Boxing
Video: How Fury retains WBC heavyweight crown with technical knockout of Whyte
Tyson Fury scored a stunning technical knockout victory over Dillian Whyte, landing a right uppercut to deck the challenger in the sixth round and retain the WBC heavyweight world championship at a sold-out Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Fury, who stretched his unbeaten record to 32 wins and a draw, with 23 knockouts, said it was unlikely that he would fight again, and if the right uppercut that downed Whyte was the last punch of his career, it was a high note to end on.
“I owed it to the fans, I owed it to every person in the United Kingdom to come here and fight at Wembley and now it’s all done,” a triumphant Fury said in the ring before referring to a promise he had made to his wife Paris to retire.
“I have to be a man of my word, and I think this might be the final curtain for the Gypsy King, and what a way to go out.”
Fury, fighting on English soil for the first time since June 2018, made a long entrance, with a detour via a throne before he shed his robe and jogged with his team to the ring at the centre of Wembley Stadium as rock music boomed out of the speakers and the 94,000 crowd roared along.
Though dominating on the scorecards, Fury struggled to show the slick, intelligent boxing that saw him climb to the top of the heavyweight division as the bout turned into a bad-tempered affair that referee Mark Lyson struggled to control.
Whyte came out in a southpaw stance in an opening round of probing jabs but, aside from some crisp shots to the body, that seemed to be the only surprise he had in store for the 33-year-old Fury.
Possessing a considerable height and reach advantage, Fury fought most of the fight on the outside, controlling the distance with his jab and punishing his fellow Briton with lead hooks as the challenger tried to close the distance.
Both fighters threw shots on the break and a cut opened up over Whyte’s right eye after a clash of heads.
Fury brought the fight to a stunning close with a blistering right uppercut out of nowhere to send Whyte crashing to the canvas, and though he got back to his feet, Lyson waved the fight off.
-Reuters
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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