All articles tagged with #wbc
Bryce Harper returned from the World Baseball Classic in good form and told Phillies fans he plans a more selective plate approach in 2026, aiming for 140–150 walks and to reduce his chase rate after posting a 35.6% rate last season. He credits improved timing and pitch recognition, noted a 27.5 chase rate in spring, and emphasized staying within his zone as Philadelphia eyes a title run.
Trump reacted to Venezuela’s 3-2 World Baseball Classic final win over the U.S. with a late-night Truth Social post hinting that Venezuela could become the 51st U.S. state, continuing his long-running fixation on annexing other countries (earlier Canada and Greenland). The Miami showdown highlighted a politically charged event, with Trump’s post adding to ongoing coverage of his unconventional foreign-policy rhetoric.
Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, both 3–0 in Pool D, clash in Miami to decide the pool winner and quarterfinal seeding in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The game is on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 at 8:00 AM ET, broadcast on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes, with live streaming available via Fubo (regional restrictions may apply).
Shohei Ohtani hit a grand slam and drove in five runs in the second inning, becoming the first player in World Baseball Classic history with five RBIs in a single inning, as Japan mercy-ruled Chinese Taipei 13-0 in seven innings; Yoshinobu Yamamoto started but was briefly effective only through 2.2 innings, and Japan moves on to face South Korea next.
Oleksandr Usyk will defend his WBC heavyweight title on May 23 in Egypt against Rico Verhoeven, a decorated kickboxer with just one pro boxing bout in 2014. The WBC’s approval of a crossover challenger without a traditional boxing ladder has sparked debate about eligibility and competitive order, even as promoters frame the bout as a global destination event to be streamed on DAZN as part of the “Glory in Giza” spectacle.
Dana White says Zuffa Boxing is quickly making an impact in boxing with little pushback from traditional promoters and sanctioning bodies, calling the sport's old guard outmatched and predicting a transformative year; he criticizes rivals like Eddie Hearn and Oscar De La Hoya, asserts he won't work with the WBC/IBF, and plans to build a new championship model as the promotion enters its third event.
Terence 'Bud' Crawford has been stripped of his WBC super-middleweight title due to unpaid sanctioning fees, with the WBC citing lack of response to multiple communications as the reason. The vacant title will now be contested by Hamzah Sheeraz and Christian Mbilli.
Terence Crawford was stripped of his WBC super middleweight title due to unpaid sanctioning fees for his recent fights, leading the WBC to declare the title vacant and order new contenders to fight for the now-vacant belt.
Lawrence Okolie defeated Kevin Lerena in a lackluster 10-round boxing match at Wembley Stadium, with scores of 100-90, in the co-main event of the Usyk-Dubois II undercard. The fight was characterized by limited action and strategic pacing, with Okolie utilizing his reach advantage to control the bout. Okolie's record now stands at 22-1, while Lerena suffers his second loss.
The build-up to the Devin Haney-Ryan Garcia fight has been overshadowed by Garcia's erratic behavior and controversial social media posts, leading to concerns about his mental health and readiness for the bout. The WBC president stepped in to ensure Garcia's mental fitness, and after undergoing a battery of tests, he was cleared to fight. Despite the chaos, the fight is set to take place, with Haney expressing doubts about Garcia's stability. The bout presents a chance for Garcia to redeem himself after his first professional loss, while Haney aims to solidify his status as one of the sport's top fighters.
The lead-up to the Haney-Garcia fight has been overshadowed by Ryan Garcia's erratic behavior and controversial social media posts, leading to concerns about his mental health and readiness for the bout. The WBC intervened to ensure Garcia's mental fitness, and he ultimately passed a battery of tests. Despite the chaos, the fight is set to take place, with Garcia seeking redemption and Haney aiming to solidify his status as a top fighter.
Devin Haney will defend his WBC junior welterweight title against Ryan Garcia at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday, with the undercard featuring John Ramirez vs. David Jimenez for the WBA interim flyweight title, Arnold Barboza Jr. vs. Sean McComb in a junior welterweight contest, and Bektemir Melikuziev vs. Pierre Dibombe in a middleweight bout. The event will be available on DAZN PPV and PPV.com, with Haney heavily favored to win.
Junto Nakatani secured a sixth-round TKO victory over Alexandro Santiago to claim the WBC bantamweight title, dominating the fight with his height and reach advantages. Takuma Inoue also retained his WBA bantamweight title with a ninth-round KO victory over Jerwin Ancajas in the main event.
Devin Haney dominated Regis Prograis in a 12-round bout, winning a shutout decision and capturing Prograis' WBC junior welterweight title. Haney showcased precision punching, an excellent jab, and superior ring generalship, scoring a knockdown in Round 3 and inflicting damage on Prograis' face. Prograis had no answers for Haney's skills, landing just 38 punches throughout the fight. Haney solidified his status as an elite boxer and is now eyeing a move up to the welterweight division.
Devin Haney dominated Regis Prograis in their WBC junior welterweight title fight, winning on unanimous scores of 120-107. Haney showcased his skills and outclassed Prograis, who seemed to struggle in his last two fights. Haney's performance was considered a career-best, and he now holds titles in two weight divisions. Prograis admitted that Haney was better than he expected, praising his speed and power. Haney expressed interest in moving up to higher weight divisions for future fights.