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David Benavidez-Bivola talks have stalled over monetary demands

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Image: Is Bivol's Strategic Delay a Clever Move for a Mega-Payday?

“They tell me that the talks on the unification of the delicate heavyweight division are not going very well. The amount the Kyrgyz fighter is asking for would be too high,” Sabatini wrote on the website X.

The timing is intriguing because Benavidez has been open about wanting Bivol next following his stoppage win over Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez on May 2. Benavidez sounded confident afterward that the fight could come quickly, even talking about how a victory over Bivol would impact his standing in the sport.

The problem is that Bivol still has things to do. His fight with Michael Eifert will take place on May 30, and after the first two fights there is still pressure for a third fight with Artur Beterbiev. Beterbiev has been waiting for the trilogy for over a year.

If money demands do become an issue, Benavidez could be stuck watching Bivol go in a different direction again.

Sabatini also noted that Bivol could risk losing his titles if he decides not to fight Benavidez. This part becomes essential because Benavidez holds the WBC 175 belt while Bivol controls the WBA, IBF and WBO titles. Sanctioning authorities have recently shown little patience with champions delaying mandatory fights or opting for optional fights instead of unifications.

Benavidez has already pushed ideas like a 190-pound catchweight for Bivol. The suggestion seemed like an attempt to maintain some of the size advantage he had during the campaign at 168 and now at 175. Whether Bivol is interested in those terms is another question.

It doesn’t look as certain right now as it did for Benavidez after beating Zurdo. Bivol still has options, and Beterbiev’s trilogy will likely remain the biggest commercial fight.

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Osleys Iglesias put Canelo and Mbilli on the hit list

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Image: Osleys Iglesias Names Canelo, Mbilli on Hit List

Osleys Iglesias believes the path to the top of the super middleweight division still leads through boxing’s biggest names, but he also expresses doubts whether Saul Alvarez will ever agree to face him.

Iglesias mentioned Christian Mbilli, Jaime Munguia, Hamzah Sheeraz and Canelo when discussing the fights he wants at 168 pounds. The undefeated Cuban champion then made it clear that he did not expect Alvarez to volunteer for the fight.


“I think there are no basic fights. All fights are hard. Munguia, Mbilli, Sheeraz, Canelo, I think they would all be good fights, but I would prepare differently for each one,” Osleys told InsideRingShow.

“It’s complicated. Canelo won’t want this fight.”

Osleys also said he hopes Alvarez will finally give him a chance to prove himself against boxing’s biggest star.

“I hope God willing he will give me the fight,” Iglesias said.

“And show the world what Cuban fighters are all about. Osleys Iglesias is built differently.”

Iglesias recently won the IBF super middleweight title with a win over Pavel Silyagin last April and has quickly become one of the most hazardous names in the division.

The Cuban midfielder suggested that a fight with Canelo would be an captivating style clash due to the contrast between Canelo’s patient counter-attacks and his own aggressive approach.

“It’s an captivating fight because I’m more combative. Canelo is more selective and looks for opportunities.”

Iglesias (15-0, 14 KO) already sees how hard it is to break into the top bracket at 168 pounds. Hamzah Sheeraz and Jaime Munguia are increasingly being discussed in terms of the division’s biggest fights, while Iglesias remains almost undetectable in conversations with other belt holders despite holding the title himself.

This situation is unlikely to change any time soon unless Riyadh Season finally becomes interested in pushing him into contact with the division’s bigger trade names.

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Last updated: 27/05/2026 at 15:31

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Adam Azim has warned that Steve Claggett’s “energy and gas tank” will put him to the test

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Adam Azim warned that Steve Claggett’s ‘energy and gas tank’ will test him

Adam Azim returns to action on Saturday night, seeking a sixth straight knockout as he tries to prove he is ready to compete for world titles. On the opposite side sits Steve Claggett, who is expected to give the 24-year-old his toughest test to date and is capable of causing concern in the eyes of his promoter.

Azim remains undefeated after 14 professional fights and is well-positioned in both the IBF and WBO rankings, ranked No. 7 in the world with both sanctioning bodies and close to world title opportunities. This weekend he will headline the BOXXER event at the OVO Arena in London, broadcast live on BBC2.

The task of the “Killer” is the experienced Canadian Claggett, who has 50 professional fights under his belt, and especially went the distance with Teofimo Lopez, fighting for the WBO world title two years ago.

In an interview with Boxing News, Claggett’s promoter Camille Estephan warned that his protégé’s “tank of energy and gas” will test whether Azim is “for real”.

“We understand that Adam Azim is a very, very promising, good player, newborn player. We have done a lot of homework with him, but I think this is a really huge test for Adam. Steve Claggett will now be the measuring stick to show whether Adam Azim is the real deal and whether he is ready at the highest level.

“Steve Claggett has proven that he can perform at the highest level, he is no longer a newborn, emerging fighter, he is far from that. He wants to take advantage of this opportunity, so this is a very crucial fight for Claggett.

“When you get into a fight with Steve Claggett, they say he has the lungs to run two huge marathons, so he’ll have the energy and the gas tank to really test Adam. I think it’s going to be an amazing fight and I can’t wait to watch it.”

Azim-Claggett will take place on Saturday, May 30and on the final card, Joel Kodua and Will Harrison will fight for the English welterweight title.

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Agit Kabayel says Oleksandr Usyk “is ancient” after Rico

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Image: Agit Kabayel Says Oleksandr Usyk “Is Old” After Rico Fight

Oleksandr Usyk may have escaped unscathed with his titles against Rico Verhoeven, but WBC interim heavyweight champion Agit Kabayel believes Rico’s age and awkward style have exposed issues that could impact their expected clash later this year.

Kabayel, seen as the likely next challenger to Usyk’s WBC, WBA and IBF belts, said the 39-year-old champion had difficulty preparing for the Verhoeven fight because there was almost no boxing material available to study. The undefeated German heavyweight said uncertainty played a major role in Usyk’s complex evening in Egypt.


“I think he’s ancient” Kabayel told InsideRingShow at Ring about Usyk. “He’s 39 years ancient, but I think Rico had a very unconventional style. It was complex for Usyk. You can’t watch Rico fight. He didn’t understand what Rico’s plan was.

“I think that’s why the situation was different for Usyk. When he fights other guys, he has so many fights that he can watch and he can game plan for those fights. I think that was a problem for Usyk.”

Usyk (25-0, 16 KO) looked extremely vulnerable during Saturday’s “Glory in Giza” gala at the Pyramids before stopping Verhoeven in the 11th round. Two judges were already fighting before the round, and another judge had Rico ahead 96-94 at the finish line.

Kabayel (27-0, 19 KO) was ringside during the fight and later came face-to-face with Usyk in what looked to be the beginning of a progression to a future heavyweight title fight. Turki Alalshikh has already publicly supported the idea of ​​​​playing Usyk-Kabayel in a stadium in Germany before reconsidering a possible rematch with Rico.

The 33-year-old Kabayel has quietly built one of the strongest streaks in the heavyweight division, defeating Frank Sanchez, Zhilei Zhang and Damian Knyba by stoppage. He believes that a fight with Usyk in Germany would create an atmosphere unseen in heavyweight boxing recently.

“I think the best place in the stadium will be Düsseldorf,” Kabayel said. “I think we have room for 70,000 people. We have a lot of Ukrainians here. We also have a very gigantic Kurdish community here.

“In Germany, for my last fight, we sold out the arena in four or five days. All the people from the UK, people who have been working in boxing for 20, 30 years, told us: ‘We’ve never seen an atmosphere like that’.”

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Last updated: 27/05/2026 at 11:10

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