Boxing
Anthony Joshua recants! No longer stepping aside for a Tyson Fury -Oleksandr Usyk tittles unification fight
After an initial speculation, Anthony Joshua, according to Manchester Evening News, has now made it clear that he would not accept any offer from Tyson Fury’s team to step aside and let the Gypsy King fight Oleksandr Usyk.
Anthony Joshua is tied to a rematch with Oleksandr Usyk that could delay any unification bout with Tyson Fury.
The debate around who Fury’s next opponent will be is continuing, with Eddie Hearn sharing the demands Joshua would require in order to step aside.
about:blank Fury had been keen for a heavyweight unification bout but hopes of clashing with Joshua early next year were shattered following his fellow Brit’s heavy defeat to Usyk in September.
Joshua has since exercised a rematch clause with the Ukrainian, pushing any unification bout further into the horizon.
Despite hinting that he’d be prepared to step aside if the money offered was right, Joshua’s camp then made it clear when approached that he would not be willing to do so.
Joshua’s camp completely shut down the offer once promoter Hearn presented him with the opportunity, his management team have revealed.
David KD Ghansa of Joshua’s management team told talkSPORT:
“In complete honesty, me and Eddie have had conversations with Freddie (Cunningham, Joshua’s manager) and a few of the other guys.
“The day that we actually slightly put it to him, we got shut down – it was a complete shutdown.
“AJ knows that, as a management team, we are going to explore all options for him. But the main thing is that he is focused on putting right what he needs to.
“As a management team, we are exploring all the best options and we will put them to him.
“Ultimately it will be his decision, but he has not entertained it the way it is out there as being entertained.
“So personally from him, I don’t even think we finished that conversation on it, so Usyk.”
With Joshua fully focused on avenging his loss to Usyk, he could find himself with a shot to face Fury next year should he defeat the Ukrainian.
Fury’s team are currently in negotiations with Dillian Whyte’s camp after the Londonder was named as mandatory challenger for the WBC heavyweight belt.
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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