Boxing

Jeff Wagenheim Jan 28, 2024, 01:15 AM ET Open Extended Reactions The biggest fights in boxing typically have championship belts at stake, but some major bouts have a less tangible prize up for grabs. That was the case for Jaime Munguia’s super middleweight main event against John Ryder on Saturday in Phoenix. Munguia was looking

Mike Coppinger, ESPNJan 25, 2024, 12:02 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Rolly Romero and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz have finalized a deal to fight for Romero’s WBA 140-pound title on March 30 in Las Vegas, sources tell ESPN. Romero-Cruz will serve as the co-feature to Tim Tszyu-Keith Thurman, Premier Boxing Champions’ first PPV as part of

Jan 25, 2024, 07:37 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Natasha Jonas overcame a tough test against Mikaela Mayer to retain her IBF welterweight title with a split-decision victory Saturday night at M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England. Two judges scored the fight for Jonas 96-94 and 96-95, and the third for Mayer 97-93. Jonas (15-2-1,

Mike Coppinger, ESPNJan 25, 2024, 12:17 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Tim Tszyu will defend his WBO junior middleweight title against Keith Thurman on March 30 in Las Vegas, sources tell ESPN. The 154-pound title bout will headline PBC’s first pay-per-view as part of its new deal with Amazon’s Prime Video. Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs)

Nick ParkinsonJan 24, 2024, 07:44 AM ET 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 Open Extended Reactions February is an epic month for boxing, which sees perhaps the biggest fight of the year when the first

Nick ParkinsonJan 20, 2024, 06:42 PM ET 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 Open Extended Reactions Natasha Jonas claimed the best win of her career Saturday, beating Mikaela Mayer by split decision in the first

Mike Coppinger, ESPNJan 18, 2024, 07:52 AM ET Open Extended Reactions 2023 delivered more superfights than any other year in recent memory. Gervonta Davis–Ryan Garcia. Errol Spence Jr.–Terence Crawford. Even Canelo Alvarez‘s showdown against Jermell Charlo was highly anticipated, as was Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou. And now, 2024 is getting off to a scorching

James Regan Jan 15, 2024, 02:52 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Francis Ngannou has vowed to target Anthony Joshua’s chin when they fight in Saudi Arabia on March 8 with plenty on the line for both fighters. The card, dubbed “Knockout Chaos,” will also feature Joseph Parker against Zhilei Zhang as the co-main event. Former

Mike Coppinger, ESPNJan 15, 2024, 11:38 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Joseph Parker will fight Zhilei Zhang in the March 8 co-feature to Anthony Joshua-Francis Ngannou in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, sources told ESPN. Both fighters are rated in ESPN’s top 10 at heavyweight: Parker is No. 4 while Zhang is No. 5. Parker (34-3, 33

Mike Coppinger, ESPNJan 14, 2024, 05:05 PM ET Open Extended Reactions The Vasiliy Lomachenko-George Kambosos fight for the vacant IBF lightweight title will take place May 12 in Perth, Australia, sources told ESPN on Sunday. The fight will be televised on ESPN on the evening of May 11 in the U.S. Lomachenko, a future Hall

Mike Coppinger, ESPNJan 14, 2024, 01:52 AM ET Open Extended Reactions QUEBEC CITY, Quebec — Now that Artur Beterbiev has maintained his pristine 100% KO ratio with another dominant victory, there’s little else to talk about. It’s time for boxing to deliver one of the best possible matchups the sport can offer: A meeting between

Mike Coppinger, ESPNJan 14, 2024, 12:04 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Artur Beterbiev retained his WBC, WBO and IBF light heavyweight titles with a seventh-round TKO victory over Callum Smith on Saturday night in Quebec City, Quebec. Punch Stats Punches Beterbiev Smith Total landed 182 59 Total thrown 471 366 Percent 39% 16% Jabs landed

Marc Raimondi, ESPN Staff WriterJan 12, 2024, 01:01 PM ET Open Extended Reactions Francis Ngannou will have some new scenery for his next boxing camp. Dewey Cooper, one of Ngannou’s top coaches, told ESPN in a video interview Thursday that the former UFC heavyweight champion will train in Saudi Arabia for his boxing match against

Mike Coppinger, ESPNJan 12, 2024, 01:26 PM ET Open Extended Reactions A junior lightweight fight between Oscar Valdez and Liam Wilson is being finalized for March 29 in Glendale, Arizona, a source told ESPN. Valdez and Wilson both lost to Emanuel Navarrete last year in 130-pound title slugfests. Valdez (31-2, 23 KOs) hasn’t competed since

Mike Coppinger, ESPNJan 12, 2024, 07:51 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Artur Beterbiev is boxing’s only champion with a 100 percent knockout ratio, a distinction he’ll look to maintain Saturday when he defends his three light heavyweight titles against Callum Smith (10 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+). Russia’s Beterbiev (19-0, 19 KOs) is again fighting in his

Mike Coppinger, ESPNJan 11, 2024, 09:38 PM ET Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., the son of the legendary Mexican boxer, was set to be released from jail Thursday night and entered into a residential treatment program in Los Angeles, his attorney, Guadalupe Valencia, told ESPN. He’s expected to remain in the program until his next court

Nick ParkinsonJan 10, 2024, 07:49 AM ET 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 Open Extended Reactions Not one of Artur Beterbiev‘s 19 professional opponents has lasted to hear the final bell, but Callum Smith will

Mike Coppinger, ESPNJan 9, 2024, 11:52 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Former welterweight champion Errol Spence said Monday that he underwent cataract surgery. The recovery timeline for cataract surgery is approximately eight weeks. The procedure comes 29 months after Spence suffered a detached retina in training that scrapped his planned August 2021 fight with Manny