Boxing

BOXING legend Floyd Mayweather has blasted the sport for having so many belts, saying that ‘everybody’s a champion’.
At the weekend Teofimo Lopez became undisputed lightweight champion by easily beating Vasyl Lomachenko – despite there still being another two belts at lightweight he hasn’t got.

Mayweather might look happy here, but he is NOT amused with the number of belts in boxingCredit: Getty Images – Getty

That’s because the WBC decided to have a ‘franchise’ strap, which Lopez won, and a ‘regular’ version, that Devin Haney holds.
While Gervonta Davis will fight Leo Santa Cruz this weekend with the WBA ‘regular’ lightweight belt on the line.
There has even been talk that Tyson Fury would become the WBC ‘franchise’ heavyweight champion should the board want another fight for the regular belt.
The number of belts and champions in the sport has left Mayweather fuming, saying that it need ‘cleaning up’ as it is ‘bad for boxing’.

Speaking to Showtime Sports’ YouTube channel, the 43-year-old, who retired undefeated, said: “The WBC, the WBA, the IBF and the WBO, y’all have to clean this sh-t up. Y’all have to clean this up.
“This is bad for boxing. Ain’t a such thing as no super champion.
“You guys are just taking extra money from all these fighters, getting extra money from sanctioning fees. And this goes for my company as well.
“We gotta clean this sport of boxing up. This s***, this don’t look good.

Anthony Joshua holds four world titles, but the IBO belt is often scoffed atCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

Tyson Fury holds the WBC heavyweight belt and the Ring Magazine strapCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

“When you look on TV now, everybody’s a champion. You see all these fighters posing with a belt.”
Mayweather went on to explain how when a fighter wins a belt, they have to ‘pay a fee’ to actually get their hands on the goods.
So the governing bodies will be getting money for interim, regular and super/franchise champs along the way.

Mayweather will go down as one of boxing’s best everCredit: Reuters
Mayweather added: “I don’t care if it’s Top Rank, if it’s Golden Boy [Promotions], if it’s Mayweather Promotions, if it’s PBC – there’s too many champions in the sport of boxing right now.
“Too many champions. It’s not a such thing as a super champion, not at all. And I’m not taking nothing away from no fighter. It’s too many belts.”
Mayweather, who is set to fight YouTuber Logan Paul in an exhibition fight next, was speaking during a live training session with his protege Davis.
The 25-year-old Baltimore boxer fights Leo Santa Cruz this weekend looking to keep his undefeated record intact.

Floyd Mayweather set to end retirement and fight YouTube star Logan Paul in sensational exhibition bout this year More

DEONTAY WILDER is in ‘superhuman’ shape and is still training for a December trilogy bout with Tyson Fury.
The Bronze Bomber was outclassed in February as the Gypsy King dethroned him to become WBC heavyweight king following their dramatic draw in the pair’s first fight.

Deontay Wilder is still training for a December fight with Tyson FuryCredit: Getty

Wilder was contracted to an immediate rematch but the coronavirus pandemic has so far prevented live crowds from purchasing tickets and as a result delayed the trilogy.
Fury is now fed up of waiting and has called to fight in December in the UK to prepare for an undisputed title decider against Anthony Joshua next year.
It leaves 34-year-old Wilder, who is still training to win back the WBC belt, out in the cold, but his manager Shelly Finkel insists they still wish to face Fury.
Last week, Wilder’s promoter, Bob Arum, announced the contracted period to agree the Fury rematch had expired.

The Bronze Bomber’s manager, Shelly Finkel, responded to Arum by saying: “He’s entitled to his opinion, he can think anything he wants.
“Deontay and I would like to have the next fight, as planned, against Fury.  We’ll fight him any date, any place.”

Unbeaten heavyweight prospect Raphael Akpejiori trains with the Bronze Bomber and says the star is in ‘superhuman’ shapeCredit: Instagram
Now unbeaten heavyweight prospect Raphael Akpejiori, who shares a strength and conditioning coach with Wilder in Miami,has revealed he has been working and speaking with Wilder regularly.
And the Nigerian insists Wilder still has his eyes firmly fixed on regaining his belt before the end of the year.

Akpejiori said: “I’m just saying from Deontay’s perspective he is ready to go for December.
“I’m not involved in the politics or anything but one thing I know from Deontay is he is ready to go in December.  
“Deontay is expecting Wilder-Fury in December, I’m just saying what Deontay is expecting.
“He is expecting Wilder-Fury in December, that’s what he’s been told and that is what he is training for and he’s ready to go.”

He continued: “He is ready to go, he was ready to fight in July. I think they have a fight date set for December if i’m not mistaken and he is ready to go.
“He has a contract for a rematch I believe, so he has to show up to the arena on that day.
“Deontay will show up to the arena on that day, that’s what I can tell you.
“I have conversations with him once a week. To the best of my knowledge he will be in that arena, wherever that fight takes place.”
When quizzed on what shape Wilder is in, the rising star insisted Wilder was in perfect condition.
Akpejiori said: “He’s in shape, we haven’t sparred just yet, we just workout together.
“We do a lot of strength and conditioning work together because we share the same trainer obviously.
“He’s an athlete, he’s a superhuman athlete in his unique type of body and the way he’s carrying himself.”
And Akpejiori, 30, also admitted how Wilder has been helping him outside of the ring as well as in it.

He added: “We talk about a whole lot of stuff; we talk about boxing but also life and the political side of boxing sometimes.
“He gives a whole different dimension of how to view life and how to view boxing; who to deal with, who not to deal with, who to stay away from.
“He’s been very helpful in that regard. He critiqued my last fight and told me what I did wrong.
“Being around a guy like that has been very beneficial to me.”
Tyson Fury is 2/7 with bookmaker Unikrn to win any next fight with Deontay Wilder, who is 11/4 – see more odds HERE, 18+ gamble responsibly. More

MIKE TYSON has revealed he hated Michael Jackson’s guts after a backstage snub at one of the pop icon’s concerts.
The boxing legend is currently preparing for his in-ring comeback aged 54 in an exhibition fight against Roy Jones Jr next month.

Mike Tyson has revealed his hatred towards Michael Jackson before they became palsCredit: Instagram

The ‘King of Pop’ sensationally snubbed the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ backstage at a gigCredit: AFP

During his heyday of the late 80s and early 90s, the ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ was one of the most-recognisable and biggest names in the world
One man that enjoyed just as much popularity and spotlight was the late ‘King of Pop’ Jackson.
However, Tyson has admitted he held a lot of anger towards the musician until the pair did eventually hang out.
Speaking on T.I.’s expediTIously podcast, the former world champion said: “I met Mike one day, I think he was at a concert in Cleveland, I’m with Don King.

“So me and Don come in, right? And I’m champ and everything, did all this s***, undisputed.
“So Don goes and Don gives Michael Jackson the ‘peace’ sign, like this. And then so Michael gives Don the ‘peace’ sign, and so I give Michael the ‘peace’ sign, and Michael put his hand down.
“In a way, I say, ‘Did he play me? Nah, he didn’t play me, he just didn’t see me. I knew he didn’t play me, cause I’m f***ing champ.”

Tyson and King continued to go backstage for the show – but the disrespect continued.

He continued: “So we went backstage, right? So I’m backstage, and so there’s his backstage, some of his singers and stuff.
“He’s on stage, it’s over I’m signing autographs and stuff, so Michael comes over and he talks to Don, he doesn’t talk to me. … I say ‘Let me just go on and meet Mike’, cause that’s really why I’m here, I want to meet Mike.
“And then I go over to meet Mike, … and he goes like this, ‘Don’t I know you from somewhere? Where I know you from?’
“He broke my ego, he crushed me. 
“I said ‘No, I’m just a fan, pleasure to meet you, sir. He said, ‘OK’, and then he got out and went in the car.”
Tyson admitted he refused to let go of the snub for years until Jackson finally invited him to hang out – an offer initially rejected by the fighter.

He added: “I said ‘OK I’m coming, I’ll be over there’, right?
“So I got on a plane, went over there, hung out, and we just started hanging out together. And I said ‘F*** man, he’s a good guy.
“But in my mind, I said ‘Why’d you play me though, Mike, why’d you play me like that? You knew who I was, why’d you play me?’”

Gervonta Davis says Mike Tyson still has that anger built up and looking to relieve it during Roy Jones Jr fight More

JAMES ‘BUSTER’ DOUGLAS claims Roy Jones Jr has a ‘slimmer chance’ than he did against Mike Tyson.
It will be 30 years ago next month that the now 60-year-old shocked the world in Tokyo by defeating Iron Mike to become heavyweight champion.

James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked the world by knocking out Mike Tyson in 1990 Credit: AP:Associated Press

The former heavyweight champ does not give Roy Jones Jr. much chance against Iron MikeCredit: Getty

Even now it is considered one of the biggest upsets in sporting history.
Douglas, who would lose the title to Evander Holyfield seven months later, has been watching keenly as his old adversary prepares for a comeback.
Tyson, 54, will take on ex-four weight world champ Jones Jr in a highly-anticipated exhibition bout on November 28.
But despite Douglas knocking out Tyson himself in 1990, he believes the much-maligned legend will have no issues in five weeks – if the fight actually takes place.

Speaking to DJ Vlad, Douglas revealed his surprise Jones Jr had agreed to the showdown – especially after pulling out of a match against him in the 90s.
On his failed clash, Douglas said: “He pulled out, his dad told him not to do it.
“It probably wasn’t in his best interests to fight me as he was biting off too much.”
And on the upcoming bout with Tyson, he continued: “I was surprised that it was even announced (at all) because I was like, wait a minute what does he see that I don’t see or, you know, because you’ve got to actually feel like you can beat somebody to expect the fight with them.

“That was really confusing because I know what he and I went through but then he turns around and he’s going to fight Mike, so I was like ‘wow’. He must see something or know something.
“But then I see he’s really doubting it now, debating or not whether he’s going to do it. So I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

And when it came to choosing a winner out of Tyson and Jones Jr, Douglas does not hold much hope for the latter.
He added: “I think (Roy) he has a chance but it’s a slim chance.
“Slimmer than Buster Douglas.”

Gervonta Davis says Mike Tyson still has that anger built up and looking to relieve it during Roy Jones Jr fight More

DILLIAN WHYTE was not caught with a ‘lucky punch’ by Alexander Povetkin – the star hit Dereck Chisora with the same brutal uppercut in training.
Bodysnatcher was shocked in August when he was caught with a huge punch by the Russian that knocked him out in the fifth.

Dillian Whyte was not caught by a ‘lucky punch’ against Alexander Povetkin during his KO loss in AugustCredit: Mark Robinson Ltd

However, David Haye is adamant that the secret weapon is something Povetkin has had in his arsenal for a while after his fighter Chisora sparred against him.
Whyte will get his rematch on November 21, and when asked about it, Haye told Sky Sports: “It’s a very dangerous fight and it’s a fight that I think Dillian doesn’t want to accept it was nothing other than a lucky punch.
“He thought, ‘I was winning the fight’, which he was, ‘I had him knocked down twice in the fourth round and I was winning the fifth round until I got hit by one shot and that was it’.
“Anything can happen in boxing, it happens in the heavyweight division.

“I don’t think that’s the mindset you need. You can’t say, ‘You won because it was an anomaly’.”
He continued: “That left uppercut that he threw knocked out Carlos Takam, in a very even fight, in a very good toe-to-toe fight.
“It’s a shot that he throws regularly. Derek was telling me when he sparred with him, he was getting hit with that shot, so it’s one of his shots, and to get hit with someone’s best shot isn’t very lucky is it.
“The guy has got a big shot. It’s like getting caught with Dillian Whyte’s left hook.

“You know it’s there if you can practise to go under it, if you throw your right hook to the body or not, or you can stand up and get knocked out.”

Dereck Chisora had it used on him several times while sparring with the RussianCredit: Instagram
But Haye believes Whyte, who lost his WBC interim title with the defeat, will bounce back with victory – if he makes tactical changes.
The former two-weight champ said: “I think he’ll win the rematch. I think he’s too fresh.
“He needs to make sure the issue that he had in that Povetkin fight doesn’t happen again and he can prove that, the same way that AJ did against Andy Ruiz Jr.
“You can learn. He didn’t have a deep wealth of amateur pedigree.
“He comes from a kickboxing background, a few amateur fights, and then he jumped straight into the pros and had to do it the hard way.
“He’s a seasoned guy, but he doesn’t have the technical pedigree that Anthony Joshua has – an Olympic gold medal.”

Haye added: “Povetkin is another Olympic gold medallist, so he needs to use his attributes which is rough, tough, physical.
“He was trying to get too close and have a technical back and forth and I’m like, ‘Why do you need to do that for?’
“Why don’t you do what you do best and that’s hit people with jabs and throw big, massive left hooks that knock people out?”

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