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ESPN women’s boxing MVP: Can Baumgardner become a star?

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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

The Day Wilder vs. Joshua fight died after eight years of failure

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Wilder vs Joshua WBN

Today is April 24, 2026, and after eight arduous years of trying, the Deontay Wilder vs. Anthony Joshua fight is off the table for good, ending one of boxing’s longest-running failed negotiations.

The last window closes

Both sides had one good opportunity to get the job done and promoter Eddie Hearn now closed it down tough. The Matchroom boss has outlined the level of opponent Joshua’s next fight will be aimed at, and it won’t be thrilling for those still hoping for Wilder.

Hearn initially branded Wilder a ‘warm-up’ for Joshua after the ‘Bronze Bomber’ sent Derek Chisora ​​to the points. However, less than a few weeks later, that position appears to have evaporated.

Instead, Joshua will now likely face lower-level opponents outside the top 15 to shake off the ring rust. It is unclear whether these instructions are coming directly from Saudi Arabia or not, but the former two-time heavyweight champion is not expected to enter a potential fight with Tyson Fury this fall after beating the YouTuber over the course of five one-sided rounds.

The Path of Fury takes priority

Joshua, who recorded wins over the likes of Otto Wallin and Jermaine Franklin before suffering a devastating stoppage defeat to Daniel Dubois, is currently in advanced talks with Fury following his performance on Saturday after “The Gypsy King” defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov.

Once negotiations are finalized and the fight is secured, British fans can look forward to the most crucial heavyweight battle in the British Isles since Frank Bruno vs. Lennox Lewis.

To achieve that, Joshua needs to fight a transition fight, and that means he won’t take any chances against Wilder, despite the American’s dwindling strength.

Wilder will now be forced to leave, and given his current form, he may struggle to maintain his current position until any Fury series ends.

Joshua vs. Fury could stretch into two or even three fights, while Wilder will turn 41 in October, which puts him firmly on the wrong side of the age divide.

Heavenly sports

How it all started

The attention for the former WBC ruler could instead turn to Andy Ruiz Jr., who – as WBN reported exclusively in 2020 – was once lined up for a massive pay-per-view clash with Wilder after the Fury trilogy.

It never materialized, but it remains one of the few remaining realistic options that still holds real intrigue.

The plan began with Shelly Finkel’s phone call to WBN in June 2018. It will end in a whimper as Joshua and Hearn choose their next move ahead of the Fury fight.

How it ended

Eight years later, it has only come close to reaching significance once, in 2023, and even then the Day of Reckoning plan fell through.


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. Read the full biography.

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Sheeraz says the WBO title could lead to a fight with Canelo

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Image: Sheeraz to Berlanga: "Keep Your 100k"

“I have to say it would be nice to keep Canelo,” Sheeraz told The Ring. “If I become world champion on May 23, I will stand in the way of him becoming undisputed.”

Sheeraz recently said he still wants a fight with Canelo and believes becoming champion could put him directly in line if Alvarez wants to reclaim his titles upon his return.

The fight against Begic is seen as a major opener for Sheeraz. Begic is 39 years elderly and much less established than other names in the division, which creates a significant opportunity for Sheeraz to capture the belt and break into a much larger commercial arena.

Once titleholder status is attached to his name, Sheeraz will become a more attractive option for major event sponsors looking to stage a high-profile comeback for Alvarez. He brings an undefeated record, market value in the UK, a weight of 168 pounds and a title that can be used in a wider story.

This doesn’t guarantee there will be a fight next, but the path is clear. If Sheeraz wins in Egypt, he will go from contender talk to championship business overnight.

For Sheeraz, May 23 may not mean winning the vacant belt so much as securing a spot at the biggest table in the division.

Alvarez is expected to return later this year from elbow surgery, and his next move will be closely watched around the league. With several belt holders in place, promoters now have plenty of options, but the newly crowned Sheeraz would immediately enter the conversation if he can handle Begic.

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Shakur Stevenson called for a fight to unite stadiums: “It’s a dream”

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Rising star with 80% KO ratio says he has the key to beat Shakur Stevenson

Shakur Stevenson faces a tantalizing opportunity, but only at 140 pounds, as he considers possible opponents for his next fight.

It appears that the 28-year-old has not yet set a date for his next fight dethroning Teofimo Lopezthe then-WBO super-lightweight champion, who scored huge in January.

A world champion in four weight divisions, Stevenson is now looking for a challenge at 140 to 135 pounds, where he previously held the WBC title.

A name that has been mentioned multiple times is Raymond Muratalla, the IBF and Ring Magazine belt holder after he overtook Andy Cruz in January.

From Stevenson’s perspective, the possibility of becoming Ring Magazine’s three-division champion is what makes a potential fight with Muratalla particularly attractive.

At the same time, however, a unification bout with Dalton Smith at 140 pounds certainly deserves consideration later this year.

Like Stevenson, the WBC champion won the super lightweight world title in January, dethroning Subriel Matias with a fifth-round away victory.

To get his next assignment, Smith will have to face mandatory challenger Alberto Puello on June 6, headlining the Matchroom Boxing gala at the Sheffield Arena.

If he manages to defend his title, the 29-year-old is eager to face Stevenson in a transatlantic battle that he compares to Floyd Mayweather’s fight with Ricky Hatton.

I’m talking to Ring MagazineSmith said that ideally this “dream” fight would take place at Hillsborough Stadium – home of Sheffield Wednesday Football Club – or even Las Vegas.

“Of course [it’s a dream fight]. It’s just a repeat [Mayweather-Hatton]whether we do it in Hillsborough or on a huge night in Vegas.

“These are the fights that need to be fought – these are the most essential fights.”

Earlier in the interview, the Briton said he felt an obligation to continue his development to “do it for the people and ensure that huge fight nights come back to Sheffield.”

If Stevenson retains his WBO title, he could theoretically face Smith later this year, but perhaps by then he will be more likely to focus on alternative options.

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