Heavyweight Division

[diehard]

https://www.boxing247.com/boxing-news/joe-joyce-and-daniel-dubois-agree-to-terms-will-fight-on-apr-18-in-london/141638

[bart]

thats a big fight for both guys
Should be a stormer

[diehard]

Don't know much about either fighter. Saw Dubois against Fujimoto, and only saw clips of Joyce. I thought the consensus is that Dubois is a much better fighter than Joyce. Is that not true?

[bart]

I have watched abit of both
Dubois is young- ridiculously powerful and good fundamentals but possibly stiffer than AJ . AS yet untested chin
Joyce - old in years to be at this stage of pro career- slow feet and hands but huge motor and punch output is good- will test stamina issues of any fighter.
I think its a 50/50 good interesting fight.
Can DD blow Joyce out with power or does JJ take him into deep waters and drown him.

[diehard]

'Out of control' Andy Ruiz dumps trainer Manny Robles
10:13, Jan 29 2020

Trainer Manny Robles wasn't impressed with the attitude of Andy Ruiz Jr for his rematch with Anthony Joshua.
Manny Robles has confirmed Andy Ruiz has axed him as his trainer, saying the world heavyweight champion was out of control for his failed defence against Anthony Joshua.

Mexican Ruiz stunned the boxing world by knocking out British star Joshua in New York last June to win three of the four main belts.

But he got horribly out of shape for the rematch and was humbled by Joshua in Saudi Arabia in December, losing by a unanimous points decision.

Robles said there was no surprise when the call came from Ruiz's promoter Al Haymon to cut their ties. He felt it was inevitable.

"I've seen it coming, I'll be honest with you," Robles told ESPN.

"I've seen it coming during camp. I saw it coming, Andy was just doing whatever the hell he wanted to do. The dad, obviously with him being the manager, he just had no control over his son. None of us had control of him, for that matter.

"So I just saw it coming, it wasn't going to work because he wasn't listening. He's not listening to me, he's not listening to his dad, he's not listening to anybody.

"He said it himself after the press conference [in Saudi Arabia]. He apologised to me, to the dad, because he f***ed up. So I figured, 'OK, it's only a matter of time before I get the call.' Fortunately for me, Andy took the blame on himself and didn't sit there like a majority of fighters and blame the coach."

Andy Ruiz Jr paid the price for being in poor physical condition for the defence of his world titles against Anthony Joshua.
Robles said Haymon had explained "they didn't want the same thing to repeat itself" as they tried to plan a route back to the top for the talented but undisciplined Ruiz who has yet to return to the gym.

There is speculation that Ruiz is looking to link with hard-nosed trainer Teddy Atlas.

Ruiz, meanwhile, has indicated he is open to a rematch with New Zealand heavyweight Joseph Parker, the only other boxer to have beaten him.

Parker scored a majority points decision against Ruiz in Auckland in late 2016 to claim the WBO world heavyweight title.

"There's a lot out there. There's Tyson Fury, there's Deontay Wilder, there's Dillian Whyte, there's Joseph Parker," Ruiz told Dank City in a bizarre interview where he appeared more interested in showing off the rewards for his brief rise to the top – a mansion, a fleet of expensive cars and a liking for clothes.

"There's a lot out there, but I'll fight anybody. Probably Wilder or Fury [fits best] one of those tall guys, you know."

[diehard]

https://www.boxing247.com/boxing-news/hearn-confirms-talks-over-a-joshua-fight-in-kinshasa-its-probably-the-most-famous-venue-of-all-time/141668

[diehard]

Joshua-Pulev planned for May or June

Promoter Eddie Hearn says WBA/IBF/WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will “almost certainly” be defending his titles against IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev in the UK. “Spurs, Emirates, Cardiff, Twickenham, everywhere is in play, but most likely end of May, early June,” Hearn told Sky Sports.

Hearn stated that the main issue is there’s more money for Joshua-Pulev elsewhere, but Joshua wants to fight in the UK after consecutive bouts in the US and Saudi Arabia. Hearn expects the deal to be done within two weeks.

[diehard]

Top Rank inks Big Baby Miller

Undefeated, 300-plus-pound heavyweight Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller has signed a multi-fight promotional deal with Top Rank. Miller, who is co-promoted by Greg Cohen Promotions and Salita Promotions, will make his Top Rank on ESPN debut in 2020.

Miller (23-0-1, 20 KOs) last fought in November 2018, knocking out Bogdan Dinu in four rounds. He signed to fight Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden for the unified heavyweight title last June, but he failed multiple VADA tests and was denied a license by the New York State Athletic Commission and suspended for six months by the WBA.

“Jarrell Miller is serious about coming back, doing things the right way and becoming heavyweight champion of the world,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “He is one of boxing’s most unique and exciting characters, but most importantly, he can fight.”

“Minor setback for a major comeback. I’m coming for everything and everyone. No one is safe. Say hello to the bad guy,” Miller said. “Everyone wants to portray the superhero. We don’t live in a sunshine world. I’ll never be the superhero. In my world, the majority of the time, the villain wins.”

[diehard]

https://www.boxing247.com/boxing-news/michael-buffer-the-last-lineal-heavyweight-champion-was-lennox-lewis/141957

[diehard]

Dillian Whyte FURIOUS at Andy Ruiz for saying he’s ducking him
Tim Compton - February 1, 2020

Dillian Whyte is stomping mad at recently dethroned IBF/WBA/WBO heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. turning down the offer made to him by his British promoter, and then saying that he didn’t want “any smoke” in a fight against him.

Whyte (27-1, 18 KOs) denies turning down the fight with Ruiz Jr. (33-2, 22 KOs), and he says he was the one that told Hearn to make the offer in the first place. Hearn says he made a high seven-figure offer to Ruiz, but it wasn’t accepted. Since Ruiz isn’t the type to turn down a reasonable offer made to him, it must have been too low.

Ruiz says he’ll have an announcement will be made in the near future on his next fight. Whether it’s too late for Whyte and Hearn to try and renew the negotiations with Ruiz is the major question.

Whyte has had chances to fight Luis Ortiz, Anthony Joshua and Kubrat Pulev, but he’s failed to take the fights. By not fighting Ortiz in a WBC ordered title eliminator, Whyte has been forced to sit and wait.

After ignoring the WBC title eliminator ordered against Ortiz, Whyte fought Oscar Rivas last July and beat him to become the mandatory. With that win under his belt, Whyte is expected to challenge for a world title in 2021, unless he loses to someone before then.

“Listen guys, this is a quick one. Andy Ruiz has been talking s—, saying I don’t want no smoke, and that I’m running from the smoke,” said Whyte on his social media. “How come I don’t want no smoke when I’m the one that made the offer to fight him. I’m the one that made the offer to fight him.

“He didn’t make no offer to fight me. So who is the coward?” asked Whyte. “I told Eddie to make the offer to fight him, and he turned it down. He’s the f—- coward. Fat c— is just talking s—. People need to wake up and realize that I’m not scared of no one. I’m more Mexican than Andy Ruiz is. He’s a coward, and he’s all gut and no heart. P—-,” said Whyte on Ruiz.

Whyte weighed in at 271 lbs for his last match against Mariusz Wach last December, and he didn’t look like a bodybuilder in that fight. For Whyte to be criticizing Ruiz on his physique, it makes him look bad. Dillian doesn’t have room to criticize Ruiz on his physique when his looks bad as well.

Hearn already has 40-year-old Alexander Povetkin on standby for Whyte’s next fight. That’s been the plan all along for Whyte. Hopefully there’s no controversy in this fight like we saw in Whyte’s wins over Dereck Chisora, Oscar Rivas and Joseph Parker. If Whyte could draw outside of the UK, it would be nice to see his fight with Povetkin take place in the U.S, but that’s not likely to happen.