Boxing
Why James J. Corbett Never Won the Crowd
Published
4 months agoon
The criticism he faced for his hit-and-don’t-get-hit style predates newfangled debates about defensive boxing. Long before fighters like Shakur Stevenson were accused of risk-averse, Corbett was already accused of denying the public what they believed the heavyweight champion owed them. Fans viewed this style as evasion rather than intelligence.
These feelings were only strengthened when he took the title from John L. Sullivan. Corbett defeated a champion who was much loved and who embodied brutal strength, endurance and excess. He took Sullivan down round after round, turning the fight into something colder and less crowd-pleasing. The result was decisive, but many fans felt they had lost something.
Corbett’s style outpaced the audience, and his confidence in it left little room for compromise when resentment arose.
Corbett never repaired this relationship during his reign. He officially defended his title only once every few years, opting instead for exhibitions, stage work and acting opportunities. To newfangled readers, this may resemble early crossover ambitions. To his contemporaries, he suggested a master who preferred comfort and control to risk.
His public image reinforced this opinion. Corbett presented himself carefully, with a groomed appearance, a stylized pompadour and a desire to appear on stage and in early films. He was nothing like the die-hard heavyweight fans expected to represent the division. To his critics, he looked less like a fighter shaped by hardship and more like a fighter who boxed when it suited him.
This insight shaped the way we read his reign. A champion who fought infrequently, relied on movement and seemed comfortable outside the ring was judged less on his skill than on what he preferred not to risk.
Suspicion followed him inside the ropes, too. His 1900 knockout of Kid McCoy, recorded after a five-round stoppage, never went down well with observers. The circumstances of the fight, McCoy’s reputation and the abrupt ending fueled speculation that the outcome was staged. No piece of evidence closed the issue, but doubts remained about Corbett’s testimony.
The most damaging question of his career was never answered.
Peter Jackson was the most hazardous heavyweight of the era and one whom Corbett could not ignore. Their meeting in 1891 lasted sixty-one grueling rounds and ended in a no decision. None of them were finished and none of them were satisfied. When Corbett became champion the following year, Jackson expected another chance. He never received any.
Corbett gave practical explanations, pointing to narrow money and a hazardous opponent as reasons to continue fighting. On paper, these reasons were logical. In practice, they left a conspicuous absence at the center of his reign.
Race was hidden beneath every justification. The color line in boxing was real and openly enforced by champions before Corbett. Corbett did not make the same declarations, but the effect was identical. Jackson remained sidelined, and the unanswered challenge followed Corbett long after his title reign ended.
The reaction was immediate and personal. Corbett faced criticism not only from rivals and the press, but also from his own circle. Even fans had difficulty explaining why the most pressing challenge of the era remained unresolved.
By the time his career was over, the arguments had escalated. Corbett introduced a up-to-date way of fighting, but he also refused to perform the rituals that many fans associate with legality.
He won the heavyweight title, bringing the future to the ring. He never fully lived up to the expectations of his time.
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Boxing
Jake Paul claims he would have made Canelo $300 million
Published
2 hours agoon
May 16, 2026
Jake Paul responded to Canelo Alvarez after the undisputed super middleweight champion previously reacted to talk of a potential fight between the two with laughing emojis on social media.
While greeting fans and media during a public appearance this week, Jake was asked what financial terms he believed would be needed to make the fight happen.
“Yes, 200 [million] for him 300[millionformeWe’llfinalizethedealEasywork”-PaulsaidintheinterviewwithFightHubTVwhenaskedaboutapossibledealCanelo[millionformeWe’llgetthedealdoneEasywork”saidPaultoFightHubTVwhenaskedaboutapossibledealwithCanelo[milionówdlamnieSfinalizujemytransakcjęŁatwapraca”–powiedziałPaulwrozmowiezFightHubTVzapytanyomożliwąumowęzCanelo[millionformeWe’llgetthedealdoneEasywork”saidPaultoFightHubTVwhenaskedaboutapossibledealwithCanelo
The comment immediately drew attention due to the huge figure associated with the fight. Jake has continued to call for a fight with Canelo over the past year, despite criticism from many boxing fans and fighters who viewed the fight as unrealistic.
Jake was then asked about Canelo and responded with laughing emojis when the topic of a fight between the two came up online.
“I don’t know what that means, but he won’t laugh when I kick his ass,” Paul said.
The rivalry between the two continues to escalate publicly through interviews and exchanges on social media, even though no official negotiations have been announced.
Jake has mentioned Canelo multiple times in interviews over the past year, keeping the possibility of a future fight circulating despite widespread skepticism in boxing circles.
Canelo is currently scheduled to face Christian Mbilli later this year in Riyad, Saudi Arabia, while Jake continues to rehabilitate from injuries suffered in his December 2025 fight against Anthony Joshua.

Tomek Galm is a boxing journalist covering the global fight landscape since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, industry trends and fighter psychology.
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Last updated: 16/05/2026 at 7:21
Boxing
Audley Harrison candid verdict on Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua: ‘He only has one way to win’
Published
4 hours agoon
May 16, 2026
Audley Harrison wondered how fellow Olympic gold medalist Anthony Joshua would fare against Tyson Fury later this year.
Both agreed to clash in the long-awaited heavyweight showdown, but only if “AJ” successfully completes his next fight against Kristian Prenga.
He hasn’t fought since knocking out Jake Paul in the sixth round in DecemberJoshua is now preparing for his clash with Prenga on July 25 in Riyad, Saudi Arabia.
This is his first assignment since he lost two of his closest friends in a car accident in Nigeria, where he was also involved in the tragic incident.
Naturally, he spent the next few months recovering from his injuries, although Joshua now appears to be getting closer to a showdown with Fury.
Meanwhile, “The Gypsy King” has already finished his pre-fight, ending a 16-month break with Arslanbek Makhmudov, whom he outpointed by unanimous decision last month.
Shortly after the triumphant victory, Fury called out Joshua, who was sitting at ringside, refusing to take part in the fight.
But at the same time, Harrison did he told Sky Sports that he saw a fire in the 36-year-old’s eyes, dazzling enough to suggest he was ready for the task ahead.
“From a boxing point of view, it’s a sexy fight because style makes fight.
“[Joshua] he can’t win the fight by trying to box Fury – he has to go in there, break him down and try to eliminate him. This is the only way he can win this fight.
“You’re fighting a champion boxer who knows how to slip [and] slide. after [Makhmudov] fight…he [Joshua] he looked at Fury [with intent].
“When they get into that fight, he’s going to take the fire – everything he went through after his friends died.”
Despite getting back into the win column after back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, Fury clearly wants to enter his second warm-up fight.
Whether that happens remains to be seen, but he certainly wouldn’t be willing to risk a potential clash with Joshua.
Boxing
Mike Tyson Opens Up About Cus D’Amato and Cocaine on Theo Von Podcast
Published
6 hours agoon
May 16, 2026
Former undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson appeared on comedian Theo Von’s podcast “This Past Weekend,” in which the 59-year-old former titleholder became visibly emotional while talking about his behind schedule mentor Cus D’Amato and offered unfiltered memories of his past struggles with cocaine addiction.
Tyson breaks down remembering Cus D’Amato
When asked by Von what period of his life he would most like to have documented on film, Tyson didn’t hesitate.
“That was when I first met my mentor Cus D’Amato,” Tyson said.
D’Amato, a coach from Catskill, Novel York, who previously coached Floyd Patterson and Jose Torres to world titles, adopted Tyson when he was 13 after meeting him at the Tryon School for Boys, a juvenile correctional facility in upstate Novel York. D’Amato became Tyson’s legal guardian after the death of Tyson’s mother in 1982, and trained him until D’Amato’s own death in November 1985, about a year before Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history.
“I started boxing, I started changing my life. Then I met him. That’s the part I want you to come back to,” Tyson said on the podcast.
When Von asked how Tyson knew D’Amato loved him, the former champion’s voice broke and he covered his face with his hand.
“I had someone I loved and he loved me,” Tyson said.
Tyson explained that D’Amato protected him from criticism during his amateur years, and Von noted that the juvenile Tyson would attack anyone who spoke negatively about him. Tyson, clearly moved by the memory, asked Von to change the subject.
“So why are you making me talk about this nonsense? Stop it,” Tyson said.
Stories about cocaine
Elsewhere, Tyson described episodes from his well-documented history of cocaine apply, which he has discussed publicly many times over the years, including in his 2013 autobiography, “Undisputed Truth.”
Tyson told Von that he once didn’t sleep for four consecutive days while filming, and the drug caused scabs and bleeding in his nose. He said the supplier instructed him to take more cocaine for pain relief.
“I took the punch and wow, I feel better. I never knew. I just took the punch and went numb. It wasn’t numb anymore. It started bleeding. I had to take another punch to numb it,” Tyson recalled.
Tyson also recalled going to his personal doctor to ask for assist in quitting smoking, but the doctor asked Tyson for some of the medicine. The former champion said he later checked himself into a rehabilitation facility and gave the remaining supplies to a staff member, who Tyson said kept the drugs for himself.
“I gave him coke, my last coke. I said, ‘Here, I’ve got some coke.’ “The motherfucker took my Coke,” Tyson said.
Tyson’s recent activity
Tyson last fought professionally on November 15, 2024, losing a unanimous decision to Jake Paul over eight two-minute rounds at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. They said the event, which was streamed live on Netflix, attracted 108 million live viewers worldwide data published by the streaming platform.
Tyson’s professional record is 50-7 with 44 knockouts. In the years 1986-1990 he was the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight champion.
Theo Von’s full episode is available on the comedian’s This Past Weekend podcast.
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