Aurelia Butler

OLEKSANDR USYK reckons he is the only one really training for the Undisputed decider with Tyson Fury after the Gypsy King went parasailing with his kids.Ukraine’s 36-year-old WBA, IBF and WBO boss is locked away in Valencia grafting for the February 17 Saudi showdown.
Oleksandr Usyk has been sparring with Nursultan AmanzholovCredit: Instagram @nursultan___amanzholov
Tyson Fury has lined up two expert boxers as sparring partnersCredit: Getty
The Gypsy King has been relaxing with his familyCredit: instagram
So his team was stunned to see photos on SunSport of the WBC champ, 35, skylarking with his family in Jeddah.
Speaking exclusively to SunSport, a Team Usyk insider said: “While Tyson Fury is enjoying his break in Saudi Arabia, which we saw The Sun write about, we are working hard on fight preparation.
“We already have over 50 candidates for sparring who responded to our call and met the criteria.
“Three of them are signed up as the sparring partners for Oleksandr.
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“Unfortunately I can’t reveal their names now, the team is very careful with the information from the camp.”
When Fury is back on terra firma, his team has a tough job finding sparring partners to imitate 6ft 3in leftie Usyk, who won London 2012 gold and all four cruiserweight belts before moving up.
But they played a blinder by approaching two of the most skilled little-big-men in the hurt business.
Heavyweight 7-0 prospect Moses Itauma, the freakishly talented Kent 18-year-old who leads with his right hand and has an IQ well beyond his years, has been contacted.
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And Australian cruiserweight sensation Jai Opetaia – the finest fighter in the 14st 4lbs division – is another leftie who has been tapped up for training rounds.
Team Usyk have employed their own app – Right To Fight – to track down talent from all over the world, from the paid and amateur ranks.
And they reckon the giants they have to mimic the 6ft 9in 20st behemoth will give the Brit huge problems in Riyadh.
SunSport understands the scary stats for the most recently secured sparring partners are:

The hat-trick of multinational talent is a strong start and Team Usyk states there will be many more monsters joining the camp before the Valentine’s date.
The source said: “They are from all over the world, they have different experience levels and we believe that such sparring could not only help Oleksandr prepare for the bout.
“You will easily recognise what our sparring partners have in common – physical characteristics similar to Fury’s. They’re really big guys!
“And the call for sparring partners for Usyk is still open. So the list isn’t completed yet, it will only get bigger and bigger.” More

ANTHONY JOSHUA’S knockout over Dillian Whyte has astonishingly been deemed ‘FIVE STAR’ by his bitter rival Jarrell Miller.AJ and Miller have been locked in a fierce feud since 2018, and both will be back in action in the Middle East on December 23.
Jarrell Miller have AJ credit where it’s dueCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
The pair have at a host of hostile encountersCredit: PA
Joshua KO’d Whyte during their British and Commonwealth heavyweight title bout in 2015Credit: AFP
AJ, 34, and the American developed an ugly rivalry in 2018 but never settled it in the ring after Miller was caught doping.
The animosity, however, has not stopped the American from giving credit where it’s due.
In a promotional feature, Miller, 35, rated the knockouts of fellow fighters, and he gave his nemesis top marks.
AJ’s uppercut sent Whyte onto his back out cold in the seventh-round in 2015.
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Miller told DAZN: “Even though I can’t stand AJ, I would definitely give this one a 5 too. It was a good shot.”
The Watford boxer’s victory added the British title to his Commonwealth and WBC International titles.
AJ won the IBF Heavyweight World title in his next outing against Charles Martin, and collected the WBO from Wladimir Klitschko one year later.
His next step was to attempt to conquer America – with Miller identified as the ideal opponent for his USA debut.
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The pair had to be separated at a 2019 press conference, after the New Yorker interrupted AJ’s face-off with Povetkin.
Miller was to get a shot at all three belts, but tested positive for various banned substances and was replaced by Andy Ruiz Jr.
Ruiz famously inflicted Joshua’s first loss, which changed the trajectory of the Brit’s career.
Four years later, AJ and Miller will come face-to-face again as they are both set to fight on the “Day of Reckoning” card on December 23 in Saudi Arabia.
The two also exchanged X-rated trash talk during a London press conference last month.
AJ will headline against Otto Wallin, while Miller is set to face Daniel Dubois on the undercard.
Meanwhile, AJ and Whyte were set for a rematch in August 2023 but was cancelled due to Whyte’s failed drug test. More

EDDIE HEARN has revealed he approached Francis Ngannou about fighting Anthony Joshua – only to get BLANKED by the UFC legend.The 37-year-old former UFC champion shocked the world as he climbed into the ring with boxing’s WBC title holder Tyson Fury in October.
Eddie Hearn says he approached Francis Ngannou about fighting Anthony JoshuaCredit: PA
The UFC legend blanked the Matchroom chiefCredit: Reuters
He floored the Gypsy King in the third round of that crossover bout and continued to give the unbeaten star a difficult time throughout.
Ngannou controversially suffered defeat via split decision after going the full ten rounds.
After his impressive display in the money-spinning Saudi Arabia showdown, Joshua’s Matchroom promoter claims he reached out to Ngannou.
Hearn was keen on making another potential crossover match-up, but he never heard anything back, leading to him making AJ’s upcoming fight with Otto Wallin on December 23.
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And the Brit says he thinks Ngannou will not step back into the ring until he gets a rematch with Fury – who will face WBO, IBF, IBO, WBA champ Oleksandr Usyk in an undisputed fight on February 17.
Hearn told The MMA Hour: “I reached out to Francis Ngannou’s team and I said, ‘Just to let you know, we’re up for discussing the Francis Ngannou-AJ fight.
“I never heard back from them. So I think probably, knowing the business, I would say that probably Fury-Ngannou is almost probably agreed for post Fury-Usyk already.”
Hearn continued: “[Ngannou will] feel like, after that first fight, he can beat Fury.
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“But there’s no point [in boxing non-stars] — he can really lose to anybody in the top 50 at heavyweight.
“So you’ve got to cash in at this point, and there’s really only three fights that cash into the levels that he will want [Fury, Joshua or Deontay Wilder].
“So I’d guess, and you might know better, Francis Ngannou will fight in the PFL or wherever in spring, summer of 2024, and then he’ll fight Tyson Fury at the end of [2024].
“I would think that would be the mindset of the team.”
Ngannou floored Tyson Fury but controversially lost via split decisionCredit: Getty

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