Boxing
The joy of little combat cards.
Published
4 months agoon
Author: Sean Crose
Last weekend I attended a fight event in my hometown of Waterbury, Connecticut. For the first time in about 50 years, a fight card appeared in the city. Willie Pep once fought there in front of 20,000 people, but those days are apparently long gone. However, those who thought it would be foolish to bring boxing back to society found out that they were very wrong. More than a thousand spectators gathered at the Palace Theater in the city center to watch local fighter Michael Kimbel try to climb the ladder. The main event was a thriller. As do most of the cards leading up to this.
Kimbel knocked down his fighter in the first round. However, his opponent, the very competitive Edgar De Leon, came back and knocked down Kimbel. Not once, but twice. The staggered Kimbel was barely able to hold himself up. But the thing is, he actually stuck to it. After surviving the round, he took control of the fight and basically beat the crap out of destitute De Leon. The fight was stopped a few seconds before the end of the eighth and final round. No one argued that the referee made the wrong decision. De Leon’s face felt like a punching bag and there was no need for him to take further damage at this point.
After the fight ended, the crowd in Waterbury, long known to be a crafty place, erupted in celebration. Indeed, it was a wild night of boxing, with relatives trying to jump into the ring and fans shouting four-letter obscenities for a full three minutes of each round. Unfortunately, some people brought their children there. Quick Tip… Don’t take your kids to a boxing match until they’re senior enough to handle nuclear bombs and the effects of solemn alcohol consumption. After the season ticket expired, one of the theater employees, who was used to musicals, concerts and other performances, decided that now that he had taken up boxing, he needed a drink.
Point well made. Here’s the thing though… The little fight cards are fun. Adult oriented but fun. Yes, there are people who make drunk fools of themselves. Yes, there are people who can’t lend a hand but scream as if they know anything they’re talking about, but it’s still a great feeling to have as many as 2,000 people screaming their approval and really engaging with the action taking place in front of them. What’s more, it’s great for the players involved. Fight critics don’t understand that fight fans love watching fighters win even more than they love watching them lose. That’s quite a distinction. When you fight at the local level, there is a sense of community.
There will undoubtedly be a sense of community in Atlantic City on Saturday night as Boxing Insider Promotions presents another of its popular live cards. The key to such events is not to show the stars of the day, but to show the rising stars of tomorrow. These people are hungry and want to impress. This makes for a good viewing experience, especially when a fan watches the entire broadcast live and in person. The truth is that boxing needs more of this type of thing. Players need to be seen growing in front of an audience. Petite cards like Saturday’s turn out to be a testing ground for future talents.
It’s great to be able to say that you knew a popular player even though no one knew who he or she was. There is a sense of community for viewers who have been there from the beginning. This is all worth the attention of boxing fans.
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Boxing
Lucas Bahdi Calls for Schofield Rematch After Controversial Knockdown Calls
Published
3 hours agoon
October 19, 2026
Most Valuable Promotions has formally challenged Lucas Bahdi’s defeat against Floyd Schofield III, petitioning the WBA for an immediate rematch after claiming uncalled knockdowns cost their fighter the vacant lightweight world championship.
The promotional outfit submitted video footage alongside detailed documentation to the WBA following the October 10 clash in Chicago. MVP maintains that if the referee had correctly recognized and scored the disputed incidents, Bahdi would have emerged with a majority decision win instead of leaving the ring empty-handed.
Schofield took the vacant belt by unanimous decision, capturing wide margins on the official cards with scores of 116 to 110, 115 to 111, and a steep 119 to 108. Bahdi’s side now wants the sanctioning body to grant another title opportunity, arguing that multiple officiating blunders corrupted those final numbers.
“The video evidence demonstrates multiple significant officiating errors that directly impacted the outcome of the fight,” MVP said in its statement.
“Our review shows that had these knockdowns been properly ruled and scored, Lucas would have won the WBA lightweight world championship by majority decision.”
That claim sounds bold on paper, yet MVP failed to provide the necessary receipts to back it up. The public release never identified which specific rounds contained the uncalled drops, nor did it offer an adjusted scorecard breakdown to illustrate how Bahdi overturned an eleven-point deficit on the widest card.
Rather than rehashing standard complaints about judges favoring the house fighter, MVP pinned the blame directly on the third man in the ring. The core of their protest argues that referee mistakes prevented the judges from scoring mandatory 10 to 8 rounds, skewing the overall totals.
“We have submitted our findings to the WBA and requested an immediate rematch,” MVP said.
Securing a second fight remains an uphill climb. A rematch forces Schofield to revisit an opponent he already officially conquered, and lodging a protest never guarantees the WBA will order the boxers back into the ring. The sanctioning body has not issued a ruling on the video review, leaving MVP’s victory claim as promotional posturing until officials deliver a verdict.

About the author
Boxing News 24 Desk
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.
Boxing
Lucas Bahdi Calls for Schofield Rematch After Controversial Knockdown Decision
Published
3 hours agoon
October 19, 2026
Most Valuable Promotions has formally challenged Lucas Bahdi’s defeat against Floyd Schofield III, petitioning the WBA for an immediate rematch after claiming uncalled knockdowns cost their fighter the vacant lightweight world championship.
The promotional outfit submitted video footage alongside detailed documentation to the WBA following the October 10 clash in Chicago. MVP maintains that if the referee had correctly recognized and scored the disputed incidents, Bahdi would have emerged with a majority decision win instead of leaving the ring empty-handed.
Schofield took the vacant belt by unanimous decision, capturing wide margins on the official cards with scores of 116 to 110, 115 to 111, and a steep 119 to 108. Bahdi’s side now wants the sanctioning body to grant another title opportunity, arguing that multiple officiating blunders corrupted those final numbers.
“The video evidence demonstrates multiple significant officiating errors that directly impacted the outcome of the fight,” MVP said in its statement.
“Our review shows that had these knockdowns been properly ruled and scored, Lucas would have won the WBA lightweight world championship by majority decision.”
That claim sounds bold on paper, yet MVP failed to provide the necessary receipts to back it up. The public release never identified which specific rounds contained the uncalled drops, nor did it offer an adjusted scorecard breakdown to illustrate how Bahdi overturned an eleven-point deficit on the widest card.
Rather than rehashing standard complaints about judges favoring the house fighter, MVP pinned the blame directly on the third man in the ring. The core of their protest argues that referee mistakes prevented the judges from scoring mandatory 10 to 8 rounds, skewing the overall totals.
“We have submitted our findings to the WBA and requested an immediate rematch,” MVP said.
Securing a second fight remains an uphill climb. A rematch forces Schofield to revisit an opponent he already officially conquered, and lodging a protest never guarantees the WBA will order the boxers back into the ring. The sanctioning body has not issued a ruling on the video review, leaving MVP’s victory claim as promotional posturing until officials deliver a verdict.

About the author
Boxing News 24 Desk
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.
Boxing
Does Oleksandr Usyk Need a Rematch with Daniel Dubois?
Published
3 hours agoon
October 19, 2026
Daniel Dubois’ second-round stoppage of Fabio Wardley gives Oleksandr Usyk another possible opponent for his farewell fight. It also raises a harder question: how much would Usyk gain by beating someone he has already stopped twice?
Dubois retained his WBO heavyweight title on Saturday in London, rebuilding interest in a third meeting with the unbeaten Ukrainian. Usyk stopped him in nine rounds in 2023 and five rounds in their 2025 rematch. Those results leave Dubois needing the fight far more than Usyk does.
At 39, Usyk is choosing how to finish his career rather than working his way toward another championship opportunity. He has already become undisputed champion at cruiserweight and heavyweight, with two victories apiece over Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Dubois.
That leaves a shortage of unfinished business.
A proposed Deontay Wilder fight would have offered a recognizable opponent Usyk had never faced. However, those negotiations have reportedly collapsed, with Fury and David Benavidez emerging as alternatives for a possible final appearance.
Fury’s appeal depends heavily on his December 11 fight with Joshua. A strong victory would give promoters something fresh to sell: Fury returning from that British heavyweight clash to take another run at the man who beat him twice in 2024. A defeat would make a third Usyk fight considerably harder to justify.
Dubois has strengthened his own case by stopping Wardley twice this year. Yet beating Wardley does not answer the technical questions Usyk posed in their previous meetings. Dubois would still need to show he can land consistently against Usyk’s movement and avoid being drawn into a fight where the Ukrainian controls the pace.
Benavidez would offer a different opponent and a fresh style, although his ability to compete with Usyk at heavyweight remains untested.
Usyk’s next fight needs more than a famous name or another belt attached to it. A Dubois trilogy would give the younger man a chance to overturn two defeats. The challenge for its backers is explaining why Usyk should spend his final appearance giving him that opportunity.
About the author
Ken Hissner
Ken Hissner is a senior boxing journalist at Boxing News 24 with more than 20 years of experience covering the sport. Known for his ringside reporting, detailed results, and historical perspective, he delivers authoritative coverage of boxing across eras.
Lucas Bahdi Calls for Schofield Rematch After Controversial Knockdown Decision
Lucas Bahdi Calls for Schofield Rematch After Controversial Knockdown Calls
Does Oleksandr Usyk Need a Rematch with Daniel Dubois?
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