Heavyweight boxing

EDDIE HEARN claimed Anthony Joshua is just one step away from securing the “biggest fight of all time” against Tyson FuryThe great rivals have tried but failed in the past to commence a Battle of Britain bout.
Anthony Joshua is in line to fight Deontay Wilder this yearCredit: Getty
Tyson Fury could face Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia tooCredit: Getty
But with Joshua in line to face Deontay Wilder at the end of the year, Hearn believes it could help pave the way for a blockbuster with Fury.
He said: “If Anthony Joshua fights Deontay Wilder and beats him, it makes the AJ vs Tyson Fury fight the biggest fight of all time.”
Hearn has been locked in negotiations for Joshua, 33, to fight Wilder, 37, in December in Saudi Arabia.
And boxing bosses in the Middle East want to host Fury, 34, against Oleksandr Usyk, 36, on the SAME NIGHT.
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But whether or not the heavyweight bonanza can be achieved or not, Hearn insisted AJ is still on course to face Wilder.
He told Stamina for Sale: “The situation is, Saudi Arabia would like to do Fury against Usyk, AJ against Wilder on the same night.
“I went out there two weeks ago, they’re deadly serious, I’ve done two big fights with them before, I know they deliver.
“As I understand it, they’ve been doing their own negotiations with Deontay Wilder, which has gone very well.
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“They’ve been talking to Usyk for a year, because he boxed AJ over there and they know the rough kind of numbers that we want based on what we received for the Andy Ruiz fight and Usyk fight in Saudi Arabia.
“Fury is another story altogether, but not my business. But all I’m concerned about is doing the deal for AJ against Wilder, because if they can’t get Usyk and Fury over the line they will still do AJ against Wilder.
“This is what they want. They want this big quartet. AJ’s already told me ‘no problem’.
“You hit the numbers that we want for the fight, that aren’t unreasonable and not hugely out of proportion in terms of what he received there last time, we’re in.”
Anthony Joshua with promoter Eddie HearnCredit: Rex More

TYSON FURY faces ONE YEAR out of the ring as he looks set to snub a summer return to wait out for Oleksandr Usyk in December. The pair of unbeaten champions were on course to meet in the heavyweight division’s first ever four-belt unification bout.
Tyson Fury could wait to fight Oleksandr Usyk in DecemberCredit: EPA
Oleksandr Usyk saw talks to fight Tyson Fury this year collapseCredit: Reuters
But talks collapsed at the 11th hour due to a row over the money split for a potential rematch.
As a result, Fury looked forced into a summer return fight against a challenger for his WBC title.
But as the clock ticks, talks have been ongoing on the background with boxing bosses in Saudi Arabia.
The Middle Eastern hosts want Fury to fight Usyk on the SAME NIGHT as Anthony Joshua, 33, against Deontay Wilder, 37.
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And with so much money and legacy seemingly waiting for the Gypsy King, his US promoter Bob Arum revealed he could sit out for it.
Arum told Pro Box TV: “I really think any of the money that anybody’s talking about for that fight pales in comparison to what they could make in the Middle East.
“They’re waiting now, both fighters, for the end of the year, to fight each other in the middle east, because that’s where the big money is.
“Right now I think he’s going to wait, but with Tyson Fury it depends on how he wakes up in the morning.”
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Usyk, 36, was ordered into a WBA mandatory title defence against Daniel Dubois following his breakdown in talks with Fury, 34.
But no deal between the two camps was reached so the bout is set to go to purse bids on May 25.
Although if Dubois, 25, is unable to fight, the WBA will instead order Wilder into the fight with Usyk.
And despite talks ongoing for the American to face Joshua, his manager admitted they would consider switching their plans.
Shelly Finkel told Sky Sports: “If Deontay was offered the fight against Oleksandr Usyk, of course we would be interested.”
Deontay Wilder could be ordered into fighting Oleksandr UsykCredit: GETTY More

AUDLEY HARRISON said Anthony Joshua is in a “MESS” right now and suffering the “turbulence” of another coaching switch. Joshua parted ways with longtime cornerman Rob McCracken following defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021.
Anthony Joshua after beating Jermaine FranklinCredit: RICHARD PELHAM
And for the Saudi Arabia rematch last August, he hired American Robert Garcia but again it ended in a points loss.
And when AJ returned against Jermaine Franklin in April, he did so after relocating to Dallas with esteemed trainer Derrick James.
And despite comfortably beating Franklin over 12 rounds, Harrison questioned how long the partnership will last.
He told Sky Sports: “There’s a lesson to be learnt in his mess right now, as you can call it.
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“The Rob McCracken situation – he lost to Ruiz, he fixed that, came back, got the win.
“Then he lost again, so now he’s trying to find the right trainer. He tried Garcia, he’s with Derrick James right now.
“We can see that turbulence of him trying to figure it out. He hasn’t figured it out right now. It’s not complete.
“I think Derrick James is probably not going to be the final result.”
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Joshua, 33, bounced back with his first victory in three years but only after admitting money is still his motivation.
But Harrison warned that mindset could be a recipe for disaster.
He said: “You know, he’s made so much money, and I heard him do an interview saying he’s in it for the money.
“At this stage, when you’ve made that much money, the only thing keeping you going is the glory isn’t it?
“We don’t wake up for the money, we wake up for the glory. That’s what got him to the Olympics and to fight for world titles.
We can see that turbulence of him trying to figure it out. He hasn’t figured it out right now. It’s not complete. Audley Harrison on Anthony Joshua changing trainers
“The money is just a side thing. So if he’s lost that hunger to chase the glory, it will be hard, because he needs to be thinking of defining his legacy by turning back that loss.
“That needs to be his goal and what his drive should be. He can’t think about needing to prove people wrong.
“You can’t do it for the critics, you have to do it for yourself. He has to. He has to want to get back to the top and win a world title for him.
“I think he can if he really wants to do it for him. If he thinks of his legacy and wanting to be a Hall-of-Famer.
“He has to go back to that. He can’t do it for money, he’s got enough money already.
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“His motivation has to be: ‘I want greatness for myself,’ and ‘I want to undo the damage and get revenge on that guy.’ That’s all it has to be about.
“When Lennox [Lewis] lost to Hasim Rahman, all he cared about was revenge. As fighters, that’s all you need to back you, revenge.”
Former heavyweight boxer Audley HarrisonCredit: PA More

SAUDI ARABIA’s proposed four-man heavyweight tournament could be set for a major shake-up – and make it even BETTER.A mouthwatering tourney involving Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk and Deontay Wilder is tentatively in the works for December.
Saudi boxing chiefs are hoping to have Tyson Fury face Oleksandr Usyk in DecemverCredit: REUTERS
They’re also want to book a grudge match between Anthony Joshua and Deontay WilderCredit: RICHARD PELHAM
But The Bronze Bomber could soon be ordered to face P4P king UsykCredit: GETTY
Brit Daniel Dubois is currently on course to face Usyk but there are doubts the fight will happenCredit: GETTY
The current plan is to have Fury and Usyk square off in an undisputed showdown and Joshua and Wilder throw down in a long-overdue grudge match.
But those plans could end up being scuppered by Brit Daniel Dubois.
The WBA ordered Usyk to defend his title against Dubois in April but a deal has yet to come to fruition.
But should the fight – which has gone to a purse bid – fail to materialise, the WBA will order Usyk to fight former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder.
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Veteran boxing reporter Dan Rafael revealed the news, writing: “Should Dubois be unavailable to participate in the title bout with Usyk this summer, be it due to the knee or any other reason, WBA president Gilberto Mendoza told Fight Freaks Unite that Dubois would lose his position as mandatory challenger.
“And that the organization would order Usyk to instead defend against former WBC titlist Deontay Wilder, who is ranked No.1 by the WBA.”
The ordering of a Usyk vs Wilder fight would throw a spanner into the works of the Saudis’ winter plans.
It could, however, result in them potentially pivoting to a mouthwatering Battle of Britain between Joshua and Fury.
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Negotiations, however, are still ongoing for Fury and Usyk to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion in nearly 25 years.
Although they’ve once again ground to a halt.
Pound-for-pound king Usyk told Vringe: “[We’re] at an impasse.
“The fight will take place sooner or later. And everything will be decided in the ring.
“The fight will take place sooner or later. And everything will be decided in the ring.
“A big man who has very good abilities in boxing and in life, but this big man is very afraid of losing.”

🥊 Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk – Date, live stream, TV channel and all you need to know about heavyweight bout
Joshua vs Wilder, meanwhile, is still being worked on – although AJ promoter Eddie Hearn has since revealed he could take a warm-up fight against Dillian Whyte.
The Matchroom Boxing chief said: “If they [the Saudis] can’t get [Tyson] Fury-Usyk over the line, they will still do AJ vs. Wilder.
“You hit the numbers that we want, and then we work backward on that for the August fight that he [Joshua] will be having.
“We all believe he needs that fight in August and more time with [trainer] Derrick James, more preparation for Deontay Wilder, and then that’s it.
“Who we choose will be dependent on if we get that Wilder deal done.
“I like the Dillian Whyte fight [for Joshua]. Whether he gets the Wilder fight done or not, I like that fight.
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“I think it’s a fight that AJ will get up for.
“I think it’s a fight that he can have some spite for, and it’s a fight that is dangerous.” More

OLEKSANDR USYK hasn’t minced his words when it comes to his heavyweight rivals.Despite being the unified heavyweight king, the undefeated Ukranian is still seen by many as the new kid on the block in the division.
Oleksandr Usyk is the unified heavyweight champ but is still a newcomer to the divisionCredit: GETTY
The Ukrainian was recently asked to describe his rivals in two words of lessCredit: REUTERS
He didn’t mince his words when describing Tyson FuryCredit: Reuters
As such, the slick southpaw – who was due to face Tyson Fury in April – is still asked for his opinions on his rivals.
And in a recent interview with Vringe, the former undisputed cruiserweight king gave his thoughts on the rest of the heavyweights in two words or less.
When asked to describe himself, he simply said: “Justice.”
Unsurprisingly, he took aim at Fury by branding him the “Gyspy Queen.”
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Usyk, 36, had kinder words for former foe Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, referring to the Brit by his nickname of “AJ” and paying homage to the American’s power by saying “knockout”.
The new fan favourite also had kind words for Andy Ruiz Jr, Filip Hrgovic and Zhilei Zhang, dubbing the former a “Mexican warrior”.
Hrgovic was lauded as a “serious guy”, while Zhang was labelled “iron chin.”
Usyk mocked former opponent Joe Joyce by branding him “slow”, although he was respectful of the Juggernaut’s fellow Brit Dillian Whyte – who he insisted is “dangerous”.
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He wasn’t, however, so kind to former WBO heavyweight champion Joseph Parker – dismissing him as “Fury’s friend.”
Usyk’s eagerly-anticipated undisputed showdown with Fury fell through in March following his team’s decision to pull the plug after the Gypsy King continued to chop and change his demands.
Negotiations, however, resumed last month – although they have once again ground to a halt.
Usyk said: “[We’re] at an impasse.
“The fight will take place sooner or later. And everything will be decided in the ring.

🥊 Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk – Date, live stream, TV channel and all you need to know about heavyweight bout
“A big man who has very good abilities in boxing and in life, but this big man is very afraid of losing.”
Fury, however, is adamant the fight will eventually come to fruition.
He said: “I don’t think anybody’s scared of anybody in a boxing match.
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“The fight’s gotta happen, it’s gotta happen this year. I just think it’s an easy job.
“I’ll hit him, he’ll hit the floor, then I’ll go out and get drunk in the town centre.” More