Hrgovic became the first Croatian heavyweight champion of all time while Itauma scuppered the chance to become the second youngest world heavyweight champion after Mike Tyson.

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‘Moses Itauma fought like an amateur’ - those were the words from Filip Hrgovic at the post fight press conference after inflicting one of the biggest upsets of the year and becoming the first Croatian heavyweight world champion.

Hrgovic (21-1, 16 KOs) captured the IBF Heavyweight World Title with a ninth round stoppage victory over Itauma at the O2 Arena in London live on DAZN PPV last night.

Despite Itauma (14-1, 12 KOs) scoring a knockdown in the second round and being way up on the scorecards, he failed to pace himself which allowed Hrgovic to rally back and overwhelm the 21-year-old.

Speaking to the media, Hrgovic said: “I thought it was going to be easier. I didn’t know he was so good. He’s very fast. I’ve never been in the ring with someone like him. But he’s inexperienced. He p***** himself out.

“I saw from the first round he was breathing hard. He was throwing too much. He was fighting like an amateur. I knew I needed to endure. I needed to stay there and [I knew] he’s going to get tired and I’ll get him in the later rounds.

“The first time I hurt him I saw my chance. At the beginning of round nine I knew I needed to jump on him and finish him. That was my chance. God gave me some special energy in that moment. I was so tired. I received so many shots but it was some unnatural energy I received from upstairs.”

Itauma landed numerous right hooks and straight left hands to head and body but Hrgovic never looked seriously hurt, proving again to have one of the best chins in the division.

Although Hrgovic was floored, the 34-year-old appeared to be off balance rather than hurt by Itauma’s punch.

“Croatian power,” Hrgovic continued.

“[I have beaten] four Brits in a row. [Joe] Joyce, [David] Adeleye, Dave Allen, Moses [Itauma]. Next is [Daniel] Dubois. I didn’t feel the power. I felt quickness. I didn’t see that punch coming. It was more of a slip. He didn’t rock me at any time.

“He’s quick but he needs more power. He can be better if he learns a professional style of fighting.”

The sole loss of Hrgovic’s career came against Dubois in 2024 when the Croatian was stopped in the eight round due to suffering deep cuts above both eyes.

Hrgovic said: “It was much worse against Daniel. There were bigger cuts on both eyes. Blood was flowing in my eyes but this cut [against Itauma] was not so bad. It was a big difference.

“God allowed me to go through humiliation against Dubois. He allowed me to go through many struggles and tested me many times. I endured everything. I stayed strong. Now he gave me the best possible gift.

“To win a world title against the best guy in the division, the most talented. There is no better way for me to become a world champion.”

Post Dubois, Hrgovic revealed he was close to quitting boxing, but was inspired by the birth of his daughter.

He said: “I gave my life to boxing and I was already fed up. I didn’t have a life. I was thinking maybe it was time to retire and enjoy [life]. At that time my daughter was born. My country was laughing at me.

“I looked like s***. I was ill before the fight. I was cut from the first round. I just wasn’t myself. I wanted to try one more time [for my daughter] to make her proud. I couldn’t let her see her father as a loser. I wanted to make her proud.”

Hrgovic’s victory followed a fiery build-up where Itauma appeared annoyed by the war of words, culminating in Hrgovic getting pushed off the stage before slapping Itauma in the face.

This was after Itauma stated he had been ‘physically and mentally better’ before the showdown with Hrgovic.

“I saw he was getting p***** off,” Hrgovic admitted.

“I saw myself getting under his skin. I saw him nervous. I saw him scared. I think it played a role. This was the first time in the last six years where everything was perfect. Fight week was perfect. That slap was perfect. The fight wasn’t perfect but it ended up perfect.”

Itauma was unable to become the youngest British heavyweight champion of all time and the second youngest worldwide after Mike Tyson.

However, the Brit with Slovakian and Nigerian heritage would have arguably defeated Hrgovic on points if he didn’t blow his gas tank by throwing an excessive volume of punches and attempting to knock his opponent out.

As Dave Allen expressed in the build-up, Itauma and his team underestimated Hrgovic besides failing to get enough rounds under his belt before stepping up to the first serious challenge of his professional career.

Itauma had never fought anyone close to Hrgovic’s level beforehand, which prompts questions about why the prodigy was rushed into a bout of such magnitude, instead of building experience in the pro ranks.

As for Hrgovic, the Olympic bronze medallist wants a unification fight against WBC Champion Agit Kabayel or Dubois, who currently holds the WBO strap and faces Fabio Wardley in an October rematch.

In the post-fight in-ring interview, Hrgovic showed no interest in fighting Frank Sanchez, who is next in line for a shot at the IBF Heavyweight Title.

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A popular British heavyweight believes the boxing fraternity are ‘underestimating’ Filip Hrgovic ahead of his world title showdown against Moses Itauma tonight.

Hrgovic (20-1, 15 KOs) will battle Itauma at O2 Arena in London for the IBF World Heavyweight Title in one of the biggest fights of the year, live on DAZN PPV.

Despite Hrgovic capturing an Olympic bronze medal and widely regarded as a top five heavyweight, the bookies have Itauma (14-0, 12 KOs) as a strong favourite to become the youngest British heavyweight world champion of all time.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Dave Allen said: “I think a lot of people are underestimating big Fil but I think that’s because of the hype around Itauma. I think he’s worthy of the hype but we will see.”

Allen knows the ability of Hrgovic firsthand after sharing the ring with the Croatian in May when he was stopped in three rounds and struggled to land a clean punch.

The Yorkshireman, who crafted a reputation for a strong chin, previously went several rounds with fighters such as Luis Ortiz, Dillian Whyte, Tony Yoka, David Price, Frazer Clarke and Arslanbek Makhmudov.

All defeated Allen in dominant fashion yet none of the bouts were as one-sided as the performance produced by Hrgovic.

Apart from Hrgovic’s talent, Allen raised questions over the calibre of opposition Itauma has beaten, with many believing the 21-year-old will experience the first real test of his career.

“I want him to be a superstar,” Allen continued.

“I think it’s good for the sport. He could be this generation’s Mike Tyson. [Tyson] Fury and [Anthony] Joshua are on the way out the door. We need a superstar to get British boxing another boom again.

“He had about 30 odd fights as an amateur. Every fight he had a guard on. He never boxed as a senior. As a pro he beat ten or eleven guys he should be beating. Dillian Whyte was no way near his best. Jermaine Franklin who’s a top class journeyman - bit like myself, tough, but not really much threat coming back.

“He’s beaten another guy called [Mike] Balogun who was dangerous but couldn’t land a glove on him. Itauma has made no mistakes but he’s never been at the top level yet. This is his first dip at the top level.”

Itauma comes across as a relaxed individual outside the ring but has appeared affected by comments made by Hrgovic throughout the build-up, referring to him as a ‘kid’ and implying the prodigy didn’t have to struggle for opportunities, like he did.

Both men came in lighter at the weigh in yesterday, with Itauma tipping the scales at 241 lbs and Hrgovic coming in at 236 lbs - his lowest weight since 2019.

However, Itauma pushing Hrgovic off the stage before getting slapped in the face in retaliation was the perfect indicator that neither man will back down and fans might be treated to an all-action barnstormer.

Hrgovic has never been knocked out as an amateur or professional, only suffering a stoppage loss to Daniel Dubois on cuts, although Itauma will undoubtedly be the fastest and most explosive boxer he has ever faced as a pro.

Then again, Itauma revealed in a previous interview he has been ‘mentally and physically better’ implying the Brit with Slovakian and Nigerian heritage might not be at his best.

Demsey McKean is the sole common opponent for Itauma and Hrgovic. It took Itauma a round to get rid of McKean and Hrgovic twelve. Tonight’s outcome will further clarify whether boxing is chess or checkers.

Referee Howard Foster will oversee the action and fans will hope the contest ends without controversy.

Foster is famous for controversial early stoppages in fights such as Carl Froch vs George Groves 1, but he was also the man in charge of Fabio Wardley vs Dubois in May, which some believe should have been stopped sooner.

Finalising his prediction, Allen stated: “I think it’s over inside three. Hrgovic will come out all guns blazing. Itauma’ always sharp and fast from the go. One or two things will happen. Itauma will blitz him and we get a new superstar or Hrgovic will hit him and it all falls apart.”

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Before Teofimo Lopez challenges Roland Romero for the WBA Welterweight Championship and attempts to become a three-weight world champion, it’s worth reflecting on how far ‘The Takeover’ has come in his career.

Regardless of the outcome against Romero tonight, Lopez will always be remembered for the following three wins and possibly for the only two losses on his record to Shakur Stevenson and George Kambosos.

Vasyl Lomachenko

Now 29 years old, the biggest triumph on Lopez’s resume is undoubtedly the unanimous decision against Vasyl Lomachenko almost six years ago.

Lomachenko, widely regarded as one of the best amateurs of all time, was fifteen fights into the pro ranks and looked unbeatable. Yes, the Ukrainian suffered a loss in his second bout against Orlando Salido but it was a split-decision in an ugly spectacle.

Thereafter, Lomachenko, or ‘No Maschenko’ due to his ability to make fighters quit on their stool, was a pound-for-pound superstar, largely touted to reign the lightweight division after making easy work of Jorge Linares, Jose Pedraza, Anthony Crolla and Luke Campbell.

Despite the undeniable talent of Lopez, who had just turned 23 at the time, Lomachenko was a massive favourite.

Instead, Lopez ripped up the script by overpowering the Ukrainian to become a unified lightweight champion.

It was reported Lomachenko suffered an injury to his right shoulder before and during the fight yet that doesn’t take away from the legendary name Lopez has on his resume.

Josh Taylor

Whether you think Josh Taylor was fortunate to escape with a points victory over Jack Catterall, he was technically unbeaten going into his fight with Lopez and prior to that became the first Brit to become undisputed in the four-belt era.

Thus, similar to Lomachenko, Lopez’s points win over Taylor allowed for another high profile name to be added to his record.

Taylor looked like a fighter in decline against Catterall, but Lopez dominated the Scotsman in far more impressive fashion, elevating himself to two-weight division world champion.

Apart from trumping Taylor in every department, Lopez’ ability to regain top form during a critical fight was just as impressive.

Following a controversial win over Sandor Martin who dropped him in the second round, there were question marks regarding Lopez campaigning at 140 lbs, which the American debunked against Taylor.

Arnold Barboza

Arnold Barboza proved a lot of people wrong when he outpointed Catterall in his home city of Manchester.

Barboza metamorphised into such a dark horse that members of the boxing fraternity were wondering if he could catch Lopez on an off night and pull off another upset.

Instead, levels were shown.

On an atmosphere-less night in Times Square, New York, Lopez took Barboza to school and claimed a comprehensive points win to retain the WBO super lightweight title.

Doubts averted, a victory asserted.

Unlike Lomachenko and Taylor, Barboza wasn’t a name with much grandiosity but one which has the potential to age better with time.

It was a special event and special performance for Lopez - a combination which came on a weird night where Devin Haney tried to put fans to sleep in a boring bout against Jose Ramirez and Ryan Garcia suffered a shock defeat to Romero.

Lopez and Romero are the only two guys who enhanced their reputation that night and funny enough, over one year later they are headlining against each other.

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In less than one month Ryan Garcia will put the WBC Welterweight Championship on the line against Conor Benn in one of the biggest commercial fights of the year.

Garcia-Benn will go toe-to-toe at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas on September 12, following months of verbals and negotiations about how the bout could take place when each fighter is signed to rival promoters on rival networks.

Dana White, who seemingly vowed to not work with the likes of Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy, was forced to put his contempt aside to get the mega fight over the line and have it set for broadcast on Paramount +.

Reports suggest De La Hoya’s involvement in the promotion is minimal, but Garcia is still technically signed to Golden Boy, implying some sort of compromise was necessary for ‘KingRy’ to fight on an entirely different platform.

Boxing politics aside, Garcia vs Benn is the perfect match up to draw a casual audience and maximise exposure of the sport.

Garcia has over 13 million followers on Instagram while Conor, the son of the legendary Nigel Benn became a household name in the UK following back-to-back stadium battles with Chris Eubank Jr.

Whether you believe each or both fighters are not the real deal, it’s hard to deny the star power they possess. A world title being on the line is a bonus rather than the main selling point.

Garcia and Benn are also well-known for not so noble reasons, each failing drug tests.

For Benn, it was clomiphene, which he failed two voluntary tests for ahead of his canceled October 2022 fight against Eubank Jr before eventually being cleared.

For Garcia, it was ostarine, which was detected in samples taken before and on the day of his April 2024 fight against Devin Haney. Garcia’s performance against Haney was his most impressive but the failed test overturned the points win to a no-contest.

Since those failed drug tests neither Garcia or Benn has looked particularly impressive but there are some who perceive the bout as a foregone conclusion.

Despite getting knocked out in seven rounds by Gervonta Davis, albeit at a 136 lbs catchweight with a ten pound rehydration clause and then being outboxed by Roland Romero at 147, people think Garcia will destroy Benn.

I think I’m in the minority when I say that Garcia vs Benn is a much closer fight than it’s billing.

On paper, there’s no way Garcia should lose to Benn. He has a much better amateur pedigree, more talented, faster hands and possibly hits harder. If ‘KingRy’ was to knock Benn out in a few rounds I wouldn’t be surprised.

However, there’s a lot of intangibles with Garcia, specifically with regards to his mindset.

This is a guy who was portraying incredibly erratic behaviour in the lead up to his contest with Haney and someone, by his own admission, suffered with severe mental health issues.

When Garcia’s on form, he’s an exceptional fighter. He’s the man who won almost every round against the tough but limited Mario Barrios to capture the WBC belt in February.

When he’s off, he’s the guy who was dropped by Romero in the second round and then couldn’t pull the trigger in the following ten.

Whatever your opinion is on Benn, you can’t doubt the 29-year-old’s mentality.

Benn’s profile took a villainous turn after he left Matchroom and Eddie Hearn to sign a contract with Zuffa Boxing and Dana White.

Some believe Benn handled the situation in an immoral way by not sitting down with his former promoter who reportedly did financial favours for him before he decided to jump ship.

Regardless, from the outside looking in, Benn seems to be mentally stronger than Garcia which could manifest in a victory against someone he shouldn’t be able to beat.

Furthermore, neither Garcia nor Benn currently possess an outstanding resume that suggests one is a much superior boxer to the other.

Garcia’s best wins are a knockout victory over former Olympic gold medallist Luke Campbell, a points win over Haney which was overturned to a no contest and the victory over Barrios.

Meanwhile, Benn boasts triumphs over former world champions, Chris Algieri and Regis Prograis who were both well past their best, and a weight drained, ill-looking version of Chris Eubank Jr.

Indeed, Garcia possesses the better wins, but there arguably isn’t an official victory on his resume to suggest he is several levels above Benn.

If the decision over Haney happened without controversy, that would be it, yet the circumstances surrounding that performance reduce credibility.

The first press conference was unsurprisingly entertaining, but again, there was proof Garcia can be rattled, even by someone as hot-headed as Benn, who speaks better Spanish than the Mexican-blooded Garcia.

Skill-wise, Garcia’s left hook is better than any of Benn’s punches and is probably better at throwing combinations, although the right hand was Garcia’s money shot against Barrios.

Benn can be incredibly wild with his shots, but arguably possesses better head movement than Garcia and has yet to be knocked out.

Neither fighter is a defensive wizard and in the early rounds, the bout will likely be a shootout. Both will be able to land and it might come down to whoever can take each other’s power.

Despite Garcia’s amateur pedigree, he barely uses the jab, meaning he and Benn will mostly swing power punches, unless either opts for a more conservative approach.

It’s possible the fight will become attritional, which might favour the more determined Benn over twelve rounds. Then again, if Garcia is on point, he could exploit Benn’s lack of boxing skills and cruise to a decision.

To sum it up, Garcia is the rightful favourite over Benn and the bookmakers see it this way, but the bout might be more competitive than the boxing fraternity expects.

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If recent reports hold true the British heavyweight superfight featuring Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury will take place in America, robbing UK fans of the opportunity to watch the fight on home soil at a reasonable time.

Despite being one of the biggest British fights of all time, Joshua vs Fury will seemingly prioritise the viewership of American fans on Netflix by potentially happening at Madison Square Garden, New York.

Nothing is confirmed but hopes of a Wembley showdown between the two former heavyweight champions appear bleak.

When talks first happened for Joshua-Fury several years ago, it was inconceivable that a British fight of such magnitude would not take place in Britain, but times have changed with Turki Alalshikh pulling the strings.

It’s not all doom and gloom because without the Saudi elite being involved in boxing we arguably would never see Fury fight Joshua or many other blockbuster showdowns over the last few years.

However, with millions upon millions on the table and both fighters well past their peak it’s certainly in everyone’s interest for one humungous last cashout.

You only need to look at the performance of Joshua and Fury to know their stocks are on a downward trend and promoters must seize the opportunity to put them in the ring before they produce more headscratching performances or lose.

AJ came extremely close to flushing the Fury fight down the toilet against Kristian Prenga in Jeddah a couple of weeks ago when he was dropped twice in the first round.

Prenga, an obscure Albanian whose best win on paper was against Joey Dawejko, had no trouble landing on Joshua who looked like he was boxing on ice skates.

Joshua, to his credit, didn’t look overly concerned when getting dropped, but it’s fair to assume the rest of the boxing elite were biting their fingernails, trying to figure out how such an astronomical payday could flutter away again.

Fury fought the night before against an ancient Marius Wach in Thailand and The Gypsy King must have been gobsmacked as he watched his rival crumble to the canvas.

Then again, if Fury was apprehensive at all of finally facing AJ, watching him get floored by Prenga must have instilled some confidence.

Indeed, what was meant to be an emphatic, easy victory for AJ turned into a nightmare which he escaped in the second round by finding the power punches to knock Prenga out.

The power tends to be the last thing to go and Joshua proved that.

However, Fury’s performance against Wach wasn’t much better. The fact it wasn’t broadcast live, suggests The Gypsy King knew he would face criticism.

There’s an eight minute highlight video of Fury-Wach and that clip alone is enough to exploit how far the Lancashire native has fallen since the Arslanbek Makhmudov bout three months prior.

If a 46-year-old version of Wach can land a flush right hand on your chin, a 36-year-old version of AJ can do the same.

Fury managed to score a seventh-round stoppage but Joshua must have seen further cracks he can exploit.

In a nutshell, we have two British icons who are both past their best, possibly fighting on foreign soil.

It’s a far cry from what British boxing fans expected when they were two of the best heavyweights in the world and once held all four world title belts between them.

There was a period from February 2020 and September 2021 when Joshua-Fury could have fought for the undisputed heavyweight championship.

Why didn’t that happen? Why are we set to see the watered-down version instead?

Of course, it’s better for AJ-Fury to happen late rather than never.

Amir Khan vs Kell Brook happened way too late, but it was an exciting spectacle and took place on UK soil in Manchester.

At the time of writing, the main consolation besides Fury-Joshua actually occurring is the high chance of drama.

Fury’s feet are not what they once were. Prime Gypsy King used to move around the ring like a middleweight. Now he’s more stationary and more hittable.

Joshua has never had a granite chin yet his punch resistance appears to have regressed further, so there’s an even greater chance of him being dropped or knocked out.

Still, both men have not lost heart and in a fight with bragging rights on the line and the unofficial perception that whoever wins was the better boxer all along, it could be entertaining.

Albeit If you’re a UK fan willing to stay up for it, wake up for it or record it and watch it in the morning.

We can only hope the boxing elite are playing with smoke and mirrors.

It would be a relief if we have an announcement this week that sense has prevailed and Joshua-Fury will happen at Wembley Stadium at a peak viewership time at 10pm on a Saturday.

That’s not too much to ask from the average UK boxing fan who has likely paid for PPV on a few occasions to watch Joshua and Fury, least gone down their local boozer to watch them on a big screen or attended shows at venues in the UK like the O2 Arena, Wembley, or the Co-op Live in Manchester.

Few will complain if the superfight happens on Netflix though, due to so many people already having a membership.

Netflix, without a doubt, is a step in the right direction for boxing. With the cost of living crisis, PPV feels expensive and out-of-date. It feels right to maximise viewership and grow the sport without having to pay extra all the time.

To conclude, we are yet to have an official announcement for Joshua vs Fury.

There’s no guarantee the fight will happen at all let alone in the states.

One thing is for sure - time is running out if promoters want to stick to their proposed November date so hopefully more details will emerge in the coming week.

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Murphy is coming off a first-round knockout loss to Josh Holmes on the undercard of Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin in March, live on DAZN.

However, the 25-year-old was involved in two barnstormers against Khaleel Majid and Aqib Fiaz last year, also on DAZN, and hopes an emphatic win against Phillips will lead to further appearances on stacked cards.

Dan D’Alessio: Okay, Boxing Fanatics! I’m delighted to be joined by Mr. Alex Murphy. Alex, as always, thank you for giving me some of your time. Yeah, let’s get straight into it. September 12th, you’re back in the ring. Brian Phillips, challenging for the Central Area Super Featherweight title. New fight, another big opportunity for yourself. Yeah, talk to me about this one.

Alex Murphy: Yeah, buzzing with it, mate. Obviously, you know, new weight for me, something I had talked about with my team before that last fight. And obviously, yeah, it’s a good opportunity for the Central Area title, getting another title fight, you know, off the back of that last one. So, yeah, really happy with it, mate, and I’m looking forward to it.

Dan D’Alessio: I think one of the most interesting things about this move is the move down to 130. You’ve always fought at 135 and you’ve obviously been up at 140 as well. What’s the rationale, the reasoning behind going down to 130?

Alex Murphy: Just how easy I made 135, to be honest. I deal in kilos more. So, obviously, lightweight is 61.2 kilos. And then in the last fight, in the morning of the weigh-in, I woke up naturally at 60.6 or under.

I didn’t do any hot baths or sweat sessions or anything like that. That was just from dropping my food and just sort of made that weight natural. So, before the Josh fight, I had spoke with my manager and with my coach and sort of said, like, after this fight, we’ll probably look at going down.

The fight’s been and gone and I’ve still decided that that’ll be best. Going down to super feather, I spoke, with my nutritionist, Pete Bell. He thinks I can make it comfortable and I believe I can as well. So we just think we may as well give myself the biggest advantage. I was a big lightweight, but I’m going to be a huge super featherweight. So I’m excited, mate.

Dan D’Alessio: That’s what I’m thinking. I’ve met you in person. I’m thinking 130, that’s quite a light weight because you’re around 5’10, aren’t you? You’re not a short guy. So you’re going to be pretty big at that weight, to be fair.

It’s probably a bit dependent on what happens against Phillips, but can you kind of see yourself staying at this weight if all goes well?

Alex Murphy: If I perform well and I’m happy at the weight, then, yeah, I’ll definitely stay. We were meant to be having a fight on the 4th of July over in Spain just to test the weight, but then the show got cancelled, so I didn’t get that opportunity to test the weight.

So, I mean, suppose you could say we are taking a little bit of a risk at a weight that I’ve never boxed at before. But there’s only one way to find out, isn’t there? So, you know, hopefully, mate, yeah, I’ll get in there. I’ll feel great. Rehydrating day before weighing and it won’t be a problem. And then, yeah, like I say, if I perform well, then that’ll be the weight that I’ll stay at.

Dan D’Alessio: We’ve spoken previously about punching power. Do you think it’s fair to say that at 130, maybe pound for pound, you’ll probably hit harder at that weight and that might make you a bit more dangerous at 130 compared to maybe 135, 140?

Alex Murphy: Yeah, I think so. The opponents at that weight will be used to smaller opposition. And don’t forget I’ve competed at 140 and fought against Majeed, who’s a big 140. So I think there’ll be a big difference from, like, me coming down from 140 to 130 compared to people who have boxed at 130 naturally. So yeah, it should be interesting.

Dan D’Alessio: Let’s talk a little bit about Phillips. So he’s 13-5 and he’s coming off a good win over James Francis. But I think what’s interesting here is that you will be the B-side for this fight. Phillips is obviously from Liverpool and the fight is in Liverpool.

How important is it for you to win in a dominant fashion? Because he’s going to have the crowd behind him being from Liverpool. What are your thoughts on being the away fighter?

Alex Murphy: It’s very important that it’s a dominant performance. Going into his backyard, fighting the champion in his hometown. So I need to put on a big performance and a good display. But it’s something that I’m confident I can do and something that I’m sure I will do. I’m looking forward to it.

Being the away fighter doesn’t faze me. I’d rather that. There’s not as much pressure on me. There’s more pressure on him. So, yeah, I’ll just turn up, do my thing and I’m sure I’ll get the win.

Dan D’Alessio: Do you feel any added pressure? Because the last few fights, been mixed. You’ve had some good opportunities on big platforms. You had two brilliant fights against Majid and Fiaz. The last fight, it went as it went. Do you feel pressure coming off the Holmes fight?

Alex Murphy: No, mate, I wouldn’t say so, no, because people, I think, three losses, getting stopped in the first round that last fight, people have probably wrote me off now. You know what I mean? There’s no high expectations. So in my opinion, mate, there’s no pressure at all. And, I think that’ll help. I mean, I deal with pressure quite well. So even if there was pressure, I wouldn’t be fazed by it.

I don’t think there will, there will be any pressure, but it is an interesting fight, mate, because I don’t think there’s much pressure on, on Brian either. He has lost five and, I suppose the only pressure he’s got is it’s in Liverpool.

Like you say, I love the home crowd. But in terms of myself, there’s no pressure whatsoever. I’m fighting away from home and I’m coming off a loss in the first round. So it’s like, what’s there to expect?

It’s down to me to prove everyone wrong and I’m sure I will. It’s nice going in there without any pressure. It just psychs me up a little bit more because I’m ready to prove myself again.

Dan D’Alessio: Let’s talk a little bit about the Josh Holmes fight. So that was a hell of a first round. You’ve caught him very well. He’s buckled, he’s hurt. Then you’ve kind of gone for him but he’s recovered and then he’s caught you. What’s your reflection on that fight now that time has passed?

Alex Murphy: Just unfortunate, mate. First time really nailing someone and then I I’ve just sort of rushed in and completely forgot he can punch back. I’m just thinking, right, I’ve got him, let’s get him out of there.

More credit to him. He’s caught me with a cracking shot and I’ve done well to get up from it. I’ve shown a lot of heart in there, getting up from that big left hook.

I did try hold on and he managed to get out of the clinch pretty early and then rather than holding on again, I’ve just stood there and tried throwing with him. Too much heart, mate, too much ego. And then he’s obviously clipped me again and again.

But I got up again. I was never going to stay down. The refs waved it off. Right decision. I would have liked to continue, watching it back but I can see why the ref waved it off. I stumbled a little bit when I got up. So there’s no complaints.

It’s just a shame, catching him with that shot. He was hurt first. But listen, boxing’s a cruel sport, so there’s nothing I can do other than learn from that. I would have definitely learned from it and I now know I’ve got the power to hurt someone.

I think at a lower weight, I can showcase that a lot more. I’ve now got the experience of when I hurt someone so I don’t have to rush in there. I can just take my time, relax. It’s happened now and I’ll just learn from it.

The Josh fight, it is what it is. I’ve not come away from it disheartened. I’ve come away gutted. But, you know, it’s just one of them things that I’m going to learn from. I’m going to improve and we go again.

Dan D’Alessio: In a way, do you reckon that you hurting him initially was like almost... I don’t know, like a little bit of a curse? I don’t know, maybe you surprised yourself?

You hurt him and you thought, oh my God, I’m going to get a first round knockout against a very talented fighter. And then it’s kind of like you said, boxing is so cruel. Yeah, was it kind of a curse in the end? Would it have been better if the first round was maybe a bit more tentative? Then you go into the middle rounds where you’ve shown you’ve had a very good work there and later on in fights?

Alex Murphy: Yeah, I think so. I said to everyone that that was probably the worst round I could have hurt him in. If I could have done that in the sixth or seventh round, he might not have recovered as quick. He might not have recovered at all.

It was a shame that happened in the first round when he was fresh. His recovery was great, to be fair to him. I think that just shows how fit he was. Like I say, it’s a credit to him. But yeah, it would have been nicer if it was a little bit later on in the fight.

He could have been a bit more tired and that’s where my fitness would come into it. But listen, it’s all ifs, buts and maybes, isn’t it? What happened, happened. And, you know, I’ve got to deal with that and push on and I will do.

Dan D’Alessio: Well, you seem in good spirits. It doesn’t seem to have affected you. Tell me what the aftermath of that loss was like. You touched on it previously. You said that people perhaps are doubting you a little bit.

You probably surprised a lot of people in the Majid and the Fiaz fight. Especially the Majid fight, was a brilliant fight. The Fiat fight, you thought you won and a lot of people thought you won that fight as well. What’s been the aftermath of the Holmes fight?

Boxing is a very cruel sport. Do you feel like your stock has gone down after that fight? What’s been the aftermath from people around you?

Alex Murphy: You look at the Majid and Fiaz fights. My stock definitely rose from that. Regarding the Josh fight, I would say my stock has gone down, but at the same time, I’ve had three defeats.

All three fights have been extremely entertaining. Although the Josh fight only lasted a round, what a round it was. I’ve still entertained on the big stage. No matter what people say about me, you can’t say that I don’t entertain.

If anything, people want to tune in to me to watch me, you know, regardless of what happens. I’m an exciting fighter. I’m happy with it all. I’m fine with it. I’m not down in the dumps or feeling sorry for myself about it.

It’s just up to me now to rebuild and go again and just keep pushing. On the 12th of September, I’ve got another shot to do that.

Dan D’Alessio: It’s true. The three fights that were three quote on quote big fights, they’ve all been entertaining. Have you made any changes following that loss? Camp-wise, has there been anything that you’ve changed in your setup since that fight?

Is there anything you want to work on or from previous fights or anything you’re doing differently, in camp off the back of that last performance?

Alex Murphy: Nothing drastically has changed. The stuff me and Brian are working on has been tweaked and adjusted, including the weaknesses of mine and the strengths - the stuff we’re focusing on that have come from that last fight.

With my strength work, I’m doing that as much as I can. I’m still doing strength training four times a week and I’m building on that. I think that’s playing a massive part. It’s helping me a lot. I think the Josh fight proved that.

I’ve just kept on top of that since the fight. But yeah, my training has adjusted a little bit. If anything, I was doing a bit of overtraining. I was boxing in the morning doing strength in the afternoon and I was boxing at night.

Now I’m boxing in the morning and I’m doing my strength in the afternoon. I’m taking my recovery a little bit more serious and I think that’s helping me massively. I’m feeling miles better in training.

There’s always going to be things you’re going to tweak and that’s why I think although that last fight was a loss, it’s a blessing as well because you change stuff. Sometimes, you win a fight, everything’s perfect and you don’t look at what you can change. When you lose straight away, you look at what can be adjusted and that’s exactly what we’ve done.

Dan D’Alessio: I think the beauty of boxing is that you’re always one win away from being thrown back into the the big picture. If you go and win that Central Area title, all of a sudden, you’re in line for another big shot like another appearance on a big card.

There’s always titles on the line on big cards, Have you got that in your mind? I know you’re not overlooking Phillips and stuff, but do you have that in your mind that like If I win this fight, then my stock’s back up again. If I win in good fashion, my stock is back up again, like where it was previously?

Alex Murphy: Yeah, definitely. Central Area title, you win that and you then look at the English. You win the English and then look at the British. It’s little stepping stones like that, so that’s why I’m glad I’ve got this Central Area title fight.

You win that title and then it puts you back into the picture. Then you’re back on the big shows, you’re back on the big stages, on the TV and, I’m literally one fight away from that.

It’s a great fight. I need to go and win and put myself back on the big scene again.

Dan D’Alessio: Is there any sparring history with Phillips? I know he’s from Liverpool. My geography is not the best, but it’s not a million miles away from Manchester.

Alex Murphy: No, nothing. I didn’t know who he was until the fight got put to me. It was funny. My manager rang me about it and I said, oh, I don’t know who it is. I said, let me put him on YouTube. So I’ve never come across him.

There’s a few people I’m sparring at the moment who have done quite a bit of sparring with him in the past.

Dan D’Alessio: You’re 25 now. It’s fair to say the last couple of years has been up and down, but you’ve had some big opportunities. How do you kind of sum up the last couple of years?

You know, taking into account the Majid fight, the Fiaz fight, the Holmes fight, the appearances on DAZN and Black Flash promotions as well. The last two years have been quite lively…

Alex Murphy: Yeah, a bit of a rollercoaster. Looking at the Majid and Fiaz fights even though I lost, my stock rose. I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve loved it. No regrets whatsoever.

Even the Fiaz fight, stepping in at 12 days notice, no regrets at all. I’ve loved every minute of it and I still love it. I love the training, I love the fighting, the preparation, like everything about it, I enjoy. So it’s been a great two years.

Some people might look at it and see three defeats and must think, oh yeah, he’s not had a good two years, but I’ve loved every minute of it and I’m still enjoying it now. Another two years to come and no more losses would be nice.

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It feels like an eternity since Canelo Alvarez first burst onto the boxing scene as the next Mexican superstar.

Canelo has been a professional for over 20 years, making his debut as a 15-year-old in October 2005 against Abraham Gonzalez and winning a fourth-round stoppage.

To say the Guadalajara native has had a successful career would be an understatement, considering the multiple world titles won in four weight categories and the millions earned as the proclaimed ‘face of boxing.’

However, you only need to look at Canelo’s last few fights to realise he is approaching the end of his profession, slowly but surely displaying the signs of decline.

Now 36, Canelo is part of the Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Terence Crawford generation - a phenomenal era for the sweet science, albeit one readying itself for a new batch of fighters to take over.

The Mexican’s loss to Crawford last September was perceivably painful, particularly because he was overcome by a naturally smaller and older contemporary. There was no passing of the torch, just one fighter proving his pound-for-pound superiority.

Canelo was able to deter the challenges of younger opponents like Jaime Munguia, Edgar Berlanga and William Scull in bouts prior, but these wins have aged like sour milk.

Scull survived twelve rounds against Canelo in possibly one of the most soporific fights of all time before getting knocked out by Jacob Bank straight after.

Berlanga was destroyed by Hamzah Sheeraz in five rounds before being dropped by Steven Butler last month.

Munguia was knocked out by Bruno Surace, won the rematch on points and tested positive for a banned substance before being cleared of any wrongdoing.

Therefore, when you look at Canelo’s performances against Munguia, Berlanga and Scull, it’s probably not a coincidence he was soundly beaten by a generational talent in Crawford who then retired immediately.

Indeed, the decline of Canelo didn’t suddenly appear in the Crawford bout - it’s been noticeable for a few years, posing the question on how long the Mexican can continue before father time fully wraps his arms around him.

Well, on October 31 in Riyadh, we will have further answers when Canelo fights Christian Mbilli for the WBC Super Middleweight Championship.

Mbilli is coming off a draw with Lester Martinez yet the 31-year-old is arguably one of Canelo’s toughest opponents on paper in recent years. The Frenchman can punch and possesses the work rate to trouble an aging and ever stationary Canelo.

Canelo’s longevity is largely dependent on what happens with Mbilli. One element of the Mexican’s game which appears unchanged is his chin. No one has managed to officially floor Canelo, including Crawford who landed plenty of flush punches.

After almost seventy professional bouts it’s not impossible for Canelo’s punch resistance to finally show signs of decline though and any deterioration which manifests in the Mbilli contest could be an indication of retirement plans.

With Canelo still being an enormous cash cow, some would argue Mbilli needs to hurt the Mexican to have any chance of emerging victorious via stoppage or decision.

Promoters and sanctioning bodies certainly won’t complain if Canelo becomes a world champion again, due to his superior star power to Mbilli.

Besides, there has been consistent talk for a future fight between Canelo and current WBO Champion Sheeraz, which would be more sellable as a unification contest.

Sheeraz struggled with Simon Zachenhuber a couple weeks ago but the Brit is favoured by the Saudi elite and at the age of 27, is also touted as a future star in boxing.

Canelo vs Sheeraz would be the classic passing of the torch and it’s up to Mbilli to spoil the party.

There’s no reported rematch clause for Canelo-Mbilli but it’s difficult to imagine the four-division champion not opting for another crack at the whip if he loses in a close encounter.

In a recent interview with CBS Mornings, Canelo expressed how he will know when it’s time to retire, stating there are other things for him to accomplish outside of boxing.

Whether that time comes this year or the next, the Mexican will already be remembered as a hall-of-famer and potentially an all-time great, who, at the time of writing only suffered losses to elite fighters such as Floyd Mayweather, Dmitry Bivol and Crawford, in addition to sharing legendary contests with Gennady Golovkin.

Furthermore, Canelo’s run to become the first undisputed super middleweight champion in history when beating Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders and Caleb Plant was one of the most impressive spells of his distinguished career.

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November 25th, 2022 - That was the first time I went to a boxing event as ‘press’ to watch Harlem Eubank box Tom Farrell at York Hall. 

I’ll never forget the first feeling of accreditation. I qualified for a media pass because I conducted an interview with Farrell over Zoom in the build up. 

Farrell was at the latter stages of his career but believed he could cause Eubank problems, as he deemed the cousin of Chris Eubank Jr as inexperienced and never previously facing an opponent of his calibre.

Despite rocking Eubank with a big right hand in the fourth round in an entertaining high-action contest, Farrell was mostly overmatched which resulted in him losing a ten-round unanimous decision.

The crowd erupted as the referee raised Eubank’s hand, cementing one of the best wins of his career at that point, especially considering he only started boxing when he was 18.

I’ve been to York Hall a few times since then and I still think it's a fantastic place to watch boxing. 

It’s rough, with a palpable east end vibe, but there’s hardly a bad seat in the house when it comes to actually seeing and hearing the punches land before your eyes. 

By comparison, I remember attending Wembley Stadium with my father to watch Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte. We had seats in row Z somewhere and I wish I brought my binoculars.

It’s worth experiencing fight night at a stadium. The atmosphere and theatrics are pretty incredible but unless you have ringside seats you might spend your time looking at the large electronic screen rather than the ring. 

The media section on the night of Eubank-Farrell wasn’t right next to the ring yet was close enough to see the crookedness of the boxer's noses. 

That’s one thing I noticed when watching boxing live - most of the boxers' noses are mashed, usually with a clear bend in the middle from all the shifted punches. 

You can hear the impact. You might not fully appreciate what you're watching on a screen. When you’re somewhat close you can feel the power and you also start to notice the skill involved, including the feints, the head movement, the thought behind every manoeuvre . 

It was on this same night I witnessed current British Super Welterweight Champion Bilal Fawaz suffer the only loss of his professional career to a man named Ayoub Zakari - an obscure fighter who was undefeated as well at the time. 

Me and a few others from the boxing media section were stunned as Fawaz, the proverbial a-side, struggled to contain Zakari, resulting in the away fighter being awarded a four-round decision. 

I got the chance to interview Zakari after his upset victory.

You can watch it here:

'We start work again on Monday' - Ayoub Zakari on his upset victory against Bilal Fawaz at York Hall

I was impressed with what I saw from Zakari. I thought he had potential. Three years later, the Spaniard went down the journeyman route with a record of 5-8-1, notably getting stopped by Anthony Crolla’s brother William Crolla in February 2025 and hasn’t fought since. 

Meanwhile, Fawaz escaped the boxing wilderness, signed to Matchroom and is coming off an impressive ninth round stoppage win over Ryan Kelly in May. 

Boxing, eh? One fighter bounced back. The other spiralled in the opposite direction. 

I’ll never forget what one of the other boxing media guys said during the night: ‘It’s a dog eat dog world’. 

He was referring to how some reporters are willing to jump fences and push in lines to land an interview with a big-name boxer. 

I guess the same can be said for boxers competing against each other and their promoters who are not as loyal to their fighters as they make out and vice versa.

It’s business. Promoters are there to make money and fighters are there to make money too. When a boxer stops being a cash cow he gets dropped like a bad habit. When a fighter has the opportunity to earn more with another promoter, they often jump ship - the amount of fighters signing with Zuffa is the perfect example.

Anyway, since that breakthrough night at York Hall, Harlem Eubank steadily increased his stock, managing to land a headline bout against Jack Catterall which ended with an anti climactic technical decision loss.

And last weekend, Eubank was dropped three times before suffering a unanimous point loss to David Papot.

It’s possible Eubank has found his ceiling but he’s still come a long way since that contest with Farrell which deserves respect. 

Neither Harlem nor Chris Eubank Jr have reached the level of Chris Eubank Sr, yet that was never going to be an easy feat for two guys who started boxing late. 

Liam Williams was on the undercard of Eubank-Farrell. That must have been a tad awkward considering Eubank Jr,  Harlem’s cousin, humiliated Williams in his home country of Wales the fight prior.

Whatever demons Williams had were exorcised on Nizar Trimech, stopping the Frenchman in two rounds. 

It’s fascinating to think about how much boxing has changed since that night at York Hall. 

The Turki Alalshikh takeover hadn’t begun. Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren weren’t best friends. The Middle East wasn’t the mecha of boxing. Different times.

Whatever happens in the future, I hope York Hall remains a boxing venue. That night taught me it’s not just a place where fighters are hoping to break through but where green journalists get their first ringside experience. 

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As Anthony Joshua ramps up preparation for his comeback fight against Kristian Prenga next Saturday, prodigy Moses Itauma is getting ready for the toughest opponent of his career in Filip Hrgovic next month.

Joshua and Itauma are two boxers at polar opposite ends of their careers. AJ, 36, is at the latter stages after becoming a two-time unified world heavyweight champion. Itauma, 21, remains in the elementary phases despite being lined up for a world title shot.

Both of Nigerian descent, there are similarities between the two Brits, even if stylistically different with one becoming an Olympic gold medallist and the other opting to turn professional as a teenager.

Itauma, from a hype point of view, is what Joshua was thirteen years ago - a young heavyweight knocking everyone out while being touted to become the next superstar.

Looking back, the mannerisms of AJ and Itauma are comparable. Both aren’t trash talkers and appear to spew the politically correct sentences in a monotone voice across the majority of interviews, selling themselves inside rather than outside the ring.

Unlike AJ though, Itauma’s boxing journey began as a child which is why there’s no comparison between the fluidity displayed by both in the square circle.

Joshua, who started boxing at 18, is textbook. He fights in a way that has been rehearsed countless times, almost robotic. Itauma, in contrast, epitomizes flair. His knockout punch is a lottery - a shot you don’t see coming like the highlight reel left uppercut he landed on Jermaine Franklin Jr in March.

Of course, flashiness and punching power are not sole predictors of future success. As AJ found out when he stepped up to elite level, stamina, chin and boxing IQ are crucial - three attributes difficult to fully rank Itauma on because he hasn’t been tested well enough.

Hrgovic, the boxing fraternity hopes, is the man who will uncover more about Itauma in the same way Dillian Whyte revealed chinks in Joshua’s armour eleven years ago when AJ was famously caught with a big left hook in the second round before stopping his British rival in the seventh.

Joshua vs Itauma - a comparison of their first 14 fights

In the fourteenth pro fight of Joshua’s career he stopped Gary Cornish in the first round to capture the Commonwealth Boxing Council and WBC International Titles whereas Itauma is coming off a fifth round knockout victory over Franklin.

There’s no denying Franklin was a better opponent than Cornish, who despite being unbeaten at the time, failed to win a British title before retiring in 2018.

Hrgovic will be the fifteenth opponent of Itauma’s career, whereas Joshua fought Whyte. Whyte was undefeated when clashing with AJ but again, it’s fair to say, Hrgovic, who only has one loss on his record and an Olympic bronze medalist, is a tougher challenge on paper.

There’s a narrative Itauma is being moved on with caution, yet objectively-speaking he has faced a better level of opposition than Joshua did when he was at the same stage of his career.

This doesn’t necessarily mean Itauma will have a superior career to AJ, although it perhaps shows his ceiling is higher. Then again, you only need to look at Mike Tyson’s career to see how you can peak early, become the youngest heavyweight champion of all time at the age of 20 before suffering several losses later on in your career.

When Itauma made his debut there was talk of him beating Tyson’s record, but Frank Warren has gone for the measured approach, building his future cash cow instead of flinging him in for a world title shot straightaway.

Joshua became a world champion in his sixteenth fight by destroying Charles Martin in two rounds and it will be interesting to see whether Itauma does the same if he can overcome Hrgovic without too much trouble.

With Oleksandr Usyk relinquishing the world titles, the heavyweight division is wide open, with rumours the IBF strap will be on the line for Itauma-Hrgovic. Otherwise, Itauma might have to face Frank Sanchez thereafter.

How do Joshua and Itauma compare commercially?

It’s no secret Joshua was able to tap into the casual audience with his exciting style but also his perceived attractiveness, leading to a plethora of commercial opportunities outside the ring.

Joshua, until this day, is one of the most famous boxers in the world, irrespective of not being a world champion since losing back-to-back fights against Usyk in 2021 and 2022.

He’s also one of the richest with a net worth of $150 million, according to an article by Sports Illustrated published in December 2025.

From the outside looking in, Itauma doesn’t appear to have the same commercial pull as AJ had or still has. However, this could change, especially if Itauma is able to exert more dominance over the heavyweight division and become undisputed, something Joshua couldn’t do.

Besides, Itauma has already fought twice on PPV, which implies there is already a massive appetite for UK fans to watch him fight.

Hrgovic will be the third PPV fight in a row and if Itauma wins in devastating fashion, his stock could rise to another level.

One thing AJ couldn’t do is fully crack the American market after suffering a shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019, despite somewhat replenishing his reputation in the US by stopping Jake Paul in six rounds.

If Itauma becomes world champion in America or goes on to successfully defend a belt there, he could explode on a global scale. The US is not the mecha of boxing it once was, but still contains a huge number of fans seemingly willing to pay extortionate PPV prices.

Who entered a tougher era of heavyweights?

When Joshua made his debut in 2013, the heavyweight division was dominated by Wladimir Klitschko.

This was before Dr Steelhammer was dethroned by Tyson Fury and the likes of Deontay Wilder and Joseph Parker picked up world titles.

Joshua’s emergence arguably kickstarted the start of a golden era where no world champion appeared invincible.

Usyk turned over to the pro ranks as a cruiserweight one month after Joshua’s debut and it wouldn’t be until 2019 when the Ukrainian made the step up to heavyweight and eventually became undisputed.

It was an era with Andy Ruiz, Alexander Povetkin, Kubrat Pulev, Dereck Chisora, Whyte and many others.

As for Itauma, he enters an era where the previous top dogs are approaching the end, including Joshua, Usyk and Fury.

However, there are heavyweights who are in their prime such as current WBC Champion Agit Kabayel, WBO Champion Daniel Dubois and Fabio Wardley, in addition to prospects like Bakhodir Jalolov and Leo Atang.

From the eye test, many would pick Itauma to beat all the current world champions, including Murat Gassiev who was recently crowned WBA Champion.

It seems likely Itauma will have to beat someone better than Charles Martin to become world champion though, whether that ends up as Hrgovic or Frank Sanchez.

Overall, Itauma appears to have greater potential than AJ in a boxing ring but time will tell whether he reaches the heights expected of him.

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In case you haven’t heard, Carl Froch knocked out George Groves in front of 80,000 fans at Wembley Stadium over twelve years ago to end one of the most thrilling British boxing rivalries of all time.

Froch retired after setting the record straight against Groves, yet he must have mentioned the outcome of the fight on dozens of public occasions.

I remember seeing a video with Froch and Floyd Mayweather Jr when he shamelessly asked the American hall-of-famer if he had watched the fight and it’s fair to say The Cobra has continued to make a good living with his cocky charm on YouTube, giving his brutally honest opinion on all fighters.

The Froch-Groves saga is one of my earliest memories of following the sweet science and it was probably a time when many people in the UK began watching the sport, especially as Anthony Joshua was in the early stages of his career and was knocking everyone out.

Joshua, of course, fought on the undercard of Froch vs Groves 2, demolishing Matt Legg in one round in what could only be described as a memorable night.

The irony is Froch has been super critical of AJ in recent years, despite both being part of a golden era in British boxing with the emergence of Eddie Hearn and Matchroom on Sky Sports.

Anyway, the storyline for the Froch-Groves rematch couldn’t have been better. Controversy, as is often the case in boxing, was a major building block.

Groves was unbeaten before facing Froch the first time but wasn’t expected to be much of a challenge.

Yes, he was mandatory challenger for the IBF Super Middleweight title and had a win over arch nemesis James Degale, yet was mostly unproven and the bookies listed Froch as an enormous favourite.

Even Groves’ ability to get in Froch’s head in the pre-fight build-up wasn’t enough to convince the majority he had a chance of winning.

In a nutshell, it turned out to be an ultra competitive bout with Groves dropping the ever-durable Froch in the first round with a wicked right-hand and appearing to win the majority of the rounds before the dramatic moment in the ninth when referee Howard Foster famously jumped in to stop the contest.

Was it one of the worst stoppages in British history? Possibly.

However, this set the scene for an intriguing rematch, where Groves had the chance to inflict justice and prove he should have become a world champion in November 2013 rather than 2017.

Something changed in the build-up to the rematch though. All of a sudden it seemed like Groves was the one getting wound up by Froch, comedically having a ‘push and a pull’ at their face off and almost falling over the table.

Regardless, there was an air of unpredictability which is what makes boxing so exciting. The feeling of not knowing what’s going to happen when two men fight in the ring is so addictive.

The nerves before a big fight makes you feel like you’re able to go under the bright lights and start swinging punches.

Apparently the fans weren’t the only ones feeling jittery though because unlike Froch-Groves 1, the rematch was fairly uneventful at the beginning.

It’s like both men hated each other so much at that point, that they didn’t want to risk any mistakes.

If my memory serves me right, I watched the rematch in a Student Union bar at university and it was pretty anti-climactic.

Some fights are so uneventful you don’t know who is winning and part of you doesn’t really care - for seven rounds that was the case for Froch-Groves 2.

This all changed in the eighth when Froch threw a left hook followed by a mega right hand which left Groves sprawled on the canvas. It was an emphatic end to an emphatic rivalry and most importantly, it was conclusive.

Whatever your opinion of the first fight, Froch set the record straight in the second and he did it with a bang, retaining the IBF Super Middleweight and WBA Regular World title in the process.

I guess that’s another beautiful part of the sweet science. You can watch a fight for several rounds and it’s like watching paint dry. Then, boom! Someone gets knocked out and that’s the main thing you remember.

It’s easy to have rose-tinted glasses and say ‘those were the days’ but it’s difficult to deny what an exciting period that was for British boxing.

I’m not surprised I was even more hooked after watching that event.

The introduction of Turki Alalshikh has undoubtedly led to some incredible fights being made and some star-studded cards, but it’s debatable as to whether British events have since suffered. On this card alone you had Joshua, James De Gale, Kevin Mitchell besides the main event of Froch-Groves 2.

With hopes of Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua finally happening, it will be interesting to where the bout takes place and what time.

There are rumours Fury-Joshua could start at 2am if staged at Wembley Stadium - a complete contrast to the Froch vs Groves rematch which began at around 10pm on Saturday night and maximised viewership across the UK.

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Oleksandr Usyk is reportedly in negotiations to face Deontay Wilder next just days after he relinquished all his world titles and hinted towards the finale of an all-time great boxing career.

Usyk (25-0, 16 KOs), a three-time undisputed champion, has seemingly agreed that father time is undefeated and facing former WBC titlist Wilder (45-4-1, 43 KOs) is the low-risk high-reward bout he needs to sail off into the sunset with a massive payday and all his faculties in tact.

Now 39, the Ukrainian was the ultimate champion for the majority of his career, capturing world titles in opponents’ backyard and always seeking the toughest available challenge, resulting in back-to-back victories over Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

The decision to face former kickboxing world champion Rico Verhoeven was the apparent end of Usyk fighting at the elite level in the heavyweight division, even though it almost backfired in stunning fashion and a controversial stoppage at the end of the eleventh round prevented the unthinkable upset.

Verhoeven was never meant to cause Usyk such difficulty in the same way a potential match up with Wilder is intended to be a routine win for the Ukrainian.

The difference is, Wilder is one of Usyk’s contemporaries and a name which would look impressive in years to come when the boxing fraternity debates where Usyk ranks in the all-time list of heavyweights and fighters in general.

Wilder, 40, held the WBC Heavyweight Championship for over five years and in his prime, he was possibly one of the most prolific knockout artists we have ever seen, especially with the straight hand which brought credence to being regarded a ‘one trick pony.’

Like Usyk though, Wilder is not the same boxer he was five years ago when he fought Fury in a trilogy, knocking down The Gypsy King twice in the fourth round and staying competitive until he was eventually KO’ed in the eleventh.

This version of Wilder captured a split-decision win over a 42-year-old Derek Chisora in April and the magic right hand appeared to have lost the unbelievable power it once had.

As we hope and pray Fury vs Joshua finally happens, Usyk-Wilder is another example of a bout that would have been even more intriguing when both were in their prime.

The good news for both men is Zuffa Boxing are allegedly interested in staging the contest, which means big dollars on the line.

Zuffa Boxing are seemingly offering astronomical paychecks to entice household names from the established promotional outfits and Usyk-Wilder would be a massive boost for the brand Dana White is trying to build.

And from a casual perspective, Usyk vs Wilder sells. It would be two of the biggest names from the heavyweight division battling it out and there is a sense of jeopardy.

Before the Verhoeven spectacle, many would have picked Usyk to tear Wilder apart with exceptional foot speed, work rate and punch accuracy.

Now it feels like Usyk-Wilder is less of a foregone conclusion.

What would happen if Wilder landed a big right hand on Usyk in the same way Verhoeven did?

I guess the one consolation from Usyk’s subpar performance is he was never dropped against Verhoeven, despite being caught flush several times and he ultimately came away with the victory by raising his game in the penultimate rounds, which is vintage Usyk.

Then there’s the perception that Usyk, albeit the ultimate professional, underestimated Verhoeven and if he took the former kickboxing champion seriously, he wouldn’t have struggled so much.

We really don’t know how much Usyk has regressed until his next bout, but the decision to avoid defending the WBC strap against mandatory challenger Agit Kabayel, implies he’s aware of his decline.

Still, It’s hard to imagine Wilder outboxing Usyk and claiming a decision, so The Bronze Bomber would have to become the first man to knock the Ukrainian out.

Some would argue Wilder would be the biggest puncher Usyk has ever faced, yet Daniel Dubois and Joshua are not feather fisted, and neither were able to drop or stop Oleksandr.

Prior to accepting the Verhoeven fight, Usyk said he had three bouts left, so if he sticks to his plan, there might be another contest after Wilder, but if the American is the chosen final opponent it’s no disgrace.

Boxing is littered with all-time greats who have gone on far longer than they should have, including Muhammad Ali, Roy Jones Jr and Mike Tyson.

In a sport that has increasingly become about making money rather than cementing greatness, Usyk has been the model champion.

Usyk-Wilder would not have any relevance in the grand scheme of the heavyweight division with the likes of Moses Itauma touted to rule, but there’s the potential for an entertaining dust-up and the celebration of two fighters who contributed to a captivating era of heavyweights.

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Ben Whittaker will make his American debut when he faces Richard Rivera tonight on the undercard of Xander Zayas vs Jaron Ennis and there is pressure on the Brit to produce a memorable performance live on DAZN PPV.

Whittaker (11-0-1, 8 KOs), appears rejuvenated following the link up with trainer Andy Lee and signing a promotional contract with Eddie Hearn, resulting in the best performance of his pro career in April when he destroyed Braian Nahuel Suarez in one round.

The stage is set for ‘The Surgeon’ to go viral again when he battles the hard-hitting Rivera at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York where some American fans unashamedly adore the showboating and brash nature of fighters.

However, the last time a high-profile Briton fought across the pond, there was a monumental upset.

Anthony Joshua was famously stopped by Andy Ruiz in 2019, suffering two knockdowns after flooring the Mexican American in the third round before relinquishing the unified heavyweight championship in the seventh.

Whittaker might be en route to possess the same star power as AJ but is yet to establish himself as one of the best fighters in his division, something Joshua did despite future shortcomings against Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois.

Rivera (27-2, 20 KOs) is not on the respective level of Ruiz - a former world champion brought in on six weeks notice to challenge AJ after Jarrell Miller was pulled out for failing multiple drug tests, yet the theme of jeopardy exists.

Less than two years ago, Whittaker had his toughest test on away soil when fighting a supposedly routine opponent in Liam Cameron - a fight which ended in bizarre fashion with both men tumbling over the ropes and some questioning whether Whittaker had suffered enough of an ankle injury for the contest to be halted in favour of a draw.

Whittaker removed all doubt in the Cameron rematch with a second round stoppage but there are arguably foreign soil demons the Brit will have to overcome against Rivera to suggest he can become a world champion at light heavyweight.

Lucky for Whittaker, Rivera appears to be the ideal opponent for a statement performance, with the American best known for losing a split-decision to former world champion Badou Jack four years ago and losing to little-known Luis Antonio Tejeda in 2024.

Rivera has never been knocked out but seems to possess the rudimentary style Whittaker should be able to exploit with his flashy boxing skills.

We haven’t seen much horsing around by Whittaker in his last few fights due to all of them ending within a few rounds, but tonight might be the perfect opportunity to bring out the outrageous moves which got people excited about him.

With 20 knockouts out of 27 fights though, Rivera might have the punching power to keep Whittaker honest and prevent the Brit from fooling about.

Whittaker has chosen to compete in an incredibly competitive division, currently consisting of Dmitry Bivol, Artur Beterbiev, David Benavidez as WBC champion and Callum Smith and at the time of writing, it’s hard to imagine Whittaker defeating any of the names listed, which is why a dominant display against Rivera is the minimum boxing fans will expect.

Already 29 years old, Whittaker doesn’t have time to learn his trade like a young prospect entering the pro ranks.

As an Olympic silver medallist there are justifiable questions about why the Brit has been moved at a somewhat slow pace for a fighter with much experience and perceived exceptional talent.

The upper echelon of amateurs like Vasyl Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk fought for world titles within ten fights of being professional but then you have other fighters with successful amateur careers like AJ who didn’t challenge for a world title until over a dozen bouts.

The jury’s out for Whittaker.

There’s no denying the Briton’s commercial potential. The guy has four million followers on Instagram and has the look, flashy style and name to be massive in America, potentially following in the footsteps of the legendary Pernell Whittaker.

However, from a boxing standpoint it’s difficult to predict whether he will become a world champion.

Boxing boasts a history of Olympic medallists who never reached their potential as professionals.Audley Harrison being the British example, who only managed to pick up a European Heavyweight title after clinching gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Time will tell whether Whittaker realises the success of fellow British Olympic medalists like Harrison, James De Gale, Joshua or have a career of somewhere in between.

As for Whittaker vs Rivera, the oddsmakers have the Brit as a resounding favourite.

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