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Why we need to stop giving Tyson Fury a hard time

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Why we need to stop giving Tyson Fury a hard time | Boxen247.com

Why we need to stop giving Tyson Fury a hard time | Boxen247.com

Why We Need To Stop Giving Tyson Fury a Hard Time 

When you are the champion in any weight class of boxing, you automatically have a target on your back. In the case of Tyson Fury, however, it has been a long time since he has been the hunted, given his openness to fighting anyone, and his ease in getting it done. In fact, it is fair to say that with the exception of fighting Anthony Joshua, Fury has pretty much cleared out the division. On December 3rd this year, Fury will take on Derek Chisora in what will be a trilogy fight. Currently, if you look at a site like https://www.betstation.com/sports-betting-sites/ you’ll find that Fury is a whopping 1/33 to win that fight. This has drawn much criticism from the boxing world, that Fury is not taking the big fights. 

Here, however, is why all of those who are critical of Fury, are wrong. 

Anthony Joshua Fight

We have to remember that Fury had said that he was retiring following the Dillian Whyte fight, yet he interested boxing fans when he said that he would fight Anthony Joshua. Throughout a series of social media posts and official announcements, we discovered that Joshua was offered a very sweet deal, for a fight that many fans didn’t actually think that he deserved. Joshua was once the champion but has now lost 3 fights in total, including 2 against Oleksandr Usyk. The fight, as many thought, fell through, but not because of Fury. The consensus is that Joshua is worried his career will be all but over should he lose to Fury. 

Potential Usyk Fight 

The perfect match-up for Fury right now is surely Usyk who is unbeaten like Fury and currently holds the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and The Ring heavyweight titles. This would give Fury a chance to also put his WBC belt on the line, and attempt to unify the division. Whilst there is no doubt that Fury would take the fight, it was Usyk’s camp that said that he wouldn’t be fighting for at least 6 months. A lot of fight fans suggest that Fury should wait until that fight, but why should he remain inactive simply because of what the fans want?

Chisora Makes Sense

It is entirely possible of course that Fury steamrolls Chisora, but we cannot ignore the steel and fortitude that Chisora has. After all, for those who are saying Fury needs to fight Joshua, that is a man who was beaten twice by Usyk having gone the distance. Chisora also went a full 12 rounds with Usyk and lost by a decision, not bad for someone who has been written off! Ultimately there is sure to be a little bit of charity on Fury’s part here, to give a fellow boxer with whom he has fought twice, a nice payday towards the end of his career. 

Fury is active, unafraid and a great of our lifetime, he deserves to be treated better.

Tony Bellew: “Fury never intended to fight Joshua”

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Tony Bellew: “Fury never intended to fight Joshua” | Boxen247.com

Tony Bellew: “Fury never intended to fight Joshua” | Boxen247.com

As Fury has come out saying he’ll never fight Anthony Joshua in a Battle of Britain bout following the failed negotiations, BestofBets.com spoke to former WBC cruiserweight Champion Tony Bellew about why this fight was doomed from the very start.

What do you make out of all the headlines that Fury now is saying he’ll never ever fight AJ?

Tony Bellew: “To be honest…the writing has been on the wall from the very start and it was pretty clear that Fury didn’t want this fight to happen; and I don’t think he thought that AJ would agree to all the terms and dates put in front of him. But he did and in response to that, Fury did whatever it took to stop this fight; yet, blamed Joshua and his team.

“It’s ridiculous that Fury is saying that AJ was ‘wasting his time over the last four years’ when it was Fury who pulled out of the last fight due to his agreement with Wilder.

“Joshua was ready to go ahead – he has all to prove and nothing to lose so there’s little point for him to back down. Furthermore, fitness wise, AJ is a machine. He doesn’t need any warmup fights, he’s good to do whenever; he’s always in shape and he always wants the next best and biggest possible challenge.

“And when the next biggest possible challenge is Tyson Fury, he wasn’t going to shy away from that. But for some reason, Fury never truly wanted this fight; so whether it was a way to create headlines or something else, I don’t know. But it was always a bit strange that Fury went for AJ, seeing that apart from his popularity, AJ hasn’t got anything that Fury wants – if anything it’s the other way around. So this was purely about money and a big pay check.

“But the fact that Fury was making a big song and dance about AJ purposely delaying signing the contract was questionable seeing that AJ has agreed to every single part of it; yes verbally, but everyone knows, including Fury, that AJ and his team wouldn’t go back on that…and for Fury, that’s a dangerous game to play and it’s not the first time Fury puts Joshua and his camp in this situation. And now, as it turns out, Fury is ramping up new headlines about how he’ll never fight Joshua – it’s all a bit silly.

“I genuinely think Fury’s team thought AJ would be intimidated when called out by Fury as they didn’t expect him to be up for it – especially after his defeats to Usyk.

“To be honest, I’m not surprised about what happened and the fact that this fight will never happen. It’s a real shame as what a fight it’d been. But as many things in life…if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

“The whole things has been handled so badly too. It’s a shame for the sport especially as boxing has become more popular than ever.”

Do you think Fury will fight Usyk next?

Tony: “Fury is the greatest heavyweight of his generation right now. However, for him to really truly define an era and a generation, he has to defeat Oleksandr Usyk. And considering Usyk is just a middleweight, I don’t see a problem really; especially as Fury is constantly making fun of AJ and how lost against a middleweight and how he can easily take him.

“However, when it comes down to it, it’s pretty obvious that Fury is worried, which is why he’s not taking the fight. But now when the AJ fight won’t happen, I think he’ll have to agree to fight Usyk as any other fight is pointless and would simply be a cash grab. And if it’s all about cash, the wisest move would have been to fight Joshua.

“It’s all mind games from Fury but time will tell as he’ll have to agree to a fight sooner rather than later. And it’ll be interesting to see who AJ will fight next – he’s ready and stronger than ever so regardless of who it’ll be, it’ll be a great fight.”

According to latest odds, AJ is 2/1 to fight Joe Joyce on the 17th December and an announcement is set to be imminent.

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Tony Bellew: “Joshua called Fury’s bluff”

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Tony Bellew: “Joshua called Fury’s bluff” | Boxen247.com

Tony Bellew: “Joshua called Fury’s bluff” | Boxen247.com

As Eddie Hearn has declared that the Fury vs. Joshua fight won’t happen in December, BestofBets.com spoke to former WBC cruiserweight Champion Tony Bellew about why this fight was doomed from the very start.

What do you make out of all these deadlines Fury introduced and do you believe this is the end of the road for the Fury v AJ December bout?

Tony Bellew: “To be honest…the writing has been on the wall for a while as it was pretty clear from the start that Fury didn’t really want this fight to happen; and I don’t think he thought that AJ would agree to all the terms and dates put in front of him. But he did. So that last minute deadline Fury introduced last week, felt like a final way for Fury to stop the fight from happening – and the only way to prevent if from taking place seeing that both promoters were keen for it to take place; up until now.

“Furthermore, the fact that it’s October already and a fight like this needs a lot more than a couple of months build up – in fact, much more!

“Something of this magnitude needs to be built up slowly and gradually, giving boxing fans a proper insight in the run up to the fight – from press conferences to behind-the-schemes footage in training camps and other stories. And even though we know a lot about these two fighters already, it does need a big, big build up. And it’s impossible to get that done between now and then.

“These two fighters are the legends of our country, the heavyweight division of this era, so it will be great to see it built to a place in the right kind of stadium; and that can’t be rushed.

“Joshua was ready to go ahead – he has all to prove and nothing to lose so there’s little point for him to back down. Furthermore, fitness wise, AJ is a machine. He doesn’t need any warm up fights, he’s good to do whenever; he’s always in shape and he always wants the next best and biggest possible challenge.

“And when the next biggest possible challenge is Tyson Fury, he’s not going to shy away from that. But for some reason, Fury never truly wanted this fight; so whether it was a way to create headlines or something else, I don’t know. But it was always a bit strange that Fury went for AJ, seeing that apart from his popularity, AJ hasn’t got anything that Fury wants – if anything it’s the other way around. So this was purely about money and a big pay check.

“But the fact that Fury was making a big song and dance about AJ purposely delaying signing the contract was questionable seeing that AJ has agreed to every single part of it; yes verbally, but everyone knows, including Fury, that AJ and his team wouldn’t go back on that…and for Fury, that’s a dangerous game to play and it’s not the first time Fury puts Joshua and his camp in this situation. And now, as it turns out, Fury’s team isn’t replying to AJ’s camp, although they have come back on everything that was asked for them…so it’s the same pattern all over again.

“I think they thought AJ would be intimidated when called out by Fury as they didn’t expect him to be up for it – especially after his defeat to Usyk. AJ basically called Fury’s bluff.

“To be honest, I doubt this fight will ever happen – not this year, not next and nor the year after that”.

When the announcement of the negotiations for Fury and Joshua were made, fairly soon after, Usyk’s called out Wilder essentially. Do you think that he’s trying to dodge Fury? Is he looking for an easy opponent? Does he want to hold the title for longer?

Tony: “Fury is the greatest heavyweight of his generation right now. However, for him to really truly define an era and a generation, he has to defeat Oleksandr Usyk. And considering Usyk is just a middleweight, I don’t see a problem really. But for some reason, Fury is worried, which is why he’s not taking the fight and instead, at that point he opted for AJ, which is a strange move.

“But anyone he beats next, whether it’s Charr or AJ or anyone else, he has to beat Usyk so technically, any other fight is pointless and would simply be a cash grab. And if it’s all about cash, the wisest move would to have gone ahead with the AJ fight.

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Otto Wallin to Dillian Whyte: “Pick up the phone and call my team”

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Otto Wallin to Dillian Whyte: “Pick up the phone and call my team” | Boxen247.com

Otto Wallin to Dillian Whyte: “Pick up the phone and call my team” | Boxen247.com

With big fights looming in his division, Swedish heavyweight boxer, and Rekatochklart ambassador, Otto Wallin sat down with the Swedish site Rekatochklart to discuss the state of his career and what’s next for the big man. The Swede talked about who he fancies fighting next and he discussed his reputation in the world of boxing following his impressive showing against Tyson Fury back in 2019.

Otto about who he hopes to be fighting next:

“I really hope for Whyte. I don’t think it will be Fury, but I hope for Whyte and (Anthony) Joshua I would say”

Otto about his reputation in the world of boxing:

“I think that people now know that I’m good after I fought Fury – in boxing, it’s all about “risk and reward” and I think that people may feel that it’s to big of a risk to face me”

“Nobody in the world other than myself, my team and maybe my family, believed that I could stand a chance against Fury… I just feel that it’s nice to come up in a fight like that without any pressure, and just try to run over the guy anyways”

“Even if I lost, the fight has been like a win for me and my life – I got so much more respect in the world of boxing. Nobody had seen me on this level before.”

“There is no clear champion that is unbeatable, it changes from day to day who’s the champion and there are a lot of guys who are after the belt. I think that is good for boxing”

Otto about Whyte ‘ducking’ their fight:

“WBC had already announced that the winner of our fight would face Fury, so it was of course both irritating and frustrating that he withdrew and still got to face Fury”

“I can only say that to this day I have never seen any evidence for the injury and he was back fighting just a couple of months later…”

“Now that he’s back it’s time to pick up the phone, call my team and we can do this. He withdrew just ten days before the fight last time, now he seems to be back and the shoulder is supposed to be good. Let’s do this!”

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Andy Ruiz not available to fight Tyson Fury in December

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Andy Ruiz not available to fight Tyson Fury in December | Boxen247.com

Andy Ruiz not available to fight Tyson Fury in December | Boxen247.com

Even if John Fury says that Ruiz is one of the options to fight Tyson if negotiations with Anthony Joshua are not successful, Andres Ruiz is not optimistic about that. And reveals that there are no negotiations ongoing to fight with Tyson Fury.

“They have not told us anything about that fight for December”, Andres Ruiz told IZQUIERDAZO on Saturday. “We haven’t talked with them, but I don’t think December (is a possibility). Not for that date, since Andy is on vacation. He will resume training in November or December”.

Andres Ruiz clarifies that they want to fight Tyson Fury on a later date, not December.

“We would like to fight Tyson Fury”, Andres Ruiz said. “I would like that fight to be done for May 5th, a celebration day for the Mexican nation. Andy and Tyson Fury are friends, and that fight can be done because they get along well, and that fight can be done with Tyson Fury. If there is an offer for next year, of course we would accept it”.

Ruiz is enthusiastic for a hypothetical fight with Tyson Fury on May 5th, since Canelo would not be fighting on that date, since his hand will require surgery.

“Remember that Canelo is not going to fight (on May 5th), so that would be a good fight for Andy in May (against Tyson Fury”, Ruiz said. “That’s what we want”.

Andy Ruiz’ relationship with PBC is still under contract, Andres clarifies.

“We are with PBC and we have one more fight to do with them (under contract)”, Ruiz said. “We are in negotiations, and let’s see what they want for Andy”

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Bellew on Fury vs. Joshua: “This is a way of building momentum”

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Bellew on Fury vs. Joshua: “This is a way of building momentum" | Boxen247.com

Bellew on Fury vs. Joshua: “This is a way of building momentum" | Boxen247.com

Following the breakdown in negotiations between Fury vs. Joshua, BestofBets.com spoke to Tony Bellew about the bout and why it may just still be on…

In your opinion, do think the Fury v Joshua fight is dead in the water? 

Tony: “It’s an interesting one and although I’m not sure how keen Fury is to actually fight Joshua, I think the negotiations were very far down the line, although not signed by AJ’s camp, so the introduction of a deadline and scaremongering about the fight now not taking place, could be very smart tactics to ramp up as much publicity and buzz as possible seeing that the fight is just weeks away on the 3rd December.

“The fact that it’s the end of September already and a fight like this needs a lot more than a couple of months build up – in fact, much more! Something of this magnitude needs to be built up slowly and gradually, giving boxing fans a proper insight in the run-up to the fight – from press conferences to behind-the-scenes footage in training camps and other stories. And even though we know a lot about these two fighters already, it does need a big, big build up. And it’s impossible to get that done between now and then…unless you go down this route where you know that even people who aren’t that interested in boxing will now be interested to see what happens with this fight – I mean they’ve build an audience around this ‘drama’ that we haven’t seen before. So perhaps, there is a glimmer of hope in this saga after all. We’ve seen crazier things happening in boxing.

“At the end of the day, should this fight be confirmed, that is one crazy build-up; but effective. And whilst ’negotiations’ are taking place, we’re watching Fury and AJ’s every single step so mission accomplished.

“Controversial – yes. Impossible – no!”

Usyk is an incredible fighter, everyone knows it and everyone can see it. So, do you think Tyson Fury is the only man that could beat Usyk at the moment?

Tony: “Well it depends – as if Deontay Wilder lands that punch, he’s going to win. You can never write him off but I’m not sure that fight will happen. Personally, Usyk has enough on his plate and he’ll only fight if he knows that he gets something out of it, such as Fury’s belts. Otherwise, for him, it’s pointless. Different from Fury who’s all about the chat on social media; Usyk isn’t like that.

“Having said that, Tyson, judging by his size, should beat anyone. If I was six foot nine and weighed 20 stone, I’d invade Russia, never mind f***ing box. So, when you’re that big and that heavy, you should not be beaten.

“It’s a very true saying, a good big man will always beat a good little man, it’s just how good can the little man be. I believe Oleksandr Usyk is the only person right now who’s got a thoroughbred chance of defeating Tyson Fury. I believe Fury can lose, because I’ve seen him on the floor and hurt too many times to weaker fighters and lesser fighters than himself. I’ve seen him pushed all the way. So, I do believe other people could beat Tyson Fury, but I do think there’s only one person that could beat Oleksandr Usyk.”
 
When the announcement of the negotiations for Fury and Joshua were made, fairly soon after, Usyk called out [Deontay] Wilder essentially. Do you think he’s trying to dodge Fury? Is he looking for an easy opponent? Does he want to hold the title for longer?

Tony: “Fury is the greatest heavyweight of his generation right now. However, for him to really truly define an era and a generation, he has to defeat Oleksandr Usyk. And considering Usyk is just a middleweight, I don’t see a problem really. But for some reason, Fury is worried, which is why he’s not taking the fight and instead, at that point he opted for AJ, which is a strange move.

“But anyone he beats next, whether it’s [Manuel] Charr or AJ or anyone else, he has to beat Usyk so technically, any other fight is pointless and would simply be a cash grab. And if it’s all about cash, the wisest move would to have gone ahead with the AJ fight.”

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Malik Scott: You’d be crazy to rule out Joshua against Fury

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Malik Scott: You’d be crazy to rule out Joshua against Fury | Boxen247.com

Malik Scott: You’d be crazy to rule out Joshua against Fury | Boxen247.com

With confirmation of the fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury edging closer, Fair Betting Sites caught up with Malik Scott, the trainer of one of the world’s best heavyweights, Deontay Wilder. He said:

You have to respect AJ for accepting any offer from Fury, he believes he can beat him

It’s a great time for AJ to take the Fury fight. I believe AJ is in a mindset that he has something to prove. He wants to get back up on the horse. He wants to go again. Tyson and him have always wanted to fight each other, the big question, is it really going to happen? I mean, nowadays we’re just in the place where there is so much business and people are so selfish and everyone wants to be greedy. But what I like the most and what you have to give AJ credit for is he said whatever deal that they’re offering. You have to respect that, absolutely. He said whatever deal they offer me, I’ll take. He believes he can beat Tyson Fury. I believe AJ believes he can beat Tyson Fury.

AJ can win this fight if he attacks ‘arrogant’ Fury’s foundational, positioning and vulnerable flaws

I really can’t say [who wins]. I can’t say because if you go off of the last fight, stylistically, Fury and Usyk have a different style. I can tell you who I would give the momentum to. You have to give the momentum to Tyson Fury. It’s only right. Now if AJ is intelligent enough and is willing to be physical enough, he could throw a monkey wrench in that, if he’s willing to attack Tyson Fury’s flaws; foundational flaws, hand positioning floors, vulnerable flaws – where he takes his opponent for granted – then AJ could cause some trouble. Tyson Fury is a very intelligent-arrogant fighter. He pours his arrogance on guys, a lot of times he beats guys mentally. If you don’t fall for that and you stick with your game plan and you’re willing to run through him the right way, not just from an emotional standpoint, but the right way. Then I believe you could give him trouble. The right way to handle him is attacking his mistakes.

Fury is more vulnerable than he’s ever been and you’d be crazy to underestimate AJ

“It’s a tough job for AJ but in my opinion, he has a pedigree, he has a gold medal, he has ability. AJ can punch, he’s a strong kid. He’s big. It can almost come across, when you think about all those attributes, like, hold up, this is Anthony Joshua. Let’s back up. How could he not win? I think personally the people who are giving him no shot at all are crazy. I think people who are giving AJ no shot at all – that’s blasphemous. I do not agree with that at all.

Very tough fight and when I say tough, I mean very tough to decide who I think will win. And most people will say, well, how is it tough? Fury’s been on fire. He’s been smoking everybody. Yeah, but he’s also more vulnerable than he’s ever been. Fury also gives you an opportunity to hit him more than he ever did too, and in the heavyweight division, I just can’t have full confidence in someone that gives you an opportunity to hit them, I just can’t do that. He said it himself, he’s very vulnerable. He’s very vulnerable as a fighter. But that’s what makes him exciting as well.

Tyson Fury’s streak can only last so long, Wilder almost got him in the fourth

With Fury giving you opportunities, that’s him taking the opposition for granted. That’s why my prediction was, you know, I thought Wilder would knock him out inside of five rounds. And my prediction almost came true because in the fourth round we had him down. That happened because tell me one time you’ve ever seen Tyson Fury walk to somebody straight with his hands like this and just walk forward with his shoulder squared? It doesn’t happen. But when he thinks he’s in control, he comes out of himself and becomes a little bit more vulnerable. And I believed that if he did that with us, Deontay would be able to strike and keep him down. It almost happened. It didn’t, credit to Fury. He got up and continued on to do what he did. But I believe you give someone like Anthony Joshua or Deontay Wilder opportunities to hit you over and over and over and over, I think that [unbeaten run] can only last so long. But then again, this is Tyson Fury. He’s made us all wrong so many times. And that’s the exciting part about him as well.

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Robert García believes Joshua needs 2 or 3 fights before Fury bout

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Robert García believes Joshua needs 2 or 3 fights before Fury bout | Boxen247.com

Robert García believes Joshua needs 2 or 3 fights before Fury bout | Boxen247.com

Anthony Joshua’s team agreed the terms for a huge fight with Tyson Fury for December 3rd, and Robert García, AJ’s trainer says that he has been in touch with Joshua’s handlers about the ongoing negotiations, but he would have liked two or three fights for AJ before fasting Tyson Fury.

García revealed that he has been speaking to Anthony Joshua’s team after their defeat against Usyk, but has not had a conversation with the fighter himself. Garcia is aware of the ongoing negotiations to stage the fight between Joshua and Fury in December, but he is not participating in the decision process.

“Yes I have talked with the (Joshua’s team)”, Robert García told IZQUIERDAZO in an exclusive interview. “But I’m the newest member of the team, and those are decisions that need to be taken among them”.

Less than four months after back to back defeats from Anthony Joshua with Usyk, AJ is willing to fight with Usyk. Robert García feels that, in his opinion, two or three fights for AJ before facing Tyson Fury would have been a great choice.

“In my opinion, I would have liked two or three fights (before Fury)”, García explained. “But obviously, this is business, and a huge fight in Europe. I can’t stop them from accepting that, if it’s a massive fight, and the purse would many, many, many money”.

As the newest member of the Joshua’s team, Robert García is aware that AJ’s decision is not in his hands, because the people around AJ are very smart, and will make the best decision”.

“Im the newest member of the team”, said Robert. “Those decisions don’t belong to me. He has a very smart management team, and will take the right choice. In reality, he decision is theirs to take”

Last week, Tyson Fury seemed to be issuing a deadline for Joshua’s to accept the fight for December 3rd. And according to last reports, Joshua’s tram has accepted all the terms for the fifth with the WBC title holder.

Robert Garcia was thinking that the pressure that Fury applied to Joshua to make his mind up had another intention: get leverage for Usyk to take the unification fight. Robert García explains that, indeed, he has been speaking with Joshua’s team in the last hours about the status of the negotiation.

“Deadline? We haven’t talked about a deadline to get the fight done between Joshua and Fury”, Robert explained. “For me, if you want my opinion, I think that Fury is doing all this to put pressure on Usyk and make the unification. It’s a massive fight. Fury began to talk, and yes, he has talked with Joshua’s team, because they told me. But it can be part of the strategy to push Usyk to make him think that he is losing his chance”.

And Robert Garcia insists in his plan to make Anthony Joshua prepare in his gym in California. However, García doesn’t rule out traveling again to England to be back as AJ trainer.

“I know that with my father’s team, my son, Mikey (García), I know I can’t go away for another couple of months. I know I can, but I would rather stay. I know I can, but I prefer to stay here. That the preparation camp would be here in California”.

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Dmitry Salita: No-one thinks Joshua has a chance to beat Fury!

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Dmitry Salita: No-one thinks Joshua has a chance to beat Fury! | Boxen247.com

Dmitry Salita: No-one thinks Joshua has a chance to beat Fury! | Boxen247.com

Boxing promoter Dmitry Salita says it’s the wrong time for the British foes to be facing off and says Joshua needs to take care of other business first following his Usyk defeat.

Salita: “It’s an interesting fight between Joshua and Fury. Anthony Joshua got better in the second fight against Usyk, but he’s still coming off a loss. You know who the favourite is in that fight between Joshua and Fury and who isn’t. I think if that fight happens in December it’s not as big as it could be, and I really don’t believe it can happen in December, because that’s a huge fight and it deserves a bigger build up. For Fury-Joshua to be as big as it could be, Joshua needs to put together some significant wins and improvements. The public wants big fights where some think this guy is going to win, or that guy is going to win. At this point, even though it was a good performance against Usyk, I don’t think there’s anyone who thinks Joshua has any chance to beat Tyson Fury.”

“I believe Otto Wallin versus Joshua makes a lot of sense. From what Eddie (Hearn, Joshua’s promoter) and Joshua have said, Joshua wants to be considered an elite, A+ heavyweight, and Otto is an A+ heavyweight. If Joshua comes back and fights a John Doe with no credentials, without a decent record, and no real name, then he goes back down to a very average level. In my opinion, just fighting an opponent with gloves on, with a professional record, without any real accomplishment – I don’t know if it does anything for him, it may decrease his value, depending on who the opponent is.”

Winner of AJ vs. Wallin could be world title contenders against Fury

“There aren’t many fighters in the heavyweight division that makes sense. Would he fight (Luis) Ortiz or (Andy) Ruiz, probably not – who else is out there? The boxing world is so splintered with promoters and broadcasters. Otto is a free agent, that’s why it makes sense to me.

“Looking at the heavyweight division it is so splintered and divided with top fighters being aligned with different broadcasters – there’s only a few fighters that makes sense. There are only a few guys available who the boxing fans would buy into and say he’s a legitimate fight for Joshua. Otto vs Joshua has all those ingredients. The winner of that fight becomes a legit world title contender.

“Otto objectively, judging by the numbers, landed more punches against Tyson Fury than Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder one put together. He gave him the cut and it was a significantly competitive, intense fight. I believe that for Otto and Joshua, fighting each other makes the most sense because the winner can claim and demand the Tyson Fury fight.

“Many felt Otto won that fight, he’s had four wins since that fight, he wants to put himself into a position to fight Tyson Fury and AJ wants to do the same. When you do these fights as a broadcaster, you want a story from both sides. Joshua and Wallin want to secure a victory so they can fight Tyson Fury. It’s not a one-sided story. Otto v Joshua – there’s a real story there – the fight with Tyson Fury is on the line for both men.”

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Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2 full fight card weights

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Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2 full fight card weights | Boxen247.com
Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2 full fight card weights | Boxen247.com

ALL TIMES LOCAL

16:30 DOORS OPEN

17:30 FIRST FIGHT

4 x 3 mins International Super-Welterweight contest
RASHED BELHASA 67.35kg v TRAYCHO GEORGIEV 66.65kg
(Dubai, United Arab Emirates)   (Sofia, Bulgaria)

followed by

6 x 3 mins International Light-Heavyweight contest
DANIEL LAPIN 78.5kg v JOSEF JURKO 79.9kg
(Kiev, Ukraine)                 (Košice, Slovakia)

followed by

6 x 3 mins International Light-Heavyweight contest
BEN WHITTAKER 78.8kg v PETAR NOSIC 79.5kg
(West Bromwich, England)   (Vrgorac, Croatia)

followed by

8 x 3 mins Heavyweight contest
ANDREW TABITI 98.3kg v JAMES WILSON 108.2kg
(Las Vegas, USA)                (Los Angeles, California)

followed by

20:00 LIVE ON SKY SPORTS BOX OFFICE AND DAZN

8 x 2 mins International Super-Bantamweight contest
RAMLA ALI 55.65kg v CRYSTAL GARCIA NOVA 55.75kg
(Mogadishu, Somalia/Bethnal Green, England) (Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic)

followed by

4 x 3 mins International Super-Lightweight contest
ZIYAD ALMAAYOUF 63.2kg v JOSE ALATORRE 62.1kg
(Los Angeles, USA)                 (La Paz, Mexico)

followed by

10 x 3 mins Cruiserweight contest
BADOU JACK 90.3kg v RICHARD RIVERA 88.4kg
(Las Vegas, Nevada) (Hartford, Connecticut)

followed by

22:15 LIVE MUSICAL PERFORMANCE

followed by

12 x 3 mins WBC Light-Heavyweight World Title Final Eliminator
CALLUM SMITH 79.25kg v MATHIEU BAUDERLIQUE 79.15kg
(Liverpool, England)           (Henin-Beaumont, France)

followed by

12 x 3 mins IBF Heavyweight World Title Final Eliminator
FILIP HRGOVIC 110.2kg v ZHILEI ZHANG 125.7kg
(Zagreb, Croatia)                (Zhoukou, China)

followed by

12 x 3 mins IBO, WBA, WBO, IBF & RING MAGAZINE HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD TITLES
OLEKSANDR USYK 100.5kg  v ANTHONY JOSHUA 110.9kg
(Shypyntsi, Ukraine)                             (Watford, England)

LIVE FLOAT

6 x 3 mins International Super-Lightweight contest
BADER ALSAMREEN 61.8kg v FAUD TARVERDI 61.6kg
(Amman, Jordan)                       (Lankaran, Azerbaijan)

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Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua 2 final press conference quotes

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Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua 2 final press conference quotes | Boxen247.com
Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing

Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua 2 final press conference quotes | Boxen247.com

Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman:

“This is the Unified World Heavyweight Title between two greats of boxing. It doesn’t get any bigger than that. Oleksandr Usyk; an Olympic gold medallist, the pound-for-pound number one, former Undisputed Cruiserweight and current Unified Heavyweight Champion.

“Anthony Joshua; also, an Olympic gold medallist, became Heavyweight Champion in his 16th fight, unified the division in front of 90,000 people in his 19th fight, and has changed the face of the sport around the world. Two tremendous fighters, two tremendous athletes, champions, and ambassadors of the sport that people in Saudi Arabia and all around the world can be inspired by. It’s been an incredible week and the best is still to come.”

Oleksandr Usyk, Unified Heavyweight World Champion:

“Good afternoon Saudi Arabia. First and foremost, I want to say thank you to all who made it possible for us to fight here in Saudi Arabia. Prince Khaled, thank you so much. It is very important for me, my team, my country, and I’m really happy to be here. It’s not my first time, it’s my third time in Saudi Arabia. I feel like I’m going to be here again and again.

“We learned from each other in the first fight, but this is a continuation and the first round on Saturday will be round 13. We had enough time to study each other. We were born to compete for life, for belts, for everything. The one who does not compete, does not win. All our lives are competitions for something or somebody. That’s why we are competing. We’ve had enough time to study each other and this Saturday will be a great, great fight.”

Alexander Krassyuk, promoter of Oleksandr Usyk:

“Dear guests, it is a great honour for us to be here and to be hosted by Saudi Arabia. Thanks a lot to Prince Khaled and to the whole team at Skill Challenge Entertainment for the enormous work that has been done within the last couple of months.

“When we watched Usyk’s videos from the training camp we realised that he looks like a cyborg. He went through hell in the training camp in the last three months. It did not kill him but it made him even stronger. I’ve never seen him more determined than now. Not many champions in the world can share their experience going through the war and making their way to the ring to defend their Heavyweight crown. It was an extremely complicated challenge for him, but he seems to have passed it.

“He made his decision to take the rematch in these circumstances after he had received massive support from his Ukrainian compatriots. He was in touch with high-ranking military officers and he visited the hospitals with injured soldiers. In every conversation he heard words of blessing and support to take the rematch. People wanted him to fight. People still want him to win. People want the Ukrainian flag to rise, people want the Ukrainian anthem to be heard throughout the whole planet. Not many men in the world can deliver this to millions of people. Usyk is able to do that. He does that through the sport of boxing.

“It won’t sound fair from my mouth if I start to say how good this man is, since I’ve been his promoter for probably more than nine years. So, let the history judge how good this man is. I wish good luck to both fighters. Let the best man win.”

Egis Klimas, manager of Oleksandr Usyk:

“Good afternoon everybody. Thank you for having us here in this beautiful country, Saudi Arabia. I can’t explain my emotions for what I feel here – how friendly the people are and how warm we are made to feel. It’s unbelievable. We’re looking forward to coming back if possible/

“I want to thank Prince Khaled for putting this together. I want to thank Skill Challenge, Matchroom and K2 for finding their ways to work things out together. Of course it was a little bit bumpy as always but we made it.

“As far as talking about Oleksandr Usyk, I’m proud to represent him. I can tell you, I’ve never seen anybody in 45 degree heat to ride a bicycle for 100 kilometres. I’ve never seen anybody swimming the day before a press conference in London for 10 kilometres in the pool for 5 hours. I’ve never seen anybody hold their breath underwater for four minutes and forty seconds, almost passing away. I hope all of this is going to be helping him on Saturday night. Thank you, we’ll see you on Saturday night.”

Anthony Joshua, former Unified Heavyweight World Champion:

“Thanks to everyone in Saudi Arabia. My friends, my team at the front there Prince Khaled, Skill Challenge and his family as well. Shout out to everyone first and foremost for taking care of us while we’ve been here. That’s it. It’s a ‘must-win’ fight. Preparations have been tough, but I like the pressure. Robert Garcia, Angel Fernandez, members of my previous team as well; they’ve been pushing me, challenging me, ensuring I stay focused, and positioning me to get the job done and emerge victorious come Saturday night.

“This is what competition is all about; setting goals I want to achieve and being disciplined enough to follow them through. That’s competition with myself. As you mentioned with the belts, they mean something but that’s all at the end of the target. It’s not like I’m skipping the process. I’m focused on the process.

“I’m looking forward to it. I want to compete. I’m looking forward to it. I can’t really say much else but you’ve got to have a competitive spirit. I’m prepared to do whatever it takes and I’m looking forward to competing this weekend.”

Robert Garcia, trainer of Anthony Joshua:

“It was a great experience. It’s great being here in Saudi Arabia. Everybody has been very nice, and the hospitality has been brilliant. The team did their job, Angel Fernandez, myself and the rest of the team. The champion did what he was supposed to do. We’re ready, we’re ready to do it. It was a challenge coming off a loss and getting him to do the game plan and do it in training. At the end, the job was done. Anthony followed instructions. On Saturday night we’re going to walk out with those belts. I think he’s peaked at the right moment. This week has been pretty easy for him. He’s happy and he’s smiling with everybody. He doesn’t have any problems. That’s a good sign that things are going the right way. Training camp was awesome, sparring partners did a great job. We’re ready to bring those belts back home.”

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Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua workout quotes

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Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua workout quotes | Boxen247.com
Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing

Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua workout quotes | Boxen247.com

Fight Week preparations for the Rage on the Red Sea stepped up a gear last night, with no fewer than 11 fighters from the historic card taking part in a Public Workout at Jeddah’s Saudia Airlines Club.

Main event fighters Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua, who have their second meeting at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena on Saturday, were among the boxers that gave attending fans and media a first glimpse at how they’re shaping up going into their Heavyweight showdown.

Oleksandr Usyk quotes:

The last few months have been very difficult for you all, how pleased are you that fight night is nearly here?

“I’m very pleased that I am going to fight very soon, and I feel happy about that.”

Has it been difficult to focus on boxing at any time the last few months?

“Yes, but I did it.”

Any chance that you can tell us what you’re going to weigh?

“You’ll see it on the scales.”

How much did you learn from that first fight with Joshua?

“I’ve been watching him for ten years already.”

Everybody in Ukraine is going to be able to watch this fight for free, which is fantastic. How pleased are you about that?

“I’m very pleased about that. Thanks, God, for everything. We all worked hard on it.”

Anthony Joshua quotes:

You’ve been out here for over a month with the new team, how’s it been?

“Saudi has been good to me. Shout out to everyone in Saudi. I’ve had a good time. Everyone at my hotel has been looking after me, everyone in the gym. It’s been like a second home.”

And good memories from last time?

“Yeah, and I’m about to create new ones.”

Will that experience help you?

“You know what I learnt? Previous experiences are helpful, but it’s all about what happens on the night, right. I don’t know how much it will help me but I’m focused and I’m just ready to get the job done.”

How much did you learn at Spurs last September?

“I feel like one of my main strengths is that I’m a quick learner, I’m a sponge. But ultimately, apart from all of the learning stuff, it’s a fight. It’s a fight. That’s it. Whoever throws the most punches and lands the most punches wins. That’s all that matters.”

Is it a case of showing something new or is it a case of getting in there and showing everybody who you’ve always been?

“Do my best. Just doing my best. That’s all I can do.”

I’ve got to ask you for a prediction, it’s the law!

“What’s everyone saying? (asks crowd). Inshallah! We’re going for a knockout.”

Also strutting their stuff at Jeddah’s Saudia Airlines Club was Zhilei Zhang ahead of his bout with Filip Hrgovic, rivals Callum Smith and Mathieu Bauderlique, as well as Badou Jack, Andrew Tabiti, Rashed Belhasa, and Bader Samreen. Rounding out the pugilists were Ziyad Almaayouf and Ben Whittaker.

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Usyk vs. Joshua: Official promo video out for Rage on the Red Sea

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Usyk vs. Joshua: Official promo video out for Rage on the Red Sea | Boxen247.com

Usyk vs. Joshua: Official promo video out for Rage on the Red Sea | Boxen247.com

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2

Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – 20 August 2022

300 locals feature alongside Usyk + Joshua
to promote fight of the year
  • The official promo for Rage on the Red Sea is released
  • Shot by one of the world’s leading advertising directors
  • Filmed across several locations in UK and Jeddah
  • Culminates with Usyk & Joshua coming head-to-head in Jeddah’s historic Al-Balad
  • Features over 300 local people and a specially commissioned score 
  • Employs some of latest cinematic production techniques + equipment

The build-up to Oleksandr Usyk’s World Heavyweight Title clash with Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia has moved up a gear with the release of the stunning cinematic promo for The Rage on the Red Sea.

The full two-minute film is available to view now at https://youtu.be/OUXcvH9SWY8.

Shot on location in both London and Jeddah, the film captures the epic intensity of the year’s biggest fight, as well as the unique magic that Jeddah provides as its stunning backdrop.

Directed by Dominic O’Riordan, the promo brings to life the vision of Prince Khalid bin Abdulaziz, who wanted to capture the excitement of the fight taking place in the stunning city of Jeddah.

Usyk will defend his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO titles at the indoor King Abdullah Sports City Arena on 20 August against the man he claimed them from last year, with Joshua once again looking to the Kingdom to regain his belts.

Prince Khalid bin Abdulaziz, Chairman of SCEE: “The promo is stunning and we’re delighted with how it reflects the excitement of the year’s biggest fight taking place in our transforming country.”

Ravi Samani of Skill Challenge added: “The complexities of shooting the promo across multiple locations were overcome by incredible collaboration and hard work from everyone involved, including the local people in Jeddah who really bring the film to life.”

The promo tells the story of each fighter’s preparations, both in their homelands and then Jeddah.  The promo’s conclusion is set in the city’s magical Al-Balad district located in its historic old town and features both fighters coming face-to-face, with over 300 local men and women looking on.

“It was an amazing experience to shoot in the historic location of Al-Balad for the face-off scene,” said O’Riordan, whose CV includes films for the likes of adidas, BAFTA, Nike and Visa. “It was really important to me that we give viewers a taste of Saudi culture that for so many, is still an unknown. I think you can tell in the film that both boxers fed off the awesome energy from the local people and their music and dancing.”

O’Riordan added: “Part of what I love about being a director is getting the opportunity to shoot in locations I have never been before and Saudi Arabia has always been a place I have wanted to visit.  I knew that this film deserved a very cinematic treatment to mirror the occasion of the fight being held in Jeddah.”

Produced by Whisper and led by Exec Producer Jemma Goba, the film was shot over several locations in the UK and Jeddah and employed some of the latest production technology and techniques.  Working alongside local creative and production agencies, Whisper led a production crew of over 60.

To ensure cinematic quality, Whisper used Sony Venice cameras including very rare Panavision B series anamorphic lenses as well as a colorist to ensure the best possible picture quality.

The Rage on the Red Sea is the latest international sports event to take place in Saudi Arabia, which has recently emerged as one of the fastest transforming countries in world sport. Since the ‘Clash on the Dunes’ between Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019, there has been a nearly 300% surge in male and female boxers in the Kingdom, with the number of boxing gyms growing from just seven to 59. As part of the country’s aims to get its people engaged and participating in sport, the Saudi Boxing Federation is aiming to inspire 500,000 into sport in the next four years.

The promo film which was led by Whisper and delivered with the support of various local agencies including Purple Brain and 8ies. As well as Al-Balad, locations included King Abdullah Sports Stadium, an indoor warehouse, Jeddah old town and Usyk training in the Red Sea.

The final version will be available to view across two-minute, 60 second, 30 second and 15 second version and will form part of the Kingdom’s plans to use the event to inspire more of its people to get involved in sport and lead healthy lives.  Sports participation levels have increased by over 30% including a 149% increase in women and girls.

Tickets for Usyk vs. Joshua 2 are available from SAR375 and fight fans can get their tickets via Hala Yalla (www.halayalla.com/sa-en/tickets/rage-on-the-red-sea). For VISA entry information, fans should go to Visit Saudi (www.visa.visitsaudi.com) information on how to apply.

Vision 2030 aims to improve the quality of life of residents and visitors to the Kingdom by developing a vibrant environment for participation and spectatorship in sports and entertainment whilst aiming to transform the Kingdom for a post-hydrocarbon era. The nation has become one of the fastest growing countries in world sport with increased participation levels, investment in elite athletes, a year-round schedule of sport and a rapidly growing commercial sector to support this infrastructure.

Rage on the Red Sea facts and figures:

  • Produced by Whisper for Skill Challenge Entertainment
  • Exec produced by Jemma Goba (creds Peloton, Red Bull, World Rugby, UEFA, Nissan)
  • Directed by Dominic O’Riodran (credits adidas, Nike, BAFTA, PUMA and Visa)
  • Creative agency 8ies
  • Location agency Purple Brain
  • Shot across several locations in UK and Jeddah
  • Over 300 local men and women included in final scene in Al-Balad
  • A specially commissioned musical score by Simon Brown
  • Production crew of over 60
  • Four different versions of the film: two-minutes, 60-seconds, 30 seconds, 15 seconds

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Anthony Joshua feels he’s not a recognised dominant heavyweight

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Anthony Joshua feels he’s not a recognised dominant heavyweight | Boxen247.com

Anthony Joshua feels he’s not a recognised dominant heavyweight | Boxen247.com

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2

Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – 20 August 2022

Anthony Joshua feels he’s not recognised as a “dominant heavyweight” in the US due to meeting the Queen.

The former two-time world champion made the comment in Official Partner JD’s ‘Road to Redemption’ interview with Savage Dan, where Joshua looked ahead to his rematch with Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk.

When asked if he felt underrated in the boxing world, AJ said: “When I came into this division it was whack and I thought ‘let me get in this game and take on anyone and everyone, it doesn’t matter who’.

“Maybe it was because I was British that nobody was respecting my thing.

“I wanted to bring the heavyweight division to Great Britain and show that we are solid.

“Because I think that sometimes people just think we drink tea and eat biscuits and sit with the Queen.

“I used to have people say things like ‘yo AJ, dawg, what’s the Queen like?’

“I felt I was not getting looked upon as someone who was a dominant force in the heavyweight division.

“People seemed to just think I was Anthony Joshua who liked looking in the mirror and had an ego”

The 2012 Olympic champion went on to add that there’s a “level of hate” directed at him because of an assumption that his success has been “handed to” him, AJ said: “To a degree, because probably of what I’ve achieved and how I’ve used my intelligence and brain outside (the ring) – I think there’s this assumption that it’s kind of been handed to me.

“There’s not a level of hate but you can call it that.

“At the end of the day, I’m a very strong-minded person: I know once it’s all done, for me, it’s done.

Anthony Joshua takes on Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia on August 20.

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Usyk vs. Joshua: 2 ‘Rage on the Read Sea’ undercard confirmed

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Usyk vs. Joshua: 2 'Rage on the Read Sea' undercard confirmed | Boxen247.com

Usyk vs. Joshua: 2 'Rage on the Read Sea' undercard confirmed | Boxen247.com

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2

Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – 20 August 2022

Details of the supporting cast to the colossal Unified Heavyweight World Title rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua have now been confirmed. The rivals will lock horns again at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena in the coastal city of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Saturday August 20.

Avoided Croatian Heavyweight star Filip Hrgovic (14-0, 12 KOs) meets China’s undefeated Zhilei Zhang (24-0-1, 19 KOs) in a Final Eliminator for the IBF Heavyweight World Title. The rivals were originally set to clash on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez vs. Dmitry Bivol in May but will now do battle on the Red Sea.

Hrgovic sits at No.3 in the IBF rankings and the big-hitting giant has been hunting a dance partner for a showdown to name the mandatory challenger for the title held by Ukraine’s Usyk. The 30-year-old Olympic bronze medallist has cut a lethal swathe through the pro ranks to sit in a prime position for a deserved shot at the big prize, ending all but two of his fights inside the distance, and not going past the fifth round in his last seven outings.

A host of Heavyweights were offered the clash with ‘El Animal’, but not until it came to No.15 ranked Zhang was a dance partner found, with the lofty Chinese star accepting the challenge. The 39-year-old has been circling for a major showdown, and ‘Big Bang’ gets his wish against Hrgovic with the two KO artist promising to leave it all in the ring with the stakes so high.

‘I respect a fighter like Zhilei Zhang, especially as there were plenty of others who could have fought me and didn’t,” said Hrgovic. “The respect stays outside the ring, and it’ll be business as usual for me when I step in there and look to do what I do best; put people away.

“There’s a huge amount at stake in this fight. I’m a fighter who belongs at the top of this division, and there’ll be no doubt about this when Zhang is dealt with and I go on to beat whoever it is out of Usyk or Joshua. I’m entering my prime, and now is the perfect time to be putting myself up against the top fighters in this division. I will become the heavyweight champion of the world.”

 “I’m looking forward to August 20,” said Zhang. “My team and I have been grinding every hour of every day for this fight. Hrgovic is going to be the toughest opponent in my professional career. A victory will secure me the IBF mandatory challenger position, which is why this fight is so important to me. I will be in the best shape I’ve ever been in.”

Liverpool’s Callum Smith (28-1, 20 KOs) returns to the scene of his finest moment where he stopped British rival George Groves in seven rounds at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena in September 2018 to be crowned the WBA Super-Middleweight World Champion and the winner of the World Boxing Super Series Muhammad Ali Trophy.

Now campaigning at Light-Heavyweight where he is ranked as the No.1 contender with the WBC, ‘Mundo’ will face France’s reigning European Champion and No.2 ranked WBC 175lbs contender Mathieu Bauderlique (21-1, 12 KOs) in a Final Eliminator for the World Title currently held by Artur Beterbiev.

Smith was last in action on the undercard of the first meeting between Usyk and Joshua at the home of Tottenham Hotspur in September, destroying Lenin Castillo with a brutal second round KO to return to winning ways after his points loss to Mexican superstar Canelo. Bauderlique last stepped through the ropes in September when he retired Igor Mikhalkin in seven rounds to land the vacant EBU crown.

“The last time I was in Jeddah I was crowned the best Super-Middleweight in the world, so I have fond memories of the place,” said Smith. “The whole experience was great, and the fans really got behind me, so I’m really looking forward to returning next month. I won’t come away this time as a World Champion, but this is a tough fight on a great card and one which should set up a challenge at the number 1 in the Light-Heavyweight division.”

In a huge moment for women’s boxing, Somali-British prospect Ramla Ali (6-0, 1 KO) becomes the first female boxer to feature in an official international event in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, clashing with Crystal Garcia Nova (10-2, 10 KOs) in an eight-round Super-Bantamweight contest.

Former two-weight World Champion Badou Jack (26-3-3) fights Richard Rivera (21-0, 16 KOs) in a ten round Cruiserweight contest. Andrew Tabiti (19-1, 15 KOs) and Tyrone Spong (14-0, 13 KOs) collide in an eight round Heavyweight contest.

There’s also action for Ukrainian Light-Heavyweight Daniel Lapin (5-0) as he continues his education in the paid code against Slovakia’s Jozef Jurko (9-6-1, 6 KOs) and Super-Lightweight prospect Ziyad Almaayouf faces Mexico’s Jose Alatorre (0-1).

Tickets for Usyk vs. Joshua 2 are available from SAR375 and fight fans can get their tickets via Hala Yalla(www.halayalla.com/sa-en/tickets/rage-on-the-red-sea). For VISA entry information, fans should go to Visit Saudi (www.visa.visitsaudi.com) information on how to apply.

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Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2: Tickets on sale now!

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Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2: Tickets on sale now! | Boxen247.com

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2: Tickets on sale now! | Boxen247.com

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2

Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – 20 August 2022

With exactly one month to go, tickets for the ‘Rage on the Red Sea’ have gone on sale, enabling fans from around the world to be part of boxing history. The fight is one of the biggest Heavyweight rematches in the history of the sport, with unified Heavyweight World Champion Oleksandr Usyk facing off with Anthony Joshua on August 20 in the coastal city of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The fight will take place indoors at King Abdullah Sports City Arena, part of Jeddah’s stunning King Abdullah Sports City which has hosted various international sports and entertainment events including football, WWE and boxing.

Tickets are available from SAR375 and fight fans can get their tickets via Hala Yalla (www.halayalla.com/sa-en/tickets/rage-on-the-red-sea). For VISA entry information, fans should go to Visit Saudi (www.visa.visitsaudi.com) information on how to apply.

Prince Khalid bin Abdulaziz, Chairman of SCEE: “We’re one month from one of the biggest sporting moments in our country and today, we invite fans from Saudi Arabia and around the world to witness history. The ‘Rage on the Red Sea’ headlines a dramatic night of World Championship boxing and an evening to remember forever. We’re proud to secure this event for our country as it continues its incredible transformation, inspiring our people to participate in sport and lead happy and healthy lives.”

The ‘Rage on the Red Sea’ will see Usyk’s WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts on the line in a career defining Heavyweight clash. Joshua was dethroned as Heavyweight king by Usyk in September 2021 in front of over 60,000 fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England on a memorable evening in boxing’s marquee division.

Usyk said: “I am working hard in my training camp to be in the best shape possible for the rematch. With the help of the Lord I will overcome the biggest challenges to make it happen. I want the crowd to be excited with the fight, I want them to remember it for a lifetime.”

Joshua added: “August 20 is set to be an unbelievable night of Championship level boxing. For any sports fan this is not to be missed, it has all the ingredients to go down in boxing history. Locally I know that boxing has grown massively and it was great to see thousands of people come to Riyadh for the ‘Clash on the Dunes’. I am hoping to see even more in Jeddah in a few weeks’ time.”

The ‘Rage on the Red Sea’ is the latest international sports event to take place in Saudi Arabia, which has recently emerged as one of the fastest transforming countries in world sport. Since the ‘Clash on the Dunes’ between Joshua and Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019, there has been a nearly 300% surge in male and female boxers in the Kingdom, with the number of boxing gyms growing from just seven to 59. As part of the country’s aims to get its people engaged and participating in sport, the Saudi Boxing Federation is aiming to inspire 500,000 in the next four years.

The fight which is held under the patronage of HRH Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 ambitions, is a second for Joshua in Saudi Arabia and takes place nearly three years on from the historic ‘Clash on the Dunes’ in Diriyah that saw Joshua reclaim his Heavyweight crowns against Ruiz Jr.

Vision 2030 aims to improve the quality of life of residents and visitors to the Kingdom by developing a vibrant environment for participation and spectatorship in sports and entertainment whilst aiming to transform the Kingdom for a post-hydrocarbon era. The nation has become one of the fastest growing countries in world sport with increased participation levels, investment in elite athletes, a year-round schedule of sport and a rapidly growing commercial sector to support this infrastructure.

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Robert Garcia will make AJ ‘ring smart’ in a bid to defeat Oleksandr Usyk

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Robert Garcia will make AJ ‘ring smart’ in a bid to defeat Oleksandr Usyk | Boxen247.com

Robert Garcia will make AJ ‘ring smart’ in a bid to defeat Oleksandr Usyk | Boxen247.com

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2

Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – 20 August 2022

“Robert Garcia is the right man to help AJ win back his titles because he has helped other fighters – fighters that people said were finished – to comeback and win big fights. Robert has shown he can give some of his fighters a better mentality, like when Abner Mares beat Jesus Cuellar and also with Marcos Maidana, helping him to beat Adrian Broner. He made them believe they could win against the odds. He made Maidana believe he could defeat Mayweather – and Maidana had a great fight with Mayweather. He’s also made Joshua Franco and his brother Jesse Rodriguez champions when people didn’t believe they could be champions. And now he’s going to do the same with AJ – he is going to give him his strong mentality back – to make him more confident. He is going to get his titles back.

“He will help keep AJ’s feet on the ground and treat him just like a regular fighter. He will help AJ to see that he can win – he’s proven he can do that with other fighters – and the world will see AJ will once again be on top of the world. A lot of trainers do what the star boxers say, but in this case, Robert will make AJ feel more humble and, yes, Robert will be the boss in this camp and that’s one good thing he does – he treats his fighters all the same and pushes them to the limit.”

“Robert was a boxer so he has the eye to see the errors and correct them. And also one thing he does best is treat his fighters all the same. He won’t treat AJ like a star, he will keep his feet on the ground and make him work and think like a boxer that’s hungry – that will help give him the mentality to want to get his belts back. Robert is very disciplined – he learned that from his dad because I trained when his dad was a trainer and trust me his dad was one of the toughest coaches when talking about discipline.”

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Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2: London press conference quotes

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Picture By Mark Robinson.

Hughie Fury vs. Michael Hunter: It's on! Manchester AO Arena on July 2 | Boxen247.com

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2

Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – 20 August 2022

Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman:

“Welcome everyone to London ahead of this huge press conference, this huge moment for the sport, the biggest prize in the sport of boxing – the World Heavyweight Championship. August 20th, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Two Heavyweight icons, Oleksandr Usyk – the reigning World Champion and the defending champion here against the challenger Anthony Joshua – former two-time Heavyweight World Champion. This fight has it all, one of the most eagerly anticipated events in boxing. We look forward to the ‘Rage on the Red Sea’.

Oleksandr Usyk, Unified Heavyweight World Champion:

“I am pleased to be here today. I am very happy to get the opportunity to fight in Saudi Arabia and help open new horizons for the sport of boxing. I love to travel around the world and fight in places for the first time. I am not fighting for money or any recognition. I am just doing my job now and will continue fighting until my heart keeps beating. I am not expecting anything from Anthony Joshua, but I know that he will be different, but so will I.”

Alexander Krassyuk, promoter of Oleksandr Usyk:

“It’s a pleasure to see everyone here at this event. As Egis mentioned, London is a really special city for Usyk. He became the Olympic Champion here and he became the Unified Heavyweight World Champion here. We started our journey with Usyk 9 years ago in the professionals. We did have a lot of fun on our way to success. He became the Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion, he became the Unified Heavyweight Champion. Now his objective is to become Undisputed. We have a very serious man to deal with on August 20th.  The fight takes place in the new destination of sports, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A country that is transforming itself and transforming the world of sports and the world of boxing in particular.”

Egis Klimas, manager of Oleksandr Usyk:

“Good afternoon everybody. Thank you London for having us here. We’re very excited to be here. UK London is Oleksandr’s hometown. He won a gold medal in 2012 here. He had pretty good wins against Tony Bellew, Mr Chisora. He has a lot of fans here in the UK. Thank you for having us here. In Jeddah we saw something different, something interesting, something new for the sport. We were treated like kings there. We did a lot of promo shoots. We can’t wait to go back to Saudi. We want to thank Prince Khalid and thank everyone from Saudi for this event and for supporting this sport and we’re looking forward to August 20th.”

Anthony Joshua, former Unified Heavyweight World Champion:

“It’s hard to say from a head to head who’s going to win a championship fight. So I don’t tend to look into head to heads so deeply, but for some they could think that’s a 1-0 victory. That’s down to opinion anyway. Shout out to everyone in Saudi Arabia as well! It is going to be my second time there; first time was lit and it is going to be even better this time for sure. Going down to the old city was unbelievable. I am sure you have seen some of the videos on social media. Anyone that is going, I am sure you are going to be in for a great time in Saudi Arabia.

“In terms of old AJ, same old G, I’m just doing what I’m doing. Grafting away. It is a rough and tough sport. Fighting these lefties is a nightmare! And I cannot make the same mistake twice. I am hungry and desperate but at the end of the day how I perform will speak.”

Robert Garcia, trainer of Anthony Joshua:

“The whole team, everybody around us, is very positive. We have to do whatever is takes. We have to come out with different strategies in case one doesn’t work. We’ll be ready for the fight. Anthony is listening. He believes in us and that’s the most important thing. In the ring he’s got to come out and do what we tell him to do. Usyk is a great fighter. I’ve known him since a few years back when he came to my gym a few times to train. He’s a very talented fighter. He’s got very different ways to fight. Seeing the size difference, the height, the reach, the weight – everything is in Anthony’s advantage. We’ve got to take advantage of that. We’ve got to train him to focus on that and come fight night do what we need to do to win.”

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Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2: Jeddah press conference quotes

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Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2: Jeddah press conference quotes | Boxen247.com

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2: Jeddah press conference quotes | Boxen247.com

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2

Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – 20 August 2022

The official countdown to one of the biggest Heavyweight rematches in the history of the sport has started with Unified Heavyweight World Champion Oleksandr Usyk facing off with Anthony Joshua in the coastal city of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Billed as ‘Rage on the Red Sea’, Usyk vs. Joshua 2 is set to take place in Jeddah on Saturday August 20 with Usyk’s IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO belts on the line in a career defining Heavyweight clash, and the hype for the much-anticipated rematch is already building.

At the start of a two-city promotional tour across Jeddah and London the two colossals of the sport lined up toe to toe as the sun set above the stunning Red Sea after the duo remained respectful during the first official press conference.

Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman:

“It feels fantastic to be back. A welcome of course to everyone here, we want to thank Skill Challenge Entertainment as well for their hard work and everybody for their patience. It’s been a long time making this fight. When there’s a fight the size of this, coming and putting on a production like you guys want to put on, these things take time, so thank you to Egis and Alex, and Oleksandr Usyk as well. Of course, for our team, Anthony Joshua, 258 Management and Robert Garcia. This is all very nice, all very friendly, but we’re only here to win. Honesty, that’s all that matters. Last time in September was very painful, when the great Oleksandr Usyk dethroned Anthony Joshua. We’re here to be pleasant but we’re here to see this man regain those wonderful belts up there on August 20th.

“Well thank you very much and thank you for all attending here today in Jeddah ahead of this huge event, ‘Rage on the Red Sea’, August 20th in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It has been a long time coming. Back in 2019 we saw Anthony Joshua rematch Andy Ruiz and regain his World Heavyweight Championships in Riyadh. It was a tremendous event. Of course, the boxing world and the sporting world slowed right down through the COVID pandemic. Now we’re back, long overdue, and we’re delighted to bring what is the biggest fight in the Heavyweight division, one of the biggest fights in world boxing to the Kingdom in August.

“We’re delighted to be joined by not just Team ‘AJ’, with Anthony Joshua, former two-time Heavyweight Champion and his great trainer Robert Garcia. The Champion Oleksandr Usyk, the unified Heavyweight Champion, the former Undisputed Cruiserweight World Champion, his manager Egis Klimas and his promoter Alex Krassyuk.

“We’ve heard a lot about the growth of boxing here in Saudi Arabia, something that is very important to us as fans of the sport. It’s amazing to bring huge high-profile fights to The Kingdom, but even better to witness the growth of boxing here in The Kingdom, to see these great fighters inspire the next generation. We all know Oleksandr and Anthony are two great examples of what boxing can do for a young person, how it can change and how it can shape their lives. We really believe that boxing is a tremendous way to shape and mould the lives of individuals and to teach them all the things that are in important in life; discipline, respect, fitness, mental well-being, being part of a team and being part of a community. We feel very strongly that boxing can do that.”

Prince Fahad bin Abdulaziz, spokesperson of Skill Challenge Entertainment:

“We want to hold the biggest and best events in Saudi Arabia for our people and for the world to enjoy. We are living in unprecedented era for sporting growth in Saudi Arabia. We are inspiring a new generation and that’s what motivates us.”

Oleksandr Usyk, Unified Heavyweight World Champion:

“I am very happy to be here in Saudi Arabia. It is very pleasant for me and my team. We are doing what we have to do to achieve our goals. I have never made any loud or bright speeches. To become World Champion all I did was work hard in my training camp and gym. That’s what I am going to do until the day of the fight and my boxing will make me happy.”

Alexander Krassyuk, promoter of Oleksandr Usyk:

“Hello everyone. First of all, I want to thank The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the opportunity. It’s a big honour for us to be here. While thinking over the speech for this media event, I looked back at the press conference we had before the first fight, and the last words were, ‘let the best man win and we’ll see you again for the rematch’. Here we are seeing you again for the rematch.

:It’s an absolutely huge event, it’s a big honour to be a part of it. It took us a lot of efforts and will to make it happen. Probably in February and March, we had to face the challenge of war in our country. We were not sure that this fight would take place. But finally, we put ourselves together, we made the decision to get into the fight, and now we are here representing our country Ukraine with pride in our hearts. We are representing out country here in the new destination of sports in the world here in Saudi Arabia. Let the best man win. We’ll see you again for the Undisputed fight.”

Egis Klimas, manager of Oleksandr Usyk:

“First of all, thank you very much for having us. I want to thank Skill Challenge Entertainment, Prince Khalid, Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Boxing Federation for having us here. I’d like to congratulate Matchroom for putting this deal together with K2 Promotions. As far as the rematch is concerned, this bout is very important for both men. Anthony wants to get his belts back; he is with a new team and a new trainer. I know Robert Garcia personally, he trained a couple of my champions before, he is a great great trainer. Anthony did a good jo picking out this trainer. For Oleksandr it’s very important to keep those belts and to go further. It’s a very real possibility that the winner of this bout will go for the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship which will be historic. It’s a very important bout. August 20th is going to be another historic day in the sport of boxing.”

Anthony Joshua, former Unified Heavyweight World Champion:

“I just want to say god is good, all the time, even through tough times. I’d like to thank everyone for coming out today. Definitely the hunger is still there. As I always said from the get-go, stay hungry. Just keep the motivation high. Blips happen. Things happen in life but resilience, mental toughness and consistency will always prevail. We’re still on the road, we’re still on the road to Undisputed for sure. It’s just a little blip in the road but I’m focused on the target which is sitting over there (points to Usyk).

“I’m focused on the goal, god willing I’ll perform, and I’ll become three-time Heavyweight Champion of the World. With Andy Ruiz I think a lot of people can see before the fight things weren’t 100%. You’ve got to be strong, thick skinned; we take our loss like a man. When I win, I keep it moving and I thank everybody. When you lose, you have to stay humble as well in defeat. We kept it moving and I knew I could come back again and do what I have to do.

“The fight with Usyk, he bust my ass for some rounds. I have to take that defeat like a man as well. I hold myself accountable. I’m someone who can admit when I’m wrong and hold my head high when I’m right. The fight in September, he was right, and I was wrong. Simply, I have to reverse that role on August 20th. I don’t like to over complicate the situation because there’s simplicity in genius. Sometimes if you keep things simple you can achieve great things, so I’m just going to keep things simple, move forward and the date will soon come.

“I wish Team Usyk a successful training camp and safe travels wherever they go in the world. Same to my team, Robert has been great in the camp, my staff at the back there as well that have been helping me in my training camp. I wish all of us well. I wish you guys a safe few weeks and I can’t wait to see you all again in the stadium for a great night of Heavyweight Championship boxing.”

Robert Garcia, trainer of Anthony Joshua:

“First of all, thank you all for being here. Thanks for having us. I want to congratulate Usyk and his team for all of the success they had. They’re great people and a great team. I started coming to the UK in December, I’ve been coming back and forth to England to work with Anthony. I see a different Anthony now; the way he thinks and the way he talks. Everything he’s practising and everything he’s doing in the gym; I think he fought the wrong fight but that’s the past. That happened already. Usyk was the better man, congratulations to him, but come August 20 we’re going to do whatever it takes to win those titles back. I know he can do it.

“He’s the bigger man, he’s the stronger man, he’s got the reach advantage, so we’re going to take advantage of all that. Come that day, I think without a doubt we’re going to have a three-time Heavyweight Champion of the World. We’ve got to be prepared for everything. Usyk is a great fighter, he’s got skills, reflexes, accuracy – he’s got everything. I think Anthony has the tools to beat him. We just have to do the things in the gym.

“He wants to be champion again. Like I said before, I have no doubt that on August 20th he will be champion again. With the dedication that he has and the hard work that he puts in in the gym, it motivates me also to put more into the training camp and to come out with the win because I know how much he wants it. I want my first Heavyweight Champion of the World. I’ve had 14 World Champions, he will be my 15th, but he will be my first Heavyweight Champion of the World and that’s big for me too.”

Abdullah Eid, President of the Saudi Arabian Boxing Federation:

“There is a massive focus on the youth of this country. We want our people to see the stars and get active in the sports they watch. We want our young people to participate. To lead healthy lives. From trainers, to coaches and referees, from gyms offering boxing for exercise, everything is focused on increasing participation.”

An announcement on tickets will follow in due course. Sign up HERE for Usyk vs. Joshua 2 bulletins and ticket updates.

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Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2: Press conference in Jeddah today!

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Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2: Press conference in Jeddah today! | Boxen247.com

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2: Press conference in Jeddah today! | Boxen247.com

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2

Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – 20 August 2022

Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua will come face to face at a launch press conference in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia today ahead of their huge rematch in the coastal city on Saturday August 20.

The press conference will begin at 5.30pm local time (3.30pm BST) and will be available to watch live on the Matchroom Boxing YouTube channel.

An announcement on tickets will follow in due course. Sign up HERE for Usyk vs. Joshua 2 bulletins and ticket updates.

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Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2: It’s official – Saudi Arabia August 20

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Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2: It's official - Saudi Arabia August 20 | Boxen247.com

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2: It's official - Saudi Arabia August 20 | Boxen247.com

Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2

Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – 20 August 2022

Unified Heavyweight World Champion Oleksandr Usyk will put his IBF, WBA, WBO and IBO World Titles on the line against Anthony Joshua in the coastal city of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Saturday August 20.

One of the biggest Heavyweight rematches in the history of the sport, Usyk vs. Joshua 2, billed ‘Rage on the Red Sea’, will take place nearly three years on from the historic ‘Clash on the Dunes’ event at the Diriyah Arena that saw Joshua reclaim his Heavyweight crowns against Andy Ruiz Jr.

Under the patronage of HRH Mohammad bin Salman and in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 ambitions, the eyes of the sporting world will be on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia once more as ‘AJ’ aims to exact revenge over Usyk and take his place back at the top of the Heavyweight division.

Joshua (24-2, 22 KOs) was dethroned as Heavyweight King by Ukrainian pound-for-pound star Usyk in September 2021 in front of over 60,000 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England on a memorable evening in boxing’s marquee division.

Since the pair’s first meeting, former Undisputed Cruiserweight World Champion Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs) has gained further global attention after putting the rematch on hold to support his home nation on the front line during their ongoing conflict.

Usyk said: “I have a goal, with the help of the Lord I will complete my mission!”

“What a roller coaster journey, fighting for the Heavyweight Championship of the World for the 12th consecutive time,” said Joshua. “I won the belt, unified the division won another belt, lost the belts, became two-time Unified Heavyweight Champion and now have my date with history set to become three-time Unified Heavyweight Champion of the World. What an opportunity

“Fighting championship level back to back has had its pros and cons, but I decide every day to get stronger, to learn from my experiences and grow. A happy fighter is a dangerous fighter and I am the happiest and most motivated I have been.

“Thank you to the organisers, to 258MGT, Matchroom Boxing and to all the boxing fans across the world, with a special shout out to the Ukrainian fans who have been through a really tough time.”

Prince Khalid bin Abdulaziz, Chairman of SCEE, said: “This is another proud moment for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia bringing the biggest rematch in global boxing to our great country. Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua are both brilliant champions with different stories, skills and styles and the whole world will watch them go head-to-head in the ring on August 20 – we look forward to welcoming them.”

Eddie Hearn, Chairman, Matchroom Boxing, said: “We are thrilled to get one of the biggest Heavyweight rematches in boxing history made and give Anthony Joshua the chance to reclaim what he lost in London last September. Everything is on the line for this Unified World Heavyweight Championship bout and it could not be a bigger contest. We know Oleksandr Usyk is a great fighter and we saw that last time out, but I know Anthony Joshua is more determined than ever. It was a huge success to host Anthony Joshua’s contest with Andy Ruiz Jr. in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2019 and we are looking forward to working with the country again to stage this historic event. So, no doubt all eyes of the world will be on the ring come Saturday August 20th. This is a story of redemption, and the countdown starts now.”

Alexander Krassyuk, Usyk’s Promoter, said: “The rematch is on the way. The fight will be much bigger and more spectacular than the first. It is new history in the making. Being a part of this event is a huge honour. Our country is now fighting for its heritage. Our mission is to expand its legacy. With the help of the Lord we will achieve this.”

Freddie Cunningham, Managing Director, 258MGT, said: “We are on the verge again of another huge moment in boxing history and the career of Anthony Joshua. Since turning professional Anthony has never shied away from anything, he has taken every challenge and actively looked for the biggest fights against the best in his division. This is his opportunity to become a Three Time Heavyweight Champion of the World and he will put everything into achieving this amazing feat. A big thank you to our team at 258 MGT, SCEE, Matchroom Boxing and everyone who has helped put this together.”

An announcement on tickets will follow in due course. Sign up HERE for Usyk vs. Joshua 2 bulletins and ticket updates.

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Anthony Joshua-managed Shannon Ryan will make pro debut on March 26

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Anthony Joshua-managed Shannon Ryan will make pro debut on March 26 | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)

Anthony Joshua-managed Shannon Ryan will make pro debut on March 26 | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)Boxen247.com YouTube Channel

Shannon Ryan vs. TBA

Top prospect Shannon Ryan will make her professional debut on Saturday 26th March on the BOXXER Fight Night at the OVO Arena Wembley, live and exclusive on Sky Sports.

Managed by former World Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua under his banner 258 Management, the Watford hot shot is well versed in combat sports with an extensive career starting in kickboxing when she was five years old, winning multiple international tournaments and culminating in two WAKO titles and recognised as the World’s best at her weight.  Ryan was then given a place on the Team GB Taekwondo squad.

Searching for a new challenge, Ryan then channelled her focus towards using her fists and found boxing where as an amateur she excelled in winning the 2019 Women’s Winter Box Cup and 2018 Alliance Boxing Champion while winning silver at the 2020 London Championships.

Now Ryan is set for professional ranks and the dream of becoming a World Champion.  She will be trained by Gevon Archilbald and will compete in the super-flyweight division.

Ryan said “I am excited to be working with a supportive team (258MGT) that will help me establish myself within the boxing industry, the goal is to inspire and motivate the next generation.”

Ben Shalom, BOXXER founder and CEO, said, “I’m looking forward to seeing Shannon’s pro debut on March 26 and she is another great female talent to watch out for.”

Freddie Cunningham, Managing Director at 258 MGT, said, “Shannon has been working really hard in the background and we are pleased to be able to get her this opportunity on Sky and we are confident she will grab it with both hands.”

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Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua & results from London, England

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Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua & results from London, England | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)

Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua & results from London, England | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)

Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk Result

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London 25/9/21

Oleksandr Usyk W PTS UD 12 Anthony Joshua

(WBA, WBO & IBF World Titles)

Heavyweight

12x 3 Minutes

Oleksandr Usyk featured one of the greatest heavyweight moments of these times. He arrived in London against the odds and defeated Anthony Joshua by unanimous decision to win the World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Championship, along with the IBF, WBO, and IBO belts at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The judges scored the bout 117-112, 116-112, and 115-113, which gave the Ukrainian a unanimous decision victory to win the belts held by the Briton.

The venue had 60 thousand people cheering for the home fighter. Joshua received the support of most of the crowd and combined that motivational factor with the fact that he was bigger (20 pounds heavier), younger, and more experienced in the category.

But from the first moment, Usyk made it clear that he was all in for the victory and made a very mobile fight, circling Joshua and throwing punches with force. The good news for the southpaw fighter was that from the moment he landed the first punch he knew he could hurt Joshua and that gave him confidence.

In fact, in the third round he managed to put the hitherto champion in trouble with a straight left and that was Usyk’s first big moment in the fight. In the middle rounds, Joshua was able to get a distance that favored him and connected good punches, especially straight rights and uppercuts to the body that pushed the challenger back.

Those punches caused a cut on his eyebrow, but the 34-year-old fighter, instead of running away, continued with his plan, which helped him close well and connect the best punches. He even gave away 20 intense seconds at the end of the fight in which Joshua stayed on his feet out of pure heart but badly hurt.

Usyk is the new unified heavyweight champion and improved his record to 19 wins, no losses, and 13 KOs. Joshua, who made a great performance, dropped his record to 24 wins, 2 losses, and 22 KOs.

The result likely scuppers the previous plan of a four-belt unification between Joshua and Tyson Fury — which was the plan for the summer until Deontay Wilder successfully forced a trilogy bout with the current WBC champ. There was a rematch clause in the contract. Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn told DAZN during the post-fight show that Joshua would invoke it.

Usyk: “The fight went exactly the way I expected it to go,” Usyk said during his post-fight interview. “There were a couple of moments when Anthony pushed me hard, but nothing special.

“I had no objective to knock him out because my trainers pushed me not to do that. At the beginning I hit him hard and tried to knock him out but my trainers said to stop and just do my job.

“You didn’t see the best Usyk, I can be much better.”

Joshua: “Well done to the winner. We’ll be back again. Get back into training. Great twelve rounds, great experience in the ring, and then we progress from this point on once again so we’ll be doing it all again soon.

“I couldn’t see in the ninth round. I couldn’t see anything really. But it was a good experience because in adversity you just gotta learn to control yourself. Stay on top of things.

“When I couldn’t see anything, it’s the first time it’s happened in a fight. I was thinking ‘all right, cool…this is the first time my eye’s closed up in a fight. I can’t see anything and I’m looking out of one eye.’ But it got better as the rounds went on.

“We’ll be back 100 (percent). I’m ready to get back to training. Because of the twelve rounds, my lungs and everything, it was a good twelve-rounder so I’ll be in a good place when I get back into training to pick up where we left off.

“He’s got good pace but he still gets hit, you know? He gets hit a lot and in the rematch, we’ll just learn how to hit him more and be more concussive with our punch selection.

“I never tend to look at the opponent. I just tend to look at myself and realize where I went wrong. So it’s not so much what he did, it’s the opportunities I gave him. So it’s not so much him, I’m just going to go back and look at myself and correct my wrongs.

“The road to undisputed and all that stuff is good. As I said, I’ll fight Tyson Fury, Wilder whatnot, without the belts. The belts are fun, it’s great, it’s legacy, but with or without the belts I’ll fight whoever. The road to undisputed is a nice title to chase, but would you still watch it without the belts?”

Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua & results from London, England | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)

Lawrence Okolie W KO 3 Dilan Prasovic

WBO World Title

Cruiserweight

12x 3 Minutes

Lawrence Okolie made a comfortable first defense of his WBO cruiserweight title when he overwhelmed mandatory challenger Dilan Prasovic, scoring a knockdown in the second round before a body shot in the third prompted the official to wave it off.

Campbell Hatton W PTS 6 Sonni Martinez

Lightweight

6x 3 Minutes

Fight Notes: ROBBERY. The bout went the distance with referee Marcus McDonnell giving a gifted hometown decision to Hatton by a score of 58-57. Boxen247.com made Martinez a CLEAR winner.

Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua & results from London, England | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)

Callum Smith W TKO 2 Lenin Castillo

Light Heavyweight

10x 3 Minutes

Fight Notes: In the 2nd round, Smith landed the perfect punch, with Castillo hitting the canvas hard. Castillo’s legs were immediately twitching, with the referee calling a stop to the bout without a count. Time of the stoppage was 0:55 of the 2nd round. Castillo was taken straight to hospital with the early reports of him being conscious and now talking in the ambulance.

Florian Marku W PTS SD 10 Maxim Prodan

IBF International Title

Welterweight

10x 3 Minutes

Fight Notes: The bout went the 10 round distance, with Marku winning a split decision points victory. Scores were 99-91 Prodan, 97-93 Marku, 96-94 Marku. Boxen247.com scored it 96-94 Marku.

Chris Ousley W PTS MD 10 Khasan Baysangurov

WBA Intercontinental Title

Middleweight

10x 3 Minutes

Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua & results from London, England | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)

Ousley won a majority decision with scorecards of 95-95, 97-94 and 97-94 against a strong opponent who looked for the fight at all times but could not overcome the good boxing of the American.

The 30-year-old American said that it is a dream for him to have won his first professional title with the WBA. The victory in such an important setting helps him grow in the division and put his name on the world boxing map.

Ousley maintained his undefeated record of 13 fights, of which he has won 9 by knockouts. Baysangurov, on the other hand, dropped to 21 wins, 2 setbacks and 11 knockouts.

Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua & results from London, England | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck) Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua & results from London, England | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck) Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua & results from London, England | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck) Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua & results from London, England | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck) Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua & results from London, England | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)Oleksandr Usyk defeats Anthony Joshua & results from London, England | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)

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Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk fight card weights from London, UK

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Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk fight card weights from London, UK | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)
Photo: Ian Walton Matchroom Boxing

Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk fight card weights from London, UK | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)

Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England 25/9/21

WBA, IBF, WBO & IBO World Titles

Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk tip the scales ahead of their heavyweight title bout:

Unified Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs) weighed 240 lbs and Oleksandr Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs) 221.5 lbs.

WBO Jr. Heavyweight World Champion Lawrence Okolie (16-0, 13 KOs), weighed 199 lbs and challenger Dilan Prasovic (15-0, 12 KOs), 200 lbs.

Campbell Hatton 136.75 vs. Izan Dura 136
Callum Smith 175 vs. Lenin Castillo 175
Maxim Prodan 146.75 vs. Florian Marku 146.6
Chris Ousley 160 vs. Khasan Baysangurov 159.5

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Joshua and Usyk showed their weapons at press conference

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Joshua and Usyk showed their weapons at press conference | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)

Joshua and Usyk showed their weapons at press conference | Boxen247.com (Kristian von Sponneck)

Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England 25/9/21

Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk faced each other in the last press conference prior to their fight for the World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Heavyweight Championship and the IBF and WBO belts.

With only one day to go before they step into the ring at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, the protagonists of the showdown appeared before the press and talked a little about what they expect from this great fight.

It was a contrast in every way. Joshua was serious and sober throughout the event, while Usyk showed the charisma that characterizes him and came dressed as the Joker to send a message that he wants to be the villain on Saturday night and beat the champion at home.

Joshua knows he faces a tough defense against an undefeated and very technical fighter, but he assured that he is made for this type of occasion.

“I like challenges. I beat guys who give me troubles. This fight gives me the motivation,” assured the 31-year-old English champion.

Usyk thinks exactly the same as Joshua in that the fight is very important and for him it will be another way to keep growing in his career.

“Every fight makes history, this will be another step,” stressed the Ukrainian.

Tomorrow they will both step on the scales and Saturday will be the mega fight at Tottenham Stadium.

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