Nigerian-born former two-time world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Olaseni Oluwafemi Joshua, has gained support from a legend of the sport, ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson for his November 20 ‘Battle of Brits’ versus Tyson Fury to take place in London, though USA provides equal values.

Sports247 reports that, while Tyson admitted that any venue in America would equally have a large number of British fans flood the arena in thousands, he reckoned that it would be better on British soil, since Joshua and Fury hail from the United Kingdom.

READ ALSO: Anthony Joshua Under Attack From Tyson Fury, As British Rival Accuses Promoter Eddie Hearn Of Greed | Sports247 Nigeria

Tyson’s verdict would come as a soothing balm for Joshua and his camp, who insist that the contract they signed for the much-expected fight with Fury this year indicated that the bout must take place in the UK, but marketing benefits are now shifting its venue towards USA.

Marketers, organisers and broadcasters of the big fight, including Netflix and Saudi fight financier, Turki Alalshikh, have repeatedly restated that they prefer the bout to take place in America, in order to capitalise on commercial dividends that are bound to arise from prime-time US viewing.

In contrast with that argument, Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn is battling hard to keep the venue on British soil, but latest reports indicate that he might have reluctantly agreed to revised terms that will allow the epic bout go to Uncle Sam’s Country.

Tyson, who fought twice in the UK, where he knocked out Julius Francis in Manchester in January 2000 before stopping Lou Savarese six months later in Glasgow, is banned from Britain, due to his 1992 rape conviction, but he is of a view that London would be an ideal venue for the grudge bout.

The record youngest ever heavyweight champ in history told Daily Mail: “It’s going to be a great fight (and) it’s going to be great for boxing. I think they both have enough in them once they get the desire.

“They’re both English and, if they come here, all the English people are going to come anyway. So, you’re home already, let’s do it there! They’re going to come to the United States – it’s going to be full of English people.

“It’s just going to be just like it is over there. There ain’t going to be many Americans there because they’ll sell it out. Even though I can’t go – I’m barred from London – I think London should get the fight.”

Sports247 reports further that it promises to be a swansong of song for 38-year-old Fury, who heads into the bout after a fishy seven-round win over 46-year-old Mariusz Wach in Thailand, while 36-year-old Joshua also got a mysterious victory as well just 24 hours later.

‘AJ’ overcame a scare after being dropped twice in the first round by a little-known 35-yerar-old Albanian, Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, before the former champ got a second-round knockout, but Tyson believes both aging Brits still have enough to excite fight fans in November.

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Nigerian-born youthful boxer, Moses Itauma, has started his official countdown to this Saturday’s world title fight with a creative promotional video on social media, highlighting his training and relaying comments regarding his ambition in the ring.

Sports247 reports that the boxer with a Nigerian father and mother from Slovakia is already being hyped as ‘the latest real deal in boxing history,’ but experts believe he will get his biggest test so far when he steps into the ring in London against Filip Hrgovic of Croatia.

As the countdown gets tighter to the International Boxing Federation (IBF) fight for the belt, which could make Itauma Britain’s youngest ever world champion, the Nigerian-born fighter has dropped a heart-pumping pre-fight trailer to herald his date with destiny.

‘The Chatham Clubber’ takes on the Croat for the vacant IBF heavyweight title, ahead of which DAZN released an epic pre-fight trailer for Itauma, in the same style as Nike’s iconic commercials to highlight the lad’s maiden world title bid, which will be broadcast live.

Fight experts also believe the bout could be the beginning of a new era in boxing’s heavyweight division, with Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury already on their way out, while British fans are eager to see the potential coronation of a new king of the ring reigning from their country.

A report by the UK’s SunSport revealed, “Ahead of the potential dawn of a new era, DAZN have released an epic trailer to promote the bout. The first-person-view trailer gives an insight into the daily life of the slick southpaw, including a boxer’s early-morning wake-up call to go for a run.

“The promo, which is shot in the style of Nike‘s iconic footie ads from the noughties, also features Itauma going through all the obligations of a sporting superstar. It sees the 21-year-old attending a photoshoot and a pre-fight press conference.

“Itauma also gets a taste of the high life by attending a swanky movie premiere in Leicester Square. The slickly shot promotional package ends with the knockout artist arriving at The O2 in a helicopter before striding to the ring for what could be the biggest fight of his career.”

Sports247 reports further that Itauma, who was born in Slovakia but fights out of Chatham, Kent, is an undefeated 21-year-old lethal southpaw boxing sensation widely regarded as the future of the division, as he has taken the sport by storm with his rare blend of explosive power and hand speed.

He is currently trained by Ben Davison and backed by Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions, who have guided him to a professional record of 14 wins and no defeats (12 via knockout), after an amateur mark of 24 straight wins (11 KOs), following which he became a triple pro-champ.

Itauma has been champion with the Commonwealth, WBO Intercontinental and WBA International belts, following which he will become the second-youngest heavyweight world champion in boxing history, after Mike Tyson, if he wins on Saturday at The O2 Arena in London.

The British Young Boxer of the Year 2025 was born in Kežmarok, Slovakia, to a Nigerian father and Slovak mother, with his older sibling being light-heavyweight boxer Karol Itauma, who was the youngster’s first inspiration in the pugilist’s sport.

He and his family experienced racism in Slovakia and decided to migrate to England in search of new opportunities that the East European nation did not provide; so they moved to Chatham, Kent, when the new star of global heavyweight boxing was just three years old.

The post Moses Itauma Begins Countdown To Saturday’s Title Fight With Creative Virtual Video Splashed Across Social Media appeared first on Sports247 Nigeria.

Nigerian street-pop star Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has expressed regret over the controversial ending to his celebrity boxing rematc against actor Charles Okocha in Lagos.

The highly anticipated bout, billed as an opportunity to settle the rivalry between the two entertainers, ended prematurely after Portable walked away from the contest following a chaotic opening round.

The dramatic development left fans and spectators stunned, as the expected boxing showdown quickly descended into disorder, with tensions between the two fighters spilling beyond the normal boundaries of the contest.

In a statement issued by his management, Zeh Nation/Dr Zeh, the singer’s team apologised to the organisers, Balmoral Group, the event crew, fans, friends and family members who had turned out to support him.

The management acknowledged the disappointment caused by Portable’s decision to leave the fight after the opening round while appealing to the public to respect his decision and perspective.

“We understand the disappointment caused by the outcome of the fight and by Portable’s decision to step away after the first round,” the statement said.

The team also accepted responsibility for the disappointment generated by the incident and expressed appreciation to Portable’s supporters for their continued loyalty despite the controversy surrounding the bout.

Zeh Nation further commended Balmoral Group and everyone involved in organising the celebrity boxing event, while apologising for any inconvenience caused by the unexpected conclusion.

According to the management, the reaction to the incident has been noted, with the experience expected to serve as a learning opportunity for Portable and his team.

“We have taken note of the feedback, and we are committed to learning from this experience. We promise to come back stronger and do better next time,” the statement added.

Portable’s early departure brought an abrupt end to a rematch that had attracted considerable attention from both entertainment and sports fans in Lagos.

Rather than producing the decisive conclusion many had anticipated, the contest ended in controversy, leaving Charles Okocha and the event organisers to deal with the fallout from a chaotic night inside the ring.

The singer’s management concluded by thanking fans for their continued support, understanding and belief in Portable, despite the circumstances surrounding the bout.

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