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Eddie Hearn insists ‘only one man can beat’ Oleksandr Usyk after laying waste…

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oleksandr usyk

Eddie Hearn insists ‘only one man can beat’ Oleksandr Usyk after laying waste to Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois

Oleksandr Usyk has barely put a foot wrong during his unblemished 23-0 professional career – but Eddie Hearn believes one man could push him all the way.

The Ukrainian slickster is the current pound-for-pound king of boxing and is one of only three male fighters in the four-belt era to achieve undisputed supremacy in two separate weight classes (alongside Naoya Inoue and Terence Crawford).

After unifying all the belts at cruiserweight with a stunning victory over Murat Gassiev in July 2018, and then defending them by flattening Tony Bellew four months later, Usyk moved up to boxing’s glamour division.

There, he recorded a couple of routine victories over Chazz Witherspoon and Derek Chisora before landing a blockbuster showdown with WBA, WBO and IBF title holder Anthony Joshua.

Several members of the boxing fraternity insisted that Usyk was ‘too small’ to beat AJ.

But the masterful technician proved his doubters wrong by outclassing the Watford powerhouse in back-to-back bouts.

READ MORE : Dillian Whyte believes Anthony Joshua needed to pursue an immediate rematch…

Usyk then laid waste to the fast-rising Daniel Dubois before taking on WBC champion Tyson Fury in May 2024 for the undisputed crown.’The Cat’ edged their epic inaugural encounter via split decision and subsequently widened the margin in their rematch seven months later.

In between the two fights, Usyk was forced to relinquish the IBF title to Dubois in order to pursue his rematch with Fury.

However, Hearn believes lineal cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia has the best chance of beating him.

“I’m looking down the road, Jai is humble,” Hearn told ESNEWS after Opetaia’s recent blowout of David Nyika.

“He’s committed to the cruiserweight division but for me one of the best of all time was Usyk, he became undisputed, moved up and became undisputed at heavyweight.

“The medium focus right now is every belt in the division and the long-term focus is to fight Usyk for the unified heavyweight world championship.

“I believe he is the only fighter who can give Usyk a real fight over the next 12-18 months.”

Opetaia is the consensus best fighter at 200lbs and is currently in possession of the IBF and Ring Magazine titles.

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What a Mess! Claressa Shields Claims Laila Ali Is “Jealous” Of Her Success…

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What a Mess! Claressa Shields Claims Laila Ali Is “Jealous” Of Her Success And Legacy

Claressa Shields says that Laila Ali is “jealous” of her success with her “hater energy.”

The back and forth kicked off after an interview featuring Ali on Andre Ward’s All The Smoke Fight podcast went public on Tuesday (Jan. 14). The video found the former boxer discussing her in-ring rivalries, as the conversation found itself on Shields. The Miami Beach native revealed that Claressa once reached out to find mentorship in Ali, hoping to get career advice after Shields won the Olympics in 2012. Shortly after, Ali recalls being invited to The Breakfast Club and Sway’s Universe to promote her cookbook and during this conversation, the hosts asked her if she would ever come back to boxing.

Despite Ali saying nice things about Claressa Shields and the boxers at that time, Ali insisted that there wasn’t anything that inspired her enough to want to return to the ring. Shields apparently heard the comments and took offense to the language, resulting in their decades-long feud and the woman questioning Ali’s resumè.

“You can think you can beat me,” Ali said. “That’s fine. You’re supposed to think that. But to start going in on my legacy, what I have and haven’t done… that’s a lot.”

Ali ended her conversation by offering advice to the Flint, Michigan native, insisting that she could probably get further in her career if she were to “stop burning bridges.”

“I don’t have any hard feelings against Clarissa in general, because I got a lot going on over here, you already know, to be worried about any of these young girls like that,” the 47-year-old woman said. “But at the same time, I see that she gets into it with a lot of people.”

Much like in the 2010s, Claressa recently heard Ali’s comments and decided to unload on the former Women’s Boxing Champion.

Shields responded in a 5-minute rant, not holding back on what she perceives as the main issue between the two women. The 29-year-old said Ali was “jealous” of her success, especially because she has made it further than where Laila was when she was her age. The current women’s boxing champion then stated that she hasn’t burnt and bridges with people that matter in her life, claiming that she is already successful and will continue to “make it further” than Ali ever made it.

“I’ve been come to terms that she’s jealous,” Shields expressed. “Now, I got the biopic. I got the fight coming up. She act like I owe her something, it’s weird.“

Claressa shields

“I’m trying to figure out why when it comes to me, here she comes. Today she really offended me. She said burning bridges and if I keep burning bridges, I won’t get very far,” Shields said. “I’ve gotten further in my career and in my life than Laila Ali… She wanna come and give this big sister advice… but I’ve already made it further than you… and I’m going to keep making it further than you.”

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“Too Many Stay Too Long”  Teddy Atlas Says ‘It’s Time’ For Former Heavyweight…

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Tyson fury

“Too Many Stay Too Long”  Teddy Atlas Says ‘It’s Time’ For Former Heavyweight Champion To Retire: “Too Many Stay Too Long”

The dust is still setting on the shock announcement that Tyson Fury has retired from the sport and now Teddy Atlas has shared his views.

Fury took to social media earlier in January to reveal that he is bowing out after a hugely successful career.

‘The Gypsy King’ has won belts at every level from British, European and Commonwealth to World. He was also lineal champion following his impressive victory on away soil versus Wladimir Klitschko and recorded famous wins in the states against fearsome puncher Deontay Wilder, who he drew with once and knocked out in brutal fashion in two other fights to complete a trilogy.

His last two contests were against Oleksandr Usyk, the first being a tilt at undisputed honours. He fell short in that one, losing on points after taking a barrage of shots in the 9th that proved to be the difference on the cards. The rematch in December went the same way, though this time the 36-year-old lost a unanimous decision and decided to walk away.

READ MORE : Tyson Fury And Usyk Both Name The Same Knockout Artist As ‘The Future…

Speaking on the Fight, former trainer Atlas gave his view on the news and wished Fury luck.

“I think it’s time. I love Tyson Fury, he’s a guy we can all learn from. Everyone uses the words ‘don’t give up,’ but he’s lived it. He has taught us that lesson. He went through drugs and alcohol abuse, spiralling downwards, thinking about suicide. What a sad thing.

The poor guy got that depressed, but he didn’t, he came back, he fights for the heavyweight title against one of the best punchers of all time in Wilder, he gets dropped, he’s laying there flat like he’s dead and what does he do? He gets up, he doesn’t quit, then he goes on to have an unparalleled career, earning money, winning titles, then he’s involved in these incredible undisputed fights.

How many times have we seen these fighters when they don’t know when to leave? Too many times. If this time is true, all I have to say is God bless, congratulations, thank you for everything you gave us.”

Many hope that Fury’s announcement is a bargaining chip and that he will in fact fight at least once more against Anthony Joshua in what would be an epic all-British clash between two long-term rivals.

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Canelo and Bud face criticism: Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford, Some…

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Terence Crawford

Canelo and Bud face criticism: Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford, Some promoters and fighters think the winner is decided

During the last few weeks, reports that Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford are discussing a possible fight have been flooding the internet. With each passing day, this dream fight is getting closer and closer to becoming a reality.

While fans are excited for these two best pound-for-pound boxers to face off in the ring, experts have taken a different path. While the prospect of Crawford vs. Canelo is fascinating, many promoters and fighters such as Eddie Hearn, David Benavidez and Demetrius Andradethink the winner is already decided

In a conversation with Fight Hub TV, former unified lightweight champion Mikey Garcia also had a similar perspective. However, he advised Canelo Alvarez to take a different path to redeem his past mistakes.

Canelo and Bud face criticism

The younger brother of veteran trainer Robert Garcia admitted that this fight had the possibility of performing well financially, while speaking to FightHubTv about the possible matchup.

However, he urged the duo to look for different fights in their own weight classes, but “there’s no money in that.” For him, “at that point, it’s more of a big money fight that’s going to generate,” and nothing else. He further added that although Canelo and Bud are going to fill stadiums, “I’m really not a fan of that matchup”. The Oxnard, California, native believes the duo has enough competition in their own weight classes.

On the other hand, Garcia also had a specific career path for the unified super middleweight champion. According to Mikey Garcia, Canelo should rectify his past mistakes and challenge Dmitry Bivol or even Artur Beterbiev. “I’d rather see Canelo go up and fight someone like Beterbiev or Bivol again if he wants to challenge himself. Go up to 175 again and challenge himself against those guys,” and get out of the bubble he has created around himself.

READ MORE : Mike Tyson Delivers Bad News To Terence Crawford Ahead Of ‘Agreed’….

The four-division champion added that if a smaller guy like Crawford moves up to face the Guadalajara native, a win here will only fuel the latter’s illusion. So, “to prove he’s the best, Canelo Alvarez should move up and challenge himself. He wants the same for Terence Crawford, claiming that “he doesn’t need to move up to fight Canelo, he could just fight other guys at 154 pounds”.

Experts weigh in on alleged advances

While experts have given their opinions on the possible fight, it seems that the deal is progressing smoothly. A new report from ESPN suggests that both sides are close to completing negotiations and have even decided on a final timetable.

It is no secret that Terence Crawford has been chasing the fight against Canelo Alvarez for several years. However, the latter has always denied the fight for certain reasons. Before December 2024, this fight was only possible in the imagination of the fans. However, the entry of His Excellency Turki Alalshikh has somehow forced both of them not only to consider this fight, but negotiations have been progressing rapidly.

Terence Crawford

During ESPN’s State Of Boxing program, Bernardo Osuna and Mike Coppinger reported that the deal is almost done. It has been leaked that both fighters have decided that the fight will take place on Mexican Independence Day in Las Vegas. Reports also suggest that it would be held at 168 pounds with no rehydration clause, exactly what ‘Bud’ had previously said. While Canelo Alvarez will have the size advantage, a fight at 168 pounds will mark Crawford’s debut in his fifth weight division.

During ESPN’s coverage, Osuna stated that “when Turki Alalshikh is determined to see a fight that he is interested in doing, it usually gets done,” regardless of what the world thinks about it. So, at this point, it doesn’t seem that Mikey Garcia’s opinion changes anything. What do you think about Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford? Should the Mexican champion go back to 175 pounds to fight Bivol again? Tell us your opinion below.

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Mike Tyson Delivers Bad News To Terence Crawford Ahead Of ‘Agreed’….

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Terence Crawford

Mike Tyson Delivers Bad News To Terence Crawford Ahead Of ‘Agreed’ Canelo Alvarez Fight

Mike Tyson has had his say on the upcoming showdown between Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez.

The pound-for-pound superstars have reportedly agreed to face each other later this year, after months of negotiations between the camps of both fighters which were overseen by Riyadh Season’s Turki Alalshikh

Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford has set his sights on becoming a five-weight world champion, just months after he defeated Israil Madrimov to capture the WBA super-welterweight title, becoming a four division champion in the process.

Canelo’s domination at super middleweight began in 2021 when he claimed the undisputed championship with an impressive win over Caleb Plant. Since then he has defeated the likes of Gennady Golovkin, Jermell Charlo and Jaime Munguia. The 34-year-old still holds the unified WBC, WBA and WBO titles at 168lbs, after he was stripped of his IBF title last year.

READ MORE : Terence Crawford Delivers Honest 2 Word Reaction To Canelo Showing Off…

Speaking to K9 Boxing, ‘Iron’ Mike gave his opinion on the clash between Canelo and Crawford, admitting he ‘doesn’t like’ the idea of the American moving up a further two weight divisions from his last outing.

“I don’t like that fight. Too much weight, you know he had a close fight with the last guy he fought [Madrimov], because this guy was big and he was awkward, he shouldn’t have fought that guy.”

It has been reported that the highly anticipated clash will take place in September, despite it initially being expected to happen in May. Las Vegas is also said to be the likely location for the fight, with the Allegiant Stadium emerging as the preferred venue. An official announcement is expected to be made in the coming weeks.

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Dillian Whyte believes Anthony Joshua needed to pursue an immediate rematch…

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Anthony joshua

Dillian Whyte believes Anthony Joshua needed to pursue an immediate rematch with Daniel Dubois after his brutal defeat.

Anthony Joshua was dropped three times in the shock defeat to British rival Dubois at Wembley Stadium in September, in a damaging blow to his hopes of being in the world title mix.

AJ is coming to the back end of his career and was expected to face Dubois in an immediate sequel this year, spurred on by the opportunity of revenge.

But the fight collapsed and now the former two-time champion is waiting to see what the year brings in terms of a potential opponent.

It appeared the British heavyweight was waiting to see if he can lure Tyson Fury into a blockbuster, but the ‘Gypsy King’ recently announced his retirement.

And Whyte, who was beaten by Joshua in 2015, believes the rematch was necessary to write his wrongs before being able to move on.

Whyte told Sky Sports: “He made a huge mistake not taking the immediate rematch with Dubois.

“It was a world title fight, a great payday and the perfect opportunity. He will forever have to suffer the memes of being face-planted at Wembley by Dubois.

“When I lost to [Alexander] Povetkin, I crashed Eddie Hearn’s live interview and demanded the rematch.

“Nothing else mattered until I beat him in the rematch. It’s a mindset thing. I want to fight AJ and Tyson again because they both beat me.”

Whyte himself looked set to rematch Joshua last August but the fight was cancelled after one of his drug tests returned an adverse finding.

But now the ‘Body Snatcher’ wants the rematch again, which could be an alternative option for Joshua in 2025.

He added: “[Joshua] Sounds perfect for me. They don’t need to ask me twice.

“They talk about me as an option, but they haven’t said anything to me, so it’s just negotiation tactics from them.

READ MORE : ‘I’m up for the fight’: Dillian Whyte says a rematch with Anthony Joshua….

“But I’m up for the fight and I’m ready to fight again. If he wants to fight, then all they’ve got to do is call me.

“I’m always up for fighting AJ. No problem for me. However, personally, I think he’s finished.”

Joshua could feasibly agree to face Whyte, with a showdown against Fury now seemingly off the table.

But he still possesses an interest in rematching Dubois, despite ‘Dynamite’ making his next IBF title defence against Joseph Parker on February 22.

Anthony joshua

Dubois is also determined to now move forward and suggested he would look to pursue a sequel with Oleksandr Usyk, which could be for the undisputed titles.

Joshua could also have numerous other options on the table, with promoter Eddie Hearn suggesting he could face Martin Bakole or Deontay Wilder.

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“I Know His Weakness From Sparring” Martin Bakole Has No Doubt….

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Anthony joshua

“I Know His Weakness From Sparring” Martin Bakole Has No Doubt Who Wins Daniel Dubois vs Parker

Martin Bakole will be a keen observer when Daniel Dubois takes on Joseph Parker next month.

Parker and Dubois are two of the form men in the banner division. Dubois is the current IBF champion having been elevated after his knockout win over Fillip Hrgovic last June. That came just months after he also stopped the huge American Jarrell Miller in December 2023

Most recently, he knocked out Anthony Joshua in destructive fashion in September to retain his belt, and now he faces former WBO champion Parker on February 22.

Parker’s last two outings have been impressive points wins against big punchers – first, he beat Deontay Wilder in late 2023, then Zhilei Zhang in March last year.

The pair square off on a huge bill that is headlined by Artur Beterbiev‘s undisputed light heavyweight rematch with Dmitry Bivol.

READ MORE :‘I’m up for the fight’: Dillian Whyte says a rematch with Anthony Joshua….

One fighter who would love to face the winner of Dubois versus Parker is Bakole, the man who calls himself the most avoided heavyweight on the planet.

Speaking to talkSPORT Boxing, he was asked who he thinks will win.

“I think Joseph Parker. Daniel Dubois he can box, he did well against Joshua, he’s the champion, much respect to him, but Joseph Parker his level is above, his boxing brain, his movement. I think he will give him a hard time.”

He then backed himself to beat whoever comes out on top.

“I have sparred both of them and I know their weakness and I know how to knock them out.”

Bakole stopped Carlos Takam and highly touted American Jarod Anderson in his last two fights. Next up is a contest with Efe Ajagba for the right to become the mandatory challenger for the IBF belt.

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‘I’m up for the fight’: Dillian Whyte says a rematch with Anthony Joshua….

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Dillian Whyte

‘I’m up for the fight’: Dillian Whyte says a rematch with Anthony Joshua would be perfect for him

Dillian Whyte tells Sky Sports that he’s totally up for a rematch against Anthony Joshua, although he sort of doubts Joshua feels the same way. Whyte had been slated to rematch Joshua back in 2023 but that fight was called off due to an adverse finding in a drug test from Whyte.

Ultimately that result was found to be due to a contamination in a supplement Whyte had taken, but with both fighters looking for their next fight, Whyte thinks it’s an obvious option on the table.

“[Joshua] Sounds perfect for me. They don’t need to ask me twice. They talk about me as an option, but they haven’t said anything to me, so it’s just negotiation tactics from them. But I’m up for the fight and I’m ready to fight again.”

Turki Alalshikh, however, has recently expressed his interest in staging a fight between Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, but Whyte thinks that fight isn’t exactly worthwhile at this point.

“Wilder is the biggest fraud in the history of boxing,” said Whyte. “A complete coward who avoided me for five years. He’s a disgrace and has since been exposed repeatedly. Shouldn’t he be chasing rematches with Parker and Zhang? He’s a fool and has no shame.”

Whyte believes if he does get a second shot at Joshua that things will play out differently from his 2015 stoppage loss, to the point where he says he’ll sent Joshua into retirement. That being said, Whyte also believes Joshua has made a big mistake by not taking an immediate rematch against Daniel Dubois, likening that to his own experience against Alexander Povetkin and how nothing else mattered after his initial loss but avenging it as soon as possible.

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‘Big’ Fight Prediction Anthony Joshua Fought Both Daniel Dubois And…

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Anthony joshua

‘Big’ Fight Prediction Anthony Joshua Fought Both Daniel Dubois And Joseph Parker And Now Makes ‘Big’ Fight Prediction

Anthony Joshua has shared twelve rounds with Joseph Parker and five with Daniel Dubois, and will be ringside when the two face off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia next month.

Joshua beat Parker to unify the heavyweight titles back in 2018. Though the New Zealander lost a unanimous decision, he became the first man to force ‘AJ’ to go the full distance, showing a grit that would continue to serve him as he made his comeback

Since then, Parker has lost to Dillian Whyte and Joe Joyce, but recent wins over big punchers Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang set him up for a shot at the IBF belt, currently held by Dubois

‘Dynamite’ Dubois was elevated to full champion after beating Filip Hrgovic and made the first defence of his title in emphatic fashion, battering Joshua at Wembley Stadium and stopping him in the fifth.

With both men in fine form, the title clash is an excellent start to 2025 for the sport’s biggest division. Joshua is well-placed to pick a winner, and has announced a prediction challenge with Riyadh Season’s Turki Alalshikh.

READ MORE : “I want to see it now” Anthony Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder likely following…

“22nd of February. It’s gonna be big. Make sure you tune in. I’m actually gonna come out to Saudi and watch the fight between Joseph Parker and Daniel Dubois. Good luck to both men. Me and His Excellency, we have an agreement. He picks his side, I pick my side and we see who wins.”

‘AJ’ then backed Parker to win the fight and become a two-time world champion. He may well then target a rematch, having made it clear that he is looking to hold a belt once more.

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Terence Crawford Delivers Honest 2 Word Reaction To Canelo Showing Off…

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Terence Crawford

Terence Crawford Delivers Honest 2 Word Reaction To Canelo Showing Off His Power In Training Clip

Terence Crawford may have landed the fight he has been shouting about for two years as Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez finally comes around to the idea.

The two four-weight world champions met with boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh this month and it is understood that he is pursuing a September bout in Las Vegas which would see Crawford move up two divisions from his last bout to challenge Alvarez at super-middleweight

Though many in the sport feat that the jump up will be too much for the American to handle against a Canelo who has been dominated at 168 pounds for some years, ‘Bud’ himself is adamant he has what it takes to win.

One worry for the smaller man will be the power of Canelo’s shots. Though he is on a five-fight stoppage drought, his last coming against Caleb Plant in 2021 to become undisputed, the Mexican puts real strength into his shots and most opponents speak highly of his power.

A clip doing the rounds on social media recently showed Canelo throwing thudding hooks at the heavy bag. In response, Crawford said, “that’s cute.”

Crawford packs a punch himself, boasting 31 stoppages from 41 wins. He did, however, go the distance in his latest fight, a super-welterweight debut against tricky and tough Israil Madrimov.

Some read into that as his power not carrying up as he adds more divisions to his legacy. If that is the case, it does not bode well for another 14 pound weight gain in against a man in Canelo who has never been dropped or stopped in 66 bouts. He is not expected to have the benefit of rehydration clause in the contract.

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