LONDON (AP) — Anthony Joshua will fight Daniel Dubois in an all-British bout for the IBF heavyweight belt on Sept. 21 at Wembley Stadium, following Oleksandr Usyk’s announcement that he will vacate the world title.
Dubois was the the IBF’s mandatory challenger and was upgraded to champion after Usyk vacated the belt, meaning the Ukrainian is no longer be the undisputed world heavyweight champion.
“I'm ready to let my fists do the talking,” the 26-year-old Dubois said at a press conference Wednesday after the bout was announced.
The 37-year-old Usyk beat Tyson Fury last month in Saudi Arabia to become the first undisputed world heavyweight champion in 24 years. He added Fury’s WBC title to his own WBA, IBF and WBO belts.
Fury’s rematch with Usyk is scheduled for Dec. 21, again in Saudi Arabia. After that fight, Usyk is considering dropping a weight and returning to box at cruiserweight.
“Anthony and Daniel, listen. I know (the) IBF title is important to you,” the smiling Usyk said in a video posted on X. ”(It is) my present to you.”
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FILE - Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk celebrates after beating Britain's Anthony Joshua to retain his world heavyweight title at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022. Oleksandr Usyk will no longer be the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion when he vacates his IBF belt in September. The 37-year-old Ukrainian said in a video posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he will not defend his IBF title on Sept. 21. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)
Britain's Anthony Joshua, left, and Daniel Dubois during a press conference at the OVO Arena, Wembley, London, Wednesday June 26, 2024. ( Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)
BERLIN (AP) — The far-right Alternative for Germany re-elected its leadership duo Saturday after the party made gains in the recent European election, while thousands of people protested against its convention and some demonstrators tried to block roads or clashed with police.
Alternative for Germany, or AfD, took 15.9% of the vote to finish second in the European Parliament election on June 9, despite recent scandals and setbacks. That was lower than its support in surveys at the beginning of the year, but a particularly strong performance in the formerly communist east has bolstered its hopes of emerging as the strongest party in three state elections there in September.
At the regular two-day convention in the western city of Essen, co-leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla were elected unopposed to new two-year terms. They were backed by 79.8% and 82.7% of delegates respectively — a display of harmony by the party's often-argumentative standards.
Weidel vowed to work to “tear down the unspeakable so-called firewalls” that other parties have set up against working with AfD.
A heavy police presence was in place in Essen, where local authorities had tried to find a way to prevent the AfD event but lost their case in court. Regional authorities estimated that about 20,000 people took part in a march as the meeting took place, German news agency dpa reported, while thousands attended other protest events.
Early Saturday morning, a group of demonstrators tried to get through a barrier and was pushed back by police using pepper spray and batons. There were also incidents in which masked demonstrators attacked officers, according to police, who reported “several” arrests.
Protesters staged sit-ins on streets and crossings near the convention hall.
Weidel told delegates as she opened the meeting that “what is going on out there has nothing to do with democracy" and said that “we are here and we will stay.”
AfD's recent setbacks included the party sidelining its top two candidates from the election campaign due to scandals and being kicked out of its hard-right group in the European Parliament.
Chrupalla said that “we could have taken 20%” in the European vote and complained that reporting on the two candidates was “unfair and disproportionate.” But he also acknowledged that “with careless and unprofessional behavior, some have unnecessarily offered room for attack."
“That way, we take two steps forward and one step back, but in the future we must take three steps forward,” he added, arguing that the party needs to take a closer look at its candidates.
Tino Chrupalla, national chairman of the AfD, speaks at the AfD's national party conference in Essen, Germany, Saturday June 29, 2024. (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP)
Alice Weidel, Federal Chairwoman of the AfD, speaks at the AfD's national party conference in Essen, Germany, Saturday June 29, 2024. (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP)
Alice Weidel, Federal Chairwoman of the AfD, speaks at the AfD's national party conference in Essen, Germany, Saturday June 29, 2024. (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP)
Alice Weidel, Federal Chairwoman of the AfD, speaks at the AfD's national party conference in Essen, Germany, Saturday June 29, 2024. (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP)
People gather to demonstrate against the AfD national party conference in Essen, Germany, Saturday June 29, 2024. The far-right Alternative for Germany party is holding a convention in the western city of Essen and large-scale protests against the party are taking place. (Henning Kaiser/dpa via AP)
Alice Weidel, left, Federal Chairwoman of the AfD, and Tino Chrupalla, Federal Chairman of the AfD, talk at the start of the Alternative for Germany, Federal Party Conference in the Grugahalle in Essen, Germany, Saturday, June 29, 2024. At the two-day party conference, the AfD plans to elect a new federal executive committee, among other things. Numerous organizations have announced opposition to the meeting and more than a dozen counter-demonstrations. (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP)
Demonstrators stand and sit on an access road to the grounds of the far right AfD party conference as some hold a sign reading "No room for hate and agitation - Defend democracy", in Essen, Germany, Saturday, June 29 2024. (Henning Kaiser/dpa via AP)
Counter-demonstrators confront the police on an access road to the grounds of the far right AfD party conference in Essen, Germany, Saturday, June 29 2024. (Henning Kaiser/dpa via AP)
Demonstrators stand behind a banner reading "Sabotage the right-wing election campaign - break the right-wing wave" on an access road to the grounds of the far right AfD party conference in Essen, Germany, Saturday, June 29 2024. (Henning Kaiser/dpa via AP)
Counter-demonstrators stand on an access road to the grounds of far right AfD party’s conference in Essen, Germany, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (Henning Kaiser/dpa via AP)
The police break up a sit-in blockade not far from the Grugahalle, in Essen, Germany, Saturday, June 29, 2024. The two-day national party conference of the AfD is taking place in the Grugahalle, including the election of the federal executive committee. Numerous organizations have announced opposition to the meeting and more than a dozen counter-demonstrations. (Henning Kaiser/dpa via AP)
The police break up a sit-in blockade not far from the Grugahalle, in Essen, Germany, Saturday, June 29, 2024. The two-day national party conference of the AfD is taking place in the Grugahalle, including the election of the federal executive committee. Numerous organizations have announced opposition to the meeting and more than a dozen counter-demonstrations. (Henning Kaiser/dpa via AP)
Not far from the Grugahalle, demonstrators have gathered to form a sit-in blockade, which is being broken up by the police, in Essen, Germany, Saturday, June 29, 2024. The two-day national party conference of the AfD is taking place in the Grugahalle, including the election of the federal executive committee. Numerous organizations have announced opposition to the meeting and more than a dozen counter-demonstrations. (Henning Kaiser/dpa via AP)
Not far from the Grugahalle, a group of AfD politicians, right, are recognized and surrounded by counter-demonstrators, as the police form a protective ring, in Essen, Germany, Saturday, June 29, 2024. The two-day national party conference of the AfD is taking place in the Grugahalle, including the election of the federal executive committee. Numerous organizations have announced opposition to the meeting and more than a dozen counter-demonstrations. (dpa via AP)
Not far from the Grugahalle, a group of AfD politicians, right, are recognized and surrounded by counter-demonstrators, as the police form a protective ring, in Essen, Germany, Saturday, June 29, 2024. The two-day national party conference of the AfD is taking place in the Grugahalle, including the election of the federal executive committee. Numerous organizations have announced opposition to the meeting and more than a dozen counter-demonstrations. (dpa via AP)
Demonstrators sit on a street surrounded by police officers in Essen, Germany Saturday, June 29, 2024. A few hours before the start of the AfD national party conference, demonstrators had their first clash with the police on Saturday morning.(dpa via AP)
Demonstrators sit on a street surrounded by police officers in Essen, Germany Saturday, June 29, 2024. A few hours before the start of the AfD national party conference, demonstrators had their first clash with the police on Saturday morning.(dpa via AP)
Participants at the AfD party conference are led to the Grugahalle by the police in Essen, Germany, Saturday, June 29, 2024. A few hours before the start of the far right AfD national party conference, demonstrators had their first clash with the police on Saturday morning. (Henning Kaiser/dpa via AP)
Demonstrators and police confront each other in Essen, Germany, Saturday, June 29, 2024. A few hours before the start of the far right AfD national party conference, demonstrators clashed with the police for the first time on Saturday morning. (Henning Kaiser/dpa via AP)
People demonstrate against the far right AfD party conference in Essen, Germany, Saturday, June 29, 2024. (Henning Kaiser/dpa via AP)
Participants of the AfD federal party conference are escorted by the police past demonstrators to the Grugahalle, in Essen, Germany, Saturday, June 29, 2024. The two-day national party conference of the AfD is taking place in the Grugahalle, including the election of the federal executive committee. Numerous organizations have announced opposition to the meeting and more than a dozen counter-demonstrations. (Henning Kaiser/dpa via AP)
The police break up a sit-in blockade not far from the Grugahalle, in Essen, Germany, Saturday, June 29, 2024. The two-day national party conference of the AfD is taking place in the Grugahalle, including the election of the federal executive committee. Numerous organizations have announced opposition to the meeting and more than a dozen counter-demonstrations. (Henning Kaiser/dpa via AP)
