Anthony Joshua must learn from his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk if he is to come back stronger and keep alive the possibility of facing Tyson Fury, according to Joseph Parker.
Joshua lost his IBF, WBA and WBO titles to Usyk on Saturday after being outclassed by the Ukrainian on home soil at a packed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The 31-year-old had no answer to former undisputed cruiserweight champion Usyk and lost on a unanimous points decision.
It was just the second defeat of Joshua's professional career, having previously been stopped by Andy Ruiz Jr. in June 2019 before reclaiming the belts in their rematch.
The prospect of Joshua and Fury facing off now appears slim, with the latter's promoter Frank Warren casting doubt on a bout that at one point looked certain to take place this year.
A rematch with 19-0 Usyk may now be on the cards for Joshua before he can contemplate facing Fury, who has a third clash with Deontay Wilder coming up on October 9.
But Parker, who was the first man to take Joshua the distance in their 2018 unification fight in Cardiff, believes there is still hope of an all-British heavyweight clash taking place.
"I feel like the point is just the best fighting the best," Parker told Stats Perform. "Even though AJ lost that fight to Usyk, he's still considered one of the best.
"He's going to go down in history as one of the best heavyweights. I think people want to see the best fight the best and that's a fight that can still happen.
"People will still be very interested to see who's the best British heavyweight there is."
Speaking after his surprise defeat in London at the weekend, Joshua said he is "110 per cent" up for a rematch with Usyk to win back his belts.
Despite the manner of the defeat, Parker has backed Joshua to put up a far stronger performance if he does step back into the ring with Usyk.
"I was a little surprised by the defeat," Parker said. "I mean, a lot of other people called it a 50-50 fight, a lot of people said it was going to be a tear up for AJ to win.
"But Usyk showed everyone watching tremendous skill and footwork and movement. You just saw him outbox and outsmart AJ for the 12 rounds.
"But [Joshua's] a smart man and he's got a smart team. He's faced a loss and adversity and he's come back with a better game plan. That's what he's going to need to do.
"I think I saw an interview saying he's already watched the fight straight after it happened and he just needs to make those adjustments and how to counter someone like Usyk.
"Who wins the rematch depends on the training, it depends on who shows up on the day. But going into the rematch, Usyk would have big confidence.
"It's pretty crazy how he came from the cruiserweight division, unified champion of the world and then has three fights and he's the unified champion of the world.
"That's the goal of a lot of heavyweights, is to be champion of the world and be unified champ. It's so crazy how things happen."
Joshua followed up his victory over Parker, which saw him retain his WBA, IBF and IBO belts and win the WBO title, with a knockout triumph over Alexander Povetkin.
The Briton has lost two of his following four fights, however, giving him a record of 24-2 and leading to inevitable suggestions that his career is now declining.
But Parker said: "It's hard to say if that's the case. From when I fought him, he's had a couple of wins, a loss to Ruiz and come back and beat him again.
"He's saying that he's improving and getting better, but maybe he just was faced with a fighter who was just different, you know, in his element.
"When you see Usyk, with the footwork and the movement - he didn't really allow AJ to land his shots and catch him. He was just in and out and just very smart."
Belichick backed to get the Patriots back to their best
Bill Belichick is still the right coach for the New England Patriots despite their struggles this season.
That is the view of Duron Harmon, who played for the Patriots between 2013 and 2019, winning three Super Bowl rings in that time.
All of those triumphs came under Belichick's guidance, with the 71-year-old having been head coach of the Patriots since 2000.
His 24th straight season in charge has proved a dismal one, with the Patriots sinking to a 2-10 record.
New England have lost their last five games including their 6-0 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 13.
Their displays have cast doubt over the future of veteran coach Belichick, but Harmon – who is on the practice roster at the Cleveland Browns – does not think making a change is the right solution.
"I just think it's timing," he told Stats Perform. "How many organisations do you know that are this successful for this long? That's life.
"You look at all the great organisations, the [Chicago] Bulls when they had their run, then eventually, you've got to go through [hard times].
"That's just a part of sports that happens because when you're at the top, everybody's gunning for you. Everybody's trying to figure out how to get better.
"They're taking from you, they're taking coaches from you. They're taking players from you. That's sports, it's life.
"We've come where it's time for the Patriots to be on the other side for a little bit. I think if there is one person that can reverse it and turn it the other way, it's the man that's right there, and that's Bill Belichick – he's done it before.
"If he has the, I don't want to say patience, but if he wants to go through that again, I think he's the man to do it."
Harmon also believes Belichick would choose to stay on with the Patriots, rather than end his tenure on a low ebb.
He added: "Besides Tom Brady, he's the most competitive person I know. People don't realise, Bill is a competitor. He loves to win, but he hates to lose even more. And you can kind of just see it in his demeanour.
"Losing is not a part of his nature and I can't see him just going out like this.
"I think this would be the motivation. He does everything there. He's the coach, he's the front office. It's all on him."
Kemahl ‘Hitman’ Russell delivers on promise, knocks out opponent in spectacular fashion
Confident predictions still hold weight in boxing as Kemahl ‘The Hitman’ Russell, now 16-1 with 14 knockouts, delivered on his pre-fight prediction by flawlessly channeling the legendary Muhammad Ali on route to a third-round knockout of his Mexican opponent at the Pickering Casino Resort Arena on Saturday night.
Facing off against the formidable Mexican champion Raffle ‘El Iraki’ Ortiz (16-6-1, 9KOs) who has a reputation for his resilience, Russell entered the ring determined to make a statement. Amidst his pre-fight media obligations, ‘The Hitman’ boldly declared to SportsMax.TV, "I expect to get this guy outta there by the third round,' evoking memories of Muhammad Ali who was renowned for his brash pre-fight predictions.
“I told everyone I was going to stop him and I was a man of my word. Just like my last fight, I knew it was going to be a short night because he (Ortiz) does not move his feet or his head and everyone in boxing knows the saying - if you don't move your head, someone will move it for you.”
As the fight commenced - Russell was in absolute control, further fueling the already electric atmosphere within the arena from his growing fanbase. Ortiz, a southpaw and physically bigger, pressed forward in a high guard which he used to try to engage but ‘The Hitman’ would not allow him to dictate the terms. With a display of superior footwork and an educated left Jab, Russell neutralized Ortiz by circling the perimeter and stepping at angles to nullify the Mexican Champion’s tactics in an overall uneventful round-one.
Then came the onslaught.
After another brief feeling out process, Russell’s superior timing and ring ‘IQ’ became apparent in round-two. As Russell’s confidence grew behind a jab that always seemed to find its mark, he then gathered himself and threw a flurry of well-timed looping punches from angles that put Ortiz off-balance.
Sensing that his opponent was hurt, ‘The Hitman’ used the opportunity to entertain by winding-up a bolo punch in the form of a windmill that traveled a long way before finding a home on Otiz’s chin. A series of uppercuts followed and then a short right cross from Russell dropped Ortiz to the canvas just before the bell.
When the third round began, it seemed as if fate had conspired to validate ‘The Hitman’s’ bold words. In a no-nonsense mood, Russell marched across the ring and delivered a bruising lesson in the sweet science, dropping Ortiz for the final time. The referee quickly intervened, declaring the match over and awarding the knockout victory to ‘The Hitman’. After the final bell, Russell placed himself in the center of the ring and acknowledged the audience at all points in triumph while taking a dramatic solo bow.
In the post-fight interview - with humility and respect, the 33-year-old Russell acknowledged the influence of Muhammad Ali, stating, "Ali was always an inspiration to me - but predicting a knockout and making it happen was just me setting high standards for myself and daring to be great. I felt strong and sharp, I feel like my old self again. I was at 100 per cent in this fight and that is not normal for me - I usually have some type of injury going into fights but this time everything was perfect.”
The bout attracted attention from a broad spectrum of boxing fans. In Toronto, the Pickering Casino Resort Arena was sold out by the time Russell entered the ring. While in Jamaica the event also drew special attention by being broadcasted live which prompted a watch party in support of the boxer. “I want to say to the Jamaican people that I represented for them, wearing our colors on my gear and showing that a boxer straight out of yard, can make it to the top. I am Jamaican born and raised.”
Russell is signed to United Boxing Promotions - ‘United’ boss Tyler Buxton added that he is “very pleased” with Russell’s performance - “he stole the show again!” “For sure he's a fan favorite here in Toronto after only three fights.”
When asked what's next for Russell, Buxton stated that himself and ‘Team Hitman’ will sit down and discuss what's best for the boxer moving forward. Russell, a bit less conservative has hinted that he eagerly awaits a fight that will rank him amongst the top 10 in the world.
The heavy hands of Ricardo ‘Big 12’ Brown, also delivered an impressive performance by knocking out his opponent in the first round.
This win moves Brown, 33, of Spanish Town, Jamaica, already flawless knockout streak to 10 for 10. Additionally, the win positioned Brown as one of boxing's rising stars in the heavyweight division. With both Jamaican fighters showcasing their skills on the global stage, it's clear that Jamaica can once again become a force to be reckoned with in world boxing.
Arsenal and Liverpool can challenge Man City in 'open' title race, believes Anderton
Both Arsenal and Liverpool are capable of pushing Manchester City close in what promises to be the most open Premier League title race in recent years.
That is the view of former Tottenham and England midfielder Darren Anderton, though he says Pep Guardiola's men are still the team to beat as they chase an unprecedented fourth successive English top-flight title.
Ahead of Saturday's Premier League fixtures, just two points separated leaders Arsenal and fourth-placed Aston Villa, with City and Liverpool nestled between that pair.
The 2015-16 season, when Leicester City stunned the football world by winning the title under Claudio Ranieri, is the only previous Premier League campaign to feature such a slender gap between first and fourth after 13 matchdays.
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal moved four points clear at the summit, at least temporarily, by clinging on for a 2-1 win over Wolves on Saturday, and Anderton believes they and Liverpool can keep things interesting at the top this season.
"Manchester City are going to be involved in it, there's no doubt about it," Anderton told Stats Perform when asked to name his title favourites.
"Arsenal are obviously still going well and Liverpool have come back this year, so I think it's going to be a little bit more open than it has been in recent years.
"If you had to ask me, I would expect that Manchester City are going to be the team to beat again. I love Pep, I love the football that they play.
"Obviously, with Haaland, they've got a goal machine and they're always going to create opportunities and they're always going to keep strengthening and getting better and better.
"Everyone's got to try and keep pace with them."
Some tipped Anderton's former club Spurs for a surprise title bid when new boss Ange Postecoglou led them to an unbeaten 10-game start to the season, but injuries to key men James Maddison and Micky van de Ven have taken their toll at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in recent weeks.
Tottenham approach Sunday's meeting with City looking to halt a three-game losing run, having gone down to Chelsea (1-4), Wolves (1-2) and Villa (1-2) despite opening the scoring in each match.
Anderton believes UEFA Champions League football should be the primary aim for Postecoglou's team this season, saying: "I think, with Spurs, we need to get that win to get us going again.
"If we do, then we can go on another run like we did at the start of the season. For Spurs, I'd love just to see them back in the Champions League. That's the first step.
"There's no reason why that's not achievable, in my opinion. You might need a little bit of luck and to get players back as soon as possible, but that's definitely a goal that can be achieved."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
