Connect with us

Sports

Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul ‘agree to fight next year’ after U-turn in talks

Published

on

Jake Paul has reportedly struck an “agreement in principle” to face two-time heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua in 2026, his team confirmed on Monday, September 22.

The YouTuber-turned-professional boxer first called out Joshua earlier this year, sparking widespread speculation about a potential blockbuster matchup.

Paul, 28, will first face lightweight champion Gervonta Davis, 30, in an exhibition bout scheduled for November 14 in Miami. The announcement comes amid ongoing negotiations to secure a heavyweight clash with Joshua the following year.

Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions alongside Paul, led talks with Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, and confirmed that Anthony Joshua remains a target for 2026. “Anthony Joshua is 100 per cent still a target,” Bidarian said. “He’s trying to fight in February, I think in Ghana, they’ve come out with that. But pending this fight and pending everything coming together, absolutely. We have an agreement in principle.”

Bidarian added that the fight is likely to take place in the United States.

Joshua, 35, has not fought since his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois, 28, at Wembley Stadium in September 2024. Following the defeat, Joshua underwent elbow surgery over the summer and is expected to return to the ring early next year. Hearn confirmed that Joshua has received an offer to fight in Ghana, which could potentially serve as a warm-up bout before a 2026 matchup with Tyson Fury.

Fury, 37, retired in January after consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk, 38, but has hinted at a comeback while being called out by Joshua online.

See also  How Cape Verde Became Second Smallest Country To Qualify For FIFA World Cup

Jake Paul, who moved up to heavyweight last year during Mike Tyson’s controversial comeback at age 58, weighed in at 16st 2lb (227lb) for his previous bout, still two stone lighter than Joshua’s last fighting weight of 18st. The fight drew over 100 million viewers on Netflix as Tyson lost across eight shorter two-minute rounds.

Paul subsequently returned to cruiserweight in June, defeating former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., 39, in California. Plans for a potential bout with Canelo Alvarez, 35, collapsed after Alvarez opted to face Terence Crawford, 37, in a later fight, losing in September.

Gervonta Davis was initially scheduled to fight Paul earlier this year but drew with Lamont Roach, 30, in March. After refusing a rematch, negotiations with Paul’s team resumed, leading to the announcement of their upcoming exhibition. The fight will follow rules including a 195lb maximum weight, 12oz gloves, 10 rounds of three minutes each, with three judges scoring, and the outcome not counting toward professional records.

Bidarian clarified the timeline: “Canelo was the first choice, we believed we had that deal done, obviously there was a different outcome. This was the next fight. There were never any discussions to fight Anthony Joshua in 2025. That was always a 2026 discussion.”

Hearn previously told Sky Sports that while the team is open to a Joshua-Paul matchup, the bout cannot proceed until Paul completes his exhibition against Davis. “We’re certainly not holding out for a Jake Paul fight. We’re making our own plans for January or February 2026,” Hearn said.

Hearn added, “They’ve come on to me and said they want to make that fight [with AJ]. I said I can’t make that fight until you’ve fought Gervonta Davis in this exhibition. If you get chinned by Gervonta Davis, don’t think you’re fighting Anthony Joshua, it’s ridiculous. So we’d rather they didn’t take that fight if we’re going to make the [AJ] fight.”

See also  Kanu rallies Enyimba fans amid crisis

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

TUMBLR

INSTAGRAM

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Players like me, Yamal, Álvarez need more protection from referees – Vini Jr

Published

on

Real Madrid forward Vinícius Jr. has called for greater protection for attacking players, naming himself, Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal and Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez as players who need better protection from referees.

The Brazilian expressed frustration over what he believes is unfair treatment on the pitch, claiming that defenders can foul him repeatedly while he ends up being the player booked by the referee.

As reported by football transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano on X on Thursday, Vini Jr was quoted as saying, “I feel like defenders can always kick me, yet I am the one who gets booked.”

The Real Madrid star also stressed the importance of protecting players capable of making a difference in matches, pointing to Yamal and Álvarez alongside himself.

“I think we need to protect players who can make a difference like me, Lamine Yamal and Julián Álvarez,” he added.

Vinícius also questioned the severity of disciplinary punishments in certain situations, referring to a four-match suspension for pulling an opponent’s hair.

“I do not remember any player being banned for four games for pulling the opponent’s hair,” he said.

The Brazilian believes he often faces criticism from rival clubs and the media, suggesting that similar incidents involving him are sometimes treated differently.

Reflecting on his journey at Real Madrid, Vinícius also reminded his critics of the progress he has made since arriving at the club as an 18-year-old.

“Remember, I arrived at 18 years old and many people laughed at me. They said I can’t score, then I had more than 100 goals for Madrid,” he stated.

See also  Osayi-Samuel gets one-match ban

The forward insisted that his achievements at the Spanish giants speak for themselves, pointing to the numerous titles he has won during his time at the club.

He ended with a defiant message to those who continue to doubt him: “Vini always comes back, remember.”

Source: punchng.com

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

WHATSAPP CHANNEL

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

Continue Reading

Sports

Maradona family divided over jail terms for medical team

Published

on

Diego Maradona’s family on Wednesday called for his medical team to be given stiff prison terms over what two of his daughters called his “murder.”

Seven medical professionals have been on trial since April over Maradona’s death on November 25, 2020, while convalescing after surgery for a brain clot.

The star of the 1986 World Cup died aged 60 of heart failure and acute pulmonary edema, two weeks after going under the knife.

His medical team is accused of providing grossly inadequate care in the lead-up to his death at a private home rented for his convalescence.

They deny the charges.

Maradona’s family are divided on the severity of the punishment they believe his carers should face.

A lawyer for two of his daughters, Dalma and Gianinna, on Wednesday accused his carers of “murder” and asked that six of the seven accused be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

“They killed a mythological hero,” lawyer Fernando Burlando said, accusing the defendants of “brutal indifference” to the icon’s fate.

Counsel for the champion’s three sisters, Rita, Claudia and Ana, sought terms of up to 10 years for five of the seven defendants.

Their lawyer Pablo Jurado called for medical coordinator Nancy Forlini to receive the harshest punishment.

On Tuesday, a lawyer for Maradona’s youngest son, 13-year-old Diego Fernando Maradona, had called for the player’s personal physician Leopoldo Luque and Forlini to be each given 16-year sentences.

State prosecutors kicked off the closing arguments last week with a call for guilty findings against six of the seven accused and prison sentences ranging from four to 12 years.

See also  Arsenal’s Ødegaard named Norway captain for World Cup

They added that Luque should receive the stiffest punishment.

The closing arguments are set to continue until the end of October.

The court in the Buenos Aires suburb of San Isidro, near where Maradona died, is then expected to reserve its judgment to a later date.

AFP

Source: punchng.com

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

WHATSAPP CHANNEL

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

Continue Reading

Sports

Anthony Joshua reveals he won’t make Wilder’s mistake against Fury, read details

Published

on

British-Nigerian Anthony Joshua says he will not repeat the mistake Deontay Wilder made against Tyson Fury, insisting he will stay calm and avoid emotional decisions when they meet on December 11.

The former two-time world heavyweight champion believes composure will be crucial in the fight at the sold-out Principality Stadium in Cardiff, which will be shown live worldwide on Netflix.

Fury twice defeated Wilder and drew once with the American in their three-fight rivalry.

Joshua told The Ring’s Mike Coppinger that Wilder’s eagerness to finish Fury after hurting him often left him exhausted and gave the Briton the chance to recover.

“Wilder took those fights very personally, and that could be quite exhausting, especially when you hurt someone and try to finish them,” Joshua said.

“You lose a lot of energy, and then Tyson comes back. Wilder could have gotten the job done if he was a bit more calm, cool and collected. He could have learned from that. Wilder tried to take him out of there, while Fury just managed to weather the storm and come back.”

Joshua said frustration or the urge for an early finish would not dictate his approach.

“I do not believe that would be me. I am going to keep a calm head,” he added.

Joshua also has a historic prize to chase. Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, has said the World Boxing Association super heavyweight belt will be at stake in Cardiff.

A win would make Joshua a three-time world heavyweight champion, a feat achieved by Muhammad Ali, Michael Moorer, Lennox Lewis and Vitali Klitschko, while Evander Holyfield won the title four times.

See also  How Cape Verde Became Second Smallest Country To Qualify For FIFA World Cup

The belt became available after Oleksandr Usyk vacated it. Murat Gassiev was the association’s number one contender and had been expected to move up, but the pull of Fury against Joshua appears to have taken priority. Both men previously lost their world titles to Usyk.

Warren, who is also staging the rematch between Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley for the World Boxing Organisation title this weekend, said the winners could meet in unification fights in 2027.

“We have got three of the four heavyweight champions on our roster, and we are going to make unification fights next year,” he said.

Joshua enters the fight with a professional record of 30 wins, four defeats and 27 knockouts. Fury has 36 wins, two losses and one draw, with 25 knockouts.

Source: punchng.com

FOLLOW US ON:

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

PINTEREST

TIKTOK

YOUTUBE

LINKEDIN

INSTAGRAM

Continue Reading

Trending