Boxing
Saturday’s fight rankings: Roach-Cruz, Foster-Fulton and more
Published
3 months agoon
Fight fans have plenty of choices for what to watch on Saturday, with notable fights taking place all over the world.
From Lamont Roach and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz fighting for the vacant WBC interim 140-pound title, to O’Shaquie Foster defending his WBC junior lightweight belt against former featherweight champion Stephen Fulton Jr., to ESPN’s No. 1-ranked cruiserweight Jai Opetai putting his IBF title on the line against Huseyin Cinkara in Australia, there are multiple championships at stake.
ESPN is showcasing the best fights to watch this weekend, from San Antonio to Monte Carlo to the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
1. Lamont Roach Jr. vs. Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz – interim junior welterweight title fight on PBC PPV on Prime Video
Roach takes on a risky assignment when he faces “Pitbull” Cruz in his junior welterweight debut in San Antonio, Texas, after a rematch with Gervonta “Tank” Davis failed to materialize.
Roach (25-1-2, 10 KO) deserves credit for taking on a second world title (vacant interim WBC junior welterweight title), but should he take another fight to adjust to the fresh weight class? We’ll find out when he faces Cruz, who, along with Roach, are the only boxers who made Davis decide. Cruz (28-3-1, 18 KO), who has recorded two wins since losing the WBA world title to Jose Valenzuela in August 2024 via split decision, impressed in a decision loss to Davis in 2021, while Roach took Davis to a disputed majority draw in March. In this fight, Roach should have received the decisive knockdown in round 9, when David took a knee and then went to his corner to wipe his eyes with a towel. An extra point for the knockdown would have tipped the scales in Davis’ favor.
Roach, a former WBA lightweight champion, doesn’t have KO power, but his counter-punching and movement could earn him a decision if he avoids being drawn into a fight with the power-hitting Cruz, who will be looking to repeat his destructive performance in a Round 8 stoppage victory over Rolando “Rolly” Romero in March 2024.
2. O’Shaquie Foster vs. Stephen Fulton Jr. – junior lightweight title fight on PBC PPV on Prime Video
This fight was scheduled on the Sebastian Fundora vs. undercard. Keith Thurman on October 25, but the event was canceled after Fundora injured his hand during training.
Fulton (23-1, 8 KO) will try to become a three-division world champion when he faces Foster for the WBC junior lightweight title on Saturday in San Antonio, Texas. Fulton’s only loss was an eighth-round stoppage to the powerful Nayoua Inoue in July 2023 in a junior featherweight loss, and he has since passed Carlos Castro and Brandon Figueroa in featherweight fights.
Fulton impressively outworked Figueroa in their rematch earlier this year, and it’s a strategy he should employ against Foster. But can he be as successful against Foster’s clever movement and skill?
After reclaiming his junior lightweight title with a split decision victory over Robson Conceicao, Foster (23-3, 12 KO) appears to be the better choice for this fight that could take his career to fresh heights. Foster’s high size could also be a factor against Fulton, who was eliminated during the September 2024 fight against Castro.
This is Foster’s sixth fight at junior lightweight and it looks like it will be an opportunity for him to put in a spectacular performance that will strengthen his position.
3. Shabaz Masoud vs. Peter McGrail – junior featherweight fight on DAZN
This will be an extremely competitive fight between two English junior featherweights aiming to fight for the world title. For Masoud (16-2, 4 KO), a fight for the vacant European title couldn’t come soon enough, as he hasn’t boxed since winning a split decision over Liam Davies in November 2024. A training injury suffered by Masoud delayed that fight in June.
McGrail (12-1, 6 KO), who won four straight fights after being knocked out by Ja’Rico O’Quinn in December 2023, has had an excellent amateur career and experience gives him an advantage, but he suffered an injury in his last two fights, which is worth paying attention to. This fight will not disappoint.
4.Jesus Ramos Jr. vs. Shane Mosley Jr. – interim middleweight title fight on PBC PPV on Prime Video
Both fighters are in good shape to take advantage of the opportunity to capture the vacant interim WBC middleweight title. Ramos (23-1, 19 KO) has impressed with two stoppage victories this year, while Mosley (22-4, 12 KO) earned a career-best win over former middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs. However, the victory over Jacobs came in July 2024 and Mosley has not fought since. This inaction could cost him.
After being frustrated by his lack of opportunities at junior middleweight, Ramos is counting on his strength to aid him succeed at 160 pounds. He has certainly matured and developed since his September 2023 unanimous decision loss to Erickson Lubin. If Ramos is successful, he could get a chance to fight WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames in 2026, instead of returning to junior middleweight.
5. Beatriz Ferreira vs. Elif Nur Turhan – women’s lightweight title fight on DAZN
Ferreira makes his fourth defense of his IBF lightweight title against a perilous challenger in Turhan, who has won his last three fights by stoppage. Both fighters are undefeated, so the fight promises to be fierce.
Ferreira (8-0, 2 KO), ESPN’s No. 2 lightweight, has made two convincing title defenses this year, both at home in Brazil, but she will be pushed out of her comfort zone in Monte Carlo. Turhan (11-0, 7 KO) moved up to junior lightweight before her last fight and needed just six rounds to defeat then-undefeated Rima Ayady in August. The rising star has won two of his last three fights within two minutes, so we can expect a lively start.
6. Jai Opetaia vs. Huseyin Cinkara – fight for the cruiserweight title
Opetaia, ESPN’s No. 1 cruiserweight, should get through this fight without any drama. And if it’s another convincing win, could Opetaia announce he’s moving up to heavyweight? Or maybe he will call for a title unification fight with WBA, WBO champion Gilberto Ramirez?
Opetaia (28-0, 22 KO) made her 5th round KO victory over Claudio Squeo look basic in June and is not expected to pose any difficulties against 40-year-old challenger Cinkara (23-0, 19 KO), who has three quick wins in the last two years against lower-level opponents.
7. Johnny Fisher vs. Herbert Matovu – heavyweight fight on DAZN
Fisher (13-1, 11 KO) needs to win if he wants to maintain interest in his career, so expect him to be looking for a KO, and that makes this a must-see fight.
If Fisher gets back on track after a shock fifth-round loss to David Ryan in May, a trilogy with Ryan or even a chance to fight fresh British champion Jeamie “TKV” Tshikewa is possible. Failure and his championship chances could disappear.
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Boxing
The fight between Luis Nery and John Riel Casimero will take place on April 18 in Kyrgyzstan
Published
48 minutes agoon
March 9, 2026
Neither player holds a title and neither has been part of any real championship talk in recent seasons. Nery has already held the bantamweight and junior featherweight belts, although his recent appearances at featherweight have shown that the path up is confined. At 126 pounds, he looked undersized and unable to apply the same pressure that once carried him through lighter divisions, which makes a return to 122 pounds a more practical move.
Saikou x Lush Boxing will promote the event as part of a three-day boxing show in the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The gala will be held at the Gazprom Sports Convoluted, an extraordinary setting for two players who regularly appeared on larger international stages at the beginning of their careers.
Nery (37-2, 28 KO) will fight in Kyrgyzstan for the second time in a row after appearing there in October last year. The 31-year-old Mexican southpaw defeated Sathaporn Saart by technical decision in the eighth round after an accidental head collision put the fight on the scorecards.
The win was his second in a row since Naoya Inoue stopped him in the sixth round in May 2024. Nery made a comeback earlier in 2025, stopping Kyonosuke Kameda in the seventh round before extending his rebound stretch with a victory over Saart.
Casimero (35-5-1, 24 KOs), now 37, built his reputation by winning junior flyweight, flyweight and bantamweight titles early in his career. Activity has been confined and results inconsistent over the past few seasons, leading to him being 2-1-1 in his last four fights.
His last fight was in December, when he defeated Tom Mizokoshi in the fifth round in Japan. Two months earlier, he appeared at the same October gala in Kyrgyzstan, where Nery fought Saart and lost to Kameda by unanimous decision of ten rounds.
The April meeting brings together two former champions who once operated at the forefront of the sport’s lighter divisions. At this stage, it could be read as more of a veteran clash between recognizable names rather than a fight expected to impact the junior featherweight championship race.
Tomek Galm is a boxing journalist covering the global fight landscape since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, industry trends and fighter psychology.
Boxing
Oleksandr Usyk is naming the heavyweight fight he wants after Rico Verhoeven
Published
3 hours agoon
March 9, 2026
Oleksandr Usyk is taking Rico Verhoeven seriously, perhaps because he will face a bigger challenge later.
The elite southpaw will face kickboxing icon Verhoeven on May 23 in Egypt in a fight focused on spectacle after years of hard-fought victories on the road. Even though Usyk has strayed from his usual matchmaking, he has now assured fans that they can expect a return to top-level championship boxing later.
Speaking on DAZN’s Inside the Ring, Usyk revealed that after the fight, his goal would be to become the undisputed heavyweight champion for a third time, with his primary goal being either Daniel Dubois or Fabio Wardley.
“For me it’s a real fight. Yes, Rico is not a good boxer, ok, nice fight, no problem, but I want my next fight [against the] Daniel Dubois and Wardley winner.”
Wardley was promoted from interim to full WBO champion when the Ukrainian vacated the belt rather than face him as mandatory challenger. His first defense against Dubois, scheduled for May 9 in Manchester, is perilous.
This is a legacy-based strategy that Usyk has used in the past, dropping the IBF belt to allow Dubois’ elevation, defending against Anthony Joshua, and then facing him to regain the belt. If “DDD” defeats Wardley, he could expect a trilogy fight, but fan interest may wane given how the first two fights went.
It all depends on whether Usyk retains his three titles. Although the fight for the WBC belt with Verhoeven is highly controversial, the IBF and WBA leagues have not been mentioned yet. The sanctioning authorities may well decide to declare a vacancy in their belts.
Boxing
Tank Davis is eyeing a rematch with Isaac Cruz after a tough fight in 2021
Published
5 hours agoon
March 9, 2026
Fighters like Raymond Muratalla, Abdullah Mason, William Zepeda and Floyd Schofield represent the direction many expected from Davis, making the return to Cruz a remarkable step, even if the first fight remains the one fans remember.
The fight is being discussed in the 140-pound weight class. Their first meeting took place at lightweight in December 2021 and ended in a unanimous decision for Davis after twelve rounds.
Cruz’s pressure forced Davis (30-1, 28 KO) in a cautious fight rather than the knockout victories that marked much of his career. Davis injured his left hand early in the fight and relied heavily on movement, defense and counters with his right hand while Cruz continued to press forward and raise the volume of his throws.
The judges scored the fight 115-113, 115-113 and 116-112 for Davis. Cruz’s pressure kept the contest close and led to a physical twelve-round battle that looked different than many of Davis’ other victories.
Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KO) continued to build his record after this fight, and his victories put him near the top of the division. His aggressive style and willingness to constantly push forward made it the first fight that fans still bring up when discussing Davis’ toughest fights.
Davis most recently fought to a twelve-round draw against Lamont Roach in March 2025 and has been inactive since that fight. A second fight with Cruz would mark a return to a fight that continues to attract attention whenever we analyze Davis’ career.
A novel element is the weight class. Discussions about a rematch point to a fight at 140 pounds, rather than the lightweight limit where they first met.
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.
COMBATE GLOBAL Announces Full Fight Card for March 12 Event in BurbankCOMBATE GLOBAL Announces Full Fight Card for March 12 Event in Burbank
The fight between Luis Nery and John Riel Casimero will take place on April 18 in Kyrgyzstan
Oleksandr Usyk is naming the heavyweight fight he wants after Rico Verhoeven
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