A massive boxing tripleheader will head to New York on May 2 when Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez compete in separate bouts in Times Square.

On Friday, Turki Alalshikh, chairperson of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, which regulates the kingdom’s entertainment industry, announced the “Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves” event presented by Ring Magazine, which will transform iconic Times Square into a boxing venue.

The signature event will be headlined by Garcia taking on Rolando “Rolly” Romero in the main event. The co-main event will see Haney back in action at welterweight against former unified junior welterweight champion Jose Ramirez. Lopez will kick off the night by putting his WBO and The Ring junior welterweight titles on the line against Arnold Barboza Jr.

Garcia (24-1, 1 NC) will return to the boxing ring after a yearlong suspension for a failed drug test that turned his 2024 decision win against Haney to a no-contest. He’ll face hard-hitting Romero (16-2), who has been in the ring with Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz and will be looking to pull off the upset.

Haney (31-0, 1 NC), the former undisputed lightweight champion, will make the move to welterweight when he faces Ramirez (29-2). Haney hasn’t fought since the Garcia fight last April, but he will look to keep his unbeaten record intact against Ramirez, who is coming off a decision loss to Barboza last November.

Should Haney and Garcia win, they are expected to meet in a highly anticipated rematch later this year.

The evening’s opener will see Lopez (21-1) put his titles on the line against Barboza (32-0). Lopez last fought in June, when he defeated Steve Claggett by unanimous decision. Barboza is riding high after outpointing Jack Catterall in February. A Lopez win could set up a title unification showdown with 140-pound champion Richardson Hitchins for his next fight.

The tripleheader will be broadcast via pay-per-view. It is not yet known exactly how the event will be set up for fans looking to attend.

The post Garcia, Haney, Lopez top May Times Square card appeared first on The Sports Affiliate.

Between his earth-shattering power and mainstream appeal, Gervonta “Tank” Davis‘ claims that he is the current face of boxing come with significant merit. He proved to be “box office” with his 2023 fight against Ryan Garcia currently sitting as the fifth-biggest gate in U.S. boxing history.

Davis, 30, the current WBA lightweight champion, is a three-division champion who has pounded his way through the ranks, boasting an exceptional 93% KO-to-win ratio. After starting his career as Floyd Mayweather’s protégé, “Tank” has broken out on his own, packing arenas across the United States and leaving a trail of destruction behind him. He’s a proven pay-per-view attraction alongside Canelo Alvarez, but Davis has more attractive options for future megafights.

Ahead of Saturday’s title defense against Lamont Roach Jr. at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, (8 p.m. ET, Prime Video PPV), we look at “Tank” Davis’ best performances that helped shape his career, including his demolition of Garcia, his memorable uppercut to end the fight against Leo Santa Cruz, and others.

April 22, 2023 – KO7 vs. Ryan Garcia

A massive clash between two young knockout artists was a huge box-office success (a reported 1.2 million pay-per-view buys and a more-than-$22 million gate) that thrust Davis firmly alongside Canelo in the “Face of Boxing” conversation following his seventh-round stoppage win. Heading into the highly anticipated fight, Davis and Garcia had finished 88% of their opponents, and very few expected this fight to need a judge’s opinion, with both promising to end it inside of 12 rounds.

Garcia started fast, stepping on the gas and firing punches at Davis from the opening bell, landing 10 of 53 punches in the first two rounds, as Davis patiently waited for an opening. He found it with just over a minute remaining in Round 2 and drilled Garcia with a counter left hand that sank him to the canvas. It was the first power punch Davis landed in the fight, with Davis demonstrating extraordinary patience against his high-strung opponent. Garcia made it to his feet and continued bringing the fight to Davis over the next four rounds. In Round 7, Davis delivered a straight left to the body that hardly anybody in the arena saw, but one Garcia certainly felt. A delayed reaction saw Garcia sink to a knee, and he was promptly counted out.

For all his bravado before the fight, Davis surprisingly admitted he was skittish heading into the fight with Garcia.

“I was nervous,” Davis said. “It’s just me seeing him knock out so many people. I see him knock out so many people in the gym. I see him knock out so many people on clips.”

But this time Garcia wouldn’t get that KO. Instead, it was Davis who stood tall in front of a sold-out crowd of 20,842 fans at T-Mobile Arena.

Oct. 31, 2020 – KO6 vs. Leo Santa Cruz

In the perspective of many, this was the first real test of Davis’ career. He would be stepping into the ring with a four-division champion who was an incredibly active puncher and could give the notoriously economical Davis fits the longer the fight went. Not to mention that Santa Cruz had proved extraordinarily durable throughout his career, having never been knocked down in 39 fights. That changed when he met Davis and the world realized just how real Davis’ power was.

As expected, Santa Cruz was busy from the opening bell, throwing 241 punches to Davis’ 160 through four rounds. Santa Cruz was ahead in the scorecards through three rounds, but Davis was inching closer and closer to landing a fight-ending punch. To Santa Cruz’s credit, he never backed down and forced Davis into a firefight, absorbing punishment while dishing out his own.

In the sixth round, Davis landed arguably the most violent knockout punch of his career. With 30 seconds left in the round, Davis had Santa Cruz’s back against the corner. Santa Cruz fired a trio of right hands, the last of which Davis timed perfectly by ducking under and unleashing a vicious left uppercut. The lights were off for Santa Cruz before his body crashed to the canvas in a frightening scene. The knockout catapulted Davis into stardom and cemented him as one of the brightest young talents in all of boxing.

June 15, 2024 – KO8 vs. Frank Martin

Martin was the fourth consecutive undefeated fighter Davis was facing. Although talented, Martin didn’t carry the same name value as other potential opponents for Davis and was seen as a high-risk, low-reward option coming off the Garcia knockout win.

Once again, Davis was off to a slow start and lost each of the first three rounds on the judges’ scorecards. Martin consistently won the exchanges with Davis while steering clear of the Baltimore fighter’s power. However, by the fourth round, Davis began closing the distance and landing with his prolific power punches. It was an impressive demonstration of patience by Davis, who gave Martin a false sense of security by standing in front of him during exchanges and setting up yet another potent sequence that led to his 28th knockout win.

“I knew that he was going to tire down,” Davis said afterward. “That’s what I was doing. Stand there, be a target so he could tire himself out, and once he tired himself out, I started picking him apart.”

In the eighth round, Davis trapped Martin in the corner and stunned “The Ghost” with a left uppercut. Martin was out on his feet, but a wicked straight left-hand follow-up from Davis was an exclamation point on yet another memorable fight-ending sequence.

Dec. 5, 2021 – UD12 vs. Isaac Cruz

The only fight on this list that didn’t end inside of the distance is for good reason.

Davis was originally set to face Rolando “Rolly” Romero. But when Romero was pulled from the fight due to sexual assault allegations (later closed without charges) two weeks before the bout, Davis decided to keep the date against a replacement opponent. Cruz carried very little name value as the substitute but was unbeaten in 18 consecutive fights, including victories over Diego Magdaleno and Francisco Vargas. Davis was a significant betting favorite to win the fight, but it never materialized due to a hand injury suffered during the fight and Cruz being decidedly tougher than anticipated.

Davis was forced to put his boxing skills on display and fend off a charging body attack from Cruz, who pressured Davis from the opening bell in a nip-and-tuck affair that he won by a close unanimous decision. It was the first time that fans had a chance to witness Davis fight predominantly off of the back foot and set up counters rather than pursue a knockout. Cruz was relentless, but Davis boxed beautifully, albeit one-handed in the second half of the fight, before doing enough to earn winning scores of 115-113, 115-113 and 116-112.

Davis hasn’t gone the distance since.

Jan. 14, 2017 – TKO7 vs. Jose Pedraza

Davis had blasted through obscure opposition up to this point of his career with a 16-0 record, and all but one of those wins came by way of knockout. While impressive, there were questions regarding just how good Davis would be against a high-caliber opponent. Davis had the chance to prove himself against then-IBF junior lightweight champion Pedraza and passed the test with flying colors.

Pedraza had gone undefeated in his career and was looking to make the third defense of the vacant title he won against Andrey Klimov 18 months earlier. Davis entered the fight as the underdog but turned those betting lines upside down with a huge opening round where he belted the Puerto Rican with hooks and uppercuts that rocked Pedraza multiple times. Against the taller Pedraza, Davis managed to routinely land the uppercut and showcase brilliant timing and punch placement. Pedraza adjusted to claw his way back into the fight but Davis had settled into a zone and patiently waited for the opening to unleash with devastating power.

That moment came in the seventh round when Davis uncorked a ferocious right hook that nearly sent Pedraza out of the ring. Pedraza beat the count but was in no shape to continue as Davis won his first major world title and cemented himself as a future star in the sport.

The post Five moments that shaped Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis’ boxing career appeared first on The Sports Affiliate.

• James Regan

Feb 27, 2025, 02:27 PM ET

Conor Benn will fight Chris Eubank Jr. with a British Boxing Board of Control license, promoter Eddie Hearn told a news conference on Thursday.

Eubank Jr. (34-3, 25 KOs) and Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) met at a second news conference in as many days in London following Tuesday’s explosive first encounter, when Eubank Jr. slapped an egg across his rival’s face.

While there was no physical contact between the two, there were plenty of words exchanged, with Hearn confirming Benn will be granted a BBBofC license for the fight.

Benn forfeited his license after failing a drugs test prior to the original scheduled encounter against Eubank Jr.

The WBC later said that egg contamination was “the most likely cause” of the result. Benn has always maintained his innocence.

Two years of legal battles followed, before Benn was cleared to fight in the UK by the UK Anti-Doping Agency in November.

It paved the way for the pair to finally meet at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on April 26, with no love lost between the fighters.

Eubank Jr. doubled down on his stunt from Tuesday and was jovially scanned with an “egg detector” as he made his way on stage.

“Me throwing an egg … I think that’s light and that’s deserved. He deserved the embarrassment of what happened,” Eubank Jr. said.

“Unfortunately I come unarmed today. I couldn’t sneak anything in. In all seriousness this is a real fight, this is going to be a blood bath, like the first between our fathers.”

Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn met twice in the 1990s in a legendary British boxing rivalry.

Eubank Jr. also clashed with Benn Sr. at the top table, after Nigel was seen grabbing him by the throat during Tuesday’s melee.

“I understand the frustration and the heat after you did put my hand on my neck and I am going to give you a pass because of what happened,” Eubank Jr. said.

“But I want to let you know if you ever put your hand on me again you won’t get it back.”

Conor Benn responded: “Shut your f—— mouth. Threaten my dad again watch what happens to you.”

Eubank Jr. was on good form at the news conference, making the point that the fighters of the undercard from their planned fight in 2022 would have lost money from the cancellation.

“The undercard, there were a number of fighters who went through entire camps, and camps are not cheap … these fighters paid for their camps and were never compensated,” Eubank Jr. said.

“From my purse for this fight I will be giving £50,000 to the fighters on that undercard to split between them to cover some of the losses that they incurred.

“One thing I will say is I hope Eddie and Conor out up their own 50,000.”

Hearn responded by saying all of the fighters had other bouts arranged “immediately.”

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• 

  Timothy Bradley Jr.Feb 27, 2025, 11:11 AM ET

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  Timothy Bradley Jr. is a boxing analyst for ESPN. He was a two-division, five-time world champion and is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Bradley is also the recipient of the 2023 Sam Taub award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism.

As retired football great Marshawn Lynch famously said, “It don’t get no better than solid.” And when it comes to the boxing world, Saturday’s matchup between Gervonta Davis and Lamont Roach Jr. is just that: solid.

Davis, the WBA lightweight champion, is a fan favorite known for his brash ways and knockout power. He’ll be defending his title against Roach, a fighter with whom he shares a rivalry that dates back to 2011, when they were amateurs.

Roach has been a top contender for quite some time, and in 2023 he captured the WBA junior lightweight belt. But his career hasn’t been without setbacks. In November 2019, he faced Jamel Herring for the WBO junior lightweight title and lost by unanimous decision. That experience taught him valuable lessons for his next title fight.

That would come four years later in November 2023, and Roach’s hard work and dedication turned things for the best when he faced Hector Luis Garcia, an opponent Davis had beaten 10 months before. In a close fight, Roach staged an impressive finish, scoring a knockdown in the final round and ultimately winning by split decision. Since then, he’s defended his title once, an eighth-round stoppage win over the previously undefeated Feargal McCrory last June.

Now Roach (25-1-1, 10 KOs) sets his sights on a bold new goal: winning a world title in a second weight class. But he’s facing “Tank” Davis (30-0, 28 KOs), one of boxing’s most dangerous and exciting fighters, whose reputation in the ring is nothing short of must-watch.

Let’s look at the matchup, explain both fighters’ styles and anticipate how the fight could play out.

The matchup

Although Roach is moving up in weight to face Davis, it’s noteworthy that his first professional fight was at 140 pounds. Although Roach may be the lighter man, his skill and fighting spirit are mighty. Standing at 5-foot-7 with a reported 68-inch wingspan, he is slightly taller than Davis (5-foot-5½, 67½-inch reach).

Roach, 29, has transformed and developed his game throughout his career, working on his techniques and trusting his team. He started boxing at a young age, trained by his cousin Bernard “Boogaloo” Roach. Bernard passed away in 2017, and Lamont Roach Sr. became his son’s new trainer. Under that guidance, Roach has improved his counterpunching abilities, refined his punching techniques, enhanced his defense and improved the way he delivers his punches under a solid foundation.

These improvements have paid off, as he’s inflicted severe damage on his competition. Since that tough loss to Herring, Roach has scored six knockdowns over six fights, stopping three of his opponents — two by breathtaking body shots and one with a combination of both head and body shots.

Davis, a left-handed fighter who brings knockout power and ferocious energy with every punch, recently made a significant change to his team by parting ways with his long-time trainer, Calvin Ford. For this fight, he brought in the renowned head trainer Barry Hunter from the Headbangers gym in Washington, D.C.

Hunter has a calm demeanor and approach to boxing, and unique and challenging training methods. He is known for training technically skilled, well-conditioned, mentally tough fighters. Davis’ fighting style aligns perfectly with Hunter’s philosophy, and I expect solid results on fight night.

Davis’ experience and patience key to the fight

Davis keeps his stance low, allowing him to launch upward with power shots. His approach to fights is like a bird-watcher sitting quietly on a bench, patiently taking in the surroundings. With his high guard gloves projected upward on his forehead, it’s as if he’s created binoculars to observe his opponent closely, looking through his guards and patiently waiting for the appropriate time to attack.

Davis is a master at sneaking past defenses and counterpunching, delivering explosive attacks through single punches or combinations. He often starts slowly, analyzing the fight and gradually ramping up his intensity as he gathers information.

Experience and patience are divine qualities that can set fighters apart in the boxing ring. While concentration is vital, it’s not the same as patience. And Davis is an experienced and patient fighter. Think of patience in the ring as controlling your and your opponents’ reactions, meticulously moving throughout the ring, limiting mistakes and exposure. Patience helps a fighter remain calm and relaxed, freeing up unnecessary tension so punches become much more efficient, spot-on and ultimately fight-ending. An example: Davis throws about 25 fewer punches per round than the rest of the lightweight division’s fighters, but he lands 36% of his punches, a much higher percentage than the division’s 28% average.

Experience in the ring develops boxing smarts, helping a fighter recognize patterns, movements and even subtle cues in body language that reveal an opponent’s offensive and defensive strategies. What makes a fighter like Davis so special isn’t just his punching power, hand speed or fast-twitch explosiveness, but his combination of ring experience and patient approach. He knows how to read situations and positioning behaviors, making him almost a mind reader inside the ring.

How can Roach upset Davis?

The post Bradley’s take: Why patience could decide ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Roach appeared first on The Sports Affiliate.

The International Olympic Committee has taken a key step toward retaining boxing on the program for the Los Angeles Games in 2028 as it recognized a new governing body for the sport.

The IOC board granted provisional recognition Wednesday to World Boxing, a group founded in 2023 as a breakaway from the long-established but troubled International Boxing Association. World Boxing has 78 members, including many former IBA members, across five continents.

The IOC said World Boxing showed that 62% of boxers from last year’s Paris Olympics were affiliated with its members. The IOC added that World Boxing “has demonstrated strong willingness and effort in enhancing good governance and implementation, to be compliant with the appropriate standards.”

Former boxing great Gennadiy Golovkin, who heads the commission tasked with establishing World Boxing as a credible body to run Olympic bouts, said it was an important moment but much work remained.

“Receiving provisional Olympic recognition from the IOC is an important achievement and demonstrates that our sport is on the right path. This decision brings us one step closer to our main goal — preserving boxing at the Olympic Games,” Golovkin said in a statement.

The IOC suspended the IBA in 2019 following long-running disputes over governance, its finances and the integrity of bouts and judging. The IOC took the rare step of banishing the IBA from the Olympic movement entirely in 2023, shortly after the World Boxing breakaway.

The IOC organized the boxing tournaments at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the Paris Games last year but said it needed a new partner in time for 2028.

Since it was suspended, the IBA and its Russian president Umar Kremlev have continued to feud with the IOC, particularly over the rules on eligibility for women’s boxing at the Paris Olympics, with a focus on gold medalists Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting. The IBA said this month that it planned to file criminal complaints against the IOC in the United States, France and Switzerland.

World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst noted the significance of the IOC’s decision but said there was more work to be done.

“Keeping its place at the Olympic Games is absolutely critical to the future of our sport at every level … and this decision by the IOC takes us one step closer to our objective of seeing boxing restored to the Olympic programme,” Van der Vorst said.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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Chris Eubank Jr. slapped British rival Conor Benn in the face with an egg at their first face-off in Manchester on Tuesday.

The face-off followed a heated news conference to launch their boxing match, which takes place April 26 in London.

The pair were set to fight in 2022 before Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) tested positive for performance-enhancing drug clomifene. The WBC later said that egg contamination was the “most likely cause.”

Benn has since been cleared to fight.

Heated words were exchanged from the start, with Benn saying, “His dad don’t even like him” in reference to his rival.

Eubank Jr. (34-3, 25 KOs) and Benn will follow the footsteps of their fathers — Chris Eubank Sr. and Nigel Benn — who fought two classic bouts in the 1990s.

While Benn was at Tuesday’s news conference, Eubank Sr. was absent. The trash-talking was savage, with both fighters and the promoters — Ben Shalom and Eddie Hearn — going at it.

“Chris can say what he wants. The bottom line is his dad don’t even like him. You couldn’t even pay that man to sit in his corner,” Benn said.

Plenty was also made of the difference in weight, with Benn a welterweight and Eubank Jr. having fought at super middleweight.

The fight will be contested at 160 pounds, with a rehydration clause set at 170 pounds for the same-day weigh-in.

“Do you know what I just can’t take him seriously,” Benn said. “Just look at his career every time he’s stepped up, he’s failed. This is the end of your career.

“I’m 28, you choose to fight a welterweight over [Hamzah] Sheeraz, Janibek [Alimkhanuly], [Carlos] Adames. Anybody with a world title. You’re going to get rendered unconscious by a welterweight.”

Eubank Jr. responded: “You guys sprung it on us about the rehydration clause. I like the challenge. When Eddie and Conor started demanding there was a rehydration clause for this fight, guess what I said? ‘Show me the money.'”

It was then the promoters’ turn to lock horns.

“You got spun around in these negotiations,” said Hearn, who promotes Benn. “See that geezer on your right [Shalom], he got spun around like a little kid on a playground on a roundabout. And every time he went ’round I went, ‘Hello Ben, hello Ben.’

“And he got you a good deal, but he knows what he signed.”

Shalom said: “He was paid to do this. Chris was paid to restrict his weight.”

The post Eubank slaps rival Benn with an egg in face-off appeared first on The Sports Affiliate.

The winner of the highly touted April clash between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. could face Canelo Alvarez, Turki Alalshikh confirmed.

Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) and Eubank Jr. (37-3, 13 KOs) are set to face off on April 26 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to settle their long-standing feud.

The fight will be contested at the middleweight limit of 160 pounds.

The two were originally supposed to face off in October 2022, but Benn’s failed drugs tests saw the fight pushed back. Benn had tested positive for the fertility drug clomifene, which is banned inside and outside competition by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

His suspension was eventually lifted in November last year by the UK National Anti-Doping Panel (NAPD) before the fight was confirmed a couple of months later. The fathers of the two British boxers had two classic bouts in the 1990s and Alashikh’s announcement will raise the stakes of the fight even further.

“Whoever is the winner we are working in the future to have him fight against Canelo,” Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, told Sky Sports.

“If Eubank wins, he will have the chance to do Canelo at the beginning of 2026.”

“We have two big conferences, one in Manchester on Tuesday, and one in London on Thursday, it will be huge.

“And I think it will be a great fight. And also the undercard is strong. The result of this fight and the undercard will impact the future of our cards.”

Mexico’s Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs), 34, holds the WBC, WBA and WBO titles at 168 pounds.

Fight card:

Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn

Anthony Yarde vs. Lyndon Arthur

Liam Smith vs. Aaron McKenna

Chris Billam-Smith vs. Brandon Glanton

Viddal Riley vs. Cheavon Clarke

The post Alalshikh: Eubank-Benn winner could face Canelo appeared first on The Sports Affiliate.

Josh Padley has said there is a “very good possibility” he will be able to focus on boxing full time following his fight against lightweight world champion Shakur Stevenson on Saturday.

Padley stepped up with four days’ notice when Floyd Schofield was forced to withdraw from the fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

While the bout was a one-sided affair, with Stevenson winning with a Round 9 knockout, Padley earned a significant payday and won plenty of fans for his efforts against a pound-for-pound star.

In a picture posted to social media showing a medal presented to him by the WBC, Padley said: “Not quite the hardware I had in mind to come back with.

“But the rebuild will be on & very good possibility of being a full time athlete.”

Padley works full time as an electrician alongside his boxing training. He was working on a construction site on Tuesday morning before he got the call later that evening asking if he would face Stevenson on Saturday.

“Luckily I am in a position now where I can probably pack that in and fully dedicate my life to boxing,” Padley told Sky Sports.

“I’m grateful for that, thank you to [Turki Alalshikh] for giving me that opportunity, we’ll be back.

“There’s more of that to come. That was four days’ notice. Eight-week camp and I know I’ll be better.”

The post Padley hopes to quit day job after Stevenson fight appeared first on The Sports Affiliate.

• 

  Nick ParkinsonFeb 24, 2025, 07:38 AM ET

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  Reports on boxing for ESPN.com and has been covering British boxing for over 25 years.

WBC world bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani scored two knockdowns on his way to a Round 3 knockout win over David Cuellar on Monday, which sets up a world title unification fight for later this year.

Nakatani (30-0, 23 KOs), 27, breezed to a third title defence at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, to stay on course for an all-Japanese world title unification fight later this year, most likely against Ryosuke Nishida.

Three-weight world champion Nakatani, of Kanagawa, Japan, wants to unify the titles at bantamweight and in this form he looks likely to achieve that feat.

The other world champions at 118 pounds are all Japanese: Seiya Tsutsumi (WBA), Nishida (IBF) and Yoshiki Takei (WBO).

Nakatani, asked what’s next for him after the victory, said “let’s unify,” a reference to Nishida who currently holds the IBF world bantamweight title.

Nishida expressed a similar keenness, responding with “come on, let’s do it” as the pair stood side by side in the ring.

There is also a potential blockbuster fight against fellow Japanese boxer Naoya Inoue (29-0, 26 KOs), ESPN’s No. 3 ranked pound-for-pound boxer and undisputed world junior featherweight champion, for later in 2025.

Nakatani, who trains in Los Angeles with coach Rudy Hernandez, has won all four of his fights at bantamweight by stoppage and showed why he is one of the most entertaining boxers in the sport today as he gave Cuellar (28-1, 18 KOs), 23, from Querataro in Mexico, a painful introduction to elite level boxing in the challenger’s first world-title fight.

Cuellar had a slight height advantage, and was the tallest opponent Nakatani has faced. But it did not take Nakatani long to make a dent in the challenger as he dropped him in the corner in Round 3 for the first time following a slew of body shots, two right hooks and then a left hand through the guard to the jaw.

After the count, Nakatani followed up with two left hooks that left Cuellar sinking down the ropes and onto the canvas and the fight was over.

Also on the card, Nakatani’s rival world champion Seiya Tsutsumi (12-03, 8 KOs) held on to his WBA bantamweight title in a first defence via a draw in his gripping rematch with Diago Higa (21-3-2, 19 KOs).

All three judges scored an entertaining fight 114-114, after both Japanese fighters visited the canvas in a thrilling Round 9.

Higa dropped Tsutsumi with a counter left-hook, but the champion hit back and Higa crashed down face first from a right hand.

Tsutsumi, who was badly cut in Round 4 from a clash of heads, also drew with Higa in a 10-round bout in 2020.

Also on the bill, kickboxing star Tenshin Nasukawa (6-0, 2 KOs) earned a unanimous points decision (97-93, 97-93, 98-92) over former world champion Jason Moloney for the best win of his boxing career.

Moloney (27-4, 19 KOs), 34, from Australia, landed some solid shots in a strong finish but was outworked and outboxed by Nasukawa, 26, from Tokyo, who faced Floyd Mayweather Jr. in an exhibition bout in 2018.

Moloney lost his world title on points to Takei in his last fight in May and this was Nasukawa’s best win so far.

The post Nakatani KOs Cuellar; eyes Nishida next appeared first on The Sports Affiliate.

• James Regan

Feb 23, 2025, 04:59 AM ET

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Dmitry Bivol has said he will consider a move up to cruiserweight after beating Artur Beterbiev to become the undisputed light heavyweight world champion.

Bivol outpointed Beterbiev 114-114, 116-112 and 115-113 to win via majority decision and claim the WBA, WBC, WBO & IBF titles in Riyadh in a pulsating rematch.

While their initial bout was a more technical affair, Bivol made a fast start in the opening rounds on Saturday as he looked to catch his opponent off guard. Beterbiev switched on in Round 5 and had his own success, using incredible footwork to force Bivol back.

However, Bivol maintained more energy throughout the fight, bouncing around at all angles to frustrate Beterbiev and unleashing powerful combinations to the head and body.

It made for a captivating fight that moved along at an exhilarating pace.

When Bivol got the decision, thoughts soon turned to what would be next.

With Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi Arabian boxing powerbroker, signaling three fingers to Beterbiev, who himself said “we are going to do a third fight,” a trilogy looks inevitable.

In the post-fight news conference, however, Bivol said he doesn’t mind what comes next, and hinted he could move up in weight.

“I think December it will be amazing, maybe earlier. I don’t have any preference now to be honest. What people want to see I’m going to take,” Bivol said.

“Maybe we could talk about cruiserweight. I will think about it also, why not. I have belts here [at light heavyweight]. I need to check cruiserweight. Why not?”

There are plenty of enticing options for Bivol, who has been linked with fights against David Benavidez and a rematch with Canelo Alvarez.

With 24 rounds between the two in four months, both Bivol and Beterbiev are expected to take time off. Bivol also revealed he has been battling elbow and lower back problems in camp.

“I’m open for any fight, but today I want to enjoy that I’m undisputed champion,” he said. “I want to take care of my health because I have some issues.

“I want to heal myself and then move forward again. Trilogy, Benavides, Canelo … As always, I just wait for offer then I say yes.”

The post Bivol eyes cruiserweight move after Beterbiev win appeared first on The Sports Affiliate.