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  • WBC Champion, Tyson Fury reveals next likely opponent

    WBC Champion, Tyson Fury reveals next likely opponent

    World Boxing Council (WBC) Champion, Tyson Fury has said that he would love to fight his counterpart, Anthony Joshua first before facing Oleksandr Uysk in a unification bout.

    Anthony Joshua is still looking attractive to Fury despite losing all his belts to Usyk.

    Joshua lost the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO heavyweight titles to Usyk with a decision defeat last September, and the unbeaten Ukrainian outpointed the 32-year-old again last month to retain his belts.

    Meanwhile, a unification bout between Usyk and Fury has been  placed on the table and may happen early 2023.

    However, feelers from Fury’s camp suggest that the English boxer could face Anthony Joshua or someone else before the Unification bout with Usyk.

    Fury believes that fans are still eager to see the heavyweights face-off in the ring and is ready to fight Joshua.

    He took to social media on Monday to offer Antony Joshua a WBC heavyweight championship fight amid delays to his plans to face Oleksandr Usyk in a unification bout.

    “Tyson Fury here, aka the Gypsy King, the WBC heavyweight champion of the world, as you can tell,” Fury said in a video posted to Instagram, wearing his belts.

    “I think you’ve all heard that I’m going to be fighting soon, within the next few months, and I think that before I announce an opponent, I need to do this, just in case.

    “Anthony Joshua, I know you’ve just lost a fight to Usyk and you’re beltless at the moment, and I’d like to give you an opportunity to fight me for the WBC heavyweight championship of the world in the next few months.

    “You’re coming off a 12-round fight, so you’re match-fit, you’re ready.

    “I’m giving you a few months notice, if you’re interested I’ll send you the date over and we can have a rumble, a battle of Britain for the WBC championship.

    “Let me know if you’re interested. If not, I will select another opponent. Thank you very much, and good night.”

     

  • Fury sets 7-day deadline for unification fight with Usyk

    Fury sets 7-day deadline for unification fight with Usyk

    Tyson Fury has set a seven-day deadline to arrange a unification fight with Oleksandr Usyk.

    Usyk retained his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO belts after winning his rematch with Anthony Joshua on Saturday.

    Fury, who retired after beating Dillian Whyte in April, holds the WBC belt.

    Promoter Frank Warren has said that a bout with Fury is “the only fight” Usyk wants and Fury has given until Sept. 1 for it to be arranged.

    He posted on social media: “For all these suitors out there that want to make the fight, I’m going to give you all seven days until Sept. 1 to come up with the money.

    ”If not, thank you very much. It’s been a blast. I’m retired.

    “All offers submitted must be to my lawyer in writing with proof of funds. So, let the games begin.”

    Fury had said he was walking away from boxing less than a fortnight ago.

    He has now said in an interview that he would want 500 million pounds (590 million dollars) to make the fight with Usyk happen.

    After the Ukrainian beat Joshua in Saudi Arabia at the weekend, Warren said: “The challenge is going to be meeting the financial expectations of both guys.

    “It has to be much bigger than that (Usyk vs Joshua II) because you’ve got two undisputed fighters and the first time the four belts have been on the line.

    “It’s a unique situation and what adds to it is that they are both undefeated, which is quite unusual.”

    If the fight did happen, the winner would become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis from 1999 to 2000.

    It was only the sixth of all time and the first of the four-belt era following the rise of the WBO.

  • Top 5 boxers Nigeria has ever produced

    Top 5 boxers Nigeria has ever produced

    Boxing is one of the most popular sports in the world, featuring 17 weight categories and around 20,000 active professional boxers.

    It’s a respected sport among Nigerians, and we admit, however painfully, that many of us eagerly anticipated our dear Anthony Joshua to trump Usyk and get his much-needed revenge.

    So fervent was Nigerian interest in the Joshua vs. Usyk event that top bookmakers like Betking (easily accessible via a betking mobile app download) provided fantastic betting odds on the encounter.

    Well, just like Joshua, the “giant of Africa” has produced some great fighters across the various weight divisions that have made the country, and occasionally, other countries proud.

    In this article, you’ll know the five greatest boxers Nigeria has ever produced and what makes them stand out.

    Top Five Greatest Boxers From Nigeria

    From the fearless “Nigerian Nightmare” to the strong Hogan “Kid” Bassey to the swift and pacy Anthony Joshua, Nigeria has seen many boxing talents. Here are some of the greatest from the country.

    Anthony Joshua

    Although Joshua professionally represents Great Britain, “AJ” has Nigerian roots and has not been shy about his Nigerian heritage.

    The solid puncher is a two-time former unified world heavyweight champion as he had held the IBF, IBO, WBA (super), and WBO heavyweight championships twice each.

    Anthony Joshua is known for his speed, power, and explosiveness.

    He relies on his quick and thunderous punches to either knock out opponents or win unanimously. In 27 professional fights, Anthony Joshua had won a whopping 24 times, 22 by KO, and lost only thrice.

    Samuel Peters

    The “Nigerian Nightmare” didn’t have the best boxing career but had one just enough to guarantee him a spot as one of Nigeria’s most feared boxers.

    After losing unimpressively to Vladimir Klitschko during the early stages of his career, Samuel seemed to learn from his mistakes as he went on to win his next six fights, including the one VS Oleg Maskaev that gave him the WBC heavyweight title.

    In 2007, The Ring ranked him the second-best heavyweight boxer in the world and acknowledged him as one of the best ten from 2005-08.

    Samuel Peters fought 47 times professionally and won all but 9 of his fights, including 31 by knockout. His outrageous knockout record goes a long way in showing how much of a powerful puncher he was.

    Ike Ibeabuchi

    Ike Ibeabuchi is one of those boxers whose career was cut short by drama and lawsuits. Considering the 20-0 record he held before his imprisonment in 1999, he might’ve come out to become one of the greatest in the game.

    Out of the 20 fights he won, 15 were knockouts, not to mention that he defeated highly ranked David Tia in an epic battle in 1997 and Chris Bryd in 1999.

    He was released after serving 16 years in the Nevada state prison. Ibeabuchi hinted at returning to professional boxing after his release, but it wasn’t to be as he was rearrested again. Nonetheless, he’s still the only Nigerian undefeated boxer in the heavyweight boxing category.

    Richard Ihetu

    Richard Ihetu is undoubtedly one of Nigeria’s greatest boxers of all time, and he was an undisputed champion in the middleweight and light heavyweight categories at the peak of his career. His achievements were why he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

    Richard also won numerous fighters of the year awards, notably from The Ring magazine and Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA).

    He fought 89 times in his career, won 60, lost 19, and drew thrice. Richard breathed his last at Aba, Nigeria, at 42 years from complications related to liver cancer.

    Hogan Kid Bassey

    Hogan Bassey may be relatively unknown to the current generation, but that isn’t the case for those present in the 1950s.

    He was a household name in Nigeria, especially after he became the first Nigerian to win a world boxing championship.

    Hogan Kid Bassey hailed from Calabar, where he spent most of his amateur and early pro days competing in the featherweight category.

    Upon his arrival to England, he quickly made a name for himself by winning the empire featherweight championship and defeating Cherif Hamia in France to win the world crown in 1957.

    Hogan Bassey retired after participating in 74 fights, winning 59, losing 13, and drawing twice.

    Conclusion

    Over the years, Nigeria’s production of top boxers has contributed immensely to the sport’s development, and not many African countries can rival Nigeria in breeding boxing superstars.

    While Nigeria doesn’t seem to have an abundance of top-class professional boxers at the moment, the country has had numerous in the past that made history in the sport.

  • After downing Anthony Joshua, Usyk reveals who to fight next

    After downing Anthony Joshua, Usyk reveals who to fight next

    Oleksandr Usyk threw down a challenge to Britain’s Tyson Fury on Sunday to come out of retirement and fight him for the undisputed world heavyweight boxing title.

    The Ukrainian made clear he was only interested in fighting Fury after out-pointing Britain’s Anthony Joshua for the second time to retain the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

    WBC champion Fury announced in April he had promised his wife he would retire but has also declared an interest in fighting Joshua.

    Fury’s promoter Frank Warren said this month that the “Gypsy King” was showing “itchy feet” and was keen to get back into the ring.

    “I’m sure that Tyson Fury is not retired yet,” the Ukrainian told the crowd through a ringside interpreter when asked about a potential clash.

    “I am convinced he wants to fight me. I want to fight him. And if I’m not fighting Tyson Fury, I’m not fighting at all.”

    Fury posted an expletive-laden reaction to the fight on Twitter.

    “It was one of the worst heavyweight title fights I have ever seen,” he said. “I would annihilate both of them on the same night … the Gypsy King is here to stay forever.”

    Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn paid tribute to Usyk, saying he would have scored the fight 115-113 to the 35-year-old Ukrainian.

    “He’s too good and there’s no shame in it,” he said.

    “They are both tremendous fighters,” added Hearn when asked how the champion would stack up against Fury. “I’m not sure anyone can beat Oleksandr Usyk.

    Tyson Fury’s a clever man. He had the chance to fight him and chose not to. Will he come out of retirement? Good luck to both of them.”

  • BREAKING: Usman loses UFC title hours after Joshua’s defeat

    BREAKING: Usman loses UFC title hours after Joshua’s defeat

    Nigerian-American mixed martial artist, Kamaru Usman on Sunday morning lost his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title to Leon Edwards hours after Anthony Joshua was defeated in a heavyweight boxing clash.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Edwards, who had been written off in the fight against Usman, delivered one of the iconic moments in UFC history to send the Nigerian-American landing on the floor with a knockout kick to his head.

    The shock defeat of the “Nigerian Nightmare” made it a double loss for Nigeria, coming barely hours after Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk beat Nigerian-born Briton, Anthony Joshua with a split points decision to retain his WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO world heavyweight boxing belts in Jeddah.

    The fight in Saudi Arabia was a rematch of the one in London in September, which Usyk won after a unanimous decision to take the belts from Joshua.

    TNG reports Usman lost his UFC welterweight crown when he was sensationally knocked out by Edwards in the final minute of the fight in what has been described as revenge for the Briton who seven years prior lost to the Nigerian.

    ALSO READ || Kamaru Usman reacts after losing UFC welterweight title

    Before this fight, Usman had never been knocked out by an opponent, and he led the fight by points, but Edwards rode his luck to defeat the Nigerian Nightmare.

  • Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua to retain IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight title (VIDEO)

    Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua to retain IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight title (VIDEO)

    Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, 35, has retained his IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight title via a split-decision win over British-Nigerian boxer, Anthony Joshua, in a thrilling contest on Sunday.

     

    Joshua, 47, and Usyk took to the ring in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at around 10pm GMT for the second fight as the British-Nigerian boxer sought to become the heavyweight champion of the world for the third time, joining the likes of Muhammed Ali and Lennox Lewis.

     

    However, that hope was dashed as Usyk landed more solid jabs on Joshua in the final round and the former champion tried to counter with punches of his own.

    Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua to retain IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight title

     

    Recall that Usyk had last year defeated the defending champion in London. The Ukrainian victory may set up a potential unification bout with Britain’s Tyson Fury.

     

    Fighting 11 months on from their initial encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Usyk majestically dethroned Joshua, each man brought renewed intensity to their rivalry, which reached a sensational crescendo during rounds nine and 10 as the action ebbed back and forth.

     

    By that stage, however, Usyk’s sensational skills had largely negated Joshua’s intelligent body attack and opened up an advantage that was recognized by margins of 116-112 and 115-113 on two scorecards, although judge Glenn Feldman pretty inexplicably gave it to Joshua 115-113.

     

    When his victory was announced, Usyk shed tears before his national flag, having joined in the resistance against the Russian invasion in his homeland between these two seismic triumphs over Joshua. The 35-year-old is now also in possession of the Ring Magazine belt, which was held until his recent retirement by Tyson Fury. The undefeated Briton still holds the WBC crown and that is where Usyk’s attention will now turn, with his status as a modern great already secured.

    Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua to retain IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight title

     

    Joshua ended the evening with an erratic and profanity-laced, if largely sentimentally sound, address in the middle of the ring that jarringly hogged Usyk’s deserved limelight. But it was the result of what must have become a maddening experience against a genius of the ring.

     

    After his timid defeat in London, Joshua looked to put the work he has done under new trainer Robert Garcia into practice. His work to Usyk’s midriff in round two had an authentically Mexican flavour.

     

    Looking for a repeat of the instant revenge he dished out after his maiden career defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019, Joshua managed to take the centre of the ring and force Usyk to operate at an uncomfortable pace.

     

    But even the most generous interpretation of what an improved Joshua brought to the ring was things being all-square at halfway, by which time fatigue started to set in and the challenger spent too much time lingering at mid-range absorbing quicksilver combinations.Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua to retain IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight title

     

    Usyk looked to be pulling clear until a thrilling round nine when Joshua found heavy hooks to the head to match his bodywork. The champion looked disorganized as he took a left on the retreat but his response in the next session, peppering Joshua relentlessly from all angles, was that of a master.

     

    Round 10 was perpetual motion as mercilessness. Somewhere in the middle of it, Joshua thudded a solid right hand to Usyk’s jaw but it barely registered. In the final six minutes, the clinic continued as Joshua tried everything to little avail and Usyk danced and dazzled his way to an emotional triumph.

     

    Watch video below:

  • Veteran boxer, Oboh tips Anthony Joshua to defeat Oleksandr Usyk

    Veteran boxer, Oboh tips Anthony Joshua to defeat Oleksandr Usyk

    Veteran boxer and former WBA Intercontinental champion, Peter Oboh, has tipped Anthony Joshua to defeat Oleksandr Usyk, saying that Joshua is a better boxer.

    Oboh made his position known on Cable TV ahead of the rematch between both boxers coming up in Saudi Arabia on August 20

    He added that the former WBA, IBA, WBC title holders  must fight with all his strength to reclaim his belts from Usyk.

    He added that Joshua must return to the form that gave him victory over dreaded opponents like Wladimir Klitschko.

    He said, “Joshua is a natural heavyweight and Usyk, a natural cruiserweight who moved up in weight to beat Joshua. They have contrasting styles. Usyk is faster while Joshua relies on physical strength.

    “To me, Joshua is better than Usyk, if he is at his best. It is not a matter of style but ability to give a good fight. Joshua needs to use his raw strength to get through fights with smaller opponents. The Joshua in the first fight against Usyk is not the same that fought with Klitschko. He needs to rediscover his old form to reclaim his titles.”

    He added, “With my experience in boxing, a lot of smaller fighters are fast, so Joshua should put the Ukrainian under pressure and unleash more blows than he gets. Joshua is bigger, so, he needs to take advantage of that to overpower him. I am sure Joshua’s camp would have scouted a smaller sparring partner before this fight.”

    He said that changing of camp rather than coach would help Joshua in the fight. “He changed camp to America and that should have helped him to focus more and hopefully he would rediscover his old form just like it has helped some other boxers in the past.

    “If Joshua comes with a quiet or subdued performance, Usyk will outpunch him. Usyk is more confident now, so Joshua must go for a knockout. The pressure will get Usyk tired to reduce his speed.

    “It is win or bust for Joshua so he needs to put the right steps forward as he cannot afford to lose because he will no longer be in contention. However, a win could set up an epic fight against fellow Briton, Tyson Fury.”

    Meanwhile, Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk featured in a press conference on Thursday in Saudi Arabia ahead of their rematch on Saturday.

    Realizing  that Usyk had gotten bigger for the second fight, Joshua warned the Ukrainian that it won’t be enough and would only help him (Usyk) absorb more punishment.

  • I don’t want to retire, says Anthony Joshua

    I don’t want to retire, says Anthony Joshua

    Nigerian/British heavyweight boxer, Anthony Joshua has refuted speculation he will quit boxing if he loses to Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night in their rematch.

    Joshua, who will be hoping to reclaim the WBA, WBO, and IBF belts he lost to the unified heavyweight champion last September in London, insists that he will carry on fighting even if he fails to retrieve his world heavyweight titles from the Ukrainian.

    ‘I respect people’s opinion,’ said the 32-year-old. ‘But I don’t want to retire.

    I’ve got one of the biggest fights of my life coming up and if you were thinking about retiring, it would put massive doubt in your mind.

    ‘People will always ask the question but I still want to continue. I love it.

    ‘If I was losing to some has-been, then yes. But it’s crazy to talk about retiring because I lost to one of the best fighters in the world. What sort of nonsense is that?’

    Usyk defeated Joshua in the first bout with a clear unanimous decision win, and Joshua is more than aware of the challenges that the rematch will pose.

    Speaking at Wednesday’s press conference ahead of the fight, the 32-year-old said: ‘It’s tough, but I’m relishing the challenge. Let’s get the job done, instinct, stay focused and god willing, I’ll be victorious.

    ‘I have goals that I want to achieve on the night, and I need to be disciplined to follow through. It’s competition with myself. The belts mean something, but that’s at the end of the target.

    ‘I’ll focus on the process first and foremost. I want to compete. I have a competitive spirit.’

  • Anthony Joshua vows to reclaim his belts from Oleksandr Usyk

    Anthony Joshua vows to reclaim his belts from Oleksandr Usyk

    Nigerian/British heavyweight boxer, Anthony Joshua has vowed to win back his belts when he faces Oleksandr Usyk in their title rematch on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

    Joshua said he would take the rematch more seriously than last time when he lost the bout adding that he is more focused and determined at this point.

    “I wanted to outbox my opponent, whether it was Usyk or anyone else; that was the mindset (in the first fight). I wanted to outbox my opponent and on Saturday I want to smash my opponent,” Joshua told Sky Sports News.

    “That’s just the mindset now.”

    He also acknowledged that high intensity, destructive approach had been a key factor for so many of the early successes in his career.

    “I was amateur for three and a half years and I did a lot in that time and I asked myself how? It wasn’t down to the skill element, because I was outclassed in terms of skill and experience by a lot of my competitors on the world scene, but that aggression,” he said.

    “That will was something that couldn’t be denied. Then as you get more experience you try to develop as a rounded athlete. But ultimately, you can’t take your eye off the factor of what got you to where you are which is that aggressiveness.”

  • Mike Tyson predicts winner of Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk rematch

    Mike Tyson predicts winner of Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk rematch

    Legendary boxer, Mike Tyson believes that heavyweight boxer, Oleksandr Usyk will defeat Anthony Joshua in their forthcoming rematch taking place on August 20 in Saudi Arabia.

    The two-time heavyweight champion is set to face the Ukrainian for a second time live on talkSPORT on Saturday as he attempts to win back the WBA, IBF, and WBO heavyweight world titles that he lost to him last year September.

    Many boxing analysts and fans have posited that the rematch will be very difficult for Anthony Joshua to win considering his opponent.

    Usyk won the first fight impressively across all rounds, but Joshua has changed his entire training team to try and reverse the result.

    “It’s gonna be hard to beat him,” Tyson said on Instagram live.

    Mike Tyson advised Joshua to deal with Usyk’s jab and also keep the pressure on if he hopes to come away with a favourable result.

    “It’s gonna be hard to beat Usyk because he’s fast and he outpunched Joshua with his jab. Joshua has to learn to deal with his jab.

    “He’s too fast for Joshua. Joshua has to put a lot of pressure on him and keep it on him all night.

    “He’s a powerful puncher, but he’s not as accurate – you’ve gotta be accurate against a guy like that.

    “Because he moves so much, the jab is educated and he just outsmarts the guy.”

    The much-anticipated rematch between Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk will take place in Saudi Arabia on August 20, 2022.