Top Rank releases Keyshawn Davis after title-fight snub

Top Rank releases Keyshawn Davis after title-fight snub

Top Rank has released Keyshawn Davis from his promotional contract with one fight remaining, after the Olympic silver medalist asked to leave, Bob Arum told Joe Profit of the O.S.O.S. podcast. Arum said the company granted the request without pursuing legal action.

Davis turned down an offer of more than $2 million to challenge Devin Haney for the WBO welterweight title, despite Top Rank securing him a mandatory challenger spot. He has not fought since missing weight before a planned lightweight title defense against Edwin De Los Santos last year. Richardson Hitchins says negotiations for a proposed fight with Davis fell apart after Davis sought $6 million.

Davis is 15-0 and has not fought at 147 pounds, the weight class in which Top Rank positioned him as Haney’s mandatory. He has not announced his next move or a return date.

Dalton Smith to defend WBC title against Alberto Puello in Sheffield

Dalton Smith will make the first defense of his WBC super lightweight title against former champion Alberto Puello in Sheffield. Smith won the belt by stopping Subriel Matias in January 2026, and the bout will be his first title defense in his hometown.

Smith and Puello made weight ahead of the fight. The 12-round contest is scheduled for October 24 at Utilita Arena Sheffield, with the main card set to begin at 2 p.m. ET on DAZN.

Puello previously held the WBC title before losing it to Matias by majority decision. A win would give him the chance to reclaim the belt.

Shakur Stevenson’s manager says team wants partners who honor their word

Shakur Stevenson’s manager, James “J” Prince, said the team wants to move forward with people who “honor their word” after Stevenson was released by Zuffa Boxing without having fought for the promotion. Prince said the agreed purses were not the issue, and blamed the focus on negotiations with Devin Haney.

Prince said the camps had agreed to a 145-pound catchweight, and denied Haney’s claim that Stevenson sought a rehydration clause. Haney has said he agreed to 145 pounds but would not accept a rehydration restriction. The two sides have offered conflicting accounts of why talks broke down.

Zuffa granted Stevenson’s request for a release after it failed to finalize a viable matchup for him at 140 pounds. Stevenson had signed with the promotion in July, with an understanding he could fight from 135 to 147 pounds.

Filip Hrgovic says Moses Itauma was the best opponent he has faced

Filip Hrgovic called Moses Itauma the best boxer he has faced, citing Itauma’s speed, timing and ring IQ. Hrgovic said Itauma was not the hardest puncher he had encountered, naming Daniel Dubois, David Adeleye and Zhilei Zhang as fighters whose punches he felt more.

Hrgovic stopped Itauma in the ninth round to win the IBF heavyweight title, after Itauma had been ahead through eight rounds. Hrgovic was stopped by Dubois in the eighth round of their 2024 bout.

O’Shaquie Foster and Emanuel Navarrete set for title unification

O’Shaquie Foster is set to defend his WBC super featherweight title against Emanuel Navarrete in a unification bout. Navarrete holds the IBF and WBO titles, and the contest will also feature the vacant Ring Magazine belt.

Navarrete said becoming undisputed at super featherweight would be a major achievement. The fight is scheduled for San Antonio and will be shown on DAZN.

Paddy Donovan says he is in talks to fight Manny Pacquiao

Welterweight Paddy Donovan said his manager has contacted Manny Pacquiao’s team about a possible fight. Donovan described the matchup as a long shot and said he hopes to hear back, while promoter Eddie Hearn has said Joe Cordina agreed terms for a Pacquiao bout.

Pacquiao, 47, has been linked to the undercard of Tyson Fury’s proposed fight with Anthony Joshua on December 11 in Cardiff. Donovan, 27, last fought in September, stopping Tyrone McKenna in the fourth round.

Christian Mbilli open to a fight with Osleys Iglesias after Canelo bout

Christian Mbilli said he would consider a fight with IBF super middleweight champion Osleys Iglesias after his WBC title bout with Canelo Alvarez. Mbilli said he would prefer the matchup to be for the undisputed title, but noted that a possible rematch with Canelo could come first.

Iglesias called for a unification fight with the winner of Canelo-Mbilli after stopping Oliver Zaren in the seventh round. Canelo and Mbilli are scheduled to meet on October 31 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

David Haye says heavyweight division’s top spot is open

David Haye said Daniel Dubois is not clearly the world’s top heavyweight based only on his second-round stoppage of Fabio Wardley. Haye said Agit Kabayel and Filip Hrgovic also have claims, while noting Dubois’ win over Anthony Joshua strengthens his case.

Haye also said Wardley may struggle to stay at world level, criticizing his balance and lack of adjustments in the rematch with Dubois. He said Wardley’s toughness was not in question, but warned that continuing at the level could be bad for his health.

Derek Pomerleau wins comeback bout against John Michael Bianco

Derek Pomerleau returned from about 10 months out of the ring with a unanimous decision over John Michael Bianco in a 10-round contest. The judges scored it 96-94, 97-93 and 96-94.

The Canadian had last fought in the WBC Boxing Grand Prix final in December 2025, where he finished runner-up to Australia’s Dylan Biggs.

First finalists confirmed at PanAmerican Boxing Championships

Eight finalists were confirmed on the fifth day of the PanAmerican Boxing Confederation Continental Championships in Puebla, Mexico, after 24 contests across two sessions. The day included the remaining quarter-finals and the first semi-finals.

Among the athletes advancing to finals were Jajaira Gonzalez and Camila Camilo in the women’s 60kg, Isabella Winkler and Viviane Pereira in the women’s 70kg, and Isaiah Rock in the men’s 50kg.

World Boxing U19 Championships advance toward medal bouts

Competition continued in Budva, Montenegro, across several men’s and women’s divisions at the World Boxing U19 Championships. Russia’s Vladimir Orlov became the first confirmed medallist in the men’s 50kg, while Spain’s Pablo Souto also secured a medal in the men’s 65kg.

England’s Yashua Flemming reached the men’s 65kg semi-finals, and Azerbaijan’s Safdar Mammadzada and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Derkach advanced to the men’s plus-90kg semi-finals, guaranteeing themselves medals.

Ted Zale works toward recovery after spinal stroke

Ted Zale, owner and operator of Rock Steady Boxing Lansing, is undergoing rehabilitation after suffering a rare spinal stroke in September. WBC Cares visitor Frank Garza reported that Zale attends physical therapy three times a day at Mary Free Bed at University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Hospital.

Zale’s progress above the waist has been described as remarkable, while he continues working to regain use of his legs. Medical staff said his progress has been better than expected and that he could possibly be on his feet by the end of the month.

Sergio Mendoza stops Ricardo Sandoval to win WBC flyweight title

Sergio “Yoreme” Mendoza won the WBC flyweight title by stopping Ricardo “El Niño” Sandoval in the fifth round. Mendoza dropped Sandoval four times before the referee halted the bout.

Mendoza moved up from light flyweight for the bout. Ring Telmex-Telcel operational director Rogelio Herrera Echauri praised his performance after the title victory.

Albert Ramirez to challenge Sharabutdin Ataev for WBA title

Undefeated Albert Ramirez will face Sharabutdin Ataev for the vacant regular WBA light heavyweight title on December 12 at UMMC Arena in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The bout is scheduled as the co-main event of Dmitrii Bivol’s fight with Callum Smith and will air on DAZN.

Ramirez is 23-0 with 19 knockouts and holds the interim WBA title. Ataev is 10-0 and became the WBA’s mandatory challenger with a unanimous decision over former world champion Jose Uzcategui.