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Shakur Stevenson has named the most likely fighter to defeat Naoya Inoue, who remains unbeaten after having become a two-division undisputed champion.

‘The Monster’ unified all four major belts at 118lbs before moving up to super-bantamweight, where he has made seven straight defences of his undisputed crown.

His most recent outing, against three-weight world champion Junto Nakatani, resulted in a unanimous decision victory at a sold-out Tokyo Dome last month.

Many would therefore regard Inoue as the sport’s No.1 pound-for-pound fighter, with the Japanese star having also won world titles at flyweight and super-flyweight.

At 33 years old, though, it is difficult to predict how much longer he will remain at the elite level, especially if his next assignment happens to be against Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez.

The 26-year-old American became a three-division world champion last week, dethroning Antonio Vargas with a sixth-round stoppage at 118lbs.

As the newly-crowned WBA bantamweight champion, there is now talk of him either unifying the division – perhaps against WBO titlist Christian Medina – or moving up to 122lbs in preparation for the potential Inoue showdown next year.

Either way, Stevenson has told The Agnew Podcast that he believes Rodriguez stands the best chance at toppling Inoue.

“I think he’s the truth. If anybody can do it – with them type of skills, I think ‘Bam’ can do it.”

Stevenson went on to admit that, in the amateurs, he was introduced to the fight of his life against Rodriguez’s last opponent.

In the end, he edged a split decision against Vargas, who subsequently competed at the 2016 Olympics and showed, even against ‘Bam’, that he is capable of posing problems to elite fighters.

Frank Warren expects to stage the rematch between Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley later this year, just so long as both men are ready and raring to go.

Their first encounter took place in Manchester last month, resulting in an 11th-round finish as Dubois dethroned his rival and became a two-time heavyweight champion.

Prior to that, many doubted whether the 28-year-old, coming off a fifth-round stoppage defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, would be able to halt his gritty opponent.

Wardley, after all, was coming off a string of stoppages over Joseph Parker, Justis Huni and Frazer Clarke, boasting a clear advantage when it came to momentum.

But Dubois, to his credit, managed to survive two knockdowns – one in the first 10 seconds of their contest; the other in round three – and ultimately claimed the WBO title.

He did so by utilising a thudding jab and his superior footwork, while Wardley showed tremendous resolve just to remain in their brutal battle.

Given the punishment he endured, many suspected that the 31-year-old would take a long break, perhaps not returning to action until 2027.

Having activated his rematch clause in their contract, though, Wardley is now set to face Dubois between September and November, according to an IFL TV interview with Queensberry promoter Warren.

“That’ll go on in the autumn. They’ve called for it and we’re working on putting that together.

“If [Wardley’s] not fit enough then Daniel will defend [his title] against somebody else. But [the rematch] is the intention.”

During their first encounter, many felt Wardley could have been stopped from round seven onwards, yet referee Howard Foster ultimately halted proceedings in round 11.

Tyson Fury has revealed his contingency plan for if the Anthony Joshua showdown falls through, outlining his desire to become a three-time world heavyweight champion.

The two Brits are set to collide after their respective next outings, yet no specific date or location has been announced for their long-awaited clash.

What has been confirmed, however, is that Joshua will face little-known opponent Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 25.

While the 36-year-old is heavily favoured to emerge victorious, there is still a possibility that he loses to Prenga. In which case, the Fury fight would swiftly go up in smoke.

Equally, Fury must win his second warm-up fight, which is slated for August, if he is to have any chance of squaring off with his long-time rival, whether later this year or in early 2027.

The 37-year-old therefore recognises that there are a number of factors, both in and out of the ring, that could put their domestic dustup in serious doubt.

Perhaps this is why he has now opened the door to an encounter with Agit Kabayel, despite having previously claimed that he would not be interested in the matchup for ‘any amount of money’.

“They are my two brothers. They are both lovely guys, and they are both future world heavyweight champions. Agit Kabayel and Joseph Parker. He has been a champion before, so he knows what it is about.

“I wish them all the very best in the world and I won’t fight either man for any amount of money because some things ain’t worth fighting for.”

In any case, Oleksandr Usyk must first decide whether to face Kabayel, the WBC ‘interim’ champion, or swerve his mandatory challenger and pursue alternative options.

If the 33-year-old German is left without an opponent then Fury has told IFL TV that he would now gladly step in the ring with him.

“If [Usyk] pulls out of the fight with Kabayel, then I’m in with Kabayel. So if the Joshua fight doesn’t happen, for whatever reason, then I’ll get my shot at [becoming a three-time world champion] against Kabayel. And I’ll take it to Wembley [Stadium].”

As the WBC’s No.1 contender, Fury would be offered a shot at the full title, against Kabayel, if Usyk decides to vacate his green and gold belt.

Tyson Fury’s father, John Fury, has offered an intriguing verdict on his son’s long-awaited Battle of Britain with Anthony Joshua.

Following Fury’s return against Arslanbek Makhmudov, it soon became clear that Fury-Joshua was the goal for 2026, with Joshua’s own ‘warm-up’ fight against Kristian Prenga being one of the few remaining obstacles to the blockbuster event.

‘The Gypsy King’ is also set for a bout in the interim – with no opponent or date confirmed as of writing – before the pair of former champions deliver on a signed agreement to face off at the end of the year.

Speaking on the Fight Your Corner podcast, John Fury, who has advised his son to retire recently, admitted that he now sees the bout as a ’50/50’.

“It’s a 50/50. There is not a fag paper between them. You see a man like Anthony Joshua, with that power, you can’t write him off. Look what he done to [Francis] Ngannou, and that man is a unit, mate.”

The 61-year-old then went on to further highlight Joshua’s ability, sharing that neither he nor Tyson has ever underestimated his skill, despite Fury having regularly labelled Joshua as a ‘bodybuilder’ rather than a boxer.

“Look at what happened to Ngannou – one-arrowed him. He is a good setter, if you give him space and he catches you then he will knock that wall down and he is a lot better boxer than you think he is, than he gets given credit for. He can actually box, he is an Olympic gold medallist.

“Anthony Joshua – we have never, ever underestimated him – Tyson won’t. You can never underestimate ‘AJ’ with the power and the strength of the man and he has got a will to win. Anybody like that, you have got to consider them as a threat.”

To the disappointment of British fight fans, the latest reports suggest that Fury-Joshua could be headed to Las Vegas, rather than Wembley Stadium.

Jaron “Boots” Ennis has spent years being mentioned alongside the sport’s elite, but DAZN commentator Todd Grisham believes the June 27 showdown with Xander Zayas is the fight that will determine whether he truly belongs in the same conversation as Terence Crawford.

The unbeaten Ennis will move up to junior middleweight to challenge unified WBO and WBA champion Xander Zayas at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in one of the most anticipated fights of 2026. While both fighters enter undefeated, Grisham sees the bout as a defining moment for Ennis’ standing in the sport.

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Last Updated on 2026/06/19 at 3:19 AM

Roy Jones Jr has revealed which of his past opponents he deems to be the greatest of the lot.

Jones competed 76 times throughout his illustrious professional career, which began back in 1989 and went all the way up until 2023.

His peak is considered to have been throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, with Jones becoming a four division world champion at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and even heavyweight.

In total, Jones shared the ring with nearly 20 current, former or future world champions, but one man stood out when he was asked who was the best fighter he ever faced.

Speaking to The Ring, he gave that honour to three-weight world champion James Toney.

“James Toney probably had the best defence of all of them. You couldn’t hit him flush; he was so elusive. The hip movement and the shoulder roll made it very difficult to land a clean shot.

He had all the tools, he was hard to hit, he could knock you out at any time. He would be right there in your face and you still couldn’t hit him flush.”

Jones had moved up in weight to 168lbs when he faced Toney in November 1994, claiming a unanimous decision win to secure the IBF super middleweight title and hand ‘Lights Out’ the first loss of his professional career.

Toney also ruled at middleweight and cruiserweight, and had also become WBA heavyweight champion with a win over John Ruiz in 2005, only for the result to be changed to a no contest after he failed a drugs test.

In the end, Toney finished with 77 wins from his 92 professional fights, with his last outing coming back in May 2017 when he earned a stoppage victory over Mike Sheppard.

The issue came up while discussing the possibility of a future purse bid involving Haney and Keyshawn Davis, who has been designated as the WBO welterweight mandatory challenger. With reports and rumors continuing to link several high-profile fighters to Zuffa Boxing, questions have surfaced about whether Dana White’s company could enter the bidding process for major title fights.

According to Olivieri, the answer is no, for now.

“As of today, they cannot bid because they are not a licensed WBO promoter,” Olivieri said to Cigar Talk.

Olivieri explained that promoters must complete the organization’s licensing process and satisfy various requirements before they can participate in WBO purse bids. That includes filing the necessary paperwork, paying licensing fees, and becoming a promoter recognized by the sanctioning body.

The WBO president stressed that the restriction is procedural rather than political.

“If Zuffa Boxing complies with all the required rules, policies, and requirements per our regulatory structure, why wouldn’t I allow that?” Olivieri said.

The comments are notable because they provide one of the clearest indications yet of how Zuffa Boxing would fit into the existing title system if the company decides to pursue championship fights.

White has repeatedly spoken about shaking up the boxing industry, and speculation has grown in recent months about Zuffa’s involvement with several prominent fighters. However, Olivieri’s remarks make clear that any participation in WBO title fights would require the company to first become an approved promoter under the organization’s rules.

That means Zuffa Boxing remains on the outside looking in when it comes to WBO purse bids, though the door appears open if the company chooses to enter the system.

 

Trainer Robert Garcia believes Canelo Alvarez can defeat Christian Mbilli, but he expects a much closer fight than many fans anticipate when they meet for the WBC super middleweight title on September 12 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli is an absolute cardio machine, a human volume monster who brings relentless pressure from the opening bell to the final second. Canelo will be fighting for the first time since losing his four belts to Terence Crawford in September 2025. In that fight, Canelo visibly tired at the midpoint, allowing Crawford to control the second half.

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Last Updated on 2026/06/19 at 12:39 AM

Away from his fighting career, Lyndon Arthur has built a sizable presence on social media, creating funny and relatable videos that consistently get thousands of views.

In the boxing world, ‘King Arthur’ is hardly known for his engaging personality. In fact, he has often been accused of looking “moody” – especially during fight week, when the light-heavyweight contender is intensely focused on his battle with the scales.

The reality, though, is that Arthur likes to have a laugh and a joke as much as anyone else, hence why he has become a social media comedian under the alias ‘some1zgot2sayit’.

While wearing a cap with his very own ‘some1zgot2sayit’ branding embroidered on the front, the 34-year-old explained to Boxing News how this all came about.

“Apparently, nobody knew I was funny. I’m hilarious!

“I made a video about buying my son some [overpriced] shorts and it just kind of went viral. So I thought, ‘Okay, people like me talking’.

“I never used to talk, and was always a bit reserved, but being in front of the camera has brought out another side to me.

“I think people think I’m more approachable now. In boxing, I’m kind of known as being laid-back and moody. But now, people have seen a different side to me and are saying, ‘Your page is funny; keep doing what you’re doing’.”

The fact that Arthur is now far more approachable, and generally less “moody”, can partly be explained by his link-up with a nutritionist.

This came about ahead of his trilogy showdown with Anthony Yarde in April 2025, when the Mancunian lost unanimously on the scorecards but arguably produced one of his career-best performances.

In his last outing against Brad Rea, too, Arthur delivered a dynamic display through 12 rounds, earning himself a majority decision victory in November.

His work with a nutritionist, then, has elevated not only his general mood but also his performances, which can largely be explained by a less gruelling ordeal to make 175lbs.

“Before, I’d be crashing the weight myself, running six miles every day for two weeks before the fight.

“Now, I’m hardly running at all on fight week. If I could give advice to any fighter, it would be to get a nutritionist and make weight properly.”

Perhaps it was this change in preparation that gave Arthur an energy boost in his last fight, allowing him to overcome a second-round knockdown against Rea.

After sparring the 28-year-old several years ago, Arthur admits he may have slightly underestimated his opponent, while ultimately showing enough boxing savvy to emerge triumphant.

“Brad Rea shocked me, to be fair. He said in the press conference that I still saw him as a skinny ginger kid, and I kind of did, but he got in there, showed heart and was able to put me down.

“Fair play to him – he took some of my best shots – but I think I definitely showed I’ve still got a bit left in me.”

After defeating Rea, Arthur was initially told that he would be rematching Liam Cameron – who he has previously outpointed – on May 9, only to then be offered an alternative domestic dustup against Lewis Edmondson, who he will face at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium on Saturday.

Beyond this, the former European champion is not quite sure what opportunities will emerge, but ultimately sees himself being involved in further all-British encounters.

“I’m sure boxing will let me know [when it’s time to retire]. Hopefully it won’t happen in the ring, but I’m sure somebody will tell me when it’s time to stop getting punched in the head.

“But I feel fresh. I’m not slacking in the gym; I’m not slowing down. I was doing 10 and 12-round spars five weeks ago, because I thought I was getting ready for May 9, so I feel like I’ve got a few more years left.”

As he gears up to face Edmondson, Arthur remains fully aware of the ticking clock. Equally, though, it seems that he is more dedicated to his craft than ever before.

Oscar Collazo says a move up in weight could happen as soon as this year, with the unbeaten Puerto Rican champion identifying fellow Golden Boy fighter Ricardo Sandoval as one of the opponents he would like to face if he leaves the minimumweight division.

Collazo currently holds the WBA, WBO, and Ring Magazine titles at 105 pounds and will defend them against late replacement Neider Valdez on Saturday night at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California. Looking beyond that fight, Collazo says he still wants to become the undisputed champion at minimumweight but is also considering opportunities at junior flyweight and flyweight.

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Last Updated on 2026/06/18 at 10:50 PM