Heavyweight

The war of words keeps chugging along between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua—even if a fight feels as far away as ever.

On Saturday, it was Joshua's promoter, Eddie Hearn, calling out Fury by telling Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix on DAZN he doesn't believe the Gypsy King had any intention of getting a contract done:

A megafight between Fury and Joshua to unify the heavyweight title belts has been on the table for more than a year now, but contractual issues between Fury and Deontay Wilder have kept them from finalizing an agreement.

Following Fury's technical knockout of Wilder in the seventh round of their heavyweight bout in February 2020, the Bronze Bomber quickly triggered the trilogy clause in his contract with the WBC champ, but the fight has yet to materialize.

Part of that is due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of it is due to Wilder's camp asking to push the bout back further into 2021. Whatever the holdup, Fury decided he wanted to move on. Soon he and Hearn found out that wouldn't be possible.

A U.S. court ruled Wilder is owed a third fight before mid-September after he exercised the trilogy clause. That put talks with Joshua back on hold as Fury and Wilder agreed to meet in Las Vegas on July 24 to satisfy their contract.

Naturally, the decision hasn't sat well with the Joshua camp, which is under an obligation by the WBO to face top challenger Oleksandr Usyk.

If and when Fury and Joshua are able to make a deal work, it'll be arguably the biggest bout in British boxing history as both men try to become the first undisputed champion since Lennox Lewis—another England native—in 2000.

It just doesn't appear either camp is ready to get back to the bargaining table just yet.

Mike Tyson's story is being told in a two-part, four-hour documentary produced by ABC, Mike Tyson: The Knockout.

The documentary features interviews with those closest to Tyson, as well as the media who covered him throughout his career, and will use exclusive material from ABC News archives as well as unaired interviews with the Hall of Famer.

The first part of the documentary aired Tuesday night, covering his childhood and personal struggles as well as the highs and lows of his early boxing career.

The episode started right in the middle of Tyson's rise in the ring, as he readied to fight Michael Spinks in a battle of undefeated stars. But before there was any insight as to what happened in Atlantic City back on June 27, 1988, things turned to Brownsville, the neighborhood of Brooklyn where Tyson grew up.

Actress Rosie Perez detailed the realities of life in the neighborhood, where gang violence and disappearances were a part of everyday life. Tyson's therapist, Marilyn Murray, explained that Tyson was forced to deal with all of this while also managing a home life with a mother who had alcoholism.

"She would be drinking, she was extremely abusive," Murray said. "Oftentimes, his mother would get beat up [by men she brought home] ... so violence, sex, alcoholism, abuse of women—those were his baseline for normal."

Tyson found comfort from his childhood by spending time with pigeons, and his first fight was with a neighbor who tore the head off one of his birds. After Tyson was arrested multiple times as an adolescent, he was moved to the Tryon School for Boys, a juvenile detention center.

There, he met former professional boxer Bobby Stewart, who worked as a guard at the facility. Stewart set him up with coach Cus D'Amato, who coached him at his home in Catskills and eventually had Tyson move in with his family and other boxing students.

D'Amato encouraged him from the beginning and didn't wait to plant the idea in his head that he could be the heavyweight champion of the world. With structure and attention, it was a complete 180-degree turn from where his life was headed in Brooklyn.

In ABC interview footage, Tyson said D'Amato served as his father figure in addition to his coach and trainer. After Tyson's mother died in 1982—when he was 16 years old—D'Amato and his partner, Camille Ewald, took on an even bigger role in his life, eventually legally adopting him.

D'Amato's dedication to Tyson became clear when his assistant, Teddy Atlas, held a handgun to the then-15-year-old's head because Tyson touched his 11-year-old niece's buttocks—to which Tyson later admitted.

Three years later, D'Amato died.

On Nov. 22, 1986, Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion ever by unseating WBC titleholder Trevor Berbick. Suddenly, he was thrust into the limelight. Even amid his sudden fame, he found time to visit Brooklyn as the hometown hero.

Here, the documentary revisited his fight with Spinks—where he won by knockout in 91 seconds.

He married actress Robin Givens, but the marriage faltered—in a sit-down interview with Barbara Walters, Givens said Tyson abused her. The interview took place as he was constantly in the news, including for attacking a news crew and crashing his car into a tree.

In 2009, Tyson told Oprah Winfrey that the relationship was abusive "both ways."

Amid personal turmoil, Tyson was supposed to be preparing to face James "Buster" Douglas, who entered the bout on Feb. 11, 1990, with 42-1 odds to come away with the win.

Fueled by the "negativity" surrounding his capabilities, Douglas knocked out Tyson in the 10th round.

The first part of the documentary ended here and will be available on demand and on Hulu on Wednesday. Part 2 of the documentary airs next Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.

The World Boxing Organization announced Saturday (h/t ESPN) that it has given WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and challenger Alexander Usyk 10 days to come to an agreement on a title fight.

If the two camps do not reach an agreement, then a "purse bid ceremony" will occur, per WBO rules and regulations.

Luis Batista Salas, Esq., the chairman of the WBO Championship Committee, publicized a memo sent to both camps outlining the situation.

If Joshua does not proceed with his mandatory requirement to defend the title, then he will be forced to vacate the belt, per Salas.

Provided a fight agreement takes place, the split ratio cannot be in favor of Joshua by more than 80 percent, per the memo.

Joshua holds the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight titles. Negotiations between him and WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury have been ongoing, but Fury has also been held up with another challenger, per ESPN's Ben Baby.

An arbitrator ruled Monday that Fury is contractually obligated to take part in a trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder.

Fury and Wilder fought to a split decision in December 2018 before the champ beat him by seventh-round TKO in February 2020.

Following the arbitrator's ruling, the WBO issued a show-cause notice Wednesday to Matchroom Boxing's Eddie Hearn, who promotes Joshua, "requesting his position within 48 hours" about why the WBO Championship Committee should not order a fight between Joshua and Usyk, the mandatory challenger.

Hearn responded Friday and asked for an extension until Monday to discuss the matter with Joshua, but Usyk's legal counsel objected to that request.

The WBO Championship Committee denied the extension request, leading to its confirmed position that Joshua must enter negotiations with Usyk for a title defense.

Joshua, 31, is 24-1 lifetime with 22 knockouts. Usyk, 34, is 18-0 with 13 knockouts.

Tyson Fury's promoter, Bob Arum, has no plans to change the scheduled fight between his boxer and Anthony Joshua despite Monday's ruling from an arbitrator regarding a potential rematch with Deontay Wilder.

Arbitrator Daniel Weinstein ruled in Wilder's favor and decided Fury owes the 35-year-old a third fight even though there was a disagreement over the rematch clause on their previous two-fight deal, per Mike Coppinger of The Athletic.

Arum called the ruling a "preposterous decision" and said he wants Fury to fight Joshua in August with Wilder facing the winner in either November or December, per Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.

On Sunday, Fury tweeted the "massive announcement" that he was scheduled to fight Joshua on Aug. 14 in Saudi Arabia.

"We're not paying Wilder to step aside," Arum told Mark Kriegel of ESPN. "It's better to get rid of him and go about our business. We can make the Fury-Joshua fight for November or December."

Kriegel explained the ruling means Fury has to face Wilder by Sept. 15, although Weinstein granted the possibility of an extension if the two sides agreed.

"Such an extension would involve a hefty step-aside fee for Wilder, likely coming from the record-breaking, $155 million site fee negotiated for the Aug. 14 fight with Joshua in Saudi Arabia," Kriegel wrote.

The back-and-forth comes after a memorable fight on Feb. 22, 2020, when Fury handled Wilder with relative ease to the point the latter's corner threw in the towel in the seventh round.

Wilder was not pleased with the decision and said in the post-fight interview, "I just wish that my corner would've let me go out on my shield. I'm a warrior. That's what I do."

He fired his longtime coach Mark Breland after the fight as well.

One good slugfest deserves another, which is why boxing fans will be happy to see that Alexander Povetkin (36-2-1, 25 KOs) and Dillian Whyte (27-2, 18 KOs) are set to fight each other again this Saturday, seven months after their first brawl ended in a knockout win for Povetkin.

The heavyweight rematch, billed as the "Rumble on the Rock" because its taking place on the island of Gibraltar, will be a chance for Whyte to make up for a missed opportunity in the first bout.

Whyte sent Povetkin to the canvas twice in the fourth round, and looked well on his way to earning a victory. Instead, the big Russian kept his wits about him and knocked out Whyte in the very next round with a picture-perfect left uppercut. Here's a look if you missed it the first time around, per DAZN Boxing:

It was a stunning KO, but Whyte believes he can avoid such a mistake this time around and get his revenge. Here's how to watch.

Povetkin vs. Whyte 2 Fight Info

When: Saturday, Mar. 27 at 3 p.m. ET (main card, Whyte-Povetkin expected at 4:30 p.m. ET)

Where: Europa Points Sports Complex in Gibraltar

TV: Sky Sports (UK)

Live stream: DAZN (US), Sky Sports (UK)

Odds (via DraftKings): Whyte -345 (bet $345 to win $100), Povetkin +240

Povetkin's knockout punch is etched in the memory of everyone who saw it live, but it shouldn't be the only thing on people's minds as they look ahead to the rematch. Whyte did a good job of ducking Povetkin's punches in the earlier rounds, returning fire with counter lefts to the body (check out the second round in the highlights clip below). 

Whyte also looked great in the third working behind the jab. The fourth round saw him earn one knockdown with a hook to the temple to end a flurry, and then his own left uppercut through the guard sent his then-40-year-old opponent tumbling to the canvas a second time. 

As previously mentioned, Whyte's uppercut was one-upped by Povetkin just a few minutes later, but it almost didn't happen. The 32-year-old believes Povetkin's corner was close to calling it a night. 

"He was done—they were saying 'we are pulling you out at the end of this round,'" he said, per Sky Sports' James Dielhenn.

Povetkin has denied Whyte's allegations and will be looking to prove he's the better man yet again. He may be 41 years old and an underdog, but he has his share of believers. Fellow heavyweight boxer Michael Hunter is backing Povetkin to upset "The Body Snatcher" in Gibraltar.

"I think that it's going to be a repeat. It's going to be very similar to the first fight," said Hunter, via Sky Sports' Richard Damerell. "Povetkin always gets to his man at some point and Dillian Whyte always gets hit at some point in all of his fights, so I think it's going to be a very similar outcome."

Whyte's only other loss in his career was a seventh-round TKO at the hands of Anthony Joshua. He's also been knocked down by Oscar Rivas and Joseph Parker, though he managed to win those bouts via unanimous decision. He does take some big shots, but his opponents still tend to pay a price.

Look for this bout to go a few rounds further than the last one, as both fighters start off a bit cagey with so much on the line. Povetkin is nearing the end of the line; a loss might hasten his retirement. Meanwhile, Whyte has a lot to look forward to if he can get the win, but a second-straight loss to an aging opponent would set him back in a big way. Look for Whyte to finish the job this time around in the later rounds.

Prediction:  Whyte via TKO

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A statue commemorating Joe Frazier's victory over Muhammad Ali on March 8, 1971, was unveiled Monday in Feasterville, Pennsylvania. 

According to the Associated Press' Dan Gelston, the statue was on display at a gym owned by Joe Hand Promotions and is expected to be housed at a Pennsylvania sports museum.

Ali was a perfect 31-0 when he traveled to Madison Square Garden in New York City to face off against Frazier. He suffered his first defeat, losing a unanimous decision in what many consider to be one of the greatest fights ever. The two legends crossed paths twice more, with Ali coming out on top in 1974 and 1975.

While a native of South Carolina, Frazier came to adopt Philadelphia as his hometown.

"He just represents what Philadelphia is all about," Joe Frazier Jr. said of his father. "Work hard. It's not all about talking with your mouth. It's speaking with your action. That's what it's about."

The city honored Frazier with his own statue in 2015, nearly four years after his death from liver cancer in 2011.

WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury called out WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO champ Anthony Joshua on social media Saturday, saying that he wants to fight and would knock him out by Round 3.

Top Rank CEO and co-founder Bob Arum, who co-promotes Fury, expressed confidence via his Twitter account and communications with Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix that a Fury-Joshua bout will transpire.

He also said that Top Rank would work on the fight particulars starting Monday.

Arum told Mannix that he spoke with Matchroom Sport group director and Joshua promoter Eddie Hearn about a deal and that progress was made:

Fury sports a 30-0-1 lifetime record, with his only non-victory a draw against Deontay Wilder in December 2018. He beat Wilder via seventh-round TKO in a February 2020 rematch. Twenty-one of Fury's wins have come via knockout.

Joshua is 24-1 lifetime, with his only defeat a seventh-round TKO at the hands of Andy Ruiz Jr. in June 2019. Joshua handily won a unanimous-decision rematch six months later. His last fight occurred Saturday when he beat Kubrat Pulev by ninth-round knockout.

All but two of Joshua's wins are via knockout.

Anthony Joshua will make his long-awaited return to the ring Saturday night, defending his WBA, WBO and IBF world heavyweight titles against Kubrat Pulev at Wembley Arena in London.

Joshua's (23-1, 21 KOs) title defense comes a little more than a year after his redemptive unanimous-decision win over Andy Ruiz Jr. in Saudi Arabia, which restored him to the top of the division after Ruiz's historic upset in June 2019.

Back on the throne, Joshua has his sights set on defeating Pulev (28-1, 14 KOs) to potentially set up a superfight with Tyson Fury, the undefeated WBC world champion.

Pulev, a popular fighter in his native Bulgaria, is a big underdog but cannot be taken lightly. Joshua has already suffered one major upset in his career. Another loss on a big stage would be an incredible setback for one of the more exciting knockout artists in recent years.

Joshua vs. Pulev Fight Info

When: Saturday, Dec. 12 at 1 p.m. ET

Where: Wembley Arena in London

Live stream: DAZN

TV: Sky Sports Box Office (UK)

Odds: Joshua -1250 (wager $1250 to win $100), Pulev +600

Joshua rose to the top of the heavyweight division thanks to his quick, ruthless destruction of overmatched opponents. He looked unstoppable during his meteoric ascent, but his years with the titles have been far more interesting.

He was knocked down by Wladimir Klitschko in their epic heavyweight title fight in 2017 before earning the win with an 11th-round TKO. He picked up the WBO strap with a somewhat frustrating decision win over Joseph Parker, and then of course there was his dispiriting stoppage loss to Ruiz in 2019.

Joshua's team will be hoping there isn't too much drama against Pulev on Saturday. It's his first title defense since the win over Ruiz, and a straightforward mauling would do well to shore up the 31-year-old's confidence and get people excited for a potential fight with Fury. Joshua is well aware of what's at stake here.

"I just can't underestimate this guy," Joshua said, per Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole. "Remember, I've lost before and I never want to lose again. So, for the Tyson Fury question, I want to compete with him one day, so the only way to prove who's No. 1 is by getting past Pulev and having the opportunity to compete with him. That's how I go about proving who's No. 1."

A stoppage win would be great, but Joshua showed he can alter his strategy if he gets into trouble. He dominated Ruiz with the jab in Saudi Arabia last time out, and a similar showing might be what's needed to get a result against Pulev. The 39-year-old has slimmed down and believes he can pull off an upset against Joshua.

"I feel a little lighter and at my best like this," the Bulgarian challenger said Wednesday, per the Guardian's Donald McRae. "A boxer must have power and speed and right now I feel very dangerous."

Pulev has just one loss on his record, a fifth-round knockout at Klitschko's hands in 2014. He hasn't faced the same level of competition as some of the other top heavyweight contenders, but he's a solid fighter.

Joshua has a longer reach than Pulev (82", to 79.5", per BoxRec), so the champ may opt to start off establishing the jab and then look to trade if he feels Pulev's chin isn't up to the task. At the same time, Pulev will also be looking to see whether Joshua is vulnerable to the big punches.

If Joshua gets the win, he will surely push for the career-defining bout against Fury, although another obstacle stands in the way. Oleksandr Usyk, a former unified cruiserweight world champion who moved up to heavyweight in 2019, is reportedly looking to trigger his mandatory WBO challenge bout in 2021, per Sky Sports' James Dielhenn. Usyk would be an interesting opponent for Joshua, although it would delay (and potentially derail) a fight against Fury.

But all of this is moot if Pulev does what Ruiz did and wins Saturday night. It would be a massive blow to Joshua's career and completely scramble the narratives developing at the top of the heavyweight division. Pulev has the potential to be a major spoiler; it's up to Joshua to stop him.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

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Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua used his words rather than his fists during a protest in his hometown of Watford, England, on Saturday:

Joshua defended himself against criticisms he received for the speech (warning: contains profanity):

Protests against racial injustice and police brutality are ongoing across the world—including in all 50 United States—after the killing of George Floyd. The 46-year-old black man was killed while in Minneapolis police custody May 25. Since-fired officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the back of Floyd's neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds during the arrest. Floyd was pronounced dead shortly afterward at a nearby hospital.

Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter May 29. However, Chauvin was given an additional second-degree murder charge June 3, while J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao, the other officers involved in the arrest, were formally charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Joshua last fought in December, defeating Andy Ruiz Jr. in a unanimous decision. Ruiz had previously upset the 30-year-old in a technical knockout at Madison Square Garden in June 2019. Joshua is 23-1-0 all-time.