Tag: oleksandr usyk

Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev: IBF extends deadline for talks

The IBF has extended the deadline to Jan 31 for beltholder Anthony Joshua and Kubrat Pulev to reach a deal before it goes to purse bid.

Anthony Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev is another step toward reality, according to a report.

The IBF has extended the deadline to Jan 31 for its heavyweight titleholder and mandatory challenger to reach a deal before it goes to purse bid, according to ESPN.com. The original deadline was Jan. 11.

John Wirt of Epic Sports, which handles Pulev, told an IBF official that the sides are “making huge progress.”

“We are very close in my opinion, but the real issue is everyone’s trying to vet offers [from sites] that are coming in from all over,” Wirt told ESPN. com. “The only continents not in play to my knowledge are Antarctica and Australia.”

If Joshua, a unified champion, and Pulev can’t reach an agreement, a purse bid would determine who promotes the fight.

Joshua also holds the WBO title, whose mandatory challenger is Oleksandr Usyk. The former cruiserweight titleholder is expected to fight someone else and then challenge for the title later this year.

Meanwhile, according to Sky Sports, is angling for a showdown with WBC titledholder Deontay Wilder if Wilder gets past Tyson Fury in their rematch on Feb. 22. Wilder and Fury reportedly are set on a third fight regardless of the outcome but Joshua apparently believes he can change those plans.

Wilder said that after his team met with Usyk’s handlers last week, that “we had another meeting to potentially put an offer in to solidfy [a fight with Wilder] before they have even had their fight, and before I have my next fight.”

He went on: “We have to throw a curveball in there. Something that gets Wilder’s attention providing he wins so that he thinks to himself: ‘Even though I have a rematch clause, I’ll see how I can manipulate my contract, get out of it, and fight for the undisputed championship’.”

Joshua lost his three titles (he also is the WBA champion) to Andy Ruiz Jr. in a stunning upset in June but regained them by outpointing Ruiz in December.

Pound-for-pound: The fall of Julian Williams

Julian Williams’ knockout loss to Jeison Rosario on Saturday put a damper on his pound-for-pound hopes.

Julian Williams had said that his goal was to become the No. 1 fighter pound-for-pound. Well, that’s going to be a lot more difficult now.

Williams, who had been an honorable mention on the Boxing Junkie list of best fighters, was knocked out in five rounds by relatively obscure Jeison Rosario to lose his junior middleweight titles Saturday in Philadelphia.

“JRock” probably will get another crack at Rosario because of a rematch clause. However, even a victory would only be a small step toward pound-for-pound supremacy.

Williams rebounded from disappointment before, climbing back to elite status after he was knocked out by Jermall Charlo. But coming back from two knockouts? That’s not easy.

Alas, Williams is off our list after his setback Saturday. Replacing him as an honorable mention is Teofimo Lopez, the unbeaten lightweight titleholder who is coming off a sensational second-round knockout of Richard Commey in December.

Lopez, 22, could face his own Waterloo soon; he’s negotiating to meet Vasiliy Lomachenko, Boxing Junkie’s No. 1 fighter. Of course, a victory would catapult Lopez into the Top 10.

You just never know. Ask Williams.

Check out our pound-for-pound list below. And let us know what you think.

BOXING JUNKIE

POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Vasiliy Lomachenko
  2. Terence Crawford
  3. Canelo Alvarez
  4. Naoya Inoue
  5. Oleksandr Usyk
  6. Gennadiy Golovkin
  7. Errol Spence Jr.
  8. Juan Francisco Estrada
  9. Mikey Garcia
  10. Artur Beterbiev
  11. Josh Taylor
  12. Manny Pacquiao
  13. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai
  14. Leo Santa Cruz
  15. Kosei Tanaka

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Miguel Berchelt, Mairis Briedis, Tyson Fury, Teofimo Lopez, Shawn Porter

Tyson Fury on Oleksandr Usyk: ‘Why would I want to fight him?’

Tyson Fury, the U.K.’s lineal heavyweight champion, continues to dump trash talk all over Usyk, saying he would never fight the Ukrainian.

Tyson Fury is talking about three more fights, including the Deontay Wilder rematch Feb. 22, before leaving boxing and moving on to pro wrestling, or singing, or stand-up comedy, or all of the above.

Whomever he fights and whatever the undisputed multitasker does next, it looks as if Oleksandr Usyk is not a possibility. Usyk is just another Fury punch line.

Fury, the U.K.’s lineal heavyweight champion, continues to dump trash talk all over Usyk, saying he would never fight the Ukrainian.

“Usyk isn’t on the list,’’ Fury told iFL TV during a break from his Las Vegas training camp for the Wilder rematch at the MGM Grand on Fox/ESPN+ pay-per-view. “He’s a no-name. He doesn’t make any money. Why would I want to fight him for?

“He’s a small cruiserweight, a foreigner who doesn’t speak good English, and no one is really interested anyway. I want the big fights that people are interested in, and that ain’t one of them.’’

Ain’t exactly the King’s English, but there was no mistaking what Fury thinks of Usyk, who he has called “some cruiserweight bum.’’

Fury also said he wants to keep the heavyweight belts in the West, meaning the U.K. and United States. Fury, remember, traces his lineal claim back to his Nov. 2015 decision over another Ukrainian, Wladimir Klitschko, then the undisputed heavyweight champion.

After Wilder, Fury says he wants to fight Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. He was asked whether would consider Usyk if he beat Joshua.

“Still, it wouldn’t be a big fight,’’ Fury said. “It’s still a foreigner in a westernized world. The belts are back in the West, and they’re going to stay there.

“For whatever it sounds like, the heavyweight championships should be from Britain or America [and] nowhere else.’’

Sounds like a heavyweight Cold War.

Anthony Joshua’s next foe? Talks with Oleksandr Usyk add to intrigue

Anthony Joshua, his promoter Eddie Hearn and Oleksandr Usyk promoter Alexander Krassyuk met at a London hotel Thursday.

Anthony Joshua, his promoter Eddie Hearn and Oleksandr Usyk promoter Alexander Krassyuk met at a London hotel Thursday. It wasn’t a chance meeting. They were there to talk, and it’s fair to assume they did more than exchange gardening tips.

Joshua posted photos of the three, igniting further speculation about a Joshua-Usyk fight.

“Good to catch up with Eddie Hearn, Alex Krassyuk and 258 Management. Talking all things boxing. #JoshuaVsUsyk”, Joshua said in an Instagram post.

Hearn and Krassyuk also posted comments about the meeting on social media.

“More meetings planning 2020,” Hearn said.

Krassyuk posted: “Interesting talks in London with Eddie Hearn, Anthony Joshua.”

The question is when in 2020. Negotiations for Joshua in a mandatory defense against Kubrat Pulev are ongoing. Deadline for a deal is Jan. 31.

Usyk, a former unified cruiserweight champion who made his heavyweight debut in a victory over Chazz Witherspoon in October, is the mandatory challenger for another one of Joshua’s belts.

If there’s no deal for a Pulev fight, Joshua could turn to Usyk. He then would probably relinquish the belt he would defend against Pulev. There is talk that Joshua vs. Pulev would likely take place in the spring, which has fueled ongoing speculation that Usyk would fight Joseph Parker.

But Joshua’s meeting Thursday is further evidence that he holds most of the pieces to a heavyweight division that is still a puzzle.

Joseph Parker’s promoter: Parker A-side vs. Oleksandr Usyk

Joseph Parker’s promoter is already preparing for possible talks with Oleksandr Usyk, saying Parker deserves the lion’s share of the purse.

Joseph Parker’s promoter is already preparing for possible negotiations for a fight with Oleksandr Usyk, saying that Parker deserves the lion’s share of the total purse.

In what looks to be a trial balloon, David Higgins calls Parker the A-side. The so-called B-side, Higgins says, belongs to Usyk despite credentials that include an Olympic gold medal and a spot among the Top 10 on virtually every pound-for-pound list.

Usyk figures to counter that he has the bigger name and hence deserves the bigger paycheck. After all, Parker has neither Olympic gold nor a mention in the pound-for-pound debate. But talks have to start somewhere and that usually means the media. It’s a place to begin before the bargaining table.

In a sure sign that Higgins expects the fight to happen sometime in 2020, he staked out some early turf, all of which can change once lawyers and networks join the discussion.

“Usyk has not earned his stripes at heavyweight,” Higgins told Sky Sports. “Joseph Parker is the A-side.’’

Higgins, one among many, is waiting on Anthony Joshua’s next move. If Joshua and Kubrat Pulvev agree to a deal for a mandatory defense, Joshua figures to relinquish a belt, opening the way for Parker-Usyk.

Higgins is already seeking some leverage, arguing that Parker fought and lost to Joshua in March 2018 at sold-out Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. He also said that Parker, currently training in Las Vegas for a fight against a yet undisclosed opponent Feb. 29 on a card featuring Mikey-Garcia-Jessie Vargas, lost to Dillian Whyte in front of a capacity crowd at the O2 Arena in London.

“If Usyk wants to share the ring with Parker, I would be expecting 70-30 [in Parker’s favor],’’ Higgins said. “I’ll get ridiculed for that, but listen, Parker has beaten Andy Ruiz, he’s sold out the Principality and the O2.

“He’s a big name in the U.K., so Usyk is the B-side.’’

Expect many sides before anybody hears an opening bell.

Oleksandr Usyk’s co-promoter: Usyk will fight Anthony Joshua in 2020

Anthony Joshua’s next move remains uncertain, yet Oleksandr Usyk’s co-promoter is confident Usyk will still fight Joshua sometime in 2020.

The waiting game for Antony Joshua’s next move continues, yet Oleksandr Usyk’s co-promoter is confident Usyk will still fight Joshua sometime in 2020.

Whether Joshua will relinquish any of his heavyweight belts or show up at Tyson Fury’s training camp as a sparring partner for the Fury-Deontay Wilder rematch is still anybody’s guess. But Alexander Krassyuk says that at some point during the next 12 months Joshua will fight Usyk.

“This is a fact,’’ Krassyuk told Sky Sports. “The question is whether it happens in the next fight or the other. At this stage, we wait for AJ’s decision.’’

Joshua might opt to fight Kubrat Pulev in a mandatory title defense sometime this spring. There are reports that Joshua and Pulev have until Jan. 31 to strike a deal.

If they reach an agreement and Joshua loses his WBO belt as a result, Krassyuk said Usyk will probably fight Joseph Parker instead of Derek Chisora for the vacant title.

“Chisora is impossible for the title,” Krassyuk said. “In case it turns out that the WBO title is vacant, Usyk will be happy to fight for it. And Joseph Parker is the highest available contender.’’

Mairis Briedis-Yuniel Dorticos WBSS final set for March 21 in Latvia

Mairis Briedis will face Yuniel Dorticos in the final of the WBSS on March 21 at the Arena Riga in Riga, Latvia, Briedis’ hometown.

Mairis Briedis will vie for the World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight championship in a familiar locale.

Briedis will face Yuniel Dorticos in the final of the tournament on March 21 at the Arena Riga in Riga, Latvia, Briedis’ hometown. The fight will be streamed on DAZN.

Briedis (26-1, 19 KOs) defeated Noel Gevor by a unanimous decision in the quarterfinals and then stopped Krzysztof Glowacki in three rounds in the semis to reach the WBSS championship match. Dorticos (24-1, 22 KOs) beat Mateusz Masternak by a unanimous decision and knocked out Andrew Tabiti in 10 rounds.

“I’m really looking forward to the final,” said Briedis, the tournament’s No. 1 seed. “It is fantastic for Latvia to be able to host an event of such magnitude. Millions and millions of eyes worldwide will be watching what’s happening at the Arena Riga on fight night.

“It is going to be a thrilling fight as I’m facing one of the very best cruiserweights on the planet. The stake is so high and both of us are only looking for one thing – to win it all.”

Dorticos, a Cuban emigre, is known for his punching power.

“Briedis, you better prepare yourself for war,” said Dorticos, the No. 2 seed. “Let’s give all the fans around the world a spectacular all-time classic. Come fight night you will know why I’m called the ‘KO Doctor’. The Muhammad Ali Trophy has my name engraved already.”

Oleksander Usyk won the inaugural WBSS cruiserweight tournament to establish himself as the top 200-pounder and then moved up to heavyweight. The winner of the March 21 fight also will be seen as the No. 1 cruiserweight.

Briedis lost a majority decision to Usyk in January 2018, which arguably was the toughest fight of Usyk’s career.

Here are the previous winners of the Muhammad Ali Trophy, signifying the tournament champion:

2018-19: Naoya Inoue, bantamweight
2018-19: Josh Taylor, junior welterweight
2017-18: Aleksandr Usyk, cruiserweight
2017-18: Callum Smith, super middleweight

Anthony Joshua, Kubrat Pulev in negotiations for title fight: report

Anthony Joshua, who holds three major heavyweight titles, and IBF mandatory Kubrat Pulev reportedly have set a deadline to make a deal.

It’s looking more and more as if Anthony Joshua will fight Kubrat Pulev next.

Joshua, who holds three of the four major heavyweight titles, and IBF mandatory Pulev reportedly have set a deadline to make a deal.

An IBF spokesperson told Sky Sports, “I have just been told that the Pulev and Joshua camps have asked until January 31 to negotiate.”

Joshua was ordered by both the IBF and WBO, whose titleholder is Oleksandr Usyk, to face his mandatory challengers immediately. Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, has been working with the organizations to come up with a solution that would allow Joshua to keep both belts.

In that process, Pulev seems to have emerge as the favorite to challenge for a title next.

Meanwhile, Oleksandr Usyk, the former cruiserweight champion, reportedly has been offered a fight against longtime contender Dereck Chisora in London. Usyk presumably would fight Joshua if he beats Chisora and Joshua does the same against Pulev, although a lucrative showdown with the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury II winner looms.

Hearn said the working date for Usyk-Chisora in March 28.

Another possibility is that Joshua is forced to vacate the WBO title. Usyk could then face No. 2-ranked Joseph Parker for the vacant title.

Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs) lost to Wladimir Klitschko by a fifth-round knockout in 2014, his only title shot. The 38-year-old Bulgarian was scheduled to challenge Joshua in 2017 but had to pull out because of an injury. He regained his mandatory status by outpointing Hughie Fury in 2018.

Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs) defeated Andy Ruiz Jr. by a wide decision on Dec. 7 to regain the titles Ruiz took from him by knockout in June.

Tyson Fury calls Oleksandr Usyk ‘some cruiserweight bum’

Tyson Fury, angry that the WBO removed him from its rankings, had a nasty exchange with its president on Twitter.

Trash talk is a little bit like breathing for Tyson Fury. He has to do it. Yet, he hasn’t been able to draw Deontay Wilder into the rhetorical fray since their Feb. 22 rematch was announced about 11 days ago.

That’s a surprise, especially for Wilder, who has never been known not to respond. So far, there’s been silence from Wilder. Maybe training camp is keeping him busy. Maybe a reported bout with the flu has affected his vocal chords. Whatever the reason, there’s been hardly a word.

The restless Fury had to look elsewhere. He didn’t have to look for long.

Fury took a shot, a Twitter taunt, at Oleksandr Usyk, calling him “some cruiserweight bum.’’

Fury was angry that one of the acronyms dropped him from its rankings. Fury has a claim on the lineal heavyweight title, but as far as the World Boxing Organization is concerned, he is persona-non-grata. The WBO exiled him from their rankings when he decided to fight Wilder a second time.

The acronyms do this kind of thing all the time and it’s about as dumb as a franchise belt. But let them explain the unexplainable. As far as Fury is concerned, there is no explanation for Usyk being the No. 1 challenger to a belt held by Anthony Joshua after just one heavyweight fight.

WBO president Paco Valcarcel tweeted that his organization would like to see Fury fight emerging heavyweight Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan.

Say no more. Fury finally had another Twitter war.

“Maybe if you hadn’t removed me from number 1 ranked WBO! And put some cruiserweight bum with one fight at heavyweight then you could have a say!’, Fury said in a counter.

Valcarcel replied, which he might come to regret. He’s feeding the beast.

Anyway, Valcarcel said: “Champ we respect you a lot, but you aren’t available… that’s the reason WBO removed you from the rankings. By the way champ, good luck.’’

By the way, the real reason for the removal was that a sanctioning fee is not available.

Joseph Parker ready to fight Usyk for vacant title if Joshua opts for Pulev

Joseph Parker could get a shot at the WBO title if Anthony Joshua opts to fight Kubrat Pulev instead of Oleksandr Usyk.

If Anthony Joshua opts for his IBF mandatory over the No. 1 WBO challenger, Joseph Parker could be the beneficiary.

Joshua has been ordered by both sanctioning bodies to fight their mandatories – Kubrat Pulev (IBF) and Oleksandr Usyk (WBO) – immediately, which means he might have to give up one of his three heavyweight belts.

That would set up a bout between Usyk and WBO No. 2 Parker for that organization’s vacant title.

Parker is tentatively scheduled to fight next month in the United States, although neither an opponent nor a site has been announced. Usyk reportedly is considering a fight with Dereck Chisora while waiting for Joshua’s situation to sort itself out.

“Usyk is a very tough fight,” said David Higgins, Parker’s manager. “He’s a southpaw, he would dissect Anthony Joshua. We know this, but if you’re the better boxer and you get a world title shot, you have an obligation to take it. Joseph being old school will not take a backward step, so if that does happen, Joseph will be straight in and he’ll fight Usyk.

“Usyk is a very skilled professional. I respect him and his manager, but it would be a good fight. Hopefully, we might see that this year.”

Parker (26-2, 20 KOs) was scheduled to fight Chisora on the Josh Taylor-Regis Prograis card Oct. 26 in London but pulled out because of what he said was a spider bite.

The Kiwi, who held the WBO title between 2016 and 2018, recovered after a few weeks and wanted to reschedule the Chisora fight before the end of 2019 but the fight didn’t materialize. Thus, Parker will have been out of the ring for seven months if he fights in February.

“Chisora spent two years calling out Joe and now he’s running a mile, so it’s a bit silly really,” Higgins said. “Joe fights the man in front of him and he would fight Chisora tomorrow, but Chisora has gone from wanting to fight to a U-turn.

“I’m not sure about the Usyk-Chisora thing. Joseph would fight either of them.”

Parker stopped Alexander Flores and then Alex Leapai after losing consecutive decisions to Anthony Joshua (who took his title) and Dillian Whyte.