Boxing Wire

Author: Andrew Ravens

  • Rolly Romero May Be Planning To Sidestep His Ordered Challenger

    Rolly Romero May Be Planning To Sidestep His Ordered Challenger

    Jack Catterall has publicly challenged WBA welterweight champion Rolly Romero after reports emerged that Romero could take a voluntary fight before making his ordered title defense against the British contender.

    Catterall won the WBA International welterweight title with a unanimous decision over Shakhram Giyasov at the Glory in Giza event on May 23, which led the WBA to match him with Romero for the championship.

    More than 12 months have passed since Romero won the WBA title by defeating Ryan Garcia in May 2025 without making a defense.

    Reports from The Ring’s Mike Coppinger suggest Romero could be lined up for a summer return against a voluntary opponent rather than immediately facing Catterall. Catterall made his frustration clear on social media, signaling he views himself as the rightful next challenger given the WBA’s directive.

    No agreement has been announced between the two camps.

  • Floyd Schofield Jr.’s Father Has Confident Message About The Gervonta Davis Negotiations

    Floyd Schofield Jr.’s Father Has Confident Message About The Gervonta Davis Negotiations

    Floyd Schofield Sr. says negotiations for a WBA lightweight title fight between his son Floyd Schofield Jr. and Gervonta Davis are progressing and his team is ready for the challenge, describing it as the next step on their road to greatness.

    Schofield Sr. spoke to BoxingScene with a June 22 deadline approaching for the two sides to reach an agreement.

    “It’s a huge fight for Floyd Jr. He’s obviously looking sharp. It’s a dangerous matchup, but we feel good. We’ve worked our behind off from being homeless to get to this, and ‘Kid’ holds two WBA titles already. So, you know, it’s just the next step to see on our road of greatness.”

    He dismissed concerns about Davis’ extended absence from the ring.

    “We know he’s stayed in the gym. ‘Tank’ is doing everything like he had a fight coming up already. ‘Tank’ is still a dangerous fighter. It’s going to be one hell of a fight, a great fight for the fans. We want the fight, and we’re going to win the fight.”

    Schofield Jr. enters at 19-0 with 13 knockouts. He last fought in June 2025, stopping former world champion Tevin Farmer to secure his position as WBA number one contender. Davis is 30-0-1 with 28 knockouts and has not fought since his majority draw with Lamont Roach Jr. in March 2025.

    If no agreement is reached by June 22, the WBA could order a purse bid.

  • O’Shaquie Foster Is Making Case That Is Hard To Argue With And Shakur Stevenson Is Right In The Middle Of It

    O’Shaquie Foster Is Making Case That Is Hard To Argue With And Shakur Stevenson Is Right In The Middle Of It

    O’Shaquie Foster says he deserves a top-10 pound-for-pound ranking after his run of victories and has called on Shakur Stevenson to make good on his word and fight him.

    Foster spoke to BoxingScene after his unanimous decision win over Raymond Ford on May 30 in Houston.

    “I should be top 10. I should be top 10 for sure. If you look at my last five, six fights and you look at any of these other guys that’s top 10, you can see my resume, it’s just crazy. From the different caliber fighters — Rey Vargas, undefeated, two-division champion. I beat him. Then Conceicao, Fulton and then Ray Ford. That resume is just kind of crazy to me. None of them guys fight the same. They all got different styles, different attributes. So, I definitely feel like I’m top 10. Least you can do is eight, nine or 10. Ain’t nobody doing what I’m doing.”

    On Stevenson, Foster said the animosity between them makes the fight inevitable and cited a verbal commitment Stevenson made.

    “We gotta fight. There’s no other way around it. The world wants to see it now and me and him, we got animosity, so we might as well just let it carry over and get it out of the way. Y’all heard what he said. If I give his little man Ray Ford a chance, an opportunity — and I did — now he got to hold up his word.”

    Foster also acknowledged the sessions the two shared in the gym gave him confidence.

    “A few sessions went bad for him, but it was great work. It was high level work, man. But I just believe in myself. He disrespected me. So now it’s time to show the world we got to fight.”

    Foster is 25-3 with 12 knockouts and holds the WBC junior-featherweight title.

  • Jesse Rodriguez Says A Fight With Naoya Inoue Is ‘Inevitable’ And Teases The Perfect Storyline To Get There

    Jesse Rodriguez Says A Fight With Naoya Inoue Is ‘Inevitable’ And Teases The Perfect Storyline To Get There

    Jesse Rodriguez says the perfect path to a fight with Naoya Inoue would go through Inoue’s brother first, suggesting a bout with WBC bantamweight champion Takuma Inoue as a stepping stone to the mega-fight the boxing world is already anticipating.

    Rodriguez spoke to Ring Magazine’s Manouk Akopyan on X ahead of his June 14 bantamweight title challenge against WBA champion Antonio Vargas.

    “I think that’s a perfect storyline to the fight. Beating his brother first — I think that’s like almost the perfect storyline to the Inoue fight, beating his brother first and then going and fighting the second brother.”

    Rodriguez quickly redirected to the task at hand before looking ahead.

    “I know when that Inoue fight does happen, then the fans are in for a great night of boxing. People are already talking about that fight so much that it’s inevitable at this point. And I feel like when the time comes, it’s going to be a great fight, probably one of the best fights in boxing history.”

    Rodriguez, 23-0 with 16 knockouts, is bidding to become a three-weight world champion Saturday night at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

  • Ramon Cardenas vs. Sam Goodman Set For WBC Interim Junior-Featherweight Title Fight

    Ramon Cardenas vs. Sam Goodman Set For WBC Interim Junior-Featherweight Title Fight

    Ramon Cardenas will fight Sam Goodman for the WBC interim junior-featherweight title on the July 25 Errol Spence Jr. vs. Tim Tszyu Prime Video pay-per-view card in Australia, with ProBoxTV founder Garry Jonas confirming the bout to BoxingScene.

    Cardenas, 27-2 with 15 knockouts, is ranked number four by the WBC. His last major outing came in May 2025 when he knocked down undisputed junior-featherweight champion Naoya Inoue before being stopped in the eighth round. Goodman, 22-1 with 8 knockouts, most recently lost a unanimous decision to then-IBF featherweight champion Nick Ball in August 2025 and has since won two bouts.

    Jonas explained the decision to take the fight on foreign soil.

    “It’s a very good matchup on foreign soil, you’ve got to go for it. I don’t stand in the way of a fighter getting paid more money. We look forward to him bringing home the belt and putting the belt on ProBoxTV.”

    The Spence-Tszyu main event at 154 pounds also features unbeaten former middleweight champion Jermall Charlo on the card.

  • Adrien Broner’s Story About Jon Jones In Las Vegas Is One Of The Wilder Things You’ll Read This Week

    Adrien Broner’s Story About Jon Jones In Las Vegas Is One Of The Wilder Things You’ll Read This Week

    Adrien Broner claims Jon Jones nearly took a left hook from him after Jones became aggressive and verbally abusive during a recent night out in Las Vegas.

    Broner described the incident on a live stream.

    “He cussed me out real bad that last time I was with him. He was real drunk. He was just intoxicated. I wouldn’t let that go with anybody else, but it was him, and I’m like, ‘I know he’s drunk.’ I don’t give a f— if it’s Jon Jones or anybody. He was cooked. He was so drunk. He’s good, but he almost felt my left hook that night. It was bad. This was not too long ago in Vegas. He was drunk and just talking s—. He’s talking and yelling. I’m like, ‘What the f—, bro?’”

    Jones has not responded to Broner’s claims. He is expected to be in Gable Steveson’s corner for his UFC debut at UFC 329 next month.

  • Eddie Hearn Identified Unusual Problem Leo Atang Is Creating

    Eddie Hearn Identified Unusual Problem Leo Atang Is Creating

    Eddie Hearn says Leo Atang’s hand speed is creating an unusual problem for referees, with officials potentially stepping in too quickly because of how fast the 19-year-old heavyweight throws his combinations.

    Hearn made the comments to iFL TV after Atang improved to 7-0 with his sixth knockout victory since turning professional in 2025, stopping France’s Fouad Shaili in the opening round.

    “I thought the Leo Atang stoppage was early, and I think he was going to get knocked out, but that guy’s a durable guy, and I think we want to see Leo Atang get a real, genuine knockout. The problem is with Leo is his hands are so fast that when he’s unloading on someone, the ref’s like, looking to jump in and probably a little bit early.”

    Hearn framed the observation as a reflection of the impression Atang makes rather than a criticism of the referee. Five of Atang’s six stoppages have come in the first round.

    Hearn also placed Atang in the context of Matchroom’s broader group of young talent.

    “Leo’s 19. Adam Macka’s 19. Conor Mitchell’s 21, 22, something like that. So, we’ve got a brilliant, brilliant stable of young fighters, but they’ve got a lot of learning to do.”

  • Gervonta Davis’ Mandatory Title Defense Is In Serious Jeopardy

    Gervonta Davis’ Mandatory Title Defense Is In Serious Jeopardy

    Negotiations for Gervonta Davis’ mandatory WBA lightweight title defense have effectively stalled, with Floyd Schofield Sr. saying his team is now in a 20-day waiting period before the WBA determines its next step.

    Schofield Sr. told MillCity Boxing that legal complications on Davis’ side have brought talks to a halt.

    “We can’t do nothing until the WBA says. Supposed to be in negotiations for another 20 days with Tank people, but according to what the lawyers say, they can’t be in negotiations now. So, I’m in limbo for 20 more days while they got that mandate up that they got to make a fight. Tank people got to make a fight with us within 20 more days.”

    He described a confusing series of WBA title decisions that have left his son, Floyd Schofield Jr., uncertain about who and when he will fight.

    “They took the belt. They put him in recess. We were supposed to fight Bahdi. They gave us a date. Then they took the belt back, gave it to Tank. Then they going to take it back from Tank. We don’t know which one of them we going to fight on which date because of Tank situation. So that’s why we didn’t fight nobody yet. We got to wait to see who we fighting.”

    If an agreement cannot be reached before the negotiation period expires on June 22, the WBA could be forced to order purse bids or take other action on the title.

    Davis has not fought since his controversial majority draw against Lamont Roach Jr. in March 2025. He has since dealt with legal issues including an active arrest warrant in Maryland tied to an alleged probation violation, further complicating plans for his return.

    Schofield Jr., 23, is 19-0 and has been viewed as one of lightweight’s rising contenders. His planned title challenge against Shakur Stevenson was canceled during fight week in 2025 when he fell ill.

  • Deontay Wilder Could Land Another Heavyweight Title Shot

    Deontay Wilder Could Land Another Heavyweight Title Shot

    Deontay Wilder could find himself back in the heavyweight title picture if Oleksandr Usyk vacates the WBC title rather than face mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel, with Kabayel already publicly welcoming a fight with the former champion.

    Kabayel, the unbeaten German who currently holds the WBC interim heavyweight title, made his interest clear when speaking to talkSport Boxing.

    “Let’s do it in Germany. Deontay Wilder vs Kabayel.”

    Wilder’s ranking keeps the scenario realistic. He currently sits at number seven with both the WBC and WBO and number ten in the IBF rankings despite back-to-back losses to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang. His April return saw him edge Derek Chisora by split decision, scoring two knockdowns in a performance that kept him relevant without fully answering questions about how much he has left.

    Should Usyk choose to vacate the WBC title rather than meet his mandatory obligation, Kabayel would likely be elevated from interim to full champion and would need a mandatory defense. Wilder’s position in the WBC rankings could put him in line for exactly that opportunity.

    Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are both expected to be occupied with their own commitments in the coming months, leaving gaps in the heavyweight contender landscape that Wilder could fill. A world title shot appeared impossible for Wilder just a few months ago. His ranking means it may be closer than it looks.

  • Eddie Hearn Addresses Chris Eubank Jr. Speculation

    Eddie Hearn Addresses Chris Eubank Jr. Speculation

    Eddie Hearn says there is no imminent agreement between Matchroom Boxing and Chris Eubank Jr., describing the situation as involving only brief preliminary conversations with several hurdles still to overcome.

    Speaking to BoxingScene, Hearn acknowledged the interest on both sides while tempering expectations.

    “Nothing major really, I mean there’s all kinds of sorts of speculation. There’s nothing imminent, there’s no deep conversations. A couple of little chats between members of the team and stuff like that. I think everybody appreciates how big it would be, but there’s a lot of hurdles to overcome in terms of the past.”

    Hearn and Eubank have previously worked together on multiple occasions, though their relationship has been marked by disputes over the years.

    Eubank’s future remains uncertain following his two-fight rivalry with Conor Benn. He defeated Benn by unanimous decision in April 2025 before losing a one-sided decision in their rematch seven months later. Both bouts were among the biggest events of either man’s career and reportedly generated career-high purses for both fighters.

    Eubank, who turns 37 in September, has not announced his next opponent. Questions also remain about which weight class he will campaign in going forward after spending much of his recent career at middleweight. Despite never winning one of boxing’s four recognized world titles, he remains one of the most recognizable names in British boxing.