WBO SETS FEB 2 PURSE BID FOR CALLUM SMITH VS DAVID MORRELL FIGHT
The WBO has officially called for a purse bid on February 2, 2026, to settle the interim title fight between Smith and Morrell.
The World Boxing Organisation just called for a purse bid on the interim light heavyweight fight between Callum Smith and David Morrell. The auction’s set for February 2, 2026, in San Juan, 11 a.m. sharp. After months of back-and-forth, missed deadlines, and nothing but a long stalemate, the WBO finally stepped in and took the process out of the fighters’ hands.
This all started in July 2025 when Morrell beat Imam Khataev and became Smith’s mandatory challenger. The WBO ordered the fight and then planned a purse bid for December. But then the teams said they’d reached a deal on their own, so the bid got scrapped. That deal? Never signed. Time kept passing, no date in sight, and eventually Morrell’s team got fed up and asked the WBO to step in again. Now, negotiations are over. The fight goes to open bidding.
The WBO isn’t messing around this time. They set the minimum bid at $300,000, and whoever wins has to put down a 20 per cent deposit right away. Once a promoter wins, they’ve got 60 days to put the fight on the calendar. Miss that deadline, and someone else gets the rights. No wiggle room, no more stalling.
The delay’s been a big deal, especially for Smith. At 35, he’s close to landing a huge fight with unified champ Dmitry Bivol—a payday bigger than anything he’s seen. But Morrell is right in his path. He’s younger, hits hard, and people see him as a real threat—not just some interim defence you can coast through.
That’s why Smith’s team hesitated. Losing to Morrell wouldn’t just mean giving up the interim belt. It could knock Smith out of the title picture for good and kill his momentum.
Now, with the purse bid, there’s nowhere left to hide. Smith has to deal with Morrell now or risk losing everything he’s worked for.
THE WALKOUT: UNCOVERING WHY DEONTAY WILDER STORMED OUT OF THE SIMON JORDAN INTERVIEW
Is Wilder finished? Analyse the O2 Arena heavyweight drama, Riley’s 13-0 streak, and the EBU title stakes on April 4.
Viddal Riley is getting a massive chance at the European title on the same night Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora square off in London.
Wilder and Chisora are set for a heavyweight clash on April 4 at the O2 Arena. The stakes couldn’t be higher; whoever walks away with the win lines themselves up for a shot at Oleksandr Usyk’s unified world title. For the loser, this could be the end of the road.
MF Pro is putting on the show, and they’ve just signed Riley, who’s now set to fight on the undercard. He’s taking on EBU European champion Mateusz Masternak in what’s easily the biggest test of his career so far. Riley just grabbed the British title, and now he’s eyeing a second belt in a row.
The EBU ordered the fight, and it’s Riley’s big chance to prove he belongs at the top. Here’s how he put it: “It’s a new dawn. It’s a new chapter. MF PRO is the start of something fresh for me, and what better way to kick things off than with a real challenge? I’ve decided to go after a seasoned veteran and former world title contender for his EBU Cruiserweight belt. This fight means everything for my climb toward world honours. I know it’s a tough test, but I’m ready to shine.”
He’s pumped about the main event, too: “Chisora vs Wilder is a huge night, and I can’t wait to show what I can do for my new promoters, who are really backing me.”
Riley’s undefeated in 13 fights, and he hasn’t missed a step. If he wins, he’s set to rocket up the world rankings. He’s already got a big following online, and a statement win here could really launch him into the spotlight.
With all eyes on Wilder vs Chisora, Riley’s fight gets an extra boost. This is supposed to be Chisora’s 50th and final bout, at least that’s what he says, and a win would send him out on a high in front of the home crowd. Wilder, on the other hand, needs to put on a show and prove he’s still got it at 40.
The hype is real; both fighters even got into it with talkSPORT host Simon Jordan. Things got heated, and at one point, Wilder stormed out after a grilling about Tyson Fury. The drama’s building, and April 4 is shaping up to be a wild night for British boxing.
THE MMA PIVOT: WHY ANTHONY JOSHUA IS TRAINING WITH KHABIB AFTER NIGERIA TRAGEDY
Anthony Joshua's boxing career is in doubt: Read Eddie Hearn's update on the Fury fight and Islam Makhachev's Dagestan invitation.
People are starting to wonder if Anthony Joshua could swap boxing for MMA and really shake things up. Right now, he’s still recovering after a terrible car crash in Nigeria last December that killed two of his close friends. He’s back to some light training, but the comeback is slow. Lately, he was spotted at a PFL MMA event in Dubai, just hanging out backstage with Khabib Nurmagomedov, which got people talking even more.
Islam Makhachev, who took over from Khabib in the UFC, seems to think Joshua could actually pull it off. “He showed me and said, ‘I want to make T-shirts,’” Makhachev told Arena Fight TV. “I told him, ‘Okay, I’ll help you with that, but you have to come to Dagestan and work on your wrestling.’ This guy is huge and already one of the best boxers in the world. If he gets his wrestling up, just imagine how dangerous he’d be in MMA.”
Joshua was supposed to fight again in March and then go for a big September bout with Tyson Fury. But after the crash, everything changed. His promoter, Eddie Hearn, admitted, “Before this terrible incident, we were all set for March and then Fury. That’s obviously not happening now, and honestly, I can’t say if it ever will.”
Still, Hearn hasn’t given up hope. “In the next few weeks or months, he’ll probably ramp things up and get back into a proper training camp. There are no promises he’ll fight again, but I expect he will. He loves it, and in a way, it’s something that helps him carry the memory of his friends. Physically, what he’s been through was rough, maybe rougher than most people realise. He’s been working out, but he’s just not ready yet. It’s going to take some time before he’s truly back.”