Boxing Archives - Page 59 of 183

Francis Ngannou will drop out of the WBC top 10 rankings after his devastating knockout loss to Anthony Joshua.

The Cameroonian MMA star was given a No.10 rating by the major sanctioning body after an impressive debut against WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury last October.

Ngannou lost the nip and tuck affair via split decision but his performance left a lasting impression on the WBC ratings committee, who slotted him in one place ahead of Martin Bakole.

However, after being dispatched in two rounds by AJ on Friday night his stock has fallen – and so will his ranking, according to WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman.

“Yeah, [he will drop] from the top 10 certainly because he was knocked out in two rounds,” Sulaiman told talkSPORT.com.

“I do not regret ranking him. He had a sensational outing against the WBC champion and he has a history behind him in mixed martial arts, which is a criterion for the WBC in rankings.

“As I have explained Muay Thai fighters are immediately ranked in the WBC, mostly from Thailand. Joshua looked phenomenal, Ngannou looked surprised.

“He got caught early and could not recover from the next knockdown. But to use an analogy, in 1971, Joe Frazier knocked down Ali and beat him for the first time.

“In the next fight, George Foreman knocks Frazier down seven times and knocks him out in two rounds.

“Does that erase Joe Frazier’s performance against Ali?”

Pressed on whether Ngannou would remain in the WBC’s top 40 ratings, Sulaiman replied: “I don’t know, that’s a matter for the ratings committee.

“If it was my decision, I would support him to still be in the top 40 rankings.

“I think we all could see him fighting anyone and still be competitive and possibly winning against rated fighters.

“So we’ll see what the ratings committee decides in the next couple of days.”

At the time of writing, Joshua is ranked No.1 with the WBC, with Frank Sanchez placed at No.2 and Joseph Parker at No.3.

The official rankings will be updated in full at some point in the coming days.

Last month, entries were submitted on February 20.

Uncategorized

I need medical checkups after Joshua KO – Ngannou

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou says he will undergo more medical checkups after suffering a brutal Anthony Joshua knockout on March 9, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Two-time heavyweight champion Joshua was heavily questioned for taking what was seen as a huge risk by going up against Ngannou, who surprised the entire heavyweight division when he knocked Tyson Fury down on his boxing debut in October last year.

However, Joshua put in arguably his most dominant and powerful performance in recent years to send a message to the entire division with his knockout victory over Ngannou.

The 34-year-old was in control from the first bell and floored Ngannou in the first round and early in the second. The former UFC champion never recovered and was clearly dazed when he returned to his feet the second time.

Joshua showed no mercy though and delivered an explosive right hand to send Ngannou crumbling to the canvas with the 37-year-old immediately receiving medical attention.

Ngannou still didn’t seem to have completely recovered when he returned to his feet and the Cameroonian fighter admitted he still needed to undergo some tests following the savage knockout.

“We move, but regardless I feel okay. I was quite surprised that I remember everything from that fight night and coming back to the locker room. Basically I was conscious right after and since then everything has been good, although (I) still need to run some medical work just in case.

“I feel healthy but for the longevity of the sport… we better check and find out if there’s anything that could be done to get better now… I still need more checkups.”

Joshua is now eyeing a summer fight against either of Deontay Wilder, Joseph Parker or Zhilei Zhang before a potential title fight after the undisputed heavyweight bout between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.

BOXING

Chris Eubank Jr ‘confirms’ he will fight Terence Crawford as he appears set for biggest challenge of his boxing career

CHRIS EUBANK JR has appeared to confirm a shock showdown with welterweight king Terence Crawford.

Former IBO super-middleweight king Eubank Jr hasn’t set foot inside the ring since settling the score with Brit rival Liam Smith last September.

A family grudge match with Conor Benn – who he was due to fight in October 2022 – appeared to be back in the pipeline for the 34-year-old but has yet to come to fruition.

Sensational reports on Friday claimed a stunning slugfest with pound-for-pound king Crawford was in the works for the Brighton bruiser.

And he’s seemingly confirmed the fight is a go on his social media accounts – sharing a mock-up poster for the bout.

Boxing fans were quick to react, with one saying: “This could be one of the best fights in the last 10 years.”

Another said: “Historic.”

And another said: “Oiiii that would be sick if that happens.”

One remarked: “This is good.”

Another chimed in: “Happy for you but disappointed.

“Just can’t see anyone beating Crawford, TBH, but be safe in there.”

It didn’t take long for the news to come to the attention of Eubank Jr’s rival Benn – the son of his old man’s bitter rival Nigel.

And Conor didn’t mince his words when giving his thoughts on the bout.

He said: “Crawford will donate Bo-mac to Eubank [Jr] for this fight as he don’t need a cornerman for this.”

Bomac is the long-time trainer of former undisputed 147lb king Crawford but also trains Eubank Jr – the son of British boxing great Chris Euban.

But given his lengthy relationship with Crawford, it’s nearly a dead cert that Bomac – real name Brian McIntyre – will be in the American’s corner come fight night.

BOXING

Conor Benn: Terence Crawford Would Smash Chris Eubank Jr. to Pieces

Not long after Conor Benn and Manny Pacquiao came face-to-face in Saudi Arabia, Benn’s bitter domestic rival Chris Eubank Jr. teased a fight poster advertising a contest between himself and Terence Crawford.

While there has been no confirmation whatsoever from Eubank’s side or Team Crawford that a potential fight between the middleweight from Brighton in the UK and the brilliant Omaha welterweight could actually happen, Crawford and Eubank do at least share the same trainer, Brian “BoMac” McIntyre, and it is a bout Benn would like to see.

“I think it will be a great fight, well, not a great fight, it will be a very one-sided fight, but I’d like to see the fight because I’d like to see Eubank get smashed to pieces,” said Benn.

“I think everyone looks at Eubank because he’s easy work. After his last few performances, he hasn’t looked great at all. He’s definitely on a downhill trajectory.”

Benn and Eubank had been due to fight at the end of 2022, until two positive VADA tests side-lined Benn, who has not boxed in the UK since. He has subsequently fought in Florida and Las Vegas, and there have been talks with Manny Pacquiao about a possible bout in May or June in Saudi Arabia.

Benn is not sure that the idea of Crawford moving up to tackle Eubank is not a hoax.

“I’m not a betting man, but if I was I’d bet you I can almost guarantee you that that’s all smoke; smoke and mirrors,” predicted Benn. “It’s not happening, it’s all rubbish, but obviously Eubank wants the fight with me, so he ain’t fighting Janibek [Alimkhanuly], so why’s he fighting another welterweight? With the same trainer? Do you know what I mean?”

Talking to BoxingScene, Benn sounded fatigued by the very mention of Eubank’s name. Does he think that fight has gone for good, despite promoter Eddie Hearn predicting it would do record numbers in the UK?

“Who knows?” said Benn. “I don’t really have much interest in him. I’m a 147 fighter. That’s the reality of it, I’m 147, and the guys I’ve fought in my last fights were quite big, and also in 10-ounce gloves, so I can’t wait to get back in those eight-ounce gloves and do some serious damage. There’s definitely a massive difference in the gloves. Put 10s on and put eights on and feel the difference. But with Eubank, yeah, that’s probably the only fight I’d go up to 160 for.”

The Benn-Eubank debate has been ferocious in British boxing circles for several reasons, not least because Benn would be jumping up two weight classes to fight in a division he would not otherwise be bothered with, and because Eubank Jr. for many, including his famous father, should not be boxing at middleweight any longer, rather at 168lbs.

“Let’s see if there’s any uproar about him [Eubank Jr.] fighting a welterweight [Crawford] again, and let’s see if there’s any uproar at him fighting at 160,” Benn added, of the Crawford-Eubank rumour. “It’s ridiculous. The public pick and choose what’s suitable and what’s not suitable, when it suits.”

Benn is awaiting news of a hearing after the British Boxing Board of Control and UKAD appealed a decision by the National Anti-Doping Panel to allow Benn to return to the ring in the United Kingdom.

There is no question Benn wants to get in the world title mix, but he also sees another lucrative path given the demands of vast sections of the British public, not least finishing the rivalry of the Eubank and Benn fathers from the 1990s, and the constant spectre of Sheffield’s former IBF champion Kell Brook returning to the ring.

“People want big fights,” Benn continued. “That’s what the public wants. World titles don’t mean what they used to mean, which is a crazy thing to say. I think with the interims, the silvers, the diamonds, the supers, it’s like world titles don’t mean what they used to mean, and it feels like the public just wants the mega fights, and the mega fights for me are the names you mentioned. Even though I still want to win a world title, but we’ve called for [Mario] Barrios and the only way these guys are going to fight me are if I’m mandatory.

“We’ll see what happens. I just want to fight and whoever that is, no problem.”

Brook was also in Saudi Arabia at the Anthony Joshua-Francis Ngannou fight last week, but while Benn talked business with Manny Pacquiao, there were no commercial discussions with Brook.

“I saw him briefly, I didn’t speak to him but that’s another fight I know the public may be interested in,” Benn went on. “But I’ll fight anyone. I really will fight anyone.”

Asked about the hangover of the appeal looming large, and public opinion – where Benn still is divisive but he has retained a significant UK fanbase – he said: “I just want this to be done.

“I can’t carry on caring what people think. What’s done is done. It is what it is. I can’t go, ‘Oh, he thinks this, she thinks that,’ because it’s actually got to a stage where I don’t really care, to be honest.”

BOXING

Tyson Fury Details How Oleksandr Usyk Fight Will Turn Out To Be A “Sweet Victory” For Him

The heavyweight clash between WBC champion Tyson Fury and unified champion Oleksandr Usyk is finally happening on May 18th. This undisputed heavyweight championship fight is what boxing fans have been waiting for eagerly. The bout, which was initially scheduled for December last year, has now been delayed twice due to injuries suffered by Fury.

Moreover. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman believes the stakes are so high that the usual three-judge system isn’t enough; he’s proposing a larger panel to score this historic bout. Amidst all the hype surrounding the fight, Tyson Fury talked about how he would ‘cripple’ his opponent to become the next undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.

Tyson Fury reveals plan to counter Usyk’s head movement

In an interview with BoxNation, Tyson Fury was asked whether he would be able to “destroy” Oleksandr Usyk. The ‘Gypsy King’ answered the question by listing out the differences between their physical attributes and how it would work to his advantage. The most obvious one is the reach. He talked about how he’d utilize his 86-inch reach to box on the outside and keep himself out of Usyk’s crosshairs. He implied that his style of fighting is tailor-made for a boxer like Usyk. The Mancunian also seems to have the answer to Ukrainian’s much-vaunted head movement. “He moves his head like that, the body don’t move. So, move your head, I will cripple you to the body.”

In addition to this, Fury said, “I know I can take his punches at 210 lbs, whatever he is. But he won’t stand up all night to a 270-guy, who’s banging out with him, who’s got stamina to burn, for sail, by the way. And who can box all night at any pace. I’ll hammer him, with the reputation he’s got through beating Joshua, I think it’ll be a sweet victory.”

Safe to say, Fury has his battle plan ready for Usyk. Furthermore, the 35-year-old boxer understands the seriousness of the undisputed clash, and for that reason, he doesn’t want to postpone it once again.

Fury is ready for a “bloody” fight

Fears of another postponement loom over the anticipated heavyweight showdown. The latest setback came as a result of a “freak cut” above Fury’s right eye sustained during sparring, prompting the postponement of the matchup just 15 days before the scheduled bout. However, Tyson Fury has since quelled concerns of further postponement.

During his appearance at the “Knockout chaos” event, Fury told DAZN, “It is healing good. I am not concerned. I never was concerned about the cut. From cut date to fight date was 15 weeks. A cut heals in about eight or nine weeks so I had plenty of time and if the cut opens in the fight, so f*** it!” Furthermore, he continued, “If it opens in the fight, there will be blood everywhere and so what? Don’t stop the fight. Let it continue because it’s an undisputed heavyweight championship fight.”

Now, it remains to be seen whether Fury can execute his strategy against Oleksandr Usyk. Or will Usyk come out on top at the “Ring of Fire” main event? Let us know in the comments section below.

BOXING

WBC president wants major rule change for Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk fight

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has petitioned for a late rule change for Tyson Fury’s showdown with Oleksandr Usyk.

The ‘Gypsy King’ will take on Usyk in a historic undisputed title clash on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.

It is set to be a pivotal moment in both fighters’ careers, as they look to become the first four-belt heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.

The fight has already faced turmoil, with Fury being forced to withdraw from their original February date after suffering a nasty cut in sparring.

And there are also fears that a fight of this magnitude could face further anguish, if the fight is subject to a controversial decision on the judges scorecards.

Some huge fights have recently been subject to contentious decisions including Nick Ball’s draw with Rey Vargas on the undercard of Anthony Joshua v Francis Ngannou.

And WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has formulated a plan to try and prevent any post-fight controversy.

“What we saw last week in Saudi Arabia [Ball v Vargas] was another example of how fragile officiating worldwide continues to be,” Sulaiman told Boxing Scene.

“We saw one judge have it one way big and another judge having the other guy winning. Controversy like that in the Fury v Usyk fight will kill boxing.”

Sulaiman went on to reveal that he was plotting submitting an ’emergency petition’ to his fellow governing bodies, for six judges to score the contest.

He suggested that it could help ‘minimise the effect’ of poor scoring, but needs the unanimous approval of all involved.

Two judges will sit on three sides of the ring, which will also cover all angles when viewing the action in different perspectives.

He concluded: “Fights, especially those at this highest level, deserve this and so I’m putting forward this proposal now to all sanctioning bodies, promoters and fighters.

“It has to be something we all agree on.”

Fury and Usyk will no doubt appreciate the opportunity at reaching a fair result, which could be boosted by the proposal.

But neither fighter has yet to respond to the petition, and they will need to approve any decision for it to go ahead.

One undisputed fight last year fell to a controversial decision after Josh Taylor was handed the winner over a rampant Jack Catterall in Glasgow in February 2022.

The governing bodies were unable to overturn the result, and Catterall was left bemoaning judges’ scoring to this day.

A win for either fighter will be legacy-defining, and Fury could even finally secure his showdown with Anthony Joshua after several failed attempts.

BOXING

Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis sends vicious warning to Devin Haney

Following a big victory, boxing fans generally have to wait a while in order to find out who their favorite fighter’s next opponent will be. Devin Haney is only nine days removed from stripping Regis Prograis of the WBC super lightweight title, yet a superstar can start being circled as his next possible opponent.

It’s not by Haney’s own doing, though. Bill Haney, the vocal and outspoken father of Devin, has recently called out Gervonta “Tank” Davis for “hiding” from Devin by lowballing him with offers and a rehydration clause.

Tank Davis responds to Bill and Devin Haney

Davis has not taken kindly to Bill’s words, and Tank has now responded in a short yet brutal manner.

“I promise you. Your father gonna cry for what I’m a do to you.”

Davis ended up deleting the tweet, but Devin responded by saying “let’s make it happen” and Davis followed up with “say nothin..“.

It’s tough to get a gauge on if Davis is truly serious about the fight, but it would be a risky proposition. Davis doesn’t really have anything to fear given how his career has played out, but Haney is 31-0 and at the top of his game. Davis hasn’t faced a boxer as technically sound, especially defensively, as Haney yet.

Haney recently moved up a weight class. Davis hasn’t fought at super lightweight since 2021, when he won the WBA title but then vacated to go back to lightweight. It will be interesting to see what weight the two would agree on if the fight ever materializes.

BOXING

‘He looks awful’ – Tyson Fury releases new training footage ahead of Oleksandr Usyk fight as fans express concerns

Fans are concerned about Tyson Fury’s condition heading into his upcoming clash with Oleksandr Usyk.

Fury is set to square off against the Ukranian fighter on May 18 in Saudi Arabia in the first undisputed heavyweight showdown of the four-belt era.

The fight was initially proposed to take place on February 17 but the bout was pushed back after Fury suffered a cut in one of his final sparring sessions.

After a short break, Fury is now back in the gym preparing for the four-belt shootout and recently released some training footage on social media.

‘The Gypsy King’ uploaded a clip of him being put through his paces in a gruelling conditioning session that included sledge pushes and jump squats.

Fury certainly looked like he was pushing himself but fans were less than impressed by what they were watching.

One supporter wrote: “Oh c*** he looks awful. Please let him beat Usyk.”

Another tweeted: “That is genuinely some of the least impressive jumping up and down I’ve ever seen.”

A third added: “Tyson Fury is not ready for Usyk yet and he’ll get exposed in the ring.”

Ahead of his inaugural fight date with Usyk there were worrying rumours circulating that Fury had been dropped in sparring by cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia.

The Aussie’s camp later came out and denied those claims but Johnny Nelson remained insistent that he had heard rumours of Fury being ‘turned over’ in the gym.

Speaking to Spencer Oliver on talkBOXING, Nelson said: “I’m hearing rumours of what’s happening in camp – I’m hearing that he’s getting turned over in the gym

“So this thing about appetite when he’s in the gym, I mean, he got shown his a***.

“I’m hearing these things and I’m thinking has he taken his eye off the ball, or has time caught up with him?”

In his most recent outing, Fury struggled immensely against Francis Ngannou as he eked out a narrow split decision last October.

There were no such issues for fierce rival Anthony Joshua on Friday night as he dispatched the Cameroonian MMA star inside two rounds.

Fury will need to put on a far better showing than he did last time out if he hopes to beat Usyk, who defeated AJ twice.

BOXING

Terence Crawford insists he’s the best option to fight Canelo Alvarez

Since crushing Errol Spence Jr. to become the first undisputed champion in two divisions, Terence Crawford has expressed his desire to build a legacy, part of which involves facing and defeating the undisputed 168-pound champion, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, in a potentially epic bout.

However, commercial commitments and Alvarez’s personal interests prevented this fight from materializing in September, as he easily defeated a weak Jermall Charlo instead. Canelo claimed it wasn’t the right time to fight Crawford, but according to ESPN’s Salvador Rodriguez, that moment may come in the fall, after facing Jermall Charlo in May.

Meanwhile, this is still speculative, as there’s no official confirmation, and Crawford is one of several fighters vying for an opportunity. To increase pressure for the fight, ‘Bud’ posted a message on his X account confirming his willingness to fight and asserting that he’s the best option.

“Terence Crawford vs Canelo Alvarez is the biggest fight in boxing right now. Like it or not it’s just facts,” Crawford wrote.

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith responded skeptically to Crawford‘s assertion, cautioning against false hopes.

Recently, this potential fight sparked a heated discussion on ESPN’s First Take, as an eagerly awaited, evenly matched bout between Canelo and WBC mandatory challenger David Benavidez, organized by PBC, has been anticipated since June.

However, the Mexican champion refuses to face Mexican challengers, even though both Benavidez and Jaime Munguia have proven themselves worthy of a spectacular fight, while Crawford would need to move up in weight.

Regardless, Canelo chose neither, opting instead for a straightforward match against Charlo. Concerning Crawford, although he’s a spectacular fighter, experts believe the weight difference would be too much for him.

Oscar De La Hoya demands an opportunity for Munguia

Amidst these speculations, promoter Oscar De La Hoya seized the opportunity to challenge Canelo on a fight against his client, Munguia, who recently demolished Englishman John Ryder.

During a press conference last Saturday, De La Hoya stated that Canelo must defend his belts against the fighter from Tijuana, Mexico, or else he cannot claim to be the ‘King of the super middleweights’.

He insisted the fight should take place on the weekend of September 16, Mexico’s National Day. It has to be noted that De La Hoya didn’t end his relationship with Canelo amicably, potentially complicating negotiations.

By agreeing to face Charlo and Crawford, Canelo Alvarez would have avoided two more undefeated younger Mexicans: Munguia (43-0, 34 KO) and Benavidez (28-0, 24 KO).

BOXING

Anthony Joshua has helped Francis Ngannou repay huge loan from UFC star Kamaru Usman

Francis Ngannou owes some of his boxing fortune to a famous friend.

The former UFC heavyweight champion made the bold decision to fight out his contract with Dana White’s company, rather than sign a bumper new deal in 2022.

Ngannou was questioned after leaving the promotion to pursue his boxing dream, and bigger paydays against elite heavyweights Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.

A year later, he’s boxed two of his three dream opponents and made millions despite suffering back-to-back defeats in the squared circle.

Ngannou debuted last October against WBC heavyweight champion Fury and surprised everyone by scoring a knockdown in round three.

However, he ultimately fell to a controversial split decision defeat before booking another big boxing bout against former two-time world champion, Joshua.

They fought last Friday, and on that occasion, Ngannou was made to look like the novice he is as AJ dropped him twice before scoring a brutal knockout win in round two.

Still, Ngannou walked away from the fight with an estimated £15.75million payday after previously earning £7.86million for facing Fury.

It’s lucky he did because ‘The Predator’ took out a massive loan from his former UFC champion friend Kamaru Usman when he left MMA’s best league.

“He knew about stuff I turned down from the UFC during negotiation,” Ngannou said on the Pound 4 Pound podcast.

“Even my last fight in the UFC, you know I took $600,000 in my last fight in the UFC as opposed to $5million that they were offering for the same fight.

“I was like, ‘Bro.’ And, I was broke, at the time. I owe Usman, I owe him $200,000.”

If he hasn’t already, Ngannou can now pay back ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ with interest after becoming an incredibly rich man thanks to his bold gamble.

Joshua implored Ngannou to keep boxing immediately after their fight, but it’s currently unclear if he plans to do that or return to his first sport.

The 37-year-old signed an MMA deal with PFL last year, and they have named 6ft 8in Brazilian KO artist Renan Ferreira as his debut opponent.

Ngannou could fight Ferreira later this year or decide to give boxing one more go after a lucrative but ultimately failed short run in the sport.