Sky Sports

SKY SPORTS believe they will keep Anthony Joshua out of the clutches of new boxing broadcast rivals DAZN.The streaming service has already snapped up Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn and his stable, with stars like Josh Warrington, Conor Benn and Katie Taylor fighting on the app this weekend in Leeds.
Sky Sports are confident they will be able retain Anthony Joshua as their boxing ‘ambassador’Credit: PA
Eddie Hearn is keen to lure Joshua to his streaming venture DAZNCredit: PA:Press Association
Hearn hopes his long-running relationship with the WBA, IBF and WBO king will help him take AJ over to the market’s new £7.99 a-month force.
But Sky Sports’ head of boxing Adam Smith believes Joshua’s proven loyalty, especially to trainer Rob McCracken after he faced blame for the Andy Ruiz defeat in 2019, will prove to be the deciding factor in keeping him on Sky Box Office.
Launching Sky’s return to boxing with stars like Chris Eubank Jr, Josh Taylor and Caroline Dubois, Smith said: “Anthony was already a star after winning gold at London 2012 and we think we have made him a superstar on Sky.
“He has almost become an ambassador for us and is on pictures all over Sky’s offices all over the country.
“We look at how we build fighters, clever matchmaking and taking people around the country and then taking them to PPV at the right time.
“AJ is loved by the nation, he has the looks and the skill and now he has had the comeback.

“AJ is a massive part of our business so I would be naive to say I will happily watch him leave, we will be fighting hard to keep working with Anthony going forward.
“I think he is a very loyal guy who has stayed with Eddie and Rob McCracken and I think he will be loyal to Sky.”
AJ’s September 25 defence against Oleksandr Usyk at the new Spurs stadium will be Joshua’s last on his current contract with Sky.
AJ has been amazing for us and we are hopeful we can continue doing business in the futureAdam SmithSky Sports Head of Boxing
The bidding war can commence on the 26th but bullish Smith believes his company’s PPV platform can hold off DAZN’s advances.
He said: “We have AJ’s next fight vs Usyk and we have worked for a long time getting that to Spurs.
“We have been with AJ for a long time, helping him build up from London 2012 and we are excited about talks and movement in that direction.
“AJ has been amazing for us and we are hopeful we can continue doing business in the future.”
Hearn was a brilliant driving force for Sky boxing in front and behind the camera and eyebrows were raised when Britain’s youngest promoter Ben Shalom was named the Essex mogul’s successor.
But Smith has revealed that Shalom, who created the Ultimate Boxxer brand that recently morphed into BOXXER, is going to take a more low-profile approach to promoting.
“Eddie went and we wanted to stay in boxing,” Smith said.
“We had some great times but we needed to go again and change direction slightly.

“Ben is a very smart and cool guy, he’s different to Eddie, he does not want to be front and centre, the fighters are going to do and be that.
“Ben gave an extraordinary presentation and he has a very strong team behind him.
“It may have been a bit of a shock for the boxing world but he has really impressed me.”

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Eddie Hearn confirms that Anthony Joshua v Oleksandr Usyk pay-per-view cost will be £24.95 More

ANTHONY JOSHUA’S heavyweight showdown with Oleksandr Usyk will set fans back a hefty £24.95 – leaving many fuming at the cost.Joshua, 31, takes on the Ukrainian at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 25.
TV viewers will need to stump up £24.95 to watch Anthony Joshua’s next fightCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
His WBA, IBF and WBO world title belts will be on the line for the first time since dispatching Kubrat Pulev last December.
But for those not inside the 60,000-seater North London venue, they must stump up the cash to watch the action unfold.
Joshua vs Usyk will be shown in the UK on Sky Sports Box Office.
And according to iFL, promoter Eddie Hearn indicated the broadcaster is set to charge almost £25 for the bout.
The fight is the last one on AJ’s Sky contract with the organisation, after which he will become a broadcasting free agent.
DAZN have the streaming rights in the USA.

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Fans took to Twitter to make their feelings known regarding the Sky pricing.
One said: “£25 to see Usyk screwed over in England? Nah stream will do fine.”
Another wrote: “Don’t think I’ve seen a boxing PPV been that expensive before – soon they’ll start charging 50 quid lol.”
A third simply commented: “Robbed.”
But one user did not mind too much and added: “Thought it would be more, as Sky doesn’t show as much boxing now.”
And a final one replied: “That’s a normal AJ fight price.”
Slick southpaw Usyk has been tipped to give AJ one of the toughest tests of his career, but ex-heavyweight champ David Haye reckons Joshua will tame The Cat before the halfway point of the 12-round bout.
AJ knocks Usyk out very conclusively… 100 per cent inside six roundsDavid Haye
The former WBA titleholder told SecondsOut: “AJ knocks Usyk out very conclusively.
“Left, right, jab, right cross that puts Usyk down or out, and then it’s done. 100 per cent inside six rounds.
“If it does go past six rounds, it’s because AJ wants it to go past six rounds. Yes, and because of what I saw of AJ in the Pulev fight.”
The 18-0 challenger has been piling on the pounds in a bid to bulk up and match the big boys of the division since stepping up from cruiserweight.
But AJ, who weighed 17st 2lb in his last fight, revealed he is actually looking to trim down to avoid being ‘bulky with my muscles screaming for oxygen’.
And he admitted unbeaten Usyk presents the toughest challenge of his career to date.
Watford king Joshua said: “It can be mentally fatiguing so I am sharpening the mind so that I can concentrate for the 12 rounds.

“Also I practice having the ability to [punch] four times, not just once. Concentrate, take your time, pin him down.
“It’s a fight for the brain. Knowing what you’ve got in front of you and knowing how to deal with it.
“You can either be aggressive, corner [him], throw everything at it. Or take your time, be clever, then knock [him] out.”
AJ takes on unbeaten Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk at the Spurs stadium on September 25
Eddie Hearn indicated the hefty price for what could be the Watford king’s last fight on Sky SportsCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk – Official Fight Trailer More