Monthly Archives: September 2024

The drama between Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney began during 2023 but throughout 2024 it has blossomed into one of if not the fiercest rivalry in the sport, as a result of their controversial encounter back in April. Now, Haney has decided to take legal action against his foe, suing Garcia for battery, fraud and unjust enrichment.

Haney signed for the contest as the undefeated WBC super-lightweight champion and as one of the pound-for-pound superstars of the sport – largely expected to dominate against Garcia, who had acted in a concerning manner during the build-up, some suggesting that he had been admitted into a mental health institute just weeks prior to the fight.

At the weigh-in for the event, Garcia’s preparation was brought further into question as he hit the scales four pounds heavier than the super-lightweight limit, forgoing the opportunity to challenge for the WBC strap and being forced to pay a significant fee to Haney.

However, Garcia silenced his doubters inside the ring as he dropped Haney for the first, second and third time of his career on his way to a jaw-dropping majority-decision win in what many assumed would be named as the performance of the year.

Until a failed drugs test tainted all fond memory of the fight.

The result of the battle was eventually altered to a no-contest after it was confirmed that ‘King Ry’ had tested positive for Ostarine on both the day of the weigh-in and on the day of the fight – the perception of the brutal beatdown of Haney changing overnight from an offensive masterclass to a stomach-churning what-if.

We are now five months on from the bout but today it has been announced that Devin Haney has decided to sue Ryan Garcia for battery, fraud and unjust enrichment. In a 16-page document, Haney’s attorney Pat English explained his client’s case, as per Boxing Scene.

The proposed Anthony Joshua coronation soon turned to a night of despair for the two-time world champion, his team and his backers as Daniel Dubois stamped his authority onto both his domestic rivals and the heavyweight division as a whole with a show-stopping knockout against Great Britain’s long-standing poster boy.

However, ‘AJ’ has now confirmed that his time in the ring is not over yet and as a result there are already names being touted for his next outing and William Hill have now released their odds for whom his next opponent may be.

1. Daniel Dubois – Evens

After Joshua suffered a shock defeat to a third opponent of his career, the immediate assumption was that he would once again force a second meeting with his rival, as he did with both Andy Ruiz Jr. and Oleksandr Usyk following those other shortcomings. As expected, Eddie Hearn confirmed that there was a rematch clause in the fight contract and that he expects his man to trigger it, but Dubois’ promoter Frank Warren has since suggested otherwise – thrusting what was originally an inevitable rematch into doubt, although it remains as the most likely outcome.

Defeats are no longer a new experience for Joshua but the brutal manner of the damning loss to ‘Triple D’ presents him with a new mental obstacle to overcome – this being the first time he was truly knocked out and not halted on his feet. That fresh hurdle could act as motivation for Joshua and whet his appetite or it could convince him to steer clear of a man who could simply be his hard-hitting kryptonite.

2. Deontay Wilder – 4/1

The one that got away. Hopes of Deontay Wilder seemed dead once ‘The Bronze Bomber’ was trumped in back-to-back outings against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang – not just losing but failing to come close in either contest. Like Joshua, Wilder has refused to hang up the gloves and with both men coming into what was recently deemed as ‘the biggest fight in boxing’ off of the back of defeats, the long-awaited encounter would be seen in a different light but would be a captivating one nonetheless.

A below-par Wilder could represent the perfect route back to the forefront of the division for ‘AJ’ and tick off a name that has long been on both his and Hearn’s hit-list. Yet, the fearsome punch power of the American could also be a recipe for disaster.

3. Tyson Fury – 5/1

Tyson Fury fumed that Dubois’ demolition of Joshua had cost him £150 million shortly after his promotional stablemate had been declared the victor but that may not prove to be the case. Eddie Hearn has maintained that the illusive all-British dust-up could still happen despite the Saturday night blow out, alluding to a similar scenario to that of the possible Wilder clash mentioned above.

‘The Gypsy King’ is scheduled to meet with unified world champion Oleksandr Usyk in December in the sequel to what was an instant classic earlier in the 2024 calendar but he will step through the ropes as the underdog and will find himself on a two-fight winless streak if he cannot crack the code of the pound-for-pound number one.

The Fury-Joshua rivalry will never truly be settled until a victor is resolved and a grudge match could ensure either in the United Kingdom or Saudi Arabia could be around the corner if Fury is unable to reclaim the heavyweight marbles later this year.

4. Jarrell Miller – 10/1

Joshua’s rivalries with both Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury are ones that are often glorified and encouraged by the masses to season what would already be a salivating event. Jarrell Miller on the other hand, is a rival that is truly hated by ‘AJ’ on a personal level.

‘Big Baby’ Miller was poised to take on the Briton and after an intense build-up, it was clear to see that the loudmouthed American had brought a different side out of Joshua than the polished professional that we have become accustomed to – instead Joshua simply wanted to take his head off and silence the New Yorker for good.

Unfortunately, the then lauded knockout artist that was a rising Anthony Joshua never got the opportunity to put his pitiless plan into action as Miller failed a drugs test and faced a four-year ban from the sport. Meanwhile, Joshua moved on and was matched with Andy Ruiz Jr. – becoming the victim of one of boxing’s most famous upset wins.

Miller has now served his ban and his back boxing on the big stage, putting up a respectable display in a defeat to Dubois that has aged like a fine wine and then controversially drawing with Ruiz, with many viewers feeling as though he had done enough to get his hand raised. Eddie Hearn has previously ruled out the prospect of staging Joshua-Miller but now that fight could be the best option to rebuild his fighter.

5. Manuel Charr – 12/1

Finally, Syrian-German Manuel Charr has long called for the opportunity to face Joshua and was named as Regular heavyweight world champion in an eyebrow-raising move from the WBA – considering Charr has not fought since 2022 and just thrice since 2017. Still, with a unified title contest on the horizon, it is likely that belts will be vacated during 2025 either through a lack of interest in fighting mandatory challengers or through retirements, leaving Charr well poised for an unlikely title shot.

As a result, Joshua may opt to challenge for Charr’s WBA (Regular) strap in the hopes of being upgraded to world champion shortly afterwards or to position himself for a vacant title fight against heavyweight bogeyman Martin Bakole, who is ranked as the number one contender with the sanctioning body.

All will likely become clear within the next few weeks as further details surrounding a possible rematch between Joshua and Dubois are confirmed but it has been revealed that ‘AJ’ is not ready to walk away from the sport just yet, in spite of the uphill battle that he faces if he desires to mount a return to the heavyweight throne.

As the clock ticks down towards one of the cards of the year, news that Josh Warrington’s scrap with Anthony Cacace will not be for the world title has dampened excitement for what could well have been the fight of the night. Now, the Yorkshireman has spoken out regarding the IBF’s decision and has admitted his disappointment.

Warrington has twice held the IBF world title in the featherweight division but has registered just one victory in his last five fights. As a result, news that ‘The Leeds Warrior’ would move up a weight division and be granted an instant world title shot at Anthony Cacace’s super-featherweight crown did raise eyebrows.

In an interview with Boxing Social, Warrington explained that even he was surprised by the fight offer, after being told that the IBF would not sanction the bout as a world title affair just three weeks before agreeing to the supposed title contest.

“The initial week [that I was spoken to] I got offered to fight for the IBF world title and the IBO against Anthony Cacace. I was a little bit surprised at first because the fight was spoken about around three weeks prior to that but initially it got squashed because I’ve not had a fight at super-featherweight, and I am not in the super-featherweight rankings with the IBF. I was surprised that they were allowing me to fight for it because a few weeks prior the fight had been negotiated and they said ‘no, Josh can’t fight for it [the title].”

However, the opportunity has indeed proved too good to be true and it has now been confirmed that the IBF world title will not be on the line for Warrington. Yet, had Warrington been aware of this decision earlier, he could have debuted in the division and banked a win during the interim to improve his chances of eligibility, with the timing of the IBF’s refusal proving to be the most aggravating part of the fight week drama for the 33-year-old.

“The IBF have obviously pulled the rug and said ‘no, he can’t fight for it’. Am I disappointed? Yes, I am, especially when that is one of the main marbles. I am not taking no smoke away from the IBO but the IBF is one of the main four. I may have dipped for a few hours but now if anything I am even more determined to win.”

We are now just over one week away from Anthony Joshua’s bid to become boxing’s fifth three-time heavyweight world champion as the longstanding poster boy of British boxing seeks to end the reign of Daniel Dubois at the first attempt. Here, we at Boxing Social preview next weekend’s action and take a look at the additional fights on offer.

The staging of the Wembley version of Riyadh Season represents the first foray into the U.K. market for newfound catalyst of boxing Turki Al-Alshikh, but that is not to say that the Saudi kingpin is unaware of the domestic talent on offer in Old Blighty. In fact, one of Al-Alshikh’s favourite fighters is Portsmouth’s undefeated lightweight contender Mark Chamberlain (16-0), so it is no surprise that he will open the card and fight on a third consecutive Al-Alshikh show.

Ranked as the number eight world contender with the WBO after his successes in Riyadh, Chamberlain is now being linked with a shot at WBO champion Denys Berinchyk in a move that will truly show the benefit of having close ties with Al-Alshikh and cap off a meteoric rise for the 25-year-old southpaw. Yet, to earn that opportunity, Chamberlain will likely need another impressive display against Doncaster’s Josh Padley (14-0).

A showdown at Wembley Stadium is a monumental step up for the Yorkshireman, whose last two fights have taken place in Malta and then at the banqueting suite at Elland Road, so it would have to be considered as a major shock if Padley could spring an upset against a supposed world title contender, although stranger things have happened.

Boxing Social Predicts; Mark Chamberlain by KO/TKO

Another man to shine on a recent Al-Alshikh card was Scottish light-heavyweight Willy Hutchinson (18-1), who triumphed over Craig Richards as the underdog on June’s ‘five versus five’ card. That victory has thrust Hutchinson up amongst the top British contenders in a stacked domestic division, putting his brutal 2021 stoppage defeat to Lennox Clarke behind him and beginning to deliver on that amateur pedigree that was lauded during the early stages of his career.

However, Hutchinson will be tasked with a man who is considered by many to be Britain’s greatest hope in the light-heavyweight scene, Rio 2016 bronze medallist turned undefeated British champion, Joshua Buatsi (18-0) – who dominated against Dan Azeez in his lone appearance during 2024.

Buatsi has been patient in picking a time go push for world honours but at 31-years-old, the time seems right to press the accelerator in his career and another strong display against Hutchinson could give him the confidence to challenge for the belts.

The WBO interim light-heavyweight title will be up for grabs in this contest and the victor will be well poised for a potentially vacant title shot, given the upcoming undisputed title showdown between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol that will likely lead to fragmented world titles.

The allure of that potential scrap, added to the ongoing pre-fight drama between the pair, make the contest an intriguing and tense one that could go either way.

Boxing Social Predicts; Joshua Buatsi by Decision

Anthony Cacace’s (22-1) win over Joe Cordina on the Fury-Usyk undercard rocked the super—featherweight division back in May as he managed to hand the Welshman the first defeat of his career and claim the IBF super-featherweight title.

Cacace has not lined up an easy dance partner for his return to the United Kingdom – far from it. Instead, he will take on Josh Warrington (31-3-1), a man famed for his rough and relentless style who came close to defeating Leigh Wood for the WBA featherweight title last October.

Coming off of the back of two defeats and moving up in weight, there is a sense of last chance saloon in this contest for ‘The Leeds Warrior’ but the 33-year-old has that unteachable knack of turning up at his best when he is needed to and the clash of styles between he and Cacace is sure to culminate in an enthralling back-and-forth encounter.

Boxing Social Predicts; Josh Warrington by Decision

A lot has been made of Hamzah Sheeraz’s (20-0) potential over the last twelve months and the 25-year-old middleweight has both the confidence and hype to emerge as a superstar in the near future.

His 6’3” frame has seen complimentary comparisons to the likes of Thomas Hearns and Sheeraz’s ability to not only use his stature to his advantage but also be willing to fight in a phonebooth makes him an exciting watch each time he takes to the ring, whilst a run of fourteen consecutive knockout wins shows that Frank Warren’s man has the power to cause problems for any middleweight on the planet.

Yet, Sheeraz is not the only man going into this bout with a heap of momentum behind them. Since losing out to Linus Udofia in 2019, Tyler Denny (19-2-3) has blossomed from a two-time unsuccessful English title challenger into a European champion with wins over the likes of Felix Cash, Brad Pauls and Brad Rea.

Just months after their legendary undisputed title showdown, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are chomping at the bit to go toe-to-toe once again and have begun exchanging words on social media as the clock ticks down ahead of their fascinating rematch.

Fury and Usyk met in the first undisputed heavyweight title bout of the century earlier this year and an instant classic ensued. At the halfway point, it seemed as though the size and awkwardness of the 6’9” ‘Gypsy King’ was a step too far for the former cruiserweight conqueror and that all four world titles would be headed back to Old Blighty in the hands of Tyson Fury.

However, as we have seen from the Ukrainian technician on countless occasions, Usyk was able to press the accelerator in the latter stages of the contest and almost halted the Briton in the ninth, before banking the final rounds to snatch the belts from under Fury’s nose and claim a famous split-decision win, putting an end to Fury’s 35-fight undefeated record.

Almost instantaneously, Fury utilised his option to trigger a rematch clause for the contest and Saudi catalyst Turki Al-Alshikh quickly pencilled in their second encounter in Riyadh for a December dust-up. Although, this time around, the undisputed throne will not be on the line.

Instead, Usyk was forced to vacate his IBF crown shortly after the Fury win with Daniel Dubois assuming position as IBF world champion after being upgraded from interim title-holder – a mantle earnt by knocking out Croatia’s Filip Hrgovic in June.

Still, with three belts on the line, the prospect of another meeting between two of the greatest heavyweights of this generation is one that is sure to captivate fans around the globe once again and the remarkable pre-fight build-up that has become expected of Al-Alshikh’s cards is likely to be as impressive as ever.

Yet, the pair needed no fancy promo, script or manufactured storyline to kick off pre-fight proceedings, as Oleksandr Usyk initiated the first back-and-forth ahead of their second scrap, simply asking his rival if he was ready in an Instagram post.

“My friend, Tyson Fury. I’m ready for 23^rd December. Are you ready?”