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Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois: ‘Fear is my friend when I’m in the ring’ – Dubois

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Anthony Joshua Daniel Dubois

Victory is all in the mind for the reigning IBF heavyweight world champion

Daniel Dubois will be meditating over, and visualising how, he plans to defeat Anthony Joshua when they meet at Wembley Stadium on September 21.

The IBF world heavyweight champion takes on the former unified king of the division in a blockbuster clash, live on Sky Sports Box Office, where the winner will be line to face the victor of the Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury rematch later this year.

AJ's a freak' - Anthony Joshua will KO Daniel Dubois so quickly that fight won't even last six minutes, Tony Bellew predicts | talkSPORT

JUST IN: Backup Plan If Mike Tyson Bails On Jake Paul Again, What The YouTuber And Boxer Has To Say

Dubois already has visions of standing across the ring from Wembley against Joshua and how he believes the contest will end and will be focusing hard in training camp to ensure that becomes a reality on fight night.

“When I’m in training camp, I sharpen up my mind,” Dubois told Sky Sports. “I play out the fight over and over, and just meditation and just visualising.

“I do a lot of that, and the sparring helps. The camp atmosphere all helps as well.

“This fight sells itself, based off me and AJ and what we both bring – and what I bring especially.

“We’ll see as it goes on, but I’m going to be in camp, locked in and focused. I’ll have tunnel vision about getting that victory.”

September 21 will not be the first time Dubois and Joshua have shared a ring, with the duo having sparred together when the former was part of the Great Britain amateur squad.

There have been rumours Joshua was knocked down by his future opponent in one session, although the former champion has denied that.

Dubois insists he has no memories of those sessions either and even if he did, is adamant they would be of no relevance as he has come on so much as a boxer since then.

“Those spars were seven years ago, and I can’t remember a thing about them, to be honest,” Dubois said.

“I’m not here to spar him now, I’m here to fight him, so I’m thinking about that. I haven’t brought my headguard, that spar is in the past for me.

“At the time it was a great experience, but seven years on I’m a different fighter now with different experiences in the fight game.”

Among those experiences are those big nights on boxing’s grand stages, such as stadium fights against Kevin Lerena and Usyk in Tottenham and Wroclaw respectively, not to mention the clashes with Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic in Saudi Arabia.

He has tussled for titles too, beating Trevor Bryan in Miami to claim the WBA regular heavyweight crown two years ago and then take the IBF interim crown, later upgraded to full world champion status, in the bout with Hrgovic.

“Especially Saudi,” Dubois said, reflecting on what he has learnt from those big nights. “It was an amazing journey and I feel like it has empowered me to move on from here and get this next W.

“To go out there and the way we got the [WBA regular belt] with Don King in Miami was just a dream – it was a trip, it was good.

“It’s back in London, fighting again – I’ve missed it. It’s going to be a great night to have that feel, that energy and that buzz in the city.”

Having now compiled a 21-2 (20) record as a professional and holding a world title, Dubois has little to fear when he takes on Joshua in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley.

But he is adamant he will be able to utilise any fear there is on the night rather than let it get to him.

“You can never let that happen,” Dubois said. “Even if you are scared you’ve got to act brave!

“For a fighter, if you don’t have a bit of fear then you’re crazy. But fear is good and it’s my friend when I’m in the ring.”

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Backup Plan If Mike Tyson Bails On Jake Paul Again, What The YouTuber And Boxer Has To Say

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Mike Tyson Jake Paul

What will they do if Tyson isn’t ready again?

The most-hyped televised fight of 2024 is happening this fall, or at least that’s the plan right now. Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul is hitting Netflix’s upcoming lineup on its rescheduled date of November 15th, which isn’t far away, but what happens if Tyson has to back out, as it went when he had a medical emergency over the summer? It’s a question worth asking, and Paul was able to give a definitive answer on the current contingency plan, in a manner of speaking.

JUST IN: “We’ll fight in Africa”: Claressa Shields’ promoter wants her to fight in the Middle East and Africa

On the heels of Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi facing off in the live Unfinished Beef special, fans with Netflix subscriptions want to know what to expect for the next big showdown on the streamer if one of the fighters cannot perform. Jake Paul spoke to TMZ Sports about the current backup plan, and whether or not he’s concerned about Mike Tyson’s readiness, saying:

I don’t have concern. He’s doing great. He’s super healthy behind the scenes and feeling great. So, that’s what we’re focused on, and there’s not a backup [plan] currently.

Despite it happening on the original date, Netflix did not stream that replacement fight, and it didn’t take place in AT&T Stadium, the venue reserved for Tyson vs. Paul. Given that, and the fact that there still aren’t any backup plans this time around, it would seem like if these two fighters aren’t going to trade blows, Netflix still wouldn’t be interested in carrying any substitutions.

Thus far, Mike Tyson hasn’t given any reason to suspect he’ll be anything less than 100% come fight day. While he was reportedly dealing with complications from an ulcer when the fight was first postponed, he’s been pretty active as of late. In addition to uploading pictures from training, Tyson is attending many events, so he’s seemingly feeling well enough for this big bout come November.

While his age is a factor, Tyson has asked for certain accommodations made for this match to help compensate for fighting someone thirty years younger than him. The fight will have shorter rounds to encourage both fighters to push the pace, which could prevent Paul from hanging back early and hoping to tire the legend out before starting to fight. Even so, professional boxing matches can be taxing, and we won’t know how tired Tyson will or won’t be until we see this match.

All we know is that Mike Tyson feels confident he can win and that he was once one of the greatest boxers who ever lived. Whether his past experience will be enough to take on Jake Paul is the big question everyone has and one that some, like actor Russell Crowe, would rather not see answered. In any case, there’s no denying that the intrigue is still there to see how this all shakes out and if this fight will happen.

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“We’ll fight in Africa”: Claressa Shields’ promoter wants her to fight in the Middle East and Africa

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Claressa Shields

There aren’t many major boxing matches remaining for Claressa Shields.

That’s why Shields (15-0, 3 KOs) has hopped up and down in weight classes, recently jumping up to 175-pounds to capture a pair of world titles after previously being a titleholder at 168 and the undisputed champion at 160 and 154.

And it’s why Shields has also jumped at other opportunities, be it competing in mixed martial arts or promoting a new major motion picture about her life.

Claressa Shields: 'I can drive through Flint now and not get flashbacks' | Claressa Shields | The Guardian

READ: Terence Crawford will never fight again and Canelo Alvarez is the ‘only way’ he returns

Otherwise, there’s just not enough depth at the heavier weight classes where Shields competes. What, then, can her promoter do to bring his fighter the attention and paydays she’s seeking?

“For Claressa, because of where she stands and what she represents for women in the United States and all around the world, it’s as important where she fights as who she fights,” Dmitriy Salita said on the Boxing with Chris Mannix podcast.

One potential choice in the “who” category is Savannah Marshall, who gave Shields her only amateur loss. But when they met in the pros in October 2022, it was Shields winning via unanimous decision. Marshall has since moved up to super middleweight, defeating Franchon Crews-Dezurn via majority decision to become that division’s new undisputed champion.

“Certainly the rematch with Savannah Marshall is always interesting,” Salita said.

But what about the “where” category Salita mentioned?

“We’ll fight in the Middle East. We’ll fight in Africa,” he said. “I believe that would be very significant and very special and something that can transcend sports. It’d be a human interest story that goes above and beyond the sport of boxing. That would be something I would aim to do. That would be significant and historic.”

Shields, a 29-year-old from Flint, Michigan, has fought outside of the United States before, of course during the amateurs and the Olympics but also twice as a pro, performing in London and Cardiff. In mixed martial arts, Shields competed this February at an event in Saudi Arabia.

For Shields, doing what brings attention isn’t just about marketing herself, but her sport as well.

“There’s been a lot of debate online about who the greatest woman is, and without a doubt it’s Claressa Shields. The only reason this conversation takes place is, most important, because of Claressa’s accomplishments but also because of her personality and because she puts herself out there,” Salita said. “She not only walks the walk, but also talks the talk, which is very important because women’s boxing is much better than it ever was, but it’s still going through birthing pains, and it takes a personality and a fighter like Claressa Shields to push the interest forward.”

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Terence Crawford will never fight again and Canelo Alvarez is the ‘only way’ he returns

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Terence Crawford Canelo Alvare

Terence Crawford is only interested in fighting Canelo Alvarez, according to Eddie Hearn.

‘Bud’ could become the first three-weight undisputed champion of the four-belt era if he can unify all the major sanctioning body belts in his new division of super-welterweight, but seems more interested in other goals.

Crawford previously reigned supreme over the super-lightweight and welterweight divisions and opened his account at super-welterweight last month by snatching the WBA belt from Israil Madrimov.

He's trying to stay friends with him," Terence Crawford calls out Eddie Hearn for saying Canelo Alvarez helped promote his fight

JUST IN: Daniel Dubois shuts down Anthony Joshua claim before world title fight

He has now been handed the opportunity to take two steps closer to making boxing history after the WBO ordered their champion Sebastian Fundora – who is also in possession of the WBC title – to make a mandatory defence against Crawford.

However, Hearn doesn’t believe legacy motivates the Baltimore banger anymore.

The Matchroom boxing chief insists money is his main driving force now and anticipates Crawford will hang up his gloves unless he can land a lucrative showdown with Canelo next.

“I don’t think Terence Crawford will fight again,” Hearn told talkSPORT.com.

“Because I think he’s made really solid money in the last couple of fights.

“And I don’t think he wants to fight Vergil Ortiz, I don’t think he wants to fight Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.

“I think the only way Crawford will fight again is against Canelo Alvarez.

“Because he’s got used to that pay bracket and I don’t think that pay bracket exists anymore outside of Canelo Alvarez.”

Canelo vs Crawford was at the top of HE Turki Alalshikh’s boxing wishlist at the start of the year.

However, a breakdown in communication prompted the Saudi boxing chief to retract his approach and release a lengthy statement, during which he accused Canelo of being afraid of fighting David Benavidez and Crawford.

Bridges have been rebuilt between the pair since and the fight looks a lot more plausible than it once did, although Crawford will have to wait for Canelo’s clash with Edgar Berlanga on September 14 to play out.

Crawford could box Fundora in the meantime or even surging welterweight/super-welterweight contenders Vergil Ortiz or Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, although Hearn thinks this is highly unlikely.

“The problem is when you’ve made that kind of money, to drop down and fight a young contender [would earn less],” he added.

“I think he probably looks at the Israil Madrimov fight and goes, ‘Blimey.’ Not that he got away with it, but could he could’ve lost it all there.

“He probably thinks in his mind that he’ll fight again, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t.

“They’re so inactive as well, really the plan for Crawford was to fight in February. And I don’t see that happening.

“He should be, really, if he wants to continue in the sport, but I think he’s happy to sit out until the end of next year.

“He’ll be just waiting and then if the Canelo fight comes up, great.

“In his mind, something will come up, but I don’t think he’s rushing to get back to training camp to fight Vergil Ortiz or Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.”

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Daniel Dubois shuts down Anthony Joshua claim before world title fight

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Anthony Joshua Daniel Dubois IBF heavyweight

Daniel Dubois was elevated to the status of IBF heavyweight champion after the former undisputed champion of the division Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt.

Usyk couldn’t defend the title against Dubois on time as he was contractually obligated to fight Tyson Fury again in a rematch on December 21, 2024. Interestingly, the British boxer became the No. 1 contender for the IBF after defeating Filip Hrgovich in June this year. Subsequently, the belt fell into his lap, and he became the IBF heavyweight champion.

However, Dubois’ very first title defense would be a tough task. The challenger—the former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, is hungry to become a three-time world heavyweight champion. The tense pre-fight build-up adds another layer of intrigue to an all-British heavyweight showdown at the Wembley Stadium on September 21. It all kicked off in the face-to-face chat in June where AJ brutally shut down Dubois, who was eager to throw down then and there. “I’ll throw this f***ing chair across your face. Don’t disrespect me,” Joshia said angrily. Both fighters almost came to blows. As a result, the security had to step in to separate the two blood-thirsty pugilists.

Anthony Joshua to take on Daniel Dubois for IBF heavyweight title at Wembley - Eurosport

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Now, with the date of the clash inching closer, the ‘Dynamite’ has sounded off on AJ for his “disrespect” remark during the face-off. “Disrespect is not the right word, is it? We’re in boxing,” the 26-year-old fighter stated in an interview with Queensbury Promotions. He further conveyed to Joshua that respect should be left at the door when getting into a fight with someone.

Is there respect in that ring? At the end of the day, this is a fight. If you want respect go and become a lawyer or a doctor,” Dubois stated solemnly. “This is a fight game and you know I’m ready, 100% ready, to just go out there and fight now.” Seems the two British boxing stars are going into the fight with the clear intention to hurt one another.

On the other hand, Anthony Joshua too will be heading into the Dubois fight with bad intentions as he has plans to reach the very top of the heavyweight division, once again.

The battle with Dubois is crucial in determining whether Joshua could become an undisputed champion. A win against the Greenwich native would set Joshua up nicely to face the winner of the Usyk-Fury clash in December.

“All he’s got on his mind is Dubois. Obviously, winning the world heavyweight title, but I know that if he wins September 21, the only fight he will want is the winner of Usyk-Fury,” AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn stated.

“He’s always wanted to fight Fury, he’ll definitely do it, but when the decision is read out on December 21 he will want the winner of that fight because he’s only one fight away from being undisputed himself,” The Matchroom Boxing head added.

It is quite evident that AJ won’t hesitate to face Oleksandr Usyk for the third time provided ‘The Cat’ wins the rematch against Fury. Notably, Joshua lost his unified heavyweight title to Usyk in 2021. The rematch the following year also yielded the same result.

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Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois: “I Can Feel the Andy Ruiz Situation Happening”

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ANTHONY JOSHUA DANIEL DUBOIS

Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois Odds Sparks Heated Debate in Boxing World

Betting odds often reflect the prevailing sentiment about who’s favored to win a boxing match. However, the upcoming all-British bout between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois has stirred up quite a debate among boxing fans, with the odds so tight that it’s ignited passionate discussions. It all began with a single X post.

Earlier today, the X handle Boxing Kingdom, a well-known source for boxing content, shared their perspective on the Joshua-Dubois fight. They argued that the current odds of ‘Anthony Joshua – 1.22, Daniel Dubois – 4.80, Draw – 17.00’ were off the mark, suggesting instead that Dubois might knock everyone’s socks off with a victory.

Daniel Dubois Anthony Joshua

READ: GERVONTA DAVIS HITS HARDER THAN CRAWFORD

Boxing Kingdom wrote, “The odds are incorrect on Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois. They are currently showing Anthony Joshua as a massive [favorite]. It’s actually a very close fight. I’m leaning to Dubois slightly. He’s full of confidence. But it’s so close I wouldn’t gamble on this.” While Boxing Kingdom seemed confident in their prediction, others said otherwise.

Back in June, former cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew praised Anthony Joshua as one of the top heavyweights in the world, confidently predicting that Joshua would knock ‘DDD’ out within two rounds. On the other hand, Zhilei Zhang from China has a different view. He believes that Dubois, being young and hungry, has what it takes to secure a victory.

Needless to say, even the experts are divided on the matter. Plus, both fighters have lost fights to former undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, who vacated his IBF title to make this fight happen. Nonetheless, when the boxing world caught wind of the tweet from Boxing Kingdom, things were heated in the comments.

Joshua is coming off wins against Francis Ngannou, Otto Wallin, and Robert Helenius, meaning the upcoming fight is the biggest challenge for him in a while. Of course, people had to speculate, take this first user, for example, who saw the past unfolding again. The user wrote, “I can feel the Andy Ruiz situation happening, y’all better stake right.” Notably, Andy Ruiz Jr. shocked the world when he defeated Joshua via 7th-round TKO back in 2019. However, Joshua came back in the rematch to win the second fight via a unanimous decision.

Conversely, another commenter disagreed, suggesting ‘DDD’ has no shot against ‘AJ.’ “Dubois’s defense is non existent. I’m fairly sure the odds are spot-on and AJ lands a clean right in the middle rounds that ends it. Really want to see Dubois test AJ’s chin before that happens though,” they wrote. While Joshua was a former unified heavyweight champion, the IBF title is Dubois’ first major title. Meaning, purely by achievements, Joshua has the upper hand.

Someone else gave props to Dubois’ ability to knock out his opponents, but they couldn’t see Joshua losing. “I like @DanielDuboisTKO a lot, but it is hard not to see @anthonyjoshua finishing him in the first 5, (if not 3), rounds,” one fan commented. Interestingly, ‘DDD’ had a better knockout ratio at 95.24% compared to Joshua’s 89.29% KO ratio. However, this gets overshadowed by Joshua’s resume of superior opponents.

Another user decided to mock Boxing Kingdom for their tweet, remarking, “If you’re leaning towards Dubois these are exactly the type of odds you take a gamble on 😂.” However, there’s always Joshua’s ‘Left, Right, Goodnight,’ which can end the fight instantly, so betting money on this fight can indeed be risky.

Another enthusiast tried to educate Boxing Kingdom on how betting sites come up with the odds. “Odds aren’t incorrect, they are systematically calculated to lean towards where the money is going,” they commented. This basically means the majority of people are betting on Joshua to win, and the betting site isn’t pulling the numbers out of a hat.

Having said that, regardless of the odds, the fight is geared to be an action-packed and thrilling matchup between two elite boxers, which could go either way. Only time will tell who is right and who is wrong.

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Canelo Alvarez vs. David Benavidez Predicted to Happen at “Some Point Next Year”

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Canelo Alvarez David Benavidez

Will former undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez ever fight interim WBC super middleweight champion and his mandatory opponent David Benavidez?

Former CEO of Mayweather Promotion Leonard Ellerbe has shared his thoughts on the potential fight as he spoke about Canelo’s upcoming skirmish.

‘Cinnomen’ is about to get in the ring against his WBA mandatory Edgar Berlanga on September 14th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. While the event is expected to do good numbers, the fight that people really want has been pushed down on Canelo’s priority list with demands of $200 million. However, Ellerbe feels that the fight is inevitable.

Boxing: WBC President on Canelo Alvarez vs David Benavidez 'It will be wonderful... when it happens' | Marca

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Speaking to the 58-year-old in an interview, Marcos Villegas from Fight Hub TV asked for Ellerbe’s expertise in the business to predict when the fight may go down. So, in response, Ellerbe, who has been on Floyd Mayweather’s side for the better part of his career, seemed optimistic, claiming the fight would happen sooner or later because of the demand for it.

“I just think that you know, it’s a fight that the entire sport wants to see, you know. Two of the guys at the top of their game and the fans want to see that fight, and I think they will get it at some point next year. That’s just my opinion,” Ellerbe said. And guess what? It’s worth noting that Canelo hasn’t said no to the bout, right?

Instead, he’s asking for a ton of money to make the fight happen, basically saying he’s earned the right to make those demands with everything he’s done in his career. Meanwhile, later in the interview, Ellerbe went as far as to defend Canelo’s demand for $200 million, stating, “There’s never enough money when you’re getting up there and putting your life on the line. I support his decision to do it whenever he’s ready to do it.”

But not everyone thinks Canelo’s just in it for the cash—some people actually believe he’s just scared.

So, get this. Oscar De La Hoya‘s been taking shots at Canelo Alvarez for asking for $200 million to fight David Benavidez, saying it’s just Canelo’s way of dodging the fight. De La Hoya, who used to promote Canelo with Golden Boy, vented about it in an interview with Sean Zittel. He said, “Canelo not wanting to fight Benavidez and outpricing himself—even Turki knows that Canelo is afraid of Benavidez.”

He also threw in, “200 million dollars? You’re crazy. You are crazy. In other words, you don’t want to fight him.” It doesn’t end there. The one and only De La Hoya made it clear that he thinks Canelo’s asking price is way too high and bad for the sport. And that’s not all, folks. He stressed that a fight between Canelo and Benavidez would be huge for boxing, saying, “Boxing is on the rise… and if Canelo fights Benavidez, guess what, that’s the Super Bowl of boxing.”

Alright, will this fight happen? It’s unlikely that Canelo Alvarez would let this mega money-making opportunity just pass him by. However, whether he gets paid $200 million for it is yet to be seen. At least, Leonard Ellerbe feels Canelo deserves every dollar.

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‘I HAVE NO DESIRE TO BOX WITH ANYONE ELSE’ – USYK ONLY WANTS FURY AND JOSHUA REMATCHES

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Oleksandr Usyk Tyson Fury Anthony Joshua

Oleksandr Usyk has said he is only interested in rematching Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. 

Usyk secured the biggest career win, beating Fury via a split decision to become the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion. It was the first time boxing had an undisputed champion since Lennox Lewisin 1999. The rematch takes place on December 21, but it will not be for undisputed. The Ukrainian dropped the IBF title, as Daniel Dubois became the full champion.

Joshua will box Dubois on September 21 for that IBF belt, with the winner in line to box either Fury or Usyk for undisputed. Usyk has already beaten Joshua on two occasions. He outboxed the Brit in both fights to become the Unified Heavyweight Champion. After winning everything in the sport, Usyk does not have many goals moving forward.

Oleksandr Usyk Tyson Fury

JUST IN: GERVONTA DAVIS HITS HARDER THAN CRAWFORD

“Well, this is a rematch with Fury and possibly a third match with Joshua. Only with these two guys it is still interesting, from now on let the youth get fit and work … The logical line is that, apart from Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, I have no desire to box with anyone,” Usyk said 

There are several other options Usyk could explore beyond that. His team has hinted at the idea of crossing over into BKFC. Conor McGregor, who is a part owner of BKFC, has been mentioned as a possible name. That fight increases Usyk’s profile while also giving him the chance to win a title in another sport. Usyk’s slick defensive skills and footwork do work in his favour.

There is also the chance to help the next generation of fighters. Usyk’s win over Fury was massive for Ukraine since the country is at war with Russia, providing the citizens with a morale boost. But given that Usyk is undefeated, he risks losing that record if he continues fighting for much longer as he is 37. Given the huge amount of money on the table and Joshua’s willingness to fight Usyk again, the Ukrainian could be attempted.

“He wants to beat Usyk. Because the first fight he had with Usyk, frankly he came out second best. He went away, he regrouped, he learned, he studied and he still got beat in the second fight. That’s why he got so disappointed in the second fight.

“It’s a split decision and it was close, but Anthony Joshua’s a very special type of sportsman. The money’s great. He’s got more than enough money, you could float a battleship if you put all his cash in one locker. But they want to win. These people want to win and they want a legacy. I don’t think Anthony Joshua will sleep at night until he is unified,” Eddie Hearn stated 

But before a Joshua fight can be considered, Usyk must overcome Fury in his rematch. It was the Gypsy King’s first career loss, meaning he has more motivation to avenge the defeat. Fury has shown he performs best as an underdog, beating Deontay Wilder and Wladimir Klitschkowhen the odds were against him. Usyk must guard against that.

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GERVONTA DAVIS HITS HARDER THAN CRAWFORD

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Gervonta Davis Terence Crawford

Gervonta Davis has been credited as hitting harder than Terence Crawford. 

That is according to WBO Welterweight Champion Brian Norman Jr. Norman Jr. has had the chance to spar both men. Davis is currently 30-0 with 28 KOs as he stopped Frank Martin in his last fight to retain his WBA Lightweight Title. Meanwhile, Crawford stopped all of his opponents at 147 before moving up to 154. He boxed Israil Madrimovin his first junior middleweight fight, beating him via a unanimous decision to win the WBA belt.

That took his record to 41-0 with 31 KOs. Given their ability to stop opponents, they have become some of the best P4P fighters. However, Norman Jr. highlighted some differences in their punch power. Norman Jr. felt Crawford would systematically beat his opponents up before stopping them. Meanwhile, Davis had the one-punch knockout power to change a fight at any time.

READ: [VIDEOS] The staggering real-life story of the last man to beat Floyd Mayweather in the boxing ring

“When I sparred Terence Crawford I was 20 years old at the time, so it was like he was trying to man me like ‘I’m gonna show you you a little boy’ type stuff. But I’m mature for my age, so that’s why we evened out. Even when you see him fight for real, he don’t necessarily one-shot people, but what he do is he just beat you up and then he kill you. But as far as one shot, who got it? I got to give that to Tank,” Norman Jr. said

Davis and Crawford were linked with a fight following some verbals over social media. This began after Davis backed Errol Spence Jr. to beat Crawford. He referred to Bud as having a glass chin. Crawford stopped Spence and told Davis to move up to 147 if he wanted to test the chin. It never happened, as Davis’ biggest fight will likely be against Shakur Stevenson. Shakur holds the WBC belt, meaning a unification could happen next year.

It is a contrast of styles as Davis’ power would have to break down Shakur’s defensive skills. Davis could walk him down and get the stoppage if he does not respect Shakur’s punches. Stevenson showed in his fight against Edwin De Los Santosthat he fights on the back foot against power punchers.

He was booed for fighting off the jab, while De Los Santos could not cut the ring off, drawing criticism from fans. Stevenson fought on the inside against Artem Harutyunyan in his last bout. Despite winning a wide unanimous decision, he never looked like stopping Harutyunyan. Ex-world champion Andre Dirrell advised Shakur to work on his inside fighting style before facing Tank.

“Shakur needs to just fix a few things and learn how to fight in the pocket. He already showed that he can; he just wasn’t firing off that last fight [against Artem Harutyunyan]. If I were Shakur, I’d test the waters with a few opponents and then jump in there with Tank. He got time for that,” Dirrell stated

Shakur will box Joe Cordina next on October 12. Cordina will move up from super featherweight to lightweight, allowing Stevenson to potentially overpower his opponent. A stoppage win will do wonders for his confidence.

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[VIDEOS] The staggering real-life story of the last man to beat Floyd Mayweather in the boxing ring

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Floyd Mayweather 1996 Atlanta Olympics

While Floyd Mayweather has solidified his place as one of the greatest boxers of all time, the last man to beat him has gone down a very different road.

At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the pound-for-pound great, who was just 19 at the time, suffered a loss that left him both tearful, yet motivated to never feel that way again.

Serafim Todorov has had a tough journey since beating Floyd Mayweather

Gifted with sublime reflexes and a remarkable boxing IQ, Floyd Mayweather amassed an astonishing 50-0 record to write his name into the boxing history books.

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In his sensational career, the American utilized his polarizing personality to gain the interest of fans around the world. Whether people wanted him to win or lose, they tuned in either way, and it had an enormous impact on the boxer’s bank balance.

Throughout his stint as a professional fighter, very few men came close to beating Mayweather, with most missing the target wildly as the legendary athlete showcased his excellent shoulder roll.

While the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Marcos Maidana did push him close, and some believe José Luis Castillo did enough to have claimed the victory in their first encounter, in the professional realm, no one can say they’ve stepped inside the ring with the icon and emerged with the decision.

But that’s not the same for the amateur game. Serafim Todorov of Bulgaria defeated the gifted athlete in a major upset in the semi-final of the Olympics, leaving the Michigan warrior with a bronze medal.

However, despite beating Mayweather, the underdog couldn’t cross the final hurdle, falling short against Somluck Kamsing of Thailand.

While ‘Money’ rebounded from the heartbreak, Todorov didn’t. He turned down an offer from a group of promoters in the USA in favor of attempting to represent Turkey at the 1997 World Amateur Boxing Championships, because he felt his home nation weren’t giving him the support he deserved.

Alas, the Bulgarian Boxing Federation wouldn’t let it happen, and the athlete retired from competition in 2003.

He eventually returned to the squared circle 12 years later, in 2015, at the age of 46, and beat Aleksandar Chukaleiski via unanimous decision.

Sadly, the same year, the New York Times published a piece, reporting that he was living on a pension of $435 per month.

At the time, he was residing with his wife, son, and daughter-in-law in a first-floor unit in Pazardzhik. He has worked as a driver for both a grocery store and a sausage factory.

Mike Tyson slams Floyd Mayweather for saying he’s better than Muhammad Ali

While Todorov never reached his optimum potential, his Olympic rival certainly did.

In an astounding run, Mayweather proved his skills beyond doubt, going down as arguably the greatest defensive fighter of all time, not just in the opinion of the public, but in his own eyes too.

He’s even gone as far as to say he was a better boxer than the legendary Muhammad Ali, which hasn’t gone down well with Mike Tyson.

In an angry rant, ‘Iron Mike’ slammed the former welterweight star, explaining why he’ll never be on his hero’s level.

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