Boxing
MAYWEATHER TEAMS UP WITH CHINA FOR TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS
BY LIAM MORGAN
Former five-weight world champion Floyd Mayweather has been recruited by the Chinese Boxing Federation (CBF) as a “special adviser” for the national team in the build-up to next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The retired American great, who now works as a promoter, will be tasked with improving China’s performance in boxing at the Olympics.
In a statement, the CBF claimed the 42-year-old has promised to “go all-out to use his influence and resources to support the Chinese boxing project in achieving excellent results at the Tokyo Olympics”.
The CBF has not released any further details on a contract or the salary for Mayweather, winner of an Olympic bronze medal in the featherweight division at Atlanta 1996.
China has not won an Olympic gold medal in boxing since London 2012 but claimed three medals at Rio 2016.
Yin Junhua earned silver in the women’s lightweight event, while Li Qian and Hu Jianguan claimed bronze in the women’s middleweight and men’s flyweight categories, respectively.
China clinched two Olympic gold medals at their home Games in Beijing in 2008.
Zou Shiming, winner of China’s first Olympic boxing medal at Athens 2004, topped the podium in the men’s light flyweight division, while Zhang Xiaoping secured the light heavyweight honours.
Zou defended his title at London 2012 and is the last Chinese boxer to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport.
Mayweather, who came out of retirement to fight Ultimate Fighting Championship star Conor McGregor in 2017, will be expected to increase the Chinese boxing team’s medal tally at Tokyo 2020.
Boxing at next year’s Games is going ahead without the involvement of the International Boxing Association after it was stripped of its recognition as the Olympic governing body for the sport by the International Olympic Committee.
Boxers have two chances to secure a spot at Tokyo 2020, with regional qualification events and a final competition due to be held between January and May.
– insidethegames
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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