Describing a harrowing environment in which missiles and enemy drone attacks are active and threatening, back-to-back Trainer of the Year winner Robert Garcia on Monday elaborated about the decision to pull his 140lbs IBF title contender Lindolfo Delgado from Saturday’s Canelo Alvarez-headlined card in Saudi Arabia.

“U.S. citizens are being advised to leave,” Garcia said of the threat posed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen, who killed 13 earlier this month at the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the same city where Alvarez will attempt to regain his WBC super middleweight belt from new titleholder Christian Mbilli of Canada.

“I got a call from an attorney and he said, ‘We get at least two warnings on our phone every day – alerts about missiles.’”

For now, the card – minus Delgado – appears to be on as planned. But new attacks on the airport Monday, claimed by the Houthis, followed the recent re-opening of the airport.

“It’s already happening,” Garcia said on Monday’s episode of ProBoxTV’s “BoxingScene Today.” “Why would we risk ourselves going over there without being safe? Flying to a different country [Bahrain] and driving 5-6 hours to get to a different location? It’s looking for trouble.”

Beyond the wartime activities tied to the U.S.-Iran conflict, Garcia said the Saudis failed to distribute Delgado’s travel materials over the weekend, meaning the earliest they could have arrived across multiple time zones in Saudi Arabia was Monday night.

“To get [accustomed to the travel] and cut weight for a world title fight, it’s unbelievable, impossible, ridiculous,” Garcia said.

While the Saudis and their boxing point man Turki Alalshikh have seen the cancellation or postponement of tennis, wrestling and other events during this Riyadh Season tourist period on the calendar, Alvarez has steadfastly refused to withdraw, causing what some observers have cast as a high-stakes game of chicken to ensure he is paid his eight-figure purse for the fight topping the “Mexico Versus the Rest of the World” card.

Delgado, 24-0 (16 KOs), was to fight Arthur Biyarslanov, who arrived last week in Saudi Arabia along with promotional banner mate Mbilli.

Also tugging at Delgado was the fact he recently became the father of a newborn. The difficulties of fight-week logistics in Riyadh under the circumstances were only the tip of the iceberg for Garcia.

“And to risk our fighter on top of that, no way,” Garcia said. “Fight’s off.”

The unprecedented effort to stage a global boxing event in a war zone has alarmed many as Monday’s ballistic missiles neared.

“The money’s cool,” said “BoxingScene Today” host Chris Algieri. “I’d like to live to spend it.”

Whether or not it was the plan all along, O'Shaquie Foster knew exactly what he wanted next the moment his unanimous decision win over Emanuel Navarrete in their junior lightweight title unification bout Saturday in San Antonio was in the books.

And it wasn't Shakur Stevenson.

Foster, a titleholder at 130 pounds who collected two more belts after soundly beating Navarrete (including dropping him twice in the 12th round), is focused on achieving undisputed status.

"I want to go undisputed," Foster said after dispatching Navarrete. "I only need one more [belt] to become undisputed and fulfill my biggest dream."

Foster's next steps

Anthony Cacace, who is scheduled to fight Nick Ball on Dec. 19, is the other titleholder at junior lightweight. Foster indicated he wants the winner of that bout next.

He also cast a line seeking a fight with Vasiliy Lomachenko, who recently announced his comeback and intended return at 130 pounds.

Then?

"I'm gonna go up after the undisputed," Foster said, "and try to conquer some more."

That plan seems to include (and possibly start with) Stevenson, whom Foster had been in talks – of a sort – with before before lining up Navarrete.

"Me and Shakur was supposed to get it in after the Ray Ford fight," Foster said postfight Saturday. "That's really one of the reasons why I had to knock Ray Ford out the way, because I felt like that would have been huge for boxing. Real animosity with me and Shakur, and he threw his mans in the middle of it. So why not make the story even bigger by beating him and then now me and you go?"

Stevenson spent the months after signing with Zuffa Boxing in July calling out Foster – as well as Devin Haney and Gary Antuanne Russell, among others – while doing zero fighting. On Oct. 19, only three months into a multifight contract, Stevenson announced he was splitting with Zuffa.

Stevenson had reportedly demanded $15 million from Zuffa to fight, turning down a $7 million offer to take on Jose "Rayo" Valenzuela.

The Foster-Stevenson beef

Foster claims that Stevenson, after previously calling him out on social media, then ducked him.

"We didn't get nothing like no call, no nothing, man," Foster said. "And he went on Twitter and said, 'Answer your phone.' I don't know. I mean, Top Rank, nobody – we didn't get nothing from them.

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"So now I'm going to build my profile, become a pound-for-pound guy, Fighter of the Year. Steal the shine from all these guys that's Twitter-talking and doing the Twitter-fighting, and they'll demand that fight."

Foster implied he may have only a couple more fights left at 130 pounds before he will be ready to move up to lightweight. That's where Stevenson, in theory, would await.

"So like I said, I ain't chasing nobody," Foster said. "That's a fight that I want because he's a guy that I really don't like and I really would love to put hands on him. But my career going to come first before anything. ... This is this is the path right here: go undisputed, do something he's never done, something nobody's ever done at 130 pounds. Make my mark and then go up and we'll see about it."

Tyson Fury insists retirement is not on his mind as he prepares to face Anthony Joshua in Cardiff, Wales, on December 11.

Now 38, Fury has even suggested he could fight another 11 times after the heavyweight showdown, which many have predicted could bring the curtain down on both fighters' careers.

Fury has been a professional since 2008. Seven years later he claimed three heavyweight belts when he upset longstanding champion Wladimir Klitschko. In 2020, Fury began his second reign when he defeated Deontay Wilder to win the WBC belt.

Fury, of course, has a history of saying one thing and doing another. He has announced his retirement five times, each time promising never to fight again, only to eventually reverse his decision.

Now, it seems, he is looking further ahead than ever.

"I'm going to continue," Fury told WSVN Miami.

"I've got two fights left on my contract.

"I'll finish the contract off and then probably sign another 10-fight deal. Who knows?

"If the money's right, [I'll] sign another 10 fights, but they've got to be quick because I'm getting older.

"And when it's gone, it's gone. I'm coming up to fight No. 40."

Fury, 36-2-1 (25 KOs), ended his latest hiatus in April when he returned to outpoint Arslanbek Makhmudov before stopping Mariusz Wach three months later.

Prior to that comeback, Fury had not fought since suffering consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024.

Frazer Clarke could face Joseph Parker on the undercard of Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua in Cardiff, Wales, on December 11.

Clarke, 35, returned to winning ways in August when he stopped journeyman Lamah Griggs, but Parker would represent a significant step up in class.

The New Zealander, 36-4 (24 KOs), has not fought since losing to Fabio Wardley 12 months ago. A failed pre-fight drug test for the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine resulted in a backdated three-month ban, but Parker has since been cleared to box again by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD).

Parker, 34, was closing in on a world title opportunity before the events surrounding the Wardley fight. He also holds an amateur victory over Clarke, 10-3-1 (8 KOs), having defeated him in 2010.

“There’s a couple of names being floated along and thrown my way,” Clarke told The Sun.

“Joseph Parker’s one of them, and that’s something that I said yes to.

“It’s gone a bit quiet now; I’ve not heard much about it, so it could still be there, could not be.

“But that’s a massive fight for me. He’s a huge name, great fighter, good friend of mine.”

Clarke would also welcome the chance to avenge his amateur defeat.

“He’s got one over me in the amateurs,” Clarke added.

“Me and Joe boxed in India in 2010 in the Commonwealth Federation Tournament.

“He won on a split. I think I blew a gasket. I was young, and he was young as well, but he was more of an athlete than I was back then.”

Cheavon Clarke, twice the victor over Chris Billam-Smith in the amateur ranks, is confident of repeating that success when they meet for the first time as professionals on November 7.

Clarke went on to represent Great Britain at the Tokyo Olympics, but it is Billam-Smith, a former WBO cruiserweight titleholder, who has scaled greater heights in the paid ranks.

Both fighters were last in action on the same Zuffa Boxing bill in June, when they emerged victorious from thrilling contests.

Billam-Smith, 22-2 (14 KOs), outlasted the astonishingly tough Ryan Rozicki, while Clarke, 12-2 (9 KOs), recovered from two knockdowns to defeat Jack Massey.

"People talk about the knockdowns and that's all great," Clarke told Sky Sports about the Massey fight. "He wasn't dictating the pace, I was dictating the pace. He was moving because I wanted him to move there.

"He caught me with a shot, fair play, he tried to finish me and that didn't work out. I then had to adjust. I adjusted and then I got the victory.

“I think that shows my calibre. I'm able to adjust. I'm able to manouevre, think on the spot and get the job done."

Clarke is back on track after consecutive defeats to Leonardo Mosquea and Viddal Riley in December 2024 and April 2025, respectively.

Matching him with Billam-Smith, following their victories in June, would appear to reflect the philosophy Zuffa brought into the sport: competitive matchups in which the winner moves forward.

Billam-Smith, however, will start as the favorite.

"The bull's always driven - but they get tamed. He'll come out with his tactics and everyone has a plan until they get in the ring. On the night we'll see," Clarke countered.

"He's a former world champion so you have to give credit where it's due. But regardless I know what my ability is, I've been given a gift. It's wrong for me not to fulfil that gift. So come November 7 we will see.

"We've changed so much as fighters in that time, we've evolved. Of course we fought in the past but that was in the amateurs.

"He's become a world champion, I've done my thing. Funnily enough it's actually a decade since we fought."

Boxing matches scheduled for Halloween have always lent themselves to easy “fight night”/“fright night” quips and taglines, but there’s something far less playful and far more ghoulish about what boxing is dropping into our pumpkin-shaped basket this year.

The worst-case scenarios are far worse than any past scenarios I can recall for any fight, as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez faces Christian Mbilli atop a fight card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during which any of the usual talk from the commentators of fighters throwing “bombs” or “detonating” left hooks will make us all squirm.

Sure, everyone who ever gets on an airplane or rides in a car or walks down the street in a rough neighborhood is risking their life to some extent, and yes, every boxer is putting their health on the line every time they step into the ring. But those concerns are usually measured in fractional percentages. This coming Saturday in Riyadh, we fear for people’s lives in whole numbers.

Nearly every other sporting event in the region this month has been canceled or postponed. A tennis tournament was moved to the end of December. A golf event was postponed indefinitely. A cycling event was scrapped. An eSports competition got bumped. Numerous soccer/football matches are being rescheduled.

But, as this article goes to press five days out from the opening bell, Canelo vs. Mbilli is all systems go.

Welcome to the most uneasy fight week I can ever remember.

To most of us, proceeding with a boxing card in an active war zone seems foolish, reckless, short-sighted. Couldn’t they have started looking for an alternate venue after an October 10 missile strike on King Khalid International Airport killed 13 people and injured 308 others? Is it really necessary to stage this card at this specific arena on this exact date, knowing even if it turns out to be perfectly safe on fight night, there will be some undercard boxers who either can’t or won’t make the trip, others physically depleted by the planes-trains-and-automobiles of it all and assorted trainers, managers, promoters and broadcasters sitting it out?

No, it is not necessary. But the fact that it is proceeding despite this heightened cocktail of danger and inconvenience shouldn’t be at all surprising. Because this is how Canelo Alvarez has always operated.

Alvarez is stubborn. Once he decides he wants to do something, that’s it, he’s doing it. It doesn’t matter what anyone else advises. It doesn’t matter that, to the rest of us middle-class nine-to-fivers, it seems like money should be no object for him. My friend Rafe Bartholomew first put forth the notion of “Heel Canelo” about a decade ago, and Dig-In-My-Heels Canelo goes back even further than that.

It started with his April 2013 fight against Austin Trout, an undefeated southpaw coming off a fairly dominant upset win over Miguel Cotto.

Canelo was with Golden Boy Promotions at the time, and Oscar De La Hoya said that CEO Richard Schaefer, matchmakers Robert Diaz and Eric Gomez, manager Jose “Chepo” Reynoso and trainer Eddy Reynoso all opposed the idea of Alvarez vs. Trout. And Trout claimed De La Hoya hated the idea too, asserting, “De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer tried to not make this fight happen at every turn. When they changed the fight from Vegas to San Antonio, there was talk of [Alfredo] Angulo being their pony, but that’s when Canelo put his foot down, like a champ, and said, ‘No, I want Trout.’”

Straight from Alvarez’s mouth at the time: “It was brought up that there are other fights and let’s take other avenues, but I wanted this fight, and that’s why we’re here.”

Canelo’s stubborn insistence worked out that time, with him winning a close (in reality, if not on the official scorecards) decision and setting the stage for his next display of obstinacy.

Nobody was trying all that hard to talk Alvarez out of taking on Floyd Mayweather in September 2013, given the money involved. (Canelo ultimately ended up with a purse of about $12 million, roughly five times his previous career-high payday.) But he was barely 23 years old. He probably could have waited a year or two and had a far better chance at taking Mayweather’s zero. Instead Floyd took his — because Alvarez insisted he was ready, and nothing could change his mind. (He also stubbornly insisted on trying to outbox Mayweather even after it became abundantly clear that was a hopeless strategy and he needed to switch to a more aggressive Plan B.)

Ten months after that, the Canelo-Trout narrative repeated when De La Hoya reportedly tried to steer Alvarez clear of elusive southpaw Erislandy Lara and the young Mexican instead steered straight into him. Lara had talked trash and said Canelo was avoiding him. The Cuban’s goading worked, Alvarez gave him what he wanted and two of the three judges gave Canelo what HE wanted, awarding him a split decision.

Stubborn Canelo showed up again in 2016, after he’d beaten Cotto for the lineal middleweight title in a fight with a 155-lbs catchweight and the calls began in earnest for him to give Gennady Golovkin his shot. Alvarez said he’d only do it if “GGG” agreed to that same 155-lbs catchweight, which proved an effective stall tactic to push that showdown off until 2017, when Golovkin was no longer at his absolute physical apex.

December 2018 offered a different form of Canelo stubbornness, when one of his brothers was kidnapped less than a week before the superstar’s fight against Rocky Fielding. Canelo reportedly spent three days of fight week negotiating his brother’s safe release. In a situation that foreshadowed what’s happening in Saudi Arabia this week, Alvarez refused to postpone his fight, instead demonstrating his ability to focus on the task at hand amid serious distractions. It helped, perhaps, that Fielding was one of the softest touches of Canelo’s many title tenures, hitting the deck four times in a fight that lasted not quite three rounds.

Then there was this one: stubbornly refusing to fight David Benavidez.

Alvarez was the lineal super middleweight champ in 2024 and Benavidez his obvious top contender, and somewhat like the way he initially approached the Golovkin challenge, Alvarez set an unrealistic parameter. He said he’d fight “The Mexican Monster” as long as he could be guaranteed a payday of 150-200 million. Later he reiterated the $200 million figure and conveniently didn’t mention the $150 million option.

Fans accused Alvarez of ducking Benavidez. But Canelo didn’t blink. This was a fight he’d obviously decided was not in his best interest, and no amount of criticism could change his mind.

Most fighters aren’t in the position to call their own shots every time, but Alvarez is. He’s stubborn in part because he has the leverage to be stubborn.

There’s a strong hint of “I’m Keith Hernandez” about him.

We have a war going on in Riyadh, and tennis, golf, soccer, cycling and eSports are all giving way to cooler heads, and the non-Canelo fighters who can’t commandeer private jets are flying into Bahrain so they can then drive through 300 miles of areas possibly targeted by drone strikes, but … (inner monologue) … “I’m Canelo Alvarez.”

Alvarez is reportedly due $47 million for this fight against Mbilli and gets to collect that paycheck if the organizers cancel the card but would forfeit it if he pulls out.

CelebrityNetWorth.com estimates Canelo to be worth $350 million. He’d be just fine without this week’s purse. But you can’t blame him for wanting to cash that check.

What you can blame him for is valuing that money over his safety and the safety of others.

We as a society tend to be results-oriented. If I’ve had a few drinks and I decide to drive home with a little buzz, there is no downside if I don’t get pulled over and don’t get in an accident. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a horrendous decision.

It’s more likely than not that everyone will make it home from Riyadh in one piece and the boxing world will not judge Alvarez or Turki Alalshikh harshly for proceeding with the event.

The alternative scenario, however, isn’t just some minor bummer. The alternative scenario is utterly horrifying to think about.

The DAZN broadcast crew is set to call the show remotely, so they should be safe. That’s good. The fighters can’t box remotely, however. A few undercard fighters probably won’t make the trip. The rest will be part of the weirdest, eeriest fight week and fight night atmosphere since the days of Covid bubble bouts. And, surreal as those empty arenas were, the truth is a deadly virus is tame compared to a military strike.

At some point perhaps the conversation this week will turn toward what a great fight aging Alvarez vs. peaking Mbilli is on paper. Had they pivoted a couple of weeks ago to an available arena in a country not being actively bombed, we surely would be focused on the matchup now — even if some powerful people in the country providing the money would be unhappy about not getting maximum return on their financial investment.

As BoxingScene’s Lance Pugmire reported last week, Alvarez has told people close to him, “I am willing to go to hell to get my belt back.”

That’s Canelo for ya. He’s as hard-headed figuratively as he is in the more literal sense of absorbing punches.

Presumably, his willingness to go to hell was meant figuratively.

Let’s hope that’s the extent of that statement’s resonance a week from now.

The scheduled IBF junior welterweight title fight between Lindolfo Delgado and Arthur Biyarslanov has been thrown into doubt amid ongoing security concerns in Saudi Arabia.

The pair are due to contest the vacant title on the October 31 “Mexico vs. The World” card in Riyadh, headlined by Christian Mbilli's first defence of his WBC super middleweight title against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. An official told BoxingScene that Biyarslanov has arrived in Riyadh alongside promotional stablemate Mbilli, although the pair were forced to take an alternative route to reach the Saudi capital.

There remains uncertainty, however, over whether Delgado will make the trip. Delgado's trainer, Robert Garcia, who was travelling home from San Antonio, Texas, following his fighter Albert Gonzalez's victory, declined to comment on his fighter's travel plans.

Saudi Arabia has been subjected to repeated Houthi missile and drone strikes over the past month, including an attack on Riyadh's airport that reportedly killed 13 people and injured more than 300. Some terminals reopened on Sunday, just days before the event.

Organisers SELA and Turki Alalshikh have faced criticism for pressing ahead with the card despite concerns over the safety of fighters, their teams and spectators.

BoxingScene understands, however, that daily life in Riyadh has begun returning to normal, with residents back on the streets. Saudi Pro League club Al Riyadh's home fixture against Al-Taawoun also went ahead as scheduled on Saturday.

Vasiliy Lomachenko has announced plans to return to the ring in 2027 as he makes one final attempt to fulfil his ambition of becoming an undisputed world champion.

The former three-division champion retired in June 2025, aged 37, having struggled with injuries and motivation after failing to unify all four belts at lightweight.

Many believed Lomachenko should have achieved that feat in 2023 when he challenged Devin Haney for the undisputed 135lb championship. The Ukrainian suffered a controversial unanimous decision defeat and was visibly distraught as he left the ring at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Lomachenko bounced back the following year, stopping George Kambosos Jnr to claim the vacant IBF lightweight title after Haney had moved up to 140lbs. However, with the division's other titles scattered and his undisputed ambitions seemingly out of reach, Lomachenko eventually called time on his career.

Now, at 38, he has had a change of heart.

“I woke up one day and thought, ‘Now I am 38 years old and I need to try one more time to become undisputed champion,’” Lomachenko said on the DAZN broadcast while attending O'Shaquie Foster's victory over Emanuel Navarrete.

“Because if I wait until I am 40 or 41 years old then it will be too late. That's why I made the decision to come back.”

Lomachenko was never a natural lightweight, having spent much of his career competing in the lower weight classes. For his comeback, he intends to return to junior lightweight, where he first captured the WBO title in 2016 and made four successful defences.

“[I retired] because I was tired from boxing. This weight class of 135lbs is not my natural weight,” Lomachenko said. “Now I am back, but I am back at 130lbs in my natural weight class. That's why I'm ready.

“I will check next year and maybe next year I will fight and I will check my condition. Usual preparation looks very good, but no one knows what will happen with one month more or two months of preparation. We'll see, but right now everything is good.”

Lomachenko was ringside to witness Foster's victory over Navarrete, which saw the American unify the WBC, WBO and IBF junior lightweight titles.

With Foster now holding three of the four major belts at 130lbs, he could provide Lomachenko with a route towards the undisputed championship that has eluded him throughout his professional career.

Asked whether he would be interested in facing Foster, Lomachenko's response was emphatic: “Absolutely.”

Dalton Smith has urged his promoter Eddie Hearn to deliver his dream of headlining Hillsborough Stadium following his victory over Alberto Puello.

Smith successfully defended his WBC junior welterweight title with a split-decision victory over the former two-time world champion at Sheffield's Utilita Arena. Puello, a tricky southpaw, proved difficult to pin down, forcing Smith to finish strongly in the championship rounds to secure the victory by scores of 115-113 (twice) and 112-116.

“Look, it was pretty close in rounds eight, nine. I believe I got 10, 11 and 12 to win it by three rounds, but we knew it wasn't going to be easy,” Smith said following the bout.

“You can't go in there and blast Puello out. He's too experienced, a two-time world champion. He's experienced, he's been around the block. Look at the names he's beat. He's got much more experience than me.

“I just believe he got my respect early on. I believe I hurt him. I took my foot off the gas in the middle rounds. My dad was like, ‘Look, we need to push on strong to finish the fight.’ The belt's staying with us. I did what I had to do.”

Attention quickly turned to what could be next for Smith, now 20-0 (14 KOs), who made it clear that he wants to fulfil a childhood dream by fighting at Hillsborough, the home of his beloved Sheffield Wednesday, with local rock band Arctic Monkeys performing live for his ring walk.

“I want Hillsborough. I want a big fight at Hillsborough,” Smith said. “That big carrot's been dangled all the way through this fight. And I'm like, ‘Right, block out that noise. You've got a tough task in front of you.’ Eddie will start those conversations and once I've had a little break, the conversations will go on.

“I want Hillsborough, Arctic Monkeys, and have a proper Sheffield night.”

Hillsborough has a capacity of around 35,000, and Smith would likely need a marquee opponent to help fill the stadium. The question now is who could stand opposite him.

“There's plenty of names,” Smith said. “I've had no easy fights. I've fought everyone I've needed to fight, but for me, my number one goal is to sell out Hillsborough. My dream is to walk out with the Arctic Monkeys playing live, if we can make that happen, and have a big fight at Hillsborough.

“But right now, I'm going to enjoy this victory for a couple of weeks, and then we'll start those conversations.”

With his victory over Puello on Saturday, coupled with his emphatic knockout of Subriel Matias in January, Smith has put himself in the conversation for Fighter of the Year. Having grown up watching British boxing icons on television, the Sheffield fighter is now beginning to build a legacy of his own.

“I want to be a name for the people I grew up watching,” Smith said. “The legends of Ricky Hatton – God rest his soul – Joe Calzaghe – he messaged me this morning saying good luck. Even having conversations with those guys, people I've looked up to – I want to finish my career and be a household name like that for this next generation to inspire them, because that's what these guys have done.

“Like I said, I believe I'm just getting started. The atmosphere tonight was unbelievable. I just want bigger and bigger nights.”

Call it a Texas master barbecue.

Houston’s O’Shaquie Foster skewered Emanuel Navarrete Saturday night, knocking down the Mexican twice in the 12th round to secure a no-doubt 115-111, 118-108, 118-108 unanimous-decision victory to become a three-belt super-featherweight champion in San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center.

“I knew he was going to be strong and awkward. I just had more in me,” Foster, 26-3, said in adding the IBF and WBO belts to his own WBC strap. “I knew I was the better inside and outside fighter. I knew I was levels above him.”

Navarrete admitted simply, “His style was better than mine tonight.”

In a complete showing that should launch him into the pound-for-pound rankings, Foster opened with a sweeping left to the head, then darted in with another left to the face as Navarrete, 40-3-1, yearned to just land a punch.

The foot speed of Foster kept him out of reach as he moved in with confidence to attack the body and head of the three-division champion.

Navarrete then launched two hard rights, along with a looping left that caught Foster as his footing escaped him in retreat – lifting the spirits of the pro-Navarrete crowd inFoster’s home state.

Foster’s hand speed trumped Navarrete’s in the third, but Navarrete followed by pressuring Foster to the ropes and landed crisply with a power left.

Foster met the pressure in the fourth, delivering a counter right and relying on steady feet to land poised scoring shots.

Foster’s willingness to trade in the center of the ring surprised, but the strategy bore fruit as he landed effective shots on the Mexican.

Relying on his defensive gifts and combinations, Foster affirmed his control of the bout in the sixth and cracked Navarrete with a chin shot in the final minute of the frame, leaving Navarrete to desperately chase him.

Navarrete’s punches-landed percentage through six rounds was 15 percent.

Foster then hammered Navarrete with a hurtful left to the head in the seventh, a flex to the crowd that he’s comfortable fighting foes from south of the border.

A head-jarring right by Foster started the eighth, as his corner urged him forward,knowing he’s never been dropped.

A sharp combination in the ninth revealed Foster’s comfort in working surgically in the face of a unified champion who knocked out 33 of his first 43 opponents.

Navarrete used the 10th to mount a desperate push, landing upon Foster until the Texan reverted to his position of superiority at the ring’s center.

Foster’s corner advised Navarrete burned up so much energy in the 10th, instructing Foster to seal the outcome. Navarrete landed a big uppercut to display his constant danger.

But Foster knew the history of Texas judging, how they robbed Pernell Whitaker of victory over Mexican great Julio Cesar Chavez Snr. a generation ago.

“My coaches said, ‘Go out and put him on his ass.’ That’s what I did,” Foster said in making a strong fighter-of-the-year appeal. “I pictured that overhand right catching him. It finally happened in the 12th.”

Foster charged Navarrete in the 12th, and when the pair moved to an opposite corner and engaged, Foster unleashed a right to the chin and knocked down Navarrete for just the second time in his career.

Another Foster right dropped Navarrete early in the final minute of the 12th, to notch a 10-7 round – and seal the victory.

Foster’s superb showing at age 33 happened because, “I just need to be focused. My focus is being the best I can be.”

Even though former three-division champion Vasiliy Lomachenko was in attendance and said he wants to fight Foster next, Foster said he’s open to keeping his WBO belt by meeting mandatory challenger Charly Suarez or fighting December’s WBA title winner between champion Anthony Cacace and former featherweight champion Nick Ball.

He diligently operated in the sport’s shadows, and when boxing’s bright lights summoned Albert “Chop Chop” Gonzalez Saturday night, he came shining through.

The fast-rising contender from the sport’s best gym scored a second-round knockout of veteran Edward Vazquez, delivering a hellacious body shot to punctuate a barrage that moves Gonzalez to 19-0 with 11 KOs.

Referee Laurence Cole counted 10 just 1 minute, four seconds into the second round.

“I wanted to stay in the pocket. [Vazquez] was a little slow, so I planned to catch him,” Gonzalez said. “The body is on my mind every fight. That left to the body ended it all. I felt blessed, knew it was game over no matter what.”

 Gonzalez, 24, kept himself busy at club shows surrounding Southern California as his promoter, Top Rank, operated without a broadcast deal.

He piled up five victories – four by knockout or stoppage – and gained the reward of Saturday’s co-main event at Frost Bank Center.

Gonzalez, of Moreno Valley, California, was enthusiastic about meeting a recent title challenger who was stopped by WBO featherweight Rafael Espinoza in May 2025 before reeling off three consecutive victories.

Training at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy alongside unbeaten champions Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and Vergil Ortiz Jnr.

Gonzalez was so charged by the triumph he said he’d hop on a plane to Saudi Arabia to become Espinoza’s replacement opponent on October 31.

What keyed Saturday’s showing?

“Staying disciplined, listening to my trainers,” Gonzalez said. 

Earlier, former lightweight title challenger Frank Martin stopped former sparring partner Tarik Zaina in the seventh round, a power left igniting a flurry that led to a knockdown preceding the referee’s stoppage at 2:38.

Martin, 20-1-1 (14 KOs), made his Top Rank promotional debut after coming off a February draw at 140lbs versus Nahir Albright.

“It took me a while to get it going, but we got it done,” Martin said. “It wasn’t going my way, but I kept pressing… I caught him with the hook.”

Martin, ranked eighth by the WBO and ninth by the WBA, said the reach of Zaina, 18-4-1, presented difficulties before he cracked Zaina with the defining blow.

Deric “Scooter” Davis swept the scorecards, 80-72, against Joaquin Faccio 10-2 of Uruguay to claim his third consecutive victory by decision while improving to 13-0.

Davis, of Washington, outlanded Faccio 105-51 in power punches.

Before the main DAZN card, Los Angeles lightweight Sammy Contreras, 9-0, kept his record spotless with three 60-54 scores to set aside Oscar Padilla.

Dalton Smith successfully defended his WBC junior welterweight title for the first time, overcoming a difficult challenge from Alberto Puello to earn a split decision tinged with controversy at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena.

The hometown favorite was pushed throughout by the Dominican southpaw, whose height, reach and movement made him a difficult target. But Smith produced enough quality work to persuade two of the three judges, with England’s Kieran McCann and Spain’s Jon Llona both scoring the contest 115-113 in his favor. Filipino judge Ray Danseco preferred Puello’s work, 116-112.

The contrasting styles were evident from the opening round. Puello looked to establish his range and keep Smith at a distance, while the champion attempted to find openings against an elusive opponent.

Smith began to enjoy more success in the second, finding the target. It was already apparent, however, that the southpaw smarts of his challenger were problematic.

A solid right hook towards the end of the fourth underlined Smith’s growing confidence, only for Puello to respond by increasing his own output in the fifth.

The Dominican's willingness to attack also provided Smith with opportunities to counter, and the champion repeatedly found success when Puello elected to exchange.

Puello continued to use his reach effectively in the seventh, creating space whenever Smith threatened to get close. The champion responded with some of his best punches of the contest in the eighth, but neither fighter was able to establish a decisive advantage.

Smith began the ninth aggressively but was caught by a right hand as he pressed forward. Puello remained dangerous in the 10th, punishing the champion's attempts to close the gap and ensuring the outcome remained uncertain heading into the final two rounds.

The momentum seemed to shift from one round to the next and Puello, the slicker of the two, might have thought he was ahead going into the last.

With the result seemingly hanging in the balance, Smith produced a determined final round. He landed a right hook early and followed it with another shortly afterwards, growing sufficiently confident to showboat in the closing seconds.

Vergil Ortiz Jnr's trainer, Robert Garcia, admits his fighter will be under pressure to outperform Sebastian Fundora's six-round dismantling of Keith Thurman when he faces the 37-year-old in December.

It was announced this week that Ortiz will return to the ring after reconciling with his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, earlier this year. Ortiz will face former unified welterweight champion Thurman at 160lbs on December 5 in Glendale, Arizona, in the chief support to David Benavidez's cruiserweight unification with Michael Cieslak.

The matchup has attracted criticism after Thurman was stopped convincingly by WBC junior middleweight champion Fundora in March. Garcia, however, believes that result places additional pressure on Ortiz, who will have been out of the ring for more than a year by the time he faces Thurman.

“That's the thing that a lot of people might not see and notice that when you're going against somebody like Thurman, who just looked pretty bad, he got stopped, he got hurt pretty bad against Fundora, then it puts not only Vergil, but ourselves, trainers, we have to know that we have to go out there and perform better than Fundora,” Garcia told BoxingScene Today.

“That's also going to be pressure for us, for Vergil, that we have to go out there and we can't allow Thurman to even put up a fight, because if he does, then everybody's going to be comparing the differences between Fundora and Vergil. Vergil himself has that in mind that he's got to go out there and perform and take care of business the way Fundora did or even faster than that.”

British heavyweight Moses Itauma has been spotted training at Floyd Mayweather Jnr's gym in Las Vegas as he prepares to return to the ring following the first defeat of his professional career.

The 21-year-old suffered his first loss in August when he attempted to become the youngest heavyweight champion since Mike Tyson, facing Filip Hrgovic for the vacant IBF title.

Itauma appeared on course for another early stoppage when he dropped the Croatian in the second round and continued to land freely. Having never previously been beyond six rounds as a professional, however, Itauma began to tire as the contest progressed. Hrgovic weathered the early storm and eventually stopped the exhausted youngster on his feet in the ninth.

The defeat prompted criticism of Itauma and, in particular, his trainer Ben Davison, with some questioning why the heavyweight had been allowed to expend so much energy in the early rounds. Davison has also faced scrutiny following world title defeats involving fellow heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Fabio Wardley.

Speaking to the media for the first time since the loss last week, Itauma defended his relationship with Davison and the rest of his training team.

“I've had conversations with Ben [Davison],” Itauma told The Stomping Ground. “Me, Ben Davison, Lee Wylie and Barry Smith's relationship is good. We've got a good, healthy relationship. So if somebody else wants to talk, I don't know what they're trying to get at. And it's mad because it's only after a loss.”

Itauma has since travelled to the United States and appeared in a video posted by American prospect Zaquin Moses, hitting the heavy bag alongside him at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas, with Shakur Stevenson also seen training in the background.

Itauma's promoter has indicated that the heavyweight is expected to return to the ring in January 2027.

Robert Garcia, the trainer and manager of Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez, has challenged Naoya Inoue's team to send over a contract for a March showdown between the two pound-for-pound stars.

Negotiations for a superfight between Inoue and Rodriguez have stalled in recent weeks. The contest was first floated by Saudi boxing financier Turki Alalshikh, who expressed his desire to stage the fight in Japan following Inoue's victory over compatriot Junto Nakatani in May.

A meeting between the pair appeared increasingly likely when Rodriguez moved up to bantamweight in June, stopping Antonio Vargas to claim the WBA title and moving within one weight class of Inoue, the undisputed junior featherweight champion. However, discussions subsequently quietened amid reports of financial difficulties in Saudi boxing and concerns over Alalshikh's health.

Talks resumed but hit a stumbling block when Inoue insisted Rodriguez must face him in March without an interim bout or risk missing out altogether, with the Japanese star considering a move to featherweight.

Garcia had hoped Rodriguez could first face WBO bantamweight champion Christian Medina on December 11 before stepping up to 122lbs, but Inoue has made it clear that he is unwilling to wait.

That stance has only strengthened Garcia's belief that Inoue may be wary of his fighter.

“Look, we’ve talked about it, and with Inoue saying, ‘There has to be no interim, he has to go straight to me.’ There’s some kind of rush and hurry – if [Inoue] can’t wait a few months, I think he wants to take advantage of ‘Bam’ not having that extra fight that I’m asking for – that gives me confidence that we can go straight into the fight,” Garcia told BoxingScene.

“Send me that fucking contract. Send me that offer. Send it to us, don’t just talk with your people and on social media, we’re one phone call away.”

Rodriguez's promoter, Eddie Hearn, told BoxingScene on Wednesday that he is awaiting an offer from Inoue's promoter, Hideyuki Ohashi, and that Rodriguez's team is prepared to proceed directly to a March showdown without an interim fight.

“I know Eddie Hearn is also available. Reach out to Eddie and we’ll finalize it. We’ll go straight into that fight if that’s how [Inoue] wants it,” said Garcia. “I have always said since ‘Bam’ became champion at 118lbs in June I would like one more in October or November.

“Now it looks like it may not happen, we’re still hoping it will in December, but if we don’t have anything yet and if Inoue’s pushing for us not to have one, then [Inoue] has got something to worry about, because he doesn’t want us to have another fight. That favors ‘Bam’, getting one more at 118lbs with someone strong like Christian Medina, but if that’s Inoue’s worry then we’ll go straight into the fight. Make a phone call. That’s it.”

Daniel Dubois has backed Moses Itauma to rebuild following his August loss to Filip Hrgovic, to the extent that the WBO heavyweight titlist sees the 21-year-old as a future rival.

Furthermore, Dubois would like to fight Itauma sooner rather than later to ensure the contest – already an appealing one – is at its most competitive.

Dubois has been where Itauma currently finds himself.

In 2020, Dubois’ future was called into question when he was stopped by Joe Joyce, taking the full count on one knee to avoid further punishment.

There have also been two losses to Oleksandr Usyk.

But Dubois, fresh off consecutive stoppage wins over Fabio Wardley, can boast high-profile triumphs over Anthony Joshua and Hrgovic himself.

"Who's had a career like mine? Coming back from losses and then banging out good fighters. So I've been showing myself that I've got that power for a long time," Dubois told Sky Sports.

"Broken me down and rebuilt me again a few times. It's interesting.

"Of course, from the first fight with Joe Joyce, a few, Usyk and all those events I feel like they make you stronger."

Dubois believes the same will be true of Itauma, who, before being stopped in the ninth round by Hrgovic, was widely regarded as the next dominant force in the heavyweight division.

"Of course he can,” Dubois said when asked if Itauma could rebuild. “He had the whole industry behind him. They won't let him give up I don't think.”

"It was a great fight between him and Hrgovic, so there's no shame in that really. Hrgovic just showed him that there's always someone out there that's stronger willed than you. More determination and he's got kids to feed.

"I want to fight him [Itauma] sooner," Dubois continued. "Moses, anyone that can give me a challenge. All the toughest fighters out there I want to face.

"Let's see. I'll break them down now. I feel like I'm at that stage now. I know how I'll have to break them all down, whoever I get in the ring with next, I'll smash them up.

"I don't think I've even touched the surface yet really. I'm just starting to unload properly now. It's going to be a good few next fights."

So, what is Dubois’ secret?

"I'd say call it determination, just call it determination, will to win and a little bit crazy," he said.

WBO President Gustavo Olivieri, Esq. has confirmed their featherweight champion, Rafael Espinoza, will now defend against WBO No. 15-ranked Ricardo Blandon on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez-Christian Mbilli “Mexico vs. The World” event, broadcast live on DAZN, Saturday, October 31, from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Guadalajara, Mexico’s Espinoza, 28-0 (24 KOs), was originally scheduled to face his No. 1 mandatory challenger, former world champion Lorenzo Parra of Venezuela, however, reported “medical exam complications,” have forced him to withdraw on short notice.

Thus, in steps Nicaragua’s Blandon, 21-6 (14 KOs), who is relatively unknown and untested on the world-class stage compared to Parra.  

The Parra to Blandon switch was first revealed by Espinoza on Box Azteca.

“In boxing, things like this happen,” explained Espinoza. “You have to be mentally prepared. I’m taking it in stride, and I’m ready to fight whoever it is… He’ll (Blandon) come at me with a burning desire to become world champion. That’s exactly why I need to stay sharp.”

Olivieri has now officially confirmed the change to BoxingScene: 

“The WBO has been formally advised by Canelo Promotions that the Middle East Professional Boxing Commission, the competent local authority having jurisdiction over the October 31 event in Riyadh, has determined not to authorize Lorenzo Parra’s participation against WBO Featherweight World Champion Rafael “Divino” Espinoza, on grounds attributable to the Commission’s governing rules, regulations, and policies,” said Olivieri. 

“We fully respect the Commission’s determination and its regulatory authority over the contest… In light of these unforeseen circumstances, Canelo Promotions, as promoter of record, has requested authorization for WBO No. 15-rated contender Ricardo Blandon to serve as a substitute opponent.”

While the announcement came as an apparent source of disappointment to some due to the perceived drop in opponent quality, Olivieri says the circumstances dictated Blandon’s quick approval. 

“Considering the exceptional circumstances,” Olivieri continued, “the proximity of the event, the limited time available to secure a qualified replacement, and the legitimate interests of the champion, participating promoters, event organizers, and boxing fans, together with Blandon’s standing in the WBO World Ratings, the WBO will grant the requested authorization, subject to full compliance with all applicable medical and regulatory requirements.”

The "Canelo" Alvarez-Christian Mbilli event has been mired in controversy with many calling to postpone or relocate the event, due to heightening tension between Saudi Arabia and forces in Yemen. 

On October 17, Iranian-supported Houthis rebels launched an attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, killing at least 12 people and injuring more than 300 and have expanded hostilities since then, with drone and ballistic missile attacks targeting oil infrastructure, regional airports, and military installations.

Yesterday, the US State Department ordered non-essential embassy staff and their family members to evacuate the country, however Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, maintains the fight will go head “no matter what happens.”

Both Emanuel Navarrete and O'Shaquie Foster made weight for tomorrow night’s (Saturday, October 24) WBC, WBO and IBF World junior-lightweight unification title fight, broadcast live globally on DAZN (8:00 pm ET) from the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Navarrete, 40-2-1 (33 KOs), who scaled 130 lbs and Foster, 25-3 (12 KOs), who weighed 129.8 lbs, will meet in the night’s 12-round main event, the winner of which will be just one major title away from becoming the 130lbs. division’s first undisputed champion of the modern era.

Mexico’s three-division world champion Navarrete will be making the sixth defense of the WBO belt he won by stopping Liam Wilson in nine rounds in 2023 and the first defense of the IBF strap he won by stopping Eduardo Nunez in 11 rounds in February of this year.

Navarrete also previously held the WBO junior featherweight title from 2018 to 2020 and the WBO featherweight title from 2020 to 2023.

Two-time WBC junior-lightweight champ Foster of Houston will be making the second defense of the title he regained from Robson Conceicao in November 2024.

Foster also previously won the IBF Interim lightweight championship by decisioning Stephen Fulton in December of last year.

Other Weights:

Albert Gonzalez 124.9 lbs vs. Edward Vazquez 125.8 lbs
(Gonzalez's NABF featherweight title — 10 Rounds)

Frank Martin 139.5 lbs vs. Tarik Zaina 139.5 lbs
(junior-welterweight — 10 Rounds)

Scooter Davis 134.8 lbs vs. Joaquin Faccio 134.3 lbs
(lightweight — 8 Rounds)

Daniel Cortez III 121.5 lbs vs. Joshua Montoya 121.4 lbs
(junior-featherweight — 6 Rounds)

Sammy Contreras 134.1 lbs vs. Oscar Pedroza Padilla 134.4 lbs
(lightweight — 6 Rounds)

Joseph Almajdi 154.8 lbs vs. Miqal Dolphus 153.7 lbs
(junior-middleweight — 6 Rounds)

Three-division champion Devin Haney provided DAZN another prime, young talent Friday, signing a multi-fight agreement with the company and separating further in its competition with the new Zuffa Boxing promotion.

As the week began with Zuffa Boxing releasing four-division champion Shakur Stevenson, 25-0 (11 KOs), before he ever fought for the Paramount+ and Turki Alalshikh-linked company, the alliance of Las Vegas’ 27-year-old Haney, 33-0 (15 KOs), and DAZN closes it.

“I’m at a point in my career where I want the biggest challenges and the fights the fans want to see,” Haney said. “I’m excited to partner with DAZN. This agreement removes any doubt or uncertainty about my ability to make the major fights in boxing. I’m in position to fight anyone, and I’m focused, motivated and ready for whoever is next.”

BoxingScene reported that following Haney’s collapsed talks with free-agent Stevenson, WBO welterweight champion Haney was turning to a unification bout against IBF champion Liam Paro of Australia.

The union also intensifies the competition between DAZN and Zuffa Boxing/Paramount+ over pending free agents David Benavidez, a three-division champion fighting for three cruiserweight belts December 5 on DAZN, and popular WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia.

By previously signing WBA welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez, DAZN offers a tantalizing option for Garcia in addition to the link with Haney after he and Garcia fought to that 2024 no-contest marked by Garcia’s three knockdowns of Haney and Garcia’s three positive post-fight tests for the banned PED Ostarine.

That potential rematch may be the most anticipated fight that the sport currently offers.

“Devin has proven that he belongs on boxing’s biggest stages,” said DAZN head of North America boxing Britton Hardin. “He is an elite champion, a proven headliner and one of the most influential figures shaping the future of the sport. This partnership creates the opportunity to deliver the marquee matchups fans want while bringing the next defining phase of Devin’s career to DAZN’s global audience.”

In its prepared statement announcing Haney’s signing, a DAZN official wrote, “The agreement brings another elite championship attraction to DAZN’s growing U.S. boxing business and further strengthens the platform’s position as the destination for boxing’s biggest fighters, promoters and most anticipated matchups.”

Haney previously won lightweight and 140lbs titles, defeating three-division champion Vasiliy Lomachenko along the way, before defeating Brian Norman Jnr in November for the WBO welterweight belt.

Earlier this week, his father-trainer-manager, Bill Haney, showed on social-media posts he was engaged in talks with DAZN officials.

“Building Devin Haney Promotions into a global championship brand has been a long-term vision of ours, and this partnership marks an important milestone in that journey,” Bill Haney said in the statement.

“We developed Devin from the ground up into an undisputed [lightweight] champion, a three-division world champion and one of boxing’s elite global attractions. Now, alongside DAZN, we can apply that same blueprint to growing the DHP roster, developing future champions and delivering elite events on the global stage.”

Alberto Puello does not fear home cooking ahead of facing Dalton Smith for the WBC junior welterweight title in Smith’s hometown of Sheffield, England.

Puello was once the owner of the famous green-and-gold belt, but lost his title to Subriel Matias in a controversial majority decision defeat last year. Puello – and many watching ringside and at home – felt he had done enough to defeat the hard-hitting Puerto Rican, however, Matias was awarded the victory. Matias would then go on to lose the belt to Smith after being stopped inside five rounds back in January.

Now Puello must travel to the UK – the British Boxing Board of Control have come under criticism for biased judging in recent years – to attempt to rip away Smith’s title in the champion’s back yard.

“I'm not worried in any sense about this,” Puello told BoxingScene. “I might not be the favorite in that sense, but that's for the people who don't know me. I feel like I'm a fighter, I'm a boxer, I'm a champion without a belt, without a crown.

“I feel I was unfairly treated in the fight with Sabriel Matias. I'm not worried about the infamous reputation of the British judges, nor going into my opponent's backyard. Those things don't concern me.”

The controversial defeat to Matias in 2025 no longer takes up space in Puello’s mind.

“What’s done is done. That fight is over,” said Puello. “I’m not really thinking about a rematch with Subriel Matias at this time, but in boxing, who knows? Maybe that is God’s plan, maybe that will happen in the future, we just don’t know. But it’s not in my immediate plans right now.”

After being denied by the judges somewhat controversially in his last title fight, one would think Puello would be looking to take the result out of the judges’ hands.

“No, that's not something that I'll be looking to go out and do,” he said. “I'm not a boxer that goes out looking for the knockout, but if it presents itself, then that's different. The most important thing for me is to go in and get this win at all costs.

“Alberto Puello will be taking home that belt to the Dominican Republic.”

Dalton Smith and Alberto Puello were both inside the 140lbs limit ahead of their WBC junior welterweight title fight tomorrow at Sheffield, England’s Utilita Arena.

Home favorite Smith will be making the first defense of the title he won back in January with a fifth round finish against Subriel Matias. The traveling challenger, Puello, was first on the scales, weighing it at 139.6lbs. Smith was next up, and hit the scales exactly the same at 139.6lbs.

"There is no pressure for me. All the years of hard work and sacrifice, I am made for moments like this,” said Smith following making the 140lbs limit. “You can see all the people who have turned out and the support I have. I've dreamt of nights like this and tomorrow night, it is going to be special.

"I just told [Puello] that he's scared and that this is my house. I have worked my whole life to become a world champion and tomorrow I am going to do the same. And still."

Full list of weight:

12x3 WBC junior welterweight championship

Dalton Smith – 139.6lbs

Alberto Puello – 139.6lbs

10x3 lightweight contest

Giorgio Visioli – 134.9lbs

Maxi Hughes – 134.9lbs

6x3 heavyweight contest

Leo Atang – 235.2lbs

Jonathan Vergara – 243.4lbs

10x2 British and Commonwealth junior bantamweight titles

Shannon Ryan – 114.5lbs

Emma Dolan – 114.9lbs

Emanuel Odiase will face Mike Perez in a heavyweight contest at the Europa-Park Arena in Rust, Germany, on November 27, promoter Ringside Zone has confirmed.

The event takes place a day before Agit Kabayel is scheduled to make the first defense of his WBC heavyweight title in Düsseldorf.

“German boxing is back, and Ringside Zone is leading it. When we started, people said big nights in German boxing were a thing of the past,” said promoter Florian Winter.

“Two European heavyweight title fights, a former world title challenger in Mike Perez, and the next generation of German heavyweights on one card. The whole boxing world is coming to Germany that weekend, and we're opening it in Rust. This is the night everyone will be talking about.”

Germany’s Odiase, 12-0 (10 KOs), will face Cuba’s Perez, 32-3-1 (22 KOs), over 10 rounds.

Odiase stopped British heavyweight Nick Webb in the second round in May, while Perez, a former cruiserweight title challenger, comes into the contest following a points victory over Franklin Arinze in Manchester that same month.

Also on the card, Labinot Xhoxhaj, 22-0-1 (17 KOs), will defend his European heavyweight title over 12 rounds against Italian champion Eduardo Giustini.

Xhoxhaj has held the title since November 2024 and most recently defended it with a fourth-round knockout of Pezhman Seifkhani in February.

Karen Chukhadzhian, 26-4 (14 KOs), is also scheduled to return against unbeaten Luis Argañaraz, 16-0, following his defeat to Paddy Donovan in an IBF welterweight final eliminator in May.

Shannon Briggs believes Lennox Lewis would have defeated Oleksandr Usyk and that the 1990s, when Briggs shared a ring with Lewis, represented the strongest era in heavyweight history.

Briggs, 60-6-1 (53 KOs), was knocked out in five rounds by Lewis in March 1998, five months after controversially outpointing George Foreman. He would go on to win the WBO title in 2006, stopping Siarhei Liakhovich in the 12th round despite being past his best.

Though he lost to Lewis, Briggs gave a good account of himself in an entertaining fight.

He believes Lewis' jab would have been the key to overcoming Usyk.

“Lennox Lewis beats Usyk,” Briggs told Mr Gamble.

“The jab. It’s the jab, but it wouldn’t have been easy. It’s the jab, it’s the right hand. The problem is Lewis is a monster. He’s big, he’s in shape. He’s got that jab, like when he fought Tyson, or Holyfield, a few fights there he had when he was in his tip-top form.”

Briggs is also an admirer of Usyk.

“But again, it’s hard to say because Usyk is not normal,” he said. “He’s not normal. The conditioning that he brought to the game, just the work rate, it’s hard to say. And we haven’t seen him, this is what scares me about Usyk, honestly. We ain’t never seen nobody just beat him up. I don’t even think he’s been dropped.”

Usyk remains the leading figure of a strong heavyweight era, having recorded victories over Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois. But in Briggs' view, the division was even stronger during the final decade of the last century.

“There’s no era ever like the ’90s,” he said.

“You had David Tua, Chris Byrd, Hasim Rahman, Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Bert Cooper, Ray Mercer, Shannon Briggs. I could go on and on. Just name any opponent that fought Lennox Lewis. They were tough guys. There are so many people from the ’90s who would have done great in any era now.

“The ’90s was vicious, bro. The ’90s had every fighter banging out every week. Tuesday night fights, Friday night fights. There were bang-outs, there was always something going on. Shout out to the ’90s heavyweight era. Best era ever, in my opinion.

“James Toney. Roy Jones went up to heavyweight. This was an amazing era. John Ruiz was so tough. People sleep on him. John Ruiz was one of the toughest fighters ever in history. Tough fights, man, tough fights.”

Dalton Smith has worked too hard to become world champion to start taking shortcuts now.

The Sheffield fighter makes the first defense of his WBC junior welterweight title against tricky southpaw Alberto Puello in his home city on Saturday.

Smith claimed the belt in emphatic fashion in January, knocking out Subriel Matias at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center despite entering the contest as the underdog.

“It was unbelievable. It gets spoken about all the time and I think it will for many years to come,” Smith told BoxingScene of that memorable night. “But yeah, it was just a special night for me, my dad, my family, my supporters coming over. But I feel like that's in the past for me now. That's gone and there's more I want. I want to keep replicating that. But look, it's a moment I'll cherish forever and now we keep building.”

Smith was not only up against a heavy-handed champion on hostile territory. Matias had also tested positive for the banned substance ostarine, although the WBC allowed the fight to proceed.

Smith went ahead with the contest regardless and stopped Matias midway through the fifth round.

Now he faces another opponent with a failed drug test in his past. Puello tested positive for the banned substance clomiphene ahead of his scheduled title defense against Rolando Romero in April 2023 and was handed a six-month suspension.

“I think it stinks. I'm well against it myself,” Smith said. “But I went in there and proved last time, sometimes you need more than just steroids. I'll do it for the fighters in the sport that are clean.”

Smith believes performance-enhancing drugs remain a serious problem in boxing and wants to see tougher penalties for those who fail tests.

“You always have your suspicions on certain fighters, but yeah, I think it is a problem,” he said. “Of course, it's a problem. People are failing left, right and centre. And I just think the punishment needs to be a little bit harsher. If anything, they need lifetime bans, don't they? But it's out of my hands.”

Despite only winning his title in January, Smith has been handed a difficult mandatory assignment for his first defense.

With some champions choosing to vacate their belts rather than face dangerous challengers, Smith insists that taking such a route never entered his thinking.

“No, because as a world champion, you're going to be fighting the best. I've never avoided a fighter to this day, so why am I going to do it now?” he said. “I've proved myself every time. Even when I've been the underdog, when I've been written off, I've come out victorious.

“So I'll just carry on doing that.”

Smith and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, have made no secret of their ambition to stage a fight at Hillsborough Stadium, home of his beloved Sheffield Wednesday.

Smith and Puello came face to face on the pitch during a recent match, with approximately 35,000 fans in attendance. It offered Smith another glimpse of what a future stadium fight could look like.

“It always gives me that feeling every time I go there, even doing a face-off. I get that energy from the fans, the crowd,” Smith said. “But that's something I want to achieve, but we will deal with that after Saturday. For right now, it's all about Saturday.

“Touch wood. God has his plan. But Saturday night, I come out victorious, I believe that's what will happen next.”

First, though, Smith must overcome the experienced Puello, who presents a demanding test for the newly crowned champion.

Smith, however, is confident of retaining his title. Asked for his prediction, he offered a short and simple response.

“And still,” he said.

Denzel Bentley’s hopes of defending his WBO middleweight title against Shane Mosley Jnr on November 7 have been dashed by the sanctioning body.

The WBO had previously ordered Bentley to defend against mandatory challenger Yoenli Hernandez, only for the Englishman, following his move to Zuffa Boxing, to request permission to make a voluntary defense against Mosley instead.

WBO president Gustavo Olivieri announced on Thursday that Bentley’s appeal had been denied and that, should he wish to retain his title, he must confirm that he is in negotiations to face Hernandez next.

The WBO had already held a purse bid for Bentley-Hernandez, which was won by Hernandez’s promoters with an offer of $200,000.

Days later, Bentley’s signing with Zuffa was announced alongside confirmation of his November 7 contest with Mosley.

Should Bentley proceed with that fight as expected, he will have to do so without his WBO title.

“I'm more than happy to fight Hernandez,” Bentley explained to Sky Sports last month.

“It's just the situation at hand. We already thought we were fighting a voluntary defense before the end of the year and put things in place for that. This has been thrown on us.

“It just makes it a difficult place for me to be in. I don't want to vacate and I don't want to be stripped of my title. But I have to move forward in my career and I cannot wait around for people to make decisions for me.”

Ryan Garner will make the first defense of his WBC interim junior lightweight title against James “Jazza” Dickens on January 9 in Bournemouth.

The unbeaten Garner, 20-0 (10 KOs), claimed the belt in June when he outpointed Italy’s Michael Magnesi over 12 demanding rounds at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium, where approximately 13,000 fans turned out to support their local fighter.

Garner, who is based in Southampton, England, also enjoyed a successful 2025, winning the European championship before adding the British and Commonwealth titles with victory over Reece Bellotti.

He will now attempt to extend his unbeaten record against the vastly experienced Dickens, 36-7 (15 KOs), who returned to winning ways in September with a decision over Ramadhani Kimwaga.

That victory followed Dickens’ loss to Anthony Cacace in their WBA junior lightweight title tussle in March.

The January showdown comes amid significant activity at 130lbs. Cacace is scheduled to defend his WBA belt against Nick Ball in December, while Emanuel Navarrete and O’Shaquie Foster meet on Saturday with the WBC, WBO and IBF titles at stake.

Garner’s promoter, Frank Warren, believes the contest with Dickens represents an important step toward a full world championship opportunity.

"In terms of ticket sales, Ryan Garner has become one of the most popular fighters in the country and he delivers entertainment every time," Warren said.

"The event in June was a major success and we want to go back to St Mary's again in 2027 for an even bigger fight.

"First of all though, Ryan will be tested by a wily old campaigner in Jazza Dickens, a veteran of numerous big fights and one tricky customer.

"This will be the toughest test to date for Ryan and rightly so. If he is to become the world champion, we think he will be, then he needs to have the measure of Jazza and prove his readiness."

Robert Smith has admitted that the end is in sight for his time as General Secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control.

The 64-year-old, who retired from fighting in 1989 with a 16-5 (11 KOs) record, has overseen the governing body, and in turn British boxing, since 2008. Though he has encountered his share of criticism – some justified, though plenty of the armchair variety – Smith's time in the hot seat has been a productive one.

The sport has grown considerably in the UK under Smith's stewardship, with more shows, an increase in the number of professional boxers and, importantly, a more robust medical and safety protocols.

His role has also evolved amid the social media boom. At the start of his tenure, complaints about officiating decisions were largely confined to the letters pages of Boxing News. Today, it's commonplace for him to receive abuse online and, on more than one occasion, he has received threats against himself and his family.

It should come as little surprise, then, that Smith, after almost 20 years in the job, is eyeing the finishing line.

“I've certainly got a lot less time doing it than I've had,” Smith told BoxingScene.a

“I'm wary of that and things move on. And yes, I have thought about my future, I'd be lying if I said I hadn't.

“And I've had conversations with my wife and family. And yeah, I'm on the last stretch for sure. I won't tell you what my plan is at the moment because it's not confirmed, but I'm certainly on the last stretch.”

It's a misconception that the BBBoC is a huge organization. Smith has had to run a tight ship with a relatively small staff. The need to balance the books has led some to question the Board's ability to keep major promoters such as Matchroom and Queensberry in check. After all, the bigger the show, the more money the Board stands to make.

Smith has heard that argument many times.

“Well, we're a regulatory body,” he said. “First and foremost, we're a regulatory body with regard to the rules of the contests and medicals, etcetera.

“I do understand that. We have, I believe, a very good relationship with the vast majority of the promoters we deal with. There's obviously some people who don't like how I do things and I fully accept that. But I can't remember a time when somebody, a promoter, big promoter or small, has actually gone against what the Board is saying at the time.

“You may disagree with it, but I think they generally realize we're there for the good of the sport, we're there for the good of the boxers, most importantly. So, people have that perception, but it doesn't work like that, to be honest with you.

“I deal with Eddie [Hearn], Frank Smith, Frank Warren, and then I deal with [small-hall promoter] Carl Greaves, like I've been speaking to today on another matter, and I deal with other promoters all the time. They're treated all the same. That's how I work.

“And I don't have an issue with anybody claiming that we're in somebody else's pocket because we're not. It's a fact.”

Regardless, whenever there is a contentious judging decision or a referee's stoppage deemed too late or too early, it's often Smith who bears the brunt of the criticism.

He has long accepted that this comes with the job he took on 18 years ago.

“If I took it personally, I wouldn't come to the office to be honest with you.

“Nobody likes getting criticized and sometimes I understand [the criticism] but social media has changed the world; I think it's a great tool but it's not always for the better. They force somebody to slag somebody off who doesn't know the individual; who doesn't know what they do to keep the sport safe as possible. It's cowardly, ultimately, as far as I'm concerned.

“But, you know, we're there to be shot at. I fully understand it. We're an authority, The Football Association gets shot at all the time. Rugby gets shot at. Governments get shot at.

“I fully understand that. I do get it. And you're never going to stop it. There's always people with an opinion and they're entitled to their opinion and whether you agree with it or not.

“[But] some of the people who [criticize] have very little knowledge of how the sport works, in my opinion, whether that's wrong or right.

“They'll say differently, and I'm fairly sure after this interview we're doing now I'm going to get shot down in pieces by some people.

“But that's what I do it for. I actually do love the sport.”

Though Smith will one day relinquish the reins, that love he speaks of will remain.

“When I stop this job, I'd still like to be involved in the sport in some way, because it's been my life. I might take a bit of a rest, but I don't think I'll be walking away from the sport completely.

“But it certainly won't be in the job I've got at the moment.”

Filip Hrgovic’s first defense of his IBF heavyweight title against Frank Sanchez is being lined up for Zagreb, Croatia, in early 2027.

Hrgovic, who claimed the vacant belt when he upset Moses Itauma in August, has expressed his desire to face WBO champion Daniel Dubois but is contractually obliged to first take on Sanchez, the IBF mandatory challenger.

Cuba’s Sanchez, 26-1 (19 KOs), earned the No. 1 position in the rankings in May when he knocked out Richard Torrez Jnr in two rounds. The IBF subsequently ordered him to face Itauma for the belt relinquished by Oleksandr Usyk.

However, with Itauma, then ranked No. 2, and fourth-ranked Hrgovic already scheduled to fight, an agreement was reached for Sanchez to face the winner.

Hrgovic, 21-1 (16 KOs), stopped Itauma in nine rounds and is now set for his first fight in his homeland of Croatia since 2018.

"I expect Frank Sanchez versus Filip Hrgovic to take place in the first quarter of 2027, perhaps in Zagreb, but too early to know for sure," Sanchez's manager, Mike Borao, told Sky Sports.

"I have already communicated with George Warren [of Queensberry Promotions] and will likely speak again this week. Frank has speed and power, but also brings experience and stamina, so he is anxious to fight Hrgovic.

"[Sanchez's trainer] Eddie Reynoso loves the match and so do I. Sanchez will become the first Cuban heavyweight champion."

It’s understood that the 24,000-capacity Arena Zagreb is under consideration as the venue.

Jack Catterall will not step aside to allow Teofimo Lopez to pursue a unification fight with Ryan Garcia, according to Eddie Hearn.

The Matchroom promoter insists that no amount of money will persuade Catterall, the WBA “regular” welterweight beltholder, to surrender his opportunity to challenge Lopez for the organization's “super” title.

Catterall, 33-2 (14 KOs), earned that opportunity in May when he outpointed Shakhram Giyasov over 12 rounds to claim the vacant WBA “regular” belt.

The fight occurred after the WBA upgraded Rolando “Rolly” Romero to "super" champion and permitted an optional defense against Lopez rather than face mandatory challenger Giyasov.

Under an agreement approved by WBA president Gilberto Mendoza Jnr, Giyasov instead fought Catterall, then ranked No. 6, for the vacant secondary title. The winner was guaranteed a shot at Romero's championship within 160 days.

Lopez subsequently defeated Romero by majority decision in August, inheriting the obligation to face Catterall.

The WBA has since ordered Lopez to defend against the 33-year-old Englishman, but Lopez and his team are pursuing a potentially more lucrative unification clash with WBC champion Garcia.

Hearn, however, insists Catterall's position is non-negotiable.

“Let me make one thing clear about Jack Catterall and Teofimo Lopez,” said Hearn. “As a champion, you have an obligation to fight your mandatory challengers. Jack Catterall having beat (Shakhram) Giyasov was written in a resolution in black and white, clear as day and we've had it confirmed dozens of times by the WBA. There is absolutely no movement. He was supposed to fight Rolly Romero. They allowed the fight between Rolly Romero against Teofimo Lopez on the condition the winner must fight Jack Catterall immediately and that is what is happening.”

Hearn also dismissed suggestions that Catterall, who was exceptionally unlucky not to get the nod over then-undisputed junior welterweight champion Josh Taylor in 2022, could instead face WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney.

“We know Devin Haney is looking for an opponent. I had a very brief conversation with Devin Haney and DAZN where they said maybe Jack Catterall could be the opponent, and Jack Catterall said, ‘You could not pay me any amount of money in the world to not get my shot at the WBA Super championship against Teofimo Lopez. I have worked my whole life for this. I have should have been undisputed champion years ago. I am not stepping aside for nobody. My time has come.’

“Teofimo against Ryan Garcia ain't even that big a fight and Ryan Garcia has come out now saying he's fighting Floyd Mayweather,” Hearn continued. “So, stop running around. Just fight your mandatory. If it's not a tough fight, no problem, make your money and move on. Jack Catterall will be fighting for the world championship in his next fight and it will be with the WBA.”

For those questioning David Benavidez’s strength as a pay-per-view draw, his December 5 homecoming fight to Arizona should address the doubts.

Premier Boxing Champions and DAZN Thursday formally announced Benavidez’s three-belt cruiserweight unification bout against new WBC champion Michal Cieslak of Poland at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

The card will also include WBC interim junior-middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz versus former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman.

On the heels of his sixth-round knockout of former WBA-WBO cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez in the main event of a Cinco de Mayo Las Vegas card, Phoenix’s Benavidez, 32-0 (26 KOs), will set up what should be a high-profile 2027 campaign.

Not only is the 29-year headed to free agency as his contract with promoter Sampson Lewkowicz expires with the Cieslak fight, he has been linked to potential bouts versus former unified heavyweight/cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, ex-heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jnr and unbeaten recent IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia.

“We’re super excited and super happy to be going back home,” said Benavidez’s father-trainer Jose Benavidez Snr, who this year purchased the landmark Central Boxing Gym in Phoenix. “It’s all meant to be and David will work to put on a special show.”

Cieslak 28-2 (22 KOs) was elevated to WBC champion last month when the WBC stripped Noel Mikaelian for fighting Opetaia rather than mandatory contender Benavidez, a three-division champion who invoked his right as 200lbs mandatory when he stood as WBC light-heavyweight titlist.

The return of Texas’ Ortiz, 24-0 (22 KOs), versus the veteran Thurman, 31-2 (23 KOs), comes after more than a year-long layoff that included a contractual squabble with promoter Oscar De La Hoya that has now been squashed.

Benavidez Snr said while he understands Ortiz needs to be active, matching him against the 37-year-old Thurman, who was stopped by 154lbs champion Sebastian Fundora in March, is not enticing.

“Putting Vergil Ortiz on there is not going to help us. I think people expect more from him when this is just a tune-up fight,” Benavidez Snr said. “I think Vergil Ortiz should be a world champion by now. I respect him, but this fight doesn’t do much for me… this guy [Thurman] is done.”

Still, the local interest in Benavidez, returning to the Phoenix area for the first time since his May 2022 TKO of David Lemieux, should flex his popularity.

“Every fight, David gets bigger and bigger. We are constantly proving ourselves and this is the fight that will put him on top,” Benavidez Snr said.

With Usyk, Ruiz and Opetaia awaiting, Benavidez Snr said “Opetaia might be fading away,” following his pedestrian victory over Mikaelian on the scorecards. “It’s a fight we really want, but…”

Tickets are on sale Friday for the Bebavidez-Cieslak card.

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez’s promoter understands that it is now or never to make a fight with undisputed 122lbs champion Naoya Inoue.

There have been discussions to match Rodriguez with Inoue since the latter successfully defended his undisputed crown with a unanimous decision victory over Junto Nakatani in May. It seemed Inoue’s likely next step was a move up to the featherweight division, however, he agreed to stick around at 122lbs for a lucrative fight with Rodriguez.

Negotiations for the contest seem to have hit a stumbling block in recent weeks with Rodriguez wanting another contest at bantamweight before moving up to face Inoue. Rodriguez, the WBA 118lbs titleholder, is in talks to face WBO champion Christian Medeina on the undercard of Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua on December 11 before taking on Inoue in March 2027.

Inoue is not a fan of this, telling media on Thursday that he believes the only way the contest happens is if Rodriguez agrees to go straight into an undisputed fight. Frank Smith of Matchroom Boxing was asked for clarification on if Rodriguez would be taking an interim bout ahead of facing Inoue, stating it is now “50-50” and a decision will be made this week.

“Talks are ongoing right now. I get Inoue’s point. He doesn't want to take the risk, obviously. So I completely get it,” Smith told BoxingScene. “That's something we're working through now. ‘Bam’ did want to have that one more fight. Timing-wise, we'll see how things play out over the coming week, I'd say. But things need to fall in place quite quickly if we're going to make it all work.”

Smith understands that Inoue is growing impatient and once the pound-for-pound star moves up to 126lbs, a contest with Rodriguez will be out of reach.

“I also don't think ‘Bam’ is the kind of fighter who wants to be around for five, 10 years,” said Smith. “I think he's the kind of guy who wants the best fights over the next two, three years, and then be happy and prepared in his young years and what he's already done in the sport.

“So I think with the timeframes… but like I say, in the next week we need to make the call.”

Matchroom Boxing chief Eddie Hearn added that he is waiting on an offer from Inoue’s side and they are willing to go straight into the fight in March.

Eddie Hearn believes Floyd Mayweather Jnr will come out on top if he faces Ryan Garcia for the WBC welterweight title.

Garcia claimed in a social media post yesterday (October 21) that the 49-year-old Mayweather had agreed to come out of retirement to face him for his world title. The post read: “Trust me, I thought it was bull****, but it’s real and Floyd and I have agreed to fight. 147lbs for the WBC welterweight championship. 50-0 vs the current champ.”

Mayweather, 50-0 (27 KOs), has not fought professionally since his 2013 knockout win versus Conor McGregor, but has since competed in exhibition bouts. Garcia’s claims were taken with a pinch of salt after Mayweather announced a comeback earlier this year to take on Mike Tyson and Manny Pacquiao after reported financial difficulties. Both contests are yet to happen and it is unclear if they ever will, despite Mayweather signing and taking advances on payments.

That has led many to doubt if a contest between Mayweather and Garcia is anything but a publicity stunt, however, Hearn believes the fight is real.

“I've got to be honest with you, I hate seeing Floyd Mayweather do these exhibitions. If he wants to come back and fight Ryan Garcia, I'm all for it because that's a real fight,” said Hearn. “You've got a reigning WBC 147lbs champion.

“By the way, I think Floyd beats him. Yes, I do. But to come back and do it, that's actually a sign of greatness. I don't like the money grab against some DJ from Greece or whatever. If you want to come back and fight for the world championship against a great young fighter, then I'm excited. I mean, I'm excited to see that.

“And as I understand it, Ryan Garcia against Floyd Mayweather, it's on.”

Joe Cordina has agreed terms to a contest with former eight-division world champion and Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao, according to his promoter Eddie Hearn.

The contest, if it was to take place, would land as the co-feature on the upcoming event headlined by Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua on December 11 at Cardiff, Wales’ Principality Stadium. Hearn had revealed to BoxingScene last month that Pacquiao has an agreement with organizers SELA to feature on the bill and that he had offered Cordina, Conah Walker, Lewis Crocker and Jack Catterall as potential opponents.

“[Cordina] has agreed terms to face Manny Pacquiao, but we don’t know if that’s happening,” said Hearn. “From our side, we’ve agreed to do it.”

Wales’ Cordina has been competing at lightweight in recent fights and would be moving up to 147lbs for a lucrative contest with Pacquiao. The former two-time IBF 130lbs titleholder was due to face Abdullah Mason on July 4 in Cleveland, Ohio, but a pending assault charge meant he was declined entry to the US. Cordina was found not guilty of assault this week at Cardiff's Magistrates’ Court and is now free to continue his career.

Jeff Fenech has been hospitalized with breathing difficulties and fatigue.

Fenech, a Hall of Famer and the trainer of Tim Tszyu, has twice undergone emergency heart surgery, in 2019 and 2024.

“He will be right,” said his son-in-law, Bradman Best.

“He’s always a fighter. He’s been in there with a few heart problems and stuff, but he’ll be good.”

Fenech, 29-3-1 (21 KOs), won major titles in three weight classes – bantamweight, junior featherweight and featherweight – during his illustrious career. As an amateur, he represented Australia at the 1984 Olympics.

Fenech is now a highly regarded trainer and had been working with Tszyu ahead of his December 12 challenge for WBA middleweight titleholder Erislandy Lara’s belt.

Tszyu and Fenech have a longstanding relationship but officially joined forces in April. Three months later, Tszyu ended the career of Errol Spence Jnr in a high-profile bout.

Fenech, 62, was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2002.

Ryan Garcia has claimed a fight with 49-year-old Floyd Mayweather is still in the works.

Not only that, the 28-year-old has claimed that his WBC welterweight title will be on the line.

Garcia, currently in talks to face Teofimo Lopez in a unification tussle at 147lbs, stopped the overmatched Conor Benn in two rounds last month after winning the belt in January from Mario Barrios.

Mayweather, 50-0 (27 KOs), last fought professionally while beating the 0-1 Conor McGregor in August 2017. Those who don’t deem that farcical affair as competitive action must go back a further two years, to September 2015 and the victory over Andre Berto, for the last time the American was in with anything approaching a live opponent.

According to Garcia, who posted a photo on his socials that appeared to be a screenshot of the two sharing a video call, Mayweather is willing to put his immaculate record on the line in a sanctioned bout.

“Trust me, at first I thought this was bullshit,” wrote Garcia, 26-2 (21 KOs).

“But it’s real Floyd and I agree to a fight 147 for the WBC welterweight championship of the world, 50-0 vs The current champ.”

Mayweather, however, has other commitments. Only recently he claimed that he is “guaranteed 110 million [dollars]” for a rematch with Manny Pacquiao.

That’s not all. Alongside 47-year-old Pacquiao and 28-year-old Garcia is 60-year-old Mike Tyson.

“December we got Mayweather-Mike Tyson exhibition,” Mayweather said.

“That’s definitely going to be in December.”

Naoya Inoue has told reporters in Japan that Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez should go straight into an undisputed junior featherweight showdown with him instead of having one more contest at 118lbs.

This follows Rodriguez’s trainer and manager, Robert Garcia, pushing for his fighter to have one more contest at bantamweight before moving up to take on “The Monster” in a superfight next year. Rodriguez, the WBA titleholder at 118lbs, was in talks to face WBO beltholder Christian Medina on the originally scheduled date for Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua on November 20 at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

That would have left plenty of time for Rodriguez to recover before taking on Inoue in the first quarter of 2027. However, the event has since been pushed back to December 11 in Cardiff, Wales, and Rodriguez is reportedly in talks to face Medina on the undercard.

Inoue has made no secret of his desire to move up to 126lbs and is growing tired of waiting for a contest with Rodriguez. Inoue expressed his frustration on social media, posting: “I have no intention of sitting around waiting for Bam, so I'm going to start getting ready to move up to featherweight.”

Rodriguez’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, responded to the post, stating that his fighter would be ready for a fight in February or March. Garcia seemed more keen on Inoue and Rodriguez meeting in April or May, but Inoue’s promoter, Hideyuki Ohashi, quickly ruled that out, stating that plans are underway for a date in March.

Inoue, who was appearing at an exhibition in Tokyo, Japan, to celebrate his memorable battle with countryman Junto Nakatani back in May, spoke to reporters about his next contest.

"It will likely be around March of next year,” Inoue said through a translator. “While an opponent hasn't been finalized, we are considering various names that have been rumored, as well as the possibility of moving up to the featherweight division."

Inoue also did not seem keen on Rodriguez fighting Medina so close to a potential undisputed clash between the pair.

"It wouldn't be realistic to fight in December and then again in March; if it’s going to happen, it has to be a direct matchup,” he said.

Inoue appears to be preparing for a move to 126lbs and an attempt to become an undisputed champion in a third division.

"I will definitely challenge the featherweight division at some point; I intend to make it my primary battleground for the latter half of my career,” Inoue said.

“I want to take on this challenge together with all of you, and I would be delighted if you could witness me becoming a featherweight champion. Let’s keep moving forward together!"

Shakur Stevenson’s decision to split with Zuffa Boxing only months after signing and staging a photo-op with Dana White leaves both the fighter and promotion facing daunting questions.

The first is whether Zuffa Boxing, backed by the 60-per cent ownership reach of Saudi Arabia boxing financier Turki Alalshikh, has the stomach to consistently produce the type of high-priced purses elite fighters like unbeaten four-division champion Stevenson and his powerful team will request?

The second is if Stevenson, 25-0 (11 KOs), has overvalued himself?

Two things can be true at once.

In recent conversations with boxing insiders familiar with the Stevenson-Zuffa split, the sides grew dismayed with each other over finances and dragged-out talks that threatened to sideline Stevenson beyond a ticking absence that dates to his impressive victory by unanimous-decision over three-division champion Teofimo Lopez January 31 at Madison Square Garden.

After initial conversations for a super-fight with unbeaten WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney were derailed, Stevenson and Zuffa moved toward a meeting of generational pound-for-pound powers versus Manny Pacquiao that might’ve been featured on the December 11 Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury card on Netflix from Cardiff, Wales.

The fact that Stevenson was willing to meet recent welterweight title challenger Pacquiao at 147lbs left Zuffa with the impression the 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist from Newark, New Jersey, would fight at welterweight so soon after winning the WBO 140lbs title from Lopez.

The error in that assumption was realized when the power-that-be – a role Alalshikh has boasted of being over the past three years – rejected paying eight-figure purses to both co-main event fighters on an already expensive card.

Pacquiao, by the way, is still in contention for a spot on the Joshua-Fury card.

That denial turned Zuffa’s attention to making a fight with Haney, the three-division champion from Las Vegas who bickered with Stevenson over requests to stage the bout at a catchweight of 144 and then 145lbs.

There was also a Stevenson request for Haney to honor a fight-day rehydration limit, something he and his manager father did not want to accept.

While Zuffa officials wondered why Stevenson was dug in on the lower weight for Haney when he hadn’t been for Pacquiao, the Stevenson side languished in training camp, wondering when the expectation of stepping up and funding the bout would materialize.

In addition to Alalshikh’s seemingly unlimited bankroll in supporting so many other major boxing cards and White’s touts that he would make a major splash in Zuffa Boxing’s first year, the Stevenson side grew disenchanted with the delay.

Not only had Zuffa Boxing paid the lesser Conor Benn $15 million to fight aged Regis Prograis earlier this year, it had a golden public relations opportunity to stage a mega-fight in late November after White’s failed takeover of the Joshua-Fury fight to Madison Square Garden.

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix reported that Zuffa Boxing was further hamstrung by its early claims that it didn’t need to work with other promoters, even though the best options for Stevenson beyond Haney were with Top Rank’s recent lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla and Premier Boxing Champions’ WBA140lbs champion Gary Antuanne Russell, whose brother-trainer claimed was low-balled beneath a $2 million figure that an official floated in a news report.

With no Zuffa signing bonus delivered to Stevenson, his handlers proposed an escape plan, one Zuffa Boxing was pleased to provide given their belief that the 29-year-old had work remaining before becoming a can’t-miss draw.

Stevenson said on a YouTube post announcing his release from Zuffa Boxing that he wasn’t mad at anyone, and that he understands the boxing business.

An individual close to Zuffa Boxing said that while the industry ridicule of releasing a fighter before he even entered the ring for the promotion is embarrassing, the business sense of the move trumps the P.R. hit.

Still lingering is Zuffa’s willingness to consistently fund major fights after years of White being bashed (and sued) for paying his UFC fighters minimally.

Stevenson is forming his own promotional company and will likely explore marquee bouts at 140lbs and lightweight until he feels fully ready for a move to 147 and the dates with Haney and WBC champion Ryan Garcia as he has said he’s wanted.

Since Zuffa Boxing is no longer in play, however, that forces Stevenson to revisit DAZN, which streams Top Rank, PBC, Matchroom, Golden Boy and Queensberry fights.

What he should expect, however, is a real-estate phrase also circling now: Today’s market is not yesterday’s market.

The Saul "Canelo" Alvarez-Christian Mbilli event is still reportedly going ahead on Saturday, October 31, in Riyadh, despite the US State Department ordering non-essential embassy staff and their family members to evacuate Saudi Arabia.

According to State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, “The U.S. Department of State issued an ordered departure for non-emergency U.S. government employees and their family members in Saudi Arabia,” explaining that “Iranian-supported Houthis have increasingly engaged in hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure resulting in civilian casualties and severe travel disruptions.”

Despite the important diplomatic development, Saudi Arabian officials have so far maintained the DAZN-televised event will proceed as planned at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, headlined by four-division champion Alvarez's attempt to regain the WBC super-middleweight title now held by Mbilli.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis launched an attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport last Saturday, killing at least 12 people and injured more than 300. That tragedy prompted the U.S. government to issue a “Level 3 – Reconsider Travel” advisory for most of Saudi Arabia, with some areas near the Yemeni border placed under the more serious “Level 4 – Do Not Travel” advisory.

Since the airport attack, the rebels have expanded hostilities, with drone and ballistic missile attacks across Saudi Arabia and Yemen, targeting oil infrastructure, regional airports, and military installations.

According to CNN, “The State Department also warned in a security alert on Wednesday that US citizens should be aware of potential attacks on airports and general travel disruptions.”

Last week, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, announced the fight will go ahead “no matter what happens,” and this week, he published a fight-week schedule listing grand arrivals on Wednesday, October 28, a press conference on Thursday, October 29, the ceremonial weigh-in on Friday, October 30, and fight night on Saturday, with ring walks expected around 9:00 pm local Riyadh time.

Emanuel Navarrete may bring a solitary focus to Saturday’s super-featherweight unification against O’Shaquie Foster, but so much more is at stake if the Mexican power puncher wins the fight.

The mantle of standing as his nation’s most distinguished champion.

A future match with Hall-of-Fame-bound, three-division champion Vasiliy Lomachenko.

One triumph away from being 130lbs undisputed champion.

“Honestly, I am very focused on this fight with O’Shaquie Foster,” WBO-IBF champion Navarrete, 40-2-1 (33 KOs), said of the DAZN-streamed main event versus Houston’s Foster, 25-3 (12 KOs), at San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center. “It’s an important fight and I don’t want to get ahead of myself and rush into any thoughts.”

Yet, the 31-year-old three-division champion coming off a February drubbing of former IBF champion Eduardo “Sugar” Nunez must know the legacy ramifications of this bout against a rapidly developing boxer in what some project as a fight-of-the-year candidate.

Navarrete said he devoted a “very long and solid, hard camp” to ensure “I present myself to all the people with a good fight.

“Foster is very good, very solid, very confident. The styles are completely different. The outcome will depend a lot on each fighter’s style. The preparation I had will help me a lot. I’m very strong and I believe that can be an advantage – to close the fight with strength and try to take the victory.

‘We know what Foster does – and we worked very hard on this – and we are prepared to stop this. It should not be so complicated. We know how the fight will be.”

Yet, it’s Foster who has given his opponent more research, personally attending several of Navarrete’s recent bouts, including the stoppage of Nunez and the narrow technical decision last year over Charly Suarez.

Navarrete has limited his scouting of Foster to some bouts he’s watched his countrymen fight Foster on television.

“Including the last one,” Navarrete said of Foster’s majority decision victory over Ray Ford. “[Foster] does have something with the fact he’s seen my fights live, but when we’re in the fight, it’s going to be different.

“Receiving [punches], feeling the blows, knowing how I hit… trying to decipher something you’re seeing from below is not the same. To have the idea of how to resolve it in the main event is different.”

Navarrete has experienced difficulties in recent bouts, enabled by a fortunate ruling to edge Suarez and losing a lightweight title shot against Denys Berinchyk, but he overpowered Nunez and has repeated the preparation for Foster, he said.

“The physical aspects … I have worked the same way, on nutrition,” Navarrete said. “We modified everything and we have improved situations that at first didn’t turn out so well. Now we’re better.”

He maintains belief that no super-featherweight can weather his storm over 12 rounds.

“I do think that … that’s very important, because very few fighters can,” he said. “One level is not enough. They just continue to move forward, continue enduring. I think there are very good fighters who may have never felt the punishment.”

As Ukraine’s Lomachenko attempts to come back from a two-year absence to meet WBA 130lbs champion Anthony Cacace and position for an undisputed fight with the Navarrete-Foster winner next year, Navarrete admits he has dreamed of a showdown with “The Matrix.”

“Always when a fighter of the level of Lomachenko is around, it would be interesting to know how difficult he is or how many problems there can be with the technique that he delivers and what he does when he fights,” Navarrete said.

The bout would become more riveting based on the fact that a victorious Navarrete – already slotted in the group of top-10pound-for-pound fighters –  will be poised to challenge as Mexico’s most significant champion should countryman Canelo Alvarez lose in his attempt to recapture the WBC super-middleweight belt versus champion Christian Mbilli October 31 in Saudi Arabia.

“It may depend on more things… there are very talented fighters from Mexico and I don’t like to consider myself as the best,” Navarrete said.

“I always focus on myself being ready to have a good fight and a good career, and the rest is left to the analysts and the people, those who dedicate themselves to making a list of fighters.”

On Saturday, December 5, world-ranked lightweight Joshua Pagan will return to action against Orlando Gonzalez, live on Wynn Records Network (8 pm. ET) from Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.

WBO No. 3-ranked Pagan, 16-0 (5 KOs), a Puerto Rican American from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Gonzalez, 25-3 (14 KOs), of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, will clash in the co-featured attraction of an event topped by the Litzy Vazquez-Stephanie Pineiro battle for the WBC and WBA junior-welterweight world championships.

A former national champion as an amateur, 26-year-old Pagan has spent the past year fighting three times between Grand Rapids and Puerto Rico. 

In October 2025, he scored a ninth-round stoppage of Maliek Montgomery in San Juan. He then returned to his hometown of Grand Rapids, twice, scoring 10-round unanimous decisions over Nicaragua's Bryan Jimenez in February and Mexico's Rodolfo Bustamante Salazar in June.

“Capu (Gonzalez) has been talking a lot, and some of the media in Puerto Rico have been doubting me not only as a fighter, but as a fighter with Puerto Rican heritage,” said Pagan, according to a press release about the fight. “Once I heard this, I knew that this was the fight that needed to happen next.”

Gonzalez has proven his durability by going the 10-round distance while losing a unanimous decision to former featherweight world champion Raymond Ford in 2024, as well as 10- and eight-round unanimous decisions, respectively, to former champion Robeisy Ramirez in October 2021, and Mexican gatekeeper Misael Lopez in September 2022. A ProBoxTV alumnus, 31-year-old Gonzalez has won two straight since moving up to lightweight. 

“The Pagan team had the courage to accept the challenge, and they made the right decision,” Gonzalez said in the release. “I’m bringing a wealth of experience, including years of fighting world champions. Not everyone gets the chance to step into the ring with the No. 3 fighter in the world, especially in a new weight class.”

In an additional added fight, former Puerto Rico Olympian and undefeated junior-featherweight Ashleyann Lozada, 5-0 (1 KO), will take on former European champion Veronica Tosi, 9-2, (3 KOs), in a WBA 122 lbs. world title eliminator, with the winner set to face division champion Melissa Mortensen in 2027. 

WBA No. 2-ranked Lozada is the first female Olympic boxer in Puerto Rican history. 

In the night’s main event, Vazquez and Pineiro will fight for the WBC and WBA junior-welterweight championships vacated by recently retired Katie Taylor.

Eddie Hearn has made no effort to hide his glee over Shakur Stevenson’s departure from Zuffa Boxing.

Stevenson, the current WBO junior welterweight champion, has not fought since signing with Dana White’s promotional outfit after beating Teofimo Lopez in January.

The 29-year-old – one of the best fighters in the sport – was regarded as a huge coup for Zuffa at the time, but his announcement that he was leaving has arguably made even bigger news.

"Until Shakur’s team called me and messaged me last night, I thought it was just a kind of stunt for an announcement because it was so bad, so embarrassing, so humiliating for Zuffa that I thought it couldn’t be real,” Matchroom’s Hearn told IFL TV.

“It happened and, literally within 30 seconds, I had 50 messages: ‘Oh my God, have you seen this?

"'Zuffa are finished, Zuffa have imploded, Dana White’s head is falling off’, and I thought, ‘Nah, this can't be right.’

“How can you sign your most high-profile fighter and then he leaves you without even fighting?

"I don’t think that, in the history of boxing, that has ever happened.

"Tell me a time when a promoter has signed a pound-for-pound great, and he has left before he has even fought? That has never happened.

"And when Dana White says about the history that Zuffa are going to make and their body of work by the end of the year, one thing I will give to Zuffa, they have made history there by signing a fighter and never giving him a fight.

"That's a great body of work there. Of course, we are going to dine out on it because they would do the same...

"This is fucking easy work, baby. What is going on? They don't know what they are doing.

"Do not put your career and legacy in the hands of non-boxing people that have no idea what they are doing."

The feud between Hearn and Zuffa – and specifically White – has intensified this year after Conor Benn, a mainstay of the Matchroom roster for so long, made the switch.

Then came the prolonged squabbling over White’s involvement in the December 11 showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

Upon announcing his decision to leave Zuffa, Stevenson, 25-0 (11 KOs), made it clear he wasn’t “mad at anyone” and “understands this is the business of boxing”.

He now plans to launch his own promotional company, with an open invitation for other promoters to work alongside him.

“Fair play to Shakur Stevenson because he has had the balls to say, ‘Listen, this is not the place for me, these people don’t know what they are doing, and I need to get out before my career is ruined'," Hearn said, adding his own twist to Stevenson’s statement.

"He made that move, his team made that move, and now he has got to see what is next.”

Daniel Dubois might be at rest after blowing sizeable holes in the career of Fabio Wardley, but he’s scanning the ever-changing heavyweight landscape for his next target.

One man stands tall above the rest: Tyson Fury.

Dubois, the WBO titleholder, can boast a victory over the other leading British heavyweight of his generation – a fifth-round KO of Anthony Joshua in 2024.

The 29-year-old has also shared a ring with Oleksandr Usyk, losing twice, and Filip Hrgovic, the current IBF champion whom he stopped in 2024.

Fury and Joshua collide in Cardiff, Wales, on December 11 in a showdown to which the WBA plans to add its “super” title. Dubois hopes it’s victory for the “Gypsy King” who, like Dubois, is promoted by Frank Warren.

“That'll be ground-breaking,” Dubois told Sky Sports about the prospect of being matched with Fury next year.

“That'll be the next level for me.

"I've fought everyone then really from this era. I've fought them all. Fury's the last one.

"Fury's a fighting man, I'm sure he would want it. Let's see how he does with AJ. Let's see. I'm sure Frank [Warren] would love to make that fight.

"This is what boxing is. This is the highest level really, this is it at the highest level. This is what it looks like.”

Dubois’ ability to brush off defeats and reinvent himself should not be underestimated. He was accused of quitting against Joe Joyce; there were question marks surrounding his belief in both defeats to Usyk.

Now he’s the in-form heavyweight in the division after beating Wardley, then unbeaten, in 11 rounds back in May before repeating the trick in just two rounds at the weekend.

Dubois, then, is a long way from the crude and inexperienced fighter who once sparred Fury.

"That was just when I was turning pro," Dubois said. "I went to spar his cousin Hughie and then [Tyson] popped in for a few rounds. Great memories, great work.

“He was massive then,” Dubois added, referencing Fury’s weight as he made his comeback in 2018. “He was elusive.”

The long game for Dubois, 24-3 (23 KOs), is to gain undisputed status at heavyweight.

"To win all the belts,” he said. “That's the main thing now for me, collecting all the other belts. It would mean everything to have all those belts. No one can take that away from me.

“That's what I'm after now.”

CHANDLER, Arizona – Something fishy cost Jesus Ramos Jnr a chance to defend his WBC interim middleweight title last month.

What happened afterward might also feel a little rotten to him.

Instead of holding Ramos’ place in line for a title shot in victory at full champion Carlos Adames, the WBC last week greeted Adames’ move to Zuffa Boxing by ruling he can take a non-title 165lbs fight for his Zuffa debut, and then meet top-ranked contender Meiirim Nursaltanov after that.  

Ramos, 24-1 (19 KOs), was supposed to fight Nursaltanov September 19 in the co-main event to Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz’s main-event bout on DAZN. The winner was to fight Adames.

But Ramos, 25, said he fell ill after eating salmon the day before the weigh-in, withdrawing from the bout.

“The day before at a soccer game, my nutritionist gave me tuna. So I guess it was either the tuna or the salmon,” Ramos told BoxingScene Friday as he watched the ProBoxTV card from ringside.

“I was a little off and as the day progressed through my workout, I started feeling a little sick and throwing up – it was bad. I knew it wasn’t enough time to recover for the fight. With the weight cut and feeling how I was feeling, we didn’t want to risk nothing going into the fight.”

Ramos, 25, said he learned from a hand injury suffered weeks before he lost to Erickson Lubin in 2023 not to step into the ring less than 100 percent.

“I made a promise to myself after the Lubin [loss] … I’m proud of my team. It was a hard decision, but it was the right decision,” Ramos said of withdrawing.

Yet, when told of the WBC’s revised middleweight-title schedule, Ramos was caught off guard, saying, “We’ll look into it. That’s the first I’m hearing of it.”

BoxingScene has learned Adames is being pointed to a November card in Saudi Arabia for the 165lbs non-title fight.

Ramos, meanwhile, is targeted for the December 5 Premier Boxing Champions card on DAZN headlined in his home state of Arizona by the state’s three-division and unified cruiserweight champion David Benavidez.

Unbeaten WBC interim junior-middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jnr of Texas is also pegged for that card in an expected middleweight bout against former welterweight champion Keith Thurman.

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman told BoxingScene Tuesday that Ramos will have the right to defend his interim belt in his next bout.

Sulaiman said if Adames loses in November, the middleweight belt goes vacant. Should Adames win, the winner of his bout against Nursaltanov must fight Ramos next – as long as he retains the interim belt December 5.

“We wanted Vergil, but I don’t know … I’m sure it’s tough for him to come to Phoenix … so nothing yet. But I’m more than ready,” Ramos said.

EA Sports announced today that, after 15 years, it is reviving its popular boxing video game, Fight Night. 

"The fight is never over" the company posted. "To everyone who stayed in our corner: Fight Night is coming back.”

Critically acclaimed and one of the most popular boxing video game series of all time, "Fight Night" debuted in 2004 and released new versions yearly until 2006 and then issued updated versions in 2009 and again in 2011.

In its final 2011 version, entitled "Fight Night Champion," the game featured 54 past boxing legends and then-current top contenders, later expanded to 85 via a downloadable expansion pack.

Playable characters spanned the weight classes from heavyweights (Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, etc.) to light heavyweights and middleweight (Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins, Sugar Ray Robinson, Jake LaMotta and more).

The game also covered lightweights and welterweights, including Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto and lower-weight-class competitors such as Nonito Donaire, Diego Corrales, Kevin Kelley, etc.

EA Sports shifted the sole focus of its fighting-game franchises to the mixed martial arts-based "EA Sports UFC" series from 2014 to the present, although the game has featured modern and legendary boxers such as Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Mike Tyson and Ali as playable characters.

Thus far, there has been no announcement of an official release date or further game specifics.

Unified junior-middleweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis has signed a multi-fight extension with promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing for a period expected to cover his bid for undisputed supremacy and perhaps a third-division belt at middleweight.

Coming off a seventh-round stoppage of Xander Zayas in June to capture the WBA-WBO 154lbs titles, Philadelphia’s Ennis, 36-0 (32 KOs), is believed to be far along in talks with Matchroom’s newly extended IBF 154lbs champion Josh Kelly of England for an early 2027 unification.

Ennis and WBC champion Sebastian Fundora have expressed mutual interest in an undisputed bout after that and given the presence of more champions and unbeaten rival Vergil Ortiz Jnr at middleweight, the 5-foot-10 Ennis, 29, is projected to make a weight jump from there.

“I’m excited for my extended partnership with Matchroom,” Ennis said in a news release. “Together, we have aligned ourselves in all the right positions to get what I want, and that’s undisputed.

“The world is about to see why I’m different and why I’m the best fighter in the world. These guys aren’t on my level. They can’t do what I do. Road to undisputed, road to the number one pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.”

The two-division champion has been with Matchroom since 2024, proceeding to become a unified champion at 147lbs.

“I am delighted that Jaron has signed a new deal with us,” Hearn said in the release. “It’s an honor that this pound-for-pound star continues to trust us with his career, and the whole team intends to repay that faith by delivering what he wants; unification and undisputed fights and the biggest names and nights in the sport.”

Former IBF junior lightweight champion Joe Cordina has been cleared of assault following an incident outside a gas station in Cardiff, Wales, in February.

The incident subsequently prevented Wales’ Cordina from entering the United States for his scheduled WBO lightweight title fight against Abdullah Mason in Cleveland on July 4.

Cordina, 34, was found not guilty of assault by beating against Jamie O'Brien, 33, following a trial at Cardiff Magistrates' Court.

District Judge Charlotte Murphy ruled that Cordina had acted in self-defense, saying she was "satisfied" he believed it was necessary to use force to protect himself.

"I am further satisfied that a single, measured, controlled punch was proportionate in the circumstances," Murphy said.

"It is very easy to consider the defendant's response by considering the CCTV in slow motion, however the defendant had a split second to consider his response to the shoulder barge."

Shortly after the trial, Cordina released a statement on social media saying he was “hugely relieved to now put this behind him” and that his focus was now “on the future and getting back in the ring”.

Cordina’s lawyer, Nadeem Majid, also confirmed his client's desire to return to the ring on December 11, on the undercard of Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.

Eddie Hearn, Cordina’s promoter, told BoxingScene last month that he had offered Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao the chance to face Cordina on the card. Cordina’s canceled title shot against Mason is another option for the December event.

Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) has appealed to the WBA on behalf of Lucas Bahdi, demanding a rematch with Floyd Schofield III.

On October 10, Schofield won a unanimous decision to capture the WBA lightweight title, but Paul, who promotes Bahdi, is calling on the sanctioning body to review footage of the bout.

The contentious moments occurred in rounds three, six and nine, when Schofield hit the canvas on each occasion, only for referee Benjamin Rodriguez to rule that none were legitimate knockdowns.

Paul claims video evidence proves all three should have been scored as knockdowns and that Bahdi should therefore have been awarded a majority decision.

As things stand, Schofield remains the victor following official scores of 116-110, 119-108 and 115-111 in Chicago.

MVP's statement read: “Most Valuable Promotions has formally challenged the decision in Lucas Bahdi’s Saturday, October 10 world championship bout against Floyd Schofield III.

"The video evidence demonstrates multiple significant officiating errors that directly impacted the outcome of the fight.

"Our review shows that had these knockdowns been properly ruled and scored, Lucas would have won the WBA lightweight world championship by majority decision.

“We have a responsibility to advocate for our fighters, especially when a world championship is at stake.

"Lucas deserves a fair result, and we believe the evidence warrants a thorough review. We have submitted our findings to the WBA and requested an immediate rematch.

“Our fighters put everything on the line when they step into the ring, and MVP will always stand behind our athletes and advocate for the opportunities and fair treatment they deserve.”

David Benavidez has named his three-man hit list while confirming he will sign a new three-fight contract in December after reaching the end of his promotional deal with PBC and Sampson Lewkowicz.

Benavidez, the WBO and WBA cruiserweight champion, is set to make his final appearance under his current promotional agreement on December 12, when he takes on WBC titleholder Michal Cieslak in Phoenix, Arizona.

"I'm going to sign a three-fight contract after this fight [with Cieslak]," Benavidez told The Last Stand Podcast.

"We're talking about [Jai] Opetaia, we're talking about [Artur] Beterbiev, and then we are maybe talking about [Oleksandr] Usyk.

"So those fights [Opetaia and Beterbiev] are going to be at cruiserweight, and I'm a little bit confused about the one with Usyk.

"That might either be at cruiserweight or heavyweight.”

Rumors are swirling that Benavidez will be the next big-name signing for Zuffa Boxing, the burgeoning promotional group that represents Opetaia and is known to have held recent talks with Usyk.

"Those are three great fights that need to happen, and they are going to happen,” Benavidez continued.

"I'm not just here saying I'm going to fight these guys and then I never fight them.

"I'm going to fight these guys because this is who I want to fight.

"I want Opetaia, I want Beterbiev and I want Usyk."

Daniel Dubois, fresh from conclusively ending his rivalry with Fabio Wardley, is being lined up for a February return by his promoter Frank Warren.

Dubois, 24-3 (23 KOs), stopped Wardley in two one-sided rounds in London on Saturday. The demolition came five months after the 29-year-old stopped Wardley in 11 rounds to claim the WBO heavyweight title.

The Londoner can boast victories over Wardley, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua since 2023. He has suffered two defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, however.

Usyk, 39, is currently considering his options after relinquishing three sanctioning body titles in June. Dubois is keen for a third fight with the Ukrainian but Warren suggested unification fights are being plotted.

Hrgovic is the IBF boss and Agit Kabayel holds the WBC title. Both are promoted by Warren. The WBA belt is currently owned by Murat Gassiev but the sanctioning body is expected to reinstate their ‘super’ belt for the Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua showdown on December 11.

“[Dubois will] fight in February, and we are going to look and see," Warren told TalkSport.

"We have got a couple of shows coming up.

"We have got a big show on November 28 in Germany where the WBC champion Agit Kabayel is fighting Nelson Hysa…

"Let's see the outcome of that because [Dubois-Kabayel] would be a great unification fight.

"Filip Hrgovic was [at Dubois-Wardley II]. He is the [IBF] champion, and he wanted a rematch as Daniel already has a win over him.

"That is the only loss on his record. So there are quite a few permutations, but he will be in a big fight.

"[Dubois] will be in big fights because he tells me he wants to earn lots of money, and the only way you earn lots of money is by being in big fights."

As for what’s next for Wardley, Warren believes some time away is the first priority.

"He's been learning on the job,” Warren said. “What he has done is phenomenal.

"He's one of the nicest guys, and if he does return, we will get behind him.

"But for now, it's all too soon, and it certainly won't be till next year [that he returns].

"We have had no complaints from him; he took it like a man."

With three victories inside the past seven months, Kevin Anton will now lean on his advisors to tout the work and argue for a treasured spot in the world rankings.

“We’ll be at the WBC Convention in Acapulco pushing for a higher ranking … [Anton’s] doing what he’s supposed to do, and I believe he deserves a top-10 ranking,” Anton advisor Robert Diaz said following his fighter’s convincing unanimous-decision, main-event triumph over Freudis Rojas (97-92, 98-91, 98-91) Friday night at Rawhide Event Center in Chandler, Arizona.

Palmdale, California’s Anton, 15-0 (12 KOs), exerted control over the former amateur national champion methodically in the ProBoxTV event, ultimately subjecting him to a battering of left hands delivered with a 72-inch reach.

“As a fighter, there’s always something you’re looking to improve on and that’s what I feel tonight,” Anton told BoxingScene in his post-fight dressing room. “There’s little things we can adjust and tighten upon, but I still feel like it was a great performance and we got the win.”

In the aftermath, Hall of Fame matchmaker Bruce Trampler of Top Rank was asked if Anton left something on the table by not finishing Rojas 15-2, a 28-year-old who lost for the second consecutive bout.

Trampler said it’s important to consider Rojas’ impressive pedigree and the fact he was desperate to avoid the losing streak. Winning as Anton did by showcasing his punching volume and skill was a fine night’s work, in Trampler’s opinion.

“You’re always looking to adjust better. Every fighter, if you can get him out early, you want to, but I knew from the beginning with Freddy he was a great fighter and I had to break him down little by little,” Anton said. “I had to keep doing what I was doing.”

With fighters including former champions Abass Baraou, Israil Madrimov, Mario Barrios and Bakhram Murtazaliev in the WBC top 15, Anton, 28, said he’s willing to fight anyone in the group.

“I want to keep moving up the ladder to get that world title,” he said.

Diaz anticipates that and then ultimately matching the 6-feet-3 Anton against 6-feet-6 WBC champion Sebastian Fundora, who successfully defended his title a night later by knocking out mandatory contender (and eight-inches shorter) Ermal Hadribeaj to end the 12th round.

“Very active year, three fights. He doesn’t shy from anyone,” Diaz said of Anton. “This kid [Rojas] was a national champion.

“With Fundora, every time he fights somebody, he towers over him. Against Kevin, he’d be just a little bit taller and I think they would give the fans an amazing fight. They both throw over 100 punches a round. It’s a can’t-miss fight.”

And if Fundora and fellow champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis ultimately decide to meet each other for an undisputed title and then graduate to middleweight, Anton will remain, knowing his time has arrived.