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The Tyson-Mayweather exhibition in Congo is progressing slowly

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Image: Tyson and Mayweather’s Congo Trip Meets a Wall of Fan Silence

The exhibition was first announced last year, without a date or location, which resulted in a lack of urgency. Mayweather’s reports of a rematch with Manny Pacquiao tied to a potential Netflix deal made the Tyson event look unnecessary. After the negotiations failed, Tyson’s exhibition was returned to the calendar, suggesting that it was always an emergency decision rather than a priority.

Congo, formerly Zaire, hosted the “Rumble in the Jungle” in 1974, when Muhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman to regain the heavyweight championship. This fight was about domination. Tyson-Mayweather is a story of survival – two retired icons who extend their commercial lives long after their professional careers end.

A peaceful introduction to warriors who were once in the spotlight

What was surprising today was the indifference that fans on social media showed in reaction to the Tyson-Mayweather exhibition. “No hype” is the most telling part of this whole story. This is a complete reversal of the media circus we saw with Tyson vs. Paul.

Today’s lack of emotion probably comes down to a few things:

1. “Age of Exhaustion”
Fans have reached a saturation point with these “legendary” exhibitions. When Tyson fought Roy Jones Jr., it was a curiosity. When he fought Jake Paul, it was a spectacle. Now that Tyson is 59 and Floyd is 49, it looks more like a nursing home activity than a sporting event. Social media reflects this. The initial ‘shock’ factor wore off and was replaced by a collective eye roll.

2. Physical absurdity
You are right to highlight the difference in weight and size. Even though both are icons, they don’t even come from the same sport in a physical sense.

  • Tyson is a professional heavyweight fighter who usually fought at a weight range of 215–230 pounds.
  • Mayweather won his first title at 130 pounds and never officially competed at any weight above 154 pounds.

Seeing them together in these promotional photos only highlights the “uncanny valley” of this matchup. It doesn’t look like a fight; looks like a photo shoot of two men trying to squeeze the last bit of juice out of their brands.

3. The “Congo” factor as a distraction
Using the “Rumble in the Jungle” legacy is almost like a shield to hide the lack of merit in the competition. By placing it in the Congo, they are trying to buy historical importance that the actual duel does not deserve. The fans are clever enough that the change of scenery does not change the fact that the total age in the ring will be 108 years.

4. Loss of the “Undefeated” aura.
For Floyd, the attractiveness was always “0”. However, in the world of exhibitions, where results do not matter and matches often do not end with a result, this aura is weakening. If there is no winner and loser, there are no stakes, and without stakes there is no hype.

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Roy Jones Jr sums up Tyson Fury’s chances of beating top-ranked Lennox Lewis

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Roy Jones Jr sums up Tyson Fury’s chances of beating a prime Lennox Lewis

Britain has produced some great heavyweights in recent years, ending an almost century-long curse and seeing success in the division ever since. Predicting the outcome of the clash between two of the best fighters in the country, Lennox Lewis and Tyson Fury, Roy Jones Jr said it would be a “great fight”.

Bob Fitzsimmons became the first British world heavyweight champion in 1897, and he and Jones remain the only two fighters in boxing history to have won both middleweight and heavyweight world titles.

However, Great Britain struggled for success in the division after the Fitzsimmons fight, unable to claim heavyweight supremacy until Lennox Lewis became WBC world champion in 1992. Britain has since crowned its title 11th world heavyweight championFabio Wardley, who follows in the footsteps of Fury and Anthony Joshua.

In an interview with Grosvenor CasinoJones said he would give Lewis an advantage over the “Gypsy King” if they met in their prime.

“Tyson Fury vs. Lennox Lewis? That would be a great fight, but my first thought was Lennox Lewis because of his power. But my second thought was also that Tyson Fury was great at making adjustments. I would go with Lennox Lewis.”

At least one heavyweight world title is expected to remain in a Briton’s hands for some time, with Daniel Dubois scheduled to face another Briton, Fabio Wardley, for the WBO belt next month.

In the meantime, we hope 21-year-old Moses Itauma can continue Britain’s success for many years to come, with the youngster considered by many to be the hottest prospect in boxing.

As for Fury, he is focused on the UK-wide megafight with Joshua – their own ‘Battle of Britain’ after Lennox fought Frank Bruno in 1993.

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Jermell Charlo says Derrick James has changed with fame

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Image: Jermell Charlo says Derrick James changed as success grew

“Derrick James, he started getting a little more players and a little more buzz, and I feel like our communication has changed,” Charlo told Brian Custer.

Charlo said that as James built a larger stable, there was less hands-on time spent with him and more trying to control the gym environment. He claimed that James wanted things done his way, including telling players to remove dogs from the gym during training sessions and changing the atmosphere that helped build their success.

Charlo has been out of the ring since his loss to Saul Alvarez in 2023, and James recently split from Errol Spence Jr. A coach once considered one of the safest hands in the sport is suddenly facing public criticism from two of his biggest names.

“He wanted it his way,” Charlo said. “Coach needs us. Don’t overdo it, coach. Serene down, coach. I was your first champion.”

He also pointed to his camp leading up to the Alvarez fight, saying the support around him wasn’t the same when he needed it most.

“You don’t enter into a world title fight like that,” Charlo said.

Charlo still believes he can regain his spot in the junior middleweight division, and talks about a possible fight with Sebastian Fundora are ongoing later this year. His confidence hasn’t changed, but his patience with ancient alliances has noticeably changed. Sometimes a rift begins when success changes the room.

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Prince Naseem Hamed predicts Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight: ‘It’s going to sound crazy’

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Prince Naseem Hamed predicts Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua: “This is going to sound mad”

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua look set to face each other later this year in what could be one of the biggest British boxing events of all time.

Another British legend, Naseem Hamed, presented the course of the fight in a surprising way.

Fury had his ring returned within a a decision victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov earlier this monthshaking off ring rust at the age of 37 and allegedly preparing for a showdown with Joshua that the “Gypsy King” was set to take place this summer.

However, ‘AJ’ instead maintained that he would prefer a warm-up fight first, with the Londoner expected to return to action in July, ahead of a long-awaited meeting with his arch-rival in November.

I’m talking to talkSPORT BoxingHamed was looking forward to this match and suggested that a draw could be on the cards.

“Who do I think will win the fight between AJ and Fury? Well, that is the question and everyone wants to know.

“Years ago, Tyson had this awkward style for me where he could make AJ look stupid, that’s true. Now everything has changed. Tyson seemed to have backed off a little bit.

“But with Tyson Fury you never know, maybe one night he’ll show up and box amazingly and do what he did to Wilder. Those first few rounds [against Makhmudov]I was a little disappointed that he didn’t go from the start.

“This is going to sound crazy to you, but would it be unbelievable if I said it could be a draw?”

It is unclear whether Fury will also fight in the summer or whether he will avoid risking a lucrative romance with Joshua and wait patiently on the sidelines.

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