Boxing

12:16 PM ET MIAMI — Former star NFL receiver Chad Johnson is used to using his sweet footwork to dice up cornerbacks on the football field, but in two weeks he’s preparing to use his physical skills to put on an entertaining show in his first boxing match. On the opening fight in the PPV

7:47 AM ET Canelo Alvarez added another world title to his collection by defeating Billy Joe Saunders on May 8 in Arlington, Texas. After an extended run at No. 2, the victory finally pushed him to the top spot in ESPN’s pound-for-pound rankings. Terence Crawford, the former No. 1, hasn’t been in the ring in

8:26 AM ET There’s a generation of people who became boxing fans because of the Marvin Hagler vs. Tommy Hearns fight in 1985 — an eight-minute slugfest won by Hagler in a third-round knockout. Thirty-six years later, many recognize it as the greatest fight ever. Hagler died in March after suffering a heart attack at

May 22, 2021 The WBO on Saturday officially ordered a fight between unified heavyweight world titleholder Anthony Joshua and the sanctioning body’s No. 1 contender, former cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. In a letter to both camps, the WBO wrote that the sides have 10 days to negotiate an agreement. If a deal is not reached,

May 22, 2021 LAS VEGAS — WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder have both signed contracts for the third bout in their heavyweight rivalry. During the Josh Taylor-Jose Ramirez telecast on ESPN on Saturday, Fury said that he had signed his contract. Wilder has also finalized his side of the deal, according to

11:13 PM ET LAS VEGAS — Josh Taylor jumped on someone’s shoulders, pumped his fists and cheered along with the small section of his supporters nestled behind one of the corners. They had every reason to be thrilled. In one of the rarest fights in boxing — an undisputed title fight featuring two undefeated boxers

7:50 AM ET Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show Josh Taylor made history on Saturday by becoming Great Britain’s first four-belt undisputed world champion with a performance that puts him in the same

12:21 AM ET Ben Baby Close ESPN Staff Writer ESPN Staff Writer Previously a college football writer for The Dallas Morning News University of North Texas graduate Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show

4:34 PM ET Jose Ramirez, the WBC and WBO junior welterweight titlist, and Josh Taylor, the WBA and IBF titleholder, will meet on Saturday to crown the undisputed champion in the division. Ramirez (26-0, 17 KOs), 28, of Avenal, California, last fought in August when he defended his titles with a majority decision victory against

5:48 PM ET Two of the world’s best boxers have agreed to fight each other in Las Vegas. Manny Pacquiao will face Errol Spence Jr. on Aug. 21, with both boxers announcing the fight on social media Friday. A source also confirmed to ESPN that the fight had been set, though a venue has not

6:18 PM ET Manny Pacquaio and Errol Spence Jr. made headlines on Friday when they announced one of the biggest fights in recent years. Pacquiao, 62-7-2, 39 KOs), 42, of General Santos City, Philippines, boxing’s only eight-division world champion, will face Spence (27-0, 21 KOs), 31, of Desoto, Texas, the only unified welterweight champion, on

7:41 AM ET LAS VEGAS — Not all championships are created equally. Even in boxing, with the most legitimate belts swimming in an ocean of trinket titles, this is true. A fighter can sometimes stumble into becoming a champion if the matchmaking is good enough or the circumstances are favorable. That’s not the case with

7:33 AM ET Mark KriegelESPN A couple of weeks ago, a once-great champion and a YouTuber held a news conference to announce their “fight” in Miami. The YouTuber’s brother, also a YouTuber, confronted the retired fighter and snatched his baseball cap. “Gotcha hat!” he said, before running away. This was widely interpreted as the work

7:55 PM ET A huge heavyweight fight is scheduled for this summer, but it’s not the one that has been discussed for the past six months. After rumors of a heavyweight unification against Anthony Joshua, WBC champion Tyson Fury will instead face Deontay Wilder in a trilogy fight on July 24 or August 14 in

11:01 PM ET There is a deal in place for a boxing match between boxing luminary Oscar De La Hoya and UFC legend Georges St-Pierre. But the fight cannot happen unless the UFC gives its approval, according to Ryan Kavanaugh, who is attempting to promote the bout under his Triller Fight Club banner. Kavanaugh told

4:38 PM ET The fate of a proposed heavyweight unification match between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua could be greatly determined in the next two days. In a letter to Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn on Wednesday, the WBO ordered Hearn to “show cause” within 48 hours why the sanctioning body should not force Joshua (24-1,

9:09 PM ET Jake Paul, one of the most polarizing up-and-coming stars in boxing, has a new home. The YouTuber-turned-prizefighter has a deal in place for his next boxing match to be distributed by Showtime Sports, Paul’s adviser Nakisa Bidarian told ESPN on Wednesday. Paul’s team and Showtime are in advanced talks about the potential

1:07 PM ET Former super middleweight world titlist Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez will face former light heavyweight title contender Sullivan Barrera on July 9 in Los Angeles, Golden Boy Promotions announced Tuesday. Ramirez (41-0, 27 KOs), 29, of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, will make his Golden Boy debut after signing with the promotion in February. Ramirez, who