Boxing
Eddie Hearn Defends Anthony Joshua’s Beard Ahead of Daniel Dubois Fight
Published
6 months agoon
By
J. HumzaEddie Hearn says Anthony Joshua does not have a fragile beard ahead of his September 21 fight with IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois.
Online presenter Simon Jordan said this week that 34-year-old former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua has a faint jaw and could break if he is knocked down by the 26-year-old Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs) in their 12-round main event at Wembley Stadium in London.
Flashbacks to past battles
There is some doubt that Joshua will have flashbacks to the worst moments of his career, when Andy Ruiz, Wladimir Klitschko and Oleksandr Usyk came at him.
Jordan raised the possibility of Joshua developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [Post Traumatic Distress Syndrome AKA Battle fatigue]. If this condition is met, Joshua will not last long on the battlefield with Dubois, who will fire on him and prevent him from retreating so he can rush into the trench.
Some thought Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) suffered a nervous breakdown after his loss to Usyk on August 20, 2022 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Hearn rejects ‘frail’ lab
“AJ has a really good beard. If you go back to the Klitschko fight, watch those punches that Klitschko took to AJ in the fifth round,” said Eddie Hearn Second exitdenying that Anthony Joshua has a wispy beard.
The Klitschko fight took place many years ago, on April 29, 2017. Joshua was only 27 years ancient and he fought a 41-year-old Wladimir. In that fight, Wladimir knocked Joshua down challenging in the sixth round, and he was so hurt that he didn’t recover for three rounds.
Most agree that Wladimir made a mistake by allowing Joshua to avoid responsibility and not listening to the voices of his corner, who tried to kill his opponent in rounds seven, eight and nine.
“Look at the right hand that could decapitate a normal man that AJ came back from. [in the sixth round and then gassed for the next three rounds]”In the Ruiz fight, he kept getting back up,” Hearn said.
“Usyk hit him with the kitchen sink and never threw him out. His legs never went away. He was exhausted at the end, but look what happened to Tyson Fury. You’ve never seen AJ like that. He [Joshua] He was hit challenging by [Alexander] Povietkin, and of course he got hit challenging by Dillian Whyte,” Hearn said.
Joshua’s Stamina and Beard: A Recurring Issue
In all the fights Hearn mentions, Joshua could have been knocked out if his opponents had kept coming at him. Usyk hurt Joshua in the 12th round of their first fight in September 2021, but ran out of time to finish the job.
If there were 20 seconds left in the twelfth round, Usyk would have knocked Joshua out. Whyte had run out of steam after hurting Joshua in the second round and was unable to catch his second wind.
“AJ has a great chin, but Daniel Dubois hits very challenging and if he hits you in the chin, there is a risk you will be in trouble,” Hearn said.
Surely Hearn is being deliberately obtuse here, because he must know that Joshua does not have a “great chin” and his stamina is equally impoverished. Joshua’s weaknesses have always been his glass chin and his terrible stamina.
Dubois’s Power: A Solemn Threat
Therefore, he will be an straightforward target for Dubois if he manages to land a immaculate punch or impose a swift pace that his stamina cannot withstand.
“I don’t get the whole ‘He’s frail’ thing. Franklin hit him challenging. I know he’s not a great puncher, but they can all punch. Franklin, Usyk, Povetkin, Parker, Ruiz. The list goes on. Dillian Whyte, Wladimir Klitschko, he’s fought everyone. There’s nothing wrong with AJ’s beard, but those boys can all punch. If they punch cleanly, it’s going to be a problem,” Hearn said.
You wouldn’t expect Hearn to admit that his tin soldier Joshua doesn’t have a great beard. What promoter would admit that his fighter is frail and could fall apart if he’s hit too challenging or taken to the trenches?
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Boxing
Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC
Published
1 day agoon
January 13, 2025The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).
If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.
“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”
29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.
Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.
“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”
Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.
The next move is Badou Jack’s.
Boxing
Floyd Mayweather’s record is not normal, it can’t happen in 70 years
Published
3 days agoon
January 12, 2025Floyd Mayweather’s incredible 50-0 record is not normal and cannot be repeated in sports for another seventy years.
This is the view of Saudi Arabian president Turki Alalshikh, who wants to adopt the UFC model in which fighters lose many fights during their career.
In a speech as he hosted the Ring Magazine Awards after acquiring the long-running boxing publication from Oscar De La Hoya, Alalshikh was unequivocal in his opinion.
“Now losing some fights in boxing must be normal,” he explained. “All fighters want a career similar to Floyd Mayweather – no losses. This may happen once every 50, 60 or 70 years.
“We need it [to be] like currently in the UFC model, where champions lose and win,” added the matchmaker during the Riyad season.
Mayweather rose through the sport in the tardy 1990s to become one of its youngest superstars. Mayweather’s professional success came after winning a bronze medal at the Olympics after losing to Serafim Todorov.
Winning world titles in five weight classes, Mayweather was untouchable. The Grand Rapids native only came close to defeat a few times. He dominated Manny Pacquiao and overtook Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya after heated debates, with decisions that should have been made unanimously.
Towards the end of his career, Mayweather chose to face Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, easily winning and ending his boxing career at the age of 50 without ever going out. Calling himself “the greatest of all time,” Mayweather earned first-ballot Hall of Fame honors and is widely considered one of, if not the greatest defensive fighter of all time.
However, Alalshikh says this type of career needs to end so that fans can get the most out of boxing, as is the case with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Boxing needs to become more attractive, and Alalshikh sees the failures of top stars as a way to keep interest at an all-time high.
In this sport, many boxers enjoy undefeated streaks, the most notable of which is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian Pound for Pound King is 23-0 and has beaten the best he has to offer in his division and cruiserweight classification.
It remains a mystery how Alalshikh plans to make Usyk suffer while he dominates everyone else. By the time his grand plan goes into action, Usyk will be long gone, and Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney may be more realistic targets.
Boxing
Manny Pacquiao remains the favorite to win the title against Mario Barrios
Published
1 week agoon
January 6, 2025WBN understands that despite alternative options emerging, it is more likely that Manny Pacquiao will face Mario Barrios next.
Bob Santos, coach of WBC welterweight champion Barrios, told World Boxing News that he is currently in contact with Pacquiao’s team. Asked by WBN if he had spoken to Pacquiao or representatives of any other challenger, Santos replied: “Yes, Pacquiao’s promoter, Sean Gibbons.” Pressed on whether Barrios vs Pacquiao might happen next, he added: “It’s challenging to say. We’ll have to see how this plays out.”
WBN contacted Santos after Conor Benn emerged as a potential alternative to Barrios. The British fighter, who recently returned from a suspension following two positive drug tests, is keen to return to competition.
Benn showed favor with the World Boxing Council at the recent WBC Convention, the WBC Evaluation Committee and during an interview with the sanctioning body over the weekend. “The Destroyer” is ranked second in the rankings at 147 pounds, despite less than solid opponents during his time in exile, during which Benn competed twice in the United States while his career in the United Kingdom was in doubt.
As he battled to clear his name and with the British Anti-Doping Authority finding no evidence that Benn had intentionally taken ostarine, the 28-year-old’s career took a pointed nosedive. Despite this, he remains highly rated and at least one step away from fighting for an eliminator or one of the remaining championship titles.
However, Pacquiao remains Barrios’ favorite. Now it’s up to the boxing legend and Hall of Famer who got the first votes to secure his shot. WBN believes a July date – most likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – is the most realistic date for a Nevada swan song.
Pacquiao could extend his record as the oldest welterweight champion by six years if he can secure a huge victory over the 29-year-old world champion. At 46 years antique, such a scenario remains unlikely, but he can never be compared to one of the greatest players of this generation.
Unlike heavier boxers and his training regiment, Pacquiao looks in great shape despite his advanced age. Everything is set for a massive return to the boxing capital of the world, provided Pacquiao and his team can manage his political ambitions, which are expected to run from this month until May. After that time, Pacquiao could find himself in the summer finals and become the all-time champion, regardless of the result.
Barrios is based in the city, where he trained with Santos, and would be the perfect opponent to see out the career of one of the greatest fighters in history.
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