A heavyweight fight was almost thrown off the road in the Team Boxing League. On Friday night, fans almost got more than they bargained for.

With so many fighters lined up at ringside throughout the event, the line-up always carried the risk of something spilling over. As the tension rose, it quickly became real.

The flashpoint came during the heavyweight bout between Patrick Mailata and Herich Ruiz, when tempers flared and fighters from both teams quickly engaged in the fight.

At one point there were about ten fighters in the ring at the same time wearing gloves and shorts and anything could have happened.

Flashpoint and Fallout

Despite the scenes, Mailata later decided to clarify the situation and downplay any personal animosity.

“I have no bad blood with Herich Ruiz. It was not personal,” Mailata said.

Instead, the Modern Zealand heavyweight pointed to frustration with officiating as the cause of the incident.

“The refereeing was really challenging all night long and I had the last fight. Ruiz happened to interrupt me out of frustration.”

Mailata, who is a regular in the league, made it clear that the incident was a product of the environment and not any targeted dispute.

“I enjoy fighting in the Team Boxing League, that’s why this is my third season. At the end of the day, I’m a fighter and I will fight, but if I’m fighting with both the fighter and the referee, it doesn’t leave me any room to show my talents.”

Pressure point on the ring side

The Team Boxing League has become a useful tool for emerging fighters like Pryce Taylor to gain experience without jeopardizing their professional records, while veterans like Luis Ortiz and Steve Cunningham continue to do what they love at 47 and 49 years of age.

The scenes highlighted a potential flaw in the format, which places multiple lively fighters in close proximity to each other throughout the night.

While the concept helped create prospects and extend the careers of veterans, Friday’s events showed how quickly things can escalate when emotions run high.

With so many warriors positioned within arm’s reach, it only took a moment of frustration to turn into a full-scale confrontation.

This time the situation was brought under control.

But photos and video from the evening showed how little it takes to raise tensions in a format where players are never far from the action.

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. Read the full biography.

Naoya Inoue will soon have more clarity on his next mandatory challenger after the IBF ordered an interim super bantamweight title fight.

Since then, Inoue has been linked to a fight with Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez his victory over Junto Nakatani last month, but it appears the American will remain at bantamweight until his next fight after winning the WBA title over Antonio Vargas.

As a result, before Inoue can face Rodriguez in early 2027, the undisputed champion may set his sights on making another defense of his undisputed super bantamweight title in September or October.

Currently, John Riel Casimero is being considered for this fight, while the mandatory challenger for the WBO title remains Filipino Carl Jammes Martin.

However, according to No Limit Boxing, the IBF has made the decision to name its own clear challenger, ordering an interim title fight between Australian Sam Goodman and Japanese Ryosuke Nishida.

FIGHT FOR THE WORLD TITLE IS COMMITTED 🥊

Australian Sam Goodman (22-1) has been ordered by the IBF to fight Japanese No. 1 contender Ryosuke Nishida (11-1) for the interim IBF super bantamweight world title.

The winner gets a chance to fight the undisputed king Naoya Inoue 👑 pic.twitter.com/nTaDdT9GV2

— No Limit Boxing (@NoLimit_Boxing) June 15, 2026

Goodman and Nishida’s teams have 30 days from the date of the order to negotiate terms before the fight reaches a final bid.

Goodman was expected to face Inoue’s former opponent Ramon Cardenas in a WBC interim title clash based on Tim Tszyu’s fight against Errol Spence Jr next month.

As a result, No Limit Boxing may now try to add Goodman-Nishida to that bill, which already includes the return of Jermall Charlo, provided Nishida is ready in time.

Alternatively, Goodman could head to Japan for the first time in his professional career, where he would have a chance to further strengthen his credibility with local fans ahead of a potential future encounter with “The Monster.”

Time will tell whether the winner of the fight will take a shot at Inoue – “The Monster” has made it clear that he wants to fight Rodriguez at this weight before moving on to his final division before retiring.

Vitali Klitschko led on all three scorecards when Lennox Lewis defended his heavyweight titles in one of boxing’s most controversial stoppages on June 21, 2003. Klitschko entered the fight as a significant underdog, despite having a record of 32-1 and 31 knockouts.

From the first bell, Klitschko exceeded expectations.

Klitschko won the first two rounds on all three judges’ scorecards, and in the second he opened a cut under Lewis’ left eye.

In the second round, he landed demanding right hands that opened a cut under Lewis’ left eye and appeared to briefly shake the champion. Lewis responded in the third round with a powerful right hand that created a deep cut above Klitschko’s left eye. The wound ultimately became the defining moment of the fight.

Despite the cut, Klitschko stayed in the fight and won the fourth round on all three scorecards. However, the injury above his left eye continued to worsen as Lewis landed more spotless punches.

After the sixth round, ring doctor Dr. Paul Wallace examined the cut and informed referee Lou Moret that Klitschko could not continue.

When the fight was stopped after six rounds, Klitschko was leading 58-56 on all three scorecards.

Because the injury was caused by punches, Lewis was awarded a technical knockout victory in the sixth round.

Although Lewis initially expressed interest in meeting Klitschko again later that year, the rematch never took place. Lewis announced his retirement in February 2004, ending his Hall of Fame career with a record of 41-2-1.

For Klitschko, the performance changed his reputation. Less than a year later, he won the WBC heavyweight title by stopping Corrie Sanders and began the championship fight that would define his career.