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Whyte wants Joshua showdown

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Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte

British heavyweight Dillian Whyte is targeting a ‘trilogy’ fight with Anthony Joshua as he vows to retire his bitter rival.

The heavyweight duo first clashed on the amateur circuit 16-years ago, as ‘The Bodysnatcher’ claimed a points victory over a novice Joshua who hadn’t long had his first contest when the pair met.

Their bitter feud was reignited in December 2015 when ‘AJ’ captured the vacant British heavyweight title with an explosive 7th-round knockout victory over Whyte, who had rocked Joshua in the second round before eventually suffering the first defeat of his professional career.

Their highly anticipated rematch was due to happen in August 2023, but was cancelled after Whyte returned an adverse finding in a doping test. Finnish heavyweight Robert Helenius stepped in and was knocked out in seven rounds. Whyte was later cleared to box after an investigation found it was a contaminated supplement that caused the findings.

Joshua is expected to return to the ring for the first time since suffering a shock knockout defeat to IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois last September, with Whyte putting himself forward to face his rival as he vows to finally send him into retirement.

Speaking to Sky Sports Boxing, ‘The Bodysnatcher’ welcomed the idea of facing the 35-year-old for the third time, but claimed he is ‘finished’ after that defeat to Dubois.

Anthony Joshua 

“If he wants to fight, then all they’ve got to do is call me. I’m always up for fighting AJ. No problem for me. However, personally, I think he’s finished. I think he made a huge mistake not taking the immediate rematch with Dubois. It was a world title fight, a great payday and the perfect opportunity to avenge his knockout loss.”

“Me and him will always be a good fight. We just have that chemistry. I don’t want to lose to him, he doesn’t want to lose to me, and we want to prove each other wrong. We want to knock each other out so it will always be a good fight.

“Eddie [Hearn] has publicly stated Joshua could fight me next, but whether he will or not I don’t know whether he or his people want it, then we wait to see. I would love to retire him.”

Whyte returned to the ring in December when he knocked out Ebenezer Tetteh in Gibraltar. The 36-year-old is keen on returning to the ring as soon as possible, with a fight date and opponent expected to be announced in due course.

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Heavyweight Vows To Retire Anthony Joshua In Trilogy Fight: “I Want To Knock Him Out”

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Anthony Joshua

British heavyweight Dillian Whyte is targeting a ‘trilogy’ fight with Anthony Joshua as he vows to retire his bitter rival.

The heavyweight duo first clashed on the amateur circuit 16-years ago, as ‘The Bodysnatcher’ claimed a points victory over a novice Joshua who hadn’t long had his first contest when the pair met.

Their bitter feud was reignited in December 2015 when ‘AJ’ captured the vacant British heavyweight title with an explosive 7th-round knockout victory over Whyte, who had rocked Joshua in the second round before eventually suffering the first defeat of his professional career.

Their highly anticipated rematch was due to happen in August 2023, but was cancelled after Whyte returned an adverse finding in a doping test. Finnish heavyweight Robert Helenius stepped in and was knocked out in seven rounds. Whyte was later cleared to box after an investigation found it was a contaminated supplement that caused the findings.

Joshua is expected to return to the ring for the first time since suffering a shock knockout defeat to IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois last September, with Whyte putting himself forward to face his rival as he vows to finally send him into retirement.

Speaking to Sky Sports Boxing, ‘The Bodysnatcher’ welcomed the idea of facing the 35-year-old for the third time, but claimed he is ‘finished’ after that defeat to Dubois.

Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois
London, UK: Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois Weigh In ahead of their IBF Heavyweight Title fight tomorrow night.
20 September 2024
Picture By Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing

“If he wants to fight, then all they’ve got to do is call me. I’m always up for fighting AJ. No problem for me. However, personally, I think he’s finished. I think he made a huge mistake not taking the immediate rematch with Dubois. It was a world title fight, a great payday and the perfect opportunity to avenge his knockout loss.”

“Me and him will always be a good fight. We just have that chemistry. I don’t want to lose to him, he doesn’t want to lose to me, and we want to prove each other wrong. We want to knock each other out so it will always be a good fight.

“Eddie [Hearn] has publicly stated Joshua could fight me next, but whether he will or not I don’t know whether he or his people want it, then we wait to see. I would love to retire him.”

Whyte returned to the ring in December when he knocked out Ebenezer Tetteh in Gibraltar. The 36-year-old is keen on returning to the ring as soon as possible, with a fight date and opponent expected to be announced in due course.

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Joshua will knock Fury out – Bellew

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Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury

Former WBC cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew has backed Anthony Joshua to knock out Tyson Fury if the long-awaited all-British heavyweight clash eventually materialises, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Speaking to Fightlens, Bellew expressed confidence in Joshua’s ability to stop The Gypsy King, despite acknowledging Fury’s superior boxing skills.

“I’ve always said it and I’ll stick by it. I think Anthony Joshua will be forced to let his hands go, and he’ll knock out Tyson Fury,” Bellew said.

“Do I think he’s the better fighter? No. But not always the better fighter wins. I’ve been in fights myself where I’ve beaten fighters better than me, like David Haye. I beat him twice, but he’s a better fighter than me. Styles make fights.”

The highly anticipated showdown between the British rivals appeared close in 2021, with reports of a two-fight deal in Saudi Arabia, but Fury’s contractual obligation to face Deontay Wilder for a third time derailed those plans.

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua

Joshua, who lost his WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO titles to Oleksandr Usyk later that year, bounced back with victories over Jermaine Franklin, Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou before suffering a shock defeat to Daniel Dubois.

Meanwhile, Fury recently announced his retirement following his second loss to Usyk, though the 35-year-old has previously retired and returned on multiple occasions since his 2015 victory over Wladimir Klitschko.

Hopes of the mega-fight happening were rekindled when His Excellency Turki Alalshikh hinted at a potential clash between the heavyweight stars in 2025.

“Fury might be the better fighter on paper, but Joshua has the tools to force an outcome,” Bellew added. “Styles make fights, and AJ has the power and determination to cause an upset.”

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Franchon Crews-Dezurn hoping to land rematch with Claressa Shields

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Crews Dezurn and Claressa Shields

LAS VEGAS – Franchon Crews-Dezurn is seeking a path for a rematch with women’s heavyweight titleholder Claressa Shields, the manager of the WBC women’s super middleweight titleholder told BoxingScene on Friday.

Crews-Dezurn, who dropped a four-round unanimous decision to Shields in their joint 2016 four-round professional debuts, is currently in talks to first meet former WBC heavyweight titleholder Hanna Gabriels, 22-2-1 (13 KOs), of Costa Rica.

“They would fight, and then the winner would fight Claressa Shields at heavyweight,” Crews-Dezurn manager Peter Kahn said of talks with promoter Dmitry Salita.

Shields, 15-0 (3 KOs), is scheduled to fight Danielle Perkins for the WBC, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles February 2 in her hometown of Flint. Michigan, after becoming a heavyweight belt holder with a July 27 second-round TKO of Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse.

Claressa Shields

While the WBA has ordered Crews-Dezurn, 9-2 (2 KOs), to fight its top-ranked super middleweight Raquel Miller, the road to Shields is seen as the more consequential choice, Kahn said.

“Everybody is on board with what we’re trying to do,” Kahn said. “Dmitry has made offers. Everybody’s trying.”

Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.

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Oleksandr Usyk Didn’t Hesitate When Asked If Prime Mike Tyson Would Beat Anthony Joshua

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Mike Tyson and Anthony Joshua

Unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has predicted who would have prevailed in a fantasy fight between prime Mike Tyson and Anthony Joshua.

‘Iron’ Mike is regarded as one of the most ferocious heavyweights in boxing history. Holding the undisputed heavyweight champion between 1987 and 1990, Tyson became the youngest world heavyweight champion ever in 1986 when he knocked out Trevor Berbick in the second round of their bout. The thunderous power of the 58-year-old was undeniable, knocking out 44 of the 50 fighters he defeated during his career.

Joshua has won the world heavyweight championship on two occasions, defeating the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, Joseph Parker and Alexander Povetkin since his professional debut in 2013. The 35-year-old from Watford is coming off a devastating knockout defeat to newly crowned IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois, but is planning on returning to the ring in 2025 as he sets his sights on finally becoming a three-time heavyweight champion.

In a round of ‘Winner Stays On’ with MailSport Boxing, the Ukrainian superstar was asked to choose who he feels would have won in a showdown between ‘AJ’ and Tyson.

Mike Tyson and Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk

“Anthony Joshua.”

Usyk dethroned Joshua of his unified WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles in September 2021. The pair clashed for the second time just under one year later in Riyadh, as the Ukrainian successfully retained his heavyweight crown in a slightly closer contest, picking up a split decision victory over the Brit.

‘AJ’ has recently confirmed he will be returning to the ring this year, with an opponent yet to be confirmed. The 35-year-old was linked with an all-British showdown with Tyson Fury, which now looks unlikely to happen after ‘The Gypsy King’ announced his retirement from boxing earlier this month.

Deontay Wilder has emerged as a potential opponent for the Olympic Gold medalist, with both fighters looking to bounce back from their recent defeats and get their respective careers back on track.

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Heavyweight ‘Giant’ Accepts Call To Face Anthony Joshua And

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Anthony Joshua

Heavyweight ‘Giant’ Accepts Call To Face Anthony Joshua And Vows To KO Him Inside 3 Minutes

Anthony Joshua is in the market for his next opponent.

The two-time world heavyweight champion is looking to bounce back from a knockout loss at the hands of Daniel Dubois. At 35-years-old, Joshua wants big fights and one last crack at holding a belt again.

Turki Alalshikh of both Riyadh Season and the Ring Magazine spoke to TalkSPORT about ‘AJ’s next moves and said he would like to match him up with Congo’s Martin Bakole in Africa.

“We are open to see Joshua also against Bakole. I want to see this fight right. I want to see it but you know where I want to see it. I want to see it in Africa.”

With the retirement of Tyson Fury and thus that fight being currently off the table, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn also recently mentioned Bakole as a potential opponent.

Responding to Alalshikh’s tentative plan, Bakole welcomed the fight.

“They keep avoiding me and I’m so happy, and I’d like to thank his His Excellency Turki Alalshikh because he said himself he wants to see this fight [with Anthony Joshua].”

First up for the ‘African Giant’ is Efe Ajagba in a final eliminator for the IBF’s mandatory spot to face champion Dubois. Bakole recently took issue with ‘AJ’ siding with Nigeria’s Ajagba in that bout, saying he would win in style before beating the Brit in one round.

Anthony Joshua 

“I want to fight you. Look at Daniel Dubois – I broke his nose twice [in sparring] and he knocked you out cold. I will knock you out in the first round. You’re talking about Ajagba? Ajagba is a baby, wait till you see how I’m going to knock him out. I invite you to be there. You’re talking s**t. I want to fight you. Stop talking nonsense. Now you’re in Nigeria you’re not British anymore. I’m African giant. After knocking Ajagba out I will knock you out as well.”

Bakole vs Ajagba takes place in May on the same card as Ryan Garcia against Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero and Devin Haney up against Jose Ramirez.

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Top Heavyweight Agit Kabayel Predicts Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua After Sparring Both

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 Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua

Agit Kabayel is a well-travelled heavyweight who has taken punches from both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua so he has an inside view on how a fight between the two might play out.

Two-time European champion Kabayel is a rising star in the division. The German boxer almost fought ‘The Gypsy King’ back in 2020 but instead Fury had to honour a third fight with Deontay Wilder in the US.

Kabayel has since gone on to defeat the likes of Kevin Johnson, Pavel Sour and, most impressively, undefeated prospect Arslanbek Makhmudov who he beat by technical stoppage on the Day of Reckoning event in Riyadh after knocking him down several times.

In May 2024, Kabayel also stopped Frank Sanchez and was due to fight the widely avoided Martin Bakole out in Nigeria but withdrew from purse bids.

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua

Having sparred both Joshua and Fury across his career, he has been asked about what would happen if the British former world champions were finally to come to blows this year.

Speaking to Seconds Out, he was asked if Joshua, who he has sparred most, would win.

“No. I sparred with the two guys. Sparred with Fury, with AJ. This fight is very close but I think when I give you a prediction for the fight, Fury will win the fight.”

These two stars are both coming off losses – Joshua via stoppage to Daniel Dubois who retained his IBF world title, and Fury was defeated in back-to-back contests to all-time great Oleksandr Usyk. Fans believe it leaves them both with no better options than a legacy-defining fight.

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Danielle Perkins didn’t think Claressa Shields would come to heavyweight

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Claressa Shields and Danielle Perkins

Danielle Perkins never expected to face Claressa Shields.

Perkins will look to defeat Shields for the undisputed heavyweight championship on February 2 at the Dort Financial Center in Shields’ hometown of Flint, Michigan. The bout, which is promoted by Salita Promotions, will be streamed by DAZN.

This fight will see Perkins challenge for Shields’ WBC heavyweight title as well as the vacant IBF, WBA and WBO belts.

“The opportunity to fight for the unified championship in the heavyweight division, I feel like it’s the biggest opportunity any fighter could ask for in my division, period,” Perkins told BoxingScene. “I didn’t think this would ever happen. I’m grateful, but I [didn’t] think the idea that she would even want to fight at heavyweight was even an option.”

Perkins, 5-0 (2 KOs), is a 42-year-old from Brooklyn, New York, who trains in Houston, Texas. She turned professional in 2020, won three bouts but then spent three years out of the ring. Perkins returned last March and added two more victories.

There are very few women worldwide competing in the heaviest weight classes. Each of the sanctioning bodies has a different definition for what counts as a heavyweight in women’s boxing; for example, the WBC considers heavyweight to be anything above 168lbs.

Perkins brushes aside those who scoff at her age, which is not traditionally seen as a fighter’s prime.

“I mean strictly looking at my age, it makes sense for heavyweights,” Perkins said. “Heavyweights are older, generally.”

Perkins said the road to getting fights has been almost impossible. She dropped 30lbs to fight in the light heavyweight range, but even then, the talent pool was very small.

In 2020, Perkins had been in talks to fight Hanna Gabriels at a contracted weight of 185lbs. That motivated Perkins to walk around at 190lbs, instead of in the 200s.

Claressa Shields

“It was three years of, like, back and forth on the possibility of that fight,” Perkins said. The Gabriels match never happened.

Perkins was a college basketball player for George Mason University from 2001-2002 and St. John’s University from 2003-2006. A lifelong athlete and competitor, she didn’t start boxing until 2014, two years after Shields won her first gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

“I’m like a traditional raw athlete,” Perkins said. “I feel like most basketball players and football players translate well into boxing.”

Perkins’ biggest edge is that she is naturally bigger. Perkins is 6ft tall with a 72-inch reach, while Shields is listed at 5-foot-8 with a 68-inch reach.

Shields, a 29-year-old who holds a record of 15-0 (3 KOs), is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time undisputed world champion (first at middleweight and then junior middleweight). Shields fought at 175lbs in July, when she knocked out Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse in two rounds.

“Yeah, she’s much smaller,” Perkins said. “She’s put on some size and some decent muscle mass, but she’s much smaller.”

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What a Mess! Here’s The Tea on Claressa Shields and Laila Ali’s Beef

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Claressa Shields and Laila Ali

Though Claressa Shields may be a beast inside the ring, it seems she’s no chump outside of it either—especially when it comes to her apparently longstanding beef with fellow boxing champion Laila Ali. And things may have just gotten more serious.

For context, the issues between the two allegedly stem from a pair of interviews Ali did on “The Breakfast Club” and “Sway’s Universe” back in 2012 in which she said that she hadn’t observed anything in the boxing world that inspired her enough to un-retire and come back to the sport. Upon hearing those words, Shields reportedly took offense to it—especially considering she’d just made history that same year by becoming the first American woman to win gold medal in boxing. She also subsequently began questioning Ali’s legacy and her impact in the sport thus resulting in their “beef.”

However, in a recent interview with “All the Smoke Fight,” Ali is pushing back on any sort of issues between her and Shields.

“I don’t have any hard feelings against Claressa in general, because I got a lot going on over here, you already know, to be worried about any of these young girls like that,” Ali said. “But at the same time, I see that she gets into it with a lot of people.”

Claressa Shields and Laila Ali

Ali went on to say how Shields isn’t going to get that far in life if she keeps “burning bridges” and that she should “stay humble” and know that other people can and will surpass her.

Well, much like back in 2012, Ali’s words didn’t land well with Shields yet again and she took to YouTube to get it off her chest.

“I’ve been come to terms that she’s jealous,” Shields expressed. “Now, I got the biopic. I got the fight coming up. She act like I owe her something, it’s weird,” Shields said in part before later adding:

I’m trying to figure out why when it comes to me, here she comes. Today she really offended me. She said burning bridges and if I keep burning bridges, I won’t get very far. I’ve gotten further in my career and in my life than Laila Ali… She wanna come and give this big sister advice… but I’ve already made it further than you… and I’m going to keep making it further than you.

“This is my era now, and she has never supported me in my era,” Shields concluded.

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Claressa Shields Claims Laila Ali Is ‘Jealous’ of Her Success

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Claressa Shields and Laila Ali

The boxing world is buzzing after Claressa Shields accused Laila Ali of harboring jealousy toward her career achievements. The dispute reignited following Ali’s recent appearance on the All the Smoke Fight podcast, where she reflected on her legacy and addressed tension with Shields.

Laila Ali vs. Claressa Shields

Ali, a retired four-time champion and daughter of Muhammad Ali, claimed their conflict began in 2012 when Shields reached out for mentorship after winning her first Olympic gold medal. Ali suggested that Shields drop a weight class to excel further but later mentioned in interviews that she found no inspiration to return to boxing. Shields reportedly took offense, leading to a long-running feud.

“You can think you can beat me,” Ali said. “That’s fine. You’re supposed to think that. But to start going in on my legacy… that’s a lot.”

Ali also advised Shields to avoid “burning bridges” in her career, adding, “I don’t have any hard feelings against Claressa… but she gets into it with a lot of people.”

Shields, the self-proclaimed “GWOAT” (Greatest Woman of All Time), didn’t hold back in her response. In a passionate video posted online, the 29-year-old dismissed Ali’s advice and questioned her motives.

“I’ve come to terms that she’s jealous,” Shields stated. “Now, I got the biopic, I got the fight coming up. She acts like I owe her something—it’s weird.”

Claressa Shields and Laila Ali

Shields argued that her accomplishments already surpass Ali’s legacy, noting her Olympic triumphs and dominance in multiple weight divisions. She also criticized Ali’s lack of support during her rise in the sport.

“This is my era now, and she’s never supported me in my era,” Shields said. “She’s giving off hater energy. And bro, you’re not going to fight me. So why do you keep bringing me up?”

The feud underscores a generational divide in women’s boxing, with Shields carving a path as a modern icon while Ali remains a respected but polarizing figure. Whether this war of words will ever lead to resolution—or even a promotional spectacle—remains to be seen. For now, the ring of public opinion remains as heated as any title fight.

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