Heavyweight boxing

FORMER heavyweight boxing world champion Alexander Poevtkin has announced his retirement from the sport.The Russian veteran has cited the after-effects of the coronavirus as being a key reason for hanging up his gloves.
Former world champ Alexander Povetkin, left, has retired from boxingCredit: Mark Robinson
Povetkin is going out on a defeat, after he was KO’d by Brit Dillian Whyte in their rematch in March.
Six months earlier the 41-year-old had upset the apple cart when he delivered a monstrous KO uppercut on Whyte to secure a fifth-round stoppage.
But Povetkin contracted coronavirus in the months after that victory, setting Part II of their series back.
When he did finally step back into the ring against the Bodysnatcher, Povetkin seemed all over the place and it was no surprise when he was flattened in the fourth.
On his retirement, Povetkin told Russian website TASS: “The years are taking their toll. I decided to end my career.
“After the coronavirus, a lot needs to be treated, time will pass, I’m not 20 anymore.
“I feel like I’m drunk in sparring and training after the coronavirus, it really affects.”
Povetkin ends his career with 36 wins from his 40 fights, with just three losses and one draw.
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The veteran Russian was knocked out by Dillian Whyte in their rematchCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing

The other defeats both came in title fights – against Anthony Joshua in 2018 and the legendary Wladimir Klischko in 2013.
Povetkin drew against American Michael Hunter on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s revenge mission against Andy Ruiz Jr in 2016.
Whyte, meanwhile, is back as the WBC mandatory challenger – a title held by Tyso Fury after he battered Deontay Wilder in February.
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Povetkin destroyed Whyte in their first fight – the second did not follow the same pathCredit: Mark Robinson
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EDDIE HEARN has warned Anthony Joshua his career could be permanently ‘derailed’ if he loses to Oleksandr Usyk.Joshua, 31, is on the brink of facing the former cruiserweight king following the collapse of his undisputed heavyweight title fight with Tyson Fury.
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Oleksandr Usyk is set to throw down with Anthony Joshua in SeptemberCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Eddie Hearn has warned Anthony Joshua could his career could be ‘derailed’ by UsykCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
And Hearn reckons the undefeated Ukrainian could prove to be a huge banana skin for AJ.
The Matchroom Boxing chief told Sky Sports: “We have both alerted the WBO, myself and (Usyk’s promoter) Alex Krassyuk.
“Terms are agreed. The offer we made to them has been accepted.
“We move forward to paper that now. We are going through the contract with their team.
“It is very amicable. They have been partners of ours for a long time.
“This is a fight that could derail the career of Joshua if he’s not on it, if he’s not 100 per cent.

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“AJ needs to be ruthless. He needs to show the [ruthlessness of] Derek Chisora with more cuteness and sharpness.”
“AJ wants to make a statement, these are the fights that he likes.”
September 25 is the tentative date for Joshua’s long-awaited clash with his fellow Olympian, which both men are relishing.
Hearn added: “Usyk just wants the fight, he wants the opportunity to become heavyweight champion
“[Joshua] loves the fight. We all know it’s tricky, we all know it’s difficult.
“But what else are we going to do?
Eddie Hearn has hailed Anthony Johua’s willingness to take on allcomersCredit: MATCHROOM BOXING

“AJ is a throwback fighter and, for years and years, has faced all of the people that [were made his mandatory challengers].”
Joshua hasn’t set foot inside the ring since his ninth-round KO of Kubrat Pulev last December.
And the unified heavyweight champion of the world is eager to return with a bang when he locks horns with The Cat.
Hearn said: “Time and time again, AJ has never shirked a challenge.
“And this is a real challenge. Look at the pound-for-pound top-10 list, AJ is not on it. Usyk is.
“AJ wants to make a statement, these are the fights that he likes.”
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RICKY HATTON has warned Tyson Fury not to underestimate Deontay Wilder after seeing clips of his ‘murderous punches’ in training.The Bronze Bomber was beaten for the first time in February 2020 as he surrendered the WBC belt to the Brit in a seven-round stoppage loss.
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Ricky Hatton has warned Tyson Fury not to underestimate Deontay WilderCredit: Social Media – Refer to Source
The Hitman was in the Gypsy King’s corner for his first fight against the Bronze BomberCredit: Reuters
The American is now seeking revenge as he faces Fury once more, after they signed to fight on July 24 following arbitration.
Wilder and his new trainer Malik Scott are working hard and have recently hinted at a tactical switch.
And Hatton – who was in Fury’s corner for the first fight against Wilder – is worried thoughts of a potential unification bout with Anthony Joshua may have seen the Gypsy King take his eye off the ball.
He wrote in his column for the Metro: “Could Tyson Fury be underestimating Deontay Wilder? Possibly.
“That’s the first question everyone is going to ask of him, if there is going to be any complacency. Especially given how easily he won the second fight.
“But Tyson will know he will need to be even more switched on for this one. I know Wilder will be embarrassed deep down over how the last fight ended so he is going to come up more determined.
“Tyson has got to be as determined as him no matter what happened last time.
“And let’s have it right; Deontay Wilder is a murderous puncher. I’ve seen clips of him working with Malik Scott.
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“The padwork I’ve seen, he seems to be disguising his big shots a bit better, working more on polishing up his moves a bit more whereas he used to just throw a lot of them from the back row.
“He seems a little more compact in training at the minute, he seems a little bit more controlled and thinking a bit more about what he’s doing.
“He’s started going about things the right way. And he will be up for this, knowing this is his last chance. Tyson’s got to be as up for it as he is.”
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OLEKSANDR USYK may need to get back to the drawing board in his attempt to intimidate Anthony Joshua.The Ukrainian sent the British heavyweight champ a bizarre message while stepping up preparations for their September showdown.
Oleksandr Usyk had a message for Anthony Joshua ahead of their upcoming boutCredit: Instagram / @usyk17.promotions
Usyk was working hard in the gym ahead of their September showdownCredit: Instagram / @usyk17.promotions
Usyk, 34, showed off his power and physique while skipping in the gym.
As the camera panned on AJ’s mandatory challenger, he says: “Hey Anthony, how are you?”
The fighting talk is unlikely to have Joshua quaking in his boots just yet.
His message comes after Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed the fight will be signed this week.
And it is likely to take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Hearn said: “I can tell you that this week, that this is a more confident footing than the Joshua – Fury negotiations, because I know Alex Krassyuk (Usyk’s promoter) very well, and I know Usyk very well.
“This week that fight will be signed. We’re looking at September in London. Just finalising the details.
“It’s a great fight, a dangerous fight, it’s not the one we necessarily wanted or expected. But it’s a high level heavyweight fight.
Anthony Joshua is likely to fight Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur StadiumCredit: PA

“It’s a unified heavyweight champion against the undisputed cruiserweight champion, and on we go with that fight – it’s a big event.”
Joshua, 31, and Fury, 32, had agreed terms for a unification on August 14 in Saudi Arabia.
It came after the Gypsy King walked away from a trilogy bout with Deontay Wilder, believing the immediate rematch clause had expired.
Wilder, 35, took his case to arbitration and after months of mediation the judge ruled in his favour.
To avoid another legal battle or paying step aside money, Fury then agreed to a trilogy bout, with the pair signed to fight on July 24 in America.
It left Joshua out in the cold and forced to line up southpaw Usyk, 34, who became his mandatory after stepping up to heavyweight.
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ANTHONY JOSHUA is looking to prove that Oleksandr Usyk has bitten off more than he can chew as he revealed his chiseled physique while enjoying a BBQ.The star’s WBO mandatory with the Ukrainian is on the verge of being finalised after the highly-anticipated unification clash with Tyson Fury collapsed.

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Anthony Joshua cooked up a treat for his fans as he posed beside the BBQCredit: https://www.instagram.com/anthonyjoshua/
The boxing star attracted plenty of compliments from his followersCredit: https://www.instagram.com/anthonyjoshua/
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But AJ has taken time away from training this week to get behind the grill and cook up a treat in the sunshine.
And the Watford-born boxer already looks to be in superb condition ahead of his next title defence as he smiled and posed for a snap.
One fan commented: “The champ BBQ’ing his opponents.”
Another said: “There’s only one hot thing in this pic and it ain’t the flame.”
While a fellow supporter wrote: “Yeh boi! Grillmaster.”
Negotiations for the Usyk fight began immediately after the collapse of Joshua’s proposed undisputed heavyweight title bout with Fury, which fell through after the WBC champ was ordered to face Deontay Wilder instead in a trilogy match.
A deal looked unlikely but is now on course to be finalised following productive talks between Eddie Hearn and Usyk’s promoter Alexander Krassyuk.
The Matchroom Boxing chief told talkSPORT at the weekend: “I actually had a couple of calls with [his promoter] Alex Krassyuk this morning.
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“Today is the day the WBO will order purse bids – that gives you another seven days before purse bids to make a deal.
“We are quite close now to making a deal with Oleksandr Usyk.”
Joshua launched a blistering attack on The Gypsy King on social media last month after their fight collapsed.
But Hearn insists the unified heavyweight champ of the world is ‘over’ the pain of the legacy-defining fight slipping through his hands.
He said: “AJ’s over that initial disappointment of the Fury fight falling out.
“He’s a very proud man, he loves to take on all challengers and the challenge of Usyk is a very dangerous one.
“It’s very likely you will see AJ vs Usyk at the back end of this summer.”

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FLOYD MAYWEATHER and Logan Paul’s respective cuts of the pay-per-view buys for their clash could take a drastic hit following the crash of Showtime’s streaming app.The pair’s eight-round exhibition was aired on the broadcaster’s streaming app.
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Some fans had trouble tuning into the fightCredit: AFP
But a slew of North American fight fans were unable to watch the fight due to technical difficulties.
And angry punters – who shelled out £35.31 ($49.99) for the exhibition – demanded a full refund.
One furious fan tweeted: “Why is my showtime app not working?’
Another said: “Showtime is not working. Already ordered the fight and $50 the app won’t even work?”
And another said: “App crashed and not working, please refund. Just subbed to a different place. Thank you.
One remarked: “Dear Showtime I would like a refund this is unacceptable and unprofessional the first flight has already happened and still my TV is not working well the Showtime app is not working.”

Fans who could watch witnessed eight rounds of fightingCredit: AFP
Another irate punter said: “I just paid $50 for a fight I can’t watch. App is not working and errors out.
“Horrible app! I demand a refund! #refund.”
The scale of the technical difficulties experienced by Showtime’s paying customers is currently unknown.
But if it’s on a large scale, they face the prospect of having to dish out hundreds – maybe even thousands – of refunds.
And with the PPV costing £35.31 ($49.99) a pop, that’s a whole lot of cash the fighters – as well as Showtime – will end up missing out on.
Before the fight – Mayweather boasted that he hoped to make up to £72m from the fight once PPVs were totalled up.

Mayweather vs Paul would go the distance at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
The boxer was clearly the better fighter, but his YouTube rival had enough about him to hold on for the whole eight rounds.
The bout was Mayweather’s first outing since his exhibition with Tenshin Nasukawa in December 2018.
YouTube sensation Paul went into the contest as a huge underdog but vowed to shock the world and hand Money his first loss in nearly 25 years.
He didn’t manage that – but he did leave with some credit.
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LOGAN PAUL has once again vowed to shock the world and beat Floyd Mayweather.The YouTuber is set to trade leather with Money in an exhibition bout in Miami in just a matter of hours.
Logan Paul is set to take on Floyd Mayweather in MiamiCredit: Getty
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Paul’s chances of landing a meaningful punch – let alone beating the former five-weight world champion – have been written off by many.
But The Maverick is adamant he will pull off the biggest upset in boxing history.
Alongside a gripping trailer promoting the fight, he wrote on Instagram: “Today, I beat Floyd Mayweather.
“Watch me make history on @showtime & @fanmio, 8pm ET.”
Paul, 26, is 0-1 in his professional boxing career having suffered a split decision defeat to fellow YouTuber KSI in November 2019.
But he’s brimming with confidence ahead of his clash with the greatest boxer of the modern era.
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He said: “I’m going to knock him out and become the greatest boxer on the planet.
“Then I’m going to retire and not give Floyd the rematch. He doesn’t know who he’s getting in the ring with.
“He really thinks I’m a YouTuber. He really thinks I’m a fake fighter. I get it.
“Everything that I’ve portrayed online says the same thing. But we’re really about this life now.
“Floyd underestimating me is going to hurt him, I think.
Logan Paul is adamant he’ll shock the world and beat Floyd MayweatherCredit: Rex

“If you think about it, this truly is one of the most special, historic events ever.
“You have one of the greatest boxers of our generation, fighting, uh, me.”
Paul weighed in over two stone heavier than the 44-year-old Mayweather on Friday and reckons his weight and height advantages will guide him to victory.
He said: “I’m not going in there at 155 lbs. I’m not going in there with the fight meaning the entire world to me.
“I have nothing to lose. This whole thing is going to be fun for me. I’m going to play with Floyd, gonna dog him and hit him hard.
“I’m going to break him down physically, mentally, everything.
“I don’t like comparing myself to other guys. As great as they might be, I’m not them.”
Mayweather was unable to knock out Paul in Miami, meaning no official winner was declared.
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