PROMOTER DEMANDS ANTHONY JOSHUA STICK TO RUSSIAN FIGHT COMMITMENT
Promoter Frank Warren is pushing Anthony Joshua to fulfil a pledge to fight Arslanbek Makhmudov. Warren says the bout "makes a lot of sense" as a warm-up before a potential Tyson Fury blockbuster.
One of heavyweight boxing's biggest villains has supported Anthony Joshua to fulfil a pre-fight pledge.
Former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has been connected to a long list of possible bouts but has not yet scheduled his comeback to the ring.
The Watford star was given a new update on his future this week, suggesting that he might make a comeback earlier than anticipated. He was originally scheduled to compete at the start of next year.
Joshua has been persuaded to fulfil a pre-fight pledge to a tall Russian star, though, following a successful weekend in his class.
Arslanbek Makhmudov should have a comeback fight, according to Anthony Joshua.
During his absence, Joshua was linked to nearly every heavyweight bout imaginable, and it appears that he pledged to fight Arslanbek Makhmudov when he returns.
Additionally, Joshua appears to be missing out on a headlining for the first fight in more than a decade, according to Eddie Hearn, the leader of Matchroom Boxing, who just provided an update on his future.
Another British promoter has pushed Joshua to keep his word to fight Makhmudov, hoping the Olympian will land a few warm-up bouts before facing Tyson Fury in a possible summer blockbuster next year.
"They (Arslanbek Makhmudov and Anthony Joshua) have the same promoter," Frank Warren said to IFL TV. Eddie advertised last week's battle [with Dave Allen].
Regarding the matchup, Warren stated, "If they can get it together, it makes a lot of sense. We will wait and find out."
When Anthony Joshua defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov, the star called him out.
Russian sensation Makhmudov, who had only lost twice in his professional career, was left in a bloated mess following the second of those losses.
In a heavyweight decider that same summer, Makhmudov was matched up against Guido Vianello, an unknown Italian, who stopped him in the eighth round.
Vianello wants to face the former world champion next, citing his previous victory over the 6'5" berserker.
Following his victory over the weekend, Vianello declared, "Let us fight wherever you want—in Rome, the Colosseum, London, wherever you want." But since I am 31, please give me a well-known name. I want to win right away; I do not have any more time.
GERVONTA DAVIS ARRESTED IN MIAMI ON BATTERY, KIDNAPPING, AND FALSE IMPRISONMENT CHARGES
Gervonta Davis is in custody after a two-week manhunt. Facing kidnapping charges, the star has been stripped of his WBA title.
Gervonta Davis, who’s a three-division world champ and one of boxing’s biggest names, landed in jail Wednesday in Miami—almost two weeks after police put out a warrant for his arrest. They’re accusing him of battery, false imprisonment, and attempted kidnapping tied to an alleged domestic violence incident from last fall.
Police in Miami Gardens said they tracked Davis for several days across three counties, working with the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force. When they caught up with him in Miami’s Design District, he didn’t put up a fight. They booked him into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Centre late Wednesday.
Cops say all this goes back to something that happened on October 27 at a strip club in Miami Gardens. The woman at the centre of the case used to date Davis and was working there as a VIP cocktail server that night. Police claim Davis confronted her inside, forced her into a back room, assaulted her, then kept her restrained before taking her outside.
In the report, police say Davis grabbed her by the hair and throat, threatened her, and led her out to the parking lot, where he finally let her go. She found coworkers, got help, and called the police. Officers say she had visible bruises on her arm.
She told investigators she met Davis back in 2022. They dated for a few months in 2025, but she broke things off about a month before the incident and had stopped talking to him.
Besides going to the police, she also filed a civil lawsuit against Davis for battery, false imprisonment, and kidnapping. Her attorney said the police investigation lines up with what she claimed in her suit.
“The investigation led to a judge signing off on the arrest warrant,” her attorney said back in January. “That matches the allegations in the lawsuit.”
Court records show her lawyers tried over and over to serve Davis with the lawsuit, but couldn’t find him for weeks.
At a press conference on January 14, Miami Gardens police called it a domestic violence case and said they were working with federal agents to track Davis down. When asked for more details Wednesday night, police said they couldn’t share anything else because the case is still active.
Last fall, Davis was in Miami training for a big fight with influencer Jake Paul, set for November at Kaseya Centre. Once the lawsuit hit the news, Davis was taken off the card, and Anthony Joshua stepped in. Davis last fought in March, when he held onto his WBA lightweight title after a controversial draw with Lamont Roach Jr in Brooklyn.
But over the weekend, WBA president Gilberto Mendoza announced they stripped Davis of the title, pointing to the legal case and his long absence from the ring. Davis has only defended the title twice in three years—most recently against Roach, which was more than ten months ago—and he doesn’t have another fight lined up.
This isn’t Davis’s first run-in with the law. He’s had several domestic violence allegations in Florida and elsewhere, though many were later dropped. In 2023, he got three years’ probation and some house arrest for a hit-and-run in Baltimore.
Right now, it’s not clear if these new Florida charges will mess with his probation in Maryland or delay any future fights. Jail and court records didn’t say when he’ll first appear in court in Miami-Dade.
Miami Gardens police say their investigation is still going and aren’t commenting further.
OFFICIAL: TYSON FURY TO FIGHT ARSLANBEK MAKHMUDOV LIVE ON NETFLIX APRIL 11
Tyson Fury is back! The "Gypsy King" ends his retirement to face Arslanbek Makhmudov on April 11 in Netflix's first live UK show.
Netflix keeps pushing deeper into the sports world, and boxing is turning out to be a real crowd-pleaser. Now, on April 11, they’re gearing up for another big night: Tyson Fury is stepping out of retirement to face Arslanbek Makhmudov. It’s not just another fight—this will be Netflix’s first-ever live event in the UK.
Fury seems pumped. “Excited to be back,” he said in a statement. “Heart’s always been and always will be in boxing. Someone go tell the king that the ace is back!” The last time he fought was back in December 2024, but you can tell he still feels right at home in the ring.
Gabe Spitzer, who handles sports at Netflix, is just as thrilled. He called Fury one of the most resilient and fascinating fighters of his generation. “His career is all about beating the odds, and there’s just something electric about watching him fight,” Spitzer said. “We can’t wait to see him back for this homecoming, and we love giving our members a front-row seat to the next chapter of the Gypsy King’s story.”
The event’s getting the royal treatment too—Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority chairman, Turki Alalshikh, is presenting, along with Sela and The Ring. Alalshikh’s name comes up a lot in combat sports these days. Saudi Arabia keeps landing some of the sport’s biggest fights, and the country even helped launch the Zuffa Boxing promotion with TKO.
“We’re happy Tyson decided to come out of retirement for what should be an exciting heavyweight clash against Makhmudov,” Alalshikh said.
Fury hasn’t fought since those back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024, but his name still draws a crowd. A comeback fight in the UK—his home turf, where he hasn’t fought since 2022—only adds to the buzz.
For Netflix, Fury vs. Makhmudov is another notch in their belt. Last year, they pulled in huge numbers with several boxing shows, especially the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua fight in December. That one alone racked up over 33 million views around the world. Clearly, Netflix is betting big on boxing, and fans seem happy to watch.