Boxing
Roach Eyes to Matias, Shakur and Russell after defeating Pitbull?
Published
5 months agoon
Lamont Roach says he has three fights in mind “After” that Saturday night in San Antonio, Texas, he defeated WBC interim welterweight champion Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz.
I’m already looking beyond Cruz
Roach (25-1-2, 10 KO) says he wants a straight title match against WBC 140-pound champion Surbriel Matias after he dethrones Cruz (28-3-1, 18 KO). Considering how Lamont has wrestled at 130 pounds in the past, it’s arrogant of him to view the Cruz fight as a sure win.
Roach has never looked elite at super featherweight. He just had that one recent fight with a distracted, looking spaced out Gervonta Davis last March, in which he performed impressively. Tank’s indigent performance may have been a sign of a loss of motivation to play the sport rather than a sign that Roach was exceptional that night.
Living off the draw in the tank
After everything Roach has done, he will look bad in the eyes of fans if he loses to “Pitbull” Cruz on Saturday night in their headliner at the Frost Bank Center. He really gained a lot from the 12-round draw with Tank, taking a victory lap for the last eight months, even though he didn’t win. You don’t usually see warriors behaving this way. This shows how indigent Roach’s career was.
Backup plan: Shakur at 135
“If we don’t get Shakur, then obviously we’ll look at Subriel because we’ll be in line for him. We’re pushing the issue. “We’re the interim champion. We want to fight. Give us a time frame, a schedule and we’ll go from there,” Lamont Roach said to All the smoke about wanting to immediately fight for the title against WBC welterweight champion Subriel Matias if he defeats Isaac Cruz on Saturday.
In fact, he hopes to be elevated as the up-to-date WBC champion after Matias recently tested positive for a banned substance.
Self-confidence or Roach’s illusion?
If neither of these things happen, Roach says he will return to 135 pounds to face Shakur Stevenson for the WBC lightweight title. Shakur returns to lightweight, and if he loses his fight against WBO welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez on January 31, there will be obscure clouds. Fighting Shakur in these conditions wouldn’t be ideal for Roach, but he could be in a pinch if he loses to Cruz.
“It’s going to be a masterclass in boxing for me. It’s definitely going to be fan-friendly. It wouldn’t be super fan-friendly without Pitbull Cruz, the guy who’s with me,” Roach said. “I really like the Gary Antuanne Russell fight at 140 pounds. I really like that fight.”
Bob Smith wrote for Boxing News 24 since 2008, making him one of the site’s longest-serving contributors. With over a decade of experience, he has established himself as a senior boxing writer who accurately covers the global fight scene.
Bob’s work includes fight reports, news and features featuring world champions and emerging fighters alike, giving fans a clear picture of the sport’s past and present. Known for his consistency, accuracy and deep understanding of boxing, Bob remains a trusted voice for readers who want to stay up to date with global martial arts news.
Last update: 12/03/2025
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Boxing
Kelvin Davis escapes by split decision over Peter Dobson
Published
2 hours 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
4 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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