What to Know
- Boxing is taking a breather while the World Cup comes to a close, but it’s slowly coming back to life with several briefs starting this week.
- Matchroom Sport announced matchups for the July 25 Joshua vs Prenga undercard in Saudi Arabia on July 25.
- Zuffa Boxing’s latest signing is British fan favorite heavyweight Johnny Fisher.
Boxing’s brief summer pause around the world, as the World Cup commands fan attention, is coming to a close this week, beginning with several news announcements worth noting.
Joshua vs Prenga Undercard Fights Announced
Two world championship fights fill out the undercard for the event headlined by Anthony Joshua, returning against Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, July 25, titled “The Comeback.”
WBO World Super Middleweight champion Hamzah Sheeraz of Essex (23-0-1, 19 KOs) makes his first title defense against Simon Zachenhuber of Bayern, Germany (29-1, 18 KOs).
Sheeraz fought just two months ago in May on the Usyk vs Verhoeven card in Giza, Egypt, blowing out Alem Begic in two rounds. Zachenhuber has fought exclusively in Europe, mainly in Germany, with one exception. It was his upset decision loss to Pawel August in April on the Fury vs Makhmudov card at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
August’s win scored him a place on this undercard against Jacob Bank of Denmark (19-0, 11 KOs), who notched his place on the card with his own upset will over William Scull in January.
IBF World Super Welterweight champion Josh Kelly of Sunderland (18-1-1, 9 KOs) takes on challenger Caoimhin Agyarko of Belfast (18-0, 7 KOs). Like Sheeraz, Kelly makes his first title defense after a majority decision victory over Bakhram Murtazaliev in January.
Agyarko gets his first opportunity to challenge for a world title after his IBF title eliminator earlier this year was canceled at late notice. His last fight was a razor-thin decision over Ismael Davies in Belfast last September, a fight where Agyarko suffered a 12th-round knockdown but limped across the finish line to win.
In addition to the two title fights, fans will see Japanese featherweight prospect Reito Tsutsumi following up his prior appearance on the ‘Night of the Samurai’ card in Riyadh last December. Tsutsumi will face Alvino Herrera of Mexico, a battle of unbeaten featherweights.
Undefeated 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Nishant Dev of India and Olympic gold medalist Oleksandr Khyzhniak of Ukraine join the card, along with a trio of Saudi pros in Mohammed Alakel, Ziyad Almaayouf and Sultan Almohammed, all returning to action.
Fight Week begins on Wednesday, July 22 with the Grand Arrivals at Jeddah Yacht Club, followed by the official press conference on Thursday and the weigh-in on Friday at Jeddah Promenade. Both events will be streamed live worldwide on DAZN.
Zuffa Boxing Adds Heavyweight Johnny Fisher
British fan favorite heavyweight Johnny Fisher has signed an agreement with Zuffa Boxing. Fisher of London (14-1, 12 KOs) will debut in the main event of Zuffa Boxing 11 on Saturday, September 26, at Fisher’s home venue, the Copper Box Arena in London.
“The most exciting chapter of my professional career begins,” said Fisher in a statement. “Thank you to Dana White, Nick Khan, and the Zuffa Boxing team for this opportunity. Everything has led to this point. Bull Army, get ready to assemble. Bosh!”
The 27-year-old known as “The Romford Bull” is a fan-friendly knockout puncher who loves his public as much as they love him. Last May, Fisher suffered his first loss at the Copper Box in a shocking upset loss to Dave Allen, after winning their first fight five months earlier by split decision.
Fisher restarted his win streak with a fourth-round knockout of previously unbeaten Ivan Balaz last December. Fisher’s opponent for Zuffa Boxing 11 will be announced at a future date.
Will Floyd Mayweather and Mike Tyson Be In the Ring in September?
In the latest chapter of the soap opera starring Hall of Famer Floyd Mayweather, the promoter who sued to prevent Mayweather from fighting before its planned event with Mike Tyson now says in court filings it plans to put Mayweather in the ring with Tyson on Sept. 26 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, according to a new court filing.
CSI filed suit in federal court against Mayweather, claiming he took $4.65 million in advance payment for two fights against Tyson and Manny Pacquiao, but then backed out and scheduled an exhibition in Greece against Mike Zambidis on June 27. That fight didn’t take place, primarily because CSI went after Ticketmaster for selling tickets, and DAZN for scheduling a broadcast of the card.
CSI asked the court to grant an injunction stopping Mayweather from facing Mike Zambidis for a planned June 27 exhibition bout and preventing Mayweather from taking any fight other than against Tyson next with CSI, and for Mayweather to face Pacquiao — or another opponent of CSI’s approval — immediately after Tyson.
U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick directed CSI and Mayweather’s attorneys to discuss a possible settlement. This hasn’t happened, so the case is proceeding. CSI’s legal team has asked for an expedited hearing in New York, saying it is necessary if it is going to successfully pull off the September 26 fight. It has requested hearing dates the last week of August. Mayweather’s attorney David Jonelis has reportedly informed the court Mayweather is available between August 26 and 28.
In the letter filed with the court, the September 26 date at the American Airlines Center in Dallas is claimed to be “on hold” for the fight, and that Mike Tyson is willing and able to fight on that date. Stay tuned, and as we often say: do not make non-refundable travel plans in boxing.
New Weight Division Coming?
The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) is reportedly considering the addition of a new weight division: Light Cruiserweight. The proposed division would cover 175 to 185 pounds, between the current light heavyweight and cruiserweight limits.
The BBBofC sent out requests for comment, stating that the current 25-pound gap between light heavyweight and cruiserweight is the largest between all divisions in boxing.
The governing body might take notes from the World Boxing Council’s attempt to create the bridgerweight division, which the World Boxing Association calls the “super cruiserweight” division. It “bridges” (get it?) the 200-pound limit for cruiserweight and 225 pounds. But the division has struggled to gain a foothold or stage any marquee fights. Earlier this year after briefly joining the WBC, the WBA bowed out of recognizing a bridgerweight champion.
In its six-year existence, five men have held the WBC World Bridgerweight title: Oscar Rivas of Colombia, Lukasz Rozanski of Poland, Lawrence Okolie of England, Kevin Lerena of South Africa, and Ryan Merhy, born in the Ivory Coast and fighting out of Belgium. Merhy defeated Lerena for the title in May.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.
