Boxing
Anthony Joshua handed brutal assessment of 2023 plans amid Tyson Fury fight speculation
Anthony Joshua will be oping for a big fight in 2023, but after successive defeats his options could be limited after missing out on a Tyson Fury bout.
Joshua has been told that he has no chance of facing Tyson Fury in 2023 as he does not fit into his plans, but that he can instead target a fight against Joe Joyce or Daniel Dubois .
He was unable to negotiate a deal to fight against Tyson Fury in the wake of his second defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last August, with the self-styled Gypsy King pulling the plug on negotiations. Fury went on to fight against Derek Chisora, securing a tenth round stoppage to retain his WBC heavyweight title as well as his unbeaten career record.
Also on the fight card that night was Dubois, who defeated Kevin Lerena to retain his WBA (Regular) title and Joshua has been told by Frank Warren that he could fight against the Brit this year. The promoter also revealed that Joe Joyce could be an option for Joshua as Fury pursues a deal to face Usyk in a unification bout.
Warren represents the interests of both Joyce and Dubois and has opened the door for a mega UK fight to take place this year for Joshua against either fighter. The Queensberry promotions founder told SecondsOut: “The obvious question is: is he going to figure in (Fury’s plans)?. I can’t really see him figuring.
“Tyson’s [busy] in his next couple of fights, that’s for sure. Tyson’s a bit p***ed off with what went on in the time we wasted.” He added. “So, we are where we are with that. But if [Joshua] wants to fight Joe Joyce or Daniel Dubois we’ll do those in a heartbeat.”
Negotiations are currently ongoing for Fury to face Usyk, with a March date looking likely for what would represent a huge fight to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
Meanwhile, Fury has lined up Joe Joyce as a backup option, meaning that Joshua may have to wait for current negotiations to reach a conclusion before he knows his next opponent.
-MEN
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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