BOXING BOXING ARTICLES

One of the best pound for pound boxers of the last decade will enter the ring for the first time in almost a year this week as Terence Crawford defends his WBO welterweight title against Kell Brook. Crawford (36-0 with 27 knockouts) hasn’t seen any of his last seven fights go to the cards. He is a three-division champion that is now dominating the welterweight class after formerly holding titles at lightweight and light welterweight. Brook (39-2 with 27 knockouts) is a former IBF welterweight champion, but he is a significant underdog per the boxing betting odds. The undercard for this fight will kick off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN Plus with the title fight starting at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN. ... 

Devin Haney took offense to the notion that Teofimo Lopez Jr. was the undisputed top lightweight in the world after his upset over Vasiliy Lomachenko three weeks ago. Haney (24-0 with 15 knockouts) is the current WBC lightweight title holder, and his belt is the only lightweight strap not around Lopez’s waist. He is looking to get a shot at Lopez and a potentially big payday, but he first has to get past Yuriorkis Gamboa. Gamboa (30-3 with 18 knockouts) is a former featherweight and interim ligh... 

The best cruiserweight boxer in the world is making a run at the heavyweight division. After becoming the first cruiserweight to hold all four titles at once, Oleksandr Usyk decided he needed a new challenge. Usyk (17-0 with 13 knockouts) had his first heavyweight bout last October, and he will face his second heavyweight opponent on Halloween when he faces Dereck Chisora (32-9 with 23 knockouts). This fight will be available through PPV on DAZN, and it will be broadcast at 5 p.m. ET.... 

Halloween is one of the most exciting days in the boxing world in 2020. There are four separate cards set to take place on October 31, giving fight fans plenty of action to sate their appetite. The biggest favorite of the four headline fights is Naoya Inoue. Inoue (19-0 with 16 knockouts) will be defending his bantamweight belts against challenger Jason Money (21-1 with 18 knockouts). This fight will be broadcast on ESPN, and it is slated to start at 10 p.m. ET.... 

October is a big month for boxing, and it will close out with a bang when Gervonta Davis takes on Leo Santa Cruz. Davis (23-0 with 22 knockouts) currently holds the WBA lightweight belt, while Santa Cruz (37-1-1 with 19 knockouts) is the WBA super featherweight champion. This will be the first title fight with fans in attendance since the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, so it will be great to hear actual noise in the background. There are four fights on the card in this promotion, and it... 

The best pound-for-pound boxer in the world will look to add another title to his waist when Vasiliy Lomachenko takes on Teofimo Lopez in a lightweight title unification fight. Lomachenko (14-1 with 10 knockouts) currently holds the WBA, WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles, while Lopez (15-0 with 12 knockouts) is in possession of the IBF lightweight title. The winner of this bout will be the unquestioned best lightweight fighter in the world.... 

The interim IBF welterweight belt will be on the line on Saturday, October 10, when No. 1 contender Kudratillo Abdukakhorov faces off against Sergey Lipinets. Abdukakhorov (17-0 with nine knockouts) has patiently bided his time as Errol Spence is convalescing after a serious car crash, and he will finally earn his first major title shot here. Lipinets (16-1 with 12 knockouts) is no pushover though. This fight will air on Showtime.... 

Shakur Stevenson vacated the WBO featherweight title to move up to the junior lightweight division three months ago, and the belt has been unclaimed since that point. That will change on Friday, October 9, when Emanuel Navarrete and Ruben Villa meet in the Top Rank bubble to determine the next title holder. Navarrete (31-1-1 with 27 knockouts) was originally supposed to face Jessie Magdaleno, but the latter declined the fight. That led to Villa (18-0 with five knockouts) earning his first major ... 

It looks like Jose Zepeda and Ivan Baranchyk are finally going to be able to meet in the ring. These two junior welterweights were supposed to meet in July, but Baranchyk had to back out after injuring his ribs in training. Both fighters’ camps expressed interest in trying to get these two into the ring again though, giving Top Rank a great fall fight. This bout will headline a big card on ESPN Plus, and the main draw is expected to take place at 10 p.m. ET.... 

Boxing is a family affair, but we have never seen a pair of twins dominate before Jermell and Jermall Charlo entered the picture. Jermell Charlo (33-1 with 17 knockouts) will face Jeison Rosario (20-1-1 with 14 knockouts) in a light middleweight unification fight, while Jermall Charlo is defending his WBC middleweight title for the fourth time against Sergiy Derevyanchenko. These fights will be available through Showtime PPV on Saturday, September 26, with the undercard kicking off at 7 p.m. ET.... 

The Charlo twins will headline a great night of boxing on Showtime on the last weekend of September. Jermall Charlo (30-0 with 22 knockouts) will face Sergiy Derevyanchenko (13-2 with 10 knockouts) with the WBC middleweight belt on the line, while Jermell Charlo looks to unify the light middleweight titles against Jeison Rosario. This will be Jermall Charlo’s fourth title defense, and it will be available through Showtime PPV on Saturday, September 26, with the undercard kicking off at 7 p.m. ET... 

Youngster Erickson Lubin’s decision to eschew Olympic glory appears to have been the right one. Lubin decided not to participate in the 2016 Summer Olympics although he would have been one of the favorites in order to turn pro earlier. That has allowed him to run his record to 22-1 with 16 knockouts at the age of 24, and he is seen as one of the top super welterweights in the world. He is looking to earn another title shot after his first disappointment, but he must get past 21-1-1 (10 KOs) Terr... 

Unbeaten Cobia Breedy (15-0 with five knockouts) will get the chance to make his mark on the boxing world when he takes on Tugstsogt Nyambayar (11-1 with nine knockouts) on September 19. Breedy will be filling in for Eduardo Ramirez after the latter boxer tested positive for COVID-19 in early September, forcing the WBC to find a replacement. This will be the co-main event along with the super welterweight bout between Erickson Lubin and Terrell Gausha, and it will be broadcast on Showtime with c... 

The welterweight division is loaded with talent, and two of the top contenders in this weight class will square off in a co-main event alongside featherweights Miguel Marriaga and Joet Gonzalez on Saturday, September 12. Egidijus “Mean Machine” Kavaliauskas 21-1-1 with 17 knockouts is looking to pick up his first win in almost two years against Mikael Zewski 34-1 with 23 knockouts. This fight will be broadcast on ESPN Plus in association with Top Rank, and the bout is scheduled to begin after th... 

Two of the top featherweights in the world will meet in Sin City as the co-main event for the welterweight clash between Egidijus Kavaliauskas and Mikael Zewski on Saturday, September 12. Miguel “The Scorpion” Marriaga 29-3 with 25 knockouts has won his last four fights after back-to-back defeats, and he will look to earn another title shot with a win over Joet Gonzalez 23-1 with 14 knockouts. This fight will be broadcast on ESPN Plus in association with Top Rank, and the bout is scheduled to be... 

The WBA welterweight belt has been vacant since Alexander Besputin failed a post-fight drug test back in November, but it will finally be around someone’s waist on Labor Day weekend. Yordenis Ugas (25-4 with 12 knockouts) narrowly lost his last title fight last year, so he is out to finally be a world champion on Saturday night. Meanwhile, Abel Ramos (26-3-2 with 20 knockouts) will be taking part in his first career title fight here.... 

It turns out the third time is the charm. After seeing this fight postponed twice already this year, Jose Ramirez will finally defend his junior welterweight belts against Viktor Postol on Saturday, August 29. Ramirez 25-0 with 17 knockouts has been incredible throughout his career, but Postol 31-2 with 12 knockouts is a former world champion in his own right. This bout will be broadcast on ESPN.
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For the last six years, Erislandy Lara has been one of the premier light middleweights in the world. He has been involved in a title fight at this division 11 times over the last seven years, and he will defend the title once more on Saturday, August 29, when he takes on Greg Vendetti. Lara is 26-3-3 coming into this bout with 15 knockouts, while Vendetti is 22-3-1 with 12 knockouts.
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Two of the best light heavyweights in the world will square off in a WBO light heavyweight title eliminator on August 22. Former champion Eleider Alvarez 25-1 with 13 knockouts is looking to win back his belt when he takes on Joe Smith Jr. 25-3 with 20 knockouts. It will be one of the first fights at the MGM Grand since the coronavirus shut down the popular venue, and the card will be broadcast on ESPN Plus starting at 10 p.m. ET.... 

Fight Camp will go out with a bang on August 22. WBC interim heavyweight champion Dillian Whyte will take on Alexander Povetkin with the belt on the line. Whyte 27-1 with 18 knockouts is considered one of the best heavyweights in the world, and the WBC has mandated that Tyson Fury face him provided he wins on Saturday. Povetkin 35-2-1 knows this could be his last title fight at the age of 40, so he wants to make the most of perhaps his final opportunity.... 

It has been over five months since we have seen boxing on Showtime, but that will come to an end on Saturday, August 15, when David Benavidez defends his WBC super middleweight belt against Roamer Alexis Angulo. Benavidez 22-0 with 19 knockouts has been the most overpowering boxer at this weight class for the last few years, but Angulo 26-1 with 22 knockouts is a formidable challenger. ... 

The electrifying Jono Carroll will return to the ring on Wednesday, August 12, when he takes on Maxi Hughes in a bout between top contenders at 133 pounds. Carroll (18-1-1 with four knockouts) was in one of the final headline bouts before the coronavirus put the world on its head, while Hughes’ (20-5-2 with four knockouts) last fight was two weeks prior to that. This bout will headline a card that will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN Plus in the United States. ... 

The war of the words between the camps of Terri Harper and Natasha Jonas is heating up ahead of their fight next week. Jonas’ trainer Joe Gallagher shared a rumor that Harper had been knocked out by a sparring partner in training, and he expressed concern about the champion’s focus going into this match. Harper’s trainer Stefy Bell responded by questioning whether Jonas had the stamina to go the distance, dismissing claims that his fighter had been knocked out. That will likely lead to a tense w... 

Seeing the success that the UFC has had with Fight Island, Matchroom Boxing has decided to take a page from their playbook. The promotion is launching Fight Camp on August 1, and there will be four full cards to give boxing fans plenty to enjoy during the month. All of these fights will take place outdoors in Brentwood, Essex, and the first will be headlined by Sam Eggington 28-6 with 17 knockouts and Ted Cheeseman 15-2-1 with nine knockouts. This card will be broadcast on DAZN in the United Sta... 

Fans of boxing in the United Kingdom must be tickled pink with the first card of Matchroom Boxing’s four-week Fight Camp. In the main event, Sam Eggington will face Ted Cheeseman for the IBF International Super Welterweight strap, and in the primary undercard, James Tennyson 26-3 with 22 knockouts squares off against Gavin Gwynne 12-1 with two knockouts for the vacant British lightweight belt. This card will be broadcast on DAZN in the United States and Sky Sports in the United Kingdom....