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The emphatic ending to the last round in which the reigning champion was pummelled by a succession of combinations was near enough the icing on the cake for Usyk who let his fists do the talking to leave no doubt that he was victorious to join Evander Holyfield and David Haye in the successful transiton from undisputed cruiserweight champion to heavyweight champion.

A dejected Joshua made no effort to raise his arms to claim an unlikely victory as he looked a forlorn, beaten man with a damaged right eye.  He slumped back to his stool and only at the last second rose back on his feet as the judges scorecards came through to confirm that Usyk had won on all three scorecards.

Beforehand, many respected Boxing pundits such as Anthony Bellew, Carl Froch and Johnny Nelson had predicted that Joshua’s size and weight advantage would be too much for the Ukrainian who hadn’t looked impressive in his unanimous points win over Derek Chisora last year November.

Usyk himself wasn’t pleased with his performance and gave himself a 3/10 rating in what was a tough bout in which Chisora had attempted to manhandle Usyk.  Many had thought that the method of physically mauling Usyk would be an option that Joshua could use on the night.

However Usyk weighing in at 221 pounds (15st 11lbs) was a mere 19 pounds lighter than Joshua. (17 st 2lbs) and his tactics of constantly moving and throwing combinations from unusal angles proved to be the perfect antidote to defeat the two-time heavyweight champion.

Attempting to outbox Usyk who has the pedigree of 335 victories in 350 amateur bouts, was a recipe for disaster for Joshua who reverted to the same tactics that he had used  successfuly against Andy Ruiz Jr. in regaining his world titles.

Usyk however is a different kettle of fish to Ruiz who although having previously had just 18 professional fights, has had an extensive amateur career similar to his compatriot Lomochencko who has won world titles in three weight classes having fought just 17 times in the professional ranks.

Although not a heavy puncher,  Usyk continually stung Joshua with his combinations and it could be argued that Joshua  had only won 3 rounds out of the 12 on the night as Usyk’s superior Boxing skillset was evident throughout the night.

An immediate rematch clause means that Usyk is obliged to defend his titles against Joshua.  He’ll take a great deal of confidence  going into the rematch whch will likely take place in the first quarter of next year knowing that his superior Boxing IQ should make him a strong favourite to win the rematch and then hunt for the WBC title.

Anthony Joshua will be reeling from the manner in which he was outboxed in front of 65,000 fans at the magnificient Tottenham Hotspur stadium and a lot of soul-searching and a new strategy will be needed in order to overcome what will be the biggest challenge of his career against the phenomenal Alexander Usyk.

 

The late, great Marvelous Marvin Hagler’s last fight against Sugar Ray Leonard in 1987 was one year before Dillian Whyte was born in Port Antonio, Jamaica.

But yet entering into the ring in Gibraltar, Whyte paid tribute to Marvelous Marvin wearing a robe acknowledging the sudden passing this month of arguably the greatest middleweight of all time.  He also sported  a shaven head and goatee beard similar to Hagler’s menacing, intimidating look during his reign of terror in the 80’s.

Having suffered a stunning 5th round knockout defeat against Povetkin last August,  “The Body Snatcher”  has had to endure a lengthy wait to face Povetkin with the fight postponed on two occasions due to the Russian suffering from Covid-19.

However Povetin was made to pay for The Bodysnatcher’s 7 month wait for a rematch with a clinical performance resulting in a crushing 4th round TKO which puts Whyte back in the mix to challenge for a world title having regained the WBC interim heavyweight title.

With former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis’s trainer Harold Knight a new addition in his corner, Whyte looked sharp from the start with the jab playing a predominant weapon in keeping Povetkin on the back foot.

From their first encounter, Whyte had proved that he could hurt Povetkin having knocked him down twice in the 4th round.  But what was impressive in the rematch was the timing of his right hand which caused most of the damage to Povetkin before the trademark left hook ended the contest.

With heavyweight champions Fury and Joshua apparently signing a two-fight contract, the frustration will continue for Whyte in his quest for a world title challenge.   Realistically, he will have to wait until 2022 before that dream will become reality.

Whyte will not be waiting until next year to fight, and a proposed blockbuster fight between Andy Ruiz or Deontay Wilder would certainly excite fight fans should either fight be on the horizon this year.

Marvelous Marvin Hagler loved the catchphrase “Destruction and Destroy” during his fight career and Whyte’s destruction of Povetkin was just that.

 

 

Tonight sees “The Juggernaut ” Joe Joyce take on the explosive Daniel “Dynamite” Dubois in which both British fighters are unbeaten.

At the age of 35, Joyce despite having fought only 11 times in the professional ranks and with just a total of 47 amateur bouts, won a silver medal in the Super-Heavyweight division at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Many had felt that he was unlucky to not have won the gold medal in which he lost to Tony Yoka of France on a split-decision.

Although not as spectacular as Dubois, the 6ft 6 inch fighter from South London has wins under his belt against former world champion Bermane Stiverne and Bryant Jennings who had previously fought for the world title against Wladimir Klitscko.

Joyce carries a slight height advantage against the 6ft 5 inch Dubois and is a stone heavier than Dubois at 18 stone 6lbs.  He also has great stamina which many believe would give him the edge if the fight were to go the distance.

Dubois however at 23 years old is considered by many to be the next British Heavyweight who could be the heir apparent to Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua as a world champion.

His punching power in his 15 fights to date have lived up to his nickname of Dynamite and he looks to have the killer instinct in which his spiteful jab is something to watch out for.

However the question always remains with unbeaten fighters who have yet to ride out a storm, what will Dubois’s punch resistance be like if Joyce lands a heavy punch or frustrates Dubois and drags the fight into the later rounds?

This is what makes tonight’s fight a very intriguing fight as the incentive for the winner is huge with a fight in 2021 for the WBO Heavyweight title a possibility.

Should Joshua get past Pulev next month, he will have his eye on a fight with Tyson Fury next year and should he decide to relinquish his WBO belt in which Usyk is the mandatory challenger, Usyk would be in pole position to fight the winner of tonight’s fight.

Dubois is the favourite to win this fight but as we have seen in the Heavyweight division with Dillian Whyte’s knockout loss to Povetkin, it only takes just one punch to totally wreck the outcome of a fight.

Just how much of an upward curve Joyce is at 35 years old compared to the 23 year old Dubois will be interesting to see but I can only see Dubois’s hand been raised with a knockout inside 8 rounds.

 

It has been over 3 years since Kell Brook last fought in the welterweight division in which he fought an epic battle against Errol Spence who took Brook’s IBF title stopping the Sheffield warrior in the 11th round.

Looking in exceptional condition, Brook weighed in on the 10st 7lbs limit which many thought would not see “Special K” fight again at welterweight having moved up to light-middleweight.

Having not fought at all in 2019, Brook made the admission that he had blown up to an incredible 15 stone before his last fight against Mark DeLuca in February of this year at light-middleweight.

The three fighters that Brook has fought since Errol Spence Jr. would not be the ideal preparation for fighting one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world which is Terence “Bud” Crawford.

Although only one year separates Crawford and Brook in age, Crawford is in his prime as a Boxer and is the overwelming favourite to win his 37th fight in a row and to remain unbeaten in his professional fight career.

With exceptional hand speed, punching power and the ability to switch effectively from orthodox to southpaw, Crawford has all the tools necessary to make it an easy night’s work for the man from Omaha, Nebraska.

However Brook knows that this will likely be his last chance to fight for a world title against a marquee fighter such as Crawford and will like to shock the American public again as he did in defeating Shawn Porter to win the IBF world title.

A lot has changed for Brook since that glory night which was 6 years ago in California.  Apart from two eye sockets broken in defeats to Golovkin and Spence Jr.,  Brook also has split from his long-term Trainer Dominic Ingle with the largely unknown Carlos Fromento now his Trainer.

Being the naturally bigger man, Brook believes that his size and punching power will be too much for Crawford who will be facing his third opponent from the British Isles having fought Amir Khan and Ricky Burns.

Britain’s Lloyd “Raggamuffin” Honeyghan was a massive underdog when stopping pound-for-pound king Donald “The Cobra” Curry for the Undisputed Welterweight title in 1986.  However at this stage in Brook’s career, I can only see one outcome which will be Crawford stopping Brook inside 10 rounds.

 

Tonight sees Alexander Povetkin take on the WBC number one contender Dillian Whyte in which this exciting match-up will take place at Matchroom Headquarters in Brentwood.

Unfortunately the atmosphere normally associated with a big fight of this nature will not have any supporters watching at Brentwood due to precautions over Covid-19.

In a 20 year fight career,  Povetkin had an illustrious amateur career which culminated in him winning the Super-Heavyweight Gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

With a fight record of 38-2-1, Povetkin has only lost in world title fights to Wladimir Klitchko and Anthony Joshua.  However prior to the Joshua fight, Povetkin showed his vulnerability against David Price when he was left reeling from a left hook in round 3 from Price which had him staggering to the ropes.   He recovered well after a count from the Referee to knockout Price in round 5.

Joshua who initially found Povetkin’s movement and left hook difficult to deal with before stopping the Russian in the 7th round, believes that tonight could be a potential banana skin for Whyte in which he believes that Povetkin has the tools to shock Whyte and win.

Weighing in at 16 stone, Povetkin has shed 5 lbs since his last fight against Michael Hunter which ended in a draw and is clearly motivated to cause a stunning upset despite being a huge underdog according to Bookmakers.

Dillian Whyte has clearly not taken the fight lightly having looked very strong and in shape weighing 18 stone 6lbs compared to his last fight in which he weighed 19 stone 5lbs against Mariusz Wach.

“The Bodysnacher” has been on an upward curve since his only defeat to Anthony Joshua early in his career and the experience he has had with wins over Former WBO Champion Joseph Parker and Oscar Rivas should put him firmly in line to await the winner of Tyson Fury v Deontay Wilder for the WBC title by defeating Povetkin by knockout.

 

 

As we are currently starved of no Boxing due to the coronavirus, the debate as to who in their prime would win in a Fantasy Superfight between Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson has once again resurfaced.

There is no question at all that Ali’s accomplishments during his career by far outweighs Iron Mike. The calibre of opponents he defeated are still revered today with victories over Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier and George Foreman who would all feature on most fight fan’s list of greatest Heavyweights.

However still to this day, many fight fans are split on who would have been victorious in their prime with Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua recently claiming that Tyson would defeat Ali.

The World Boxing Super Series recently simulated a world heavyweight tournament in which former champions such as Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, George Foreman and Joe Frazier featured along with Tyson and Ali who both were the last two standing in the final.

Having brutally destroyed the Ring/Lineal Heavyweight Champion Michael Spinks in 91 seconds, comparisons were already being made as to whether Tyson at the age of 22 could have beaten Ali in his prime.

Ali himself had been stunned by how Tyson had destroyed Spinks who he had backed to beat Tyson. With his unorthodox style of fighting, Ali had felt that keeping a distance and sticking and moving would be suffice to beat the young  Champion who at that time already had unified the WBC, WBA and IBF belts.

Ali’s prime as a fighter was considered to be around the time he fought Clevland Williams in 1966.  His lightening hand speed, reflexes, foot speed combined with stinging punches had never previously been seen in the the history of the Heavyweight Division.

His Trainer Angelo Dundee also maintained that we missed out on seeing an even better Ali than what we saw after his Boxing licence was revoked for a period of 3 years when only 25 years old.

Tyson under the tulege of Trainer Kevin Rooney, seemed invincible in which apart from having devastating power, his combination of punches were lightening in which a four punch combination was once timed before the Larry Holmes fight at under one second.

His ability to evade punches and also counterpunch with either the left hook or right cross begs the question as to whether Ali would have been able to avoid being caught flush on the chin.

Ali would take risks by having his hands down against opponents which once resulted in being floored heavily by Henry Cooper in 1963.

Psychological warfare woud no doubt have played a part in the build up to the fight in which Ali would get under the skin of many opponents.

Taunting them with poems in predicting what round he would end the fight or by insulting fighters with a nickname as he did with opponents such as Sonny Liston who he called “The Ugly Bear”.

Tyson supporters would also argue that having Cus D’Amato in his corner would combat any psychological weaknesses Tyson would have had. D’Amato had introduced Tyson to hypnotism in which up to three times a day he would be hypnotized prior to his fights in order to create changes in his fight mindset.

Perhaps a telling factor in this debate is what Mike Tyson has recently said himself which is that Ali would be willing to die in the ring while Tyson himself admitted that he didn’t have that mentality which proved correct later in his career.

However whatever the outcome would have been, it would have had the makings of the greatest heavyweight fight that there ever could have been and the debate will continue for decades to come as to who would have been victorious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WBC Champion Tyson Fury has previously shown against the most powerful puncher of his generation in Deontay Wider that the ability to absorb a punch and to get off the canvas is needed at times to become a great Champion which Larry Holmes was in his prime.

Larry “The Easton Assasin” Holmes, between 1978 to 1985 reigned supreme as the recognised Heavyweight Champion in which during that period of time defended his title on 20 occasions and is regarded by many as being one of the greatest Heavyweight Champions of all time.

Holmes was a smooth operator in the ring who had perhaps the best jab in Heavyweight Boxing history who fell agonisingly short of matching Rocky Marciano’s record of 49-0 when controversially losing his 49th fight against Michael Spinks,

Earlier in his career, Holmes had been the sparring partner for the likes of Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and the ferocious Ernie “The Acorn” Shavers.

Shavers is renowned for being one of the hardest punchers in the history of the Heavyweight Division who had in 1979 destroyed former WBC Heavyweight Champion Ken Norton in just one round which earned him a title challenge against Holmes.

Having only a year before coasted to a unanimous win against Shavers along with sparring numerous rounds with him, Holmes knew both the strengths and weaknesses of “The Acorn” and was a heavy favourite to inflict on Shavers another defeat.

Holmes as expected was dominating the fight with his superior Boxing skills until he felt the force of a murderous overhand right hand from Shavers in the 7^th round which floored Holmes.

The power behind the punch would have ended the fight for many fighters such was the accuracy of the blow .  Similar to Muhammad Ali, Holmes could recuperate quickly when seriously hurt and with just 40 seconds left of the round, he miraculously not only survived but threw punches back at Shavers and in the end won the fight by stoppage in the 11th round.

Unlike previously Ali and later Mike Tyson, Holmes wasn’t the most charismatic of fighters who fight fans would flock to see, but he showed on more than one occasion in his reign as Champion his recuperative powers when seriously hurt as demonstrated against Shavers and former WBC and WBA Champion Tim Witherspoon.

 

Great Britain has produced many World Champions over the last 50 years with great fighters throughout the decades such as Ken Buchanan, John Conteh, Nigel Benn, Joe Calzaghe and currently Tyson Fury to name just a few.

Herol “Bomber” Graham  could and should have joined the illustrious list of British World Champions and surely will  be looked upon as perhaps the best Boxer from the British Isles to not have won a world title.

Born in Nottingham in 1959, Graham’s era throughout the 80’s coincided with the dominant reign of the Undisputed Middleweight World Champion “Marvellous” Marvin Hagler who reigned supreme from 1980 until 1987.

Under the tutelage of Brendan Ingle who later trained four fighters to world titles which included Prince Naseem Hamed,  Graham won the British, Commonweath and European light-middleweight titles along with the British and European middleweight titles.

In his first attempt for the vacant WBA middleweight title in 1989, Graham lost on a split-decision to Mike “The Bodysnatcher” McCullum in which points deducted for low blows proved in the end to cost Graham the decision.

Graham was given another opportunity the following year against the hard-hitting Julian “The Hawk” Jackson for the vacant WBC title.

In the days when major world title fights were still shown on Network TV and not exclusively on a subscription Channel such as Sky Sports, the British public witnessed arguably the greatest one punch knockout of the decade in which Graham was brutally knocked out before his head had hit the canvas and needed a further 5 minutes to recover consciousness.

What made this so dramatic and heartbreaking for followers of Graham, was that Jackson was told by the Ringside Doctor after the 3^rd round that he would only be given one more round due to the damage to his left eye which he couldn’t see out of.

The thunderous right-cross counter punch from Jackson shattered the dreams of Graham who was was less than one minute away from fulfilling his dream against a man who he was favoured to win against.

Graham was not given the opportunity to fight either Chris Eubank or Nigel Benn who both side-stepped Graham due to his elusive fighting style in which he once had his hands tied behind his back to challenge members of the public to hit him which they failed to do.

Graham had a late renaissance at the age of 39 when he fought Charles Brewer for the IBF Super Middleweight title in 1998. However the fight was stopped in the 10^th round to end once and for all the dream of arguably the best Boxer from the United Kingdom who never won a world title.

In a fight career spanning 20 years from 1978, Graham had 54 fights with 48 wins and 6 losses.