Peter F. says Hughie Fury ready for Joshua

08/05/2016 by Boxing News

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By Scott Gilfoid: Hughie Fury is ready to challenge Anthony Joshua for his IBF title in November, according to Hughie’s trainer Peter Fury. He says Hughie (20-0, 10 KOs) is ready to step up and take the challenge against the unbeaten Joshua (17-0, 17 KO) for his strap. Hughie has had the fight offered to him in the past against Joshua, but he never accepted it.

This time, he and Peter are willing to take the fight. Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has other options available to him besides just Hughie for his November fight. There’s former WBC champion Bermane Stiverne, #1 IBF mandatory Joseph Parker and former world title challenger Kubrat Pulev.

Anthony Joshua vs. Deontay Wilder possible for fall 2017

07/28/2016 by Boxing News

By Allan Fox: Showtime boxing boss Stephen Espinoza is planning on a possible heavyweight unification fight in the fall of 2017 between unbeaten IBF champion Anthony Joshua (17-0, 17 KOs) and WBC champion Deontay “Bronze Bomber” Wilder (37-0, 36 KOs), according to RingTV.

Espinoza would have the fight take place in early 2017, but Wilder suffered a broken right hand and torn right biceps injury in his last title defense against Chris Arreola this month on July 16. The injuries will likely keep Wilder derailed until early 2017. It wouldn’t be a good time for the Wilder vs. Joshua fight with Wilder coming off of those injuries.

Lennox Lewis thinks Fury beats Joshua

07/28/2016 by Boxing News

By Scott Gilfoid: Former heavyweight world champion Lennox Lewis is picking unbeaten IBO/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Tyson Fury to give IBF belt holder Anthony Joshua his first defeat of his career when/if the two of them face each other soon inside the ring. Lewis believes that the fight would need to happen soon for Fury to have a chance of beating the 6’6” Joshua, because the 2012 Olympic gold medalist is improving at a rapid pace and soon should be past Fury.

“Right now the No 1 is Tyson Fury because he beat the man that beat the man that beat the man,” Lewis said to the bbc.com. “But Anthony Joshua is growing, he’s knocking out everyone they put in front of him and he’s looking good.”

Kubrat Pulev could fight Joshua in 2016 or next year

07/22/2016 by Boxing News

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By Patrick McHugh: #2 IBF Kubrat Pulev (23-1, 12 KOs) won’t have long to wait for a world title shot against IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (17-0, 17 KOs). If the fight doesn’t take place this year, then he should be able to get a crack at Joshua’s title, according to his promoter Kalle Sauerland.The 35-year-old Pulev is right behind #1 Joseph Parker as the next mandatory challenger for the 6’6” Joshua, so he’ll be soon getting a title shot.

Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn still hasn’t picked out his next opponent for November. Pulev might have a chance to get that fight if Hearn doesn’t go with a lighter test. Matchroom Sport promoter Barry Hearn likes the idea of Joshua defending his title against former WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne in his next fight.

Stiverne has a good chin and might be able to give him some rounds. Stiverne is also well known in the United States by the hardcore boxing fans, but not by the casual fans.

Haye thinks he’ll beat Joshua

07/19/2016 by Boxing News

By Scott Gilfoid: It’s pretty clear that the aging 35-year-old David Haye (28-2, 26 KOs) wants a fight against IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, but I don’t see that fight happening anytime soon. Haye is slowing up the process by not taking on quality opposition. I think he could speed up the process if he risked his hide by taking on a talent rather than the bottom feeders that he’s been facing lately.

It appears that Haye is trying the lazy man’s approach to getting a fight against Joshua by trash talking rather than fighting the high caliber fighters. I’m not sure if that old method of taking his way into a title fight will work, because you need to be able to beat good fighters to get the boxing public to believe in a certain match-up. It doesn’t help Haye that a lot of the fans still remember his poor showing in his loss to Wladimir Klitschko five years ago in 2011.

Haye didn’t look too good in his last fight against the little known contender Arnold Gjergjaj last May. It’s hard to know why the sanctioning bodies ever ranked Gjergjaj in the first place because he looked dreadful even before he fought Haye.

Haye: Joshua should fight Deontay now

07/18/2016 by Boxing News

By Scott Gilfoid: Britain’s David Haye thinks this would be the perfect time for IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (17-0, 17 KOs) to face unbeaten WBC heavyweight champ Deontay “Bronze Bomber” Wilder (37-0, 36 KOs) with him coming off a bad biceps and hand injury to his right hand. The 6’7” Wilder broke his right hand and suffered a torn bicep in his 8th round knockout victory over Chris Arreola (36-5-1, 31 KOs) last Saturday night at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

The injuries will both require surgery to repair, and it’s quite possible that Wilder won’t be back inside the ring until the first quarter of 2017. Coming back from surgery on a torn biceps can take as long as six months. For an athlete that needs strong biceps, it’s going to be especially important for Wilder to be 100 percent when he does return to the ring in the future.

Wilder: Of course I want Fury and Joshua

07/17/2016 by Boxing News

By Scott Gilfoid: WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder (37-0, 36 KOs) did his job last Saturday night in turning back the threat from the powerful Chris Arreola (36-5-1, 31 KOs) in stopping him after round eight after his corner pulled the plug on the fight at the beautiful Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.

Wilder said after the fight that he wants the British heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury. Wilder wants to take their heavyweight title straps from both of them. Wilder, 6’7”, says he’s not sure if they want him. Well, given the fact that neither of them never seem to bring up Wilder’s name in conversation, I’d say that they have no interest in sharing the ring with the lightning fast Alabama native.

Stiverne preparing for Joshua fight

07/13/2016 by Boxing News

By Scott Gilfoid: Former WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne (25-2-1, 21 KOs) says his promoter Don King is already in negotiations for a fight between him and IBF heavyweight belt holder Anthony Joshua (17-0, 17 KOs) for a fight before the end of this year.

As such, the 37-year-old Stiverne has already started training camp for the fight with the 6’6” Joshua, who he believes is too muscular and stiff. Stiverne believes he’ll take advantage of Joshua’s inexperience and the fact that he’s not been getting hit back by his opponents.

Joshua open to fighting anyone for his next fight

07/12/2016 by Boxing News

By Eric Baldwin: IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua isn’t leaning in any one direction for his next title defense of his IBF belt in November. While Matchroom Sport promoter Barry Hearn would like to see Joshua defend his title against former WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne next, Joshua says he’s willing to fight any of the top heavyweights in the division.

Joshua says he thinks a fight against Stiverne would be interesting because it would give him a chance to test his stamina to potentially go 12 rounds due to Stiverne’s excellent chin. Whoever the 26-year-old Joshua faces next, he’d like to have the fight take place in the UK so that he can take advantage of his huge fan base over there. He’d like to fight in front of British fans like he’d been doing.

Lewis says Joshua shouldn’t fight Fury or Wladimir yet

07/12/2016 by Boxing News

By Scott Gilfoid: Former heavyweight world champion Lennox Lewis thinks IBF heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua lacks the experience to fight Tyson Fury or Wladimir Klitschko right now. Lewis wants to see Joshua get more fights under his belts before he looks to fight the likes of Fury or Wladimir.

Joshua doesn’t need to worry about Fury or Wladimir in 2016, because he’s not going to be fighting either of them this year. Fury is injured still, and there still isn’t a date for the rematch between him and Wladimir. It’s likely that the two giant heavyweights will fight in either late October or sometime in November.