Boxing
Oscar De La Hoya speaks to Ali Act, Ring Magazine and DAZN Deal
Published
4 months agoon
Oscar De La Hoya appeared Ariel Helwani show Wednesday, less than 24 hours after the House of Representatives approved the Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act. The Golden Boy Promotions founder focused on the Ali Act amendment, expressed regret over the sale of Ring Magazine, confirmed his up-to-date deal with DAZN, outlined plans for Ryan Garcia’s next fight and set his sights on Dana White.
De La Hoya plans to testify in the Senate against Ali’s amendment bill
On Tuesday, the House voted to pass H.R. 4624, which TKO-backed legislation would create Unified Boxing Organizations to operate outside of the existing Ali Act framework. De La Hoya has been one of the bill’s most vocal critics and appeared concerned Wednesday.
“What’s extraordinary to me is that no one reports this, no one talks about it,” De La Hoya told Helwani. “I feel like I’m fighting this fight alone. They’re always sneaky. They had a hearing a few days ago where they handed it over. It was all under the radar, no one knew about it. Hopefully when I show up, I’m prepared, I talk to the Senate and hopefully I can convince them, this thing will derail.”
He said he has spoken to multiple senators and has been invited to Washington in the coming weeks to testify. The bill is currently in the Senate Commerce Committee, chaired by Ted Cruz, and needs 60 votes to clear the filibuster.
Critics, including De La Hoya, Bob Arum, Evander Holyfield and the WBC, say the bill would allow TKO to replicate the UFC’s closed-league boxing model. Supporters including Lonnie Ali, Mike Tyson and the Association of Boxing Commissions say it provides overdue safety standards. The two House members who voted yes, Bobby Scott and Ilhan Omar, continued to urge the Senate to strengthen antitrust protections before final passage.
I regret selling Ring magazine
De La Hoya made a sporadic admission about Ring Magazine, which he sold to Turki Alalshikh in overdue 2024 for $10 million after 17 years of ownership. He told Helwani he regretted selling it, claiming he believed he was giving it to someone who would protect its integrity, and admitted he was wrong.
He said that the Ring’s rankings had lost all credibility and that the championship belt, which had carried historic weight for a century, had effectively ended up in the trash. That’s a marked change from 2024, when De La Hoya told Forbes the publication was “in good hands.”
The problem is not up-to-date in the industry. The owner of Ring Magazine is currently in the same financial ecosystem as Zuffa Boxing, which TKO launched as a joint venture with Alalshikh-affiliated Sela. From the beginning, critics questioned whether editorial independence would survive such an arrangement.
Golden Boy is stuck on the DAZN extension
De La Hoya confirmed DAZN’s multi-year extension formally announced on Tuesday, acknowledging months of uncertainty during which players called to inquire about deadlines approaching. He called the deal a relief.
Thanks to the extension, Golden Boy is available on DAZN, where it has been present since 2018. With Top Rank, Matchroom and Queensberry also on the platform, DAZN now includes all major US promotions except Premier Boxing Champions. Golden Boy’s lineup includes WBC welterweight titleholder Ryan Garcia, unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez and challengers Arnold Barboza Jr., William Zepeda and Floyd Schofield.
Garcia vs. Haney scheduled for July
De La Hoya said his goal is a Devin Haney rematch for Garcia, calling it the biggest fight available to both men. He pointed to a July schedule in Las Vegas, including either T-Mobile Arena or Allegiant Stadium.
Garcia dropped Haney three times en route to a majority decision in April 2024, but the result was overturned after a positive Ostarine test. Haney has since won the WBO welterweight title with a dominant win over Brian Norman Jr., while Garcia bounced back from a upset loss to Rolly Romero by stopping Mario Barrios from winning the WBC welterweight belt in February. Both camps have publicly stated they want the fight, although disagreements on the A side have slowed negotiations.
Dana White’s salvos
De La Hoya saved his most unfiltered comments for Dana White, questioning the Zuffa Boxing boss’s credibility on every level.
“He’s a Neanderthal. That’s all,” De La Hoya said. “What he’s saying… he’s saying so much. He’s talking bullshit. He’s not saying shit. He’s just talking. It’s crazy. If you really pay attention, he won’t say anything.”
De La Hoya also pushed back against White’s repeated public barbs about his real estate ventures, calling it a straightforward business decision that White doesn’t have the sophistication to understand. “If you knew business, you would understand, but I’m not going to explain it,” he said, referring to the downtown Los Angeles development. “I’m not going to explain it because Dana has a lot of shit.”
He then turned to White’s long-standing habit of bringing up decades-old underwear photos – a taunt that White has repeated for years. “20 years, 30 years ago. Just please stop it. That’s all you have,” De La Hoya said, calling White “Uncle Fester.” “He probably fucking looks at that painting and probably loves it. That’s why he talks about it so much.”
Personal hostility cuts both ways. White told reporters after Zuffa Boxing 03 last month that opposing him in boxing was “like hitting children.” But what separates this moment from mere trash talk is the legislative battle behind it. White’s TKO Group Holdings is the driving force behind the Ali amendment that De La Hoya is trying to kill in the Senate. Whether De La Hoya’s testimony carries more weight than TKO’s lobbying will determine whether his opposition becomes more than just color television.
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Boxing
Pierce OLeary vs. Mark Chamberlain Live Results: Updates and Highlights
Published
2 days agoon
August 1, 2026
LIVE COVERAGE
World Boxing News provides live results and updates from Dublin as Pierce O’Leary faces Mark Chamberlain at super lightweight.
Queensberry Promotions returns to the 3Arena with an action-packed card headed by the unbeaten Irish star O’Leary, who meets former British champion Chamberlain in the main event.
The undercard also features Gary Cully, Reece Bellotti, Sean McComb, Steven Cairns, Ben Fail and several unbeaten Irish prospects.
Pierce O’Leary vs Mark Chamberlain Results
Times are Local – IST
17:46
Gary Cully stopped Lee Reeves in the tenth round to improve to 20-2.
Cully overcame a fifth-round point deduction for repeatedly losing his gumshield before dropping Reeves twice in the final round to force the stoppage.
The victory marked Cully’s 11th knockout win as a professional.
17:01
Sean McComb returned with a comfortable six-round points victory over Miguel Antin.
McComb won every round on the referee’s scorecard, claiming a 60-54 decision to improve his record to 22-2.
16:31
Machlan Arthur improved to 2-0 with his second straight knockout by stopping Ryan Frost in the fourth round.
Arthur dropped Frost twice in the final session before the referee waved the contest off at 1:05 of round four.
Remaining Bouts
• Pierce O’Leary vs Mark Chamberlain – IBO World Super Lightweight Title (12)
• Royston Barney-Smith vs Reece Bellotti – Vacant IBO Inter-Continental Super Featherweight Title (10)
• Gary Cully vs Lee Reeves – Super Lightweight (10)
• Steven Cairns vs Senan Kelly – Super Lightweight (10)
• Ben Fail vs Craig O’Brien – Super Welterweight (10)
• Bobbi Flood vs Tariq Davis – Super Welterweight (6)
• Adam Olaniyan vs Jonathan Claudio Sauco – Heavyweight (4)
• John Joe Carrigan vs Sean Murray – Super Welterweight (4)
• Sami Hamed vs Bela Istvan Orban – Super Welterweight (4)

Preview
Pierce O’Leary tops a major night of boxing in Dublin as the unbeaten Irishman takes on Mark Chamberlain for the IBO World super lightweight title.
O’Leary enters the contest looking to continue his rise through the rankings against the experienced Chamberlain, who aims to return to winning ways after a draw in his third outing since suffering the lone defeat of his professional career.
The chief support sees Royston Barney-Smith meet Reece Bellotti for the vacant IBO Inter-Continental super featherweight title.
Gary Cully also returns in an intriguing domestic clash with fellow unbeaten Irishman Lee Reeves, while Steven Cairns faces Senan Kelly in another all-Irish encounter.
Sean McComb, Ben Fail, Bobbi Flood, Adam Olaniyan, Machlan Arthur, John Joe Carrigan and Sami Hamed also feature on the Queensberry Promotions card.
Updates will be added below as the action unfolds in Dublin, with more live coverage on World Boxing News.
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
Barry McGuigan: Ryan Garcia Faces a Dangerman in Conor Benn at 147 lbs
Published
2 days agoon
August 1, 2026
Hall of Famer Barry McGuigan has named one half of the main event between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn as the “dangerman” at 147lbs.
The two welterweights will collide at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on September 12, with Garcia making a first defence of his WBC world title.
He claimed the belt by dethroning Mario Barrios with a unanimous decision victory in February, which followed his surprising points loss to Rolando Romero in May 2025.
Interestingly enough, this defeat came shortly after his year-long doping ban, which he served on account of testing positive for ostarine ahead of his majority decision victory over Devin Haney.
The result of their showdown was then ruled a no-contest, with Garcia subsequently moving up to welterweight after failing to keep below the 140lb limit.
It now seems the 27-year-old is competing at a more natural weight while Benn, who tested positive for clomifene in 2022, has not made 147lbs since his second-round finish over Chris van Heerden that same year.
Speaking with talkSPORTIrish boxing icon McGuigan suggested that this – as well as the 29-year-old’s technical flaws – could prove a major factor against Garcia.
“[Benn’s] got that genetic code from his dad, and he’s got that explosiveness and everything else. But he is predictable – you can see when he’s going to throw.
“You ask yourself: is Garcia just a little bit too sharp for him? A little bit too cute. I think Garcia’s finally found the weight he’s most suitable [for]. I think he’s a dangerman at 147[lbs].
“Maybe Conor Benn has left it a little too late to make 147[lbs] again. I think that could be his Achilles’ heel. I make Garcia a slight favourite but would never write off Conor Benn – he’s got that fighting heart.”
Benn comes off a unanimous decision victory over Regis Prograis in April, which followed his two middleweight encounters with Chris Eubank Jr last year.
Boxing
Devin Haney Updates Fight Strategy After Keyshawn Davis Withdraws from Title Shot
Published
2 days agoon
August 1, 2026
Devin Haney’s immediate future has been thrown into uncertainty after Keyshawn Davis pulled out of their mandated contest on Friday.
The pair had been ordered to collide for Haney’s WBO world title, with Davis having been named as the sanctioning body’s mandatory challenger at 147lbs.
Multiple reports then suggested that the 27-year-old was offered $3m by Top Rank, his promoter, only for ‘The Businessman’ to reject what would have been a career-high payday.
Subsequently, their bout went to a purse bit hearing, where Top Rank trumped Teofimo Lopez’s Takeover Promotions with a sum of $8,550,000.
This therefore gave Bob Arum’s outfit the promotional rights and, as per the usual 75/25 split in favour of the defending champion, Davis would have been entitled to a share of $2,137,500.
Since Thursday’s auction, though, Davis has excluded himself from the fight and left Haney without an obvious opponent for his first welterweight title defence.
Taking to social mediaWBO president Gustavo Olivieri explained that his organisation must now provide their champion with a solution.
“The WBO hereby confirms receipt of written notice from counsel on behalf of Keyshawn Davis advising that he will NOT accept the 25% purse split adjudicated pursuant to the official WBO purse bid proceedings and, accordingly, will NOT participate in the WBO welterweight mandatory championship contest against Devin Haney.
“In light of the foregoing, the WBO Championship Committee and Ratings Committee will convene to proceed in accordance with the WBO world championship rules and regulations. The applicable ruling will be rendered and published in due course.”
Re: WBO Welterweight Participant Keyshawn Davis
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) hereby confirms receipt of written notice from counsel on behalf of Mr. Keyshawn Davis advising that he will NOT accept the 25% purse split adjudicated pursuant to the official WBO purse bid…
— Gustavo Olivieri, Esq. (@OlivieriLaw) July 31, 2026
At this stage, it remains to be seen whether Haney will be immediately ordered to face a new mandatory challenger or, given the situation, have the opportunity to make a voluntary defence.
Either way, the 27-year-old has not fought since dethroning Brian Norman Jr in November and is surely eager to return to action.
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