Boxing

7:50 AM ET The boxing schedule is filling up quickly for the second half of the year and already includes a number of interesting matchups. Anthony Joshua, with Robert Garcia now in his corner, is facing Oleksandr Usyk on Aug. 20 in a rematch for three heavyweight world titles. Is that fight a better matchup

12:54 PM ET Ramla Ali will make history next month when she faces Crystal Garcia Nova as part of the first professional women’s boxing match in Saudi Arabia on the undercard of the Anthony Joshua-Oleksandr Usyk heavyweight title fight in Jeddah on Aug. 20. It’s another first for Ali, a Muslim woman born in Somalia

9:43 PM ET A boxing card in Colombia on Aug. 13 featuring three WBC title fights, headlined by bridgerweight champion Oscar Rivas’ bout against Lukasz Rozanski, has been postponed, according to his promoter, Yvon Michel. Michel said no date has been finalized for a rescheduling of the fight, which was going to be Rivas’ debut

11:54 AM ET Stephen HolderESPN INDIANAPOLIS — Colts owner Jim Irsay made a major late-night acquisition at a hefty price tag. Irsay’s latest move wasn’t football-related. Instead, it is the newest addition to his growing historic collection: Muhammad Ali’s WBC championship belt won in the fighter’s 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” victory over George Foreman

5:03 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN The Devin Haney-George Kambosos rematch for the undisputed lightweight championship is being planned for Oct. 16 in Australia, sources tell ESPN, which will accommodate an ESPN prime-time telecast on Oct. 15. The bout could land at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, home of the Australian Open, but no site has been

7:53 AM ET Mike Coppinger 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 Unlike most other professional sports, trades do not happen in boxing. Boxing promoters sign fighters to their companies and promote their fights,

12:46 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Tyson Fury announced his retirement in April, but it doesn’t appear the heavyweight champion’s hiatus will last long. Since Fury’s sixth-round TKO win over Dillian Whyte in April in London, “The Gypsy King” has repeatedly flip-flopped between expressing his desire to fight again and remain retired. Earlier this summer, Fury

6:05 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN If 2021 was the year of the undisputed champion, then 2022 is shaping up as the year of the comeback. Several big-name boxers who suffered high-profile losses last year will compete for the first time in the second part of 2022. Others, like Danny Garcia, didn’t compete in 2021. Adrien

12:22 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Following a disappointing performance in April, Ryan Garcia impressed against a far better opponent on Saturday with a sixth-round knockout of Javier Fortuna in a 140-pound bout in Los Angeles. The 23-year-old star floored Fortuna in Rounds 4, 5 and 6, all the result of Garcia’s lightning-quick left hook. The

1:24 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Even though Ryan Garcia looked better than ever with a sixth-round KO of Javier Fortuna on Saturday in Los Angeles, it feels like we’re moving farther away from a super fight against Gervonta Davis. The impressive performance — knockdowns in Rounds 4, 5 and 6 — was Garcia’s second consecutive

7:43 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN The first half of 2022 in boxing delivered plenty of action — and surprises — but that simply served as a table setter for what shapes up as a far more impactful final six months filled with genuine superfights. Anthony Joshua will attempt to become a three-time heavyweight champion when

8:08 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 The Eubank-Benn rivalry may soon be reawakened as Chris Eubank Jr. and Conor Benn are being lined up to face each other in a

4:57 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Jermell Charlo will defend his undisputed junior middleweight championship against Tim Tszyu on Jan. 28, the challenger announced Tuesday on Instagram. The fight for all four 154-pound titles will take place in the United States, sources told ESPN. PBC, which is handling the event, owns network deals with Showtime and

7:37 AM ET Mikaela Mayer Ryan Garcia faces perhaps his most difficult challenge when he faces Javier Fortuna at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Saturday night (DAZN, 8 p.m. ET). For Garcia (22-0, 18 KO), of Victorville, California, and Fortuna (37-3-1, 26 KO), from the Dominican Republic, this 12-rounder is a rescheduling of a

4:05 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Jake Paul hopes his fight against Hasim Rahman Jr. on Aug. 6 in New York — his first against a boxer with professional experience — is the springboard to an eventual title reign for the social-media influencer. Paul, 25, told ESPN’s First Take on Tuesday that his “goal is to

7:08 PM ET Le’Veon Bell said Tuesday that he won’t be playing in the NFL this season as he shifts his focus to boxing. The running back made the announcement at a news conference held by Social Gloves to promote his upcoming fight against fellow star running back Adrian Peterson at Crypto.com Arena in Los

2:49 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez’s breakout 2022 campaign continues with a 115-pound title defense vs. Israel Gonzalez in the chief support bout to Canelo Alvarez-Gennadiy Golovkin 3 on Sept. 17 in Las Vegas, Matchroom Boxing announced Monday. Rodriguez (16-0 11 KOs) scored the biggest win of his budding career last month with

3:56 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Adrien Broner will meet Omar Figueroa in a junior welterweight bout on Aug. 20 in Hollywood, Florida, PBC announced on Monday. Alberto Puello fights Batyr Akhmedov for the WBA junior welterweight title vacated by Josh Taylor on the Showtime undercard, along with a WBA junior lightweight title bout between Roger