Boxing
Jazza Dickens: “I finally got a chance when no one believed in me”
Published
7 months agoon
WHAT JERSEY DOES What do Joe Walcott, Archie Moore and James “Jazza” Dickens have in common?
All three have shown incredible resilience on their journey from their professional debut to winning the world title. It took Walcott (heavyweight) 21 years in 1951, Moore (lithe heavyweight) 17 years in 1952, and Dickens (junior lightweight) 14 years and 319 days.
Dickens added his name to the list of boxers who have the longest time to win their first world title since their professional debut, when he was promoted from interim WBA champion to full world champion in December after Lamont Roach was stripped of his world title belt.
Dickens (36-5, 15 KO), 34, of Liverpool, will step into the ring as a world champion on Saturday for his first defense against Northern Ireland’s Anthony Cacace (24-1, 9 KO), 37, at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Dickens, who traveled from his training base in Dubai after the region was bombed, was scheduled to face Japan’s Hayato Tsutsumi at the Mohammed Abdo Arena in Saudi Arabia in December, but was canceled due to Tsutsumi’s injury.
While there are similarities to Cacace’s blossoming career (he stopped Joe Cordina at age 35 to win the IBF junior lightweight title), Dickens’ story is very different from that of superstar world champions like Oleksandr Usyk, Naoya Inoue and Ryan Garcia.
Dickens had to work challenging without the support of his main promoter, struggling with knockout defeats, passivity and boxing politics. His career was very different from the attention and wealth enjoyed by his fellow Englishmen Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Conor Benn.
At times, Dickens wondered whether his career would ever reach the same heights as it did in 2016, when he challenged Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux for the WBA junior featherweight world title and was stopped slow in the second round with a broken jaw.
BUT Dickens has changed his career in 2025. First came a 10-round points victory over Zelfa Barrett, before Dickens knocked out Russia’s Albert Batyrgaziev, the 2021 Olympic gold medalist, in the 4th round to win the interim WBA junior lightweight title in Turkey.
“There were times when I thought, ‘What is this all about?’ When things were really challenging,” Dickens told ESPN.
“I believe if you listen, God is teaching you, but I wondered, ‘What are you trying to teach me?’ sometimes. I’m glad I was patient all these years because I finally got a chance when no one believed in me. The most significant thing that happened was the opportunities, that’s why I’m here now as a world champion.”
“These opportunities came when people thought I had had enough. When I got knocked out [Hector Andres] Sauce [in July 2023]people thought I was finished. There were a lot of things going on behind the scenes leading up to this fight, but I got knocked out and it didn’t look good.
“People thought I was done after that fight, and Batyrgaziev thought it would be an straightforward fight against me, but I went out there and dominated.”
JUST LIKE THE RING the legends of Moore and Walcott, Dickens showed unwavering perseverance in pursuing his goal.
Dickens, who has won four fights since his last defeat, has repeatedly rebuilt his career. After being stopped by Kid Galahad in 2013, Dickens suffered back-to-back losses to Rigondeaux and Thomas Patrick Ward in 2016 and 2017. After another loss to Galahad in 2021 and a crushing loss to Sosa, Dickens started 2025 far from world title contention.
“I joined my coach Albert Aryrapetyan a year ago and moving to Dubai to train has been a key part of my career,” Dickens told ESPN.
“He was the only person who answered me when I needed a coach. The phone didn’t ring, no one wanted to know, but since I became champion, he hasn’t stopped calling. We joined forces before the fight with Barrett, and Albert put together a good game plan for that fight and for the fight with Batyrgaziev.
“Since those defeats against Rigondeaux and Galahad, I always go to the gym, trying to get better, trying to develop, that hasn’t changed. What has changed? Perhaps I have grown mentally, as happens with age in any sport or job.”
After completing one of the longest world title journeys in boxing history, Dickens also now manages boxers under the banner of Integrity Boxing Management with Mitchell Walsh.
“We called it honesty boxing because there’s not a lot of honesty in boxing,” Dickens told ESPN.
“We don’t do this for a fee, it’s my pleasure and my reward is seeing the smiles on the faces of the boxers and their families.”
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Boxing
Floyd Schofield vs Lucas Bahdi: Live Results and Fight Updates
Published
34 minutes agoon
October 10, 2026
Floyd Schofield faces Lucas Bahdi tonight, October 10, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The DAZN broadcast starts at 8 p.m. ET, with Boxing News 24 providing live results throughout the card.
Both fighters passed today’s second-day weight check, Chris Mannix reported. Schofield came in at 143 pounds and Bahdi at 142.8 pounds, ending the uncertainty over whether their main event would proceed following Friday’s weight-limit dispute.
Floyd Schofield vs Lucas Bahdi
2026-10-10 · 20:00 ET / 1:00 AM UK · Wintrust Arena, Chicago · Live on DAZN
Floyd Schofield0
AFTER0ROUNDS
Lucas Bahdi0
ROUNDFloyd SchofieldLucas Bahdi
Undercard Results
Heavyweight Joshua Edwards (8-0, 7 KOs) stopped Craig Lewis (15-10-1, 8 KOs) at the start of the third round of their scheduled eight-round bout. The 2024 U.S. Olympian controlled the action against the 42-year-old veteran, forcing him onto the defensive.
Edwards landed a combination late in the second round that hurt Lewis and brought the fight toward its finish. Lewis could not continue because of an injury, prompting the stoppage at the beginning of round three. The injury’s exact nature was not specified in the early ringside account. Edwards needed just two completed rounds to register his seventh stoppage victory.
Grant Flores (14-0, 10 KOs) stopped Mikey Dahlman (19-3, 17 KOs) in the second round of their scheduled eight-round light middleweight bout. Flores controlled the action with his size and punching power, putting the veteran under pressure early.
A hard left hook to the liver hurt Dahlman badly in round two and opened the door for the finish. Flores followed with a sustained attack as Dahlman struggled to recover from the body shot. With Dahlman unable to halt the assault, the referee stepped in to stop the fight. The 21-year-old Flores needed fewer than two rounds to secure his tenth knockout.
Minimumweight Naomy Valle (16-1, 9 KOs) defeated Sheyla Moreno Castillo (5-2-1) by unanimous decision over eight rounds in her professional U.S. debut. The judges scored it 78-73, 78-72, and 77-74 for Valle. Valle controlled most of the early action with her jab and right hand, landing the cleaner punches as Moreno pressed forward.
A right hand in the third round hurt Moreno, but the Mexican fighter kept coming and made Valle work throughout. The final two rounds became scrappier, with Valle losing a point in the eighth for excessive holding after repeated warnings. The deduction came too late to threaten Valle’s lead, which she had built through her more accurate punching over the first six rounds.
The undercard features Ricardo Sandoval against Sergio Mendoza, Jahmal Harvey against Pedro Castaneda and Jan Paul Rivera against Abraham Perfecto Valdez.
Schofield vs Bahdi: Full Card, Weights and DAZN Fight Times
Main Card
Floyd Schofield (19-0, 13 KOs) vs Lucas Bahdi (20-0, 15 KOs)
The pair contest the vacant WBA lightweight belt over 12 rounds. Schofield hit 135 lbs (61.2 kg) on the scales, with Bahdi at 134 lbs (60.8 kg).
Expected ring walks: 10:35 p.m. ET / 7:35 p.m. PT / 3:35 a.m. BST Sunday.
Ricardo Sandoval (27-2, 18 KOs) vs Sergio Mendoza (27-1, 23 KOs)
Two flyweight belts are at stake in this 12-round WBA and WBC title fight. Sandoval registered 111.6 lbs (50.6 kg); Mendoza came in at 111.4 lbs (50.5 kg).
Estimated start: 9:35 p.m. ET / 6:35 p.m. PT / 2:35 a.m. BST Sunday.
Jahmal Harvey (4-0, 3 KOs) vs. Pedro Castañeda (9-1-1, 5 KOs)
Harvey meets Castañeda over eight rounds at lightweight. They tipped the scales at 134.2 lbs (60.9 kg) and 135 lbs (61.2 kg), respectively.
Estimated start: 8:55 p.m. ET / 5:55 p.m. PT / 1:55 a.m. BST Sunday.
Jan Paul Rivera (16-0, 7 KOs) vs. Abraham Perfecto (14-2, 9 KOs)
Rivera and Perfecto open the main card in a 10-round lightweight contest. Rivera registered 130.2 lbs (59.1 kg), while Perfecto checked in at 131.4 lbs (59.6 kg).
Opening bout: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST Sunday.
Preliminary Card
Tristan Kalkreuth (17-1, 12 KOs) vs Ivan Rosado (12-0, 9 KOs)
Scheduled for 10 rounds at cruiserweight. Kalkreuth came in at 199.2 lbs (90.4 kg), compared with Rosado’s 194.6 lbs (88.3 kg).
Asa Stevens (7-0-1, 2 KOs) vs Cristian Williams (14-0, 8 KOs)
Stevens takes on Williams in an eight-round super featherweight bout. Stevens registered 127.8 lbs (58.0 kg); Williams hit 125.6 lbs (57.0 kg).
About the author
Boxing News 24 Desk
BoxingNews24.com has delivered independent boxing coverage since 2007, including original news, fight analysis, schedules, and results. Our experienced boxing writers cover major fighters and events worldwide, with published content reviewed by editors for accuracy.
Boxing
Max Kellermans 27-Year-Old Opinion on Boxings Cancer Controversy
Published
10 hours agoon
October 10, 2026
Max Kellerman sat down with Ak and Barak, revealing just how outspoken he has become about boxing’s establishment since joining forces with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing.
The former HBO and ESPN broadcaster made it clear that he has no time for any of the four major sanctioning bodies.
Asked which of the bodies he respected during Ring Champs with Ak & BarakKellerman delivered a blunt response.
“None. Zero.”
The interview’s official description on Instagram went even further, highlighting that Kellerman “spits on all of them” before the post was removed.
Kellerman explained that his contempt for the organizations dates back to the controversial 1999 draw between Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, long before White announced his plans to reshape professional boxing.
“You want to know what the breaking point was?” Kellerman said. “Holyfield Lewis first fight draw.”
He believes the proliferation of championships has allowed promoters to sell fights that fall short of the best facing the best.
“You’re the champion of the world, but there are 10 dudes better than you who weigh what you weigh,” Kellerman said.
“They’re promotional tools tied into promoters.”
Kellerman argued that the fragmentation has damaged boxing’s mainstream appeal in America, where even Terence Crawford could walk down the street without being recognized.
However, he stopped short of blaming the sanctioning bodies for everything wrong with the sport.
“They’re not the cancer. They’re a symptom of the cancer.”
He also claimed that he has refused to mention any sanctioning body by name on air for almost 25 years.
“I’m not going to call them by name, not even to insult,” Kellerman added.
Kellerman’s HBO Revelation
Kellerman also revealed that he challenged the championship system during his time at HBO, arguing that the network should recognize the genuine champions rather than the alphabet belts.
“Guys, do you know who the belts are for? They’re for everyone else,” he recalled telling colleagues.
“Why should we recognize all these belts?”
His position is understandable, particularly given the questionable decisions and championship politics that have plagued boxing for decades.
However, it is the way Kellerman has gone about expressing that position that appears to rankle his detractors.
During his years with HBO and ESPN, Kellerman regularly discussed sanctioning-body championships, undisputed status and pound-for-pound achievements despite his objections to the system.
Since Zuffa entered the picture, however, his rejection of the traditional organizations has become considerably more emphatic.

The Dana White Connection
That shift has aligned Kellerman closely with White’s blueprint, which rejects the established sanctioning bodies in favor of a different championship structure.
In September 2025, World Boxing News reported Kellerman telling White that he loved the decision not to recognize the sanctioning bodies.
His latest interview suggests those beliefs were established long before Zuffa came calling, but it does little to settle the separate argument over his independence.
There is a difference between opposing the alphabet organizations and appearing to endorse almost everything their potential replacement wants to do.
There’s also the not-so-small possibility that removing the sanctioning bodies could see decades of championship history disregarded, diminishing the achievements of legends like Sugar Ray Leonard and Roy Jones Jr. in the eyes of today’s fans.
Max was once one of the most respected boxing frontmen in the world, and his increasingly vocal support for Zuffa has overshadowed much of the reputation he spent over thirty years building.
His criticism of the sanctioning bodies has some merit. Whether handing more control to a promotional organization is the answer remains another matter entirely.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.
Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.
Boxing
Heavyweight Champion Welcomes Anthony Joshuas Challenge: Lets Do It After Tyson Fury Battle
Published
16 hours agoon
October 10, 2026
Anthony Joshua could soon face one of the heavyweight division’s most ferocious punchers, but must first defeat Tyson Fury in their Battle of Britain on December 11.
The pair will finally collide at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, with the winner set to become a three-time world champion by claiming the WBA ‘super’ title.
This is in spite of Murat Gassiev currently reigning as the sanctioning body’s only heavyweight titlist, given that Oleksandr Usyk vacated his three major belts in June.
Prior to that, Gassiev had claimed the WBA ‘regular’ title by dethroning Kubrat Pulevwho he stopped with a vicious sixth-round knockout last December.
The former unified cruiserweight champion then orchestrated the same outcome against Peter Kadiru in July, with many viewing this as a first defence of his full WBA title.
Following the announcement of Fury-Joshua, however, it was reported that the organisation’s ‘super’ title will be on the line in Cardiff.
As a result, there is a degree of doubt over Gassiev’s championship status but, in fairness to Joshua, the 36-year-old has said he would be happy to face the Russian next year.
In a social media clip posted by BoxingSceneGassiev has now responded to the former two-time world champion and accepted his challenge.
“Hi, Anthony. I heard you want to fight me. Let’s do it. I’m ready. Anytime, anywhere. See you.”
While ‘AJ’, indeed, seems keen to face Gassiev in 2027, many are forecasting a defeat to Fury who, despite not looking his best, did manage to convincingly defeat Arslanbek Makhmudov and Mariusz Wach earlier this year.
Joshua, on the other hand, suffered two knockdowns before scoring a second-round finish over Kristian Prenga in July, and so will enter the ring this December as underdog.
Floyd Schofield vs Lucas Bahdi: Live Results and Fight Updates
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