BOXING Archives - Page 34 of 53

Eddie Hearn has hit back at Francis Ngannou following his claim.

Eddie Hearn has responded to Francis Ngannou claiming he was ‘tricked’ ahead of his fight against Anthony Joshua.

Ngannou suffered a brutal second-round defeat to Joshua in their Saudi Arabia showdown earlier this month.

Joshua floored Ngannou twice before landing a devastating blow to secure a big win.

After the fight, the former UFC heavyweight champion made a revelation as he explained the reason behind his crushing defeat.

RELATED ; Anthony Joshua gets ‘very cosy’ with Brit hairdresser in Dubai desert after she congratulated him after brutal knockout

The Matchroom chief is clearly unhappy at the way Ngannou is conducting himself following his second defeat in the world of boxing.

Speaking after Joshua’s demolition job, the English promoter exclaimed: “You are looking at the baddest man on the planet. The No 1 heavyweight in the world.

“There’s a brilliant fighter down there in Tyson Fury. Please beat Oleksandr Usyk, because you will get the biggest fight of all time.”

Despite suffering back-to-back defeats following his UFC departure, ‘The Predator’ is still looking to pursue a career in boxing, admitting the sport ‘owes him something’.

Francis Ngannou claims he was ‘tricked’ ahead of his crushing knockout defeat against Anthony Joshua.

Ngannou succumbed to Joshua, who secured two knockdowns before landing a devastating punch to record a second-round victory in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

UPDATE ;Francis Ngannou predicts who would win between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua after losing to both British heavyweights in the last six months

It’s his second defeat in a row in the world of boxing following his controversial loss against WBC title holder Tyson Fury last year.

BOXING

Tyson Fury Names Hardest Puncher Between Deontay Wilder & Francis Ngannou

Tyson Fury has been punched by both Francis Ngannou and Deontay Wilder, and he knows who hits harder.

Tyson Fury has made one of the biggest comebacks we have ever seen in the boxing world since his return to the ring back in 2017. The Gypsy King reigns as the WBC heavyweight champion, a title he beat Deontay Wilder for in 2020. Since his championship victory, the 35-year-old has fended off multiple challengers, including a Wilder rematch, Dillian Whyte, and Derek Chisora.

Ngannou’s Step Into the Boxing World

The former UFC heavyweight champion chose to swap the Octagon for the ring last year after a contractual dispute with the UFC and Dana White. Since then, it’s safe to assume that he will be feeling rather disappointed that he’s lost both of his fights inside the ropes of a boxing ring. The Cameroonian’s debut on the boxing scene caused controversy as he lost to The Gypsy King via split decision, despite knocking Fury down during their bout in the third round. That meeting between the two heavyweights was not a title fight, but that would not have impacted Ngannou’s desire to win, and he was unlucky not to have his hand raised at the end.

RELATED ;“He’s a Real One”: Deontay Wilder’s Inspiring Message on His “Character” Earns Him Respect From Fans

The 37-year-old then met Fury’s British rival Anthony Joshua in the ring in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia earlier this month, and suffered a knockout defeat in just the second round. Ngannou has bemoaned that defeat, claiming he was “tricked” and did not feel right in the dressing room moments before his entrance. He has also, however, admitted that he doesn’t remember much of the fight, claiming to only recall AJ’s very first punch.

Deontay Wilder’s Reign

Wilder held the WBC heavyweight championship for two years before his loss to Fury in 2017. The American defended his title multiple times during that two-year reign, seeing off challenges from names like Luis Ortiz, Dominic Breazeale, and Eric Molina.

Since his second defeat at the hands of Fury, Wilder has stepped into the ring on two more occasions, recording one defeat and one victory. After a knockout victory over Robert Helenius in Brooklyn, Wilder met Joseph Parker in Saudi Arabia, losing via split decision. That defeat was his first that did not come at the hands of The Gypsy King.

UPDATE ;Gervonta Davis destroyed punch machine challenge and beat scores set by Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder

The American has recorded 43 wins from 47 fights, 42 of those by knockout, losing three times, and drawing once, which also came in a clash with Fury. Those 42 knockouts show testament to Fury’s comments on just how hard the American can hit.

BOXING

Claressa Shields Praises Ryan Garcia Hitting Mitts Ahead of Devin Haney Fight

In the boxing world, eyes are on Ryan Garcia as he preps for Devin Haney. Their fight is slated for April 20th, stirring anticipation. Recently, Garcia’s behavior has sparked discussions. His social media is a mix of erratic and intriguing posts. A notable clip showed him shadowboxing in slow motion.

Derrick James, his trainer, watched, visibly annoyed by the spectacle. This wasn’t typical training footage. Yet, Claressa Shields saw potential in Garcia’s mitt-hitting session. The champion boxer shared the clip, signaling approval. Her recognition shifts the narrative, suggesting Garcia is more focused than perceived.

Ryan Garcia claims that his ’emotional clip’ was shortened to make it look different

Ryan Garcia recently addressed the misconceptions surrounding a particularly emotional clip circulating online. On his X account, he clarified the tears shed were an expression of his deep religious fervor, not mental health concerns. “Praise Jesus, those who know the Holy Spirit will make a grown man cry. You shortened the video I was worshipping God on my TikTok live with my community,” Garcia expressed, emphasizing the spiritual context misunderstood by many.

He criticized the misleading portrayal, stating, “I love God and you titled this as if I was crying due to mental instability. I find it distasteful, and disrespectful to my beliefs. But again, get your clicks and views. See you 4/20.” The Victorville native called out famed journalist Michael Benson for posting the clip to gain views. This statement also reflects Garcia’s attempt to set the record straight, reinforcing his connection to his faith over unfounded speculations.

UPDATE ;“Are You Fighting Me or Not?”: Claressa Shields Sends Separate Challenges to Alycia Baumgardner and Cris Cyborg

As Garcia continues to fight the demons, what’s more important is the upcoming Brooklyn fight between the former undisputed lightweight champion and the current WBC Super Lightweight Champion. Will this blend of vulnerability and strength propel ‘King’ to new heights? Garcia’s fight against ‘The Dream’ goes down to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

BOXING

Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson: Everything you need to know, including rules and predictions

The much-anticipated fight between YouTube star Jake Paul and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson is still months away at this point. However, this will not be your average, ordinary, every day fight. After all, there’s a 30-year age gap between the fighters and one of them hasn’t boxed in nearly two decades.

There were rumors early on that the fight would give heavy advantages to Paul, who has still only participated in 10 fights in his career (albeit, he’s 9-1 with six KOs). Those advantages have not been confirmed though, with some being flat out denied. Regardless, as it stands, what do experts believe will happen in the fight? Will “Iron Mike” be able to turn back the clock and show us what made him the most feared man in boxing three decades ago?

When is the Paul-Tyson bout?

The fight is slated for Saturday, July 20, 2024. The fight will take place at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in Arlington, TX. It will be available for streaming on Netflix.

When was the last time Paul and Tyson fought?

Paul’s last fight was a TKO victory over Ryan Bourland on March 2, 2024. It was Paul’s third win in a row, with his only career loss coming via split decision against Tommy Fury on February 26, 2023. Paul has previously fought as a cruiserweight for most of his fighting career. He will look to gain weight to classify as a heavyweight for the fight against Tyson.

JUST IN ;Francis Ngannou drops Mike Tyson bombshell ahead of Anthony Joshua fight

Mike Tyson, who will be 58 years old at the time of the fight, has not fought professionally since 2005, where he lost in the sixth round via corner retirement to Kevin McBride. Tyson did participate in an exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr. on November 28, 2020. The upcoming fight against Paul has yet to be classified as an exhibition or pro match yet.

What will the rules for the fight be?

Though early rumors indicated that both Paul and Tyson would wear headgear for the fight, those rumors have since been contested by Paul’s business partner, Nakisa Bidarian.

“Unequivocally there is no headgear for Paul vs Tyson,” Bidarianwrote on Instagram. He continued. “Haters spreading fake news but it won’t stop the 10’s of millions of views.”

There were also rumors that Paul and Tyson would be using bigger gloves (18 ounces) in order to help prevent serious injury from either fighter. Those rumors have been neither confirmed nor dispelled.

Reports indicate that both Paul and Tyson want the fight to be an official professional bout, but that decision must be made by the Texas commission. As of March 19, no decision has been made.

Will there be other fights prior to the main event?

No other fights have been announced. If any other fights will join the undercard, they will be announced in the coming weeks.

Predictions:

Joe Rogan: Mike Tyson wins

During an episode of his podcast, Rogan, said regarding the Paul-Tyson fight “I don’t give a f**k if he’s 55, that’s still Mike Tyson. He trains with Rafael Cordeiro, who’s a legend in MMA. He runs Kings Mixed Martial Arts. Rafael is a world-renowned trainer. When you see him holding the mits for Tyson and Tyson is smashing the mits. Jesus! That guy can still f*** you up.”

Amir Khan: Mike Tyson by knockout

UPDATE ;Mike Tyson urges Biden to free thousands locked up over cannabis: ‘Right these wrongs’

The former world champion Khan said last week, “Is it just hype with Mike and Jake posting it at the same? This is unreal and I hope that Mike doesn’t end up hurting him because at the end of the day, I like Jake, but Mike is not a person you want to mess with or do an exhibition with, especially when you’re a lot smaller and lighter.”

Paul isn’t smaller than Tyson though. Sure, he was lighter in his last fight, but Paul has the height and reach on Tyson, so perhaps Paul has a better chance than Khan is giving him credit.

BOXING

Terence Crawford looks to have given up hopes of fighting Canelo Alvarez

Bud raised his hand to fight Canelo in September, but was ruled out because he would have to move up three divisions

Terence Crawford appears to have given up on seeking the undisputed title in three different divisions in a fight that, on paper, looked like a big money contest against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez for the 168-pound super middleweight title.

RELATED ;David Benavidez vs. Terence Crawford? Floyd Mayweather shares surprising alternative for a potential mega-fight at 168 pounds

Canelo also moved up to welterweight, but unlike Bud, he did beat all the quality opponents – David Morrell Jr. and Caleb Plant – to get there. Crawford should be looking for such opponents first, not getting favors from Canelo, because at this point, he poses no real threat to the Mexican: if he beats him, everyone will say it was because of the significant weight difference between them.

Besides, Bud is 36 years old and is no longer at the top of his game, but is looking for big money to forge his legend.

Instead, some experts believe a fight against Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis in his own division is more feasible, unless he feels it is too risky for him.

Terence Crawford’s manager discredits possible fight against Chris Eubank Jr.

Another possible opponent is Chris Eubank, but the trainer of the undisputed welterweight champion Brian McIntyre was quite adamant that it was all “fake news”.

UPDATE ;Boxing Update: Terence Crawford Gets Special Recognition From WBO – Receives ‘Ring Of Power’

This would be a big jump for Crawford as he looks to establish himself in new divisions. However, McIntyre believes it’s just Eubank Jr. having fun with the current trend, and there has been no discussion about this fight.

BOXING

Floyd Mayweather: Bollywood is bigger than Hollywood

In a chat with HT City, the world boxing champ shares if he’d be open to do a Bollywood film, his secret skills in the ring and more.

Floyd Mayweather is in town. Which also means you don’t hold back the punches in a chat with him. The former world undisputed boxing champion is just as adept at striking up good conversation about his experiences, his love for all things Indian and of course, the secret to success, as he is on his two feet in the ring!
As part of a tour in India, he made a stop in Mumbai where a packed schedule saw him visit various landmarks like Gateway of India, Siddhivinayak Temple and other spots, including dropping in to designer Manish Malhotra’s store in Bandra.
The affable 47-year-old legend gets candid on his professional learnings, his diet and what he thinks of Bollywood, over a chat with HT City:

JUST IN ;Floyd Mayweather Effect Ruined the State of Boxing? American Commentator Defends ‘TBE’

Before a fight, what is your diet like?
FM: Training camp is training camp. And training camp is very serious. It’s all about how many calories you put into your body a day, so my diet is very strict: it’s lean, it’s about how cutting weight and being in the best physical shape possible. Drinking a lot of water and staying hydrated and getting a lost of rest. It’s also a 12-week process and during those 12 weeks, I’m strictly focused on conquering my opponent.

Do you enjoy Bollywood movies and who’s your favourite actor?
FM: I enjoy all movies. I do think that Bollywood is bigger than Hollywood. I am very familiar with it and with some of the big names that are out here. One thing that a lot of the Bollywood names have in common with me is that they’re fit, they’re healthy, they focus on looking good, feeling great, staying in shape and they’re great brand ambassadors for Bollywood. I wouldn’t say that I have any one favourite actor because they’re so many and they’re so talented, but Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, John Abraham, Ranveer Singh – they’re all great. I’d love to be involved in some capacity with them. Would I like to act in a Bollywood film? I’m open to any opportunity that presents itself. I know if there’s any opportunity I can be successful at it because my formula and recipe is the same for everything: If I get involved in something, I stay disciplined till I win.

BOXING

FRANCIS NGANNOU: EX-UFC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION LAMENTS EARLY ARRIVAL TIME BEFORE ANTHONY JOSHUA DEFEAT

Francis Ngannou claims he was tricked into getting to the arena much earlier than Anthony Joshua for their heavyweight clash in Saudi Arabia earlier this month. The former UFC champion believes his arrival time was two hours before his opponent. He says it lead to him “falling asleep” in the changing rooms, before being on the wrong end of a second round knockout.

Francis Ngannou says he was “falling asleep” before his fight against Anthony Joshua, claiming he was tricked into getting to the arena too early.

The former UFC heavyweight champion lost through a second round knockout earlier this month.

Anthony Joshua demolishes Francis Ngannou in two rounds in Riyadh | World News | Sky News

It was only his second professional boxing contest, having narrowly been beaten by Tyson Fury in 2023.

But he says he was put off by being made to get to the arena much earlier than his opponent.

“I remember being in the locker [room] trying to warm up, and it wasn’t going well,”

“I was falling asleep! I’m sweating, but I was falling asleep.

“But I’m sure that’s how some people that I have fought and have beaten have been before. No blame on anybody, the blame here is all on me.

“It’s not like I fought at 3am and he fought at like midnight or something. We both fought at 3am.

“Something that’s happened is that they get me to the arena very early. My pickup time was 10.30pm to go to the arena. And then when we get to the arena, they tell us that we are scheduled around 1.45am.

“They come to the locker room around 1 and Joshua [was just arriving]. I’m like, ‘OK, we are fighting at the same time, how come I have a pickup time?’

“We received a schedule, an email, and then for some reason I was there at least one hour before.

Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou LIVE: Joshua knocks out Ngannou in brutal fashion in second round, Parker also wins | Goal.com

“They do this kind of trick to get you tired. I was like cool. I didn’t know how it was, how important that was, until the fight day that I have to get there two hours before.”

Ngannou had already announced ahead of the contest that he now plans to return to MMA to fight Renan Ferreira.

A date for the bout has yet to be confirmed, but the 37-year-old had stated he would take on the winner of Ferreira’s contest with Ryan Bader last month, which the Brazilian won by TKO in the first round.

As he prepares to return to the octagon though, Ngannou – who has stated he is not finished with boxing just yet – insists he has no regrets about how the fight with Joshua ended.

“It is the game unfortunately,” he added. “We all knew it [the knockout] could happen.

“I wasn’t seeing it happen like that, but I always knew it could happen. At least, I was always prepared for that.”

Ahh s***, here we go again' - Anthony Joshua posts GTA meme reaction to Francis Ngannou fight being signed and confirms date | talkSPORT

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BOXING

Francis Ngannou reveals true extent of Anthony Joshua’s power with worrying admission after knockout loss

Francis Ngannou doesn’t remember much about his devastating knockout loss to Anthony Joshua.

The Cameroonian MMA star’s night got off to a disastrous start when he was decked by AJ in the opening stanza.

Ngannou did well to see out the round and make his way back to his corner after such a heavy knockdown.

However, he admits he has no recollection of getting up from his stool between rounds.

RELATED ;Tyson Fury responds to Ring Magazine heavyweight rankings after Anthony Joshua boost

It shows him walking unaided to his dressing room where he is met by multiple family members.

“This is what we sign up for when you come to a sport like this.

“You always know that something like that can happen.

“This is a weird loss. Something that I wouldn’t like to experience, but I think it will stay as a defeat only if I don’t learn from it and come back from it.”

Ngannou has been widely commended for his humility in the face of defeat.

UPDATE ;I got stopped by Anthony Joshua during 41-fight career, but Joe Joyce’s comeback opponent is the only man who truly knocked me out

Where he goes next is presently unclear although it seems more than likely that his next fight will be in MMA.

A bout with Renan Ferreira awaits in PFL after the Brazilian MMA fighter knocked out former two-weight Bellator champion Ryan Bader last month to earn himself a shot at Ngannou.

BOXING

Top 12 best lightweights in boxing: Rankings for 135lb weight class starring Shakur Stevenson, William Zepeda

On Saturday, William Zepeda staked his claim as an elite-level lightweight by battering British fighter Maxi Hughes to defeat at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The bout was called off at the end of round four.

Zepeda takes a two-spot jump in the ratings to No. 3, which sees him usurp Isaac Cruz and WBC champ Shakur Stevenson, who each drop one place.

UPDATE ;Sean O’Malley Eyeing Boxing, Considers Skipping Ryan Garcia And Gervonta Davis For Floyd Mayweather

The Baltimore-born superstar has claimed a variety of title belts in three divisions, but he’s now regarded as the cream of the crop at lightweight. While his win over Ryan Garcia took place at a catchweight of 136 pounds, it was a signature victory for Tank, who is now firmly established as one of the finest pound-for-pound fighters in the world today.

If Davis can lock horns with the likes of Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney in the future, then his fearsome reputation could reach even greater heights.

BOXING

AJ’S NEW SQUEEZE Anthony Joshua gets ‘very cosy’ with Brit hairdresser in Dubai desert after she congratulated him after brutal knockout

BOXER Anthony Joshua enjoys a day out with a hairdresser beauty while quad biking in the desert.

AJ, 34, was seen with Kika Osunde’s hands wrapped around his waist and with her head leaning on his back.

In another video he sits at the back with his arms around her and leans forward to reach the handles.

Heavyweight star AJ had been driving the bike alone while Kika, 37, was in a buggy with others.

But they soon got close on his bike in Dubai.

RELATED ;Francis Ngannou felt like he was ‘falling asleep’ warming up for Anthony Joshua: ‘I was the only one that didn’t show up’

The pair go back several years, with AJ urging followers to support her Instagram in November 2020.

She has said previously: “I’m all about seeing people live their best lives each and every day and in that we become united in our dreams and aspirations — all day every day.”

AJ has a son JJ, eight, with his ex Nicole Osbourne.

He has been romantically linked to models Cara Delevingne and Bella Hadid.

UPDATE ;Tyson Fury is finished, according to former world champ who saw Anthony Joshua fight

A spokesman for AJ said: “Anthony is in a relationship . . . with professional boxing. He has no time for extra commitments. “He is having a break from boxing and will return to the gym this week. Sadly the claims of a relationship are just rumours.”