Tag: Boxing

Anthony Joshua pays tribute to close friends killed in crash

Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua paid a moving tribute on Thursday to the two close friends killed in a car crash in Nigeria, labelling them “brothers” and “great men”.

Joshua suffered minor injuries in the December 29 crash, and after being discharged from hospital he returned to England before attending the funerals of Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami last Sunday.

“Thank you for all the love and care you have shown my brothers,” Joshua posted on Instagram.

“I didn’t even realise how special they are. I’ll just be walking with them and cracking jokes with them, not even knowing God kept me in the presence of great men.

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“100 percent it’s tough for me, but I know it’s even tougher for their parents. I have a strong mind, and I believe God knows their hearts. May God have mercy on my brothers.”

Ayodele, the personal trainer of the former two-time unified heavyweight champion, and Ghami, Joshua’s long-time strength and conditioning coach, both died at the scene of the crash on December 29.

Nigerian police charged the driver of the vehicle, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, with “dangerous driving causing death”.

The accident took place on a busy highway linking Lagos and Ibadan in southwest Nigeria when the Lexus SUV in which they were travelling rammed into a stationary truck.

Joshua, 36, who has family roots in Nigeria, was on holiday in the country following his win over Youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami on December 19.

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Pakistan’s Qudrat Ullah, Fatima Zahra bag bronze at Islamic Solidarity Games

RIYADH: Pakistan’s Qudrat Ullah and Fatima Zahra clinched bronze medals after bowing out in the semi-finals of the boxing at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games on Sunday.

Qudrat clinched a Bronze medal in men’s 55kg boxing after suffering defeat from Egypt’s Amir Mohamed Farag Ahmed Kelany in the semi-final, whereas 19-year-old Fatima was also defeated by an Egyptian opponent in the semi-final.

Qudrat reached the semi-final after defeating Sudan’s Mohamed Othman 10-0 in the quarter-final. While Fatima crushed Algeria’s Hamda Melissa 5-0 in the 60kg quarter-final.

Besides this, Pakistan’s Arusha Saeed also secured a bronze medal in the women’s 57kg Kurash event. The victory marked Pakistan’s first accolade in the event.

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Meanwhile, swimmer Jehanara Nabi clocked 30.7 seconds in her heat and advanced to the semifinals of the women’s 50m butterfly; however, she was unable to reach the final of the competition.

In the men’s 50m butterfly event, Ali Mohammad Mitha clocked a time of 26.31 seconds, finishing seventh in his heat, while Syed Mohammad Sodik Malik Hatim also came in seventh in his heat with a time of 26.13 seconds.

Leading the qualifiers was Turkey’s Berk Ozkul, who posted a time of 24.45 seconds.

The women’s table tennis team from Pakistan faced a defeat against Uganda, finishing with a score of 4-8 in Group C. The players in the match included Bisma Faryal, Hoor Fawad, and Kalsom Khan.

For the unversed, the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games are currently held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 7 to 21, 2025, featuring athletes from across the Muslim world competing in a range of sports.

The games also marked a return to Saudi Arabia, which hosted the first edition in 2005 across the cities of Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, and Taif.

READ: Pakistani cueists shine at IBSF World Snooker Championship

Jake Paul set to face former WBC champion in upcoming bout

Jake Paul is set to fight former WBC Middleweight Champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., following his victory over Mike Tyson in a blockbuster match last November.

The YouTuber, turned boxer, will face Chavez Jr. in his next fight, reported Ring Magazine.

The date and venue of the fight between Jake, who boasts an excellent record of 11-1, and Chavez Jr. is not confirmed yet.

Chavez Jr., the son of boxing legend and Hall of Famer Julio Cesar Chávez Sr., has previously challenged Jake Paul.

Chavez Jr. (54-6-1) held the WBC Middleweight title from 2011 to 2012, and is the most seasoned boxer Paul will face.

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The 28-year-old Paul defeated 58-year-old Tyson in a thrilling match, which drew 108 million live viewers on Netflix, making it the most-streamed sporting event in history.

Since making his professional debut, Chávez Jr. has competed in just five fights, securing victories in three of them.

His latest match resulted in a unanimous decision win against Hall, which took place on the undercard of Paul’s victory over Mike Perry.

Paul, aged 28, with a record of 11-1, including 7 knockouts, last faced off against Hall of Famer and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson on November 15, 2024, where he won by unanimous decision.

Throughout his career, Paul has claimed victories over five UFC veterans, such as Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, and Silva.

His sole loss in professional competition came in 2023 when he was narrowly defeated by Tommy Fury via split decision.

READ: Shahid Afridi downplays interest in PCB chairman role

Pakistan’s kickboxer Agha Kaleem wins silver at World Muaythai Championship

BANGKOK: Pakistani kickboxer Agha Kaleem won a silver medal in the 51-kilogram category at the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) World Muaythai Championships on Tuesday.

The IFMA World Muaythai Championships are annual Muay Thai competitions organized by the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA). Alongside the World Games, Muay Thai has the highest level of competition globally.

After showcasing remarkable performances in the event, Kaleem was defeated by the Russian opponent in the final of the 51-kilogram category.

The World Muaythai Championship featured players from 40 countries.

Following the defeat in the final, Agha Kaleem accused the referee of showing favoritism towards his opponent.

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The 24-year-old expressed feeling he had not truly lost while expressing gratitude for bringing home a medal for his country.

“I did not lose. They made me lose. The referee displayed bias in the final,” he remarked after losing in the final of the World Muaythai Championship.

“Thanks to Almighty Allah, I won a silver medal for my country,” he added.

Agha Kaleem originally hails from Quetta and now lives in Baldia Town, Karachi. The kickboxer earns his bread and butter by selling tea.

For the unversed, despite his impressive track record and many accolades on both national and international stages, he found himself having to sell parathas (fried bread) at a local stall in Karachi.

However, he eventually received support from notable figures like singer Ali Zafar and former cricket captain Shahid Afridi, which helped him win the International MMA Championship in 2023.

“Alhamdulillah, I won the international MMA championship,” Kaleem posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, tagging Zafar in his message.

The singer warmly responded to congratulate the athlete, saying, “Amazing! Believed in you all the way. So proud.”

READ: ECB opposes Saudi-backed T20 league idea

British Pakistani boxer Adam Azim wins World Super Lightweight Championship

LONDON: Pakistani-origin British boxer Adam Azim clinched the World Super Lightweight Boxing Championship title by thrashing the former International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion, Sergey Lipinets at Wembley Arena on Sunday.

The highly anticipated fight took a turn in the third round when Azim’s thunderous left hook led to a knocked-out Lipinets.

This was Adam Azim’s 13th pro-fight victory, with ten coming out in the knock-out rounds.

After winning the fight Azim acknowledged his Kazik opponent Sergey Lipinets and hinted at his next challenge, calling out Dalton Smith.

“He was really small and he was so hard from me to place the shot,” Azim said.

“I was so patient. At the start he was really dangerous. He’s a big puncher. I’ve got so much respect for him.”

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The Pakistani-British boxer expressed his desire to face Dalton Smith.

He said “You better be watching my friend. You ain’t that good, my friend; I’m coming.“When I do fight him, I am gonna teach him a lesson”.

Moreover, former boxing champion Amir Khan also spoke about Adam’s victory, calling it a historic moment for Pakistan. He pointed out that Azim Adam is the second Pakistani boxer to become a World Champion in boxing.

“I am extremely proud of Adam, and I came from Dubai to support my brother,” said Amir Khan.

Amir Khan also said that he and Azim would soon visit Pakistan to celebrate his achievement.

Adam Azim who hails from Kotli, Azad Kashmir in Pakistan, was born to British Pakistani parents on 21 July 2002 in Slough, Berkshire. His father was a boxing trainer while his elder brother Hassan Azim is also a professional boxer.

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Taimur knocks out Indian opponent to claim Asian Heavyweight title

BANGKOK: Pakistani Boxer Taimur Khan knocked down the Indian opponent in a thrilling clash to win the Asian Heavyweight Championship title.

Taimur outpunched India’s top-ranked boxer, Vidant Agarwal, to secure his sixth consecutive win and triumphed in the Asian Boxing Federation’s (ABF) Heavyweight Championship held in Bangkok, Thailand.

The bout ended in the fourth round as Taimur dashed the opponent with his powerful blows and knocked him out.

Moreover, Taimur aims to continue his winning streak and clinch the World Championships title after his astounding win at the Asian level.

READ: PSB announces cash awards for Pakistani medalists in CWG 2022

Pakistan’s biggest professional Boxing festival kicks off in Gilgit

GILGIT: The biggest professional boxing event in the history of Pakistan commences today, here at Lalak Jan Stadium featuring 20 international boxers from 10 countries, including Pakistan’s top-class boxers Usman Wazir and Asif Hazara.

Lalak Jan stadium glitters as Gilgit will host the first-ever professional boxing festival. The boxers from Indonesia, Thailand, UAE, Philippines, Nigeria, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Cameroon, Korea, and host Pakistan will participate in the mega event.

Pakistani Asian Boxing Champion, Wazir, will be seen in action for the first time in his hometown as he will encounter an Indonesian opponent for the World Boxing Association (WBA) title.

Meanwhile, Hazara will step into the ring to fight for the WBA South Asian championship title.

Renowned cricket stars will also be in attendance to observe the historic event, while Sohail Tanvir and Musa Khan have already reached Gilgit to show their support for the Asian Champion, Wazir.

Thousands of spectators are expected to witness the thrilling matches as fool-proof security arrangements have been ensured for the mega event.

READ: Babar Azam’s glove act costs 5-run penalty in second ODI against Windies 

British-Pakistani boxer Ali wins seventh consecutive boxing bout

MANCHESTER: British-Pakistani boxer Mohammad Ali, who is a diabetic patient, won his seventh consecutive boxing bout here on Saturday. 

According to the details, Ali beat his opponent in all six rounds of his seventh boxing bout. Within no time, Ali countered his opponent to win his fight.

Hailed from Layyah, Punjab, Ali expressed his emotions after winning his seventh consecutive fight.

“It’s an honor to win seven fights in a row. It took a lot of determination and hard work to contest in a fight despite suffering from diabetes,” the young boxer shared. “This win is dedicated to my family, friends, and all people out there who supported me,” he concluded.

READ: ‘Don’t have any plans of retirement’ Amir Khan

‘Don’t have any plans of retirement’ Amir Khan

MANCHESTER: British boxer Amir Khan doesn’t have any plans to take retirement from the boxing ring after his much-awaited fight with Kell Brook on February 19. 

In an exclusive interview with ARY News, Khan said his fight against Brook will be historic and he is confident to beat the opponent.

“This fight was long-awaited and finally we will face each other in the ring. Now, it will be decided in the ring, who is strong,” he said.

“I am fully prepared for this fight and it will be a good contest overall. Even If I lose this fight, I don’t have any plans to take retirement,” he added.

It must be noted here that all tickets for this fight in Manchester Arena are sold out. Amir will be taking the ring after a gap of almost two years.

READ: Rafael Nadal wins Australian Open to claim Grand Slam record

Pakistan, Afghanistan to lock horns for Arabian Sea Championship title

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Muzaffar Khan and Afghanistan’s Ahmad Samir will lock horns in the Arabian Sea Championship title fight on January 22 here at Liaquat Gymnasium. 

According to the details, the two fighters will tie up for an interesting contest on January 22. Both the fighters are confident to contest strongly for their respective countries.

Khan raised high hopes for winning the title. “I am excited for this fight which is going to be tough for both of us,” Khan said in a statement. “I am fully prepared for it and I am confident to beat my opponent,” he added.

READ: ‘Pakistan Boxing Federation forcibly took bribe from me’ Waseem

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