Tag

Boxing

Browsing

Boxing world champion Claressa Shields says she is “done” with mixed martial arts after competing in three fights with the PFL.

Shields, 30, is unbeaten in boxing and a multiple-weight undisputed champion, but has fought sporadically in MMA since 2021, achieving a 2-1 record.

Her last MMA bout was a points win over Kelsey de Santis and the American says she will now be focusing on boxing.

“It was fun, but I don’t have enough time to train for it. It takes six to eight months just to get ready to defend takedowns. Even though I got a lot better and put in the time, I broke my arm twice. It was fun, and I enjoyed every fight I did,” Shields told Ariel Helwani, external.

“I’m already great in boxing, and to be great like that in MMA, I would have to train consistently for at least three to four years.

“I did really well in MMA. It was fun, but it was too hard.”

Shields took a two-and-a-half-year break between her second and third MMA fights.

The Michigan native recently added the undisputed heavyweight title to her world title collection.

Shields has become world champion in five different weight classes and is undefeated in 16 fights.

The Olympic gold medalist said she did have ambitions of becoming an MMA world champion, but admitted her family were keen for her to focus on boxing.

“My family never wanted me to do it,” she added.

“I did it because I wanted to prove a point, and I proved that point to myself three times, though you could say twice because I won twice.”

Women’s pound-for-pound rankings

Women’s boxing rankings:
1 Claressa Shields Heavyweight (C)
2 Katie Taylor Light-welterweight (C)
3 Chantelle Cameron Light-welterweight
4 Amanda Serrano Featherweight (C)
5 Dina Thorslund Bantamweight (C)
6 Gabriela Fundora Flyweight (C)
7 Lauren Price Welterweight (C)
8 Yokasta Valle Mini-flyweight (C)
9 Mikaela Mayer Welterweight (C)
10 Tina Rupprecht Atomweight (C)

Use the column header buttons to sort columns by ascending or descending orderCurrently not sorted

1
Claressa Shields
Heavyweight (C)
2
Katie Taylor
Light-welterweight (C)
3
Chantelle Cameron
Light-welterweight
4
Amanda Serrano
Featherweight (C)
5
Dina Thorslund
Bantamweight (C)
6
Gabriela Fundora
Flyweight (C)
7
Lauren Price
Welterweight (C)
8
Yokasta Valle
Mini-flyweight (C)
9
Mikaela Mayer
Welterweight (C)
10
Tina Rupprecht
Atomweight (C)

Remy Ma and Eazy The Block Captain’s drama led to many cheating allegations against her and Papoose, which Claressa Shields is dismissing.

Claressa Shields isn’t scared of entering the ring with anyone who wants to press her about her relationship with Papoose. While that mostly relates to folks like Remy Ma at the center of their drama, that attitude also extends to social media critics who deserve much less attention.

As reported by The Shade Room, some recent comments about their relationship resulted in a lot of backlash towards the boxing star. For those unaware, Pap and Remy launched cheating allegations against one another accusing Shields for the former and Eazy The Block Captain for the latter.

“All men don’t cheat, my man don’t,” Claressa Shields said of Papoose in a recent social media post. After the backlash swiftly followed, she quote-tweeted the remark and chose to double down while reveling in how angry this made some people.

“This post had social media in a headlock, I ain’t gone lie,” the Flint, Michigan native tweeted. “People are so unhappy & projecting. Grow up and accept change. It’s ok. Nobody died!” We will see if anyone else involved here has a different take or if this slides through into the past.

Remy Ma And Claressa Shields Fight

Remy Ma and Papoose and Claressa Shields

Elsewhere, other sides of the story are increasing the massive drama with these individuals. For example, Eazy The Block Captain recently blasted Papoose for speaking on their conflict. Pap claimed he fought Eazy not because he allegedly slept with Remy Ma, but because he shook Pap’s hand around this alleged time.

The battle rapper disputed this narrative, claiming that Papoose was the one to approach him as a fan in the first place. Things are much more complex than that when you take everything into account. But it doesn’t look like they will get any easier to parse through.

Rather, we expect all these individuals to try to move on with their relationships. Claressa Shields and Papoose are going strong, and their antics and responses will only add to all this combative shade. Will everyone chill out and just let the past be the past? It seems unlikely right now, but then again, few people could’ve guessed this would be the outcome a few weeks ago.

Anthony Joshua teams up with Prep Kitchen in two-time world champion’s latest partnership – as speculation continues over Tyson Fury showdown

  • Joshua has been announced an ambassador for meal service Prep Kitchen
  • The company becomes the latest partner of the British heavyweight boxer 

Anthony Joshua has been announced as an ambassador for the home meal delivery service Prep Kitchen.

The partnership comes with Joshua currently out of the ring following his loss to Daniel Dubois last September, with the two-time world champion recently revealing he needed to undergo a minor elbow surgery.

Joshua remains tipped to have a battle of Britain showdown with Tyson Fury in the near future, with the Gypsy King having dropped several hints that he could U-turn on his latest retirement.

The British star has underlined his commitment to health and fitness by teaming up with Prep Kitchen, with the company highlighting their aims to deliver nutritious, gourmet-level meals made by Michelin-trained chefs.

‘Being able to achieve excellence relies so heavily upon the foods we fuel our body with,’ Joshua said.

‘Yet, it can be difficult to maintain a level of discipline when immersed in an intense training schedule.

‘That’s why partnering with Prep Kitchen affords me the peace of mind that I am receiving protein packed meals that keep me fuelled during training without compromising on the quality.

‘Simply put – I can prep less, and train more.’

As part of the collaboration, Joshua will reportedly work with Prep Kitchen’s head of food, Paul Mason, to creative an exclusive range of meals.

The meals will be inspired by Nigerian culture in honour of Joshua’s heritage and will feature in their weekly menu.

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury

The range will include West African Style Red Pepper and Peanut Chicken, Suya Beef with Jollof Rice, and a Nigerian Fish Curry, with the first meals set to be available from June 22.

Prep Kitchen have welcomed the partnership with Joshua, stating he is known for his discipline, drive, and dedication to peak performance.

The company claims the addition of Joshua as partner marks a ‘significant milestone’ for Prep Kitchen.

‘At Prep Kitchen, we are beyond delighted to partner with Anthony Joshua – a sporting icon we respect so highly, who shares our passion for achieving excellence and elite standards both in the ring and on the plate,’ said Will Fish, Prep Kitchen co-founder.

‘We hope that this partnership will demonstrate that there exists high-quality meals for people looking to achieve their health goals and that you can eat well, even on your busiest days.’

Joshua is the latest athlete to partner with the company after heptathlon world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Eddie Hall, formerly Britain’s strongest man.

Prep Kitchen have joined Joshua’s large stable of partners, which also include DAZN, Under Armour, Hugo Boss, Audemars Piguet, Lucozade Sport, Bulk and Jaguar Land Rover.

The two-time world champion will be awaiting his latest opponent when he returns to fitness, with his promoter Eddie Hearn recently claiming he could still fight twice this year.

Joshua – who has not fought since losing to Daniel Dubois last September – is hoping to return to the ring later this year following successful elbow surgery

Mihai Nistor – who famously became the first fighter to knock out Anthony Joshua – has called for a rematch with the Brit.

The 34-year-old Romanian – who fought 64 times in major amateur bouts – went head-to-head with Joshua in the quarter-finals of the European Championships in Turkey back in 2011. Nistor amassed quite an impressive record as an amateur before turning professional back in 2019.

Since then, the heavyweight star has won all eight of his professional bouts, winning all by knockout. However, it has been over a year since he was last seen in the ring. Despite the inactivity, Nistor believes he is not far off of top world level and is prepared to sign a deal to face Joshua if boxing promoter Eddie Hearn sends an offer his way.

In an interview with World Boxing News, he said: “I’d love to box again with my former rivals. If I could box against Joshua and Usyk again, that would be my goal. But right now, I’m not just with them. I have been continuing to win fights. I’m a bit disappointed with my career.

“I was held back for about two years because of the pandemic. I am confident and convinced that I will make it to the level of Joshua and Usyk.” Joshua has not fought since suffering a brutal knockout defeat to British rival Daniel Dubois last September. The loss put an end to Joshua’s recent good run of form in the ring after losing back-to-back fights to Oleksandr Usyk.

On Joshua’s defeats to Usyk, Nistor added, “I believe Usyk defeated Joshua through superior technique and tactics. He wanted the victories more. I think Joshua’s behaviour can be explained by the fact that losing for the second time made the defeat even more painful. I believe that after the defeats to Usyk, Joshua didn’t recover mentally enough. I think that led to the loss against Dubois. He wasn’t focused.”

Anthony Joshua

Regarding his own future, Nistor concluded: “I expect to get back in the ring soon. In June or July, I’ll be back and ready for anyone.” Joshua is aiming to return to competitive boxing before the end of the year, following elbow surgery. On the topic of a return to the ring, ‘AJ’ said last month: “When do you want me back, people? I’m trying to get my body right. I have got to actually have a little surgery on my elbow. A small surgery sometime in May. I’m finalising the details… that will see me out of the gym for maybe six to eight weeks, and then when I’m healed, I will be back.”

Joshua has not given up hope of finally realising a bout with Fury. The Brit is not convinced that his rival’s retirement is final and appears confident that a fight could still materialise. In a recent post uploaded to Snapchat, Joshua shared an image of himself watching Fury fight, saying: “One of these days I’ll be standing in the opposite corner. Ready and fully charged spiritually.”

I’m the only man to knock out Anthony Joshua in the amateurs, now I want a rematch in the pro ranks

Mihai Nistor is eyeing a rematch with Anthony Joshua after knocking him out in the unpaid ranks 14 years ago.

The Romanian heavyweight enjoyed a fruitful amateur career that included seven national titles and two European bronze medals.

En route to his first European medal in Turkish capital Ankara back in 2011, Nistor became the first man to stop Joshua when they met in the quarter-finals.

It marked Joshua’s second defeat as an amateur following an early setback against Dillian Whyte in 2009, and it remains his only to have come inside the distance during his vested days.

After two hard-fought rounds, Nistor caught AJ with a massive left hook in the third stanza that buckled his knees.

As he was held up by ropes, the referee stepped in and initially administered a count before subsequently waving off the contest.

While Joshua won Olympic gold in 2012 and embarked on a successful professional career one year later, Nistor stayed in the amateurs until 2019.

In a stop-and-start professional run hampered by the COVID pandemic, Nistor has compiled an unblemished 8-0 record.

As an amateur, Nistor boxed Oleksandr Usyk, Filip Hrgovic, Frazer Clarke and Joshua, but he is yet to step up the levels in the pros.

That is something he intends to change in the not-so-distant future.

“I’d love to box again with my former rivals,” Nistor told World Boxing News.

“If I could box against Joshua and Usyk again, that would be my goal.

“But right now, I’m just not with them. I have been continuing to win fights. I’m a bit disappointed with my career.

“I was held back for about two years because of the pandemic.

“I am confident and convinced that I will make it to the level of Joshua and Usyk.”

At 34 years old, Nistor will have to get a move on if he wishes to tangle with the divisional elite.

He last fought in April 2024, when he blasted Peruvian journeyman David Zegarra away in two rounds in Timisoara, Romania.

Prior to that, Nistor retired 8-3 Colombian Jhan Carlo Delgado on his stool at the end of the third frame in his maiden appearance on British soil at the Brentwood Centre in September 2023.

Joshua, meanwhile, is yet to step back in the ring since suffering a devastating knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois in September.

The British heavyweight recently underwent surgery on his left elbow and is currently rehabilitating his injury.

He is expected to return before the end of 2025, with some big fights in the pipeline.

Boxing fans can’t decide if Terence Crawford looks good at a bulkier weight in training for his clash with Canelo Alvarez.

‘Bud’ will face the sternest examination of his squared circle credentials in September, as he takes on fellow pound-for-pound champion Alvarez.

Crawford has an uphill battle, as the showdown will take place at Alvarez’s natural weight of 168lbs, a 14lbs step up from his most recent outing against Israil Madrimov.

The American fought at his natural limit of 147lbs for several years, but is already a four-weight world champion.

But victory over Alvarez could cement his name as a true great, and he has already entered camp with three months until the career-defining night.

Crawford has released some first training footage as he starts to make his preparations, where he shadowboxed in the ring.

The American let his hands go showing off his variety of skills including a crisp jab and some sharp combinations.

Noticeably in the footage, Crawford’s physique looked bulkier, a clear sign he is already in the process of making the fighting weight.

And the boxing fraternity have been left with differing opinions on his current condition.

One wrote: “Sharp as hell. He went up in weight, gained more power and maintained his speed.

Another agreed: “He’s looking good, looks like he’s going to try and outbox Canelo. He can certainly win the fight that way.”

One even added: Crawford looks super sharp and smooth as usual, he’s going to get the win, Canelo is slower.”

Others weren’t so convinced with some suggesting: “Looks to have lost his speed, looks slower. This could be bad.”

A user concurred, adding: “Looks slow old and nearly 40, Canelo will retire him.

And a final fan concluded: “I’m not counting him out, but he looks slow in this division.”

It remains to be seen just how Crawford will look come fight night.

But he has shown he is capable of overcoming challenges including in his tough world title victory on points over Madrimov last year.

Alvarez holds natural size advantages over his rival and will be an expected favourite come fight night.

But he too struggled in his last outing, unable to break down William Scull despite becoming undisputed champion again in May.

Crawford knows victory will be the best of his time in the professional ranks and the biggest statement imaginable.

And he believes there are some of his own advantages that will help him beat the Mexican.

“Man, we’re going to see come fight time what my advantage is,” he said.

“I’m the type of guy who likes to feel my fighters out and adjust to what they’re doing.

“I think that’s my greatest attribute, to be able to figure out every opponent I’ve faced thus far.

“I’m looking to do the same come fight time when the Canelo fight happens.

“I’m going to feel great [at 168lbs]. I don’t need to worry about the weight. I know I’m going to feel great.”

Turki Alalshikh recently confirmed Canelo vs Terence Crawford will take place on September 13. The boxing world continues to wait with bated breath for the remaining details of this mega-fight. Now, Dan Rafael via his Fight Freaks Unite Substack has revealed as per sources, the likely venue and broadcaster for this undisputed super middleweight showdown.

Canelo vs Terence Crawford: Likely Venue and Broadcaster Revealed

Canelo vs Terence Crawford: Key Details Discussed

There had been some uncertainty regarding the involvement of Dan White in this mega-fight, but His Excellency has now clarified his involvement via an X post that read: “My brother Dana will promote this fight It is the fight of Riyadh Season, and we have a deal with TKO to promote it and it will the biggest fight in boxing, and tomorrow I think I will tell the details and the platform and the place for this fight, me and Dana.”

Originally, the fight was set for September 12 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, but Alalshikh quickly insisted it would take place on September 13, the Saturday night of Mexican Independence weekend, a traditional fight date for Canelo. Despite that clarification, the site for the fight remained uncertain.

The UFC card set for September 13 in Guadalajara, Mexico, will now take place in San Antonio as a non-pay-per-view event, removing any potential competition to Canelo vs Terence Crawford PPV dollars.

College football is a huge sport in the US and UNLV Rebels have a game scheduled vs Idaho State at Allegiant Stadium. Rafael reveals via sources that a deal is possible for the university to switch to a different date, thus making the venue available on September 13.

Canelo vs Terence Crawford: Dan Rafael Reveals Likely Venue and Broadcaster

Canelo vs Terence Crawford: Likely Venue and Broadcaster Revealed

Canelo vs Terence Crawford: Key Details Discussed

There had been some uncertainty regarding the involvement of Dan White in this mega-fight, but His Excellency has now clarified his involvement via an X post that read: “My brother Dana will promote this fight It is the fight of Riyadh Season, and we have a deal with TKO to promote it and it will the biggest fight in boxing, and tomorrow I think I will tell the details and the platform and the place for this fight, me and Dana.”

Originally, the fight was set for September 12 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, but Alalshikh quickly insisted it would take place on September 13, the Saturday night of Mexican Independence weekend, a traditional fight date for Canelo. Despite that clarification, the site for the fight remained uncertain.

Elle Wagman vs Amanda Byers – Strawweight MMA Fight (Round No 3)

The UFC card set for September 13 in Guadalajara, Mexico, will now take place in San Antonio as a non-pay-per-view event, removing any potential competition to Canelo vs Terence Crawford PPV dollars.

College football is a huge sport in the US and UNLV Rebels have a game scheduled vs Idaho State at Allegiant Stadium. Rafael reveals via sources that a deal is possible for the university to switch to a different date, thus making the venue available on September 13.

Regarding the venue and broadcaster for Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs) vs Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs), Rafael reveals that “the fight likely will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and stream on Netflix.” Despite the uncertainty and rumours it now appears this fight will be on Netflix, available to a massive audience.

Canelo vs Terence Crawford: Venue and Date Preference

Alvarez recently made it clear when and where he thinks the fight should be when speaking to reporters at a recent golf tournament: “It’s a fight that the people should enjoy in Las Vegas,” said Canelo.

“Vegas. Yes, of course. There’s no better weekend in Vegas than Mexican Independence Day.”

Stay with Big Fight Weekend for the build-up, fight night and all the post-fight fallout.

Despite his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois, former two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has moved two spots up in the latest Ring Magazine heavyweight rankings.

Anthony Joshua last fought in September 2024 at Wembley Stadium, where he suffered a knockout defeat against Dubois.

Meanwhile, Oleksandr Usyk remains in a class of his own above the top 10, while Tyson Fury is ranked No.1 despite announcing his retirement in January.

Fury’s decision came after back-to-back losses to Usyk in 2024, the first defeats of his professional career. However, many in the boxing world doubt his retirement is permanent.

Joshua’s rise in the rankings follows significant shifts in the division. Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole suffered defeats in Saudi Arabia on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol II undercard.

Zhang was stopped by a devastating body shot from Agit Kabayel in the sixth round of their WBC interim heavyweight clash, while Bakole was knocked out by Joseph Parker after stepping in on two days’ notice as a late replacement for Dubois.

Bakole’s last-minute decision saw him endure a 3,800-mile journey from Congo to Saudi Arabia, taking three connecting flights. His bravery was widely praised, but the defeat cost him his IBF final eliminator status and a drop in the rankings. Previously ranked No.6, Bakole has now dropped to No.7, while Zhang fell from No.4 to No.6.

Kabayel surged to No.4 following his career-best victory, with Anthony Joshua now positioned at No.5 behind the German fighter Zhilei Zhang. Parker and the remaining heavyweights retained their original rankings.

Latest Ring Magazine Heavyweight Rankings:
Tyson Fury
Daniel Dubois
Joseph Parker
Agit Kabayel
Anthony Joshua
Zhilei Zhang
Martin Bakole
Filip Hrgovic
Fabio Wardley
Efe Ajagba

Trainer Robert Garcia has a clear winner in Manny Pacquiao vs Gervonta Davis.

Manny Pacquiao ends his four-year hiatus from the boxing ring as he takes on Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight title on July 19 in what will be his first appearance since the 2021 defeat to Yordenis Ugas.

There have been questions regarding Pacquiao’s decision to come back at the age of 46. ‘Pacman’, though, is taking things seriously and is his camp is even eyeing Gervonta Davis as a potential next opponent.

‘Tank’ Davis, meanwhile, is one of the most vicious knockout artists and entertaining fighters in boxing at the moment, boasting a professional record of 30-0-1 with 28 knockouts under his belt. Davis looks set to face Lamont Roach in a rematch next.

Both fighters are big names, and despite Pacquiao fighting two weight classes above ‘Tank’, the talk regarding a potential clash continues on. And now, trainer Robert Garcia has given his honest verdict on the clash.

Speaking to ESNEWS, Garcia said:

Manny is gonna fight ‘Tank’ after that [Barrios]. Catchweight, 43 or 44. I think ‘Tank’ [wins that fight]. This is a big f*cking fight. It’s a huge fight.

Manny Pacquiao, for now, needs to take care of business against Mario Barrios. At 30, Barrios is a lot younger and standing at 183 cm, he holds a 17 cm height advantage over Pacquiao.

Pacquiao is one of the greatest boxers to ever live, and has amassed a stellar record of 62-8-2 with 39 knockout wins. He remains the only boxer to become an eight division world champion. However, he hasn’t won since the 2019 split decision against Keith Thurman and has fought just once in the last four years.

Forgive Frank Martin for being a bit chippy about Gervonta Davis’ underwhelming performance against Lamont Roach. 

Martin fought Davis in June 2024, running up against arguably the best version of “Tank” to grace the boxing ring yet. Martin landed his desired offense in the first three rounds, as Davis made his customarily slow start. Then Davis began walking Martin down with ruthless impunity, stalking him across the ring and into corners. 

In the eighth round, Davis clubbed Martin with a left uppercut against the ropes that he didn’t see, leaving Martin out on his feet, frozen and glassy-eyed. Another clean left hand sent him sprawling to the floor for the count. 

Davis had a sterner test against Roach this March. Roach countered his counters, took his shots, and even backed up the WBA lightweight titleholder. Roach earned a draw, with the majority of viewers thinking he deserved the nod.

Martin believes the closer fight was due to Davis underperforming, as well as Roach having the night of his life.

“Roach came out and fought his best fight that he could possibly fight,” Martin told Ron Goodall of FightHype. “He came in with his A-game […] I feel like Tank fought that fight not fully, fully trying to get off. He fought him more relaxed and chill, instead of trying to get him up out of there. I think that he thought the fight may have been easier than it was.”

The biggest source of controversy in the fight was Davis taking a knee in Round 9 after taking a jab to the face from Roach. Davis raced to his corner, where a trainer wiped his face with a towel. (After the fight, Davis said his eyes were stinging from hair grease running into them.) Referee Steve Willis began counting, as is standard when a fighter takes a knee, but did not call a knockdown or disqualify Davis for receiving corner assistance mid-round.

Martin alleged that Davis was the beneficiary of A-side bias.

“It was a close-ass fight,” he told Goodall. “I feel like the draw was cool. But with him taking a knee? Like I say, Tank know, they’re gonna give it to their man. They’re gonna give it to the guy who bringing it all the money.”

Asked whether Tank fought better against him than Roach, Martin said: “For sure. For sure, for sure. Hell yeah. I felt like he was a lot more locked in for me than [he was for] Roach. Roach is a good fighter, but I just felt he was more locked in for me. When you fighting a puncher, fighters who can punch, you’re gonna be more on your shit. You’re gonna be more on your A-game. Because you know a guy can catch you with something. He probably didn’t feel the same way when he fought Roach.”

As for the August 16 rematch between Tank and Roach, Martin favors Davis: “I think the rematch is going to be a good fight, but I think Tank may get him up out of there this fight.”

Martin is also willing to fight Roach, and he took a subtle jab at Roach’s well-publicized celebration tour following the fight – which may have been a moral victory, but was not an actual victory.

“I’m willing to fight him for sure, with his big head-ass,” Martin said.