Aurelia Butler

TYSON FURY claims his spirit is too strong to be broken by Oleksandr Usyk’s powder-puff punches.Fury survived a standing count after having his skull rattled in an explosive ninth round of their undisputed world heavyweight clash in May.Tyson Fury says he feels sorry for Usyk in the rematchCredit: GettyFury claims Usyk doesn’t have the power to knock him outCredit: GettyThe Gypsy King’s nose was also smashed in the eighth on the way to a split-decision defeat to the Ukrainian.But despite the shellshocked Brit stumbling round the Riyadh ring — with only the corner post holding him up — Usyk failed to land a knockout punch.And ahead of Saturday’s multi-million-pound rematch in the Saudi desert, Fury warned his bitter rival: “I’m not a quitter.“When I look in the mirror, I don’t see a quitter.READ MORE IN BOXING“I see a man who would do anything to keep going and survive, keep getting up.“If I get knocked down nine times I’ll get up ten. And that’s it.“Why do I do it? If I didn’t want to do that, if I didn’t have it in me, I wouldn’t be a boxer, I’d be doing something else, playing darts or something. But that’s my job, so it’s what’s expected, isn’t it, of me? Anything less is no good.”Fury, 36, has proved on a number of occasions that his recovery powers are one of his key assets.Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSHe bounced off the canvas in sloppy early bouts against Neven Pajkic and Steve Cunningham.He also twice climbed off the deck in two of his iconic WBC title wars with Deontay Wilder.Oleksandr Usyk puts Tyson Fury rivalry aside and invites Gypsy King to the pub to ‘drink beer’ and cheer on Man Utd Usyk’s brutal, ninth-round left hand robbed Fury of all of his senses for several seconds but did not put him down.And Fury insists the 37-year-old Ukrainian’s punches are not as powerful as some heavyweights.Fury added: “If I had him in that position, I’d have knocked him out cold.“If I’d have been in that position with Daniel Dubois, I’d have been knocked out cold.“Usyk can punch you hard but there are different levels to power.“One man can switch you off like a TV and one man can hurt you and try to wear you down. When I got knocked down in round four of the third Wilder fight — twice — I thought, ‘It’s f***ing fight or die now’.“But in that fight with Usyk, I didn’t feel, even in round nine, that I was about to be taken out. I feel sorry for him in the rematch.”Win, lose or draw on Saturday, multi-millionaire Fury will likely pursue an overdue British superfight with former champion Anthony Joshua, followed by a clash with IBF king Dubois.And adoring wife Paris knows better than to try convincing him to swap trading punches for stocks and shares.Fury added: “I train every day. I love what I do. I went for a run with my mate the other day and I asked him, ‘Do you think we’ll still be doing this at 50?’“I will be doing it until I can’t run any more. It’s what we do.“My grandfather, he jogged three miles the day he died. So it’s in me to do it all my life.READ MORE SUN STORIES“Paris doesn’t say anything. She knows I like to do what I do and it gets me out of the house, doesn’t it?“What else am I going to do? Sit around counting money like that, ‘Ten, 20, 30, 40, 50’? It’s what I do.” More

TYSON FURY says he hasn’t spoken to wife Paris for THREE MONTHS after “sacrificing a lot” for his rematch against Oleksandr Usyk.The bruisers collide for a second time in Saudi Arabia on Saturday night, with Fury looking to avenge his defeat to the Ukrainian in May.Tyson Fury claims he has not spoken to wife Paris in three monthsCredit: AlamyThe Gypsy King has been training hard for his rematch against Oleksandr UsykCredit: GettyUsyk won the first contest on points to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.And Fury is desperate to put his first-ever loss to bed with a comeback triumph in the Middle East this weekend.The Gypsy King has been training hard in a bid to regain his belts.But he claims it has taken a toll on his personal life.READ MORE IN BOXINGFury met wife Paris in 2005 and they began dating shortly afterwards.The pair were married three years later and now have seven children together.However, the intensity of Fury’s training regime means that he has not seen Paris in three whole months.And the British ace adds he’s not even spoken to her in that time either.Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSHe told TNT Sports: “It’s been a long camp, been away from my wife and kids for three months.“I’ve not spoken to Paris at all for three months, not one word.Tyson Fury touches down in Saudi as final countdown for Usyk rematch begins Fury vs Usyk 2: Ring walk time, TV channels and undercard – all you need to know for big rematch“I’ve sacrificed a lot. It will be worth it (if I win), 100 per cent.”Fury’s comments come after he insisted he was only fighting Usyk “for the money.”He said: “I’m only doing it for the money, obviously. More generational wealth. “All prize fighters, if they tell the truth, do it for the money, don’t they? Who here is not doing it for the money?“I don’t want to work for f*** all. I want as much as I can get. “I want the easiest fights possible for the largest amounts of money possible. I wasn’t born in a Christmas cracker.”Fury and Paris have been married since 2008Credit: GettyThey share seven children together after first meeting in 2005Credit: Getty More

BOXING stars and legends have shared their predictions ahead of the blockbuster rematch between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.Fury, 36, and Usyk, 37, lock horns on Saturday, December 21 at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia.Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set for a blockbuster rematchEddie Hearn has changed his mind just two weeks after his initial predictionMike Tyson has a hilarious reason why he backs FuryThe Gypsy King is looking for revenge after the Ukrainian handed him his first ever defeat after 36 fights – 34 of which he won – in May when they faced off in the same venue.Then Ukrainian megastar will be looking to extend his own undefeated streak to 23 wins after beating Fury via split decision in Riyadh.Boxing’s biggest personalities are also split ahead of the big fight and one of them even changed his mind, which shows just how close this match may be.SunSport bring you all the predictions from the sport’s most famous names:Read More on BoxingEddie Hearn – Tyson FuryEddie Hearn changed his mind and now backs Tyson Fury just two weeks after predicting Oleksandr Usyk as the victor.Hearn told iFL TV: “If Fury wins – and I’m actually leaning towards him, I’ve had a little bit of a [switch].”Fury could fight AJ [Anthony Joshua] for the unified world heavyweight title. The biggest fight ever in the sport. Wembley, Riyadh, wherever.”Hearn recently claimed he has “no idea” how to beat Usyk amid his stunning winning run.Most read in BoxingThe promoter previously said: “I have no idea how to beat [Usyk], but Tyson Fury is a very smart fighter. He has smart people in the corner, but also, from an IQ level in boxing, he’s right up there. “Unfortunately, so is Oleksandr Usyk. So, my money, especially when he’s won the first fight, will always be on Oleksandr Usyk.Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk rematch predictions as Eddie Hearn makes shock U-turn on fight “My heart wants to see a Tyson Fury win. Not just because he’s British but also because I want to set up the AJ fight. I’d love to see him do it, but I do see him as the underdog in this fight.”Lennox Lewis – Oleksandr UsykLennox Lewis’ money is with Oleksandr Usyk and warned Tyson Fury he will have to box “smart”.Lewis said: “It’s going to be a tough fight for both guys. It’s going to be mentally tough, it’s going to be physically tough.”They’re going to push each other on the mental basis far, they’re going to push each other physically far. Both guys want to win this fight.”Both guys want something from this and it’s going to be a mental challenge and a physical challenge.“I think it’s going to be a banger, it’s going to be a serious fight, one guy was more serious than the other guy [in the first fight] — you could say Tyson Fury lost that fight and Usyk won it.”Now it’s a situation where they’re having another fight, Tyson Fury has to win that fight so he’s going to be more focused, he’s going to put a little bit more weight on to get through this fight and he’s a lot more serious.“Well, I cannot go against Usyk. Oleksandr Usyk has proven himself time and time again, and he’s still undefeated. “It really comes down to who boxes the best. Who’s smart in the ring. I didn’t think Tyson Fury was smart in the first fight. “I think he played around a little bit too much and allowed Oleksandr Usyk to really pile up the points.“Oleksandr Usyk is a difficult opponent. He moves all the time, he’s always throwing punches, he’s in great shape, and that’s hard to beat.”Mike Tyson – Tyson FuryMike Tyson has a very unique reason why he’s backing Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia…Tyson said: “Usyk is the best heavyweight in the world at the moment. But I’m going for Fury to beat him.”Why? Because I’m a fan. Because his father gave him my name. I’m not abandoning him now.”Anthony Joshua – Oleksandr UsykAnthony Joshua is confident Oleksandr Usyk will get his hand raised, but not by much.Joshua said: “I think it’s going to be a tough fight early on and then I feel like Usyk will edge it again.”He’s a class operator and I feel like Usyk’s one of the best out there. That’s why I think he’ll win.”Amir Khan – Tyson FuryAmir Khan is confident Tyson Fury will be “one step ahead” after learning from the mistakes he committed in the first fight and predicts the Gypsy King may stop Oleksandr Usyk in the later rounds.Khan said: “Good fight. I think this time Fury knows what mistakes he made in the first fight.“He knows that he can’t stand in front of a strong Usyk, Usyk still has a lot of power, and he’s felt Usyk’s power this time, knowing that Usyk has come up a weight and still holds that power.“So, I think Fury is going to be one step ahead. Whenever Fury comes back in a rematch, he is always much better so he could probably stop Usyk toward the later rounds.”Joseph Parker – Tyson FuryJoseph Parker believes Tyson Fury can end Oleksandr Usyk’s undefeated run with a points decision.Parker said: “I think Tyson’s mindset has changed coming into this fight.”I feel that if you have a different mindset, that can bring a lot of changes. I believe Tyson can beat Usyk on a points decision, but it’s a tough one. I’m siding with Tyson, but I think it’s a points decision.”Tony Bellew – Oleksandr UsykTony Bellew is adamant Oleksandr Usyk will win again, but this time it will be a unanimous decision.Bellew said: “I can’t look past Usyk. He outboxes him this time and probably ends up winning on points.“The first fight surprised me a little bit as Usyk went on the front foot from the first bell and he was actually fighting like he was the bigger man. I think that might’ve shocked Fury a little bit.“Now Usyk knows he can hurt Fury and also be fine up close, he’ll be more confident here, but I still think he’ll go on the outside and box him on the backfoot.“Fury has no choice but to be more aggressive this time around, but those tactics can play into Usyk’s hands, and I think he’ll go 2-0 against Fury and do it unanimously this time.”Anthony Crolla – Oleksandr UsykAnthony Crolla claims Tyson Fury was “very fortunate” in the first fight and insists Oleksandr Usyk is the favourite.Crolla said: “Tyson has got to be a lot more respectful of the power Usyk looks to be developing as a heavyweight. You have to make Oleksandr Usyk the favourite for the moments that happened in the first fight.“I’m glad the referee kept the fight going after round nine, but Tyson was very fortunate not to have been stopped because a lot of people would’ve been stopped.George Groves – Oleksandr UsykGeorge Groves backs Oleksandr Usyk because he is “still the fresher fighter”.Groves said: “Based on the first fight, the wear and tear and mileage on both fighters, and where they are in their careers, Usyk is still the fresher fighter.“Usyk nearly stopped him in the first fight. He’s not the type to think, ‘I almost had him last time; one big shot will finish it.’“He knows it’s going to be a tough fight, as it always is for him. Usyk leaves no stone unturned, and I think it’s a clearer win for Usyk this time.”Derek Chisora – Oleksandr UsykDerek Chisora believes Oleksandr Usyk will win, but we will see a different Tyson Fury.Chisora said: “[Usyk] Is still the same, bro. It’s gonna be a good fight, we’re gonna see a little bit of difference, but you have to understand: Tyson will come a little bit different, but Usyk will come a little bit different [as well].”But as the scales hit right now, my money’s still edging on Usyk.”Carl Frampton – Tyson FuryCarl Frampton is adamant Tyson Fury will win because he is “in the zone now”.Frampton said: “I fancy Fury. My mind hasn’t really swayed from start to finish, which is strange in a fight of this magnitude; I’ve been saying Fury from the start.”I think Fury is in the zone now, he’s serious, he’s ready to fight. Both guys seem to be very, very confident. Both, I think, know it’s going to be a difficult fight.”Daniel Dubois – Tyson FuryDaniel Dubois believes in Tyson Fury, and revealed he will call out the winner.READ MORE SUN STORIESDubois said: “I’m still backing Fury. I hope our man does it. Usyk is capable. Fury should jump on him and smother him.”Fury is a slick boxer too, but it will be a great fight and I’ll be out there calling on to fight the winner.”Anthony Joshua believes this is going to be a close fightLennox Lewis is very confident about the eventual winnerFury vs Usyk 2: Ring walk time, TV channels and undercard – all you need to know for big rematch More

DILLIAN WHYTE’s opponent bizarrely shadow boxed in the ring AFTER being beaten.The Body Snatcher, 36, was back in action against Ghanaian slugger Ebenezer Tetteh in Gibraltar on Sunday night.Ebenezer Tetteh shadow boxed in the ring after being beaten by Dillian WhyteCredit: DAZNThe Ghanaian baffled viewers with his anticsCredit: DAZNDespite Tetteh’s technical limitations, Whyte failed to knock him down.But after the seventh round, the referee decided he’d seen enough and waved off the bout.Tetteh, 36, didn’t appear to protest the decision.After shaking hands with his opponent, however, he strangely started to shadow box in the middle of the ring.READ MORE BOXING NEWSFans online were left baffled by the scene.One wrote: “Dillian Whyte opponent Tetteh still shadow boxing after he quit before the 8th rd is comedy the fight over dawg.”While a second commented: “He got hit so hard he thought the fight was just starting!”Another added: “Boxing has gone weird.”Most read in BoxingBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSFollowing his win, Whyte praised Tetteh – before revealing when he’d like to be back in action.He told DAZN: “Anyone that comes from a third world country is fighting to change his life and his family’s life.Dillian Whyte storms to third round comeback victory over Christian Hammer… but hardly anybody gets to see it -“I come from a similar background as him. I hit him with a lot of shots around the ear and the chin and he’s tough.”I’m glad as well because he gave me the rounds I needed. This is what, 10 rounds in two years, so I’m happy.”I just want to be busy. I’m willing to fight anyone I’m always willing to risk it for the biscuit.”I’d love to fight again in March. I just want to fight and stay busy.”Whyte, 36, is keen to stay activeCredit: Getty More

TYSON FURY claims he is more motivated by money than his boxing legacy, saying: “I wasn’t born in a Christmas cracker.”The Gypsy King has no intention of being a cheap plaything in the heavyweight division as he prepares for his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.Tyson Fury has admitted he will follow the money over legacyCredit: GettyFury said he wants the ‘easiest fights possible for the largest amounts of money’Credit: AFPAnd he is still fuming that Anthony Joshua cost him a fortune with his September slaughter at the hands of Daniel Dubois.He said: “I’m only doing it for the money, obviously. More generational wealth.“All prize fighters, if they tell the truth, do it for the money, don’t they? Who here is not doing it for the money?“I don’t want to work for f*** all. I want as much as I can get. I want the easiest fights possible for the largest amounts of money possible. I wasn’t born in a Christmas cracker.”READ MORE IN BOXINGA Saudi Arabia-written script had AJ winning his old IBF heavyweight world title back from his former Team GB understudy Dubois, with the Gypsy King watching from ringside and ready to pounce.No matter how Fury did in his rematch with Usyk, the biggest fight in British boxing history — and likely a double-header worth half-a-billion pounds — was in the bank.But when AJ, 35, was dropped in the very first round by Dynamite Dan — and ironed out brutally in the fifth — Fury leapt out of his VIP seat and roared: “That’s just cost me 150 million, the silly c”. Joshua has since rejected the instant rematch and is now recovering and however Fury does in his Saturday rerun with the 38-year-old Ukrainian, the battle lines are drawn for 2025. Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSBut the cash-crazed giant is still seething that Joshua’s first brutal KO defeat has hit him in the pocket. Fury, 36, said about his X-rated review of the Wembley demolition: “Yeah, I meant that. Of course I did. Oleksandr Usyk puts Tyson Fury rivalry aside and invites Gypsy King to the pub to ‘drink beer’ and cheer on Man Utd “We would have had a two-fight deal lined up for a s-tonne of money.“Unfortunately, doors open, doors close. If you’ve been knocked out twice or whatever, four, five times, or six or seven? What does it matter? It’s still a big fight.”Once the fanfare kicks off, Tyson’s wild dad John gets involved and brilliant old tales of their 2010 sparring session with a Rolex at stake are retold — it will be a huge money fight.But another Usyk masterclass on Saturday would mean their combined recent record will be 0-3 — and people outside the UK will see the clash as a showbiz fight between two spent forces — for dosh.But Fury’s story has not changed — he does not care about records or belts or legacies. Cash is king — and he will fight a fellow British icon in the desert or an MMA bloke in the snow for more of it.He said: “If he said to me, ‘right, you can fight AJ for 50 quid or you can fight Jon Jones in Antarctica for 1,050 quid’ — where am I going to go?“I’m going to go for the money obviously because I’m a prize fighter.”But even though he is a heavyweight boxing historian he couldn’t care less about his standing among the icons, just that his generational wealth must outlast his lifetime.READ MORE SUN STORIESThe father-of-seven said: “Legacy is my kids, isn’t it?“One thing I do care about is my family, my kids That’s it.” More