Heavyweight boxing

CANELO ALVAREZ admits he was saddened by Manny Pacquiao’s decision to retire from boxing.Pacman officially brought the curtain down on his hall-of-fame career earlier this week with an emotional video message to his legion of fans.
Manny Pacquiao announced his retirement from boxing earlier this weekCredit: REUTERS
The Filipino retires after a staggering 72 professional fightsCredit: REUTERS
And pound-for-pound king Canelo admits he’s been saddened by his retirement
Current pound-for-pound king Canelo watched and admired Pacquiao as he came up the ranks and admits seeing the pride of the Philippines call it a day is ‘sad’.
He told Little Giant Boxing: “It’s sad, but it was about time.
“He did a lot of things for boxing, he is a great fighter, a legend.”
Pacquiao, 42, teased retirement was on the cards after his unanimous decision defeat to Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas last month.
On Wednesday morning, he tweeted a video with the accompanying caption: “To the greatest fans and the greatest sport in the world, thank you!
“Thank you for all the wonderful memories. This is the hardest decision I’ve ever made, but I’m at peace with it.

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“Chase your dreams, work hard, and watch what happens. Goodbye boxing.”
In the 14-minute long video, the senator said: “As I hang up my boxing gloves, I would like to thank the whole world, especially the Filipino people for supporting Manny Pacquiao. Goodbye boxing.
“It is difficult for me to accept that my time as a boxer is over.
“Today I am announcing my retirement.”
He added: “Thank you for changing my life, when my family was desperate, you gave us hope, you gave me the chance to fight my way out of poverty.
“Because of you, I was able to inspire people all over the world.
“Because of you I have been given the courage to change more lives.

“I will never forget what I have done and accomplished in my life that I can’t imagine.
“I just heard the final bell.”
“I never thought this day would come as I hang up my boxing gloves.”

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Manny Pacquiao confirms retirement as he says ‘goodbye boxing’ in emotional farewell video to fans More

THE war of words between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder escalated again as Fury slammed claims he ‘faked’ Covid to get their trilogy fight called off.The WBC champion instead claimed he contracted the virus TWICE and was left feeling ‘weak’ and ‘terrible’ with illness.
Tyson Fury insisted he tested positive for Covid twiceCredit: Getty
Deontay Wilder has claimed Fury used the virus as an excuseCredit: Rex
Wilder has repeatedly accused his opponent of using a positive Covid test as an excuse to swerve their third fight.
The pair had been due to meet again back in July but Fury insisted his camp were justified in postponing to October following an outbreak of the virus.
He told BoxingScene: “I don’t care what Deontay Wilder says, because if we want to take this publicly, then we have medical records by doctors here in Las Vegas who tested me.
“I don’t think you can fake Covid with the PCR test, when they stick a big thing up your nose. You’ve either got it or you haven’t.
“There would be no reason for me to want Covid and get out of a Deontay Wilder fight.
“Why would I want to chuck away $20-30 million to fight someone I’ve already knocked out quite comfortably?”

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The delayed fight is set to take place at Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on October 9 with Fury recovered from his recent Covid scare.
The Brit claimed it was the second time he had picked up the virus, which robbed him of his sense of smell and taste.
He added: “I’ve had Covid twice. I had it once back in like 2020 and once a couple of months ago.
“The first time was a lot harder because I lost my sense of smell and taste, and I felt weak and I felt terrible. The second time, I didn’t feel that terrible.
Oleksandr Usyk wants the winner of Fury vs WilderCredit: AFP
“But with Covid you can’t fight because the commission won’t let you fight anyway, even if you wanted to.”
The winner of the Vegas bout is likely to find himself in the firing line of new champ Oleksandr Usyk.
The Ukrainian smashed Anthony Joshua to claim his heavyweight belts and wants an undisputed bout after he takes care of a rematch with the Brit.
Frank Warren says that Tyson Fury saw his fight with Anthony Joshua ‘going down the drain’ as he watched Usyk masterclass More

OSCAR DE LA HOYA accused Eddie Hearn of ‘ruining Anthony Joshua’s career’ while… errr… getting a face massage.The American legend posted a bizarre video online in which he took aim at AJ’s Essex-based promoter.
Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya has lashed out at Eddie Hearn while having a face massage
The American took aim at Matchroom promoter Hearn and accused him of ‘ruining Anthony Joshua’s career’
Joshua suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night.
The Brit has been criticised for his tactics with his trainer Rob McCracken coming in for particular flack.
But in an odd move, De La Hoya, 48, posted a clip of himself being pampered and slamming Hearn, 42, at the same time.
The Golden Boy promotions founder said: “Joshua vs Usyk, which nobody saw in the US because… what’s that promoter that has no clue what to do in the US?
“I think his name is Hearn or something.”
De La Hoya then pretended to forget his fellow promoter’s name and said: “Thomas Hearn, stay in the UK and promote your fights.

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“You have no clue what you’re doing in the US.
“DAZN is doing the right thing sticking with Golden Boy.
“Stay away from the US. He does not know how to promote.
“Usyk crowned himself world champion and Eddie Hearn ruined Joshua’s career.”
After the fight, Hearn confirmed Joshua would immediately trigger his rematch clause with Usyk.
But the promoter has urged AJ to change his style in the second fight with Ukrainian after saying trying to outbox Usyk was a ‘terrible idea’.
The promoter was involved in a vicious spat with a fan on Saturday at Tottenham’s stadium.
He was called a ‘p****’ by a member of the crowd before spinning round and asking the man to repeat his jibe before shouting: “Yeah, you s*** yourself now.”
HEARN REGRETS
But Hearn has since admitted he regrets his actions.
He told iFL TV: “I shouldn’t have done it, but we spend our lives listening to people online that give you abuse.
“It’s not because I’m a tough guy. At that moment I would’ve taken on about 40 people!
“But yeah, I shouldn’t have done it.”

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Conor Benn stunned to see Anthony Joshua lose against Oleksandr Usyk and should have ‘bullied’ Ukrainian rival More

CONOR BENN was stunned to see Anthony Joshua let magic man Oleksandr Usyk make his world titles disappear.The 25-year-old welterweight ace was ringside at Tottenham cheering on the 31-year-old and was left gutted his shock game plan to outbox the Ukraine genius fell short.
Something was off with Anthony Joshua during his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday night
That is according to Conor Benn who was in the crowd cheering AJ on
A fair few fighters, past and present, and pundits have hammered 17st 2lb AJ and Rob McCracken’s strategy to stay trim and out-skill the 34-year-old southpaw.
But Benn – nicknamed the Destroyer like his dad – wants to help rebuild the old KO artist back to his most devastating best for the must-win rematch next year.
He told iFL TV: “I don’t know what happened but I just think the strategy and tactics were wrong. He gave a magician room to perform tricks.
“Usyk is an unbelievable fighter, he is up as a pound-for-pound best but, for me, if there was ever a night for AJ to come in heavy then that fight was the case.
“He should have bullied him, manhandled him, let him know that he was in the ring with a big heavyweight.
“He should have set the tone straight away and let three and four-punch combinations go, let him know he was in with a big boy.

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“But the fact is you cannot hit what you cannot see and I told people, if it went past eight rounds, it was anyone’s to win.
“The only way to beat Usyk is to stick it on him, 1million per cent, I don’t believe anybody is outboxing Usyk.
“It’s hard to believe that those were the tactics going in because AJ has the power, the speed, the skillset, the boxing brain to go in there and beat him up, manhandle him, punch-him-up with threes and fours.”
Benn, son of British ring legend Nigel, started his career on the undercard of AJ’s 2016 first world title win over Charles Martin, so he has had a ringside seat for most of his pro career.
And he was deeply concerned by the casual way Joshua walked to the ring – for the biggest and most technical fight of his life – bumping fists with fans greeting friends in the crowd.
Benn, a student of the game learning rapidly under Tony Sims, was immediately worried that while Usyk was already in the ring plotting, AJ’s arrival was too much like a victory lap.
‘BODY LANGUAGE IS EVERYTHING’
He said: “I think body language is everything. And, personally, I felt that things didn’t look right in the ring-walk, it just looked off compared to other ring walks.
“Even if he had won, I would have felt something looked off.
“The walk into the Usyk fight looked like the victory lap he would have wanted afterwards.
“Because AJ is so consistent with who he is, when he does something off, like the ring-walk victory-lap, it does catch your attention. I think body language is everything, I really do.”
Derek Chisora – who gave Usyk a major scare last Halloween in the first five rounds of their fight – spent time in AJ’s training camp and has defended his mate’s baffling gameplan.
But Benn reckons Joshua should have let his 18st friend and former training partner be the architect of Usyk’s demise.
CAN HE DO IT AGAIN?
Benn added: “If it was me I would have used a weight advantage, Chisora drew the blueprint for how you beat Usyk, I felt he won that fight.
“I know Chisora is robust, he will sit and lean on someone – and maybe AJ wants to be more of a boxer-puncher – but AJ, in his younger career, was a better finisher, he had the killer instinct.
“It will be interesting to see what happens in the rematch, what happens with the weight, his mindset, the ring-walk.
“For the Andy Ruiz rematch AJ did what he had to do to win, it wasn’t necessarily the most entertaining fight, but he did what he had to do and hopefully he can do it again.”

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Alexander Krassyuk says Anthony Joshua has activated his world title rematch clause against Usyk after crushing defeat More

TYSON FURY saw the biggest payday of his career go ‘down the drain’ as he watched Oleksandr Usyk outbox Anthony Joshua.The undefeated Ukrainian put on a boxing clinic last weekend in his Tottenham tussle with AJ, which he won via unanimous decision.
Anthony Joshua suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last weekendCredit: GETTY
Victory over AJ saw Oleksandr Usyk become unified heavyweight championCredit: GETTY
Tyson Fury’s co-promoter – Frank Warren – was baffled by AJ’s choice of tacticsCredit: PA
And WBC king Fury was the most interested observer on the planet as Usyk danced rings around his countryman and scuppered the biggest fight in the history of British boxing.
His co-promoter Frank Warren said: “I spoke to Tyson during the fight and we were both of the same opinion.
“All Tyson could see was a massive big fight going down the drain, which is what happened.”
Queensbury Promotion’s chief Warren was stunned by Joshua’s decision to try and outbox the fleetfooted Usyk.
He added: “You would’ve thought the bigger man would have imposed himself.
“He just did not do it and didn’t do it in any part of the fight. Not in any part of that fight was he dominant.”

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The Ukrainian’s schooling of Joshua reaffirmed Warren’s belief that Fury would wipe the floor with the former unified heavyweight champion.
He continued: “All Usyk was doing was just totally outboxing him.
“I said to Tyson, ‘Can you imagine if you were in there with him, how long that would’ve lasted?’
“Tyson’s got as fast hands as Usyk’s got, as good a boxing brain as Usyk’s got and as good footwork as Usyk’s got.
“But he’s a bigger puncher and he’s got a better chin.”
Joshua, 31, has exercised his rematch clause and is set to renew his rivalry with former undisputed cruiserweight king Usyk early next year.
All Tyson could see was a massive big fight going down the drain, which is what happenedFrank Warren
And he’s adamant he’ll get the better of his fellow Olympic gold medallist second time around.
When asked why he’s confident of success in the rematch, Joshua said: “Just being a quick learner.
“Understanding the positive from the negative.
“If you look at it from a negative point of view, you’re never going to have that mindset that you can make a difference because you’re down anyway.
“But if you look at it from a positive point of view, and realise, ‘Yeah, I took a loss.
“‘But that’s a lesson, that’s a blessing. I can use it as fuel to get better.
Anthony Joshua has vowed to bounce back from his second professional defeatCredit: PA
“‘And use it as fuel to right my wrongs.’ You can only get better from there.
“So I’m not gonna hold myself down from the mistake I made, I’m only gonna uplift myself and say, ‘Actually, you know what? That was a tough fight.
“‘But from that fight, I’m gonna go away, get my notepad out and find ways to improve.”

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Alexander Krassyuk says Anthony Joshua has activated his world title rematch clause against Usyk after crushing defeat More

OLEKSANDR USYK decided against knocking out Anthony Joshua because he didn’t want to seriously hurt the former heavyweight champ in front of his loved ones.The Olympic gold medallist ended the Watford warrior’s second reign as unified heavyweight champion last weekend with a masterclass at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Oleksandr Usyk ended Anthony Joshua’s reign as unified heavyweight champion last weekendCredit: GETTY
The Ukrainian put on a boxing clinic at the Tottenham Hotspur StadiumCredit: REUTERS
Usyk refrained from knocking out AJCredit: GETTY
Usyk, 34, hurt Joshua on multiple occasions in the Tottenham tussle but refrained from going in for the kill as he didn’t want to take a ‘big chunk of health’ from the Brit.
When asked why he didn’t stop AJ, the Ukrainian said: “Why are you so bloodthirsty?
“There is victory, everything is fine.
“Why is it necessary for a person to fall? He has relatives, friends, a mother and a father.
“This is a big chunk of health if a person falls. I’m not for that.”
According to the newly-crowned unified heavyweight king, his corner urged him to refrain from going for the stoppage.

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He said: “I had no objective to knock him out because my trainer, in my corner, pushed me not to do that.
“In the beginning, I hit him hard and tried to knock him out. But then my trainer said: ‘Just stop, and do your job.'”
Usyk is set to renew his rivalry with Joshua early next year after the Brit activated the rematch clause in their contract.
His promoter – Alexander Krassuyk – said: “The rematch was specified in the contract.
“It has already been activated in principle, from the side of Joshua.
“So I remember when we discussed with Oleksandr the issue of rematch, he was delighted and said ‘Wow, cool, I will beat Antokha [Anthony] twice.”
Usyk is hoping to make the first defence of his heavyweight titles in front of a capacity crowd at Kiev’s Olympic Stadium.
He said: “I would love to have the rematch at Olympiyskiy Stadium in Kiev.”
Oleksandr Usyk wants to defend his newly-acquired titles on home soilCredit: REUTERS

Joshua, 31, is more than willing to take the fight on enemy territory, saying: “Yeah, of course. Anywhere.
“Wherever the opportunity is. As I said, anywhere. Wherever the opportunity may be. I would love to just compete again.
“I’ll speak to the promotion and the management team.”

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Alexander Krassyuk says Anthony Joshua has activated his world title rematch clause against Usyk after crushing defeat More

MANNY PACQUIAO has confirmed his retirement from boxing in an emotional farewell video to his legion of fans.The former eight-weight world champion claimed his ‘boxing career is over’ a month removed from his unanimous decision defeat to Yordenis Ugas, although his manager was quick to dismiss that notion.
Manny Pacquiao has officially announced his retirement from boxingCredit: AFP
Pacman, 42, retires from the sport as an eight-weight world championCredit: REUTERS
The pride of the Philipines says he’s ‘at peace’ with his decision to hang up his glovesCredit: AFP
But the pride of the Philippines has now officially brought the curtain down on his Hall-of-Fame career.
Early on Wednesday morning, Pacquiao tweeted a video with the accompanying caption: “To the greatest fans and the greatest sport in the world, thank you!
“Thank you for all the wonderful memories. This is the hardest decision I’ve ever made, but I’m at peace with it.
“Chase your dreams, work hard, and watch what happens. Good bye boxing.”
In the video, an emotional Pacman said: “As I hang up my boxing gloves, I would like to thank the whole world, especially the Filipino people for supporting Manny Pacquiao. Goodbye boxing.
“It is difficult for me to accept that my time as a boxer is over. Today I am announcing my retirement.”

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Fan favourite Pacquiao, 42, retires having won 62 of the 72 bouts in his professional career, which he began as a fresh-faced 16-year-old.
But the softly-spoken power puncher came up short in the biggest fight of his career against Floyd Mayweather in May 2015, suffering a unanimous decision defeat.
He continued: “Thank you for changing my life, when my family was desperate, you gave us hope, you gave me the chance to fight my way out of poverty.
“Because of you, I was able to inspire people all over the world. Because of you I have been given the courage to change more lives.
“I will never forget what I have done and accomplished in my life that I can’t imagine.
I just heard the final bellManny Pacquiao
“I just heard the final bell. Boxing is over.
“I never thought this day would come as a I hang up my boxing gloves.”
Pacquiao has quit to focus on his presidential bid in his homeland.
After announcing his intention to run for office, the senator said: “I am a fighter, and I will always be a fighter inside and outside the ring.
“I am accepting your nomination as candidate for president of the Republic of the Philippines.”

And he doesn’t plan on pulling any punches when it comes to tackling the corruption plaguing his nation.
He said: “I am here for my countrymen and not myself. I want to fight for the rights of the poor.
“I want to rid the country of corruption while I’m in government.”

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Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao officially retires aged 42 More