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The heavyweight that defeated Deontay Wilder and Oleksandr Usyk – 25 years have passed

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2 months ago

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Osmay Acosta amateur boxer who beat Deontay Wilder and Oleksandr Usyk

The heavyweight who defeated Deontay Wilder and Oleksandr Usyk was gone before most had even heard his name.

Osmay Acosta did something that few players can boast of in 2008, overtaking Wilder and sealing his place at the Olympics, while at the same time beating Usyk in the amateur system.

This should have been the start of something, but it turned out to be so far gone just a few years later.

Acosta had references, and plenty of them. A world junior champion, a Pan American gold medalist and an Olympic medalist, he built a resume that should have gone beyond that, even in the Cuban system.

But he never left it, having no professional path in his home country.

For most heavyweight fighters, victories over names such as Wilder or Usyk become the basis of their careers. For Acosta, this was the pinnacle, and everything that followed would never carry the same weight.

There is no way out

There wasn’t a single night where everything fell apart and there wasn’t a single clear loss that closed the door. He just stayed where he was, left at the age of 25, and never returned to the ring.

If a competitor decided not to leave his homeland, he could only compete in a headgear and a vest. While others took this step – Guillermo Rigondeaux, Erislandy Lara, Luis Ortiz – Acosta stayed, following the path already made renowned by Teófilo Stevenson.

Stevenson became a legend. Acosta didn’t do it. Without a way out of the system, he had nowhere to go.

That’s the part that never made sense – there were wins, there were skills, but the career never followed.

Olympics

Window closed

He continued to play as an amateur, lost his position to the next group that advanced, and by 2010 it was all over. Now 41 years ancient, little is known about what happened to this exceptional amateur.

For a heavyweight who shared victories over two future champions, there was no second act, no transition to the professional ranks, and no real telling of how far it could have gone.

The record still stands at an impressive 65 wins to 16 losses, but what it was supposed to lead to never materialized, leaving nothing to indicate where he should have gone.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

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Boxing

Gervonta Davis is currently fighting to return to one of the biggest fights in American boxing: “His team reached out”

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47 minutes ago

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June 22, 2026

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Gervonta Davis now pursuing one of the biggest fights in US boxing for comeback: “His team reached out”

The future of Gervonta Davis remains one of the most talked about topics in boxing.

The Baltimore star hasn’t fought since a controversial draw with Lamont Roach Jr., which many observers felt should have gone against him after Roach was denied a knockout. Since then, a combination of legal issues and uncertainty surrounding his return plans have left fans confused about what will happen next.

Recently, however, there have been signs that “Tank” Davis is getting closer to a return. The WBA has ordered him to defend his lightweight world title against mandatory challenger Floyd Schofield, with Schofield’s camp previously suggesting progress was being made behind the scenes.

While Schofield was considered the favorite, another familiar option could now emerge.

On Sunday evening on social media, three-division world champion Devin Haney revealed that he was contacted directly by the “Tanka” team.

“I think Gervonta has gained some balls…his team has reached! We can just fight!”

The timing is especially engaging given Haney’s current position. The WBO welterweight champion has recently been linked to both Shakur Stevenson and mandatory challenger Keyshawn Davis, while “Tank’s” immediate future appeared to be tied to Schofield.

A fight between any two fighters: Davis, Haney and Stevenson would be one of the biggest fights in boxing today. However, there are two main obstacles standing in the way of a Davis-Haney fight.

The first is Haney’s mandatory duty. WBO president Gustavo Olivieri recently confirmed that the champion has been ordered to face Keyshawn Davis next and will not receive an exception to fight another fight.

The second, and perhaps bigger, issue for Davis is weight. “Tank” is the most comfortable lightweight campaign, while Haney now looks like a legitimate welterweight, even though he has only had one fight in the division so far. He seemed open to offering a catchweight of 144 pounds to fight Stevenson, but even that would be a significant disadvantage to Davis.

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Boxing

Devin Haney says Gervonta Davis’ team has made contact and declines to discuss the hydration clause

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3 hours ago

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June 22, 2026

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Image: Devin Haney Says Gervonta Davis' Team Reached Out, Rejects Rehydration Clause Talk

Devin Haney says that after years of calls for a fight, a fight with Gervonta Davis may finally be closer to reality.

Haney revealed on social media that Tank Davis’ team recently reached out about a potential fight. When the fan responded by warning him not to agree to any hydration restrictions, Haney quickly dismissed the idea.


“Never,” Haney repeated X about not wanting to agree to the rehydration clause.

The response came shortly after Haney suggested that discussions had begun between the two sides.

“I think Gervonta has gained some balls. His team has reached! We can just fight! 😅– Haney wrote.

The fight between Haney and Gervonta is one of the longest unanswered questions in boxing. Haney continued to fight multiple times during his lightweight title fight, but the fight never materialized despite years of public calls and fan demands.

San Francisco-born Haney became the undisputed lightweight champion in 2022, and Davis continued to build his profile as one of boxing’s biggest pay-per-view attractions.

Haney’s rejection of rehydration clauses will likely become a talking point if negotiations move forward. Hydration restrictions became a major topic of debate ahead of Tank’s 2023 fight with Ryan Garcia, with many fans criticizing the terms of the deal.

Devin has recently been linked to potential fights against Ryan Garcia, Shakur Stevenson and Keyshawn Davis. His latest comments put Gervonta Davis back into the conversation after years of failed attempts to make the fight happen.

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Categories Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis

Last updated: 22/06/2026 at 17:07

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Boxing

Promoter Naoyi Inoue Confirms Target Opponent and Schedule: ‘I’m Sure You Can Guess’

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5 hours ago

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June 22, 2026

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Naoya Inoue’s next mandatory challenger set to be determined in interim title fight

Last month Inoue defeated fellow Japanese star Nakatani, in the biggest fight in the history of Japanese boxing and one of the most anticipated fights on the 2026 boxing calendar.

Od tego czasu uwaga skupiła się na Jesse’m Rodriguezie, który w momencie niedawnego zwycięstwa Inoue był posiadaczem trzech tytułów mistrza świata w wadze super muszej. “Bam” vacated the belts and secured the WBA bantamweight world title after a knockout victory over Antonio Vargas. Trener Amerykanina, Robert Garcia, zasugerował, że stoczą jeszcze jedną walkę w tej wadze, zanim ponownie przejdą do walki i rzucą wyzwanie Inoue.

I’m talking to Yahoo Japan

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