12:48 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Demetrius Andrade can’t seem to entice a marquee opponent — or anyone remotely close to that level — into the ring with him. And when he does fight these fringe contenders, the bouts often last the distance despite the obvious disparity in talent. That has been the case in several
Boxing
6:39 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN LAS VEGAS — Terence Crawford and Shawn Porter both weighed under the 147-pound limit on Friday, one day before they’ll vie for the WBO welterweight title (9 p.m. ET, ESPN+ pay-per-view). Crawford, the champion, tipped the scales at 146.4 pounds; Porter weighed 146.6. “I respect everything that Shawn does,” Crawford,
7:48 AM ET Mark KriegelESPN LAS VEGAS — I met Shawn Porter in early 2016 as he was preparing to fight Keith Thurman, who was then the best welterweight in the world. Three things were immediately apparent, first among them being Porter’s distinct physicality. He had fought most of his amateur career at 165.3 pounds.
7:49 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN LAS VEGAS — Terence “Bud” Crawford is used to hearing the question. No matter how impressive his in-ring performances have been, despite becoming an undisputed junior welterweight champion and winning world titles in three divisions, the question is always the same. “Who has Crawford fought?” Crawford has long been recognized
Nov 17, 2021 SYDNEY, Australia — Rising light middleweight star Tim Tszyu has taken another giant leap towards a maiden world title fight against Argentine Brian Castano. Tszyu, the son of boxing legend Kostya, turned in a commanding performance against Japan’s Takeshi Inoue at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on Wednesday evening to remain undefeated at
9:36 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Joe Smith Jr. and Callum Johnson have agreed to terms for a light heavyweight title fight that will headline an ESPN show on Jan. 15 at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York, sources told ESPN. Smith (27-3, 21 KOs) was scheduled to defend his title against Umar Salamov
Nov 17, 2021 SYDNEY, Australia — With every blow Takeshi Inoue sustained in the centre of Qudos Bank Arena on Wednesday evening, the reputation and image of Tim Tszyu as a world class fighter only strengthened. The son of boxing icon Kostya made light work of the world No. 6 from Japan, once again showing
4:06 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Keyshawn Davis and Richard Torrez Jr., who both claimed silver medals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer, have signed multiyear promotional deals with Top Rank, multiple sources told ESPN. Davis competed as a lightweight while Torrez fought in the super heavyweight division. The 22-year-old Davis will make his
7:54 AM ET Shawn Porter is in a story-telling mood. And at first, this one has nothing to do with boxing. When Shawn Porter was around 10 years old, he was playing running back in a football game as his father, Kenny, coached on the sideline. On one play, a defender leveled Shawn, knocking him
8:01 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Canelo Alvarez could chase a title in a fifth weight class. At the WBC Convention on Wednesday in Mexico City, the organization approved the request of Canelo’s trainer and manager, Eddy Reynoso, to have Alvarez challenge Illunga Junior Makabu for the cruiserweight championship. Alvarez, ESPN’s No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer, became