BOXING

Tyson Fury has described Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois as limited fighters while expressing confidence in his superior boxing skills ahead of his December rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.

The ‘Gypsy King,’ who will challenge Usyk for three heavyweight titles in Riyadh, dismissed calls to alter his approach, instead highlighted his unique style as the key to victory.

“Pretty much the same as I did before – good boxing. For someone of my size and weight, it’s unusual to be able to box and slip, so why would I take that out of my game?” Fury told TNT Sports.

READ: Jake Paul’s Next Opponent May Be 54-Win Former Champ Who Fought Canelo

“People say I should walk forward on Usyk, chase him down and hit him, but if it were that easy, why didn’t Joshua, who is a big, strong man, do it? Why didn’t Dubois manage it? Those men are limited compared to me – very limited.”

Fury, whose loss to Usyk in May saw the Ukrainian claim the undisputed heavyweight crown, remains confident in his strategy, citing his agility, focus, and versatility as decisive factors in the rematch.

“A man who charges straight at him is like Christmas come early. I’m a side-on boxer – slipping, sliding, throwing uppercuts, and hooking. I’ll do all that, but with more focus. That’s my route to victory,” he added.

Fury also dismissed criticism of his corner team, which includes his father, John Fury, alongside trainers SugarHill Steward and Andy Lee.

“People can have their opinions, but at the end of the day, they’re not the ones stepping into the ring. If I’m happy, the world’s happy – and I’m happy,” he said.

Meanwhile, Usyk has played down the impact of Fury’s power in their first encounter – a claim Fury disputes. Despite the rivalry, Fury has accepted his earlier defeat with humility.

“I believe God has a plan for everyone, and in that plan, Usyk was meant to win. He did, so fair play to him,” Fury remarked.

Fury’s comments about Joshua and Dubois come amidst ongoing speculation about their futures in the heavyweight division. Joshua,34, suffered a fifth-round knockout loss to Dubois in September, raising questions about his next steps.

Trainer Tony Sims recently suggested that a long-awaited bout between Fury and Joshua remains a possibility, regardless of the outcome of Fury’s rematch with Usyk.

BOXING

Jake Paul’s Next Opponent May Be 54-Win Former Champ Who Fought Canelo

Jake Paul‘s next opponent could be former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

The son of the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez revealed that a meeting has been set this week with Paul’s camp.

“It’s an option, we’re looking into it,” Chavez told TUDN in Mexico. “Let’s see, this week I have a meeting. I’d be interested in fighting a champion, but fighting Jake Paul for the fame and the media would put me in a position to fight against others. I’m not looking for it, it’s been presented. It’s not concrete, but let’s see what happens.”

READ: Daniel Dubois to defend IBF heavyweight belt in February – and not against Anthony Joshua

The 38-year-old former boxing champion holds a 54-6-1 record with 34 wins via knockout.

Chavez Jr. dethroned Sebastian Zbik in 2011 to capture his first WBC middleweight title. He defended the belt three times before losing to Sergio Martinez in 2012 for the unified WBC and The Ring middleweight championship.

In 2017, he lasted 12 rounds against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez but lost via unanimous decision.

Now at the tailend of his career, Chavez Jr. fought two former UFC fighters in his last two fights with contrasting results. He lost to former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva via split decision in 2021. Then he defeated Uriah Hall by unanimous decision in the Paul-Mike Perry undercard in July.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has called out Paul for mocking Conor McGregor.

“Yo Jake Paul, watch how you talk to MMA royalty. I’ll fight you in MMA. No weight class for no pay. That’s a great deal. But I bet YOU won’t. Stop disrespecting people in my [expletive] sport, homie. Fighting [ Mike] Tyson was your last straw. Go back to boxing wrestlers,” Jackson wrote in a post on X.

Jackson, 46, held a 38-14 record in his colorful MMA career, winning 20 by knockouts, four by submission, and 14 via decision. He captured the UFC light heavyweight title with a first-round stoppage of Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell in 2007. He also won the Bellator Season 10 light heavyweight championship and unified the UFC light heavyweight championship and the Pride FC middleweight championship.

Jackson was irked when Paul mocked McGregor following his unanimous decision win over Tyson, the 58-year-old boxing legend.

“Dear Conor, I know you told my team you would fight me at 170lbs. That’s never happening. But let’s run it in MMA. No weight class. Just like how it used to be done. But you won’t,” Paul wrote on X.

Alvarez is not ruling out a potential mega-fight with Paul but on one condition.

It just won’t happen while he is the WBA, WBC and WBO super middleweight champion.

“When I’m done with boxing, why not?” Alvarez said on Full Send Podcast. “Maybe, maybe I’ll do it.”

Alvarez clarified it still could happen before he retires from the sport.

“Yeah [when I’m done competing at the top],” Alvarez said. “I think it’s good because what happens is there are other people who never watch boxing or they don’t know anything about boxing, [and] they want to watch Jake Paul because he brings fans from another world, right? That’s good because everybody [gets to] enjoy it. Maybe [I’ll fight Jake Paul in the future]. Maybe.”

Paul has repeatedly challenged Alvarez in the past, and most recently after he beat Mike Tyson via an eight-round unanimous decision on November 15.

“Canelo needs me, so I’m not even going to try and call him out,” Paul said in the post-fight interview with MMA journalist Ariel Helwani. “He knows he wants a payday. So, he knows where the money man is at.”

BOXING

Mike Tyson Reconsiders His Retirement Decision After Jake Paul Contest

“No regrets to get in ring one last time,” says Tyson after fighting Paul

Mike Tyson embarked in the ring last week against Youtuber-turned-fighter Jake Paul, but the 58-year-old fought hard to compete with his much younger challenger.

Paul dominated the game throughout the majority of the eight rounds and earned a unanimous verdict victory, with several fans registering their disappointments after watching the 2024 model of ‘Iron Mike.’

It was Tyson’s first professional clash since 2005. However, he disclosed during his post-match press briefing that he may consider boxing again, with Jake’s brother Logan proposed as an rival.

“I don’t think so [that this is my last time in the ring]. I have more in me. Maybe I’ll fight his brother [Logan Paul].”

Turning to his social media account, Tyson has apparently made a U-turn on those comments, indicating that it was the final time he would step through the ropes.

Tyson, 58, was overpowered by Paul, 27, via undisputed verdict on Friday in an eight-round clash that went the distance at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Tyson appeared every bit his age in the ring and only landed 18 of 97 thrown punches, whereas Paul landed 78 of 278 thrown punches. Following the loss, only the seventh of his main boxing career, Tyson was doubtful to say whether that marked his last match.

“This is one of those situations when you lost but still won. I’m grateful. No regrets to get in ring one last time.”

‘Iron Mike’ also made bare some of the issues he had to withstand in order to combat, after it was suspended from its original date of July.

“I almost died in June. Had 8 blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won,” he stated.

Tyson’s status precedes him. In his prime age he was the first heavyweight boxer to concurrently hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles, as well as the only heavyweight to unify them in succession. But currently, Tyson is not just retired, he hasn’t even fought an exhibition bout in four years.

BOXING

Canelo Sums Up His Honest Verdict On Floyd Mayweather’s Power In Just Two Words

Canelo Alvarez went up against Floyd Mayweather over a decade ago.

They met in September 2013 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, with Canelo defending his WBC super-welterweight title and Mayweather putting his WBA belt on the line

It was seen as a tough test for Mayweather heading into the fight, with Alvarez bringing an unbeaten record of 42-0-1, along with wins over the likes of Shane Mosley, Austin Trout and Josesito Lopez.

It didn’t turn out to be that way though, with Mayweather dominating the majority of the action on his way to a points win, even though the judges controversially scored it much closer than many fans expected.

Canelo has since given his verdict on how hard Mayweather hit during their fight, needing just two words to sum it up whilst speaking to Fight Hub TV.

The Mexican superstar then acknowledged that even though Mayweather may not have power, it makes it a very difficult style to compete against.

“He has a style that doesn’t make for attractive fights. It’s very difficult to land punches. He’s not aggressive, he doesn’t punch hard at all.”

Mayweather fought fight five more times following the bout with Canelo, including a showdown with long-term rival Manny Pacquiao. His victory there helped him retire with a perfect 50-0 record back in 2017.

Canelo meanwhile has a current record of 62-2-2 and is now a four-weight world champion, having gone on to become undisputed at super-middleweight and champion at both middleweight and light-heavyweight following his fight with Mayweather.

BOXING

Conor McGregor peaked with sensational four-punch KO to earn $100million Floyd Mayweather fight

Conor McGregor produced one of his most ruthless performances before entering ‘The Money Fight’ against 11-time boxing world champion Floyd Mayweather.

When they collided back in 2017, the pair generated more than $600 million in revenue for their monumental crossover event, cementing themselves as two of the world’s highest paid athletes.

Not only that, but Floyd Mayweather reportedly secured a staggering $300 million payday, while Conor McGregor came away with around $100 million following his tenth-round stoppage defeat.

Still, McGregor’s UFC career was unquestionably on an upwards trajectory before his harsh boxing lesson arrived at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas.

Conor McGregor dispatches Eddie Alvarez with lethal second-round finish

‘The Notorious’ claimed the UFC featherweight title with a destructive second-round knockout over Chad Mendes, before defending his crown against MMA legend Jose Aldo in 2015.

Sure enough, McGregor outshone his previous display with an even more emphatic finish, halting Aldo within 13 seconds of their contest.

As he then stepped up to face seasoned veteran Nate Diaz at lightweight, though, the Irishman was ultimately forced to tap in a shocking upset defeat.

However, he swiftly exacted his revenge in their immediate rematch before stepping into the cage with Eddie Alvarez, the reigning 155 lb king, in 2016.

This was where McGregor’s UFC career truly reignited, with Alvarez – fresh off his first-round knockout victory over Rafael Dos Anjos – standing in his way of reaching legendary status.

BOXING

Daniel Dubois to defend IBF heavyweight belt in February – and not against Anthony Joshua

Daniel Dubois is reportedly set to make the second defence of his IBF title against Joseph Parker on February 22 instead of Anthony Joshua.

The heavyweight clash is expected to headline a stacked card in Saudi Arabia, which could include Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol’s rematch for the former’s undisputed light-heavyweight crown following their tight encounter in October.

That is according to esteemed boxing journalist Dan Rafael, who also reports that an IBF welterweight title fight between champion Jaron Ennis and challenger Vergil Ortiz is also in the works for the February bill.

READ: “Then We Can Get It On”: Gervonta Davis Agrees To Fight Shakur Stevenson Under One Condition

Ennis recently defended the red and gold strap against Karen Chukhadzhian in a rematch last month and has been calling for the big fights to no avail.

Finally, he will face a worthy challenger in fellow undefeated fighter Ortiz, who comes in fresh off a gruelling majority decision win over Serhii Bohachuk.

Hamzah Sheeraz’s long-awaited shot at middleweight gold could also land on the bill.

Sheeraz, who is ranked highly with all four major sanctioning bodies, has chosen to go down the WBC route first and will face champion Carlos Adames next.

The fifth fight that is being explored for February is an all-action heavyweight dust-up between Agit Kabayel and Zhilei Zhang.

Kabayel is the highest-ranked heavyweight by the IBF and was slated to be Dubois’ next opponent for a time after he pulled out of a final eliminator with Martin Bakole.

Instead, he is being targeted for a fight with Zhang, while Parker is the frontrunner to box Dubois.

‘Triple D’ knocked out Joshua in September to retain his IBF belt and was in talks over an immediate sequel.

However, negotiations have since fallen by the wayside.

As a result, Dubois’ team moved on from the all-British showdown and began talking to other potential foes.

IBF president Daryl Peoples confirmed earlier this month that Dubois ‘can make an optional defence of his world title against any ranked fighter before April 22’.

Parker is not currently ranked by the IBF due to his status as a WBO ‘interim’ champion.

The Kiwi, who previously held the full WBO world title before losing it to Joshua in 2018, could give up the ‘interim’ trinket and receive a ranking from the IBF before February 22 so it is not an insurmountable hurdle to overcome.

Parker called for a fight with Dubois last month when he appeared on talkSPORT Fight Night.

“I have been very vocal about wanting to fight Daniel Dubois,” he said.

“I think he’s done exceptionally well, he done a great job against Anthony Joshua to get that devastating KO.

“He looked great versus Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua. But there’s a difference.

“I’m fresh, I’m hungry and ready to go. I’ve been waiting since March for a big fight, let’s get it on now.

“I feel like they have asked around different opponents to see which one fits, so there are a few hurdles to jump.

“But I feel like it can happen and I want it to happen, but hopefully everyone can come together and make it happen.”

BOXING

Usyk v Fury II: ‘My Rematches Only End In One Way.’ – Tyson Fury

Tyson Fury, 36, will need a flawless strategy from his trainer, SugarHill Steward, to secure a victory.

However, SugarHill appeared lost in the corner, with the rest of Fury’s team offering no solutions. Given the ineffective support Fury had in his corner, his chances in the rematch seem bleak. As the saying goes, “garbage in, garbage out.”

Tyson Fury posted on his Instagram page saying that the three heavyweight titles Oleksandr Usyk holds will be “mine again” four weeks from now when they meet for their rematch on December 21st.

JUST IN: Devin Haney Better Than Gervonta Davis? Bill Haney Makes Bold Comparison

“My rematches only end in one way,” posted Tyson Fury on his Instagram page.

Usyk exuded the cold, lethal presence of a hitman during the Usyk-Fury 2 face-off. His intense stare seemed to pierce through Fury, conveying the sense that Usyk has already figured him out.

Their upcoming fight on December 21st will pick up where their previous encounter left off, particularly echoing the infamous round nine from May 18th, when the referee intervened, pushing Usyk aside just as he was about to finish off a severely hurt Fury, who looked like a punching bag.

Rematches against Deontay Wilder, Dereck Chisora and John McDermott aren’t exactly murderer’s row types of competition, and those fights occurred many years ago when Fury was a lot younger than he is now. He appears to be in his mid-40s, and he’s going up against a much better fighter in Usyk than the three fighters he fought in rematches.

Tyson Fury claimed this week that he’s going to box Usyk this time and show the ability that he didn’t display in their previous fight. It looked like Fury was trying to box last May, but Usyk was too skilled and was able to hit him.

Again, we all saw how the referee saved Fury in the ninth round when he was out on his feet, taking nonstop punches and helpless to defend himself. The referee gave Fury a standing eight count, but most fans saw that as a case of the referee saving the popular fighter. There will be a different referee this time to save Fury’s hide.

“Four weeks to go for the biggest fight of the year, the biggest fight in boxing, me and Usyk. I’m coming in hot. I can’t wait. 21st of December, the belts are going to be mine again,” said Tyson Fury on Instagram.

BOXING

Devin Haney Better Than Gervonta Davis? Bill Haney Makes Bold Comparison

There is hardly a bigger and longer-standing feud in boxing than the one between Gervonta Davis and Devin Haney.

When Devin Haney was rounding up the lightweight division, Tank had moved from super featherweight to super lightweight division. And after becoming the first undisputed lightweight champion in the four-belt era, when Devin Haney moved up to super lightweight, Gervonta Davis had moved back down to lightweight, to the utter dismay of boxing fans. Although the match has not happened yet, the duo has actively engaged in a war of words, constantly ridiculing each other.

The rivalry particularly intensified when Tank mocked the 31-0 boxer during the Ryan Garcia-Devin Haney fight week. During the time someone also leaked their 2016 sparring session at Floyd Mayweather‘s boxing gym, escalating the tension between them even further. Then there was the incident between them at a nightclub.

JUST IN: “Then We Can Get It On”: Gervonta Davis Agrees To Fight Shakur Stevenson Under One Condition

Just like always, when the criticism against Haney was mounting after his lawsuit against Ryan Garcia, Bill Haney jumped in to defend his son. He shared a picture on his social media comparing Devin Haney’s accomplishments to those of Shakur Stevenson, Vasiliy Lomanchenko, and Gervonta Davis. On Sunday, Bill Haney sat down with DJ Vlad for an interview and gave his opinion on why he thinks his son is a better boxer than ‘Tank.’

Bill Haney himself trains his son and believes in his son’s ability. On being asked why he thinks ‘The Dream’ is better than Tank, he stated that according to him, “He can outbox anybody.” He further added that when ‘The Dream’ is at his best, no one comes close to him. “When Devin is being Devin, I know he can outbox anybody on the planet. We have that kind of skill set,” explained Haney Sr.

Bill Haney further shared his views regarding the matchup against Gervonta Davis and stated that it is a fight that both of them want. He stated, “We’ve always fancied our chances um and that’s the part of the business. That’s the part of boxing as having two sides,” while declaring Tank as Devin Haney’s “ultimate dance partner.”

However, Tank’s team has annoyed Haney Sr. because even though they have talked a lot, “one thing that they haven’t said is that they want to fight Devin,” and the father-son duo has been asking for a fight since their early days in the sport.

While remaining on Gervonta Davis, Bill Haney also showed his disappointment over his choice of opponents stating that the WBA lightweight champion has not fought against a decently skilled boxer.

Haney Sr. shared his views on Tank’s upcoming fight and severely downplayed Tank’s next opponent Lamont Raoch Jr. At first, the San Francisco native showed his annoyance over the constant postponement of the fight. “When are they going to fight,” asked Bill Haney.

While the trainer/manager accepted that he had not heard much about the fight, he was confident that it would be a one-sided affair in favor of Gervonta Davis. He had serious doubts about Roach’s capabilities and stated, “Oh my God, when is he going to fight someone?” while questioning the quality of Tank’s opponents.

He further put the rumored fight between Tank and Shakur Stevenson under scrutiny, stating that “Tank is avoiding real boxers. He’s avoiding them for a reason.” While he likes the idea of the fight, he firmly believes that the Baltimore native will avoid the fight, as it would put him at risk of losing.

With each passing day, this rivalry between Gervonta Davis and Devin Haney is getting intense. However, we are still far away from the idea of an official match between them, at least for a while.

BOXING

“Then We Can Get It On”: Gervonta Davis Agrees To Fight Shakur Stevenson Under One Condition

Gervonta Davis is willing to take on Shakur Stevenson.

Davis is the current WBA lightweight champion, while Stevenson holds the WBC belt, meaning a unification fight between the two has been linked for a while.

While they may have not shared the ring yet, a heated rivalry between the two men is already present, with plenty of insults thrown back and forth.

READ: Floyd Mayweather Says he’d Fight Jake Paul Under One Condition

‘Tank’ hasn’t held back with his assessment of Stevenson, dismissing claims that it would be a tough fight for him whilst talking to Cigar Talk.

“Hell no! How is he the best? Show me something that he’s done that’s outrageous. Show me. His power isn’t outrageous and what defence? He just jumps back, you never see him slip any punches, you never see that. Go watch him, you just see him back up and move around, move around, he ain’t got no technique.

His offence is the same thing. Go look at his fights. Easy work. I touched him with 16 ounce gloves on and he ran, imagine if I hit him with eight ounce gloves.”

Davis then revealed the one thing that needs to happen in order for him to face

“Tell him to rematch Edwin De Los Santos and if he beats him we can get it on. I guarantee you he won’t fight that guy again. I guarantee it.”

Stevenson had a much criticised performance when he met De Los Santos in November 2023, claiming a narrow unanimous decision win.

Another man who has weighed into the Davis vs. Stevenson debate is William Zepeda, the current mandatory challenger for the WBC title, revealing who he deems to be the best out of the two men.

BOXING

‘Rigged’ Mike Tyson fight denied despite admission of meetings

By Admin November 25, 2024

Jake Paul and Most Valuable Promotions have denied rigging the Mike Tyson fight following several claims about the controversial event.

Reports claiming that Paul vs Tyson had a preordained outcome have continually dogged the headliner since Netflix broadcasted the show to over 100 million viewers on November 15. The allegations are so rife that MVP and Paul were forced to release a statement to World Boxing News over the matter.

They told WBN, “Following the wide circulation of incorrect and baseless claims that undermine the integrity of the Paul vs. Tyson event, Most Valuable Promotions [MVP] would like to set the record straight regarding the contractual agreements and the nature of the fight.

JUST IN: Claressa Shields’ Announcement Marred by Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano Controversy

“Rigging a professional boxing match is a federal crime in the United States of America. Paul vs. Tyson was a professional match sanctioned by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations [TDLR]. Both fighters, in good faith, performed to the best of their abilities with the goal of winning the fight.

“There were absolutely no restrictions – contractual or otherwise – around either fighter. Each boxer was able to use his full arsenal to win the fight. Any agreement to the contrary would violate TDLR boxing rules.”

The MVP defense comes after Jake Paul admitted holding meetings with Tyson about the fight alongside his wife, Kiki. In an occurrence that spawned the event four years ago, what was discussed between them has not been made public or confirmed to have been recorded.

Paul and MVP have assured detractors that anything perceived as pre-agreed between the pair is untrue.

“Trash talk and speculation are common in sports, and athletes and promoters need to tolerate nonsensical commentary, jokes, and opinions. But suggesting anything other than full effort from these fighters is not only naïve but an insult to the work they put into their craft and to the sport itself.

“It is further illogical and inane that MVP, in the debut of a hopeful long-term partnership with the world’s biggest streamer—an organization that made its first-ever foray into live professional sports with Paul vs. Tyson—would even so much as consider such a perverse violation of the rules of competition,” they concluded.

Tyson has walked away with $20 million and only a slight dent on his professional record. Meanwhile, Paul has been left to pick up the pieces as he attempts to keep doubts over his boxing career at bay long enough to secure another event with Netflix.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. is currently touted as a possible next opponent for a WBA title.