“Because Chris Eubank Jr. was like 37 years old. You get old overnight. And he has to dehydrate down to a weight division that doesn’t suit him,” said Mora to Chris Mannix’s channel. That takes away your legs, it saps your strength, and that’s the reason he didn’t look so strong. “And then with Benn, it has to be the PEDs, man.

“His body didn’t look as ripped. It didn’t look as muscular. You got that with a lot of fighters, whether they’re male or female, once they lose that extra boost of cheating. The proof is in the pudding. They don’t look that good because they’re not putting in their body what used to be the goods. They used to be powerful. They used to be explosive. They used to be able to take a punch a lot better. That’s not there anymore.”

Benn tested positive for the banned substance clomifene in 2022, forcing the cancellation of his scheduled bout with Eubank Jr. He has since returned to the ring and has repeatedly maintained his innocence, eventually receiving clearance to resume boxing.

Mora said he’s willing to change his opinion if Benn begins producing the kind of knockout performances that defined the early part of his career while continuing to pass drug tests.

“If he can go back to knocking people out like he did Algieri, like he was knocking out everybody, now when he’s passing all the tests, then one, I will apologize,” said Mora. Then he can maybe get all the haters on board and start to say, ‘Okay, that’s what I can get behind.’ But for now, if we’re questioning it, it’s because of the obvious.”

Mora’s comments leave little doubt about how he views the matchup. He believes Benn has lost the explosiveness that once made him one of the division’s most dangerous punchers, while Ryan is entering the fight at the peak of his career. If Benn proves capable of rediscovering that knockout power while continuing to pass drug tests, Mora says he’ll gladly admit he was wrong.

Oleksandr Usyk has twice conquered the heavyweight division, yet one of boxing’s greatest modern champions was able to walk through New York this week without the level of attention many of the world’s biggest sporting icons would expect.

The unbeaten Ukrainian was filmed enjoying time in Manhattan with his wife ahead of his farewell fight, strolling through one of the world’s busiest cities with remarkably little fuss.

For a fighter who has beaten Anthony Joshua twice, Tyson Fury twice and become the first two-time undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era, the contrast was remarkable.

Oleksandr Usyk’s Quiet New York Walk

Usyk has already confirmed he will retire after one final “Last Dance” following his decision to vacate every heavyweight world title and leave the division behind.

When he walks away, the 38-year-old will leave behind one of the strongest heavyweight résumés of the modern era.

Yet despite everything he has achieved, Usyk was able to enjoy the Big Apple with little interruption.

That contrast says a lot about the current state of heavyweight boxing in the United States.

For decades, heavyweight champions such as Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson became household names across America.

Today’s heavyweight king comes from Ukraine and owns one of the finest heavyweight résumés of the modern era, yet his achievements have never generated the same mainstream profile in the United States.

Usyk’s Final Chapter

Usyk has already secured his place among the most accomplished heavyweights of his generation, regardless of how much attention follows him outside the ring.

With one final fight still to come, the Ukrainian has one last opportunity to add another memorable chapter before retirement.

The remarkable part is that a fighter who conquered the heavyweight division twice can still walk through one of the world’s biggest cities with little more than a passing glance.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a veteran boxing reporter with 15+ years of experience. He has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside since 2010. Read full bio.

Retired British heavyweight David Price has made his prediction ahead of the huge clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua who are set to collide later this year.

Fury and Joshua have been linked to one another for a decade now, but it finally seems as though the pair will meet in a long-awaited scrap that could prove to be the biggest in the history of British boxing. Although, it may not happen in Britain, unless it takes place in the early hours of the morning.

Yet, before those details can be ironed out, both Fury and Joshua must come through their respective warm-up bouts unscathed, as Fury faces Mariusz Wach in Thailand, whilst Joshua takes on Kristian Prenga in Riyadh.

Still, success in those fights is expected to be a formality, and Price, who was linked to a grudge match with Fury in the early days of their professional careers, told Fight Lens why he is predicting a victory for ‘The Gypsy King’.

“I think Tyson Fury, still, I am leaning towards [him] to beat Anthony Joshua. I think that he will just outbox him for 12 rounds but I’ve always had in my head [with] that fight, that Anthony Joshua’s dangerous punches are mid-range; hooks and uppercuts. So, Fury’s just got to keep him long, all night long and tie him up inside.

“Joshua is really good up close and can get really good leverage on his shots. Most of his knockouts are hooks, uppercuts and that type of punch – not really long right-hands.

“So, I think that Fury has got to keep him off-balance all night, all of that feinting, all of that twitching and win on points at this stage.”

Both Fury and Joshua are back in action next weekend, with Fury appearing on Friday, July 24, whilst Joshua tops a card on Saturday, July 25 that also features two world title fights.