Terence Crawford has cemented himself amongst boxing’s all-time greats with a number of iconic wins and title triumphs. When asked to name his own top five fighters, ‘Bud’ felt three former heavyweight champions have earned their places.

Crawford made history when he dethroned Canelo Alvarez and captured the undisputed super-middleweight world title last September, becoming the first post-war three-weight undisputed titleholder.

Soon after that generational win, the Omaha switch-hitter announced his retirement from the sport, walking away with an astonishing career that consisted of 42 victories and no defeats; considered to be one of the best boxers to have hung up the gloves with an undefeated record.

On The Real Report podcast with Tony Yayo and Uncle MurdaCrawford named only one unbeaten fighter amongst his all-time top five. Instead, the 38-year-old gave props to three former heavyweight world champions: Muhammad Ali, Roy Jones Jr and Joe Louis.

“I got to put [Muhammad] Ali up there. I got to put Sugar Ray Robinson, I got to put Roy Jones Jr. in his prime. I’ve definitely got to put Floyd Mayweather in and I’ll probably put Joe Louis.”

Ali and Louis spent their entire legendary careers competing at heavyweight, while Jones Jr competed in the banner division just once, becoming the first former world middleweight champion to capture world heavyweight gold in over a century.

As for Crawford, despite announcing his decision to retire, he continues to be called out by active fighters, with Ryan Garcia becoming the latest to call for a shot at putting an end to the veteran’s unbeaten streak.

James Dean Fury has always loved boxing, basically since he was born, but it was only when he started training with his uncle, Peter Fury, that he really began to understand the sport.

Given his name, it is hardly surprising that the latest Fury to turn professional has been immersed in boxing for all of his 20 years.

In fact, the super-middleweight prospect tells Boxing News that he struggles to recall a time when he was involved in anything else.

“I’ve been around the sport all my life; was born and bred into it. So my first activity, as a kid, was obviously boxing.

“When I was born, my mum and dad bought me a pair of gloves and a rope – like a little boxing kit for babies – and, when I first walked into the gym, I just fell in love with it. I loved getting punched in the face and punching other people in the face.

“From around seven or eight years old, I knew this was what I wanted to do for a living. I believe God put me on this planet to fight because, when I’m not boxing, there’s nothing else for me to do.”

It is one thing developing a passion for something, like boxing, but learning how to succeed at something is another matter entirely.

Fortunately, James Dean Fury did not have to go searching far and wide for a knowledgeable teacher, yet still he needed to prove worthy of such valuable tutelage.

“When I started training with my uncle Peter at 13 years old, he really opened my eyes and gave me a clear understanding of where I want to go.

“If I sat here and told you everything I’ve learned off my uncle Peter, we’d be here till Christmas.

“But when I was about 14 years old, he tested me. He put me in a trailer [caravan]just to see if I was really dedicated. Then he took me on full-time.”

As a three-time national amateur champion and 2025 Box Cup winner, it is fair to say that James Dean Fury has proved a receptive student.

But now, the young Fury must go one step further and establish himself in the pro ranks, starting with his Boxxer debut on August 8.

Having inked a deal with Ben Shalom’s promotional outfithe will feature on the undercard of Troy Williamson vs Callum Simpson 2, hoping to show fans that he possesses the indigents to win a world title.

“I’ve always been competitive – whether I’m running a race, at a school sports day or playing a board game … I want to win.

“And when it comes to fighting – something I’ve put my whole life into – please, believe me, I will win. I’ve sacrificed everything for this.”

With such competitive spirit, even the attention that comes with his family name does not seem to faze the cousin of a two-time heavyweight champion.

“Whoever you jump in the ring with, they’re going to try and take your head off. No one’s in there to have a dance with me, especially when they hear my name. We’re in the hurt game.”

It might be a cliché, but James Dean clearly does have boxing in his DNA, along with a fierce desire to reach the pinnacle of his sport.

Anthony Joshua came close to a shock knockout defeat when tasked with Kristian Prenga on Saturday and the advice from his corner has been criticised. Now, Joshua’s trainer Iegor Golub has released a statement following his fighter’s concerning display.

‘AJ’ famously moved to Team Usyk last year, with Golub taking the reins for the first time ahead of Joshua’s unconventional bout with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in December, where the Briton scored a sixth round knockout win.

However, against Prenga, Joshua and Golub faced their first genuine heavyweight as a team, albeit one who entered the contest as a larger underdog than Paul did.

The night did not go as planned for anyone involved, as Joshua was dropped twice in a disastrous opening round. Corner instructions from Sergey Lapin telling him “not to go down,” coupled with a somewhat confusing exchange with Golub, have left fans and pundits questioning the tactics employed.

This isn’t good. https://t.co/9D9uQkdvUw

— Andy Clarke (@MrAndyClarke) July 28, 2026

Still, Joshua bounced back and disposed of his Albanian opponent emphatically in round two. That has not stopped criticism being thrown Golub and Lapin’s way ahead of a long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury later this year.

On his InstagramGolub responded by highlighting how impressive Joshua’s response to adversity was, before declaring that ‘a big fish’ is ahead of them.

“It’s not mistakes that define a champion. It’s how he responds to them.

“A few moments passed after the first knockdown, and I glanced at the clock: 2:36 remained in the round. Those were probably the longest two and a half minutes of my life. I imagine they were for AJ as well.

“But he pulled himself together, showed his character, and weathered the storm. There was a lot at stake. We all understood that then, and we understand it even more now.

“I don’t see much point in commenting on the knockout itself. The power in his hands is incredible, and every single day we work to make that weapon as sharp as it can possibly be.

“Huge thanks to the Ready to Fight team for their work, to Oleksandr Usyk, and to my loved ones who traveled to the other side of the world to support us.

“Ahead of us is a “very big fish” that won’t forgive a single mistake. Anthony won’t forgive a single mistake too.”

Joshua and Fury are expected to face each other in November with Netflix set to be the broadcaster of a blockbuster bill.