Tag

Anthony Joshua

Browsing

Ruiz Jr shocked the world in 2019 when he knocked out Anthony Joshua to become WBA ‘super’, IBF, and WBO world champion.

The 34-year-old came in as a short-notice replacement for Miller, who had failed a pre-fight drug test before his scheduled date with AJ.

Six months after Ruiz Jr’s upset win over Joshua, the fight was run back in Saudi Arabia.

This time, Joshua got the better of his adversary over the distance.

Since then, Ruiz Jr has been campaigning for a trilogy to no avail.

 

Anthony Joshua beats Andy Ruiz Jr. by unanimous decision: Round-by-round  recap - Los Angeles Times

However, he has now turned his attention to a different former foe.

“For me next it’s Jarrell Miller; god willing we get that win and hopefully I’d love to run it back with Joseph Parker,” said Ruiz Jr.

Joseph Parker defeated Ruiz Jr back in 2016 in his native New Zealand via majority decision to claim the vacant WBO heavyweight title.

The fight was very close with many believing Ruiz Jr had done enough to get his hand raised.

Joshua beats Ruiz on points, reclaims heavyweight titles

“I’d love to get that rematch,” Ruiz Jr continued. “Of course, I rate Jarrell Miller. Any fighter inside that ring is dangerous.

“You can’t underestimate nobody. We’ve got to be prepared. We’ve got to be ready for whatever comes our way. We’ve just got to get that win.

“The main thing is just getting the victory, getting back in action and getting ready to fight those big boys.

“Me personally I would like to have two fights, against people that are in the top ten or top fifteen.

“I’ll fight against anyone else after this fight. I just want to fight the top guys man.

“Joseph Parker is doing amazing things right now. He beat Wilder and he beat Zhang. I’d love to fight him too.

“I had a lot of rollercoasters and a lot of up and downs over the years since my last fight against Luis Ortiz.

“I had surgery on my shoulder. I had some ‘baby mumma’ drama but guess what?

“I’m back, I’m ready to go and I’m ready to become and two-time Heavyweight Champion of the World.”

ABBA isn’t the typical choice of pre-fight music for a super heavyweight boxer, but then again, Delicious Orie is anything but ordinary.

Born in Moscow to a Russian mother, he moved to Britain aged seven where his Nigerian father had better work opportunities.

Orie only started boxing aged 18, but his natural size and ability meant that he quickly rose through the ranks. After winning the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2023 European super heavyweight title, the Wolverhampton-based fighter is now considered a medal favourite for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

But why does the 27-year-old opt for the upbeat disco tunes of four famous Swedes from the 70s?

Deontay Wilder's coach only wants Anthony Joshua fight amid tournament  talks - Mirror Online

“My music taste is different and the reason I love ABBA is because my dad is a big fan and he was always listening to them growing up,” Orie told Olympics.com with a smile.

“So as a child, I listened to it in the background in the car or in the house on the speaker and stuff. So when I listen to that music nowadays, it just reminds me of the hardship we had growing up at that moment. Then when I’m about to box, it’s a reminder of why I’m doing it.

“That music is a little bit more sentimental than just, music that just gets you riled up and it gets me in the right frame of mind. My favourite song is, of course, Dancing Queen, because that’s what my dad used to play the most!”

Francis Ngannou said he told his coach Eric Nicksick that “something’s wrong” just hours before he was due to fight Anthony Joshua in a boxing-rules contest at Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, in March.

The fight was Ngannou’s second foray into boxing, after rapidly rising to the very top of the UFC’s heavyweight division as a champion with proven punching power at the highest echelons of MMA. That power appeared like it transferred to the boxing ring as he floored Tyson Fury with a punch in his boxing debut, last year. But, against Joshua, Ngannou suffered a second-round knockout loss to the dominant British boxer.

On The Joe Rogan Experience, Ngannou had more to say about the defeat — specifically what he said went on in the build-up to the bout on the night of the fight.

Anthony Joshua demolishes Francis Ngannou in stunning Saudi KO - sending  ex-UFC champion crashing to the canvas three times in two rounds - and now  he wants Tyson Fury | Daily Mail Online

Ngannou told Joe Rogan that media obligations, an ever-changing schedule, and delays once he was already at the venue and ready to fight, seemingly exhausted him before the opening bell had even been rung.

“We get into fight week, and every time we’re going to do media, they’re going to pick me up and then I get there and have to wait an hour and a half before [any of the media] arrives. On the third day of fight week, [coach] Dewey Cooper started to get very mad, ‘This is what they do to get fighters tired’!”

There was also confusion regarding schedules, Ngannou said.

Anthony Joshua puts Francis Ngannou to sleep for minutes with brutal  knockout | Marca

“Fight day, we receive an email. Pickup time: 10:30 from the hotel. And when they say 10:30, by 10:20 there’s a car at your door waiting. The supposed fight time is between midnight to 1:00. We get to the arena at 10:45. A producer comes into the locker room, says, ‘Oh, guy, we are running late on the broadcast. Now we’re gonna go around 1:45.’ I’m like okay, 1:45. It’s 10:45. Three hours.”

There was also confusion regarding schedules, Ngannou said.

“Fight day, we receive an email. Pickup time: 10:30 from the hotel. And when they say 10:30, by 10:20 there’s a car at your door waiting. The supposed fight time is between midnight to 1:00. We get to the arena at 10:45. A producer comes into the locker room, says, ‘Oh, guy, we are running late on the broadcast. Now we’re gonna go around 1:45.’ I’m like okay, 1:45. It’s 10:45. Three hours.”

“I got to the point that I was so tired, I was in the locker room hitting mitts, then sitting down, falling asleep. Then I tell [coach] Eric Nicksick there’s something wrong. I’m asleep. I feel like I wanna sleep. Like, I’m sweating. But we just keep going.”

Ngannou doesn’t blame Joshua specificially but instead appears to point the finger at event organizers.

Though it is unclear if there is a large appetite to see Ngannou fight for a third time in boxing, after Joshua beat him so resoundingly earlier this year, he said to Rogan in a separate part of the podcast that he will return to MMA — specifically PFL MMA — for a fist-fight with 6-foot-8 brute Renan Ferreira. The fight, he said, would take place in October.

The circumstances have seen Dubois, 26, elevated to IBF World Champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt having held onto it since 2021.

Both men’s most notable opponent in common is the Ukrainian, who beat Joshua twice over the distance to retain and defend his titles and stopped Dubois the year later to keep hold of them.

 

As such, Usyk, with his elite boxing brain and experience of both men in the ring, is well-placed to pick a winner. Speaking to Boxing King Media, the recently undisputed champion backed ‘AJ.’“My favourite is Anthony Joshua. I will be predicting Anthony Joshua.”

Usyk-Dubois: Start time, live stream, TV channel, more for how to watch  heavyweight bout - DraftKings Network

The bookmakers agree that Joshua is most likely to get the win at Wembley Stadium, but Dubois and his team are confident they can force a changing of the guard on the British heavyweight scene.

Both men’s most notable opponent in common is the Ukrainian, who beat Joshua twice over the distance to retain and defend his titles and stopped Dubois the year later to keep hold of them.

As such, Usyk, with his elite boxing brain and experience of both men in the ring, is well-placed to pick a winner. Speaking to Boxing King Media, the recently undisputed champion backed ‘AJ“My favourite is Anthony Joshua. I will be predicting Anthony Joshua.”

The bookmakers agree that Joshua is most likely to get the win at Wembley Stadium, but Dubois and his team are confident they can force a changing of the guard on the British heavyweight scene.

Tyson Fury will be putting his backing behind Daniel Dubois for the British boxer’s bout with Anthony Joshua in September.

Dubois, previously an IBF interim titlist, was elevated to become the full champion and is looking to defend his title against Joshua at Wembley Stadium. The 26-year-old can set up a future showdown with Fury or Oleksandr Usyk if he beats Joshua.

Joshua himself has a long-standing rivalry with Fury, though the duo have never met in the ring. Fury will be in attendance at Wembley for September’s fight and unsurprisingly looks set to back Joshua’s opponent.

According to his manager Spencer Brown, Fury has a close relationship with Dubois. And while he is said to be hoping for a good fight, the 35-year-old is backing Dubois to come out on top.

Daniel Dubois vs Anthony Joshua could be the real Frank Warren and Eddie  Hearn battle - Daily Star

Brown told Sky Sports: “I think he’s a good friend of Daniel Dubois and obviously he’s in that [same] promotional company. But I think Tyson just wants to see a good fight. Who will he back? Probably Daniel Dubois.”

While Fury could be in line to face the winner of the Joshua-Dubois match-up, he is instead putting his full focus into his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk. Back in May, the Ukranian beat Fury in a four-belt undisputed unification bout.

The defeat saw Fury lose his WBC title, though Usyk has been forced to vacate his IBF Championship in order to take part in December’s rematch. The duo will meet in Saudi Arabia this winter, with Fury keen to have his revenge.

The Big Question The '5 Vs. 5' Show Left Us With: Joshua Vs. Dubois – Who  Wins? - Latest Boxing News

“I think that we need to get this one out the way. There’s no collision course if he doesn’t win the next fight. So it’s imperative he beats Usyk. There’ll be changes,” Brown added.

“Not in management or his team, there’ll be some other stuff that he’ll be looking at training-wise. With the closeness of the fight last time, it could have gone either way. Some people will say Usyk was three rounds in front.

Some people won’t, it’s your opinion on boxing – that’s why we love it. But Tyson Fury will be back. He’ll be firing and we’ll see a new, better, improved Tyson Fury. At his age I don’t know how much you can improve.

“But there was very, very little in the fight between them, so let’s back our British guy and I’m sure he will win and then we’re going to talk about the next stage.”

September’s fight will be the 13th title fight of Joshua’s career, with the Brit having previously held having held the heavyweight title from the WBA, the IBF, the WBO and the IBO, as well as the Olympic and Commonwealth titles.

 

Miller – who infamously blew his chance t o fight AnthonyJoshua after his 2019 doping scandal – has earned the nickname Big Baby over the years.

For his last bout against Daniel Dubois in December he weighed 23 STONE.

But in recent pictures circulating online, Miller appears to have dramatically transformed his body.

The controversial American, 36, flexed a trimmer chest and midsection just two weeks out from his bout with Ruiz.

Miller actually gave Ruiz the chance to beat AJ for the world titles after his drugs bust.

He blamed the failed tests on a tainted supplement and stem cell shots in his elbow.

Anthony Joshua discovered reason for Andy Ruiz Jr defeat two weeks after  fight - Irish Mirror Online

 

He then received a contract with Bob Arum’s Top Rank stable but again tested positive for a banned substance.

This time the ex-kickboxer put it down to a SEX PILL and was handed a two-year suspension.

Miller actually gave Ruiz the chance to beat AJ for the world titles after his drugs bust.

He blamed the failed tests on a tainted supplement and stem cell shots in his elbow.

He then received a contract with Bob Arum’s Top Rank stable but again tested positive for a banned substance.

This time the ex-kickboxer put it down to a SEX PILL and was handed a two-year suspension.

The Mexican-American stunned Joshua, 34, in June 2019 but lost the rematch on points six years later.

He beat Chris Arreola, 43, and Luis Ortiz, 45, but has faced a spell on the sidelines as promoter Eddie Hearn predicted a tough bout with Miller.

Sand and Fog: Anthony Joshua Avenges his Loss to Andy Ruiz, Jr. - Hannibal  Boxing

Hearn told Matchroom Boxing: “I actually think this is a really tough fight for Andy Ruiz. It’s going to be all actions

.“Jarrell Miller is always going to be on the front foot, always comes to fight, and Andy is a very sharp counter-puncher as well, but he’s been out of the ring for a long time. “There’s going to be huge support for him in Los Angeles, but he better have hunger in his belly for this fight because otherwise, he’ll get overrun by Jarrell Miller.”

Tyson Fury must win his December rematch with Oleksandr Usyk if he is to remain on course to fight the Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois victor, Fury’s manager Spencer Brown says; watch the Joshua vs Dubois IBF heavyweight title fight live on Sky Sports Box Office on September 21

Tyson Fury, the former two-time world heavyweight champion, is expected to attend the Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois fight on September 21.

Fury lost his WBC title to Oleksandr Usyk in a four-belt undisputed unification in May. But, with Fury and Usyk set for a rematch in December, the Ukrainian had to vacate his IBF championship.

Dubois, previously an IBF interim titlist, was elevated to become the body’s full champion and now fights Joshua at Wembley Stadium, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Although Fury has a long-standing rivalry with Joshua, he might well be backing Dubois in that September 21 fight.

Spencer Brown, Fury’s manager, told Sky Sports: “I think he’s a good friend of Daniel Dubois and obviously he’s in that [same] promotional company. But I think Tyson just wants to see a good fight. Who will he back? Probably Daniel Dubois.”

 

Anthony Joshua has no doubt about who he considers to be the best boxer ever to lace up the gloves.

The British heavyweight can rightly claim that he has been one of the standouts of the current era. He quickly rose through the amateur ranks to become an Olympic Gold Medalist at London 2012 just a couple of years after picking up the sport rather late aged 18.

Anthony Joshua VS Joseph Parker

JUST IN: ‘I still think Shakur can get him’: Tim Bradley likes Shakur Stevenson’s chances against Gervonta Davis…

Once he turned professional, Joshua went on an impressive run of early knockouts, including picking up the British title with a stoppage of Dillian Whyte back in December 2015.

His first world title came with another stoppage, this time of Charles Martin, and he unified with wins over Joseph Parker, who was the first man to take him the distance, and a stoppage of long-reigning champion Wladimir Klitschko.

After some routine defences he hit his first stumbling block in New York’s Madison Square Garden when he was halted by underdog and late stand-in Andy Ruiz Jr, though quickly exacted revenge in the rematch.

Anthony Joshua vs Dillian Whyte

2021 and 2022 proved difficult years with back-to-back losses to the eventual undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk, though since then he has got back to winning ways with a trip of stoppages over Otto Wallin, Robert Helenius and Francis Ngannou.

SEE MORE: Oleksandr Usyk’s reign as undisputed world heavyweight champion is already over but could he lose more belts?…

Speaking to Mens Health, ‘AJ’ was asked who he considered to be the best-ever fighter and he immediately went with American Legend Muhammad Ali.

“Historically, Ali. By a mile.”

Anthony Joshua VS Francis Ngannou AND Frank Warren

After a gold medal laced amateur career, Ali beat George Foreman, Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier and Earnie Shavers in a 61-fight campaign. The undisputed heavyweight champion formerly known as Cassius Clay left his mark not just on the sport but culture entire.

Next up for Joshua is a shot at becoming a three-time world heavyweight champion when he takes on Daniel Dubois for the IBF title at Wembley in September. That is a feat only repeated at heavyweight by Ali, who was also undisputed champion from 1974 to 1978 and is often considered one of the greatest sportsmen of the last century.

RELATED: ‘I Sparred Anthony Joshua & Tyson Fury – Two Brits Punch Harder’…

 

Tyson Fury is not one to shy away from a challenge.

‘The Gypsy King’ has fought some of the greatest fighters of his generation such as long-reigning heavyweight king Wladimir Klitschko and undisputed champion Oleksandr Usyk.

JUST IN: Lennox Lewis Has No Doubt Who Wins Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul: “I Don’t Want Him To Get Hurt”…

TYSON FURY vs Wladimir Klitschko

He also famously shared a brutal trilogy with one of the most destructive punchers in the history of the sport in Deontay Wilder.

But there is one boxer he admits he will never face – his long-time training partner and close friend Joseph Parker.

Asked last year if he would ever entertain a fight with Parker, Fury, who was the WBC heavyweight champion at the time, replied: “Definitely not.

“No. I’d rather give him the belt than fight him for it.

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk

“We’re too close for that fight and there’s plenty of heavyweights out there.

“He doesn’t need to fight me, I don’t want to get beat up, sorry!”

Fury may be forced to make the tough decision if he defeats Usyk when they rematch for the WBA ‘super’, WBO and WBC titles on December 21.

Parker picked up the WBO ‘interim’ title by beating Zhilei Zhang in his last outing in March and would be next in line in the sanctioning body rotation system to face the winner.

The expectation is that whoever emerges victorious from Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua’s all-British showdown for the IBF strap on September 21 will be next in line for a shot at Usyk or Fury.

Oleksandr Usyk AND Tyson Fury VS Daniel Dubois

However, the WBO could throw a spanner in the works by mandating Parker to box the unified heavyweight champion.

“But I have the utmost respect for the guy and what he has done for my career, and if it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be where I am today.

“But if it has to come down to it I think we can put everything aside and do it before we sit down after the fight and say, ‘Hey man, you caught me with that good shot,’ and that sort of thing if you know what I mean.”

RELATED: Frank Bruno Reveals His Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk Score: “He Won That Fight”….

 

Oleksandr Usyk unified the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO belts after a points win over Tyson Fury in May but relinquished the IBF belt last month and mandatory contenders could emerge to threaten the Ukrainian’s other titles

ANTHONY JOSHUA VS TYSON FURY

JUST IN: Frank Bruno Reveals His Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk Score: “He Won That Fight”….

Oleksandr Usyk’s reign as the undisputed world heavyweight champion was brief after he handed back the IBF belt, but will more belts be ripped away?

The Ukrainian star produced a spectacular victory over Tyson Fury in May to unify the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO titles, but just a month later, his reign as the undisputed king was over.

Contracted to rematch Fury in December, Usyk was unable to make a mandatory defence of the IBF belt, that meant Daniel Dubois, the organisation’s Interim belt-holder, was upgraded to full champion in June.

Oleksandr Usyk AND Tyson Fury VS Daniel Dubois

Usyk confirmed he was relinquishing his IBF title with a video on social media and Anthony Joshua will challenge Dubois for the IBF belt at Wembley on September 21, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Could Usyk’s other titles be under threat?

Former champion Joseph Parker earned a WBO Interim heavyweight strap in March when he beat Zhilei Zhang and the New Zealander can push for a mandatory shot at the full world championship.

Parker is “next in line” for a crack at the WBO belt, according to his promoter David Higgins.

Verified by MonsterInsights