Oleksandr Usyk, the unified heavyweight champion and one of boxing’s brightest stars, encountered an unexpected hurdle last night when Polish authorities detained him. The incident occurred as Usyk was attempting to board a flight to Valencia, Spain, where he is set to prepare for his highly anticipated rematch with Tyson Fury on December 21.

Usyk, who has achieved monumental success in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, was travelling with his trainer, Sergey Lapin. The duo had just completed an exhausting 14-hour journey from Kyiv, the capital of war-torn Ukraine. This grueling trip included a lengthy 557-mile (896 km) drive.

According to ESPN, the complication arose when an airline official deemed Usyk and his trainer unfit to travel. Despite Usyk’s explanations that their fatigue was due to the extensive travel rather than any impairment, a language barrier exacerbated the situation. Their insistence that they were capable of flying did not initially sway the officials, leading to Usyk's detention.

On social media, Usyk addressed the situation, expressing gratitude for the support he received and clarifying the misunderstanding. “A misunderstanding took place,” Usyk said. “It was quickly resolved. Thanks to all who got concerned. Thanks to Ukrainian diplomats for the efficient support. And respect to Polish Police for conducting their obligations with no regards to height, weight, reach, and regalia.”

The incident has been swiftly resolved, and Usyk is expected to begin his training camp in Valencia shortly. His focus is now on preparing for the rematch against Fury, aiming to defend his undisputed heavyweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Despite the hiccup, Usyk remains a respected figure in boxing, not only for his in-ring achievements but also for his sportsmanship and dedication. As he gears up for one of the biggest fights of his career, fans and supporters continue to rally behind him, looking forward to what promises to be an electrifying clash with Fury.

#OleksandrUsyk #BoxingFans #FightFans #boxing #boxingnews #news

WBO super-lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez is set for a major 2025 as he gears up to either become a unified champion at 140lbs or progress to the welterweight division in the hopes of becoming a three-division title-holder. However, ‘The Takeover’ may proceed with a new man by his side.

Lopez has always trained under the guidance of his father, Teofimo Lopez Sr., and the duo were able to pull off one of the most impressive title fight upsets in recent memory when Lopez outpointed Vasyl Lomachenko to become the unified champion at a time when the Ukrainian appeared invincible.

The career of Lopez has been a rollercoaster one since, suffering a shock defeat of his own against George Kambosos Jr. before moving up to 140lbs and dethroning super-lightweight poster boy Josh Taylor, but underwhelming in two outings against Jamaine Ortiz and Steve Claggett since.

At 27-years-old, Lopez still has plenty of time to improve his consistency and his skills will surely develop even further with added experience, but his next step could be a career defining one. A similar performance to his latest outings in a super-lightweight title unification or welterweight title challenge would likely see Lopez handed a second career loss, although his ability to turn up when motivated on the big stage is one that simply cannot be taught.

With potential there for all to see, Lopez has turned to one of the most lauded trainers in the game, telling iFL TV that he has been working with Canelo Alvarez’s team and most notably Eddy Reynoso, but maintaining that his father will remain by his side and in his corner regardless of whether the move to Reynoso is made permanent.

“My father and Reynoso are talking together, and I think that is the best part. I don’t move nowhere without my father and my father has definitely pushed this move for me to go to Canelo’s camp. My father was there, and it has been great, so let’s see what happens.Heavyweight Who Dropped Daniel Dubois Three Times Breaks Down Anthony Joshua Clash

“It is beautiful [working in Reynoso’s camp] because it is two great fighters, myself and Canelo. We talk, we exchange knowledge and things that he has learnt, things that I have learned and we go back and forth on it. I think that the best thing that I learned about it is that I am just warming up.

“It’s not just ego’s or pride getting involved, it is just two guys wanting to one-up the other and trying to learn from each other. Whether you want to say that that is the Latin community coming together, it is big and I am grateful Canelo accepted me to go to the camp and has done many times before.”

Lopez continues to hint at a move to 147lbs but should he remain at super-lightweight, it is likely that he would be forced to make a mandatory defence of his WBO crown against either Jose Carlos Ramirez or Arnold Barboza Jr. before unifications could become possible.

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Shocking footage has surfaced showing Oleksandr Usyk, the Ukrainian heavyweight champion, being detained by authorities at Krakow Airport. The video captures Usyk being led away by uniformed officers with his hands behind his back, sparking immediate concern and confusion among fans and the boxing community.

The circumstances surrounding Usyk's detention initially remained unclear, prompting speculation. However, those close to the fighter were quick to reassure fans. Usyk's wife, Kateryna, took to social media to calm the situation, stating, "Everything is fine, everything is fine. Oleksandr will explain everything later. Nothing criminal, goodnight everyone." His coach and friend, Serge Lapin, also commented, suggesting the incident was due to a customs issue: "Don't worry, everything's fine. The customs control service is neglecting its duties."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also intervened, expressing his frustration with the situation. "I was outraged by this attitude towards our citizen and champion," Zelenskyy said in a statement. He further instructed Ukrainian ministers to investigate the incident. Following their inquiries, it was confirmed that Usyk had been released and that there was no ongoing detainment.

Shortly after the incident, Usyk himself issued a statement to clear the air, saying, “All is well, my friends. There was a misunderstanding that was quickly resolved. Thank you to everyone who was worried. Thank you Ukrainian diplomats for your support. And respect to Polish law enforcers, who perform their duties despite height, weight, arm range, and regalia.”

Usyk was en route to London to attend the highly anticipated fight between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium. The event is expected to draw over 90,000 fans, with Joshua aiming to become a three-time world champion as he faces Dubois for the IBF heavyweight world title.

Dubois was recently upgraded to the full IBF champion after Usyk vacated his title to facilitate this matchup. Usyk has previously defeated both Joshua and Dubois and is now focused on his upcoming rematch with Tyson Fury, scheduled for December 21 in Riyadh. Usyk claimed victory over Fury on May 24 in Saudi Arabia and aims to repeat that success this winter.

Speaking about his rematch with Fury, Usyk said, "From the last fight with Tyson Fury, I learned a lot about him, a lot of the things that I saw in the fight I didn't see on TV with all the fights that I saw of Tyson Fury. So we will prepare even better, and God willing, with God's victory, we will show our best shape again. I have incredible motivation."

Despite the brief scare at Krakow Airport, Usyk has now moved past the incident and is focusing on his training and the next phase of his career.

#OleksandrUysk #boxing #boxingfans #boxingnews #news #boxingdrama #arrest #arrested

As the clock ticks down towards one of the cards of the year, news that Josh Warrington’s scrap with Anthony Cacace will not be for the world title has dampened excitement for what could well have been the fight of the night. Now, the Yorkshireman has spoken out regarding the IBF’s decision and has admitted his disappointment.

Warrington has twice held the IBF world title in the featherweight division but has registered just one victory in his last five fights. As a result, news that ‘The Leeds Warrior’ would move up a weight division and be granted an instant world title shot at Anthony Cacace’s super-featherweight crown did raise eyebrows.

In an interview with , Warrington explained that even he was surprised by the fight offer, after being told that the IBF would not sanction the bout as a world title affair just three weeks before agreeing to the supposed title contest.

“The initial week [that I was spoken to] I got offered to fight for the IBF world title and the IBO against Anthony Cacace. I was a little bit surprised at first because the fight was spoken about around three weeks prior to that but initially it got squashed because I’ve not had a fight at super-featherweight, and I am not in the super-featherweight rankings with the IBF. I was surprised that they were allowing me to fight for it because a few weeks prior the fight had been negotiated and they said ‘no, Josh can’t fight for it [the title].”

However, the opportunity has indeed proved too good to be true and it has now been confirmed that the IBF world title will not be on the line for Warrington. Yet, had Warrington been aware of this decision earlier, he could have debuted in the division and banked a win during the interim to improve his chances of eligibility, with the timing of the IBF’s refusal proving to be the most aggravating part of the fight week drama for the 33-year-old.

“The IBF have obviously pulled the rug and said ‘no, he can’t fight for it’. Am I disappointed? Yes, I am, especially when that is one of the main marbles. I am not taking no smoke away from the IBO but the IBF is one of the main four. I may have dipped for a few hours but now if anything I am even more determined to win.”Carl Froch Predicts Joshua-Dubois And Reveals The Undercard Fighter That Has Caught His Eye

“The IBF are a good group with the weight checks and that, but exceptions are made everywhere throughout the sport, and I feel like the size of the show [should have made this fight one].”

“It is annoying that they couldn’t sort all of this out prior, so that with twelve weeks to go we know what we are dealing with. We started juggling training around to make plans to fight abroad and get this ‘tick over’ fight done with or whatever rules it was that we needed to comply with.”

As stated, the IBO world title will still be on the line for both men, meaning that Warrington can still become a two-division world champion on Saturday night. Meanwhile, Anthony Cacace will still lose the IBF world title if he is trumped by the supposed challenger, with Eduardo Nunez and Masanori Rikishi the men poised to meet for the belt if it were to become vacant.

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Newfound Saudi boxing catalyst Turki Al-Alshikh has staged a plethora of high-profile cards since his plunge into the world of boxing last year and this weekend’s showdown between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois is right up there amongst the most intriguing cards. Now, despite the event being just days away, a further three fights have been confirmed for the fight week.

Al-Alshikh’s first run of boxing cards took place in Riyadh, as the sports’ latest kingpin successfully attempted to promote his country to the rest of the world and display the beauty and brilliance of Saudi Arabia. However, Al-Alshikh has now begun to branch out and stage events in other countries, with the impressive Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov show in Los Angeles kickstarting a new stage in the Al-Alshikh boxing takeover.

For that fight week, Al-Alshikh also introduced a new concept that saw an additional fight card take place during the build-up to the main show, as three fights took place on the iconic Santa Monica Pier in California following Madrimov and Crawford’s open workouts on the Wednesday.

Here, Marc Castro extended his undefeated streak to 13 contests with a technical-decision victory over George Acosta, whilst Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist Shakhram Giyasov edged a split-decision to improve to 16-0 and 20-year-old Nathan Lugo scored a second consecutive knockout win.

Now it has been formally announced that the Joshua-Dubois fight event will follow a similar pattern and that three additional fights will take place once Joshua and Dubois have completed their public workouts.🥊 Announced: A separate three-fight Riyadh Season Card will take place after the Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois public workout tomorrow at Wembley Arena – Cameron Vuong vs Joe Underwood Hughes, Chris Kongo vs Jacob Quinn & Aadam Hamed vs Santiago Garces.

— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) September 17, 2024

“Announced: A separate three-fight Riyadh Season Card will take place after the Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois public workout tomorrow at Wembley Arena – Cameron Vuong vs. Joe Underwood Hughes, Chris Kongo vs. Jacob Quinn & Aadam Hamed vs. Santiago Garces.”Carl Froch Predicts Joshua-Dubois And Reveals The Undercard Fighter That Has Caught His Eye

This will be Chris Kongo’s (15-2) second outing of 2024 as he aims to maintain activity after a career-best win against Florian Marku on Easter Sunday, appearing against Huddersfield’s Jacob Quinn (8-4-1) in a welterweight affair.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Cameron Vuong (5-0) has impressed in his five professional bouts to date and he will look to build on a solid display against Jeff Ofori. He takes on Joe Underwood Hughes (8-3) in a lightweight contest that was originally scheduled to take place on the ever-changing Dalton Smith vs. Jon Fernandez bill (that is now headlined by Rhiannon Dixon vs. Terri Harper) in Sheffield on September 28th.

Finally, the son of legendary featherweight Prince Naseem Hamed, Aadam Hamed (2-0), will fight for a third time against durable 22year-old Colombian Santiago Garces (4-32-5) – who is winless in his last 34 scraps but has only been stopped on three occasions prior.

Those three fights will take place on September 18th at Wembley Arena following the consummation of the public workouts for fighters who appear on the main card, which are scheduled to begin at 5pm and will be available to watch live on the DAZN Boxing YouTube channel.

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Rightly or wrongly, Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson is well-poised to be one of the biggest events of 2024 as fans hope to see shades of the ‘Iron’ Mike of old and a competitive contest between the 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer and the 58-year-old two-time heavyweight champion. However, even those fight fans who scorn at the idea of bringing Tyson back to professional boxing could be tempted to tune in, following yesterday’s announcement of an impressive undercard.

Paul-Tyson has been disapproved by the masses and Tyson’s withdrawal from the bout that was originally scheduled for July was met with relief. Although, it was later revealed that the once ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ would instead fight Paul later in the year, once Tyson had recovered from a stomach ulcer flare-up and was able to properly prepare.

Meanwhile. Paul went ahead with the proposed fight date and faced off with former UFC star Mike Perry – scoring a sixth-round knockout.

Next, Paul will finally take on Tyson in a third outing of the year, whilst Tyson is yet to fight professionally for the first time since a stoppage defeat to Kevin McBride in 2005. As the fight date edges closer, Paul’s promotional outfit ‘Most Valuable Promotions’ have officially revealed the remainder of the main card on their social media.WORLDWIDE ON NETFLIX

Live and free for all 270 million Netflix subscribers (over 550 million homes) globally – from AT&T Stadium, Texas

🥊 Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson 🥊 Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano 🥊 Mario Barrios vs Abel Ramos 🥊 Neeraj Goyat vs Whindersson Nunes… pic.twitter.com/oVwGNS3G3W

— Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) September 17, 2024

“WORLDWIDE ON NETFLIXJosh Warrington To Miss Out On World Title Regardless Of Anthony Cacace Fight Outcome

Live and free for all 270 million Netflix subscribers (over 55 million homes) globally – from AT&T Stadium, TexasJake Paul vs Mike TysonKatie Taylor vs Amanda SerranoMario Barrios vs Abel RamosNeeraj Goyat vs Whindersson Nunes”

India’s Neeraj Goyat (18-4-2) had previously been linked to a showdown with Paul himself after the pair had an altercation earlier this year, only for Gorat to eventually sign with Most Valuable Promotions. This will be Goyat’s first bout since signing with Paul’s promotion and he will take on Brazilian YouTuber and professional boxing debutant Whindersson Nunes, who fought on the undercard of Tommy Fury’s Misfits victory over KSI last October, losing out to My Mate Nate.

Yet, the highlight of the bill for the boxing purists has got to be the rematch between Katie Taylor (23-1) and Amanda Serrano (47-2-1), as they battle it out in a record-breaking encounter for the coveted undisputed super-lightweight title, two-and-a-half years after their legendary meeting at Madison Square Garden.

Additionally, Texas’ own Mario Barrios (29-2) will attempt to make a first defence of his WBC welterweight title in front of a hometown crowd as he meets unlikely challenger Abel Ramos (28-6-2), who is presented with a maiden world title opportunity despite losing in three of his last five fights.

As stated by Most Valuable Promotions, the event will take place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on November 15th, with the full card being available to watch for free live on Netflix as Mike Tyson makes boxing history and Paul seeks to worsen the professional record of one of the sports’ highest profile figures of all-time.

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Daniel Dubois has proved doubters of old wrong by showing tremendous grit to fight through the fire and defeat both Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic within the last twelve months. However, there is one man who proved to be an even harder-fought win for ‘Triple D’ and he has now offered his prediction for Dubois’ showdown with Anthony Joshua.

Dubois collided with Kevin Lerena on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s much-criticized trilogy fight against Derek Chisora back in December 2022, where Dubois was expected to make first defence of his WBA (Regular) heavyweight title with relative ease and score yet another early knockout win.

Whilst the official result of a third-round stoppage victory for the Brit would imply that all went to plan, those who witnessed the scrap will know that such a statement could not be further from the truth.

After purposefully taking a knee against Joe Joyce, Dubois unintentionally hit the canvas for the first time of his career in the opening round of his battle with the South-African, before taking a knee on two more occasions within the first three minutes, citing a knee injury as the reason but still managing to stay within the contest.

Showing the true spirit of a future champion and a glimpse of what was still to come, Dubois was able to recover in the second-round and dismantle Lerena in the third to score a much-needed victory in his most dramatic encounter, securing what turned out to be an unsuccessful shot at Oleksandr Usyk’s unified titles.

Speaking with , Kevin Lerena looked ahead to next weekend’s all-British heavyweight title affair but admitted that he could not pick a winner.

“It is a 50/50 fight.”Edgar Berlanga Insane Fight Night Weight Gain Reported Against Canelo Alvarez

“You have got two big punchers; it is the heavyweight division. A good chin in the heavyweight division is one that doesn’t get hit, both guys can’t afford to take each other’s power punches.”

“My only thing is, leading into this fight, I believe that Daniel has had better fight preparation in the sense of Jarrell Miller, then Hrgovic and also Usyk, whilst ‘AJ’ has had Usyk, Jermaine Franklin, [Robert Helenius,] Otto Wallin and Ngannou. I wouldn’t say that the opponents have been better but I believe that “the matching in Daniel Dubois’ corner has been better preparation [than Joshua’s].”

“I think that it could be a fight of two halves in the sense of both guys going down, both guys can punch, I have never

“The one thing I can say is that the one who wins this fight is the chin that doesn’t get chinned the most.”

Joshua-Dubois will take place at Wembley Stadium on September 21st, topping a blockbuster card that features a host of top-quality British talent.

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Two-time featherweight champion Josh Warrington thought he was stepping up in weight to challenge for Anthony Cacace’s IBF super-featherweight world title on the Joshua-Dubois undercard this Saturday night. However, the challenger will be unable to claim the Ulsterman’s title, even if he was to come out on top this weekend.

Warrington edged out a split-decision victory to dethrone Lee Selby at Elland Road back in 2018 and would go on to make impressive title defences against Carl Frampton and Kid Galahad to cap off a trio of high-octane domestic dustups. Instead, ‘The Leeds Warrior’ opted to vacate the belt after frustrations that a unification contest against WBA champion Xu Can would not be sanctioned, before suffering a shock knockout defeat to then-unknown Mexican Mauricio Lara.

After his rematch with Lara was cut short by a head clash, the Yorkshireman would return to the featherweight throne the following year, scoring a knockout win in a rematch with Spain’s Kiko Martinez, who had stopped Galahad a few months prior to claim the belt.

Yet, Warrington has lost in back-to-back title bouts since, first losing his world title to Luis Alberto Lopez before an unsuccessful challenge for Leigh Wood’s WBA strap last year.

After one win in five contests and moving up in weight, the announcement that Warrington would have a shot at Cacace’s 130lb world title was understandably met with raised eyebrows. Although, the fans have not been the only ones critiquing the proposed world title contest and the IBF have refused to approve Warrington as a challenger, The Daily Star reports.

“The Leeds Warrior – who has twice reigned as IBF featherweight champion – is stepping up a division to take on the Irishman next weekend at Wembley Stadium. But the IBF have so far refused to ratify Warrington as a challenger because he has not fought in the 9st 4lb division in over a decade and has never been ranked.

“The card – which is headlined by Daniel Dubois defending the IBF heavyweight title against Anthony Joshua – is being backed by Saudi-funded Riyadh Season. Those involved are still petitioning the IBF to sanction the bout as a first defence for Cacace, who beat Joe Cordina to claim the title in May.“Canelo Alvarez Names Next Target After Defeating Edgar Berlanga

It has now been confirmed that the IBF will not sanction the bout, as explained by Jake Donovan.

“IBF has offered clarity on Cacace Warrington. Bout is NON-TITLE fight, approved optional fight for Cacace in lieu of mandatory vs Nunez.

“Cacace will be stripped of title if he loses this weekend. With a win, he MUST face Nunez within 180 days. This is his one-time exception.”

Turki Al-Alshikh had been hoping that the IBF allow Warrington to challenge for the belt to maintain the strength of the Joshua-Dubois undercard, particularly after he was forced to find a replacement for Liam Smith in what many deemed to be the highlight of the bill aside from the main-event.

Joshua-Dubois takes place on Saturday night (21st September) at Wembley Stadium, London as ‘AJ’ aims to become the fifth three-time heavyweight champion of all-time, whilst a plethora of Great Britain’s greatest talents hope to steal the show on a stellar undercard at the record-breaking event.

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.

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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