Table of contents for 18 December 2025 in Boxing News

HUMANS are creatures of habit. We have our favourite things and our favourite places, and often these are in combination. Boxing News, for so many of you – and for me – has provided a weekly ritual, as familiar as a Sunday roast or a payday pint. Whether it’s dropped through your letterbox or you’ve picked it up from the shops, it’s been a way into the weekend. Some like to plough through the magazine in a single sitting. Others might head straight to previews to whet the appetite for that week’s fights, and read the rest later. Or it might be your companion on a commute, or a before-bed staple. I’ve heard from London cabbies who keep a copy on the passenger seat so they can reach for it…

BRITAIN’S WBA featherweight champion, Nick Ball, will defend against American Brandon Figueroa in front of his home fans in February. In what will be his fourth defence, Ball meets Figueroa in Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena on February 7, with the show promoted by Frank Warren’s Queensberry. Figueroa (26-2-1, 19 KOs), from Weslaco, Texas, is a former two-time world champion and is arguably the biggest threat yet to Ball’s reign, which began in June 2024. For that reason, and due to him boasting a 7ins height advantage over the 5ft 2ins Ball (23-0-1, 13 KOs), the promotion has been given the tagline ‘A Tall Order’.…

TWO BIG heavyweight bouts, two dramatic come-from-behind victories. No doubt about it, Fabio Wardley is our panel’s pick. Wardley, on home ground at Ipswich in June, looked booked for defeat after nine rounds against Australia’s Justis Huni. He just couldn’t seem to get started. Huni had been winning round after round, rattling off combinations, befuddling Wardley with his handspeed. But, with time running out, Wardley found the punch he had been looking for; a big right hand dropping Huni heavily in the 10th round. Just like that, the fight was over. Perhaps Huni got too confident and started taking needless chances. But Wardley deserves a ton of credit for having the ring IQ to punch with Huni at the exact-right time and land the one-punch winner. And then Wardley faced…

THE EVER-PRESENT possibility of a single punch that changes an entire fight – maybe even an entire career – is what separates boxing from almost every other sport. While other sports are exciting in other ways, sometimes outcomes become formalities well before the finishing line, final whistle or flag. A football team will not overhaul a five-goal deficit with five minutes on the clock. A runner or racecar driver will not go from last place to first in the final lap. But in boxing, you really can undo a mathematically unsalvageable points deficit with one swipe of a fist. Fighting in front of his hometown fans at Ipswich Town FC’s home ground, heavyweight Fabio Wardley was hopelessly behind on points entering the 10th round of his June encounter with Australian…

The star ratings indicate how well the writer believes the fighters match up, the fight(s)’ contextual significance, and how good the fight(s) will be JOSHUA VS PAUL WHERE Kaseya Center, Miami WHEN Friday, December 19 WATCH Netflix from 9.45pm JAKE PAUL finds himself in an unenviable position – well, as unenviable as any position can be when it’s set to pay you tens of millions of dollars. It’s a position probably shared by only two other boxers in the history of heavyweight boxing, namely John Emmen and Peter McNeeley. What all three of those men share is the dubious distinction of heading into a huge fight with the majority of fans not only expecting them to lose inside one round, but actually wanting them to. While a quick finish to any…

MAIN EVENT MASAMICHI YABUKI headlines in Tokoname, Japan, on December 27, defending his IBF flyweight title. Challenger Felix Alvarado fell short in his bid at becoming a two-weight champion against Sunny Edwards in 2022. And now, the 36-year-old bids to join fellow Nicaraguans Alexis Arguello, Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez and Rosendo Alvarez by securing multi-division champion status. Yabuki (18-4, 17 KOs), meanwhile, recovered from a torn Achilles tendon and a torn pelvis, both over a two-year spell, to dethrone Sivenathi Nontshinga for the IBF light-flyweight title. He followed that win last year by claiming a third world title against Angel Ayala Lardizabal, but now looks to secure unifications with Anthony Olascuaga and Ricardo Sandoval. Alvarado (42-4, 35 KOs) must confront a champion who has developed a habit of finding solutions under…

ORLANDO DECEMBER 13 WHOLE SHOW JASMINE ARTIGA made a second defence of her WBA super-flyweight title when she outpointed tough Italian Stephanie Silva over 10 rounds. The three scoring officials all saw the fight in favour of the American, two by scores of 99-91 and 97-93, while one judge gave Artiga every round with a 100-90 verdict, which seemed a little generous. There was drama on the scales at the weigh-in when Silva failed to make super-flyweight. The Italian weighed in at 119½lbs, well above the 115lbs limit, with Artiga comfortably inside it at 113¼lbs. Silva cited a recent hospital stay for coming in overweight. As a consequence, Silva was ineligible to win the WBA bauble. She told Boxing News: “Unfortunately, two days before the fight I had an intestinal…

WOODFORD GREEN DECEMBER 13 WHOLE SHOW IT WAS The Nightmare Before Christmas for Chris Kongo as he shockingly found himself on the recieving end of a first-round finish against journeyman Elliot Eboige. Bermondsey’s Kongo (17-4, 7 KOs, 163½lbs) dominated the opener until Manchester’s Eboigbe (2-18, 164lbs) fired one back while under pressure and took him out, with Mark Bates’ count completing after the bell at 3-09. For much of the Evangelou Costas-promoted card, this was a proper Christmas cracker, driven by local fighters and a raucous home crowd reacting to every fierce exchange. Charlie Senior (3-0, 1 KO, 134½lbs) arrived late at Sir James Hawkey Hall but left quickly, stopping Ally B Lubanja (6-6-3, 1 KO, 134lbs) of Tanzania in just 59 seconds, with referee Rocky Israel stepping in. Lubanja tried…

IN 1944, the future editor of Boxing News, Gilbert Odd, published a small booklet entitled The Boxer’s Annual. In 64 pages he listed, within a section on amateur boxing, every ABA champion, a complete list of the amateur champions for Wales and Scotland, and the same for Army, Navy and RAF. He also listed every contest for the World and the British title. The proprietors of Boxing News evidently thought this to be a good idea, for Odd’s booklet became the forerunner of the Boxing News Annual, published every year between 1945 and 1984. There are some sports for which statistics, facts and figures, numbers and the precise records are an integral, essential and highly valued facet of the sport and its history and tradition. Cricket is the prime example…

A VERY happy Christmas to all ex-boxers and EBA members. And my sincere thanks to everyone who, during this past year, has kept me supplied with newsletters, questions and reminiscences – all so vital for keeping this column going. Sadly, some EBAs no longer produce newsletters – Leicester and Leeds are two that come to mind. Theirs were always full of interest. On the bright side, both Brighton and Merseyside have restarted theirs, after a hiatus – which is good news. If your EBA doesn’t produce one, do contact me with your news – how your meeting went, who was there, what social events you’ve got planned. As you will have read, from next month BN will be going monthly. A big change, indeed – but I can assure you…

THIS IS the week the Boxing News team brings you its year-end awards. But what of some categories not covered? Allow me to offer some personal picks to fill in the gaps. Upset king of 2025: That’s got to be Liverpool’s Jazza Dickens, who pulled off two pretty big surprises. First, Dickens used his southpaw savvy and ring generalship to win a unanimous 10-round decision over Zelfa Barrett on his opponent’s home ground in Manchester on February 15. Dickens was a 4/1 underdog, but the bout wasn’t even close on two of the cards, 97-93 and 97-93 again, while the third judge had it 96-94. As is often the case with Jazza, he got a bit marked up under his left eye. For the most part, though, he was hitting…

THERE is always the red flag that tells us to proceed with caution and to not fully evaluate a boxer’s greatness until their career is over, because just one fight can alter opinions greatly. However, in the case of Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford, we can be forgiven for not fully subscribing to that theory. For years, Crawford occupied a spot at the very top or close to it on virtually everyone’s pound-for-pound list. But, at the same time, comparisons of him to the greats of the past were virtually nonexistent. For a time, more than a minority questioned whether Crawford was even the best welterweight in the world, with many bestowing that honour on fellow divisional champion Errol Spence Jr. When they finally put their names on the contract to box on…

UNDERCARD SAY WHAT you will about Jake Paul and his eight-rounder against Anthony Joshua, but there’s no doubt the ‘Problem Child’ has been a strong advocate for women’s boxing. So, it’s not surprising that Friday’s Miami undercard is topped by three women’s title fights. In the chief support, Alycia ‘The Bomb’ Baumgardner defends her WBA, IBF and WBO 130lbs titles against Quebec’s Leila Beaudoin. Britain’s Caroline Dubois puts her WBC lightweight title on the line against Camilla Panatta, an Italian woman who moved to West Palm Beach in Florida, although she’s done most of her boxing in Mexico. And in the third title fight, Australia’s Cherneka Johnson defends her undisputed bantamweight championship against Amanda Galle, an undefeated challenger from the Toronto suburb of Mississauga, Ontario. Baumgardner vs Beaudoin is especially interesting because it…

WHOLE SHOW WHERE Barclays Center, Brooklyn WHEN Saturday, January 10 WATCH PPV.com from 1am HERE WE go again, previewing a fight which, in any world of moral integrity and reasonable judgement, would simply not be permitted to take place. Such values, however, remain practically impossible to find in boxing, where each decision, no matter how bonkers it may seem, is able to creep over the line without any real scrutiny. It should come as no great surprise, then, that Subriel Matias, who failed a Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) test last month, has not only been cleared to keep hold of his WBC super-lightweight title but will also defend it against Dalton Smith on January 10. This, indeed, is problematic for a number of reasons. Matias may have only returned trace…

MAIN EVENT AMANDA SERRANO and Erika Cruz will head to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for their featherweight rematch on January 3. WBO and WBA champion Serrano beat her foe in 2023, delivering one of the great female fights of the modern era. But despite ‘The Real Deal’ winning a wide decision, the scores hardly told the full story of their thrilling encounter. Their rematch will be decided over 10 three-minute rounds, and it will be interesting to see if the longer duration favours the younger, fresher challenger. At 37, Serrano (47-4-1, 31KOs), who is coming off two straight defeats to Katie Taylor, could finally be starting to fade. She was strangely lethargic against Taylor in July. Was that just a night where she got her tactics badly wrong? If Cruz…

WHOLE SHOW QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS will branch out into continental Europe in 2026, starting with a trip to Oberhausen in Germany, where Agit Kabayel headlines against Damian Knyba on January 10. Frank Warren also looks set to venture into France next year, having recently added exciting super-welterweight Bakary Samake to the stable. But Poland’s 6ft 7ins Knyba is the man tasked with destabilising Warren’s European expansion, taking on Kabayel, who stands 4ins shorter. With heavyweight world title shots scarce, Kabayel’s position as WBC ‘interim’ titlist keeps him firmly in the conversation – and the decision to fight at home makes perfect sense, with the Rudolf Weber-Arena expected to be sold out. After years of routine matchmaking, Kabayel (26-0, 18 KOs) burst into the wider consciousness under Riyadh Season, stringing together an…

Reporters’ star ratings for main events and undercards are based on in-ring entertainment, competitiveness and whether overall expectation was met STOCKTON DECEMBER 13 MAIN EVENT UNDERCARD DIEGO PACHECO was in command early in his super-middleweight main event with Kevin Lele Sadjo, using his height and reach to bank the opening rounds. Sadjo’s winging hooks and relentless forward march were largely smothered, though persistent holding began to sap the fight of rhythm and urgency. Sadjo, who trailed on the BN scorecard after four, found a foothold in the fifth when an overhand right pierced Pacheco’s guard and briefly lifted the crowd. Pacheco (25-0, 18 KOs, 167¼lbs) responded by digging to the body but, by the sixth, began leaving himself exposed down the middle. His head movement was minimal and, although Sadjo…

DUBAI DECEMBER 12 WHOLE SHOW MURAT GASSIEV tapped into some of the best form of his cruiserweight days to score his best win as a heavyweight, knocking out Kubrat Pulev in round six. Gassiev had been a standout cruiser, holding the IBF title and going all the way to the finals of the World Boxing Super Series – and an undisputed showdown with Oleksandr Usyk – in 2018. Usyk is now the real world champion at heavyweight – regardless of what the WBO and WBA (more on that later) may say – and won’t have been too concerned with Friday’s events inside the Duty Free Tennis Stadium. But still, Gassiev’s win positions him nicely among the fringe contender ranks in the title shakeup post-Usyk, who turns 39 next month and…

NORTHAMPTON DECEMBER 12 MAIN EVENT ATMOSPHERE SEAN BRUCE retained his Midlands Area super-flyweight title after a torrid 10 rounds, claiming a decisive 97-92 score by referee Chris Dean. It was a mixture of his accurate, nagging southpaw jabs, and targeting local man Nico Michael’s ribcage, that saw him move to 7-2 and take the belt back to Leicester. Forgoing the early rounds, Nico, who falls to 8-1, switched between stances with some success, despite still eating Sean’s jabs, and as they locked horns centre-ring, Nico got close and nicked a couple of rounds. Midway through their fight, Sean once again had success, his double jabs and left hooks leaving Nico marked above and below his optics, and this only continued as Bruce targeted Michael’s body; it was only the challenger’s…

Answers on page 82 ACROSS 1 Two-time IBF champ from the ’90s, with a combined 18 defences. (9,3,7) 13 P4P Monster. (5,5) 15 Became the manager of Sheffield’s Prince. (5,5) 18 ’90s WBO champ Regilio. (4) 19 As per 36 across. 20 Three-time cruiserweight world title challenger from Canada. (4,6,5) 23 Put in the effort. (3) 24 Machine linked to former super-bantam champ Kenny Mitchell? (3) 25 McGregor: winner of first man vs woman professional contest. (8) 26 South African two-time super-featherweight champ. (7,7) 29 1970s heavyweights: a golden time? (3) 30 Location for one of Moneys exhibitions since retiring. (1,1,1) 31 Prograis: two-time 10st champion. (5) 32 Former Commonwealth cruiserweight champion. (4,8) 35 Location of The Hitman’s pro debut. (6) 36 The infamous bite target of 1997. (3) 37…

THERE are a few immediate similarities between Jazza Dickens and Dennis Andries. They are unfashionable, their best fights have mostly gone under the radar, they fight in the shadows of big names, and they just get on with business. Andries famously slipped through Heathrow airport with his WBC light-heavyweight belt in a plastic bag. He had just regained the world title and, at the very same time, Frank Bruno was being mobbed after his first loss to Mike Tyson. Their fights were separated by just four days; their careers were on different planets. It was a clash of styles, I guess. Andries, the ‘Hackney Rock’, and ‘Our Frank’ – one a champion, one a loser. One in a limo with paparazzi snapping away through the tinted glass and the other…

NOT CONTENT with remaining one of the world’s biggest promoters at age 73 and nearing his 45th anniversary in boxing, Frank Warren has announced a move into an entirely different sport. The Queensberry boss has partnered with The Jockey Club, Britain’s biggest horseracing promoter, and together they will put on the Betfred Derby Festival at Epsom Downs Racecourse on June 5-6. The Jockey Club reached out to Queenberry to “drive attendance and engagement with the local community” ahead of one of the top events on the racing calendar, having been impressed by the scale and spectacle of Warren’s boxing shows. A joint statement issued on Friday said: “Well, it looks like we’re off to the races. Queensberry and The Jockey Club today announces an exciting new partnership to help promote…

OUR INTERNATIONAL Fighter of the Year award goes to Terence Crawford. ‘Bud’ only boxed once in 2025, the win over Canelo Alvarez – but what a win it was. Canelo was the slight betting favourite in the superfight that took place in Las Vegas in September. Crawford’s last fight had been at 154lbs. Now, he was moving up two weight divisions, to 168lbs. The usual tropes were trotted out: Size matters. A good big man beats a good little man. There are weight divisions for a reason. Ha! Don’t tell any of that to ‘Bud’ Crawford. Crawford was masterful. He boxed a cool, composed, disciplined fight. And, at a tad under 168lbs, he didn’t look undersized. His frame had filled out, which spoke of long hours in the gym working…

INOUE vs PICASSO NAKATANI vs HERNANDEZ WHERE Mohammed Abdo Arena, Riyadh WHEN Saturday, December 27 WATCH DAZN from 8.00am OUTSIDE of tournaments, the ‘semi-final’ in boxing is a superfluous concept, and sometimes even a risky one. The idea is to make two fights to increase anticipation for a further fight between the winners – but only so long as the “right” boxers win. That was the thinking when Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins engaged in dual middleweight title fights in June 2004: Have them both win, and then stage an undisputed showdown three months later. That happened, though De La Hoya struggled with his side of the deal, scraping home against WBO titleholder Felix Sturm for a decision that many felt had more than a touch of home-cooking…

MAIN EVENT QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS will branch out into continental Europe in 2026, starting with a trip to Oberhausen in Germany, where Agit Kabayel headlines against Damian Knyba on January 10. Frank Warren also looks set to venture into France next year, having recently added exciting super-welterweight Bakary Samake to the stable. But Poland’s 6ft 7ins Knyba is the man tasked with destabilising Warren’s European expansion, taking on Kabayel, who stands 4ins shorter. With heavyweight world title shots scarce, Kabayel’s position as WBC ‘interim’ titlist keeps him firmly in the conversation – and the decision to fight at home makes perfect sense, with the Rudolf Weber-Arena expected to be sold out. After years of routine matchmaking, Kabayel (26-0, 18 KOs) burst into the wider consciousness under Riyadh Season, stringing together an…

MAIN EVENT BOXXER started their embryonic relationship alongside the BBC with a compelling domestic clash, and their second offering looks set to follow in the same fashion. Despite the usual online negativity from the usual suspects, who try to justify their own self-importance, I thought Ben Shalom and Boxxer had a good first night on terrestrial TV last month. The British heavyweight title fight between Frazer Clarke and Jeamie TKV served up everything that was needed to satisfy all concerned – and I believe they will have another night to remember this weekend. Deliver good fights, and the negative vibes should eventually subside. On Saturday night, live on BBC Three and iPlayer from 7.30pm, Callum Simpson will defend his British, Commonwealth, and European super-middleweight titles against tried and tested English champion…

WHOLE SHOW LONG BEFORE the first bell sounds at the Legon Sports Stadium in Accra, both Craig Richards and Dan Azeez will understand exactly what is at stake. For the two London light-heavyweight stalwarts, this can’t be just a memorable away day. It must become a turning point at a stage in their careers where another defeat will leave uncomfortable uncertainty on their shoulders before they leave Ghana for the long flight home. Matchroom’s debut show in Africa is one for the history books, but for Richards and Azeez it represents something more personal: a golden opportunity to carry their careers into 2026 with renewed purpose. Richards has already enjoyed a revival after his impressive win over Padraig McCrory in March. Azeez, meanwhile, hopes his back-to-back six-round victories have served…

LOS ANGELES DECEMBER 13 MAIN EVENT YOU’LL no doubt recognise that old movie trope, when a veteran cop is on his last day before retirement and all hell breaks out on his beat. Life imitated art for referee Jerry Cantu when matters threatened to spin out of control midway through his final shift, a WBC cruiserweight title rematch between defending holder Badou Jack and ex-champ Norair Mikaeljan. It was a bad-tempered affair throughout, never more so than at the end of the eighth round, when the boxers brawled along the ropes well after the bell had sounded, forcing their corners to pile in and separate them. Moments before, Jack had had a point deducted for hitting on the break, with Mikaeljan having also been penalised for rabbit-punching a round earlier.…

CARDIFF 6-7 DECEMBER A STRONG England team overcame Wales 10-7 in a two-day encounter to become the first holders of the Tony Wynne Cup, honouring the long-time servant of Welsh amateur boxing. Perhaps the most eyecatching display from the visitors was that of Sheffield southpaw Eman Kargbo, a comparatively recent arrival on the scene. Two months ago, he clinched European Under-19 gold in only his eighth contest, halting two foes on the way, and his power was again on display at the Welsh Boxing Centre. Unfortunate recipient in this Youth 91kgs bout was Evan Adams from Cwmavon Hornets, who forced two stoppages himself to win the Welsh title in April. He held his own for the first couple of minutes before Kargbo, who turned 18 two days earlier, landed a…

THERE have been many instances since 1929 of members of the same family, brothers or cousins, winning an Area title. Up in the Northeast, where I live, the Cope family from Hartlepool have provided three brothers who have all won Northern Area titles within the past 11 years. Peter won at lightweight in 2014, Daniel at welterweight in 2026, and then Adam, also at lightweight, in 2022. The McKenzie family from Croydon have also found three winners in Lee, Clinton and Roger all winning Southern Area titles between 1984 and 1993. One of the most famous of all Welsh fighting families, the Moody brothers from Pontypridd, supplied another three Welsh Area champions during the 1930s, with Frank winning at light-heavyweight in 1930, Glen at middleweight in 1931 and Jack at…

Dec 18 RAMON CARDENAS vs ERIK ROBLES War Memorial Auditorium, Fort Lauderdale PROBOX TV Dec 19 ANTHONY JOSHUA vs JAKE PAUL Kaseya Center, Miami NETFLIX Alycia Baumgardner vs Leila Beaudoin (WBA, IBF and WBO super-featherweight titles) Cherneka Johnson vs Amanda Galle (WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO bantamweight titles) Caroline Dubois vs Camilla Panatta (WBC lightweight title) Yokasta Valle vs Yadira Bustillos (WBC strawweight title) Avious Griffin vs Justin Cardona Anderson Silva vs Tyrone Woodley LEONARDO MOSQUEA vs JEISON TRONCOSO Cayenne, French Guiana David Adeleye vs Patrick Korte Dec 20 CALLUM SIMPSON vs TROY WILLIAMSON First Direct Bank Arena, Leeds (British, European and Commonwealth super-middle weight titles) BBC THREE Elliott Whale vs Blair Cobbs WBC GRAND PRIX FINALS Riyadh DAZN Ahmed Krnjic vs Kevin Christopher Ramirez Derek Pomerleau vs Dylan Biggs Mujibillo Tursunov vs…

Across 1) Ratanapol Sor Vorapin. (9,3,7) 13) Naoya Inoue. (5,5) 15) Riath Hamed. (5,5) 18) Tuur. (4) 19) Ear. (3) 20) Dale Cowboy Brown. (4,6,5) 23) Try. (3) 24) Gun. (3) 25) Margaret. (8) 26) Malcolm Klassen. (7,7) 29) Era. (3) 30) Uae. (1,1,1) 31) Regis. (5) 32) Tony Conquest. (4,8) 35) Widnes. (6) 36) Ear. (3) 37) Hiroki. (6) 39) Drink. (5) 40) Iconic. (6) 43) Myron. (5) 44) Hand. (4) 45) Ali. (3) 46) Nj. (1,1) 48) Yung. (4) 50) Omaha. (5) 53) Jm. (1,1) 54) Nunn. (4) 55) Kidd. (4) 57) Pithie. (6) 58) Col. (3) 59) Chair. (5) 61) Ld. (1,1) 62) Benson. (6) 63) Virgil Quicksilver Hill. (6,11,4) 66) Aj. (1,1) 68) Uss. (1,1,1) 70) Lomachenko. (10) 72) Bobby. (5) 74) Aut. (3) 76) Two.…