Boxing

LEGENDARY US boxing promoter Bob Arum has sensationally claimed Teofimo Lopez ‘almost died’ while cutting down to 135lbs to fight George Kambosos last year.Lopez was beaten on points by Kambosos in a shock defeat at Madison Square Garden in November, which left Lopez battered and bloodied.
Lopez cut down to 135lbs to fight Kambosos, but ‘almost died’ in the processCredit: Getty
Lopez was outpointed by Kambosos in a major upset at Madison Square GardenCredit: Getty
And Arum has since revealed that Lopez shedding the pounds from light welterweight to lightweight could have resulted in a ‘fatality’.
He told FightHype: “First we want to get him healthy. He should have never been fighting at 135 [lbs] against Kambosos. 
“He almost had a fatality. He almost died because of the way he made weight.
“It’s not a joke. I think he’ll be okay at 140 [lbs]. He has some other physical problems that we’re working on him now and taking care of him. 
“Once those problems are solved, we’ll look for an opponent and get him back in the ring.”
And to avoid a repeat health scare, Lopez will bulk back up to light welterweight for when he next enters the ring.
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But as Arum alluded to, Lopez is currently experiencing ‘physical problems’ – and therefore doesn’t have a date in the diary for his next bout.
Those problems could well be the dangerous chest condition discovered in the aftermath of the Kambosos loss.
Not only could Lopez have died trying to make weight for the fight, but it was also claimed by a doctor that the condition – pneumomediastinum – could also have been fatal.
It involves having air in the space between the chest and the lungs, and was only diagnosed in the aftermath of Lopez’s defeat.
As a result Lopez could be out of action for some time, although could still return to the ring at some point this year.
The 24-year-old has previously mooted the possibility of an undisputed clash against Scottish light-welterweight world champion Josh Taylor. More

US BOXING promoter Bob Arum has claimed Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are in talks over an undisputed heavyweight clash in the Middle East. That would involve both Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte stepping aside for a bout to go ahead.
Fury is claimed to be in talks with Usyk over an undisputed clashCredit: PA
Joshua and Usyk are set to face off again this year in a rematchCredit: Reuters
Whyte has been ordered to fight Fury, but could step aside alongside JoshuaCredit: Reuters
Joshua has exercised his rematch clause with Usyk after being outpointed by the Ukrainian in September, while Fury is set to take on Whyte.
But according to Arum, both of those fights could be scrapped in favour of an undisputed bout, as reported by talkSPORT.
However, Arum has hinted that there is no guarantee that an undisputed clash for the ages between the two undefeated fighters will go ahead, with talks currently in ‘total chaos’.
Lennox Lewis was the last undisputed heavyweight world champion, all the way back in 1999.
But Arum warned: “It is total chaos. What’s happening is just promises coming out of the Middle East about doing a unified fight with Usyk and Fury, and is Dillian Whyte gonna step aside.
“And people that have absolutely no contractual ties – like Frank Warren’s Queensberry and our Top Rank do – are getting involved.
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“It’s a typical terrible kind of situation, but hopefully it’ll get sorted out and probably it will get sorted out with a purse bid on Friday.”
Arum was then asked who out of Usyk or Whyte he believes will be Fury’s next opponent.
To which he replied: “I have absolutely no idea. Who are these people in the Middle East? And what’s their backing and all of that stuff? That’s not clear.
“All I know is that the contract with Tyson Fury is with Frank Warren’s Queensberry and Top Rank.
“Nobody has talked to us about buying out rights or getting our permission to go ahead.”
Both Joshua and Eddie Hearn have previously confirmed that AJ will NOT step aside, with the Watford-born fighter still planning to fight Usyk in the spring.

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Elsewhere the purse bids for Fury vs Whyte have been delayed again in another setback to the all-British clash.
It’s the second time purse bods have been pushed back, with the delay making a March bout ‘unrealistic’, according to Hearn.
But other reports claim a date for that fight has in fact already been set for March.
World Boxing News claim that Frank Warren has booked the Principality Stadium in Cardiff for March 26, according to Arum.
Fury is targeting a UK homecoming after his last five fights have taken place Stateside.
But Arum’s latest comments suggest the Gypsy King could once again take to the ring on foreign soil. More

OLEKSANDR USYK put on a masterclass in his Tottenham tussle with Anthony Joshua last September, which solidified his status as one of the pound-for-pound best fighters on the planet.The slick southpaw schooled his opponent on his way to claiming the unified heavyweight throne, outboxing Joshua for nine rounds of their 12-rounder.
Oleksandr Usyk put on a masterclass in his Tottenham tussle with Anthony Joshua last SeptemberCredit: Reuters
Usyk caught AJ with a beautiful set-up from his southpaw stanceCredit: Instagram
The Ukranian pulled down Joshua’s lead hand to set up a beautiful straight leftCredit: Instagram
And he landed the shot with aplomb
The set-up was the same one Floyd Mayweather used in his 2013 showdown with CaneloCredit: Instagram
Usyk bamboozled Joshua and those watching with his footwork and evasiveness, although his offensive work was equally a sight to behold.
And at one point in the fight, he used a technique often deployed by boxing great Floyd Mayweather to land a beautiful straight left.
Usyk used his right hand to bring Joshua’s guard down so he could land a left hand straight down the pipe, which he did with pinpoint accuracy.
The much replayed moment was reminiscent of when Mayweather caught current pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez with the same set-up in their 2013 showdown.
But in that instance, former five-weight champion Mayweather, an orthodox fighter, used his left hand to break the Mexican’s guard before landing a straight right flush.
Usyk, 35, will be looking to replicate that successful set-up and more in his spring rematch with Joshua.
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The bout was initially slated for late March but is now in the works for April.
Promoter Eddie Hearn revealed: “I think April is realistic for that fight.
“Before you know it, it’s going to be February and these fights take a lot of organising.
“For us, the preferred date and venue for that fight will be the UK, in which case we would have to do the fight outside, so we’re not really interested in doing that fight in March.
“AJ has been training relatively solidly since the fight.
“Realistically if you start your training camp in February, even April becomes quite tight but that is the preferred date for the fight and I think that’s realistic.”
Usyk’s promoter Alexander Krassuyk teased an imminent announcement earlier this week, telling Sky Sports: “Many things are happening at the moment. Soon we will unveil everything.”
AJ OUT FOR REVENGE
Joshua, 32, is hellbent on exacting revenge on the undefeated Ukrainian and reclaiming the unified titles.
He said: “For me, I have one thing in my mind, that’s war, that’s murder, that’s war, let’s go out there and hurt the guy.
“Take his soul to the point where he wants to give up. That’s what boxing’s about, I’ve learned that.
“You hit people constantly, keep on applying a certain amount of pressure, before they know it they’ll realise you aren’t going anywhere, you’re here to stay.
“With the game plan, that’s all I have in my mind at the minute, that one track, stay on course, take this guy to places he doesn’t want to go.”
Anthony Joshua is hellbent on exacting revenge on Oleksandr UsykCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
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EDDIE HEARN revealed the purse bids for Dillian Whyte’s proposed fight with Tyson Fury have been delayed AGAIN.The purse bids were initially scheduled to take place on January 11 before being put back to January 18.
Dillian Whyte launched a legal appeal to boost his 20 per cent share of the fight purse for his bout with Tyson FuryCredit: PA
Fury has been ordered to fight Whyte by the WBCCredit: Getty
But now Hearn and Frank Warren – Fury’s promoter – will have to wait until Friday, January 21, for make their first bids.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Hearn said: “We received an email overnight – this Friday is the official date of the first bid now.
“Who knows whether that might change there’s a lot happening behind the scenes there’s a lot of discussions.
“Obviously there’s the legal situation between Dillian and the WBC as well but we’re looking to move forward.
“I think people keep talking about March dates and stuff like that – that’s starting to become very unrealistic.
“Dillian wants to fight he hasn’t boxed since March of last year.
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“Hopefully we can progress with purse bids if need be or complete a deal.”
The WBC has ordered Fury to fight Whyte with Warren suggesting a March date in the UK is likely.
But the WBC also ruled Whyte would receive just 20 per cent of the overall purse, which has angered the Brit.
In response, Whyte has launched a legal battle in an attempt to have his share boosted – but he is likely to fight Fury regardless of what the Court of Arbitration decides. More