UK Boxing
Anthony Joshua confirms his stance on retirement in heartfelt message to his supporters
Published
4 months agoon
Anthony Joshua has posted a heartfelt message to his supporters addressing his stance on retirement. Joshua was outboxed by a stunning performance from Daniel Dubois as the 34-year-old suffered a knockout defeat in his IBF heavyweight title fight at the All-British event.
Although Dubois entered the fight as the defending IBF champion, the main motive for the fight was Joshua’s return from defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, who was looking to become world champion for the third time in his career.
However, the London 2012 Olympic gold medal winner was truly crushed by his former Great Britain team-mate, who knocked him down four times before he was devastatingly beaten with a right hook to the chin in the fifth round.
Never before in his professional career had Joshua been completely dismantled in the ring, and the incredible nature of the knockout left many fans fearing Joshua’s best days were behind him. But AJ spoke out after the defeat, addressing calls for him to hang up the gloves.
“We fell miniature, but we have to look at the positives. That’s the attitude and perspective we have to have – positive, always,” Joshua said in a video posted on his social media pages.
“Look what we’ve accomplished in 11 years, it’s phenomenal. I want to thank every single one of you who’s been on this rollercoaster ride with me. But you know what the problem is? It’s not over yet.
“We did it once, we did it twice, doing it a third time wasn’t straightforward. But I believe it’s something I can achieve. It’s about taking the right steps forward, working strenuous and improving.”
He added: “It has to come from here (heart) more than anything else. It can’t come from any outside voices or influences, it has to come from here (heart). It’s only been a day, but when I sit down and think about it, I know I have a lot of it (heart).
“Thank you for all your support, thank you for being with me on this up and down journey. Hold on to your seatbelts because deep, deep, deep down I know we have so much more to give, so much more to give to the game and long may that continue. British boxing, I appreciate you. We stand together, let’s go!”
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Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn stated in the ring after the fight that he was confident Joshua would return to face Dubois in a rematch. The Matchroom Boxing boss said: “I’m sure he’ll exercise his rematch clause. I think that’s a certainty.”
He added: “But he will need rest, and it’s a threatening fight. This guy [Dubois] He’s still gaining confidence, but he’s going to believe he can hurt Dubois. He’s going to believe he can beat him. But full credit to Daniel Dubois, he deserves all the credit tonight, that was a great performance from Daniel.”
However, Dubois’ promoter Frank Warren is potentially considering a second fight with Usyk, as he plans a rematch between the Usyk winner and Tyson Fury in December, who will face “Dynamite.”
“Oleksandr Usyk is considered the best heavyweight in the world right now and he (Dubois) had the toughest fight against him at the time, there’s no doubt about it,” Warren said.
“He hurt him” [during their first fight in 2023]I would like to see him fight him now – but of course he has to fight Tyson [Fury] first and I think Tyson will take his skin.
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UK Boxing
A boxer even older than Mike Tyson calls out to Jake Paul and threatens to knock him out
Published
11 hours agoon
January 9, 2025Oliver McCall, who was 59, was defended for his decision to continue fighting, which contrasted with the criticism Mike Tyson faced during his November fight with Jake Paul because of his age.
On November 15, Tyson, 58, went head-to-head with “Problem Child” at ATandT Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
He outperformed his eight-round unanimous decision by appearing slower and less agile than his younger counterpart during the match. Considering Tyson’s age and his absence from professional boxing since 2005, fans were not shocked by Paul’s victory over the former WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight champion.
Paul, a YouTuber-turned-boxer who is 31 years Tyson’s junior, looked noticeably fresh during the fight, improving his professional record to 11-1 with the victory. However, McCall did not face the same criticism as Tyson when he entered the ring four days later at the Texas Troubadour Theater under the Country Box banner, a year Tyson’s senior, to face 54-year-old Stacy Frazier.
McCall improved his record to 60-14-2 (no contest) via second-round TKO after knocking his opponent down twice in the fight, ending the fight with a crushing right hand 25 seconds into the fight. Concerned for the well-being of older boxers, Kevin Walters of the Tennessee Athletic Commission recently commented on how fighters are cleared to fight.
He said News from the world of boxing: “By law, every veteran over the age of 35 undergoes additional neurological examinations before obtaining their first or renewed license. All applications are processed in accordance with Tennessee laws and regulations.”
Despite debates about safety, McCall seems far from retired, and he eagerly challenges Paul after his victory in the ring: “I’ll lose about 10 more pounds and I’m ready for anyone. Oh, I’m going to knock out Jake Paul.
“I want to get revenge for Nate Robinson and then Mike Tyson for what he did to Mike Tyson. “That would be awesome” – incorrectly calling out Logan Paul to fight as NBA character slayer Robinson, when the real antagonist was actually Jake.
Oliver McCall, a boxing veteran who famously defeated Lennox Lewis for the WBC heavyweight title in September 1994, is preparing for another fight despite his advanced age. With a professional debut in November 1985 and a 24-5 record before a stunning TKO victory over Lewis, McCall demonstrated remarkable longevity in the sport.
He successfully defended the title once, but lost it to Frank Bruno almost a year later. Now, at an age when many boxers have long since hung up their gloves, McCall is preparing to step into the ring against Gary Cobia on Jan. 21 in Nashville.
However, there is a twist in the story when a fight hangs in the balance; Walters revealed that Cobia has not yet applied to the Commission for a license. He explained: ‘Commission staff consider all applications for licenses and permits. Veterans who are thirty-five years of age or older undergo additional neurological examinations to obtain or renew their licenses. If the person is eligible for a permit, the Commission may approve the application.
“Gary Cobia has not yet applied for a license. If he applies for a license, Commission staff will review relevant information, documents and any suspension status.”
UK Boxing
Eddie Hearn claims Joshua is hurting over the loss of Dubois
Published
15 hours agoon
January 9, 2025Eddie Hearn claims Anthony Joshua has suffered the psychological impact of his brutal defeat to Daniel Dubois.
Hearn saw his man Joshua get crushed by Dubois five rounds in Septemberwhose bid to win the IBF world heavyweight title collapsed in front of a record crowd of 96,000 fans at Wembley Stadium.
The head of Matchroom says the two-time world heavyweight champion cannot accept defeat.
“I saw the pain he felt after losing to Dubois,” Hearn said Chris Mannix.
“And he suffered it because he wanted it so bad.
“He is striving to achieve this great performance.
“He puts in all the work to make sure he performs well tonight, but he didn’t perform, and worse still, he didn’t perform well.
“He’s at rock bottom.
In my opinion, he didn’t take the defeat well and that’s a sign of someone who cares, and that’s a sign of someone who wants it, and he wants it bad, he still does.
Joshua, 35, is on holiday in Nigeria and told the media that he finally wants to face fierce rival Tyson Fury this year.
In December, 36-year-old Fury suffered a second straight defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, and Hearn maintains that “AJ” is only looking for fights with Fury or Dubois.
“This is the biggest commercial fight in boxing,” he added.
“It’s just a massive fight and for AJ, when you look at his resume, there’s only one thing missing: I know the fight with Wilder that we signed a contract for and he got beat, but it’s just Tyson Fury.
“Actually, AJ only has two things to do, one is to try to get a rematch with Dubois, who obviously has a tough fight against Joseph Parker, and the other is to fight Tyson Fury.
“As long as Tyson Fury wants to continue fighting and is motivated to fight, I just believe it will happen because I don’t see any other option for Fury.”
UK Boxing
Eddie Hearn’s ‘immediate’ message to Tyson Fury that Anthony Joshua hopes he will accept
Published
1 day agoon
January 8, 2025Eddie Hearn says the road is clear for the long-awaited dream match between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury – provided the Gypsy King wants it. Both British boxing legends have suffered painful title defeats. Joshua was knocked out by Daniel Dubious at Wembley and Fury lost his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia last month.
These defeats have naturally dampened some fans’ enthusiasm for a Joshua-Fury fight, although it would still be an appetizing and lucrative prospect even without the belts on the line. Joshua has made it clear he wants this fight, while Fury considers his future after his second defeat to Usyk.
If the 36-year-old Gypsy King decides to extend his career, Joshua’s promoter Hearn insists the fight could happen “immediately”. Matchroom boss said A place of stomping on YouTube: “This is the fight everyone wants. Tell me about the bigger fight? There is not one.
“I don’t know if it will happen. There were no discussions. Fury is recovering from this defeat and will decide what he wants to do after the break. If he wants to fight AJ, the fight happens immediately. We’ll see.”
Hearn says it is too early to put pressure on Fury and his team. He said: “I don’t think this is the time to start poking Tyson Fury. Don’t forget he lost on December 21st, so give him a few weeks to relax.
“Sooner or later, in the coming weeks, we will want to develop a plan for Anthony Joshua. That’s when the conversation with Frank Warren will happen [Fury’s promoter]Spencer Brown [Fury’s manager] and His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh] and say, “We want to create AJ-Fury – what do you think?” We’ll go from there.”
Warren will also not put any pressure on Fury. He writes recently in his Daily Star columnthe Queensbury boss said: “I will not pick up the phone and ask Tyson Fury to fight again.
“If there is an opportunity for him, it will be passed on. But I won’t give you any advice on whether Tyson should take it. I haven’t talked to him yet about fighting Anthony Joshua and I will only do so if he comes to me and says he wants to get in the ring with him.
“My only hope is for Tyson to be cheerful and content with his life. If that happens, I will be more proud than you can imagine. If he decides to box again, I will support him 100%. This is a decision for me. him, his wife Paris and their family.”
‘DANIEL DUBOIS NEEDS TO FOCUS ON JOE PARKER!’ – Frank Warren on ‘DDD’ USYK call out
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