Anthony Joshua v Oleksandr Usyk 2

[Mark TKO]

With the current world climate holding events there is taking the piss and selling out. But they'll hide behind the 'sport is helping to bring attention' argument bollocks.

Both fighters should refuse.

I must be getting old as hypocritical shit like this beginning to bother me a lot....

[nuggetdotcom]

Been away for about 3 months, hospitalised, ok now. Wether its Tottingham or Saudi is worthy of discussion, what completely mystifies me is why is this being paid 50/50? Forgive my naivity but didn't Usyck comprehensively beat AJ for 3 alphabet titles Do the promoters and their 'favoured' fighter call the payday shots? I know there is a lot of money involved but to give Usyck anything other than a majority purse is both insulting and immoral, perhaps the promoters would have been better bribing the judges (like Wilder Fury 1) to get a draw, thus keeping boxing in the corrupt shithole it has descended to. Its easy to say but if I was Usyck I wouldn't chase their dirty dollars, I would quit all the alphabet titles and relax whilst watching AJ get beat in one of the many eliminators. I'm sure Master can explain this situation with a quick call to one of his promoter mates...........

Sorry to sit on the fence

Geoff

[Master]

Fighting for the title and agreeing the Champions terms for rematch and % purse I am sure could be challenged in court by Usyk but it is far easier to accept the conditions of the contract if you can not get better elsewhere.

Rahman was forced to rematch Lennox when he clearly did not want to.

Ruiz accepted the rematch because he was not going to get anything more from Wilder or others.

50% of this purse is more than what Usyk will get anywhere else. Besides if AJ is damaged after the first fight it could be easy money for him.

[Master]

Oleksandr Usyk claims soldiers shot at his house and dragged his neighbours away

Oleksandr Usyk has claimed Russian soldiers dragged his neighbours away after shooting at his house.

Usyk was fighting on the front line against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but has left his home country to prepare for his world heavyweight title defence against Anthony Joshua in Saudi Arabia this summer. During his time involved in the war, he witnessed a number of horrific occurrences, including watching his neighbours being taken from their home.

He will face Joshua in late June, with the current expected date being June 25 in a purpose-built Saudi Arabian arena after recently deciding to leave the war effort. His fellow fighters Vasily Lomachenko and Yaroslav Amosov both opted to stay in Ukraine and turn down world title fights against George Kambosos Jr and Michael 'Venom' Page respectively.

"I know [Russian soldiers] shot at our house, broke down the gate, and dragged away some of our neighbours," Usyk said in an interview with Czech outlet Profiboxing. "But I don’t know what it looks like there now. We can’t get in touch with anyone. It’s terrible when you run to hide in the basement at every rustle."

Usyk denies having ever shot the AK-47 he was pictured with when he joined the war effort, which took place when he returned from fight negotiations in London back in February. It had looked for a time like Joshua would have to face an interim opponent, but Usyk eventually agreed to the fight after his time on the front lines.

“I came back via Poland," he explained. "It took a day to get to Kyiv. Then another two to see my family and I calmed down a bit. I may have picked up a gun, but that doesn’t mean I would use it, I didn’t think for a moment that I would stay there. This fight ( Anthony Joshua rematch) will be special for me in that respect."

Joshua and Usyk fought in London back in September, with the Ukrainian easily winning by unanimous decision in front of a packed out Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Joshua as champion had negotiated a rematch clause for the fight, and immediately triggered it days later to push through the rematch.

There had been talk of a possible undisputed world heavyweight title fight between Usyk and Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia, but that fell by the wayside. In the meantime, Usyk returned to Ukraine, where he said that he would be willing to do anything, including "killing if necessary" to defend his home country.

"If they will want to take my life, or the lives of my close ones, I will have to do it," Usyk said during a CNN broadcast. "But I don't want that. I don't want to shoot, I don't want to kill anybody, but if they will be killing me, I will have no choice."

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...16c4916d34432d

[Spicoli]

Garbage having this is Saudi Arabia. Last time I heard of over 80 prisoners being publicly executed via mass beheadings it was with those Isis fellas. Belongs in the U.K end of.

[Memphis]

Maybe they're taking some of that Saudi money and giving it to Danny Williams so he doesn't have to fight any more?

[Master]

Anthony Joshua has been told by former rival Andy Ruiz Jr that he must be more aggressive if he is to beat Oleksandr Usyk in their rematch.

The British star is expected to face Usyk in Saudi Arabia on July 23 in a bid to reclaim his unified heavyweight titles. He was comprehensively outboxed by the tricky Ukrainian in London last year and faces a huge uphill battle to turn around his second career defeat.

However the first man to inflict defeat on Joshua, Ruiz wants Usyk to inflict a third career defeat on Joshua due to being a "man of Christ." "I think Joshua could pull it off,” Ruiz Jr told ESNews. I think he needs to go in there and be aggressive, just like how he was from the beginning.

“Not let them dictate the fight. As long as he’s doing the pressure, throwing a lot of combinations, not letting Usyk get comfortable and throwing his little slick shots, I think he can win. But Usyk is a man of Christ, so I’m gonna be going for him.” Joshua's first defeat came against Ruiz back in 2019 where he was brutally stopped during his American debut.

However his rematch plan to outbox the Mexican worked to perfection with his slick display helping him outpoint his rival to regain his titles in Saudi Arabia. Joshua was set to meet Fury in an undisputed clash last summer, but was forced to accept a mandatory defence against Usyk which he lost in dominant fashion.

His tactics were heavily scrutinised after the fight while his trainer Rob McCracken was blamed by several experts for Joshua's 'gun-shy' performance. Joshua began a new quest to find a new trainer and is currently working with coach Angel Fernandez who is preparing him to face Usyk for a second time.

The Ukrainian was forced to delay the sequel while he focused on helping his country defend against Russian invasion, but later elected to return to training to prepare to defend his titles. Heavyweight champion Fury's father John has also backed Joshua to gain his revenge and believes a change of plan should be the key to victory.

“AJ has been beat but he’s got a terrible habit of bouncing back and I fancy him to get the return”, John Fury told iFL TV. “Truthfully, he’s capable of being a three-time world champion, he’s got that about him and, believe me, with a little bit more oil in his camp and the right people around him, I think he can do it.

“In his case, he just had the wrong plan from the off, didn’t he? If he changes his plan around and uses what he’s got to his benefit, I don’t see a problem. I hope he does beat Usyk, I really do, I’m rooting for him,” he added. I’d be sick if Usyk won. Nothing against Usyk, he’s a great guy but my heart lies with the Watford man. If AJ can win, wild horses couldn’t keep Tyson in retirement.”

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...970e718542291a