BOXING

10 Shortest Female Champions In WWE History, Ranked

By sportnow September 16, 2023

Height has proven not to be an obstacle when it comes down to the shortest wrestlers to hold a WWE Women’s Championship.

WWE has traditionally been seen as the land of the giants for their taller talent, but WWE has had some fantastic shorter female wrestlers on their roster. Throughout history, there have been several variations of the WWE Women’s Championship. The original Women’s Championship from 1956-2010, the Divas Championship, the WWE Women’s Championship was reintroduced at WrestleMania 32 with a new lineage and the Women’s World Championship

The likes of Michelle McCool and Chyna are some of the tallest female wrestlers in WWE history and they have held the WWE Women’s Championship among other tall wrestlers. Furthermore, some of the shortest Women’s Champions in history have had superb runs as Women’s Champions and others had forgettable runs. Finally, women who have won a singles Women’s Championship on the main roster will be included in this list.

10Gail Kim – 5’4″

Gail Kim’s WWE career never panned out the way it should have done. Nevertheless, on the June 30, 2003 edition of Raw, Kim won the WWE Women’s Championship in a Battle Royal on her debut which is a phenomenal achievement.

Kim was one of the shortest women on the roster at 5’4″ but her Women’s Championship reign wasn’t memorable. She dropped the gold to Molly Holly a month after she won the Women’s Championship.

9The Kat – 5’3″

The Kat wasn’t a trained wrestler but winning the WWE Women’s Championship summed up the state of women’s wrestling in the Attitude Era. At Armageddon 1999, The Kat defeated Ivory, Jacqueline, and B.B. in a fatal-4-way Evening Gown Pool match for the WWE Women’s Championship.

The Kat was allied with Chyna at the time, and she stood at 5’3″. Her Women’s Championship reign wasn’t memorable, and she dropped the title to Harvey Wippleman in a Lumberjill Snowbunny match on the January 31, 2000 taping of Raw.

8Liv Morgan – 5’3″

Liv Morgan SmackDown Women's Champion Cropped-1

Liv Morgan’s popularity grew in late 2021 and early 2022 when she challenged Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Championship but came up short. Morgan won the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match and she cashed in the briefcase on the same night and she beat Ronda Rousey for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.

Morgan’s SmackDown Women’s Championship run wasn’t the best but she beat Rousey at SummerSlam 2022 and Shayna Baszler at Clash at the Castle 2022. Morgan is one of the shortest and youngest women on WWE’s main roster, and she dropped the title back to Rousey at Extreme Rules 2022. Morgan has won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship with Raquel Rodriguez twice in 2023.

7Asuka – 5’3″

Asuka WWE Women's Champion SmackDown July 7, 2023 Cropped

“The Empress of Tomorrow” Asuka is one of the greatest in-ring performers to grace a WWE ring. Asuka stands at 5 feet 3 inches tall but she packs a punch inside the squared circle. She’s a submission specialist with the debilitating Asuka Lock as her finisher.

Asuka is a Grand Slam Champion as she is a three-time WWE Women’s Champion, a former SmackDown Women’s Champion and she has won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship three times with three different partners. Asuka’s Women’s Championship feuds with the likes of Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Bianca Belair have seen Asuka perform in some elite-level matches.

6Jacqueline – 5’3″

WWE Hall of Famer Jacqueline is a trailblazer and she’s a history-maker as she’s the first black woman to win the WWE Women’s Championship. Jacqueline was the first WWE Women’s Champion in three years after Jacqueline defeated Sable for the vacant Women’s Championship in September 1998.

Jacqueline and Sable’s feud spilled over to Survivor Series 1998 where Sable ended her two-month Women’s Championship reign. However, Jacqueline had to wait 14 months to win the WWE Women’s Championship again as she beat Harvey Wippleman for the title on the February 3, 2000 edition of SmackDown. Jacqueline only stood at 5 feet 3 inches tall, but she’s one of the strongest women in WWE history.

5Layla – 5’2″

Layla made history on the May 14, 2010, edition of SmackDown as alongside Michelle McCool, she pinned Beth Phoenix in a handicap to become the WWE Women’s Champion for the first time. With the victory, Layla became the first British-born WWE Women’s Champion and she became the final woman to hold the Women’s Championship.

Layla and McCool were the co-holders of the WWE Women’s Championship and McCool sometimes defended the title on McCool’s behalf. The title was retired when McCool beat Melina to unify the Women’s and Divas Championships at Night of Champions 2010. Furthermore, at Extreme Rules 2012, Layla defeated Nikki Bella for the Divas Championship. Layla joined the small group of wrestlers that held both the original WWE Women’s and Divas Championships.

4AJ Lee – 5’2″

AJ Lee is arguably the greatest Divas Champion in WWE history. AJ defeated Kaitlyn for the Divas Championship at Payback 2013. She held the title for 296 days which was a record until Nikki Bella broke her record in 2015 by holding the championship for 301 days.

AJ won the Divas Championship three times which is a joint-record with Eve Torres. AJ retired at the prime of her career, and she was way ahead of her time as women’s wrestling in the PG era wasn’t always the greatest.

3Iyo Sky – 5’1″

Iyo Sky’s potential has always been there as in NXT she won the NXT Women’s Championship once and the NXT Women’s Championship with Zoey Stark. She’s thrived in Damage CTRL and she won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship twice with Dakota Kai.

Sky moved on to bigger and better things as she won the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match, and she successfully cashed in her briefcase on Bianca Belair at SummerSlam 2023 to become WWE Women’s Champion for the first time. Sky only stands at 5 feet 1 inches tall, but she’s a tremendous athlete who should have a successful run as the WWE Women’s Champion.

2Alexa Bliss – 5’1″

Alexa Bliss Raw Women's Champion 1st Reign Cropped

Alexa Bliss may not be spoken in the same terms as the Four Horsewomen but she’s just as successful as them. The Goddess became the first woman to win both the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships in 2017. Bliss deserves credit for the successful WWE career she has carved out for herself.

She’s a Triple Crown Winner in WWE as she’s had three runs as the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion to go alongside her multiple Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championship reigns. Bliss is currently on maternity leave as she is pregnant, and she is only 32. The Five Feet of Fury has plenty of time to achieve more things in her WWE career.

1Nikki Cross – 5’0″

Nikki A.S.H. Raw Women's Champion Cropped

Nikki Cross’ WWE career has been filled with ups and downs, but she has had a successful run. She’s the shortest woman in WWE history to clinch a main roster singles championship. Cross won the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match in 2021, and 24 hours later, she cashed it in and beat Charlotte Flair for the Raw Women’s Championship.

Cross won the championship in her Nikki A.S.H. gimmick but she couldn’t be taken seriously. Cross won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship thrice, two times with Alexa Bliss and once with Rhea Ripley. Moreover, Cross won the 24/7 Championship 11 times and she was the final wrestler to hold the championship.

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TENNIS

‘8 is a better number’: Serena Williams takes dig at Simona Halep following suspension over doping violations

By sportnow September 16, 2023

Simona Halep has been banned for two anti-doping rule violations.

Did legendary American tennis player Serena Williams actually take a dig at Simona Halep? Well, one can only speculate. Halep was suspended from tennis for four years for anti-doping rule violations. Following this, Williams apparently took a dig at the Romanian on social media.

“8 is a better number,” Williams wrote on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter).

For the unversed, Halep had stopped Williams from winning her eighth Wimbledon title in 2019. The former world number one had defeated Williams 6-2, 6-2 in the women’s singles final.

Open, now seems to have staked claim for her eighth Wimbledon title, if Halep is at all stripped of her trophies because of the suspension.

Meanwhile, Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian also seemed to have mocked Halep by sharing a post on social media. Ohanian came up with a throwback picture of himself wearing a D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) t-shirt at a 2019 US Open first-round fixture in which Williams had defeated former Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova.

“Some fashion is timeless,” read the caption of Ohanian’s post. It was speculated that Ohanian’s t-shirt was in reference to the two-year doping suspension, which Sharapova had to face back in 2016.

Williams responded to the post by commenting, “Seriously not out of style.”

Halep is a two-time Grand Slam champion. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) conveyed that Halep was suspended for two different anti-doping rule violations. Halep has remained provisionally suspended since October last year. The provisional suspension was ruled after she tested positive for a banned blood-booster Roxadustat at the US Open in 2022.

Halep, however, did not accept the decision and intends to appeal to The Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“I am continuing to train and do everything in my power to clear my name of these false allegations and return to the court. I intend to appeal this decision to The Court of Arbitration for Sport and pursue all legal remedies against the supplement company in question,” read a statement shared by the 31-year-old player.

Simona Halep claimed the top spot in the WTA rankings six years back. Halep won her maiden Grand Slam title at the 2018 French Open where she defeated America’s Sloane Stephens in the final. Halep claimed her second Grand Slam at the Wimbledon a year later.

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BOXING

Gervonta Davis points out who is the only boxer who can beat him, and his answer is shocking

By sportnow September 15, 2023

Gervonta Davis, the rising star in the world of boxing, has been attracting attention from his rivals who are eager to challenge him. After his victory over Ryan Garcia in April, which was hailed as the biggest commercial fight of the year, Davis has become one of the hottest properties in the sport. It is estimated that the fight brought in over 1 million pay-per-view buys, solidifying his status as a box office draw.

However, Davis has recently been making headlines for his actions outside of the ring rather than inside it. He found himself serving time in jail after breaking a house arrest order, which is not the first time he has had trouble with the law.

Despite this, Davis believes that his own actions are the only thing that can jeopardize his superstardom. When asked about potential challengers like Devin Haney and Shakur Stevenson, Davis confidently stated: “The only person that could beat me is Gervonta Davis. Those others cannot touch me at all.”

Davis has sparred with both Haney and Stevenson in the past and claims to have come out on top. He dismisses Haney as a threat, saying: “Devin Haney is no 50/50 fight. How are you going to keep me off him when he’s got no power?” Davis even recalls a sparring session where he almost knocked Haney out in Floyd Mayweather‘s gym. These statements show Davis’ self-assuredness and belief in his own abilities.

He’s focused on his return to the ring

While a potential fight with Haney may have to wait as he moves up to the 140 lbs weight class to take on Regis Prograis, Davis is focused on his own return to the ring before the end of the year. A rematch with Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz is currently the front-runner for his next fight. Davis is determined to continue his winning streak and prove himself as one of the best in the sport.

In the meantime, Stevenson has been struggling to find an opponent, but it appears he will face Edwin De Los Santos for the vacant WBC lightweight belt. The boxing world eagerly awaits these matchups, as Davis, Haney, and Stevenson all have their sights set on championship glory.

Gervonta Davis remains confident in his abilities and dismissive of his potential challengers. His recent legal troubles have not shaken his belief in himself, and he is determined to continue his rise to superstardom in the world of boxing.

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BOXING

Frank Warren claims Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder ‘will NOT happen’ and urges the Brit to face Daniel Dubois

By sportnow September 15, 2023

Anthony Joshua should face Daniel Dubois next in a clash that would ‘sell out anywhere’, claims Frank Warren – who believes the former world champion’s bout with Deontay Wilder ‘won’t happen’.

Joshua and Wilder have already agreed terms on a blockbuster bout, which was expected to take place in Saudi Arabia, but complications with the country’s boxing management company has plunged it into doubt.

AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn exclusive revealed to Mail Sport that he was still awaiting the contract for Joshua vs Wilder and that he may have to explore alternate venues and opponents – with former rival Andy Ruiz and Filip Hrgovic also in the running

And Warren has claimed the fight will not come to fruition and instead wants Joshua and his team to consider a huge all-British showdown against Dubois following his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.

Joshua was also beaten by Usyk last year and is looking to rebuild himself and get back into world title contenion.

‘The Deontay Wilder & Anthony Joshua situation, I know their people had conversations and thought that it would happen, but I never thought it would happen, and it’s not,’ he told iFL TV.

‘The problem is, the amount of money they felt they were going to get paid or they heard they were going to get paid, they’re not going to achieve that anywhere. That’s not going to happen.

‘What we’re hearing from Matchroom is every other week or every two weeks, they were going to announce it. We are now hitting mid-December. It ain’t going to happen.

I’ll tell you a good fight if that doesn’t happen. You know what would be a good fight in the UK and people would buy tickets to watch it and we’ll see who is the biggest puncher and who has got the biggest heart? Him [Joshua] and Daniel Dubois

‘That would sell out anywhere. Before you start your hate, that would determine who has got the biggest heart, who would grit their teeth. You can’t say it’s not going to sell. It would sell. It’s a big fight.’

It comes after Hearn revealed his frustration with delays to getting Joshua vs Wilder off the ground.

Speaking to Mail Sport, Hearn said: ‘We’ve agreed terms for that fight, we have agreed the money. We have agreed everything. What we haven’t got is the contract.

‘There is a change in terms of boxing politics in Saudi Arabia. The people that we have worked with for a number of years, who told us the fight is done, have left so that might not be the case now. But, I guess the strategy will be assed by them.

As I understand it, they still want to do AJ vs Wilder. They also want to do AJ vs Usyk. Do they want to do AJ vs Fury? I have no idea. But, we are in for that fight but at the same time, we aren’t going to wait forever.

‘We will see what happens over the next couple of weeks. There is a good chance that AJ will fight in December if he doesn’t fight Wilder in January.

‘We are now looking at alternative venues for that fight as well just in case as previously we were told the fight was done. It’s a massive fight whether that’s in Saudi, whether that’s in Abu Dhabi or whether that’s in Vegas or Wembley.’

Hearn finished by saying: ‘It’s a massive fight. I do expect it to happen. AJ wants to keep active and there is a chance he will fight in December.

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BOXING

Two WWE Stars Are Gone Months After Requesting Their Releases

By sportnow September 15, 2023

The Grizzled Young Veterans’ James Drake and Zack Gibson, also known as The Dyad’s Jagger Reid and Rip Fowler in NXT, are gone from WWE according to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Dave Meltzer. News broke back in April that the former NXT UK Tag Team Champions had requested their releases, only to be told no by the company. The pair then spent the summer feuding with The Creed Brothers, going so far as to force Julius and Brutus to “quit” the company in a loser leaves town match at one point (they’d come back). The two first joined forces as a tag team in Progress Wrestling in 2017 and would sign with WWE’s NXT UK brand the following year.

Gibson and Drake then made the jump to NXT proper in 2020 and would spend the next two years repeatedly coming up short in winning the NXT Tag Team Championships. They’d then get repackaged as members of Joe Gacy’s Schism faction in July 2022.

“The other two…Rip Fowler and Jagger Reid are gone. Their contract is up, and I thought there was going to be some kind of angle or something, but it’s just, they’re gone,” Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio.

Shawn Michaels on The Dyad Staying With NXT After Requesting Their Releases

“Yeah, obviously I do. And look, they were guys that clearly I wanted to come over and bring over from the UK. I think they’re very talented, but again, I absolutely understand,” Shawn Michaels said in a media conference call in May after The Dyad’s release request was rejected. “It’s one of the things that I tell everybody here. Do I want it to be here in the WWE for you to have your success? Absolutely. I can’t lie about that, but really this is about wanting to help all, no matter who comes through these doors, help them to have success in this business as a whole.”

“I always tell everybody I feel so fortunate for the life that I have and my family that I have, and it’s because of this job. And now, there’s a real opportunity for everyone that is in this line of work to have that,” Michaels said. “I want that for them, so I understand absolutely the way that they feel, but as I mentioned to them, ‘While you’re here, man, I still want to put you in a prominent role.’ Again, there are no hard feelings in that respect. There’s too much talent there to waste or to leave on the table, and so, certainly, if they don’t mind working, I sure as heck don’t mind using them.”

NXT No Mercy 2023 Card

NXT Championship: Carmelo Hayes vs. Ilja Dragunov
NXT North American Championship: Dominik Mysterio vs. Mustafa Ali
NXT Heritage Cup: Noam Dar vs. Global Heritage Invitational Winner
Bron Breakker vs. Baron Corbin

Every AEW Star That Jumped Ship to WWE

Jade Cargill’s AEW days are in the rear view. Hours after her AEW Rampage match against AEW TBS Champion Kris Statlander was taped, reports circulated that Cargill had finished up in the company and was expected to be WWE bound. This development came just days after Cargill made her return to AEW on the September 9th edition of AEW Collision, as she had been absent from programming since AEW Double or Nothing in May. Before that, Cargill was a weekly competitor, defending the AEW TBS Championship for well over one year during her record-shattering 508-day run, the longest title reign in AEW history.

If internal beliefs come to fruition and Cargill does jump ship to WWE, she joins a select few that have made a similar transition.

Cody Rhodes spent just over three years in AEW before he returned to WWE. Largely recognized as a co-founder of All Elite Wrestling, Rhodes served as one of the company’s four Executive Vice Presidents alongside his tenure as an in-ring competitor. Inside the squared circle, Rhodes was a three-time AEW TNT Champion, including being that belt’s inaugural titleholder.

Rhodes left AEW in early 2022 before making his re-debut for WWE at WWE WrestleMania 38. Since then, he has gone on to win the Men’s Royal Rumble Match and headline WWE WrestleMania 39.

Brian Pillman Jr. competed at AEW’s first event, AEW Double or Nothing 2019, before becoming a recurring competitor the following year. He is most known for his time tagging with Griff Garrison in the unit known as The Varsity Blonds. Pillman Jr. officially signed with AEW in Summer 2021. In singles competition, Pillman Jr.’s most famous one-on-one contest came against MJF at AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam in 2021, that match taking place in front of AEW’s largest crowd up to that point.

Pillman Jr. quietly left AEW earlier this year and signed with WWE. He has yet to make a televised appearance but is reportedly set to work with NXT.

William Regal made his shocking AEW debut at AEW Revolution 2022, separating a brawl between two of his former mentees, Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson. He forced the two men to shake hands, thus forming Blackpool Combat Club. Regal went on to manage Blackpool Combat Club for the rest of the year, adding the likes of Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli into the mix. In November 2022 at AEW Full Gear, Regal turned on Moxley by helping MJF win the AEW World Title. Weeks after aligning with him, MJF turned on Regal, writing him off of AEW TV permanently.

From there, Regal was granted his release from AEW so that he could return to WWE in a backstage capacity and work alongside his son, NXT’s Charlie Dempsey. He currently serves as Vice President of Global Talent Development.

Before she adopted the name Blair Davenport, Bea Priestley was one of the top prospects across the independent wrestling world. She got on the radar of AEW upon the company’s inception in January 2019 and went on to sign with the young promotion later that year. Priestley was involved in a singles feud against Dr. Britt Baker DMD which culminated in a match between the two at AEW Full Gear 2019. While Priestley began to wind up momentum the following spring, the global pandemic derailed her progress as she was unable to travel from her home in the United Kingdom to AEW TV tapings in the United States. She would exit AEW in August 2020.

Just under one year later, Priestley signed with WWE and started competing for NXT UK as Blair Davenport. Today, she competes on the US-based NXT and is regularly featured in and around the NXT Women’s Title picture.

Mercedes Martinez first wrestled for AEW at AEW All Out 2019. She went on to compete in an AEW Dark match later that fall.

Months later, Martinez signed with WWE and appeared in the Women’s Royal Rumble Match in January 2020. This began her second stint with WWE as she previously wrestled for the land of sports-entertainment from 2017 until 2018. Martinez’s most notable work during this run came in infamy as she was a member of the critically-panned RETRIBUTION faction. She quietly returned to NXT before that faction fizzled out.

Today, Martinez is back with AEW. She returned on a December 2021 edition of AEW Dynamite and has gone on to compete most regularly for Ring of Honor, where she is a former ROH Women’s Champion.

Wrestling as Ben Carter, Nathan Frazer made a big impression on the wrestling world when he competed in a couple of AEW Dark matches. This led to a small bidding war for his talents, which was ultimately won by WWE.

Frazer signed with WWE in December 2020. He spent most of his time in NXT UK before heading over to NXT, where he is a former holder of the NXT Heritage Cup.

Dragon Lee wrestled for AEW on the August 17th, 2022 edition of AEW Dynamite, teaming with brother Rush and Andrade El Idolo to represent La Facción Ingobernable in the AEW World Trios Championship Tournament. Following their defeat at the hands of Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, Rush and Andrade attacked Lee, removing his mask and seemingly setting up an LFI in-fighting angle.

That storyline never materialized as Lee would return to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide before ultimately signing with WWE. Now a regular member of the NXT roster, Lee has competed at numerous NXT premium live events and has worked alongside Rey Mysterio.

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BOXING

WWE: Liv Morgan teases bold new style but it’s not what it seems

By sportnow September 15, 2023

WWE superstar Liv Morgan has teased fans with what seemed to be a first peek at her new style after apparently ditching her long hair.

The former women’s champion, who is currently out with an injury suffered not long after she made her return from another setback suffered earlier in the summer, shared a couple of selfies on social media with fans going wild over what they thought was her fresh look.

She shared both snaps with just a sparkling star as the caption, as she sported a pair of round framed glasses and an open white shirt worn over a white bikini top.

Liv completed the look with a simple black choker, and her signature long locks appeared to have been cut up past her shoulders into a much shorter style after she recently shared a snap of her hair on the floor of a salon.

Fans were loving the apparent change, and plenty of followers flooded the post with compliments about the 29-year-old wrestler’s fresh look.

‘New look, still stunning 😍,’ tweeted one person, while another added: ‘Platinum blonde looks good on you! We love the new hair! Love that for you Liv! 😊🤙🏻’

‘Love the new hairstyle LIV 🤍✨,’ wrote a third, but it turns out things aren’t quite what they seem.

Liv has since shared another selfie on her Instagram Story lounging back on her bed in a crop top with her hair flowing and clearly still at least at shoulder length, suggesting she actually just had it tied back after all.

So, it seems fans might have to wait a bit longer to really find out what style she’s going for when she returns from her latest injury layoff, which came not long after she and Raquel Rodriguez had won the Women’s Tag Team Championships.

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BOXING

Liv Morgan, Raquel Beat Ronda Rousey, Shayna Baszler to Win WWE Women’s Tag Titles

By sportnow September 14, 2023

Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez beat Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler at Money in the Bank on Saturday to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships for the second time as a duo.

Baszler surprisingly attacked her friend and partner, Rousey, before walking out of the match, allowing Morgan to pin The Baddest Woman on the Planet for the win.

Morgan and Rodriguez became women’s tag champs shortly after WrestleMania 39 by beating Becky Lynch and Trish Stratus, but their reign was cut short when Liv suffered an injury, forcing them to vacate the titles.

Around that same time, Rousey and Baszler returned to WWE programming after not being seen for about a month after their win at The Show of Shows.

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BOXING

Next fights, rumored opponents for top stars Canelo Alvarez, Ryan Garcia, Gervonta Davis, Tyson Fury and more

By sportnow September 14, 2023

Boxing has been booming in 2023, with some of the biggest matches possible coming together and some of the world’s best boxers elevating their game to new levels.

From Gervonta “Tank” Davis drilling Ryan Garcia with a fight-ending body shot, to Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue elevating themselves to the undisputed No. 1 and 2 pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, to new champions across several weight classes, the year has been as good for boxing as any in recent memory.

As with any sport, there’s an inevitable desire to ask “What’s next?” For some of the sport’s biggest stars, we know who they’ll face in their next trip to the ring. For others, there are ideas but nothing set in stone.

With all that in mind, let’s take a look at the next step for most of the biggest stars in boxing.

Terence Crawford: A rematch with Errol Spence Jr.

Crawford thoroughly dismantled Spence in their July 29 clash, dominating nearly every moment of the fight before forcing the TKO in Round 9. Crawford’s performance was so impressive that it jumped him over Naoya Inoue — who had his own dominant win over Stephen Fulton days before — in most pound-for-pound rankings. That fight came with a rematch clause, which Spence made clear he would be activating with the hope that the rematch would take place at 154 pounds. Crawford seemed open to taking the fight at junior middleweight, though that hasn’t been sorted. Either way, it appears Crawford and Spence are destined to run it back in a fight that could further stamp Crawford as the best fighter in boxing or could provide some degree of redemption for Spence.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez: A Sept. 30 clash with Jermell Charlo

This fight is already booked to take place in September. While many expected Alvarez to defend his undisputed super middleweight titles against the other Charlo twin, Jermall, he was not ready to get back in the ring. However, undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo stepped up to take the fight. This will be Alvarez’s third defense of his status as undisputed champion. He picked up his fourth world title at super middleweight with his win over Caleb Plant and dropped a decision to Dmitry Bivol at light heavyweight, Alvarez’s first defeat since losing to Floyd Mayweather in September 2013. He rebounded with wins over Gennady Golovkin and John Ryder in his most recent outings.

Gervonta “Tank” Davis: Trainer suggests Isaac Cruz rematch is next

Davis picked up a high-profile win earlier in the year, stopping Ryan Garcia with a left hook to the liver. Davis has become one of the sport’s biggest stars and has done so while not yet fighting most of the top talent in the division and with most of his recent fights either being for secondary titles or no title on the line at all. A fight with Cruz isn’t exactly the most “in-demand” option for Davis, especially considering he already beat Cruz in a competitive fight that saw Davis forced to fight one-handed because of a hand injury. Davis’ trainer, Calvin Ford, recently said they were just waiting for a contract to come across for their next fight before suggesting it would be “Pitbull” Cruz.

Cruz has been angling hard for the rematch and just cleared a very tricky hurdle with a split decision win over an awkward Giovanni Cabrera in late July.

Ryan Garcia: A possible world title showdown with Rolando Romero

Losing to Davis was certainly a career setback for Garcia and now he has the chance to prove he has the resiliency to bounce back. Garcia has called for a fight with “Rolly” Romero, which Romero has talked up as a “huge” fight. There are obvious reasons Garcia would target Romero, mainly that Romero’s WBA super lightweight title appears one of the easiest to take in the sport. Romero was getting thoroughly handled by Ismael Barroso in May when the fight was stopped during Romero’s first stretch of meaningful offense, handing him the vacant title by a universally derided TKO stoppage. Romero has looked very vulnerable in recent outings and someone hunting for their first world title eyeing him makes sense.

Romero somewhat backed off on his talk of his first title defense coming against Garcia by saying first he has to handle WBA mandatory challenger Ohara Davies. Given Romero’s deficiencies, it could well be Davies that Garcia is trying to fight in his next outing. There have not really been any other rumors around Garcia, who has talked about not needing tune-up fights, though he did suggest one with recently-crowned UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley.

Tyson Fury: A fight with former UFC champ Francis Ngannou and then … who knows?

It’s somewhat exhausting to talk about Fury’s career at this point. After a tremendous rivalry with Deontay Wilder that saw Fury score a draw before two stoppage wins, seemingly everything has been disappointing. It’s easy to give a pass to giving Whyte a thrashing as mandatory challenger for Fury’s WBC heavyweight title. What followed was Fury retiring, unretiring, throwing out challenges for fights with Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk in which Fury never seemed interested in good-faith negotiations. Then, a completely unnecessary fight with Derek Chisora that played out exactly as anyone reasonable would have expected.

It’s been a disappointing run for the best heavyweight on the planet. A fight with Joshua is likely the biggest fight in English boxing history. A fight with Usyk is the two best heavyweights in the world clashing for undisputed status. Instead, Fury will be fighting former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou on Oct. 28.

Fury should beat Ngannou fairly easily. While it’d be nice to think Usyk would be next up, Fury’s behavior doesn’t suggest it’s a sure thing. Honestly, another retirement, whether legitimate or a PR trick, is just as likely.

Devin Haney: A move up in weight for a fight with Regis Prograis … maybe

It has seemed clear for years that undisputed lightweight champion Haney was growing out of the 135-pound division. While he wasn’t looking to vacate his lightweight belts immediately, Haney set a move up in weight in motion when it was announced that he’d agreed to a fight for Prograis’ WBC title at junior welterweight. The fight makes sense, with Prograis having wasted much of his recent career and needing a legitimate opponent while Haney gets his own stiff challenge and a chance to grab a world title at a second weight.

Despite some shenanigans in the negotiations that followed the announcement of the two agreeing to fight, both sides appear to have reached a deal. ESPN reports that the fight will now take place on Dec. 9 in San Francisco — Haney’s hometown — on DAZN PPV. The fight was tentatively set for Oct. 28 in Las Vegas when the two initially struck a deal. Coming to terms on this fight also avoids some unnecessary matchups, like one that Prograis posted on social media he would pursue in Adrien Broner.

Naoya Inoue: An undisputed super bantamweight fight with Marlon Tapales

Inoue is an elite pound-for-pound talent who continues to grow as a star. After becoming undisputed at bantamweight, he moved up to super bantamweight for a very risky fight with Stephen Fulton. Inoue thrashed Fulton to grab the WBC and WBO titles. Not every fighter or division is filled with complications and controversy. Tapales holds the WBA and IBF titles and was in the ring with Inoue after the Fulton fight. Inoue vs. Tapales is easy to make and gives Inoue the chance to become undisputed in the second weight class of his career.

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BOXING

Tampa Bay to host 2024 Royal Rumble

By sportnow September 14, 2023

WWE, part of TKO Group Holdings, in conjunction with the Tampa Bay Rays, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, announced that Tampa Bay will host the 37th Royal Rumble in 2024.

WWE will head to town for an entire weekend of events across St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Tampa, Fla., highlighted by the Royal Rumble on Saturday, Jan. 27 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. Two days later, Monday Night Raw will emanate from Amalie Arena in Tampa on Jan. 29. This marks the first time that Royal Rumble will be held in Tampa Bay in front of fans since 1995.

“Tampa Bay has long been a terrific market for WWE,” said WWE Executive Vice President of Live Events John Porco. “Thanks to our partners at the Tampa Bay Rays, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, we look forward to a fantastic schedule of events in January.”

“We are excited to welcome WWE back to Tropicana Field for the 2024 Royal Rumble,” said Tampa Bay Rays President Matt Silverman. “The Royal Rumble will provide first-class sports entertainment to both those seeing the action in person and watching as part of a worldwide television audience. This event will bring visitors from around the globe to experience the beauty of our area and all it has to offer.”

“As a leader in event production and promotion, we are thrilled to collaborate with WWE to bring Royal Rumble to our destination,” Caleb Peterson, Visit St. Pete/Clearwater Senior Business Development Manager. “We look forward to welcoming all of the WWE fans to our community, a community that will certainly match their energy and enthusiasm for sports entertainment. A special thank you to our community partners – the Tampa Bay Rays, City of St. Petersburg, and Tampa Bay Sports Commission – for their role in creating this unique opportunity for our destination.”

“Team Tampa Bay loved hosting WrestleMania 37 two years ago and we’re now beyond excited to have the opportunity to collaborate again with our longtime friends at WWE,” said Rob Higgins, Tampa Bay Sports Commission Executive Director. “Royal Rumble Weekend in January of 2024 will be a phenomenal regional effort that spans Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties including both Tropicana Field and Amalie Arena. Together, we’re focused on making sure that WWE Universe is treated to a weekend that’s filled with memories that last a lifetime.”

Royal Rumble will be headlined by the 30-Man and 30-Woman Royal Rumble matches, with the winners of both receiving a Championship Match opportunity at WrestleMania 40.

In addition, official Royal Rumble Priority Passes will soon be available through exclusive partner On Location, giving fans the opportunity to purchase ticket packages before they go on sale to the general public. Royal Rumble Priority Passes will offer fans the chance to be ringside for every exhilarating moment, including premium seating, all-inclusive pre-show hospitality with WWE Superstar appearances, ringside photo opportunities, exclusive merchandise, deluxe accommodations, and much more.

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BOXING

Heavyweight who KO’d Mike Tyson suffers 33rd pro loss aged 50

By sportnow September 13, 2023

Heavyweight Danny Williams, who defeated Mike Tyson, fought for the 88th time last month. In the process, he notched a 33rd career loss.

It was a far cry from his legacy of defeating the great Tyson and challenging Vitali Klitschko. In 2004, Tyson went down in a shocking upset to Williams, which set up the Klitschko WBC title shot.

However, Williams has been on the path to oblivion since then.

Defeating a shell of Mike Tyson seems to be a noose around Williams’ neck that he can never shake off. It’s allowed promoters in Europe to bring a fighter over to their shores solely due to the name of the man he conquered.

Nobody will leave Williams alone as he keeps coming back and coming back.

Heavyweight Danny Williams loses for the 33rd time

World Boxing News has been in contact with the Londoner for years. He’s promised to walk away on many occasions.

But Williams keeps accepting the advances, mainly of lesser commissions on the German and Baltic circuit. Now, after celebrating a half-century of years in life, Williams cuts a lonely figure time and again.

How Commissions keep licensing “The Brixton Bomber” is anyone’s guess.

On November 13 last year, the veteran lost to Nelson Hysa at the Ramazan Njala Sports Palace in Durres, Albania. With the six-round decision win, Hysa moved to 5-0.

This added to a loss in March when Williams traveled to Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. Heavyweight prospect Djuar El Scheich moved to 15-0 with his 14th stoppage by battering Williams without much in return.

A video camera in the crowd captured the shocking action in front of about six people in a soulless gym.

Another defeat

In many of his recent contests, Williams could hardly throw a punch. He’s lost 33 times as a professional, and that’s despite his last victory coming in April.

Don’t be fooled by the win, though. It was set up against Vadims Tihomirovs [who was 2-15-1 at the time] so that Williams could then face 8-0 Louison Loizou.

Fighting both at the same venue, the Tondi 17 Boxing Hall in Tallinn, Estonia, Williams was put down in the first round on his way to a four-round decision.

Loizou won 40-35 on all three cards in what was a pointless exercise for Williams other than the fact his opponent can say he beat the old man who beat the other old man back in the day.

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