Boxing

2:35 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Edgar Berlanga and Xander Zayas both remained undefeated Saturday in New York, but their decision victories leave them on very different paths. For Zayas, it’s another step in his development. At just 19, he appears to improve in each and every fight, and his performance over Quincy LaVallais was no

2:15 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Artur Beterbiev and Joe Smith Jr. have agreed to a deal for a light heavyweight title unification on June 18 in New York, sources told ESPN. The Top Rank Boxing on ESPN main event could take place at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, but a site has not

7:49 AM ET Saturday’s fight card at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden could provide a glimpse of future world champions (ESPN/ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET, with prelims on ESPN+ at 7:10 p.m. ET). The Top Rank card inside one of boxing’s most historic venues features two of the promotional company’s most interesting prospects —

6:12 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Vergil Ortiz Jr., a rising star at 147 pounds, has been forced to withdraw from a March 19 fight against Michael McKinson in Los Angeles for undisclosed reasons, sources told ESPN. The fight was set to headline a Golden Boy Promotions on DAZN card. McKinson could fight a replacement opponent,

12:52 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Stephen Fulton will defend his unified 122-pound championship against Daniel Roman in a PBC on Showtime main event on June 4, sources told ESPN. Fulton, 27, and Roman, 31, are among the sport’s most reliable-action fighters, two volume-punchers who fight aggressively but with craft. Fulton (20-0, 8 KOs) threw over

10:15 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN As Vasiliy Lomachenko works to help defend Ukraine from Russia’s ongoing invasion, efforts are being made by his team to allow him to leave his native country to train for a proposed fight against undisputed lightweight champion George Kambosos, sources told ESPN on Tuesday. Lomachenko, 34, joined a territorial defense

10:56 AM ET Recent U.S. Olympian Keyshawn Davis has a new date for his next fight. The junior welterweight will face Esteban Sanchez on April 30 in Las Vegas, a source familiar with the bout told ESPN. It will be on the undercard of the Shakur Stevenson-Oscar Valdez junior lightweight title unification at the MGM

Oct 21, 2019 Steve KimESPN XANDER ZAYAS SAT at dinner alongside his mother, stepfather and sister on Dec. 17, 2018, just a few weeks after capturing the 2018 USA Boxing Youth National Championship in Salt Lake City, Utah. The 16-year-old and his family were joined by his trainer, Javiel Centeno, and manager, Peter Kahn. The

4:47 PM ET Former ESPN anchor Alan Massengale has died, his former TV station KCBS reported. He was 63. Massengale was diagnosed with colon cancer more than six years ago and was placed on life support after suffering a brain bleed following a slip and fall. Massengale was a SportsCenter anchor in the 1980s. His

7:33 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 Leigh Wood produced a stunning comeback win to halt Michael Conlan with a brutal knockout in the 12th round and retain his WBA “regular”

5:18 PM ET Jake Paul says he would be willing to fight once in the UFC against either Conor McGregor or Jorge Masvidal — with some caveats. The YouTube influencer-turned-boxer said Saturday in a statement to ESPN that he would sign a one-fight UFC contract to compete against either McGregor or Masvidal in MMA with

2:23 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Talks to match middleweight champion Jermall Charlo against Mexican star Jaime Munguia in July have collapsed over the U.S. broadcast platform, sources told ESPN. Charlo, who is aligned with Al Haymon’s PBC, and Munguia, who is promoted by Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, agreed on financial terms for

8:00 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 Michael Conlan is confident he will not be victim of another unfair outcome in Saturday’s featherweight title challenge against Leigh Wood. The last world

10:30 AM ET Professional boxing’s British governing body said on Thursday it would not allow boxers registered or licensed in Russia and Belarus to fight in Britain. The British Boxing Board of Control’s (BBBofC) statement follows global sporting sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A BBBofC statement on Thursday read: “Please note, the

10:45 AM ET Ian John-Lewis, one of the judges who scored the Josh Taylor-Jack Catterall fight in Taylor’s favor on Feb. 26, has been downgraded by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC). John-Lewis scored the bout for Taylor with a score of 114-111 despite challenger Catterall flooring the 31-year-old in the eighth round and

4:11 PM ET Associated Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — With heads bowed and surrounded by heavily armed police, the first suspects arrested nearly a decade after the fatal shooting of renowned Puerto Rico boxer Héctor Camacho appeared in court Wednesday to face murder charges. Five men are accused in the slaying of the fighter

6:07 PM ET Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. — Ron Stander, whose fight against unbeaten world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier in 1972 was the highlight of his 13-year career, has died. He was 77. Toddy Stander said her husband died Tuesday from complications of diabetes at their home in the Omaha, Nebraska, suburb of Ralston. Stander

Mar 8, 2022 Mike CoppingerESPN Rolando Romero will get his shot at Gervonta Davis after all. The fighters agreed to a deal for a May 28 lightweight fight on Showtime PPV, sources said. A location hasn’t been finalized yet. “Tank” Davis and Romero were set to fight on Dec. 5 in Los Angeles, but Romero