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Sometimes the simplest advice is the best advice.

Though Naazim Richardson is remembered by the boxing public for his creative phrasing, his dynamic analogies, his aphorisms that, like a perfect pop song, can sound instantly familiar even though you’re hearing them for the first time, fellow Philadelphia trainer Stephen “Breadman” Edwards singles out something “Brother Naazim” used to say that was as basic as it gets.

“The best piece of advice I would hear him give young fighters – it’s gonna sound really simple and common,” Edwards recalled this week. “But when a young fighter would walk up to him and ask him something, Naazim’s response always would be, ‘Listen to your coach.’ He always said that. ‘Listen to your coach, young man. Always listen to your coach.’

“It was a constant thing. And it got to a point where all the other trainers in the gym would start to say the same thing: ‘Listen to your coach,’” Edwards continued, referring specifically to the James Shuler Memorial Boxing Gym in West Philadelphia where he and Richardson both worked.

“And I always respected him for saying that, because he was such a popular guy, he had such a high status by being on HBO and Showtime and being a part of big fights – it would have been real easy for him to take another trainer’s fighter. But he never did that. This was a guy that could have stolen a lot of guys’ fighters, but he never did. Naazim did the opposite. He would always tell the young fighters, ‘You need to listen to your coach.’”

Five years ago today, Richardson died at the end of a long, unspecified illness. He was, according to the memorial notice posted by his family at the time, just 54 years old. Other sources reported that he was 55 or 56.

Whatever the exact number, he was gone far too soon. This was one coach whom a lot of fighters would have benefited from listening to for many more years.

Richardson’s greatest success as a trainer came with the finest Philly fighter of the era, Bernard Hopkins. The two men – who were, according to that memorial notice, born in the same year, even though you could be forgiven for guessing B-Hop was a decade younger when you saw them together – met back in the 1980s at Graterford Prison.

Richardson was an assistant trainer in Hopkins’ corner under Bouie Fisher and became head trainer after Hopkins and Fisher had a falling out in 2001. Brother Naazim rose to fame in the boxing world guiding “The Executioner” to wins over Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Tarver, Kelly Pavlik and Jean Pascal – some of them fights that Hopkins was not expected to win.

But if there’s a single fight Richardson is best known for, it’s one featuring one of his few notable clients who wasn’t from Philly. Naazim was the man in Shane Mosley’s corner who spotted Antonio Margarito’s loaded hand wraps prior to their 2009 fight.

And that wasn’t a one-off fluke; eight years earlier, under Richardson’s watchful eye, Felix Trinidad was forced to re-wrap his hands before his loss to Hopkins because Brother Naazim pointed out to the commission that the wraps did not comply with New York’s standards.

Richardson also trained cruiserweight belt holder Steve Cunningham and assisted in Stephen Fulton’s corner, plus he trained his own twin sons, Tiger and Rock Allen, and his nephew Karl “Dynamite” Dargan.

“I would say he’s one of the best trainers in Philly history overall, and he’s certainly one of the best recent trainers in Philly,” Edwards opined. “Naazim was a terrific amateur trainer as well as a pro trainer. His two sons and Karl Dargan, they had outstanding amateur careers. And in the pros, he was on the big stage several times, and win, lose or draw, his fighters always gave a good account of themselves.”

At the very least, they received memorable advice in the corner.

Richardson’s most spectacular riff was surely the one he laid on Mosley after Round 4 of the Margarito fight. It’s almost as beautiful on the printed page as it was airing live on HBO:

“See, this guy ain’t used to getting it back at the body. Fake that jab, keep popping him up, stab him in his heart, rip around them sides. We gonna show him how he got slowed down. When he hit the pedal, ain’t gonna be no gas in the car at the end of this. Alright? Your combinations, Shane, nobody in this division’s hands as fast as y’all’s. Run them combinations, knock the grease off this dude, and then swim without getting wet. Slide, to your stick. Slide, to your angle.”

Then there was this one, delivered during the 48-year-old Hopkins’ win over Tavoris Cloud:

“When you touch the body, he freezes. I need that short Joe Louis, wipe his nose with the hook. Tip your hat, pop the chain, short Joe Louis, wipe his nose with the hook, short Joe Louis. It’s that simple.”

Swim without getting wet. Short Joe Louis. Wipe his nose with the hook.

These were all instant classics. But Richardson was just as capable of delivering gems to the media.

“You don’t throw a Cadillac away ‘cause it got a dent in it,” Richardson once said in an interview.

“When you were young, you could just go to your machine guns. As you get older, you gotta start planting some land mines,” he philosophized another time.

Then there was the time he remarked that he thought in the moment that spotting the hardened inserts in Margarito’s wraps would backfire:

“I thought Margarito was going to the joint,” he said. “I thought I blew the whole fight.”

Breadman Edwards first met Richardson in 2010 – when the latter was a household name in boxing and the former was just starting out as a trainer.

Edwards notes that Richardson didn’t teach him how to train boxers, but he did teach him how to talk to them and was somewhere between a mentor and a big brother to Breadman.

“He was the only trainer in the gym that was cordial with me when I first started training,” Edwards recalled. “You know, trainers are very territorial, and a lot of the trainers, they just were kind of standoffish to me – didn’t say much to me and would gossip, like, ‘Where did this guy come from?’ And Naazim was always cool with me. He always talked to me. He got my number. He would call me periodically. And, you know, I would like to think we became good friends.

“It’s funny, because he would talk to me so much in the gym it could be a problem. It would be times where, I’ll be trying to work, and he loved to talk so much, and I’d have to kind of get away from him until the workout was over. He could really hold the conversation with you. Like, right in the middle of the work, he’d just start holding the conversation with you.”

That comports with the words of John DiSanto of “Philly Boxing History” – the chairman of the Pennsylvania Boxing Hall of Fame, which inducted Richardson in 2014 – who wrote shortly after his death, “Conversations with Richardson were always two-way, but when it came to talking, he had more stamina than anyone and always got in the last word.”

He also got in the first word on two memorable occasions in Edwards’ career. Breadman’s most heralded trainer-fighter relationship is with Julian “J-Rock” Williams, who was knocked out by Jermall Charlo in his first title try in 2016 but who upset Jarrett Hurd in a 2019 thriller in his second attempt at a major belt.

“Naazim was the first person in the locker room when Julian lost to Charlo, and he said, ‘Everything’s gonna be OK, man. You guys will get this back,’” Edwards remembered. “And then, two-and-a-half years later, he was the first person in the locker room when Julian beat Jarrett Hurd.

“And it was one of the last times I saw him, because right after the Hurd fight, he got a little sick, and then the next year he passed away.”

Richardson actually suffered a stroke way back in 2007, when he was still in his early 40s, but he recovered and went on to some of his greatest successes as a trainer. By 2019, though, when Edwards saw him after Williams-Hurd, Breadman could tell Richardson’s motor skills were slowing down.

On July 24, 2020, Richardson’s illness got the best of him. But in the minds of boxing fans, on the pages of YouTube and inside the walls of Shuler’s Gym, his words live on.

And those words span a wide range, from the literal to the figurative.

It is impossible for an aspiring boxer to actually swim without getting wet.

But it shouldn’t be hard at all for a young fighter to listen to his coach.

Eric Raskin is a veteran boxing journalist with nearly 30 years of experience covering the sport for such outlets as BoxingScene, ESPN, Grantland, Playboy, and The Ring (where he served as managing editor for seven years). He also co-hosted The HBO Boxing Podcast, Showtime Boxing with Raskin & Mulvaney, The Interim Champion Boxing Podcast with Raskin & Mulvaney, and Ring Theory. He has won three first-place writing awards from the BWAA, for his work with The Ring, Grantland, and HBO. Outside boxing, he is the senior editor of CasinoReports and the author of 2014’s The Moneymaker Effect. He can be reached on X, BlueSky, or LinkedIn, or via email at RaskinBoxing@yahoo.com.

Six months after their first fight ended in controversy, Irish welterweights Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan will get together again on September 13 at Windsor Park, Northern Ireland, this time to contest the vacant IBF welterweight title. 

Back in March, at Belfast’s SSE Arena, Donovan dropped Crocker with a punch thrown after the bell to end round eight and was immediately disqualified from the final eliminator for the same title by the referee Marcus McDonnell. The call ended a fight he was until then winning and left Donovan crestfallen and Crocker, both victim and victor, far from satisfied. 

“This is the fight I’ve wanted since the final bell of the first one,” said Crocker, 21-0 (11). “To run it back for the IBF title, and to do it in such an iconic stadium in Belfast, in front of my own people, is something I’ve dreamed of my whole life.

“This isn’t just a rematch. It’s my chance to silence the doubters and prove I’m the best welterweight in the world. I know exactly what I need to do, and on fight night, I’m leaving with that world title.”

“It’s going to be a great atmosphere in Belfast on fight night,” Donovan, 14-1 (11), said. “I’m looking to repeat another stellar boxing performance, set the record straight and come home with a world title. I can’t wait.”

As is often the case when controversy clouds a result, the rematch between Crocker, 28, and Donovan is expected to be considerably bigger and attract more interest than fight one. In terms of stage, it will take place outdoors at Windsor Park, a football stadium much larger in size than the SSE Arena. Better yet, the rematch between Crocker and the 26-year-old Donovan has a title on the line following Jaron Ennis’ decision to relinquish it and move up to junior middleweight.

“World-title fight!” Crocker previously wrote on social media after learning a world title was at stake. “The biggest fight in Irish boxing history. Time to prove them all wrong.”

Donovan, meanwhile, wrote: “It’s my time to become IBF world champion. Thank you to my team. It’s going to be history on the Emerald Isles 26 years young. Let’s go!”

After years of working together under the Golden Boy Promotions banner, Oscar De La Hoya and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez had a highly publicized and bitter split in 2020. While the business partnership once flourished, things turned personal and explosive.

Tensions came to a head in May 2024 during fight week for Alvarez's bout with Jaime Munguia. At a press conference, De La Hoya and Alvarez had to be physically separated by security in front of the media after nearly coming to blows.

In a recent appearance on All The Smoke Fight, De La Hoya opened up about the falling out, admitting he still doesn’t fully understand what caused the relationship to sour.

“I think it might be jealousy,” De La Hoya said. “I remember every time I would go into a room where he’s at, all the attention turns over to me.”

He also denied that money was a factor in the feud, stating there were “zero whatsoever” financial issues between him and Alvarez.

When told that Alvarez might eventually appear on the show to share his side, De La Hoya responded with: “I hope so, because I need the answer.”

Xander Zayas envisioned this exact scenario – timeline and all - when he signed with Top Rank more than six years ago.

The unbeaten 22-year-old junior middleweight contender heads into the biggest fight of his career, as he’s set to face Jorge Garcia for the vacant WBO 154lbs title. The moment comes in Zayas’ 22nd pro fight, after going the old-fashioned route – newcomer to prospect, onto contender and now the number one challenger for the belt at stake this weekend.

“This is the exact path I always saw for myself when I first signed with Top Rank and turned pro,” Zayas told BoxingScene. “I always said, I wanted to have at least 20 fights under my belt before my first world title fight.
“This is now fight number 22, and at age 22. I just feel like all the stars are aligning.”

Zayas-Garcia takes place this Saturday atop an ESPN telecast from The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The event will mark the final Top Rank Boxing on ESPN show, a bittersweet moment for the sport but a fitting graduation for the charismatic Puerto Rican boxer.

Top Rank wasn’t even two years into its original deal when a 16-year-old version of Zayas signed with the promotional powerhouse as well as noted fight manager Peter Kahn in 2019.

The early plan called for Zayas, 21-0 (13 KOs) to develop in the ring and then as a household name, particularly in New York City and his home state of Florida. The Covid pandemic represented a brief hurdle on the marketing front, as his three appearances in Boricua-heavy Kissimmee, Florida were fought under social distancing restrictions.

Zayas’ first taste of an expanded supporting cast came in a December 2021 win over Alessio Mastronunzio. The night marked his first career fight on MSG property in New York City, where he has emerged as a dependable attraction.

Saturday will mark Zayas’ eight career MSG-branded and fourth in a row at The Theater. Among those fights was his most notable victory to date – a ten-round, virtual shutout of former WBO 154lbs titlist Patrick Teixeira last June 8, the night before the annual Puerto Rican Day parade.

It’s as fitting a location as any for his first major title fight, even if not against the originally targeted opponent.

Zayas advanced to the mandatory challenger position for the WBO title previously held by Sebastian Fundora, 23-1-1 (15 KOs).

The matchup was ordered shortly after Fundora knocked out Chordale Booker in the fourth round of their March 22 Prime Video headliner at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Zayas was in attendance and joined Fundora in the ring for a photo-op in the form of a staredown.

Talks never progressed, however, and the fight was sent to a purse bid hearing which was eventually canceled. Fundora vacated his WBO title after Tim Tszyu enforced a rematch clause from their March 2024 meeting, which left him obligated to a second bout.

Not getting an established champion in the ring for his first major title fight is perhaps the only part of his journey that hasn’t gone according to plan.

“I was disappointed in the beginning,” admitted Zayas. “I wanted to face the champion and beat the champion, not just win one but two world titles. It was something I wanted to do if I was given the opportunity. But it didn’t happen that way and I can’t get mad about it. This is business at the end of the day.

“In the end, he was still a unified champion as far as the history books will show and, even though he didn’t fight me, he [fought] another champion. I can’t be mad about it.”

Fundora stopped Tszyu after seven rounds last Saturday at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Zayas now has the chance to show just one week later that he belongs in the conversation. The steps he’s taken to get to this point leave him brimming with confidence that a revisited showdown with Fundora is on the other side of his title fight this weekend.

“Maybe down the line, we can still meet and I get that shot at my second world title,” pondered Zayas. “He said in the past he wanted to fight another champion. Hopefully after [Saturday], that other champion is me. We’ll see. If not, then we’ll just continue to win and keep facing the best.

“Hopefully down the line, that fight can still happen.”

For now, Zayas’ most dangerous opponent is the one that will be standing across the ring on Saturday.

Mexico’s Garcia, 33-4 (26 KOs) already pulled off one major upset to arrive at this point. The 28-year-old from Los Mochis outhustled unbeaten Charles Conwell and claimed a split decision in their April 19 clash in Oceanside, California.

The win was Garcia’s eighth in a row, and Zayas is well aware of what he has in front of him.

It doesn’t leave him any less confident of fulfilling his destiny.

“Little by little I’ve been making my mark,” noted Zayas. “I’ve showed the world why I belong in the number-one spot. I’ve earned this opportunity and I’m excited about this.”

Jake Donovan is an award-winning jour who served as senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.

They say Father Time is undefeated. I call BS on those who say that.

This past Saturday, a 38-year-old man confirmed his status as the heavyweight champion of the world by knocking out an opponent more than a decade his junior.

Hours later, a 46-year-old man showed he still has something left en route to getting an arguably unlucky draw against an opponent more than a decade-and-a-half his junior.

And a man approaching his 50th birthday who struggles with undiagnosed narcolepsy endured more than 10 straight hours of boxing broadcasting without dozing once – while joined by three slightly-to-significantly older friends who showed similarly impressive stamina.

Yep, the clock got turned back all over the place on this epic day/night of boxing. And the clock will be our guide as we return to everyone’s favorite post-fight column device, the pay-per-view running diary, to reflect on the Oleksandr Usyk-Daniel Dubois II pay-per-view from Wembley Stadium in London, the Mario Barrios-Manny Pacquiao pay-per-view from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and the Amazon Prime Video undercard in-between those two.

2:16 p.m. ET: Even though the broadcast from Wembley began at 12:30 my time, I’m not especially interested in any of the deep undercard bouts and recognize that there’s a difference between being in shape to watch 10 straight hours of boxing and being in shape to watch 12 straight hours of boxing. So I get home from some early-afternoon errands in time to turn on the TV during the third round of a heavyweight bout between Brit Solomon Dacres and unbeaten Ukrainian Vladyslav Sirenko. I am engaged in internal debate between caffeinating and attempting to power-nap before my guests arrive. Canine companion Otis Dumbledore Raskin has, predictably, opted for the latter.

2:17: The Wembley crowd boos as Usyk is shown on the big screen arriving at the venue. I recognize they’re just doing this because they’re rooting for their countryman to win the heavyweight title, but still, I cannot respect anyone who boos Oleksandr Usyk.

2:24: One of my guests, hardcore boxing fan David Kushin (who was also part of the previous PPV party running diary), texts to inform me he’s leaving his house and will be arriving around 3:40. The window to nap just feels a little too tight. Caffeination it shall be. Time to make a caramel latte (with Lactaid milk, of course, because my digestive system is as washed as the rest of me).

2:53: I pass the time playing PokerStars on my phone and win a tidy $70 in 10 minutes, effectively defraying the costs associated with hosting a PPV party. While I’m getting rich, Dacres is completing an upset unanimous decision over Sirenko.

2:56: Turki Alalshikh’s arrival at Wembley is broadcast on the Jumbotron, in slo-mo, with the words “His Excellency” in the chyron. Surely this was all the result of an independent editorial decision by the director of the DAZN broadcast and in no way a case of money and power influencing the presentation.

2:58: Another guest, veteran boxing writer/editor and my former podcast partner Bill Dettloff, texts: “On my way with C material.” Perhaps so, but Bill’s C material is equivalent to the average person’s C+ material.

3:06: The final guest, former The Ring Editor-in-Chief Nigel Collins, emails to confirm my street address, and unfortunately he has my old address, so I call to set him straight – and thus deprive the current occupants of my previous home of a chance to have their doorbell rung by an International Boxing Hall of Famer.

3:40: David arrives just as the 10th round begins of what had turned into a tremendous light heavyweight scrap between Daniel Lapin and Lewis Edmondson. Not ideal timing, but all is forgiven because David arrives bearing cinnamon buns and life-altering apple pie from vegan bakery Papa Ganache. We hustle into the living room in time to catch the last 30 seconds of the fight, which Usyk stablemate Lapin wins by majority decision.

4:15: Bill arrives early in the dull Lawrence Okolie-Kevin Lerena co-main, armed with homemade cookies – which we will later learn are delicious enough to make up for any substandard comedic material.

4:23: Nigel arrives, potato chips and additional cookies in hand, three minutes too late for all pot jokes I was prepared to fill this running diary with.

4:34: I have to be honest, the fully tattooed head of one of Okolie’s cornermen is freaking me out. Nigel offers a welcome distraction in the form of talk of his recent trip to “Fighter’s Heaven” – Muhammad Ali’s old Deer Lake training camp site – and a handful of Bob Montgomery stories. This leads to a discussion of who is the oldest living former champ, and the internet informs us the answer is 89-year-old Freddie Little. The internet may be destroying civilization, but at least it prevents us from wondering without resolution about trivial boxing matters.

4:55: Bill posits that Lennox Lewis is beginning to resemble James Earl Jones. I don’t see it. During this break before the Usyk-Dubois fight, we all get up to fill plates with salty snacks. Beverages are distributed as well: a beer for Bill, ciders for me and Nigel, nothing for David, water for Otis. He’s the only one drinking out of a bowl on the floor, but that’s subject to change now that the alcohol is flowing and the party vibe is picking up.

5:08: David observes that Bill’s default state is disliking people until they prove worthy of being liked. “That’s exactly my default; you’ve just summed up my entire personality,” Bill responds.

5:13: It’s heavyweight championship of the world time, and Usyk enters the ring by stepping on the second rope and over the top rope, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone do before. Does he always do that and I just never noticed? Whatever the case, it’s cool and bad-ass – because Usyk did it.

5:16: Michael Buffer invites everyone to get ready to rumble. By the way, on the topic of ring announcers, the previous weekend I tweeted about Kody “Big Mo” Mommaerts looking like Barron Trump, and Big Mo was damned cool about it. (However, Mommaerts doesn’t follow me on X, and the tweet didn’t mention him by name, so I’m not sure how it came to his attention. Is he searching the term “ring announcer” after he works a card?)

5:19: The opening bell of Usyk-Dubois II rings. The first round is fought at a tremendous pace, especially for heavyweights.

5:23: One of the commentators says that Usyk is “looking to become a three-time undisputed champion.” Please, I beg everyone, stop with this nonsense. The one and only true heavyweight champion getting stripped of one of his alphabet belts and then reclaiming that belt to begin another undisputed reign is not a meaningful storyline. Everyone associated with the sport should be embarrassed that such things happen.

5:26: Bill marvels of Usyk, “He anticipates every fucking punch.” The champ then lands a left hand late in the second round and Dubois seems bothered by it.

5:28: In Round 3, Dubois lands his best punch so far, a right hand, but I observe that he has barely gone to the body – which everyone knows is your best chance of hurting Usyk. The Ukrainian has already moved from a -300 favorite before the fight to -1100 in the live betting. But Dubois is having his best round, and I score the third in his favor.

5:35: Round 5 begins with “U-syk! U-syk!” chants, and though the champ seems generally to be in charge, none of us have any idea just how close the end is.

5:36: Dubois moves Usyk into the corner, which seems on paper a positive for the challenger, but he gives Usyk precisely the opening he wants, and a right hook high on the head drops Dubois for a seven count.

5:37: Usyk lands a crushing southpaw left cross to the jaw, sending Dubois down again, and this time he can’t quite beat Michael Griffin’s count. It’s all over at 1:52 of the fifth – four rounds faster than Usyk achieved the same result two years ago.

5:38: Hearing the excitement, Otis enters the room, hops up on the couch and attempts to give Nigel a tongue bath. Otis is the John L. Sullivan of this party, out to prove he can lick any man in the house.

5:40: As we’re all enjoying the replays of the magnificent knockout, blow-by-blow man Adam Smith declares Usyk to be in the top 10 of all time, and I’m not sure if he means pound-for-pound or heavyweight. And my gut reaction is to recoil at such pronouncements. But, you know what? With two wins over Anthony Joshua, two wins over Tyson Fury, and now two wins over Dubois, Usyk’s resume in heavyweight title fights is pretty much on par with Rocky Marciano’s, and most historians put “The Rock” in their top 10, so…

5:43: Asked about his age, Usyk declares, “Thirty-eight, it’s a young guy, remember. Thirty-eight, it’s only start!” At Bill’s urging, I attempt an Usyk impression. It’s not on par with my Richard Schaefer, but it’s respectable for a first try. Interviewer Ade Oladipo, meanwhile, somehow manages to complete his interview without asking Usyk a single question about the Dubois fight.

5:51: After Usyk moments earlier listed Joshua, Derek Chisora, and Joseph Parker among his potential opponents, promoter Frank Warren says, “It’s Joe Parker’s time,” and you’ll get no argument here.

5:54: The post-fight festivities continue, but we decide to switch over to the pre-show on Prime Video, where the bout between Mark Magsayo and Jorge Mata is already in progress.

6:05: The conversation veers from the recent documentary about one-handed baseball pitcher Jim Abbott, to Bill’s tale of losing the tip of a finger in a lawnmowing accident, to Joe Frazier once losing a whole toe while mowing and nevertheless finishing the job before heading to the emergency room. Boxers are built different, man.

6:06: Two pizzas are ordered – one with cheese, one without, which some would say means only one pizza was ordered – and my wife will pick them up on her way home from a hangout with a few of her friends (which, shockingly, did not revolve around watching boxing).

6:13: We mute the TV and I play a couple of clips from me and Bill’s original podcast, Ring Theory, which David has never heard. For you RT superfans out there, the clips are “pig’s head on a stick” and “cat food.” I can’t say any more out of fear that Bill and I will both get retroactively canceled. Yeah, back in the early 2010s, we got awfully comfortable behind our paywall.

6:22: Magsayo-Mata concludes with a fun 10th round. Nigel says it was a good fight – apparently he was paying attention while the rest of us were goofing around.

6:43: It’s Round 3 of David Picasso vs. Kyonosuke Kameda, and these guys (a) can both fight, and (b) are really beating the snot out of each other. Despite the excitement, I fall victim to my first yawn of the day.

6:45: I learn from social media that by flipping the channel some 51 minutes ago, we missed out on a staredown between Usyk and Jake Paul. This is the best I’ve ever felt about one of my life decisions.

7:14: Picasso gets the majority decision win (though the 98-92 scorecard is fairly ridiculous) and stays on track for a mandatory shot at Naoya Inoue, and he’s not bad at all – in fact, he’s quite a good little fighter. He’s still probably an underdog to last three rounds with “The Monster.” Twitter’s “Reggie Dunlop” agrees with me.

7:17: After the first two fights both went the distance, with one 10-rounder still to go, it seems they’re really going to have to hurry the ring entrances along to be sure the Gary Russell Jnr-Hugo Castaneda fight is complete before the pay-per-view portion of the card begins at 8 p.m. ET.

7:20: My wife arrives with the pizza and the cheese-less pizza-like object during the ring announcer’s introductions – perfect timing for us to quickly fill our plates in the kitchen and not miss any of the action.

7:26: Russell, fighting for the first time in three and a half years, scores a sweet left-hand knockdown in the second round and can probably make a quick night of it if he wants to, but analyst Abner Mares immediately observes, “It doesn’t seem like he wants to finish him right now” – and indeed, Russell lets Castaneda off the hook.

7:42: Russell floors Castaneda again in Round 6 with a right uppercut, then lands a sizzling left moments later that causes Mares – who apparently holds a medical degree – to declare, “I think he broke his jaw.” I find myself questioning Abner’s medical credentials when he amends his diagnosis between rounds to say of Castaneda that Russell “broke his chin.”

7:50: Mares speculates that Russell’s plan was to get rounds in, and Russell is doing just that, as we’re now in the eighth round of a fight that could have been over 20 minutes ago. Going the distance with Castaneda would not be ideal for making fans want to watch Russell again (ya know, when he returns to the ring in 2029).

7:58: The 10th round begins and Russell drops Castaneda a third time, and it’s all over – saving Russell’s reputation, and saving the PBC production team, which hurries off the air without time for any replays. I think maybe it was a left hand to the body that ended the fight, but I guess I’ll never know for sure.

7:59: I switch apps from Prime Video to PPV.com, and we all head into the kitchen for a dessert break – plus I crack open my second spiked cider because I like to live dangerously.

8:21: It’s Round 2 of Brandon Figueroa vs. Joet Gonzalez, and, what do you know, the fighters are practically standing on top of each other and swapping leather at a rapid pace. In other words, it’s a Brandon Figueroa fight.

8:29: Bill’s phone rings. I don’t mean it vibrates – it, like, actually rings. And loud enough to wake the neighbors. I didn’t know there were people born after WWII who keep their ringers on, but apparently there are.

8:49: The fight is still action-packed, but not quite action-packed enough to prevent us from losing focus and looking up pictures of Sydney Sweeney. (These are strictly pictures of her made up to look like Christy Martin. This is research. We’re professionals, dammit.)

8:53: Good observation by blow-by-blow man Bernardo Osuna that we haven’t seen the referee in this Figueroa-Gonzalez fight – and we haven’t seen the ropes either.

8:58: We’re in Round 11 and Figueroa is coming on, but Gonzalez seemed to have built a big lead, and we wonder aloud if it’s too late for Figueroa to win on the cards.

9:06: It’s over, and a case could be made that Figueroa rallied effectively enough to pull out a draw. As Jimmy Lennon Jnr starts reading the scores, Bill immediately guesses, correctly, that Figueroa has done more than just pull out the draw. Regardless of the official result, Figueroa just doesn’t seem like the same fighter at 126 pounds as he was when he was killing himself to get down to 122. Sometimes, four pounds makes an enormous difference in the impact your punches have. Or maybe “The Heartbreaker” is just a case of a pressure fighter beginning to burn out young, at 28.

9:23: This card (and the washed fellas watching it) could use a quick knockout, and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz is threatening to provide one as he comes out in Round 1 going absolutely nuts to late sub Omar Salcido’s body. Apropos of nothing, Bill starts doing his Joe Pesci Goodfellas impression, which never disappoints.

9:38: Broadcaster Brian Campbell shares a remarkable stat that I’d never heard: Pitbull scored 50 KOs in 85 amateur fights. That’s an absurd percentage for three-rounders with headgear.

9:43: We wander into a conversation about the late, great referee Frank Cappuccino’s combover. We all agree that if they ever make a movie about Cappuccino, Pesci has to play him.

10:02: We’re going the distance again. Ref Mark Nelson takes a point from Salcido for holding with 36 seconds left in the final round, inadvertently buying Salcido time and helping him hear the final bell. A knockdown with 15 seconds left buys him even more time, and soon Cruz is hearing scores of 100-88 and 99-89 twice – while someone who appears to be made up as Teen Wolf is holding up a belt behind him. And then, I could swear Teen Wolf is parodying the Astronomer CEO Coldplay concert cuddle with someone during the post-fight interview. There’s no other sport quite like boxing.

10:19: As the 6-foot-5½ Sebastian Fundora begins to make his way to the ring for his co-feature rematch with Tim Tszyu, we learn that Nigel shrunk two inches between his two most recent doctor appointments. We all find this fascinating – all of us except Otis, who is snoring audibly.

10:29: Two minutes into the fight, Fundora floors Tszyu with a straight left hand! That was unexpected, as is Campbell calling Fundora “Fonfara” multiple times.

10:30: The live odds shift dramatically, with Tszyu – a -155 favorite before the fight – now +700. I can’t not bet that. But you’ll be happy to know I did so with only a tiny sliver of my online poker winnings.

10:32: Fundora is using his jab more in Round 2 than I’ve ever seen him use it before, while Tszyu, cut over his right eye, is taking shots along the ropes and firing back. Tremendous action, tremendous drama.

10:36: In the third round, Tszyu gets a warning for landing a shot to the mid-thigh – but I tend to forgive it, as average-height junior middleweights have to punch up to reach Fundora’s mid-thigh. Bill observes how low Fundora’s right hand is after he jabs and instructs Tszyu to throw the left hook over the jab, then encourages him with a “that’s it” every time a hook is uncorked.

10:46: I can get a +135 price toward the end of the fifth round on the fight to go over 10.5 rounds, and I make that bet because, apparently, winning at poker made me very bad at betting boxing.

10:53: It’s Round 7, and with under 10.5 rounds now priced at +195, I consider betting that to lock in a guaranteed win on the over/under. But I don’t bet it, because, again, I’ve temporarily turned into the world’s most inept sports bettor.

10:55: Round 7 has been phenomenal – a possible Round of the Year contender. And Tszyu is doing outstanding work until the final few seconds, when Fundora appears to hurt him in the corner. What a round. Tszyu’s odds have closed from a high of +1400 all the way back down to +205.

10:56: And just like that, it’s over. Tszyu was apparently hurt worse at the end of the round than anyone realized. We’d all love to see a replay of the action at the end of the seventh – or a replay of what happened in the corner with full audio – but we get neither.

10:58: In the post-fight interview, without quite saying, “I gave up because I decided I can’t beat this guy,” Tszyu implies as much by declaring that Fundora is “one tough motherfucker,” and, “He’s very hard to land [on]. He’s tall as fuck.” Definitely can confirm on the latter point. Anyway, what a showing by Fundora. He’s always been a tricky puzzle to solve, but he’s never looked like this much of an absolute beast.

11:18: On to the main event – and defending titleholder Barrios is entering the ring first, which is giving me flashbacks to Jesse Ventura freaking out in the broadcast booth at WrestleMania V because Randy Savage came to the ring before Hulk Hogan.

11:22: The crowd pops as Lennon readies to intro Manny. I’ve been down all along on this comeback attempt of Pacquiao’s at age 46, but the man is a living legend, and clearly there are lots of folks in the MGM Grand Garden Arena thrilled for one more chance to see him throw hands.

11:28: After the on-screen graphic lists Pacquiao’s weight as “LBS,” the information for Barrios is entirely wrong. Looks like the DOGE cuts hit the PBC production truck hard.

11:29: The crowd is shrieking with delight every time Pacquiao throws a punch or even bounces in any direction, and while he clearly isn’t as fast as he once was, he’s still pretty darned quick and lands one of his signature left hands before Barrios has time to flinch.

11:33: In the second round, Pacquiao can be seen doing some old-man off-balance lunging. The jury is out on how far gone he is and how awful an idea this all is.

11:45: After Round 4, the broadcast shows the scorecard through three. It seems the graphics guy got his hands on a few of my ciders.

11:53: The fight is half over, I’ve given each fighter three rounds, and I can’t decide whether I’m more impressed with Pacquiao looking about the same as he did five years ago or disappointed by how unimaginative and stuck in first gear Barrios seems to be. For two or three rounds, I figured “OK, Barrios is taking his time, gauging the situation, and will soon get going.” But six rounds of mediocrity goes well beyond a calculated start.

11:54: Pacquiao lands strong combinations to begin Round 7, a round he wins fairly obviously. It’s time for me to own some bad takes. Last August, I compared the mooted Barrios-Pacquiao fight to William Joppy vs. Roberto Duran. Then this April, I compared it to Hector Camacho vs. Sugar Ray Leonard. With “Pac-Man” leading 4-3 on my scorecard, whatever happens from here, I sold Manny way short.

12:05 a.m.: Trainer Bob Santos is trying to motivate Barrios in the corner before Round 10 – but he’s being way too calm about it. Barrios really needs an Emanuel-Steward-screaming-every-swear-word-he-can-think-of assault right now. Moments later, there’s a timeout to fix the tape on Pacquiao’s glove, prompting one of Nigel’s go-to vents: “Nobody’s ever gotten hurt by loose tape in the history of boxing.”

 

12:10: It’s Round 11. The on-screen graphic says it’s Round 10. Because of course it does. Maybe the guy in the truck needs Steward yelling at him, too.

12:16: It’s all over, and Barrios rallied a bit down the stretch, clearly winning the 11th and seeming to edge the 12th. That leaves me with a 114-114 scorecard. We’re all debating what the official cards will say. Will the judges have Pacquiao winning by wide margins? Bill half-jokingly predicts a 118-110. I remind him that Steve Weisfeld is working the fight, so at least one of the cards will be close and sensible.

12:20: It turns out all three cards are close and sensible and show no sentimental leanings toward the inspiring old man, with a 115-113 for Barrios and two 114-114 cards. It’s a fair result, Barrios’ stock tanks, and Pacquiao has made me look like a fool and proven he can still compete at a high level – if not necessarily the highest level.

12:25: Both fighters tell Jim Gray they’d be up for a rematch. I’m not opposed, but I’m not excited for it either. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I could maybe talk myself into Mayweather-Pacquiao II after seeing this. (Yes, I fought off Father Time by staying awake, but clearly, Father Time has defeated my ability to offer smart takes.)

12:32: Nigel, Bill and David all hit the road, and Otis and I follow them outside so that Otis can pee before bed. Otis is now 63 in dog years, but his prostate seems to be working fine and he still has some pep in his step as he climbs the stairs. “Sixty-three, it’s a young guy, remember,” he tells me with defiance in his voice. “Sixty-three, it’s only start!”

Eric Raskin is a veteran boxing journalist with nearly 30 years of experience covering the sport for such outlets as BoxingScene, ESPN, Grantland, Playboy, and The Ring (where he served as managing editor for seven years). He also co-hosted The HBO Boxing Podcast, Showtime Boxing with Raskin & Mulvaney, The Interim Champion Boxing Podcast with Raskin & Mulvaney, and Ring Theory. He has won three first-place writing awards from the BWAA, for his work with The Ring, Grantland, and HBO. Outside boxing, he is the senior editor of CasinoReports and the author of 2014’s The Moneymaker Effect. He can be reached on X, BlueSky, or LinkedIn, or via email at RaskinBoxing@yahoo.com.

LOS ANGELES – Manny Pacquiao, in his first public comments since leaving Las Vegas with a draw in his welterweight world title fight, said he was convinced he had secured a victory on the scorecards even before the start of the 11th round Saturday night versus titeholder Mario Barrios.

“I thought I’d already won the fight,” Pacquiao told BoxingScene on Monday afternoon in an interview inside his Beverly Hills apartment. “The [final] scorecard, in my mind, was 8-4 or 7-5.

“For the 11th and 12th [rounds], I’m OK with them giving those to Barrios because, in my mind, I was thinking, ‘Even if they give him these two rounds, I did enough in the others [to win].’

“I was surprised by the decision. But I am in sports. The first thing you learn in sports is sportsmanship.”

After embracing Barrios in the ring and at the post-fight news conference, Pacquiao, 46, has spent the intervening hours moving beyond the disappointment of not yet joining Bernard Hopkins and George Foreman as the only men to win a world title after their 45th birthday.

Returning from a four-year absence and fighting one month past his International Boxing Hall of Fame induction, Pacquiao has been heartened by the public’s scorn toward the scoring of judges Max DeLuca (115-113 Barrios), Tim Cheatham and Steve Weisfeld (114-114 each), and the inspiration so many have drawn from his performance.

“I feel like it was robbery, but I also feel great pride, because at the age of 46, I know I can compete like this with just two months’ training,” Pacquiao said.

“I started late [to training] because of the [senate] election in the Philippines. I should’ve trained three, four months for this fight.

“In the two months I trained, there were no distractions and it was, ‘Focus, focus, focus,’ but it’s hard because I was pushing so hard because of the [limited] time. My body sometimes needed a day’s rest and I didn’t have the time to recover.

“That’s why I have peace with the idea that, ‘You know, for two months’ [training], that was good, showing the world I still can compete at 46,’ and it makes me wonder how much more I can compete with three or four months. I can still do it.”

Pacquiao, 62-8-3 (39 KOs), said he believes he could return to fight again by year’s end – he turns 47 in December – joking that he tried to go for a training run Monday, only to be told by his friends, “It’s just two days from the fight. Just relax.”

Pacquiao advisor Sean Gibbons told BoxingScene that he views WBA welterweight titleholder Rolando “Rolly” Romero as the favorite to meet Pacquiao next, because Romero offers a belt, along with better promotional skills than Barrios and intriguing knockout power.

Pacquiao said he wants to meet a champion. 

“To fight again is not a question,” Pacquiao said. “As long as there is enough time to prepare … my main concern is the preparation, because I’m not interested in fighting B-class, low-class fighters just to fight for money. I want to fight with honor, in a competitive fight.

“I’m already in shape. With a few months’ more training, I can come back and be 100 percent for any style. I’m ready to go. Of course, I’ll pray to God for good health.”

It was in scripture where Pacquiao first found encouragement to make a post-retirement return to the sport he loved, 30 years after his pro debut and his eventual record run to titles in eight divisions.

“The Bible tells us that Moses, even at age [120], his strength never changed from the time he was young. So I realized, with discipline and belief in God, God will give you strength,” Pacquiao said. “That’s my base [thinking].

“Most of the public, when they get old – 40, 50 – your mind feels like it’s deteriorating and it feels like you’re losing your strength because you’re thinking about it. I don’t think like that. My mind is always positive. God is good all the time.”

He heard the voices expressing concern and criticism over a pursuit of the 30-year-old Barrios that some painted as Quixotic.

“Even in the Philippines, there’s some commentator who had many people angry with him for saying, ‘He should stop fighting, he’s only going to last four or five rounds, he’ll get tired,’” Pacquiao said. “He got bashed after the fight.”

The marketing appeal of Pacquiao’s comeback has been immediate.

Inside his apartment Monday, a group of individuals were proposing he endorse a new line of energy, recovery and creatine gummies based on his genuine post-40 heroics.

Pacquiao made six-mile runs up and down L.A.’s Griffith Park to the famed Hollywood sign as a steady part of his training routine.

“I knew the whole time I’d be fine,” he said of the title fight. “I sparred 12 rounds. I made sure of my stamina. I did eight rounds, 12 rounds, plus mitts; another 10 rounds, then hitting the heavy bag. I did 33 rounds many days.”

As Saturday’s bout moved past the fifth round and Pacquiao landed cracking punches on the younger Barrios while outmaneuvering the two-division belt holder, he said, “there was a joy and happiness. Through 12 rounds, I was fine, doing my footwork, keeping my stamina.”

Living clean and maintaining a fervent exercise regimen at his six-acre home in the Philippines eased his transition to title-fight preparation, Pacquiao said.

“Sometimes, people speak about discipline when, behind the corner, they’re not living it,” he said. “I’m disciplined.”

His home is equipped with a complete gym, a badminton court, a basketball court, a boxing ring, weights, a rubberized indoor running track and a volleyball court.

“I run, then play basketball and badminton for four hours each,” he said. “Badminton is good for my vision, footwork, hand-eye coordination.

“I also have a pickleball court, but it’s so slow … that’s a game for when you get old – like 60.”

After losing his senate seat in May, Pacquiao said he’s “going to focus on my boxing career,” and expressed determination to recapture a welterweight belt next, meaning he could have at least two more remaining bouts while continuing to support his countrymen in other ways.

“I told them what was inside my heart: I want to help them. I want a legacy I can leave behind. Legacy is the most important thing,” Pacquiao said. “We are not here forever in this world.”

Even if it felt that way Saturday night.

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.

Following his second win over Daniel Dubois, by emphatic fifth-round stoppage, Oleksandr Usyk said he will take a break before deciding who to face next. Joseph Parker wants a shot. Tyson Fury is training to seemingly fight him again. Jake Paul clambered into the ring to challenge him. What should the 38-year-old Usyk do next?

Tris Dixon: I wouldn’t be mad to see him walk away after that, but if he is to fight again then Joseph Parker is the worthiest opponent. Commercially, Fury at Wembley is bigger than that, and commercially Jake Paul is probably bigger than Fury (sighs). But I’d like to see Parker get his shot.

Elliot Worsell: Parker, then out. I’ve no interest in the other fights mentioned. Even the Parker fight feels a bit anticlimactic following the Joshua and Fury fights. But Parker has earned his opportunity and Usyk is entitled to keep making money against contenders.

Lucas Ketelle: Just walk away. His achievements (two-division undisputed champion and most of his victories coming on the road) put him up there with Ali, Lennox Lewis and Joe Louis. This was the first fight you could see his legs start to show signs of age. Retire as one of the greatest ever. I will forever love Usyk’s career, because he didn’t look for “A-side advantages” and this would be a fitting end to a Hall of Fame career.

Declan Warrington: Retire. The “rivalry” with Dubois was a contrived one built on the controversy that shouldn’t have followed the low blow of their first fight, but Dubois had come to represent a marketable opponent and presented Usyk with the opportunity to reclaim the undisputed heavyweight title. He’s ultimately twice beaten Dubois, twice beaten Tyson Fury, and twice beaten Anthony Joshua, establishing himself as not only the finest heavyweight, but the finest fighter, of his era. Before that, winning an Olympic gold medal gave him the highest honour he could achieve as an amateur, and winning the undisputed title gave him the highest honour he could achieve as a cruiserweight. What else could there possibly be to prove? He’s financially secure, and there isn’t an opponent out there capable of enhancing his legacy, so he should retire at 38 with his health and legacy as intact as they are ever going to be.

Kieran Mulvaney: I agree with the others in that I'd be very happy to see him retire, but if he does want to continue then Joseph Parker absolutely deserves the next shot. I hope he doesn't go the Jake Paul route and I suspect he won't. No need to listen to the world's worst matchmaker and face Moses Itauma, either; Itauma’s probably going to be great but he isn't ready for that smoke.

I would hate for Usyk to continue too long and eventually get old and lose to someone undeserving, but he's a smart man and I don't think he'll stretch it out too far. But he has also earned the right to do whatever the heck he wants. I'm just grateful we have had the chance to watch him in action. I think back to when he was about to defend his cruiserweight belts against Michael Hunter in 2017 and I said to him: “You know, you're big enough that you could be a heavyweight.” So, yep, I'm taking credit for all of it.

Owen Lewis: I’ve advocated for Usyk to retire after each of his fantastic, fierce fights with Tyson Fury. I even, foolishly, went so far as to pick Dubois to beat Usyk this past weekend – I was that confident that 24 rounds with Fury would take some kind of toll. But hell, Usyk looked as sharp as ever on Saturday. This is different from Manny Pacquiao looking better than expected at 46 years old; Manny’s still a million miles past his prime and at increased risk of hurting himself badly in the ring. Usyk may still be at his peak.

While I’d be relieved to see Usyk duck out of the sport now with his health and an immaculate resume, there’s clearly more he can achieve. My only ask is that he fight somebody next who he hasn’t fought already, and who is not named Jake Joseph Paul. Usyk’s resume at heavyweight is incredibly deep but not especially broad; he’s rematched Anthony Joshua, Dubois, and Fury. Joseph Parker inarguably deserves his shot, but I’d also love to see Usyk fight Agit Kabayel, the savage body puncher. Each of those fights would present a new stylistic contrast and add a unique name to Usyk’s brief but brilliant heavyweight run.

Lance Pugmire: Joseph Parker is the most deserving contender even if he lacks the promotional power of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Usyk has proven himself as the premier heavyweight of this generation, and a final battle against a former champion who has impressively rebuilt himself from a loss to Joshua would be a formidable and appropriate exit strategy for the three-time undisputed champion from the Ukraine.

Eric Raskin: If Usyk had shown even the slightest sign of slowing down Saturday, I might be ready to recommend he retire on top, but this wasn’t Lennox Lewis struggling with Vitali Klitschko or even Rocky Marciano getting off the deck to stop Archie Moore. Usyk looked as spectacular as ever in the Dubois rematch. I don’t believe he’s seriously contemplating that being his final fight — nor should he be.

Joseph Parker has earned a shot, and Usyk appears to recognize that, and will therefore likely give it to him. Assuming Usyk gets past Parker, Agit Kabayel should be next in line. Sure, there are larger paychecks available against other opponents, but I don’t think money is Usyk’s primary motivation. Until he starts to show signs of aging, I expect him to continue on this path for a little while longer of taking on whoever is the best available heavyweight.

On Saturday night at London’s Wembley Stadium, Oleksandr Usyk defeated Daniel Dubois for a second time to retain his world heavyweight title. This time it took him only five rounds to get the job done, but in those five rounds we saw exactly what makes Usyk great and we learned a hell of a lot. Here are 10 of the things we learned...

1) Usyk has heavyweight power

The big question when Oleksandr Usyk decided to move from cruiserweight to heavyweight back in 2019 was whether his power would travel up with him. Never the biggest puncher, even at cruiserweight, Usyk was a man who relied more on timing, accuracy and speed than raw, fight-ending power. This led some to believe that he would struggle to hold his own at heavyweight, where the targets are slower but also bigger and more conditioned to soaking up punishment. As it turned out, however, Usyk had no problem in this regard. While most of his heavyweight fights have gone the distance, he has, in each of them, been able to make a dent in his opponent and never once has an opponent been able to walk him down or walk through him with no fear of what he might throw at them. On Saturday, when it would have been much easier to cruise to a win against a larger man, Usyk used his brilliant counterpunching to quickly demoralize Dubois and cut him down to size. The second he had him hurt, Usyk then jumped on him; got him out of there. 

2) The jab remains the key

As eye-catching and devastating as the final left cross proved to be, one of the most impressive things about Usyk’s performance on Saturday was the use of his right jab from the southpaw stance. The first one he threw, he landed, just 15 seconds into the fight, and it was noticeable upon landing how quick and heavy it was as a single shot. Dubois, not expecting it, was rocked back on his heels and reminded that just because he is the bigger man with the longer arms does not mean he is better versed at using this bigger body and these longer arms. In fact, there are few boxers in the world who use timing and an off-kilter rhythm better than Usyk to get in and out and land shots without taking anything in return. He doesn’t need to be bigger than an opponent to land shots and have his way. He just needs to think quicker and be smarter. 

3) A low blow should never be a selling point

Although much of the narrative leading into the rematch concerned Dubois’ recent form, there is still no denying that had Usyk not gone down from a low blow when they met back in 2023, Saturday’s fight would have fallen flat and had no reason to take place. Somehow that low blow managed to give the rematch some mystery and meaning and, for a few, concealed the fact that Usyk was otherwise dominant against Dubois the first time around. Not just dominant, it was, in all honesty, one of Usyk’s easiest fights as a heavyweight. The only fight he has found easier, perhaps, was his first, against Chazz Witherspoon, and also Saturday’s – the rematch – during which Usyk reacted with a knowing smile when caught low by Dubois in round four. This time, of course, he stayed upright; laughed it off. This time he gave nobody the satisfaction of turning it into something else.

4) Dubois has both time and a lot to learn

It was easy to fall into the trap of thinking Dubois would be a completely different fighter from the one who faced Usyk in 2023 and to some extent it was true – he was. He was certainly more confident, and more established as a heavyweight contender (okay, fine: “champion”). But there was truth as well in the view of Usyk’s team that Dubois had only shown “improvements” by virtue of him fighting men levels below Usyk in the two years since they first met. Opponents like Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua, for example, will never be regarded the same way as Oleksandr Usyk and Dubois’ success against them indicated only that he was superior to that trio, not ready for Usyk. Besides, he had rough patches against all three – some brief, some longer – and there were indications, if you looked hard enough, that all the rough edges of Dubois’ game were still there and ready to be exploited – again – by the master. Still, the good thing from Dubois’ point of view is that, at 27, he has plenty of time; time, that is, to wait for Usyk to retire and then collect one of the belts he scatters in his wake. 

5) Thirty-eight is young and just the beginning

The first thing Usyk looked to do following the Dubois win was remind people, via his post-fight interview, that 38 is no age at all – especially for a heavyweight boxer. Though grey hairs are starting to emerge, and though he has had quite the fighting life, Usyk shows no signs of slowing down or deterioration and was quick to assert this fact both during the fight itself and afterwards. All week he had had to listen to people use age as a reason why Dubois might have a chance, yet in Usyk’s case age is still a matter of wisdom rather than weakness. 

6) The UK fans love Usyk

Saturday night was peculiar in terms of how allegiances were split. On the one hand, the 90,000 fans in attendance at Wembley Stadium felt a pull towards Daniel Dubois, the Brit, the Londoner, their home guy. Yet, on the other hand, many will have struggled to root against Oleksandr Usyk, someone so affable, and fun, and someone who earlier in the week expressed his love for the UK, even calling it his “second home”. In addition to his jovial personality, watching Usyk live and in person is viewed by many as a rare treat, not unlike watching Messi in the flesh or Federer and Nadal.  It’s why, when he boxes, you will seldom hear boos, or a bad word said about him. Even the cheers for his opponent will often be muted. Because that’s what genius does in the end. That’s the power of it. It somehow manages to rise above tribalism and serves to both confuse and divide patriots. 

7) Usyk isn’t retiring anytime soon

Increasingly it seems as though the only opponent Usyk has to fear at this stage in his career is that common one: Father Time. But that doesn’t mean he is as worried about Father Time as others are on his behalf. In fact, he remains content to tease, taunt, and tempt it. At 38, he is still very much at the peak of his powers and happy to keep pushing the boundaries, adding to his legacy, and making more and more money. Prior to Saturday, he mentioned doing two more fights including Dubois and that, given everything, would appear a sensible plan. The only concern is whether there are fights out there for Usyk deemed worthy of his time. The only other concern is that Father Time’s sneakiness, plus his ability to always prevail, means that Usyk will end up losing to either (a) someone he has already beaten, or (b) someone beneath him. 

8) Everybody wants to fight Usyk

Whether any of them believe they can conquer him is up for debate, but one thing is certain: there is quite the queue forming behind Oleksandr Usyk. On Saturday alone the following fighters were mentioned in his post-fight interview as potential opponents: Tyson Fury, Derek Chisora, Anthony Joshua, and Joseph Parker. Not only that, Usyk even suffered the indignity of being asked to square off with Jake Paul, a novice cruiserweight, for reasons unknown but presumably pertaining to publicity and content. 

9) Usyk just wants to go home

It has always been a trend in boxing, but never more prevalent is the “who’s next?” question than it is today. Today, rather than let the victor bask in the glory of their win, or even reflect on their win, what you tend to see is an interviewer immediately try to push the story forward and focus on the future. That way they can create another story, of course, a new and better one, and they can keep people’s timelines full of content and speculation. In this instance, Usyk was too kind to tell either the interviewer to calm down, or remind him that most of the opponents lined up for him he had already beaten. Yet it was evident, both on his face and in his words, just how over it Usyk was. He just wanted to go home, he said. So, let him. 

10) Fury still thinks he beat Usyk – twice

While it would be foolish to ever take Tyson Fury at his word, it is clear that him constantly pushing the narrative that he was “robbed” not once but twice against Usyk is a sign that he is irked by the fact the Ukrainian is considered the best heavyweight of his – their – era. After all, before meeting Usyk, many believed Fury would be the one to hold that distinction and that his nearest rivals were not cruiserweights coming up but instead the likes of Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder. Now, having seen the picture change, and having been bested twice by Usyk, there is a sense that Fury is both ready for retirement yet also unfulfilled and disappointed with his lot. On Saturday night, for example, he was by all accounts out running the streets of Morecambe, supposedly motivated to get back and fight Usyk. He was then calling him all the old names and trying to convince us all that what we had seen had never actually happened. 

Former undisputed 140lbs champion Josh Taylor has had to retire from the sport with an eye injury.

The Scot, who lost his final bout the Ekow Essuman in Glasgow earlier in the year, was a decorated amateur, a Commonwealth champion and a 2012 Olympian, and the 34-year-old walks away with a 19-3 (13 KOs) record, having been defeated in his final three bouts.

After a contentious decision victory over Jack Catterall, Taylor – who suffered with multiple injuries in his final years as a pro – lost his lineal 140lbs title in New York to Teofimo Lopez, lost a rematch to Catterall and then returned only to be outworked by Essuman.

But before that he went on a glorious run, winning everything, unifying, and claiming the World Boxing Super Series and The Ring title at junior weltereight. 

Taylor took the undefeated records of Ohara Davies, Ryan Martin, Ivan Baranchyk, Apinun Khongsong, Regis Prograis, Jose Ramirez, and Catterall.

There were also wins over Miguel Vazquez and Viktor Postol, and the wild Prograis fight was, for many, the 2019 Fight of the Year.

In a social media statement, Taylor thanked those involved with his career at Top Rank and, latterly, Queensberry Promotions and his coaches, including Terry McCormack, Shane McGuigan, Ben Davison and Joe McNally. He also thanked his  wife, Danielle.

“Right folks, this isn't an easy post for me to write, but on the advice of my doctors, it’s sadly a necessary one,” Taylor wrote. “As has been publicised before, I've had a recurring issue with my eye that unfortunately means I now have to call time on my career or risk losing my eyesight. Whilst the fighter in me always wants to box on, I know I have to listen to the medical professionals and save me from myself. It is certainly not the way I wanted to bow out, but I have to listen to the doctors and those around me. I am just a kid from the Pans [Prestonpans] who scaled the very top of the sport but I could not have done it without those who have supported me, through thick and thin... First and foremost, I cannot thank you, the fans, enough. You always gave me your all, spending your hard earned money to come and watch me fight. Especially the thousands that travelled to watch me box at Madison Square Garden. Your support has always meant the world to me and I have never taken it for granted…

“I know that British boxing, and Scottish boxing in particular, is in an exciting place with the focus that you have on bringing through the next generation of world champions… It's now time for me to reflect on a 1 in 70 million career and look forward to what's coming next.

“Thank you once again, and God bless.”

In boxing, nothing stirs outrage like a close decision that goes the "wrong" way — at least in the eyes of the public. A fighter who threw more punches but landed fewer loses. A crowd favorite gets outmaneuvered. The judges’ scores don’t match the TV analysts.

It happens almost every Saturday night. A great Pay-Per-View card gets “marred” by the controversy of a bad decision. Somebody seemed to land more, do more damage or simply outwork the other.

Next comes the accusations.

“This was a robbery.”
“That judge was paid off.”
“Boxing is corrupt — again.”

Maybe it is from the TV analysts, maybe the reporters, certainly from social media and the accusations become accepted as truth.

Of course, there are bad decisions. Of course, judges are human and can get things wrong. The jump to conspiracy usually doesn’t make any sense.

Never mind that the decision might have been correct or, at least, justifiable. At this point it isn’t about the scorecard. It is about how the human brain reacts to uncertainty, emotion and disappointment.

We see it in our culture every day. Social media breeds it. So, why would pro boxing be different?

Let’s take a look at the dynamics of conspiracy theories and try to make sense of their impact on our sport.

Some of our culture’s most popular conspiracy theories include the existence of Bigfoot, Alien visit coverups, Q-anon, assassination attempts—the list goes on and on. There’s even a very prominent one brewing right now that I don’t even want to name.

But why do they happen?

The Brain Wants Certainty, Not Complexity

When a bunch of people look up into the sky and see something they can’t explain and are told it is an “Unidentified Flying Object” that breeds more questions than it does answers. When a crazed lone gunman takes out the most powerful man in the world from a book depository with a single bolt rifle shot — that countless marksmen can’t reproduce — people believe it has to be something more.

So, when a boxing decision goes in a different direction than expected our brains start working overtime to make sense of it. But the human mind doesn’t like gray areas — especially in emotional situations. When a round is hard to call, and the result goes against expectation, fans don’t think:

“That was close and could’ve gone either way.”

Instead, they think:

“Something fishy is going on.”

That’s pattern-seeking in action — the brain’s attempt to connect dots that aren’t actually related.

Narrative Bias: The Story Must Make Sense

Most fans come into a fight with a preferred narrative:

A fighter is on a comeback.

A champ is being avoided.

An underdog is due for redemption.

When the decision disrupts that narrative, it doesn’t just challenge a scorecard — it breaks the story. And the brain, desperate to preserve that story, fills the gap with blame. 

That’s narrative bias — when we favor emotionally satisfying explanations (like "he was robbed") over more nuanced, unsatisfying ones ("it was a close round"). Even better, we harken back to boxing’s organized crime-controlled history and we apply it to what is in front of us. It makes more sense to our brains to believe in dark nefarious forces than to say, “Hmm, I guess it could’ve gone that way,” or, “Let me take another look at that round to see if I can see what the judge saw.”

Why Losing Control Feeds Belief in Corruption

Fans can’t control the outcome of a fight — especially when they’ve emotionally invested in a fighter. That lack of control creates psychological discomfort, and conspiracy theories become a coping mechanism.

“If the system is rigged, at least I understand why this happened.”

That’s more comforting than randomness. And it aligns with existential motives — the brain’s need to feel secure in a world that often isn’t.

It is also more dramatic and exciting to believe in conspiracies than it is to look for a more rational explanation.

Every year the NFL puts out the Super Bowl logo before the start of the season. Conspiracy theorists say that it always holds the colors of the teams the NFL has preselected to be in the game that year. Never mind that there are countless years when it doesn’t hold true or the fact that there are plenty of teams that share the same colors.

Social Media Is a Conspiracy Amplifier

A controversial decision used to get debated in gyms and bars. Now it’s litigated in real time on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube — where emotion trumps nuance, and engagement rewards outrage. A post that calmly breaks down a round might get 10 likes. A tweet that screams “WORST ROBBERY EVER!!!” gets 10,000.

Algorithms amplify emotion, not accuracy. And soon, fans aren’t just reacting to the fight — they’re reacting to each other’s outrage. It becomes a feedback loop of fury.

Add in influencers and creators who monetize controversy, and you get a climate where even reasonable decisions get painted as scandal.

“They Paid Off the Judges!” — or Just a Close Fight?

Let’s take a step back.

A fighter threw more punches, but landed fewer.

He was busier, but the other was cleaner.

All three judges had it close — 115-113, 114-114, 113-115.

That’s not corruption. That’s a high-level contest with subjective scoring.But to the fan whose fighter lost, the facts are secondary to the emotion of loss. The conspiracy theory serves as emotional protection — a way to turn vulnerability into certainty.

Bottom Line: Every Close Fight Isn’t a Robbery

Understanding the psychology behind conspiracy theories doesn’t mean fans are irrational. It means they’re human.

But if we want to keep trust in boxing — and respect for officials — we need to do better at recognizing the difference between:

1) A close fight and a fix

2) Disagreement and dishonesty

3) Uncertainty and injustice

Judging isn’t perfect. But more often than not, it’s honest. And if we can see past our own biases, maybe we’ll stop crying “robbery” every time a decision doesn’t fit the story we brought to the ring.

LAS VEGAS – There were times during his majority draw with Mario Barrios on Saturday night when it seemed almost as if Manny Pacquiao were the young champion defending his belt and Barrios were the elderly veteran whose feet were stuck in quicksand as he attempted to respond to the whirling buzzsaw that was whirring around him.

It wasn't quite vintage Pacquiao. There was the hand speed, the angles, the blurs of activity – but there wasn't the forceful punching of old or the indefatigable engine carrying him through to the very end. This was late-stage Elvis belting out his favorites while sweating through his rhinestone suit, looking far from his peak but still more than good enough to carry a beautiful tune.

Pacquiao twisted. Pacquiao turned. Pacquiao banged his fists together. He unleashed flurries. He even proclaimed his love for the people. He no longer had it in him to dispose of a young pretender he would have swatted aside in his pomp, but he came damn close. And that is a lot more than a lot of people, this writer included, thought he would manage Saturday here at the MGM Grand.

And although the official result seemed correct (BoxingScene also scored the fight 114-114), it nonetheless felt as if Pacquiao merited more, that simply for coming back at age 46 after four years away and taking it to a younger opponent, he deserved a more tangible prize than a participation trophy – and, of course, a hefty paycheck. Having come so close to adding yet another world title belt to his collection, it felt a shame that he couldn't quite earn the right to snatch it from Barrios’ grasp.

It didn't hurt that San Antonio's Barrios, 29-2-2 (18 KOs), turned in such an oddly diffident performance. It was as if all the pre-fight hype, all the attention on Pacquiao, all the pressure of facing a legend proved too much and caused him to shrink under the spotlight. Having professed himself disrespected by Pacquiao viewing him as relatively easy pickings for his comeback, it seemed as if Barrios in fact came to believe it.

Pacquiao took the opening round, simply on account of his appearing to try and win it, looking for angles of attack as Barrios watched him warily and fired out a tentative jab.

The first sign the night might not go the Aztec warrior's way came in the second round, when he chased after Pacquiao with a double jab and promptly fell flat on his face. The heavily pro-Pacquiao crowd lost its collective mind, but this was no knockdown, and Barrios returned to the task at hand.

Barrios stepped into his jab more in that second round, but if his plan was to fight within himself, he was executing it a bit too efficiently for his own good. Pacquiao was beginning to bounce around on his toes, not quite with the explosive energy of days past but in a decent enough approximation, as if a Manny Pacquiao lookalike were performing a first-rate impersonation of the Pacman in his pomp.

Not all of Pacquiao's flurries were landing, but enough of them were that by Round 4 it was already beginning to feel that the defending welterweight titlist was starting to let too many rounds slip away. Each time it appeared Barrios was about to impose himself on the older man, Pacquiao rummaged around in his bag of tricks and found something else with which to bedazzle him.

He may have been 46 years old, but Pacquiao was posing a puzzle that Barrios was struggling to solve. Barrios, meanwhile, was just another opponent, no different or more challenging than any of the world-class foes the Filipino had faced since he first walked into this arena in 2001 and smashed Lehlo Ledwaba.

Pacquiao was in a groove now, moving with surprising ease and firing flurries as Barrios did far too little to stop him. Instead of, as might have been expected, fading as the rounds went on, Pacquiao seemed to be strengthening, nurtured by his success and the roars of the crowd.

It didn't appear as if his punches were hurting Barrios unduly. This was not the Pacquiao who flattened Ricky Hatton or broke Antonio Margarito’s face. But he didn't have to be. This version of Manny Pacquiao was proving plenty good enough.

The fight flew by, and suddenly the championship rounds were looming. Barrios needed to find something. He just about did.

He had landed enough jabs that Pacquiao, 62-8-3 (39 KOs), had been sporting a mouse under his right eye for several rounds, but now he started to up his pace and increase the weight he put behind his punches. A stiff jab disrupted Pacquiao's flurries, and then in the 11th a real fight broke out as the two men let their hands go, each finding success as the capacity crowd roared.

The 12th was attrition, Barrios finally fully committing to his offense even as Pacquiao kept probing, kept moving, kept looking for angles of attack. It was close, as many of the rounds had been, and at the end it felt as if the official scores might be all over the place.

In the event, they were all extremely close to each other. Barrios swept the last three rounds across the board, and he needed to.

Six years after his last win, Manny Pacquiao had not only not been embarrassed and not been beaten down, he hadn't even been beaten. And if the result, objectively, was correct, the narrative felt spoiled. Pacquiao hadn't pulled off the upset win. But he had come so very close. It wasn't the win he was seeking, but it was a win nonetheless.

Kieran Mulvaney has written, broadcast and podcast about boxing for HBO, Showtime, ESPN and Reuters, among other outlets. He presently co-hosts the “Fighter Health Podcast” with Dr. Margaret Goodman. He also writes regularly for National Geographic, has written several books on the Arctic and Antarctic, including most recently Arctic Passages: Ice, Exploration, and the Battle for Power at the Top of the World, and is at his happiest hanging out with wild polar bears. His website is www.kieranmulvaney.com.

FRISCO, Texas – The unique scenario of having back-to-back unification bouts in queue was not of any concern to Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez.

The unbeaten 25-year-old southpaw is now a two-division, unified champion following his one-sided, 10th-round knockout of Phumelele Cafu. A body shot by Rodriguez sparked the fight-ending sequence that led to a corner-requested stoppage at 2 minutes, 7 seconds of the 10th round atop Saturday’s DAZN show from The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. 

As widely reported, waiting in the wings for San Antonio’s Rodriguez, 22-0 (15 KOs), was a mouthwatering showdown with WBA titleholder Fernando “Pumita” Martinez, 18-0 (9 KOs), later this year. The bout was already announced as part of the November 22 “Ring IV: Night of Champions” supercard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

Rodriguez didn’t even acknowledge that fight until he took care of present-day business, and handled it with class, unifying the WBC and WBO titles.

South Africa’s Cafu, 11-1-3 (8 KOs), entered his second straight road trip full of optimism, complete with the promise that he would “knock Rodriguez’s head off.” Not only did that moment never come close to occurring, but he also failed to keep his back off the ropes during any point in the fight.

Rodriguez didn’t waste any time in cutting off the ring, which began a fight-long sequence of keeping Cafu either pinned on the ropes or trapped in a corner. Cafu was quickly forced to play defense as Rodriguez worked his jab downstairs and up top in search of landing something considerably more potent. Cafu was not without his moments, though mostly in counterpunching mode and never more than one shot at a time.

Rodriguez continued to box in Cafu as he worked his jab in the second. Cafu attempted to time Rodriguez coming in but frequently fell short with his left hook. Cafu landed a right hand upstairs but was met with a left to the body by Rodriguez. The final 30 seconds of the frame were spent with Cafu pressed against a neutral corner while Rodriguez worked his jab and straight left.

A jab and right hand by Cafu provided a moment of optimism at the start of the third. Rodriguez pushed past it and immediately forced Cafu into a corner. Rodriguez moved in and out, first to avoid Cafu's right hand over the top and then to set up his jab and right hook to the body. A jab and straight right by Cafu were both picked off by Rodriguez, who ended every combination with a right hook to the body.

Cafu offered up the best account of himself in the fourth, even if it wasn’t enough to win the round.

Rodriguez continued to come forward, but Cafu was able to better time the pound-for-pound entrant. The surge in confidence was detected by Rodriguez, who dialed up the pressure in the final minute and cracked Cafu with right hooks upstairs. Cafu showed a sturdy chin but no response for the incoming.

The fight-long trend of Rodriguez keeping Cafu trapped wore thin the patience of the South African’s corner. The firm instructions to get off the ropes were briefly adhered to by Cafu, but Rodriguez was just too on tonight.

“This was probably my best performance to date,” Rodriguez told DAZN’s Chris Mannix afterwards.

Cafu’s last great moment came in the eighth, when he landed a jab and right hand on the forward-charging Rodriguez. The moment, like all others for Cafu, was short-lived. Rodriguez proceeded to force Cafu to the next corner of the ring and continued with his body attack. The southpaw offered slick head movement to avoid a Cafu right, and then drew cheers from the crowd as he threw in rapid-fire combination.

Rodriguez was determined to break down the mobile Cafu, and eventually delivered. 

A wicked body shot began the rally as Cafu was nearly doubled over by the right hook downstairs. Referee Hector Afu was so caught up in monitoring Cafu’s ability (or lack thereof) to defend himself that he was nearly on top of the action.

Rodriguez never relented as he unloaded with power shots. The two tumbled to the canvas, mainly due to Cafu’s best effort to hold on before they both fell. By that point, Cafu’s corner had seen enough and climbed onto the ring apron with the surrender towel in hand.

Cafu’s Cinderella story came to a close after just nine months. He claimed the WBO title in an upset split decision victory over four-division titlist Kosei Tanaka last October 14 in Tokyo.

It was the first career road trip for Cafu and ended with the biggest win of his career. His second fight outside of South Africa was considerably less memorable. 

Unless, of course, you were on the other side of the outcome.

Rodriguez has now won five major titles over three reigns spanning two weight divisions. The brilliant run has come in just his past eight fights, and now with the chance to add one more chip in what could mark a Fighter of the Year campaign should he conquer Martinez later this year. 

Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on X and Instagram

LONDON, England – “Thirty-eight is only the start,” shouted Oleksandr Usyk, having detonated one of his finest left hands to drop and stop Daniel Dubois in five rounds at a packed Wembley Stadium.

Once again the 38-year-old undisputed heavyweight champion (for a third time in two weight classes), Usyk was saluted by the London crowd afterwards, with more than 80,000 fans deservedly chanting Usyk’s name.

“Next, I want to rest. I want to spend time with my wife and children, maybe two-three months. Just rest,” he said.

Asked who was next, he considered the question and said: “Maybe it’s Tyson Fury” before adding it could also be Anthony Joshua or Joseph Parker.

Usyk is now a sparkling 24-0 (15 KOs) having vanquished Dubois a second time, dropping him twice before the end came at 1:52 of the fifth round.

It was an excellent win, with Usyk snapping the career momentum Dubois had enjoyed with victories over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and Anthony Joshua.

Usyk started steadily, eased into it, went through the gears and then dropped the hammer.

 

***

Usyk had been cheered on the big screens above the ring when his arrival, at 7.15pm, was shown. Earlier, down Wembley way, fans wearing Ukrainian flags could be seen making their way to the stadium and their national hero was even on electric millboards, modelling for Stone Island.

Vendors sold scarfs and T-shirts and, through the undercard, pockets of seats of supporters wearing the yellow and blue of Ukraine started to make themselves heard.

 

***

 

It was a memorable night. Dubois’ entrance into the cavernous stadium was greeted by fire artists and they gave way to the Candy Girl R & B classic and the Englishman took the long march to the ring as fireworks lit up the Wembley night sky.

Then, to Dennis Brown’s Don’t Want to be a General, Dubois flicked the switch, his eyes narrowed and he picked up his pace.

Jogging on the spot once in the ring, he awaited one of the modern greats. Cancel that. He awaited an all-time great.

Undisputed at cruiserweight. Undisputed at heavyweight. Usyk strode purposefully to collect the IBF belt that politics forced him to hand back last year, having twice proved himself the best big man in the world by defeating Tyson Fury.

Usyk, in a long grey, shiny robe, walked to the ring with a stony face, cutting through the London humidity and clambering over the top rope where Michael Buffer introduced the fighters to the crowd, which crackled in anticipation.

The rain that poured at 6.15pm had long since gone. 

A coliseum-like roar welcomed Dubois and he punched both hands above his head.

Usyk’s reception was more mixed but London ultimately seemed to salute his greatness.

Then, it was down to business.

 

***

Dubois started to fire lead right hands, three in the first minute either landed or were close but Usyk jabbed defiantly, pivoting off his front foot and circling away from the right hand, catching Dubois with a couple of lefts before the end of an enthralling round.

The second was cagey. Dubois was guilty of lunging in at one point and Usyk made him pay and there was little sign that Dubois was going to target Usyk’s body. A Usyk left hand snapped Dubois’ head back just before the bell. The crowd gasped, and they did so again when a replay of that clean shot was replayed on the big screens hanging over the ring.

Dubois came out purposefully in the third. It was tense, and Dubois kept bulling in behind his loaded right hands.

“U-syk” chants bellowed around the stadium and another Usyk left hand landed flush.

Usyk’s head movement and speed of foot made him a hard target and there were signs in the third that Usyk was finding his stride, detecting Dubois’ patterns and working out this version of the 27-year-old.

The Ukrainian’s jab went to work in the fourth and Dubois paid for his more predictable assaults.  

Dubois had promised chaos in the build-up, but his attacks looked formulaic and a master like Usyk was untroubled.

Dubois shovelled a right into the body in the fourth, a reminder of what happened in Poland when they fought a couple of years ago when Usyk required a prolonged period to get over the low shot – but Usyk was hitting his stride.

He countered over the top of a Dubois jab to open the fifth and the action soon opened up.

Usyk raked Dubois with a couple of heavy shots and Dubois fought back hard but he did so while walking back into danger. That was catnip for Usyk. The master doesn’t need an invitation and he certainly doesn’t need to be presented with opportunities he can happily create on his own.

But Dubois recklessness saw him hit the canvas from a right hook high on the head. The IBF champion moved onto all fours and managed to stand but as the action resumed, Dubois only thought of the chaos he needed to inflict and as he hurled a right Hail Mary, Usyk entered the matrix and, in real time, weaved out of harm’s way and swung back with a crisp left hook that distorted Dubois’ features and sent him tumbling onto his back.

Dubois, who dropped to 22-3 (21 KOs), looked as though he might beat referee Mike Griffin’s count, but he left it too late, stood at eight and trudged forlornly back to his corner.

Usyk dropped to his knees, covered his eyes with his gloves to hide his tears and wept.

He’d done it again.

Two wins over Anthony Joshua. Two wins over Tyson Fury. Two wins over Daniel Dubois. A career of brilliance; amateur and pro. Untouchable. A generational great.

It all really began in 1978 when Leon Spinks opted to give Muhammad Ali a rematch rather than fight Ken Norton and was stripped by the WBC of their heavyweight belt. But Mike Tyson coming along and clearing out the division a decade later was not the end of chaos but a new beginning. Here, if your stomachs can take it, is the timeline (revised and updated since it was last published) to the latest ‘undisputed’ fight – Oleksandr Usyk vs. Daniel Dubois – that will claim to leave a solitary heavyweight champion standing. 

August 1, 1987: Mike Tyson beats Tony Tucker on points to add the IBF title to the WBC and WBA belts he already owns.

June 27, 1988: In a bout billed “Once and For All,” Tyson takes all of 91 seconds to destroy Michael Spinks – the lineal champion at a time when the lineage was easy to follow – to reign as the lone king at heavyweight.

February 25, 1989: Tyson overwhelms a brave Frank Bruno in five rounds. Strictly speaking, this would be the last time that all available versions of the world heavyweight title were on the line in one contest until Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury came together in May 2024.

May 6, 1989: The World Boxing Organisation (WBO) throws its hat into the mix when Francesco Damiani knocks out Johnny Du Plooy in three rounds to win the inaugural heavyweight belt. Barely anyone notices.

December 14, 1992: Riddick Bowe, after taking the WBC, WBA and IBF titles, plus lineal recognition, from Evander Holyfield the month before, famously bins the WBC belt, which is duly awarded to Lennox Lewis thanks to his victory in a final eliminator over Razor Ruddock.

March 4, 1995: George Foreman, after taking the WBA, IBF and lineal titles from Michael Moorer the previous November, is stripped of the WBA title for failing to take on Tony Tucker, the organization’s mandatory challenger.

June 29, 1995: Foreman relinquishes his IBF belt after refusing to give Axel Schulz an immediate rematch. He will retain lineal honors while trying and (thankfully) failing to legitimize the WBU (World Boxing Union).

December 9, 1995: Frans Botha outpoints Axel Schulz to win the vacant IBF title. Chaos is well and truly running amok with three others claiming ownership of titles – Foreman (lineal), Bruno (WBC); Bruce Seldon (WBA) – and the WBO strap lying vacant after Riddick Bowe relinquished it, largely due to lack of interest after Holyfield refused to fight him again if that title was on the line.

March 16, 1996: Tyson savages Bruno in three rounds to win the WBC belt and vows to clean up all the titles, just like he had done so in the previous decade.

September 7, 1996: Tyson wins the WBA title with a one-round blowout of a seemingly terrified Seldon. The WBC title is not on the line, however. Two weeks later Tyson relinquishes the WBC strap after failing to agree terms with Lennox Lewis, his mandatory.

November 9, 1996: Holyfield stuns the world when he overpowers Tyson in 11 rounds in a WBA title fight. In victory, Evander is widely regarded as the leading heavyweight in the world.

February 7, 1997: Lewis stops an emotionally unfit Oliver McCall in five rounds to win the vacant WBC title. It makes the Englishman one of five men who call themselves champion: Foreman (lineal), Lewis (WBC), Holyfield (WBA), Moorer (IBF) and Henry Akinwande (WBO).

February 18, 1997: Akinwande becomes the latest heavyweight to give up the WBO title so he can move towards a shot at an established belt. This is important to note when questioning Lewis’ claim to be the last true champion (prior to Usyk). Akinwande relinquishes so that a fight with Lewis, the WBC boss, can be arranged. In July, Lewis thrashes an unwilling Akinwande in five.

November 8, 1997: Holyfield adds the IBF title to his WBA belt when he batters old rival Moorer to defeat in eight rounds.

November 22, 1997: Shannon Briggs is ruled a questionable points victor over the ancient Foreman to lay claim to what is already starting to feel like an entirely mythical lineal title.

March 28, 1998: Lewis stops Briggs in a five-round thriller. He is now the lineal and WBC champ, with Holyfield reigning as the WBA and IBF boss and, ahem, Herbie Hide enjoying his second reign as WBO belt holder.

March 13, 1999: Lewis fights Holyfield. Though not officially for all the belts (the WBO was busy sanctioning Hide vs Willi Fischer), everyone on planet Earth recognizes this as the fight to clear up the mess. Then the judges somehow come up with a draw.

June 26, 1999: Vitali Klitschko brings Ivan Drago to mind as he obliterates Hide in two rounds to pick up the WBO gong.

November 13, 1999: Lewis outpoints Holyfield in their rematch to win everything save for that pesky WBO bauble. Nobody asks him about Klitschko in the aftermath, however.

April 1, 2000: Klitschko, despite winning practically every round, retires on his stool before the 10th round of his WBO defense against Chris Byrd, who later in the year will be outpointed by Vitali’s brother, Wladimir. 

April 13, 2000: Lewis decides he wants to fight the hyped Michael Grant and not WBA mandatory John Ruiz, so he gives up the WBA belt.

August 12, 2000: Nine months after losing to Lewis in a battle for complete heavyweight supremacy, Holyfield squeaks past Ruiz to win the vacant WBA title. The ridiculousness of this timeline should by now be obvious.

September 5, 2002: After losing to Hasim Rahman, then gaining immediate revenge before stamping all over the remnants of Tyson, Lewis gives up the IBF title rather than face leading contender Chris Byrd.

December 14, 2002: Byrd outpoints the fast-fading Holyfield to win the vacant IBF strap. Evander, by the way, had lost the WBA title to Ruiz.

March 1, 2003: Roy Jones Jnr leaps out of the light heavyweight class and lands at the feet of Ruiz, where he duly snatches the WBA title. Alas, he won’t stick around.

March 8, 2003: Corrie Sanders terrorizes Wladimir Klitschko, taking the WBO championship inside two rounds.

June 21, 2003: Lewis retains his WBC and lineal titles when he stops substitute Vitali Klitschko in six bloody and grueling rounds. 

October 18, 2003: Guess what Sanders decides to do with his WBO title? Hand that bad boy back.

February 6, 2004: Lewis decides against a Klitschko sequel, bids farewell to the sport, and announces his retirement at exactly the right time.

April 24, 2004: Vitali Klitschko wins a cracking scrap with Sanders in a bout for the vacant WBC strap and, some claim, the lineal title. 

November 8, 2005: Vitali Klitschko, ravaged by injuries, announces his retirement to leave the lineal title lying dormant for three years. Nobody seems to care or notice. There is little in the way of efforts to bring any of the other titles together during that time. Consequently, interest in the heavyweight division plummets.

February 23, 2008: In the first unification action of the century, and the first time that the WBO’s heavyweight title was deemed worthy of unification action, full stop, IBF boss Wladimir Klitschko outpoints WBO titlist Sultan Ibragimov over 12 rounds. For some historians, this is the point when the lineal title returned, too.

October 11, 2008: Vitali Klitschko is all healed up and bludgeons an outclassed Samuel Peter in eight rounds to regain the WBC title. The hearts of those eager to see a return to one champion collectively sink as they realize there is no way that two brothers are going to fight each other.

June 20, 2009: Other historians like to reference Wladimir’s victory over Ruslan Chagaev as the moment when the lineal title was born again. The problems everyone has keeping tabs on the lineal title – a term invented to restore some order when belts started multiplying like gremlins in water – further highlights the fine mess we’ve got ourselves into.

November 7, 2009: David Haye joins the heavyweight landscape promising to restore order. He takes the WBA title from man mountain Nikolay Valuev.

July 2, 2011: Haye and Wladimir Klitscko come together in a contest that generates serious interest the world over. The fight itself is a proverbial and literal washout, however. Klitschko wins comfortably in rain-soaked Hamburg, Germany, before Haye unwisely removes his shoes in the aftermath to show the world his broken toe. It’s not all bad, though – at least it serves to reduce the number of titlists. Wlad now holds the WBA, IBF and WBO belts, and has lineal recognition, with his big bro wearing the WBC colors.

August 27, 2011: Just because it can, the WBA sanctions a bout between Alexander Povetkin and Ruslan Chagaev for something later known as the “regular” title. Wladimir Klitschko is the “super” champion, and the entire situation is “moronic.”

October 5, 2013: Wladimir Klitschko beats Povetkin on points to trim the amount of WBA titleholders back down to one. He also retains his IBF, WBO and lineal titles.

December 16, 2013: Vitali Klitschko retires again, this time for good.

May 10, 2014: Bermane Stiverne drops and stops Chris Arreola in six rounds to nab the vacant WBC title.

July 6, 2014: The WBA again decides that one titleholder isn’t enough and crowns Chagaev its regular champion after he beats Fres Oquendo on points in Russia.

September 11, 2014: The WBA decides that two champions aren’t enough and crowns Luis Ortiz its “interim” champion after he bulldozes Lateef Kayode in one round. So, the WBA has three world champs at heavyweight: Wladimir Klitschko, Chagaev and Ortiz. Great stuff.

January 7, 2015: Ortiz is stripped of his interim trinket after failing a drug test.

January 17, 2015: Excitement greets Deontay Wilder’s arrival on the world scene as he outhustles Stiverne over 12 rounds to win the WBC title.

October 17, 2015: Ortiz, seemingly clear to fight, regains the interim bauble with victory over someone called Matias Ariel Vidondo, and the WBA has three titlists again. “Thank goodness for that,” nobody says.

November 28, 2015: Tyson Fury stuns most when he brilliantly outboxes Wladimir Klitschko to win the WBA, IBF, WBO titles and gain lineal status. It feels like a new era is upon us.

December 8, 2015: Though one understands that mandatory challengers are there for a reason, the lack of common sense applied in certain situations is jarring. The IBF highlights the impossibility of having one champion when it strips Fury for agreeing to a contractual rematch with Wladimir Klitschko instead of accepting the challenge from the largely unknown Vyacheslav Glazkov.

January 16, 2016: Charles Martin wins the vacant IBF belt when Glazkov limps out of action with a leg injury in Round 3. 

April 19, 2016: Anthony Joshua breathes new life into the division when he feasts on Martin, surely not helped by his tight leather shorts, in two rounds to win the IBF strap. 

June 24, 2016: Fury pulls out of his July 9 rematch with Wladimir Klitschko, citing an injured ankle. On the same day, United Kingdom Anti-Doping (UKAD) reveals that Fury had tested positive for the illegal substance nandrolone 16 months previously.

September 12, 2016: In one of the most surreal press conferences of modern times, Wladimir Klitschko is left high and dry in London as Fury fails to show up. Why? Because the world heavyweight champion’s car broke down on the motorway and his phone had run out of power, so he was unable to call for help.

September 23, 2016: Fury pulls out of a rearranged date with Wladimir Klitschko, citing that he is “medically unfit” to fight. News also appears that he had failed another test, this time for a recreational drug, earlier in the year.

October 12, 2016: Fury relinquishes his WBA and WBO belts but makes no mention of the lineal title.

December 10, 2016: New Zealander Joseph Parker pockets the vacant WBO title when he’s awarded a controversial 12-round verdict over Andy Ruiz Jnr after a dreary bout.

April 29, 2017: In one of the division’s greatest fights, Joshua exchanges knockdowns with returning veteran Wladimir Klitschko in the middle rounds, rides out a storm, then makes the most of his second wind to triumph in the 11th. In the process, he retains his IBF title and, in a rare moment of sanity, the WBA puts its vacant title on the line for this one, too. Some declared this as a battle for the vacant lineal title as well – something subsequently forgotten.

March 31, 2018: Joshua outpoints Parker to add the WBO title to the IBF and WBA belts already in his possession. Only Deontay Wilder and his WBC championship await …

June 10, 2018: And maybe Tyson Fury, too. After serving a backdated ban, emerging from depression, and shifting some serious mass, he returns, in Manchester, England, stopping a wildly overmatched Sefer Seferi in four rounds.

August 11, 2018: After a brief release into society, the WBA is sent back to the lunatic asylum after sanctioning a bout between Trevor Bryan and BJ Flores for the interim title.

December 1, 2018: Wilder and Fury engage in a tremendous scrap for the WBC belt and – so say the marketers – Tyson’s old lineal title. Fury somehow claws himself back into consciousness after a heavy knockdown in the 12th, and it’s declared a draw.

June 1, 2019: Joshua heads to New York for his American debut, and after spending an awful lot of time fielding questions about when he’s going to fight Wilder and Fury – who announce a rematch during fight week – substitute Andy Ruiz Jnr scores a colossal upset to take the WBA, IBF and WBO titles.

July 20, 2019: After convincing authorities that the illegal substance discovered in his system was put there by mistake, Dillian Whyte wins the vacant WBC interim heavyweight trophy when he outpoints Oscar Rivas in London.

December 7, 2019: The anticipation that accompanies the Ruiz-Joshua sequel, staged in Saudi Arabia, all but disappears when the champion removes his t-shirt moments before the opening bell to reveal a stomach that has been filled to bursting point. Joshua boxes smartly, stays out of trouble, and wins a lopsided decision to regain his titles.

February 22, 2020: Out in Las Vegas, weeks before the world is plunged into lockdown, Fury turns in the finest performance of his career when he pulverizes Wilder in seven one-sided sessions.

June 10, 2020: Fury announces on social media that a two-fight deal with Joshua has been finalized. 

August 8, 2020: Alexander Povetkin chins Dillian Whyte to nab the WBC interim cincture.

October 31, 2020: Oleksandr Usyk wins his first meaningful bout in the heavyweight division, decisioning Derek Chisora, but largely fails to impress. 

March 27, 2021: Whyte regains the WBC interim strap when he beats Povetkin in a rematch.

May 17, 2021: With Joshua-Fury seemingly on the brink of being formally announced and a date for the undisputed clash in Saudi Arabia firmly in the diary, Wilder’s contractual right for a third fight with Fury is confirmed in court.

September 25, 2021: With Fury out of the equation, Joshua – to his credit – agrees to a scrap with Oleksandr Usyk, but it all goes awry when the Ukrainian boxes beautifully and bewitches the Englishman. Usyk wins a unanimous verdict and Joshua’s three belts to formally announce his arrival in the championship sweepstakes.

October 9, 2021: Widely expected to pick up from where he left off the previous February and do a job on Wilder, Fury is dragged into a hellacious barnstormer in fight three. After they share four knockdowns, the definitive fall comes in the 11th round, with Wilder out for the count.

April 23, 2022: In front of a sold-out Wembley Stadium in London, a faultless Fury toys with Dillian Whyte before finishing him in the sixth. Then he announces his retirement.

June 6, 2022: After somehow finding himself installed as the WBA’s No. 2 contender following a loss to Joe Joyce, Daniel Dubois wins that wretched regular strap when he exposes Trevor Bryan and flattens him in four.

August 20, 2022: Usyk beats an improved Joshua, again on points, before the Briton has something of a malfunction in the aftermath and dumps the belts out of the ring. Perhaps the wrong time to do it, but hard not to agree with the sentiment.

September 9, 2022: The WBO throws another interim belt into the mix when Joe Joyce and Joseph Parker do battle for a title intended to ascertain that sanctioning body’s leading contender. Joyce knocks out Parker in 11 rounds. 

December 3, 2022: After Usyk bluntly refused to fight on a hastily arranged date and Joshua also turns down the chance, Fury looks elsewhere and thrashes the shell of old rival Chisora in the most unnecessary third fight in history. All is (almost) forgiven when Usyk appears at ringside and, at last, the undisputed drought appears set to end.

March 22, 2023: Fury-Usyk talks collapse over a disagreement on who will earn what should they have a rematch. 

April 15, 2023: Zhilei Zhang lays his hands on both Joe Joyce and, when he stops the Briton in six rounds, an unremarkable sliver (WBO interim for those not keeping up) of the world heavyweight title. 

July 11, 2023: Fury confirms that he will fight MMA star and boxing debutant Francis Ngannou in a non-title 10-round fight on October 28. Show him the money. 

August 26, 2023: Usyk beats Daniel Dubois, both the WBA “regular” titleholder and WBA mandatory, in nine rounds. Usyk was dropped in the fifth with a shot ruled a low blow. Team Dubois’ appeal that it should not have been ruled a foul is unsuccessful in the aftermath.

September 29, 2023: Fury and Usyk agree to fight each other. They sign contracts and everything! All Fury must do is get through his bout with Ngannou, 0-0, unscathed. Hurrah!

October 25, 2023: Out in Saudi Arabia, many journalists have it on good authority that Fury versus Usyk is signed and sealed for December 23.

October 28, 2023: Ngannou drops Fury in Round 3, busts up his face and acquits himself well in a majority decision loss. Afterwards, Frank Warren admits it’s unlikely that Fury will be fit enough to face Usyk on December 23.

November 16, 2023: It is officially confirmed that Fury-Usyk will take place on February 17, 2024, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

February 2, 2024: Fury-Usyk is postponed after a gaping wound is opened above Fury’s right eye in sparring.

February 4, 2024: With Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia, determined to get a new date in the diary as soon as possible, the undisputed clash between Usyk and Fury is rescheduled for May 18.

March 8, 2024: Joseph Parker claims interim recognition from the WBO when he outpoints Zhilei Zhang in Saudi Arabia.

May 18, 2024: Usyk beats Fury in a titanic encounter, boxing well early, appearing all but lost in the middle rounds, almost halting the Englishman in the ninth and clinching a deserved split decision – and all four belts. We have an undisputed (and one interim) heavyweight champion(s).

June 1, 2024: Two weeks later, also in Saudi Arabia, Daniel Dubois beats Filip Hrgovic in a battle for the IBF interim title. So, 14 days after Usyk defended the IBF title in a unification showdown against his closest rival, the IBF crown an interim titleholder, a fighter stopped by the Ukrainian 10 months previously.

June 26, 2024: Faced with the choice between two rematches, Usyk opts for the more lucrative and meaningful one. With the IBF recognizing Dubois as its interim titlist, Usyk is obligated to face the Englishman (whom he stopped in August 2023) if he wants to retain recognition as its heavyweight titleholder. It is no surprise when he essentially tells the organization to stick it and “gifts” the belt to Dubois so that he can focus on his contracted return with Fury.

A few hours later: Dubois and Joshua confirm they will fight at Wembley Stadium on September 21 with the full IBF title on the line between two fighters whose combined record against Usyk is 0-3. “World heavyweight title” is a key component in the marketing material.

September 21, 2024: Joshua is beaten in five rounds by a rampaging Dubois, who retains his IBF title in one of the most impressive performances of the year.

October 23, 2024: Usyk and Fury come together to confirm their eagerly awaited rematch. It will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on December 21.

November 15, 2024: When Usyk defeated Fury in May, he became the first heavyweight since Mike Tyson to hold all (non-interim/secondary) sanctioning body titles. On this day, Tyson, 58, is beaten by Jake Paul in a farcical eight-rounder and the viewing figures dwarf those commanded by Usyk-Fury in May. 

November 26, 2024: The fight that everyone is waiting for, Mahmoud Charr versus Kubrat Pulev, is confirmed for December 7. Charr had been reinstated as the WBA “regular” heavyweight titleholder. He initially won the title seven years ago, and Pulev, without a win over a world-class opponent since 2018, will be his first challenger.

December 7, 2024: Pulev defeats Charr over 12 rounds. Four men now hold titles: Usyk, Dubois, Parker and Pulev.

February 25, 2025: Sorry, make that five. The boxing world rejoices when the WBC reintroduce their interim heavyweight girdle and attach it to the waist of Agit Kabayel after he knocks out Zhilei Zhang in six rounds.

March 13, 2025: The WBO order Oleksandr Usyk to defend his WBO world championship against the WBO interim world championship-holder, Joseph Parker.

April 29, 2025: After the WBO are appeased that Parker will get his shot further down the line, Usyk-Dubois II, a battle for the undisputed championship, is formally announced and is set to take place on July 19. Once that fight is done and dusted, all that’s left to do is monitor the statuses of the three other belt-holders (Parker, Agit Kabayel, and Kubrat Pulev).

 

Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois find themselves fighting again this weekend, just under two years after Usyk was in control for 90 per cent of the first encounter before knocking out the Englishman in the ninth.

The first bout was deemed by most to be so one-sided, in fact, it’s a wonder that Saturday’s Wembley Stadium sequel has been so well received by fans and industry insiders alike. And it’s true, Usyk vs. Dubois II is one of the best fights to make, and not just for the heavyweight division, but the entire sport. 

Three factors are at play when it comes to explaining why. 

Number one: undisputed. 

We all want an ‘undisputed’ heavyweight champion, it seems. So much so that we all go gaga, mindlessly lapping up the same unification process again and again, seemingly unaware that it’s the unification process that continues to empower the existence of too many sanctioning bodies. We do all know it’s impossible for an undisputed champion to remain for longer than a few months because the number of titles kicking around is too much for one fighter to manage, right?

Usyk has been here before. In May 2024 he outpointed Tyson Fury to add the WBC strap to the WBA, WBO and IBF trinkets he already owned. But then the IBF ordered him to fight Dubois, barely months after he’d already beaten Dubois. So, with a Fury rematch already agreed, he gave up the title, which was awarded to Dubois, and all of the promoters and broadcasters and media who made such a song and dance about Usyk winning all four belts then performed similar routines while declaring that Dubois versus Anthony Joshua was a ‘world heavyweight title fight’ – even though Usyk, the world heavyweight champion, the man who proved himself to be the one and only world champion by beating Joshua twice, Dubois, and then Fury, was not only still active but also still the champion.

Number two: the low blow.

Much of the 10 per cent of fight one that wasn’t bossed by Usyk occurred in the fifth round when he took a hefty up-and-under, immediately ruled low by the referee, which appeared to land below the belly button. Usyk took his time to get up and regain his breath, as was his right. Opinion was divided on whether the blow was indeed low - it certainly looked low to me - or if Usyk got a favor from the referee. 

Regardless of one’s interpretation, or the camera angle chosen to fuel that opinion, the incident adds to the intrigue, for sure. And low or not, the thump illustrated the power that Dubois possesses and, who knows, should he aim an inch or so higher next time, it’s plausible that it will have a similar effect.

It’s also likely that the effect of the low blow in fight one – Usyk sitting on the canvas safe in the knowledge that the referee had deemed it a foul – is going to be tricky to replicate with a legal punch. Though it’s tempting to label Usyk as a fighter who doesn’t like taking a full-blown blast to the midsection (and, frankly, who does?), it’s only right to point out that Derek Chisora, Joshua, Dubois, and Fury – alongside Mairis Breidis, Tony Bellew, Murat Gassiev, and others, at cruiserweight – all tested the Ukrainian with powerful punches to the body and, though on occasion uncomfortable, he didn’t go down. 

Number three: improvements in Dubois.

This final factor, far more than the previous two, is what makes this rematch so fascinating. The Englishman went into the first contest four fights removed from a 10th round KO loss to Joe Joyce and though in the interim he had defeated Bogdan Dinu, Joe Cusumano, Trevor Bryan, and Kevin Lerena (a fight in which Dubois was fortunate to get out of the first round), winning a bogus WBA strap along the way, there was an obvious uncertainty to his work. Usyk sensed and exposed the doubt in Dubois who appeared to choose to stay on the canvas for the full count in the ninth.

What Dubois has achieved since is remarkable. He rebounded to stop Jarrell Miller in 10, then he powered through Filip Hrgovic in eight, and looked brand new while demolishing Joshua in five. Clearly a fighter who thrives on confidence, the exceptionally heavy-handed man enters fight two in a significantly better psychological state than he would have done last time.

In the meantime, Usyk has edged ever closer to 40 years old and engaged in two gruelling 12-rounders with Fury. Though he was the rightful winner in both, and showed no sign of slippage, it’s logical to suggest that Dubois, still only 27, is both fresher than his 38-year-old opponent and the freshest opponent Usyk has faced for some time. 

Okay, but will it really be any different this time?

Usyk, for all his mischievous confidence, will be acutely aware that he’s dealing with an improving fighter. And this version of Dubois - hungry, confident and seemingly carefree - might even be Usyk’s most dangerous opponent in the entire weight class. 

There were moments in the first contest when Dubois failed to truly believe in himself, when he was too tentative and respectful after putting himself in a position to really test the champion’s resolve. In fact, watch the first encounter again and though Usyk was certainly winning the rounds, he was working hard to do so.

Against Miller, Dubois backed himself for the first time in a tricky contest. That he stopped the American so late in the bout gave him the belief to tear through Hrgovic and, when faced with Joshua, Dubois almost got the job done as early as the first round such was the assertiveness fueling him. It stands to reason, then, that he will embark on this rematch with both urgency and composure which stands to make life difficult for the smaller, older Usyk.

But how much Usyk will have to do to drain the confidence from the young man remains to be seen. Should Usyk again control the early going, for example, and Dubois is forced to endure round after round without any significant success, will the uncertainty return? One can argue that Miller was never a leading heavyweight, that Hrgovic’s standing was inflated by hype, and Joshua, who was alarmingly careless from the get-go, played right into Dubois’ hands. Usyk is a different beast entirely. 

Even so, Dubois’ best chance of scoring the upset – and there is certainly a chance – likely hinges on his ability to utilise his physical advantages and break through early, to hurt and discombobulate Usyk, and end the bout before the veteran has found his groove. Furthermore, there is a vacant quality to Dubois these days that means he doesn’t overthink his approach. It might well work in his favor if he hurts Usyk and, rather than respectfully standing back, unpacks the kitchen sink and hurls it at the champion’s chin.

Who wins and how?

One naturally wonders if the perfect time for Usyk to retire, while at the peak of his all-conquering powers, came last year after his second victory over Fury. If he had, few could have accused him of leaving any unfinished business behind. With wins over Joshua, Dubois and Fury already recorded, he could rightfully say he’d cleared out the best fighters of his era.

But the lone asterisk on his otherwise spotless career remains that seventh round of his fight with Dubois when he hit the deck, screwed up his face, and exhibited the kind of discomfort we hadn’t seen before and we haven’t seen since. Usyk will be keen to remove any lingering doubt.

It stands to reason that this rematch will be a significantly harder fight for the champion. Dubois in full flow has been a revelation and, it must be noted, stood up to burly blows from Miller, Hrgovic and Joshua in recent bouts. Each likely possesses greater one-shot power than Usyk.

But Usyk can hurt Dubois in different places. Just because Dubois walked through those three doesn’t mean he can do the same to Usyk who, pertinently, has long had an incredible array of tools at his disposal, and an acute understanding of how to get the best from them. He was in tough spots against Joshua and Fury, the latter a technical wizard himself, yet the Ukrainian found the time, space, and composure to render any physical disadvantages redundant.

It’s easy to envision Dubois enjoying periods of success, perhaps even rocking and hurting the favorite, but if you’re going to pick the upset you are going out on a limb while doing so; you are guessing that Usyk has regressed. Because for as much as Dubois has improved, he hasn’t done so to the extent that he is a better fighter than Usyk has proven himself to be in recent fights.

Therefore, the pick is for Usyk to win again. It will likely come on the cards - that is the most logical outcome - but the feeling here is that Dubois, after exerting significant mental and physical energy trying to stamp his authority on the bout, finds himself exhausted, out of ideas, wide open, and rescued somewhere between the 10th and 12th rounds. It stands to be quite a scrap before then, though.

Twenty-seven-year-old Daniel Dubois is not looking back.

There have been times in his career where he has been beaten, battered, and bettered, but recent form has had him only looking one way.

Two years ago, he was defeated by Oleksandr Usyk in Poland, and they meet again on Saturday at Wembley Stadium.

“I can’t remember what I did,” Dubois told several British reporters this week, thinking back to the day after his first meeting with Usyk. 

“I don’t want to go back, it’s in the past.”

Dubois has clearly done enough reflecting and soul-searching regarding his losses to Usyk and Joe Joyce, but he is much happier about the Dubois he has subsequently become; the increasingly fearsome predator who stopped Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and Anthony Joshua in his last three fights.

Despite his massive frame, this Dubois drives a Porsche and, asked about spending his hard-earned money, he said: “What are you doing it for [if you can't buy a Porsche]? You’re getting punched in the head and putting your health on the line. My dad [Stanley] had one before me so...”

Dubois and his father have a well-documented relationship. Stanley rules the roost and had Daniel training for combat, or at very least discipline, from when he was about five years old.

Daniel still hangs on his every word. That was notable in the fight with Miller, when the big American wasn’t going anywhere and was somehow able to swallow up plenty of Dubois bombs.

It was at that point that promoter Frank Warren told Stanley to go and get in his son’s corner, and join trainer Don Charles.

“I pulled him out of the crowd,” said Warren. “I saw in the third round Daniel was looking round, he went back to the corner and Don was speaking to him. Don’s a good trainer and does everything that’s asked but his dad’s is the voice he listens to. “We’re there to win as a team, he [Daniel]’s the guy taking the punches. We want him to be in the best place to win a fight. That’s why this fight [the Usyk return] was made, we made adjustments after the first fight.”

“If you can’t do it for your dad, who can you do it for?” smiled Dubois.

“My dad found Don [Charles],” Dubois explained of the link up some two years ago.
“I was out in the wilderness, seriously,” interjected Charles. “I’ll say it publicly and privately that I owe his father and him because they took me from the wilderness and it’s all meant to be. I’m not a stranger to Frank [Warren]. Frank gave me trust with a prior guy [Derek Chisora] and that qualified me to give my everything for this young man and it’s working. As I sit here it's almost unreal that we’re revisiting Wembley again and he said he’s going to repeat it. It’s destiny. Stanley said he dreamt it all and everything he told me is happening in front of me.”

The team enjoyed definitive success in Wembley last September, when Dubois hurtled through Anthony Joshua in five rounds, dropping him four times.

Joshua had, by that point, twice lost to Usyk himself, but Team Dubois has no plans to let Usyk do the double over Daniel, the way the Ukrainian maestro scored repeat victories over both Joshua and Tyson Fury.

Dubois has clearly improved, physically and psychologically, and Warren believes Usyk and his team respect that.

“Yeah, they said it before,” said Warren. “Last time they were fighting Daniel the boy, now they’re fighting Daniel the man and that’s the difference.”

What of Usyk, is he the same man that fended off Dubois in Poland?

“I’m hoping he’s losing his powers but whatever it is, it is,” admitted Warren. “I’ve got great admiration for him as a champion, he’s done everything he’s had to do. On the strength of his record, he’s the best heavyweight of his generation but everyone is the best until they get beaten and I think his time is up. Daniel has the tools and the ability to do the business and come away with the prize.”

And both Warren and Dubois contend that a crucial victory will propel Dubois’ career achievements ahead of those of AJ and Fury.

“It’s for four belts, no one’s ever done it [in the UK at heavyweight],” said Warren.
“It’s history making,” added Dubois.

And they both know their boxing history. Warren has implored Dubois this week to attack Usyk like the Englishman is George Foreman or Rocky Marciano, hitting anything and everything that moves, making Usyk pay for being in front of him, whether he’s hammering the target areas or crashing bombs off Usyk’s arms and shoulders.

“Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson and Rocky Marciano and all of those greats who have come and gone,” Dubois said, asked for his favorites. “This fight puts me up there with all of them and to be remembered through all kinds of history.”

And that is important to him. There are pictures of several of the heavyweight greats on the wall of his gym. 

“It speaks for itself on Saturday and then I’ll put myself up there,” Dubois went on. “I’ll bring chaos to the ring and win by any means necessary. I want to turn up the heat and bring the chaos, restore the victory and that’s what I’m on.”

Usyk is a more than formidable opponent.

He is one of the best fighters on the planet and a generational great.

But Dubois believes he is entering his prime, while at 38 – and with an increasingly long career behind him – Usyk has spoken of this being one of his final two fights.

“I’m a veteran now so I don’t get overexcited about this [build-up and fight] now really because I’m a veteran,” Dubois continued. “I’ve been doing this a long time, like Frank, who’s a veteran.”

Warren, a Hall of Famer who has been in the sport some 45 years, continued: “At his age, how many fighters have fought the fighters who he has fought? Joshua hadn’t fought that quality. He’s paid his dues and now it’s about drawing on that experience and showing what he’s capable of doing. He’s a monster. He can fight and that is what it’s all about. Boxing is about going out there, being calm and doing the business.”

Can Dubois stay calm with the wily Usyk in front of him, with 90,000 fans making themselves heard?

“I just enjoy it and bring a vibe, make an atmosphere, create an atmosphere and take that to the fight by being single-minded with tunnel vision,” said Dubois.

While owning all of the belts is a dream the Dubois family has long carried, it is another thing thinking days and dreams like these would actually come true.

“I couldn’t have imagined and wouldn’t have known how it would happen but I would’ve loved to believe that I would get there, you know?” Dubois said. “It’s been a long road with a lot of work, going to the gym with my dad, sparring, training… It’s been a long road and I’ve been training for this day for a long, long time.

“I believed in myself; Frank’s been there matching us right and the whole team has been moving forward and staying focused. You believed in me didn’t you Frank?”

Warren signed Dubois out of the amateurs 10 years ago, when Dubois was 17.

Now Dubois is in what he’s calling “a legacy fight,” coming off the back of three wins that he admits proved plenty to himself.

“He’s up for this fight,” said Warren. “The one thing about this fight for Daniel, which is important, is he’s not getting into the ring with someone he doesn’t know. He’s shared the ring with him so he knows what to expect. The funny thing about this fight is it wasn’t difficult to make, they both wanted it. So it’s not like you’re trying to convince someone to do something they don’t want to do. They both wanted the fight and that shows they’ve both got confidence in their ability to win the fight. 


“Daniel [wins]. He’s in a good place. He’s learned some valuable lessons from the first fight. Things happen for a reason and it was a bump in the road and he’s come out of the fight with a different mentality. We put that to the test in the first fight afterwards against Jarrell Miller because I knew he would do everything he could to intimidate him out of the ring. I wanted to toughen him up mentally and he did that with him. At the final press conference, he stood his ground and did the same in the fight and showed he’s dangerous at any moment by knocking him down in the last round.”

Dubois said his Saturday dose of chaos will include landing leather on the body, the head, the elbows…

Warren reckons his man ushers in a new era for heavyweight boxing.

He believes, like Joe Calzaghe after defeating Chris Eubank, Daniel Dubois has not received his due credit from the British fans for the Joshua win.

“All they talked about was Eubank getting beat,” said Warren of that aftermath. “But it’s actually about the next great guy. He [Calzaghe] turned out to be the best out of all of them [Nigel Benn, Eubank, and Steve Collins]. Everybody will talk about Usyk and quite rightly they should, but him [Dubois] beating the guy who’s undefeated and beaten everybody then makes him The Man.”


Dubois has his mind on the job. 

“When you’re in training camp, you don’t have time for luxury, it’s just a grind so when this is over, we can have a laugh and play about a bit, but right now I’m in fight mode,” said Dubois.

And he has no plans of dodging anyone should he hit the highest heights on Saturday.

“We’ll go back up there and fight whoever, whoever wants it can get it.”

 

LAS VEGAS – Eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao and WBC welterweight titlist Mario Barrios each made weight Friday as Pacquiao seeks at age 46 to join Bernard Hopkins and George Foreman as the only world champions older than 45.

Pacquiao, 62-8-2 (39 KOs), stepped on the scale at 146.8 pounds while Barrios 29-2-1 (18 KOs) came in at 146.2 pounds for the pay-per-view (Prime Video/PPV.COM) bout at MGM Grand, where Pacquiao returns after a four-year layoff to fight for the 16th time.

The card also features the WBC junior-middleweight title bout in the co-main event, and champion Sebastian Fundora weighed 152.6 pounds for the second defense of his belt since winning it in the horrifically bloody March 2024 bout against former WBO champion Tim Tszyu of Australia. Tszyu weighed 153.2 pounds for the 154lbs bout.

In the pay-per-view opener, former two-division champion Brandon Figueroa came in at the featherweight limit 126 pounds for his bout against three-time title challenger Joet Gonzalez, who weighed in at 125 pounds.

The weigh-in was preceded by the withdrawal of 140lbs contender Angel Fierro from his scheduled rematch versus Mexican countryman and former champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz.

Premier Boxing Champions moved swiftly to keep the popular Cruz, 27-3-1 (18 KOs), on the card, moving Omar Salcido 20-2 (14 KOs) up from the undercard to take the pay-per-view match.

Salcido is coming off a January loss to IBF mandatory lightweight title contender Andy Cruz of Cuba, and he previously stopped Chris Colbert in a 2024 ProBox TV bout.

Cruz weighed in at 138.2 pounds and Salcido weighed 139.4.

Minutes after Barrios, 30, weighed in, his trainer Bob Santos told BoxingScene he’s confident the younger fighter’s strength, size and jab will pace the 6-feet-tall Barrios to the victory.

“We’re in great shape and I’m very sure we’re going to come out with the victory,” Santos said of betting-favorite Barrios. “We’re going to start with a hot and heavy jab and force him to come to us. When he tastes Mario Barrios’ punching power, he’s going to realize it’s a little bit different than even when he was in there with [former 154 lbs champion Antonio] Margarito. People don’t realize Mario’s bigger than Margarito. When he walks in the ring, he’ll be a very big guy with no rehydration clause. Barrios is a damn big puncher.

“This is a gladiator sport. When you sign the contract, you know what you sign up for. We’ll trudge [Pacquiao] into deep waters if we don’t stop him in the middle rounds.”

One fighter who has fought both Pacquiao and Barrios is former welterweight champion Keith Thurman, who said he’s concerned by Pacquiao’s four-year layoff since losing to Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas.

“That’s what makes me worry about Pacquiao. Luckily for him, Barrios doesn’t have the most notorious defense,” Thurman said. “Due to that, the doors are slightly open, and the veteran Pacquiao is going to be able find those pockets.”

Thurman is in wait for the Fundora-Tszyu winner after getting injured and withdrawing from a planned Tszyu fight in March 2024 when he was replaced by Fundora.

“Fundora got blessed when I got injured… this has been my fight,” Thurman said.

Full weights for the card are below.

10 rounds, super featherweight

Mark Magsayo (129lbs) vs. Jorge Mata (129lbs)

10 rounds, super bantamweight

David Picasso (125.8lbs) vs. Kyonosuke Kameda (126 lbs)

10 rounds, super featherweight

Gary Russell Jnr (131.6lbs) vs. Hugo Castaneda (135.8lbs)

In recent months, a buzz has returned to the Wild Card Gym that had been missing for several years. The Hollywood gym run by Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach has become as synonymous with Filipino boxing as Araneta Coliseum, but the recent return of Manny Pacquiao to the space actually has the Wild Card vibing like the early 2010s, when Pacquiao and seemingly every other Filipino boxer of note made the gym their training base.

Although the jury is still out on exactly how the boxing public at large feels about Pacquiao’s return to the ring at age 46, following his four-year retirement, there is no ambiguity about how the Philippines has received the news. Pacquiao brought unprecedented prosperity to the sport in the country, and was one of the sport’s most beloved boxers for more than a decade. His Saturday fight against welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios, which will be broadcast on PPV.com and Amazon Prime Video pay-per-view in the United States, will air for free on a slightly delayed basis on two channels in the Philippines, with several options showing the fight live via pay-per-view on both television and apps.

Such has been Pacquiao’s pull that his popularity has rubbed off on his compatriots, creating opportunities for Filipino boxers, who had been primarily viewed as “opponents” and are often now considered in hopes of uncovering another diamond in the rough – perhaps even the next Pacquiao.

Two Filipino boxers promoted by Pacquiao – former WBC featherweight titleholder Mark Magsayo and 2020 Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial – will have spots on Saturday’s undercard, when Pacquiao will face Barrios at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The spots underneath a Pacquiao main event have traditionally been coveted opportunities for Filipino boxers, as a large percentage of the Philippines’ 100-million plus citizens will be paying attention to the event early on a Sunday morning local time.

Magsayo, who will face Jorge Mata in a 10-round junior lightweight bout prior to the pay-per-view portion of the bill, is fighting for the second time on a Pacquiao card. He says Pacquiao has been giving back in other ways, taking more time to offer guidance and advice to the boxers training alongside him.

“Boxing is back in the Philippines right now because Manny Pacquiao is fighting again,” said Magsayo, 27-2 (18 KOs), a native of Tagbilaran City in Bohol province who now lives in Las Vegas. “We’re very happy that there’s a lot of Filipino boxers fighting on his undercard. We’re so lucky that he’s coming back, and the impact is good.

“Every time we run together, train together, he motivates us and inspires us to train and work harder. He passes on that ‘Mamba mentality.’”

Marcial, who is returning to pro boxing after his second Olympic stint last year, will be fighting for the first time on a Pacquiao undercard when he faces Bernard Joseph in an eight-round middleweight fight. During one training session, Pacquiao told Marcial, 5-0 (3 KOs), that he would train him when he eventually fought for a world title. Marcial says the effect of working alongside Pacquiao has been “like magic.”

“All of his advice, he’s teaching me, training with him, every time that I punch – I feel all his words,” said Marcial, who split his training camp between Las Vegas and his hometown of Zamboanga City, Philippines. “It’s already there in your head every time you train because the words came from an eight-division champion.

“Every time I throw four punches, automatically I move to the side because that’s what he told me to do. After he said that, every time I do my mitts, I’m already moving to the side because that’s what he said to me.”

In addition to Magsayo and Marcial, several other Filipino boxers promoted by Pacquiao’s MP Promotions have returned to Wild Card, including former IBF junior bantamweight titleholder Jerwin Ancajas, plus bantamweight contender Vincent Astrolabio, junior featherweight contender Carl Jammes Martin and bantamweight Jonas Sultan.

Pacquiao’s morning runs around Los Angeles have also attracted Filipino boxers from years past, including Marvin Mabait, whose side hustle as a YouTuber has risen and fallen with the availability of Pacquiao content, plus Michael Dasmarinas.

Sean Gibbons, president of MP Promotions, says Pacquiao’s ring return has already been big business for Filipino boxing.

“Manny’s return to boxing has spurred interest of all Filipinos back into boxing and worldwide,” Gibbons said. “What it’s done for his fighters is something that words cannot express.”

Marvin Somodio, a native of the Philippines who trains Magsayo out of the Wild Card Gym, says he has noticed that Pacquiao has been seeking out the boxers individually to give them feedback, something that Pacquiao wouldn’t have had as much time to do during the time when he was the pound-for-pound best boxer in the world 15 years ago.

“Manny is an inspiration to most fighters from all over the world, especially to Filipinos,” Somodio said. “Him giving advice, sharing his experience to Mark, Eumir and other fighters at the gym helped them a lot.”

Ancajas, who is finalizing a fight date for August, echoed the sentiments of his compatriots.

“[Pacquiao] always gives motivation for me and maybe all Filipino boxers,” Ancajas said.

“He always says training hard is the key to success. Punish yourself in training and always pray.”

While promoters have been looking for the next Pacquiao, the fact that there will never be another boxing figure quite like Pacquiao again is what has made this training camp a memorable experience for the Filipino boxers who have gotten to witness what may well be Pacquiao’s final trip between the ropes.

Ryan Songalia is a reporter and editor for BoxingScene.com and has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler, The Guardian, Vice and The Ring magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at ryansongalia@gmail.com or on Twitter at @ryansongalia.

LONDON – Oleksandr Usyk has entered the final countdown of his career. The likeable Ukrainian, a modern great and the unified heavyweight champion of the world, bids to become an undisputed king for a third time when he takes on Daniel Dubois, IBF heavyweight champion, in Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

“Two [more fights]. This and next,” Usyk told a small group of reporters this week.

There has been talk about a third bout with Tyson Fury, whom Usyk has twice already bettered, with bids likely to come in from Saudi Arabia and Russia. 

“I don’t know,” Usyk said in response to whether it would be Fury. “Now my focus, it’s only Daniel on Saturday.”

Of course, Usyk has earned the right to say how, when, and against whom he makes his exit against.

The excellent southpaw is 23-0 (18 KOs), an Olympic gold medalist who unified at cruiserweight, moved up, unified at heavyweight, had to hand back the IBF belt due to the ridiculousness of this sport’s politics, and now fights to add it back to his championship closet on Saturday.

Most of the 38-year-old’s damage has been done on the road, boxing and taking souls of opponents in their own countries and in front of their own fans. That, in part, has come about through necessity as his country, Ukraine, has fended off Russia’s bloody advances. 

Dubois has other plans.

The Londoner hopes his run of form, that has seen him best Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and Anthony Joshua, will continue against Usyk, who defeated him in Poland two years ago.

Dubois was stopped in nine rounds, but Usyk admits he has seen evidence of Dubois’ improvements since their first encounter.

“I think that Daniel has gotten better and now he has a championship belt,” says Usyk. “But I haven’t been staying in one place either. I’ve been growing, too.”

Usyk can also draw upon positive experiences in rematches against both Joshua and Fury, but that is of no concern to him. Victory is the only thing on his mind.

“I’m never thinking about what other people are talking about,” Usyk adds. “My father always told me, ‘You have to do your job well and if you do your job well people will talk well about you. If you do your job bad, they will talk bad about you.’ So it’s better if you do it well.”

In 2022, when Usyk and Dubois fought in Poland, there was debate about a borderline shot on Usyk’s belt, but there were also post-fight images of Usyk trying to explain something to a dejected Dubois.

“After the fight, when Daniel lost, I said, ‘Don’t make a mistake and never stop and keep going.’”

When they were reunited under the famous Wembley arch on Tuesday, Usyk was greeted by Dubois yelling, “And the new …” at him, seemingly ignoring the fact that he already holds a belt.

“I don’t think about it,” Usyk says, when asked what he thought about that welcome.

Dubois has promised to bring “chaos” on Saturday, to which Usyk simply counters: “It’s God’s will.”

Interestingly, Usyk said this week that the hardest puncher he has been in with is Derek Chisora – leading contender for Dubois’ IBF title – but having felt Dubois punches, the ones that have taken him to a 95 per cent KO ratio, Usyk says he is focused on his faith and improving rather than on what might be coming back his way. 

“I’m a faithful person. I see only the best in people but sometimes people show their bad side and even when they’re showing their bad side, I would never judge them,” Usyk adds. “I wouldn’t say anything bad about them or say, ‘I do not respect you for that.’ In moments like this, I just think please God give him some brains, some understanding and just willpower to get better [from] where he is now. I respect every boxer, every sportsman that is going to the ring, going to the ring meaning to be a fighter. … Every opponent that I see in the ring is the fighter that came there to make himself better; to become better.”

Talking in that manner indicates a shared passion for the sport and what it takes to compete as a boxer – at any level. It is why Usyk, despite having soft plans to retire, has no such desire to leave the sport.

“I’m not going to quit boxing forever. I’m going to be training younger boxers and giving them the experience I’ve gained. Maybe I’ll even become the coach,” he says.

Where would he be without boxing?

“There’s three options – there’s movies, music or prison.”

While Usyk is just fine answering countless questions about his trade, it is speaking about his family where he is at his most illuminated, engaged, and warm. Sacrificing being away from his family is hard, but for him there is no other way.

Usyk and wife Yekaterina, who married in 2009, have four children, two daughters and two sons.

“It’s always been very difficult, but I always keep in mind that I have to be focused on training and I chose this path to be who I am now,” he explains. “Sometimes we have to give away things to get even better things. And sometimes it’s the people that are around us, that are closest to us, they pay the price for us.

“[My sons] were there [in training camp in Valencia] with me and then they left. They had been there for one week then one of them went to Spain to train for the Spanish championship [in judo]. One stayed with me and then they came back again for two days and then they left again.”

He and his wife talk on FaceTime often, too.

“Yes of course, I’m always calling my wife early in the morning. When our young daughter wakes up, she always wants to see her daddy,” the champion smiles. “It’s always in the morning and evening, sometimes even in the lunchtime when there’s a break and I have time for it.”

One of Usyk’s sons wants to continue judo all the way to the Olympics; another son wants to be a world champion boxer.

“But I always said,” smiles Usyk, “‘To get there, you have to be working a lot, and sometimes, being famous is not that fun.'”

Fame, of course, has been a by-product for Usyk, as has international acclaim, something he found hard to imagine as a child growing up in Simferopol. He never thought he would be in the position of wealth he now finds himself in.

“When I was very little, my family was quite poor and sometimes there would be no money to even buy some bread,” he explains. “Now I’m working so hard so my kids will have not just bread but butter.

“When I started boxing all I wanted to do was punch someone in my backyard. I wasn’t planning to be a professional boxer. ‘I’m going to really enjoy this,’ and then my coach said I can become world champion,” he recalls. “Then, I thought that if we have seven billion people on the planet and I can become world champion, it’s very good, but at the same time, I didn’t truly believe him. The place I come from; people don’t really believe in the dreams that I actually live now. They don’t even believe that they can move from their city to another city next year. I’d be writing, not that ‘I will be champion,' but, ‘I am the world champion’. When someone would say, ‘Oleksandr Usyk wants to become world champion,' I would say, ‘No, I am the world champion.' Out of 10 boys in the same area, I was the only one who used to say that I would become a world champion; they would do nothing, and they wouldn’t believe it [what he said]. One of them, Serhii Lapin, is one of us here, was the only one who said, ‘I think you actually will.’ My other friends say that they always knew that I would get out of that city, and [about] how hard I worked to get what I’ve got now.”

For Usyk’s journey, he has worked with promoter Alex Krassyuk, although the pair announced a split last month. It came as a surprise, but Usyk says they have other projects they will continue working on (“We didn’t stop working together.”)

But for all his success, Usyk knows his time is nearly over. Dubois will hope to force his hand on Saturday. And with countryman Vasiliy Lomachencko having recently exited the sport, the end of an incredibly proud era for Ukraine boxing is nigh.

But Usyk and “Loma” have both given joy, hope, and happiness to millions back home when they needed it.

“When I meet younger boxers, I say, ‘No matter what age you are, you can do whatever you want to do – everything is achievable,’” concludes Usyk. “You have to work. The worst thing that you can think is to do something tomorrow. You have to do it right now. If you want to do something, write it on a piece of paper and always carry it with you – don’t forget that you wanted to do it, and do it right now.”

Usyk is preparing for the last couple of chapters, and we are left to wonder what it says on the paper in his pocket.

As Conor Benn voiced his intentions to move on from Chris Eubank Jnr, stating plans to return to welterweight and seek out the Mario Barrios-Manny Pacquiao winner, Eubank’s manager insisted that a deal for the rematch can still be struck. 

“Trying to fix it all today,” Napper Amoakoh told BoxingScene via text message on Thursday. “Chris wants the fight. He has not ducked Conor. Wants to fight him this year.”

It’s been chaos galore since the rivalry between Eubank Jnr and Benn was conceptualised in the summer of 2022 with the twists and turns along the way scarcely believable at times. Controversy and skulduggery became the norm for three long years before the mood was lightened in April this year, albeit comparatively briefly, by the fight itself.

It was announced by The Ring on the afternoon of Sunday June 29, after being confirmed by Ring owner and Saudi paymaster Turki Alalshikh, that the rematch was set for September 20. Only problem was, Eubank had not agreed to his side of the deal.

Though Eubank, promoted by Boxxer, confirmed his desire for the rematch in the weeks following his 12-round points victory over Benn, he has not spoken or posted publicly on the matter since news broke that the sequel was ‘on’. BoxingScene understands that although terms for the rematch were part and parcel of the contract for their opening contest, won on points after 12 ferocious rounds by Eubank, certain finer details – like date and venue, for example – were not. 

On Wednesday, after Benn had accused Eubank of running scared, BoxingScene’s Tom Ivers reported that Eubank’s team were “trying to sort out some small logistics” before putting pen to paper on a second fight.

A separate source told BoxingScene that Eubank, though eager for fight two to be finalized, was not keen to return to the ring as early as September. The first contest was gruelling and the aftermath more so, with BoxingScene learning that the main reason for 35-year-old Eubank’s two-day stay in hospital immediately after the bout was severe dehydration. The first contest was set at 160lbs with a rehydration clause in place that meant neither could gain more than 10lbs by the morning of the contest. 

Overnight on Wednesday, The Ring reported that neither Riyadh Season nor Sela is involved in the rematch, effectively distancing themselves from negotiations. 

It could prove a defining development when one considers that, prior to the first contest, Benn’s promoter Eddie Hearn stated it was thanks to the funding from Riyadh Season, and the goodwill of Alalshikh, that the April showdown occurred at all. 

Presuming the latest information is correct and not a tactic to hasten an agreement, it’s natural to wonder if the rematch can be staged, and the fighters can be paid what they’re expecting, without investment from the Middle East. “It certainly makes it more difficult,” another source close to the negotiations told BoxingScene. 

Those difficulties are intensified by another development. As well as relinquishing ownership of the Eubank-Benn rivalry, Alalshikh has also declared plans to rid the boxing world of pay-per-view. “Great meeting with my brother Shay [Segev], CEO of DAZN,” Alalshikh posted on social media. “We have big vision to grow boxing and decide: No more Pay-Per-View. Starting with our Ring Magazine show in November, all Riyadh Season and The Ring events will be free to DAZN subscribers. The PPV model has damaged boxing, and we will no longer support it. We are with the fight fans.” What that model looks like – also on social media, Segev referenced a transition from PPV to a monthly “Ring Pass” for boxing coverage on DAZN – remains to be seen.

It was reported that Eubank Jnr-Benn shifted 620,000 buys after being broadcast by DAZN and Sky Sports. Take away both the revenue from that and Alalshikh’s money, and the long and winding Eubank Jnr-Benn story might be about to meet an abrupt end.

“We’ve said to Eubank that is the date [September 20],” Hearn today told IFL. “And if you don’t take the fight on that date, the fight doesn’t work…

“There are no stadiums available. Commercially you guys are on a fortune. So if Eubank is not prepared to take the fight on September 20, I don’t think there will be a fight, That’s not my decision, that’s a decision of [Alalshikh]…

“Eubank probably can’t be bothered to go back into camp. I’m not sure if he’ll ever fight again.”

And with that, the narrative has seemingly shifted again. Eubank, the winner of the fight, is “not prepared” to fight again. 

It’s backed by Benn’s own statement, provided to The Ring. “The rematch is falling apart had nothing to do with me. I was ready to go on the scheduled September 20 date. I’m not sure what happened to Chris Eubank Jnr.”

Why Benn was the only one of the two fighters suggesting the rematch was on in the first place is unknown. So too whether Eubank Jnr takes the bait.

LAS VEGAS - Manny Pacquiao says he doesn’t want fans to worry about him as the 46-year-old prepares to challenge WBC welterweight titlist Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday. In fact, he insists that, despite his advancing years, the eight-division titlist’s team has had to hold him back in training to prevent him from overdoing it before fight night.

There were times during Wednesday’s final pre-fight press conference in which it almost felt as if Pacquiao, 62-8-2 (39 KOs), had never left. There was the familiar impish grin, the repeated promises to “make the fans happy,” the respectful acknowledgment by his opponent of his status in the sport.

But of course, he has been away.  Press conference host Ray Flores reminded Pacquiao that Saturday would be his 16th time headlining at the venerable arena; the 15th was when he defeated Keith Thurman to win a welterweight belt at age 40. That was his most recent win, and it was six years ago. Since then, he has fought just once, losing to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.

“It’s been a while that I have not been boxing,” he acknowledged. “It’s been four years. But I’m still active in terms of exercise, training, things like that. The fans might be worried about my condition, but you know, that’s why I need to prove that I’m not that kind of fighter. I’m a fighter that can work hard, as I used to before when I was young. I’m pretty sure that this coming Saturday is going to be a lot of action, and the fans will be happy.

“And to Team Pacquiao, thank you for working hard, and thank you for stopping me all the time to cut short my training. I want to push, push more. But I understand that it’s not like when we’re young. You can work hard every day, but there’s a time that we need to give my body rest to recover.”

In fact, when Barrios, 29-2-1 (18 KOs), stated that he was planning for a toe-to-toe slugfest, the Filipino suggested he was looking forward to it.

“That’s why I’m here,” he said. “That’s why I’m still in boxing.” Indeed, he insisted the reason he specifically wanted to come back against Barrios was that he felt their two styles would mesh and that, of course, “we can both give a good fight for the fans.” 

His absence from the ring since losing to Ugas has, he insisted, proven good for him so far.

“I’ve been enjoying training. My feeling is like when I was 26 years old,” he said. “I think it is because I left boxing for four years. That’s why I have the fire in my eyes and my heart to work hard, and to fight. My body was able to rest for four years, and now I’m excited.”

All that said, Pacquiao inevitably and understandably has his eyes on his legacy and how he will be remembered in the sport when he finally does hang up the gloves, this time permanently. And while he didn’t provide much insight into how exactly he plans to defeat his bigger, younger, fresher opponent on Saturday, he did expound at some length on what he would like that legacy to be. Unsurprisingly, Pacquiao being Pacquiao, that was focused, not on fights won or titles claimed, but on more high-minded considerations.

“In my boxing career, I always want to be an inspiration to all the young boxers, to all the people, to all the fans, not only in here in the United States, but all over the world: to be an Inspiration and a role model for them, and being a nice person,” he said. “Boxing is boxing. You know, when we get to the ring, we perform our job. We fight. And after that, nothing personal. We are all friends.

“Legacy is the most important thing, because we’re not forever in this world. We’re just passing by. So therefore, to have a good legacy that can inspire other generations, inspire other boxers. That’s my goal.”

Kieran Mulvaney has written, broadcast and podcast about boxing for HBO, Showtime, ESPN and Reuters, among other outlets. He presently co-hosts the “Fighter Health Podcast” with Dr. Margaret Goodman. He also writes regularly for National Geographic, has written several books on the Arctic and Antarctic, including most recently Arctic Passages: Ice, Exploration, and the Battle for Power at the Top of the World, and is at his happiest hanging out with wild polar bears. His website is www.kieranmulvaney.com.

Former NFL MVP Adrian Peterson is lacing up the gloves once again, this time for a celebrity boxing match against professional poker player Joe Castaneda.

The matchup stems from a physical altercation between the two that was caught on camera during a poker game in Houston this past May. Despite the heated moment, both men have since downplayed any lingering animosity and have agreed to settle their differences in the ring, according to TMZ Sports and Newsweek.

Peterson, 40, is no stranger to the boxing spotlight. He previously fought in a 2022 exhibition bout against fellow ex-NFL star Le'Veon Bell.

A four-time All-Pro, 2007 Offensive Rookie of the Year, and 2012 NFL MVP, Peterson is widely considered one of the greatest running backs of his generation. Castaneda, meanwhile, is taking the matchup seriously. According to TMZ Sports, he has enlisted the help of combat sports coach Teddy Concepcion and is training out of the Oasis gym in Las Vegas.

Both Peterson and Castaneda have officially signed with Celebrity Boxing, with more details on the bout expected to be announced soon.

On Tuesday at a hotel in the shadow of Wembley Stadium it was Frank Warren who mostly spoke on behalf of Daniel Dubois, the IBF heavyweight champion. On Wednesday, at his public workout equally nearby, it was instead his trainer Don Charles.

Oleksandr Usyk, the 38-year-old Ukrainian recognised as the finest fighter of his generation, handled Tuesday’s promotional and media commitments even more effectively than had the veteran, hall-of-fame inductee and promoter whose stake in Saturday’s contest is perhaps the biggest. 

Such is Usyk’s comfort in his identity, his abilities, and his remarkable achievements – the WBO, WBA and WBC heavyweight titles among them – he consistently spoke with warmth and occasionally elaborated when he felt moved to, but he otherwise went through the motions as he has so many times before. 

He has twice experienced being in the decreasing shadows of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, and first fought Dubois while the shadow cast by Fury loomed particularly large. Entering Saturday’s contest it is perhaps only those closest to Dubois determined to promote him as a threat to Usyk in the way that Joshua and Fury were once considered. There is, as ever, a promotional and therefore financial incentive involved in doing so, but from the perspective of the paternal, passionate and loyal Charles it is his impressional fighter’s psyche that is being invested in the most.

“I’m switched on and focused; ready to cause chaos in that ring and ready to go,” said Dubois on Wednesday when encouraged by one of his colleagues at Queensberry Promotions to offer a soundbite those watching and listening could buy into. “I’m grateful for this opportunity and ready to seize it; ready for the moment.”

Asked about his repeated use of the word “chaos”, he responded: “Tune in on Saturday because we’re going to get that victory – come on!

“The whole team – to the whole team it means a lot to us. We’ve worked hard for this – we’re not going to let this one go.”

The 27-year-old Dubois had perhaps been persuaded that he “let one go” when he was previously stopped by Usyk, regardless of the reality that the punch that sent the Ukrainian to the canvas had rightly been ruled low. 

Since then Charles and Warren have worked the rebuild an often gentle giant’s conviction and confidence, and after stoppages of Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Joshua – one career-best victory followed by the next – there is little question that while preparing for Usyk the second time, “chaos” has been the buzzword at Charles’ gym.

The charismatic Usyk is counterintuitively stoic when appropriate, and he remained that way at Wednesday’s workouts – he arrived and worked out to techno music in acknowledgment of his eastern-European roots. 

Perhaps he said even more than Dubois when he ultimately said nothing, but it was while he was in the ring that Charles was interviewed, and in so doing revealed the extent of the confidence that represents their greatest chance.

“It’s all a moment – it’s a team moment,” the trainer told DAZN. “This is what Daniel – from the minute Daniel became a boxer, this is what it’s all led to. All the hard work; all the sacrifices that this man has made, he hasn’t had what we would call a ‘normal’ childhood, but he’s sacrificed a lot for Saturday night.”

When he was told that leading Dubois to victory would transform his status to that of a “legendary” trainer, he then responded: “That is intentioned. That is what’s going to happen. You know me – I’m a spiritual person. From the minute I landed in England as a 14-year-old, young man, it became apparent this is what it’s all about. 

“We’ve already reached one milestone which is Daniel becoming a world champion. To go further and become the undisputed [champion] – whenever I say that I get goosebumps. Honestly.

“Most definitely [he’s still improving]. In my opinion, Usyk is meeting Daniel Dubois at the wrong time for Usyk, and Daniel’s meeting Usyk at the right time for Daniel Dubois. The age – you’re at your best; any man – we’re all at our best when we’re 27. Physically, and mentally, Daniel Dubois is in a very good place.

“You are the company you keep. The people around him right now, everything just fits – it really does. There’s a number of factors that leads to the Daniel Dubois you’re looking at. Not just one thing – a number of positive factors. It’s a collective effort.

“In my dream, it plays out Daniel Dubois, business as usual. He’s going to win this fight emphatically, with a knockout. I’ve told you – K-O.

“Not taking nothing away from [Usyk]. He’s a legend, irrespective of what happens. When Daniel beats him he’s gonna go down as one of the greats. [Usyk] doesn’t have to prove anything else.”

Before he finished speaking Charles acknowledged that he had modelled the explosive Dubois’ training camp on that of the retired Wladimir Klitschko, one of the most recent predecessors to Usyk’s status as the world’s finest heavyweight.

After the trainer’s departure it was also suggested – by the retired Carl Frampton, not Charles – that boxing is “a young man’s game”. 

Frampton, however, on behalf of DAZN was promoting Saturday’s contest. Even if what he said is so often true, he will know that Usyk is a youthful 38, and that even aged 38, Dubois is attempting to dethrone the most complete-and-professional active fighter of them all. 

The first time I covered Manny Pacquiao from ringside was in May 2004 when he fought Juan Manuel Marquez for the first time.

The vividness with which I recall the three knockdowns in the opening round and the energy that engulfed the MGM Grand Garden Arena has me struggling to accept it all really unfolded 21 years ago.

The second time was his rematch with Erik Morales at the Thomas and Mack Center in what would prove to be one of the most significant outings in Pacquiao’s career. Morales had exposed Pacquiao’s technical limitations in their first meeting, causing the Filipino and trainer Freddie Roach to work extensively on developing the southpaw’s right hand.

During the rematch, it all came together, Pacquiao overcoming a tough start to overwhelm Morales and stop him in 10.

One of the things that lodged in my memory that night was how incredibly loud it was in the arena. Pacquiao Fever was taking off and I half-joked that the noise must have been akin to sticking one’s head next to a jet engine. I have yet to experience boxing crowds as consistently full-throated as those that turned out for peak Pacman’s series of contests with his Mexican rivals Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and, of course, Marquez – a sequence of fights that prompted publicist Bernie Bahrmasel to dub him the “Mexicutioner.”

I was there also for his second fight with Barrera, his rubber match with Morales, and when he destroyed David Diaz to take a lightweight belt. (Diaz, by the way, was one of my favorite interviews: several months later, when I started to ask him about his one-sided stoppage loss he immediately interjected with a laugh, “I was robbed!”)

I was ringside, too, during his annus mirabilis of December 2008 to November 2009, when he took apart Oscar De La Hoya, relieved Ricky Hatton of consciousness in an instant, and turned back the challenge of fellow future Hall-of-Famer Miguel Cotto. 

Most of his outings, like those masterpieces, were in Las Vegas. But Pacquiao took his show on the road, too. He twice headlined at Jerry Jones’ spectacular new stadium in Arlington, Texas, where he convincingly defeated Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito, but took a little bit too much damage in the process and was never quite the same destructive force afterward. (Others of a more cynical bent could surmise other reasons for the downturn in his destructive power.)

There was Macau, too, and wins over Brandon Rios and Chris Algieri early on Sunday morning amid the particular charms of a property that sported gamblers passed out on benches around the casino floor and ladies of the evening who seemed especially eager to pursue every westerner who walked within earshot.

In more than 20 years of covering boxing, I’m not sure I’ve experienced anything quite like the ride that was reporting on the Pacquiao phenomenon. 

Pacquiao’s rise had so many ingredients: the preternaturally happy fighter, who beamed at supporters on his way to the ring – often accompanied by a song that he himself had recorded – before unleashing almost cartoon-like violence once the bell began; his repeated assertions that all he wanted was to “make the people happy” because “I love the people”; the Yoda-and-Luke relationship with trainer Freddie Roach, who overcame his own physical challenges to forge a special bond with the charge who had knocked on the screen door of the Wild Card Boxing Club and asked if Roach would hold pads for him; and the mischievous creativity of publicist Fred Sternburg, who would conspire with Roach to say all the things that Pacquiao wouldn’t and help Manny with the words with which he was comfortable.

There were the brief concerts at Mandalay Bay that Pacquiao would perform after a fight, even following the tussle with Cotto that left him with a damaged ear and a bandage wrapped tightly around his head. And then there was Jimmy Kimmel, who welcomed Pacquiao as a favored repeat guest, to the point of actively encouraging his trademark rendition of ‘Sometimes When We Touch.’

It was frequently fun and almost never dull, even when the victories began to be interspersed with defeats.

I was ringside for Marquez II and III (and was one of the very few people not named Pacquiao, Sternburg, or Roach who thought the Filipino eked them both) and for the conclusive fourth meeting when a suddenly sculpted Marquez knocked him out face-first amid raucous and emotional scenes. 

It seemed then that the journey was over, that Pacmania had run its course, that a sobbing Jinkee Pacquiao would tell her husband she didn’t want to see him fight again. But the biggest night of them all was still to come, in the form of the massively anticipated but past-its-sell-by-date clash with Floyd Mayweather Jnr.

Fight week was jam-packed and exciting, a surprise around every corner, and a giddy optimism prevailed as predictions of the number of pay-per-view buys grew and grew. As for the fight itself: Mayweather was excellent, while Pacquiao showed the fight may have come too late for him to mount a truly effective challenge.

And there was the slightly strange trilogy with Tim Bradley, which kicked off when Pacquiao was adjudged to have lost a bout he appeared from ringside to have won quite clearly. While the official loser addressed the media post-fight from the dais, the putative victor unhappily nursed an ankle injury as he sat in a wheelchair.

The conclusion of that trilogy marked the 19th time I had watched Pacquiao from ringside; the 20th, four years and four fights later, was his stroll against Adrien Broner. 

This Saturday’s challenge of welterweight titlist Mario Barrios will be the 21st. And, on one level, I’m dreading it.

I don’t want to overstate that case. Because of my history of covering both Pacquiao and Roach, I requested the assignment, after all. But the thought of Pacquiao emerging from four years of retirement to take on Barrios has me asking two main questions.

The first: Why?

Why would a man who has achieved so much and made so much money, who combined the latter stages of his career with spells in Congress and the Senate and who, during his aborted retirement, ran for president, want or need to take punches in the head from a relatively fresh 30-year-old? Have the multiple political campaigns and his admirable penchant for handing out money to the poor drained his formerly swollen coffers? Does he miss it all: the attention, the training, the ringwalks, the sight of his face on a marquee, the feeling of sanctioned combat? 

Roach recently told me that Pacquiao and his wife had expressed a desire for “one more fight.” Does he feel uncomfortable with how things worked out last time in the ring and in need of a final victory to tie the bow on what is literally a Hall-of-Fame career? 

If so, that leads to the second question: How?

How does a man who was convincingly defeated by Yordenis Ugas in 2021 somehow find the extra gear he needs to upend – at age 46! - the man who subsequently delivered Ugas a thumping?

Simple, say the optimists. Barrios is a fairly pedestrian welterweight titlist and Pacquiao is an all-time great. And Pacquiao’s style and strengths match up well with Barrios’ weaknesses. All of which may well be true, but in the final analysis the most important element isn’t to be found in punch stats or victories or titles won, but in his age – which, again, is 46.

What are the concrete steps he can take to improve on his performance against Ugas, or his showing in a 2024 exhibition in which he was embarrassed and outpunched by a 28-year-old kickboxer? Most pertinently, how is he supposed to recapture the speed he flashed in his pomp, which he surely will need if he is to emerge victorious?

Blathering on about his greatness or Barrios’ ordinariness – a criticism that is taken too far, in this writer’s opinion; Barrios may not be Sugar Ray Leonard but he’s no Yuriy Nuzhnenko either -  doesn’t obscure the simple fact that somehow, he has to do what he hasn’t shown an ability to do for years. 

Is it possible that he could land the perfect left hand and crumple Barrios as he did Hatton?

That scenario would be more believable if he hadn’t scored precisely one knockout since the win over Cotto. So, he’ll have to find the footwork, hand speed and stamina to outbox a younger, taller, fresher and more active man over 12 rounds. 

Among the many accurate but overused phrases in boxing is that Father Time is undefeated; and yet, time and again, everyone seems to be shocked when it’s proven to be true. I mean, didn’t we just go through this?

Granted, 46 isn’t 58, and Pacquiao has lived a healthier live than Mike Tyson.

Equally, however, Barrios is a significantly more capable and accomplished boxer than Jake Paul and will, one suspects, be less inclined to take it easy on his older opponent.

The two main reasons why so many repeatedly fall for the idea that age is just a number in combat sports are, of course, George Foreman and Bernard Hopkins.

Foreman famously retired for 10 years before regaining the heavyweight championship at age 45, while Hopkins was 49 at the time of his final win.

But Foreman was, of course, a heavyweight, a division in which speed and reflexes can matter less than power, which is famously said to be the last thing a boxer loses. He also brought guile, good defense, and a phenomenally relaxed fighting style to the ring when he came back.

Just as important, he felt his way back, slowly regaining his muscle memory and skills. He was 24-0 in his second career when he challenged Evander Holyfield, and 27-2 when he defeated Moorer.

Hopkins altered his style as he aged, using his experience and intelligence to negate his opponents’ gameplans; and he was a mere pup of 36 when he upset Felix Trinidad in 2001. He also at no stage attempted to come back after going six years without a win.

It is possible that something dramatic will happen, that Pacquiao will recapture the magic of yesteryear and somehow summon a victory that will elevate him even farther in the pantheon of pugilistic greatness. If he does, I’ll be perfectly happy to be derided as an idiot. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time.

But let’s be honest. Put away the rose-tinted glasses, holster the unbridled hope, and consider the realities of the matchup. The greater likelihood by far is that Pacquiao won’t just lose but will lose badly, to a man he would have whupped in his pomp. 

When and if that happens, Barrios will deserve his props. But it will be a sad and unnecessary end to a glorious career. There’s a pretty good chance Saturday will rank at number 21 on my personal list of Manny Pacquiao fights.

Fortunately, I have 20 other memories to recall instead.

Kieran Mulvaney has written, broadcast and podcast about boxing for HBO, Showtime, ESPN and Reuters, among other outlets. He presently co-hosts the “Fighter Health Podcast” with Dr. Margaret Goodman. He also writes regularly for National Geographic, has written several books on the Arctic and Antarctic, including most recently Arctic Passages: Ice, Exploration, and the Battle for Power at the Top of the World, and is at his happiest hanging out with wild polar bears. His website is www.kieranmulvaney.com.

 

IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev has turned his attention to making the mandatory defense of his belt versus Erickson Lubin, BoxingScene learned Tuesday.

Murtazaliev promoter Kathy Duva previously was pushing for Murtazaliev, 23-0 (17 KOs), to gain an IBF exception and fight England’s Josh Kelly in the late summer-early fall, but the IBF informed Duva it was going to demand the mandatory defense against top-ranked Lubin, 27-2 (19 KOs), by November, making the scheduling of both bouts impossible.

Earlier efforts to strike a deal between Murtazaliev and Kelly slowed over efforts to strike a broadcast deal, Murtazaliev’s manager Igor Klimas confirmed to BoxingScene. Duva and Tom Brown of TGB Promotions/Premier Boxing Champions subsequently shared a Tuesday morning phone call to move forward on Murtazaliev-Lubin.

Russia’s Murtazaliev became champion with a road win in Germany over Jack Culcay, then more emphatically defended his belt by knocking down former WBO champion Tim Tszyu four times before finishing him in the third round in October in Florida.

Florida’s Lubin, 29, is coming off an 11th-round stoppage of Ardreal Holmes in May, his third consecutive victory since a loss to WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora.

The effort to fight Kelly was based on Duva’s interest in staging the Lubin fight before Murtazaliev needed to take a break for Ramadan beginning in February after training through the religious period for Culcay.

Duva said Saudi Arabia boxing financier Turki Alalshikh also sought a Murtazaliev bout against unbeaten WBC interim champion Vergil Ortiz Jnr, but when the subject was broached with the Ortiz camp, they rejected the fight because of the IBF requirement of a fight-day weigh-in in which both the champion and challenger are forbidden from rehydrating more than 10 pounds over the bout’s weight limit.

“Seems odd that they’d say no after only recently moving up in weight, but that’s what happened,” Duva said.

When the IBF pressed the issue on Murtazaliev fighting within three months of this week, Duva said there was no option but to meet Lubin, whose only other loss was to former undisputed 154lbs champion Jermell Charlo in 2017.

 

Purse bid heads will wake up to devastating news.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has confirmed that the respective teams for Badou Jack and Noel Mikaelyan have reached a deal to move forward with their ordered cruiserweight title fight rematch. A purse bid hearing previously scheduled for Tuesday was canceled, as a result of the development. 

“The WBC has been notified that an agreement has been reached for the rematch between Cruiserweight champion Badou Jack and Noel Mikaelyan,” Sulaiman informed BoxingScene and other media members via WhatsApp on Monday. “Consequently, the purse offer scheduled for [Tuesday] is hereby cancelled.”

News of the two sides agreeing to terms comes as it was revealed by Don King Productions, Mikaelyan’s promoter, that their side rejected a step-aside offer that would have seen Jake Paul instead challenge for Jack’s WBC 200lbs crown. 

A Jack-Paul matchup would have been easy to make from a negotiating standpoint. However, one other hurdle existed at the moment – Paul is not rated by the WBC at cruiserweight. The social media influencer-turned-contender and promoter recently cracked the WBA top 15 but has not expressed much interest in challenging unified WBA/WBO titlist Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez.

It’s a moot point, as Mikaelyan, 27-3 (12 KOs) – an Armenian boxer based in South Florida – was already awarded an immediate rematch with Jack, 29-3-3 (17 KOs).

The two met on a May 4 Riyadh Season show at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Jack retained the title that previously belonged to Mikaelyan with a majority decision win. Many viewers felt Mikaelyan deserved the nod in a fight he accepted on short notice.

Jack was originally due to defend against mandatory challenger Ryan Rozicki, 20-1-1 (19 KOs), who suffered a biceps tear and was forced to withdraw. Mikaelyan agreed to take his place, canceling his own plans for a previously announced return later that month in South Florida. 

While not rewarded by the judges, Mikaelyan was given fair treatment by the WBC who granted an appeal filed by its former cruiserweight titlist. 

Mikaelyan is now afforded a full camp for the opportunity to regain the title he held from November 2023 through last December. 

A legal dispute with Hall of Fame promoter Don King put Mikaelyan on the shelf, which prompted the WBC to downgrade him to ‘Champion in Recess.’

Mikaelyan actually won and lost the title in the same fashion as was the case for Jack’s first reign at the weight.

Jack – a 2008 Olympian for Sweden who is now based in Dubai – won the WBC 200lbs belt in a February 2023 12th-round knockout win over Ilunga “Junior” Makabu. He then opted to campaign at bridgerweight, in lieu of a mandatory title defense against Mikaelyan. Jack agreed to vacate in exchange for a direct shot at the WBC bridgerweight belt, which never materialized.

Mikaelyan won the vacant belt in a third-round knockout of Makabu atop a November 2023 card in his adopted hometown of Miami. Like his predecessor, Mikaeylan’s reign also ended without a single defense, though one was scheduled – several times over. He was due to face Rozicki in a mandatory title defense but repeatedly postponed due to an assortment of issues. 

It ultimately came out that Mikaelyan was in litigation with King, at which point the WBC had him swap places with Jack and assume the champion in recess tag. 

Jack previously held titles at super middleweight and light heavyweight. His reinstatement as WBC cruiserweight titlist initially came with the condition that he next face Rozicki.

The matter went to a purse bid hearing, which was won by Three Lions Promotions and originally budgeted for a late April date in Rozicki’s hometown of Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. Turki Alalshikh – head of Riyadh Season – intervened on behalf of Jack and added a six-figure sum to the total pot to relocate the fight to Riyadh.

Details of when and where the rematch will take place were not confirmed as this goes to publication.

Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.

The final installment of the trilogy between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano averaged nearly six million live viewers around the world, according to a press release from Most Valuable Promotions.

Taylor-Serrano III streamed on Netflix on Friday, July 11, headlining a show featuring solely female boxers, including several of the top names in the sport. Taylor’s successful defense of her junior welterweight crown was one of three undisputed championship fights during the event and one of five title bouts.

The card was the most-watched selection on Netflix that day in the United States, where an average of 4.2 million viewers watched the main event. It was also No. 1 on Netflix in Ireland (where Taylor is from), Australia (where undercard fighter Cherneka Johnson lives) and New Zealand (where Johnson was born). The event was in Netflix’s Top 10 in a total of 43 countries.

MVP says Taylor-Serrano III was the most-watched professional women’s sporting event of 2025, and had the second-highest audience for any women’s sporting event after the average of 8.5 million viewers who tuned in for this year’s NCAA women’s basketball championship game.

The second fight between Taylor and Serrano was also on Netflix, as the co-feature in last November’s huge event headlined by Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson. 

According to Netflix’s announcement last year, Taylor-Serrano II averaged 50 million households (which is not the same thing as live viewers) worldwide. The show itself peaked at 65 million households globally.

As for the live gate on Friday, MVP announced a crowd of 19,721 people at Madison Square Garden and a gate of $2.63 million.

“Taylor vs. Serrano III wasn’t just a fight; it was the start of a movement for boxing and redefined what’s possible for women’s sports on a global stage,” said Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian of MVP in a statement. “Nearly six million people tuned in to witness history, with 4.2 million viewers in the U.S., which was more than this year’s Stanley Cup Final, the WNBA Final and the French Open Finals for both the women and men matches. 

“At MVP, we’ve made it our mission to make women’s boxing a global force, and this is proof that the demand is there for premium content and only growing. The most viewed all-women's boxing or MMA event in history. We’re proud to have built the largest platform in the world for female fighters, and we’re just getting started.”

David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.

LOS ANGELES – It was a split-decision defeat set up by Tim Tszyu’s split-second decision.

When replacement challenger Sebastian Fundora’s elbow slammed on to the top of Tszyu’s head, creating a ghastly gash late in the second round of their two-belt junior-middleweight title fight in March 2024, Tszyu bent over and witnessed a horrifying amount of blood pouring from his head on to the canvas below.

“I remember when I bowed my head down, it was a fountain, a waterfall, and I remember thinking, ‘All right, blood doesn’t usually splatter like this …’,” Tszyu told PPV.COM.

As the round’s bell sounded, Australia’s then-WBO champion Tszyu had two choices to make – admit the cut was too severe and blinding to continue, and postpone the bout for another day while retaining his belt, or continue in what was Premier Boxing Champions’ Prime Video debut and try to win the fight.

“In my head, I was thinking, ‘It’s going to be tough, but I’m going to get through it, round by round’,” Tszyu said of his consequential and monumental choice. 

Instead, the distraction and discomfort of the injury proved too much as Fundora performed effectively, thanks to his near 10-inch reach advantage, and claimed the WBO and WBC belts by split-decision at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“It was distracting, but it is what it is,” said Tszyu, the son of former 140lbs champion Kostya Tszyu.

Tszyu, 25-2 (18 KOs), has never expressed regret about fighting on, and he didn’t blame any members of his team for failing to intervene, or criticize the Nevada State Athletic Commission doctor, who could have stopped the bout as well.

“Everyone’s got to be responsible – everyone makes their own mistakes, I believe,” he said. “I wasn’t able to adapt. That’s all it was. No excuses.”

On Saturday night, Tszyu and California’s Fundora, 22-1-1 (14 KOs), return to Las Vegas, staging their rematch for Fundora’s WBC 154lbs belt at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Prime Video and PPV.COM in the co-main event to Mario Barrios’ defense of his WBC welterweight belt versus eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao. 

“It’s definitely unfinished business,” Tszyu said, explaining that the cut diminished his focus on the task at hand during the first fight. 

Even so, he had enough success to win on one of the scorecards. 

“I could feel his shots, feel his distance and I was able to land shots,” added the fighter who is not expecting a bloodbath this time around. “A bit more present this time. That’s my aim.”

Fundora, 27, has expressed confidence in the fact that he’s returned from the first fight with the 30-year-old Tszyu to dismiss challenger Chordale Booker in four rounds in March, while Tszyu opted to make a quick return to the ring in October, reacted to a head shot from IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev with what Fundora described as “PTSD”, and was knocked down four times before being stopped in the third round.

Those events tempered Tszyu’s willingness to rush headlong into ring danger. The Australian paused after the Murtazaliev bout to get married, then took a more manageable date against Joseph Spencer in April, to regain confidence and provide financial winnings that allowed him to buy a new Porsche.

He said he’s learned: “The importance of refreshing myself. I was able to refresh my body and mind, and I came to the Joey Spencer fight looking fresh. I understand how my body works – what works and what doesn’t.”

It leaves Tszyu feeling as if he can now author a redemptive tale.

“It’s a story, something I can tell [about] being able to come back,” he said. “Being able to deal with adversity is a big thing for me – to inspire the next generation, the youth. Just because there’s a setback doesn’t mean there’s not a place for a comeback – in anything you do in life, not just boxing.”

Participating in a division that Tszyu ranks as the most formidable in boxing will make him a power player by defeating Fundora and gaining the WBC belt, with fighters like Murtazaliev, Vergil Ortiz Jnr, Jaron “Boots” Ennis, Xander Zayas and Serhii Bohachuk clamoring for high-profile showdowns.

This is where Tszyu envisioned himself, before glancing down at the canvas and seeing all of that red stuff.

He said he knows there’s much to be gained from “just everything you get from holding a belt… everyone’s on notice”. Particularly Fundora.

Asked if he wanted to send a message to the champion, Tszyu started into the lens and said, “Chop, chop, chop, Fundora.

“This time, we’ll fight – with no cut.”

“Do you see that?” grinned Don Charles.

“See what?” replied Daniel Dubois and his father, Stanley.

“Over there,” Charles asserted.

Charles had recently collected the keys for a farm building that he could convert into a gym.

You could still smell the horses that lived there, but the Dubois’ more immediate concern was what was on the horizon when Charles pointed it out to them from the gravelled car park in front.

“Over there,” Don smiled. “It’s your destiny.”

Looking beyond the rolling hills and toward the north London skyline in the distance was the familiar arch of Wembley Stadium.

Father and son smiled.

“Destiny, you see,” said Don. “Come in.”

***

 Charles and Daniel Dubois had had training camps in Spain, but for Dubois’ fight with Anthony Joshua in September 2024 the coach accepted the keys to the farm and brought in all of the kit a heavyweight-champion-in-waiting could use.

Sure, it still smelled of horses, but I’ve been in gyms that smell far worse. 

This has a ring with a light rig over it, each and every type of bag, running machines, an ice bath, an oxygen chamber, gymnastic rings, a rowing machine, ski erg, kettlebells, and medicine balls.

On the walls are several black-and-white posters of heavyweight champions, including Muhammad Ali and Jack Dempsey, and a framed poster of the original Rocky movie is used to wedge the door open. Another poster has 10 Boxing Life Lessons on it – mentioning qualities like discipline, self-belief, and being humble – and on two sides of the ring are pews, rows of seats lifted out of an old church. One row is for media, onlookers and people like me. The other is for Stanley and Stanley only.

The largest banner on the wall hangs vertically, and along with Daniel’s image in black and white it reads: “Dynamite Daniel Dubois IBF heavyweight world champion.”

You can’t see Wembley from inside. That view is reserved for the car park, but when he pulls up in his car it is a daily reminder for Don of what has happened and what is to come. “Destiny,” he repeats.

It was there where Dubois stormed to a fifth-round stoppage victory over Joshua in front of approaching 90,000 fans – dropping the British icon four times before stopping him so violently that Joshua is yet to return to the ring.

It is there, too, where on Saturday Dubois faces Oleksandr Usyk in the latest chapter of his unlikely return from condemned contender to dangerous champion.

[=img:118683::=]

Despite the incredible run with Dubois that Charles has been on, he refuses to take much credit for it. With 14 weeks’ notice, their first bout together was against the brilliant Usyk in Poland in August 2023. Dubois lost when being stopped in the ninth round, but the work they have done since has grabbed the attention. Neither Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, nor Joshua have made it to the final bell against the 27 year old. Miller and Hrgovic had not been stopped before. Don played a part, of course, but modesty forbids him from admitting so much.

“I inherited Daniel Dubois because he was already an established fighter – his fundamentals were intact,” Charles tells BoxingScene.

“It’s the first time in my 25-year coaching career where I’m working with a fighter of that caliber. And I knew from day one that what I’m gonna do with him; put in layers, layers upon layers without disturbing what was already there.”

Charles went to work, believing Dubois has gone from operating at about 60 per cent of his capacity to around 80 or 85 per cent.

“What does that get you, B [grade]? A low A in the examination?” he asks. “So we are close to him being an A, then A star.”

The layers are added about 10 miles north of that Wembley arch and there is no question that Dubois is a more complete fighter, mentally and physically, than when he first boxed Usyk.

“We fell short,” Charles admits. “We took it on, we had to cram so much information and it takes time for anything, with any fighter, for the information to go into their system where they have to do it automatically without overthinking it. So even irrespective of doing a mere 14-week camp, I still believe he did well.

“I was devastated. He was devastated. The whole team was devastated when we lost in Poland. But, looking back now, in hindsight it was meant to happen because we’ve gone away and this has allowed us time to develop Daniel Dubois.”

There’s clearly a paternal side to Charles’ relationship with Dubois, but that is not a role Charles wants or needs to fit. Dubois’ father, Stanley, is a huge presence in his boy’s career, and in the same vein that Charles praises the work of Shane McGuigan and others who worked with Dubois before him, he is equally happy to admit that Stanley’s presence is crucial.

For many, it is a golden rule that family is family and their involvement should be restricted in the gym and at the negotiating table. Not Stanley. He sits at the controls of Daniel Dubois, and Charles is happy with that. 

“It’s an unspoken rule,” says Charles. “Generally, you don’t get them involved, but this is no ordinary dad, if I may add. This dad, it has been well written, is well documented, he has been very instrumental in all his children’s lives from day one. He’d been training them at home, not necessarily in boxing, but in physical training at five, seven years old, they’re doing like a thousand press-ups and that's not normal, is it? But this is what he’s put his children through. They’re extraordinary people. And he’s an extraordinary, extraordinary father – whether it’s right or wrong. Yeah. He’s an extraordinary individual. 

“They [all of the children] are like that. [World lightweight champion and Daniel’s sister] Caroline’s like that. The ones that fight, [younger brothers] Prince and Solomon. Daniel himself. People might say it’s a hard life, but these kids aren’t wielding knives on the streets. They are staying in their lane. And they’ve got respect, which is lacking in society today.”

Stanley’s involvement is such that Charles relays messages to his charge through the father. 

That is the way it works best. Even speaking to a sports psychologist, Charles was told that method would be the best way of working with them. Don’t talk over them; don’t restrict their communication; embrace it and use it.

Charles does not see it as undermining his role, either – more that it is a tool he can use to get the best out of his fighter.

“I don’t have no ego,” Charles adds. “This is not about anyone’s ego. This is about getting the best of the athletes. The dad acts as a conduit, the same way a radio system works. It is a tool to get the message across. So why would I ignore that? That’d be ignorant of me. What? Because of my ego? No. As long as the message is getting to the fighter, that’s all I care about. You can see he really wants to be involved. He knows his son better than anyone; better than me. It’s working. It’s brilliant.”

Dubois’ father sits and watches each training session. He monitors the drills. Occasionally he will say: “Your coach is telling you the right thing” or “listen to your coach”.

“So we found a way,” Charles adds. “Dan was not an everyday child. He’s not. He’s unique. He’s special. So this special kid, there’s a way. We found the formula. Hence why the rapid development that you guys are noticing. I’m not some miracle worker.”

There have, in recent times, been viral moments of Dubois – whether it’s been zoning out at press conferences, his cumbersome call out of Usyk in the ring, or when he told “Big Baby” Miller that he was going to be his daddy.

Charles beams with pride that another side to Dubois has been seen. Dubois is not verbose like Ali, intimidating like Sonny Liston, or as charismatic as Jack Johnson. 

“Because this kid, right, and I’m getting goosebumps as I speak to you, when you see him away from the camera, there’s certain things that will give him the giggles,” Don goes on.

“And he is smiling from ear to ear. And nothing gives me more joy than to see that. Because he’s a very intense kid. He’s a very intense human being. He’s very regimental. By the time Daniel gets here to the gym, it’s already programmed what he’s going to do. He comes in; we have a routine. He likes structure. He’ll come in, barely say hello to anyone – not because he doesn’t want to say hello to you, it’s just he doesn’t want to disrupt what he has. He knows what he’s going to do.”

Don will lay out what is needed each session. The tape; the gauze; the pads; the gloves; everything is arranged before Dubois arrives. Don matches his charge’s methodical ways. The sessions are choreographed. The pieces are not moved. That would only cause confusion.

Through it all, the bond between the fighter and trainer has deepened.

Two years ago, when they first trained together in camp in Spain for the first fight with Usyk, Don stopped Dubois and said: “All I need from you is to trust me.”

Dubois’ eyes wandered. Don thought to himself: “No, he doesn’t.”

That trust, Don now says, is up to 99 per cent, partly through shared experiences and the bond, but also through the results they’ve had.

“‘Okay, what this man is telling me, it’s working so I’m going to keep doing it,’” says Charles.

Dubois has also matured and, importantly, had a couple of very taxing defeats – against Joe Joyce and Usyk – to learn from that helped shape his future.

“Outside of boxing, there’s the maturity; natural maturity; growth in every capacity; mental growth; physical growth. So yeah, he’s a different guy,” Don continues.[=img:118679::=]

Charles believes that if Dubois beats Usyk on Saturday – though Don would say “when” rather than “if” – the Englishman would surpass the achievements of his countrymen Tyson Fury and Joshua. Both have had two cracks at Usyk, and two losses apiece, and this is Dubois’ second.

“Right now, they’re neck and neck, the three of them,” says Charles. “And by winning on Saturday, on the 19th, a hundred per cent to do what neither of them couldn’t do twice, he will go in front.”

There is also no doubt in the coach’s mind that Dubois does what the two others could not.

Charles believes a lot of the work, as much as 60 per cent, with Daniel has been psychological, but he has also armed him with far more as a fighter. Dubois is also stretching, working on his flexibility, and has taken out lifting heavy weights because Charles felt he was too musclebound. The only weights they do now are either functional or performed explosively. 

“The results speak for themselves, but Usyk is a southpaw, an extraordinary southpaw,” Don recognizes. “So the things he learned in Spain two years ago, I’m starting to see evidence of it in the preparation for this, all those sparring partners... He now understands the rules. When you’re fighting a southpaw, there are rules you must obey; foot placement; positioning; head position; everything. So he now understands. When I look back at it, oh my god, this child, he went into that battle two years ago without having these tools. And as I sit here, I only see one result – a Daniel victory.”

No matter that Usyk, at 38, is a little older. Don knows that two hard fights with Fury won’t have helped Usyk at this stage of his life, but still he has nothing but respect for the champion.

“Who knows what that’s taken out of him?” Charles asks. “Who knows? I don’t know but we’re going to find out on the 19th. Daniel Dubois will ask those questions. Usyk knows he’s in for a hard fight. Usyk believes in Usyk’s ability. He should. He’s bloody good. He didn’t have to have this fight and even after he loses to Daniel, I’m not going to look at him in a different light. He’s a great fighter – a generational great.”

There has, of course, been headlines about Fury wanting a third fight with Usyk. Charles merely scoffs at that: “We’re not stopping them fighting a trilogy – they can fight their trilogy after we’ve taken the belts off him,” he grins. “He’s dismissing Daniel like all of them always do. I can say this, none of them want Daniel to be in the position that he is.” 

Charles felt that Dubois should have been awarded the win over Usyk first time around based on the incapacitating blow that was eventually ruled low, but of the overall view of the fight, Charles says: “We had our moments. It wasn’t sustained.”

He knows what they did was not enough and that improvements are compulsory. But he believes they have been made and that this time they are ready.

“It’s my first world champion, but so by winning on the 19th, he would have surpassed my expectations,” smiles the 64 year old. “Because I’ll be honest with you, as ambitious as I am, I never thought I’d have the opportunity that I will be in a position to contest for the undisputed [heavyweight championship of the world]. 

“But it’s not good enough just qualifying for it. We’ve got to win it. I want Daniel to win on the 19th and it will be his era. He will reign supremely, in my opinion, after he gets victory on the 19th; he will reign for the next three years till he’s 30. Then he decides, ‘Do I want to carry on?’, or, ‘I’ve got enough money and get out with your faculties intact’. That’s so important. He could easily retire at 30 and not come back, like Lennox Lewis did.”

Unsurprisingly, Charles wants his fighter to be happy and content. He won’t encourage Dubois to stick around for too long. And while he’s not content just to be along for the ride, he is grateful for the spot it took him 25 years to earn. 

Once he and long-time heavyweight contender Derek Chisora parted ways, Charles thought his shot at the big time was done. He kept working, but was aware that the clock was ticking.

“I thought that [Chisora] was my last chance as a coach… ‘Where am I going to get this fighter who’s a world beater? Where?’” he shrugs. “It was not the plan. It’s a sudden thing. “It’s called destiny.”

*** 

 As Don walks me out of the gym, he grabs a see-through packet of apple slices and beckons me over to a nearby field.

“I’m not sure if they’ll come over,” he says.

“Ms Reilly,” he calls, and Charles starts clicking his tongue with the bottom of his mouth.

Ms Reilly, a black horse with white blotches, emerges, and she brings with her a tanned friend.

Don splits open the packet and the horses snuffle down the slices in quick order.

“Usually I have carrots,” he says, tenderly stroking their noses.

He walks me to my car, says goodbye, and adds, “Over there” – pointing to the familiar arch of Wembley Stadium in the distance.

“Destiny.”

A fundraiser has been set up to help former world welterweight champion Donald Curry.

Curry was one of the finest fighters of the 1980s and considered a pound-for-pound claimant until he ran into London’s Lloyd Honeyghan in 1986.

“The Lone Star Cobra” had turned over in 1980 and stormed to 25-0, scoring wins over Colin Jones, James “Hard Rock” Green, and Milton McCrory.

He lost his IBF and WBC titles to Honeyghan, and after scoring two victories at junior middleweight, he was knocked out in five rounds by Mike McCallum in a bid for the WBA title.

Curry, who managed to claim the WBC belt from Gianfranco Rosi, was on the wrong side of another huge surprise when he lost the title to Frenchman Rene Jacquot in France in 1989’s biggest boxing upset. He called it a day after losses to Michael Nunn and Terry Norris – both Hall of Famers.

He came back for two fights in 1997, but the window to his peak had long since slammed shut. 

Curry’s plight in life after boxing has been documented over the last few years, although in 2019 there was a further high point when he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

However, his family is now reaching out for support via Go Fund Me.

Explaining Curry’s situation, his sister Roxie Harris wrote: “My brother, Donald Curry, is a former professional boxer who now suffers from brain damage caused by his years in the ring. He needs daily care, structure, and support – so I brought him into my home to make sure he’s safe and surrounded by love.

“I live in low-income housing, and because Donald isn’t listed on my lease, I’ve now been served with an eviction notice. I made the decision to care for my brother, even if it meant going against the rules – and now we are both facing the real possibility of losing our home.

“We are trying to raise $5,000 to help cover emergency housing, legal assistance, and essential living expenses while we fight to stay safe and together.

“If you are able, please consider donating or sharing this fundraiser with others. Every dollar, every share, and every kind word makes a difference.

“Thank you so much for your support.”