In this week’s can’t miss mailbag, Stephen “Breadman” Edwards weighs up this weekend’s big fight between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev, discusses how geography might affect a fighter, answers more questions on Ryan Garcia and he ponders Danny Garcia’s Hall of Fame credentials. 

Hello Breadman,

It seems to me more like Bivol doesn't commit unless he's safe, he never gets greedy (another big plus in this matchup), and will even stop an attack midway through if he senses danger. He's cautious like a bird, if that makes sense. So I can even see a boring fight playing out, because Bivol tends not to commit if he knows you're trying to time him. To the point about the amateurs supposedly Beterbiev lost twice to Usyk (I haven't checked), but it also works in vice-versa Bivol will have fought many people with Beterbiev's style also. Maybe you were implying this when you said who is more effective at what they do. To the point about discipline, I think there is a slight difference between the two on what I've looked at so far. Both are high IQ fighters, but the difference I noticed is Bivol always remains calm. Beterbiev has a little bit of that devil in him where if you hurt him he is willing to exchange like a savage. It will be extremely interesting to see how he reacts if Bivol hurts him, and vice-versa. My hunch is Bivol is even more disciplined than Beterbiev admittedly is.

I get what you are saying about Marciano, but he was maybe a one of one and also had that one hitter quitter that I've not seen from Beterbiev so far – and it was against better competition.

Bread’s Response: Here is how I see the fight. I have been watching Beterbiev because I noticed he had different level performances throughout his career. With Callum Smith being his best performance in my opinion. There were times where he took a little long to warm up. Then in the Smith fight, he got right to it. Executed his gameplan and took Smith apart. 

I believe that the Beterbiev that showed up for Smith has to show up for this fight or he will lose and we all know it’s hard to have back to back career best performances. So that’s in Bivol’s favor.

Bivol is pretty much the same every fight. Pendulum rhythm. A good jab. Crisp but loose straight punches. And the same stoic, conservative approach. 

I think the key to this fight is how soon Beterbiev warms up to the task. And can he use his jab to offset Bivol’s rhythm. I believe he can but I don’t know he can. Both have subtle brilliance. But Beterbiev’s success will depend on his Alpha Male energy in my opinion. Bivol doesn’t seem to care about harming Beterbiev. He doesn’t seem to view him as anything else except an opponent. Beterbiev seems to want to hurt everyone. I believe he has to keep Bivol in his place very early. 

Beterbiev doesn’t have to drop him or stop him early. But he has to make Bivol feel his presence. If Bivol gets comfortable like he did vs Canelo, he wins.

When I look at the Anthony Yarde fight, I do see a space where Bivol can win a decision. Beterbiev is great but he’s not an invincible force. He’s more of a destructive force. 

My guess is Beterbiev is too mean of a human being for Bivol. He starts off fast with a good jab. The fight is evenly contested on the outside but Beterbiev is putting doubt in Bivol’s mind on the inside of his soul. As the fight goes on, Bivol has a choice. He can go out on his shield or he can stay conservative and lose a decision. Yes, I believe Beterbiev can win a decision in this fight. Similar to the one Chavez won against Camacho. My pick is Beterbiev and I’m not ruling out a decision.

Hi Bread,

Bread’s Response: I noticed it too. I didn’t say much when Garcia tested positive because I wanted to allow due process to take place and allow Garcia to defend himself. I heard several different theories that Garcia came up with, from the Ashwaganda, to the supplement you speak of, to VADA and Victor Conte setting him up, to a trainer giving him something he wasn’t supposed to, but nothing was ever substantiated. All I can say is this is boxing. And this is a business. 

Sup Breadman,

Bread’s Response: I think trainers are starting fighters out with things that are more “attractive” to fighters. Like fancy padwork. Whereas fighters longer ago started out with footwork because a structure is built from the bottom up, not from the top to the bottom. And they didn’t throw fancy combinations at first. They used a jab. A simple jab. 

So, yes, the foundation is different in most places. But to answer you directly, different regions produce a different level of fighters. Overall Philadelphia, Detroit, Ohio, LA and the DMV produce the better fighters overall in the US. It doesn’t mean other places can’t produce excellent fighters. But overall if you take a large sample size of fighters, you will see those are the places that a great deal of the top amateurs and top pros come out of. It’s not a coincidence.

Hey Bread, Hope you’re well. Is Beterbiev-Bivol slightly more significant than Spence Jr-Crawford? I’m not saying bigger, I mean erasing doubts about who’s behind? At 147 one could argue Ennis could have beaten them both. At 175 I feel like the winner would be a clear number one. Unless you see Benavidez (or Morrell) as the favorite for the next one. What do you think of Sheeraz? He surely gets the push but he seems like the goods. Do you like him vs the Kazak the WBO ordered? Ennis needs to keep building his profile and fight often ala GGG. But down the line, in one or two years top, who are the two guys who would represent the biggest threats and most credible opponents? As with GGG vs Canelo down the line, would you give more than a 20% shot to Teo vs Crawford? Do you think Tim is the guy for Ennis at 154? I feel like now Benavidez vs Morrell is a 60/40 fight.

Best match up for a crown at 154 for the Spence return? Cheers, Diego

Bread’s Response: I think Beterbiev vs Bivol is 1 of the 5 biggest/best light heavyweight title fights of MY lifetime. Spinks vs Qawi, Hopkins vs Calzaghe, Ward vs Kovalev and Jones vs Tarver II. This is a huge fight!!!

I think Sheeraz is really good. But I don’t know how good just yet. I don’t rush to judgement with fighters. But from what I see he’s the goods. I don’t know enough to say if he can beat Janibek. But I suspect he’s even money with Janibek and Adames right now. But again, I want to see more.

The biggest threats for Ennis, in the future…..Hmmmm……It’s tough to say. But if I had to guess, I will say Charles Conwell and Tim Tszyu. 

I have no idea if Crawford will even fight Lopez. 

I agree on Benavidez vs Morrell. 60/40 in Benavidez’s favor.

Whoever Spence wants and whenever he’s ready to come back is a big fight. Spence is a superstar and he moves the needles.

Mr. Edwards, I truly hope all is well with life! Once again, amazing strategy by you and Plant! Outstanding! My question to you is this; I have been reading up on Bivol. We know that Beterbiev has had knee surgery. Now I have come to understand that Bivol not only has had hand surgery, but that he has a stress fracture in both his elbow and his spine! If this is true, which it seems to be, won’t this greatly affect his punching ability and his overall performance against a cyclone of an opponent in Artur? Is this the reason his KO ratio has been lowered? Thank you in advance for your knowledge and your column! All the best! Kindest Regards, Jon L Aka-NC Uppercut 

Bread’s Response: I think the reason Bivol’s KO% is lower, is simply because of his temperament. Once he gets the fight under control, he’s ok with winning. It’s simply not worth it, to go put himself in harm’s way to get a stoppage. In this fight his temperament may help him. But I suspect he has to put some hurt on Beterbiev to win. Not so much stop him, but punish him somewhat.

If Janibek Alimkhanuly, Erislandy Lara and Carlos Adames all fought each other, who would you expect to emerge as the undisputed champion? All three of them looked incredibly impressive the last time they set foot in a boxing ring. Thank you for your thoughts!

Bread’s Response: I don’t think all three looked so impressive. Lara dominated Danny Garcia. So let’s say that was impressive. But what was so impressive about Adames vs Terrell Gausha? I thought that fight was basically contested on even terms. And I thought Janibek was being roughed up in his fight vs a limited opponent. But I would expect all to be better if they fought each other. I would give Janibek a slight edge over Lara and Adames but nothing significant.

Hi Bread,

Why all the hate for Haney and him suing Garcia? Like Eddie Hearn said this could start a precedent where if fighters are getting sued for using PEDs for millions (providing Haney wins) then they'd in theory be less likely to use them because it would hurt more than having an enforced year off? I read a lot of your mailbags and occasionally the comments section and some people just really like being angry. I personally don't have any sort of para social relationships with fighters/celebrities for that reason, it's too tiring being that angry. Kind Regards Peter

Bread’s Response: Never read the comments section. It’s toxic. And you will never understand why people read a mailbag just to complain when they don’t have to read it at all. 

I don’t know why Haney gets so much hate. It’s bizarre. I suspect it’s because they wanted him to keep that one in the loss column. And now that it’s gone, people are aggravated. But I’m not going to do the mental gymnastics to even try to figure out why people are mad at a fighter who’s opponent came in overweight and on PEDs. 

Sup Bread,

Bread's Response: I think Sanchez and Chavez are in the argument for the best ever to come out of Mexico. I have watched both fight perfect fights. Sanchez vs Gomez and Chavez vs Rosario. Both were dominant and both struggled somewhat in other fights that people overlook. Chavez vs Laporte and Lockridge, Sanchez vs Ford and Caldwell. 

I think Sanchez's untimely death actually works in his favor in terms of his historical standing because we never got to see him on the other side of his prime. With Azumah Nelson improving, Jeff Fenech and Chavez emerging, Arguello being much bigger in 1982. Pernell Whitaker emerging. It's safe to say Sanchez would have taken some losses if he fought until 1990. Don’t forget Barry McGuigan and Eusabio Pedroza. Sanchez never unified vs Pedroza.

I have no issue with the people who pick Chavez as No. 1. His longevity deserves recognition and his peak was comparable. I also have no issue with the people who pick Sanchez because his peak was so high. His nine title defenses are notable. And he has three wins over HOF. 

I don't want to leave out Ricardo Lopez who was just as good as both in my opinion. Today I will say Chavez 1a, Sanchez 1b.

Greetings Breadman, hope all is well!

Bread’s Response: I love Danny Garcia. And I wanted him to beat Lara. I felt that a thirrd division title and being the third man in history to win titles at Junior Welterweight and Middleweight would have gotten Danny in the HOF. But he didn’t win the fight. I think he deserves consideration but I don’t think the media is impressed enough with his accomplishments or ability to vote him in. There are fighters from Danny’s era like Israel Vasquez and Chad Dawson who had better careers than Danny and probably won’t get in. If he gets in, I would be happy for him. But honestly it’s going to be tough. Danny hasn’t had a significant clear win vs an elite opponent since 2013 over Matthysse. I don’t know if that’s enough in this era. Let’s see what happens. He has to get on the ballot first. However, I'm rooting for him. Danny has been a bright light for boxing for my city for a very long time.

Hello Bread, I know you like them short and sweet so I'm wondering if you had to go into battle with a handful of fighters all time, who would they be and why? I’d go with Marciano, Ali, Hagler, Holyfield, Beterbiev. 

Sam from Australia 

Bread’s Response: I love your list. But you didn’t clarify what type of battle. If it’s a street fight to the death, I would pick Sonny Liston, George Foreman, David Tua, Mickey Walker and Jack Johnson. If it’s in RING BATTLES and the fighters I would be most comfortable with to overcome anything, I would go with Muhammad Ali, Ray Leonard, Ray Robinson, Roberto Duran and Salvador Sanchez.

Send Questions & Comments to dabreadman25@hotmail.com

For a man who was once the most dangerous man in heavyweight boxing, Deontay Wilder has been knocked down a peg or two over his past few fights.

Four defeats in five fights has left ‘The Bronze Bomber’ at a bit of a crossroads in his career.

Losing two fights to Tyson Fury was one thing, but the subsequent defeats to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang have resulted in questions around the future for Wilder.

The knockout defeat to Zhang was especially damaging as Wilder was seen as a coup for Matchroom Boxing in their 5v5 against Queensbury Promotions.

Still regarded as one of the hardest hitters in the game, not many are sure what’s next for the man from Alabama.

Deontay Wilder was called out by Lawrence Okolie a couple of months back, but that doesn’t seem to be on hands since Okolie vacated his title belt.

But it seems that another heavyweight champion is happy to give Wilder a shot.

Due to the name value that Deontay Wilder still has, he’s still a get as an opponent for most boxers.

Kevin Lerena is the man who took the World Boxing Council (WBC) bridgerweight title after it was vacated by Lawrence Okolie.

And it seems that the South African southpaw is willing to keep that title opportunity open for Wilder if he wants it.

Speaking to World Boxing News, Lerena extends an opportunity in the path of Deontay Wilder.

“I’ve always been keen to fight Wilder,” Lerena said.Frank Warren reveals tension with Chris Eubank Jr

“He was one of the most feared heavyweights for a very long time. Wilder is someone I respect a lot, but it’s my time, and I fear no man.

“Look, I know Wilder didn’t lose in a positive way [against Parker or Zhang], but having said that, this is heavyweight boxing. These things can happen, but he will always be seen as a dangerous, spiteful puncher no matter what!

“I’d be more than happy to give Wilder the opportunity to face me if he’s willing to make the move down”.

This doesn’t seem to be all talk either.

Kevin Lerena confirms that although no official communication has taken place between the two sides, he’s at least aired the conversation from himself to others.

“There hasn’t been any contact with Wilder’s team as far as I know, not as of yet anyway, but I did mention it to Spencer Brown, and it’s a fight I would take next.

“If not Wilder, then a massive fight for the bridgerweight world title would be [cruiserweight champion at 200 pounds] Jai Opetaia and me. I think he’s a class boxer, but I’m a fighter, so it makes for a good scrap!

“I hope to be back in the ring around December or probably early in the new year, so there’s plenty of time to talk to Wilder, Opetaia, or anyone else for a massive fight”.

It seems as if the ball is firmly in Wilder’s court if he wishes to accept the opportunity.

At the very least, we know that there is willing from one side to make it happen.

It just remains to be seen what Deontay Wilder and his team want to do next at this stage of his career.

Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol is every bit as appealing as was Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk and Terence Crawford-Errol Spence. It’s one of the fights fight fans have been salivating over for a very long time.

There are certain fights in certain weight classes that you look at and think, “That’s the one that has to happen”, and wonder why they’re not made – but this is one that’s happening. There was a time, when Beterbiev was consistently fighting on Top Rank bills and Bivol was on Matchroom’s that this wouldn’t have happened, but Riyadh Season’s investment means a fight of the very highest level is here.

Fury-Usyk was a terrific fight, and there’s cause to hope this will be similar. But even if it doesn’t, the important thing is that it’s happening, and hopefully at the right time. There’s a chance it’d have been timed even better if it had been scheduled for 12 months earlier, but it’s still a great time for it to be happening – everyone agrees they’re the top two light heavyweights in the world. Some of the biggest fights of the modern era have happened, but happened years after they should have and been less appealing because of it – Crawford-Spence was one of those. Beterbiev-Bivol also has the clash of styles and the undisputed title-fight qualities offered by Fury-Usyk, which enhances its appeal.

One of my frustrations at super middleweight, where Saul “Canelo” Alvarez-David Benavidez still hasn’t happened, is that the wheels aren’t turning there like they should be. By Beterbiev-Bivol happening before it is well overdue, the careers of Joshua Buatsi, Ben Whittaker and other light heavyweights should receive the opportunities they’ve been fighting for and deserve. This is the pinnacle of an era – the end of a generational cycle – and almost as important is that the face of the 175lbs division could be set to change. 

A fight like this – between two Russians – might be even more appealing if it was staged in Russia, or in a hotbed like Las Vegas, but we’ve seen this nature of event before, such as the Thrilla in Manila between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, and Mike Tyson-Buster Douglas in Tokyo, Japan. Does anybody every really reflect on the quiet atmosphere at Tyson-Douglas like it’s close to the main part of the story? The atmosphere took a backseat, behind the big fight actually happening and what unfolded. Beterbiev-Bivol being scheduled for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is nothing new.

Bivol is the fighter who’s closer to his peak. He’s a very good fighter. He’s got a terrific ability to control and understand range, and he knows not only how to make opponents pay for obstructing and misjudging range, but also how to force them to misjudge range – which really complements his in-and-out style. He’s not only excellent at making adjustments, but he’s also excellent at making opponents pay, and to the point that when they’re having to reach and out of position they no longer want to throw back. 

If anything, Bivol’s mean streak is underrated. He punishes opponents harshly and puts them in his pocket. Canelo went the distance with him in 2022 but was in his pocket from the halfway point and stopped trying to win; Canelo fought Bivol the way Edgar Berlanga fought him in September, to go the distance without too often getting punished.

It won’t be enough for Bivol to be that same consistent fighter on Saturday. It won’t be enough to keep Beterbiev out of range – he’ll need to consistently hurt him. Even if he does that he won’t knock the winning mentality out of Beterbiev, who will keep trying to win the entire time – he will have to be sharp, and active, and reactive. But he understands that. Both fighters have a good understanding of what they need to do to win. It’s going to be a high-level fight. 

Beterbiev’s power is dangerous beyond the level of any other active fighter. Pound for pound, he’s the biggest puncher in the world. Even if he is slightly past his peak, he believes in that power and will cut off the ring to try to put Bivol in a position where he makes a mistake and Beterbiev can land the big shot he wants. 

His fundamentals are terrific, and he knows how to make opponents work much harder than him. The combination of his power and fundamentals stress his opponents, because they know they’re at risk of being hurt, so they become tired by moving more. When opponents do that he can cut down the ring without working as hard, which unlike a lot of other pressure fighters he knows how to do. He won’t overreach, either. Beterbiev has been like Gennady Golovkin – so intimidating that opponents haven’t wanted to fight him.

All of which is why their styles clash so well. Bivol can be the cat-and-mouse fighter who makes opponents chase him and pay for it – will he make Beterbiev pay enough that Beterbiev slows down, or will Beterbiev cut off the ring well enough that he catches him, makes him uncomfortable, and hurts him? The chances are we’ll see both, and therefore a great fight.

The winner of this fight will be remembered as producing his best ever performance on Saturday. I’ve changed my mind more than once about who will win, but as it nears it’s Bivol I’m leaning towards.

I of course wouldn’t be shocked if Beterbiev got the knockout, but it’s Bivol I see winning, via stoppage. It won’t be enough to outbox him; he will need to beat him up to keep him off.

Russ Anber will not be in Artur Beterbiev’s corner when on Saturday he and Dmitry Bivol contest the undisputed light-heavyweight title.

The Russians are to fight at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but after Anber, who has long wrapped Beterbiev’s hands and been his cuts man, refused to work his corner in his victory in January over Callum Smith, he will again not be involved.

Canada’s Anber declined to work Beterbiev corner's on the grounds of him also having repeatedly worked with Smith and Smith’s older brother Liam – he decided to not work with either fighter that night – and a more recent conversation with Beterbiev’s trainer Marc Ramsey informed Anber of their plans.

Anber was most recently in the corner of Janibek Alimkhanuly for his stoppage of Andrei Mikhailovich in Sydney, Australia, and will work the corner of Bakhram Murtazaliev against Tim Tszyu next, and he told BoxingScene: “I enquired with Marc, and Marc just informed me that they were just going to go with the corner and the team that they used for the fight against Callum Smith.

“I anticipated that that was going to happen. It didn’t really come as a shock to me. I understand his position; I understand Artur’s position. That’s their choice.

“We’re friends. There’s no issue. No problem. He just said, ‘Russ, I’m going to go with the team I had in January’. I understand he has to do that, because he also has a responsibility to them. I made my decision in January and he stuck with the team that he had for the Smith fight. I knew it would happen, but I’m okay with it. 

“There’s no way I could have felt that I was doing either fighter a justice working with them knowing that I couldn’t give 100 per cent in the corner or cheer them on to win or jump for joy or celebrate with them. It was better I withdraw myself from that. 

“I certainly don’t hold it against Marc. I’m okay with it.”

Anber was then asked whether part of him regretted not working with the 39-year-old Beterbiev – Bivol is 33 – the night the IBF, WBO and WBC champion stopped Smith, and he responded: “Absolutely not. One million per cent not. I knew I was gonna do that from the time there was the buzz the fight might be happening. 

“I tried to keep it under wraps as long as I could, but after the win against Anthony Yarde [in January 2023] we knew that Callum would be next. I do not have any regrets – I would repeat it. I’d do the same thing over again. It was the right thing to do.

“One hundred per cent [I’ll be supporting Beterbiev against Bivol] – and I think he will win. He’ll win in masterful fashion as well. As good as Bivol is, and he’s talented; great skill set. I just think Artur’s on a high now, coming off of the Callum Smith fight. He prepared extremely well for that fight, and he knows that he can beat Bivol and this is what he’s been striving for his whole career.

“I firmly believe that in order for Bivol to emerge victorious, he will not only have to be perfect for every minute of every round, he must also prove to be an extremely elusive target. If Beterbiev senses that he can get to Bivol, I think his confidence will grow with every round, and it could prove to be a very painful night for Bivol.”

Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke couldn’t be separated at the conclusion, in March, of 12 of the hardest-fought rounds of 2024.

Their fight for the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles was scored 115-112 in Clarke’s favour, 114-113 to Wardley, and 113-113. Wardley consistently had blood pouring from his nose – it was only upon their arrival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for their rematch that he clarified that it had not been broken – and Clarke recovered from a knockdown to perhaps do enough to deserve to win.

That their first contest had been so entertaining, and attended by a vociferous crowd at London’s O2 Arena, inevitably contributed to a sense of disappointment that they will fight for the second time at the Kingdom Arena, on the undercard of the endlessly appealing undisputed light-heavyweight title fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. If their rematch proves anywhere near as physical, away from their supporters it may even be the fighters who suffer from the location the most.

Wardley, 29, acknowledged in the early hours of April 1 that a fight that taxing can shorten not only the careers, but the life expectancy of those involved in it. He is not only younger than the 33-year-old Clarke, despite entering his 19th professional contest against the 8-0-1 (6 KOs) Olympic bronze medallist, Clarke’s amateur career means that Wardley can be considered fresher, too.

If Wardley, 17-0-1 (16 KOs), was the favourite for March’s fight, on account of his superior experience and opposition as a professional, there existed also a school of thought that Clarke’s superior education – Wardley was a white-collar boxer before turning professional, since when he has surpassed expectations – gave him the edge. When Wardley knocked him down with a right hand in the fifth round he looked on course to record his latest stoppage; Clarke instead impressively recovered, and demonstrated the greater boxing IQ, mobility and jab to the extent that had he not had a point deducted in the seventh round for repeated low blows he would have narrowly won. 

In so many respects they proved so evenly matched in March that unless Clarke’s age and extensive amateur career – complemented by the damaging effects of the 12 rounds he previously shared with Wardley – have caught up with him, ahead of Saturday’s rematch for the British title it is reasonable to expect a fight that is similarly competitive and that will be settled by two questions above all else. 

After the most testing night of each of their careers, which fighter, if it proves necessary, will be most willing to give as much of himself as he did the first time around? If it doesn’t, which fighter will benefit most from the opportunity those previous 12 rounds gave them to learn to read the other and also to adapt?

Judging by the way their first fight unfolded, it was Clarke who most grew in confidence and who adjusted best to the threat Wardley posed. It may also prove relevant that Wardley had such momentum going into their first fight – a sense of momentum that was halted when for the first time one of his fights didn’t end in victory – and that if Clarke can fight with the same conviction he increasingly showed in March, when Wardley by extension was made to look more limited, he can be expected to earn a career-transforming victory, and perhaps a clear one, on points.

If the IBF cruiserweight title fight between the champion Jai Opetaia and Jack Massey isn’t expected to be as competitive, it regardless involves the world’s leading cruiserweight defending his title against an opponent, in Massey, who continues to improve. Massey was the underdog when in June, on the undercard of Chris Billam-Smith-Richard Riakporhe, he earned a deserved unanimous decision to defeat Isaac Chamberlain and to win the Commonwealth and vacant European title. 

The 29-year-old Opetaia agreed to fight Massey when a unification contest with the WBO champion Billam-Smith didn’t materialise – Billam-Smith instead fights Gilberto Ramirez on November 16 – and makes the first defence of the vacant title he regained when labouring to victory over Mairis Breidis in May. The Australian southpaw, 25-0 (19 KOs), transformed his career by resisting a broken jaw to outpoint Breidis two years earlier; before their rematch he stopped both Jordan Thompson and Ellis Zorro, who both proved overmatched, in a combined five rounds, which potentially makes Massey, 22-2 (12 KOs), an intriguing test of his development. 

In January 2023, Massey – 31 and of England – demonstrated his ability to be able to survive against dangerous opponents when he avoided significant punishment throughout the course of losing to Joseph Parker at heavyweight, over 10 rounds. The nature of his approach will prove decisive in deciding how it unfolds – and the history of his proven trainer Joe Gallagher compounds that sense of uncertainty. Gallagher has trained fighters both to enter their biggest fights with ambition, and merely to survive them. If Massey is aggressive, the more cultured, faster and more powerful Opetaia can be expected to punish him, and eventually to stop him. If he isn’t, he is capable of frustrating Opetaia as he did Parker, but not without losing another wide decision.

Opetaia’s compatriot Skye Nicolson, 29, makes the second defence of her WBC featherweight title against Raven Chapman in the first women’s world-title fight in Saudi Arabia. Nicolson, unlike England’s 30-year-old Chapman, has long been groomed for a future at the highest level, and it can be expected to show. 

Also relevant is the reality that Matchroom are invested in Nicolson in a way that no promoter is invested in Chapman. They previously hoped that she would appear on the undercard of a Liam Paro fight in December; the aggressive Chapman was identified as the calibre of opponent incapable of disrupting their wider plans. 

For all that the 9-0 (2 KOs) Chapman can be expected to fight with ambition, she lacks the subtlety required to test the more rounded and naturally talented Nicolson. The Australian southpaw, 11-0 (1 KO), not only has the superior experience, she is proven against a higher level of opposition, and continuing to improve. Over the course of 10 two-minute rounds her skill set is likely to gradually make Chapman look one-dimensional, and to the extent she may even earn another stoppage – even if a clear unanimous decision represents the likeliest outcome.

In a continuation of a similar theme on an undercard that, Wardley-Clarke II aside, largely contrasts the most competitive of main events, Chris Eubank Jnr has been matched with Kamil Szeremeta in another fight that increasingly looks like it is a building fight towards a higher-profile date. As with Opetaia and Nicolson being prepared for future contests, Eubank Jnr is on course to finally fight Conor Benn in 2025, if their confrontation in Riyadh on Friday – conveniently in front of countless cameras – is any indication.

The enigmatic Eubank Jnr, 35, has been inactive for just over a year, since what is widely recognised as a career-best performance on the night in September 2023 that he stopped Liam Smith. His success that night was largely attributed to his then-new trainer Brian “Bomac” McIntyre; the 33-3 (24 KOs) Eubank Jnr, naturally, has since replaced McIntyre with the similarly respected Johnathon Banks, ensuring that an often-unpredictable fighter is capable of again being difficult to predict.

That Szeremeta, also 35, is his opponent ultimately helps with that. The Pole’s record reads 25-2-2 (8 KOs). His draws with the lightly regarded Abel Mina, in his past fight, and Nizar Trimech demonstrate his level. Before fighting Trimech in 2021 he had recorded successive stoppage defeats, by Jaime Munguia and the once-great Gennady Golovkin. Neither defeat is anything about which to be remotely ashamed, but it is relevant that Munguia was far from the fighter he is proving in 2024, and that Golovkin was already in decline. 

The athleticism and strength the detector of scumbags Eubank Jnr – who has previously succeeded at super middleweight – has demonstrated at 160lbs should similarly prove too much for Szeremeta if Eubank Jnr, from England, is focused. If he fights to win convincingly, and therefore with a high work-rate, instead of to simply coast to victory – when he can be guilty of posturing and admiring his sometimes ineffective output – he will become the third to stop Szeremeta.

Ben Whittaker is capable of rivalling Eubank Jnr as both a showman and a fighter guilty of posturing and excessively admiring the impact of his punches. He fights Liam Cameron at light heavyweight, in what represents the toughest of his nine fights. There is little comparison between the natural talent of Whittaker, 8-0 (5 KOs), and the 23-6 (10 KOs) Cameron. There is also a significant difference in their physiques; Cameron, 33 years old, has previously competed at middleweight. 

He is, however, also a hungry, aggressive opponent, which is more than can be said for the previous fighters the 27-year-old Olympian Whittaker has shared the ring with. In Cameron’s past fight he truly tested Lyndon Arthur, who is proven beyond Whittaker’s level. But there remains a suspicion that Arthur, who didn’t make weight that evening in June, was guilty of complacency, and it is equally relevant that the fight Cameron is most given credit for was also ultimately a defeat. The style match-up between them can be expected to favour Whittaker; if Cameron is again aggressive, it will present Whittaker with opportunities to fight with greater intensity. Throughout the course of his six defeats Cameron has never been stopped, however, so if Whittaker wins inside the distance of their 10-round fight it will be his most impressive statement so far. A decision victory, and perhaps his most mature performance to date, is the likeliest outcome.

There, inevitably, is considerably more mystery surrounding the debutant Mohammed Alakel’s four-round super-featherweight contest against Jesus Gonzalez. Colombia’s Gonzalez, 21, is 3-2. Alakel is 20, from Saudi Arabia, and trained by Gallagher. A cynic might be tempted to suggest that he is highly unlikely to be matched with an opponent expected to do anything other than lose to him on a promotion intended in part as a celebration of Saudi Arabia. 

The gamble of South Africa's Sivenathi Nontshinga failed to pay as he lost his IBF junior-flyweight title to the inspired Japanese veteran Masamichi Yabuki in Japan.

Yabuki became a two-weight world champion with an impressive ninth-round stoppage, and although Nontshinga courageously battled to hang on to his title, the power of the challenger eventually told. 

Yabuki, a 32 year old from Nagoya, floored the now ex-champion three times on his way to a memorable victory. He started aggressively, initially jabbing often but thumping in an early left hook and lashing away with a right uppercut that just missed its intended target.

But Yabuki, 17-4 (16 KOs), landed a couple of quick right hands as the round progressed and his hand speed made an early difference inside the Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname.

A further right hand caused the South African to momentarily back-pedal early in the second, although the champion was defiantly looking for gaps with his jab.

Nontshinga kept his respectful high guard in the third, and he began to target the challenger’s body, but he was clearly wary about what was coming back.

The 25 year old was more explorative and adventurous in the fifth, but paid for over-extending with a looping right by shipping a counter left hook. Still, he thumped the challenger with a big right hand with 30 seconds remaining in the round.

Neither were pulling their punches, although Nontshinga was holding his feet, seemingly cautious of Yabuki’s speed and pace, and the South African’s corner was warning him he was taking too long to close the gap.

A left hook from Yakubi to the body in the seventh caused Nontshinga to drop his right elbow to protect the area but it was a good round, and Nontshinga had replied downstairs moments later.

Nontshinga tried to shake off a right hand in the eighth, but the still aggressive Yabuki stormed forwards with both hands and Nontshinga turned his back and dropped to his knees.

The champion made it back to his feet, and the bell preserved his title for another minute.

Nontshinga’s team, including his trainer Colin Nathan, urged him to go on the front foot to prevent Yakubi pouring forwards but the South African was dropped again and cut by his right eye. Although Nontshinga, now 13-2 (10 KOs), gamely fought on, he was sent tumbling from a long right hand once more and the referee Mark Calo-oy waved it over.

Light-heavyweight prospect Ben Whittaker believes he is not far from facing Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol for a world championship.

Whittaker has taken to the professional ranks impressively and has quickly become one of the hottest prospects not only in the 175lbs . “The Surgeon” has dazzled with his impressive skills and will get the chance to show them off on Saturday on the undercard of the undisputed Beterbiev-Bivol fight in Saudi Arabia.

Beterbiev and Bivol have been by far the two standout light heavyweights of their generation and victory on Saturday will not only decide the best of their era, but will also crown the first undisputed 175-pound champion since Roy Jones Jr. in 1999.

The opportunity to fight on the undercard of the two best light heavyweights for some would be a huge occasion, but Whittaker insists he will be treating it just like another fight.

“I’m not going to stand here and say I’m super excited, for me it's just another fight, another show,” Whittaker told BoxingScene. “I think if you start overthinking it, start making it bigger than it is. For me it's another fight and luckily enough from my amateur career I've been all around the world. For me, I'm packing my bags just like that and I'm going to the ring just like that.”

Whittaker, 27, will have the chance to watch both of the best fighters in his division up close after his victory. However, this is an opportunity that Whittaker may not make the most of.

“Yeah well, Beterbiev walked past, and I was like, ‘Oh he's not that big,’ I thought he was this big, massive monster,” he said. “But, yeah, it'll be good [to watch them up close]. I might lie to you and say I'm going to watch it, but truthfully after every fight I like to go home, eat and play my PlayStation. So, I'll be bringing my PlayStation out to Riyadh and I'll probably do the same there.”

Whittaker has gone through previous opposition like a knife through butter, and many expect him to go on to win world championships. Whittaker believes that a title shot is not too far away and would be happy to fight either Beterbiev or Bivol—if they’re still holding the belts.

“I’m not far at all really [from fighting Beterbiev and Bivol],” Whittaker said. “But then when you look, I'm 27, Beterbiev is 40, so for me I've got a lot in this game. By the time I'm 30, I want to be a world champion. So if they're there then, if they're not, whoever it will be. That's why I want to be a world champion.”

Whittaker was then asked for his prediction for the main event between Beterbiev and Bivol.

“I don't have a clue what's happening man, I don't really know because if you asked me to break down AJ-Dubois, it wouldn't have gone like that. But for me it'll either be cagey at the start or they’ll just start swinging.

“I've said for the whole build-up, Beterbiev, but now I've been looking into it a bit more, I've swayed to Bivol. His distance control, his output, he's a younger fighter too, he hasn't had any injuries. So, for me I'd edge towards more Bivol, but it’s a great fight for all the belts, it's not happened for a good while now at this weight and I'm excited.”

If you blinked, you might have missed middleweight Kamil Szeremeta’s comments this week, but don’t worry—you didn’t miss much. Don’t let his personality fool you, though. He could prove to be a tougher test for Chris Eubank Jr. than most expect.

Szeremeta finds himself headlining high on the bill against the more popular, heavily favored Eubank, the son of Chris Eubank. The 12-round bout is part of Riyadh Season, tacked onto the Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol undercard. While DAZN gets the undercard, the main event will air on ESPN+.

Szeremeta (25-2-2, 8 KOs) is the classic case of an opponent brought in to make the favorite look good. Think of him like the opening act at a concert—there to fill time, but no one’s really paying attention. At 34, with a low knockout percentage, Szeremeta has somehow managed to stay relevant despite two draws in his last six fights and back-to-back stoppage losses to Gennadiy Golovkin and Jaime Munguia. 

On the other side, Eubank, now 35, is still a recognizable name, even if "active" isn’t the word anyone would use to describe his career lately. This fight marks Eubank’s return to the ring after a 13-month hiatus—a recurring theme for him. Last year, he was knocked out by Liam Smith but managed to redeem himself by stopping Smith in their rematch. 

This will be his fifth fight since the pandemic. Based on the press conference hints, middleweight Hamzah Sheeraz could be next, but Szeremeta might just have a chance to ruin those plans—though he’s given us little reason to believe that.

“My plan is simple,” Szeremeta said through a translator at the grand arrivals. “I want to go into the ring and go out as a winner.” Groundbreaking stuff.

While Eubank fully embraced the Saudi experience, strutting around in a thobe at every event, Szeremeta looked more like a lost tourist in casual designer clothes, blending in with the crowd. When asked about fighting in Saudi Arabia, Szeremeta was characteristically neutral: “I’m very happy to be here. It’s my first time. I hope I win on Saturday so I can come back.”

The issue for Szeremeta is that nearly everyone’s counting him out—and for good reason. He’s done nothing to suggest otherwise. Eubank got knocked out by Smith last year, but at least Smith had a resume. As much as you might want to give Szeremeta a shot, Eubank’s inconsistency doesn’t change the fact that Szeremeta gives you very little to work with. He sounded like a politician glued to his talking points: “We’ve got our tactic with our trainer, and we’re going to show you on Saturday,” he said when pressed on his strategy.

At the press conference, Szeremeta was asked one solitary question. His answer? Predictably vague. “I can adapt my style. I can switch my style. I love to fight,” Szeremeta said via translator.

To be fair, it’s not just Szeremeta. For what’s supposed to be a big fight week, the pageantry has been dialed down considerably with no fighter giving notable quotes.

Meanwhile, Eubank, not content with just wearing a thobe, arrived at the press conference wielding a sword (or something like a sword), because why not? Eubank stole the show, of course, and talk of future big fights dominated the conversation, not his upcoming fight. There’s an unspoken concern hovering: How does Eubank avoid another upset? It’s not like it hasn’t happened before. His response sounded like something out of a motivational poster. 

“A lifetime’s worth of preparation and dedication is how you make sure you don’t slip up on fights like this,” Eubank said. “People ask, ‘How was camp? How’s your weight? How you feeling?’ It’s not about a camp, it’s about how you’ve lived the last 20 years of your life.”

Once upon a time, fighters dreamed of becoming the British or European champion. Plenty spent long, successful and difficult careers campaigning for the prestigious titles whilst they waited for an elusive world title opportunity to present itself.

These days, the proliferation of world title belts means that lots of younger fighters view the belts as a staging post on the way to bigger and better things.

Dennis McCann (16-0-1, 8 KOs) is the reigning British, Commonwealth and European junior featherweight champion but wants to continue progressing. 

“Yeah, I’m 23 years of age,” he told BoxingScene. ”People forget that, but to be honest with you, them belts mean nothing to me.

“They don't feed my kid and my wife, so them belts are nothing to me. If I could get that world title and get a proper few quid out of the game, it would be handy.”

In some ways, McCann’s sentiments hold true. Once a fighter reaches title level, it is the quality of their opponents that has a direct effect on their bank balance rather than the number of belts they collect. However, those titles have resulted in a high-profile and – as it turns out – lucrative mandatory title defense.

On Dec. 21, McCann will defend his belts against Peter McGrail. The fight will take place on the undercard of the heavyweight title rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and is the latest fight in the ongoing Queensberry-versus-Matchroom promotional battle.

It is exactly the type of showcase that the charismatic McCann has been waiting for.

“ Yeah, I think they'd love me,” he said. “ One hundred percent. Getting that money and just fighting in front of them new fans. Something different. Traveling would be some experience, you know.

“That's what I need next. I'm looking at all these fighters – Hamzah Sheeraz, he has no more belts than me. Mark Chamberlain ain't got one of my belts. 

“You need to give me a slice of the cake, because everyone's eating and I'm not.”

In July, McCann scored the best victory of his career by outclassing the tough Ionut Baluta to win the vacant European title. Professionally, the win elevated him to his current position, but personally it meant even more. Last August, the Romanian dragged McCann into a brutal, bloody battle. After nine rounds, a terrible cut to McCann’s forehead brought an early end to matters and the fight was declared a technical draw.

The manner in which McCann dealt with Baluta in the rematch illustrated just how much a young fighter can benefit from some early-career adversity. McCann was disciplined but still boxed with his fair share of flair and imagination. The explosive teenager who once specialized in corkscrew uppercuts has become a well-rounded, mature fighter.

“After all the hate comments going on for 12 months, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on him, to be honest with you,” McCann said. ”I'm buzzing, I've got the win now.

“It was just a big relief. I just wanted to put my middle fingers up to all the haters because, believe me, I got a lot of hate after the first fight.”

The happy-go-lucky McCann is a real character and doesn’t appear the type to let other people’s opinion’s trouble him too much. The fact that he hid his feelings so well and focused them on self-improvement is another sign of his growth. 

“Usually I don’t [let it bother me], but it's just the fashion it was in,” he said. “It got to be too much for 12 months straight, but I've done a better number than everyone thought I would, as well. It was easy work.

“He spit his gumshield out a couple of times when he was on the verge of getting stopped. If he spit his gums out intentionally, [the referee] was supposed to let the fight carry on. But he kept stopping the fight. I really wanted to stop him, as well.

“I knew the level I was on. I believe I'm a world-class fighter. I think I'm going to go through the weights, I really do. That's how much I back myself.

“It's about me staying disciplined. I'm always in the gym and I'm always fit. I still like my Haribos, but I'm always fit. It’s all about staying disciplined and keeping my feet grounded. I feel like I’m ready for the big names now, to be honest.”

John Evans has contributed to a number of well-known publications and websites for over a decade. You can follow John on X @John_Evans79

Jan Paul Rivera Pizarro proved too strong for Andy Beltran in a thrilling encounter Friday at Coliseo Roger L. Mendoza in Caguas, Puerto Rico, recording a competitive unanimous decision win.

Puerto Rico’s Pizarro (11-0, 7 KOs) was ruthless throughout the eight-round contest, wobbling Beltran (8-1, 5 KOs) with power shots. The fighters started the bout by exchanging powerful shots, but Pizzaro made use of his jabs to keep Mexico’s Beltran at bay.

In the second round, Pizzaro landed a big right hook that troubled his opponent. Pizzaro followed up with another big right hand that wobbled Beltran, who responded in equal measure.

Moments later, Beltran nearly visited the canvas from a right hook, but he stood firm to take the punishment. The third and fourth rounds saw Pizzaro attack more frequently, landing combinations to the face and body of Beltran.

Beltran did not succumb to Pizzaro’s shots and came back into the fight by landing clean shots. At this stage, the fight started getting intense, as both fighters went trading. However, Pizzaro landed the lion’s share of the punches, connecting with a right hook to the jaw of Beltran.

As Beltran came forward, Pizzaro maintained his composure in the fifth round, eating punches with vigor. In the sixth and seventh rounds, Pizzaro maintained the pressure with two quick left hooks that dazed Beltran, but the resolute Puerto Rican kept his composure.

In the final round, Pizzaro relied on his jabs to keep Beltran at bay, knowing he had cruised to an emphatic win, which the judges scored 80-72, 80-72 and 79-73 in his favor.

On the undercard, Puerto Rico’s Krystal Rosado-Ortiz (5-0, 2 KOs) cruised to a unanimous decision victory over Perla Lomeli (6-3) in a women’s bantamweight contest. Also, welterweight Elijah Flores (9-0, 3 KOs) triumphed over Omar Rosario (13-2, 4 KOs) via an eighth-round unanimous decision victory.

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 .

The last time we checked in on former junior middleweight champion Austin Trout, he revealed that the ladies in his life (his mom, wife and daughter) weren’t too happy about his transition from traditional boxing to the bare knuckle form of the sport.

On Saturday, Trout will defend his BKFC welterweight title for the first time against Ricardo Franco. Have they come around yet?

“Oh yeah,” Trout said. “They’re coming to Spain. My daughter's coming to the fight, too. She didn't want to watch me fight when it was in Albuquerque. [Laughs.] So they came around.”

Funny what a little European trip can do to change someone’s mind about fistfighting. But, in all seriousness, the Trout family should check out what the 39-year-old is doing in a sport he just picked up a little over a year ago, going from zero to a world title seamlessly while closing in on the big four-oh.

It may not seem like a big deal for someone who hit the heights of the boxing world, facing the likes of Miguel Cotto, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and the Charlo brothers along the way. But this is a different discipline, and while he didn’t have to reinvent the wheel, he did have to adjust to his new normal.

“There's a lot of, I don't want to say unlearning, but just a lot of relearning,” Trout said. “For instance, boxing-wise, I can thug out 10, 12 rounds out of shape because that's what I've been used to. It won't be pretty, but I can do it. Wrestling or grappling, I'm cooked within a couple minutes. It's a different wind. So I had to build my wind for the clinching, the holding, hitting and trying to be fast on one side but strong on the other side. I’m switching off, using their weight against them to pull their hands through all those little intricacies and Greco-Roman wrestling and Muay Thai. I started looking into a lot of that. I want to be a ninja. The whole package.”

Respect must be given, not just for his success thus far, but for the fact that Trout is still learning, still seeking knowledge and still wanting to be the best in the world at an age when most have called it a day. But truth be told, Trout knew he was going to run this town when he took off the gloves. 

“You could go back and look from the first fight,” he said. “Any interview I did, I was like, ‘Let me get my feet wet. But after this, give me the baddest motherfucker y'all got.’ I was like, ‘Who is that?’ And they're like, ‘[Luis] Palomino.’ OK, let me get that. And luckily, he called me out and it ended up how it happened. But, yeah, I'm about to run this. It's been a year, and I'm champ.”

After beating former UFC star Diego Sanchez in his BKFC debut in February 2023, Trout scored a near-shutout decision win over Luis Palomino to win the welterweight crown. This weekend he’s in Spain, but moving forward, he has his eyes on a lightweight title in BKFC, saying that making 155 pounds won’t be an issue.

“I’m looking to be a two-division champ,” he said. “I can still make 155, and I'm going to be running this joint.”

So have we lost him forever in traditional boxing?

“Not necessarily,” he said. “As champion, I do feel a responsibility to make bare knuckle my first love right now, even though boxing was my first love. But if the right opportunity presented itself with the gloves on, I'd be more than open to take it. This bare knuckle is keeping me busy, though. I love it.”

Trout is 6-0-1 in his seven traditional boxing bouts since a 2018 loss to Jermell Charlo, and the way he has reinvented himself, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he could put the gloves back on and make some noise with some new tricks to head into battle with.

“A lot of the stuff that I'm doing now, when I go and look back at Hagler, Ali, Leonard – even back with Willie Pep, Armstrong or Sugar Ray Robinson – they had head control and hand control. They were holding hands. They catch 'em with a hook and then grab their hands again. It was a lot of hand manipulation that they used. And so I'm just going to bring that back, looking like the vet. I am with new tools.”

Sounds like bare knuckle could be a good option for some boxers to investigate. Trout agrees, but he also points out that most aren’t about that life, even if they think they are.

“Nelson Lopez is the guy that got me in, and I just kind of push them his way,” said Trout when asked if any of his fellow boxers have reached out to him about a move to the other side. “But a lot of fighters, they think they're down. But when they really think about it, they're like, nah. [Laughs.] So those conversations, for the most part, haven't gone anywhere.

“But you know what? After I won my belt from Palomino, I get a DM from Jermall Charlo talking about, ‘Set up the fight – me and you for the belt.’ And I'm like, ‘Say less.’ I would love that rematch. Are you kidding me? But nothing came about it. You know what I mean?”

We do.

How Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol became the two best light heavyweights is the same way they will seek to become the one true king of the 175-pound weight class when they share the ring Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Beterbiev is a power puncher – that is obvious enough given his record (20-0, 20 KOs) and the quality of opponent many of those victories have come against. But he’s more than just a pair of heavy hands.

“A lot of people think Artur is like Mr. T in the ‘Rocky III’ movie – just a destroyer,” said John Scully, the retired former light heavyweight contender who has worked as Beterbiev’s assistant trainer since 2016. “You gotta watch him. Artur is a master boxer. He’s very, very, very technical.”

Bivol is a highly capable boxer – that is obvious enough given how he stymied someone as skilled as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and dominated other contenders. He also has more pop than his record (23-0, 12 KOs) might otherwise indicate, and he’s occasionally willing to let loose with eye-pleasing combinations.

“Dmitry is truly that good,” said Kathy Duva, the longtime promoter who heads up Main Events. Bivol is not signed with the company, but Duva, in her personal capacity, serves as Bivol’s adviser. “Dmitry's got all the tangibles in this fight. No fight is easy. But I think everybody's in for a big surprise. I think this guy's made for Dmitry.”

The fighters and their teams are not just respectful but complimentary of what the opposition is capable of doing. They’re just confident that they can do even better.

“He has great experience and is a good boxer. He’s a good challenge for me,” Beterbiev told BoxingScene’s Manouk Akopyan .

Bivol, meanwhile, recognizes Beterbiev’s considerable attributes, calling the IBF, WBC and WBO titleholder an “amazing puncher” in one interview and concurring with Scully in another:

“He has the skills. He's not only just a good puncher. He's a really good and smart fighter,” Bivol said . “He has experience and a boxing IQ. He has three belts for a reason. For his age, he has really good conditioning. I just need to be myself and improve on my skills. You can't prepare to get punched. You have to prepare not to get punched.”

That’s easier said than done.

“He takes his time and he breaks you down,” Scully said of Beterbiev. “Twelve rounds is a tremendously long time to be in the ring with Artur Beterbiev. I don't care how good you look early on. I don't care how sharp you look in the first two rounds, because the sixth round is always going to be way different than the first round with him.”

Beterbiev won his first world title in 2018. In the seven defenses he has made since, the toughest bouts came against Oleksandr Gvozdyk in 2019, Marcus Browne in 2021 and Anthony Yarde in 2023.

Gvozdyk, who was the WBC titleholder and lineal light heavyweight champion at the time, was ahead on two of the three judges’ scorecards when Beterbiev dropped and stopped him in the 10th round.

Browne also took an early lead, and Beterbiev was further endangered when a clash of heads opened a large cut on his forehead in the fourth round, sending blood down his face and into his eyes. But Beterbiev retook control, took the lead and took Browne out in the ninth.

Yarde was ahead on two scorecards after seven rounds, but he was battered and beaten in the eighth.

“Twelve rounds with him is like running a marathon, and you're not a marathon runner, and you're just trying and you're saying to yourself, ‘I gotta do 18 more miles of this,’” Scully said. “They’re hitting [Beterbiev] and they’re saying, ‘Oh, he's going to get tired.’ And he just gets stronger and stronger and stronger. And he's almost unstoppable in that regard. You're not going to get this guy tired. You're not going to win a war of attrition with him.”

Then again, Bivol may be better, and may fare better, than Gvozdyk, Browne and Yarde. He has also shown plenty of stamina and has a world of experience going 12 rounds and emerging victorious, as he did against the power-punching Joe Smith Jr. in 2019.

“I think [Beterbiev] depends, like most big punchers, on the punch,” Duva said. “And I think if that's what you've got, as Lennox Lewis once said to me famously about David Tua, ‘All he can do is punch. Easy, easy work.’

“I’m not going to say [the Beterbiev fight is] easy. If you look at their opponents that they faced throughout their careers, I think Dmitry has fought far, far tougher opposition much earlier in his career. Everybody's in love with Beterbiev because he comes in there and he's silent and he's the big puncher and he's got this great image.

“But in the end, I think the superior boxer and the guy who can take the best punch wins those fights. And so I've got my money on Dmitry on both counts,” Duva added. “A boxer can do a lot to negate a puncher. It's not just any old boxer who can beat any old puncher. But if you are a boxer who is as cerebral as Dmitry is – because he's very cerebral – he's playing chess the whole time he's in the ring.”

Then again, Bivol was rocked by Smith at the end of the 10th round of their bout, a right hand from Smith that landed over Bivol’s left hook doing the damage just after the bell rang. The punch landed on Bivol’s left ear, and he wobbled backwards before steadying himself with the ropes on his way back to his corner. Then again (again), Bivol was sturdy on his feet, though cautious, in the 11th and finished with a flourish in the 12th.

“If that was Artur and there was 20 seconds left, the fight's over,” Scully said.

Beterbiev also faced Smith, taking him out in two rounds in 2022. Triangle theory isn’t foolproof in boxing, however. The most famous example: Joe Frazier beat Muhammad Ali, George Foreman demolished Frazier, and yet Ali defeated Foreman.

In this fight, what each man brings to the ring will challenge his opponent to perform at an even higher level.

“Bivol is a very good boxer. He’s very skilled. He’s very patient,” Scully said. And Artur’s going to have to be on his game 100 percent. But I think his 100 percent against Bivol's 100 percent, I’m very happy with the matchup.”

“To be honest, all my skills should be at the highest level,” Bivol told BoxingScene’s Lance Pugmire . “Not only speed. Not only movement. Everything. My jab. My right hand. My strength. To be aware of danger. Everything needs to be at the highest level.”

Speaking of 100 percent, Duva questioned whether Beterbiev is, raising the matters of his age (39, while Bivol is 33), injuries and inactivity.

“The guy’s pushing 40 and he's been injured badly, and he’s really not that active,” she said.

Beterbiev fought once apiece in 2022 and 2023. He’s already fought in 2024, a seventh-round technical knockout of Callum Smith in January. The Bivol fight was originally supposed to take place in early June but was postponed when Beterbiev underwent knee surgery to repair a ruptured meniscus. Beterbiev has also had a number of other injuries over the years: There was a shoulder injury in 2015 , a rib injury in 2020 and a leg procedure in 2022 .

You wouldn’t expect any fighter or his team to say otherwise, but Scully says Beterbiev is fine, that the knee hasn’t been an issue in training camp and that Beterbiev continues to perform at a high level even though he turns 40 in January.

“When I watch him, I never think about his age,” Scully said. “How many guys do you know in the second half of their 30s who have improved, have gotten better? When you watch Artur’s last few fights, he's good. He's become a well-rounded, world-class champion, right? After the fight with Callum Smith, I told Artur, ‘That's the best you ever looked.’ How many people can say that at 38?”

Beterbiev and Bivol have spent the past several years cementing their status as the two best light heavyweights in the world. Now they have reached their defining moment. They will need to present challenges that their opponent hasn’t faced before. And they will need to overcome circumstances they may never have experienced themselves.

“Bivol, for the most part, he's been able to fight his fight for his whole career, right?” Scully said. “But the real test is when you reach a point where you can't fight your fight anymore. Something has changed. A monkey wrench has been thrown in, and now you got to do something else. If he's willing to do that, I don't know. If he's able to do that, I certainly don't know. I know that Artur can box and create problems. And, obviously, I certainly know that Artur can create destruction. So I think a lot of the fight is going to depend on how strong-willed Dmitry really is with this particular guy. And like I said, I feel good about the fact that I see certain things with him that bode in our favor.”

Said Duva: “No matter how talented you are, when you get to that gut-check moment, when you get to that fight that's going to be the toughest of your career, you've got to have something inside you that's different than everybody else. And I see that in Dmitry. I saw that working with Pernell Whitaker. I learned that working with Ray Leonard. There are some guys who are just different. And Dmitry is one of those guys.”

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.

Cuban heavyweight Herich Ruiz (6-0, 4 KOs) won a unanimous decision over Travorus Barnes (6-1, 5 KOs) of Summit, Mississippi, in the main preliminary bout of “Most Valuable Promotions 9” on Friday at Coliseo Roger L. Mendoza in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Despite the matchup of two heavy punchers, the fight was marked by hesitation from both fighters, resulting in a slow-paced contest.

The first round saw Ruiz, 29, using an active jab while Barnes kept a high guard, as noted by former four-division titleholder Nonito Donaire on the broadcast. Trained by Ismael Salas, Ruiz maintained a cautious pace and was the busier fighter, though neither boxer threw much in the early rounds. Ruiz began to press forward toward the end of the second round, but each man fought cautiously, wary of the other’s power.

In the third round, Barnes, 28, showed more aggression as the pace picked up slightly. By the fourth, Barnes pressed forward more, but Ruiz, the heavy favorite, pushed him back into the ropes. The action resembled a sparring session, though Ruiz landed some of his best body shots in the fifth.

Ruiz's jab, though not consistently landing cleanly, managed to keep Barnes on the back foot. Despite Ruiz taking control of the second half of the fight, the pace remained slow, with Barnes having some success in the seventh. However, Ruiz's defense and elusiveness limited Barnes' output, and the fight continued to drag.

The final round reflected the overall lack of intensity, with Ruiz landing a few solid body shots but waiting until the last minute to show more aggression. Ruiz clearly won the fight, but Barnes managed to go the distance, reaching the final bell.

The judges scored the bout 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73 in favor of Ruiz.

Also on the card, junior lightweight William Colon (5-0, 3 KOs) secured a second-round technical knockout over fellow Puerto Rico’s Jan Pomales (7-4, 4 KOs).

Colon, 20, dropped the 27-year-old Pomales with a well-timed jab about two minutes into the first round. In the second round, both fighters traded heavy punches, but an overhand right from Colon sent Pomales to the canvas during a 50-50 exchange to start the round. Moments later, Colon landed a powerful pull-counter right hand, flooring Pomales for the third time in the round. Though Pomales attempted to beat the count, his corner stopped the fight. The official stoppage came at 1:22 of the second round.

In the opening bout, Puerto Rican featherweight Carlos De Leon (2-0, 1 KO) secured a four-round unanimous decision over Chicago’s Levale Whittington (1-0-1, 1 KO).

Whittington, 25, started strong, switching stances in the first round, but De Leon, 19, used a mix of craft and power to slow the pace. By the end of the second round, De Leon's heavy punches were taking a toll on Whittington. In the fourth, a series of left and right hooks pushed Whittington back, leaving him standing but no longer throwing punches. A hard left hand rocked Whittington as the fighters traded until the final bell.

Judges scored the fight 39-37, 40-36 and 40-36 in favor of De Leon.

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.

STOCKTON, California – Gabriel Flores Jr. is poised for his third Stockton appearance under G-Squad Entertainment, led by his father, Gabe Flores Sr., with just 24 hours remaining until fight night at Adventist Health Arena.

The 22-year-old Stockton native Flores (24-2, 8 KOs) successfully weighed in at 134.6 pounds for his eight-round main event against Dennis Contreras (24-14-1, 22 KOs). Contreras, stepping in on short notice, missed weight at 136.6 pounds.

Flores enters the bout riding a three-fight winning streak, with all of his victories occurring in Stockton, where he headlined the last two events.

The scheduled co-feature between Sacramento’s Lorenzo Powell (2-0, 1 KO) and Salinas’ Adrian Serrano (4-0-1, 1 KO) was canceled. Promotional representatives have not disclosed the reason for the cancellation.

The card will be streamed on BLK Prime.

Full weigh-in results are as follows:

Lightweight – eight rounds 

Gabriel Flores Jr. (134.6 pounds) vs. Dennis Contreras (136.6 pounds) 

Junior lightweight – eight rounds 

Dominique Francis (130.8) vs. Julio Carrera (130.8)

Junior bantamweight – four rounds 

Andrew Rodriguez (114.0) vs. Marcelino Rangel (114.6)

Junior bantamweight – six rounds 

Jessie James Guerrero (112.8) vs. Bryan Santiago (114.0)

Junior welterweight – four rounds 

Steve Canela (136.2) vs. David Music (136.8)

Welterweight – four rounds 

Jennah Creason (148.8) vs. Roshetta Vatuvel (154.8)

Flyweight – four rounds 

Tatiana Almaraz (110.6) vs. Vickie Zhao (108.8)

Featherweight – four rounds 

Kyle Lacanlale (122.6) vs Ricardo Antonio Luna (124.8)

*Initially came in heavy

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.

At long last, two of the best in the business – and the No. 1 and 1a in the light heavyweight division – come together to settle undisputed status in the division. On Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Artur Beterbiev puts his three belts up against Dmitry Bivol's one, and the winner takes all.

Let's check in with our BoxingScene staff to find out how they see the fight developing and being decided.

Jason Langendorf: Anytime undisputed is on the line, in any division, it’s worth taking notice. But both Beterbiev and Bivol are already deservingly considered the highest caliber of champions, and their matchup of styles and the ancillary Hall of Fame argument – the winner enters – further amps the stakes of this one.

Bivol is a masterful technician, but he showed in the beatdown of Saul "Canelo" Alvarez that he also has a bit of dog in him. Beterbiev, who has the reputation of an indiscriminate destroyer of worlds, is actually more calculating and cerebral in the ring than he’s credited for.

After it’s all said and done, though, it’s the power in both hands and the relentlessness of Beterbiev that will win the day. Bivol can hold him off for a time with his excellent jab, and may even find opportunity to test his opponent’s chin. But over the rounds, Beterbiev will knock down Bivol’s defenses, find his openings and ultimately land the decisive blows before the final bell. The old guy just needs his body to hold up for 36 more minutes. I think it will. Prediction: Beterbiev by TKO10

Elliot Worsell: I hate predicting fights at the best of times – who really knows how a quality fight will play out? – but the idea of predicting the outcome of Beterbiev vs. Bivol is a stab in the dark even for boxing’s biggest know-it-alls. That is a testament to just how brilliant the fight is, of course, and how flawless the two Russians have so far been in their respective professional careers.

In fact, so good have they been, and so good is this fight, the only knock against them ahead of it has to do with age, in the case of Beterbiev, and a propensity to go the distance, in the case of Bivol. That aside, it is as hard finding a fault in these two as it is deciding which of them will win on Saturday. Because I have to, though, I’ll go for Beterbiev. Prediction: Beterbiev by decision

Eric Raskin: A lot of people are calling this a 50-50 fight. That’s ridiculous. It’s more like 51-49.

And to me, who’s the “51” and who’s the “49” has flipped. A year or so ago, I would have probably ever-so-narrowly favored Beterbiev. But the piling up of injuries for Beterbiev, the relative inactivity (this will be only his sixth fight since 2019) and the ticking of his body clock are enough to move the needle for me about two percent and make Bivol that tiniest of favorites.

Also, when all else is equal – and has all else ever been more equal in a fight than it is in Bivol vs. Beterbiev? – history says to pick the boxer. It would be a mistake, of course, to sleep on Beterbiev’s skill level; much like Gervonta Davis, he’s such a gifted knockout artist that it’s easy to lose sight of how clever he can be in the ring. But still, the edge in terms of pure skill has to go to Bivol. He’s the guy who wins if a fight never quite breaks out. Against Beterbiev, it will be his mission not to let a fight break out. Bivol was exceptionally disciplined against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, and I expect him to be just as disciplined this Saturday.

It won’t be easy to keep Beterbiev at bay, but age, injury and rust are all Bivol’s friends in that pursuit, and I think he’ll survive a few perilous moments to win a close, but deserved, points verdict. Prediction: Bivol by decision

Kieran Mulvaney: There is more to Artur Beterbiev than his power; he is a quality boxer with good ring generalship. But he is undeniably the puncher in the matchup, and often – although not always – in puncher-versus-boxer matchups, it is the technician, all other things being equal, who emerges victorious. That's what I think will happen here, with Beterbiev's age and injuries catching up to him and Bivol boxing a supremely disciplined fight to earn himself a surprisingly wide unanimous decision win. Prediction: Bivol by decision

Tris Dixon: It's almost here, finally. Saturday night, when these two are in the ring and the bell is about to sound, is when the sport is at its most magical. Forget the politics and the many other issues facing boxing and distill it to two top pound-for-pounders meeting to decide the best in the weight class.

Of course, we had it with Terence Crawford-Errol Spence Jr. last year in a fight Crawford dominated. Will one fighter step up and boss this one? I'm not so sure. As we saw in yet another undisputed fight this year, between Fury and Usyk, these two will have more than one battle plan. Neither is a one-trick pony, despite Beterbiev being the banger and Bivol being the boxer. They both have the experience and attributes to adapt, too.

I've favored Beterbiev all the way through but am questioning whether, given the knee issue, he will have the mobility and accuracy required to win. But say each fighter is what we want, 100 percent, and without getting bogged down by hypotheticals? I'm going for Beterbiev to win the fight, and perhaps a knockdown or two will be the difference on the cards. Prediction: Beterbiev by decision

Lucas Ketelle: Everyone is going to say the same stuff about this fight, and that's exactly why it’s so fascinating. Beterbiev? The guy is the walking embodiment of the T-1000 from Terminator 2. But don’t sleep on his ring IQ. He’s way smarter than people give him credit for and might just be the best offensive fighter we've seen since Gennady Golovkin. Bivol, meanwhile, is criminally underrated when it comes to power, but he’s basically the boxing equivalent of the PC game Myst . Nothing was obvious in that game. Nor is it when you fight Bivol.

Now, let’s talk about X-factors. Beterbiev is 39. Bivol is 33. Beterbiev has never fought in Saudi Arabia. Bivol has in his past two fights. Beterbiev? Constantly dealing with injuries. Bivol? Pretty much injury-free compared to Beterbiev, who seems to average an injury a year. Every single intangible seems to lean Bivol’s way, and I’m going to lean that way, too.

No matter what the general consensus is, this feels like a fight where one guy is going to dominate. Also, this could be a fight in which how you take a punch matters more than people think leading into it. Prediction: Bivol by KO

Lance Pugmire: As certain as Dmitry Bivol is confronting a destructive punching force as he never has before in Artur Beterbiev, the Russian three-belt light heavyweight champion is meeting the shrewdest, most skilled opponent he has ever met. Bivol is six years younger than Beterbiev. He is fully healthy. Beterbiev had to withdraw in May from their originally scheduled June 1 date with a ruptured meniscus, and he had been sidelined by a variety of ailments before that.

Yes, Beterbiev is a fierce fighting machine with 20 knockouts in all 20 fights – "an animal," as his promoter, Top Rank President Todd DuBoef said – but Bivol hits back, too. Ask none other than longtime pound-for-pound elite Canelo Alvarez, who bowed to Bivol by unanimous decision two years ago.

Bivol has trained nearly all year for this, taking a June 1 replacement fight when Beterbiev went lame, and then putting himself through the rigors of desolate, rugged camps in Kyrgyzstan and Turkey to prepare for the fight of his life.

One punch can end it all. Bivol is well aware. He can take a punch and, most importantly, he is sophisticated enough to avoid them. Beterbiev will attack ruthlessly. Bivol will counter, eyeing the openings that exist when a brute aims to simplify the battle with pure violence. Thanks to his supreme fitness and strength to accommodate his punch resistance, Bivol is capable of winning this fight through these tactics. And his path eases as Beterbiev confronts the mortality of his age and injuries. He can’t match Bivol’s 12-round production, and if his sole intention is to win by KO, how will Beterbiev fare from Round 8 on?

Not very well. This is where Bivol wins the bout, implementing all the benefits of his superior cardio and youth to pile up additional rounds on the scorecards. This plan may kick in even sooner, perhaps by Round 6, and should Beterbiev age overnight, as the saying goes, Bivol will end him by Round 11. Prediction: Bivol by unanimous decision

John Evans: I haven't wavered on this since the fight was originally made earlier this year: Beterbiev to win. Oleksandr Gvozdyk made it to Round 10, but apart from that, nobody has come close to outboxing Beterbiev over the 12-round distance, and it would be a stunning result if Bivol were to score a knockout. 

Although Bivol is a tremendous talent and the best opponent that Beterbiev has faced, he will need to box a perfect fight to win. Beterbiev's boxing ability is being dramatically underrated – and he doesn't need to be perfect. He just needs to create moments. Maybe age and injury will finally catch up with the 39-year-old, but he seems like too rational a man to step into a dangerous fight in a depleted condition. Bivol will play his part in a tremendous fight. If he wins, it will be one of the great victories. Prediction: Beterbiev by KO

Bernard Neequaye: I expect a very tactical and technical fight between two Russian boxing greats on Saturday. Both Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol come into the fight with exceptional qualities that will be tested during the fight – Bivol’s technical mastery and Beterbiev’s power.

Beterbiev goes into the fight as one of the fiercest punchers in the sport today, and Bivol must try and deal with that if he wants to win the undisputed light heavyweight championship. If he can’t take the punches, he loses. On the other hand, if Beterbiev can’t sufficiently match Bivol’s boxing skill, he might never catch up with his rival. This much-anticipated fight promises to be a thriller, and I’m really looking forward to seeing both fighters come to the party.

Even though it is very difficult to predict who wins on Saturday, I believe Bivol has what it takes to triumph if he’s able to deal with Beterbiev’s hard-hitting punches. Prediction: Bivol by decision

Declan Warrington: As irresistible as the combination of Beterbiev's ferocity and cultured edges is capable of being, the serious knee injury he suffered that delayed this fight, combined with his 39 years, makes Bivol narrowly likelier to win the most competitive and appealing of matchups. Bivol possesses the variety, intelligence and discipline to produce the masterclass that will be essential if he is going to resist Beterbiev for 12 rounds and earn a decision. He will not only have to be better than ever before, he will also have to be more hurtful, by punishing Beterbiev to keep him at bay.

Dan Azeez, one of Beterbiev's former sparring partners, perhaps put it best when he said if they had been matched over 15 rounds, Beterbiev would be certain to win but that over 12 Bivol can succeed. Prediction: Bivol by decision

Owen Lewis: The framing of “boxer vs. puncher” certainly helps market this fight, but I wonder if it’s the wrong way to understand it. Artur Beterbiev is not Deontay Wilder, a fighter content to lose rounds until he finds a singular knockout shot. He’s usually up on the cards when he finds the inevitable stoppage, and even when he isn’t – like against Oleksandr Gvozdyk or Anthony Yarde – he has still won his share of rounds.

I don’t think Bivol is necessarily guaranteed a win if he simply avoids getting stopped. Much is made of his jab, but he will be at a one-inch reach disadvantage against Beterbiev, who outjabbed the rangier Callum Smith in January. And we don’t really know how Bivol will react if and when he gets hurt, which you have to imagine he will be at some point. Bivol’s chin is a question, as is his ability to make Beterbiev respect his power, given that his KO rate is under 50 percent. The knee is a concern, but Beterbiev delivering a knockout has become the most reliable thing in boxing, so I’ll rely on it here. Prediction: Beterbiev by KO

Manouk Akopyan: Artur Beterbiev has been trusted like a Rolex throughout his career. With regular maintenance and repair along the way, he has ticked and picked apart every rival he has ever faced by knockout. But on Dmitry Bivol's watch, Beterbiev will suffer a rude awakening and realize he's winding down when he meets the undefeated opponent no one beats: Father Time.

Beterbiev, three months away from turning 40, is somewhat limping into the fight. He has suffered a rash of injuries throughout his career. Four out of his last six fights – including this one, due to a ruptured meniscus requiring surgery in May – have been postponed due to his series of health issues.

Will the bulldozing Beterbiev appear to age overnight against the slick-boxing and fleet-footed Bivol? I say yes, because Beterbiev's fellow Russian counterpart is in a category of his own and can't be compared to the high level of opposition he has previously crushed.

It's a razor-thin fight on paper, and rightfully so. I'm anticipating a tense tussle in the first half turning into a one-sided affair in the second as Bivol leverages his lateral movement and boxes the brakes off Beterbiev. Bivol winning by decision seems like a safe pick, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Bivol rise to the occasion as he did against Canelo Alvarez, only this time by knocking out the knockout artist for yet another career-defining win. Prediction: Bivol by KO

The two huge doubleheaders taking place at Ariake Arena in Tokyo this coming Sunday and Monday morning (U.S. and U.K. times) will occur before our usual weekly TV picks article comes out – so let’s give these cards, which feature seven title fights, their own special edition.

Sunday, Oct. 13 at 4 a.m. ET (9 a.m. BST) on ESPN+

This show is headlined by Takuma Inoue defending his WBA bantamweight belt against Seiya Tsutsumi and is supported by three additional title fights.

Inoue vs. Tsutsumi: Takuma, a 28-year-old from Yokohama, is the younger brother of pound-for-pound king Naoya. Takuma turned pro in 2013 and fell short in his first title shot, losing a decision to WBC belt holder Nordine Oubaali in 2018.

Takuma has won seven in a row since, including a few fights in the 122-pound weight class. He dropped back to 118 in April 2023 and outpointed Liborio Solis to pick up the WBA title, one of four that had been left vacant after undisputed champ Naoya left for junior featherweight. Both of Takuma’s defenses have come this year: a ninth-round knockout of former 115-pound titleholder Jerwin Ancajas and a unanimous decision over Sho Ishida. He is now 20-1 (5 KOs).

Tsutsumi, a 28-year-old from Tokyo, is 11-0-2 (8 KOs). Both draws came in 2020 against Kazuki Nakajima and Daigo Higa. In his past three appearances, Tsutsumi outpointed unbeaten prospects Riku Masuda and Kazuki Anaguchi, then stopped the 4-1 Weerawat Noolae.

Kenshiro Teraji vs. Cristofer Rosales: Teraji is making his flyweight debut after a successful run in the 108-pound weight class. He will face Rosales for the WBC belt left vacant when Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez moved up to 115.

Teraji, a 32-year-old from outside of the city of Kyoto, won the WBC title at junior flyweight in 2017 with a majority decision over Ganigan Lopez. He made eight successful defenses, including a majority decision over Pedro Guevara, a second-round knockout of Lopez in their rematch and a seventh-round stoppage of former titleholder Milan Melindo.

That title run came to a surprising halt in September 2021, when Teraji suffered a 10th-round TKO loss to Masamichi Yabuki. They had an immediate rematch in March 2022, and Teraji regained his title via third-round knockout.

Then, in his next outing, Teraji added the WBA title and Ring championship with a seventh-round TKO of Hiroto Kyoguchi in November 2022. Since then, he has added victories over Anthony Olascuaga (more on him later), Hekkie Budler and Carlos Canizales.

It has been a great stretch. Can it continue in a new division? Rosales stands in the way.

Rosales, a 30-year-old from Managua, Nicaragua, is 37-6 (22 KOs). He is a former flyweight titleholder who won the vacant WBC title in April 2018 with a ninth-round TKO of the aforementioned Higa. Eight months later, Rosales lost the title in his second defense, dropping a decision to Charlie Edwards.

Rosales then lost another title shot in December 2019, fighting for the same belt Edwards had vacated, only to be stopped in nine by Julio Cesar Martinez. He has gone 8-1 since, losing a decision in 2022 to Angel Ayala Lardizabal, who himself has gone on to win a title at flyweight.

Charunphak, a 24-year-old from Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand, is 25-1 (15 KOs). That loss came in just his second pro fight, back in 2018. There isn’t much of note on Charunphak’s record, but he did notch a ninth-round TKO over former 108-pound titleholder Kompayak Porpramook back in 2020. And just two months ago, Charunphak fought outside of Thailand for his first time as a pro, traveling to Japan and winning a majority decision over the 15-0 Kento Hatanaka.

Shokichi Iwata vs. Jairo Noriega: This fight is for the WBO junior flyweight title left vacant when Jonathan Gonzalez (more on him later) left for the flyweight division.

Iwata, a 28-year-old from Tokyo, is 13-1 (10 KOs), with that loss coming to Gonzalez via unanimous decision in 2022. He has since bounced back with four victories, including a sixth-round TKO of the 11-0 Jahzeel Trinidad in July.

Monday, Oct. 14 at 4 a.m. ET (9 a.m. BST) on ESPN+

This show is headlined by Junto Nakatani defending his WBC bantamweight title against Petch Sor Chitpattana, also known as Petch CP Freshmart. The undercard includes two title fights and one other intriguing support bout.

Nakatani vs. Sor Chitpattana: People outside of Japan are at last beginning to catch on to just how good Nakatani is.

His early days brought victories over future titleholders Masamichi Yabuki and Seigo Yuri Akui. In 2020, Nakatani knocked out Giemel Magramo to win a vacant flyweight world title, which he then went on to defend twice. Nakatani soon moved up to junior bantamweight and, in 2023, dominated Andrew Moloney and scored a highlight-reel 12th-round knockout to capture another vacant belt. Again, his reign was brief. After one defense, Nakatani jumped up to bantamweight this February and seized the WBC title from Alexandro Santiago via sixth-round TKO. Nakatani then dispatched Vincent Astrolabio in one round in July.

Sor Chitpattana, a 30-year-old from Roi-Et, Thailand, comes in with an eye-popping record of 76-1 (53 KOs). Almost all of those wins have come against low-level opposition. He did step up against Takuma Inoue at the end of 2018, losing a unanimous decision in what was, until now, his only fight outside of Thailand. Sor Chitpattana has fought 28 times since then.

Kosei Tanaka vs. Phumelele Cafu: Tanaka (20-1, 11 KOs) is a four-division titleholder who will be making the first defense of his WBO junior bantamweight belt, which was vacant when he won it with a unanimous decision over Christian Bacasegua Rangel in February.

Cafu, a 30-year-old from Duncan Village, South Africa, is 10-0-3 (8 KOs). He will be fighting outside of his home country for the first time as a pro. In his past few outings, Cafu has taken a split decision in a rematch with the 22-1-2 Jackson Chauke (they fought to a draw in their first meeting), outpointed the 20-2 Genisis Libranza and made short work of the 6-4 Enathi Stelle.

Anthony Olascuaga vs. Jonathan Gonzalez: Olascuaga, a 25-year-old from Los Angeles, has moved with the speed befitting these lower weight classes, though not seen too often among fighters from the United States. He was 5-0 and two and a half years into his career when he challenged Kenshiro Teraji in April 2023, losing a ninth-round technical knockout.

Olascuaga then moved up to flyweight, dispatching former titleholder Giemel Magramo in seven rounds and knocking out Riku Kano in three rounds for the WBO belt left vacant by Bam Rodriguez. Olascuaga is now 7-1 (5 KOs).

Tenshin Nasukawa vs. Gerwin Asilo: While this fight is not for a world title, eyes are on Nasukawa, a former kickboxing star who did not fare well in a boxing exhibition against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2018. Nasukawa turned pro in earnest in 2023 and has gone 4-0 (2 KOs) so far. In July, the 26-year-old from Tokyo stopped the 17-2-1 Jonathan Rodriguez in three rounds.

This fight will be at bantamweight. Nasukawa will face Asilo, a 23-year-old from Ubay in the Philippines. He is 9-0 (4 KOs) and coming off a second-round knockout in July of the 19-5-1 Surat Eaim Ong.

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.

Jai Opetaia has secured a significant victory by winning a $1.6 million legal case. This triumph comes just two days before his IBF cruiserweight world title defense against Jack Massey in Saudi Arabia, as part of the Beterbiev vs. Bivol card.

Former promoter Dean Lonergan had sued Opetaia for lost earnings after the boxer terminated their contract. The decision was made after Opetaia testified in May. “Won every point. It was a landslide,” said his manager, Mick Francis.

Lonergan helped Opetaia win the world title in 2022. However, the breakdown of their relationship led to two lawsuits against the Australian boxer. Opetaia is now signed with Matchroom and has become a prominent figure in Riyadh’s boxing scene.As he prepares for the fight, Jai Opetaia also has his sights set on the WBO belt.

This title holds special meaning for him, as it is tied to his grandfather, Billy, a former boxer who has inspired him since the beginning of his career.

“I really just want to put that belt around my waist, and I want to be able to give it to him,” Opetaia expressed. For the boxer, it’s about honoring his grandfather while he still can. This weekend, Opetaia will look to leave his mark on the division when he faces Massey.

Jai Opetaia’s current record stands at 25 wins, 0 losses, and 0 draws. He is undefeated in 25 fights. On the other hand, Jack Massey holds a record of 22 wins, 2 losses, and 0 draws. While many predict an early knockout by Opetaia, Massey is a large and tough opponent who could put up a good fight.Jai Opetaia vs. Jack Massey for the IBF and The Ring cruiserweight titles 🥊🔥#BeterbievBivol | #RiyadhSeason | Oct 12, live on DAZN | @Turki_alalshikhpic.twitter.com/9FU16WxDIo

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) October 11, 2024

Former junior middleweight titleholder Austin Trout is best known for a career-defining win against Miguel Cotto in 2012, and for giving Saul “Canelo” Alvarez all he could handle in a competitive fight in 2013.

“No Doubt” Trout (37-5-1, 18 KOs), now 39, is competing in the Conor McGregor-backed Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, and he’ll be fighting for the third time in BKFC on Saturday, defending his 165-pound crown against Rico Franco on Saturday in Marbella, Spain, on DAZN.

Trout still fondly remembers his fight against Alvarez. 

“Giving Canelo a great fight and losing to him has done more to my career than not fighting him at all, as far as my name and respect goes in boxing,” Trout told BoxingScene. “It's elevated me in ways that beating some other fighters wouldn't have.”

Trout has fallen short in big fights since facing Alvarez, dropping decisions to the likes of Erislandy Lara, both Charlo twins, and Jarrett Hurd in title fights.

“Give the king some respect. He can do whatever he wants now. As a fan, I would love to see the David Benavidez fight. That's the fight to make. And I am sure he will do it. When has he not fought the guy people have wanted him to fight?

“I was so sure before that Benavidez was the one [to beat Alvarez], but after his last fight against Oleksandr Gvozdyk, I don't know now. Maybe he should do another fight at 175 pounds to get in there and have a good showing so we can hype it up again. I would favor Canelo at this point. Everyone has a bad night, though.

“Canelo has looked better and better since the Dmitry Bivol fight. But I think Bivol will have his number in the rematch. Bivol outboxed and outsmarted him in the first fight. The Terence Crawford fight for Canelo is a bigger 50-50 fight than Benavidez. Crawford is strong, smart and tricky. He got some balls, bro. It's such a lose-lose fight for Canelo. That's not a smart fight to take. You win, you lose. You lose, you really lose.”

As Trout awaits for more boxing opportunities, he’s all in on his burgeoning bare knuckle fighting career.

“My hands are growing permanent calluses. I plan to eventually have thick knuckles like Bruce Lee, some real thick joints,” said Trout. “I've broken both hands before, but they have never given me problems. The breaks were never around the knuckles. My hands have held up throughout my whole career.” 

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter whose work has appeared on ESPN, Fox Sports, USA Today, The Guardian, Newsweek, Men’s Health, NFL.com, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Ring Magazine and more. He has been writing for BoxingScene since 2018. Manouk is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) , Instagram , LinkedIn and YouTube , through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com .

Chris Eubank Jr. made it clear that he is not concerned about Conor Benn, following a tense altercation between them just before the weigh-in for his fight against Kamil Szeremeta. The weigh-in, held this Friday, sparked considerable anticipation, not only for the fight between Eubank Jr. and Szeremeta but also due to Conor Benn’s presence.

Eubank Jr., who will fight on the undercard of the highly awaited battle between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia, downplayed the confrontation with Benn, focusing instead on his opponent for Saturday.

The British boxer is making his return to the ring after more than a year out of action. His last fight was in January 2023 against Liam Smith. However, it was Conor Benn’s name that dominated conversations during the weigh-in, as they were supposed to face each other in 2022 before Benn failed a couple of doping tests, leading to the cancellation of their bout.

This Friday, Benn attempted to provoke Chris Eubank Jr. by making disparaging comments, trying to ignite tension between the two. But Eubank Jr., after weighing in at the regulation 159.12 pounds, the same as his rival Kamil Szeremeta, remained calm and showed confidence in his physique and focus.

Responding to the incident with Benn, Eubank Jr. said, “That little insect is a coward”, downplaying the provocation. “He showed his true colours. I’m not worried about Conor Benn,” he added firmly. Despite his harsh words for Benn, Eubank Jr. redirected his attention to the real challenge he faces this weekend.Eddie Hearn rejects the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight

“I’ve got to deal with this tough opponent in Kamil Szeremeta,” the Brit concluded, emphasizing that his focus is entirely on the immediate fight. The 35-year-old boxer showed an impeccable physique during the weigh-in, reflecting his preparation for the bout.

The event, which Chris Eubank Jr. will take part in, is generating significant expectations, not just for his fight, but also for the undisputed clash between Beterbiev and Bivol, which will be the main event of the night. For Eubank Jr., Saturday will be his opportunity to re-establish himself in the middleweight division, leaving behind the drama with Conor Benn and concentrating his energy on defeating Szeremeta.Chris Eubank Jr. did not hold back when sharing his thoughts on Conor Benn 👀#BeterbievBivol | #RiyadhSeason | Oct 12, live on DAZN | @Turki_alalshikhpic.twitter.com/wojNnRFHrU

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) October 11, 2024

With Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol meeting on Saturday to definitively determine the top light heavyweight of this generation, who are the fighters they have to overtake to be considered as one of the division's all-time greats?

The light heavyweight division has seen some of the greatest boxers to ever lace them up, but defining what makes a great light heavyweight is surprisingly tricky. Particularly during the first two decades of the twentieth century, heavyweights were smaller and becoming king of the 175 pound weight class was not universally considered a meaningful goal. So the problem becomes: do fighters who weighed around 175 pounds but considered themselves heavyweights count as light heavyweight boxers for the purposes of retrospectives such as this?

Two all-time-greats with a case to be made for them are not on this list. Harry Greb is one, perhaps unreasonably given his overall brilliance and body of work, but he did most of his damage at middleweight. Similarly, while some who know far more than I have included Sam Langford in very high spots on similar lists, I have not. I yield to nobody in my admiration for Langford, but many of the bouts for which he weighed at or around 175 pounds were clearly heavyweight contests, as evidenced by his opponent frequently weighing much more; and for many of his fights, we don't have records of his weight. So I took the easy way out and left him off.

Some of the names on this list—Charles, Moore, Tunney, Foster, Spinks—are slam dunks in some order, others less so. The inclusion of Roy Jones at #10 will cause some apoplexy, particularly among those who argue Jones's light heavyweight dominance could not have been replicated had he competed when the division was at its murderous peak in the 1970s and 1980s. 

It says a great deal about the quality of the 175 pound weight class through history that a list like this doesn't feature the likes of Matthew Saad Muhammad, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Harold Johnson, Marvin Johnson, Michael Moorer, John Conteh, Victor Galindez, Philadelphia Jack O'Brien, Jack Dillon, Virgil Hill, and countless more. Like all such lists, it will presumably amuse and enrage in equal measure. 

All that being said, here is one person's list:

10. Roy Jones Jr (66-10, 47 KOs)

This is the entry on this list that will cause the most fume and fury, both from those who insist he should be higher and those who are aghast at the notion he should be anywhere near the all-time-great light heavyweights. Working against him is the fact that he was never the lineal champion and eschewed the opportunity to face rival titlist Darius Michaelczewski to secure that status; on the negative side of the ledger, too, is that his time at light heavyweight coincided with one of the division’s barren stages. Against that, Jones was an undeniably phenomenal talent, and from 1996 to 2003 was not only unbeaten at the weight (save for a DQ loss, emphatically avenged, against Montell Griffin) but was virtually untouchable.

9. Billy Conn (64-12-1, 15 KOs)

Conn's record is misleading, in that he had little by way of an amateur career, turned pro at 16, and lost six of his first 14. He then rattled off 27 straight wins over the likes of Fritzie Zivic (an all-time dirty fighter) and Vic Dundee and won the 175 pound title by defeating Melio Bettina. In 1941, he challenged Joe Louis for the heavyweight crown. Ahead handily through 12, he was knocked out with seconds remaining in the 13th.

8. Jimmy Bivins (86-25-1, 31 KOs)

Despite never being given the chance to fight for the world championship, Bivins faced 11 former, future, or current champions, defeating eight of them; and seven Hall-of-Famers, emerging victorious against four. His prime was from 1942 to 1946, when he scored wins over the likes of Joey Maxim and Archie Moore.

7. Maxie Rosenbloom (210-38-26, 23 NDs, 2 NCs, 19 KOs)

To win 210 contests with just 19 knockouts suggests tremendous ring acumen, which Rosenbloom possessed in bucketloads. A combination of skillful defense and a strong chin meant that he was stopped just twice in 299 fights, which unfolded over the course of 16 years —an average of more than 18 bouts annually. “Slapsie” Maxie won the world title in June 1930 and lost it four years and 107 fights later.

6. Tommy Loughran (94-23-9, 45 NDs, 1 NC, 17 KOs)

One of the greatest defensive boxers of all time, Loughran was the Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year in 1929 and 1931. He had wins over the likes of Harry Greb and heavyweights Max Baer and Jack Sharkey, and won the light-heavyweight crown in 1927 before abdicating two years later to focus on the heavyweight division.

5. Bob Foster (56-8-1, 46 KOs)

Perhaps the best single-shot knockout artist in the history of the light heavyweight division, Foster won the title in 1968 with a KO of champ Dick Tiger and went on to make a division-record 14 defenses over the next six years. Of his eight career defeats, seven were above 175 pounds, including losses to Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in his peak years, and two in the final outings of his career after returning from a brief retirement.

4. Michael Spinks (31-1, 21 KOs)

Spinks is too often remembered for his first-round destruction at the fists of Mike Tyson and the controversy of his wins over Larry Holmes, but at light heavyweight, he was indisputably one of the very best, and the last champion of the division's golden era. A 1976 Olympic gold medalist, he beat veteran Yaqui Lopez in just his fourteenth fight as a professional, took out Marvin Johnson two fights later, and in his 17th pro bout, took the title from Eddie Mustafa Muhammad. He retained his belt 10 times, including against the likes of Dwight Muhammad Qawi, before stepping up to heavyweight and becoming the first reigning light heavyweight champion to win the heavyweight championship.

3. Gene Tunney (61-1-1, 19 NDs, 1 NC, 45 KOs)

One of the most skilled boxers of his time, as well as one of the most powerful, Tunney never won the light heavyweight championship but established himself as the best through victories over the likes of Harry Greb (who had previously handed him the only defeat of his career), the aptly named Battling Levinsky, Tommy Loughran, amd Tommy Gibbons before moving up to heavyweight and seizing the crown from Jack Dempsey, defending it in the “Long Count” rematch , and retiring.

2. Archie Moore (184-24-10, 1 NC, 130 KOs)

Moore has more knockouts to his name than anybody in the history of the sport. Amazingly, he did not win the title until he was 39 but then promptly held onto it for a decade. Famed for his cross-guard defense, “The Old Mongoose” also challenged all-time great heavyweights Rocky Marciano, Floyd Patterson, and Muhammad Ali, and after retirement also trained a young George Foreman.

1. Ezzard Charles (89-25-1, 51 KOs)

In contrast to Moore's lengthy reign, Charles never won or even challenged for the light heavyweight championship, but from 1946 to 1949, he laid waste to the top of the division, beating Joey Maxim and Bivins and going 3-0 against the Old Mongoose before stepping up to heavyweight and taking the vacant crown via victory over Jersey Joe Walcott. His first defense was against former light-heavyweight champ Gus Lesnevich, who had repeatedly refused to give Charles a shot. Charles knocked him out in seven.

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.