THE WALKOUT: UNCOVERING WHY DEONTAY WILDER STORMED OUT OF THE SIMON JORDAN INTERVIEW
Is Wilder finished? Analyse the O2 Arena heavyweight drama, Riley’s 13-0 streak, and the EBU title stakes on April 4.
Viddal Riley is getting a massive chance at the European title on the same night Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora square off in London.
Wilder and Chisora are set for a heavyweight clash on April 4 at the O2 Arena. The stakes couldn’t be higher; whoever walks away with the win lines themselves up for a shot at Oleksandr Usyk’s unified world title. For the loser, this could be the end of the road.
MF Pro is putting on the show, and they’ve just signed Riley, who’s now set to fight on the undercard. He’s taking on EBU European champion Mateusz Masternak in what’s easily the biggest test of his career so far. Riley just grabbed the British title, and now he’s eyeing a second belt in a row.
The EBU ordered the fight, and it’s Riley’s big chance to prove he belongs at the top. Here’s how he put it: “It’s a new dawn. It’s a new chapter. MF PRO is the start of something fresh for me, and what better way to kick things off than with a real challenge? I’ve decided to go after a seasoned veteran and former world title contender for his EBU Cruiserweight belt. This fight means everything for my climb toward world honours. I know it’s a tough test, but I’m ready to shine.”
He’s pumped about the main event, too: “Chisora vs Wilder is a huge night, and I can’t wait to show what I can do for my new promoters, who are really backing me.”
Riley’s undefeated in 13 fights, and he hasn’t missed a step. If he wins, he’s set to rocket up the world rankings. He’s already got a big following online, and a statement win here could really launch him into the spotlight.
With all eyes on Wilder vs Chisora, Riley’s fight gets an extra boost. This is supposed to be Chisora’s 50th and final bout, at least that’s what he says, and a win would send him out on a high in front of the home crowd. Wilder, on the other hand, needs to put on a show and prove he’s still got it at 40.
The hype is real; both fighters even got into it with talkSPORT host Simon Jordan. Things got heated, and at one point, Wilder stormed out after a grilling about Tyson Fury. The drama’s building, and April 4 is shaping up to be a wild night for British boxing.
WHY DID OLEKSANDR USYK STOP WATCHING FURY VS MAKHMUDOV DURING THE SIXTH ROUND?
Oleksandr Usyk ignores Tyson Fury’s win to pray, while Anthony Joshua brands Fury a "clout-chaser" in a ringside row.
Oleksandr Usyk didn’t bother finishing Tyson Fury’s fight with Arslanbek Makhmudov on Saturday. After six rounds, he switched off the TV and went to pray. He’s not thinking about fighting Fury again anytime soon either.
Fury stepped back into the ring after a year away, squaring up with Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The fight went the full twelve rounds, and Fury took home a unanimous decision win. It streamed live on Netflix, so fans everywhere got to watch.
But Usyk caught half the fight before leaving. He told the Mail, “I got a bunch of messages like, ‘Did you see my friend winning?’ I said, ‘Yeah, great,’ but honestly, I only watched the first six rounds. Then I left for church to pray. In rounds three and four, I got a little worried Makhmudov started landing, and I thought, ‘Come on, keep your hands up.’”
As for facing Fury for a third time, Usyk shot down the idea. After beating Fury twice in 2024, he’s ready to move on. “My plan’s the same. I’ve got three fights lined up, I know what I want. If Fury fits in, fine, but things are more complicated now.”
Back in May 2024, Fury put his WBC heavyweight belt on the line, dreaming of undisputed glory, while Usyk brought his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO titles. Usyk edged out Fury on a split decision. They ran it back in December, and it wasn’t as close Usyk dominated and hit a clean 23-0 record with another unanimous points victory.
Next, Usyk is set to face Rico Verhoeven, the Glory heavyweight kickboxing champ, on May 23 at the Pyramids of Giza. Not your average boxing event.
Meanwhile, Fury wasted no time calling out Anthony Joshua, who was ringside for his win over Makhmudov. Fury wanted to make the fight happen right then and there, but Joshua didn’t commit. That annoyed fans in the stadium and at home.
Joshua’s response? He wasn’t impressed. “Tyson, you’re clout-chasing,” he shot back. “I’ve never had a problem getting in the ring with you. I punched you up when we were kids, and after watching you tonight, I’ll do it again. You don’t tell me what to do.”
He doubled down. “I’ve been chasing you for ten years. When you’re ready, come see me. I’m the boss you work for me. I’m the landlord, remember that.”
ANTHONY JOSHUA REJECTS POST-FIGHT RING FACE-OFF DESPITE FURY’S DECISIVE WIN OVER MAKHMUDOV
Eddie Hearn explains Anthony Joshua’s ring snub. Is the Fury vs AJ fight actually signed for this autumn?
Eddie Hearn laid it out pretty clearly: Anthony Joshua stayed out of the ring Saturday night and didn’t square off with Tyson Fury, even though Fury and Turki Alalshikh were both pushing hard for that dramatic moment to sell their big all-British fight for later this year.
Tyson Fury came back for yet another post-retirement bout at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, picking up a decisive win over Russian Arslanbek Makhmudov. It wasn’t much of a contest, really. Fury dominated, collected a unanimous decision, and then instantly shifted his attention to Anthony Joshua sitting at ringside. At one point, Joshua even whipped out his phone to record the fight.
Naturally, Fury grabbed the mic and did what he does best: he hyped up the idea of fighting Joshua next, telling the crowd (and Joshua himself) that this was the battle fans have been waiting for. He even called AJ into the ring on the spot.
But Joshua didn’t bite. He stayed put, calmly telling the crowd he’s ready to fight Fury and has been chasing it for a decade. No drama. No face-off.
Later, Fury and his camp went public. They said their side had signed the contracts weeks ago and put the blame for the holdup squarely on Joshua.
“We brought him here tonight to make this fight a done deal,” Fury said. “I’ve already signed. No idea if he has.”
Netflix, broadcasting the fight, amped things up even more by teasing that the huge British showdown would happen this autumn. But Fury’s promoter, Frank Warren, pushed the decision back onto Joshua. “The only one who can confirm it is AJ,” he said. “It’s one man holding things up.”
Fury himself doubled down: “If it isn’t Anthony Joshua next, I’m done with boxing. It’s him, or I’m gone.”
On the other side, Joshua’s team fired back against any claims that AJ was running from the fight. Eddie Hearn, his promoter, explained why Joshua didn’t step into the ring: “He’s not interested in the theatrics if there’s no deal done. How many times has this fight supposedly been on? Years go by, nothing happens. Until something’s signed, it’s all just talk. AJ knows it’s Fury who really needs this, and he’ll fight him. We’re confident it happens, but right now, nothing is signed.”
And as for the talk about Joshua being scared? Hearn shut that down: “Scared of what, of that? Even Fury’s own fans feel the energy is different now. We don’t see anything other than an AJ win.”
