Boxing
Return, lawsuit and rematch
Published
8 months agoon
Floyd Mayweather Jr. turns 49 today. For most retired fighters approaching 50, a birthday means a still dinner or a social media post remembering the fight. For Mayweather, that means a spring exhibition against Mike Tyson, a $340 million fraud lawsuit against Showtime and – as of yesterday – a professional rematch with Manny Pacquiao at the Sphere in Las Vegas, streaming worldwide on Netflix.
Elated birthday, champ. Nobody retires like you.
The record still stands
Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. was born on February 24, 1977 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He turned professional on October 11, 1996, and retired – as he claims it was for the last time – on August 26, 2017, after stopping Conor McGregor in ten rounds at T-Mobile Arena. Record: 50-0, 27 knockouts, world titles in five weight categories, from super featherweight to super welterweight. No career losses. No draws. No stars to check.
The financial numbers are as immaculate as the records. Mayweather’s career earnings are estimated at over $1.2 billion, making him the highest-paid boxer in history. The Pacquiao fight alone, which took place on May 2, 2015 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, generated 4.6 million pay-per-view buys, a $72 million live event and total revenue of more than $600 million. Mayweather’s guaranteed purse was $100 million. The McGregor fight added another $275 million to the sport’s coffers, with Mayweather reportedly earning more than $275 million.
The busiest 49-year-old in boxing
Mayweather announced last week that he did coming out of retirement and returning to professional boxingsigning an exclusive contract with CSI Sports/FIGHT SPORTS. The road to a comeback begins with a spring event against Mike Tyson – reportedly scheduled for April 25 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a nod to Ali-Foreman’s Rumble in the Jungle – followed this summer by a sanctioned professional fight against an opponent whose name will be revealed.
And yesterday, the biggest announcement was made: Mayweather and Pacquiao will meet in a professional rematch on September 19 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, streaming live worldwide on Netflix at no additional cost to subscribers. It will be the first-ever professional boxing match played in the $2.3 billion stadium. Mayweather (50-0, 27 KO) and Pacquiao (62-8-3, 39 KO) have not faced each other since 2015, when Mayweather won by unanimous decision.
“Floyd and I gave the world the greatest fight in boxing history,” Pacquiao said in a statement reported by ESPN. “I want Floyd to live with one loss in his professional record and always remember who gave it to him.”
Mayweather’s response was characteristically terse: “I fought and beat Manny once before. It’ll be the same result this time.”
The event will be produced by EverWonder Studio, Hidden Empire and Limitless X Holdings. Pacquiao Promotions and Mayweather Promotions are listed as partners alongside CSI Sports/FIGHT SPORTS. Card details and ticket information have not been released.
Lawsuit
Mayweather’s birthday celebration comes three weeks after he filed a $340 million lawsuit against Showtime Networks and former Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza. The lawsuit, filed in California and first reported by TMZ Sports, alleges that his former manager and advisor Al Haymon orchestrated a financial fraud involving Showtime in which at least $340 million of Mayweather’s career earnings were transferred to accounts he did not control. Haymon is not listed as a defendant.
Mayweather competed in eight pay-per-view events under the Showtime banner, generating an estimated 15 million in buys and over $1 billion in revenue. The lawsuit claims Showtime still owes Mayweather $20 million for his 2015 fight with Andre Berto. The case follows a pattern as aged as sport itself. A Paramount spokesman told ESPN the claims “lack legal and factual basis.”
What does the 49th look like?
Mayweather, who turns 49 today, is not the Mayweather who beat Pacquiao at 38. He hasn’t fought professionally in almost nine years. His exhibition opponents since his retirement – Tenshin Nasukawa, Logan Paul, John Gotti III – have ranged from mismatched to bizarre. He will fight the 59-year-old Tyson at an exhibition and then ask the commission to approve a professional fight in which his 50-0 record – the most critical artifact of his career – is truly at risk.
Whether the reason for the return is legacy, liquidity, or the straightforward inability of a great competitor to leave is a question only Mayweather can answer. The $340 million lawsuit and reported financial pressures suggest the motivation is not purely sporting. But Mayweather always understood something about boxing that his critics didn’t: business is sports and sports are business. He doesn’t separate the two and never has.
At 49, Floyd Mayweather’s credits include the Tyson exhibition in Congo, the Zambidis exhibition in Athens, a professional comeback fight TBD, a rematch with Pacquiao at Sphere on Netflix and a nine-figure lawsuit against the network that made him the biggest pay-per-view attraction in history. By any measure, this is the busiest year of any retired player’s life.
Perhaps “retired” is no longer the right word.
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Boxing
Floyd Schofield vs Lucas Bahdi: Live Results and Fight Updates
Published
4 hours agoon
October 10, 2026
Floyd Schofield faces Lucas Bahdi tonight, October 10, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The DAZN broadcast starts at 8 p.m. ET, with Boxing News 24 providing live results throughout the card.
Both fighters passed today’s second-day weight check, Chris Mannix reported. Schofield came in at 143 pounds and Bahdi at 142.8 pounds, ending the uncertainty over whether their main event would proceed following Friday’s weight-limit dispute.
Floyd Schofield vs Lucas Bahdi
2026-10-10 · 20:00 ET / 1:00 AM UK · Wintrust Arena, Chicago · Live on DAZN
Floyd Schofield0
AFTER0ROUNDS
Lucas Bahdi0
ROUNDFloyd SchofieldLucas Bahdi
Undercard Results
Heavyweight Joshua Edwards (8-0, 7 KOs) stopped Craig Lewis (15-10-1, 8 KOs) at the start of the third round of their scheduled eight-round bout. The 2024 U.S. Olympian controlled the action against the 42-year-old veteran, forcing him onto the defensive.
Edwards landed a combination late in the second round that hurt Lewis and brought the fight toward its finish. Lewis could not continue because of an injury, prompting the stoppage at the beginning of round three. The injury’s exact nature was not specified in the early ringside account. Edwards needed just two completed rounds to register his seventh stoppage victory.
Grant Flores (14-0, 10 KOs) stopped Mikey Dahlman (19-3, 17 KOs) in the second round of their scheduled eight-round light middleweight bout. Flores controlled the action with his size and punching power, putting the veteran under pressure early.
A hard left hook to the liver hurt Dahlman badly in round two and opened the door for the finish. Flores followed with a sustained attack as Dahlman struggled to recover from the body shot. With Dahlman unable to halt the assault, the referee stepped in to stop the fight. The 21-year-old Flores needed fewer than two rounds to secure his tenth knockout.
Minimumweight Naomy Valle (16-1, 9 KOs) defeated Sheyla Moreno Castillo (5-2-1) by unanimous decision over eight rounds in her professional U.S. debut. The judges scored it 78-73, 78-72, and 77-74 for Valle. Valle controlled most of the early action with her jab and right hand, landing the cleaner punches as Moreno pressed forward.
A right hand in the third round hurt Moreno, but the Mexican fighter kept coming and made Valle work throughout. The final two rounds became scrappier, with Valle losing a point in the eighth for excessive holding after repeated warnings. The deduction came too late to threaten Valle’s lead, which she had built through her more accurate punching over the first six rounds.
The undercard features Ricardo Sandoval against Sergio Mendoza, Jahmal Harvey against Pedro Castaneda and Jan Paul Rivera against Abraham Perfecto Valdez.
Schofield vs Bahdi: Full Card, Weights and DAZN Fight Times
Main Card
Floyd Schofield (19-0, 13 KOs) vs Lucas Bahdi (20-0, 15 KOs)
The pair contest the vacant WBA lightweight belt over 12 rounds. Schofield hit 135 lbs (61.2 kg) on the scales, with Bahdi at 134 lbs (60.8 kg).
Expected ring walks: 10:35 p.m. ET / 7:35 p.m. PT / 3:35 a.m. BST Sunday.
Ricardo Sandoval (27-2, 18 KOs) vs Sergio Mendoza (27-1, 23 KOs)
Two flyweight belts are at stake in this 12-round WBA and WBC title fight. Sandoval registered 111.6 lbs (50.6 kg); Mendoza came in at 111.4 lbs (50.5 kg).
Estimated start: 9:35 p.m. ET / 6:35 p.m. PT / 2:35 a.m. BST Sunday.
Jahmal Harvey (4-0, 3 KOs) vs. Pedro Castañeda (9-1-1, 5 KOs)
Harvey meets Castañeda over eight rounds at lightweight. They tipped the scales at 134.2 lbs (60.9 kg) and 135 lbs (61.2 kg), respectively.
Estimated start: 8:55 p.m. ET / 5:55 p.m. PT / 1:55 a.m. BST Sunday.
Jan Paul Rivera (16-0, 7 KOs) vs. Abraham Perfecto (14-2, 9 KOs)
Rivera and Perfecto open the main card in a 10-round lightweight contest. Rivera registered 130.2 lbs (59.1 kg), while Perfecto checked in at 131.4 lbs (59.6 kg).
Opening bout: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. BST Sunday.
Preliminary Card
Tristan Kalkreuth (17-1, 12 KOs) vs Ivan Rosado (12-0, 9 KOs)
Scheduled for 10 rounds at cruiserweight. Kalkreuth came in at 199.2 lbs (90.4 kg), compared with Rosado’s 194.6 lbs (88.3 kg).
Asa Stevens (7-0-1, 2 KOs) vs Cristian Williams (14-0, 8 KOs)
Stevens takes on Williams in an eight-round super featherweight bout. Stevens registered 127.8 lbs (58.0 kg); Williams hit 125.6 lbs (57.0 kg).
About the author
Boxing News 24 Desk
BoxingNews24.com has delivered independent boxing coverage since 2007, including original news, fight analysis, schedules, and results. Our experienced boxing writers cover major fighters and events worldwide, with published content reviewed by editors for accuracy.
Boxing
Vergil Ortiz Jr. Focuses on Fight Frequency Over Opponent Quality
Published
5 hours agoon
October 10, 2026
Robert Garcia wants Vergil Ortiz Jr. back in the ring, even if that means accepting an opponent who does little to satisfy fans waiting for the Jaron Ennis fight.
Keith Thurman is the likely opponent for Ortiz’s proposed December 5 return on the David Benavidez card. Talks appear promising, though the fight has yet to be finalized. Ortiz is scheduled to begin training camp next week.
“I don’t care whatever people say. I just need Vergil back in,” Garcia said. “He’s been out for a year. … It’s going to be 13 months basically. So, that’s too much.”
That explains the willingness to take Thurman. Garcia’s priority is getting Ortiz through a training camp and into a fight. Looking for someone who offers more prestige could bring another delay, leaving Vergil inactive into next year.
Thurman would give Ortiz a recognizable opponent, but beating him would leave the bigger questions unanswered. Fans want to see Vergil against the strongest fighters around his weight. A return bout can restore activity without delivering that test.
Garcia accepts the criticism. He believes the cost of waiting has become greater than the benefit of holding out for a better opponent.
“If we try to switch up, find somebody else or maybe a bigger fight, a fight that means a little bit more, then it might take longer,” he said.
The same frustration is behind the team’s decision to campaign at 160 pounds. Garcia expects Ennis to pursue Josh Kelly and then potentially Sebastian Fundora, a sequence he believes could leave Ortiz waiting another year.
He understands Ennis’s interest in unification, while maintaining that Vergil would present a harder fight. Ortiz’s team is choosing to move forward rather than keep cutting to 154 for an opportunity Garcia cannot count on.
Getting Ortiz active is a reasonable immediate goal. After that, the urgency needs to extend to finding stronger opposition. Thurman can end the layoff; he cannot replace the fights that made fans eager to see Vergil return.

About the author
Boxing News 24 Desk
BoxingNews24.com has delivered independent boxing coverage since 2007, including original news, fight analysis, schedules, and results. Our experienced boxing writers cover major fighters and events worldwide, with published content reviewed by editors for accuracy.
Boxing
Max Kellermans 27-Year-Old Opinion on Boxings Cancer Controversy
Published
14 hours agoon
October 10, 2026
Max Kellerman sat down with Ak and Barak, revealing just how outspoken he has become about boxing’s establishment since joining forces with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing.
The former HBO and ESPN broadcaster made it clear that he has no time for any of the four major sanctioning bodies.
Asked which of the bodies he respected during Ring Champs with Ak & BarakKellerman delivered a blunt response.
“None. Zero.”
The interview’s official description on Instagram went even further, highlighting that Kellerman “spits on all of them” before the post was removed.
Kellerman explained that his contempt for the organizations dates back to the controversial 1999 draw between Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, long before White announced his plans to reshape professional boxing.
“You want to know what the breaking point was?” Kellerman said. “Holyfield Lewis first fight draw.”
He believes the proliferation of championships has allowed promoters to sell fights that fall short of the best facing the best.
“You’re the champion of the world, but there are 10 dudes better than you who weigh what you weigh,” Kellerman said.
“They’re promotional tools tied into promoters.”
Kellerman argued that the fragmentation has damaged boxing’s mainstream appeal in America, where even Terence Crawford could walk down the street without being recognized.
However, he stopped short of blaming the sanctioning bodies for everything wrong with the sport.
“They’re not the cancer. They’re a symptom of the cancer.”
He also claimed that he has refused to mention any sanctioning body by name on air for almost 25 years.
“I’m not going to call them by name, not even to insult,” Kellerman added.
Kellerman’s HBO Revelation
Kellerman also revealed that he challenged the championship system during his time at HBO, arguing that the network should recognize the genuine champions rather than the alphabet belts.
“Guys, do you know who the belts are for? They’re for everyone else,” he recalled telling colleagues.
“Why should we recognize all these belts?”
His position is understandable, particularly given the questionable decisions and championship politics that have plagued boxing for decades.
However, it is the way Kellerman has gone about expressing that position that appears to rankle his detractors.
During his years with HBO and ESPN, Kellerman regularly discussed sanctioning-body championships, undisputed status and pound-for-pound achievements despite his objections to the system.
Since Zuffa entered the picture, however, his rejection of the traditional organizations has become considerably more emphatic.

The Dana White Connection
That shift has aligned Kellerman closely with White’s blueprint, which rejects the established sanctioning bodies in favor of a different championship structure.
In September 2025, World Boxing News reported Kellerman telling White that he loved the decision not to recognize the sanctioning bodies.
His latest interview suggests those beliefs were established long before Zuffa came calling, but it does little to settle the separate argument over his independence.
There is a difference between opposing the alphabet organizations and appearing to endorse almost everything their potential replacement wants to do.
There’s also the not-so-small possibility that removing the sanctioning bodies could see decades of championship history disregarded, diminishing the achievements of legends like Sugar Ray Leonard and Roy Jones Jr. in the eyes of today’s fans.
Max was once one of the most respected boxing frontmen in the world, and his increasingly vocal support for Zuffa has overshadowed much of the reputation he spent over thirty years building.
His criticism of the sanctioning bodies has some merit. Whether handing more control to a promotional organization is the answer remains another matter entirely.
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.
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