Boxing
NIGERIA’S DUO OF ANTHONY JOSHUA AND ODION IGHALO RATED AMONG 18 RICHEST SPORTS STARS!
Two Nigerians have been rated among the richest sports stars of the world who are aged 30 or under.
According to a list unveiled by Sunday Times in Britain, Anthony Joshua is ranked the second richest after Gareth Bale of Real Madrid.
Joshua is also the only non-footballer in the list dominated by Manchester United players. This may not be a surprise as Manchester United is one of the wealthiest clubs in the world.
There are five players inside the top 18 – with Paul Pogba leading the way from the Old Trafford outfit.
The midfielder, 27, sits third in this list with a wealth of £50million. His worth has increased by £13m from 2019 seeing him jump up five places from eighth.
Odion Ighalo, a new entrant into the list, is number 15. He is one of the five Manchester United players rated. Joining them is goalkeeper David de Gea. The Spaniard – who became Manchester United’s highest-paid star after signing a new £375000-a-week contract in September – is joint-fourth at £34m.
His worth rose by £10m to see him move alongside Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne.
Like De Gea, Anthony Martial signed a new deal at United last year – worth £200,000-a-week – and that increase has helped him become a new entry in this list. He sits joint-11th with wealth of £20m alongside Liverpool centre back Virgil van Dijk, who is another new entry.
Luke Shaw complete the quintuplet of Red Devils.
New entry Shaw sits joint-13th with Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah at £19m.
Meanwhile Ighalo is just beneath them in joint-15th. The on-loan striker’s £18m wealth is explained by his substantial £300,000-a-week wage at parent club Shanghai Shenhua.
Ighalo, who will be 31 in June, is on loan at United until the end of the month with the Premier League side contributing £130,000 a week towards his wages.
In the top 18 Anthony Joshua is the only non-footballer having made the cut.
The boxer sits second in the list with a wealth of £107m. This is an increase of £58m from 2019 – the biggest fortune rise of anyone.
The 30-year-old made the majority of that money from his two bouts with Andy Ruiz Jnr. The first fight – which resulted in a shock loss – took place at Madison Square Garden, New York in June.
The rematch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – which saw him regain the WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight belts, is reported to have earned him an estimated £60m before tax and deductions.
Only Gareth Bale surpasses Joshua. Bale, who was second last year and turns 31 in July, has moved into first place with a wealth of £114m. The Real Madrid forward’s fortune has increased by £20m. His basic salary is £350,000 a week, which can rise to £600,000 a week.
The most surprising entry in the top 10 is Daniel Sturridge. He is ninth in the list with a wealth of £22m. This is despite the fact he has been without a club since March.
The 30-year-old is currently serving a four-month ban for breaching betting rules and saw his contract at Turkish club Trabzonspor terminated by mutual agreement as a result.
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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