With more news on Deontay Wilder’s next opponent and a potential British blockbuster bout inbound, it’s been another busy week in the world of boxing. Here are five stories you might have missed.
Deontay Wilder Eyeing Up Usyk/Joshua Winner
Former heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder is still assessing his options when it comes to an opponent ahead of his ring return later this year, however he will be keeping an eye on the winner of the August rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua, according to his manager Shelly Finkel.
"Maybe the winner of Usyk and Joshua. I don't know what [Tyson] Fury is doing? Maybe if Joshua wins it's a huge fight in the UK - there's so many intangibles so we're looking to see what happens in that fight,” Finkel told PlanetSport.
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"I don't care what Fury says, we're waiting to see what he really wants to do because if he wants to fight the winner then he's going to get it. But after that, where are the top guys?
"There's only four real top guys in the heavyweights right now - Usyk, Joshua, Fury and Deontay."
The Bronze Bomber has been out of action since suffering an 11th round stoppage defeat to Fury in October last year.
Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn Targeted For October
Chris Eubank Jr vs Conor Benn has reportedly been pencilled in for October 8th, according to The Sun’s Chisanga Malata.
The fight is being targeted for London’s O2 Arena and will be the first DAZN pay-per-view bout in the UK. The catchweight will reportedly be “around 156 lbs,” with Benn coming up from 147 and Eubank coming down from 160.
Conor’s dad Nigel Benn and Chris’ dad Chris Eubank Sr shared a bitter rivalry in the 90s, squaring off in 1990 and 1993, with Eubank winning the first time via TKO before the rematch ended in a draw.
Jermell Charlo To Defend Undisputed Crown Against Tim Tszyu In 2023
Undisputed super welterweight champion Jermell Charlo is set to defend his titles against Tim Tszyu. However, fight fans will have to wait a while, with the fight scheduled for January 28th, 2023.
Charlo secured the 154lbs undisputed crown when he knocked out Brian Castano in the tenth round of a May rematch, following their controversial draw in July 2021.
Tszyu, son of former world champion and Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu, has yet to put a step wrong since turning pro in 2016, winning all 21 of his bouts and 15 of those inside the distance but Charlo represents a significant step up in class and will be the first top ten boxer the Australian has faced.
Sunny Edwards/Julio Cesar Martinez Flyweight Unification In The Works
WBC flyweight champion Julio Cesar Martinez and IBF champion Sunny Edwards are believed to be close to finalising an October 22nd unification showdown, according to ESPN.
Martinez had been ordered to renegotiate with McWilliams Arroyo (21-4, 16 KO) after withdrawing from that mandatory defence a third time, but Arroyo will now defend his interim title against unbeaten Joselito Velasquez instead.
The clash between Martinez, an offensive juggernaut, against the slick and stylish Edwards has potential to be one of the best match-ups in boxing today.
Teofimo Lopez/Adrien Broner Both Return In August
Former unified lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez will return to the ring on August 13th when he takes on Mexican veteran Pedro Campa in a ten-rounder in Las Vegas.
Dubbed ‘Operation: Take Back’, Lopez will be stepping up to super-lightweight for the first time.
“Teofimo Lopez has a clean bill of health and is ready to make noise at 140 pounds. It all starts with a difficult test in Pedro Campa,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum.
The same month will also see the return of former four-weight world champion Adrien Broner. The controversial boxer, who last fought in February 2021, will take on former lightweight champion Omar Figueroa at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood.
“I’m going in there to try to stop Figueroa. I’m going to take the fight to him and go ahead and get him out of there,” Broner said in the official press release.
“What I expect from him is the same gruesome Figueroa that we always see. He’ll try to make it a rough fight.”
“Every fighter is different, but I don’t think he’ll be hard to hit. So, I’ll see ya’ll on August 20.”
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