Boxing
Tyson Fury targets Anthony Joshua’s tenth knockdown
Published
3 weeks agoon
Tyson Fury believes Anthony Joshua may still be injured and if the long-awaited heavyweight clash finally happens later this year, the “Gypsy King” will be looking to become the tenth man to carry his British rival to the canvas.
Joshua’s heavyweight aura didn’t disappear overnight. He broke in the match with Wladimir Klitschko, fell in the match with Andy Ruiz Jr. and has never fully recovered since then.
Long before Daniel Dubois smashed Joshua at Wembley and Fury publicly questioned his ability to take punches, warning signs were already observable for the former unified champion.
Dillian Whyte first took a look at boxing in 2015.
Joshua recovered to hold off Whyte but was badly concussed in a wild exchange that immediately raised doubts about the Olympic gold medalist’s reaction under pressure.
At the time, these concerns were drowned out by the hype around Joshua’s promotion. Eddie Hearn was building his biggest star and openly talked about Joshua as a generational heavyweight who could join the likes of Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis.
Then came Klitschko.
Anthony Joshua
Joshua’s victory over Wladimir Klitschko in 2017 remains one of the best heavyweight fights of the up-to-date era, but it also permanently changed how many watched him.
After tripping the Ukrainian, Joshua came close to forcing a stoppage before Klitschko suddenly turned the tide and sent the Londoner to the canvas with a powerful right hand.
Joshua recovered brilliantly and eventually stopped Klitschko in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley, but the image of him badly injured and exhausted in the middle rounds remained in people’s minds.
The aura of invincibility disappeared.
Even as Joshua continued his march towards an undisputed title shot and added the Joseph Parker belt to his collection, concerns about his durability never completely disappeared.
Then came the night that changed everything.
Andy Ruiz Jr.
When Jarrell Miller failed multiple drug tests ahead of Joshua’s American debut at Madison Square Garden, Matchroom began looking for a replacement who could keep the event alive.
Several names were discussed before Andy Ruiz Jr. was called.
By then, Ruiz had lost to Parker, whom Joshua had already beaten, and few gave the Mexican-American much of a chance to pull off the upset.
This decision backfired spectacularly.
Joshua dropped Ruiz early on before completely breaking down as the challenger exposed huge weaknesses in the champion’s squad. Ruiz dropped Joshua four times and took the unified heavyweight titles in one of the biggest shocks of the up-to-date era.
Joshua regained the belts six months later in Saudi Arabia, but the rematch never fully repaired the damage done to his reputation.
Ruiz entered the fight significantly overweight after admitting he had barely trained, and many viewed the second fight as little more than a controlled recovery mission.
From that point on, Joshua’s vulnerability became part of every major fight discussion surrounding him.
Broad kryptonite
Oleksandr Usyk then presented a completely different problem.
Joshua was chasing greatness against one of the most technically gifted fighters of his generation, but stylistically it always looked like a nightmare fight for the Briton. Usyk’s movement, timing, footwork and IQ repeatedly set Joshua up for two defeats.
Then Dubois came.
Unlike Usyk, Dubois did not defeat Joshua. It overwhelmed him.
Dubois repeatedly dropped Joshua and smashed him in devastating fashion at Wembley as all the senior concerns about Joshua’s durability and return immediately resurfaced.
Questions surrounding Joshua’s heavyweight reign have persisted over the years due to circumstances surrounding several of his championship wins and opportunities. The Dubois debacle has only intensified these conversations.
Tyson Fury aims for ten
Now Fury has reignited the entire debate ahead of the long-awaited showdown later this year by openly attacking Joshua’s biggest weakness.
If Fury finally defeats Joshua, he will become the tenth fighter to do so.
No one can question Joshua’s ambition, professionalism or desire to become one of heavyweight boxing’s biggest stars.
But every time Joshua hit the canvas, the perception around him changed a little more.
When heavyweight boxing senses weakness, it never forgets.
About the author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
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Boxing
Former footballers’ boxing event, supported by Tony Bellew and David Price, raised £73,500 for charity
Published
22 minutes agoon
June 3, 2026
A commendable sum of £73,500 was raised for charity as Tony Bellew and David Price gathered for a boxing night in Liverpool.
The gala took place on April 17 and former professional footballers clashed at the event, which was endorsed by sporting icons such as Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.
The event, billed as “A Night To Remember II”, followed Pro Project Promotions’ first charity boxing event in October with the aim of giving retired athletes the opportunity to rekindle their competitive spirit.
Similarly, Pro Project Promotions founder Graham Stack, a former Arsenal goalkeeper, hopes to raise a total of £500,000 in the organization’s debut year.
He’s already close to halfway there, having raised a total of £201,000 for charities including Children’s Charity Merseyside and Autism Merseyside.
Stack made it clear that this was just the beginning.
“I am very proud to see Pro Project Promotions grow from strength to strength. These events give retired players a purpose, structure and a way to continue to compete for something that truly matters.
“To raise £73,500 [in April] and moving our total for six months over £201,000 is fantastic. We are closing in on £500,000 raised for the charity and I want to thank everyone who has supported us so far.”
Pro Project Promotions will return to Liverpool’s Grosvenor House Hotel on October 22, with ambassadors such as Natasha Jonas and Liam Smith expected to continue to provide support.
As for April’s performance, it was ultimately Swansea City cult hero Lee Trundle who won the main event against former Scotland striker Chris Iwelumo.
Participants, artists and charities for Pro Project Promotions’ next boxing event will be announced in the coming weeks.
The response was immediate.
One fan accused Stevenson of talking about major fights without taking steps to make them happen.
“The fuck is when are you??? You ran to Zuffa to avoid Shock??? You didn’t want to smoke with Devin, if you’re waiting for the right moment it makes sense if you fight, now you’re trying so tough to keep it 0,” the critic wrote.
Shakur either really doesn’t get it yet or is trying to masterfully do public relations damage control to keep his name among the division’s elite.
If Dana White runs Zuffa Boxing by the UFC playbook, the league format completely changes the game. In this world, you don’t call on top-level players or Matchroom players because you’re locked in a closed ecosystem. The UFC does not partner with Bellator or PFL to stage superfights, and they have no intention of sending their prized fighters to fight on a rival network under a different promotional banner.
If Shakur really thinks he can just pocket a huge salary at Zuffa and still easily land Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, or Teofimo Lopez, he’s in for a rude awakening. The promotional walls are bulky, and Dana White is not known for playing well with classic boxing promoters.
At this point, Shakur still speaks like an independent performer who can dictate his own path. But if Zuffa is building a league, it has simply traded that independence for a corporate structure. He may find himself trapped in a gilded cage completely isolated from the struggles that he claims define the legacy.
If the UFC model is the plan, it guarantees financial security but risks complete isolation from the wider boxing world. By the time he finishes his tour of duty and realizes that mass promotion fights will be off the table forever, the physical attributes that made him a four-division champion may already be gone.
Boxing
Trainer Buddy McGirt Picks Mayweather vs. Pacquiao 2 Winner Based on One ‘Plain Fact’
Published
4 hours agoon
June 2, 2026
Former two-division world champion and top trainer Buddy McGirt has suggested that one fighter, between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, will likely go into the fight with one clear advantage.
According to reports, both pound-for-pound legends will face each other in a professional rematch scheduled for September 26.
It was originally proposed to take place at the Sphere in Las Vegas on September 19 just for those dealing with the Netflix event to choose a different date and location.
However, despite the uncertainty, it appears that both fighters have agreed to collide in a fully sanctioned fight, with Mayweather graciously putting his 50-0 record on the line.
The 49-year-old hasn’t fought professionally since a 10th-round knockout of Conor McGregor in 2017, which came just over two years after he edged ‘Pac Man’ by unanimous decision.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, has competed in eight professional fights since their first meeting, most recently drawing to a 12-round draw with then-WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios last July.
McGirt said that because of this increased activity in recent years ESNEWS that it favors the 47-year-old Filipino, even if neither player can realistically claim to be a role model of activism.
“I am [going to] follow Pacquiao for the straightforward fact that Floyd didn’t fight – e.g [in] fight-fight – for how long?
“These exhibition fights, you can’t really count them. Then again, I’ll go with Pacquiao, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Floyd manages to do it.”
Although Pacquiao has fought more recently than Mayweather, his draw with Barrios ended a nearly four-year hiatus that followed his unanimous decision loss to Yordenis Ugas.
Former footballers’ boxing event, supported by Tony Bellew and David Price, raised £73,500 for charity
Shakur Stevenson may not be seeing the real problem
Peter Fury FIRST WORDS after Oleksandr Usyk defeated Rico Verhoeven
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