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What goes on during sparring sessions is supposed to remain behind closed doors but more frequently than ever stories are being leaked from the gym.

What goes on in camp while a fighter is preparing is meant to remain secret, especially around sparring. It can never be known what stage a fighter was at, how many rounds they had done that day, what the instructions from the corner were and so on, which means it’s unfair to speak of a knockdown or victory behind closed doors.

Despite this, when a beef is brewing between fighters secret footage can often be leaked in order to stoke the fires, as was the case with Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis recently.

Now another gym session incident involving Davis has been discussed on ESNEWS. A fighter who was set to get in the ring with the Baltimore native recalled an incident in the gym where ‘Tank’ was sparring a ‘known heavyweight’ – a name they didn’t disclose as to ‘not embarrass’ anyone

Davis was then asked to confirm.

Davis is coming off another impressive knockout win over Frank Martin to defend his 135lb world title. It came more than a year after stopping Ryan Garcia, and now fans hope he remains more active and takes on some of the big names in his weight class.

These include the likes of Shakur Stevenson, Haney and Vasiliy Lomachenko, though Teofimo Lopez recently claimed Davis will be rematching Isaac Cruz having already beaten him.

There’s a new No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, which doesn’t come as a surprise. Oleksandr Usyk’s victory over Tyson Fury to become the first undisputed champion in the four-belt era, and first since Lennox Lewis held three belts in 2000, catapulted him to the top spot over Naoya Inoue and Terence Crawford.

Usyk’s performance was so impressive that even Crawford acknowledged after the fight that Usyk deserved consideration as the best fighter in the world.

“Man yall better put some respect on [Usyk] man,” Crawford wrote on X after the fight. “He definitely a candidate for #1 P4P fighter in the world. I’m no hater. He beat the man that beat the man in a bigger division, giving what he’s already done. Salute brother!”

Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) — a former undisputed cruiserweight champion — joins Crawford, Inoue, Katie Taylor and Claressa Shields as the only boxers to win undisputed championships in two divisions in the four-belt era.

“Usyk is the true definition of pound-for-pound,” boxing analyst Timothy Bradley Jr. said about his decision to rank Usyk No. 1 on his list. “Outweighed by almost 40 pounds by Fury, with a reach disadvantage of seven inches and a height disparity of six inches, he even scored a knockdown of Fury. And let’s not forget that he beat another giant, Anthony Joshua, not once but twice. What he accomplished Saturday night was truly remarkable.”

Boxing writer Mike Coppinger agreed, moving Usyk from the No. 3 spot to the top of his list.

“You could place any of Usyk, Crawford or Inoue in the top slot, but the Ukrainian has epitomized what it means to be the pound-for-pound best following yet another win over an elite heavyweight who was far bigger. More so, Usyk came close to stopping Fury — as well as Joshua — and he has done this after dominating the cruiserweight division.”

With the loss, Fury (34-1-1, 24 KOs) falls out of the top 10, making way for Teofimo Lopez Jr. to return.

Our panel of Coppinger, Bradley, Joe Tessitore, Teddy Atlas, Nick Parkinson, Eric Raskin, Michelle Joy Phelps, Claudia Trejos, Bernardo Osuna, Crystina Poncher, Eric Woodyard, Bernardo Pilatti, Charles Moynihan, Salvador Rodriguez, Jim Zirolli, Michael Mascaro, Aladdin Freeman, Victor Lopez and Damian Delgado Averhoff shares its votes.

1. OLEKSANDR USYK     Previous ranking: No. 3

RECORD: 22-0, 14 KOs
DIVISION: Heavyweight (undisputed champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (SD12) Tyson Fury, May 18
NEXT FIGHT: Dec. 21 vs. Tyson Fury


2. TERENCE CRAWFORD     Previous ranking: No. 1

RECORD: 40-0, 31 KOs
DIVISION: Welterweight (unified champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO9) Errol Spence Jr., July 29
NEXT FIGHT: Aug. 3 vs. Israil Madrimov


3. NAOYA INOUE     Previous ranking: No. 2

RECORD: 27-0, 24 KOs
DIVISION: Junior featherweight (undisputed champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (KO6) Luis Nery, May 6
NEXT FIGHT: TBA


4. DMITRY BIVOL     Previous ranking: No. 5

RECORD: 23-0, 12 KOs
DIVISION: Light heavyweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO6) Malik Zinad, June 1
NEXT FIGHT: Oct. 12 vs. Artur Beterbiev


5. CANELO ALVAREZ     Previous ranking: No. 4

RECORD: 61-2-2, 39 KOs
DIVISION: Super middleweight (undisputed champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Jaime Munguia, May 4
NEXT FIGHT: TBA


6. ARTUR BETERBIEV     Previous ranking: No. 6

RECORD: 20-0, 20 KOs
DIVISION: Light heavyweight (unified champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (TKO7) Callum Smith, Jan. 13
NEXT FIGHT: Oct. 12 vs. Dmitry Bivol


7. GERVONTA DAVIS     Previous ranking: No. 7

RECORD: 30-0, 28 KOs
DIVISION: Lightweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (KO8) Frank Martin, June 15
NEXT FIGHT: TBA


8. SHAKUR STEVENSON     Previous ranking: No. 8

RECORD: 21-0, 10 KOs
DIVISION: Lightweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Edwin De Los Santos, Nov. 16
NEXT FIGHT: July 6 vs. Artem Harutyunyan


9. JESSE “BAM” RODRIGUEZ     Previous ranking: No. 9

RECORD: 20-0, 13 KOs
DIVISION: Junior bantamweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (KO7) Juan Francisco Estrada, June 29
NEXT FIGHT: TBA


10. TEOFIMO LOPEZ     Previous ranking: N/R

RECORD: 21-1, 13 KOs
DIVISION: Junior welterweight (champion)
LAST FIGHT: W (UD12) Steve Claggett, June 29
NEXT FIGHT: TBA

Teofimo Lopez is on a mission to prove himself against the best in boxing, and he’s not mincing words about his targets.

In a recent interview with Fight Hub TV, amidst discussions about his upcoming fight against Steve ClaggettLopez boldly outlined his future plans that overshadowed the current match-up.

“The big dog, the mac daddy of them all-that’s Terence ‘Blood’ Crawford,” Lopez declared confidently, addressing the media’s questions about his next challenge.

A testament to his belief in his abilities

Despite Crawford‘s impending move to face Israil Madrimov at 154 pounds, Lopez expressed no hesitation in following suit.

“I’ll move up to 154, no problem. It’s been done before. Why not Teo Fimo?” he noted.

His statement wasn’t just about ambition – it was a testament to his unwavering belief in his abilities and his readiness to take on the best in multiple weight classes.

At just 24 years old, Lopez understands the significance of facing Crawford, who represents a monumental challenge and an opportunity to establish himself as a generational talent.

But Lopez‘s aspirations extend beyond Crawford, as he also voiced a strong desire to test himself against Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, the explosive WBA lightweight champion with an undefeated record and a reputation for devastating knockouts.

“I’ll take Crawford first because he’s on his way out,” Lopez noted.

“He’s the lineal champion. Beat him, and then we can talk about ‘mini me,’ Tank.”

Terence Crawford is looking to make an unprecedented weight jump to face Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez, potentially skipping a queue that David Benavidez has been at the front of for some time.

Formerly undisputed at 140 and 147, ‘Bud’ Crawford has made it clear that his final goal in the sport is to challenge the Mexican for all four belts at 168. So far, the interest in the match-up has not been reciprocated.

Another man chasing the Canelo fight is Benavidez, who has a much stronger case given his campaign at super-middleweight. He is having no luck either.

Should Crawford manage to land the mega-fight before him, Benavidez said that the 36-year-old must be ‘realistic’ about his chances given the big difference in bulk.

Crawford makes the first tentative step towards Canelo with a debut at 154lbs on August 3 where he will challenge undefeated champion Israil Madrimov.

Benavidez has recently made a successful debut at light-heavyweight, but has made it clear he intends to drop back down to continue to push for his undisputed shot.

Canelo is expected to return later this year.

Anthony Joshua has had some fun in training where he’s sparred multiple youngsters in a hilarious session.

AJ is set to continue his preparations after announcing he will fight Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on September 21 in his bid to become a three-time world heavyweight champion.

Joshua has been taking some time out to have some fun after a busy week at the launch press conference, where tensions rose with his opponent.

The 2012 Olympic gold medallist was tasked with sparring multiple youngsters in the boxing ring at the Finchley ABC gym, who were clearly up with the challenge of taking down the heavyweight giant.

He began by sparring one at a time, with both slightly tentative as Joshua looked to get his movement going.

But it wasn’t until the pair were released at the same time, where they really let their hands go with Joshua.

Joshua first fought off the ropes as both teenage fighters let their hands go to the boxer’s body and began giggling.

Later on, the pair took Joshua on one-on-one and landed some shots go as he jokingly cowered and held his guard up.

One of the challengers even landed a looping overhand right which tagged AJ, who jokingly shook his head.

As the 35-year-old came to the camera, it emerged that he had suffered a small nick which a drop of blood had been drawn from.

He shouted, ‘Who did it?,’ to which one owned up, where Joshua gave him a nod of respect.

It was a heartwarming moment for Joshua who has always been keen to help out in the local community.

But his focuses will now turn to business as he looks to cement his name in an elite club as a three-time champion.

The power-punching Briton has been in much-improved form under the stewardship of Ben Davison – beating Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou in dominant stoppages.

And former world champion George Groves believes it is a very exciting fight, but makes AJ the narrow favourite.

He said: “I’m excited about that fight. I think it’s a great fight. Both guys are in great form.

Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has only recently moved out of his mother’s north London flat for a  new mansion.

The former Olympic champion, who has almost  £100m in the bank, has only recently moved out of his mother’s flat, who he has repeatedly praised for being ‘an amazing woman’.

The Arsenal-supporting fighter will face fellow Briton Daniel Dubois on September 21 at Wembley Stadium in London.

He told Lauren Laverne on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs that his mother, Yeta, is an amazing woman.

He said: ‘The cycle of life means that one day my mum won’t be here anymore, and it hurts to think that she’s done so well to raise someone like me: a hard-headed, hard-working son.

‘I know how tough it must have been for her. She was a single mum at a certain stage in her life. Now that I’m a dad, I really applaud the effort she put into raising me and my sister.’

He admitted that despite his wealth, he has only recently moved out from his mother’s flat.

He said: ‘I didn’t want to leave my mum alone. I wanted to make sure that her foundations were strong – the nest was strong – so that when I leave, mum’s good. For me, that’s freedom. Knowing no matter where I am in the world, mum’s happy and taken care of.’

Joshua is fighting Daniel Dubois on September 21 in Wembley Stadium for the IBF heavyweight belt.

The bout was arranged following the confirmation by current title holder Oleksandr Usyk that he will vacate the world title.

The Ukrainian became the first heavyweight to hold the IBF, WBO, WBA and WBC belts when he defeated Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia last month but was set to be stripped of the IBF title, with the body stipulating he must face its mandatory challenger Dubois in order to retain it.

That has opened the door for the two Brits to face off and Dubois – who beat Filip Hrgovic to become interim IBF champion earlier in June – said he will be looking to dethrone the two-time world champion Joshua.

‘That’s just where I’m aiming for, to be the best,’ he said. ‘To fight the best and beat the best. AJ has been the king for a long time.

‘We all know he’s been the king for a very long time. On the night, I need to become the king slayer. That’s my goal, that’s the mission I have.

‘I’m ready to let my fists do the talking. A hundred percent ready to go, train like a beast. So bring it on.

‘Definitely I’m learning more about myself, as a fighter, as a person. Coming out the darkness into the light, being the man of the future, improving all round as a fighter. Really up for this, ready to go.’

Joshua was beaten twice by Usyk in 2021 and 2022 – the Ukrainian knocked out Dubois last year – but is currently on a four-fight winning run, enjoying three stoppages in his last three outings.

It will be his fourth appearance at Wembley, though his opponent will be stepping out as a main event at the national stadium for the first time.

‘Congratulations to Daniel for winning his last fight (against Hrgovic), I went to watch it live,’ said Joshua.

‘It was a good fight between the two of them. I picked Dubois to win as well, I watch boxing closely and I picked him before.

‘He came through and we are here. I’ve been having Dubois on my mind for a while. He’ll be on my mind for the next 12 weeks until I’ve got my hand raised.’

Joshua, 34, was asked whether the age gap to the 26-year-old was on his mind ahead of the bout.

‘I feel fresh,’ he said. ‘I feel good. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke. That’s about it, that’s my only vice, socialising. I don’t get caught up in antics outside boxing. I use boxing to keep me on the straight and narrow.

‘Young fighters coming up, look after your bodies, look after your minds.’

Usyk had previously requested that he not be stripped of the IBF belt so that he might still hold the title when he meets Tyson Fury in December.

‘Anthony and Daniel, I know the IBF title is important to you. It is my present to you on 21 September,’ he said in a video posted on social media.

Gervonta Davis is, once again, at the pinnacle of boxing. He’s one of the biggest attractions in the sport, constantly selling out big arenas for all of his fights. And he’s once again fresh off of a knockout of a contender for his throne.

This time around, it was Frank Martin on the losing end of a Tank bout. Martin started out well, but Davis kicked into gear soon enough and got his 28th KO in 30 fights. Davis has a lot of options for his next fight, but most signs point to Vasiliy Lomachenko being the opponent.

Tank Davis vs Loma coming in 2024?

Despite being 36 years old, the Ukrainian has been impressive in his last five fights. His most recent was a stoppage victory over former unified champion George Kambosos Jr.

That performance was enough to slightly concern Tank’s sparring partner, Robert Meriwether III. In an interview with FightHype, he had this to say about a potential Davis-Lomachenko fight.

Davis has always taken his opponents pretty seriously, although he was underwhelmed by Martin until fight night. It sounds like Davis and his team believe Lomachenko is the real deal.

It’s only been two weeks since Gervonta Davis fought, but it’s already been all but confirmed that Tank’s next opponent will be Vasiliy Lomachenko. At least, that’s what all of the reports are pointing to.

Davis has barely been able to celebrate what was yet another stunning knockout victory, this time against Frank Martin. Davis once again showed his elite power. The manner in which he won has become the norm for Tank, with some wondering if we’ll ever see him have to use more of his technical side in any fight.

Boxing coach Kenny Ellis says Tank can outbox Loma

Davis’ trainer Kenny Ellis has heard the whispers from fans that Lomachenko can “outbox” Davis, but he isn’t having any of it.

Ellis believes Davis’ ring IQ is better than anyone gives him credit for, but he’s adamant that the general philosophy for Tank won’t change if him and Loma face off: knockout or nothing.

That type of gameplan has clearly worked for Davis up until this point. Tank has 28 knockouts in 30 career fights and is yet to lose a bout. Lomachenko has never been knocked out, but it wouldn’t be the first time Davis creates a first for another boxer.

Gervonta Davis extended his unbeaten campaign recently with a knockout win over Frank Martin to retain his WBA Lightweight World title.

The boxer from Baltimore made it 28 stoppages from 30 wins and is now set to enter talks with Vasiliy Lomachenko to unify the with the IBF belt. Fans also want to see him in with fellow American Shakur Stevenson, who has long called for the bout and brings the WBC title to the table.

Speaking to Stephen A Smith, coach Calvin Ford said that all comers were on notice, and the only person he can see causing defeat to ‘Tank’ Davis is the man himself.

Davis has had legal issues outside of the ring, the latest of which did stunt his momentum after a statement Ryan Garcia win. It’s likely these external factors Ford refers to as he attempts to keep the fighting sensation focused on the game.

There has been much speculation about a potential matchup between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, a bout that has been discussed for nearly a year. However, Amir Khan, who has faced both Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford in the ring, believes Crawford should consider alternative opponents instead of clashing with the Mexican superstar, as he understands the daunting challenges each fighter presents.

Khan, who was defeated by Crawford in 2019 and by Alvarez in 2016, has voiced his opinion against the proposed fight between Crawford and Alvarez.

Khan explains why Crawford should not face Alvarez

Drawing from his own experiences, Khan feels that Crawford might benefit more from exploring other opportunities rather than facing Alvarez.

He believes the fight might not be in Crawford‘s best interest and suggests that Crawford focus on other challenges in his boxing career.

“I don’t think Crawford should take that fight because he doesn’t need it,” Khan told talkSPORT.

“There are other fights out there he could take and make big money from. You can always get hurt, when you’re fighting a big puncher like that you can get hurt and I don’t think it’s worth it.

“I’d advise fighters not to jump up too much weight and fight, unless the money is ridiculous.

“I got paid like $10million when I fought him, it’s a lot of money.

“Normally I’d get paid like $3million, I was like, ‘What’s the point when I can just take this one fight and get paid for three fights?’

“It’s not only that, it’s all the training sessions and everything.

“Really I went there for the big purse, but I started believing I was gonna win the fight.

“That’s why I was up on points, but he caught me with the big shot and he put me away.”

Crawford is scheduled to move up to 154 pounds this August to fight Israil Madrimov. Should he succeed, there is potential for an even greater jump to the super-middleweight division.