Boxing
Wilder gets six-month medical suspension as he targets Joshua
Deontay Wilder has been hit with a six-month medical suspension in the aftermath of his knockout defeat by Tyson Fury in Las Vegas, another major blow to the Bronze Bomber’s boxing career.
The American heavyweight was unable to exact revenge on the Gypsy King for his loss in their second bout, as Fury knocked Wilder down three times on his way to victory in their trilogy fight last weekend.
Wilder was immediately taken to a Nevada hospital to be checked over after the bruising encounter and he will now undergo surgery on a broken hand next week.
As a result of his injuries, the Nevada State Athletic Commission have suspended him until April 8, meaning he cannot return to the ring until that date unless he is medically cleared by a doctor beforehand.
It is unclear exactly when Wilder, known for his devastating right hand power, did the damage but he also has broken both a finger and knuckle.
Wilder is now expected to undergo surgery next week when he returns to his home state of Alabama.
His co-manager Shelly Finkel told The Sun: ‘Deontay broke his right hand behind the third knuckle and he has to have that fixed next week.
‘He has to have surgery, the knuckle is OK, it’s the bone behind the knuckle that broke. He’s sore but he was OK, he was home yesterday.
‘He’s healing and at this point, if everything is OK, after the hand surgery he’ll probably look to enter the ring mid next year, like April or May.’
Fury has also been handed a standard 45-day suspension following his victory, which was his first ever world heavyweight title defence.
Wilder has now suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time in his impressive career, after having previously not lost a single bout in 43 fights.
Fury’s win brought an end to their thrilling rivalry which started with their controversial draw in Los Angeles back in December 2018.
Their fight on Saturday was one of the best in recent years with Wilder knocking Fury down twice in the fourth round.
Fury floored the Alabama fighter in the third and 10th round, before referee Russell Mora intervened to stop the fight in the penultimate round.
Now their long-running trilogy has finally been concluded, all eyes are now focused on who each man will fight next.
The Gypsy King is next expected to fight mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte in 2022 – should the latter prevail in his fight with Otto Wallin on October 30 at the 02 Arena.
Despite failing to win in his last three fights, all against Fury, Wilder’s trainer Malik Scott has insisted the American has no plans to retire from the sport at this point.
Finkel even claimed that Wilder would be ‘interested’ in a fight with Anthony Joshua.
The British former world heavyweight champion is shaped up to face Oleksandr Usyk some point in early 2022 after activating his rematch clause following his defeat by the Ukrainian in London last month.
British fans will be desperate to see Joshua regain the WBA, WBO and IBF straps from Usyk in their rematch to set up an undisputed title fight with Fury in the future.
But, should he fail, a potential match-up with Wilder will be another highly-anticipated heavyweight bout every boxing fan will be pining to see.
Alongside a picture of the couple, she wrote on Instagram: ‘Deontay, to say I’m proud of you wouldn’t be justifiable for the heart and strength you shown in your performance.
‘A proven warrior through each and every round. You might not have gotten the belt but you gained respect and love of people around the world on an incredible historical fight.
‘You’re one hell of a man, a true warrior who God is continuing to prepare for greater heights to conquer & thrones to sit upon.
‘I know the weight of the crown can be heavy & trying, but God gives his HARDEST challenges to his strongets warriors & you’re nothing less than a King your ability to give it your all and never give up will never be questioned or gone unnoticed.
‘I love you more than I can ever express with words and the Lord knows our souls are forever connected in ways no one will ever understand.’
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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