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“I’m a fighter. I’ve always been in love with the sport so I will campaign for as long as I can, until the wheels fall off,” Eubank Jr said to Boxing King Media when discussing his future plans.

“They nearly fell off in that last fight, but you know, we kept things together, and since then I’ve been on a recovery program, getting back to full health, getting back to the old Chris Eubank Jr. In that last fight, you saw a fighter that you know it wasn’t me, everyone knows that.”

Eubank said his next move remains undecided because of the number of options available to him.

“There’s no specific plan, there’s no contracts drawn up. I am a free agent. I am not tied down to any one promoter, outfit, or any one broadcaster. I’m free, and it’s a beautiful position to be in because the industry knows this, and we have a lot of exciting opportunities and offers to weigh up and pick from, and decide which route we want to go.

“It all comes down to what’s best for me, and I think I will be back in the ring maybe towards the end of the year.”

Although Eubank did not name any specific opponents, he said fan interest will play a major role in determining his next fight.

“There are a lot of names that would make for exciting fights. There are a lot of people that the fans want to see me step into the ring with,” said Eubank Jr. “I’ve done so much in my career, there’s nothing like ‘oh, I have to get this fight, I have to fight this guy.’

“I’d love to win a world title. I’d love to get another strap, but that’s easier said than done.”

Eubank has not fought since his unanimous decision loss to Benn in their rematch last November. Following the fight, he disclosed that he had been dealing with health issues but has yet to publicly specify the nature of the problem. He now says he is following a strict recovery program and believes he can return to top form in time for one final run during the closing years of his career.

The match was originally scheduled to be a title match for Collazo’s WBO and WBA minimumweight titles, but was changed to a flyweight bout when Valdez was unable to reach the 105-pound limit. Collazo moved up two weight classes, jumping up to flyweight, and although he only weighed in at 110.6 pounds at Friday’s weigh-in, his power carried on fight night.

When Chris Mannix asked him after the fight how he felt at this weight, he said, “I feel great, I feel great, I feel great, I love this division. As a matter of fact, I want to stay in this division a long time, let’s see.”

When asked about unified WBC and WBA flyweight champion Ricardo Sandoval (27-2, 18 KOs), he was quick to answer, “I really want it…it really interests me. I hope Oscar De La Hoya and Eddie Gomez can see that through. I’m ready for it, I’m ready for the big fights. I’m ready to make history. I was born for this, I’m the pound-for-pound champion, and I’m ready for the big fights, and that’s the fight that I want.”

His promoter Oscar De La Hoya made it known that is the fight he wants to make as well. Telling Chris Mannix, he wants to bring back that Mexico versus Puerto Rico rivalry. Sandoval is a fighter De La Hoya promotes as well, so this would be an in-house promotional fight that, as long as terms can be agreed upon by both parties, would be a relatively easy fight to make.

De La Hoya stated the fight would be a mega fight and could potentially be held in either Puerto Rico or Los Angeles, depending on what is agreed upon by the fighters. Collazo would be skipping the light flyweight division (108 lbs.) entirely by challenging Sandoval for his 112-pound titles. El Pupilo felt strong against Valdez and feels he is ready for the move to flyweight.

When asked what potential challenges Ricard poses, he said, “He’s a very good fighter, he’s a pressure fighter. He likes to work – body and head. He goes to the front. He’s a Mexican fighter but he’s a very talented fighter and has a good team behind. I believe it’ll be a perfect…a very, very good fight.”

Galal Yafai was set to face Sandoval on June 6 but was forced to withdraw due to an undisclosed injury. Ricardo’s last match was July 30 in Japan against Kenshiro Teraji, a tough match he won by edging out the split decision. With him not having fought for almost a year he is primed and ready for a big fight, setting the stage for what could be a mega fight for both.

Jaron “Boots” Ennis believes his upcoming fight against unified junior middleweight champion Xander Zayas is the start of something much bigger.

“I’m the man in any division I fight in,” said Ennis to Matchoom Boxing. “I feel like I’m taking over boxing, starting this Saturday, and you will hear the words ‘and the new’.”

Ennis is confident that Zayas will discover there is a significant gap between them when they meet on June 27 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

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Last Updated on 2026/06/22 at 1:49 PM

“I’ve been made an offer by Zuffa or Zafa, whatever it’s called. And I’ve put that to Eddie,” Fisher said to The Stomping Ground.

“The money is one thing, and it is for the level of the fights that I’m being asked to have. It’s sort of six or seven times what I’ve been offered by Eddie. So I’ve got to consider it and I’ve got to put that towards Eddie surely.”

Fisher’s comments come as several British fighters have explored opportunities with Zuffa Boxing, which has been aggressively entering the boxing market while competing with established promoters such as Matchroom and Queensberry.

“I said that’s beside the point. It wouldn’t be right to try to challenge that. I want to give Eddie the chance to give me something close to that or to that. So let’s see what Eddie comes back with,” said Fisher.

The 26-year-old also revealed that the Zuffa proposal is currently for a single fight, but described the financial package as difficult to ignore.

“I’ve been offered a one-fight deal, but it is exceptional money,” said Fisher.

“I’d be a madman not to. It’s also the promotional side of it, obviously, with Sky Sports and what they can offer me as well.”

Fisher has not fought since his December rematch victory over Dave Allen in Monaco. A planned return earlier this year failed to materialize, leaving him eager to get back into the ring.

Johnny says the ball is in Matchroom’s court. If Hearn can get close to the offer, he may stay where he is. If not, one of British boxing’s biggest ticket sellers could soon become one of Zuffa Boxing’s highest-profile signings.

Hrgovic questioned why so many fans are predicting a one-sided victory for the unbeaten British prospect.

“People saying Moses can win? People saying Moses will destroy me, man,” said Hrgovic to Queensberry Promotions, talking about the 21-year-old Itauma.

“Because that’s called a hype job. They hype him so much. He had a few knockouts, but the whole world is talking about him,” said Hrgovic.

“If he is from Bulgaria, no one would talk of him.”

Hrgovic acknowledged Itauma’s talent, pointing to his speed, southpaw stance, and explosiveness, but suggested much of the attention stems from Britain’s ability to market young fighters.

“You guys are the best in the business, the biggest boxing crowd in the world, and you know how to sell products,” said Hrgovic.

“People like to have heroes. So you always need to have some hero, and people look at him as a new great heavyweight, like a new Mike Tyson, like a new hero.”

“My job is to quit that.”

The 34-year-old also dismissed suggestions that he is nearing the end of his career, insisting he remains in his physical prime despite spending two decades in the sport.

“I’m still going up. I still didn’t start to going down,” said Hrgovic.

“I’m 34 now. I’m not young. I’m not also old for heavyweight. So I think I’m in the best age, experience, and still speed and power.”

While Itauma has rapidly emerged as one of boxing’s most talked-about heavyweight prospects, Hrgovic will represent a significant step up in opposition. The former IBF mandatory challenger owns victories over contenders such as Zhilei Zhang, Demsey McKean, and Joe Joyce, and has shared the ring with elite-level heavyweights throughout his career.

The winner of the August 29 contest is expected to move into position for a major fight in the heavyweight division, with Itauma seeking to cement his status as a future world title challenger and Hrgovic aiming to halt the momentum behind one of the sport’s fastest-rising stars.

 

Naoya Inoue scored one of the standout victories of 2026 against Junto Nakatani, and now his promoter has confirmed that talks for another blockbuster clash are ‘in motion’.

Last month, Inoue got the better of fellow Japanese superstar Nakatani, in what was both the biggest fight in Japanese boxing history and one of the most anticipated bouts of the 2026 boxing calendar.

Attention has since turned to Jesse Rodriguez’, who held three super-flyweight world titles at the time of Inoue’s recent win. ‘Bam’ has vacated his belts and secured the WBA bantamweight world title with a knockout win over Antonio Vargas. The American’s trainer, Robert Garcia, has suggested that they will have one more fight at the weight before moving up again to challenge Inoue.

Speaking with Yahoo Japan, Inoue’s promoter, Hideyuki Ohasi, all but confirmed that Inoue will face Rodriguez in February next year, and that, despite ‘Bam’ looking for an interim fight, it may be the Japanese icon’s next outing.

“He will have a big fight in February next year, I am sure you can guess which one. That’s also in motion right now. Once that’s done, the next one will be in an extraordinary place.”

Rodriguez is expected to either defend his WBA bantamweight crown against Seiya Tsutsumi or attempt to unify the 118lb titles with WBO champion Christian Medina later this year ahead of a jump up to 122lbs.

Despite being a long-time friend of Tyson Fury, Billy Joe Saunders has given a balanced assessment of the 37-year-old’s expected clash with Anthony Joshua.

The two heavyweights are set to square off after their respective warm-up fights, yet no date or location has been revealed for their long-anticipated showdown.

In the meantime, ‘AJ’ must defeat Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 25, entering his first outing since securing a sixth-round finish over Jake Paul in December.

This also represents the 36-year-old’s first fight since losing his two close friends to a tragic car crash in Nigeria, further explaining why he is not rolling the dice against a more established heavyweight.

Fury, meanwhile, ended a 16-month layoff and returned to action in April, unanimously outpointing Arslanbek Makhmudov with a relatively lacklustre performance.

‘The Gypsy King’ therefore feels as though he could do with another warm-up fight, hoping to squeeze one in at some point in August.

Regardless of whether this materialises, though, former two-weight world champion Saunders has suggested the Joshua fight will be determined by who can implement their tactics most effectively.

Speaking with The Stomping Ground, Saunders explained that, while Fury might be the superior technician, Joshua should be credited for his physical prowess and accuracy.

“They’ve both got their [own] attributes. AJ’s stronger, a cleaner puncher. Tyson’s a better boxer, more slick.

“[Whoever] can put together [the best] gameplan will win, I think.”

Given Joshua’s training relationship with Oleksandr Usyk, it might be that he has already gained an insight into what it takes to defeat Fury.

David Benavidez has ruled out one fight in particular, despite Turki Alalshikh attempting to persuade him with a major opportunity.

The 29-year-old entered his first outing at 200lbs last month, becoming a three-weight world champion by dethroning Gilberto Ramirez for the WBO and WBA titles.

But while his emphatic sixth-round finish would suggest he is a natural cruiserweight, Benavidez clearly feels as though he could benefit from more experience at the weight.

As such, it is hardly surprising that he successfully lobbied the WBC to install him as the mandatory challenger at 200lbs, hoping to secure a three-belt unification match with fellow champion Noel Mikaelian.

The pair are now reportedly in deep negotiations to collide later this year, potentially leaving Zuffa champion Jai Opetaia without an opponent for his next outing.

Whatever the case, though, it certainly appears that Benavidez is eager to remain at cruiserweight, rather than challenge unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Despite coming off a sub-par performance against Rico Verhoeven, who he stopped in round 11 last month, Usyk is still widely considered the top dog of his division.

Reluctant to take a gamble against the Ukrainian, Benavidez has told Luis Parra that not even powerbroker Alalshikh can convince him otherwise.

“[Alalshikh] didn’t talk to me directly, [but] he was talking to the people around me and said he wanted to make that fight. But honestly, I have a lot of respect for Usyk, and I’m not ready for that right now.

“If he came down to cruiserweight then yeah, we could fight at cruiserweight. But I’m not moving up.”

Having been ordered to defend his WBC title against ‘interim’ champion Agit Kabayel, Usyk must now decide whether to pursue their mandated fight or vacate the belt.

Oscar De La Hoya has dismissed rumours of one showdown in particular for Ryan Garcia.

‘King Ry’ claimed the WBC welterweight title in February, dethroning Mario Barrios with a unanimous decision victory after scoring a first-round knockdown.

He has since been linked to a clash with Conor Benn, who comes off a 10-round points victory over Regis Prograis after they met at a catchweight of 150lbs in April.

Prior to that, ‘The Destroyer’ was involved in two middleweight contests against Chris Eubank Jr, losing their first encounter before exacting his revenge last November.

And despite having not made 147lbs since April 2022, the 29-year-old subsequently became the WBC mandatory challenger at welterweight, putting him in the mix to face Garcia in his first world title fight.

Since then, it has been widely reported that the pair will square off later this year, only for Vergil Ortiz Jr to suddenly emerge as a rumoured Garcia opponent earlier this week.

The super-welterweight contender has not fought since last November, back when he extended his unbeaten record with a second-round finish over Erickson Lubin.

More importantly, though, Ortiz has been involved in ongoing legal dispute with De La Hoya and Golden Boy, meaning his immediate future remains largely unclear.

In an attempt to clarify the situation, Golden Boy promoter De La Hoya told Fight Hub TV that Garcia and Ortiz are unlikely to collide anytime soon.

“That’s just a misunderstanding. Vergil has his career; Ryan has his career. [They’re on] different paths.”

De La Hoya added that he expects Ortiz to return to action later this year, perhaps hoping to reach some form of settlement with the 28-year-old.

Johnny Nelson believes one man stands alone as the best of Britain, doubting that any other fighter comes remotely close to gaining such recognition.

When discussing the UK’s all-time greats, many will highlight Joe Calzaghe, who made 21 successful super-middleweight title defences.

The Welshman retired as an unbeaten two-weight world champion, joining the likes of Andre Ward and Ricardo Lopez in that particular department.

There were also fighters such as Bob Fitzsimmons and Randolph Turpin, who defeated Sugar Ray Robinson, but Nelson remains adamant that Lennox Lewis is the greatest British fighter in history.

‘The Lion’ defeated every man he faced in a professional ring, including Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, who scored stunning stoppage victories in 1994 and 2001, respectively.

Lewis, however, was able to exact his revenge over both men – ending both rematches inside the distance – while his only other blemish came via a highly controversial draw with Evander Holyfield in 1999.

Many felt Lewis was egregiously denied a clear victory but, in their immediate rematch, he managed to push the result beyond any reasonable doubt and became the undisputed heavyweight champion by unanimous decision.

Speaking with Daily Mail Boxing, Nelson insisted that Lewis must be regarded as Britain’s greatest-ever fighter.

“It’s got to be Lennox Lewis because, what he achieved as a heavyweight – some of the fights he had – you thought, ‘Wow’.

“He didn’t box Mike Tyson [in] the pomp of his career, or [a prime] Evander Holyfield, but every dangerous fighter in front of him, he got rid of them.

“And when he got knocked out, he’s in the ring saying ‘I want a rematch’. And he’d come back and fix it – right the wrong.”

Indeed, Lewis never faced a prime ‘Iron Mike’, yet he nonetheless stopped Tyson in round eight of their grudge match in 2002.