Boxing
PROMOTER WANTS ANTHONY JOSHUA TO VACATE WORLD TITLES
Boxing promoter, Frank Warren has advised Anthony Joshua to give up his four world heavyweight title belts and wait to face the winner of either Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder.
Undefeated heavyweight rivals Wilder and Fury have confirmed they will meet again on February 22 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, in a repeat of their thrilling draw back in 2018.
Joshua regained his WBA, IBF and WBO belts from Andy Ruiz Jr on December 7, 2019.
He now faces a mandatory defence of his IBF title against Kubrat Pulev from Bulgaria, which could possibly be staged in March.
But Warren believes Joshua is so vulnerable to another shock defeat against a lesser opponent that he is better off staying out of the ring until he can fight the winner of Fury vs Wilder, and finally prove once and for all who is the number one heavyweight in boxing.
Speaking on Monday’s Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast, Fury’s promoter said: “Joshua did tremendously well to get his titles back after losing them in such bad fashion, he came back and did what he had to do.
“But he did it against a guy who didn’t even train!
“If I was him, I’d be looking for that big mega fight, let’s find out who is the number one in the world.
“I would love to see the winner of Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder in with Anthony Joshua.
“If I was AJ I would sit tight, let them fight and then fight the winner.
“That’s what I’d do. Get everybody around the table, get rid of all their obligations, their mandatories and their rematch clauses and make the fight the fans want to see.
“We’ve all got an opinion who is number one, but let’s see who is the number one, let’s find out, let’s get the real deal done.
“I’m not interested in Joshua sparring with Tyson as he volunteered to do, I’m interested in him getting in the ring with Tyson.
“That’s what matters. That’s where it counts.”
Speaking recently about his future plans, Joshua talked about the possibility of having to vacate one of his titles, and revealed just how many fights he has left in his career.
He told Sky Sports: “14 or 15 – that would take me to 35, 40 fights maybe
“I would hate it [to vacate one of his titles] because it’s so hard to go round and collect all these belts, it’s really difficult and I’ve kept hold of them for so many years.
“So to have to vacate because of the boxing politics would be annoying, but there’s things that are out of my control.
“If I do lose one, I know I’ll be able to get it back.”
U.S. immigration authorities have arrested Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in Los Angeles and plan to deport him, they said on Thursday, just days after he lost a high-profile bout to American rival Jake Paul.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Chavez was determined to be in the country illegally last week after he made fraudulent statements on a 2024 application for permanent residence. He is married to a U.S. citizen, it said.
Michael Goldstein, a lawyer for Chavez, said more than two dozen immigration agents arrested the boxer at his home in the Studio City area of Los Angeles on Wednesday.
“The current allegations are outrageous and appear to be designed as a headline to terrorize the community,” Goldstein said.
Homeland Security said that the 39-year-old boxer, son of Mexican world champion fighter Julio Cesar Chavez, is suspected of ties to Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel, which Washington has designated a foreign terrorist organization.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. speaks at press conference in anticipation of his fight against Jake Paul at Avalon Hollywood Theater. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images/File Photo
His wife, Frida Munoz Chavez, was previously married to the son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who is serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison. The son, Edgar, was assassinated in 2008.
Chavez is the target of a Mexican arrest warrant on allegations of involvement in organized crime and firearms trafficking, DHS said.
In Mexico, Chavez’ family said in a statement they “fully trust in his innocence.”
Chavez lost to influencer-turned-boxer Paul, 28, last weekend before a sold-out crowd in Anaheim, California, in a unanimous decision after 10 rounds.
He was allowed to enter the United States temporarily in early January under former President Joe Biden, DHS said. He had previously overstayed a tourist visa, it said.
The agency said Chavez was convicted in Los Angeles in 2024 on weapons charges. Goldstein denied he was convicted, saying he pleaded not guilty and was granted mental health diversion which will result in dismissal of the charges.
Chavez won the WBC middleweight championship in 2011, but lost the title the next year.
His career has been overshadowed by controversies including a suspension after testing positive for a banned substance in 2009 and a fine and suspension after testing positive for marijuana in 2013.
His record stands at 54 wins, six losses and one draw, with 34 knockouts.
Reporting by Brendan O’Brien and Bhargav Acharya, Lizbeth Diaz, Angelica Medina, Diego Ore and Kylie Madry in Mexico City, Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Bill Berkrot
-Reuters
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Manny Pacquiao will come out of retirement to face Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship on July 19 in Las Vegas, the 46-year-old Filipino boxer said on Wednesday.
Pacquiao is the only boxer to win world championships in a record eight weight divisions while he was also the oldest welterweight world champion in history at the age of 40 in 2019.
A Filipino senator from 2016 to 2022, Pacquiao had retired from boxing in 2021 while he also ran for president in 2022.
“I’m back. On July 19, I return to the ring to face WBC Welterweight Champion Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Let’s make history,” Pacquiao wrote on Instagram.
The southpaw, who has 62 wins, eight losses and two draws in a 72-fight career, was also elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025.
Barrios, a Mexican-American boxer, has 29 wins in 32 bouts, winning 18 by knockout and losing twice.
-Reuters
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The body of Segun Olanrewaju, the Nigerian boxer who slumped and died in the ring in Ghana on Saturday is still in a mortuary in Ghana. The President of the Nigerian Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C), Dr Rafiu Oladipo, informed Sports Village Square that an autopsy will be conducted on Wednesday.
He said that the NBB of C is closely monitoring the events in Ghana, even as the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade has asked for updates on the sad incident.
On Monday, a delegation of the NBB of C visited the family of the late boxer in Sango Otta in Ogun State. Oladipo said he was still in shock at the death of the boxer who he considered fit having fought last December 29.
He revealed that one of the members of the Nigerian delegation to Ghana stayed behind to follow up on the autopsy.
He narrated that the late boxer took part on Thursday in the mandatory weigh-in which is normally conducted 24 hours before a fight. Additionally, a medical check-up is also to be conducted.
“But in this instance, there was no medical check. On this ground, Oladipo blamed the Ghana Boxing Authority.
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