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“What Do You Gain?”: The Core Of Eddie Hearn’s Argument Against Anthony Joshua Vs. Itauma

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Anthony Joshua

Promoter Eddie Hearn states that he sees it as zero gain for Anthony Joshua in fighting the 20-year-old Moses Itauma.

He feels it’s a lose-lose situation, anyway you look at it. Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs) is too young and inexperienced for the former two-division heavyweight champion Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) to receive any credit for beating him.

A GAINLESS PROPOSITION

On the other hand, if Joshua, 35, is beaten by Itauma, it would mean his career is “over” because he’s lost to a guy that hasn’t beaten anyone notable during his two-year pro or his entire amateur career. Itauma is being rushed to the top without fighting any of the good contenders. Fans are making a big deal about his recent first-round knockout victory over the faded British journeyman Dillian Whyte, but he wasn’t facing a quality top-tier heavyweight.

Anthony Joshua Moses Ituma

JUST IN: No Retirement, No Surrender: Turki Alalshikh’s Post-Canelo Plan F

The Young Lion’s Risks

Joseph Parker

Fabio Wardley

Daniel Dubois

Richard Torrez Jr.

Lenier Pero

Bakhodir Jalolov

Martin Bakole

Itauma could lose to one or more of those fighters, and the hype would end abruptly about him being the next King of the division. At the very least, those heavyweights would age Itauma, wear him down, and leave him a less capable fighter than the one that rolled off the assembly line in 2023.

WEIGHING THE GAIN

“I don’t really look at the Moses fight and think that’s a fight for AJ,” promoter Eddie Hearn told Sky Sports about a fight between Anthony Joshua and Moses Itauma. “There are many reasons for that. One, what do you gain out of it?”

Joshua doesn’t come out ahead beating Itauma because he’s so inexperienced. Moses has essentially fought 13 tomato cans as a pro, and there’s a ton of artificial hype created based on those wins. The fans aren’t even waiting to see him in with a real heavyweight before they anoint him as the new King of the division.

There will be a lot of sour fans if Itauma is exposed when he gets in with a good fighter for the first time. It’ll teach fans a lesson not to buy into fake hype and be tricked by fool’s gold.

Itauma’s Flaws

Itauma lacks the amateur background for people to have an accurate gauge of whether he’s good or not. He didn’t fight the cream of the crop from Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, and the United States when he was an amateur. The one decent fighter he fought, Stylianos Roulias of Greece, had him on the run all night, acting like he was being chased by an angry junkyard dog in their fight on November 23, 2022.

Roulias showed how to give Itauma problems by attacking him nonstop, landing hard, meaningful punches, and making him feel the pain. What that fight showed is that Itauma doesn’t like to get hit, and will do anything to avoid tasting leather.

THE ZERO-SUM GAME

“Moses is a very good fighter. If you win, you’ve beaten up a 20-year-old. If you lose, you’ve lost to a 20-year-old and your career’s over. It’s a dangerous fight. I rate Moses very highly,” said Hearn.

Joshua’s career would be seen as “over” by fans if he were to be blown out by the inexperienced Itauma. Losing to Daniel Dubois by a fifth-round knockout last September is already a signal to fans that AJ’s career is done. But if Itauma were to do something similar or worse, it would destroy Joshua’s credibility and marketability with fans.

Joshua’s popularity remains high, and he can make big money in fights against Jake Paul and Tyson Fury. If that’s his angle, the purses he would get fighting Paul and Fury would be extraordinary. Fighting Itauma, the money wouldn’t be the same because he hasn’t been around long enough to build a worldwide fanbase.

Fighting in the Trenches

“I think that Moses has a lot of work to do. He’s an extraordinary talent, but we have no idea if he can tick the boxes that are required to be a true great and a true champion in the division,” Hearn said. “What’s his chin like? What’s it like when it gets really tough in the trenches?” said Hearn.

Eddie brings up some good points. We don’t know how well Itauma will perform against quality heavyweights that are throwing back at him, forcing him into a grueling fight, and applying pressure. Dillian Whyte, 37, looked terrified, not throwing any meaningful punches in his defense before being knocked out in one round by Itauma in their headliner on August 16, 2025.

Other than Whyte, Itauma has fought no one notable. Although Moses is now ranked #1 by the WBA and WBO, his opposition has been of marginal quality all the way through his 13-fight professional career.

Examining the Record

Dillian Whyte: 37

Mike Balogun: 41

Demsey McKean Mariusz Wach: 45

Ilja Mezencev Dan Garber: 40

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No Retirement, No Surrender: Turki Alalshikh’s Post-Canelo Plan F

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Turki Alalshikh Terence Crawford Canelo Alvarez

No Retirement, No Surrender: Turki Alalshikh’s Post-Canelo Plan For Terence Crawford

Turki Alalshikh told Terence Crawford on Saturday that he didn’t want him to retire following his big fight against Canelo Alvarez on September 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

ALALSHIKH’S CHALLENGE TO CRAWFORD

Fans believe that the soon-to-be 38-year-old Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) will hang up his gloves win or lose after his title challenge against the undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs).

Turki Alalshikh Plans Heavyweight Battle For Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford Undercard

JUST IN: VIDEO: Oleksandr Usyk world title decision made after investigation concludes on controversial video

Alalshikh’s Investment and Vision

Turki has invested a lot of money in Crawford since last year, putting him in a position to become a three-time undisputed champion against the aging Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs). With the millions that Turki has invested in Crawford, one of his favorite fighters, he understandably doesn’t want to see him walk off into the sunset after Saturday’s fight.

While visiting Crawford at the training session at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas on September 6, 2025, Turki said, “deliver the job” against Canelo on September 13. “The job ain’t done yet. But listen, no retirement,” said Turki about wanting Terence to continue fighting after his super fight against Canelo.

Alalshikh clearly wants Crawford to defend the undisputed 168-pound championship two or three times if he’s victorious against Alvarez or return to 154 to attempt to become a four-division undisputed champion. That would be impressive if Crawford could accomplish that feat.

It would be a good idea for Canelo to ensure that he scores a knockout to avoid losing a decision to Crawford. The last thing Alvarez needs is to wind up getting outpointed by Crawford and having his legacy tarnished from the defeat. Getting beaten by Dmitry Bivol and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is one thing, but it’s a lot worse if he loses to the smaller, older 37-year-old Crawford.

THE GAUNTLET AT 168

If Crawford does choose to follow Turki’s advice of continuing his career, he would be facing this gauntlet of fighters at 168 to make three defenses:

Christian Mbilli

Osley Iglesias

Diego Pacheco

Beating the hard-hitting Cuban southpaw Iglesias (14-0, 13 KOs) might be impossible for Crawford. Iglesias hits hard with either hand, and he’s young at 27. Turning southpaw won’t help Terence against Osley because that’s his stance. He’s a left-hander, and his reach is identical to Crawford’s at 74 inches. So, Bud can’t count on using his jab to dominate him like he’s done against short-armed fighters throughout his career.

Assuming Crawford does get through that gauntlet at 168, he will have accomplished a lot. That would make him a candidate for the all-time great list.

THE PATH TO ALL-TIME GREAT

The hard part for Crawford would be for him to return to the junior middleweight division to try to become a four-division undisputed champion. To accomplish that, Crawford would have to defeat these three champions:

Sebastian Fundora: WBC

Xander Zayas: WBO

Bakhram Murtazaliev: IBF

To beat all the champions at 154, Crawford can’t afford to take a year break between each fight. He would be in his early 40s by the time he faces the final champion in the weight class, and likely too old to become a four-division undisputed champion if he makes it that far.

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VIDEO: Oleksandr Usyk world title decision made after investigation concludes on controversial video

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Oleksandr Usyk

Oleksandr Usyk has been granted a 90-day extension to negotiate his mandatory defence against Joseph Parker on medical grounds.

The Ukrainian was initially afforded more time due to a lingering back injury, but after a video emerged online of the undisputed heavyweight champion dancing, an investigation was launched.

The WBO demanded an updated medical prognosis from Team Usyk, and they were satisfied with the evidence they received.

READ: VIDEOS: Canelo Alvarez must snap four-year streak to claim lucrative bonus on the line in Terence Crawford fight

If Usyk had been found to be unnecessarily delaying his mandatory obligation, then the WBO would have been within its rights to strip him of his red and gold strap.

However, the 38-year-old will remain WBO heavyweight champion while Parker squares off against Fabio Wardley on October 25 in London.

“Team Usyk’s petition for a 90-day extension is granted on medical grounds,” read a letter addressed to Usyk and Parker’s respective teams from the Chairman of the WBO Championship Committee, Luis Batista Salas.

“The 90-day extension shall have a retroactive effect from the date of submission, August 9, 2025.

“Mr. Joseph Parker, Interim Heavyweight Champion, is authorized to defend his interim title against a suitable opponent approved by this Committee, during the extension period.

“Mr. Oleksandr Usyk shall be mandated to face next the WBO Interim Heavyweight Champion; no intervening bouts will be allowed.

“Failure by Mr. Usyk to comply with this mandate shall trigger this Committee’s intervention to proceed accordingly.

“This Resolution is final, definitive, and enforceable.”

Wardley recently got his hands on the WBA interim title after a stunning come-from-behind knockout win over Justis Huni.

Parker will defend his WBO interim title against Wardley on October 25 at London's O2 Arena

He now has the opportunity to jump the queue and land a four-belt shootout with Usyk by snatching the WBO’s version of the interim strap from Parker at the O2 Arena.

It will be no easy task, with Parker currently riding a rich vein of form.

The Kiwi rebounded from a stoppage loss to Joe Joyce in September 2022 to string together a six-fight winning streak.

His last three victories have been particularly impressive, with Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole all falling at his hands over the past 21 months.

Parker had been scheduled to challenge Daniel Dubois for the IBF world title in February.

However, the fight collapsed after Dubois fell ill.

The Auckland technician is now one win away from challenging for that belt, plus three more (WBO, WBA and WBC) against Usyk.

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Explosive: Crawford Finally Answers If He Could Take Down

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Explosive: Crawford Finally Answers If He Could Take Down Mayweather or Tyson

Terence Crawford, who has a mega fight coming up against Canelo Alvarez on September 13, has now revealed how he’d have fared against Floyd Mayweather or Mike Tyson.

‘Bud’ looks ready for his super middleweight fight, and with a win against Canelo, he can become the first ever three division men’s undisputed champion.

Ahead of the fight, Crawford appeared for an interview on the Full Send podcast. When asked, Crawford gave a clear-cut answer on how he’d have fared against Mayweather or Mike Tyson if ‘Iron’ Mike were his size.

Interestingly, Mike Tyson vs Floyd Mayweather has been announced for a 2026 exhibition fight.

Crawford is backing himself all the way, be it against Mayweather or Tyson. Speaking to the Full Send, he said, “Me. No questions. Why would you think that I would say Floyd?”

READ MORE : Tyson Fury Warns Rival: “There’s a Dangerous Breed of

Crawford added, “If Mike Tyson was my size, stylistically, I would beat him easy. And Mike Tyson, you know what I mean, is well respected. But my size, Mike Tyson, I think Mike Tyson beat those guys because, you know, he was faster and more explosive than those guys, those heavyweight guys. When you look at Mike Tyson back in the day, he was ferocious. You know, this is speed and.”

Tyson fury

Crawford is one of the most accomplished boxers in history. Like Mayweather, he is undefeated (41-0-0, 31 KOs). He is now looking to add to his legacy in the upcoming fight against Canelo. A win against Canelo would put Crawford right up there as one of the best to ever do it.

That said, it won’t be as straight forward.

Dana White, as part of the TKO Group, is promoting Canelo vs Crawford. ‘Bud’ thinks it’s good for boxing and expects to see more UFC crossover moving forward. While this is White’s first ever boxing event, Crawford reckons the UFC CEO promoter’s background would help him fit right in.

He said, “This his first time promoting uh a boxing event, but Dana is a great promoter as as we all have seen in the years uh before us.”

White added, “I think it’s it’s it’s a good thing. You know, you seen a lot of crossover between UFC and boxing and things like that. And I think if we all can collectively support one another in UFC boxing, we can make combat sports bigger than it ever been.”

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Tyson Fury Warns Rival: “There’s a Dangerous Breed of

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Tyson fury

Tyson Fury Warns Rival: “There’s a Dangerous Breed of Fighter Who Never Accepts Defeat”

To be a fighter, you have to have a little screw loose,” Tyson Fury says calmly in a chaotic room in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he will soon step back into the ring. His entourage are kicking up a racket but Fury is much more reflective. “Who on earth would want to go and fight against a highly trained athlete, time and time again? You have to be a little bit touched to want to do that.”

On Saturday night, Fury faces Francis Ngannou in a bout which could be the sporting definition of absurdity. Fury is the WBC world heavyweight champion and an indisputably great boxer. Ngannou, in contrast, has never boxed professionally even though he was a dangerous force in mixed martial arts as the former UFC heavyweight champion. So much money has been pumped into this dubious venture that Fury and Ngannou could be lauded as supreme businessmen were it not for the deeply troubling nature of boxing’s sudden veneration for Saudi Arabia.

“My oldest brother, John Boy,” Fury continues, “said to me yesterday: ‘You’re more at home in that ring than your front room. Why is that?’”

Fury wears wildly patterned green trousers and a fawn-coloured waistcoat. He is shirtless and he pushes back his green cap as he tries to explain his strange obsession. “I just love everything that comes with this game. From a little boy to being a world champion, it’s always intrigued me. I don’t think there’s anything else where you can get all these emotions in one night. Happiness, sadness, fear, nerves, excitement. Going in there on Saturday night will be, for me, as daunting as going up against Deontay Wilder.”

READ MORE : “I’ll give him a 10: Terence Crawford Hails Errol Spence as a

Terence Crawford

His epic trilogy with Wilder saw him draw their first fight and win the two other bouts with brutal stoppages. But Fury was knocked down heavily four times across the three fights and, as he says now, “I give every man that gets in that ring 100% respect. But this is my time to shine, my time in the sun, my moment of being heavyweight champion of the world.”

I remind Fury of how, after the third Wilder fight, he leaned over the ropes and wept from the consuming and savage drama of it all. “There are two different types of fighters on this planet,” the 6ft 9in giant says quietly. “One is a man who has a go and he loses, gets chinned again. But there’s a special type that doesn’t know the meaning of losing or saying: ‘That’s enough.’”

The unbeaten Fury nods intently. “That’s me. It takes a lot of emotion, guts, physicality, spirituality, to keep going even when you’ve been knocked down twice, like I was in round four. Every time he hit me clean I was getting hurt. I looked at my brother and I was like: ‘This is not over. I’m getting him, 100%.’ Then, round 11, bang! Chinned him. Get up from that. That’s my favourite knockout because I knew it was a perfect shot. I ran away and jumped on the ropes, looking at him on the floor.”

RELATED NEWS : “let Move Up” Manny Pacquiao challenges Gervonta Davis with

The big man is thoughtful when I ask about the times he has been hit so hard that, as against Wilder in 2018, he was actually unconscious before he struck the canvas. Incredibly, Fury still got up before the count reached 10. “Against real punchers like Wilder you don’t feel the power. You wake up on the floor and then, if you’re lucky enough, you open your eyes as [the referee] says: ‘Four, five.

Gervonta Davis

“I remember the referee looked at me like he’s an alien and he said, in an alien voice: ‘Are you OK?’ I was like: “Yeah! C’mon, let’s go!’ But obviously I didn’t know what had hit me. It was a crazy experience, all of it, and if I’m not a blessed man, I don’t know who is. I don’t know anyone who’s been knocked out cold, got up and got stuck right into him.”

Saturday night will be very different. It feels like a charade of a fight as Ngannou is a boxing novice whom Fury should beat with ease. “I hope you’re right,” Fury cackles. “I’m intent on punishing him for a while, enjoying it, putting on a show, then bang! Chinning him. He might be tough as a brick. He’s never been stopped. But he’s never been hit by a proper puncher before. There’s MMA punching and boxing punching. It’s different.”

I’m far more interested in Fury’s next bout, again in Riyadh, when he faces Oleksandr Usyk, the IBF, WBA and WBO champion on 23 December. The winner will become the first undisputed world heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis held all the belts in 1999. “It’s the fight of the century,” Fury says. “So it’s obviously a meaningful fight.”

MORE NEWS : Eddie Hearn Reveals Plans for Anthony Joshua’s Next Fight After

Usyk is also a masterful boxer. “Is he?” Fury asks me evenly. “Is he any better than the rest of these people? I’m not sure he is. He had a 50-50 fight with Del Boy [Derek Chisora]. Even Daniel Dubois had a lot of success against him. Without being rude to those guys, they’re little more than a heavy bag on legs walking forward. Even AJ [Anthony Joshua who has lost twice to Usyk] had a lot of opportunity and he didn’t do anything. Just walked forward with his hands up around his head, terrified of what’s coming back and didn’t use his advantages. Do you really think, after all these years of knowing me, I’m going to be happy to lose on points against a guy like that? Oh my God. Please.”

Anthony joshua

This is typical Fury – a showman capable of describing the “daunting” challenge of facing a man who has never boxed before and then trashing an outstanding and brave champion in Usyk. He has already gone into amusing detail about his daily routine at home: “I wake up every morning at 6am, having gone to bed at 9pm. From the moment I wake to the moment I close my eyes, I’m busy. It’s not stuff you think the heavyweight champion of the world will be busy with. But it’s Groundhog Day and keeps me very grounded.”

Fury lists his schedule of tasks – showering, shaving, dressing and feeding the kids, taking them to school, getting down on his hands and knees to collect everything that the dogs have shredded overnight, picking up teddy bears and cushions before going to the tip to dump the rubbish his seven children have collected. “I go to the tip four times a week. It’s like a second home to me. Then I’ve got to feed the dogs, pay the bills, gas, water, electric, council tax. I’m in charge of it all. Then I go to the gym at 4pm every day.”

As a way of cutting down his chores, Fury recently sold more than a hundred properties in the north-west. “Too much headache,” he says, “although the rents are good. Imagine dealing with your own family’s problems. Times that by a hundred. ‘This is broken, that’s not working, this needs fixing.’”

Terence Crawford

And so Fury will remain locked inside boxing. He suggests that he won’t box anywhere apart from Saudi Arabia as he has signed a rumoured contract for three or four fights worth £200m. Fury insists again that the one that really matters, against Usyk, is a certain victory.

“He won’t be able to move away from me in a 20ft ring. He might run away, but I’ll chase him down. I’ve got fast feet and I will hit him and hit him. I’ll stop him. I guarantee it.”

Fury grins again, looking less like a madman than a world champion who is utterly at home in the circus of boxing.

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Lamont Roach Exposes Shocking Step-Aside Deal to Clear

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Gervonta Davis

Lamont Roach Exposes Shocking Step-Aside Deal to Clear Way for Gervonta Davis vs Jake Paul Netflix Superfight

Lamont Roach was seemingly given money by Netflix to “step aside” to Gervonta Davis could fight Jake Paul.

The boxing world is still buzzing from the announcement that WBA lightweight champion and star of the sport, Gervonta “Tank” Davis, will be fighting against Jake Paul on November 14, which is going to be broadcast on Netflix for free to anyone with a subscription.

This fight announcement came as a surprise to many. While there had been rumors about these two having agreed to a fight before Davis fought Lamont Roach on March 1, all indications were that the fight was off (or at least postponed) once Davis and Roach fought to a majority draw on that fateful night.

And this sentiment was strengthened in the months afterward, as news had broken that Roach and Davis agreed to rematch on August 16.

READ MORE : It’s Very Dangerous:Next Absolute Frontrunner’ For Anthony

Anthony Joshua

Of course, that date has since come and gone, and there was no rematch between these two. And now with Davis having agreed to terms against Paul (who last fought at a weight about 65 pounds heavier than Davis did against Roach), the reason the rematch didn’t happen is obvious.

Lamont Roach Reveals Step-Aside Money Amid Davis vs. Paul Announcement

In the sport of boxing, it’s relatively common for a fighter to be given what’s called “step-aside” money. This is most common when there’s a mandatory challenger for a belt, who will be paid to essentially stay on the sidelines while the champion, who was supposed to be tasked with fighting them, pursues a (likely more lucrative and appealing) fight against another contender or champion.

And on August 20, Roach made a post to his Instagram story that suggested he was getting paid by Netflix to “step aside” so Davis could fight Paul.

Roach posted a mirror selfie to his Instagram story with a gif of money flowing that said, “It’s Payday”. The post was also captioned, “We love Netflix money 🙃”. Therefore, Roach is making is quite clear where this “payday” stems from.

RELATED NEWS : “Gervonta Davis Declares “I’m fearless no limits here” as

While there’s no indication of how much Roach revealed to set the Tank rematch to the side for now, one would imagine Netflix paid him a pretty penny.

Gervonta Davis Jake Paul

Lamont Roach Sr.’s Comments about Rematch Falling Through

In the immediate aftermath of the Davis vs. Paul fight announcement, Lamont Roach Jr. made an X post that wrote, “Told ya lol 🦆🦆🦆🦆,” suggesting he’s convinced Davis ducked the fight against him.

Roach’s father and head trainer, Lamont Roach Sr., spoke with FightHype for an August 20 interview and said of the rematch, “[The Roach vs. Davis rematch is] the fight. We wanted that fight, I think that’s the fight the fans wanted. After a great fight like that, everybody was looking forward to the second bout.

“But unfortunately, things didn’t line up as planned. So we just can’t sit around and wait. We’ve got to move forward and continue our own career… That fight is going to be there, and hopefully it happens soon,” he added.

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Rory McIlroy kicks off Ryder Cup mind games with brave 13-word message

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Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy delivered a stirring rallying cry to the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup squad, and it wasn’t simply about spurring on those budding amateurs.

McIlroy, who recently voiced his thoughts on a venue owned by Donald Trump, emphasised what could be accomplished at the Ryder Cup, issuing an unmistakable gauntlet: “Please beat them because I know we’re going to beat them at Bethpage.”

This transcended mere encouragement. It was a declaration, one rooted in McIlroy’s own journey from Walker Cup disappointment to Ryder Cup glory. McIlroy’s rallying cry came through video for the GB&I team just before their showdown at Cypress Point. His words carried tremendous weight, not merely because of his achievements, but because he grasped the pain of falling short.

Rory McIlroy the leading man in Europe's Italian job

READ: How one round of golf with Tiger Woods inspired Scottie Scheffler to become

McIlroy now approaches Bethpage Black for the 2025 Ryder Cup as a seasoned leader confronting extraordinary expectations.

Europe’s most recent victory on American soil occurred in 2012 at Medinah, celebrated as one of golf’s most iconic comebacks.

Hosting the tournament at New York’s brutally demanding Bethpage, with its narrow fairways and infamously raucous crowds, poses a colossal test.

Yet McIlroy isn’t the sole figure radiating self-assurance. This year’s European lineup is more seasoned and experienced than the victorious team in Rome in 2023, according to him.

“I love the team that Luke has assembled. It’s a very strong 12 players and I think it’s the right 12 players,” he expressed on Sky Sports.

“You could certainly make that case [that the players are stronger than in Rome]. You could argue that pretty much every player is more accomplished than two years ago.”

The squad features ten veterans from the Rome triumph, with Rasmus Hojgaard being the only new face. They’re battle-hardened. They’re proven. They’re ready.

And with golfers like Robert MacIntyre, Ludvig Aberg, and Tommy Fleetwood showing exceptional form, Team Europe is brimming with confidence.

On the American side, expect everything they’ve got, and then some. The host nation, led by Keegan Bradley, boasts world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, explosive talents like Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau, plus a fervent crowd ready to cheer them on.

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VIDEOS: Canelo Alvarez must snap four-year streak to claim lucrative bonus on the line in Terence Crawford fight

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Canelo Alvarez

An interesting post-fight bonus is on the line for Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford next weekend, but the Mexican must buck a worrying trend to land it first.

Defending the undisputed super middleweight crown for the first time in his second reign, Canelo Alvarez will welcome the title charge of the unbeaten Terence Crawford on September 13.

And in the blockbuster title affair backed by Saudi adviser Turki Alalshikh, an interesting post-fight bonus is up for grabs for the main event victor.

Terence Crawford Canelo Alvarez

JUST IN: Terence Crawford Doesn’t Hesitate to Predict His Own Fate Against Prime Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather

However, if Canelo in particular is to avail of that premium, he will have to bring an end to an unwanted four-year streak.

Knockout bonus on the line for Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford

While both Canelo and incoming challenger Crawford would likely be more than happy with a win by any method in their title fight; however, they would be leaving some lucrative spoils on the table.

As confirmed by the royal adviser Alalhsikh, in a bid to bring around more activity, a post-fight financial bonus is up for grabs between the duo.

And following their respective disappointing performances en route to wins over William Scull and Israil Madrimov last time out, Canelo and Crawford have been offered an incentive.

“We will not have [a fighter who is running] anymore [on our shows], this is the first thing,” Alalshikh said in June. (H/T The Ring)

“The second [thing], we will have in [Alvarez vs. Crawford] and [future] fights, bonuses for KOs,” He continued.

Having being forced the twelve-round distance in each of his six most recent wins at the super middleweight limit, Canelo will have to go against the grain to take advantage of that post-fight bonus, however.

Canelo Alvarez’s most recent knockout win

Racking up six straight wins since his light heavyweight title fight loss to Dmitry Bivol, interestingly enough, Canelo’s most recent win by stoppage came in his first undisputed super middleweight title fight.

Pitted against then-IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Plant in a tense 2021 grudge match, Jalisco star Canelo would prevail to capture all the gold at 168lbs.

And following their bad-blooded pre-fight verbal and physical assaults on each other, Canelo would add the IBF crown to his mantle with a penultimate round knockout win at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

For Crawford to win a post-fight bonus, he would first need to overcome the odds as the smaller man against Canelo; however, his staggering 11-fight knockout spree was halted in his forgettable decision win over Madrimov last summer.

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Terence Crawford Doesn’t Hesitate to Predict His Own Fate Against Prime Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather

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Terence Crawford

Terence Crawford is days away from his mega fight against Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas.

With just over a week remaining, news of another big fight hit the boxing world like a freight truck. Coming off his unanimous decision loss to Jake Paul last year, Mike Tyson is returning to the ring one more time to square off against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather next year for an exhibition fight. And Crawford just made things interesting.

The two-weight undisputed champion appeared on the Full Send Podcast with host Kyle Forgeard. The pair discussed a plethora of subjects, including his upcoming bout, but the real fun began when Forgeard brought up Mayweather and Tyson. He pressed Terence Crawford about his thoughts on facing both fighters in their prime, asking for a prediction in both scenarios from the Nebraskan technician. And Crawford didn’t hold anything back with his answers.

Mike Tyson vs Floyd Mayweather rules emerge as boxing fight confirmed | The Standard

JUST IN: Anthony Joshua ready to fight Moses Ituma under one condition

Terence Crawford has zero doubt about his take

“Me,” Crawford quickly responded when asked who would win in a fight between a prime Floyd Mayweather and himself. “Why would you think that I would say Floyd?” Stunned by Crawford’s confidence, Forgeard admitted he expected Crawford to hesitate. But ‘Bud’ doubled down, clarifying, “No, not at all.” Still, he made sure to acknowledge that Mayweather was one of the fighters he admired during his prime.

When asked about past greats he would have loved to face, the undefeated champion rattled off a list of legends. “It’s a lot, you know,” Crawford said. “If I [could] go back in history, it’d be Roberto Durán. It’d be Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, those types of fighters.” The host then posed a hypothetical: a prime-for-prime matchup with Mike Tyson, if Tyson had been Crawford’s size.

“If Mike Tyson [were] my size… I would beat him, easy…,” Crawford declared. He even broke down what made Tyson so dangerous in his era. “I think Mike Tyson beat those guys because he was faster and more explosive than those heavyweight guys. When you look at Mike Tyson back in the day, he was ferocious. You know, this is speed and power and explosiveness combined like they couldn’t keep up with it.”

Clearly, Crawford thinks he can beat both Tyson and Mayweather, but what is the secret to overcoming such skilled opponents?

Crawford reveals how to beat Floyd Mayweather

Floyd Mayweather may have looked undefeatable throughout his illustrious career, as he took over the sport of boxing and retired undefeated. However, Terence Crawford thinks there’s a way of beating Floyd Mayweather. During an appearance on the Ring Champs podcast, the 37-year-old revealed the secret to penetrating Mayweather’s defense.

Crawford joked, “You’ve got to have four arms and six eyes to beat Floyd.” He also admitted he would have taken the fight had their relationship been different at the time. “Floyd yeah [I would’ve fought him] because I wasn’t as close, me and Floyd are close now, but when Floyd was boxin,g I wasn’t as close with Floyd like I am now.”

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BOXING

Anthony Joshua ready to fight Moses Ituma under one condition

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Anthony Joshua Moses Ituma

Anthony Joshua vs Moses Ituma

Anthony Joshua is ready to fight Moses Ituma “at one moment” – but only under one condition.

Ituma is considered the next big heavyweight star, having knocked out Dillian Whyte in the first round of his last fight.

JUST IN: Who could Anthony Joshua face in ‘carefully’ chosen comeback fight?

However, finding opponents willing to risk their record, reputation, and health against this 20-year-old talent proved more difficult than expected. Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, confirmed that the two-Time champion is ready for a fight with Ituma, but only if a world title is on the line.

Hearn noted: “AJ, his decision will be completely different. He would probably be very pleased to fight Moses. He would find that exciting, and if there was a chance to fight Moses for the heavyweight world title, we would seize it immediately.”

Joshua is somewhat viewed as a mentor to Ituma, as they train in the same gym under the guidance of Ben Davison. However, Ituma’s promoter, Frank Warren, doubts that this pair will ever meet in the ring.

He admitted: “I would do it (the fight) tomorrow. But that’s not going to happen. Firstly, they have the same trainer.”

Hearn also emphasized that he does not believe a fight with Ituma is sensible for Joshua. “Moses is a very good boxer. If you win, you just beat a 20-year-old kid, and if you lose – your career is over,” he added.

Joshua and Ituma’s Plans

Joshua, 35, has not stepped into the ring since being knocked out by Daniel Dubois in September 2024 and undergoing elbow surgery in the summer. Recently, there were discussions about a possible fight with YouTuber and athlete Jake Paul, but Paul has already announced an exhibition match on November 14 against lightweight Gervonta Davis.

At the same time, Ituma is preparing for a fight in December, and Hearn wants him to be tested in practice.

Hearn expressed, “I think Moses has a lot of work to do. He’s extremely talented, but we don’t know if he’ll be able to meet the demands necessary to become a true great champion.”

  • “What if he gets hit? What will happen to him in tough situations?”
  • “Moses will become the world heavyweight champion… But I would develop that slowly.”

In the fast-evolving heavyweight landscape, a fight between Joshua and Ituma could be a pivotal moment for both boxers. For one, it’s a chance to revive a career, while for the other, it’s about proving readiness for the big stage. The significance of this bout is underscored not only by sporting interest but also by the growing demand for new stars in boxing. Time will tell if these plans come to fruition.

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