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Former Premier League players raised £127,500 at a charity boxing event

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Former Premier League footballers raise £127,500 in charity boxing event

A charity boxing event featuring 10 retired professional footballers raised £127,500 for four causes.

The funds were split between Helping Hands in support of the Royal Free Charity (£25,500), Playskill (£25,500), The Willow Foundation (£51,000) and Sport in Mind (£25,500).

Pro Project Promotionsfounded by former Arsenal goalkeeper Graham Stack, held its inaugural event at the Grosvenor House Hotel in Mayfair on October 18, 2025. The event was broadcast live on the Boxing News YouTube channel.

With their boots long since hung up, former players to lace up their gloves include Curtis Davies, Paddy Kenny, Leroy Lita, David Noble, Anthony Gardner, Lee Trundle, Greg Halford, Marvin Elliott, Jody Morris and David Bentley.

Stack, CEO of Pro Project Promotions, paid tribute to the participants and thanked several former professional boxers who supported the event.

“Watching former elite footballers step into the ring and leave their comfort zones for the cause was truly inspiring.

“We couldn’t have done it without the tremendous support of the wider boxing community, including former world champions Roy Jones Jr., Michael Watson, George Groves, Darren Barker, John Ryder and David Haye.

“I am extremely grateful for the support from across the sports and media worlds that helped make this dream a reality.”

Former Aston Villa defender Curtis Davies defeated former Sheffield United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny in his first heavyweight fight. Davies, 40, spoke about the experience and its impact.

“I’ve done lots of different things for charity, but did I ever think boxing would be one of them… absolutely not! The personal impact it had on me and the group was huge.

“As retired former professional soccer players, we all still desire that goal. This event gave me that goal.”

Two further events have been confirmed for 2026, starting on April 17 at the Titanic Hotel in Liverpool before returning to Grosvenor House in London on September 16. Stack currently hopes to reach a target of £500,000 raised for the charity.

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Boxing

Jared Anderson withdraws from May 9 fight with a torn bicep

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Image: Jarrell Miller Claims Jared Anderson Pulled Out of Their September 13th

Ring Magazine reports that Anderson withdrew from his fight with Solomon Dacres after suffering a bicep injury. The 10-round heavyweight bout was scheduled for Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester.

Anderson (18-1, 15 KO) was looking for another step back after a knockout loss to Martin Bakole in 2024. Instead, the 26-year-old now faces another delay at a bad time in his career.

The fight at Dacres was not a world-class test, but it had value. Anderson needed rounds, activity and a consistent win on a major heavyweight card. Now that’s gone, and the injury gives critics more room to question where his career is headed.

The reaction from boxing fans was fierce, with several responses pointing out Anderson’s injury history and durability. Some questioned whether his body would hold up in the heavyweight division. Others suggested he might have to consider considering the cruiserweight division if physical problems persist.

It may be tough, but it’s the kind of failure that changes the way you view your prospect. Anderson still has talent, but he’s no longer talked about as a pure future heavyweight star. Now he’s trying to prove he can stay vigorous long enough to rebuild.

Moving to Queensberry and fighting in the UK seemed like a desperate attempt to find a novel environment that could boost his confidence. But this bicep injury is a disaster because it adds another year of rust to a psyche that already looked feeble. You won’t rebuild your self-confidence at the gym.

A torn bicep effectively means Jared Anderson’s career will be in frigid storage until the end of 2026. Recovery from this type of surgery usually takes six to nine months before a player can even think about hitting a full-power shot with that hand.

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Boxing

Mike Tyson is nearing the end of his career at the age of 60 after Mayweather’s snubs and injuries

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Mike Tyson entrance 2024

Mike Tyson is nearing the end of his career as Floyd Mayweather’s recent cancellation of an exhibition may have put the final nail in the coffin.

Tyson’s Hall of Fame tenure, which incredibly extended at the age of 57 against Jake Paul in 2024, was approaching his final appearance against Mayweather.

The fight had been talked about for months as if it had actually happened. A date was set, attention was paid, but the reality never lived up to the headlines as the proposed event failed to advance beyond early discussion and quietly faded away.

There was a lack of explanation, space and real emphasis. In the case of a Floyd Mayweather event, this is usually the biggest prize.

When Mayweather wants a fight, he promotes it. This time he didn’t.

Instead, Mayweather moved on. His confirmed return against Mike Zambidis in Athens made it clear what his focus was, leaving the Tyson fight on the sidelines – most likely for good.

Time and injuries

Time has also caught up with this idea.

Tyson will turn 60 in June, and his next fights will be a huge surprise considering everything that has already happened.

He almost died when Paul’s fight was postponed from April to November two years ago, which Tyson himself later detailed after an in-flight medical emergency left the former champion fighting for his life.

That alone should be a warning.

Combine that with previous back surgery, appearing in a cast on his arm just last month, and the massive amounts of marijuana Mike is consuming, and another comeback seems unthinkable.

Tyson has been through a lot, but it’s a completely different situation for the hard-hitting Modern Yorker.

Ariel Helwani show

The last chapter

The Mayweather fight was the one that could have sent Mike flying with fanfare.

It had the name, the curiosity and the setting that could allow Tyson to make one last appearance without everything that comes with a full comeback.

Now that’s gone and it looks like his fight with Paul is all she wrote.

World Boxing News has already reported that Tyson’s former rival, Oliver McCall, is continuing to fight at the age of 61, but Tyson was never that type of fighter.

If he does not regain full health in the coming months, boxing fans will likely see the last of the youngest heavyweight champion of all time.

At this point, the opportunity has passed and nothing else on the table carries the same weight.

Mainly because it feels like Mike Tyson’s swan song has already happened.


About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Since 2010, he has interviewed world champions, published exclusive international performances and reported on in-ring performances. His work is distributed on major platforms including Apple News. Read the full biography.

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Boxing

Naoya Inoue Offered Another Super Fight If He Beats Nakatani: ‘I’m Ready Anytime’

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Naoya Inoue offered another super fight if he beats Nakatani: “I’m ready whenever”

Naoya Inoue received another career-defining challenge before she even stepped into the ring against Junto Nakatani.

First and foremost, “The Monster” must defend his undisputed super bantamweight crown against Nakatani on May 2, headlining the blockbuster Japanese event at the Tokyo Dome.

This will mark Inoue’s seventh defense of his four major 122-pound titles, and the uncompromising feeling has been considered the top star of the two-pound-for-pound division.

The 33-year-old’s most notable victories came against the likes of Luis Nery and Ramon Cardenas, who both defeated the undisputed two-division champion but were ultimately stopped in rounds six and eight, respectively.

Meanwhile, Nakatani is widely considered to be Inoue’s toughest opponent to date, even though the three-division world champion lost debatable points of victory over Sebastian Hernandez in December last year.

However, to be fair, this was his first appearance at 122 pounds and many expected the 28-year-old to raise his level against Inoue.

However, in a world where Inoue is winning, it is becoming more and more likely that he will consider a potential fight with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez.

The unified super flyweight champion will move up to 118 pounds for his next fight, where he will face WBA champion Antonio Vargas on June 13.

If this next assignment is successful, Rodriguez will talk about it Ring Magazine that he will jump up another weight class to face Inoue.

“I’m ready at any time. If I was offered this fight right now, I would definitely accept it.”

Although Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed initial talks about the fight, there is equally a chance that “Bam” will drop down to 115 pounds in pursuit of undisputed glory.

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