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With a long-awaited battle with Anthony Joshua looming, Tyson Fury has revealed when he will be fighting once before.

Fury defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision in April in what was the first ring appearance for ‘The Gypsy King’ since suffering back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024.

After that win, Fury was involved in a back and forth with long-term rival Joshua, with it since confirmed that the pair will finally square off later this year.

That is dependent on Joshua first coming through a warm-up bout against Kristian Prenga in July, while Fury also confirmed plans to compete again before the showdown with his countryman.

‘The Gypsy King’ has now revealed when that is expected to be, telling FurociTV that he is set to compete in August before then meeting Joshua a few months later.

“My fight plan this year is three fights. April, August, and whenever the big fight is announced; either October or November.”

Fury also gave an update on his opponent, but insists that it doesn’t matter who he shares the ring with.

“We haven’t got an opponent yet, but it’s never about the opponent. It’s just about me versus me always. Whoever the opponent is whether it’s Joe Bloggs or Mike Tyson. It’s unimportant to me, it’s just a runout to get sharper for the big one.”

Boxing fans will be hoping that both Fury and Joshua can come through their interim bouts unscathed, before then turning their attention to the contest that really matters later this year.

That mismatch is a problem for a Riyadh Season card already struggling to create real fan excitement outside of Oleksandr Usyk’s name value. Hardcore fans can spot a manufactured title setup quickly, and the reaction around Sheeraz-Begic has reflected that skepticism. Instead of feeling like a meaningful championship fight, the matchup has the appearance of a sanctioning-body formality designed to move Sheeraz into the title picture with minimal resistance.

It is a complete farce, and no buzz for this fight or the event. Charging fans $60 for a pay-per-view card that features a world title fight this heavily mismatched is a tough pill to swallow.

When the WBO title became vacant, the sanctioning body originally ordered Sheeraz to fight Diego Pacheco. That would have been a legitimate, highly anticipated matchup. But Pacheco pulled out of the negotiations, choosing instead to focus on settling in with his new training and management setup.

Once Pacheco was out of the picture, Sheeraz’s team needed an opponent quickly to secure the vacant belt. Instead of forcing a fight with a dangerous, live contender like Jacob Bank, who was right there in the mix, the WBO went in another direction. They approved the request for Sheeraz to face Alem Begic, who somehow held a #4 ranking despite a resume completely devoid of world-class opposition.

By sanctioning this, the WBO essentially gifted Sheeraz an open runway to pick up a world title. His team, including trainer Andy Lee, isn’t even hiding the fact that they are looking right past this weekend. They are already talking about using this belt to force unifications and chase undisputed status at 168 pounds over the next year.

Begic is a 39-year-old fighter getting a lottery ticket opportunity on a massive stage at the Pyramids, but competitively, it is a glaring mismatch. For the fans being asked to fork over premium PPV prices, seeing a major world title treated as a foregone conclusion on the undercard feels less like a historic event and more like a promotional showcase masquerading as a championship fight.

Winning a vacant title against a 39-year-old who has never beaten anyone of note is the ultimate shortcut to a life-changing payday.

If Sheeraz goes out and fights a real threat at 168 pounds like Osleys Iglesias or even Christian Mbilli, he is taking a massive risk of getting knocked out, which would derail his momentum completely. By taking this paper title route against Begic, he gets to call himself a world champion without taking any real damage or risking his hype.

Once that WBO strap is around his waist, he becomes a highly attractive option for Canelo Alvarez. Canelo is always looking for opponents who bring a world title to the table, and a fight against an undefeated British champion like Sheeraz can easily sell out a stadium in the UK or headline a massive card in Riyadh.

For Sheeraz, it is a brilliant business move. He uses a manufactured title fight in Egypt to position himself directly in the Canelo sweepstakes, knowing that even a loss to a legend keeps his stock relatively high while securing his financial future. It is a win-win for him, even if the fans are the ones getting shortchanged this weekend.

Former Daniel Dubois trainer Shane McGuigan has assessed how the newly-crowned WBO champion would fare against heavyweight prodigy Moses Itauma.

The 28-year-old became a two-time world champion last Saturday, twice climbing off the canvas to dethrone Fabio Wardley with a brutal 11th-round finish in Manchester.

In doing so, Dubois silenced any doubts over his fighting spirit while also maintaining a commanding jab, using it to outbox Wardley through large spells of their encounter.

With ‘Dynamite’ having claimed the WBO title, though, there is now a chance that he gets ordered to face leading contender Itauma.

The pair shared multiple rounds of sparring while Dubois was trained by McGuigan, who oversaw the Londoner’s stoppage victories over Trevor Bryan and Kevin Lerena in 2022.

Back then, Itauma was only around 17 or 18 years old, and is now considered a genuine contender following his fifth-round finish over Jermaine Franklin in March.

Dubois, meanwhile, has since gone on to defeat the likes of Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, Anthony Joshua and now Wardley, all by stoppage and under the watchful eye of head coach Don Charles.

But despite Dubois’ improvements in recent years, former trainer McGuigan has told Boxing News that he feels Itauma would be a step too far.

“I don’t think it’s a great fight for Daniel. Daniel’s a guy that has to know he can get to you.

“Against Hrgovic, he knew he could get to him – he didn’t get discouraged. Against Miller, he knew he could get to him.

“But, against [Oleksandr] Usyk, he didn’t believe [he could get to him]. And I don’t think he’ll have that belief against Moses.

“Sparring’s one thing, but he’ll struggle with [Itauma] a lot. If it goes past five or six rounds then it’s a completely different fight, but you’ve got to get past five or six rounds.”

Dubois has previously been stopped by Usyk on two separate occasions, suggesting he would encounter similar difficulty against another dynamic southpaw, this time in the form of a 21-year-old Itauma.

Oleksandr Usyk’s fight against Rico Verhoeven is being treated more like a spectacle than a serious heavyweight title defense by Teddy Atlas, who spent much of his preview joking about pyramids, King Tut, and whether Usyk even needs to focus fully on the fight.

“We got a better chance of seeing King Tut make a comeback than we do of seeing Verhoeven pull off what would be beyond upset,” Atlas said on his channel while previewing the May 23 fight in Egypt.

“It’s an event. If anyone deserves a little break, look, you don’t take anyone for granted. He’s a big strong guy. He’s in good shape. He’s physical. His game is experienced in the kickboxing realm. You don’t take anyone for granted, but he doesn’t figure to have any chance against Usyk.”

Atlas spent much of the preview talking about the setting at the Pyramids of Giza, more than the actual competitive side of the fight.

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Last Updated on 2026/05/18 at 12:43 PM

Many boxing fans are hoping that Moses Itauma could challenge for Oleksandr Usyk’s unified heavyweight throne before the latter retires, and now Itauma has revealed whether or not he believes the fight will happen.

Itauma has been linked to a shot at 39-year-old Usyk since he knocked out Dillian Whyte last August, but those suggestions turned into demands after the youngster dismantled Jermaine Franklin Jr in Manchester six weeks ago.

However, Usyk has declared that he would ‘break’ Itauma if the pair were to fight and has shared a lack of interest in the proposed contest, unwilling to deal too much damage to a man who could be his successor.

Nevertheless, calls for the fight remain, with plenty of fans believing that the fearlessness and exuberance of Itauma could provide Usyk with his toughest possible fight.

Still, in an interview with talkSPORT Boxing, Itauma admitted that, as much as he would love it to, he does not believe that a showdown between him and Usyk will ever take place.

“I don’t think that it will happen, but I would love it to happen.

“[It is] 100% [a chance to take the torch from Usyk]. If I get the opportunity, of course, but there is no reason for him [to want to fight me].”

Usyk defends his WBC heavyweight world title against Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt next weekend, that being the first outing of a planned three-fight run which will end in his retirement.

Fabio Wardley is moving quickly toward a second fight with Daniel Dubois, but not everyone around boxing believes that is the smartest move after the punishment he absorbed in Manchester.

Wardley has already activated the rematch clause following his stoppage loss to Dubois in their heavyweight title fight last weekend. The bout turned into a damaging war, with both fighters hurt before Dubois eventually broke Wardley down late.

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Last Updated on 2026/05/18 at 12:01 PM

Now that the rebranded ‘MF Pro’ has introduced itself, president Amer Abdallah is looking ahead to what comes next for the promotional outfit, as well as heavyweight icon Mike Tyson and veteran world champion Badou Jack.

Formerly Wasserman Boxing, MF Pro debuted with what turned out to be Michael Conlan’s final fight, where he suffered a shock defeat to Kevin Walsh in Belfast. That was followed by the company’s first pay-per-view event, headlined by Deontay Wilder’s split-decision victory over Derek Chisora in London.

Whilst the main event lacked elite technical quality, it made up for it with aggression and entertainment, as the anticipated heavyweight shootout lasted the full 12 rounds. The co-main event, meanwhile, was more one-sided, as Viddal Riley produced a career-best performance to outclass former world title challenger Mateusz Masternak and claim the EBU European cruiserweight title.

Despite being positioned for a shot at the vacant IBF world title against the winner of Floyd Masson and David Nyika’s eliminator, the EBU’s latest update suggests Riley is in negotiations to defend his belt against France’s Seydi Coupe.

However, speaking to Boxing News, Abdallah revealed that several possibilities remain on the table ahead of an MF Pro card in London, which Riley is expected to headline in August or September.

“Viddal has got a lot of options, he is looking at the EBU defence, he is looking at the IBF and he is looking at the WBC. He is in a great position where he has got some options and he has some choices to make in the next couple of weeks. Nothing is definitive, but the options are there.

“There are multiple ongoing negotiations and they are all, progressively, at the same stage.

“Absolutely [we are wanting him to headline his next event in London], I think that Viddal is going to be a future superstar in boxing, not just in the United Kingdom.

“Obviously, his grassroots, his home, his backyard is where it starts. I think that he has proved now, after the co-main event of Chisora-Wilder, where he had an amazing, career-best performance, it warrants him taking the main stage next.”

“We are targeting late summer, early fall for his next outing.”

Abdallah also discussed MF Pro’s first United States event, which takes place in Long Beach on June 19 and is topped by Ashton Sylve and JoJo Diaz. Alongside several of the company’s top American prospects, he hinted there could also be a surprise appearance on the card.

“That will be a great prospects card and then we’ll keep building off that.

“That will involve Ashton Sylve, Amir Anderson, David Lopez and we might have a surprise on in there also.”

Away from MF Pro, Abdallah continues to manage three-division world champion Badou Jack, whom he believes has not received the recognition his résumé deserves in recent years. He added that the Swede likely has ‘one or two’ fights remaining, though he is unsure whether Jack still has ambitions of moving up to bridgerweight or heavyweight.

“I know that you have got the Jai Opetaia’s out there, Viddal Riley is coming up and making a name, David Benavidez has made his stake in the cruiserweight division, but when you look at the records and résumé’s, no cruiserweight has fought the level of competition that Badou Jack has.

“I was a little bit disappointed that everybody said that David Benavidez was the first to do it [claim world titles] at 168, 175 and cruiser. No, Badou was. Badou did that and all of those fights were in spectacular fashion. People dismiss Badou because he is ‘the people’s champion’, he is very humble and down to earth, he is not a loud, ‘in your face’ kind of guy.

“He can do whatever he wants to do at this stage in his life but I think that he would like to do one or two more.

“The plan was, when Lukasz Rozanski was the bridgerweight champion, we had a deal where we actually paid Kevin Lerena a step-aside. Badou was supposed to fight Rozanski and then he was going to fight at heavyweight and he was going to go up and shoot for five divisions.

“We absolutely had interest in being able to do that [move up to bridgerweight or heavyweight], but at this time in his career I am not sure he wants to go up another weight class or stay at cruiserweight. He has had a legendary career, so time will tell what Badou wants to do, but I think a decision will be made in the next month or so.”

As Tyson’s advisor, Abdallah also remains hopeful that ‘Iron Mike’ will eventually face Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition bout, although he admitted he is unsure where negotiations currently stand, given Mayweather’s commitments to face Mike Zambidis and then Manny Pacquiao.

Still, Abdallah said he is looking forward to those events and even suggested Zambidis could provide a difficult test for ‘TBE’.

“Andrew Ruf from Paradigm [Talent Agency] is handling the fight. There is an agreement in place, the status of that agreement I am unsure of. I think that both guys, at one point, wanted the fight. Whether that is still on the table or not, I am unsure, it is not on my scope.

“But, when Mike says that he wants to get ready and go, then everything is set for him and Mike is the boss, he will make the decisions. If things are ready to move then they will and, if not, that cuts on both guys.”

“Floyd is now tied up in a couple of other things, I saw that he has the exhibition with the Greek kid, Zambidis. The kid is a tough, tough kid, strong, even though he is in his mid 40’s. He’s a strong, solid guy. Floyd’s experience, I think, gives him the edge but it’ll actually be an exciting one.

“Then you’ve got Floyd and Manny again and I think that’s great, that fight is going to warrant some great attention with it being on Netflix and on such a big platform.”

Currently, Mayweather is scheduled to face Zambidis in an exhibition in Athens on Saturday, June 27, before his rematch with Manny Pacquiao on Friday, September 25. It remains unclear whether the Pacquiao bout will be contested as an exhibition or a fully sanctioned professional contest, potentially placing Mayweather’s 50-0 record at risk.

Meanwhile, MF Pro’s next event takes place on Friday, May 29, as Charlie Edwards faces South Africa’s Sikho Nqothole in an IBF super-flyweight final eliminator at York Hall.

Oscar Duarte may have lost his clearest route to a world title without ever stepping into the ring for it.

The IBF is attempting to fill the vacant 140-pound title after Richardson Hitchins moved on from the belt, and Duarte (31-2-1, 23 KOs) was positioned for a shot against fellow contender Lindolfo Delgado. The problem is that Duarte and Delgado are longtime stablemates under trainer Robert Garcia, and Garcia says the fight is unlikely to happen.

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Last Updated on 2026/05/18 at 11:05 AM

Tim Bradley has assessed David Benavidez’s chances of defeating Oleksandr Usyk, who still holds three of the four major titles at heavyweight.

The Ukrainian returns to action at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza this Saturday, making a voluntary defence of his WBC strap against Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven.

Beyond this next outing, Usyk will likely be ordered to face WBC ‘interim’ champion Agit Kabayel, who is set to earn his shot at the full green and gold belt later this year.

Alternatively, though, the 39-year-old could vacate his world title, perhaps with a view to square off against newly-crowned unified champion Benavidez instead – a fight that has been backed by boxing powerbroker, Turki Alalshikh.

‘The Mexican Monster’ became a three-division world champion earlier this month, dethroning Gilberto Ramirez with a sixth-round finish in his first outing at 200lbs.

Yet despite his dominant performance, the reality is that Benavidez is not yet even a fully-fledged cruiserweight, with the 29-year-old admitting to weighing just 202lbs on fight night.

Because of this, he is likely to drop back down to 175lbs – where he still holds the WBC title – in a bid to face Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed crown.

As far as Hall of Famer Bradley is concerned, this represents the most sensible option for Benavidez, having effectively said on his YouTube channel that the American has no chance at toppling Usyk.

“Usyk? Stop it. It’s okay to have dreams – it’s fine, you can dream – [but] if you feel that David Benavidez can beat Usyk, I will gladly take your money.”

While Benavidez has always expressed an interest in moving up to heavyweight, it would appear that unified light-heavyweight champion Bivol is currently his main target.

First, Bivol must defeat mandatory challenger Michael Eifert on May 30, but would surely be eager for a shot at becoming a two-time undisputed champion later this year.

David Avanesyan suffered stoppage defeats to both Terence Crawford and Jaron Ennis, but said only one of them caused him to experience an unfamiliar feeling of pain.

The sturdy pressure fighter squared off with Crawford in 2022, just over seven months before ‘Bud’ became the undisputed welterweight king against Errol Spence Jr.

Back then, the American was coming off a 10th-round stoppage victory over Shawn Porter, making a voluntary defence of his WBO title against Avanesyan.

Having previously scored a sixth-round finish over Josh Kelly, Avanesyan represented a live opponent, but was ultimately halted in the same round against Crawford.

Around 19 months later, the Armenian was gearing up to face Ennis after collecting just one victory – a fourth-round stoppage at middleweight – following his defeat to Crawford.

Whether the lack of activity played a factor, only he will know, but Avanesyan nonetheless found himself on the receiving end of a fifth-round finish.

‘Boots’ would then unify the welterweight division before moving up to 154lbs, where he comes off a first-round demolition job against Uisma Lima.

When reflecting on their power, though, Avanesyan, who is a former WBA (Regular) welterweight champion, told trainer Carl Greaves – who, in turn, told BoxingScene – that Crawford was a noticeably bigger puncher than Ennis.

“I think that Crawford is a heavier-handed fighter. I was talking to David and he said that Crawford hits harder but that ‘Boots’ Ennis was a bit sharper and busier.

“Then you take into consideration that when David fought Crawford, the whole six rounds he was in there with him he had dodgy gloves. When he [Avanesyan] came out of the ring afterwards, he said he’d never had pain or lumps on his head like it.”

Indeed, much controversy surrounded the gloves of Crawford against Avanesyan, with Everlast subsequently admitting that they were produced from a batch of defective leather.