UK Boxing
Eddie Hearn responds to the announcement of the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight with three words
Published
3 weeks agoon
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are expected to fight this year (Photo: 2026 Mark Robinson)
Eddie Hearn has confirmed that the fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury has been “signed, sealed and settled.” The explosive announcement was made this afternoon, shortly after Joshua’s next opponent was revealed.
The former world champion and Olympic gold medalist will face Albanian boxer Kristian Prenga on July 25, before turning his attention to his fight with the Gypsy King in overdue 2026. The date of the clash between the two British heavyweights has not yet been confirmed, but it is expected to take place in the last quarter of this year.
This fight has been more than a decade in the making, especially after the 2021 undisputed heavyweight bout between the two fighters was canceled following an arbitrator’s ruling that Fury must face Deontay Wilder in a trilogy series, with the Bronze Bomber also rejecting the fee amount.
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Joshua was also scheduled to fight Oleksandr Usyk in a mandatory defense of the WBO title, which ended with the Ukrainian completely defeating him and winning the belt. Fury then defeated Wilder and Joshua met Usyk in a rematch, but again suffered defeat.
There have been discussions about a 2022 fight, but the situation became complicated when Fury repeatedly imposed his own stringent deadlines for a contract to be signed between the pair. That didn’t happen this year, as Hearn confirmed on social media.
The Matchroom boss shared a photo of himself with the chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, and a beaming Joshua. He wrote: “Signed, Sealed, Delivered! AJ v. Fury continues!”
Joshua has already begun psychological warfare with Fury, writing: “It’s no secret that I’ve taken some time to consolidate and rebuild to be ready to get back into the ring, and this is the next step on that journey. I’m looking forward to competing and picking up where I left off. Like I said. The landlord will collect rent. That’s for sure.”
Fury has yet to respond directly, but he re-posted Alalshikh’s Instagram video confirming the news on X. Nevertheless, given the way he challenged Joshua immediately after he defeated Russian giant Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision earlier this month, Fury will be brimming with confidence.
After his triumph, he turned to Joshua and roared, “I want you, AJ, Anthony Joshua. Let’s give the fight fans what they want – the Battle of Britain. I challenge you, Anthony Joshua, to fight me, the Gypsy King, next. Do you accept my challenge?”
Of course, Joshua will first have to beat Prenga, a relatively unknown 35-year-old who has built a reputation as a formidable knockout specialist. His record is 20-1, and 20 of his victories ended by knockout. His only defeat came in February 2017, when he lost to Giovanni Auriemma in the Netherlands.
Hearn has repeatedly insisted that Joshua should have a “warm-up” fight before any fight with Fury. He most recently stepped into the ring against Jake Paul in a very lucrative bout before he survived a devastating car accident in Nigeria that tragically killed his friends Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele.
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UK Boxing
Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven – Odds and betting guide
Published
6 minutes agoon
May 18, 2026
Oleksandr Usyk is the bookmakers’ clear favorite to defeat Rico Verhoeven on Saturday in Egypt.
Usyk defends his WBC heavyweight title against Verhoeven at the Giza Pyramids, live on DAZN.
The only things at stake for him are the Ukrainian’s IBF and WBA titles.
The 39-year-old is a 1/18 favorite Bet365 defeat a former kickboxing world champion who is fighting for only the second time as a professional boxer.
Usyk knocked out Daniel Dubois in the fifth round last August to claim the undisputed heavyweight championship for a second time and is expected to stop the Dutchman at 2/9, while a points victory is valued at 4/1.
Verhoeven’s last professional boxing fight was in 2014, and the “King of Kickboxing” is an 8/1 underdog Bet365 accomplish what would be seen as one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight history and celebrate Usyk’s first defeat as a professional.
The 37-year-old’s best hope for victory is a knockout with a score of 14/1, while an unlikely decision victory is valued at 25/1.

Full Bet365 odds
The result of the fight
- Oleksandr Usyk will win the fight: 1/18
- Oleksandra Usyk by KO/TKO/DQ: 2/9
- Oleksandr Usyk by decision or technical decision: 4/1
- Rico Verhoeven will win the fight: 8/1
- Rico Verhoeven by KO/TKO/DQ: 14/1
- Rico Verhoeven by decision or technical decision: 25/1
- Draw or technical draw: 28/1
Round bets
Aleksander Usyk
- To win in round 1: 1/11
- To win round 2: 9/1
- Win in round 3: 15/2
- To win round 4: 7/1
- To win in round 5: 7/1
- To win in round 6: 15/2
- To win in round 7: 17/2
- To win in round 8: 10/1
- To win in round 9: 1/12
- To win in round 10: 16/1
- To win in round 11: 22/1
- To win in round 12: 33/1
- Win by Decision or Technical Decision: 4/1
Rico Verhoeven
- Win in round 1: 100/1
- Win in round 2: 100/1
- Win in round 3: 100/1
- Win in round 4: 100/1
- Win in round 5: 100/1
- To win in round 6: 100/1
- To win in round 7: 100/1
- Win in round 8: 100/1
- Win in round 9: 100/1
- Win in round 10: 100/1
- To win in round 11: 100/1
- To win in round 12: 100/1
- To win by decision or technical decision: 25/1
The post Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven – Odds and Betting Guide appeared first on ProBoxing-Fans.com.
UK Boxing
“I feel like a winner” – Dave Allen after losing to Hrgovic
Published
20 hours agoon
May 17, 2026
Dave Allen returned to the ring last night, headlining his home stadium in Doncaster and facing Filip Hrgovic.
Allen was defeated in three rounds by Hrgovic, ranked fifth in The Ring magazine’s heavyweight rankings.
He talked to TalkSports in the ring after the loss and explained why he initially took the fight and how, despite being better prepared than at most previous camps, he simply wasn’t good enough that night.
“Yes, you know I took that fight, it was like winning the lottery, if you could call it that.
“I just wasn’t good enough and there’s nothing wrong with that, he’s a very good player, I knew he was good [coming into the fight.]
“Yes, he was really good, in terms of fair play he was good.
“He was too good for me and there’s nothing wrong with that, I lost to Frazer Clark and sometimes you just get beaten and you have to say, ‘You know what was just second best?’ and that was another situation like that tonight.”
After his victory, he spoke to El Animal. Professional boxing fans and discussed a possible fight with 21-year-old Moses Itauma.
Itauma is scheduled to return on August 8 in London, with Hrgovic getting an early win may be possible.
“The White Rhino” continued to cover the event itself, selling approximately 10,000 tickets. It was his first Doncaster appearance since a third-round victory over Jindrich Velecki in 2015.
“I’m very proud to have brought all these people here tonight, I’m very grateful.
“What can you really say, I got beat, but I’m glad I got some closure.”
Allen discussed his preparations for the fight. He weighed 17.10 pounds, the lightest he has weighed since 2019.
Despite his efforts, he failed to achieve the desired result, but he seemed satisfied with his performance.
“I trained as demanding as I could and made the appropriate change.
“I felt like I was boxing pretty well, he was just too good for me and I can live with that.
“I’m a good player, but tonight I can finally sit at home and say, ‘I trained really demanding, but I wasn’t good enough,’ and that’s okay.”
Allen, always loved for his honesty and vulnerability during interviews, revealed a touching factor explaining why he took up boxing.
“I started boxing so people would like me. I wanted my elderly man to really like me and I’m not sure if he likes it, but everyone else does.

“I feel like a winner, I just got completely hammered and yet I feel like a winner.”
With his coach Jamie Moore canceling the competition in the third round, some argued that Allen should have seen the fourth round, including his father when speaking to talkSPORT.
The 34-year-old decided to support his team, while admitting that he had feelings for them after more than six years of training in Manchester.
Over the past six years, Allen has turned his fortune around, earning life-changing purses through fighting to facilitate his family.
He continued to discuss future plans and the possibility of winning the British heavyweight title, currently held by Richard Riakporhe.
“I can fight another day, for the British title.”
“Break, I love Jamie [Moore] and Nigel [Travis]they look out for my best interests so I can come back and fight another day; whether it’s a British title, I’m not sure.”

“[Richard] Riakporhe is very, very good, they are all good players, but now I want to rest a bit.
“I’m in as good shape as ever, I’m enjoying training and life, and I hope I can run well again.”
The post “I feel like a winner” – Dave Allen after losing Hrgovic appeared first on ProBoxing-Fans.com.
UK Boxing
Dave Allen vs. Filip Hrgovic – results and post-fight report
Published
2 days agoon
May 16, 2026
Dave Allen was unable to achieve the impossible at home against Doncaster Rovers FC when Filip Hrgovic delivered a one-sided beating to him in third-round stoppage time to claim the vacant IBF Intercontinental heavyweight title.
Allen was definitely the weaker fighter against Hrgovic.
Fan favorite Allen (25-9-2, KO20) rarely gets into a uninteresting fight, and after stopping Johnny Fisher last May, he was overtaken by Arslanbek Makhmudov before returning to winning ways in a modest comeback in February.
Hrgovic (20-1, KO15) is two wins since losing to Daniel Dubois in 2024, with his last points victory coming against David Adeleye last August.
Hrgovic started in a measured fashion, hitting Allen with constant 1-2s, and Allen struggled with timing in the first round.
Hrgovic kept the pressure going by toying with Allen he landed heavy blows in the second and holding it at the end of challenging right hands.
Allen simply couldn’t avoid the punches that were coming his way, and after the Croatian landed a punch to the body and head, Allen saw enough of the corner and threw in the towel to save his man.
Michael Gomez Jr. fight with Lee McGregor
Michael Gomez Jr (23-2, KO8) won the lightweight clash, defeating former European champion Lee McGregor (16-3-1, KO11) in the sixth round of a scheduled 10-round fight.
McGregor was dropped in the fourth, and after suffering solemn injuries, the Scot threw in the towel from a corner midway through the sixth.
Remaining fights
Louie O’Doherty (12-0, KO3) added the vacant Commonwealth lightweight title to his British crown by defeating Ahmed Hatim (12-1, KO3) during their meeting.
O’Doherty edged the winner by two scores of 118-110 and third by a score of 119-109.
The only fighter to go eight rounds was a super welterweight, with Carl Fail (12-0, KO4) defeating Luis Enrique Montelongo Morales (18-18, KO4).
Congratulations Filip
#AllenHrgovic | @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/fnMyeT0lzw
— Boxing at Matchroom (@MatchroomBoxing) May 16, 2026
In a six-round fight, welterweight Joe Hayden (23-0, KO4) stopped Ryan Frost (3-16, KO0) twice before scoring in the fifth round, and Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev (2-0, KO1) won every available session at the same weight against Alexis Nahuel Torres (3-16-2, KO7).
Ted Jackson (7-0, KO2) remained undefeated in four round fights, and the middleweight defeated Mike Byles (8-15, KO2) before claiming a first-round victory.
In the lightweight division, Kian Hamilton (2-0, KO0) won every round against Les Urry (2-4-1, KO0), and cruiserweight prospect Bradley Casey (5-0, KO2) stopped Renars Rusins (1-3-2, KO1) in two rounds. Newcomer bantamweight John Tom Varney (2-0, KO0) won all four frames against Stephen Jackson (1-71-1, KO1).
The post Dave Allen vs. Filip Hrgovic – results and post-fight report appeared first on ProBoxing-Fans.com.
Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven – Odds and betting guide
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