Oleksandr Usyk last week vacated three heavyweight titles to focus on a “last dance”. Who will be Usyk’s final dance partner? Where does his departure leave the rest of the division? And what does this decision mean for his legacy?   

Jaron ‘Boots” Ennis, meanwhile, at last found a befitting dance partner in Xander Zayas last weekend as the pair unleashed some sumptuous moves in Brooklyn. Ennis wasn’t perfect but reminded the boxing world exactly why he’s been held in high regard for such a long time. But then, with the fight being stuck behind a paywall, it’s easy to wonder if this was a missed opportunity to draw new fans to the sport.

Ben Whittaker dazzled again on the undercard only days after one of British boxing’s most reliable showmen, Chris Eubank Jr, revealed his plans to keep fighting “until the wheels fall off” at the age of 36.

We review Lewis Crocker’s tight loss to Liam Paro before heading back to the 1990s and not one but two “Sugar” Shane Mosley fights. Thanks to some classic Christie chaos we look at his victory over Wilfrido Ruiz in 1998 AND his beatdown of Wilfredo Rivera the following year.

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In a week when Ryan Garner scored a glorious victory in a stadium,

After much squabbling between

Meanwhile, everyone’s ‘next

Alex and Matt reflect on

This Week is anchored in 1999

The Opening Bell: Unbiased,

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As self-proclaimed President of the Jessie ‘Bam’ Rodriguez

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Saturday night saw Eddie Hearn and Dana White go head-to-head, even though miles apart, when they both staged TV shows on UK soil.
White likely won that battle, as Chris Billam-Smith and Ryan Rozicki turned their Zuffa colours red with a violent and bloody slugfest. White wasn’t done there, however.
At the post-fight press conference he questioned Hearn’s true influence in world boxing as he claimed to know more about Joshua-Fury than the Matchroom boss. Hearn, in response, took aim at the UFC model that made White’s name.
Before that, Hearn secured a fitting venue, Croke Park, for the great Katie Taylor but is Flora Pili a fitting rival?
We look ahead to ‘Bam’ Rodriguez in the hope victory leads to a mouthwatering showdown with Naoya Inoue.
And, in This Week, dust off your disco balls and join us in 1985 where Pinklon Thomas and Mike Weaver unleash a forgotten thriller at heavyweight.
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Anthony Joshua faced the media for the first time this week since tragedy turned his life upside down six months ago. Joshua was focused, determined and suitably prickly as he examined Kristian Prenga, his July 25 opponent. But can the superstar really make it all the way back?
Adam Azim barely broke a sweat on Saturday night as he pummelled Steve Claggett. Now it’s time for the leash to come off.
Meanwhile, Chris Billam-Smith tackles hard man Ryan Rozicki this weekend in a scrap that is unlikely to leave either man fresh faced.
And, in This Week, we hurtle back to 1991 and a collision between Terry Norris and Don Curry that saw one man’s career take flight and the other’s all but end.
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Rico Verhoeven almost turned the boxing world upside down on Saturday night until Oleksandr Usyk, at last, found enough of himself to win the fight.
But was his sluggish showing merely an abberation, or does this mark the beginning of the end for the legendary Usyk?
Joining Matt to dissect the fight, its ending, and potential consequences is Atheltic and BBC boxing journalist, Chris McKenna.
The subject of boxing journalism, or what’s left of it, opens the discussion before all hell breaks loose as Matt and Chris relive a fight that almost changed everything they thought they knew.

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Is Rico Verhoeven about to do the unthinkable and upset world heavyweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk? Well, no, of course he’s not, but what Usyk ultimately looks like and how he wins are certainly worthwhile questions. So too is the status of the belts as, in different ways, each of the WBC, IBF and WBA somehow approve this as a championship contest.

Better is the undercard where Frank Sanchez and Richard Torrez Jr meet in a solid heavyweight eliminator and Jack Catterall goes in tough against Shakram Glyasov. Hamzah Sheeraz, however, might have an even easier night than Usyk when he battles Alem Bagic for a vacant title.

The Opening Bell, the independent voice in boxing.

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Though not yet formally announced, Ryan Garcia has signalled that a showdown with Conor Benn, at welterweight, will happen in Las Vegas on September 12. It seems certain to be one of the year’s biggest and most lucrative contests albeit a divisive one given their chequered pasts with drug-testing agencies.

It’s set to occur on the same day that Canelo Alvarez returns, in Saudi Arabia, to challenge for a super middleweight belt against Christian Mbilli. Does this mean that Turki Alalshikh is plotting another all-conquering weekend extravaganza?

Closer to home, in Doncaster, Dave Allen’s place in the heavyweight landscape was again revealed when he was pulled out in three rounds against Filip Hrgovic. The result was predictable, but again brings into focus the role of referees, trainers and doctors when it comes to stopping a fight.

In This Week we go back to 1990, a new decade in its infancy and two of the finest fighters of the time – Pernell ‘Sweet Pea’ Whittaker and Azumah Nelson – making their cases to be recognised among the leaders of the sport.

The Opening Bell, the independent voice in boxing.

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Filip Hrgovic starts as a huge favourite, and for good reason, against Dave Allen this weekend. But does the affable Brit have any chance to score the upset?
Allen’s losses seem to tell the story here but we highlight why Hrgovic might - and only might - come unstuck.
Steedo, after calling right last week, reveals his bet of the weekend as we look closely at the form lines on the undercard.
As always, friends, go well out there!

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Daniel Dubois stopping Fabio Wardley was a generational thriller but, even so, it’s only fair to ask if the hellacious warfare went too far.
There were questions about the timing of the stoppage, with some suggesting it came far too late, as Wardley’s face oozed blood and his battered body betrayed his lust for victory.
Regardless, Dubois again confounded critics as he got off the floor, not one but twice, to regain a portion of the heavyweight crown.
We look back, too, on the build-up and the uncomfortable nature of coverage that seemed to focus a little too cruelly on Dubois’ shortcomings in interviews.
In This Week, we cruise back to 1999 for some Jorge Paez action and a completely unrecognisable Adam Smith showcasing his early commentary style.
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