Boxing
BOASTFUL WILDER BREAKS SILENCE: SAYS’I AM A KING…THE WAR HAS JUST BEGUN’
The former heavyweight champion, Deontay Wilder said ‘the war has just begun’ to regain belt.
According to Daily Mail of UK, this is biggest hint indicating a third fight is imminent. The first fight with Tyson Fury ended in a draw before that of the last weekend.
The Bronze Bomber was battered from pillar to post during a seven round onslaught before his trainer Mark Breland threw in the towel to hand Fury a famous win in Sin City.
The former WBC champion has since given
interviews regarding the defeat, in which he blamed his 40 pound ring walk
outfit for fatiguing his legs moments before the first bell rang out.
The pre-fight agreement stipulated that the loser of the highly-anticipated rematch would be given the opportunity to trigger a third fight should he so please, as long as that demand is made within 30 days of the bout.
And it looks as though Wilder will look to inflict revenge on the Gypsy King after the 34-year-old shared a video on social media reflecting on his loss and vowing to ‘rise like a phoenix from the ashes’.
‘Your King is here,’ he said. ‘And we ain’t going nowhere, for the war has just begun. I will rise again. I am strong. I am a King.
‘You can’t take my pride. I am a warrior. I am a King that will never give up. I am a King that will fight to the death.
‘Your King is in great spirits and we will rise like a phoenix from the ashes and regain the title. I will see you in a few months as the war has just begun.’
Wilder had been critical of Breland’s decision to throw in the towel 99 seconds into the seventh round, with the Alabama-born hitter insisting he was willing to ‘die on his shield’.
The future of Breland, a former Olympic and world champion, has yet to be decided, with head coach Jay Deas critical of his colleague’s decision to stop the contest.
A third fight would mean that plans for a mega-fight between Fury and Anthony Joshua in a unification bout will have to be put on hold in the short term.
The Brits are both eager to face off in what would be the biggest fight in British boxing history, with talk of either a summer or winter bout this year.
A trilogy fight between Wilder and Fury is likely to take place no later than July, and it is hoped that, should Fury come through that one and AJ see of Kubrat Pulev, fight fans will get the bout they want before the year is out.
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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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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