Boxing
TOKYO 2020: USA BOXING CONVERT DEPARTMENT STORE INTO TRAINING FACILITY
USA Boxing is holding a training camp in preparation for this year’s Olympics in Tokyo in an abandoned department store.
National team boxers have been unable to use the facilities at the United States Olympic and Paralympic Training Center at Colorado Springs since March.
This is a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which also forced the postponement of the Olympics from 2020 to July 23 to August 8 2021.
In order to adequately prepare for the Games, USA Boxing staff moved training equipment into a department store in Colorado Springs.
Boxers and coaches are being housed at the nearby Hotel Eleganté.
“After spending most of 2020 waiting to be allowed entry back into our national gym at the Colorado Springs Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, it was time that we took matters into our own hands and established a training space that can properly accommodate our team’s training needs,” said USA Boxing high performance director Matt Johnson.
USA Boxing executive director Mike McAtee also revealed the camp is being held with strict COVID-19 protocol in place.
“We are able to continue to move forward in this COVID environment by applying multi-layer protection protocols, pre-travel testing, mandatory mask wearing, social distancing, regular cleaning, regular rapid antigen testing, daily health surveys and follow up polymerase chain reaction pool testing,” he said.
The camp began last week and will run until February 18.
Led by USA Boxing national head coach Billy Walsh and national strength and conditioning coach Jose Polanco, the camp features the majority of the American team for the Tokyo 2020 qualifiers.
This includes 2018 world flyweight bronze medallist Virginia Fuchs and 2019 world lightweight bronze medallist Rashida Ellis.
Keyshawn Davis, the world light welterweight silver medallist, has not been included on the camp roster.
After the camp, the boxers are scheduled to travel to Bulgaria and Spain for international tournaments.
They will then participate in a camp at Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center in California before the Americas Olympic qualifying event in May.
The US finished joint fifth in boxing’s medal standings at the Rio 2016 Olympics, winning one gold, one silver and one bronze.
Claressa Shields was the nation’s sole podium topper after successfully defending her women’s middleweight title.
Shakur Stevenson was the men’s bantamweight runner-up and Nico Hernández was a third place finisher in the men’s light flyweight category.
-insdiethegames
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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