Boxing
Bill Haney downplays Ennis vs. Xander Zayas fight
“You want to see Boots fight Devin Haney? Ortiz. Ortiz. Ortiz. That’s just a recap,” Bill said to A million dollar game.
Although Zayas recently won a world title and continues to gain momentum as one of boxing’s younger stars, Bill’s comments suggest he does not yet place the Puerto Rican champion in the same category as Vergil.
The discussion also became awkward when Bill hesitated for a moment after asking if Boots was already a proven fighter.
– Jaron Boots Ennis, what is this? Haney said. “Is it proven?” He is battle-tested.”
Others around him immediately reacted to the pause.
“That’s too much thinking, man,” Bill said. “He said he was battle-tested.”
Bill later returned to the topic of Vergil, making it clear that he believed the match would answer more questions about Boots than the fight with Zayas.
“It’s a completely different type of fight. People already know what kind of dog he is,” Bill said.
Vergil continued to build a reputation as one of the most unsafe pressure fighters in the division with his power, aggression, and willingness to take on challenging fights. Meanwhile, many fans still see Zayas as someone on the rise, even though he is already one of boxing’s youngest champions.
The discussion around Ennis has intensified since his move up to junior middleweight following his welterweight career, where he dominated most of his opponents but continued to face criticism regarding the level of his major victories.
Bill also made it clear that Devin has no plans to return to lightweight, discussing possible future fights at welterweight and junior middleweight.
“Once you go up, you never come back down,” Bill said.
The 12-round bout headlines a Coliseo Promotions “Noche Suprema” card that will be streamed live on YouTube.
“I am very motivated to fight in Hermosillo, my hometown for the last 15 years,” Berchelt told The Ring. “I want to show all my fans that there is more ‘Alacran’ Berchelt for many years.”
Berchelt (42-3, 37 KOs) enjoyed one of the sport’s strongest runs at 130 pounds after stopping Francisco “Bandido” Vargas in the 11th round to capture the WBC title in January 2017. He followed that victory with six successful title defenses, defeating former champion Takashi Miura and stopping Vargas in their rematch, Miguel Roman, and Jason Sosa during his reign.
His momentum came to a halt in February 2021 when Oscar Valdez knocked him out in the 10th round to claim the WBC belt. Less than a year later, Berchelt moved up to lightweight and suffered another stoppage loss, retiring after six rounds against Jeremia Nakathila.
Since then, the 34-year-old has quietly rebuilt his career with four consecutive victories, all in Mexico. Although the opposition has been modest, the winning streak has kept alive hopes that the former champion still has something to offer after years of punishing battles.
Cordoba (7-1, 4 KOs) enters the fight after scoring a second-round knockout in May. The Colombian has competed above his natural weight in recent outings and now steps in against the most accomplished opponent of his career.
A victory would extend Berchelt’s comeback to five straight wins as he attempts to work his way back into contention nearly a decade after beginning his title-winning run against Vargas.
Dalton Smith’s WBC light welterweight title defense against Alberto Puello is expected to take place on Oct. 24 at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield, England, according to veteran boxing journalist Dan Rafael.
The bout is expected to headline a Matchroom Boxing event after its original June 6 date was postponed when Smith suffered an elbow injury during training camp. The undefeated British champion was forced to withdraw before fight week, delaying his first defense of the WBC belt.
Smith has quickly emerged as one of Britain’s leading contenders at 140 pounds. The Sheffield native captured the vacant WBC title earlier this year and will now have the opportunity to defend it in front of his hometown fans if the revised date is finalized.
Puello, a former world titleholder from the Dominican Republic, earned the mandatory title shot after remaining among the division’s top-ranked contenders. Before traveling to England, he is scheduled to face Miguel Ángel Bolaño in a 10-round stay-busy fight on July 18 in Santo Domingo.
The Smith-Puello matchup has been viewed as one of the division’s most significant championship bouts outside of the United States. A victory for Smith would further strengthen his position among the elite light welterweights, while Puello will look to regain a world title by handing the unbeaten champion the first defeat of his professional career.
Neither Matchroom Boxing nor the WBC has formally announced the rescheduled date, but Rafael reported the fight is expected to move forward on Oct. 24 in Sheffield.
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Last Updated on 2026/07/11 at 1:51 AM
Ryan Garcia’s proposed September 12 welterweight fight against Conor Benn remains in limbo after contract issues on Garcia’s side prevented an official announcement Friday, despite expectations the bout would be unveiled during the UFC ceremonial weigh-ins in Las Vegas. The latest update points to unresolved paperwork involving Garcia, Golden Boy Promotions and DAZN.
Boxing insider Dan Rafael reported that Benn’s side has completed its agreements, but Garcia’s side has not.
“Still issues on Golden Boy/Garcia/DAZN side so no announcement yet even though the fighters & Zuffa Boxing PR team were on hand anticipating it was to have happened at Friday’s weigh-in, per sources,” Rafael said on X.
Rafael added that the announcement was never going to move forward until every agreement had been finalized.
“Paper not done & they weren’t going to announce until it was DONE. Benn side is done.”
If the remaining issues are resolved, Rafael said the promotion intends to hold a kickoff press conference in New York next week around Zuffa Boxing’s July 26 card at Madison Square Garden.
The proposed matchup would headline a September 12 event in Las Vegas, with Ryan defending his WBC welterweight title against Benn. Negotiations have been complicated by Garcia’s ties to Golden Boy Promotions and DAZN, while Benn is now aligned with Zuffa Boxing, leaving the promotional structure and broadcast arrangements to be finalized before the fight can be officially announced.
Ryan and Benn made brief appearances during the UFC 329 festivities but spent much of the event on the sidelines as the expected announcement failed to materialize.
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Last Updated on 2026/07/11 at 1:25 AM
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