Notebook: Usyk unfazed by underdog status in title shot against Joshua
AJ speaks out on various topics; TR signs heavyweight; Andrade defense in works; Quick hits; Show and tell
When Oleksandr Usyk turned pro in 2013, after winning the heavyweight gold medal for Ukraine in the 2012 London Olympics, he had two significant goals.
His boxing idol is Evander Holyfield and he wanted to follow in his footsteps, first by becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion and then by doing it also in the heavyweight division.
Usyk stormed through the World Boxing Super Series to become the undisputed cruiserweight champion — the first of the four-belt era; Holyfield did it in the three-belt era — in 2018.
Usyk made one undisputed defense later in 2018, returning to England and knocking out former cruiserweight titlist Tony Bellew in spectacular fashion in the eighth round.
And then Usyk did what most cruiserweight titleholders do, and what Holyfield did — he vacated and moved up to heavyweight.
Because of a biceps injury and the coronavirus pandemic, however, Usyk has been limited to just two heavyweight bouts thus far. He returned from an 11-month layoff for a seventh-round knockout of Chazz Witherspoon in October 2019 and then he had a one-year layoff before narrowly outpointing Dereck Chisora in London.
Usyk has been the WBO mandatory heavyweight challenger since moving up and will finally get his title shot against England’s three-belt titleholder Anthony Joshua on Saturday (DAZN in the U.S., Sky Box Office in the U.K.) before an expected crowd of some 60,000 for the first boxing event at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. The telecast begins at 1 p.m. ET with ring walks for the main event not expected before 5 p.m. ET.
While Usyk displayed excellence at cruiserweight and was widely viewed as one of the top 10 boxers in the world pound-for-pound, he has looked somewhat pedestrian in his heavyweight fights. He is also much smaller than Joshua, hence his status as the underdog.
But that is not something Usyk cares much about.
“I haven’t really thought about that I’m an underdog or not,” Usyk said through an interpreter. “I’ve put my mind to the maximum. I’ve done thorough training. I’ve been through the camp. I’m not really thinking about (being an underdog). I’ve never really thought about it. I’m just going to box, the thing I love doing. That’s it.
“I’m not thinking about people underestimating me at all. I’m not concerned. If people what to think that way, it’s their problem, not mine. I’m not suffering with that, it’s no problem with me. We’ll see how it goes in the fight, when I enter the ring. I’m not thinking about what people are saying and making plans.”
One thing that certainly won’t be an issue for Usyk, a 34-year-old southpaw, is fighting on Joshua’s home turf in London.
Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs) has been the ultimate road warrior. Eight of his first nine pro fights were in Ukraine with one in Germany. But the rest of his fights have been on the road. He won his first cruiserweight belt in 2016 by going to Krzysztof Glowacki’s turf in Poland and outpointing hm.
Usyk’s first and second defenses were in the United States followed by four consecutive defenses in his opponent’s territory: Marco Huck in Germany, Mairis Briedis to unify belts in Latvia, Murat Gassiev in Russia to become the undisputed champion and then Bellew in London.
Then he fought American Witherspoon in the United States and Chisora in London. Now he’s back in London to face Joshua (24-1, 22 KOs), 31, who will be making the second defense of his second title reign.
“This fight with Anthony was overdue,” Usyk said of his mandatory status. “It should have happened a year ago, but it was God’s will that it’s happening on (Saturday) and I’m happy about it.
“I’m focusing on becoming a champion in the heavyweight division. I’m not motivated by money or titles or belts, my only motivation is boxing, and this is what I’m doing for the sake of boxing.”
Joshua picks Fury-Wilder III
Unified heavyweight titlist Anthony Joshua has mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk on his mind, but he is also has a keen interest on the outcome of the third fight between lineal/WBC champion Tyson Fury and former titlist Deontay Wilder because he’d like to face the winner for the undisputed title.
Joshua spoke with a few U.S. media on a variety of topics. He discussed Usyk’s merit as a title challenger, his desire to face the Fury-Wilder III winner, who he thinks will win that fight, his new “career-long” deal with Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, his broadcast platform future and who he views as the A-side in a fight with Fury and why. Some really good stuff from AJ. I wrote about it for World Boxing News. Please read that story here:
https://www.worldboxingnews.net/2021/09/23/anthony-joshua-deontay-wilder-deal/amp
AJ gives Usyk props
There are some who suggest that Oleksandr Usyk is not a legitimate threat as a heavyweight even though at cruiserweight he became the first four-belt undisputed champion in division history, cracked most top 10 pound-for-pound lists and will go down as, at worse, the second-best in the history of the weight class behind Evander Holyfield.
Three-belt heavyweight titleholder Anthony Joshua, who defends against mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday, is not one of those doubters.
“He’s good. Let’s give credit where credit is due,” Joshua told a few American reporters on a video conference on Wednesday.
I wrote more on Joshua’s thoughts about Usyk, his merit as a heavyweight contender and Joshua’s mindset when he suddenly had to switch from thinking he’d be fighting Tyson Fury for the undisputed championship in Saudi Arabia on Aug. 14 to that falling apart and moving to a Saturday’s lower-profile event for a lot less money fight with Usyk. Please read that story on The Ring magazine website here: https://www.ringtv.com/627214-anthony-joshua-oleksandr-usyk-is-one-of-the-best-i-am-fighting-in-my-career/
TR signs heavyweight standout
Top Rank announced it has signed amateur heavyweight standout Antonio Mireles, 24, a Mexican-American from Des Moines, Iowa, who will make his pro debut in a four-rounder against an opponent to be named on the Emanuel Navarrete-Joet Gonzalez undercard on Oct. 15 (ESPN+) in San Diego.
Nicknamed “El Gigante,” Mireles is 6-foot-9, 265-pounds. He is backed by a serious team. Besides Top Rank, he is trained by Robert Garcia in Riverside, California, and managed by Split-T Management’s David McWater.
“Antonio is a big young man with a personality to match, and he has all the makings of a heavyweight superstar,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. “With Robert Garcia guiding him inside the ropes, I have no doubt he’ll develop into a formidable fighter.”
Mireles, who started boxing at age 12, was 28-4 with 10 knockouts in his brief amateur career. But he won the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials and a National Golden Gloves title in 2019. Despite winning the trials, Mireles was selected as an alternate for the 2020 Olympic boxing qualifiers. As a result, he decided to go pro.
“The more I thought about it, I realized I had no desire to fight as an amateur anymore,” Mireles said. “I wanted to take the next step and continue to grow as a fighter.
“I’ve had my eye on Top Rank ever since I started taking the sport seriously, and it’s an honor to turn pro under their banner. I am a versatile boxer, but I’m not afraid to get in the trenches and have a shootout. My coaches try to stop me from doing that, but I’m aggressive by nature. I believe my style is more suited to the pro game, and I’m counting down the days until I step in that ring.”
Quick hits
WBO middleweight titlist Demetrius Andrade’s next defense likely will come against Jason Quigley in a fight eyed for Nov. 20 on DAZN, both camps told Fight Freaks Unite. Matchroom Boxing, Andrade’s promoter, would look to put the bout either in his hometown of Providence, Rhode Island, or somewhere else in New England. Andrade (30-0, 18 KOs), 33, a southpaw, has been unable to land a major fight despite his willingness to fight anybody. Andrade, a former junior middleweight titlist, has made four middleweight defenses and is coming off a wide unanimous decision over mandatory challenger Liam Williams on April 17. Quigley (19-1, 14 KOs), 30, of Ireland, who is with Golden Boy, is coming off a 10-round majority decision over Shane Mosley Jr. for his third win in a row since a ninth-round knockout loss to Tureano Johnson in July 2019.
The WBO on Wednesday ordered bantamweight titlist John Riel Casimero (31-4, 21 KOs), 32, of the Philippines, and mandatory challenger and former world titleholder Paul Butler (33-2, 15 KOs), 32, of England, to begin negotiations. The organization sent TGB Promotions president Tom Brown, who represents Casimero, and Lee Eaton of MTK Global, which represents Butler, an email notifying them of the order, which gave them “20 days upon receipt of this letter to reach an agreement.” If they do not make a deal by then the WBO will order a purse bid with a minimum offer of $100,000. Either side can ask for an immediate purse bid at any time before the 20 days are up.
Japan’s Masamichi Yabuki (13-3, 12 KOs), 29, knocked out countryman Kenshiro Teraji (18-1, 10 KOs), 29, in the 10th round to take his WBC junior flyweight world title in an upset on Wednesday in Kyoto, Japan. Teraji, who was making his ninth defense, had Yabuki in trouble in the ninth round before a flurry of unanswered punches in the action-packed 10th round prompted referee Yuji Fukuchi to stop the fight at 2 minutes, 59 seconds. Yabuki was ahead 88-83, 87-84 and 86-85 at the time of the stoppage. The fight was originally scheduled for Sept. 10 but postponed because Teraji tested positive for Covid-19.
Matchroom Boxing on Wednesday won a WBA purse bid for the right to promote the junior middleweight title elimination fight between its fighter, Israil Madrimov (7-0, 5 KOs), 26, of Uzbekistan, and Michel Soro (35-2-1, 24 KOs), 33, the former European champion from France. Matchroom’s winning bid was $245,000, which beat a bid of $217,000 made by Y12 Management. Soro is entitled to 60 percent ($147,000) and Madrimov 40 percent ($98,000). Minimum bid was $110,000. According to the WBA, Matchroom said it plans to put the fight on Dec. 11 and named Tashkent, Ukraine, Las Vegas and Cleveland as possible sites. Matchroom Boxing has 20 days to provide the WBA with signed contracts. The winner would become one of the mandatory challengers for three-belt 154-pound titlist Jermell Charlo (34-1-1, 18 KOs).
David McWater of Split-T Management announced he has signed amateur standout Trinidad Vargas, 18, a junior bantamweight from Dallas, who was 198-12 and won 13 national championships, to a pro contract. “I feel that signing with Split-T Management will open doors for me. I know they will do the job for me and I am comfortable with them,” said Vargas, who began boxing at 6. “My father (trainer Nick Vargas) was an amateur boxer and he was my backbone to the sport. He took me to a gym, and when he started teaching me the sport, I fell in love with it.” Vargas won tournaments such as the Junior Golden Gloves and Silver Gloves and was the 2018 USA Junior Boxer of the Year.
Weights from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, for the “ShoBox: The New Generation” card on Friday (Showtime, 10:35 p.m. ET): Ja’Rico O’Quinn 115.2 pounds, Saul Sanchez 117.8; Luis Reynaldo Nunez 125.6, Jayvon Garnett 125.6; Otar Eranosyan 130, Alejandro Guerrero 129.2.
Show and tell
Wladimir Klitschko was left for dead by most after his second stoppage loss in four fights when Lamon Brewster shockingly knocked him out in the fifth round for the vacant WBO heavyweight title. Klitschko won his next two fights but not against top opponents in DaVarryl Williamson and Eliseo Castillo. But in his third fight post the Brewster disaster, he was paired with undefeated contender and knockout artist Samuel Peter in a title eliminator in an HBO main event at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Peter showed his power by knocking Klitschko down three times, but Klitschko kept himself together. He got up each time and won every round other than the knockdown rounds to claim a unanimous decision. Klitschko would dispose of Chris Byrd in his next fight to win a world title and go on to a decade-long run of championship dominance.
In the co-feature, was an even more memorable fight as a young Miguel Cotto walked through fire to retain his junior welterweight world title against late replacement Ricardo Torres in a wild shootout in which both were down and badly hurt. Cotto finally stopped him in the seventh round of a fight of the year contender. That memorable card was on Sept. 24, 2005 — 16 years ago on Friday. Here is an extremely rare cardboard site poster in my collection that was on display at host casino Caesars Atlantic City during fight week.
Photo: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
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