Boxing / Sports

Anthony Joshua – Unfortunately Fury’s team let boxing world down’

Anthony Joshua has blamed Tyson Fury for the breakdown of their undisputed championship fight but believes it can resurrected for later this year because it is “bigger than boxing, bigger than the belts”.

A court arbitration in the US ruled that Fury must fight Deontay Wilder causing the collapse of the dream all-British match-up against Joshua. Anthony Joshua exclusive: “Oleksandr Usyk doesn’t determine the Tyson Fury fight. The Fury fight has to happen. It’s a big fight, bigger than boxing, bigger than the belts. It will happen. After the Usyk fight, after I defend my belts.

Fury and Wilder will clash on July 24 in Las Vegas in a third WBC heavyweight title fight and Joshua will defend his IBF, WBA and WBO gold against mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk in late-September at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.…

Boxing / Sports

Alexander Povetkin announces retirement from boxing aged 41

Alexander Povetkin had 36 wins during his professional career; the heavyweight’s manager said earlier this year that he was concerned over his health and urged the Russian to stop competing Povetkin had 36 wins, three losses and one draw in his professional career, including 25 knockouts.

 

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Boxing / Sports

‘Shut the f*** up’: Paul breaks silence over $100m Mayweather conspiracy theory

Logan Paul has one message for internet critics claiming Floyd Mayweather covered up a knockout in Sunday night’s fight.

“Yo, I’m seeing this narrative going around that there’s one part of the fight where Floyd punched me and I kind of leaned on him a little bit and it looks like I kinda went limp,” Paul said in a series of Instagram Stories on Monday. “And people are trying to spin it and say he knocked me out and caught me and kept me up to keep the fight going till the eighth round.

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Boxing / Sports

Joshua may vacate his WBO title

Matchroom Boxing promoter Hearn says Joshua may take the fight with Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs), but he also may vacate the WBO belt if it doesn’t make “business sense” for them.

Hearn has a couple of other options that he’s looking at for Joshua’s next fight.

Presumably, those are bigger money fights than what Usyk brings to the table. Usyk isn’t someone who will attract a lot of excitement from the fans, as he’s not done anything at heavyweight to make a name for himself.

Hearn and Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) are still steaming about losing out on the Tyson Fury undisputed championship fight, and the last thing they want is for a sanctioning body to order them around.

“We negotiate all the time with people who sometimes aren’t entitled to a fight, and we got it again now,” said Eddie Hearn to Boxing Social. “The WBO straightaway sent a little in, ‘You’re now fighting him.’

“At some point, you want to turn around and say, ‘You know what? Why can’t we just breathe and do our own thing, but of course, he [Joshua] wants to be undisputed, and that’s why we’re considering our options.

“I think the most likely scenario is, we fight Oleksander Usyk. If the deal is right and everyone is sensible, yes, I think that fight happens.…

Boxing / Sports

Oleksandr Usyk’s team optimistic a fight with Anthony Joshua will be agreed soonest

The WBO ordered Joshua to defend his belt against mandatory challenger Usyk after the breakdown of his planned undisputed title fight with Tyson Fury. Joshua and Usyk were given until May 31 to negotiate terms before the fight will be decided via purse bids. But Joshua is also considering other opponents, his promoter Eddie Hearn has said.

 

Joshua holds the IBF, WBA and WBO titles but his desired opponent Fury was told to defend his WBC belt against Deontay Wilder by a court of arbitration.

“We are in the middle of negotiations now and things look optimistic,” Usyk’s promoter Alexander Krassyuk told Sky Sports about talks with Joshua’s representative Hearn.

“As long as I am informed there are no visible obstacles to the deal not to take place, hopefully, it will be completed within the rendered timing.”…