Boxing

Aug 24, 2023, 10:54 AM ET Jai Opetaia will return to the ring Sept. 30 to defend his IBF cruiserweight title against Jordan Thompson at OVO Arena Wembley in London, Matchroom Boxing announced Thursday. ESPN’s No. 2-ranked cruiserweight, Opetaia (22-0, 17 KOs) won the title by defeating Mairis Briedis by unanimous decision in July 2022.

Timothy Bradley Jr. Aug 24, 2023, 07:38 AM ET The driving force behind a fighter’s career goes beyond their skill and talent — it comes from deep within their heart. Whether brave or timid, fighters still feel fear and put on their shoes the same way. But what sets the best of the best apart

Aug 24, 2023, 06:24 AM ET BERLIN — World Boxing, a new organization seeking International Olympic Committee recognition to run the sport, announced the approval of six new members Thursday, piling more pressure on the suspended and embattled International Boxing Association. The national federations of Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Honduras and Sweden joined the new

Mike Coppinger, ESPNAug 22, 2023, 02:53 PM ET Boxing star Ryan Garcia filed a motion to dismiss Golden Boy Promotions’ complaint against him Monday in U.S. District Court of Nevada, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN. Garcia argued his contract with Oscar De La Hoya’s promotion stipulates that any disagreement be mediated before

Nick ParkinsonAug 22, 2023, 08:53 AM ET 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 Despite recent setbacks and visits to the canvas, Daniel Dubois is confident of his chances of pulling off an upset to win

Mike Coppinger, ESPNAug 17, 2023, 12:37 PM ET Janibek Alimkhanuly and Vincenzo Gualtieri have agreed to unify middleweight titles on Oct. 14 in Rosenberg, Texas, sources told ESPN. Alimkhanuly, the WBO’s 160-pound champion, will headline a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card for the fourth consecutive outing. A 30-year-old from Kazakhstan, Alimkhanuly (14-0, 9 KOs)

Mike Coppinger, ESPNAug 17, 2023, 08:29 AM ET Between Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia and Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr., boxing has produced two genuinely major fights in 2023. Another big-business bout arrives next month when boxing’s top star, Canelo Alvarez, defends his undisputed super middleweight championship vs. undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo.

Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff WriterAug 16, 2023, 04:13 PM ET Close Michael Rothstein is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN. Rothstein covers the Atlanta Falcons. You can follow him via Twitter @MikeRothstein. Undisputed junior lightweight champion Alycia Baumgardner tested positive for two banned substances during a voluntary anti-doping test leading into her July 15

Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff WriterAug 16, 2023, 04:49 PM ET Close Michael Rothstein is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN. Rothstein covers the Atlanta Falcons. You can follow him via Twitter @MikeRothstein. Mikaela Mayer’s next fight will be on the undercard of the Liam Smith-Chris Eubank Jr. rematch Sept. 2 in Manchester, England, a

Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff WriterAug 15, 2023, 09:04 PM ET Close Michael Rothstein is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN. Rothstein covers the Atlanta Falcons. You can follow him via Twitter @MikeRothstein. WBC and WBA strawweight champion Seniesa Estrada will have surgery to repair a hairline fracture on the knuckle of her right index

Nick ParkinsonAug 12, 2023, 07:47 PM ET 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 LONDON — Anthony Joshua scored a spectacular seventh-round knockout of Robert Helenius on Saturday at the O2 Arena in London, setting up

Mike Coppinger Nick Parkinson Close Nick Parkinson •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 Aug 13, 2023, 02:10 AM ET From Anthony Joshua’s highlight reel knockout to the potential Fight of the Year between Emanuel Navarrete and

Mike Coppinger, ESPNAug 13, 2023, 01:03 AM ET GLENDALE, Ariz. — Emanuel Navarrete swarmed with his trademark punches from puzzling angles, while Oscar Valdez, his right eye grotesquely swollen shut, searched for a fight-altering left hook. That counterpunch landed multiple times throughout the 130-pound title fight between fellow Mexicans, but the shots never forced Navarrete

Timothy Bradley Jr. Aug 11, 2023, 06:07 AM ET Soccer’s global appeal is undeniable, but in the United States, NFL, college football, NBA and MLB reign supreme, captivating the hearts of American sports fans while ingraining themselves into the nation’s most popular pastimes. In Mexico, boxing stands proudly among the elite, just a smidge below

Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff WriterAug 10, 2023, 05:11 PM ET Close Michael Rothstein is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN. Rothstein covers the Atlanta Falcons. You can follow him via Twitter @MikeRothstein. Summer Lynn, ESPN’s No. 4 welterweight and a rising prospect in the sport, announced Thursday she is stepping away from boxing at

Mike Coppinger, ESPNAug 9, 2023, 05:30 PM ET David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade are finalizing a deal for a super middleweight fight this fall in Las Vegas, sources told ESPN. The battle of former champions will be a pay-per-view event, sources said. Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) scored a career-best win in March, a unanimous-decision victory

Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterAug 9, 2023, 10:39 AM ET Close MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Claressa Shields, widely considered the No. 1 pound-for-pound female boxer on the planet, is going back to MMA in 2024. Shields, 28, has signed a new multiyear deal to compete

Mike Coppinger, ESPNAug 9, 2023, 07:47 AM ET In what promises to be an all-out slugfest, ESPN’s top two junior lightweights Emanuel Navarrete and Oscar Valdez will clash in Glendale, Arizona for Navarrete’s WBO junior lightweight world title (10 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+). The pair of Mexican brawlers were slated to meet in February before a