Boxing News

ESPN News Services Feb 26, 2025, 11:16 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The International Olympic Committee has taken a key step toward retaining boxing on the program for the Los Angeles Games in 2028 as it recognized a new governing body for the sport. The IOC board granted provisional recognition Wednesday to World Boxing, a

Feb 25, 2025, 02:33 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Chris Eubank Jr. slapped British rival Conor Benn in the face with an egg at their first face-off in Manchester on Tuesday. The face-off followed a heated news conference to launch their boxing match, which takes place April 26 in London. The pair were set to

Feb 25, 2025, 05:48 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. face off in London in April. Leigh Dawney/Getty Images The winner of the highly-touted April clash between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. could face Canelo Alvarez, Turki Alalshikh confirmed. Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) and Eubank Jr. (37-3, 13 KOs) are

Feb 24, 2025, 12:10 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Josh Padley has said there is a “very good possibility” he will be able to focus on boxing full time following his fight against lightweight world champion Shakur Stevenson on Saturday. Padley stepped up to the fight on four days’ notice after Floyd Schofield was forced

Nick ParkinsonFeb 24, 2025, 07:38 AM ET Close Reports on boxing for ESPN.com and has been covering British boxing for over 25 years. Open Extended Reactions WBC world bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani scored two knockdowns on his way to a Round 3 knockout win over David Cuellar on Monday, which sets up a world title

James Regan Feb 23, 2025, 04:59 AM ET Open Extended Reactions RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Dmitry Bivol has said he will consider a move up to cruiserweight after beating Artur Beterbiev to become the undisputed light heavyweight world champion. Bivol outpointed Beterbiev 114-114, 116-112 and 115-113 to win via majority decision and claim the WBA,

Nick ParkinsonFeb 23, 2025, 04:00 AM ET Close Reports on boxing for ESPN.com and has been covering British boxing for over 25 years. Open Extended Reactions Joseph Parker beat Martin Bakole in two rounds on Saturday. Mark Robinson/Getty Images Despite quickly flattening dangerous contender Martin Bakole, Joseph Parker might still miss out on a world title

Feb 22, 2025, 08:57 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Dmitry Bivol became the undisputed light heavyweight champion with an impressive majority decision victory in a rematch against Artur Beterbiev on Saturday. And while the margin on the scorecards wasn’t that big, Bivol dominated Beterbiev for long parts of the fight. While many thought he also

Open Extended Reactions Dmitry Bivol avenged his 2024 loss to Artur Beterbiev, defeating his rival by majority decision for the undisputed light heavyweight championship early Sunday morning at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The rematch was set 133 days after Beterbiev won a narrow majority decision in October, and the second fight was every

James Regan Feb 22, 2025, 05:40 PM ET Open Extended Reactions RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Joseph Parker beat Martin Bakole with a vicious Round 2 knockout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday night. Parker (36-3, 24 KOs) sent Bakole (21-2, 16 KOs) crashing to the canvas after an overhand right struck the top of his

Nick ParkinsonFeb 22, 2025, 04:23 PM ET Close Reports on boxing for ESPN.com and has been covering British boxing for over 25 years. Open Extended Reactions Carlos Adames ended Hamzah Sheeraz’s 15-fight knockout streak with a split points draw to hold on to his WBC world middleweight title. Adames (24-1-1, 18 KOs), 30, from Dominican

James Regan Feb 22, 2025, 01:33 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Callum Smith beat Joshua Buatsi by unanimous decision on Saturday to take the WBO interim light heavyweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The two Brits locked heads from the opening bell and didn’t let up until the last in an entertaining, bruising fight. Smith

Feb 22, 2025, 12:26 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Artur Beterbiev makes the first defense of his undisputed light heavyweight championship against Dmitry Bivol, in the main event of a jam-packed boxing card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday (DAZN PPV, 10:30 a.m. ET) Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) unified all four major titles with a

James Regan Feb 21, 2025, 02:17 PM ET Open Extended Reactions RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Joseph Parker weighed in at a career-heaviest 267 pounds on Friday while his new opponent Martin Bakole was still on his way to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Bakole was called up to replace IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois, who is ill,

Timothy Bradley Jr. Feb 21, 2025, 07:07 AM ET Open Extended Reactions In boxing, rematches usually reflect much of the first battle, with maybe a few added twists and turns. Dmitry Bivol, just four months removed from his controversial loss to Artur Beterbiev back in October for the undisputed light heavyweight title, will be looking

James Regan Feb 21, 2025, 04:07 AM ET Open Extended Reactions RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Josh Padley, who before this week was largely unknown outside of British boxing circles, has said he can “definitely” beat lightweight world champion Shakur Stevenson on Saturday. Padley (15-0, 4 KOs) got the call on Tuesday night asking if he

James Regan Feb 20, 2025, 04:21 PM ET Open Extended Reactions RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Promoter Ben Shalom told ESPN he has “never made a fight that quickly” after arranging for Martin Bakole to fight Joseph Parker on Thursday as a late replacement for Daniel Dubois. Dubois was supposed to defend his IBF heavyweight belt

Feb 20, 2025, 03:32 PM ET Open Extended Reactions American boxer Claressa Shields, the undisputed world champion in three weight classes, has been suspended and is under investigation after testing positive for marijuana following her victory over heavyweight Danielle Perkins in Michigan. The Michigan Unarmed Combat Commission suspended the 29-year-old athlete from competing in the

James Regan Feb 20, 2025, 02:08 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Daniel Dubois at his open workout on Wednesday. Mark Robinson/Getty Images RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Daniel Dubois has withdrawn from his heavyweight title fight against Joseph Parker with an unknown illness, promoter Ben Shalom has confirmed to ESPN, with Martin Bakole stepping in as his

Andres FerrariFeb 20, 2025, 07:42 AM ET Close Andres Ferrari is ESPN.com’s boxing and MMA editor. Open Extended Reactions Artur Beterbiev will make the first defense of the undisputed light heavyweight championship in a rematch against Dmitry Bivol on Saturday at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (DAZN PPV, 11 a.m. ET). Beterbiev (21-0, 20

James Regan Feb 20, 2025, 05:00 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Dmitry Bivol has said “life was tasteless” in the days following his defeat to Artur Beterbiev in October, in what was his first loss as a professional. Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) went down via majority decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia last year with scores

Nick ParkinsonFeb 12, 2025, 06:39 AM ET Close Reports on boxing for ESPN.com and has been covering British boxing for over 25 years. Open Extended Reactions After fighting himself out of a £800,000 debt, Hamzah Sheeraz is now targeting bigger riches in world middleweight title fights. The in-form English middleweight challenges for his first world

Feb 19, 2025, 10:45 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Josh Padley has come to the rescue for Saturday’s mega card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, stepping up with three days’ notice to fight lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson. Following the withdrawal of Floyd Schofield, who fell ill on Tuesday, organisers were left scrambling to find an opponent

James Regan Feb 19, 2025, 02:31 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Shakur Stevenson has said he was “expecting” Floyd Schofield to withdraw from their fight. Schofield was set to challenge Stevenson for the WBC title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday ahead of Daniel Dubois’ heavyweight clash with Joseph Parker and the eagerly anticipated rematch

James Regan Feb 19, 2025, 03:16 AM ET Open Extended Reactions RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — British middleweight Hamzah Sheeraz said he has had no thoughts about potential future fights against Canelo Alvarez or Chris Eubank Jr. as he prepares for his WBC middleweight title bout against Carlos Adames. WBC champion Adames will defend his belt