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David Haye sends a heartfelt message to Deontay Wilder

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Zhang stopped Wilder in five rounds Photo Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

David Haye rushed to the defense of his former sparring partner Deontay Wilder following his devastating defeat to Zhilei Zhang on Saturday
David Haye rushed to the defense of his former sparring partner Deontay Wilder following his devastating defeat to Zhilei Zhang on Saturday

David Haye has praised Deontay Wilder for his “outstanding” career amid widespread expectations that the Alabama player will hang up the gloves.

Wilder suggested his future in the sport depends on victory Zhilei Zhang on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, the 38-year-old was crushed after a fifth-round defeat, his fourth loss in five fights.

The ‘Brown Bomber’ sparred with Haye on the eve of the Briton’s scheduled fight against Tyson Fury in 2013, before ‘Hayemaker’ ultimately withdrew due to injury.

Haye believes the former WBC heavyweight world champion should be respected if indeed Saturday’s defeat to Zhang was his final bow.

“Deontay Wilder started boxing at the age of 20 to earn some money to take care of his daughter, who was born with spina bifida,” the 43-year-old said in an interview for post on Linkedin.

“When he started boxing, he worked two jobs: as a waiter and a cleaner.

“Then Wilder traveled around the world as a sparring partner, and one of those sparring partners was me.

“He won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics.

Zhang stopped Wilder in five rounds.  Photo: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
Zhang stopped Wilder in five rounds. Photo: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

“After winning the WBC heavyweight world title in 2015, he made 10 successful title defenses.

“No matter what comes next for Deontay after yesterday’s defeat, this is a truly exceptional career and an inspiring story that you will never forget.”

Wilder was caught with a counter right hand by Zhang and then sent to the canvas with another right hand and despite beating the count, referee Kieran McCann spared him further punishment.

The “Brown Bomber” has not yet commented on his future plans, although the prospect of a long-awaited fight with Anthony Joshua, who was watching the event from ringside, seems all but gone after the American’s devastating defeat.

Joshua is now expected to face Daniel Dubois on September 21 at Wembley Stadium after his compatriot stopped Filip Hrgovic in eight rounds to win the interim IBF heavyweight title, with a card prepared by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority.

Undisputed world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has asked the IBF for an exception to keep his belt on the line for his December 21 rematch with Tyson Fury, but if the governing body rejects it, Joshua and Dubois could collide for the vacant IBF heavyweight division crown.

“We will go and talk to His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh]”, Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn told professional boxing fans on Saturday.

“I have to go to a meeting with him and then we will see what happens next.

“I think if the fight [for Joshua] against Dubois could give a shot at the world heavyweight title, and two Brits at Wembley could be an option.”

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UK Boxing

“Anthony Joshua is finished and I would love to withdraw him,” says his rival

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Whyte wants to run it back with Joshua Photo Credit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing

UK Boxing

Anthony Taylor collapsed minutes after Darren Till KO and viewers were left terrified

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There were disturbing scenes during the last Misfits Boxing gala in Manchester on Saturday evening when Anthony Taylor collapsed after being stopped by fellow MMA fighter Darren Till.

The American took up the fight shortly after Tommy Fury withdrew, but he was no match for Till, who dominated from the very beginning.

In his first boxing fight, the Liverpudlian looked outstanding from the bell, displaying impressive hand speed and having no trouble countering Taylor’s aggressive approach.

Threatening to KO from the start, Till secured a stoppage in the sixth round.

But what happened next shocked those who watched the event. Taylor, who entered the fight with a 7-4 boxing record, broke down in post-fight interviews. He was later taken away from the Co-Op Arena in a wheelchair.

Many assumed that Taylor was then taken to the hospital for tests. However, according to Ariel Helwani, after being given oxygen and found to be stable, he was allowed to return to his accommodation.

Misfits co-founder Mams Taylor later confirmed that Taylor had regained consciousness. He also said Taylor did not need a hospital visit because he was “conscious and well” when he entered the locker room.

He later posted a video on social media in which he spoke clearly and promised to bounce back from the shocking defeat. “It’s OK, I took the L (loss) like a motherfucker,” he said.

“I’ll be back. I’m fine. Thank you all for your love and support, thank you to everyone who makes fun of me too. I don’t give a damn. I deserve it. But at the end of the day, I’ll fucking come back.”

“Pretty Boy,” who has a professional MMA record of 7-5 but has not fought since August 2019, also took aim at Fury. WX wrote, “Now we know why Tommy Fury backed out,” along with two laughing emojis.

The Misfits Boxing 20 main event was only organized after the Manchester fighter withdrew. The younger brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson stated that he was not content with Till’s claim that he would resort to “MMA tactics” if he lost the fight.

Do later denied that he wasn’t stern when giving the warning, saying it was simply a marketing tactic. It wasn’t until December 29 that it was confirmed that Taylor had stepped in as a replacement.

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UK Boxing

Darren Till’s Mystery Woman Tattoo Explained in Response to Paige VanZant’s Claims

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Former UFC welterweight title challenger Darren Till covered up a tattoo of a girl, sparking debate among fight fans.

The Liverpudlian is set to make his Misfits Boxing debut tonight against Anthony Taylor, almost two years after his departure from the UFC. Till left the MMA promotion to explore other opportunities. He was scheduled to make his professional boxing debut against former Mexican WBC middleweight boxing champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr last July, but the fight was ultimately canceled.

Instead, he faced Palestinian mixed martial arts champion Mohammad Mutie in an exhibition boxing match at Social Knockout 3 in Dubai the same month. Despite a blow to the back of Muti’s head, Till was declared the winner by technical knockout in the second round.

He is currently expected to move to Manchester but faces a tough opponent in Taylor, who has extensive experience in the Misfits world. Fans noticed that Till covered up a tattoo of his girlfriend’s face with a gorilla. He previously stated that he got the tattoo so that the woman, the mother of his two children, would always be close to him, even during fights.

Many fans wrongly believed that Till’s tattoo resembled former UFC star Paige VanZant, but the Liverpool MMA fighter rejected such suggestions. “That’s my girl,” Till explained about the ink. “It was a surprise for her on her birthday. I thought, ‘Yes, I’ll do something different. I’ll put a tattoo on her face.”

The topic of tattoos continued, but Till insisted: “It’s not Paige VanZant, I don’t even know who she is. As I said about my girlfriend, she is second to none. So every time I fight, she fights too. And she gets beat up by me, so if she pisses me off, I just go to the gym and let some guys beat me up.”

The combat sports world has also been abuzz with news of Till’s potential fight with Tommy Fury, which has now fallen apart. Fury explained his decision to withdraw in a statement on social media: “I can’t believe I’m writing this but now I’m not fighting Darren Till on January 18. For one straightforward reason: Darren has repeatedly stated that he does not want to follow the rules of professional boxing and that if he loses a fight, he will resort to kicks and other stupid MMA tactics.”

Fury continued to explain, emphasizing his dedication to boxing and lamenting the wasted preparation. “I’m a professional boxer, I’ve been out of the ring for over a year and I wanted it to be a great boxing match for the fans. I wasted weeks in training camps. We are working demanding to find a fresh opponent and I promise that I will find a better opponent and a better fight for you. Good news just around the corner.”

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