Boxing
Opetaia scores one of the worst KO wins in 2025
Published
5 months agoon
Australian IBF cruiserweight boss Jai Opetaia barely cracked a smile as he turned Huseyin Cinkara into a statue. Typical Opetaia. He loses one of the nastiest knockouts of the year and then whines like he just had a shocker at the local amateur club.
In the second round, Opetaia was staggered and cut under his right eye after a tough right-handed shot from Cinkar. It was an uncertain round for 30-year-old Opetai.
The Gold Coast Convention Center shook as the German challenger defeated Opetaia early on. A correct, precise shot made the champion blink for a second. But when Opetaia calmed down, he began to fight his way through Cinkara. Then in the eighth round he detonated a left hand that went straight through Cinkar’s guard as if it wasn’t even there. Bang. Lights off. Cinkara was already outside before he touched the deck.
Immediately afterwards, disturbing scenes took place. Cinkara, 40 years vintage and tough as vintage boots, lay still for several minutes while the crowd fell noiseless. He finally came to, sitting on the stool, still dazed, while everyone tried to peaceful the mood.
Opetaia didn’t hold back… himself
This wasn’t the standout performance from Opetai that we’ve seen in some of his previous appearances. It was a slower, easier-to-hit version of Jai, in which he slowly broke down the 40-year-old Cinkara with ponderous shots, but took a hit in return.
It is not known yet whether this is a sign that Opetaia is starting to show her age, approaching 30 years of age. It’s clear that this wasn’t the A-level version that defeated Mairis Briedis in their first fight.
After moving to 29-0 (23 KO), Opetaia didn’t bother getting dressed. He grabbed the microphone and said straight:
“I feel like I just fought like…, to be candid… I made a lot of mistakes, I’m very pissed off.”
That’s what it’s like with him. A guy can level someone with one shot and then come back complaining like he lost his phone in a taxi. Brutal operator, brutal self-critic.
The undercard had some chaos too
In the second fight, 21-year-old Max McIntyre kept his spirit alive by stopping Jed Morris in round four and increasing the score to 9-0. The kid looks icy for his age.
Earlier, heavyweight Teremoana Teremoana did what he did – another first-round knockout, and a fourth in a row. Blink and you miss him. German Garcia Montes from Mexico had no chance.
Jason Moloney, former bantamweight world champion, picked up a much-needed victory over Herlan Gomez to finally break his nearly two-year drought. Good to see him getting back into the swing of things.
Amy Kaplan has been a boxing fan since she was 10, which means she’s spent most of her life explaining to people that, yes, she actually prefers fight nights to dinner. Now he writes for Boxing News 24 and covers everything from world title fights to prospects eyeing a payday. He combines piercing analysis with sarcasm, calling out boxing politics and cutting through the noise of press releases to bring fans the stories that really matter.
Last update: 12/06/2025
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Boxing
Kelvin Davis escapes by split decision over Peter Dobson
Published
52 minutes agoon
May 17, 2026
Welterweight Kelvin Davis (16-1, 8 KO) escaped with a split decision victory over Peter Dobson (17-4, 10 KO) after a hard-fought 10-round fight that drew noisy boos from the crowd after the result was announced. The judges scored it 99-91 and 97-93 for Davis, while the third judge scored it 98-92 for Dobson.
Davis boxed effectively early on, using his jab, foot movement and reach to keep Dobson out and gain the advantage in the early rounds. Dobson had difficulty getting close enough to land consistently in the first half of the fight as Davis remained disciplined and chose areas with cleaner strikes.
Dobson had more success in the second half of the fight, getting inside and landing to the body. As the action became increasingly brutal and physical, Davis spent more time on the ropes and in clinches.
Dobson’s aggression and work in the middle helped put an end to the fight, and a few delayed rounds proved challenging to score. Davis continued to land enough pointed counters and straight shots to convince the two judges that he had done enough to secure the victory.
Many fans online and in the arena reacted negatively to the decision, especially due to the wide score of 99-91 in favor of Davis. Several unofficial scorecards indicated that the fight was much closer together, and some viewers felt that Dobson did enough to force a draw or provide an advantage in the decision.
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Last update: 2026/05/16 at 22:46
Boxing
Canelo officially announces return to world title fight, dubbed ‘fight of the decade’
Published
3 hours agoon
May 16, 2026
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez confirmed the reports about his fight with WBC champion Christian Mbilli in an official statement.
Canelo, who has a professional record of 63-3-2 and 39 KOs, last fought in September 2025 when defeated by pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford.
The Mexican icon lost his undisputed super middleweight title that night, his first defeat in the division, but now he hopes to win one of the belts outright when he challenges fresh champion Mbilli on September 12 in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.
Confirming the news, Alvarez said:
“After so many years in this sport, my motivation is still the same: to challenge myself, represent Mexico and continue to build my legacy.
“Mbilli is undefeated and he’s a great fighter and I respect that. But my focus is always on my preparation, performance and giving the fans another great night of boxing.
“On September 12 in Riyad, we start a fresh chapter with the same discipline, ambition and vision that have accompanied me throughout my career.”
Mbilli secured the WBC interim belt by defeating Maciej Sulecki in June 2025 and regained it after an engaging draw with Lester Martinez on the Canelo vs Crawford card. When Crawford retired, the 29-0-1 Mbilli was elevated to full champion.
The fresh champion announced the “fight of the decade” in his own statement.
“My last fight was the fight of the year. In September against Canelo Alvarez, it will be the fight of the decade. And when the fight is over, the world will witness my historic victory.”
The fight will be the culmination of the gala titled “Mexico vs. the World”, and details of the card will be revealed at the press conference opening the gala, which will be held next week in Egypt.
BBBofC British lightweight champion Louie O’Doherty improved to 12-0 (3 KO) with a unanimous decision victory over Ahmed “No Mercy” Hatim, retaining his British title and adding the vacant Commonwealth lightweight title.
Hatim had it moments earlier, rocking O’Doherty with a right hand in the second round, but O’Doherty gradually took control with sharper combinations and a faster work rate. As the rounds progressed, the fight became increasingly physical, with O’Doherty landing consistently and Hatim struggling to keep up. O’Doherty closed the final rounds strongly, including a dominant tenth and a busy twelfth round in which Hatim was forced to hold out multiple times. The scores were 119-109 and 118-110 twice.
In a joint film, Michael Gomez Jr. improved his record to 23-2 (8 KO) after a sixth-round victory over Lee McGregor in a hard-fought lightweight fight.
The fight was action-packed from the first round, with both fighters trading aggressively. Gomez hurt McGregor several times during the fight and dropped him with a right hand slow in the third round. McGregor continued to fight despite swelling around his eye and blood from his nose, but Gomez’s pressure eventually became too much. In the sixth round, McGregor’s corner threw in the towel after another sustained attack.
Welterweight Joe Hayden improved to 23-0 (3 KO) after a fifth-round victory over Ryan Frost in a six-round fight. Hayden was in control throughout and fired shots to the body in the third and fifth rounds before referee Michael Alexander stopped the fight.
2024 Olympic gold medalist Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev improved to 2-0 (1 KO) with a six-round victory over replacement Alexis Torres. Muydinkhujaev controlled the fight with his jab and left hand, hurting Torres several times while winning on the scorecards.
Ted Jackson stopped Mike Byles in the first round after he scored a knockdown early in the fight and forced referee Michael Alexander to intervene. Jackson improved to 7-0 (2 KO).
Brad Casey also remained undefeated, improving to 5-0 (2 KO) after stopping Renars Rusin in the second round. Casey hurt Rusin with a right hand before referee Howard Foster stepped in to stop the fight.
Leighton Birchall remained undefeated after four rounds in a featherweight fight with Leonardo Baez.
Kian Hamilton improved to 2-0 with a four-round victory over Les Urry. Hamilton landed several sturdy body shots during the fight and closed the fight well as Urry spent most of the final round in survival mode.
John Tom Varey improved to 2-0 with a four-round decision over veteran journeyman Stephen Jackson. Varey controlled the action throughout, changing positions and repeatedly forcing Jackson into the ropes, looking for a late-fight stoppage.
Carl Fail improved his record to 12-0 (4 KO) after an eight-round victory over Luis Montelongo. Fail controlled the fight with his jabs and bodywork, hurting Montelongo several times during the fight, making the score 80-72.
Ken Hissner is a senior boxing journalist at Boxing News 24 with over 20 years of experience in the industry. Known for his in-ring reporting, detailed results and historical perspective, he provides authoritative coverage of boxing through the eras.
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