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Josh Kelly steps into danger in his fight against Bakhram Murtazaliev

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3 months ago

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Image: Josh Kelly's Risky Choice: Accepting Jaron Ennis WBO Eliminator for Zayas Title

In fact, it seems closer to the sentence.

Matchroom Boxing reinforced that feeling this week by releasing footage of Murtazaliev training for the Jan. 31 fight. The power seemed intact. The scales looked bulky. Fourteen and a half months later, there was no trace of rust on the ring. He looked like a warrior who had been waiting for a long time for someone to finally agree to stand before him.

This expectation was not accidental. Since Tszyu’s arrest in October 2024, Murtazaliev has struggled to attract significant opposition, with massive names at 154 pounds choosing not to commit. The belt did not keep him secure. This made him easier to avoid, and Kelly was the one willing to sign the contract when the others wouldn’t. At 31, world-class opportunities don’t come in droves, and Kelly understood what turning down this one would likely mean.

Things change immediately for Kelly. He enters the fight at the age of 31 and has seven victories under his belt, but rebuilding his form after his loss to David Avanesyan in 2021 required defeating opponents at the national and European level. During this series he boxed with more discipline and control, but since the Avanesyan fight he has not been able to cope with constant pressure or real world-class stopping power.

Murtazaliev offers both and doesn’t hide it. He carries power in both hands and scored a point against Tszyu when an injured right forced him to rely on his left. The result was repeated knockdowns and a fight that ended before Tszyu could adjust. This performance did not raise Murtazaliev’s profile. This turned him into a problem.

Kelly will have home-field advantage at the Newcastle Arena. The crowd will be clamorous. The support will be real. This doesn’t change anything about the way Murtazaliev fights. He doesn’t commit to peace. He closes the distance and waits for damage to occur.

This is the level Kelly wants and where one mistake can change a career in one round.

If Murtazaliev knocks Kelly out at any point, especially early on, it will immediately change his career. Such a loss does not return the athlete to recovery mode. This brings him to a level where opportunities are dwindling and recovery is leisurely. Kelly knows this from experience. It took years to escape his sixth-round loss to Avanesyan in 2021. This time, the damage may happen faster and be harder to reverse.

It’s a bold choice. This is also the type of warrior when there is no place left to hide.

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Boxing

Mauricio Sulaiman claims that Crawford knew in advance that he would have to pay $300,000. dollars fee for WBC

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22 minutes ago

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April 25, 2026

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Image: Mauricio Sulaiman Says Crawford Knew $300K WBC Fee Early

Mauricio Sulaiman says Terence Crawford was aware of the WBC’s reported $300,000 penalty charge long before his undisputed fight against Canelo Alvarez last September, providing a different version of the recent dispute over the champion’s title costs

The WBC president addressed the issue during a recent interview after Crawford publicly questioned why the organization would not honor terms that he believed had been accepted by other sanctioning bodies. Sulaiman said the amount had already been communicated in advance and was not a surprise once the fight was finalized.


“He knew well in advance what the WBC estimated for this particular fight and it was supposedly 300,000. That was the upper limit,” Ring Champs said of Crawford before his fight with Canelo.

Sulaiman added that this amount is lower than the percentage the organization says it can collect under its regulations. He said the WBC capped the fee rather than applying the full rate.

The dispute became a topic of discussion after Crawford publicly responded to previous comments related to the sanctions process. Sulaiman avoided escalating the exchange, saying he did not want to personally criticize Crawford.

“I’m not going to talk bad about Crawford,” Sulaiman said.

He also said that fighters and promoters receive contracts and terms before title fights are approved, describing the process as standard practice and not something created for a single event.

“There are contracts. When you as a promoter give in and get sanctioned, there are rules,” Sulaiman said.

When a player earns tens of millions, the standard 3% suddenly becomes sedate money, and that’s when the backlash usually begins.

The comments highlight a long-standing problem in boxing, where sanction fees are often accepted during negotiations but become controversial when vast funds are involved. Huge fights usually reveal how much power the belts still carry.

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Categories Terence Crawford

Last updated: 25/04/2026 at 18:31

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Boxing

Errol Spence Jr.’s opponent and return date have finally been confirmed

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2 hours ago

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April 25, 2026

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Errol Spence Jr’s comeback opponent and date finally confirmed

Errol Spence Jr will make his long-awaited return this summer as he faces the former world champion away.

The 36-year-old has not fought since losing his three welterweight world titles in July 2023. when he suffered a nine-round defeat to Terence Crawford during the battle at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Before their meeting, many suspected Spence was the top dog at 147 pounds, even after a life-threatening car accident in 2019.

He eventually recovered from the traumatic incident with back-to-back victories over Danny Garcia and Yordenis Ugas, but suffered an undisputed defeat against Crawford.

As a result, Spence is set to make his long-overdue move to 154 pounds before his next appearance, with Report from the boxing scene that he will face former super welterweight champion Tim Tszyu on July 25 in Australia.

It was also recently reported that Tszyu had named Jeff Fenech as head coach after he fired his training team for the second time in three fights.

This followed the Australian’s unanimous decision victory over Denis Nurja in Wollongong, Australia earlier this month, which followed an equally dominant triumph over Anthony Velazquez in December at the TikTok Entertainment Center in Sydney.

Meanwhile, the 31-year-old lost in the seventh round to Sebastian Fundora in July 2025 during his last meeting at world level.

Tszyu previously lost a split decision in their first meeting before finding himself facing a three-round demolition task against Bakhram Murtazaliev in 2024.

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Boxing

Canelo Camp announces Resendiz-Munguia as the winner next

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4 hours ago

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April 25, 2026

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Image: Canelo Alvarez Camp Signals Resendiz-Munguia Winner as Next Move

Eddy Reynoso may have said more than he intended when discussing Canelo Alvarez’s next move, as his comments pointed less to Christian Mbilli and more to the winner of next week’s Jaime Munguia-Armando Resendiz fight

Canelo is expected to return to Riyadh for the season in September after recovering from surgery on his left elbow. Reynoso told Ring magazine that the plan remains super middleweight and named several possible opponents, including Mbilli. However, the strongest language in the interview was the conversation about the May 2 fight between Munguia and Resendiz for the WBA title.


“This time it’s Munguia against Resendiz in a pan-Mexico fight on a pan-Mexico card,” Reynoso told Ring Magazine, discussing Cinco de Mayo weekend. “This is going to be an amazing fight and we are prepared to win. This fight is going to be so good that it will steal the show. They have the ingredients to distract from the main event.”

This was unique because Reynoso trains Munguia and has a direct stake in the outcome, but it also sounded like early preparation for what comes next. If Munguia wins, a rematch with Canelo will be an straightforward sell to the Mexican crowd and an straightforward one to build to. If Resendiz wins, he will arrive with the belt and fresh momentum.

After his recent victory over Lester Martinez, Reynoso mentioned Mbilli as a “massive challenge,” but the tone was different. This sounded like one option on the list as the Munguia-Resendiz fight gained full popularity.

Canelo’s team has also ruled out other routes. Reynoso said the David Benavidez fight is now over and suggested there is little chance of seeing it again. Staying at 168 pounds also reduces the likelihood of a rematch with Dmitry Bivol.

This leaves less room than it initially seemed. When camps start praising one fight with such a hard month ahead of time, it’s usually worth paying attention to.

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Categories Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia

Last updated: 25/04/2026 at 13:22

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