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The Independent
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Biggest boxing upsets of 2025 so far: The nights no one saw coming
In a whirlwind stretch of high-stakes matchups and unexpected outcomes, boxing fans were treated to a series of jaw-dropping moments that turned the sport's hierarchy on its head. From the bright lights of Times Square to the fight-hardened rings of Glasgow, London, and Las Vegas, established names stumbled while hungry challengers seized the spotlight. Here is a look at the biggest upsets that boxing has seen so far this year. Ryan Garcia vs Rolly Romero Times Square, New York, 2 May – What was supposed to be a credible-yet-comfortable fight for Ryan Garcia to set up a rematch with Devin Haney morphed into an unexpected upset against an old rival in Rolly Romero. The two met on a historic, albeit lacklustre, card at Times Square, which also featured Devin Haney vs Jose Ramirez and Teofimo Lopez vs Arnold Barboza Jr. Turki Alalshikh made an informal deal that both Haney and Garcia had to win their fights to unlock the rematch they were both after. Their first fight was overturned to a No Contest after Garcia failed a drug test. Perhaps a victim of taking his eyes off his opponent and instead looking ahead to Haney, with whom he had been clashing all fight week, Garcia got dropped in the second round by a left hook from Romero. The shot did not genuinely hurt Garcia, but his initial eagerness to let his hands go had disappeared, which allowed Romero to take control of the fight and take a comfortable points win on all three scorecards: 115-112, 115-112, 118-109. The fight was expected to deliver fireworks, but Garcia's confidence was knocked out of him, and Romero claimed perhaps the biggest upset of the year so far. Josh Taylor vs Ekow Essuman Hydro Arena, Glasgow, 24 May – Josh Taylor made his first appearance at welterweight, hoping to reignite his career and become a two-weight world champion, after back-to-back losses to Teofimo Lopez and Jack Catterall at super-lightweight. His opponent, Ekow Essuman, was in rebuild mode after losing an upset of his own to Harry Scarff in 2023, jumping at the opportunity to have a name like Taylor's on his resume. Taylor was met with rapturous applause by his home crowd and certainly gave them something to cheer about in the opening rounds, pushing the pace and hurting Essuman, who found himself backed onto the ropes. But the former undisputed champion had his success stunted by a well-timed right hand that temporarily muted the Glasgow crowd. Still, Taylor continued to find success in his work rate, punctuated by pockets of work from the Nottingham fighter who looked to be weathering the storm well. The pace began to slow into the seventh round, and a clash of heads opened a cut above the left eye of Taylor, which seemed to add a heap of coal to 'The Engine'. Essuman continued to pile on the pressure and began to find a home for more of his shots as Taylor's stamina began to falter, heading into the championship rounds. The final two rounds would prove to be decisive for the scorecards, and Essuman found the extra 10 per cent that Taylor could not. The 36-year-old won via unanimous decision to claim the most important victory of his career against Britain's first and only undisputed champion in the four-belt era. The scorecards read 116-113, 116-112, 115-113. Watch over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters with a DAZN subscription. More information here. Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas, 31 May – Caleb Plant was looking to regain his momentum against a relative unknown in Resendiz, who had not yet fought at the level Plant had been operating at for years. After suffering defeat at the hands of David Benavidez and Canelo Alvarez in two of his last three fights, Plant had a comeback victory against Trevor McCumby before taking on Armando Resendiz. That match was supposed to be the prelude to a grudge match against Jermall Charlo, who fought and defeated Thomas LaManna on the same card. The fight was a close affair in the early goings as Plant used his jab and counter left hook to good effect, and Resendiz took the front foot, looking for hooks to the head and body. Plant's signature defensive skills seemed to be absent as he continued to get caught with heavy hooks from his more explosive opponent. The highlight of the fight came in the sixth round when Resendiz detonated a short right hand that wobbled Plant, who desperately tried to hang on, but got hit with two clean hooks before finally managing to get his arms around the Mexican. The jab was Plant's primary weapon, which he continued to score with throughout the fight, but he struggled to follow up, smothering his work, while Resendiz was able to get off some impressive shots on the inside. Plant said after the fight that he thought he had done enough to win, but Resendiz was the more imposing fighter, landing heavier and more eye-catching work to sway the judges in his favour for a split decision: 116-112, 116-112, 113-115. Skye Nicolson vs Tiara Brown Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, 22 March – Skye Nicolson was set up to defend her WBC featherweight strap for the third time against an unbeaten but untested Tiara Brown, in the hopes of getting a unification bout next. Nicolson had looked unbeatable, and one could argue had not lost a round since acquiring her green and gold belt in June 2024. Brown, a former police officer in Washington DC and Florida, had not fought for a world title, but had an infectious confidence that would help propel her towards one of the biggest upsets the female game has seen this year. The WBC champion made a bright start with her signature counter shots and foot movement to keep a charging Brown at bay. But this would not last for long as Brown was intelligent in cutting off the ring and throwing cuffing left hooks, as the Aussie southpaw tried to pivot away. This stifled Nicolson's movements and forced her to fight on the inside, which played into Brown's hands. She landed a high volume of body punches and right uppercuts to the champion, who looked uncomfortable up close. Brown used her unconventional footwork to her advantage, sliding between orthodox and southpaw to close the space down that Nicolson was desperate to find. Her unrelenting pressure and punching were something Nicolson had not yet faced and did not seem prepared for. Nicolson did land effective work but simply could not match Brown's output and lost a split decision: 94-96, 93-97 and 96-94. With that, Brown claimed an unlikely victory behind enemy lines to acquire her first world title. She collapsed in tears after the result was announced. Liam Smith vs Aaron McKenna Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, 28 April – Liam Smith was fighting for his career after suffering a knockout defeat to the event headliner Chris Eubank Jr in their rematch last year. He took on a young Irish prospect in Aaron McKenna, but many thought Smith's experience at the top level and resilience would be enough for him on the night. Smith knew he had to close the gap to the much taller McKenna and came out with a high guard, stalking the Irishman in the early going. But McKenna's youth and skill allowed him to rattle off sharp, fast combinations to Smith's head, which began to find the target through the Liverpudlian's defences much earlier than he would have liked. Even when Smith managed to close the distance, where he is usually so effective, he was coming off second best in the exchanges as McKenna sank in heavy hooks to the head and body. McKenna had the lead through the first six rounds but handed a lifeline to Smith when he had a point deducted for the use of his elbows. Still, the Irish prospect's dominance forced Smith onto the back foot, on the end of McKenna's lashing combinations, and in the 12th round, a left hook to the body dropped Smith to one knee. But such is Smith's bravery, proven time and time again, that he rose to his feet and threw the kitchen sink at McKenna. McKenna emerged as the shock victor, regardless, beating a bona fide world titlist and proving himself to be a legitimate contender, winning a unanimous decision: 119-108, 117-109 and 118-108.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Richardson Hitchins has the antidote to boring boxing
Richardson Hitchins put on one of the finest performances of 2025 in his Saturday victory over George Kambosos Jr. Richardson Hitchins showed Saturday that the science of boxing is rarely sweeter than when hit-and-don't-get-hit concepts are applied appropriately. There are plenty of recent instances when boxers have confused the above, have gotten the ratio all wrong, and have fought with a style that focuses less on hitting and more on just not getting hit. Period. Advertisement Against William Scull on May 3, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, the face of boxing, failed to land a jab in six of the 12 rounds, landed 56 shots in total, and the 152 punches he threw in the fight as a whole were the fewest for a 12-round bout in data-cruncher CompuBox's entire 40-year history. "Canelo" won, but it was one of the most forgettable fights of the modern age. That same weekend, Devin Haney and Jose Ramirez combined to produce one of the most boring bouts in boxing history, throwing a total of 503 punches between them — the sixth-fewest for a 12-round bout, per CompuBox. Haney earned the decision on the scorecards. Shakur Stevenson, meanwhile, has routinely faced criticisms that his performances against Robson Conceicao, Edwin de los Santos and Artem Harutyunyan over the past three years were tiresome, despite a winning result each time. It is perhaps this ongoing trend that prompted the sport's chief financier, Turki Alalshikh, to implore boxers to fight with more positive intent. Advertisement "I don't want to see any more Tom and Jerry-type boxing matches where one fighter is running around the ring, and the other is chasing him," Alalshikh proclaimed to his 7.1 million followers on X last week. "We can longer support these kinds of fights." While volume punchers like William Zepeda, Jesse Rodriguez and David Benavidez will presumably be exempt, together with knockout punchers like Naoya Inoue, Daniel Dubois and Gervonta Davis who also maximize excitement, Alalshikh's sentiment puts defensive maestros in a predicament. CompuBox rates some defensive wizards in boxing like Chris Eubank Jr., Dmitry Bivol and Terence Crawford, who typically limit their opponents to 6.5 punches landed per round, 6.8, and 7.7, respectively. But they do this while also exhibiting an exquisite attack. Advertisement It is time we add IBF super lightweight champion Hitchins to that list — especially after he finished George Kambosos Jr. in style. As CompuBox notes in data it sent to Uncrowned for this feature, Hitchins has been posting impressive numbers, both defensively and offensively, through his past four fights. Courtesy of CompuBox He's doubled the weight class average in key metrics at a time when his level of opposition keeps rising. In his past four bout, Hitchins averaged 34% punch accuracy with his jab (double the division average of 17%), while limiting his opponents to 7.9 punches per round (half the division average), during his wins over Kambosos, Liam Paro, Gustavo Lemos and Jose Zepeda. Advertisement Against Kambosos specifically, Hitchins appeared punch perfect, landed his ramrod jab, and showed incredible footwork from the beginning of the fight. He marked the eye of his Australian opponent, seemed to use less energy and made Kambosos miss before making him pay with power punches thrown from the pocket. He targeted the body, having studied Vasiliy Lomachenko's gameplan in the Ukrainian's win over Kambosos last year, and dug his left hand into Kambosos' ribs again and again. In the fifth round, the investment to the midsection paid dividends as Kambosos grimaced and reeled backward in pain, as Hitchins laid all kinds of punches onto the chin. Kambosos tried to give Hitchins work in a mid-fight comeback, but, really, it was the beginning of the end as the American leathered his jaw in the seventh with lunging left hooks thrown from the hip. Advertisement A body shot in the eighth, which he had teased throughout the fight, landed with such venom that Kambosos crumpled to the floor. The referee counted him out. It was all over. Hitchins got only the 8th knockout of his 20-fight career as a pro, his first since 2022, against arguably the biggest name he's ever been in the ring with. The victory was a crucial one because it reinforces Hitchins not only as a legitimate world champion, but also as an undefeated American capable of creating significant matches in the 140-pound division — potentially against the likes of his old amateur rival Gary Antuanne Russell, or fellow super lightweight world champion Teofimo Lopez. Advertisement Above all, though, it showed that one can still be a defensive master of their craft in boxing, while producing fan-friendly performances that will please even the fiercest of critics. It showed that Hitchins, and other fighters who can box, remain exciting — and have a lot to offer sports and entertainment. Though it remains to be seen whether Hitchins can repeat his Kambosos masterclass against an even bigger name like Lopez, few may bet against him when considering CompuBox's notes about Hitchins' exploits in recent years, which follow a clear theme. The Kambosos performance, you see, wasn't an exception. This is who Hitchins is — a fighter amongst the sweetest of the sport's new-age scientists.
BBC News
15-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Hitchins calls out Haney after title defence
Richardson Hitchins called out Devin Haney after claiming a dominant win over George Kambosos Jr to retain his IBF light-welterweight 27-year-old headlined a show in his hometown New York for the first time and stopped Kambosos with a left hook to the body in the eighth was making his first defence of the title he earned by beating Liam Paro in dominated throughout at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, landing a far greater number of blows than Kambosos, a former world champion at being floored in the eighth round, the Australian rose to his feet before the count of 10 but was still grimacing in pain and was unable to meant Hitchins extended his unbeaten record to 20-0, including eight knockouts."I've been telling the boxing world I was coming and they should have listened," he said."I told his [Kambosos'] dad: 'If you love your son, you'll stop the fight.' He was tough, a true competitor, but I was just the better man tonight."Kambosos shocked Teofimo Lopez at the same venue in 2021 to become the unified lightweight the 32-year-old then lost back-to-back fights to Haney and has now lost four of his past six fights for a 22-4 added: "I knew I had to go to some unsafe places to get some good shots off. I put myself in harm's way."He caught me with a couple of good shots, but they didn't hurt me, so I just went for the [finish]."WBO champion Lopez entered the ring after the fight but Hitchins called out the unbeaten Haney, who moved up to welterweight to beat Jose Ramirez last later said on X:, external "We could get it at 147 (welterweight)."Brighton fighter Adam Maca made his professional debut on the undercard and beat Rafael Castillo via a second-round knockout.
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Aussie boxer George Kambosos is told he 'won't make it out of New York alive' after violent press conference that saw him accused of faking $350,000 bet with opponent
George Kambosos Jnr has been warned he 'won't make it out of this city' in a chaotic prelude to his New York world title shot. The plucky Australian and former unified lightweight champion will look to go 3-0 at Madison Square Garden Theatre on Sunday (AEST) against IBF super lightweight strap-holder Richardson Hitchins. The pair were due to face off after their press conference on Friday - but that never happened after a series of altercations, including Hitchins' trainer lifting his stool and threatening to charge at Team Kambosos. Hitchins had earlier flashed what he claimed was $50,000 in Kambosos face and urged him to match the all-or-nothing bet, the Australian pushing him away and ripping open his shirt as security swarmed. Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn cancelled the face-off as Devin Haney 's father Bill piped up from the crowd to spark another slanging match with the American. Kambosos Jnr's father George Snr later claimed he had a physical altercation trying to protect himself from Hitchins' trainer, Lenny Wilson. And there will be no Face Off at the presser 🤯 #HitchinsKambosos | @DAZNBoxing — Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) June 12, 2025 In chaotic scenes, Hitchins' trainer lifted his stool (pictured) and threatened to charge at Team Kambosos at a press conference on Friday AEST 'F*** around and you won't make it out of this city,' Brooklyn native Hitchins warned Kambosos. 'F***ing bum, you (are) going to get it.' Kambosos claims he's already bet that much on himself at $7 odds to upset the American, who beat Australian champion Liam Paro in December to snatch the title. The drama plays into the hands of underdog Kambosos, who is returning to the site of his famous 2021 defeat of Teofimo Lopez. Kambosos is 2-0 at MSG and 5-0 in the United States. 'This is the trifecta,' said Kambosos, 22-3 (10 KOs), before the question-and-answer format of the event broke down. 'I'm coming here as the underdog. 'I'm coming to win this fight. You've seen it before, you've seen it in his eyes, whatever it takes, by any means. There is no Plan B.' Hitchins, 19-0 (7 KOs), was in the stadium the night Kambosos upset Lopez. 'This is what I've worked for my whole life,' he said. 'I remember coming to The Garden and watching Teofimo and Kambosos compete. 'I said, 'I can beat both of them guys. As soon as I get my opportunity, I'll be a world champion. I'll bring the championship back to the city.' 'New York had a lot of big fights through the years, but New York hasn't had their own since eight, 10 years ago.' Coverage with Main Event begins from 10:30am AEST on Sunday, June 15.
The Independent
12-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Turki Alalshikh reveals which type of fighters he wants for his Riyadh Season cards
Senior boxing figure Turki Alalshikh has declared that the Riyadh Season cards he overlooks in Saudi Arabia will only feature 'action' fighters. In a message posted to X/Twitter, Alalshikh said that he no longer wanted to defensive, movement-orientated boxing. Instead, he implied that he and the other organisers would orientate their shows towards fighters that provide excitement to fans. From this point on, I don't want to see any more Tom and Jerry-type boxing matches where one fighter is running around the ring and the other is chasing him. We can longer support these kind of fights with Riyadh Season and The Ring. We want to support fighters who leave it all… — TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) June 11, 2025 Alalshikh wrote: 'From this point on, I don't want to see any more Tom and Jerry-type boxing matches where one fighter is running around the ring and the other is chasing him. We can longer support these kind of fights with Riyadh Season and The Ring. We want to support fighters who leave it all in the ring and fight with heart and pride!' Catch all the latest boxing action on DAZN It was debated widely in the response that Alalshikh was referring to recent fights involving Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson, and William Scull. All three fighters have fought recently on Alalshikh cards within Saudi Arabia and the US in performances that were, to many, disappointing. Haney fought on 2 May at the Times Square card in New York, winning a wide decision over Jose Carlos Ramirez. Meanwhile, Stevenson beat Josh Padley in nine rounds in Riyadh in February (he is also set to fight the undefeated William Zepeda Segura next month in New York) and Scull faced Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez in a disappointing Riyadh fight last month. Bill Haney reacts to the assumption that Turki Alalshikh tweet of basically Banning Runners from future Riyadh Season and Ring Magazine Cards, was talking about Devin Haney. [Wrapstar Boxing Knowledge YT🎥] — PUNSH DRUNK (@MrMoonshine10) June 11, 2025 Despite this, Bill Haney, the father and coach of Devin Haney, has said in an interview that Alalshikh's remarks did not apply to his son. Haney said: 'The only thing I can say is that he is not talking about Devin Haney. We just had a deal on the table for Teofimo Lopez. Quite a bit of money, a handsome ransom, for a night's work. We had a deal on the deal. Right now, that deal is probably still on the table for Teofimo Lopez. So, I know they're not talking about him.' He added: 'Devin will be fighting in Riyadh in October. And a good fight.' Haney added that Alalshikh was entitled to his opinion. He said: 'I don't believe he's talking about Devin.' Watch the very best boxing with a DAZN subscription DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
