Boxing

8:24 AM ET While the world waits for Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury, Jose Ramirez-Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez-George Kambosos, the boxing spotlight will be placed on the sideshows as celebrities and former champions are making their way into the squared circle. There is little doubt that boxing purists hate what’s on tap this weekend, but the

9:00 AM ET Moments after the biggest win of his career, Vergil Ortiz Jr. immediately looked into the crowd at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. He spotted welterweight champion Terence “Bud” Crawford, who was ringside to watch Ortiz dispatch Maurice Hooker, a former 140-pound champion who, like Ortiz, recently moved up to welterweight.

7:30 PM ET Another boxing legend is stepping back into the ring. Evander Holyfield will fight Kevin McBride in an exhibition on June 5, Triller Fight Club’s Peter Kahn confirmed to ESPN’s Mark Kriegel on Sunday. Holyfield’s return will be on the undercard of Teofimo Lopez’s unified lightweight title defense against George Kambosos in Miami

11:07 PM ET WBO/WBA/IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and WBC and lineal champion Tyson Fury on Sunday will be presented with final offers regarding the date and venue for their upcoming fight, promoter Eddie Hearn told ESPN’s Mark Kriegel. Hearn said there are “several” offers from locations around the globe that hope to host the

12:09 AM ET Joe Smith Jr. appeared to be fading down the stretch, the possibility of being a world champion seemingly slipping away Saturday night at the Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was getting all he could handle from Maxim Vlasov and was being pushed back with his left eye closing, a cut on

12:40 AM ET Ben Baby Close ESPN Staff Writer ESPN Staff Writer Previously a college football writer for The Dallas Morning News University of North Texas graduate Michael Rothstein Close ESPN Staff Writer Previously covered University of Michigan for ESPN.com and AnnArbor.com Also covered Notre Dame for Fort Wayne Journal Gazette Joe Smith Jr.’s best

5:23 PM ET Light heavyweight contenders Joe Smith Jr. and Maxim Vlasov will fight in the main event of Saturday’s Top Rank Boxing card with the vacant WBO world title on the line. The show takes place at the Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma (ESPN and ESPN+, 10 p.m. ET, with undercard fights on ESPN+

6:29 PM ET WBO junior flyweight champion Elwin Soto has officially switched one of his promoters. Soto has signed with Matchroom Boxing, the company announced Friday afternoon. Soto joins the Eddie Hearn-led outfit ahead of an upcoming defense of his 108-pound belt, which Matchroom said would be announced soon. “I’m very excited to announce my

7:48 AM ET Joe Smith Jr. did not take the path of least resistance to reach his second shot at a light heavyweight world title. As he prepares to step into the ring on Saturday against Maxim Vlasov at the Osage Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma (10 p.m. ET, ESPN and ESPN+), with the vacant WBO

7:00 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 As the son of a famous boxer, Conor Benn has dealt with high expectations early in his career. Sometimes he wonders whether he should

7:51 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 Remember the comedy movie “Last Vegas” — featuring Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline? It was a story about a

6:16 PM 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 In a crossroads fight for Jamel Herring and Carl Frampton, the winner was left looking forward to a world title unification fight while the

6:44 PM 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 Jamel Herring sent Carl Frampton into retirement with a sixth-round TKO win in a third defense of his WBO world junior lightweight title Saturday.

8:31 PM ET Budding lightweight contender Ryan Garcia and former champion Javier Fortuna have agreed to terms on a fight this summer, a source confirmed to ESPN. In March, the WBC ordered Garcia to fight Fortuna in a defense of the WBC’s interim lightweight title. The winner will likely be in contention to face Devin

7:46 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 Carl Frampton believes beating WBO junior lightweight world titlist Jamel Herring on Saturday would make him the best boxer in Irish history. The Northern

5:13 PM ET WBC world lightweight champion Devin Haney will defend his title against Jorge Linares in Las Vegas on May 29. The 22-year-old Haney (25-0, 15 KO) will make his third title defense after unanimous decision wins over Alfredo Santiago and Yuriorkis Gamboa in November, 2020. He won the belt by defeating Zaur Abdullaev

5:40 PM ET Former four-division world champion Juan Manuel Marquez is planning a return to the ring against fellow former four-division champ Miguel Cotto in an exhibition match on June 12 in Miami, a source confirmed to ESPN. Even as an exhibition, Cotto-Marquez will add to the rich boxing rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico.

12:36 PM ET Former UFC champion Anderson Silva will face former middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a 10-round boxing match on June 19 at Jalisco Stadium in Jalisco, Mexico, promoters confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday. Promoter Saul Rios says the fight will take place at 180 pounds. This will be Silva’s third