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Eddie Hearn: Anthony Joshua determined to become heavyweight Champion again

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Anthony Joshua

Eddie Hearn has confirmed that Anthony Joshua’s primary focus is reclaiming the heavyweight championship—regardless of who holds the title.

Joshua, who last fought in September 2024 when he suffered a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois, is determined to become a three-time world heavyweight champion. With Tyson Fury now retired, the long-anticipated all-British clash is no longer an option, shifting Anthony Joshua’s attention to the upcoming Dubois vs. Parker fight.

Read Also: Anthony Joshua eyes new opponent amid Tyson Fury’s retirement

“Right now, because Tyson Fury is retired, the number one choice for AJ is to fight for the world heavyweight title,” Hearn told BetFred.

“That’s 99 per cent of what he wants to do. If that’s Daniel Dubois, no problem. If that’s Joseph Parker, no problem. If AJ decides that’s what he’s doing, then it’s done. Some people say he shouldn’t have fought Oleksandr Usyk. What are you talking about? It’s your job—he was the mandatory challenger. What do you want him to do? Give up his belt and get criticized for ducking Usyk?”Anthony Joshua

Joshua previously defeated Parker in 2018 and will closely watch the Dubois vs. Parker fight, as the winner could be his next opponent.

Despite recent criticism, Hearn has dismissed any talk of Joshua retiring.

“Not yet, but that time will come,” Hearn said. “Those conversations happen behind the scenes when a fighter is struggling in camp. If you no longer have it, it will become clear.

“Injuries will pile up, you’ll get hurt in sparring, and you won’t be as sharp. When that moment comes, the team will recognise it, and that’s when I’ll have that conversation with him.”

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BOXING

Floyd Mayweather to host £4million 48th birthday party on Miami Beach lasting a WEEK – with ATV tour and roller skates

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FLOYD MAYWEATHER

FLOYD MAYWEATHER is hosting a WEEK’S worth of birthday celebrations in Miami – costing £4million.

The boxing legend turns 48 on Monday, February 24 and it will mark the end of seven days worth of partying.

According to TMZ, Mayweather is spending $5m (£4m) on a series of bashes in Miami starting on Monday, February 17.

The American and 400 of his closest family and friends travelled to South Beach to celebrate his 48th.

He is said to have put up his pals in fancy hotels throughout Miami Beach.Floyd Mayweather

Beach parties, an ATV tour, roller-skating – one of Mayweather’s favourite hobbies – and bowling fill up the itinerary.

Mayweather is an avid skater and even owns his own Las Vegas rink – Skate Rock City.

The 50-0 legend will also throw an event at a local mansion as well as on a yacht.

And he appeared to confirm the wild plans by posting online: “Come party with me for my birthday Miami!”

Mayweather officially retired in 2017 after victory over UFC superstar Conor McGregor, 36.

 

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BOXING

Gervonta Davis Names The Fight Floyd Mayweather ‘Intentionally Put Him In To Lose’: “I Had To Do It”

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Gervonta Davis

Gervonta Davis and Floyd Mayweather have had a turbulent relationship.

Boxing legend Mayweather guided ‘Tank’ during the majority of his career, as Davis won world titles in multiple weight divisions and became widely regarded as one of the most exciting fighters in the sport.

The two then parted ways in 2022, and things have seemingly turned hostile since then, with both men having fired insults in the opposite direction in the years that have followed.

Davis has now revealed that his former mentor Mayweather once put him in a fight where he wanted ‘Tank’ to lose, explaining to The Jay Hill Podcast how things transpired.

“I’ve been in situations where I was in a lose-lose situation and came out still on top. He [Mayweather] put me in to make me lose and thought I would lose. A boxing match. Jose Pedraza. My first world title. I was 16-0 and I was 21 at the time and I hadn’t fought in seven, eight monthsGervonta Davis

Around that time I wasn’t making that much. Maybe around 10,000 a fight. Six months is crazy to not fight. When they came back and said you’ve got to fight this fighter Pedraza, If you don’t fight him you’re not fighting and sitting on the shelf.

I had to fight him, in the midst of all that happening, I got evicted, I had to sell my jewellery.

For sure [Floyd did that intentionally].”

Davis fought Pedraza back in January 2017, winning the fight by seventh round stoppage to capture the IBF super-featherweight title and become world champion for the first time.

‘Tank’ returns to action in March when he defends his WBA lightweight crown against Lamont Roach, but another recently crowned world champion is already calling to face Davis next.

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BOXING

Oleksandr Usyk Announces Major U-Turn And Rules Out Facing World Champion Next

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Oleksandr Usyk

Oleksandr Usyk completed his quest to conquer the heavyweight division with a second victory over Tyson Fury in December.

The 38-year-old from Ukraine successfully defended his unified WBC, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles with a unanimous decision win against ‘The Gypsy King’ on December 21 in Riyadh, effectively cementing himself as the greatest heavyweight of his generation.

With other victories over the likes of Anthony Joshua, Daniel Dubois and Derek Chisora, the 38-year-old Ukrainian has beaten all-comers at heavyweight since he made his divisional debut back in 2020.

WATCH our exclusive interview with Oleksandr Usyk as he reacts to Tyson Fury’s retirement, reveals his next f

JUST IN: Anthony Joshua Offered Fast Track To World Title Shot But Warned It Could Be ‘Career-Ending’

Usyk recently confirmed he will be continuing with his career, after it was speculated that he could finally draw the curtain on his glittering tenure which began not long after he captured Olympic Gold at the 2012 games in London.

Before his second fight against ‘The Gypsy King’ the Ukrainian made it clear he planned a stunning return to cruiserweight to attempt to regain the belts he once held at 200lbs.

“I try cruiserweight again. I try [to be undisputed cruiserweight again].”

One man who was willing to welcome Usyk back at his old division was current IBF and Ring magazine champion Jai Opetaia. His promoter Eddie Hearn made it clear that a fight against the Ukrainian was their long term target.

“The medium focus right now is every belt in the division and the long term focus is to fight Usyk for the unified heavyweight world championship. I believe he is the only fighter who can give Usyk a real fight over the next 12-18 moths.”

The Australian himself said it was a fight he would ‘take with both hands’.

“I’m always open for it, I would never knock down a fight like that. That’s a fight I would take with both hands, 100%.”

When asked about the possibility of facing Opetaia, Usyk originally kept the door open for the potential matchup.

“I don’t know, maybe. He’s [Opetaia] a great fighter.”

However, in a recent interview with Sky Sports Boxing, Usyk has now u-turned on his original plan and ruled out ever heading back down to 200lbs, claiming it would ‘not be possible’ to lose the weight again.

“Now I think it’s not possible because six years I work to grow my weight, and I work, work, work and eating, it’s really hard.”

It’s been confirmed that he will face the winner of the IBF heavyweight title fight between Daniel Dubois and Joseph Parker next.

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BOXING

Anthony Joshua Offered Fast Track To World Title Shot But Warned It Could Be ‘Career-Ending’

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Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua is to have one last shot at becoming a three-time world champion.

The British boxing star hasn’t held a title since 2021 when he lost three belts to Oleksandr Usyk, and then failed to win them back in the rematch a year later. He attempted to regain one of them in September last year when he fought IBF champion Daniel Dubois but was knocked out inside five rounds.

Right now, he is plotting his way back having not fought since, and Congolese heavyweight Martin Bakole is a name that has been mentioned often.

Anthony Joshua Offered Fast Track To World Title Shot But Warned It Could Be ‘Career-Ending’

READ: Eddie Hearn reveals frontrunner to face Anthony Joshua next and discusses retirement

Speaking to iFL TV, his trainer Billy Nelson claimed they are ready to go but thinks it’s too much of a threat for ‘AJ’ to take it.

“Eddie [Hearn] probably doesn’t want it if the truth be told cause it’s a career-ending fight when Martin Bakole beats him.”

It was put to him that Hearn said Bakole, who stopped highly rated US contender Jared Anderson last time out, is not the second coming of George Foreman.

“Of course, he’s not the second coming, but what he will be, he’ll be the second man to stop Anthony Joshua if Anthony Joshua doesn’t have a fight in the interim.

“[Joshua] will have a warm-up fight probably March or April against whoever. [Deontay] Wilder is easy meat now. He’s finished, gun-shy, doesn’t carry a punch any more. He’ll get an easy fight, get a win and then I think he’ll fight Martin Bakole, ’cause it’s the biggest fight out there.”

Nelson then laid out a tentative plan, with his man winning his May IBF eliminator against Efe Ajagba for the mandatory slot for Dubois. He says that Joshua can have a shot at taking that position from Bakole.

“Everybody on our team wants the fight, ‘AJ’ wants the fight, Turki Alalshikh most importantly wants the fight. So let’s get the fight made after Anthony has his warm up fight, his confidence-boosting fight. We beat Efe Ajagba for the final eliminator then we’ll take Anthony Joshua for an interim fight before we fight for the world title. No problem.”

‘AJ’ has previously said that he would be interested in having the fight in Africa, and Hearn has said, should the be unable to land the Dubois fight or a long-awaited clash with Tyson Fury, Bakole is in the running.

The Brit is currently ranked seventh with the IBF and, while beating Bakole would not necessarily mean he would be called as mandatory immediately, it makes his case for a ‘DDD’ rematch undeniable.

Meanwhile, Dubois has a test of his own on his hands when he defends his belt against Joseph Parker this weekend. The winner will look to face Usyk in an undisputed contest.

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BOXING

Terence Crawford Finally Confirms Stance on Moving Two Weight Classes for Canelo Alvarez

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Terence Crawford is leaving no stone unturned in his quest to secure a win against Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez at his own weight class.

The matchup that fans have been clamoring for since last year is finally on the horizon. It is set to take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas this September. Crawford is giving it his all to prepare for the showdown. But there’s a major hurdle.

While Crawford has been a dominant force in the welterweight division, Canelo reigns supreme in the super middleweight division. Even though he has made it into the light middleweight division, Canelo is still two weight classes away. To stand a chance against the Mexican icon, Crawford knows he’ll need to bulk up close to 13 lbs for the challenge.

Canelo vs Crawford: Fight agreement reached for September - Bad Left Hook

JUST IN: Eddie Hearn reveals frontrunner to face Anthony Joshua next and discusses retirement

And that’s exactly what Crawford has been doing. Based on his latest Instagram story, the Omaha native has already begun adjusting to the higher weight class, showing off a career-heaviest 186 lbs—hinting that he’s not just talking the talk, but walking the walk. His weight gain has reignited the hopes of many fans who believe Terence Crawford might just pull off the impossible. But not everyone’s buying into the hype just yet. So to silence the doubters, Crawford recently spoke up, clearing the air once and for all.

Crawford’s commitment to the challenge became clear when he recently attended Keyshawn Davis’ impressive victory over Denys Brinchyk at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York. While there, he was approached by Fight Hype for a brief conversation.

The reporter asked Crawford about his decision to move up to 168 lbs to face Canelo Alvarez. He was curious about what motivated Crawford to take on this major challenge. Crawford responded by emphasizing his desire to challenge himself. “I want to challenge myself,” the 41-0 stated confidently.

Terence Crawford acknowledged Canelo as an “all-time great.” Not just that. The 37-year-old also considers him “one of the best that came out of Mexico”. However, Crawford also sees himself as one of the “all-time greats.” He felt this was the perfect time to put his skills to the test against a fighter of Canelo Alvarez’s caliber.

Crawford’s use of the phrase “Big chances, big rewards” highlighted that he is fully aware of the high risk involved in facing a much bigger opponent. He’s not shying away from the challenge but rather embracing it with the belief that the potential reward—cementing his legacy as one of the best in the sport—makes it all worth it.

Despite his confidence, Terence Crawford’s weight increase to 186 lbs raised some eyebrows. Some wondered if this move was just a publicity stunt or a miscalculation.

Mikey Garcia, a four-division world champion, recently shared his thoughts on the situation, expressing concerns about Crawford’s weight gain. While talking to ES News, he even gave his own example and revealed, “When I was fighting, my last few fights at the welterweight division, I was weighing around 120, but I was walking around like 56-58, during training. So you still have to cut weight.”

The former four-division champion pointed out that fighters typically need to cut weight even when moving up a division, albeit less drastically. “Look everybody, even when you are “Moving up the weight,” you are still cutting weight,” stated the veteran boxer. He speculated that Terence Crawford might be exaggerating his current weight. But also noted that if Crawford could manage his new weight without affecting his performance, it could work in his favor. However, the possibility of him losing speed and agility due to the extra bulk remains a concern, especially against someone as quick as Canelo.

While the weight increase is notable, Crawford’s reputation as a top-level fighter means that any changes to his body or strategy will be closely scrutinized. It remains to be seen if the extra weight will affect his speed or if he can adapt his footwork to stay at the top of his game. The questions around his weight, performance, and whether the added bulk will hurt his speed are all part of what makes this fight so compelling.

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BOXING

Eddie Hearn reveals frontrunner to face Anthony Joshua next and discusses retirement

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Anthony Joshua Eddie Hearn

Anthony Joshua is looking for a new opponent for his next fight after Tyson Fury announced his retirement from the sport last month.

The heavyweight titans looked destined to finally square off this year.

Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh was in the process of preparing a lucrative two-fight offer for the long-awaited all-British showdown.

Eddie Hearn Reveals Who Anthony Joshua Is Likely to Fight Next: "He's Pleading For It" - Seconds Out

JUST IN: ‘Bruh..he used toad’: Mike Tyson shuts down Jake Paul’s Parkinson’s claim as boxer backtracks

However, those plans have now been put on hold following Fury’s bombshell announcement.

Joshua’s team have now shifted their attention to other avenues, with AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn setting his sights on a world title fight for his client.

“Right now because Tyson Fury is retired, so put him to the side, the number one choice for AJ is to fight for the world heavyweight title,” Hearn told BetFred.

“That’s 99 per cent of what he wants to do and if that’s Daniel Dubois, no problem. If that’s Joseph Parker, no problem.

“If AJ turns around and says that’s what he’s doing, then it’s done.

“It’s not me saying he can’t fight Daniel Dubois. Some people say he shouldn’t have fought Oleksandr Usyk. What are you talking about?

“It’s your job, he’s the mandatory, what do you want to do?

“Give your belt up and have all that criticism that you ducked Usyk and you vacated your belt to do it?”

Joshua, 35, rebounded well from his back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2020 and 2021 by winning his next four fights.

However, his winning streak came to a cruel, unforgiving end last September when he was flattened by Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium.

The devastating defeat prompted several members of the boxing fraternity to call for his retirement.

But Hearn played down the prospect of AJ hanging up his gloves just yet.

“Not yet, but there will come the time,” Hearn added.

“Those kinds of conversations really come from behind the scenes from how somebody is performing in camp.

“In camp, if you haven’t got it anymore, it’ll be apparent. The injuries will get worse, you’ll get hurt in sparring against somebody you shouldn’t be getting hurt against.

“You’re not sharp and when that moment comes, that’s when the team will say ‘AJ’s not looking good you know’ and that’s the moment when I will probably have a conversation with him.

“For the Daniel Dubois fight, the camp was great.

“He was super sharp and we were really confident going into that fight, coming off four good wins, two really good wins, and we thought he would win.

“We knew how dangerous the fight was, so he comes out, has a terrible start, never really recovers, comes back into the fight a little bit and gets chinned. No problem.

“If camp had gone really poorly and we were unsure, I think that conversation may have been brought forward.”

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BOXING

‘Bruh..he used toad’: Mike Tyson shuts down Jake Paul’s Parkinson’s claim as boxer backtracks

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Jake Paul Mike Tyson

Jake Paul sparked controversy after claiming that Mike Tyson had Parkinson’s disease and was cured by smoking psychedelic toad venom.

Paul made the comments during a livestream with Adin Ross while discussing the use of substances like ayahuasca and mushrooms for health benefits.

During the conversation, Paul excitedly stated, “Toad cured Tyson’s Parkinson’s so that he could come back and fight,” referring to the psychedelic properties of venom from Sonoran Desert toads. The statement quickly went viral, leading to widespread speculation.

Was Jake Paul-Mike Tyson Fight Rigged? MVP Calls Allegations Baseless

JUST IN: Terence Crawford Finally Confirms Stance on Moving Two Weight Classes for Canelo Alvarez

Following the viral clip, a spokesperson for Tyson denied the claims in a statement to TMZ, stating, “Mike is happy and perfectly healthy. He doesn’t have Parkinson’s or any other illness.”

This clarification comes amid concerns about Tyson’s health, as he had a medical incident on a plane last year that led to his highly-publicised fight with Paul being postponed from July to November.

After facing backlash, Paul took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify his comments. He wrote:

“Bruh…Mike Tyson didn’t have no Parkinson’s.. WTF. Why the f* is the internet so stupid for? I misspoke. Meant he used toad to heal his pain. He has spoken about it many times. Just like I do. Just like many do.”**

Despite the retraction, Paul’s initial statement had already fueled speculation, leaving fans divided on whether it was a genuine mistake or a reckless exaggeration.

The highly anticipated fight between the two took place on November 15, with Paul securing a unanimous decision victory over the 58-year-old boxing legend. Despite the loss, Tyson viewed his return to the ring as an achievement, given his age and past health struggles.

In a recent interview with the New York Post, Tyson admitted he still wasn’t sure if he had fully recovered from the fight, saying, “I feel pretty good, but I don’t know if I’m 100 percent recovered.”

The two later reunited at Donald Trump’s inauguration party.

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BOXING

Claressa Shields Opens Up About MMA Career: “Not Enough Time” Despite 2-1 Record

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Claressa Shields

Boxing superstar Claressa Shields’ MMA career might be coming to an abrupt end just three fights into her PFL tenure.

Claressa Shields is arguably one of the greatest boxers, male or female, to compete in the ring in the sport’s decorated history. After earning a slew of world championship belts, Shields opted to leap into MMA, which drew significant hype from fans, fighters, and pundits.

Shields appeared to live up to the hype when she finished Brittney Elkin in come-from-behind fashion during her 2021 PFL and professional MMA debut. Talks of a potential fight between then-PFL superstars Kayla Harrison and Shields began to surface, and the debate of who would get the better of the other in the cage ramped up.Claressa Shields

But Shields faced her first significant case of adversity in MMA in her following fight against Abigail Montes at the 2021 PFL World Championship. She lost to Montes by split decision and struggled mightily with her ground game.

After bouncing back against Kelsey DeSantis last February, Shields seemed intrigued at potentially getting more activity in MMA over boxing. But her recent remarks potentially point to a sharp pivot from that stance.

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BOXING

Roy Jones Reveals Who He Rates Higher Between Davis and Stevenson: “He’s The Best”

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Gervonta Davis Stevenson Roy Jones

Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Shakur Stevenson remain on a collision course to potentially face each other in the near future.

Arguably the two best lightweights on the planet, Davis and Stevenson are both undefeated as professionals with 52 victories between them as it stands.

Davis is the reigning WBA lightweight champion, with his next world title defence due to take place against Lamont Roach on March 1 at the Barclays Center in New York City. ‘Tank’ has also held world titles in the super featherweight and super lightweight divisions during his tenure.

Stevenson has held the WBC lightweight title since November 2023 when he outpointed Edwin De Los Santos to capture the vacant strap. The 27-year-old from Newark made the first defence of his crown against Artem Harutyunyan last July to extend his professional record to 22-0.

Gervonta Davis

One ex-fighter who has shown interest in a potential showdown between the lightweight stars is four-weight world champion Roy Jones Jr.

Jones gave his assessment of the lightweight division and believes that it’s ‘Tank’ who sits at the top of the pile.

“I’ll tell you why he’s the best fighter to me. He can punch, but he also can box. Some that can box can’t punch, some that can punch can’t box.

He can box, he can punch, he can move laterally, he can move left side, right side, he can do whatever he needs to do as a southpaw to get the job done. That’s saying a lot as not many guys can do that today.”

Stevenson is due to make the next defence of his WBC title against highly rated American prospect Floyd Schofield on February 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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