Boxing
How Anthony Joshua was battered, out-boxed and outfoxed
In the final seconds of the fight that had humbled him, Anthony Joshua’s giant frame sagged against the ropes in front of the ringside rows of celebrities who had come to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to acclaim him.
He had no answer to Oleksandr Usyk any more and he knew it. He stood there, offering nothing in return, as his opponent’s blows rained down on him.
Usyk knew it was nearly over, too. The Ukrainian had heard the tapping that signals there are only 10 seconds of the round remaining.
And so in the end, he stopped throwing punches and stood there, stock-still, in front of the man he had beaten, not willing and not needing to impose any more punishment upon him. And then the bell sounded.
Joshua smiled weakly and waved his gloved hand in the air in a gesture of triumph. By then, his right eye was badly swollen so that he could barely see out of it.
It had been like that for several rounds. Usyk, a former cruiserweight champion who had only fought twice at heavyweight before Saturday night, might not have had the power to knock him out but he had hurt him badly. He had punished him relentlessly.
Joshua knew he had been beaten, too, by then but he had salvaged something. In front of 67,000 people, he had lost but he had not yielded.
It felt like the scene in Raging Bull when Jake La Motta, played by Robert de Niro, wraps his hands around the ropes as he stands with his back to them so that he will not fall under the barrage of punches from Sugar Ray Robinson.
In the end, La Motta is spared from the onslaught by the referee and as Robinson walks away, La Motta stares after him through unseeing eyes. ‘You never put me down, Ray,’ he shouts out. ‘You never put me down.’ It was not much of a consolation but it was something. And that was how it was on Saturday night. It was just about the only thing Joshua had left.
Because he has lost a lot. He has lost the three versions of the world heavyweight title that he held and he has probably lost the prospect of ever fighting Tyson Fury in the showdown that the sporting world has wanted to see for the last three years and which would have brought the two combatants an estimated £200m. All that has gone.
And there is more. Joshua has lost his reputation. Not his courage or his bravery because that was more evident than it ever has been on Saturday night as he fought on against an opponent whose superior skills he had no answer to.
He fought on even when he knew it was hopeless and that he had been outclassed.
But he has lost his reputation in so far that Usyk looked in a different league to him. Usyk made him look ordinary. He made him look limited. He made him look like the fighter his detractors have always claimed that he is: a big puncher but not a natural talent like Usyk or Fury.
A fighter who has been manufactured and finds it hard to adapt and innovate. Joshua is only 31 and he is supposed to have a rematch clause but would he really want to fight Usyk again after this? It is hard to imagine so.
In that way, Saturday night’s defeat hurts him more than the defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr at Madison Square Garden in New York hurt him two years ago.
It was written off as a fluke and an aberration and Joshua avenged it in the rematch in Saudi Arabia soon afterwards. It was something that could be forgotten about. But nobody will forget this or the manner of this.
That is another reason why the fight with Fury may never happen. If Joshua can be so badly outclassed by a clever fighter like Usyk, then the odds are he will be outclassed by a clever fighter like Fury, too.
The manner of his demolition on Saturday night has taken away much of the mystery of Joshua-Fury. This was like watching the end of a film before watching the start. We know what would happen now.
How strange it seems now that Joshua was the picture of calm as he walked to the ring, sparring playfully with a security guard, high-fiving fans, shadow boxing as fireworks exploded and dancing to his entrance music before he climbed through the ropes to where Usyk was waiting.
The champion towered above the challenger, a reminder he had the advantage in power and reach as well as height.
When the contest started, Joshua’s nonchalance disappeared. He gave Usyk all the respect he deserved in the first round and the two men barely laid a glove on each other.
In the second, Joshua did catch his opponent with a left hook to the side of the face but Usyk rode it easily. The challenger looked lithe and comfortable, his footwork keeping him out of Joshua’s range.
The fight exploded into life in the third round when Usyk caught Joshua flush on the jaw with a slamming left hook that shook the champion.
In the fourth, Usyk rocked Joshua’s head back again with a stiff right jab. Usyk’s movement was more dynamic and Joshua’s own jab lacked conviction. Time and again in the fifth round, Joshua threw and missed.
There were traces in Joshua’s countenance of the bewildered look he wore during his defeat to Ruiz in New York but he did rock Usyk back on his heels with a solid straight right in the sixth round that snapped the challenger’s head back.
But by the seventh, Joshua was starting to look one-paced and predictable and he stumbled backwards when Usyk caught him flush with a darting left hook.
By the end of the eighth, it was obvious Joshua was being outclassed. He still carried the threat of his devastating right hand but Usyk was outboxing him.
That feeling continued through the ninth round and in the tenth Joshua was cut under his right eye and swelling starting to obscure his vision. Usyk sensed his chance but Joshua dug in courageously and took the fight back to Usyk.
Joshua desperately tried to unload his right hand but in the eleventh, it was Usyk who caught him again and again with the left.
The final round was the same. And so Joshua stood there and took everything that Usyk threw at him and he refused to buckle. He never put him down and in the midst of his humbling, it is hard to begrudge him that.
-Daily Mail
British-Nigerian heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua is set to make his long-awaited homecoming fight in Nigeria in early 2026, according to Nigerian promoter, Dr Ezekiel Adamu, a serial entrepreneur, investor and son of Nigerian sports administration legend, Dr Amos Adamu..
Adamu, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Balmoral Group, revealed that discussions with Joshua’s camp had been positive and that plans are underway to stage the bout at the 50,000-capacity Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.
Speaking to The Punch, the promoter disclosed that Joshua has always expressed his desire to fight in Nigeria before the end of his career.
“I spoke with him, I spoke with his team, and they already said to me, ‘If we had an offer from Nigeria, it’s a match made in heaven,’” Adamu said.
He added: “Joshua has always said that before he ends his career, he wants to fight in Nigeria, and we are going to make that fight happen.”
The proposed fight, expected in the first quarter of 2026, would likely feature Joshua against another African opponent. Adamu hinted at possible names, including France’s Tony Yoka, Congo’s Martin Bakole, and former WBC champion Deontay Wilder, who also has Nigerian heritage.
The promoter dismissed rumours that Ghana could host Joshua’s African debut. “I heard rumours about Joshua fighting in Ghana, and I laughed it off because, for me, where is the story in there? Joshua is Nigerian. Now we have a big promotion, and Nigeria is the biggest market. It’s a no-brainer for Joshua to fight in Nigeria,” he insisted.
Joshua, born in Watford, England, spent part of his childhood in Nigeria and proudly wears a tattoo of the country’s outline on his right shoulder.
Adamu maintained that Nigeria has both the infrastructure and the market to become a hub for global boxing.
“We’ve got the population, we’ve got the infrastructure, and we’ve got the technical know-how. This is just the start. October 1 (Chaos in the Ring event in Lagos) is only a sneak peek of what we can make happen,” he told The Punch.
Joshua’s long-time promoter, Eddie Hearn, had previously suggested the possibility of staging a fight in Africa, but Adamu’s plan now appears to be the most concrete yet. If successful, the 2026 bout would mark a historic milestone for African boxing and pave the way for more high-profile contests on the continent.
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British boxing great Ricky Hatton, a former two-division world champion, has died at the age of 46, the World Boxing Association said on Sunday.
Nicknamed ‘the Hitman’, Hatton won the WBA, IBO and IBF light-welterweight titles and the WBA welterweight world championship during his 15-year professional career before retiring in 2012.
He had been due to make a comeback for an event in Dubai this year.
“A true champion, an indomitable spirit and a legend of the sport. Your legacy will live on in every fight and in the hearts of boxing fans around the world,” the WBA posted on Instagram.
Greater Manchester Police said that a body had been found on Sunday morning at an address in Hyde in the northern English city.
“The death is not being treated as suspicious,” a police spokesperson said.
Hatton had 45 wins in 48 bouts over his career but in the years after he retired he said he had tried to kill himself several times and had been open about his struggle with depression, drink and drugs.
“I was coming off the rails with my drinking and that led to drugs. It was like a runaway train,” he told BBC radio in 2016.
Hatton became an ambassador for the mental health charity Campaign Against Living Miserably in 2023.
The crowning moment of Hatton’s career in the ring came in 2005 when he stopped Australian Kostya Tszyu in a brutal duel in Manchester to add the IBF light-welterweight title to the WBU belt he already held.
He had a perfect 43-0 record until he was floored by Floyd Mayweather Jr in Las Vegas in 2007 and was never the same again.
Hatton’s second loss came in 2009, when Manny Pacquiao knocked him out.
“I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Ricky Hatton. He was not only a great fighter inside the ring but also a brave and kind man in life,” Pacquiao wrote on X.
“We shared unforgettable moments in boxing history and I will always honour the respect and sportsmanship he showed.”
British former light-welterweight world champion Amir Khan described Hatton as “a friend, a mentor, a warrior.”
“Ricky, thank you for everything. For your fights, your moments of glory, your grit. Thank you for pushing us, showing us what’s possible … you’ll always have your place in the ring of our memories,” Khan said on X.
Hatton was a lifelong Manchester City fan and wore sky blue shorts, matching the soccer club’s colours, in most of his bouts.
The Premier League club held a thunderous minute’s appreciation ahead of their derby against Manchester United on Sunday with both sets of supporters paying their respects.
“Ricky was one of City’s most loved and revered supporters … everyone at the club would like to send our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends,” City added.
-Reuters
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Boxing
Excitement As Nigeria’s Ibeabuchi, Former Mike Tyson’s Conqueror, Danny Williams Clash in Comeback Fight In Lagos
The boxing world is abuzz with anticipation as legendary heavyweight, Ike “The President” Ibeabuchi (20-0, 15 KOs) prepares to make his highly anticipated return to the squared circle against British knockout specialist Danny “The Brixton Hammer” Williams (55-33, 42 KOs).
This monumental clash, a true spectacle of power and resilience, is set to ignite Lagos, Nigeria.
This event will be live on pay-per-view streaming on www.Prizefighting.tv only on August 23, 2025, at the Teslim Balogun stadium, Surulere.
The times for the event are 1:00 PM New York, 6:00 PM London, noon Dallas, and 10:00 AM Los Angeles.
Ibeabuchi, a fighter revered for his explosive power and unblemished professional record, will step back into the ring after a lengthy hiatus, ready to remind the world of the immense talent that once captivated boxing fans globally.
His return to his ancestral homeland of Nigeria adds an even deeper layer of significance to this historic event.
Facing “The President” will be the formidable Danny Williams, a seasoned veteran known for his knockout power and the monumental upset of Mike Tyson in 2004.
“The Brixton Hammer” brings a wealth of experience and a relentless fighting spirit, promising to test Ibeabuchi’s comeback every step of the way.
This is more than just a fight; it’s a homecoming, a testament to perseverance, and a chance for ‘The President’ to once again showcase his abilities on the world stage. To do this in Lagos, in front of his people, is an incredible honour.
“Danny Williams is a tough opponent, with a very respectable career, but Ike Ibeabuchi is here to make a statement. “The Brixton Hammer’ will be sent back to England hammerless. Danny Williams will be knocked out,” Ibeabuchi has said in what is seen by many as a pre-fight hype.
Danny Williams expressed his readiness for the challenge, “Ike Ibeabuchi is a legend, and I know he’ll be coming to fight.
“But ‘The President’ will not be returning on my timeline. I will come to his hometown, drop the hammer on him and send him back into exile. That will become a fact mate,” Williams has been quoted as saying.
Promoters are anticipating a jam packed arena and a global viewership as fans eagerly await to see these two big punchers. Prizefighting.tv states “pig punchers do not lose power with age.”
With these two big punchers there is no way this fight is going the distance. This fight will end in a knockout.”
Ike Ibeabuchi is an undefeated Nigerian-American heavyweight boxer with a professional record of 20 wins and 0 losses, with 15 knockouts.
He is the biggest “what if’s” in heavyweight championship history.
Danny Williams is a British professional boxer with a record of 54 wins and 33 losses, with 43 knockouts. He is best known for his shock win over the famed Mike Tyson in a non-heavyweight title fight in 2004.
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