Heavyweight Schedule for 2018

[Weltschmerz]

[Weltschmerz]

By Steve Bunce

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Anthony Joshua is a young man in boxing terms and it is too easy to forget that he was suddenly installed as world heavyweight champion in April when he should really still have been learning his craft, looking at ways to improve his variety of punches. The fight with Breazeale, only the second of Joshua's 17 to go beyond the third round, highlighted his many raw flaws.

He falls over his right hand if he misses with it, he fails to bend his knees when he throws an uppercut, he tends to cock the right if he has thrown a long left jab and he has not shown a single sign of a feint. He is a rock, make no mistake, but against any form of versatility he will struggle.

Joshua has grown accustomed to hurting men and has perhaps neglected the business of learning to be a boxer. He is a fighter and not a contestant in the world's strongest man.

Breazeale came to London to prove that he had a good chin, a big heart and that he would not fall over the first moment he was clipped. The bookies had him as such an extreme bet that you needed a telescope to see his chances. He ticked every one of his personal boxes and he tried to counter Joshua's missed shots, he did try his own short hooks and he certainly tried a jab or two. He was, in the end, too slow and then he was too battered, and then he collapsed twice when Joshua caught him just above his high gloves.

Joshua has done everything asked of him since travelling to Baku in Azerbaijan in late 2011 to take part in the World amateur championships. He reached the final to qualify for the London Olympics and when he got there he started as an underdog in three of his fights before taking gold.

As a professional he has stood to attention after knocking men out and when the unexpected chance came to fight for the IBF title in April he stepped in and did the business. At the O2 against Breazeale he continued his task, his mission and was impressive.

He will beat men like Breazeale for breakfast, but after the rest he must return to show the signs of improvement, signs that he is aware there is more to the noble art than simply waxing a six pack and swinging a hefty right hand at the exposed head of your next victim. Breazeale, by the way, connected only a few times and each time Joshua smiled.

There will be harder fights, better fights and defeats in Joshua's future. He will be tested by men as tough as Breazeale, but with boxing brains and also men that will be able to counter his often wayward right hand. He will become a very good fighter, a different fighter to what he is now and watching that development will be fun.

The faithful at the sold-out O2 -- it was Joshua's fifth consecutive fight at the iconic London venue -- will continue to back him as he continues to learn, and the choice of opponent for his November return will not alter their piety. Incidentally, there is no chance of it being David Haye, the former champion, who appears like magic at ringside and talks a lot of sense.

Watching Haye watch the fight, it was possible to see him nodding and planning a victory if ever Joshua's handlers are foolish enough to accept him. Right now Haye knows too much -- Joshua will have to change and he is smart enough to make that happen.

[Weltschmerz]

Tyson Fury has built a reputation for his ability to attract attention. Sometimes it's good attention – such as beating Wladimir Klitschko and becoming heavyweight champion – but most of the time it's bad attention, such as his fondness for comments that have been described as anti-semitic, ***ist, and ****phobic.



But even for an attention magnet like Fury this past weekend was especially busy, with a cancelled title fight, allegations of doping, and a supermassive bar tab keeping him squarely in the public eye.

On Friday (June 24), Fury announced that an ankle injury had forced him to postpone his highly anticipated rematch with Klitschko.

But he's been forced to pull out with a "badly sprained" ankle, which he says he suffered while "running in the Lake District". However, British tabloid The Sun claims that the injury was actually sustained at a "Welsh techno rave", with a source alleging, "Tyson was really partying hard, then seemed to slip."



There has been no mention of techno raves – Welsh or otherwise – from the Fury camp. "I've had x-rays and MRI scans and all that stuff, and they said it's not broken but badly sprained and to keep off it for six or seven weeks," Fury said in a social media post. An October date is expected to be announced for the fight.

More worrying, Fury is also being forced to deny allegations of doping after The Mirror revealed that "unacceptable levels of nandrolone" had been found "in a sample taken before he won the world title from Wladimir Klitschko."

The Mirror says that officials will investigate the Fury case further and that the 27-year-old is likely to face an independent panel to explain the high traces of a banned substances. His cousin Hughie – a fellow heavyweight – is also alleged to have tested positive for the substance.

In response, Fury's promoters, Hennessey Sports, released a statement saying they were "baffled" by the allegations. "Tyson Fury absolutely denies any allegation of doping," they continued. "He looks forward to recovering from his injury and defending his titles against Wladimir Klitschko in October."

Perhaps it would be cynical to suggest that, with two bad news stories doing the rounds, Fury was advised to do something that would attract headlines for the right reasons.

Whatever motivated him – and, honestly, it's a fool's errand to work out what motivate Tyson Fury – it is a recorded fact that he bought a round of drinks for England fans in France ahead of the Three Lions' Euro 2016 clash with Iceland. According to Sky Sports:

"[Fury] turned up in Nice's historic old town on Sunday, clad in an England jersey and, having led a group of fans into a nearby bar, he proceeded to buy a huge round of Jaegerbombs, which comprise a Jaegermeister mixed with an energy drink." Fury then posted the receipt on social media.

Consider that scene for a moment: Tyson Fury arriving in a historic French town, England top stretched over his baffling frame and, in Pied Piper fashion, leading fans into a bar to buy them all a Jaegerbomb. It sounds entirely unbelievable and – let's be honest – pretty staged.

Not that you could blame someone for dreaming it up. When you're faced with headlines like "Tyson Fury apologises after latest ****phobic, ***ist and anti-Semitic comments", then throw alleged doping into the mix, good PR becomes essential. But, when Fury posts messages like this on Twitter, it must be easy to wonder why you bother.

[Weltschmerz]

WTF

— #Gypsyking (@Tyson_Fury)

[The Hammer]

[BigZ44]

I thought Erkan Teper had a 2 year suspension after the Price deal, but apparently he's gonna be back fighting in Germany on Sunday against Derric Rossy. Teper's a guy that could make some noise in the division.

[The Hammer]

[The Hammer]

[The Hammer]

Oscar Rivas is off the Wilder-Arreola card.

Amir Mansour will instead be fighting Gerald Washington.

[The Hammer]