Boxing
MSG press conference heats up ahead of the Lopez-Stevenson clash
Published
3 months agoon
The atmosphere at Madison Square Garden was electric during the final press conference ahead of “The Ring 6,” DAZN’s sold-out PPV event headlined by Teofimo Lopez (22-1, 13 KO), defending his Ring Magazine and WBO junior welterweight titles against undefeated Shakur Stevenson (24-0, 11 KO) on Saturday, January 31. Stevenson will be fighting for his fourth world title in a fourth weight class in what promises to be a clash of the generations.
The card is stacked: Keyshawn Davis (13-0, 9 KO) vs. Jamaine Ortiz (20-2, 10 KO) in the second fight, WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames (24-1, 18 KO) vs. Austin “Ammo” Williams (19-1, 13 KO), Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (16-0, 9 KO) fought with Carlos Castro (30-3, 14 KO) for the vacant WBC featherweight belt, Jarrell “Gigantic Baby” Miller (26-1, 22 KO) with Kingsley “Black Lion” Ibeh (16-2, 14 KO) and the pioneer of Saudi Arabia Ziyad “Zizo” Almaayouf (7-0, 1 KO) against Kevin Castillo (5-2).
Fighters and promoters expressed emotion, confidence and respect, with MSG’s sold-out crowd and historic venue raising the stakes even further.
Teofimo Lopez
Lopez exuded peaceful confidence. “The preparation was very good,” he said, praising assistant coach Stacy McKinley and his father for honing his skills. “The amount of knowledge provided… was really impressive. I feel very good, I’m excited, determined.” He announced that this was the best he felt going into the fight and added, “More importantly, my soul feels great, like a beacon.”
Manager Keith Connolly compared it to Lopez’s upset of Vasily Lomachenko in 2020: “We’re in the exact same situation five, six years ago… He came in and kicked him in the ass. He’ll do it again. Shakur is a great fighter, but he’s never fought someone like Teofimo Lopez.”
Shakur Stevenson
Stevenson kept his emotions in check, choosing business over personal competition. “It’s all business… I’m 100 percent focused.” On Lopez as a challenge: “We’ll see. He’s a good player.”
He emphasized the importance of including children in his Fresh Jersey community in the fight: “It all means… giving them motivation” by seeing someone who has been in a similar situation succeed.
James Prince praised Stevenson’s uniqueness: “He’s one of a kind… He took aspects of Andre Ward and Roy Jones and yet incorporated them into his own mix. Now he’s Shakur Stevenson.”
Jarrell “Gigantic Baby” Miller
Miller’s return to MSG after 19 years caused deep emotions. “The last time I fought in this gym was 19 years ago… Coming back home to fight in front of my fans and family means a lot to me.” Sober and focused – “I don’t party, smoke or drink, I keep my mind acute” – he recalled past setbacks since 2019, but expressed gratitude to promoter Eddie Hearn and Matchroom for the opportunity. Notably, this will be the first time his children will see him fight live.
On opponent Kingsley Ibeh: “Am I afraid of him? Hell no… I’m from Brooklyn… I’m going to fight.” He promised aggression: “Come Saturday night, I’ll make Kingsley’s head spin… I’m horny and I’m going to kick some ass.”
Other special moments
Keyshawn Davis promised an ending: “I don’t want to leave this in the judges’ hands… The amazing Keyshawn Davis is back.” Jamaine Ortiz, determined after close defeats, said: “I learned a lot, especially not to leave it to the judges… I will show everyone that it all has its levels.”
Carlos Adames was matter-of-fact: “I’m looking forward to doing what I’ve always done.” Challenger Austin Williams brims with confidence and artistry: “I’m here to be the most cerebral fighter… I’m ready to give the fans the greatest performance they’ve ever seen.”
Brooklyn’s Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington called Brownsville’s free shot at the title a “dream come true”: “This is my moment… I have to do it.” Carlos Castro replied: “I’m here to beat the best… Bruce Carrington gets in my way and I realize there are levels to it all.”
Ziyad “Zizo” Almaayouf, Saudi Arabia’s first professional boxer, spoke of historic pride: “Gotham has Batman… Saudi Arabia has Zizo. On Saturday night I will make history” as the first Saudi to fight at MSG.
Eddie Hearn celebrated the sold-out event: “This place is special… the whole boxing world will be in Fresh York.” He praised both main event fighters for chasing greatness over easier paydays and highlighted personal stories, from Miller’s redemption to Williams’ journey.
The press conference highlighted an evening of high stakes, hometown pride and legacy-defining moments, and Lopez-Stevenson was ready to deliver a state-of-the-art classic in the Mecca of boxing.
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Many fans on social media suspect that Miller is once again chasing Joshua just to secure a huge payday, which he threw away when failed drug tests canceled their 2019 fight.
Joshua wants a tune-up before he finally meets Tyson Fury. The plan is to shake off the rust and keep his record pristine before this huge event happens. This gap in the schedule gives other heavyweights a chance to make their voices heard, and Miller takes advantage of the moment.
Miller is still a controversial name, but he knows how to cause offense. Beating Pero would aid him prove that he still belongs in this conversation.
“Your whooping cough will come sooner or later. You can run, but you can’t hide,” Jarrell Miller said on Matchroom.
From a business perspective, Joshua’s team is focused on the Tyson Fury event. Facing an aggressive, volume hitter like Miller in a comeback fight would be risky. If Joshua wins, critics may view it as defeating a challenger who has spent years outside the elite mix. If he loses, Fury’s payout and his position will take damage.
Miller has built much of his reputation on noise and confrontation, but he’s still trying to fight his way into the majors. A victory over Pero won’t put him in a fight with Joshua right away, but it will keep him in the wider discussion.
Joshua’s team may still choose the safer and more controlled option of a return, especially if negotiations with Fury progress behind the scenes. Risking that payday against a hazardous or inconvenient opponent wouldn’t make much sense.
Still, Miller continues to cling to the story whenever Joshua’s name resurfaces in the headlines. Heavyweight boxing has a long memory, and some unfinished fights remain useful long after the first fall.
Olly Campbell is a boxing journalist covering this sport since 2014, providing reports from the ring and technical analyzes of the most vital fights. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, tactical adjustments and the details that shape high-level competition.
Boxing
Terence Crawford names one fight he would like to see against Gervonta Davis this year
Published
3 hours agoon
April 25, 2026
Terence Crawford has named an opponent he would “love to face” with Gervonta Davis in his expected return to the sport.
The former world champion hasn’t fought since March 2025, when many felt he was lucky to draw with Lamont Roach.
Nevertheless, “Tank” retained the WBA lightweight title and was scheduled to face Roach in an immediate rematch before negotiating an exhibition match with Jake Paul.
But instead of spending time with the YouTuber-turned-boxer, Davis was forced to deal with domestic violence allegations from his former partner, Courtney Rossel.
Since then The 31-year-old was recognized by the WBA as a “breaktime champion”.urged by No. 1 contender Floyd Schofield to book their fight or give him a free shot at the title.
Davis, however, has expressed greater interest in a rematch with Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz at 140 pounds, even though he passed the Mexican in 2021.
Meanwhile, Crawford has no desire to watch “Tank” fight Schofield or Cruz, but he would happily sit back and watch him clash with Shakur Stevenson.
I’m talking to Danielle Pirello“Bud” called the WBO super lightweight world champion the perfect opponent for Davis, believing their potential meeting would be one of the best fights that could be had.
“I’d like to see Shakur vs. ‘Tank’ Davis.”
Stevenson had previously called on Davis to sign a contract several times, perhaps making him increasingly doubtful whether the Baltimore player would ever sign.
Therefore, it is unrealistic to expect an immediate fight between “Tank” and Stevenson, especially after the latter’s dominant performance against Teofimo Lopez in January.
Boxing
Deontay Wilder’s opponents are leaving after Anthony Joshua’s snub
Published
4 hours agoon
April 25, 2026
Two credible opponents emerged after Deontay Wilder vs. Anthony Joshua finally fell after an eight-year battle for the fight.
As World Boxing News documents from start to finish, after nearly a decade of back-and-forth, a Wilder-Joshua fight is no longer an option.
Joshua now has bigger fish to fry in the UK in 2026 as the former two-time heavyweight champion pushes for a British superfight with Tyson Fury.
Promoter Eddie Hearn effectively ruled out Wilder as a warm-up opponent, leaving the Londoner’s next moves without the “Brown Bomber” involved.
After the summer warm-up, Fury’s double will follow and by the time Joshua is finally free, Wilder will be 42 years aged.
This causes Wilder to look elsewhere.
Deontay Wilder’s opponents
Joshua’s compatriot Moses Itauma has already called for a fight, putting himself in a risky clash with one of the best fighters in the division.
Itauma is already shunned and would be seen as a bad turn for Wilder.
However, what stands out is a potential Pay-Per-View showdown in the United States with Andy Ruiz Jr.
The two were linked to fights between 2020 and 2023, when, ironically, the Tyson Fury trilogy stalled before Ruiz’s contract situation made any agreement impossible.
As previously reported by WBN, talks on financial terms were finally broken off when the fight was already clearly decided.
The interest never went away. WBN also revealed how fan demand for the Wilder vs. Ruiz match had skyrocketed, generating millions of views as fans insisted that the fight would finally happen.
Now, after their September showdown at Allegiant Stadium, Wilder vs. Ruiz is the front-runner if either fighter is to return to the heavyweight world title hunt.
Following Joshua’s departure from the table, Wilder’s next move is under scrutiny and calls for a rematch with Derek Chisora are met with an extremely lukewarm reception.
Whether he takes on an emerging name like Itauma or returns to unfinished business with Ruiz, this decision will impact how he re-enters the heavyweight scene.
The title isn’t out of the question for Wilder, but the next move has to be the right one.
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.
Jarrell Miller tries to break into Joshua’s plans
Terence Crawford names one fight he would like to see against Gervonta Davis this year
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