Heavyweight boxing

ANTHONY JOSHUA’S promoter Eddie Hearn has claimed he is lining up a world tour for the heavyweight in the hope he rediscovers his love for boxing.The Matchroom chief has stated he plans for AJ to fight in multiple continents following back-to-back defeats against Oleksandr Usyk.
Anthony Joshua could be set to face in multiple countries in a boxing world tourCredit: Getty
Joshua has suffered back-to-back defeats against unbeaten Ukrainian Oleksandr UsykCredit: Getty
With no constraints on who he can or can’t pit his wits against after losing his world titles, Hearn aims for Joshua to rebuild himself in a number of countries.
Joshua, 32, has fought just three times outside of the United Kingdom since turning professional in 2013.
He was knocked out by Andy Ruiz on US soil in June 2019, before winning back the WBA, WBO and IBF titles in Saudi Arabia six months later.
And after two successive fights in England, Joshua was then outpointed by Usyk earlier this month in the Gulf country.
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Speaking on iFL TV, Hearn spoke of all the things that Joshua can do now that he no longer holds any world titles.
He said: “The amount of times we had mandatories put on us and not being able to make fights we wanted to make or the dates we wanted to make.
“And now that’s the most exciting thing about moving forward, now he can be in charge of his own career, his own destiny.
“We can fight who we want, where we want, when we want. Be as active as we want, whilst building up to get AJ a shot at the heavyweight title again.
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“And that should be the most exciting thing for his career now, a chance to actually be active and build a schedule.
“I want to build a world tour. I want to see AJ fight in London, in Beijing, in Australia, in the Middle East, in America.
“And it’s going to be a lot of fun. I think he’s really going to fall in love with the sport again.”
Hearn was then pressed on who he would like Joshua to face soon, where he stated he would love a rematch with Dillian Whyte following their December 2015 epic.
AJ knocked out his British compatriot in the seventh round with a huge uppercut after being rocked by a left hook from the Body Snatcher earlier in the fight.
He remarked: “The fight that I want, the fight that he wants, is Dillian Whyte.
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“It’s not going to happen [in his first fight back] in December, but it’s a massive stadium fight next year.
“The first one was epic, the second one will be even better.” More

ANTONY JOSHUA’S trainer Robert Garcia wants the former heavyweight champion to start preparing for fights in the US.Garcia, 47, worked with AJ for the first time in the build-up to his rematch against Oleksandr Usyk.
Robert Garcia (right) wants Anthony Joshua to train for his next fight in his California gymCredit: Getty
Garcia believes AJ needs more champion boxers around him to give him the drive to succeedCredit: Getty
The Californian, who previously trained Luis Ortiz, flew to the UK to assist Joshua but he wants that to change moving forward.
Garcia believes an eight-week fight camp in his Californian gym would be the best way to prepare Joshua for fights – adding that the Brit needs other champion boxers to spur him on.
García told IZQUIERDAZO: “I told Anthony and all his team that, for me, the best way to keep working together is if Anthony comes to train in my gym in California eight weeks before a fight.
“From six to eight weeks, that’s all I need for a good camp.
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“I told Anthony, ‘I need you to be around more fighters, more champions. I want you to have more fighters for competition, even if they are from the same gym, but you have to compete.’
“I told him, ‘You have to want to be better than them, and they will want to be better than you. It will work for all of you.’
“That is what is missing in his gym, the fighters to be competing against each other, where they don’t want the other fighter to do more than you.
“He needs a place with other world champions around.
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“Anthony has always been alone in his camps, he didn’t have other fighters to train with.
“He needs to be in a cheerful environment, to interact with other fighters, other sparring partners. I think that that would help him a lot.”
AJ is looking to get his career back on track following successive defeats to Usyk and he has been urged to fight drug cheat Jarrell Miller by the American’s promoter Dmitriy Salita.
Deontay Wilder is also plotting his return to the ring and after taking on Robert Helenius he is keen to fight everyone, including Joshua. More

CANELO ALVAREZ has backed Tyson Fury to beat Oleksandr Usyk, while heaping praise on Anthony Joshua. Usyk is lined up for an undisputed title decider against Fury having beaten AJ for the second time in 11 months.
Tyson Fury has been backed to beat Oleksandr Usyk by Canelo AlvarezCredit: AFP
Anthony Joshua has twice lost to Usyk in the past yearCredit: PA
But Canelo has talked down the Ukrainian’s chances in the unification blockbuster due to the weight he is due to give away.
He said: “It’s gonna be a good fight, but I think Fury is gonna win because he has everything.
“He has boxing skills and he has the weight, so it’s gonna be different.”
Fury, 34, weighed 18st 12lb for his last win, a knockout against Dillian Whyte in April which he claimed would be his final fight.
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Whereas Usyk, 35, scaled 15st 11lb for his two wins over Joshua.
Usyk scored a convincing points win over his Brit foe last September before last Saturday’s controversial split-decision victory in the rematch.
His performance was hailed by Canelo, 32, who admitted Usyk was just too skilled.
He said: “He looked good, he looked good. It’s just – Usyk is a great fighter. I think that’s the difference.”
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Canelo returns on September 17 in a Las Vegas trilogy bout against Gennady Golovkin, 40, who he drew in 2017 but beat a year later.
The Mexican comes into the fight having lost in May against WBA light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.
Before the defeat, Canelo was linked with an extraordinary catchweight with Usyk, who is THREE STONE heavier.

And the four-division champion is still interested in the pound-for-pound clash.
Canelo said: “It’s difficult, but I don’t care. I like that kind of challenge.
“It’s gonna be difficult, I know, but I love boxing. I love being in that kind of situation.”
Canelo Alvarez ahead of his trilogy bout with Gennady GolovkinCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

JARRELL MILLER is set to make his boxing return in KAZAKHSTAN – before agreeing to fight Lucas Browne a month later. The American is on the comeback trail having spent three years out of the ring following multiple failed drug busts.
Jarrell Miller is set to make his boxing return in KazakhstanCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Lucas Browne recently knocked out Junior Fa and is lying in wait for MillerCredit: EPA
But he beat Ariel Esteban Bracamonte in June in Argentina, which was Miller’s first fight in almost four years.
The heavyweight then stopped Derek Cardenas a month later and is already lined up with another swift return.
Miller’s promoter Greg Cohen has told SunSport a fight against Ebenezer Tetteh on October 2 in Kazakhstan is confirmed.
Ghanian Tetteh has lost once in his 21 bouts, a knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois in 2019.
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He has fought just once since then, beating Haruna Osumanu in March 2021.
Miller, 33, has a deal in place to fight Australian former champion Lucas Browne, 43, in November, according to Dan Rafael.
Browne knocked out Junior Fa in June on the undercard of Devin Haney’s undisputed title win over George Kambosos Jr.
Promoter Lou DiBella is said to have an option to host the Australian’s next bout.
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And DiBella and Miller’s promoter Greg Cohen are believed to have agreed a deal for the heavyweight fight.
It could headline on November 13 in Abu Dhabi or be on the undercard on November 26 at The O2, where Dubois is due to fight.
Miller infamously failed three Voluntary Anti-Doping Association pre-fight drug tests before he was set to fight Anthony Joshua in 2019.
He blamed his failed test before fighting Joshua on a tainted supplement and stem cell shots in his elbow.
AJ went on to suffer a shock loss, the first of his career, against stand-in Andy Ruiz Jr.
Miller in 2020 earned a contract with Bob Arum’s Top Rank stable but again tested positive for a banned substance.
This time the ex-kickboxer put it down to a SEX PILL and was handed a two-year suspension.
Miller enrolled in VADA testing in December 2020 and has returned clean drug tests since, which saw his licence reinstated this summer.
Jarrell Miller has boxed twice since returningCredit: https://www.instagram.com/boxeodeprimera_tycsports/ More

TYSON FURY will suffer his first professional defeat in his undisputed heavyweight showdown with Oleksandr Usyk, it’s been claimed.The Gypsy King is on course to face the undefeated Ukrainian in a blockbuster Saudi showdown in December.
Oleksandr Usyk put on a boxing masterclass in his win over Anthony JoshuaCredit: GETTY
Uysk’s masterclass has lit a fire under Tyson Fury – who recently ended his retirementCredit: GETTY
Former unified heavyweight champion Hasim Rahaman reckons Usyk will get the better of FuryCredit: AFP
Slick southpaw Usyk put on an arguably a career-best performance in his rematch with Anthony Joshua earlier this month, a display that’s convinced Hasim Rahman that he’ll get the better of the Brit.
The former heavyweight champ told FightHype: “I think Usyk is the best heavyweight that’s currently fighting today.
“I think Fury imitates Usyk, and he’s had a lot of success with it.
“Fighting plodding, slow heavyweights [who aren’t] really boxing like that.
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“Everything Fury can do in boxing, Usyk can do it better.
Raham reckons’ Uysk’s cruiserweight “work ethic” will carry him to victory against Fury.
He added: “With heavyweights it’s different. Most heavyweights are lazy, and they don’t have that work ethic. With the smaller guys it’s a little different.
“With Usyk’s boxing IQ, that’s going to play a big, major part. A lot of time the smaller guys IQs kind of cancel each other out.”
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Fury, 34, ended his retirement after seeing Usyk box his way to a split-decision victory over Joshua.
Usyk’s performance against AJ has lit a fire under WBC heavyweight king Fury.
A source close to the 34-year-old told SunSport: “Tyson is training really, really hard.
“He’s in fight mode and totally focused on Usyk.
“Ever since the Usyk vs Joshua fight ended he’s been in the gym, on the road and sparring.
“He wants to be in the best shape of his life and is working towards a contest early in 2023.
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“Right now he is like a man possessed and retirement is the last thing on his mind.
“Training is where Tyson is happiest and right now he is working relentlessly:”
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TYSON FURY is training “like a man possessed” as he plots a sensational comeback fight against Oleksandr Usyk.The Gypsy King has been working “relentlessly” after seeing Brit rival Antony Joshua suffer a second consecutive defeat to the Ukrainian earlier this month.
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Anthony Joshua in their rematch earlier this monthCredit: Getty
Watching Usyk get the better of Joshua has lit a fire under Tyson FuryCredit: Getty
The Gypsy King is training “relentlessly” ahead of their proposed undisputed boutCredit: Getty
A source close to the 34-year-old told SunSport: “Tyson is training really, really hard. He’s in fight mode and totally focused on Usyk.
“Ever since the Usyk vs Joshua fight ended he’s been in the gym, on the road and sparring.
“He wants to be in the best shape of his life and is working towards a contest early in 2023.
“Right now he is like a man possessed and retirement is the last thing on his mind.
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“Training is where Tyson is happiest and right now he is working relentlessly:”
Fury, 34, is ready to come out of retirement and unify the heavyweight division after being called out by Usyk.
The former unified heavyweight champion has set a September 1 deadline for the blockbuster fight to be agreed.
Usyk is flying high after successfully defending his belts in his Saudi rematch with Joshua, which he won via split decision.
The tale of the tape: Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk
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WBC heavyweight king Fury is set to tell the Mexican sanctioning body he WILL fight again.
Fury, however, wants a record £500MILLION for the undisputed clash – which is in the works for December.
He wrote on Instagram: “The world’s biggest fight has to be the world’s biggest money if I’m to put it all on the line vs some unknown foreigner.
“Boys, better get that half a billy. If not, keep that little mug.”
And he appears confident an agreement is close after declaring he will make light work of Usyk in just four rounds.
The Wythenshawe warrior said: “I’m sure I’ll smash him in four rounds, because the Gypsy King said so.”
One man who has fought both Fury and Usyk is American heavyweight contender Michael Hunter.
And he reckons slick southpaw Usyk is more than capable of putting an end to Fury’s dominance of the division.
He told Sky Sports: “I think Usyk would need to make a couple of adjustments, but I don’t think the weight will make as much of a difference as people think.
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“He’s an endurance athlete, he’s going to move a lot. It’s a styles-make-fights thing, a little different tactics to Usyk-Joshua.
“I think it would be an interesting fight. I’m pretty sure that Usyk would do very well.” More

MIKE TYSON looked a different man from the one being wheeled around and holding a walking stick earlier this month.The boxing icon was in New York on Monday night to watch Serena Williams in action at the US Open.
Mike Tyson seen arriving to watch Serena Williams in New York on Monday nightCredit: ESPN/AMAZON
Mike Tyson watches the action on Arthur Ashe StadiumCredit: Reuters
Serena Williams won her first round match at the US OpenCredit: Reuters
Iron Mike, 56, looked fighting fit as he made his way into the Billy Jean King Tennis Center in Flushing.
The boxer was part of a star-studded crowd to watch Serena win and hold off retirement.
Lindsey Vonn and Hugh Jackman were also in attendance, as was former President Bill Clinton.
Anna Wintour and Rebel Wilson were also among the celebs in the stands.
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Tyson worried fans last month when he was seen using a walking stick to walk into the lobby of a New York hotel.
And he was seen a few weeks later on a wheelchair at Miami airport while still holding the stick.
Fan fears grew when Tyson claimed on his Hotboxin’ podcast that he believes he is going to die “real soon”.
He said: “We’re all gonna die one day of course. Then, when I look in the mirror, I see those little spots on my face.
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“I say, ‘Wow. That means my expiration date is coming close, really soon.'”
But there was no stick in sight in New York on Monday night.
Tyson looked slick in a grey blazer over a purple tee.
Serena drew a star-studded crowd for what was potentially her last ever match.
The 23-time grand slam champion revealed before the tournament that she’s planning to retire from the sport.
And she lived to fight another day as she beat Danka Kovinic in straight sets.
Actor Hugh Jackman watches from the stands in New YorkCredit: Reuters
Anna Wintour watches the action on Arthur Ashe StadiumCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Former President Bill Clinton in attendanceCredit: Reuters
Lindsey Vonn watches Serena Williams in actionCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Actress Rebel Wilson takes in the action in New YorkCredit: Reuters More