UK Boxing
Amir Khan is yet to support Mike Tyson’s pledge as Jake Paul “accepts” a modern fight offer
Published
1 month agoon
Amir Khan has promised to “slap” Jake Paul if he beats Mike Tyson, although it’s unclear whether he intends to do so. Last weekend, Paul secured a unanimous points victory over Tyson in front of 72,000 fans at AT&T Stadium in Texas, with tens of millions more watching on Netflix.
The controversial fight did not live up to expectations, with “Iron Mike” physically weakening after just two rounds due to the overall lack of drama. Nevertheless, it captured the world’s attention as Tyson, 58, faced a man 31 years his junior in his first professional fight in almost two decades.
In a pre-competition speech, British boxing icon Khan said she would like to “give it to him”. [Paul] a little slap and I’ll get him done’ should he triumph over ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’. “Mike is a friend of mine, I FaceTime him and we talk, but when you have a 58-year-old man fighting a teenage fighter in his prime, you really feel bad for him,” Khan, 37, said.
“But you can’t feel too sorry for Mike Tyson because he took that opportunity. It’s arduous, but I wouldn’t want to jump into the ring.
“Ultimately, it was Mike’s decision to go into the ring and fight. If he gets beat, you want to protect your friend and step in and say I’m going to beat him, so if he beats Mike Tyson, yeah, I’d definitely like to slap him a little bit and put an end to it.”
It is unclear whether Paul, 27, would be ready to fight Khan, although the Bolton-born former pro may have to wait in line. The likes of Carl Froch and Tony Bellew have challenged ‘The Problem Child’, as has IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois, who defeated Anthony Joshua in a thrilling clash at Wembley Stadium in September.
On X, Paul shared a message from Dubois that read: “Hi Jake. Good business on the weekend, but how would you feel about fighting for the legitimate heavyweight championship of the world? Daniel Dubois is calling. Let’s do it. “
In response, Paul sent back a photo of the scoop along with the message: “Get in line.” He then added: “The guy has been boxing for 12 years, had over 100 fights between amateurs and professionals, and fought on my card… hahaha. But fuck it… I’ll ask Nakisa to talk to Frank Warren and you’ll be put in line for the throne, unlike Arthur, you have at least a few thousand fans.”
Time will tell if Paul will actually step into the ring with 27-year-old Dubois, especially considering the YouTuber’s history of choosing opponents who are not professional boxers. That said, last year he insisted he had dreams of becoming world champion and a fight with Dubois would give him the chance to achieve that.
“I’m going to be a world champion, and these fights are just a stepping stone to achieve that goal,” Paul said in 2023. “I’m slowly making progress. I have sparred with world champions and performed phenomenally against them, so who knows what might happen in two or three years when I reach the peak of my sport? I’m starting to really understand this sport and all of its aspects.
“It’s really scary what could happen. “Not only do I think I’m going to be a world champion, but I think I’m going to be a dominant world champion and I’m going to knock someone out for the belt.”
So far, 11 of Paul’s 12 professional fights have been against other content creators, MMA stars or, in Tyson’s case, retired boxers. The only established professional boxer the Ohio native has faced is Tommy Fury, who defeated him by split decision in February 2023.
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UK Boxing
Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua called “battle of underdogs”
Published
2 hours agoon
December 23, 2024Simon Jordan says the fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua has “no significance whatsoever” following the former’s second straight defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.
Fury’s unanimous decision defeat in Riyad meant he joined long-time rival Joshua in suffering back-to-back defeats to unified world heavyweight champion Usyk.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn called for a showdown between the British pair despite both men ending up with defeats and Joshua suffering a bruise Lost in the fifth round to IBF heavyweight world champion Daniel Dubois in September.
However, talkSPORT expert Jordan says the long-awaited fight has lost its luster.
Asked if he wanted to see the clash, the former Crystal Palace owner replied: “Not particularly.
“A battle of the underdogs in terms of both bouncing back from defeats.
“They don’t have the prestige they had before.
“I like boxing full of danger and meaning, not bragging rights and finances.
“There is nothing at the end except that everyone cares that Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua get a gigantic payday and someone gets bragging rights.
“Joshua just got kicked out by Daniel Dubois, he lost to Usyk twice.
“Fury was beaten twice by Usyk.
“He didn’t have any significant fight. He chose the path he followed.
“He decided to fight [Francis] Ngannoudecided to fight Derek Chisora.
“None of those fights prepared him for the Usyk fight, he took a whirlwind into it.
“I understand why people want to see it, and I understand that, and I suspect that if it was on, I would probably watch it, but am I advocating watching Fury fight Joshua in a fight that has no meaning other than bragging rights?
“What is this for? These two guys are no longer at the top of boxing.
All three judges scored the fight 116-112 in favor of Usyk, who defended his WBA “super”, WBC and WBO titles and described “The Gypsy King” as a “Christmas gift”.
The 36-year-old wasn’t sure if he would continue fighting after his second consecutive professional defeat.
UK Boxing
While waiting for the talks, Tyson Fury sent a nine-word message to Anthony Joshua from Eddie Hearn
Published
18 hours agoon
December 22, 2024There have been calls for Tyson Fury to now arrange a British clash with Anthony Joshua.
The Gypsy King returned to the UK last night after suffering the second defeat of his career at the hands of heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in Riyad.
After the heartbreaking defeat, 36-year-old Fury insisted he take some time off over Christmas to rest before considering his next move as he did not want to commit to another fight.
However, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn is ready to enter into talks with Fury’s entourage once the two-time world champion recovers from defeat.
Hearn stated: “Obviously Fury will need time to reflect and get over the disappointment of the defeat. The truth is, I felt it was a great performance and he’s still at the top of his game. It’s time for Joshua against Fury.”
Both Fury and Joshua missed out on opportunities to fight for the undisputed heavyweight crown when they held all four belts in 2020 and 2021. Nevertheless, Hearn remains sanguine that it will be a monumental fight if they can make it happen.
He added: “It’s not only the biggest fight in British boxing, but the biggest fight in sport. I believe we can have two fights in 2025. And when the time is right, we will have the appropriate discussions to see if we can achieve this.”
After his second defeat in 37 fights, Fury was asked about his future plans after the fight against Saudi Arabia, in which all three judges scored it 116-112 in favor of Usyk.
He said, “Go home and have a Merry Christmas. I was away for 12 weeks working on this fight. Now I’ll go home and enjoy it.
“Let’s go home now, let’s welcome the up-to-date year, let’s see what it brings. Will you see me fight next year? Perhaps so. You may not. We’ll talk about it next year.”
UK Boxing
Lennox Lewis interrupts the interview while Frank Warren fumes over Tyson Fury’s decision
Published
1 day agoon
December 22, 2024Lennox Lewis interrupted Frank Warren mid-rant as Tyson Fury’s promoter became furious at the prospect of Oleksandr Usyk winning. The Gypsy King lost 116-112 on all three scorecards, and his attempt at revenge for the only defeat of his career ended with Usyk defending his WBA, WBC and WBO titles.
Both Fury and Warren strongly criticized the decision, which leaves huge doubts about the 36-year-old’s future. Fury said Usyk was given a “Christmas present” by the judges, while his longtime promoter was “stunned”, calling it “crazy”.
Fury said: “I was sure I won that fight again. I thought I won both fights, but on the other hand I came home with two defeats on my account. I will always believe, until the day I die, that I won this fight.
“I will always feel a little tired. Not a little, but actually a lot. When you don’t get a knockout, that’s what happens. You can’t guarantee victory.”
Warren complained about the result in various post-fight interviews, including one with the BBC. He said: “This is crazy. Everyone who sat where I sat, including neutrals [thought Fury won].
“Oscar De La Hoya, like me, was one round away. We both thought he won it, that’s a crazy result! It’s a split decision and I’m very disappointed. I know people will say I’m biased and I probably am, but I temper myself with bias.
Lewis then joined the conversation and Warren asked the heavyweight legend about the verdict. He replied: “I didn’t score, but it was close, definitely close.”
Warren then highlighted the fact that one of the judges didn’t give Fury a single round in the second half of the fight, fuming, “What kind of fight are they watching?”
Apparently not seeing the result the same way, Lewis simply added: “Yes, yes, should have given him a few rounds [in the second half of the fight]”
Lewis then shared his thoughts on the future of Usyk, who may decide to reunite the four heavyweight belts. A rematch with the holder of the second belt, Daniel Dubios, has already been suggested, although everything depends on his fight with Joseph Parker on February 22.
Lewis believes the 37-year-old could hang up the gloves and say: “He can do whatever he wants. He can retire if he wants, he can have a rematch, he can have another fight.
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