O’Shaquie Foster is gearing up for his rematch against Robson Conceicao on November 2 at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York, following a controversial split decision loss in July that many considered a robbery. Foster (22-3, 12 KOs) expressed disbelief over the decision, noting that he felt he controlled the fight, landing more punches overall (109 of 435) compared to Conceicao (76 of 701).

In an interview with Naji Grampus of Cigar Talk, Foster vowed to take a different approach this time around. “We just gonna turn it up,” he stated. “We gonna keep the defense, keep everything sharp, but we gonna ramp it up. We gonna bring the smoke to him. [...] I’m coming to put on a show.”

The initial bout saw Foster outscore Conceicao in power punches as well (58 of 172 to 49 of 313), yet the scorecards favored Conceicao with two judges scoring it 116-112 and 115-113 in his favor, while the third judge had Foster ahead 116-112. Reflecting on the outcome, Foster admitted it led him to question his own understanding of the sport, stating, “There was no words that I could say. I started questioning, like, ‘Man, do I know boxing?’ because I know this shit was easy as hell.”

Foster, who won the vacant WBC title in February 2023 and successfully defended it against Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez and Abraham Nova, is determined to reclaim his title. “I could do better. I could do more. And that’s what I’m gonna do,” he asserted.

The rematch will be available to stream on ESPN+, and Foster is ready to showcase his skills and reclaim his championship status.

#OShaquieFoster #RobsonConceicao #BoxingNews #WBC #Rematch #TurningStoneCasino #ESPN+

 

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In a decisive rematch, Fabio Wardley swiftly settled his rivalry with Frazer Clarke, knocking him out in the first round on Saturday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This bout came seven months after their previous encounter ended in a split decision draw in London.

Clarke (8-1-1, 6 KOs) began the fight strong, establishing control with a stiff jab. However, the momentum shifted dramatically when Wardley (18-0-1, 17 KOs) landed a powerful right hand to Clarke's temple, leaving him visibly shaken. Clarke attempted to respond aggressively, but as he sought to regain his footing, Wardley capitalized on the moment.

In an exchange near the ropes, Wardley spun out of a clinch, landing a left hook followed by another right hand that sent Clarke back into the corner. A final right hand from Wardley floored Clarke, leaving him draped over the ropes. Referee Victor Laughlin initiated the count, but quickly called off the fight as Clarke struggled to recover. The official stoppage came at 2:28 of the first round.

After the fight, Wardley, 29, reflected on the preparations leading up to the rematch. “I went into that first fight with a lot of background stuff, a lot of things,” he said. “We got them fixed up. We got the game plan right; we put it together; executed on the night. Executed.”

He acknowledged the lessons learned from their first bout, stating, “Sometimes, war is needed, sometimes a little bit of brains is needed. But I took enough assessment from the first fight to know... I had success in that war mode. We just needed to cuten it a little bit... But look, I can't help it. War by name; war by nature.”

Wardley’s promoter, Frank Warren, revealed to DAZN that Clarke suffered a broken cheekbone during the fight.

#FabioWardley #FrazerClarke #HeavyweightBoxing #BoxingNews #Knockout #RiyadhFightNight

Bivol connected on 50% of his power punches, while Beterbiev only landed 29% of his. Bivol landed 33 power punches over the first six rounds while Beterbiev landed 23. Beterbiev turned the tide over the last six rounds by landing 67 power punches to Bivol’s 51. In rounds eleven and twelve Beterbiev landed 29 power punches while Bivol landed 19. The combatants were separated by 4 or less landed punches in 8 of the 12 rounds fought. One judge scored the fight a draw, 114-114. The other two judges scored the fight 115-113 and 116-112 for Beterbiev.

Skye Nicolson is reveling in her victory over Raven Chapman in the first-ever women’s world title match in Saudi Arabia. And the WBC featherweight titleholder has her next opponent in mind.

Nicolson topped Chapman by unanimous decision on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol. The judges saw the fight 99-91 and 98-92 (twice).

“I felt I controlled the fight,” Nicolson, now 12-0 (1 KO), said afterward. “I dictated the pace and my timing was on point. I felt sharp and I beat her to the punch. A big part of my gameplan was offsetting her, feinting and beating her to the punch.”

Nicolson won the world title in April 2023 with a wide decision against Sarah Mahfoud, picking up a belt that had been vacated by Amanda Serrano. Since then, she’s defended it with a shutout of Dyana Vargas and now this victory over Chapman, who fell to 9-1 (2 KOs).

“I’m really excited for what’s to come. There’s barely a scratch on the surface,” Nicolson said. “They [her opponents] keep thinking they’ve cracked the code, but the code seems to remain uncracked.”

Nicolson said that her next opponent “has to be Tiara Brown.” That depends on what happens in Brown’s next fight, which was scheduled to take place hours after Nicolson vs. Chapman wrapped up. 

Brown (17-0, 11 KOs) was scheduled to face Vargas (19-2, 12 KOs) in Philadelphia for the WBC’s interim world title.

Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport, which promotes Nicolson, sees his fighter remaining undefeated.

“I don’t see anyone beating her,” Hearn said. “And now it’s time to capture all the belts. Undisputed awaits.”

The other featherweight titleholders are Nina Meinke (IBF) and Serrano (WBA, WBO), although Serrano last fought in the weight class a year ago and has her rematch with Katie Taylor on November 15 three divisions north for the undisputed junior welterweight championship.

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.

The IBF world cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia, a Sydney southpaw reigning with the title for the second, dismantled poor Jack Massey in the sixth round to defend his crown.

Opetaia dictated terms throughout and when the end came, Massey was under intense pressure and his trainer Joe Gallagher threw the towel in. It was accepted by the referee Steve Gray after two minutes of the round.

Inside the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the undercard of the tantalising light-heavyweight fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol — the latter who Opetaia has been strongly-linked with — the 29-year-old continued his run through British cruiserweight opposition.

Massey, now 22-3 (12 KOs), from Marple, Cheshire, is 31 years old, and had a tough night.

Opetaia, 26-0 (20 KOs), looked to start quickly behind sharp left hands, while Massey threw stubborn rights to the head and body. The Englishman caught an early right hook and the champion tracked him to the corners.

Australia's Opetaia switched his focus to the body in the second, and upped his work-rate. He took a counter right in return, but Opetaia was largely able to avoid what did come back at him.

Massey only rarely threw more than one shot at a time; he covered up but was cut by his left eye early in the fourth round. Massey was also disappointed for getting caught with his hands low near the end of the session.

Opetaia, 29, was unrelenting. He was methodical and building a lead. Massey was now bleeding more heavily and he took a right that forced him to cover. Opetaia poured forwards — a torrent of southpaw leather flowing one way.

Massey was gutsy but it was getting rough in there for him as the fifth ended.

Opetaia looked bright and fresh bounding out for the sixth but there was a weary look to the challenger.  It was getting increasingly brutal and then Gallagher threw in the towel.

An explosion of power punches by Wardley left Clarke perched unconscious against the ropes. Clarke actually landed 50% of his power punches (6 of 12) in the opening frame. Wardley landed 64% of his power punches (9 of 14).

Chris Eubank Jnr has hailed the impact of new trainer Jonathan Banks for his victory over Kamil Szeremeta on Saturday.

British star Eubank made sure his long-awaited return to the ring was successful, sending Szeremeta to the canvas four times en route to a seventh-round KO win in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Eubank ( 34-3, 25 KOs), who was ruthless against Szeremeta ( 25-3-2, 8 KOs), said he had fun all night and would have finished the Polish in the first round had he wanted to.

“It's been a year out of the ring. I wanted to get that ring rust up,” Eubank told DAZN. “I wanted to feel the energy of this Saudi crowd at the Saudi event and it's beautiful, man. I love coming out. I love the people.

“I love the atmosphere, and I love everything about this place. I had fun there. That was the main thing. Have fun, work on things, and get ready for the big fight that's coming up next.” 

Eubank has been out of the ring since recording a 10-round TKO victory over Liam Smith in September last year. That emphatic win was a revenge to a devastating four-round stoppage defeat to Smith eight months prior.

The victory over Szeremeta brings the British fighter back to winning ways, ending the Polish boxer’s four-fight winning streak. Eubank praised Szeremeta for his fighting spirit.

“Listen, Szeremeta is a tough guy. There are certain people that when they get hurt, they look for a way out. This guy kept coming and I thought the body shots were gonna take this guy out. I don't wanna keep punishing him to the head. I was working on things.

“Me and my new coach Johnathan Banks had a gameplan and it worked perfectly. It went beautifully. You saw what happened in the fight. Easy work.’

Bernard Neequaye is a sports journalist with a specialty in boxing coverage. He wrote a boxing column titled “From The Ringside” in his native Ghana for years. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) at @BernardNeequaye, LinkedIn at Bernard Neequaye and through email at bernardneequaye@gmail.com .

Ben Whittaker left on a wheelchair after five rounds of his fight with Liam Cameron.

Sheffield's Cameron walked Whittaker into the ropes near the end of the the fifth round and both fighters plunged over the top rope, after which Cameron landed on Whittaker.

Cameron, sluggishly, was up first, but Whittaker was hurt. He indicated that his leg was injured and said that he could not continue.

As a result of what the British Boxing Board of Control's Robert Smith deemed an accidental injury, the fight went to the scorecards after five rounds, where the tallies were 58-57, 57-58 and 58-58, thus resulting in a technical split draw.

It was another viral moment for Whittaker, but not the sort the showman from the West Midlands would have wanted. The 2020 Olympian, known for his extroverted skill set, had his hands full with Cameron early on but "The Surgeon" fell to 8-0-1 (5 KOs).

His fellow Briton Cameron, 23-6-1 (10 KOs), whose life spiralled after he was banned from the sport for using recreational drugs and he then struggled with alcoholism and substance abuse, had been holding his own.

The 33 year old, a former Commonwealth champion, was once a touted prospect. That was Whittaker’s mantle, pre-fight; one of the sport’s bright hopes who said he did not feel far off Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol, the main event fighters in Riyadh.

Whittaker’s faster hands made the difference in the first round. He jabbed smartly and threw rights behind them. Cameron, who went the distance with Lyndon Arthur last time out, had a sturdy look about him and in the second he held his hands high and let Whittaker throw shots up and down that looked pretty but didn’t score beyond the arms and gloves.

The 27-year-old Whittaker landed a good right hand early in the third but Cameron had success with both hands in reply.

Cameron’s face was marking up but he buried a couple of lefts into Whittaker’s stomach. It was not all one way, as was again shown in the fifth, when they threw right hands and Whittaker's missed and Cameron's scored.

The referee Victor Loughlin gave Whittaker a verbal warning for straying low with his shots, and in front of a sparse crowd Whittaker was starting to look out of sorts and disorganised.

When Cameron then walked Whittaker to the ropes, they both lurched backwards over the top strand and to the canvas. They fell to other side and the fight was over. Cameron felt like he'd done enough to win. Whittaker was later taken to hospital.

Chris Eubank Jnr dropped Kamil Szeremeta four times en route to scoring a seventh-round knockout before getting into a brief post-fight shoving match with Conor Benn in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Eubank (34-3, 25 KOs), in his first outing since stopping Liam Smith in 10 in September 2024, opened strongly, flashing sharp, snappy jabs and suddenly uncorking a straight right over Szeremeta's low left and into the Pole's jaw, dropping him to his knees in the opening round. Eubank showed tremendous punch variety early and seemed to be landing with everything, but one brief moment near the end of the round brought a warning sign when Eubank dropped his hands and Szeremeta drilled him with a right hand.

Indeed, Szeremeta (25-3-2, 8 KOs) had his moments throughout, but they were infrequent and packed too little power to dissuade Eubank, fighting for the first time with Johnathon Banks in his corner — and with a SNAC logo on his shorts advertising his relationship with Victor Conte. 

Eubank looked the bigger, stronger fighter throughout, but by round four appeared to be falling a little too in love with his power shots and showed a little sloppiness. After the third, Banks urged him to shorten up his punches; Eubank promptly ignored him and spent much of the fourth throwing every punch with bad intentions, and particularly looking to land uppercuts to Szeremeta's body and his head.

In doing so he left himself a little open to Szeremeta's right hands in the fifth, but in the sixth Eubank fought with greater intensity. A hook to the body followed by a right hand upstairs dropped Szeremeta again, and the Polish fighter came out for the seventh on the edge of defeat.

In the event, it was a pair of body shots that brought the contest to an end in the seventh — two right hands to the solar plexus dropped Szeremeta to his knees, the second prompting the stoppage at 1.50 of the round.

“I was having fun in there,” said Eubank, like Szeremeta aged35, afterwards. “To be honest, I could have finished it in round one… Szeremeta is a tough guy. This guy kept coming. So I thought, ‘You know what? Body shots are the way to go.’”

One person who professed himself unimpressed was Benn, who jumped into the ring and jawed with his rival, seemingly setting them up to continue their fathers’ rivalry next.

Eubank Jr knocked Szeremeta down in the first round, the sixth round, and twice from body punches in the seventh round. Though Szeremeta beat the count, the referee halted the bout after the fourth knockdown. Eubank Jr connected on 43% of his jabs and landed 67 of them. 23% of Eubank Jr’s landed punches were body punches.

Neither fighter made much use of the jab. Opetaia landed 42% of his power punches. 41% of Opertaia’s landed punches were body punches. Opetaia hurt Massey with a body punch in the fifth round, and had landed 8 more body punches in the sixth round when Massey's corner threw in the towel.

A close bout was brought to a sudden end when both combatants went over the top rope at the end of the 5th round. Up to that point, Whittaker had landed 20 more jabs than Cameron, while Cameron had landed 8 more power punches than Whittaker. After Whittaker out-landed Cameron 65-45 over the first three rounds, Cameron out-landed Whittaker 44-36 over rounds four and five. Whittaker couldn’t continue after going over the top rope, so the fight went to the judge’s scorecards. One judge scored the fight 58-57 Whittaker, another judge scored it 58-57 for Cameron, and the third judge scored it a 58-58 draw.

Australia's Skye Nicolson overcame a difficult opening two rounds to keep her unbeaten record and her WBC featherweight title via unanimous decision over Britain's Raven Chapman. The contest, the first women's title fight to be staged in Saudi Arabia, was on the undercard of the Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol light-heavyweight unification fight at Riyadh's Kingdom Arena.

Chapman (9-1, 2 KOs) began brightly, using fast footwork and  upper-body movement to cut off the ring and seek to apply pressure and put Nicolson on the back foot. A short right hand from Chapman found its mark in the second, but already it was becoming clear that the Brit was using a lot of energy to work herself into a strong position without then throwing enough punches to press her advantage. 

By round three Nicolson (12-0, 1 KO) was beginning to gain her timing and distance, moving away from danger before Chapman could uncork a shot and seeking to time her with counters from mid-range.

By the fifth, Nicolson, 29, was starting to look comfortable, easing into a rhythm and landing effortlessly off the back foot. Seemingly discouraged by Nicolson increasingly controlling the action at mid-range, Chapman began reaching with her punches from distance, giving the Australian further opportunity to land crisp blows and circle away.

The 30-year-old Chapman was showing plenty of movement, but much of it was in straight lines, allowing Nicolson to consistently slide into a comfortable position, and with far too little end result. She broke through with some right hands in the ninth but Nicolson repeatedly responded with southpaw lefts of her own; and the 10th featured Nicolson in cruise control, picking off the onrushing Chapman down the stretch.

The end result was a formality. The ringside judges returned scores in the Australian's favor of 99-91, 98-92 and 98-92.

Nicolson landed 30% of her total punches and 33% of her power punches en route to winning a wide unanimous decision. Two judges scored the fight 98-92 and the third judge scored it 99-91.

When attempting to predict the outcome of the Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol showdown, which takes place on Saturday night in Saudi Arabia, two things quickly become clear: I am beyond excited and I don’t know – just like nobody possibly can at this stage – who’s going to win.

It’s not so much that it’s difficult to imagine one and not the other with their hands raised, because we’ve seen both triumph a cumulative 43 times, it’s more that it’s a stretch to envision either of these fine light heavyweights actually losing a fight. However much I try, I cannot picture a concussed Beterbiev being rescued by the referee or even being bewitched and outboxed conclusively. Nor can I close my eyes and imagine the always classy Bivol, after sampling one too many right hands, sporting the bedraggled expression of a defeated man. No, we’re so conditioned to seeing Beterbiev and Bivol win, and win handsomely, that it will be quite the sight when – if – one of them is defeated.

If we presume for now that it doesn’t end in a draw, witnessing one of these two beaten for the first time might prove just as memorable as the punches that caused their fall from grace. When one thinks of Frazier beating Ali, for example, the latter tumbling to the canvas in round 15 is every bit as cinematic as the punch that put him there. And when you reflect on Usyk versus Fury, it’s not the Ukrainian’s craft and guile that springs to mind but the Englishman drunkenly tottering from boundary to boundary in the ninth round. The winner here, then, could be about to produce the most spectacular performance of their lives, simply by making a perceived superman look human.

That it’s such a hard fight to call only underlines the brilliance of the matchup. The winner – again, presuming there is one – becomes the best light heavyweight in the world, bar none, so don’t let any of the sanctioning bodies tell you otherwise should they move to strip titles down the line.

But let’s not dwell on such trivialities here. This is arguably the best fight to make in the sport and that’s not because there are four alphabet straps on the line. It’s purely because of the fighters and their quality.

When looking solely at accomplishments in the professional code, Beterbiev can boast a juicier highlight reel and likely edges Bivol in the consistency stakes. It could also be argued that the Russian-born Canadian resident, 20-0 (20 KOs), has fought overall better opposition, even if his record lacks the scalp of someone like Canelo Alvarez, who was outpointed by Bivol in 2022.

Though aficionados had long been aware of the menacing Beterbiev thanks to his amateur exploits, it was his step-up in September 2014, when he demolished former belt-holder Tavoris Cloud in two rounds a mere 15 months after turning over, that really announced his arrival on the light heavyweight landscape. Three years later he won his first title, beating Enrico Koelling in 12 rounds, before surviving a knockdown to fold Callum Johnson inside four. A five-round victory over Radivoje Kalajdzic followed before Beterbiev aced what still might be his toughest test in October 2019 when he broke down Oleksandr Gvozdyk in 10. Since then, the most noteworthy victories came against Marcus Browne (surviving a grotesque cut to win via KO 9), Joe Smith Jnr (TKO 2), Anthony Yarde (TKO 8) and, most recently, Callum Smith (TKO 7) in January this year. The cumulative record of Beterbiev’s foes at world title level is an impressive 204-10-1 and only Johnson (briefly), Gvozdyk and Yarde had any real success.

Beterbiev’s tendency to break the spirit, skin and bones of his rivals evidences his strength of punch yet it’s also important to note that – unlike some who become reliant on their power – his boxing IQ is surprisingly high, particularly when one considers he has no interest in watching or talking about fights in which he’s not involved. Beterbiev is a master boxer, albeit not remotely a boxing fan, and his judgement of distance, the calm head in battle, and the timing and selection of the blows he throws speaks to his irrepressible desire to improve. However, when his team, which includes top brains like Marc Ramsay and John Scully, are talking in the gym about boxing more generally – like, for example, the big fight that occurred the previous weekend – Beterbiev will shrug and walk away. He only has interest if what they discuss pertains to him. 

It should be no surprise, then, that when this contest was announced it was Beterbiev, the all-round master of his trade, who opened as the favourite in the eyes of the bookmakers. Yet it now seems likely that Bivol, come the opening bell, will be the fighter who is the shorter price to win.

Why has Beterbiev gone from favourite to underdog? It can likely be explained by the growing list of injuries suffered in recent years. This showdown was originally scheduled for June 1 only for it to be postponed after Beterbiev suffered a ruptured meniscus. He’s also endured injuries to his ribs and has undergone surgeries to repair his knee and shoulder, leading to his bouts with Yarde and Smith also being pushed back. At 39 he is six years older than Bivol and logic dictates that his body is starting to break down. When that inevitable process begins in an athlete it’s an impossible one to reverse. He’s suffered cuts in the past, too, and if one of the two bodies is to malfunction in battle, it seems likelier that it’s the older man’s.

That said, if people are picking Bivol to win purely because they presume this is the fight when Beterbiev will creak and crack, they are doing so without seeing any evidence of such in his most recent performances in the ring. Beterbiev was brutally effective when walking through Smith and though Yarde managed to push back Artur on occasion, the champion ended the fight when he realized he needed to find an extra gear to quieten his brave opponent.

But what Beterbiev will meet in Bivol is something different entirely. The 33-year-old, born in Krygzstan and based in Indio, CA, is a patient, sharp-shooting stylist who won’t be rushed nor feel overawed. A Russian amateur champion in the vest, Bivol can, like his opponent, boast many years of education in the fistic arts. Furthermore, the manner he handled Canelo two years ago should be a cause for concern because what Bivol does so well is dictate the pace, often slowing down his rivals and drawing mistakes when they attempt to hasten their work.

The other standout success on his 23-0 (12 KOs) record came against the highly regarded (and 44-0) Gilberto Ramirez in November 2022 and Bivol dominated to such an extent that everyone thought they’d been overrating “Zurdo” all along. Furthermore, and perhaps crucially in a contest as evenly poised as this, there is a feeling that we’re still to see the best of Bivol.

It’s true, however, that Bivol has looked ordinary on occasion. A specialist in winning over the 36-minute distance, he lost some rounds to Craig Richards when they clashed in 2021, Lyndon Arthur managed to last 12 two years later and there was a sense that Bivol merely coasted through points victories over the likes of Jean Pascal, Umar Salamov and Isaac Chilemba. One might also want to reference the moment when he was stunned and straightened against Joe Smith Jnr in 2019 as a reason why, when faced with someone like Beterbiev, he will eventually succumb.

Yet Bivol, even when not in full flow, always appears in complete control of both his own mind and his opponent. Consequently, so content is he inside that squared circle, if he doesn’t need to overexert himself, he won’t. In his most recent outing in June, Bivol thrashed Malik Zinad inside six rounds and we should remember that though he’s not a famed hitter, he can bang with authority and accuracy to both head and body, always with fluency and confidence.

Bivol will need to be alert for 36 minutes and, though he’s elusive, he’s not a defensive wizard with a Matrix-mode; he does get hit. But he knows how to get hit, to deflect, to slip, to make the target small and how to then take advantage when his opponents grow too ambitious. His feet are excellent and, when faced with Beterbiev, he won’t take too many chances without being afraid to take necessary ones. Though only a fool would stand in front of Beterbiev and ask him to do his worst, Bivol will nonetheless know that to win, he must do more than stay out of harm’s way. Therein lies the key to victory for Beterbiev – when Bivol is at his bravest, Beterbiev must be at his fearsome, intelligent best.

It's hard to envision either boxer dominating, however. Therefore, that draw should not be discounted and is perfectly feasible. After all, it’s been a while since we had one in a fight as big as this and purely by the laws of chance in a two-horse race, one could say we’re overdue a draw in a contest that is almost impossible to call – and one where it’s far easier to envision both fighters having periods of success than it is to visualize either man crumbling or being conclusively defeated.

Former junior middleweight titleholder Raul Marquez, now a prominent boxing analyst, believes light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol could emerge as the world’s top fighter after his 175lbs undisputed bout against three-belt champion Artur Beterbiev on Saturday.

Beterbiev and Bivol will clash in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in what is considered the most significant light heavyweight matchup since Andre Ward faced Sergey Kovalev. Marquez, meanwhile, will be broadcasting in Stockton, California, where he will call lightweight Gabriel Flores Jnr's fight against Dennis Contreras.

In an interview with BoxingScene, Marquez highlighted several top fighters, including Gervonta Davis, before expressing his admiration for Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs). Marquez believes a Bivol victory could elevate him to the top spot in the sport.

“The winner between him and Beterbiev – I go back and forth on it,” Marquez told BoxingScene. “I think it's a 50-50 fight, but I believe, in the end, Bivol will be able to keep him away. I really love Bivol. He’s not just a master boxer; he’s exciting, he hurts guys, controls distance well and is well-rounded.”

Bivol, who has held the WBA title for seven years, has been criticized for a perceived lack of power, despite more than half his wins coming by knockout. In contrast, Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs), 39, has won all of his bouts by knockout.

Marquez dismissed the notion that Bivol, 33, is a defensive, passive fighter. 

“People sometimes think he’s a boxer who runs around, but no, he creates action fights,” Marquez said. “He’s powerful, too.”

Marquez cited Bivol’s 2022 unanimous decision win over Saul “Canelo” Alvarez as proof of his skill, and he claimed that a win this Saturday would cement Bivol’s legacy.

“If he beats Beterbiev, he’ll be the best fighter out there,” Marquez said.

Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.

We can only hope that Saturday’s undisputed light-heavyweight title fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will wind up on a similar list years from now. But, included here, are some of the great 175lbs match-ups from over the years, spiked by controversy, drama, heart, courage and featuring plenty of Hall of Famers.

We can only hope that Saturday’s undisputed light-heavyweight title fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, will wind up on a similar list years from now. But, included here, are some of the great 175lbs match-ups from over the years, spiked by controversy, drama, heart, courage and featuring plenty of Hall of Famers.

1. Archie Moore w ko 11 Yvon Durelle (December 10, 1958)

The great Archie Moore, a huge hitter, was down three times in round one and once in the fifth in front of 8,848 rabid fans at the Forum in Montreal. However, he dropped Durelle four times and won in the 11 th of a breathless fight – one of the great slugfests of all time. The referee was former heavyweight Jack Sharkey.

3. Matthew Saad Muhammad w ko 14 Yaqui Lopez II (July 13, 1980)

4. Charles Williams tech. draw 7 Merqui Sosa (January 13, 1995)

6. Bob Foster w ko 14 Chris Finnegan (September 26, 1972)

Harding had come in for Donny Lalonde at short notice, and he was behind on all three cards and had never been beyond 10 rounds.

The Australian was cut over both eyes, his nose was bleeding and battered and he spat out blood from his mouth. Harding was also down in the fifth, though some observers say it was a push. Round 11 was gruelling, and Andries was down twice in the 12th before being rescued by the referee Joe Cortez.

Alex Wallau said: “This is as much action as you will ever see with two guys of this size.”

The International Boxing Hall of Famer Harry Mullan wrote: “There can have been few harder-won championships in the history of boxing than the 12-round stoppage substitute challenger Jeff Harding scored over Dennis Andries for the WBC light-heavyweight title in a brawl even Sylvester Stallone would blush to have scripted.”

Mullan added of the winner: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a braver man in the ring.”

They would fight two more times, with Andries stopping Harding in Australia, but Harding winning the decider by majority decision in England.

8. Victor Galindez w tko 15 Richie Kates I (May 22, 1976)

Ringside in Johannesburg, the writer Bert Blewett described the first bout between Argentine Galindez and New Jersey’s Kates as “one of the most savage and sensational fights ever seen in South Africa” adding: “It was a fight of bloodiness, courage, and controversy, and it had the crowd of more than 35,000 screaming from bell to bell.”

9. Battling Siki w dq 6 George Carpentier (September 24, 1922)

Both fighters were down in the third; Carpentier was floored in the fifth and sixth, and Siki was originally disqualified for tripping the French hero up in the sixth by the referee Henry Bernstein, only for the president of the French boxing federation and ringside judges to overrule him and eventually declare Siki the winner.

Former boxing titleholder Austin Trout continues to make his mark in the world of bare knuckle fighting as he prepares to defend his welterweight title against Ricardo Franco at Marbella Arena in Marbella, Spain. 

Trout, already considered one of the top modern bare knuckle fighters, is embarking on just his third bout on the circuit.

Trout, 39, began taking bare-knuckle fights in February 2023, citing difficulties in securing traditional boxing fights. His transition to glove-less fighting has been a success, and he is now striving to extend his career – and possibly add further achievements as he approaches his 40s.

“The cool thing about Austin is, we’ve really studied the bare knuckle game,” said Bobby Benton, Trout’s trainer. “Austin’s always been an IQ guy, so making the transition has been fun. Everyone thinks you just go in and box, but it’s totally different. You can grab hands, and there are little techniques that make it unique.”

Benton explained how bare knuckle fighting requires a different approach from traditional boxing. Given that Trout’s best trait is his fight intelligence, this new corner of combat sports is allowing him to show it at an enhanced age.

“He’s a smart fighter, and he’s adapted well to these nuances,” Benton said. 

Looking ahead, Benton believes Trout’s potential in the sport has no ceiling. 

“I don’t think there’s anyone out there who can beat him,” Benton said. “He could move up or down in weight and be champion. I think he could even beat Mike Perry at 178 pounds. Austin’s footwork alone makes him dangerous.”

Benton pointed to Trout’s dominant win in his most recent fight – a win over Luis Palomino – as evidence of his potential to become one of the modern legends of the newly cemented sport, on the outskirts of boxing. 

“Palomino was their pound-for-pound king, and Austin dismantled him,” Benton said. “He dropped him, made the fight look easy. If they let Austin be more active, I think he could beat anyone.”

Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.

The debutant Mohammed Alakel kicked off the main card at the Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia with victory over the now 3-3 Colombian Jesus Gonzalez.

The first session was a free-swinging affair in which Alakel, 20, used his height and reach to keep the South American at bay while raiding in behind straight shots.

He tried to get his jab pumping in the second and he showed some good variety. Gonzalez, 21, couldn’t find his way into range, and when he did he was often picked off.

Alakel, trained by Joe Gallagher, stayed ahead the rest of the way and should be pleased with his performance after a limited amateur career.

Gonzalez was satisfied to hear the final bell, and Alakel equally jubilant to have won his first professional contest.

All three judges scored 40-36 in favour of Alakel.

Earlier in the evening, at junior middleweight, another debutant in Marco Maric also won over four rounds, via a score of 40-36, over Christian Lopez Flores, who is now 14-46-2 (14 KOs).

There is a new IBF junior-flyweight champion.

For two years, the title has been synonymous with Sivenathi Nontshinga.

From South Africa, the 25-year-old originally won the vacant title in 2022.

After one successful defence, he lost the title in late 2023 to Adrian Curiel, only to win it back in February this year.

During this reign, however, Nontshinga hasn’t managed to get a single successful defence in as he’s lost it earlier today.

Travelling to Tokoname, Japan, Sivenathi Nontshinga was taking on Masamichi Yabuki.

Yabuki is a former WBC light flyweight and was going into the fight as the underdog.

However, he put on a performance that many weren’t expecting.

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After a series of rounds where Yabuki was growing in confidence, the bout came to life.

In the eight round, Yabuki hit combinations with both hands that led to Nontshinga and dropping to his knees.

That was the first knockdown and could have been worse if it wasn’t for the bell.

Nontshinga was dropped again in the ninth thereafter and you could visibly see a cut by his right eye.

The final devastating came later in the same round as Yabuki landed a right and the referee waved the fight over.

The result meant that Masamichi Yabuki has now become a two-time world champion and achieved this victory in his home land.

Sivenathi Nontshinga will likely look to earn a rematch and claim his title back, but today belongs to Yabuki as he claims the W in a dominant win and becomes the new IBF junior-flyweight champion.