10 Most Ridiculous Boxing Moments Of 2023

Highlights

• Boxing in 2023 was filled with notable moments, both good and bad, that left fans questioning what they were seeing.
• Conor Benn's ongoing drug test scandal and the British Boxing Board of Control's refusal to sanction his fights has put his promising career in jeopardy.
• Ryan Garcia's lawsuit with Golden Boy Promotions has caused uncertainty in his future, but he managed to have a highlight-reel moment at the press conference for his fight against Oscar Duarte.

Boxing has had a lot more bad years than good years lately. However, 2023 bucked the trend and was interesting from start to finish. Fans got to see matchups that they've wanted for years come together, such as Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence Jr. and Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia.

Next year is shaping up to be even better, with fights such as Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk being announced. With that in mind, let's take a look back at some of the most noteworthy stories of 2023. Whether they were good or bad, these moments had fans questioning what they were seeing.

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10 Conor Benn's Ongoing Drug Test Scandal

'The Destroyer' Spent All Of 2023 On The Sidelines

• Days before a 2022 fight against Chris Eubank Jr., Conor Benn failed a drug test.
• He attempted to evade the ban and fight outside the U.K., even offering to relinquish his license.
• As of now, the BBBofC has refused to sanction his fights.

In late 2022, Conor Benn was popped for using clomifene prior to a bout with Chris Eubank Jr. For most boxers, this situation would've been resolved. However, he attempted to evade suspension, instead looking to fight outside the U.K.

He later fought in America in September but was denied a license to fight in the U.K. by British Boxing Board of Control against Chris Eubank Jr. As of now, Benn's future is unknown. For one of the biggest rising prospects in the sport, his career is currently uncertain.

9 Ryan Garcia's Lawsuit With Golden Boy Promotions

'King Ry' Is Currently Feuding With His Own Promoter

• Following Ryan Garcia's loss to Gervonta Davis, he felt abandoned by his team.
• As a result, he reportedly attempted to exit his contract, leading to a lawsuit.
• He later returned to the ring against Oscar Duarte, mid-lawsuit.

Ryan Garcia recently returned to the ring against Oscar Duarte earlier this month, picking up a knockout victory. That win happened in the midst of a lawsuit with his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya. 'Golden Boy' sued the young boxer for reportedly trying to exit his contract in June.

As of now, the pair's future is uncertain. However, Garcia did have a highlight-reel moment at the press conference for Duarte fight, publicly mocking both De La Hoya and his co-promoter Bernard Hopkins.

8 Triller Fight Club's Borderline Criminal Return

Boxing's Most Controversial Promoter Returned In 2023

• Triller Fight Club was created in late 2020.
• They promoted events such as Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren and Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort.
• In late 2023, they promoted James Toney vs. Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock.

Triller Fight Club was the organsation that helped launce Jake Paul's boxing career to start, as well as promoted 58-year-old Evander Holyfield's return. Well, the company went largely on hiatus in 2022 and 2023, instead opting to promote BKFC events.

In November, they had a big event to return with which was headlined by a borderline criminal exhibition between two nearly 60-year-old men, in the form of James Toney vs. Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock. They also had Beanie Man perform at this ridiculous event, just to make it more odd.

7 Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia

'Tank' and 'KingRy' Finally Met In 2023

• Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia teased a fight for years.
• The wild build-up saw both young stars talk a lot of trash, and promise KO wins.
• The pay-per-view reportedly garnered 1.3 million buys.

This one is ridiculous for the sole fact that it took years for this bout to happen. For years, Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis were considered two of the most high-profile young lightweights in the sport. They finally settled the grudge in April.

In the biggest test of both men's careers, 'Tank' easily dominated. He wound up scoring a seventh-round stoppage, handing Garcia the first loss of his career.

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6 Gervonta Davis Goes To Jail Right After Ryan Garcia Win

'Tank' is A Star Who Can't Get Out Of His Own Way At Times

• In November 2020, Gervonta Davis committed a hit-and-run in Baltimore.
• Despite a lengthy legal history, he was able to avoid jail time and fight 'KingRy'.
• One month after winning, he violated his plea deal and went to jail.

It feels like Gervonta Davis's win over Ryan Garcia and the aftermath perfectly sums up the young boxer's career thus far. He's so close to greatness, but his own mistakes are holding him back. Earlier this year, he got a plea deal relating to a 2020 hit-and-run that sent four people to the hospital.

He was able to get the deal prior to facing Garcia, getting 90 days of house arrest and three years probation. About one month after beating 'KingRy' however, he was forced to head to jail, for breaking the terms of his probation. It's not the end of the world, but what a ridiculous situation.

5 Floyd Mayweather's Exhibition With John Gotti III

This 'Money' Exhibition Got Out Of Control

• Since his 2018 retirement, Floyd Mayweather has had several exhibitions.
• While most of those resembled sparring sessions, that wasn't the case with John Gotti III.
• The fight was called off, leading to a near-riot.

Floyd Mayweather has regularly done exhibitions since his 2018 retirement. While most of these have been affairs that more resembled sparring sessions than anything else, that wasn't the case with John Gotti III.

Their exhibition in the summer was ruled a no-contest, after excessive trash talk and dirty in-fighting from both men. However, Gotti III decided to keep on fighting after the referee called the bout off, throwing multiple shots at Mayweather. As a result, he sparked a near-brawl in the ring.

4 The Ridiculous 'PRIME' Card

This Misfits Boxing Event Was Wild Even For Their Standards

• KSI and Logan Paul's PRIME card was the biggest influencer card of the year.
• In the co-main event, 'The Maverick' defeated Dillon Danis.
• In the headliner, 'The Nightmare' suffered a loss to Tommy Fury.

The 'PRIME' card was the nickname for the Misfits Boxing event featuring the returns of KSI and Logan Paul. The two influencers own the hydration company of the same name and fought on the same night in October. In the co-main, Paul scored a disqualification win over Dillon Danis after a wild and chaotic build-up. The headliner saw KSI drop a controversial decision to Tommy Fury, handing him the first loss of his career.

3 Adrien Broner's Terrible, Horrible, Awful Comeback

'The Problem' Had A Lot Of Those in 2023

• Former champion Adrien Broner went on hiatus after 2021.
• However, he returned in early 2023, signing a contract with BLK Prime.
• He ended the year signed with Don King, fighting part-time boxer Bill Hutchinson.

Adrien Broner had been out of action since a 2021 decision win over Jovanie Santiago but made plans for a big 2023. He signed with the upstart BLK Prime promoter, who signed Terence Crawford around the same time for a one-off bout.

Sadly for Broner, he had multiple fights fall through and left the company. Later, he signed with Don King and scored a decision win over full-time lawyer Bill Hutchinson in June. He's been inactive since then, except for a near-fight in a McDonald's in September. Safe to say it was a rough 2023 for him.

2 Francis Ngannou Nearly Upsets Tyson Fury

'The Predator' and 'The Gypsy King' Went To War in October

• Francis Ngannou left the UFC for the PFL to pursue boxing in early 2023.
• He eventually signed a deal with Tyson Fury, to box in Saudi Arabia.
• In October, 'The Predator' nearly upset the lineal heavyweight champion.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou was one scorecard away from handing Tyson Fury the first loss of his career. 'The Predator' famously left the MMA company, to pursue a boxing match with 'The Gypsy King' in early 2023.

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In Saudi Arabia, Ngannou nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. He dropped the heavyweight champion,and gave him a small cut. However, Fury still managed to keep his bout with Oleksandr Usyk intact, winning by a controversial split decision.

1 Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder Fight On The Same Card

'AJ' and 'The Bronze Bomber' Are Set To Fight This Weekend

• Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder failed to reach a deal to fight in 2023.
• After Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk was postponed, they reached a deal to fight on the same card.
• If both men win, they will reportedly fight in 2024.

There's nothing that better encapsulates boxing than the 'Day of Reckoning' card. Despite Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder being in talks for most of 2023, they failed to reach an agreement. However, after the postponement of Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk, they reached a deal with the Saudis.

However, they are still not scheduled to fight each other. Instead, 'AJ' will face Otto Wallin on December 23rd, with 'The Bronze Bomber' fighting Joseph Parker. If both men win, they will reportedly fight in March. But given their track history, that's far from a guarantee.