Boxing
Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua: What are the other biggest weight differences in heavyweight fights?
Published
4 months agoon
When Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua weigh in on Thursday ahead of their eight-round heavyweight fight on December 19 in Miami, a significant weight difference can be expected.
Former YouTuber Paul moves up from his usual cruiserweight division to fight Joshua, who has been one of the greatest of his heavyweight peers throughout his era.
Joshua’s most recent weigh-in was for his fight with Daniel Dubois at 252 pounds. Meanwhile, Paul weighed 227 pounds when he faced the aging Mike Tyson in a heavyweight fight.
However, this is not the first time that there has been a significant weight difference between two fighters. Here are some other fights that have thrown things off balance.
Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk (2024)
Weight difference: 55 pounds
Tyson Fury: 281 pounds
Oleksandr Usyk: 226 pounds
Result: Usyk won by unanimous decision
Significance: Both men opted to employ heavier means in the second fight than in their first meeting in May 2024. The fury increased by as much as 19 pounds when Usyk gained only 2 pounds – it was the heaviest weight the Briton has ever made in his career. Many viewed Fury’s decision to attack harder as an attempt to bully Usyk and dominate the rematch.
Roy Jones Jr. vs. John Ruiz (2003)
Weight difference: 31 pounds
Roy Jones Jr.: 193 pounds
John Ruiz: 224 pounds
Result: Jones Jr. win. a massive unanimous decision
Meaning: Jones Jr. became the first former middleweight champion in over 100 years to win the heavyweight title in a fight dubbed Never Take A Heavyweight Lightly. Despite losing weight, height and reach in favor of the Puerto Rican, Jones Jr conducted a masterclass in technical boxing and picked the 31-year-old Ruiz at will.
Nikolai Valuev vs. David Haye (2009)
Weight difference: 98 pounds
Nikolai Valuev: ~316 pounds
David Haye: 218 pounds
Result: Haye used his speed to secure a majority victory
Meaning: This is one of the largest weight discrepancies in world title fight history and has literally been described as a David vs. Goliath fight. Haye scored the win and broke his arm in the process, describing Valuev’s header as “the hardest thing I’ve ever hit.” It’s like hitting a solid brick wall. With the victory, the Londoner became the first Briton to hold the world heavyweight crown since Lennox Lewis retired in 2003.
Nikolai Valuev vs. John Ruiz (2005)
Weight difference: ~86 lbs
Nikolai Valuev: over 320 pounds
John Ruiz: ~238 lbs
Result: Valuev won a controversial majority decision to become the tallest and heaviest champion in history.
Meaning: This one was extremely controversial given the weight difference between the fighters – it also infuriated the crowd as Valuev relied on clenching and holding despite his significant size advantage. Valuev’s victory also made him the first Russian world heavyweight champion. Ruiz was furious after the fight, stating that: “Boxing is the only sport where you can get robbed without a gun.”
Daniel Dubois vs. Jarrell Miller (2023)
Weight difference: 94 pounds
Daniel Dubois: 239 pounds
Jarrell Miller: 333 pounds
Result: Dubois stopped Miller in the 10th round.
Significance: Despite a huge weight disadvantage, Dubois’ conditioning allowed him to outwork the much heavier Miller and he secured the victory over Miller with seconds remaining in their 10-round heavyweight bout in Ridyah. It was a tardy attack from the Briton that swung the fight in his favor after Miller took multiple punches thrown in the early rounds. Dubois also landed a career-high 208 punches in the fight.
Fabio Wardley vs. Dennis Lewandowski (2019)
Weight difference: ~120 lbs
Fabio Wardley: ~230 lbs
Dennis Lewandowski: ~350 pounds
Result: Wardley won by TKO in the 3rd round.
Meaning: One of the most extreme weight differences seen in state-of-the-art professional fighting. Wardley handed Lewandowski his first defeat at the distance, securing his seventh victory in a row and sixth after the break. The Ipswich-born fighter started stringing together combinations in the third quarter, bled Lewandowski’s nose and knocked him down twice with right uppercuts – the referee had seen enough and stopped the fight in round 3.
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“He’s a great fighter. He has everything,” Sulaiman told Ring Champs. “He has all-time potential. He’s a great fighter.”
Sulaiman said Stevenson’s skills have already been proven in multiple leagues, adding that the latest move has only strengthened his standing in the sport.
The comments came when Sulaiman was asked whether Stevenson could finally become boxing’s top pound-for-pound fighter. His answer was direct.
“I think so,” Sulaiman said. “He looks very good and sturdy in this weight class.”
Stevenson’s rise also became a major topic of conversation after the Teofimo fight. Sulaiman said the up-to-date division seemed to suit him physically.
At 28 years elderly, Stevenson is currently at the point in his career where accolades become expectations. Talent alone no longer divides him. The question is whether his upcoming fights match the level people currently see in him.
All the while, Sugar Ray Robinson was moving up from welterweight to middleweight and fighting the toughest monsters of his era without asking them to suck him parched. When you request a hydration clause, as Shakur did with Conor Benn at welterweight, you are essentially saying that you want your opponent to be at his weakest while you are at his best.
Sugar Ray Robinson didn’t ask for a “rehydration clause” during his fight with Jake LaMotta. He just went out and fought a much bigger, stronger man. If Shakur wants to be mentioned in the same breath, he must finally fight a fight in which he will not be the one dictated by physical disabilities.
Robinson didn’t ask for a “rehydration clause” in his fight with Jake LaMotta. He just went out and fought a much bigger, stronger man. If Shakur wants to be mentioned in the same breath, he must finally fight a fight in which he will not be the one dictated by physical disabilities.
Boxing
Gervonta Davis called out by world champion for mega fight: “I need it”
Published
4 hours agoon
April 26, 2026
Gervonta Davis’ future is currently in doubt, but that’s not stopping one of the reigning world champions from calling out ‘Tank’ for a showdown.
It was over a year since Davis last saw action in March 2025 against Lamont Roach Jr. This fight ended in a controversial majority draw, but “Tank” still defended his WBA lightweight title.
Since then, however, the Baltimore man’s life has been extremely hard. A first-time exhibition with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, scheduled for November, was canceled after Davis found himself at the center of domestic violence allegations.
Further allegations led to “Tank” losing his WBA belt and being declared champion during his hiatus, but earlier this year reports surfaced that he could return against former foe and current WBC interim super lightweight champion Isaac Cruz.
After Ryan Garcia posted, it’s yet another former foe of Davis who is now calling for a rematch social media his intention to secure a second fight.
“I pray I get a tank rematch one day. I need it back on equal footing. I need it!!!”
Garcia suffered a seventh-round loss to Davis when they met in April 2023, but “King Ry” has repeatedly said since the fight that he was far from his best as it was a 136-pound catchweight fight with a 10-pound rehydration clause.
in February Garcia defeated Mario Barrios to win the WBC welterweight titleand if Davis decides to campaign at 147 pounds, the prospect of winning world titles in another weight class could tempt him into a rematch with “King Ry.”
Boxing
Eddie Hearn warns that Zuffa athletes could lose their world title eligibility
Published
6 hours agoon
April 26, 2026
“I think there will be a large split in boxing now,” promoter Matchroom Hearn told the media. “If you go with Zuffa, you’re out of the governing bodies. I think that’s really what it’s going to have to be like.”
Hearn’s comments come at a time when Zuffa Boxing is gaining momentum and gaining attention from fighters and promoters across the sport. The long-term question was whether the events would interact with the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO systems, or go in a different direction.
Hearn explained his position.
“If you sign with Zuffa, you can’t win the world championship,” he said. “You can’t have it both ways.”
He pointed to the recent movement to include titleholders and challengers, arguing that fighters who leave the customary route are giving up some of what boxing has historically valued most.
“Legacy will always be the answer,” Hearn said.
This line leads to a real fight under the headlines. Zuffa can offer money, platform power and stern promotion via TKO. Time-honored boxing still offers belts, rankings and the story behind becoming a champion.
Many competitors will try to secure both if possible. Hearn is doubtful whether the balance can be maintained.
Hearn also criticized recent arguments against the Ali Act and said income transparency remains one of the strongest protections for combatants in the current US system.
Whether fans agree with Hearn or not, he touched on something real. Boxing may be heading down two separate paths, and fighters will soon have to decide which is more vital.
Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fighting landscape. His reports focus on the most vital fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.
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