Boxing Wire

Author: Andrew Ravens

  • Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2 Officially Moves Away From Sphere

    Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2 Officially Moves Away From Sphere

    Any remaining doubt about Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao’s rematch leaving The Sphere has been removed, with the Eagles confirming a concert at the venue on September 19, formally closing the door on the fight happening there.

    The move was reported last week by Boxing Scene, with an industry source noting that staging the fight at The Sphere never made logical sense, given the venue’s lack of a casino connection and its high costs.

    That report has now been proven correct by events. The Eagles’ announcement of their September 19 date makes the Sphere unavailable for a fight that was never a natural fit for the location to begin with.

    The rematch is now expected to land at either T-Mobile Arena or MGM Grand Garden Arena, both of which carry the casino integration that promoters and gambling partners require for an event of this commercial scale. A date shift from September 19 to August 15 has also been discussed, with T-Mobile Arena open on that date.

    Mayweather and Pacquiao’s original meeting on May 2, 2015 at MGM Grand Garden Arena generated the highest pay-per-view revenue in boxing history. Mayweather, 49, holds a 50-0 professional record and is booked for a June 27 exhibition against kickboxer Mike Zambidis in Athens before the Netflix rematch. Pacquiao, 47, is 62-8-3 and most recently fought Mario Barrios to a draw in a WBC welterweight title fight last July.

  • Mayweather-Pacquiao II Moves from Sphere to MGM Venue

    Mayweather-Pacquiao II Moves from Sphere to MGM Venue

    The Mayweather and Pacquiao rematch is leaving The Sphere and moving to an MGM-affiliated venue in Las Vegas, with the date potentially shifting from September to mid-August as well.

    According to an official familiar with the negotiations who spoke to Boxing Scene on condition of anonymity due to evolving talks, the bout will now take place at either T-Mobile Arena or MGM Grand Garden Arena. The casino connection is central to the decision.

    “It made no sense to put it at The Sphere — it’s not connected to a casino.”

    MGM routinely packages tickets with offerings for high-roller gamblers across its multiple Strip properties and stages fight-week events around its high-profile boxing cards, making its venues a more natural fit for a fight of this commercial scale.

    The official also issued a direct warning to fight fans looking for tickets in the secondary market.

    “It’s one million percent not happening there.”

    T-Mobile Arena has an iHeart Radio event booked for September 19, but the venue is open on August 15, which aligns with the potential new date the official referenced. Officials at Madison Square Garden-owned Sphere and MGM did not respond to questions from Boxing Scene.

    The Netflix-streamed bout will count on both fighters’ official records. Floyd Mayweather, 49, went 50-0 in his professional career, while Manny Pacquiao, 47, carries a 62-8-3 record, including a draw against Mario Barrios in July for the WBC welterweight title.

    Their original meeting on May 2, 2015, at MGM Grand Garden Arena generated the highest pay-per-view revenue in boxing history. Mayweather is scheduled for a June 27 exhibition fight before the Netflix bout.

  • Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven: UK Watch Guide for May 23

    Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven: UK Watch Guide for May 23

    Oleksandr Usyk will face kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven in a crossover boxing match on May 23 in Egypt, marking a rare competitive appearance for the unified heavyweight champion outside of traditional boxing.

    The fight will be broadcast in the United Kingdom with full coverage details confirmed through ESPN, including ring walk times and the complete undercard lineup. The event places Usyk’s boxing credentials against Verhoeven’s kickboxing background in a traditional boxing format.

    Verhoeven is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished kickboxers in the history of heavyweight competition, making the matchup an unusual but intriguing crossover for fans. Usyk enters as the unified heavyweight champion and is expected to have a significant technical advantage under boxing rules.

    The May 23 card will feature additional undercard bouts leading up to the main event. Here is the full card: 

    • Title fight: Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven, 12 rounds, for Usyk’s WBC heavyweight title
    • Title fight: Hamzah Sheeraz vs. Alem Begic, 12 rounds, for the vacant WBO super middleweight title
    • Title fight: Jack Catterall vs. Shakhram Giyasov, 12 rounds, for the vacant WBA “regular” welterweight title
    • Frank Sanchez vs. Richard Torrez Jr., 10 rounds, heavyweights
    • Title fight: Mizuki Hiruta vs. Mai Soliman, 10 rounds, for Hiruta’s WBO women’s junior bantamweight title
    • Basem Mamdouh vs. Jamar Talley, 6 rounds, cruiserweights
  • Francis Ngannou Makes His Fury vs. Joshua Prediction

    Francis Ngannou Makes His Fury vs. Joshua Prediction

    Francis Ngannou has a unique perspective on the Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury fight, having shared the ring with both men within a year. And despite being knocked out by Joshua in two rounds while going the distance and dropping Fury, Ngannou is still picking the Manchester fighter to come out on top.

    The former UFC and PFL heavyweight champion shared his prediction in a recent interview with The Schmo, explaining that Fury’s technical boxing skills give him a slight edge over Joshua, even factoring in what Ngannou himself experienced against each man.

    “If I have to favor somebody it’s going to be very slight. I will go for Fury, because he is very slick. He does well with professional boxing, he only doesn’t understand when it’s not a pro boxer.”

    Ngannou attributed his own success against Fury in part to the unorthodox nature of his MMA training, suggesting the movement and style he brought to that fight posed problems Fury was simply not accustomed to solving. Joshua, by contrast, is a conventional heavyweight boxer, which plays more into Fury’s strengths.

    The fight was announced on Monday after years of negotiations between the two British heavyweights, with the bout set for later this year on Netflix. Joshua is expected to make it through a tune-up fight in Riyadh this summer before the two finally meet. The pair have been rivals for well over a decade and shared a sparring session in their younger days, but have never met in an official professional bout.

    Ngannou returns to the cage on May 16 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood against Philipe Lins on the first ever MVP MMA card on Netflix.

  • Eddie Hearn Calls Zuffa Boxing ‘Visionless’ After Six Months: ‘All We’ve Seen Is Five Shows With a Load of Randoms’

    Eddie Hearn Calls Zuffa Boxing ‘Visionless’ After Six Months: ‘All We’ve Seen Is Five Shows With a Load of Randoms’

    Eddie Hearn has turned Dana White’s own language against him, calling Zuffa Boxing visionless after White spent months making the same accusation against established boxing promoters.

    Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Hearn reflected on how his relationship with White has changed since the UFC boss entered boxing with Zuffa Boxing and began publicly attacking rival promoters, including Matchroom.

    “He’s always been unbelievably courteous to me,” Hearn said. “It is what it is, I don’t have anything personal to say about him and it’s just a business and a fight, but this one is out of the ring. It’s Matchroom vs Zuffa, and I love it. It’s a buzz. Everyone is talking about Eddie and Dana fighting but the real fight is the business.”

    The two men used to have a cordial relationship, with Hearn having attended UFC events as White’s guest. That changed when White launched Zuffa Boxing and began targeting boxing’s promotional establishment with broad criticism about a lack of vision. Hearn is now pointing to Zuffa Boxing’s early track record as evidence that the accusation applies in the opposite direction.

    “I don’t think they know what they’re doing in boxing. Where’s the league? We’re six months in and all we’ve seen is five shows with a load of randoms on it. You’re stuck in the Apex still, are you gonna come out of there and do anything creative?” Hearn said.

    He also suggested White operates in a bubble that prevents him from accurately assessing what the rest of the industry is doing. “Every time he opens his mouth he talks about me, which is brilliant for my profile over here in America. I don’t really think he knows what’s going on in terms of what other people are doing because they’re so arrogant they just think what they do is the only thing happening.”

    White has teased plans to take Zuffa Boxing to the UK and has recently signed Conor Benn to a multi-fight deal, though the promotion has staged all of its events to date at the Meta APEX on the UFC campus.

  • Zuffa Boxing to Leave Meta APEX for The Cosmopolitan

    Zuffa Boxing to Leave Meta APEX for The Cosmopolitan

    Zuffa Boxing is leaving its home base for the first time, with two upcoming cards booked at Las Vegas venues outside the Meta APEX where the promotion has staged every event since its January launch.

    According to filings approved by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, TKO Group Holdings will promote a boxing card on Sunday, June 28, at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, followed by a second Sunday show on July 12 at a Las Vegas venue still to be confirmed.

    Every Zuffa Boxing event to date has taken place at the 600-seat Meta APEX on the UFC campus. The Chelsea holds roughly 4,000 people and has hosted multiple UFC Fight Nights.

    The move aligns with the operating plan TKO outlined to Nevada regulators in January, when UFC VP of Regulatory Affairs Marc Ratner told the commission the promotion intended to run between 12 and 15 boxing events in 2026, with the majority based in Las Vegas.

    The July 12 date carries additional significance as it falls inside UFC International Fight Week 2026, which runs July 9 through July 12. UFC.com already lists Zuffa Boxing as part of the IFW programming alongside UFC 329, the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and Power Slap, putting the boxing arm directly inside TKO’s flagship week in combat sports.

    Both cards preserve the Sunday broadcast window Zuffa Boxing has used since its second event, keeping the cards on Paramount+ without conflicting with UFC’s Saturday programming. Paramount holds United States, Canadian, and Latin American streaming rights under a deal worth approximately $100 million annually.

    No fights have been announced for either card. Zuffa Boxing typically confirms main events four to six weeks ahead of fight night.

  • Darren Till Spells Out Why MMA and Boxing Are Completely Different Sports Ahead of His BKFC Debut

    Darren Till Spells Out Why MMA and Boxing Are Completely Different Sports Ahead of His BKFC Debut

    Darren Till has a clear message for any MMA fighter who thinks their striking background translates seamlessly into boxing: it does not.

    Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show on Tuesday, Till was direct about the gulf between the two sports, drawing on his own experience transitioning from MMA to the squared circle and the eye-opening realization of what genuine boxing skill actually looks like up close.

    “The thing with boxing anyways — you need to understand this, right? — all of us MMA fighters, right, if we switch over, we go, ‘Well, I’ve done boxing,’” Till said. “No you haven’t. You’ve done boxing for MMA. What does that mean? You’ve been in a wide stance, you don’t throw close-quarters shots. MMA and boxing are two completely different sports. They’re altogether — the movements, the head movement, the way you move, the way you step — it’s just so far away from MMA.”

    Till made his boxing debut against Luke Rockhold last August and announced on Tuesday that he will compete in BKFC against Aaron Chalmers on May 30 in Birmingham, England. Despite building a modest boxing resume, he is under no illusions about how far the discipline extends beyond what MMA prepares fighters for.

    He also addressed the question of whether UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, his British countryman, could succeed in boxing if he chose to make the move. Till acknowledged Aspinall’s striking ability while being honest about the ceiling.

    “I’ve seen Tom, but I’ve only seen Tom box for MMA. Can Tom box? Yeah. Will he be world heavyweight champion? Probably not. But if he makes a lot of money, who gives a f***?” Till said. He added that anyone making the transition would need to start from scratch on the fundamentals. “You’ve got to start from the basics — the footwork, to how you use your jab, to how you work inside and stuff like that.”

    The history of MMA fighters crossing over to boxing backs up Till’s assessment. Nate Diaz lost his boxing debut to Jake Paul. Anderson Silva edged a faded Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. before losing to Paul himself. Conor McGregor was comprehensively outclassed by a 40-year-old Floyd Mayweather. Francis Ngannou had his moments against Tyson Fury before being stopped by Anthony Joshua in their second meeting.

    Till fought in the UFC from 2015 to 2023 and holds a career MMA record of 18-5-1. His BKFC debut against Chalmers takes place May 30 in Birmingham.

  • Dana White Fires Back At ‘Bum’ Eddie Hearn After Latest Comments

    Dana White Fires Back At ‘Bum’ Eddie Hearn After Latest Comments

    The Dana White and Eddie Hearn promotional rivalry has taken another sharp turn, with Hearn delivering a lengthy attack on White at his Liverpool show while White responded with his now-familiar dismissal on the other side of the Atlantic.

    White originally floated the idea of a boxing match between the two promoters in what began as a lighthearted exchange, but Hearn has since pursued the concept with enthusiasm and growing frustration at what he sees as White backing away from a fight he called for.

    Speaking after his show at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, Hearn went directly at White and challenged him to follow through.

    “The only thing that can stop the fight happening is Dana White,” Hearn said. “So really, the truth of the matter is, he’s backing out of the fight that he called on. So who’s the p—e now? Where’s your balls gone? You can’t keep calling me a p—e when you call me out for a fight, and I accept the fight, and then you go, ‘Oh, no, no, we’re bums, it would go on earlier in the night.’ What the f— is that? We would main event and sell out a massive stadium. Do you not think we’d sell out The O2? Do you not think we’d do over a million buys globally?”

    Hearn added that he has been daydreaming about the fight in considerable detail. “In bed every night I’ve picked my ring walk, I’ve actually designed my robe. But, like I said, it’ll probably just be fantasy because unfortunately, Dana White backed out of the fight.”

    Hours later at the UFC Winnipeg press conference, White was asked about the situation and repeated his standard framing of the two men as unworthy of a real fight card.

    “Eddie said that me and him are the biggest fight in boxing. Therein lies the problem with boxing. You’re a f—ing bum, I’m old, and we don’t even deserve to be on a card with a bunch of real fighters,” White said.

    The two promoters are currently running competing boxing and MMA operations, with White’s Zuffa Boxing signing high-profile names while Hearn continues to operate Matchroom Boxing as one of the sport’s most established promotional outfits.

  • Conor Benn Makes Priority Clear After Zuffa Signing

    Conor Benn Makes Priority Clear After Zuffa Signing

    Conor Benn did not need much time to answer when Stephen A. Smith pressed him on which fight he wants next.

    “Garcia.”

    Sitting alongside Dana White on ESPN’s First Take on Friday, Benn cut through the diplomatic preamble and made his priority clear. The newly signed Zuffa Boxing fighter had walked through the procedural path toward a WBC welterweight title shot before Smith cornered him on a name, and the answer was immediate.

    “We’re going to try to get the WBC world title. I’m mandatory for that shot. I’ve worked hard to get there,” Benn said. “But I’m open to options. There’s plenty of fighters calling me out. Whatever fight the public wants, they can get.”

    He also explained the broader motivation behind signing with Zuffa and pursuing the biggest available matchups. “I’m here because I want to make the biggest fights possible. I want to make the most memorable nights in boxing, the ones where people go, ‘What a fight. What a night.’ Something to remember. History made, legacy made. That’s why I’m here.”

    Benn sits as the WBC mandatory challenger at welterweight, putting him in direct line for a shot at Ryan Garcia, who holds the WBC welterweight title after his victory over Mario Barrios earlier this year. With Benn now signed to Zuffa and Oscar De La Hoya pushing Garcia toward a world champion opponent next, both fighters are under promotions aligned on making the bout happen. Early reporting has pointed toward an August date on Netflix, though nothing has been officially announced.

    Benn’s Zuffa deal runs five fights over 2.5 years, meaning Garcia would be the first of multiple marquee outings. With Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney also circling at welterweight, Benn made clear on Friday which name sits at the top of his list.

  • Dana White: Boxing Is ‘Way More Broken’ Than I Thought

    Dana White: Boxing Is ‘Way More Broken’ Than I Thought

    Dana White has spent six months running a boxing promotion and his verdict on the sport he entered is blunt: it is far more broken than he anticipated.

    Appearing on ESPN’s First Take on Friday alongside newly signed Zuffa Boxing fighter Conor Benn, White delivered a pointed critique of how traditional boxing promoters operate, arguing the industry is structurally designed to extract money rather than build lasting careers or a sustainable product.

    “This sport is way more broken than I even thought it was,” White said. “Now that I’m involved, how rinky dink the sport really is.”

    His central complaint was volume, or the lack of it. White argued that boxing promoters run their rosters like distressed assets, staging infrequent events and disappearing between them rather than developing fighters into genuine stars.

    “Every time you watch a boxing match, it’s like a going out of business sale. They’re trying to grab up as much money as they can and then they run away and hide for two years, then they pop up again and put on another fight,” White said. “I’ve already done more fights this year, my first year, than all the promoters combined.”

    He also pushed back on the industry tendency to blame fighters for being uncommercial, flipping responsibility onto the promoters themselves.

    “If you’re not putting on fights, how the hell are you making money? It doesn’t make any sense. I heard some of the other promoters when I started to sign some of the guys, they were like, ‘We could never make any money with him anyway.’ Well, that’s not his job. That’s your job. My job is to figure out how to pay him and pay me. His job is to be a badass,” White said.

    White also stated his five-year goal publicly for the first time, framing it as a return to boxing’s cultural peak when world champions were household names and major fights drew global audiences.

    “When your father was fighting, everybody all over the world knew who the champion was. When big fights happened anywhere in the world, everybody watched. Boxing was big in America back then. That is my goal: to make it that way again over the next five years,” White said, gesturing to Benn, the son of British boxing legend Nigel Benn.

    Stephen A. Smith, who has long criticized boxing’s promotional structure on the same platform, backed White’s diagnosis on air. “The promoters have ruined it, not the fighters. And now we’ve got somebody that’s gonna make sure we’re getting the fights we want to see,” Smith said.