It’s one of the most famous and revered set of numbers in the sport of boxing: heavyweight immortal Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record. Ever since “The Rock” said goodbye to the ring with his perfect ledger, have heavyweights tried to break the record the hugely popular fighter (hugely popular in both life and in death) left behind. Larry Holmes came closest, in 1985, when he defeated Carl Williams to extends his record to 48-0. A controversial and very bitter (for Holmes) loss to Michael Spinks in a heavily hyped fight that same year ruined Larry’s aims to tie with Marciano’s magical numbers.
Anthony Joshua
Anthony Joshua boxing news and latest headlines
Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder are Anthony Joshua’s “top priority now” says Hearn
Anthony Joshua wants to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. In order to make this dream – one he has had since he was a young kid – come true, Joshua must beat fellow unbeaten talent Tyson Fury (linear king and WBA, WBO ruler) and Deontay Wilder (the WBC boss). Technically, even this amazing feat would not make Joshua, who already holds the IBF belt, the sole claimant to the heavyweight throne, as we currently have two other men (Ruslan Chagaev and Luis Ortiz) holding a version of the WBA belt.
Eddie Hearn: To tell you the truth, Haye is not on our radar
David Haye will have to wait a substantial amount of time for that crack at IBF heavyweight ruler, says A.J promoter Eddie Hearn. Haye has made no secret of the fact that he wants a fight with the unbeaten star, convinced as he is about two things: the fight would be an enormous event in the UK (check) and he would be able to beat Joshua, by KO (debatable). But Hearn, in speaking with The Mirror, said Haye “is not on our radar,” and that the fight would not take place until the summer of next year at the earliest.
Anthony Joshua-Joseph Parker, now that’s a real fight
With all due respect to the Dominic Breazeales and the David Hayes of the world, Anthony Joshua, the unbeaten holder of the IBF heavyweight belt, will engage in what could arguably be looked at as the first real test of his career, certainly his reign, when he faces the man who has just become his mandatory challenger, unbeaten New Zealand star Joseph Parker.
Joseph Parker out-points Carlos Takam, becomes IBF mandatory for Joshua
Earlier today in New Zealand unbeaten heavyweight prospect Joseph Parker kept his perfect record and made the transition to genuine contender with a hard-fought 12-round unanimous decision over experienced Cameroonian Carlos Takam. Parker triumphed by scores of 116-112, 116-112 and 115-113. Now 19-0(16) the man from Auckland earned a shot at IBF heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua. Takam, who came to fight but was just not busy enough, falls to 33-3-1(25).
Anthony Joshua speaks about the “war” he had in the gym with Tyson Fury; mutual respect
Boxing is littered with tails of gym sparring sessions between two big names, who were either established at the time or became so afterwards. Dennis Andries, for example, is said to have broken hearts as well as bones in his numerous gym wars at Kronk in the late 1980s. And today, in speaking with Sky Sports, IBF heavyweight boss Anthony Joshua spoke about who bossed the sparring session he had with current world ruler Tyson Fury many moons ago.
Showtime boss says Wilder-Joshua mega-fight should happen “within next 12-18 months”
With Deontay Wilder’s potentially exciting mandatory defence against Alexander Povetkin now off – due to the Russian star coming up positive for an illegal substance in case anyone didn’t know – fans are wondering who WBC heavyweight king Wilder will fight next. Next in line in the WBC rankings is Bermane Stiverne, the man Wilder beat back in January of 2015 to take the green belt. Could we soon be seeing a rematch?
Khan, Fury, Joshua, Brook, Haye, DeGale: British boxing’s biggest stars – but who is the best and who can attain true superstardom?
British boxing is flourishing right now, and thanks to fighters names Tyson Fury, Amir Khan, Anthony Joshua, Kell Brook, David Haye and James DeGale, fans have a number of reasons to tune in to some important and potentially explosive fight nights. World titles abound for British boxing’s finest, from welterweight all the way up to heavyweight. But who of the UK’s finest has the best chance when it comes to becoming an international superstar?
Let’s break down the upcoming fights for the special six and see what their chances are of winning, and, most crucially, going on to bigger, world domination super-fights!
Joshua-Breazeale quotes
(Credit: Matchroom Sport) LONDON (May 4, 2016) – Undefeated IBF Heavyweight World Champion Anthony Joshua and unbeaten American challenger Dominic Breazeale had an intense face-to-face meeting on Wednesday before a contingent of major sports media outlets in London to formally announce their June 25 showdown. The two were joined by SHOWTIME Sports Executive Vice President & General Manager Stephen Espinoza and Matchroom Sports President Eddie Hearn, as the executives announced Joshua’s new exclusive U.S. television deal. All four participants later took part on a teleconference with U.S. media.
Highlights from today’s press conference at Hilton London Syon Park and teleconference are below.
Joshua (16-0, 16 KOs) will make the first defense of his heavyweight title against Los Angeles’ Breazeale (17-0, 15 KOs) live on SHOWTIME at the sold-out The O2 arena in London. The heavyweight showdown is the first of a multi-fight licensing agreement for Showtime Networks Inc., to be the exclusive U.S. television partner of Joshua, the 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist from London.
Joshua-Breazeale go head to head; A.J calls himself the underdog ahead of June fight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90VTlIjK8DQ
Heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Dominic Breazeale came face to face at a London press conference earlier today, and both unbeaten fighters had plenty to say about their upcoming June 25th fight. Joshua will make the first defence of his IBF belt against fellow 2012 Olympian Breazeale and far from overlooking the unbeaten but largely untested (the same could of course be said of A.J) 30-year-old Californian, Joshua said he sees himself as the underdog going into the fight.