Last July, Morrell was scheduled to face Smith for the WBO interim lightweight heavyweight title. Since then, the fight has dragged on through lengthy negotiations, a delayed announcement and then a cancellation when Smith pulled out of the scheduled April 18 fight due to injury. No replacement date confirmed.

This is a classic move to save your career by David Morrell. While the path to the WBO interim title with Callum Smith looked good on paper, the reality, with drawn-out negotiations, Smith’s injury-forced withdrawal from the April 18 event and zero clarity about a reschedule, quickly became a trap.

For a 28-year-old Morrell player who should be successful, waiting forever is a form of professional suicide. He is coming off a win over Imam Khataev and should be aiming for significant fights at 175 pounds. Instead, almost a year passed with no real progress. Mandatory positions can support a challenger, but they can also stall a career when the other side can’t move.

Chelli provides Morrell with rounds, classes and a paycheck, but it’s not a destination. This is a sign that Smith’s route has become unreliable.

Smith may still return this year and the WBO may still maintain order, but Morrell cannot spend his prime months on paperwork and recovery schedules that are not his own. Players lose more than dates when they remain idle. In a crowded division, they lose visibility, timing and position.

May 9 isn’t so much about Zak Chelli as it is about Morrell refusing to let 2026 slip away while others were deciding his next move.

This weekend, Naoya Inoue will fight the iconic fight with Junto Nakatani, which will be the biggest fight in the history of Japanese boxing. After this potentially legacy-defining fight, “The Monster” wants another huge fight.

Inoue ruled in four weight classes and if she was successful, she was linked with a featherweight debut on Saturday, he defended his undisputed super bantamweight crown against Nakatani.

However, the 32-year-old revealed that his bout with Nakatani will be his second to last at 122 pounds and he plans to stay at heavyweight for one more fight in the division, even though it looks like he’s already gotten over it.

As a result, there have been rumors that Inoue could face unified super flyweight champion and fellow pound-for-pound star Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – who makes his bantamweight debut against Antonio Vargas in June – before moving up to featherweight and being out of the Texan’s reach.

In the game of “yes or no” with DAZN BoxingInoue confirmed his interest in a fight with Rodriguez and boldly predicted that he would win against the undefeated 26-year-old southerner.

“Yes, [I would love to fight Jesse Rodriguez]”

“[Would I beat him?] Yes.”

Rodriguez will become a three-division champion if he can beat Vargas on Saturday, June 13, but he will usurp Inoue as pound-for-pound king if he were to hand the Japanese sensation the first defeat of his career – provided Nakatani doesn’t do it next Saturday at the Tokyo Dome.

“Bam” Rodriguez also expressed his interest in the fight, saying he would take it without hesitation if one came up. With boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh close to both men, it might just be possible.

This part is settled. The contract is already in force, and the date has been set for the end of 2026. Everything is currently underway in Riyad until July 25.

“To my friends in the UK – it’s happening. It’s signed,” Turki Alalshikh said.

It is not yet known what Joshua’s next fight will be. He still has to go through Prenga in Riyad and come out neat. No cuts, no knockdowns. That’s how these fights fall apart. Not in boardrooms, but in the ring.

Fury (35-2-1) has already taken care of his team. He came back, dealt with Arslanbek Makhmudov and managed the rounds without taking a penalty. He looks like a guy who can still go twelve rounds and still concede a draw when he needs to.

Joshua (29-4) is in a different place.

✅ TRANSACTION COMPLETED ✅

🥊 Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua
📆Q4 2026
📺 Netflix pic.twitter.com/tgxb9VDMQB

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) April 27, 2026

He has had fits, but not against ones that test him under pressure. The loss of Dubois still exists. As the pace slowed and the punches returned, his form faltered and he stayed in range for too long. Something like this can’t happen again without a signed contract.

This time the business side moved first. Turki Alalshikh said straight: “It’s signed,” and Fury supported it. No more delays and shifting dates.

Now all that’s left is execution.

Fury will provide size, clinch work and consistent pace over the distance. Joshua will need excellent timing, a powerful base and a willingness to put his hands down when the opening comes.

The deal is real. July 25 will decide whether this fight stays on track.