Boxing
ROAD BECOMING CLEARER FOR ANTHONY JOSHUA-TYSON FURY CLASH
Dual national, Anthony Joshua could face Birtish Tyson Fury in their unification bout as early as this December if Deontay Wilder pulls out of a third fight against the Gypsy King, Daily Mail has quoted Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn as saying.
After losing for the first time in his career to Fury in February, Wilder then made it known that he wishes to enact his rematch clause for a trilogy bout, with a current date for the bout pencilled in for December 19.
Yet Joshua, who also needs to schedule a mandatory fight against Kubrat Pulev, is keen to fight Fury for all the heavyweight belts and Hearn says the fight could happen in just three months time should Wilder opt against taking to the ring.
‘I am the only one that has put this [the Joshua vs Fury deal for 2021] in writing that the deal is agreed,’ Hearn told IFL TV.
‘So I have already written to their team saying, “Just to let you know, we have agreed to the following deal,” which is agreed.
‘I didn’t actually get a reply, but I believe they do want the fight. So we’re ready for the fight. I saw the comments about December. It’s all very well saying, “Well, if that doesn’t happen in December, I’ll fight you now.”
‘We will fight you in December. If the world is ready for that fight, and these offers that are coming in are legit for that period in December, then we don’t have a problem going into that fight.
‘But he’s [Fury] under contract for another fight. No, we’re not under contract yet, but we have to agree to terms with Pulev now. We probably will.
‘If Deontay Wilder doesn’t take that rematch, he should retire from boxing. What’s the point? You’ve been a world heavyweight champion, and now you’ve lost.’
A financial agreement was reached earlier this year for two fights in 2021 between Joshua and Fury, which currently would be for the right to be named unified heavyweight champion of the world.
Hearn added that Joshua would be prepared to lose his WBO belt if that facilitated an all-British showdown.
‘We want to have an undisputed fight,’ Hearn said. ‘So by doing that, we fight Pulev, he [Fury] fights Wilder.
If we have to drop the WBO belt, then we worry about that then. But AJ doesn’t have a problem with going into that fight [Fury] next. But he understands that his obligation is to fight Pulev.
‘If he doesn’t want to do it, then he loses his belt. Fury’s obligation contractually is to fight Deontay Wilder, and I don’t believe Deontay Wilder is going to let that fight go.
‘If he lets that fight go, he’ll never get another shot at a world title until he’s mandatory.’
Dual national, Anthony Joshua could face Birtish Tyson Fury in their unification bout as early as this December if Deontay Wilder pulls out of a third fight against the Gypsy King, Daily Mail has quoted Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn as saying.
After losing for the first time in his career to Fury in February, Wilder then made it known that he wishes to enact his rematch clause for a trilogy bout, with a current date for the bout pencilled in for December 19.
Yet Joshua, who also needs to schedule a mandatory fight against Kubrat Pulev, is keen to fight Fury for all the heavyweight belts and Hearn says the fight could happen in just three months time should Wilder opt against taking to the ring.
‘I am the only one that has put this [the Joshua vs Fury deal for 2021] in writing that the deal is agreed,’ Hearn told IFL TV.
‘So I have already written to their team saying, “Just to let you know, we have agreed to the following deal,” which is agreed.
‘I didn’t actually get a reply, but I believe they do want the fight. So we’re ready for the fight. I saw the comments about December. It’s all very well saying, “Well, if that doesn’t happen in December, I’ll fight you now.”
‘We will fight you in December. If the world is ready for that fight, and these offers that are coming in are legit for that period in December, then we don’t have a problem going into that fight.
‘But he’s [Fury] under contract for another fight. No, we’re not under contract yet, but we have to agree to terms with Pulev now. We probably will.
‘If Deontay Wilder doesn’t take that rematch, he should retire from boxing. What’s the point? You’ve been a world heavyweight champion, and now you’ve lost.’
A financial agreement was reached earlier this year for two fights in 2021 between Joshua and Fury, which currently would be for the right to be named unified heavyweight champion of the world.
Hearn added that Joshua would be prepared to lose his WBO belt if that facilitated an all-British showdown.
‘We want to have an undisputed fight,’ Hearn said. ‘So by doing that, we fight Pulev, he [Fury] fights Wilder.
If we have to drop the WBO belt, then we worry about that then. But AJ doesn’t have a problem with going into that fight [Fury] next. But he understands that his obligation is to fight Pulev.
‘If he doesn’t want to do it, then he loses his belt. Fury’s obligation contractually is to fight Deontay Wilder, and I don’t believe Deontay Wilder is going to let that fight go.
‘If he lets that fight go, he’ll never get another shot at a world title until he’s mandatory.’
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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