Boxing
Former WBC title challenger, Chisora Defends Anthony Joshua’s tactics against Oleksandr Usyk
Zimbabwe-born British professional boxer, Derek Chisora who in 2012 challenged for the WBC heavyweight title against Vitali Klitscho has come in defence of Anthony Joshua over his loss of titles to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk last Saturday.
Joshua’s decision to ditch his raw power and destructive combinations in favour of a more cautious, tactical approach has left a number of fans and pundits baffled in the aftermath of his disappointing performance.
The dominant nature of Usyk’s unanimous points victory has left most onlookers dismissive of AJ’s chances of avenging the defeat in a rematch, likely to take place early next year.
But British veteran Chisora, who spent the final week of AJ’s camp with him at his training base, is adamant that Joshua will win the rematch, insisting that there was ‘nothing wrong’ with the game plan.
‘He wanted to box the boxer. And if it had gone perfectly, and he had won, we would all be calling him a genius,’ Chisora told BT Sport.
‘It went the other way so we go back to the drawing board and he will get it right next time.
‘The gameplan was the gameplan they worked on, it’s not like he just came up with it in the ring on the day, this is what they worked on in the last five or six months.
‘There was nothing wrong with the gameplan but it just didn’t work enough.
‘He could pull it off in the rematch, it is all up to him. He doesn’t have to change drastically, he just has to work more and put more power punches together.’
Chisora utilised a much more rugged approach when he took on Usyk last year and caused the 34-year-old problems with his size and weight advantage, but the Ukrainian weathered the storm and took victory on points.
‘He had his own game plan which was to beat him with boxing,’ Chisora added. ‘My gameplan was to rough him up. I trained to rough Usyk up, he did not train to rough Usyk up.
‘It just went the wrong way on the night but I believe the rematch will be an amazing fight.’
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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