Boxing insider, analyst & Hall of Fame elector
@MikeCoppinger
has signed a multi-year contract extension with ESPN
Coppinger will be part of 's continuing coverage leading up to
#FuryNgannou
Saturday on ESPN+ PPV
Breaking: Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. have agreed to a deal to fight for the undisputed welterweight championship on July 29 at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, sources tell ESPN.
Al Haymon, who advises Spence, and CAA’s Ish Hinson (Crawford’s advisor) will deliver the…
And it’s over. Surprisingly no KO for a Floyd Mayweather. And this is an exhibition so there is no official winner. Crowd not happy. Floyd warned y’all and called this event a legalized bank robbery
#MayweatherPaul
Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia have struck a deal to fight April 20 in Las Vegas for Haney’s junior welterweight championship, sources tell ESPN. Haney lands another marquee fight - his biggest yet - as he continues his star climb while Garcia lands his first title shot.
Sources: Jake Paul and former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley have agreed to a deal for a boxing match. Jake recently signed a multi-fight deal with Showtime. Friday face-off in Miami planned to promote the event. Paul coming off first-round KO of Ben Askren
Can’t write Deontay Wilder off after one loss. We need to change this boxing culture that suggests you’re damaged goods if you aren’t undefeated. We complain when fights matching the best aren’t made, yet as a sport, disrespect a boxer if he loses. AJ bounced back. So can Wilder
CONFIRMED: The rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury is a done deal, as Wilder himself just announced. Looks like it will take place in the early part of 2020. First PBC-Top Rank co-promotion since Mayweather-Pacquiao in 2015. I expect a joint PPV, but remains to be seen
.
@BooBooAndrade
just interrupted
@Canelo
’s presser to demand a fight and what a wild scene it was! Andrade was escorted by security as Alvarez repeatedly said “get the fuck out of here, you’ve fought nobody” while laughing. Never seen this much emotion from him
#CaneloSaunders
Breaking: UFC 251, headlined by Kamaru Usman-Jorge Masvidal, generated approximately 1.3 million pay-per-view buys on ESPN+, multiple sources tell The Athletic. The debut of Fight Island in Abu Dhabi produced the most UFC PPVs since Khabib-Conor in 2018
Gervonta Davis and Frank Martin have agreed to a deal for a PBC PPV fight in late spring/early summer for Tank’s WBA lightweight title, sources tell ESPN. Davis’ legal trouble sidelined him the second half of last year, but now he’s back vs. a legitimate top 10 lightweight.
Clear audio of Deontay Wilder telling Tyson Fury “I don’t respect you” after The Gypsy King gives him big props. After such an emotional defeat and build-up, I can understand not shaking hands but to say that? Shame after the tremendous courage he showed
What we just saw from Deontay Wilder is one of the gutsiest displays in a boxing ring in history, bar none. The man was battered around the ring by Tyson Fury and never stopped throwing. He meant it when he said he wanted to go out on his shield.
#FuryWilder3
Chew on this: David Benavidez tested positive for cocaine, a recreational drug, and was stripped of his title by the WBC. He wasn’t even training for a fight. Yet Oscar Valdez tests positive for a performance-enhancing drug while training and is allowed to fight. Got that?
Former heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, plans to take up arms to defend against Russia's invasion.
"It's already a bloody war. I don't have another choice. I have to do that. I would fight."
Logan Paul just unloaded with about 25 punches to end the opening round as Floyd Mayweather covered up and I’m pretty sure not a single one landed
#MayweatherPaul
Tyson Fury: “I’m a sportsman, I went over to (Deontay Wilder to) show some love and respect and he didn’t want to show it back. So I pray for him.”
#FuryWiilder3
Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford have agreed to all material terms for a fight for the undisputed welterweight championship, targeted for Nov. 19 in Las Vegas, sources tell ESPN. No signed deal yet as lawyers clean up legal language in the agreement.
BREAKING: Geroge Kambosos and Devin Haney have struck a deal for a June 5 bout in Melbourne, Australia for the undisputed lightweight championship, sources tell ESPN. Rematch in Australia if Haney wins. Multi-fight co-promotional deal for Haney with Top Rank and Lou DiBella
Ryan Garcia says he’s moving up to welterweight for his next fight. Said his body can’t go below 143 pounds. Oscar De La Hoya says a rematch with Gervonta Davis would have to take place at a catchweight of 145 pounds.
#HaneyGarcia
Canelo Alvarez's first loss since he fought Floyd Mayweather in 2013. This was not a close fight. Kiss Canelo-GGG 3 goodbye once again, it appears!
#CaneloBivol
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have signed contracts for an undisputed heavyweight championship fight in Saudi Arabia, multiple sources told ESPN.
Fight could take place Dec. 23 or sometime in January, sources said. Fury first meets Francis Ngannou on Oct. 28 in Saudi Arabia.
June 10 - Josh Taylor vs. Teofimo López for the recognized junior welterweight championship
July 9 - Eimantas Stanionis vs. Vergil Ortiz Jr. in a fight between two of boxing best’s welterweights
July 25 - Stephen Fulton vs. Naoya Inoue for the unified junior featherweight…
Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford are closing in on a deal for an undisputed welterweight championship fight in October in Las Vegas, sources tell ESPN. No agreement yet, but no real stumbling block. PBC PPV for this genuine super fight.
Wild scene last night as Tom Saunders, concerned about his son Billy Joe Saunders as fight is stopped, attempts to make way to ring to check on him only to be aggressively pushed by security. Totally out of line from security, IMO
#CaneloSaunders
Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder have a deal in place for a March 9 fight in Saudi Arabia, sources tell ESPN.
The former heavyweight champs compete in separate bouts Dec. 23 and they must win to keep the bout intact. Joshua fights Otto Wallin while Wilder faces Joseph Parker.
Devin Haney and Regis Prograis have agreed to a deal for an Oct. 28 fight in Las Vegas for Prograis’ WBC junior welterweight title, sources tell ESPN. Haney retained his undisputed lightweight championship in May with a decision victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis have announced they will meet in a superfight in Las Vegas next year. Sources tell ESPN the 136-pound catchweight bout is slated for April, and that Showtime and DAZN will jointly deliver the PPV. Massive win for boxing
#GervontaGarcia
Rolly Romero and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz have finalized a deal to fight for Romero’s WBA 140-pound title on March 30 in Las Vegas, sources tell ESPN. Fight will serve as the PPV co-main to Tim Tszyu-Keith Thurman. Cruz moves up to 140 pounds for the title shot.
Source: Manny Pacquiao signed the contract for an Aug. 21 welterweight title fight with Errol Spence Jr. in Las Vegas. Done deal. Massive fight, and at 42, the legend takes on the best 147-pounder in the world. PBC on FOX PPV. Pacquiao made the announcement with a promo poster
Ryan Garcia didn’t quit - far from it. He rose from a second-round knockdown and then was paralyzed by a perfectly placed liver shot from an elite fighter. Garcia now returns to 140 as the division’s biggest star where more big fights await.
#DavisGarcia
Dmitry Bivol won the 12th round on all three scorecards and needed to to avoid a draw. Disgusting display from the judges. Never fails in boxing
#CaneloBivol
David Benavidez and Caleb Plant will meet March 25 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Showtime PPV, sources tell ESPN. Big-time fight at 168 pounds.
Sources: Canelo Alvarez and Caleb Plant have agreed to a deal for a November pay-per-view fight presented by PBC. All four 168-pound belts on the line. Full story coming to ESPN
This isn’t a real controversy. Punch landed squarely BELOW the belt line. Here you see the actual impact of the punch. As the punch lands it pushes up closer to the belt line:
SOURCES: Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders have agreed to a deal for a May fight on DAZN. Three 168-pound titles up for grabs. Fight will land in U.S., on May 1 or May 8. First, Canelo will have to beat Avni Yildirim on Feb. 27 and emerge uninjured
Sources: Canelo Alvarez & Eddie Hearn are closing in on a two-fight deal for the star’s return to DAZN.
Fight 1: Dmitry Bivol on May 7 at 175 pounds
Fight 2: Gennaidy Golovkin on Sept. 17 at 168 pounds
No agreement yet; Canelo & GGG both must win.
Breaking: Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller has tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance and has been pulled from July 9 fight with Jerry Forrest on ESPN, sources tell The Athletic. Miller was set to fight Anthony Joshua last year before testing positive for three PEDs
Bumped into
@EddieHearn
in the lobby on his way to see Billy Joe Saunders at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth. Saunders set to have surgery today on multiple fractures to his orbital bone, a complete blowout, known as a quadripod fracture. Brutal injury
#CaneloSaunders
Not sure anyone who fights for a living is afraid, let alone
@Canelo
, who went toe to toe with GGG in the rematch. Would I love to see the trilogy in 2020? Of course. But to call Canelo afraid is unfair
Ryan Garcia will return in a junior welterweight bout vs. Oscar Duarte on Dec. 2 at San Antonio’s Alamodome, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya told ESPN.
The fight will be streamed on DAZN, and it comes one week before Devin Haney fights Regis Prograis on DAZN PPV.
Rob McCracken is a top trainer but I’d love to know what in the world he was thinking with the strategy to have AJ outbox Usyk. That was never going to happen. Joshua needed to push Usyk backward, lean on him on the inside and go to the body. He also should have come in heavier
Congrats to
@naoyainoue_410
on a Monster year! Between his total dominance over Stephen Fulton via TKO and another win inside the distance over Marlon Tapales to become undisputed at 122, the Japanese star is ESPN’s Fighter of the Year:
Arum: Lopez won, 7-5 is way I scored it. I can see 8-4, that’s a possibility. But you can’t score it 11 rounds to 1 and say you watched the fight. Ninth, 10th and 11th weren’t close. I would advise any fighter that I have to ask for the commission not to appoint Julie Lederman
Sources: Canelo Alvarez and manager/trainer Eddy Reynoso are also planning a third fight with Matchroom that will take place in December. The three-fight plan with DAZN is worth up to $160 million.
It’s all over!!!! Andy Ruiz has stopped Anthony Joshua to win the unified heavyweight championship. 15-1 underdog. The greatest sport in the world
#JoshuaRuiz
BREAKING: Canelo Alvarez filed suit vs. Oscar De La Hoya, GBP & DAZN today in Los Angeles Federal Court, a copy of which
@TheAthletic
obtained.
“I’m not scared of any opponent in the ring, and I’m not going to let failures of my broadcaster or promotors keep me out of the ring”
Anthony Joshua can now exercise his rematch clause and head into an immediate return bout. But this wasn’t Andy Ruiz. I was wrong about Oleksandr Usyk at heavyweight. What a fighter!
#JoshuaUsyk
Sources: George Kambosos is slated to make first defense of undisputed lightweight championship on June 5 at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. June 5 is a Sunday which allows for prime-time U.S., telecast on June 4. Fight expected against Vasiliy Lomachenko or Devin Haney
Terence Crawford sounds like he’s done with Top Rank:
"I'm pretty sure my decision is made already. Bob [Arum] couldn't secure me the Spence fight when I was with him, so how is he going to secure me the Spence fight when I'm not with him? I'm moving forward with my career now."
Canelo Alvarez said he’ll exercise the rematch clause - “it doesn’t stay like this.” Dmitry Bivol said “no problem” but he wants to be treated like a champion next time around
#CaneloBivol
Billy Joe didn’t get the win and he didn’t last the distance, but he boxed beautifully and surely earned himself another big opportunity
#CaneloSaunders
Eddy Reynoso off to an absolutely monster 2021. Ryan Garcia KO over Luke Campbell. Now Oscar Valdez with the brutal KO of Miguel Berchelt. Canelo Alvarez fights next week. Trainer of the year might already be a wrap
Haney responding to Arum, who told Loma after the fight: “sorry, you won that fight easy.” There’s no reasonable way to claim Loma won the fight “easy” even if you scored for him:
Welp, this is what happens when you marinate boxing matches. The biggest fight that could be made in boxing now dead. Deontay Wilder-Anthony Joshua, if and when it happens, even if Joshua avenges defeat to Andy Ruiz, will never be as special as it could have been
#JoshuaRuiz
Breaking: Gervonta Davis and Leo Santa Cruz will meet Oct. 24 on Showtime Pay-Per-View, sources tell
@TheAthleticBOX
. The event, along with seven other Showtime cards, will be announced tomorrow. All eight shows at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut
Dana White tells ESPN Conor McGregor will get a rematch with Dustin Poirier after he’s healed from that left ankle injury, which could be a while
#UFC264
Sources: Canelo Alvarez and Dmitry Bivol have finalized a deal for a May 7 fight for Bivol’s light heavyweight title. An annoucement is imminent for the DAZN PPV. It’s a two-fight deal for Canelo with Matchroom. Story coming to ESPN.
Devin Haney is now the undisputed lightweight champion with the unanimous-decision victory over George Kambosos in Melbourne, Australia. The scores: 116-112, 116-112 and 118-110.
Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou will fight on Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, sources told ESPN.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman didn't respond to a text message asking if Fury's heavyweight title will be on the line. The rules and number of rounds are unclear at this time.
The WBC has ordered a lightweight title eliminator between Ryan Garcia and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, per a letter obtained by ESPN. If no deal struck, purse bid on June 14. Title held by Devin Haney, who meets George Kambosos for undisputed championship on June 5. Story coming
Canelo Alvarez announced a “done deal” for September along with the PBC logo. Alvarez is set to defend his undisputed super middleweight championship vs. Jermall Charlo, likely on Sept. 16, sources tell ESPN. It’s a three-fight deal for Canelo with PBC, per sources, a coup for Al…
BREAKING: Oleksandr Usyk has received permission from the Ukrainian Sports Minister to leave the country during war and will begin training camp for a summer rematch with Anthony Joshua for the unified heavyweight championship, sources tell ESPN. Story coming
Sources: Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders have agreed to terms for a super middleweight title fight May 2 at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. DAZN will stream the fight live worldwide, including in U.K. Press conference expected next week. Details:
Rising star Tim Tszyu will defend his junior middleweight title vs. Keith Thurman on March 30 in Las Vegas, sources tell ESPN. Tszyu-Thurman will headline PBC’s first PPV as part of the new deal with Amazon's Prime Video. Thurman moves up to 154 for first fight in 25 months.
Tim Tszyu-Vergil Ortiz is being planned for Aug. 3 in L.A., sources tell ESPN. Ortiz must first defeat major underdog Thomas Dulorme on Saturday and emerge uninjured. Terrific action fight on tap, part of a stacked Crawford-Madrimov undercard presented by Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
In shocking turn of events, a sanctioning body has done something applaudable: the WBO ordered a bout between Terence Crawford and Shawn Porter for Bud’s welterweight title. If no deal reached within 30 days, purse bid will be ordered with 60% going to Crawford. What a fight!
There’s a bi-lateral rematch clause, so Deontay Wilder will have 30 days to exercise his right to an immediate encore encounter for a trilogy fight with Tyson Fury that could take place in the summer. But after such a one-sided fight, will we see a third bout?
#WilderFury2
Sources: Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have an agreement in principle for a two-fight deal with a 50-50 financial split in the first bout; 60-40 in favor of the winner in rematch. Both fights must take place in 2021. Fury’s advisor, Daniel Kinahan, and Eddie Hearn negotiated pact
Eddie Hearn said this week "The only way [Canelo’s] going to get beat is if he moves up somewhere too heavy.” Tonight that happened, but Bivol wasn’t just too big - he was too good
#CaneloBivol
If your formative years took place during WWE’s Attitude Era like me, you surely, too, dreamed of one day unleashing the DX crotch chop in the biggest moment of your life. Andy Ruiz is all of us
#JoshuaRuiz
The Shakur Stevenson-Frank Martin fight for the vacant WBC lightweight title, planned for Nov. 16 in Las Vegas, is off, sources told ESPN.
This comes days after WBC purse bid was cancelled after organization was notified by both sides that a deal was reached.
Top Rank sent…
Sources: Canelo Alvarez recently received two offers - a one-fight deal with PBC for a May 7 fight against Jermall Charlo and a two-fight deal with Matchroom for a May fight with Dmitriy Bivol followed by a Sept. 17 bout with GGG. Details in ESPN story:
Canelo fights Billy Joe Saunders May 8 in the second of a two-fight deal with Matchroom, and Alvarez tells Azteca “The idea is to continue to work with Eddie Hearn for a very long time. He is the best promoter in the world, by far.”
Canelo Alvarez announced that he’ll meet Jermell Charlo, not Jermall Charlo, on Sept. 30 in Las Vegas in a battle of undisputed champions. Sources tell ESPN the Alvarez side was informed earlier this week that Jermall, who hasn’t competed in two years due to personal issues,…
Sources: Canelo Alvarez has zeroed in on Billy Joe Saunders as his May 2 opponent, and negotiations are expected to pick up during the week toward consummating a deal. Saunders holds a 168-pound title, so a victory would make Canelo a full-fledged four-division champion
Naoya Inoue and Luis Nery have agreed to a deal for a May fight in Tokyo for Inoue’s undisputed junior featherweight championship, sources told ESPN. Nery is banned for life from fighting in Japan for missing weight and a doping violation, but it’s not expected to be an issue.
Sources: The rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury generated in the neighborhood of approxmately 800,000 to 850,000 pay-per-view buys in North America. Best performance - by far - for a heavyweight title fight since Tyson-Lewis in 2002. Wilder-Fury 1 sold around 325K buys
Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang are in the process of finalizing a deal for a June 1 fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, sources told ESPN. The heavyweight bout will take place on the undercard of the Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol undisputed title fight. Two monster punchers.
And new! George Kambosos now the No. 1 lightweight in the world, taking all the titles from Teofimo Lopez via split decision in a MONSTER upset. 115-112 and 115-111 for Kambosos, 114-113 for Lopez. I had it 114-112 for Kambosos. Wow.
#LopezKambososJr
BREAKING: Canelo Alvarez and John Ryder are finalizing a deal for an undisputed 168-pound title fight on May 6, sources told ESPN. The site hasn’t been finalized, but it's expected to land in Jalisco, Mexico, which would deliver a homecoming fight for boxing's top star.
Sources: Daniel Weinstein, the arbitrator in the Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder rematch dispute, ruled in favor of Wilder today, saying Fury owes Wilder a third fight. Fury and Wilder signed a two-fight deal but there was disagreement over the rematch clause
Devin Haney has been offered the undisputed lightweight title fight with George Kambosos on June 5 in Australia, sources tell ESPN. The offer comes after Lou DiBella told ESPN that Vasily Lomachenko has passed on the fight to remain in Ukraine during the war. Story coming
Sources: Canelo Alvarez and Caleb Plant are closing in on a deal for a Sept. 18 bout in Las Vegas, a PBC on Fox PPV, for the undisputed 168-pound championship. One-fight offer from PBC that would likely earn Alvarez career-high payday
Devin Haney said he would accept the same deal as Vasiliy Lomachenko to make sure the fight with George Kambosos was finalized and he received a lot of doubt. But Devin and his father Bill made this monster fight happen. Devin still just 23. Big credit to them
Both Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia signed contracts for an April 15 super fight in Las Vegas at a 136-pound catchweight, sources tell ESPN.
DAZN, which broadcasts Garcia's fights, received a contract from Showtime today, and that portion should be finalized by end of weekend.