Boxing

2:49 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez’s breakout 2022 campaign continues with a 115-pound title defense vs. Israel Gonzalez in the chief support bout to Canelo Alvarez-Gennadiy Golovkin 3 on Sept. 17 in Las Vegas, Matchroom Boxing announced Monday. Rodriguez (16-0 11 KOs) scored the biggest win of his budding career last month with

8:02 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN From Tyson Fury’s retirement claim that few seem to believe to Canelo Alvarez’s shocking loss to Dmitry Bivol, 2022 has been filled with moments that shook the boxing world — and there’s still six months to go. At the midway point of the year, many boxers already have the inside

12:51 AM ET Jeff WagenheimESPN Rey Vargas is a champion again and still undefeated. The former WBC junior featherweight champion, fighting for just the second time in three years, persevered through a late knockdown to dethrone WBC featherweight champ Mark Magsayo via split decision on Saturday in San Antonio, Texas. “I have no words to

6:42 PM ET Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show Derek Chisora showed there is more to come in his roller-coaster boxing career after he ended a run of three consecutive losses with a

7:43 AM ET Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show From a long-awaited trilogy bout between Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin for all the marbles at 168 pounds, to a heavyweight rematch between unified

4:38 PM ET Former three-division boxing world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko would like to return to the ring as soon as October, Top Rank president Todd DuBoef told ESPN on Thursday. Lomachenko (16-2, 11 KOs) has not yet fought in 2022. The 34-year-old Ukrainian joined a territorial defense battalion in his home country during the first

10:19 AM ET Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show Defeats usually damage the careers of boxers, who can lose ranking, popularity, television deals and relevance after a series of setbacks. But not for

9:37 AM ET Jake Paul has a new opponent for his boxing match at Madison Square Garden next month after the withdrawal of Tommy Fury. Hasim Rahman Jr., son of the former boxing heavyweight champion of the same name, will replace Fury and fight Paul on Aug. 6 in New York, Paul told ESPN on

1:09 PM ET For the second time, Tommy Fury will not be competing in a scheduled boxing match with Jake Paul. Paul, the YouTube-star-turned-prizefighter, wrote Wednesday on Twitter that he sent Fury a termination notice, acknowledging that he is officially out of their planned Aug. 6 fight at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Paul wrote

1:30 PM ET Manouk Akopyan Mark Magsayo could vault himself into the pantheon of Philippine boxers with wins in key fights this year — starting with Rey Vargas. Steve Marcus/Getty Images HOLLYWOOD — As Manny Pacquaio ended his legendary career losing to Yordenis Ugas, protege Mark Magsayo shined bright on his idol’s undercard with a vicious

Jul 4, 2022 Jake Paul said on Sunday that Tommy Fury had until Wednesday to clear up the issues that prevented him travelling to the United States last week or their Aug. 6 fight at New York’s Madison Square Garden would be called off. Fury said he was barred at Heathrow airport from boarding a

6:11 PM ET Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show If you were wondering who is going to be the next serious heavyweight contender, then check out how Joe Joyce dealt with Christian Hammer

1:06 PM ET The Mikaela Mayer-Alycia Baumgardner title unification fight at 130 pounds will take place on the Claressa Shields-Savannah Marshall card at O2 Arena in London on Sept. 10, a source told ESPN. Mayer, the WBO and IBF champion, and Baumgardner, the WBC champion, agreed to the fight in May with a location unknown,

1:10 PM ET In conversations with Mikaela Mayer over the years, one of the constant themes that has come up has been an element of starting something. Beginning something for herself and setting things up for those who follow her once she’s done boxing. It’s part of the deal when you’re in a burgeoning sport,

12:42 PM ET Junior welterweight Josh Taylor has opted to give up one of his titles. The unified 140-pound champion relinquished his WBC belt ahead of a scheduled purse bid on Friday afternoon for a matchup against Jose Zepeda, the WBC announced. The sanctioning body had ordered the purse bid for the fight between two

4:00 PM ET Connor O’Halloran Oleksandr Usyk has said he will return to Ukraine following the first defence of his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight title belts against Anthony Joshua in August. Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs), 35, will rematch Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs), 32, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Aug. 20, having become heavyweight champion

1:57 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Social media influencer Logan Paul has signed a deal with WWE, the organization announced on Thursday. The pact is a multi-event deal, sources told ESPN, that will push into 2023. Paul will compete in the ring at multiple WWE premium live events (formerly called pay-per-views by the company) and will

7:45 AM ET Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show Joe Joyce still hopes he can land his dream fight against one of his English rivals: Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua. Fury, the WBC