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Miss anything these past couple days? Get caught up!
Top Stories
We’re just about a month away from Pacquiao-Thurman, and the promotion is starting to really kick in. We know now that VADA will not handle the drug testing, which isn’t the best look for anyone. Freddie Roach says that Pacquiao will knock Thurman out, which is a big part of the hype, as it has been ever since Pacquiao stopped regularly knocking people out about nine years ago.
The biggest fight story of the weekend was, in fact and by quite a bit, Artem Lobov beating Paulie Malignaggi at BKFC on Saturday in Tampa. It appears to be the real end for Paulie Malignaggi’s fighting career, whether you agreed with the decision or not.
We also saw Jermell Charlo knock out Jorge Cota, and Guillermo Rigondeaux go to war with Julio Ceja. Rigondeaux now has a WBC mandatory slot at 122, while Charlo awaits his ordered rematch with Tony Harrison at 154.
Quick Hits
- Andy Ruiz Jr has all the confidence in the world now, and expects the same result when he rematches Anthony Joshua later this year, saying Joshua simply can’t box.
- Errol Spence Jr says his fight with Shawn Porter is a done deal, just no date or location or whatever set.
- Oleksandr Usyk has been named WBO mandatory challenger at heavyweight. The reasoning is whatever, he was their cruiserweight champ so he jumps the line, fine by me given the various other ways mandatories get set in boxing. He still expects to face Carlos Takam this fall.
- Eddie Hearn continues to pester the WBC about Dillian Whyte. Ultimately whatever comes of it will either be vaguely in Whyte’s favor or the whole thing will blow up and go away.
- Daniel Roman, who holds the WBA and IBF titles at 122, is going to have to face WBA mandatory Murodjon Akhmadaliev next. A purse bid has been set for July 2, if no deal is reached.
- Hughie Fury smashing up some dude from New Brunswick wasn’t enough tuning up, as Tyson’s cousin will now face exceptionally faded former titleholder Samuel Peter on July 12 in Saudi Arabia.