Taking punches to the face and body from rigorously trained athletes seems, in theory, like a profession with a very high rate of alienating its participants. Instead it seems to have an addictive effect. Fighters retire too late at a nearly perfect rate, no matter their skill level; if Muhammad Ali’s desire to box can
Month: December 2024
Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis formally announced his March 1 fight with Lamont Roach this evening, with the official press conference concluding moments ago. There’s been a lot of talk about Tank’s choice of opponent here, so when Roach got the first crack at the podium he shared these thoughts with the public. “This is a hell
Acclaimed director and producer David Serero is set to bring Muhammad Ali’s legendary life to the Off-Broadway stage this December 2024 with his new one-man play, “THE ONE.” This powerful production explores the iconic boxer’s life, struggles, and triumphs, tracing his journey from Cassius Clay to becoming a global symbol of resilience, activism, and the
The carousel of contenders who emerged for Vergil Ortiz Jnr’s next fight featured plenty of top fighters far and wide, but eventually, it was Israil Madrimov who was the winner and got the chance to face the knockout artist on February 22 in Saudi Arabia. The junior middleweight star Ortiz (22-0, 21 KOs) was originally
Multiple outlets report that three-time world champion Israel “Magnifico” Vazquez has died at 46 after a battle with cancer. Nine years into his professional career, Vazquez picked up his first world title with a 2004 finish of Jose Luis Valbuena for the IBF super bantamweight belt. After two successful defenses, he picked up the WBC
ESPN News Services Dec 3, 2024, 08:25 AM ET Israel Vazquez, Mexico’s three-time junior featherweight world champion, has died after a battle with cancer, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said Tuesday. He was 46. Known for his punching power and hand speed, Vazquez was one of Mexico’s most celebrated boxers and shared a rivalry with compatriot
by Keith Idec ISAAC CRUZ remains confident that public demand for his second fight against Gervonta Davis will eventually become more important than his close loss to Jose Valenzuela in Cruz’s most recent action. That process will begin for Cruz on February 1, when the ferocious fighter nicknamed “Pitbull” will meet countryman Angel Fierro in
Claressa Shields, widely regarded as the most accomplished women’s boxer in history, is set to add another milestone to her historic career with the release of a feature film based on her life and career. Dmitry Salita, head of Salita Promotions, believes Shields’ impact on and off the canvas is unmatched and will only grow
Dec 3, 2024, 02:06 AM ET Open Extended Reactions Daniel Dubois will put his IBF world heavyweight title on the line against Joseph Parker on Feb. 22 in Saudi Arabia, it has been confirmed. The bout will form part of a highly anticipated card in Riyadh. Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs) beat Anthony Joshua with a
Caroline Dubois wants big-time fights in 2025, but accepts that she may not actually get a bout with Katie Taylor. Taylor, who is undisputed champion at 140 lbs, still holds belts at 135, too, including the WBC title. Dubois (10-0, 5 KO) won the WBC’s interim title on Aug. 3, and wants Taylor to either
EMANUEL Navarrete believes more than just his WBO super-featherweight will be on the line in his title defence against Oscar Valdez. The pair clash in the Footprint Arena, Arizona, on Saturday evening (December 7) as part of an intriguing ESPN double-header that sees Ricardo Espinoza defend his WBO featherweight title against the man he snatched
FORMER three-time super-bantamweight world champion Israel Vazquez has died, aged 46. At the beginning of November, it was announced that Vazquez was facing the biggest fight of his life, battling Stage 4 Sarcoma, a malignant cancer tumour. Fundraisers were in place, but it is a final fight that the Mexican warrior has been unable to
Oscar Collazo says that his recent visit to Saudi Arabia took “at least three years” off his life. That was the flight, not the fight. “Man, it hurt a lot,” he said of the 20-hour trip to Riyadh from Puerto Rico. “When we arrived over there in Riyadh, I was thinking about the flight coming
Mike Coppinger, ESPN Boxing InsiderDec 2, 2024, 08:47 PM ET Close Mike Coppinger has covered boxing since 2010 with roles at USA Today, Ring Magazine and The Athletic before he joined ESPN in 2021. You can follow him on Twitter: @MikeCoppinger Open Extended Reactions Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol will meet in a Feb. 22
Riyadh Season’s previously revealed February 22nd show is officially set, with Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol 2 serving as the featured attraction. “The Last Crescendo” has received some slight adjustments from last week’s report. Daniel Dubosi (22-2, 21 KO) vs Joseph Parker (35-3, 23 KO), Carlos Adames (24-1, 18 KO) vs Hamzah Sheeraz (21-0, 17
Pick It: Emanuel Navarrete-Oscar Valdez II and Rafael Espinoza-Robeisy Ramirez II When to Watch: Saturday, December 7 The main broadcast begins at 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time (3:30 a.m. GMT). The preliminary broadcast begins at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time (10:30 p.m. GMT). How to watch: ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ in the United States; Sky Sports
AFTER much speculation the first Riyadh Season card of 2025 is now official and it promises to be a very special night of boxing. The announcement was made tonight by Turki Alalshikh on social media platform X with promoters Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn following suit. On February 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia the undisputed
George Kambosos Jr is plotting out his 2025 in the boxing ring after signing with Matchroom, and has both Liam Paro and Teofimo Lopez in his sights. Kambosos, 31, is coming off of a one-sided loss to Vasiliy Lomachenko last May, and is heading up to 140 lbs after going 1-3 in his last four