Boxing
Tyson Fury returns to the top 50 pound-for-pound rankings after winning at the next level
Published
5 months agoon
Tyson Fury’s victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov reopened a debate that many thought had already been settled – whether the Gypsy king is still among the pound-for-pound elite of boxing.
The former heavyweight champion ensured controlled play over twelve rounds at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, gradually taking command after absorbing pressure from the Russian boxer in the early opening round.
As Fury found his rhythm, the difference between the two men became harder to ignore.
Makhmudov’s team came to the same conclusion after the fight.
Manager Camille Estephan said: “Over 12 rounds, Arslanbek gave everything he had – his effort, his heart and everything he had left. But Tyson Fury is one of the best of his generation and tonight he was on another level.”
Fury’s control in the later rounds left no doubt as to the gap between the two heavyweights.
Fury is back in the mix pound for pound
Re-adding Fury to the pound-for-pound rankings proved to be a more hard decision than initially expected.
In the trilogy with Deontay Wilder, the heavyweight fighter consolidated third place behind Canelo Alvarez and Vasily Lomachenko, which ensured him a indefinite place in the boxing elite.
Consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk saw Fury fall in the rankings before he eventually dropped out completely after once again briefly leaving the sport. His biography over the last four years did not offer much resistance to this decline, and only a controversial victory over Francis Ngannou separated them from Saturday’s meeting with Makhmudov.
As such, World Boxing News placed Fury back in the top 50 of the WBN Pound-for-Pound rankings after his last appearance.
Few could seriously argue with such a result.
His only recent defeats have come against a player who is consistently at the top of the sport, and Fury’s performance against Makhmudov was sturdy enough to put him back in the squad.
Joshua’s fight raises the stakes again
Fury’s victory also brought Anthony Joshua back to the scene.
Moments after the fight, Gypsy King turned to his fellow British heavyweight and tried to bring the fight to the ring, which led to a tense exchange with Joshua that quickly became the main topic of conversation of the evening.
This tension only increased when Netflix announced the Fury vs. Joshua fight for the fall, even though Joshua didn’t confirm anything on the spot.
The call was a stark contrast to the tone Fury had struck just a few months earlier, when he publicly expressed sympathy following the tragedy in Joshua’s personal life, a contrast already evident as the rivalry cooled once again as soon as fight talk returned.
For now, Fury has returned to the broader pound-for-pound debate.
If Joshua is next, Fury will have a chance to climb much higher in the rankings.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
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Boxing
Jeff Mayweather Compares Floyd Mayweather and Terence Crawford: Crawford is a Better Puncher
Published
4 hours agoon
September 12, 2026
Both Floyd Mayweather and Terence Crawford hung up the gloves with undefeated records, and Mayweather’s uncle and former trainer Jeff Mayweather has assessed how a battle between the pair, in their primes, would play out.
Mayweather retired as a five-division world champion with a legendary 50-0 undefeated record, defeating the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao in a career that will be spoke about for decades to come.
Meanwhile, Crawford retired last year after becoming the first post-war three-division undisputed world champion, walking away from the sport with his unbeaten record intact after 42 pro contests and a career best victory over Canelo Alvarez.
Discussing a fantasy fight between the two superstars with Sean ZittelJeff Mayweather shared his love for ‘Bud’ but maintained that he would fancy ‘TBE’ to come out on top.
“It’s one of them fights where fans would probably be split down the middle. Of course, I would choose my nephew [to win] but Terence Crawford is a damn good fighter.
“I don’t just like him as a fighter, I like him as a person, I like the way that he carries himself, what he stands for and what he represents. So I like a lot about Terence Crawford.”
The 62-year-old then went on to admit that Crawford may have been a better puncher than Mayweather, but favoured the elusiveness of his nephew over the aggression of the Omaha-born southpaw.
“If the fight happened and Floyd was in his prime, I think that Floyd would beat him. I think that Terence fights and gets hit a whole lot, I have never seen a fight where Floyd got hit a whole lot.
“Terence Crawford was a better puncher than Floyd, I think, so it’s a fight that either one could win but I’m going with my nephew!”
Crawford has been linked to a comeback in recent dayswith fight fans keen to see the 39-year-old return to action and face unified super-welterweight world champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
Boxing
Oscar De La Hoya Raises Concerns Over Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn Final KO Verdict
Published
5 hours agoon
September 12, 2026
Tonight in Las Vegas, Ryan Garcia puts his WBC welterweight world title on the lines against Conor Benn. Garcia’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, sees the fight ending inside the distance.
Benn is fighting at welterweight for the first time in four years and, despite hitting 146lbs on the scales, most in the sport believe dropping back down from his two middleweight bouts last year will have too much of an effect in the ring for him to spring the upset.
Garcia is fighting his third fight at the weight – he lost to Rolando Romero in 2025 in an underwhelming performance but bounced back with a disciplined display this year to beat Mario Barrios for the belt.
Speaking to Carl FrochDe La Hoya also focused on the Brit’s weight cut when giving his final verdict on how the fight plays out, ultimately picking his charge by KO.
“It seems like Conor Benn knows how to handle the pressure, he knows how to handle the fans and be in that environment. He can fight with fighters who are strong and coming at you with combinations and pressure.
“The only thing that concerns me is the weight. It reminds me of when I fought Bernard Hopkins at 160 and then tried to come back to 147 to fight Manny Pacquiao. I was depleted. I was a dead man walking. So, that’s my only concern.
“I think Ryan’s a big puncher. He’s in tremendous shape. I don’t think Conor Benn is going to be able to take his punches. I think the fact that Conor has come down to 147 is gonna take its toll, and I feel, as the fight goes on, it’s gonna get worse for him.
“So I have my guy Ryan Garcia probably knocking him out or stopping him. But all credit to Connor … I’m just speaking facts here. Ryan Garcia is in his weight class … Conor Benn knowing that his body is depleted is gonna weigh [on him].”
Both Garcia and Benn have promised to end the fight early, and the styles suggest that it will catch fire relatively early on. If Garcia comes out on top, he opens the door to major unifications against the likes of Teofimo Lopez and a rematch with Devin Haney.
Should Benn upset the odds and have his hand raised, he has made it clear that he will vacate the belt and move up in weight.
Boxing
Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn: Start Time, Live Results & Fight Updates
Published
7 hours agoon
September 12, 2026
Las Vegas hosts Garcia’s first WBC welterweight title defense, with US and UK viewers facing very different fight-night hours.
Fight Prediction
Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn
Ryan Garcia50%
Conor Benn50%
Voting open • Opening line: 50%–50%
Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn are expected to make their ring walks at approximately 11 p.m. ET on Saturday / 4 a.m. BST at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Garcia defends his WBC welterweight title on September 12, with Benn challenging for a world championship for the first time.

The main card starts at 8 p.m. ET / 1 a.m. BST on September 13. Preliminary action begins at 5 pm ET / 10 pm BST.
The projected Garcia-Benn ring-walk time can move depending on the length of the earlier fights and stoppages.
Where Is Garcia vs Benn Streaming?
Paramount+ streams Garcia-Benn live in the United States. UK and Ireland viewers can watch the event LIVE on DAZN PPV.
Garcia enters his first defense after outpointing Mario Barrios to capture the WBC belt in February. Benn secured his championship opportunity by beating Regis Prograis on points in April.
The challenger will have to cross dangerous ground to get his work done.
Benn wants to dig to the body and make Garcia exchange. Garcia has the counterpunching to punish a reckless approach, particularly with the left hook when Benn squares his feet coming forward.
Garcia can make Benn pay for forcing his way inside, while Benn needs to work without leaving himself planted in front of the champion after his combinations.
Jai Opetaia against Noel Mikaelian provides the cruiserweight co-feature. The card also includes Jose Ramirez against Alexis Rocha, Mark Magsayo against Andres Cortes and Sean Garcia against Abraham Morales.
For viewers primarily interested in the main event, 11 pm ET / 4 am BST is the current approximate target. Anyone wanting the complete card should be watching from 5 pm ET / 10 pm BST.
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Last Updated on 2026/09/12 at 8:31 AM
Jeff Mayweather Compares Floyd Mayweather and Terence Crawford: Crawford is a Better Puncher
Oscar De La Hoya Raises Concerns Over Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn Final KO Verdict
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