Boxing
ANTHONY JOSHUA VS TYSON FURY: ANOTHER ‘RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE’ BREWS IN DR CONGO
It is easily discernable to those who can recall the Muhammed Ali versus Geroge Foreman clash in 1974. It was an epic bout of the two greatest fighters at the time.
Both were Americans living in
the continental sized nation but having to come to Africa for the first ever
World Heavyweight title bout in Kinshasa.
A repeat of that episode is brewing 46 years later as promoter Eddie Hearn has admitted having meetings, which could see Anthony Joshua fight in the stadium that hosted the famous ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Muhammad Ali stunned the world by knocking out George Foreman to win the world heavyweight title there in 1974.
“It’s probably the most famous venue, or fight, of all time,” Hearn said.
“The DRC is looking to regenerate the stadium. That’s special, that’s legacy. That’s career defining.”
According to BBC report, Hearn, speaking on 5 Live Boxing with Costello and Bunce, Hearn added: “There have been meetings held about that. It’s pie in the sky at the moment but the approach is there and its something we’ll have to look at.
“He [Joshua] wants to create a legacy in the sport. When you look at the resumé, he’s boxed everywhere you can in the UK, at Madison Square Garden, Saudi Arabia.
“To put Africa, China and the Far East on the resumé, that’s when you get to global star status. He has no interest in that but he wants to create history.”
Joshua, 30, reclaimed his heavyweight world titles with a unanimous points victory over Andy Ruiz Jr in a tense rematch in Saudi Arabia in December.
Following bouts against Ruiz in New York and the Middle East, Hearn said Joshua’s next fight will “likely” be in the UK – with Bulgaria’s Kubrat Pulev the likely opponent.
“We want the fight in the UK at the end of May or early June,” said Hearn, who named Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Olympic Stadium, the Millennium Stadium and Twickenham as potential venues.
“It’s time to come home. If you asked him where he wants his next fight to be he’d say London, so that’s what we’re going to try and deliver.
“Obviously Pulev must be in agreement with that and hopefully we can get it over the line.”
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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