defector-orange-no-empty-space

lede_post_card_default

lede_post_card_stacked

lede_post_card_featured_post

lede_post_card_featured_posts_hero

lede_post_card_featured_posts_sidebar

lede_post_card_highlighted_post

lede_post_card_horizontal_a

lede_post_card_horizontal_c

lede_post_card_related_post

lede_post_card_square

lede_article_featured_16x9

lede_article_featured_3x2

lede_article_featured_1x1

lede_article_featured_flexible

lede_article_content

lede_article_content_wide_width

lede_article_content_full_width

lede_byline_avatar_post_card

lede_byline_avatar_highlight

lede_profile_coral_avatar

lede_logo

lede_logo_banner

lede_logo_footer_banner

lede_logo_simple_header

lede_sponsorship_logo

lede_sponsorship_logo_river_card

lede_sponsorship_homepage_card_logo

lede_sponsorship_homepage_card

Footer Legal

Header - Categories

Header Menu

The last good website.

Topics

This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

defector-no-empty-space

Defector

Dave McKenna

Undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue (R) punches Ramon Cardenas in the fourth round of their title fight at T-Mobile Arena on May 04, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Inoue retained his titles with an eighth-round TKO.

Inoue v Cardenas

The Fights

Naoya Inoue And Ramon Cardenas Salvaged Boxing’s Meek Weekend

HBO Sports boxing commentator Jim Lampley provides commentary as he previews the upcoming WBC Heavyweight Championship fight for television viewers between James Toney and Hasim Rahman at Boardwalk Hall on March 18, 2006 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Sports Contributor Archive 2023

Jim Lampley Knows Friday Night’s Alright For Fighting

Turki Al-Sheikh and actor Jason Statham (left) at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Picture date: Saturday December 21, 2024.

Oleksandr Usyk v Tyson Fury – Kingdom Arena – Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s Latest Boxing Spectacle Is A Times Square Fight Card With No Start Time And No Tickets

Muhammad Ali smashes a right to the head of George Foreman.

Muhammad Ali Hitting George Foreman

George Foreman Got As Good As He Gave

Gervonta Davis takes a knee in the middle of round nine due to the grease in his braids dripped into his eyes against Lamont Roach Jr. during their bout for Davis' WBA lightweight title at Barclays Center on March 01, 2025 in New York City. (

Gervonta Davis v Lamont Roach

Boxing

Gervonta Davis Escapes With A Draw After Hair Care Debacle

Visual Editor. Runs <a href="http://defectorstore.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">defectorstore.com</a>. Philadelphia-based, if you couldn’t tell.

DFmBbTQF_400x400

Dan McQuade

champburger-ali-collage

The Tale Of The Early-Round KO Of Muhammad Ali’s Champburger

Dmitrii Bivol fights Artur Beterbiev as the headline act of Beterbiev v Bivol 2: The Last Crescendo at Kingdom Arena on February 22, 2025 in Riyadh.

Beterbiev v Bivol 2: The Last Crescendo – Fight Night

We’ll Take More Bivol Vs. Beterbiev, Less Of Everything Else

Japan’s Naoya Inoue poses during the official weigh-in in Tokyo on May 5, 2024 ahead of his super-bantamweight title boxing match against Mexico’s Luis Nery.

BOX-SUPERBANTAM-JPN-MEX-INOUE-NERY

The Big Stage Calls For Naoya Inoue

Owen Lewis is a former Defector intern and co-founded the website <a href="http://popcorntennis.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://popcorntennis.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726234676777000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0PFWw6PL-FUqaCMME5TLqP">popcorntennis.com</a>. He wrote 63,000 words about the Novak Djokovic-Rafael Nadal rivalry that can be accessed for free at <a href="https://thegoldenrivalry.substack.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://thegoldenrivalry.substack.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1726234676777000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2OjAHpo4PVIhkx8Xd21lRJ">thegoldenrivalry.substack.com</a>.

baby owen

Owen Lewis

Tyson Fury (left) and Oleksandr Usyk during the WBA, WBC, WBO, IBO World Heavyweight championship contest at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Picture date: Saturday December 21, 2024. (Photo by Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)

Someone Got Inside Tyson Fury’s Head For A Change

headshot

Barry Petchesky

'With a Turned Thumb', (Pollice Verso), 1872. A victorious Roman gladiator awaiting the verdict of the Emperor. After the painting by Jean-Leon Gerome. (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)

‘With a Turned Thumb’, (Pollice Verso), 1872.

Overexplained Lists

Gladiators, Ranked

image0 (5)

Israel Daramola

Mike Tyson holding his championship titles in the ring

Mike Tyson Holds Belts He Won In Ring

Mortality Always Wins By Knockout

VictorPortraitWClaw

David Roth

A giant screen above the ring shows US retired pro-boxer Mike Tyson sitting on the corner stool between rounds during the heavyweight boxing bout against Jake Paul on November 15, 2024.

US-BOXING-TYSON-PAUL-HEAVYWEIGHT

Tyson/Paul Was A Boxing Match That Felt Like Netflix

UFC Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones, at right, punches challenger Stipe Miocic, who is on his back, during their heavyweight title bout at Madison Square Garden in New York, on November 16, 2024.

MMA-UFC-HEAVYWEIGHT-USA-JONES-MIOCIC

Jon Jones Doesn’t Have To Change His Evil Ways

Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano fight at AT&T Stadium on November 15, 2024.

LIVE On Netflix: Jake Paul Vs. Mike Tyson

Ifs, Ands, And Headbutts: Irish Superhero Katie Taylor Takes Another Disputed Decision From Amanda Serrano

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 8: Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis poses during the weigh in ahead of his November 9th IBF World Welterweight title fight against Karen Chukhadzhian at 2300 Arena on November 8, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (

Jaron Ennis v Karen Chukhadzhyan: Weigh-In

Boots Ennis Learns That Being Boring Can Be Worse Than Losing

Canelo Alvarez poses at the press conference for the Berlanga fight

Canelo Alvarez and Edgar Berlanga hold press conference in Los Angeles

Canelo Álvarez No Longer Cares About Showcasing His Greatness

French boxer Laurent Dauthuille trains on October 27, 1946 at the Palais sed Sports in Paris before his match against Robert Charron.

BOXING DAUTHUILLE

Everlast Love: The Tale Of Me And The Heavy Bag

Hamilton Nolan is a journalist based in New York City. Subscribe to his work at <a href="https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1687350200913000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0naFbUVOe-5ZgtPDtIM3gz">HamiltonNolan.com</a>.

R1byyuOh_400x400

Hamilton Nolan

Welterweight contender Jaron Ennis trains during a media workout for his upcoming fight against Custio Clayton at Churchill Boxing Club on May 11, 2022 in Santa Monica, California.

Jermell Charlo Media Workout

Philly Has A Hero Named Boots

esse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez (R) of the United States and Juan Francisco Estrada (L) of Mexico fight during their WBC world and Ring Magazine super flyweight title bout

GettyImages-2159893677

Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez Is A Little Guy With Big Aspirations

Gervonta "Tank" Davis clobbers Frank Martin with a huge left hook.

Tank Davis vs Frank Martin

Who On Earth Wants To Fight Tank Davis Now?

Tyson Fury (third left) and Oleksandr Usyk (third right) pose alongside promoter Frank Warren (fourth left), actor Sylvester Stallone (centre) and The Saudi Chairman of General Authority for Entertainment Turki Alalshikh during a press conference at Outernet London.

Press Conference At Outernet

Don’t Expect Much Resistance To A Saudi Boxing Takeover

David Benavidez waits for the start of a fight for an interim WBC light heavyweight title against Oleksandr Gvozdyk at MGM Grand Garden Arena on June 15, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

David Benavidez v Oleksandr Gvozdyk

David Benavidez Underwhelmed In Victory

Ryan Garcia (white trunks) reacts against Devin Haney (gray trunks) during their WBC Super Lightweight title bout at Barclays Center on April 20, 2024 in New York City.

Devin Haney v Ryan Garcia

Ryan Garcia Turned A Sad Show Into A Thrilling Fight

Ryan Garcia speaks to reporters during a media workout at World Class Boxing Gym on April 9, 2024 in Dallas, Texas.

Ryan Garcia Media Workout

Ryan Garcia Is Promoting His Title Fight By Having A Mental Breakdown

I am a freelance writer who has covered a wide variety of topics over the years. I’ve written about sports, crime, technology, fitness, and entertainment for a variety of outlets.