Boxing

2:03 PM ET Steve KimESPN Josh Taylor, the WBA/IBF junior welterweight champion, will defend both belts on Sept. 26 against Apinun Khongsong at the BT Sports Studio from London, in a fight that will air on ESPN+. It will be Taylor’s first outing since his victory over Regis Prograis last October in the World Boxing

12:54 PM ET Steve KimESPN WBC/IBF light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev will now defend both of his titles against Adam Deines on Sept. 25 in Yekaterinburg, Russia, Top Rank officials confirmed on Monday. Deines (19-1-1, 10 KOs), who was born in Russia but lives in Germany, steps in for original opponent Meng Fanlong, who is

9:06 AM ET Steve Kim Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show After two cancellations due to the coronavirus pandemic, WBC/WBO junior welterweight unified titlist Jose Ramirez will finally meet Viktor Postol on Saturday

12:00 AM ET Steve KimESPN Former two-time welterweight titlist Shawn Porter dominated Sebastian Formella to win a one-sided unanimous decision Saturday at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. All three judges saw it as a clean sweep for Porter, 120-108. Formella (22-1, 10 KOs), of Germany, did his best to box and stave off the

Aug 22, 2020 Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show Alexander Povetkin knocked out Dillian Whyte with a stunning uppercut in the fifth round Saturday to shatter Whyte’s hopes of fighting for the WBC

12:40 AM ET A busy Saturday of boxing all over the world didn’t go according to expectations, at least when it involved the heavyweight division. Alexander Povetkin recovered enough from a two-knockdown round to knock Dillian Whyte out cold a few minutes later. Shawn Porter took care of business and lined himself up for another

Aug 21, 2020 Steve KimESPN Joe Smith took a significant step towards a light heavyweight title shot by stopping former titleholder Eleider Alvarez by ninth-round TKO Saturday night in the main event of a Top Rank card at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. After chopping away for eight rounds, it was a

8:21 PM ET Steve KimESPN Sergio Martinez (52-3-2, 29 KOs) made a successful return to the ring by stopping Jose Miguel Fandino (15-7, 8 KOs) in Round 7 on Friday night in Spain in his first bout in over six years. The previous time Martinez boxed was in June 2014, when he came into the

5:10 PM ET Steve KimESPN Jessie Magdaleno has declined to face Emanuel Navarrete for the vacant WBO featherweight title, leaving undefeated Ruben Villa as next in line to vie for the title. Magdaleno did not agree to his portion of the purse after Top Rank won the bid for the fight with an offer of

Aug 19, 2020 Steve KimESPN The promoters for Luke Campbell and Ryan Garcia reached an agreement Wednesday for a WBC interim lightweight title fight to take place in November. Matchroom Sports, which promotes Campbell, and Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes Garcia, made the announcement Wednesday, just minutes before a WBC purse bid was to be

11:12 AM ET Steve KimESPN Like many athletes around the world, former welterweight titlist Shawn Porter’s career was sidelined when the coronavirus pandemic closed his regular training facilities this spring. But as May rolled around, Porter and his father/trainer, Kenny Porter, began preparations for a possible late-summer fight. As they started to get back into

10:18 PM ET Steve KimESPN As we approach the end of summer, the boxing schedule continues to heat up. This weekend’s boxing action includes a pivotal heavyweight clash at “Fight Camp,” a high-stakes light heavyweight title eliminator inside Top Rank’s bubble in Las Vegas and the return of a former two-time welterweight champion. A weekend

7:01 AM ET Claressa Shields calls herself the boxing GWOAT (Greatest Woman Of All Time), and it’s hard to argue against her. Shields has won world titles in three different divisions and is the current undisputed middleweight world champion. She also has won two Olympic gold medals and is unbeaten as a professional. Her closest

7:00 AM ET Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show Katie Taylor and Delfine Persoon have both said they have points to prove in Saturday’s rematch to decide the undisputed world lightweight champion of

5:47 PM ET Steve KimESPN Oscar De La Hoya told ESPN on Wednesday that he will return to the ring at the age of 47. Twelve years after his last fight, the 11-time titlist confirmed he’s ready to end his retirement. “The rumors are true, and I’m going to start sparring in the next few

7:10 PM ET Oscar De la Hoya announced the end of his retirement Wednesday to return to competitive boxing at the age of 47, and the first question that comes to mind is: Why? De La Hoya is an accomplished fighter, won titles in six different weight classes, captured a gold medal in the 1992

8:52 AM ET Steve Kim Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show Three big fights are taking place Saturday, with each having title implications. Former light heavyweight champion Eleider Alvarez faces Joe Smith Jr.

4:03 PM ET The World Boxing Council has ordered a fight between Canelo Alvarez and Avni Yildirim for its vacant super middleweight belt. The WBC decision leaves WBA super middleweight titlist Callum Smith, who was hoping to fight for the vacant belt, without an immediate shot for the time being. The title was left vacant