Boxing
Shakur Stevenson reigns supreme, but is still hunting for bigger tests
Published
4 months agoon
After fielding boxing’s version of an almost no-hitter in the World Series, defeating Teofimo Lopez Jr. and winning the WBO junior welterweight title in front of 21,324 fans at Madison Square Garden in Modern York, Shakur Stevenson separated himself from his peers.
Being on the outside watching the recent version of boxing’s “Four Kings” (Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, Gervonta Davis and Lopez), Stevenson built his dynasty, defeated the King and became a four-division champion.
He was patient and waited for an opportunity to strike. He just needed a willing opponent and he found one in Lopez. Stevenson, 28, entered the fight by increasing weight, which put him at a disadvantage against Lopez. Unfortunately for Lopez, a few pounds couldn’t make up for the significant skill gap, and Stevenson lost only one round on all three judges’ scorecards.
“Finally someone took the bait,” Stevenson said during his post-fight press conference. “I’ve been begging for this moment and I finally got it.”
Now the immediate question is where it will go next. After losing weight, money and a starring role to prove his worth in previous fights, Stevenson (25-0, 11 KO) no longer has to sell out to fight the biggest names in the sport. However, as he continues his pursuit of greatness and climbs the ladder pound for pound, Stevenson will continue to challenge himself.
While he could look undisputed at 140 pounds while chasing fights against titleholders Richardson Hitchins (IBF), Gary Antuanne Russell (WBA) and Dalton Smith (WBC), will any of these names add to his legacy? Neither of them would be favored to beat him and would likely come off as a significant underdog. For Stevenson, his next move will likely involve putting himself in another perceived disadvantage to even the playing field.
Enter Conor Benn.
Benn is not a world champion, but the idea that he recently moved up two weight classes from welterweight to middleweight to beat Chris Eubank Jr. is tempting to Stevenson.
“There is a player here at the moment and he motivated me tonight too. Where is Conor Benn?” Stevenson asked in the ring after the victory. “Conor Benn, we could do this, boy. I want the same irrigation clause you used [Chris] Eubank Jr. and I want this fight.
“Sign the contract. Let’s make it happen.”
There is a method to Stevenson’s madness and it has little to do with collecting world champion titles.
“People compare Floyd Mayweather to Terence Crawford, but Floyd was never the undisputed champion,” Stevenson told ESPN before the Lopez fight. “I’m not starting this debate because in my opinion neither one is better than the other, but people keep swearing that Floyd is better than Bud, even though Terence was undisputed in three weight classes and went from 147 pounds to 168 pounds.
“Do seat belts matter to society as much as they do to us?”
Stevenson is right. In terms of legacy, it was more about taking on the biggest challenges than collecting world titles. An ordinary fan often has no idea what world titles are being fought for and is more interested in the fight.
“I like substantial fights,” Stevenson said. “I like substantial money fights. I like to prove that I’m the best and do things that people say I can’t do. There are people who say I’m too diminutive for Conor Benn and that means an amazing fight.”
Stevenson also told ESPN that he sees opponents at 147 and 154 pounds that he thinks he can beat, so it’s not out of the question that he could move up a weight class or two in his next fight. He has long been on the hunt for a fight with current welterweight champion Devin Haney, and if Ryan Garcia defeats Mario Barrios to become the WBC welterweight champion next month, that would be another opponent that could be in his sights.
At this rate, Stevenson will eventually go from hunter to hunted. His victory over Lopez proved that he is virtually unbeatable on equal terms. Throughout his professional career, he rarely lost a round, much less came close to losing a fight. He has proven that he is almost good and needs to find a way to put himself at a disadvantage to challenge himself.
We’re in our prime and Stevenson continues his remarkable run of proving himself as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Can anyone stop him from achieving his goal?
This seems quite unlikely at the moment.
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Boxing
Zuffa Boxing 07 debuts in the UK: Billam-Smith vs. Rozicki preview
Published
7 minutes agoon
June 5, 2026
On Saturday, June 6, Zuffa Boxing will host its first event on British soil, when former cruiserweight world champion Chris Billam-Smith will face Canadian Ryan Rozicki at the Bournemouth International Centre. The card, billed as Zuffa Boxing 07, airs live Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland and streaming on Paramount+ in the United States and Canada. The main card starts at 7 p.m., with walk-ins scheduled for the main event at around 10 p.m.
The event is the first UK edition of Zuffa Boxing, a promotion created by TKO Group Holdings and Saudi entertainment company Sela and run by Dana White, Nick Khan and General Entertainment Authority CEO Turki Alalshikh. according to ESPN. This follows a multi-year broadcasting deal between Zuffa and Sky Sports announced in March.
Main event
Billam-Smith (21-2, 13 KO) returns to his hometown for his first fight in over a year. The Bournemouth fighter held the WBO cruiserweight title in 2023 and 2024 before losing it, and has fought at the Bournemouth International Center several times before. He is coached by Shane McGuigan, who stated in promotional materials released for the card that Billam-Smith is constantly improving. Billam-Smith also said a future meeting with cruiserweight champion Zuffa Jai Opetaia influenced his decision to sign with the promotion, telling Sky Sports the fight “will definitely happen.”
Rozicki (21-1-1, 20 KO), of Sydney Forks, Nova Scotia, has one of the highest strike rates on the card. He has been a professional since 2016 and his record since 2016 is 8-0-1 with seven knockouts, with 18 of his stoppages coming within three rounds. The cruiserweight fight is scheduled for 10 rounds.
Cooperation and fight in the heavyweight division
In a 10-round cruiserweight fight, Jack Massey (23-3, 13 KO) will face Chev Clarke (11-2, 8 KO). In the preliminary stage of the gala, the return of two-time Olympic bronze medalist from Kazakhstan Ivan Dychko (15-1, 14 KO) heavyweight against undefeated Briton Harvey Dykes (7-0-1). The 180 cm elevated Dychko is fighting for the first time since his defeat to Jermaine Franklin in September 2025. Dykes turned professional in 2023 after winning super heavyweight gold at the English National Amateur Championships.
British signatures to the bill
The card also features several recent Zuffa signings making their debuts with the organization, including Scotland’s Sam Hickey (4-0, 1 KO), welterweight Alex MacMillan (3-0, 2 KO) and lightweight heavyweight Leon Hughes (4-0, 3 KO). Hickey won gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games as an amateur and turned professional under the guidance of Team GB performance director Rob McCracken.
Full card
- Chris Billam-Smith (21-2, 13 KO) vs. Ryan Rozicki (21-1-1, 20 KO), cruiserweight, 10 rounds
- Jack Massey (23-3, 13 KO) vs. Chev Clarke (11-2, 8 KO), cruiserweight, 10 rounds
- Lee Cutler (15-2, 7 KO) vs. Aaron Sutton (19-2, 3 KO), middleweight, 10 rounds
- Stevie McKenna (15-1, 14 KO) vs. Casey James Streeter (15-3-2, 6 KO), middleweight, 8 rounds
- Sam Hickey (4-0, 1 KO) vs. Todd Tompkins (4-0), middleweight, 6 rounds
- Harvey Dykes (7-0-1) vs Ivan Dychko (15-1, 14 KO), heavyweight, 10 rounds
- Leon Hughes (4-0, 3 KO) vs. Mario Vergiev (8-4, 5 KO), lightweight heavyweight, 6 rounds
- Alex MacMillan (3-0, 2 KO) vs. Tyler Rivers (6-3), welterweight, 6 rounds
The three-fight preliminary card begins at 5 p.m., with the main card following at 7 p.m.
Boxing
Ryan Garcia wants to train with Naoya Inoue in Tokyo and broadcast it live
Published
2 hours agoon
June 5, 2026
My plan in Tokyo is to do some training with Inoue. That would be great!!!!! And stream it
— RYAN GARCIA (@RyanGarcia) June 5, 2026
The proposed sessions would bring together two world champions from different weight categories. Ryan currently holds the WBC welterweight title and Inoue is the undisputed junior featherweight champion.
A notable part of Ryan’s post was his willingness to stream workouts.
One of the things Ryan mentioned in his X post was his desire to stream workouts. Ryan didn’t say whether he would bring the idea to Naoya to see if he agreed with it or not, nor did he give a date when he would train with the Japanese star.
At this stage, Ryan’s comments appear to reflect purpose rather than final findings. Although he has publicly outlined the plan, Inoue has not announced any potential training session.
If training takes place, they will bring together champions separated by more than 20 pounds in weight. Ryan is fighting in the welterweight division, and Inoue is building his championship streak in the junior featherweight division.
The idea remains one Ryan hopes to implement during his visit to Tokyo, with the added possibility of giving fans a glimpse of the session via livestream.
Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fight landscape. His reports focus on the most essential fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.
Boxing
Tyson Fury ‘very interested’ in fighting ‘one of the most avoided heavyweights’: ‘Let’s do it’
Published
4 hours agoon
June 5, 2026
Tyson Fury is set to take part in the long-awaited clash with Anthony Joshua, but first he needs a warm-up. Now another challenger has been added to the fight, and Fury is “very interested” in the proposed fight.
The long-awaited clash between Fury and Joshua has finally been signed and will take place pending success in their tune-up fights. While Joshua is scheduled to face Kristian Prenga next month, Fury remains without an opponent for his August outing.
Promoter Frank Warren promised a “good” opponent but he recently ruled out the possibility of the “Gypsy King” facing Joshua’s former defeater Andy Ruiz Jr., who is believed to have priced himself out of the fight.
I’m talking to Play UKJoshua’s other rival, Jarrell Miller, has revealed that Fury is “very interested” in fighting him as he discusses a potential all-American clash with Deontay Wilder.
“I’ve been one of the most avoided heavyweights for a long time. We’re seeing it now. We’re trying to get Deontay Wilder out there. There’s no fight in front of him. I’m the top heavyweight in America right now, so we’re trying to make certain things happen. Let’s see if he can take control.”
“Tyson Fury is also very interested. I would love to fight these guys. Deontay or Tyson would be a wonderful fight for me. Let’s see if we can make it happen.”
Fury’s manager, Spencer Brown, recently confirmed both fighters’ desire to make the fight happen, but said Miller would likely not be able to complete a full training camp on time.
The American has already scored two victories in 2026, defeating both Kingsley Ibeh and Lenier Pero, and the 37-year-old hopes those triumphs will earn him another chance on the huge stage.
Zuffa Boxing 07 debuts in the UK: Billam-Smith vs. Rozicki preview
Ryan Garcia wants to train with Naoya Inoue in Tokyo and broadcast it live
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