Boxing
Mason breaks down the Ring’s top six after a brutal war with Noakes
Published
10 months agoon
Abdullah Mason (20-0, 17 KO) is currently ranked 6th in the latest lightweight ring rankings after his 12-round unanimous decision over Sam Noakes (17-1, 15 KO) to capture the vacant WBO belt last Saturday, November 22 at Ring IV in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.
Mason breaks down
At just 21 years antique, Mason defeated Noakes in by far the most exhilarating fight on Turki Alalashikha’s loaded card on DAZN PPV. The scores were 115-113, 117-111 and 115-113.
Fans want him to be higher
Some fans on social media believe Mason should be on the Ring’s updated 135-pound list, along with 2020 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz, William Zepeda and IBF belt holder Raymond Muratalla.
What may be holding Abdullah back is his age and the fight he had against Noakes. He did not dominate this fight and was forced to box due to the punishment he suffered. Cuban Cruz and puncher Zepeda would pose a problem for Noakes due to their different styles.
Updated The Ring lightweight rankings
- Shakur Stevenson
- Gervonta Davis
- Raymond Muratalla
- William Zepeda
- Andy Cruz
- Abdullah Mason
- Floyd Schofield
- Denys Berinchyk
- Sam Noakes
- Lucas Bahdi
The Ring panel’s placement of WBC lightweight champion Shakur (24-0, 11 KO) at No. 1 is a questionable move because he hasn’t fought a good enough opponent since moving up to 135 pounds in 2023. Moreover, he failed to impress in his fights against William Zepeda on July 12, 2025 and Edwin De Los Santos on November 16, 2023.
Cruz vs eye test
Judging by the eye test, Shakur is not No. 1 material. The diamond at level 135 is Andy Cruz (6-0, 3 KO). He looks the best of his six-fight career, showing off the skill, speed and strength that set him apart from any fighter in his weight class.
Promoted by Matchroom, Cruz will fight IBF lightweight champion Raymond Muratalla on January 24, 2026 at Fontainebleau Las Vegas in Las Vegas. This will give the 29-year-old Cruz the opportunity to show fans who have never seen him before why Nation Vegas considers him the No. 1 lightweight fighter.
Nation Vegas Rankings
- Andy Cruz
- Floyd Schofield
- William Zepeda
- Abdullah Mason
- Raymond Muratalla
- Gervonta Davis
- Shakur Stevenson
- Sam Noakes
- Denys Berinchyk
- Łukasz Baldi
Nation Vegas has been writing about fighting games since 2012 and is currently a featured writer Boxing News 24. Over the years, it has built a reputation for extensive coverage of both major events and emerging prospects, delivering news, fight reports and features that connect with fans around the world.
With over a decade of experience, Nation combines insightful analysis with an accessible style, making his work a trusted source for readers who want to follow sports from every angle. His consistency and passion for boxing have made him a respected voice on the site.
Last update: 25/11/2025
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Boxing
Davies vs Collins & Heaney vs Warburton II Results: Full Fight Recap
Published
9 hours agoon
September 26, 2026
World Boxing News provides results and updates as Liam Davies faces Nathaniel Collins in the main event at bp pulse LIVE in Birmingham.
Davies and Collins collide over 12 rounds for the EBU European featherweight title at the top of the Queensberry Promotions card.
Luke McCormack faces Kay Prospere for the vacant British super lightweight title, while Bradley Goldsmith takes on Amir Abubaker for the IBF International middleweight title.
WBN provides results and updates from every bout as they happen.
Results
All times are local BST.
23:11
Gerome Warburton defeated Nathan Heaney for the second time running as the middleweight put an exclamation mark on his first victory.
Heaney walks away from the sport having been an entertainer through a long carer, without reaching the heights of a world title.
22:04
Liam Davies improved to 19-1 after Nathaniel Collins retired at the end of the seventh round due to a cut over his right eye. Collins had also been dropped in the opening round as Davies successfully defended the European featherweight title.
21:22
Bradley Goldsmith improved to 17-1 with a seventh-round stoppage of Amir Abubaker to retain his IBF International middleweight title. Abubaker went down in the fourth and three times in the seventh before the finish at 2:42.
20:10
Lewis Richardson improved to 3-0 with a shutout six-round points victory over Ivan Trofimovich, earning a 60-54 decision.
19:56
Luke McCormack moved to 6-0 and claimed the vacant British super lightweight title with a tenth-round knockout of Kay Prospere, who was counted out after a right uppercut at 1:28.
18:55
Michael Hussain moved to 5-0 with a four-round points victory over Nabil Ahmed, earning a 39-38 decision.
18:11
Nelson Birchall moved to 12-0 with a third-round stoppage of Lewis Morris, who went down before the finish came at 1:12. Lasha Guruli also remained unbeaten at 5-0 after edging Hughie Wilson 77-75 over eight rounds.
17:22
Early action saw John Tom Varey and Reese Lynch claim four-round victories to move to 3-0 and 5-0 respectively.
TV Coverage
DAZN provides full worldwide coverage.
Follow WBN’s live boxing coverage throughout the event.
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
Janibek Alimkhanuly Shifts Perspective on Hamzah Sheeraz: A New Dynamic in Boxing
Published
12 hours agoon
September 26, 2026
Janibek Alimkhanuly spent months trying to get Hamzah Sheeraz into the ring. Now that Sheeraz has vacated his WBO super middleweight title, Janibek is asking fans to stop saying the former champion ran from him. That is generous. It also leaves Janibek with less to say about a fight he wanted badly.
He’s not afraid of me. He didn’t run from me. He made his decision based on his own plans. He has his own goals! He’s my brother, and I ask everyone to stop saying he ran from me. He’s a great fighter, and I have nothing but respect for him! @sheeraz_hamzah 🫂 pic.twitter.com/uxZlegqSmH
— Janibek Alimkhanuly (@qazaqstyle) September 26, 2026
Janibek’s tone has changed since the purse bid. He was eager to fight, said money was not his priority, and publicly pushed Sheeraz to accept. Queensberry then bid $1,001,809 to stage the ordered defense, beating Top Rank’s $820,000 offer. Sheeraz’s 75 percent share would have been roughly $751,000. Days later, he gave up the belt.
That sequence deserves a closer look. Queensberry put a serious number on the fight, so the bid itself cannot be dismissed as proof that nobody valued it. But winning the right to promote a title defense means little to fans when the champion vacates before it happens.
Sheeraz has objected to Janibek receiving a mandatory shot after his failed drug test. He is entitled to explain that position. Fans are equally entitled to ask why the issue reached a purse bid before he surrendered the title. Janibek’s post supplies no answer.
Perhaps Janibek sees no benefit in branding Sheeraz a coward. Doing so would also make the opponent he chased sound less valuable. Calling Sheeraz a great fighter preserves the idea that this was an important contest, even after the belt and the fight slipped away.
The respect between them may be sincere. Janibek still gets no Sheeraz fight, and Sheeraz no longer has to defend his title against Janibek. A friendly photo does not change either result.
About the author
Boxing 24/7 Wire
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.
Boxing
Virginia Confirms Decision to Erase Prichard Colón Loss from Records
Published
12 hours agoon
September 26, 2026
Virginia has given World Boxing News its final answer on whether Prichard Colón’s last professional defeat can still be challenged, bringing an end to WBN’s long fight to have the result annulled and removed from his record.
WBN has pursued the possibility of changing the controversial disqualification defeat to Terrel Williams, with those efforts continuing following Colón’s death at age 33.
Virginia’s Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation previously explained that a decision can only be overturned if there is proven collusion, a scorecard error, or a regulatory violation that affected the result.
WBN pressed Eric Beidel, Communications & Digital Media Manager for the Department of Professional & Occupational Regulation, on whether any avenue remained to challenge the decision.
“And on that final question … as mentioned before, a decision can only be overturned if there is proven collusion, a scorecard error, or a regulatory violation that affected the results,” Beidel graciously responded after providing WBN with transparent answers throughout the investigation.
“In addition, a complaint about a regulatory violation must be filed within three years of the alleged violation.”
The Colón-Williams fight took place on October 17, 2015, meaning that deadline expired years ago.
Virginia Closes Appeal Route
Virginia’s response also addressed whether the result could instead be challenged through an appeal.
“The Administrative Process Act (APA) does create appeal rights to case decisions, but because DPOR never received a complaint in this instance, there was no case or decision that could be appealed under the APA.”
The deadline for filing a complaint about a regulatory violation has expired, while the absence of an original complaint means there is no case decision available to appeal under the APA.
For WBN, Virginia’s response ends a long fight to have the defeat annulled and removed from Colón’s professional record.

WBN’s Fight for Prichard Colón
It is no secret that WBN and Prichard were close before the most tragic night of his career ended all contact and left us on the outside for the years leading up to his death.
That never stopped WBN from reporting on Prichard, campaigning for change and hoping lessons from what happened to him could help prevent another fighter and family from enduring the same tragedy.
Virginia’s final response may end WBN’s attempts to have the result changed, but it does not end our commitment to Prichard.
Prichard Colón will not be forgotten.
WBN will continue to keep his name alive whenever and wherever possible with the WBN Boxer Pageand push to ensure his fight for life and everything that happened in its aftermath are never allowed to simply disappear from boxing’s memory.
This investigation ends here, but Prichard’s story does not.
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.
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Davies vs Collins & Heaney vs Warburton II Results: Full Fight Recap
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