CELEB NEWS

Anthony Joshua challenges Daniel Dubois for the IBF world heavyweight title at Wembley Stadium on September 21, live on Sky Sports Box Office; AJ knocked out Francis Ngannou in March while Dubois halted Filip Hrgovic earlier this month

Anthony Joshua will face Daniel Dubois in an all-British heavyweight clash for the IBF world heavyweight title at Wembley Stadium on September 21, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Oleksandr Usyk announced on Tuesday that he had vacated the IBF belt, which means Joshua can regain one of the world titles he previously held if he defeats Dubois, who has been upgraded from IBF interim title holder to the IBF champion.

Joshua has marched back up the heavyweight ranks after suffering two consecutive losses to Usyk, who went on to become the undisputed world champion with his stunning victory over Tyson Fury last month.

The 34-year-old Joshua was outpointed by Usyk in two fights that spanned 2021 and 2022.

He returned with a points win over Jermaine Franklin in 2023, but then followed up with stoppage victories over Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin later that year.

He’s boxed once this year already, taking out Francis Ngannou in just two rounds. Ngannou, a former UFC champion in MMA, was an inexperienced boxer, but he had managed to go the 10-round distance with Tyson Fury in his first professional boxing bout.

BOXING

Claressa Shields thanks Shaquille O’Neal contribution after becoming four-weight champion

She knocked out Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse

Claressa Shields has achieved another milestone in her illustrious career, becoming a four-weight champion by knocking out Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse.

After moving up two weight classes, Shields claimed the WBC heavyweight title, further cementing her status as the Greatest Woman of All Time (GWOAT) in boxing

She celebrated her victory on social media, thanking her supporters and sponsors, including NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal, who has been one of her most vocal supporters.

“YEAHHHH GWOAT 15-0, 3KOS Thank you to all my sponsors @SNACsystem, @SHAQ, @area56ent & @ivhydrationandaesthetics,” she wrote on X.

O’Neal, known for his enthusiasm for combat sports, has been a significant backer of Shields, not only promoting her on social media but also sponsoring her through his brand, Shaq.com. His support highlights his belief in Shields‘ prowess and his investment in her career.

Historic achievement

Shields‘ latest accomplishment adds to her already impressive legacy in boxing, and her partnership with O’Neal underscores the strong support she has from prominent figures in sports. Her continued success serves as an inspiration, showcasing her skill and determination in breaking new ground within the sport.

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BOXING

‘It should be the end’ – Manny Pacquiao urged to cancel comeback fight plan after being ‘battered’ in exhibition against kickboxer

Manny Pacquiao has been urged to retire after his difficult exhibition in Japan.

The only eight-weight world champion returned in an exhibition clash against Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo. Still, it was ‘beaten up’ in a difficult fight, which luckily was declared as a draw by default.

Pacquiao is in talks to make a full professional comeback in a WBC world title shot against Mario Barrios, which has been pencilled in for later in 2024.

But BOXXER promoter Ben Shalom believes it simply shouldn’t be happening, but is understanding of his motivations for returning.

He told “I think it’s so hard for fighters, you have seen it in the Olympics with athletes coming back.

“We’ve seen so many fighters come back, you always think back to Muhammad Ali and the damage that those last fights had on his life.

“It is very hard as a promoter to say it, but equally if you have enough money in the bank you have to protect your health.

“I think it showed in that exhibition that it really should be the end, but ultimately stranger things have happened.

“As I say fighters are addicted to that buzz and it is very hard to replace it in those final years.”

Pacquiao looked a shadow of himself as his tallest-ever opponent landed almost two shots per every one he hit back.

Although he ended stronger, it was a worrying sign for the veteran who could have quite easily been defeated if the fight was scored.

‘Pac Man’ hasn’t fought competitively since losing to Yordenis Ugas in August 2021, after which he hung up his gloves as a professional.

BOXING

Floyd Mayweather stuns fans by taking on an unexpected new apprentice

This one hits close to home

Floyd Mayweather comes from a boxing family, and those genes have played a significant role in making him a boxing icon. Mayweather‘s father — also named Floyd — was a welterweight fighter in the 1970s and the 1980s, winning 28 of his 35 bouts and passing on a wealth of knowledge to his son.

Floyd Jr. boxed competitively for two decades, taking part in 50 fights — all of which he won, 27 of them. The Mayweather name is one of the most storied in the sport’s lengthy history, spanning generations of boxing. And Money, now a proud grandfather at 47 years old, is taking steps to ensure that the Mayweather name never leaves fans’ minds.

Meet Meezy

Mayweather’s two-year-old grandson, Meezy, is already following the path toward a future in boxing. The son of Mayweather’s daughter Yaya and star rapper NBA Youngboy, Meezy recently donned a pair of boxing gloves and showed his famous grandpa that the 2030s could be another golden decade for the Mayweather family.

Meezy has even been in the ring already, shadowboxing from a safe distance, with plans maybe already being made for him to join Floyd Sr., Floyd Jr. and great-granduncle Roger Mayweather in pro boxing someday

BOXING

Why Terence Crawford has staggering KO streak stretching back eight years that cements status as successor to Floyd Mayweather

Pound-for-pound great Terence Crawford is on a stunning knockout streak.

The former three-weight world champion has stopped his last 11 opponents stretching back to 2016.

To make the feat even more impressive, every single one of those wins came in a world title fight.

Crawford kicked off his impressive run by finishing John Molina Jr inside eight rounds in December 2016 to retain his WBC and WBO light-welterweight belts.

The likes of Amir Khan, Kell Brook, and Shawn Porter fell to him in the following years as he picked up all the major sanctioning body belts at 140lbs.

Crawford then went on to cement his legacy as an all-time great by knocking out Errol Spence 10 months ago to become undisputed champion at welterweight.

This marked the first time a male fighter had been crowned a two-weight undisputed champion in the four-belt era – although Naoya Inoue and Oleksandr Usyk have since followed suit.

‘Bud’ is now 40-0 as a pro and is quickly closing in on Floyd Mayweather’s unblemished 50-0 record.

‘TBE’ won world titles in five different weight classes but never achieved undisputed status during his 21-year stint in the paid ranks.

The closest Mayweather came to unifying all the belts was in 2015 when he defeated Manny Pacquiao for the WBC, WBA, and WBO welterweight titles.

However, Mayweather refused to pay a sanctioning fee to the WBO after the fight and was subsequently stripped of their version of the world title.

Crawford is looking to further close the gap on Mayweather’s legacy by going for his fourth world title this weekend.

BOXING

Joyce vs Chisora LIVE! Boxing result, fight stream, latest updates and reaction after heavyweight thriller

Del Boy upsets The Juggernaut on points after a hugely entertaining showdown at London’s O2 Arena

Derek Chisora shocked Joe Joyce to win a thrilling all-British heavyweight showdown on Saturday night. ‘Del Boy’ rolled back the years with an excellent performance in an absolute slugfest fought in front of a strong pro-Chisora crowd at London’s O2 Arena, flooring his rival in the ninth round before taking a deserved unanimous decision win with scores of 96-94, 96-94 and 97-92.

It was a victory that will once again end any talk of an imminent retirement for the 40-year-old Chisora, who said afterwards that he intends to have two more fights to reach the 50 mark as a professional – starting in Manchester in December. Joyce also insisted that he would carry on despite suffering a devastating third defeat from his last four fights that leaves any lingering hopes of getting back into the world title picture in tatters.

Derek Chisora has Oleksandr Usyk and The O2 on their feet in delight as he beats Joe Joyce in fight of year contender | The Sun

On Saturday’s undercard, Moses Itauma knocked out Mariusz Wach early in a serious statement from the rising boxing superstar and a punch-perfect Dennis McCann became the new European super-bantamweight champion as he dominated Ionut Baluta in a one-sided rematch. Ryan Garner also stayed unbeaten following early wins for Royston Barney-Smith, Sean Noakes, Aadam Hamed, Raven Chapman, Brandun Lee, Umar Khan and Chisora’s nephew Jermaine Dhliwayo. Follow Joyce vs Chisora reaction live below!

CELEB NEWS

Tennis ace Serena Williams speaks for millions as she pulls anguished face during Olympics opening ceremony

Serena Williams spoke for millions of disappointed Olympic fans as she pulled an anguished face during the opening ceremony.

The tennis star looked worse for wear as she rode down the River Seine on a high-speed boat as a torch bearer for the Paris games.

She was joined by Rafael Nadal, nine-time Olympic gold medallist Carl Lewis, and former Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci as they made their way through driving rain and choppy waters.

The boat was part of a four-hour ceremony centred around the French capital’s river and it was going so fast that Nadal fretted that the flame might go out.

Williams seemed to have been enjoying the ride as she waved to fans, but she suddenly gasped and needed to quickly grab onto Comancei to keep steady.

People watching footage of the four-time Olympic gold medallist commented that they thought she looked like she might be sick and that she looked like how people felt watching the controversial opening.

One person said online: ‘This is how the rest of us felt watching it.’

Someone else said online: ‘She hated it as much as everyone else!’

Another quipped: ‘She saw the rest of the opening ceremony.’

A social media user said: ‘Much of the audience felt sick, too.’

Another said: ‘What an embarrassment to France that opening ceremony was. The French people must be fuming.’

Another person added: ‘I thought Serena was going to be sick.’

And another person said: ‘Yeah the whole thing was sickening.’

The Paris Olympics opening ceremony has been slammed by critics who dubbed it the ‘worst ever’ with poor audio caused by the near-torrential rain and some joking online that organisers needed to ‘stop the boats’.

At one point, as the long line of boats filled with athletes made its way down the Seine, an embarrassing moment saw South Korea labelled North Korea by the announcers.

As the South Korean delegation sailed down the Seine River, they were introduced with the official name for North Korea: ‘Republique populaire democratique de Coree’ in French, then ‘Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’ in English.

The IOC said in a post on its official Korean-language X account: ‘We deeply apologise for the mistake that occurred when introducing the South Korean team during the broadcast of the opening ceremony.’

BOXING

Floyd Mayweather’s new investment: Every adult wants to have something great to drink

Aims to deliver a high-quality product

Floyd Mayweather has now ventured into the world of spirits with his new brand, Good Money Whiskey. Launched in 2024, this brand is part of Mayweather‘s expanding collection of luxury ventures and mirrors his philosophy of excellence and hard work.

Mayweather‘s foray into the whiskey market aims to deliver a high-quality product that appeals to both whiskey enthusiasts and fans of his career. His entry into this industry is marked by a commitment to offering a top-tier experience, consistent with the standards he upholds in all his endeavors.

To get a firsthand experience, Mail Sport traveled to Las Vegas and joined Mayweather at the 8 Cigar Lounge in Resorts World to taste Good Money Whiskey.

Mayweather personally introduced the brand’s flagship product-a ten-year-old Canadian Whiskey known for its smooth, rich taste and complex aroma, featuring notes of butterscotch, spice, and vanilla.

Commitment to the investment

The boxing legend spoke about the meticulous aging process that gives the whiskey its distinct flavor profile. He also introduced a five-year-old version of the whiskey, which, while less aged, still offers a refined taste that caters to a wider audience.

Mayweather emphasized that his commitment to Good Money Whiskey goes beyond typical celebrity endorsement, reflecting his personal dedication to making the brand a leader in the market.

“Every adult wants to have something great to drink,” Mayweather said.

“And guess what? Together with my team, we developed and sourced th best exclusive products we could find to be offered to the public.

It’s just like boxing. I had the best team, so I got the best results. I’ve got the best team on my brands, too. Just try it and you’ll see.

“I don’t want to speak badly about any celebrities who have launched a product but there is a distinct difference between them and me. A lot of the time, celebrities market someone else’s products. They don’t have any ownership or equity.”

BOXING

Floyd Mayweather’s Forgotten Losses And Controversial Wins

Floyd Mayweather, a name synonymous with boxing excellence, remains undefeated in his professional career with an impeccable 50-0 record. However, the boxing legend, often hailed as one of the greatest professional pugilists of all time, experienced the sting of defeat during his amateur days.

From 1996 to 2017, Mayweather dominated the professional boxing scene, securing 12 major world championships across five weight classes, ranging from super featherweight to super welterweight, and defeating 24 former or current world champions. His amateur career was also marked by notable achievements, including three national Golden Gloves championships in 1993, 1994, and 1996, and a bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

BOXING

Praised for God-Gifted Speed, Floyd Mayweather Gets Called Out Over “Fakest Fights You Have Seen In Your Life”

Although you may beautify a crow with a peacock’s feathers, you can never completely transform the former into the latter irrespective of what you do. No matter how well-versed in boxing Devin Haney may seem to you, can you place ‘The Dream’ on the same page as Floyd Mayweather? For ShowBizz the Adult, such a comparison is outrageous and belittles Mayweather’s God-gifted skills.

And since the boxing commentator will not hesitate to call a spade a spade, he questioned Mayweather’s exhibition against Tenshin Nasukawa in Japan too. Besides ridiculing how Nasukawa responded to getting hit, ShowBizz pointed out that Mayweather was “pissed” by the Japanese boxer as the latter failed to deliver a show accepted under Mayweather’s standards.

ShowBizz is sick of others getting compared to Floyd Mayweather

In April this year, Tha Boxing Voice claimed Devin Haney resembled Floyd Mayweather. In their opinion, given the way Haney boxed, ‘The Dream’ was a threat to Mayweather’s golden legacy! However, ShowBizz has strongly opposed the comparison between Mayweather and Haney. In his opinion, considering Devin another version of Floyd is “disrespecting ‘Money’ Mayweather.” According to him, besides Mayweather’s fight IQ, Haney is deficient in speed and reflexes.

“Mayweather’s speed was blinding. His reflexes were insane. You don’t get hit by [a] Ryan-Ostarine left!” ShowBizz added, casually referring to Ryan Garcia’s failed drug test and a subsequent ban by the NYSAC. Although Garcia dominated Haney, ShowBizz is confident that Mayweather would have “whipped” ‘KingRy’ in the ring unlike ‘The Dream’ who was knocked down thrice.

Just like punching hard does not make a short fighter Mike Tyson, employing the Philly Shell is not sufficient for one to become the next Floyd. Speaking of which, ShowBizz added, “Floyd’s naturally God gifts were incredible.” Having sung praises of Mayweather’s skills which make him unique, ShowBizz ridiculed Mayweather’s exhibition against Tenshin Nasukawa.

Tenshin Nasukawa frustrated Mayweather with “worst acting”

Observing the exhibition against kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa, several fans accused Floyd Mayweather of producing a rigged fight. At the time of the exhibition, Nasukawa was the reigning Rise kickboxing champion. However, considering his amateur record that surpasses 100 fights, Nasukawa looked way too stressed from the beginning for a fighter not unfamiliar with risks. As soon as the fight began, Mayweather, bigger in size, intimidated Nasukawa as if the Japanese boxer was left with a wild creature, all forgotten by his family. Soon, following three dramatic knockdowns, Mayweather stopped Tenshin in the very first round.