Boxing
Boxing fans smell rat in Anthony Joshua’s bout with Usyk
Could there have been conspiracy? The poser comes to light following a deluge of social media comments insisting that Anthony Joshua’s fight with Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk was stopped seconds earlier than regulation time to avert a possible knock out of Joshua in the 12th and final round.
Last Saturday night, Joshua suffered a second career loss at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Usyk stunned the boxing world with a decisive and unanimous points victory to become the new heavyweight champion of the world.
The Ukrainian had an exhausted Joshua up against the ropes in the final 30 seconds of the bout and what has not gone unnoticed is the discrepancy between the nine seconds left on the on-screen clock and how rapidly the fight concluded.
As shown by DAZN, the final nine seconds – as per the clock – seemed to end in just three seconds with Joshua all at sea and on the verge of being knocked out.
It was noticed by fans online, with one asking: ‘Anyone notice at the end of the 12th round the bell range seven seconds early, was this to save Joshua getting {sic) knocked out?’
Another said: ‘They rang that bell five second early lol, saved Anthony Joshua from a 12th round KO.’
Another added: ‘Is it just me or did the bell go early in the 12th round? It could be a mismatch between the on-screen time and the actual fight clock but just seems a little suspicious, especially in London.’
Joshua’s rival Dilian Whyte also noted the seemingly early stoppage and added the referee should have stopped the fight, telling iFL TV: ‘I thought Usyk was going to win by TKO in the last round.
‘I thought they gave Joshua way too much time. He was just sat on the ropes, stood there and didn’t do anything. I thought that Usyk deserved a TKO victory.’
However, having watched the final round through bell-to-bell, Sportsmail can confirm that the 12th round did go a full three minutes.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, confirmed as much after the fight as he looked to quash the rumours: ‘I don’t believe it did, I saw that it did on the DAZN clock but I remember specifically the 10 seconds came and it was 10 seconds.
‘Because I remember hearing when there was 10 seconds to go, it wasn’t three seconds after the clock went so I don’t believe that was an early bell.
‘One for the BBBofC, not for me, but it wasn’t like “he is in trouble here let’s ring the bell”, again it is one for the board but what I do know is he got hit by a couple of shots but it wasn’t early.’
Hearn has confirmed Joshua will look to take on Usyk again in a rematch, with the hope that he can exact his revenge in much the same way he did against Andy Ruiz Jr, who handed the Brit his first career defeat.
The Matchroom supremo said after the fight: ‘He will want to go back in that rematch, and he will be the underdog in that fight but he has just been beaten by a pound-for-pound great.
‘Joshua lives and breathes boxing, he is already talking about training again and he will be in the gym and ready to get back in again.
‘You can criticise Anthony Joshua, but he has just fought a great and he is fighting the very best, and tonight he came off second best.’
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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