Boxing
Frank Warren threatens legal action as Usyk’s plan blocks Kabayel’s title shot
Published
5 months agoon
Warren’s warning, reported by BoxingScene, comes after Usyk has already outlined a three-fight exit plan that does not include Kabayel. The WBC champion will face Rico Verhoeven, followed by the winner of Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois, with Tyson Fury also a target. This order leaves no room for a mandatory defense against the interim title holder.
Kabayel established himself over a year ago, defeating Zhilei Zhang in the sixth round on February 22, 2025, to win the WBC interim belt. He has remained vigorous since then, including a stoppage victory over Damian Knyba, but the road to the full title did not start with him.
Queensberry promotes undefeated 33-year-old Kabayel (27-0, 19 KOs), which puts Warren at the center of pressure to force a decision by the sanctioning body. His position is that once Usyk finishes his May fight, the WBC will have no reason to delay the mandatory fight.
“Kabayel’s number in the WBC, and the fight is in Egypt between Usyk and Rico Verhoeven, and then the WBC will have to order mandatory fights, and if they don’t do it, we will sue them,” Warren told Boxingscene. “I’m telling you, I’m not going to play around with this. Agit deserves his chance.”
He went further, making it clear that he expected a direct result.
“Fight, agitate or leave. It’s as basic as that.”
If Usyk’s three-fight schedule goes according to plan, Kabayel could be waiting more than a year without access to the title he is scheduled to fight for.
Warren’s threat shifts pressure on the WBC to impose its own structure. If the organization allows Usyk to continue playing outside of this order, Kabayel’s position as interim champion could become symbolic rather than viable.
The WBC has already granted Usyk special exemption for his voluntary defense against Rico Verhoeven, which has drawn criticism from fans and experts who see the fight as a “mismatch” given Verhoeven’s lack of professional boxing experience.
If the WBC continues to allow Usyk to pursue his retirement plan without having to confront Kabayel, he risks a protracted legal battle that could completely freeze the heavyweight title. For Kabayel, the danger is being a “forgotten” champion, holding a belt that gives him stature but doesn’t provide a path to an actual championship before the king of the division, no matter the pound, hangs up his gloves.
Tomek Galm is a boxing journalist covering the global fight landscape since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, industry trends and fighter psychology.
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Boxing
Jeff Mayweather Compares Floyd Mayweather and Terence Crawford: Crawford is a Better Puncher
Published
7 hours agoon
September 12, 2026
Both Floyd Mayweather and Terence Crawford hung up the gloves with undefeated records, and Mayweather’s uncle and former trainer Jeff Mayweather has assessed how a battle between the pair, in their primes, would play out.
Mayweather retired as a five-division world champion with a legendary 50-0 undefeated record, defeating the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao in a career that will be spoke about for decades to come.
Meanwhile, Crawford retired last year after becoming the first post-war three-division undisputed world champion, walking away from the sport with his unbeaten record intact after 42 pro contests and a career best victory over Canelo Alvarez.
Discussing a fantasy fight between the two superstars with Sean ZittelJeff Mayweather shared his love for ‘Bud’ but maintained that he would fancy ‘TBE’ to come out on top.
“It’s one of them fights where fans would probably be split down the middle. Of course, I would choose my nephew [to win] but Terence Crawford is a damn good fighter.
“I don’t just like him as a fighter, I like him as a person, I like the way that he carries himself, what he stands for and what he represents. So I like a lot about Terence Crawford.”
The 62-year-old then went on to admit that Crawford may have been a better puncher than Mayweather, but favoured the elusiveness of his nephew over the aggression of the Omaha-born southpaw.
“If the fight happened and Floyd was in his prime, I think that Floyd would beat him. I think that Terence fights and gets hit a whole lot, I have never seen a fight where Floyd got hit a whole lot.
“Terence Crawford was a better puncher than Floyd, I think, so it’s a fight that either one could win but I’m going with my nephew!”
Crawford has been linked to a comeback in recent dayswith fight fans keen to see the 39-year-old return to action and face unified super-welterweight world champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
Boxing
Oscar De La Hoya Raises Concerns Over Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn Final KO Verdict
Published
8 hours agoon
September 12, 2026
Tonight in Las Vegas, Ryan Garcia puts his WBC welterweight world title on the lines against Conor Benn. Garcia’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, sees the fight ending inside the distance.
Benn is fighting at welterweight for the first time in four years and, despite hitting 146lbs on the scales, most in the sport believe dropping back down from his two middleweight bouts last year will have too much of an effect in the ring for him to spring the upset.
Garcia is fighting his third fight at the weight – he lost to Rolando Romero in 2025 in an underwhelming performance but bounced back with a disciplined display this year to beat Mario Barrios for the belt.
Speaking to Carl FrochDe La Hoya also focused on the Brit’s weight cut when giving his final verdict on how the fight plays out, ultimately picking his charge by KO.
“It seems like Conor Benn knows how to handle the pressure, he knows how to handle the fans and be in that environment. He can fight with fighters who are strong and coming at you with combinations and pressure.
“The only thing that concerns me is the weight. It reminds me of when I fought Bernard Hopkins at 160 and then tried to come back to 147 to fight Manny Pacquiao. I was depleted. I was a dead man walking. So, that’s my only concern.
“I think Ryan’s a big puncher. He’s in tremendous shape. I don’t think Conor Benn is going to be able to take his punches. I think the fact that Conor has come down to 147 is gonna take its toll, and I feel, as the fight goes on, it’s gonna get worse for him.
“So I have my guy Ryan Garcia probably knocking him out or stopping him. But all credit to Connor … I’m just speaking facts here. Ryan Garcia is in his weight class … Conor Benn knowing that his body is depleted is gonna weigh [on him].”
Both Garcia and Benn have promised to end the fight early, and the styles suggest that it will catch fire relatively early on. If Garcia comes out on top, he opens the door to major unifications against the likes of Teofimo Lopez and a rematch with Devin Haney.
Should Benn upset the odds and have his hand raised, he has made it clear that he will vacate the belt and move up in weight.
Boxing
Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn: Start Time, Live Results & Fight Updates
Published
10 hours agoon
September 12, 2026
Las Vegas hosts Garcia’s first WBC welterweight title defense, with US and UK viewers facing very different fight-night hours.
Fight Prediction
Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn
Ryan Garcia50%
Conor Benn50%
Voting open • Opening line: 50%–50%
Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn are expected to make their ring walks at approximately 11 p.m. ET on Saturday / 4 a.m. BST at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Garcia defends his WBC welterweight title on September 12, with Benn challenging for a world championship for the first time.

The main card starts at 8 p.m. ET / 1 a.m. BST on September 13. Preliminary action begins at 5 pm ET / 10 pm BST.
The projected Garcia-Benn ring-walk time can move depending on the length of the earlier fights and stoppages.
Where Is Garcia vs Benn Streaming?
Paramount+ streams Garcia-Benn live in the United States. UK and Ireland viewers can watch the event LIVE on DAZN PPV.
Garcia enters his first defense after outpointing Mario Barrios to capture the WBC belt in February. Benn secured his championship opportunity by beating Regis Prograis on points in April.
The challenger will have to cross dangerous ground to get his work done.
Benn wants to dig to the body and make Garcia exchange. Garcia has the counterpunching to punish a reckless approach, particularly with the left hook when Benn squares his feet coming forward.
Garcia can make Benn pay for forcing his way inside, while Benn needs to work without leaving himself planted in front of the champion after his combinations.
Jai Opetaia against Noel Mikaelian provides the cruiserweight co-feature. The card also includes Jose Ramirez against Alexis Rocha, Mark Magsayo against Andres Cortes and Sean Garcia against Abraham Morales.
For viewers primarily interested in the main event, 11 pm ET / 4 am BST is the current approximate target. Anyone wanting the complete card should be watching from 5 pm ET / 10 pm BST.
Boxing247.com is an independent boxing news publication covering the sport since 2001. It provides original reporting, fight analysis, schedules, results, and informed coverage of major fighters and events worldwide, backed by more than 25 years of professional boxing journalism.
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Last Updated on 2026/09/12 at 8:31 AM
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