Just when it seemed things were already bad enough for Tyson Fury, shocking news breaks that says the 28-year-old has allegedly tested positive for cocaine. Fury, as fight fans know, pulled out of his return fight with Wladimir Klitschko on September 23, the official line being that the heavyweight champion was “medically unfit to fight.” Later, it was revealed by Peter Fury that Tyson was battling mental health issues.
James Slater
Tyson Fury will still be THE heavyweight champ even if stripped says Warren
Top British promoter Frank Warren is sticking by troubled heavyweight champ Tyson Fury, refuting claims the unbeaten 28-year-old who is currently battling mental health issues is finished as a fighter. A number of people are ready to put the boot in on Fury (if they haven’t done so already) and with the governing bodies looking at stripping Fury of his belts, rival fighters are ready to come in and snatch them.
Still, no matter what happens to the WBA and WBO titles that are still, for the time being, the property of Fury, nothing can happen to his status as THE linear heavyweight king. Fury cannot lose this status unless he is beaten in the ring – as Warren has pointed out whilst writing for his website, as quoted by The Mirror.
Abel Sanchez says Danny Jacobs is second best middleweight in the world, says GGG-Jacobs is a great fight
Though the fight is not yet official, it is highly likely that world middleweight king Gennady Golovkin will fight Danny Jacobs next, with the target date being December 10. And Abel Sanchez, trainer of course of GGG, likes the fight a whole lot, calling it a great fight. Speaking with ESPN.com, Sanchez said that in his opinion, Jacobs, holder of a version of the WBA 160-pound title, is the second best middleweight in the world today.
Now Joseph Parker’s manager says a fight with Andy Ruiz Jr could happen
The heavyweight boxing landscape took a huge shift with the news that world champ Tyson Fury would be unable to fight for the foreseeable future due to mental health issues, and with Fury likely to be stripped of the belts he currently holds: the WBA and WBO titles, rival fighters are looking at getting their hands on them.
The latest news – subject to change, of course – tells us this: IBF champ Anthony Joshua will box in November; either against mandatory challenger Joseph Parker or former king Wladimir Klitschko. The WBO belt is expected to be declared vacant in the next ten days. The WBA will look into Fury’s position and make a decision forthwith.
No truth to Mike Tyson-Bobby Gunn bare-knuckle “super-fight” rumours
Fight fans might have read the various stories that suggested Bobby Gunn was set to face boxing star Mike Tyson in a bare-knuckle “super-fight” that would go out on pay-per-view. The story began who knows where but it picked up momentum and even RingTV.com has a piece on it. But Michael Woods of The Bible of Boxing has done us all a favor by quashing the rumors once and for all.
Woods got hold of former pro/turned bare-knuckle king Gunn, and though Gunn said he would “love to” fight the former world champion, a Tyson spokesman informed Woods that “There’s no truth to it.”
David Price will box a six-rounder on Braehmer-Cleverly card, then possibly box Joseph Parker on November 26
Former British heavyweight champ David Price will continue his comeback under new trainer Dave Coldwell out in Germany, when the 33-year-old will box a six-rounder against a TBA on the Juergen Braehmer-Nathan Cleverly card on Saturday, October 1. After that, Price will appear on the under-card of Anthony Joshua’s November 26 IBF title defence (which could see AJ fight Wladimir Klitschko in what would of course be a huge fight).
The plan, Coldwell said in speaking with Sky Sports today, is for Price to get the tune-up done and dusted and then face unbeaten New Zealander, current IBF mandatory challenger Joseph Parker on the Joshua bill – with the aim being to beat Parker to earn a shot at AJ.
30 years ago today: Honeyghan shocks Curry in a monstrous upset
Thirty years ago today in Atlantic City, New Jersey a British fighter pulled off a truly stunning upset victory over a man many listed as the best in the world pound-for-pound at the time. Lloyd Honeyghan, a Jamaican-born Londoner, met Texan Donald Curry in a fight that contested the world welterweight crown. What followed was a fight and a win that had British fight fans dancing in the streets.
Is Anthony Joshua ready for Klitschko?
After having had just 17 pro fights and having not yet gone past the 7th-round, it would be a huge gamble for Anthony Joshua to take on the ultra-experienced Wladimir Klitschko in his very next fight. But, because of the unfortunate Tyson Fury situation – what with Fury “lower than ever” and suffering from mental health problems – this is a gamble that could well be taken.
IBF heavyweight champ Joshua will box again on November 26, and promoter Eddie Hearn has been in touch with the Klitschko camp, asking them if the fight could happen. In all likelihood, it will not take place in November, but stranger things have happened and Joshua has said he’d like the fight – if not next then early next year. But is AJ ready for Klitschko?
2016: A bad year for the heavyweights (barring Anthony Joshua)
Neither fans of the heavyweight division, nor most of the fighting big men themselves, have had too much to get excited about this year. With world ruler Tyson Fury’s well documented problems having seen to it that he has not boxed at all in 2016 (and will not do so until 2017 at the earliest, if even then) it has fallen on the other heavyweight belt holders to entertain the fans.
But between them, WBC champ Deontay Wilder, “interim” WBA ruler Luis Ortiz and Lucas Browne, a brief holder of yet another version of the WBA belt, have had a less than great year themselves.
Juan Manuel Lopez: Once a warrior always a warrior
The boxing schedule is pretty thin for the month of October, especially now that the world heavyweight title fight rematch between the troubled Tyson Fury and the incredibly frustrated Wladimir Klitschko is off – possibly for good. One former champion who once lit up the lower weight divisions with some truly incredible action will make what could be called a surprising return next month, as Puerto Rican warrior Juan Manuel Lopez will return after a two year layoff.