Unexpected outcomes in the ring are part of the game—just as they are across virtually every competitive sport. We revisit that familiar theme after coming across a few recent pieces from the world of boxing, our professional home for more years than we care to count. (A necessary aside: we often write in the first-person…
On January 31, 2026, Bangkok, Thailand, will become the epicenter of Asian boxing when Britain’s Prince Patel takes on Tanzanian knockout artist Yahaya Mussa for the vacant WBA Asia Gold super lightweight title. Patel (33-1-2, 28 KOs) enters off a quiet 2025, having fought just once—and ended it by knockout. The Blackburn native, known as…
This Friday, January 16, the bright lights of Palm Springs, California, will shine on a matchup that could help shape the future of the junior welterweight division. Rising Uzbek standout Ruslan Abdullaev will take on seasoned Uruguayan veteran Eduardo “El Verdugo†Abreu for the WBA Continental Gold junior welterweight title. The Uzbek Phenom Abdullaev (3-0,…
Undefeated prospect Joel Iriarte will square off against Jireh De Los Santos for the WBA Continental Gold welterweight title on Saturday night, as part of a Golden Boy Promotions card at Acrisure Arena in Greater Palm Springs, Palm Desert, California. The 22-year-old Iriarte will meet the 23-year-old De Los Santos in what will be the…
Next Thursday, January 16, the Acrisure Arena in Palm Desert will host the long-awaited rematch between Manuel “Gucci Manny†Flores and Jorge “El Niño Dorado†Chávez, as the two finally look to break the deadlock that left fans wanting more last summer. At stake is more than just local bragging rights. The WBA Continental USA…
The 2024 World Youth champion Adam Olaniyan has joined forces with Frank Warren and Queensberry ahead of his forthcoming professional debut in Dublin on March 14, live on DAZN. The Irishman, 19, from Tallaght, is the newest addition to the Queensberry Heavyweight Battalion and the two-time European gold medalist will be trained by the highly…
Dalton Smith is the new WBC World Super-Lightweight champion after a spectacular stoppage win over Subriel Matias in Brooklyn. Smith started brilliantly in the opening round of the fight at the Barclays Center, and was happy to trade with the fearsome Puerto Rican ruler as the fight caught fire early, but as the fifth round entered…
The World Boxing Association (WBA) Academy continues to expand its educational and professional development efforts across multiple areas of the sport. The start of 2026 will be highlighted by the Level 1 Coaches Seminar, led by Fabricio Nieva, along with the Level 1 certification course “Psychology of Boxing,†to be taught by Diana Sosa. Sosa,…
Elif Nur Turhan has signed a new multi-fight extension with Matchroom Boxing and will make the first defence of her IBF World Lightweight Title on Saturday, January 31 in Newcastle – live on the Global Home of Boxing, DAZN. The ‘Golden Turk’ Turhan (12-0, 8 KOs) last month solidified her reputation as one of the…
Back in 2016, two women were making their professional debuts in boxing. The stage was the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with Andre Ward vs. Sergey Kovalev headlining the card. But earlier that night, the spotlight belonged to them: Claressa Shields, just 20 years old, and Franchon Crews-Dezurn, then 28. A decade later, they will…
On January 31, the Coliseo José Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico, will play host to a highly anticipated super welterweight unification bout between World Boxing Association (WBA) champion Abass Baraou and the WBO titleholder, hometown favorite Xander Zayas. The German champion will be making the first defense of his WBA belt, while the…
Stephanie Han’s journey in boxing has been filled with challenges from the very beginning, and this weekend she faced one of the toughest of her career against living legend Holly Holm in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The American champion entered the bout to defend her World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight title and emerged victorious via…