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“Hey, you got your chocolate in my peanut butter!”

“You got peanut butter on my chocolate!”

If you’re of a certain age, those two lines transport you back to a simpler time. (A time when you couldn’t fast-forward through commercials.)

The advertisement suggested that Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were invented by accident after a man holding a chocolate bar bumped into a woman holding a tub of peanut butter. Is that really how it happened? Of course not. But it’s a fun fiction to believe.

Which brings us to pro wrestling.

For every person rolling their eyes and dismissing rasslin’ as fake, there’s another person declaring, “It’s still real to me, damn it!”

WrestleMania 42 is this weekend, and no, I don’t know what any of the matches are, and no, I haven’t watched wrestling with any regularity in about a decade, but yes, I will be heading over to a friend’s house to watch some of it. What can I say? WrestleMania is a great excuse to get together. And it’s a fun fiction to believe. And, at least in small doses, it’s still entertaining to me, dammit.

And over the years, wrestling and boxing have dipped their chocolate in each other’s peanut butter quite a few times. Unlike the Reese’s product, the flavors haven’t always combined with delicious results. But it’s nevertheless worthwhile, on the eve of WrestleMania, to look back at some of those times that wrestling and boxing collided and got all mixed together in the same spit bucket.

Here's a brief history, broken down by category:

Real (we think) fights

On June 26, 1976, at Nippon Budokan arena in Tokyo, Japan, Muhammad Ali and Antonio Inoki met in “The War of the Worlds” – the most famous boxer-vs.-wrestler match ever (with one arguable exception coming up later in this article), and also the most dreadfully boring boxer-vs.-wrestler match ever.

After months of back and forth over what the rules would be and varied speculation over whether it would be a “work” (scripted performance) or a “shoot” (real athletic competition), Ali and Inoki got in the ring, and Inoki spent almost the entirety of the 15 rounds on his back, kicking at Ali’s legs.

It was scored a split draw, meaning there were no losers. Except for everyone watching.

Twenty-three years later, at WrestleMania 15, with Vinny Paz as the guest referee, pro boxer Butterbean took on pro wrestler Bart Gunn in an actual fight under boxing rules. And, like Inoki, Gunn ended up on his back. Just not by his choice.

Butterbean delivered a vicious right-hand knockout after 36 seconds of action, a reminder that fights held under boxing rules tend to favor the guy who knows how to box.

Fake (we’re pretty sure) fights

Probably the most high-profile example here is Floyd Mayweather meeting Paul “Big Show” Wight at WrestleMania 24 in 2008, giving away nearly a foot-and-a-half in height and some 250 lbs in weight. Mayweather won their scripted match with the help of some brass knuckles. (Insert your own Antonio Margarito joke here.)

But the real highlight came about six weeks earlier on the No Way Out pay-per-view in Las Vegas, when the WrestleMania match was set up by Floyd breaking Wight’s nose with a combination of punches. Wight later explained that the broken nose was legit, but it was planned – he told Mayweather to pop him hard enough to make it bleed in order to sell the feud to come.

That was a case of boxing’s top star at the peak of his powers crossing over without particularly embarrassing himself. They aren’t always this high-profile, and they don’t always go this smoothly.

Tyson Fury trained as a wrestler and performed competently enough in his 2019 match against Braun Strowman in Saudi Arabia. The man to whom Fury just paid tribute last weekend, Ricky Hatton, was a little more iffy in his 2009 match on an episode of Raw in Sheffield, England, against Chavo Guerrero, winning by knockout with the least convincing right hand “The Hitman” ever threw. The punches with which Evander Holyfield prevailed in his scripted boxing match against Matt Hardy in 2007 were of comparable quality and, of course, when the wrestler known as MVP stuck his nose in, he got a taste of the softest right hand Holyfield could throw.

Far tougher to watch than those phony punches was the boxing match between Mr. T (not a pro boxer, but he played one in a movie and served as a bodyguard for others) and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper at WrestleMania 2. Piper had Lou Duva in his corner and T had Joe Frazier in his – futile attempts to lend boxing legitimacy to the proceedings. The match offered few highlights and ended when Piper was disqualified in round four for bodyslamming Mr. T and shoving the ref.

Some believe there were “shoot” elements to the T vs. Piper affair, and the same is true of a boxer-vs.-wrestler match that took place the same day as Ali-Inoki in the summer of ’76. The mixed-rules bout between Chuck Wepner and Andre the Giant at Shea Stadium is widely believed to have been a “work,” but there has always been a degree of debate over that. It ended in the third round when Andre tossed Wepner out of the ring and “The Bayonne Bleeder” was counted out, which one presumes was the outcome agreed upon in advance.

Fake almost-fights
Again Ali stands out in this category for a bit of promotion 25 days before his farce against Inoki. He was seated ringside in Philadelphia for a TV taping for what was then the WWWF, and from that seat he jawed with Gorilla Monsoon (one Ali adversary who didn’t mind being called “Gorilla”).

That led to Ali jumping into the ring during Monsoon’s match and taking off his shirt, then circling Gorilla and tossing out several jabs that (intentionally) fell short, which prompted Monsoon to lift Ali across his shoulder, give the boxing champ an airplane spin and slam him to the canvas.

On the June 23, 1997 episode of WWF’s Raw in Detroit, the planned trash talk and pretend violence reached a similar level. In that case, Bret “The Hitman” Hart spotted Tommy “Hitman” Hearns in the front row, declared “There’s only room for one Hitman in Detroit,” and accused Hearns of stealing his nickname. (As best I can tell, Hart first started using that monicker in 1985, so, nope, his case wouldn’t quite hold up in court.)

Hearns entered the ring and took down Hart’s longtime tag team partner Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart with a body shot, but he and Hart were (clumsily) separated before they could come to blows.

Fake and fictional fights

This was the one I was hinting earlier when I questioned whether Ali-Inoki was the most famous boxer-vs.-wrestler match ever. It’s entirely possible that more people are familiar with Rocky Balboa vs. Thunderlips.

The scene from Rocky III never made much sense, as surely in real life the heavyweight champs of these respective sports would be on the same page about whether it’s a work or a shoot. But the absurdity was fitting, as this was the movie in which the Rocky franchise transitioned from capturing a degree of boxing’s realism to leaning into wrestling’s over-the-top approach.

In any case, this was the most impactful boxer-vs.-wrestler encounter ever for the wrestling business, as it launched Hulk Hogan to a new level of fame and paved the way for Vince McMahon to push him to the top of the business.

Career transitions

Quite a few boxers have gone into pro wrestling as more than just a one-off appearance, with mixed results.

Joe Louis was surely the saddest case, turning to wrestling shortly after his 40th birthday due to financial troubles. “The Brown Bomber” wrestled on and off through the 1950s, then came back for a few more matches in the ‘60s and continued until 1973, when he was nearly 60 years old.

Fellow heavyweight champ and one-time Louis knockout victim Primo Carnera had a much more fruitful wrestling career, making a living at it from 1946-’62. He was a legit wrestling star and challenged for a major singles title and won a major tag team title en route to posthumous induction in 2019 into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Junior lightweight champ Alfredo Escalera was a particularly odd case, as he retired from boxing in 1979, bulked up to a reported 210 lbs to hit the Puerto Rican pro wrestling circuit, did that for a year or so, then dropped back down to 140 lbs and returned to boxing for another two years.

Most recently, 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Anthony Ogogo of England followed a boxing career cut short by an eye injury with a transition to wrestling. He made his debut in 2019, worked his way up to AEW (the biggest competitor to WWE) and remains on the AEW roster.

Heavyweight champs as guests referees

Jack Dempsey was the trendsetter here, refereeing numerous matches over a span of 27 years following his retirement from boxing – including a Carnera match in 1950.

Since Dempsey paved the way, it has become almost a rite of passage for heavyweight champions to play the role of guest wrestling referee once.

Joe Frazier was the guest ref between Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes at Starrcade in 1984, and he mostly did a lousy job and got in the way, but his boxing background played into the script when they had Frazier controversially stop the bout in Flair’s favor on account of a cut.

Ali didn’t wait long to try to one-up Frazier, serving as guest referee in 1985 for the main event of the first WrestleMania. His role was limited – Pat Patterson did the heavy lifting as referee inside the ring, while Ali was the outside-the-ring ref. But Ali set a guest-refereeing template by taking a few swings at the heels.

James “Buster” Douglas took it a step further in 1990 in an NBC-televised match between Hogan and Randy Savage just days after he upset Mike Tyson for the title. Douglas, like Ali, was assigned as the second ref, outside the ring – but his services were needed when the other referee lost consciousness at a critical moment in the match, as rasslin’ refs often do. Douglas came in and made the count and declared Hogan the winner, and when Savage expressed his displeasure, Buster knocked him out with a right hand that would have made Sonny Corleone proud.

In 1998, it was Tyson’s turn, refereeing the WrestleMania 14 main event between Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels. Tyson was thought to be in the bag for Michaels, but it turned he wasn’t. He made the three-count in Austin’s favor and – well, you should know how this goes by now. Tyson’s right hand served Michaels some sweet chin music.

At least the writers stopped short of having Tyson bite Michaels’ ear, the sort of thing you would never put past a wrestling booker – but perhaps not the card Tyson wanted to play while waiting for the Nevada commission to re-license him.

Eric Raskin is a veteran boxing journalist with nearly 30 years of experience covering the sport for such outlets as BoxingScene, ESPN, Grantland, Playboy, and The Ring (where he served as managing editor for seven years). He also co-hosted The HBO Boxing Podcast, Showtime Boxing with Raskin & Mulvaney, The Interim Champion Boxing Podcast with Raskin & Mulvaney, and Ring Theory. He has won three first-place writing awards from the BWAA, for his work with The Ring, Grantland, and HBO. Outside boxing, he is the senior editor of CasinoReports and the author of 2014’s The Moneymaker Effect. He can be reached on X, BlueSky, or LinkedIn, or via email at RaskinBoxing@yahoo.com.

Eddie Hearn today confirmed that he's under "instructions" from Anthony Joshua to make the fight with Tyson Fury this year. 

On Saturday, the 35-2-1 (24 KOs) Fury outpointed Arslanbek Makhmudov over 12 rounds to end a 16-month hiatus. Immediately afterwards he called out Joshua, who was ringside, and demanded the fight be signed and sealed there and then. Joshua neither obliged nor turned down the offer of the long awaited showdown.

The 36-year-old last fought in December, knocking out Jake Paul in six rounds. It was then expected that Joshua, 29-4 (26 KOs), would engage entertain Rico Verhoeven in March this year before taking on Fury in August. Tragedy quickly followed, however, when Joshua was injured in a car crash in Nigeria that killed two of his closest friends. 

According to Hearn, Joshua is awaiting clearance from doctors to return to full-time training.

"My instructions [from Joshua] are 'make the [Fury] fight'," Hearn said.

"We all know that, around the [time of the] Jake Paul fight, the fight was virtually done. We were going to fight in March [in a warm-up] and fight [Fury] in August. But with everything that has happened, it's been a very difficult time, and that plan has been delayed. 

"The same plan still exists. The offer that we received from [Turki Alalshikh] is to fight in July and fight Tyson Fury around November. We're up for that.

"We need to make sure of the timings. The last Saturday of July is 14 weeks away. We need to get that all clear, physically, to return to full-time training, to sparring, which is a different kettle of fish versus getting on a treadmill. This is intense full-time training. 

"We believe we're going to be given the all-clear to do that because 'AJ' feels like he's ready. 

"If we do that, get everything locked up, I'm fully confident that this fight happens."

Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn are “far along” on negotiations to stage a late-summer first WBC welterweight title defense by Garcia versus his top-ranked contender, an official connected to negotiations told BoxingScene Wednesday.

A date and venue have yet to be established, according to the official, although August is being targeted. The bout will either be streamed by Netflix or DAZN.

Benn’s unanimous-decision victory over former 140lbs champion Regis Prograis Saturday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium allowed conversations to intensify with Garcia, who defeated Mario Barrios by wide decision February 21 in Las Vegas to win his first world-title belt after three prior attempts.

The 27-year-old Garcia 25-2 (20 KOs) posted his interest in fighting England’s Benn 25-1 (14 KOs) after Benn called Garcia out following Saturday’s bout, writing on “X,” “I’m down GARCIA VS BENN Let’s do it!!!!!”

Benn defeated Prograis by three 98-92 scorecards, but his performance against the now-retired fighter did not impress many who assess he’s better off fighting at junior-middleweight or middleweight.

Garcia then elaborated: “Mark my words: His corner or the ref stops my fight with Conor in the 6-7 round.”

Both fighters bring immense global popularity to the bout, and since Saudi Arabia boxing financier Turki Alalshikh spoke recently of staging a Garcia fight in the summer, it’s likely the bout will be presented by The Ring.

Benn fought Prograis after signing a one-fight, $15 million deal with Zuffa Boxing, which is partially backed by Alalshikh.

LOS ANGELES – The respect is deep. The intention to achieve victory is fiercer.

As the days dwindle leading up to the most massive bout ever to be staged in Japan, waged between two of the country’s most accomplished champions, the cultural knack to keep things simple and humble can effectively be reduced to the above sentences.

Naoya Inoue is hailed by Junto Nakatani trainer Rudy Hernandez as the world’s best fighter and the top Japanese boxer of all time. But after guiding the younger, taller and rising Nakatani through his training camp here, Hernandez made clear two things can be true at once.

“It’s one thing to respect the fighter, but when the bell rings, we’re going to go in there and try to knock his head off,” Hernandez said. “We can’t settle for anything less than winning. Winning, to us, means everything.”

A sellout crowd of 55,000 is expected at the Tokyo Dome on May 2 when four-division champion and mythical pound-for-pound king Inoue, 32-0 (27 KOs), meets three-division champion Nakatani, 32-0 (24 KOs), for the undisputed junior featherweight championship on DAZN.

On Monday, the left-handed Nakatani, 28, worked through a series of movements and rapid positioning and punching drills all aimed to penetrate the shield and complicate the bout for the older Inoue, 33, who has been knocked down in two of his past six bouts.

“The advantage [Nakatani] has is his height and reach, and the fact he’s a little younger,” Hernandez said. “Other than that, it’s about who’s going to land first, who’s the quicker of the two, and who’s going to be able to better take the punches.”

Nakatani demonstrated complete control during his positioning drills, flashing a smile to Hernandez during the sequence as if to confirm full readiness for the bout as they prepare to leave L.A. for Tokyo on Friday.

“I’m very much looking forward to it, and I believe I can deliver a performance that will satisfy all 55,000 spectators,” Nakatani told BoxingScene after his workout.

“I believe boxing is a sport that can move people’s hearts deeply, and for me, there's a significant meaning to that.”

Nakatani has trained with Hernandez in Los Angeles since the age of 14, fulfilling the veteran cornerman’s lifelong ambition to guide a young amateur all the way to a million-dollar purse, which Nakatani accomplished in December by defeating Mexico’s Sebastian Hernandez in a surprisingly competitive bout in Saudi Arabia.

Hernandez has trained fighters since the 1980s, when he cornered his late brother, Genaro Hernandez, to two junior lightweight title reigns during the 1990s.

In this camp, Nakatani has worked on advancing his movement and boosting his versatility, which features crisp power, rapid footwork and lightning-fast hand speed, in the effort to solve the amazingly fast destructive power puncher Inoue. With 3ins height and 1in reach advantages, the upgrades could prove consequential, with Inoue being a -450 betting favorite and Nakatani a 3-to-1 underdog.

A few weeks ago, others in the gym expressed some concerns to Hernandez that Nakatani was slow to mix in the changes to effectively strengthen his repertoire.

Hernandez has told those same people, “When you’re working on something, it takes some time. … On fight night, that’s when you have to perform. Not in the gym.”

And Hernandez declared this in talking to BoxingScene on Monday: “He’s ready. I’m looking for Junto to react to everything that Inoue does in the ring. Timing is everything. I believe Inoue to be the greatest fighter in the world nowadays, and we have our hands full. There’s a reason why he’s the favorite and why he’s the No. 1 fighter in the world, in my book.”

Asked about his training camp development, Nakatani said, “My training has been progressing smoothly, and I feel it's coming along very well. In terms of range, I feel the things that I can do have expanded, and I want to make full use of that in the fight.”

Nakatani and Inoue are peers, not friends. Hernandez knows of only one interaction of substance between the pair, when they both fought on the Saudi Arabia card.

Inoue has kept his distance, Hernandez said, the trainer speculating that’s because the proud champion has viewed Nakatani as “a threat.”

That’s why there’s deference to Inoue’s accomplishments and talent – but also a yearning to shatter the mystique.

“Of course we can win … everything that has a beginning has an ending,” Hernandez said. “Once you’ve made it to the top, you can’t go no further than that. Today, you’re No. 1. Tomorrow, someone else will be No. 1.”

The odds might reflect that Nakatani had such difficulty with the heavy-handed Sebastian Hernandez, who was edged by two 115-113 scorecards.

Trainer Hernandez said two things should be noted about that outcome, including the fact Sebastian Hernandez is a career-long junior featherweight, not a career-starting minimumweight fighter making his debut in the weight class, as Nakatani was.

Additionally, Rudy Hernandez revealed this: “A lot of people don’t know Sebastian Hernandez was there training in Japan with Naoya Inoue for one week, and they got rid of him, supposedly saying he was not that good.

“You think he wasn’t good? Maybe he was too damn good. So why take the risk against a guy as good as he is? Sebastian Hernandez could be fighting tomorrow as a 135-pounder. Junto has moved up from 108lbs … there’s a big difference.

“I watched the fight to see what we could do better. Being as honest as I can, I had it 7-5 Junto. He landed the punch that stood out in the close rounds. He won the fight.”

Nakatani made clear he’s moving on to the greater task.

“The last fight is out there in the public … so I don’t have any comments on that, but I'll let the next fight speak for itself,” Nakatani said. “I’m in great shape, so I’ll do everything I can to perform at more than 100 per cent. Ultimately, we’ll find out in May.”

Away from the ring and this current obsession of Inoue, Nakatani takes joy in ocean fishing, reeling in rockfish amid the quiet.

“I like fishing because it’s something that allows me to clear my mind,” he said.

That silence contrasts so severely with the coming din of walking to the ring for Inoue, with 55,000 roaring for the expected firefight on a global stage.

“Everybody knows this is going to be the biggest fight in Japan’s history. We’re going in with intention to knock him out, just like Inoue wants to do to Junto. When the bell rings, it will be Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani fighting it out, and that’s what we want,” said Hernandez, expressing confidence in his fighter’s ability to thrive in the moment. “He’s really good at it. Nobody challenges himself more than he does. I’m sure Inoue feels the same. I feel, at the end of the day, it’s all about who can execute first.”

And although the respectful and humble approach are profound by comparison to some prizefights, make no mistake about how immense this pursuit of victory has become. 

“If we can knock out Inoue and beat him, I can die the next day and life does not owe me anything,” Hernandez said. “Everything that I have looked to be or accomplish, I will have accomplished.”

Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.

Manny Pacquiao told BoxingScene on Tuesday that Floyd Mayweather Jnr has formally agreed that their September 19 rematch will be a bona fide professional match, imperiling Mayweather’s cherished unblemished record.

“The fight is on,” Pacquiao texted BoxingScene after Mayweather told reporters in late March that the Netflix-streamed bout at The Sphere in Las Vegas would be an exhibition, with venue arrangements still unfinalized.

In fact, argued the Pacquiao camp, Mayweather, 50-0 (27 KOs), had signed multiple contracts for the fight to be a legitimate professional bout, and had even taken cash advances on the agreements.

Jas Mathur, the president of Pacquiao’s MP Promotions, told “Inside the Ring” on Monday that Mayweather faced an end-of-business Tuesday deadline to confirm he was participating in a pro fight or risk repercussions from Pacquiao, Netflix and others.

Pacquiao urged Mayweather to drop the gamesmanship in a recent interview with BoxingScene.

“You need to honor your commitment,” said Pacquiao, 62-8-3 (39 KOs). “This time, there’s no reason for alibis or excuses.”

Mayweather, 49, defeated Pacquiao by unanimous decision in their first clash, the long-delayed 2015 bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas that still stands as the richest prizefight in history.

Pacquiao, 47, returned to the professional ring in impressive fashion last year, fighting then-WBC welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios to a draw, reviving talk of another showdown with the famously fit Mayweather.

Pacquiao has spent April promoting the event, appearing at multiple sporting events, including throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium and speaking to reporters, including BoxingScene.

Pacquiao told BoxingScene at a dinner last week that participating in a high-stakes fight so recently and coming to the fight completely healthy this time, after fighting in 2015 with an injured right shoulder, is “to my advantage because I worked so hard, I had that championship fight. [The Mayweather bout is a] definite victory.”

Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.

Oleksandr Usyk’s next defense of his WBC heavyweight title, which occurs in Giza, Egypt, on May 23, was today described as “iconic”, “an absolute spectacle”, “record-breaking” and a “fantasy that’s come to life”.

Some of the hyperbole was, of course, a nod to the setting as opposed to the fight which, if all goes to plan, will take place at the foot of the famous pyramids.

There was also a lot of tiptoeing around the truth, at a media event designed to drum up interest in a blatant mismatch, that the Ukrainian legend’s opponent, Rico Verhoeven, has next to no chance of winning.

The career kickboxer has boxing experience of sorts, however. Most famously, he used to regularly spar an up-and-coming Tyson Fury. He’s also had a professional contest but that it occurred in 2014, against an 0-5 Janos Finfera, makes the 37-year-old’s 1-0 (1 KO) record somewhat inconsequential. The Dutchman is here purely for his, admittedly considerable, prowess in another combat discipline.

Since Verhoeven's debut, Usyk has cleaned out the cruiserweight class to achieve ‘undisputed’ status and repeated the feat twice at heavyweight, a division in which he can boast two wins over each of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois.

Peter Fury, Verhoeven’s trainer, talked up his charge’s chances against the 24-0 (15 KOs) pound-for-pound leader of the sport.

“We go back a long way, about 15 years, I’ve always done the boxing-side of his training,” Fury said of Verhoeven at the London press conference.

“If ever there is a guy that likes to climb Mount Everest, it is Rico Verhoeven. He’s a phenomenal person, like Usyk. Of course it’s a difficult challenge.”

Eddie Hearn, there on the side of the challenger who had previously signed to fight Anthony Joshua prior to the Englishman surviving a tragic car crash, took the baton from Fury and ran with it. “What [Verhoeven] has is dynamite in both hands and hands like shovels,” said the natural-born promoter. “This man has a pyramid to climb. But I look in his eyes and he’s coming to win.”

Usyk, typically mischievous and charismatic, explained why – as the world heavyweight champion – he accepted this fight when other opponents, like Agit Kabayel and Fabio Wardley, were overlooked.

“I feel good,” said the 39-year-old. “For me, it’s a challenge. A lot of people say, ‘why are you not fighting a boxer?’ Please, one time, I want to do what I want not what is needed. Always I do what is needed. But now I do what I want.

“He’s a fighter, I feel serious for this fight… There is no pressure for me, this is just a boxing fight. I will prepare for this fight. Everything [will be] okay.

“I love boxing, [but] more [I love] my life. I love boxing because it’s an instrument that God gave me. It helped me look for friends, team, a lot of people who now help each other. Boxing is great. But I love life. Life is great.”

Verhoeven, showing no fear, is enjoying his time here, too.

“What an opportunity we have to upset the world and write history,” he said. “To be the very best at what you’re doing you have to be a little bit crazy and obsessed with what you’re doing.

“I love it, I do it with so much passion and I’m crazy happy to be here. We’re bringing new eyeballs to combat sports and bring two worlds colliding together, boxing and kickboxing.”

So how exactly does he plan to achieve the impossible?

“The puzzle of boxing, Oleksandr solves multiple times, too many times,” Verhoeven said. “But he hasn’t solved this puzzle yet. I am going to bring different angles, kickboxing angles.”

Warming to the task of talking up his chances, Verhoeven added: “When I land my best punch on him, of course he will go down. If I land my best punch clean, he is a built-up cruiserweight, there is a 20-kilo weight difference.”

When asked for a response to his opponent’s foresight, Usyk made the most telling statement of the entire event. “We’ll see,” he said.

There’s deadlines and then there’s Floyd Mayweather Jnr time.

The two are nearing a collision course with the president of Manny Pacquiao Promotions reporting Mayweather confronts an end-of-business Tuesday finish line to commit to the Pacquiao rematch being a professional boxing match, not an exhibition.

On Monday’s “Inside The Ring,” television show, MP Promotions’ Jas Mathur said Mayweather faces the Tuesday deadline to commit to the real fight putting his perfect 50-0 record on the line after telling reporters in late March that the bout would be an exhibition and he was not sure if it would be where it is signed to occur, The Sphere in Las Vegas.

Another figure connected to the deal told BoxingScene the window is tightening for Mayweather, 49, to officially clarify his involvement after signing to participate in a legitimate prizefight September 19 on Netflix.

What will transpire Tuesday is unknown. Anyone who’s spent significant time around Mayweather knows he moves to his own schedule.

Pacquiao said on “Inside The Ring” that Mayweather is “scared” to risk his perfect record after leveraging it so many times in lucrative exhibition bouts, including one against Logan Paul.

In his late-March interview, Mayweather intimated the fact that he and Pacquiao are already Hall of Famers means they don’t need to stage a real fight that will count against their records.

But Pacquiao, coming off a July WBC welterweight title draw versus former champion Mario Barrios, yearns to avenge defeat in the richest prizefight in history, when he fought through a right shoulder injury that required surgery and lost a unanimous decision to Mayweather at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao has honored his commitment, appearing at several major sporting events – baseball, hockey and soccer – while throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium and meeting with several reporters, including BoxingScene, to promote the fight.

Pacquiao associate David Sisson told BoxingScene the fans’ reaction to seeing Pacquiao, 47, has been incredibly supportive this time around, as it seems he will be the wide fan favorite when the fight occurs.

First, Mayweather has to meet his deadline.

If he rejects the real fight and insists on an exhibition, Pacquiao told BoxingScene Mayweather will experience “problems” as a result of the contracts he has already signed. 

Tick, tick, tick.

I’m handing the lead of this boxing column over to Linda Richman, the Mike Myers Saturday Night Live character who hosted the “Coffee Talk” sketches. Take it away, Linda …

Talk amongst yourselves. I’ll give you a topic: Turki Alalshikh’s surprise announcement teased during Saturday’s Netflix broadcast of the Tyson Fury-Arslanbek Makhmudov fight was neither a surprise nor an announcement. Discuss.

In Alalshikh’s mind and according to his script, the fight card at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was going to end with Fury calling out Anthony Joshua and Joshua agreeing on the spot to that British heavyweight mega-fight, to the shock and delight of fight fans worldwide.

There were just two little problems.

First, the fact that Fury-Makhmudov was designed as a tune-up for Fury-Joshua was the worst-kept secret in boxing. Of course these two ex-champions are on a potential collision course. They’ve been on a potential collision course for the last several months (and off and on for years). Alalshikh promised a big surprise, but for us to be surprised, Fury would have had to say he intended to next face … well, literally any human not named Anthony Joshua.

Instead, when Fury took the microphone, he did the one thing that could not possibly be described as a surprise.

Then came the bigger problem: There was nothing to announce, surprise or otherwise. Fury and Joshua have no agreement in place. Alalshikh and Eddie Hearn have no agreement in place.

A call-out is not an announcement. A call-out is, at best, a possible prelude to an announcement.

But there was nothing to announce on Saturday in response to Fury’s call-out. AJ made damned sure of that.

Joshua couldn’t be bothered to so much as stand up from his ringside folding chair. In pro wrestling parlance, he “no-sold” Fury.

There would be no nose-to-nose photo op in the ring, no fake fracas with cornermen and security guards holding the heavyweights back. Just Joshua, sitting on a chair, barely expressive, flipping Fury the bird, declaring himself the landlord.

If you ask me, he played it perfectly. While sitting still with a mic in his hand, he put up more threatening resistance to Fury than Makhmudov did standing and stalking with gloves on his hands for 36 minutes.

It was Fury who earned his 35th career victory in London over the weekend, shaking off 16 months of rust and enjoying the feeling of having his hand raised for the first time in two-and-a-half years. 

But it was Joshua, who had 29 victories on his record at the start of the evening and still had 29 at the end of it, who was the biggest winner of the day.

This couldn’t have gone more perfectly for AJ – both because of things he couldn’t control (what Fury did in the ring) and things he could (his refusal to let Fury dictate terms).

If we make the assumption that Joshua does indeed want to fight Fury and would like that fight to be as massive as possible, as meaningful as possible and as winnable as possible, Fury’s 12 rounds with Makhmudov delivered precisely what AJ needed.

For starters: Fury won. If he hadn’t, the conversation afterward would have been “should Fury fight again?” rather than “who will Fury fight next?”

So, with that most basic of boxes checked, the focus shifts to how Fury performed and what that performance told us about how much he has left at age 37.

The short answer there is that he looked, more or less, like the boxer we’ve long known him to be. Fury is most definitely not a shot fighter. He still moves with fluidity, can keep up a half-decent pace and can take a pop on the chin without crumbling.

It must be noted, however, that Makhmudov got this gig for a reason. He’s as ponderous and predictable a heavyweight as could be found in the BoxRec top 50. This fight was never going to prove anything about Fury’s upside; it could only disprove fears about his downside.

And it did that. The bellowing behemoth revealed himself to still be competent in the boxing ring.

And that’s all that was needed to keep Fury vs. Joshua meaningful.

This isn’t Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao II, a fight that, whether it counts on their records or not, counts toward their legacies about as much as Tom Brady playing flag football counts toward his.

Fury vs. Joshua, even if it would have meant more five years ago, even if the window for it to be for the legit heavyweight championship has closed, is still a fight between two viable contenders.

And that’s crucial for Joshua in particular. Because as it stands right now, if these two never face each other, Fury, who won the lineal championship in 2015 and didn’t lose it in the ring until 2024, will go down as the top British heavyweight of the era.

He beat Wladimir Klitschko before Joshua did. He topped Deontay Wilder in the greatest heavyweight trilogy since Riddick Bowe vs. Evander Holyfield. And he never got knocked out by any massive underdogs.

That’s not to say there isn’t room for some degree of debate. Joshua fought slightly better competition overall. He fared better against Francis Ngannou than Fury did. And he didn’t spend chunks of his prime in semi-retirement.

But still, ask 100 boxing historians, and at least 90 of them are going to rank Fury higher on the all-time list.

If these two never square off against each other.

And that’s a big part of the reason AJ should very much want this showdown to happen. Fury revealed himself against Makhmudov to be credible enough that defeating him still means something. And that, in turn, means that with a single victory, Joshua can flip those rankings.

Pacquiao defeating Mayweather in 2026 doesn’t make Pacquiao greater than Mayweather overall. Joshua beating Fury in 2026 does change the historical pecking order.

And here’s the capper for Joshua: Despite all his own flaws, he can absolutely beat Fury.

Joshua has long had confidence issues, but they seem mostly to stem from a lack of trust in his chin and his stamina.

That doesn’t mean things always go well for him when he steps forward with confidence. It worked out nicely for AJ against Ngannou, but not so much in the first fight with Andy Ruiz nor against Daniel Dubois.

Fury, though, is not a puncher. His knockout rate is respectable, but most of those KOs have come in the later rounds, more often through accumulation and attrition than pure power. At no point did he badly hurt Makhmudov, who’d been stopped in both of his previous losses.

And Fury will not force Joshua and his heavy muscles to fight at an exhausting pace. In his last three fights, all of which went the full 12 rounds, Fury threw 496, 509 and 498 punches. So he’s always right around 41 or 42 per round. It’s a steady work rate, but it’s far from overwhelming.

Fury is always in better condition than those two jiggly protrusions on his lower back would have you believe, but he’s also in the back half of his 30s and will be looking to buy time with a little clinching and mauling every bit as much as Joshua will.

Lennox Lewis often said he preferred those rare occasions when he got to punch up against a taller opponent rather than having to punch down. I suspect the same is true of Joshua, whose four defeats have come against three men shorter than he is.

Joshua has always been more of an overhand-right guy than an uppercut guy.

It’s all guesswork until the opening bell rings, but I suspect the styles-make-fights of it all will be slightly to AJ’s benefit.

And he is absolutely right to make Fury work for a deal. If Joshua had said, “Yeah, let’s do it, I’m ready” into that microphone on Saturday without the terms for the fight all worked out, he would have given away most of his leverage.

Obviously, it wouldn’t be wise for him to negotiate and marinate this thing past the point of no return. Joshua needs to ultimately sign on the dotted line.

But if and when he does, when they’re putting together video packages hyping Fury vs. Joshua, those clips of Joshua sitting on a chair, staring blankly at Fury, will actually serve the promotion quite well.

Those verbal exchanges after Fury-Makhmudov were, frankly, more memorable than any fistic exchanges during Fury-Makhmudov.

Joshua no-sold Fury. And I think that helps sell Fury-Joshua.

There will be no surprise announcement anytime soon. Either there will be an announcement of a fight or there will be the surprise that there is no fight, but there can’t be both.

Until we know which it is, just talk amongst yourselves. I’ll give you a topic: Sometimes the best way to stake your claim to the throne is just to stay seated on your chair. Discuss.

Eric Raskin is a veteran boxing journalist with nearly 30 years of experience covering the sport for such outlets as BoxingScene, ESPN, Grantland, Playboy, and The Ring (where he served as managing editor for seven years). He also co-hosted The HBO Boxing Podcast, Showtime Boxing with Raskin & Mulvaney, The Interim Champion Boxing Podcast with Raskin & Mulvaney, and Ring Theory. He has won three first-place writing awards from the BWAA, for his work with The Ring, Grantland, and HBO. Outside boxing, he is the senior editor of CasinoReports and the author of 2014’s The Moneymaker Effect. He can be reached on X, BlueSky, or LinkedIn, or via email at RaskinBoxing@yahoo.com.

Oleksandr Usyk, 24-0 (15 KOs), 39 years old

Strengths: A master boxer with exceptional ring generalship, Usyk has exhibited supersonic intelligence against significantly bigger men. His shot selection is on point, his feet are always in time and – perhaps most importantly – he can shift his approach quickly should he endure a period where it appears he’s lost control.

Weaknesses: Very simply, his age and size. That said, he’s repeatedly proven that being a ‘small’ heavyweight is only to the detriment of his opponent. One thing even Usyk won’t be able to beat is Father Time, however.

What’s next: That he fights a kickboxer, Rico Verhoeven, on May 23 in Egypt has been widely derided and assumed to be an easy night's work. As such, whatever happens, he can expect criticism in the aftermath: win at a canter and it will be labelled a waste of time; make hard work of it and his untouchable peak years might be deemed all over.

Tyson Fury, 35-2-1 (24 KOs), 37 years old

Strengths: Usyk aside, Fury might be the best technician in the division. It still defies belief that he moves so well and so frequently for a man of his dimensions. He’s crafty, tough, a terrific counterpuncher, and can make all but the very best look ordinary. No longer seems to possess the power he did during his peak but thumps hard enough to gain the respect of all.

Weaknesses: Though elusive at times, he’s always been hittable. He barely lost a round against Arslanbek Makhmudov last weekend, but it’s clear he’s slowing down. Against a world-class puncher, his once-famed durability will undoubtedly be tested.

What’s next: The efforts to lure Anthony Joshua into a super-fight were as crude and clumsy as Makhmudov proved to be during the fight that preceded the callout. Fury says if it doesn’t happen next he will retire for the sixth time.

Fabio Wardley, 20-0-1 (19 KOs), 31 years old

Strengths: Though one of the hardest hitters in the division, Wardley’s bloody-mindedness is surely the biggest ace up his sleeve. His lack of formal education – he came straight from the white-collar circuit – has been well-documented but his ability to bite down on his gum-shield and fight like hell until the other guy falls over is simply unteachable.

Weaknesses: Go back and watch sections of his fights with Frazer Clarke (first bout), Justis Huni, and Joseph Parker for all you need in this category. Thought it’s always been suggested that he can be outboxed, it’s a fact that nobody has done it for long enough to actually beat him.

What’s next: An unmissable dingdong with Daniel Dubois on May 5.

Moses Itauma, 14-0 (12 KOs), 21 years old

Strengths: The youngster appears to have it all. He fights with real spite, is always beautifully poised, he carries significant potency in his fists and, oh so admirably, always exudes patience that is belying of his years, even when he’s machine gunning his foes into oblivion. 

Weaknesses: Still to fight a genuine contender so, as much as we’re falling all over ourselves to pay him compliments, the truth remains that he’s yet to prove himself at the top table. So, let’s try to – and it’s not easy – not get carried away until we know more about his chin, his stamina, and his ability to stay disciplined when his purses go stratospheric.

What’s next: For now unknown but there are whispers that someone like Martin Bakole – and maybe even Filip Hrgovic – might come next in July.

Daniel Dubois, 22-3 (21 KOs), 28 years old

Strengths: Each of his many trainers have spoken of his cannonball-like power; taking this dude on the pads is apparently a risky business. More so is sampling one of his full-blown blasts to the chin. Dubois, when in the mood, is difficult to budge and, even though he’s been criticised for each of his defeats, that he bounced back so majestically from the first Usyk loss – to hammer Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and Anthony Joshua – suggests he has enough about him to do so again.

Weaknesses: Dubois is a tough cat to judge. He seemed to go down easy against Joe Joyce and Usyk but stood tall when swallowing blows from Joshua and Hrgovic. He’s not the most fluid of assassins and, when the going gets tough, his desire has been called into question.

What’s next: A wonderfully poised shootout with Fabio Wardley on May 9.

Agit Kabayel, 27-0 (19 KOs), 33 years old

Strengths: For those unaware of the swarming Kabayel, and how good he is, should compare the German’s dismantling of Arslanbek Makhmudov in 2023 with Tyson Fury’s performance against the same opponent. Excellent infighter who hooks with the best of them, Kabayel – at 33 – has done more than enough to earn a title shot.

Weaknesses: Appears to have shaken his old habit of coasting through sections of fights (as per his points wins over Kevin Johnson and Derek Chisora) but one suspects he might lose his way in a contest in which his opponent – like a Usyk, for example – is controlling the pace and range of the combat.

What’s next: Though a summer clash in Germany was originally planned, it’s understood he’s now keen to see if Usyk will at last answer his call after he’s dealt with Verhoeven next month.

Anthony Joshua, 29-4 (26 KOs), 36 years old

Strengths: The crack in Jake Paul’s jaw proves that Joshua can still whack with the best of them; his trusty one-two, in fact, might be the most devastating combination amongst the heavyweights. He’s a better boxer than ever given credit for – he gave Usyk plenty of problems in their rematch – and is one of the best finishers in the sport.

Weaknesses: At 36 his best days are surely behind him, and he looked vulnerable when he last faced a top heavyweight, Daniel Dubois, in 2024. Has been accused of being too upright and robotic. Quite what the horror car crash he survived at the end of last year has done to his in-ring psyche is yet to be discovered.

What’s next: Eddie Hearn has said we’ll know more in the coming weeks. A showdown with Fury remains a possibility – if not the foregone conclusion Turki Alalshikh would have us believe – for later in the year.

Joseph Parker, 36-4 (24 KOs), 34 years old

Strengths: The archetypal perennial contender, plenty of Parker’s opponents have been fooled into believing the New Zealander is nothing special. But he does pretty much everything well, which is what makes him so difficult to beat. A neat and tidy boxer with a decent dig, Parker has a solid engine and is one of the most experienced and canny campaigners in the land of the giants.

Weaknesses: His reputation as the most-deserving heavyweight contender was wrecked when he was stopped by Fabio Wardley in October and news of a failed test broke shortly thereafter. Though not ‘old’ at 34, Parker, who can be too careless when on the attack, has a long career behind him that will soon surely catch up.

What’s next: Parker and his team are in the process of resolving the drug charges against him. He recently called out Dillian Whyte, of all people, for a rematch.

Filip Hrgovic, 19-1 (14 KOs), 33 years old

Strengths: The Croatian has morphed from long-time prospect to seasoned campaigner in recent years. A terrific puncher with a cultured style that speaks to his extensive education, Hrgovic – who has a big heart – has also proven the hardiness of his whiskers several times. He can boast top-10 placements in all four sanctioning body rankings.

Weaknesses: For someone so skilled, he takes far too many punches. His face is susceptible to cuts and, at the highest level, seems to lack the required oomph to thrive.

What’s next: He should be far too good for the war-torn Dave Allen on May 16. Don’t be surprised to see him thrown in with Moses Itauma in the summer if he gets past Allen injury-free.

Martin Bakole, 21-2-1 (16 KOs), 34 years old

Strengths: What a difference a winless 2025 campaign makes. It’s not so long ago that Bakole was regarded as the division’s dangerman but after a badly judged late notice fight with Joseph Parker ended in a KO defeat, and a scrappy affair with Efe Ajagba finished a draw, Bakole’s strengths have been called into question. But when in form he is seriously effective; his old-school style sees him throw crisp combinations, he has fight-ending one-punch power and, when fit, is adept at cutting off the ring.

Weaknesses: The manner of his defeat to Parker left questions marks about his punch resistance, he can appear ponderous at times and there are doubts about his fitness, dedication, and stamina.

What’s next: Recently took to social media to criticise Boxxer, his current promoter, about the lack of opportunities he’s received. That’s certainly a story where both sides should be heard. But if he can return to fitness, he’ll be an attractive, and dangerous, foe for someone of note.

Efe Ajagba, 21-1-1 (15 KOs), 31 years old 

Strengths: The Nigerian possesses a stiff jab and the power to trouble anyone else on this list. Though thought fortunate to get the nod over Guido Vianello in 2024, he seemed to outwork Bakole last year before showing off his continued improvement by walking through Charles Martin on a Zuffa Boxing card earlier this year.

Weaknesses: He can be outfoxed by slick operators and, though he’s yet to be stopped, his desire to march ahead has left him wide open. Frank Sanchez dropped him en route to a wide points success in 2021 and Ajagba, though tough and strong, would surely struggle against the division leaders.

What’s next: Ajagba, Zuffa Boxing’s first heavyweight signing, last year decided against rematching Sanchez and there is talk that Otto Wallin – also on Zuffa’s books – might now come next. 

Lawrence Okolie, 23-1 (17 KOs), 33 years old

Strengths: Spidery and awkward, Okolie – the No. 1 contender at heavyweight according to the WBC – has had problems attracting worthwhile opponents since joining the division late in 2024. Okolie might not be the prettiest of boxers but, when he gets his feet right, is a hellacious hitter who can box effectively from distance.

Weaknesses: Chris Billam-Smith, while handing Okolie his only loss down at cruiserweight in 2023, took the fight to Okolie who struggled to adjust to the bullish tactics. He’s been accused of being a spoiler and a coaster – he can appear to lack urgency – who isn’t known for swift gear changes mid-fight.

What’s next: After trying and failing to persuade Kabayel to dance, Okolie heads to Paris to tango with Tony Yoka on April 25.

Murat Gassiev, 33-2 (26 KOs), 32 years old

Strengths: Though outhustled by Otto Wallin in a 2023 loss that seemed to highlight his ceiling in the banner division, Gassiev showcased his one-punch power when he flattened the aging Kubrat Pulev in December. Gassiev is excellent on the front foot, he has good variety – his left hook downstairs is particularly impressive – and his punch resistance appears sound.

Weaknesses: He can be outslicked, and his forward motion exposed, like during his 2018 cruiserweight loss to Usyk. Not a huge heavyweight, Gassiev doesn’t appear to have the versatility required to overcome what his 6ft 2ins frame will encounter if he targets the big men.

What’s next: Moses Itauma was once interested in Gassiev’s WBA ‘regular’ title, but proposed changes to the cluttered championship system could render that belt obsolete. However, though Itauma is exceptionally unlikely to entertain an away day with Gassiev, with backing from the IBA, it’s likely an opportunity against a name of sorts will be found for the Russian.

Deontay Wilder, 45-4-1 (43 KOs), 40 years old

Strengths: When it comes to earning big money, his name remains an attractive proposition. Though fading, Wilder can still muster plenty of force even if some of his power of old has been lost with the dulling of his reflexes. Gutsy and hard to read, Wilder would still have the proverbial puncher’s chance with anyone.

Weaknesses: He’s more hittable than ever before and, though he may claim to be back to his best, the punishing fights with Tyson Fury – on top of the brutal KO loss to Zhilei Zhang – only added miles to the 40-year-old’s clock. Though far from ‘chinny’ Wilder has never possessed an iron-clad jaw.

What’s next: Fresh off a win over Derek Chisora, Wilder – to his credit – is back in the shop window.

BEST OF THE REST: Richard Torrez Jnr or Frank Sanchez can join the queue to face Usyk when they clash on the Ukrainian’s May 23 undercard in an IBF eliminator… The powerful Richard Riakporhe lost his way at cruiserweight but his recent win over Jeamie TKV, to win the British heavyweight title, showcased this division might be more to his liking… Justis Huni edging Frazer Clarke last weekend saw him retain his status as a fringe contender… Will Bakhodir Jalolov fulfil his immense amateur promise? His recent form suggests not… Italy’s Guido Vianello is currently the division’s sturdiest gatekeeper… Inactive since 2024, and ineffective since stunning Joshua in 2019, Andy Ruiz Jnr might still be just about young enough for one more title charge if he can get his head back in the game.

Cruiserweight contender Chris Billam-Smith has signed with Zuffa Boxing which, by association, means that his next fight will be broadcast by Sky Sports.

Bournemouth, England's Billam-Smith, 21-2 (13 KOs), is a former WBO beltholder, winning the title with an upset points win over Lawrence Okolie in May 2023. He would make two successful defenses, beating Mateusz Masternak and Richard Riakporhe, before losing his title to Gilberto Ramirez in a 2024 unification. His only action since then saw him outpoint Brandon Glanton 12 months ago.

The 35-year-old, formerly with Boxxer, stated: "I'm really excited by this opportunity to work with Zuffa," Billam-Smith told Sky Sports. "They're entertainment powerhouses and that's what I'm about: entertaining. It was a no-brainer.

"The move is about proving I am the best in the world. I can't wait to get back in the ring, headlining shows live on Sky Sports."

The inaugural Zuffa cruiserweight belt was contested in March, won by Jai Opetaia - a longtime target of Billam-Smith - when he too outpointed Glanton over 12 rounds. 

“Boxing at the level I’ve boxed at and seeing what I see I don’t think he [Opetaia]’s ever looked invincible,” Billam-Smith told BoxingScene earlier this year. “I think he’s looked very, very, very good and no one could doubt his talent, but no one’s invincible and I think he’s shown that a few times."

Billam-Smith's recent inactivity coincided with his contract with Boxxer, which expired at the end of 2025, winding down. He was ordered by the WBO to take on Roman Fress in an eliminator of sorts but when the German's team won the purse bids by tabling $150,000, the Englishman's interest in the contest waned.

Billam-Smith, known as one of Britain's most exciting fighters, has signed a multi-fight deal with Zuffa. The first outing under his new promoters is expected to be announced later this month.

 

Tyson Fury’s unanimous decision win over Arslanbek Makhmudov last night in London was a tax return of a heavyweight fight, something that needed to be checked off, but ideally should have been done in private. 

For Fury, the one returning, all that really mattered was that he won and that he got some rounds under his belt having had 16 months away. In Makhmudov, we know now that he had the perfect opponent to achieve both these things. Better yet, he had an opponent whose gratitude was equal to his resilience; an opponent who, 10 years ago, was so much of a fan of Fury that he requested a picture with the former world heavyweight champion at an event. 

Even if Fury had had the luxury of designing his own comeback opponent, he would have done no better than Makhmudov. His kind of guy, he was big, tough, basic, and obedient. He made Fury feel comfortable in the buildup, when sometimes nerves can creep in following an extended absence, and he made him feel just as comfortable in the ring on fight night, when the Russian’s rudimentary style and crude swings allowed Fury to quickly get into his groove and feel as though he had never been away. 

This, you see, was a treat for Fury – a sparring session in all but name. That it took place in front of an apparently sold-out crowd of 50,000 said as much about the Fury brand as the quality of the fight, and the longer the fight went on, the more it became apparent that this was an exercise meant for the gym rather than a football stadium. 

The only consolation, for the fans, came from the knowledge that this fight, Fury vs. Makhmudov, was being watched by Anthony Joshua, who filmed all 12 rounds on his phone from ringside. Joshua, of course, has long been linked with a fight against Fury – for the best part of a decade, in fact – and last night, before Fury had even stepped into the ring, the Saudi Arabian financier, Turki Alalshikh, was close to announcing Fury vs. Joshua during an interview with Netflix. He did, however, stop short of doing so, perhaps because the fight is not as close as he would like, or perhaps because he didn’t want to tempt fate with Fury yet to box. Either way, Joshua refused to enter the ring following Fury’s lopsided victory over Makhmudov and instead remained in his ringside seat as Fury took the mic and called him out. 

“Like I said, let me get Arslanbek Makhmudov out of the way and then we’ll talk next. Next we’ll give you the fight you’ve all been waiting for,” said Fury, leaning over the ropes. “I want you, AJ, Anthony Joshua. Let’s give the fight fans what they want: The Battle of Britain. And here’s my challenge: I challenge you, Anthony Joshua, to fight me, the Gypsy King, next. Do you accept my challenge? Come on, you big shithouse. Are you going to fight or not?”

Seemingly, if Makhmudov was a fight for Fury, Joshua was one for us. All we needed now was for Joshua to demonstrate a similar level of desire and urgency to get the fight made. 

“Tyson, you’re a clout-chaser,” he said to start. “I’ve never had a problem getting in the ring with you. I punched you up when we were kids and, after watching you here tonight, I’ll punch you up again. 

“With all due respect, tonight is your night, and you know I’ll stand across that ring from you in due time. You’re not going to tell me what to do. I’ve been chasing you for the last 10 years. When you’re ready, you come and see me and tell me your terms and conditions, and I’ll have you in the ring when I’m ready. You work for me. I’m the landlord. Remember that.”

If Joshua is indeed the landlord, or simply Fury’s neighbor or nemesis, the prospect of Fury fighting him would be a logical next step after last night’s fight against a fan. Whereas against Makhmudov, the goal was to simply go rounds, shed rust, and reintroduce himself on the world stage, the stakes in any fight with Joshua would be considerably higher. Ergo, the interest in the fight, on the part of fans, would be considerably higher, too. It would not, unlike the Makhmudov fight, be a vanity exercise or something best done behind closed doors. Instead, despite it coming years too late, we would, with Fury vs. Joshua, see two men nervous, perhaps even fearful. It is usually then, in that scenario, we see the best in fighters. It is usually then we see a fight worth watching. 

Unfortunately, the same could not be said about last night’s 12 rounds between Fury and Makhmudov. According to the three ringside judges, Makhmudov won only one of those 12 rounds – on one of the three judges’ scorecards – while each of the other 11 went to Fury. The round he won, presumably the first, he won by virtue of landing the single notable punch – an overhand right – and huffing and puffing a little louder than Fury for its duration. It was, given the lack of output from Fury, just about enough. 

For the next 11 rounds, however, Makhmudov was reduced to solely huffing and puffing. He would, round after round, go in search of Fury, only to often fall over his own feet and end up in a clinch following a wild and typically wayward swing of his left or right glove. His problem, one of many, was that he would lead with his hands and then let his feet follow, which resulted in Makhmudov time and time again falling over his front foot and into some kind of embrace. It was crude stuff, truly, and coming so early in the fight not even fatigue could be used as an excuse. This was simply how Makhmudov operated. He was big, and he was tough, and he was willing. But he just lacked any sort of guile or technique. 

Fury, by contrast, was the embodiment of those things after the opening round. He used his guile to make Makhmudov miss and sometimes tumble into the ropes, and he used his technique to line up and land scything uppercuts thrown from both an orthodox and southpaw stance. In round four, having taken a solid left from Makhmudov out of a clinch, Fury even started getting physical with his opponent, pushing him back and making him feel the ropes on his skin. In fact, with 30 seconds left to go in that round, it was Fury who was the aggressor, nailing Makhmudov with a right cross after turning him on the ropes. 

Now Fury knew he had him under complete control. Depending on his mood, he could either outbox him or, if it came to that, even outfight him up close. Of those two options, Fury preferred the former, of course, if only because it was less of a risk, and so in round five he employed his jab a lot more – flicking it in the face of Makhmudov – and he continued to frustrate Makhmudov by being in range one moment and then someone else the next. Fed up of missing, Makhmudov at one stage dropped his hands and beckoned Fury in, whereupon Fury smiled and touched gloves. Now we had proof, if ever it was needed, of what kind of fight this was going to be. It would be more fun for them, the fighters, than it would for us, the audience. 

The fight’s second half bore this out. Makhmudov had his moments, including a left hook-right hook combination in round seven, but it was mostly one-way traffic, with uppercuts a feature of Fury’s work. In round 10, he landed a peach of a right uppercut, which sent the gum shield flying from Makhmudov’s mouth. He then went to touch gloves with Makhmudov upon the restart – Makhmudov having had his gum shield reinserted – only to think better of it and instead fire a short right hand into the Russian’s face. That shot didn’t only buckle Makhmudov’s legs for the first time in the fight, but it offered the first indication that this was something more than just a friendly knockabout for these two heavyweights. Suddenly there was a sense, albeit brief, that Fury wouldn’t mind ending this fight inside the distance. Maybe the peacemaking had all been a ruse; a tactic to soften Makhmudov up. 

But no, that wasn’t the case. In the final round, Fury, 35-2-1 (24 KOs), was as relaxed as he had ever been – boxing well, moving well, jabbing well – and Makhmudov, 21-3 (19 KOs), was just desperate to stay upright. A win, to him, was now hearing the final bell, and Fury, aware of this, wasn’t about to spoil his big day in London. 

When it came, the final bell, they fell into each other’s arms, both grateful to have got exactly what they wanted from this exercise. Fury then kissed his beaten foe on the head to show his respect and his compassion. He did so at around the same time Anthony Joshua, his British rival, stopped recording on his phone and started to imagine, with his fists now clenched, the damage he might do to Fury in the future. 

By the time the decision was announced, love had made way for hate and nobody, not a single soul, was about to complain. In fact, the switch in tone was encouraged. The fans in the stadium encouraged it and Fury himself encouraged it. It would seem he is ready now. He has had his fun.

Tyson Fury marked his return to the ring with a convincing victory over Russia’s Arslanbek Makhmudov.

At London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium he often toyed with his overmatched opponent, and after 16 months of inactivity and his first defeats showed that he retains the abilities to remain the second finest heavyweight in the world.

At the conclusion of 12 largely one-sided rounds he was awarded a unanimous decision via scores of 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109.

He may never earn the third fight he craves with Oleksandr Usyk and cannot argue that he is his most deserving challenger, but he will be the favourite if he finally fights Anthony Joshua – a fight that may never happen if it doesn’t take place in 2026.

Saturday’s fight was Fury’s first since his successive defeats by Usyk, the second of which came in December 2024. He had often insisted that he was retired but his comeback was ultimately inevitable, and while he eased to victory over the 36-year-old Makhmudov it was tempting to conclude that he would have stopped him had he remained at his peak.

The fight with Makhmudov was also Fury’s first since the death of his friend and former assistant trainer Ricky Hatton. To that end he paid tribute to him while he made his ring walk and cut an emotional figure – but shortly after the opening bell he appeared to rediscover the sense of joy he gets from being in the ring.

Makhmudov had been chosen as his opponent on account of the profile of his victory in October over Fury’s popular fellow Englishman David Allen. He represented a durable but limited opponent and therefore suitable for Fury to shed the rust he had developed – and perhaps even to rebuild his confidence after two-and-a-half years since his most recent win.

The Russian, as he had been expected to, started with aggression and by trying to land his right hand. He often over-reached while charging forward and Fury calmly sought to counter and jab him; he again reached with a right but Fury then tied him up.

A left-right combination and then left uppercut in the second round showed Fury’s edge in speed and sharpness. A further left-right and then a counter left-right after Makhmudov’s right hand fell short then demonstrated that the one-dimensional Makhmudov was already at risk of running out of ideas.

Fury continued to lead with his jab in the third in which he also adopted a southpaw stance and appeared to be enjoying himself. He succeeded with a left hook from close range, then lefts to the head and body and then a left-right.

Makhmudov caught him with a right hand in the fourth but achieved little beyond wasting his energy when he continued to wildly swing and continued to miss his target. Fury continued to prioritise his jab and to succeed with his left-right combination; Makhmudov’s punch resistance remained firm.

It will perhaps have been a relief to the teams of both fighters that their fight required relatively little officiating. The referee was none other than Mark Bates, so heavily criticised for his contributions to Deontay Wilder-Derek Chisora the previous week.

Makhmudov twice more fell short with right hands in the fifth round, and in the sixth was punished by Fury patiently again prioritising his jab and showboating via his facial expressions.

Successive right hands from the Russian in the seventh were followed by a left-right to the body from Fury and a return to his authoritative jab; Makhmudov missed with a further right hand and was again punished with successive jabs.

A well-timed, counter left hook to the chin caught the eye and hurt Makhmudov in the eighth round. A right uppercut then followed, and hurt Makhmudov once again.

With greater urgency it remains possible that Fury could have succeeded in recording his 25th stoppage, but he may well instead have been prioritising the activity.  A left uppercut was followed by him letting his hands go in the 11th, when he also turned Makhmudov into a corner and started freely throwing again.

A stoppage, thereafter, never appeared likely to follow. A right uppercut from in close then helped him see out the final round, which he finished with his hands almost behind his back and using his head and body movement to stay away from harm.

Pre-fight, Turki Alalshikh had teased that the overdue date between Fury and Joshua is imminent.

At 37 – a year older than Joshua – time is perhaps finally running out for Fury to fight his long-term rival. He and Joshua again exchanged words, post-fight, but they and almost everyone else has already been there before, making their meeting both tiring and familiar. But if they don’t finally agree terms to fight each other, is there even any point in Fury being back?

Conor Benn defeated Regis Prograis via unanimous decision after 10 rounds at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

 

The 150lbs catchweight bout was expected to be straightforward for Benn, but the former two-time junior welterweight champion Prograis proved a tougher opponent than expected. After 10 competitive rounds, all three scorecards regardless read 98-92 in favour of Benn, likely taking him closer to his shot as mandatory challenger at the WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia.

 

The talk before the fight was not of the fight, but of Benn’s reported $15million switch from his long-time promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom to rivals Zuffa Boxing and Dana White. That talk consumed the build up, with many forgetting that Benn was in with an experienced operator in Prograis. Despite Prograis’ accolades, Benn was expected to deliver a straightforward knockout under his new promotional banner. However, despite rising to 25-1 (14 KOs) with victory, he looked one-dimensional and failed to deliver a performance to be proud of.  

 

There had been rumours of an injury to Prograis, and his legs did not look under him from the opening bell. Benn, 29, landed a right hand over his guard that shook the 37 year old. The Englishman would jump in recklessly to land his right hand but Prograis was able to time him and land his southpaw left. The round was a competitive one but Benn landed a right hand on the bell that rocked Prograis badly.

 

Prograis was down again in the second, but this time from stumbling as he threw a jab. It seemed that he was having trouble with his right leg, and it looked inevitable that he would be taking another trip to the canvas.

 

Benn was in control in third, yet struggling to land anything meaningful on his experienced opponent. The crafty southpaw slipped and slid Benn’s sharp punches, but offered little in return. Prograis finally landed his first telling shot when he fired in a left hand that cut Benn’s right eye early in the fourth. Prograis took confidence from the shot and started to press forwards. 

 

Benn appeared offended by Prograis' success in the previous session and started the fifth strongly. He fired in his sharp shot, but little landed, Prograis was just too clever and there was little thought to Benn’s work. Benn finally caught Prograis with a right hand; Prograis shook his head and returned fire with a left to the midsection.

 

Benn was increasingly getting frustrated. It wasn’t just about beating Prograis, it was also looking good, and thus far he had not. Another cut opened on Benn, this time above his left eye in the sixth. Benn, seemingly angered by the cuts, thumped in a body shot before taunting Prograis, and was politely told to shut up by the referee Kieran McCann.

 

Benn was breathing heavily in his corner ahead of the seventh, but started the round quickly by firing in a left hand, followed by a right, to Prograis’ midsection. Benn continued his assault on Prograis’ body, swinging in hooks as the pair locked horns in center ring. Prograis was shaking his head in response, but he was certainly feeling the shots downstairs.

 

Benn was feeling more comfortable; his work to the body had made a dent in Prograis and he was able to dominate the eighth. He continued to fire in shots to the midsection, bringing them up to the head occasionally, but Prograis stood firm. Prograis was wearing the effects of Benn’s shots in the previous two sessions in the ninth, and there was a sense he was starting to come apart. Blood trickled from Prograis’ left eye as Benn again belted in a wild hook, but still Prograis shook his head. It had become about finishing on his feet for the ageing Prograis. He knew his best years were behind him, but having never been stopped before, he was determined to not give Benn that honour.

 

Prograis fought bravely throughout the 10th and final round. Benn continued to fire in sharp right hands, but Prograis dug in and fired back. Prograis waved his opponent in as he played possum in the corner, and seemed to catch Benn with his head as he fired in a left to Benn’s body. Benn tried frantically to get his man out of there in the closing seconds, but Prograis was too smart, and tough, and the bell sounded. 

 

Benn looked displeased, his face bloodied and bruised, as he awaited the official verdict and Prograis gave him respect as Benn was awarded the win. Prograis fell to 30-4 (24 KOs) with the defeat, and despite losing gave a good account of himself in what could be his final professional bout.

Australia’s Justis Huni started the process of moving on from the most difficult period of his career when he earned a majority decision over Frazer Clarke.

At London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the undercard of Tyson Fury-Arslanbek Makhmudov he fought to scores of 95-95, 96-94 and 96-94 in his first contest since his first defeat.

As with England’s Clarke, it was the WBO heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley who dramatically ended Huni’s undefeated record. He then endured the tragic death to a heart attack of his trainer Keri Fiu, contributing to it taking 10 months for him to return to the ring.

Clarke, like Huni – working for the first time under Josh Arnold – was entering his first fight under his new trainer, Joe Gallagher. His unexpected defeat in his past fight by Jeamie Tshikeva ultimately meant that, far more so than Huni, his career was under threat.

Aged 34 he was 10lbs lighter than he was for November’s date with Tshikeva. His punch resistance and decline had since been widely questioned, but even in defeat, against a proven, youthful opponent – Huni is 27 – his improved conditioning complemented an improved performance and proof that he can continue to rebuild.

The jeopardy involved in the picture of Clarke’s career meant that accepting a fight with an opponent of Huni’s calibre represented a considerable risk.

Throughout the opening three rounds Huni’s abilities and edge in speed repeatedly tested Clarke, and allowed him to regularly succeed with his favoured left hand.

It was in the second when Huni landed with a left to the body and Clarke fell short with a jab. Huni then landed a further left to the body before Clarke fell short with a left and then Huni doubled up again with his left hand.

Clarke, clearly, was tempted to load up on his one-time sparring partner and to test the punch resistance that Wardley had conquered. He also then started to succeed to the body, in an attempt to slow Huni down.

A left uppercut on the inside from Huni then followed, as did the Australian jabbing with more consistency. There, similarly, followed a left to the body before he narrowly moved out of range.

In the fourth when they traded at close range an uppercut from Clarke snapped Huni’s head back. A right-left combination then hurt and wobbled Huni. Clarke then followed up with a straight right hand as Huni tucked up.

The sharper, leaner Clarke – largely fighting with a consistent work-rate – then had his most successful period of the fight until, after a right uppercut on the inside in the seventh, Huni’s sense of momentum was rebuilt.

Left hands to head and body followed in the eighth from Huni. Clarke, despite having taken punishment to the body, retained a consistent a form. They exchanged right hands, and this time Clarke’s head snapped back. A left uppercut and left hook followed from Huni, but Clarke again impressively stood firm.

An overhand right in the ninth from Huni, followed by a left hook and a right uppercut and a leaping right hand in the 10th contributed to him closing out victory.

He and his team will recognise that he is ready to return to world level. Clarke and his will also know that he can continue to improve.

NEWARK, N.J. – Hebert Conceicao kept his undefeated record intact Friday, but he had to get off the canvas to do it.

A 2020 Olympic gold medalist from Brazil, Conceicao boxed his way to a unanimous decision over former title challenger Johan Gonzalez, winning the 10-round middleweight fight at Prudential Center by the scores of 96-93 on two cards and 95-94 on the third.

The win, which came in a ProBox main event, was the third straight by decision for Conceicao, who improved to 11-0 (5 KOs), and his third overall against a former title challenger. Gonzalez, 36-6 (34 KOs), of Valencia, Venezuela, lost his third of his past four fights.

Conceicao boxed smoothly in the first round, landing hooks to the head and body in combination while pivoting away from Gonzalez’s offensive lunges, shoulder rolling Gonzalez’s right hands and landing his own rights.

If it was looking too easy for Conceicao early on, that impression changed in the third when Gonzalez timed one of Conceicao’s shoulder rolls, getting him to turn into a right hand, the Brazilian going to the canvas for the first time as a pro. Conceicao, though swollen under his left eye, tried to feign confidence as he smiled and looked to land counters on the aggressive Gonzalez.

Conceicao rebounded well in the fourth, returning to his boxing approach and scoring points, though Gonzalez was narrowly missing with the same right hand that had scored the knockdown earlier. The primary weapon for Conceicao was his jab, which scored consistently through the middle rounds and kept Gonzalez from getting set to land his power shots.

Conceicao reasserted dominance in the fight in the seventh, as his control of distance and shorter punches connected with the increasingly one-dimensional Gonzalez, whose whole approach was to look for another big overhand right. Conceicao continued to box from long range in the eighth and ninth, taking advantage of Gonzalez’s lack of a jab to outbox his opponent.

With the fight now firmly in his control, Conceicao had fun in the 10th, doubling and tripling his jab while smiling and countering before dancing out of range.

Conceicao is ranked No. 15 by the WBO at 160lbs.

Ryan Songalia is a reporter and editor for BoxingScene.com and has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler, The Guardian, Vice and The Ring magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at ryansongalia@gmail.com or on Twitter at @ryansongalia.

NEWARK, N.J. – Francisco Veron had to go deep into his bag of boxing skills on Friday to score a unanimous decision victory over Raul Garcia at Prudential Center.

The scores were 98-92 on two cards and 97-93 on the third, all for Argentina’s Veron, 17-1-1 (10 KOs), in the junior middleweight co-main event of a ProBox TV card. Garcia, of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, dropped to 15-3-1 (12 KOs) with the loss.

Veron’s greater accuracy gave him the advantage early as his jab lined up Garcia for uppercuts and body shots. Garcia was the stronger of the two, but his lack of upper-body movement kept him on the center line for straight shots down the middle while Veron was able to angle his body to avoid Garcia’s heavy blows. Veron drew blood from Garcia’s nose in the third, but Garcia’s nonstop pressure began to pay dividends in the fifth and sixth rounds as he connected with hooks to the head and body. Veron began to move more, and though he still landed cleanly to the head, it was Garcia pushing the fight.

Veron rediscovered his jab in the seventh, which enabled him to beat Garcia to the punch with his right hand more frequently. Garcia wouldn’t be discouraged, as he continued to target Veron’s midsection with right hands. Garcia found his target upstairs in the ninth round, rocking Veron with a right hand. Veron steadied himself and used Garcia’s aggression against him, landing check-hook right hands as Garcia rushed in.

That pattern made for a difficult fight to score, as Veron was the most consistent and accurate fighter while Garcia would come forward and land single heavy blows.

The two traded blows to the final bell in a competitive 10th round, which highlighted Veron’s more accurate shots.

Veron, a 2020 Olympian, has now won three in a row since his lone defeat, a unanimous decision to Brandon Adams in 2024. Garcia’s loss snaps a two-fight winning streak, which included a unanimous decision over the previously unbeaten Emiliano Moreno.

In a bloodbath that would have made Yaqui Lopez feel squeamish, Joshafat Ortiz and William Foster III fought to a no-contest after three rounds. The fight was stopped after the third round due to damage over Foster’s left eye, which frustrated Ortiz, whose own cut initially appeared the more devastating but was finally under control.

The fight between hard-luck underdogs was still taking shape as Foster, 19-3 (11 KOs), of New Haven, Connecticut, and Ortiz, 13-2 (6 KOs), of Reading, Pennsylvania, traded right hands. The close-range exchanges brought the two boxers’ heads into close contact, with both suffering serious cuts over their left eyes by the middle of the second round. The blood was so excessive that it quickly became difficult to separate the two fighters to determine who was landing what.

Both junior lightweights were looking to bounce back from disappointing decision losses in their previous bouts.

Ryan Songalia is a reporter and editor for BoxingScene.com and has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler, The Guardian, Vice and The Ring magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at ryansongalia@gmail.com or on Twitter at @ryansongalia.

NEWARK, N.J. – Emmanuel Chance had been looking forward to his first bout in his home state since he was 10 years old. After six rounds, his homecoming turned into the scare of a lifetime.

The former USA Boxing national team member started strongly, scoring a second-round knockdown, but had to eke out a split decision win over Angel Munoz on Friday at Prudential Center. One judge had the bantamweight bout 58-56 for Munoz but was overruled by the other two who scored it 57-56 for Chance, with the knockdown being the margin of victory for the 19-year-old from nearby East Orange, N.J.

Chance, who is promoted by Top Rank, raised his record to 4-0 (1 KOs), while Munoz dropped to 3-3 (2 KOs) with the bout, which punctuated the undercard action on a ProBox TV card.

Chance, who earned a silver at the Youth World Championships in 2024, looked every bit like a future star in the first round rounds, pinpointing left-hand counters and lunging right hooks that left Munoz, 20, of Baldwin Park, California, looking lost in the first round. Chance appeared every bit the future star he has been pegged as in the second round, landing a left hand that put Munoz on the canvas. Munoz beat the count and took advantage of Chance’s overanxiousness as he sought a knockout, landing counters while Chance tried to force his offense.

World junior welterweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson, who came up with Chance at Newark’s Elite Heat Boxing in the amateurs, urged Chance to “set it up” and “keep looking for your shots.” When he noticed Chance breathing with his mouth open later in the round, Stevenson’s advice turned to “deep breaths in there.”

Chance's older brother, featherweight Rajon Chance, laid the stakes out there clearly: "You’re a national champion, it’s time to use your experience," said Rajon Chance.

Chance, now gassed from his offensive explosion, began to get outworked by Munoz, who started putting punches together to the head and body while Chance tried to roll away from them. Munoz’s momentum continued through the fourth as Chance’s offense was limited to one punch at a time, often with the jab to the body. Munoz switched to southpaw in the fifth to take away that opening, and began to find openings with right hooks and uppercuts up the middle. With just three minutes left in the fight, Chance went back to being aggressive, opening up with power shots to begin the round. But it was Munoz who made the final statement, knocking Chance’s head back with an uppercut with 30 seconds remaining in the fight.

Erick Kedar Gainous, 9-0 (6 KOs), kept his unbeaten record intact, scoring a third-round stoppage of fellow Denver resident Alejandro Ibarra, 8-4 (2 KOs), in a six-round super middleweight fight. The end came at the 2:48 mark as Gaionous, 26, landed repeated unanswered blows that had the 32-year-old Ibarra reeling.

Elijah “Macho” Gonzalez, 4-0 (3 KOs), of Brooklyn, New York, scored a fourth-round stoppage against his most experienced opponent to date, finishing off Danny Murray, 8-11, at 1:05 of the final round. Gonzalez, 19, knocked his opponent out of the ring in the second and cut him with a hook in the third before a right hand to the ear finished off Murray, 34, of Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey.

It was a disappointing night for Ofacio Falcon, a lightweight prospect from The Bronx, New York, as he was on his way to a stoppage victory when an errant punch resulted in a no-contest. Falcon, 14-0 (8 KOs), had already dropped Ghana’s Tackie Annan, 20-13 (18 KOs), with a right hand to the head, and as Falcon pushed for the stoppage, a jab to the body strayed beneath the cup. Annan dropped to his knees and wasn’t moving, as if he had been knocked unconscious, prompting the referee to stop the fight after about 20 seconds.

Annan walked out of the ring on his own power moments later, having ended his streak of four knockout losses in bouts on US soil.

In a featherweight bout, Keith Colon scored a first-round knockout of Luis Almendarez Morales at the 2:38 mark.

Opening the card, Alex De Jesus, 2-0 (1 KO), and Gregory Lee, 0-3-1, boxed to a draw in a four-round lightweight bout. One judge had it for De Jesus at 39-37, while the other two had it even at 38-38.

Ryan Songalia is a reporter and editor for BoxingScene.com and has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler, The Guardian, Vice and The Ring magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at ryansongalia@gmail.com or on Twitter at @ryansongalia.

Conor Benn enters Saturday’s fight with Regis Prograis armed with the conviction that comes from his two fights against Chris Eubank Jnr.

Their date at a catchweight of 150lbs on the undercard of Tyson Fury-Arslanbek Makhmudov at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is his first since successive dates with Eubank Jnr at middleweight – one on which he endured his first defeat and the other his biggest win.

Before his rivalry with Eubank Jnr, Benn had been a career welterweight, and Eubank Jnr had succeeded in high-profile fights as heavy as at 168lbs. They largely fought toe-to-toe throughout the first fight that was edged by Eubank Jnr – when Benn found answers to many of the questions he had asked himself – and, by comparison, the extent of Eubank Jnr’s decline meant that Benn then won their rematch with ease.

The date with the 37-year-old Prograis is one for which Benn is the significant favourite, but more relevant to him than the former junior welterweight Prograis’ size and age is the increasing self-belief that he will take into the ring.

“You don’t know you’ve got it until you’ve got to go through it,” the 29-year-old told BoxingScene. “It’s delusional until you’ve done it. For me to say ‘I can jump up to middleweight and have a war with a middleweight…’. I’m not no middleweight. I’m definitely not a middleweight. But you sit there and you go ‘Am I delusional, or is everyone else right?’ ‘Is the population right or am I delusional?’ It sat with me for ages. ‘But I can’t be delusional.’ And I was right. You’ve got to back yourself.

“The first fight, for me, was sweeter than the second. The first fight, it took a part of my soul. I left a lot of my soul in there. I gave everything I had. Blood, sweat, tears – not just in the fight but in the camp. And I come away feeling proud, but also a sense of disappointment. It was so mixed. I was happy that I had that fight but I was so disappointed I lost. Then, the second fight again, was like, ‘I need to show that I can adapt and learn and come back from this, and lick my wounds and come back a better fighter,’ and that’s exactly what I done.

“I don’t think winning a world title will trump that night. Family pride; family legacy; family feud, and generations, and it felt like the country come to a standstill for the two fights, and it’s a pleasure to be involved in them two fights and do what we said we was gonna do. 

“A lot of fighters can’t adapt. They can’t learn; they can’t change; they can’t grow. That was what I wanted to show in the second fight, that I can go back, lick my wounds and cry – of course I cried – and just try and be better and do better. That was my goal, and I done that.”

Eubank Jnr had previously demonstrated his heart during the course of a one-sided defeat by the heavy-handed George Groves and also in the way that he responded to some of his other defeats.

Benn, by comparison – not unlike Eubank Jnr, thriving off the back of the profile delivered to him via his association with his famous father – had confronted far fewer tests of his abilities and mental strength.

“People said ‘nepo kids’, ‘silver-spoon kids’ – to be able to win Fight of the Year by The Ring Magazine and the British [Boxing] Board of Control is an accomplishment in itself, ‘cause if you look at the statistics and the odds, we weren’t raised in poverty,” the Englishman said, perhaps aware of the extent to which the young Prograis’ life was changed by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. “We weren’t raised in difficulty. We weren’t raised in the setbacks people have in life that make them the champions that they are. It just goes to show being a champion comes from something deep inside you, not just winning a title. A champion comes from being a champion in life. 

“Every fight presents a different test. Every fight presents different questions you need to answer. I’m excited to be fighting back at my weight, but I think it’s going to present different questions. Completely different style; different ring size; different everything. I’m excited for the challenge that I think he’ll bring. But I’m feeling very sharp; explosive; very strong, at this weight. In terms of confidence, I feel less nerves fighting in a stadium. It’s my third stadium show in a row now, back in the UK. It’s a blessing.”

 

Conor Benn never dreamed he would share the ring with Regis Prograis – even when he fought on the undercard of Prograis’ fight with Josh Taylor in 2019.

Taylor-Prograis – the final of the junior-welterweight edition of the World Boxing Super Series – represented not only one of the fights of the year but also perhaps remains both fighters’ defining fight.

Benn fought on the undercard that evening when at welterweight he stopped Steve Jamoye in four rounds, and for all that Taylor and Prograis were competing at a level he continues to strive for there wasn’t once a time that the young Benn – matched with Prograis at a catchweight of 150lbs on the undercard of Tyson Fury-Arslanbek Makhmudov – aspired to fight them himself.

Taylor narrowly outpointed Prograis that evening in the process of proving himself one of Britain’s finest fighters, but it is Prograis, at 37 years old, who continues to fight.

Benn, also of Britain, is a significant favourite for the occasion of his high-profile, one-fight date under Zuffa Boxing at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but even at a time when it is tempting for him to reflect on having almost come full circle, he expected an occasion of its nature to remain beyond his reach.

“Did you think I’d cross paths with [Chris] Eubank?” Benn asked BoxingScene. “Prograis – he weren’t even on my radar in the slightest. He was the first name that got mentioned to me, and I said ‘Yes’ straight away. It was without even a question. I was sitting down. ‘What about Prograis?’ ‘Yeah, sweet – no problem, if you can get him.’ And then the fight got made.

“Boxing’s a funny old sport. If you’ve got two arms and two legs… we’re even more in the day and age where I could fight Jake Paul tomorrow. We’re moving in this stage in boxing where, if you’ve got two arms and two legs, you could fight anyone at any weight. I’ve just gone up to middleweight. I’ve been at middleweight for the past three years. I’ve been walking around weighing 175lbs, and now I’m back down, after three years, fighting at my natural weight of three years ago.

“You’ve just got to go with the flow of your career. I’m just happy I was disciplined and I was ready to take it on six weeks’, seven weeks’ notice.

“I was on the undercard, but I can’t remember it. I’ve not really followed Regis’ career. I haven’t really followed Taylor’s career. I never watched it.

“I don’t really recall it. I remember the press conference was funny though, ‘cause [Derek] Chisora was piping up, and he had no care in the world that it was number one fighting number two, and said he’d squash Regis. I remember that – I don’t really remember much about the fight. I remember being on the undercard. A lot’s happened in my career since then, so you’re talking seven years ago – a lot’s happened since then.”

Asked how good Prograis – widely considered to be at his peak the night he fought Taylor, and last a world champion in 2023 – remained seven years on, Benn then responded: “We’ve seen in the past fighters make mistakes in counting someone out because of being in the game for a long time, and then they turn back the clock and then you’re the one paying the price. I’ve seen it so many times. Perfect example – Kiko Martinez. Good fighter. Old. But make no mistake, they’re former world champions for a reason. So we haven’t taken him lightly in the slightest, relevant of age, of whatever it is. But I do believe I [would have] beat him in his heyday, shall we say.

“He’s a great fighter. He’s been a great champion, and he’s a crafty southpaw. Experience is a big part. Durability. He can punch, and he’s a former world champion.

“There’s many holes as well that I’ll exploit. When we get in there on the night, we’re prepared for war. We’re prepared for boxing. We’re prepared for a game of everything in there, and I’ll beat him at everything he brings.”

The 29-year-old Benn, despite not having fought at welterweight since 2022, has been installed as the mandatory challenger to the WBC champion Ryan Garcia.

His profile in the UK and growing profile in the US means that, in addition to Garcia, he has also been linked with Devin Haney and the revered Shakur Stevenson, but Benn doesn’t believe that he needs a victory over Prograis to secure such a fight.

“I think the Benn name is familiar over there – not because of me, but because of my dad [Nigel] going over there and beating the champions,” he said. “The Benn name is familiar in boxing over there. Over here, I’m known commercially, which hasn’t yet hit America. But if you’re talking boxing in America, they’re familiar with the name over there. Obviously, the wins over [Chris] Van Heerden, [Chris] Algieri, [Samuel] Vargas were probably my three best performances – against three Americans.

“I think me fighting Regis is … listen, it was supposed to be Garcia for the WBC title. Do I hold out and wait until July, August, September and hope that he’s ready by then, or do I take a run out now? Do I take the risk? And I think it’s more thrilling and more exciting taking a risk in between.

“I’m mandatory for the WBC title anyway. It was just a matter of me wanting to hold out or not. Me not competing at welterweight for three years – it’s good for me to have a run out at the weight before jumping into 147 again.”

Declan Warrington has been writing about boxing for the British and Irish national newspapers since 2010. He is also a long-term contributor to Boxing News, Boxing News Presents and Talksport, and formerly the boxing correspondent for the Press Association, a pundit for BoxNation and a regular contributor to Boxing Monthly, Sport and The Ring, among other publications. In 2023, he conducted the interviews and wrote the script for the audio documentary “Froch-Groves: The Definitive Story”; he is also a member of the BWAA.

Osleys Iglesias stopped Pavel Silyagin in the eighth round Thursday at the Montreal Casino in Montreal to win the vacant IBF super middleweight title.

The time of the stoppage was 3:00, when Silyagin was unable to answer the bell for the ninth round.

The fight was nothing short of a boxing lesson imparted by Iglesias. He rocked Silyagin halfway through the first round with a right uppercut, which caused immediate swelling on Silyagin’s left eye. Iglesias, 28, continued to stalk Silyagin in the second round, but he was unable to land anything of consequence.

Silyagin, a career spoiler, had success with his awkward timing in the third, but it didn’t seem like enough to win the round. The awkwardness continued into the following round, but Silyagin was having to do a lot and wasn’t all that effective while, at the same time, taking punishment from Iglesias.

The issue was power. Iglesias was fighting methodically and still hurting the 32-year-old Silyagin, who was staying busy but not looking to land a damaging blow. At the end of the fifth round, Silyagin had blood coming from his nose. He continued to take a risk-averse approach, giving Iglesias few opportunities to land, but the damage was mounting, and in the later rounds blood was flowing from both of Silyagin’s nostrils. The bout was called off before the start of the ninth.

The IBF title had been vacant since the retirement of former three-division undisputed champion Terence Crawford, with Iglesias being the first titleholder since Crawford’s retirement.

Iglesias, a Cuban now residing in Berlin, Germany, improved to 15-0 (14 KOs). He now goes from a high-risk, low-reward fighter to owning a belt, which should help him land better opponents and bigger fights in the future.

Silyagin, of Novosibirsk, Russia, lost his first professional fight, his record dipping to 16-1-1 (7 KOs).

Eye of the Tiger, which promoted the event, has something of a monopoly at the top of super middleweight. The promotion now has two titleholders in the division, as it also promotes WBC titleholder Christian Mbilli.

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.

The long-anticipated entry of Warner Brothers Discovery into boxing was confirmed Thursday when a new live monthly boxing series titled “The Fight” was pegged for TNT starting July 4.

Touted as an opportunity to stage “some of the biggest fights in boxing,” pulled from the DAZN network of alliances with promoters Top Rank, Matchroom, Golden Boy and Queensberry, the “new series of premium events” aims to expand “access for fans nationwide,” according to a prepared statement formally announcing the DAZN partnership.

“DAZN has earned a strong reputation within the boxing community, and this will allow TNT Sports to be a player in this growing sport – expanding the reach of these events and the moments surrounding them – to an even broader audience,” Luis Silberwasser, chairman/CEO of TNT Sports said in the statement. “This builds on a successful production and commercial partnership with DAZN to showcase the FIFA Club World Cup last summer and further expands TNT Sports’ portfolio of year-round premium sports content.”

The first event is slated to be new WBO lightweight titleholder Abdullah Mason’s first title defense in a Cleveland homecoming bout versus Wales’ No. 1 contender Joe Cordina, an official told BoxingScene.

The remaining card is still being assembled, the official said.

A wealth of marquee bouts are at hand as DAZN has worked this year to both extend its deals with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions and Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing while adding Bob Arum’s Top Rank and Frank Warren’s Quennsberry, promising up to 50 fight weekends per year.

Mason is a Top Rank fighter.

“DAZN’s partnership with TNT Sports is an important new chapter for boxing in the US,” said Shay Segev, DAZN Group CEO, in the statement. “By bringing together two leaders in sports media and collaborating with the world’s top promoters, ‘The Fight’ will deliver unprecedented access to major fight nights to boxing fans nationwide. This collaboration creates attractive commercial opportunities. It reflects our innovative approach to distribution and our shared ambition to grow the sport by making the biggest events in boxing more accessible than ever before.”

Select fight nights will be presented on TNT Sports’ US networks and streamed globally on DAZN, according to the statement. Expanded studio programming and a deep commentating roster will “elevate the events for fans.”

Bleacher Report and House of Highlights will add additional content and truTV will air shoulder programming including boxer feature pieces, weigh-ins, news conferences and more.

Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.

Conor Benn soaked in the 10-year anniversary of his boxing career Thursday.

Saturday night in Tottenham, England, he will make his third consecutive appearance at the packed soccer stadium, debuting for Zuffa Boxing with a $15 million one-bout deal, and victory on Netflix should make him the mandatory opponent for new WBC welterweight titleholder Ryan Garcia.

“Today, I recapped on the journey … what a journey it’s been to now,” Benn told BoxingScene exclusively as he drove to Thursday’s news conference. “Headline [Tottenham] stadium twice, and fight [there] for the third time in a year. Three stadium shows in the balance is a blessing. It’s also a blessing to be boxing for Zuffa Boxing, which is a big milestone in my career, and I’m very excited about fighting on this show.”

https://youtu.be/v4fX952Kons?si=1rebsc-QgLiJbvbA

 

The 29-year-old son of incoming International Boxing Hall of Fame member Nigel Benn, Conor Benn, 24-1 (14 KOs), is set to collect the Boxing Writers Association of America’s “Fight of the Year” prize in June for his April first bout with Chris Eubank Jnr, a narrow loss that he avenged convincingly in November – the final bout on his agreement with former promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing.

That departure to Nick Khan and Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing has stirred the sport’s soap opera of the year, as the sides have bantered about the future of the sport, finances and loyalty.

“Fortune favors the bold,” Benn said of the switch. “It was a tough decision. Ultimately, I believe Zuffa is the future and I believe how this opportunity was presented to me – to land another stadium show with 6-7 weeks’ notice – and the way they have accommodated and taken care of me and the team, it was phenomenal.

“So there are no regrets. I’m excited to start the change. It’s a new season, a new chapter in Conor Benn’s life.”

It opens with the task of defeating former 140lbs belt holder Regis Prograis, 30-3 (24 KOs). The 37-year-old Prograis possesses outcome-altering power but has appeared eroded in losses to three-division champion Devin Haney and welterweight contender Jack Catterall.

Given the showcase under the main event of former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury’s return, Benn fully comprehends the magnitude of the moment and the importance of routing Prograis.

“They’re all dangerous with those small gloves. Ultimately, he’s a former world champion who I respect, but it’s my time now,” Benn said. “It’s him who pays the price.

“Of course, I’ll be looking for [the knockout] for sure, without a shadow of a doubt. If I see the slightest opportunity, I’ll take it.

“I train hard to perform at the best of my abilities, anyway. I don’t put the pressure on myself that I have to look good this fight, or I have to look good that fight.”

In reviewing his decade-long career and counting up the 25 fights behind him, Benn calculated the stature he has constructed as his 30th birthday arrives in late September.

The most vivid illustration was viewed in the Eubank series.

“You know what: In life, you win some, you lose some,” Benn said of the Fight of the Year. “The only time you lose is when you let it beat you down. I chose to use the first one as a lesson, go back and lick my wounds. And I’ve come back a better fighter for it. Sometimes, you have losses in your career. That’s perfectly fine. It’s how you come back that matters.” 

How did he rally?

“I had to take my emotions out of the game, go back to the drawing board and work from the basic fundamentals of boxing,” Benn said. “You can’t go wrong with the basic fundamentals.

“Even with Regis, he’ll present different challenges. He’s a southpaw, experienced. I’m going to learn a lot from being in there with him – for as long as he lasts. You never stop learning in this game. I just want to reach my full potential and be the best Conor Benn I can be.”

Navigating the distractions of the outside-the-ring drama has tested Benn’s mental strength again, but he’s driven to emerge in ideal position to confront Garcia, fellow titlists Haney or Rolly Romero, or perhaps even renew talks with Manny Pacquiao should the Floyd Mayweather Jnr bout on Netflix implode.

“Listen, I want to be active. We’ll see how this fight plays out. If it’s an early night, I want to be ready to go just the other side of summer for the WBC world title,” Benn said. “I’m mandatory No. 1 and I’d like the WBC to order that so I can get that. That’s the belt I want. Ryan Garcia’s the holder of it at the moment.”

Saudi Arabia boxing financier Turki Alalshikh has mentioned backing a Garcia fight this year, and there’s speculation Fury will meet countryman and ex-champion Anthony Joshua on Netflix should Fury win as a massive favorite Saturday.

Could Fury-Joshua and Garcia-Benn end up on the same card?

“Anything’s possible in the sport of boxing,” Benn cracked.

First, he needs to display his worth in the one-fight deal that moves him right back to free agency.

“Listen, I’ve done this 25 times,” Benn said. “I’ve had great performances, fights that have been hard. I’m a fighter. I give people value for money.

“That’s what I do. I don’t put enough pressure on myself to do what I’ve already done 25 times. It’s just about getting in there and winning, and I’ll be looking for the knockout, no doubt.

“I’m coming in for the knockout.”

Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.

Tyson Fury, for now, feels like he’s in the shape of his life ahead of his latest comeback against Arslanbek Makhmudov on Saturday night.

The heavyweights will clash over 12 rounds at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. The state-of-the-art venue was the scene of Fury’s most recent convincing victory – a December 2022 bludgeoning of Derek Chisora in their third fight. Since then, Fury struggled to a 10-round points win over Francis Ngannou the following year and, in 2024, he was on the wrong end of close scorecards in two bouts with Oleksandr Usyk.

The 37-year-old, who described himself as “speedy, skillful, handsome and destructive” at Thursday's press conference, insisted that all the signs are there that a return to form is nigh.

“It’s been a good camp; the same old bullshit that fighters always tell you,” said the 34-2-1 (24 KOs) Fury. “But I mean it. You always have injuries that fuck you up, but this time, thank God, I’ve had no injuries. I don’t remember such a positive camp.

“I’ve been away from my wife and kids for 16 weeks which is the longest I’ve been away. I loved it in Thailand, it’s hot every day, which is good for a fat fucker like me. I’m still a fat fucker, but I’m fit and had a great time.

“People always question retirement for me. I have retired five times and meant it five times. When I walk away, I have no intention of fighting again. But I always miss it.”

Fury insists it was news of Anthony Joshua’s car crash in December, which resulted in the death of two of Joshua’s closest friends, that made him return this time.

“When I heard that news, it was so sad,” Fury said. “When things like that happen, it certifies that there’s no tomorrow, you have to live each day like it’s your last.”

Fury, noticeably upbeat, seems to be doing that.

“For the first time, in forever, I am the hunter and not the hunted. When that happens, I always fuck people up.

“I feel sorry for Makhmudov. He is facing an injury-free Tyson Fury. I’m going to knock his head off his shoulders, he will wonder what the fuck happened when he wakes up on the floor. But there should be no shame for him. He lost to the great Tyson Fury.

“They all say my legs have gone, they say my reactions have gone. Well, tune in on Saturday night, cos they haven’t.”

Makhmudov, 21-2 (19 KOs), is in better form by virtue of being active. The Russian’s last contest ended in a hard-fought but clear 12-round points success over Dave Allen in October. Allen, though, is a different proposition entirely to Fury.

“We jumped on this chance,” said Marc Ramsay, Makhmudov’s trainer. We’ve had a very good training camp, no injuries, we’re ready… You cannot find in one sparring partner [to replicate Fury’s skillset]. You need multiple sparring partners. We’re ready.”

“I have no pressure,” added Makhmudov. “God prepared me for this moment all my life. I believe it is my time, I am happy.

“Tyson Fury is a great boxer; you don’t have to go for the knockout. I will listen to my coach but what will happen? We don’t know. We will do what we have to do, that’s it.

“The gameplan? Two big heavyweights will go into the ring to try and kill each other.”

I opened up the Netflix app Tuesday afternoon, and I was greeted on the home screen by a promotional thumbnail for the Tyson Fury-Arslanbek Makhmudov fight.

I then clicked on my individual profile, and the first words I saw on the landing page were “Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen.”

Turns out that’s the title of a new Netflix original horror series, and not a tagline for Saturday’s live fight from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. But for a second there, I wasn’t quite sure.

Ya just never know with Fury.

There’s always a possibility something very good is going to happen – a thrilling brawl, a mesmerizing display of athletic freakishness, the most iconic recovery from a knockdown you’ve ever seen.

But there’s just as good a chance that something very bad is going to happen – a dreadful bore, an uppercut he lands on his own face, a flirtation with defeat against an opponent making his professional boxing debut.

This dichotomy has always been there with Fury. It was there when he fought his first 10-rounder at age 21, when he made his US debut at 24, when he won the lineal heavyweight title at 27, when he began his trilogy with Deontay Wilder at 30, when he capped off that trilogy at 33.

Now that Fury is 37, the dichotomy is still there, but it’s accompanied by new questions – the sort of questions you can’t help but ask of a fighter his age who is returning from a 16-month layoff that was preceded by consecutive defeats.

In short, we wonder: Is Fury still capable of making that “something very good” happen?

And we wonder that at a time when the players in the heavyweight title picture largely separate into two buckets.

There are the actual championship-level fighters. Examples include Oleksandr Usyk (the lineal king), Fabio Wardley, Agit Kabayel and Moses Itauma.

And there are the faded guys getting opportunities based on their names and their past accomplishments. The standout examples here are Wilder and Anthony Joshua. And until a few days ago, before he indicated he is retired, Derek Chisora would have qualified.

Which bucket does Fury fit into?

Is he still capable of beating any of the boxers in the first group?

Or is he just trading on his achievements from an era that has ended, another senior-circuit citizen cashing in while he still can, much like Wilder (whom he fought three times), Chisora (whom he fought three times) and Joshua (whom he has been close to fighting countless times).

This is a whole new dichotomy for a fighter who, for all his flaws and polarizing qualities, was undoubtedly an elite heavyweight for a stretch of about a dozen years, even as he spent nearly half that time claiming to be retired.

That Fury’s latest unretirement comes one week after Wilder-Chisora feels fitting on all sorts of levels. We just watched a 40-year-old and a 42-year-old fight sloppier than ever (which is saying something with these two) but also as bravely as ever as they gave fans a show that, from one moment to the next, staggered and stumbled and flipped and flopped between something very bad and something very good.

On Tuesday’s episode of “The Opening Bell” podcast, Alex Steedman captured succinctly the connection between the three heavyweights and the significance of all the rounds they shared.

“You realize that Tyson Fury tore chunks out of both of those guys. Tore chunks out of them,” Steedman said. “And the truth is, he probably took pieces of himself along with it as well.”

Whether that “probably” should be upgraded to a “definitely” or downgraded to a mere “perhaps” is what we need to find out and what will determine which bucket Fury belongs in.

Fury hasn’t taken anywhere near as many flush, damaging punches as Wilder or Chisora. He hasn’t been stopped in a fight, as Wilder has been three times and as Chisora has been four times. So maybe “The Gypsy King” still has plenty to offer.

The fact is, Fury still has lost to just one professional opponent, and that professional opponent is now considered by some to be the top heavyweight of the current century. It’s entirely possible that Fury is on his last legs, but two close decision losses to Usyk certainly don’t serve as proof of it. They merely prove there’s at least one active heavyweight who is a half-notch better than Fury.

Usyk presents a unique wild card case of his own when considering those two heavyweight buckets. Yes, he is the reigning champ and he appears to be more or less at the peak of his powers, but he also happens to be shifting, at least for one fight, into cash-in mode. On May 23, Usyk will take on Rico Verhoeven, a kickboxer who has exactly one pro boxing win to his credit, and it came against an opponent who was 0-5 with five KO losses.

Usyk is 39 years old – a tad younger than Wilder and Chisora, a tad older than Fury and Joshua. Whether he intends to give any more prime, deserving contenders a shot at the throne is unclear.

Usyk has fought only once in the past 15 months. He is making MMA movies and boxing against kickboxers.

He is in the “championship level” bucket, obviously. But as his 40th birthday approaches, he seems to be testing out how the water feels in the other bucket.

For the sake of Wardley and Kabayel, both of whom have done enough to warrant a shot, one hopes Usyk is planning to do the noble thing once he’s finished doing the novelty thing against Verhoeven.

Whatever the case, Usyk probably won’t be taking on Fury again. Been there, done that, twice.

Certainly, there’s nothing Fury can do against Makhmudov to prove he deserves another crack.

But perhaps Makhmudov can pry out of Fury some evidence of how much The Gypsy King has left and of which category of heavyweight he falls into.

To be clear, Makhmudov was handpicked by Fury’s people for this occasion.

He is not incompetent. He is big and strong and has proven a little something in wins over the likes of Dave Allen and Carlos Takam.

But he is also slow and stiff in ways that may make Fury look almost like vintage Muhammad Ali by comparison.

And if Fury struggles in any significant way against him, we will have our answer. We will know the years and wars and layoffs and the way Fury has at times treated his body have caught up with him. We will know he slots in right next to Wilder and Joshua, a remnant of the recent past hanging around because he can still make money in the present.

Unfortunately for Fury, no matter how dominant he is on Saturday in Tottenham, he won’t be able to prove he’s still elite. Not against Makhmudov. But at least if he wins in style, he will have left open the possibility that he could still be elite.

In terms of Netflix live boxing main events, to date we have gotten two real fights (Terence “Bud” Crawford vs Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano III) and two unserious sideshows (Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson and Joshua vs Paul).

It’s another case of two distinct buckets. The streamer has shown interest in bouts at both ends of the spectrum.

Netflix has two remaining main events on its announced boxing schedule.

One of them has been in the news of late because of the public debate over whether it’s a sanctioned professional fight or a mere exhibition. So we know which bucket that falls into. (As if the boxers in question being a combined 96 years old didn’t already make it obvious.)

Fury-Makhmudov – the other main event on the current Netflix calendar – is, on paper, a serious fight between two professionals.

But it also may conjure seven-day-old memories of Wilder-Chisora and its “Oh dear, what the hell am I watching?” aspects.

It’s anyone’s guess which Fury we’ll see on Saturday and whether he’ll leave us with anything to look forward to.

The heavyweight division is in a moment of transition. The lights are changing, and Fury is standing in the middle of the intersection.

I don’t know if something very good is going to happen or something very bad is going to happen. All I know is something very Tyson Fury is going to happen – and that’s always been enough to get me to tune in.

Eric Raskin is a veteran boxing journalist with nearly 30 years of experience covering the sport for such outlets as BoxingScene, ESPN, Grantland, Playboy, and The Ring (where he served as managing editor for seven years). He also co-hosted The HBO Boxing Podcast, Showtime Boxing with Raskin & Mulvaney, The Interim Champion Boxing Podcast with Raskin & Mulvaney, and Ring Theory. He has won three first-place writing awards from the BWAA, for his work with The Ring, Grantland, and HBO. Outside boxing, he is the senior editor of CasinoReports and the author of 2014’s The Moneymaker Effect. He can be reached on X, BlueSky, or LinkedIn, or via email at RaskinBoxing@yahoo.com.

All the important players at Wednesday’s introductory press conference for the June 27 junior middleweight clash between unified titleholder Xander Zayas and Jaron ”Boots” Ennis seemed to agree that it was early in the game for Zayas to take on a challenge like Ennis – including Zayas himself.

Although Zayas, 23-0 (13 KOs), is the fighter with the belts (Ennis holds a 154lbs interim strap), the 23-year-old Puerto Rico-born Floridian is also considered by many to be taking a risk in making a fight with Ennis at this stage of his career.

Ennis’ boogeyman reputation has followed him from the welterweight division to the junior middleweight ranks, where he has struggled to land the biggest fights – most notably a bout with Vergil Ortiz Jnr. After a cauldron of back-and-forth, on-again-off-again negotiations between Ortiz and Ennis yielded nothing, Zayas quickly moved to fill the void.

Against Philadelphia’s Ennis, 35-0 (31 KOs), Zayas will make the step up – and perhaps a great leap – to test his unified status against a fighter who may only need the proper dance partners to prove he’s among the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet.

“We got Xander when he was so young,” said Top Rank president Todd duBoef, whose promotion signed Zayas at 16 years old. “He was sitting in my office. He's like, ‘Miguel Cotto. I just idolize Miguel Cotto.’ But to see him physically mature, to see his intellect in the ring, to get used to the ups and downs. … And then, obviously, once you win that title, you just expand your horizons. You get more confidence. And he’s got so much confidence, he goes out for the boogeyman, the guy that nobody wants to fight.

“We're not holding him back. We're letting the race car go.”

Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn, who reps Ennis, said no one was more skeptical about getting the fight made than he. Even after Top Rank signed a deal with DAZN (which has long partnered with Matchroom), Hearn was unconvinced talks would end with Zayas signing on the dotted line. 

“I said, ‘Absolutely no chance. There is no chance this fight will be made,’” Hearn said. “‘Top Rank won't allow it. Xander Zayas is a young, incredible fighter. There is no way he will fight Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.’ And I am actually sitting here still in shock that this fight is made. And I have to give unbelievable credit to Xander Zayas, because you are a great fighter, but you must have a massive set of cojones, because what you’re about to take part in June 27 is one of the toughest tasks in boxing.”

To hear Hearn tell it, the Zayas fight all but landed in his lap after Ortiz fell through – an unexpected consolation gift for Ennis, who at 28, has yet to face an opponent capable of pushing him – let alone pushing him to the brink.

Ennis isn’t convinced Zayas is that guy.

“Like I always say, you can watch me all day,” Ennis said. “Once you get in that ring, it’s a whole different story. I’m a lot faster than what you think. I’m a lot stronger than what you think. My IQ is higher than what you think. He’s gonna be in for a long night.

“Great fighter. Good fighter. But there’s levels.”

While Wednesday’s topics bounced around from Zayas’ precocious age to a purse split that Ennis said signaled his opponents’ lack of confidence to both promoters agreeing that the right path would have been to draw out Zayas’ career build-up and avoid a threat as significant as an Ennis showdown at this moment, the fighter himself acknowledged his youth – but said he is focused on just one thing.

“It’s always been about legacy,” Zayas said. “Becoming the youngest ever to sign with Top Rank. Legacy. Becoming the youngest [current male] world champion, at 22 when I did it. Legacy. Youngest unified world champion. Legacy. And now fighting one of the best in the world, in the division. It’s about legacy.

“Anybody could have taken the easy route and just went any other fighter, top 15, just get an easy ‘W,’ collect some good cash and that’s it. I wanted to fight the best. I want to show that I’m the best every time I step into the ring, and that’s what I’m gonna do June 27.”

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

In December 2017, Tyson Fury arrived in Quebec, Canada, depleted and despairing but stubbornly pushing himself back into the public eye. A lengthy legal battle with UKAD for testing positive for nandrolone had finally been concluded, but Fury had emerged from his backdated ban with a mind awash with suicidal thoughts and a body deteriorating by the day. Away from the spotlight for so long, he took his seat at ringside for Billy Joe Saunders’ fight with David Lemieux when he received a tap on the shoulder from an eager young fan. As he rose to oblige the request for a photo, Fury came face-to-face with a mountain of a man, a giant on his day off from work at the local gas station and who he now faces in the ring this Saturday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“It's a dream come true,” Arslanbek Makhmudov tells Boxing Scene. “Unbelievable. First of all, I’m very excited. I just can’t imagine. Ten years ago, I wasn't even a pro boxer at this time [of meeting Fury]. And now, 10 years later, to be in this place, I’m very happy because this is a dream fight for me. He’s a very good boxer, very big ring IQ but, of course, we will have to adapt for these conditions to do the right job, to be better, and to beat him, inshallah.”

Makhmudov entered the consciousness of British boxing public after a 12th-round stoppage of Dave Allen in October last year. It was a win, too, that did much to bolster the Russian’s belief in his ability to remain dangerous right up to the final bell, something he knows he may need when he encounters Fury, a veteran with many years of championship-level experience.

“It gives me a lot of confidence, because I never fight before like that. Hard rounds, I never fight 12 rounds, but because I have now, it's good to have experience. Experience is always good. It's always helping you, and it's everything for me. So now I have this experience and I have experienced fighting in the UK.”

That experience of fighting in the UK was something Makhmudov says he will never forget. Facing a partisan crowd on his way into the ring in Sheffield that night, the passion of the fans had convinced him that competing once again on British soil would remain a uniquely thrilling challenge.

“It was amazing. Amazing because UK fans are special,” the 36-year-old says. “Their voices, the crowd, was crazy. Before fight, everyone, everyone, was against me. I said, ‘Listen, guys, you’re against me now but after the fight you're gonna love me!’ And this happened. I’ve seen a lot of messages from UK fans, warm messages. And now, the same thing. Exactly the same way. I know a lot of people are gonna be against me, but I say, ‘after the fight you're gonna love me, guys! You're gonna love me, inshallah.’”

The bookmakers don’t agree, with Makhmudov a sizeable underdog. Despite endless claims of retirement and back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, Tyson Fury – just by being active again – is on the cusp of more huge paydays, and it’s the Russian who’s been handpicked to spark this latest comeback. It’s a scenario that has allowed Makhmudov to train with a degree of freedom, unburdened by the weight of expectation.

“Absolutely no problem. Underdog or people against me. For me, it's normal. That's why, if you want everything to be perfect to be remembered, it's no way to be the best. It’s no way to be a world champion. That's why we need to feel, to put us in this uncomfortable situation, to be the best, to be strong. The size, it's what I want. It's what we need to challenge,” he says.

“Absolutely no pressure because last time I showed my experience when I was fighting in the UK. It was less people but it was big. Ten thousand [in attendance]. It was full. And when I was going in the ring I heard people making noise. You know, everyone was against me but I said to myself, ‘Listen, there's ten thousand against you but with me, God. God is with me. What can they do to me? What? Nothing.’ And they did nothing to me because God was with me. I win. Same thing now. I go with my God, I go for the win, and nobody can do nothing to me. That's why I'm very comfortable for this moment. No problem.”

Makhmudov had entered into professional boxing as a prospect with plenty of promise, most notably due to his raw power (19 of his 21 wins thus far have come by way of KO). Each step up in class, however, has ended in disappointment, with defeats to Agit Kabayel and Guido Vianello hampering his momentum. Reflecting back on these experiences, Makhmudov is candid about his shortcomings but grateful for what these losses have taught him.

“This was very good for me, because I understand I have to be more professional. I have to be more serious in my career, in my preparation, in my everything. So, more details, because I can miss a lot of details. Don't take it serious but I understand now in this kind of level, more details, every details, the stuff that I study, I have to be more professional, more serious for preparation. Everything.  Discipline. It's training, work on yourself, every aspect. Small details can change the game. That's why you take everything serious.”

For the duration of his career, Makhmudov has trained under the tutelage of highly respected Canadian trainer, Marc Ramsey. Encouraged to make the move by his stablemate and fellow countryman, Artur Beterbiev, the relationship between fighter and trainer has flourished over the years. In reflecting back on their time together, Makhmudov is keen to acknowledge how much Ramsey has done for him both in and out of the ring, taking a hungry young prospect who spoke no English and guiding him to become the best version of himself. 

“We have a good relationship, like coach and boxer, but I think it’s a bit more because we can speak about family and life stuff. We have a good human relationship, not just like a coach and boxer, more human. For me, it's number one, to be a good human, to be good professionals. Not just with my trainer, with everyone. A long time ago, in a Muay Thai gym, I went there one time. They say, ‘You can be champion, but you have to be a good human.’ This is the real win, when you’re a good person, when you give a good example, this a real win. Of course, we try in competition, make good wins as well but, first of all, it’s personal wins.”

If you’ve ever watched an entertainment industry award show, you’ve heard someone misuse the word “humbled.” It happens all the time. Someone scores a big win, they’re trying to communicate that they’re “honored” or “proud” while also trying to portray themselves as a modest person whose ego is not running amok, and so they declare themselves “humbled” to receive the award.

But they are not actually humbled. Quite the opposite.

You want to see humbled?

Check out “Prince” Naseem Hamed in the aftermath of his first and only career defeat, 25 years ago today, April 7, 2001, at the hands of Marco Antonio Barrera.

Hamed displayed as cocky a public persona as any seen in boxing since the heyday of Muhammad Ali, and it persisted from his first fight through his 35th. But once Barrera was finished with him in fight number 36, all at once it was gone. “Naz” had been truly and fully, by the proper definition of the word, humbled.

HBO’s Larry Merchant, minutes after the end of the fight, gave Hamed the opportunity to blame some element of his performance on a lengthy pre-fight delay due to a glove issue, or to make some other excuse of his choosing. 

Naz refused.

“No delay made no effect,” Hamed said. “The fact is, I got in, the guy boxed probably better than me tonight, and that’s it. … The fact is, he’s the pure winner tonight, I congratulate him, and that’s it.”

He continued later in the interview: “I’m happy that I’ve done 12 rounds and come out safe. … The fact is, I’ve lost the fight. I accept the loss.”

Hamed also insisted, however, that he would be back, he would exercise his rematch clause and he would even the score with Barrera. He spoke like a man whose confidence hadn’t been entirely shattered, whose flame hadn’t been extinguished.

But his actions that followed proved otherwise.

The Prince, who’d long reigned as boxing’s king of braggadocio, was humbled right out of the sport. He fought once more – 13 months later against little-known Manuel Calvo – and quietly retreated and retired.

“I was surprised how quickly and easily he went away after he was exposed by Barrera,” HBO blow-by-blow man Jim Lampley told me in a 2017 interview. “I didn’t expect him to have one more fight and pack it in. But he had made a great deal of money, and he had appetites, and ultimately it became clear that the biggest problem was that he wasn’t going to be 126lbs for long. He was more likely to be 226 given his habits and his worldview and his predilections.

“I guess he made enough money that he was going to be OK, and the embarrassment of the Barrera fight was too great for him to continue on the stage the way he had been.”

Looking back now, a quarter-century later, it might seem there’s nothing embarrassing at all about losing over the distance to a fellow future Hall of Famer like Barrera, one of the finest all-around fighters of his generation.

But you have to understand the perception of both men at the time. Hamed was a 3½-to-1 betting favorite. In a poll of 30 boxing writers before the bout, 28 picked Naz to win. Barrera was also moving up in weight from 122 to 126.

Even though they were both 27 years old – born 26 days apart in 1974 – Barrera already had 55 fights on his resume, had lost three times (even if two were debatable decisions) and looked lousy two fights earlier against Jose Luis Valbuena. There was a reasonable line of thinking that his career was winding down. Hamed, on the other hand, was coming off back-to-back fourth-round KO wins, was undefeated in 35 fights with 31 knockouts, and there was little reason to believe he wasn’t squarely in his physical prime.

So, yeah, this loss came with a dollop of embarrassment. Especially when you consider that the enduring highlight is Barrera giving away a point in the final round for the pleasure of half-nelson-ing Hamed and running him headfirst into a corner pad.

The humiliation actually began as Hamed made his way to the ring. The flamboyant featherweight champion from Sheffield, England, was known for his creative ring entrances (nothing will top the flying carpet ride for his fight with Vuyani Bungu), and this time, he took a skyride to the ringside area seated in a leopard skin-patterned hoop. It was not a smooth flight, however, with wet weather coming in the form of a beverage tossed by a fan at the MGM Grand that splashed home on the champ.

At least Hamed was going to be paid handsomely for his humiliation. He earned a reported $6.5 million and Barrera $1.9 million for what was at the time the richest featherweight fight ever. (HBO Pay-Per-View’s Mark Taffet estimated on the weekend of the fight that it was on track to sell 250,000 units, and it ended up generating a reported 310,000 buys.)

Michael Buffer introduced the fight as matching “the two best featherweights in the world” – a reach since Barrera had no featherweight track record to speak of, but a label that seemed possibly accurate by fight’s end. 

Buffer also billed it as “for the featherweight championship of the world,” ignoring the alphabets, as only the vacant IBO title was at stake. Hamed had previously held the WBO, IBF and WBC titles and had beaten WBA titlist Wilfredo Vazquez immediately after the Puerto Rican had been stripped, so even without any of the belts, he was the lineal champion and universally recognized as the division’s kingpin.

And if you didn’t know yet that Naz was the A-side coming in, surely you knew it when Buffer paused mid-intro to hand him the mic so the proudly Muslim fighter could say a few words in praise of his god.

Once the bell rang, however, it was just two mortals in the ring. And that was bad news for Naz.

The Hamed-Barrera fight stands out as one of boxing’s ultimate triumphs for technique. The heavy-handed, spectacularly unorthodox Hamed had gotten away with doing everything wrong, until it finally caught up with him and he ran into the one serious, determined “Baby-Faced Assassin” who wouldn’t let him get away with anything.

Barrera was primarily known as a brawler – see his Fight of the Year 14 months earlier against Erik Morales, for example – but on this night he brought the perfect, disciplined boxing game plan. The Mexican constantly circled to his left, staying away from the southpaw Hamed’s power hand. He timed Hamed for counters, punched with him, jabbed sharply. Barrera never lost sight of what angles put him in position to score without enabling the same for the Prince.

“[Hamed] knew that he fought in a high-risk style,” Lampley reflected years later. “He had it in his head that he was so cosmically good and so unusual that it would sustain. … I figured that at some point along the way, somebody would discipline him with a more well-rounded boxing approach. I didn’t know that it was going to be the person who did it at the moment at which he did it. But I did envision in my head that eventually, someone would take the measure of Naseem. Someone who had balance, timing, a good jab, and a more conventional approach to what they were doing.”

Rewatching the fight for its 25th anniversary, it was even more one-sided than I remembered it being – and more one-sided than the judges said it was. I found just a single round to give Hamed and ended up favoring Barrera 118-109, an identical score to that of then-editor-in-chief of The Ring Nigel Collins covering the fight from ringside in Las Vegas.

Whenever Hamed seemed to be having a decent round, he inevitably got knocked off-balance or had his chin popped up in the air by a perfectly timed Barrera punch. The Brit was made to stumble wildly twice in the opening round, setting the tone. It happened again in the third, and the fourth, and the sixth. A short hooking right hand by Barrera in the eighth had Hamed legitimately buzzed, wobbling sideways into the ropes. Again Hamed was knocked off-balance in the ninth, and in the 10th, and Barrera absolutely dominated the 12th.

HBO unofficial scorer Harold Lederman scored the fight closely (115-112), as did the judges (two more 115-112s and a 116-111). But Hamed’s head trainer, Emanuel Steward, believed from very early on that his fighter was behind and was telling him with three rounds to go that he needed a knockout to win. This is the same Steward who watched from ringside as Barrera dominated Jesus Salud on HBO in December 2000 and voiced concerns about Barrera as a Hamed opponent. Steward later revealed that Hamed couldn’t be convinced to train seriously and didn’t want to spar leading up to this fight.

The fight had its share of chippy moments, including an entanglement in the second round that resulted in Hamed just about delivering a DDT to Barrera. One defining moment came late in the sixth, when Hamed popped Barrera in a clinch, and Barrera immediately popped him back, harder and cleaner.

The Mexican warrior had a real air of defiance about him all night, tinged with a hint of disgust. That was especially pronounced with 70 seconds left in the 12th round, when Barrera seized on an awkward tangle to bulldog Hamed into the corner from behind, seemingly unconcerned about referee Joe Cortez taking a point. Afterward, Hamed wanted to touch gloves. Barrera had no interest.

In the 11th round, Merchant summed up what we were witnessing by saying, “The improvisational style that the Prince has developed since he was a boy is being exposed by a well-schooled boxer-puncher-brawler.” A round later, as the final seconds ticked off the clock, the writer-turned-commentator said of Hamed, “His moment of truth has turned into an hour of torture.”

The CompuBox stats told the tale more accurately than did the judges’ cards. Barrera out-landed Hamed 228-141, including nearly doubling him up in power punches, 129-69. The Mexican was also busier, out-throwing him 534-390, and landed at a higher percentage, including scoring with 49% of his power punches against a man reputed in his younger days to be difficult to find.

Hamed’s longtime publicist and friend George Azar told me in a 2017 interview, “Had the fight taken place a few years earlier, I think the result would have been much different. And also, by the time the Barrera fight came around, Naseem’s style had changed and he was a much more flat-footed fighter. He wasn’t the elusive fighter that he was coming up – the elusive fighter with the concussive punch.”

There was talk after this fight that it could set up an epic Barrera-Morales-Hamed round robin, but Hamed didn’t cooperate. (As fight fans, we’ll settle for the Barrera-Morales-Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez round robin we got instead.)

Hamed was just 28 years old when he fought for the last time, finishing with a record of 36-1 (31 KOs) and gaining entry in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2015, some eight years after he first became Hall-eligible.

In contrast, Barrera remained a world-class fighter for another six and a half years and 13 fights, defeating Morales twice, winning titles at 130lbs as well, and only suffering defeats prior to his 35th birthday against fellow Hall of Famers Pacquiao and Marquez. He then hung around a few fights too long and rose a couple of weight classes too high, eventually retiring in 2011 with a record of 67-7 (44 KOs) with 1 no-contest and making the Hall on his first ballot.

Not bad for the guy who was perceived to be an “old 27” heading into the night of April 7, 2001.

Fans are free to debate whether this was Barrera’s greatest performance. There’s certainly a case to be made for the third Morales fight, or even the first Morales fight despite the judges favoring “El Terrible,” or perhaps the 1996 instant-classic win over Kennedy McKinney.

The Hamed fight stands out, though, as Barrera’s reinvention fight. We’d already known the blood-and-guts Mexican slugger had some tactician in him, but we didn’t realize the extent to which he could be a master boxer if he so chose.

Hamed was his ideal unorthodox, deeply flawed foil.

Six years after Barrera’s first title win, his upset of Hamed opened the door to another six-plus years as one of the best in boxing’s smaller weight classes.

This was the first day of the rest of Barrera’s brilliant career. And the first day of the end of Hamed’s.

Eric Raskin is a veteran boxing journalist with nearly 30 years of experience covering the sport for such outlets as BoxingScene, ESPN, Grantland, Playboy, and The Ring (where he served as managing editor for seven years). He also co-hosted The HBO Boxing Podcast, Showtime Boxing with Raskin & Mulvaney, The Interim Champion Boxing Podcast with Raskin & Mulvaney, and Ring Theory. He has won three first-place writing awards from the BWAA, for his work with The Ring, Grantland, and HBO. Outside boxing, he is the senior editor of CasinoReports and the author of 2014’s The Moneymaker Effect. He can be reached on X, BlueSky, or LinkedIn, or via email at RaskinBoxing@yahoo.com.

An injury to Callum Smith, endured during the 35-year-old’s final stages of training camp, has ruled him out of his fight with David Morrell. 

The contest, which was to be for Smith’s WBO interim light heavyweight title, had been scheduled for April 18 at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena. Ben Whittaker’s fight with Braian Suarez, also set for 175lbs, will now be the main event.

“Naturally, it is a massive blow to lose a megafight so close to the event, and we wish Callum a speedy recovery,” said Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing. 

Birmingham, England’s, Whittaker – “box office in whichever city he fights in,” according to Hearn – is being lined up for an American debut later in the year. 

“Ben will be out to show once again why he will be the future of this sport as the eventual ruler of the 175lbs division,” Hearn said.

The 28-year-old Whittaker, a recent acquisition of Matchroom’s, said: “I’m excited… You know what we do, ‘The Surgeon’ is gonna turn up and put on a spectacular performance.”

Morrell, seemingly still keen to compete in less than a fortnight’s time, took to social media to call out Whittaker: “I’m ready to fight April 18th,” he said before noting he was born six months after the up-and-comer. “How are you older than me and still a prospect? Let’s give the fans what they want to see!”

Smith, who at nearly 36 is closing in on the final stages of his career, is understood to be crestfallen at his latest opportunity slipping away. The veteran, 31-2 (22 KOs), reinvigorated his career with victory over Joshua Buatsi in February 2025 and has been hoping to build on that success ever since.

Dmitry Bivol, the unified champion, holds the full WBO title at light heavyweight, a belt he’ll defend against Michael Eifert on May 30 to fulfill his mandatory with the IBF. Bivol also has the WBA belt.

The WBO, via their president Gustavo Olivieri, responded on social media: “The WBO will grant Team Smith a 10-day period to submit a medical report detailing diagnosis, prognosis, recovery period, and expected return to competition.

“Pursuant to WBO regulations, Mr. Smith is afforded 180 days from the Bivol-Eifert bout to fulfil his mandatory obligation against Mr. Morrell. Failure to comply within this period will result in the [interim] title being declared vacant.

“The winner of Smith-Morrell MUST face the winner of Bivol-Eifert to terminate the [interim] status.”

Matchroom, via CEO Frank Smith, confirmed to BoxingScene that they will enter discussions with the WBO in an effort to get Smith-Morrell rescheduled. 

Smith has suffered with injuries throughout his career but, according to Matchroom, is for now unwilling to divulge the details of his latest setback.

This week we discovered, against our will, that whenever Deontay Wilder finishes something, he prefers to leave no doubt. Ideally, he likes there to be a towel to hand and he likes to see evidence of his deed on a flat surface. Only then does he know that his job is over. Only then can he start to reflect on the ramifications of what he has done. 

We already knew of course that this was Wilder’s preference in the boxing ring. His vast catalogue of knockouts suggests that, as does his desire to land that big blow – the finisher – from the second the fight begins. A true master of the old in-out, Wilder has by now established a reputation as a man who tends to finish what he started in a convincing manner; a man who likes to know, with the evidence on the canvas, that it is indeed finished. 

Last night, in London, producing evidence became a trickier task than usual for Wilder. It was tricky, on the one hand, because Wilder is not the same virile beast he was before, when any touch of his right hand seemed to turn opponents all a quiver. It was also tricky, in this instance, because the opponent, Derek Chisora, is a durable type who is built for being pounded over a long period. There was a chance, based on his age, that Wilder might be able to shock his 42-year-old opponent, but the likelihood of that, as an outcome, was somewhat mitigated by the fact that Wilder, at 40, has become almost impotent himself. 

Together, they made quite a pair. It was a love affair born of necessity rather than natural attraction and one hoped going into last night’s fight in London that their red flags would cancel each other out and result in a fair contest. It wouldn’t be pretty, no, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t be dramatic or possess its own unique charm. 

After all, this was the 50th fight for both, and apparently the last for Chisora, whatever the result. There was, because of this, an expectation that they would want to leave it all in the ring and that both, not just Wilder, would want to see proof that it was finished – the fight, their careers – when the arena emptied out. Whether this came in the form of a knockout win or a knockout defeat hardly mattered. What mattered most was that Wilder and Chisora saw for themselves the degree to which they had slipped and then used this knowledge to quench the thirst to keep fighting for money. 

For the rest of us, the assessment was easier. We, in fact, knew as early as round one that both heavyweights are at the end – if not quite finished – and that only a fear of the end inspires them to carry on. 

In round one, Wilder appeared skittish and concerned about getting hit, while Chisora moved towards the American at a pace best described as glacial. There was at one point a right uppercut thrown by Wilder, which almost connected, but noteworthy shots were few and far between.

The biggest moment in round one came after the bell when both men got tangled up by the ropes and neither they nor the referee, Mark Bates, could sort out the mess. That led to some petulant punches being thrown and, worse, a member of Chisora’s corner team racing across the ring to get involved. On another night Chisora could have been disqualified on account of his corner man’s amateurish behaviour. But here, at the O2 Arena, chaos was seemingly the order of the day. The more of it we witnessed, the easier it became to ignore what was staring us in the face. 

“Stop boxing!” yelled the referee at both fighters in round two, wanting to gain control. These were words Bates then repeated throughout the contest until they became an incantation; a subliminal message he hoped Wilder and Chisora would take home with them. 

What he wanted, of course, more than for them to stop boxing, was a cleaner fight and fewer clinches. Because whenever they punched, these desperados, it was rather exciting. You had Wilder busy clubbing away with his right hand – best thrown when it was chopped down on Chisora – and you had Chisora trudging forward behind his cross-armed defence, slugging Wilder with slow but solid hooks to the body followed by the odd roundhouse right hand upstairs. Again, none of this was pretty, but they somehow made it work, at least as a spectacle. Palatable? No. Watchable? Yes. 

Make no mistake, these two were giving everything – all they knew, all they had left. Chisora complained about an eye injury in round three, but Wilder didn’t seem to care. He showed no mercy when throwing punches at his distressed opponent, and why would he? He needed this win. Needed it perhaps more than Chisora, in fact, because Wilder, unlike Chisora, is a man whose relevance is measured by his form. Chisora, by contrast, will be loved and encouraged to keep fighting regardless of his results. Therein, for him, lies the danger. 

“Let it go!” shouted a voice from Wilder’s corner in round four and once more, as with Bates’ commands, it was hard not to treat these words as the subtext. Even if the request was for Wilder to stop holding back his right hand, one wondered to what extent those close to Wilder also wished he would let it all go – his career, his ambitions, his hunger for money, fame, and attention. 

In that same round, Wilder was hurt for the first time in the fight, when a Chisora home run caught him around the back of the head and put him on sea legs momentarily. Chisora then followed that breakthrough with some other shots, all of which unsettled Wilder and had him trapped in a corner as the round ended. 

Things did improve for Wilder in round six, when the former WBC champion found a spot for his right uppercut and Chisora dabbed at a cut by his left eye. Suddenly now Wilder was standing his ground a bit more and smiling through his gum shield. Suddenly now he was letting it go. 

Then came round eight, the best of the fight. In this round both were badly hurt by right hands – Chisora’s curved and bowled, Wilder’s straight and chopping. They also threw punches together and resisted the temptation to clinch, which made the level of drama high. One moment Chisora appeared wounded, and would sag on the ropes, and the next Wilder’s legs would stiffen and his eyes would bulge. 

In the end, Chisora, by virtue of sitting on the ropes, left himself in a vulnerable position and paid the price. Nothing clean landed, but still he was bundled out of the ring, with a count then administered by the referee. 

Up at seven or eight, Chisora showed a willingness to fight on, as we knew he would, yet Wilder was now well in control. From a neutral corner he could be seen slowly approaching Chisora, ready for the finish, only to then stop and tell his rival that he loved him and that he was sorry for what he was about to do. It was, for us all, the first glimpse of the old Wilder: that sense of the inevitable, the Jaws theme. However, the difference this time was that Wilder followed his message to Chisora with merely a single right hand, with nothing much after it. In fact, rather than finish Chisora, Wilder jammed up in his big moment and by the round’s conclusion it was Chisora, playing possum on the ropes, who looked the more likely to produce something fight-ending with a swing of his right fist. 

On reflection, the image of Wilder apologising for what he was about to do to a fighter he “loved” was the clearest indication yet that Wilder is no longer the Wilder of old. For even if he was gearing up to do something devastating in that moment, he failed to disconnect from the human element of it all and became stuck. This brought us back to that time he broke down in tears at a press conference after brutally knocking out his friend and sparring partner Robert Helenius. “I always have concern for all fighters,” Wilder said that night. “This is not a sport. A sport is something you play. You don’t play this. We risk our lives for you guys’ entertainment.”

Unable to find the finish, Wilder and Chisora continued to entertain in the fight’s final quarter. By now the fight had descended into a series of comical flops to the floor – sometimes Chisora, sometimes Wilder – and much in the way of wrestling, though still ringsiders were captivated. In fact, so entertained were the people at ringside, Chisora and Wilder were greeted with a standing ovation in the last round, a round in which both nothing and everything happened. 

Crucially, there was a final bell. This, which Wilder seldom hears, signalled the end not only of the fight but of any chance either man had to do something decisive and career-ending to the other. That’s perhaps why both looked so relieved and happy as they waited for the judges’ verdict. They know, after all, that going 12 hard rounds can be used as evidence that there is still something left. That can be as true for Chisora, the loser, as it is for Wilder, the one whose victory was sealed by two of the three scorecards being in his favour (scores of 115-111 and 115-113 against one score of 115-112 for Chisora). 

Afterwards, Wilder, now 45-4-1 (43 KOs), said: “I was telling him in the ring as I started seeing his eye and temple swell, ‘Bro, you’ve got to live for your kids. I don’t want to hurt you too much longer’. I started having fun in there because I saw my brother getting hurt. I saw him winking his eyes a little bit. 

“That’s what boxing’s all about. Too many lives have been lost in this ring. When it’s over, nobody gives a damn about us. No matter what they say, nobody gives a fuck about us. So us fighters have to look out for each other. Tonight, I looked out for Derek. I didn’t want to go too hard on him. I want him to live for his kids.”

By the time it was Chisora’s turn to speak, the arena was almost empty. There were more blue seats than faces and the DAZN interviewer even had to rouse the remaining stragglers to cheer Chisora’s name before speaking with him. Sad as it was, it provided a perhaps fitting and telling send-off, with only Chisora’s friends and family really listening to him when at last he spoke. His fans still loved him, of course, but the fight had gone on much longer than anyone expected and it was now getting late. They had trains to catch; other places to be. Besides, whatever Derek Chisora was about to say, they had probably heard before.

LONDON – The referee Mark Bates’ performance in his split-decision win over Derek Chisora  led to Deontay Wilder fearing for his health.

Wilder, of Tuskaloosa, Alabama, was – at London’s O2 Arena – fighting in the United Kingdom for the first time in his 50th professional contest. Wilder, a former WBC heavyweight titlist and 40 years old, had looked in decline. Losses to both Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang had meant few gave him a chance against Chisora. However, he ultimately had more left than his 42-year-old opponent from London and was able to edge victory via split decision.

 

Their fight was indeed a close one, with both having success, but it should have been over in round three. Wilder hurt Chisora, who was pinned in the corner, and just as he was about to throw one of his right hands, Chisora complained to Bates that he could not see. Bates then halted the action to check if the home favorite was okay, and then ushered Wilder on, but the bell sounded, saving Chisora.

 

That was also not the only rule infringement. In the opening session one of Chisora’s cornermen entered the ring to help separate the two fighters when they became tangled together on the ropes. The fight was a scrappy one involving both men roughing each other up when they came together. Chisora consistently hit the back of Wilder’s head when they came together, and often landed shots after the bell.

 

Wilder had Chisora down on two counted occasions, but it should have been more. Chisora fell through the ropes following Wilder’s hard shots on multiple occasions, and was even helped to his feet by his corner and Bates. Wilder was also deducted a point for putting Chisora through the ropes, but it remains unclear what the perceived infringement was.

 

“It’s crazy – I mean, you're looking at, if the ref was fair, you're looking at a third-round stoppage,” said Wilder. “So many things went on. I got hit in the back of the head at least 10 to 12 different times, and then when I finally want to retaliate and hit back, you're pointing fingers at me, ‘Deontay don’t do that’. I'm like, ‘This man keeps hitting me in the back of the head. I'm getting dizzy at times, but I'm bouncing back’.”

 

The shots to the back of the head were a cause for concern to Wilder who said that he took it easy on Chisora in the later rounds because he was scared for his foe’s health. He was also worried about the effect Chisora’s rabbit punches would have on his brain.

 

“You know how many fighters got hit on the back of the head and don’t wake up tomorrow?” said Wilder. “That’s why I might not even go to sleep because of the awareness of getting hit on the back of the head and you not waking up tomorrow, or something happening or something forming. I feel good externally, but internally, something may be developing inside of me that I can’t see right now because a referee decided to allow something to happen that shouldn’t have happened.

 

“That was one of the things the referee asked, ‘Do we have questions?’, and Shelly [Finkel, my manager] brought it to his attention. That was one of the things we warned him to not do is allow him to hit me in the back of the head. And then it’s supposed to have been a disqualification because his team ran up in the ring. I mean, damn, I’m fighting Dereck and the referee. I’m like, it’s crazy, you know?”

 

The veteran boxing manager Shelly Finkel, who has long been part of Wilder’s team, was also unhappy with the officiating and feared the worst when the bout headed to the scorecards.

 

“If any or all of you want to look up the rules,” said Finkel, “one, if your corner enters the ring it’s an automatic disqualification. Number two, if you’re pushed, knocked out of the ring, you have 20 seconds to get in, you are not allowed to be helped by your corner. Three, if you get hit and you’ve fallen and you grab the rope, it’s an automatic eight count. Four, if you get hit after it’s stopped, it’s up to the discretionary ref to take a point off.

 

“He takes it off him, but he doesn’t treat fair. Number five, when Derrick went back and touched his eye to the ref, that’s not allowed. You either stop the fight or you don’t interfere. These are rules of the game and they can be checked, and I’m glad my guy won because I was afraid he was going to get robbed.”

 

Many overseas fighters fear coming to the UK because of the treatment from British judges and referees. With the majority of the big names in the heavyweight division residing in Britain or signed to promoters Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn, another trip to the UK is likely for Wilder.

 

“One bad apple won't spoil the show for me,” he said. “I love coming over here where some of the best fans in the world live. This is the second sport here, which I call the business. Everyone else calls it a sport because I know the truth behind the closed doors of what goes on. They love boxing. In America, it's like the seventh or eighth sport. So why not be able to come somewhere where boxing is loved? I would love to come here. When you get certain referees, it’s a scary thing.

 

“That’s why a lot of these fighters get on certain drugs to put in their body, to do things that their body isn’t supposed to do. Because they’re afraid not only of getting robbed by referees, but they’re thinking the other fighters are cheating as well. They’re getting away with a lot of things, especially having home advantage. But I don’t let those things get in my mind. I really love this sport. Being in this sport, I saw a lot of evil in the amateurs. It opened my eyes to a lot of things. I understand things are going to happen. I just hope and pray that the boxing commission, the people, do something about these things.

 

“That referee shouldn't be able to ref again. That’s just my honest opinion.”