Boxing

4:46 PM ET Canelo Alvarez’s top 2021 plan is to do what no other boxer has done in the four-belt era: unify the super middleweight division. Ahead of his Feb. 27 title defense against WBC mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim in Miami, Alvarez told ESPN his plan for the rest of the year is fighting WBO

8:58 AM ET Like so many kids in so many towns across the United States, Joseph Diaz Jr. started young in a T-ball league. He was 4 when his father, Joseph Sr., signed him up so he could pick up the basics of how to throw, hit and catch. Joseph Jr., or JoJo, as he’s

8:14 AM ET There’s no boxing division creating more buzz than lightweight, headed by four young stars — Teofimo Lopez, Gervonta “Tank” Davis, Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney. Of that group, Lopez has the biggest win to date and the most belts. Lopez is still enjoying the fruits of his massive victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko

6:32 PM ET Leon Spinks, who surprised the boxing world by beating Muhammad Ali for the world heavyweight title in 1978, died Friday night at age 67, according to the Firm PR, which represents him. Spinks had been suffering from prostate and other cancers. The St. Louis native, who had won a gold medal as

4:00 AM ET Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show British boxer Josh Warrington said he is inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo in how to maintain his mindset at the top level, as he returns

6:47 PM ET Former undisputed heavyweight champion Leon Spinks, 67, died Friday night after a long battle with prostate cancer and other illnesses. Spinks finished his boxing career with a record of 26-17-3, 14 KOs, but it’s most remember for defeating Muhammad Ali in 1978 to win the championship. After news of his passing, friends,

8:41 AM ET Ben Baby Close ESPN Staff Writer ESPN Staff Writer Previously a college football writer for The Dallas Morning News University of North Texas graduate Michael Rothstein Close ESPN Staff Writer Previously covered University of Michigan for ESPN.com and AnnArbor.com Also covered Notre Dame for Fort Wayne Journal Gazette The big fight that

1:47 PM ET Lightweight star Teofimo Lopez Jr., focused on keeping all five of his lightweight titles, is beginning to gear up for his next fight. Mandatory IBF challenger George Kambosos Jr. is the frontrunner to fight Lopez next in a bout that would likely take place in the early spring in the United States,

4:56 PM ET Eric WoodyardESPN The return of Floyd “Money” Mayweather will have to wait — for now. His much-anticipated exhibition bout originally set for Feb. 20 against YouTube personality Logan Paul has been postponed to a later date, according to Fanmio founder and CEO Solomon Engel. “After an absolutely tremendous response to the fight

5:31 PM ET Associated Press The International Boxing Hall of Fame is postponing its induction weekend for the second straight year due to the “many unknowns” of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Hall of Fame executive director Ed Brophy says next year’s ceremony is scheduled for June 12 and will be themed a Hall of Fame

9:00 AM ET The saga between Ryan Garcia and Manny Pacquiao continues to unfold. Garcia has said he wants the fight — a real fight — against the boxing legend, but now his promoter says it’s no longer in the cards. Garcia may have also lost his bout with Gervonta Davis is the process. Has

10:48 PM ET Caleb Plant retained his IBF super middleweight title with a unanimous decision win over challenger Caleb Truax on Saturday night at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles. All three judges gave every round to Plant, who won 120-108 on all three scorecards in a dominant performance in which he

2:39 PM ET Future Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao is still a world champion. Well, kind of. Pacquiao was designated by the WBA as a “champion in recess,” the sanctioning body said in a statement on Friday night. With the vacancy, Yordenis Ugas has been promoted to become the WBA’s top titleholder in the welterweight

4:11 PM ET Ryan Garcia’s dream of stepping into the ring to take on Manny Pacquiao will have to remain just that for now, according to his promoter. Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes the 22-year-old Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs), told ESPN Knockout that a fight between the two isn’t in the cards. “There’s nothing to

4:26 PM ET Mark KriegelESPN Top Rank CEO Bob Arum has reserved the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 8 for a long-awaited 140-pound unification fight between IBF and WBA champion Josh Taylor (17-0) and Jose Ramirez (26-0), the WBC and WBO champion, he said Friday. Canelo Alvarez will fight WBO super middleweight champion

12:19 PM ET Ryan Garcia spoke often about his desire to face WBA “regular” lightweight champion Gervonta Davis, but when the call came to discuss a fight with legend Manny Pacquiao, Garcia pushed his intentions of building his career at 135 pounds to the side. “You get a call and somebody says, ‘You can fight

8:55 AM ET Eric WoodyardESPN The biggest and most lucrative fight of Caleb Plant’s career could lie ahead in 2021, but the current IBF super middleweight titleholder isn’t getting ahead of himself. Plant’s focus is on Saturday, when he’ll put his title on the line for the third time as he takes on former world

7:15 PM ET Super middleweight world titleholders Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders have agreed to a title unification bout in May, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Mark Kriegel on Thursday. Alvarez already is scheduled to face Avni Yildirim on Feb. 27 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, and sources said as long as