Boxing
Tyson Fury fight agenda complicated by WBC and Anthony Joshua
Tyson Fury’s next opponent is yet to be confirmed following Dillian Whyte’s latest setback and with Anthony Joshua facing Oleksandr Usyk in a rematch next year
According to Manchester Evening News, It’s been a complicated year for Tyson Fury fans, who have seen plans collapse, change at the last and become uncertain.
The big hope for 2021 was a unification bout against Anthony Joshua, which was agreed to take place in Saudi Arabia last summer.
However, a judge in America ruled that Fury must honour his rematch clause with Deontay Wilder – and the heavyweight scene has dramatically changed since.
Fury, unsurprisingly, was the victor in the rematch in a fight that will go down as one of the best in recent boxing history. Regardless, it wasn’t the fight that people wanted to see.
To make matters worse, Joshua‘s defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, which occurred in the weeks before Fury’s victory in Las Vegas, means any unification bout between the two Brits is a way off.
For any chance for that to occur, Joshua will have to defeat Usyk in the rematch to win back his belts. The catch there is that the 2012 Olympian showed nothing in the first bout to suggest he can turn things around.
Again, it means those losing out are the fans. While a unification bout between Usyk and Fury would be a fierce contest, it’s not the fight that people have been clamouring for.
While that situation will take time to be resolved, the more pressing situation is Fury’s next opponent – with a wealth of uncertainty continuing to float around following the WBC’s decision not to name Dillian
Fury will return to the ring in early 2022, extremely likely to be a mammoth UK homecoming for the heavyweight champion, but fans deserve a conclusive answer on what the plan is so they can build their excitement for such an occasion.
Given it’s Fury’s long-awaited return for a UK fight, the excitement levels would reach an unprecedented level and, in that sense, it’s largely irrelevant who it is facing off against Fury.
Whether it be Whyte, Joe Joyce or someone entirely different, the key fact is given fans a date and time for the bout, following a number of years during the pandemic where everything has been subject to uncertainty.
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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