Gassiev-Kadiru: The Beginning Of A New Era For The Heavyweight Division

Recent times in Boxing’s Heavyweight division have seen the division inch closer and closer to a period of transition. Some might recall earlier this year when the World Boxing Organization (WBO) named its top contender Fabio Wardley world champion following the previous two-time Undisputed champion of the division Olekaandr Usyk, choosing to step into the ring with legendary World Heavyweight Kickboxing champion Rico Verhoeven, rather than make a mandatory defense of the WBO title, which was due to be fulfilled. This led to a thrilling encounter where Wardley was stopped by former IBF World Heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois, making Dubois a two-time World Heavyweight champion.

 As for Usuk, in a truly unique event, the still unified world champion of the Heavyweight division survived a significant scare in his bout against Verhoeven at the Pyramids in Egypt in rallying to stop the novice boxer in the final round of a surprising competitive fight given the experience disparity between the two in terms of Boxing experience. It was perhaps that fight in which Usyk, a fighter that has dominated both the Cruiserweight and Heavyweight divisions in his career, did not look anything like a man who fully unified the Heavyweight division twice, that led to him choosing to relinquish his remaining world championships in the division, in this case, the WBC, WBA, IBF, and IBO world championships, saying he wanted the next generation of Heavyweights to vie for the crown while seeking one last fight before retirement against a yet unarmed opponent.

Thus, begins the period of transition fully in the Heavyweight division. While the various sanctioning organizations that Usuk vacated their respective versions of the World Heavyweight championship began naming their respective top contenders as world champion in accordance with each’s respective rules, the first world championship fight in the post-Oleksandr Usyk era will take place on July 11th in Moscow, Russia where recently named WBA world champion Murat Gassiev will make the first defense of his title against veteran contender Peter Kadiru at the VTB Arena in a scheduled twelve round world title bout that can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN. 

Often when a period of transition like this begins, fighters in Gassiev’s position are treated unfairly by both fans and commentators due to their being named champion rather than winning the title they now hold inside the ring. Although the circumstances that put fighters in such position tend to vary on a case by case basis, this puts the new champion in almost a no win situation, despite being the previous number one contender and being named champion when the previous champion was either stripped of their title or in this case chose to vacate as Usuk did because it brings about questions regarding the legitimacy of the title, particularly amongst fans who either do not know or simply turn a blind eye to each respective organization's policies that often calls for the current number one contender/Interim/Regular champion in the case of the WBA, to be named world champion in the event of a circumstance such as this.

If the prospect of being in a no win situation isn't stressful enough for a fighter, in Gassiev’s case, he also has to deal with a change in opponent for his first title defense after previously named opponent Tony Yoka withdrew from the fight due to a back injury. This opens the door for Peter Kadiru to step in on short notice to challenge for a world title for the first time in his career.

Although Peter Kadiru is currently unranked by the WBA in the Heavyweight division, he does have a respectable record of 24-1, with 13 Knockouts. The potential red flag here is Kadiru has not fought any noteworthy opposition that could be viewed as a world contender and is now tasked with taking a significant step up in class to challenge the former unified World Cruiserweight champion Gassiev in the champion's first title defense as a World Heavyweight champion. 

Murat Gassiev has a significant edge here in terms of overall experience as well as facing a higher caliber of competition including against Usyk when the two met as Cruiserweights in July 2018. As a Heavyweight, Gassiev has only been defeated once when he dropped a twelve round split decision to top contender Otto Wallin in September 2023. Since that setback,  Gassiev has won his previous three fights including defeating longtime Heavyweight contender and former multi-time world title challenger Kubrat Pulev in his last fight in December of last year.  Gassiev does have a near 80% career knockout percentage, having stopped twenty-six opponents inside the distance in his thirty-three career wins.

This would suggest that he might be looking to make a statement in his first title defense. A word of caution, however, not just for  Gassiev, but also for fans who may see this as a far gone conclusion, Peter Kadiru has won regional titles in both the WBA and IBF previously in his career, and despite not currently being ranked in the top fifteen by the WBA currently, sometimes a fighter only needs an opportunity and though he is frankly facing steep odds not only in facing someone of  Gassiev’s caliber, but doing so on a little more than a week’s notice, he should not be dismissed.

Regardless of what happens in this fight, the foreseeable future in the Heavyweight division will continue to have the recurring theme of transition and fighters both those who are now being moved into positions as world champion and contenders all looking to make their claim as the division's next central figure. Often the process of transition in Boxing tends to be messy regardless of division with no shortage of red tape and disgruntlements amongst fighters, promoters, and sanctioning organizations, and now the prospect of the upstart Zuffa Boxing promotion that appears intent on bringing the promotional based model of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) to Boxing by refusing to work within the existing structure of working with existing sanctioning organizations and determining their own world champions, all of the above looking for legitimacy as recognized world champions and world championships. No matter the outcome in this fight, this is step one in a much wider picture that is for better or worse, part of an emerging era. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth.

Gassiev vs. Kadiru takes place on Saturday, July 11th at the VTB Arena in Moscow, Russia. The fight can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN available to both base and ultimate subscribers beginning at 2:30PM ET/11:30AM PT.

(*North American Start Times Only.* *Card and Start Times Subject to Change.*)

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe to either a standard subscription or DAZN Ultimate subscription please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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Mason And Carrington Retain World Championships In Cleveland

While it is not unusual to see a Boxing card occur on the weekend of the July 4th holiday here in the United States, it is a bit unusual to see a card staged on the holiday itself, even when it falls on a Saturday. This, however, was exactly what occurred during the 2026 4th of July holiday as two undefeated world champions, each a rising star in the sport, defended their crowns for the first time at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland,OH.

First up to defend his title was WBC World Featherweight champion Bruce Carrington as he faced North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Featherweight champion Rene Palacios. From the opening bell, Carrington’s ability to use angles, be disciplined defensively, and just displaying a higher skillset than his opponent was the story of the contest that tended to follow a pattern. Palacios came forward trying to push the champion back, but either missing punches and/or being countered by Carrington. While there was a difference in both hand speed and reaction time between the two fighters that also favored the champion, to his credit, Palacios never stopped trying to find a way to turn things around and did have some periodic success as the fight progressed in landing his left hand. 

It would be one such left hand that produced a slight controversy in round seven when one landed on the back of Carrington’s head and sent him down to the canvas briefly. Although some felt this should have been ruled a knockdown in the challenger’s favor, it was an illegal blow that, while unintentional, was correctly ruled an illegal punch by Referee Harvey Dock. Though Palacios was able to land a few more solid right hands over the second half of the scheduled twelve round world championship bout, he was unable to form a consistent attack that would have likely resulted in him winning a few rounds as Carrington cruised to a wide and otherwise uneventful twelve round unanimous decision to retain his portion of the World Featherweight championship. More thoughts on Carrington’s future will follow at the conclusion of this column.

This brings us to the second half of this doubleheader as undefeated WBO World Lightweight champion Abdullah Mason defended his crown for the first time in front of his hometown crowd. Originally, Mason was to defend the title against former IBF Jr. Lightweight world champion Joe Cordina, who was the WBO number one Lightweight contender, however, this was changed on a little more than fourteen days notice when Cordina, who hails from Cadiff, Wales in the United Kingdom, was denied entry into the United States for the bout. In stepped undefeated WBO number six rated contender Albert Bell, who under circumstances that were not ideal, was getting his first opportunity at a world championship. 

Some might argue the change in opponent from a stylistic standpoint made this a more interesting fight on paper than had Mason been able to fulfill his mandatory defense obligation in facing Cordina. This was due to both Mason and Bell being boxer/punchers, but it was Mason, who had scored knockouts in seventeen of his twenty career wins in comparison to Bell’s nine knockouts in twenty-eight previous professional fights prior to this encounter. Although the edge in terms of punching power tipped towards the champion statistically, this observer thought we were likely to see a tactical chess match between the two fighters early on. Both fighters knew what the other could do and when you get a scenario like that as the two fighters were sparring partners for each other in training previously in their careers, it can make for a bit of hesitation in terms of which fighter will make the first move as well as who can establish a tempo. Bell began this fight by landing a short counter right hand to the jaw of Mason. It became clear fairly early that my instinct in thinking this would evolve into a tactical battle once the two fighters were inside the ring was spot on. It would be the right hand of Bell that would prove to be a focal point in the early rounds as it was the primary weapon for him both as a tool to counter the champion as well as one to catch the champion as he was trying to apply pressure and come forward. A right hand from the challenger opened a cut over Mason’s left eye in the second round.

What stood out here was not simply that Bell was having success in landing his right hand, it was that he was accurate in doing so and showed great discipline in simply waiting for his openings and taking advantage of them when they presented themselves. Through the first three rounds, I felt Bell won all three based on these attributes. 

Bell’s patience and ability to subtly pot shot the champion continued to carry itself through the first half of the fight. It would be in round seven, however, where the champion Mason started to break through as he landed a few solid left hands that got Bell’s attention and appeared to wake up the crowd in attendance that Bell had succeeded in taking out of the fight with his approach and being able to limit Mason’s offensive output. It was that left hand in the seventh that started a gradual building of momentum for Mason as he continued to press forward, but when he landed it was with hard solid punches.

The pressure, gradual success with body shots, and landing the harder punches continued to carry the momentum in the champion’s favor as Mason continued to make up ground on the scorecards. Gradually, the pressure and heavier blows of Mason began to slow Bell down and break through what had been his stellar defense during the first half of the twelve round world championship bout. 

Although Mason had clearly turned the ebb and flow in his favor after eleven rounds, yours truly felt it was a close fight and, despite Mason being in his hometown, I questioned just how many rounds early was Albert Bell able to win that may have been able to hold off a clear rally by the champion. It would be in the twelfth and final round, however, that any and all questions regarding the scoring of the fight would turn out to be moot. Mason lunged forward at the beginning of round twelve and dropped Bell with a solid left hook to the jaw that sent the challenger down on his knees. 

Bell was able to beat the count, but the champion sensing his opponent was in trouble went in for the finish.A left hand to the temple would drop Bell for a second time. Unlike the first knockdown, Bell was not given the benefit of a count and the bout was stopped. Quite frankly, I felt at the time of the stoppage that Bell was fatigued and was in trouble. Having said that,veteran referee Mark Nelson, inexplicably did not count Bell following the second knockdown and did not look at Bell’s eyes.

 It seemed like he simply stopped the fight as Bell was once again on his knees. If one were honest, two knockdowns within the first forty seconds of a round would appear to be an indication that the fighter that was knocked to the canvas was in trouble and on the verge of being stopped. Given that Bell had put forth a solid performance throughout the contest, however, he at minimum deserved a second count and a chance to show he could continue to try and finish the fight. 

While I personally have my doubts as to whether Bell would have made it to the final bell, he was not dropped hard and seemed in possession of all of his faculties at the time when the fight was stopped. For a referee in Nelson, who has officiated over nearly 1200 professional bouts in his thirty-four year career dating back to 1992, and is regarded as one of the best in the sport. In this instance, I feel he jumped the gun, but the probability that the fight may have been stopped if it had continued I feel was significantly high given that Bell was fatigued and Mason was perched to try and finish things if it were allowed to go on. 

Abdullah Mason was tested for the first time in his career in this title defense. While some feel the stoppage was controversial, a word too closely associated with combat sports, as a fighter and a world champion, Mason did what he had to do, which is all one can really ask of a fighter. Albert Bell was able to give the champion a scare and though not the ideal set up if you are a promoter or matchmaker looking for a showcase performance for a young world champion in their hometown, this fight and the way it was fought will have more benefit for Mason in the long-term than a quick knockout over an overmatched opponent would have. 

For Bruce Carrington, he also did what he needed to do to retain his world title. It may not have been the most entertaining contest depending on one's perspective, but a fighter and more specifically, a champion's objective is to win. Even if achieving victory means that one is not appreciated fully for their skillset.

As for what is next for both champions, it will be interesting to see if Joe Cordina will maintain his number one ranking in the WBO's Lightweight ratings, despite being denied entry into the United States. Perhaps the focus will shift towards making the original encounter that was to take place on this card with Mason at a different location outside of the United States, with the United Kingdom likely viewed as a viable option. 

In regard to the Featherweight division perhaps a fighter like the unbeaten Omar Trinidad, who is currently rated number three in the WBC Featherweight ratings could be next for Bruce Carrington. A more likely choice at least in the immediate future might be current WBC number one Featherweight contender Cristobal Lorente, who like Trinidad is unbeaten, but will almost certainly be ruled as the mandatory challenger by the WBC per his number one ranking. 

With both Mason and Carrington being promoted by Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum's Top Rank Inc. It will also be interesting to see if the plan from a promotional standpoint is to stage another card or two with them as co-headliners, particularly due to their recent alignment with digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN that likes to showcase multiple stars on their cards when possible. In this case, you have two young world champions that are just starting to emerge as stars in the sport and from a network standpoint, having two fighters at similar stages in their careers fighting consistently on the same cards is an effective hook to draw in viewers as each fighter continues to progress. If it makes sense from a business perspective, this observer does not see a reason why another card like this should not be staged. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

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Owen Corrigan inks Multi-Year Managerial Agreement With Dragon Fire Boxing

Credit: Mike O'Hara Dragon Fire Boxing 

Press Release: July 3, 2026 By Dragon Fire Boxing -  Fresh off capturing the ANBF Australasian Light Heavyweight Championship, Owen Corrigan has signed a new multi-year managerial agreement with DragonFire Promotions.

Having fought under the DragonFire banner since making his professional debut, the new deal represents a natural progression for Corrigan, who believes the promotion can help guide him towards bigger opportunities in the years ahead.

"I was delighted to be offered the deal,” Corrigan said. “With a managerial company like Dragon Fire, it just gives me a lot of hope for the future.” 

A key figure throughout Corrigan's career has been Dragon Fire Promotions boss and experienced promoter Tony Tolj.

Tolj has managed some of the country's best boxers such as Jason and Andrew Moloney, the latter claiming the IBF Super Flyweight Championship last month. The pair have developed a strong relationship both inside and outside the sport since The Irishman’s arrival.

"Since before my first fight, me and Tony have always had a good relationship," Corrigan said.

"We seemed to click straight away. I worked hard to sell tickets for my debut and Tony did everything he could to help push me."Now we've got a good relationship where I can go to him whenever I need advice, I'm very fortunate to have that."

In his last fight, Corrigan captured the ANBF Light Heavyweight Championship in a dominant fourth-round TKO victory over Micah Rivetti in their second meeting. The rematch carried added pressure after their first fight went the distance, but Corrigan delivered his most complete performance to date, stopping Rivetti in emphatic fashion.

Although he had respect for his opponent, Corrigan entered the contest with complete confidence in his preparation and knew he was ready to make a statement. The victory was particularly satisfying given the criticism that surfaced after the first encounter.

"It felt very relieving," Corrigan admitted. "When I was first offered the rematch, I was a little unsure because I'd gained a lot of respect for Micah after the first fight." "I knew where my mindset was at. No matter who I fought next, I felt like I was going to put on a demolition job," he said.

"People were talking online, to come through a hard training camp and then perform like that felt so satisfying."

The Rivetti rematch was also significant as it marked the first time Corrigan had legendary trainer Angelo Hyder in his corner.While improvements in his technique had already made an impact, Corrigan believes the biggest difference came from a change in mentality.

"I think the biggest [change I noticed in the Rivetti fight] was my mindset," Corrigan revealed. "The intensity throughout the whole fight was different."Normally, I'm trying to preserve my energy and pace myself. This time, I just wanted to go. “Between rounds I couldn't wait for the bell to ring so I could get back out there."

Training under Hyder has exposed Corrigan to a world-class environment, something he believes translated directly into his performance on fight night."When you're training with Angelo, you're around world champions and world-class fighters, you must be switched on all the time" Corrigan said.

"When we spar it's not just a training session, it’s trying to prove a point and that intensity carries over." "As soon as it finished and the intensity dropped, I remember thinking 'Yeah, that was different. That was better.'"

Now holding the ANBF Light Heavyweight Championship and with his future secured under the Dragon Fire banner, Corrigan appears to be entering an exciting stage of his career.

If his dominant performance against Rivetti is any indication, the newly crowned champion may only just be scratching the surface of his potential.

Material Courtesy of: Dragon Fire Boxing /Photo Courtesy of: Mike O'Hara Dragon Fire Boxing Used with permission.

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Top Rank Presents World Championship Twin Bill On July 4th On DAZN/TNT Sports

On May 16th, Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc. embarked on a new era when they debuted on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, following nearly a year of uncertainty as to the future following Top Rank’s exit from ESPN after eight years. While that debut event did not provide much highlights as Keyshawn Davis scored a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision over Nahir Albright in their anticipated rematch, the promotion’s second event figures to provide potentially “Fireworks.” This observer is referring to Top Rank’s return to DAZN on Saturday, July 4th where two of Boxing's hottest rising stars will defend their world titles in separate twelve round bouts at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH.

First up will be undefeated WBC World Featherweight champion Bruce Carrington making the first defense of his world title against undefeated current North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Featherweight champion Rene Palacios. Carrington won the WBC World Featherweight championship in January of this year with a ninth round knockout of Carlos Castro in New York’s Madison Square Garden. With a record of 17-0, with 10 Knockouts, the recently crowned champion has a good mix of hand speed and punching power and having successfully made the transition from prospect, to contender, to a world champion, the task for Carrington now is to show that he can perform to the standard that most think of when they talk about world champions. Though he has proven to this point that he could climb the ladder of contention all the way to the top and did not face much resistance on his path to becoming a world champion, the competition level is likely to only increase as a champion rather than as a fighter chasing a world title.

This first title defense for Carrington presents something of a unique scenario. Both champion and challenger are unbeaten going into this encounter, and both are at least statistically, at similar stages of their respective careers. In Rene Palacios, Carrington will face someone with slightly more experience with a record of 19-0-1 with 10 Knockouts. Palacios won the WBC-affiliated NABF Featherweight title in his last fight in January with a ten round split decision over Sulaiman Segawa in Maryland. While this fight has the appearance of a dual between two boxer/punchers, a potential red flag at least in the eyes of some is Palacios has only fought here in the United States twice in his career and with the exception of his NABF title win, has not fought what could be defined as a household name to this point in his career. Palacios’ fight against Sulaiman Segawa was ugly at points and was an encounter that did not necessarily mesh well, but one thing Palacios was able to do throughout that fight was stay in close where he was essentially pinned to Segawa’s chest. Though it did not necessarily make for the most entertaining fight depending on one's perspective, it proved at least on that occasion to be an effective strategy because he was able to limit Segawa’s offensive output and was able to grind out a decision victory. Whether or not Palacios can show that he is ready for what will likely be viewed as a step up by trying to implement a similar strategy in this fight against the unbeaten champion Bruce Carrington remains to be seen. 

The second main event on the card will feature undefeated WBO World Lightweight champion Abdullah Mason defending his title against WBO number six contender Albert Bell. Much like Bruce Carrington, Abdullah Mason appears to be on the fast track to becoming one of the next potential superstars of the sport. In his last fight, Mason scored a hard fought twelve round unanimous decision over a very determined Sam Noakes to win the vacant WBO World Lightweight championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in November of last year. It was that fight, though a victory for Mason, that brought an end to a knockout streak of nine consecutive fights. Nevertheless, with a record of 20-0, with 17 Knockouts, Mason has continued to impress with each performance inside the ring. 

Now as a champion, Mason embarks on a new chapter in his career, but not the start of it that he expected. As most know, Mason was originally scheduled to defend his title against former IBF World Jr. Lightweight world champion Joe Cordina. Cordina, however, was forced to withdraw from the fight due to being denied entry into the United States from his native England for the bout due to visa issues. In steps Bell on a little more than two weeks' notice to challenge Mason for the title. 

Bell, will enter what will be his first opportunity at a world championship unbeaten with a record of 28-0, with 9 Knockouts, and has been a longtime contender in the 130lb. Jr. Lightweight and 135lb. Lightweight divisions having won regional titles at the IBF North American and North American Boxing Organization (NABO) levels to name a few. Although this will be his first shot at a world title, Bell does have the experience and skillset to potentially give Mason some problems. It will be interesting to see how the two fighters’ styles mesh up stylistically. What should not be overlooked is both champion and challenger are in a situation where both will have to adjust to a new opponent on limited notice and that aspect alone always seems to carry a bit of the unknown with it. Like the champion, Bell was in preparation to face a different opponent on this card and though a golden opportunity knocked on his door here with an opportunity to fight for a world title, it is nevertheless an adjustment for the challenger as much as it is the champion. 

While this card will be another in a growing list of cards broadcast by DAZN in an ever growing roster of promotional partners, this card will also be the first in a partnership with cable network TNT under “The Fight” series moniker. Although some have been critical of this partnership and have used it in a way to criticize DAZN and paint a picture of possible financial trouble, this observer feels simulcasting select events via a cable network like TNT will be beneficial for both entities. For DAZN, it is obvious that it can be used as a way to both promote and grow its network by trying to attract new eyes who may not be familiar with their network and the fact that it is both streaming and subscription-based. For TNT, who recently lost its long-standing NBA rights and may be part of a much wider acquisition between its current parent company WarnerDiscovery and Paramount, the deal with DAZN provides sports programming and and a way to try and fill dates in the schedule with sports programming in the absence of NHL Hockey, where they still hold broadcast rights. Some may not be old enough to remember, or may have forgotten that there was a brief period in the 1990s where TNT, a sister network of HBO, the one time Boxing powerhouse and proclaimed “Network of Champions” did air Boxing programming under the “Title Night on TNT” moniker, with its own broadcast team and its own events separate from HBO. Though the series did not last long and came during a time where TNT aimed at an older demographic and whose sports programming was limited to the now defunct WCW wrestling, NBA games, and sporadic Nascar and PGA Golf. 

Perhaps at that time, the brain trusts of one of the numerous corporate entities that TNT and its sister networks fell under at the time, felt that because HBO was such a powerhouse in the sport at the time that there was no need for a separate Boxing property on a different network within the corporate portfolio that HBO and TNT fell under at the time. Though this agreement between DAZN and TNT is a simulcast deal and it will be DAZN’s logo, presentation, and broadcast airing on TNT, if it turns out to be successful it may lead to more Boxing programming on the network, which can only be viewed as a positive for the sport. It is something that all involved with the sport should be rooting for.

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

The Fight: Mason vs. Bell / Carrington vs. Palacios takes place on Saturday, July 4th at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH. The full card can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 7PM ET/4PM PT and will also be simulcast on TNT in the United States on cable/Live TV providers at the aforementioned start times.

(*North American Start Times Only.* Card and Start Times Subject to Change.*)

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

For more information about TNT including schedules and channel numbers on your cable/Live TV provider please visit: www.TNTDrama.com. 

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Ennis Solidifies His Status As One Of Boxing's Hottest Stars In Stopping Zayas

In the present day in the sport of Boxing for a variety of reasons, it is rare to see fighters either regarded as stars/superstars of the sport or those whose star is on the rise, take a risk by facing another fighter at a similar stage while both are in their competitive primes or approaching their prime. The encounter between undefeated WBO/WBA Jr. Middleweight world champion Xander Zayas and unbeaten former unified Welterweight world champion Jaron Ennis on June 27th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY provided one such rarity.

If one were honest, they would say that it was not a necessity for either fighter at this stage in their respective careers to meet each other at this point in time. More often than not, a fight like this is one where rival promoters will choose to let simmer while their respective fighters continue to face other opposition and build both their respective fanbases as well as generate buzz in a potential fight that after given a period of time often becomes a bigger attraction in terms of an event.

While such methods of promotion are often used, such tactics can prove to be frustrating for Boxing fans who want to see fights made in a more timely manner. There is also the inherent risk that by letting a fight simmer for two long, both potential combatants risk damaging their standing by possibly suffering a loss to a different opponent that in turn, negatively affects the potential promotion/mega fight that promoters might be strategizing towards.

This was an instance, however, where no such tactics were attempted by the co-promoters Eddie Hearn, who represents Ennis and Hall of Famer Bob Arum, who represents Zayas. Rather this was a rare time in the sport where the fighters themselves chose to roll the dice to test themselves against each other. Both fighters did not hesitate and were more than willing to engage in what proved to be a heated battle from the opening bell.

Both fighters immediately stood and were willing to engage with each other. A high-tempo pace from the outset, what stood out immediately was Ennis’ ability to switch back and forth between an orthodox and southpaw stance as well as his approaching the champion at varying angles. He quickly established a home for his left hand as he frequently landed straight lefts on Zayas, which ultimately proved to be the catalyst to land a short, beautifully timed right hand that dropped Zayas in round one.

It became apparent to this observer at this point in the bout that the main issue for the champion was not only Ennis’ hand speed, but also his timing. Though it appeared after two rounds of being consistently beaten to the punch that a change in the champion’s approach may have been well-advised, Zayas continued to stay in punching range, was not discouraged by what was happening to him early on, and to his credit, did appear to momentarily stun Ennis with a right hand of his own in round three. This seemingly set off a series of exchanges between rounds three and four that were among the best of the fight.

In round five, what had developed into a fire fight between the two fighters continued as, despite being at a deficit in terms of punching power and being dropped earlier in the bout, Zayas continued to stay in close and trade punches with Ennis. A right uppercut to the head, however, would send the champion down hard to the canvas for a second time. Although he struggled to beat the ten count, Zayas managed to get to his feet at the count of nine. It was at this stage that Ennis unleashed what can only be described as a hellacious beating on Zayas where it appeared that Referee Harvey Dock was inching closer and was perhaps looking for Ennis to land one more significant blow to give him the justification to stop the fight. To the champion’s credit, he managed to make it out of the round.

It was between rounds five and six where Dock sent out seemingly the last warning sign fighters often hear prior to a referee stopping a fight, telling Zayas in his corner, just after his handlers asked him what round it was in a clear evaluation to ensure their fighter had all his facilities and was alert, that he was taking too many shots and that Zayas needed to show Dock something or the fight would be stopped. In all truth and honesty with the reader, as one who has covered thousands of fights on every possible level of Boxing ranging from amateur, to traditional professional Boxing, to professional Bareknuckle bouts, I have seen referees including Harvey Dock on occasion give fighters a variation of the warning he gave Zayas between rounds five and six. While it goes without saying that in over three decades in the sport and a lifetime as a fan before the period I entered combat sports as a writer, I have seen fighters take beatings similar to the one Ennis had administered to Zayas in the fifth round, sometimes even worse, and though it does not tend to happen often when a referee or ringside physician gives a fighter such a warning where the fighter manages to pull off a come from behind victory, this observer would not have been against stopping this fight between rounds.

Although no one can take away from the heart a fighter in Zayas’ position shows under conditions like this in trying to not only show their mettle, but in this case also, in defense of a world title, there comes a point where a decision has to be made, not so much regarding a fight in progress or the loss of a world championship, but the long-term picture for the fighter not just in regard to their career moving forward, but of their life after Boxing. It goes without saying not just in regard to Boxing, but all combat sports, that each fight whether win, lose, or draw, takes something out of a fighter and that is directly attributable to the toll a fighter takes both in training for competition as well as in the fights themselves. Xander Zayas is a twenty-three year old young man who likely has plans for himself both in regard to his career as well as life after Boxing, and I just feel that if the decision were made to stop this fight after round five.

Despite the view of this observer, the fight continued and Zayas did show an ability to recuperate in what proved to be a relatively uneventful round six. It would be in round seven, however, that this encounter would come to a close as an accumulation of blows set off by a series of body punches by Ennis sent Zayas down for a third time. As there always seems to be in Boxing, whether legitimate or not, an element of controversy would emerge as while Referee Harvey Dock was counting Zayas, there appeared to be a momentary pause and then the fight was stopped.

 While the majority of this column was written in the immediate hours after the fight took place, yours truly did something he rarely does and held off releasing the column for a few days. Not because of a lack of commitment or being lackadaisical, but because there was this seemingly overwhelming perception that Zayas had in the words of many online and YouTube commentators “Quit” following the final knockdown. Speaking only for myself, I did not observe Zayas verbally or otherwise indicate to Dock that he wanted the fight stopped, Zayas did look briefly away from Dock towards his corner as the corner indicated that they wanted the fight stopped as Dock promptly did. This was confirmed by Boxing Analyst and Senior writer for Sports Illustrated Chris Mannix, who was ringside doing commentary for digital sports streaming network DAZN who commented on X (formerly Twitter) in the days following the fight that Zayas’ corner had a representative of the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) step onto the ring apron and indicate they wanted the fight stopped.

While anyone and everyone certainly has a right to their opinion and I am by no means am challenging one's right to express their opinion, whether I personally agree with those points of view or not, in this case I do feel those, particularly YouTube commentators jumped to conclusions and incorrectly labeled Zayas as a “Quitter” either before knowing the facts or perhaps in an effort to get more views for their respective content. Although we now live in an era where the term “Influencer” has become part of the sport of Boxing and we have heard those labeled “YouTubers” say they want to  be viewed as credible and taken seriously within the sport, with all due respect, there is a difference between journalism and having facts correct and manufacturing a supposed “Controversy” in an attempt to get more attention. There are times where those of us who cover the sport make an error, we are all after all, human, however, it is the responsibility of those who make such errors to correct their mistakes whenever they emerge. Although my comments here are by no means an effort to try and discredit YouTube as a platform, that in fact I use on a daily basis, or to single out any one in particular, whether a YouTube commentator or not, either one is covering a sport or a given topic objectively or they are allowing fandom to influence their comments, which again may have the underlying motivation of trying to increase viewership of their content. If it is the latter, there is no credibility or legitimacy.

From my perspective, Xander Zayas’ corner made the right call. Zayas fought his heart out, but unfortunately for him came up against a fighter in Jaron Ennis that could ultimately become a fighter viewed as a generational talent when all is said and done. Put simply, on that night, Ennis was the better fighter.

Now, as a two-division world champion, who is now a unified world champion in the Jr. Middleweight division, as he was in the Welterweight division before he moved up in weight, appears to be in prime position to potentially make a run to be an undisputed champion of the division. Next up for Ennis and likely viewed by many to be his most significant threat in the division could be current WBC world champion Sebastian Fundora, who could next defend his portion of the World Jr. Middleweight championship against current WBC number one Jr. Middleweight contender Ermal Hadribeaj. Though obviously, the focus will be on a potential unification bout between Ennis and Fundora, the focus will remain on the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division moving forward as a course for an eventual showdown seems to be taking shape.

“And That's The Boxing Truth.”

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BREAKING: Cordina Out, Bell In To Challenge WBO World Lightweight champion Abdullah Mason

It has been announced that former IBF Jr. Lightweight world champion and current WBO number one Lightweight contender Joe Cordina has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled fight against undefeated WBO World Lightweight champion Abdullah Mason on July 4th at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, OH. Cordina’s withdrawal comes as a result of being denied entry into the United States from his native United Kingdom. The bout, which was to headline a world title doubleheader promoted by Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum’s Top Rank, Inc. and broadcast worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN will go forward with Mason now defending his title against WBO number six rated contender Albert Bell. It remains unclear as of this writing as to whether the World Boxing Organization (WBO) will recognize this as a mandatory title defense for Mason seeing as Cordina is the official mandatory challenger, or if there will be an attempt to reschedule the bout if Cordina’s Visa issues are resolved, assuming Mason is able to retain his title against Bell. We will keep readers updated on developments as they become available. Stay tuned.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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MVP Signs Top-Ranked Title Contender Tysie Gallagher

Press Release: June 26, 2026 By Most Valuable Promotions - NEW YORK, NY – June 22, 2026

— MVP today announced the signing of 

Tysie "The First Lady" Gallagher

(10-2), the first-ever female British super bantamweight champion, reigning Commonwealth, BBBoC British, and WBO International champion, and #5 IBF contender at 122lbs. Gallagher becomes the latest elite athlete to join MVP following the launch of MVPW, the year-round global home of women's boxing, which continues to assemble the deepest roster of world champions and contenders in the sport. Gallagher joins fellow MVP UK standouts including Ellie Scotney, Caroline Dubois, Chantelle Cameron, Savannah Marshall, Terri Harper, Ramla Ali and Shannon Courtenay, among others.

A native of Luton, Bedfordshire, England, Gallagher has established herself as one of the United Kingdom's most accomplished female fighters. She began boxing at age 10 and enjoyed a decorated amateur career spanning 35 bouts, winning two national titles, twice reaching the ABA Senior Elite Championship finals, and representing England on the international stage. Since turning professional, Gallagher has continued to break barriers, becoming the first-ever female British super bantamweight champion while also capturing the Commonwealth and WBO International titles at 122lbs.

Now ranked the IBF’s #5 contender in the world, Gallagher has emerged as one of the leading contenders in the super bantamweight division. In November 2023, she challenged Segolene Lefebvre for the WBO world title in just her eighth pro fight, further cementing her status among the division's elite. Known for her toughness, relentless work ethic, and willingness to take on the biggest challenges, Gallagher enters the next chapter of her career with her sights firmly set on becoming a world champion. Outside the ring, she is a proud mother to her seven-year-old daughter, balancing elite-level competition with family life while serving as an inspiration to women and young athletes across the UK. Gallagher most recently earned a unanimous decision win over challenger Ellie Hellewell in defense of her Commonwealth, BBBoC British, and WBO International titles in September 2025. She was initially scheduled to compete on MVP’s UK debut event, MVPW-01, in April 2026, but was forced to withdraw due to injury.

“Signing a multi-year deal with Most Valuable Promotions is a huge moment in my career, and I want to thank Nakisa Bidarian, Jake Paul, and Mike Leanardi for this opportunity,”

said Tysie Gallagher.

“I’m excited to represent Britain on the global stage and become world champion!”

"Few fighters have done more to push British women's boxing forward than Tysie Gallagher, a fighter who has consistently proven herself against top competition and built one of the strongest resumes in the country,"

said Nakisa Bidarian and Jake Paul, co-founders of Most Valuable Promotions.

"From becoming the first-ever female British super bantamweight champion to earning top-five world rankings and challenging for a world title, she has demonstrated the skill, toughness, and determination that embody everything MVP looks for in its athletes. As we continue to strengthen MVPW's global roster and deepen our roster within the 122lb division, we're excited to welcome another elite UK fighter and provide the platform for Tysie to pursue her world title ambitions."

For more information, follow on X via @MostVPromotions and @TysieGallagher, or on Instagram via @MostValuablePromotions and @tysiegallagher.

About MVP

Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) was founded in August 2021 by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian with a fighter first ethos. Since inception, MVP has produced 30 live boxing events, currently promotes over 60 fighters, 18 world champions, and 26 top contenders.

MVP has led boxing’s evolution in the streaming era through partnerships with the world’s leading platforms. In November 2024, MVP’s Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 2 was the first-ever live professional sports event streamed on Netflix. Paul vs. Tyson shattered records, becoming the most-streamed sporting event of all time with 125 million live viewers worldwide. MVP went on to partner with Netflix twice in 2025 for MVP’s Taylor vs. Serrano 3 and Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day.

Today, MVP is the global home of women’s boxing. MVP’s Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano in 2022 was the first female fight to headline Madison Square Garden, while Taylor vs. Serrano 2 in 2024 saw 74 million viewers globally on Netflix and became the most-watched professional women’s sports event in US history with 47 million AMA in the US. Their 2025 trilogy on Netflix topped an all-women’s megacard that set the official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the most world championship belts ever contested on a single fight card, male or female, with 17 world titles, earning nearly 6 million viewers globally. 

Material Courtesy of: Most Valuable Promotions Used with permission.

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.