Promoter Camille Estephan wants Osleys Iglesias to devour Jaime Munguia for breakfast and Hamzah Sheeraz for lunch. The IBF champion may remain hungry forever because neither man has a sensible reason to share a ring with a Cuban national team product carrying knockout power in both hands.

Estephan calls Iglesias the boogeyman at 168 pounds, and this time the promotional label fits. Iglesias offers enough danger to wreck Munguia’s drawing power or Sheeraz’s Canelo plans, while bringing neither the enormous purse nor the international audience needed to make that gamble worthwhile.

“Munguia for breakfast. Sheeraz for lunch. Lately, something pretty peculiar has been happening when I talk about Osleys Iglesias,” Estephan posted on X. “I call up a promoter: ‘No thanks.’ I call up a manager: ‘I would never put my guy in with him.’ When the other big names at 168 lbs talk about future fights, his name strangely vanishes from the conversation. They’re even scared to say his name out loud! Maybe they dream about him at night. Or rather, maybe they’re having nightmares. They can dodge him for a little while longer, they can run but they can’t hide forever.”

The frustration has a legitimate foundation. Iglesias (15-0, 14 KOs) came through Cuba’s national boxing system before turning professional. He combines that schooling with the rare ability to knock out opponents using either hand.

That combination makes Iglesias commercially unattractive to established stars. Munguia has a proven following in the United States and Mexico. Sheeraz has Queensberry, the British market, and the support of Turki Alalshikh. Neither needs an IBF champion capable of taking away everything while contributing little independent drawing power.

Munguia already declined an opportunity to face Iglesias for the vacant IBF belt. Canelo Alvarez later gave Sheeraz a direct route to their fight by proposing that he defeat Iglesias first.

Sheeraz wanted no part of the idea. He said he respected Canelo, though not enough to allow the Mexican star to tell him whom he must fight before receiving his opportunity.

That response exposed how little Sheeraz needs Iglesias. Facing him would place the Canelo payday in the hands of a lethal Cuban southpaw. Waiting allows Turki to deliver the same prize without that danger. Sheeraz can remain available, stay in Turki’s favor, and wait for the fight to fall into his lap through the effects of gravity. He does not need to lift a finger against Iglesias.

The IBF belt gives Iglesias credibility, though it cannot force Munguia or Sheeraz into a unification. The organization can order challengers to face its champion, but it has no authority over rival belt holders pursuing more profitable business.

Eye of the Tiger can sell Iglesias in Montreal and Quebec City, but that market does not control international matchmaking. Attracting Munguia or Sheeraz would require outside money large enough to compensate them for the danger. Iglesias may otherwise need to enter British or American broadcast slots and make himself impossible to ignore.

Guillermo Rigondeaux, Erislandy Lara and Luis Ortiz encountered similar barriers. Their ability discouraged opponents, while their limited drawing power supplied promoters with a financial excuse for avoiding them.

Iglesias first faces Oliver Zaren (19-0-1, 8 KOs) on October 8 in Quebec City. One dull performance or difficult twelve-round fight would damage the knockout aura Estephan is selling. The chances of Munguia or Sheeraz accepting afterward are already slim and none. That may remain true this year and for the rest of their careers.

Terence Crawford returned several hours later with an even harsher response to Ryan Garcia’s challenge, claiming the 38-year-old would punish Ryan so severely that witnesses would want the law involved.

“I’ll f*** @RyanGarcia up so bad people going to be calling the law on me talking about child abuse. Like why did you do that to that little boy you knew he was just talking for the entertainment. Here I am,” Crawford posted on X.

Ryan Garcia Dares Terence Crawford To Square Up

Ryan Garcia wants to fight Terence Crawford in the street or in the ring, daring him to settle their feud with bare knuckles. Crawford started it by calling Ryan a fake who only talks tough when his bodyguards are around.

“@RyanGarcia only talk tuff for the internet. He’s know it’s all for show. I promise if I seen him without his security guards and the cameras he’ll be a complete different person. 😂 he say I’m a bully but I was the one they got for the bullies. 😉” Crawford posted on X.

“Okay so let’s square up bro on or off the ring I’m ready to handle this,” Ryan responded.

“I’m bout to go to the gym f**k it! Don’t make me too mad I’ll be 39 in 10 Days dam.😂” Crawford posted on Xreacting to the public challenge.

Crawford mentioning his age serves as a classic two-way insurance policy veteran fighters rely on when engaging younger rivals. First, it is an obvious attempt to shame Ryan in the court of public opinion. By pointing out that he is turning 39 in ten days, Crawford paints the picture of Ryan as an opportunist barking at an older retired man.

Second, it sets up an immediate built-in excuse if they ever step into the ring and things go wrong. If Crawford fights Ryan and wins, he looks like an ageless boxing master who schooled a prime champion twelve years younger than him. If he gets caught by Ryan’s left hook and loses, the narrative shifts immediately to Father Time: Crawford was 39, long past his prime, and stepped off the couch to do it.

Veteran fighters use that trick constantly to protect their pride. It allows Crawford to dismiss Ryan publicly while simultaneously laying down the foundation for an alibi if he decides the money is too big to pass up.

Crawford has now answered Ryan’s invitation with a graphic prediction rather than an offer to negotiate a boxing match. The personal hostility is obvious. The remaining question is whether either man is prepared to turn the threats into a sanctioned fight, where Crawford’s claims would finally have consequences beyond social media.

Teddy Atlas has highlighted a key advantage of David Benavidezwhich Jai Opetaia must attempt to nullify if they end up colliding next year.

The two cruiserweights have verbally agreed to lock horns in 2027, with Benavidez acknowledging the Australian as a worthy opponent for Cinco de Mayo weekend.

Before targeting their potential showdown in May, though, ‘The Mexican Monster’ is expected to face WBC champion Michal Cieslak on December 12.

Following Opetaia’s ninth-round stoppage of Noel Mikealian last weekend, the WBC cruiserweight title became vacant and Cieslak was elevated from ‘interim’ to full champion.

As a result, Benavidez is set to enter a three-belt unification match after dethroning Gilberto Ramirez for the WBO and WBA titles earlier this year.

By scoring a sixth-round finish, the Mexican-American not only became a three-division world champion but also demonstrated his speed and power at 200lbs.

Top trainer Atlas has therefore suggested on his YouTube channel that these attributes, combined with his punches in bunches, could see the 29-year-old defeat Opetaia.

“He’s got the quicker hands – I think that’s one advantage. But he’s got power, too – just like Opetaia. And he’s a warrior – just like Opetaia. They’re both undefeated; they’re both champions.

“[Benavidez is] a guy, though, that throws with speed and power and punches in clusters. And that can be a problem.

“You can time it … but that might give [Benavidez] an edge. Opetaia might have to hurt him to slow him down and win the fight [on points]. It’s hard to visualise Opetaia outworking him when it comes to volume.”

Indeed, Opetaia is unlikely to match Benavidez’ tremendous punch output but, as the naturally bigger man, he may find success in other areas of their hoped-for contest.