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Tag: Joshua

  • Joshua turned down N29b Wilder bout, reveals Fury

    Anthony Joshua turned down a staggering $80 million (N29 billion) offer for two fights with Deontay Wilder, according to heavyweight rival Tyson Fury.

    Fury, speaking in a recent interview ahead of his showdown with Wilder in December, said he and his lawyer had seen details of the offer from a prominent boxing promoter Al Haymon.

    Fury said: “I know some quite close details on that.

    “The details are: Wilder’s team offered Joshua’s team $80 million for a two-fight deal.

    “$50 million for the first fight and $30 million for the rematch if Joshua lost. And they declined that.

    “And my lawyer, Robert Davis, he saw proof of funds from Al Haymon.

    “So Eddie Hearn and his chum buddies can say all this, that and the other. But I know the truth because proof of funds was seen.”

    Anthony Joshua holds the International Boxing Federation (IBF), International Boxing Organization (IBO), World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Organisation (WBO) heavyweight titles and is set to fight again April 13th next year, at Wembley Stadium in London while Wilder will face lineal champion Tyson Fury at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California on December 1.

  • Sugar Ray Leonard: Joshua, Wilder fight made in heaven

    SUGAR RAY LEONARD believes Anthony Joshua’s defining fight would be against Deontay Wilder.  And the ring great has urged the British heavyweight star to travel to America to become a global superstar.

    WBA, IBF, IBO and WBO champion Joshua wants to face WBC title holder Wilder at Wembley in April after their teams failed to agree on a deal for them to meet this year.

    Big-hitting Wilder is now risking his unbeaten record against Tyson Fury on December 1 in LA. But Leonard – ringside for Joshua’s win over Alexander Povetkin last month – feels the Brit taking on Wilder would be like when he returned to the ring in 1987 to beat ferocious middleweight, Marvin Hagler.

    The American said: “It’s a fight made in heaven.  It would be up there with all the heavyweight fights in history. The numbers would be incredible. The reason I came back was that I wanted to fight the best in Marvelous Marvin Hagler.

    “Hagler was the last one I wanted to go up against so I made sure it happened. It’s kind of a stamp of approval, people remember how you fared against the power.”

    Five-weight world champion Leonard believes Joshua needs to make the trip across the Atlantic if he wants to be remembered as a world great.

  • Video: Anthony Joshua knocks out Povetkin

    Nigerian born British boxer, Anthony Joshua has beaten his mandatory challenger, Russia’s Alexander Povetkin by a knockout in the seventh round, to keep hold of the WBA, (Super) IBF, WBO and IBO belts.

    Joshua born by Nigerian parents, beat the Russian at the Wembley Stadium on Saturday night, to hand the Russian, his first knockout defeat in his professional boxing career.

    Joshua was very brutal punching Povetkin in the closing rounds, although Jovetkin too had gotten the better of him in the earlier rounds.

    After two slower opening rounds, Joshua found his range in that fight. And it was a series of accurate combinations which did it in the seventh round, first with an overhand right and then some big lefts.

    His win has improved his professional career to 22 fights unbeaten, 21 of the fights by knockout.

    Joshua is expected to earn £20 million and Povetkin £6 million.

    Watch the knockout punch:

    On Joshua’s next opponent, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said: “If it’s not Deontay Wilder it’ll be Dillian Whyte. Our sole focus is on AJ being the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.”

  • Joshua heavier than Povetkin at title weigh-in

    Britain’s world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will be over a stone heavier than his veteran Russian opponent Alexander Povetkin when he defends his title at Wembley today.

    Joshua — whose International Boxing Federation (IBF), World Boxing Association(WBA) and World Boxing Organisation(WBO) titles will be on the line — weighed in yesterday at 17 stone 8 pounds (111.5 kilogrammes), whilst 39-year-old Povetkin tipped the scales at 15st 12lbs.

    Joshua, 28, admitted to feeling under “tons of pressure” as he returns to the scene of arguably his greatest triumph, an 11th-round stoppage of former champion Wladimir Klitschko last year.

    Joshua, the 2012 Olympic champion in London, comes into today’s contest — with 80,000 spectators expected — having won all 21 of his professional bouts, although his last fight, against New Zealand’s Joseph Parker in Cardiff in March, saw him go the distance for the first time as a pro before he secured a unanimous points decision.

    Povetkin, like Joshua a former Olympic champion with his moment of glory coming in Athens in 2004, served notice of his punching power on the undercard of that bout, with a sickening knockout of Britain’s David Price.

    The only blemish on the Russian’s 35-fight record is a 2013 points defeat by Klitschko.

    Also after engaging in an icy final stare-down, Alexander Povetkin is feeling “no pressure” ahead of today’s heavyweight clash with Anthony Joshua.

    Povetkin cut a relaxed and confident figure at the weigh-in with little concern about coming in the much lighter man.

    “It’s a very comfortable and good weight for me, I feel great,” he said, via a translator.

    “I didn’t see anything in his [Joshua’s] eyes. I have prepared for speed and power.

    “I’m very calm, I feel no pressure and am very happy about this fight taking place so soon.

    “It’s very pleasant for me to see fans of mine here in England rooting for me.

    “I don’t make predictions, it will be an interesting and thrilling fight.”

    Despite the sizeable weight advantage, unified champion Joshua insists he is agile enough to bring up his 22nd professional victory.

    “He’s going to be quick, going to be fast, so I’ll put on my dancing shoes and be fast with my feet,” Joshua told Sky Sports.

    “I’m a physical, strong guy, who knows how to box,” said Povetkin.

  • Joshua: Forget Povetkin, I want ‘big gun’ Wilder

    Anthony Joshua has admitted he is looking past upcoming opponent Alexander Povetkin with eyes on a huge mega-fight against Deontay Wilder, stating he’d be “very annoyed” if a deal couldn’t be agreed on.

    Joshua wants Wilder to accept a $15 million offer to face him to decide the undisputed world heavyweight champion, in front of a 100,000 crowd at Wembley Stadium on April 13, 2019.

    The fight could generate up to $100 million and would be the first time all four major world heavyweight titles will be on the line.

    Joshua (21-0, 20 KOs), 28, hopes victory over Povetkin on Sept. 22 leads to an even bigger clash with Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs), 32, despite talks stalling with the WBC champion.

    “Me and Wilder is the best fight in the division right now, not me and Povetkin,” Joshua said. “The deal to fight Wilder is still on the table, if it was written off I’d be very annoyed.

    “We were working on the fight before I beat Carlos Takam, then it was Joseph Parker and it still hasn’t happened… and now it’s Povetkin.

    “But I want the big one, I am looking past Povetkin now. I want the big guns. I am going to walk through Povetkin and for Wilder the date and location are here.

    “For the past seven months, I have found out what he wants in a contract, what he doesn’t want in a contract.

    “He’s had 40 training camps, and even if you knock each opponent in a round you have still gone through hundreds of rounds in your camps, miles and miles on the clock with all the running and with the body wear and tear — he’s been a professional since 2009.

    “That makes it a 10-year professional career, that is a long time, he’s been hurt by a lot of fighters on the way, all the sparring.

    “So what does that make? Two maybe three years left?

    “Ultimately put finances aside but if you believe you are better than me and you have the chance to prove it here in the UK — it’s not just a UK thing it’s about global.

    “Why would you not fight me if you believe you can beat me in this type of an event?”

  • Joshua: I have 10 more years left in boxing

    Anthony Joshua declared his fight with Alexander Povetkin is the start of a new chapter in his career and believes he has 10 more years in boxing.

    The WBA-IBF-WBO world heavyweight champion faces Povetkin at Wembley Stadium, where there is expected to be a sell-out crowd of 90,000 on September 22.

    Joshua (21-0, 20 KOs), 28, turned professional after winning an Olympic gold medal in 2012 and still lives in north London, not far from Wembley.

    “This is a new chapter in my career,” Joshua told a press conference at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday.

    “I think I’ve got 10 years left in boxing and I want to cement my legacy.

    “Because of science and information, I can go on that long. Bernard Hopkins did it. My friend Wladimir Klitschko went on until he was 40, Floyd Mayweather Jr did and I believe I can do it as well.

    “It’s not ‘him, him, him’ for me anymore. I have to look at the end goal.

    “I feel like I am back in a tournament like it was in the amateurs or the Olympics. I have to get past people like Povetkin to fulfil my legacy.”

    It will be Joshua’s seventh, third and first title defences of the IBF, WBA and WBO belts respectively.

    Povetkin (34-1, 24 KOs), 38, from Russia, will be the best opponent Joshua has faced other than Ukraine’s Wladimir Klitschko, whom he knocked out in the 11th round in front of 90,000 fans at Wembley last year.

    During the conference, Joshua was once again asked about a possible fight with American Deontay Wilder (40-0, 39 KOs), the WBC titleholder, after talks between the pair broke down before the end of the year.

    “It seems there’s always a lot going on around my fights, noise about who is next,” Joshua said.

    “I try to deal with these things. I’ve been fighting for ten years now and I’ve always done it for fun. Now I’m dead serious about this business and this is chapter two for me and Povetkin is first on my list.”

  • Revealed! Joshua to Face Povetkin Sept 22

    Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed that the mandatory fight between Anthony Joshua and the dangerous Alexander Povetkin has been fixed.

    “We’re fighting Povetkin in September and we’re looking at multiple venues and dates,” Hearn said Wednesday night.

    “We have a deal with Povetkin agreed to, but it’s not signed yet,” he added.

    Hearn further revealed that the fight will take place September 22 or 29, at one of London’s major stadiums, Wembley, Twickenham or London Olympic Stadium.

    Povektin has won 8 straight fights since his lone defeat to Wladimir Klitschko in 2013, but has had some recent problems testing positive for performance enhancing drugs.

    Talking about the impending match-up between Joshua and Povektin, Hearn describes it as:

    “Massive danger. I don’t like the fight,” Hearn said. “I think it’s a mad fight to take with the Wilder fight at the door, but that’s AJ. He thinks him and Povetkin is a great fight, a great statement and he’s one of the best heavyweights. He’s not taking easy touches waiting for Wilder. By fighting these guys, Wilder can’t say he’s afraid to fight him.”

    Hearn maintains that if Wilder really still wants to fight Joshua then they can target an April 2019 fight in the U.K.

  • Boxing: Wilder insults Joshua

    WBC world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder has branded Anthony Joshua and his promoter Eddie Hearn “cowards”.

    On Tuesday, it emerged Joshua had been ordered by the WBA to agree a deal to face Russia’s Alexander Povetkin.

    The move means any bout between Joshua – who also holds the IBF and WBO belts – and Wilder, looks set to be delayed.

    In an expletive-laden tweet, Wilder said: “You’re not a true champion‼ You’re just a weak minded coward that’s holding hard metal. #Facts.”

    He continued: “All they had to do is say they were scared to fight. Period. But instead they made themselves look like what they are, not stand up guys.

    “I’m so happy it’s over now I’ve done my part.”

    Any bout between Joshua, 28, and Wilder, 32, would see the winner become the first man in history to hold all four heavyweight world titles.

    It would also prove to be one of the most lucrative in the sport’s history and Wilder’s series of tweets contained insults about both Joshua and promoter Hearn.

    He said Joshua and Hearn had “led boxing fans on for three months”, adding they “never wanted this fight”.

    Povetkin knocked out David Price in March to become mandatory challenger. He has 34 wins from 35 bouts with his one defeat coming against Wladimir Klitschko in 2013.

  • Joshua enjoys Motocross ride ahead of Povetkin deal

    Anthony Joshua is currently making the most of his break from boxing by trying out other adventurous sports.

    After enjoying a bike ride around the streets of London the other day, Joshua went one step further on Monday afternoon.

    Joshua, the unified WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titlist, tried out the sport Motocross, a form of motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits.

    Joshua took to Instagram to post a photo of himself wearing protective gear while posing next to the motorbike, accompanied by the caption: ‘Balanced lifestyle #UKBikeLife’.

    While Joshua is out and about enjoying some quality time off, Eddie Hearn is busy trying to arrange the 28-year-old’s next heavyweight fight, with Alexander Povetkin in the pipeline.

    Hearn believes Povetkin would be the toughest opponent Joshua has faced, with the promoter branding the impending heavyweight showdown an ‘incredible risk’.

    Joshua is locked in discussions with WBC king Deontay Wilder over a money-spinning mega-fight to crown the first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis.

    But AJ is likely to face Povetkin next, with a deal for him to meet his WBA mandatory challenger in September expected to be finalised soon.

    The Russian, who last fought on the undercard of Joshua’s win over Joseph Parker in March, has lost only once as a professional – to Wladimir Klitschko in 2013.

    ‘It’s an incredibly risky fight – it might be a little bit of a mad fight to take before Wilder, but that’s Joshua,’ Hearn said on Thursday.

    ‘He doesn’t care. He wants a challenge; he doesn’t want easy fights.’

  • Hearn to strike deal for Joshua, Wilder unification fight

    Promoter Eddie Hearn hopes to be able to make a deal for a unification fight between heavyweight champions Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder when he is in New York next week.

    Hearn is waiting to hear from WBC champion Wilder over a showdown with British fighter Joshua, who holds the IBF, WBA and WBO titles.

    It is hoped, though, a deal – with a reported fee of some 12.5million US dollars (£8.8million) said to be on the table – can be thrashed out to get both heavyweights into the ring sooner rather than later.

    ‘We made an offer last week. We haven’t heard from them yet. There’s been a bit of talking behind the scenes,’ Hearn said on Sky Sports News.

    ‘We are in New York next week for the Danny Jacobs fight and Katie Taylor unification. I’m going to look to meet up with them in New York, get face to face with them, look into the white of their eyes, and just see if we can make a deal. We have made an offer that we feel is substantial, if not, we’re happy to talk about the numbers and look at their ideas as well.’

    Joshua has been told by the WBA he must put his ‘super’ belt on the line against contender Alexander Povetkin. Hearn admitted that situation had made on-going negotiations with the American’s camp more complicated.

    ‘Anthony’s made it clear – that’s the fight he wants next, the Deontay Wilder fight,’ Hearn added.

    ‘With these mandatories coming up as well, Povetkin, and the possible IBF mandatory, I’ve said before there are not many opportunities to make an undisputed fight. Really the focus is for us to make the Deontay Wilder fight next.

    ‘If not, it has to be the one after, and we’ll have to deal with a mandatory in the meantime. It could be Alexander Povetkin. Generally, from AJ’s side, from our side, from the team’s side, the Wilder fight is one we have no problems with at all. We’ve just got to find the right deal and we’ll be trying to do that next week in New York.’