Boxing Archives - Page 21 of 42

What happens when a boxing legend speaks his mind on dream matchups? Imagine the buzz in the boxing community. Hall of Famer Andre Ward recently unleashed a series of electrifying potential fights on the ‘All The Smoke’ podcast. But what exactly did he say? Who did he pick to face off in the ring?

Think big names: Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford, Gervonta Davis. Did he mention a showdown that could redefine legacies? Or perhaps, he proposed an unexpected twist?

Terence Crawford: Andre Ward won’t bet against him

Diving right into the heart of the matter, Andre Ward’s conversation on ‘All The Smoke‘ podcast radiates with excitement and insight. When the host asked him about, “What fight do the world need?”, he started off with a compelling statement, “Oh man that’s a good one.” This prefaces his keen perspective on boxing’s future marquee matchups. Ward explicitly states, “I want to see Canelo, I wouldn’t mind Canelo fighting Terence or Benavidez.” His choice of Canelo Alvarez, a renowned figure in the sport, immediately grabs attention.

Seamlessly, he shifts focus, “You got two options, you can go somebody in your weight class or you could try to pick on the smaller guy Terence Crawford.” Here, Ward highlights the strategic aspect of choosing opponents. His confidence in Terence Crawford shines through as he asserts, “I’m not betting against Terence right now, against nobody, nobody not doing it.”

Moreover, Ward doesn’t just stop there. He expands his vision, “I would love to see Tank fight Shakur or Devin.” Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, another celebrated boxer, is brought into the mix, pitted against either Shakur Stevenson or Devin Haney. Ward acknowledges the timing, “I know that’s probably a little early, a little bit more seasoning I think that’ll make the the most sense from a financial standpoint.”

From sparring to spotlight: Ward envisions Tank vs. Shakur

The conversation takes another intriguing turn when the host expresses, “I want to see Tank-Shakur. That’s the fight.” Ward agrees but adds a twist about Terence Crawford, known as ‘Bud’, “And they didn’t rumble a lot in sparring. You know but I really want to see Bud go out the way he want to go out.” He then poses a thought-provoking scenario involving a rematch between Crawford and Errol Spence Jr., “So they can run that back but if they don’t I would love to see Bud get Canelo and then ride off in the sunset.”

Each statement by Ward not only reveals potential blockbuster fights but also demonstrates his deep understanding of the sport’s dynamics. The conversation, rich in possibilities, leaves fans and experts alike pondering the future of boxing. His insightful picks for matchups, ranging from Canelo’s challenging fights to Crawford’s potential grand finale, highlight a deep understanding of the sport’s dynamics and its stars’ capabilities.

Will these dream bouts become a reality? How will they reshape the narratives of these celebrated fighters? What epic showdown would you like to see in the boxing ring?

BOXING

Bill Haney Address Teofimo Lopez and Terence Crawford Beef: “We Could Make Haney-Lopez, Stop Talking About Crawford”

Teofimo Lopez is an ambitious guy. He always has been and always will be. His confidence might be a bit over the top but so far, it’s all worked.

Beating Vasiliy Lomachenko when he was the consensus best fighter in the world wasn’t a pragmatic move but Lopez was convinced that he could get the job done. After doing what many believed was impossible, Lopez made it two in a row when he took Josh Taylor behind the woodshed in mid-2023.

Now, Lopez has another target…Terence Crawford. Although he’s viewed as a future Hall of Famer and the best fighter on the planet, according to many, Lopez (19-1, 13 KOs) believes that he can give him a run for his money.

Bill Haney has paid close attention to Lopez’s brazen trash talk. While it might be entertaining to some, Haney didn’t find anything funny about it.

“Teofimo Lopez, if you don’t knock it off,” said Haney during a self-recorded video. “Talking about you want Bud Crawford.”

A matchup with Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) is what Lopez wants but it doesn’t make any sense to Bill. Devin Haney, his son and slick-hitting star, currently holds a world title in the same weight class as Lopez after picking Regis Prograis a part.

The Haney’s are all about big matchups and even bigger paydays. A fight with Lopez would present them with both. Bill knows that Lopez will continue to do what he wants. With that said, he should simply leave Crawford alone and focus on a showdown against his son instead.

“Listen, act like you got some sense and we can make Haney vs. Lopez for the 140-pound unification. Act like you got some sense and stop talking about Bud Crawford. You don’t want none of Bud Crawford and you don’t deserve none. Knock it off.”

BOXING

TERENCE CRAWFORD COMPARES BEATDOWN OF ERROL SPENCE … To Packers Win Over Cowboys

Terence Crawford found a way to troll boxing rival Errol Spence during the NFL’s wildcard weekend … comparing his beatdown of the fighter from Dallas to the Packers thrashing of the Cowboys!

If you didn’t know, Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) is a Packers fan … and Spence (29-1, 22 KOs), a big Cowboys fan.

So, when the Packers dominated the Cowboys on Sunday, Terence took a shot at Spence, saying the ass whoopin’ Dallas received resembled his TKO win over Spence last summer.

“Oooowwweeee this game looking like me and @ErrolSpenceJr,” Crawford wrote on X. “They must have injuries that’s why we winning hun? 😭😭😭”

FYI, Crawford’s seemingly referring to Spence’s contention that his injured eye is at least partially responsible for the lopsided loss to Bud.

Spence didn’t respond to the message, but that didn’t stop Crawford from continuing to mock Cowboys fans … laughing at their continued failure in the playoffs.

“I like Dallas the city and Texas the state. It’s just that the cowgirls have always been a rivalry to my Packers and they all was betting against me,” Crawford said.

“Keep fighting cowgirls! Yall had a good season, now yall can go home and rest up for next year.”

Of course, Crawford was one of the endless amount of people who were trollin’ the Cowboys after the 48-32 loss.

It’s gonna be a long offseason for the Cowboys.

BOXING

Crawford Doesn’t Rule Out Retirement

Undisputed world champion in the welterweight category, famous American boxer Terence Crawford said that he may end his professional career.

Crawford last fought against Errol Spence in July 2023 in Las Vegas. Terence won that fight by technical knockout in the ninth round and became the undisputed world champion in the welterweight division. He has 40 wins (31 by knockout) and no losses.

BOXING

Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk winner to receive new special ‘undisputed’ heavyweight champion belt

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will compete for five belts next month.

The highly anticipated heavyweight fight scheduled for February 17 was already historic due to the fact all four major heavyweight world titles will be on the line.

Fury will put his WBC belt on the line against WBA, IBF and WBO champion Usyk, with the winner walking away from the Ring of Fire event as the first-ever four-belt undisputed heavyweight champion.

Now, their fight has just got slightly bigger due to the creation of a new belt to mark the occasion.

On Monday, Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou took centre stage at a press conference to officially announce their fight in Saudi Arabia on March 8.

Chairman of General Authority for Entertainment His Excellency Turki Alalshikh kicked things off with a speech about his goals in 2024, which include putting on a light-heavyweight undisputed fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.

His Excellency rounded things off by pointing to a big screen, and showing the heavyweights on stage what they could fight for later this year.

“I want to show Joshua and Ngannou what’s waiting for them,” he said.

A picture of the new undisputed heavyweight champion title belt that will be on the line during Fury vs Usyk was unveiled for the first time.

It was accompanied by text that pointed out its unique features and explained the tiny details that set the belt apart from typical boxing titles.

Hall of Fame boxing promoter Frank Warren subsequently revealed Fury and Usyk will compete for the belt before the winner fights Joshua or Ngannou later this year.

“Whoever wins the [Fury vs Usyk] fight has got the belt,” he said.

“It’s not one any governing body is going to take away, they don’t have mandatories.

“The winner is the unified champion, so anyone who fights him will be fighting for that right.”

BOXING

Artur Beterbiev wants undisputed light-heavyweight championship fight with Dmitry Bivol next: ‘I need a fourth belt!’

Artur Beterbiev will target WBA champion Dmitry Bivol and the undisputed light-heavyweight world title next; Beterbiev defended the WBC, IBF and WBO titles with a destructive performance against Britain’s Callum Smith in Canada to remain undefeated and declared: ‘I need a fourth belt!’

Artur Beterbiev will target Dmitry Bivol and the undisputed light-heavyweight world title next.

Beterbiev defended his unified WBC, IBF and WBO 175lb titles when he halted Callum Smith in seven rounds in Quebec City this weekend.

Bivol, the WBA champion, holds the only other major belt in the division and that is the fight Beterbiev wants next.

Yes, of course,” he said. “I need a fourth belt. It would mean a lot to me.

“It’s the top,” he added. “It would mean in this category I have done work.”

His promoter, Top Rank’s Bob Arum is confident Beterbiev vs Bivol can be made.

“It’s not done yet. But absolutely we wa

It could take place in the summer, as Beterbiev will observe Ramadan first.

“Ramadan is coming. Ramadan ends some time in the middle of April so about three months after the end of Ramadan we’ll be ready to fight Bivol, probably in Riyadh,” Arum said.

nt to do it,” he said.

BOXING

Callum Smith scored scary KO that left opponent shaking and stretchered out of the ring on Anthony Joshua undercard

Callum Smith made a statement on his light-heavyweight debut with a frightening knockout of Lenin Castillo.

The former WBA super-middleweight (168lbs) champion is now set to challenge for the 175lbs world titles when he takes on WBC, IBF and WBO king Artur Beterbiev on Saturday night in Quebec.

Smith looked impressive in his first fight in the division, which took place on the undercard of Oleksandr Usyk’s first victory over Anthony Joshua in 2021.

However, after the victory his celebrations were quickly halted.

Smith hammered Castillo with an overhand right in round two which saw him collapse backwards to the canvas.

He lay on his back shaking and the referee instantly waved the fight off.

Medical staff responded quickly and attended to Castillo, who was stretchered from the ring minutes afterwards.

Thankfully, positive updates followed despite the worrying scene.

Castillo was ‘responsive’ as he left the stadium to go to hospital.

Speaking after the final bell, Smith admitted it was unpleasant to see his Dominican foe in such distress.

Callum Smith’s knockout of Castillo was brutal. pic.twitter.com/UEPzvSt2p0

— Self Isolating Saunders 🇳🇬💭 (@40kgCostume) November 1, 2022

“It’s not nice. I celebrated before and then I realised how bad it was,” Smith said post-fight.

“That’s the last thing you want to see. Boxing is a tough enough sport as it is and we all have families to go home to.”

Fortunately, Castillo made a full recovery and has since returned to the ring four times.

Smith has just boxed once in that period, beating Mathieu Bauderlique in 2022.

Last year was a frustrating period for the Brit, as he had to cancel a tune-up bout due to injury and then his shot at Beterbiev was postponed so he went the entire year without boxing.

Smith is hoping to get 2024 off to a far better start on Saturday night.

BOXING

Francis Ngannou explains what Anthony Joshua’s last fight didn’t prove

Anthony Joshua has been told by Francis Ngannou that his win against Otto Wallin didn’t prove he can fight well under pressure.

Former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua is booked to fight Ngannou just weeks after his stunning knockout win over Wallin. ‘AJ’ had a brilliant 2023 campaign as he bounced back after consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk by winning fights against Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius and Wallin.

Ngannou will make his second boxing appearance against Joshua after coming within touching distance of beating Tyson Fury when he made his ring debut last October. The former UFC champion admitted that he was impressed by Joshua’s win against Wallin but isn’t confident the Brit is back to his old destructive style.

“He looked amazing, respect to him and congratulations to him. He was doing his job properly, his speed was there and he was very sharp. On the other hand, I think there wasn’t a response in front of him. I think I will have a better response in front of him that will put him in uncomfortable situations and positions,” Ngannou said on The MMA Hour.

“Things will change and be different. I will not just stay there and look at him, it’s going to be different. I’m going to throw some bombs out there for him to deal with. I think he’s going to be mindful of what he’s doing. Nobody still knows what I can do, that was my first fight in boxing and like anyone else I am just improving. The gap of improvement for a beginner like me is huge.”

Ngannou dropped Fury in their fight and only lost by a single point in a controversial decision. The former UFC champion is hoping to beat Joshua and rematch Fury, insisting their second fight must take place by October. Ngannou is unsure whether Joshua will be able to take the same punches that Fury as he questioned the Brit’s chin.

“Not that he’s not a strong fighter. He’s a very tough fighter, but he’s easier to send down than Fury, and it’s harder for him to get back up than Fury. If AJ takes the punch that Fury took, I don’t guarantee that he is getting up. I have heard that he doesn’t have a chin, I am going to find out,” Ngannou added.

BOXING

Deontay Wilder plots route back to Anthony Joshua fight despite surprise defeat

Deontay Wilder wants to fight on the Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou card to try and rescue his mega-fight with the Brit.

Wilder’s two-fight deal with ‘AJ’ went down the drain last month after he lost to Joseph Parker just moments before Joshua knocked out Otto Wallin. Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou has since taken Wilder’s place in the heavyweight equation as he will fight Joshua on March 8 in Saudi Arabia.

Zhilei Zhang has been touted as a potential opponent for Wilder but the fight is far from official. Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel thinks the American can redeem himself after his poor performance with one win against a big name. “ If there was an opportunity, we’d be glad to consider it. We’d love to go back there and love to be on that card if it’s possible,” he told The Sun.

“You can’t tell in advance, but I’d assume that Joshua would beat Ngannou. Then hopefully, we’ll see the Deontay of old and he wins. Of course, if those two were to happen, it would still be natural for Deontay and Joshua to meet.” Finkel used Daniel Dubois as an example of a fighter bouncing back to winning ways as he stopped Jarrell Miller following his world title loss to Oleksandr Usyk.

“Go back two fights. People were saying Daniel Dubois was a quitter. He sure didn’t quit against Jarrell Miller and redeemed himself. Three fights ago, people said things about Joshua. He looked very good in his fight with Wallin and that redeemed himself in the same way. In a similar situation, Deontay has a good opponent in the next fight and he looks the way we know him to look,” Finkel added.

“We would love Parker but that hasn’t been discussed. In either case, if Zhang was presented, that would be a big fight. If that was on the same card as the fight with Joshua and Ngannou, I think Deontay and Zhang would rival that. It would be a phenomenal show for the public again. I think the job that they did putting on all the heavyweights together on that card was wonderful.”

Wilder isn’t in Joshua’s plans for now as the Brit wants to beat Ngannou and challenge either Tyson Fury or Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight world titles. Ngannou is also targeting a rematch against Fury after controversially losing to the Brit in their crossover fight last October.

BOXING

Suggests 3 Opponents For Gervonta Davis: “All Of Them Would Beat Him”

Bob Arum does not promote Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, but he does represent some men he thinks the Baltimore boxer should face and has named three potential opponents.

Davis has brushed aside all the men he has faced in the squared circle to date. His record reads 29 wins from 29, with 27 knockouts. Some of his victims include most recently Ryan Garcia, whom he stopped with a body shot in April last year, and before that Leo Santa Cruz, Mario Barrios, Isaac Cruz, Rolando Romero, Hector Luis Garcia have all fallen foul of his power since 2020.

Davis is currently the WBA lightweight champion and plenty of the biggest fights he could take going forward would involve him working with Arum’s Top Rank promotion.

Speaking to Boxing Scene Arum sang the praises of ‘Tank.’

He then named the three fighters in his stable he would like to pair him with – and beat him.

Right now, ‘Tank’ has no scheduled fights while Lopez – who has been calling out Terence Crawford – is due to come up against Jamaine Ortiz on February 8 at super-lightweight. It is rumoured that Lomachenko will fight George Kambosos Jr at some point soon for the vacant IBF lightweight title. Stevenson doesn’t currently have a bout pencilled in to defend his recently won WBC 135 belt.