Boxing

In the ring for the first time in 12 months after reclaiming his belts from Andy Ruiz Jr, rustiness was one of many potential problems for Joshua but he proved too strong for Pulev.

The Bulgarian showed admirable durability to get off the deck three times, but eventually slumped to defeat following a lethal left-right combination from Joshua, who improved to 24-1.

“I started this game in 2013, I have been chasing all the belts, I’ve been dealing with mandatories, so of course I want a challenge,” Joshua told the fans inside Wembley’s SSE Arena.

“For me I stuck to what I know best: boxing, looking at where I am going to put my shots and putting them together. When they are successful, they are successful, but like I said it is less talk, more action.”

Joshua’s uppercut did the most damage to Pulev and on more than one occasion made him topple like the blocks of the Jenga game he had spent much of his time playing at Matchroom’s bio-secure bubble at the Hilton Hotel in the build-up to the fight.

Pulev hit the deck twice in the third round and again in the ninth before Joshua landed the knockout punch with a slick combination.

It was Joshua’s 22nd knockout from 25 bouts, but there was also an added maturity to his display in London.

He could have gone for the kill and overcommitted in the middle rounds after an explosive third, but stayed patient and eventually his chance came with Pulev barely able to register a legitimate punch in the contest.

After the fight, all the chat was about the prospect of a ‘Battle of Britain’ against WBC title holder Tyson Fury as, not for the first or last time, both camps talked of their desire to make the fight happen, although no such bout has yet been staged.

Fourteen months on from his controversial draw with Wilder in their first bout – when he out-boxed the champion only for two knockdowns to deny him victory – Fury had vowed to take the fight to the American.

He did just that, flooring his opponent twice and completely dominating the action before Wilder’s corner threw in the towel to save the bewildered champion from more punishment.

A right hand which landed near Wilder’s left ear saw the American go down heavily in the third and a right to the head and left hook to the body in the fifth had a tired Wilder down again.

Fury said: “Big shout-out to Deontay Wilder. He came here tonight, he manned up and really did show the heart of a champion.

“I hit him with a clean right hand and dropped him and he got back up and battled on into round seven. He is a warrior, he will be back, he will be a champion again.

“But I will say, the king has returned to the top.”

The rivalry concluded with a third fight the following year when it was Fury’s turn to take punishment, getting knocked down in the fourth round, only to rise off the canvas and produce a storming comeback and retain his title.

The Briton has since continued his unbeaten record with victories over Dillian Whyte, Derek Chisora and Francis Ngannou but recently pulled out of a fight with Oleksandr Usyk after suffering a cut in the build-up.

Brook had courted a showdown against an opponent he had come to despise for several years only to be constantly rebuffed.

But, after being given an opportunity at Manchester’s AO Arena, the then 35-year-old grasped it with both hands in a long-awaited 149lb catchweight bout.

The Sheffield fighter shrugged off being vociferously jeered to the ring by a crowd largely in support of Bolton-born Khan and repeatedly left his foe on rubbery legs with countless punishing shots to the head.

Khan refused to buckle and stayed upright throughout but he absorbed some vicious blows and his face was heavily marked when referee Victor Loughlin stepped in to wave off the fight 51 seconds into the sixth round.

“This grudge match is the icing on the cake for me, I can live at peace with myself and my career,” said Brook.

“You could see on my face that I was absolutely over the moon with the win. I’ll be remembered for this fight now forever.”

Khan, fighting at the venue where he first won a world title in 2009, only showed flashes of the form which saw him become a unified light welterweight champion more than a decade ago.

While Brook improved his record to 40 wins from 43 fights, the decorated Khan’s future in the sport was left up in the air after the sixth defeat of his professional career in what was his first outing since July 2019.

“I’ll sit down with my family but I think it could be,” Khan replied when asked whether it may be his last fight.

“I’ve always said I never want boxing to retire me, I want to retire from boxing and punishment like that sometimes in boxing, too much of that can be sometimes harmful in the future.”

De La Hoya, often cited as one of the sport's greats, was due to come out of retirement to face former UFC champion Vitor Belfort in Los Angeles on September 11.

However, the 48-year-old has had to withdraw from the fight after falling ill due to the coronavirus.

Former world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, 58, is reported to have been lined up as a replacement for De La Hoya.

De La Hoya tweeted a video from his hospital bed on Friday, with the caption: "Wanted you to hear directly from me that despite being fully vaccinated, I have contracted COVID and am not going to be able to fight next weekend.

"Preparing for this comeback has been everything to me over the last months, and I want to thank everyone for their tremendous support."

De La Hoya went on to explain he feels he will still be back and ready to fight before the end of 2021.

"I am currently in the hospital getting treatment and am confident I will be back in the ring before the year is up. God bless everyone and stay safe," a follow-up tweet read.

In the video itself, De La Hoya – who had a 39-6 record from his 45 professional fights – said: "I mean, what are the chances of me getting COVID?

"I've been taking care of myself. This really, really kicked my a**."

Wallin will face Joshua in the main event of a stacked card billed as 'Day of Reckoning' in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after Deontay Wilder takes on Joseph Parker.

Joshua is reportedly close to agreeing to face Wilder twice in 2024, though a surprise defeat to Wallin would surely deal a fatal blow to those plans.

Joshua lost his IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight belts to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 before failing to recapture them in a rematch last year, though he has since responded with wins over Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius.

Though Wallin is still wary of the threat Joshua poses, the Swede senses an opportunity to add to his opponent's woes.

"I think that he's still one of the best fighters out there and he's done really well in his career and he deserves respect," Wallin told Stats Perform.

"Losing to Usyk and [Andy] Ruiz, there's no shame in that, they're very good fighters. But I think there's been a decline in his game, he hasn't really been the same lately. 

"But losing against those guys, anybody can. I think the timing of this fight is in my advantage. I have really good momentum and I don't know if he's in the same place."

Asked if he was confident of a surprise victory, Wallin said: "I am. I feel very good. I've done everything I can. 

"I remember my dad, he always used to tell me that once you step in the ring, you've got to know that you've done everything you possibly can to be as prepared as possible.

"I kept that with me over the years and I always try to prepare to the best of my ability. If I'm not ready now, I'm never going to be ready.

"I'm ready to go in there, have fun, I feel like I have no pressure. He has all the pressure and I can just go in and have fun and just beat him.

"We found out about this fight about seven weeks before December 23rd. We didn't have too much time. I think we had enough time because I was already in very good shape. 

"I had just had a win over [Murat] Gassiev on September 30th, I had a week off and then I was back training. I was in a really good place when we got the call so I was happy about that.

"Training has just been going really well. I think me already being in shape from the last fight and then also having the extra motivation for this fight made it all so much better and I feel like I'm in great shape, probably the best shape of my life."

Wallin has won his last six fights since losing to Tyson Fury via a unanimous decision in 2019, but the 33-year-old knows claiming the scalp of Joshua would be his biggest victory to date.

"It would be amazing. It's a big thing for me and a big thing for Sweden," he said.

"I get a lot of support over there. I think it would be amazing for me, my family, my team. So we are really excited about this opportunity."

Usyk maintained his unbeaten record as a professional by outsmarting and outclassing the home favourite for the vast majority of their 12-round contest, rightly earning a unanimous points triumph to claim the IBF, WBA and WBO titles on Saturday.

Joshua started slowly and simply never managed to catch up. While there were bright spells for the defending champion around the midway stage, he faded badly down the stretch having struggled to ever impose himself. 

Usyk even threatened to force a late stoppage as the Ukrainian came on strong in the closing rounds, yet he eventually settled for a comfortable win on the scorecards. The three judges scored it 117-112, 116-112 and 115-113 in his favour. 

"The fight went exactly the way I expected it to go,” Usyk said in his post-fight interview with DAZN. 

"There were times when Anthony pushed me hard but nothing special. I had no objective to knock him out. My corner pushed me not to do that."

Joshua had hoped to be taking on WBC title holder Tyson Fury in a lucrative showdown to decide an undisputed champion in the division, only for that plan to be scuppered when his rival was ordered to face Deontay Wilder for a third time instead. 

Usyk was the back-up option picked to bridge the gap, the mandatory challenger with the WBO holder coming with a superb pedigree but limited experience at heavyweight. 

Still, the former undisputed cruiserweight champion was undeterred by giving away both a height and weight advantage. Elusive from the outset, his southpaw stance and smooth footwork bamboozled a plodding Joshua. 

Straight lefts landed with unerring accuracy, though by the halfway stage it appeared the Briton had begun to work out a method to counter what he was up against. 

However, it proved to be a false dawn for Joshua, the composed Usyk undoubtedly finishing the stronger of the two, including an impressive 11th round that saw him land consistently before a finale that saw Joshua at times appearing ready to buckle. 

While he did make it through to the final bell on his feet, the verdict was clear: Usyk had stunned both his opponent and a partisan crowd to be crowned in the English capital.

Pacquiao and Spence announced the fight on social media Friday. It is set to take place on August 21 in Las Vegas, but the venue has not been determined. 

Spence (27-0) will put his WBC and IBF welterweight straps on the line against the 42-year-old Pacquiao (62-7-2), whose last fight was a July 2019 split decision win against Keith Thurman. 

Pacquiao's win made him the first four-time welterweight champion, but he was stripped of that WBA strap in January due to inactivity. 

The 31-year-old American Spence has successfully defended his IBF belt five times since winning it in May 2017 with a knockout of Kell Brook.

He added the WBC title with a split decision over Shawn Porter in September 2019, but did not fight for more than a year due in part to injuries suffered in an automobile accident the following month. 

Spence returned to the ring with a unanimous decision win over Danny Garcia last December. 

Welterweight Spence had been due to defend his IBF and WBC titles against the 42-year-old Pacquiao, who has not fought since beating Keith Thurman to become WBA champion in July 2019.

That victory made 'Pac-Man' the first four-time champion at the weight limit, though he was knocked down to champion in recess by the WBA due to inactivity.

While Pacquiao will not be fighting his planned opponent later this month, he will still be in action on the Las Vegas bill.

The Filipino will instead take on Yordenis Ugas, who had originally been scheduled to defend his WBA belt against Fabian Maidana as part of the undercard.

Spence marked his comeback following injuries sustained in a car crash with an impressive victory over Danny Garcia last year, but his career is once again on hold.

The 31-year-old - nicknamed 'The Truth' - has suffered a retinal tear in his left eye, forcing him to pull out of the much-anticipated showdown.

"Went to three different doctors all said the same thing I'll be back for the winner for sure," Spence tweeted.

He followed up with "I came back from worse" in a further post, appearing to reference the vehicle accident in October 2019 that left him in intensive care.

Spence made clear on Twitter he is already planning to take on the Pacquiao-Ugas winner once he is cleared to return to action.

"I pray for a full and complete recovery for Errol Spence Jr," Pacquiao tweeted following the change.

Canelo knocked out previously unbeaten IBF champion Plant in the 11th round of their blockbuster showdown in Las Vegas on Saturday to cement his place in the record books.

The 31-year-old added Plant's belt to the WBA Super, WBC an WBO titles he already held, a clean sweep that has never before been achieved by a Mexican boxer.

He is just the sixth fighter since the WBO began sanctioning world title bouts in 1988 to hold all four of the belts.

Pacquiao won world titles across eight weight classes during his career and was among those to salute Canelo, who is now 57-1-2 on the back of a largely one-sided contest.

"Congratulations to the pound-for-pound king, Canelo, on making boxing history as the first undisputed super middleweight champion ever," Pacquiao posted on Twitter. 

"Plant put up a great fight but Canelo is just too good. Boxing is in great hands."

Canelo went on the offensive from the off at MGM Grand and wore down Plant before brutally stopping his opponent with one minute and five seconds of the 11th round remaining.

It was Canelo's third stoppage win of 2021 as he further cemented his status as a boxing great.

WBC Interim world lightweight champion Joseph Diaz said: "What a fight, Canelo always closes! Respect to both fighters. 

"Plant put on a great fight. We're witnessing true greatness what Canelo is doing in his career." 

Plant more than held his own in the early rounds and was embraced in the ring by Canelo at the end of the fight.

That was in stark contrast to two months ago when the pair were involved in a physical altercation during a media conference to announce the fight.

Canelo revealed at the time the scuffle was down to a comment made by Plant regarding his mother, but he is nevertheless full of respect for his opponent.

"We don't have to take anything away from Caleb Plant. He's a great fighter and he made a great effort tonight," he said at his post-fight news conference.

"But in the end we came out with the win. That's all that matters really. So even though we had that frustration in the first five rounds the second half of the fight was ideal.

"He told me afterwards that he wanted to keep fighting and he also wanted to apologise to me and he didn't mean what he said about my mum. He was truly sorry about that. 

"I told him: 'Look, it's OK. It's water under the bridge.' I told him he was a great man and also that some day I hope he will have a great family as well. 

"I can only wish the best for him. In the fight we have to hurt each other but, in the end, we're all human and we want the best for each other."

The Filipino, who announced he was quitting the sport once again in August 2021, looks poised to be the opponent for the Briton's comeback bout.

Benn, who saw a fight with Chris Eubank Jr postponed after he tested positive for a banned substance in October, was reinstated to the WBC rankings earlier this year.

Now Pacquiao, who stepped back after a defeat to Yordenis Ugas in order to run for the Philippines presidency in last year's election, could be his return opponent, per his promoter Sean Gibbobs.

"He retired for a minute to run for President of the Philippines, where he took a respectful third place," he told ESPN. 

"After that he felt that his retirement was due to running for president, and now that [he wasn't elected], he wants to fight again and feels like he can do it at the highest level.

"Manny is an all-time great and he feels like he still has a lot of fight left in him and he still wants to compete at the highest level.

"This fight [against Benn] was presented to him by [promoter] Eddie Hearn, and he agreed. [The] ball is in Eddie Hearn's court [but] Pacquiao ready to go."

Widely considered one of the sport's all-time great fighters, Pacquiao held world titles in eight different weight divisions across a 72-fight career, with a 62-8-2 winning record.

He briefly retired in 2016, but returned that same year with a win over Jessie Vargas, and would present a starry opponent for Benn's first fight since April last year.

The Briton remains barred by the British Boxing Board of Control to fight on home soil, with his likely comeback match set to be pencilled in for June 3 in Abu Dhabi.

Hearn acknowledged there were other options for the fight though, adding: "We are in the process of selecting Conor Benn's next opponent and have been in active talks with Manny Pacquiao's team.

"We have had multiple site offers to stage the event and are looking to make an official announcement on Conor's next fight as early as next week."

The 42-year-old Filipino was making his return to boxing for the first time since beating Keith Thurman in July 2019, going in as favourite against Ugas, who is seven years younger.

The Cuban, who took the fight on 11 days' notice following Errol Spence Jr's withdrawal due to an eye injury, used his jab wisely along with his agility and counter game.

Pacquiao appeared to lack his trademark speed and power while Ugas ensured he owned the middle of the ring early.

Ugas was awarded the unanimous decision victory 115-113, 116-112, 116-112 to defend the welterweight title which the World Boxing Association stripped from Pacquiao for "inactivity" earlier this year.

The victory improved Ugas' professional record to 27-4, while Pacquiao slips to 62-2-8, prompting discussion about his future in boxing given his age.

"I don’t know," Pacquiao said when asked about retiring after the fight. "Let me rest first and relax and make a decision if I continue to fight."

Pacquiao's work rate increased as the fight wore on, throwing better punches as the Cuban remained disciplined with his tactics.

Ugas' pinpoint right-hand hits troubled the Filipino throughout and he closed the fight strongly after a wild 10th round.

"It was a hard time, making an adjustment about his style and I think that was the problem for me because I didn’t make an adjustment," Pacquiao said.

"I congratulate my opponent Yordenis Ugas for making it tough tonight and winning tonight. That's boxing."

The fight was relatively even but Ugas insisted he deserved the win.

"A lot of respect for him, but I won the fight," Ugas said.

On Friday, McGregor – who sensationally retired in June – claimed he was set to step into the ring with boxing legend Pacquiao in the Middle East next year.

Pacquiao's camp confirmed the bout on Saturday, with the 41-year-old's Filipino aide Jayke Joson saying via ESPN: "For the sake of all the Filipino Covid-19 victims, Senator Manny Pacquiao will be fighting UFC superstar Conor McGregor next year.

"The huge portion of his earnings will proceed to those who are affected nationwide by the pandemic."

McGregor – who has not fought since his win over Donald Cerrone in January – lost to unbeaten boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. in August 2017.

Pacquiao (62-7-2) fought twice last year, winning the WBA (Super) welterweight title by beating Keith Thurman in July 2019.

Former WBC heavyweight champion Wilder will face Parker in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday, with Anthony Joshua also fighting on the same bill as he takes on Otto Wallin.

Saturday's bout will be Wilder's first since a first-round knockout of Robert Helenius in October 2022, while Parker has already fought three times this year, overcoming Jack Massey, Faiga Opelu and Simon Kean.

Wilder is reportedly close to agreeing a two-fight deal with Joshua for 2024, but Parker is confident he can deal a fatal blow to his hopes of facing the Brit on Saturday.  

"When I beat him, then we're going to have a great 2024. When I beat him, I'm going to be celebrating on the flight back home," Parker told Stats Perform.

"I've had the best preparation for this fight. Like I said before, I started off in Ireland where we have a great setup. We've got a nice gym that we use, a great house that we stay in. 

"We've got local shops that we go to, butchers that look after us, and we've got the sea right next to us that we jump in every day.

"Then we finished off in England and now we're here in Saudi Arabia. There's nothing more that I could have done to prepare for this fight. I am primed and ready."

With 14 months having passed since Wilder last stepped into the ring, Parker believes the American could struggle to acclimatise on his return to action.

Parker previously spent close to a year out of the ring before losing to Joe Joyce last September, and he says that absence impacted his performance.

"I feel like being out of the ring for a long time can definitely have an impact on performance, but we will soon find out if it's going to have an impact on him or not," he added.

"It did affect me. That's why this year has been a great year, keeping busy, having three fights already and having this fight as my fourth fight. It's going to be a great night for team Parker.

"I feel great. I feel like I've restarted my career but I have all the experience to help me with this new start and constantly learning off Andy [Lee]. Everything is perfect. It's now it's all up to myself to put it all on display on fight night, put it all together."

Former WBO middleweight champion Lee has been preparing Parker for the fight, having also been part of Tyson Fury's team as the Gypsy King overcame Wilder twice in 2020 and 2021.

Asked about the importance of Lee, Parker said: "Andy Lee as my trainer has got all the experience to pass on, being a fighter himself and a champion himself, and he was at the fights when Tyson was fighting Deontay.

"I was there for all three fights myself, it was good to see it in person. It's great to get a bit of advice off Tyson. 

"But ultimately I'm going to be in the ring putting on best performance and I'm going to take care of business myself."

Following months of discussions between the fighters' representatives, WBC heavyweight champion Fury will finally take on Usyk – who holds the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO and the Ring belts – in Riyadh on February 17.

Fury's plans to face the Ukrainian were almost dealt a surprising blow in October, when he was fortunate to score an unconvincing split-decision win over former UFC Heavyweight Champion and boxing debutant Francis Ngannou.

While many believe Fury's sloppy performance against Ngannou spells bad news for his meeting with Usyk, Parker is certain he will bounce back.

Asked whether he was confident in Fury's chances of victory, Parker told Stats Perform: "Very confident. I'm very confident that Tyson will take care of business.

"Francis Ngannou is a champion himself, the UFC Heavyweight Champion of the world and he put on probably the best camp of his life and a good performance against Tyson. 

"Tyson wasn't the best, he didn't put on the best performance and best display that he could have, but he got the win which is the main thing. 

"Now he's locked in this fight with Usyk on February 17. I think locking in that big fight with Usyk has been a big change for him, and hopefully he has the best camp and puts on the performance that we know he can."

Parker managed a stunning win over Deontay Wilder on Saturday, with the duo fighting on the same card as Anthony Joshua, who stopped Otto Wallin in the fifth round.

Wallin is also backing Fury to step things up for his next fight, suggesting Ngannou's performance simply caught the Gypsy King off guard.

"I didn't think that Ngannou was going to stand any chance, but he did a really good job," Wallin told Stats Perform.

"He lasted 10 rounds, which is really amazing with the limited amount of boxing experience that he has, he did a really good job.

"At the same time, I don't think Fury looked the same in that fight. He didn't look like he was really prepared. He looked off and Ngannou is a strong guy. 

"It's probably awkward coming from MMA, it's not easy to fight those guys. But I think when Fury is going to fight Usyk, he's probably going to step it up.

"Fury really has to be on his A-game. If he is, I think that he's going to win the fight."

Parker won on a split decision in May, and he came out on top on a unanimous points decision in Manchester on Saturday to hold onto his WBO Intercontinental Heavyweight title.

Chisora, who had the backing of a partisan, 12,000-strong crowd, was knocked down in the fourth, seventh and eighth rounds, with Parker's uppercut proving too hot to handle.

It was those blows that ultimately settled the bout in Parker's favour, as he moved onto 30 wins from 32 fights.

After a cautious first-round approach, the fight burst into action in the second, with Chisora backing Parker up against the ropes before the New Zealander landed some big shots in return.

Parker landed big uppercuts in the third and fourth, with the latter sending Chisora down, yet he battled through, soaking up more punches in the fifth, leaving his opponent frustrated.

A superb right hand in the closing seconds of what had been a sixth paved the way for Parker to land a huge uppercut in the seventh, with Chisora having to beat the count and ride up on the canvas, but once again he showed brutal resilience, replying with a rally late in the round.

Chisora was scrambling back on the ropes after a third massive uppercut blow, and though the 37-year-old managed to go the distance, Parker's aggressive approach paid off, with scores of 115-110, 115-111, 114-112 sealing his victory.

A clash between two heavyweights with aspirations of challenging for a world title in the not-too-distant future went the distance despite an eventful start to proceedings.

The first punch by either boxer saw Chisora land a looping right hand that caught his rival cold, dropping him to the canvas.

However, Parker recovered quickly enough to not only beat the count from the referee but also quell Chisora's ensuing attempts to force a stunning stoppage.

The New Zealander – who previously held the WBO belt – was second best in the early going but warmed to his task as the rounds ticked by, aided by a probing jab that set up opportunities to attack.

His work in the second half of the bout was enough to impress two of the judges at ringside, Parker getting the nod by scores of 115-113 and 116-111.

Yet Chisora's strong opening saw the other official on duty give it to him by a 115-113 margin. He made clear his disappointment in the verdict in his post-fight interview, too.

"I can't get upset. It's horrible. I give everything. These are the results I get," 'Del Boy' told Sky Sports Box Office. "If he wants to give me the rematch, I will take it."

Parker seemed ready to do just that in the immediate aftermath, having accepted it was a close call in the final reckoning.

"We can do a rematch in the next fight," he said after improving his record to 29-2, though this was his first victory since switching to work with new trainer Andy Lee.

"It was a tough fight. I got caught at the beginning so I dug deep and stayed focused. It was close. It could have gone either way."

The fight had appeared in serious doubt on Friday due to a coin toss after the weigh-in deciding the order in which they would walk to the ring before the bout.

Chisora made clear he was ready to go home unless he came out second, though his promoter David Haye revealed how the intervention of the British fighter's mother, Viola, made sure her son stayed put.

On the undercard, Katie Taylor retained her WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO lightweight belts with a points win over Natasha Jonas.

The duo did not disappoint in a rematch of their fight at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Taylor edging it 96-94 and 96-95 twice on the scorecards, in the process remaining unbeaten as a professional.

The New Zealander's manager, David Higgins, confirmed Parker will head Stateside for his first fight of 2020, as he looks to press his claims for a world-title shot.

Parker was due to do battle with Dereck Chisora last October but withdrew from the bout after being ruled out through illness.

Higgins revealed that Parker's opponent will be announced in due course.

He told Sky Sports: "There are concrete plans, which it's not my place to announce. But there is a date and a venue, and it's the opponent we're waiting on.

"We've been told it will be late February and the United States is what we're told. We're just waiting on who the opponent is."

Parker stopped Alex Leapai in the 10th round in June, with that bout turning out to be his solitary outing in 2019.

Higgins added: "It will be someone decent [Parker's next opponent]. Joe had a good win over Alex Leapai, who fought [Wladimir] Klitschko for a world title, and he won convincingly.

"It's another step up. He's ranked at two now by the WBO, so it's basically another step towards a better opponent and then after that, should he get a good win, which I think he will, then challenge one of the big boys - [Deontay] Wilder, [Tyson] Fury. Joe will fight anyone."

In a fight that was originally scheduled back in December 2021 and postponed on two separate occasions, both competitors came into the contest boasting unbeaten records.

A relatively sloppy affair by professional boxing standards, both fighters were deducted a point by the referee. First, Paul was docked a point for a shot to the back of the head in the fifth round, but the ledger was evened in the sixth when Fury was penalised for excessive holding.

The biggest drama came in the eighth and final round as Paul connected and knocked Fury down, but he comfortably beat the count and looked on solid footing on the way to the final bell.

In the end, one judge scored the fight an even four rounds apiece, with Paul getting the edge 74-75 due to the knockdown, while the other two judges gave Fury a six rounds to two advantage and a pair of 76-73 scorecards.

There was no rematch clause written into the contract if Paul was named the winner, but there was one in the event of Fury winning, and both fighters indicated afterwards they are prepared to go again.

"For the past two and a half years, this is all that's consumed my life," Fury said during his in-ring interview. "I've had broken ribs, denied access, and everybody thought I was running scared. But tonight I made my own legacy – I am Tommy Fury.

"All the way through these two and a half years, I had a dream, I had a vision I would win this fight and no one believed me.

"Now I can stand up and everybody can take note. In my first main event [at] 23 years old, I had the world on me, I had pressure on my shoulders and I came through.

"One hundred per cent [I will fight him again], this is my first main event. I'm only gonna go stronger, I'm only gonna go bigger, and I'm only gonna go better… if he wants a rematch, bring it on."

In the press conference afterwards, Paul said the rematch is at the top of his list of future fights.

"Yeah, for sure, I think I've got to go and get this one back," he said. "KSI is yet to fight a real opponent, so we don't even know his actual skill level, but that's obviously still a massive fight.

"But I'm going to go back for this rematch. I just talked to Tommy back in the medical room, and he's like 'lets go, let's do it again' – so I think that will be the focus first and foremost. 

"I'm going to prove that I can fight a better fight than I did tonight, and get that W."

Boxing has changed a lot recently, as demonstrated by the sheer interest generated by a fight between a YouTube personality and a Love Island runner-up.

While purists may sneer at Paul's lack of boxing clout and his stated ambition of becoming world champion, the fighters' rivalry has undeniably set tongues wagging.

Their feud can be traced back over two years and involves accusations of faking injuries, interventions from Tyson Fury and pledges from both men to end the other's career.

Here, Stats Perform takes a look back at the taunts, the postponements and the controversies that have marked their rivalry.

March 2021: Tyson throws down the gauntlet

Tommy Fury's all-conquering brother Tyson Fury is often good value on social media, and the Gypsy King got the ball rolling for one of boxing's most talked-about feuds.

After Tommy Fury dispatched Scott Williams, his older brother offered congratulations on Twitter, suggesting Paul – who was gearing up to face former mixed martial artist Ben Askren – as his next opponent.

Paul responded by claiming he didn't know the elder Fury had a brother, but the duo would quickly become familiar with one another.

May-November, 2021: Paul gets personal, bout gets made

After British fighter Fury pledged to face Paul "any time, any place", the American stepped up his taunts and insults.

"Tommy, no one gives a f*** about you if it wasn't for your older brother, who I respect, or your catfish girlfriend [Molly-Mae Hague, a fellow Love Island contestant]," he said. "We all made you famous. You didn't make yourself famous."

Paul then provoked Fury by sharing a message he alleged he had received from Hague, asking him to give her a tour of the United States, which she claimed to be fake.

Paul told Fury to "make the right choice" and sign a deal to face off before the end of 2021, with a bout agreed shortly thereafter.

December 6, 2021: Fury's fitness woes

It's fair to say the reaction to the bout – initially set for Tampa, Florida on December 18, 2021 – was mixed. The prospect of a 'genuine' boxer – even one whose previous victories had largely come against journeymen – stepping into the ring with a YouTuber drew extreme reactions.

While Fury acknowledged he only agreed to the fight for financial reasons, promoter Eddie Hearn said: "If Tommy loses, he should go to a desert island and stay there for life."

With less than a fortnight to go before the fight, a chest infection and a broken rib prompted a "heartbroken" Fury to withdraw, attracting Paul's ire.

"He was scared," Paul said, before knocking down Fury's late replacement Tyron Woodley in the sixth round.

June 2022: Madison Square mayhem

Fury returned to the ring to beat Daniel Bocianski in April 2022, but negotiations for a rearranged meeting with Paul rumbled on, with a breakthrough reached in June.

"It's official, I'm taking little Fury's head off," Paul wrote on Twitter as the fight was pencilled in for August 6 at Madison Square Garden.

While Fury avoided fitness issues, the Manchester-born fighter was denied boarding when attempting to travel Stateside, with visa problems causing another postponement.

Referring to Fury as "Tommy Fumbles", Paul accused his opponent of deliberately avoiding the fight. Paul then returned to action in October, recording his most impressive win yet against former UFC champion Anderson Silva.

January 27, 2023: Third time lucky?

"The moment of truth has finally arrived," Paul announced last month. "On February 26, I will get in the ring with a 'real boxer,' and show the world the truth."

With Paul now 6-0 in professional bouts, a deal was finally agreed for him to face Fury in Diriyah.

Englishman Fury was in bullish mood.

"Jake Paul's boxing career ends on February 26 and I can finally move on with mine," Fury declared. "The world is about to see what happens when a proper boxer faces a YouTuber."

Shortly before the bout was confirmed, Tyson Fury weighed in once more. "It's going to be fun, and I expect Tommy to chin him," he said. "If he doesn't, he can stay in Saudi Arabia!"

January 29-30, 2023: Paul's doubts and baby controversy

Despite an agreement being reached for the fight, Paul told BBC Sport he "definitely" harboured doubts as to Fury's willingness to appear.

Paul attracted heavy criticism in the immediate aftermath of the bout being made, after 'announcing' the birth of Fury and Hague's child on Twitter before the couple staged their own reveal.

When Hague posted an image of newborn daughter Bambi on social media, Paul commented: "Just in time to watch your dad get knocked out."

February 23, 2023: 'Double or nothing' deal as foes face off

Despite Paul's doubts, Fury hailed "the best camp of my life" on social media before jetting off to Saudi Arabia last week.

The duo finally came face-to-face at Thursday's press conference, shaking on a "double or nothing" offer from Paul, who suggested Fury should receive no payment if he loses.

Paul and Fury were separated amid a minor fracas as both taunted the other about their previous fights, with the latter sending out a warning.

"This is in my heart, blood and soul, and you're going to feel that," Fury said. "You should have stuck to easy money fighting old men."

For a fight two years in the making with the backdrop of a deeply personal rivalry, the stage is finally set.

IBF, WBA and WBO heavyweight champion Joshua and mandatory challenger Pulev were due to do battle at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 20, but the coronavirus pandemic put paid to that.

Pulev was first set to step into the ring with Joshua in 2017 only for the Bulgarian to withdraw due to injury.

Talk of a unification bout between Joshua and Tyson Fury has intensified, but Pulev warned that will not be happening as he will dethrone the 2012 Olympic champion.

"I'm way more precise than him as well as a much smarter boxer. And I will beat him. Brutally," he told Sky Sports.

Pulev says Joshua's demands to stage the fight in London shows he is concerned about losing his titles.

He added: "There's no such thing as an ideal location for a true fighter. He can fight everywhere and he's not worried about anything.

"Picking a certain destination is for cowards. For those who prefer to talk a lot rather than act.

"I can think of at least two others who fit this description and who have refused to come to Sofia to face me - Dillian Whyte and Jarrell Miller."

He added: "I think it is obvious - because he's afraid. I don't see any other reason [why Joshua says they must fight in London].

"Why should it be in London? Why the fight can't take place in any other place? You answer this.

"We offered various destinations - from Istanbul to Las Vegas, New York or Saudi Arabia. And then I got the reply that Joshua would come up against me only in London. Otherwise there would be no fight at all. And of course, I agreed to this condition.

"I'm not concerned about the place. For example, I never asked for the fight to be in Sofia. From day one I wanted it to take place at a neutral venue as this would be fair to both sides."