ANTHONY JOSHUA TAPS USYK'S TEAM TO BEAT JAKE PAUL
Anthony Joshua is training with Oleksandr Usyk's team for his upcoming fight against Jake Paul. The former heavyweight champion has split from trainer Ben Davison ahead of the December 19th bout in Miami.
Anthony Joshua isn't taking any chances as he gears up for his fight against Jake Paul, the YouTuber who turned to boxing. The match is set for Miami next month.
Joshua, 36, hasn't been in the ring since his tough loss to Daniel Dubois last September. Now, he's teamed up with Oleksandr Usyk's crew to get ready for the eight-round fight on December 19. Usyk is the current world champ.
At the fight announcement in the US, Joshua said he's no longer working with his usual trainer, Ben Davison. Davison had told Boxing News Online that the fight was not good for boxing. Joshua mentioned he was invited to train with Usyk's team.
He’s one of the best, and it's not just him; it's the team around him, Joshua said. I've joined them to learn from someone who's achieved a lot. It's a great, tough experience.
Joshua, who lost to Usyk twice in 2021 and 2022, brushed off the criticism about the fight. His contract says he can't weigh more than 245 lbs. Still, he'll probably outweigh Paul by a good amount.
“I don’t worry about the people against me,” Joshua added. I focus on those who support me. I have nothing to say to the haters.
"I give credit to Jake and his team," Joshua continued. They reached out, and it was a good chance for me to fight. I wanted a year off, and then it was time to get back to work. I was planning to fight anyway, so I thought, ‘Why not? ’It’s huge news, bringing both marketability and skill together.
Paul, with 13 fights under his belt, has mostly fought former UFC fighters or older boxers. He won against 58-year-old Mike Tyson a year ago. In his last fight in June, he won against 39-year-old Julio Cesar Chavez, a former middleweight champ.
At the press conference, Paul respected Joshua's success but still thinks he can win. He said he's ready to go all out. He's one of the best, but fighting someone smaller can be tough for a heavyweight because of the speed advantage,” Paul said.
“He has power, and I need to avoid that one shot for eight rounds. I believe I can. Self-belief is strong. I know this is harder, but I know what I can do. This will be fun. I want him to hit me, even break my face. He’ll have to kill me to stop me, and I’m ready to die.
ANALYSIS: RELENTLESS AGIT KABAYEL CRUSHES DAMIAN KNYBA IN THREE ROUNDS TO SIGNAL USYK WARNING
The Rudolf Weber Arena erupted as Agit Kabayel overcame a bloody cut to stop the "Polish Hussar" in a three-round thriller.
The Rudolf Weber Arena was packed, and nobody left disappointed. Agit Kabayel tore through Damian Knyba in just three rounds, sending the crowd home buzzing.
Kabayel came in as the heavy favourite, but Knyba didn’t roll over. For two rounds, he made Kabayel work, landing some big shots and showing he was there to fight. But in the third, Kabayel just overwhelmed him. The Germans’ pressure was too much, and Knyba couldn’t keep him off.
Right from the opening bell, both guys wanted to make a statement. Knyba used his reach, slinging hooks and landing a huge uppercut late in the first. His long frame gave Kabayel a clear target, though, and Kabayel’s known for his body shots. Still, Knyba drew first blood, opening a cut over Kabayel’s right eye.
Knyba seemed fired up. He kept Kabayel at range, pumping out jabs and circling away, making life tough for the favourite. Kabayel struggled to work around Knyba’s reach.
But in the third, things changed. Kabayel got that look—steady, relentless. Knyba started to fade, and Kabayel went to work. He opened a cut by Knyba’s left eye, hammered the body, and just poured it on. Knyba looked spent after a shot to the ribs, then took a series of rights before the ref stepped in.
Now Kabayel is 27-0 with 19 knockouts and holding the WBC interim belt. He’s got options. Lawrence Okolie, the WBC’s top contender, watched from ringside, eager for a shot. But Kabayel’s eyes are on Oleksandr Usyk and the full title. Knyba drops to 17-1 (11 KOs).
Afterwards, Kabayel soaked in the moment. “It’s unbelievable; look at the crowd. So many people came to support me,” he said, grinning. “Every fight in Germany. Let’s go.”
The fans wanted Usyk next
“I waited so long for this title opportunity; I beat three monsters in the Riyadh Season—Makhmudov, Zhang, and Sanchez. Give me the world title fight. I’m ready.”
When someone asked if Usyk could be tempted to Germany for a stadium fight, Kabayel’s manager, Spencer Brown, didn’t hesitate. “I think we can, yes.”
JESSE BAM RODRIGUEZ ENTERS FREE AGENCY FOLLOWING MASSIVE RIYADH KNOCKOUT WIN
Jesse Bam Rodriguez targets an undisputed status after knocking out Martínez. Hear why Eddie Hearn expects him to stay at Matchroom.
Jesse "Bam" Rodriguez just keeps climbing. Right now, he’s the lineal and unified super flyweight champ, and his last fight showed why. On November 22, 2025, in Riyadh, he stepped into the ring against the tough WBA champion Fernando Martínez (18-1, 9 KOs). Bam boxed smart, moved beautifully, and made Martínez miss all night. By the 10th round, he was still in total control, and then he finished it—caught Martínez with a counter left hook and dropped him hard. Martínez couldn’t get up, and that was it. Bam added the WBA belt to his WBC and WBO collection.
Now, word’s out—Bam’s a promotional free agent. Eddie Hearn talked to Rob Tebbutt at the Sportsman to clear things up about Bam’s contract.
Hearn explained, “We’ve got some matching and negotiation options on him, but honestly, I’m not too worried. We’re working with Robert Garcia and Jesse to go after the undisputed championship. There’s a lot going on—the IBF belt and Willibaldo Garcia, who just pulled out of a fight, and now he has to face Maloney. So, there’s a bit of a mess to sort out. We have to keep Maloney happy, Bam happy, and Willibaldo Garcia happy—it’s tricky, but we want to do something big for Bam at the Alamodome. Sure, things can change, but I see Bam sticking with Matchroom for the rest of his career.”
Hearn didn’t hide how much Bam means to the team: “He’s huge for us, personally and as a business. We’ve looked after him and paid him well—he’s earned every bit of it. The new deal on the table is big money. He’s one of the top fighters in the sport.”
Is Bam moving up to 118 soon? Hearn said, “Maybe. If he doesn’t get the undisputed fight, he’ll move up. The thing is, Maloney’s about to fight Garcia for not much money, but he could be on the undercard, make a nice payday, and get a guaranteed shot at the winner. Sometimes you have to put the emotion aside and just make the right business move.”
Matchroom has done right by Jesse Bam Rodriguez so far, and Hearn sounds pretty sure they’re not done yet.