Boxing
ESPN women’s boxing MVP: Can Baumgardner become a star?
Published
6 months agoon
The women’s boxing schedule is filled with several intriguing title fights, including Alycia Baumgardner vs. Bo Mi Re Shin and the rematch between Stephanie Han and Holly Holm. Both fights are covered by Most Valuable Promotions, which on Friday announced the signing of a multi-year television contract with ESPN.
Baumgardner looks like one of the future faces of women’s boxing and if she wins, she will have plenty of options at 130 and 135 pounds. One possibility is a rematch with Terri Harper, whom Baumgardner stopped with one of the most impressive knockouts of 2021. Harper, however, has a grave challenge ahead of her when she faces Caroline Dubois in a lightweight unification bout in London on April 5, with the winner likely to emerge as the fighter to beat at 135 pounds.
Meanwhile, Chantelle Cameron – the only player to beat Katie Taylor as a professional – is looking for a trilogy with the Irish star. But first, she will move up two divisions to face Michaela Kotaskova for the vacant junior middleweight title on the Dubois-Harper card. Will Cameron be able to win and then return to his natural weight against Taylor in a winner-takes-all fight?
There are also other matchups where the stakes are significant.
Han and Holm’s first meeting ended in a disappointing technical decision victory for Han after she suffered a cut to her right eye from an accidental headbutt. Holm, a Hall of Famer, could be looking at the end of her career if she loses the rematch.
Unified super middleweight champion Shadasia Green appears on course for a potential megafight with ESPN’s top pound-for-pound fighter Claressa Shields, but first she must defeat Lani Daniels.
Andreas Hale and Nick Parkinson discuss these matchups and share their thoughts on the stakes.
Can Alycia Baumgardner become the face of women’s boxing MVP?
Yes. Baumgardner has charisma, youth and the ability to carry the MVP of women’s boxing on her back. She has already demonstrated excellent knockout power by defeating Terri Harper in 2021, as well as an ever-evolving skill set that resulted in an impressive victory over Mikaela Mayer in 2022 and the unification of three junior lightweight world titles, and a personality that will make you either love her or hate her. And while he already has undisputed status at 130 pounds, now all that’s left is to put it all together when the spotlight is at its brightest.
Baumgardner received prime real estate in her first two fights under the MVP banner and also had co-main event spots on the Katie Taylor-Amanda Serrano 3 and Jake Paul-Anthony Joshua fight cards. Although she won these two fights by significant margins – against Jennifer Miranda and Leila Beaudoin – neither fight was considered a breakthrough. Baumgardner, the No. 7 pound-for-pound women’s boxer on ESPN, will have the opportunity to impress as a headliner on April 17 against Bo Mi Re Shin in defense of her WBO, IBF and WBA junior lightweight titles at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in Fresh York.
Her opponent was not chosen by chance, as Shin gave WBC lightweight champion and Baumgardner’s rival Caroline Dubois all she could handle in March 2025, losing by majority decision. MVP will give Baumgardner every opportunity to excel and become a superstar; she’ll just have to seize the moment.
Will the winner of Caroline Dubois vs. Should Terri Harper unify the division or wait for Alycia Baumgardner to move up?
While being undisputed brings prestige and is a huge achievement, a fight against Baumgardner, who reigns supreme in the junior lightweight division, will likely be more lucrative for the winner of the Dubois vs. Harper, which will take place on April 5 in London.
Dubois, the WBC lightweight champion, will face English rival Harper, the WBO titleholder, in the biggest fight of her career to date. And the fight against Baumgardner will be bigger than the fights against any other lightweight champion – IBF champion Elif Nur Turhan, who is a hazardous puncher, and the much taller Stephanie Han, the WBA champion). Harper is more experienced than Dubois and has already been in huge fights against Baumgardner, Cecilia Braekhus, Natasha Jonas and Sandy Ryan. However, Harper may also choose a rematch with Baumgardner – who stopped her in four rounds in November 2021 – over unifying the belts. Harper lost her WBC junior lightweight belt when she was stunned by Baumgardner in one of the best KOs of the year and may operate the opportunity to seek revenge for winning another belt.
Baumgardner would have to move up from junior lightweight, where she holds three belts, to face Dubois or Harper.
Is the Shadasia Green vs. Claressa Shields fight currently the most essential fight in women’s boxing?
Yes, but due to a unique set of circumstances. There are plenty of huge fights to be had in women’s boxing. Katie Taylor’s swan song will be highly anticipated, as will the fight between Shields and welterweight champion and fellow pound-for-pound fighter Mikaela Mayer. But what makes the fight between Shields and Green stand out is the promotional machine behind it. MVP and the platform it offers, which includes a broadcast on both ESPN and Netflix, would push the Shields-Green fight to the moon in terms of coverage. Despite everything Shields has accomplished, she has yet to compete on a stage as huge as the one MVP has to offer, and teaming up with Jake Paul would expand her reach.
Green also serves as Shields’ opposite, with her raw power compensating for any shortcomings in her natural boxing abilities. Although she dropped a decision to Franchon Crews Dezurn, whom Shields defeated twice, Green’s impressive comeback against Savannah Marshall in July 2025 proved that she is still developing as a fighter and has not yet reached her peak. Add to that the fact that there would be a pointless conversation going on between these two women and you have everything you need to make this the biggest fight in women’s boxing today.
Green will first be tasked with knocking out former lightweight heavyweight champion Lani Daniels on April 17. If she succeeds, we can expect her to throw down the gauntlet before the fight with Shields. It will be up to Shields and her promoter, Salita Promotions, to decide what direction the undisputed women’s heavyweight champion will take next.
Where does the win place Ellie Scotney on the ESPN women’s P4P list?
Scotney, 27, could become the youngest undisputed champion in British history – male or female – if she defeats WBA junior featherweight champion Mayella Flores on April 5 in her hometown of London and unifies all four major belts. Scotney, the WBC, IBF and WBO champion, has two good wins in 2025 – against Yamileth Mercado and Mea Motu – which led me to vote her to No. 10 in my opinion pound-for-pound rankings, and a win over Flores should aid her crack the top ten.
How long does Holly Holm have left and what would a victory for Stephanie Han mean?
Holm ended a 12-year hiatus from boxing to sign with MVP in May 2025. A 2022 inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion knocked off the rust with a unanimous decision against Yolanda Vega. However, in her next fight, Holm was losing on the scorecards 65-69, 65-68 and 64-69 to Han, before Han suffered a cut from an unintentional clash of heads, which ended the fight in the seventh round, with Han taking the technical decision victory. They will meet again on May 30 in Han’s hometown of El Paso, Texas.
Holm, 44, will have a significant mountain to climb in the rematch because Han is nine years younger, faster and the undefeated WBA women’s lightweight champion. Facing Han in her second boxing match after competing in MMA was a tough task for the multiple-time boxing world champion, but it was clear that Holm did not want to waste time on training fights. Holm is in the twilight of her combat sports career and this could be seen as a “now or never” moment in realizing her championship aspirations. Will he end his career with a second defeat in a row?
As for Han, another victory over Holm – who is still a prominent figure in combat sports – would be a major step forward in terms of her marketability. Han defeated Holm in the rematch, but as an ESPN headliner she will have a larger audience, including many who have never seen her compete. A final victory would boost her profile, and in a division that includes fellow champions Terri Harper, Caroline Dubois and the hard-hitting Elif Nur Turhan, Han would have some captivating opportunities to unify the titles.
Will victory secure Chantelle Cameron’s trilogy with Katie Taylor?
Cameron is on the shortlist to fight Taylor this summer, but she can’t be sure she’ll secure a trilogy fight with her rival despite their history.
Taylor may be at the top of Cameron’s wish list, but she faces competition in what could be Taylor’s last fight. Taylor recently announced that she wants to make her final fight, preferably this summer at Croke Park Stadium in Dublin.
Cameron, who will face Michaela Kotaskova in London on April 5 for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title, is the only fighter to defeat Taylor in the professional ranks. Cameron defeated Taylor by majority vote in May 2023, before Taylor avenged that loss with a decision victory six months later.
The trilogy fight is likely the biggest possible fight for Taylor, but WBC, IBF and WBA welterweight champion Lauren Price, who will defend her belts against Stephanie Piñeiro on April 4 at the Cardiff International Arena, told ESPN this week that she has been approached to fight Taylor later this year.
Taylor, who holds three versions of the junior welterweight world title and hasn’t fought since a trilogy win over Amanda Serrano in July 2025, could be tempted to face Price, especially if Cameron doesn’t want to drop down to welterweight or junior welterweight.
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Boxing
Andy Ruiz Jr. Drops 20 Pounds in Preparation for Knyba Fight
Published
4 hours agoon
September 4, 2026


It is Ruiz’s lowest scale reading since he weighed 252 pounds for his July 2018 decision over Kevin Johnson. He was 28 then, active, and still climbing toward the biggest victory of his career. Eight years later, his body has been through extreme fluctuations, long layoffs, and the soft living that followed his 2019 upset of Anthony Joshua.
Two years ago, Ruiz came in at 274.4 pounds for his draw with Jarrell Miller, making this a drop of 20.1 pounds. He was 268 when he stopped Joshua, ballooned to 283 for the rematch, and registered 268.8 against Luis Ortiz in 2022.
The 254.3 pound reading will be sold as evidence of renewed discipline. It may be. Ruiz clearly did more than stroll through camp and hope his name would carry him. Losing that much weight at this stage of his career still brings questions about what the reduction took out of him.
Extra mass is not an automatic source of punch resistance, but Ruiz has spent most of his prime absorbing heavyweight shots with a much thicker body. Cutting down rapidly may leave less natural padding through his upper body and neck. That is worth watching against a 6’7″ opponent whose punches arrive from steep downward angles.
Ruiz also needs his right hand to survive a full fight. He fractured it against Miller and said the injury prevented him from throwing properly during the second half. The lower weight will mean little if he cannot release the three-punch combinations that made him dangerous at close range.
Knyba gives him openings. The Polish heavyweight often stands tall and does not possess elite lateral movement. Added quickness should allow Ruiz to work around the long guard with overhand rights, then dig shorter punches underneath. The danger comes when Knyba grabs him. Repeated clinches may drain Ruiz’s legs and prevent him from establishing the fast inside exchanges he needs.
There is also a difference between looking better on a scale and being restored as a fighter. Ruiz’s inactivity has taken away valuable years, while his reflex-dependent style requires timing that neither roadwork nor dieting can reproduce. At his best, he slipped shots at close range and answered with combinations before opponents recovered. That version has not been seen consistently since the first Joshua fight.
Ruiz faces vastly more pressure here than a fighter merely shaking off ring rust. Ruiz cannot afford another flat performance against an opponent selected to relaunch him. A cautious decision or exhausting struggle would damage his value as a future opponent for the leading names at heavyweight. At 36, there is not enough time for a lengthy rebuild.
The lower number is encouraging, but the fight will reveal what Ruiz lost along with those 20 pounds. A rejuvenated former champion may turn up in Newark. We may just as easily see an older fighter who worked hard to recreate a body from his twenties without recovering the fighter who once occupied it.

BoxingNews24.com has delivered independent boxing coverage since 2007, including original news, fight analysis, schedules, and results. Our experienced boxing writers cover major fighters and events worldwide, with published content reviewed by editors for accuracy, clarity, and reliable sourcing.
Boxing
Frank Sanchezs Advisor Guarantees Hrgovic a Challenging Night
Published
11 hours agoon
September 3, 2026

“Now Frank is the mandatory for Hrgovic. We plan on enforcing it. We’ve already had discussions about it. It’s happening,” Valencia told BoxingScene. “There’s not going to be step-asides for no amount of money. He believes he can be world champion and wants to be world champion, and [nothing] is going to interfere with that opportunity.
“Moses wasn’t strong enough to hurt Hrgovic in the first six or seven rounds. It’s a completely different story with Frank Sanchez. Frank has speed and big power.”
Itauma did hurt Hrgovic, dropping him in the second round and landing enough heavy shots to build a huge lead. His failure was not a lack of strength. He emptied his gas tank trying to force a stoppage, abandoned his jab as fatigue set in, and eventually became a stationary target.
The Cuban presents a different test. He is more comfortable boxing at a controlled pace, changing angles, and forcing slower heavyweights to reach for him. Hrgovic had trouble finding Itauma when the 21-year-old stayed disciplined early. That kind of movement is available to Sanchez without the pressure to satisfy a British crowd by turning every exchange into a firefight.
The danger is Sanchez’s low punch output. Against Efe Ajagba and Christian Hammer, he often waited to land single counter rights or lead left hooks. Hrgovic keeps throwing after taking clean punches and can steal rounds through activity alone. Sanchez cannot circle for three minutes, land two eye-catching counters, and assume the judges will ignore everything coming back.
Agit Kabayel also exposed the fastest route to breaking Sanchez down: sustained body punching. Hrgovic is not a committed body attacker. He prefers straight rights upstairs and rough right hands in close, which allows Sanchez to use his upper-body movement against predictable head shots. If Hrgovic cannot slow his legs by attacking downstairs, chasing him around the ring may turn into an ugly night.
Hrgovic still carries physical force that Richard Torrez Jr. could not match. At roughly 245 pounds, he can make clinches exhausting and punish Sanchez once his movement declines. The real test comes after the eighth round, when Sanchez must continue slipping heavy shots while producing enough offense to protect his lead.
Abel Sanchez helped Hrgovic settle down against Itauma by getting him to stop lunging and allowing the younger fighter to exhaust himself. Similar patience will be required against Frank Sanchez. Reckless pursuit gives the Cuban the exact counterpunching opportunities he wants.
Frank Sanchez may possess the tools to hurt Hrgovic in ways Itauma failed to sustain, but Valencia is overlooking the champion’s durability, output, and ability to keep applying physical pressure. One sharp combination will not be enough over 12 rounds.
Hrgovic’s trainer wants the champion’s cuts to heal before a January return. Valencia is willing to wait, provided Frank Sanchez remains next.
Boxing
Teddy Atlas Predicts Damian Knybas Upset Victory in Opening Match
Published
12 hours agoon
September 3, 2026

Massive paychecks kept rolling in without Joshua. Ruiz collected lucrative pay per view main event money against Arreola and Luis Ortiz, enabling him to stay rich while keeping his schedule quiet. Arreola dropped him early, Ortiz forced him into sporadic bursts, and Jarrell Miller battered him down the stretch in August 2024 to force a draw.
Hurting his right hand against Miller offers little excuse for the decline. Ruiz has failed to deliver a commanding performance in four consecutive outings following his career-best win over Joshua. Camp insiders promise better conditioning and renewed focus before every return, yet the actual ring work routinely mocks the promotional rhetoric.
Atlas still ranks Ruiz as the superior technician heading into Friday at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Hand speed, punch resistance, and seasoned ring generalship all tilt toward the veteran. Atlas simply refuses to endorse Ruiz until the California heavyweight proves his appetite survived a lifestyle sustained entirely by past paydays.
“There is a window of opportunity for Knyba to use the reach, use the height, use his legs a little bit, and box on the outside. I’m curious to see if I’m going to think that Knyba is a little bit of a live dog at three-to-one. I ain’t laying it so fast because of those ifs,” Atlas said on THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas.
Thursday at the weigh in, Ruiz registered 254.3 pounds, his lowest official reading since 2018. The figure represents a 20.1 pound drop from the 274.4 pounds he carried into the ring against Miller. Ruiz admitted ballooning near 300 pounds during his long sabbatical, giving merit to camp reports detailing a drop of more than 40 pounds throughout training.
Trimming down looks clean for promotional cameras, though bathroom scales cannot measure actual fighting endurance. Ruiz has to demonstrate that shedding blubber revived his footwork rather than simply leaving him depleted. At 36, stripping off substantial weight after a long layoff rarely restores the blistering hand combinations of 2019.
Knyba suffered a three-round stoppage against Agit Kabayel in January, yet Ruiz brings an entirely different stylistic approach. Kabayel walked down the giant Polish contender, battering his ribs without intermission and stripping away room to punch or clinch.
Relentless body punching vanished from Ruiz’s arsenal years ago. The former unified king now hunts overhand rights, fires sudden hooks up top, and retreats to admire his handiwork. Hunting exclusively around Knyba’s earmuffs will allow the taller man to tie up the Californian, reset center ring, and establish his preferred distance.
Atlas spots that tactical trap immediately. Ruiz possesses the timing to counter over Knyba’s pole jab, yet single counterpunches accomplish little without persistent ring cutting. Following Knyba around the perimeter gives the underdog freedom to pile up points behind his natural reach.
Newark also gives Knyba an advantage Kabayel denied him in Germany, starting with genuine regional backing. Knyba trains locally and owns three victories inside Prudential Center. Northern New Jersey features a massive Polish population ready to turn the arena into a boiler room against a West Coast invader. This booking functions as a home game, not a neutral showcase.
Linking up with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom demands an emphatic statement. Heavyweight hardware is scattering across multiple sanctioning bodies, opening avenues for marketable names. That promotional reality explains why Ruiz commands big television slots at his age.
Laboring to an ugly points win will do zero favors for Ruiz’s marketability. Sputtering through a low-tempo struggle against Knyba merely proves the transformation stopped at the bathroom scale.
Atlas asks the proper question because the malaise has lingered for seven years. Friday reveals how much fight actually exists once Knyba forces Ruiz to work.

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