The Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois undercard at Wembley Stadium featured a number of big names, topped off by Hamzah Sheeraz stopping Tyler Denny in the second round to win the European middleweight title, and retain his Commonwealth and WBC Silver middleweight titles.
Sheeraz came out of the blocks flying, dropping Denny inside the opening seconds of the opening round. Denny struggled to recover, and despite getting out of the round, it seemed that the writing would be on the wall.
That was proven when in round two Sheeraz got another knockdown, and with Denny on unsteady feet, the referee waved off the bout at the 2:05 mark, earning Sheeraz the win, taking his undefeated record to 21-0 in the process.
Joshua Buatsi won the interim WBO light-heavyweight title with a split decision victory over Willy Hutchinson.
It was a tight bout approaching the halfway stage, but Buatsi then secured a sixth round knockdown to make the first big impact in the fight.
Hutchinson was deducted a point in round seven for use of the head, and was then dropped again in the ninth round as Buatsi looked to take over.
It looked like there would only be one winner when the fight went the distance, but there was surprise when it was announced that it was a split decision.
One judge had the fight 113-112 in Hutchinson’s favour, but scores of 117-108 and 115-110 earned Buatsi the win, as he moved a step closer to becoming world champion.
Anthony Cacace retained his IBO super-featherweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Josh Warrington.
Cacace’s IBF belt wasn’t on the line for the contest after they refused to sanction the bout, due to Warrington heading into the fight on the back of two straight defeats in the division below.
With that in mind, the Leeds man would have been keen to prove he is still capable of competing at world level, but he struggled to deal with Cacace throughout the fight.WBC President Names The Future Of Boxing
The Belfast boxer was in control for the majority of proceedings, and after the bout went the 12 round distance, the judges scored it 118-110, 117-111 and 117-111, with Cacace retaining his IBO belt, and ensuring he also kept hold of his IBF title, as a defeat would have seen him stripped by the governing body.
Warrington appeared to signal he may retire following the contest, after removing his gloves and leaving them in the centre of the ring.
Josh Kelly came out on top against late replacement Ishmael Davis in their middleweight contest after picking up a majority decision victory.
Davis stepped in less than one week ago after Liam Smith was forced out through illness, and despite the late notice, he gave as good as he got throughout the fight.
It was a back and forth battle between the two men, and after going all 12 rounds, it was Kelly who narrowly emerged with the win, thanks to scorecards of 115-113, 115-114 and 114-114, handing Davis the first defeat of his professional career in the process.
Josh Padley secured a huge upset in the opening fight of the card as he defeated Mark Chamberlain by unanimous decision.
Chamberlain was a massive favourite heading into the bout, as he looked to continue the impressive displays he has put in on Riyadh Season events over the past year.
Padley ensured it wouldn’t continue though, as he dropped his opponent in round eight, while Chamberlain was also deducted a point.
It allowed Padley to come out on top with a points win, with the judges having it 96-92, 96-92 and 95-93.
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Boxing is arguably as hot as it has ever been at the moment due to the number of huge fights that are occuring, and WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has named who he feels will be the future of the sport.
There have been plenty of massive bouts that have taken place over the last couple of years including Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk, Terence Crawford vs. Errol Spence, and Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia.
Another big fight will be held tomorrow night at Wembley Stadium, as Anthony Joshua challenges Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title.
While Daniel may be the current member of the Dubois family in the spotlight, WBC President Sulaiman has heaped praise Daniel’s sister Caroline, after presenting her with the interim WBC lightweight title this week, alongside boxing legend Lennox Lewis.
Sulaiman said: “I’m extremely proud, I’m so happy, so excited. She is the future of boxing. A role model inside and outside the ring and today is a very special day for me to be able to present her with the green and gold belt in person. I can see she’s very disciplined, always in the gym, well prepared and ready for anything to come. When that bell rings she’s a different woman, she’s an unbelievable champion. I see a great bright future for Caroline.”
Caroline won the title last month after a dominant unanimous decision victory over Maira Moneo, taking her undefeated record to 10-0 in the process, and she was thrilled to receive the recognition from Sulaiman.Update On Daniel Dubois Trainer Situation Amid Rumours That Don Charles Has Been Sacked
“It’s amazing to have Mauricio come give me the belt. I looked up to Lennox Lewis, watching him as a young kid and obviously the WBC, the WBA, the IBF, the WBO, these are all the major belts and to now get almost a piece, it’s not the full belt which is what I will get but it’s a step in the right direction. This is not as far as I get, I go further than this. I want to touch the sky, I want to touch hearts, I want to do something that’s never been done before and I push and train every day.”
Boxxer CEO Ben Shalom added: “Caroline Dubois is one of the future faces of female boxing. Whether Katie Taylor decides to fight her or vacate, there are huge nights ahead for Caroline, who is still only 23 years old. We believe she will unify the lightweight division before moving up and becoming a multi-weight world champion and pound-for-pound star.”
Dubois is now hoping to land a showdown with WBC champion Katie Taylor in the near future, with Taylor first taking on Amanda Serrano on the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson undercard in November.
#WBC #MauricioSulaiman #CarolineDubois #Future #Boxing #Boxingnews #President
Dillian Whyte, a long-time rival of Anthony Joshua, has given his candid thoughts on the highly anticipated Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois clash for the IBF heavyweight title at Wembley Stadium. Speaking to talkSPORT Boxing, Whyte cautioned Dubois about the danger he faces in the ring, saying, “He don’t want to stand in front of ‘AJ’ and take too many right hands or he’s going to sleep.” He also compared the two heavyweights' punching styles, remarking that while Joshua is “a pig puncher,” he tends to rely more on sharp combination shots, whereas Dubois is a “slow and methodical, clubbing puncher.” However, Whyte warned that with 10oz gloves on, “anyone over 15 stone is a big puncher” and predicted the fight as a genuine 50-50 contest.
Recalling their past sparring sessions, Whyte mentioned, “Apparently Daniel bashed ‘AJ’ up in sparring,” but stressed the need for Dubois not to be overconfident as this fight could turn out very differently. According to Whyte, “If he stands in front of ‘AJ’ and takes too many right hands, he’s going to sleep.”
This title fight presents a major moment in heavyweight boxing, with Joshua eyeing a return to glory and Dubois looking to secure his first title defense. Whyte's honest assessment has added further intrigue, making this a showdown fans won’t want to miss.
#JoshuaDubois #DillianWhyte #AnthonyJoshua #DanielDubois #boxing #boxingnews #boxingfans #fightfans #predictions
Anthony Joshua will attempt to become boxing’s fifth three-time heavyweight champion when he steps through the ropes against fellow Brit and newly crowned IBF title-holder Daniel Dubois this weekend in one of the boxing events of the year. Now, famed trainer, commentator and fight analyst Teddy Atlas has offered his verdict on the match-up.
‘AJ’ has honed his skills and discovered a style that suits him best since partnering up with former Tyson Fury trainer Ben Davison late last year, scoring sensational stoppage wins over both Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou since teaming up. As a result, Joshua now finds himself competing at the top table once again and could etch his name into the history books if he is able to pull off the victory.
Meanwhile, Daniel Dubois has hit similar form since appointing Don Charles last year, bouncing back from defeat to Oleksandr Usyk with career-best displays and knockouts against Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic – the latter earning him the position of interim champion which was later upgraded to full IBF world champion.
Now Dubois has the chance to prove that he is worthy of the mantle of a world champion in boxing’s glamour division. However, speaking on his podcast, ‘The Fight’, Atlas – who guided Michael Moorer to the heavyweight throne in 1994, predicted that Dubois will not make it to the third-round against this improved version of Joshua.
“I think that Anthony Joshua is in the best place that he has been since he beat [Wladimir] Klitschko for the title and was a young heavyweight champion after being an Olympic champion. I think that he is in a real good place with his trainer, [Ben] Davison.
“Dubois was tremendous in his last fight with Hrgovic, he overcame, he broke Hrgovic down, he evaporated him like a hot summer’s day evaporating a puddle – right in front of your eyes, with his toughness and physicality. He is strong, he is a good puncher, he can now impose the will that he didn’t have earlier [in his career], he has got that will now.Update On Daniel Dubois Trainer Situation Amid Rumours That Don Charles Has Been Sacked
“If he hits Joshua, he can hurt him, but if he gets hit with the kind of right-hand’s that he overcame against Hrgovic, who doesn’t punch as hard or concise as Joshua, then he won’t be around to overcome it. He won’t be around to impose his will. He won’t be around to hurt Joshua with his physical presence and power. He won’t be there – he will get knocked out.
“Unless he has improved his defence and his ability to get away from right-hand’s, which he did not do against Hrgovic, unless he has done that in the last couple of months since that fight – Joshua is going to knock him out in one or two rounds.”
Joshua-Dubois takes place on Saturday night at Wembley Stadium in London as Turki Al-Alshikh stages a first Riyadh Season card on British soil with a must-watch event for boxing fans around the globe.
#TeddyAtlas #AnthonyJoshua #DanielDubois #JoshuaDubois #Predictions #Knockout #boxingnews
Whilst all eyes are on this weekend’s Wembley showdown between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, one fight has flown under the radar and has now been announced for an unconventional Friday night event in just two weeks’ time, although the possible benefit and consequences of the world title contest are complex.
The middleweight division has been blown wide open over the last couple of years but the man who is attempting to takeover at 160lbs is Janibek Alimkhanuly – who reigns as both IBF and WBO world champion after a knockout win over fellow champion Vincenzo Gualtieri saw him pick up a second belt at the weight.
This July, Alimkhanuly was scheduled to meet with New Zealand’s IBF mandatory challenger Andrei Mikhailovich in a first defence of the unified straps, but the event was cancelled just before their weigh-in after the champion ended up in hospital because of dehydration.
It has now been confirmed that ‘Qazaq style’ will take on his vocal and undefeated rival on the rescheduled date of October 4th and following the announcement a confident Alimkhanuly predicted an early knockout – whilst giving a nod to the heroes of old from his native land, as per The Ring.Janibek Alimkhanuly-Andrei Mikhailovich Set For Oct. 4 In Sydney; IBF Title Only At Stake. Story (and details as to what the hell happened to the WBO title) by @JakeNDaBox: #JanibekMikhailovichhttps://t.co/kD6qT2rb3T
“In the Olympic Games in Sydney, two Kazakh boxers won gold,”
“Bekzat Sattarhanov and Yermakhan Ibraimov inspired many Kazakhs. I grew up with a dream to glorify my country like them and am very happy that I will box in Sydney. I want to show the world my flag in Sydney once again, as our Olympic champions did in 2000.
“The fight with Andrei is very important to me because he is an official contender for my title. He is like a cloud for me now. I must quickly get rid of the cloud to see the sun. Everyone knows and understands that he is easy work for me. I will knock him out very quickly!”Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez To Fight On Undercard In Next Fight As Date And Opponent Confirmed
Similarly, Russian-born but New Zealand raised Mikhailovich hoped to emulate the success of his Kiwi idols.
“I live in the present, but I certainly haven’t forgotten the past,”
“I respect him as the champion, but I know that he doesn’t respect me. It’s why I look forward to taking absolutely everything from him. I will be writing my name into the history books alongside Joseph Parker and Maselino Masoe as a world champion.
“This is my destiny, it’s my everything. I will stop at nothing to make sure the world remembers the name Andrei Mikhailovich.”
However, despite planning on taking ‘absolutely everything’ from Alimkhanuly, Mikhailovich will only be able to become IBF world champion with a victory, after the WBO refused to sanction the bout as a world title contest. Still, Alimkhanuly will lose the WBO strap as well as the IBF belt if the challenger is able to spring the upset, leaving the victor of Tyler Denny (WBO #2) vs. Hamzah Sheeraz (WBO #1) well poised for a crack at a possibly vacant title.
#JanibekAlimkhanuly #AndreiMikhailovich #IBFChampion #MiddleweightTitle #BoxingNews #WBO #SydneyFight #Boxing #Knockout #FightNight #ChampionshipBouts #KazakhstanBoxing #Undercard #BoxingHistory #MiddleweightDivision #WembleyShowdown
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez delivered an impressive display against Edgar Berlanga at the weekend, as he made yet another defence of the super-middleweight throne, despite the increasingly popular opinions that his ability is dwindling. Yet, regardless of whether he is declining in the ring, many argue that he remains as the arguable ‘face of boxing’ commercially and that theory was put to the test as he fought Berlanga at the same time as UFC 306 on a double-booked date in Las Vegas.
Canelo dropped the gigantic 190lb+ Berlanga in the third-round of the contest and the towering Puerto Rican unsuccessfully attempted to impose himself on the champion there after by using his superior size. Although, any glimpses from the challenger were soon nipped in the bud as Canelo dictated the entirety of the contest, deciding when and where the key exchanges would take place and forcing his young rival to fight a Canelo-style fight – clearly to his own benefit.
As a result, the tempo ebbed and flowed to Canelo’s liking as Berlanga danced to the 34-year-old’s tune and, whilst the latter showed moments of promise, they never threatened to be enough to bank the rounds needed to end the reign of the Mexican superstar.
Now that a few days have passed, Sport Business Journal have revealed that Canelo-Berlanga drew around 650,000 pay-per-view sales – a sizeable figure when considering that Berlanga was never given a serious chance during the build-up. Meanwhile, Dana White claimed that the UFC outperformed the event on the gate by an additional $5m, although it is likely that a portion of that can be attributed to the intrigue of the Las Vegas Sphere.
“Canelo Alvarez’s fight Saturday drew a gate of around $17M and about 650,000 PPV unit sales, a source said, as the boxer continues to draw big commercial numbers even when his opponent isn’t a fellow superstar.”
“Some in boxing had questioned Alvarez’s choice of Berlanga as his opponent, but [Tom] Brown (Owner of TGB Promotions) and [Bruce] Binkow (PBC consultant) were effusive in their praise of Berlanga, saying he and his managerial team had done everything they had asked to promote the fight.Reason Why Oleksandr Usyk Was Arrested Revealed
“The $17M gate for Alvarez-Berlanga compares to what UFC said was $22M for its card at the Sphere, meaning combat sports sold nearly $40M in tickets this past weekend in Las Vegas. Brown: “Commercially, it’s probably panned out better than we thought.”
In terms of how well Canelo-Berlanga performed in comparison to the champion’s recent events, the event sold more than Canelo’s previous two PPV clashes against John Ryder (250k) and Jaime Munguia (500k) – with last year’s underwhelming showdown with Jermell Charlo selling similarly to Berlanga.
Canelo has now gone the distance in six straight bouts and will but his performance at the weekend was possibly the best he has looked across those contests. As for Berlanga, the star power of ‘The Chosen One’ has inevitably grown through the Canelo fight, with the previously undefeated 27-year-old earning respect for the heart and will that he showed despite the one-sided loss.
#CaneloAlvarez #EdgarBerlanga #CaneloBerlanga #boxing #boxingnews #PPV #UFC
Daniel Dubois is preparing to take on Anthony Joshua in the biggest fight of his life, hoping to make a first defence of his heavyweight crown, topple a giant of British boxing and in doing so prove himself to be worthy of his world championship status. However, concern developed on social media after whispers that head trainer Don Charles had been sacked, and now Dubois’ team has addressed those rumours.
‘Triple D’ appointed Don Charles as his lead cornerman but gave him a tough first assignment as he unsuccessfully challenged Oleksandr Usyk for the unified heavyweight world titles in Poland but gave a good account of himself until being stopped in the ninth-round.
Since then, Dubois has fought twice and has impressed on both occasions as he silenced those doubting his heart by fighting through the fire and trumping both Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic in back-to-back career best knockout victories. Those performances have convinced the boxing universe that Dubois truly is one of the main players in the heavyweight division but whether he has the quality to mount a solid reign as a champion remains to be seen.
This weekend’s showdown with a resurgent Anthony Joshua will provide the 27-year-old with the perfect acid test but during the fight week thus far, Don Charles has been absent – leading to doubts as to whether he remains as a part of Dubois’ team.
Those murmurs then snowballed into genuine concern for Dubois when boxing media personality Spencer Fearon told that Dubois’ father has had a fall out with Charles and previously planned on removing the trainer from his son’s corner after suffering defeat to Usyk.🤬 Spencer Fearon 𝙂𝙊𝙀𝙎 𝙄𝙉 on the reported situation between Don Charles and Daniel Dubois.
“We haven’t seen Don Charles all week. You know why? Because I know that there has been some rift between Don Charles and the dad. Daniel Dubois is actually a lovely kid, but his dad is a scumbag, I have said it and I am not even telling it!”Anthony Joshua Responds After Tyson Fury Predicts That Daniel Dubois Will Beat Him
“No worker of inequity can get victory over Anthony Joshua! Daniel Dubois is a lovely kid, but his father? Nah, bro! You are not real, you are a fake. When Usyk beat your son, I begged for Don Charles not to lose his job. I begged for him.”
Yet, following Fearon’s comments, the situation was Charles was soon cleared up as Daily Star journalist Chris McKenna told social media that Charles has not been in attendance at fight week because of an illness and confirmed that the 62-year-old would indeed be by Dubois’ side this weekend.Don Charles has a flu/cold and has stayed away from media events this week. He won't be at press conference or weigh-in. But he will be in Daniel Dubois' corner this weekend
— Chris McKenna (@cmckennasport) September 19, 2024
“Don Charles has a flu/cold and has stayed away from media events this week. He won’t be at press conference or weigh-in but he will be in Daniel Dubois’ corner this weekend.”
Dubois and Anthony Joshua will headline a record-breaking event at Wembley Stadium on Saturday night, topping a bill that features a host of British talent.
#DonCharles #DanielDubois #AnthonyJoshua #Boxingnews
Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois are all of the talk in the United Kingdom right now as the two Britons prepare to descend upon Wembley Stadium for a third all-British heavyweight title affair in as many years. Now, one of the country’s most accomplished fighters has named what he believes will be the difference maker as former undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis looked ahead to the weekend’s action.
As Daniel Dubois has risen through the levels, he has had to prove that he is more than just a devastating puncher and that he has both the ability and heart of a true world champion. Whilst many have slandered the IBF’s decision to upgrade ‘Triple D’ from interim champion to world champion, few can argue that he has shown as much spirit and determination as any fighter when stopping both Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic, following criticism that Dubois lacked the grit to ever achieve world honours.
Now Dubois will appear on the biggest possible stage – a record-breaking clash against Britain’s long-standing poster boy – and the defending champion will be made to prove his worth once again.
Speaking with , Lennox Lewis declared that this fight is Dubois’ opportunity to finally earn the respect of the British public that he so craves.
“I think that this is a fight where he [Joshua] can actually put things together and it is a good test for him because Daniel Dubois has been on the outside for a while, and he wants to be at the top. He realises that Anthony Joshua has got that [respect] right now, Tyson Fury has got that right now, so he wants the people to be talking about him as well. In order for people to be talking about him, he has got to do the work and go in there, impress people, and win the fight.”
However, defeating a resurgent Anthony Joshua will be no easy feat for Dubois and the challenger will understandably step through the ropes as the favourite with the bookmakers, considering Dubois’ lack of head movement against Hrgovic and AJ’s recent knockout of the year contender against Francis Ngannou.Teofimo Lopez Confirms That He Is Working With A New Trainer “I’m Just Warming Up.”
In order to upset the odds, Lewis went on to claim that the winner of this meeting will be the man who is able to establish his jab, a philosophy that carried Lewis to tremendous success throughout his fruitful career.
“The person that secures his jab in the fight will win the fight because every great heavyweight had a great jab.”
Joshua-Dubois will take place on Saturday night at Wembley Stadium, topping a bill that features a number of 50/50 affairs that are likely to have world title implications for a host of British fighters across a variety of weight-classes, as Hamzah Sheeraz, Joshua Buatsi and Mark Chamberlain hope to edge closer to their own shots at world honours.
#JoshuaDubois #LennoxLewis #Heavyweights #boxing #boxingnews #boxingfans #AnthonyJoshua #DanielDubois
The pound-for-pound top three in the sport seems set as Oleksandr Usyk, Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue, although if there were any fighter to penetrate that trio it would likely be rising super-flyweight sensation, Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez. Yet, in spite of his budding superstar potential, it has now been confirmed that the WBC super-flyweight champion will next appear on an undercard.
‘Bam’ announced himself onto the world stage when he defeated Carlos Cuadras on just six days’ notice to claim the WBC 115lb crown aged just 22-years-old but since then he has proved that his victory was no fluke. Rodriguez trumped both Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Israel Gonzalez before dropping down to flyweight and becoming a two-division world champion by defeating Christian Gonzalez Hernandez for the WBO strap.
However, it was last December where the Texan established himself as a threat to the pound-for-pound throne, stopping previously undefeated Briton Sunny Edwards in a title unification that many had deemed as a 50/50 affair during the build-up.
This year, success has continued for Rodriguez, and he showed even further improvement as he dominated and halted the legendary Juan Francisco Estrada to reclaim his WBC super-flyweight title – a win that convinced promoter Eddie Hearn that the now 24-year-old is right amongst the cream of the crop, as per World Boxing News.
“The problem with the lower weight classes is they often don’t get the respect of the higher ones. For me, Jesse should be mentioned with Terence Crawford, Inoue, Usyk. He’s gone through Cuadras, gone through Rungvisai, stopped Edwards, KO’d Estrada. He’s already on the pound-for-pound list, but I think he is top five pound-for-pound now. He’s 24 years old, he has another four or five years of his prime, and we’re honoured to represent him.
“You saw the crowd in there, we’re in Phoenix, not in San Antonio, and as many Mexicans as there were in there, Bam had huge support and he’s a real star. The rematch is there, there’s opportunities in Japan, there’s opportunities to go back to San Antonio and also to come back to Phoenix. The future is bright, he wants to try unify the division, El Gallo has the option to rematch and we’ll see how that plays out.”Anthony Joshua Responds After Tyson Fury Predicts Daniel Dubois Beat Him
Yet, despite those plaudits from Hearn, Rodriguez will fight on an undercard for his second outing of the year, as he faces WBC interim flyweight champion Pedro Guevara, as confirmed on the latter’s Instagram.
The bout is expected to be the co-main event on a Jaron Ennis undercard on November 9th in Philadelphia, assumably when ‘Boots’ defends his IBF welterweight title in a rematch against Karen Chukhadzhian. Although, Hearn failed to win the purse bid for that contest and will therefore need to agree a deal with Chukhadzhian’s team to stage the event in Ennis’ hometown, unless the 147lb poster boy is planning to vacate the belt and move up to super-welterweight to face an alternate opponent on that date.
#JesseBamRodriguez #BoxingNews #FightAnnouncement #BoxingFans #UndercardFights #FightDate #BoxingUpdates #NextFight #BoxingCommunity #FightTalk #BoxingEvents #UpcomingFight #BoxingWorld #FightNight #BoxingHeadlines
As Wembley Stadium prepares to host the highly anticipated heavyweight clash this weekend, Anthony Joshua has delivered his response to Tyson Fury's prediction that Daniel Dubois will retain his IBF heavyweight title against him.
In a gripping all-British heavyweight showdown, Joshua is aiming to become boxing’s fifth three-time world champion in the division. The former unified champion faces Dubois, who recently won the IBF title by halting Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic. Despite Dubois' impressive form, Fury, his fellow heavyweight rival, has voiced confidence that Dubois will prevail.
Fury’s endorsement of Dubois’ chances came directly from an interview with Dubois' promoter, Frank Warren, who confirmed that both Fury and Warren believe Dubois will successfully defend his title. This prediction has added an extra layer of intrigue to the bout, with many questioning whether Joshua’s revamped style under trainer Ben Davison will be enough to counter Dubois’ power.
Joshua, however, appears unfazed by Fury’s prediction. In a candid interview with Sky Sports, he addressed the challenge head-on, stating, “Yeah, he is a good fighter is Dubois, so it is a 50/50. I think that certain people are going to back him and some are going to back me and I can’t take anything from it. I have just got to focus on myself and prove myself right.”
This fight marks a significant moment in Joshua’s career, especially after his recent transition to working with Davison, which has revitalized his performance and confidence. The former champion, who faced criticism following defeats to Oleksandr Usyk and underwhelming victories over Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius, is now seen as a top contender once again.
As the fight week excitement builds, tonight’s undercard at Wembley Arena will feature Cameron Vuong, Chris Kongo, and Nathan Lugo, setting the stage for a thrilling main event. With a record-breaking attendance anticipated, all eyes will be on Joshua and Dubois as they prepare to settle their score in the ring.
#TysonFury #AnthonyJoshua #BoxingFans #FightFans #boxing #boxingnews #news
Oleksandr Usyk, the unified heavyweight champion and one of boxing’s brightest stars, encountered an unexpected hurdle last night when Polish authorities detained him. The incident occurred as Usyk was attempting to board a flight to Valencia, Spain, where he is set to prepare for his highly anticipated rematch with Tyson Fury on December 21.
Usyk, who has achieved monumental success in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, was travelling with his trainer, Sergey Lapin. The duo had just completed an exhausting 14-hour journey from Kyiv, the capital of war-torn Ukraine. This grueling trip included a lengthy 557-mile (896 km) drive.
According to ESPN, the complication arose when an airline official deemed Usyk and his trainer unfit to travel. Despite Usyk’s explanations that their fatigue was due to the extensive travel rather than any impairment, a language barrier exacerbated the situation. Their insistence that they were capable of flying did not initially sway the officials, leading to Usyk's detention.
On social media, Usyk addressed the situation, expressing gratitude for the support he received and clarifying the misunderstanding. “A misunderstanding took place,” Usyk said. “It was quickly resolved. Thanks to all who got concerned. Thanks to Ukrainian diplomats for the efficient support. And respect to Polish Police for conducting their obligations with no regards to height, weight, reach, and regalia.”
The incident has been swiftly resolved, and Usyk is expected to begin his training camp in Valencia shortly. His focus is now on preparing for the rematch against Fury, aiming to defend his undisputed heavyweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Despite the hiccup, Usyk remains a respected figure in boxing, not only for his in-ring achievements but also for his sportsmanship and dedication. As he gears up for one of the biggest fights of his career, fans and supporters continue to rally behind him, looking forward to what promises to be an electrifying clash with Fury.
#OleksandrUsyk #BoxingFans #FightFans #boxing #boxingnews #news
WBO super-lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez is set for a major 2025 as he gears up to either become a unified champion at 140lbs or progress to the welterweight division in the hopes of becoming a three-division title-holder. However, ‘The Takeover’ may proceed with a new man by his side.
Lopez has always trained under the guidance of his father, Teofimo Lopez Sr., and the duo were able to pull off one of the most impressive title fight upsets in recent memory when Lopez outpointed Vasyl Lomachenko to become the unified champion at a time when the Ukrainian appeared invincible.
The career of Lopez has been a rollercoaster one since, suffering a shock defeat of his own against George Kambosos Jr. before moving up to 140lbs and dethroning super-lightweight poster boy Josh Taylor, but underwhelming in two outings against Jamaine Ortiz and Steve Claggett since.
At 27-years-old, Lopez still has plenty of time to improve his consistency and his skills will surely develop even further with added experience, but his next step could be a career defining one. A similar performance to his latest outings in a super-lightweight title unification or welterweight title challenge would likely see Lopez handed a second career loss, although his ability to turn up when motivated on the big stage is one that simply cannot be taught.
With potential there for all to see, Lopez has turned to one of the most lauded trainers in the game, telling iFL TV that he has been working with Canelo Alvarez’s team and most notably Eddy Reynoso, but maintaining that his father will remain by his side and in his corner regardless of whether the move to Reynoso is made permanent.
“My father and Reynoso are talking together, and I think that is the best part. I don’t move nowhere without my father and my father has definitely pushed this move for me to go to Canelo’s camp. My father was there, and it has been great, so let’s see what happens.Heavyweight Who Dropped Daniel Dubois Three Times Breaks Down Anthony Joshua Clash
“It is beautiful [working in Reynoso’s camp] because it is two great fighters, myself and Canelo. We talk, we exchange knowledge and things that he has learnt, things that I have learned and we go back and forth on it. I think that the best thing that I learned about it is that I am just warming up.
“It’s not just ego’s or pride getting involved, it is just two guys wanting to one-up the other and trying to learn from each other. Whether you want to say that that is the Latin community coming together, it is big and I am grateful Canelo accepted me to go to the camp and has done many times before.”
Lopez continues to hint at a move to 147lbs but should he remain at super-lightweight, it is likely that he would be forced to make a mandatory defence of his WBO crown against either Jose Carlos Ramirez or Arnold Barboza Jr. before unifications could become possible.
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Shocking footage has surfaced showing Oleksandr Usyk, the Ukrainian heavyweight champion, being detained by authorities at Krakow Airport. The video captures Usyk being led away by uniformed officers with his hands behind his back, sparking immediate concern and confusion among fans and the boxing community.
The circumstances surrounding Usyk's detention initially remained unclear, prompting speculation. However, those close to the fighter were quick to reassure fans. Usyk's wife, Kateryna, took to social media to calm the situation, stating, "Everything is fine, everything is fine. Oleksandr will explain everything later. Nothing criminal, goodnight everyone." His coach and friend, Serge Lapin, also commented, suggesting the incident was due to a customs issue: "Don't worry, everything's fine. The customs control service is neglecting its duties."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also intervened, expressing his frustration with the situation. "I was outraged by this attitude towards our citizen and champion," Zelenskyy said in a statement. He further instructed Ukrainian ministers to investigate the incident. Following their inquiries, it was confirmed that Usyk had been released and that there was no ongoing detainment.
Shortly after the incident, Usyk himself issued a statement to clear the air, saying, “All is well, my friends. There was a misunderstanding that was quickly resolved. Thank you to everyone who was worried. Thank you Ukrainian diplomats for your support. And respect to Polish law enforcers, who perform their duties despite height, weight, arm range, and regalia.”
Usyk was en route to London to attend the highly anticipated fight between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium. The event is expected to draw over 90,000 fans, with Joshua aiming to become a three-time world champion as he faces Dubois for the IBF heavyweight world title.
Dubois was recently upgraded to the full IBF champion after Usyk vacated his title to facilitate this matchup. Usyk has previously defeated both Joshua and Dubois and is now focused on his upcoming rematch with Tyson Fury, scheduled for December 21 in Riyadh. Usyk claimed victory over Fury on May 24 in Saudi Arabia and aims to repeat that success this winter.
Speaking about his rematch with Fury, Usyk said, "From the last fight with Tyson Fury, I learned a lot about him, a lot of the things that I saw in the fight I didn't see on TV with all the fights that I saw of Tyson Fury. So we will prepare even better, and God willing, with God's victory, we will show our best shape again. I have incredible motivation."
Despite the brief scare at Krakow Airport, Usyk has now moved past the incident and is focusing on his training and the next phase of his career.
#OleksandrUysk #boxing #boxingfans #boxingnews #news #boxingdrama #arrest #arrested
As the clock ticks down towards one of the cards of the year, news that Josh Warrington’s scrap with Anthony Cacace will not be for the world title has dampened excitement for what could well have been the fight of the night. Now, the Yorkshireman has spoken out regarding the IBF’s decision and has admitted his disappointment.
Warrington has twice held the IBF world title in the featherweight division but has registered just one victory in his last five fights. As a result, news that ‘The Leeds Warrior’ would move up a weight division and be granted an instant world title shot at Anthony Cacace’s super-featherweight crown did raise eyebrows.
In an interview with , Warrington explained that even he was surprised by the fight offer, after being told that the IBF would not sanction the bout as a world title affair just three weeks before agreeing to the supposed title contest.
“The initial week [that I was spoken to] I got offered to fight for the IBF world title and the IBO against Anthony Cacace. I was a little bit surprised at first because the fight was spoken about around three weeks prior to that but initially it got squashed because I’ve not had a fight at super-featherweight, and I am not in the super-featherweight rankings with the IBF. I was surprised that they were allowing me to fight for it because a few weeks prior the fight had been negotiated and they said ‘no, Josh can’t fight for it [the title].”
However, the opportunity has indeed proved too good to be true and it has now been confirmed that the IBF world title will not be on the line for Warrington. Yet, had Warrington been aware of this decision earlier, he could have debuted in the division and banked a win during the interim to improve his chances of eligibility, with the timing of the IBF’s refusal proving to be the most aggravating part of the fight week drama for the 33-year-old.
“The IBF have obviously pulled the rug and said ‘no, he can’t fight for it’. Am I disappointed? Yes, I am, especially when that is one of the main marbles. I am not taking no smoke away from the IBO but the IBF is one of the main four. I may have dipped for a few hours but now if anything I am even more determined to win.”Carl Froch Predicts Joshua-Dubois And Reveals The Undercard Fighter That Has Caught His Eye
“The IBF are a good group with the weight checks and that, but exceptions are made everywhere throughout the sport, and I feel like the size of the show [should have made this fight one].”
“It is annoying that they couldn’t sort all of this out prior, so that with twelve weeks to go we know what we are dealing with. We started juggling training around to make plans to fight abroad and get this ‘tick over’ fight done with or whatever rules it was that we needed to comply with.”
As stated, the IBO world title will still be on the line for both men, meaning that Warrington can still become a two-division world champion on Saturday night. Meanwhile, Anthony Cacace will still lose the IBF world title if he is trumped by the supposed challenger, with Eduardo Nunez and Masanori Rikishi the men poised to meet for the belt if it were to become vacant.
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Newfound Saudi boxing catalyst Turki Al-Alshikh has staged a plethora of high-profile cards since his plunge into the world of boxing last year and this weekend’s showdown between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois is right up there amongst the most intriguing cards. Now, despite the event being just days away, a further three fights have been confirmed for the fight week.
Al-Alshikh’s first run of boxing cards took place in Riyadh, as the sports’ latest kingpin successfully attempted to promote his country to the rest of the world and display the beauty and brilliance of Saudi Arabia. However, Al-Alshikh has now begun to branch out and stage events in other countries, with the impressive Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov show in Los Angeles kickstarting a new stage in the Al-Alshikh boxing takeover.
For that fight week, Al-Alshikh also introduced a new concept that saw an additional fight card take place during the build-up to the main show, as three fights took place on the iconic Santa Monica Pier in California following Madrimov and Crawford’s open workouts on the Wednesday.
Here, Marc Castro extended his undefeated streak to 13 contests with a technical-decision victory over George Acosta, whilst Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist Shakhram Giyasov edged a split-decision to improve to 16-0 and 20-year-old Nathan Lugo scored a second consecutive knockout win.
Now it has been formally announced that the Joshua-Dubois fight event will follow a similar pattern and that three additional fights will take place once Joshua and Dubois have completed their public workouts.🥊 Announced: A separate three-fight Riyadh Season Card will take place after the Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois public workout tomorrow at Wembley Arena – Cameron Vuong vs Joe Underwood Hughes, Chris Kongo vs Jacob Quinn & Aadam Hamed vs Santiago Garces.
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) September 17, 2024
“Announced: A separate three-fight Riyadh Season Card will take place after the Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois public workout tomorrow at Wembley Arena – Cameron Vuong vs. Joe Underwood Hughes, Chris Kongo vs. Jacob Quinn & Aadam Hamed vs. Santiago Garces.”Carl Froch Predicts Joshua-Dubois And Reveals The Undercard Fighter That Has Caught His Eye
This will be Chris Kongo’s (15-2) second outing of 2024 as he aims to maintain activity after a career-best win against Florian Marku on Easter Sunday, appearing against Huddersfield’s Jacob Quinn (8-4-1) in a welterweight affair.
Meanwhile, 20-year-old Cameron Vuong (5-0) has impressed in his five professional bouts to date and he will look to build on a solid display against Jeff Ofori. He takes on Joe Underwood Hughes (8-3) in a lightweight contest that was originally scheduled to take place on the ever-changing Dalton Smith vs. Jon Fernandez bill (that is now headlined by Rhiannon Dixon vs. Terri Harper) in Sheffield on September 28th.
Finally, the son of legendary featherweight Prince Naseem Hamed, Aadam Hamed (2-0), will fight for a third time against durable 22year-old Colombian Santiago Garces (4-32-5) – who is winless in his last 34 scraps but has only been stopped on three occasions prior.
Those three fights will take place on September 18th at Wembley Arena following the consummation of the public workouts for fighters who appear on the main card, which are scheduled to begin at 5pm and will be available to watch live on the DAZN Boxing YouTube channel.
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Rightly or wrongly, Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson is well-poised to be one of the biggest events of 2024 as fans hope to see shades of the ‘Iron’ Mike of old and a competitive contest between the 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer and the 58-year-old two-time heavyweight champion. However, even those fight fans who scorn at the idea of bringing Tyson back to professional boxing could be tempted to tune in, following yesterday’s announcement of an impressive undercard.
Paul-Tyson has been disapproved by the masses and Tyson’s withdrawal from the bout that was originally scheduled for July was met with relief. Although, it was later revealed that the once ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ would instead fight Paul later in the year, once Tyson had recovered from a stomach ulcer flare-up and was able to properly prepare.
Meanwhile. Paul went ahead with the proposed fight date and faced off with former UFC star Mike Perry – scoring a sixth-round knockout.
Next, Paul will finally take on Tyson in a third outing of the year, whilst Tyson is yet to fight professionally for the first time since a stoppage defeat to Kevin McBride in 2005. As the fight date edges closer, Paul’s promotional outfit ‘Most Valuable Promotions’ have officially revealed the remainder of the main card on their social media.WORLDWIDE ON NETFLIX
Live and free for all 270 million Netflix subscribers (over 550 million homes) globally – from AT&T Stadium, Texas
🥊 Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson 🥊 Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano 🥊 Mario Barrios vs Abel Ramos 🥊 Neeraj Goyat vs Whindersson Nunes… pic.twitter.com/oVwGNS3G3W
— Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) September 17, 2024
“WORLDWIDE ON NETFLIXJosh Warrington To Miss Out On World Title Regardless Of Anthony Cacace Fight Outcome
Live and free for all 270 million Netflix subscribers (over 55 million homes) globally – from AT&T Stadium, TexasJake Paul vs Mike TysonKatie Taylor vs Amanda SerranoMario Barrios vs Abel RamosNeeraj Goyat vs Whindersson Nunes”
India’s Neeraj Goyat (18-4-2) had previously been linked to a showdown with Paul himself after the pair had an altercation earlier this year, only for Gorat to eventually sign with Most Valuable Promotions. This will be Goyat’s first bout since signing with Paul’s promotion and he will take on Brazilian YouTuber and professional boxing debutant Whindersson Nunes, who fought on the undercard of Tommy Fury’s Misfits victory over KSI last October, losing out to My Mate Nate.
Yet, the highlight of the bill for the boxing purists has got to be the rematch between Katie Taylor (23-1) and Amanda Serrano (47-2-1), as they battle it out in a record-breaking encounter for the coveted undisputed super-lightweight title, two-and-a-half years after their legendary meeting at Madison Square Garden.
Additionally, Texas’ own Mario Barrios (29-2) will attempt to make a first defence of his WBC welterweight title in front of a hometown crowd as he meets unlikely challenger Abel Ramos (28-6-2), who is presented with a maiden world title opportunity despite losing in three of his last five fights.
As stated by Most Valuable Promotions, the event will take place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on November 15th, with the full card being available to watch for free live on Netflix as Mike Tyson makes boxing history and Paul seeks to worsen the professional record of one of the sports’ highest profile figures of all-time.
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Daniel Dubois has proved doubters of old wrong by showing tremendous grit to fight through the fire and defeat both Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic within the last twelve months. However, there is one man who proved to be an even harder-fought win for ‘Triple D’ and he has now offered his prediction for Dubois’ showdown with Anthony Joshua.
Dubois collided with Kevin Lerena on the undercard of Tyson Fury’s much-criticized trilogy fight against Derek Chisora back in December 2022, where Dubois was expected to make first defence of his WBA (Regular) heavyweight title with relative ease and score yet another early knockout win.
Whilst the official result of a third-round stoppage victory for the Brit would imply that all went to plan, those who witnessed the scrap will know that such a statement could not be further from the truth.
After purposefully taking a knee against Joe Joyce, Dubois unintentionally hit the canvas for the first time of his career in the opening round of his battle with the South-African, before taking a knee on two more occasions within the first three minutes, citing a knee injury as the reason but still managing to stay within the contest.
Showing the true spirit of a future champion and a glimpse of what was still to come, Dubois was able to recover in the second-round and dismantle Lerena in the third to score a much-needed victory in his most dramatic encounter, securing what turned out to be an unsuccessful shot at Oleksandr Usyk’s unified titles.
Speaking with , Kevin Lerena looked ahead to next weekend’s all-British heavyweight title affair but admitted that he could not pick a winner.
“It is a 50/50 fight.”Edgar Berlanga Insane Fight Night Weight Gain Reported Against Canelo Alvarez
“You have got two big punchers; it is the heavyweight division. A good chin in the heavyweight division is one that doesn’t get hit, both guys can’t afford to take each other’s power punches.”
“My only thing is, leading into this fight, I believe that Daniel has had better fight preparation in the sense of Jarrell Miller, then Hrgovic and also Usyk, whilst ‘AJ’ has had Usyk, Jermaine Franklin, [Robert Helenius,] Otto Wallin and Ngannou. I wouldn’t say that the opponents have been better but I believe that “the matching in Daniel Dubois’ corner has been better preparation [than Joshua’s].”
“I think that it could be a fight of two halves in the sense of both guys going down, both guys can punch, I have never
“The one thing I can say is that the one who wins this fight is the chin that doesn’t get chinned the most.”
Joshua-Dubois will take place at Wembley Stadium on September 21st, topping a blockbuster card that features a host of top-quality British talent.
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Two-time featherweight champion Josh Warrington thought he was stepping up in weight to challenge for Anthony Cacace’s IBF super-featherweight world title on the Joshua-Dubois undercard this Saturday night. However, the challenger will be unable to claim the Ulsterman’s title, even if he was to come out on top this weekend.
Warrington edged out a split-decision victory to dethrone Lee Selby at Elland Road back in 2018 and would go on to make impressive title defences against Carl Frampton and Kid Galahad to cap off a trio of high-octane domestic dustups. Instead, ‘The Leeds Warrior’ opted to vacate the belt after frustrations that a unification contest against WBA champion Xu Can would not be sanctioned, before suffering a shock knockout defeat to then-unknown Mexican Mauricio Lara.
After his rematch with Lara was cut short by a head clash, the Yorkshireman would return to the featherweight throne the following year, scoring a knockout win in a rematch with Spain’s Kiko Martinez, who had stopped Galahad a few months prior to claim the belt.
Yet, Warrington has lost in back-to-back title bouts since, first losing his world title to Luis Alberto Lopez before an unsuccessful challenge for Leigh Wood’s WBA strap last year.
After one win in five contests and moving up in weight, the announcement that Warrington would have a shot at Cacace’s 130lb world title was understandably met with raised eyebrows. Although, the fans have not been the only ones critiquing the proposed world title contest and the IBF have refused to approve Warrington as a challenger, The Daily Star reports.
“The Leeds Warrior – who has twice reigned as IBF featherweight champion – is stepping up a division to take on the Irishman next weekend at Wembley Stadium. But the IBF have so far refused to ratify Warrington as a challenger because he has not fought in the 9st 4lb division in over a decade and has never been ranked.
“The card – which is headlined by Daniel Dubois defending the IBF heavyweight title against Anthony Joshua – is being backed by Saudi-funded Riyadh Season. Those involved are still petitioning the IBF to sanction the bout as a first defence for Cacace, who beat Joe Cordina to claim the title in May.“Canelo Alvarez Names Next Target After Defeating Edgar Berlanga
It has now been confirmed that the IBF will not sanction the bout, as explained by Jake Donovan.
“IBF has offered clarity on Cacace Warrington. Bout is NON-TITLE fight, approved optional fight for Cacace in lieu of mandatory vs Nunez.
“Cacace will be stripped of title if he loses this weekend. With a win, he MUST face Nunez within 180 days. This is his one-time exception.”
Turki Al-Alshikh had been hoping that the IBF allow Warrington to challenge for the belt to maintain the strength of the Joshua-Dubois undercard, particularly after he was forced to find a replacement for Liam Smith in what many deemed to be the highlight of the bill aside from the main-event.
Joshua-Dubois takes place on Saturday night (21st September) at Wembley Stadium, London as ‘AJ’ aims to become the fifth three-time heavyweight champion of all-time, whilst a plethora of Great Britain’s greatest talents hope to steal the show on a stellar undercard at the record-breaking event.
IBF heavyweight world champion Daniel Dubois is gearing up for a defining moment in his career as he prepares to make a first defence of his world title against long-standing poster boy of British boxing, Anthony Joshua. Now, with all eyes on ‘Triple D’, one of his former stablemates has revealed details of a shocking spar that he and the fan-favourite knockout artist
Dubois received heaps of criticism for taking a knee during his stoppage defeat against Joe Joyce back in 2020 and the young prospect acted quick during the aftermath to split from trainer Martin Bowers and move in a different direction, appointing Mark Tibbs as his lead cornerman.
However, after just three months together, Dubois then decided to move on without even having a fight under Tibbs, instead opting to train under Shane McGuigan.
Although, those three months were enough for Dubois to cross paths with a then inexperienced super-middleweight named John Hedges, who now holds the Southern Area light-heavyweight title.
Speaking with , Hedges detailed the time that he accidentally punched Dubois in the face during a body spar.
“Me and him got on really well, as it goes. We were training together for about three months down at Newlands at the time, still under [Mark] Tibbs’ banner. It was one of them things, it was a freak accident. I’ll be honest with you, I was scared. I was trying to defend myself but he is a big man. Believe it or not, even if you duck to hit him, his head is still there.Liam Smith Replacement Confirmed As Josh Kelly Set To Remain On Joshua-Dubois Undercard
“He has got a big head on him, Joshua will know that when he gets into the ring with him but I accidentally hit him on the way out trying to defend myself and I had to try and call the spar off. It carried on and I was going ‘Daniel please, I didn’t mean to!’. There was no malice in it but it is one of them ones, it is boxing, Daniel is a gentleman and he is a very good man.”
“It was nice just to get the rounds in, I just wanted the experience. I think I was just a super-middleweight at the time, it is crazy.”
Dubois is now working with Don Charles, ditching McGuigan after two years in May 2023, but the improvements have been there for all to see, despite losing to Oleksandr Usyk in their first bout as a duo.
ll IBF heavyweight world champion.
Although, as a consequence of Dubois winning his belt outside of the ring, the 27-year-old still has it all to prove when he takes on ‘AJ’ in two weeks’ time at Wembley Stadium, in what looks set to be a famous night for British boxing.
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In the eyes of many, Jai Opetaia has established himself as the top dog in the cruiserweight division over the last twelve months. Now the Australian is seeking to make the first defence of his second reign as IBF world champion but the man in the opposing corner, Jack Massey, believes he can exploit a chink in the armour of the undefeated title-holder.
A former IBO cruiserweight world champion, ‘One Smack’ Massey has always proven to be fearless when selecting opponents with the two defeats of his career coming against Richard Riakporhe and Joseph Parker, the latter being an unconventional and temporary step-up to heavyweight, but his meeting with Opetaia looks set to be the toughest test of the lot.
Although, Massey has already sprung one upset this year, that coming against Isaac Chamerlain on the Billam-Smith-Riakporhe undercard to claim the EBU European title and surge up the cruiserweight rankings, earning this world title shot on the blockbuster Beterbiev-Bivol card.
Speaking with Boxing News, Massey explained why he believes he can shock the world and put an end to Opetaia’s unbeaten streak, regardless of the fact that he is yet to experience a fight against a southpaw in his 24 professional outings to date.
“It is a very, very tough fight. It’s the first southpaw that I have come across in my professional career, but I have got Joe [Gallagher] in my corner and I have got a good corner team, we are working on things in camp and we have got a great game plan.
“He’s a very, very tough opponent and we have got a really tough night ahead of us but I am very confident of going in there and beating this guy. I am not turning up for no paydays, people know that anyway because I have said it in the past with the Parker fight.”Carl Froch Predicts Joshua-Dubois And Reveals The Undercard Fighter That Has Caught His Eye
“I believe that he is the best in the cruiserweight division, I think that he is at the top and that he is the best of the bunch. I am there to prove myself, there is no pressure on my side. He is a good fighter, but he has shown a few little leaks here and there with the last [Mairis] Briedis fight.
“I am a good twelve-round fighter, and I come on strong towards the end. I think that is what is going to be in my favour.
“He does like to get into a fight and sometimes, it showed in the last fight, he loads up a little bit too much. I think that is why he tired off during the back end of the fight because he was looking for that knockout and he was loading up, putting everything into his shots. That is when he let Briedis come into the fight, during the back end, but we can only see on the night, things change.”
Massey represents the third Briton that Opetaia has faced within the last year but the Cheshire-based contender will be hopeful that he does not face the same fate as Jordan Thompson and Ellis Zorro on October 12th, after both were brutally knocked out within four rounds.
#JaiOpetaia #JackMassey #CruiserweightChampion #BoxingTitleFight #IBFChampion #JoeGallagher #BoxingUpset #MasseyVsOpetaia #IsaacChamberlain #MairisBriedis #BoxingNews #BoxingStrategy #OpetaiaFight #BritishBoxing #CruiserweightDivision #BoxingFans