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Parker’s phony smile fades when Wardley steals the weigh-in

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Image: Parker’s Brave Face Cracks at Weigh-In: Wardley’s Presence Turns Smiles to Worry Ahead of DAZN O2 Heavyweight Shock

Fabio Wardley and Joseph Parker wrapped up their heavyweight battles today in their Saturday battle at the DAZN PPV at the O2 Arena in London, England. WBO interim champion Parker (36-3, 24 KO), looking cushioned in the mid-chest and with the body of a dad, had a slightly lighter fight than in his previous fight against Martin Bakole.

False confidence exposed

What was compelling was how Parker smiled and clowned around before walking up to the scale. It looked 100% phony, as if he was putting up a false façade of confidence to hide his fear. It was straightforward to tell it was a phony.

The moment Wardley (19-0-1, 18 KO) took the stage, you could see Parker’s mask of courage disappearing from his face. It was replaced by worry. He couldn’t remain in his role as a theatrical attempt to show a false expression of self-confidence. Parker isn’t that good of an actor. He lacks Brando’s ability to embody a character.

Numbers on the scale

  • Joseph Parker – 262.4
  • Fabio Wardley – 242.7

“It means everything. This is the previous one. Tomorrow is the substantial night,” said Fabio Wardley afterwards weighting in today. “It’s nothing modern for me. I haven’t been beaten yet and nothing will change tomorrow night. It’s not about me learning anything. It’s about them knowing that I’m at the top of the division.”

The winner gets Usyk – and millions

Tomorrow night, a lot will depend on the fight between these two heavyweights. Whoever wins will be the successor to undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk at the beginning of 2026. That means a payout of $30 million to $60 million for WBA interim champion Wardley or Parker. Ecstatic will be a prosperous man next year.

“I’m bulky, sturdy and ready to go. I take my job seriously. I’m going to put holes in him tomorrow and teach him a lesson. I’m going to fight fire with fire and get to him,” Parker said.

Joseph knows he has only one choice and that is to go to war with Wardley tomorrow night. If he tries to box out like he did against aging fighters Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang, he will be tracked down by the younger fighter Wardley and eliminated. This is not the way Parker wants to win by running 12 innings. It’s a bad look that makes him look cowardly.

Last update: 24/10/2025

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Hall of Fame champion claims he would be the one to beat Terence Crawford: ‘I’m going to win’

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Hall of Fame champion says he would have been the man to beat Terence Crawford: “I’m going to win”

The star fighter, who has made an astonishing 15 defenses of his welterweight world title, supported himself in a fantastic showdown with Terence Crawford.

Many consider “Bud” to be one of the greatest welterweight champions of all time, considering his size undisputed triumph over Errol Spence Jr in 2023

He had previously won seven straight 147-pound world titles, all through stoppages, but he could only cement his position as top dog by dethroning Spence.

Not only did he defeat “The Truth” and win his three world titles, but Crawford secured a surprisingly one-sided defeat over nine rounds.

After that career-defining moment, the American became the undisputed three-division champion, moving up to 168 pounds to dethrone Canelo Alvarez.

However, at welterweight, Crawford managed to produce some of his best performances, perhaps striking the perfect balance between being vigorous and impressively fit.

Another man who has had considerable success at 147 pounds is, of course, Felix Trinidad, who reigned as the IBF world champion for almost seven years.

Two of his greatest victories came against Oscar De La Hoya and Pernell Whitaker, who both went on to create Hall of Fame careers in their own right.

It is therefore natural that “Tito” sees his chances in a direct fight with Crawford, saying: Fighting Hub TV that he would give “Bud” his only professional flaw.

“With all due respect to Crawford…Tito Trinidad – I will win.”

While no fighter has been able to answer Crawford’s mystery, it is equally safe and sound to say that the former five-division world champion has never faced someone like Trinidad.

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Robeisy Ramirez signed with Raizd Boxing after leaving Free Agency

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Image: Major Companies Failed To Sign Robeisy Ramirez

Raizd announced the deal on Instagram on Monday, posting: “Official: Robeisy ‘El Tren’ Ramirez signs with RAIZD BOXING. World-class addition. Former WBO World Featherweight Champion. Two-time Olympic gold medalist. Welcome to the team, Robeisy.”

For a startup that is still building its name, this is a robust impulse. For everyone else, it encourages questions. There has been no evident move from Zuffa Boxing, Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions or other major teams that often pursue recognizable talent.

When a two-time Gold Medalist hits the open market and the Massive Four don’t pull the trigger. Raizd Boxing is basically a ghost ship right now. They are so modern that they haven’t even held their first event yet.

As for why the giants have stayed away, it probably comes down to a combination of time, shelf life and the ongoing business changes many of these companies are making.

At 126 pounds, 32 is on the older side. Promoters are notoriously wary of small-time fighters who have just had a career-changing break. Perhaps they would prefer to wait and see if he has anything left before signing him to an high-priced multi-fight contract.

While Dana White is finally taking action, Zuffa is aggressively targeting younger, buzz-worthy talent like Edgar Berlanga and Richardson Hitchins. Ramirez is 32 years aged and had a brutal knockout loss to Rafael Espinoza in December. Zuffa could see him as a veteran of damaged goods rather than a fundamental piece of their launch.

Ramirez may not have the same shine he had when he fled Cuba or when he beat Shakur Stevenson in the amateurs, but fighters with that kind of experience rarely hit the open market.

His recent form likely played a role. Ramirez is 14-3 with nine knockouts and has lost two of his last three fights, with both losses coming to Rafael Espinoza, including a stoppage in the rematch. At 32 years aged, he is no longer a long-term project that can be slowly developed.

Still, there is a clear advantage if handled properly. Ramirez remains a talented southpaw with the pedigree, experience and enough reputational value to quickly become relevant again at featherweight or above. If it combines wins, larger promoters may regret letting startup Raizd make the first move.

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Tim Bradley firmly predicts KO in Conor Benn vs. Ryan Garcia fight

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Tim Bradley makes emphatic KO prediction for Conor Benn vs Ryan Garcia

Hall of Famer Tim Bradley believes the welterweight clash between Conor Benn and WBC world champion Ryan Garcia will end decisively.

The two are in talks that could happen later this year, and Garcia also mentioned the possibility of a rematch with WBA world champion Rolando Romero.

In their first meeting in May 2025, Romero won a unanimous decision after defeating his fighter in the second round.

However, Garcia has since secured the WBC 147-pound title after dethroning Mario Barrios whom he dropped and passed unanimously in February.

This marks the 27-year-old’s first victory since 2023, when he edged Oscar Duarte in the eighth round before his controversial fight with Devin Haney.

Despite a majority decision advantage over Haney, that result was declared a no-contest in April 2024 after “King Ry” tested positive for the banned substance ostarine.

Benn also failed a 2022 drug test ahead of his canceled fight against Chris Eubank Jr, whom he ultimately defeated in a middleweight rematch last November.

This followed a points defeat to Eubank in April 2025, although earlier this month Benn remained in the win column, ahead of Regis Prograis, who subsequently announced his retirement.

However, despite his last fight at 150 pounds, the 29-year-old now wants to capitalize on his No. 1 ranking in the WBC and fight Garcia.

I’m talking to ESNEWSformer two-division world champion Bradley gave Benn little more than a prayer against Garcia.

“Ryan knocks him out.”

As the top contender for the WBC welterweight title, Benn is expected to be ordered to fight Garcia in the not-too-distant future, even if ongoing negotiations fail.

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