Boxing
Anthony Joshua set for trilogy with Andy Ruiz, the first boxer to beat him
Following the cancellation of the proposed fight with Dillian Whyte over dope issues, Anthony Joshua could face former rival Andy Ruiz Jr who was the first boxer to knock him down in his professional career.
The original bout collapsed as the Whyte failed a drug test for the third time in his career, denying him the chance to avenge his 2015 loss and forcing Joshua to find an emergency stand-in.
As Joshua’s camp scramble to fix a replacement a surprise contender emerged in the form of Andy Ruiz Jr.
The American pulled off one of boxing’s biggest ever upsets when he beat Joshua at Madison Square Garden in 2019, but lost on points in a rematch to the Joshua just six months later.
Now Ruiz is eyeing up a trilogy fight with AJ after Saturday’s bout was cancelled following an ‘adverse finding’ in one of Whyte’s drugs tests.
The Destroyer said on Instagram: ‘Eddie Hearn, Joshua, I think I’ve found a new replacement – again!
‘Let’s run it back. Let’s get the trilogy. Let’s get it.’
It will be recalled that Ruiz Jr, then also a last minute replacement, stopped Joshua in the seventh round to become world heavyweight champion but lost his belts after Joshua’s points win in Saudi Arabia.
He has since fought veterans Luis Ortiz and Chris Arreola but is eyeing a return to the big leagues.
Currently Gerald Washington is the frontrunner to land the Joshua fight, as reported by Sun Sport, but Ruiz will hope his history with the Joshua may tip the scales in his favour.
Whyte has vowed to prove his innocence and released a statement about his failed test that said: ‘I am shocked and devastated to learn of a report by VADA of adverse findings relating to me.
‘I only learned of it this morning and am still reacting to it.
‘I have also just seen the fight is being cancelled without having any chance to demonstrate my innocence before the decision was taken.
‘I can confirm without a shadow of a doubt that I have not taken the reported substance, in this camp or at any point in my life.
‘I am completely innocent and ask to be given the time to go through the process of proving this without anybody jumping to conclusions or a trial by media.’
This is the third time he has failed a drug test in his career as the Body Snatcher was banned for two years after testing positive for a prohibited stimulant in 2012.
He also tested positive for metabolites of the anabolic steroid Dianabol in 2019 but was exonerated of any wrongdoing by UKAD due to the ‘extremely low’ levels of the drug found in his system.
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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