Boxing
Oleksandr Usyk is jumping on the novelty fight sauce train
Published
1 hour agoon
Author: Sean Crose
It’s been going on for years – a phenomenon of novelty boxing matches pitting famed fighters against fighters who are generally looking for either a payday or one last moment of glory. MMM legends vs. world-class boxers, MMA legends vs. social media influencers, great boxers of the past fighting far beyond their shelf life, it’s a circus that sometimes borders on tragedy – if there weren’t so much money at stake. Yes – these pioneering matchups can attract many eyes. Indeed, they often rank among the most watched combat sports events in the years in which they take place.
Most of these novelty matches make a lot of financial sense for the parties involved. For the underdogs who almost always lose, there is a pot of gold at the end of this rather painful rainbow. And for a fighter representing the current boxing establishment, it’s uncomplicated money. The truth is that these fights are usually very predictable: an over the hill or inexperienced boxer is defeated (sometimes in brutal fashion), while a member of boxing’s current royal family pockets a huge and easily earned payday.
One thing that wasn’t entirely predictable was heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to fight an pioneering fight himself. In a sport that can sometimes seem clownish, Usyk has been a role model for the seriousness of his profession. While some of his peers like Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder may enjoy a bit of clowning around, Usyk takes all of boxing seriously, and it’s not because he doesn’t have a good sense of humor. This is indeed the case. However, no one questions his dedication, because the guy approaches each fight as if it were his last.
That’s why it was strange to many when Usyk announced he would fight Rico Verhoeven in Egypt, anywhere else, on a major pay-per-view event. Usyk always seemed to roll his eyes at such feats. Here, however, he is going to fight one of the best kickboxers in the world. The thing is…. When you think about it, Usyk has every right in the world to engage in his own pioneering fight. He was the undisputed cruiserweight champion, then the undisputed heavyweight champion, defeated the absolute best in the business and showed what a gifted athlete a professional boxer could be.
And although there is no doubt that Usyk will win Saturday’s fight literally in front of the pyramids, there is also no doubt that the man will not make a career against undeserving opponents. Indeed, Usyk has made it clear that he intends to retire soon, so he wants to get on the gravy train while the going is good. And really, who can blame them? Again, he fought everyone in his path, he comes from a war-torn country, and he has done nothing but make the sport look more reputable than it probably deserves.
Usyk thus deserved the right to Saturday’s penalty kick. As long as he doesn’t look terrible and get beaten up, we’ll soon forget about it. With only a few opponents left after Saturday’s fight, we’ll focus on who he’ll fight next. There is nothing modern about this, especially when it comes to someone like Usyk, who sums up his legacy as perhaps one of the greatest in the heavyweight division. This, of course, will be decided by history. Boxing fans can get absorbed in this moment, whether it involves something modern or not.
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Boxing
Live scores Oleksander Usyk – Rico Verhoeven from Egypt
Published
3 hours agoon
May 23, 2026
The main card begins at 1 p.m. ET on DAZN PPV. Eliminations begin at 11:00 a.m. ET.
Live results
Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven, 12 rounds, heavyweight, WBC title
Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Alem Begic, 12 rounds, super middleweight, vacant WBO title
Jack Catterall vs. Shakhram Giyasov, 12 rounds, welterweight, vacant WBA regular title
Frank Sanchez vs. Richard Torrez Jr., 12 rounds, heavyweight, IBF eliminator
Mizuki Hiruta vs. Mai Soliman, 10 rounds, super flyweight, WBO title
Daniel Lapin vs. Benjamin Mendes, 10 rounds, delicate heavyweight
Basem Mamdouh vs. Jamar Talley, 6 rounds, cruiserweight
Sultan Almohammed vs. Deny Impart, 4 rounds, featherweight
Mohamed Mabrouk vs. Yehya Ali Sserunkuma, 4 rounds, super lightweight
Omar Hikal vs. Michael Kalyala, 4 rounds, middleweight
Master card schedule
1:00 PM ET: Daniel Lapin vs. Benjamin Mendes
13:53 ET: Mizuki Hiruta vs. Mai Soliman
14:37 ET: Frank Sanchez vs. Richard Torrez Jr.
15:39 ET: Jack Catterall vs. Shakhram Giyasov
16:42 ET: Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Alem Begic
17:56 ET: Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven
Tentative schedule
11:00 ET: Omar Hikal vs. Michael Kalyala
11:30 ET: Mohamed Mabrouk Yehya vs. Ali Sserunkuma
11:55 ET: Sultan Almohammed vs. Deny Impart
12:20 ET: Basem Mamdouh vs. Jamar Talley
How to watch
Usyk vs. match broadcast Verhoeven live on DAZN PPV from the Pyramids of Giza, Egypt. The broadcast begins with prelims at 11 a.m. ET, followed by the main card at 1 p.m. ET.
Robert Segal is a boxing reporter at Boxing News 24 with over a decade of experience covering fight news, previews and analysis. Known for his first-hand reporting and in-ring perspective, he delivers authoritative coverage of champions, challengers and emerging talent from around the world.
Boxing
Tim Bradley Predicts Devin Haney vs. Keyshawn Davis: ‘He’s the Favorite’
Published
5 hours agoon
May 23, 2026
Tim Bradley assessed the nuances of the fight between Devin Haney and Keyshawn Davis, believing that one of the fighters will be the clear favorite in their potential welterweight fight.
After his comprehensive performance against Brian Norman Jr last November, many would consider WBO champion Haney the top dog at 147 pounds.
“The Dream” was able to overtake and dethrone Norman with minimal difficulty, scoring an early knockdown before becoming a three-division world champion.
Previous points victories over the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko and Regis Prograis have only cemented Haney’s position as one of the best busy fighters in the sport.
Davis, meanwhile, has not fully established himself as a pound-for-pound star, despite having previously dethroned Denys Berinchyk – via a fourth-round stoppage, no less – to become the WBO lightweight champion in February 2025.
After returning to the ring last January, “The Businessman” defeated Jermaine Ortiz at 140 pounds, ending the 12th round after dismantling his opponent with body shots.
But now, after a unanimous decision victory over Nahir Albright, whom he faced in a rematch last week, Davis is expressing interest in moving up to 147 pounds and challenging Haney.
However, Bradley said that considering their recent performances his YouTube channel that would make Davis a significant underdog.
“I’m telling you now: I don’t care about watching this fight. I think it’s an ugly fight. But who would be the favorite?
“[Based on] their recent performances, Devin Haney would be the favorite. Haney has more experience; Haney fought back [professionally] since he was 17 years ancient. I fight adult men in Mexico.
“He won [an undisputed championship and has] I was there with legends [like Lomachenko]”
In addition to his experience, Bradley emphasizes that Haney’s mentality was a key factor in the match against Davis, who narrowly missed weight in his first weigh-in before the Albright fight.
Much more drastic, however, was his failed attempt last June, when The American was stripped of his WBO title after weighing more than 4 pounds over the lightweight limit.
Boxing
Adrien Broner’s broadcast leaked from Gervonta Davis training
Published
6 hours agoon
May 23, 2026
Gervonta Davis may finally be preparing to return to boxing after unexpected comments during Adrien Broner’s latest Kick broadcast revealed that the lightweight star has returned to training.
During a conversation broadcast live on the broadcast, veteran coach Kevin Cunningham appeared to casually inform Broner that Davis had recently been to the gym before the pair arrived.
“You know your boy was here,” Cunningham told Broner.
“Oh,” Broner replied before asking, “Really? Did he stop?”
“He’s training…” Cunningham added.
The exchange immediately sparked speculation online that Davis had quietly resumed preparations for a comeback after months of uncertainty about his future.
The return of Gervonta Davis
Davis has remained largely out of the spotlight since his controversial draw with Lamont Roach and the ongoing legal issues surrounding the Pound for Pound star outside the ring.
As WBN previously reported, surveillance footage related to Davis’ ongoing civil case was made public earlier this year, increasing scrutiny over the former lightweight champion’s future and legal situation.
At the same time, there are still some major fighting possibilities floating around behind the scenes.
WBN recently revealed that Vasily Lomachenko’s potential return could reignite the unfinished superfight that ended in 2024 when the Ukrainian retired from boxing.
For Davis, just returning to training changes the conversation.
The lightweight division continues to operate without him, with names like Shakur Stevenson, Isaac Cruz, Floyd Schofield and Roach remaining linked to possible future fights.
Stream Adrien Broner
The irony is that Broner stopped streaming with Deen the Great and started training with Cunningham himself, which he also broadcast to thousands of viewers online.
The footage immediately led many fans to question why Broner wasn’t doing more in the latter years of his career.
At 37 years venerable, Broner seemed to have some time left when he signed with Don King in 2023. Three years later, he fought only two fights, and the last one ended in defeat against Blair Cobbs.
Like Broner, Davis also struggled with inactivity and motivation, but looked like a million bucks on the pads.
During an eye-opening interview in 2025, Davis admitted that he needed to “rehabilitate” himself after several arrests and told Dan Cannobio of the Inside Boxing Show that the process meant getting “all boxing” out of his system, perhaps permanently.
Shortly thereafter, Davis signed a contract to fight Jake Paul before the fight resulted in modern legal problems surrounding the Baltimore fighter.
Now Davis appears to be considering whether another comeback attempt will complicate the legal process that still hangs over his career.
Despite the uncertainty, one chance exchange on Broner’s broadcast may have finally confirmed that Davis is at least returning to boxing rather than further away from it.
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.
Oleksandr Usyk is jumping on the novelty fight sauce train
Live scores Oleksander Usyk – Rico Verhoeven from Egypt
DEREK CHISORA SLAMS FABIO WARDLEY – “HE WASN’T READY FOR BOXING, HE DIDN’T TRAIN!”
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