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Tyson Fury proves he hasn’t grown up yet

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Author: Sean Crose

“He looks so ancient,” my wife said on Saturday when she saw former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. My wife is not a boxing fan, but being the wife of a fight writer, she knows well who Fury is. The truth was that I was thinking the same thing as her. He had the typical Tyson Fury physique, but the Gypsy King’s face showed traces of three huge wars fought many years earlier with Deontay Wilder. Indeed, Fury seemed a bit different in other ways too.

When he entered the ring at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday to face Arslanbek Makhmudov, there was nothing to do. This was quite unusual as Fury had gone so far as to enter the ring dressed as a king during his heyday. Of course, the great Briton’s heyday has indeed passed. After all, Fury lost two of his last three fights, and on Saturday, after a long break of over two years, he fell between the ropes. No, Fury didn’t look like his ancient self before the fight. It seemed like a recent version of Fury as he entered the ring in front of thousands of raucous fans.

Fortunately for those British fans (who largely supported their compatriot Fury), the former world champion hasn’t changed much stylistically from himself. While he may not have been as brisk or as powerful as he once was, Fury proved once again on Saturday that he is one of the best in the business – even after more than two years away from the ring. In compact: this man didn’t look bad for a player in his slow forties. Of course, he had aid from his opponent Makhmudov, who, despite his powerful hitting and playing, was clearly outclassed by his eminent opponent.

While he may have lost a round or two, Fury essentially dominated the fight with his acute jab, precise striking, and ability to physically choke his opponent once he landed on the man. Even though he took hits at times, Fury rarely looked less than dominant throughout the match. With that in mind, it bears repeating that destitute Makhmudov was much lower on the skill ladder than Fury. Even the guy’s strength didn’t guarantee him victory – it wasn’t a substantial surprise, considering that Fury had already taken over all the firepower in Deontay Wilder’s arsenal some time ago.

The question, of course, is what’s next for the 34-2-1 Fury. The answer should have been Anthony Joshua, but Fury’s English compatriot made it clear after the fight that he was in no rush to meet Fury in the ring, not that he didn’t want to. Indeed, Joshua gave the impression after the fight that he thought Fury’s inevitable calling from the ring was something of a showman. He seemed a bit hostile, Joshua, but it’s unwise to make statements about fighters because there’s a lot going on behind the scenes in this sport. Besides, both Fury and Joshua are running out of options. Each of them has been beaten twice by Oleksandr Usyk, and there is a recent breed of heavyweight fighter emerging that these established and older stars of their age may want to avoid. So who if not the other one?

Ultimately, Fury has proven to the world that he is still a top-shelf commodity in boxing, which means there will likely be more arena fights in the man’s future. It’s doubtful he’ll be as powerful as Fury once was, but he still has a legacy to look after – as well as some very substantial potential paydays. They are tempting at every stage of a player’s career.

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Boxing

Shane Mosley predicts PM Marvin Hagler vs PM Canelo: ‘I think he’s going to get him’

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Shane Mosley predicts prime Marvin Hagler vs prime Canelo: “I think he’d get him”

Two-division world champion Shane Mosley predicted how the fantastic fight between Canelo Alvarez and “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler would go.

Canelo ruled four weight classes, earning world honors between super welterweight and featherlight heavyweight and becoming the division’s first-ever undisputed champion in an iconic 11-month span.

The 35-year-old’s strength seemed to have waned recently, with him failing to win a single break since 2021. defeat to former lightweight champion Terence Crawford in his last fight.

That being said, his reputation will be able to be reclaimed in September when is fighting for the WBC super middleweight world title.

Still, as his career nears its final chapter, fans wonder where Canelo ranks among the greatest champions of his country, the contemporary era and of all time, wondering how he would fare against other iconic fighters in the division he ruled.

Speaking on Mi Gallo boxing podcasthosted by two-time middleweight title challenger Gabriel Rosado, Mosley selected middleweight fan favorite Hagler to emerge victorious in a fantastic fight against top-ranked Canelo.

“I think Marvin could get him.”

Hagler never boxed outside the middleweight division during his 67-fight career, reigning as undisputed champion for seven years and boasting the sixth-longest reign in division history; during this time he became notable for defeating Roberto Duran and Thomas Hearns.

In total, Hagler won 62 of 67 professional fights, with his only three losses coming to Bobby Watts, Willie Monroe and Sugar Ray Leonard, as well as draws to Vito Antuofermo and Sugar Ray Searles.

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Boxing

Will Joshua-Fury actually happen?

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Author: Sean Crose

“Whether it’s at Wembley Stadium, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas or outside my backyard, it’s still five years too tardy.” This is what Darshan Desai from Yahoo Sport claims in a recent column, in which he states directly that the supposedly upcoming Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua fight is already past its prime and has little significance. Let’s face it, this man is right. For whatever reasons, good or bad, Anthony, Joshua and Tyson Fury never had the opportunity to step into the ring while they were both in charge. And that, honestly, is very bad.

However, this could be a very good fight, worth saving. I say “maybe” because I’m still not convinced it will happen. People talk about things like location and little things like that. The truth is that these two came close to fighting, but they never did. Now their best days are behind them. There are more and more adolescent goats, Oleksandr Usyk conquered them twice apiece. What are these two fighting about… what exactly? Well, let me tell you: these two huge heavyweights are eager to fight because a brawl between them will answer the one question that makes boxing great: which one is the better fighter?

We still don’t have an answer to that question, so I’ll be fascinated to see how the Joshua-Fury fight ends if it actually happens. I’ll repeat: I’m not entirely convinced. One thing is certain, this is the last chance for this fight to become an vital event in the sport of boxing. Seriously, if it lasts beyond 2026, it will be an ancient man’s game…. At least that’s how some people will see it. It will certainly be seen as past its sell-by date.

Of course, if this fight does happen and turns into a thriller, the rematch will be widely seen on television or, in the parlance of the state-of-the-art world, streaming. People thought Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns had weakened before their rematch in the tardy 1980s, but the fight turned out to be a great fight, a classic worthy of the name. If such a match takes place between these two Englishmen, no one will care whether it is relevant or not. The emotions associated with the competition alone will make it vital.

It’s challenging to imagine that any of these men will actually have to fight each other or anyone at all at this point. They have made untold fortunes for themselves, and while boxers are known for leaking millions of dollars, none of them are expected to be on their doorstep anytime soon. However, warriors fight even when they are already at their peak, even when it is unsafe to continue fighting. There may be fewer of them than before, but both Fury and Joshua have a competitive spirit. And that still counts, even in an era where high-level players can go years without slipping between the ropes.

So yes, people will be interested in watching this fight. While the criticism is valid and well-founded, these two not-so-young men are adolescent enough to draw crowds. It won’t be vital. It certainly won’t be as it could be. But it will be something. And when it comes to fighting fans, sometimes something is just good enough. It shouldn’t be like this… but unfortunately it happens sometimes. Let’s hope the fight, if it actually happens, will be a doozy. It still has the makings of a great case.

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Emiliano Vargas targets fight with George Kambosos after Bryce Mills fight

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Image: Emiliano Vargas Targets George Kambosos Fight After Bryce Mills Clash

“Because before this fight, I would love to fight George Kambosos,” Vargas told Sean Zittel when discussing potential opponents after the Mills fight.

Emiliano stressed that his focus remains on Mills, but made it clear that he believes he is getting closer to the title.

“I’m going to show the world that I’m ready to fight for the title,” Vargas said.

The son of former two-time world champion Fernando Vargas believes that a good performance on the Jaron Ennis-Xander Zayas card can give him significant progress in the competition.

“After this fight, I would love to have a title eliminator or former world champion,” Emiliano said. “I’m second in the WBO rankings, 12th in the WBC. I’m there and I’m knocking on that door.”

Vargas comes into the fight off a win over Agustin Quintana in February. While this performance sparked debate among some fans, Emiliano considers the innings he saved as valuable experience in continuing to develop his game.

The undefeated fighter claims that during the last camps he expanded his training team and worked intensively on movement, angles and fighting under pressure. He also recently spent time in David Benavidez’s camp, drawing inspiration from the former world champion’s work ethic and aggressive style.

If Emiliano beats Mills on Saturday, attention will quickly turn to who will be next. From his comments, Kambosos is at the top of the list.

Kambosos, a former unified lightweight champion, would represent the most recognizable name of Vargas’ career and potentially take him one step closer to the title eliminator he thinks he wants next.

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