Boxing

8:37 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 Kid Galahad is looking forward to making a first world title defence in front of his home city fans in Sheffield, England, on Saturday,

7:58 AM ET It was an eventful week in the world of boxing. Canelo Alvarez claimed the vast majority of headlines as he became the undisputed super middleweight champion of the world by knocking out Caleb Plant on Saturday. So naturally, attention immediately turned toward what’s next for boxing’s pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter. In the

1:20 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN LAS VEGAS — Canelo Alvarez was, at one point in his career, reserved and respectful ahead of his massive showcase fights — a departure from the traditional fighter archetype. Despite his calm demeanor, Canelo was still the biggest attraction in boxing due to his incredible fighting prowess and his legion

12:42 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN LAS VEGAS — Canelo Alvarez entered the ring as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world and the sport’s biggest attraction. But now, for the first time in his career, he can call himself something else: undisputed champion. Alvarez promised to punish Caleb Plant, and on Saturday he did just

6:10 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Canelo Alvarez faces Caleb Plant on Saturday (Showtime PPV, 9 p.m. ET, prelims at 6 p.m. ET) and all four major super middleweight title belts are on the line. The bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, will be for Alvarez’s WBA, WBO and WBC titles and

1:33 AM ET Mikaela Mayer took another step toward becoming the undisputed junior lightweight champion Friday night in Las Vegas, beating Maiva Hamadouche by unanimous decision to retain her WBO title and pick up Hamadouche’s IBF crown. Mayer won the fight 100-90, 99-91, 98-92 — with two scorecards not necessarily indicative of what happened in

9:24 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Vergil Ortiz, one of the fastest rising stars in boxing, is making a change. The undefeated welterweight has long been with former trainer of the year Robert Garcia. But as he prepares for his first bout of 2022, he’ll do so at Canelo Alvarez’s San Diego gym under the guidance

6:03 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN LAS VEGAS — When Canelo Alvarez and Caleb Plant faced off in September, the boxers exchanged blows; the latter emerged with a cut under his right eye. This time, with tensions at a fevered pitch, security ensured the fighters didn’t throw any punches (but still allowed them to be close

12:33 PM ET Jake Paul‘s next fight card will feature a familiar name to sports fans. Deron Williams, the former NBA All-Star point guard, will compete in a boxing match at the event headlined by Paul and Tommy Fury on Dec. 18 in Tampa, Florida, Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian confirmed Friday with ESPN.

6:34 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN LAS VEGAS — Even during those hot summer days spent in a trailer park outside Nashville, Tennessee, Caleb Plant knew he was meant for so much more. Personal tragedy served to strengthen that steely resolve. His daughter, Alia, died three months shy of her second birthday. Just over four years

7:51 AM ET The final two months of 2021 offer a range of big fights for women: Claressa Shields returns to the ring. Katie Taylor fights again. Mikaela Mayer and Maiva Hamadouche fight on Friday night (8 p.m. on ESPN+) to start to unify the junior lightweight division and a week later, Dina Thorslund and

3:49 PM ET NEW YORK — Kamaru Usman has one of the top fighters in the world in his crosshairs. It just so happens that it’s not a fellow MMA fighter. The UFC welterweight champion and ESPN’s No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound mixed martial artist said Wednesday at UFC 268 media day that he is targeting a

4:03 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Nonito Donaire and Reymart Gaballo have agreed to a deal for a 118-pound title fight on Dec. 11 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, sources told ESPN. Undefeated prospect Brandun Lee will meet Juan Heraldez at 140 pounds in another bout on the Showtime tripleheader, sources said. Donaire

2:15 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Jaron “Boots” Ennis is a can’t-miss fighter, and Saturday’s performance was the best proof yet. The Philly welterweight needed less than two minutes to dispatch veteran gatekeeper Thomas Dulorme by knockout in the first round Saturday in Las Vegas, a PBC on Showtime co-feature. Ennis, 24, dropped Dulorme (25-6-1, 16

10:58 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Rolando Romero is on the verge of being pulled from his Dec. 5 fight with Gervonta Davis, multiple sources told ESPN on Saturday. On Thursday, a woman posted on Twitter accusing Romero, 26, of sexual assault. She did not say when the alleged incident occurred, but tweeted Friday that she

1:02 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN A weigh-in fracas on Friday led to the New York State Athletic Commission barring Jose Zepeda’s brother Rene from his corner. As it turns out, Zepeda never had the opportunity to go back to his corner anyway. Zepeda eviscerated Josue Vargas, a 23-year-old prospect, with a first-round TKO on Saturday

11:39 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Jose Ramirez and Jose Pedraza have agreed to terms for a 140-pound bout on Feb. 5 that will headline Top Rank Boxing on an ESPN platform, multiple sources have told ESPN. The fight pitting top-10 junior welterweights will be held at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California, Ramirez’s hometown.

3:16 PM ET One of the knocks on Jake Paul has been that he has not fought a “real boxer.” That criticism will be mostly addressed at the end of this year. Paul, the YouTube-star-turned-prizefighter, will fight fellow undefeated boxer Tommy Fury on Dec. 18 in Tampa, Florida, it was officially announced Friday. The bout