Boxing

Deontay Wilder could shock the world title fight this year: “He’s on the list”

Published

5 months ago

April 21, 2026

Deontay Wilder could land shock world title fight this year: “He’s on the list”

Deontay Wilder may soon get a shot at a world title, but only if the champion in question retains his belt.

The 40-year-old leaves the field victory by split decision over Derek Chisorawith whom he engaged in a cluttered 12-round battle at London’s O2 Arena earlier this month.

Two knockdowns proved decisive as he triumphed over his fellow veteran, who has since reversed his promise to retire and demanded a rematch.

Time will tell whether their second meeting will take place, but despite this, Wilder will likely remain in the sport for some time longer.

In fact, the “Bronze Bomber” could potentially get a chance to become a two-time world champion by entering his first title fight since an 11th-round loss to Tyson Fury in 2021.

However, this depends on a number of factors, including the outcome of the Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois match on May 9 at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester.

If he wins over Dubois, which is not certain, Wardley will be open to defending his WBO world title against Wilder.

At the same time, however, the 31-year-old said it Fighting Hub TV that he will only be interested in a fight with the American if a potential, undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk does not materialize.

“Of course, I would definitely take part in a fight with Deontay Wilder. Number one priority is Daniel Dubois, get through that fight and get rid of him, then it would be Oleksandr Usyk, that would be my goal, but if that fight doesn’t happen or it just isn’t feasible, then yes, third on the list will be Deontay Wilder.”

Time will tell whether Usyk, who still holds the WBC, IBF and WBA titles, will fight a unification fight against the Wardley-Dubois winner after he faces Rico Verhoeven on May 23.

Boxing

Don King Removes WBC Belt from Mikaelian-Opetaia Fight: What It Means for Boxing

Published

26 minutes ago

September 12, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Don King Removes WBC Belt from Mikaelian-Opetaia Fight: What It Means for Boxing"

By Boxing News 24 Desk – 09/11/2026 – Comments

Jai Opetaia may defeat WBC cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian on Saturday night without being allowed to claim his title. What was presented as a unification fight could now proceed with only Opetaia’s Ring Magazine and Zuffa Boxing belts available.

“Don King reports that the WBC cruiserweight title will not be on the line in the Mikaelian vs. Opetaia fight this Saturday. Let’s wait for what the organization officially says,” Rodriguez on X.

Opetaia and Mikaelian are scheduled to meet in the co-feature of the Ryan Garcia–Conor Benn card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Removing the WBC title would take much of the historical value from the matchup. Opetaia can establish himself as the better fighter and beat the reigning WBC champion, yet leave the arena no closer to becoming undisputed. That is a poor result for a cruiserweight division already divided among several champions.

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The WBC had ordered Mikaelian to face WBA and WBO champion David Benavidez. Mikaelian instead accepted the Opetaia fight after a deal with Benavidez was not completed, placing his title status in danger.

King has also sent a cease-and-desist letter to Zuffa Boxing and TKO Group Holdings. His promotional company claims it holds an exclusive agreement with Mikaelian and did not authorize the Opetaia fight. Hehas already lost the IBF title without being defeated in the ring after the organization refused to sanction his fight with Brandon Glanton. The Australian may now be denied an opportunity to win the WBC belt for similar reasons involving sanctioning rules and promotional control.

Nothing changes about the difficulty of Saturday’s fight. Mikaelian remains a capable, experienced cruiserweight who defeated Badou Jack in their December rematch. The difference is that Opetaia may receive considerably less for beating him.

Until the WBC releases an official ruling, Mikaelian remains its cruiserweight champion. If King’s information is accurate, however, the fight has gone from a meaningful unification to another example of boxing preventing its leading cruiserweights from settling the division inside the ring.

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Last Updated on 2026/09/12 at 4:11 AM

Boxing

Terence Crawford Claims Everyone Waited for His Retirement to Acknowledge His Greatness

Published

9 hours ago

September 11, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Terence Crawford Claims Everyone Waited for His Retirement to Acknowledge His Greatness"

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“Before I retired, there wasn’t too many people jumping and calling for Terence Crawford. Now that I’m retired, everybody calling out your boy,” Crawford said to Nightcap. “It’s the payday and opportunity. They look at it and say, ‘Okay, we’re going to get the highest check of our career. This dude is about to be 39. He probably slowed down a step or two, and maybe this is the right time.’”

His reading of the belated Crawford chase is fair. Jaron “Boots” Ennis wants him, Ryan Garcia has taken shots at his record, and Dana White has talked about finding the right fight to pull him back. He has become far more popular as a target since announcing he is finished.

The risk has changed as well. Calling out an active Crawford meant eventually having to fight him. Challenging him now gives a boxer publicity without requiring him to follow through unless an enormous financial package materializes.

Age is clearly part of the attraction. A younger opponent can collect a career-high purse while hoping that time has removed enough of the speed, reflexes, and stamina that made Crawford so difficult. If the challenger loses, he was beaten by an all-time great. If he wins, Crawford’s name becomes the foundation of his career.

An Ennis fight would therefore need to offer Crawford much more than another name on his record. He already walked away after winning titles in five divisions and becoming undisputed in three. Beating Ennis would generate money, but the reaction would quickly turn into claims that Crawford was always supposed to win.

He also insisted that he is enjoying retirement and does not miss competing inside the ring.

“I’ve been enjoying the hell out of it. I don’t have to worry about anything. All I have to do is enjoy life, travel the world, and be a fan. In the ring, no, not really. I did everything. When I walked away, I was a five-division champion and three-division undisputed. You can’t do it any better than how I did it.”

The challenges may continue because Crawford remains the biggest available payday from 147 through 160. That does not mean any of those fighters wanted the same test before his departure made it safer to ask.

Boxing

Dana White Shuts Down Ryan Garcias Egg Stunt Controversy

Published

9 hours ago

September 11, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Dana White Shuts Down Ryan Garcia's Egg Stunt Controversy"

Ryan Garcia showed up to Friday’s face-off with a pair of eggs tucked into his pockets, seemingly planning to pelt Conor Benn. The prank fell apart before Garcia even stepped on stage because Dana White’s security guards caught on immediately.

“Before the face-off, Ryan Garcia had two eggs in his pocket. My security team saw it and he came up to me before. He said, ‘He’s got two eggs in his pocket. What do you want me to do?’ I said, ‘Have him give you the eggs. Get the eggs out of his pocket,’” White told Ring Magazine. “We don’t need him hitting Conor Benn with an egg.”

White made the right call. Tossing an egg sounds silly on paper, but Benn was never going to shrug off that kind of public disrespect under the glare of the cameras. A single retaliatory swing could have sparked an injury, triggered a suspension, or completely wiped out the headliner.

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Garcia clearly plotted this out ahead of time. He sourced the eggs, slipped them past the doors, and bided his time until the face-off. The payoff amounted to nothing more than a brief viral clip online. The downside was putting a massive WBC welterweight title bout in jeopardy after promoters poured millions into the event.

Security stepped in just in time to protect Garcia from his own worst impulses. When Saturday night arrives, he can focus on landing clean punches against Benn instead of throwing breakfast food. Taking those eggs away prevented an instant, close-quarters brawl that almost certainly would have left one of them cut, bruised, and unfit to fight on Saturday. Ryan was playing with fire for a five-second clip.

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