Latest news with #WBO
The Independent
2 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Moses Itauma warned he risks ‘never being the same again' if he fights ex-heavyweight champion
Britain's exciting heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma has been warned he risks doing significant damage to his career if he faces former heavyweight champion Joseph Parker in the near future. The 20-year-old Itauma has won all 12 of his professional bouts to date, finishing 10 of his opponents inside the distance. Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh has revealed he would like to see Itauma face undisputed heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk, but Parker is the Ukrainian great's mandatory challenger with the WBO, having previously held the organisation's belt between 2016 and 2018. If Usyk opts against making a mandatory defence against Parker, he may have to give up his title, opening up the possibility of Parker and Itauma fighting one another for the vacant belt. But Parker's trainer Andy Lee is not convinced it would be the right timing for Itauma. 'There's a risk for Joe, but there's a risk for Moses that if he fights Joe, he's never the same again coming back from it – if Joe has his way,' Lee told iFL TV. Despite having reservations over whether Itauma is ready for Parker at this stage in his career, Lee believes the young Brit has a huge future ahead of him. He has not ruled out the fight happening, hinting that it would be very difficult for either man to turn down if a title is on the line. 'Moses is the future of the heavyweight division,' Lee said. 'He's building his name and is a significant heavyweight now, but he's an up-and-coming guy. Joe is already at the top. 'It's a risky fight for both men, it's an exciting fight. Maybe if it's for the vacant title, it will be worth it.' Itauma's next fight is already lined up as he is due to take on domestic rival Dillian Whyte in Saudi Arabia on 16 August, live on DAZN. Parker is still waiting to find out if he will get the next shot at Usyk after picking up impressive wins over Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole in his last three outings. DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
The Independent
10 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Boxing's most exciting weight classes ranked
We are now well into the second half of 2025, and there are still plenty of fights to be made before the end of the year. Some divisions are thriving, while it is a quieter period for other weight classes. But which weight category is the most exciting right now? It's time to rank the top five divisions that are set to deliver thrilling matchups in the near future. 5. Heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk cemented his place as the best heavyweight on the planet by stopping Daniel Dubois inside five rounds at Wembley. Now, we want to see who can step up and challenge the Ukrainian great before he hangs up his gloves. Usyk has already seen off Dubois, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, and it is time to bring new contenders into the mix who can generate excitement. Joseph Parker and Moses Itauma could get a shot a glory soon, while the likes of Agit Kabayel and Fabio Wardley are also waiting in the wings. Usyk is in the final stages of his illustrious career, and it will be intriguing to see who he faces next, and who takes over the division once he retires. 4. Lightweight This division is currently topped by two elite southpaws – Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta Davis. Both men are undefeated and a super-fight between the pair would be one of the biggest clashes in boxing. Davis was held to a draw in his last fight with Lamont Roach, and they are scheduled to face each other again in a rematch next month. The winner should face Stevenson next. Meanwhile, rising US star Abdullah Mason will face Britain's Sam Noakes for the vacant WBO title in November, while the lightweight division also has the highly-rated Raymond Muratalla and Floyd Schofield climbing the rankings. Throw amateur standout Andy Cruz into the mix and there are plenty of excellent fights to whet the appetite at 135lb. 3. Featherweight The featherweight division currently has four champions with just two losses between them. The contrast in styles between the four titlists makes this a fascinating weight class to follow. Mexico's Rafael Espinoza is a force of nature at 6ft 1in, with his incredible work-rate overwhelming his opponents. Nick Ball sets his own ferocious pace, while standing at only 5ft 2in tall. WBC champion Stephen Fulton is a classy operator while Angelo Leo burst onto the scene by knocking out the hard-punching Luis Alberto Lopez last year. Unification clashes should be in the offing shortly, and WBC interim champion Bruce Carrington is only getting better with every fight. Pound-for-pound great Naoya Inoue is also expected to move up to featherweight at the back end of 2025, adding even more interest to this red-hot division. 2. Super-welterweight There have been a lack of star names at 154lb in recent years, but that looks set to change. Jaron Ennis has just vacated his welterweight titles to move up and Vergil Ortiz is well positioned as the WBC interim champion. A fight between Ennis and Ortiz has been mooted for a while and could soon become reality. Meanwhile, Xander Zayas became boxing's youngest male world champion on Saturday, WBC titlist Sebastian Fundora is a major handful at 6ft 6in tall, and IBF king Bakhram Murtazaliev is coming off the biggest win of his career over Tim Tszyu. Terence Crawford could also drop back down to super-welterweight after facing Canelo Alvarez at 168lb in September. A future fight between Crawford and Ennis would be mouthwatering after they narrowly missed each other at welterweight. 1. Light-heavyweight Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev have already delivered two modern-day classics, and a trilogy is expected to take place in early 2026. They are the standout light-heavyweight names, but David Benavidez is also on the rise and is now the WBC champion after Bivol vacated the belt. There is plenty of British interest in this division too. Anthony Yarde will challenge Benavidez for his title in November, while Callum Smith, Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson are all ranked inside The Ring's top 10. Ben Whittaker may also fancy his chances of getting into the mix after ending his rivalry with Liam Cameron in emphatic fashion earlier this year. With three pound-for-pound stars in Bivol, Beterbiev and Benavidez at the top of the division, and several Brits circling for their own opportunities, the light-heavyweight division is the cream of the crop in boxing right now. DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
The Australian
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Tim Tszyu vs. Sebastian Fundora: The hidden danger for Tim Tszyu in Sebastian Fundora rematch
He has promised another war, but Tim Tszyu has been warned his rematch with Sebastian Fundora won't be as simple as picking up where he left off before his gruesome, fighting-changing cut. Tszyu dominated the opening two rounds of their first fight in Las Vegas last year, before copping an elbow to the top of the head that opened a horrendous cut which poured blood into his eyes. He fought the next 10 rounds with severely compromised vision, before losing a razor-thin split decision, with Fundora taking home the WBO and WBC world titles. But Fundora didn't get through the first few rounds unscathed. The 197cm tall Californian showed incredible grit to battle through a broken nose and bad lacerations inside his mouth, Aussie boxing icon Danny Green warns 'The Soul Taker' that Fundora's own ruggedness shouldn't go unnoticed. Tszyu was able to dish out some damage. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) In 2011, Green was seemingly en route to scoring a WBC cruiserweight world title win over Poland's Krzysztof Wlodarczyk in Perth. He was well ahead on the scorecards before Wlodarczyk broke his nose late in the fight and ended up knocking him out in the 11th. 'I've suffered badly broken noses in fights,' Green told Code Sports. 'When I fought for the WBC cruiserweight world title, I was dominating the fight, and if my opponent hadn't broken my nose in round nine, I daresay I would've been victorious. 'I was ahead on the scorecards when I got knocked out, but my engine slowed down because I couldn't breathe. 'That broken nose and the cuts in the mouth, it would've made it really difficult. 'What that would've done to Fundora, it would've restricted his breathing, restricted his oxygen intake and limited his engine's capacity. 'He couldn't have the same output because he couldn't breathe, so his challenges were equally as significant as Tim Tszyu's not being able to see because of the blood.' While many boxing insiders considered Fundora to have an asterisk next to his name after becoming a unified world champion in such incredible circumstances, the 27-year-old silenced any doubters with a fourth round title defence over Chordale Booker in March. Fundora cemented his reputation as a legitimate world champion with a stoppage win over Chordale Booker. Picture:Tszyu is the betting favourite ahead of their rematch, but knows only too well how tough and how tough Fundora truly is. 'What Fundora had to go through as well, he had internal damage,' Tszyu told Code Sports. 'I had artificial damage – I was completely blindsided. 'It's a weird scenario. We both went through hell and back. We both faced our demons in that fight. 'That's why people will be talking about it for a long time, what we both went through and the fact that it was that close. 'That's the best thing about boxing. 'I'll be telling him this time to keep his elbows down this time.' If one judge had scored the 12th and final round in Tszyu's favour, the fight would have been a split draw and he would have left Vegas a world champion. With the cut and only having two weeks to prepare for the fight, it's why Tszyu still doesn't view the bloodbath defeat as a loss. Tszyu putting the finishing touches on camp in Las Vegas. Picture: Ryan Hafey/Premier Boxing Champions 'The decision could've gone either way, so – it's weird – I came back and I didn't feel like it was a loss,' he said. 'This is a new chapter, a new beginning. 'I know Fundora is one hell of a fighter, one hell of a champion. The current king at 154. 'It's my turn to reclaim the throne. 'I've had 10 weeks to prepare for his style, which is a blessing. Knowing you have two weeks to prepare for Fundora is quite hard. 'That's no excuses, but I'm prepared. If you tell me tomorrow, we can go at it. It doesn't bother me. 'I'm just going to chop him. Slowly. Just chop him from the legs up.' Despite his warning, Green believes Tszyu will become a two-time world champion next weekend. 'I see Tim winning, he looked good in the first couple of rounds and was tagging Fundora nicely with the right hand,' he said. 'I think Tim will find a home for that right hand and I see Tim being victorious.' Brendan Bradford Content producer Brendan Bradford is a sports writer for CODE Sports. He primarily covers combat sports, league, union, cycling and athletics. Brendan has worked in sports media for a decade, covering world title fights, World Cups, Grand Slams and Spring Tours. @1bbradfo Brendan Bradford
Metro
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Strictly star swaps ballroom for Hollywood with movie debut
Olympic champion and former Strictly Come Dancing star Nicola Adams has lined up her debut acting role in an upcoming Hollywood movie. Former professional boxer Nicola, 42, appeared on the 18th series of the BBC dance competition in 2020. She made history when partnered with professional dancer Katya Jones as the show's first-ever same-sex partnership. However, her Strictly dreams were cut abruptly short when they were forced to withdraw during the fourth week of the competition, after Katya tested positive for Covid-19. The two-time Olympic champ will now pursue another dream—turning her hand to acting in an upcoming movie. Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Nicola will star alongside Poppy Delevigne, Jack Kesy, and Bruce Willis's daughter, Rumer, in the allegorical thriller The Gun on Second Street. Talking about her career move, Nicola told The Sun: 'I just want to work with people that are just as hungry as I am. 'I'm not one of those people that just show up and just expect everything to be fine. 'I put in the work, I put in the graft, just as I do as an athlete as well. I want to take it as far as I can in terms of how I grow as an actor, being able to experience different types of roles, playing different characters that really flex my abilities and my ability to be able to dig deep on the emotions that are needed for the more dark characters.' Written and directed by Rohit Karn Batra, its story follows two police officers who are called to a domestic violence dispute on the titular Second Street in Philadelphia. The call-out goes awry when one officer accidentally shoots and kills the other. The film is described as an allegory about the gun crisis in America. At present, Nicola is listed on IMDB, although her character has not been named. Nicola rose to fame during the Olympics in 2012, becoming the first female boxer to win Olympic Gold for Britain. She went on to successfully defend her title at Rio 2016, before winning the title of WBO (World Boxing Organisation) flyweight in 2019. The athlete was forced into an early retirement that same year due to a serious eye injury, having only fought six times as a pro. She returned to the spotlight the very next year as a Strictly hopeful and has since expressed how much she'd love to return as a contestant due to 'unfinished business' after her premature departure. Of her decision to retire, Nicola said in 2019: 'I'm immensely honoured to have represented our country—to win double Olympic gold medals and then the WBO championship belt is a dream come true. 'But it's not without taking its toll on my body, and aside from the expected aches and pains, I've been advised that any further impact to my eye would most likely lead to irreparable damage and permanent vision loss. 'Boxing has always been such an important part of my life—and it always will—but after training every day for over 20 years, my body is quite looking forward to a rest!' More recently, Nicola is reported to have split from her partner of seven years, Ella Baig. The boxer began dating the OnlyFans model, 27, after they met on a night out in 2018. More Trending Now, the couple share two-year-old son, Taylor Nate, who was born via IVF using one of Nicola's eggs. A spokesperson told The Sun in March: 'Nicola and Ella have shared an incredible journey together, full of love, growth, and resilience. 'After much thoughtful reflection and important therapy work, they have made the difficult decision to separate. View More » 'Their priority remains their son, Taylor, and they are committed to co-parenting with love and respect.' Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Strictly Come Dancing confirms two new professionals after show scandals MORE: Strictly star recalls being confronted about full frontal nudity on OnlyFans MORE: Strictly star Anton Du Beke opens up on wife's 'cruel' diagnosis
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Zayas outpoints Garcia to win vacant WBO title
In what will be the last Top Rank on ESPN broadcast, Xander Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) became the youngest active world champion today at 22 years of age, winning the WBO's vacant super welterweight title by outpointing Jorge Garcia (33-5, 26 KOs) over twelve full rounds of action. Zayas, who was clearly the superior talent between the two, would have to show that he could endure the hard-charging, relentless pressure attack of Garcia. Zayas would have to take some punches along the way, but he largely boxed a beautiful fight and outclassed Garcia over the distance. After the final bell the judges turned in official scores of 116-112, 118-108, and 119-109, all in favor of Zayas who has now realized his childhood dream. Bruce Carrington UD-12 Mateus Heita (119-109, 119-109, 120-108) Bruce Carrington (16-0, 9 KOs) dominated his interim WBC featherweight title fight against Mateus Heita (14-1, 9 KO), clearly outpointing him over 12 full rounds. While Heita landed some solid shots in spots, he was otherwise getting hit with everything but the kitchen sink from Carrington in return. If Carrington carried any demonstrable power, he likely would've gotten Heita out of there or at least dropped him a few times, but instead he'll just have to settle for a clear points win. Emiliano Vargas KO-1 (0:42) Alexander Espinoza Emiliano Vargas (15-0, 13 KOs) scored a spectacular first round knockout of Alexander Espinoza (20-4-1, 9 KOs) on the televised opener. Within a minute of the first round Espinoza got caught by a massive pull counter by a Vargas right hand that landed flush, completely crushing Espinoza who had no shot at beating the count. The ending came at the 0:42 minute mark of Round 1. Vargas, who made an emphatic statement says he'll look to continue to climb the ladder towards world title contention. More from What's next for Terence Crawford? Is a jump to PBC in his near future? Dave Allen announces retirement from boxing at 28 Fury's return pushed back to 2021, Dec. 5 date off Pros react to Crawford's sudden stoppage win over Brook Arum furious over Franco-Moloney 2 decision, threatens to 'get the f*** out of Vegas' Hearn: It's 'laughable' to rate Fury's resume over Joshua's Brook ponders retirement after KO loss to Crawford
