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1970-01-01 08:00
Joshua vs Wallin and Wilder vs Parker official for 23 December
Anthony Joshua will fight Otto Wallin in Saudi Arabia on 23 December, on the same card as a bout between Deontay Wilder and Joseph Parker. The fights are just two of several heavyweight clashes that will take place in the same ring in Riyadh, with Daniel Dubois and Filip Hrgovic among the other boxers in action that night, while light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol is also set to compete. The event was officially announced at a press conference in London on Wednesday (15 November). Joshua, 34, and Wilder, 38, have long been linked to one another, and there will inevitably be frustration among fans that the Briton and American will share a ring on 23 December but without boxing each other. Joshua will instead box Wallin, whose sole professional loss came against Tyson Fury in 2019. The Swede, 32, almost secured a victory that night after inflicting a severe cut over Fury’s right eye. Wallin has since won six fights in a row, and his professional record stands at 26-1 (14 knockouts). Meanwhile, Wilder will fight Joseph Parker (33-3, 23 KOs), a teammate of Fury. The New Zealander is on a three-fight win streak, having bounced back well from a stoppage loss to Joe Joyce last year. Joshua (26-3, 23 KOs) and Wilder (43-2-1, 32 KOs) both beat Robert Helenius last time out, with “AJ” stopping the Finn in Round 7 in August, after Wilder secured a first-round knockout in October 2022. Joshua’s victory over Helenius was his second straight win after his back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, who took the unified heavyweight titles from AJ in 2021 and retained the gold in their 2022 rematch. Meanwhile, Wilder’s win against Helenius saw him respond positively to back-to-back defeats by Tyson Fury, who won the WBC belt from Wilder in 2020 and retained it against the American in 2021. The pair previously fought to a controversial draw in 2018. "People are talking like I've peaked when they've never even seen a peak in their career, so I don't know what they're talking about,” Joshua said, referring to comments made by Wallin, whom he beat twice in the amateurs and with whom he later sparred. "I'm looking forward to relaying my message to Otto Wallin on 23 December. I can't predict the future, but I know where I wanna go, I know what I wanna do, and I'm sticking to my plan. “I'm a man of my word, and I believe in being a three-time champion of the world. This is what I like about the division: There's a roadmap with checkpoints, and I can't wait to get to the final destination. I'm fully focused on this fight, I'm determined to win, and I'm determined to get back to my 'peak'." Meanwhile, Wilder said: “Parker’s good at the end of the day, I think highly of him. He’s an amazing human being as a man, he’s a great fighter as well. It’s gonna be a remarkable feeling to finally share the ring with him. “The blessing is I have the ability to knock a single man out with one punch. This is something that’s been with me all my life, it’s not something I’ve developed. The curse is that it’s allowed people to shy away from me, to be fearful. Sometimes that can be harmful to the business of boxing.“ When asked whether any other fighter on the stage had ever ‘shied away’ from fighting him, Wilder said: “I don’t really have to say much, y’all have heard me many times throughout the years. I don’t feel the need to call out any names. At this time, my mind is focused solely on Joseph Parker. “It’s good to be in the same room [as Joshua], to see him face to face, it’s been a long time coming. I wish you nothing but the best, bro, and hopefully we can get in the ring some time soon.” Elsewhere on the 23 December card, Dubois will box Jarrell Miller, while Hrgovic fights Mark De Mori. Bivol will defend his WBA light-heavyweight title against Lyndon Arthur, and also in that division, Jai Opetaia fights Ellis Zorro. Meanwhile, Frank Sanchez will go up against Junior Fa at heavyweight, where Arslanbek Makhmudov boxes Agit Kabayel. Read More Boxing’s heavyweight saga sees biggest plot twist yet Joshua and Wilder in line to fight on same Saudi card – but not against each other Eddie Hearn makes surprising revelation about Anthony Joshua coach Anthony Joshua and Louis Theroux break into freestyle rap battle: ‘Fire in the booth’ Anthony Joshua relives fight with ‘six guys’ who attacked him in the street Anthony Joshua teases Tyson Fury fight during interview with Louis Theroux
1970-01-01 08:00
Date for Tyson Fury’s title fight with Oleksandr Usyk to be announced on Thursday
A date for Tyson Fury’s undisputed world heavyweight title fight with Oleksandr Usyk is set to be revealed on Thursday. Fury had been expected to clash with WBA, IBF and WBO champion Usyk on 23 December, but the British boxer was left bloodied and bruised in a contentious points win over Francis Ngannou last month. That fight was rumoured to be the preamble to the announcement of Fury taking on Usyk and even though the pair got in the ring together, the swollen eye and cut on the forehead of the Gypsy King pushed back the widely-reported proposed date, but an announcement is expected for Thursday. Bob Arum, chief executive at Fury’s American promoter Top Rank, told Sky Sports: “I can confirm they will fight each other in Saudi Arabia. “There will be a press conference in London for Thursday of this week – the 16th – and they’ll confirm the date and all the other circumstances of the fight taking place. “Tyson is ready to fight in February, if that’s when it happens. Remember going in with Ngannou, who showed himself to be very talented, nobody had a book on him because he had never had a prize fight. “Fighting Usyk is totally different because they have reams and reams of film on Usyk. So, I think Tyson will be a lot better prepared against Usyk than he was against Ngannou. “I have great confidence in Tyson Fury. I really believe Fury against Usyk will be a classic match.” Read More Jon Rahm says it is ‘mainly my fault’ that he cannot catch Rory McIlroy in Dubai Man arrested over death of ice hockey player Adam Johnson bailed by police Ex-Chelsea keeper Petr Cech joins Belfast Giants as ‘temporary emergency cover’
1970-01-01 08:00
Payback time: Trump plans mass firings, deportations in second term
(Corrects date in dateline) WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Republican Donald Trump is planning to punish his political enemies, fire thousands of government
1970-01-01 08:00
Xbox Series X Black Friday 2023 Buying Guide: Best Deals, Prices, Bundles
I suggest taking advantage of these Xbox Series X console deals.
1970-01-01 08:00
Factbox-How Trump would crack down on immigration in a second term
By Ted Hesson WASHINGTON Former U.S. President Donald Trump, the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in
1970-01-01 08:00
Factbox-Court fights could tip control of US House in 2024
By Joseph Ax Legal battles over redistricting could lead to new congressional maps in nearly a dozen U.S.
1970-01-01 08:00
Boxing’s heavyweight saga sees biggest plot twist yet
At the end of this week, it is likely that a dozen or more heavyweights will officially be announced as heading back to Saudi Arabia for a show on 23 December. The date had been booked and held for the full unification fight between Oleksandr Usyk, who holds three belts, and Tyson Fury, who has one, but Francis Ngannou ruined the plan two weeks ago when he came close to beating Fury. In the heavyweight business, all problems can be solved with a bit of cash, some willingness and a lot of late-night ducking and diving; this week there are planned announcements for a lot of fights. Fury vs Usyk has been salvaged and moved to 2024, with a new date agreed, and further agreements reached. It’s on, don’t panic. The real fun is the December date, a night that the new Saudi boxing backers had set in stone as part of their festival of art, culture and sport. The fight was the crowning glory of Riyadh Season (an annual winter festival); it was also a clear sign that Saudi money could deliver a fight that traditional boxing money and deal-brokering had so miserably failed to do. Fury, his face bruised and his vast ego dented, had been told, in the immediate aftermath of the brawl with Ngannou, that he had a commitment to return and fight Usyk in December; a day before the 10-round win over Ngannou, in the middle of the circus revelry, Fury had threatened legal action if Usyk refused to fight on the 23rd. The morning after the Ngannou fight, it was Usyk’s turn to warn Fury of his contractual obligation. Luckily, a sensible solution was found, the date shifted to February and a heavyweight bonanza was planned to replace the unification fight. In the past few days, a dozen or more fights have been rumoured for the late December date; a man called Martin Bakole, who fought on the undercard of the Fury-Ngannou fight, has been linked with four or five of the world’s top heavyweights. Bakole is acknowledged as the heavyweight nobody wants to fight; Bakole, obviously, would fight anybody. Even Anthony Joshua is now in the mix, bound it seems for Saudi on 23 December, and he has been linked with Otto Wallin. That would be a very good fight. Perhaps the most outlandish name to circulate in the past few days is former world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder. The American lost twice to Fury in world title fights, has not fought since October 2022, and recently announced that he was switching codes to MMA, but now it seems he is part of the attraction for December. A fight with Bakole was mentioned and a fight against a former world champion, Joseph Parker. Meanwhile, Wilder and Joshua have been close to agreeing a deal to fight for a long, long time. London’s Daniel Dubois, who was stopped by Usyk in a world title fight in the summer, is also one of the names doing the rounds. Dubois has been linked with Parker and one-time drug cheat Jarrell Baby Miller. There are so many Dubois rumours that it would be odd if his name was left off the starting line-up for the December show. Dubois and Parker would be a fine fight; Parker lost his world heavyweight title to Joshua in 2018, has been in big fights since then and was a good winner last month in Saudi Arabia. A fight between Parker and Wilder would certainly be interesting. Parker is one of heavyweight boxing’s treasures, a decent man with a proven history of leaving everything in the ring; Wilder has dropped, stopped or knocked out 42 of the 43 men he has beaten. Wilder on the Saudi Christmas bill would inevitably be entertaining. There is even bold talk that Ngannou, the man who caused all the uncertainty, guesswork and rumours, might fight on the mystery night. The former UFC heavyweight champion wants a rematch with Fury but is prepared to let the unification fight take place first. There is a suggestion that Derek Del Boy Chisora, who lost a world title fight to Fury last December, is preparing to restore boxing’s pride and fight Ngannou. The close loss to Fury was Ngannou’s first fight in a boxing ring. Ngannou is not fighting on the 23 December bill – it is too soon. We only have this crazy situation because Ngannou, a total novice, sent Fury tumbling, boxed his ears off at times, pushed him all over the ring and caused all the riotous, ring rumours to start. It is a grand circus of confusion and laughter; heavyweights are understandably desperate to get their name on the bill. It is boxing’s greatest Christmas gift. There is also a cameo planned by light-heavyweight world champion Dmitry Bivol. The boxing clock is ticking, camps need to be arranged, sparring partners hired and travel plans sorted. There will be a heavyweight show this December in Riyadh, and hopefully all the large pieces will fall into place later this week. The confirmation of a new date for the Usyk vs Fury fight is just part of the carnival. This might just be a big week for heavyweight boxing. Read More Eddie Hearn makes surprising revelation about Anthony Joshua coach Tyson Fury promoter Frank Warren promises ‘historical’ fight card on 23 December Oleksandr Usyk offers new date for Tyson Fury fight Anthony Joshua teases Tyson Fury fight during interview with Louis Theroux Dana White reacts to Francis Ngannou’s stunning performance vs Tyson Fury Boxer ‘swallowed wasp’ during knockout win on Fury vs Ngannou undercard
1970-01-01 08:00
Katie Taylor questions whether women’s boxing is capable of switch to three-minute rounds
Undisputed world lightweight champion Katie Taylor has questioned whether women's boxing has the “strength and depth” to move to three-minute rounds. The Irish fighter will try to avenge the only loss of her professional career when she faces Chantelle Cameron this month in a rematch of their fight in May. Some top fighters led by Amanda Serrano have been pushing for the choice to switch from the traditional 10 two-minute rounds to 12 three-minute rounds for title fights. Cameron signed on to Serrano's statement a month ago calling for the change, arguing that it would put women on par with men and allow them to earn more money. "I haven't really got any preference either way," the 37-year-old Taylor said. "The two-minute rounds are a real fast pace. They say the three-minute rounds will cause more knockouts, but I don't think that's true. "I don't know if women's boxing has the strength and depth to have three-minute rounds really. For me, I really don't care whether it's a two or three-minute round. I spar three-minute rounds all the time. There's pros and cons to both really." The Taylor vs Cameron fight — on 25 November at the 3Arena in Dublin — will be 10 two-minute rounds like the first one. Serrano defended her world featherweight belts two weeks ago with a unanimous decision over Danila Ramos in 12 three-minute rounds in Orlando, describing two-minute rounds as "a sprint" and with the extra minute "we get to showcase our skills." Taylor edged Serrano in a thriller at a sold-out Madison Square Garden in May 2022. It was the first time a women's boxing match headlined at the famous venue. A Taylor vs Serrano rematch was in the works but the Puerto Rican fighter pulled out because of injury. Cameron then stepped in and ruined Taylor's homecoming, the judges scoring the Dublin fight 96-94, 96-94 and 95-95 for the Englishwoman. Taylor (22-1) again is challenging for Cameron's world super-lightweight belts at 140 pounds. The 32-year-old Cameron is 18-0. For Taylor, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist, it was her first loss at any level since being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016. "Mentally and physically I feel a lot better going into this one," said Taylor, who lives and trains in Connecticut. "I just had a bit of a flat night, just a flat performance. I certainly wasn't myself on the night, and I think everybody who watched the fight could see that." Cameron threw nearly twice as many punches as Taylor in the first fight. AP Read More Katie Taylor ‘aware of what is at stake’ in Chantelle Cameron rematch Amanda Serrano revels in ‘historic night’ for women’s boxing Eddie Hearn makes surprising revelation about Anthony Joshua coach Eddie Hearn makes surprising revelation about Anthony Joshua coach What is an exhibition fight and how is it different to a professional bout? The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings
1970-01-01 08:00
Baldur's Gate 3 Xbox port 'very close now'
Larian Studios is closing in on its fix for the game's Xbox port.
1970-01-01 08:00
How to Play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III Early on All Platforms
To play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III early on all platforms, fans must use the New Zealand trick on console or get invited to a game on PC.
1970-01-01 08:00
Megan Thee Stallion goes metal with Spiritbox remix of Cobra
Megan Thee Stallion raps over a heavy guitar riff on her metal remix of 'Cobra'.
1970-01-01 08:00