Boxing
Anthony Joshua confirms rematch offer for Dillian Whyte rematch
Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn has stated that Anthony Joshua’s team has sent an offer to former world title contender Dillian Whyte over a potential rematch in August
Eddie Hearn has confirmed that an offer has been made for Anthony Joshua to fight Dillian Whyte.
‘AJ’ has been searching for an opponent this summer as his team plans for an end-of-year clash with KO artist Deontay Wilder in Saudi Arabia.
Joshua and Whyte have met twice before, with ‘AJ’ avenging his defeat in the amateurs with a TKO win, back in 2015.
On Saturday, Joshua took to social media to deny that he was in talks over a rematch with the ‘Body Snatcher’.
However, speaking to the BBC on Monday, promoter Eddie Hearn revealed that a proposal had been sent to Whyte’s team ahead of further discussions over a potential fight.
“Our plan, which we’ve stressed, is for AJ to box on 12 August and in December again against Deontay,” Hearn told the BBC.
“The offer was made to Dillian over the weekend. We are waiting for his response to that and we’ll talk today.
“Dillian has a lot of value in the rematch. This is not an opponent for Joshua, but a big fight between two world-class heavyweights and huge British names.
The negotiations will be difficult but both AJ and Whyte want the fight.”
Both men scored a decision win over Jermaine Franklin in their last trip to the ring. Tyson Fury recently claimed that he had revived talks of a fight with Joshua.
However, AJ’s team have continued to pursue a fight for August and Hearn has explained their decision.
“If we can’t make the Whyte and Wilder fights, then we’ll see what happens with Tyson Fury,” Hearn continued.
“AJ was very reluctant, as a lot of people are right now, to base his short-term future on the likelihood of Tyson Fury actually doing what he says is going to do.”
Matchroom are planning for Joshua to face Wilder in Saudi Arabia in an event that could also include an undisputed fight between Fury and Oleksandr Usyk for all four belts. Usyk is due to face mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois in Poland this summer but has also signed a co-promotion deal that will see future fights hosted in the Middle East.
“Usyk is locked in for his half of the deal to sign Tyson Fury in December,” Hearn added.
“Fury is another story but, from our point of view, subject to final offers and contracts, we’re happy to proceed with the Wilder fight in December.”
-MEN
Former world champion Deontay Wilder sent Derek Chisora into retirement by edging their engaging yet chaotic heavyweight fight in London, United Kingdom.
The boxers, aged 40 and 42 respectively, threw hopeful knockout punches and barely jabbed. Both slipped and fell to the canvas frequently during the bout at the O2 Arena on Saturday.
Wilder got the only knockdown in the eighth round, sending Chisora through the ropes, but the American was deducted a point in the same round for pushing. Chisora was rattled, but Wilder did not press his advantage.
Wilder dominated the early rounds, and Chisora rallied late. The judges were split in their scoring: Wilder received scores of 115-111 and 115-113, and the third picked Chisora by 115-112
Wilder said the fight was fun and suggested he didn’t want to knock out Chisora.
“Tonight, I looked out for him. I want him to live for his kids,” he told broadcaster DAZN. “It’s time for us to take care of each other.”
Chisora said in the build-up that the fight was to be his last, but the Londoner was reluctant to confirm it afterwards.
“I’m going to go home with the boss lady and see,” he told DAZN. “I’m going to go home and drop the kids, do the school run.”
It was the 50th fight for both in the professional ranks.
Wilder improved his record to 45-4-1. The WBC titleholder from 2015 to 2020 came to London having lost four of his last six fights.
Chisora’s record since 2007, when he turned pro a year before Wilder, dropped to 36-14. He lost his only two title shots against Vitali Klitschko in 2012 and Tyson Fury in 2022.
-The Associated Press
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Manny Pacquiao said he has signed a contract for a fight with Floyd Mayweather and that he would not get back into the ring with the American if it was an exhibition bout.
Mayweather, 49, and Pacquiao, 47 announced last month that they would meet at the Sphere in Las Vegas in September, with the bout streaming globally on Netflix.
However, Mayweather told Vegas Sports Today last week that it would be an exhibition bout, not a real fight, and that a venue had yet to be decided.
“If that’s what he is feeling but he signed for a real match. The contract that we signed is for a real fight,” Pacquiao told local media on Thursday. “He has to remember that.”
Mayweather, who holds a perfect 50-0 record with 27 knockouts, defeated Pacquiao in a 2015 encounter dubbed the “Fight of the Century”.
Jas Mathur, CEO of Manny Pacquiao Promotions and a producer for the event, said the agreement was for a fight.
“No one in these last three months has brought up anything related to the venue or related to the fight not being a professional fight,” Mathur told ESPN.
“His team has had all the contracts. He signed all the contracts.”
Reuters has requested comment from Mayweather’s camp.
The 2015 bout between the boxers generated a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and a $72 million live gate at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
-Reuters
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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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