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Josh Kelly tames Bakhram Murtazaliev and wins the world title

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Josh Kelly tamed great boxer Bakhram Murtazaliev with his clever boxing to win the IBF junior middleweight world title by majority on Saturday.

The English boxer lifted his first world title belt with a shock score of 115-111, 114-113 and 113-113, much to the delight of the Newcastle crowd.

Kelly forced a count in round four when he caught Murtazaliev with a demanding jab to the counter, then was sent to the canvas himself with a left hook in round nine.

However, Kelly deserved the win as his sharp moves and quick punches prevented Murtazaliev from landing any demanding shots.

“If it wasn’t for the audience’s energy, I wouldn’t have gotten up at all,” Kelly later told DAZN.

“Beyond the ninth round, I was tranquil, frosty and collected. Whoever faces a substantial fight will be next.”

Kelly (18-1-1, 9 KO) told ESPN that he “doesn’t mind” boxing fighters like Murtazaliev, and he backed up those bold words with the best performance of his career in which his hand speed, skill and discipline frustrated the champion. Kelly attacked in brief, piercing bursts and then moved out of range, preventing Murtazaliev from responding.

After defeating one of the hazardous fighters at 154 pounds, Kelly now faces the winner of the fight between WBO champion Xander Zayas (22-0, 13 KO) and WBA titleholder Abass Baraou (17-1, 9 KO), who were scheduled to fight later in Puerto Rico on January 31.

Philadelphia’s Jaron “Boots” Ennis, a former welterweight world champion who is considered the No. 1 seed at 154 pounds, is another option for Kelly in his first title defense if a fight against Vergil Ortiz Jr. is not made.

Murtazaliev (23-1, 17 KO) lost his belt in his second title defense after the Russian failed to consistently land immaculate punches due to Kelly’s deft footwork and piercing jab.

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Kelly, 31, from Sunderland, entered the ring on a seven-fight winning streak since being stopped by welterweight David Avanesyan in 2021.

Murtazaliev, 33, originally from Chechnya but living in Glendale, California, hasn’t boxed in 15 months since he dropped Tim Tszyu four times after three rounds, and that break may have made it arduous for him to land more punches.

Kelly, who is trained by Adam Booth in London, also had just two minutes on the pitch in 2025 but quickly appreciated the threat in front of him when Murtazaliev landed a right hand tardy in the first quarter. Kelly’s hand speed hampered Murtazaliev tardy in the second round as he broke through the Russian’s guard.

Kelly continued to find success in the third set with quick combinations before retreating out of range.

Kelly then stunned Murtazaliev on a counterattack, landing a jab that forced the unbalanced Russian into a brief touchdown and getting a count in round four. Murtazaliev shook his head and quickly recovered, but the speed of the punch knocked him off balance and left Kelly in front.

Murtazaliev followed Kelly around the ring in round five, but was caught again with a right hand on the counter just before the bell. Kelly seemed to be leading halfway through the match and skillfully avoided Murtazaliev’s blows in the seventh round.

Kelly troubled Murtazaliev in the eighth period when he landed a combination to the body and head with the challenger seemingly in control.

But Murtazaliev finally got there with a few immaculate punches in round nine, when he knocked Kelly to his knees with a left hook to the top of the head. Following the count, Kelly was caught again by the right rope but avoided another crunch.

Both had their moments in a lively 11th round, with Murtazaliev landing a substantial overhand early in the final round in an attempt to beat KO. Kelly unloaded with a flurry of punches as Murtazaliev was trapped in a corner and the challenger ended the fight celebrating before the results were announced.

At the bottom you can see that IBF women’s lightweight champion Elif Nur Turhan had a closer fight than the one she had with a split decision against Taylah Gentzen (8-2, 3 KO). The Turkish boxer won by a score of 98-92, 96-94 to 93-97 after landing more powerful punches than Gentzen.

Turhan (13-0, 8 KO) stopped her four previous opponents just two months ago, including Beatriz Ferreira in her previous fight.

Josh Padley cruised to a second-round victory over Jaouad Belmehdi to capture the vacant European junior lightweight title.

Padley (18-1, 6 KO), whom Shakur Stevenson stopped a year ago in the ninth round of his WBC lightweight title defense, knocked down Belmehdi with a left hook in the second and then applied pressure to force the stoppage.

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Terence Crawford names one fight he would like to see against Gervonta Davis this year

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Terence Crawford names one fight he wants to see Gervonta Davis make happen this year

Terence Crawford has named an opponent he would “love to face” with Gervonta Davis in his expected return to the sport.

The former world champion hasn’t fought since March 2025, when many felt he was lucky to draw with Lamont Roach.

Nevertheless, “Tank” retained the WBA lightweight title and was scheduled to face Roach in an immediate rematch before negotiating an exhibition match with Jake Paul.

But instead of spending time with the YouTuber-turned-boxer, Davis was forced to deal with domestic violence allegations from his former partner, Courtney Rossel.

Since then The 31-year-old was recognized by the WBA as a “breaktime champion”.urged by No. 1 contender Floyd Schofield to book their fight or give him a free shot at the title.

Davis, however, has expressed greater interest in a rematch with Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz at 140 pounds, even though he passed the Mexican in 2021.

Meanwhile, Crawford has no desire to watch “Tank” fight Schofield or Cruz, but he would happily sit back and watch him clash with Shakur Stevenson.

I’m talking to Danielle Pirello“Bud” called the WBO super lightweight world champion the perfect opponent for Davis, believing their potential meeting would be one of the best fights that could be had.

“I’d like to see Shakur vs. ‘Tank’ Davis.”

Stevenson had previously called on Davis to sign a contract several times, perhaps making him increasingly doubtful whether the Baltimore player would ever sign.

Therefore, it is unrealistic to expect an immediate fight between “Tank” and Stevenson, especially after the latter’s dominant performance against Teofimo Lopez in January.

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Deontay Wilder’s opponents are leaving after Anthony Joshua’s snub

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Deontay Wilder with Andy Ruiz Jr and Moses Itauma as next fight options

Two credible opponents emerged after Deontay Wilder vs. Anthony Joshua finally fell after an eight-year battle for the fight.

As World Boxing News documents from start to finish, after nearly a decade of back-and-forth, a Wilder-Joshua fight is no longer an option.

Joshua now has bigger fish to fry in the UK in 2026 as the former two-time heavyweight champion pushes for a British superfight with Tyson Fury.

Promoter Eddie Hearn effectively ruled out Wilder as a warm-up opponent, leaving the Londoner’s next moves without the “Brown Bomber” involved.

After the summer warm-up, Fury’s double will follow and by the time Joshua is finally free, Wilder will be 42 years aged.

This causes Wilder to look elsewhere.

Deontay Wilder’s opponents

Joshua’s compatriot Moses Itauma has already called for a fight, putting himself in a risky clash with one of the best fighters in the division.

Itauma is already shunned and would be seen as a bad turn for Wilder.

However, what stands out is a potential Pay-Per-View showdown in the United States with Andy Ruiz Jr.

The two were linked to fights between 2020 and 2023, when, ironically, the Tyson Fury trilogy stalled before Ruiz’s contract situation made any agreement impossible.

As previously reported by WBN, talks on financial terms were finally broken off when the fight was already clearly decided.

The interest never went away. WBN also revealed how fan demand for the Wilder vs. Ruiz match had skyrocketed, generating millions of views as fans insisted that the fight would finally happen.

Now, after their September showdown at Allegiant Stadium, Wilder vs. Ruiz is the front-runner if either fighter is to return to the heavyweight world title hunt.

Following Joshua’s departure from the table, Wilder’s next move is under scrutiny and calls for a rematch with Derek Chisora ​​are met with an extremely lukewarm reception.

Whether he takes on an emerging name like Itauma or returns to unfinished business with Ruiz, this decision will impact how he re-enters the heavyweight scene.

The title isn’t out of the question for Wilder, but the next move has to be the right one.


About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Since 2010, he has interviewed world champions, published exclusive international performances and reported on in-ring performances. His work is distributed on major platforms including Apple News. Read the full biography.

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The Errol Spence Jr vs Tim Tszyu fight will take place on July 26 in Australia

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Image: Errol Spence Fires Back at 'Washed' Claims

Rafael reported that sources indicate that the junior middleweight fight is scheduled for Sunday afternoon, July 26, in Australia, which means the U.S. broadcast will take place on Saturday evening, July 25.

If finalized, it would be Spence’s first fight since his loss to Terence Crawford in July 2023. The former welterweight champion has spent a long period out of the ring, which would also mean him moving up to junior middleweight against an opponent who is naturally bigger and more busy.

This makes it a challenging return task rather than a unthreatening tune-up. Spence will return after almost three years away overseas and will face a fighter who has already operated at a world-class level in the division. This July will mark approximately 36 months since Spence’s last fight. At the age of 36, such passivity is arduous for most people.

Tim Tszyu is also trying to maintain his standing in front of the home crowd after a recent arduous run. Still, he remains one of the stronger names at 154 and brings size, pressure and knowledge of the weight.

The schedule provides a clear commercial window for both sides, with the Australian stadium-style afternoon event morphing neatly into Saturday night on American television.

Nothing is official until the contracts are signed, but if it does happen, Spence will take the risk immediately. Many players at the end of the break ask for something more fragile. This one goes the other way.

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