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Deontay Wilder has reportedly signed for his comeback fight, ending any speculation that the 39-year-old will hang up the gloves.

Once a long-reigning WBC Heavyweight World Champion known for knocking out all comers, Wilder met his match in Tyson Fury. The pair first fought to a controversial draw before the Brit stamped his authority on the rematch with a stoppage to serve Wilder the first loss of his career. Though more competitive in the trilogy bout, the American met the same fate and stepped away from the sport for a year.

A one round demolition of Robert Helenius was a good reminder of Wilder’s abilities, however he failed to capitalise and went through another bout of inactivity before returning against, and losing to, Joseph Parker. Ahead of his next fight with Zhilei Zhang, the big hitter from Alabama said retirement would be considered if he lost. He was knocked out in five rounds.

Deontay Wilder Is Back! ‘The Bronze Bomber’ Signs For April Comeback Fight With Opponent Confirmed

JUST IN: Oleksandr Usyk Has Finally Revealed Who He Will Fight Next After Beating Tyson Fury Twice

Despite that, Wilder will fight on and it was recently announced that he would take his show to the BLK Prime platform for an April bout. Heavyweight journeyman Curtis Harper told the Ring Magazine that he had signed his end of the deal and Boxing Scene now reports ‘The Bronze Bomber’ has now put pen to paper to make for the fight, slated for April 26 in Atlanta.

Harper is 18-11 in his pro campaign with losses to the likes of Zhang, Bakhodir Jalolov and Guido Vianello. He made headlines back in 2018 for being immediately disqualified from his bout with Efe Ajagba when he exited the ring upon the first bell. What looked like was a lack of will to fight, he later explained, was a financial protest. The fight should be made official in the coming days.

Wilder will enter the ring the heaviest of favourites hoping to rediscover the killer instinct that made him famous. If he does, there will likely be one last crack at the top level.

Oleksandr Usyk is widely considered to be one of the best boxers of his era, if not all time.

The likeable Ukraine southpaw is undefeated in his career so far. He has had 23 professional fights since turning over from the amateur code following his victory and gold medal in the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

Since then he has cleaned out two entire divisions. Firstly he became undisputed at cruiserweight, then moved up and repeated the trick at heavyweight. Across back-to-back fights with Anthony Joshua, he managed to take and then defend three of the four world titles before retaining them against Daniel Dubois via stoppage.

Oleksandr Usyk Has Finally Revealed Who He Will Fight Next After Beating Tyson Fury Twice

JUST IN: Daniel Dubois? Deontay Wilder? Meet the seven foes Anthony Joshua could face next

Another brace of close battles followed with Tyson Fury, and again, like the ‘AJ’ bouts, Usyk came out on top across the 24 hard-fought rounds.

Because of what he has achieved, including being named Ring Magazine’s Fighter of the Year for 2024, many feel he could now walk away with his head held high and his place in the Hall of Fame assured.

However, there is also plenty of clamour for him to rematch Dubois and again become an undisputed champion, that’s if Dubois can get past Joseph Parker in February.

Speaking in the Daily Mail, Frank Warren claims Usyk has told him that is exactly his plan.

“Oleksandr told me at the weekend he will fight the winner of Daniel v Joseph Parker to try to become undisputed heavyweight champion a second time.”

Being twice undisputed at heavyweight would be another historic feat for Usyk, and something befitting the high levels he has achieved across his career.

All eyes turn to February 22, when Dubois puts his IBF belt on the line against New Zealand’s Parker.

Anthony Joshua’s dreams of a blockbuster British super-bout with Tyson Fury look to be dead in the water after the latter announced his sudden retirement on Monday.

The former two-time heavyweight world champion had been tipped to return to the ring against “The Gypsy King”, his long-time domestic rival, for a first-ever meeting this year.

But Fury’s decision to hang up his gloves has left Joshua facing a different test in 2025, as he mulls his next move following a fifth-round loss to Daniel Dubois in September.

Daniel Dubois? Deontay Wilder? Meet the seven foes Anthony Joshua could face next

READ: ‘Leave with a bang’ – Anthony Joshua makes Tyson Fury fight claim

Promoter Eddie Hearn, who has overseen the star’s rise to the top of the world twice with Matchroom over the past decade, certainly believes there is no shortage of options.

Now, he has outlined seven credible foes for the former London 2012 gold medalist to face next, ranging from rematches to other blockbuster clashes with some big names.

Here, DAZN News profiles the options laid out before Joshua – and how each one has fared over recent years in the ring as they bid for their own glory too.

Daniel Dubois

Daniel Dubois post AJ_21092024

  • Age: 27
  • Nationality: British
  • Record: 22-2 (21 KOs)
  • Titles: IBF (2024-present), WBA ‘regular’ (2022-2023)

Most fans expected Joshua to return for an immediate rematch with “Dynamite” after he was ruthlessly humiliated at Wembley Stadium last September and dropped several times.

With AJ not ready for a February date however, Dubois moved onto Joseph Parker – and with questions over Oleksandr Usyk’s future too, he could return to his domestic foe.

Deontay Wilder

Deontay Wilder_20122023

  • Age: October 22, 1985
  • Nationality: American
  • Record: 43-4-1 (42 KOs)
  • Titles: WBC (2015-2020)

The kingpin of modern American heavyweights, “The Bronze Bomber” went 40-0 throughout a glittering career before a draw with Tyson Fury in 2018 checked his momentum.

He subsequently lost twice to “The Gypsy King”, and Riyadh Season rebuilds against Parker and Zhilei Zhang have dimmed his appeal – but he still remains an entertaining fighter.

Joseph Parker

Joseph Parker_20122023

  • Age: 33
  • Nationality: New Zealand
  • Record: 35-3 (23 KOs)
  • Titles: WBO (2016-2018)

There may be unfinished business between the Auckland-born star and AJ, after the latter ended his reign as WBO champion with a unanimous decision victory in Cardiff in 2018.

Parker has not had a shot at a full world title since, though he challenged twice for the WBO interim title – but that changes in February when he faces Dubois for the IBF crown.

Dillian Whyte

DillianWhyte MediaWorkout_23112022

  • Age: 36
  • Nationality: British
  • Record: 31-3 (21 KOs)
  • Titles: N/A

“The Body Snatcher” goes way back with Joshua, having beaten him at amateur level but subsequently coming up short in a professional clash for domestic titles in 2015.

In the subsequent decade, Whyte has been the WBC interim champion twice, but lost against Tyson Fury in his bid to cement his place – and a rematch with AJ could bear fruit.

Martin Bakole

PIC 2 Martin Bakole_03082024

  • Age: 33
  • Nationality: Congolese
  • Record: 21-1 (16 KOs)
  • Titles: N/A

There may never have been a world title shot on the cards before for Bakole, but his vocal platform has seen him aim jabs at Joshua in recent weeks – so could they trade blows?

An upcoming bout with Efe Ajagba will serve as an IBF title eliminator, putting Bakole in the frame to face Dubois or Parker – but AJ may prove a tempting carrot and big payday.

Zhilei Zhang

Zhang_02062024

  • Age: 41
  • Nationality: Chinese
  • Record: 27-2-1 (22 KOs)
  • Titles: N/A

The former WBO interim champion never got the chance to challenge for the full title after two wins over Joe Joyce, instead losing the tag to Parker at the start of last year.

A subsequent win over Wilder has restored his standing as a top-tier contender though – and the prospect of potentially beating Joshua could prove a lure too great to resist.

Agit Kabayel

kabayel-20240518-getty-ftr

  • Age: 32
  • Nationality: German
  • Record: 25-0 (17 KOs)
  • Titles: N/A

Top-tier unbeaten heavyweights are few and far between, but the German is one who will be proud of his record so far in the heavyweight division heading into his next bout.

That pits him against Zhang, and a victory surely moves him into the upper tiers, which could make him a prime target for Joshua as he seeks to rebuild following his loss.

An anticipated rematch between Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia is almost a done deal.

This comes after Haney officially dropped his lawsuit against Garcia from their first meeting.

Remember, the two stars collided in April 2024 in one of the biggest boxing matches of the year. Despite being an underdog, Garcia stunned Haney with multiple knockdowns en route to a majority decision win. It was a huge upset and a performance that solidified Garcia’s status within the sport.

Devin Haney v Ryan Garcia

JUST IN: Terence Crawford Sends 5 Word Warning To Canelo Alvarez As Fight Finally ‘Agreed’

Unfortunately, Garcia would go on to fail pre and post-fight drug tests. As a result, Garcia had his victory overturned to a no contest and was suspended from boxing for one year. Haney, who was undefeated entering his clash with Garcia, took things one step further and filed a lawsuit against “King Ry” for alleged battery, fraud, and unjust enrichment.

Luckily for boxing fans, a Monday report has revealed that Haney has dropped his case against Garcia. In exchange, Garcia has agreed to VADA drug testing for a potential rematch, which is all Haney needs to sign the dotted line. The writing appears to be on the wall.

Conte

 

“A very reliable source told me that Devin Haney has officially dropped his lawsuit against Ryan Garcia IF he agrees to do VADA. Garcia has agreed to do VADA and the rematch is on!”

Haney also took took to social media to indicate the rematch is in the works. Check it out below:

Haney

“I guess he’s not a duck.. he’s a goose. See u soon bucko!”

Terence Crawford has spoken for the first time since it was reported that a fight against Canelo Alvarez was agreed.

The clash between the two pound-for-pound greats was first discussed last year after Crawford defeated Israil Madrimov to win the WBA super-welterweight title in August.

Talks died down though due to Canelo’s reluctance to negotiate the bout prior to his September fight against Edgar Berlanga, which the Mexican won to retain his WBC, WBA and WBO super-middleweight titles.

Terence Crawford Sends 5 Word Warning To Canelo Alvarez As Fight Finally ‘Agreed’

READ: Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez To Fight In September

With both men now seemingly rested and recharged following their latest bouts, the year began with fresh optimism that a fight could indeed take place later this year.

Crawford and Canelo both met with Saudi chief Turki Al-Alshikh over the weekend, with it now reported that a deal is in place for the mega fight to take place.

‘Bud’ has given his first reaction since the reports that the bout was agreed, taking to social media to share his confidence that he will be victorious.

“Ima shock the world watch!!! The best is yet to come. I had it in my back pocket this whole time.”

It would indeed be seen as an upset to many if Crawford is able to defeat Canelo, due to him needing to jump up a further two weight divisions from 154lbs to 168lbs.

Crawford has only competed once at super-welterweight after moving up from 147lbs. Prior to that he reigned as undisputed welterweight champion after defeating long-term rival Errol Spence Jr, and Spence has given his prediction for how the Canelo fight could go.

Tyson Fury has announced his retirement from boxing after back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk – and previous comments from wife Paris may have made his mind up.

Although he has done it many times before, the Gypsy King took to social media on Monday to announce he is hanging up his gloves at the age of 36,

Captioning a video on his social channels, Fury wrote: “Thanks it’s been a blast. Thanks to everyone who helped out along the way! Happy new year. Jesus is king now & forever.”

Boxing fans think they know real reason why Tyson Fury retired as shock announcement made

JUST IN: Watch Tyson Fury delivers cryptic message while announcing retirement

In the video, the former unified world heavyweight titles said he had decided to call time on his career, saying: “Hi everybody, I’m going to make this short and sweet, I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing. It’s been a blast. I’ve loved every single minute of and I’m going to end with this; Dick Turpin wore a mask.”

It comes after he failed to win back his world heavyweight titles from Usyk, who beat him twice in Saudi Arabia.

Usyk won the first bout via split decision to take all the belts, before prevailing in the rematch after judges scored it unanimously in his favour.

A genuine retirement decision from Fury will please wife Paris, who has been desperate for him to call it quits for a while now.

Speaking ahead of his win over Francis Ngannou, Paris said she “wanted him to retire a few years ago” but Fury “didn’t enjoy” life after boxing.

Regularly expressing concern for his physical health, Paris also said she hoped he was done with boxing after his first fight with Usyk.

He proceeded to have the second fight with Usyk and claimed he did not speak to his other half for three months during training camp – something which Paris confirmed was “very difficult”.

Paris Fury’s heartbreaking comment

Speaking to iFL TV she explained: “I think after the last fight, everything that went on previously, personally in our lives and then Tyson obviously had the outcome last time, I just think he decided this on his own. And I had to support him in it.

“He didn’t want to be involved in family life so he’s cut himself off from us for the last few months. He’s put himself in a serious, serious condition.”

Fury has retired before, including back in 2022 when relinquished his Ring Magazine title – only to return and face Derek Chisora in a trilogy bout.

Many fans have suggested that Fury’s move to retire is due to Anthony Joshua calling for a British superfight after years of back-and-forth.

Former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury made a big announcement about his career on Monday, and he included a cryptic message that has boxing fans buzzing.

In a video he posted on social media Monday morning, Fury once again announced his retirement from boxing. The 36-year-old also sparked a great deal of speculation with a reference to an infamous British outlaw.

“Hi everybody, I’m gonna make this short and sweet. I’d like to announce my retirement from boxing,” Fury said. “It’s been a blast. I’ve loved every single minute of it. And I’m gonna end with this: Dick Turpin wore a mask. God bless, everybody. See you on the other side.”

JUST IN: Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez To Fight In September

It is unclear why Fury made the Turpin reference. Turpin was an 18th-century thief in England, so some wondered if Fury was just sending a message about the greed that exists within professional boxing.

Others speculated that Fury was taking a shot at Oleksandr Usyk, who beat Fury a second time in December. Fury had been undefeated prior to losing to Usyk in May 2024 and then again last month. Fury felt he won his first fight against Usyk and made a big accusation after the bout.

Fury has announced his retirement multiple times over the years. The most recent was in August 2022, but he fought four more times after that. There had been recent rumors that Fury might finally fight Anthony Joshua, but that apparently is not going to happen — for now.

Those who are skeptical about Fury’s latest retirement might think his Turpin reference was just Fury’s way of casting doubt over whether his boxing career has truly come to an end.

Fury is 34-2-1 in his career with 24 knockouts. He has held multiple heavyweight championships and lost the WBC heavyweight title to Usyk last year.

Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez have reportedly agreed a deal to fight in September.

The fight will allegedly take place in Las Vegas, where two former undisputed champions will face each other. Crawford became undisputed at welterweight after stopping Errol Spence Jr. to become the first one in the four-belt era. Meanwhile, Canelo previously became undisputed at super middleweight when he beat Caleb Plant to clean up the division. The fight has been talked about for some time after Crawford targeted Canelo once he beat Israil Madrimov.

He defeated Madrimov in his first fight at junior middleweight fight to pick up the WBA belt. Canelo is coming off a victory against Edgar Berlanga as he beat him in a unanimous decision on Mexican Independence Weekend. The Mexican initially dismissed the Crawford fight by claiming that he was simply too small. Crawford will have to jump up two weight divisions to meet Canelo at 168 pounds. Jermell Charlo did the same thing in 2023. Charlo came up short in a unanimous decision loss, as it was clear that the weight played a part.

Crawford And Canelo

READ: Latest Update: Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford Taking Huge Steps Forward

However, a Crawford-Canelo fight is seen as an alternative to Alvarez fighting David Benavidez. Canelo has been accused of ducking the Mexican Monster, who recently moved up to 175 pounds. He will face David Morrell Jr. next. But before any Crawford and Canelo fight happens, they will first have a fight before that against their respective opponents before facing off in September. The fight naturally throws up interesting dynamics.

If Crawford were to win, he would go down as arguably one of the best fighters of all time. He is undefeated, unlike Canelo, meaning he has that to lose. But the pressure is on Canelo to come out victorious since it is a fight where it would be in his weight class. While there are suggestions that there could be a catchweight, Canelo has previously said that any fight would have to take place at 168 pounds. There has naturally been varying opinions on who would come out victorious. Demetrius Andradehad this to say.

“I love Crawford. He’s a good friend. We reach out to each other. We’ve been traveling the world through the amateur program. He saw me beat people up, I saw him beat people up. I think the stories could go on, but when it comes to weight, empowerment, that s—t is real.

“Canelo is a big bad wolf and he can run the whole night. I think Crawford has the skills, but when it comes to Saul getting shots and blocking his power shots, Canelo knows how to move, too. He has agility. Not like a robot. I mean, it’s gonna be tough. “I don’t think Crawford can beat Canelo. But I still think he can give him a good fight. And I’ll be sitting there fuming for Canelo all day,” Demetrius Andrade said

Novak Djokovic did not want to go into more detail about the alleged poisoning he suffered in the Melbourne hotel where he was detained before his deportation in January 2022, when he entered Australia without being vaccinated against COVID

In an interview with GQ, he said he started to feel unwell once he arrived in Serbia. “I had some health problems. And I realized that in that hotel in Melbourne they gave me food that had poisoned me. I never told anyone publicly, but I had a very high level of heavy metals like lead and mercury. And it could only come from the food.”

Asked about these statements at the press conference before the Australian Open, the Serbian tennis player commented that he wants to focus on tennis. “I don’t want to go into details, anyone who wants more information should read that interview,” he said.

Novak Djokovic Believes He Was Poisoned by Food During Australian Detention

READ: Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian proudly shows off family snaps

In the interview for this magazine, he points out the symptoms he suffered during those days: “It was like a flu, a simple flu. But the days went by and that simple flu made me feel very downThe same thing happened to me several times and then I had to have [toxicology] tests,” he says.

A spokesperson for Australia’s Home Office, when asked about the matter, told GQ magazine that “for privacy reasons, the department cannot comment on individual cases”.

That January in 2022, Djokovic was staying at The Park Hotel Melbourne, where many of the people doing the mandatory 14-day quarantine in Melbourne were staying when they arrived from abroad, as well as a large group of refugees. The facility was described at the time by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic as “infamous”.

Nole’s mother, Dijana Djokovic, also hit out at the hotel: “The accommodation is horrible. It is a small hotel for refugees, with bugs, it is dirty, the food is terrible and they do not give him the opportunity to move to a house that is already rented.”

It looks like miracles do happen. After all this time and countless disappointments, it looks like boxing fans will get the fight they have been aching to watch.

Only a few weeks ago, the reports of a possible 2025 fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford took over the internet.

The internet has been going crazy ever since the reports started floating around, but we never got any official announcement regarding the same. However, it looks like the official announcement is not far away as boxing insider Rick Glaser shared substantial information regarding the fight and gave every boxing fan something to cheer about in 2025.

Terence Crawford Canelo Alvarez

JUST IN: With 4 Word Message, Oleksandr Usyk Finally Reveals Whether Or Not He Will Rematch Daniel Dubois

Glaser took to his ‘X’ and revealed, “Being told by a very reliable source that the Canelo-Crawford possibility has greatly increased in the last couple days.” He revealed that the talks between both camps are progressing smoothly and we can expect an official announcement pretty soon.

Glaser further revealed that both camps are targeting either May or September date. “If sigmed, no word if it would be May or September. The world awaits,” wrote Glaser expectedly. Earlier reports suggested that Canelo Alvarez‘s side is targeting a Cinco-De-Mayo date, sometime around May. When a user further asked Glaser if he thinks “the fight will be in Las Vegas?” The matchmaker replied, “More than likely.”

While there is no information regarding the venue, reports have suggested that His Excellency Turki Alalshikh also wants the fight to happen in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena. Considering that the unified super middleweight champion has fought five of his last six matches in Las Vegas, this rumor does not seem too far-fetched.

While there still has not been any official announcement, judging by Glaser’s report, we can expect it in the coming days. It will be a huge deal and even though it is still a rumor, the boxing world is excited about it. Not only fans but even professional fighters and promoters want this match to happen and have shared their opinions on the dream fight.

In a conversation with FightHype, Matchroom honcho Eddie Hearn predicted Canelo Alvarez as the winner of this clash. According to him, “Crawford can’t really come to fight—in that fight because he’s at a massive, massive size disadvantage.” According to the British promoter, the weight limit would be too much for Terence Crawford to overcome at 168 lbs. Additionally, the huge power advantage that Canelo Alvarez holds over him will also prove costly.

Demetrius Andradealso had the same opinions on the fight. He told FightHubTV, “I love Crawford. He’s a good friend…but when it comes to weight, empowerment, that s**t is real. Canelo is a big bad wolf… I think Crawford has the skills, but when it comes to Saul getting shots and blocking his power shots, Canelo knows how to move, too,” and termed it as a losing battle for Crawford. While he believes that it will be an interesting and tough fight, Boo Boo Andrade thinks Canelo will ultimately be the winner.

The WBC interim light heavyweight champion David Benavidez, who also wants a fight with Canelo Alvarez, shared his thoughts on the potential clash. Benavidez also had the same ideas and referred to how ‘Bud’ is already struggling at 154 lbs. Despite acknowledging Crawford’s greatness, according to him, if Bud has to move up to 2-3 more weight classes to fight Canelo, he will be at a huge disadvantage. “Crawford is a one-of-a-kind fighter, but weight classes must be respected. I’d give Canelo the edge,” claimed Benavidez.

While the whole boxing world is excited about the fight, experts believe that the result is pre-determined. However, Terence Crawford boasts an exceptional record of 41-0 and has upset the odds many times before. So, these predictions do not take that much away from the fight.

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