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Imperious performance from Eubank Jr. Haven’t seen the full thing yet but with that level of dominance am surprised he did not get the stoppage.
 
James said:
Imperious performance from Eubank Jr. Haven’t seen the full thing yet but with that level of dominance am surprised he did not get the stoppage.
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He messed around a little bit towards the second half and arguably lost every round Rd 6-12 (knockdown in Rd 11 should not have been counted) as Williams while he didn’t do much he pressured Eubank / worked more. Eubank made Williams miss a lot but didn’t make him pay or work the body, he was tentative / happy to counter with stiff well timed single shots but boxed well in the first six rounds, he said in an interview that he hurt his right hand around Rd 4/5 and that could explain his lack of aggression in the championship rounds maybe, but Williams deserves credit for warming into the fight to and stopped over reaching with his jab which let him work more while Eubank was happy to coast and use movement but not enough output to follow it up, part of it maybe also be due to some of the rough tactics Williams got away with, elbows, headlocks etc there was a bit too much showboating which was probably a response to tactics in the ring and bad blood.

Eubank is a good draw for Sky so wouldn’t read too much into the headlines, it was a great performance in enemy territory but could have been even better, however Williams showed great spirit to get up and keep fighting / actually got himself into a position where he could have got a draw on the unofficial cards because the judges would never have scored it that way for him.
 
Chris Eubank Jr has played down the prospect of fighting Conor Benn and Billy Joe Saunders following his points win over Welshman Liam Williams.

Victory over Williams in Cardiff on Saturday pushed Eubank, 32, further towards a world title shot.

Eubank said he wants to fight "at least three times this year" and targeted IBF champion Gennady Golovkin next.

"It's about chasing those championship fights or chasing a big name that the fans can really get behind," he said.

Eubank has suffered just two defeats in his 34-fight career.

The fight with Williams was a grudge match between the UK's number one and number two-ranked middleweights, who were meeting for the first time and the winner almost certain to move onto bigger and better things in 2022.

A clear and decisive winner, Eubank looks set for a world title opportunity later this year, as well as potential contests with both Benn and Saunders.
 
Maher96 said:
Chris Eubank Jr has played down the prospect of fighting Conor Benn and Billy Joe Saunders following his points win over Welshman Liam Williams.

Victory over Williams in Cardiff on Saturday pushed Eubank, 32, further towards a world title shot.

Eubank said he wants to fight "at least three times this year" and targeted IBF champion Gennady Golovkin next.

"It's about chasing those championship fights or chasing a big name that the fans can really get behind," he said.

Eubank has suffered just two defeats in his 34-fight career.

The fight with Williams was a grudge match between the UK's number one and number two-ranked middleweights, who were meeting for the first time and the winner almost certain to move onto bigger and better things in 2022.

A clear and decisive winner, Eubank looks set for a world title opportunity later this year, as well as potential contests with both Benn and Saunders.
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If Andrade moves up, the WBO MW title will become vacant - Eubank should target that next. A BJS fight is not a bad option in the interim opposed to waiting around, also because GGG/Murata will square off in a unification
 
I was extremely disappointed with the Eubank Jnr fight.

He could and should have taken out Williams in the third or fourth round, instead he allowed Williams back into the fight and then the Ali Shuffle and showboating was just cringe worthy.
Credit to Williams for coming back in to the fight but I suspect an elite level fighter would have taken him out much earlier.
 
IMMY69 said:
I was extremely disappointed with the Eubank Jnr fight.

He could and should have taken out Williams in the third or fourth round, instead he allowed Williams back into the fight and then the Ali Shuffle and showboating was just cringe worthy.
Credit to Williams for coming back in to the fight but I suspect an elite level fighter would have taken him out much earlier.
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Your criticism is absolutely valid there, it was disappointing to see that - on the plus side whether folk fancy his chances or not, such negativity in the second half could entice the big boys at 160lb.

Eubank also mentioned in a post fight interview that he hurt right hand in rounds 3 or 4 I think, perhaps that may have also influenced his tentative approach ? otherwise it was just bizarre the lack of output but maybe he deliberately took the mick to troll the welsh folk and Liam
 
Maher96 said:
KHAN v BROOK Gloves are off - SkySport Main Event Sunday 7:30PM
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Or wait an hour or two after 7.30pm until they most likely will upload it on Youtube ! I’ve saved all you guys without sky subscription 10 quid :)

Following the gloves are off, there is another special later in the week but I’ve not checked the schedule, hoping its uploaded on youtube to
 
Ricky Hatton: Former world champion in talks over comeback fight against Marco Antonio Barrera at the age of 43

Ricky Hatton is in talks to make an incredible return to the ring at the age of 43, a decade on from his last professional bout.

Sky Sports understands the former two-weight world champion is discussing the possibility of an exhibition clash against Marco Antonio Barrera.

Hatton was last seen in action in November 2012 when he suffered a ninth-round knockout against Vyacheslav Senchenko, while the 48-year-old Barrera stepped away from the sport after being stopped in the second round by Jose Arias in February 2011.

The British fan favourite has stated publicly in the past he would consider a return to the ring, having seen Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr and Floyd Mayweather come out of retirement to fight in high-profile events.

Hatton has been training at his gym in Hyde, where he now also oversees a number of young fighters including featherweight Ibby Nadim, who will feature on the undercard of Amir Khan and Kell Brook's grudge match at Manchester Arena.

The Hitman finished his career 45-3 with 32 knockout victories, famously taking Mayweather 10 rounds in December 2007 as well as taking on Manny Pacquiao in 2009. He was knocked out in the second round against the latter in what would mark his penultimate fight before retiring.

Barrera is well known in the boxing world having strung together an impressive career that saw him clinch multiple world titles in three-weight classes.

He was twice beaten by Pacquiao, the first an 11th-round stoppage in 2003 and the second by unanimous decision in 2007.

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/ne...gainst-marco-antonio-barrera-at-the-age-of-43
 
Chris Eubank Jr tells Kell Brook he must fight at 160lbs

A fight between Chris Eubank Jr and Kell Brook could be on the cards as the pair continue to exchange a war of words over social media.

Brook told Eubank Jr that he would only consider a bout if they agreed on a catchweight of 155lbs. However, the Next Gen has refused to meet Brook demands.

Eubank Jr - who has held titles in both the middleweight and super-middleweight division - has said that he would only take the fight if they both step into the ring at 160lbs.

Brook put in a dominant and relentless performance against bitter rival Amir Khan at the Manchester Arena on Saturday evening. The 5ft 9inch boxer emerged victorious after the referee stopped the contest to spare Khan humiliation.

Following the fight, Eubank Jr reaffirmed his desire to settle an old score with Brook - saying: 'He has proved he has the spice, I want to see how much spice he has got with me.

'We have history. He is the reason I didn't fight [Gennady] Golovkin and I've never forgiven him for that - that was my fight.

'Now I want to see if Kell can do that with me. We can make that fight happen and he has already said he wants to fight me. I think I can beat him and he thinks I can beat him.'

Eubank Jr followed his comments up with a tweet saying: 'Nice win but let's see if you can fight like that against me @SpecialKBrook.'

Brook - who fought Khan at a 149lbs catchweight - responded saying: '@ChrisEubankJr 155 otherwise don't mention my name'.

Eubank Jr was quick to reply, telling Brook to step up to the middleweight limit or forget the fight.

The son of boxing legend Chris Eubank wrote: 'You fought GGG at 160 so you will do the same with me if you want the biggest payday (& beating) of your career. If not I've got much bigger fish to fry anyway… you don't.'

Brook has previously fought in the middleweight division for a one-off bout against Golovkin.

However, he struggled to compete against the Kazakh beast and was ultimately stopped in the fifth round.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/box...must-fight-at-160lbs/ar-AAU8sJa?ocid=msedgntp
 
transparent opacity said:
Chris Eubank Jr tells Kell Brook he must fight at 160lbs

A fight between Chris Eubank Jr and Kell Brook could be on the cards as the pair continue to exchange a war of words over social media.

Brook told Eubank Jr that he would only consider a bout if they agreed on a catchweight of 155lbs. However, the Next Gen has refused to meet Brook demands.

Eubank Jr - who has held titles in both the middleweight and super-middleweight division - has said that he would only take the fight if they both step into the ring at 160lbs.

Brook put in a dominant and relentless performance against bitter rival Amir Khan at the Manchester Arena on Saturday evening. The 5ft 9inch boxer emerged victorious after the referee stopped the contest to spare Khan humiliation.

Following the fight, Eubank Jr reaffirmed his desire to settle an old score with Brook - saying: 'He has proved he has the spice, I want to see how much spice he has got with me.

'We have history. He is the reason I didn't fight [Gennady] Golovkin and I've never forgiven him for that - that was my fight.

'Now I want to see if Kell can do that with me. We can make that fight happen and he has already said he wants to fight me. I think I can beat him and he thinks I can beat him.'

Eubank Jr followed his comments up with a tweet saying: 'Nice win but let's see if you can fight like that against me @SpecialKBrook.'

Brook - who fought Khan at a 149lbs catchweight - responded saying: '@ChrisEubankJr 155 otherwise don't mention my name'.

Eubank Jr was quick to reply, telling Brook to step up to the middleweight limit or forget the fight.

The son of boxing legend Chris Eubank wrote: 'You fought GGG at 160 so you will do the same with me if you want the biggest payday (& beating) of your career. If not I've got much bigger fish to fry anyway… you don't.'

Brook has previously fought in the middleweight division for a one-off bout against Golovkin.

However, he struggled to compete against the Kazakh beast and was ultimately stopped in the fifth round.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/box...must-fight-at-160lbs/ar-AAU8sJa?ocid=msedgntp
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It’s a fight we all would watch, Eubank vs Brook. And while Eubank would hold a significant size advantage, Kell would still have success due to his solid foundations and more polished technique - however, he’d also risk significant damage when he will give away roughly 5-6 pounds. On the other hand Conor Benn is another option who has stated he’d be happy to give away 5 pounds above the welterweight limit to Kell and about 2 pounds above what he fought Khan at so in terms of weight, it may be a better proposition for Kell. It would be an interesting styles clash, a young and aggressive prospect who is not shy of applying pressure and setting up devastating highlight reel knockouts against a seasoned vet who is likely to test Benn’s technique, but for how long? Kell has shown he still has the ability to compete and at least secure himself one more big pay day…..

But why? will he experience a night bigger then last Sunday at the MEN arena ? the answer is a big fat no, the atmosphere was electric, it was a carnival and one hell of a spectacle - it wont get bigger then that and he may not find himself in such a position to ride off on the greatest of highs, beating his arch nemesis in a fight which will most likely define his legacy and was much bigger then his world title win over Porter. Why risk tampering with his legacy and especially his health, there are very few fairytales in Boxing because there’s always that temptation of one more but I hope Brook retires, I wanted Khan to call it a day after the Le Greco fight. Money isn’t everything, Brook has made more then enough and I don’t want to see him go through the punishment he dished out to Khan.
 
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Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez to face Dmitry Bivol in Las Vegas on 7 May

Undisputed world super-middleweight champion Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez will step up to light-heavyweight to fight WBA champion Dmitry Bivol on 7 May.

Alvarez, 31, is rated as the world's leading pound-for-pound male boxer.

His most recent bout was November's win over American Caleb Plant, becoming the first man to hold the IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO super-middleweight crowns.

On facing Russia's Bivol in Las Vegas, Alvarez said: "It is another great challenge for me and my career."

Bivol, also 31, is undefeated in his 19 professional bouts, with 11 of the victories coming by knockout.

He has held the WBA light-heavyweight title since 2016, defending the belt 10 times.

Now he will face Mexico's Alvarez in the first of a multi-fight deal with Matchroom and DAZN, with the second set for September.

"I always only wanted to fight the best. I believe that the rest of my goals will begin to materialise on 7 May," said Bivol.

Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn said the multi-fight deal with Alvarez was "an absolute honour".

"Canelo transcends boxing and is the biggest star in the sport," said Hearn.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/60536012
 
I hope this isn’t a robbery, am here at the Hydro and Jack has kept the crowd silent all night
 
I’ve seen some truly horrible decisions over the years but this one has to take cake. Ashamed to follow the sport on nights like this.

Don’t get me wrong, you’d have to own a special crystal ball to have picked Jack over Taylor but if you studied tape of Jack before the fight, you’d see he is no mug at all, his technical boxing ability is sound and so is his ring IQ, I watched his fight against Houya and you could see his wonderful pawing jab out the southpaw stance and ability to out manoeuvre his opponent with his lead foot catching them out of position to set up clubbing left hands, Houya is no Josh Taylor but we saw much of that here from bell one, Jack controlled the pace with his jab out his wide southpaw stance and immediately found range, Taylor was unable to work his way in and was picked off all night especially by under handed straight lefts to the head and body which in fact resulted in a knockdown in Rd 8.

It’s beyond disgusting how close the judges had this fight, you can arguably make a case for Jack that he won every round, but with the knockdown how Taylor managed to find a way back in the judges eyes is something which I hope is thoroughly investigated.

There will be defence about how Josh had a tough weight cut and all but he took this fight at the end of the day and Jack had been inactive for a very lengthy period which makes his performance all the more remarkable. I wouldn’t even want to entertain a rematch here, I hope at the very least that Jack is awarded one of the alphabet titles after an investigation.

Disgusting.
 
Josh Taylor retains world titles with controversial split decision win over Jack Catterall

Scotland's Josh Taylor clung on to his status as undisputed light-welterweight world champion with a controversial split-decision victory against Jack Catterall in Glasgow.

The English challenger looked to have claimed a stunning upset in Taylor's first defence of his WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO belts.

But two judges scored in favour of the Scot, who was floored in the eighth round, as they delivered a verdict met with widespread disbelief and described as "disgusting" by the Catterall camp.

The judges' scorecards seemed almost certain to confirm that Catterall was the new undisputed super-lightweight champion. Taylor had been outboxed and dethroned in his own backyard, surely?

The questions were already forming as to why Taylor fell so far short of the lofty standards he's set in his career. Was he drained at the weight? Did he have half-an-eye on future lucrative fights?

Or maybe Catterall is far better than many realised. El Gato put in the performance of a lifetime, and will wonder how he is not now the man standing atop the light-welterweight division with all the options in the world.

But instead, Taylor survived, extending his perfect record to 19 wins as Catterall suffered a first loss in 27 bouts. The home favourite acknowledged the performance "wasn't my best" but insisted: "I know I won the fight".

Taylor added to Sky Sports: "I think I put a little bit too much pressure [on myself] with being the heavy favourite and to put on a good show in front of my home fans.

"I believe I got the win 100% but Jack did very well. It was close, I let him have a little too much success, but overall I scored the bigger and better shots, the more meaningful shots."

Catterall's trainer Jamie Moore said his fighter was "heartbroken", adding: "It's difficult to put into words. You're talking about a kid that's worked all his life to wait for that moment.

"He performs like that, beats the champion in his own back yard and gets robbed. It's disgusting."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/60542055
 
There needs to be a major investigation regarding this. The three judges in question have tarnished boxing in a big way.
 
James said:
Boxing doesn’t do itself any favours at times.
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I woke up this morning mate and I don’t feel any better, can’t imagine what Jack and his family are going through, the sacrifice this sport takes is unprecedented as it is, imagine giving it everything, fighting in bingo halls in the shadows and once you find your worth on a big stage, you’re not given a fair shake.

I suspected this from the word go when the ref’s performance was mind boggling to, something was cooking that’s for sure.

Jack was Taylor’s mandatory a while back prior to his undisputed clash with Ramirez. Jack agreed a step aside fee to allow Taylor to fight for the undisputed title with the guarantee he’d get a shot at Taylor soon after. Looking back, maybe he shouldn’t have agreed to step aside at the time, Taylor is promoted by Bob Arum who holds too much clout in the sport
 
The corruption and risk of score/result manipulation is actually becoming a big issue now. Boxing will be including in the 2024 Paris Olympics, but the IOC have pulled it from future events starting with LA 2028 and said that it won’t be back until the compromised judging space is comprehensively sorted out.
 
The irony about the word 'undisputed' remaining alongside Josh Taylor's name today is that everything about his victory over Jack Catterall is disputed by pretty much everybody in the fight game.

None of this hubbub is Taylor's fault, it has to be said. None of the criticism that is now swirling around the decision to retain him as king of the light-welterweights is down to him.

He was nowhere near his best, lacked energy, accuracy and got nailed repeatedly by Catterall's efficiency, but the decision was obviously out of his ineffective hands on the night. He's a fighter, not the judge and jury.

Current and former fighters, current and former managers and promoters, boxing aficionados who have lived and breathed the sport their whole life all gave this decision to Catterall. They all lined up to express their outrage at what they saw as a sweeping injustice perpetrated on the underdog in the home country of the champ.

Carl Frampton: "It's wrong, it's wrong."

Dillian Whyte: "Disgusting."

Luke Campbell: "Shocking."

Alex Arthur: "I'm the proudest Scotsman in history but Jack Catterall was just robbed of a world title."

Somebody gave the Englishman the contest by a veritable landslide, others by a few rounds. One set of stats showed Catterall landed 166 of 357 punches thrown and Taylor landed just 85 of 255. Another set had it that Catterall landed 120 to Taylor's 73. Yet another showed Catterall had landed more blows in every one of the 12 rounds bar one - the 10th.

The numbers might have varied but the consensus was the same - Catterall won.
 
Lawrence Okolie retains WBO cruiserweight title with unanimous points victory

Briton Lawrence Okolie defended his WBO cruiserweight belt with a comfortable yet scrappy points victory over Michal Cieslak at London's O2 Arena.

The 29-year-old floored the Polish challenger in the fifth round but was not at his fluent best in a bout where both men continued to grapple and hold.

The judges' scorecards read 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112 - all to Okolie.

"It was a flat performance and I allowed it to get messy," Okolie told 5 Live Boxing.

"This was one of those days where it was tough, awkward, and the guy was physically strong, but I need to work on the mentality that it doesn't need to be perfect.

"I will go back to the gym, go again and make it right the next time."

The Londoner now moves closer to a unification bout, with IBF champion Mairis Briedis a possible opponent.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/60549530
 
Josh Taylor-Jack Catterall: Boxing board investigates scoring as Scot hits out at 'personal attacks'

Josh Taylor says "personal attacks" on him and his family are "disgusting and uncalled for" after the British Boxing Board of Control revealed a probe into his win over Jack Catterall.

The Scot, 31, retained his WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO light-welterweight belts against the 28-year-old Englishman.

But BBBoC general secretary Robert Smith was "very surprised" at the scoring from judge Ian John-Lewis.

John-Lewis will be called to explain why he gave it to Taylor by 114-111.

The other two judges marked the contest closer, with Howard Foster going for Catteral by 113-112 and Victor Laughlin giving it to Taylor by 113-112.

The board does not have the power to overturn the result but does regularly investigate scoring after controversial decisions.

Taylor has taken to Instagram to say he accepts that "many fans believe Jack deserved the decision" at Glasgow's OVO Hydro but that this did not excuse personal attacks.

After watching re-runs, the Scot still believes he "won a very close fight" but congratulated "helluva fighter" Catterall "on a great fight" in which he "rose to the occasion".

Taylor thought the Englishman "deserves another title shot" but confirmed that he himself would be moving up a weight.

"I've never ducked a challenge in my career and I'll be happy to fight Jack again, but it would have to be at welterweight" he said.

Earlier, Smith told BBC Sport's boxing podcast that he himself thought "Jack nicked it".

"But it was a close fight with some of the rounds going backwards and forwards," he said. "I don't think it was robbery.

"With regard to the scores, Howard and Victor I can understand, because it was tight. I am very surprised at Ian's score."

Smith pointed out that scoring in boxing "is subjective".

"We can't change the decision," he said. "Two judges went for Josh and one went for Jack - I don't think there's anything in that. Whether you agree with what they saw is a different thing altogether and that's what we need to investigate.

"We need to do something. I'm not too sure what that is at the moment. The first thing is - we need a full explanation and I need to go through the scorecards one by one."

Meanwhile, Catterall has taken to Instagram saying he stands with those calling for "big changes" to the sport and describing himself as the "uncrowned king".

"Nothing will ever change how I feel about Saturday - I won that fight," he said. "I came to the champions' country and gave him a lesson. The decision doesn't sit well with me and I don't think it ever will - they stole a moment in my life I'll never get back."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/60559433
 
Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk says his "country and honour" are more important than any fight in the ring as he prepares to defend Ukraine's capital Kyiv against invading Russian forces.

The 35-year-old, who beat Britain's Anthony Joshua in September to become the unified heavyweight champion, has enlisted in Ukraine's military.

"There is no fear, absolutely no fear," he told CNN.

"There's just bafflement - how could this be in the 21st century?"

Usyk, who was speaking via video call and an interpreter from a basement in Kyiv, said he did not know if there was any chance of him fulfilling a planned May rematch with Joshua.

"I really don't know when I'm going to be stepping back in the ring," he said.

"My country and my honour are more important to me than a championship belt."

Usyk has previously called on the Russian people to resist the war and for the country's president Vladimir Putin to engage in peace talks without pre-conditions or claims to Ukrainian territory.

He is one of several former and current Ukrainian boxers who have come to the defence of their homeland.

Vasiliy Lomachenko, a three-weight world champion who has wins over Britons Luke Campbell and Anthony Crolla on his professional record as well as two Olympic golds from his time as an amateur, has also taken up arms.

Brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, both former heavyweight world champions, are also in Kyiv.

Vitali, 50, has been mayor of the city since 2014 while Wladimir, 45, joined the city's military reserve last month.

"In Kyiv there is a huge movement for civil defence," Vitali told BBC News. "Lines hours long full of young people ready to take weapons and be part of the civil defence in our city.

"We are fighting for democracy and our choice," added Wladimir. "Terrible events happened in the past six days: men, women and children dying, but I am proud of our men and women who are ready to defend our country for our children."
 
MenInG said:
Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk says his "country and honour" are more important than any fight in the ring as he prepares to defend Ukraine's capital Kyiv against invading Russian forces.

The 35-year-old, who beat Britain's Anthony Joshua in September to become the unified heavyweight champion, has enlisted in Ukraine's military.

"There is no fear, absolutely no fear," he told CNN.

"There's just bafflement - how could this be in the 21st century?"

Usyk, who was speaking via video call and an interpreter from a basement in Kyiv, said he did not know if there was any chance of him fulfilling a planned May rematch with Joshua.

"I really don't know when I'm going to be stepping back in the ring," he said.

"My country and my honour are more important to me than a championship belt."

Usyk has previously called on the Russian people to resist the war and for the country's president Vladimir Putin to engage in peace talks without pre-conditions or claims to Ukrainian territory.

He is one of several former and current Ukrainian boxers who have come to the defence of their homeland.

Vasiliy Lomachenko, a three-weight world champion who has wins over Britons Luke Campbell and Anthony Crolla on his professional record as well as two Olympic golds from his time as an amateur, has also taken up arms.

Brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, both former heavyweight world champions, are also in Kyiv.

Vitali, 50, has been mayor of the city since 2014 while Wladimir, 45, joined the city's military reserve last month.

"In Kyiv there is a huge movement for civil defence," Vitali told BBC News. "Lines hours long full of young people ready to take weapons and be part of the civil defence in our city.

"We are fighting for democracy and our choice," added Wladimir. "Terrible events happened in the past six days: men, women and children dying, but I am proud of our men and women who are ready to defend our country for our children."
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I wonder what will happen with the WBO, WBC and IBF world titles as a result of Usyk’s choice. These governing bodies have already stated that they will not certify title fights involving Russian fighters which reeks of so much prejudice and discrimination, I fear Beterbiev who widely regarded as the toughest test out there for Canelo and who is also a proud muslim fighter could get stripped [MENTION=43583]KingKhanWC[/MENTION]

The WBA have not made any such decision so Bivol is safe for now. But given the WBO/WBC/IBF position, surely they would be met with heavy criticism if Usyk is stripped.

Fury mentioned he could retire after Whyte and you never know with him, but it wouldn’t be a bad time to should he defeat Whyte / is expected to because Usyk is occupied and no other respectable contender.

Fury/Whyte has already sold 85k tickets, mad! Eddie Hearn doubted they’d do 50-60, he is still bitter he lost the purse bid and has instructed Whyte not to do any press which is so unprofessional and something Whyte will regret for many years
 
Chris Eubank Jr vs Kell Brook is 'a huge fight' if they agree a 'realistic' weight, says promoter Ben Shalom

Chris Eubank Jr must come down in weight by five pounds to secure a fight with Kell Brook, says promoter Ben Shalom.

Eubank Jr called out Brook in the wake of his brilliant stoppage win in the grudge match against Amir Khan.

Brook is a former world welterweight (147lbs) champion who beat Khan at a 149lbs catchweight, but Eubank Jr operates at middleweight (160lbs) so a weight disparity is a problem in agreeing terms to fight.

"The fight is very realistic, but only if they are both realistic about the weight," promoter Ben Shalom said.

"Brook is happy to be realistic by coming up from 149lbs to 154lbs or 155lbs.

"But Eubank Jr also has to be realistic. And that involves coming down to 155lbs."

The rivalry between them started in 2016 when Eubank Jr was in talks to fight Gennadiy Golovkin.

Brook eventually took the fight with Golovkin instead - he bravely moved up two divisions to middleweight but lost by stoppage and suffered a broken eye socket.

"Brook made a mistake with Golovkin and won't make the same mistake again at this stage of his career," Shalom said.

"He has shown that he is willing to come up again to fight Eubank Jr.

"But Eubank Jr must come down in weight. If he can, it's a huge fight."

Conor Benn has also emerged as an option for Brook in his natural welterweight division.

"Brook has a lot of options now," Shalom said. "He has just won a huge event with a huge amount of interest in it.

"He showed himself to still be in a very good condition.

"Eubank Jr has fought for world titles, Benn hasn't. Eubank Jr is a bigger name. So you could argue that there is more in it for Brook."

'There's definitely a bit of needle there!'


Nisse Sauerland of Wasserman Boxing, who promote Eubank Jr, hopes a compromise can be reached over the weight limit for a grudge fight with Brook.

But Eubank Jr is also open to fighting world champions such as Golovkin or British rival Billy Joe Saunders after his recent win over Liam Williams.

"If you look at what Kell is saying, the five pounds to come up to 160, is not the be all and end all," Sauerland told Sky Sports.

"It sounds like a bit of an excuse. I think five pounds isn't the biggest of deals, but I'm sure there is a discussion to be had. But I can't see [Eubank] Junior going down to 155, unless he chops an arm off.

"Obviously Kell Brook is a massive fight, there's definitely a bit of needle started there as well. But of course, there's also Golovkin-Murata. We'll be looking very closely at the winner of that.

"We're also monitoring [Zhanibek] Alimkhanuly, the WBO route. You've got [Jermall] Charlo, the Billy Joe [Saunders] fight, which would be absolutely huge and a few other options that we're looking at as well."


Brook's last fight?

Shalom says Brook will make a final decision on his future, which could even lead to retirement.

"It's up to Kell. If he retires now he retires in a very, very happy place and I expect him to be considering that option," he said.

"But then again you have the likes of Chris Eubank Jr, Danny Garcia, Keith Thurman, Conor Benn all calling him out because he's the money fight now.

"He's sold out arenas all around the country, he's the biggest name at 147[lbs] in the UK right now that's available for the fight. Whether at 147 or if he goes up to 155 to fight Chris Eubank Jr, he's got big options.

"But again it's up to him and he'll take time with his family. Maybe we do see the retirement of a legend of the sport."

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/ne...e-a-realistic-weight-says-promoter-ben-shalom
 
Josh Taylor says he is 'keen' on Jack Catterall rematch at catchweight

Josh Taylor says he is keen on a rematch with Jack Catterall, but maintains it would have to take place without titles on the line at a catchweight.

Taylor remained undisputed super-lightweight champion via a split decision in his Scotland homecoming last month, despite being knocked down, cut and out-boxed by Catterall for long periods.

The decision was a major shock to the large majority of ringside analysts, with the entire Sky Sports team in agreement Catterall had done enough to become world champion.

The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) is now investigating the scoring. Howard Foster scored the bout 113-112 to Catterall, but Victor Loughlin gave it to Taylor by the same scoreline reversed, and Ian John-Lewis scored it 114-111 in the Scot's favour.

Taylor has since expressed his intention to move up to the 147lbs welterweight division, citing the trouble he had making weight for the fight, but has hinted he could agree to a catchweight clash with Catterall somewhere nearer to the 140lbs they met at in Glasgow.

Asked whether Catterall should get another world title shot, Taylor told Sky Sports News: "Of course, I think he deserves it.

"We'll see what happens down the line - we can have a fight again with Jack, why not. I'm certainly open to it, so we'll see what happens.

"Most likely at a catchweight. I can't make the weight anymore safely, I don't think. So we'll see how it goes, but I'm keen for a rematch."

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/ne...keen-on-jack-catterall-rematch-at-catchweight
 
[MENTION=137142]JaDed[/MENTION] you follow the Boxing mate? :yk Btw am avoiding the Bats thread due to spoilers, am watching the movie on Thursday :afridi
 
Rumours are aamir wants to activate rematch clause vs Brook, so he is paid money to move aside for game.
 
George Foreman ranks top five heavyweights of all time including Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis


Boxing legend George Foreman has named Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis in his top five heavyweights of all time but there’s no room for Mike Tyson on the former champion’s list.

It is a stacked list also including the likes of Rocky Marciano and John L Sullivan.

Foreman, 73, also declared Joe Louis the greatest fighter in the history of the sport.

Louis, also known by his ring name as the Brown Bomber, claimed the world championship in June 1937 and emphatically laid waste to the rest of the division for the best part of a decade.

In that time, the Alabama native defeated five former world champions and registered a staggering 25 consecutive title defences – a run Foreman believes made him the best fighter to ever set foot in the boxing ring.

When asked who he thinks is the greatest heavyweight of all time, he replied via Twitter: “Joe Louis was champ for 11 years! The greatest of all time.”

Louis announced his retirement a few weeks after being beaten by Rocky Marciano in New York in October 1951.


And despite the one-sided ending that was their fateful encounter, Foreman still has Louis ahead of Marciano in the pecking order, with ‘The Rock from Brockton’ coming at in 2nd.

Foreman doesn’t, however, believe ‘Iron Mike’ – who was linked to a fight against Logan Paul as recently as last year – deserves a place on the list as he missed out on a spot in the top five rankings.

Tyson in 1986 became the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history, knocking out Trevor Berbick aged just 20.

But despite this Foreman insisted he still doesn’t make the top five.

Replying to a fan, he tweeted: “Tyson is not in my top 5 world champs [sic]. He could make my top 10.”

Foreman also had Sullivan ranked third, with former foe Ali coming in at four.

Nicknamed The Greatest, Ali is widely regarded as the greatest fighter of his generation.

Ali regained the heavyweight crown by knocking out Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle in October 1974.

While in the fifth spot on the list Foreman reeled off on social media was Lewis.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/box...ali-and-lennox-lewis/ar-AAUQE8J?ocid=msedgntp
 
Leigh Wood: Champion knocks out Michael Conlan to retain WBA featherweight title

Leigh Wood produced a stunning last-round knockout of Michael Conlan to retain his WBA featherweight title in an incredible fight in Nottingham.

Wood was knocked down by a crushing overhand left in the first round and was in desperate trouble in the second.

But he fought his way back into it despite a bad cut in the fifth.

Wood produced a stunning punch in the last round with Belfast's Conlan knocked out of the ring before he received extensive medical treatment.

There were worrying scenes and Wood stopped his celebrations to ensure his opponent was OK. Conlan was then taken from the ring on a stretcher.

"First of all I just hope Michael is all right, I can't celebrate until I know he is all right," Wood told Dazn.

"He is so tough and it was a bad knockout so I just want to see he is all right."

A fan from the stands also tried to get into the ring after the fight, but was stopped by security.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/60724637
 
Firebat said:
Leigh Wood: Champion knocks out Michael Conlan to retain WBA featherweight title

Leigh Wood produced a stunning last-round knockout of Michael Conlan to retain his WBA featherweight title in an incredible fight in Nottingham.

Wood was knocked down by a crushing overhand left in the first round and was in desperate trouble in the second.

But he fought his way back into it despite a bad cut in the fifth.

Wood produced a stunning punch in the last round with Belfast's Conlan knocked out of the ring before he received extensive medical treatment.

There were worrying scenes and Wood stopped his celebrations to ensure his opponent was OK. Conlan was then taken from the ring on a stretcher.

"First of all I just hope Michael is all right, I can't celebrate until I know he is all right," Wood told Dazn.

"He is so tough and it was a bad knockout so I just want to see he is all right."

A fan from the stands also tried to get into the ring after the fight, but was stopped by security.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/60724637
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Most likely this will be FOTY, haven’t seen anything quiet like it in a very long time and reminded me a bit of the dramatic between Froch and Taylor.

I didn’t feel Woods was on Conlan’s level in terms of skill given Conlan’s amateur pedigree and superior boxing ability, that showed throughout the fight, Woods is fundamentally sound but his style wouldn’t necessarily be effective against fighters who are light on the feet and have a higher boxing IQ - but his get out of jail free card are those heavy hands and despite suffering a heavy knockdown (saved by the bell in Rd 1), he recovered and kept trying after being inspired by his home town fans, he was largely being out boxed and was missing a fair bit or landing on Conlan’s arms / gloves, I still see some of those shots causing issues because of his power Conlan would still have felt them and he begun to feel the pace a bit due to Woods pressure and was cut of on numerous occasions on the ropes which wasn’t a good place to be for the Irishman, a knockdown came in round 11 which Conlan felt was a balance issue but I did feel he went down due to a punch and seemed fatigued. He was cut off again in Rd 12 and fatigue crept in once more resulting him him holding his feet on the ropes - bad idea, a feint with the jab from Woods forced Conlan to slip to his right and in came a thudding right hand which knocked him out before he hit the ring side floor outside. Glad Conlan is ok but what a comeback from Woods who I felt needed the KO to win.

Incredible fight and Woods is world class, I’d be inclined to see a rematch at some point but feel both could go in a different direction for now
 
shaz619 said:
Most likely this will be FOTY, haven’t seen anything quiet like it in a very long time and reminded me a bit of the dramatic between Froch and Taylor.

I didn’t feel Woods was on Conlan’s level in terms of skill given Conlan’s amateur pedigree and superior boxing ability, that showed throughout the fight, Woods is fundamentally sound but his style wouldn’t necessarily be effective against fighters who are light on the feet and have a higher boxing IQ - but his get out of jail free card are those heavy hands and despite suffering a heavy knockdown (saved by the bell in Rd 1), he recovered and kept trying after being inspired by his home town fans, he was largely being out boxed and was missing a fair bit or landing on Conlan’s arms / gloves, I still see some of those shots causing issues because of his power Conlan would still have felt them and he begun to feel the pace a bit due to Woods pressure and was cut of on numerous occasions on the ropes which wasn’t a good place to be for the Irishman, a knockdown came in round 11 which Conlan felt was a balance issue but I did feel he went down due to a punch and seemed fatigued. He was cut off again in Rd 12 and fatigue crept in once more resulting him him holding his feet on the ropes - bad idea, a feint with the jab from Woods forced Conlan to slip to his right and in came a thudding right hand which knocked him out before he hit the ring side floor outside. Glad Conlan is ok but what a comeback from Woods who I felt needed the KO to win.

Incredible fight and Woods is world class, I’d be inclined to see a rematch at some point but feel both could go in a different direction for now
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Slip to the left from Conlan* which Woods caught, what a fight, totally go out of your way to watch this one
 
shaz619 said:
Most likely this will be FOTY, haven’t seen anything quiet like it in a very long time and reminded me a bit of the dramatic between Froch and Taylor.

I didn’t feel Woods was on Conlan’s level in terms of skill given Conlan’s amateur pedigree and superior boxing ability, that showed throughout the fight, Woods is fundamentally sound but his style wouldn’t necessarily be effective against fighters who are light on the feet and have a higher boxing IQ - but his get out of jail free card are those heavy hands and despite suffering a heavy knockdown (saved by the bell in Rd 1), he recovered and kept trying after being inspired by his home town fans, he was largely being out boxed and was missing a fair bit or landing on Conlan’s arms / gloves, I still see some of those shots causing issues because of his power Conlan would still have felt them and he begun to feel the pace a bit due to Woods pressure and was cut of on numerous occasions on the ropes which wasn’t a good place to be for the Irishman, a knockdown came in round 11 which Conlan felt was a balance issue but I did feel he went down due to a punch and seemed fatigued. He was cut off again in Rd 12 and fatigue crept in once more resulting him him holding his feet on the ropes - bad idea, a feint with the jab from Woods forced Conlan to slip to his right and in came a thudding right hand which knocked him out before he hit the ring side floor outside. Glad Conlan is ok but what a comeback from Woods who I felt needed the KO to win.

Incredible fight and Woods is world class, I’d be inclined to see a rematch at some point but feel both could go in a different direction for now
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Incredible, one of the best fights i have ever seen.

Agree with the Taylor-Froch comparison.

Also reminded me a bit of Froch-Groves 1.

Conlan landed an almost perfect punch and surely could have ended the fight if it happened 30 seconds earlier.

Round 2 reminded me of round 6 of the Froch-Groves fight, Conlan completely dominated and landed clean shot after clean shot.

No idea how Wood stayed in the fight.

Conlan still boxed well but emptied the tank and was very tired in the latter stages. Incredible heart, determination and toughness from Wood, all things being well, definitely want to see the rematch.

I think Conlan might box cautiously and get a points decision.

Both did well wth their body shots last night.
 
Super Santi said:
Incredible, one of the best fights i have ever seen.

Agree with the Taylor-Froch comparison.

Also reminded me a bit of Froch-Groves 1.

Conlan landed an almost perfect punch and surely could have ended the fight if it happened 30 seconds earlier.

Round 2 reminded me of round 6 of the Froch-Groves fight, Conlan completely dominated and landed clean shot after clean shot.

No idea how Wood stayed in the fight.

Conlan still boxed well but emptied the tank and was very tired in the latter stages. Incredible heart, determination and toughness from Wood, all things being well, definitely want to see the rematch.

I think Conlan might box cautiously and get a points decision.

Both did well wth their body shots last night.
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Agree there it was pretty outrageous, these days the only thing which strength and conditioning coaches tend to achieve is the strengthening and conditioning of their pockets, but team Conlan did an incredible job on that front even if he was buoyed by his fans - he had dreamt of this his whole life, so I did feel he’d give it everything and keep trying, he was saved by the bell in Rd 1 but man, have no idea how he got through Rd 2.

Good shout on the body work, while Conlan landed more, looking back when Woods did get through to the body, I feel those shots must have been a lot stiffer and compounded Conlan’s fatigue later in the fight - but despite that, Conlan kept going himself, he could have taken a round off or two but am sure the British judges must have been at the back of his mind, if he made it to the final bell and assuming he’d have lost Rd 12, he’d have got a draw which would have been so harsh in my view, I agree with the card which had him up by 4 points.

Am always one to lean towards the boxer, although Woods isn’t your typical slugger, he has a decent defence and looks to feint a little bit as well. But personally, I think Conlan should not seek the rematch right away, needs to rebuild his confidence a bit, you never know after early defeats like these. For Woods, I hope WBA force Leo Santa Cruz to face him for the undisputed WBA title, not a fan of their two world champions and Santa Cruz has not defended his title for a while, the fight could be decent timing for Woods to as Santa Cruz while he is strongest at FW, is a little outside his peak perhaps
 
shaz619 said:
Agree there it was pretty outrageous, these days the only thing which strength and conditioning coaches tend to achieve is the strengthening and conditioning of their pockets, but team Woods* did an incredible job on that front even if he was buoyed by his fans - he had dreamt of this his whole life, so I did feel he’d give it everything and keep trying, he was saved by the bell in Rd 1 but man, have no idea how he got through Rd 2.

Good shout on the body work, while Conlan landed more, looking back when Woods did get through to the body, I feel those shots must have been a lot stiffer and compounded Conlan’s fatigue later in the fight - but despite that, Conlan kept going himself, he could have taken a round off or two but am sure the British judges must have been at the back of his mind, if he made it to the final bell and assuming he’d have lost Rd 12, he’d have got a draw which would have been so harsh in my view, I agree with the card which had him up by 4 points.

Am always one to lean towards the boxer, although Woods isn’t your typical slugger, he has a decent defence and looks to feint a little bit as well. But personally, I think Conlan should not seek the rematch right away, needs to rebuild his confidence a bit, you never know after early defeats like these. For Woods, I hope WBA force Leo Santa Cruz to face him for the undisputed WBA title, not a fan of their two world champions and Santa Cruz has not defended his title for a while, the fight could be decent timing for Woods to as Santa Cruz while he is strongest at FW, is a little outside his peak perhaps
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Team Woods* - amazing job on the conditioning front to sustain all those blows
 
Oleksandr Usyk v Anthony Joshua: Heavyweight champion leaves Ukraine to start training

Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has left his native Ukraine to prepare for his rematch with Anthony Joshua.

Usyk, 35, has been helping to defend his country from the Russian invasion after enlisting in Ukraine's military.

He beat Joshua in September to become the unified heavyweight champion and is set to face the Briton again in June.

Usyk will now begin his training camp but, contrary to some reports, the BBC understands the camp is not in neighbouring Poland.

April had initially been mentioned as a potential date for the rematch, but Joshua's search for a new trainer and prolonged talks with WBC champion Tyson Fury forced a delay.

After Joshua decided against stepping aside from the fight to face Fury, his promoter Eddie Hearn said May was a target.

But Joshua's bid to win back the WBA (Super), IBF and WBO belts was pushed back further when Russian troops invaded Ukraine at the end of February.

Usyk is one of several former and current Ukrainian boxers who have come to the defence of their homeland.

Three-weight world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko, 34, has also taken up arms while brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, both former world heavyweight champions, are also in Kyiv.

Vitali, 50, has been mayor of the city since 2014 while Wladimir, 45, joined the city's military reserve last month.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/60850530
 
hamzah sheeraz walked through his middle weight debut, seems much more natural at this weight, but much tougher fights will await.

also interesting to see adam azim fighting this weekend i think.
 
ElRaja said:
hamzah sheeraz walked through his middle weight debut, seems much more natural at this weight, but much tougher fights will await.

also interesting to see adam azim fighting this weekend i think.
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Need to catch the Sheeraz fight, was hoping for the Skeete rematch who has retired now. Yep, Azim is fighting this weekend, he is a bit boring to watch but that’s a massive plus at this point, remember Khan at the same point in his career LOL but it happens with all the spotlight on him, Khan may have been of Pakistani heritage but his heart was Mexican. Azim has some extra eye balls on him and has sky’s backing, but they are doing a good job transitioning him to the pro’s and ensuring the fundamentals are sound because later on it’s harder to do, his opponent is a bit taller then him so it will be interesting to see his approach and how he punches upwards when you don’t carry as much power - especially when you shoot in straight lines from an orthodox stance, maybe with that stance and guard he will look to get a little closer towards the inside unless his opponent doesn’t utilise his height well then it would be business as usual
 
shaz619 said:
Need to catch the Sheeraz fight, was hoping for the Skeete rematch who has retired now. Yep, Azim is fighting this weekend, he is a bit boring to watch but that’s a massive plus at this point, remember Khan at the same point in his career LOL but it happens with all the spotlight on him, Khan may have been of Pakistani heritage but his heart was Mexican. Azim has some extra eye balls on him and has sky’s backing, but they are doing a good job transitioning him to the pro’s and ensuring the fundamentals are sound because later on it’s harder to do, his opponent is a bit taller then him so it will be interesting to see his approach and how he punches upwards when you don’t carry as much power - especially when you shoot in straight lines from an orthodox stance, maybe with that stance and guard he will look to get a little closer towards the inside unless his opponent doesn’t utilise his height well then it would be business as usual
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think a lot of pakistani background boxers are simply circumventing the amatuer scene cos they know they can build a following quickly in pro ranks, which is good and bad i guess, but i love to see britpaks coming through, and i think theres more chance to get lost in teh amateurs, so i dont mind. dont know much abt azims division in uk, but theres some huge names on intenational level, so dont really know what to expect until he has 10 or 15 fights and hits that international level.

hamzah on the other is not too many fights away from reaching a properly testing level. hes very unpakistani like, which i know is a silly generalisation to make given how few britpak boxers theres been, but hes visibly slower, and more of a brawler, also the skeete fight showed he has that mongrel in him too. if he can take a punch he will be a very sellable fighter, with his style, and physicality.
 
Oleksandr Usyk confirms plans for a rematch against Anthony Joshua in Instagram post

Oleksandr Usyk has confirmed he is preparing for a rematch with Anthony Joshua in a post on his Instagram page.

The Ukrainian star returned to his home nation to help defend against the Russian invasion, but Usyk is now set to continue his boxing career.

Sky Sports reported on Thursday that the 35-year-old's team had resumed preparations for another showdown with Joshua, who activated a rematch clause after losing his belts in a unanimous decision loss at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September.

Attempts to finalise terms were put on hold, with Usyk heading back to Ukraine to help his compatriots, but the champion released a video on his social media account on Friday confirming his intention to return to the ring to face Britain's Joshua.

"I've decided to start preparing for a rematch with Anthony Joshua," he said.

In the 42-second video, the undefeated Ukrainian went into further detail about his reasons behind switching his focus to a rematch with Joshua, revealing the support friends and family have given him in resuming his boxing career.

"That's how I will help my country more and it's better than being in territorial defence and running around Kyiv with a machine gun.

"Dear friends, many of my friends and close ones called me and supported me in this. Haters, I wish you well and wish you happiness, joy and peace.

"Everything will be with God's blessing. Everything will be Ukraine. Wishing everyone well."

Otto Wallin, Luis Ortiz and Britain's Joe Joyce were on a shortlist of alternative opponents for Joshua, but Usyk is now set to finalise terms for their second fight before finding a suitable location for his training camp.

Joshua recently confirmed that he started preparations for his next fight with Angel Fernandez, who was drafted into the British star's team ahead of the rematch win over Andy Ruiz Jr in December 2019.

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/ne...atch-against-anthony-joshua-in-instagram-post
 
ElRaja said:
think a lot of pakistani background boxers are simply circumventing the amatuer scene cos they know they can build a following quickly in pro ranks, which is good and bad i guess, but i love to see britpaks coming through, and i think theres more chance to get lost in teh amateurs, so i dont mind. dont know much abt azims division in uk, but theres some huge names on intenational level, so dont really know what to expect until he has 10 or 15 fights and hits that international level.

hamzah on the other is not too many fights away from reaching a properly testing level. hes very unpakistani like, which i know is a silly generalisation to make given how few britpak boxers theres been, but hes visibly slower, and more of a brawler, also the skeete fight showed he has that mongrel in him too. if he can take a punch he will be a very sellable fighter, with his style, and physicality.
Click to expand...

I’d partly agree with that although we’ve seen a decent crop at the amateur level, more have decided to transition to pro a little early maybe as you say due to money or perhaps acknowledging how competitive the amateur scene is, but we’ve had some decent talent come through there like Qais, Ali (was a fav to medal) and Adam Azim who had a terrific youth amateur career, he would have been favourite to medal in the next Olympics but there are advantages to turning pro this early to and he has the luxury of the pakistani fanbase in the UK to. Hamzah Sheeraz is certainly an atypical pak fighter and that style will certainly be a draw but it will also be dependent on whether he has a chin, but in any case he will need to hone his defence.

Great KO from Adam Azim, he took him out with Kell’s favourite combo the 2-1! love it
 
Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua: Ukrainian's team expect to finalise venue and date for rematch within fornight

Oleksandr Usyk's team expect to finalise a venue and a date for the Anthony Joshua rematch within a fortnight.

Saudi Arabia is being considered as a location for the second fight between Usyk and Joshua, which is set to be scheduled in late June.

Joshua is attempting to reclaim his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles after suffering a unanimous decision loss at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September.

Usyk's promoter Alexander Krassyuk told Sky Sports: "Within the next two weeks we expect to finalise details."

Joshua could be heading back to Saudi Arabia after regaining his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight belts in a rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr in Diriyah in December 2019.

"This location is under discussion at the moment," Krassyuk told Sky Sports last week. "Late June is also the timing we are considering now.

"Many things will depend on how fast we manage to ink the papers. The good thing is that Usyk is already in Europe to start his preparation."

The 35-year-old had returned to his home nation to help defend against the Russian invasion, but recently revealed that he intended to press ahead with the planned Joshua rematch.

"That's how I will help my country more and it's better than being in territorial defence and running around Kyiv with a machine gun," said Usyk in a message on social media.

"Dear friends, many of my friends and close ones called me and supported me in this. Haters, I wish you well and wish you happiness, joy and peace. Everything will be with God's blessing. Everything will be Ukraine. Wishing everyone well."

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/ne...se-venue-and-date-for-rematch-within-fornight
 
Dillian Whyte explains media silence: It's not the Tyson Fury show!

Dillian Whyte made sure to remind all there are two men headlining at Wembley on April 23 as he explained his media silence ahead of this month's all-British title fight against Tyson Fury.

The WBC mandatory challenger elected against attending last month's ticket launch event and had been silent on social media until earlier this week when he posted on Instagram.

It beckons as a long-awaited title shot for the Brixton man, who knocked out Alexander Povetkin in the fourth round of their rematch last month to set up a showdown with Fury.

"This is a business," Whyte told reporters. "It's not the Tyson Fury show. Everybody saying Tyson Fury this, Tyson Fury that. This fight sold out because of me and Tyson Fury, Tyson Fury fought Wilder, he's a big superstar. It's not just the Tyson Fury show, it's the Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte show so some things need to be done correctly.

"I don't dance to nobody's tune, I'm a warrior, we can dance together but it can't be one-way traffic.

"I'm a disciplined guy and I've learned to be disciplined over the years. Okay, you want me to do things? That's cool, I'm up for that, I'm a professional, I've had six or seven pay-per-view shows and worked hard on all of them and looked after my opponents and dealt with them correctly.

"When these guys are trying to mug me off and treat me like it's the Tyson Fury show, they've got to get certain things correct. I'm a professional at the end of the day, so here I am. I'm here and ready."

Whyte cited previous occasions in which a potential fight with Fury failed to come to fruition as a reason for choosing not to speak in the build-up to this month's clash.

"You make an agreement to get the ball rolling, but there are still underlying issues that need securing and sorting out, and then when people are trying to play games and messing around then you've got to control what you can control," he added."

"What I could control is my actions, not what Fury does. So that's what I did."

Now that it has arrived, Whyte says it would mean "everything" to him to become champion of the world.

"I'm a guy that as a kid, no future, no education, no family, I'm a survivor," he said.

"I've been on the streets since I was a child. For somebody like me that's come from nothing, I've come from no sporting background, no backing, no support, I didn't even do sports at school. For somebody like me to come from where I've come from, and to be heavyweight champion of the world is true inspiration.

"That's somebody that's come from a boxing family. I was a thug on the street that could knock people out. I'm under no illusion, I know what I am, I know what I bring."

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/ne...ins-media-silence-its-not-the-tyson-fury-show
 
Some fights I watched recently:

GGG/Murata - Murata came forward and caused GGG some issues early on with his speed and feints to set up work to the body and using those attacks as a diversion to land his right hand to the head, GGG remained calm for the most part but it took him a few rounds to warm into the fight and use his legs, once his legs got going his work off the jab was significantly better and he thoroughly out boxed Murata off his back foot and repeatedly caught him with that arching left hook on the top of the head. Murata was worn down eventually and he faded and was caught with a brutal right hand counter. GGG looked good after such a long lay off and while his age may have played a part (40 years young) he took a bit of time to warm in to the fight, despite that he is now the second man in the history of the sport to be a unified world champion in his 40s.

There is talk of a trilogy fight with Canelo and while I’d find it interesting at 160 lb, am not sure if it would be a good move for GGG at 168 lb, Canelo would hold a significant size advantage; even though I feel GGG might be a little tight at 160 by now, but he was never a big MW so to speak. I’d watch the trilogy fight and assuming GGG is even in his best form at this point, he’d need a KO to get the W, so is it really worth it besides the monetary benefit.

Spence/Ugas - A unification from last night, I leaned towards Spence but didn’t feel it would be easy due to Ugas’s technical and physical attributes; however Spence started out faster then usual with an impressive work rate, applied pressure and used lateral movement to get out the inside after landing his clubbing left; this was countered at times with Ugas’s straight right out his tight high guard and the biggest moment came for him in Rd 6 when he ducked under a right hook to land a nasty upper cut which forced Spence to spit out his mouthguard, Spence seemed out of it and bizarrely began to look for his guard, Ugas took advantage of that and landed a nasty 1-2 when Spence turned to him and those punches sent him to the ropes, at this point Ugas refused to continue his attack, not sure if it was a sign if sportsmanship or him being too defensive; in any case Spence recovered to finish the round and then came out more aggressively, throwing stiff shots in the pocket and using his shoulder roll to avoid shots and great foot work, he exploited Ugas’s high guard with repeated left upper cuts which caused swelling to his right eye and it began to close shut, finally the doctor stopped the fight to the severity of that injury thankfully. An all round fantastic performance from Spence, went into a unification bout after a long lay off and looked seriously good, I hope we move on to the Crawford fight immediately before it is too late.
 
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Dillian Whyte says Tyson Fury also failed to appear at press conference as heavyweight rivalry heats up

Dillian Whyte has hit back at his critics ahead of his heavyweight title clash against Tyson Fury at Wembley on Saturday, saying he won't be drawn into the Fury "mind games".

Whyte did not appear at a press conference to launch the fight last month, opting to instead remain at his training camp in Portugal - a move that Fury said at the time was equivalent to "showing the white flag".

But Whyte has defended his decision, pointing to double-standards from Fury, who missed a media event with Wladimir Klitschko before their planned rematch fell through in 2016.

"People forget, Tyson Fury didn't turn up to the Wladimir Klitschko press conference," Whyte told BT Sport.

"Everyone is giving me stick, but Fury didn't actually turn up to that press conference - and he was contractually obliged to go to that. I weren't."

Sky Sports News has contacted Fury's promoter Frank Warren for comment.

Whyte added: "I don't care what Tyson Fury says. He says a lot of s***. His mouth is like a toilet, he just keeps on flushing and flushing and flushing.

"I don't really care about what he says and what he does. Me and him are going to have a fight regardless. I don't care about mind games.

"Listen, I'm a fighter, I'm a warrior. If he wants it, any time, anywhere, I'm down."

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/ne...ss-conference-as-heavyweight-rivalry-heats-up
 
Oleksandr Usyk to 'study' Tyson Fury's fight with Dillian Whyte - undisputed clash on the cards next?

Oleksandr Usyk's immediate focus may be a rematch with Anthony Joshua, but the Ukrainian will be gearing up for all possibilities this Saturday by studying Tyson Fury's fight with Dillian Whyte ahead of a potential undisputed showdown between the pair.

The 35-year-old is due to defend his WBA, WBO and IBF belts against Joshua this summer after ending the Brit's second reign as world champion with a unanimous points victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September.

Fury, set to put his WBC title on the line against Whyte at Wembley this weekend, looms as a possible next opponent should Usyk once again defeat Joshua, who himself could secure a long-awaited all-British battle by reclaiming his belts.

Usyk's team has confirmed they will be in the capital at the weekend to watch Fury in action.

"Definitely yes [we will be watching the fight]," Alexander Krassyuk, Usyk's promoter, told Sky Sports.

"Egis Klimas [Usyk's manager] and myself plan to attend the event and watch it from ringside.

"At Usyk's training camp, he will watch and study the fight on TV."

Fury previously suggested he planned on retiring following his fight with Whyte, a claim his father John was quick to rubbish.

The 33-year-old insisted on Thursday that he was not underestimating Whyte like others, and therefore planned to hold off on further retirement talk until afterwards.

"To be honest with you I am only thinking about Dillian Whyte, I am not thinking about retirement," he said. "That will come after the fight, we will think about what will happen and what the future will hold for me.

"At the minute, I have a massive task in Dillian. A lot of people are underestimating Dillian Whyte but not me. I am giving him the respect he deserves throughout the training camp.

"I am not underestimating this guy, I give him the respect like I did for Deontay Wilder and everyone else."

Fury and Joshua had appeared to be on a collision course, but these plans were left in disarray after Fury was ordered to take a third fight with Deontay Wilder and Joshua suffered defeat to Usyk.

Whyte also hopes to fulfil his own world title ambitions by beating Fury in a mandatory shot, which he earned following a fourth-round stoppage of Alexander Povetkin in their rematch last March.

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/ne...lian-whyte-undisputed-clash-on-the-cards-next
 
Frank Warren expecting 'fireworks' when Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte finally go face-to-face

Frank Warren is braced for an appetiser to Wembley's main course when Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte finally share the stage during Wednesday's press conference.

The occasion will be the first time the pair have gone face-to-face since the making of the fight, with Whyte having missed last month's ticket launch event amid his media silence throughout the build-up.

Warren, Fury's promoter, admitted to Sky Sports he was "disappointed" by Whyte's additional absence at public workouts on Tuesday after the Brixton man - due to land back from his Portugal training camp earlier in the day - failed to show.

Nonetheless, it offered yet another absorbing twist ahead of an all-British title showdown due to be watched by a European fight-record 94,000 fans inside Wembley Stadium.

"Yes we are (expecting fireworks), it's going to be quite an interesting one," Warren told Sky Sports.

"They've both got their different views about how the fight is going to go, they both fancy it.

"One thing I know is that I'm hearing Dillian is having his best camp ever of preparation and that's been the same for Tyson so we should get some real fireworks."

Fury returns to fight on British soil for the first time since 2018 after wrapping up his trilogy against Deontay Wilder with an 11th-round knockout win to retain his WBC heavyweight title in Las Vegas last October.

"This is Tyson's homecoming," Warren added. "He's been away for nearly four years now, his impact here is brilliant and the fans clearly appreciate what he's done out on his travels and he's come back and sold this venue very quickly, that tells you the place he's got in the fans' hearts in the UK.

"It's the biggest show I've ever been involved with, because it's the biggest selling boxing event ever in Europe and it's the highest grossing fight and event to take at Wembley so that's where we are, it doesn't get any bigger than that."

Fury has long insisted he will not underestimate the dangerous Whyte, who secured his eagerly-awaited title shot with victory over Alexander Povetkin in their March 2021 rematch.

Both have promised the best versions of themselves. Both know it will be needed.

"I was talking to Tyson yesterday for quite a while, talking to his dad, and as he said it's the best he's ever prepared, best camp he's ever been in," explained Warren.

"I look at his last three fights with Wilder, I know there were problems in the camp, but this is a good camp and that can only be great for Tyson's perspective and we'll see an even better Tyson."

What lies in wait after Saturday for Fury, who previously suggested he would retire after the fight, remains to be seen amid the possibility of a meet with the winner of Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk's rematch later this summer.

Warren will leave that to the man himself.

"I don't look beyond anything," he said. "Whatever he chooses to do it's his decision. As his friend and promoter, I just want him to win the fight."

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/ne...ury-and-dillian-whyte-finally-go-face-to-face
 
Nico Ali Walsh: Muhammad Ali's grandson on creating his own legacy and admiration for Tyson Fury

As boxing's greatest name returns to the sport's global capital on Saturday night, Nico Ali Walsh insists he won't fall into the "impossible" trap of attempting to emulate his grandfather Muhammad Ali's storied career.

The 21-year-old makes his Las Vegas debut on the undercard of Shakur Stevenson and Oscar Valdez's super-featherweight unification clash, with his presence on the bill only adding intrigue to one of the most hotly anticipated fights of the year, which is live on Sky Sports.

Having won all four of his professional fights since making his debut in August last year, Ali Walsh takes on fellow American Alejandro Ibarra at middleweight at the MGM Grand.

"It's impossible," Ali Walsh says of the possibility of emulating his grandfather.

"I want to continue my grandfather's legacy in the ring and outside the ring but while doing so I want to create my own path, a legacy of my own. Nobody will be able to do what my grandfather did, nobody will be able to reach the heights that he did, I don't think. So that's not what I'm trying to do, I'm not trying to do the impossible. But even better, I'm trying to build off it and create my own thing."

He has scored three stoppages in his first four pro bouts, with January's brutal knockout of Jeremiah Yeager his most impressive performance yet.

"I never set limits, but I would not have started boxing, even as an amateur, if it wasn't to take it to the top," Ali Walsh says. "That's where I'm looking to go and that's where I believe I will go with my work ethic and what I have deep inside of me."

'I hide Ali name to avoid being treated differently at university'

The serene progress Ali Walsh has made through the early stages of his professional career is made all the more impressive by the fact he has been balancing a university degree in business and entrepreneurship.

Despite admitting that boxing has taken priority over studying, particularly since turning professional last year, Ali Walsh has refused to use his famous family name to take any shortcuts.

"Next month I'm graduating," he says. "It's been interesting, yesterday I had to pick up my cap and gown.

"It's sometimes tough dealing with school and boxing. Ones got to suffer and it's not going to be boxing. I've been slacking a little bit in school, but I'm doing well, my grades are good, I'm graduating next month and I was able to do it.

"I use the name Nico Walsh at school. I try to keep the word Ali as far away from my education as possible. Some professors have found out who I was, but I don't want to be treated differently, whether they like my grandfather, or dislike him."

'Fury is among the greatest | I need to fight in the UK'
Having watched Tyson Fury defend his WBC heavyweight title with a stunning knockout victory over Dillian Whyte at Wembley last weekend, Ali Walsh took to Twitter to express his admiration for the champion.

While some boxing analysts have questioned how today's crop of heavyweights would stand up against previous eras, Ali Walsh is adamant that Fury is one of the divisions best ever.

"Tyson Fury, he's one of my idols," Ali Walsh says. "I truly think he ranks among the greatest heavyweights of all time. I think he's a top five heavyweight of all time.

"I didn't say No 1. Nobody can beat my grandfather. Yeah, I'm biased in saying that. I don't think anybody can beat my grandfather from now, to before, to the future, but Tyson Fury, he's Tyson Fury, he speaks for himself.

During his 61-fight career, Muhammad Ali fought twice in London, beating Henry Cooper at Arsenal's Highbury stadium and Brian London at Earls Court in the summer of 1966.

Fighting on UK soil is an area where Ali Walsh is comfortable expressing his desire to follow in grandfather's footsteps.

"For the people in the UK, they're the biggest boxing fans in the world," he says. "I know they were huge fans of my grandfather and he was fans of them, so I'm doing this for the people in the UK and my fans in Vegas.

"I've never been to the UK. I need a fight in the UK. My promoter is on board with that. It's going to happen soon and I'm really looking forward to that fight."

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/ne...-his-own-legacy-and-admiration-for-tyson-fury
 
Katie Taylor edged Amanda Serrano on points with a split-decision victory in an instant classic at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The Irishwoman retained her undisputed lightweight title in a fight brimming with action, heart and excellence.

Two of the three judges saw it for Taylor in a fight that lived up to every prediction and every hope.

Taylor got the verdict on two cards, by 97-93 and 96-93 margins, with one judge scoring it 96-94 to Serrano.

BBC
 
Sounds like an extremely close fight.

Two brave women.

Katie Taylor is an incredible boxer.
 
WBO champion Shakur Stevenson handed Oscar Valdez the first loss of his career on Saturday night in a junior lightweight championship bout.
 
Kell Brook has announced his retirement from boxing, with the former welterweight world champion calling time on his career at the age of 36.

Less than three months ago, Brook defeated his arch-rival Amir Khan via a sixth round knockout at the AO Arena in Manchester in the pair's long-anticipated bout.

Brook's career record reads 40 wins and three losses in 43 professional fights, 28 of those wins by knockout. His three defeats came against middleweight Gennady Golovkin, and welterweights Terence Crawford and Errol Spence.
 
Mexican superstar Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez suffered a shock points defeat as Russia's Dmitry Bivol retained his WBA light-heavyweight title in Las Vegas.

Alvarez, 31, is the undisputed world super-middleweight champion but he stepped up in weight for the bout and was handed a second defeat in 61 bouts.

Bivol, also 31, claimed victory with a unanimous points decision win taking his undefeated record to 20 bouts.

All three judges scored the fight 115-113 in Bivol's favour.

"I'm glad I proved myself, I'm the best in my division and I keep this belt," said Bivol. "He's a great champion, I respect him and all his team.

"If you don't believe in yourself what do you do? You achieve nothing. I believe and my team believed in me.

"I felt his power. You can see on my arm, he beat my arm up but not my head. That's better."

Alvarez is rated as the world's leading pound-for-pound male boxer., and his only other defeat was to Floyd Mayweather at light middleweight in 2013.

"You have to accept it, it's boxing," Alvarez said of the loss. "He's a great champion. Sometimes in boxing you win and lose and I'm not giving excuses. I lost and he won."

Asked if he wanted a rematch he said: "Yeah, of course I do. "This doesn't end like this."

Bivol added: "Let's talk about a rematch. I wanted this fight because I wanted to get the opportunity and I appreciate this opportunity.

"I'm ready for a rematch, I just want to be treated as the champion now."

Bivol has held the WBA light-heavyweight title since 2016.

There had been criticism of the WBA's decision to allow Bivol to fight because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko told Radio 5 Live "it is important that this boxer [Bivol] is forbidden from fighting in America, just as all Russian athletes are being banned from international competition".

Boxing's world governing bodies - the WBC, WBO and IBF - responded to Russia's war in a joint statement that committed to blocking "championship fights involving boxers from Russia and Belarus".

But the WBA did not issue a similar penalty.

BBC
 
Id like to know from boxing enthusiasts on their thoughts on canelo after his latest loss?
 
Zaz said:
Id like to know from boxing enthusiasts on their thoughts on canelo after his latest loss?
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Canelo dared to be great, started his at 147 and won world titles at 154, 160, undisputed at 168 and 175. He took on a consensus top 2 light heavyweight in his prime/peak who is incredibly sound technically which is build on his fantastic amateur pedigree. As a pro we’ve seen his display not just his punching power but a relentless dedication to maintaining his fundamentals. Canelo has looked invincible between 160-168 and while he did stop Kovalev, the likes of Beterbiev / Bivol ought to be bigger challenges given their form and significant height/reach and weight advantage; there was no catch weight or rehydration clause either which added to the task Canelo had and this was probably his most intriguing fight since GGG imo because it was’t going to be a straight forward task.

As the old saying goes, a good big guy will always beat a good smaller guy; but it was more then that because Bivol’s style is perfect for Canelo’s pressure, he maintains discipline, will not engage overly and he practically won the fight with his jab, he used it as a measuring stick and that combined with his footwork, enabled him to control the distance / range masterfully, he never looked like he was in a position to get countered by Canelo and used his physical attributes to the best of his ability, when Canelo did get in, majority of the punches were blocked by those long arms and high guard. Bivol didn’t force the stoppage and was not stupid enough to go for it in the pocket, I believe Bivol gained respect for Canelo’s power early on and refused to play into his counter punching strengths. I couldn’t give Canelo more than 3 rounds and he was simply outclassed really, I can’t see how he would do better in a rematch, Bivol’s style is made for Canelo, perhaps he could look to use his evasive skills a bit more and go to the body, or potentially utilise lateral movement, either are easier said then done against the bigger opponent who is extremely disciplined and possesses great footwork.

If I were Canelo, I would pursue the GGG trilogy next
 
Savak said:
Poetic Justice after the GGG robberies
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GGG never dominated Canelo like Bivol remotely, they were close / competitive fights. I want to see the third now though, especially with Canelo moving down
 
shaz619 said:
GGG never dominated Canelo like Bivol remotely, they were close / competitive fights. I want to see the third now though, especially with Canelo moving down
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How do you see a Beterbiev-Bivol fight going?
 
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5th Career defeat (floyd, lara, GGG x2 and Bivol for Ginger cheat Canelo, once again judges were a shambles giving canelo 1st 4 rounds of fight. He was gifted the lara and two GGG fights.

He thought Bivol would be easy after watching his last 2 poor fights. canelo is always calculated on who he faces. Didnt see him call out Benevidez, Beterbiev or bredis.

Bivol will smash him in rematch as well.
 
Bahut Mazza aaya, Canelo tried to rob Bivol too just like he robbed GGG twice.
 
Amjid Javed said:
5th Career defeat (floyd, lara, GGG x2 and Bivol for Ginger cheat Canelo, once again judges were a shambles giving canelo 1st 4 rounds of fight. He was gifted the lara and two GGG fights.

He thought Bivol would be easy after watching his last 2 poor fights. canelo is always calculated on who he faces. Didnt see him call out Benevidez, Beterbiev or bredis.

Bivol will smash him in rematch as well.
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The A side always gets favours as we’ve seen in history, besides Floyd; the other fighters never dominated Canelo, this is the biggest factor which gets overlooked and casuals scream robbery, the wide scoring doesn’t help but none of those guys dominated Canelo apart from Floyd and now Bivol who was a massive challenge at 175, Benevidez is vastly over rated in terms of his resume done little at 168 while Canelo’s undisputed so he would have been much easier then Bivol. Bredis is a cruserweight and unless Beterbiev (who has a unification with Smith in June) stops Canelo, it would be very interesting - styles make fights and Bivol is just all wrong for him regardless of weight but sure there are things he could improve on.
 
shaz619 said:
The A side always gets favours as we’ve seen in history, besides Floyd; the other fighters never dominated Canelo, this is the biggest factor which gets overlooked and casuals scream robbery, the wide scoring doesn’t help but none of those guys dominated Canelo apart from Floyd and now Bivol who was a massive challenge at 175, Benevidez is vastly over rated in terms of his resume done little at 168 while Canelo’s undisputed so he would have been much easier then Bivol. Bredis is a cruserweight and unless Beterbiev (who has a unification with Smith in June) stops Canelo, it would be very interesting - styles make fights and Bivol is just all wrong for him regardless of weight but sure there are things he could improve on.
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Yes the "A" side does always get favoured in big title fights, thats sadly how poor officiating is in boxing. Bivol like FMJ dominated Bivol with an excellent jab and good footwork, Canelo had no answer in getting past it, nor was he able to close the distance because he was to busy loading up on power shots only. GGG in 1st fight also schooled Canelo with jab and exposed his poor stamina, thats whole reason canelo then decide to get some help using clenbuterol to help his poor conditioning. You say Benevediz resume isnt great, which is true but niether was Bivols. Both fighters are young and improving all the time, these are fighters he looks to avoid. I could see Beterbiev punching holes in canelo as you could see how hesitant he was at times with Bivol, only time he want to engage was when he was against the ropes a trick Bivol didnt fall for. Reason i mentioned Bredis is because hes the best cruiserweight out there, yet canelo was calling out a bum in mukabu, again typical pick a soft over the hill fighter in a weight class and pretend your daring to be great :))).
 
Amjid Javed said:
Yes the "A" side does always get favoured in big title fights, thats sadly how poor officiating is in boxing. Bivol like FMJ dominated Bivol with an excellent jab and good footwork, Canelo had no answer in getting past it, nor was he able to close the distance because he was to busy loading up on power shots only. GGG in 1st fight also schooled Canelo with jab and exposed his poor stamina, thats whole reason canelo then decide to get some help using clenbuterol to help his poor conditioning. You say Benevediz resume isnt great, which is true but niether was Bivols. Both fighters are young and improving all the time, these are fighters he looks to avoid. I could see Beterbiev punching holes in canelo as you could see how hesitant he was at times with Bivol, only time he want to engage was when he was against the ropes a trick Bivol didnt fall for. Reason i mentioned Bredis is because hes the best cruiserweight out there, yet canelo was calling out a bum in mukabu, again typical pick a soft over the hill fighter in a weight class and pretend your daring to be great :))).
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Boxing fans have been spoilt by Manny, who was an anomaly when it came to jumping between weights, but as a general rule of thumb when you do that, it’s not sensible to go for the top 2 or 3 especially if it’s a big jump, we have weight classes for a reason so the expectations are ridiculous for a fighter who fought at welterweight, and even after last weekend thinking Makabu would be some walkover is moronic due to the weight, having said that he recognised the criticism and fought a fighter significantly more dangerous then him in Bivol who is a big puncher blessed with insane natural ability and consensus top 2 Light Heavyweight, so to even challenge such an opponent having started your career as welterweight is indeed daring to be great, Canelo had eyes on unifying 175 so he most likely would have targeted the winner of Beterbiev/Smith after GGG. Beterbiev hits harder but his style isn’t as difficult for pressure fighters compared to Bivol, he has shown some vulnerability and it’s a matter of the bigger man overwhelming the more skilled smaller fighter with his size and punching power

You should blame Benevidez for his unprofessionalism, Canelo is undisputed at 168 while Benevidez lost his title on the scales! and please don’t compare Bivol with him who has been more active then that guy and beaten world class fighters in the likes of Joe Smith Jnr, Sullivan Barrera and Jean Pascal.

GGG had 24 rounds to knock Canelo out, the fights were competitive and in the rematch Canelo out-fought GGG had his own game, applying pressure and backing him up, using his incredible evasive skills to take away GGG’s jab. The onus is on the contender/B side to rip the title from the A side and as we saw last weekend, Bivol achieved that as did Floyd, others have fought well but not dominated like that.
 
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Kovalev was a risk in itself to and even on the whine, power is the last thing you lose and he was boxing beautifully anyhow before being stopped by the smaller fighter!

It’s not even a matter of daring to be great, he already is a HOF fighter who will go down as an ATG, if he beat Bivol we’d be thinking around how he stacks up among the best in history. Amjid you are stuck in 2015 uncle, Canelo has been operating on another level, no shame in losing to Bivol over the distance with no catchweight or rehydration clause to may I add!
 
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Oleksandr Usyk still eyeing undisputed clash with Tyson Fury says promoter Alexander Krassyuk, who dismisses retirement claims

Facing Tyson Fury for boxing's undisputed heavyweight championship remains part of the Oleksandr Usyk's 'strategy', says the Ukrainian's promoter Alexander Krassyuk.

Usyk is currently gearing up to take on Anthony Joshua in a rematch this summer after forcing the Brit to surrender his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles in a unanimous decision victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September.

It had been anticipated that the eventual winner would emerge as a likely next opponent for Fury in a battle for the belts, though the Gypsy King's future is uncertain after he underlined his intentions to retire from professional boxing in the wake of his knockout win against Dillian Whyte at Wembley.

"We shouldn't look too far ahead," said Krassyuk, "But the strategy is the strategy, it means the direction you have to go and this [facing Fury for undisputed] is exactly the direction.

"He's already unified, he has three belts. He has the rematch, a very serious rematch, Anthony Joshua has nothing to lose, nothing at all, he's not fighting under pressure of his compatriots, of his home, of his belts. The only pressure he has is that if he loses it might sort of be the end of his career.

"He might be more relaxed and now he has the experience of facing Usyk so probably has new things in his mind, new tricks to present. My anticipation is that it will be even harder this time, but still it is what it is.

"After he defends his title he will probably want to go for undisputed and you never know if it's going to be Tyson Fury or if he definitely takes the final decision to retire and the belt is vacated and somebody else becomes champion. At this stage we are focused on Anthony Joshua."

Fury has been repeatedly quizzed on the level of truth to his retirement plans, and repeatedly reiterated his plans to step away from the ring with the exception of 'exhibitions' such as a crossover bout against UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.

Krassyuk is among those refusing to believe it, and has tipped the 33-year-old to fight on while arguably in the prime of his career.

"I don't take it seriously," he said. "Once he is a 44-year-old who was tired of everything then it might be some sort of truth, but he is on top, the world loves him, the world supports him, his country stands behind him, we've seen so many times retirements with comebacks.

"I remember Vitali Klitschko taking the decision to retire and then to come back in a few years, Wladimir Klitschko retired six years ago but he is still considering, still thinking, still talking about the possible chance to come back. I don't think it's very likely he retires.

"You cannot trust what Tyson Fury says because today he says one thing and tomorrow he says the opposite, and next day he changes it half opposite.

"He's an entertainer so he says what the public wants to hear from him. Just imagine, he insists on retirement and people around him try to convince to come back and he says, 'no, no, no' and suddenly he makes the decision, 'okay, I will come back'.

"It's all about the interest, all about the publicity. He's a big entertainer. That might be what he really thinks at the moment but I'm not sure he will stay with this decision for a long time."

Krassyuk was in attendance to watch Fury as he defended his WBC belt with a sixth-round uppercut knockout of Whyte, and evidently thought more of the occasion than he did of the contest itself.

"I wasn't impressed with the fight, I was impressed with the event because the event was huge, an absolutely huge event, 94,000 in attendance, the atmosphere was just electric, it was an amazing experience for me as a normal fan," he said.

"I didn't see Tyson Fury improving very much with his shape from his last couple of performances. Since his first fight with Deontay Wilder he didn't improve, that makes me think that if you stay on the same level and time goes by, it means you're going down a bit.

"It was a regular heavyweight fight, with two clumsy big men walking around trying to hit each other, but the uppercut was a good one."

https://www.skysports.com/boxing/ne...nder-krassyuk-who-dismisses-retirement-claims
 
Josh Taylor stripped of WBA super-lightweight title

Josh Taylor has been stripped of his WBA super-lightweight title, according to the world governing body.

However, the Scottish fighter claims he made the decision to vacate the belt.

The WBA had ordered Taylor to make a mandatory defence of his title against Dominican Alberto Puello, who is unbeaten in 20 fights.

Taylor won the belt against Regais Progais in 2019 and most recently defended it in a controversial points win over Jack Catterall in February.

"The World Boxing Association (WBA) Championships Committee, in accordance with the organization's rules, has decided that the Super Lightweight title, which was held by the Scottish Josh Taylor, is vacant," said a WBA statement.

Taylor, 31, who is unbeaten in 19 fights, still holds the IBF, WBO and WBC belts, but has hinted he may step up in weight to 147lbs.

After beating England's Catterall he said it was likely to be his last bout at that weight.

The Scot held belts at a raucous OVO Hydro in Glasgow, despite most observers believing his opponent had claimed a stunning upset.

Two judges scored in favour of Taylor, who was floored in the eighth round, in a verdict met with widespread disbelief and described as "disgusting" by the Catterall camp.

"It's probably my last fight at 140, to be honest, but we'll see how it goes," Taylor told the BBC. "Anybody, anybody in the world - 147, 140, I'll fight anybody."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/61452500
 
American Jermell Charlo became the first undisputed light-middleweight champion in history with a 10th-round knock out of Argentina's Brian Castano.

It was the second fight between the pair, following a controversial draw last year.

WBC, WBA and IBF champion Charlo, 31, won Castano's WBO belt in Los Angeles to unify the division.

"This is unbelievable. I gave it my all and that was the end result of it," Charlo said.

After trading the opening rounds, Charlo started to get on top and sent his 32-year-old opponent to the canvas twice in the 10th.

First, a body shot was followed up with a left hook that put the previously undefeated Castano on the floor.

He struggled to his feet but a left to the head and another body shot finished Castano.

"I was pretty sure he was going to get back up because it was only the first knockdown but I knew it was over," Charlo said.

Charlo's record now stands at 35 wins and just one defeat.

He is only the seventh boxer to hold all four belts at the same time, joining the likes of Bernard Hopkins, Terence Crawford, Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and Scotland's Josh Taylor.

A gracious Castano paid tribute to his opponent, calling him "a champion".

"We both were fighting back and forth. It was power back and forth, and then his right hand came over and stopped the fight. He's a champion. He hit me. He got me," he said.

"We showed that we are warriors. That's the main thing. We have to feed our families."

BBC
 
The boxing world lost another star after Musa Yamak, the undefeated German champion, died of heart attack. The 38-year-old collapsed in the ring in Munich on Saturday while facing Uganda's Hamza Wandera, the New York Post reported.

“We lost our compatriot Musa Askan Yamak, a boxer from Alucra, who won European and Asian championships, at a young age after a heart attack,” Turkish official Hasan Turan said on Twitter.

The fight was streamed live for the audience.

The fighter collapsed just as before the third round of the match began. Yamak had taken a big hit from Wandera in the second round, after which he stumbled.

Yamak came to face Wandera again in the third round, but collapsed even before it started, the Post report further said.

Medics flooded the ring to provide first aid and revive him, Fox Sports reported.

He was rushed to a local hospital but pronounced dead by the doctors there, the outlet further said.

“The paramedics saw turbulent scenes of emotionally charged fans and family members on site. To ensure the safety of the paramedics, we sent out a lot of patrols,” a spokesperson of the Munich Police told the BILD.

“We then set up a protection corridor on site so that the paramedics could work safely and conscientiously,” the spokesperson added.

The German boxer was undefeated and had an 8-0 record, with all his wins coming by knockout.

Turkish-born Yamak turned professional in 2017, but gained popularity after winning the WBFed International title in 2021.

NDTV
 
Joshua Buatsi beats Craig Richards in an all-British classic light-heavyweight fight

Joshua Buatsi moved closer to a light-heavyweight world-title shot by beating Craig Richards on points in an all-British classic in London.

One judge scored it 116-112, with two scoring it 115-113, to hand Buatsi a unanimous decision win at the O2 Arena.

Buatsi, a 2016 Olympic bronze medallist, has now won all 16 of his fights since turning professional in 2017.

The fight was an eliminator for Dmitry Bivol's WBA title.

"We want the world title. We've made it very clear. We are ready," Buatsi said post-fight.

Both Londoners felt they had done enough to win, with Buatsi - who was staggered in the eighth round - facing his toughest test to date.

"When you are there you believe in yourself," he said. "This guy lives next door to me. He gave me 12 hard rounds. Maximum respect to him."

https://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/61535195
 
Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez to face Gennady Golovkin in trilogy fight

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez will face Gennady Golovkin in a trilogy fight in September rather than meet Dmitry Bivol in a rematch.

Mexican Alvarez, 31, will return to super-middleweight, where he is undisputed champion, after a shock defeat by Bivol at light-heavyweight.

Alvarez had the option of a rematch with Russian Bivol, but will honour his agreement with Kazakhstan's Golovkin.

"This is the biggest fight in boxing," said promoter Eddie Hearn.

The fight will take place on 17 September but no venue has yet been announced.

"These are two men that bitterly dislike each other and want to end this incredible series with a blistering KO," Hearn added.

"I truly believe this will be the most thrilling fight between these two great champions and it will be fireworks from the first bell to the last man standing."

Alvarez beat Golovkin in their rematch in 2018 after a controversial draw in 2017, both of which were at middleweight.

Golovkin, who turned 40 in April, has won four successive fights since losing to Alvarez, reclaiming the IBF and WBA (Super) middleweight titles along the way.

Before his defeat by Bivol on 7 May - only the second loss of his career - Alvarez had agreed to face Golovkin on 17 September.

"Unfortunately, we lost, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try again. The important thing here is perseverance and we're going to do it again," said Alvarez.

"I think those are the two biggest fights in boxing, the fight with Golovkin and the rematch with Bivol."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/61564111
 
Former world champion boxer David Haye has appeared in court charged with assault.

The 41-year-old is accused of attacking Nickesh Jhala at the Hammersmith Apollo in west London in October.

He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court, confirming his name and date of birth and entering a not guilty plea.

The Londoner, who retired from boxing in 2018, at one point held three of the four world cruiserweight titles. A trial date of 9 September has been set.

District judge Annabel Pilling granted the 41-year-old bail.
 
Derek Chisora to have rematch against Kubrat Pulev in July

British heavyweight Derek Chisora and Kubrat Pulev will meet in a rematch at The O2 Arena on 9 July - over six years on from their first meeting.

Chisora, 38, lost to the 41-year-old Bulgarian on split decision in 2016.

The Londoner has won 32 and lost 12 since turning professional in 2007, with his most recent defeat coming to Joseph Parker in December.

"I'm delighted to get this fight over the line," Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said.

"Initially we worked on some other opponents for Derek, but this fight came out of nowhere a few days ago and I absolutely love it.

"I think the strapline, 'Total Carnage', is absolutely perfect for this fight, in terms of the build-up and in terms of the fight itself."

Pulev, a two-time world title challenger, has won 29 bouts and lost two. He edged a points win when the two men fought for the European heavyweight title in Hamburg.

He was knocked out by Briton Anthony Joshua in 2020, a second career defeat, before returning to winning ways against American Jerry Forest in May.

Despite the number of losses on his record, Chisora has become a fan favourite in recent years because of his aggressive, come-forward style inside the ring and an often unpredictable persona outside of it.

But he is coming off three consecutive losses, to Oleksandr Usyk in 2020 followed by back-to-back defeats to Parker.

Hearn said defeat for either fighter could result in retirement.

"Both men have been long-standing fixtures of the world heavyweight division and it's all or nothing at The O2 for both, as defeat could lead to the end of the road," he said.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/61718662
 
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