Boxing

Former heavyweight boxing champion Shannon Briggs signs deal with Bare Knuckle FCBriggs is a former lineal heavyweight champion but has been retired since 2016 The Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has added an aging heavyweight powerhouse to its roster with the announcement on Monday that the promotion has struck a deal with Shannon Briggs. Briggs is a former boxing heavyweight world champion and is also a one-time holder of the sport's lineal title. Briggs (60-6-1, 53 KOs), 48, is most famous for winning the lineal heavyweight title with a slightly controversial majority decision over George Foreman on November 1997, well after the aging Foreman had moved from his impressive late-career comeback to fighting lower-tier contenders. Briggs would lose his status as lineal champ one fight later when he was knocked out in five rounds by Lennox Lewis. Briggs would continue his career with mixed success until 2003 when he went on a string of 12 consecutive wins, all by knockout. That..

Coronavirus pandemic postpones Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev title bout set for JuneJoshua's next defense of his three heavyweight world titles will not take place in June due to the ongoing global situation The world heavyweight championship fight between IBF, WBA, and WBO titleholder Anthony Joshua and challenger Kubrat Pulev will not take place on June 20 as planned. The bout is the latest major boxing event to be postponed during the global coronavirus pandemic and further muddies an already complicated heavyweight division. The bout was planned to take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. With the British Boxing Board of Control recently announcing the cancellation or postponement of any fight scheduled through May, it seemed only a matter of time before large events in June began to fall as well. With fighters unable to train or travel as normal, preparation for a world championship bout is difficult at best and impossible at worst. 🗣️ @EddieHearn with more on..

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum: Dana White 'ought to be ashamed' for promoting UFC fights during pandemicArum is putting his business on hold while White is relentlessly pushing for MMA to fill the live sports void Bob Arum, born into the Great Depression and someone who came of age during World War II, believes the fear and uncertainty caused by the ongoing coronavirus outbreak is largely unprecedented. The 88-year-old also believes we all have a role to play during such a dangerous global pandemic. From the perspective of the Hall of Fame boxing promoter and Top Rank founder, he's practicing in his role by making it clear the remaining fights on the 2020 calendar will happen when they happen, and not anytime sooner. "People ask me what plans I'm making for these fights when we will get the all clear. Because I don't know when the all clear is going to be and I have no idea whether it will be two months, three months or even the rest of the year, I'm not ma..

International Boxing Hall of Fame delays 2020 inductions; Hopkins, Mosley, Marquez to be inducted in 2021Due to concerns over the global coronavirus pandemic, this year's Boxing Hall of Fame inductees will have to wait Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Marquez will have to wait until summer of 2021 to be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The three men were the headliners of the 2020 class, but concerns over the global coronavirus pandemic and restrictions on large gatherings have forced the organizers to cancel this year's ceremony and induct the 2020 class next summer. Hopkins, Mosley and Marquez were to be inducted along with Christy Martin and Lucia Rijker, who were both to go in on the first year a female boxer category was introduced for voting. The event was scheduled for June 14 in Canastota, New York. The 2020 inductees will go in to the Hall of Fame next year along with the 2021 class. "By combining the celebrations of the induction c..

British Boxing Board suspends Billy Joe Saunders' license after insensitive social media postSaunders' poor decision could cost him millions as his planned bout with Canelo Alvarez may be in jeopardy After years of talk, Billy Joe Saunders had finally lined up a fight with Canelo Alvarez. Then came the global coronavirus pandemic, followed by word Canelo and Gennadiy Golovkin had agreed to meet in a trilogy fight later in the year, overshadowing Saunders' shot at the Mexican superstar. And now, Saunders has shot himself in the foot by making an inappropriate joke at the worst possible time, resulting in a license suspension. Over the weekend, Saunders posted a video on social media showing how men could best hit their partners during the global lockdown. In a video posted to his since-deleted social media account addressed to "dads, husbands [and people] with girlfriends," Saunders suggests how to properly deliver a punch to a woman if she is getting on one's neve..

Manny Pacquiao says he has tested negative for COVID-19 after going under self quarantineThe champion boxer and Philippines senator is also supposed to distribute more than 57,000 tests Boxing champion and Philippines senator Manny Pacquiao has tested negative for COVID-19, otherwise known as the novel coronavirus. Pacquiao had put himself and his family in home isolation for the past week after appearing in a special senate session on Monday. In a letter to Pacquiao on March 27, Dasmariñas Village barangay chairman Rossanna Hwang said that Pacquiao was exposed to a person diagnosed with COVID-19 and was considered a "person under monitoring." According to a statement, Pacquiao used a rapid testing kit from South Korea. "My countrymen, I would like to make it clear that even before I received the letter from [Barangay Captain Rossana Hwang], I already started home quarantine," Pacquiao said. "Please don't worry. I received rapid testing kits from my friends from South Korea. Us..

Tyson Fury vs. Deontay Wilder III fight pushed back from July date due to coronavirus pandemicFans will have to wait until October -- or later -- to see a third fight between the heavyweight rivals The trilogy fight between WBC and lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and rival Deontay Wilder will move forward -- just not in July as planned. Top Rank chairman Bob Arum told ESPN on Tuesday that they are anticipating holding the heavyweight bout in the fall due to the global coronavirus pandemic, delaying it from the anticipated July 18 date. Wilder took advantage of his contractual ability as the loser of their February rematch to initiate a third fight after being battered by Fury until his corner threw in the towel to end things in the seventh round. He subsequently blamed the loss on the weight of the elaborate costume he wore to the ring while saying he would take advantage of guaranteed rematch clause. The third fight between the two -- after Fury's win in February and the..

Five boxing fights to make in 2020 include welterweight showdown, heavyweight unificationWhile the coronavirus pandemic has paused the boxing schedule for the time being, there's still big fights to be made Matchmaking in the world of boxing has long been a feast-or-famine proposition, though hurdles involving various promotions, networks, streaming services and alphabet organizations have increased complications significantly. Still, in recent years, boxing fans have been treated to some thrilling contests involving high level opposition. Now, the coronavirus pandemic has caused the boxing world to hit pause and fans are left to fantasy matchmaking. The CBS Sports experts are no different, revisiting our thoughts on what fights need to be made before 2020 comes to an end. Our original list from the start of the year has been updated to reflect how pre-coronavirus pandemic 2020 has impacted the fights we most want to see. That includes a domestic violence situation that could de..

Boxing schedule for 2020 in a holding pattern amid the coronavirus pandemicAfter a strong start to 2020, boxing has come to a standstill as countries deal with the coronavirus pandemic Boxing got off and running in 2020 with some big bouts to start the year. None were bigger than Tyson Fury's destructive TKO victory over Deontay Wilder to claim the WBC heavyweight crown in February. Plus, Danny Garcia is looking for another title opportunity after outpointing Ivan Redkach. But with coronavirus causing countries across the world to shut down large gatherings, many of the biggest fights on boxing's horizon have been postponed or outright canceled. In one of the last big fights to take place before the shutdowns began, Robert Helenius scored a huge upset of Adam Kownacki in New York to disrupt the ascent of a potential future heavyweight title challenger. But championship bouts including Shakur Stevenson vs. Miguel Marriaga, Artur BeterBiev vs. Meng Fanlong and Naoya Inoue vs...

Legendary boxing trainer Roger Mayweather, uncle of Floyd Mayweather, dies at age 58Mayweather was a world champion in two weight classes before becoming an accomplished boxing trainer Roger Mayweather, a former two-division world champion, accomplished trainer and uncle to boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr., has died at age 58, the Mayweather camp confirmed to TMZ Sports. Lance Pugmire of The Athletic also confirmed the news of Mayweather's death through a separate source. Mayweather turned pro in 1981, winning his first 17 career fights and capturing the WBA and lineal super featherweight championships in the process. In 1987, Mayweather added the WBC light welterweight title to his accomplishments. During his career, Mayweather mixed it up in the ring with several boxing legends, including Julio Cesar Chavez (twice), Pernell Whitaker and Kostya Tszyu. He was nicknamed "The Black Mamba." Toward the end of his career as a boxer, Mayweather switched his focus to becoming a tra..