Boxing
Navarrete vs. Núñez unification talks confirmed for 2026
Published
4 months agoon
Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed today that super featherweight champions Eduardo “Sugar” Nunez and Emanuel Navarrete are in negotiations for a unification fight in early 2026.
March 7 in Phoenix – target date
The Ring reports that the Navarrete-Nunez reunion will take place on March 7 in Phoenix, Arizona. Charly Suarez has agreed to a waiver to allow the unification fight between the two 130-pound champions to continue.
Hearn calls the fight “one of the best fights in boxing”
“Nunez-Navarrete is not done yet, but we are in deep discussions with Top Rank. Everyone wants to fight this fight. For me, it’s one of the best fights in boxing, Nunez-Navarrete,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. Carlos Linares regarding negotiations for a unification fight between super featherweight champions Eduardo Nunez and Emanuel Navarrete for the first quarter of 2026.
Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 Kos) is still lucky to have defended his WBO title after the Suarez fight. Earlier this year, Navarrete defended against Suarez on May 10, 2025 in San Diego, California. The fight was stopped in the eighth round due to a cut to Navarrete’s left eye.
Controversial no contest in Navarrete
Judge Edward Collantes wrongly ruled that the cause was a head collision. The result was recorded on the scorecards, and the 32-year-old Navarrete won by eight-round technical decision by scores of 78-75, 77-76 and 77-76.
Replays showed that referee Collantes botched the decision as it was Suarez’s punch that caused the cut, meaning he should have won the fight by eight-round technical knockout. The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) changed the results to an eighth round no contest on June 2, 2025. The WBO then ordered a rematch between Navarrete and Sugarez.
Instead of going down this route, Navarrete will fight Nunez, which is a good move for him. If Navarrete defeats Nunez, he could vacate the WBO title to avoid Suarez, which is an unsuitable matchup for him due to his athleticism, quick style and conditioning.
“Sugar” Nunez (29-1, 27 KO) looked unimpressive in his last fight, defeating hard-hitting Christopher Diaz-Velez (30-6, 19 KO) by 12-round unanimous decision on September 6, 2025 at the Centro de Usos Multiples in Los Mochis, Mexico. The scores were 117-109, 117-109 and 116-110. The fight was much closer than the high scores given by the three judges indicated.
Interestingly, Diaz was the strongest puncher of the two. Going into the fight, Nunez was expected to be the more powerful of the two, but surprisingly, it was Diaz who lit him up throughout the fight.
Navarrete has looked impoverished in his last three fights, losing to Denys Berinchyk by a 12-round split decision in an unsuccessful attempt to win the vacant WBO lightweight title on May 18, 2024.
Navarrete’s form is showing signs of decline
Navarrete’s fight with Charly Suarez was similar. Against the 37-year-old Suarez, he looked gentle in midfield and was hit with punches throughout the fight.
At 32 years vintage, Navarrete appears to be in his decline and is not the same player he was three years ago in 2022. He should move up to lightweight because he’s too fat for the 130-pound division. The problem is that Navarrete lacks the youth and conditioning to dominate fighters of the same size if he were to fight at 135 pounds.
Nunez performed equally badly against Diaz, taking ponderous punches and often having to hold on to avoid being beaten by the veteran.
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Boxing
Mike Tyson lists who was better between Mayweather and Pacquiao in their prime
Published
2 hours agoon
March 10, 2026
Mike Tyson has shared his verdict on who he ranks higher between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
Mayweather and Pacquiao are considered two of the greatest boxing legends in recent history, and their success led to a battle between them at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in May 2015.
It was Mayweather who won by unanimous decision, but now, more than a decade later, they will meet again for a second time while fighting at The Sphere in Las Vegas on September 19.
Mayweather is now 49 and Pacquiao is 47, both men are well past their prime, and there is often debate among boxing fans as to which man was better than the other during the best years of their careers.
Mayweather retired with a perfect 50-0 record, defeating the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Canelo Alvarez, while Pacquiao is the only eight-division boxing world champion in history to boast victories over the likes of Juan Manuel Marquez and Miguel Cotto.
Heavyweight icon Tyson once expressed his own opinion on who was the better of the two, ace revealed that he thinks Pacquiao has achieved more.
“Pacquiao is better than Floyd. He overcame adversity. He got knocked out, came back and had some sensational fights against opponents that outperformed any opponent Floyd had fought.”
Before Mayweather faces Pacquiao in a rematch, he is actually scheduled to face Tyson himself, and an event between the pair will take place soon, although it appears it will not take place on the originally announced April 25 date.
Boxing
Dmitry Bivol is targeting a fight with Canelo Alvarez or David Benavidez
Published
4 hours agoon
March 10, 2026
Undisputed lithe heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol could pursue a rematch with Canelo Alvarez or a fight with David Benavidez once he finishes his current duties in the division.
Bivol’s manager, Vadim Kornilov, outlined the champion’s preferred path in comments provided by Dan Rafael, explaining that Bivol intends to first pursue a mandatory IBF defense and then return to competing with Artur Beterbiev.
He is expected to have a mandatory defense against Michael Eifert this spring. The fight was scheduled for May 23 at a gala headlined by unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.
After fulfilling this obligation, Bivol’s team wants to immediately start the third fight with Beterbiev. Their rivalry produced two closely watched fights, leaving unfinished business between two fighters who have dominated the lithe heavyweight division for the past several years and built one of the most respected rivalries in the sport.
More intriguing possibilities emerge after this trilogy. Rafael reported that Bivola’s camp sees a second fight with Canelo as one of the main options still available to the champion. Bivol defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision in 2022, handing the Mexican star one of the clearest defeats of his career.
Another potential opponent in question is Benavidez, who has moved up to lithe heavyweight and has been seeking a chance to fight the top fighters in the division. The fight between Bivol and Benavidez will pit the undefeated Mexican-American challenger against a champion who currently holds four major division titles.
Kornilov also suggested that Bivol could eventually prove himself at cruiserweight, although such an idea appears to be more of a long-term possibility than an immediate plan for the undefeated champion.
For now, the plan of action remains straightforward: fulfill the IBF mandate against Eifert, complete the trilogy with Beterbiev, and then fight one of the most crucial fights that could decide the final stage of Bivol’s career.
Robert Segal is a boxing reporter at Boxing News 24 with over a decade of experience covering fight news, previews and analysis. Known for his first-hand reporting and in-ring perspective, he delivers authoritative coverage of champions, challengers and emerging talent from around the world.
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Last update: 2026/03/10 at 16:34
Boxing
Jai Opetai’s undisputed dream lives on as the IBF releases a fresh statement regarding the status of the title
Published
6 hours agoon
March 10, 2026
A fresh twist has been revealed in the story of Jai Opetai and the IBF cruiserweight title.
Last week it was reported that Opetaia was to be stripped of his IBF belt after the opening bell of his planned fight with Brandon Glanton on Sunday at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, due to the fact that the fight was also for Zuffa’s inaugural belt.
Nevertheless, Opetaia continued his fight and declared a unanimous decision victory over Glanton extend their undefeated record to 30-0.
After the fight, Opetaia once again shared his desire to become undisputed in the cruiserweight division, and it appears he has been given the opportunity to do just that as – announced the IBF in a statement that they have not yet made a final decision to strip him of the title.
“Jai Opetaia made comments during the post-fight press conference that led the organization’s leadership to question whether his advisors fully and fully made him aware of the decisions he had to make in deciding to fight Brandon Glanton. The organization intends to take a closer look at this matter.”
The statement also included a mighty response to claims that they had decided not to sanction the fight due to feelings of “disrespect” in the run-up to the fight.
“The IBF categorically denies any suggestion or claim that it deliberately withdrew sanctions to cause harm. The IBF sanctioned the Opetaia vs. Glanton fight in good faith, expecting what was assured to happen.”
“The press conference held on March 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, made it clear that the inaugural Zuffa World Cruiserweight Championship would be held on March 8.
“The IBF, as previously stated on March 6, reserves the right to sanction title fights along with other sanctioning bodies that adhere to the same regulations that the IBF follows, and reserves the right to sanction title fights along with other fights that prepare the IBF cruiserweight title remains a subject of discussion.”
The final outcome as to whether Opetaia will indeed retain her title will be revealed in due course.
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