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A teenage boxer has died, five days after being knocked out in a professional fight.

Mexican welterweight Jeanette Zacarias Zapata, 18, was knocked down in the fourth round against Marie Pier Houle at the GVM Gala International in Montreal on Saturday.

She appeared to have a seizure after being dazed by a left uppercut and a right hook and was taken to hospital.

The fight promoter, Yvon Michel, announced the news on Thursday.

"It is with great sadness and torment that we learned, from a representative of her family, that Jeanette Zacarias Zapata passed away this afternoon at 3:45 pm," his statement read.

"The entire team at Groupe Yvon Michel team is extremely distressed by this painful announcement," the promoters said in their statement, offering condolences to the fighter's family.

Houle reacted on Instagram, saying how upset she was at the outcome.

"Boxing carries a lot of risks and dangers," she said. "This is our job, our passion. Never, forever, intention to seriously hurt an opponent is part of my plans."

The WBC also paid tribute to Zapata, saying: "The president of the WBC, Mauricio Sulaimán and the entire boxing family affiliated with the WBC, as well as all boxing, mourns this irreparable loss.

"We send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Jeanette. May she rest in peace."

BBC
 
Oscar De La Hoya has been hospitalised with coronavirus and has withdrawn from his fight against Vitor Belfort next weekend in Los Angeles.
 
Anthony Joshua v Oleksandr Usyk

The Set Up
Within days of announcing AJ v Fury, the latter pulls out of the most anticipated heavyweight clash since Holyfield and Lewis. The boxing world is in shock, as it is announced that Fury will be fighting Deontay Wilder for an unnecessary third time.

AJ is now in purgatory, who does he choose? A third fight with Ruiz? Rematch with Whyte? Or hold on till Fury and Wilder finally settle a score which seemed settled nearly two years ago. No, AJ instead signs on the dotted line to defend against the best cruiserweight of recent times. Undisputed champion versus the man who wants to be undisputed.

The Fighters
Anthony Joshua - 24-1
WBA/WBO/IBF heavyweight champion of the world. Coming off a sensation stoppage of Kubrat Pulev, AJ has essentially cleaned out the current heavyweight division. There are two tests left for him, and here he faces one of them.

AJ's advantage is his size and power, we have already seen Usyk take a lot of shots from lesser opponents. AJ is experienced now, hardened, in boxing shape and still throwing bombs. This fight will define him as the greatest heavyweight of his era.

Oleksandr Usyk - 18-0
Immense amateur experience and one of the best professional careers of the last ten years, Usyk is the real deal...albeit at cruiserweight. Several inches shorter and many pounds lighter, Usyk was roughed up by Chisora and is likely to be roughed up by AJ.

The key to victory is to stick and move, yet Usyk is not light on his feet and takes a lot of punches to his arms, shoulders and head. It's all well and good to do that against cruisers or lesser, past prime heavyweights, against AJ it will be a long, hard night.

The Event
On the 25th of September, at Tottenham's stunning new stadium, this has every potential to break the UK PPV record set by Aj v Ruiz II.

The Prediction
Joshua TKO 10
 
The whole AJ/Fury thing was one big charade, both knew it wasn’t happening given the rematch clause in Fury/Wilder 2 contract. So it is ignorant to assume a fighter who has already fought Wladmir and Wilder would pull out of a big money fight with AJ who is being forced to fight Usyk as he is a WBO mandatory, Wilder is the most dangerous HW in the division in terms of his power.

Usyk is highly skilled but he is no true HW, Usyk maybe fancies this thinking someone like Ruiz Knocked out AJ but at the end of the day he hasn’t eased into the weight division, it would be misleading to think Usyk is what Holyfield was when he moved up to the HW division, the latter had a decent chunk of fights at HW before his first title shot.

With AJ’s experience, size and strength; in theory he should be too much for Usyk really, it would be a massive upset if he loses his unified status. As they say, don’t count out an Olympian’s spirit but we saw what Loma did to the likes of Rigo and Luke Campbell, the former especially who was moving up by a couple of weight divisions, not the same here but going from 140 to 147 is not as big a leap as someone moving from CW to HW.

I would be shocked if this breaks the PPV record, casual fans may think that but you have one champion and a contender who isn’t even a domestic rival and no belts either, just a a decorated reputation in a different weight division, what is his best win even - disputed performance against Chisora. Am a hardcore fan but am not paying for this fight, it doesn’t excite me, but if it is marketed as a night out am sure they will sell some tickets.
 
Oscar De La Hoya has been released from the hospital after receiving treatment for breakthrough COVID-19.

The boxer, 49, shared the news on his social media accounts on Wednesday. In a 20-second clip posted to Twitter and Instagram, De La Hoya spoke about his personal experience with COVID-19 and thanked fans for their support during his hospitalization.
 
shaz619 said:
The whole AJ/Fury thing was one big charade, both knew it wasn’t happening given the rematch clause in Fury/Wilder 2 contract. So it is ignorant to assume a fighter who has already fought Wladmir and Wilder would pull out of a big money fight with AJ who is being forced to fight Usyk as he is a WBO mandatory, Wilder is the most dangerous HW in the division in terms of his power.

That whole paragraph has almost no truth in it. I will agree Wilder hits pretty hard, but what does that even mean? Did he fight the best opponents of his generation? No.

As for AJ/Fury, I'm not sure what the charade from AJ is. AJ's team did all the hard work, both Warren and Arum admitted they were doing nothing to make the fight happen, Fury admitted to this and sounded more negative than positive. Finally Hearn got the Saudis on board, when both Arum and Warren stated the money would not be enough....guess what, they both admitted that the money was now enough and the Saudis had come through.

Oh and, do you know who announced the fight first? Certainly wasn't AJ or Hearns, it was Tyson Fury himself. Within days however, he had signed a contract to fight Wilder and rips off AJ, Hearn and the Saudis.

Let's investigate this claim then, that the arbitration was always going to get in the way. Yet it was Arum himself who assured everyone it would not and that Wilder's team did not have a leg to stand on. The legal fallout has also highlighted something else, that as late as December 2020, Tyson's team had the contractual right to pull out of the arbitration and work towards and AJ fight.

So yes, it's a charade but only one from team Fury. Heck, his own father was disgusted by his son's actions.

I'm sure you're still one of those people who holds out that AJ ducked Wilder? While Wilder himself admitted in his now infamous instagram video that he turned down his biggest ever money offer to fight Fury the first time out. But yes, it's AJ ducking :genius

Usyk is highly skilled but he is no true HW, Usyk maybe fancies this thinking someone like Ruiz Knocked out AJ but at the end of the day he hasn’t eased into the weight division, it would be misleading to think Usyk is what Holyfield was when he moved up to the HW division, the latter had a decent chunk of fights at HW before his first title shot.

With AJ’s experience, size and strength; in theory he should be too much for Usyk really, it would be a massive upset if he loses his unified status. As they say, don’t count out an Olympian’s spirit but we saw what Loma did to the likes of Rigo and Luke Campbell, the former especially who was moving up by a couple of weight divisions, not the same here but going from 140 to 147 is not as big a leap as someone moving from CW to HW.

I would be shocked if this breaks the PPV record, casual fans may think that but you have one champion and a contender who isn’t even a domestic rival and no belts either, just a a decorated reputation in a different weight division, what is his best win even - disputed performance against Chisora. Am a hardcore fan but am not paying for this fight, it doesn’t excite me, but if it is marketed as a night out am sure they will sell some tickets.

Break the PPV record or not, I'm just saying what some analysts have spoken about. It will still be huge and make more money than anything done in the heavyweight division without AJ. :ds
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People who become blind fans of personalities rather than a sport can often be cringey. Anyway, response above.
 
Not worthy of a discussion with me regarding the intricacies of Boxing, now go perform a circle jerk over projected PPV sales, how dangerous Usyk is and whatever else AJ’s hype train feeds you, you are not capable of discussing the actual sport. If you decide to waste my time again, attempt to post without the head up AJ’s behind please would gladly oblige you at that point and research the actual fighting a bit more, hope that helps.
 
If you have issues respecting each other's views - dont bother posting

Any more nonsense and bans will follow.
 
David Haye spectacularly called for a fight with Tyson Fury after winning on his comeback on Saturday night.

Haye out-boxed Joe Fournier to win a unanimous decision in Florida but claimed he had held back so he didn't gave away any secrets to Fury.

Haye, now 40, said: "There's one fighter I'd come back to professional boxing for. That's Tyson Fury.

While Fury has gone on to become the undefeated WBC heavyweight champion and own statement wins over Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder, Haye's career ended with two losses to Tony Bellew in 2017 and 2018.

But Haye, the former cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion, insisted that three years of full rest means he is now injury-free and capable of seeking redemption against Fury.

"It's been in my mind for a long time, since 2013," Haye said. "The fight didn't happen, I got an injury.

"I've always wanted that fight. I've seen him get better and better. His reputation has got bigger and bigger.

"If I'm going to come back into boxing with a real fight, against someone special? That is the guy I know I can beat.

"I know his style. I know what he does well.

"My attributes don't work well for his style. Him and his team know that.

"They probably think I'm old so they probably will take the fight.

"I'm looking for the biggest fight out there - and you get no bigger than 6ft 9in Tyson Fury.

"I'd only come back for Fury. I don't want to show him what I've got left. I was able to win this fight without showing 'the Hayemaker'."

Haye said about beating Fournier for his first win in five years: "I felt fresh, smart, my timing was good. Normally I knock people out straight away but I enjoyed myself.

"I could see shots coming but I hadn't done much sparring for this.

"I've hurt my body over the years. I needed rest. I needed my body to rejuvenate. I'm ready to do big things."

SKY
 
MenInG said:
David Haye spectacularly called for a fight with Tyson Fury after winning on his comeback on Saturday night.

Haye out-boxed Joe Fournier to win a unanimous decision in Florida but claimed he had held back so he didn't gave away any secrets to Fury.

Haye, now 40, said: "There's one fighter I'd come back to professional boxing for. That's Tyson Fury.

While Fury has gone on to become the undefeated WBC heavyweight champion and own statement wins over Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder, Haye's career ended with two losses to Tony Bellew in 2017 and 2018.

But Haye, the former cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion, insisted that three years of full rest means he is now injury-free and capable of seeking redemption against Fury.

"It's been in my mind for a long time, since 2013," Haye said. "The fight didn't happen, I got an injury.

"I've always wanted that fight. I've seen him get better and better. His reputation has got bigger and bigger.

"If I'm going to come back into boxing with a real fight, against someone special? That is the guy I know I can beat.

"I know his style. I know what he does well.

"My attributes don't work well for his style. Him and his team know that.

"They probably think I'm old so they probably will take the fight.

"I'm looking for the biggest fight out there - and you get no bigger than 6ft 9in Tyson Fury.

"I'd only come back for Fury. I don't want to show him what I've got left. I was able to win this fight without showing 'the Hayemaker'."

Haye said about beating Fournier for his first win in five years: "I felt fresh, smart, my timing was good. Normally I knock people out straight away but I enjoyed myself.

"I could see shots coming but I hadn't done much sparring for this.

"I've hurt my body over the years. I needed rest. I needed my body to rejuvenate. I'm ready to do big things."

SKY
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Not sure if he’s serious or just interested in creating headlines, anything is possible however among this new wave of gimmickery disguised as Boxing.

It was saddening to see how Holyfield lost in his fight, but am glad how the ref stepped in to prevent any further damage. Not shocked Holyfield took the fight, he has 11 children and is still paying alimony money.
 
Anthony Joshua says he "needs" to fight Tyson Fury before he retires, as he prepares for his latest title defence against Oleksandr Usyk.

The WBO, WBA (Super) and IBF champion takes on Usyk later this month at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and is hopeful he can fight Fury next.

"Do I need Tyson Fury on my record? I need it," Joshua tells Steve Bunce on the 5 Live Boxing podcast.

"Fight good fighters and they bring out the best of you."

Talks over an undisputed title fight collapsed during the summer, but Joshua says a showdown with Fury is hugely important to him.

"We need it for boxing," he adds.

"Training camp is hard. To get better is very difficult in boxing. To fight Tyson Fury is a big challenge.

"I'm going to put that pressure on myself to actually get better. But it's what we all need, I need it. Come on, let's see how good I am.

"Let's see how far I can take myself during this period. It'll be a good challenge mentally. Not about him, but because I actually want to do well.

"When I wake up in the morning early and I'm tired, my body's battered, I still go out and do what I do. It's great rewards and only someone like Fury can give that to me."
 
Fury would probably jump at the chance of a side show with Haye but I don't think Haye himself is serious. He is looking for some Triller style match ups.

As for AJ, he has fought the best so consistently, I'm not surprised he wants that Fury fight, he was the only one working towards it actually. Boxing history will hold him more highly than Fury unless Fury actually fights and wins.
 
Campbell Hatton believes he has the blueprint to become a world champion, but says he has been surprised by how hard it is being a professional boxer.

The 20-year-old is the son of two-weight world champion Ricky Hatton and is trained by his uncle and former world-title challenger Matthew Hatton.

Campbell, who fights Uruguay's Sonni Martinez on Saturday, made his debut in March and told BBC Sport he was amazed how nervous he was on fight night.

"I got a bit of a shock," he said.

"The nerves caught up with me all at once on the night. I was half-prepared for it because I had the people round me like my dad and Matthew, who had been there and they warned me.

"It was the ring walk. I thought I was calm. I was very nervous. When I compared it to my second fight, it was night and day."

Super-featherweight Hatton's next bout - his fourth as a pro - is another high-pressure affair as he prepares to fight on the undercard of Anthony Joshua's heavyweight showdown with Oleksandr Usyk.

Joshua v Usyk - schedule, undercard and BBC coverage
Campbell following in father's footsteps
Some 60,000 fans are expected at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but Hatton is trying to take it all in his stride.

"I don't think the pressure will ever top [my debut]," he said.

Watching Hatton fight evokes memories of his father, such is their likeness and their fondness for body shots.

"Left hook to the body - that's always been really natural," he said. "I want to be an exciting fighter. I don't want to come away from the style I've got.

"I'm naturally very aggressive in the ring. It's a style fans will enjoy and it never makes a dull fight.

"My dad was so good offensively and Matthew was so good defensively. I can't go wrong if I mix the two."


Boxing is certainly in Hatton's blood - he has been in a gym twice a day since he was 14 - but he acknowledges everything has been "a little hit harder" since he turned professional.

"The opponents, even though I probably fought better opposition in the amateurs - like the journeymen at this level, they're just that little bit tougher than you'd expect," he said.

"My dad has done amazing for himself through boxing and I can do the same for me and my kids. That's the plan."

Hatton's fight with Martinez - a 29-year-old with a 2-4 pro record - will be just behind world champion Lawrence Okolie on the undercard on Saturday.

His long-term plan is to headline a stadium fight in his home city - perhaps at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium.

But his only goal on Saturday is to improve on his last performance.

"I want to take one thing at a time," he said. "There's enough pressure on me as there is. It's not going to happen overnight."

Hatton said Conor Benn, whose father Nigel was also a two-weight world champion like Ricky, is the example he wants to follow. Benn is now 19-0 and on the path to a world-title fight after beginning his career under intense pressure to emulate his father.

"He's like the perfect blueprint for how my career needs to go," said Hatton.

"He's in a similar position to me. There is a lot of pressure on him. He was quite raw and he didn't have a massive amateur background.

"He was active and put the work in the gym. I need to do the same. There's no way my dad and Matthew will let me get too big for my boots.

"There's no secret to how you get to the top. That's what I'm going to do."
 
Anthony Joshua has commended Oleksandr Usyk for "jumping in at the deep end" with his world heavyweight title tilt after just two fights in the class.

Britain's Joshua will defend his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles against Usyk in London on Saturday.

Ukrainian Usyk is the mandatory WBO challenger and held all four belts at cruiserweight before moving up in 2018.

He beat Chazz Witherspoon in 2019 before picking apart Britain's Derek Chisora in a points win in November.

"When [Evander] Holyfield came up to heavyweight I think he had six fights at heavyweight before he fought for the championship belt," said Joshua, who was ringside as Usyk beat Chisora.

"Usyk's fought two heavyweights. He's jumping in at the deep end early on.

"But good luck to him - he must believe in himself. He wants to be at the top end early. It's better to swim deep - get in there and get on with it - rather than tread water.

"You could still end up drowning anyway. You could still get caught in a current and drown. You might as well jump in the deep end and try to survive."

Is Usyk Joshua's biggest challenge so far? - 5 Live Boxing
More than 60,000 fans are expected to watch Joshua take on fellow London 2012 gold medallist Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which will host boxing's first major stadium fight in the UK since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

Joshua, 31, is expected to weigh in at more than a stone heavier than his 34-year-old opponent, despite recent photos suggesting he has a leaner physique.

"I've been doing a lot of sparring to be honest, which is also physical: pushing, shoving, defending. I've been doing heavy bag work so maybe I'm just shedding a lot of the weight," he said.

"Advantages physically is one thing but it doesn't make the world's tallest man the heavyweight champion of the world. You have to have the mental capacity to do what you do. He's coming to the ring confident, and so am I.

"In boxing, you have to be aggressive and beat that confidence out of your opponent. It's easy to watch on YouTube and watch from the outside but until you're in front of someone it's then a completely different ballgame.

"This is heavyweight boxing and I'm the heavyweight champion of the world. I don't play games. I'm here to win."
 
Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Caleb Plant's first press conference to promote their world super-middleweight unification fight turned violent on Tuesday as the pair traded blows.

Mexican Alvarez, 31, shoved Plant in the chest, sending the unbeaten American staggering across the stage.

Alvarez then evaded a punch from Plant before landing two of his own to cut the 29-year-old under his right eye.

The fight takes place in Las Vegas on 6 November.

Alvarez is the current WBC, WBA and WBO title holder, having beaten British boxers Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders to win the belts, while Plant holds the IBF version.

When the pair came out again at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills following their initial altercation, Plant accused Alvarez of being a "drug cheat", a reference to Alvarez's positive test for a banned steroid in 2018.

"Don't make excuses before the fight," responded Alvarez, who has lost just once in 59 professional fights.

He also claimed the brawl had been instigated by Plant insulting his mother.

"He can say whatever he wants to me, but not to my mum," Alvarez said. "He swung, I just pushed him."

Tennessee native Plant, who holds a 21-0 record, aimed a left hook at Alvarez after he was pushed and blamed the melee on his rival.

"All we was doing was staring at each other. He had something to say, I had something to say. He's going to beat me, I'm going beat him," he said.

"And then he did what he did."
 
Eh, the Canelo fight is meh!

Interesting article about Hatton, I don't think he has the makings of a top level boxer. He looked terrible in his debut and gassed quickly.
 
KingKhanWC said:
If Usyk can turn this into a proper boxing fight, he can outbox AJ.

AJ needs a KO imo.
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For Usyk to win on points, he’d need to do what Fury did to Wladmir in Germany, if it’s close or competitive, AJ will get the champions home fighter decision. In a way, while maybe not popular, think his best way to win will be to KO AJ and maybe Usyk fancies doing that!

AJ will be a big favourite though, Usyk is a master boxer and you don’t rule out an Olympic Champion but he only had a couple of fights at Heavyweight, Holyfield had like 5 or 6 before his title shot against Douglas, you can perhaps counter that with well he’s a bit heavier then Holyfield was and Mike to, I know it isn’t necessarily a black/white comparison though and how he has grown into that weight is the big question.
 
KingKhanWC said:
If Usyk can turn this into a proper boxing fight, he can outbox AJ.

AJ needs a KO imo.
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AJ is a good technical boxer too, though. He was Olympic Champion if you recall. I think he should close in and use his greater power, stop Usyk early.
 
Robert said:
AJ is a good technical boxer too, though. He was Olympic Champion if you recall. I think he should close in and use his greater power, stop Usyk early.
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In almost every fight in the Olympics it could have gone either way, remember Wilder has a Olympic medal to. He has some solid fundamentals but from what I’ve seen in his career, he is best suited to bull-dozing opponents on the front foot but mixing it up a little bit by holding them off with his jab. In any case, he should’t have trouble against a Cruiserweight….
 
BREAKING: Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua to become the new world heavyweight champion.
 
usyk fought brilliantly, but AJ looked all over the place. will pbly go for a rematch and try to do what he did with ruiz, aim for a boring points win to get his career back on track. as good as usyk is, fury is still the boss of the hw division imo tho.
 
As I said in the other thread:

The most over hyped British Boxer in history, the amount of drivel I have seen over the past few weeks or so from his casual fans has been nothing short of embarrassing, AJ has been hyped to the moon and marketed so well that the plus side of his delusion is that he attracts new fans in Britain, mostly the Friday night drunk yobs, England footy fans and casuals who don’t know anything about boxing. But if you carefully study his resume you’d see that he has never beaten a Top 3 HW at their championship peak or prime and has a record which is extremely padded but he has been hyped and built so well that even a thrashing against short notice opponent Ruiz didn’t silence the hype train.

Usyk is highly skilled, an Olympic Gold medalist and no doubt he was expected to give AJ problems, but after all he was a Cruiserweight in his 3rd fight at Heavyweight! fighting for the unified world championship, this is history and a monumental upset of epic proportions, not even Holyfield achieved this, he fought for the title in his 5th or 6th fight at Heavyweight, so you can gauge the huge size advantage which AJ possessed, for all the size, physicality, every bell and every whistle - he just lacks Heart, now getting smashed to bits by a Cruser essentially, how humiliating, this is a horrible result for British Boxing and personally I really wanted to see Fury/AJ given the non-sensical hatred and criticism which is constantly directed at Tyson who btw may even lose himself potentially, but it wont be against a glorified Cruser.

Pathetic home town cooking at the end there, the ref should have stopped the fight when AJ was unable to protect himself, maybe he was hoping the judged would call it a draw but what’s more shocking is that Usyk got the unanimous decision in one of the most corrupt Boxing country’s in the world.

But I will add to this:

Tremendous performance by Usyk, the will, heart and determination to stick in there with a big Heavyweight was nothing short of remarkable, he has immense skill, but in these moments your heart makes a big difference and especially when you climb up in weight and are challenging a unified world champion in your third fight in the division! Usyk has made history which some ATG’s did not match in the past and had to deal with carrying extra weight with all that movement which really tests your mental strength and conditioning at the death, but he paced himself intelligently, moved laterally out the southpaw stance and constantly moved outside AJ’d lead foot which took out much of the champions buzz in his shots, his head movement was brilliant and as were his use of feints, the looping left hand from over the top and side gave AJ issues all night, AJ tried to do the right thing by going to the body and had his moments but am afraid he just lacks heart at the highest level, it wasn’t just a matter of being outclassed, Usyk took his heart to.
 
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Such was the domination that they couldn't rob Usyk in London. AJ has always been over paid vs his actual boxing ability and fighting heart.
 
Anthony Joshua's world heavyweight championship reign ended by Oleksandr Usyk's spectacular performance

Anthony Joshua was beaten by a glorious display of skill from Oleksandr Usyk in their pulsating world heavyweight championship fight at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.

Joshua's reign as IBF, WBA and WBO champion was ended in a sensational fight which Usyk took by a unanimous decision after a scintillating performance.

Joshua was badly hurt in the third round and then forced to cling on in the closing seconds of a fight which will live long in the memory.

The second defeat of Joshua's career, after he was upset by Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019, will now devastate hopes of the dream undisputed title fight against Tyson Fury, who again faces Deontay Wilder on October 9, after Usyk inflicted another twist in this incredible division.

Though Joshua was brave and gutsy, and caused damage on his challenger's face, the night belonged to Usyk who became only the third boxer (after Evander Holyfield and David Haye) to win world titles at cruiserweight and heavyweight.

He was the undisputed cruiserweight champion and is now only missing the WBC belt, owned by Fury, to match that feat at heavyweight.

Usyk twice touched Joshua with his fast left hand inside the opening round - any idea that he would box cautiously evaporated within seconds when his intention became clear to take the centre of the ring.

The speed and movement of Usyk was mesmerising for the first few rounds and he was constantly beating Joshua to the punch.

Joshua's legs dramatically dipped, causing the crowd to gasp, when Usyk staggered him with another brilliant left hand at the conclusion of the third round.

Joshua landed his first significant right hand in the fifth round, drawing a wry smile from Usyk, but it was clear that the champion had finally left his mark. He found another right hand on the bell for the end of the fifth.

Those shots forced Usyk onto his back foot in the sixth, when Joshua landed an even more solid right hand. Usyk ended the round with a black eye and a reddened face having felt his power.

Joshua's confidence grew as he landed a left hook to the body but, when he went upstairs, Usyk shot back with venom.

Joshua was then sent staggering backwards, and he did well to maintain his footing, when Usyk clipped him with a left hand in an engrossing seventh.

Joshua thudded several powerful body punches home in the eighth - it was clear that the enigmatic Ukrainian was feeling the extra weight of the Brit in those shots.

Both fighters had substantial wounds by the 10th - Usyk was cut and had blood seeping into his eye, but more worryingly Joshua's right eye was badly swollen.

Usyk's fast start in the 11th had Joshua off-balance and in danger of tumbling over, although the champion did fire back.

Usyk was throwing more punches but Joshua was bravely standing his ground and trying gallantly to cling onto his titles.

Joshua was forced to desperately survive on the ropes as the final bell rang under an intense onslaught from Usyk. He stayed upright but it was not enough to salvage his second reign as champion.

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/ne...ed-by-oleksandr-usyks-spectacular-performance
 
Some thoughts from the victor Oleksandr Usyk on his dominant win:

"I had no objective to knock him out because my trainer, in my corner, pushed me not to do that. In the beginning I hit him hard and tried to knock him out. But then my trainer said: 'Just stop, and do your job'."

"You didn't see the best Usyk. I can be much better."

Usyk reflected on becoming only the third boxer ever to become a world champion at cruiserweight and heavyweight: "This means a lot to me.

"The fight went exactly the way I expected it to go"

"There were a couple of moments where Anthony pushed me hard. But nothing special."
 
I guess the fury joshua fight won't happen now .

But credit to usyk he was brilliant
 
Well, that was not part of the script.

Anthony Joshua's world-title defeat by Oleksandr Usyk in London on Saturday has redefined boxing's heavyweight landscape - and seems to have put a tantalising all-British match-up with Tyson Fury further away than ever.

Earlier this year, it felt as if we were so close to an official announcement confirming a once-in-a-generation super-fight between Joshua - who held the WBA, WBO and IBF titles - and WBC champion Fury. Britain was finally on course for its first undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era...

But when an arbitration hearing ruled in May that Fury had to fight American Deontay Wilder again, Joshua instead prepared to face his WBO mandatory challenger Usyk.

Both Britons needed to win their fights. But before we could get to Fury's October meeting with Wilder, Joshua was outclassed by Ukrainian Usyk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

BBC Sport explores what this now means for the heavyweight division - and whether a Fury-Joshua clash could still take place.

Does Joshua need to fight Usyk again first?
Just minutes after being beaten comprehensively on points by Usyk, Joshua was thinking about evoking the rematch clause in their contract.

"The first thing he said in the changing room was 'I know I can beat him, I know what I need to do'," his promoter Eddie Hearn told BBC Radio 5 Live's Boxing Podcast.

When Joshua surprisingly lost to Mexican Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019, he avenged the defeat and won back the WBO, WBA and IBF belts six months later.

Usyk, however, provides a different, and arguably more difficult, challenge.

Former world champion Carl Froch does not think a rematch is the most sensible next step for Joshua.

"It's not one where I think Joshua can't come back from it - he certainly can - but the immediate rematch, for me, is not the right thing to do," Froch said.

The extent of the eye injury Joshua suffered on Saturday will dictate if and when we see the rematch, but BBC boxing pundit Steve Bunce believes the two could meet again at London's Wembley Stadium in April or May.

"I would love to have the rematch at Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kiev," Usyk said after Saturday's victory - although Hearn quickly shut that down, talking about "maximising income" in London.

For a fight with Fury to materialise in 2022, Joshua will want to - and perhaps needs to - reclaim those world title belts.

Fury beats Wilder - then what?

Anthony Joshua v Oleksandr Usyk: I'll still fight Tyson Fury without the belts - Joshua
Usyk may have thwarted immediate plans for that all-British super-fight, but Morecambe-based Fury has his own battle to overcome first.

On 9 October in Las Vegas, Fury will defend his title in his third fight against Wilder. The first fight ended in a draw before Fury convincingly won the second via a seventh-round stoppage.

After the one-sided nature of their last encounter, Fury will be the heavy favourite to defend his crown.

Joshua has said he will face Fury even without the belts. But it may not be that simple. Indeed, if Fury beats Wilder and settles that rivalry once and for all, it could push a contest with Joshua even further away.

One stumbling block has always been which fighter is considered the 'A side' and deserves a larger chunk of the purse.

Despite his global appeal and following, Joshua no longer has a world title. That makes difficult negations even more challenging.

Fury's co-promoter Frank Warren is not optimistic the fight will take place.

Warren said: "I don't see it happening now. If it did happen, what would Tyson have done to him? It wouldn't have gone 12 rounds. Tyson would have destroyed him."

Todd du Boef, president of Fury's co-promoters Top Rank, believes the fight with Joshua could happen, but is reluctant to say when. "I absolutely think there's a chance we'll see it," he told 5 Live Boxing. "People are very forgiving. When we said will we never see Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson, it ended up happening. "It may not be in the prime of their careers but it ended up happening."

Tyson Fury - who has a record of 30 wins and one draw - has not fought since beating Deontay Wilder in February 2020
Wilder may not possess Fury's ring craft or Joshua's repertoire of punches, but he's one of the most dangerous knockout artists in the division's history.

He boast a record of 41 stoppages in 42 wins, with one draw and one defeat - both against Fury.

It is not inconceivable that he could inflict the first loss in Fury's professional career when the two meet in less than a fortnight.

Yet that could actually bring us closer to a Fury-Joshua contest.

No world titles. Both fighters with blemishes on the records. No 'A side' and no egos.

It would just be two fighters scrapping it out to stake their claim as the best in Britain.

As Joshua said: "The road to undisputed [champion] is a nice title to have and chase - but would you still watch it without the belts?

"The main thing is that you have got two competitive fighters in the ring from UK soil that just want to go toe-to-toe."

Another Briton in the mix is Dillian Whyte, who is likely to be made the mandatory opponent for the winner of Wilder and Fury.

The Londoner holds the WBC interim heavyweight belt and could finally land his long-awaited world-title shot.

Fury and Whyte have been involved in several social media spats in recent years, and while it may not hold the same prestige as Fury-Joshua, it's a fight which will attract global attention.

We cannot rule out a rematch between Whyte and Joshua, either.

The two met in a bad-blooded affair for the British title in 2015. Joshua won by a seventh-round stoppage but Whyte has improved significantly since then.

And the battle of words may have started, with Whyte describing Joshua as "gun shy" in the loss to Usyk.

"I don't know, he lacked ambition in the ring there tonight," he said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

But Whyte has business to take care of before he can start thinking about Wilder, Fury or even Joshua.

The 33-year-old - who has a record of 28 wins and two losses - will take on tricky Swedish southpaw Otto Wallin at the O2 Arena in London on 30 October.

Britain is blessed with many world-level heavyweight boxers, but one perhaps going under the radar is WBO number two-ranked challenger Joe Joyce.

In just 13 professional fights, the 2016 Olympic silver medallist already has some notable names on his records with wins over former world champion Bermane Stiverne, world-title challengers Bryant Jennings and Carlos Takam, and highly rated prospect Daniel Dubois.

Warren, who promotes Joyce through his Queensbury company, believes his fighter should get a shot at Usyk next.

"Number one is Joyce - we'll be pushing for that," Warren said.

"The WBO said before this fight if Usyk won, he'd have to fight him. They're trying now to push it back but we're not going to stand for that.

"A rematch contract has nothing to do with the organisation. If they say no, it's a no."

Who else is there?
Most of the fighters already mentioned are household names, but there are a few who could be knocking on the door in the next year or two.

American Trevor Bryan holds the WBA regular title, while Croat Filip Hrgovic and Frenchman Tony Yoka are both rated highly. All three are undefeated.

Ruiz Jr is looking to get back to world-title contention under the tutelage of new coach Eddy Reynoso, who trains pound-for-pound Mexican Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez.

And 24-year-old Londoner Dubois has bounced back from his loss to Joyce with two knockout wins and is ranked number one with the WBA.

As Usyk has shown this weekend, never write anyone off in the heavyweight division.
 
Fury Joshua is like Tony Khabib. Will remain nothing but a dream. It’s always teased but never happens. Sigh.

Still, what a win.
 
shaz619 said:
For Usyk to win on points, he’d need to do what Fury did to Wladmir in Germany, if it’s close or competitive, AJ will get the champions home fighter decision. In a way, while maybe not popular, think his best way to win will be to KO AJ and maybe Usyk fancies doing that!

AJ will be a big favourite though, Usyk is a master boxer and you don’t rule out an Olympic Champion but he only had a couple of fights at Heavyweight, Holyfield had like 5 or 6 before his title shot against Douglas, you can perhaps counter that with well he’s a bit heavier then Holyfield was and Mike to, I know it isn’t necessarily a black/white comparison though and how he has grown into that weight is the big question.
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I always felt Uysk would win by a good margin if it went the distance, which is what happened. Rematch will likely also be in London as it will likely produce the most revenue but maybe in Saudi, cant see it happening in Kiev.

Amazing performance, totally schooled AJ, who is not a natural boxer but just a good strong athlete who can punch. Some saying AJ should have gone in harder but as you know this isnt easy if you are countered every time.

Robert said:
AJ is a good technical boxer too, though. He was Olympic Champion if you recall. I think he should close in and use his greater power, stop Usyk early.
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AJ made the mistake of his career trying to outbox a natural boxer. AJ is average at best with boxing skills, his strength was power, quick attacks but imo he doesnt the heart as some of the great HW's in yesteryear.
 
aj will have to dig deep, but if he really wants it i think he takes it back. he ate 4 or 5 strong power punches form usyk, in return the two or three power punches he got off rocked usyk in the middle rounds.

aj needs to aim to just eat usyks fists for 3 or 4 rounds and prey he can counter with the money shot and aj has a chance. basically do a wilder, altho fear of wilder counters get into opposition heads, unlike AJ.
 
Lol at people saying AJ should have gone to war. To do that you need a solid chin, a solid gas tank and a big heart, he doesn't have any of these. He has become a scared fighter after the Klitshko fight and then the Ruiz fight. He knows his limitations.
 
Manny Pacquiao retires aged 42, 26 years in boxing, more championships than just about anybody else in the sport's history. This is the greatest fighter I have had the privilege to view in my life (yes, greater than Leonard too) and the last of the true greats to retire (Wlad gone, Hopkins gone, Mayweather a sideshow act...).

It's a sad day for boxing fans.
 
Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao has announced his retirement from the sport to focus on his political career.

The multi-division world champion, who is a senator in his native Philippines, has already announced his intention to run for president in the country's 2022 elections.

The 42-year-old's final fight was a defeat by Cuba's Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas last month.

"I just heard the final bell. Boxing is over," said Pacquiao.

In a video posted on social media, Pacquiao described retiring as the "hardest decision" of his life, adding boxing had given him "the chance to fight my way out of poverty" and "the courage to change more lives".

He also thanked his fans, friends and all those who supported him throughout his career, most notably long-time trainer Freddie Roach, who he described as "my family, a brother and a friend".

"I will never forget what I have done and accomplished in my life," he said.

After growing up in poverty in the south of the Philippines, Pacquiao moved to the capital Manila as a teenager to start a boxing career that would make him one of the world's most highly paid athletes.

He won his first major title in 1998 at the age of 19, defeating Thailand's Chatchai Sasakul for the WBC flyweight title.

Within three years he was fighting in Las Vegas, beating South Africa's Lehlohonolo Ledwaba for the IBF super bantamweight title at the MGM Grand, the venue for most of his fights in the following two decades.

He is now regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time, winning 12 different titles across eight weight divisions and is the only boxer to hold world championships across four decades.

In July 2019, Pacquiao became the oldest welterweight world champion in history at the age of 40 when he defeated Keith Thurman to win the WBA (Super) welterweight title, though he was stripped of the title in January 2021 because of inactivity.

Speaking after his defeat to Ugas in August, Pacquiao said he was "60-40" in favour of quitting.

He retires with a record of 62 wins, eight defeats and two draws.

Pacquiao entered politics in 2010 when he won a seat in the lower house of the Philippines congress, before being elected for a six-year term in the upper chamber in 2016.

He confirmed earlier this month his intention to run for president after he was nominated as a candidate by a faction of the ruling party, PDP-Laban.
 
Tyson Fury 'absolutely wounded' by Anthony Joshua's loss to Oleksandr Usyk

Tyson Fury said he was "absolutely wounded" that British heavyweight rival Anthony Joshua lost the WBA, WBO and IBF titles to Oleksandr Usyk.

WBC champion Fury looked set for a unification bout with Joshua earlier this year before an arbitration hearing ruled he had to fight Deontay Wilder.

Usyk beat Joshua by a unanimous points decision in London last Saturday.

"I was hoping Joshua could win the fight, but he couldn't - and that's none of my business," said Fury.

"Did I watch the fight? Yes I did. Was I absolutely wounded that he won? Yes I was."

Unbeaten Fury will face American Wilder on 9 October in Las Vegas in what will be their third fight. The pair drew their first bout in December 2018 and the Briton won the next by a seventh round knockout in February 2020.

The trilogy fight was scheduled to take place in Las Vegas on 24 July but was postponed after Fury tested positive for coronavirus.

"The only thing I'm bothered about is beating Deontay Wilder, and that's the most dangerous heavyweight out there," Fury added.

"In my opinion, Wilder beats Joshua, Usyk, all the rest of the division, comfortable - but he cannot beat me."

Meanwhile, Joshua plans to activate a rematch clause to fight Ukraine's Usyk again following the second loss of his career.

"My advice to Joshua in the rematch is get stuck in the best way he knows how, put his best foot forward and swing away, Jack, swing away," said Fury.

He added he had "no interest in slating anybody or kicking anybody while they are down" as "it ain't my style".

"I like to pick on someone who is doing well, successful, on top of the game - I don't like picking on people who are down and probably at their lowest point and probably mentally unstable and unwell with a big loss after such a long reign," said Fury.

"Usyk did his job, he had to do what he had to do, and that's that, and Joshua has got to do what he has got to do."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/58745030
 
MenInG said:
Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao has announced his retirement from the sport to focus on his political career.

The multi-division world champion, who is a senator in his native Philippines, has already announced his intention to run for president in the country's 2022 elections.

The 42-year-old's final fight was a defeat by Cuba's Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas last month.

"I just heard the final bell. Boxing is over," said Pacquiao.

In a video posted on social media, Pacquiao described retiring as the "hardest decision" of his life, adding boxing had given him "the chance to fight my way out of poverty" and "the courage to change more lives".

He also thanked his fans, friends and all those who supported him throughout his career, most notably long-time trainer Freddie Roach, who he described as "my family, a brother and a friend".

"I will never forget what I have done and accomplished in my life," he said.

After growing up in poverty in the south of the Philippines, Pacquiao moved to the capital Manila as a teenager to start a boxing career that would make him one of the world's most highly paid athletes.

He won his first major title in 1998 at the age of 19, defeating Thailand's Chatchai Sasakul for the WBC flyweight title.

Within three years he was fighting in Las Vegas, beating South Africa's Lehlohonolo Ledwaba for the IBF super bantamweight title at the MGM Grand, the venue for most of his fights in the following two decades.

He is now regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time, winning 12 different titles across eight weight divisions and is the only boxer to hold world championships across four decades.

In July 2019, Pacquiao became the oldest welterweight world champion in history at the age of 40 when he defeated Keith Thurman to win the WBA (Super) welterweight title, though he was stripped of the title in January 2021 because of inactivity.

Speaking after his defeat to Ugas in August, Pacquiao said he was "60-40" in favour of quitting.

He retires with a record of 62 wins, eight defeats and two draws.

Pacquiao entered politics in 2010 when he won a seat in the lower house of the Philippines congress, before being elected for a six-year term in the upper chamber in 2016.

He confirmed earlier this month his intention to run for president after he was nominated as a candidate by a faction of the ruling party, PDP-Laban.
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I have tears in my eyes today, we were truly blessed to have been alive during the breathtaking greatness of Manny Pacquiao
 
ElRaja said:
aj will have to dig deep, but if he really wants it i think he takes it back. he ate 4 or 5 strong power punches form usyk, in return the two or three power punches he got off rocked usyk in the middle rounds.

aj needs to aim to just eat usyks fists for 3 or 4 rounds and prey he can counter with the money shot and aj has a chance. basically do a wilder, altho fear of wilder counters get into opposition heads, unlike AJ.
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I dont think usyk"s power punches amount to much atleast not at this weight class. AJ simply got outboxed and he seemed scared of being countered by Usyk's left .

He didnt do jack until the 5th round. He should have looked to land as many hooks to the body as possible to slow usyk down.

A bit cowardly from AJ and very disappointed. I thought he was the next Lennox Lewis but clearly he's not.
 
Nikhil_cric said:
I dont think usyk"s power punches amount to much atleast not at this weight class. AJ simply got outboxed and he seemed scared of being countered by Usyk's left .

He didnt do jack until the 5th round. He should have looked to land as many hooks to the body as possible to slow usyk down.

A bit cowardly from AJ and very disappointed. I thought he was the next Lennox Lewis but clearly he's not.
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Usyk had moved up but he weighed his career heaviest, his power ought to develop even further as he grows into the division much like it did for Holyfield who was knocking out Heavyweights left, right and centre the moment he moved up, it also partly comes down to a fighter’s style and their tactics (Uneducated fans use to call the likes of Fury and Mayweather feather dusters to), Usyk hits a lot harder then it seems and Derek Chisora (a heavyweight) highlighted this to but historically he is a master boxer who doesn’t necessarily sit on his punches by looking for the KO and out works you, but there were times in the fight early on when he did and to avoid getting countered himself his corner advised him to avoid looking for the KO and employ his usual tactics of adapting to his opponents positioning and catching them off guard with his angles.

Having said that, off course it’s reasonable to assume AJ shouldn’t have worried about Usyk’s power as much as he would a Wilder for example, but we weren’t in the ring that night and it’s not easy against versatile technicians, but AJ was tentative also because of his previous KO loss and I would agree he did lack some courage to apply pressure and turn it into a brawl with Usyk, I think he will try to do that next time, his corner was pretty ignorant to and didn’t get him to change his plan at any time in the fight.

Whoever was calling him the next Lewis etc or over-hyping him to the moon are mainly casuals and new fans he has attracted in the UK, doing these multiple stadium events has rarely been done this century in the UK
 
Nikhil_cric said:
I dont think usyk"s power punches amount to much atleast not at this weight class. AJ simply got outboxed and he seemed scared of being countered by Usyk's left .

He didnt do jack until the 5th round. He should have looked to land as many hooks to the body as possible to slow usyk down.

A bit cowardly from AJ and very disappointed. I thought he was the next Lennox Lewis but clearly he's not.
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basically look for an all out 6 round brawl, which i think he would win.

lennox is generally under rated imo, hes arguably one of the best heavy weights of all time, and undisputed one of the best of his era imo.

AJ's ceiling is a level below the GOAT heavy weights.
 
ElRaja said:
basically look for an all out 6 round brawl, which i think he would win.

lennox is generally under rated imo, hes arguably one of the best heavy weights of all time, and undisputed one of the best of his era imo.

AJ's ceiling is a level below the GOAT heavy weights.
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Potentially multiple levels below, no win against a top 3 Heavyweight in their prime / championship peak.
 
shaz619 said:
Usyk had moved up but he weighed his career heaviest, his power ought to develop even further as he grows into the division much like it did for Holyfield who was knocking out Heavyweights left, right and centre the moment he moved up, it also partly comes down to a fighterÂ’s style and their tactics (Uneducated fans use to call the likes of Fury and Mayweather feather dusters to), Usyk hits a lot harder then it seems and Derek Chisora (a heavyweight) highlighted this to but historically he is a master boxer who doesnÂ’t necessarily sit on his punches by looking for the KO and out works you, but there were times in the fight early on when he did and to avoid getting countered himself his corner advised him to avoid looking for the KO and employ his usual tactics of adapting to his opponents positioning and catching them off guard with his angles.

Having said that, off course itÂ’s reasonable to assume AJ shouldnÂ’t have worried about UsykÂ’s power as much as he would a Wilder for example, but we werenÂ’t in the ring that night and itÂ’s not easy against versatile technicians, but AJ was tentative also because of his previous KO loss and I would agree he did lack some courage to apply pressure and turn it into a brawl with Usyk, I think he will try to do that next time, his corner was pretty ignorant to and didnÂ’t get him to change his plan at any time in the fight.

Whoever was calling him the next Lewis etc or over-hyping him to the moon are mainly casuals and new fans he has attracted in the UK, doing these multiple stadium events has rarely been done this century in the UK
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Holyfield was an exception though. There are not too many fighters who fought at cruiserweight and went on to become quality heavyweights. And even he was a bit dodgy . He gained about 25 lbs and is suspected to have heavily abused HGH at the time and despite all that weight gain, he was still among the lightest heavyweights in the 90's!!!

Also, Holyfield in his fights against Foreman, Bowe, etc. did not just box but has this ability to spring in and counter with multiple punches and put pressure on his opponents.
Usyk similarly jumps in and out of his opponents' range like Holyfield used but he does not seem as active or as ready to trade etc.
 
Nikhil_cric said:
Holyfield was an exception though. There are not too many fighters who fought at cruiserweight and went on to become quality heavyweights. And even he was a bit dodgy . He gained about 25 lbs and is suspected to have heavily abused HGH at the time and despite all that weight gain, he was still among the lightest heavyweights in the 90's!!!

Also, Holyfield in his fights against Foreman, Bowe, etc. did not just box but has this ability to spring in and counter with multiple punches and put pressure on his opponents.
Usyk similarly jumps in and out of his opponents' range like Holyfield used but he does not seem as active or as ready to trade etc.
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PED abuse in those days wouldn’t be surprised if it was wide spread but it is a lot more regulated now, yeah that was a suspicion but difficult to confirm and you always get whispers whenever someone moves up, but I always felt the transition from the CW to HW was a lot more natural also when you consider how CW has only been around since the 80s to.

It comes down to the different styles as I said, Holyfield thrived on applying pressure and in-fighting (both do move in and out but Usyk movement a lot more dynamic and lateral), he sat on his punches a lot more then Usyk but point being, if you grow into your weight, plant your feet and twist your hips - you’re going to hit very hard in Heavyweight boxing. Usyk is very active with his work rate but I’d agree on the not as ready to trade part because in his career he would forgo power for accuracy and more control, but we’ve also seen his ability to adapt and I’d not say he isn’t capable of getting fighters out of there if that’s a part of his strategy on the night (see his fight vs Bellew), especially someone like AJ who is a little chinny - if it were another country, maybe the ref would have stepped in during Rd 12 and awarded Usyk the TKO victory
 
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YOU KHAN DO IT Amir Khan’s cousin Abdul, 19, set to make pro debut in Dubai as former world champion tips him for the top

AMIR KHAN might be winding down his glittering career — but he is launching another Bolton banger into the fight game.

Cousin Abdul, 19, will box on the undercard of a Dubai show Amir hosts on October 16 while training for his retirement clash with Kell Brook.

The talented teen has the same thick Northern accent and down-to-earth charm as his famous mentor.

Abdul is even kicking off his pro career with Humphrey Harrison, the brother of Amir’s first proper trainer — the late and much respected Oliver.

And the former light-welterweight champion, 34, reckons his protege is ready to shine after Covid KO’d amateur boxing for so long.

Amir said: “Abdul is a very special talent and I’m extremely excited to see him join the professional ranks.

“I have followed his career since his first amateur fight around seven years ago and his potential excites me.

“With so much uncertainty around amateur boxing during lockdown, I recommended Abdul turn pro.

“When I’m watching him fight, it’s like looking at myself at that age, and we will have a special journey.”

Amir enjoyed the highest of highs — and some of the harshest lows, from brutal knockouts to the dark side of fame.

Yet Abdul revealed: “He never told me to avoid boxing, but also never urged me to get into it.

“I just loved it growing up, with Amir and David Haye especially.

“When the idea to turn professional started getting serious he gave me loads of advice and guidance.

“I’d watch Amir and he was so exciting — win or lose, he was never in a boring fight.

I am really confident for Amir in the Brook fight

Abdul Khan
“My favourite fight of his is Marcos Maidana, where he showed such heart and proved he could fight a fighter and beat him at his own game.”

Amir whisked Abdul out to Dubai for a few training sessions and desert runs in August and he went on the pads with the rapid-handed veteran.

He is now in Colorado training as talks continue over a December grudge match with Sheffield hero Brook, 35.

Abdul is confident his mentor’s last dance will be a successful one — after struggling to keep pace with the father of three.

And his dream is to do battle with a rival prospect from Brook’s brilliant Ingle Gym to make the showdown a full-blown family affair.

The super bantamweight said: “I am really confident for Amir in the Brook fight. I am a good runner and he has been outdoing me, even though he is older and heavier.

“I think Amir’s speed will always be there but it even surprised me how rapid he still is.

“People will think I am biased, but I really think he can stop Brook.

“I never got to go to any of Amir’s fights because I was too young, so it would be a great story if I end up on the undercard of the first one that I can attend.”

The inaugural Amir Khan Crypto Fight Night is taking place at La Perle, Dubai

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/16425787/amir-khan-abdul-cousing-boxing/
 
American Shakur Stevenson stopped compatriot Jamel Herring in the 10th round to win the WBO super-featherweight title in Atlanta.

Unbeaten Stevenson, 24, is now a two-weight champion after dominating Herring, 35, who had retired Carl Frampton after stopping him in April.

Stevenson's power and speed were too much for Herring who cut his eye in the ninth, before the referee stepped in.

"I wanted to show everything tonight," said Stevenson.

"I wanted a fun fight: show my skills, my boxing, my power."

The Olympic silver medallist and former featherweight champion, who is now unbeaten in 17 professional fights, added: "I want to be a superstar in the sport; I'm here to last."

The defeat was Herring's third loss in 26 fights while this was Stevenson's ninth knockout of his career.
 
MenInG said:
American Shakur Stevenson stopped compatriot Jamel Herring in the 10th round to win the WBO super-featherweight title in Atlanta.

Unbeaten Stevenson, 24, is now a two-weight champion after dominating Herring, 35, who had retired Carl Frampton after stopping him in April.

Stevenson's power and speed were too much for Herring who cut his eye in the ninth, before the referee stepped in.

"I wanted to show everything tonight," said Stevenson.

"I wanted a fun fight: show my skills, my boxing, my power."

The Olympic silver medallist and former featherweight champion, who is now unbeaten in 17 professional fights, added: "I want to be a superstar in the sport; I'm here to last."

The defeat was Herring's third loss in 26 fights while this was Stevenson's ninth knockout of his career.
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Spectacular performance from the silver medalist, saved his very best for a high profile fight in his career thus far, when you are mentored by Ward and idolise him, this is the result. As he experiences further success, main challenge will be to remain disciplined outside the ring; not always easy in the early part of a fighter’s career when you’re a young prospect with more attention on you then normal. Between 126-130, he should do very well otherwise.
 
Remarkable the types of fighters and fights which are now being held for so called world championships.
 
Ireland's Jason Quigley suffered a second-round knockout as he was overwhelmed by Demetrius Andrade in his WBO world middleweight title bid.

The Donegal fighter, 30, was knocked down three times by the American title holder in New Hampshire.

Andrade had his opponent down in the first round and twice in the second before the referee stopped the fight.

"I did what I said. I felt good and sent a message. You wanted KOs I did them," said the winner.

He is already anticipating his next fight, either against the Mexican Jaime Munguia or against the winner or loser of the fight between the Kazakh Gennadiy Golovkin, holder of the IBF belt, and the Japanese Ryota Murata, scheduled for 29 December.

It was a 21st professional fight for Quigley and the first time he had challenged for a world title.

Andrade - a two-weight world champion, Olympian and a former world amateur champion - took control of the bout from the early seconds and was never threatened.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/59358130
 
The toughest test of his career and Crawford comes out shining like a star, Porter has consistently ranked among the top 3-4 welterweights in the division and most notably, lost very close decisions to the likes of Thurman and Spence; he was their greatest opponent and to his own credit, was a 2-time world champion.

Terence having started his career at 135ln, had moved up to the elite 147 lb division, when you look at the names over the past decade or so who have fought in it, a big percentage of the top 10 most likely will end up as Hall of Famers one day, that is the level of quality and talent we've been blessed with. So when Crawford moved up to 147 lb, there was always that question ? , this guy is class, he passes the eye test, he can fight out of both stances and you wouldn't be able to pick which one he is compatible in most, he moves exceptionally well, posses a high in-ring IQ and his ability to adapt is special - however they always would say, who has he fought? despite him beating the best before him, but after today, let their be no doubt.

Fighting a Porter at the top of his game who was a natural 147 pounder, much stronger, bigger and seasoned in the division would be a big test in itself, but the contender also bought his world class experience and incredibly difficult pressure fighting style which is not so easy to negotiate, especially if you're a boxer, Porter will come at you for every second of the fight, use his physical strength on the inside and throw bombs non-stop. And we saw that today, except Porter was smarter, he disturbed Crawford's rhythm with infrequent movement and aggression, picking his spots on the inside and moving out of range from time to time, all whilst maintaining his high work-rate, attacking head and body, trouble for Porter was he wasn't just up against a Boxer, he was up against a master, a mad scientist with ill intentions, despite the early onslaught from Porter, it may have seemed as though, outside a beautifully executed flurry here and there, Crawford was being pushed to the limit and in the fight of his life. But, Crawford was studying Porter for each and every second, plotting his killing blow in the heart of the storm. The thing is, great fighters need to be good for every minute of the fight, but legends only need a single moment to be brilliant and that's what it took in the end, you could sense it and it was a matter of not if but when, after setting up Porter with single shots to the body, an overzealous Porter was caught with a brutal left upper cut after missing his opponent with a looping combination - that was the the beginning of the end, for Porter's father was well aware of the clinical and brutal nature of Terence Crawford finish's, saving his son, he rose to the apron after the second knockdown.

Congrats to Porter on a fantastic fight and after his retirement announcement, also for one hell of a career. This is Terence Crawford's time however and he deserved to rank among the very best P4P in the world.
 

Fantastic fight and high quality action as expected from the 147 lb division, Porter had never been stopped previously, not by Thurman or Spence - fighters who started their careers as welterweights.
 
crawford is quality, reminds me of the skinny terminator t-1000 from the old films, just goes about so methodically. also put arum in his place for not securing the spence fight. hopefully 2022 will be the year.
 
ElRaja said:
crawford is quality, reminds me of the skinny terminator t-1000 from the old films, just goes about so methodically. also put arum in his place for not securing the spence fight. hopefully 2022 will be the year.
Click to expand...

His chin and grit are very under rated, he takes your best and just stands their smiling. Not a bloke you want to cross in a dark alley, he has the biggest killer instinct in the division. It’s not always easy to deal with PBC / Haymon but to Arum’s credit, he got the Porter fight which in theory could have been a good stepping stone to Spence - even if it was helped by Crawford’s friendship with Porter or the WBO forcing their hand, I think this may also be due to some of the comments Bob has made over the years about Crawford’s marketability and drawing power. Crawford could walk across the street to PBC, but he’d need to make sure the Spence fight is guaranteed before he signs, there are other options to such as DAZN, Goldenboy etc and even start his own company; in the end it also comes down to how much Spence wants this fight, with no Top Rank in the way, the motivations should be clear soon.
 
George Kambosos Jnr overwhelmed Teofimo Lopez with a relentless onslaught to become the new unified lightweight champion by split decision after a dramatic battle.

The Australian floored Lopez in the opening round and was then dropped himself in the 10th, but his sustained assault earned a stunning victory with scores of 115-112 and 115-111, while a third judge scored it 114-113 to the Brooklyn fighter.
 
MenInG said:
George Kambosos Jnr overwhelmed Teofimo Lopez with a relentless onslaught to become the new unified lightweight champion by split decision after a dramatic battle.

The Australian floored Lopez in the opening round and was then dropped himself in the 10th, but his sustained assault earned a stunning victory with scores of 115-112 and 115-111, while a third judge scored it 114-113 to the Brooklyn fighter.
Click to expand...

I am bemused by Lopez's reaction after the fight, he was comprehensively beaten by the stubborn Aussie, never underestimate your opponent or judge their statistics superficially. Kambosos's power punching ability was ridiculed emphatically, on the surface 50% KO's may have made him look like a feather duster but if you plant your feet and train for a specific power punch, you're bound to see a positive result. Kambosos style typically revolves around excellent movement and sharp shooting counters but he trained for that surprise knockdown in Rd 1, he anticipated Lopez's aggression and caught him flush with a looping overhand right, it wasn't a flash knockdown in my books, Lopez refused to adjust and was picked off all night and cut up really bad, a thoroughly deserved win for the Aussie, if Lopez's father was serious about his son winning then I think his son should get rid of him in my opinion.
 
An outstanding performance from Anthony THE BEAST Yarde, big fan of his crowd pleasing style, his mind wasn't in it last year when he dropped a close decision, he experienced loss during the pandemic and it hit him really hard in the final quarter of 2020. But on this occasion, he was on the money from Rd 1 and his work rate or engine wasn't going to be an issue, more importantly the mental pressure he applied to Lydon Arthur with his aggression must have been extremely exhausting. Yarde came out ferociously unleashing heavy blows and hurting Lydon with his combination punching to the body and head, he then settled into a rhythm, selectively picking his shots before cutting Arthur off with his fast feet and finishing him off with clubbing hooks, Yarde has been developing exceptionally well, he is smart enough not to punch himself out now and fights in bursts whilst maintaining a decent work rate, for a bloke with such a limited amateur career, I think I'd put him as the best Light Heavyweight in Britain right now and that is a big compliment when there's Buatsi out there and I think Callum Smith has moved up to. Fantastic win.

The co-main event, Skeete/Sheeraz, I actually had Skeete as my favourite to win, even with the inactivity he was a seasoned vet with a training camp behind him which was led by Ingle, even with the inactivity I expected him to really bring it and he was motivated, in one of the best performances of his career he was outboxing Sheeraz with his outstanding movement from the feet to the upper body and he was moving his head as though he saw the shots coming before Sheeraz let his hands go.

Sheeraz was chasing shadows all night, even with a long reach he failed to throw combinations, don't get me wrong it's easier said then done against a bloke who is so light on his feet, but Sheeraz failed to double up the jab or feint, Skeete was slipping shots and then he'd pivot away; a simple feint to get Bradley to slip and then hammer him with a Body shot as he'd move away could have been something he utilised, the other thing he did was have a predictable high guard throughout the fight and he'd just stick it right in front of Bradley, it's the stuff of dreams for fighters who train under Ingle, they'd work outside your eyeline and sneak upper cuts through the guard all night, Sheeraz could deploy such a guard for sure especially when in the storm but he can afford to drop his hands a little lower to improve his own visibility but also allow him to lean into the Jab and slip punches better. Am also disappointed in his corner, they never got him to make the most simple adjustments and didn't emphasise the body work enough even with their fighter being blessed with a long reach, on the plus side, when Sheeraz did feint, he was able to land a bit more and when he realised he was behind, he was cutting Bradley off with more urgency and landed a flurry, his ability to finish is a positive but unfortunately he did land two illegals blows while Skeete was on the floor, this reminds me a little of the Crawford/Khan ending which I feel should have been a DQ contest, after Skeete was hit, the ref gave him extra time to recover, after that time Skeete had the option to protest a DQ end but he did not, he said to the ref he was able to continue and the fight resumed and Sheeraz was deducted a point, the ref absolutely made the right decision. Sheeraz has plenty of raw ability and some physical attributes which can help him develop into a world class fighter one day but there is plenty to improve on and he needs to rethink which corner he'd like to support him along the way, I believe he trains in the US so there are many options.
 
BOXING UPDATE —

<b>BBC: Anthony Yarde stops Lyndon Arthur with spectacular performance in fourth round of thrilling rematch.</b>

Anthony Yarde gained revenge on Lyndon Arthur with a spectacular knockout performance in their light-heavyweight rematch at London's Copper Box Arena.

Yarde was a changed man from the one beaten convincingly by Arthur a year ago, setting a ferocious pace and landing hard shots from round one.

A game Arthur was forced into survival mode immediately. But he was eventually dropped in the fourth round under a flurry of eye-catching hooks from Yarde, succumbing to the first defeat of his career.

The start was night and day to the first round 12 months ago, with Londoner Yarde stepping on the gas from the off. The Manchester fighter - who was defending the Commonwealth and WBO Intercontinental titles - did well to pull Yarde into clinches to slow him down and managed to narrowly avoid serious damage.

Arthur composed himself in the second after surviving a furious start but the Londoner could count himself two rounds up - and then stunned his opponent again in the third with a hard right hook. Arthur tried to fight fire with fire as Yarde stepped in, but was unable to push him back.

Yarde's right hand was finding its home in a way it never did in the first fight, but Arthur smiled as he saw off another fast flurry in the final 20 seconds of the third round.

Arthur thought he had hurt his opponent early in the fourth, but with a shake of the head, Yarde stepped in and unleashed.

He caught Arthur repeatedly with blows to the head, mixing in uppercuts with shots to the body. Eventually, the Mancunian's knees buckled under the pressure.

Arthur was not permitted to continue, sparking wild celebrations for Yarde who avenged just the second defeat of his career and took the Commonwealth and WBO Intercontinental titles.

While Arthur is likely to push for the trilogy, Yarde will look forward to securing a world-title fight in 2022, in what will be his second crack at becoming a world champion.

Hamzah Sheeraz stopped Bradley Skeete with a late flurry in the ninth round of their light-middleweight bout.

The fight will be remembered for a controversial eighth round when Skeete - who was in control for much of the bout - was dazed by an illegal blow.

Skeete was able to dance away from Sheeraz's big power shots for seven rounds, but was undone by a frantic eighth round where he was twice on the canvas. Sheeraz, though, narrowly avoided disqualification for a late punch.

The first knockdown was struck off and Sheeraz was deducted a point for striking Skeete when he had already taken a knee.

But Skeete was clearly dazed and a firefight ensued, with Sheeraz sending his opponent back down to the deck with a hard left hook moments later.

Sheeraz was content to abandon his jab for much of the fight and his risky strategy paid off when his opponent finally began to slow down - but the London crowd clearly felt Skeete's demise was due to the illegal blow.

Skeete was forced into survival mode in the ninth round, but could not stay out of the way of Sheeraz's power shots.

Sheeraz dropped him twice in quick succession and the referee waved off the fight when he beat the count for the second time.

Boos rang out in the arena, but the result stands and Sheeraz claimed the 14th win of his fledgling pro career.

Dennis McCann remained undefeated with a points win over Argentina's Juan Jose Jurado in a dominant performance from the emerging prospect.

Draped in 'Dennis the Menace' shorts, McCann demonstrated slick skills from the first bell, with stinging shots on the inside. McCann set a ferocious pace but was unable to find a knockout blow despite being allowed to pick his shots at stages.

The final seconds of the first round were the closest McCann got to a finish when he sensed some hesitancy from his opponent. A tired Jurado leaned up the ropes, clearly keen for a breather, and allowed McCann to offload at will, but the bell arrived to ensure a second round.

The same sequence continued to happen throughout the eight rounds, with McCann unleashing on Jurado as he leaned against the ropes. McCann was so comfortable, he opted to showboat in the final three minutes.

McCann's corner urged him to be more aggressive and his quick counters and evasive slips drew loud cheers from the crowd but there was to be no spectacular moment this time round for the rising star who claimed the 11th win of his pro career.
 
sheeraz got lucky big time, looked out of his depth for 8 rounds tbh, he has power but his movement just wasnt there. needed to switch up his style after 3 or 4 rounds, props to his corner tho, funez is calm buts its obvious he was unhappy and eventually managed to get it through to hamzah that he needed to let his arms go.

hamzah needs a few more tune up fights before he decides to up the level from this. his lack of amateur experience showed too, he needs a lot of fight time, think he should put his head down for the next year at least and develop a more rounded fighting style.
 
ElRaja said:
sheeraz got lucky big time, looked out of his depth for 8 rounds tbh, he has power but his movement just wasnt there. needed to switch up his style after 3 or 4 rounds, props to his corner tho, funez is calm buts its obvious he was unhappy and eventually managed to get it through to hamzah that he needed to let his arms go.

hamzah needs a few more tune up fights before he decides to up the level from this. his lack of amateur experience showed too, he needs a lot of fight time, think he should put his head down for the next year at least and develop a more rounded fighting style.
Click to expand...

He was being thoroughly outboxed, I’d concede that, but am not entirely sure I’d agree with you on his corner; I don’t like how he was prepared for a slick boxer like Skeete, his guard was too robotic/static, there were little feints and in between rounds I don’t recall Funez emphasising the body, Hamazah has some long arms, why not get him to utilise that advantage, against movers you need to draw out the slip and attack the bigger target - chest/body, Funez did become a big animated and we saw Sheeraz improve his work rate and cut Skeete off better but am not impressed overly, he barely landed many jabs.

I see Sheeraz has the tools to develop into a world class fighter one day but either his corner needs to improve considerably or he should find a new team, maybe I am being a little harsh, also need to consider that Hamzah with little amateur and pro experience took on a massive risk at this stage of his career, so credit for them for having the courage to take on the challenge but they can build on this now.

On a positive note his finish was clinical and he has the power to hurt you, with the end - ref’s call was spot on, Skeete never protested a DQ and felt he could continue
 
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shaz619 said:
He was being thoroughly outboxed, I’d concede that, but am not entirely sure I’d agree with you on his corner; I don’t like how he was prepared for a slick boxer like Skeete, his guard was too robotic/static, there were little feints and in between rounds I don’t recall Funez emphasising the body, Hamazah has some long arms, why not get him to utilise that advantage, against movers you need to draw out the slip and attack the bigger target - chest/body, Funez did become a big animated and we saw Sheeraz improve his work rate and cut Skeete off better but am not impressed overly, he barely landed many jabs.

I see Sheeraz has the tools to develop into a world class fighter one day but either his corner needs to improve considerably or he should find a new team, maybe I am being a little harsh, also need to consider that Hamzah with little amateur and pro experience took on a massive risk at this stage of his career, so credit for them for having the courage to take on the challenge but they can build on this now.

On a positive note his finish was clinical and he has the power to hurt you, with the end - ref’s call was spot on, Skeete never protested a DQ and felt he could continue
Click to expand...

i think both sheeraz and funez understimated skeete, sheeraz legit looked confused in the corner. for the first few rounds i think funez was just trying to make him relax and didnt wanna freak him out even more, but yeah, his lack of jabbing really made it easy for skeete to settle into a rhythm. he was hitting air for 3 or 4 rounds straight in the middle.

it was also interesting to me to see a bit of the other side of sheeraz, he likes to project a clean smart image but i think he has a darker side, which will pbly come out a bit more over the years.

i agree with you on the team tho, funez is ok for now, but long term he'll need someone with top level experience, but no trainer can sub for ring IQ, and he really needs to work on that, and if that be from fighting 5 or 10 more development fights, so be it, he has time.
 
<b>BBC — Tommy Fury v Jake Paul: Fight expected to be called off with Briton struggling for fitness.</b>

Tommy Fury's fight with Youtuber Jake Paul is expected to be called off with the Briton struggling to be fit.

After a long-running online feud the pair were due to fight in Tampa, Florida on 18 December.

But professional boxer Fury and American Paul both have novice records, leading to the lucrative bout being widely criticised.

Fury has said he only took the fight to make money and a victory would give him "no credit in the boxing world".

Paul has a record of four wins as a professional, against fellow social media star AnEsonGib, ex-NBA basketballer Nate Robinson and mixed martial arts fighters Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley.

Meanwhile, Fury, the half-brother of WBC world heavyweight champion Tyson, has just seven professional victories in his career.

Fury had 12 amateur contests before finding fame on the reality TV series Love Island. He was training with Tyson and his trainer SugarHill Steward for the Paul fight.
 
Dillian Whyte's world title fight against Tyson Fury can be finalised after WBC orders talks for mandatory bout

The WBC has ordered Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte to start negotiations for a mandatory WBC heavyweight title fight which would mean that Oleksandr Usyk presses ahead with a rematch against Anthony Joshua.

Dillian Whyte's long-awaited world title fight against Tyson Fury could be secured after the WBC ordered negotiations for the mandatory bout, Sky Sports understands.

In October, the WBC had publicly ordered Fury to face Whyte, the WBC 'interim' champion, if he could not agree an undisputed world title fight within 30 days.

Whyte will now enforce a mandatory title fight against Fury to be scheduled for next year, despite an ongoing arbitration between the Brixton man and the WBC.


Confirmation of Fury vs Whyte has ended any speculation of an undisputed world title fight between the WBC champion and Oleksandr Usyk, who will press ahead with a planned rematch against Anthony Joshua.

Speaking to Sky Sports last month, Whyte had challenged Fury to finally settle their heated rivalry in the ring.

"Fury has been mandated to fight me twice. He asked for the WBC 'Diamond' belt to fight me, but ran away when they agreed. He just keeps making excuses," said Whyte.


"Hopefully now he's got no choice. What's he going to do? Throw the belt in the bin and run away from more money than he got to fight [Deontay] Wilder?


"Obviously he says he's a fighting man and a man of his word, but we all know he talks a lot of s***, so let's see.

"He said he was going to fight me after he beat Wilder, then he ran away. Let's see what he does."

Fury climbed off the canvas twice to retain his WBC title with a knockout win over Deontay Wilder.

But Whyte had issued a warning to Fury, telling Sky Sports: "Of course I'll finish him.

"Wilder is overrated. He can punch, but he can't fight. He's very athletic and rangy, and he's got good speed, so when he closes the distance quick and he lands a punch, he's heavy-handed.

"But he can't box and he can't fight. Everything he does is erratic and that's why Fury was able to take him out.

"He knocked Fury down twice, heavy knockdowns, and Fury came back and won rounds. Wilder is just a freak of nature, he has no technical ability.

"If I put Fury down, I'll be attacking him, head and body, head and body."

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/ne...sed-after-wbc-orders-talks-for-mandatory-bout
 
Can’t wait to see Tyson in action again.

Incredible boxer.
 
ElRaja said:
i think both sheeraz and funez understimated skeete, sheeraz legit looked confused in the corner. for the first few rounds i think funez was just trying to make him relax and didnt wanna freak him out even more, but yeah, his lack of jabbing really made it easy for skeete to settle into a rhythm. he was hitting air for 3 or 4 rounds straight in the middle.

it was also interesting to me to see a bit of the other side of sheeraz, he likes to project a clean smart image but i think he has a darker side, which will pbly come out a bit more over the years.

i agree with you on the team tho, funez is ok for now, but long term he'll need someone with top level experience, but no trainer can sub for ring IQ, and he really needs to work on that, and if that be from fighting 5 or 10 more development fights, so be it, he has time.
Click to expand...

In hindsight, perhaps Sheeraz did get away with it if what Ingle and Skeete are saying is true, apparently, after the ref gave Skeete some time to recover, he proceeded to say that unless you get up I’m stopping the fight which I think was unfair, having said that Bradley should still have protested a DQ. If Funez underestimated an Ingle trained fighter he shouldn’t be working a corner, but I do agree Sheeraz looked like a rabbit caught in headlights, although it’s not easy to deal with lateral movement, feints and constant change in stance and as you say without the ability to set up his jab it was going to be tough.

I agree with you on the darker side bit, he has been heavily criticised on social media but he can use that to his advantage and sell more tickets. I can see bombs being thrown in frustration or instinctively but that wasn’t a good look, he has defended it by saying he thought Bradley was crouched and he didn’t realise he had dropped him, hard to believe that lol

Ingle in his interview with IFLTV went below the belt as far as his prospects are concerned but maybe it was a play for a rematch am not sure, in any case he was a big harsh; will be interesting to see if Frank will put him in there with Skeete again but if they do, maybe let him develop a bit more first for another 2-3 fights matching him with movers and getting his team to enhance his basic fundamentals and ring awareness
 
transparent opacity said:
Dillian Whyte's world title fight against Tyson Fury can be finalised after WBC orders talks for mandatory bout

The WBC has ordered Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte to start negotiations for a mandatory WBC heavyweight title fight which would mean that Oleksandr Usyk presses ahead with a rematch against Anthony Joshua.

Dillian Whyte's long-awaited world title fight against Tyson Fury could be secured after the WBC ordered negotiations for the mandatory bout, Sky Sports understands.

In October, the WBC had publicly ordered Fury to face Whyte, the WBC 'interim' champion, if he could not agree an undisputed world title fight within 30 days.

Whyte will now enforce a mandatory title fight against Fury to be scheduled for next year, despite an ongoing arbitration between the Brixton man and the WBC.


Confirmation of Fury vs Whyte has ended any speculation of an undisputed world title fight between the WBC champion and Oleksandr Usyk, who will press ahead with a planned rematch against Anthony Joshua.

Speaking to Sky Sports last month, Whyte had challenged Fury to finally settle their heated rivalry in the ring.

"Fury has been mandated to fight me twice. He asked for the WBC 'Diamond' belt to fight me, but ran away when they agreed. He just keeps making excuses," said Whyte.


"Hopefully now he's got no choice. What's he going to do? Throw the belt in the bin and run away from more money than he got to fight [Deontay] Wilder?


"Obviously he says he's a fighting man and a man of his word, but we all know he talks a lot of s***, so let's see.

"He said he was going to fight me after he beat Wilder, then he ran away. Let's see what he does."

Fury climbed off the canvas twice to retain his WBC title with a knockout win over Deontay Wilder.

But Whyte had issued a warning to Fury, telling Sky Sports: "Of course I'll finish him.

"Wilder is overrated. He can punch, but he can't fight. He's very athletic and rangy, and he's got good speed, so when he closes the distance quick and he lands a punch, he's heavy-handed.

"But he can't box and he can't fight. Everything he does is erratic and that's why Fury was able to take him out.

"He knocked Fury down twice, heavy knockdowns, and Fury came back and won rounds. Wilder is just a freak of nature, he has no technical ability.

"If I put Fury down, I'll be attacking him, head and body, head and body."

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/ne...sed-after-wbc-orders-talks-for-mandatory-bout
Click to expand...

Interesting this has been ordered now, personally after that brutal trilogy with Wilder I’d retire if I was Tyson. Nothing left to prove and am not sure he will be quiet the same again after the third fight or have the motivation/fitness you’d expect, Whyte is a not a name Tyson will get out of bed in the morning for, with Tyson we’ve often seen him match the level of the opposition quality and when it’s higher, he’d raise his game and struggle otherwise, which is why an undisputed fight with Usyk would have been more ideal for him.
 
transparent opacity said:
Dillian Whyte's world title fight against Tyson Fury can be finalised after WBC orders talks for mandatory bout

The WBC has ordered Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte to start negotiations for a mandatory WBC heavyweight title fight which would mean that Oleksandr Usyk presses ahead with a rematch against Anthony Joshua.

Dillian Whyte's long-awaited world title fight against Tyson Fury could be secured after the WBC ordered negotiations for the mandatory bout, Sky Sports understands.

In October, the WBC had publicly ordered Fury to face Whyte, the WBC 'interim' champion, if he could not agree an undisputed world title fight within 30 days.

Whyte will now enforce a mandatory title fight against Fury to be scheduled for next year, despite an ongoing arbitration between the Brixton man and the WBC.


Confirmation of Fury vs Whyte has ended any speculation of an undisputed world title fight between the WBC champion and Oleksandr Usyk, who will press ahead with a planned rematch against Anthony Joshua.

Speaking to Sky Sports last month, Whyte had challenged Fury to finally settle their heated rivalry in the ring.

"Fury has been mandated to fight me twice. He asked for the WBC 'Diamond' belt to fight me, but ran away when they agreed. He just keeps making excuses," said Whyte.


"Hopefully now he's got no choice. What's he going to do? Throw the belt in the bin and run away from more money than he got to fight [Deontay] Wilder?


"Obviously he says he's a fighting man and a man of his word, but we all know he talks a lot of s***, so let's see.

"He said he was going to fight me after he beat Wilder, then he ran away. Let's see what he does."

Fury climbed off the canvas twice to retain his WBC title with a knockout win over Deontay Wilder.

But Whyte had issued a warning to Fury, telling Sky Sports: "Of course I'll finish him.

"Wilder is overrated. He can punch, but he can't fight. He's very athletic and rangy, and he's got good speed, so when he closes the distance quick and he lands a punch, he's heavy-handed.

"But he can't box and he can't fight. Everything he does is erratic and that's why Fury was able to take him out.

"He knocked Fury down twice, heavy knockdowns, and Fury came back and won rounds. Wilder is just a freak of nature, he has no technical ability.

"If I put Fury down, I'll be attacking him, head and body, head and body."

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/ne...sed-after-wbc-orders-talks-for-mandatory-bout
Click to expand...

About time Whyte gets his title shot, long awaited and well deserved.

Barring fighting Wilder, Fury has fought absolute trash in the years since his come back, so while the AJ/Usyk rematch is likely to take place, there's no better opponent than Whyte.

I think Fury wins but Whyte is tough, has learned a lot and taken on a variety of opponents and would be tough. I'd love to see it!
 
Now moving away from the heavies, just how exciting is the LW division beocming?

Kambosos upset of the year, very solid, gritty fighter and with Teo likely moving up, he is the king but Haney, Tank and Loma all stake a claim for facing him.

I'd take Kambosos v Haney to get the WBC belt back on track (knowing them theyll probably find a way to add another champ), and Tank v Loma decides what the next fight is...if only though, as I doubt Tank v Loma happens.
 
<b>BBC: Vasiliy Lomachenko targets George Kambosos Jr after beating Richard Commey.</b>

Ukraine's Vasiliy Lomachenko continued his bid to reclaim the WBA, IBF and WBO lightweight titles with a stunning win against Ghana's Richard Commey.

Lomachenko, 33, knocked down Commey in the seventh round, going on to secure victory by unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden in New York.

It was a wide margin on all three cards, with Lomachenko judged to have won 117-110, 119-108 and 119-108.

Three-weight champion Lomachenko hopes to now face George Kambosos Jr.

Unheralded Australian Kambosos Jr became the unified world lightweight champion last week by stunning American Teofimo Lopez in a split-decision victory.

Lopez, who suffered his first loss in 17 fights, had beaten Lomachenko in October 2020 to add the WBA (Super) and WBO titles to his IBF belt.

Lomachenko had hoped for a rematch with Lopez after losing to him in Las Vegas, but the American was instead ordered to defend his belt against mandatory challenger Kambosos Jr, who produced one of the biggest boxing shocks of the year.

Now Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and once considered the sport's pound-for-pound number one, has targeted a bout with Kambosos Jr.

"I will go anywhere I need to go to fight him," Lomachenko said. "I need this chance."

Meanwhile, 39-year-old Nonito Donaire defended his WBC bantamweight belt with a fourth-round knockout win over fellow Filipino Reymart Gaballo in California.
 
Conor Benn with the best performance of his career against Algerie. Some may well say Chris was past his peak and completely shot, but Conor dominated him, depicted a decent ring IQ and was clinical with the finish. Matchroom are utilising the AJ model with Conor by matching him predominately with faded fighters, AJ’s groupies love to sing his praises but he never fought any top HW in their prime apart from Joseph Parker who turned out to be a bit of a bum himself winning questionable decisions against Ruiz, Hughie and Chisora (Lol), not to mention losing to Whyte, there’s a reason why AJ has never been able to fight for the Ring Magazine title, facing Wilder multiple times is a much sterner test then getting in the ring with potato sacks. It’s important to mention this because if matchroom are going to keep throwing faded fighters at Conor, how can he expect to develop, there’s no point in the end throwing him at the deep end when it’s too much of a step up in levels. I hope they have learned from their lessons and put him in with some live dogs before stepping up steadily. Kavaliauskas and Avanesyan would be much better fights opposed to Broner or Khan/Brook which will only help his purse and profile but the fighters development should take priority and Kavaliauskas/Avanesyan are well respected globally in any case so they’d add to Conor’s profile to
 
DUBAI: Pakistan's rising boxing star, Asif Hazara has lifted the country's profile by clinching the Asian Boxing Federation title after defeating his opponent, Geo News reported on Thursday.

Hazara, the former captain of the Pakistan Boxing Federation, was playing against Ugandan fighter Ben Nsubuga to earn the ABF title in Dubai on December 15.

On the other hand, Usman Wazeer of Gilgit-Baltistan became the World Boxing Council Middle East Champion.

Wazeer, the Asian boxing champion, will defend his WBC Middle East championship against Tanzanian boxer Rosta.

Taking to Twitter, Usman said that he would like to dedicate his WBC Boxing Middle East title win to Pakistan. He thanked fans for their love and support.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Alhamdulillah.<br>The New <a href="https://twitter.com/WBCBoxing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WBCBoxing</a> Middle East title champion from Pakistan&#55356;&#56821;&#55356;&#56816; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gilgitbaltistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#gilgitbaltistan</a>. I win another title for my beautiful country Pakistan.Thank you everyone for your love and support.Pakistan zindabad &#55358;&#56650;☝&#55356;&#57339;❤️&#55357;&#56908; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wbcboxing?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#wbcboxing</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/middleeast?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#middleeast</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/new?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#new</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/champion?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#champion</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/warrior?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#warrior</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pakistan</a> <a href="https://t.co/w286DZT4ic">pic.twitter.com/w286DZT4ic</a></p>— Usman Wazeer (@WazeerUsman) <a href="https://twitter.com/WazeerUsman/status/1471367021799612422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

GEO
 
Parker arguably lost the first Chisora fight but it was interesting to see him attempt to adapt Andy Lee’s methods, you don’t expect immediate change but he got his jab going at times and wasn’t sitting in the pocket as much although he’d plant his feet on the ropes which is a bad idea against someone like Derek. He has trained for the KO so will be interesting to see whether he will look to be aggressive on the inside or work of his jab from mid-range, in either case it should be a decent watch and see if the change in camp has made a difference. As for Derek, he’s a good domestic fighter who has entertained all in the UK over the years, he always comes to fight and is exciting to watch, the fact that he is able to headline at this stage well past his best is a testament to his fighting spirit but also a reflection on the quality of some fighters who others seem to rate highly despite their struggles with the domestic level.
 
New Zealand heavyweight Joseph Parker secured a brilliant points win over Britain's Derek Chisora in a thrilling fight at the AO Arena in Manchester.

Parker, who gained a controversial points victory in their first bout in May, made a great start, with Chisora having to take a count in round four.

Chisora was knocked down by a brutal uppercut in the seventh but showed good character and bravery to continue.

The Briton took another count in the eighth, but made it to the final bell.

However, with three knockdowns, Parker knew he had won the fight and got the decision by 115-110, 115-111 and 114-112 margins.

For 29-year-old former WBO champion Parker, this was a vital victory as he looks to get back to world title level.

But for Chisora, 37, it is hard to see where he goes now, with this being the 12th defeat of a 44-fight career, although he showed incredible spirit, heart and determination to get through to the end of the contest.

This was a repeat of their fight from seven months ago, which was also held at the same venue, but behind closed doors because of coronavirus restrictions.

In that bout, Chisora knocked Parker down in the opening 10 seconds of the first round, before Parker recovered and ended strongly on his way to a controversial split decision points win.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I’ve KO’ed everyone I’ve fought. <a href="https://t.co/Pz55uCIHc4">pic.twitter.com/Pz55uCIHc4</a></p>— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) <a href="https://twitter.com/jakepaul/status/1472454565937262592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 19, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

==

Youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul extended his perfect record after sending Tyron Woodley face-first into the canvas with a vicious knockout blow in the sixth round at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on Saturday.

In a largely uneventful bout, the first five rounds saw little significant action or quality with fans booing the lacklustre display, until Paul delivered a right hand blow that knocked Woodley out cold.Paul, 24, beat former UFC champion Woodley for the second time in four months, after his split-decision victory in August, and improved his professional boxing record to 5-0.

The 39-year-old Woodley replaced Paul’s scheduled opponent Tommy Fury, half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson, after the Briton dropped out earlier this month with a broken rib and chest infection.

“This guy is a legend and respect him for taking the fight on two weeks’ notice,” Paul said in an expletive-laden interview where he called out Fury for withdrawing from the match.

“It was a tough fight. I had blood in my eyes. I had the job done. I was setting the punch up the whole fight. He didn’t see it coming. Like a lumberjack, timber. It’s got to be the moment of my life.”

Paul has now knocked out all four of his opponents, having previously stopped fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib, former NBA guard Nate Robinson and ex-UFC fighter Ben Askren.

In the co-main event, unified featherweight world champion Amanda Serrano dominated Spain’s Miriam Gutierrez to win the lightweight bout via a unanimous decision.

Two-times NBA All-star Deron Williams beat former NFL running back Frank Gore by split decision in a four-round heavyweight bout earlier in the card.

https://indianexpress.com/article/s...us-ko-woodley-out-cold-win-higlights-7679963/
 
Jesus, I know you tend to see some questionable officiating these days especially with the promoters home fighter but it couldn’t be more obvious last night, there were three knockdowns judged against Chisora and only one where he actually hit the floor, this isn’t amateur boxing where you give a standing count, the first one Chisora stumbled to the ropes and the third one was caused by a push from Parker, Chisora is past his best days now and it’s unlikely he’d ever get a decision in a close fight; having said that, Parker still won comfortably. Andy Lee has made a noticeable improvement with his ring IQ, for the most part he stuck to a game plan and used his jab effectively to set up the right uppercut when Chisora lunged in, but there were times when under pressure / fatigue later in the fight where he’d revert to type and throw clubbing hooks from just above his waist with the chin hanging out, additionally Chisora for all his toughness was pretty much out on his feet yet Parker lacked the killer instinct to put him away. Am sure Andy Lee would have picked up on this but at the end of the day, Parker needs to absorb the information and adjust where needed at the highest level, he remains a notch below the world level and there is plenty to improve on but the goods news is, there’s a better platform for him to build on.

Chisora just loves to fight, there is no quit in him and his motivation is unprecedented at this stage, even more when he often gets the short end of the stick although his bank balance wont be complaining too much. As much as he loves the sport, the man needs to move on, it doesn’t help when you work with exploitative promoters such as Hearns who apparently is looking to match him with Wilder! after all these years where he made little effort to make AJ/Wilder, he wants to ensure Chisora’s permanent brain damage! absolutely pathetic, I’d never advise young fighters to sign with match-room, greed is their primary ethos opposed to shrewd matchmaking and individual development
 
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Deontay Wilder's coach Malik Scott believes Oleksandr Usyk could beat a "vulnerable" Tyson Fury if the heavyweights eventually fight.

WBA (Super), WBO and IBF champion Usyk is set for a rematch with Briton Anthony Joshua but, if he wins, could agree a unification contest with WBC champion Fury later in the year.

Scott backed Usyk, 34, to upset Fury.

"This Tyson Fury is much more vulnerable and easier to hit than any Tyson Fury before," he said.

Wilder drafted in Scott to help train him for his trilogy fight against Fury and Scott believes the British champion's change to a more aggressive style would suit Usyk.

"I believe that the Tyson Fury that fought Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder the first time, I believe that Tyson Fury gives Usyk all kinds of fits," he told ES News.

"The movement, the reflexes Tyson Fury - I believe this Tyson Fury right now, I believe Usyk would beat.

"The heavier Tyson Fury that's coming forwards, that wants to take chances and put his weight on people. I think that is a perfect system for Usyk to operate off of.

"Because his feet are fast, he turns on angles, he's a good counter-puncher and his punches are so accurate they come with a bit more sting than they appear.

"So if I had to bet on that, I would bet Usyk would beat Tyson Fury."

Fury's third encounter with Wilder in October has won Ring Magazine's prestigious Fight of the Year and Round of the Year.

The thrilling clash in Las Vegas captivated the boxing world, with Fury on the canvas twice before coming back to stop Wilder in the 11th round to retain his WBC title and Ring magazine belt.

Fury, 33, was floored twice in the fourth round before recovering and those enthralling three minutes picked up Round of the Year.

"I'd like to give a big shout out to Deontay Wilder, because I needed a dance partner in order to win this award," Fury told Ring Magazine.

"It was a tough old three minutes. When you're sparring in the gym, you're not getting dropped like that, then - bang - all of a sudden you're in a fight where there's three knockdowns in two rounds. It was crazy!

"That's the first time I've been dropped twice in one round. Everybody thought it was over, but not me. I always knew I was going to get up and win the fight."

Wilder, 36, is weighing up his options after suffering the first successive defeats of his career against Fury.

The American went 43 fights unbeaten before the two losses and Scott is convinced Wilder still has a big future in the ring should he decide to continue.

Scott gave no indication of whether Wilder was leaning towards hanging up his gloves or not, but the coach did say a meeting with two-time world champion Joshua would be a massive fight for the 'Bronze Bomber'.

Joshua and Wilder held talks over a unification fight in 2018 and again a year later when both were still unbeaten, but were unable to agree terms.

"All those fights [Joshua, Usyk and Fury] are super, super fights, especially him and AJ," added Scott.

"That'll always be a super fight no matter what. Him and Usyk [is another] - he has a lot of options.

"If he wanted to stay, he could become a two-time heavyweight champion of the world."

BBC
 
MenInG said:
Deontay Wilder's coach Malik Scott believes Oleksandr Usyk could beat a "vulnerable" Tyson Fury if the heavyweights eventually fight.

WBA (Super), WBO and IBF champion Usyk is set for a rematch with Briton Anthony Joshua but, if he wins, could agree a unification contest with WBC champion Fury later in the year.

Scott backed Usyk, 34, to upset Fury.

"This Tyson Fury is much more vulnerable and easier to hit than any Tyson Fury before," he said.

Wilder drafted in Scott to help train him for his trilogy fight against Fury and Scott believes the British champion's change to a more aggressive style would suit Usyk.

"I believe that the Tyson Fury that fought Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder the first time, I believe that Tyson Fury gives Usyk all kinds of fits," he told ES News.

"The movement, the reflexes Tyson Fury - I believe this Tyson Fury right now, I believe Usyk would beat.

"The heavier Tyson Fury that's coming forwards, that wants to take chances and put his weight on people. I think that is a perfect system for Usyk to operate off of.

"Because his feet are fast, he turns on angles, he's a good counter-puncher and his punches are so accurate they come with a bit more sting than they appear.

"So if I had to bet on that, I would bet Usyk would beat Tyson Fury."

Fury's third encounter with Wilder in October has won Ring Magazine's prestigious Fight of the Year and Round of the Year.

The thrilling clash in Las Vegas captivated the boxing world, with Fury on the canvas twice before coming back to stop Wilder in the 11th round to retain his WBC title and Ring magazine belt.

Fury, 33, was floored twice in the fourth round before recovering and those enthralling three minutes picked up Round of the Year.

"I'd like to give a big shout out to Deontay Wilder, because I needed a dance partner in order to win this award," Fury told Ring Magazine.

"It was a tough old three minutes. When you're sparring in the gym, you're not getting dropped like that, then - bang - all of a sudden you're in a fight where there's three knockdowns in two rounds. It was crazy!

"That's the first time I've been dropped twice in one round. Everybody thought it was over, but not me. I always knew I was going to get up and win the fight."

Wilder, 36, is weighing up his options after suffering the first successive defeats of his career against Fury.

The American went 43 fights unbeaten before the two losses and Scott is convinced Wilder still has a big future in the ring should he decide to continue.

Scott gave no indication of whether Wilder was leaning towards hanging up his gloves or not, but the coach did say a meeting with two-time world champion Joshua would be a massive fight for the 'Bronze Bomber'.

Joshua and Wilder held talks over a unification fight in 2018 and again a year later when both were still unbeaten, but were unable to agree terms.

"All those fights [Joshua, Usyk and Fury] are super, super fights, especially him and AJ," added Scott.

"That'll always be a super fight no matter what. Him and Usyk [is another] - he has a lot of options.

"If he wanted to stay, he could become a two-time heavyweight champion of the world."

BBC
Click to expand...

Fury made tactical changes during the Wilder trilogy which suited him, boxing off the backfoot and using his jab and movement is the standard approach against a puncher except you need to concentrate for every second against a fighter very compatible on the front foot, but in Rd 12 when Fury got up and hurt Wilder, he back peddled and found it difficult to sit on his punches when Fury applied pressure - this formed the basis for his strategy in the second fight, Fury came forward but with educated pressure sticking his Jab out and made his way inside, used his physical strength and sapped the little energy Wilder had left with his higher work rate and planted his feet a lot more. In the third fight, Fury had a number of personal issues coming into the battle and was also carrying an injury, it was a very poor camp and that was reflected in how much weight he had put on for the third fight, his jab went out the window and so did his movement, it was going to be difficult anyway with that much weight which makes it even more remarkable how he managed to get up constantly, so off course if he fought like that it would give any top fighter a sniff outside AJ, it wasn’t his best performance. Having said that, more then that performance I think the wear/tear he suffered in the trilogy both mentally and physically would have made him a bit vulnerable, you can’t have wars like that and not be impacted in some way, and I don’t feel he has much to prove and would be better off in retirement at this point, but if he does continue it would futile to mix it up with the best straight away, whether AJ wins or loses against Usyk, that would be a good farewell fight for Fury if retirement is not an option.
 
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Usyk v Joshua II 'likely' in April

Anthony Joshua was beaten on points by Oleksandr Usyk last September
Elsewhere in the heavyweight division, Hearn confirmed Anthony Joshua was expected to fight Oleksandr Usyk in April in their much-anticipated rematch.
Joshua is seeking to reclaim the heavyweight titles - WBA (Super), WBO and IBF - he lost to the Ukrainian in September.
Talks are ongoing, but promoter Hearn said it was likely the rematch would take place in the UK.
"It's a must win for Anthony Joshua. I'd love to see him get victory on UK soil," he said.
"April is the likely date for that. I feel it's a fight that will take place in the UK again. Spurs [Tottenham Hotspur stadium] would be a great place to revisit. Wembley also.
"Once you start getting into April, early May the weather gets a bit better. We've had a number of international offers."
Joshua has announced he will make changes to his training team, but there is yet to be any official word on what coaches could be drafted in and whether the two-time heavyweight champion intends to split with Rob McCracken.
"I don't see this as a clear out, getting rid of everybody. I feel it's a tweak," Hearn said about the upcoming announcement.
"He knows he must get this right. He's been doing the work behind the scenes making sure he builds the right environment and team."

Taylor v Serrano deal 'on the verge'

Katie Taylor is the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring lightweight champion
Irish boxer Katie Taylor is in line to finally fight seven-weight world champion Amanda Serrano in the United States in April.
Serrano has seen her profile soar in the US since teaming up with YouTuber turned boxer Jake Paul - and both women are considered among the greatest female fighters of all time.
Hearn - who promotes Taylor - revealed the agreement was "on the verge" of completion and he was targeting a 30 April fight date at the iconic venue of Madison Square Garden in New York.
"Taylor-Serrano, we are right on the cusp, right on the verge," Hearn revealed. "I think you could even get an announcement as early as this week. It has been a long time coming.
"The fight is twice as big it ever has been. April 30 is a target date. Madison Square Garden, the big room.
"The people in charge at MSG have said this a big room fight. This is a historic fight. It's never going to get any bigger than this."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/60025792
 
Chris Eubank Jr knocked Liam Williams down four times in a statement win to settle their rivalry

Chris Eubank Jr knocked Liam Williams down four times in a spiteful performance to end their bitter feud in Cardiff on Saturday.

Eubank Jr won a unanimous decision in his rival's home city after dropping Williams repeatedly, including in the opening round.

It was a brilliant statement win by Eubank Jr - the best of his career, masterminded by his legendary trainer Roy Jones Jr - which could set him up for a world middleweight title shot later this year, with IBF champion Gennadiy Golovkin targeted.

He brought a vicious end to his spiteful feud with Williams, which had started on social media and simmered in the days leading up to their all-British battle, mixing showboating with accurate and hurtful punches.

Williams, in his home city with the crowd fully in his favour, found himself on the canvas in rounds one, two, four and 11.

The vociferous Welsh crowd were silenced in minutes as Eubank Jr hit his opponent with a stiff jab, caught him off balance, and sent him to the floor.

Eubank Jr then clattered Williams with a left hook in the second round which knocked him down.

There was still time for the composed Eubank Jr to sting Williams again in a torrid second period for the home fighter.

By the third, Eubank Jr was so in control that he was able to showboat in a way that his father, seated at ringside, made famous.

Williams scored a shot at the end of the third which caused Eubank Jr to respond after the bell - he was dragged away and reprimanded by the referee.

Eubank Jr shrugged and goaded Williams, then knocked him down for a third time with another jab.

He spent the rest of the round talking to the Welshman as they boxed.

Williams was then scolded by the referee for his rugged methods in trying to catch Eubank Jr in the seventh round.

Williams put up a good fight in the eighth, enabling the crowd to find their voice again when he landed a decent right hand.

Eubank Jr barrelled Williams, who was sporting a black eye, to the floor for the fourth time in the 11th round.

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/ne...es-in-a-statement-win-to-settle-their-rivalry
 
Great performance from Chris Eubank Jr especially in the first 6 rounds, Liam came back into the fight but he was never going to have a chance after those knockdowns.

Eubank’s boxing pedigree is a bit underrated due to how polarising he is but he has a high ceiling and the tools to succeed at the world level, it was great to see him implement what Roy Jones Jr’s has been teaching him, I’d have liked to see him step on the gas pedal a bit more in the fight but I hear he had some swelling in his right hand. But what we did see was great footwork, a great jab and excellent timing - all qualities he has been criticised for not having.

They can build on this and look to develop consistency in this style, but a great nights work.

Claressa Shield looked good in the co-main event against a stubborn opponent who was not doing much, she barely landed a punch and it should have been stopped sooner. It will be exciting to see her take on Savannah, great styles clash and back story - I think it’s a much bigger fight then Taylor/Serrano
 
[MENTION=43583]KingKhanWC[/MENTION] did you watch the fight, what did you make of Eubank’s performance?
 
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