On Wednesday, it will be 50 years since Muhammad Ali caused a seismic shock that still reverberates through the sporting world, on grainy color tape and on the pages of magazines that have since faded to yellow.

It was in Kinshasa, Zaire, Africa, that he stunned prohibitive favorite George Foreman, becoming the first man to defeat the big Texan, in an upset for the ages, stopping the heavyweight champion in the eighth round.

Here, Tris Dixon sits down with one of Muhammad Ali’s inner circle, business advisor Gene Kilroy, who reflects on those staggering events from half a century ago – on October 30, 1974.

It was part of history.

You’ve got to remember that Ali won the championship in 1964 and 10 years later he won it back. Now the remarkable thing about this is, at that time George Foreman, he had no humility. Nobody wanted to talk to him and the ones who started the ball rolling were Barry Bernstein and Hank Schwarz, and they put a company together, and they had a guy from London by the name of John Daly [of Video Techniques Inc], he was a big movie producer, he had Platoon, he had Saving Private Ryan, Terminator, he was a good young guy and he got involved with people in Brussels and they put up the money for the fight. 

Now, [ruler of Zaire] Mobutu, he jumped on board. He wanted to promote tourism in Zaire, Africa, well, George Foreman didn’t want to fight Ali. So Hank Schwarz hired Don King to go talk to George up in California and George said, “Nah, if I beat him they’ll just say I’m beating an old man.” Well, Don King said, “Five million dollars.” George said: “Let’s do it.” They signed the contract. 

With the contract signed, George Foreman was fighting Kenny Norton in Caracas, Venezuela. Now, if Kenny Norton wins, the contract is null and void so Foreman wins. Right after the fight, Bob Sheridan, the announcer, did an interview with Ali and I was right there and he said, “You’ve got this big fight in Zaire lined up,” and Ali told him, “I can’t wait, and all you reporters treated me badly in America but when you get to Zaire, Africa, they’re going to put you in a pot and cook you.” Everybody laughed about it. When we got home, there was a guy Moboutu had as a right-hand man, who was tied to Mobutu, and he called me on the phone, I was the liaison between African and Ali. He called me and said: “We’re trying to promote tourism, not kill it. We don’t put people in pots over here and cook them.”

But Ali helped to promote it. Now, we’re getting ready for the fight. And I had Ali watch the fight of Foreman and Joe Frazier, and we got to a knockdown and he’s watching it and George Foreman leans on the ropes to get back to the neutral corner and Ali said: “I’ve got him. No stamina. No stamina.”

The day we were leaving for the fight, Ali had great respect for Cus D’Amato, who was one of the great trainers in the history of boxing, and Cus had a saying about fear. “Fear is like fire, where it can cook your food or burn your house down, you’ve got control it,” so Cus is telling Ali on the phone, “Remember, your first punch has to be with devastating tenacity.” And he said to Cus, “Look what Foreman did to Frazier, though.” And Cus yelled at him. You could hear Cus all the way from his home in New York to Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, without the phone: “But that [Frazier]’s not Ali.”

If you watch the fight, you’ll see George come out and Ali hit him with a left jab and a right hand. And Ali abuses him. He abuses him for so much of the fight. But I’m getting ahead of us.

When George Foreman was training for the fight in Zaire, he got a cut on his eye. So I told Mobutu’s right-hand man, “Take their passports.” George didn’t want that, but Dick Saddler [Foreman’s trainer] handled all the passports. Now, if they would have left Zaire there would have been no fight. They could have flown to England. You didn’t need a passport at that time, and they could have gone to the American Embassy and got passports [to fly back to the US], so without me that fight might not have even came off.

When we’re in Zaire, we had 22 people travelling with us. Nixon was the President at the time.

Ali was a very religious man and he looked out for me in Zaire and he said: “All I had to do was rest, rest and request. I’ve nobody pulling on me, they can’t get to me here,” and then Kirk Kerkorian, who I worked for, he owned MGM, he would send us movies over, and every night we would watch the latest movies and all Ali had to do was relax and enjoy himself and he said if the fight wasn’t in Zaire, he might have lost it.

I went into the dressing room when they were taping Foreman’s hands and Dick Saddler was there, and Foreman said he didn’t want to be there and Ali said, “What’s he sayin’? And I said, “He’s talking about putting your kids in an orphanage.” And he said: “I can’t wait to get him.”

In the movie [about the fight], they had a scene where everyone was scared [in Ali’s locker room]. That didn’t happen. Ali couldn’t wait to get him in the ring. And Ali abused him in the ring. You’ve gotta remember, in the ’68 Olympics you had black athletes raising their fists [in a display of racial pride] and George Foreman was waving a little flag, after he won the Olympics, Ali called him Uncle Tom and abused him. No one talked to Foreman like that. He terrorised everybody. Because of the location. Because of Cus D’Amato. Everything worked out great. 

There were 2,000 people outside the stadium that night before the fight and I told Mobutu’s assistant – Mobutu didn’t go to the fight – everybody loved Ali, and I brought back the assistant and Ali told him: “If you don’t let them in the fight, I’m not gonna fight.” You can’t sell another ticket. So he opened the gates and all those people came into the fight, and during the fight, you could hear the chanting, “Ali Bomb-aye, Ali Bomb-aye,” and that affected George Foreman a lot. He wanted to be loved, and they were yellin’ “Ali kill him.” 

You’ve got to remember, Foreman was so big and strong. Foreman looked so big and muscular compared to Ali, but Ali’s chest was just as big as George’s, his thigh measurement, his forearms, his arms, but George was more muscular.

Ali had no fear. Elijah Muhammad would call him before every fight and say: “Allah is in your corner, how are you going to lose?” And that was his booster rocket.

There was no one closer to Muhammad Ali than Gene Kilroy and his brother Rahman, now Rahman and I are the only ones left. Ali believed in it. “He [Foreman] doesn’t have Allah, I have Allah.”

The rope-a-dope was all Ali’s idea. He’d lean on the ropes and let George throw wild punches. The will will determine the skill and Ali was askin’ him: “Is that all you have, George?” And then in that eighth round, when Ali hit him with the jab and then the right hand, George went into that spin and after the fight I said to Ali, “You could have hit him on the way down,” he said, “He had enough.” I said, “If that had been George, he’d have kicked you.” Then George complained the ropes were too loose, the matt was too soft, his corner traded him in, but because of that fight, George Foreman got a lot of humility. It changed his whole attitude in life. He was a mean guy, didn’t want to talk to people and after that he found God and became very religious. And he became a big success, because of the humility he learnt from Muhammad Ali. 

Right after the fight there was a typhoon. All the rain came down at about 3 o’clock in the morning before we went back, but the weather had been nice, the people had been nice. It couldn’t have been laid out better. If a great artist was working, he’d have to have the right canvas, the right paint, the right environment, and that’s what it was for Ali. If that fight would have been somewhere else, he might not have been victorious. He was always so accessible, it was a blessing and he said, “I’m here, no one can bother me.”

One hundred per cent it was the highpoint of Ali’s career. Ten years later he was back [after beating Liston]. For Ali against Liston, you didn’t have that much media at that time, you didn’t run in to people who had seen the Liston fights, everyone saw the Foreman fight. You didn’t have the media as it was at that time. This was the biggest sporting event in history. Nothing was as big, and nothing will ever be bigger. This was as big as the Olympics. Even today, people don’t know who the heavyweight champion is. Nobody cares. Go to a store, ask them if they know who the heavyweight champ is, then ask them about Ali and they’ll all tell you. 

Right after the fight, I pleaded with him to retire. The honorable Elijah Muhammad, the religious leader, wanted him to retire, and here he was offered Joe Bugner for $3m and he said, “I might not hire Joe Bugner as a sparring partner and I’m getting $3m?”

Ali-Foreman was a remarkable fight. If that fight was today, each fighter would receive maybe $200m. It was the most spectacular thing on planet earth. Everywhere I go, people tell me, “I remember that fight. I was just a kid.”

Undefeated Las Vegas lightweight Kaipo Gallegos takes on Tampa’s Iron Alvarez in Orlando on Friday.

Gallegos is 6-0-1 (5 KOs), and Alvarez is 15-2 with 11 stoppage wins. They will fight over eight rounds as the co-main event at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando with the DAZN headliner seeing junior welterweight Jamaine Ortiz, 17-2-1 (8 KOs) up against Christian Rubio Mino, who is 24-9-2 (17 KOs).

Gallegos, only 18, is promoted by Boxlab Promotions and Shuan Boxing, and believes he is facing his toughest task to date. 

“Training camp has been tremendous,” said Gallegos. “I’ve put in the work with my team, fine-tuning my skills and making sure I’m peaking at the right time. I feel strong, sharp, and confident heading into this fight. This is definitely the toughest fight of my career. Alvarez is a talented fighter with a lot of power, but I’m ready for this moment. I’m prepared to dig deep and leave everything in the ring to win this title. It’ll show that I belong with the best young fighters in my weight class and lead to even bigger fights. I want to prove to the world that I’m the next great fighter to come out of Las Vegas.”

Amaury Piedra, president of Boxlab Promotions, said of the teenager, “Kaipo has all the tools to be one of the best lightweight prospects in boxing. A victory over a tough and experienced opponent like Alvarez would be a huge boost for his career. We’re excited about his future and confident that he’s ready to take this next step.”

Trainer Mark DeLuca sees junior lightweight Abraham Nova’s upcoming fight against Humberto Galindo as pivotal. More is on the line than just a victory at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York. 

To prepare, DeLuca shook up the camp by having Nova train alongside title contender Jamaine Ortiz, who fights Friday, and Ortiz’s coach, the Cuban trainer Lester Diaz, in hopes of pushing Nova to his best.

Now 30, Nova, 23-3 (16 KOs), faces a career crossroads following two tough losses, including a disputed decision to Andres Cortes and a split-decision defeat to former champion O’Shaquie Foster in January. For Nova, Saturday is a test that could permanently alter the direction of his career.

DeLuca’s collaborative approach in camp provided both Nova and Ortiz with intense sparring and fresh perspectives.

“It’s tough, you know? Abraham’s coming back, and I have style, every coach has a style and Abraham is coming back and he is knowing what is going to happen,” DeLuca said. “So bringing in Ortiz and his coach just threw a bit of a monkey wrench into things—in a good way. It keeps things from getting redundant, and hearing the same thing from a different voice always hits differently.”

In fact, DeLuca says Nova found it refreshing when Diaz would echo DeLuca’s advice, like reminding him to work the jab. “Abraham and I laugh a couple times that Jamaine’s trainer would say the exact same thing I said,” DeLuca said. “And Abraham would be like, ‘Did you hear what he said? He said to jab more.’ 

“It's good, because when he trains with other trainers or other teams it gives him a little confidence, being like, alright, they're seeing the same shit Mark is seeing. So that's good and maybe they see some shit I don't see. And so it was just good training with him.”

Nova’s opponent, Galindo, 14-3-2 (11 KOs), hails from Tijuana, Mexico, and has a reputation as a tough competitor. Known for dropping lightweight contender Raymond Muratalla in March 2023 before succumbing to a stoppage in the later rounds, the 24-year-old represents a stern test before a big opportunity. DeLuca, however, has a measured take on the opponent.

“There’s nothing too flashy about him, nothing outstanding, but he’s definitely coming to fight,” DeLuca said. “Abraham has to be the best version of himself to beat this kid.”

For DeLuca, all that preparation comes down to one thing: keeping Nova controlled without losing his aggressive edge.

Pick It: Robson Conceicao vs. O’Shaquie Foster II

When to Watch: Saturday, November 2. 

The preliminary broadcast begins at 5:50 p.m. Eastern Time (9:50 p.m. GMT). 

According to a Top Rank spokesman, the co-featured bout (Raymond Muratalla vs. Jesus Perez) is expected to begin around 10 p.m. Eastern Time (2 a.m. GMT).

How to watch: ESPN+

Why to Watch: Foster feels he was robbed on the scorecards — and therefore robbed of his world title — when he and Conceicao first met nearly four months ago in New Jersey. He’s looking to right a wrong.

Meanwhile, Foster was 109 of 435 in total (25.1%), including 51 of 263 with jabs (19.4%) and 58 of 172 with power shots (33.7%).

Except the judges apparently favored activity over accuracy, aggression over defense. Conceicao got the split decision. Two judges gave the nod to Conceicao 116-112 and 115-113, while the other arbiter saw things for Foster by a 116-112 margin.

Close fights on the scorecards became a theme as the 31-year-old from Texas made his defenses. Foster was far behind on the cards before stopping Eduardo Hernandez with mere seconds to go in the 12th round of their fight in October 2023. And he similarly scored a pivotal knockdown in the 12th round of his February defense against Abraham Nova, picking up a split decision win.

Conceicao (19-2-1, 9 KOs) feels he was himself deprived of victory by judges in two of his title shots. The 2016 Olympic lightweight gold medalist dropped a decision to Oscar Valdez in 2021 and had to settle for a draw against Emanuel Navarrete in November 2023. (A decision loss to Shakur Stevenson in 2022 was without dispute.)

Conceicao, who hails from Salvador, Brazil, is now 36 years old. He may only have a few good years left in the sport. Retaining this world title would help him maximize whatever time is left.

The victor may move toward a fight with the winner of another rematch, December’s fight between Navarrete (the WBO titleholder) and Valdez. Foster has also exchanged words with WBA titleholder Lamont Roach Jnr, though Roach is expected to challenge lightweight titleholder Gervonta Davis next.

As for the undercard at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York:

Abraham Nova vs. Humberto Galindo: Nova has lost both of his fights in 2024 so far, dropping a split decision in a title bout with O’Shaquie Foster in February and a unanimous decision to Andres Cortes in June. The 30-year-old, who was born in Puerto Rico and now lives in Albany, New York, is 23-3 (16 KOs). His other defeat came via fifth-round knockout against Robeisy Ramirez in 2022.

Galindo is a 24-year-old born in West Covina, California, and living in Tijuana. He is 14-3-2 (11 KOs) and has gone 1-3-1 in his last five fights, with his three most recent appearances bringing a unanimous decision loss to Artem Harutyunyan in 2022, a ninth-round knockout loss to the aforementioned Muratalla in March 2023, and a draw with the 25-13 Oscar Bravo in October 2023. This will be Galindo’s first fight in more than a year.

The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (midnight GMT).

There are two fights featuring 108- and 112-pound contenders at the Coliseo Alcalde Marcelo Trujillo Panisse in Humacao, Puerto Rico.

At junior flyweight is a fight between Santiago and Villar.

Camacho (17-1, 8 KOs) is a 28-year-old living in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico. In his last three appearances, Camacho outpointed former contender Carlos Buitrago, took out the 17-3-2 Jorge Orozco in one round and outpointed the 27-12-4 Josue Morales.

Friday, November 1: Jamaine Ortiz vs. Cristian Ruben Mino (DAZN)

The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (midnight GMT).

Ortiz (17-2-1, 8 KOs) has come up short on the scorecards against two big names, dropping decisions to Vasiliy Lomachenko at lightweight in 2022 and against junior welterweight titleholder Teofimo Lopez in February. If the 28-year-old from Worcester, Massachusetts, is going to be in the mix in the packed 140-pound division, then he will need to put together a series of victories.

Friday, November 1: Padraig McCrory vs. Leonard Carrillo (ProBoxTV.com)

The broadcast begins at 2 p.m. Eastern Time (6 p.m. GMT).

McCrory (18-1, 9 KOs) has competed over the years at both super middleweight and light heavyweight. He’s returning to 175 for his first appearance since his first loss, when he was knocked out in six rounds by Edgar Berlanga in February. The 36-year-old hails from Belfast, Northern Ireland, and will be performing in front of his home crowd at the SSE Arena.

Friday, November 1: Tahmir Smalls vs. Seantorious Martin (DAZN)

The broadcast begins at 7:15 p.m. Eastern Time (11:15 p.m. GMT).

These two unbeaten junior middleweights will face off in the main event at the Red Owl Boxing Club in Houston.

Smalls (11-0, 8 KOs) is a 25-year-old from Philadelphia. He’s won five straight by knockout, all in the first round, including a 30-second victory in February over the 22-12 Bruno Leonardo Romay.

Friday, November 1: Josniel Castro vs. Denzel Whitley (BXNG TV)

The broadcast begins at 7 p.m. Eastern Time (11 p.m. GMT).

This is a junior middleweight fight headlining at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Whitley (14-0, 8 KOs) is a 26-year-old from Holyoke, Massachusetts. In his last two appearances, he took a split decision over the 7-0-1 Kenny Larson and took out the 3-6 Joe Wilson Jnr in two rounds.

Saturday, November 2: Floyd Schofield vs. Rene Tellez Giron (DAZN)

The main broadcast begins at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (midnight GMT). A preliminary broadcast begins at 6 p.m. Eastern Time (10 p.m. GMT).

Schofield (17-0, 12 KOs) is a 22-year-old lightweight prospect who is four years into his pro career and is continuing to develop. In March, the Texan defeated the 13-1 Esteuri Suero via fifth-round disqualification after a series of fouls.

Giron’s three defeats came against a pair of then-undefeated prospects in Michel Rivera (UD8 in 2019) and Giovanni Cabrera (UD8 in 2022), and against the 26-3 Jose Matias Romero (MD10 in 2023).

This show at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas featured a pair of undercard bouts worth mentioning — including a fight for the undisputed women’s flyweight championship.

That contest is between Gabriela Celeste Alaniz (WBA, WBC and WBO) and Gabriela Fundora IBF).

Saturday, November 2: Liam Davies vs. Shabaz Masoud (TNT Sports 2)

The broadcast begins at 7 p.m. GMT.

Davies (16-0, 8 KOs) is a junior featherweight contender who wants to be in with the big names in the division, including undisputed champion Naoya Inoue. But for the nearer future, the 28-year-old from Donnington, England, is eyeing fights with the likes of countryman Dennis McCann , among other opponents. 

Davies has scored three straight victories by stoppage, defeating the 32-6 Jason Cunningham in one round, the 13-0 Vincenzo La Femina in five, and the 15-1 Erik Robles Ayala in two.

On the undercard at Resorts World in Birmingham, England: 

Former undisputed women’s junior welterweight champion Chantelle Cameron (19-1, 8 KOs) will fight for the second time since her loss to Katie Taylor in their November 2023 rematch. The 33-year-old from Northampton returned in July, taking a majority decision over Elhem Mekhaled to pick up the interim WBC belt — and a potential shot at the winner of another rematch, this one between Taylor and Amanda Serrano on November 15.

David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2 and @UnitedBoxingPod . He is the co-host of the United Boxing Podcast . David’s book, “ Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing ,” is available on Amazon.

Oleksandr Usyk—who recently arrived at the press conference for his rematch with Tyson Fury dressed as Agent 47 from the film Hitman , then convinced Fury to sign a photo in which Usyk had clocked him in the head—is on top of the world. He’s the lineal heavyweight champion and was undisputed before the IBF IBF-ed their title away from him. He is the most popular choice for pound-for-pound number one. I would even wager that as things stand today, he has the best resume of any active boxer alive. Following his brilliant, narrow split-decision win over Fury in May, at 37 years old, Usyk launched himself into boxing history, reaping the rewards for his years of toil.

Usyk needed some help to reach the summit of the sport, though. Not from judges, who have awarded him narrow decisions, but never unpopular ones. Not from opponents in the ring, who almost always fight him tough. Perhaps from referee Luis Pabon in the Daniel Dubois fight. 

But I’m primarily thinking of an opponent’s actions outside the ring. Namely, a much bigger star than Usyk, who he nonetheless beat twice: Anthony Joshua. 

It’s easy to forget, following his recent pummeling at the hands of Dubois, that AJ was once the axis around which the heavyweight division revolved. In 2021, he was the WBO, IBF, and IBO champ. He had adjusted his style to avenge his loss to Andy Ruiz, he was being primed for a gigantic fight against Fury that would surely make the both men richer than Britain itself, and alongside Canelo Alvarez, he commanded more attention than any other boxer. 

Joshua, in 2021, had little reason to fight his WBO mandatory in Usyk, who had been campaigning at cruiserweight three short years earlier. Usyk was clearly a nightmare opponent, even if skeptics that he could match the best big men in the world were still aplenty. It didn’t take a genius to know that Usyk’s quickness and superior skillset could prove Joshua’s undoing. And Usyk did not have enough fame to power intense public demand for the fight, or a payday that would justify the risk to everybody.

Joshua could have ducked Usyk. Few but hardcore boxing fans would have faulted him for it. His WBO title meant nothing to the gargantuan bottom line a Fury bout would produce. As the money man, Joshua could have forced Usyk to fight a second-tier contender, while he himself kept busy with whoever he wanted. 

But Joshua has rarely shied from a challenge and took on the smaller, craftier man. He lost twice, elevating Usyk’s heavyweight resume and legacy in the process to the point that everybody wanted to see him fight Fury for the undisputed crown. Usyk himself has shown gratitude to Joshua for this, so much so that before AJ fell beneath Dubois’s thundering fists, Usyk was willing to fight him a third time , despite neither of their first two bouts being controversial. 

What if Joshua had indeed avoided Usyk? AJ and Fury might have gone on to have a trilogy, while Usyk waited in the wings, spending the final few years of his prime beating lesser opponents. By the time he got his shot at one of the two British big men, Usyk might have been something of a spent force. Even if he managed to win a heavyweight title in this alternate universe, he may not have had enough prime years left to collect them all. He would fall short of his undisputed dream at heavyweight not because of his skills, but because he was not given the chance by others.

Luckily for Usyk, and boxing fans, Joshua stepped right to him. But not every great fighter is so lucky. Marvin Hagler didn’t get the marquee fights he craved until the tail end of his career, and having noticeably lost a step, suffered defeat in the biggest of them all against “Sugar” Ray Leonard. Gennadiy Golovkin had to wait a year and a half for Canelo to fight him, at which point he too had begun to decline. David Benavidez jumped to light heavyweight when Canelo wouldn’t fight him. And Jaron “Boots” Ennis, now 27 years old, is being cornered into a rematch with a fighter he shut out nearly two years ago in part because he can’t get a fight with a big name. 

It seems clear that boxers need to fight stars to reach that point themselves. Chavez-De La Hoya, De La Hoya-Mayweather, Mayweather-Canelo, the glimmer of fame passes through generations like the lines in a family tree.

This system is wonderful for the superstars. But when big names aren’t so willing to play ball with their top contenders, fighters who had the skill to become all-time-greats are sometimes forced to watch their careers wither. Just imagine if Errol Spence never fought Terence Crawford—boxing would never know quite how good Crawford was. He’d have had to listen to endless arguments that his resume was thin, that he’d never proven his mettle against the best, all the while knowing that none of it was his fault. (Crawford, of course, is electing not to fight Ennis, which would solve the same dilemma for the younger man.)

Boxing might benefit financially from its star economy, but the quality of the product suffers. Star power does not equate to superior skill all the time, so the best fighters are sometimes still regarded as less important than the most famous. Not only that, but there is no set formula to become a star. Sometimes the characteristics that make a star are laughably fickle, like someone’s looks or their hair color, and sometimes only a unique blend of qualities is enough. And boxers trying to pursue elusive, undefinable traits because simply being great at boxing isn’t enough to endear them to the public is a futile strategy. 

Take Mayweather, for example, whose blueprint several active fighters are clearly trying to emulate. In the latter half of his career, he exploded into superstardom precisely because he did not give the public what they wanted. His behavior outside the ring was abominable. His fights were not always entertaining—he rarely fought who people wanted him to and he would not pursue knockouts even when he had his opponents figured out. People wanted him to go for the KO, to risk getting KO’d, to lose. He never did, so fans…bought his fights in gargantuan numbers. 

Doesn’t make much sense, does it? Mayweather also happened to be the best fighter in the world when he was the biggest star, but that’s rarely the case for pound-for-pound kings. Usyk is not the biggest star right now. Nor was Crawford when he annihilated Spence last year. Naoya Inoue is closer, possessing a blend of such potent skill and fan-friendliness that even casual boxing fans can’t resist him. But currently it’s Canelo and Gervonta “Tank” Davis who probably command the most attention from the boxing world, and neither of them have been remotely as impressive as the aforementioned trio lately. 

All sports have their stars who make more than everybody else, but in most of them, the game itself operates free of bias. In tennis, the world No. 12 might make more than the No. 5 off the court, but if they meet in a tournament, they still have to play each other, and the No. 5 will probably be favored to win. Team sports have set schedules. Even MMA—which has problems of its own, to be clear, including fighter pay—makes it difficult for a fighter to duck their primary challengers. Boxing’s structure is comparatively comical, and this is all before getting into the A-side bias that seems to pervade numerous championship fights.

Lately, the best really have been fighting the best. Davis has lent his star power to Benavidez for a night ( and might do so again ), and Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and Ennis will tag-team the headline of a card in November. One or two of Benavidez, Rodriguez, and Ennis might ascend to stardom. Despite each clearly being a Hall of Fame talent, it’s unlikely they’ll all wind up as successful as Usyk, or all find an opponent to give them the stardom bump that Usyk got from Joshua. Benavidez and Ennis have already been denied that once. 

That’s boxing for you—a sport in which you can’t fully control your own destiny even if you never lose. 

The topic of boxing briefly arose on what is being called by many the biggest interview of 2024.

So far, more than 30 million have listened to the podcast in which the hosts Joe Rogan interviews the 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump.

In the late 1980s and 1990s, in his tycoon years, Trump would regularly stage big fights in Atlantic City – at the Trump Plaza and at the Trump Taj Mahal.

When he was president, he hosted, among others, Lennox Lewis, Deontay Wilder and Sylvester Stallone at the White House – when he issued a presidential pardon to former heavyweight champion Jack Johnson.

Trump worked with Don King to stage events involving Mike Tyson – notably against Larry Holmes and Michael Spinks, and as recently as September 2021 “hosted” the shocking “no holds barred” bout between the former heavyweight king Evander Holyfield and ex-UFC star Vitor Belfort in Florida.

The boxing part of the Trump-Rogan interview began with Trump and Rogan discussing their mutual appreciation of UFC boss Dana White and Trump asked Rogan: “Can boxing make it?”

Rogan replies: “Yeah. Boxing’s still a great sport. I love boxing.”

Trump replied: “But it seems to be so unimportant now by comparison to UFC, don’t you think?”

“Dana is working with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia – they’re going to start promoting boxing now and with Dana at the helm I think boxing could return,” Rogan added. “Because the thing is, they want to make fights perhaps promoters don’t want to make because they want to protect their fighter; controversial fights where it’s dangerous. You don’t know, this guy could lose. 

“So the Saudis are smart. They just offer a tremendous amount of money and they’re putting together fights no one else could put together. They’re doing that in boxing.”

Trump, who spoke of his enjoyment of 15-round fights singled out James Toney – “he was a real fighter” – for his career accomplishments in rising through the weights, added: “If Dana is involved, they’ll probably make it good.”

Tom Loeffler’s 360 Promotions Hollywood Fight Nights series has announced a middleweight main event on December 13. Sadriddin Akhmedov and Raphael Igbokwe will do battle over 10 rounds at the Chumash Casino Resort. The fight will be broadcast on UFC Fight Pass. 

Undefeated Contender Sadriddin Akhmedov of Almaty, Kazakhstan now residing in Santa Monica, CA and Battle-Tested Veteran Raphael ‘Trouble’ Igbokwe, of Houston, TX set for Friday, December 13 at the beautiful Chumash Casino Resort and broadcast globally on UFC FIGHT PASS, the world’s leading digital subscription service for combat sports.

“We were very impressed by Sadriddin Akhmedov's Hollywood Fight Nights debut on August 31, scoring an impressive first round knockout,” said Loeffler. “Prior to turning professional he was part of the Kazakh National Boxing Team and earned a wealth of accolades as an amateur.”

“Raphael Igbokwe has faced top fighters throughout his career including Serhii Bohachuk and went the distance against Israil Madrimov and will provide a tough challenge for Akhmedov.

“With our previous Hollywood Fight Nights events selling out in advance at Chumash, I strongly encourage fans to purchase tickets before fight week to ensure entry on December 13.”

In his first fight on American soil, the 14-0 (12 KOs) Akhmedov scored a first-round knockout of Antonio Todd on August 31. His amateur success included over 200 wins while competing in numerous national and international tournaments in which he represented Kazakhstan.

Igbokwe, 17-5 (7 KOs), returns to the ring following a unanimous decision victory over previously undefeated Imaud Louis on October 7, 2023 in Houston, Texas. Though his record lacks the shine of Akhmedov’s, he is more battle-tested against elite opponents like Madrimov and Bohachuk, who have respectively challenged Terence Crawford and Vergil Ortiz Jnr. 

Additional fights for the December 13 event will be announced shortly.

In a card streaming on ESPN+ this Wednesday, October 30, light flyweight Rene Santiago will clash with Azael Villar in the 10-round main event. The bout will take place at Coliseo Marcelo Trujillo Panisse in Humacao, Puerto Rico. The card is available on ESPN+ exclusively in the United States. Coverage will begin at 8pm ET/5pm PT.

Santiago, 12-4 (9 KOs), made his pro debut in November 2014. He is coming off a successful 2023, in which he earned a ninth-round TKO against Carlos Ortega and stopped then-unbeaten Kevin Vivas in the 12th round. The 32-year-old just had his first world title opportunity, a unanimous decision loss against Jonathan Gonzalez in March. Villar, 21-3-4 (15 KOs), returns after decisioning Vivas in eight rounds in July.

Earlier bouts on the card include a flyweight matchup between Juan Carlos Camacho, 17-1 (8 KOs) and Jayson Mama, 20-1 with 10 stoppages. The bout is scheduled for 10 rounds.

The 11-0 (8 KOs) Christian Barreto faces off with Miguel Marrero, 10-1-2 (4 KOs) in a six-round lightweight clash.

Lightweight Nicolas Polanco, 22-7-1, (13 KOs) takes on the 23-6-1 (16 KOs) Leonardo Padilla (23-6-1, 16 KOs) in an eight-rounder.

Ohara Davies has revealed that he has had numerous offers to return to the sport after he announced his retirement in the wake of his defeat by Adam Azim earlier in October.

Davies enjoyed a career that spanned over 10 years before deciding that his fight with Azim on October 19 at London’s Copper Box Arena would be his last. Davies boxed some of the UK’s and the 140lb division’s finest fighters, and also lost to both Jack Catterall and Josh Taylor.

The 32 year old explained that he had fallen out of love with the sport. He was ridiculed for a first-round stoppage defeat by the ageing Ismael Barroso earlier in 2024, which left a bad taste in his mouth. 

His age has contributed to attempts to get him to reverse his decision, but he insists he’s not tempted to do so. 

“It feels like a big weight off my shoulders,” Davies told BoxingScene. “But a lot of people are asking me to come back. I’m still physically good; I’m still not old. I’m only 32 years of age and I’ve still got half-decent money to make. I’ve only lost against the best fighters; many people are asking me to come back, but I’m happy with my choice. 

“I’m happily retired, and I’ll find something new to do. Maybe it will be something around the boxing industry. I still love boxing – it's what I’ve been doing my whole life – it's all I know. Maybe there is some other avenue in boxing – in management – I don’t know. There’s something else in boxing for me to get into, but in terms of the fighting side of it – I think that’s done.

“Money is always the tempting thing. But I'm happy; I’m thankful; I'm grateful. I don’t want to be too greedy because when you start to get too greedy in life that’s when things start to go wrong. I’ve just got to be happy with what I've got now; with the little I've got now. Stick to my choice – I'm done.”

Davies made his first public appearance, since his decision to retire, at the Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury II launch press conference. He explained that his retirement meant that he was enjoying being around the sport without the pressure of fighting.

“I love being at the boxing events like this,” he said. “What I’ve noticed is here, the first time being at a conference that I’m not fighting on, and I love the conference. If I were to fight on the show, I wouldn’t love it. 

“Every time I go to the conferences for my own show, I hate it – I’d rather be at home. But being here and watching other people fight, I actually love it; I love the atmosphere; the people; it’s amazing. So, this might give me the spark back, but at the same time, I’m 32 years of age – I’m done.”

We have become accustomed to Turki Alalshikh changing the sport of boxing.

However, after Manchester United’s dismissal of Erik Ten Hag today, His Excellency has decided to voice his own opinion.

Over the past few years, Alalshikh has completely changed the game when it comes to boxing.

For many years boxing fans have bemoaned the fact that big fights were hardly being made.

This was because of ‘boxing politics’, put simply – promoters refusing to work together.

Despite this, Alalshikh has focused on purely making the best possible fights.

It is just over two weeks ago since Alalshikh and Riyadh Season hosted the first ever undisputed light-heavyweight fight since Roy Jones Jr and Reggie Johnson’s in 1999.

Moreover, on December 21st, Tyson Fury will rematch Oleksandr Usyk after their epic battle in May.

Furthermore, just this week Vergil Ortiz and Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez have been rumoured to be lined up against Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez respectively, for a February 2025 Riyadh Season card.

As a result of the huge sums of money Alalshikh has provided, these fights have become possible and notably, it has become impossible for promoters to turn down the opportunity to work together.Matchroom confirms card for Monaco show

After never even talking to one other for many years, UK promoters of Matchroom and Queensbury respectively, Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren, are now almost pally with one another.

However, Boxxers’ Ben Shalom has struggled to form the same relationships with his rivals and arguably any relationship which was there has gotten worse.

Despite all of this, today Alalshikh turned his attention away from boxing, to make his opinion known on the sacking of Manchester United’s manager Erik Ten Hag.

On his Twitter / X account, he wrote “Thank God finally.”

This suggests that he could not be happier with the removal of one of the biggest football clubs in the world’s manager.

Moving forward, it will be interesting to see his reaction to the appointment of the next Manchester United manager.

Alalshikh and Riyadh season return on November 16th when Chris Billam-Smith and Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez headline another stacked card.الحمدالله واخيراً👏🏻

— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) October 28, 2024

The highly anticipated IBF heavyweight title eliminator between Martin Bakole and Agit Kabayel is heading for a purse bid, scheduled for November. In early October, the IBF decided to mandate a final eliminator in the heavyweight division, with the winner earning a chance to challenge IBF world champion Daniel Dubois.

So far, Bakole and Kabayel have not been able to reach an agreement on the fight terms. In response, the IBF has scheduled a purse bid hearing to be held on Monday, November 5, inviting all IBF-registered promoters to submit their bids. The minimum bid required for participation is $200,000.

It’s worth noting that the two camps may still come to an agreement before the purse bid. Under IBF rules, negotiations can continue up to 15 minutes before the bids are disclosed. Given that both fighters recently participated in events promoted by Saudi Arabia’s “Riyadh Season,” this agreement remains a possibility.

Martin Bakole holds a record of 21 wins, 16 by knockout, and just one loss. His most recent bout was against Jared Anderson on August 3, 2024, in Los Angeles, United States, where he won by a fifth-round knockout.

On the other hand, former European champion Agit Kabayel has an undefeated record of 25 wins. His last fight was against Frank Sánchez on May 18, 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he achieved a knockout victory in the seventh round.

The purse bid scheduled for November 5 is generating considerable anticipation within the boxing world. All eyes are on Martin Bakole and Agit Kabayel, as the outcome will determine who becomes the mandatory challenger for IBF champion Daniel Dubois.

Elijah Garcia, a 21-year-old middleweight contender, is moving his training camp from Arizona to Las Vegas under the guidance of veteran trainer Bob Santos. 

After his split-decision upset loss to Kyrone Davis in June on the Gervonta Davis-Frank Martin undercard, the move marks the next step forward in his career.

George Garcia Jnr, Elijah's father, previously led his 16-1 (13 KOs) son’s camps and will remain involved. Santos now adds his experience to the corner, offering insights he once shared with former titleholder Robert Guerrero, who, according to Santos, shares similarities in mentality and determination with Garcia. Garcia believes Santos’ involvement strengthens his corner. 

“His style and my style add up really good,” Garcia told BoxingScene. “He brings the experience to the corner that I didn’t have. There’s no style change; we’re just adding to it.”

Reflecting on his loss to Davis, Garcia remains confident. “If you’re off the hype train, stay off, because we’re coming to win titles,” Garcia said. “I really hope people look at my last fight and they think I'm as bad as they think I am, because that was not me, and adding Bob to the corner is going to make me 100 times better. We're going to take over the 160 division, no two ways about it, that is what Bob says.”

Santos sees Guerrero in Garcia’s determination, especially given Garcia’s willingness to take on tough fights at a young age. 

“They have the same mentality,” Santos told BoxingScene of Garcia. “Elijah’s already been in solid fights for someone only 21. Robert Guerrero did the same thing early on. And that’s why Elijah reminds me a lot of Robert Guerrero. I think there’s a lot of that I can bring to the table to help him reach that next level.”

Santos, experienced with father-son partnerships from his time with Guerrero and current WBC welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios, sees Garcia’s dedication as a positive sign. “The majority of his career was done in Arizona, where he’s from,” Santos said. “You can't buy experience. Fortunately, I've been at a championship level for a long, long time, and I think I can use that experience to help guide the corner.”

Currently, a young British boxer has set his sights on a high-profile fight against Olympic medalist Frazer Clarke. Clarke, who won the bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, recently suffered an injury that will keep him out of the ring temporarily. Clarke was defeated by Fabio Wardley in a rematch on October 12.

However, 25-year-old Johnny Fisher, who holds a perfect record of 12 wins, 11 of them by knockout, dreams of claiming the British heavyweight title and facing Frazer Clarke. It is worth mentioning that Fisher’s next fight will be against Dave Allen on the undercard of the highly anticipated bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury on December 21, where he hopes to impress once again.

Despite his upcoming fight, Fisher has not lost sight of a potential matchup against Clarke, which he hopes to make happen in 2025. “I’d love to win the British title. That’s just my dream,” declared the young boxer, expressing his desire for the British title fight to be a memorable occasion. Fisher believes that a fight against Clarke, 33, would be the perfect challenge for that goal.

During his recent rematch against Fabio Wardley, Clarke was defeated and sustained an injury that will keep him out of action for a while. After a blow in the first round, Clarke suffered a broken jaw and had to undergo surgery. Fisher expressed his respect and concern for Frazer Clarke’s health, wishing him a swift recovery.

“I will caveat that by saying I hope Frazer is okay and healing up well, because I was quite worried for him after that knockout”.

“I’ve got huge respect for Frazer, he has competed at a level I could only dream of in terms of his amateur pedigree,” Fisher said, referring to Clarke’s experience in amateur boxing.The “Romford Bull” also emphasized that his respect for Frazer Clarke would not lessen his desire to face him.

“That would be a massive fight,” said Fisher, although he clarifies that he doesn’t usually throw out names lightly. He adds that, if the timing is right and both are in agreement, he wouldn’t hesitate to take the fight. Fisher values professionalism and assures that, even though he considers Clarke and Allen friends, competition will always prevail when he steps into the ring.Regis Prograis hints at shock career change

Since his professional debut in February 2021, Fisher has gained a strong fan base in the United Kingdom, who even traveled with him to Las Vegas for his fight against Dmytro Bezus in February this year. Fisher expressed his gratitude towards his fans, who support him despite the economic crisis. “I can only be grateful for that,” said the boxer, pledging to reward his audience’s support with good performances in the ring.

Fisher highlighted the importance of showing authenticity and charisma, values that he believes have contributed to his popularity. He noted a friendly, united atmosphere among his fans, something he appreciates and hopes to maintain in the future.

“People love their football teams, and we’ve sort of created a football environment but with our football team you’ve got Millwall fans and West Ham fans together, you’ve got Man Utd and Man City fans with each other,” said Fisher.

Being a big football and rugby fan, Fisher

Johnny Fisher will continue his career with the support of his fans as he heads toward the British title. While he wishes Frazer Clarke a speedy recovery, he also envisions a potential showdown between the two in 2025.

The junior-middleweight prospect Junaid Bostan believes that his experience of sparring Caleb Plant and Curmel Moton has strengthened his confidence in his abilities.

Bostan recorded the 10th win and eighth stoppage of his career on Saturday on the undercard of Jack Catterall-Regis Prograis at the Co-op Live in Manchester. He impressed many with his performance, and produced an eye-catching finish by stopping Maico Sommariva with a left hand to the body. 

Bostan was happy with his showing on but insisted that he hadn’t been working on the shot that finished Sommariva so impressively.

“But I knew that shot would come off,” he told BoxingScene. “I work on things to set up the shots – not necessarily the shot if that makes sense. Knowing when to do certain things; knowing when to switch. I found it natural to switch southpaw in the second and found it worked better than orthodox – not that orthodox wasn’t working. 

“I was keeping on my jab in orthodox, but the power shots weren’t coming off. I thought, ‘Southpaw is better, it will take away things he does well’. I capitalized on certain things, so all in all, a good performance. I’m happy with the fact I listened; I’ve been doing the things I’ve been working on in the gym. At the end of the day, the opponent wasn’t the best, but the performance was decent.”

As Sommariva was being helped to his feet by his team, Bostan’s trainer Grant Smith ran over to he celebrating Bostan and seemed to say something to halt the celebrations. Bostan, however, was unclear about what Smith said.

“It was a bit of a blur to be honest,” he said. “Probably saying, ‘Calm your ass down.’ That’s probably it, but Grant has got me. Anything he says I’ll take in and listen.”

After the contest Bostan and his fellow 154lbs prospect Ishmael Davis were sat ringside with Eddie Hearn discussing a fight between them. 

“I am not arsed in the slightest,” Bostan said. “Just give me whoever. What is the point in me calling out names? Right now I’ll just do whatever. If my team wants me to fight them, I’ll fight them.”

During Bostan’s preparations for an originally scheduled fight date in September he spent time in the US sparring Plant and Moton. 

“[My manager] wanted me to spend some time out there before the fight in September,” he said. “It was very good experience and they really looked after me. I got valuable rounds and there’s a few lessons that I took from there.”

When asked how much confidence he had taken from sharing the ring with them, Bostan replied: “It solidified more what I already knew.”

Devin Haney has recently hinted at his interest in a fight against Jack Catterall, building anticipation among his fans. On his official X account, Haney mentioned that only Turki Alalshikh, a key figure in organizing major boxing events, could make this fight happen.

Currently, Haney is seeking a comeback fight after facing some ups and downs in his career. After watching Catterall’s recent victory over Regis Prograis, it seems he has found a potential opponent in the British fighter. The fight between Catterall and Prograis, which took place last Saturday in Manchester, England, ended with a unanimous twelve-round decision in favor of Catterall, clearly showcasing his competitive level.

Haney, who now holds the title of “in recess” super lightweight champion, faces a series of challenges since his controversial bout with Ryan Garcia. That fight ended in a majority decision loss, later overturned to a “no contest.” This has allowed him to keep his undefeated record but has also led him to seek a fight that will keep him at the top of boxing and reinforce his legacy.

A fight organized by Turki Alalshikh would bring high financial rewards for Haney, who sees Catterall as a worthy opponent in the super lightweight category. In his recent message on X, Haney commented on his past fight with Prograis, reminding his followers that he achieved a more decisive victory over the same opponent compared to Catterall.

“& I beat him worse than Catterall… Regis just bitter,” Haney wrote, referring to his own performance against Prograis.

Jack Catterall, however, responded respectfully and openly to Haney’s proposal on his X account, expressing his readiness for the fight: “Big respect champ, ready when you are 🤝,” wrote Catterall, leaving the door open for a potential matchup.The conversation continued with Devin Haney issuing a warning:

“Be careful what u ask for…” and added, “Only one person could make the fight with @jack_catt93 & that’s @Turki_alalshikh 😅,” again mentioning Alalshikh as a possible promoter for the fight.

Although the exchanges between the two fighters have sparked public interest, many fans on social media believe the fight could be scheduled without Alalshikh’s involvement. There is also speculation about whether this fight would be the best scenario for both fighters. Some consider other matchups, either in Riyadh or other major events, could have a bigger impact on their respective careers.

The potential for this fight will depend on whether Alalshikh is willing to support it, and if Devin Haney and Jack Catterall can reach a favorable agreement that garners enough interest.Eddie Hearn anticipates Jack Catterall’s next challengeBig respect champ ready when you are 🤝 https://t.co/f55jUxiyaD

— Jack Catterall (@jack_catt93) October 26, 2024

Be careful what u ask for.. https://t.co/SMu79cheI0

— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) October 28, 2024

Only one person could make the fight with @jack_catt93 & that’s @Turki_alalshikh 😅

— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) October 28, 2024

The IBF have ordered purse bids for Martin Bakole-Agit Kabayel for November 5, BoxingScene understands.

Bakole and Kabayel will contest the status of mandatory challenger to the heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois. 

Germany’s Kabayel, 32, defeated Frank Sanchez in May on the undercard of Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

Three months later in Los Angeles, Bakole, of the Democratic Republic of Congo and 32 years old, transformed his career by stopping Jared Anderson on the undercard of Ismail Madrimov-Terence Crawford.

Dubois then stopped Anthony Joshua in September, to make the first defence of his title – Kabayel-Sanchez, Madrimov-Crawford and Dubois-Joshua were all on Riyadh Season promotions – and had been expected to fight Joshua again, but most recently Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn insisted it is likelier that he will instead pursue a long sough-after contest with Tyson Fury.

“Be advised that the number-four rated Agit Kabayel and number-five rated Martin Bakole are the two highest-ranked available contenders in the IBF heavyweight division,” read a statement from the IBF earlier in October.

“In an effort to determine who the mandatory challenger will be, the IBF is ordering an elimination bout between Agit Kabayel and Martin Bakole for the number-one position. The winner will be number one and the mandatory challenger.”

Sitting defiantly in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, Iceland is famous for many things: its spectacular scenery; its Viking history; its volcanic nature; Bjork; knocking England out of the 2016 UEFA European Championships.

It is not, however, widely noted for its boxing scene – unsurprisingly so, given that professional boxing was banned in the country in 1956, remains illegal, and was not exactly at the forefront of the sport globally beforehand. But the Nordic nation boasts precisely one professional male pugilist: heavyweight Kolbeinn Kristinsson, 6’6”, approximately 260 pounds, and with a record of 16-0 (10 KOs). Flying the Icelandic flag in women's boxing is Valgerdur Gudsteinsdottir, who is 7-6 (2 KOs).

Asked how he initially even developed an interest in the sweet science, Kristinsson told BoxingScene that it was just like anybody else: swapping punches for money in Iceland may be illegal, but broadcasting and watching it on TV isn’t, and the 36-year-old recalls watching the rematch between Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield at the age of nine and catching the bug.

“During the Tyson era, the Lennox [Lewis] era, all those guys, there was a lot of boxing on TV,” he explains.

That he was able to develop his interest beyond the televisual was down to the fact that, in 2002, the country opened the door a crack, permitting the establishment of boxing gyms and clubs as well as amateur bouts. 

“Big amateur shows can sell a couple thousand tickets,” he says - no small feat in a nation of just 380,000 inhabitants. 

When Kristinsson was 18 and, he admits, “a bit overweight,” he was talking with a work colleague who was opening a boxing gym.

“And he was like, ‘Hey, you should come try boxing. You got long arms. You can beat somebody up.’ And I showed up on the second day that the gym was open, and was there until it closed during COVID.” 

He started competing in amateur tournaments – winning, he says, maybe 60 percent of the 40 or so bouts in which he participated. Most of them were outside of Iceland, “and I had to pay for the flight ticket, the hotel, everything. So it was a lot of money that went into it, just to maybe fly somewhere and lose.”

In 2014, he was able to turn professional under a license in Sweden, where boxing had also been banned between 1970 and 2007. His first pro fight was a four-round decision over Janis Ginters in the Swedish town of Vasteraas; since then, he has fought three more times in Sweden, eight times in Finland, twice in the United States – including on the undercard of a January 2020 ShoBox card headlined by Shohjahon Ergashev knocking out Adrian Estrella –  and once apiece in Denmark and Austria, the latter of which will be the site of his next fight on December 7.

His first fight in Austria came last September, after not having fought since the previous October. Frustrated at his lack of opportunities, he reached out to Markus Lammi, the manager and matchmaker responsible for securing his bouts in Finland, and asked if he had anything for him.

Lammi found him a spot on a card in Vienna, but there was a catch.

“I had to finance it,” he says. “So I got sponsors to pay for the other guy [Britain’s Michael Bassett, who entered with a 2-10 record and was summarily dispatched in two rounds] and everything. And I’ve been doing that, kind of just paying my way and being my own promoter,” he explains.

It certainly hasn’t been a ticket to riches, and the costs of keeping himself in the game have forced him to adjust his training situation.

After a 2017 fight in Finland proved tougher than it needed to be, Kristinsson figured that something was missing and decided to try out a more experienced coach. He reached out to SugarHill Steward, and caught a flight to Detroit.

The advantage of working with Steward, he says, was not just the coaching skills he brought to the table but also the fact that training in the Motor City fit his budget.

“The flights aren’t expensive and staying in Detroit is really cheap,” he says. Since then, however, Steward has moved to Florida, which is out of Kristinsson’s price range.

“It's super expensive to go there,” he says. “Four weeks is $5,000 to $7,000. So, I’ve just leaned into my original amateur coach, because he’s the most technical coach I’ve ever met in my career.”

The Steward connection proved beneficial when the trainer’s most famous student, Tyson Fury, showed up in Reykjavik, Netflix film crew in tow, on a spontaneous quest to challenge Thor Bjornsson, the giant best known for portraying “The Mountain” on Game of Thrones .

Thornsson wasn’t even in the country at the time, but Kristinsson reached out to Fury, jokingly asking why he was avoiding him and whether he was afraid to fight him.

Fury invited him to dinner, “and when I was there he said, ‘Hey, a friend of mine is training for a fight. We should call him.’ So he called Joseph Parker on video call. He's like, ‘Hey, Joe, I got a guy that can spar you.’ So a week later, I was in Morecambe training with Joe.”

After turning pro at age 26 and fighting just 16 contests in a decade against largely hapless opposition, Kristinsson knows he hasn’t exactly set the world on fire so far. But, he says, sparring with the likes of Parker and Fury – plus several hundred rounds he has amassed over the years working with Robert Helenius – has helped reassure him that he belongs at that level. After his bout on December 7, he hopes to sit down with some British promoters and find some meaningful bouts for 2025. His dream fight for next year, he says, would be against Dillian Whyte. 

Meanwhile, back home in Iceland, he has become something of a star. His quixotic quest was initially dismissed as a bit of a joke; but, he says, as he has progressed, “there is becoming a little bit of hype when I'm in a fight. People go to a certain bar, they have an event and show the fight. And then when I'm in the grocery store, people come up and say, ‘Hey, good fight.’”

His career has also caused something of a boom in interest in boxing in Iceland; there is even a bill to legalize the professional code in the country – although, he says, people in the know have suggested to him there is a “maybe two percent” chance it becomes law.

Of course, the longer the sport remains illegal, the longer Kristinsson is likely to remain Iceland’s greatest ever professional male boxer. 

“Maybe it will be that way forever,” he chuckles. “That would be amazing.”

Kieran Mulvaney has written, broadcast and podcasted about boxing for HBO, Showtime, ESPN and Reuters, among other outlets. He also writes regularly for National Geographic, has written several books on the Arctic and Antarctic, and is at his happiest hanging out with wild polar bears. His website is www.kieranmulvaney.com.

British boxer Tyson Fury is preparing for his rematch against Oleksandr Usyk on December 21 in Saudi Arabia, following a split-decision loss in May. Despite speculations about potential changes in his team, Fury has chosen to keep his main coaches. SugarHill Steward will remain his head coach, with Andy Lee as assistant and his father, John Fury, supporting him in the corner. This team is committed to devising an improved strategy that will allow Fury to redeem himself and become the first fighter to defeat Usyk.

During the first fight, questions arose about the clarity of instructions from Fury’s corner. Andy Lee admitted that “there were probably too many voices,” which may have caused some confusion. This time, Lee has emphasized that SugarHill Steward’s voice will be the primary one to prevent distractions.In a recent interview with Boxing Scene, Lee stated: “‘Suga’ should have been the only voice, and he will be the only voice in the next fight.”

Lee also explained that, although Fury trusts his team, there has been deep reflection on what happened in May. One key factor, Lee mentioned, was a cut Fury sustained before the first fight, which prevented continuous training and limited his preparation.

“When you lose, you’re open to criticism, but it shows Tyson trusts his team – that he doesn’t want to change. A lot of guys would have looked for an excuse – blamed it on the team – but he’s not changing his team,” Lee said.

In the interview, Andy Lee explained that during the first fight, he was informed that Fury was two rounds down, prompting him to intervene. He acknowledges that in a close fight like that, effective communication and quick decisions are vital. For this rematch, his expectation is that the team will be better coordinated and that Fury will maintain optimal physical condition.

For Lee, a solid preparation this time around will be crucial, as he believes Fury can perform better with an uninterrupted camp. He explained that boxing requires a unique, specific fitness level, something Fury didn’t achieve in the previous fight due to his injury. This time, he is confident that Fury will be in better physical shape, positively impacting his performance.

“I want to see Tyson in training – in camp – sparring; going through the rounds; doing 10 rounds regularly in sparring,” said Lee.Andy Lee also commented that, despite the toll of the years, Tyson Fury retains the necessary qualities to face the Ukrainian champion.

“He’s overcome so much that this isn’t even the biggest battle he’s ever faced. He’s probably had harder fights – bigger challenges in boxing, and he’s had much bigger challenges in life – so this will be nothing for him,” added Lee.Canelo Alvarez vs Chris Eubank Jr talks for a potential fight

Andy Lee emphasized that in this rematch, Fury will need to improve in several aspects to counter Usyk’s style. He stressed that Fury must maintain focus and pressure throughout all rounds without taking breaks. “He needs to push Usyk back,” he added. Moreover, Lee is optimistic about Fury’s potential for improvement in this fight, while he believes that Usyk, though he could also improve, won’t do so as significantly.

The rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk promises to be one of the year’s most important boxing events, providing Fury the chance to redeem himself from his previous loss to Usyk. Fury’s story appears to be at a pivotal point where, as his team assures, he can take the next big step to solidify himself as the best heavyweight of the past decade.Tyson Fury’s assistant trainer Andy Lee has said SugarHill Steward will be the only voice in the corner for the Oleksandr Usyk rematch: “There were a lot of voices in the corner – we were in a dire situation, and had to pull him out of it. I was told he was two rounds down so I…

It was recently revealed that negotiations for a possible fight between Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez and British fighter Chris Eubank Jr have resumed. This bout could take place sometime in 2025. Currently, Eubank Jr is targeting high-profile matchups, and Canelo, considered one of the most established champions today, could be a prime candidate.

Eubank Jr is coming off a decisive victory over Kamil Szeremeta following a successful rematch against Liam Smith last year. With this recent win, Eubank Jr reaffirms his desire to face Canelo, whom he considers an ideal opponent in the ring.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Eubank Jr stated, “That fight can absolutely happen within the next year.” The Brit believes Canelo faces a shortage of relevant opponents in his division, noting that the only names of interest, like David Benavidez, Artur Beterbiev, and Dmitry Bivol, aren’t in Alvarez’s natural weight class.

For Eubank Jr, a potential clash with Canelo goes beyond the sport. “Me and Canelo would be a hell of a build-up. Two very different personalities, very different backgrounds. That would be a lot of fun. It will be a lot of fun,” said the Brit. He believes the contrasting personalities of the two boxers would create an exciting rivalry that could attract a massive audience in both the UK and the U.S.

Eubank Jr’s promoter, Ben Shalom, confirmed that preliminary talks with Canelo Alvarez’s team have already resumed. Shalom also highlighted Canelo’s interest in a fight with Eubank Jr, assuring that this bout has the potential to fill Wembley Stadium.

“I think Canelo needs dance partners but he also needs stars. I don’t think his last couple of opponents have been the biggest stars,” Shalom expressed.

The possibility of a fight with Conor Benn is also on Eubank Jr’s radar, though Benn remains under a provisional suspension due to a doping case. “For me, the two fights for me are Canelo and Conor Benn,” said Shalom, noting that Benn’s situation is still an obstacle to be resolved before this option can be seriously considered.Eddie Hearn reflects on Campbell Hatton’s defeat

In his final professional stage, Eubank Jr remains confident in his ability to unsettle his opponents. “Nobody gets under my skin. Everybody has tried, everybody has failed,” the Brit declared. Eubank Jr believes that Canelo Alvarez is uncomfortable with provocative conversations, asserting that he holds an advantage in the mental game leading up to a fight.

Aware of the popularity of the heavyweight division, Eubank Jr aspires to become the leading figure in British boxing, surpassing even icons like Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. “If I do what I am supposed to do and what I am capable of in these next few fights, I absolutely believe there is a strong chance I could become the face of boxing, British boxing especially,” Eubank Jr concluded.

The possibility of a showdown between Canelo Alvarez and Chris Eubank Jr is shaping up as a fight that could define the boxing scene in 2025, potentially elevating the Anglo-Mexican rivalry to new levels of intensity and spectacle.

Additionally, the bout against Eubank Jr’s rival, Conor Benn, is another major fight that could undoubtedly happen in 2025 as well. This matchup holds the potential to make history in boxing and thrill the British public in an ideal venue like the acclaimed Wembley Stadium.‼️ Canelo Alvarez vs Chris Eubank Jr preliminary talks have now restarted for the fight to potentially happen next, Ben Shalom has revealed: “We’ve already started small conversations around the Canelo fight… If he’s ever going to fight in the UK, that’s the fight and that would… pic.twitter.com/c6efHyevz1

— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) October 28, 2024

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Chris Eubank Jnr are again in talks about a potential showdown at Wembley Stadium according to the Englishman’s promoter, Ben Shalom. 

Negotiations between the two parties reached an advanced stage earlier in 2024 regarding a fight in Las Vegas in September, though it’s understood that Alvarez, who instead fought Edgar Berlanga, was open to the possibility of staging an outdoor showdown with Eubank Jnr in the UK on a later date.

“That fight can absolutely happen within the next year,” Eubank told Sky Sports .  “He doesn't have the pool of fighters available – there aren't names left that fight fans want to see.

“After [David] Benavidez, there are no other guys. Maybe [Artur] Beterbiev and [Dmitry] Bivol but they are not in his weight class and he probably wouldn't go up for those guys.”

Eubank campaigns at middleweight, where it was thought that a domestic grudge match with Conor Benn would take place, but the 35 year old – who boxed at super middleweight between 2017 and 2019 – spoke of his problems making 160lbs ahead of his victory on October 12 over Kamil Szeremeta. 

Though Eubank has been criticized for turning his back on the Mexican’s overtures in the summer, his decision was based on him being inactive at the time and the offer not big enough to risk being below par. “I won’t go into a fight just to turn up,” he said at the time. “I want to make sure I give myself the best possible chance of victory.”

“It’s not down to the Canelo side, it’s more Chris – and rightfully so,” Shalom told BoxingScene about those negotiations. Wembley Stadium was mentioned back then but it was an unworkable venue in September due to Daniel Dubois-Anthony Joshua taking place in the same month. The door would reopen once Eubank had shed some ring rust, and Canelo had dealt with Berlanga, who was outpointed over 12 rounds.

Eubank stopped Szeremeta in seven rounds before Benn was invited into the ring for some staged name-calling. Benn, however, remains under provisional suspension in the UK due to an anti-doping violation that prevented the pair from fighting in October 2022. Both Eubank and Shalom would favor a bout with Alvarez over Benn.

“I think Canelo knows that if he’s to box in the UK, which he is attracted to for the sake of his legacy, then Eubank is the only opponent who could generate the sort of numbers that he’d want and the spectacle he’d want,” Shalom said.

The promoter today confirmed to Sky Sports that “small conversations” have begun regarding Canelo-Eubank Jnr. “Obviously that [Canelo fight] was close last time,” Shalom said. “I believe that's a fight that interests Canelo. You can imagine the press conference in the UK and the US – it would be absolutely huge.

“I think Canelo needs dance partners but he also needs stars. I don't think his last couple of opponents have been the biggest stars and Chris Eubank Jr's certainly a big star.

“If he's ever going to fight in the UK, that's the fight and that would sell out Wembley Stadium. That's No. 1 on the list for me.”

Though the contest is a long way from being confirmed, it’s one that Eubank Jnr is now focusing on. 

“Me and Canelo would be a hell of a build-up,” he said. “Two very different personalities; very different backgrounds. That would be a lot of fun. It will be a lot of fun.”