Boxing

6:50 PM ET Steve KimESPN Unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will face mandatory IBF world title challenger Kubrat Pulev on Dec. 12 at the O2 Arena in London if everything goes according to plan, Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said Thursday. “We’re still looking at alternative options with team Pulev,” Hearn told ESPN, “but we

7:40 AM ET Steve KimESPN For the second consecutive week, the boxing schedule is highlighted by a fight that took three attempts to launch. But another long-awaited title fight will finally happen — knock on wood — this Saturday night inside the Top Rank bubble at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas (ESPN+,

5:34 PM ET Steve KimESPN Former two-time world champion Jose Pedraza will face Javier Molina in a 10-round junior welterweight bout at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas on Sept. 19. The bout originally was scheduled for May 9 in Fresno, California, on the Jose Ramirez-Viktor Postol undercard, but that event was canceled

11:35 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 WBA-IBF world super lightweight champion Josh Taylor has called on boxing governing bodies and promoters to ensure he faces Jose Ramirez to unify all

2:52 PM ET Steve KimESPN Naoya Inoue’s Top Rank debut is set. The unified bantamweight titlist and ESPN’s No. 4 pound-for-pound fighter is scheduled to face Jason Moloney (21-1, 18 KOs) at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas this fall, according to Moloney’s manager, Tony Tolj. “We’re still in talks and finalizing the

8:00 AM ET Multiple Contributors Terence Crawford could return to the ring later this year, but don’t expect to see the WBO welterweight world titlist against fellow titleholder Errol Spence Jr. or Manny Pacquiao just yet. Crawford and his promoter Top Rank are in talks with Matchroom to face Kell Brook in November. Brook, a

5:21 PM ET Steve KimESPN The WBO has ordered Jose Ramirez, just days removed from a title defense over Viktor Postol this past weekend, to begin negotiations with mandatory challenger Jack Catterall. Gustavo Olivieri, the in-house counsel for the WBO, confirmed to ESPN that both parties have 20 days to reach an agreement before the

2:50 AM ET Steve KimESPN Unified lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko has arrived in the United States in preparation for his highly anticipated unification fight against IBF titlist Teofimo Lopez (15-0, 12 KOs) on Oct. 17 at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. “Mr. Lomachenko is in the house,” Egis Klimas, Lomachenko’s manager, confirmed

12:44 AM ET Steve KimESPN Jose Ramirez retained the WBC and WBO junior welterweight world titles in a close battle against Viktor Postol on Saturday night. Postol’s tactical boxing style made Ramirez strategically uncomfortable throughout the fight, and neither man ever truly took control of the action. However, it was Ramirez who ultimately got the

1:47 AM ET Steve KimESPN Two title fights have been added to the ESPN schedule for the fall months. Former junior featherweight world titlist Emanuel Navarrete will face Ruben Villa for the vacant WBO featherweight title on Oct. 9. The belt was recently vacated by Shakur Stevenson, who moved up to the junior lightweight division.

11:56 PM ET Steve Kim Ben Baby Close ESPN Staff Writer ESPN Staff Writer Previously a college football writer for The Dallas Morning News University of North Texas graduate Saturday was arguably the biggest day of boxing since the sport was brought to an abrupt stop in mid-March. Two world title fights each set the

5:09 PM ET Steve KimESPN Arnold Barboza Jr. took another step towards cementing his status as a junior welterweight contender by conclusively outboxing veteran Tony Luis in a 10-round unanimous decision victory Saturday night at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas Barboza (24-0, 11 KOs) was in control from the very beginning and

6:37 PM ET Steve KimESPN Heavyweight contender Daniel Dubois sent Ricardo Snijders to the canvas three times in the first round and then stopped him in the second in the main event of a Top Rank card at the BT Sports Studio in London on Saturday. Dubois (15-0, 14 KOs) was in charge from the

8:23 AM ET Steve KimESPN Three televised shows, highlighted by unified junior welterweight titlist Jose Ramirez taking on Viktor Postol, will take place on Saturday — and all three main events carry title implications. First scheduled for China on Feb. 1, then in Fresno, California, on May 9, Ramirez-Postol will finally take place at the

2:04 PM 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 Lee Selby and George Kambosos Jr’s world-title eliminator, scheduled for Oct. 3, has been cancelled and a new date is yet to be scheduled.

1:48 PM ET Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will return to the ring on Sept. 25 to face Mario Cazares in an event to take place in Tijuana, Mexico, that includes his legendary father, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., in an exhibition bout against Jorge “Travieso” Arce, fight organizers announced on Wednesday. Chavez Jr. (51-4-1, 33 KOs)

8:46 AM ET Steve KimESPN Even though he hasn’t been in the classroom for the past several months, the summer has been anything but a vacation for bantamweight hopeful Gabriel Muratalla (4-0, 3 KOs). The preschool teacher has found a moment in the spotlight, capturing the sport’s attention with his past two performances inside the

5:55 AM ET Tim Tszyu has announced himself to the boxing world with a stunning performance in Townsville, dominating Aussie icon Jeff Horn to remain undefeated. The 25-year-old, son of Kostya, put on an absolute masterclass, bossing Horn for eight rounds before the former welterweight world champion threw in the towel. The win sees Tszyu