscovered his confidence and killer instinct since adding Davison to his team, picking his shots well and capitalizing when his opponents have been wounded.

A superb dismantling of Otto Wallin was followed up by a knockout of the year contender against Francis Ngannou that has convinced many that Joshua is back to his best but an in-form Dubois can be expected to meet him in the centre of the ring if the two-time champion wishes for a war.

One talking point that has been mentioned throughout the build-up is the ease at which Dubois was hit in the early rounds of his clash against Hrgovic this year, a mistake that will no doubt prove costly if Joshua is presented with the same openings.

Whether Joshua will fall back into his gun-shy style or trust himself and his body enough to fight through the fire and dish out punishment of his own remains to be seen and will likely determine the outcome.

Predicts; Anthony Joshua by KO/TKO Rounds 4-6How To Watch

The full Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois card will be available to watch/purchase via Sky Sports Box Office, DAZN PPV and TNT Sports Box Office for £19.99, with each broadcaster offering a different commentary team.Date And Time

The event will take place on Saturday September 21st at Wembley Stadium, London with the first fight expected to take place around 5pm BST and the main-event ring walks pencilled in for 10pm BST.Full CardMark Chamberlain (16-0) vs. Josh Padley (14-0) – LightweightJoshua Buatsi (18-0) vs. Willy Hutchinson (18-1) – WBO Light-Heavyweight Interim TitleAnthony Cacace (22-1) vs. Josh Warrington (31-3-1) – Super-FeatherweightTyler Denny (19-2-3) vs. Hamzah Sheeraz (20-0) – MiddleweightLiam Smith (33-4-1) vs. Josh Kelly (15-1-1) – MiddleweightDaniel Dubois (21-2) vs. Anthony Joshua (28-3) – IBF Heavyweight Title

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