Month: January 2024

John Ryder took on two Mexican stars and came out empty-handed from both! A few hours ago, Jaime Munguia defeated Ryder via 9th round TKO at the Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona, following Ryder’s last clash against Canelo Alvarez in May last year. However, with Munguia touted as a potential opponent for Alvarez – how did the two Mexicans fair against the common opponent?

Canelo last appeared in the ring back in September 2023 against Jermell Charlo, proving his age hasn’t dulled the power behind his punches. Besides winning the fight via unanimous decision, he dropped the super welterweight champion in the seventh round. Meanwhile, Ryder was the latest addition to Munguia’s list of victims. So, here’s how the two Mexicans faired against Ryder!

Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia against John Ryder

When Canelo took on the Brit back in May, it was a battle of the ages. Canelo had dropped Ryder once in the fifth round and dominated the fight throughout with his jabs and shots to the head! However, Ryder had earned praise from the Mexican crowd present in the Estadio Akron Arena in Zapopan, Mexico. Meanwhile, Munguia did more than just dominate Ryder! Munguia, the undefeated rising Mexican star, dropped Ryder twice. First in the second round and another in the fifth. 

Munguia demolished Ryder in the fight and ended it in the ninth round of their clash. So, when compared to Munguia, Canelo definitely comes off a little short with regard to the manner of win. Plus, Munguia scored two knockdowns compared to Canelo’s one. Moreover, it was a stoppage victory for Munguia compared to Canelo’s UD win. Meanwhile, Munguia is eyeing a fight against Canelo, as he detailed after the fight tonight.

Dmitry Bivol believes Terence Crawford has what it takes to climb up three weight classes amid speculation over a future fight with Canelo Alvarez.

Crawford, who is ranked as the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter by Ring Magazine, has warmed to the idea of a showdown with Canelo after the Mexican signed a three-fight deal with PBC (Premier Boxing Champions).

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Bivol was named 2022 Fighter of the Year after his victory over Alvarez in May 2022 and after spending much of 2023 chasing a rematch, it appears that a clash with Crawford appears more likely, for now.

That would require 147-pound Crawford to climb three weight classes to go head-to-head with Alvarez.

Whilst the jump seems to be a steep one, WBA light heavyweight champion Bivol believes Crawford is well equipped to take on the challenge.

“When I stepped into a boxing gym, the first rule was to respect weight classes but I don’t know what [Crawford is] going to eat,” Bivol told Boxing Scene.

“He’s the best fighter. Everything that he’s planning, shouldn’t look like it’s crazy. If he’s thinking about it, if he’s talking about it, it means it’s possible.”

Bivol has been unable to capitalise on the momentum shift following his win over Alvarez.

The 33-year-old fought just once in 2023 – a unanimous win over Lyndon Arthur in Saudi Arabia last month.

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Bivol is aiming to become undisputed light heavyweight champion with a bout against WBC, WBO, and IBF champion Artur Beterbiev in the works following his destruction of Callum Smith earlier this month.

Boxing is a complicated and convoluted sport with several world champions in each division.

Most observers recognise that we are now in a four-belt era, with the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO all given credibility as legitimate world titles.

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See the full list of the current men’s boxing world champions below…

Heavyweight (200lbs )

WBA – Oleksandr Usyk

WBC – Tyson Fury

IBF – Oleksandr Usyk

WBO – Oleksandr Usyk

_{^{*Mahmoud Charr has the lesser WBA ‘regular’ belt}}

_{^{*Zhilei Zhang has the lesser WBO ‘interim’ belt}}

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Bridgerweight (224lbs)

WBC – Lukasz Rozanski

^{*Kevin Lerena has the lesser WBC ‘interim’ belt}

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Cruiserweight (200lbs)

WBA – Arsen Goulamirian

WBC – Noel Mikaelian

IBF – Vacant

WBO – Chris Billam-Smith

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Light-Heavyweight (175lbs)

WBA – Dmitry Bivol

WBC – Artur Beterbiev

IBF – Artur Beterbiev

WBO – Artur Beterbiev

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Super-Middleweight (168lbs)

WBA – Canelo Alvarez

WBC – Canelo Alvarez

IBF – Canelo Alvarez

WBO – Canelo Alvarez

^{*David Morrell has the lesser WBA ‘regular’ belt}

^{*David Benavidez has the lesser WBC ‘interim’ belt}

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Middleweight (160lbs)

WBA – Erislandy Lara

WBC – Jermall Charlo

IBF – Janibek Alimkhanuly

WBO – Janibek Alimkhanuly

^{*Carlos Adames has the lesser WBC ‘interim’ belt}

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Super-Welterweight (154lbs)

WBA – Jermell Charlo

WBC – Jermell Charlo

IBF – Vacant

WBO – Tim Tszyu

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Welterweight (147lbs)

WBA – Terence Crawford

WBC – Terence Crawford

IBF – Jaron Ennis

WBO – Terence Crawford

^{*Eimantas Stanionis has the lesser WBA ‘regular’ belt}

^{*Mario Barrios has the lesser WBC ‘interim’ belt}

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Super-Lightweight (140lbs)

WBA – Rolly Romero

WBC – Devin Haney

IBF – Subriel Matias

WBO – Teofimo Lopez

^{*Ismael Barroso has the lesser WBA ‘interim’ belt}

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Lightweight (135lbs)

WBA – Gervonta Davis

WBC – Shakur Stevenson

IBF – Vacant

WBO – Vacant

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Super-Featherweight (130lbs)

WBA – Lamont Roach Jr

WBC – O’Shaquie Foster

IBF – Joe Cordina

WBO – Emanuel Navarrete

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Featherweight (126lbs)

WBA – Vacant

WBC – Rey Vargas

IBF – Luis Alberto Lopez

WBO – Rafael Espinoza

^{*Brandon Figueroa has the lesser WBC ‘interim’ belt}

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Super-Bantamweight (122lbs)

WBA – Naoya Inoue

WBC – Naoya Inoue

IBF – Naoya Inoue

WBO – Naoya Inoue

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Bantamweight (118lbs)

WBA – Takuma Inoue

WBC – Alexandro Santiago

IBF – Emmanuel Rodriguez

WBO – Jason Moloney

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Super-Flyweight (115lbs)

WBA – Kazuto Ioka

WBC – Juan Estrada

IBF – Fernando Martinez

WBO – Junto Nakatani

^{*Carlos Cuadras has the lesser WBC ‘interim’ belt}

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Flyweight (112lbs)

WBA – Artem Dalakian

WBC – Julio Cesar Martinez

IBF – Jesse Rodriguez

WBO – Jesse Rodriguez

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Light-Flyweight (108lbs)

WBA – Kenshiro Teraji

WBC – Kenshiro Teraji

IBF – Adrian Curiel

WBO – Jonathan Gonzalez

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Minimumweight (105lbs)

WBA – Knockout CP Freshmart (Thammanoon Niyomtrong)

WBC – Yudai Shigeoka

IBF – Ginjiro Shigeoka

WBO – Oscar Collazo

^{*Erick Rosa has the lesser WBA ‘regular’ belt}

Callum Smith has warned Artur Beterbiev against making three crucial mistakes ahead of their unified light-heavyweight championship clash this weekend.

Beterbiev defends the WBC, IBF and WBO 175lb titles against Britain’s Smith at the Videotron Center in Quebec City, live on Sky Sports Arena and Sky Sports Main Event in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The champion has suggested that Smith will struggle to replicate his success at super-middleweight in the division above.

• Callum Smith: The best version of me will KO Artur Beterbiev
• The scariest man in boxing? Artur Beterbiev’s threat for Callum Smith
• Stream Sky Sports on NOW

But Smith is adamant that Beterbiev should not underestimate the threat he poses.

“I think people always see me as a big super-middle and probably a small light-heavyweight,” he told Sky Sports.

“I think I’m still a big 175lbs. I think I’ve filled into the weight nicely since moving up. It’s been a couple of years now. If he does [think he’s just a super-middleweight] then more fool him.

“I think he’ll be in for a shock when we get in there and I’m a big, fully fledged 175lbs.

“I think I’ve carried my power.

“I don’t really know what his opinion of me is. But we’ll find out.”

Smith’s most high profile contest was a tame points defeat to Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez.

But he promises that is not a true reflection of his fighting ability.

“I think most people probably judge me off that performance, I think that’s the frustrating part of it. It was the biggest fight in my career at the time probably on the biggest stage. So a lot of people probably know me from that fight rather than everything I’ve done beforehand and my performances since,” Smith said.

“But again, that’s on him. If he wants to judge me on that performance then it’s probably more fool him. But I know what version of me sits here now and what version of me is going to step in the ring.

“It’s a completely different fighter to the one that fought Canelo Alvarez down at 168lbs.”

Dmitry Bivol holds the one world title, the WBA belt, that Beterbiev doesn’t possess and they are expected to fight for the undisputed championship later this year.

“I’ve been a world champion myself and the first thing you want to do is fight the other champions and kind of cement yourself as the best in the division. But I wouldn’t sign for another fight or talk about another fight while I still had one sitting in front of me,” Smith said.

Looking too far ahead is a mistake all too easily made in boxing.

“I think we’ve seen with the [Deontay] Wilder and [Anthony] Joshua situation you can never count on anything or bank on any result, especially in the higher weight divisions. At world level I think anyone can be beat.

“It probably shows his confidence in beating me but I’m very confident in going there and ripping the script up.”

Can Smith beat Beterbiev?

Artur Beterbiev must be considered the favourite. He has never lost, and never heard the final bell as he’s stopped every opponent so far.

He holds three world titles and has spent his whole career in the weight class.

But can Smith upset the reigning champion?

Light-heavyweight Olympic star Ben Whittaker said: “You can never write off Beterbiev just for the simple fact he’s 19-0, 19 knockouts. That is ridiculous. When he touches you, he can hurt you.

“[Anthony] Yarde lost but there were certain points in there where if it was a couple of years ago it wouldn’t even be close where Yarde actually got the shots in, backed him up sometimes.

“So I think a tall powerfu

With its farewell to 2023, Premier Boxing Champions hit the stream with a “Year in Review” compilation highlighting some of the best moments from inside the squared circle. The clip features reigning undisputed super middleweight king Canelo Alvarez, unbeaten three-division world champion Gervonta Davis, undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford, top super middleweight and interim WBC titleholder, David Benavidez, interim IBF welterweight champion Jaron Ennis, among others.

The video sees “Tank” Davis’ dominati