Boxing
Boxing insights on Haney-Garcia, Mayweather-Tyson and more
Published
2 months agoon
The boxing calendar is filling up brisk, with headline fights already announced featuring some of the sport’s biggest names, including Tyson Fury, David Benavidez, Deontay Wilder, Alycia Baumgardner and Oleksandr Usyk.
However, several other potential matchups rumored to take place this year remain in limbo.
Will Devin Haney fight Ryan Garcia, Rolando “Rolly” Romero – or both? Is the Floyd Mayweather vs. exhibition Mike Tyson still happening?
Will Gervonta “Tank” Davis return to the ring after her legal troubles to face Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz in a long-awaited rematch?
Andreas Hale answers these questions and more as he tries to explain some of the most intriguing stories in state-of-the-art boxing.
What’s modern at the Floyd Mayweather-Mike Tyson exhibition?
Since it was announced last September that Mayweather and Tyson would meet at this year’s show, details about the event have been meager. There are no updates on where the fight will be broadcast/streamed, and sources close to the event told ESPN that reports of an April 25 date in the Democratic Republic of Congo were “extremely premature.”
Mayweather announced he will face Manny Pacquiao on September 19 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, leaving the status of the fight with Tyson unclear. At this time, Tyson’s fight is still anticipated, but there are no specific details.
Tyson appeared on “The Ariel Helwani Show” on Wednesday and said he “believes” the fight will take place on April 25 in Africa “in the same ring where Muhammad Ali fought George Foreman.” Ali became notable for knocking out Foreman in the eighth round of the “Rumble in the Jungle” at the May 20 Stadium on October 30, 1974 in Zaire, now recognized as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Wearing a cast, Tyson said he sprained his hand in training and was unsure whether the injury would impact Mayweather’s fight schedule.
Mayweather has remained quiet on the matter, but in early March he posted on social media that he would fight kickboxer Mike Zambidis in June in Athens, Greece.
Who will Devin Haney fight next: Ryan Garcia or Rolando Romero?
Haney, the WBO welterweight champion, has narrowed his options to two opponents for his next fight: Garcia, the WBC champion, and Romero, the WBA titleholder.
Sources told ESPN that a deal is on the table for a May 30 unification fight between Haney and Romero. However, the decision now rests with Haney, who is also considering a more lucrative rematch with Garcia – after Garcia failed a drug test in April 2024. Garcia won the WBC title with a one-sided unanimous decision over Mario Barrios in February and has stated he would be interested in a rematch with Haney. It was suggested by Garcia’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy he is not interested in a rematchconsidering his fighter dumped Haney three times and initially won by majority decision before the result was overturned.
Haney appeared on “Inside the Ring” and confirmed that negotiations are ongoing for a unification fight with Romero. He said he was “working on it” with Premier Boxing Champions, Romero’s promoter, but added that a deal had not yet been struck. Sources tell ESPN that Haney is also likely waiting for an offer from Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority.
Realistically, fighting Garcia isn’t going anywhere. Haney could face Romero in May and unify the titles, which would likely make the fight with Garcia even more vital. Garcia also fights WBO junior welterweight champion Shakur Stevenson, but weight could be an issue as Stevenson has yet to fight at 147 pounds.
Will Gervonta Davis return this summer against Isaac Cruz?
Maybe. While there have been reports of advanced negotiations for the Davis-Cruz 2 140-pound fight this summer, there are major hurdles that will need to be cleared before the fight can be made. Davis is facing legal issues stemming from an October 2025 domestic incident with ex-girlfriend Courtney Rossel. Davis was arrested in January on charges of battery, false imprisonment and attempted kidnapping, two weeks after the arrest warrant was issued, and was released from jail the same day after posting $8,500 bail.
It has not yet been confirmed when Davis will next appear in court, but the looming legal situation will have an impact on if and when Davis decides to return to the ring. Davis is also reportedly dealing with a knee injury that could impact his return. In a now-deleted post on X after he was pulled from his fight with Jake Paul in November, Davis mentioned the injury and said he would return to the ring “as soon as my knee gets better.”
A rematch with Cruz, whom Davis fought to a unanimous decision victory in December 2021, could be another exhilarating fight, but Davis has a lot to deal with in his personal life before resuming his career. Not to mention he did it multiple times discussed early retirement from the sportwhich makes the timeline for his return arduous to predict.
Is the junior welterweight category the strongest division in boxing?
The 140-pound division currently has the strongest and richest collection of fighters. Shakur Stevenson is at the top of the ESPN rankings, sitting fourth in the pound-for-pound rankings after dismantling Teofimo Lopez Jr. in January. and became champion of four divisions. Most of the junior welterweight divisions feature fighters in excellent shape. ESPN’s top five fighters in the division – Stevenson, Lopez, Keyshawn Davis, Richardson Hitchins and Dalton Smith – are either undefeated, current world champions or have won world titles in other weight classes.
But the division is also extremely deep – Subriel Matias, Gary Antuanne Russell, Alberto Puello, Arnold Barboza Jr. and Andy Hiraoka are in the bottom five. That doesn’t even include Cruz, Lamont Roach Jr., Adam Azim and Emiliano Vargas. The division is incredibly luxurious in youth, strength and skill, as well as proven champions, exhilarating up-and-comers and fighters who are not yet in their prime. There are no simple fights at 140 pounds, and the prospect of Davis returning to a loaded division always looms over us.
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Boxing
Tony Bellew explains why Fabio Wardley was right not to throw in the towel against Dubois
Published
1 hour agoon
May 15, 2026
After Saturday’s heavyweight classic, one of the key topics of conversation was whether Fabio Wardley’s corner should have pulled his man out earlier, and former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew shared his view on the matter.
Wardley defended his WBO heavyweight title against Daniel Dubois, but despite two early knockdowns starting in the seventh round, it quickly became clear that the champion was fading.
With Dubois attacking and attacking, the once even fight slowly became one-sided, and after two doctor checks and continued attacking, referee Howard Foster finally intervened in round 11.
While many viewers questioned whether manager Ben Davison should have saved Wardley from an unnecessary penalty, Bellew defended the coach during a TV interview Fight Your Corner Podcast.
“I’m not like many others. I don’t think it should have been stopped earlier. I think the referee did a great job. I don’t think the towel should have been thrown in earlier for the straightforward reason that Fabio Wardley has already shown on many occasions, that he never takes him out of a fight.
“Even if he’s miles behind, even if he’s been injured in a fight, he can pull his hand out of the bag at any time, and for that reason alone, that’s why he should have been allowed to continue playing.
“This is the reason why players like Arturo Gatti were able to continue playing against players like Micky Ward. With his neck up against the ropes and getting punched in the face regularly and Frank Cappuccino [referee] let’s leave it alone, it’s because of the history it has. So they allowed this fight to continue and in my opinion they were right.
“You’ll never make fights truly magical unless you allow the carnage to unfold.”
After a precautionary check-up at a nearby hospital, it was confirmed that Wardley was not seriously injured in the fight. The Ipswich fan favorite could now act his rematch clause and will try to take revenge for the first defeat in his professional career, becoming a two-time heavyweight ruler.
Boxing
Bobby Has escaped disaster time and time again – then cancer changed his face
Published
2 hours agoon
May 15, 2026
Former two-division world champion Bobby Czyz has spent most of his life somehow coping with situations that could easily have killed him.
Now, at the age of 63, Czyz faces another brutal battle after being diagnosed with aggressive squamous cell cancer of his right nostril and neck.
The surgeries necessary to remove the cancer left the former boxing star with a severe facial disfigurement and extensive scarring on his face and nose.
Photos shared publicly by Czyż during his recovery surprised many boxing fans, who remembered him as one of the toughest champions of the sport in the 1980s and 1990s.
But even now, the Novel Jersey striker still sounds like a fighter.
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Czyż wrote under one of the restoration photos. “We can all rise up.”
This mentality accompanied him through almost every stage of his life.
Bobby Czyz has avoided disaster time and time again
Long before winning the world title, Czyz narrowly avoided one of boxing’s darkest tragedies.
In 1980, members of the United States amateur boxing team died on board Polish Airlines LOT 007 in a crash near Warsaw.
Was it supposed to be part of the trip? He only avoided boarding the plane because he was recovering from injuries suffered in a car accident.
Escape has become one of the defining “what if?” moments of his life.
Czyz eventually turned professional and became a two-weight world champion, winning the IBF delicate heavyweight title and later winning the WBA cruiserweight crown.
Known as “The Matinee Idol,” Czyż (44-8, 28 KO) fought in the ring with names such as Evander Holyfield, Virgil Hill, Charles Williams and Corrie Sanders in an era full of threatening fighters.
But the punishment in the ropes wasn’t the only trauma he experienced.
In 2007, Czyz was rescued from a burning vehicle after another terrible car accident, which left him with sedate facial injuries.
Now, almost two decades later, cancer has forced him to fight again.
The boxing world is rooting for Bobby Czyż
Friends and figures from the boxing world have already begun to rally around the former champion as he continues his rehabilitation.
Nick Furris wrote: “Good friend, boxing icon and three-time champion Bobby Czyż will fight the biggest fight of his life.
“Out of nowhere, Bobby was diagnosed with nose and neck cancer.
“I spoke to him today and he is in good spirits after the surgery, but he has a long road ahead of him.
“For those who have seen him fight or know him, please take a moment and say a prayer. Knowing Bobby, if there is one SOB who can beat ‘C’, it will be him.”
In 2026, Czyz explained her cancer discovery in an interview with The What’s Next Kid (thewhatsnextkid) on Instagram.
He said: “One morning I woke up with a lump in my nose. The doctors said it was a polyp with cancer.
“Now I have to go through all these surgeries to try and look even remotely cute again.”
For many boxing fans, images of Czyz barely resemble the fighter they watched during his championship years.
But the mindset still is.
After surviving boxing, a plane crash, devastating crashes and now cancer surgery, Bobby Czyz is still trying to rise again.
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.
Richard Torrez Jr. says Frank Sanchez remains a hazardous opponent ahead of their IBF heavyweight eliminator on May 23 in Egypt, but believes the pressure and pace could ultimately break Sanchez.
Torrez discussed Sanchez during an interview this week ahead of their fight at the Glory at Giza event near the Giza Pyramids.
“You know, I think Frank, being of Cuban descent, has that Cuban style. He can box and box when he needs to,” Torrez Jr. said. in the podcast Mr. Verzace in Ring Magazine.
“I think he has a very mighty backhand. I think he knows how to kind of put you to sleep in the moment where he can hit the shot he wants.”
“And he’s really good at dictating the pace.
“But I think he lacks pace. If you’re able to take control of it and put pressure on him and impose your will on him, I think that’s where things start to fundamentally break down in the game plan.”
“I think we saw that with Kabayel and I think that’s something I’ll kind of emulate and what I’m already doing in my fights.”
Sanchez comes into the fight after suffering the first loss of his career to Agit Kabayel last year. Their fight ended after Sanchez suffered leg problems during the fight.
Torrez also addressed Sanchez’s recent knee problem, which caused the qualifiers to be postponed earlier this year.
“But Frank, I’m going out there preparing for the best. I’m going out there preparing for Frank, who has two great knees.
“That’s the Frank I hope to see because I want to fight the best. I don’t want to fight someone who is at 60%.
Undefeated Torrez will enter the fight with a record of 13-0 and 11 knockouts. Sanchez with a 25-1 record and 18 knockouts heading into the heavyweight eliminator.
Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fighting landscape. His reports focus on the most significant fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.
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Last updated: 15/05/2026 at 2:03
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