Floyd Mayweather’s biggest protege right now, Curmel Moton, continued his winning run during a Premier Boxing Champions fight card that took place at an event GIVEMESPORT attended inside the Michelob Ultra Arena at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas on Saturday, the 31st of May.
David Benavidez has offered his final prediction for Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford‘s mega-fight later this year.
The pound-for-pound stars will lock horns in September with Canelo set to put his undisputed super-middleweight championship on the line against ‘Bud’.
The fight was made official just moments after Canelo defeated former IBF super-middleweight champion William Scull in Riyadh on May 2. Canelo made history by becoming the only fighter to achieve undisputed status at 168lbs on two separate occasions.
Crawford is looking to write himself into the boxing history books once again, as he bids to become the first three-division undisputed champion and a world champion in a fifth weight class should he prevail against the Mexican icon.
Speaking to Pound 4 Pound with Kamaru & Henry, Benavidez – who has himself relentlessly chased a fight with Canelo – was asked if he believes Crawford is capable of defying the odds and defeating the Mexican star when they go toe-to-toe.
“I think if anybody has an opportunity, I mean has a chance to beat Canelo, I think it’s Terence Crawford, his IQ is on another level, he’s a great fighter and he’s strong. It’s just that it’s a lot of weight you know what I mean?
“And he didn’t have a hard time at 154 but he wasn’t like… the other guy was getting him with some good punches so he felt the power at 154, so imagine you go up to 168 and you’re fighting a strong fighter like Canelo so I wouldn’t be surprised if Terence Crawford wins but I wouldn’t be surprised if he loses either.”
Crawford’s last outing came in August when he dethroned Israil Madrimov of the WBA light-middleweight title, but the 37-year-old from Omaha is now tasked with jumping up another two divisions ahead of what could be the toughest test of his outstanding career.
Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford will no longer compete with a UFC pay-per-view show.
The biggest boxing bout of the year is set to take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on September 13.
Dana White was originally scheduled to promote the event, but he was replaced due to a clash with UFC 320, due to take place at Arena Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Mexico, on the same night.
However, the third annual Noche UFC show was relocated and downgraded during UFC Vegas 107.
For the past few weeks, speculation about UFC 320 has been rife due to an issue with its venue.
Fans feared the event could be hit with another huge setback following the Canelo vs. Crawford date change.
On Saturday night, those concerns were proven right as the UFC announced the show had been moved to San Antonio, Texas, and downgraded to a Fight Night card.
“The 3rd annual #NocheUFC will now take place at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas on September 13,” a post on the official UFC X account read.
“The Noche UFC Fight Night card will celebrate and honor the remarkable contributions of Mexican fighters to combat sports and continues UFC’s great tradition of holding an event around Mexican Independence Day.”
UFC fans took to the comment section to express their thoughts on the event change.
“That sucks I wanted to go to Mexico,” one fan said. While another added: “Should do it in the Sphere again.”
“That sucks I wanted to go to Mexico,” a third X user fumed.
“Why not fight in Mexico if it’s for Mexicans? I don’t get it,” someone else commented.
“So no longer a PPV but a fight night card, what happens to UFC 320 then,” another asked.
“Y’all gotta move this event or blow us away. Cause I’m be on that Canelo vs. Crawford fight,” a fifth fan said.
“Do not book Volk v. Yair,” one fan begged.
A court has sided with Gervonta Davis in his monetary dispute with former manager.
WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis was recently involved in a legal battle with former manager Wayne Roy and creditor Kevin Batiste.
Back in October 2013, Davis signed a five-year agreement with Roy, agreeing that the manager would receive 15% of all fight-related earnings. However, by February 2014, Davis and the pair would agree to end thier working relationship.
A release agreement was reached where Davis had to pay Roy and Batiste $35,000 over the next two years. However, in 2017, they filed a case against ‘Tank’, claiming they were paid only $2,000. When Davis failed to show up to court, the Judge entered a default order against him finding him in breach of contract.
Davis eventually would pay Roy and Batiste $468,000 to settle the case. However, Roy and Batiste never recorded the judgement satisfied and didn’t inform the court of any agreement. Instead, they continued discovery in the case and eventually requested additional payments from Davis for his subsequent fights.
The court has now ruled on the case, finding Gervonta Davis free of any obligation to make additional payments. The court’s chief judge Gregory Wells wrote:
Once Davis paid the $468,000, the judgment was satisfied, and there was no longer a money judgment to modify. If there is no money judgment to modify, Creditors cannot continue to pursue post-judgment discovery against Davis for a ‘hypothetical or potential money judgment.’
Gervonta Davis last fought in March and had a controversial majority draw against Lamont Roach. ‘Tank’ and Roach will now face off again in a rematch according to widespread reports. Any official announcement on the matter is yet to come.
Claressa Shields goes over her pre-fight Superstition before he heads into a boxing match or MMA fight. She won’t have sex for two weeks leading up to the fight. Nick SwaggyP Young says oh you have been out of it for a while then. Kenyon Martin and Gilbert Arenas agree as the Gil’s Arena podcast crew go over what some NBA Players used to do before games too. A hilarious and true inside-the-NBA and sporting world take from the Gil’s Arena podcast crew joined by the best women fighter and boxer of all time Claressa Shields. Gil’s Arena every Monday,…
English boxing icons George Groves and Ricky Hatton agree that Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury is a pick ’em fight.
After Fury announced his fifth retirement from boxing in January, the chances of a fight materializing seemed bleak. Yet, given his history of walking away from the sport and later returning, fans remain skeptical about his decision to call it quits.
While former British champion Carl Froch recently dubbed the fight a “total mismatch” in Fury’s favor should a bout come to fruition, former WBA super-lightweight champion Groves doesn’t see it the same way. Speaking to Express.co.uk via Lottoland, boxing betting, Groves said: “Joshua’s last loss to Daniel Dubois was pretty devastating.
“Dubois got it right that night, he jumped on Joshua, who probably wanted to ease into the fight. He wasn’t able to, and he got knocked out badly, on the biggest stage, at the tail end of his career. That’s serious mileage.
“But Fury’s also had back-to-back losses, maybe three if you include the [Francis] Ngannou fight, which didn’t impress. He was lucky to get the decision. Then he lost twice to [Oleksandr] Usyk.
“That’s probably just as mentally draining as Joshua’s loss to Dubois. I think it’s a pick ’em fight. Fury’s heavier, more agile, better boxing IQ, faster hands. Joshua is still a great athlete, punches ridiculously hard, and has loads of big-fight experience. It comes down to who performs on the night, who wants it more, who’s got the most left. I disagree with Froch – I don’t think it’s a walkover.”
Former light-welterweight champion Hatton, meanwhile, shared a similar stance in conversation with Vegas Insider. He said: “It’s a tough one, I think it’s 50/50, I wouldn’t say either would be the favourite.
“AJ, the way he was in the corner even before he was knocked out, was a little bit casual, and I think he took Daniel Dubois lightly. He was that convinced before the fight, going into the fight, and even during the fight.
“He’s very laid back so maybe I am giving him a bit of a disservice, but he did look like he thought he was the better man and just needed to turn up to beat Daniel…I know he is a laid-back type but I think he took his eye off the ball with Daniel and you can’t do something like that with Daniel.”
After a contentious split-decision victory over Francis Ngannou in 2023, Fury experienced consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024. These were the first two defeats of his professional career and also cost him the opportunity to achieve undisputed heavyweight glory.
With the WBC, WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight titles at stake, Fury narrowly lost to the undefeated Ukrainian via split-decision in May 2024. Then, just four days before Christmas, Usyk confirmed his superiority with a unanimous decision win over the Gypsy King in an immediate rematch.
At the start of the new year, Fury announced his retirement from boxing on social media. However, Groves isn’t convinced that the 36-year-old is truly done with the sport. He added: “He’s retired five times now, so we know retirement means nothing.
“There are benefits to retiring. You don’t have to live like an athlete anymore or adhere to British Boxing Board of Control requirements. He’s got no belt to be stripped, and if he comes out of retirement, as he’s done before, it might add value and excitement to the fight.
“I’m almost certain he’ll fight Anthony Joshua once Joshua recovers from injury or elbow surgery. That’ll probably be later this year, likely in Saudi Arabia. They’re both prize fighters.
“They’ve both been boxing their entire lives. They’ve earned enough and achieved plenty, but they won’t leave the table while there’s still something left for them. They’ll fight each other – and I’d like to see it.”
IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois has told former rival Anthony Joshua he should retire from professional boxing following their explosive encounter at Wembley Stadium last year.
Dubois made the first defence of his IBF World Title against Joshua, knocking his countryman out in the fifth round of their showdown at Wembley Stadium in London, handing the two-time unified champion the fourth defeat of his career.
Speaking to Seconds Out months after the fight, Dubois was blunt in his assessment of Joshua’s future prospects, saying, “Does he want some more? He should retire in my opinion.”
The devastating knockout defeat has sparked widespread debate about whether the 35-year-old from Watford should call time on his professional career, which began in 2013 just months after he captured Olympic gold at the London Games in 2012.
Despite the calls for retirement from boxing fans, pundits, and now his conqueror, Joshua appears determined to fight on and is edging closer to a return to the ring with talks underway for a two-fight deal that could begin later this year in Saudi Arabia.
The former heavyweight champion has been out of action in 2024 following elbow surgery, which was successfully completed in May. However, he has been actively planning his comeback behind the scenes.
Earlier this month, Joshua revealed in an interview with ESPN Mexico that he was targeting a December return, dependent on his recovery. Momentum is now building around a potential deal with Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season to stage his comeback.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed current discussions involve a two-fight plan, telling Boxing Scene, “We are actually discussing a two-fight deal with Riyadh Season.
“Turki Alalshikh said that on the night of Canelo’s fight on May 3, when we had our meeting. And that’s the plan really, we want to box sometime this year, October, November, December.”
One option for Joshua could be a rematch against Dubois, who is currently in preparations for a second encounter with former undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk at Wembley Stadium on July 19. However, should Dubois beat Usyk, he will be ordered to face a mandatory challenger, with Joseph Parker first in line. Whether he would drop a belt to make a lucrative rematch with Joshua remains to be seen.
At the top of Joshua’s hit list is Tyson Fury, but ‘The Gypsy King’ has been in retirement since January and is adamant he will not be fighting again.
In a recent video message, Fury firmly stated his retirement stance, saying, “I hear a lot of talk about the Gypsy King returning to boxing and I ask this question: for what?
“What would I return for? I’m in no rush at all to come back to boxing and get my face punched in. I am retired and I am staying retired.”
Hearn confirmed that Joshua’s camp is keeping a watchful eye on the outcome of Dubois versus Usyk, as well as the uncertain future of Fury.
“We’ll see what happens with Dubois-Usyk, we’ll see what happens with Fury,” Hearn said.
“And if we don’t fight those guys, we’ll fight someone else, and then maybe follow one of those guys next year.”
Despite the setback against Dubois, Joshua’s financial standing remains robust. The British-Nigerian boxing star has emerged richer than England football captain Harry Kane and heavyweight rival Tyson Fury, with his net worth soaring to €232m according to the newly published Sunday Times Rich List.
George Groves agrees with Ricky Hatton that Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua is a pick ’em fight.
The Gypsy King poured water on any hopes of a showdown with his long-time rival in January when he announced his retirement from boxing, but as Fury has retired five times in total now, many fight fans have understandably taken his most recent step-back with a pinch of salt.
Despite both achieving world championship status at heavyweight and being on a collision course for most of their respective careers, Fury and AJ have never managed to set a date to meet in the squared circle. And while Carl Froch last month said that it would be a “total mismatch” in Fury’s favour should a fight come to fruition in the near future, former WBA super middleweight champion Groves sees it differently.
In an exclusive interview with Express via Lottoland, boxing betting, Groves said: “Joshua’s last loss to Daniel Dubois was pretty devastating. Dubois got it right that night, he jumped on Joshua, who probably wanted to ease into the fight.
“He wasn’t able to, and he got knocked out badly, on the biggest stage, at the tail end of his career. That’s serious mileage.
“But Fury’s also had back-to-back losses, maybe three if you include the [Francis] Ngannou fight, which didn’t impress. He was lucky to get the decision.
“Then he lost twice to [Oleksandr] Usyk. That’s probably just as mentally draining as Joshua’s loss to Dubois. I think it’s a pick ’em fight. Fury’s heavier, more agile, better boxing IQ, faster hands.
“Joshua is still a great athlete, punches ridiculously hard, and has loads of big-fight experience. It comes down to who performs on the night, who wants it more, who’s got the most left. I disagree with Froch – I don’t think it’s a walkover.”
It comes as Stockport-born former light welterweight champion, Hatton, agreed that it would be a tough fight to call. Speaking to Vegas Insider, the 46-year-old said: “It’s a tough one, I think it’s 50/50, I wouldn’t say either would be the favourite.
“AJ, the way he was in the corner even before he was knocked out, was a little bit casual, and I think he took Daniel Dubois lightly. He was that convinced before the fight, going into the fight, and even during the fight.
“He’s very laid back so maybe I am giving him a bit of a disservice, but he did look like he thought he was the better man and just needed to turn up to beat Daniel…I know he is a laid-back type but I think he took his eye off the ball with Daniel and you can’t do something like that with Daniel.”
Off the back of a controversial split-decision win over Francis Ngannou in 2023, Fury suffered back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, not only seeing the first two defeats of his professional career, but also missing out on the chance to taste undisputed glory at heavyweight.
With the WBC, WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO and The Ring heavyweight titles on the line, Fury narrowly missed out to the undefeated Ukrainian via split-decision in May 2024, before Usyk erased any doubts whatsoever by securing a unanimous decision win over the Gypsy King in an instant rematch just four days before Christmas.
Fury then took to social media at the turn of the year to announce his retirement from the sport. However, Groves isn’t convinced that the 36-year-old is truly finished with the sport. He added: “He’s retired five times now, so we know retirement means nothing.
“There are benefits to retiring. You don’t have to live like an athlete anymore or adhere to British Boxing Board of Control requirements. He’s got no belt to be stripped, and if he comes out of retirement, as he’s done before, it might add value and excitement to the fight.
“I’m almost certain he’ll fight Anthony Joshua once Joshua recovers from injury or elbow surgery. That’ll probably be later this year, likely in Saudi Arabia. They’re both prize fighters.
“They’ve both been boxing their entire lives. They’ve earned enough and achieved plenty, but they won’t leave the table while there’s still something left for them. They’ll fight each other – and I’d like to see it.”
Mike Tyson could be set to return to the ring once more.
It isn’t what many fans will be keen to hear given what happened last time out. 58-year-old Tyson fought back in November in Arlington, Texas, against Jake Paul, a man more than half his age and with vastly less experience.
The youngest ever heavyweight world champion was soundly beaten on points across eight rounds and barely managed to land a punch in anger, so low were his strength and fitness levels.
That fight came almost 20 years after his first retirement back in 2005, after a second consecutive loss, and was followed by assurances from ‘Iron Mike’ that he would never fight again.
Despite that, he has apparently now been contacted by Kazakh combat sports promotion, Alash Pride League (APL) with a view to making another comeback and the APL President Alimzhan Bektaev has suggested work is underway.
“We are planning a bout between Mike Tyson and Fedor Emelianenko. Work in this direction is already underway. The tournament, where we want to invite Mike Tyson, is scheduled for December.”
Emelianenko is a Russian former PRIDE heavyweight title holder and four-time combat sambo world champion who is now 48 but remains a legend of MMA.
He has been competing since 2000 and beaten fellow stars of the cage, including Mirko Cro Cop, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mark Coleman and Andrei Arlovski, but retired back in 2023 after a TKO loss in the first round to Ryan Bader. At that time, Emelianenko said he was 100% done with MMA and was already targeting Tyson.
Manny Pacquiao is set to make a sensational comeback to boxing in less than two months.
After a four year hiatus, it was announced earlier this month the 46-year-old from the Philippines will face WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios on Saturday July 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
It will be Pacquiao’s first ring appearance as a professional since he was beaten by former WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas in June 2021, although ‘Pac-Man’ has participated in two exhibition contests since then, facing DK Yoo and Rukiya Anpo in 2022 and 2024 respectively.
One man who has predicted what he believes the outcome will be when Pacquiao faces Barrios is highly-respected trainer Robert Garcia, who has worked with the likes of Anthony Joshua, Nonito Donaire and Bam Rodriguez.
Speaking to ESNEWS, Garcia made no mistake in backing Barrios to prevail against Pacquiao, claiming the ‘younger’ fighter will have the edge over the veteran ‘Pac-Man’.
“I gotta go with Barrios, he’s young, he’s the champion, Pacquiao’s what like [46] already? At that age, that’s too much, that’s like me getting in the ring. I can’t I’m 49.”
Pacquiao has reignited that iconic partnership with legendary coach Freddie Roach, who worked with the Filipino icon in 34 of his fights over a 16-year period before their relationship went sour back in 2018.
As for Barrios, the 30-year-old from Texas will be making just the second defence of his WBC crown, after his maiden defence against Abel Ramos ended in a split decision draw last November.