Boxing
Breaking! Anthony Joshua lands in US, may sack coach
Anthony Joshua, the former heavyweight champion has been spotted in the United States as he begins his preparations for his rematch with Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk.
According to Manchester Evening News, he looks to be following Tyson Fury’s lead as he tours American gyms following calls to sack his coaching team.
He would appear to be trying to get well ahead of the game ahead of his expected rematch with Oleksandr Usyk, which is protracted to go ahead around next year.
The former heavyweight champion will be aiming to claim back his titles after losing the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts to the Ukrainian.
Usyk thoroughly outclassed his opponent at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last month, leading to criticism for both Joshua and his corner, with some suggesting the 32-year-old needs to put together a new team.
It is believed that part of his mission in the United States is potentially with the aim of finding a new coach.
Fury went down the American route ahead of his second bout against Deontay Wilder, parting ways with Ben Davison after drawing with the Bronze Bomber in their first meeting.
The Gypsy King went on to team up with SugarHill Steward from the Kronk Gym in Detroit, and together they went on to defeat Wilder twice and claim the WBC world title.
Joshua looks as though he could be heading down a similar path, having been seen earlier this week alongside Joshua Buatsi in Virgil Hunter’s gym, while Ronald and Rashidi Ellis posted pictures of AJ in Eddy Reynoso’s gym, where pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez is based.
Joshua’s American tour may hint at him looking for a new coaching team ahead of his rematch with Usyk, particularly after claims made by Fury’s promoter Frank Warren.
“Should he fight him [Usyk] again? If he does what he did last time, I don’t see him beating him. Even then, I think Usyk will get more out of that win than Joshua.
“I just don’t see what Joshua can do any different to win that fight other than get rid of all the trainers around him and try to change what he’s doing. Will he do that?”
Joshua’s plan will no doubt be revealed in the build-up to his rematch with Usyk, which is expected to go ahead next April after Fury’s other promoter Bob Arum let the news slip this week.
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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