Boxing
Joshua ready to take up Fury’s ‘Battle of Britain’ challenge
Anthony Joshua has said that he would be ready to fight world champion Tyson Fury in December after he was issued a public challenge on Monday to fight a “Battle of Britain” for the WBC (World Boxing Council) heavyweight boxing belt.
Joshua, 32, suffered a second straight loss to Ukraine’s WBA (World Boxing Association), WBO (World Boxing Organisation), IBF (International Boxing Federation) and IBO (International Boxing Organisation) champion Oleksandr Usyk in a title rematch in Saudi Arabia in August and has said that he wants to return to the ring before the end of the year.
Fury, 34, announced in April after beating Dillian Whyte that he was fulfilling a promise to his wife to retire but has subsequently said he will fight again.
“You’ve all heard that I am going to be fighting soon within the next few months,” he said in a video directed at the former champion on social media.
“Anthony Joshua, I know you’ve just lost a fight to Usyk and you’re bout-less at the moment, and I’d like to give you an opportunity to fight me for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world and the lineal championship in the next few months. You’re coming off a 12-round fight, so you’re match fit, and you’re ready. I’m giving you a few months’ notice.”
Usyk said after the fight in Jeddah that he was interested in a bout with Fury but media reports have said he will not fight again this year in order to rest and spend time with his family.
The Ukrainian reiterated last Friday that he hoped to set up a unification bout with Fury in 2023, and for now, Fury has his eyes set on Joshua.
“If you’re interested I’ll send you the date over and we can rumble,” he told Joshua in the video.
“A Battle of Britain for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world. Let me know if you’re interested, if not I will select another opponent.”
Joshua responded by saying he would be ready to fight if Fury stuck to his word, and that Fury should contact his management team instead.
“I don’t do online discussions just for clout,” he wrote on an Instagram story.
“So if you’re really about it, shout #258mgt (Joshua’s management company). I’ll be ready in December.”
Meanwhile, Manny Pacquiao, who retired from boxing last year for a tilt at the Philippines presidency, said on Tuesday that he is considering an exhibition fight in Saudi Arabia in January.
The 43-year-old legendary former world champion is to hold talks over a fight against French former sparring partner Jaber Zayani in Riyadh.
-REUTERS, AFP
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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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Former multi-weight world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather will come out of retirement this year for his first official fight in nearly a decade, his new promotion CSI Sports/Fight Sports said on Friday, though his opponent has yet to be decided.
Before his official return, Mayweather is set for an exhibition bout with fellow boxing great Mike Tyson, with the date and venue still to be announced.
“I still have what it takes to set more records in the sport of boxing – from my upcoming Mike Tyson event to my next professional fight afterwards – no one will generate a bigger gate, have a larger global broadcast audience and generate more money with each event – than my events,” Mayweather, 48, said in a statement on his new promotion’s website.
It will mark the American’s fourth comeback from retirement, following previous exits in 2007, 2015 and 2017 — the last after beating Conor McGregor to extend his record to 50-0. He has, however, fought several exhibitions since.
Across a three-decade career, Mayweather defeated many of his era’s top fighters and headlined the three highest‑grossing bouts in history, against Manny Pacquiao, McGregor and Canelo Alvarez.
-Reuters
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