Boxing Archives - Page 53 of 183

Tim Tszyu recalled on stage at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Thursday how he dreamed one night 15 years ago, at the Manny Pacquiao–Miguel Cotto fight, of one day headlining his own Vegas card.

Looking out at a sea of reporters and boxing dignitaries, he locked eyes with none other than Cotto.

And if that wasn’t head-exploding enough, Australia’s Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs) is also peering out to envision fight nights even greater than this long-awaited dream event.

Not only has recently undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford positioned himself through the World Boxing Organization to fight Tszyu within 180 days of Saturday night, word came Thursday that recently deposed three-belt welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. was en route to Vegas to seek a fight with Tszyu.

Reacting to a post on Spence’s X social media account that contained a photo of a Great White shark and a caption reading, “Headed to Vegas. I want the winner!! #TszyuFundora,” Tsyzu didn’t bat an eye.

“Beautiful … these are the types of moments I’ve always wanted,” he said. “Big moments to be getting the big names into a fight.”

Earlier in the day, Tszyu told BoxingScene that he, without question, plans in victory to fight Crawford in the U.S.

BOXING

Joshua back in training, eyes summer fight

Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua returned to training on Monday two after brutally knocking out Francis Ngannou in the main event of their ‘Knockout Chaos’ clash on Friday, March 8.

Joshua dropped the former UFC heavyweight champion three times in two rounds with the final right hand closing the show in dramatic fashion with Ngannou needing oxygen and a doctor before he got back up.

Now Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to meet in a bout on May 18 that will unify all four belts for the first time in heavyweight history.

However, the pair are contracted to an immediate rematch, likely ruling them out for the whole year and Joshua has expressed that he will not sit and wait with his eyes already set on a summer return.

“Whether it will be in the UK, who knows? But maybe June, June/July,” he told iFL TV.

After Fury’s first fight with Usyk, the winner could face being stripped of the IBF title due to their rematch clause and that would leave number one contender Joshua in line to challenge for the belt against interim champion Filip Hrgovic.

Joshua had initially signed to face Deontay Wilder until the American was stunned in defeat to Joseph Parker in December. Parker followed that performance up with a win over Zhilei Zhang on the ‘Knockout Chaos’ undercard.

These three heavyweights are all options Joshua is considering for his next fight as he said, “Wilder, Zhang, Parker. All of them. Let’s go!”

BOXING

‘Extra special’ boxing event in the works for Wembley Stadium, but it won’t be Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua

Frank Warren has told talkSPORT that a major boxing event is coming to Wembley Stadium this year.

Earlier this week, Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi’s General Entertainment Authority responsible for staging boxing in Riyadh, first disclosed the possibility of a huge show at the national stadium.

The idea would be to use the event as an advertisement for more boxing to follow in Saudi Arabia as part of Riyadh Season.

“I’m talking, thinking and studying with Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn to do something huge in Wembley in September as a commercial for Riyadh Season,” Alalshikh said.

On Thursday, Warren joined talkSPORT Breakfast and added additional context.

“As you know there have been some fabulous events in Saudi for the Riyadh Season,” he began.

“And they’re events that to be quite honest we could never put on here.

“They’re just too expensive, it would not work, the books wouldn’t balance.

“But obviously for Riyadh Season it’s part of the multi-cultural events that take place there – sporting events, music events, etc.

“And what we’re putting on at Wembley is basically gonna be an advert for the start of the Riyadh Season next October.

“But it will be based upon a Riyadh type of event.

“So it’s gonna be a super, super boxing event. It’s gonna be something extra, extra special.”

When asked if the show could be headlined by Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua, Warren confirmed that this would not be the case.

However, most would expect that – in order to sell out the 90,000-capacity national stadium – one of the two will be involved.

BOXING

Gervonta Davis Sends Wishes to Families Affected by Bridge’s Collapse in Baltimore Amid Rising Concerns

A dark cloud hangs over Baltimore, Maryland, the hometown of undefeated boxer Gervonta Davis. A cargo ship rammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday, causing a partial collapse and leaving a city in shock. The incident has taken a tragic turn, with officials presuming the six missing individuals as dead.

Search efforts have been paused as the city grapples with the aftermath of this disaster. Reports suggest the ship lost power, leading to the high-speed collision. Davis sent his prayers for the families of the victims of such a disaster, as he expressed his condolences on social media.

Gervonta Davis supports his hometown

The Coast Guard confirmed the worst: six lives were lost after a cargo ship slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Search efforts have ended, but the search for answers has just begun. The cause? A “power issue” that left the ship barreling towards the bridge at high speed. A distress call went out, but it was too late. Governor Moore vowed to rebuild the bridge, a monument not just to the city’s infrastructure, but to the lives tragically cut short.

President Biden stepped in, pledging to fully fund the rebuilding effort and get Baltimore’s vital port operational again. On the same note, even Davis felt bad for his hometown people. On X, he wrote, “Prayers out for all the families affected by the bridge collapsing in Baltimore this morning…” Davis is getting ready to face his next opponent, Frank Martin soon, but this comes as a great setback for the boxer.’

However, his rival Ryan Garcia also spoke on this matter and prayed for the recovery. Along the same lines, there have been many rumors about Garcia foreseeing this disaster.

Ryan Garcia comes out of his character in the face of disaster

Ryan Garcia, the young boxing star with lightning-fast fists, is now making headlines for something entirely different: his social media pronouncements. Garcia has taken a sharp turn towards conspiracy theories, accusing powerful figures of devil worship and claiming to possess shocking evidence. These online rants have left fans bewildered. Is this a publicity stunt, a cry for attention, or something more?

Now, Garcia has also given his condolences to all the victims of the bridge collapse. At the same time, he didn’t confirm or deny the ongoing rumors about his alleged premonition. He wrote, “I will say that it is not me who knows but God, the Holy Spirit speaking through me. There are times I forget what I say, like I said I pray for the people affected by this tragedy in Baltimore. Half my tweets were deleted and not by my doing To God receive the Glory not me.”

Despite Garcia’s vague tweet, he expressed his agony for all the people who were impacted by this incident. Hopefully, Baltimore will move on from this tragic happening as soon as possible. Let’s pray for the victims together, and share your thoughts in the comments section.

BOXING

Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter fears Tyson Fury will pull out of undisputed fight again

The prospect of an era-defining world heavyweight championship bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury has been called into question by the promoter.

Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk is unconvinced that the Ukranian will face off against Tyson Fury in their slated unified heavyweight contest in May. The pair had previously been penned in for their era-defining decider February 17 before ‘The Gypsy King’ was forced to withdraw due to a gash to the face sustained in training.

The ‘Ring of Fire’ spectacle was swiftly re-arranged to allow for Fury to complete his recovery following the injury as he looks to become the first fighter since Lennox Lewis in 2000 to hold all major belts in the weight division. Currently, the Brit is the WBC heavyweight champion, with adversary Usyk boasting the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO title honours.

After that re-scheduling, the official line coming out of Fury’s camp has been that he is focused on fighting his rival in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this spring. However, it now appears that Usyk’s representatives are fearful that the 35-year-old may not be as eager to come good on his agreement to take part in a re-match later in the year.

Giving an honest assessment of the current state of play ahead of what promises to be a historic match-up, the promoter for ‘The Cat’ admitted he is unsure over whether a second clash will materialize. Speaking to WBN, he confessed: “Theoretically, the rematch should happen before the end of 2024. However, we all know that Tyson is not the world’s best rematch-er.

“And after he loses to Usyk in the first bout, you cannot predict his behaviour at all. I say this, but I have no guarantee that the first fight ever takes place. The man has withdrawn four times in a row already. We have even decided to stop all the jokes and criticisms towards Luke to support his confidence.”

The matters in this regard are complicated somewhat by the insistence from Saudi Arabian boxing helmsman Turki Alalshikh that any withdrawals could result in Fury being landed with a reported £10 million penalty. Either way, Krassyuk seems unconvinced the overtures from the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority bear much weight in Fury’s thought process.

“If there is anything else we can do to help him get in the ring with Usyk, we are ready to do that,” he instead continued, as he made a vow over his client’s intentions. “Usyk’s goal is to get the fourth heavyweight belt and to complete the undisputed. After accomplishing this mission other options can be regarded.”

BOXING

Tyson Fury faces new worry for Oleksandr Usyk fight after ‘horrendous’ warning

Tony Bellew has shared his concerns for Tyson Fury ahead of his fight with Oleksandr Usyk. The pair are due to face off in May in a historic battle with all the heavyweight title belts on the line.

Both Usyk and the ‘Gypsy King’ will also put their undefeated records on the line at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia. As the boxing world prepares for this titanic bout, Bellew, who retired in 2018, is confident that Usyk, the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO champion, will claim victory.

“On the technical side of things, Tyson Fury has always struggled with smaller movers and is horrendous when it comes to counter-punchers,” Bellew told Spinbet. “If you go on the backfoot against Fury, he is lost.” Despite being the smaller and shorter man in the fight, Bellew thinks Usyk has the ideal style to cause Fury problems.

Bellew, who ended his career with a defeat to Usyk, used Francis Ngannou as an example to illustrate how the 35-year-old could struggle. When competing in his very first boxing match in October 2023, the Cameroonian dropped Fury and gave him problems throughout their encounter.

Bellew then elaborated on the keys to Ngannou’s performance which he thinks Usyk can utilise to end Fury’s undefeated streak. “A complete boxing novice Francis Ngannou went on the backfoot against Fury and caused him all kinds of problems,” he added. And I mean a raw, complete novice in Francis Ngannou.

“He gave him fits which is crazy to think a man with a boxing record of 0-0 went in there and pushed the heavyweight champion of the world to the absolute limit. Some people even think he won. You can’t really dispute that.” Usyk has to wait less than two months to battle Fury, but his promoter Alexander Krassyuk doubts that the Mancunian will show up.

This fight was originally scheduled for February, but the WBC Heavyweight champion pulled out after sustaining a nasty cut above his eye while sparring. Now Krassyuk is unsure it will happen this time, let alone a rematch which is part of the contract.

BOXING

Tyson Fury can have a very easy night against Oleksandr Usyk, but he’s very ‘Marmite’ according to sparring partner

Tyson Fury is an unknown entity going into his huge clash with Oleksandr Usyk.

That is according to rising heavyweight star Moses Itauma, who has sparred the ‘Gypsy King’ in recent weeks, and has been declared as the future of the division by the WBC champion.

Itauma believes the British heavyweight goes into the undisputed title fight as the favourite to be the first man to hold all the straps in the division since Lennox Lewis in 1999.

Itauma told talkSPORT Drive: “Obviously I was in Tyson’s camp, he was very Marmite in sparring – some days he’d do good but in some he’d been unbelievable.

“It honestly depends on what version of Fury turn up. If the one sparring on good days turns up he will have a very easy night with Usyk.

“As I say he’s very Marmite, he could have a bad day in sparring and I feel like the Francis Ngannou fight was a very bad day.”

He went on to compare Fury’s circumstances when fighting Ngannou, in comparison to Anthony Joshua’s dominant KO win earlier in March.

He continued: “He [Fury] gave me loads of advice. Currently, I think he is No.1. There are so many factors people don’t take into account.

“Joshua had something to learn off [before fighting Ngannou in October 2023], Fury never did. Fury was the first person to do that crossover.

“It was great entertainment. Whether he took it seriously is another thing.”

Fury struggled in his last outing, being knocked down by the ex-UFC champion before rallying to a narrow points win.

Many suggested this decreased his chances of beating Uysk, particularly since Joshua went on to impress in his win over Ngannou.

The WBC champion looks in much better shape, having made a remarkable transformation since facing Ngannou.

His training footage has also followed a ‘marmite’ pattern with fans first suggesting he looked ‘awful’ in a fitness drill.

But the online response has since been much improved as he dazzled on the pads in new footage with his father John Fury.

BOXING

Tim Tszyu Wants to Fight Everyone Whether It’s Canelo Alvarez or Terence Crawford

On March 30th, Tim Tszyu will face Sebastian Fundora for the WBC and WBO Super-Welterweight titles in Las Vegas. Although Tszyu initially expected to return against Keith Thurman, ‘One Time’ pulled out because of a biceps injury. As a result, ‘The Soul Taker’ will now square off against ‘The Towering Inferno’ who is 7 inches taller than the current WBO Super-Welterweight champ!

But, even though the boxing world is yet to witness the outcome of Tszyu vs. Fundora, it is busy wondering about Tim’s next fight in the ring. Therefore, ‘The Soul Taker’ declared he was open to fighting Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford, Errol Spence Jr., and Jaron Ennis!

Tim Tszyu doesn’t want to handpick his opponents

In October last year, following his UD victory over Brian Mendoza, Tim Tszyu had said that if he could fight Canelo Alvarez it would be a matter of privilege and honor. On the other hand, ahead of Tszyu vs. Sebastian Fundora, Terence Crawford’s name has now been linked with ‘The Soul Taker’. On that note, speaking to Fox Sports, Tszyu’s manager Glen Jennings said Crawford vs. Tszyu could be the highest-grossing fight in Australian boxing history, generating a potential figure of $38 Million. In this connection, Tszyu told FightHype, “Anyone can get it. I’m ready for anyone.”

“I fear no one. And I’ll take on every challenge possible,” Tim Tszyu added. On being asked if he would like to face Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford, the Australian boxer said, “Yeah, I’ll take them all, bro. I don’t back from no one. Crawford’s the man, I would love to take on a challenge like that.”

At this, Tszyu was asked how he felt about facing Jaron Ennis, the IBF Interim Welterweight champion. To which, he added, “Who? ‘Boots’? 100% Everyone, bro. Honestly, I don’t want to be this fighter that picks and chooses, man. I’ll fight everyone.”

While Tim Tszyu is open to fighting “everyone,” his manager is more keen on arranging Crawford vs. Tim. As a result, rallying for the mentioned contest, Jennings said that ‘Bud’ vs. ‘The Soul Taker’ would be wonderful not only for Australian boxing but also for the sport worldwide. With that now said, which fighter would you like Tim Tszyu to face next after his battle against Sebastian Fundora? Let us know in the comments below.

BOXING

Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr appear to be battling to fight the same opponent next

Errol Spence Jr. got the fight he always wanted in 2023. After 28 fights and an incredible run that saw him take down Mikey Garcia, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Yordenis Ugas in succession, Spence earned an undisputed title fight against Terence Crawford.

Unfortunately for Spence, “Bud” was simply untouchable on July 29, and Spence got stopped. It was a setback for Spence, but just about anyone would have lost to Crawford that night.

Crawford or Spence next for Tim Tszyu

We haven’t heard much about a potential next opponent for either Crawford or Spence, but it seems like Tim Tszyu‘s team wants to make a fight happen with both of them.

Tszyu is fighting this weekend against Sebastian Fundora, who is replacing an injured Keith Thurman. The WBC and WBO super welterweight belts are on the line.

Crawford has already begun talks with Tszyu to fight at 154. But it sounds like Tszyu and his team are willing to wait this out, assuming he gets past Fundora.

It’s possible they never get another chance at Crawford, but the possibility of fighting Spence first and then Bud might be too tempting. The double payday would be immense, and Tszyu would really be gunning for glory as well.

BOXING

Hearn slams Ngannou over Joshua defeat excuse

Eddie Hearn has slammed Francis Ngannou for appearing to suggest that his demolishing defeat by Anthony Joshua was down to his early arrival at the arena.

Joshua knocked down the former UFC heavyweight champion three times in two rounds to secure a dominant victory in Saudi Arabia.

Ngannou, in a recent interview on the MMA Hour, said that he arrived at the Kingdom Arena, in Riyadh, two hours earlier than Joshua, appearing to suggest that this was a ‘trick’ to tire him out.

Joshua’s promoter Hearn has taken exception with the comments, suggesting the 37-year-old ‘should know better’.

He told Boxing Social, ‘I was baffled. It is a bit disappointing really.

“He said they got him to the arena (early), who is they? You get given times by the broadcaster.

“He said that he was made to come to the arena early to tire him out for the fight, which is really an inexperienced boxing guy talking here, he should know better.

“You get your time, which is the ideal time that the organiser or the broadcaster would like you there, you make your own mind up.

“Some fighters like to get there three hours before, some like to get there an hour before, it all depends on the fighter.

“If AJ is told for example that “we want you there at 10 ‘o’clock” and we know that the fight is happening at 1am, then we would come a little bit later, because he doesn’t want to be hanging around that long.’

Hearn also reacted to a social media post which contained Ngannou’s comments, stating: “I’m not sure he has come round yet.”

Ngannou after the fight confessed that he couldn’t remember being knocked out by Joshua and that from going back to his stool in between the first and second rounds, he ‘wasn’t there anymore’.