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Tyson Fury targets Anthony Joshua’s tenth knockdown

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Wladimir Klitschko stands over Anthony Joshua after knocking him down during their heavyweight title fight at Wembley Stadium in 2017

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.

Ed Mulholland

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.

Daniel Dubois knocks out Anthony Joshua
Mark Robinson

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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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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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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