Boxing
ANTHONY JOSHUA AWAITS MIKE TYSON’S RETURN TO THE RING
Even as the WBC confirmed that they would rank Mike Tyson if he returned to the professional ring, Anthony Joshua has admitted he would ‘love to see’ former heavyweight world champion make a comeback.
The 53-year-old has caused quite the stir in the boxing world having recently teased a potential return to the ring.
Tyson’s talk of reviving his boxing career 15 years after his last professional contest – a stoppage defeat against Kevin McBride – has largely divided opinion but Joshua is supportive of him fighting again.
Speaking to British GQ, unified champion Joshua said: ‘If he’s back in the ring, I would love to see it, I would definitely be one of the viewers, that’s for sure.
‘No matter what anybody has to say about Mike Tyson now, in terms of what he went through when he was fighting and some of the controversies he went through.
‘The guy took himself from his neighbourhood – which wasn’t the prettiest of scenes – up to an amateur champion, youngest heavyweight champion, one of the most recognised faces of the sport of boxing.
‘In my opinion the only two faces in boxing that are recognised globally are Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson.
‘So from where he started, to where he is now, he is my ultimate motivation.
‘He’s the closest guy to my generation so he holds a special place in my heart.’
Joshua’s comments come as WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman took a similar stance on Tyson’s possible return, even saying that the 53-year-old would be ranked by the governing body if he returns to a professional ring.
Sulaiman told told Stats Perform News: ‘Mike Tyson was the youngest to win a world championship. Maybe he will be the oldest! He’s a tremendous, legendary figure. He’s an icon for the sport, an icon for the WBC.
‘He could knock out anyone with one punch, at any time! So of course we will support him. I don’t like to speculate. This is a topic we are all entertained by. An exhibition is one thing; if he comes back he has to be licensed and has to go through a thorough process.
‘I’m not going to kill the dream. I’m going to be very supportive of Mike Tyson, he deserves it. If the dream is to say “I will be ranked,” I am saying yes, we will rank him.
Speaking to British GQ, unified champion Joshua said: ‘If he’s back in the ring, I would love to see it, I would definitely be one of the viewers, that’s for sure.
‘No matter what anybody has to say about Mike Tyson now, in terms of what he went through when he was fighting and some of the controversies he went through.
‘The guy took himself from his neighbourhood – which wasn’t the prettiest of scenes – up to an amateur champion, youngest heavyweight champion, one of the most recognised faces of the sport of boxing.
‘In my opinion the only two faces in boxing that are recognised globally are Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman (R) admitted they would rank Tyson if he revived pro career
‘So from where he started, to where he is now, he is my ultimate motivation.
‘He’s the closest guy to my generation so he holds a special place in my heart.’
Joshua’s comments come as WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman took a similar stance on Tyson’s possible return, even saying that the 53-year-old would be ranked by the governing body if he returns to a professional ring.
Sulaiman told told Stats Perform News: ‘Mike Tyson was the youngest to win a world championship. Maybe he will be the oldest! He’s a tremendous, legendary figure. He’s an icon for the sport, an icon for the WBC.
‘He could knock out anyone with one punch, at any time! So of course we will support him. I don’t like to speculate. This is a topic we are all entertained by. An exhibition is one thing; if he comes back he has to be licensed and has to go through a thorough process.
‘I’m not going to kill the dream. I’m going to be very supportive of Mike Tyson, he deserves it. If the dream is to say “I will be ranked,” I am saying yes, we will rank him.
Tyson is a former WBC champion and the youngest man to ever win a heavyweight world title
‘Every world champion has a provision that he can come back, like Sugar Ray [Leonard], who was inactive. But Tyson’s case is different, he’s been away many years. But I am in full support of Mike Tyson. I believe this will bring entertainment and he’s doing it for charity. He wants to serve the world in this difficult moment.’
He added: ‘We need to first understand what it is. I think it’s an exhibition. The safety has to be top priority. It is great to see athletes promoting the sport. Mike Tyson had a very complicated life in boxing.
‘Now to see him losing weight, active, healthy, is great and we have to support him. But we have to see if it is a real fight. I am hearing that it’s an exhibition and we are fully behind him. Don’t watch it, if you don’t like it.’
U.S. immigration authorities have arrested Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in Los Angeles and plan to deport him, they said on Thursday, just days after he lost a high-profile bout to American rival Jake Paul.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Chavez was determined to be in the country illegally last week after he made fraudulent statements on a 2024 application for permanent residence. He is married to a U.S. citizen, it said.
Michael Goldstein, a lawyer for Chavez, said more than two dozen immigration agents arrested the boxer at his home in the Studio City area of Los Angeles on Wednesday.
“The current allegations are outrageous and appear to be designed as a headline to terrorize the community,” Goldstein said.
Homeland Security said that the 39-year-old boxer, son of Mexican world champion fighter Julio Cesar Chavez, is suspected of ties to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, which Washington has designated a foreign terrorist organization.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. speaks at press conference in anticipation of his fight against Jake Paul at Avalon Hollywood Theater. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images/File Photo
His wife, Frida Munoz Chavez, was previously married to the son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who is serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison. The son, Edgar, was assassinated in 2008.
Chavez is the target of a Mexican arrest warrant on allegations of involvement in organized crime and firearms trafficking, DHS said.
In Mexico, Chavez’ family said in a statement they “fully trust in his innocence.”
Chavez lost to influencer-turned-boxer Paul, 28, last weekend before a sold-out crowd in Anaheim, California, in a unanimous decision after 10 rounds.
He was allowed to enter the United States temporarily in early January under former President Joe Biden, DHS said. He had previously overstayed a tourist visa, it said.
The agency said Chavez was convicted in Los Angeles in 2024 on weapons charges. Goldstein denied he was convicted, saying he pleaded not guilty and was granted mental health diversion which will result in dismissal of the charges.
Chavez won the WBC middleweight championship in 2011, but lost the title the next year.
His career has been overshadowed by controversies including a suspension after testing positive for a banned substance in 2009 and a fine and suspension after testing positive for marijuana in 2013.
His record stands at 54 wins, six losses and one draw, with 34 knockouts.
Reporting by Brendan O’Brien and Bhargav Acharya, Lizbeth Diaz, Angelica Medina, Diego Ore and Kylie Madry in Mexico City, Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Bill Berkrot
-Reuters
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Manny Pacquiao will come out of retirement to face Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship on July 19 in Las Vegas, the 46-year-old Filipino boxer said on Wednesday.
Pacquiao is the only boxer to win world championships in a record eight weight divisions while he was also the oldest welterweight world champion in history at the age of 40 in 2019.
A Filipino senator from 2016 to 2022, Pacquiao had retired from boxing in 2021 while he also ran for president in 2022.
“I’m back. On July 19, I return to the ring to face WBC Welterweight Champion Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Let’s make history,” Pacquiao wrote on Instagram.
The southpaw, who has 62 wins, eight losses and two draws in a 72-fight career, was also elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025.
Barrios, a Mexican-American boxer, has 29 wins in 32 bouts, winning 18 by knockout and losing twice.
-Reuters
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The body of Segun Olanrewaju, the Nigerian boxer who slumped and died in the ring in Ghana on Saturday is still in a mortuary in Ghana. The President of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C), Dr Rafiu Oladipo, informed Sports Village Square that an autopsy will be conducted on Wednesday.
He said that the NBB of C is closely monitoring the events in Ghana, even as the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade has asked for updates on the sad incident.
On Monday, a delegation of the NBB of C visited the family of the late boxer in Sango Otta in Ogun State. Oladipo said he was still in shock at the death of the boxer who he considered fit having fought last December 29.
He revealed that one of the members of the Nigerian delegation to Ghana stayed behind to follow up on the autopsy.
He narrated that the late boxer took part on Thursday in the mandatory weigh-in which is normally conducted 24 hours before a fight. Additionally, a medical check-up is also to be conducted.
“But in this instance, there was no medical check. On this ground, Oladipo blamed the Ghana Boxing Authority.
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