There's a busy weekend of boxing on the way with Derek Chisora taking on Joseph Parker in Manchester while the long-awaited bout between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua could be delayed. Here are five boxing stories you may have missed.
Fury vs Joshua in doubt?
Tyson Fury’s super fight with Anthony Joshua is ‘dead in the water’ and will not take place this summer, according to promoter Bob Arum.
It was hoped the two heavyweights would meet in a gargantuan encounter in Saudi Arabia but Arum’s comments have cast doubt over the bout.
Speaking to The Telegraph, he said, “It will take months for the Saudis to do their due diligence on such a huge deal. It is not just a site fee, there are ancillary demands from the Saudis stretching into the broadcast deals and other things. It could take months for it all to play out. It could even take until 2022 the way it looks right now.
“The fight in July or August is dead in the water as far as we are concerned. The two fighters need to go and have other fights this summer while the negotiations for that fight in the Middle East conclude.”
After Arum expressed doubts earlier in the week, Eddie Hearn, who has insisted the fight will go ahead, said, “I don't know whether Bob's on the wind-up, trying to put the pressure on. He's 90 years old, so you've got to respect him.”
Chisora urged to ‘mug’ Parker
Derek Chisora’s new trainer Buddy McGirt has urged the fighter to ‘mug’ Joseph Parker when they two meet on Saturday.
The 37-year-old, who is returning to ring after taking on Oleksandr Usyk last November, split from Steve Broughton before teaming up with world-renowned McGirt who has told Chisora to hit Parker ‘anywhere… except his nuts.’
“Derek was always one to hit the guy on the chin and knock them out,” McGirt said. “I'm like 'you don't have to always hit the guy on the chin'. You hit the guy anywhere between his knees and his neck, except his nuts.
“So you hit him on the thigh, you hit him on the hip, you hit him on the shoulder, you hit him anywhere you possibly can.
“Slow him down, you've got to mug Parker. It's gonna be a long night, we've got to mug him. Mugging means we've got to stay on him. Keep that heat on him and we've got to sustain it. Each round, we've got to step on the gas a little bit more.”
Tyson v Lewis rematch?
Mike Tyson has claimed he will take on Lennox Lewis in an epic rematch this September.
The former heavyweight stars are now both in their mid-fifties and last fought way back in 2002 when Lewis claimed victory. Tyson, who returned to the ring against Roy Jones Jr last year, is interested in more exhibition bouts and will be out for revenge, telling TMZ, “I'm gonna fight Lennox Lewis. September.”
We can’t wait.
Conlan aiming for 'devastating performance'
Irish fighter Michael Conlan will fight Romanian Ionut Baluta at super-bantamweight in London on Friday and the two-time Olympian has vowed to put on an explosive display.
Conlan is aiming for his 15th straight win as a pro and comes up against a man who has already beaten David Oliver Joyce and TJ Dohney.
Speaking to BBC Sport NI, the 29-year-old insisted, "I believe I'll win by knockout. I'm going to put on a devastating performance, get the victory and announce myself in the 122lb division."
Tennyson will knockout Straffon, claims coach
James Tennyson will take on Mexican Jovanni Straffon in Saturday night’s IBO lightweight fight and his trainer Tony Dunlop believes he will earn his seventh straight knockout.
James Tennyson has prepared for a 12-round war against Mexican scrapper Jovanni Straffon but his coach Tony Dunlop predicts that Saturday night’s IBO lightweight title battle will be over in the seventh.
“James has knocked his last six opponents out but, for every one of those fights James has trained for 12 rounds – so he is ready for a 12-round war.
“Every fight he is improving and he is well prepared for this fight. This Mexican comes forward, he is a puncher as his record suggests… but James is in the best condition he’s ever been in and I predict a knockout in about seven rounds.
“He (Straffon) is a really tough, big-punching Mexican but he’s not tough enough and he’ll find that out on Saturday night.”
