It shouldn’t be this hard to get Shakur Stevenson another good fight

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Shakur Stevenson is fifth on the ESPN Pound-for-Pound list and third for Ring Magazine’s. He hasn’t fought since Jan. 31, when he made easy work of Teófimo López in a unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden for the super lightweight WBO belt. A fight with Devin Haney doesn’t appear like it will happen anytime soon at welterweight, but hopefully both parties circle back in the future.

 

If they face off relatively soon while both are undefeated and outclassing opponents, it will easily be one of the biggest fights of the year, if not the top one because of their fame and prowess. Don’t forget that Haney told him, “I’m number one,” the night he defeated Vasiliy Lomachencko, becoming the undisputed lightweight champ in May 2023, when Stevenson was brought into the ring. 

 

Stevenson, who has only fought once at 140 pounds, is not comfortable going up to 147 yet. In fairness to him, neither is Keyshawn Davis, who has only boxed twice at super lightweight with wins over Jamaine Ortiz (TKO) and Nahir Albright. 

 

But action must be taken soon so all the good names don’t make commitments, leaving him further frustrated and waiting. Consider that Davis, who recently ducked Haney after going to purse bid, is off the table because of their close friendship. It’s understandable to be picky when someone is at his level, but Stevenson hasn’t earned the right to be Floyd Mayweather Jr., either.

 

He has shown no public interest in a fight with José “Rayo” Valenzuela (16-3), who recently knocked out Edwin De Los Santos (17-3) in two rounds on June 28 as payback for his first career defeat — a third-round KO — nearly four years ago.  Notably, Stevenson went to a unanimous decision against De Los Santos in November 2023. The reason “Rayo” doesn’t appeal to him is because he was beat by WBA titlist Gary Antuanne Russell in March 2025, but he is 2-0 since.

 

He also talked about moving back to lightweight for a potential fight against Lamont Roach Jr., but any chance of that fell apart thanks to William Zepeda defeating the D.C. native on Aug. 1. Stevenson has not called for a rematch with Zepeda, who he widely beat in July 2025, yet it was still highly entertaining.

 

Nor has expressed further interest in stepping into the ring with WBC junior lightweight champ, O’Shaquie Foster (25-3), at 135 pounds, despite the smaller man appearing to want it badly. Stevenson thinks he won’t get credit for beating him, but he was present in the ring moments after Foster’s victory over Raymond Ford on May 30, and both of them got into a heated verbal exchange, which included Stevenson calling him a “bum” and a “bitch.”

 

Perhaps there’s an option if the slick Gary Antuanne Russell doesn’t fight Oscar Duarte, which Dan Rafael of Fight Freaks Unite reported is being discussed. Or maybe the Englishman, Dalton Smith, who smoked Subriel Matías (TKO) in five rounds on Jan. 10 for the WBC strap, could make for a suitable opponent. 

 

At this point, Stevenson is on the verge of becoming a world-wide star as the potential next face of boxing, but it shouldn’t be this hard to get him a gig.

Quick Hits:

 

  • Some guys in this era should fight each other six times as Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta did. Of course, things can change in the meantime, but wouldn’t it be great between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney, considering their seething rivalry? I’m not sure anyone believes Garcia saying it won’t happen. Additionally, Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder are diminished forms of themselves, and I wouldn’t mind a fourth duel. 

 

  • Tuesday is the 55th anniversary of Earnie Shavers starching Richard Pittman in round one in Paradise, Nevada. After that fight, the man who Muhammad Ali said hit him hardest, had a record of 29-2.



WBA welterweight champ, Rolly Romero, spent Friday giving back to the community ahead of his title defense against Teófimo López on Aug. 22

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Rolando “Rolly” Romero will defend his WBA welterweight title on pay-per-view against his old pal Teófimo López on Aug. 22 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and in the meantime, he’s prepping and giving back to the community. 

 

Romero was at John S. Park Elementary in Las Vegas on Friday, where he once attended, and he was surprised that more kids showed up than he expected. He hung out with students, hooked them up with backpacks, signed photos and some got tickets for the fight against López. 

 

Still, the coolest part for those kids must have been doing the face-off with Romero, who became champion on May 2, 2025, after upsetting Ryan Garcia for the vacant strap. He will be making his first defense of the welterweight belt against López, who will be taking his initial fight at 147 pounds on Aug. 22, and is the more talented pugilist.

 

Yet, López’s power didn’t even go up with him to super lightweight (140 pounds), and Romero, the naturally bigger man, has developed extra skills and is the most dangerous version of himself. Romero’s record is 17-2, with knockout losses against Gervonta Davis (135 pounds) and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (140 pounds). Despite only two wins in the 28 months that followed the Cruz defeat, Romero has come a long way on his spiritual journey and his confidence appears to be unshakable.

 

Making welterweight is not as taxing as being in shape for a lightweight or super lightweight contest, so having the added fuel suits Romero. On top of that, he was sharp in his last fight against Garcia, making him go into a shell after the knockdown in round two. If he is the same guy, López will have to do something impressive, perhaps tagging and slipping off the back foot, but he’ll need to land some combos to keep the pressure off.

 

López (22-2) is coming off his Jan. 31 loss against Shakur Stevenson and it shouldn’t be weighed too much against him because that’s what happens when facing off with a prodigy. Nonetheless, he is desperate to prove he’s still among the elite. His ultimate career achievement was defeating Vasiliy Lomachenko almost six years ago, but then his lowest moment came in his next fight — a split decision loss against George Kambosos Jr. — while dealing with severe breathing issues, according to a doctor who checked him out. 

 

Since his first loss, he’s 6-1, looking sensational on some nights and then just like a good fighter on others. 

 

A loss for Romero or López would only put their careers in danger if one suffers catastrophic damage or if somehow, their skills have fallen off a cliff. It’s going to sting bitterly for one of them to receive another blemish on their record, but they deserve respect for taking the risk because it’s not an easy one for either of them.

 

Since they are friends, and have taken verbal shots at Stevenson and his close friend Keyshawn Davis, the pressure is on Romero and López to deliver an entertaining fight. Goodness willing the public gets it because $79.99 through Amazon or DAZN is a pretty penny to watch boxing at home. 

 

 



William Zepeda becomes WBC lightweight champ in win over Lamont Roach and more

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William Zepeda is the new WBC lightweight champ after beating Lamont Roach by unanimous decision in Paradise, Nevada. The Mexican southpaw reached the mountaintop nearly 13 months after suffering his lone defeat to Shakur Stevenson in New York City, and he dedicated his victory to his family.

 

He doesn’t care when or where he fights next, but he wants to be the undisputed champion, collecting the remaining WBA, WBO and IBF belts. 

 

The judges scored his victory 117-111, 117-111, 118-110, and through 12 rounds, it was as if Roach was standing in an elevator in front of a machine gun.

 

Zepeda had no respect for the power coming back at him and walked down the counter puncher most of the match. The main event also had open scoring, and Roach picked it up in the last four rounds, but it wasn’t enough to catch up on the cards. 

 

The tide shifted early in Zepeda’s favor as his pressure dictated terms, and he kept looping and piercing shots through the guard while changing levels. Additionally, it was as if a V-12 engine was strapped to his back and his relentless attack had Roach taking the most fire he ever had.

 

That type of persistence was wearing down Roach as if he were caught in a horrifying thrust of waves, preventing him from reaching the surface. Much of it happened on the ropes. 

 

It was Roach’s first defeat since Nov. 9, 2019, and he had been 6-0-2 after that, with controversial draws to Gervonta Davis and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz. He was gracious and humble in defeat in his post-fight interview, and he later posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Congrats to Zepeda, was the better man tonight! But tonight only… be right back. Thanks for the love and support.”

 

—

Raymond Muratalla improved to 24-0, 17 KOs, in his IBF lightweight championship defense, which was also his second-straight victory against an Olympic gold medalist. Robson Coneição, the Brazilian technician, who was on a two-fight win streak after losing his WBC super featherweight title to O’Shaquie in November 2024, was outclassed, 118-110, 119-109 and 119-109. Still, Muratalla was displeased with his performance and said he is moving up to super lightweight (140 pounds) after the fight as he revealed he had some trouble making weight.  He said, “I think I’ll feel a lot better and a lot stronger at 140.”

 

—

Raul Curiel was off by 1.2 pounds from the welterweight limit (147), and underwhelmed in the first half of his unanimous decision win. Curiel spent a good chunk of the fight coming after Quinton Randall, yet struggled at times to close the distance against a lengthy jab. As the fight went on, Randall developed more confidence and had moments exchanging in the middle, but sticking with that strategy was a mistake. Curiel was the more dangerous man in that position, and he stepped on the gas in the second half of the fight, putting his opponent back on the bike to remain undefeated (18-0-1).

 

—

 

Super welterweight Charles Conwell had been on the shelf for 469 days after being upset by Jorge Garcia Perez, and he got back in the saddle, stopping Paul Kroll in round nine of 10. It was the first fight of the main card and despite Kroll having only fought twice prior in 31 months, it was a statement performance for Conwell, who was desperately looking to show he is one of the elites at 154 pounds. 

 

“I’m back. I’m a player in the division, and I’m ready and I’m excited to get to the top,” Conwell said in his post-fight interview. 

 

Conwell was the slicker man, dodging punches and backing up Kroll to the ropes, where major punches were inflicted. The latter was as tough as a centuries old tree trunk entrenched in the dirt, and Conwell was able to wound him with a left hook below the ribs, and pressed on with with unforgiving shots from both sides. 

 

The fight was one-sided, and Kroll even suffered his first career knockdown as they exchanged left hooks, but he got clipped with the worst one and was sent crashing into the ropes. It was enough for the count and it may have saved him from Conwell going berserk on him.

 

—-

 

The upset of the night had Oscar De La Hoya rushing to the corner to comfort his prospect and it’s the perfect example of why you shouldn’t skip the prelims. 

 

The Golden Boy Promotions chief talked up 17-year-old, super lightweight Dylan Capetillo as the next best thing since sliced bread and the kid got knocked out by Juan Becerril’s crushing left hook. The doctors had checked out Becerril at the start of the round because he was getting battered and abused, and had been dropped by a left hook himself in round two. 

 

If one would have compared physiques before the fight, it would have been reasonable to presume that Becerril’s softer body would crumble against Capetillo’s ordnance. But looks are deceiving, and Becerril dropped him from a highly touted prospect to someone looking for redemption. 

 

De La Hoya could be seen from his seat stunned before he made his way to the corner and once there, he looked like he’d seen an apparition. Becerril celebrated by himself in the middle of the ring because his corner was working another fight, and the broadcast mentioned that he had to show his credential everywhere he went due to nobody knowing who he was in the week leading up to the fight.



Conor Benn says he’s “more Mexican” than Ryan Garcia ahead of their championship fight in September

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Another great fight is on the horizon with Ryan Garcia defending his WBC welterweight championship against Conor Benn. The great Timothy Bradley said as a guest on Inside the Ring that any match in boxing can be made, and he’s right — it’s about how badly the fighters want it. 

 

Garcia’s title defense will be at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sept. 12. Both guys have questionable reputations since failing two drug tests four years ago (Benn) and two over two years (Garcia). They still need redemption so observers don’t impeach the credibility of their other wins.

 

Garcia is a highly talented, quick and powerful pugilist. In his last five fights, he has won two, lost twice against Gervonta Davis and Rolly Romero, and had one no contest versus Devin Haney. Benn is a marauder who has won four of his last five, and was defeated by Chris Eubank Jr. in the first encounter in April 2025 before beating him in the rematch nearly seven months later. 

 

The initial press conference for Garcia- Benn was on Saturday and they didn’t want to wait eight weeks, having to be held back on the stage after hurling insults. For now, it’s possible that Benn has the mental edge because he’s touching on a delicate matter: Garcia being a Latino who can’t speak Spanish — while Benn can. 

 

The insults in Spanish, from the Brit, were vicious and loud, which included that Garcia has a smaller pair and the harsh, untrue claim that the champ is less of a Mexican than him. Then the champ awkwardly kept going on in English. Of course, many Latinos will be on Garcia’s side, but this will be the lasting image for many older ones who don’t have respect for members of their community unable to understand them. 

 

Part of the Latino experience growing up is many older people wanting to speak with you in the native tongue. The look of disappointment on them when they can’t speak to a youngster because the latter wasn’t taught how is indelible. 

 

Think of how Julio César Chávez’s implying Oscar De La Hoya wasn’t a real Mexican, when the latter spoke Spanish, was hurtful 31 years ago. No doubt, it motivated De La Hoya to wipe out Chávez twice, yet it remains to be seen if Garcia is as mentally strong as De La Hoya, his co-promoter, was. 

 

The last time Garcia fought, he took Mario Barrios’ title on Feb. 21, and it was a shutout. In the past, he has been known for his left hook being the kill shot, but his hard right was the best it ever looked and it was a comparable weapon that even dropped Barrios a minute into round one. 

 

The latest version of Garcia wasn’t just clobbering him from all angles, but he arrived in excellent shape and his gas tank never went low, which was different from when he fought in spurts against Haney. The fight against Haney was originally ruled a win for Garcia on April 20, 2024, but he popped dirty for PEDs. 

 

Benn’s last outing was not sharp, failing to take out a banged up Regis Prograis on April 11. Some might speculate that he didn’t have the same motivation for Prograis as he did for Eubank, a sworn enemy, because it wasn’t the same level of opponent, but if that’s true, they wouldn’t say good things about his professionalism, even if many others have done this, too.  

 

Yet, judging by the hostility between him and Garcia, one would wager that the version of Benn going into this fight is more similar to the one that saw Eubank. If there’s one thing he does like his father, Nigel Benn, the two-weight world champ, it’s exhibit his ferocity. On top of that, the younger Benn, who is coming back down to welterweight after fighting last at middleweight and at a 150-pound catchweight, is so tough that he chews on rocks.

 

Additionally, one potential motivating factor for the challenger is that he is a black man, and Garcia feigned accountability for his racist trash by citing substance abuse problems two years ago. His parents said it was a mental health concern, and Garcia later checked into rehab. Still, this will be his first time stepping into the ring with a black man since.

 

Benn’s job is now exponentially harder, since he’ll be trying to evade left hooks and a crushing right that Barrios couldn’t escape. He won’t be the favorite, but if he can get out of the way with his upper body movement from the worst of it, to make Garcia back up, then things could get interesting. 

 

Garcia last showed against Barrios that he can land at will as if he were in target practice if someone is going to chase him without cutting off the ring. Still, as would be true against many fighters, getting him to go backward is preferable to being walked down. 

 

A few months ago, Garcia- Benn may not have been appealing, but the tension that’s risen to the surface has made this a must-watch fade. Benn has never been the champion, and he finally got his chance to seize the crown, and Garcia is out to further prove his talent plus skills match his popularity.

 

Tim Tszyu and Errol Spence Jr. need each other to continue the next chapter of their careers

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Tim Tszyu and Errol Spence Jr. are on a quest for a boxing resurrection and their long-awaited encounter is on July 25 in Sydney. They’ll be fighting at middleweight (catchweight at 158 pounds) and the former is the only one with experience in the division. 

 

Tszyu, the Sydney native, retired on his stool against Sebastian Fundora after seven rounds of their second fight on July 19, 2025, and has gone on to win two 10-round contests by unanimous decision versus lower-level competition. His trainer in his last two has been Pedro Diaz, and it had previously been Igor Goloubev before him. This time against Spence, it’s Jeff Fenech..

 

Defense has never been Tszyu’s strong suit and one of his habits has been admiring his work without getting out of the way. Even with how he lost to Fundora, only a fool would question his heart, yet his body is another story. 

 

Tszyu fought Fundora the first time in March 2024, with his WBO super welterweight belt on the line, and the vacant WBC title was up for grabs. He was looking sharp through two rounds against the man eight-and-a-half inches taller than him, yet an accidental elbow opened a gash over his hairline that leaked crimson the rest of the fight. Tszyu still left Fundora’s nose gushing, which made it one of the goriest fades one will ever see but lost on the cards and probably a piece of himself, too. 

 

He instantly stepped into a tough fight against Bakhram Murtazaliev nearly seven months later and was wiped out in three rounds. He’s 3-1 since. 

 

Spence has not fought since Terence Crawford stopped him in nine rounds for the undisputed welterweight titles in late July 2023. Before that night, he held the IBF, WBC and WBA straps and was trained by Derrick James. He’s now working with Ronnie Shields, yet it’s unclear how much of his heart is still in the game, despite vowing to show “a better, more improved” version of himself. 

 

At the presser on May 2, Spence said the day came when he woke up and wanted to come back, and that he wanted Tszyu because he doesn’t take tune-up fights. Tszyu countered that it isn’t recommended to go straight into the firing line. 

 

When speaking about the camp for the Crawford fight in an interview with former super middleweight and light heavyweight champion, Andre Ward, Spence said that he didn’t have quality sparring partners and was mainly working on the pads with James plus got zero time with southpaws. James’ side of the story is that Spence’s father ordered no more sparring after his son was hurt, which James said he didn’t see when it happened. 

 

Enough has come out from James and Spence to know they had a rinky-dink camp for the biggest night of their lives. Still, it was Spence’s responsibility to say something if a problem occurred and him not doing so perhaps indicated that the purse overshadowed legacy. It’s hardly a knock on a fighter to say they battled for the loot, but Spence’s legacy was dented by how he looked against Crawford, which had some to do with his preparation. 

 

Spence would have still lost him if he had a perfect camp, but who knows if he would have caught a ferocious battering or maybe been the one to stop Crawford’s streak of knockouts with a decision on the cards. Keep in mind that he was Crawford’s last KO. 

 

More questions surrounding Spence are how much punch resistance is left and how much ring rust should be expected? Tszyu is not a natural middleweight, yet his artillery is highly threatening to a former welterweight (147 pounds). Sparring with headgear and bigger gloves can only keep a fighter so sharp.  

 

Tszyu said it would be a “cracking fight,” and Spence said he’s going to deliver the upset. Both of them need each other to climb out of purgatory.



Jaron “Boots” Ennis shows more respect to Xander Zayas

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The shockwaves of Jaron “Boots’ Ennis’ victory over Xander Zayas to become unified, super welterweight champion, are still being felt across the boxing world. Boots is a man in high demand for interviews and for opponents looking to get a shot at a title with a big payday.

 

He spoke on The Ariel Helwani Show and refused to say Zayas quit. Instead, he saw it as him beating the fight out of Zayas, his highest-rated opponent who has the same reach (74 inches). Previously, three of Ennis’ top wins came against Sergey Lipinets, Eimantas Stanionis and David Avanesyan — fighters with a seven, six and five-inch reach disadvantage. His speed against Zayas was the equalizer as he evaded most of his big shots, save for the third round, which was a glorious firefight. 

 

In the interview, Helwani speculated that comments about Zayas quitting were about not wanting to give Ennis credit. He may be right, and Ennis said that it’s normal for fighters to look at the corner after a knockdown for instructions, which it appears is what Zayas did in round seven before the match was called off. 

 

The new unified champ doesn’t think he’ll get credit until he’s retired, but hopefully, he’s wrong about that. He might be Terence Crawford’s real successor, and it would be a shame if he was just a heralded name in the boxing world until the end of his career in which he goes mainstream, like Crawford did.

 

Just imagine how much more weight Crawford’s name would carry if his prime was in the ‘70s and ‘80s. And unfortunately, for Ennis, it’s harder for a top-level guy to distinguish himself if the best aren’t always fighting each other. This era isn’t close to past generations, but maybe some pugilists out there will dare to be great like Zayas and Ennis did.  

 

Before the big fight at Barclays Center, Ennis didn’t have the favorable side of the purse split, but now with two of the four belts at the division, he calls the shots(WBA and WBO). The other champs are Sebastian Fundora (WBC) and Josh Kelly (IBF), yet, Vergil Ortiz, who he was supposed to fight before Zayas, is the interim champ for the WBC. The fight with Ennis and Ortiz was never made because of an internal business mess with Ortiz and his representatives, which ended up in court. 

 

While Ortiz has been on the sidelines, his reputation has stayed neutral after wiping out Erickson Lubin in two rounds on Nov. 8, while Ennis’ has sky-rocketed to the most exciting boxer in the sport.  There’s a good clash with either of the three guys against him, but the best one is arguable between Ortiz and Fundora.

 

Ortiz is the hardest hitter of the three, and one wonders how Ennis would react to his punches if it turned into a brawl like round three against Zayas. Yet, maybe Ennis is skilled enough to keep it surgical off the back foot until he wounds him.

 

Fundora is a wicked puzzle, standing at 6’ 5, and with a six-inch reach advantage over Enis. Fundora has been less of a brawler as of late, and if he attacks, loading up on his jab, it’s a nightmarish fight for anyone because of the mismatch. The only way to beat Towering Inferno is by getting inside on him and landing something cruel, like Brian Mendoza did.

 

At his post-fight presser in Brooklyn in the early morning hours of June 28, Ennis was asked about fighting Fundora. He said, “Bring ‘em all,” regarding all the names at 154 pounds. If that doesn’t happen, then the public loses.



Jaron “Boots” Ennis wipes out Xander Zayas, becoming unified champion at 154 pounds

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Jaron “Boot” Ennis is the new top dog at super welterweight, holding the WBA and WBO titles after dispatching Xander Zayas in seven rounds on Saturday. Barclays Center was treated with explosive action from Ben Whitaker and Emiliano Vargas in the two fights leading up the main event and the night was called off when Zayas looked at his corner following his third time knocked down. 

 

Zayas instantly was tagged repeatedly by the jab, and boldly came forward even with the straight left hand hitting his face multiple times. Ennis, the switch-hitting southpaw, softened him up with a right hook followed by a left uppercut to the head, then landed a four punch combo with another straight left on the tail end dropping him in round one. 

 

The difference was the speed, and Zayas legs didn’t come back to him until the third, in what turned into an epic brawl with him causing Ennis to step back three times and knocking his head back with a stiff straight right. They kept trading on the inside with both connecting on cruel body shots.

 

The levy broke when Ennis, having softened him up with bullets downstairs, dropped him a second time, with a  straight left and right uppercut to the head. Zayas ended the round getting abused, and referee Harvey Dock told him he wouldn’t let him take much more of it  between the next interval. 

 

It didn’t take much longer.

 

Another set of dual hooks, followed by unforgiving pressure backing Zayas to the ropes, put him down a third time, and Dock called it off. 

 

At the post-fight presser, Ennis rated Zayas as solid competition and repeated that his young foe would be champion again whether at super welterweight (154) or middleweight (160). Zayas was later taken to the hospital, per Ricardo Celis.

 

When asked about fighting Sebastian Fundora, the WBC super welterweight champion, Ennis said“Bring ‘em all.”

 

None of it was good enough for Vergil Ortiz Jr., who commented on X (formerly Twitter) that, “Yea, I’m sleeping Jaron,” and he also called Zayas a quitter. Ennis’ fight with Ortiz never happened because of an internal, legal mess involving Golden Boy Promotions (Ortiz’s promoter) Ortiz and his manager.

 

Quick takes:

 

The card should not have been pay-per-view, but it delivered for the fans. Not saying that Saul Canelo Álvarez v. Terence Crawford wasn’t a great one-sided, entertaining fight, yet Zayas v. Ennis produced extra fireworks. Fights like Saturday’s happen when someone like Zayas reaches for the stars, and boxing needs more of it from guys in their prime or approaching it. 

 

In the lead up to the main event, my colleague Bryan Fonseca interviewed chairman of Matchroom Sport, Eddie Hearn, and the promoter compared the upcoming result with how Floyd Mayweather outclassed Canelo. It wasn’t meant to be a comparison in fight styles, but it was a great call, and like Canelo almost 13 years ago, Zayas was one-or-two levels below. 

 

Going forward, the fight the public needs to see from Ennis is the long-awaited one with Ortiz, who has never been champion, yet holds the WBC interim strap. Ennis’ smooth and powerful style of boxing or brawling would make for fantastic matchup against Ortiz’s savagery.

 

 

 

Injustice in the main event in Giza, Rey Mysterio’s colossal collab and more

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The spectacle in front of the Pyramids of Giza was a grand production, that featured Frank Sanchez scoring an upset KO over Richard Torrez Jr., but the public lost thanks to a waste of time for the WBO vacant title fight (Hamzsah Sheeraz KOed Alem Begic), and a criminally premature stoppage, favoring Oleksandr Usyk.

 

This is pay-per-view.

 

Rico Verhoeven, the kickboxer, was supposed to be the guy he walked through for an easy payday, but Usyk got his own lesson in bravery and class. By the look of him, the reigning heavyweight champ (IBF, WBC, WBA), didn’t prepare like he did for high-profile engagements against Tyson Fury, Daniel Dubois plus Anthony Joshua, and now some top dogs of the division might think he’s vulnerable.

 

Usyk lost the first two rounds on all three score cards. It was as if Mobb Deep’s Survival of the Fittest was flowing through Verhoeven’s veins as he made a name for himself, landing power shots and bothering him with awkward movements.

 

The judges even had it 96-94, 95-95 plus 95-95, and it was going to be an Usyk round because he battered Verhoeven and scored a knock down with a right uppercut. Verhoeven got extra time by spitting out his mouthpiece, yet still, one of the greatest potential shockers was derailed with a second left in the 11th round.

 

Mark Lyson has refereed 1,158 fights, but was as sophomoric as an official in the amateur ranks.  He also smugly shook his head, defending his position to Verhoeven’s protesting corner, yet it only would’ve been justified if he had a lobotomy. It was arguably just as pathetic as Howard Foster’s foolishly abrupt stoppage of the Fabio Wardley versus Joseph Parker fight back on Oct. 25.

 

Usyk remains undefeated but his résumé now has a blemish, in similar way that Fury stained his by going the distance with MMA monster Francis Ngannou. Naturally, all fighters have a day at the office, performing below their standards and Saturday’s showing highlighted that Usyk is more human than The Terminator he’s been known to be. He also dodged the question in his post-fight interview on if he thought he needed a stoppage/KO to win.

 

Perhaps, this is what age 39 looks like. Yet his mind is elsewhere since he offered the information that his home country is at war, affecting those close to him.

 

That rising British  star, Moses Itauma, must have seen Verhoeven’s work, thinking, “Forget this development plan —  I better put this down this Ukrainian chap before he takes off the gloves for good,” and he wouldn’t be wrong. It takes beating the man to be the man, and this is a young person’s game.

 

Usyk’s handlers and those that care for him should want him far away from Itauma, eliminating the risk of an undignified wipe out this late in his career, yet the public will call for it or one of the few remaining big fights, like seeing German heavyweight Agit Kabayel. Or maybe Fury will try to scheme his way into a third fight.

 

Quick takes:

 

–Fabio Wardley exercised his rematch clause to get back in the ring with Daniel Dubois after suffering an 11-round stoppage on May 9. Respect to him for wanting to reclaim his honor, but part one was a one-sided beatdown, despite Dubois being knocked down twice. There isn’t much need for a rematch, at least at this time. The sickos won’t mind running it back, but might grumble them if it is PPV like the first.

 

-Claressa Shields smacked Alycia Baumgardner at MVP Promotions’ Ronda Rousey versus Gina Carano MMA fight on May 16 after they got into a verbal exchange. Shields was subsequently banned from promotional events. Both have hurled venom in interviews and to each other’s faces previously, but Shields, while she is financially exposed if Baumgardner wants to seek restitution through civil court, which has been threatened, put her smaller foe in a lose-lose situation: Shields would hurt Baumgardner at a catch weight, and if the latter does nothing, some will hold it against her forever that she didn’t defend her honor. Additionally, Shields has also threatened to sue, accusing MVP Promotions’ statement and Baumgardner’s of defamation.

 

WWE Legend Rey Mysterio reveals big plans

 

If you’re not listening to the Duke Loves Rasslin podcast, do yourselves a favor to correct this behavior. The show exclusively broke in a interview with the superstar wrestler that he is partnering with Footballco “to launch an official, Team Mexico-inspired World Cup Soccer Jersey.”

 

Mysterio said, “The fact that we’re created something based on my nationality, my representation, you know, Mexico… I remember sitting down with my dad, you know and watching the World Cup in ’86 when the World Cup was in Mexico City, in Estadio Azteca, you know, so to be able to collaborate based on the cartoon (Rey Mysterio vs. The Darkness) and based on the colors of Mexico, representing all the players that are in the lineup for the World Cup is truly an honor.”

 

Mysterio will also be featured at the River City Wrestling Con on June 6 at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida. He will be presenting his cartoon series, which first aired on Cartoon Network Latin America. “And we’re bringing the cartoon (Rey Mysterio vs. The Darkness) over to the U.S. for the first time,” he said. Mysterio has been passionate about this since he started in the business.

 

Xander Zayas versus Jaron “Boots” Ennis is summer 2026’s biggest fight

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The wheels for Xander Zayas versus Jaron “Boots” Ennis are set in motion, and the two are doing a fine job of hyping up the fight. Zayas’ WBA and WBO super welterweight titles are on the line in this legacy fight and it could be a bloodbath.

 

It’ll be at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on June 27th, which means that half the crowd will be Puerto Rican and the other side will see a good turnout of Philadelphia supporters. 

 

The champion is the younger man at age 23, and Ennis will turn 29 the day before the fight. Naturally, this has caused speculation from fans and media that Ennis needs the fight more, and that it’s too much too early for Zayas. Yet, legendary champion Roy Jones Jr. doesn’t believe it for Zayas “ because he’s a two-time world champion.” Jones also added that losing to another opponent before this matchup would mess up his payday against Ennis.

 

Both of them have slick skills yet they take risks that leave themselves open like all exciting fighters, and neither has seen this level of quality, athletic opponent. Zayas has improved significantly after each contest, but eating a vicious overhand right like he did in round four against Slawa Sloper three fights ago would put him in grave danger. And if Ennis is defensively sloppy like he was in the second Karen Chukhadzhian clash he won fairly easily, then he’ll be in Davy Jones‘ locker.

 

Keep in mind that Zayas doesn’t have shotgun-blast power, but he breaks down opponents with volume, and the challenger is a violent finishing southpaw with rare switch-hitting ability.  

 

Ennis denies looking past Zayas, but it’s hard to feel differently as he said to Bryan Fonseca of The Mandatory that is just another fight for him and that every one that people speculate will be his toughest is his easiest. On another occasion, he said that Zayas took the fight for the money and that he has a large head he can’t miss.

 

Disagreements over not having a 55-45 split were revealed at the press conference on April 8 as both fighters jawed at each other, and Zayas pointed out that he is the champion, who didn’t need to take this match, and is giving Ennis an opportunity.   

 

When they faced off at the presser, Ennis rubbed the belts and was told that’s as close as he’d get to them. If he takes them, it be a significant achievement on his résumé and would elevate him closer towards the highest echelon of the sport.

 

There’s a surplus of great Puerto Rican champions which include Wilfredo Benítez, Félix Trinidad and Miguel Cotto. A win against Ennis would put Zayas on the path to becoming their next great one. 



Caroline Dubois schools Terri Harper, unifying lightweight titles

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Caroline Dubois didn’t deliver on her promise to knock out Terri Harper, but she outclassed her and took her WBO belt, unifying the lightweight division with the WBC strap.

 

Not much landed for either in the first round, despite Dubois trying to get on the inside of Harper’s lead foot. Dubois then raised the intensity, connecting on multiple jabs and a body shot with a straight left hand.

 

Her focus was breaking her down with body strikes and the pressure neutralized Harper’s attack. Dubois managed to slip out of big ones, and later dropped her with a head shot on the tail end of a  2-1 and 1-2 combinations.

 

The bell rang quickly after, giving Harper a reprieve, but she entered the seventh round not willing to engage and paid for the shots she landed. There was an accidental head clash in the next interval that drew blood from Harper’s left eyebrow, and she got battered heading into the closing rounds.

 

Yet the continuous punishment finally forced her to let her hands go, turning the ninth and 10th rounds into a brawl with both ladies landing heartless punches up and downstairs.  Harper dished seven more power punches between those two rounds, per CompuBox.

 

Dubois won unanimously on the cards 98-91, 97-92, 98-91. She said in her post-fight interview that, “I’m an entertainer and this is what I do,” and that she only wants big fights in the future, with two more coming in 2026. 

 

The rest of Most Valuable Promotions’ fight card included Ellie Scotney defeating Mayelli Flores to become England’s youngest undisputed champion (junior flyweight); Chantelle Cameron won the vacant WBO junior middleweight belt over Michaela Kotaskova; Irma Garcia retained her IBF junior bantamweight title against Emma Dolan.

 

On top of that, Mikaela Mayer, the WBO’s welterweight champ who is also a unified titlist at 154 pounds (WBA + WBC) wants to be undisputed. She was working as one of the analysts on the broadcast, and she faced off with Cameron in the ring, setting up a fight for later this year. Mayer also had the junior middleweight belt before vacating it in January.