Author: Sean Crose

“Whether it’s at Wembley Stadium, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas or outside my backyard, it’s still five years too tardy.” This is what Darshan Desai from Yahoo Sport claims in a recent column, in which he states directly that the supposedly upcoming Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua fight is already past its prime and has little significance. Let’s face it, this man is right. For whatever reasons, good or bad, Anthony, Joshua and Tyson Fury never had the opportunity to step into the ring while they were both in charge. And that, honestly, is very bad.

However, this could be a very good fight, worth saving. I say “maybe” because I’m still not convinced it will happen. People talk about things like location and little things like that. The truth is that these two came close to fighting, but they never did. Now their best days are behind them. There are more and more adolescent goats, Oleksandr Usyk conquered them twice apiece. What are these two fighting about… what exactly? Well, let me tell you: these two huge heavyweights are eager to fight because a brawl between them will answer the one question that makes boxing great: which one is the better fighter?

We still don’t have an answer to that question, so I’ll be fascinated to see how the Joshua-Fury fight ends if it actually happens. I’ll repeat: I’m not entirely convinced. One thing is certain, this is the last chance for this fight to become an vital event in the sport of boxing. Seriously, if it lasts beyond 2026, it will be an ancient man’s game…. At least that’s how some people will see it. It will certainly be seen as past its sell-by date.

Of course, if this fight does happen and turns into a thriller, the rematch will be widely seen on television or, in the parlance of the state-of-the-art world, streaming. People thought Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns had weakened before their rematch in the tardy 1980s, but the fight turned out to be a great fight, a classic worthy of the name. If such a match takes place between these two Englishmen, no one will care whether it is relevant or not. The emotions associated with the competition alone will make it vital.

It’s challenging to imagine that any of these men will actually have to fight each other or anyone at all at this point. They have made untold fortunes for themselves, and while boxers are known for leaking millions of dollars, none of them are expected to be on their doorstep anytime soon. However, warriors fight even when they are already at their peak, even when it is unsafe to continue fighting. There may be fewer of them than before, but both Fury and Joshua have a competitive spirit. And that still counts, even in an era where high-level players can go years without slipping between the ropes.

So yes, people will be interested in watching this fight. While the criticism is valid and well-founded, these two not-so-young men are adolescent enough to draw crowds. It won’t be vital. It certainly won’t be as it could be. But it will be something. And when it comes to fighting fans, sometimes something is just good enough. It shouldn’t be like this… but unfortunately it happens sometimes. Let’s hope the fight, if it actually happens, will be a doozy. It still has the makings of a great case.

“Because before this fight, I would love to fight George Kambosos,” Vargas told Sean Zittel when discussing potential opponents after the Mills fight.

Emiliano stressed that his focus remains on Mills, but made it clear that he believes he is getting closer to the title.

“I’m going to show the world that I’m ready to fight for the title,” Vargas said.

The son of former two-time world champion Fernando Vargas believes that a good performance on the Jaron Ennis-Xander Zayas card can give him significant progress in the competition.

“After this fight, I would love to have a title eliminator or former world champion,” Emiliano said. “I’m second in the WBO rankings, 12th in the WBC. I’m there and I’m knocking on that door.”

Vargas comes into the fight off a win over Agustin Quintana in February. While this performance sparked debate among some fans, Emiliano considers the innings he saved as valuable experience in continuing to develop his game.

The undefeated fighter claims that during the last camps he expanded his training team and worked intensively on movement, angles and fighting under pressure. He also recently spent time in David Benavidez’s camp, drawing inspiration from the former world champion’s work ethic and aggressive style.

If Emiliano beats Mills on Saturday, attention will quickly turn to who will be next. From his comments, Kambosos is at the top of the list.

Kambosos, a former unified lightweight champion, would represent the most recognizable name of Vargas’ career and potentially take him one step closer to the title eliminator he thinks he wants next.

The future of Gervonta Davis remains one of the most talked about topics in boxing.

The Baltimore star hasn’t fought since a controversial draw with Lamont Roach Jr., which many observers felt should have gone against him after Roach was denied a knockout. Since then, a combination of legal issues and uncertainty surrounding his return plans have left fans confused about what will happen next.

Recently, however, there have been signs that “Tank” Davis is getting closer to a return. The WBA has ordered him to defend his lightweight world title against mandatory challenger Floyd Schofield, with Schofield’s camp previously suggesting progress was being made behind the scenes.

While Schofield was considered the favorite, another familiar option could now emerge.

On Sunday evening on social media, three-division world champion Devin Haney revealed that he was contacted directly by the “Tanka” team.

“I think Gervonta has gained some balls…his team has reached! We can just fight!”

I think Gervonta has gained some balls. His team reached for it! We might end up fighting! 😅

— Devin Haney (@Realdevinhaney) June 22, 2026

The timing is especially engaging given Haney’s current position. The WBO welterweight champion has recently been linked to both Shakur Stevenson and mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis, while “Tank’s” immediate future appeared to be tied to Schofield.

A fight between any two fighters: Davis, Haney and Stevenson would be one of the biggest fights in boxing today. However, there are two main obstacles standing in the way of a Davis-Haney fight.

The first is Haney’s mandatory duty. WBO president Gustavo Olivieri recently confirmed that the champion has been ordered to face Keyshawn Davis next and will not receive an exception to fight another fight.

The second, and perhaps bigger, issue for Davis is weight. “Tank” is the most comfortable lightweight campaign, while Haney now looks like a legitimate welterweight, even though he has only had one fight in the division so far. He seemed open to offering a catchweight of 144 pounds to fight Stevenson, but even that would be a significant disadvantage to Davis.