Boxing news LIVE: All the latest as Anthony Joshua prepares for Kubrat Pulev (2024)

8th Dec 2020, 12:15By Marc Mayo

CLASH OF THE TITANS

Errol Spence Jr will fight Terence Crawford in the next nine months - reckons Teddy Atlas.

The trained and pundit believes it will be a fight for the ages, once the pair can sort out their promotion issues.

Atlas told ESPN: “[Spence] looked like one of the best fighters pound-for-pound or at least one of the top three pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

“Now, you want to see him fight the other best pound-for-pound welterweight, Terence Crawford.

He added: “Not now. Maybe in eight or nine months next year.

“It’ll be a mega-fight for the best welterweight in the world. It’ll be back like in the 80s when you had Sugar Ray Leonard fighting Tommy Hearns and Roberto Duran. It’s that kind of intriguing match-up."

8th Dec 2020, 11:48By Marc Mayo

PAC IS BACK

Manny Pacquiao is keen on fighting Errol Spence Jr in 2021, his management team have claimed.

The Filipino legend watched Spence’s win over Danny Garcia and wants a piece of the action.

Yahoo Sports quote Sean Gibbons of MP Promotions as saying that Pacquiao ‘still has the fire’ for the bout.

8th Dec 2020, 11:19By Marc Mayo

BOXER RETIRES

Francisco Santana has announced his retirement from the sport.

The veteran American brawler won 25 of his 34 fights and most recently lost to former welterweight title challenger Josesito Lopez on the undercard of Errol Spence Jr vs. Danny Garcia.

He stated: “Boxing is my life, it’s the blood that runs through my veins. But my body informed me this Saturday that it should be the last time I set foot in the ring as a fighter.”

8th Dec 2020, 10:51By Marc Mayo

AJ UNDERCARD FIGHT CANCELLED

Ramla Ali’s fight against Vansea Caballero has been removed from the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s world title defence this Saturday.

The 31-year-old, who won her first fight in October, has tested positive for coronavirus.

It follows Krzysztof Glowacki’s diagnosis, forcing the Pole to drop out of a fight with Lawrence Okolie.

He has been replaced by countryman Nikodem Jezewski.

8th Dec 2020, 10:09By Marc Mayo

RING RUST

Anthony Joshua is very mindful of being rusty when he steps into the ring on Saturday.

His fight with Kubrat Pulev comes after just a single fight in the last 18 months.

And he said: “That’s what makes this fight so interesting.

“I might go in there, I can tell you that I’m a million dollars, I feel good, I’ve been knocking everyone out in sparring, I’m the one that’s coming up now and I’m going to be the undisputed champ.

“And then I go in there on Saturday night and I get my head punched in because I’ve got ring rust.

“So, who knows? But I feel good, I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t boxed in such a long time but that’s why in lockdown I’ve done a lot of training, mental training.”

8th Dec 2020, 09:36By Marc Mayo

MAY DAY

Floyd Mayweather has revealed his exhibition bout with Logan Paul is another way to show off his boxing skills.

The 43-year-old pits his wits against the YouTuber on February 20 in an encounter that is predicted to shatter PPV records.

Speaking in the Fanmio press release, Mayweather said: "This is going to be a great night for the fans worldwide as we are bringing something special to them through sports and entertainment.

"I have never shied away from doing things differently throughout my career and fighting Logan Paul in this special exhibition is just another opportunity for me to do it again.”

8th Dec 2020, 09:20By Marc Mayo

ONE TO WATCH

Keep an eye out for featherweight prospect Ricky Medina in the years to come after he beat veteran Gabino Hernandez on the weekend.

After his eighth career win, the Mexican's management vowed to match him up with a fellow prodigy as he continues his ascent.

Greg Hannley, CEO of Prince Ranch Boxing which manages Medina, said: “Medina is ready for a big fight

“Medina has proven that he is an elite fighter and now we will work to get him a fight in America against a fellow unbeaten prospect so he can become a contender.”

8th Dec 2020, 08:47By Marc Mayo

OLDER, WISER

Anthony Joshua has told Kubrat Pulev that he has already missed his chance to beat the Brit.

The pair were due to fight in 2017 before the Bulgarian suffered a shoulder injury - and they will finally duel on Saturday.

Ahead of the bout, AJ remarked: "In terms of Pulev, three years ago might have been too early for me.

"I'm more experienced now. I'm wiser. I've lost a fight and I would never want to lose a fight again.

"I went through a lot of my career not even knowing what I was doing. I was just fighting. I watched my fights the other day - I watched the Eric Molina fight the other day, I watched a bit of the Carlos Takam fight, I watched the Wladimir Klitschko fight.

"I was like, 'Wow', at how was I in these type of fights with the little bit of experience that I had. Looking at who I am today, I like to reflect a lot and I think, 'I was a little puppy'."

8th Dec 2020, 06:06By Richard Forrester

GOOD MORNING BOXING FANS,

Dana White has slammed that ‘state of boxing’ after Logan Paul signed a deal to fight Floyd Mayweather.

The UFC chief was left baffled by the YouTuber getting the green light to fight the 50-0 legend having lost to KSI.

He told Nelk Boys: “When people ask me about the state of boxing right now, that’s where it’s at.

“Didn’t that kid get beaten up by the f video game kid from England and now he’s going to fight Floyd Mayweather?”

Meanwhile David Haye has claimed that Anthony Joshua suffering a first professional defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr was the best thing that could have happened.

He told Sky Sports: “I think that was the best thing to ever happen to Anthony Joshua.

“I think he’s going to become the fighter he was always going to be, because he’s got that taste of defeat and he doesn’t like that.

“None of us winners like that taste of defeat and if there’s anything humanly possible to get back into your winning run, no matter how hard you have to dedicate yourself, what type of sparring, what type of pain behind the scenes, you don’t want that feeling of a loss.”

And finally, the man himself has been letting sparring partners pound him in preparation for his long-awaited ring return.

A year ago yesterday, British heavyweight star AJ jabbed and moved his way to a rematch win over Andy Ruiz Jr.

He said: “I haven’t boxed in such a long time but that’s why in lockdown I’ve done a lot of mental training.

“Also a lot of sparring, getting my body tough again — just getting punched up.

“Sometimes in sparring in my head I will say ‘I’m going to take this round off and let this boy punch me up because I need to get tough’.

“I need to get that thick skin again. That’s the closest way I can prepare — and I hope it now comes to fruition on Saturday.”

7th Dec 2020, 22:50By Joe Brophy

AJ HIT SQUAD

Anthony Joshua has been letting sparring partners pound him in preparation for his long-awaited ring return.

A year ago yesterday, the British heavyweight star jabbed and moved his way to a rematch win over Andy Ruiz Jr.

He said: “I haven’t boxed in such a long time but that’s why in lockdown I’ve done a lot of mental training.

“Also a lot of sparring, getting my body tough again — just getting punched up.

“Sometimes in sparring in my head I will say ‘I’m going to take this round off and let this boy punch me up because I need to get tough’.

“I need to get that thick skin again. That’s the closest way I can prepare — and I hope it now comes to fruition on Saturday.”

7th Dec 2020, 21:29By Joe Brophy

BEST OF BRITAIN

David Haye has singled out Anthony Joshua as the sole genuine threat to Tyso n Fury.

He told Sky Sports News: "This is a serious test for him now, Kubrat Pulev, and then it's the big one.

"Then it's the Tyson Fury fight and I think there is only one guy in the world who the odds makers will give a legitimate chance of beating Tyson Fury. That's someone as powerful, as strong, as fast, as motivated as Anthony Joshua.

"He will be the underdog in that fight, but write Anthony Joshua off at your peril. I don't think we've seen the best of Anthony Joshua yet. I think over the next three years the real Anthony Joshua will come out.

"He came to boxing late. He hasn't been boxing since he was a little kid, like Tyson Fury. He's had to fast-track himself and there have been gaps as he's been fast-tracking himself, so he's now filling these gaps in."

7th Dec 2020, 20:33By Joe Brophy

LEARNT MORE FROM DEFEAT

David Haye has claimed suffering defeat will actually give Anthony Joshua an edge over rival Tyson Fury.

He told Sky Sports: "It's been a long, long time since Tyson Fury had the taste of a loss. A very, very long time. Many years.

"Anthony Joshua knows what it feels like recently, so I think that gives him a slight edge. It sounds crazy. I think that gives him an edge, because he doesn't want to rely on his natural attributes. He wants to make sure he wins this fight."

7th Dec 2020, 19:45By Joe Brophy

NO JOSHING AROUND

David Haye has claimed that Anthony Joshua suffering a first professional defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr was the best thing that could have happened.

He told Sky Sports: "I think that was the best thing to ever happen to Anthony Joshua.

"I think he's going to become the fighter he was always going to be, because he's got that taste of defeat and he doesn't like that.

"None of us winners like that taste of defeat and if there's anything humanly possible to get back into your winning run, no matter how hard you have to dedicate yourself, what type of sparring, what type of pain behind the scenes, you don't want that feeling of a loss."

7th Dec 2020, 18:36By Joe Brophy

ICYMI

Dana White has slammed that ‘state of boxing’ after Logan Paul signed a deal to fight Floyd Mayweather.

The UFC chief was left baffled by the YouTuber getting the green light to fight the 50-0 legend having lost to KSI.

He told Nelk Boys: “When people ask me about the state of boxing right now, that’s where it’s at.

“Didn’t that kid get beaten up by the f video game kid from England and now he’s going to fight Floyd Mayweather?”

7th Dec 2020, 17:28By Joe Brophy

MIKE DROP

Triller raked in a whopping £60million for showing Mike Tyson's comeback fight.

The owner of the platform has revealed that the event received over 1.6m pay-per-view buys.

Tyson, 54, came out of retirement to take on Roy Jones Jr, 51, in an exhibition bout last month.

The highly-anticipated bout at the Staples Center in Los Angeles ended as a draw.

BT Sport Box Office showed the fight in the UK for a price of £19.95.

Social media site Triller aired the pay-per-view fight for a cost of $50 (£37) in the US.

According to RT, Triller stand to make £60m as over 1.6m fans tuned in to watch it.

7th Dec 2020, 16:22By Joe Brophy

FUR REAL

John Fury revealed he would 'like to have a go' at fighting heavyweight legend Mike Tyson.

Tyson returned to the ring for the first time since 2005 at the end of November as he boxed to a draw against Roy Jones Jr.

It caught the eye of Tyson Fury's dad John - who called to face Iron Mike.

Here's the tale of the tape...

7th Dec 2020, 15:34By Marc Mayo

FAIRWEATHER FRIENDS

Anthony Joshua will never forgive the celeb fake fans who ditched him after his shock KO loss to Andy Ruiz Jr.

AJ was the darling of the chat-show circuit with stars from sport, TV, film and music desperate to be ringside and backstage for his run of 22 victories.

The Watford fighter regained the WBA, IBF and WBO world heavyweight titles before Christmas that year — but left the hangers-on in his past.

Joshua, 31, said afterwards: “I always keep my childhood pals close, I have never been a celebrity brown-noser.

“When you have a No 1 record, a No 1 film or are a boxing champion and it all goes downhill, the celebrities are on to the next thing.

“But when you are with your people, who know you for you, nothing really changes. It was the people spectating from a distance who had a lot to say."

7th Dec 2020, 14:42By Marc Mayo

BENCHMARK

Logan Paul is fighting Floyd Mayweather next year in what can fairly be called a fight expected to make loads of money.

But can they break into the top 10 pay-per-view bouts in UK history?

7th Dec 2020, 14:10By Marc Mayo

THAT’S A RAP

Snoop Dogg has offered to commentate on Floyd Mayweather's exhibition bout against Logan Paul - much to the delight of his fans.

The 49-year-old stole the show when he provided commentary on Mike Tyson's return to the ring against Roy Jones Jr in Los Angeles.

He also left fans in hysterics after he started singing a hymn during Jake Paul's brutal victory over Nate Robinson.

And the Grammy-nominated artist is now keen to do it all again when Mayweather faces the YouTuber, 25, on February 20.

7th Dec 2020, 13:19By Marc Mayo

BUSTED

Mike Tyson has responded to Bobby Brown’s fears that he was responsible for his stunning loss to Buster Douglas in 1990.

The musician once admitted their antics on the eve of the bout, saying: “Mike Tyson and I were in Japan. We basically stayed up all night, partying with 12 Japanese girls.”

In a chat with Vlad TV, Tyson responded: “Bobby’s a good multiplier, but yes.”

When asked about whether he would have gone to sleep earlier, Tyson joked: “Why? So he could have all the girls. Right?

“I was getting some sleep so he could have them all.”

7th Dec 2020, 12:52By Marc Mayo

SPAR TREATMENT

Anthony Joshua has carefully picked the perfect sparring partners ahead of his must-win fight against Kubrat Pulev.

AJ cannot afford any slip ups against the Bulgarian as an undisputed title decider with Tyson Fury could be at stake.

Joshua, as always, has spent the majority of his training camp up at Team GB's Sheffield HQ.

Here, SunSport detail the men helping AJ prepare for his IBF mandatory defence, as selected by training camp manager David Ghansa.

7th Dec 2020, 12:17By Marc Mayo

PHONE HOME

YouTube group NELK Boys were left red-faced after they accidentally leaked Mike Tyson's phone number after a FaceTime call.

Heavyweight legend Tyson joined the pranksters in their high stakes gambling stream, which they do live every day in December.

But you can bet Iron Mike regrets doing so as after he abruptly ended the call, his contact information and number showed up on screen.

One of the members said: “Oh f*** we just got absolutely faded by Tyson. Another could be heard adding: "Oh. Oh my God. What the f*** is going on?”

Messages then began to flood the live stream chat revealing the extent of their mistake, which occurred with 26,000 viewers watching on.

NELK boys responded to the gaffe with a video of the moment Tyson's number popped up on screen. They captioned the post: "That moment you realize you just f***ing leaked Mike Tyson’s number.."

The group could now find themselves in hot water, as leaking people’s personal information is against Twitch’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.

7th Dec 2020, 11:49By Marc Mayo

FURY-OUS

Tyson Fury is fuming at Anthony Joshua's cheeky offer to manage him into a 'superstar' and raged: 'I'm only interested in smashing your face in'.

AJ recently urged his rival to sign with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom promotion stable and his own 258 Management group.

In response, Fury tweeted: "Anthony Joshua has it ever dawned on you I’m not interested in being a superstar, or famous.

“I’m a fighting man & only interested in smashing your face in, u keep the stardom, I’ll stay real, #youbigdosser I’m coming for u superstar, tick tock tick tock."

7th Dec 2020, 11:24By Marc Mayo

WEIGHT A MINUTE

Anthony Joshua is bulking back up to his brutal best in a bid to bowl over Kubrat Pulev.

The unified heavyweight champion faces Pulev this Saturday in a IBF mandatory defence.

It comes a year after he dramatically slimmed down to outbox Andy Ruiz Jr and reclaim his titles - having lost them six months prior.

But AJ appears to have beefed up in preparation for Pulev, giving the first clue to how he may approach the fight tactically.

SunSport's boxing supremo Jack Figg runs down Joshua's last four fights and what he weighed beforehand.

7th Dec 2020, 10:55By Marc Mayo

WHI OF WHI

Dana White has slammed that ‘state of boxing’ after Logan Paul signed a deal to fight Floyd Mayweather.

The UFC chief was left baffled by the YouTuber getting the green light to fight the 50-0 legend having lost to KSI.

He told Nelk Boys: “When people ask me about the state of boxing right now, that’s where it’s at.

“Didn’t that kid get beaten up by the f****** video game kid from England and now he’s going to fight Floyd Mayweather?”