Tag: Boxing

Dubois Expected to Deliver in All-British Bout with Joyce

At the age of 23, Daniel Dubois is already the next big thing in British heavyweight boxing. At a time when fighters from the UK hold all four major world titles in the premier division of the sport, his obvious future potential of joining those elite ranks should not go unnoticed or unheralded.

Nicknamed Dynamite and Triple D, Dubois is undefeated in 15 professional fights. He has also picked up several minor championships since joining the paid ranks in 2017.

In just his fourth pro bout, Dubois was crowned WBC youth heavyweight champion – a clear sign of him being a serious prospect. He has since added the English, British and Commonwealth, WBO European, global and international, and WBC silver titles to his collection.

Dubois now fights for the vacant EBU European heavyweight belt, and defends his British and Commonwealth straps, against compatriot Joe Joyce in one of the most anticipated UK bouts of 2020. This encounter on 28 November has a classic youth versus experience dynamic to it.

Joyce is 35, has a more extensive amateur background than Dubois and competed at the Rio Olympics of 2016 in Brazil. Only France’s Tony Yoka denied him a gold medal but, since Joyce turned pro in 2017, he hasn’t lost in 11 fights.

Something has got to give. Joyce has already reigned as Commonwealth champ, like Joyce winning a minor belt in his fourth fight in the paid ranks. He has since added the WBA continental and gold heavyweight titles to his CV.

Bookmakers are siding with the youth of Dubois in the boxing betting on their all-British bout, though, and make him the odds-on 2/9 favourite for victory. Joyce is 3/1, meanwhile, to cause what would be viewed as an upset.

However, this may not be as straightforward a task for Dubois as the market suggests. Joyce defeated former WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne, one of the best boxers in Canada of modern times, in 2019.

That sixth-round stoppage was huge for his career. Joyce arguably presents the most difficult challenge to date for Dubois whose previous opposition didn’t have that sort of feather in their caps.

These two London lads know full well there is more than area, national and continental championships at stake here. The WBO rankings have Dubois next in line after Ukraine’s former undisputed cruiserweight champ Oleksandr Usyk for a shot at Anthony Joshua.

Joyce is also among the top 10 rated contenders going into the fight with that governing body. The WBC places both men lower in their pecking order, meanwhile, with Dubois only seventh and Joyce down in eleventh.

Getting to Tyson Fury requires more, then, and neither man may get to share the ring with The Gypsy King who has hinted at retirement following a few more fights.

Whether Fury does hang up his gloves sooner rather than later, or Dubois goes on to tangle with Joshua, the feeling is very much that British boxing is in good hands with him. All he has to do is continue his upward trajectory and stop Joyce.

Klitschko announces his retirement

Image result for Wladimir Klitschko

Former heavy weight world champion Wladimir Klitschko has today announced his retirement from boxing, after 17 years as a pro.

The announcement ruled out the possibility of the proposed rematch with Anthony Joshua, which had been touted since Joshua’s defeat of Klitschko on April 29.

The fight with Joshua could have gone either way, which was great credit to the 41-year-old, who was only defeated in the 11th round.

Joshua was hopeful of Klitschko signing a rematch clause for a proposed fight in Las Vegas on November 11.

When officially announcing his retirement, the Ukrainian said: “I have achieved everything I dreamed of, and now I want to start my second career after sports.

“I would have never imagined that I would have such a long and incredibly successful boxing career.

“Twenty-seven years ago I started my journey in sport. It was the best choice of a profession I could have made. Because of this choice I have travelled the world, learned new languages, created business, built intellectual properties, helped people in need.

“At some point in our lives we need to switch our careers and get ourselves ready for the next chapter – obviously I am not an exception to this.

“I am expecting and hoping my next career, which I have already been planning and working on for some years, will be at least as successful as the previous one, if not more successful.”

Klitschko retires on the back of a 64 wins and 5 defeats, and was the heavyweight champion for 11 years straight between 2006-2015.

Tyson Fury may quit boxing

Photo courtesy of: boxingnewsonline.net

World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has shocked fans of boxing by saying he has still not decided on whether he will face Wladimir Klitschko in the re-match, and could leave boxing altogether.

Fury’s defeat of Klitschko back in November came as a surprise, with Fury claiming the WBA, IBF WBO titles in the heavyweight division – and a re-match is scheduled to take place in either May or June.

The 27-year-old told members of the press he was struggling to gain the motivation needed to be able to defeat Klitschko for a second time.

“I’m struggling to get motivated.

“I could walk away. I could just sail into the sunset unbeaten with all the belts and live a normal life.

“All that I would be boxing for is money and I always thought to myself I never want to let sport become about money.” Fury said.

He went on to say that he was more focussed on spending time with his young family, and is not interested in obtaining any more heavyweight belts.

“I’ve accomplished a dream. It’s about how much motivation I have to keep going on.

“There is life after boxing and I don’t know what I’m going to do at the moment. I haven’t even cemented I am going to fight in a rematch.”

Fury has not returned to heavy training yet, and he admits he is only jogging and lifting weights at this time – and with the potential big fight only a matter of months away, you would think his decision will come pretty imminently.