In a new series, published during weekdays on Boxing Social, the incomparable Terry Dooley delivers his unique look at the boxing news.
Frank Warren gave his take on Anthony Joshua’s loss to Oleksandr Usyk over the weekend and the promoter has told talkSPORT that his promotional charge Tyson Fury was as equally baffled and frustrated by the lack of urgency in Joshua’s performance.
Both Fury and Warren had hoped that Joshua would do his part to keep a massive all-British showdown alive only for Usyk to dominate and out-point him to sweep up the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO belts at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
“I spoke to Tyson during the fight and we were both of the same opinion,” fumed Warren. “All Tyson could see was a massive big fight going down the drain, which is what happened. I said to Tyson, ‘Can you imagine if you were in there with him, how long that would’ve lasted?’
“Tyson’s got as fast hands as Usyk’s got, as good a boxing brain as Usyk’s got and as good footwork as Usyk’s got. But he’s a bigger puncher and he’s got a better chin.”
Mike Tyson has got a few irons in the fire these days and one of them is acting. The former two-time heavyweight world Champion could be expanding his global reach after Bollywood producer Karan Johar Tweeted that Tyson will star in a sports-based action film about a kickboxer who has a stutter. Lets just hope that don’t call it K-K-Kickboxer.
‘For the first time ever, the king of the ring will be seen on the big screens of Indian cinema. Welcoming Mike Tyson to the Liger team!’ Tweeted Johar, but Tyson has yet to either confirm or deny the news.
However, Tyson still holds out hope that he will be able to secure an exhibition match against Evander Holyfield, who is typically delusional about what he can do despite losing in a round to Vitor Belfort. Sadly, for his family, friends and fans, it sounds like Holyfield will carry on after insisting that the fight was stopped early (it wasn’t) and a fight against Tyson still has some appeal (it doesn’t).
“The thing is, there wasn’t a shot that hurt me real bad,” said Holyfield in the aftermath. “He was strong, and it was a shot that knocked me off balance. Then he went to close the show. I’m not hurt.”
Liverpool’s Callum Smith has apologised to Lenin Castillo for celebrating wildly after stopping him in two on the Joshua-Usyk undercard. Speaking to Josh Challies of the Liverpool Echo, Smith said that he was not aware of how badly hurt his opponent was and would have toned things down if he was.
Castillo received oxygen and was taken to hospital as a precaution, and Smith said it was a genuine mistake. “It’s never nice to see that and you never want it to end that way,” he said.
“Boxing is a rough sport at times. I have heard he’s doing okay and my fingers are crossed for him. I apologised to his camp for celebrating — I hadn’t realised the extent and that he was unresponsive. I hate when fighters celebrate when their opponent is in a bad way so I apologised. If it was one my brothers lying there and an opponent celebrated I wouldn’t have liked it. It’s sport at the end of the day — there’s more to life than boxing.”
Scotland’s light-welterweight world Champion Josh Taylor has told the Daily Record and Sunday Mail that he has asked his team to work out his upcoming schedule of fights around his wedding next June to ensure that he gets to the altar without a mark on his face.
Taylor’s fiancée, Danielle Murphy, has made it clear that she will not tolerate black eyes or any facial damage and the fighter has done what any man would do by abiding by the word of God. “I’ve already spoken to my management and told them I can’t box in the run-up to the wedding,” he said.
“We are getting married in June and I will be having my stag do the month before so my last fight before I say ‘I do’ will have to be in April or May. That should give me enough healing time. Danielle would be none too pleased if I turned up on our big day with two black eyes and a swollen face.”