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How the super middleweight stopped moving – Boxing News 24

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Image: Edgar Berlanga Rejects Canelo's 'Survival' Narrative and Vows to Earn a Rematch Through Sheeraz and Munguia

In the super middleweight division, the belt holder had an advantage that no champion in the state-of-the-art era has enjoyed. Four titles. Guaranteed events. No pressure to take risks. This leverage could have been used to bring in juvenile players and add depth to the division. Instead, it was spent on a controlled defense that protected the brand’s value while leaving the broader field untouched.

Names tell a story. Edgar Berlanga got a chance for the title, but he did not prove himself against elite competition. Jaime Munguia arrived with a bang but came out lackluster. William Scull signed up as a low-risk mandatory. Jermell Charlo, a 154-pounder, was elevated for commercial reasons, not divisional logic. John Ryder was tough, accessible and non-threatening.

None of these fights were scandalous in themselves. This is a problem. Taken individually, each defense may be valid. Taken together, they reveal a pattern: containment rather than cultivation.

How the Challenger pipeline was shut down

Newborn fighters at the age of 168 have never received the oxygen that only fighting in tents can provide. Without this exposure, they couldn’t build leverage. Without leverage they couldn’t create the opportunity. The division did not advance – it simply circled.

In the middleweight division, he suffered the same fate, but in a calmer form.

It has been a holding company for 160 years. The masters waited. The players waited. Potential unifications were never equal. The fighters fluctuated between weight classes, looking for opportunities rather than dominance. Without a clear center of gravity, the division lost its urgency.

What should have been a prolific pool of talent at 160-168 has instead become a dead zone. The fighters either went up too early, came down too overdue, or stayed put with nothing to aim at.

This isn’t about blaming one player for everything. It’s about recognizing how power shapes ecosystems. When a dominant champion repeatedly chooses safety, the cost isn’t just the thrill of competition – it’s developmental stagnation.

In well divisions, champions cause friction. They force challengers to rise or fall. They establish reference points. In the super middleweight division, that friction is gone. The belts remained energetic, but the division did not evolve.

This stagnation now has consequences. There are many talented players in the group of 168 players, but few have a recognizable profile. At 160 there are capable operators, but there is no clear hierarchy. Fans sense change, even if they don’t express it. The divisions appear to be on hold rather than competitive.

When mandates become the only movement

This is why mandatory challengers are starting to matter more in boxing. When voluntary ambition disappears, duty becomes the only remaining source of movement. Sanctioning authorities force fights not because they want to, but because without pressure nothing happens.

The irony is that the damage is not constant. One or two truly dicey matchups would immediately change the temperature. However, this requires a move away from risk management and towards division building – something that state-of-the-art boxing has largely abandoned.

Middleweight and super middleweight are not dead divisions. They are dormant. And dormancy is not due to lack of talent. This is due to lack of opportunities.

Until this changes, both weight classes will remain exactly where they are now: energetic on paper, stalled in reality.

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Boxing

Gervonta Davis called out by world champion for mega fight: “I need it”

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Gervonta Davis called out by world champion for mega fight: “I need it”

Gervonta Davis’ future is currently in doubt, but that’s not stopping one of the reigning world champions from calling out ‘Tank’ for a showdown.

It was over a year since Davis last saw action in March 2025 against Lamont Roach Jr. This fight ended in a controversial majority draw, but “Tank” still defended his WBA lightweight title.

Since then, however, the Baltimore man’s life has been extremely hard. A first-time exhibition with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, scheduled for November, was canceled after Davis found himself at the center of domestic violence allegations.

Further allegations led to “Tank” losing his WBA belt and being declared champion during his hiatus, but earlier this year reports surfaced that he could return against former foe and current WBC interim super lightweight champion Isaac Cruz.

After Ryan Garcia posted, it’s yet another former foe of Davis who is now calling for a rematch social media his intention to secure a second fight.

“I pray I get a tank rematch one day. I need it back on equal footing. I need it!!!”

Garcia suffered a seventh-round loss to Davis when they met in April 2023, but “King Ry” has repeatedly said since the fight that he was far from his best as it was a 136-pound catchweight fight with a 10-pound rehydration clause.

in February Garcia defeated Mario Barrios to win the WBC welterweight titleand if Davis decides to campaign at 147 pounds, the prospect of winning world titles in another weight class could tempt him into a rematch with “King Ry.”

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Eddie Hearn warns that Zuffa athletes could lose their world title eligibility

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Image: Eddie Hearn Says Zuffa Fighters Should Lose Access To World Titles

“I think there will be a large split in boxing now,” promoter Matchroom Hearn told the media. “If you go with Zuffa, you’re out of the governing bodies. I think that’s really what it’s going to have to be like.”

Hearn’s comments come at a time when Zuffa Boxing is gaining momentum and gaining attention from fighters and promoters across the sport. The long-term question was whether the events would interact with the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO systems, or go in a different direction.

Hearn explained his position.

“If you sign with Zuffa, you can’t win the world championship,” he said. “You can’t have it both ways.”

He pointed to the recent movement to include titleholders and challengers, arguing that fighters who leave the customary route are giving up some of what boxing has historically valued most.

“Legacy will always be the answer,” Hearn said.

This line leads to a real fight under the headlines. Zuffa can offer money, platform power and stern promotion via TKO. Time-honored boxing still offers belts, rankings and the story behind becoming a champion.

Many competitors will try to secure both if possible. Hearn is doubtful whether the balance can be maintained.

Hearn also criticized recent arguments against the Ali Act and said income transparency remains one of the strongest protections for combatants in the current US system.

Whether fans agree with Hearn or not, he touched on something real. Boxing may be heading down two separate paths, and fighters will soon have to decide which is more vital.

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Boxing

Moses Itauma is open to fighting the “legend” KO artist who wants to test his beard

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Moses Itauma open to facing KO artist ‘legend’ who wants to test his chin

Moses Itauma is willing to face the uncompromising heavyweight veteran after his last fight, a methodical fifth-round stoppage victory over Jermaine Franklin.

The 21-year-old showed his world-class potential last month, scoring a third-round knockout before stopping the typically tough Franklin with a powerful uppercut.

Itauma has since been named mandatory challenger for the WBO title, putting him in pole position to face the winner of the Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois fight at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester on May 9.

However, this highly developed talent is ranked No. 1 in the WBA and No. 2 in the WBC, which gives him several options to consider before his next assignment.

WITH Itauma is reportedly expected to return in JulySeveral candidates are already being considered as potential opponents, including the likes of Murat Gassiev and Filip Hrgovic.

As for a potential fight with Deontay Wilder, Itauma said DAZN in preparations for the American’s fight with Derek Chisora, that he would be open to fighting him.

“If he wins, yes. You have to weigh the risk against the reward. What do you get [from fighting] his?

“He is a legend in the sport and I really respect him, but you have to weigh the pros and cons.”

After suffering two knockdowns and beating Chisora ​​by split decision earlier this month, former world champion Wilder is looking for another chance.

I’m talking to ESPNThe 40-year-old said he was not in the mood to avoid potential opponents, including Itauma, who made a huge impression on him against Franklin.

“I’m a heavyweight. All the other characters are heavyweights. Why not? I’m not [dodging] anyone.

“I didn’t know who Moses was, but I saw his last fight with Franklin… What a damn KO. He seems like a potential champion. Why not test him?”

Since their confused encounter, Chisora ​​has demanded an immediate rematch with Wilder, who will likely face an alternate opponent in his next fight.

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