Breaking
Tag

Boxing

Browsing
BOXING

Roy Jones Jr tells Oleksandr Usyk what he must bring to the table to beat Tyson Fury

By
Oleksandr Tyson

Roy Jones Jr insists Oleksandr Usyk will have to make Tyson Fury respect his power if he hopes to beat him.

The Ukrainian slickster is not known for being a massive puncher, particularly at heavyweight, where he is on the smaller end of the spectrum.

At cruiserweight, he racked up a few impressive stoppages, most notably his vicious knockout of Tony Bellew in 2018.

But since moving up in weight the majority of his fights have gone the distance, barring Chazz Witherspoon retiring on his stool and Daniel Dubois seeing out a count on his knee.

Instead, Usyk has won most of his fights by using his superior speed and fundamentals to thoroughly outbox his opposition.

However, Jones Jr anticipates this won’t be enough to defeat Fury when they duke it out for the undisputed heavyweight crown on May 18.

“Usyk is a great tactician but he’s not all that explosive,” Jones Jr told Darren Bent and Troy Deeney on talkSPORT Drive on Thursday afternoon.

“If he was explosive it would be a problem. When you are smaller coming up to the big guys you’ve got to bring explosives to the ring or they won’t respect you.

“If he can’t find those explosives before that fight takes place he will not beat Tyson Fury, I don’t care what they say.

“Tyson Fury didn’t take Ngannou seriously and he didn’t look the way he should have against Ngannou but he’s still Tyson Fury and he’s definitely going to take Usyk seriously.”

Fury will have a significant height and weight advantage come fight night.

‘The Gypsy King’ is 6ft 9in and tends to weigh in at around 270lb for his fights.

Meanwhile, Usyk stands at 6ft 3inch and will likely be 50lb lighter.

Although he is the bigger man it may prove to be a hindrance to Fury, who is often faster and more agile than his opponents.

The last former cruiserweight world champion he fought, Steve Cunningham, weighed in at 210lb for their bout in 2013 and caused him all kinds of problems, even dropping Fury in the second round.

Of course, Fury went on to stop Cunningham but it serves as evidence that smaller fighters can be problematic for the lineal heavyweight champion.

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Tyson Fury will ‘walk all over Oleksandr Usyk’ but only if he has dad John in his corner, claims Derek Chisora

By
Tyson Fury

DEREK CHISORA has claimed the key to Tyson Fury’s success against Oleksandr Usyk is the influence of his father John.

Fury and Usyk square off in the heavyweight division’s first-ever four-belt unification bout on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.

And the Gypsy King is busy getting himself into fighting shape, starting out his camp in his hometown of Morecambe.

Recently, Fury has posted videos on social media hitting the pads with his dad John, a former professional boxer and bare-knuckle fighter.

And Chisora – three times beaten by the WBC champion – believes John is the right man to lead his son to victory over Usyk.

He told SecondsOut: “Tyson looks good. I see his dad holding his pads for him.

“What people don’t understand is a father and a son’s bond when they train with each other; it’s unbelievable.

“It’s what people don’t understand, if Tyson has his dad in his corner, he’ll walk over Usyk easily because he has his dad in his corner.

“That’s it, bro. It’s going to be a great fight.”

Dad John has admitted he could not be more proud of his champ son Tyson or Tommy and Roman, both unbeaten pro boxers as well.

But a previous criminal conviction has always prohibited him from watching or cornering his sons in America.

Although more recently, Fury has been fighting in Saudi allowing John to be by his side.

His last bout was a controversial split-decision win over MMA superstar Francis Ngannou, who even scored a shock knockdown.

Now Fury, 35, faces Usyk, 37, for the undisputed crown in Riyadh and Chisora wants John to replace Sugarhill Steward as head coach.

Chisora, 40, said: “He should be. His dad knows fighting. His dad grew up his whole life watching fights and fighting himself.

“So I think his dad should be his main trainer at the same time his son will help. The way he’s looking with his dad on the pads, he looks great.”

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Eddie Hearn Gives Bad News to Terence Crawford, Says Sebastian Fundora Fight Is Possible With Errol Spence Jr. But Not With ‘Bud’

By
Terence Crawford

In the wake of Sebastian Fundora‘s victory over Tim Tszyu, Errol Spence Jr. called out the new WBO and WBC Super-Welterweight champion. Similarly, Fundora was interested in fighting Spence Jr. as he considered ‘The Truth’ one of the greats in boxing. However, later, Fundora’s promoter Sampson Lewkowicz informed the media that they had “verbally” promised ‘The Soul Taker’ a rematch. Therefore, a rematch against Tszyu was Team Fundora’s “first priority”.

On the other hand, the WBO branded Terence Crawford as Fundora’s “mandatory“. Likewise, they ordered both sides to arrange a fight within the next 180 days. However, it seems Errol Spence Jr. vs. Sebastian Fundora has a better chance of taking place now. Lately, with AKHi TV, Mayweather Promotions CEO, Leonard Ellerbe said that the founder of PBC, Al Haymon could make Spence Jr. vs. Fundora happen.

Now, promoter Eddie Hearn is in agreement with Ellerbe. In his opinion, the rematch between Tszyu and Fundora will hardly happen. “Firstly, is there a rematch clause? I think Tszyu’s team says there is. Sampson said there’s a verbal one. I mean I can’t believe you would enter a fight 12 days out to save a show as the champion and not have a rematch clause. So, I’m presuming they have one,” said Hearn.

“If they don’t and regardless of what Sampson says, who’s a lovely man, a verbal contract means absolutely nothing. You can say, ‘We’re going to honor our word.’ [But,] there’s no terms,” Hearn added. In addition, he explained that since Fundora and Spence Jr. were with the PBC, the two could share the ring.

PBC cannot stage Terence Crawford vs. Sebastian Fundora

According to Hearn, if Team Fundora can get the rematch against Tim Tszyu in Australia, it would be financially lucrative. In his opinion, a rematch against ‘The Soul Taker’ will bring Fundora “the biggest payday” of his career. But, if the rematch doesn’t take place, Fundora will likely face Spence Jr. as the two are with the PBC. “What I think will happen again talking about PBC. Crawford is not with the PBC. So, therefore, unless the PBC can capture Crawford, they won’t do the fight against Fundora,” said Eddie Hearn.

“I think you’ll either see Fundora against Tszyu or Fundora against Spence. I don’t think you will see Fundora against Crawford,” concluded Hearn. With that said, do you think Terence Crawford vs. Sebastian Fundora will happen? Let us know in the comments below. For more boxing updates, follow EssentiallySports!

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Roy Jones Jr explains why Terence Crawford is the pound-for-pound king, but another boxer is ‘fast on his heels’

By

Roy Jones Jr believes Terence Crawford is the pound-for-pound king of boxing.

However, ‘RJ’ insists fellow two-weight undisputed champion Naoya Inoue is ‘fast on his heels’.

“Right now the pound-for-pound king with the Kid [Naoya] Inoue right on his back,” Jones Jr told talkSPORT Drive.

“I’ll tell you why, Terence Crawford has been dominating for the last ten years, ain’t nobody come close.

“The only reason he didn’t get the pound-for-pound title earlier is because no one higher up the ladder would give him the opportunity, but he is definitely now pound-for-pound the king.

“Inoue is fast on his heels because anyone you give Inoue, he destroys.”

Jones Jr’s assessment lines up with the Ring Magazine’s pound-for-pound ratings which have Crawford at No.1 and Inoue at No.2.

Just below them on the boxing icon’s list is Dmitry Bivol who faces Artur Beterbiev on June 1 in Saudi Arabia for all four major sanctioning body belts at light-heavyweight.

Providing Bivol wins that fight, Jones Jr believes he can leapfrog both boxers into pole position.

“After that, you’ve probably got to go with [Dmitry] Bivol, he’s been doing his thing for a while,” he added.

“Bivol has shown that he can beat whoever he wants to beat, now if he beats [Artur] Beterbiev he’s going to get the new crown of pound-for-pound king.”

Crawford became the consensus pound-for-pound king after beating Errol Spence Jr last July to become undisputed champion at welterweight.

In doing so, he became the first two-weight undisputed champion in the four-belt era having already claimed all of the titles at super-lightweight six years prior.

Inoue was the second man to achieve this distinction when he followed up his reign of dominance at bantamweight with another four-belt unification at super-bantamweight at the back end of 2023.

Bivol, meanwhile, ranks highly on most people’s lists due to his notable win over former pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez, as well as his impressive seven-year reign as WBA light-heavyweight champion.

 

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

‘I’ll use it as fuel’ – Anthony Joshua admits Tyson Fury’s trash talk affects him, and wants to ‘punish’ him for his words

By
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury

Anthony Joshua insists he will use Tyson Fury’s trash talk to fuel him when they eventually step into the ring together.

AJ has often opted not to engage in back-and-forths with his opponents before fight night but a bout with Fury carries the expectation of a verbal sparring session.

‘The Gypsy King’ has had plenty to say about his fierce rival over the years, and not much of it has been nice.

Joshua claims he has ‘stored up’ all of Fury’s insults and vows to make the lineal heavyweight champion eat his words when they finally duke it out.

“This is one of my rivals, this is someone I want to compete with one day,” Joshua said of Fury during a recent appearance on the Jonathan Ross Show.

“So everything he says, I’ve got it all stored in the back of my memory and when the fight happens, I’m going to use it as a lot of fuel.”

Asked whether trash talk can affect him, Joshua replied: “100 per cent. You take it personally and you meditate on it. You want to punish them for what they said about you.”

The so-called ‘Battle of Britain’ is one of the most highly-anticipated heavyweight fights in recent history.

But despite multiple attempts at getting the blockbuster clash over the line, it has yet to come to fruition.

Boxing fans have been clawing their eyes out waiting for the heavyweight titans to meet in the squared circle and luckily for them, it looks as though the long-awaited fight will happen sooner rather than later.

Joshua recently admitted that he plans to hang up his gloves in two years time so the clock is ticking for the contest to happen.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s influence means that money, which was previously a point of contention in negotiations, won’t be a problem.

Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh has also helped promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren establish a better business relationship which will no doubt benefit the fight in the long run.

Currently, Fury is tied up by a two-fight deal with Oleksandr Usyk but once they have settled their score Joshua is expected to face his fellow countryman thereafter.

According to Hearn, Fury vs Joshua could even take place this year.

“Because the darts championship happens in December and January, I’m gonna say that Fury vs AJ happens this year,” he told Piers Morgan Uncensored.

“So I’m gonna say Fury vs AJ [happens first].”

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury will be worth £200million – but won’t be richest-ever fight

By
Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will both make over £100million if they meet in the ring – but it won’t be the richest fight ever.

Joshua and Fury have been linked to fight for almost a decade and a path has now opened up for them to meet in the ring if Fury beats Oleksandr Usyk in their undisputed heavyweight world title fight next month. ‘AJ’ has been promised a shot against the winner of that fight after he brutally KO’d former UFC champion Francis Ngannou last month.

If Fury and Joshua do end up making over £100m each, it won’t trump the estimated £230m Floyd Mayweather pocketed and £80m Conor McGregor took home for their 2017 crossover fight. Mayweather also earned around £200m for his 2015 ‘Fight of the Century’ against Manny Pacquiao, who earned £100million for his defeat.

When asked if ‘AJ’ vs Fury fight would be the largest fight purse ever, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn told Piers Morgan Uncensored: “I mean, certainly, you are talking north of 100 million, for each guy. The biggest fight ever… We would do alright. We take a percentage of Anthony Joshua.

“It varies across what he earns. As a fighter starts to become more powerful, more popular, your relationship with them extends through a longer contract. Don’t forget Anthony Joshua signed a life long contract with us three years ago [which is] very unique in the sport. He’s the most loyal fighter… He’s involved in the business, as well, which is the first time we’ve ever done that with a client.”

Joshua boosted his net worth to an estimated £180m in his latest win against Ngannou and also pocketed around £30m for his wins last year. When Hearn told Morgan the percentage they take from Joshua’s purse was “not too dissimilar” to a 10 per cent cut, his father Barry insisted the TV host wasn’t paying attention to the bigger picture.

“You are just bringing it down to money, you are missing the whole point. You have got to look at the bigger picture, you are looking at it like £10 million is going to make a world of difference to anybody. It doesn’t to us, but the difference is Anthony Joshua is also our friend. He understands what we’ve invested in him,” he said.

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Eddie Hearn confirms Anthony Joshua world title plan after next fight ‘leaked’

By
Anthony Joshua

Eddie Hearn has suggested that Anthony Joshua will fight for a world heavyweight championship this year, potentially setting him up for a mega-fight with Tyson Fury. Joshua could also step into the ring with Oleksandr Usyk for a third time, while Filip Hrgovic is seen as the most likely opponent – which had been ‘leaked’ earlier this week.

Hearn told IFL TV: “I think you will see him again back end of the summer, he is keen to fight again. Obviously, you have Fury vs Usyk in May, we’re very excited to see what happens there and then Filip Hrgovic.

“I would say that Anthony Joshua’s next fight will be for the heavyweight championship, or for the undisputed heavyweight championship.”

Hearn went on to explain that the winner of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will not fight Joshua, with Filip Hrgovic being the next man in line to face the winner of that fight. That would seemingly rule Joshua out of fighting either champion.

However, Fury and Usyk are now set to fight twice with a rematch clause said to be invoked – which would make the IBF title vacant.

That could set up Joshua and Hrgovic fighting for the IBF title – with the winner of that fight facing the winner of Fury vs Usyk to unify the heavyweight division.

Fury and Usyk are set to face each other in May, with a rematch likely to be later in the summer or in the early months of autumn. However, Hearn has not ruled out the idea of Joshua and Fury fighting each other this year.

In an interview with Piers Morgan, Hearn said: “I’m gonna say that Fury vs AJ happens this year.”

Should Usyk defeat Fury, with Joshua then going on to beat Hrgovic, or whoever he fights in his next bout, he will likely set himself up with a trilogy bout with the Ukrainian.

Usyk has dominated Joshua in their last two fights, but the Briton has made big improvements since joining with new trainer Ben Davison.

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Anthony Joshua next fight ‘leaked’ as Tyson Fury causes delay

By
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua

Heavyweight boxer Derek Chisora leaked that Anthony Joshua’s next fight will be against the winner of Daniel Dubois versus Filip Hrgovic

Boxing heavyweight title contender Derek Chisora said Anthony Joshua will face the winner of Daniel Dubois versus Filip Hrgovic for his next fight.

In a video posted to YouTube on Tuesday, Chisora addressed reporters, discussing Joshua’s recent bout against Francis Ngannou and his analysis of the match between British heavyweights Frazer Clarke and Fabio Wardley. Clarke and Wardley maintained their undefeated records following a draw at London’s O2 Arena at the close of March.

Chisora also uncovered Joshua’s upcoming opponent and venue, acknowledging that he inadvertently revealed the information due to his self-labeled big mouth. “He [Joshua] will fight the winner of Daniel Dubois and [Filip] Hrgovic in Wembley [Stadium],” said Chisora.

“Did I mean to say that, me and my big mouth?” he continued. “I got a big mouth, but yeah, that’s the plan,” he reaffirmed. “Queensbury promotion, it’s going to be sick.”

The 40-year-old heavyweight discussed potential venues for Joshua’s assumed fight, mentioning that only one person could sell out Wembley Arena, referring to Joshua’s ability to draw a large crowd. He then suggested Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, describing the venue as a “fantastic” potential destination for fights despite his dislike for the football club.

On March 8, Joshua faced off against Ngannou in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Joshua secured an easy victory in less than two rounds, comfortably overwhelming one of MMA’s most formidable power punchers. Joshua delivered a pair of knockdowns with a trademark straight right hand, sealing his dominance in the match. Ngannou’s defeat proved so humbling that he apologized to his fans and all viewers for his subpar performance.

“Sorry guys, I let you all down,” Ngannou said. “Today was a bad day in the office, but tomorrow will be another day. Thank you all for the love.”

“So the next window will probably be in March-April, so that’s probably when the undisputed fight will potentially happen,” he continued. “Then obviously what we are being told is they want to make it a mega card and they like the sound of Joshua v Wilder on the same card as well.”

Wilder’s most recent contest was against Joseph Parker, resulting in a unanimous decision loss on the same “Day of Reckoning” card where Joshua triumphed over Otto Wallin before his encounter with Ngannou. Malik Scott, Wilder’s trainer, has hinted that Wilder’s next opponent might be Zhilei Zhang of China.

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

David Benavidez and ‘Animal’ Gervonta Davis Going to Be ‘Super Exciting’ on Same Card, Confirms Jose Benavidez Sr

By
David Benavidez

Boxing fans, listen up! Remember when David Benavidez hinted on the Fresh&Fit podcast about a possible mega-fight night? It appears things are heating up! Benavidez is set to make his light-heavyweight debut against the tough Oleksandr Gvozdyk (20-1-0, 16 KOs). That’s right, a former champion with a single loss stands in Benavidez’s way.

But here’s the twist: rumors swirl that Gervonta Davis, undefeated and a ferocious puncher, is also on the same fight card!  Davis is coming off a win against Ryan Garcia but hasn’t stepped into the ring since. Will this become a doubleheader for the ages?

David Benavidez to share the ring with “Animal” Gervonta Davis!

During the engaging conversation on FightHype.com, the interviewer probed into the buzz surrounding the anticipated boxing card. “Your son David went on a podcast Fresh and Fit and kind of talked about potentially him and Gervonta Davis being on the same card, and he’s moving up to 175 to fight Oleksandr Gvozdyk,” they pointed out, setting the stage for an exciting revelation.

Without hesitation, Jose Benavidez Sr. confirmed the swirling rumors with palpable enthusiasm. “Yeah, they’re going to come up with the date, but yeah, he’s fighting on the same card with Gervonta Davis,” he responded. His pride evident, he continued, “It’s an honor, it’s a pleasure fighting with an animal like that. So two beasts fighting on the same card, I think it’s going to be super exciting.

Keep Reading
By
BOXING

Gervonta Davis vs. Conor Benn: Mayweather Promotions’ CEO Stays Mum on Abdul Wahid’s Next Move

By
Gervonta Davis

Who will Gervonta Davis (aka Abdul Wahid) fight next? It seems to be a question on everyone’s mind right now. However, there doesn’t seem to be a solid answer to it. Some recent reports suggested ‘Tank’ Davis would fight Frank Martin, but nothing is official yet. Meanwhile, Leonard Ellerbe opted to stay quiet about a potential fight between Davis and Conor Benn.

Earlier this year, Eddie Hearn revealed he is in talks with Davis for a clash against Conor Benn. He even highlighted a $10 million plus gate and PPV revenue offer made to Davis for the fight. However, claiming Hearn didn’t offer enough money, Davis refused to accept the challenge. Davis wrote in a tweet, “The spoon fed white boy keep trying to cheat me outta my f**king money b***h.” Fast forward to yesterday, in an interview with AKHi TV, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions hinted at Davis’ next move!

Leonard Ellerbe doesn’t want to disrespect Eddie Hearn

Speaking to Ellerbe, the reporter quickly brought up the potential matchup between Davis and Benn at 147 lbs. In response, Floyd Mayweather’s business partner said, “I don’t have [any] comments about no Conor Benn. I mean ‘Tank’ wants to work, he wants to fight, and he’s getting ready to fight.”

Moreover, when the reporter highlighted Davis’ decision to decline Hearn’s previous offer because of money, Ellerbe refused to give a statement, claiming, “I can’t really say what I want to say without disrespecting Hearn and them.” Addressing Davis’ next move, Ellerbe made it clear that ‘Tank” Davis is the boss when it comes to what he wants to do.

However, Ellerbe suggested, “He [is] getting ready to make a big announcement [about] what he’s going to do.” While clouds of doubt loom over the Benn vs. Davis fight, a recent report suggests Davis has dropped hints about his next fight.

Gervonta Davis vs. Frank Martin: A done deal?

Despite no official announcements from either Martin or Davis, a tweet from talkSport editor Michael Benson suggests Davis hinted that the fight would transpire on June 22. Since his win over Ryan Garcia in April last year, Davis has been in a limbo unable to make a move in his boxing career.

However, Benson wrote, “Gervonta Davis has indicated that his next fight vs Frank Martin is now being planned for June 22nd at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.” What’s more, Benson revealed that the potential fight will have Davis’ WBA lightweight title on the line.

As things stand now, Gervonta Davis seems to be moving forward with his fight against Frank Martin. However, CEO of Mayweather Promotion has drummed up some speculation about a potential fight between Conor Benn and Davis. Regardless, it’s highly unlikely that Davis would fight Benn, especially since some reports suggest Benn is in talks to fight Manny Pacquiao. Who do you think Davis should fight next? Let us know in the comment section below.

Keep Reading
By