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Boxing News

ANTHONY JOSHUA TO FACE JARRELL MILLER IN U.S. DEBUT

 

 

 

ANTHONY JOSHUA TO FACE JARRELL MILLER IN U.S. DEBUT

‘AJ’ defends WBA Super, IBF, WBO and IBO Heavyweight World titles against ‘Big Baby’ on June 1
Historic clash screened live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and DAZN in the U.S.

 

 

Heavyweight boxing’s biggest star Anthony Joshua OBE will defend his WBA Super, IBF, WBO and IBO World titles against Jarrell Miller in his long-awaited U.S. debut at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, June 1, live on Sky Sports Box Office in the UK and DAZN in the U.S.

 

Joshua (22-0, 21 KOs), defended his World titles with a devastating knockout of dangerous Russian Alexander Povetkin last time out at Wembley Stadium in September in what was the Olympic Champion’s fourth straight stadium fight in front of over 80,000 fans.

 

It was a crushing return to the scene of his historical triumph over legendary Champion Wladimir Klitschko in April 2017, where he produced the performance of a lifetime to claim the WBA crown in an unforgettable battle in front of a post war record crowd of 90,000 at England’s National Stadium.
The British sensation blasted Povetkin to the canvas with a brutal assault in the seventh round and then floored the WBA mandatory challenger again to signal a sudden and dramatic ending to his 22nd professional victory in his home city.

 

And now sport’s biggest name will follow in the footsteps of Heavyweight greats such as Joe Louis, Joe Frazier, Evander Holyfield and Muhammad Ali when he crosses the Atlantic to silence Brooklyn’s brash ‘Big Baby’ Miller at ‘The Mecca of Boxing’.

 

“June 1st I am heading to The Big Apple and I plan to embrace the culture and leave with an appetite for more,” said Joshua. “I will be fighting Jarrell Miller at the legendary Madison Square Garden. It has been an honour and a blessing to fight at some of the best venues in the World at home in the UK, not least Wembley Stadium, but the time has come to head across the Atlantic and defend my Heavyweight titles in the USA. I am looking forward to taking on another challenge with a good boxer & a brilliant talker, it will be an exciting fight, I will leave nothing to chance and plan on dismantling Miller in style to make my mark.”

 

Miller (23-0-1, 20 KOs), has been calling for a British scalp ever since he went face-to-face with Joshua during a heated exchange at the launch of DAZN’s streaming service in the U.S. in July last year, and the undefeated 300lbs giant is promising to turn AJ’s American dream into a living nightmare as he looks to announce himself on the biggest stage of all.

 

Miller earned his shot at Joshua with successive wins over former World title challengers Gerald Washington, Mariusz Wach, Johann Duhaupas and Tomasz Adamek, crushing the latter inside two rounds on his Matchroom Boxing USA debut at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago in October.

 

He followed this up with another big stoppage win, this time steamrolling Bogdan Dinu in four rounds to claim the interim NABA Heavyweight title at the Kansas Star Arena, and now Miller returns to his home city to fulfil a lifelong dream of fighting for the World Heavyweight crown.

 


“AJ is making a huge mistake coming over here to fight me in my own backyard,” said Miller. “He wants to announce himself on the American stage but all he’s doing is delivering me those belts by hand. Its dog eat dog in the ring and this dog has got a bigger bite, he’ll be leaving New York empty-handed. This is the fight that I’ve been chasing all my life and on June 1 I’m going to achieve the thing I was born to do and win the Heavyweight Championship of the World. That punk AJ is standing in the way of my dreams and on June 1 he’s getting run the hell over.”

 

 

“It’s been an eventful few months but I’m delighted to finally announce that Anthony Joshua will make his American debut at the iconic Madison Square Garden on June 1,” said Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Boxing Managing Director. “AJ has created an incredible ‘Lion’s Den’ atmosphere in the UK and we plan to bring that energy to New York on a card that will be stacked with British vs. American talent. When you look at the Heavyweight greats that have graced the renowned ‘Mecca of Boxing’ the names of Ali, Frazier, Marciano and Tyson stand firm and June 1 will be a moment when the World will witness AJ’s turn. 

 

“Jarrell Miller is someone I know well having been involved in his last 4 fights in America. I know how much he wants this fight and I know the belief that him and his team have in beating AJ. He is a mountain of a man with an incredible work rate and he will get the chance to challenge for 4 World Heavyweight belts in his backyard this summer. They went to head to head for all the wrong reasons last Summer and next week they will do it again as we get ready for the big build up for a momentous moment on June 1st at MSG.”

 

“We are delighted to be showing this massive occasion on Sky Sports Box Office and our team will provide every step of an enticing build up,” said Adam Smith, Head of Sky Sports Boxing. “Every boxer wants to conquer America and the time has come for AJ at the iconic Madison Square Garden. It’s been the home of countless classics, from Ali vs. Frazier to the controversial bout that was called a draw between Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis 20 years ago. It’s another chapter in the Joshua story.”

 

 
“Anthony Joshua is the number one Heavyweight in the World and DAZN is excited to deliver the British star’s much-anticipated U.S. debut at the iconic Madison Square Garden,” said Joseph Markowski, DAZN Executive Vice President, North America. “In New York awaits a hometown fighter in Jarrell ‘Big Baby’ Miller who has been quite vocal about his plans to spoil Joshua’s stateside arrival. He poses a real threat to dethrone the Heavyweight king in what will undoubtedly be a major international attraction and we are eager to see what will unfold June 1 on DAZN.”

 

 
“The World Heavyweight Championship at Madison Square Garden is unlike any setting in the World and we couldn’t be more thrilled to host Anthony Joshua and Jarrell Miller,” said Joel Fisher, Executive Vice President, MSG Marquee Events. “The legacy of Heavyweights at ‘The Mecca of Boxing’ that began with the likes of John L. Sullivan, Gene Tunney, ‘Jersey’ Joe Wolcott, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Joe Louis, Evander Holyfield, Wladimir Klitschko and Lennox Lewis will continue when Joshua and Miller step into the famed Garden ring in front of a packed house on June 1.”

 

“On June 1 Brooklyn’s Jarrell Miller will fight in the World’s greatest city for boxing’s greatest title — the Heavyweight Championship of the World — on boxing’s biggest stage —  ‘The Mecca of Boxing’ Madison Square Garden,” said Dmitriy Salita of Salita Promotions. “It is a dream come true for Jarrell, but it is exactly what we envisioned and what I promised him when I began working with Jarrell in his second professional fight. He is on the verge of making history and I am proud to have been there since the beginning. On June 1 Jarrell follow in the footsteps of Brooklyn Heavyweight greats Mike Tyson and Riddick Bowe to bring the Heavyweight World title back to its rightful home NY.”

 

“It is incredible to be a co-promoter of Jarrell Miller’s World title challenge against Anthony Joshua on June 1st streamed live on DAZN,” said Greg Cohen of Greg Cohen Promotions. “The fact that this event is taking place at Madison Square Garden makes it extra special as it’s a home game for Team Miller. I can’t wait to hear Michael Buffer announce, “And the NEW…!”

JOSHUA VS. MILLER TICKET SALES ANNOUNCEMENT

Important information for fight fans on tickets for the New York blockbuster

Tickets for Anthony Joshua’s long-awaited American debut against Jarrell Miller at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 1 will be available to purchase from this Friday!

Madison Square Garden Pre-Sale begins at Midday ET (5pm GMT) on Friday 15th February via Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com)

Fight Pass Pre-Sale begins at Midday GMT (7am ET) on Monday 18th February via StubHub (www.stubhub.com)

General Sale tickets are on sale at Midday ET (5pm GMT) on Tuesday 19th February via Madison Square Garden and StubHub (www.stubhub.com)

Tickets can be purchased at the Madison Square Garden Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster charge by phone (866-858-0008) and online at www.ticketmaster.com or www.MSG.com.

Official Ticket and Travel Packages, including the opportunity to travel on the Official Charter Plane, are available to purchase via Sportsworld (www.sportsworld.co.uk)

 

Read more on Matchroom Boxing HERE

Images by Matchroom Boxing

 

 

 

 

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Fight Scene Features Sports Equipment

UA: UNDER ARMOUR

JOSHUA-POVETKIN PROMOTION OPEN WORK OUTS, YORK HALL. BETHNAL GREEN, LONDON PIC;LAWRENCE LUSTIG ANTHONY JOSHUA PERFORMS A PUBLIC WORK OUT AS HE PREPARES FOR HIS FIGHT ON EDDIE HEARNS MATCHROOM PROMOTION AT WEMBLEY STADIUM ON SATURDAY(22-9-18)

To make athletes better through passion, design and the relentless pursuit of innovation.

 

 

Under Armour is the leader in performance apparel, footwear and accessories, with a mission to make all athletes better through passion, design and the relentless pursuit of innovation.

 

The chosen brand of this generation of athletes… and the athletes of tomorrow. We’re about performance – in training and on game day, in blistering heat and bitter cold. Whatever the conditions, whatever the sport, Under Armour delivers the advantage athletes have come to demand.

 

Sponsored athletes include Stephen Curry, Michael Phelps, Jamie Roberts, Lindsey Vonn, Jordan Spieth and Tom Brady amongst many others. Under Armour outfits Anthony Joshua to go along with being the official kit supplier for teams including Southampton, FC St Pauli, and ASM Clermont Rugby.

 

 

Under Armour developed a diverse product assortment for men, women and youth to accommodate any season and temperature. Customers buy HeatGear® to stay cool and dry in hot weather, ColdGear® to stay warm when it’s cold, and AllSeasonGear® between the extremes. Using these technologies, the products include:

Men’s Sports– football, golf, running, rugby, training, American football, baseball, basketball
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UA: To make all athletes better through passion, design and the relentless pursuit of innovation.

 

View Under Armour Sportswear HERE

Read more on Matchroom Boxing HERE

Image by Matchroom boxing

 

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Boxing News

JARRELL MILLER: I WANT TO BEAT A BRIT!

Boxing ‘Big Baby’ targeting UK scalp as he prepares for Dinu in Kansas

 

 

Jarrell Miller is targeting a huge showdown against a British Heavyweight in 2019 as he prepares to face Bogdan Dinu at the Kansas Star Arena in Mulvane, Kansas on November 17, live on DAZN.

 

 

Miller meets Dinu in a crunch clash for the division, with the big punching duo putting their unbeaten records and lofty ranking spots on the line with the Heavyweight scene set to explode in the coming months.

 

Tickets are on sale now from ticketmaster.com starting at just $25! Click here to book!

 

Deontay Wilder defends his WBC title against Tyson Fury on December 1 while division ruler Anthony Joshua returns to Wembley Stadium in London on April 13 to put his IBF, WBA and WBO straps on the line.

 

Dillian Whyte faces Dereck Chisora on December 22 in a rematch in London, with Whyte aiming to seal another rematch, this time with old foe Joshua, but Miller would love to get his hands on the ‘Body Snatcher’ as he hunts down a big scalp to announce himself at the very top level.

 

“I have to beat a Brit – if I do that, a lot will change. When you are high risk, low reward, people will make excuses not to fight you and the fans will buy into it.

 

“I am not afraid of Dillian – I’m afraid of no man. If AJ is not ready to face me with a title, then I’ll go and whoop Dillian’s butt. It’ll help my profile in Britain.

 

“He’s a clown, nobody is afraid of him. He’s got a win over Lucas Browne and that’s it. For him to call people punks, he’s deluded, I’ve fought three World title contenders back to back. He turned down Mariusz Wach twice and he didn’t really want to fight Duhaupas, he’s naive.

 

“I rate him as a fighter, he throws punches and wins – he’s a top guy now because since he got his block knocked off by AJ they’ve built him the right way. When he gets in the ring with me, watch how he changes, watch how the whole ‘I’m the Body Snatcher, I walk guys down’ stops.

 

“He couldn’t walk down a 230lbs Joseph Parker, so you’re going to walk me down, 300+lbs behemoth that throws 80 punches a round? I haven’t even thrown my right hand in my last few fights for a reason, so when I really start clocking these guys, then people will see.

 

“The big fights take some maneuvering and finessing, so building my profile, winning the regular title and getting into a mandatory spot is going to help me in that situation. I think I will definitely be in a spot to have an AJ or Deontay Wilder fight later in the year, so I need to get this win in Kansas and stay busy, focused, injury free and ready.

 

“Bogdan is aggressive but that’s against guys that want to survive. He’s never fought someone like me, who is going to be the aggressor in the fight. He’s light and he’s not a heavy puncher, and I’m going to be coming forward, throwing bombs and mixing it up, it’s going to be completely new to him. He’s going to try to move against me, everybody does, but then they all end up running for their lives – and they can only run for so long.”

 

 

Miller’s clash with Dinu is part of a huge night of action in Kansas in association with KO Night Boxing with a host of stars and local talents in action.

 

 

 

 

Two-weight World ruler Claressa Shields who looks to add the WBC Middleweight strap to her WBA and IBF crowns against tough Scottish challenger Hannah Rankin.

 

Middleweight contenders Luis Arias and Gabriel Rosado clash in what promises to be a real war as the pair look to gatecrash the lucrative top table, and there’s an all-Mexican clash and a homecoming for Brandon Rios against Ramon Alvarez, brother of ‘Canelo’’, as both men look to make a splash at Welterweight.

 

Team USA 2016 Olympic bronze medal man Nico Hernandez has raced to 5-0 (4KOs) – the Wichita talent fights for the third time in the Kansas Star Casino and Arena since debuting there in March 2017, unbeaten Wichita Super-Middleweight and police officer Manny Thompson looks to improve his 7-0 record and Las Vegas’ Jeremy Nichols meets Wichita’s Jeremiah Page at Middleweight.

 

Unbeaten Light-Heavyweight contender Anthony Sims Jr. and Brooklyn’s exciting newcomer to the Middleweight scene Nikita Ababiy, fresh from a first round KO on debut in Chicago earlier in the month are also in action.

 

 

Read more on A Wild night in Kansas plus fighter comments HERE

Read more on Miller, Rios and Shields HERE

Read more on Matchroom Boxing Event HERE

 

Images by Ed Mulholland of Matchroom Boxing

 

 

Categories
Boxing News Fight Scene Features

Joshua V Wilder: The Saga Begins

It’s on, it’s off, it’s on again…!

 

Joshua V Wilder: The Saga Begins

 

 

Everything you need to know, minus everything you don’t, in the build up to the mega fight of the generation.

 

SO, WHAT’S GOING ON NOW?

 

At the moment of writing this article, the mouth-watering match-up between England’s Anthony Joshua and America’s Deontay Wilder is looking decidedly shaky. At least for this year.

 

WHAT ARE THE PRESS SAYING?

 

If you’ve been living under a rock (a rock with no WiFi), they’re basically making a lot of noise. Click bait mainly. Look up some longer interviews with each of the main players to get the real story.

 

I HAVEN’T GOT TIME, WHAT ARE THEY SAYING?

 

 

 

ANTHONY JOSHUA:

 

Absolutely nothing. Is that a display of his cowardice? Absolutely not. His class? Yeah, maybe. Or perhaps his cunning? More likely. He defers to promoter Eddie Hearn for the verbals.

 

 

 

EDDIE HEARN:

 

A lot. He’s accusing Deontay Wilder of avoiding signing the contract. Not because he’s thinks Wilder is scared (that wouldn’t help Hearn to sell Wilder as a mega opponent down the line) but because he reckons Wilder’s team are delaying for business reasons.

 

 

 

DEONTAY WILDER:

 

Essentially that he’s ready to fight Joshua anywhere, so long as the price is right. Love him or hate him, Wilder is doing his own talking. He’s not a man accustomed to utilising a million-dollar education or an accounting degree or a team of marketing & legal experts to do his talking for him (although he certainly seems wise enough & wealthy enough to attain all three). So in the war of words, he’s left fighting his own corner against the much more experienced and slippery Eddie Hearn. Yes, a lot of it could be hooey & hype, but if you avoid the cut-down Instagram videos, Tweets & click-baity headlines that social media are punting out, you’ll see he comes across fairly straight and honest once he’s got going.

 

 

SO WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON THEN?

 

What seems to be happening, depending on your stance and your level of cynicism, is the following…

 

Joshua is ready to fight Wilder. Wilder is ready to fight Joshua. But promoter Eddie Hearn has realised that if Joshua takes a tune up first, they can all make a lot more money. And, perhaps more importantly, the fighters won’t risk their clean records against each other, before it’s absolutely necessary to do so.

 

Joshua & Wilder, each having knocked out all of their opponents-bar-one, are each other’s worst nightmare in terms of risk – a loss could damage their respective careers and their ticket sales forever.

 

Hearn has not, of course, actually stated that he’s holding his fighter (AJ) back, but he has been accused of low-balling Wilder when sending out the contract and he did seem very quick to talk about moving on when Wilder’s team questioned the details.

 

In short, for the money men and potentially for the fans too – much like the teenage romance story this is turning into – the longer it builds up, the more attractive it becomes.

 

But that plan comes with a caveat. A shelf life. Deontay Wilder is now 32. In two years time he will be 34. And then people will start to call him over the hill. He won’t be, but people will say it. And at that point, we have another Lewis-Tyson scenario, another Calzaghe-Hopkins, another Mayweather-Pacquiao. Ahh, they will sigh… but he never faced him at his peak!

 

 

SO WHAT IF JOSHUA WILDER DOESN’T HAPPEN THIS YEAR?

 

It’s certainly possible. Perhaps even likely. Afterall, the WBA have ordered Joshua (who holds their belt) to fight mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin this year, and if that happens, Wilder will be left looking for a name for his own tune-up.

 

Fight Scene predicts that this will be against another British heavyweight.

 

Once the Matchroom engine revs up and roars into action, Hearn will likely take advantage of Deontay’s situation by pushing a big-name-Brit under the Wilder bus, to test the potential ticket sales for a UK fighter in the states.

 

They will then announce a new Joshua-Wilder date next April.

 

SO WHO SHOULD WIN, REALLY?

 

Joshua should. Really. (Note to reader: yes, I said that about David Haye last time out, let it go…)

 

Anthony Joshua is the complete package. Too big and too strong with a decent set of boxing skills. He’s also at the sweet spot in his career where he’s still young, fresh and hungry, but has the recent experience of beating a string of champions.

 

But let’s take a look at the other side for a moment…

 

It could be said by doubters that Joshua has only faced one real name – Wladimir Klitschko – a man already beaten by another British heavyweight with questions marks against his career, Tyson Fury.

 

And even Wlad, who was not known for explosive power even at his peak, managed to knock AJ down. He shook him to the core and almost ended him.

 

In his two fights since then, both in Cardiff… AJ first struggled against the smaller last-minute opponent, Carlos Takam, before it was stopped on cuts, many say prematurely… and then struggled to a boring points win against Kiwi Joseph Parker.

 

He’s also had just 21 fights, rarely going into the later rounds to test his stamina.

 

Deontay Wilder, on the other hand, has fought almost twice the number of opponents and has never even taken a knee. He’s knocked out all of them but one. That’s 39 heavyweights. Out cold.

 

The fight is still most likely gearing up to be a tight Joshua win (followed by a raucous rematch), but don’t underestimate the brutal punching power and the awkward, unpredictable, flashy style that Wilder will bring to the battle.

 

 

BY JON SUTTON

 

 

See next article for WBC Boss Mauricio Sulaiman’s thoughts on potential British replacements…

Categories
Boxing News

ENTER MAURICIO…!

 MAURICIO SULAIMAN, ON WILDER’S POTENTIAL BRITISH REPLACEMENTS IF AJ TALKS FAIL

 

 

Fight Scene caught up with WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman for some perspective from across the pond.

 

FS: How’s the heavyweight scene looking right now Mauricio, are you excited?

 

MS: The world is delighted to see the heavyweight division so full of interest – there are so many matches that could be made to bring back the glory days of boxing. The heavyweight champion of the world is considered the strongest man on earth and that has been a matter of global interest for countless generations.

 

FS: Your organisation, the WBC, has Deontay Wilder as it’s champion. Is Deontay good for boxing?

 

MS: Yes. Absolutely. Wilder has reigned since 2014, he’s undefeated with 40 wins and 39 knockouts. He’s a true world champion who has fought in several countries and was ready to defend his title in Russia when the fight had to be called off just a week before.

 

FS: If Joshua talks finally fall apart, Wilder will be looking for a filler fight. Fury, Whyte and Bellew would all make good opponents, since they’re also British names who would add to the build-up on both sides of the Atlantic. Would you like to see any of these fights?

 

MS: Definitely. They would all make tremendous fights against Wilder. Each has clear differences.

 

FS: Could you break them down for us please?

 

MS: Of course….! Tyson Fury has the height and technique which present complications, however inactivity will be an uncertain factor. Dillian Whyte has the power, the will and the experience (having fought a bruising battle with AJ), but he has a style that makes Wilder more effective. Tony Bellew is a great story made into reality and he continues to surprise the fans with great victories. Wilder at 214 brings Bellew much closer to a reality and he’s even speaking about going down to Cruiserweight ! Any of these matches would be of great interest to the world!

 

WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder and challenger Tyson Fury will face each other on December 1 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Read more on Wilder vs Fury HERE
Read more on WBC Boxing HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Boxing News

Heavyweight Round Up: Fury, Whyte, Joshua

By Jon Sutton

Fury V Seferi – 9th June

 

 

Image: BT Sport (click for info)

 

OK let’s face it, this is a warm up bout.

Seferi does hold some power, but will he land clean? Doubtful.

A man of Fury’s size is difficult to hit as it is but Tyson is notoriously awkward for a big man.

And even if Seferi does land clean, he is the much smaller man. He was only considered powerful as a Cruiserweight – the division in which he last fought just two fights ago.

To Fury’s credit, he will bring more than a size advantage Saturday night though. Since he beat Klitschko, went to hell and back with depression, then returned to the gym, Fury has lost a ton of weight and shown a ton of improvement in terms of speed, technique and movement – so don’t expect to see him in any trouble as he dances towards victory in the MEN tomorrow night.

Speaking of which… you boys planning on doing the business tomorrow night… or the Macarena?

UPDATED:

Well what can we say… it WAS just a warm up bout afterall! Sefer Seferi retired after four rounds of very little punishment with his chin held high – and relatively undamaged – despite eating a big uppercut that forced his decision. Fury stated that he could have ended it in ten seconds but chose to get a few rounds under his belt instead. They hugged. They collected their pay cheques. Then they went home to their families.

 

Image: BT Sport

 

 

Whyte V Parker – 28th July

 

 

Image: Sky Sports (click for more info)

 

Dillian Whyte, the man who shook Anthony Joshua both in and out of the ring, has lined up a fight against Joseph Parker, the only man to take AJ the distance.

Whilst it never makes good boxing sense to use maths for these equations, you can be certain that if Whyte knocks him out, he’ll stick that front and centre on his showreel as he hunts for a Joshua rematch.

So how could this fight go?

Whyte rocked AJ, Parker didn’t… Round 1 to Whyte. Parker went the distance though, Whyte didn’t… Round 2 to Parker.

After that, it’s anyone’s guess. But one thing we can predict is that Joseph Parker’s boxer style & granite chin will blend perfectly with Dillian Whyte’s move-in-and-throw-bombs style.

Why didn’t we think of this fight before?

 

 

 

Joshua V Povetkin/Wilder

 

 

 

 

In short, negotiations for both fights are ongoing.

Povetkin looks likely to sign in the next 36 hours, for a bruising battle with AJ, in a UK stadium, this September.

Wilder, whilst looking less of a certainty, is expected to happen in February, once the purse and the location can be agreed by both parties. But this could happen even sooner – Eddie Hearn expects it to be agreed within the next month.