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The WBA orders Pulev to defend his title against 20-year-old Itauma

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Image: Frank Warren Confirms WBA Orders Kubrat Pulev to Defend ‘Regular’ Heavyweight Title Against 20-Year-Old Moses Itauma Next

Queensberry promoter Frank Warren says “regular” WBA heavyweight champion Kubrat Pulev must next defend against No. 1 Moses Itauma. The WBA has ordered the fight. Warren claims that if Pulev (32-3, 14 KO) decides to fight Murat Gassiev again on December 12, 2025, he will have a problem because the fight has not been sanctioned.

The recovery trail continues

In terms of age, Pulev, 44, fits more into the category of older players that Moses Itauma has been raving about since turning professional in 2023. Itauma, 20, raids the infirmary of convalescence homes, looking for his victim.

Given the hype around Itauma talking in ponderous motion, why does he only fight older fighters? If he’s the gigantic chip prospect he was built to be, why are they competing with 40-year-olds? This makes Itauma look suspicious, like he’s just smoke and mirrors, manufactured to look like gold considering the way he’s selected.

Itauma’s recent opponents:

  • Mariusz Wach: 44 years antique
  • Mike Balogun: 41
  • Dan Garber: 40
  • Dillian Whyte: 37

“Pulev must fight Moses [Itauma]. This has been ordered. This is for ordinary people [WBA] title. That puts him down [Itauma] in a good situation, and we hope we can sort it out, otherwise we’ll proceed with bidding,” said promoter Frank Warren talkSport Boxing about his plans to field Moses Itauma in a title fight against regular WBA heavyweight champion Kubrat Pulev.

Warren sounds like he’s convinced that Itauma’s dethronement of regular WBA heavyweight champion Pulev is his golden ticket to fielding Moses to fight Oleksandr Usyk. This may not work because it is too uncomplicated and requires no risk on Itauma’s part. Pulev recently lost to journeyman Derek Chisora ​​by a 12-round split decision on July 9, 2022. He looked painfully ponderous in his loss to Chisora.

Effortless Itauma route disputed

“They announced it, but it wasn’t sanctioned by the WBA,” Warren said of Pulev’s defense against Murat Gassiev on December 12, 2025. “What if he [Pulev] If it continues like this, he will have a problem, because they already called for a fight against Moses, but they have a problem with us.”

Wardley’s plan was ignored

If Warren wanted to strengthen Itauma’s position ahead of the Oleksandr Usyk fight, he should have urged him to follow the same path as Fabio Wardley by fighting top-class fighters like Joseph Parker and Frank Sanchez.

“We don’t know where we are at. We have to work it out with Pulev. Let’s see where we are first,” Warren said when asked on December 13 whether Itauma was still fighting.

DAZN needs a fresh headliner

It would be great for a Derek Chisora ​​vs. trilogy gala. Dillian Whyte on December 13 should Moses Itauma be on the card as a headliner against 44-year-old Kubrat Pulev or, ideally, a younger fighter with more talent like Frank Sanchez.

Given that the December 13 event will be broadcast on DAZN PPV, the headliner needs to be a dazzling, younger and talented fighter, not faded journeymen Chisora ​​and Whyte. Pulev is not someone the British boxing public or American fans would want to pay for an Itauma fight.

Last update: 26/10/2025

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Hamzah Sheeraz takes aim at Canelo Alvarez after winning the WBO title

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Image: Hamzah Sheeraz Still Calls Canelo A “Goat,” Eyes Future Showdown After WBO Title Win

“I believe he is one of the goats in boxing. It would be an honor to share the ring with him and if I get the chance, I will definitely win,” Hamzah said after his victory over Begic.

Sheeraz made this comment after saying he plans to win more super middleweight titles after moving up from 160 pounds.

“I’ll fight anyone. Look, there were boxing kings in the ring tonight and I’m trying to follow in their footsteps. So I’m just going to beat whoever I put in front of me.”

“So I’m going to take all the belts this time and inshallah, next year you will be able to see Hamzah Sheeraz as the unified champion in the 168 division,” Hamzah said.

The path to a Sheeraz-Canelo fight could open quickly if Alvarez defeats Christian Mbilli on September 12 in Riyad. Canelo’s victory will likely allow him to retain the WBC title again, while Sheeraz now holds the WBO belt after Saturday’s victory.

This would give Riyadh Season a ready-made unification fight between the two marquee names at 168 pounds.

Sheeraz’s team already seems interested in forcing the fight. Manager Spencer Brown pointed openly at Canelo after the fight when discussing the newly crowned champion’s next step.

“We are marching in the face of Canelo boxing,” Brown said.

“This is the fight we want.”

Maybe it’s finally time for Sheeraz. He has picked up back-to-back stoppage wins since moving up to super middleweight, and his size and offensive style appear to be better at 168 pounds than they were at the end of his middleweight career.

Canelo is still the bigger star by a mile, but Riyad has shown he’s willing to take on younger, undefeated fighters against established fighters if enough belts are on the line. Sheeraz seemed to be part of that conversation on Saturday night.

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Canelo Alvarez makes his feelings clear after Verhoeven’s controversial 11th round stoppage against Usyk

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Canelo Alvarez makes feelings clear on controversial Verhoeven stoppage against Usyk in 11th round

Canelo Alvarez commented on the controversial break between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven.

The boxing world was buzzing with their reaction Usyk successfully defended his heavyweight crown against Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

However, for a long time it seemed that this would not be an effective defense, and the final came in the 11th round when referee Mark Lyson stopped the fight, which many viewers prematurely believed.

Verhoeven performed well above expectations, causing Usyk numerous problems throughout the fight, but although he recovered from the knockdown, the kickboxing star was stopped on his feet and denied the chance to advance to the 12th round.

Tony Bellew believes Verhoeven should be given a chance to continue his career, but Mexican superstar Canelo does not share the same view.

I talk to professional boxing fansCanelo revealed that he agreed with the judge’s decision.

“It was a good fight, I don’t think so [that it was was an early stoppage]I think they saved a brutal knockout.”

Usyk is expected to take some time before deciding on his next move, with some fans calling for an immediate rematch with Verhoeven while others want him to face mandatory WBC title challenger Agit Kabayel now.

As for Canelo, he will return to action in September and will look to reclaim his world titles when he fights WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.

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Prince Naseem Hamed’s biopic “Giant” hits the United States on May 22

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a biopic chronicling the career of former featherweight champion Prince Naseem Hamed will be released in select U.S. theaters and on VOD on May 22. The film stars Amir El-Masry as Hamed and Pierce Brosnan as his longtime trainer Brendan Ingle, with Sylvester Stallone among the executive producers.

Directed and written by Rowan Athale, it premiered at the BFI London Film Festival in October 2025 and was released in the UK and Ireland on January 9, 2026, before arriving in the Middle East via the Red Sea Film Festival. Vertical holds U.S. distribution rights, and the film was financed by AGC Studios and BondIt Media Capital.

What the movie covers

The plot follows Hamed’s rise from Sheffield, England, to a world title under Ingle, an Irish-born steelworker who ran a boxing gym in a church hall. According to the official description, the film also addresses the racism and Islamophobia that Hamed faced in the UK in the 1980s and 1990s, and also focuses on his relationship with Ingle, who died in 2018.

Collider published an exclusive clip from the film on May 21 featuring Hamed’s 1994 fight against Vincenzo Belcastro. In this fight, Hamed won the European bantamweight title in 12 rounds, which was only his 12th professional contest, which was the beginning of his later career.

The warrior behind the film

Hamed, a southpaw of Yemeni heritage, finished his professional career with a 36-1 record and 31 knockouts while holding featherweight titles in multiple sanctioning bodies throughout the 1990s. Now 51, he was known for his unconventional style, pre-fight showmanship and ring walks that often ended with a fall over the top rope. In 2015, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Following Ingle’s death, Hamed directly attributed his success to his coach Ring that without him he wouldn’t have achieved what he did in sports.

The supporting cast included Toby Stephens as promoter Frank Warren and Katherine Dow Blyton as Alma Ingle. The film lasts 110 minutes.

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