HOTTEST
N’GOLO KANTE could have signed for Middlesbrough in 2013 – had the Teesside outfit listened to the advice of one eagle-eyed fan. Boro supporter Dennis Abbot called on the club to make a move for the Frenchman while he was on holiday in Normandy. A Boro fan called on the club to sign K’Golo Kante […] More
OLEKSANDR USYK has ordered Joe Joyce to fall in line with his demands if he wants their summer showdown.The undisputed cruiserweight king is mandatory for Anthony Joshua’s WBO world title but is being forced to wait for his crack while the Tyson Fury fight is being negotiated.
Oleksandr Usyk told Joe Joyce to fall in line with his demands if he wants their summer showdownCredit: Mark Robinson
Joe Joyce is still in talks to fight Oleksandr UsykCredit: The Sun
The WBO has suggested the Ukraine southpaw enjoy his third heavyweight fight against the Putney Juggernaut for an interim strap and the 34-year-old looks set to begrudgingly agree.
But the Olympic 2012 champion has knocked back the opening offer from 35-year-old Joyce and his promoter Frank Warren and countered with a deal of his own.
The undefeated ace said: “Joyce’s team made us an offer. The offer was unsuitable, so we made a more viable counter-offer.
“Joyce shouldn’t think too much of himself and fall in line with everyone else.
“I’ll be the one making the final decision.”
The formula for deciding a WBO purse split means big-money Usyk could get a whopping 93 per cent of their earnings from their prospective purse.
Joyce’s team has understandably scoffed at that algorithm, labelling the seven per cent offer “ridiculous”, especially after their man bludgeoned red-hot prospect Daniel Dubois in November and is now one of the biggest names backed by BT Sport.
But Usyk’s co-promoter Alex Krassyuk insists the payment plan is written down for all to see and accept.CHELTENHAM SPECIAL OFFER: GET £110 IN FREE BETS
“The purse split is a matter of mathematics not of anything else,” he said.
“The calculation is very simple. Three last declared purses of Usyk plus three last declared purses of Joyce equals the total pot.
“Usyk’s purse divided to the total pot multiplied by 100 per cent equals his percentage.
“Mathematics cannot be ridiculous.”
Joe Joyce prepares for potential Oleksandr Usyk fight with brutal snow workout as London is battered by severe weather MoreTYSON FURY will swap the ring for a mixed martial arts cage after he retires from boxing.The Gypsy King has repeatedly teased a transition into MMA for the last two years, training with UFC star Darren Till at Liverpool’s famed Kaobon gym.
Tyson Fury teased a transition into mixed martial arts on a number of occasions.Credit: INSTAGRAM@GYPSYKING101
And The Gyspy King’s dad, John, reckons he could do well in MMACredit: AFP
Fury, 33, has gone quiet on the MMA front as of late, but dad John is adamant he will set foot inside the cage before his story is all said and done.
He told Joe: “I think the rougher it gets for Tyson, the better he likes it.
“It brings what they call, I dunno, something different to his job, doesn’t it?
“It gives him more goals to achieve and more things to look at an address.
“I think that’s what Tyson wants, and when he does finally retire from boxing, he’ll probably go to that and probably come back to boxing.
“Whatever he does. But he will engage on that, you’ll see.”JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
Fury showed some surprisingly good knees and elbows during his training session with UFC middleweight Till.
And John believes a ‘top’ MMA coach could make the WBC heavyweight champion a force to be reckoned with inside the cage.
He added: “With the right training, [he’d do] very well. Because I’ve seen him excel in different sports like wrestling.
“I’ve got some kind of an idea of what Tyson was from that, and he likes to get involved, Tyson.
“And I know what he’s like from being a kid. He can use more than his hands, believe it or not.
If a top MMA trainer took him on, he could do big things with himJohn Fury on son Tyson competing in mixed martial arts
“And he’s quick and he’s light on his feet, but his balance is good and I do believe if a top MMA trainer took him on, he could do big things with him.
“Ask Darren Till, he’s done the work with him. He’s got a good forearm smash and all that kind of thing.
“The knees come up and the head goes in, the elbows. I’ve seen him do it out of boxing, see.
“I’ve seen him outside in fights and this, that and the other. I know what he’s capable of.
“And with the right training, yes, he could do that.”Fan favourite Fury is currently gearing up for a trilogy fight with former WBC champ Deontay Wilder.
The Wythenshawe warrior will renew his rivalry with The Bronze Bomber on October 9 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Fury – who recently celebrated the birth of his sixth child – stopped the American in the seventh round of their Sin City rematch last February to claim the WBC strap.FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS
Tyson Fury seen in octagon for first time as he dons UFC gloves and trains with Darren Till for ‘MMA switch’ More
APOLLONIA LLEWELLYN has left her fans gobsmacked once again with her latest social media snaps.The former boxing ring girl took to Instagram to treat her followers to a photo from her latest holiday.
Apollonia Llewellyn has stunned once again with her latest Instagram postCredit: INSTAGRAM
The social media star has shared another bikini snapCredit: Instagram @apolloniallewellyn
Apollonia posed for the camera wearing just a bikini as she updated her fans with her trip to Spain.
The 23-year-old cryptically captioned the photo saying: “The path he gave me is different.”
While her fans made it abundantly clear what they thought of the racy picture in the comments section.
One wrote: “You are looking fabulous!”
READ MORE IN BOXING
While another added: “You could even make angels jealous with your beauty!”
A third chimed in writing: “You’re looking absolutely stunning.”
And a fourth simply commented: “Gorgeous.”
Apollonia rose to fame as a ring girl during a misfits boxing event and has made a name for herself online since.
Most read in Boxing
She now boasts a stunning 577,000 followers on Instagram and a further 700,000 on TikTok.
The Yorkshire lass is no stranger to a bikini picture and even risked an Instagram ban recently with a photo in blue lingerie.
She is always travelling and showing her fans her lavish lifestyle.
Most recently she braved the Lake District snow in just a t-shirt, enjoyed a spa trip in Paris and also took a holiday to New York with her footballer boyfriend Jai Rowe.
Inside Apollonia’s glamorous life as influencer, ring girl and model …
Apollonia burst out of this tiny silver bikini as she drank her ‘morning juice’Credit: INSTAGRAM
Conor McGregor was among 8,000 fans who enjoyed this see-through lacy outfitCredit: INSTAGRAM
Thousands of Apollonia’s fans enjoyed the view on the ring girl’s holiday to New YorkCredit: INSTAGRAM
Apollonia braved the snow in the Lake DistrictCredit: Instagram
Apollonia really enjoyed this bowl of pasta on her summer holiday to SantoriniCredit: INSTAGRAM
Apollonia invited fans to ‘sit and stare’ at this picture, and thousands took her up on the invitationCredit: INSTAGRAM
Fans were worried Apollonia’s top had shrunk in the wash as she enjoyed this hearty breakfastCredit: INSTAGRAM
Apollonia’s followers were in awe of the stunner’s new hairdo as she wowed in a tiny yellow bikiniCredit: INSTAGRAM
Apollonia sent a cheeky message to her fans as she posed in this glamorous see-through numberCredit: INSTAGRAM
Apollonia told fans ‘no caption needed’ as she squeezed into this skin-tight see-through playsuitCredit: INSTAGRAM
Apollonia revealed he ‘idea of happiness’ is being ‘wind swept on the beach’ with this busty snapCredit: INSTAGRAM
Apollonia left very little to the imagination as she ‘brightened fans’ Mondays’ in a skimpy wet T-shirtCredit: INSTAGRAM
Apollonia shot to recognition as a member of the Misfits Boxing fight night team
She has garnered her a huge social media presenceCredit: INSTAGRAM @apolloniallewellyn
Apollonia has over 570,000 Instagram followersCredit: Instagram @apolloniallewellyn
She has turned down a staggering £100,000 to pose nude beforeCredit: Instagram @apolloniallewellyn
The model insisted she isn’t money-orientedCredit: Instagram @apolloniallewellyn
Apollonia shows off her jet setting lifestyle onlineCredit: Instagram @apolloniallewellyn
She also holidayed in New YorkCredit: Instagram @apolloniallewellyn
Apollonia is no stranger to a bikini pictureCredit: INSTAGRAM @apolloniallewellyn
She has built a huge following on social mediaCredit: Instagram @apolloniallewellyn
Apollonia works as a model alongside her social fameCredit: Instagram @apolloniallewellyn MoreSERIE A referee Daniele Orsato has been call up to Euro 2020 to officiate some of this summer’s biggest games. The Italian official will preside over the final last 16 game between Sweden and Ukraine tonight.
Orsato was at the centre of controversy after using VAR to reverse a decisionCredit: REUTERS
Has he officiated at a World Cup or Euros before?
The Italian made his first World Cup appearance in 2018 but has never been involved with a European Championship before.
However, Orsato has officiated a series of international friendlies and World Cup qualifying fixtures, including the first leg of the World Cup play-off between Honduras and Australia.
He’s also been a senior referee in Serie A for the past three years.
What has he done so far?
Orsato made his Serie C debut in 2002, moving to the premier Serie A division for the 2006-07 season. He has gone on to make nearly 200 appearances in the division.
Since 2012, the Italian has been involved in Champions League fixtures.
Orsato went on to referee last year’s Champions League final between PSG and Bayern Munich before reffing this year’s semi-final second leg between Real Madrid and Chelsea.Has he used VAR before?
Orsato reversed a decision in a Serie A clash between Inter Milan and Juventus after using VAR to view the incident.
The Italian correctly decided to send off Inter’s Matias Vecino instead of sticking with the yellow card he had already given.
But in the same game he controversially refused to use VAR after failing to give Miralem Pjanic a card for a high tackle on Rafinha, with the Bosnian already on a yellow.
The decision would prove crucial as Juve went on to secure a late 3-2 win.
VAR has been used in Italian’s Serie A since the start of the 2017/18 season. Orsato is a regular official in the series.
Which Euro 2020 games has he refereed?
Daniele Orsato made his Euro 2020 bow in England’s 1-0 win over Croatia.
And following that game he refereed Spain vs Poland, awarding a penalty to the Spaniards after a VAR review. More