Connect with us

Boxing

Boxing Day Special: Tyson Fury proof, Oleksandr Usyk shock and the best boxing moments of 2021

Published

on

It’s been a fantastic year for boxing and there’s plenty of highlights to look back on including Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk and Canelo Alvarez victories.

It’s been a year of two halves for boxing, with the first half seeing numerous bouts behind closed doors while the second half has seen a number of high-profile fights taking place in front of thousands of fans.

While many may remember it as the year when the planned fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua fell apart, with questions as to whether we’ll ever get to see that bout, we have at least had plenty of stand-out moments to remember fondly.

about:blank Expectation for 2022 is high, which includes Fury‘s return to the UK to fight Dillian Whyte and Joshua vs Usyk 2, but the bar has been set at an impressive level by the past 12 months.

From world-title bouts and history-making success to surprising results and great entertainment, we’ve run down our best five boxing moments from 2021.

Fury’s 11th round KO on Wilder

After an American judge ruled in favour of Deontay Wilder, Fury had to honour his rematch with the Bronze Bomber – which led to frustrations for the supporters as it saw a proposed fight between Fury and Joshua collapse.

Advertisement

Further frustrations followed when an initial fight date was pushed back after cases of Covid in Fury’s camp but, when the pair finally came to blows once again in October, fans witnessed a fight that will go down in history.

Fury proved his quality by maintaining his unbeaten record with an 11th round knockout upon Wilder but encountered problems of his own during the bout, hitting the canvas, in what was a thrilling contest for the millions watching worldwide.

Usyk’s triumph over Anthony Joshua

With a unification bout against Fury off, Joshua instead faced-off against Oleksandr Usyk in September – and was completely outboxed by the Ukrainian at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The fight went the full distance and was decided by the judges scorecards but the winner was clear from the early rounds, with Joshua unable to get a foothold in the bout and losing his three heavyweight belts with a whimper.

Usyk’s performance has rightly earned rave praise and the general consensus is that he’ll now be the likely opponent for Fury in a unification bout next year.

Advertisement

Canelo’s undisputed triumph

While much of the talk has orientated around heavyweight unification, Canelo Alvarez made history by becoming the first-ever undisputed champion at super middleweight.

That milestone was achieved in November with victory against Caleb Plant in Las Vegas, securing his triumph with an eleventh-round technical knockout.

The Mexican is widely regarded to be the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world and is now set to fight Ilunga Makabu next year for the WBC cruiserweight title, as he looks to become a five-weight world champion.

Lara stuns Warrington

February 2021 may seem like a million years ago now and it was the month of one of the biggest upsets of the year, when a relatively unknown Mauricio Lara stunned Josh Warrington.

It was a first career defeat for the Leeds fighter and came in his long-awaited return to the ring, having last fought in October 2019, having hit the canvas twice in the bout.

Advertisement

The fight was eventually called in the ninth round after the second knockdown and shattered Warrington’s hopes of facing off against one of the big names in his weight division.

-MEN

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Boxing

Anthony Joshua addresses retirement talk

Published

on

After Saturday’s night defeat to Daniel Dubois, Anthony Joshua’s boxing career looked heading to an end as the former two-time world champion was knocked out in the fifth round of their heavyweight bout at Wembley Stadium.

 But a determined Joshua has said that he would not quit easily. He has played down any talk of retirement following his defeat.

 His defeat ended any immediate hope of becoming a three-time world champion. A British-record crowd of over 96,000 people saw Dubois retain his IBF World Heavyweight title with a victory that shocked the boxing world

The 27-year-old put in a dominant performance, flooring Anthony Joshua in the first round with a strong overhand right that he never truly recovered from.

Despite coming forward in the fifth round with a big straight right-hand, Dubois countered with devastating knockout blow.

Advertisement

“Always walk with your head high, we rolled the dice, for the third time, 13 world title fights, not every one has been successful, but they’ve all been fun and entertaining,” Joshua was quoted by Independent as saying.

 He was talking about  his future. “You’re probably asking if I still want to consider fighting? Of course I want to continue fighting.

“We took a shot at success and we came up short. What does that mean now? That we’re going to run away? We’re going to live to fight another day. And that’s what I am – I’m a warrior.

“There were a few mistakes in there but that’s the name of the game. Fine margins will cost you at the top level.

“Also before I finish, we have to give credit our opponent Daniel. When I sign up to fight opponents, I don’t really like them in my head any more. But now that it’s done, I take my hat off to him and say well done.”

Advertisement

Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn, according to Manchester Evening News,  admitted this was the first time he’d seen the former two-time world champion hurt during their 11-years working together.

“It’s probably the only time in his whole career I’ve seen him really hurt, it’s not bad, having won two world championships and 13 world title fights, to the point he couldn’t get up,” Hearn added.

“It’s the first time in his career that he’s been properly hurt, you never want to carry on too long, but AJ doesn’t have many miles on the clock. When Ben comes to me and says, ‘he doesn’t look the same fighter any more’, and AJ will make that decision.

“We’ve seen the best AJ over the last year, it’s difficult to say that’s it. These are the closing chapters of his career. We have another fight with RS, Dubois is part of that plan. So too is Tyson Fury or another heavyweight. 2025 is going to be an interesting year for Joshua, against whoever, you’ll be entertained.

“Our interests are that he leaves this sport with legacy, money and his health in tact, knocked out like that you have to look at that. That was just a shot, trading with a huge right hand, it doesn’t matter who you are, you’re getting knocked out.”

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Boxing

How dynamite Daniel Dubois demolished Anthony Joshua to retain IBF heavyweight belt

Published

on

 Daniel Dubois v Anthony Joshua - IBF World Heavyweight Title - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - September 21, 2024 Anthony Joshua in action against Daniel Dubois Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

Britain’s Daniel Dubois destroyed Anthony Joshua’s dream of becoming a three times heavyweight world champion with a fifth-round knockout to retain his IBF belt at a packed Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

Dubois dropped his compatriot to the canvas in the opening round with a stinging right, the referee delivering a standing eight count, and the 27-year-old proceeded to tear up the pre-fight predictions as swiftly as he ripped into his opponent.

Joshua, 34, took another hammering in round two but managed to ride out the storm before round three came crashing down around him again.

With Dubois landing more fizzing right-handers, Joshua was literally on the ropes before being saved by the bell.

He could barely stand at the end of the fourth, after going down again with two minutes remaining, and then it was all over in the fifth with the painstaking rebuilding of his career suddenly in ruins.

Advertisement

After landing a few promising blows, any signs of a fightback faded with a right to the chin that sent Joshua down, the former IBF, WBA and IBO champion this time unable to get back on his feet.

“I’ve only got a few words to say: Are you not entertained?,” declared Dubois after the biggest win, and first at Wembley, of a 24-fight career with two defeats.

“I’m a gladiator, I’m a warrior to the bitter end. I want to get to the top level of this game and reach my full potential.

“I’ve been on a rollercoaster ride. This is my time, this is my redemption story, and I’m not going to stop until I reach my full potential.”

RECORD CROWD

Organisers said a British post-World War Two record of 96,000 spectators attended the Saudi-funded fight at London’s Wembley Stadium.

Advertisement

Among them were Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, singing three songs on his 52nd birthday ahead of a reunion next year, and Ukraine’s WBC, WBA and WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Usyk has beaten both Joshua and Dubois already and will fight Britain’s Tyson Fury, also present, in a rematch in Saudi Arabia in December.

Joshua might have hoped to have a crack at the winner of that fight but instead faces an uncertain future with Dubois sending a seismic ripple through the familiar heavyweight landscape.

Dubois said he hoped for another shot at Usyk, who beat him in nine rounds in Wroclaw, Poland, last year.

Usyk previously held the IBF belt but vacated it for the Fury rematch, with Dubois the interim holder and upgraded to world champion in June.

Advertisement

“Credit to him and his team. We rolled the dice of success, but we came up short,” said Joshua after his 13th world heavyweight title fight left him with a record of four defeats from 32 bouts.

He had first won the IBF belt in 2016 from Charles Martin at London’s O2 Arena. Joshua then lost it to Andy Ruiz in 2019 but won it back later that year. Usyk then took it from him in 2021.

“We keep rolling the dice. I had a sharp opponent, a fast opponent and a lot of mistakes from my end, but that’s the game.”

Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn said he expected to exercise a rematch clause.

“It’s a dangerous fight because he’s growing in confidence all the time but he’ll believe he can beat him,” he said.

Advertisement

-Reuters

Continue Reading

Boxing

Anthony Joshua’s future now in doubt

Published

on

Joshua’s bid to become a three-time champion and return to the division’s top table ended in the most dramatic and unexpected fashion. He was battered by a destructive Daniel Dubois who started the fight a bang and ended in similar fashion.

 He gave Anthony Joshua no chance to survive his dynamite blows. He did it before a capacity 96,000 crowd to retain his IBF heavyweight title.

He knocked out an unsettled Joshua who also arrived the Wembley Stadium late and cast an initial doubts on whether he was going to honour the fight.

A calmer and more confident Dubois arrived the arena an hour before Joshua showed up.

  Now, Joshua’s career is in ruins. An anticipated rematch with the Oleksandr Usyk is now a mirage.

Advertisement

The 27-year-old  Dubois dropped Joshua multiple times to retain the IBF heavyweight title.  Londoner Dubois stopped Joshua, 34, with an incredible counter right hook to secure the biggest win of his 24-fight career.

“Are you not entertained?” Dubois shouted post-fight, to huge cheers in the packed-out stadium.

“I’m a gladiator. I am a warrior to the bitter end. I want to get to the top level of this sport and reach my potential.”

Joshua  who won his first world title more than eight years ago – suffered a fourth loss in his 32nd bout, but hinted he will continue in the sport and has a clause to trigger a rematch with Dubois.

“You know I’m ready to kick off in the ring but I’m going to keep it respectful,” he said.

Advertisement

“Before I came here, I always say to myself I’m a fighter for life. You keep rolling the dice.”

An ecstatic Dubois, meanwhile, enjoyed the crowning moment which had eluded him after he was elevated to world champion when Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt.

Continue Reading

Most Viewed