One punch can change a fight and for a certain Frazer Clarke, he learned the harsh reality of this.

The highly anticipated heavyweight rematch between himself and Fabio Wardley, took place two weeks ago in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on the undercard of Beterviev-Bivol.

Their first fight ended as a draw in what was considered a fight of the year contender.

The rematch could not have been more different.

Clarke was demolished in a single round and was rushed off to hospital to have surgery.

It was confirmed the day after the fight that he had suffered multiple cheek fractures.

Up until today, Clarke had been very quiet on his social media channels.

However, today he posted a video on Twitter/X talking about how he feels about the fight and his career moving forward.

“This will not be the end of me, this will actually be the making of me,” Clarke told his followers.

“I put so much work into this camp. So much work into that fight, I was heavily invested, but that’s heavyweight boxing for you.”

”A loss of concentration for one second and that’s what happens.”

”A massive well done to Fabio Wardley and the whole of team Wardley.”Why Terence Crawford vs Vergil Ortiz Jr. isn’t happening

”I also want to give a massive thank you to Saudi Arabia for having me. To Turki Alalshikh and all the staff.”

”My face will heal, my pride is dented for the minute.”

”I’m still gutted but this week we are going to try pick ourself back up.”

”Just know that going forward we will move onto bigger and better things.”

”I promise everyone now, I will be back.”

Although the result of his fight still hurts, the 33-year-old Olympic bronze medalist is looking to move forward with his career.

Many people were questioning whether the Olympic bronze medalist would return to a professional ring.

However, he has made clear that he will return again and this time even better.

Fight fans will be hoping that Frazer’s injuries do not play any part in his future fights.This will not be the end of me, this will be the making of me. I will be seeing you all soon! #BigFrazehttps://t.co/TpZDptiJlTpic.twitter.com/t5WwfPiMdd

— Frazer Clarke (@BigFrazeBoxer) October 24, 2024

It will be a dream pairing of talent when unbeaten welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis and unbeaten junior bantamweight Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez defend their belts in bouts staged at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center on November 9 on DAZN.

What’s more enticing is the possibility of bringing Ennis and Rodriguez back together for an even more profound card on February 22 in Saudi Arabia.

While several events need to transpire for this appetizing scenario to materialize, key representatives involved have discussed the possibility of staging an Ennis-Vergil Ortiz Jnr junior middleweight fight on that card.

And while Rodriguez is owed an opponent who can create a unified 115-pound title bout, another powerful player is interested in cutting line to make an even more compelling match: four-division champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez.

Robert Garcia, who trains both Ortiz and Rodriguez, said there has been interest expressed by Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh in anchoring his planned February 22 card with Ennis, 32-0 (29 KOs), versus Ortiz, 22-0 (21 KOs), adding that two-division champion Rodriguez, 20-0 (13 KOs), has heard the interest of Gonzalez, 52-4 (42 KOs).

For now, Rodriguez needs to get past veteran WBC interim junior bantamweight titleholder Pedro Guevara, 42-4-1 (22 KOs), on the Philadelphia card. But due to the title turbulence in the division, it may be impossible for promoter Matchroom to stage a promised unification for Rodriguez in his next bout, which was part of a recent three-fight extension the fighter signed with Eddie Hearn’s company.

Unified champ Fernando Martinez (WBA, IBF) might be headed to a rematch with former belt holder Kazuto Ioka, and new WBO titlist Phumelele Cafu could be excused for meeting someone other than the relentless Rodriguez, 24, in Cafu’s first title defense.

“Bam only wants to fight the fights that mean something, the ones that make sense,” Garcia said. “He wants those challenges …”

And when word reached Garcia’s camp that Gonzalez has interest in fighting Rodriguez, after the pair sparred for three eight-round sessions before Rodriguez’s seventh-round knockout of former two-division champion Juan Francisco “Gallo” Estrada on June 29, a better option than a unification arose.

While Rodriguez and Gonzalez’s Japanese promoter, Teiken, have frowned on its two stars fighting, Matchroom’s Hearn has previously expressed a push to make that fight.

“I want to see [Rodriguez] make a lot of money,” Hearn said in Phoenix right after the Estrada victory. “As big as a unification is, it’s not as big as Chocolatito, especially now that [Rodriguez] is near the top five fighters in the world.”

Garcia knows the way Rodriguez thinks, how he would find it ideal to top off the triple crown of defeating veteran champions and 115-pounders Carlos Cuadras, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Estrada by defeating former world pound-for-pound No. 1 Gonzalez.

“If there’s no unification available, why not do it against Chocolatito?” Garcia asked. “Huge fight.”

Rodriguez told BoxingScene on Tuesday, following a workout in Riverside, California, “I’ve seen some things on ‘X’ [about Gonzalez’s interest in a fight]. If it does happen, I don’t mind that. … I wait for the call, and whenever I get the call, I head back here to Riverside to get ready.”

Garcia said he opted not to summon Gonzalez to spar Rodriguez during this camp for Guevara, saying he also heard Gonzalez was saying “he got the best of Bam in sparring. … It was great sparring. I’m not saying he got the best of us, but I’m not saying we got the best of him. All three were very even.

“[Gonzalez] thinks he got the best? He threw a lot of punches [in the sparring sessions]. It’d be a heck of a fight.”

How that plays out following Rodriguez-Guevara will be compelling.

Boxing industry insiders have also speculated the February 22 card might be another “5 vs 5” card, perhaps with Hearn’s Matchroom stable with Ennis and WBC lightweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson pitted against Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions roster, which includes Ortiz and unanimous No. 1 lightweight contender William Zepeda.

Stevenson is recovering from hand surgery, and Zepeda still has to get through a November 16 bout against former 130-pound titlist Tevin Farmer in Saudi Arabia.

Alalshikh’s interest in staging Ennis-Ortiz would enrich boxing’s deepest division, which counts four-division champion Terence Crawford, two-belt champion Sebastian Fundora and impressive IBF titleholder Bakhram Murtazaliev.

Alalshikh watched Ortiz’s stirring recovery from two knockdowns to defeat Ukraine’s Serhii Bohachuk by decision on August 10 in Las Vegas, and he has heaped praise on Ennis.

Ortiz and his father, Vergil Ortiz Snr, confirmed that the Ennis bout has been suggested to them and they are willing to participate.

“[My team] knows what I’m going to say: I don’t care who I fight,” Ortiz Jnr told BoxingScene Wednesday. “It’s, ‘Hell, yeah.’”

Ortiz Snr knows it requires a wait for Ennis to make his silly mandatory IBF title defense in Philadelphia against Karen Chukhadzhian, whom he already defeated by three 120-108 scorecards in January 2023.

And while purse money still needs to be negotiated, the elder Ortiz expressed enthusiasm for a bout that would be an elite non-title fight matching the 27-year-old Ennis and Ortiz, 26, with their combined records of 54 wins, no losses and 50 knockouts.

“Belts don’t feed you … as long as they pay you.” Ortiz Snr said. “[Ennis] is hittable, just like everyone else we’ve fought.”

Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.

Terence Crawford is named as number one in the super welterweight / junior middleweight division right now.

The legendary boxer has long been thought of as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world and his undefeated streak certainly emphasises that.

As current WBF junior middleweight champion, there’s another bow to the Terence Crawford string.

However, age is not necessarily on Crawford’s side.

As a 37-year-old, he’s closer to the end of his career than the beginning.

Any boxer that is able to defeat him will be a made man afterwards.

And there are plenty of youngsters looking to make their name off the back of defeating Terence Crawford.

One of those is Vergil Ortiz Jr.

26-year-old Ortiz is the current World Boxing Council (WBC) interim super welterweight and is another fighter who is undefeated.

His last fight saw him defeat Serhii Bohachuk by majority decision in August to win the belt.

But it seems that any fight between Terence Crawford and Vergil Ortiz is unlikely to happen and now we know why.

Golden Boy Promotions president Eric Gomez was speaking on the ‘3 Knockdown Rule’ podcast and has explained why they won’t meet.

Gomez confirmed that the fight had been broached by Turki Alalshikh, who reached out to both fights.Frank Warren responds forcefully against Simon Jordan and Ben Shalom

However, it didn’t happen and he shed some more light as to why.

“You know we just want the biggest fight,” Gomez told the podcast about the plans for Ortiz.

“We were approached about doing the Crawford fight and we accepted.

“Crawford hasn’t decided what he wants to do.

“But he (Ortiz) wants to fight Crawford.

“We are willing to do that fight.”

So it seems that the hold up is on the side of Terence Crawford.

The current WBF junior middleweight champion hasn’t made up his mind and is deciding what to do next.

However, from the side of Golden Boy Promotions and Vergil Ortiz Jr., they are happy and willing to take on the fight.

Fight fans will be hoping that Turki Alalshikh can convince Crawford to take on the fight as it will be sure to be a blockbuster.

The super welterweight division is one of the most competitive in boxing right now and there are a load of great fights that can happen.

And if we see Crawford and Ortiz in the future, it can’t come soon enough.

If an injury to his right hand contributed to Bakhram Murtazaliev prioritizing the left hook that contributed so much to Tim Tszyu being stopped in three rounds on Saturday, the Russian had long expected to stop the first challenger to his IBF junior-lightweight title.

Murtazaliev, 31, won the vacant title when he defeated Jack Culcay in Berlin, Germany in April, and he improved considerably to make his biggest statement as the underdog against Tszyu at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida.

His trainer Roman Kalantaryan later told BoxingScene that Murtazaliev had broken his right hand, but even before he had been given little choice but to focus on throwing his left, between them they had expected him to stop Tszyu, from Australia and 29 years old.

“The fight pretty much went the way I expected,” Murtazaliev said. “I was thinking that he would probably stick around a little bit longer than three rounds. I had mentioned in interviews prior to the fight that I thought I would stop him, but I didn’t know when we would stop him. We did also prepare for 12 rounds.

“I don’t want to wait too long for another fight since I am 31 years old. I would love to unify the titles – so that would mean whoever comes first with another belt. Another option would be to go get a champion at middleweight. If that doesn’t work out, we will take anyone in the top 10, but again, first option is unification – under fair circumstances, and as long as the fight makes sense. 

“I had been waiting three or four years to get the title shot. I eventually did get the chance at the world title but the circumstances surrounding that title fight were terrible. I had to train during Ramadan times [at night] and the fight and fight-week activities were in the Berlin city limits, and they stuck us in a hotel way outside the city.”

“Since his right hand was broke, he was using lots of left hooks, and not the right hand,” Kalantaryan reiterated. “That right hand is deadly and most of the time that’s how his knockouts come. 

“The thing was, it was so close to the fight and camp was great and we didn’t want to have any excuses. That’s why we were throwing so many left hooks, which is how the knockout came.”

Fabio Wardley is still relaxing in the afterglow of his stunning first-round knockout of Frazer Clarke. 

After fighting each other to a gruelling draw in March, Wardley brought a conclusive end to his and Clarke’s rivalry earlier in October and is now plotting his next move. 

Wardley’s promoter, Frank Warren, believes that the British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion’s brutal victory was a star-making performance, and one that elevated him towards the top of the heavyweight division.

Choosing the right opponent for him will be critical. He undoubtedly has world-class power and self-confidence but they shouldn’t be allowed to outweigh his inexperience. Wardley has developed into a convincing prospect but he still needs to figure out exactly what will and won’t work against top-level opposition. Fortunately, the 29 year old from Ipswich also seems to have the willingness and capacity to learn.

Warren has a track record of putting his fighters in the right fights at the right times, and he believes that Wardley has earned the right to test himself. 

“We’re going to sit down with the team and what I’m sort of pre-empting – or saying before we meet – I think he should be fighting somebody in the top 10 and I’m sure that’s what he wants to do,” Warren said before aiming another barb at his rival promoter Ben Shalom’s assertion that the gloves Wardley wore during the fight with Clarke warrant investigation. 

“We’ll sit down and look at the various options. Whatever happens, it’s onwards and upwards. He ain’t going backwards, he’s going forwards. And he’s going forwards with the gloves that he was wearing in that fight that were all above board.”

On the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk-Tyson Fury II, Moses Itauma and Johnny Fisher enter their latest fights. Itauma, 10-0 (8 KOs), will step up in class against Australia’s Demsey McKean, 22-1 (14 KOs), in Riyadh; the popular Fisher, 12-0 (11 KOs), fights the unpredictable Dave Allen, 23-6-2 (18 KOs).

Itauma and Fisher have both progressed admirably in 2024, and, provided they pass their final tests of the year, both will have one eye on the British heavyweight title that Wardley proudly holds.

They may soon able able to focus on it fully. Wardley is planning on leaving behind the domestic scene and vacating it. 

“If I wanted to hold on to that belt permanently then it would be one more defence,” he said. “I think there’s brighter stars. There’s bigger and better opportunities out there. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a fantastic belt. It’s prestigious, it’s beautiful and I’d love to hold on to it but I feel like I’ve had my time with it. I’ve had the fights that also give it the credibility to go with it as well so I’ve had my piece.

“There’s new guys coming through. It’s their time. I’m not one to step in the way, block everyone and hold on to it forever. I’ve got somewhere I want to go now and I’m happy to leave that bit behind.”

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

Darius “DFG” Fulghum will see action on November 2 in Las Vegas when he fights the southpaw Chris Pearson over 10 rounds.

Pearson is 17-4-1 (12 KOs) but Fulgham is full of confidence as an improving fighter.

Frazer Clarke has spoken after his destructive loss to Fabio Wardly in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and insisted he will be back.

The 33 year old, who is 8-1-1 (6 KOs), thanked his team and sponsors and made it clear that the loss he suffered in 2.28 of round one was merely a setback.

“So, guys, this is just a quick one, really, this will not be the end of me,” the heavyweight said. “This will actually be the making of me. I put so much work into that camp – so much work into that fight – I was heavily invested, but that’s heavyweight boxing for you.

“A loss of concentration for one second and that’s what happens. A massive well done to Fabio Wardley and the whole of Team Wardley.

“I also want to give a massive thank you to Saudi Arabia for having me, to Turki Alalshikh, and all the staff at the boxing; the ringside medical team, the hospital in Riyadh and all the staff there. My face will heal; my pride is dented for the minute.

“It’s going to take a little bit of time, but after speaking to so many good people – having so many good connects – it’s been a blessing, really.

“I’m still gutted, but this week we’re gonna try and pick ourselves up and just know that going forward we’re moving on to bigger and better things.”

Naoya Inoue’s dominance of the junior featherweight division is such that his title defenses have grown into showcases of his talent rather than threats to his unblemished record.

Such will be the case on Christmas Eve in Tokyo when unbeaten four-division champion Inoue will have the holiday crowd’s attention by meeting Australia’s IBF mandatory challenger Sam Goodman on an ESPN+ card at Ariake Arena.

A news conference to formally announce the Christmas Eve card was staged Thursday in Japan, and Inoue will soon provide an exclusive interview with BoxingScene to elaborate on the fight and his future.

The card will also include a WBO bantamweight title defense by Yokishi Takei, 11-0 (8 KOs), against an opponent yet to be named.

Japan’s Inoue, 28-0 (25 KOs), is believed to be close to wrapping up his work at 122lbs, as the undisputed champion is expected to have his way with Goodman, 19-0 (8 KOs), and move on to a major event in America that Inoue’s U.S. promoter, Bob Arum, has touted.

The expectation is the bout will land in Las Vegas, and that it could very well become a showdown with unbeaten countryman and three-division and bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani.

Because of his previous destructions, Inoue surprisingly left something to be desired in his most recent bout, a seventh-round body-shot stoppage of veteran former titleholder TJ Doheny, in which Inoue was inactive by his standards in the early rounds before letting fly the defining barrage.

Yet “The Monster” has otherwise been a relentless, precision-punching fighting machine, rising to the top of the pound-for-pound rankings and flexing his popularity by selling out the 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome before flattening Luis Nery in May.

Goodman, 26, elevated to his lofty IBF position by defeating Doheny, Ra’eese Aleem and Miguel Flores in succession last year, most recently took a July 10 tune-up, defeating Thachtana Luangphon by unanimous decision.

Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.

Bakhram Murtazaliev's demolition job of Tim Tszyu appears to be even more impressive once you assess beyond his performance at face value. 

The IBF junior-middleweight champion (23-0, 17 KOs) knocked down Tszyu three times in the second round and once more in the third, forcing the Australian’s corner to throw in the towel.

All four of the knockdowns came courtesy of Murtazaliev's monstrous left hook. Days after the fight, it has been revealed why the Russian was leaning on his crushing left early and often during the first defense of his 154lbs title.

Murtazaliev’s head coach Roma Kalantaryan told BoxingScene that Murtazaliev broke his right hand during his final sparring session on October 11, and essentially entered the fight as a one-handed fighter. 

“Our game plan was at 50 per cent going into the fight because Bakhram didn't have his right hand,” Kalantaryan told BoxingScene. “Bakhram’s knuckle around his pinky was gone. You couldn't see the knuckle. We were icing his hand all week but he didn't want to cancel the fight even though he had a broken hand. We didn’t tell anyone. I told him 'Don't throw your right hand unless you really have to’. So we focused on throwing more open right hooks instead of straight rights, only when needed. I'm sure Tszyu was expecting us to throw more right hands.” 

Kalantaryan said Murtazaliev didn't throw a single right hand after suffering the injury until he started warming up in the dressing room on fight night.

Kalantaryan has previously trained Vanes Martirosyan and Alexander Besputin, and works with the number-one ranked UFC lightweight fighter Arman Tsarukyan from the KD MMA gym in Glendale, California. Kalantaryan, who has coached Murtazaliev for three fights – including his title-clinching win against Jack Culcay in May – said that they were preparing for a flat-footed pressure fighter in Tszyu who was looking to counter-punch. 

“Our plan was to test his power in the first round and test his shots with aggression,” said Kalantaryan. “Bakhram came back to the corner after the first round and said, 'Coach, I do not feel any of his punches’. 

“I told him to just make sure to see the punches coming. He was able to change the fight with his one-punch power. It doesn't matter how hard the fight is. If Bakhram lands, it's fireworks. 

“A lot of people are talking about how easy the fight was, but they don't know the hard work and preparation we went through over the last 10 weeks. We were prepared for a hard war, but the final battle was easy.”

The future looks incredibly bright in a competitive weight division for the Egis Klimas-managed, Kathy Duva-promoted Murtazaliev. 

The 31 year old from Grozny, Russia is based in Los Angeles, and looking to unify titles in the division against fellow crownholders Terence Crawford and Sebastian Fundora.   

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 .

If anyone knows what Anthony Joshua’s plans are, it’s Eddie Hearn.

The boxing promoter has been working with AJ since 2013.

That was around a year after Joshua won the gold medal at the Olympic Games.

Since then, they’ve taken a ride together to the top of the boxing world.

And it’s clear from previous comments from Eddie Hearn that they’re planning to take that ride again.

For all intents and purposes, the noises have all been around a potential rematch between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois.

After a stunning knockout defeat in September, it was believed that AJ would look for revenge.

And it seems that’s still the plan.

However, there’s a particular Tyson Fury shaped question in the background.

For years, boxing fans have been asking when Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury would get in the ring.

There have been several times in the past that it seems like it could have happened, only to fall by the wayside in the end.

However, new comments from Eddie Hearn seem to shed some light and possible update on when Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury could meet in the ring.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Hearn notes that there are only two options for what’s next for AJ.

“It’s weird saying it after a knockout defeat but AJ is actually in a really good position,” said Hearn.

“We’re going to fight Dubois or Fury next.Update provided on Mike Tyson knee injury ahead of Jake Paul showdown

“That’s it. No other interest or warm-up.”

Speaking further, Eddie Hearn suggest that there are two obstacles to the Daniel Dubois fight happening next.

“AJ desperately wants revenge but the only issue is timing.

“For the rematch to happen in February, training camp will have to start in a couple of weeks.

“There are always niggles and he had a few so physically it’s just a case of whether AJ is ready to do that.

“It would be frustrating if we made the Dubois rematch and Fury won.

“Then we’re sitting there going ‘hang on a minute, we’re fighting Dubois but we could have fought Fury in May for the biggest fight in boxing.’

“Win or lose, we can fight Fury next summer.

“But if he wins, AJ fights him for the world title.”

From what we can decipher from the comments made by Eddie Hearn, the fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will happen next summer.

And if Fury wins the world title against Oleksandr Usyk in December, then the fight will be for the world title.

That would give boxing fans what they’ve wanted for years.

A world title fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

When Sam Jones woke up today, he probably didn’t expect to be the talk of the boxing world.

But that’s exactly what has happened.

And it’s all because of Regis Prograis.

In the press conference for his fight against Jack Catterall, Prograis

After being taunted by Jones, American Prograis played voicenotes he had received from Jones stating that he’d beat Catterall.

Why is this so interesting?

It’s because Sam Jones is the current manager for Jack Catterall.

Awkward.

Any time that a boxer hears that their management rates someone better than them, it’s not good.

After initially claiming that Regis Prograis was lying about the messages, Sam Jones quickly backtracked and said that the comments were made years ago.

This is what seems to be the case and wasn’t challenged by Prograis.

Taking the conversation onto social media, Sam Jones has now responded further to the voicenote

Writing on his Twitter / X account, has written a series of messages following the incident.Amateur world champion to turn professional after controversial Olympics exit

Firstly, Jones doubles down that it was a long time ago as he states that he was working with Prograis at the time and was trying to make the Prograis vs Catterall fight.

He then sends a direct message to Regis Prograis that everyone involved can all dig old messages up.Firstly I was working with Regis at the time and was trying to make the Prograis Catterall fight. We can all dig messages up Regis. https://t.co/UoR8YD7WAc

— Sam Jones (@mrsamjones88) October 24, 2024

But the messages from Sam Jones didn’t stop there.

In a further message, Jones mentions that the messages were over 3 years ago in 2021.

He then takes a shot at Regis Prograis about sharing the voicenote and implies that’s a negative trait in the New Orleans southpaw.

Not stopping there, he tweets a third time when an X user says that Jones and Prograis should come face to face in the Sky Sports production The Gloves Are Off.

Sam Jones states he’d be more than happy to do that.

Whatever the case may be in regards to that, it seems that the revelation from Regis Prograis has gotten under the skin of Jones.

He will be hoping that his man Jack Catterall gets a semblance of revenge by defeating Prograis on Saturday.It was in 2021 and I was trying to convince Regis to fight jack. I’ve got receipts of @RPrograis in shit he wouldn’t like being brought up. It is what it is. Thats the type of man he is. https://t.co/pYglyDehXZ

— Sam Jones (@mrsamjones88) October 24, 2024

Naoya Inoue’s co-promoter says that Murodjon Akhmadaliev would be cutting off his nose to spite his face if he forces his mandatory shot at the undisputed junior featherweight champion now instead of waiting a little longer.

Akhmadaliev, a former unified titleholder at 122lbs, is the WBA’s mandatory challenger. But Inoue has been ordered by the IBF to face its mandatory challenger, Sam Goodman, who is also the No. 1 contender in the WBO’s ratings. Inoue-Goodman, set for Christmas Eve – December 24 – was just made official .

In recent weeks, Akhmadaliev has called for Inoue to either fight him or vacate the belt . And his attorney says the WBA title shot is “next in line” in the sequential order when titleholders have unified belts and competing obligations.

“Inoue either gives up that [WBA] title or there’s going to be litigation” against the sanctioning body, Pat English told BoxingScene’s Lance Pugmire .

“So if they examine what they're talking about, and let's say the WBA is made to strip Inoue of his WBA title, there's only two losers,” Arum said. “One is the WBA, and the other is the kid who's trying to strip Inoue.”

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.

Jack Catterall and Regis Prograis are set to go toe-to-toe in Manchester this weekend in a bout where a world title shot is likely on the line.

However at today’s press conference, Prograis made the contest a more personal one as he revealed a voice message that he had received from Catterall’s manager, admitting that Prograis would get the better of the Chorley-born world title hopeful.

After avenging his controversial defeat to Josh Taylor, Catterall now finds himself well positioned for a shot at world honours but has accepted a clash against well-respected two-time champion, Regis Prograis.

Whilst Catterall is coming off of a career-best display, Prograis has been unconvincing in his last two outings, edging a questionable split-decision against Danielito Zorrilla before being knocked down and whitewashed by Devin Haney to lose his WBC super-lightweight title.

Ahead of this weekend’s fight, Prograis revealed at today’s press conference that he had previously received a message from Catterall’s manager, Sam Jones, where the outspoken and ever-present figure of British boxing admitted that the American would ‘flatten’ Catterall if given the opportunity.

RP – “Wait, wait, wait, I have got something else to say, right. I’m going to slash everything right now, a long time ago, Sam Jones, his [Catterall’s] manager, actually said that I would beat Jack’s a**.”

RP – “I got proof right now, if y’all want to hear it, I got proof. He said [I would] flatten him, right!”

SJ – “Hand to God, I never said that. Listen, you have been hit too many times in the head by Devin Haney, my friend.”Gareth A. Davies questions how much Tim Tszyu has left after ‘brutal’ defeat

RP – “Listen, everybody be quiet”.

[plays voice message from Jones from his phone]

Sam Jones [on Prograis’ phone] – “I like Jack by the way, I know him very well, but I do think that you flatten him. You understand what I mean? Because you are a different guy to Josh Taylor…”

With tensions for the fight now at an all-time-high, it remains to be seen whether Jones’ prediction will come true and Catterall will be handed a second career defeat.

The pair will become the first boxer’s to headline at Manchester’s Co-Op Live Arena when they meet in the ring this Saturday.Regis Prograis digs out the old files 👀👀#CatterallPrograis | DAZN pic.twitter.com/gESzLERB1Q

— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) October 24, 2024

The fallout from the Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol fight has been quite something.

After an enthralling encounter that could have gone either way, it was Beterbiev who emerged victorious and became undisputed light heavyweight champion.

But the nature of the decision has led to much discussion.

While some had Artur Beterbiev as the winner, there were disagreements with that.

Others had the fight as a draw between the two competitors.

And some had Dmitry Bivol as the winner.

Despite Bivol accepting the defeat graciously, his team were keen to say otherwise.

Shortly after the fight, Bivol’s team lodged a protest against the decision.

Within a short period of time, they had already requested for an immediate rematch.

After Eddie Hearn chastised one judge for awarding the fight 116-112 to Artur Beterbiev, mainly have been asked what they scored.Evander Holyfield reveals who hit him the hardest

One of those seems to be Tyson Fury.

In the lead up to his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, Fury has been speaking to the press and was asked about the Beterbiev and Bivol fight.

Speaking to ESPN, Tyson Fury

The Gypsy King told the broadcaster that he had the fight in favour of the winner Beterbiev.

Fury scored the fight 115-113, which was the same score that judge Glenn Feldman gave in the fight.

So it seems that Tyson Fury agreed with the overall decision of the fight and thought one of the judges got the score bang on.Tyson Fury tells ESPN he scored the Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol fight for Beterbiev, 115-113, “same as Glenn Feldman.” Fury is truly a real boxing fan. Not many active fighters who can tell you off hand how they scored a recent fight and know which judge scored it the same way.

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) October 24, 2024

Ben Whittaker caused outrage when his showdown with Liam Cameron ended abruptly and was ruled as a technical draw. As fans demand a rematch, Whittaker’s promoter has provided an update on a potential second meeting between the British light-heavyweight duo.

A Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medallist, Whittaker has excelled since making the switch to the professional ranks and has regularly gone viral on social media for his showboating and skills despite just eight professional contests to his name ahead of his clash with Cameron.

Although Cameron was respected as the biggest test of Whittaker’s pro career to date, those giving the ‘Cannonball’ a chance were few and far between, with the easy on the eye skillset and amateur pedigree of ‘The Surgeon’ expected to be more than enough to dispatch of rough and rugged Yorkshireman.

However, there were no signs of Whittaker’s showboating when the pair went toe-to-toe, as Cameron assumed control of the contest from the third round onwards, until he and his rival were sent flying over the top rope in a bizarre moment at the end of the fifth.Unfinished business. We need a rematch @benwhittaker@benjshalom@boxxer

Bring your wheelchair and we can do it in the steel cage if you like 😂 #CameronWhittaker2pic.twitter.com/9FGXmXRALu

— 🔴⚪️LIAM CAMERON🔴⚪️ (@liamcameron21) October 14, 2024

A visibly tired Whittaker showed no signs of recovering and the fight went to the scorecards as a result, where the judges ruled the fight as a draw after five rounds of action – the general consensus of the confused public being that Cameron won three rounds at the very minimum.Amateur world champion to turn professional after controversial Olympics exit

During the aftermath, Ben Whittaker has been labelled as ‘Ben Quittaker’ by Cameron and talks of rematch have led to Cameron receiving his first promotional deal.

Yet, Whittaker’s injury that brought the contest to a close is still lingering and Ben Shalom has today told talkSPORT that the 27-year-old will prioritise his health and ensure that he is fully recovered before accepting a rematch with Cameron.

“I believe that’s the fight [to make], I do. However, I need him to take this time, do his rehab, make sure he comes back fully fit and focused.”

Whether Cameron will take a fight during the interim remains to be seen but the popularity of the former Commonwealth champion has improved remarkably since his fight with Whittaker – even if his professional record has not.

As soon as Mike Tyson’s professional fight with Jake Paul was announced, the news was met with understandable criticism – which was only encouraged further when their initial fight was postponed due to an ulcer flare-up. Now, there is a new injury concern emerging for 58-year-old Tyson after videos emerged of a compression sleeve on his knee.

YouTube sensation Jake Paul has gone 10-1 as a professional since debuting in 2020, that lone defeat coming against the most established boxer on his record – Tommy Fury.

However, he is now being tasked with a legend of the sport as he gears up to take on ‘Iron Mike’ at the AT&T Stadium, with a 31-year age gap between the pair making Paul the favourite despite the much-lauded achievements accomplished in the past.

Paul-Tyson was originally scheduled to take place in July, but Tyson was forced to postpone because of stomach ulcers, as Paul proceeded to knock out late replacement Mike Perry.

With the new fight date just three weeks away, questions as to whether Mike Tyson should return to professional boxing after a near 20-year spell of inactivity are re-emerging and those concerns were given further merit when the once ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ posted a clip of himself training with a seemingly vulnerable knee.I’m just getting started.#PaulTysonpic.twitter.com/ZdDwQ8FbBR

— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) October 23, 2024

Although, Mike Tyson’s agent Andrew Ruf has now explained that the knee of the two-time champion is only in a sleeve as a ‘precaution’, as per USA Today.Teófimo López accuses Turki Alalshikh of deliberately harming Canelo Alvarez event

“Andrew Ruf, Tyson’s agent, said by text message the compression sleeve is “preventative,’’ like one tennis star Novak Djokovic has worn.

“I think the same brand even,’’ Ruf said. “No injury here. He’s looking invincible.’’

“Ruf said he’d seen Tyson wear the compression sleeve in training before and asked about it.

“…that’s how I know Djokovic uses it,” he said.”

Whether fans like it or not, Paul-Tyson is set to be one of the biggest events of 2024 and will be free to watch live on Netflix, as the controversial main-event tops a card that features a record-breaking undisputed title clash on the November 15th bill in Texas.

Robson Conceicao is determined to prove that his title win over O’Shaquie Foster was no fluke.

Conceicao will defend his junior lightweight belt in a rematch against Foster on November 2 at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York.

Conceicao edged Foster by split decision in July, a result many boxing experts deemed controversial. Feeling disrespected by the backlash, Conceicao, a Brazilian Olympic gold medalist, has set himself on silencing critics and defeating Foster again.

Conceicao, 19-2-1 (9 KOs), is no stranger to tight decisions. He lost a close unanimous decision to Oscar Valdez in his first title shot in September 2021. Last November, he fought Emanuel Navarrete to a disputed majority draw in a bid for the WBO 130lbs title. After stopping Jose Guardado in seven rounds in April, Conceicao earned his fourth title shot and captured the WBC belt.

Following a recent training session at Top Rank Gym in Las Vegas, Conceicao addressed the criticism of his last fight:

“The criticism was tremendously disrespectful, especially since I had already been in two big fights against Oscar Valdez and Emanuel Navarrete. I could have been the champion in both of those fights.

“Foster’s team wasn’t happy with my win, but he should have asserted himself more as the champion. He ran and avoided the fight.

“I showed I deserved the win. I was the one asserting myself and landing punches. I’m the champion because I fought for it and earned it.

“As the champion, you have to prove why you’re the champion. You have to assert yourself, not run or throw single shots.

“Now, he has another chance, but I’m the champion. I’ll show why I’m the champion and go for the knockout. I’m coming to hit him hard and often.”

Whilst the glitz and glamour of ‘Riyadh Season’ has taken over the world of boxing during 2024, there are plenty of cards that Turki Al-Alshikh is not involved with that appear to be flying under the radar. Now, it has been confirmed that one former heavyweight champion of the world will headline a card in front of a maximum of 1,100 onlookers.

Last month, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois went toe-to-toe for the IBF heavyweight title and broke the British boxing attendance record – around 96,000 witnessing the dramatic changing of the guard spectacle as Dubois halted ‘AJ’ in style.

Yet, despite making an impressive first defence of the IBF strap, the belt does not guarantee that there will always be demand to watch a former world champion in action, as shown by the return of another former IBF title-holder and fellow opponent of Joshua’s.

Charles Martin claimed the vacant IBF title back in 2016 without landing a significant punch when he defeated Vyacheslav Glazkov via third-round technical-knockout – the undefeated Ukrainian citing a knee injury for the defeat and never returning since.

Benefiting from Glazkov’s misfortunes, Martin attempted to make a difficult first defence of the title by travelling to the United Kingdom and facing Anthony Joshua at the O2 Arena. Instead, he suffered a second-round knockout loss to mark the end of the second-shortest reign of any heavyweight world champion in history.Tyson Fury reveals game plan ahead of Oleksandr Usyk rematch

However, Martin’s shortcomings against ‘AJ’ were not the end of his time on the big stage. ‘Prince’ Charles has appeared on the Garcia-Porter undercard at the Barclays Center in 2017 and scored a knockout victory over Gerald Washington on the Wilder-Fury II bill at the MGM Garden Arena in 2020.

Additionally, a spirited display in his most recent outing against highly-rated American prospect Jared Anderson has proved that the 38-year-old southpaw still has enough in the tank to be a gatekeeper in the division.

Nevertheless, it has now been announced that Martin will end a 16-month spell of inactivity at the 1,100 seated capacity Fox Theater in Redwood City, California – taking on 43-year-old Matthew McKinney, who has suffered early knockout defeats to Cassius Chaney and Chris Arreola within the last couple of years.

The event will take place on Saturday November 16th with tickets available to purchase from $63.00, although a $10 discount is on offer by use of promo code ‘Fight_Night’.

The transition from amateur boxing to the professional scene is often a difficult one – showing the difference in requirements in a sport where mistakes become more costly. Now, one of the best amateurs on the planet is making the switch to the professional ranks, as the latest title hopeful from a booming boxing nation.

Uzbekistan has emerged as one of the richest pools for boxing skills on the planet during recent years, with the likes of Murodjon Akhmadaliev and Israil Madrimov showcasing how the country has developed further since the crowing of its first two world champions – Artur Grigorian and Ruslan Chagaev.

At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Uzbekistan boasted their amateur pedigree by achieving an astonishing five gold medals, only two weight categories not being conquered by an Uzbek (lightweight and light-heavyweight).

One of Uzbekistan’s most likely Olympic champions was 2023 World Champion, Ruslan Abdullaev, but the 22-year-old lightweight sensation was instead knocked out in the quarter-finals by Canada’s Wyatt Sanford in one of the most controversial judging decisions of Paris 2024.

Rather than dwell on his shortcomings of the summer, Abdullaev has made the decision to move to the United States and pursue a career as a professional in the hopes of becoming Uzbekistan’s fifth world champion, as per respected Uzbek boxing journalist, Jalol Akhmedov.Usyk vs Fury 2 press conference dateAsian and world champion in amateurs, Ruslan Abdullaev is headed to the U.S. to continue his career in professional boxing! 🇺🇸🥊 Big moves for the rising star, wishing him success in the next chapter of his journey! #ProBoxing#TeamUzbekistan#FutureChampionpic.twitter.com/a5cVnIWPw8

— Jalol Akhmedov🇺🇿 (@JalolAkhmedov) October 20, 2024

“Asian and world champion in amateurs, Ruslan Abdullaev is headed to the U.S. to continue his career in professional boxing! Big moves for the rising star, wishing him success in the next chapter of his journey! #ProBoxing#TeamUzbekistan#FutureChampion”

A ten-time national champion, Abdullaev has the pedigree to rightfully target similar success to that of his good friends Akhmadaliev and Madrimov have achieved and also has time on his side.

With Akhmadaliev rumoured to be fighting Naoya Inoue in Las Vegas in early 2025, the possibility of a debut from Abdullaev on the undercard could provide the youngster with an ideal chance to make a statement and put his rivals on notice, assuming Inoue gets past Sam Goodman unscathed.

Former heavyweight titleholder Charles Martin returns to the ring November 16, facing Matthew McKinney in an eight-round fight at the Fox Theatre in Redwood City, California.

The event, promoted by Patrick Ragan’s Westside Promotions, marks their sixth show since launching the promotional entity in 2023 and their third consecutive event at the Fox Theatre.

Martin, 29-4-1 (26 KOs), will step back into the ring after nearly a year-and-a-half hiatus. The 38-year-old from Carson, California, last fought in a competitive bout against Jared Anderson, losing a unanimous decision on ESPN in July 2023. He now takes on 43-year-old McKinney, 17-8-3 (13 KOs), from Escondido, California.

Martin won the IBF heavyweight title by defeating Vyacheslav Glazkov via third-round TKO but lost it in his first defense to Anthony Joshua, getting knocked out in two rounds in the UK. In 2022, Martin headlined a pay-per-view card against Luis Ortiz, where both fighters traded knockdowns before Ortiz stopped Martin in the sixth round.

Also scheduled for the card is unbeaten featherweight Malikai Johnson, trained by Ray Woods, lightweight Jalen Walker and welterweight Jacob Macalolooy in separate bouts.