Former eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao has become vice president of the International Boxing Association (IBA), the body barred from organising the sport at the Olympics said on Monday.

The 46-year-old Filipino, one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in boxing history, will work alongside Kremlin-linked President Umar Kremlev to develop athlete-first programmes to expand athlete opportunities.

The body was previously known as the Amateur International Boxing Association and ran the sport at the Olympics. After repeated warnings over financial, governance and ethical concerns, the International Olympic Committee severed links with AIBA ahead of the Tokyo Games in 2021.

At the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the competition will be run by World Boxing.

In an IBA press release after a meeting in Manila, Pacquiao praised Kremlev's "visionary leadership".

"The IBA has entered a golden era - an era where every boxer, from every country, can dream, fight, and succeed on equal terms," Pacquiao said.

"I am proud to join this mission - to make sure no young boxer is left behind, no champion is forgotten, and no nation is excluded."

The IBA said Pacquiao would play an active role in advancing the organisation's mission and values.

"I will dedicate myself to building bridges - between amateurs and professionals, between east and west, between generations and cultures," he said.

Pacquiao rose from a teenage street vendor to one of the greatest boxers of all time, spinning his fame into careers in politics and even singing.

Kazakhstan’s Gennady Golovkin will run as a candidate in the election for President of World Boxing, the former middleweight world champion said in a statement on Friday.

Former world champion Jean Pascal gets real on a Gennadiy Golovkin comeback, telling https://t.co/YweEjW35c4 that GGG is a legend, but "four years off at that level is huge."

His view: Any return is now strictly for the money, not the legacy.

Read the exclusive:… pic.twitter.com/mlV1MfuYuV

— World Boxing News (@WorldBoxingNews) October 24, 2025

Golovkin, once considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world and winner of a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, was appointed president of Kazakhstan’s National Olympic Committee in 2024.

He will run against Mariolis Charilaos, who was President of the Hellenic Boxing Federation from 2021 to 2025.

Current World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst said in September that he would not seek re-election, citing the relentless demands of leading the breakaway organisation and years of global travel as his reasons for stepping down.

On this day in 2019, Gennady Golovkin became middleweight world champion for the second time with a unanimous decision victory over Sergiy Derevyanchenko to claim the vacant IBF title at Madison Square Garden 👑 pic.twitter.com/zLCm1hzLOq

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) October 5, 2025

World Boxing, established in 2023, has replaced the Russian-led International Boxing Association as the sport’s global governing body after the IBA was stripped of recognition.

The new organisation faces the task of safeguarding boxing’s Olympic future following the 2024 Paris Games.

"Our mission for 2026 is clear: to achieve full IOC recognition and to guarantee our place in Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032," Golovkin said in a statement.

The 43-year-old, who retired from the ring three years ago, had a record of 345 wins from 350 fights as an amateur boxer before winning multiple middleweight world titles.

The vote for a new President will take place on November 23 during the World Boxing Congress in Rome, Italy.

Former boxing world champion Ricky Hatton was found hanged at his home, a coroner's court heard on Thursday as an inquest into his death was opened and adjourned.

The 46-year-old, nicknamed the "Hitman", was discovered "unresponsive" on September 14 by his manager Paul Speak at his house in Greater Manchester, Manchester South Coroner's Court was told.

The court heard details of the discovery of Hatton's body given by police coroner's officer Alison Catlow.

It was told that the former British fighter, who won world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight, was last seen by his family on September 12 when he appeared "well".

But the day after he did not attend an event as expected and on the morning of the 14th his manager arrived at his home to take him to Manchester Airport to catch a flight to Dubai. Hatton was found unresponsive.

"The provisional cause of death is given as hanging," said coroner Alison Mutch.

The inquest was adjourned until March 20 next year.

Last week, thousands of people lined the streets of Manchester for the funeral procession of Hatton, who was a popular, larger-than-life character.

Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, former England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney and former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury were among stars from the worlds of sport and entertainment at the service.

Hatton was candid about the mental health issues he faced after he retired from the ring for a second time following an ill-advised comeback attempt in 2012.

In a BBC interview in 2016, he described his struggles with drinking and drugs and revealed he had tried to take his own life several times.

Having participated in a no-scoring exhibition against Mexico's Marco Antonio Barrera in 2022, Hatton announced in July he would return to the ring in a professional bout in Dubai in December.

World super welterweight champion Sebastian Fundora suffered a bruised hand during a sparring session that forced the postponement of his scheduled title defence against fellow American Keith Thurman, promoters said on Friday.

Fundora was set to face Thurman on October 25 in Las Vegas for the World Boxing Council version of the 154-pound (69.9kg) crown.

No details on a new date for the fight were announced.

It was also not revealed which hand was injured.

Fundora, a 27-year-old southpaw, is 23-1-1 with 15 knockouts and was set to defend his title for the third time since taking it from Tim Tszyu in a 12-round split decision in March 2024.

His most recent fight was a seventh-round stoppage of Australian fighter Tszyu in a rematch last July.

Thurman, 36, is 31-1-1 with 23 knockouts. Since suffering his only career loss, to Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao by split decision in 2019, Thurman had fought only once in six years before stopping Brock Jarvis in the third round in March at Sydney, Australia.

Thurman had been the WBC and World Boxing Association welterweight champion in 2017 with a split decision over Danny Garcia in New York.

Oscar Collazo retained his WBA and WBO minimum weight world titles on Saturday with a seventh-round stoppage of Jayson Vayson, whose corner asked the referee to stop the bout as their man appeared ready to fight on.

Vayson, of the Philippines, was under pressure but still fighting when his assistant trainer stepped up to the ring apron and signaled for referee Thomas Taylor to call a halt to the bout in Indio, California.

Other members of Vayson's team appeared to disagree and Vayson looked shocked.

He said he wanted to keep fighting, but respected his corner's decision on behalf of his safety.

Puerto Rico's Collazo, who won his first 105-pound (48kg) title when he lifted the WBO belt in 2023, was credited with a knockdown when he caught Vayson near the neck late in the first round.

Vayson was effective in working Collazo's body in the fourth, but the champion was leading on all three judges' cards when the fight was stopped and improved to 13-0 with 10 knockouts.

Vayson, who was fighting in the United States for the first time, fell to 14-2 with one drawn, one no-contest and eight knockouts.

World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst will not seek re-election at the body's third annual Congress in November, citing the relentless demands of leading the breakaway organisation and years of global travel as his reasons for stepping down.

The former Dutch federation head was elected World Boxing's first president on a two-year term after the breakaway body was formed in 2023, tasked with the crucial mission of securing boxing's Olympic future beyond the 2024 Paris Games.

During his tenure, he oversaw World Boxing's expansion to over 120 national federations while also securing provisional recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), leading to boxing's reinstatement at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

"My time as president has been fulfilling and inspiring, but it has also been relentless," Van der Vorst wrote in a letter to the presidents of all of World Boxing's member national federations on Thursday.

"After years of global travel and the daily demands of building World Boxing from the ground up to meet the requirements of the IOC and other stakeholders, I have concluded that I will not commit to another term as president.

"World Boxing is firmly established and recognised, and it is time for new leadership to guide the organisation towards Dakar 2026 (Youth Olympics) and Los Angeles 2028."

Although World Boxing has supplanted the International Boxing Association (IBA) as the sport's global body after the Russian-led IBA was stripped of recognition by the IOC, it has not been without controversy.

World Boxing introduced mandatory sex testing for all boxers in its competitions in May in an announcement that targeted Paris Olympics gold medallist Imane Khelif, saying the Algerian would not be allowed to compete without undergoing the test.

Days later, Van der Vorst apologised for specifically naming Khelif in their announcement.

In a letter to the Algerian Boxing Federation president Abdelkader Abbas, Van der Vorst said World Boxing should have made a greater effort to protect Khelif's privacy.

Khelif has since appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against World Boxing's decision barring her from upcoming events.

French female boxers were also barred from competing at the inaugural World Boxing Championships in Liverpool earlier this month after failing to meet a deadline for the genetic sex test.

The French Boxing Federation (FFBoxe) said French law prohibits the federation from conducting the tests domestically or abroad without a medical prescription.

Chris Eubank Jr will have Terence Crawford's trainer Brian 'BoMac' McIntyre in his corner for the November 15 non-title middleweight rematch with fellow-Briton Conor Benn.

McIntyre helped American Crawford become undisputed super middleweight champion by beating Mexican Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in Las Vegas on Saturday.

The trainer attended a lively news conference at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday, the first time Eubank and Benn had come face to face since their fight at the same North London venue last April.

Eubank won that all-action clash on a unanimous points decision.

"I'm just happy to be here, to be part of a historic fight," said McIntyre, who has worked with Eubank previously and was arrested in 2023 at Manchester airport for having a gun in his suitcase.

"I believe it's going to be a little bit easier this time. For the simple fact, he already got his number."

Benn replied with a dismissive quip to Eubank: "I'm flattered that you brought a new trainer in, because you know you're going to need it."

Wednesday's press conference had plenty of anger and accusations but managed to avoid the infamous "egg-slap" that hit the headlines when they went head-to-head in February before their previous fight.

On that occasion Eubank slapped Benn with an egg, a reference to the son of former super-middleweight world champion Nigel Benn blaming egg contamination for two failed drugs tests. Eubank was subsequently fined £100 000.

Former world boxing champion Ricky Hatton has died aged 46, Britain's Press Association news agency reported on Sunday.

Hatton was found dead at his home in Hyde, northwest England. Greater Manchester Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious.

 

British boxing icon Ricky Hatton has died at the age of 46.

The multi-time world champion leaves behind a fantastic legacy.

Rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/O0qz2uw4Ia

— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) September 14, 2025

 

A police spokesperson said: "Officers were called by a member of the public to attend Bowlacre Road, Hyde, Tameside, at 6:45 am (5:45am GMT) today (Sunday) where they found the body of a 46-year-old man. There are not currently believed to be any suspicious circumstances.”

Hatton won world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight and his aggressive style made him one of the most popular British boxers of his generation.

He rose through amateur and domestic ranks before taking on world-class boxers in Kostya Tszyu, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

Hatton was also frank about the mental health problems he endured following his retirement from the ring.

In July, he announced would make a return to boxing in a professional bout against Eisa Al Dah in Dubai in December.

 

Today we lost not only one of Britain’s greatest boxers, but a friend, a mentor, a warrior, Ricky Hatton.

As fighters, we tell ourselves we’re strong — we train, we sweat, we take hits, we get up. But sometimes the hardest fight happens in silence, in the mind. Mental health… pic.twitter.com/JwSaYJe6XE

— Amir Khan (@amirkingkhan) September 14, 2025

 

Terence Crawford clinched a unanimous victory over Saul "Canelo" Alvarez to become the undisputed super middleweight champion in a thrilling contest at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday.

 

TERENCE CRAWFORD POST-FIGHT REACTION: "I told y'all I was gonna win."

#CaneloCrawford pic.twitter.com/fubIt9yGxK

— Netflix (@netflix) September 14, 2025

 

Crawford set the pace from the start with a measured display that showcased his incredible hand speed and precise footwork, as the judges scored the fight 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113 in favour of the American.

The victory made Crawford the first male boxer to be crowned an undisputed champion in three different weight classes.

"I'm not here by coincidence. Canelo is a great champion, I have to take my hat off to him. He's a great competitor and I have great respect for him. He fought like a champion," said Crawford, who was in tears after his win was announced.

Asked if he would fight again, he said: "I don't know, I have to sit down with my team and we'll talk about it.

"I want to say thank you to all the supporters and the haters. I appreciate you all. Shout out to my fans and those supporting Canelo. We get to go home to our children."

 

Terence Crawford just rewrote the history books ✍️

📸: Chris Unger/TKO Worldwide LLC via Getty Images pic.twitter.com/H8hwGqLBz4

— ESPN (@espn) September 14, 2025

 

With Alvarez and Crawford both having been recognised as the world's top pound-for-pound boxers in the past, the fight always promised to be a boxing master class.

The pair delivered an entertaining battle that had the more than 70 000 people in attendance and millions on Netflix watching with bated breath throughout the 12-round showcase.

Crawford, a former undisputed champion at both light welterweight and welterweight, as well as a four-division world champion, stepped up two weight classes for the bout.

He tipped the scales at a career-high 167.5 pounds (75.98 kg) at the weigh-in on Friday, exactly the same as Alvarez, but that step-up did not appear to affect his mobility.

BALANCING ACT

Keenly aware of his opponent's superior power, Crawford was the better boxer for much of the bout and expertly neutralised Alvarez's offence with a treacherous balancing act.

The 37-year-old maintained his distance as he flitted in and out of danger, landing flurries of blows on his opponent. The attritional assault by the smaller boxer put Alvarez on the back foot.

The Mexican champion connected with a few body shots early on but after being outboxed throughout the first half, he threw caution to the wind and retaliated with brute force in search of a knockout.

 

The resume of Terence "Bud" Crawford has been 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 over his 17 year career 🏆

- 41-0 (31 KOs)
- 4-division world champion
- 2-division undisputed champion (Jr. welterweight & welterweight)
- 19 straight title fight victories pic.twitter.com/S0CzNzpnJy

— Source of Boxing (@Sourceofboxing) September 13, 2025

 

That knockout never came.

If anything, Crawford only grew in confidence, landing devastating combinations and absorbing any punches that sneaked through his guard as he improved his record to 42-0 (31 KOs) and kept his remarkable unbeaten streak alive.

For Alvarez, there was pride even in defeat.

"I'm a winner for being here. The fact I'm here makes me a winner. I take risks and that's what I did," the 35-year-old said.

"I feel great to share the ring with great fighters like him. If we do it again, then it'll be great. I already accomplished a lot in boxing. My legacy is already there and I like taking risks because I love boxing."

On the undercard, Ireland's Callum Walsh beat Fernando Vargas Jr, while super middleweights Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez delivered a slugfest that ended in a draw.

Undisputed super middleweight world champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and American challenger Terence Crawford faced off for one last time before their blockbuster bout at a raucous ceremonial weigh-in on Friday.

 

Terence Crawford has the chance to make 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 tomorrow night by becoming the only man in the modern 4-belt era to become undisputed in 3 weight classes 👑

If Crawford can pull off the upset, does that cement him as the greatest fighter of this generation? pic.twitter.com/2UKM3tb9VJ

— Source of Boxing (@Sourceofboxing) September 12, 2025

 

Both were 167.5 pounds (75.9kg), half a pound under the supper middleweight limit, at the closed-door official weigh-in on Friday morning.

They then both tipped the scales at the same weight before around 10 000 fans at T-Mobile Arena hours later.

It was a career-high weight for Crawford, a four-division champion who is jumping up from super welterweight in the hope of becoming the first man to win undisputed titles in three weight classes.

Mexico's Alvarez, 35, and Crawford, 37, squared off for a staredown of several seconds before they were separated by Dana White, the mastermind of UFC who has teamed with Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Season to promote the fight that will be streamed globally by Netflix.

The event capped months of intense promotion for the fight by both boxers and White, a personal friend of US President Donald Trump, who aims to hold a mixed martial arts event at the White House in 2026.

"I've prepared for everything," Alvarez assured the partisan crowd there to back him on the weekend before Mexican Independence Day.

Alvarez is the only fighter to hold all four major belts in the super middleweight division.

He has fought at 168 or above for almost seven years and has won six fights in a row since stepping up to light heavyweight in May 2022 and losing a unanimous decision to Russian Dmitry Bivol.

 

CANELO AND CRAWFORD WEIGH IN 👀

Here. We. Go. pic.twitter.com/fglSLWUFA7

— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) September 13, 2025

 

Although it's been nearly four years since he scored a knockout, he'll go into the ring a favourite over Crawford – who had never fought above 147 pounds until last year when he weighed 153.5 in a unanimous decision victory over Israil Madrimov.

"I feel very good, I can't wait for tomorrow," Crawford said to boos from the stands.

Crawford 41-0 with 31 knockouts, has owned all four belts in the super lightweight and welterweight divisions.

"It's going to be close," Alberto Medina, who traveled with his family from Ensenada in Baja California, told AFP. "It will be decided by details because Crawford looks confident."

But Mexican American Mateo Diaz, a boxing enthusiast from Boise, Idaho, believes Crawford can make history.

"I think Crawford will win because of his superior skills," he said. "If in the early rounds it becomes clear he can withstand Canelo's punches, he'll make it to the end of the fight and win by decision."

Knockout or decision, Crawford said Thursday his aim is a clear victory.

"My focus is to go out there and do what I do best and that's win the fight decisively – and that's what I'm looking forward to doing come Saturday."

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez stands in the way of Terence Crawford's bid for boxing history Saturday when they clash in Las Vegas for Alvarez's undisputed super middleweight world title.

Crawford, a four-division champion, is jumping up two weight divisions in a bid to become the first male boxer to become an undisputed champion in three different categories.

Unbeaten with a record of 41-0 with 31 knockouts, Crawford previously claimed all four belts on offer at super lightweight and welterweight.

But the 37-year-old American will step into the ring at Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, an underdog against Mexican great Alvarez.

Alvarez, who owns a record of 63-2-2 with 39 knockouts, is also a four-division champ and the only fighter to claim a four-belt undisputed title at super middleweight – first in 2021 and again in May when he beat IBF champion William Scull by a unanimous points decision in Riyadh.

Although Crawford is actually a hair taller than Alvarez with a longer reach, the Mexican superstar's weight advantage is expected by many to be decisive, even though Crawford has visibly bulked up for the encounter.

The bout is being promoted by Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Season, which inked Alvarez to a four-fight deal that made him the latest in a growing list of boxers to flock to the kingdom for mega paydays.

Riyadh Season has teamed with UFC mastermind Dana White to promote the fight that will be streamed globally by Netflix.

"This fight for me is one of the biggest fights in my career," Alvarez said Thursday night at a press conference attended by thousands of fans at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

After nearly four years without a knockout win, Alvarez said he is looking for a decisive victory.

"I'll give it everything I have, and if the knockout comes, good," he said. "If not, I'm going to show why I'm the best.

Questions abound as to whether even a muscled-up Crawford will be able to hurt Alvarez.

The Mexican champion has looked a step slower in recent fights, but his counter-punching prowess could be dangerous if Crawford feels compelled to press the action.

Crawford said he wasn't concerned.

"I'm feeling great," he said. "I'm ready to go. Shock the world."

Crawford has embraced his underdog status, making a point of calling out his critics throughout the build-up to the fight.

'A LONG TIME COMING'

"I think people are underestimating everything about me," he said. "From what everybody says, I haven't fought anybody.

"It's been a long time coming, it's been long overdue," added Crawford of the spotlight on him this week.

"And come Saturday, I'm going to show the world what they've been missing out on."

Crawford is also ready for a pro-Alvarez crowd in Las Vegas the weekend before the Mexican Independence Day holiday on Tuesday.

One thing Crawford did not appear concerned about was the suggestion that popped up on social media this week that he is battling a shoulder injury.

He mocked the rumors when speaking to reporters.

"My shoulder is messed up, everyone," he said in response to a question about the rumors. "But don't tell Canelo."

Japan's unbeaten Naoya Inoue said he wants to prove he is boxing's pound-for-pound king against Uzbekistan's Murodjon Akhmadaliev on Sunday, hours after Canelo Alvarez squares off against Terence Crawford.

Inoue defends his undisputed super-bantamweight world titles in Nagoya against former two-belt champion Akhmadaliev, who has been described as the Japanese fighter's most dangerous opponent yet.

Inoue has a 30-0 record with 27 knockouts and became the first Japanese boxer to top Ring Magazine's prestigious pound-for-pound rankings as the best fighter across all weight divisions in 2022.

Mexico's undisputed super middleweight champion Alvarez puts his belts on the line against American Crawford, who is moving up two weight divisions for the bout in Las Vegas.

The fight has reopened debate over who is boxing's best pound-for-pound fighter and Inoue wants to make sure his name stays in the conversation.

"I'm looking forward to that fight but the fight I'm looking forward to more is Naoya Inoue v Akhmadaliev, and I'd like to concentrate on that," the 32-year-old said on Friday.

"I'd like to give a performance worthy of a pound-for-pound champion."

Inoue stopped American Ramon Cardenas in the eighth round in Las Vegas in his previous bout, the first time the boxer known as "Monster" had fought outside Japan in four years.

He was knocked down for only the second time in his career but climbed off the canvas to stop Cardenas.

Inoue was also knocked down in his win over Mexico's Luis Nery last year and the Japanese fighter said he had learned from his mistakes.

"I asked myself over and over why I had been knocked down twice and I know the answer," he said.

"It's precisely because I had that experience that I can turn it to my advantage in this fight."

Akhmadaliev won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics before embarking on a professional career that saw him hold the WBA and IBF super-bantamweight world titles between 2020 and 2023.

The 30-year-old, who has a 14-1 record with 11 KOs, beat Mexico's Luis Castillo in May.

Akhmadaliev said he had "not come to Japan for sightseeing".

"I came to win the belt and make history," he said. "I want to become world No 1."

Canelo Alvarez said he will deliver a great victory for Mexico when he puts his undisputed super middleweight title on the line against American Terence Crawford on Saturday in Las Vegas.

 

🤩 Terence Crawford v Canelo Alvarez goes down THIS WEEKEND. This is without a doubt the biggest boxing fight we’ve had in a long time.

Who wins? pic.twitter.com/llcbYCPEZH

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) September 8, 2025

 

Despite the fight happening on US soil, Alvarez's fans are expected to be in the majority at Allegiant Stadium due to the four-division world champion's massive popularity among the Nevada city's large Mexican population.

"I'm just feel grateful to them because they have supported me since day one," he told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.

"I just want to let them enjoy another victory for Mexico."

Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) is trying to become the first male boxer to be an undisputed champion in three weight classes and on Tuesday he told Reuters that the fight, which will be streamed live on Netflix, was the biggest in a decade.

Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) was quick to agree.

"It's big. If I'm not wrong it's the biggest fight in boxing now because of everything. It's Netflix. It's Mexico versus an American," he said.

"It's a very huge fight and I like to be involved in huge fights. I'm glad to be here and I'm ready."

 

Canelo Alvarez has never been knocked down in 67 professional fights and he’s always trained to strengthen his neck 😳pic.twitter.com/g90VnLggxP

— Boxing Kingdom (@BoxingKingdom14) September 9, 2025

 

Alvarez said he also welcomed the focus on elite competition over celebrity showcases.

Bouts featuring social media influencer-turned-prize fighter Jake Paul, like his one-sided victory over then 58-year-old former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson last year, have generated broad interest but criticised by boxing purists.

"There are events for everybody and that's good - it's entertainment - but this is a real fight," he said.

"This is two of the best fighters in this era fighting each other, so it's going to be a great fight."

He said the atmosphere inside the 65 000-capacity stadium, which opened on the famed Las Vegas Strip in 2020 and is home to the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, will be something special.

"It's going to be amazing. I already feel it," Alvarez said, describing the energy in the city since his arrival.

"The vibes, everything... I already see myself getting to the arena and getting into the ring. It's going to be something magic."

Alvarez said there could be only one winner.

"You are going to witness a great victory for Mexico," he said.

 

GRAND ARRIVAL 📍#CANELOcrawford #RiyadhSeason @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/9rpMoXAxxH

— Canelo Alvarez (@Canelo) September 10, 2025

 

Boxing chiefs on Friday pledged to redouble efforts to get their message across about newly introduced genetic sex tests after a row overshadowed the start of the world championships.

Twelve boxers have reportedly been barred from competing in Liverpool, including the five-member women's team from France, after they missed the deadline for test results to be submitted.

French Sports Minister Marie Barsacq described the decision as "inadmissible" and the French federation, FFBoxe, reacted angrily.

The BBC reported that another seven athletes, from the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Nigeria and the Philippines, were unable to compete.

Maelys Richol, one of the five French boxers affected, said she felt "frustration, anger and disappointment".

World Boxing blamed the national federations, saying they were given ample warning of the new policy, which was announced in May.

But acting secretary general Mike McAtee, speaking to AFP in Liverpool on Friday, the second day of the championships, struck a more conciliatory tone.

"Anything medical takes time," he said. "I'm old enough to remember when we started doing HIV testing and hepatitis testing. There is a slight learning curve, but now nobody thinks about it twice."

The American insisted World Boxing had communicated its new policy to officials at many levels, aware that many federations had staffing challenges.

World Boxing was only granted provisional recognition as the international federation governing the sport within the Olympic movement in February.

"We need to see how we can perform better, not only on eligibility, but everything else," said McAtee.

"We're an old sport in a very young body.

"So how do we make ourselves better, and how can we support? We have members like GB Boxing, England, Scotland, Wales, that have funding and are able to do it.

"And then we have other national federations that just don't have the funding. So we need to be able to do better in support of our members."

McAtee said that in future World Boxing would consider going straight to athletes over the testing requirements.

"Maybe we should also start contacting the boxers and say, 'Hey, remind your coaches, your team managers, your administrators'".

GENETIC TEST

Under World Boxing's policy, fighters over 18 who want to participate in the women's category need to take a one-off PCR (polymerase chain reaction) or medical equivalent genetic test.

It follows a gender row involving Algeria's Imane Khelif and Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting at last year's Paris Olympics.

The two athletes had been excluded from the International Boxing Association's (IBA's) 2023 world championships after that organisation said they had failed eligibility tests.

However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which stepped in to oversee boxing at the Paris Games, allowed them both to compete, saying they had been victims of "a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA". Both went on to win gold medals.

During the Games, both fighters were subjected to attacks on social media, rumours about their biological sex and disinformation.

The IOC leapt to their defence, saying they were born and raised as women, and have passports attesting to that.

Neither Khelif nor Lin are boxing in Liverpool, where boxers were reluctant to address the issue.

Taiwan's boxing association said Lin would not be competing despite reportedly submitting her test results.

Khelif has turned to sport's top court, the Court of Arbitration for Sport, to challenge World Boxing's gender testing policy.

It comes against a background of turmoil in amateur boxing in recent years.

The IOC severed links with the IBA in 2023 over financial, governance and ethical concerns. The IBA is led by the Kremlin-linked Russian Umar Kremlev.

Boxing was not even on the initial sports programme for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but McAtee said the amateur sport was now back on track.

"We're on path, we've already done site visits, we're having monthly meetings, and then we also have the Youth Olympic Games coming up next year in Dakar," he said.

"We're an international federation, and we're going to work every day, rolling up our sleeves and getting it done."

Undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya Inoue conceded Tuesday that Murodjon Akhmadaliev has power but said the Uzbek "missed the target" by claiming to be the better overall boxer ahead of their title fight.

Japan's undefeated Inoue is facing one of the most dangerous opponents of his career when he takes on Akhmadaliev on 14 September with all four belts on the line.

The 30-year-old Uzbek won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics before embarking on a professional career that saw him hold the WBA and IBF super-bantamweight world titles between 2020 and 2023.

Akhmadaliev, who has lost only once as a professional in 15 bouts, told reporters in Japan this week that he was a better overall fighter than Inoue.

"I saw that comment but I think he's missed the target a little there," Inoue, who has a 30-0 record with 27 knockouts, told reporters at an open workout at his gym in Yokohama.

"I definitely don't think I'm inferior in terms of overall strength. The only thing you could say that is intimidating about Akhmadaliev is his physicality and power."

Inoue stopped American Ramon Cardenas in the eighth round in Las Vegas in his previous bout, the first time the boxer known as "Monster" had fought outside Japan in four years.

He was knocked down for only the second time in his career but climbed off the canvas to stop Cardenas.

It was Inoue's fourth title defence since becoming undisputed super-bantamweight champion and his second of the year after knocking out South Korea's Kim Ye-joon in the fourth round in Tokyo in January.

Akhmadaliev (14-1, 11 KOs) beat Mexico's Luis Castillo in May.

"The theme I have in mind for this fight is to win in whatever way I can," said Inoue, 32.

"I'm not insisting that I win by KO – my only goal is to win."

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, at the centre of a row at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has turned to sport's top court to attempt to overturn the introduction of a gender test, the court said on Monday.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said in a statement that Khelif was challenging the global boxing federation's decision "that disallows the athlete's participation in upcoming World Boxing events without a preliminary genetic test".

Khelif was one of two boxers who sparked a gender eligibility furore at the Paris Games last year. The other was Taiwanese fighter Lin Yu-ting, who has been entered to compete at the world championships that start this week in Liverpool, England.

Both fighters won Olympic gold medals, but Khelif's opening bout, when she left her Italian opponent in tears, sparked criticism from a range of commentators including now-US Vice President JD Vance and "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling.

She filed her appeal on August 5, CAS said, seeking to overturn World Boxing's decision and allow her to enter competitions, including the world championships, "without a test".

However, CAS said that it had "dismissed a request to suspend the execution of the decision by World Boxing until the case is heard", meaning that she has almost no chance of competing in Liverpool if she does not take the test.

Both Khelif and Taiwan's Lin were subjected to attacks on social media, rumours about their biological sex and even disinformation during the Paris Games.

The debate about eligibility in women's sports categories has not just affected boxing but has also sucked in athletics and swimming.

In late May, World Boxing announced that it was introducing mandatory gender testing to determine the eligibility of male and female athletes wanting to take part in its competitions.

The governing body issued an apology the next week for having named Khelif in its statement about the new eligibility rules.

The genetic sex test was used at the Olympics between 1968 and 1996, after which it was abandoned.

In June, new International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry said the body would set up a gender working group and vowed to take a "scientific approach" to the inflammatory issue of eligibility for the female categories.

Khelif last month denied claims made by her former manager that she was putting her career on hold.

"I would like to make it clear to the public that the reports of my retirement from boxing are false," the 26-year-old wrote on Facebook.

She accused her former manager, Nasser Yesfah, of "betraying (her) trust and (her) country with his false and malicious statements".

"This person no longer represents me in any way," she said.

Jake Paul will fight the unbeaten Gervonta Davis on14 November at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia in a bout that will be streamed live on Netflix, promoters said on Wednesday.

Davis has been the WBA lightweight champion since Devin Haney vacated the belt in 2023, but the American's title will not be on the line against YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul due to the size difference between the two boxers.

Paul, a cruiserweight, weighed in at 199.4 pounds (90.45 kg) ahead of his win over Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in June, while Davis fought Lamont Roach at 133.8 pounds in March.

No details have been provided on the weight limit for the fight.

"Yes, he's one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world, but my motto is anyone, anytime, anyplace, against all odds. And I like my odds," Paul wrote on X.

Davis is undefeated in 31 fights as a professional, winning 30 and drawing one, while Paul has a record of 12 wins and one defeat.

Former champion boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has been detained in Mexico after deportation by the United States to face shock charges of involvement with a drug cartel, Mexican authorities said on Tuesday.

The son of boxing icon Julio Cesar Chavez stands accused of serving as a henchman for the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel, which Washington designated a foreign terrorist organisation this year, and of trafficking firearms and explosives.

Acccording to Mexican media, which claim to have had access to the case files, Chavez, 39, was allegedly a "hitman" used to punish members of the cartel.

"He hangs them (and) grabs them like a punching bag," the Reforma newspaper reported, citing testimony in the prosecutor's documents.

The Attorney General's Office has withheld details of the indictment.

Chavez was handed over Monday and transferred to a prison in Mexico's northwest Sonora state, according to information on the country's National Detention Registry.

"He was deported," President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters, adding there was an active arrest warrant for him in Mexico.

US authorities arrested Chavez in July for being in the United States illegally.

They also said he was wanted in Mexico for alleged ties to the Sinaloa cartel, one of six Mexican drug trafficking groups designated as terrorist organisations by the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees US immigration enforcement, said Chavez had entered the United States legally in 2023 on a tourist visa that was valid until February 2024.

He applied for permanent residency in April, 2024 "based on his marriage to a US citizen, who is connected to the Sinaloa Cartel through a prior relationship with the now-deceased son of the infamous cartel leader Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman," DHS said in its July 3 arrest announcement.

His extradition comes as US President Donald Trump cracks down on immigrants as part of a promise to deport millions of people.

BOXING LEGACY

Chavez's arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Los Angeles occured four days after his lopsided loss to YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul before a sell-out crowd in California.

Once a top-rated boxer, Chavez won the WBC middleweight world title in 2011 and successfully defended it three times.

But his career has also included multiple suspensions and fines for failed drug tests.

Homeland Security said that in addition to the active warrant in Mexico, Chavez had criminal convictions in the United States, including for possession of an assault weapon, in January 2024 in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Times reported at the time that police said they had found Chavez in possession of two AR-style hard-to-trace "ghost" rifles.

DHS in its announcement had expressed astonishment that the administration of Trump's predecessor Joe Biden had not prioritized Chavez's deportation.

"Under President Trump, no one is above the law – including world-famous athletes," DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in the announcement.

After his US arrest, the boxer's defense team sought to prevent his prosecution in Mexico by filing multiple legal appeals, which were rejected by the Mexican courts.

Julio Cesar Chavez Sr, now 63, was a world champion in three weight divisions, and held various title belts from 1984 to 1996.

A Japanese boxer is retiring to support his brother who has been in a coma since a bout in May, as the sport in the country reels from the deaths of two fighters.

Former WBC strawweight champion Yudai Shigeoka's brother Ginjiro collapsed after a fight in Osaka three months ago and underwent emergency brain surgery.

 

"It is my role as his brother to help color his life from now on."

Yudai Shigeoka has announced his retirement as his brother Ginjiro starts rehabilitation after suffering a bleed on the brain following his defeat to Pedro Taduran in May.

Full story: https://t.co/PUriWKbofp pic.twitter.com/RhdBS23eTH

— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) August 13, 2025

 

The 25-year-old remains in a coma but is no longer in a life-threatening condition, the Japan Boxing Commission says.

Ginjiro, a former IBF champion at the same weight who has a professional win-loss record of 11-2, was recently transferred to another hospital.

"I encourage him every day, telling him not to give up and to do his best, so that the flame in his heart does not go out," Yudai, 28, said in an Instagram post on Wednesday.

"I believe it is my role as his older brother to enrich his life from now on."

"Plans are progressing steadily. That is why I have decided to retire. I have no regrets. The real challenge begins from here on out," added Yudai, who has a 9-2 record.

 

Yudai Shigeoka announces retirement as brother Ginjiro remains in hospital

🔗 https://t.co/YFexka27T4 pic.twitter.com/BURED3Cn33

— Boxing News (@BoxingNewsED) August 13, 2025

 

Japanese boxing is under the spotlight after super featherweight Shigetoshi Kotari and lightweight Hiromasa Urakawa, both 28, died days after injuries they sustained in separate bouts in Tokyo on 2 August.

Japanese boxing officials held an emergency meeting this week and vowed to introduce new safety rules.

New measures to be implemented as soon as possible include urine tests for measuring dehydration and stricter rules on boxers' rapid weight loss, said Tsuyoshi Yasukochi, secretary-general of the JBC.

Ambulances will also be required on site, even for non-world championship bouts, something which is common practice in some other countries.

British rivals Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn will meet at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 15 November for an eagerly-awaited rematch of their non-title middleweight clash last April, organisers announced on Wednesday.

 

BREAKING: Chris Eubank Jr's rematch with Conor Benn is now set to take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 15 🚨 pic.twitter.com/MWYbSPPVHB

— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) August 6, 2025

 

Eubank won the first 12 round fight, an echo of a clash 35 years previously between their fathers Chris Eubank Sr and Nigel Benn, at the same North London venue by unanimous 116-112 points decision.

Ring Magazine, owned by Turki Alalshikh who chairs Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, reported the deal was completed on Tuesday and it would sponsor the "Unfinished Business" fight along with Riyadh Season.

Sela, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), will be the lead promoter. Ring said it believed the weight terms would remain the same.

"Back to Spurs we go for the GETBACK," Benn's promoter Eddie Hearn posted on Instagram.

A rematch had originally been pencilled in for September 20, but Eubank had said he would not be ready by that date.

 

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐍 😤@ChrisEubankJr & @ConorNigel will meet again on November 15 at @SpursStadium 🇬🇧 #EubankBenn2 | @RingMagazine | #RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/DXa5UIVqvF

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 6, 2025