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WBO sends Smith-Morrell fight to auction

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Image: WBO Sends Smith–Morrell Interim Title Bout to Auction

WBO president Gustavo Olivieri confirmed that no date has been set for the fight and that an official bidding announcement will be made.

Smith won the interim belt in February with a points victory over Joshua Buatsi, fighting for Dmitry Bivol’s undisputed victory in a championship rematch with Artur Beterbiev. Bivol remains the undisputed champion of the division, leaving Smith and Morrell effectively competing for position rather than dominance.

Neither Smith nor Bivol have fought since February, a reality that has quietly taken away the point of the interim title’s existence.

How the fight came to a standstill

The fight with Smith Morrell was booked last July, shortly after the return of Morrell, who won a decision over Imam Khataev on a Ring Magazine card financed by Turki Alalshikh. From that point on, the progression of the fight became dependent on Riyad’s place in the season rather than the dynamics of the open market.

Highlights since then:

  • An initial bid for the portfolio was scheduled to be made but was canceled in December after an interim agreement was reached
  • Multiple extensions of the deadlines were granted over a period of five months
  • The fight was the goal of the March gala, headlined by Anthony Joshua
  • Those plans fell through after Joshua’s fatal car accident in Nigeria last December
  • Brief talk of placing the fight on the Ring VI card in Novel York on January 31 never materialized

The inability to find an alternative home since then has only exacerbated questions about the involvement of the parties involved in actually staging the fight.

Promotional restrictions

Matchroom Boxing has five cards scheduled between this weekend and February 28, limiting flexibility. Warriors Boxing faces a different problem. The company primarily operates under the Premier Boxing Champions umbrella, which currently has no confirmed fight dates in the first quarter of 2026.

The only perceptible option on this schedule remains the preliminary Prime Video pay-per-view event on March 21, which will pit Sebastian Fundora against Keith Thurman.

By now demanding a bid price, Morrell’s side has chosen pressure over patience. Whether this will finally put the fight on the calendar or simply reveal how few promoters are willing to take the risk is now for the WBO to find out.

As a result, the division remains exactly where it has been for months, with a prescriptive fight still no closer to happening.

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Boxing

Nelson Hysa vs Thomas Narmo Scorecard Analysis and Highlights

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"Nelson Hysa vs Thomas Narmo Scorecard Analysis and Highlights"

World Boxing News provides a scorecard as unbeaten heavyweights Nelson Hysa and Thomas Narmo collide at the O2 Arena in London.

Hysa enters with a perfect 24-0 record against Narmo at 14-0, with neither heavyweight tasting defeat as a professional.

Someone’s ‘0’ has to go, with the regional WBO and WBA Global heavyweight titles on the line over ten rounds on the Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgovic undercard.

WBN provides a live scorecard of the contest below, plus live results throughout the event.


Hysa vs Narmo Scorecard

Nelson Hysa vs Thomas Narmo

(Live scorecard will refresh every 2 mins)

WBO and WBA Global Heavyweight Titles
O2 Arena, London
10×3


Round House Narmo
Round 1 10 9
Round 2 TKO
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
Round 9
Round 10
WBN Totals:

Official Result:


Preview

Hysa puts his unbeaten 24-0 record on the line against Narmo, who arrives in London with a perfect 14-0 record of his own.

The ten-round heavyweight contest carries the regional belts and gives both men the opportunity to make a statement on the Itauma vs Hrgovic undercard.

The Hysa vs Narmo scorecard will continue alongside more live coverage on World Boxing News.


About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.

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Tim Bradley Urges Teofimo Lopez to Seize His Moment with Key Next Fight

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"Tim Bradley Urges Teofimo Lopez to Seize His Moment with Key Next Fight"

Timothy Bradley has urged Teofimo Lopez to face one man after dethroning Rolando Romero for the WBA welterweight strap.

‘The Takeover’ became a three-division world champion last weekend, claiming a majority decision victory over ‘Rolly’ in his first outing at 147lbs.

While Romero was always dangerous, and even hurt his man in round five, it was Lopez who ultimately proved the busier and more skilful operator.

As a result, the 29-year-old is now eager to secure unification matches against either Devin Haney, Liam Paro or the winner of Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn, which takes place at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on September 12.

At the same time, though, Lopez could soon be ordered to face mandatory challenger Jack Catterall, who claimed his WBA ‘regular’ title with a unanimous decision victory over Shakhram Giyasov in May.

Before that, WBA president Gilberto Mendoza had ruled that the winner would earn his shot at the full welterweight belt within 180 days of their contest taking place.

And while, admittedly, a title defence by November 19 seems entirely unrealistic, Bradley has nonetheless expressed his desire for Lopez to face leading contender Catterall.

“Teo, you gotta face Jack Catterall next. Yeah, you gotta honour that [mandatory duty]. You just got the belt, right? You gotta defend that title against Jack Catterall.

“He’s been waiting patiently, and it’s his time and his opportunity.”

While Catterall does, indeed, appear to be in a strong position with the WBA, Lopez’ manager Keith Connolly is actively exploring a route for the American to swerve his mandatory duty and chase more lucrative opportunities.

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Mikaela Mayer vs Chantelle Cameron: Live Results and Fight Highlights

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"Mikaela Mayer vs Chantelle Cameron: Live Results and Fight Highlights"

LIVE COVERAGE

World Boxing News provides results and updates as Mikaela Mayer faces Chantelle Cameron in a super welterweight world title fight at bp pulse LIVE in Birmingham.

Mayer and Cameron collide over ten rounds with the WBC, WBA and WBO super welterweight titles on the line in the main event of MVPW-06.

The card also features Caroline Dubois defending the WBC and WBO lightweight titles against Amelia Moore, while Terri Harper faces Miranda Reyes over eight rounds.

WBN provides live results and updates from every bout as they happen.

Scorecards:

Mikaela Mayer vs. Chantelle Cameron
Caroline Dubois vs. Amelia Moore


Live Results

All times are local BST.

20:06

Terri Harper blasted out Miranda Reyes in two rounds to announce herself at super lightweight. Harper is aiming to win a world title in a fourth weight class and made the perfect start to life at 140 pounds.

A crushing right hand did the damage, with Reyes out of it when the referee stopped her on her feet.

19:45

A nervous Tysie Gallagher came through Brandi Robinson in a super bantamweight bout that could easily have been a draw. Gallagher got the nod after eight rounds 77-75 on the referee’s card after being warned more than once that she wasn’t doing enough.

18:56

Neeraj Goyatwho was once lined up to fight Amir Khan, secured a six-round points win over Yessin Koulali at super lightweight.

18:11

Scott Melvin recorded a sixth round stoppage over Dylan Cheema at lightweight. Melvin’s C.V. reads 13-1 after inflicting a fouth defeat on Cheema.

17:52

Shannon Courtenay and Ebony Cotton fought to a draw over six rounds. The former WBA bantamweight champion and Cotton battled to a stalemate despite Courtenay seemingly doing enough.

Referee Chris Dean scored the contest 57-57 as Courtenay moved to 11-3-1, while Cotton is now 2-2-1.

17:26

Gemma Richardson got the victory against Kirstie Bavington via a six-round decision. The super lightweight made it five straight victories with an assured performance against the game Bavington.

17:01

Hamza Uddin and Brandon Bethell scored early wins as the action got underway in Birmingham.

Uddin defeated Jemsi Kibazange at flyweight, while Bethell scored a decision over Jorge Huerta in the super lightweight division.


TV Coverage and Remaining Bouts

The event is available live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and ESPN+ in the United States.

Remaining bouts:

  • Mikaela Mayer vs. Chantelle Cameron — WBC and WBO super welterweight titles, 10 rounds
  • Caroline Dubois vs. Amelia Moore — WBC and WBO lightweight titles, 10 rounds
  • Reina Tellez vs. Jessica Barry — featherweight, 10 rounds

Follow WBN’s live boxing coverage throughout the event.


About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.

Read Phil Jay’s full bio and latest stories.

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