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Terence Crawford’s dilemma: Fans want fight with Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis for Welterweight supremacy

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Terence Crawford

The boxing world is abuzz with discussions about Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford‘s next move after his impressive win over Errol Spence Jr. The four-belt welterweight champion is facing pressure from fans to take on his IBF mandatory challenger, the undefeated Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis . Wallo267 recently shared messages from both Crawford and Ennis, hinting at the possibility of a blockbuster matchup.

While Errol Spence Jr. may have a rematch clause, fans are eager for him to sit this one out and let Ennis step into the ring with Crawford. After witnessing Spence’s unsuccessful attempt against Bud, fans are eager to see some fresh competition and believe Ennis is the perfect candidate to test Crawford’s skills.

Crawford, however, seems less enthusiastic about the idea. In a cryptic message, he warned, “Y’all trying to see another dead body,” suggesting that facing Ennis might not be an easy task. On the other hand, Ennis called out Crawford, implying that the champion might be avoiding the fight by planning to move up to the 154-lb division.

Fans are adamant that Crawford should stay at 147 and defend his title against Ennis. They believe that fighting the young lion is essential for Crawford’s legacy, and a loss wouldn’t necessarily be the end of his career. After all, he could always seek a rematch or find excuses like blaming his age or an injury.

The stakes are high for Crawford, as his recent ascension to the #1 pound-for-pound spot by Ring Magazine would be short-lived if he were to lose to Ennis. With his ninth-round knockout victory over Spence, Crawford solidified his position at the top, but facing Ennis could either cement or shatter his status as the pound-for-pound best.

Terence Bud Crawford

Crawford’s pursuit of bigger purses shifts focus away from Welterweight showdown with Charlo

Fans who oppose the Crawford-Ennis matchup have few alternatives in mind. They’ve been hoping for a showdown between Crawford and undisputed 154-lb champion Jermell Charlo. However, that dream bout is not on the horizon, as Charlo is set to face Canelo Alvarez for his 168-lb title, and even if he wins, a rematch in 2024 is likely.

It appears that Charlo’s focus on more lucrative opportunities at higher weight classes will deter him from returning to the 154-lb division. The financial rewards from fighting Canelo twice and taking on the likes of David Benavidez, David Morrell Jr, and Dmitry Bivol are simply too tempting.

With other potential opponents out of the picture for now, the spotlight remains on Terence Crawford and the possibility of a clash with Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis. The boxing world awaits Crawford’s decision, as he faces the dilemma of defending his welterweight titles against a young and hungry challenger or potentially moving up in weight to pursue new opportunities. Whatever he chooses, the future promises excitement and challenges for the talented welterweight champion.

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BOXING

Anthony Joshua’s Trainer Responds To Split Rumours

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Rumours had been circulating that Anthony Joshua has split from his trainer Derrick James. Now, the American has responded.

Eddie Hearn recently spoke about Joshua having linked up with Tyson Fury’s former trainer Ben Davison, but stated his fighter was still 100% with James and was just ‘ticking over’ in Davison’s gym.

Despite the clarification, rumours spread online that he had decided to split with the Texan trainer entirely.

Currently, Hearn is working towards the two-time heavyweight champion’s next fight. It would be his third fight with James who is so far 2 and 0 in Joshua’s corner having overseen his points win over Jermaine Frankly in April and his knockout of late replacement opponent Robert Helenius in August.

Anthony Joshua

Those have been some of James’s few successes this year as others in his gym, namely Errol Spence and Jermell Charlo, have had high-profile losses against Terence Crawford and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez respectively.

Speaking to FightHype, James was asked about his situation with Joshua.

He then, without saying it directly, confirmed that he was still in the Brit’s corner.

Joshua has since landed back in Texas and been at the World Class Boxing Gym with James.

He is expected out in January before pushing for a Deontay Wilder fight in Spring, but his team have recently been distracted by the potential of facing Francis Ngannou.

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BOXING

Anthony Joshua couldn’t deal with Francis Ngannou’s power, says

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Anthony Joshua

Francis Ngannou is capable of holding world heavyweight titles in boxing and MMA at the same time, says former UFC fighter Dan Hardy, who believes Ngannou not only deserved to win the decision against Fury but that he’d match up well against other top heavyweights including Anthony Joshua

Francis Ngannou can hold world titles in MMA and boxing simultaneously, says former UFC fighter Dan Hardy.

Ngannou was formerly a heavyweight UFC champion but was boxing professionally for the first time when he took on Tyson Fury in a 10-round non-title bout on Saturday.

Fury, the WBC heavyweight champion, was the overwhelming favourite yet Ngannou dropped him with a left hook and pushed him to the brink of defeat.

It leaves Ngannou with options to explore in both boxing and MMA. Hardy, who is also head of fighter operations for PFL Europe, believes that the Cameroonian is an athlete capable of combining the two sports.

“He of all people on the planet right now I would say could hold a heavyweight title in boxing and MMA simultaneously. That is an unthinkable thing,” Hardy told Sky Sports.

The WBC have already committed to ranking Ngannou in their top 10. Therefore, points out Hardy, “he is within punching distance of a title shot if he has a couple of good wins”

“Even Anthony Joshua. I feel like he can’t deal with the power of Ngannou. Both physiologically and psychologically. I feel like if AJ hit the canvas in the third round, he would not regroup in the way that Tyson Fury did,” Hardy said.

“The likes of Derek Chisora or Carlos Takam or Joe Joyce, who’s upright, places his punches like amateur boxing points scoring style, that’s a great match up for Francis Ngannou.

“So with the right match-ups, the right progress, I honestly think he could be the PFL heavyweight champ and the WBC champ at the same time.”

He is adamant that Ngannou’s performance against Fury does put him into the top tier of boxing’s heavyweight division.

“Stylistically Fury is probably the most difficult opponent that Ngannou could have faced. His height, his trickiness, his fight IQ, his footwork, his upper body movement, his ability to read his opponents and set them up and break them down is like very, very few heavyweights,” Hardy explained.

“This is really why the Usyk fight’s interesting because he is a supreme technician with a very high fight IQ. You look at Deontay Wilder and he’s got decent boxing fundamentals and he’s a puncher, and he’s a great athlete.

“You look at Anthony Joshua, he’s a good technician and he’s a good athlete. I don’t feel like he’s a good ‘fighter’, I don’t feel like he likes the fight.

“Derek Chisora, he loves fighting, he loves the chaos of the moment,” Hardy continued. “I don’t feel like he’s going to have the technical skills to play at range with the likes of Ngannou.”

Hardy believes that by lasting the distance, even if he didn’t get the split decision, Ngannou proved his capabilities as a boxer.

“Say if Fury didn’t get up in the third round, people would say: ‘Well we knew he was a big puncher, he landed a big punch.’ If the fight was going to end in Ngannou’s favour that was the way it was going to be. He almost exceeded people’s expectations in going the 10 rounds and in my opinion winning more rounds than Fury did,” Hardy said.

“So that furthers the conversation of yes he could fight AJ, yes he could fight Joyce, yes he could fight Chisora.

“Deontay Wilder’s a shootout until someone hits the canvas. That might be a back and forth, they might both go down a couple of times before we get a victor. There are holes in Deontay Wilder’s game that Fury doesn’t have.

You’ve also got think if they’d had that over 12 rounds, Fury most likely would have won the last two rounds because Francis was really struggling at that point with gas. It could have been far more one-sided in an 11th and 12th.

“But it was on Tyson to show up in shape and prove that he was the best boxer on the planet. I just don’t think he did it on the night. I don’t think he was motivated to do it because I feel like in his mind he was already in the Usyk training camp and Ngannou was a little speed bump and sparring session along the way.”

But he added: “I do feel like Tyson is the better boxer out of the two and the Usyk fight will prove who the best heavyweight on the planet is undisputed.”

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BOXING

AJ will beat Ngannou inside 3 rounds – Hearn

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Anthony amd Francis

Eddie Hearn has claimed that Anthony Joshua could beat Francis Ngannou in three rounds despite the MMA fighter making Tyson Fury look like a novice during Saturday’s ‘Battle of the Baddest’.

The Gypsy King anticipated a rout in Riyadh ahead of the crossover clash but was taken the distance by Ngannou over 10 rounds.

Ngannou managed to drop Fury but the fight ended with Fury claiming victory by split decision, setting up a forthcoming clash against Oleskandr Usyk.

But the Matchroom promoter was the latest voice to express his surprise at the result, calling Fury’s performance ‘dreadful’. ‘People saying “oh, he’s let the boxing world down” – I don’t think that really matters,’ Hearn told The Hook on Tuesday.

 

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BOXING

Dmitry Bivol: “Crawford is Not Just Good, He’s Amazing”

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Terence Crawford

Soft-spoken with little to say at times, Dmitry Bivol comes across as a stoic figure. It isn’t because he’s apathetic but more times than not, Bivol isn’t moved by much of anything.Soft-spoken with little to say at times, Dmitry Bivol comes across as a stoic figure. It isn’t because he’s apathetic but more times than not, Bivol isn’t moved by much of anything. Yet, when Terence Crawford’s name is brought up in conversations, he has a ton to say.

It isn’t every day that Bivol heaps an enormous amount of praise on one of his contemporaries. But in the case of Crawford, Bivol simply couldn’t help himself.

“Crawford is amazing,” said Bivol to Matchroom Boxing during a recent interview. “Not just good, he’s amazing.”

The superlatives used to describe Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) simply aren’t enough in Bivol’s book. All along, the WBA light heavyweight champ always knew how talented the pound-for-pound star was but following his latest outing, Bivol has elevated him to another level.

Terence Crawford

Just a few short months ago on the 29th of July, Crawford stood across the ring from Errol Spence Jr. In the eyes of many, it was considered the biggest fight in roughly a half-century. In terms of who had the edge, if you asked 100 different people, you were likely to get 100 different answers.

Ultimately, despite practically everyone expecting a knockdown, drag-out battle, Crawford dominated. Outside of a fairly even first frame, Spence had no answers, resulting in Crawford winning via stoppage in the later rounds.

Obtaining perfection is essentially impossible. But actually, from Bivol’s point of view, Crawford is just that, a flawless fighter.

For youngsters who are putting on a pair of gloves for the first time in their lives or for those who are simply looking to improve, Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs) believes that Crawford is the only fighter others should try to emulate.

“I think he should be in the book for how to learn boxing. He’s a very good fighter.”

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BOXING

Errol Spence’s Trainer Says Weight ‘Wasn’t The Issue’ In Terence Crawford Loss

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Terence

Errol Spence Jr came up well short in the biggest night of his career, succumbing to the power of Terence Crawford in the ninth round of their undisputed welterweight bout.

What was billed as a pick ’em fight turned out to be much more one-sided, with ‘Bud’ dropping Spence in both the second and seventh rounds before ending the night early and leaving the ring with all four 147lbs belts.

As per the contract, Spence has the right to a rematch and he has indeed activated that.

Speaking to Fight Hub TV, his trainer Derek James first said that he wasn’t privy to any conversations surrounding the second fight and its progress.

The main conversation surrounds the weight class. Spence would like it to be at the super-welterweight limit of 154 following a career at 147 and perhaps one fight too many.

Terence

Asked what difference it would make should it be one division up, James said his fighter would be more comfortable, but he’s not blaming the loss on it.

The closure of Showtime Boxing after 37 years means that, as a PBC fight, the rematch is without a broadcaster. Whether or not it’s ready to be announced once one a deal is struck remains to be seen

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BOXING

Teddy Atlas Reveals His ‘Honest’ Scorecard For Tyson Fury-Ngannou After Rewatch

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Tyson Fury-Ngannou

The former trainer turned pundit Teddy Atlas has revealed his scorecard for the recent Tyson Fury versus Francis Ngannou fight in Riyadh.

The event was reportedly one of the most expensive sporting events ever at a cost of almost half a billion dollars.

It’s fair to say that it was a grand spectacle with epic pre-fight production and a ring that rose up from the floor, and though many thought the contest itself would end up being a mismatch, what transpired was quite different.

Former MMA champion Ngannou boxed patiently on the back foot, securing a knockdown in the third round and managing to stay out of trouble for the majority. Fury was tentative, landing much less than usual and not being as fleet of foot.

Tyson Fury and Francis Nnanganou

However, he won a split decision points victory after the conclusion of 10 full rounds. Many people on the night thought Ngannou could well have taken the win, possibly swayed by him doing much better than expected.

Speaking on his podcast The Fight, Atlas said he rewatched the fight after witnessing it ringside before sharing his carefully considered scorecard.

One judge on the night gave Ngannou the nod with 95-94, but the other two scored it 96-93 and 95-94 to Fury.

The narrow victory for Fury has slightly dampened the hype – and many people’s view of his chances of victory – around his contracted undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk, originally scheduled for December 23 but now set for next year.

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BOXING

Claressa Shields dominates to retain undisputed middleweight title: ‘You’re the G.W.O.A.T’

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Claressa Shield

You’re the G.W.O.A.T. (greatest woman of all time) for a reason,” she told Claressa Shields on Saturday night.

This exchange came nearly an hour after Shields defeated Cornejo by unanimous decision at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit to retain her undisputed middleweight championship in front of 11,784 people. A night decades in the making lived up to the hype with a 10-round main event that saw the hometown fans go home happy with a victory from the Flint native.

“I felt so overwhelmed,” Shields said afterward. “When they started cheering, I felt the whole building shaking. I was catching chills. … I just felt so proud to be from Flint, so proud to be here in Detroit, and just say that I did it. I didn’t know many fans were here, but when I looked around, I was like, ‘Golly, it’s so many people here.’

Saturday marked the first boxing event at Little Caesars Arena, which opened in 2017. Shields’ business manager Mark Taffet said the event outsold Shields’ last fight, a high-stakes redemption match at the O2 Arena in London against longtime archrival Savannah Marshall.

“I know how much money we generated at the gate in Flint (against Marie Eve Dicaire in 2021). I know how much money was truly generated in the UK (against Marshall),” Taffet said.

“And tonight, we are at least 2½ times the amount of money at the live gate than those other fights generated, particularly the Marshall fight. … We priced this like you would a Las Vegas championship fight. … We knew that for the premium seats, we were going to command the money, and it happened.”

Claressa Shield

Taffet added, “I saw it with Floyd Mayweather. I saw it with Manny Pacquiao. I saw it with Oscar De La Hoya. Tonight was Claressa Shields’ breakout night,” Taffet said.

Shields (14-0, 2 KOs), a two-time Olympic gold medalist who’s held 13 world titles as a pro, had a ton of success with the right hook. Though Shields is traditionally a more technical boxer, she was hoping to knock Cornejo (16-6, 6 KOs) out. Cornejo, who took the fight on short notice after Shields’ original opponent, Hanna Gabriels, failed a drug test last week, put forth an admirable effort despite losing every round, according to the judges’ scorecards.

Judges scored the fight 100-89, 100-90, 100-90 in favor of Shields.

“She got a big right hand that I kinda had to be a little skeptical about. … She wasn’t just a last-minute replacement, somebody I could just walk through, and she showed that,” Shields said. “She endured a lot throughout the fight and so did I, and we put on a great fight for women’s boxing.

“I don’t know many girls who can stand up to the punches that I landed on her. … The punches I landed tonight, if I was supposed to land those same punches on Savannah Marshall, Savannah Marshall would be asleep. I’m working on turning my punches and putting the power on them, and I think I did a good job of that tonight. I just think Maricela was very smart and she was tough as hell.”

Shields, still just 28 years old, said she’s weighing her career options before deciding on what’s next. Shields in 2021 debuted in the octagon as a mixed-martial artist. She defeated Brittney Elkin in her first Professional Fighters League (PFL) fight, but lost to Abigail Montes in October 2021, and hasn’t fought MMA since.

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BOXING

Tyson Fury urged to pull out of Oleksandr Usyk fight by heavyweight legend

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Tyson Fury and Oleksandr

Tyson Fury has been told by heavyweight legend Riddick Bowe to pull out of his undisputed world title fight with Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury came close to losing against former UFC champion Francis Ngannou last weekend in Saudi Arabia but managed to scrape out a split decision win after being dropped in the fight. The unconvincing performance against Ngannou, who was making his boxing debut on the night, has led to pundits and former boxers doubting Fury’s chances against fellow heavyweight champion Usyk.

“If I was Tyson I would pull out,” Bowe told Fight Hype. “I wouldn’t fight. Not this early. I would say my hand is hurt. I would postpone or wiggle my way out until I get into better shape then see him down the line. He’s bewildered and he’s disappointed because of this man who did things to him he never thought could happen. As a champion, his heart is broken. I know how it feels to be knocked down. All these things happen and you go back and think about it and it made me depressed for a month or so.”

Usyk was ringside to watch Fury be pushed to the brink by Ngannou, with the Brit getting the nod by just one point on the judges’ scorecards. The undisputed world title clash was expected to take place on December 23 in Saudi Arabia but has now been pushed back to the end of Riyadh season as February is a more likely date.

Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury

Fury was left with a black eye and grazed forehead after his win as Ngannou barely had a scratch on him, despite being illegally elbowed in the face by his rival. Cameras picked up Usyk’s shocked reaction when Fury was dropped and the Ukrainian explained why he was shouting instructions for his rival from ringside.

“At the knockdown, I said, ‘Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, Francis, be careful, please!’ I said, ‘Tyson, jab, jab, move, jab!’. It’s true, I was a little bit nervous that our fight was possibly in jeopardy. I even started to shout out to him some small things, like: ‘Use your jab, jab him faster.’ That’s it,” Usyk told Boxing King Media.

“It might look weird when my future opponent is fighting and I’m here cheering him on and backing him, shouting some tips for him. It looks weird probably, but from the other point of view. Let’s say myself, my team, my country, the whole world wants to see the fight happening, so that’s why it’s important we do everything possible to make it happened

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Manny Pacquiao reveals he is in talks with old foe Floyd Mayweather to stage sensational December rematch in Japan

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FLOYD MAYWEATHER AND MANNY PACQUIAO

Legendary boxer Manny Pacquiao has revealed he is in talks to stage an incredible rematch against his old rival Floyd Mayweather this December in Japan.

The two iconic boxers last fought in 2015 – with Mayweather winning via a unanimous decision against the injured Filipino fighter – in a showdown that was dubbed ‘fight of the century’ but ultimately disappointed inside the ring.

It pitted the two superstar welterweight fighters against each other after years of speculation that the pair could face each other – with the fight generating around 4.6million pay-per-view buys to become the most watched bout ever.

Now Pacquiao has claimed the pair are in talks to square off once more – despite both men retiring long ago – and said it could happen as soon as December.

‘I’m still active, I’m an active guy, I’m actively training. I have an exhibition match this coming December,’ he said, as reported by the Sun.

‘In Japan. We’re working on it, the opponent. We’re working with Mayweather. Yes [a Mayweather fight].’

When asked if Mayweather’s unscathed 50-0 record could be on the line should they agree a fight in Japan, he replied: ‘I don’t know, [it could be pro] if he wants. We’re still working on it.’

Mayweather retired in 2017 after beating UFC star Conor McGregor in one of the first major crossover bouts – but has since fought a number of MMA fighters and influencers in lucrative events since hanging up his gloves.

He has already fought in Japan twice – comfortably stopping Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in 2018 before KOing MMA artist Mikuru Asakura in 2022.

His other exhibition bouts have seen him face YouTuber Logan Paul, former boxer Don Moore and ex-Geordie Shore TV star Aaron Chalmers.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, has ventured into the exhibition world for one fight – against YouTuber DK Yoo in South Korea last December.

It comes at a time when Pacquiao has been linked to a number of lucrative bouts – with Amir Khan claiming he was in talks to face the veteran.

Speaking exclusively to Mail Sport, Khan said: ‘You’ve been hearing rumours Manny Pacquiao is in town. We are in talks. We’ve spoken a few times and that fight could happen. There’s a lot of interest in that fight between Manny Pacquiao and myself.

‘Manny is in town so this is where me and him will have a sit down. If it happens (the fight) here or somewhere else it would be great.

‘If I fight Manny Pacquiao I think it will be a brilliant fight. I’ve always looked up to him and we know each other quite well.’

Pacquiao later confirmed he was indeed in negotiations with Khan – before Irish UFC fighter McGregor said he himself had discussions to fight the 44-year-old in Saudi Arabia just days later.

‘One of us in the MMA sphere is going to have to put a dint in the boxing run,’ he said. ‘We’re going to have to get in, switch the roles and get a win. And now it’s MMA time.

’I feel like I’m the person that can do that. His excellency (Mohammad bin Salman) set myself and Manny Pacquiao together. There was a discussion, it was close for us to fight in Saudi Arabia about two or three years ago now.

‘I’m sure we’ll pick where we left off. MMA is what I have lined up right now so that’s where I’m at. Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom and UFC have a deal so it’s growing. I’m up for anything.’

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