TheNewsGuru

Tag: Heavyweight boxing

  • Oleksandr Usyk leads, Joshua, Wilder close behind him in world ranking

    Oleksandr Usyk leads, Joshua, Wilder close behind him in world ranking

    WBA, IBF and WBO belt holder  Oleksandr Usyk has been rated champion by Ring Magazine while Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder were ranked first and second runners up respectively.

    Despite recording back-to-back loses and losing three in his last five, Anthony Joshua the British boxer of Nigerian descent is still being highly rated by Ring Magazine.

    WBC Champion, Tyson Fury missed out on the rankings after announcing his retirement from the sport few months ago precisely in August.

    Although, Fury has since come out of retirement, he hasn’t had any fight since he last defeated Deontay Wilder in a trilogy battle.

    Joshua suffered his second consecutive defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in September, which has put him out of the heavyweight world title picture for the first time in several years.

    Ring Magazine only listed WBA, IBF and WBO belts holder, Oleksandr Usyk as the champion but not ranked.

    Meanwhile, Fury announced he had retired from the sport after his successful title defence against Wilder but has now announced he will return to the ring in  December.

    Fury’s on-off retirement from the sport appears to be the reason he has been left out of the Ring Magazine rankings with the likes of Whyte and Luis Ortiz making the top 10 ahead of him in fifth and sixth respectively. Joshua tops the pile having recently fought for the title belt against Usyk.

    The Ring Magazine belt is not a typical world title like the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO, but regarded as a prestigious trophy handed out only when the best fight the best

    The Magazine may consider ranking Fury again if his purported bout with Dillian Whyte sees the light of the day in December.

    Below is the list of the top 10 heavyweight boxers in the world

    10 Zhilei Zhang

    Zhang is 24-1-1 (19 KOs) and is a top heavyweight contender.

    9. Frank Sanchez

    Sanchez is 20-0 (13 KOs) and is a top heavyweight contender.

    8. Filip Hrgovic

    Hrgovic is 15-0 (12 KOs) and is a top heavyweight contender.

    7. Joseph Parker

    Parker is 30-3 (21 KOs) and is a former WBO heavyweight world champion.

    6. Luis Ortiz

    Ortiz 33-3 (28 KOs) and is a two-time former heavyweight world title challenger.

    5. Dillian Whyte

    Whyte is 28-3 (19 KOs) and is a former heavyweight world title challenger.

    4. Andy Ruiz Jr

    Ruiz Jr is 35-2 (22 KOs) and is a former WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight world champion.

    3. Joe Joyce

    Joyce is 15-0 (14 KOs) and is a top heavyweight contender.

    2. Deontay Wilder

    Wilder is 42-2-1 (41 KOs) and is a former WBC heavyweight world champion.

    1. Anthony Joshua

    Joshua is 24-3 (22 KOs) and is a former two-time WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight world champion.

    Champion – Oleksandr Usyk

    Usyk is 20-0 (13 KOs) and is the current WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight world champion.

  • Fury vs Joshua: Promoter Hearn says All British bout is cancelled

    Fury vs Joshua: Promoter Hearn says All British bout is cancelled

    Anthony Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed that the much-anticipated bout between Anthony Joshau and Tyson Fury has been cancelled after both sides failed to reach an agreement.

    Hearn stated that the bout could still happen much later but insists the December 3rd date has been canceled.

    “As far as we’re concerned the fight’s off. We’re happy to continue the discussions,” Hearn said to Sky Sports.

    Hearn believes that Fury never really wanted the Joshua fight as he kept offering contracts to other fighters including Derek Chisora.

    “In our mind, he is not fighting Anthony Joshua. We’re more than happy to continue those conversations, but what we have been told is the deadline is passed and so have the entire country. We have sent the final version of the contract back, they’ve come back with points and we were told that the fight is off by the man himself.

    “They gave us terms ultimately and a date they thought we wouldn’t accept. We did accept that. We were ready to go. If they were to sign the contract on Monday, they had a fight. We were asked to agree on the deal by Monday, then we were asked to agree to it by Wednesday. We got the comments back on Wednesday.”

    Hearn was annoyed by Fury’s deadlines and the insults he directed at his client.

    “We were never going to sign the fight then, and we were told the fight’s off. It’s still there. It’s still open for discussion. But we’re not going to play a game with a bloke that’s just coming out telling Joshua it’s off, and then he’s a dosser, he’s got to sign it, etc. Have your fight if you fight someone else and we’ll do our thing and we’ll see what happens.”

    He accused Fury of trying to woo another less appealing match-up amid his talks with Joshua,

    “At the weekend or Friday, Derek Chisora received a contract for the Tyson Fury fight.

    “So have other fighters, so in our mind he’s not fighting Joshua.”

    Fury had issued a surprising challenge to the British-Nigerian following Joshua’s failed attempts at winning back his belts from Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk and boxing fans had looked forward to the fight slated for December 3 in Cardiff

  • Fury lambasts Joshua, Usyk in new online video

    Fury lambasts Joshua, Usyk in new online video

    WBC heavyweight champion, Tyson Fury has vented his anger on British boxer, Anthony Joshua and Ukrainian boxer, Oleksandr Usyk in a video that has now gone viral.

    Fury accused Joshua and his management of not signing contract papers for the December 3rd bout in Cardiff, thereby casting doubt about the proposed fight.

    Meanwhile, the WBC heavyweight world champion has fired back at the Ukrainian who this week accused him of being afraid of an undisputed title fight between them.

    Recall that Usyk had accused Fury of being afraid to face him, hence his resolve to ask Joshua for a fight.

    Usyk said “Despite his toughness and how he is generally described, he is afraid. Yes, of me.”

    Fury fires back, “Usyk, middleweight, you say you want the WBC, well it’s held by the Gypsy King, and it’s held tightly.

    Usyk – you little s***house, you little s***bag. Talking s***e, I’m afraid of you? I’ll put my fist right through the side of you, you are little sausage.

    And the other s***house, that big bodybuilder Joshua, that’s a proper s***house that it. Had the contract for I don’t know how long and ain’t signing it. You little sausage, you do not wanna fight, your manager’s a sausage.

    The Gypsy King has also now claimed that he does not believe Joshua will sign the contract to fight him next on December 3 casting doubts over the possibility of the ‘Battle of Britain’.

    Joshua had verbally accepted the 60/40 0ffer from Fury but the agreement has not been made official yet by his camp.

     

  • Fury, Joshua may cancel fight over disagreement in date

    Fury, Joshua may cancel fight over disagreement in date

    The clash of the titans battle between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua may be experiencing some hiccups over a disagreement in date.

    Fury has addressed Joshua in a video message as negotiations over the date for an all-British blockbuster fight continue.

    Fury has made another video asking Anthony Joshua to accept the fight on his terms and conditions after offering him a chance at the championship belt again, insinuating that he’s doing Joshua a favour.

    Fury further added that Joshua is not showing enough seriousness about the fight and this may scuttle the fight

    Earlier this week, it emerged that Joshua had reportedly accepted Fury’s offer ahead of a proposed fight at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Fury revealed that he has offered Joshua a 60:40 split for a potential fight.

    Joshua wants the fight to be held on the 17th of December whilst Fury wants the fight to happen earlier for him to be eligible to fight again in March against possible opposition Oleksandr Usyk.

    Fury posted on his Twitter handle accusing Joshua of keeping mute over his request for an earlier date in the fight,

    His post reads “AJ, I still haven’t heard from you. I am going to do a video every hour for the full day until you agree or don’t agree. And just to clarify, there has never been a December 17 fight, ever. There’s only ever been November 26 at Wembley or December 3.

    “This is it AJ, Eddie – don’t get scared now. Agree to the fight and let’s give the fans what they want. Go time.

  • Joshua vs Fury: Clash of the titans to hold in December

    Joshua vs Fury: Clash of the titans to hold in December

    Anthony Joshua’s acceptance to fight Tyson Fury has paved the way for the biggest fight in heavyweight history in Britain.

    Tyson Fury called out Anthony Joshua for a fight before considering any challenge with WBO, IBO, IBF title holder Oleksandr Usyk.

    Joshua was offered a 40 percent split of what would be a record-breaking haul to fight the Gypsy King.

    Fury’s promoter Frank Warren said he would be sending Joshua an official letter for a fight with Fury soon.

    A date in early November was initially put on the table, but Joshua can only return by December at the earliest following last month’s defeat to Usyk.

    Fury also wants to include a rematch clause and Joshua’s team is happy with the terms, as long as they get the lion’s share for the second fight if they win in December.

    Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed they are willing to take the deal on offer after talks with Frank Warren’s son George.

    He told iFL TV on Thursday, “We just went back this (Thursday) morning and said I spoke to AJ about that offer, we think, I think particularly he deserves more than 40 percent.

    “But, he’s happy. And I don’t make the decisions, he does. So, I went back this morning and said, ‘We accept 60/40’.

    “We want that reversed in the rematch, rightfully so, because you’re champion here, you want the bigger split, which I think is fair.

    “And we want to do the fight in December. Now, interestingly, they have December 17th, Queensberry held at the Millennium, so that’s perfect.”

    Fury initially wanted to fight WBA, IBF, and WBO champion Usyk, who beat Joshua twice in the space of 11 months.

    It would have been the heavyweight division’s first four-belt undisputed title decider.

    But Fury wants to return to the ring by the end of the year and therefore turned his attention to Joshua.

    However, despite having December 17th held, Fury has appeared to tell Joshua there are only two dates he’ll fight. He claimed on talkSPORT that November 26 at Wembley or December 3 in Cardiff are the dates on offer

    He said, “I have Nov 26th at Wembley or Dec 3rd. One is 11 weeks, and one is 12 weeks.

    “If a professional athlete who’s shredded all year round can’t get himself in shape in three months, there’s a problem.”

    ”Joshua, 32, was set to return before the end of the year against an opponent ranked within the world’s top 15.

    ”But plans to build back steadily could be cast aside if the chance to challenge for Fury’s WBC belt goes from longshot to reality.

    Anthony Joshua has lost three times in his last five outings in the heavyweight division losing out his belts to Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk.

  • 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.”

     

  • 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.”