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Devin Haney’s father and trainer, Bill, had previously announced his next fight as locked in. Now, it has collapsed.

After winning the WBO welterweight world title last November against Brian Norman Jr, dropping the hard-hitting champion once on his way to a unanimous decision victory, Haney opened himself up to some of the most exciting match-ups in the sport.

147lbs has typically been one of the most thrilling divisions in the sport, and the current stars in and around the weight keep that tradition alive. Haney has made it his business to collect belts, so to do so in these new ranks he would have to target either Ryan Garcia, who holds the WBC, Rolando Romero, the WBA champ, or Lewis Crocker, who won the vacant IBF belt last year.

The most intriguing fight for fans would be a rematch with Garcia, who faced Haney back in 2023, winning on the night before the result was overturned to a no contest when it was found that he had failed a doping test.

That match-up seems set to marinate, however, and Haney entered talks with ‘Rolly’ Romero for a two-belt unification. Bill Haney had previously said it was a done deal for May 30 in Las Vegas, however it has become clear this week that the sides have failed to reach a final agreement.

Speaking on social media, Romero explained, in his opinion, why that is the case.

“I tried my absolute hardest to make this Devin fight. Gave him 50% of the split – of everything – and apparently it’s not enough money. It’s a unification, it’s on PBC, Amazon Prime, it’s a pay-per-view. On top of that, you get Amazon promoting it, PBC promoting, me promoting it. Because Devin cannot promote anything to save his life. We’re talking about dude who was on my undercard.

“It’s actually insane. Obviously he’s afraid to get hit. We say what [I] did to Ryan with no effort at all, so can you imagine what I’d do to Devin?”

Haney hit back on social media, saying there was no financial guarantee in the fight contract, that ‘big money’ is not the same in his world as it is Romero’s, and that a 50/50 split was not realistic.

Both men now re-enter the market for their next fights, but a rematch with Garcia next now looks unlikely for Haney, with the WBC champion recently revealing he is set to face Teofimo Lopez

Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora left it to the judges after twelve all-action rounds.

Many had predicted the fight – number 50 for both men – would end inside the distance, with Chisora backed to take advantage of what many assumed to be a faded Wilder, or Wilder to find his form and finish it with one of those famous right hands.

Though each man landed significantly, with Chisora testing Wilder’s chin via looping overhand rights and Wilder putting the Brit on the canvas on two occasions, the contest reached the final bell. The American won via split decision, with scores of 115-111 and 115-113 in his favour and one 115-112 for Chisora.

Speaking on the DAZN broadcast, WBO heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley agreed that Wilder did enough to earn the nod.

“Deontay for me. Hard fight to score, it was a fight. It was a lot of what you like. But at the end of the day I do think the right man won.”

While Chisora – who believes he won the fight – may retire following the defeat, Wilder’s message was loud and clear – he intends to have another crack at the very top of the division. One route back to becoming champion would be against Wardley, who has often been likened to the American due to his own one-punch power.

If fans felt Wilder-Chisora was unlikely to go the distance, you would be hard pressed to find anyone at all betting on a fight with Wardley requiring the judges.

As ‘The Bronze Bomber’ now recovers from an injured, perhaps broken, hand, Wardley prepares for the first defence of his belt against Daniel Dubois next month.

Derek Chisora takes on Deontay Wilder on Saturday, and two-division world champion and former Chisora rival David Haye has laid out his prediction for the O2 Arena scrap.

Chisora has become a fan-favourite with the British public over the years, famed for his love of violence, unique personality and determined mindset. Although, at the age of 43 years old, ‘Del Boy’ is set to call time on a long career, even if successful against Wilder.

For Wilder, the contest represents a major opportunity to announce his return to the big time, with Chisora’s favourable ranking with the sanctioning bodies offering ‘The Bronze Bomber’ a route back to the peak of the division.

However, Haye, who defeated Chisora at Upton Park back in 2012, told The Sun Sport that he believes his countryman will end his career with a victory, when sharing his forecast for the fight.

“Derek Chisora on points but also a potential late stoppage. Once Wilder runs out of steam, he sort of [flops around]. He doesn’t have very big legs, his foundations are quite slim.

“Once he loses that [foundation], like we saw against [Zhilei] Zhang, very quickly he started falling all over the place, he was spinning around and he wasn’t together like he once was.

“I think that there is an opportunity for Derek, not early, I don’t think it will happen early but I think Derek will drag him into a very uncomfortable situation where it is very close and they are pushing and pulling. That is what Derek needs, that is what Derek wants.

“In the first three rounds, Wilder is dangerous against anybody, for sure, he can nail you. But going past the midway stage, I don’t think that he is going to be able to keep Derek off of him, and if he does, he will be losing the rounds conclusively.”

Wilder-Chisora will take place on Saturday, with the likes of Viddal Riley and Denzel Bentley featuring on the undercard.

Moses Itauma, like many, does not see Derek Chisora vs Deontay Wilder going the distance.

Chisora has built a reputation on toughness and volume, often dragging opponents into uncomfortable territory, while Wilder’s game remains centred around his devastating right hand.

The clash, should it have happened with both men in their primes, would present an interesting dynamic between pressure and power.

However, with talk of retirement surrounding both fighters and fans dubious that they could currently compete at the top level, the stakes feel heightened. Add to that that at least one retirement has been promised, and it becomes a relatively high stakes affair outside of the title picture.

It may be one of a few heavyweight fights we see this year in which the old guard of the division makes way for a new generation. Leading the charge for the young heavyweights is Moses Itauma, who is widely regarded as not only a future champion, but a dominant one.

Itauma, when giving his thoughts to the BBC, gave the edge to his countryman by KO.

“I’m going for Chisora. He wins by mid-to-late stoppage.”

Chisora is favourite for the win given how the recent form stacks up. His latest victories against Otto Wallin and Joe Joyce were impressive at this stage of his career and have given him the benefit of activity.

Wilder, who years ago would have been considered a very dangerous opponent for the Brit, looked nothing like his former self in losses to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang, and his comeback win against Tyrrell Herndon did not tell fans man.

There are just hours to wait to see what the veteran heavyweights bring to the table.

Joe Calzaghe has edged towards a winner in tonight’s heavyweight clash between Derek Chisora and Deontay Wilder.

The bout carries intrigue despite both men being in the final chapter of their careers.

Chisora, 42, continues to defy expectations, with wins over Otto Wallin and Joe Joyce in his last two outings giving him a significant confidence boost. He says this fight will be his last win, lose or draw.

Wilder may still possess the power that can end a fight instantly, however he has not shown it at a high level in some time. If he can deliver on the promise that, at 40 years old, he is a reinvigorated fighter, he remains dangerous.

In the heavyweight division, it only takes a moment, and both fighters are capable of producing it – Wilder through his infamous power, and Chisora, not typically known as a knockout artist, by catching his rival at the perfect time.

British boxing great Calzaghe told the BBC he believes that will be the case – one good shot ending it all – and has backed Chisora to be the one throwing.

“It’s a tough fight to call. I really like ‘Del Boy’, I still remember him coming and training in our gym and my dad making him very ill doing runs up and down our steps.

“I’m not sure how much either of these guys have left in the tank if I am honest, I think it is one of those fights that could go either way and will probably end with one punch. I’m going to side with Derek on this one.”

The fight tops an MF Pro card at London’s O2 Arena tonight, with Viddal Riley vs Mateusz Masternak for the European cruiserweight title and Denzel Bentley vs Endry Saavedra for the interim WBO middleweight title also on the bill.

Fan-favourite heavyweight Dave Allen has sparred some of boxing’s best, but ‘The White Rhino’ admits that the man who hit him the hardest came as a ‘surprise’ to him.

This era of the heavyweight division has been governed for the most part by Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk and Deontay Wilder, with Wilder hoping that he can return into heavyweight title contention with a victory over Derek Chisora on Saturday.

Of those names, Allen has sparred all apart from ‘The Bronze Bomber’, as well as a host of other top contenders in the division.

However, on his YouTube channel, when it came to naming the man who hit him the hardest, Allen claimed that Chisora was the biggest puncher that he has faced, much to his surprise.

“I sparred Derek Chisora before the Lucas Browne fight, so probably seven years ago to the week actually. He weren’t in the best shape, I don’t think, and I was fit and I sparred really well.

“But, he hit really hard. I thought he was the powerful puncher that I have ever been in with, just for pure power. Luckily, I could see him coming, because they were wide shots and they were coming from pretty far back and I could brace for them and take a bit off of them.

“In terms of power, he was definitely the biggest puncher that I ever sparred with, really, really heavy-handed. It surprised me because I didn’t think he was a big puncher. I had been watching him and, technically, I thought he didn’t look like he would be a big puncher.”

Chisora will hope to find some of that devastating power when he faces Wilder at the O2 Arena tonight. The Brit says he will retire win, lose or draw, but his 50-fight campaign would be remembered much more favourably if he called time after stopping one of his generation’s biggest names.

Allen returns to action on home soil in Doncaster against Filip Hrgovic on Saturday, May 16.

Moses Itauma’s rise continues, and if it was up to him and ‘every heavyweight was free’, he would be turbocharging his career.

After becoming the first man to stop Jermaine Franklin, doing so inside five rounds with a highlight-reel uppercut, Itauma said his ideal next fight would be against the durable Filip Hrgovic. That is unlikely to be the case, with Hrgovic booked to fight Dave Allen next month.

Speaking on TalkSPORT in the days following, Itauma then named WBC, WBA and IBF champion Usyk as his ultimate target, but the unified champion will face Rico Verhoeven on May 23 and, perhaps more importantly, has been openly dismissive of facing the Brit. A suggestion of Michael Hunter, made by fellow heavyweight Derek Chisora, now may be one of the leading options.

“In a perfect world I would’ve wanted to fight Hrgovic … If everybody was free, Usyk would be the one because he’s got the belts … Derek Chisora said me against Michael Hunter in America. That makes sense. Me and Michael Hunter in America would be decent. But I honestly don’t know. I’ve got a meeting with Frank Warren to find out my next date.”

Hunter – who lost to Usyk in the cruiserweight ranks before moving up to heavyweight – has been painfully inactive at the top level for some years, constantly teasing that he is targeting big fights but never quite delivering. Itauma would be an extreme test, and may be too high risk for the American without some bigger wins under his belt.

The Hrgovic fight may yet happen, just not next. If the Croatian beats Allen in May, he has said Itauma is one of the names in his contract alongside the likes of Fabio Wardley and Daniel Dubois.

As for Usyk, he appears unwilling to change his stance on Itauma, most recently saying he does not want to ‘break’ the young heavyweight. With his focus on current champions or fighters closer to his age, it looks unlikely the match-up happens.

Oscar De La Hoya is willing to step back into the boxing ring with a clear target in his mind for a return.

De La Hoya is viewed as one of the best to ever lace up a pair of gloves, winning world titles in six divisions along with being involved in some of the biggest fights around during that time.

It’s nearly two decades since he last competed, with his last action coming in 2008, but he is willing to fight once again despite now being 53-years-old.

De La Hoya’s main target is a man that he knows well, after making his intentions perfectly clear to former rival Floyd Mayweather.

Mayweather had been set for a professional bout against Manny Pacquiao in September but that clash has been thrown into doubt recently, and posting on social media, De La Hoya said that he wants the fight instead.

“Mayweather, come on dude. Fight a real fight. You’re still trying to protect your 0? Yes you’re 50-0 on paper but people know you’ve lost. Your own father said you lost against me when we fought.

“What’s crazy is people don’t know that we had a rematch clause for one year, and what do you do? Your p**sy ass retires for one year and one day.

“Ever since I got beat up by Manny Pacquiao in my last fight, I’ve wanted to fight every single day but I couldn’t because I wasn’t right physically, emotionally. All that depression I had in my spirit. These last five years I’ve put in the work.”

Along with the callout of Mayweather, De La Hoya also revealed he would be happy to face YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.

“I did a lot of work and I feel happy and at peace, and you know what? A man at peace is a dangerous f**king man. I can take on King Kong if I want and beat his ass. I’ll even fight Jake Paul. Let’s go.”

It isn’t the first time that De La Hoya has teased a return, and whether it actually ever comes to fruition remains to be seen.

In four weeks’ time, Tokyo will host the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history, as Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani collide for the undisputed super-bantamweight title. Now, Inoue’s former pound-for-pound rival Terence Crawford has offered his thoughts on the fight.

After becoming the undisputed bantamweight ruler, Inoue conquered the super-bantamweight scene in just two fights, halting both Stephen Fulton and Marlon Tapales to claim all four belts in the 122lb division.

‘The Monster’ has since defended those belts on six occasions and will soon put them, and his undefeated record, on the line against fellow unbeaten Japanese star Nakatani in an enthralling battle at the 55,000-capacity Tokyo Dome.

Should Inoue come out on top, there is every chance that could become recognised globally as the pound-for-pound number one, due to Crawford’s retirement and Usyk’s underwhelming upcoming showdown with Rico Verhoeven.

On X, Crawford revealed that he believes Inoue-Nakatani is a ’50/50’ affair, simultaneously confirming that he plans to be in attendance for the event, where someone’s ‘0’ has to go.

“That’s 50/50 to me. I wanna go to see tho.”

The fight takes place on Saturday, May 2, and will be broadcasted on Lemino in Japan and on DAZN around the rest of the world.

On the undercard, Inoue’s brother and reigning WBC bantamweight champion Takuma will face four-division world champion Kazuto Ioka in the co-main event of the blockbuster bill.

Additionally, 5-0 Sora Tanaka squares off with Jin Sasaki in an intriguing welterweight scrap for the OPBF title.

This weekend in London, Derek Chisora became just the second man to lose to Deontay Wilder and hear the final bell.

The veteran heavyweight clash was suitably chaotic and entertaining, with both the Brit and the American having success in spurts. It was Wilder who scored the only two knockdowns in the fight, but he was also deducted a point for what referee Mark Bates deemed a push through the ropes.

Both men showed impressive chins, and Chisora, though he hit the canvas, appeared to go down as much through exhaustion as from being hurt. Wilder, however, claimed post-fight that he saw his opponent was in trouble and chose to have mercy, putting less into his shots and targeting the body.

However it happened, the 40-year-old from Tuscaloosa, Alabama managed to secure the 45th win of his career, but his knockout tally remains at 43.

Speaking at the post-fight press conference, Chisora said Wilder’s power does indeed matched the hype.

“Good 12 rounds. He can hit … Yeah [the power was as good as expected]. He loads it up though. He’s got tell signs before he chucks. But, when he gets you, he can hit.”

“Wilder’s got power for the first three rounds, then after he fades away. I’m not gonna take that away from him. He has got power.”

Asked if anything surprised him about the former WBC heavyweight champion, Chisora said:

“He likes to hold a lot. I thought he was good on the inside but he’s not. I know what I did. I love Deontay, but I know he broke two things – his hand and his rib.”

While Chisora did not fully commit on his pre-fight promise to retire after the bout, Wilder has left little doubt that he will carry on, and is expected to pursue fights with either Oleksandr Usyk or Anthony Joshua