List of All Articles with Tag 'boxing'

If you asked the average person to name their favourite day of the week, they would not name Tuesday. Monday, while generally considered to be loathed, is actually enjoyed by many for the buzz it brings; Wednesday is ‘hump day’; Thursday is the new Friday; and Friday ushers in the weekend. But Tuesday? What does it actually offer? Fifty times out of 52, not very much – I’ll grant you that. But twice a year, Tuesdays are transformed. And they are transformed by Naoya Inoue. Sometimes, the best boxer in the world fights in Tokyo, as he did this week and in December. Sometimes, he fights in Saitama, as he did last June. He has also fought in Yokohama, and even Las Vegas and Glasgow. But nowadays, the constant is that Naoya Inoue fights on Tuesdays. It is not a day on which we are accustomed to seeing the pageantry and ceremony of world title fights, but if you haven’t joined the club already, you will need to start navigating that foreign feeling and turning on your TV, opening that fresh tab on your laptop, or turning your phone horizontally. You need to tune in. You need to tune in because, twice a year on Tuesdays, Inoue produces the closest thing to boxing mastery that you will see. You might have had that same thought while watching Tyson Fury in recent years (on a Saturday), Oleksandr Usyk (also on a Saturday), or Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (always on Saturdays), but the reality is that those modern greats are being eclipsed in the ring. Across the Pacific Ocean, for our US friends, and around the Arctic for those in the UK, Inoue is consistently delivering masterclasses. Inoue is a former light-flyweight, unified super-flyweight, and undisputed bantamweight champion. The Japanese is a magpie, however, and the glint of each piece of gold has quickly given away to an obsession with a new trophy. On this particular Tuesday, the 30-year-old – aptly nicknamed the “Monster” – fixed his gaze on the WBC and WBO super-bantamweight titles. It was a flight into new territory, to a higher branch on the tree than Inoue had yet landed. Yet, despite fighting at such a high weight class for the first time in his career, Inoue took Stephen Fulton to pieces. In the process, he took everything from the American – his world titles and his unbeaten record. Against a man accustomed to this weight, Inoue bullied Fulton, beating him to nearly every punch, matching the 29-year-old’s power while exceeding his speed and becoming a four-weight world champion. Fulton, a talented, accomplished, unbeaten boxer fighting a smaller man, frankly looked scared. The risk of entering Inoue’s range, of inviting the challenger to unload his offence, seemed too great, even to a man who has beaten every boxer to have stood across from him. The thing is, Fulton was right to be scared. Despite Inoue’s natural weight disadvantage, the home fighter absorbed Fulton’s best shots – on the rare occasions that they landed – and fired back with faster, more spiteful strikes. In Tokyo on Tuesday, there was a strong argument that Fulton did not win a single round. And after seven of them, it became a moot point anyway. Inoue jabbed the champion in the gut, then speared him with a right cross to the face – seemingly before his left fist had even been retracted. Fulton, fighting outside his native US for the first time, might as well have been back home; it did not matter, because he did not know where he was. As he stumbled back in a disorientating daze, Inoue showed no mercy. The very moment that Inoue realised he had Fulton hurt, he pulverised the champion with a left hook. To call it clinical would be fair, if such a word did not ignore the ugliness of the blow. Fulton, to his credit, went some way to regaining his senses, climbing from the canvas, beating the referee’s count, and answering his call. Perhaps he should not have. Within seconds, he was cornered, overwhelmed by a swarm of hooks, his legs giving out beneath him. As Fulton slumped towards the canvas, the referee saved him. Inoue had already climbed the corner after the first knockdown, celebrating the inevitable. And Inoue is inevitable. Even as he made his walk in the Ariake Arena, he exuded the air of a boxer who may just retire unbeaten – just moments before facing what should have been his toughest test yet. The Japanese has been No 1 on Indy Sport’s pound-for-pound list for some time now, with the best knockout percentage (22 from 25 unanswered wins) of any fighter in those rankings, and he does not look like he will be displaced. If he is not at the top of your list, or near that summit, or even in your rankings at all, then chances are you haven’t tuned in to Tuesdays With Naoya Inoue. This is as good as boxing gets, and that is written with the knowledge that one of the fights of this generation – Errol Spence Jr vs Terence Crawford – awaits this weekend. In future, don’t wait for Saturdays. The best boxer in the world fights on Tuesdays. Read More Spence vs Crawford time: When does fight start in UK and US this weekend? Another boxing robbery: Maxi Hughes deserves justice for heist that shames the sport George Kambosos reacts to ‘robbery’ claims after controversial win over Maxi Hughes

Naoya Inoue will look to become a four-division world champion on Tuesday, as the Japanese superstar challenges Stephen Fulton for his unified super-bantamweight titles. Inoue, 30, is Indy Sport’s pound-for-pound No 1. The “Monster” is a former light-flyweight champion, a former unified super-flyweight champion, and he recently vacated his undisputed bantamweight belts to move up to super-bantamweight. Fulton, 29, is unbeaten like his opponent here, and the American will carry the WBC and WBO titles into Tokyo this week, where Inoue awaits. Last time out, Inoue toyed with Paul Butler in December before finishing the Briton to achieve undisputed status at bantamweight. Meanwhile, Fulton last fought in June, outpointing David Roman to retain his super-bantamweight belts. Here’s all you need to know. When is it? Inoue vs Fulton will take place at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday 25 July. The main card is due to begin at 9.30am BST (1.30am PT, 3.30am CT, 4.30am ET), with ring walks for the main event expected at around 12.30pm BST (4.30pm PT, 6.30pm CT, 7.30pm ET). How can I watch it? In the UK, the event will air live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action. Subscribers can also watch the fights on the Sky Go app. In the US, ESPN+ will broadcast the event live. Odds Inoue – 1/4 Fulton – 16/5 Draw – 16/1 Via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Stephen Fulton (C) vs Naoya Inoue (WBC and WBO super-bantamweight titles) Robeisy Ramirez (C) vs Satoshi Shimizu (WBO featherweight title) Kanamu Sakama def. Ryu Horikawa via TKO Yoshiki Takei def. Ronnie Baldonado via TKO Taiga Imanaga def. Hebi Marapu via split decision Hiroyuki Takahara def. Chihiro Iwashita via TKO Masato Shinoda def. Yuki Kajitani via TKO Kenta Yamakawa def. Ryosuke Nakamura via TKO Takero Kitano def. Kenta Kawakami via TKO Read More Spence vs Crawford live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend Another boxing robbery: Maxi Hughes deserves justice for heist that shames the sport George Kambosos reacts to ‘robbery’ claims after controversial win over Maxi Hughes Inoue vs Fulton LIVE: Latest boxing fight updates and results Liam Smith: ‘Chris Eubank Jr is a nightmare – not for me, for other people’ The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings

Pound-for-pound phenom Naoya Inoue fights Stephen Fulton in Tokyo today, in a bid to become a four-weight world champion. Japanese superstar Inoue – a former light-flyweight champion and unified title holder at super-flyweight – achieved undisputed status at bantamweight in 2022, before vacating those titles to set up this clash with Fulton. The American, 29, will carry the WBC and WBO super-bantamweight titles into the Ariake Arena, as well as an unbeaten record (21-0, 8 knockouts). It was in the Ariake Arena that Inoue, 30, last fought, toying with Paul Butler in December before finishing the Briton to stay unbeaten (24-0, 21 KOs). Meanwhile, Fulton most recently competed in June, beating David Roman on points to retain his world titles. Those belts will be on the line today, in what should be an intriguing main event. Follow live updates and results from Inoue vs Fulton and the undercard fights, below. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Inoue vs Fulton live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV Spence vs Crawford time: When does fight start in UK and US this weekend? Another boxing robbery: Maxi Hughes deserves justice for heist that shames the sport

It isn’t so much that Liam Smith has to go through another fight night with Chris Eubank Jr; it’s more that he has to go through another fight week with him. When the Britons square off at the AO Arena in Manchester in September, it will have been eight months since Smith dropped and stopped Eubank Jr in the same building. Many in boxing labelled the result an upset. Smith certainly did not see it that way. “No one in my team thought it was an upset,” the Liverpudlian, 34, tells The Independent. “No one in my former team, who watched me spar Chris, was gonna think it was an upset. If I’d won that fight on points, people wouldn’t have been surprised. People are just like ‘wow’ because ‘Liam Smith stopped Chris Eubank with a headshot.’ That’s all it is. It got made out like it’s impossible to hurt Chris, like he can’t be hurt. That’s why it was a big surprise for people.” Backed into a corner, overcome by volume and variation, Eubank Jr first hit the canvas 45 seconds into Round 4, slinking to the mat. Barely managing to grip the ropes with his gloves, the Brighton boxer hauled himself to his feet and wobbled to referee Victor Loughlin with his hands by his sides. He almost teetered past Loughlin. Eubank Jr was given the benefit of the doubt, but within 20 seconds he was down again, tumbling into the ropes as he fell. This time, despite another quick climb from the canvas, the 33-year-old was saved by the referee. Smith was walking away, with his back to Eubank Jr and the official, when the fight was waved off. The sound of the crowd tipped off Smith to the result, before he even had a chance to turn around and see for himself. Then, the jubilation set in. “I enjoyed every bit of it,” Smith says. “My ring walk, the changing room beforehand and after. You ask anyone around me, they know I enjoy everything until the moment I need to switch on. When I get down to the bottom of the ramp, I’m business-like. I wish I could have that week back, it was a great week. “If you asked about the three brothers, people would always say, ‘Liam enjoys it the most, he enjoys a fight night the most,’” he says, referring to Stephen and Callum, the latter of whom is an ex-world champion like Liam. “I remember saying to them, ‘There’s no better feeling than making that ring walk,’ and they were like, ‘You’re mad! There’s no better feeling than walking back to the changing room, knowing you’ve won!’” Although the fight was a successful foray up to middleweight for the former super-welterweight champion, the lead-up – containing comments that crossed a line at times – was altogether less enjoyable, Smith says. However, that is not for the reasons one might expect. “A lot people used to think Chris was getting under my skin,” Smith says. “I don’t lose sleep over Chris, he doesn’t change my day. Me and Chris’s personalities... Somebody with Chris’s persona is just someone I wouldn’t get on with in any form of life. “I just don't like them type of divas, who think everything’s got to revolve around them. In the build-up to the last fight, we were waiting on him a lot with promotion stuff, head-to-heads. It was on Sky Sports Box Office, and the people trying to produce the advert were asking us, ‘Can you meet in the middle of the ring and touch gloves with two hands?’ He was like: ‘No, I don’t touch gloves with two hands.’ “He was just being a nuisance, petty, spoilt, a diva. I just thought: ‘It’s nothing to me, you’re not doing my head in, but these people are trying to do a promotion. You know what you signed up for, just do it.’ He was just a nightmare – for other people really; I didn’t give a s*** about it.” The build to the pair’s rematch has begun, and Smith will hope for a smoother ride en route to what may even be his final fight. That, however, depends on the result, with the Scouser having claimed that his next loss would herald his retirement. “I shouldn’t really lose to Chris. I’m a better fighter than him, there’s not really a thought of defeat,” Smith stresses, but there are thoughts on life after boxing. “It’s tough. I’ve got two gorgeous little girls, who I’m still fighting for and trying to secure the rest of their futures, give them an easier start in life. They’ve changed my perspective on boxing and life in general. “I’ll take it as it comes,” he continues, pondering what retirement might look like. “I’ve got a good family, and once I’m done with boxing, I can put my whole energy and time into my girls and giving them some memories that I’ve probably missed now. There are certain things that I can’t do now – certain holidays that I can’t go on – but once I’m done, I’ll have enough time to give them some memories for life. There’s a little bucket list with them two: things that they’ll enjoy, places where they’ll smile.” When Smith takes on Eubank Jr at the AO Arena, he will be returning to a place where he did plenty of smiling, and where he did the thing he enjoys most. SMITH vs EUBANK II: REPEAT OR REVENGE? takes place on Saturday 2 September at the AO Arena in Manchester. It will be shown live exclusively on Sky Sports Box Office. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday 25 July. Fans can access tickets now at Boxxer.com. Read More Spence vs Crawford time: When does fight start in UK and US this weekend? Inoue vs Fulton live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV Another boxing robbery: Maxi Hughes deserves justice for heist that shames the sport Inoue vs Fulton LIVE: Latest boxing fight updates and results The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings What time does Spence vs Crawford start this weekend?

Naoya Inoue will challenge Stephen Fulton for his unified super-bantamweight titles on Tuesday, as the Japanese superstar aims to become a four-division champion. Inoue, 30, previously held a world title at light-flyweight, unified gold at super-flyweight, and was recently undisputed champion at bantamweight. The “Monster”, who is Indy Sport’s pound-for-pound No 1, has since vacated his undisputed titles to move up a division, where he will face Fulton. Fulton, 29, is unbeaten like his opponent here, and the American will carry the WBC and WBO titles into Tokyo this week, where Inoue awaits. Last time out, Inoue toyed with Paul Butler in December before finishing the Briton to achieve undisputed status at bantamweight. Meanwhile, Fulton last fought in June, outpointing David Roman to retain his super-bantamweight belts. Here’s all you need to know. When is it? Inoue vs Fulton will take place at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday 25 July. The main card is due to begin at 9.30am BST (1.30am PT, 3.30am CT, 4.30am ET), with ring walks for the main event expected at around 12pm BST (4am PT, 6am CT, 7am ET). How can I watch it? In the UK, the event will air live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action. Subscribers can also watch the fights on the Sky Go app. In the US, ESPN+ will broadcast the event live. Odds Inoue – 1/4 Fulton – 16/5 Draw – 16/1 Via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Stephen Fulton (C) vs Naoya Inoue (WBC and WBO super-bantamweight titles) Robeisy Ramirez (C) vs Satoshi Shimizu (WBO featherweight title) Chihiro Iwashita vs Hiroyuki Takahara (super-featherweight) Kanamu Sakama vs Ryu Horikawa (super-flyweight) Taiga Imanaga vs Hebi Marapu (lightweight) Yoshiki Takei vs Ronnie Baldonado (super-bantamweight) Yuki Kajitani vs Masato Shinoda (super-flyweight) Kenta Yamakawa vs Ryosuke Nakamura (featherweight) Takero Kitano vs Kenta Kawakami (featherweight) Read More Spence vs Crawford live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend Another boxing robbery: Maxi Hughes deserves justice for heist that shames the sport George Kambosos reacts to ‘robbery’ claims after controversial win over Maxi Hughes How to watch Inoue vs Fulton online and on TV What time does Spence vs Crawford start this weekend? The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings

One of the most-anticipated fights in years will take place this weekend, as Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford clash to crown an undisputed welterweight champion. The Americans have been linked for a long time, and they will finally go head to head in Las Vegas on Saturday, with the southpaws putting their titles and unbeaten records on the line. Spence, 33, carries the WBC, WBA and IBF belts into the T-Mobile Arena, while Crawford, 35, is WBO champion. Spence has a professional record of 28-0 (22 knockouts), and Crawford is 39-0 (30 KOs). Spence has not fought since April 2022, when he stopped Yordenis Ugas to collect the WBA belt, while Crawford most recently competed in December, retaining his title with a knockout of David Avanesyan. Here’s all you need to know about one of the biggest fights of this generation. When is it? Spence vs Crawford will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday 29 July. The main card is due to begin at 1am BST on Sunday 30 July (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday), with ring walks for the main event expected at 4am BST (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? In the UK, the event will air live on TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport) pay-per-view, at a cost of £19.95. In the US, the card will be on Showtime pay-per-view, priced at $84.99. Odds Spence – 29/20 Crawford – 13/20 Draw – 12/1 Via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Errol Spence (WBC, WBA, IBF champion) vs Terence Crawford (WBO champion) (welterweight) Isaac Cruz vs Giovanni Cabrera (lightweight) Nonito Donaire vs Alexandro Santiago (vacant WBC bantamweight title) Yoenis Tellez vs Sergio Garcia (super-welterweight) Steven Nelson vs Rowdy Montgomery (super-middleweight) Jose Salas Reyes vs Aston Palicte (super-bantamweight) Jabin Chollet vs Michael Portales (lightweight) Justin Viloria vs Pedro Borgaro (super-featherweight) Demler Zamora vs Nikolai Buzolin (lightweight) Kevin Ventura vs DeShawn Prather (welterweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More UFC 291 time: When does Poirier vs Gaethje start in UK and US this weekend? Another boxing robbery: Maxi Hughes deserves justice for heist that shames the sport George Kambosos reacts to ‘robbery’ claims after controversial win over Maxi Hughes What time does Spence vs Crawford start this weekend? The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings George Kambosos reacts to ‘robbery’ claims after controversial win over Maxi Hughes

Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford will square off in Las Vegas this weekend, in one of the biggest fights of this generation. Fans have waited for this bout for years, and finally it has materialised, with the unbeaten Americans clashing on Saturday to crown an undisputed welterweight champion. Spence, 33, is the WBC, WBA and IBF champion, while Crawford, 35, holds the WBO title. Spence will carry a professional record of 28-0 (22 knockouts) into the T-Mobile Arena, while Crawford is 39-0 (30 KOs). Spence has not fought since April 2022, when he stopped Yordenis Ugas to collect the WBA belt, while Crawford most recently competed in December, retaining his title with a knockout of David Avanesyan. Here’s all you need to know about one of the most-anticipated fights in years. When is it? Spence vs Crawford will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday 29 July. The main card is due to begin at 1am BST on Sunday 30 July (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday), with ring walks for the main event expected at 4am BST (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? In the UK, the event will air live on TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport) pay-per-view, at a cost of £19.95. In the US, the card will be on Showtime pay-per-view, priced at $84.99. Odds Spence – 29/20 Crawford – 13/20 Draw – 12/1 Via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Errol Spence (WBC, WBA, IBF champion) vs Terence Crawford (WBO champion) (welterweight) Isaac Cruz vs Giovanni Cabrera (lightweight) Nonito Donaire vs Alexandro Santiago (vacant WBC bantamweight title) Yoenis Tellez vs Sergio Garcia (super-welterweight) Steven Nelson vs Rowdy Montgomery (super-middleweight) Jose Salas Reyes vs Aston Palicte (super-bantamweight) Jabin Chollet vs Michael Portales (lightweight) Justin Viloria vs Pedro Borgaro (super-featherweight) Demler Zamora vs Nikolai Buzolin (lightweight) Kevin Ventura vs DeShawn Prather (welterweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More UFC 291 time: When does Poirier vs Gaethje start in UK and US this weekend? Another boxing robbery: Maxi Hughes deserves justice for heist that shames the sport George Kambosos reacts to ‘robbery’ claims after controversial win over Maxi Hughes How to watch Spence vs Crawford online and on TV this weekend The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings George Kambosos reacts to ‘robbery’ claims after controversial win over Maxi Hughes

Maxi Hughes was robbed of victory in a boxing ring on Saturday night in the fight of his life. Hughes is one of the most decent and honest men in the British boxing business and he deserves some justice for the heist. The robbery took place in a boxing backwater in Oklahoma when Hughes fought George Kambosos in defence of his IBO lightweight title. However, the real prize was the right to be ranked as the IBF’s No 1 contender. Hughes boxed a simple, smart, careful 12 rounds and Kambosos, once a renowned world champion and attraction, fought like a man who only had to show up. In the end, that is all he had to do. At the finish of 12 controlled rounds from Hughes, he placed a ceremonial cowboy hat on his head to take the verdict; there was a long, long delay and that is never good for justice in a boxing ring. Hughes had stopped smiling before the decision was announced. One judge went 114-114, one went with 115-113 for Kambosos and the third, a man called Josef Mason, delivered the fully outrageous score of 117-113 for Kambosos. The Mason score means that in his opinion from ringside, Hughes managed to win just three rounds. I watched the fight live and watched it again; the American commentary team are silenced by the verdict. And so was I – Hughes won as many as nine rounds in a display of old-fashioned boxing. It was a delight to watch. It was not a slugfest, nobody famous outside of boxing was in the ring, nobody ripped their top off to reveal their naked breasts and, presumably, there will be no justice for Hughes. Right now, boxing is an event sport, and this fight was not, if I’m being brutally honest, an event. In the ring at the end, Kambosos, who is a nice enough man, tried his best to hide his feelings. He knew. However, in the often-ridiculous realm of boxing conspiracies, there is a huge fight for Kambosos against a boxer called Teofimo Lopez; Kambosos shocked Lopez in 2021 to win three versions of the world title. Last month Lopez shocked Josh Taylor in New York. It is a simple storyline to follow and not pleasant to even be considering that dark forces could be at play. It still feels like incompetence, not corruption. Hughes, meanwhile, has always worn his heart out on his sleeve. “It was a bit of a kick in the b*****ks,” said Hughes. “I feel pretty silly standing here in my cowboy hat. I won that fight. I won it clearly.” Hughes has never been a mainstream boxer, never been one of the boys and men that promoters protect and develop. Hughes is from the other side of the boxing tracks. It has been a long and hard boxing road for Hughes in fights that he was often expected to lose. He lost for the sixth time in 34 fights, but this was the hardest loss to accept. He is 33 now, enjoying the career it looked like he would never have. He entered with the IBO lightweight title, a belt that can be used as a ticket to much bigger things. “I made him miss, I picked him off, I controlled the fight,” said Hughes. “I took this fight, I asked for it, I pushed for it, and I only did that because I want to earn the dollars to provide for my family. That is why I box.” At the end, the Kambosos interview was drowned by boos and Hughes had to take a break from talking to accept the applause. It was a tiny victory for the Yorkshire man on a night when the latest blatant heist took place in a boxing ring. It will continue, but it would be fair if Hughes could get some recognition for his part in a bad, bad night for officials at ringside. Read More Muhammad Ali’s ‘comedy’ fight shows why Fury vs Ngannou isn’t the joke you think it is The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings Tyson Fury: Netflix viewers in awkward mix-up after misreading title of boxer’s Netflix documentary series Anthony Joshua slammed by Carl Froch for criticising ex-coach Anthony Joshua explains key change in mentality ahead of Dillian Whyte fight Teofimo Lopez makes retirement U-turn and calls out major name

Many in the Muhammad Ali business believe that the boxer never fully recovered from his comedy fight with a wrestler in Tokyo. It was the summer of 1976; Ali was the world heavyweight champion, and some men in Japan came up with a financial package for Ali to meet renowned wrestler, Antonio Inoki. It was scheduled for 15 rounds of three minutes, and it was for the ‘heavyweight martial arts championship of the world’ belt. Sound familiar? It was, trust me, not the joke you thought it was. For a start, it was meant to be a fix, a rigged encounter with blood, comedy, action and a classic wrestling twist. Ali got wind of the fix and refused to attend rehearsals. The plan was simple: Ali would beat Inoki senseless for six or seven rounds, the wrestler was prepared to cut himself with razor blades and then, because of all the blood, it would be stopped in Ali’s favour. At that point, with Ali’s hand raised and 20,000 Japanese fans howling, Inoki was meant to jump on Ali’s back and pin him. Glorious stuff – Ali rejected it. It came at a crucial time in Ali’s career. He had just stopped Richard Dunn in Munich to retain his heavyweight title; Dunn was dropped repeatedly, and they were the last knockdowns Ali ever scored. He fought seven more times, in six world title fights, but never dropped another man. He met men like Ken Norton, Leon Spinks, Larry Holmes and Earnie Shavers in that period; everybody in the Ali business came to regret each awful fight during that time. The hidden injuries from the Inoki farce added to the decline. The Inoki circus was conceived and sold as a safe way to make $6million and not get hurt; neither thing happened. At a ‘contract-signing’ event the night before, which was available to fans at a price, they agreed it would be winner-takes-all. Ali also had four suites and 31 rooms at the best hotel in Tokyo; this was not a joke. “I can’t let boxing down,” Ali said before the fight. “He’s not used to taking hard shots to the head. The moment I go upside his head, it’s over.” Ali’s assessment is true, but the rules were not made clear. Inoki dropped to his back and chased Ali for 15 rounds from that position on the canvas. In total, Ali threw six punches and connected twice; it was repetitive and dull, with Inoki on his back kicking out at Ali. At the end, it was declared a draw. There was no grandstand wrestling moment and there had certainly not been a single quality moment of boxing. Ali’s legs were cut, bleeding and damaged from Inoki’s hard wrestling boots and the dozens of kicks he had sustained. It was the eyelets on the boots that caused the superficial damage; the real damage was hidden as ruptured blood vessels formed. Ali was told to rest the leg and get it treated before leaving Tokyo, but he had commitments in Korea and Malaysia; when he got back to America, he was hospitalised with blood clots and muscle damage. His left leg remained damaged until the end of his boxing career. Ali finished with about $2.2m dollars for the event; Inoki had been guaranteed $2m, but was paid just a fraction of that total. In Tokyo, in that ring, nobody won. It would be funny if the martial arts championship of the world belt was found and given to Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia in October. That would be cool. Incidentally, the fight was being shown all over the world on closed-circuit screens. In New York, outdoors at Shea Stadium, it was part of the night when Chuck Wepner, the inspiration for Rocky, met Andre the Giant in a wrestling ring. The Ali and Inoki fight was shown on big screens. What a time to be a fan. Anyway, back in 1976, Ali limped on, fighting from memory for too many people and for far too long, and Inoki, well, he became a genuine mixed martial arts pioneer and icon. The big lad was in front of all curves. Inoki died last year and fought for the last time in 1998 when he was close to 60. The man who busted Ali’s legs was far more than just a novelty act on the wrestling circuit. Read More Why Fury vs Ngannou may tarnish the Gypsy King’s legacy forever ‘Nonsense’: Anthony Joshua reacts to Fury vs Ngannou fight announcement Francis Ngannou to earn more in Tyson Fury fight than entire UFC career, says rep Why Fury vs Ngannou may tarnish the Gypsy King’s legacy forever The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings Don’t be fooled by Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte’s calm reunion

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Teofimo Lopez has made a U-turn on his early retirement, as the 25-year-old eyes a huge clash with Devin Haney. Lopez won the WBO super-lightweight title with a decision win over Josh Taylor in June, handing the Scot the first loss of his professional career. Lopez then claimed that he would be calling time on his boxing career, even informing the WBO that he was giving up his title. Now, however, the American has reversed that decision, telling the WBO that he will keep the gold. Lopez, who previously reigned as unified lightweight champion, is also targeting a bout with Haney, who is undisputed at lightweight. Lopez tweeted on Thursday (13 July): “Yo @Realdevinhaney , since you were so quick to jump in the mix for my WBO Championship belt! Let’s make the fight happen so the world can see who is about that action & no, you will not be on the A-side. I hold the King title of the division as well! So don’t run away!!” He continued: “Came out of retirement (I guess) because the next move was for Devin Haney to fight sorry-a** Arnold Barboza for my WBO championship title at 140lbs. F’ that. I’m tired of helping this kid be something that he is not. And that’s a real champion!” Twenty-four-year-old Haney, who retained his titles with a narrow decision win over Vasiliy Lomachenko in May, replied: “Let’s do it. [You] never retired in the first place.. let’s see if you really want the smoke. “I’m gonna b 140 champ regardless. U asked for 20 million last time my pops talked [to] u.” Lopez then responded to his unbeaten compatriot, writing: “What? 20 M’s? I didn’t even stat out the location of our fight let alone put a price on the fight. What you talking about man?! “Start losing weight and we’ll figure out the rest so we can give the fight fans a DREAM that will TAKEOVER the sport of BOXING!” Lopez, who also holds a decision win over Lomachenko, suffered the sole defeat of his professional career in 2021, when he was outpointed by George Kambosos Jr. With that loss, Lopez dropped the unified lightweight titles that he won from Lomachenko in 2020. Kambosos Jr then lost the belts to Haney via decision in 2022, and the Australian failed to regain them in a rematch later that year – again losing on points. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Why Fury vs Ngannou may tarnish the Gypsy King’s legacy forever Oleksandr Usyk recites poem and rap as Daniel Dubois vows to ‘unleash hell’ on champion Don’t be fooled by Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte’s calm reunion – this is a fight built on spite Josh Taylor plunged into the unknown as Teofimo Lopez earns redemptive win Why Fury vs Ngannou may tarnish the Gypsy King’s legacy forever Usyk recites poem and rap as Daniel Dubois vows to ‘unleash hell’ on champion

Oleksandr Usyk was the star of his press conference with Daniel Dubois on Thursday (13 July), reciting a poem and rap as he came face to face with his challenger in London. Uysk will defend the unified heavyweight titles against mandatory challenger Dubois on 26 August, when the pair clash in Wroclaw, Poland. Dubois, 25, is not the Briton that fans wanted to see take on Uysk, 36, but talks between the unbeaten Ukrainian and Tyson Fury fell through this spring. As a result, this match-up came about, as did Fury vs Francis Ngannou – which was announced on Tuesday (11 July). In any case, Dubois backed himself at Thursday’s press conference, saying: “One hundred per cent I’m ready, we’re ready to rumble. This is it, bring them titles back home, bring them belts. They’re coming with me, it’s my time. “Usyk’s been a great champion, [but] everything with a beginning has to end. I’ve got to outmanoeuvre him and everything. I’m younger, I’m stronger, I’ve got to unleash hell on this guy. “I’m different, you guys are gonna see it. The bookies can say whatever they want, it’s no pressure for me. I never listen to [the media] anyway. I’m gonna be on him, ready to take them belts away.” Meanwhile, Uysk recited a poem, which his promoter Alex Krassyuk said would take too long to translate, though Krassyuk did reveal that the passage was “about enemies who are going to be destroyed”. Yet Uysk (20-0, 13 knockouts) also paid respect to Dubois, saying: “I think really highly of my opponent. He’s a nice man, a nice guy, a nice athlete. He came to the position of mandatory, so he deserves it, but let’s stop talking; let’s see each other on 26 August.” When asked if he had a message for Dubois, Usyk simply said, “I am the message myself,” before launching into a rap after their face-off. The Ukrainian, an Olympic gold medalist, previously reigned as the only undisputed cruiserweight champion of the four-belt era. After moving up to heavyweight, he beat Anthony Joshua to win the unified titles, which he retained against “AJ” in their rematch last summer – again defeating the Briton on points. Meanwhile, Dubois last fought in December, stopping Kevin Lerena after recovering from three knockdowns, two of which were caused by a knee injury. Dubois (19-1, 18 KOs) has since had surgery to resolve the issue. Egis Klimas, Usyk’s manager, said: “We were introduced to Daniel Dubois as a killer. All that speed, all that power, he’s gonna come to knock Oleksandr Usyk out, as I understand it. First of all, to knock someone out, you need to touch them. Sometimes, it’s not easy for the big cat to catch the mouse.” Meanwhile, Dubois’s promoter Frank Warren added: “I look at it in a different way to everybody else. This is a test for Usyk against Daniel, fighting a young, hungry, up-and-coming fighter. He’s capable, he can punch, he can jab, he’s faster than people think. I genuinely believe that my man will win. This is gonna be a great fight, while it lasts.” Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Daniel Dubois believes he can cause upset against Oleksandr Usyk in Poland Why Fury vs Ngannou may tarnish the Gypsy King’s legacy forever ‘Nonsense’: Anthony Joshua reacts to Fury vs Ngannou fight announcement Why Fury vs Ngannou may tarnish the Gypsy King’s legacy forever Daniel Dubois believes he can cause upset against Oleksandr Usyk in Poland Anthony Joshua to face Dillian Whyte in rematch at The O2 on August 12