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239 fights, never knocked out – the 35-year-old heavyweight boxer was denied

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Erislandy Savon lands punch on Anthony Joshua at 2012 Olympics amateur boxing match

Among the amateur ranks is a heavyweight whose records read differently than almost any other fighter’s. In 239 fights he had never been knocked out, and boxing still hadn’t had a chance to see what he could become.

In a division built on strength, where even the best eventually fall, this kind of toughness is almost unheard of – and it’s even more remarkable in a heavyweight division of just 35.

This man is Erislandy Savón.

Name Savón

Savón’s name already carries a lot of weight in boxing circles, and following in the footsteps of his uncle Félix meant expectations were unchanged from the moment he started making noise on the Cuban scene, with his first wins and experience quickly counting into the hundreds.

World Boxing News explored his potential beyond the vest many years ago, when a professional move still seemed realistic and the path ahead seemed much more open than it ultimately proved to be during his earlier career.

It never happened the way many expected, and that’s where the frustration comes from.

Cuba’s missing link

Cuba remains a sore subject for professional boxing fans, who have been denied several superstars over the decades capable of changing the history of the sport, and no one will ever know whether legends like Teófilo Stevenson or Félix Savón would have beaten the best of their generation in the paid rankings.

They have already proven themselves at the amateur level, but that doesn’t detract from how good they were – and if anything, it shows how much is left on the table.

Only Stevenson was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, which is still gloomy considering achievements in the unpaid code have no category of their own for fighters like the Savóns, whose dominance came in a system that rarely allowed for crossover.

World boxing series

Despite all the dominance and all the victories, the part that counts most in the larger sport never came.

Which never happened

Erislandy followed the same path, staying within the system that built him and representing Cuba at the highest level, building one of the most extensive resumes in contemporary amateur heavyweight boxing, including specific contests, including a narrow Olympic defeat to Anthony Joshua in 2012, a fact that many still question given the way that fight played out.

35 is still teenage for a heavyweight, but injuries and five lost years have completely changed the picture, leaving a version of the fighter that no longer resembles the one many expected to see many years earlier.

His last appearances came around the disrupted Olympic cycle, and he has since faded from the spotlight without any real conclusion, leaving behind a career that never came to an end despite years of expectation that it would eventually.

That lingering uncertainty remains – WBN asked this question once before and it never really went away – whether the man who looked after Joshua in 2012, only to make the wrong decision, could have done the same in the professional ranks, and whether this version of him would have been postponed when everything was on the line.

Now it seems one box will never have the answer.


About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

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Boxing

Devin Haney says Gervonta Davis’ team has made contact and declines to discuss the hydration clause

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Image: Devin Haney Says Gervonta Davis' Team Reached Out, Rejects Rehydration Clause Talk

Devin Haney says that after years of calls for a fight, a fight with Gervonta Davis may finally be closer to reality.

Haney revealed on social media that Tank Davis’ team recently reached out about a potential fight. When the fan responded by warning him not to agree to any hydration restrictions, Haney quickly dismissed the idea.


“Never,” Haney repeated X about not wanting to agree to the rehydration clause.

The response came shortly after Haney suggested that discussions had begun between the two sides.

“I think Gervonta has gained some balls. His team has reached! We can just fight! 😅– Haney wrote.

The fight between Haney and Gervonta is one of the longest unanswered questions in boxing. Haney continued to fight multiple times during his lightweight title fight, but the fight never materialized despite years of public calls and fan demands.

San Francisco-born Haney became the undisputed lightweight champion in 2022, and Davis continued to build his profile as one of boxing’s biggest pay-per-view attractions.

Haney’s rejection of rehydration clauses will likely become a talking point if negotiations move forward. Hydration restrictions became a major topic of debate ahead of Tank’s 2023 fight with Ryan Garcia, with many fans criticizing the terms of the deal.

Devin has recently been linked to potential fights against Ryan Garcia, Shakur Stevenson and Keyshawn Davis. His latest comments put Gervonta Davis back into the conversation after years of failed attempts to make the fight happen.

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Categories Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis

Last updated: 22/06/2026 at 17:07

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Promoter Naoyi Inoue Confirms Target Opponent and Schedule: ‘I’m Sure You Can Guess’

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Naoya Inoue’s next mandatory challenger set to be determined in interim title fight

Last month Inoue defeated fellow Japanese star Nakatani, in the biggest fight in the history of Japanese boxing and one of the most anticipated fights on the 2026 boxing calendar.

Od tego czasu uwaga skupiła się na Jesse’m Rodriguezie, który w momencie niedawnego zwycięstwa Inoue był posiadaczem trzech tytułów mistrza świata w wadze super muszej. “Bam” vacated the belts and secured the WBA bantamweight world title after a knockout victory over Antonio Vargas. Trener Amerykanina, Robert Garcia, zasugerował, że stoczą jeszcze jedną walkę w tej wadze, zanim ponownie przejdą do walki i rzucą wyzwanie Inoue.

I’m talking to Yahoo Japan

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Boxing

Collazo makes Valdez’s job easier

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Author: Sean Crose

On Saturday night, Oscar Colazzo decided to move up to the flyweight division. His hard-won world title wasn’t on the line because he was moving to a up-to-date division, but the stakes were still high for the popular Puerto Rican fighter. Things started badly before Collazo slipped between the ropes. For Neider Valdez, Saturday’s opponent, Collazo replaced him at the last minute. Collazo’s scheduled opponent in the 10-round bout, Joey Canoy, had visa issues and, as a result, Collazo later had to jump to a different weight class. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but both Colazzo and Valdez realized the players were struggling.

Bantamweight champion Colazzo threw himself with a southpaw in the first. Valdez, however, was not overwhelmed by the world champion, his own dedication and landing. Palazzo’s impressive left shot knocked out Valdez early in the second. With that said, the man was able to quickly get back on his feet to hit the mat once again. Another series of shots knocked down Valdez for the third time. Once again he was able to get up, but his corner thought better of it and stopped the fight.

The cut low of the fight was simply a demonstration of the difference between the champion and his last-minute successor. Valdez deserved credit for showing up and giving his all, but he was wildly classless. One wondered if he would even be able to represent an airline division. The DAZN broadcast team seemed dissatisfied with Valdez’s behavior, feeling that Valdez pulled out of the fight early. That may or may not have been true, but either way it was solid to imagine Valdez having a good night to himself.

“I feel great,” Collazo said later. He had a good reason for this. He successfully won his flyweight debut in less than three rounds. “I’m ready to make history,” Collazo added. “He’s the biggest little man in the boxing world today,” said promoter Oscar De La Hoya.

There was no doubt that Colazzo looked excellent, but the quality of his opposition was so impoverished that you have to wonder how Colazzo would have fared against stronger competition in the league. Make no mistake, Valdez was a replacement opponent who wasn’t expected to have much of a chance at first. Of course, there was a chance for him to shock the world. But he just couldn’t defy expectations in such an obvious way.

There is no doubt that Colazzo is an excellent fighter. He is aggressive, hits solid and exudes confidence. It’s not effortless for anyone. Indeed, he may be one of the more hard fighters to beat in boxing right now. Oscar De La Hoya certainly had plans for him, and after Saturday’s performance, it’s effortless to see why. If he continues playing at this pace, he will have a brilliant future ahead of him.

Smaller fighters like Colazzo don’t always get a lot of love from boxing fans, but there’s a lot to like in the smaller divisions. Those who fight at featherweight have an incredible skill set and very keen and correct striking. The pace at lower weights is speedy, and the players themselves show a lot of fortitude. Fighters like Michael Carbajal and even Manny Pacquiao have helped erase the image of the little fighter that no one wants to see. Indeed, smaller weight divisions can be seen significantly on television. Perhaps that’s why De La Hoya has so much faith in Collazo.

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