Boxing

7:55 PM ET A huge heavyweight fight is scheduled for this summer, but it’s not the one that has been discussed for the past six months. After rumors of a heavyweight unification against Anthony Joshua, WBC champion Tyson Fury will instead face Deontay Wilder in a trilogy fight on July 24 or August 14 in

11:25 AM ET The International Boxing Association (AIBA) has initiated an independent investigation into the death of teenage Jordanian boxer Rashed Al-Swaisat, who died last month after sustaining a head injury at the world youth championships in Poland. 19-year-old Al-Swaisat was taken to hospital where he underwent emergency brain surgery after collapsing during the third

1:07 PM ET Former super middleweight world titlist Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez will face former light heavyweight title contender Sullivan Barrera on July 9 in Los Angeles, Golden Boy Promotions announced Tuesday. Ramirez (41-0, 27 KOs), 29, of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, will make his Golden Boy debut after signing with the promotion in February. Ramirez, who

9:09 PM ET Jake Paul, one of the most polarizing up-and-coming stars in boxing, has a new home. The YouTuber-turned-prizefighter has a deal in place for his next boxing match to be distributed by Showtime Sports, Paul’s adviser Nakisa Bidarian told ESPN on Wednesday. Paul’s team and Showtime are in advanced talks about the potential

4:38 PM ET The fate of a proposed heavyweight unification match between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua could be greatly determined in the next two days. In a letter to Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn on Wednesday, the WBO ordered Hearn to “show cause” within 48 hours why the sanctioning body should not force Joshua (24-1,

7:43 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 Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor have worked for decades to reach this moment. On Saturday in Las Vegas, one of the two undefeated and

10:29 AM ET Anthony Joshua could have his next opponent quickly — even if it isn’t Tyson Fury. In a video released Tuesday by Joshua’s promoter, Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn indicated that a bout between Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk is a possibility if Fury is unavailable this summer. Hearn’s comments came one day after

3:32 PM ET Eric WoodyardESPN Moments after his super middleweight unification victory over Billy Joe Saunders earlier this month, champion Canelo Alvarez turned his attention to another division titleholder: Caleb Plant. “That’s the plan, to go for the belt, and I’m coming, man,” Alvarez said during his postfight interview. “I’m coming, my friend.” Plant (21-0,

6:02 PM ET Mark KriegelESPN A day after Tyson Fury tweeted that his heavyweight unification fight with Anthony Joshua was “100 percent on” for Aug. 14 in Saudi Arabia, an arbitrator ruled Monday that Fury must face Deontay Wilder in a rematch by Sept. 15, ESPN has learned. In granting Wilder’s injunction, former federal judge

2:44 PM ET Mark KriegelESPN Tyson Fury has received assurances from Prince Khalid Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Saudi defense secretary, that his four-belt heavyweight unification fight with Anthony Joshua will happen Aug. 14 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. “I just got off the phone with Prince Khalid of Saudi Arabia,” Fury said in a video posted

11:51 AM ET Forty-eight hours before fight night isn’t the time for introspection. Brandon Figueroa has a major championship to win. On Saturday night in Carson, California (Showtime, 10 p.m. ET). The 24-year-old Figueroa will face Luis Nery at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California on Saturday (Showtime, 10 p.m. ET), in a battle

7:59 AM ET Canelo Alvarez once again showed why he’s almost unbeatable by making Billy Joe Saunders quit in his corner after eight rounds. Is Alvarez the current best fighter in the world? There’s a good argument to be made for the super middleweight unified champion. A former great, Floyd Mayweather, killed two birds with

7:16 PM ET Teofimo Lopez will make his first title defense as undisputed lightweight champion against George Kambosos Jr. on June 19 at Miami’s loanDepot Park, Triller Fight Club announced Tuesday. The card will be co-headlined by a women’s super middleweight bout between Franchon Crews-Dezurn and Elin Cederroos, with all four world championship belts on

8:28 AM ET Saudi Arabia will host the world heavyweight boxing title-unification fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in August, promoter Eddie Hearn said Tuesday. Joshua holds the IBF, WBO, WBA and IBO titles, while fellow Briton Fury is the WBC belt holder. “Aug. 7, Aug. 14, I think it’s a very bad secret

8:07 PM ET Billy Joe Saunders had successful surgery to repair a fractured right orbital bone suffered in a loss to Canelo Alvarez, his promoter said Monday. According to a Matchroom Boxing spokesman, Saunders fractured his eye socket in three different places in last Saturday’s super middleweight unification bout at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

8:31 AM ET Lightweight undisputed champion Katie Taylor regained the No. 1 spot in ESPN’s pound-for-pound rankings with an impressive unanimous decision victory over Natasha Jonas on May 1. Taylor, a previous No. 1, was leapfrogged by Claressa Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and now two-division undisputed champion, back in March, after Shields dominated

12:27 AM ET The first half of the super middleweight title unification fight between Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, was closer and more competitive than many expected. But one big round tilted the scales to such a dramatic extent that Saunders couldn’t get off his stool

3:31 AM ET ARLINGTON, Texas — Whatever Canelo Alvarez was going to do on Saturday night, it was going to be done loudly. Noise begat noise. When Alvarez started to hit Billy Joe Saunders in the eighth round of their super middleweight bout, Alvarez raised his gloves and egged on a record-breaking crowd that was