Eddie Hearn is preparing to push on with finding an alternative opponent for Anthony Joshua if Tyson Fury's team are unable to "get their act together" by the end of the week.
Heavyweight rivals Joshua and Fury had appeared set for a huge showdown in Saudi Arabia on August 14, only for an arbitration ruling involving Deontay Wilder to potentially scupper that plan.
While Joshua holds the IBF, WBA and WBO belts, Fury claimed the WBC title from the previously unbeaten Wilder in their February 2020 rematch following a draw in their initial bout.
On Monday, a judge in the United States ruled that the dethroned champion had the right to face the Briton for a third time before September 15, casting huge doubt over the unification clash scheduled for a month earlier.
With the possibility of Fury no longer being available, Hearn is ready to look elsewhere for his fighter. Oleksandr Usyk – the mandatory challenger for Joshua's WBO strap – is a possibility, though the promoter plans to make sure he has more than one option on the table.
"I've been focused on plan A. The only fight we had in mind was Tyson Fury," Hearn said in an in-depth interview aired on the Matchroom Boxing YouTube channel on Tuesday.
"We hope that fight can still take place on August 14, but the game changed last night. We have to have a plan B in place – and possibly a plan C as well.
"We have a couple of different options. Of course, the one that springs to mind is the WBO mandatory of Oleksandr Usyk. They have been quite patient and, really, we're in a situation now where if team Fury don't get their act together by the end of this week, we will have no option but to look for an alternative fight.
"AJ wants to fight this summer, Oleksandr Usyk is the mandatory and we have two or three other options as well."
Hearn revealed how fellow promoter Bob Arum, who is part of Fury's team, had been "very bullish" over the hearing not being a potential roadblock in the way of the lucrative summer fight with Joshua.
"I think he was in complete and utter shock – and I don't think I've ever really heard him speechless," Hearn said of his conversation with Arum.
"He's been very bullish throughout this whole process that – and I know it's their business and we don't know too much about the contracts or the case – this wouldn't be a problem, this wouldn't stand in the way of an Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury fight.
"That's quite frustrating. We've been working tirelessly to get this over the line. He was almost shell-shocked, I think. Once he'd calmed down and done what he had to do, I think the move was then to speak to the other side and see if there's a resolution.
"We can't be involved in that, we can't control that process, but as far as I understand it, Tyson Fury wants to fight Anthony Joshua and we had the deal to do so on August 14 in Saudi Arabia. I spoke to our partners in Saudi Arabia and they were not best pleased either.
"I think the conversations are ongoing, but from our point of view we have to get our own side in order and make our plans. Hopefully, they can resolve the issue and we can move forward with the August 14 fight. It's over to them."
Asked if he still remained hopeful over that August bout going ahead, Hearn replied: "I hope it does, because we've grafted away for four or five months to make this happen, and we've got a fantastic deal in place for a legacy fight for a huge amount of money.
"I hope, hope [it goes ahead], but hopeful? I don't know. Everything we were told from the get-go was that this arbitration issue wouldn't be a problem. It obviously is a problem now and we have to think on our feet, act accordingly.
"We still hope that the fight can go ahead, but that's completely out of our hands.
"We know what we want to do: we want to win the undisputed world championship and fight Tyson Fury. But, really, if his hands are tied, we have to look elsewhere."
Julien 'The Black Dragon' Baptiste eyes bigger stage after defending Massachusetts middleweight title
Julien “Black Dragon” Baptiste, the reigning Massachusetts Middleweight boxing champion, successfully defended his title last Saturday, November 9, with a sixth-round TKO victory over Anthony Hines at Fall Reckoning in Dorchester. The main event saw Baptiste overwhelm his opponent with a flurry of punches, prompting the referee to stop the bout at 2:35 of the penultimate round.
With the victory, Baptiste improved his professional record to 8-4-1, cementing his place as a dominant force in the Massachusetts boxing scene. Reflecting on the win, he expressed gratitude and acknowledged the hard work that went into his preparation.
“And STILL!!!!” Baptiste exclaimed. “I would like to thank God ?? for another opportunity for me to showcase my skills and talents. Training camp was on point from beginning to end. Mark DeLuca made sure that I got 1% better each day. Was it easy? Hell no ?, but if you want to stay champion, you’re gonna have to be uncomfortable until you get comfortable to get the job done.”
The fight marked another milestone in Baptiste’s journey, one that began in his youth as the son of Jamaican and Grenadian parents. His mother, Donna Holder Willemsen, hails from Duncans in Trelawny, Jamaica, while his father, Egbert Baptiste, who is battling cancer, is from Grenada. Julien credits both of them for his drive and determination.
“Their strength and spirit, along with my mother’s, drive me to success,” he said.
Baptiste’s introduction to boxing came after his college football career as an All-American free safety. While pursuing his NFL dreams, he was invited to a boxing gym by a cousin from Jamaica, and from that moment, he found a new passion.
“I fell in love with it,” he recalled. “I was there every day. That was in New York. Then I left New York and came to Massachusetts, back to the town I went to school at, looking for work. The first gym I worked at just happened to have a boxing gym and a coach. And here I am now as Massachusetts champion.”
In 2023, Baptiste captured the vacant United States Boxing Federation (USBF) Middleweight title, which he has successfully defended three times. His Massachusetts title has also been defended on three occasions, adding to his growing legacy.
“I know what is at stake every time I fight because my belts are on the line every time I fight. Whenever I fight here in Massachusetts, both my belts are on the line,” he said.
Now 35, Baptiste acknowledges that time is not on his side in the sport, but he remains focused on his ultimate goals.
“I’m coming to the end of my athletic career. I just want to get on ESPN,” he said. “I fought on ESPN earlier this year at Madison Square Garden in February and lost by split decision. I want to get back on that stage, so hopefully by next year, I should be back on a bigger stage on television or something of that nature.”
Beyond boxing, Baptiste’s aspirations include securing a home and retiring from the sport with his health intact.
“I want to leave the game with my mind and my brains, my health. I want to be one of the ones leaving with my health. I want to help the youth and show that there are ways to get out of situations to better yourself,” he said.
With his dedication, resilience, and a drive rooted in his Caribbean heritage, Julien Baptiste continues to embody the spirit of a champion both inside and outside the ring.
JBA stages 1st fight card for 2024
The Jamaica Boxing Association staged its long awaited first fight card for 2024 with four fights and an exhibition bout on Saturday at the Stanley Couch Gym in Kingston. It was an all amateur fight card under the banner Gloves Over Guns Futures Programme.
Three of the four fights went to the Jamaica Defense Force (JDF) whose boxers looked well prepared and physically fitter than their opponents. Arguably the fight of the night was the final (elite) bout between Delano McLaughlin of the JDF and Kirk-Patrick Heron of the Port Antonio Gym in a light heavyweight match-up. Both fighters were very determined while going all three rounds of three minutes each. At times they traded blow for blow while taking some big punches but in the end McLaughlin landed more hits and was adjudged the winner.
The first JDF boxer to enter the ring was Gervin Garrison in a light heavyweight matchup with Sadeki Harris of GC Foster Gym. Both boxers got busy immediately but Garrison soon showed that he was the better fighter with cleaner punches and was more agile around the ring. Harris took a lot of punishment and showed a lot of heart to stay toe to toe with Garrison but just did not have the strength to throw some winning punches as Garrison came out the clear winner.
That fight gave way to another JDF match-up between with Shawn Morgan in a lop-sided super heavyweight face off with Vernando McKenzie of Funrobics Gym. McKenzie entered the ring confidently but could not handle the force and speed of Morgan. He faced referee Wayne Roberts count more than once in the less than two rounds that he was in the ring, as Roberts eventually stopped the fight midway in the second round.
The only boxer out of the blue corner to record a win on the night was Mark-Andre Mendez of Control Strike Gym against Hammid Gordon of Funrobics Gym. They put on a spirited light middleweight show for the crowd but Mendez sent down more punches and was definitely under less pressure in the ring.
The opening action on the night was an entertaining exhibition bout which went to Alex Grant of Suga Gym over Crishaun McPherson of Funrobics Gym. They were the youngest boxers on show at just fourteen years old.
Stephen Bomber Jones, president of the Jamaica Boxing Association was pleased with the response from the boxing community. “I am very encouraged. I am extremely encouraged by what I saw. I am more encouraged also by the response by the boxers, the gyms and the managers themselves because tonight represents what they have been asking for, at least an answer, one of the answers for what they have been asking for. They have had their boxers training without being able to showcase their skills so this gives a platform to answer that so I am very happy.”
He also said ‘the last Saturday of every month we intend to have the same show but going forward it won’t just be amateurs. We want this platform to be from the most novice boxer which is our grassroot boxers – children, the elite amateurs – those that will over the next couple of years give the activities so that they can represent us internationally and also those boxers who want to turn pro, we give them this platform to have monthly bouts so that they can build a professional record so that they can be the choice of boxers that we carry around the island. The public deserves the best boxers when we do the Fight Night Series so this will be kind of be a feeder programme into the Series. The best boxers, the best amateurs and the best professionals that come out of this we will showcase around the island.”
The fight card was sponsored by Pepsi, S&G Road Surfacing, Vere Events, Locker room Sports and Creative Sports
Joshua 'rolled the dice, but came up short' in Dubois defeat
Anthony Joshua is likely to call for a rematch against Daniel Dubois, having conceded he "came up short" after he "rolled the dice" in Saturday's bout at Wembley Stadium.
In front of a record-breaking, 96,000 crowd that had been further geed up by a performance from Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher, it was Dubois who turned in a supersonic display on Saturday.
Joshua saw his hopes of clinching the IBF heavyweight title slide away as Dubois dominated from the off, before delivering the knockout blow in round five.
Some pundits suggested this should be the end for Joshua, though the 34-year-old insisted he is not planning on stopping any time soon.
"Credit to him and his team. We rolled the dice of success, but we came up short," he told DAZN.
"You know I'm ready to kick off in the ring, but I'm going to keep my cool, keep very professional, and give respect to my opponent.
"I'm always saying to myself I'm a fighter for life... We keep rolling the dice.
"I had a sharp opponent, a fast opponent and a lot of mistakes from my end, but that's the game."
Promoter Eddie Hearn, meanwhile, claimed Joshua would likely take up the option of a rematch.
"I'm sure he'll exercise that rematch clause, it's a given, it's a dangerous fight because he's growing in confidence all the time but he'll believe he can beat him," Hearn told DAZN.
Dubois, though, will likely want to turn his attention to facing the victor out of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, with their rematch set to take place in December in Saudi Arabia.
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