Boxing
PARTY FREAK, ANDY RUIZ JR SET TO MEET ANTHONY JOSHUA IN SAUDI ARABIA
Andy Ruiz Jr is on his way to Saudi Arabia as he has set off to meet Anthony Joshua face-to-face for the first time since becoming world heavyweight champion.
According to British newspaper, Daily Mail, the flabby boxer has also hit back at his critics for lashing out at him for his party lifestyle.
He tweeted a picture of himself and his coach Manny Robles after they boarded a flight to Saudi Arabia.
It has been a topsy-turvy few weeks for the Mexican, who has had to deal with plenty of criticism over his ‘partying lifestyle’ in the wake of his victory over Joshua.
Ruiz Jnr first hit back at Tyson Fury after the latter claimed he has been partying too much following his shock victory in New York.
He has returned to training ahead of an agreed rematch in Saudi Arabia in December but Fury believes he has been living the high-life too much since.
The former heavyweight champion said: ‘If Andy Ruiz comes in in-shape and has trained, then I think he does the same again.
‘But one thing I know is AJ trains hard and he dedicates his life to boxing.
‘I know that Ruiz has been running around in a lot of Rolls Royces and doing a lot of TV shows, eating a lot of tacos and he’s not been in the gym for two-and-a-half months.
‘I’ve been speaking to the guys and nobody’s seen him.’
But Ruiz insists he will be ready to take on Joshua and beat him again in December.
‘Everyone’s gonna say this and that, but at the end of the day they don’t know s*** but what they see on Instagram,’ he said.
‘We working. I want them to sleep on me again and think I’m just partying. We coming hard.’
Ruiz and Joshua will stand toe-to-toe with each other on Wednesday in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
It marks the start of their promotional tour, which will end when the pair meet in the ring on December 7 back in the Middle East.
On Thursday, the pair will fly to New York before heading back east to London on Friday.
The Nigerian boxing landscape has been thrown into uncertainty following reports that the Nigerian Boxing Federation (NBF) is considering steps to regulate professional boxing—an area traditionally overseen by the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBBofC).
Reacting swiftly, the NBBofC has dismissed the reports as misleading, warning that any such move could destabilise the established structure of the sport in the country.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Board reaffirmed its statutory authority as the sole body responsible for the regulation, control, and sanctioning of professional boxing in Nigeria.
“The attention of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control has been drawn to insinuations that another body intends to assume regulatory authority over professional boxing in Nigeria. We wish to categorically state that such claims are unfounded and should be disregarded,” the statement read.
The Board stressed that the NBF’s mandate is confined strictly to amateur boxing, in line with global sports governance frameworks, and does not extend to the professional ranks.
NBBofC President, Rafiu Ladipo, warned that any attempt by another organisation to assume control of professional boxing could trigger administrative conflicts, weaken regulatory standards, and expose athletes to unnecessary risks.
The Board also cautioned promoters, managers, and boxers against engaging with unauthorised bodies claiming regulatory powers.
“We advise all promoters, managers, and boxers to remain vigilant and not be misled by such insinuations. The NBBofC remains fully committed to its responsibility of regulating and sanctioning professional boxing in Nigeria in accordance with established rules and international best practices,” the statement added.
Observers within the boxing community note that clarity in regulatory authority is critical—not only for safeguarding athletes but also for ensuring fair competition and maintaining Nigeria’s credibility within the global boxing ecosystem.
For now, the NBBofC has reiterated its resolve to continue overseeing professional boxing in the country, even as stakeholders await further clarification on the reported position of the NBF.
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Oleksandr Usyk will put his WBC heavyweight title belt on the line against Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23 at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza, Ring Magazine announced on Friday.
The Ukrainian three-times undisputed champion holds the IBF, WBA and WBC titles after vacating the WBO belt.
The 39-year-old has not boxed since beating Britain’s Daniel Dubois at London’s Wembley Stadium last July.
“I respect his (Verhoeven’s) journey – he’s truly the ‘King of Kickboxing’. But this is boxing – a different game, with its own rules and its own kings,” said Usyk, who has a 24-0 record.
“I’m ready and looking forward to meeting him in the ring. It’s going to be a unique experience for both of us, and I know the fans are excited too. A big night is coming.”
The ‘Glory in Giza’ fight will be streamed live on DAZN.
“I spent 12 years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion and accomplished everything I set out to accomplish,” Verhoeven, 36, told The Ring.
“But staying at the top for that long didn’t take away from the hunger; it strengthened it. Usyk is the undisputed champion in boxing. That’s the kind of challenge that motivated me. Undisputed versus undisputed.”
Verhoeven has sparred in the past with former champion Tyson Fury and had one professional bout in 2014, which he won by a knockout.
-Reuters
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Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will face off in a professional rematch at the Sphere in Las Vegas in September, with the bout streaming globally on Netflix, the fighters and promoters announced on Monday.
The fight marks Mayweather’s return from retirement and will be the first professional boxing match held at the Sphere.
Mayweather, who holds a perfect 50-0 record with 27 knockouts, defeated Pacquiao in their 2015 encounter dubbed the “Fight of the Century.”
That bout generated a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and a $72 million live gate at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
“I already fought and beat Manny once. This time will be the same result,” Mayweather said in a statement.
Pacquiao, whose record stands at 62-8-3 with 39 knockouts, expressed confidence he would hand Mayweather his first professional loss.
“I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him,” the Filipino fighter said.
The rematch will stream to Netflix’s more than 325 million subscribers worldwide, continuing the platform’s push into live boxing.
The streaming platform has recently broadcast several high-profile fights, including Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson, which the company said drew 108 million live global viewers
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