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Deontay Wilder’s father called ‘crazy’ and boxing career hangs in the balance – EXCLUSIVE

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7 months ago

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Richard Riakporhe has mocked Deontay Wilder’s father Gary for suggesting the Bronze Bomber still has a “few good years” left in the sport. Wilder has recently suffered a dramatic decline, most recently hitting a novel low when he was defeated by Zhilei Zhang in Saudi Arabia.

The hard-hitting American was knocked out in the fifth round, with Zhang unleashing two right hooks, sending his opponent to the canvas. The manner in which he lost led to calls for Wilder to retire, including: from his own mother’s side, but his father still believes that he should continue to fight.

In a speech earlier this month, the elder Wilder pointed the finger at his son’s coach Malik Scott and said: “You don’t need a buddy to coach you. It’s not too delayed for [Deontay]. I believe he still has a few good years ahead of him.

“Deontay has always been dull. Now Malik is trying to train him to be a boxer, and if you look at it, you can see that Deontay is not comfortable where he is.”

Riakporhe, who faced Chris Billam-Smith for the WBO cruiserweight title on Saturday night, believes there is still hope for Wilder but disagrees with his father’s hopeful view.

“I don’t know what it is, but something is missing,” Riakporhe told Express Sport. “If he can fix this, he can definitely do something. I think I read somewhere that his dad said he might spend another few years in the sport. I think this is crazy. He’s almost turning 40!

“But I would say he can definitely have a few more fights and he can end it all. Something is wrong, something is missing. In the heavyweight division, all it takes is one good win and that’s it, he’s there.

“There are so many fighters in the heavyweight division who have lost so many times and are still at the top. “I think if he can fix it, then fine, but if he can’t fix it, he shouldn’t get in the ring again.”

Wilder suggested before the fight with Zhang that he would retire if he did not win, but the 38-year-old has not yet confirmed any plans to hang up his gloves. He has lost four of his last five appearances, with two of those defeats coming at the hands of Tyson Fury.

He was also defeated on points by Joseph Parker before losing to Zhang.

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UK Boxing

Jake Paul’s body language speaks volumes when he comes face to face with Conor McGregor

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16 hours ago

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January 20, 2025

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Jake Paul seemed noticeably disinterested as he and his older brother Logan were on the same bus as their fierce rival, former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor.

The three were connected on Monday before Donald Trump’s inauguration in Washington. The 78-year-old is scheduled to be sworn in today as the 47th president of the United States, eight years after he first took the oath of office.

Due to the presence of many stars at this historic event, emotions are still growing. However, fans were stunned when McGregor was seen posing next to the Paul brothers and riding in the same vehicle. Both Jake and his older brother Logan were accompanied to the ceremony by their mother, Pam Stepnick.

In a post sent to X – formerly known as Twitter – ‘The Problem Child’ shocked the combat sports community after posting a photo of the Irishman sitting behind him and his brother. Jake captioned the photo: “Inauguration going great.” One user responded to the snapshot: “I never thought I’d see a photo like this, with all the beef over the years,” while another wrote: “I can’t believe what I’m seeing.”

Despite the ongoing feud between brothers Paul and McGregor, it seems like “The Problem Child” wasn’t too concerned about being in the same distance as the UFC legend.

The photo surfaced shortly after Jake decided to take a swipe at McGregor online and posted: “Now it all makes sense why Conor Mcgregor and his management team were desperately trying to get MVP to negotiate a fight between us. As we’ve told them privately and now I’m saying it publicly… the only way we’re willing to compare me to Conor in a professional boxing/MMA fight is if Dana White/UFC are directly at the table or make it clear that everything ok with the discussions. Conor needs Logan if he wants.

Despite Paul’s choice of words, it seems the Irishman is more focused on his older brother Logan. Last month, it was reported that McGregor was negotiating to fight Paul’s older sibling. On the way to I have made preliminary arrangements with the Ambani family to face Logan Paul at a boxing event in India. I have agreed, and then I will try to return to the octagon.”

Even though “The Maverick” recently joined WWE, the tempting offer of going toe-to-toe with McGregor might just lure him back to the boxing ring. The 29-year-old directly approached Ari Emanuel, the head of Endeavor, owner of the UFC and WWE, for a chance to face “The Notorious”. In a video uploaded to YouTube, “The Maverick” and Emanuel can be seen warmly hugging and shaking hands before saying, “Ari, I need one favor from you,” to which the Endeavor boss replied, “Yes.” Paul made the following request: “I want you to give me the green featherlight to fight Conor.” There was a shared laugh and they both said “seriously.”

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UK Boxing

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

Published

20 hours ago

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January 20, 2025

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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

Published

2 days ago

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January 19, 2025

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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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