BOXING fans took another gut punch following the collapse of Tyson Fury’s fight with Oleksandr Usyk.
The historic title unification would have seen all four heavyweight belts at stake for the first time in history.
Tyson Fury facing off with Oleksandr Usyk
But despite terms being agreed, talks broke down at the 11th hour amid a row over financials for a potential rematch.
It proved to be a far too familiar story with yet another blockbuster bout facing the KO.
Here, SunSport runs down five infamous tales of when fights failed to materialise.
Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua
Eerily similar, Britain’s two best had everything in place to unify the belts in Saudi Arabia in August 2021.
But Fury was contracted to a trilogy bout against Deontay Wilder, which the American forced through following a lengthy court case.
AJ instead went on to fight and lose to Usyk, who kept onto the belts in their subsequent rematch.
It set him up to replace Joshua in a fight with Fury – who had beaten Wilder again – but we have all seen the sad state of recent affairs.
Although in a shock twist, AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn hopes the collapse of talks with Usyk could see Joshua instead fight Fury next.
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have failed to fight
Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder
The year is 2019 and it is Fury looking on from the outside with Joshua and Wilder owning the WBA, IBF, WBO and WBC titles respectively.
And sports streaming service DAZN and Hearn were ready to prise Wilder over to jump ship.
He was said to have been offered a three-bout deal – including a pair of fights with AJ – worth around £80m.
But Wilder opted to reject it and stay with PBC and Showtime, going on to twice lose to Fury in their trilogy epic following their 2018 draw.
The Bronze Bomber remains on the comeback trail with a score-settling showdown with Joshua among his current options.
Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua are yet to fight
Lennox Lewis vs Vitali Klitschko II
Lewis was taken to the brink of defeat by Klitschko in their 2003 classic.
But Klitschko was pulled out in round six following a horror cut, declaring Lewis the winner.
The Ukrainian was ahead of the judges scorecards and in control of the bout, causing demand for a rematch.
Klitschko went on to defeat Kirk Johnson and become mandatory for Lewis’ WBC title.
But the British legend would later announce his retirement in 2004, causing the rematch to fall through.
Vitali Klitscchko was beaten by Lennox Lewis
Lennox Lewis vs Riddick Bowe
The heavyweight stars looked on course for a big rematch after Lewis beat Bowe in the 1988 Olympics.
But the two could never see eye to eye in the professional ranks, meaning their super-fight went to waste.
Quite literally when Bowe held a press conference in 1992 to throw his WBC belt in the bin to avoid facing Lewis.
It meant Lewis was crowned the champion by the WBC but he never got the chance to share the ring with Bowe again.
Only last year did the two appear to squash their near-four decade long feud as Bowe approached Lewis at a fight night and shook his hand.
Riddick Bowe throwing the WBC belt in the bin
Mike Tyson vs George Foreman
Foreman was on a comeback trail in the 90s while Tyson struggled to keep consistency in his career.
They even shared the same card in 1990 and looked on a collision course to clash.
But Tyson would spend three years in jail for a 1992 while Foreman became the oldest heavyweight champ in history aged 45.
But by the time Tyson was released, Foreman soon lost his titles and later admitted he never really wanted to fight Iron Mike.
He told ESPN in 2019: “If he missed you with his left, then missed you with his right, he’d bite you. I didn’t want to have anything to do with that. I didn’t want him.”
George Foreman with Mike Tyson and Sugar Ray Leonard
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 7 punches used in boxing?
Boxing uses seven punches: jab, hook, hook, uppercut and straight right. These punches will be used to attack the opponent’s head, body and legs.
How many punches does a human take to get through a round?
A punch is “a blow delivered from the fist”. Humans can only withstand one punch at a time. When someone hits you in the face, he/she is punching you. You cannot hit the person back. That would mean two punches.So, technically speaking, humans can only take one punch at a time!
What is the difference between a left hook and a right cross?
A left-hand hook is thrown on the side of a body while a lateral cross is thrown on the front.
The opponent is facing the back of the left hook. The elbow is bent 90°. The wrist is turned 45° toward opponent.
A right cross is when the opponent’s palm faces the opponent and the elbow straightens. The opponent’s wrist is rotated 45 degrees to the side.
Statistics
- This article received 39 testimonials and 89% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. (wikihow.com)
- It is just like normal sparring with a partner, but you want to throw punches at 75% of your normal speed. (wikihow.com)
External Links
en.wikipedia.org
boxandflow.com
How To
Here are some basic skills in boxing
How to box efficiently
Boxing is one the most well-known sports in the world. It is a fight between two opponents. The rules of boxing vary from country to country. In general, there are three types of boxing; Amateur, Professional and Olympic boxing.
Amateur boxing can be practiced at school or college. This form of boxing involves sparring with no protection and using padded gloves. Amateur boxing contests are usually three rounds in length, lasting five minutes each. There are many styles of amateur boxing such as Kickboxing or Muay Thai, Taekwondo and Karate, Judo and Wrestling, among others.
Boxing is typically practiced in clubs, stadiums or gyms. They use protective equipment, such as mouthpieces, nose guards, shin protectors, elbow pads knee pads, waist belts and groin protectors. Six rounds of professional boxing last four minutes each. There are several different styles of professional boxing including Boxing, MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Taekwondo and others.
Olympic boxing can be seen at the Olympics. Boxers wear special protective gear, which must conform to international standards. The competition lasts eight rounds of three minutes each. Olympic boxing is limited to two styles: Light Flyweight and Heavyweight.
These are the basic skills required to box.
- Techniques for punching
- Techniques for protecting yourself
- Footwork
- Stance
- Move your body
- Defense
- Combination
- Rotation
- Spare parts
Punching Techniques
There are seven types. Each punch has its own technique. Some punches require greater strength than others. For example, an uppercut requires great force. However, a straight punch is much more powerful and faster than other punches.
There are also many combinations. These are combinations made up of several punches that can be used together to achieve one goal. A combination may contain several parts. A left hook followed with a right-cross will cause injury to the opponent’s jaw.
Guard Techniques
Boxers use their bodies to defend themselves against attack. He does this by using his legs, arms, elbows, hands, knees and feet.
Legs
Boxers should use their legs to defend against kicks. He raises his leg when he is hit with a kick and then moves away from the opponent. If the attacker is coming from the front, he will bend at the knees to avoid getting kicked on either side. If the attack comes from behind, however, he can stand straight up and block the kick by his foot.
Elbows
Because they cause great pain, elbow strikes are extremely effective. You can either deliver an elbow strike directly, or indirectly. Directly means you hit your opponent directly with your forearm. While indirectly, it means you hit him with another section of your arm.
Hands
Boxers use their arms to stop incoming blows. They raise their fists high above their heads and point them in the direction of an attack. They then touch the attackers fist.
Knees
Boxers who are subject to a punch to their stomachs, abdomens, or chests should bend at the knees to absorb the impact. Knee strikes are often used for defense purposes.
Feet
Boxers should respond to being attacked by their opponent by standing back and delivering counter-attacks. This way, he can gain distance between himself and his opponent. Boxers should also keep their balance when counter-attacking.
Stances
Boxing effectively requires a boxer to have a good stance. How he defends his self will depend on how he stances. It is how he positions himself and where he faces the opponent. Boxers can take many different stances. Here are some of the most common ones:
- A low stance
- High stance
- Southpaw stance
- Western stance
Move your body
A boxer must be able to move around his opponent in order to win a fight. This means changing your speed, position and rhythm.
Rotation
Rotating his arm to increase the puncher’s reach is a key part of boxing. The rotation is done at different speeds depending on the type of punch.
Combinations
The timing of each punch will determine the effectiveness and efficiency of a combination. A combination is good if it starts with a strong punch then ends with a weaker one.
Spares
Sparring is an exercise session to improve boxing skills. During sparring sessions, a boxer trains his mind as well as his body. In conclusion, the purpose of sparring is to learn how to fight and not get hurt.
To sum it all, boxing requires patience and dedication. To be a better boxer you need to train hard.
