Boxing
Anthony Joshua targets knock out against Usyk
Anthony Joshua has revealed his pride after a stunning 40-foot mural was unveiled on Tottenham High Road ahead of his bout against Oleksandr Usyk.
Joshua’s mantra of ‘stay hungry, stay humble’ is displayed alongside a picture encapsulating the night he avenged his shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr, regaining his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts in a memorable evening in Saudi Arabia back in 2019.
Joshua is seen getting a glimpse of the mural for the first time on a laptop as he prepares for Saturday night’s match-up.
The heavyweight, who was clearly highly impressed by the finished product, spoke of his honour after joining an illustrious group.
‘I’ve seen what Akse has done with Captain Tom, George Floyd and Rashford, as well as Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips and Ian Curtis,’ Joshua said.
‘So, to be amongst these great people is an honour and I’m happy that he chose me to be a part of this great history that he’s creating.’
He continued: ‘I’m not saying that I’m an icon, but the fact that he’s painting people that are doing big things makes me feel humbled and honoured.
‘The fight in this painting is also taken from when I became two-time heavyweight champion of the world, so I feel like it has a pivotal history.’
Joshua is pursuing an historic all-British undisputed showdown against Tyson Fury, who is set to defend his WBC belt against Deontay Wilder on October 9.
The pair have a long-standing history and were on the precipice of a mega-fight this summer, with promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren indicating the bout will be made should the pair overcome their upcoming hurdles.
It would be a landmark moment in British sport, another to add to the collection for Joshua, who has already been awarded an OBE in 2018 to add to the MBE he received following his gold medal at the London Olympic Games in 2012.
Joshua’s impressive mural, commissioned by JD Sport, of whom the heavyweight is an ambassador, is the latest piece of work in Akse P19’s ever-growing collection.
The artist commemorated Rashford’s charity work, in which he worked tirelessly to ensure that poverty-stricken children are fed during school holidays, with an equally eye-catching mural in Manchester.
The mural was subsequently defaced following England’s Euro 2020 final penalty shoot-out defeat to Italy this summer, with the Manchester United star subjected to racist abuse on social media alongside team-mates Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka.
Hundreds of tributes were subsequently placed on the mural, which were then removed and preserved at a library and on a virtual ‘Wall of Hope’.
Akse P19’s work also includes a mural of Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips, pictured alongside club legends Albert Johanneson and Lucas Radebe to honour the club’s diverse history, in addition to depictions of Captain Tom Moore and George Floyd, both in Manchester.
The 31-year-old is set to defend his collection of titles against the former undisputed cruiserweight champion and now heavyweight contender on Saturday evening at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Joshua, fighting in front of a packed stadium in London for the first time since stopping Alexander Povetkin at Wembley in 2018, will headline the first boxing event at Tottenham’s state-of-the-art arena.
Ahead of the eagerly-anticipated heavyweight clash, artist Akse P19 – who has a growing reputation following his poignant depictions of Marcus Rashford, Captain Sir Thomas Moore, George Floyd, Kalvin Phillips, Ian Curtis and others – has created another stunning spectacle.
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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