List of All Articles with Tag 'box'

“On the 13th of this month, we buried my brother.” Those are the first words out of Chris Eubank’s mouth after he takes a seat beside his nephew Harlem, son to the late Simon Eubank, in a Westminster high-rise on an October afternoon. Loss has been far too rife in the Eubank family in recent years. Simon’s death, at the age of 61, came two years after the passing of Chris’s son Sebastian, who was just 29 when he died of a reported heart attack – the same age that Harlem is now. But Chris and Harlem are not focusing on endings. They are focusing on beginnings. Both think in “spiritual” terms. They make that clear. “Divine intervention” brought the icon and the contender together, as Harlem puts it, while Chris describes Simon’s death as the former boxer having “now left this dimension”. It was at Simon’s funeral that Harlem and Chris connected in a way that they had not done previously. Now, Harlem is Chris’s “son”, the former two-weight world champion stresses repeatedly. “This is our life, this is more than boxing,” Harlem tells The Independent, reflecting on the bond behind the new partnership, which has been forged in the lead-up to his fight with Timo Schwarzkopf on 10 November – and a year after Chris’s split from his son Jr. “To have each other close and to have him by my side is very important, it’s a big deal. Boxing is a spiritual experience. You’re going into the fire, and it means the world to have my uncle Chris, who is a king of this realm, by my side.” Chris, meanwhile, takes a moment and a breath before weighing in. “What does it mean?” The 57-year-old has always taken his time choosing his words, and it has always made him a mesmeric orator. “It means I’m delighted. Delighted. I’ve given him tips over the years, and every tip I’ve given him, I’ve seen him actually carry them out in fights. Even just coming up from Brighton this morning in the car, the amount of information that I’ve been able to give him, it’s like: ‘Is he gonna be able to actually take on board this much experience and wisdom? Not only in boxing, but also to do with the media, the public, being still. Is it going to overload him?’ But it’s fun. When I get up, I pull him up; and when he gets up, he pulls me up.” By the end of the day, the duo will be back in Brighton, where their fighting family have roots – including Simon’s twin brother Peter, and Chris’s son Jr. It is there that the unbeaten Harlem will box Schwarzkopf, marking the Brighton Centre’s first fight night since 1991, when Chris retained his WBO middleweight title. Three years after that bout, to the day, Harlem was born. Some will call it coincidence; Harlem, with his feel for the spiritual and the divine, might point to something more. The 29-year-old also has a feel for philosophy. “I think I’ve always been attracted to philosophy, and the philosophy of fighting, because it’s so real,” Harlem says. “There’s nothing fake about it. When you step in the ring, you see someone’s personality in true form.” “It’s the only vocation that’s real,” Chris concurs. “Almost all vocations are pretend, but when you get hit, there’s no pretence behind it. I think of our trainer, Charlie; he’s a fireman, and he’s beautifully placed, because his spirit teaches what Harlem has to do when he’s in a fight. If it’s not going your way, you’ve got to stay in that fight, and if you get knocked down, you’ve got to get up and run back into the fire. Do you have the courage, the testicular fortitude to do what most people can’t do?” Chris, wearing a glinting badge in acknowledgement of Charlie’s service and his own unique role as a US city marshal, turns to Harlem. “I was gonna say, ‘I pray it doesn’t happen to you.’ Sorry, it’s not like that; I pray it does happen, because that’s how you cut yourself away from the rest of the pack. “That’s the warrior, and that’s why we’re creatures of irony, because we really are here to protect and bring peace, but in the ring we’re fierce!” Chris leans forward as he says it, contorting his face into a mock kind of menace. Now, he is posturing as only he can. Then, he leans back and laughs. “Sorry, I’m taking over the interview, but this is why I’m here, because I’ve got to give you copy!” Chris, who places much focus on the idea of “protecting” Harlem, takes over a few times. I wonder if Harlem minds, but he smiles softly as if to suggest he doesn’t. I certainly don’t – as keen as I am to hear from Harlem. When I ask the younger Eubank what he will be thinking as he emerges in front of a home crowd in Brighton, he manages, “You don’t have time for thoughts. I’m ready, I’m ready to go, I’m ready to––” “Inflict punishment,” Chris cuts in, before apologising to Harlem again. “I’m sorry! But that’s what I’m here to teach: He has to inflict legal punishment on his adversary. That’s right. I’m gonna teach you a quote by...” he searches for the name, thinking of Samuel Johnson but saying Winston Churchill. “‘Treating your adversary with respect is giving him an advantage to which he is not entitled.’ So, treating your adversary with respect is striking soft in battle. The battle has already started, Harlem’s job is to eviscerate them. We’re here to smash it, we’re going to smash it.” Again, Chris is posturing in trademark fashion. “When you walk into that arena,” he continues, “and you hear the crowds booing you – or cheering, but it’s better when they boo – oooh, it’s beautiful!” There will be no boos in Brighton. Harlem will be the hero, Chris his mentor. But for all that Chris feels he can teach his new mentee, he effuses about his nephew’s learnings so far. To Chris, Harlem is a “pure” soul and a “sweetheart”. As a boxer? “Beautiful, brilliant, sugar.” They will hope for a sweet homecoming. Harlem Eubank vs Timo Schwarzkopf will air live on Channel 5 on Friday 10 November. Coverage begins at 10pm GMT, with ring walks due at 10.05pm. Read More Harlem Eubank is the latest brick in a house of glory and grief What is an exhibition fight and how is it different to a professional bout? The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings What is an exhibition fight and how is it different to a professional bout? 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The Eubank fighting family tree has three brothers, three sons and they have been in 170 professional fights during the past 40 years. There was a time when Simon and Peter, who are twins, and their younger brother, Chris, were all known as “Eubanks”. It was Chris who dropped the S and it was Chris who refused to join the hard, hard circuit. Simon and Peter lost a combined total of 41 fights; Chris was beaten just five times in 52. Chris, the dad as he is often known, is the father of Chris Jr and the late Sebastian. He put Brighton and Hove on the boxing map, but he only fought there five times in total. He is also the adviser to his nephew, Harlem, whose father Simon died in September. There is enough glory and grief in the house of Eubank. And it is no longer a happy soap opera with comical turns by Chris in jodhpurs. The three fighting sons were all born in the Brighton area on the south coast; the twins were born in Manchester and Chris Sr was born near Peckham in south London. They all helped make Brighton their fighting town. Chris Sr had a short period in New York, before returning to fight in Brighton. They have all trained in a gym below sea level in Hove. It is a boxing shrine. Sebastian was unbeaten in two as a professional when he died in Dubai in 2021; it was announced as a heart attack, but his father is still trying to find out exactly what happened. Chris has spoken eloquently about his attempts at dealing with the immense grief of losing his son; the death of his brother, Simon, has added to his suffering. Working with Harlem has helped him get back on track; he remains an outspoken critic of the proposed fight between his son, Chris, and Conor Benn – the son of his own fiercest rival, Nigel. Chris Eubank Sr fought 52 times, was British boxing’s biggest attraction in the Nineties and is still a strong fixture on the celebrity circuit; he has been in some dark places since the death of his youngest son. On Friday, he will be with Harlem when a Eubank fights once again in Brighton; Harlem meets Germany’s Timo Schwarzkopf at the Brighton Centre. It is not a walkover. Eubank Sr defended his WBO middleweight title against Dan Sherry in Brighton in 1991 and only Harlem has fought in the seaside town since then; Harlem won his debut at the Metropole Hotel in 2017. Harlem’s father, Simon, had the hardest career of the lot. He fought as Simon Eubanks, and he was thrown in with world champions and British champions at short notice and with no chance of winning. He finished his career with seven wins from 27 fights. He was fearless and never went to lose; he never fought like a loser. Peter, who fought as Peter Eubanks, beat a young Barry McGuigan one night in Brighton in 1981 at the Corn Exchange. It was a big shock, but a fair result; Peter could fight. McGuigan won the rematch in Belfast. Peter lost 21 of his 35 fights but he was a real handful, not an easy journeyman to beat. The numbers are misleading for the twins, and handled differently and with care, they could have been very good fighters. It will be an emotional return for the Eubank fighting family at the Brighton Centre on Friday night. Harlem is unbeaten in 18 fights and will need to find some calm on that long walk to the ring to overcome Schwarzkopf. He will be walking through a tunnel of family members, family memories and local fans. He will also be walking in the footsteps of his father, uncles and cousins. It is a very serious homecoming. Read More What is an exhibition fight and how is it different to a professional bout? The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings Anthony Joshua reveals how much cannabis he smoked as a teenager

Anthony Joshua has told Louis Theroux about a “massive” fight he had with “six guys” in the street, showing the journalist his scars in the process. Joshua, a former two-time world heavyweight champion, is the subject of the 7 November episode of Louis Theroux Interviews, in which “AJ” discusses his upbringing, boxing career and future plans. In the opening segment of the episode, Theroux asks the 34-year-old: “Can I see your hands? Are those little marks from boxing?” “Well, this one is,” Joshua replies, before Theroux adds: “What about on your knuckles?” “You know, funny enough...” Joshua begins. “I’m not a troublesome person, I’ll be honest with you – far from troublesome – but I used to get in fights, and my skin hasn’t healed too well. “So, this knuckle... I was going to get chicken one evening, and I ended up fighting six guys on my own. And that was just like massive – really good scrap. And I think this [one] is from the same time.” When asked if he ever put anyone in hospital, Joshua replies: “No, no, no, no. In a coffin. No, I’m joking!” In the latest episode of Theroux’s BBC programme, Joshua also discusses his career no longer being “fun” and his drug habits as a teenager in London. Much of the episode focuses on Joshua’s points win over Jermaine Franklin in April, when the Briton bounced back from two straight losses to Oleksandr Usyk. AJ has since fought again, knocking out Robert Helenius in August. Louis Theroux Interviews: Anthony Joshua airs on BBC Two on Tuesday 7 November, starting at 9pm GMT. Read More Anthony Joshua reveals how much cannabis he smoked as a teenager Anthony Joshua admits his boxing career has stopped being ‘fun’ Eddie Hearn eyes up fight against Francis Ngannou for Anthony Joshua

An honest Anthony Joshua has told Louis Theroux that the days when boxing “was for fun” are “gone” for him. Joshua, a former two-time world heavyweight champion, is the subject of the 7 November episode of Louis Theroux Interviews, in which “AJ” discusses his upbringing, boxing career and future plans. In one emotional segment of the episode, Theroux asks Joshua about his second successive loss to Oleksandr Usyk, who took the unified heavyweight belts from the 34-year-old in 2021 before beating AJ again in 2022. After that second defeat, Joshua seized a microphone and ranted at the crowd in Saudi Arabia, while also throwing Usyk’s titles out of the ring. “It was like, ‘These don’t even mean anything anyway. What? I ain’t got them, so they don’t mean anything.’ That was the ego and pride coming out,” Joshua tells Theroux in the latest episode of the BBC programme. “‘I brought this heavyweight division back.’ “Right or wrong...” Joshua continues, before Theroux interjects: “Probably wrong, probably wrong. I don’t think anyone says it was the right thing to do.” Joshua replies: “You asked me a question, yeah? You asked me a question and I’m answering it. Could I have done it better? Of course I could have. “I felt frustrated and annoyed, I knew I was out of the title race, and then the questions started: ‘What is he like? Where’s his head at? Can he be three-time champion of the world?’ “People now create this narrative and put pressure on me. It’s, like, too much. Gone are the days when it was for fun, when you’re just doing it for the passion, [when] you’re a prospect.” Theroux then says to an emotional-sounding Joshua, “Let’s have a cup of tea. Are you alright?” to which the boxer replies: “Yeah, I’m feeling good, come to the kitchen.” Later in the episode, the pair return to the subject, with Joshua saying: “Yeah, [money] plays a part, but I’m passionate. This is all I know, this is what I dedicate my life to. “Do I want to get myself to the championship? I would love to. Am I gonna be smart in how I get there? Yeah. Do I know a lot more about boxing than I used to? A hundred per cent. Am I still trying to improve as a boxer? Yeah. ‘How come he doesn’t fight with the same passion that he used to?’ Because I’m a better boxer than I was then.” Elsewhere in the episode, Joshua relives a fight he had with ‘six guys’ who attacked him in the street. Joshua bounced back from his losses to Usyk by outpointing Jermaine Franklin in April. The Briton then knocked out Robert Helenius in August. Both fights took place at London’s O2 Arena. Louis Theroux Interviews: Anthony Joshua airs on BBC Two on Tuesday 7 November, starting at 9pm GMT. Read More Anthony Joshua relives fight with ‘six guys’ who attacked him in the street Eddie Hearn eyes up fight against Francis Ngannou for Anthony Joshua Betfred ads featuring boxer Anthony Joshua banned because of appeal to under-18s Fury vs Ngannou 2? Joshua vs Wilder? The heavyweight fights we need in 2024 Hearn makes bold Fury vs Joshua prediction after Ngannou win On this day in 2017: Anthony Joshua beats Carlos Takam to retain world titles

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Three tweets for bookmaker Betfred featuring Anthony Joshua have been banned after a watchdog found the boxer’s strong appeal among under-18s broke gambling ad rules. The first of the three posts in March and April, which promoted a forthcoming fight for the boxer, featured Joshua being interviewed by commentator Dom McGuinness about his diet ahead of his bout against Jermaine Franklin, with text stating: “How does @anthonyjoshua stay in shape? A diet consisting of bananas with rice & ketchup with sweetcorn. How does @ant_crolla stay in shape? Guinness.” The second tweet featured a video of Joshua being interviewed about how he prepares for fights, while the third included excerpts from an interview about his mentality when fighting. The ruling forms part of wider work by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banning gambling ads which, under strengthened rules, are prohibited for being likely to be of strong appeal to under-18s. They were identified for investigation with the use of AI to search for online ads that might break the rules. Betfred acknowledged that Joshua is “undoubtedly a star in the sport of boxing”, but said he is reaching the end of his career and, therefore, the ads posed a low risk of appealing to children. Social media data showed that none of Joshua’s followers on X/Twitter, Facebook or TikTok was registered as being between 13 and 17 years old, while 5 per cent of his Snapchat followers and 6.6 per cent of his Instagram followers were registered as being between 13 and 17 years old. Overall, the company said, he has 29.3 million followers worldwide, which it acknowledged means he has a substantial social media presence, with 1.1 million users registered as being under 18. He has 7.2 million followers in total in the UK and, assuming age breakdowns in the UK mirror worldwide figures, Betfred believes approximately 280,000 of Joshua’s UK followers are under 18. It acknowledged that the total number excludes Snapchat, for which it did not have UK-specific data. The ASA noted that Joshua is a 33-year-old former world champion boxer who is considered a high-profile “star” in the sport. It said: “Although they made up a small proportion of his total followers, we considered that over 1.1 million followers aged under 18 was a significant number in absolute terms. “We therefore considered that, because he had such large numbers of social media followers who were under 18, Mr Joshua was of inherent strong appeal to under-18s.” Betfred is committed to ensuring that our marketing does not have a strong appeal to under-18s, and we are firmly of the view that the posting of these interviews with Anthony Joshua in no way undermined that commitment Betfred The ASA ruled that the ads must not appear again in their current form, adding: “We told Betfred not to include a person or character who had strong appeal to those under 18 years of age in their advertising in future.” Betfred said it will be seeking an independent review of “this unjust decision”. A spokesman said: “Betfred is committed to ensuring that our marketing does not have a strong appeal to under-18s, and we are firmly of the view that the posting of these interviews with Anthony Joshua in no way undermined that commitment. “It should also be remembered that the ASA did not receive a single complaint from a member of the public about our association with Anthony Joshua in this respect.” Read More Sarina Wiegman admits England learned ‘hard lesson’ against Belgium Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea need to give Nicolas Jackson ‘confidence’ Erik ten Hag says ‘only a matter of time’ until Manchester United form improves Alex Greenwood suffers head injury in England’s clash with Belgium We’re better than that – Dawid Malan deflects England heat from Matthew Mott Sir Bobby Charlton funeral announced for November 13

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When Tyson Fury claimed, days out from his fight with Francis Ngannou, that it would be like a “table-tennis champion” facing Novak Djokovic in a Wimbledon final, most fans agreed. And in the end, Fury was right – it’s just he’d gotten the labels the wrong way round. Because in the third round, it was Ngannou who clubbed him with all the might of a Djokovic backhand, and Fury’s miniature bat offered no defence whatsoever. As Fury lay on the canvas, the whites of his eyes bulging and outshining even the most ostentatious points of the evening’s opening ceremony in Riyadh, he was utterly humiliated. There really are no two ways about it. On this night in Saudi Arabia, Fury was hurt, disciplined, and embarrassed by Ngannou – the MMA star, the boxing debutant, one of the biggest underdogs in combat-sports history. The ‘Table Tennis champion of the world’, as Ngannou himself wrote on Instagram after this crossover contest. Even Andy Murray had to chime in, as Fury’s words came back to bite him with a little bit more venom. “How many points would the world No 1 squash player win vs the world No 1 tennis player, in a tennis match and vice versa?” tweeted the... well... former world No 1 tennis player. “I’m thinking close to zero for both… bad look for boxing.” In the strangest sense, it would have been better if Fury had been knocked out. At least then, the WBC heavyweight champion could have pointed to the pre-fight narrative that Ngannou’s only hope was that his notoriously hellacious power would conjure a stupefying moment of magic. Instead, the Cameroonian, 37, outboxed the Briton, 35, for phases of this fight – this boxing match, remember – and in the eyes of many in attendance, including legends of the boxing world, won enough rounds to beat Fury. Ultimately, Ngannou was denied on the scorecards, leading many viewers to echo a sentiment that has long sounded within boxing: that the underdog was never going to get the nod on a night like this, no matter how many rounds he’d seemingly taken. Yet the truth is this: As incomprehensibly well as the former UFC champion fought, this bout was razor close. Fury winning via split decision is not necessarily the wrong call. But the fact that those words even exist in that order on any medium, show that Ngannou was a victor – even if he wasn’t named the victor. Ngannou, in reality, was a victor when he escaped the sand quarry where he worked as a 10-year-old in Cameroon. He was a victor when he left prison in Spain after making it to Europe after numerous failed attempts, and when he honed his martial arts skills to the degree that he could finally leave poverty behind him, in Paris. He was a victor when he won the UFC heavyweight title, and an even greater victor when he boldly relinquished that belt and walked away from a contract that would have made him the highest-paid heavyweight in UFC history. He was a victor when he signed to fight Fury and secured a purse that eclipsed his entire UFC earnings, and he was a victor when he sent the lineal boxing heavyweight champion cascading to the canvas in Saudi Arabia – even if he wasn’t a victor when the scorecards were revealed. Fury, meanwhile, was a loser in victory. His undisputed-title clash with Oleksandr Usyk, with whom he shared the ring after ‘beating’ Ngannou, has been mooted for 23 December. It was seemingly Fury pushing for that date, while rumours suggested that Usyk would not be ready in time. But as they spoke to one another in the ring, it was the Ukrainian who demanded that they square off in two months, while Fury and his promoter distanced themselves from the date in question. Earlier this week, Fury suggested that he would “sue” Usyk if the 36-year-old did not fight him on 23 December. Now, Fury’s side are calling for January or February; so, they can expect to be sued, then? Almost certainly not, is the answer of course; there is no public proof that the date is mentioned in their contract, which is why it was silly for Fury to use it against Usyk in the first place. It is at least understandable that Fury’s team are pushing for the fight to take place next year, though. It is hard to imagine this version of Fury beating Usyk in December or at all, as different as the southpaw’s skills are when compared to Ngannou’s. And what was this version of Fury? Alongside his pre-fight table-tennis jibe, he claimed that he could have beaten Ngannou after drinking “25 pints of beer”. Here’s hoping the post-fight drug test included a breathalyzer. Read More Tyson Fury embarrassed by Francis Ngannou and the punch that changed boxing Usyk: ‘I was shouting advice to Tyson Fury’ during poor showing vs Francis Ngannou Francis Ngannou rematch or Oleksandr Usyk showdown? – Tyson Fury’s future plans Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk date in doubt as Francis Ngannou result changes plan Tyson Fury hints at next steps after Francis Ngannou victory Hearn makes bold Fury vs Joshua prediction after Ngannou win

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The outcome of Tyson Fury’s split-decision victory over former UFC champion Francis Ngannou has proved controversial - but the punch stats from the heavyweight crossover fight have revealed a different story. Fury survived a knockdown and avoided the first loss of his professional career when he was named a split-decision winner – 94-95, 96-93, 95-94. Ngannou, was making his boxing debut yet outfought Fury for much of the bout, as a stunned audience looked on in Riyadh. The 37-year-old former UFC champion was a massive underdog in the main event in Riyadh but produced a superb performance with immense discipline and aggression, and many figures in the world of boxing declared that the “Predator” had been denied a rightful win. But while Ngannou scored more power punches than his opponent – including with his stunning knockdown in the third round, clipping Fury on the top of the head with a fine left hook – stats have revealed that it was the “Gypsy King” who landed the most punches during the 10-round contest. According to Compubox, Fury landed 71 of his 223 punches, while Ngannou only managed to connect with 59 from his 231 attempted shots. Fury was also the more active fighter in six of the 10 rounds, with Ngannou edging three and another, the seventh round, equal. The stats also show that Ngannou landed just six punches in the final two rounds compared to Fury’s 13, which have been the difference on the judges’ scorecards. However, Ngannou outstruck Fury in power shots, 37-32, throughout the fight. After the fight, Oleksandr Usyk entered the ring to face off with Fury, whom he is contracted to fight next. Ukrainian Usyk, unbeaten like Fury, holds the unified heavyweight boxing titles. The pair have been rumoured to clash in Riyadh on 23 December, though Fury and his promoter Frank Warren played coy after the fight with Ngannou. “That definitely wasn’t in the script,” said Fury. “[Ngannou] is a lot better of a boxer than we thought he’d be. He’s a very awkward man, and he’s a good puncher, and I respect him a lot. He was very awkward, he wasn’t coming forward; he was waiting for me to throw my punches then looking to counter. “[The knockdown] is a part of boxing. I got caught behind the head. I got up and it was alright; I got back to my boxing. “I don’t know how close [the fight] was, but I got the win and that’s what it is. I’ve been out of the ring a long time again. You can see it in here – ring rust, everything. No excuses, though. He’s cut me across the eye there. It was a good, rough fight. Perfect.” Usyk, 36, then said: “Let’s go. I’m going to be fighting him, amazing. It’s a big fight, the whole world wants this fight. We’re back in this ring, 23 December, thank you very much, I go to sleep.” Fury said: “It’s been going on a long time, let’s do the fight – over here, for all the belts, the undisputed title of the world. Listen, it’s not up to me; we’d go now. These guys will sort it out, it’ll be my next fight guaranteed.” But Warren added: “I don’t think the date will be announced just yet. This fight is on. Both fighters want it. Tyson’s got a cut there. We’ll see how it heals. “It’s the biggest fight in boxing. Everybody wants to see it. They’ll see it in Saudi, it’ll break all box-office records.” Read More Usyk: ‘I was shouting advice to Tyson Fury’ during poor showing vs Francis Ngannou Francis Ngannou rematch or Oleksandr Usyk showdown? – Tyson Fury’s future plans Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk date in doubt as Francis Ngannou result changes plan Tyson Fury embarrassed by Francis Ngannou and the punch that changed boxing Tyson Fury hints at next steps after Francis Ngannou victory Hearn makes bold Fury vs Joshua prediction after Ngannou win