Boxing Archives - Page 28 of 183

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have discovered when they will meet in a contracted rematch.

The two current leading heavyweights in the division will do battle on May 18 in Saudi Arabia, as they look to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era.

As part of their agreement, Fury and Usyk’s contract has a two-way rematch clause with the second episode anticipated to take place later in 2024.

And Saudi boxing chief, H.E. Turki Alalshikh, has confirmed in an interview with ESPN, that the fight has been pencilled in to be staged on the weekend of October 12/13 to kick off the latest instalment of Riyadh Season.

Anthony Joshua is then expected to enter the frey, with a fight planned to take place next March against British rival Fury, the showdown that fans have desired for years.

Should Fury and Usyk take one win apiece in their two-fight saga, it is expected that a trilogy bout will then be targeted immediately after AJ and the ‘Gypsy King’ do battle.

Negotiations collapsed between the two teams originally in 2023 as a result of a dispute over the rematch clause, but it was later ironed out and resolved.

It is an exciting time in the heavyweight world title mix, and fans will likely get to see an exciting period of action providing the plan comes to fruition.

The second meeting is expected to take place without the IBF title on the line, as the winner will likely be stripped following the event.

Daniel Dubois and Filip Hrgovic are expected to contest the vacant strap when it is stripped, as part of their crunch showdown on the ‘5 vs 5’ card on June 1 in the Middle East.

Fury has become an integral part of the Saudi revolution in the sport, having previously fought Francis Ngannou in Riyadh last October.

It is likely he will remain a key cog in some huge events, with Joshua also being touted to headline a September ‘Riyadh Season’ card at Wembley Stadium later this year.

The ‘Gypsy King’ is extremely confident of beating Usyk comfortably the first time, but has changed his stance and offered respect to his decorated foe.

He said during an interview with Queensberry Promotions: “Oleksandr Usyk’s a real bad man and to underestimate Usyk you’d be a mug.

“So I’m training hard for him, I’m doing everything I can.

“I respect Usyk as a man. I respect his career as well – Olympic champion, undisputed cruiserweight champion, unified heavyweight champion.

“You have to respect that, I’m fighting the real deal. I’m looking forward to the challenge.

“He’s got good footwork, good boxing ability, technically sound.

“He’s proved he can mix it with the big heavyweights because he’s beat Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois. I’m messing with an elite fighter.”

BOXING

‘Britain’s Mike Tyson’ links up with Anthony Joshua’s trainer ahead of Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk undercard bout

Moses Itauma will be training alongside Anthony Joshua for the foreseeable future.

The fast-rising heavyweight prospect has linked up with AJ’s trainer Ben Davison ahead of his upcoming clash on the Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk undercard on May 18.

Itauma is set to square off against 28-fight veteran Ilja Mezencev (25-3) at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in only his ninth pro fight.

The 19-year-old starlet has got off to flawless 8-0 start to his pro career with six of those wins coming by way of first-round knockout.

His explosive all-action style has led to him being branded ‘Britain’s Mike Tyson’ by the national press.

And Itauma has eyes firmly set on breaking ‘Iron Mike’s’ record as the youngest heavyweight world champion.

He told The Mirror: “I want to become the youngest heavyweight world champion since Mike Tyson who was 20 years old.

“I need to take small steps but also ensure that I step up the tasks very quickly. I want to do short steps but not too much with them.

“Youngest ever world heavyweight champion is in my mid-term goals but it is something that I can believe I can achieve before 2025.

“It is not what I am thinking about right of this second, but I want to let that come once I have grown as a professional. I have gone from not having any press at all to this and it is crazy.

“I am in the right place because Frank Warren has all the other big heavyweights at the moment so I think I have a bright future.”

Before picking Davison as his new head coach, Itauma was being trained by the well-respected Alan Smith at the Ibox Gym in Bromley.

But Itauma has since confirmed that he is now working with Davison by posting a montage of the pair hitting pads together, with the caption: “Consistently improving.”

Davison is best known for training Fury for his return to the ring in 2018 but after splitting up a year later he joined forces with AJ in December 2023 ahead of his fifth-round stoppage win over Otto Wallin.

It proved to be a much-improved performance from Joshua’s previous two outings against Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius under former head coach Derrick James.

In those bouts, Joshua was criticised for his gun-shy approach, however, since linking up with Davison he has seemingly rediscovered the fire in his belly.

Following the Wallin fight, Davison was brought back on board for Joshua’s second-round demolition of Francis Ngannou and is now his cemented head trainer.

BOXING

Gervonta Davis shows his support for Ryan Garcia and says he’s ready to give him a rematch

Ryan Garcia beat Devin Haney in one of the biggest surprises in boxing in 2024, but the biggest of all came when King Ry tested positive for a banned substance and criticism rained down on him from all sides, but there are still people who believe in him, as is the case of Gervonta Davis, who believes in his innocence and is willing to give him a rematch.

Gervonta Davis is willing to give Ryan Garcia a second chance

Davis assured that he will fight Ryan Garcia again at 140 pounds and won’t give it up with all the abuse he is taking for his reported positive PED tests from his fight against Devin Haney.

“145? He’s not even at 145. Why can’t he be at 140?” said Davis to Cigar Talk about a rematch with Garcia. “I’ll fight him at 140.”

Weight could be an issue, as Tank pointed out that Garcia‘s weight class is 140 pounds, not 143-145. The purse for Gervonta would be much bigger if he agrees to give Ryan a rematch instead of taking on guys like Frank Martin or anyone else in his own weight class.

The weight where Davis fights in recent years is at 135 pounds, so Garcia would have to move down a weight class, and the first time they faced each other was at 136 pounds with a 10-pound rehydration clause.

Davis is scheduled to return to action on June 15 against Frank Martin, so he will certainly have a lot of options available to him if he makes it through that fight successfully, and before the end of 2024 it is very likely that Gervonta and Ryan will step back into the ring.

BOXING

Gervonta Davis Receives “Bigger Deal” Than Floyd Mayweather Ever Got

More than a sport of action, boxing is also a game of chess! Yesterday’s tall and mighty king will inevitably yield to the cunning and quick bishop of today. In a similar situation, boxing sensation Gervonta Davis, who was once mentored and prompted by Floyd Mayweather, seems to have secured a bigger deal than Mayweather, the richest boxer in history, ever did.

The former promoter-boxer duo have been embroiled in a feud on social media after Davis alleged Floyd took a sly dig at him while speaking about boxers opting to spend their money instead of investing it. Amid a flurry of words and shade thrown back and forth, Davis’ appearance in Cigar Talk after his face off against Frank Martin yesterday unraveled their feud while announcing the “bigger deal.”

Gervonta Davis claims he has passed ‘Money’ Mayweather

Speaking to Davis, Naji from Cigar Talk broached the feud with Mayweather, which prompted a profound response from the Baltimore native. “A lot of people don’t know what Floyd [does]… He was going at me and I knew for sure he was going at me. That’s why I went at him. There’s no reason for me to go at Floyd,” said Davis, referring to Mayweather’s initial comment that he thought was directed at him.

When Naji pointed out that over the years, Davis and Floyd’s dynamic seemed like a love-hate relationship, Davis completely denied it while claiming he has surpassed Floyd’s legacy. “I’m about at that point where I [have] passed him and I am doing it at a young age,” said Davis. However, Davis wasn’t done proving his point, as he elaborated, revealing a new deal he has signed.

“That deal I’m talking about. He [doesn’t] know about that yet. That’s bigger than his deal,” said Davis. Famously, Floyd Mayweather bought his way out of Top Rank by paying them $750,000 to end the contract. He went on to promote his own fights, raking in millions over the years. Some reports even suggest the five division champion has made over a billion dollars throughout his career.

That being said, the accusation Gervonta Davis made in his response to Mayweather’s alleged comments about him was backed by a boxing insider.

Finally, some relief for Floyd Mayweather

Just the other day, Davis in retaliation suggested that Mayweather was, ironically, stuck in Dubai because of some unpaid dues in the country. While there was no official confirmation about the allegation at first, controversial boxing matchmaker Rick Glaser confirmed the same on X later. He wrote, “…@Gervontaa #TankDavis is correct that Floyd’s being held there!!!”

BOXING

Gervonta Davis claims he is richer than Floyd Mayweather at 29 after signing mega PBC deal

Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis claims he is financially better off than Floyd Mayweather Jr. was at the same age after signing a 6-7 fight deal.

WBA ‘regular’ lightweight champion Tank Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) says the contract he signed with PBC – which includes a fight against Shakur Stevenson – is more lucrative than the six-fight deal Mayweather signed with Showtime in 2013.

Davis hasn’t disclosed exactly how much he stands to earn, but it estimated to be worth $250million.

According to reports at the time, Mayweather‘s 2013 deal was worth $200m, which he had when he was 29. But Davis claims he has eclipsed the retired boxing icon.

“I’m at the point where I passed him and I’m doing it at a young age. When Floyd Mayweather was 29 [he wasn’t doing it like me], you’ll see,” said Gervonta Davis to Cigar Talk.

“That [6-7 fight] deal that I was talking about, that’s bigger than his [Mayweather’s] deal, and I’m just releasing it on here.”

The difference between the two is that Mayweather wasn’t earning such amounts at that age, as the sport has evolved financially for lower-ranked boxers.

Will Gervonta Davis have a better legacy than Floyd Mayweather?

When Mayweather was 29, he was fighting the likes of Emanuel Augustus and Gregorio Vargas and refused to duck any opponent that he was faced against. Davis, meanwhile, has faced claims that he has cherry-picked opponents he has a better chance of beating.

It doesn’t look like Tank Davis‘ career will be anywhere close to Mayweather‘s in terms of legacy after choosing not to fight the likes of Vasily Lomachenko and Devin Haney in his 11-year professional career.

That is where the two fighters differ, as Mayweather was keen to take on the top opponents such as Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton. As a result, his paychecks would be bigger than Tank‘s.

It’s fair to say Mayweather also had the ability to drawn in huge TV audiences for his fights, which resulted in the undefeated champion taking a bigger slice of the pie.

BOXING

What was on Wladimir Klitschko’s USB Stick Before Anthony Joshua Fight

Seven years ago today, Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko took to the ring in Wembley Stadium. On the night, AJ came out on top via an 11th-round TKO in front of a 90,000 strong British crowd.

The fight also yielded one of the most famous press conference moments in recent boxing history, as Klitschko produced a memory stick that he said stored a video of him predicting the outcome of the fight. The heavyweight champion at the time, well known for his pre-fight mind games, was evidently trying to get under his younger opponent’s skin, and set up a potential golden moment if his prediction was correct.

In the final press conference before the fight, Klitschko produced the stick and said: “Do not ask me after the fight what is on this stick. The only person who’s going to be able to open it up and watch it is the person who is going to buy this robe and this stick.”

The highest bid was alleged to be £160,000 at the auction. This money went to the Klitschko foundation, a children’s charity set up by the former boxer. The full recording has not been released by the winner of the auction, which only mystifies the video more, but, AJ believes he knows exactly what was on the USB.

BOXING

Claressa Shields Ropes In Gervonta Davis’ Mother to Prove a Point Against His Offensive Remarks

Claressa Shields and Gervonta Davis have rubbed each other off the wrong way. The two leading boxers of their weight classes are now embroiled in a war of words on social media. In fresh updates on this front, ‘GWOAT’ Shields has taken a jab at ‘Tank’ while roping in his mother for comments he allegedly made on the former’s looks. Interestingly, both are in Las Vegas, for the Canelo vs. Munguia fight week.

Tank has been an active soul on social media for a few days now. While he made sure the world knew that Floyd Mayweather and him were not on good terms, he relayed the same information about his dislike for Devin Haney while reacting to the news of Ryan Garcia testing positive for PEDs, something Shields didn’t agree with. Shields sought to point out the same, by noting, “Tank’ really just don’t like {Devin Haney] and it shows.” And from there began an entire fiasco.

Claressa Shields claps back at Tank

On X, 29-year-old Shields posted an image of Tank’s mother, Kenya Brown, along with him. In captions, she responded to Garvonta Davis supposedly calling her a dog. She highlighted that she would use the inspiration of black women like Brown and herself to respond to every “man” who took swipes at black women.

She wrote, “Now @Gervontaa remember the strength and grace of our mothers, the strong black women who raised us. This is your lovely mom. Like me, I hope she would take offense to any so-called man — son or not — calling another black woman — me — a dog. Or better yet, putting their hands on one! Keep coming for me, Tank, you look dumb! And keep using your b*tch@ss brand to try tear us down; I’m gonna keep using mine — and your momma’s beautiful face — to uplift us! #GWOT.”

Prior to this, Tank had noted on his X that he does not like Haney and “the rest of y’all…” Then, when the boxing world chimed in on this freshly brewing fiasco between the fighters, a fan noted that Claressa Shields was “shady.” Agreeing with the user, the WBA lightweight champ wrote, “I would be too… look how she look.”

However, it does not seem like this entire back-and-forth will end here. Claressa Shields has vowed to get back at Tank for his comments in her forthcoming diss track.

A Diss Track on the Horizon

It seems like the era of diss tracks has officially set in. Kendrick Lamar has released his diss track to settle scores with Drake. Ryan Garcia in the previous week released his own diss track toward Haney, continuing his relentless efforts to undermine the fighter. Now, Shields too seems to be hopping on to the bandwagon after previously releasing a diss track aimed at Alycia Baumgardner.

After Tank had objected to the way Shields looked, the latter underscored her displeasure at the comments. Vowing to even out the scores, she revealed that she would release her diss track aimed at Tank very soon. On X she replied to him saying, “I’m dissin you on a song next midget. I got a great verse for you champ…” In a subsequent post, she doubled down on these chances. She wrote to her fans, “Diss track coming, subscribe to my YouTube channel.”

BOXING

Gervonta Davis Vows to Take “A Lot of Sh*t” Out on Frank Martin

It’s ‘Tank’-War now. After that sensational win over Ryan Garcia, which established him as one of the faces of boxing ‘abso-f**king-lutely’, Gervonta Davis returns to the ring on June 15. However, unlike the last match, when he fought a catchweight bout with Garcia, this time he has to defend his WBA lightweight title from Frank Martin. The sparring video of the two boxers had sparked controversy not long ago. They came face-to-face during the kick-off press conference for their match at the MGM Grand Arena.

Incidentally, the event is co-headlined by the fight for the WBC (interim) light heavyweight title between David Benavidez and Oleksandr Gvozdyk. At the presser, the two 175-pounders went about their business in the most composed manner. However, Davis and Martin’s discussion was anything but collected and controlled. The reigning champion went straight after his challenger. It didn’t take him much time to raise his battle cry, reminding Martin about the storm he would face in June.

Gervonta Davis Throws the Gauntlet

Initially, it was all smiles. ‘Tank’, after the thank-you notes, spoke about David Benavidez. He revealed how he had been impressed by ‘The Monster’s performance against Caleb Plant. Davis touched base with his prison term and house arrest. He mentioned how happy he was with the comeback, doing what he loves to do. “I’m just happy to be back uh here where I’m comfortable at where I’m you know um I could be flawless, and you know, and do what I do best, and that’s uh give you fans the uh best boxing um you seen up to date you,” he said.

However, with that, the tone of the speech changed as it became more about Frank Martin. Calling his opponent a ‘front-runner’, Gervonta Davis took a dig at ‘The Ghost’ hanging around with a bunch of ‘thugs’. Nevertheless, it will be, he said, “a different beast in front of him; it’s a different beast in front of him.” Spilling out that come June 15, and all those who have been walking around with Martin won’t be able to save him from his wrath.

‘Tank’ laid it out coldly: “Nobody that’s walking with him holding him hand in hand is not going to be able to save from June the 15th telling you, and it’s a lot of sh*t built up lot built up and I’m going take it out on him. Sorry, it going to be him, I’m telling you.” Throughout, the audience could hear Frank Martin jutting in between his barbs.

Verbal Volley and Blast From the Past

Host Jimmy Lennon Jr. asked him how he’s going to stop Davis. ‘The Ghost’ replied, “I’ve been watching everything. I know how I know how his a*s walks. I’ve been watching everything. I mean, when we get, I’m touch. I’mma touch him up. I’m touch. His, that’s, I’m touch his a** up. Yeah, the one. I know how him and his whole team walk. I know how they all walk.”

Last year, a clip of Davis and Martin’s sparring session became a talking point. Reports filled in that the latter gave the champion stiff competition. It seems the incident took place at Floyd Mayweather Jr.‘s gym. He had to borrow the gear to enable him to spar. However, when it finally happened, reportedly ‘The Ghost’ proved a tough nut to crack. When the situation between the two became a bit heated, others had to rush in to break them apart. Understandably, ‘Tank’ contended differently.

Frank Martin stands taller and enjoys a slight edge in reach vis-à-vis Gervonta Davis. But only time will tell whether he is able to use his advantages to put the brakes on the ‘Tank’ juggernaut. Otherwise, fans and followers can watch out for the latter’s caution. Past instances prove that he has the nasty habit of proving them true.

What’s your take on the June 15 fight? Do you think Martin has the wherewithal to turn the table on one of boxing’s hardest hitters?

BOXING

Video: Canelo Álvarez Gets Visit from Gervonta Davis Before Title Fight vs. Munguia

Canelo Álvarez received a special visitor ahead of his highly anticipated fight against Jaime Munguia on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Gervonta Davis stopped by to see Álvarez ahead of the fight, as cameras caught the two boxing stars spending some time together.

Álvarez will attempt to defend his undisputed super middleweight title against Munguia, who owns a record of 43-0 with 34 knockouts throughout his career.

Davis and Álvarez have some history together, as the two briefly disagreed over their prominence in the sport.

“I’m definitely the face of boxing,” Davis said following a seventh-round knockout victory over Ryan Garcia in April 2023, pushing his record to 29-0 with 27 knockouts (via Keith Idec of BoxingScene.com).

While Álvarez admitted that he was a fan of the 29-year-old, he wasn’t ready to call him the face of the sport just yet.

“I’m not retired yet, my friend,” Álvarez said (per Idec). “They can say whatever they want, but, you know, it’s not that easy. One fight doesn’t put you in that position. You need to do a lot of things.”

“There are a lot of good fighters coming up,” he added. “One of them is Gervonta, for sure. But he needs to do more, not just in one fight. But I like Gervonta. I like Gervonta Davis a lot.”

While that disagreement already appears to be water under the bridge, Davis will have an opportunity to further strengthen his résumé in an upcoming fight against Frank Martin. The WBA lightweight champion will face off against Martin on June 15 in Las Vegas.

As Álvarez attempts to defend his undisputed super middleweight crown on Saturday, he has the support of Davis.

BOXING

LIVE: Canelo Álvarez beats Jaime Munguía to retain undisputed super middleweight championship – live

“I take my time,” says Álvarez, speaking entirely in English, when asked of his slow start. “That’s why I have a lot of experience. Jaime Munguía is a great fighter. He’s strong, he’s smart. But I take my time. I have 12 rounds to win the fight and I did. I did really good and I feel proud about it.”

On whether he was sure he’d be able to counterpunch so effectively: “He’s strong but I think he’s a little slow. I could see every punch … That’s why I’m the best. I’m the best fighter right now, for sure.”

Naturally, Álvarez is asked about a potential fight with David Benavidez, the three-time super middleweight champion who has been chasing the Mexican for years.

“I don’t know right now,” Álvarez says. “I’m going to rest, I’m going to enjoy my family. But you know, if the money is right, I an fight right now. I don’t give a shit.”

He adds: “At this point, everybody’s asking for everything, right? When I fought Lara, Charlo, Miguel Angel Cotto, Mayweather, Billie Joe Saunders, everybody say I don’t want to fight them. And I fought all of them. So right now, I can ask whatever I want and I can do whatever I want.”

Canelo Álvarez beats Jaime Munguía by unanimous decision!

Canelo Álvarez has won a 12-round unanimous decision over Jaime Munguía to retain his WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO super middleweight titles. The official scores were 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112.