Notebook: WBO orders Joshua to 'show cause' why it shouldn't order Usyk fight

Davis-Barrios site, undercard unveiled; Quick hits; Show and tell

Even if the heavyweight title fight between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua moves ahead — and the chances of that appear slim — it could be minus the WBO belt and, therefore, not for the undisputed championship.

A day after Oleksandr Usyk’s attorney sent a strongly worded letter to the WBO in an effort to enforce his rights as the overdue mandatory challenger for Joshua’s WBO belt, the organization responded on Wednesday.

It sent Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing a letter ordering him to “show cause” within 48 hours why the WBO should not order Joshua to enter negotiations with Usyk, the former undisputed cruiserweight champion.

The WBO had previously, with Usyk’s co-operation, allowed Joshua to bypass the mandatory defense for now in order to make the fight with Fury while allowing Usyk to fight Joe Joyce for the vacant interim title.

But now the WBO wants proof that Fury-Joshua will take place this summer. It is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 14 in Saudi Arabia but now seems unlikely to happen following an arbitrator’s ruling on Monday that upheld Deontay Wilder’s contractual right to the next fight against Fury no later than Sept. 15 unless they agree to a deal extending the deadline.

In the letter to Hearn and those involved with Usyk and Fury, the WBO wrote, “Please be advised that on Monday the World Boxing Organization was advised that the arbitrator presiding over Tyson Fury/Deontay Wilder rematch clause dispute rendered an “Award” granting Deontay Wilder injunctive relief and ordering Tyson Fury to participate in a rematch with Deontay Wilder on or before September 15, 2021, unless both parties agree to a further extension. The award issued by the arbitrator is binding and enforceable between the relevant parties.

“Conversely, as you are aware, on January 29, 2021, the WBO World Championship Committee ordered the commencement of the negotiations for the Interim Heavyweight Championship Contest between Usyk/Joyce. … Per this Committee’s right to issue any further ruling or determination per WBO rules and regulations, it is hereby ordered to ‘Show Cause’ within the next 48 hours upon issuance of this order as to why the WBO World Championship Committee shall not order the commencement of negotiations between Mandatory Challenger Oleksandr Usyk and WBO Heavyweight Champion Anthony Joshua immediately.”

The situation has Joshua angry. He tagged Fury in a Twitter post later Wednesday, writing, “Tyson Fury, the world now sees you for the fraud you are. You’ve let boxing down! You lied to the fans and led them on. Used my name for clout not a fight. Bring me any championship fighter who can handle their business correctly.”

Fury responded, “Anthony Joshua your more full of shit that Eddie, Spouting absolute shite! your full team knew there was an Arbitration going on, it was out of my hands! but i tell you what if i’m a fraud let’s fight this weekend bare knuckles till 1 man quits? let’s put up 20 mill each!!!”

Joshua then responded, “If there was an arbitration going on, why announce to the world we are fighting! The fight was signed! UNDISPUTED. Bare knuckle? You’re a good kid, don’t play with me Luke (Fury’s middle name)! I’ll slap your bald head & you’ll do nothing! Waste man.”

When the arbitration ruling was still to come, Fury announced on Sunday via social media video that the fight with Joshua was set for Aug. 14 after he had received assurances from the Saudi Arabian prince spearheading the event that everything was in order.

Fury then got in the last word, writing back to Joshua, “not going in to the details on line! you’ll slap me about will you dosser please come and try Bum, i’m waiting… i’ll smoke wilder first then you will get yours aswell.”

Prior to the WBO’s “show cause” order, Usyk’s attorney, Patrick English, wrote the strongly-worded letter to the WBO outlining Usyk’s position that the mandatory fight with Joshua should be ordered immediately in light of the Wilder/Fury arbitration ruling. I obtained a copy of the letter English sent to the WBO and wrote about it in detail for World Boxing New. Please read the story here: https://www.worldboxingnews.net/2021/05/19/usyk-joshua-wbo-deontay-wilder/?amp

iFL TV appearance

I joined my friends at iFL TV on Tuesday to discuss the fallout from the arbitration ruling in Deontay Wilder’s case against Tyson Fury and its impact on the possible Fury undisputed title fight with Anthony Joshua. We also previewed the great fight on Saturday between Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor for the undisputed junior welterweight title. Please check out the video here:

Davis-Barrios details

The Gervonta Davis-Mario Barrios fight was announced as part of the unveiling of Showtime’s May-September schedule a few weeks ago, but on Wednesday the network and Premier Boxing Champions outlined additional details related to the Showtime PPV event on June 26 (9 p.m. ET).

It will take place at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, a second home to Baltimore’s Davis. It is the same arena Davis sold out for his Dec. 28, 2019 fight, a 12th-round knockout of Yuriorkis Gamboa to claim a vacant secondary lightweight world title. Davis, Barrios and Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe will hold a news conference on Thursday afternoon at the arena.

Davis (24-0, 23 KOs), 26, returned to junior lightweight for his most recent fight, a crushing sixth-round knockout of Leo Santa Cruz in October that had two belts on the line, Davis’ lightweight title and Santa Cruz’s junior lightweight title. Now, Davis is moving up two weight divisions to challenge the much bigger Barrios (26-0, 17 KOs), 26, of San Antonio, for his secondary junior welterweight title.

“I’m excited to make history on June 26 in Atlanta and become a three-division world champion,” Davis said. “Atlanta welcomed me with open arms for my fight against Gamboa and I couldn’t wait to come back. Mario Barrios is an undefeated champion, but he hasn’t ever faced anyone like me before. Moving up to 140 pounds is a big challenge but I’ve been working hard in camp and I’ll be ready.”

The 5-foot-10 Barrios, who will be making his second title defense, holds a five-inch height advantage over Davis.

“Fighting on Showtime PPV is a dream come true and an opportunity that I’m going to take full advantage of,” Barrios said. “Gervonta Davis is a pound-for-pound champion and it’s going to be an honor sharing the ring with him. This fight is my shining moment and the pinnacle of the boxing world, on the biggest stage possible. Boxing fans around the globe will be watching this fight and I’m coming to shock the world.”

The rest of the PPV was also outlined.

The co-feature is the previously announced WBC junior middleweight title eliminator between former title challenger Erickson Lubin (23-1, 16 KOs), 25, of Orlando, and former unified titlist Jeison Rosario (20-2-1, 14 KOs), 26, of the Dominican Republic.

“I’m so ready for this fight,” said Lubin, who has won five fights in a row since suffering a first-round knockout loss challenging Jermell Charlo for his world title in 2017. “This fight is another step closer to getting that world title shot. Coach (Kevin) Cunningham and I have a great game plan in place. We know this is going to be a tough fight.”

Rosario will be fighting for the first time since September, when he got knocked out in the eighth round of a three-belt unification fight with Charlo.

“I make no excuses for losing the fight to Charlo, but that was then, and this is now,” Rosario said. “I have turned to a new page in my career with my new trainer Herman Caicedo. I will not lose again, especially in this fight against Lubin. He’s a great contender, and I respect his abilities, but I will knock him out.”

The other PPV bouts are former unified junior middleweight titlist Julian “J-Rock” Williams taking on Brian Mendoza in a 10-rounder and Batyr Akhmedov facing former junior lightweight titlist Argenis Mendez in a junior welterweight title eliminator.

Williams (27-2-1, 16 KOs), 31, of Philadelphia, will be fighting for the first time in 18 months, since he lost his unified title by fifth-round knockout to Rosario in Philly and then had eye surgery.

“This has been the longest layoff of my career, so I’m excited to get back in the ring,” Williams said. “Mendoza is a decent fighter. I’ve even been in the gym with him and he’s a good guy. But on June 26, it’s going to be all business. I just need to come out on top. He doesn’t have anything that I haven’t seen before. I know he’ll be ready because this is like the Super Bowl for him. So I know he’ll be ready, but I’ll be ready too. If I’m able to get the win, then it’s on to bigger and better opportunities. But I’m definitely not looking past Brian because I know how seriously he’s taking this fight.”

Mendoza (19-1, 13 KOs), 27, an Albuquerque, New Mexico, native fighting out of Las Vegas, will be taking on by far his most notable opponent.

“This fight against Julian Williams is just the fight I’ve been waiting for,” Mendoza said. “I’m planning to take full advantage of the opportunity. Julian Williams is a great fighter, but after June 26, the whole world is going to know that I belong at this level.”

The Los Angeles-based Uzbekistan native Akhmedov (8-1, 7 KOs), 30, who represented Turkey at the 2016 Olympics, has won his only fight since a very controversial decision loss for the vacant second belt to Barrios in September 2019.

“I’ve been training hard to get another shot at the title,” Akhmedov said. “I know that if I make a big statement and defeat a former world champion in Mendez, I expect my next fight will be for the title. I’m always in exciting fights that fans love, and this matchup is going to be no different.”

Mendez (25-6-3, 12 KOs), 34, a Dominican Republic native fighting out of Yonkers, New York, is 0-1-2 in his last three fights and is coming off 10-round spit decision to prospect Richardson Hitchins in December.

“I am ready for anything Akhmedov brings and then a world title fight after,” Mendez said. “I believe that I beat Hitchins in my last fight, even though I was coming off a long layoff. I’m in great shape right now. Akhmedov is a hard puncher, but the fans are going to see me shine against him. There is a lot left in my tank and that will be obvious to everyone on June 26.”

Quick hits

Three-belt unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez’s goal is to be the division’s first undisputed champion and wants to fight titleholder Caleb Plant in September in an effort to acquire for the fourth and final belt to meet that goal. Plant is also interested in what would be by far the biggest fight he could make in terms of profile and money. So, Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, who works with Alvarez, told Fight Freaks Unite that next week when he is in Las Vegas promoting lightweight titlist Devin Haney’s defense against Jorge Linares, he plans to meet with Luis DeCubas Jr., a Plant representative, who works closely with Al Haymon of Premier Boxing Champions, to discuss making the match.

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While there are currently no PBC on Fox cards officially scheduled the next one is in the works for June 27, a Sunday night, in Minneapolis, multiple sources told Fight Freaks Unite. The main event, per sources, in the works is Minneapolis-based Cuba native David Morrell (4-0, 3 KOs), 23, making the first defense of his interim super middleweight belt against John Ryder (29-5, 16 KOs), 32, of England, a former interim titlist.

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Former junior lightweight titlist Tevin Farmer (30-5-1, 6 KOs), 30, of Philadelphia, who lost his belt by unanimous decision to Joseph Diaz Jr. in January 2020 and has not fought since, has amicably parted ways with promoter Lou DiBella. Farmer turned down the chance to fight on an upcoming Triller Fight Club pay-per-view card, an opportunity DiBella secured for him. Farmer was unhappy with the low six-figure money. He and DiBella instead worked out a deal under which Farmer bought out the rest of his contract and became a free agent. “I’m Officially a Free Agent Tevin Farmer Promotions coming soon,” he posted on social media.

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Former middleweight titlist Robert Brant (26-2, 18 KOs), 30, of Dallas, and Janibek Alimkhanuly (9-0, 5 KOs), 28, a southpaw from Kazakhstan, will meet in a 10-rounder in the co-feature of the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ card on June 26 headlined by the lightweight bout between former champion Vasiliy Lomachenko and Masayoshi Nakatani at the Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, a source with knowledge of the bout confirmed to Fight Freaks Unite. The fight, which hasn’t been announced yet, was first reported by BoxingScene. Alimkhanuly has been idle since a second-round knockout of Gonazlo Coria in October. Brant lost his secondary title by second-round knockout in a rematch with Ryota Murata in Japan in July 2019 and won his only fight since, stopping Vitaliy Kopylenko in the fifth round in August.

Show and tell

Three decades ago the late, great Pernell Whitaker was a unified lightweight world champion and on his rise to the top of boxing, where he would become the undisputed lightweight champion, win titles also at junior welterweight, welterweight and junior middleweight, reign as the long-time pound-for-pound king and eventually be elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Fellow Hall of Famer Azumah Nelson, one of the greatest fighters ever from Africa, had dominating title reigns at featherweight and junior lightweight but when he stepped up to the lightweight division to challenge Whitaker, he lost a clear decision in what goes down in my book as one of the best wins of Whitaker’s legendary career. They met in an HBO main event at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on May 19, 1990 — 31 years ago on Wednesday. Here is a program from the fight in my collection.

Joshua photo: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing