The cut was poorly placed, directly above the eye, where swelling impaired vision as the bullets accumulated. The doctor made a call that doctors make. But it wasn’t a cut open through the skin. This was the result of bad timing.
Zerafa: “I said it’s blurry, but it’s fine, let’s go,” he asked if Zerafa had told the doctor that he couldn’t see. “No, I’m ready. We’ll do it again, let’s do it again,” he said.
Tszyu was gaining momentum. His body punch was hitting the ground and he was patient in working behind it. In the second minute, he began to establish himself on the ropes, finding distance at close range and deflecting a right counter that had him momentarily unsettled. The fight was dead until two o’clock, but Tszyu seemed to sense the moment Zerafa entered.
Zerafa was the early aggressor, not landing any power punches. In the first one he threw combinations, but had difficulty hitting the flush. A brief stumble after the exchange suggested he was still finding his feet. The counter showed flashes in the second second, but it wasn’t enough to change the control.
Head-to-head clashes are inevitable when the orthodox meet the southpaw in close quarters. Leading feet line up, heads drift, and referees can only warn. This particular clash took place just as the fight was taking shape. Tszyu started cutting off the ring. Zerafa focused on counterattacks with his back legs. Two more rounds could have cleared everything up.
The immediate reaction will be calls for a third fight. This makes sense from a commercial point of view. But both men need to consider what this result actually tells them. Tszyu showed that he can withstand pressure in the early game and work effectively in the mid-range. After just a few rounds, Zerafa showed that he can put pressure on the younger fighter without gassing him.
Demsey McKean wins
Demsey McKean defeated Toese Vousiutu in the seventh round on Friday night in Australia, adding another name to his record but doing little to clarify where he stands among the true heavyweights. The fight ended with Vousiutu unable to continue after a lengthy punishment, but the level of the opponent says more about his opponent selection than it does about McKean’s readiness for something grave.
McKean worked with a steady jab and controlled distance against a fighter who had no right to be there with him. Vousiutu showed heart but lacked the skill and fitness to be competitive. Fatigue set in midway through the rounds, and McKean’s cleaner, stronger punches eventually forced a stoppage. It was professional, professional and unremarkable.
Swift night for Nelson Asofa-Solomon
Nelson Asofa-Solomon knocked out Jeremy Latimore in the first round, which sounds more impressive than it actually is. Asofa-Solomon is a professional rugby player testing the boxing waters, and Latimore was there to provide token resistance. The knockout came quickly, but against an opponent with no jab, indigent footwork and hands held too low. This was a promotional exercise, not a competitive fight.
Ivic overtook Taliva
Stevan Ivic took a majority decision victory over Liam Taliva after ten rounds, with two judges scoring it 96-94 and one finding it even. Ivic racked up enough rounds with jabs and cleaner combinations to earn the nod, but tight scorecards suggested he couldn’t impose his will. Taliva’a stayed in the pocket, gave back and made Ivic work for every exchange. Neither fighter showed the footwork or ring generality needed to make significant steps up the ladder.
Liam Wilson’s Power Returns
Liam Wilson knocked out Rodex Piala in the fourth round at super featherweight, showing the arm strength that once made him a legitimate contender. Wilson set up the finish with powerful body work, broke Piala and performed a finishing combination without drama. The performance was good, but Piala made no lateral movement and was caught running up predictably. Wilson looked good because he was supposed to look good.
Routine wins for Reeves and Polkinghorn
Max Reeves dismissed Sonny Abid 60-54 at super middleweight, boxing with a stiff jab and never giving Abid room to set his feet. Billy Polkinghorn did the same against lightweight Jomar Paliwen, also winning 60-54 on all cards. Both fights were one-sided exercises in ring control, with neither opponent offering counterattacks or effective pressing. These were development battles that confirmed that none of the prospects was at risk.
Tom Galm has been covering the global boxing scene since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, business trends and fighter psychology.
Naoya Inoue is eyeing up a move into the featherweight division, with each of the reigning 126lb champions seemingly keen to secure a lucrative shot at the pound-for-pound king. Now, after scoring a fifth consecutive win inside of the distance, one featherweight ruler has publicly called for a clash with the Japanese sensation.
Inoue has issued a March deadline to Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez as hype around their potential match-up continues to first build and then be dampened by a possible collapse, as Rodriguez toys with the idea of remaining at bantamweight or challenging for the undisputed super-bantamweight throne.
Regardless, it is believed that Inoue will make his move into the featherweight division next year, with current world champions; Angelo Leo (IBF), Bruce Carrington (WBC), Brandon Figueroa (WBA) and Rafael Espinoza (WBO), each jostling to be selected as the man that Inoue wishes to challenge.
On Saturday, Espinoza managed a fifth straight knockout win in as many outings since becoming a world champion and during the aftermath of his victory over Ricardo Blandon, ‘Divino’ unveiled his plans to either unify or take on Inoue, on the DAZN broadcast.
“The truth is, I want to unify. I want a unification fight. I want to be able to say I’m the best featherweight, and also wait for that big fight with Inoue. That would be a dream. My biggest dream is to become one of the pound-for-pound best. That’s what I want, and that’s what I’m going to pursue.”
Inoue’s move to featherweight hinges on Rodriguez’s next move, but it is expected that the pair will collide in Marchbefore the Japanese superstar ventures up to what he has declared will be the highest and final weight-class of his career.
Canelo Alvarez got his hands on the WBC super-middleweight title once again as he dethroned Christian Mbilli on Saturday night, and now the reigning WBC Interim champion has revealed his keenness to take on the Mexican superstar.
Alvarez lost his undisputed title to Terence Crawford last September, whilst Christian Mbilli defended his WBC Interim title in a draw against Lester Martinez in the co-main event.
When Crawford retired from the sport and relinquished his titles, Mbilli was elevated to full world champion and an immediate target was placed on his back, with Canelo eager to regain his title – which he did with a unanimous decision win on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Martinez – who is trained by Crawford coach Brian McIntyre and has sparred the pound-for-pound great on many occasions – has since been named as the WBC Interim champion and has defended that belt with triumphs over Immanuwel Aleem and Luka Plantic during 2026.
Following Canelo’s win over Mbilli, Martinez told Izquierdazo Boxeo that it is his ‘dream’ to take on the four-division world champion in a bid for the full WBC super-middleweight crown.
“My dream now is to fight Canelo because he is the champion.”
Alvarez is believed to have one fight left on his deal with Riyadh Season and is already being linked to a return to action in the spring.
Whilst Martinez will hope to soon be mandated as Alvarez’s opponent, David Benavidez famously had no such luck when pursuing a showdown with Canelo whilst he reigned as the WBC Interim titleholder.
Instead, Canelo is hoping to secure a mammoth rematch with Crawforddespite the American’s retirement.
On Halloween night, Canelo Alvarez defeated Christian Mbilli to become a three-time super-middleweight world champion, and now the question is: outside of Terence Crawford, can any other boxer defeat Canelo at 168?
When Christian Mbilli entered the ring to face Canelo Alvarez, a reasonable number of boxing pundits thought Mbilli was going to pull off the upset. Alvarez has a history of stamina issues, and many assumed Mbilli could take advantage.
The idea was for Mbilli to overwhelm Canelo with his high-volume punching, wear him down, take over in the later rounds, and win a close decision. Unfortunately for Mbilli, the bout didn’t go that way.
Canelo Alvarez was able to dictate the range and the pace of the fight. Canelo’s defense was sharp, his stamina was good, and on offense he dominated the action with skillful counterpunching and pinpoint accuracy.
Mbilli fought the wrong type of fight, as most of the bout took place at mid-range as opposed to close quarters. Mbilli gave Canelo too much respect, and on multiple occasions he looked confused.
Christian Mbilli was severely outclassed, and because of that, the fight looked like a glorified sparring session. As a result of the bout, Canelo Alvarez (64-3-2, 39 KOs) is the new WBC super-middleweight world champion.
The sport of boxing is based on levels, and on the night of October 31st, Canelo Alvarez proved he was levels above Christian Mbilli. Now fight fans are wondering: are any of the current top super-middleweights close to being on Canelo’s level?
Terence “Bud” Crawford defeated Canelo Alvarez with his skill set and his ring IQ. None of the top super-middleweights have a skill set compatible with Crawford’s, and none of them come close to Crawford when it comes to ring intelligence.
With that being said, one would ask, outside of a rematch with Crawford, what would be the ideal fight for Canelo at 168? If Terence Crawford can’t be convinced to come out of retirement, then Hamzah Sheeraz is probably the best candidate.
The former WBO world champion Hamzah Sheeraz is a 6-foot-3-inch super-middleweight who is skilled, and he can effectively fight from long range. On Halloween night, Sheeraz was ringside analyzing the fight.
Back in July 2025, Hamzah Sheeraz looked sharp as he stopped Edgar Berlanga in the 5th round. A year later, Sheeraz had a lackluster performance, as he scored a majority decision victory over Simon Zachenhuber.
Now Hamzah Sheeraz (24-0-1, 19 KOs) appears to be the frontrunner in regards to facing Canelo in 2027. If Sheeraz doesn’t get the match, then Canelo may choose to fight one of the other champions at 168.
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