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Muratalla-Cruz, Wood-Warrington II on Matchroom album from early ’26

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Boxing in the match room revealed the fight card list for early 2026which includes two world title fights, a title unification fight and a grudge match.

On January 24, Raymond Muratalla will defend his IBF lightweight title against 2020 Olympic gold medalist and undefeated Cuban fighter Andy Cruz at Fontainebleau in Las Vegas.

Muratalla (23-0, 17 KO) won the vacant title in his last outing, defeating Zaur Abdullaev in May. He will make his first title defense against the rising Cruz, who made his professional debut in 2023 and is undefeated with a record of 6-0. Cruz records an impressive fifth-round stoppage of Hironori Mishiro in June.

Next week, IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KO) will put his title on the line against Josh Kelly (17-1-1, 9 KO) at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle.

Kelly has won seven straight fights since being stopped by David Avanesyan in 2021. Murtazaliev will defend the title he won in 2024 for a second time, defeating Jack Culcay. In October 2024, he finished Tim Tszyu in three rounds and will compete for the first time in over a year.

The grudge fight between Leigh Wood (28-4, 17 KO) and Josh Warrington (32-4-1, 8 KO) will be the main attraction of the fight gala, which will take place on February 21 at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham.

When they met in October 2023, Wood triumphed with a knockout victory over Warrington. Wood is looking to get back into the win column after being stopped by Anthony Cacace in May, while Warrington hopes to avenge his knockout loss and win his second fight in a row.

Finally, Emanuel Navarrete and Eduardo “Sugar” Nunez will face off in a junior lightweight unification bout on February 28 at the Desert Diamond Arena in Arizona.

Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KO) is the WBO champion, and Nunez (29-1, 27 KO) is the IBF champion. Nunez began his unification fight with a unanimous decision victory over Christopher Diaz in September. The fight was originally scheduled for March 7 at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, but was moved to Glendale and will take place a week earlier.

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Shakur Stevenson accuses Devin Haney of ‘false public negotiations’ after £144 settlement

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Image: Shakur Stevenson Accuses Devin Haney of "Fake Public Negotiations" After 144-Pound Agreement

Potential negotiations between Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson have taken another public turn after Stevenson accused his rival of engaging in “false public negotiations” following Haney’s latest comments on social media.

Haney appeared frustrated after previously agreeing to Stevenson’s proposed catchweight of 144 pounds, suggesting that even accepting those terms did not bring the fight any closer to becoming a reality.


“144 is not enough…I still don’t want to fight! Damn…@ShakurStevenson,” Haney wrote X.

Shakur later responded by dismissing this public exchange as a impoverished reflection of how main event fights actually unfold.

“The same thing you all did with Rolly. All those counterfeit public negotiations… The real negotiations take place offline.” I am the truth that you will see when you stand before me!!” Shakur posted.

Shakiur previously considered 144 pounds to be a fair compromise in a potential showdown with Haney, who has competed at welterweight in his most recent outings. Haney then signaled his willingness to accept the catchweight offer, sparking optimism that one of boxing’s most talked-about fights could gain momentum.

The latest exchange came shortly after the WBO confirmed that Haney must either defend his welterweight title against mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis or risk losing the belt. While neither Haney nor Stevenson directly addressed the situation in their recent posts, the article did add another note to any future negotiations involving the former two-division world champions.

With Haney facing a WBO title decision and Shakur insisting that stern negotiations will take place behind closed doors, the pressure is now on both camps to determine whether the fight can go beyond an online exchange.

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Categories Devin Haney, Keyshawn Davis and Shakur Stevenson

Last update: 2026/06/12 at 21:45

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Shakur Stevenson Doubles Down on Tim Tszyu vs Errol Spence Prediction: ‘Can’t Beat Him’

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Shakur Stevenson doubles down on Tim Tszyu vs Errol Spence prediction: “He can’t beat him”

Shakur Stevenson maintained his predictions for the Errol Spence Jr vs. Tim Tszyu fight, believing that one fighter would be too “mentally tough” for the other.

The meeting of the two former world champions will take place on July 25 in Australia at weight of 158 pounds to accommodate Spence’s inactivity.

Even though Tszyu insisted on fighting at super welterweight, his opponent clearly felt the extra 4 pounds would be appropriate after his three-year layoff.

This long break came after Spence suffered a ninth-round stoppage loss to Terence Crawford, who became the undisputed king of the 147-pound division in surprisingly one-sided fashion.

Spence previously held the WBC, IBF and WBA titles with victories over Shawn Porter, Kell Brook and Yordenis Ugas, although a weight augment always seemed inevitable.

Now the 36-year-old hopes to revive his career against Tszyu, who is coming off a two-point win after losing to Sebastian Fundora last July.

While their rematch ended in the seventh round, Tszyu showed tremendous strength against Fundora in 2024, only to lose the WBO title via split decision.

Later that year, the Australian suffered a third-round defeat to Bakhram Murtazaliev, with four-division world champion Stevenson saying: The whole fight against smoke that he thinks Spence is a level above him.

“I think so [Spence] I will do well. I wish Errol all the best; I hope Errol goes in there and beats Tim Tszyu.

“I’m an Errol Spence fan; I was okay with Errol Spence before [Crawford] fight. I know Errol is mentally forceful – Errol is a dog when it comes to fighting, so I don’t think Tim Tszyu can beat him.

Stevenson previously suggested that Spence could “destroy” Tszyu, believing the 31-year-old’s style was tailor-made for “The Truth.”

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Shakur Stevenson expects the former champion to defeat Tim Tszyu

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Image: Errol Spence Is a Dog: Shakur Stevenson Expects Former Champ to Defeat Tim Tszyu

Despite concerns about Errol’s long three-year absence from the ring, Shakur believes the former unified welterweight champion still has what it takes to beat Tszyu.

“I think so [Spence] I will do well. I wish Errol all the best; I hope Errol goes in there and beats up Tim Tszyu,” Shakur said on Andre Ward’s channel.

“I’m an Errol Spence fan; Errol Spence was OK before [Terence Crawford] fight. I know Errol is mentally robust. Errol is a dog when it comes to fighting, so I don’t think Tim Tszyu can beat him.

Spence has not fought since a ninth-round loss to Crawford in July 2023 that cost him the WBC, WBA and IBF welterweight titles. After almost three years of break from competition, the 36-year-old is now trying to resume his career in a fresh weight class.

Meanwhile, Tszyu enters the fight with regained momentum after a arduous period in 2024. The former WBO junior middleweight champion bounced back from setbacks to Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev with back-to-back victories to get back into position for his next marquee fight.

Shakur has previously expressed confidence in Spence’s chances against Tszyu, but his latest comments suggest he remains confident that the Texan’s experience, mentality and overall ability will be the deciding factor on July 25.

The fight will be one of the biggest tests of Spence’s career. While Tszyu is looking to secure a spectacular win that could redefine his position in the junior middleweight division, Errol will be looking to show that he can still compete at the highest level after an extended period of inactivity.

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