Boxing
Anthony Joshua set for trilogy with Andy Ruiz, the first boxer to beat him
Following the cancellation of the proposed fight with Dillian Whyte over dope issues, Anthony Joshua could face former rival Andy Ruiz Jr who was the first boxer to knock him down in his professional career.
The original bout collapsed as the Whyte failed a drug test for the third time in his career, denying him the chance to avenge his 2015 loss and forcing Joshua to find an emergency stand-in.
As Joshua’s camp scramble to fix a replacement a surprise contender emerged in the form of Andy Ruiz Jr.
The American pulled off one of boxing’s biggest ever upsets when he beat Joshua at Madison Square Garden in 2019, but lost on points in a rematch to the Joshua just six months later.
Now Ruiz is eyeing up a trilogy fight with AJ after Saturday’s bout was cancelled following an ‘adverse finding’ in one of Whyte’s drugs tests.
The Destroyer said on Instagram: ‘Eddie Hearn, Joshua, I think I’ve found a new replacement – again!
‘Let’s run it back. Let’s get the trilogy. Let’s get it.’
It will be recalled that Ruiz Jr, then also a last minute replacement, stopped Joshua in the seventh round to become world heavyweight champion but lost his belts after Joshua’s points win in Saudi Arabia.
He has since fought veterans Luis Ortiz and Chris Arreola but is eyeing a return to the big leagues.
Currently Gerald Washington is the frontrunner to land the Joshua fight, as reported by Sun Sport, but Ruiz will hope his history with the Joshua may tip the scales in his favour.
Whyte has vowed to prove his innocence and released a statement about his failed test that said: ‘I am shocked and devastated to learn of a report by VADA of adverse findings relating to me.
‘I only learned of it this morning and am still reacting to it.
‘I have also just seen the fight is being cancelled without having any chance to demonstrate my innocence before the decision was taken.
‘I can confirm without a shadow of a doubt that I have not taken the reported substance, in this camp or at any point in my life.
‘I am completely innocent and ask to be given the time to go through the process of proving this without anybody jumping to conclusions or a trial by media.’
This is the third time he has failed a drug test in his career as the Body Snatcher was banned for two years after testing positive for a prohibited stimulant in 2012.
He also tested positive for metabolites of the anabolic steroid Dianabol in 2019 but was exonerated of any wrongdoing by UKAD due to the ‘extremely low’ levels of the drug found in his system.
Oleksandr Usyk will put his WBC heavyweight title belt on the line against Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven on May 23 at Egypt’s Pyramids of Giza, Ring Magazine announced on Friday.
The Ukrainian three-times undisputed champion holds the IBF, WBA and WBC titles after vacating the WBO belt.
The 39-year-old has not boxed since beating Britain’s Daniel Dubois at London’s Wembley Stadium last July.
“I respect his (Verhoeven’s) journey – he’s truly the ‘King of Kickboxing’. But this is boxing – a different game, with its own rules and its own kings,” said Usyk, who has a 24-0 record.
“I’m ready and looking forward to meeting him in the ring. It’s going to be a unique experience for both of us, and I know the fans are excited too. A big night is coming.”
The ‘Glory in Giza’ fight will be streamed live on DAZN.
“I spent 12 years as the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion and accomplished everything I set out to accomplish,” Verhoeven, 36, told The Ring.
“But staying at the top for that long didn’t take away from the hunger; it strengthened it. Usyk is the undisputed champion in boxing. That’s the kind of challenge that motivated me. Undisputed versus undisputed.”
Verhoeven has sparred in the past with former champion Tyson Fury and had one professional bout in 2014, which he won by a knockout.
-Reuters
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Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will face off in a professional rematch at the Sphere in Las Vegas in September, with the bout streaming globally on Netflix, the fighters and promoters announced on Monday.
The fight marks Mayweather’s return from retirement and will be the first professional boxing match held at the Sphere.
Mayweather, who holds a perfect 50-0 record with 27 knockouts, defeated Pacquiao in their 2015 encounter dubbed the “Fight of the Century.”
That bout generated a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys and a $72 million live gate at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
“I already fought and beat Manny once. This time will be the same result,” Mayweather said in a statement.
Pacquiao, whose record stands at 62-8-3 with 39 knockouts, expressed confidence he would hand Mayweather his first professional loss.
“I want Floyd to live with the one loss on his professional record and always remember who gave it to him,” the Filipino fighter said.
The rematch will stream to Netflix’s more than 325 million subscribers worldwide, continuing the platform’s push into live boxing.
The streaming platform has recently broadcast several high-profile fights, including Jake Paul versus Mike Tyson, which the company said drew 108 million live global viewers
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Former multi-weight world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather will come out of retirement this year for his first official fight in nearly a decade, his new promotion CSI Sports/Fight Sports said on Friday, though his opponent has yet to be decided.
Before his official return, Mayweather is set for an exhibition bout with fellow boxing great Mike Tyson, with the date and venue still to be announced.
“I still have what it takes to set more records in the sport of boxing – from my upcoming Mike Tyson event to my next professional fight afterwards – no one will generate a bigger gate, have a larger global broadcast audience and generate more money with each event – than my events,” Mayweather, 48, said in a statement on his new promotion’s website.
It will mark the American’s fourth comeback from retirement, following previous exits in 2007, 2015 and 2017 — the last after beating Conor McGregor to extend his record to 50-0. He has, however, fought several exhibitions since.
Across a three-decade career, Mayweather defeated many of his era’s top fighters and headlined the three highest‑grossing bouts in history, against Manny Pacquiao, McGregor and Canelo Alvarez.
-Reuters
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