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[ad_1] LOS ANGELES: Errol Spence and Terence Crawford chase history on Saturday in Las Vegas, where one will emerge as the first man to claim the undisputed welterweight world title in boxing's four-belt era. The American rivals are both undefeated. Spence, the World Boxing Council, World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation world champion, brings a record of 28-0 with 22 knockouts to the highly anticipated bout. Crawford, holder of the World Boxing Organization belt, is 39-0 with 30 knockouts. The former lightweight and undisputed light welterweight world champion is riding a wave of 10 straight knockouts, including seven straight in his first seven fights at welterweight. "It's going to be even sweeter to win the undisputed championship for the second time," 35-year-old Crawford said upon arriving in Las Vegas this week. The Nebraska native launched his welterweight run with a stoppage of Manny Pacquiao conqueror Jeff Horn in 2018 for ...

[ad_1] LONDON: Former heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua says he is still feeling fresh as he targets his first win since 2020 after putting "his heart" back into boxing. The British boxer will face Jermaine Franklin at London's O2 Arena on April 1 after losing his previous two fights to Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua's last victory came against Kubrat Pulev in December 2020, while American Franklin beat Pavel Sour and Rodney Moore before losing a close fight against Dillian White at Wembley Arena in November. Joshua has fought 27 times professionally, but the 33-year-old says he still feels "fresh and young". "I adapted to certain fights so I didn't take crazy punishment so at this stage of my career I don't think... I've taken so much punishment' or I'm war-torn," he said. "I still feel fresh. "I like making money, straight up, this is a prize-fighting sport. People question if my head is i...

[ad_1] AUSTIN: A fight between former world heavyweight boxing champions Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder could be part of a 'mega card' with an undisputed title clash in Saudi Arabia between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, Joshua said on Sunday. Contracts have been signed for Britain's Fury and Ukraine's Usyk to fight for their combined titles on a date yet to be decided in Riyadh. "They want to put Usyk-Fury, Joshua-Wilder on the same night. That might not happen until April," Joshua told reporters ahead of the U.S. Formula One Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. "When Fury gets through Ngannou, it is going to be late October, early November, so I doubt he will now prepare for Usyk and fight in December, it's too short," said the 34-year-old Briton. WBC champion Fury is due to fight former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia on Oct. 28 in a bout with professional boxing rules. Usyk holds the WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO bel...

[ad_1] PARIS: Algerian boxer Imane Khelif has been excluded from the women's world championships after being told she had "characteristics that mean I can't box with women", she said Saturday. The International Boxing Association confirmed that she had been excluded from the tournament in New Delhi "due to the failure to meet the IBA eligibility criteria". In an email to AFP, it declined to say what rule she had breached, citing athletes' "personal and medical privacy". Algerian media reported the 23-year-old had failed a hormone test, returning an elevated testosterone level. In a video posted online, Khelif said she had been told she would have an unfair advantage over other women, but claimed she was the victim of a "big conspiracy". "People have conspired against Algeria so that its flag doesn't get raised and it doesn't win the gold medal," she said. Due to the exclusion, Thailand's Janjaem Su...

[ad_1] KARACHI: “I’m really hurt that this country only values cricketers, and even worse is that high achievers on international and national level from Balochistan are ignored, as if we don’t exist,” said Pakistan’s only World Boxing Council belt winner and professional boxer Muhammad Waseem, as he expressed his disbelief when cricketer Naseem Shah was given the honorary DSP post and was made the goodwill ambassador of the Balochistan Police. The 19-year-old cricketer, who has far fewer international achievements than many of the athletes from Balochistan, does not even belong to the province and yet he was bestowed with the honour, leaving the athletes from the province feeling left out and ignored. “I was asked by the Balochistan Police officials to attend this ceremony and it left me extremely disappointed and hurt,” Waseem told The Express Tribune. “It feels so bad because they never honour us. Not just me, but other athletes from Balochistan too. “We have done so muc...