MOSES ITAUMA AND FILIP HRGOVIC TO FIGHT FOR VACANT IBF TITLE, FRANK SANCHEZ PAID TO STEP ASIDE

Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic square up on June 22, 2026

Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic, set to collide on August 29 at London, England’s O2 Arena, will now be fighting for the vacant IBF heavyweight title.

No. 3-ranked Itauma, 14-0 (12 KOs), had been ordered by the sanctioning body to face leading IBF contender, Frank Sanchez, after the bout with Hrgovic had already been signed and announced. And with the Croatian rated fourth by the organization, it has been agreed that they can instead do battle for the belt on the condition that the winner meets Sanchez in their first defense.

“We paid [Sanchez] some money,” promoter Frank Warren told the BBC. “We said whoever wins the fight, you’re not losing out and you’ll get the opportunity to fight for the title against the winner.”

The 34-year-old Cuban, 26-1 (19 KOs), had achieved mandatory status with the IBF by knocking out Richard Torrez Jnr in two rounds in May.

Hrgovic, 20-1 (15 KOs), is riding a three-fight win streak – beating Joe Joyce, David Adeleye and Dave Allen – and is regarded as 21-year-old Itauma’s toughest test to date.

Presuming Itauma-Hrgovic isn’t a draw, it means that Warren’s Queensberry Promotions – who handle both Itauma and Hrgovic, as well as WBC boss Agit Kabayel and WBO beltholder Daniel Dubois – will promote three of the four heavyweight beltholders come the end of the month. The WBA titlist, Murat Gassiev, had previously been expected to face Itauma later in the year.

"A lot of people have high expectations of [Itauma] as I have, by the way," Warren said. "We signed him when he was 16. He was an amateur. We sponsored him, and he turned professional with us.

"And he's been amazing and sort of taken the world by storm.”

The influx of heavyweight beltholders can of course be explained by Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to relinquish his three titles in June. Though the 39-year-old is plotting one last fight – likely against Deontay Wilder – the Ukrainian’s days of fighting elite opposition are over, it seems.

Kabayel and Gassiev saw their statuses rise by virtue of Usyk’s decision to step down. Dubois defeated Fabio Wardley to claim his belt after Wardley was handed the championship when Usyk gave up the WBO title last year.

The winner of Itauma-Hrgovic will be the first to claim one of Usyk’s old belts in the ring.

- BoxingScene 

JARON 'BOOTS' ENNIS DROPS XANDER ZAYAS THREE TIMES BEFORE SEVENTH-ROUND STOPPAGE

 

Before a sold-out crowd of more than 16,000 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Top Rank, Matchroom Boxing, and Boots Promotions presented a stacked DAZN Pay-Per-View card headlined by Jaron “Boots” Ennis challenging WBA and WBO champion Xander Zayas. Ennis dropped Zayas three times before the champion’s corner threw in the towel in the seventh round.

Zayas (23-1, 13 KOs), of Puerto Rico, was making the first defense of his unified titles against former IBF welterweight champion Ennis (36-0, 31 KOs), of Philadelphia.

On his birthday, Ennis opened in the southpaw stance and wasted little time making an impression. Just over a minute into the first round, he landed a left hand on the chin that sent Zayas to the canvas for an eight-count from referee Harvey Dock. Ennis switched back to orthodox in the second round and continued landing clean right hands while Zayas tried to recover.

The third round produced Zayas’ best moment of the fight when he connected with a hard right hand that briefly forced Ennis to hold. It was one of the few rounds where Zayas had genuine success. By the fourth, Ennis had settled back into his rhythm, repeatedly finding the target with straight rights while both fighters exchanged late in the round.

A right uppercut midway through the fifth produced another knockdown. Zayas beat the count again but was clearly taking punishment, and Ennis continued landing hard right hands before the bell.

Zayas showed plenty of courage in the sixth, remaining competitive despite trailing badly. In the seventh, Ennis landed a left hand followed by a barrage of unanswered punches that dropped Zayas for the third time. Although Zayas got back to his feet again, his corner wisely threw in the towel to prevent further punishment.

Vargas Stops Mills

In the co-feature, Emiliano “El General” Vargas (18-0, 15 KOs) stopped Bryce Mills (22-2, 9 KOs) in the fourth round to retain his regional titles.

The opening two rounds were competitive. Vargas switched to southpaw at times and landed the cleaner shots, while Mills had his best moment late in the second when a right hand briefly stunned Vargas.

Vargas broke the fight open in the third, scoring the first knockdown with a right hook. In the fourth, he dropped Mills again with a lead left before another barrage sent Mills down a third time, forcing referee Ricky Gonzalez to stop the contest.

Tucker Wins Close Decision

Jahi Tucker (17-1-1, 7 KOs) earned a majority decision over 2020 Olympian Euri Cedeno (14-1-1, 12 KOs) to claim the vacant IBF North American, WBC USA, and WBO NABO middleweight titles.

The fight was closely contested throughout. Tucker started quickly, Cedeno rallied, and the middle rounds featured steady back-and-forth action. Cedeno used his reach well in the seventh and eighth before Tucker closed strongly over the final two rounds despite suffering a bloody nose and swelling under his left eye.

The scores were 95-95, 97-93, and 98-92.

Whittaker Impresses In U.S. Debut

Olympic silver medalist Ben Whittaker (12-0-1, 9 KOs) needed less than two rounds to stop Richard “Popeye the Sailor Man” Rivera (27-3, 20 KOs).

Making his U.S. debut, Whittaker dominated from the opening bell before dropping Rivera with a chopping right near the end of the first round. Early in the second, a left hook sent Rivera down again. Although Rivera beat the count, referee Michael Griffin took one look at him and decided he had seen enough, waving off the contest.

Thompson Escapes With Split Decision

Dennis “HFUP” Thompson (11-0, 6 KOs) won an eight-round split decision over Edwin Rodriguez (12-12-3, 5 KOs).

Thompson boxed well early, but Rodriguez refused to cooperate with the script, turning the fight into a rugged battle and looking far better than his record suggested. The final round was close, and the judges returned scores of 79-73, 77-75 for Thompson, and 77-75 for Rodriguez.

Juanmita Ends It Early

Juanma “Juanmita” Lopez (6-0, 4 KOs), the son of former two-division world champion Juan Manuel Lopez, needed just one round to knock out Alberto Motos (6-3).

Lopez controlled the action before a straight left landed flush on Motos’ chin. Motos went down and failed to beat the count as referee Ricky Gonzalez completed the knockout.

Williams Outpoints Baxter

Quincey Williams (8-0, 6 KOs) defeated Jerome “Thoroughbred” Baxter (8-3, 3 KOs) over eight rounds.

Williams controlled most of the fight with his jab and movement, while Baxter earned respect by continuing to press forward despite falling behind on the scorecards. All three judges scored the contest 79-73 in Williams’ favor.

Note: The night’s final officiating crew included ring announcer David Diamante—not referee David Diamante, who somehow found his way into the original report.

- Ken Hissner

THE 'REAL REASON' OLEKSANDR USYK VACATED HIS WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLES REVEALED

Ukrainian superstar Oleksandr Usyk shocked the boxing world on Friday afternoon when he announced that he would be vacating all of his world heavyweight championships with immediate effect.

The undefeated 39-year-old, who held the WBA 'super', WBC and IBF belts, took to social media to inform fans of his decision. Usyk was most recently seen in the ring last month, when he defeated Dutch kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven in controversial fashion.

Explaining why he had decided to give up his gold, Usyk spoke of his desire to give opportunities to other fighters in the division. He also confirmed that he would have at least one more fight, referring to the next stage of his career as "my last dance".

"I want to vacate all the belts that I currently hold to make them available for the guys next in line to fight for them," he stated. "Friends, I'm leaving the belts, but not the sport because I still have my last dance."

The Motivation Behind Usyk's Decision to Ditch His Gold Has Been Explained

While Usyk's intentions may appear noble, Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn, who has promoted several of the legendary fighter's bouts, has shared the 'real reason' behind the decision.

In an interview with Seconds Out in the wake of the announcement, Hearn suggested that Usyk parting company with his gold was motivated by his desire to have more control over his own schedule.

Breaking down the demands on Usyk as a unified champion, Hearn stated:

"When you're the unified champion and you haven't faced one mandatory [challenger], it's a little bit easier to vacate all the belts than to answer the questions. He [Usyk] is probably in a position where he is like: 'I've done so much in the sport, I don't want to be told who I've got to fight! I want to fight when I want to fight!'"

Usyk's surprising announcement comes just days before a deadline by which he needed to agree a deal to fight the WBC's top-ranked contender, Agit Kabayel. As a result, that fight is now almost certain never to happen, with the unbeaten German likely to be promoted to full champion by the governing body shortly.

Oleksandr Usyk Wins His Final Fight 'Comfortably'

Hearn then went on to reveal the fight that he would advise Usyk to take in what will seemingly be his farewell bout.

"If he's gonna rematch Rico [Verhoeven], which if I was managing Usyk, I would be telling him to do, that's his last fight anyway.

"Why would he fight Kabayel and defend the titles? It's a very tough fight. I think financially you can make more money fighting Rico. There's a bit of controversy there. A few unanswered questions.

"I think he wins very comfortably in the second fight. They could do something special in Amsterdam, which would be iconic. He's done, isn't he? This is him saying: 'One more and thank you boxing'."

Usyk has yet to make any announcement regarding who he may face in his final bout, but it's easy to see why settling the score with Rico may appeal to him before he finally calls time on his legendary career.

- Nick Sutherland

OLEKSANDR USYK BEATS RICO VERHOEVEN THANKS TO CONTROVERSIAL REFEREE STOPPAGE

The referee did not think Verhoeven was saved by the bell.

The referee steps in to stop the Oleksandr Usyk-Rico Verhoeven fight in Egypt. | Photo by Mohamed Hossam/Getty Images

Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven faced off on Saturday in Egypt in front of the pyramids of Giza. Usyk, the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight champion, took on Verhoeven, a kickboxer by trade, in a match that was pure spectacle and the result confirmed it.

While Verhoeven was only taking part in his second career boxing match against Usyk, who came into the bout a perfect 24-0 in his career, the result was very much up in the air as the fighters headed into the later rounds. Or at least that's why many people had observed before a controversial stoppage ended the fight after 11 rounds. And then the scorecards only raised more questions.

First, let's take a look at the final moments of the fight when referee Mark Lyson waved off the fight after the bell. As you can see, Usyk was hitting Verhoeven as the bell rang and kept going and that's when the referee stepped in. The official result goes down as a TKO with one second left in the 11th round.

pic.twitter.com/qMmm6K0gp5

— Combat Casuals (@Clips4Casuals) May 23, 2026

What made the stoppage look even worse was the fact that Verhoeven was very much in the fight on the official scorecards. Two judges had the fight even and Verhoeven was up on the third card. Usyk was approximately three minutes away taking the first blemish on his boxing record by way of a decision loss or maybe a draw.

Here are the scorecards for Usyk x Rico after 10 rounds.

Two judges had it even, one had Rico up a round. pic.twitter.com/1bJFlFFaBT

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 23, 2026

Who knows what would have happened if the referee hadn't stepped in.

Verhoeven came into this fight with one boxing match on his résumé which took place back in 2014. The silver lining for Verhoeven here, besides holding his own against the heavyweight champion, is that he couldn't have won any of Usyk's belts anyway. So now he's 66-10 as a kickboxing champion and he's made a name for himself as a boxer.

Francis Ngannou Reacts

Francis Ngannou, who is coming off a first round knock out victory on last weekend's Ronda Rousey-Gina Carano card, commiserated with Verhoeven on social media saying, "Outsiders will never win, trust me I know, but Rico was the winner tonight. Period."

Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, had boxing matches against Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury over the last few years. While he was knocked out by Joshua, he went the distance with Fury, who was the WBC champion at the time and lost by split decision. After beating Ngannou, Fury went on to lose back-to-back fights to Usyk. Those were the first and second losses of Fury's career.

Usyk and Verhoeven Ring Walk

While the fight had a controversial finish, that shouldn't take away from how cool a scene it was in Egypt on Saturday in front of one of the Seven Wonders of the World. They made sure to use the pyramids in their ring walks and it was undeinably awesome-looking

.A number of boxers including Canelo Álvarez, Terrence Crawford, Anthony Joshua, Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney were all in attendance for the fight. As was Jason Statham and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. You really might see a celebrity anywhere this weekend.

- Stephen Douglas

DANIEL DUBOIS BECOMES WBO HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION DEFEARING FABIO WARDLEY BY 11TH ROUND KNOCKOUT

 

Credit: Richard Sellers/PA Wire

Daniel Dubois is now a two-time heavyweight world champion.

The 28 year old from Greenwich survived two knockdowns, the first after just 10 seconds, to beat Fabio Wardley in the 11th round of a thrilling fight in Manchester. Dubois now holds the WBO version of the heavyweight title.

The professional boxer weathered the early onslaught and started to land some punishing shots of his own, leaving Wardley’s face bloodied and battered.

The referee ended the match at the start of the penultimate round.

Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois during their WBO heavyweight title bout at Co-op Live, Manchester.
Credit: Richard Sellers/PA Wire

Dubois claims he called on his "warrior spirit" in the ring. He said:

“I had to get back up, bounce it off and come back harder. I’m a warrior.

“I had to pull it out the bag and rely on (the jab) and use all of my skills. What a great fight, what a great battle. But, I’m number one again.”

Dubois added, “I want to grow from this fight, improve and come back even better and go on a reign as champion again.”

The world champion halted Wardley’s fairytale run from white-collar boxer to WBO title holder, and quietened critics who have questioned his spirit.

Fabio Wardley lost out on his hopes of winning the title last night.
Credit: Richard Sellers/PA Wire

He faced accusations of “quitting” when he lost to Joe Joyce in 2020 and this week Dubois walked out of two interviews as he looked to get back into the win column after losing his IBF title 11 months ago.

A second defeat to heavyweight kingpin Oleksandr Usyk at Wembley Stadium was followed by footage emerging of Dubois hosting a party at his house just hours before being taken out in the fifth round.

His trainer Don Charles, who Dubois fired and rehired since then, promised there would be no repeat of a pre-fight “gathering” after his charge was granted an immediate shot at winning another world title

- itv

EFE AJAGBA STOPS FORMER HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION CHARLES MARTIN IN FOURTH-ROUND IN STATEMENT VICTORY IN LAS VEGAS

Efe Ajagba beats fomer IBF heavyweight title holder Charles Martin in a fourth-round knockout win; Ajagba continues to consolidate his top 15 world heavyweight ranking; Martin suffers a fourth defeat in eight fights

Efe Ajagba cemented his status as a top contender in the heavyweight division

Efe Ajagba overpowered former world champion Charles Martin in a ruthless fourth-round stoppage win in Las Vegas.

The Nigerian (21-1-1, 15 KOs), who put on 15 pounds of muscle in his training camp, followed two early knockdowns with three vicious right hands, prompting referee Thomas Taylor to wave off the fight as Martin sagged against the ropes.

After a fairly evenly contested first round edged by Ajagba's hard hitting rights, it was former IBF title holder Martin who looked sharper in the second, landing multiple lefts as he displayed more speed than his bulked up opponent.

Former heavyweight champion Charles Martin suffered his fifth professional defeat

The third round, though, saw Ajagba start to take control when a vicious right hook sent Martin to the ground, following the knockdown with a flurry of punches which left Martin on the ropes.

A second knockdown in the fourth teed up Ajagba to finish Martin off and secure a statement victory that cements his status as a real contender for the world title.

Martin meanwhile, is dropping further and further out of the picture as he suffers a fourth loss in his last eight fights.

"I'm ready to fight anyone in the division," Ajagba said after the fight. "I'm ranked in the top 10, but no one is saying my name.

"I'm putting the heavyweight division on notice."

-  Noah Langford

TONY TUCKER | FORMER IBF HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION

Former IBF heavyweight champion Tony Tucker was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1958.

Tucker deserves to be remembered among the heavyweight division’s best – thanks, largely, to just two performances in 1987.

The first was his IBF title-winning effort against James "Buster" Douglas – who was in inspired form that night, as any rewatch will confirm. The second was his gallant 12-round points loss to Mike Tyson – the only time a peak, motivated and fully focused Tyson came remotely close to defeat.

“Close” may be overstating it, but the hefty left uppercut that wobbled Tyson in the opening round, and the persistent problems Tucker posed throughout, were certainly unfamiliar territory for the young champion. X-rays later revealed Tucker had fractured his right hand in four places – a brutal detail that only adds to the myth of what might have been.

Had Tucker not slipped into a haze of depression and drug abuse in the aftermath, he might have gone even further. He returned at the end of 1989, a shade slower and heavier, and notched wins over Mike Evans, Orlin Norris and Oliver McCall en route to a shot at newly crowned WBC champion Lennox Lewis.

Again, Tucker was a handful. His ring IQ and veteran savvy no doubt offered a valuable lesson for Lewis, but after 12 rounds, the result was clear.

A 1995 attempt at the vacant WBA title ended in defeat to Bruce Seldon, and Tucker’s decline was laid bare two years later in Norwich, where Herbie Hide thrashed an undeserving version of the former champion in a bout for the then lightly regarded WBO belt.

Incredibly the 21-year-old Tucker was supposed to be on a flight to Poland that crashed on March 14, 1980. All 87 people on board were killed, including 22 members of the U.S. boxing team. Tucker didn't go because of a shoulder injury.

#boxing #boxinghistory #boxingnewsandhistory #tonytucker #tnt

RICKY HUTTON CAUSE OF DEATH: EX-WBA IBO, IBF, WINNER HITMAN DIES AT AGE 46, LIFELONG MANCHESTER CITY FAN WAS TO MAKE COMEBACK IN DUBAI THIS YEAR

Boxer Ricky Hatton. (AP Photo/Jon Super, File)

Synopsis

Ricky Hatton had a perfect 43-0 record until he was floored by Floyd Mayweather Jr in Las Vegas in 2007 and was never the same again. Hatton's second loss came in 2009, when Manny Pacquiao knocked him out.

Ricky Hatton was found dead at his home in Greater Manchester. One of the most popular fighters in the sport was 46. Nicknamed 'the Hitman', Hatton won the WBA, IBO and IBF light-welterweight titles and the WBA welterweight world championship during his 15-year professional career before retiring in 2012. He had been due to make a comeback for an event in Dubai this year. Outside of the ring, Hatton was a lifelong fan of Manchester City. The club said there would be a minute of appreciation for Hatton at Sunday's derby against Manchester United.

Hatton had 45 wins in 48 bouts over his career but in the years after he retired he said he had tried to kill himself several times and had been open about his struggle with depression, drink and drugs. Hatton's best performance came in 2005 when he stopped Australian Kostya Tszyu to add the IBF light-welterweight title to the WBU belt he already held.

He had a perfect 43-0 record until he was floored by Floyd Mayweather Jr in Las Vegas in 2007 and was never the same again. Hatton's second loss came in 2009, when Manny Pacquiao knocked him out.

- The Economic Times, Global Desk

COACH REVEALS TERENCE CRAWFORD PLANS TO RECREATE KNOCKOUT WIN IN CANELO ÁLVAREZ SUPER FIGHT

Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images for Netflix

Terence Crawford will need to be at his shimmering best to topple Canelo Alvarez this weekend in ‘Sin City’, and one of his coaches is expecting just that, in fact.

Making his first venture to the super middleweight limit, former undisputed welterweight kingpin Terence Crawford will challenge Canelo Alvarez in the blockbuster clash of the year, with all title spoils up for grabs.

Testing light middleweight waters before his fight with the Mexican megastar, Crawford had run roughshod continually during his lengthy era of dominance at welterweight.

And ahead of his fight with Canelo, ‘Bud’ has been backed to emulate arguably his most iconic performance in the ring thus far.

Terence Crawford backed to beat Canelo Alvarez as badly as Errol Spence Jr.

Eventually fighting for the undisputed welterweight crown back in 2023, Crawford turned in one of the most heralded in-ring performances of the modern era

Taking on the unbeaten Errol Spence Jr., Crawford added the WBA, WBC, and IBF welterweight titles to his trophy cabinet, inflicting a ninth-round knockout loss on the Long Islander — having put him on the canvas countless times during the clash.

And against Canelo this weekend at 168lbs, Crawford’s coach, Chet Fortune, gave quite a candid prediction of the performance the Nebraska native is likely to give.

Terence Crawford dominating Erroll Spence in the last Welterweight Unification pic.twitter.com/bzTu8DY1Dx

— Tokkerū (@ATokkers5) April 12, 2025

Ultimately making the leap to 168lbs, Crawford has been touted as undeniable in the gym and in the ring by Fortune when it comes to his pugilist peers.

“When it comes to Bud, I know he’s willing to work harder than anyone else; willing to do whatever it takes; he doesn’t have any quit in him; and then he has a support system that he trusts around him,” Fortune explained.

Bonus up for grabs for Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford pup

With both Canelo and Crawford expected to pocket sizable fight purses for their efforts this weekend in Las Vegas, an added incentive has been tabled, too.

Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images

As disclosed by event organizer Turki Alalshikh, if either Canelo or Crawford finish the bout via knockout, they will receive a lucrative financial bonus on top of their fight purse.

However, for Canelo, the Mexican would be forced to snap a lengthy run of decision wins, dating all the way back to his most recent knockout of Caleb Plant, to win undisputed gold in 2021.

- Ross Markey

OSCAR DE LA HOYA AND BERNARD HOPKINS BOTH NAME THE SAME FIGHTER AS THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins are two of the best fighters in recent memory, but both agree one man in the history books tops all others.

The legendary duo locked horns in a monumental showdown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas back in September of 2004, a fight that saw Hopkins become the first undisputed middleweight champion of the ‘four belt era’ when he stopped De La Hoya in the ninth round to add the WBO title to his unified WBC, WBA and IBF belts.

They have since partnered up for Golden Boy Promotions and continue to develop today’s talent with a view to creating the next big star – but who do they feel is the best of all time?

Speaking to ESNEWS, De La Hoya didn’t hesitate to name the late great Sugar Ray Robinson as the greatest fighter in history.

“Sugar Ray Robinson is the greatest of all time! That’s basically it, look at this here [his shirt] all the weight divisions, hardest puncher, best footwork, he would fight multiple times a month, took on the very best, took on the toughest challenges. Sugar Ray Robinson, he’s literally the GOAT.”

Hopkins shares the same views of his former rival turned business partner, once telling the media that he also believes Robinson is the very best fighter to have ever graced the sport.

“The best fighter ever is Sugar Ray Robinson. To me the best fighter after that is Muhammad Ali, and then the debate starts from on and on from there.”

Robinson fought on just over 200 occasions as a professional throughout the course of his storied 25-year tenure, which spanned between 1940 and 1965.

He became six-time world champion along the way, reigning as the world welterweight champion between 1946 and 1951 before he eventually made the move up to middleweight, capturing the world title five times within a 9-year period before his retirement.

- Kailem Lowe

OLEKSANDR USYK'S MOST LIKELY NEXT OPPONENT NAMED: "WE NEED TO DO IT"

Image credit: Queensberry

Oleksandr Usyk‘s next move is currently being decided.

The Ukrainian became undisputed heavyweight champion for the second time in July when he knocked out Daniel Dubois in the fifth round at Wembley Stadium to add his IBF belt to his WBC, WBA and WBO titles.

While that bout may have only taken place a month ago, attention immediately turned to who Usyk will face next, with the WBO ordering him to defend against mandatory challenger Joseph Parker.

Parker earned that right with victories over Martin Bakole, Zhilei Zhang and Deontay Wilder over the past 18 months, becoming interim WBO heavyweight champion in the process.

The two camps were given 30 days to negotiate before it went to purse bids, but Usyk has requested more time, citing the need to recover from injuries.

With no decision reached yet, and Saudi chief Turki Alalshikh declaring he doesn’t want the Parker fight next, fans have begun to speculate that Usyk may choose to vacate the WBO belt and instead take on another fighter, with the likes of Agit Kabayel and Moses Itauma mentioned as possible opponents.

Usyk’s Team Director Sergey Lapin has now provided an update, telling Boxing King Media that Parker still currently appears to be the frontrunner for the fight.

“We have the WBO belt, his first belt. We have rules. We need to speak with the team and next opponent is Parker. Is this fight not Saudi? We’ll see where we do it and the next step.”

Usyk’s first world title was the WBO cruiserweight belt in September 2016, before going on to become undisputed at both cruiserweight and heavyweight.

It means the Ukrainian may have some loyalty towards the governing body, but it wouldn’t be the first time that he has lost his undisputed status by vacating a belt, after doing so with the IBF title in 2024.Toby Morgan

- Toby Morgan

OLEKSANDR USYK AGREES TO JAKE

Jake Paul and Oleksandr Usyk had an unexpected face-off following the Ukrainian’s win over Daniel Dubois.

Usyk once again became undisputed heavyweight champion by claiming a dominant fifth round knockout win over Dubois, reclaiming the IBF belt in the process and adding it to his WBC, WBA and WBO titles to cement his status as the best heavyweight on the planet.

Attention has already turned to who Usyk may take on next following the win, and despite most people expecting the likes of Tyson Fury and Joseph Parker to be linked, YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul has thrown his name into the ring.

Paul was last in action in June when he defeated former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in a cruiserweight bout, and has also been linked to a heavyweight showdown with Anthony Joshua in recent weeks.

It seems that Paul could now be targeting a shock battle with Usyk though, after facing off with the Ukrainian and posting a message on social media outlining his one condition for the potential match-up.

“Congrats to one of the greatest heavyweights of all time Usyk on a huge win. I respect you a lot. Now we do an MMA match for the world.”

Whilst team Usyk also agree that a boxing match could ‘never’ happen, they do agree that a bout inside the Octagon would be ‘perfect’.

“Well Jake Paul, you know, when it comes to Jake Paul we’re not talking about the boxing because we would be probably put in the jail for murder … we all understand we can’t put Jake Paul and Oleksandr in the ring for boxing, there is no way, and Oleksandr will never do that, but of course because Jake Paul was a wrestler and what I heard he was a good wrestler when he was growing up, he knows how to wrestle, he knows how to fight a little bit. I think MMA would be the perfect thing to do.”

 While Paul may have become one of the biggest names in the sport, a fight with Usyk is likely not one that many fight fans would want to see next, but as has been proven in combats sports for a number of years, anything can certainly happen.

- Toby Morgan

ERROL SPENCE MAMES THE ONLY FEW WHO COULD MOVE UP IN WEIGHT AND BEAT CANELO

Image credit: Matchroom / PBC

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is just months away from clashing with fellow pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford.

The 34-year-old from Guadalajara, Mexico will defend his undisputed super-middleweight championship against ‘Bud’ on Saturday September 13 at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Canelo captured the undisputed crown at 168lbs for the second time in his career last month when he defeated former IBF champion William Scull in Riyadh, becoming the first fighter in boxing history to accomplish this feat.

Crawford is bidding to write his name into boxing history once again should he defeat Canelo in September, as the 37-year-old sets out to become the first fighter in the history of male boxing to win an undisputed championship in three divisions.

One man who is all too familiar with ‘Bud’ is former unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr, who suffered the first defeat of his career at the hands of Crawford two years ago.

In an interview with Fight Hub TV, Spence admitted that he is backing his former rival ahead of his showdown with Canelo, as he claims if anyone can move up and defeat the Mexican superstar, ‘Bud’ Crawford can.

“I mean it could happen, why not. If Crawford wants to challenge himself to be great, let him try to be great, you know I’m with it. I’ll be going for Bud, I’ll be going for him I mean I don’t know if he’s gonna win or lose but I’ll definitely be going for Crawford, I think if anybody can pull it off he can pull it off, he’s chasing greatness so why not.”

The 37-year-old from Omaha has spent the majority of his professional career campaigning at 147lbs, although he did make the move up to light-middleweight last year to dethrone WBA champion Israil Madrimov.

- Toby Morgan

DEONTAY WILDER CALLS FORMER HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: "LET'S GET IT ON"

Deontay Wilder could be set for a massive clash in the near future.

Wilder returns to action for the first time in over a year on June 27 when he takes on Tyrell Herndon at the Charles Koch Arena in Kansas.

It sees ‘The Bronze Bomber’ attempting to get his career back on track after four defeats in his last five fights, having previously been the WBC heavyweight champion from 2015 to 2020.

One man that Wilder was continuously linked with during his time as champion was Anthony Joshua, who held the WBA, WBO and IBF belts at various stages during that same time period.

Despite huge clamour from boxing fans to see the heavyweight showdown, negotiations could never be agreed, but there is renewed optimism that it could potentially still take place provided Wilder wins his comeback later this month.

Those hopes have been given a boost after Wilder recently spoke on Inside Boxing Live, explaining that he would be more than willing to have the clash with ‘AJ.’

“I’m in it to win it. The heavyweight division is a small division so all of us can fight six, seven times because it’s so small. I’m in it to fight whoever, whenever, wherever. I’m a fighter. I have a fighter mentality. I have a king mentality. I don’t shy away from fights.

“As long as he’s in the division and I’m in the division, I’m always willing to fight whoever no matter what the situation is.”

Wilder than had a final message for Joshua.

“Let’s get it on.”

Joshua is currently recovering from elbow surgery and is expected to return before the end of 2025, meaning a fight could potentially indeed happen later this year. 

- Toby Morgan

THE HISTORY OF BOXING 🥊 BELTS

 

Before shouting "world champion," first understand the history of the belts...

• WBA: since 1921, the oldest.

• The Ring Belt: created in 1922, symbol of the true "lineal champion."

• WBC: since 1963, the most prestigious in the eyes of many.

• IBF: founded in 1983, quickly gained credibility.

• WBO & IBO: 1988, the latest, not always recognized.

BOB ARUM NAMES THE ONLY HEAVYWEIGHT WHO COMES CLOSE TO EQUALLING GEORGE FOREMAN'S POWER

Legendary promoter Bob Arum has worked with a number of legendary heavyweights throughout his career, including the late, great George Foreman.

The 93-year-old’s first championship promotion was with Muhammad Ali back in 1966, when he defended his heavyweight title against George Chuvalo in Toronto, Canada.

Arum went on to establish Top Rank in 1973, where he has played an instrumental role in promoting over 500 world title bouts across five decades. As well as working alongside Ali, the 93-year-old has promoted fighters such as Foreman, Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao to name just a few.

Arum promoted Foreman’s incredible 1994 victory over Michael Moorer, which saw ‘Big’ George become the oldest heavyweight champion in history when he captured the WBA and IBF titles with a tenth round stoppage over the previously unbeaten heavyweight star.

In an interview with Sean Zittel, Arum was asked how he believes the heavyweight icon would have fared against the stars of today, before saying former that former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is the only fighter who comes close to carrying the level of punching power that ‘Big’ George did.

“I think quite well, because I don’t know any heavyweight around who had the ring savvy that he had and the punching power that he possessed. Of heavyweight fighters with punching power, the one that came close was Wilder, but Wilder didn’t have the defensive skills that George had and couldn’t take a punch the way George did.”

Foreman picked up 76 victories throughout his tenure, with 68 of those coming via stoppage. Perhaps one of the most famous wins of his career came in January 1973 when he dropped Joe Frazier six times before knocking him out in the second round of their bout to become the world heavyweight champion for the first time.

Wilder has 43 knockouts from his 43 wins and believes himself to be the biggest puncher the sport has ever seen. After back-to-back losses in Saudi Arabia against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, the 39-year-old is making a low-key comeback this June before one last crack at the top level.

 - Toby Morgan

BIVOL TAKES BETERBIEV"S UNDISPUTED LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE

Dmitry Bivol defeats Artur Beterbiev in a split-points decision to claim light-heavyweight world title in Saudi Arabia.

Dmitry Bivol celebrates victory with the title belts and his team after the Undisputed IBF, IBO, WBC and WBO World Light Heavyweight Titles' fight with Artur Beterbiev [Richard Pelham/Getty Images]

Russian Dmitry Bivol avenged a previous defeat to take the undisputed light-heavyweight world title from Artur Beterbiev on a majority points decision in an epic rematch in Saudi Arabia.

The judges scored Sunday’s fight in Riyadh 114-114, 116-112 and 115-113.

The previous encounter last October, when both went toe-to-toe as unbeaten champions, ended with exactly the same score but to Russian-born Canadian Beterbiev who added the WBA belt to his WBC, WBO and IBF ones.

This time, Bivol, 34, was better on the night, moving up a gear and taking the fight to his bearded older opponent, now 40, with determination and classy combinations.

The 1-1 outcome opens the way to an inevitable third clash between the two.

“Actually, I didn’t want the second fight, it wasn’t my choice, but no problem. We’re going to do a third fight,” Beterbiev, who did not shake Bivol’s hand, said in the ring after the scores were announced.

Dmitry Bivol in action during his fight with Artur Beterbiev [Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters]

Bivol said he was up for any challenge but needed a rest after his exertions.

"I want to heal myself a little bit and come back,” said the Russian, who ended the fight with blood streaming from the top of his left eye.

“I didn’t have as much pressure like last time. I just wanted to work from the first round until the end of the 12th. I did enough and I won this.

“I was better, I was pushing myself more, I was more confident, I was lighter and I just wanted to win so much today.”

Bivol had the better of his opponent over the first three rounds, but the champion found his rhythm in the fourth in a livelier fight than the first one but still with little to separate the two.

Artur Beterbiev sustained a cut above his eye early in the fight [Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters]

At the final bell, neither boxer could be sure of the outcome, both waiting for the scores to be read without celebrating in advance.

“I don’t want to talk about the decision – it’s tough. Congratulations to Bivol’s team,” said Beterbiev, who could claim the final round.

“I thought this fight was better than the first fight, but we’ll see. Now is my time to come back.”

Earlier, three-times world champion Shakur Stevenson retained his WBC lightweight title after stopping stand-in Josh Padley, a British electrician who had three days to prepare for the fight, at the end of nine rounds.

Former WBO world heavyweight champion Joseph Parker stopped another late replacement Martin Bakole in two rounds in their WBO Interim bout.

Joseph Parker knocks out Martin Bakole during the WBO Interim World Heavyweight title fight [Richard Pelham/Getty Images]

 -  AL JAZEERA AND NEWS AGENCIES

WILL THE WINNER OF DANIEL DUBOIS AND JOSEPH PARKER FACE OLEKSANDR USYK NEXT? HEAVYWEIGHTS EYE DATE WITH DESTINY

Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker come face-to-face this weekend for the right to claim the IBF heavyweight title and the chance to face Oleksandr Usyk.

Dubois is the defending IBF champion after dismantling Anthony Joshua in brutal fashion last time out.

And next up for the Brit is another former world champion in New Zealander Parker, who wants a belt back after a late-career resurgence.

This fight is taking place on the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol 2 undercard this weekend, and the whole boxing world will be watching, including Usyk.

Will the winner of Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker face Oleksandr Usyk next?

The simple answer to this is yes.

This is because Usyk holds the other heavyweight belts after beating Tyson Fury in December.

So, he now has the WBC, WBA and WBO titles to his name, and he has publicly said he wants to fight the winner of this contest.

This would give him the chance to unify the heavyweight division for a second time, which since there was four belts, has never been done before, while he only wants two more fights before calling it a day.

Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT's George Glinski in London, Usyk was asked about his next opponent.

He said: "We wait for a fight on February 22 between Daniel and Joseph.

"Whoever wins this fight between Daniel and Joseph, I have already made the fight."

Dubois has fought Usyk, and in his view, was robbed of a win after a shot to the Ukrainian was deemed a low blow.

Usyk was allowed time to recover before getting up and knocking the Londoner out in round nine.

Of course, Dubois wants to fight the modern-day boxing legend again and jumped in the ring immediately after Usyk beat Fury to challenge the Ukrainian.

Usyk wants to unify the heavyweight division againCredit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

After the incident, Dubois was criticised for his actions by some for stealing Usyk's moment, but in an interview earlier this year, he defended it.

He said: "This is boxing at the end of the day, any publicity is good publicity.

"If they hate it or they like it then yeah. I've been boxing long enough to understand that now.

"It's not all about having everything your way and everyone love you, but as long as they want to see you that is all that matters.

"But at the end of the day, I want to get through Parker and then that fight [with Usyk] is done.

"It's all about making noise, and as a world champion you can choose your destiny and path.

"I'm just challenging in my eyes and I want to become undisputed champion and that's my intentions."

Meanwhile, Parker was very open that he was targeting the winner of Usyk vs Fury 2, so if he wins, he'll be more than up for facing Usyk.

His promoter David Higgins said: "Joseph wants to become undisputed heavyweight world champion. He's going to give it everything until the day he retires so I'd be lying if I didn't say that was the goal.

"He wants to beat Dubois and then he wants to fight whoever has the other belts and try and unify."

So, the path is clear for the winner of Dubois and Parker to face Usyk.

But how does the Ukrainian think the fight will go?

Well, talkSPORT asked him.

"52 per cent for Daniel and 48 per cent for Parker that is what my team have predicted," Usyk said.

The last time Usyk and Dubois met, it ended badly for DDD

Dubois vs Parker: Date and how to follow

This 12-round heavyweight title bout will take place on Saturday, February 22 at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and is part of the Beterbiev vs Bivol 2 event.

Official start times are yet to be announced but the undercard is expected to get going from 6pm UK time.

The ring walks for this bout will then be at around 10pm.

talkSPORT has secured the commentary rights to this massive event.

Adam Catterall will present live coverage from Riyadh on talkSPORT at 8pm with commentary coming from Gareth A Davies, Spencer Oliver and John Rawling.

To tune in to talkSPORT through the website, click HERE for the live stream. Listen via the talkSPORT app here, or on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.

You can also follow the talkSPORT Boxing YouTube Channel for all the latest news, views and exclusive content.

We'll also be holding a live watch-along for all the action over on the talkSPORT Boxing YouTube channel.

The entire card will also be streamed on DAZN Pay-Per-View and UK fans can pay £19.99 to watch the action here.

JOSEPH PARKER TO FARCICALLY LOSE HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE IN ONE SECOND

WBO President Gustavo Olivieri confirmed that Joseph Parker would be the interim heavyweight champion for one second of his contest with Daniel Dubois before losing the title.

Parker’s status will be declared void once the first bell rings in the Dubois clash due to the New Zealander challenging for another organization’s belt. Dubois is currently the IBF champion, giving the WBO no choice but to strip Parker as soon as he trades blows under the auspices of another sanctioning body.

Outlining the ruling, Olivieri stated, “The WBO Interim Heavyweight Champion, Joseph Parker, embodies the true spirit of the sport. A consummate professional, gentleman, and champion inside and outside the ring, Parker has represented the WBO with great honor and integrity. In accordance with WBO policy regarding the unification of interim titles, we have mutually agreed that Joseph Parker will enter the ring as champion, and he will be announced as such. However, upon the sound of the opening bell, the title will be declared vacant.

“We extend our sincere appreciation to Joseph Parker for his dedication to the sport and look forward to his continued success in his career.

“All the best against Dubois. The doors of the WBO will always be open,” he added.

Parker won the strap against Zhilei Zhang in March, months after defeating Deontay Wilder for WBC and WBO Ranking titles. The majority decision elevated Parker into the top five heavyweights in the world, alongside Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury, Andy Ruiz Jr, and Daniel Dubois.

The 33-year-old is attempting to become world champion for the second time in his career. He reigned from 2016 to 2018 after beating Ruiz in a hotly debated decision on home soil in Auckland.

Many are tipping Parker to dethrone Dubois on February 22 in Saudi Arabia. The fight will be part of a blockbuster bill that includes Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2.

- Phil Jay

SOURCES: TEOFIMO LOPEZ, SUBRIEL MATIAS

Teofimo Lopez and Subriel Matias are finalizing a deal for a March 15 fight for Lopez's WBO junior welterweight title, sources told ESPN on Monday.

The 140-pound title fight -- Lopez's third defense -- will headline Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ PPV. There's no location set but the bout will take place in the U.S.

Lopez (21-1, 13 KOs) is ESPN's No. 1 junior welterweight. The former undisputed lightweight champion is coming off a June decision victory over Canadian-level fighter Steve Claggett. Before that, Lopez struggled in a decision win over Jamaine Ortiz in February.

The 27-year-old Brooklyn, New York, native won the title in dominant fashion from Josh Taylor in June 2023. Lopez's best win came in October 2020 when he outpointed future Hall of Famer Vasiliy Lomachenko for the lightweight championship.

Matias (21-2, 21 KOs) is ESPN's No. 8 boxer at 140 pounds. He lost his IBF junior welterweight title to Liam Paro in June in a major upset in Puerto Rico, where he was born and still resides.

The 32-year-old volume puncher is one of the sport's top action fighters. Matias rebounded from his second loss with a second-round TKO of career opponent Roberto Ramirez in November. Matias avenged his previous loss with a ninth-round TKO of Petros Ananyan in January 2022.

Matias won the IBF title with a fifth-round TKO of Jeremias Ponce in February 2023 and stopped Shohjahon Ergashev in Round 5 later that year in his lone successful defense.

- Mike Coppinger, ESPN Boxing Insider