Boxing
Tyson Fury returns to the top 50 pound-for-pound rankings after winning at the next level
Published
1 month 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
O’Shaquie Foster says Richardson Hitchins is ‘scary as hell’
Published
1 hour agoon
May 13, 2026
O’Shaquie Foster took his feud with Richardson Hitchins to another level this week, accusing the former IBF junior welterweight champion of being afraid of sparring and questioning his durability during a lengthy interview ahead of Foster’s May 30 title defense against Raymond Ford.
Foster slammed Hitchins, claiming that people in boxing have been questioning Hitchins’ mentality for years.
“Hitchins is scary as hell. I knew it. That’s what they say in boxing,” Foster said on Sean Zittel’s YouTube page. “They must have pumped him up with some sparring sessions. He knew what I was talking about. They had to put a wrench in his back so he could go to sparring and so on.”
Foster then mentioned that Hitchins was withdrawing from his scheduled fight against Oscar Duarte on the day of the competition in February.
“He has heart problems. It’s not a physical heart problem. He just doesn’t have a heart. See what he did to Duarte? Why am I worried about Hitchins? He’s so terrible,” Foster said.
Hitchins later responded to Foster’s X with a miniature response of his own.
“I’ve got a lot more heart than that alien pussy in my ass, nigga.”
The latest exchange comes just hours after Foster mocked Hitchins over his Olympic path and his past ties to Subriel Matias.
Foster blamed Hitchins for not making the U.S. Olympic team before he later represented Haiti at the 2016 Olympics. Hitchins previously lost out on U.S. selection to Gary Antuanne Russell before qualifying for international play in Haiti via Olympic qualifying.
This exchange added unexpected warmth to an otherwise serene week in boxing, especially since both fighters weren’t even fighting in the same division. Foster is the 130-pound world champion, and Hitchins recently won the 140-pound belt.
Still, both fighters come from the Recent York boxing scene, know each other’s amateur history, and now seem fully committed to turning their social media spats into something much more personal.

Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fighting landscape. His reports focus on the most crucial fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.
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Last update: 2026/05/13 at 22:39
Boxing
Naoya Inoue offered an immediate title fight in a fresh weight class: “I’m already ready”
Published
3 hours agoon
May 13, 2026
Naoya Inoue recently cemented his status as one of, if not the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world with a win over compatriot Junto Nakatani. The question is, can anyone defeat him before he hangs up his gloves?
The Japanese phenom defended his four super bantamweight belts for the seventh time in a fight against Nakatani at the sold-out Tokyo Domemaintaining his undefeated record in what many considered to be the toughest test of his career to date.
With retirement not too far away, the undisputed two-division champion is looking to tackle one more weight class before it’s time for a Hall of Fame campaign. Ready and willing to fight at 126 pounds is Bruce Carrington from Brooklyn.
I’m talking to ES Newsthe WBC featherweight champion said that watching Nakatani fight only confirmed his belief that he was capable of defeating “The Monster”.
“Honestly, I’ve seen a lot of things that I can’t say here. I’m ready. Inoue is still a spectacular fighter, but I know I have what it takes to beat him. Nakatani is no slouch. I expected a good fight… he did everything he had to do to win.”
“Shu Shu,” who won the vacant title against Carlos Castro in January and will return to the ring to defend it against Rene Palacios in July, then said he would take the fight to Inoue as soon as it was offered to him.
“100%. I’m ready now, I’m ready today, I’m ready tomorrow, I’m ready whenever. Come to the Shu Shu show, baby. I can’t wait to share the ring with you. It’s going to be fireworks.”
Inoue made his plans clear – to fight once again at super bantamweight, most likely against Jesse Rodriguez, and then move up to featherweight, which he said would be the final challenge of his career. Although he did not mention Carrington’s name, the 33-year-old says he wants to take the belt straight away.
As a long-reigning champion and heavyweight star who is gaining more and more importance, sanctioning authorities would likely have no problem approving such a possibility.
However, many fans will believe that “Bam” Rodriguez can thwart these plans. The 26-year-old is expected to move up to bantamweight to fight for Antonio Vargas’ WBA title, with the fight against Inoue taking place in early 2027.
“I think this is the biggest fight in the world, especially in this weight class,” Benavidez said at the post-fight press conference.
“It’s definitely a fight I want. Like I said, I’m not afraid of anyone. This is Monstro’s world and if he wants to get the fight, we’ll get it.”
Opetaia recently lost her IBF cruiserweight title after joining Zuffa Boxing and fighting an unsanctioned fight against Brandon Glanton. Benavidez suggested this move, which immediately complicated negotiations for a future fight.
“I don’t know why he went to Zuffa,” Benavidez said. “We could have had this fight right after this one.”
“I’m not going to go out there and fight for the Zuffa title.”
Benavidez also questioned whether fighters associated with Zuffa would have access to the biggest opportunities in boxing, pointing to Dana White’s history with rival promotional companies.
“I think they’re definitely losing their power,” Benavidez said. “There’s just a lot of politics involved.”
“I think Dana White has shown that he doesn’t want to fight PBC, DAZN.”
The undefeated champion later made it clear that he believed he was in a stronger commercial position compared to Opetaia and suggested that there was no reason for him to choose another promotional organization.
“I’m the one filling these stadiums,” Benavidez said. “I’m the one fighting pay-per-view.”
“Jai Opetaia has never fought on pay-per-view. He has never filled an arena like this.”
Benavidez added that he would still be open to fighting if the two sides manage to reach an agreement outside Zuffa’s structures.
“If they want to come to the table here, we can do that,” Benavidez said. “Let’s get it.”

Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fighting landscape. His reports focus on the most critical fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.
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