Boxing

TYSON FURY and Oleksandr Usyk had to be separated by security as they refused to lose the mental fight. The pair rematch in Saudi Arabia on Saturday – just seven months after Usyk won their initial classic by split-decision. Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury stared down for over ten minutesCredit: PANeither would take their eyes off each otherCredit: GettyFury began hurling insults at UsykCredit: ReutersThey came face-to-face for the standard post-press conference stare down – but this one proved to be anything but. Fury, 37, and Usyk, 36, looked into each others eyes without saying a single word until things got too tense to for comfort. Efforts were made by members of their teams and even WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman to try and break up the duo. A media accreditation and even a napkin were dangled in front of them in an attempt to defuse the situation. read more in boxing Neither worked. Instead, the stare down went on for over ten minutes as words were exchanged between the heavyweight superstars. At last, they were finally broken up and both went their separate ways. Usyk became the heavyweight division’s first four-belt undisputed champion following his points win in May. Most read in BoxingFury vs Usyk 2: Ring walk time, TV channels and undercard – all you need to know for big rematchCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSBut he was forced to vacate the IBF belt to proceed with the rematch as Daniel Dubois, 27, inherited the strap.Fury put too much showboating down as a reason for coming out second best in the 12-round thriller.Watch Tyson Fury’s terrifying rant as Gypsy King vows to put ‘f*****’ Oleksandr Usyk ‘in the hurt lockerBut he insisted there will be no more Mr Nice guy, laughing or joking as he issued a brutal warning to Usyk days out from the bout.Fury said: “I’m going to dish out a whole lot of pain. I’m going to put this f***er in the hurt locker, for sure.”I’ve got nothing to say other than there’s going to be a whole load of hurt and pain in this fight, you watch. That’s all I’ve got to say. “The talking’s been done. The first fight I talked, I joked, all my career. This fight I’m serious. I’m going to do some f***ing damage.” Security had to try and separate themCredit: PA More

TYSON FURY launched a terrifying rant at Oleksandr Usyk by vowing to put him “in the hurt locker.” Fury rematches Usyk in Saudi Arabia on Saturday – just seven months after losing his WBC belt and unbeaten record via split-decision. Tyson Fury launched a terrifying rant at Oleksandr UsykCredit: ReutersUsyk rematches Fury in Saudi ArabiaCredit: GettyThe Gypsy King put too much showboating down as a reason for coming out second best in the 12-round thriller. But Fury, 36, insisted there will be no more Mr Nice guy, laughing or joking as he issued a brutal warning to Usyk days out from the bout. He said: “I’m going to dish out a whole lot of pain. I’m going to put this f***er in the hurt locker, for sure. “I’ve got nothing to say other than there’s going to be a whole load of hurt and pain in this fight, you watch. That’s all I’ve got to say. READ MORE IN BOXING”The talking’s been done. The first fight I talked, I joked, all my career. This fight I’m serious. I’m going to do some f***ing damage.” The two then went face-to-face for a stare down which threatened to NEVER end. Efforts were made to try and separate the pair including holding up media accreditation and pieces of paper. Tempers then flared as the two camps tried to intervene with the heavyweight superstars then trading words with each other. Most read in BoxingFury vs Usyk 2: Ring walk time, TV channels and undercard – all you need to know for big rematchCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSAfter over TEN tense minutes the pair were at last separated.Usyk, 37, became the heavyweight division’s first four-belt undisputed champion following his points win. But he was forced to vacate the IBF belt to proceed with the rematch as Daniel Dubois, 27, inherited the strap. Usyk and Fury refused to break their stareCredit: PA More

THE REFEREE for Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk was at the centre of a hugely controversial boxing decision last year.Robert Ramirez Jr will take charge of Saturday’s epic heavyweight showdown in Saudi Arabia.Robert Ramirez Jr will be in charge of Tyson Fury’s rematch vs Oleksandr UsykThe two men fight this weekend but Ramirez Jr has been involved in past controversyCredit: PAThe Puerto Rican has run the rule over 412 matches throughout his career, which started back in 2003.He has been involved in fights including the likes of Andre Ward and Tommy Fury.While he also took charge of Logan Paul’s win over Dillon Danis in 2023.Fury vs Usyk now represents the biggest bout of Ramirez Jr’s career.READ MORE IN BOXINGBut he was involved in controversy in November last year when Katie Taylor won her rematch against Chantelle Cameron in Dublin.The Irish ace had suffered the first defeat of her pro career to Cameron six months earlier.But Taylor regained her light welterweight titles with a majority decision in the rematch.The result proved to be controversial after she went down in the first round.Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSBut Ramirez Jr ruled it to be a slip, with Taylor fighting back to secure victory.Afterwards, Cameron blasted the ref for his decision and claimed the result was unfair.Oleksandr Usyk looks cool and calm and he spars and dances to Ukrainian music ahead of Fury boutRamirez Jr took charge of Katie Taylor’s controversial win over Chantelle CameronCredit: GettyHe was also the ref as Logan Paul beat Dillon DanisCredit: AlamyShe said: “It wasn’t just me and Katie in that ring. If it was, I’d take the loss and say the better woman won on the night.“I had everything against me. The ref on the night… it was such a high-status fight, why would you put in a referee that no one had heard of?“That’s not my job, it’s my job to fight. I don’t look into who’s reffing, who’s judging.“I’m just frustrated – if I could turn back the hands of time, I would make sure that was all looked into. I’ve learnt my lesson.”Cameron’s trainer Jamie Moore also took aim at Ramirez Jr, adding: “She just feels like this whole scenario was set up for her to lose.“It was a close fight, it could have gone either way. We were denied a knockdown in the first round, which should have been.READ MORE SUN STORIES“I begged the ref before, last time she (Taylor) got away with holding a lot. My fighter’s best work is up close.“And he allowed her to go on worse this time than it was last time.” More

TYSON FURY lost the mind games battle with Oleksandr Usyk but his trainer “trusts” him to get Riyadh revenge.Irishman Andy Lee, a former middleweight world champion, is cousin to the Gypsy King and a key advisor.Andy Lee is a key figure within Tyson Fury’s teamCredit: Instagram / bodypuncherThe Gypsy King is out for revenge this Saturday nightCredit: PAFury, 36, was devastated before their first heavyweight clash in May  after wife Paris suffered a miscarriage six months into her pregnancy.And Lee  admits he will not know until the first bell on Saturday if the first professional defeat of Fury’s career has robbed him of his fighting spirit and unshakeable self-belief.Lee said: “Only he will know. He is very determined and confident. But fighters are always a little bit hesitant after a first loss. They are not as sure of themselves.“But when you are dealing with Tyson Fury, you’re not dealing with a normal human or a normal fighter.READ MORE BOXING NEWS“You are dealing with a unique person — I trust the man.”Along with his 6ft 9in frame, freakish mobility, powers of recovery and showmanship, Fury’s complicated brain is another fascinating facet.Fury now has to rebuild his ego and game plan to beat the man he   spitefully dismissed as an “ugly, little rabbit sausage”.The Ukrainian had the psychological edge at a press conference in October when he produced photos of his brutal ninth-round KO on the way to a split-decision win.Most read in BoxingBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSOleksandr Usyk defeated Fury back in MayCredit: PALee said of Fury: “I’ve always called him the puppetmaster because he can control his opponents at weigh-ins and interviews. I don’t think he’s been able to do that with Usyk yet.“There’s the battle on the outside, which everyone can see, the battle of the hands and feet and the boxing. But then there is the battle inside, the battle of wills.Tyson Fury stuns reporter with chilling threat to inflict ‘serious hurt’ on Oleksandr Usyk in heavyweight rematch“I am not sure how much he cares as in one of our last conversations in the camp I explained how he seemed to be peaking at the right time.“He stopped me short and said, ‘Andy, I am going to kill this guy, I am just going to go through him. I don’t know what everyone is worried about and discussing it for and contemplating tactics and strategies. I am just going to go through him’.“And once he said that, I thought, ‘Oh, yeah, he’s all right’. I trust him.“I just believe in the man. If there is any one person who can overcome all of these things, all of these odds, then it is Tyson Fury.”Fury vs Usyk 2: Ring walk time, TV channels and undercard – all you need to know for big rematch More