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Ryan Garcia & Serhii Bohachuk Join Forces Against Boxing World as HE Turki Alalshikh’s Plan Sets in Motion After Vergil Ortiz Jr. Calls Out Terence Crawford

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Vergil Ortiz Jr. Terence Crawford

Although he had to walk the whole distance, Vergil Ortiz Jr. finally did it! The Grand Prairie-born boxer remains unbeaten. At the Michelob Ultra Arena, Ortiz Jr. defeated Serheii Bohachuk by a majority decision to become the new WBC (interim) light middleweight champion.

The triumph might have caused a dent in his 100% KO record; nevertheless, it has also opened new pathways for the 26-year-old, who has been striving for his share of boxing glory for quite some time. Thus, making his next move on the board, during the post-fight in-ring interview, he called out Terence Crawford.

With the much-sought-after fight between Crawford and Canelo Alvarez falling off the radar, roads appear open for a potential showdown between Vergil Ortiz Jr. and ‘Bud’ Crawford. It’s a matchup that has even caught the attention of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh. Ortiz Jr. returned to boxing after a break that lasted nearly 17 months. He announced his arrival with a quick dispatch of Frederick Lawson and Thomas Dulorme in the year’s first half. Needless to say, several renowned names from the boxing world took to their keyboards to pen their thoughts; some of them deemed the fight a modern-day classic!

JUST IN: Vergil Ortiz wins despite 2 knockdowns, eyes Crawford

Perhaps both Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Serhii Bohachuk, who had previously sparred with each other, had decided on not giving either any quarter. Both went after each other. Round after round, crowds in the arena witness a slugfest, which is sure to enter this year’s fight of the year’s contention.

 

For the first time in his eight-year-old career, Ortiz Jr. suffered two knockdowns. but as rounds proceeded, he got busier, working his way up through precision body shots that slowed down his Ukrainian opponent. Full credit goes to Bohachuk for the fight he gave that eventually witnessed one of the judges going neutral with a 113-113 scroecard. However, for the remaining two, Ortiz Jr. had worked sufficiently to deserve a win: 114-112, 114-112.

The Grand Prairie-born boxer’s feat followed ‘Bud’ Crawford’s light middleweight debut on August 3. The Nebrskan defeated Israil Madrimov to secure the WBA and WBO (interim) titles. Though he has always expressed interest in a fight with Canelo Alvarez, the Mexican icon, it appears he isn’t too keen on the matchup. His price quote for the Crawford fight eventually saw HE Alalshikh release a statement on parting with the project. So what could be next for ‘Bud’ Now that there are two new champions in the 154-pound weight class, a title unification seems like a logical move.

As far as the outcome of the fight is concerned, views fall on either side of the fence. While a few felt the fight could have been a draw, others don’t seem eager about Ortiz Jr.’s future moves, especially the Crawford duel. Let’s check what a few of them had to say.

 

 

 

 

 

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Vergil Ortiz wins despite 2 knockdowns, eyes Crawford

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Vergil Ortiz Terence Crawford

Vergil Ortiz survived the first two knockdowns of his career to score a majority-decision victory over Serhii Bohachuk on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Ortiz, who was floored in Rounds 1 and 8, prevailed via scores of 114-112, 114-112 and 113-113 in a fight of the year contender.

“I felt like I did enough,” said Ortiz, who entered the ring rated No. 5 by ESPN at junior middleweight. “I proved everyone wrong who said that I’m washed, I can’t fight at 154, I can’t go the distance. … All of it fueled me. I’m the best in the world right now, and I’m going to keep showing it.”

Vergil Ortiz Jr. Vs. Serhii Bohachuk Results, Scorecards And Reaction

NEWS: “Yall Haters Was Definitely Calling Him a Cherry Pick”- Terence Crawford Demands ‘Respect’ for Fighting Israil Madrimov

Ortiz and Bohachuk combined for 1,500-plus punches in a firefight from bell to bell that included many violent exchanges. Ukraine’s Bohachuk landed an overhand right in Round 1 that dropped Ortiz to one knee, though it was originally ruled a slip. Before the start of Round 5, instant replay was consulted, and the call was overturned in a rare instance.

Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) scored another knockdown in Round 8, this time when a left hook forced Ortiz’s glove to touch the canvas. Ortiz (22-0, 21 KOs) stormed back with renewed urgency afterward and was able to stun Bohachuk. Ortiz rocked him again in the penultimate round. He won the last three rounds unanimously and the final four on two cards to pull out the victory.

“People [who] saw this fight today and who understand boxing know what happened today,” Bohachuk, 29, said in reference to the judges’ verdict. “I’m feeling great, I make two knockdowns. Come on, guys.”

The bout, which had title implications, featured non-stop punching from two heavy hitters. Ortiz landed an array of body shots, left hooks and uppercuts while Bohachuk looked to take a step back and set up power punches with his jab.

“Fight of the year, baby,” said Ortiz’s promoter, Hall of Fame boxer Oscar De La Hoya.

With the victory, Ortiz picked up the WBC interim title, which positions him for a shot against the winner of the planned December bout between Sebastian Fundora and Errol Spence. Ortiz is also now the leading contender to fight Terence Crawford, who made his 154-pound debut last week with a title win over Israil Madrimov.

Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, organized the Crawford-Madrimov event and was ringside Saturday. He said on the DAZN broadcast he is looking to match Ortiz with Crawford next.

“I’m ready for a challenge,” said Ortiz. “I think Bud [Crawford] is probably No. 1 pound for pound in the world and I wanna show that I have what it takes to beat him.”

Ortiz was set to fight former champion Tim Tszyu last week on the Crawford-Madrimov undercard before the Tszyu was forced to withdraw. The 26-year-old Texan was fighting for the third time in 2024. He finished his previous two opponents — Fredrick Lawson and Thomas Dulrome — in the first round.

Ortiz entered the fight rated No. 5 by ESPN at 154 pounds. He emerged with a cut over his left eye and a gash over the bridge of his nose.

Bohachuk is ESPN’s No. 7 junior middleweight. He entered the ring on the heels of his career-best performance, a March decision win over Brian Mendoza. Bohachuk’s previous defeat was an eighth-round TKO vs. Brandon Adams in 2021.

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“Yall Haters Was Definitely Calling Him a Cherry Pick”- Terence Crawford Demands ‘Respect’ for Fighting Israil Madrimov

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Terence Crawford Israil Madrimov

Terence Crawford stood tall when he faced Israil Madrimov, where each punch was thrown with calculations.

In a clash of willpower and boxing IQ, he edged out the Uzbek fighter and bagged the WBA title. A few had anticipated this close encounter, where a round if it went differently, could have changed the result. But the American fighter had a fair idea of what he was getting into. Now, he wants the fans’ respect for picking a tougher champion.

Crawford, 36, had to shut down the noise about not picking other champions, with some questioning the caliber of Madrimov, 29, as a champion. However, since the fight’s conclusion, the fans have been pouring in praises for him. They hadn’t witnessed someone push ‘Bud’ to his limits in a long time and nearly stop this undefeated juggernaut. But shouldn’t Crawford be receiving respect for toppling such a champion? That’s exactly what he argues.

Terence Crawford takes unanimous decision over Israil Madrimov to become four-division world champion | DAZN News US

READ: “I’m a threat to his legacy”: Terence Crawford blasts Canelo Alvarez over ‘antics’ and ‘excuses’

Crawford, at 41-0, turned to his X handle and pointed out the love that fans had bestowed on Madrimov. He wrote, “I love that everyone is giving Madrimov his credit/respect because yall haters was definitely calling him a cherry pick when we all said he was a champion for a reason. Look just give me my respect and stop the hate.”

There have been demands for a rematch between the two. But no one is sure whether the fans will get to see a rematch or not. With the support of HE Turki Alalshikh, Crawford was on his way to face Canelo Alvarez, but it seems unlikely as the Mexican champion’s attention is now on his upcoming fight with Edgar Berlanga.

If Oscar De La Hoya is to be believed, that worked out well for the Omaha native, as the holes in his game were on display against Madrimov. What’s more? There are rumors of Vergil Ortiz Jr. being next in line. So, where do the two stand in contrast to each other?

De La Hoya weighed in on the gulf of skills between Ortiz Jr. and Madrimov and declared, “Better skills, I literally think he [Vergil Ortiz Jr.] has better skills. It’s not the punching power. Crawford has ring IQ like there’s no tomorrow, but he was exposed last Saturday night. He was exposed against Madrimov.”

While there are no concrete reports on who the WBA champion will take on next, HE Turki Alalshikh has charted out a plan. Teofimo Lopez and Ortiz Jr. find themselves in the mix. But Crawford could also pick other champions at 154, trying to become undisputed in a third division.

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Floyd Mayweather Jealousy Of Muhammad Ali Rears Its Bitter Salty Head Again

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Floyd Mayweather Muhammad Ali

You know, it’s very interesting when it comes to Floyd Mayweather bringing up Muhammad Ali sometimes.

On one hand, and in one breath, sure, Mayweather points out some solid numerical, technical and statistical facts on comparisons of his and Muhammad Ali’s career.

Often pointing to Ali never throwing body shots, where Ali’s professional boxing record was at 36-years-old compared to his, and so on.

Mayweather justifica su particular ranking histórico: "Ali sólo peleó en una categoría" | Marca

JUST IN: ‘It showed him who’s boss’- Oleksandr Usyk planned for nine months to land one specific punch on Tyson Fury in fight win

He even goes on to state ethical truths too — such as Ali largely being hated in his life and not liked until he was a crippled vegetable of an old man, later on, basically.

He’s right damn it on that. He is though.

However, he does all this in an almost tactical way, bit by bit almost trying to undermine Ali’s legacy (which is giant obviously what a run he had in boxing) — while still saying he respects Ali for paving the way for him.

It’s almost a step by step, bit by bit, over time, kind of thing, where Mayweather has steadily been taking Ali down for a while now.

The latest with Mayweather saying here that he thinks Lennox Lewis would have beaten Ali (many boxing fans on X below both agree and disagree too):

Judge the above comments and reaction from the boxing world for yourself.

Alas, it is certainly very interesting now that Mayweather recently has gone on the attack at various parts of Ali’s legacy.

Some of it is well informed and is spot on but just the overall nature of it now, the fact it is going on so long, suggests something else.

Mayweather returns to the ring later this month in an exhibition rematch against John Gotti in Mexico city.

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‘It showed him who’s boss’- Oleksandr Usyk planned for nine months to land one specific punch on Tyson Fury in fight win

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Oleksandr Usyk Tyson Fury

Oleksandr Usyk admits he had been working on stunning Tyson Fury from the very first bell.

Usyk and Fury did battle in an undisputed title clash in May, and the Ukrainian picked up a huge victory to make history and hand the Briton the first defeat of his career.

There had been several concerning moments for Fury including in the ninth round, where he was knocked down but managed to cling on and survive until the bell.

Oleksandr Usyk Tyson Fury

JUST IN: Anthony Joshua takes drastic measures to prevent reputation being ruined

But Usyk feels he got the respect of Fury early on, after preparing to unleash a powerful shot which crushed through the guard of the Briton in the opening three minutes.

“It was a planned action that we had worked on for nine months,” Usyk told Mail Boxing when discussing a left hand he had rocked Fury with in the opening round.

“It was necessary as it showed him immediately in the ring who the boss is.

“I was in control the whole time, there were no worries. The process was ongoing.”

Usyk then went on to describe a moment in the sixth round, where he felt he would then go on to win the clash.

He added: “When I didn’t get knocked down by an uppercut in the sixth round.

“I felt such a force behind me that I understood that nearby there is my force which I pray to.

“Maybe it was even an angel, but I felt some kind of support for my back there was no one there (behind me) but the support was felt.”

The saga is not yet over though, as he is now set to face Fury again in an immediate rematch on December 21.

Usyk threatened to close the show in their maiden clash so will be hoping to go one better and win inside the distance in Saudi Arabia.

Despite the threatening shots, Fury was confident he had done enough when the judges’ scorecards were read out.

He has even since suggested he scored himself in the lead after rewatching the clash.

And the ‘Gypsy King’ has insisted that Usyk was at the level of an ‘amateur boxer’, and that he found the exchanges ‘easy’.

Fury said on his Furocity YouTube Channel: “I’ve watched the fight back lots of times and still got the same answer – I thought I won the fight.

“Usyk knows he didn’t beat me. I thought I boxed the head right off him for most of the rounds.

“It was actually a lot easier than I thought it’d be, the Usyk fight. People said he’s a hard man to hit, I was lighting him up with four-punch combinations and laughing at him.

“My problem in that fight was I probably had too much fun. It was probably too easy. It was like I was in there with a local amateur boxer.”

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Anthony Joshua takes drastic measures to prevent reputation being ruined

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Anthony Joshua

Two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua is set to face Daniel Dubois for the IBF belt in an all-British showdown at Wembley Stadium in September

Eddie Hearn said any bottled substance that Anthony Joshua consumes is tested beforehand to avoid any attempt of the British boxer ingesting banned substances through surreptitious means.

Joshua is bidding to become a three-time world heavyweight champion on September 21 as he faces Daniel Dubois for the IBF belt in an all-British showdown at Wembley Stadium.

Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois 'had to be pulled apart' before press conference for Wembley bout | Boxing News | Sky Sports

READ:‘PEOPLE EXPECT A LOT’: JOSHUA AIMS TO DOMINATE DUBOIS

The fight will arrive almost three years to the day since Joshua relinquished his WBO, WBA, IBO and IBF titles to Oleksandr Usyk, and two years since his last world title fight after losing to the Ukrainian in a rematch.

Joshua has won all four of his fights since to galvanise his shot at title redemption.

And according to Hearn, he and his team go to great lengths to avoid any threat to the sanctity of the two-time world heavyweight champion boxing reputation amid a slew of doping scandals involving high-profile boxers in recent years, including two of Joshua’s opponents last year.

Joshua was forced to fight Robert Helenius after Dillian Whyte failed a drugs test, knocking the card down from a pay-per-view bout to a standard DAZN fight.

But the controversy only escalated after Finn also tested positive following Joshua’s seventh-round knockout. Joshua, meanwhile, returned negative tests for his Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (Vada) tests.

Both men protested their innocence. And while Helenius was handed a two-year doping ban for violating anti-doping rules, Whyte was cleared to resume his boxing career after it came to light that a contaminated substance resulted in the positive drug test ahead of his battle with Joshua.

And boxing promoter Hearn believes the threat of contamination through unintentional or even devious means is so great to boxers at elite-level, that the 45-year-old has claimed he tests every bottle that comes within touching distance of Joshua.

“I think 20% of failed drugs tests are legitimately fighters that are unlucky or have unknowingly taken a substance,” Heard told GRM Daily’s Thoughts In A Culli. “I think 80% of people cheat. And establishing what’s what is very difficult to do.

“Because fighters are never going to take illegal substances themselves. Someone will come up to them and say, we need to improve your strength and what we can do is take some of this. And maybe they won’t even tell them it’s a banned substance. But a lot of the time people are genuinely cheating.

“And we’re talking about testing to minute trace levels that would be in your blood. And in Mexico, there is a genuine thing where some meat contains testosterone. And fighters test positive for that. Things like eggs, you don’t know what people are putting in animals.

Anthony Joshua knocks down Robert Helenius

He added: “Whenever I go to a restaurant with AJ, I’m looking at the food thinking, because there’s some horrible —s out there, you put something in that food and your career is over. And imagine, everything that you built, all because of one evil individual, comes crumbling down.

“Here’s another example. After a tough fight, you might get in the ring and someone – either from the other team or wherever – and they’ll come up to you and offer something to drink. What’s in that? Do you know what I mean? I’m not saying that there is anything in there, but there could be.

“So at the top level, like AJ, every bottle is tested. Every bottle is sealed. Nothing comes in the changing room. You have to, because you’re correcting your career, your brand, your reputation. The worst thing in the world is testing positive for having not knowingly taken a substance. Then you’re called a cheat for the rest of your life despite never having done it.

“I’m paranoid in that world because I know what people are like.”

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WATCH: Francis Ngannou alleges that sneaky ‘tricks’ were played on him before ‘unfair’ boxing fight with Anthony Joshua

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Anthony Joshua Francis Ngannou

Francis Ngannou’s return to MMA action has been confirmed by the PFL and in a fascinating interview this week, ‘The Predator’ explained what went wrong in his last fight against the boxing world champion.

Almost five months ago to the day, Anthony Joshua landed one of the most brutal knockouts of the year against former UFC heavyweight king Francis Ngannou, on a PPV aptly named ‘Knockout Chaos’.

Well, it turns out that there was plenty of chaos in the days and hours leading up to that superstar spectacle, with ‘The Predator’ now making the accusation that some sneaky tactics were used to throw him off his game.

Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou: Briton delivers devastating blow as he brutally knocks out UFC star in second round | CNN

JUST IN: CRAWFORD SAYS CANELO IS DUCKING; ALVAREZ RESPONDS – ‘I’M THE FACE OF BOXING’

Francis Ngannou appeared as a guest on ‘The Diary of a CEO’ podcast with Steve Bartlett; a full two-hour long conversation that is truly one of the most fascinating and moving pieces of combat sports media in recent memory.

Towards the end of the episode, the discussion shifted to Ngannou’s boxing fight against Anthony Joshua from March 2024, with the former UFC champion stating that he believes some suspicious ‘tricks’ played on him prior to the opening bell.

“Honestly, in that fight, there was a lot of unfairness… Unlike the Tyson Fury fight [where] everything was straight and everything was fair, no sneaky stuff – but the second one, it was so messy.

“A lot of tricks [were played], like they would get me everywhere that I was going in that [fight] week, but I [would] have to wait at least one hour, one hour and a half for Anthony Joshua to arrive. But they always send a car to pick me up like that amount of [spare] time, even on fight day.”

Ngannou claimed that even on the evening of the heavyweight showdown, he was told to arrive at the Kingdom Arena several hours before he needed to. And that he found it suspicious how after being told by a producer that there was going to be a meaningful delay, Joshua still arrived exactly on time.

“I stayed in the locker room for four hours and a half, they sent a car to pick me up at 10:30 because they told me I was supposed to fight around midnight to 1 AM… And I was like ‘Okay good, this is how it works’, but you get to the arena and there’s a producer like ‘Oh we are running behind on the broadcasting so we might be fighting at 1:45.’

“I’m like ‘Okay, that’s not that bad, I’ve been training to fight in that time frame around 1 AM’… Bro, we are sitting there and watching Anthony Joshua arriving to the arena at 1:30 – like how can you tell me that?

 

“You guys told me that I was going to fight around midnight, and [then] 1 o’clock or that it’s delayed and he’s now just arriving? Stuff like that they did a lot.”

When asked if he believes that someone was purposefully trying to make him frustrated and fatigued to put him at a critical disadvantage, Ngannou simply stated: “Yes, the whole week was like that.”

“I mean I think it’s a trick that I didn’t know before, but it’s a trick that they have in boxing, they have a lot of tricks, like during the week, my coach is a very calm person, but he was really mad and yelling about it.

“I didn’t know how deep the problem was until I get in the final set, then I’m like ‘Okay this is serious’ but then it was too late… I was sleeping, I was in the locker room warming up and falling asleep.”

Whilst Ngannou did acknowledge that Joshua was simply the better man on the night and that he holds no animosity towards the British boxing legend, he did note that the constant delays might have impacted the result.

“Personally, I take that loss, but I don’t put it in the context [of my career] … It could have been different – I still think that I could’ve beaten him, I don’t know.”

 

Speaking on Francis Ngannou’s fighting career; the iconic story continues as the PFL officially confirmed earlier this week that ‘The Predator’ will make his long-awaited return to MMA action on October 19.

His first MMA bout since a unanimous decision win over Ciryl Gane back in 2022, Ngannou’s return fight is certainly no easy task as he draws PFL king Renan ‘Problema’ Ferreira.

The Brazilian juggernaut is known as one of the most feared heavyweights in the world, standing at 6ft 8″ tall with a whopping 11 of his 13 wins ending via knockout; yet Ngannou has already compared Ferreira to the aforementioned Gane, both in terms of his stature and fighting style.

 

“In terms of style, I think he might be more like Ciryl Gane’s style,” he told Sky Sports Boxing.

“Moving fast and all that stuff, or even better [than Gane] because he has long range and he knows how to use it with very fast hands… He’s unique as an opponent.”

Francis Ngannou vs Renan Ferreira is scheduled for October 19, PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants and will be available to watch online via Pay-Per-View.

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‘I DON’T THINK HE’S GOT THE MONEY’ – HEARN EXPOSES MAYWEATHER’S WEALTH

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Floyd Mayweather Eddie Hearn

Eddie Hearn has serious question marks over Floyd Mayweather’s billionaire status. 

Mayweather is regarded as the richest boxer in the sport, as he retired with a 50-0 record. Since his retirement, Mayweather has been vocal about his business investments. Some of the ventures he has been linked with include real estate and gold mines in Dubai.

However, he continues to undertake exhibition bouts with question marks over whether he needs money. Mayweather will box John Gotti III on August 24 in a rematch of their first fight, which ended in a brawl. There is a danger that Mayweather will expose himself to harm in the latter stages of his exhibition career. While that may be the case, the boxer looked forward to continuing his career after retirement.

Eddie Hearn 'warned to stay away from Gervonta Davis' by Mayweather Promotions | Boxing | Sport | Express.co.uk

JUST IN: ‘Slay the king’ – Dubois intends to ‘make a fool’ of Joshua

“I was born to be a fighter, I’m gonna die a fighter at the end of the day. If I was really taking abuse in the sport or I was getting battered then I don’t think I’d be doing exhibitions, but I was able to surround myself with smart individuals, that’s what makes me smart, because I want to surround myself with a smart team and I’ve made a lot of smart investments. So, am I doing this for the money? Absolutely not. I’m doing it because this is what I want to do,” Mayweather

While Mayweather’s wealth appears extensive on social media, Hearn doubts that he is as rich as he claims to be.

“I don’t think he’s got the money he says, that’s what I think. I don’t think he needs the money but you know when you’ve got that lifestyle, when he’s spending what he spending,” Hearn said 

Nevertheless, that would be tough to imagine. Mayweather topped Forbes in 2019 with $700 million. The boxer has also repeatedly said that he does not need to work again, as the focus was on building generational wealth for his children. The boxer is also known for being a big gambler. He recently placed a $5,000 bet on Isaac Cruz to lose to Jose Valenzuela.

The prediction was correct as Valenzuela became the new WBA Junior Welterweight Champion. Mayweather also predicted that Andy Ruiz Jr. and Jarrell Miller would end in a draw. That result became true, earning Mayweather a total win of $34,500. He has repeatedly confirmed that his desire for exhibitions is not motivated by money, as he shows no signs of slowing down.

“We just got a call about a three exhibition deal and it’s a crazy number. If I was taking abuse and I was getting battered then I think I’d step away. Am I doing it for the money? Absolutely not. I’m doing it because this is what I want to do. It’s not like I’m hurting. And the people are enjoying it, my team is enjoying it and it’s good to be able to travel to different places and train and shake hands with different people from all walks of life,” Mayweather stated

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‘Slay the king’ – Dubois intends to ‘make a fool’ of Joshua

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ANTHONY JOSHUA DANIEL DUBOIS

DANIEL DUBOIS INTENDS TO ‘SLAY THE KING’ AND ‘MAKE A FOOL’ OF ANTHONY JOSHUA IN IBF WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT

Daniel Dubois has not held back in the build-up to his date of destiny, saying that he wants to “make a fool” of IBF world heavyweight title challenger Anthony Joshua. With Oleksandr Usky vacating the belt to face off once more against Tyson Fury, Dubois is ready to “slay the king” at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, September 21.

Daniel Dubois says he intends to “make a fool” out of Anthony Joshua ahead of their IBF world heavyweight title showdown.
Due to face off at Wembley stadium on Saturday, September 21, Dubois was in a bullish mood in a video released on promoter Queensberry’s YouTube channel.
Joshua vs Dubois official as Britons prepare for title fight at Wembley | The Independent

JUST IN: CRAWFORD SAYS CANELO IS DUCKING; ALVAREZ RESPONDS – ‘I’M THE FACE OF BOXING’

After former undisputed champion of the world Oleksandr Usyk vacated his IBF belt to rematch Tyson Fury in December, Dubois was upgraded to interim champion.
And the 26-year-old was unequivocal in his intentions for the bout, which he called “definitely bigger” than his defeat to Usyk in August of last year.
“I’m not here to talk foolishness,” said Dubois. “But I want to make a fool out of AJ by knocking him out and put all the doubters and the critics to sleep.
“This is definitely bigger than the Usyk fight. This is definitely the lion’s den, this one.
“Topping a bill with a major elite fighter, a guy that’s been up there for a long time, now I feel like it’s the right time to knock him off that pedestal and take the front.
“I looked at him as the guy that’s leading the way for British fighters, British heavyweights, British boxing.
“So he’s been the king for a long time, and now is my time. I need to dethrone the king and slay the king, and that’s what I’m going to have to do.”
‘Dynamite’ hit the headlines in June by announcing that he floored Joshua in sparring, when the latter had just turned professional.
Joshua strenuously denied the claims, though admitted that Dubois had “cracked” him.
But the latter insisted that he was tougher, both physically and mentally, than he was seven years ago.
Dubois said: “I’m a different guy now. Harder punching and stronger will and that’s what this fight is going to come down to, the spirit and the will of each fighter.”
Dubois’ last fight saw him defeat Filip Hrgovic via TKO and become the IBF interim champion.
After taking several heavy blows, Dubois grew into the contest and looked to have gained the upper hand before cuts above both Hrgovic’s eyes brought a halt to proceedings.
And he questioned Joshua’s ability to withstand the force of the Croatian and recover as he did.
“I won’t take them shots,” promised Dubois. “Hrgovic is completely different to AJ. The way he throws his shots, it’s smooth, he’s light and he’s quick. So it took me a while to get the hang of it.
“If you look at the fight properly I was slipping, just subtly sometimes and doing what I had to do to win and that’s what I’m going to have to do again.
“Break Joshua, break what’s in front of me down and get a victory by any means necessary. Could he take them shots Hrgovic was throwing?”
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CRAWFORD SAYS CANELO IS DUCKING; ALVAREZ RESPONDS – ‘I’M THE FACE OF BOXING’

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Terence Crawford has hit back at Canelo Alvarez for not wanting to fight him. 

Crawford has been chasing Canelo since becoming the first Undisputed Welterweight Champion of the four-belt era. Crawford moved to 154 and beat Israil Madrimov to become the WBA champion. The fight was seen as a step towards fighting Alvarez at 168. Crawford took the shots well, but the fight appeared closer than the unanimous scorecards suggested.

The Saudis contacted Canelo about making the fight. The Mexican dismissed those channels, saying he was not interested in making a fight. Crawford has now reacted by calling out what he perceived as double standards.

Terrence Crawford denies using Canelo Álvarez for Israil Madrimov promotion as he sounds off on Mexican over

READ: “I’m a threat to his legacy”: Terence Crawford blasts Canelo Alvarez over ‘antics’ and ‘excuses’

He highlighted how Canelo had been fighting smaller guys in the past. Amir Khan and Floyd Mayweather, to name a few. Crawford even highlighted how Canelo made his weight class by fighting guys at 155 pounds when he fought Khan.

“I think Canelo is more so nervous of losing to a smaller guy like myself than being scared of me. I just think he knows that I have the tools and ability to disrupt anything that he brings to the table. Canelo is very strong and punches very hard but you’re going to need more than just power and strength to beat Terence Crawford. And I think for a little small guy from 135 to go to 168 and defeat Canelo Alvarez would be a big tarnish on his legacy as well,” Crawford said

Canelo’s focus is boxing Edgar Berlanga on September 14. Alvarez defends his WBO, WBC and WBA belts after the IBF stripped him for not facing his mandatory William Scull. Despite not being undisputed, Canelo managed to secure himself a fight on Mexican Independence Weekend on September 14. It will clash with UFC 306, which holds the first combat event at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

Canelo has shown he can sell consistently regardless of whom he fights. While he may not hit the numbers Floyd Mayweathergenerated, Canelo can make big paydays without the need to risk facing the big names. After Berlanga, there will be serious question marks over his next opponent. Eddie Reynoso has hinted that Canelo could take up a fight in Japan.

That would likely be an exhibition bout or a fight against a lesser-known name. Alvarez can sell worldwide, which is why a Chris Eubank Jr. fight could materialize in the UK. Eubank Jr. was in contention for the Canelo fight before Berlanga got the nod. Canelo has clarified that he is the ‘face of boxing.’

“I respect everybody but I don’t like the way [Alalshikh] talks. It’s his problem, not my problem. I didn’t ask for a fight. If he wants a fight, he needs to do it my way, and not his way.Crawford knows now. He experimented 154 and he knows [what I would do to him]. Maybe he does 168 for a big check. Everyone wants to fight me for a payday. I am the face of boxing,” Alvarez stated

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