Boxing
Tyson Fury calls on Makhmudov to conclude a business deal
Published
2 weeks agoon
There’s no bad blood, no mounting tension, and no attempt to sell it as something bigger. Fury made that clear when describing his experience on Saturday night.
“There is no rivalry between me and Arslanbek. There is no animosity. There is nothing. It was never a rivalry,” Tyson Fury told Queensberry about why he is fighting Makhmudov. “Strictly business.”
The “it’s just business” line is the best shield in boxing. When a fighter uses this phrase, he or she is essentially trying to remove the burden of entertainment value from the conversation.
Looking at it this way, Fury is trying to sidestep some specific criticisms and pressures. By calling it a “trade” he signals that he is in it for the paycheck and the activity.
It serves as a subtle defense against soft-touch storytelling. It’s his way of saying, “I know you wanted a blockbuster, but this deal was on the table and I’m here to complete it.”
“It’s just a business transaction,” Fury said.
Whether or not this is a inexpensive excuse depends on how you currently view the heavyweight landscape. Fans who feel that Fury is “avoiding” certain opponents or causing the division to stagnate will likely see this as a way to tune out the fight.
“There’s no need to call bullshit on someone who isn’t very good at English and who can’t answer,” Fury said. “All this requires a dance partner, and Arslanbek is not that kind of person.”
If former heavyweight king Fury were to shout at and belittle a man who barely speaks the language but is clearly the “B-side” of the promotion, it would look less like a promotion and more like a punch. Fury knows that bullshit requires a certain type of opponent to work. Without it he just looks mean.
“It doesn’t change. It’s just business as usual,” Fury said. “Any man that comes there to fight me tonight is a challenge,” Fury said. “I have to treat everyone exactly the same.”
For Fury, it’s a career-boosting mission. By calling it “business as usual,” he tries to create an air of control, but the numbers tell a much more desperate story.
At 37 years senior, turning 38 this year and ending a 16-month hiatus, Fury returns to the ring with a record that has deteriorated. If Makhmudov causes chaos at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night, the ‘Gypsy King’ era will officially come to an end with a whimper.
Technically, a defeat would be his third in a row after losses to Usyk in 2024. Considering Ngannou’s performance, which many fans considered a moral failure, he hasn’t looked like a world-class operator since the beginning of 2023.
Fury has always carried extra weight, but in the second fight with Usyk he looked tired and lacked the elite footwork that once allowed him to dance around giants.
The only reason this fight is on Netflix is to get a payday with Anthony Joshua. Losing to an opponent ranked 15th completely destroys this advantage.
By calling it “business as usual” and claiming he treats everyone the same, Fury tries to sound professional, but it could easily be read as denial.
There’s something sorrowful about a former undisputed tier champion fighting a “B-side” on a streaming platform just to prove he still belongs in that organization. If he fights Makhmudov, a fighter Fury himself described as “clunky” and “ponderous,” it won’t matter whether he wins or loses. The “company” will be viewed as bankrupt.
Fury tries to avoid the desperation narrative by acting like he’s just taking turns. But when an athlete with a father’s body and a losing streak starts talking about “business,” it usually means that the fire in the sport has been replaced by the need for control.
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Boxing
Gervonta Davis accused of avoiding undefeated rival: ‘He said he would never fight’
Published
34 minutes agoon
April 23, 2026
Gervonta Davis’ return appears imminent, but it’s unclear whether the now-hiatus WBA lightweight champion will fight at 135 pounds, and the team of his expected lightweight opponent says “Tank” is avoiding them.
Davis, a three-division champion, has held the WBA title since delayed 2023 and defended it twice, defeating Frank Martin and then drawing with Lamont Roach Jr during his last trip, over a year ago.
However, in January, Davis lost his champion status and was instead named halftime champion, meaning he will likely get a chance to regain the belt after his first fight at 135 pounds.
Although despite rumors that the Baltimore-born knockout puncher will fight at super lightweight and face Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz upon his return, no modern lightweight champion has yet been crowned or a free-for-all title fight ordered.
Floyd Schofield is currently the man to benefit from this situation, but his team is growing increasingly frustrated with the slowness of the process as they wait to be promoted to champion or ordered to fight for the title – against Davis or an alternative challenger.
I’m talking to Boxing in Mill City“Kid Austin”‘s father and trainer, Floyd Schofield Snr, expressed his belief that Davis was avoiding his son and revealed plans to fight for the “Tank” title against a slimmed-down version.
“You need to drop the belt! They’re breaking the law now, federal law. Do I think ‘Kid’ is ready for ‘Tank’?” “The Kid” is ready for them all. There’s a reason why Tank said, “I’ll never get in the ring with that kid. There’s a reason his trainer went online and said Tank will never get in the ring with him.”
“Tank said it out of his own mouth and Tank’s trainer said it on the internet in an interview and said that ‘The reason Tank said it is because he looks at him like an older brother.’ The thing is, Tank can’t go down to 135 and fight Kid, Tank would be at a disadvantage.”
“We want to suck him arid and fight him at 135 pounds, that’s the biggest advantage we have right now. If we let Tank get used to it, he would be on fire, and we let Tank get used to that weight? No!”
“He weighs around 175 pounds now, he needs to get down to 135 pounds and get ready to get in the ring to fight, and the WBA will just do it.” [rehydration clause] where it can only go up to 152 pounds.
Negotiations for Davis-Cruz II are believed to be ongoing, and once confirmation is announced, the WBA will likely make its own announcement regarding the modern lightweight champion.
Boxing
Jermell Charlo is negotiating a fight with Sebastian Fundora
Published
3 hours agoon
April 23, 2026
He also claimed that future options are already planned for Tim Tszyu and Errol Spence Jr.
“We are talking to Tim Tszyu and Errol Spence. All three have agreed to fight me.”
This is an ambitious statement from a fighter who has not competed since his defeat to Canelo Alvarez in 2023. Charlo turns 36 on May 19, and many fans believe the long break should mean tuning in or fighting a challenger first rather than immediately fighting for the champion. Charlo, however, made it clear that he still sees himself as the best man in the division.
The problem is that Jermell is essentially trying to cash his 2022 check in a completely different economy. PPV prices on PBC have increased to over $75, and asking fans to pay that for a guy who hasn’t won a fight since May 2022 is tough. This is a financial risk for promoters.
Jermell is used to unquestioned ‘money. If he’s asking for a huge guaranteed amount to fight Fundora or Ennis, the math just doesn’t work for the promoter unless the bid is above $150 or $200,000.
In boxing, three years is an eternity. Since Jermell stayed noiseless, we’ve seen the rise of Xander Zayas and the emergence of “Boots” Ennis at 154.
“I told you I was coming back. I told you I wanted my stripes,” Charlo said. “Nobody beat me by the belt.”
Promoters aren’t calling because Jermell’s confidence is currently low. If the promoter puts him in the main event and he looks like the version of himself that did or didn’t show up in the Canelo Alvarez match, the event is a disaster. Financially, it could still be a disaster.
Jermell wants the reward of a champion without the upgrade tax that every other veteran has to pay after a long layoff. With 2026 filled with newborn, hungry and busy talent, thinking that you can simply move to the front of the queue because of what you did four years ago is definitely a bold choice.
If Jermell had just gone for it and beaten some of the top 154 fighters like Israil Madrimov, Bakhram Murtazaliev and Brandon Adams, it wouldn’t have been much of a problem.
Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fight landscape. His reports focus on the most vital fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.
Boxing
David Benavidez Says One Man ‘Must Face Him’ After Zurdo Ramirez: ‘I’m Taking All His Belts’
Published
5 hours agoon
April 23, 2026
David Benavidez will fight for Gilberto Ramirez’s unified cruiserweight crown this weekend and if he passes this test, there will only be one person in the “Mexican Monster”.
Benavidez has established himself as one of the most fan-friendly fighters in sports, not only thanks to his fascinating fighting style, but also thanks to his mentality that allows him to face all opponents and take on the toughest challenges.
Reigning at both super middleweight and lightweight heavyweight, the reigning WBC 175-pound champion now moves up to cruiserweight, hoping to hand “Zurdo” Ramirez his second career defeat in what will be the titleholder’s 50th career appearance.
The only other man to defeat Ramirez is unified light heavyweight ruler Dmitry Bivoland v interview with Ariel HelwaniBenavidez made it clear that he intended to return to lightweight heavyweight and then face the Russian.
“I don’t want it to look like he’s scared or nothing, but he knows what it’s like when it comes to David Benavidez. He saw me up close and I saw him up close too.
“He’s a great fighter, we had some great sparring sessions, but he knows I’m not coming to play. He knows that when David Benavidez steps into the ring, all those belts go with David Benavidez.
“I think he knows the dangers and seriousness of this fight and that’s why he took the preparatory fight first. I respect Dmitry Bivol, he’s a great fighter, but he will definitely have to come to me after this fight.”
While Benavidez will fight next weekend, Bivol will make a mandatory defense of his titles against German Michael Eifert on Saturday, May 23, which will be his first fight on home soil since 2021.
Gervonta Davis accused of avoiding undefeated rival: ‘He said he would never fight’
😤 Tyson Fury – ‘THERE’S ONLY ONE BOSS ON THESE SHORES’
Jermell Charlo is negotiating a fight with Sebastian Fundora
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