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True or not boxing: Joshua vs. Paul? Can Pacquiao win the title?

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Nick Ball is the third defense of his WBA featherweight title against Sam Goodman on August 16. While Ball is the second longest prevailing champion in the division, or he can win with Goodman, crowning him as a warrior No. 1 who beat 126 pounds?

Oleksandr Usyk is fresh from the impressive KO from the fifth round of Daniel Dubois on July 19, to unite heavyweight titles, but WBO has already ordered Utcun to face the mandatory pretender Joseph Parker. It is expected that Usyk will fight Tyson Fury in the trilogy next year, but if he first refuses to face Parker, he will have to give up the WBO belt and will no longer be the undisputed champion. What will Usyk do?

The unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, who lost to Uyk twice, tries to return after losing KO in the fifth round of Dubois twice. He decided on the long -awaited fight with the English fury compatriot or a thunderous fight with YouTube, which is Jake Paul, who said that the fight would “take place”. However, the chance to fight Tony Yoka in a duel between British Olympic gold medalists from boxing is also very intriguing for Joshua. Will this fight be the melody he needs?

Another former Master, Manny Pacquiao, returned to the ring on July 19 after four -year retirement and fought with the WBA WBA HEADE Master Mario Barrios. The 46 -year -old Pacquiao looked impressive and after the fight he called WBA Master Rolando “Rome”. Can he win the title in a crowded 147-pound division?

And Master WBO Junior D WADZKA WEFRESIBLE Teofimo Lopez has the next IBF Richardson Hitchins champion. Can Lopez unite lanes and aim at other masters in the division, wanting to become the undisputed champion in the second weight class?

Here are the answers to those burning questions, offered to separate what is real and what is not.


Real or not: Oleksandr Usyk will fight Joseph Parker

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Usyk breaks Dubois to become a heavyweight champion of unquestioning

Oleksandr Usyk breaks Daniel Dubois in round 5 to become the world champion again in ponderous weight again.

True. With the deep pockets of the Riyadh season Apparently uninterested In the staging of Usyk vs. Parker, a compulsory pretender WBO, Uyk must either take a salary with another promoter, or wait for the fury to return in 2026. If the Utyk was to wait, he would have to abandon the WBO belt so that the Ukrainian probably continues to fight Parker. A good idea may be to keep a fight at the indoor football stadium in Germany, closer to Ukraine than Riyadh.

Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, former heavyweight champions, who also come from Ukraine, had most of their fights in places in Germany, which borders with Poland, where there is a gigantic Ukrainian population. Usyk also fought many times in Great Britain, recently in the fifth round of KO from Dubois at the London Wembley stadium on July 19. But the place in Great Britain to fight Usyk-Parker would cause lower interest; It is challenging to imagine two non-British fighters attracting 60,000 people, even if Usyk is considered the best ponderous weight of the last two decades.

If Parker is his last opponent, do not be surprised if the fight takes place in Germany or Poland at the end of this year. Parker is the strongest current contender for Utyk and the best duel for the undisputed master.


Real or not: Nick Ball should be No. 1 in a featherweight

It is not real. In some divisions it is quite an uncomplicated call to who the boss is. Usyk in ponderous weight, Nayya Inoue at Junior Feather Wweight, Canelo Alvarez in Super Middle Wweight – there are no arguments there. But with a featherweight, it is debatable about who is sitting at the top.

Although there is a sturdy possibility that the ball retains its WBA title on August 16 against Goodman (Ball is a favorite, according to the ESPN plant), even KO would not be enough for the ball to be widely considered warrior No. 1 in the Penage Science Division. To achieve this status, he must defeat one of the other masters. Goodman accelerates the division and fought only once last year. The Australian is not a banner or former world champion, and Ball from Liverpool in England should make a third defense at a distance.

But some think WBO Master Rafael Espinosis, who won 23 out of 27 KO fights or the title owner of WBC Stephen Fulton Superior from Ball. Espinosis not only has a gigantic KO ratio, but at 6 feet-1, also towers over 5-2 ball. Espinosis is extremely high for a featherweight and in the last two fights, Stoppage over Robeisa Ramirez and Edward Vazquez wins. Ball must do more to get everyone voting as number 1 at 126 pounds.


Real or not: Another opponent of Anthony Joshu will not be Jake Paul or Tyson Fury

True. From northern London there are sturdy rumors that Joshua, a former world champion in ponderous weight, will face Tony Yoka – not Paul or Fury – then. Speculation has carried out that Joshua would face Paul, YouTube, who turned around, after Paul’s comments during the fight Uyk vs. Dubois.

“It will happen,” said Paul during an interview about Dazna. “So drink seat belts or anything else, and when I knock it out, I go to historical books forever.”

Eddie Hearn, promoter Joshua, held talks with the Paul team and excitedly spoke about the possibilities of a record number of income in the fight, which was ridiculous recently.

“AJ-Paul is never a fight we expected, and it is never a fight we targeted,” said Hearn Sky Sports News after the fight with Usyk-Dubois.

“But if you want Jake Paul to be a toasty -up for a fury – and you want to provide the opportunity to extinguish Jake Paul from the world of boxing – then Joshua would commit herself.”

Joshua, who is recovering after the elbow surgery, suggested that 2026 would be his last year in boxing, and his most critical priorities will finally secure the fight against Fury and Paul.

“I signed twelve years ago with you,” Joshua wrote in a post on social media directed in WW last week at Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing. “And 12 years later I will throw the last blow with you.”

Joshua is coming down in September the defeat of the 5th round of Dubois, and the clash of contrary to Yoka – a colleague with the Olympic gold medalist heavyweight (Joshua in 2012, Yoka in 2016) – can restore his momentum.

This fight would also provide Hearn and Joshua, time to secure the contract with Paul at the beginning of 2026. It was an eye -catching event would pave the way to fight Fury in the second half of 2026.


Real or not: Manny Pacquiao will win the title fight again

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Pacquiao ready to fight again

After the fight with Mario Barrios with most draws, Manny Pacquiao says he has not yet done.

Probably true. With proper creation, the Pacquiao boxing legend can avoid hazardous men in welterweight and fight the opponent that he can still overcome. When Master WBA, Jaron “Boots” Ennis up and ultimately leaves his title, there will be the possibilities of 46-year-old Pacquiao.

Rolando “Rolly” Romero, a regular owner of WBA titles, takes the best unanimous career, winning in Ryan Garcia in May and would be an opponent of high risk for Pacquiao because of his intensity and aggression. Pacman should also stay away from Brian Norman Jr., WBO master, taking into account his current form. Norman produced the best KO from 2025, when in May he recommended Jin Sasaki with his left hook. The rematch with WBC Master Mario Barrios, after their draw of July 19, would be another arduous task for Pacquiao, but one of the safer options. Pacquiao began well in this fight and was overtaken on the results cards, but lost the last three rounds against Barrios, who is 16 years younger than him.

Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan will fight for the free IBF title on September 13, and if Pacquiao can be set in a queue to fight the winner, it would be his best chance to become a champion again.

Nobody wants to see Pacquiao, the only eight -person world champion in boxing, ultimately like Sasaki, but if the Pacquiao team can lead him towards the IBF belt, there may be a fairytale ending of the extraordinary career of the Filipinos.


Real or not: Teofimo Lopez will unite titles against Richardson Hitchins

True. If Lopez, a WBO -secondary weight master, continues the form of his latest fight and improves his strategy, he should be able to defeat Hitchins, the IBF titles holder. If this struggle for the title of union occurs, Lopez must remain disciplined and break away from Witriol, which is already brewing on social media.

Leaving the round of George Cambosos Jr., Hitchins will try to lure Lopez to a fight. But if Lopez is able to stick to glossy movement and boxing, his quick combinations and original crime will give him enough rounds to win a decision against Hitchins.

Lopez returned to the best when in May he is not appointed by Arnold Barboz Jr. After a disappointing exhibition against Steve Claggett in June 2024, when Lopez boxes and moves as he did his time, and when he overtook Vasiliy Lomachenko (2020) and Josh Taylor (2023), he is a can beyond anyone, and he did not overtake Vasiliy Lomakenko (2020) and Josh Taylor (2023).

It is true that Lopez lost his divided decision from Cambosos in 2021, and Hitchins definitely coped with the Australian last month. But ordinary opponents are not always a reliable predictor, especially when it comes to inconsistent Lopez. Lopez will not have motivation in the fight against other Recent Yorker Hitchins, a hazardous opponent who, if he can impress, will not only win another belt, but also boost his profile and potential to become the most critical attraction of boxing.

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Boxing

Rico Verhoeven’s future in a substantial fight depends on Saudi Arabia’s money

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Image: Rico Verhoeven’s Big-Fight Future Depends On Saudi Money

“I don’t care if people didn’t know about it, but I knew we had a good chance against this guy,” Verhoeven told Ring Magazine. “I showed that I can fight and box, so I’m ready for anyone. I may not have hurt him, but I definitely surprised him with the way I approached him.”

Customary promoters would likely be interested in matching their heavyweights to Rico as he is now a recognizable name that attracts intrigue and attention. The problem is financial.

A fighter with a 1-1 boxing record who suffered a loss after a break would not typically have a huge guaranteed amount. If promoters pay Rico huge amounts of money and the event doesn’t generate enough pay-per-view purchases or ticket sales to cover both purses, they could lose heavily on the event.

Therefore, the season in Riyadh changes the equation. Saudi-backed events have shown a willingness to finance spectacle fights and absorb risks that time-honored organizers typically avoid. Rico’s value, the controversy surrounding the Usyk fight, and his kickboxing fan base still make him useful in this environment, even without an established boxing record.

Turki Alalshikh has already shown interest in a rematch between Usyk and Verhoeven after Usyk potentially faces WBC interim heavyweight champion Agit Kabayel next.

If a rematch is indeed part of the plan, it is unlikely that Rico will face risky opponents in the meantime. Pairing him with heavyweights such as Moses Itauma or Frank Sanchez would create unnecessary risks before a possible second fight with Usyk.

A loss to a legitimate challenger could erase the intrigue surrounding Rico’s performance against Usyk and significantly weaken the rematch storyline.

“I only want the biggest fights.” Verhoeven said. “The kickboxing chapter has closed. This is now a fresh chapter. The boxing chapter.”

“The Greatest Fights” are for promotional purposes only brief for greatest controls. At 37 years venerable and coming off an 11th-round loss, he doesn’t have the luxury of time to build a conventional boxing career from scratch.

These “biggest fights” will likely only become realistic if Saudi money is attached to them.

Outside of His Excellency, there is no market for him at the elite level. Customary promoters are not going to shell out millions for a kickboxer who has just been stopped, no matter how competitive he looked on the scorecards before Usyk fired him.

To regular boxing networks, he’s a high-risk, low-reward opponent who brings a unique style but lacks the basic boxing pedigree to draw huge numbers of casual pay-per-view viewers on his own.

If Riyadh Season loses interest in financing this type of glasses, its options will run out immediately. He will either take a dramatic pay cut to take on mid-major fighters on standard cards, or he will realize that the boxing experiment was a short-lived and lucrative venture and end it.

Unless Turki wants to give him a bone in exchange for a rematch or a fight with someone like Agit Kabayel, where else do you think he could turn for that kind of money?

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Eddie Hearn reveals how Anthony Joshua scored Usyk’s goal against Verhoeven before controversial break

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Eddie Hearn reveals how Anthony Joshua scored Usyk vs Verhoeven before controversial stoppage

As the boxing world continues to debate the controversial stoppage between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven, Eddie Hearn has revealed how Anthony Joshua scored the fight up to this point.

On Saturday, Usyk and Verhoeven went head-to-head at the Giza Pyramids in Egyptand it almost led to perhaps the greatest upset in boxing history.

Verhoeven performed much better than almost everyone expected, and the Dutch kickboxing legend won multiple rounds against Usyk, and as the fight entered its final stages, there was a real chance he could come out on top.

These hopes were dashed in the 11th round when Usyk finally fired a mighty shot that knocked down his opponent. Verhoeven managed to get back on his feet, but the Ukrainian responded with a series of punches, which caused referee Mark Lyson to step in and stop the fight.

It was this break that caused much controversy as many people believed it came prematurely, especially since many viewers felt that Verhoeven should have been ahead on the scorecards with one round remaining.

Former unified world heavyweight champion Joshua wasn’t one of them though, because promoter Hearn told IFL TV that although “AJ” was surprised by what he saw, Usyk had the lead on his card.

“He was shocked. He actually just picked Usyk up for the fight.”

Perhaps it’s no surprise that Joshua supported the Ukrainian, as although the two have fought twice together, they have since become gym mates, with Usyk stating that he will assist ‘AJ’ become a world champion again in the future.

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Shields rejects MVP ban and threatens legal action of his own

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On Tuesday, Claressa Shields publicly responded to the ban from Most Valuable Promotions events, dismissing the sanction, stating that she had previously refused to sign the promotion agreement and indicating that her legal team would address what she described as false statements and defamation. The X posts follow Monday’s announcement by MVP that the undisputed heavyweight champion has been banned from events until further notice following a physical altercation with Alycia Baumgardner at MVP MMA 1 at the Intuit Dome on Saturday, May 16.

Baumgardner, who is signed to MVP and holds the unified 130-pound championship, said Monday that she experienced a “physical attack without provocation” and that the case would be handled legally. BoxingInsider previously reported on the ban and Baumgardner’s response.

Shields’ answer to MVP

Shields addressed the promotion directly in the X post.

“Now to MVP, you all tried to sign me, I refused!” Shields wrote. “You can’t kick me out of a place I don’t want to be! Tomorrow I can fight anywhere in the world! So anyone who thinks this feeble ban matters, doesn’t matter. These false statements will be dealt with as well. All of you threatening me and then playing the victim is madness. MVP, all of you lying all over me, that’s NOTHING NEW! Since you came out of the gate, all that remains is disrespect! Calling all of you fighters a ‘Real GWOAT’ while looking at my achievements, trying to erase my demanding work in women’s boxing and constantly trying to kill my character with LIES!”

MVP, co-founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, has signed numerous female players in recent years, including Baumgardner and Amanda Serrano. Shields had not previously publicly confirmed that the promotion had offered her a contract.

Shields’ broader statement

Earlier Tuesday, Shields released a longer statement about X in which she characterized the encounter as the result of an extended pattern of hostility directed at her and said the circulating video did not capture the full sequence of events.

“I have dedicated my life to the sport of boxing. By the grace of God, I have been blessed. My talent has undeniably allowed me to take women’s boxing to a recent level,” Shields wrote. “It doesn’t end in the ring. What’s circulating on the Internet doesn’t tell the full story. Until now. I don’t condone violence. I’ve never done it. But I’m also not one to stand silently while I’m constantly verbally attacked, threatened, discriminated against, or have my character killed. I also won’t allow the reality of disrespect to turn into a narrative or discussion about colorism or jealousy.”

Shields continued: “There is a documented history of attacks and threats from this individual leading up to this point, and that history will speak for itself. There is a difference between aggression and protection. I stand for integrity. I stand on what I have built. I am a champion. Any further false allegations or defamation of character will be dealt with appropriately by my legal team.”

Shields did not detail the documented history she was referencing or specify what specific statements by MVP or Baumgardner she considered defamatory.

Where things stand

According to ESPNThe MVP ban applies to all future events and remains in effect until further notice, with no disclosure of the terms of its potential revocation. Neither side has filed any civil claims. Both camps said legal teams were involved.

Shields is the undisputed heavyweight champion and has fought between 154 and 175 pounds. Baumgardner holds the unified 130-pound titles. A sanctioned fight between the two teams has long been considered impractical due to the weight difference, which has been a recurring feature of their public exchanges since 2022.

Saturday’s MVP event in Inglewood was his first MMA promotion and his first event with Netflix. Ronda Rousey stopped Gina Carano 17 seconds into the main event.

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