Boxing
ANTHONY JOSHUA DROPS 10 POUNDS TO RECORD LIGHTEST EVER
The proof of the puddings was on the scales. Also the truth behind the mind games.Anthony Joshua was as good as his word, weighing in at 16st 13lbs, his lightest for five years and 10 pounds less than when he lost his world heavyweight titles six months ago.
Andy Ruiz sent almost as big a shock through the open air crowds as when he knocked out AJ when he stepped up at a massive 20st 3lbs.
That is a full stone and one pound heavier than the New York night when he became Mexico’s first world heavyweight champion.
Both
men had been predicting a weight loss but only Joshua has lived down to his
promise.
He looked astonishingly skinny as he stripped off his shirt in the late afternoon sunshine. Gone are the exaggerated body-builder muscles.
Ruiz had been talking for weeks about how he would present himself for this Saturday night’s rematch on the dunes carrying less of the flab about his belly which had caught surprised eyes first time around.
His team had put pictures on the internet of him looking more like a normal boxer.
But he appeared much larger here.
Have they duped Joshua into losing too much weight?
AJ wanted to be lighter to try to combat the remarkable speed of hand and foot which had been his undoing in his first career defeat.
But this light?
Or is Ruiz showing the effects of too much celebrating of his overnight wealth and fame. And too many of the Snickers bars to which he loves?
He seemed unconcerned, exaggerating the now three stone discrepancy between them by keeping on his T-shirt, tracksuit trousers and even his sombrero.
Who knows? Maybe there were weights in his pockets, round his ankles or under his hat.
The expensive Mariachi head-gear alone weighs at least three kilos, which will account for more than six of the extra 15 pounds.
Joshua has trained for more speed and a big improvement in mobility, which he needs in that quick-built arena.
Ruiz is naturally fast so may have bulked up to be sure of the knock out, since he doubts he will get the decision if t goes to points even he deserves to win.
Either that or he has over indulged and opened not only the door to the pantry but the gateway to redemption for Joshua.
-Daily Mail
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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Former multi-weight world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather will come out of retirement this year for his first official fight in nearly a decade, his new promotion CSI Sports/Fight Sports said on Friday, though his opponent has yet to be decided.
Before his official return, Mayweather is set for an exhibition bout with fellow boxing great Mike Tyson, with the date and venue still to be announced.
“I still have what it takes to set more records in the sport of boxing – from my upcoming Mike Tyson event to my next professional fight afterwards – no one will generate a bigger gate, have a larger global broadcast audience and generate more money with each event – than my events,” Mayweather, 48, said in a statement on his new promotion’s website.
It will mark the American’s fourth comeback from retirement, following previous exits in 2007, 2015 and 2017 — the last after beating Conor McGregor to extend his record to 50-0. He has, however, fought several exhibitions since.
Across a three-decade career, Mayweather defeated many of his era’s top fighters and headlined the three highest‑grossing bouts in history, against Manny Pacquiao, McGregor and Canelo Alvarez.
-Reuters
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