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Usyk defeated Tyson Fury in May to become the undisputed heavyweight world champion and will rematch the Brit in December

Oleksandr Usyk would be open to fighting Jake Paul in MMA – if the boxing world champion puts one hand behind his back.

Usyk dethroned Tyson Fury to become the undisputed heavyweight world champion in Saudi Arabia in May. He and Fury will return to the desert in December for their contracted rematch, but Usyk could then return to cruiserweight where he also reigned as the undisputed king.

Oleksandr Usyk's brutal message to Jake Paul ahead of Mike Tyson fight |  Boxing | Sport | Express.co.uk

JUST IN: Oleksandr Usyk’s Brutal Comparison of Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois

That would put him in the same division as YouTube star Jake Paul who has established himself as a professional boxer and takes on former UFC star Mike Perry next weekend. But while a fight with Paul would be a complete mismatch, Usyk’s coach Sergey Lapin joked his man would give Paul a chance by putting himself at a disadvantage.

“Usyk is running out of challenges at heavyweight,” Lapin told Betway. “He accepted the challenge at heavyweight and became the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, a lot of work went into this achievement. After the rematch we will see who will remain in the heavyweight division, but Usyk has now passed this level, everyone who stood in Usyk’s way has been overcome. We are now set for a rematch with Fury, after that we will know who will be next.

“He’s proven he’s the best of this generation and, once he’s retired Tyson Fury, he will consider his options. Maybe that’s dropping down in weight again, or maybe there’s a wildcard option on the table for him; be it in the boxing ring, the MMA cage or even Conor McGregor’s Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.

“Can you imagine Usyk and Jon Jones fighting to prove they’re the baddest man on the planet? Or maybe it’s a third fight with Anthony Joshua in the MMA cage. Maybe it’s Jake Paul at cruiserweight, although Usyk would need to fight him with one hand behind his back though to make it fair.”

Paul will take on Perry after the bare-knuckle boxer in Florida after Mike Tyson was forced to pull out of their fight with an inflamed stomach ulcer. Paul’s widely-criticised and controversial fight with the heavyweight legend has been rescheduled for November 15.

Oleksandr Usyk savaged reigning IBF World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Dubois when comparing him to Anthony Joshua.

The 37-year-old made history in May after becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era, following a monumental journey that saw him overcome five British fighters in six years. ‘

The Cat’ first secured the unified heavyweight title by defeating Joshua, making a mockery of claims that Usyk’s size would be detrimental to his success after moving up from cruiserweight. He then defended his titles against ‘AJ’ in a rematch, before winning a controversial bout against Dubois. Following a cagey opening to the fight, Dubois appeared to drop Usyk in the fifth round, but faced cries of a low blow coming from Ukrainian and his corner.

READ: “That Would Have Decapitated a Normal Man”: Eddie Hearn Sets the Record Straight on Anthony Joshua’s Chin

Siding with the Ukrainian, referee Luis Pabon ruled the body shot to be low and allowed Usyk time to recover. Had it been deemed to be a legal punch, it is highly unlikely that Usyk would have been able to recover sufficiently to beat the official’s count.

After being allowed to recover, Usyk then went on to ensure his retention of the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight belts via a ninth-round knockout. Complaints from Dubois’ promoter, Frank Warren, were not successful in securing a rematch and Usyk moved past the Londoner after the scare.

In his next fight, Usyk would battle past Tyson Fury to become the undisputed world heavyweight champion. However, just five weeks after that monumental victory, Usyk would be forced to vacate his IBF heavyweight title. Within hours, interim champion Dubois was upgraded to full IBF world champion – an ironic twist given his history with Usyk.

The 26-year-old will now face Joshua in his first title defence, with Wembley Stadium playing host to the clash on the 21st of September. In the build-up to that fight, an unflattering comparison that Usyk made between Dubois and Joshua during an interview with Boxing News has emerged. He was pretty brutal in his assessment.

“I treat Daniel Dubois with respect. I wish him good luck, and let him become the champion someday – that he trains well … There is no way to compare [Dubois and Joshua], because they are completely different fighters. Different skills; different styles. Totally different boxers. To be fair, I don’t think [Dubois can reach Joshua’s level]. I am sorry for saying this, but this is the truth and I’m telling it.”

Although Usyk has two wins over Joshua, both game via decision, whereas he was able to halt Dubois inside the scheduled distance. Whether or not the harsh words stemmed from his anger on the controversy with the match against Dubois, ‘Dynamite’ has certainly proved that he belongs at world level and an exciting bout looks to be in store when he clashes with Joshua in September.

McIlroy shocked the sporting world in May by filing for divorce from his wife, Erica Stoll before announcing that the couple had been able to resolve their differences

Rory McIlroy has been seen wearing his wedding for the first time since U-turning on his divorce plan as he competed in the Scottish Open.

The competition is being held at The Renaissance Club in Gullane, East Lothian where McIlroy, the defending Scottish champion, carded a first round of five under.

Erica Stoll supports husband Rory McIlroy as he aims to bounce back from US  Open collapse | BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

READ: Jon Rahm Throws PGA Tour Under the Bus by Putting Greg Norman’s Schemes on ‘World-Class’ Pedestal

On Wednesday, the golfer, said to be worth £200million, was amongst the stars competing in a pro-am competition in aid of Doddie Weir’s MND charity.

McIlroy was joined on the course by the likes of Glenthrothes-born, Hollywood actor Dougray Scott. Former Scotland rugby captain, Rob Wainwright was also taking part along with ex-Celtic skipper, Scott Brown.

They were joined on the east coast by former Hoops’ colleague, Stuart Armstrong whose caddy was ex-Parkhead favourite and now of Brentford FC, Norwegian defender, Kristoffer Ajer. The pro-am event was held to raise money for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.

It was set up by Doddie Weir, the former Scottish rugby international, after he was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease (MND) in 2016. Weir passed away in November 2022 aged 52 but the foundation continues to flourish and has raised millions of pounds to fund research into the condition.

During the pro-am, McIlroy spent time chatting to MND sufferer, Scott Stewart. The 41-year-old from Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute was diagnosed wth the condition last year.

Speaking after their meeting, the golfing superstar, said: “It hits you when you meet someone like Scott.”

Also competing was Oban-born, golf professional, Robert “Bob” MacIntyre. The 27-year-old has supported the foundation for a number of years and was keen to take part in the latest fundraiser.

Speaking later, MacIntyre, who was runner-up to McIlroy in last year’s Scottish Open, said: “I try to support as many charities as I can and the foundation became a strong one for me in 2019. Guys were doing a lot of stuff for Doddie within golf and I thought it was unbelievable.”

In May, McIlroy shocked the sporting world by filing for divorce from his wife, Erica Stoll with whom he has a three-year-old daughter, Poppy. But weeks later, the 35-year-old announced that he had had second thoughts and the couple were attempting to save their marriage.

Taking to social media, he wrote: “Over recent weeks, Erica and I have realised our best future was as a family together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.”

Deontay Wilder faces a fight to save his career if the former heavyweight champion wants to embark on a comeback.

For starters, his ambitions of regaining the world title are firmly off the menu, at least in the top division. As World Boxing News has reported many times, Wilder has options at both cruiserweight and bridgerweight, but effectively, his high-profile heavyweight tenure ended with Zhilei Zhang.

Wilder no longer commands respect, as his opponents know they can hurt him at will. The punch resistance he once displayed against Luis Ortiz and others has gone. Just over a year after scoring a spectacular victory against Robert Helenius, Joseph Parker whipped away any final remnants of any illusions over Wilder being a championship force.

Exclusive interview: Man of action, Deontay Wilder on Tyson Fury rematch:  'The knockout is going to be devastating'

READ: AS CHRIS EUBANK JR. SIGNS A DEAL WITH BOXXER, WILL IT BACKFIRE?

Six weeks after the Zhang stoppage, Wilder remains no closer to announcing a decision on his future. A world title shot in the offing from WBC Bridgerweight ruler Lawrence Okolie saw a short window close when “The Bronze Bomber” failed to respond.

WBN sent Okolie’s agreement to Wilder’s manager, Shelly Finkel. The long-time boxing figure refused to even speculate on whether Wilder would return to action.

After a fight with Andy Ruiz Jr., sanctioned by the WBC and lined up by promoter Al Haymon, fell apart in 2021, Wilder has been on a downward spiral of inactivity and defeats. As things stand, Wilder remains in limbo and missing in action.

A big-money fight with Anthony Joshua has gone. However, WBN laid out a plan to reignite the battle, which was halted by the WBC announcing an agreement for Okolie to fight his mandatory Kevin Lerena.

Had Wilder wanted the Okolie fight, there would have been significant scope to stage the fight on Joshua’s Wembley undercard in September. If Wilder could take Okolie’s belt and become a two-weight world titleholder and AJ had beaten Daniel Dubois for the IBF version on the same night, there would have been a serious play for the pair to meet in a champion vs champion scenario.

That’s no longer the case.

Nobody in Wilder’s camp has relayed any information on whether the Tuscaloosa native will fight in 2024 or beyond. Many predictions that Wilder’s career in the sport may be already over overshadow a possible comeback. That speculation only intensifies due to his problems outside of the ring. Only Wilder knows if he even wants it anymore.

Wilder won the WBC heavyweight title in 2015 and held it until 2020, in the longest title run in the top division since the Klitschko brothers. The ten title defenses will undoubtedly earn Wilder a Hall of Fame place. However, a tragic end to an exceptional tenure will occur unless he decides to continue.

Fans are still in the dark about Wilder, so the American puncher cannot afford to wait that long and needs to spark interest in another run. The longer Wilder waits, the older he gets. When he gets in the ring again, his activity levels will be more than critical as he approaches 40.

Novak Djokovic eased past Holger Rune on Monday evening at Wimbledon, but it wasn’t the win that hit the headlines.

It was his post match interview and reaction to the crowd which he stood by.
Djokovic wished them all a ‘gooooood night’ amid perceived booing instead of chants of ‘Ruuune’ like he was told. He said he knew the tricks of the trade and wasn’t going to be roped in by supposed falsities about what the crowd were doing.
Novak Djokovic

READ: ‘You Can’t Touch Me’- Triggered Novak Djokovic Rips Haters Apart

He said afterwards simply that if the crowd does something he doesn’t like he will react. Used to being the pantomime villain of tennis to some, he is used to the booing and jeering so it is nothing new but it shows don’t poke the bear if you don’t want what comes next. Djokovic also has often used it as fuel to the fire in order to win matches and it seemed to be the case again here.
“I don’t know what Wimbledon can really do about it. In those particular moments, when the crowd paid their ticket… They have the right to be there and cheer the way they want to cheer. That’s absolutely, you know… how they choose to behave or support the player is really up to them. Yes.. You could argue that maybe a chair umpire or whoever could step in during certain moments and calm them down.
“But there’s not much you can do.. you’re not gonna take out the section of the whole stadium out because they’re behaving or showing disrespect. It’s just the way it is. It’s part of the sport. It’s one of the reasons we’re here… it’s why the tournament is so important historically and why we’re globally recognized as tennis players is because of the fans. Because of the interest they put into watching tennis matches, paying tickets.. I respect that. I try to acknowledge that. All the true tennis fans that really respect players.. of course you’re gonna support one player over the other. It’s solely up to them. It’s fully understandable. They have the freedom to choose who they back in the match. If someone steps over the line, I react. That’s basically what it was. After the match I said what I said.”

Chris Eubank Jr. has signed a deal with BOXXER as he moves on to the next phase of his career. 

Eubank has not boxed since his victory over Liam Smith last year. He avenged his fourth-round stoppage loss by beating Smith in the rematch. It was the first fight he had since teaming up with Terence Crawford’s trainer, Brian McIntyre. The working relationship promised much, but Eubank’s career stalled when he could not get his next fight. He eventually parted ways with Wasserman Boxing. The Conor Bennfight is now unlikely, following Benn’s failed VADA tests for Clomiphene have resulted in him being suspended, as an investigation continues.

Meanwhile, Eubank has been linked with a fight against Canelo Alvarez. Current reports indicate he is the font runner ahead of Edgar Berlanga and Jermall Charlo. Alvarez has been ordered to face his IBF mandatory William Scull Chris Eubank Jr BOXXERnext. While a deal has been agreed upon, it appears to be a step-aside deal. That fight would sell in the UK, but Canelo is unlikely to target a fight there unless there is big money on the line.

Eubank Jr. Signs A Deal With BOXXER | Boxing News

JUST IN: Lawrence Okolie agrees terms to defend WBC bridgerweight title to Kevin Lerena

At 34 years of age, Eubank does not have too much time left in his career. He can chase the big money fight, including a rematch with Billy Joe Saunders. Alternatively, there is the chance to chase a world title, with plenty of names at 160, such as Carlos Adamas (WBC champion) or Janibek Alimkhanuly (WBO and IBF champion). Either way, Eubank is ready to take the next steps.

“I’m very excited to have signed with BOXXER and Ben Shalom. They fit the direction I want to go in. We have big plans over the next 12 to 24 months. There are big fights in the pipeline and these guys can make it happen. This is a partnership. I have the freedom and the leeway to work how I want to work, which is very rare. I’m in a position of power. I’m in a position to really control the direction that I want to go in so I’m excited.

“I’ve been in the game for 12 years now and I’m still hungry. I’m still excited. I’m still in love with the sport of boxing. [And] I’m in a blessed position right now where there are four or five different names out there that are mega fights that everybody wants to see. Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford, Conor Benn, Billy Joe Saunders – and that’s just off the top of my head. There are many more fights out there that can be made, even domestically, so I’m in an exciting position,” Eubank said

“He brings excitement and intrigue wherever he goes. BOXXER is his natural home and I’m incredibly excited to work with Chris to make sure we fully realise his huge potential and fierce ambition. We’ve had the privilege of working with Chris on some massive fight nights in the UK and there will be plenty more to come in the UK and worldwide. The hunger and ambition is there. We can’t wait to see him back in action and involved in some massive fights,” Ben Shalom BOXXER

Lawrence ‘The Sauce’ Okolie vs Kevin ‘The KO Kid’ Lerena

The WBC bridgerweight champion, Lawrence Okolie (20-1, 15KO), has reached an agreement with the Interim champion, Kevin Lerena (30-3, 14KO), for the mandatory fight they must hold soon.

31-year-old Okolie comes into this fight after winning the WBC bridgerweight title in May by defeating the defending champion Lukasz Rozanski in his own backyard in Poland.

Lawrence Okolie expone ante Kerin Lerena

READ: “That Would Have Decapitated a Normal Man”: Eddie Hearn Sets the Record Straight on Anthony Joshua’s Chin

The hard-hitting Hackney man was dominant and powerful to down the champ three times in the first round to win with just five seconds remaining in the opener to become a two-time world titlist.

His sole career defeat to former teammate and close friend, Chris Billam-Smith, came in May 2023. The scrappy contest saw the defending WBO cruiserweight champ go down in rounds 4, 10, 11, and was deducted points in the 5th and 7th. Despite those deficits, one judge scored the championship contest as a draw! Fortunately, the other two at ringside saw fit, with scores of 115-108 and 116-107 to CBS.

Okolie had held the WBO belt for over two years with three successful defences. He moved up to bridgerweight after the loss, but took an entire year out before his next fight.

South African Lerena has moved between bridger and heavyweight recently, just recently losing a competitive battle against unbeaten Aussie Justis Huni.

Prior to that he won the WBC Interim bridgerweight title by defeating Ryad Merhy in May 2023 via unanimous decision, then achieved the same result against Senad Gashi six months on in November last year.

The southpaw was on a 17-fight win streak between 2015 to 2022, until he was stopped by now IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois in their dramatic battle at the Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium on the Fury-Chisora undercard.

‘The KO Kid’ had Dubois down three times in the first round and looked certain to rip away his WBA Regular heavyweight title until the Londoner, who has the highest KO ratio of the top 10 heavyweights, was able to turn it around to win in the third round. It remains the only stoppage on his 33-fight record.

The 32-year-old from Johannesburg is a former long-reigning IBO cruiserweight champion, who held the title between 2017-2020, never losing it in the ring.

Despite his many accolades, his 6’1″ stature will be considerably dwarfed by Okolie’s loftier 6’5″ frame.

“I heard he doesn’t have a chin,” the former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou said, ahead of his fight against the former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on who you were rooting for, Ngannou didn’t have a chance to test his chin as he was knocked out cold in the second round of their crossover fight in Riyadh. But, over fourteen years of his professional career, AJ’s chin has been tested in crucial fights. Whether it was Andy Ruiz Jr., Wladimir Klitschko, or Oleksandr Usyk, all of them threw bombs at Joshua. Nonetheless, he was able to withstand the test and went the distance with almost all the fighters, barring one. So, does the perception that Joshua has a weak chin hold true?

The 34-year-old heavyweight boxer has the opportunity to become world champion again. After Usyk reluctantly relinquished his IBF belt due to his rematch with Tyson Fury, Joshua will go up against Daniel Dubois. The interim IBF champion was elevated to the status of world champion last month. It is going to be an all-British showdown on September 21, 2024, in Wembley Stadium. Before the clash, Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, sat down with Seconds Out to dismantle the perception that AJ has a weak chin.

Anthony Joshua Ready To Relinquish WBO Title For Bout Against Tyson Fury  next year, admits promoter Eddie Hearn | Sports247 Nigeria

JUST IN: Terence Crawford vs Errol Spence rematch: Crawford explains how they can cross paths

In the interview with Seconds Out, Eddie Hearn waxed lyrical on AJ’s ability to hold up against massive power punches from his opponents. “AJ has a really, really good chin. Watch the shots AJ took in the Wladimir Klitschko fight. The right hand that would’ve decapitated a normal man, AJ got up from.” 

AJ’s path to becoming the unified heavyweight champion of the world wasn’t easy. He had to face the legendary Ukrainian fighter, Wladimir Klitschko. The right cross from Klitschko gave Joshua problems throughout the fight. Then came one perfectly timed devastating swing from Klitschko in the sixth round, which knocked Joshua down on the canvas. However, the British heavyweight boxer was able to recover from that and went on to win the fight.

And, who can forget the Andy Ruiz Jr. fight? As Hearn rightly pointed out, “Even vs Andy Ruiz, he kept getting up.” 

n all-out close-quarter brawl with the undersized heavyweight Ruiz proved costly for the two-time former unified heavyweight champion as he was knocked down twice by a barrage of punches. Nonetheless, he was still able to survive four more rounds until Ruiz’s onslaught was too much for AJ to take and the referee had to step in and stop the fight.

Last but not least is Joshua’s fight against Uysk. As Hearn said, “Oleksandr Usyk hit him with the kitchen sink and he never had him out. Look what happened to Tyson Fury, never saw AJ like that in that fight. AJ’s got a great chin.” 

Although Usyk put in a boxing clinic against Anthony Joshua, the two-time undisputed champion never had him hurt. Joshua was able to withstand the power punches and was able to go the distance with the Ukranian in both fights. Safe to say, the 34-year-old British boxer has been hit with some good shots in his career, and he did fare quite well.

Terence Crawford insists a rematch with Errol Spence is still on the table.

‘Bud’ finally did battle with Spence in his previous outing last year, dropping and dominating his rival to secure the undisputed titles at 147lbs.

A rematch was contracted between the pair prior to the first fight, though in the end talks failed to materialise with both electing to move up to 154lbs.

Terence Crawford-Errol Spence Jr. fight: Time, TV, how to watch

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Now, Crawford has insisted it could still be a possibility in a unification clash at their new weight.

The possibility is there,” Crawford told Forbes. “He’s [Spence] fighting [Sebastian] Fundora for his titles [WBO and WBC].

“I’m fighting for a title [Israil Madrimov’s WBA 154lbs title], and there is the possibility.

“He wins his fight, God willing, and I win my fight, God willing, and there’s the possibility.”

Neither fighter has fought since that famous night in Las Vegas, with the event attracting huge interest both commercially and with fans.

The pair had built up a sporting rivalry for several years, but it unfolded in extremely one-sided fashion when they finally graced the squared circle.

Crawford will first fight Madrimov in his first tough challenge at 154lbs on August 3, but is expected he could move up in weight again if he becomes a four-weight world champion.

There could wait pound-for-pound star Canelo Alvarez at 168lbs, who currently holds the undisputed titles.

It would be an unprecedented mega-fight between two of the sport’s most talented athletes.

But picking up a win could be an uphill battle for Crawford who will need to close a significant deficit in size.

Crawford’s trainer Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre believes it could be a fitting final bow to take on Alvarez in 2025.

He told Fight Hub: “Bud has got it in him [to defeat Canelo]. I can see him doing it.

“Is it a challenge for him? Of course. Is it a challenge for the whole team?

“Of course, but that’s what we’re in the business for, being great.

“I know that Bud has the tools to beat him. If Bud beats Canelo, we may damn near retire, if you beat the pound-for-pound king. But my mind is on Madrimov.”

There are still some hugely exciting fights that lay in wait for the 36-year-old as he approaches the final years of his career.

A sequel with Spence would no doubt catch the eye, but ‘The Truth’ must deliver a statement in his planned October return against Fundora.

Terence Crawford is no Floyd Mayweather.

When Floyd Mayweather fought Canelo Alvarez in 2013, the Mexican boxer had yet to become the face of the sport. However, with 0 losses and 42 wins, the boxing world knew that Alvarez was the next best thing! So, prudent Mayweather made it a point to face Canelo when the latter was 23 and deficient in the maturity he captured later in the sport. Of course, Mayweather understood a victory against Canelo would look impressive on his resume since the latter was bound for greatness following Floyd’s exit.

At the same time, following 2.2 million pay-per-view buys, Canelo Alvarez vs. Floyd Mayweather generated $150 million to be one of the most financially successful events in boxing. With this information in his head,  Teofimo Lopez feels by wanting to face Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford is actually trying to follow in the footsteps of ‘TBE.’ “Canelo is still the face of boxing, you can’t take that away. Crawford wouldn’t want Canelo if he wasn’t the face of boxing realistically,” said Lopez.

Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford timeline: Will undisputed boxing  champions fight one another in 2024? | Sporting News

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It’s a money grab, it’s a money fight. He wants to do what Floyd Mayweather did to Canelo. He’s just trying to copy and paste it,” added Teofimo Lopez, dwelling upon Crawford’s ambitions. However, can Crawford beat Canelo Alvarez the way Floyd Mayweather defeated the Mexican boxer?

He can’t do that, ain’t nobody like Floyd,” replied ‘The Takeover.’ In addition, Teofimo Lopez explained why Alvarez would not be an easy opponent for Crawford to deal with.

When Terence Crawford expressed his desire to face Canelo Alvarez, Shane Mosley immediately pointed out that the Mexican fighter was “too big” for Crawford. In his words, going against Alvarez, ‘Bud’ would be “biting off more than he can chew.” Now, Lopez is in agreement with Mosley. So, although, out of respect, he branded Crawford vs. Canelo as a “great fight,” Lopez added, “I think Canelo is just too big for him though.

Too big realistically, too big for him, too strong, he’s used to that weight class. It is what it is,” he said. In his opinion, while Alvarez is the face of boxing, Crawford is just aiming for the former’s legacy in the sport. “People going to talk, people going to say what they want, we won’t know until they fight each other,” he concluded.

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