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How the super middleweight stopped moving – Boxing News 24

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7 months ago

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Image: Edgar Berlanga Rejects Canelo's 'Survival' Narrative and Vows to Earn a Rematch Through Sheeraz and Munguia

In the super middleweight division, the belt holder had an advantage that no champion in the state-of-the-art era has enjoyed. Four titles. Guaranteed events. No pressure to take risks. This leverage could have been used to bring in juvenile players and add depth to the division. Instead, it was spent on a controlled defense that protected the brand’s value while leaving the broader field untouched.

Names tell a story. Edgar Berlanga got a chance for the title, but he did not prove himself against elite competition. Jaime Munguia arrived with a bang but came out lackluster. William Scull signed up as a low-risk mandatory. Jermell Charlo, a 154-pounder, was elevated for commercial reasons, not divisional logic. John Ryder was tough, accessible and non-threatening.

None of these fights were scandalous in themselves. This is a problem. Taken individually, each defense may be valid. Taken together, they reveal a pattern: containment rather than cultivation.

How the Challenger pipeline was shut down

Newborn fighters at the age of 168 have never received the oxygen that only fighting in tents can provide. Without this exposure, they couldn’t build leverage. Without leverage they couldn’t create the opportunity. The division did not advance – it simply circled.

In the middleweight division, he suffered the same fate, but in a calmer form.

It has been a holding company for 160 years. The masters waited. The players waited. Potential unifications were never equal. The fighters fluctuated between weight classes, looking for opportunities rather than dominance. Without a clear center of gravity, the division lost its urgency.

What should have been a prolific pool of talent at 160-168 has instead become a dead zone. The fighters either went up too early, came down too overdue, or stayed put with nothing to aim at.

This isn’t about blaming one player for everything. It’s about recognizing how power shapes ecosystems. When a dominant champion repeatedly chooses safety, the cost isn’t just the thrill of competition – it’s developmental stagnation.

In well divisions, champions cause friction. They force challengers to rise or fall. They establish reference points. In the super middleweight division, that friction is gone. The belts remained energetic, but the division did not evolve.

This stagnation now has consequences. There are many talented players in the group of 168 players, but few have a recognizable profile. At 160 there are capable operators, but there is no clear hierarchy. Fans sense change, even if they don’t express it. The divisions appear to be on hold rather than competitive.

When mandates become the only movement

This is why mandatory challengers are starting to matter more in boxing. When voluntary ambition disappears, duty becomes the only remaining source of movement. Sanctioning authorities force fights not because they want to, but because without pressure nothing happens.

The irony is that the damage is not constant. One or two truly dicey matchups would immediately change the temperature. However, this requires a move away from risk management and towards division building – something that state-of-the-art boxing has largely abandoned.

Middleweight and super middleweight are not dead divisions. They are dormant. And dormancy is not due to lack of talent. This is due to lack of opportunities.

Until this changes, both weight classes will remain exactly where they are now: energetic on paper, stalled in reality.

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Boxing

Usyk Analyzes Anthony Joshuas Performance Against Kristian Prenga After Overcoming Two Knockdowns

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4 hours ago

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July 25, 2026

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"Usyk Analyzes Anthony Joshua's Performance Against Kristian Prenga After Overcoming Two Knockdowns"

Oleksandr Usyk has shared his reaction to Anthony Joshua‘s dramatic knockout victory against Kristian Prenga.

Usyk nearly suffered his own shock defeat in May when he was pushed to the limit by kickboxing star Rico Verhoevenand two months on it was nrw teammate Joshua’s turn to come close to a massive upset loss that would have stunned the heavyweight division.

The Brit was dropped twice by massive underdog Prenga in the opening round of their clash in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, but ‘AJ’ managed to recover and record a big knockdown of his own in the second round that resulted in the stoppage victory.

Joshua and Usyk now train together, having famously had two battles for the unified world heavyweight title in 2021 and 2022, and the Ukrainian has had his say on his stablemate’s victory over Prenga.

Speaking to TalkSporttwo-time undisputed champion Usyk praised Joshua, insisting ‘AJ is back’ before predicting that Joshua will now claim a knockout win over long-term rival Tyson Fury in his next bout.

“Anthony Joshua is next undisputed champion. First round it’s a test but AJ is back.

It’s boxing, [the] big upper cut is good, it’s a knockdown. AJ [come] back and win.

“Greedy Belly [Fury] will speak now and say weak chin, Greedy Belly get out. AJ wins [against Fury], [he will] knock him out.”

Fury was victorious on Friday as he earned a seventh round retirement win against Mariusz Wach in Thailand, paving the way for the showdown against Joshua later this year.

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Boxing

Jake Paul Reacts to Anthony Joshuas Stunning Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Two Early Knockdowns

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5 hours ago

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July 25, 2026

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"Jake Paul Reacts to Anthony Joshua's Stunning Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Two Early Knockdowns"

Jake Paul was the last man to fight Anthony Joshua and he has now revealed his verdict on AJ’s chaotic victory over Kristian Prenga.

Joshua went up against Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturdayin a clash that was expected to be a comfortable win for the former world heavyweight champion in order to set up the long overdue battle against Tyson Fury.

Any hopes of seeing that clash were nearly ended after AJ was dropped twice in the opening round of the bout, though he was able to recover and claim the second round knockout to come out on top and prevent a stunning shock upset from taking place.

Saturday’s outing saw Joshua back in the ring for the first time since his sixth round triumph over YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul back in Decemberand now ‘The Problem Child’ himself has shared his reaction to his former rival’s victory over Prenga.

Posting on social mediaPaul praised AJ for earning the win, after returning to action following the tragic car crash he was involved in at the end of last year which took the lives of his two close friends.

“Happy for Joshua with that win after all he’s been through. Remembering Sina and Latz with this one.”

The win for Joshua should now tee up for meeting with Fury later this year, after ‘The Gypsy King’ held up his end of the bargain by also securing a win in his warm-up bout on Friday, securing a seventh round retirement win against Mariusz Wach.

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Boxing

Tony Bellew Reviews Anthony Joshuas Comeback Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Knockdown Drama

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5 hours ago

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July 25, 2026

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Tony Bellew Reviews Anthony Joshua's Comeback Victory Over Kristian Prenga After Knockdown Drama

Anthony Joshua may have earned a knockout win over Kristian Prenga but the fight certainly didn’t unfold as most people expected.

Joshua was facing the Albanian in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, and it looked like a massive upset could be on the cards when he was dropped twice in the opening round.

‘AJ’ was able to recover and went on to secure a second round knockout victory to prevent the shock lossseemingly paving the way for the battle against Tyson Fury later this year.

One man who was ringside to witness the battle was former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellewand he praised Joshua’s ability to turn things around in the fight after describing it as ‘chaos’.

“We predicted round two but I don’t think we foresaw that. That was chaos. He doesn’t see the uppercut coming and finds himself on the floor without knowing how he got there.

“The second one he did see it coming and he was able to clench down on the jaw. He got up and then the experience that he has he used tonight because he tied him up. Against Andy Ruiz he didn’t know what he was doing and didn’t know how to do that, but tonight he did.

“He showed once again there is no quit. To be that hurt in the first round and get up, that’s the recoveries of power. People talk about your chin, but it’s not, it’s the level of fitness that gets you up from the floor.

“When Joshua gets a fighter hurt he’s the best finisher in the division. Whenever he hurts someone they’re gone. I haven’t seen him drop anybody and they survive, only Andy Ruiz. He’s a ruthless finisher.”

The clash between Joshua and Fury is now expected to be announced soon for later this year, after Fury won his own interim fight on Friday by defeating Mariusz Wach.

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