Boxing

ANTHONY JOSHUA is on course to nab one of Oleksandr Usyk’s belts – without having to face the Ukrainian in a trilogy fight.Usyk, 37, became the undisputed king of the heavyweights last Saturday with a split-decision victory over Tyson Fury.Oleksandr Usyk beat Tyson Fury last weekend to become undisputed heavyweight championCredit: PAThe Ukranian is set to be stripped of the IBF heavyweight titleCredit: APDaniel Dubois and Filip Hrgovic will vie for the belt on June 1Credit: GettyAnthony Joshua’s next fight is set to be against the winner of the boutCredit: GETTYThe slick southpaw is now the owner of the WBA, WBC, IBF, IBO and Ring Magazine titles as well as the newly-created ‘Undisputed’ belt.But he’s set to lose his grip on one of them in a matter of DAYS.Come June 1, Usyk will no longer be in possession of the IBF heavyweight title.That’s because mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic will finally get his long-awaited crack at the belt when he throws down with Brit Daniel Dubois a week on Saturday.READ MORE IN BOXINGCroatian clubber Hrgovic has been the mandatory challenger for the belt for nearly two years.The IBF didn’t enforce a mandatory fight for their prestigious red strap in order for the first undisputed heavyweight king in 25 years to be crowned.But they made it crystal clear that Hrgovic would be fighting for the belt after the historic unification bout.What’s currently unclear, however, is whether they’ll strip Usyk or allow him to vacate the belt.Most read in BoxingBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSHow AJ punched his way to the topANTHONY JOSHUA punched his way to the top of the world before being knocked off his perch.
The victor of Hrgovic versus Dubois will make their maiden title defence against Joshua, who is expected to return to the ring in September.During an appearance on The MMA Hour, Saudi boxing kingpin Turki Alalshikh said: “We have Joshua’s fight in September.Anthony Joshua and Cristiano Ronaldo chat and smile at ringside ahead of Fury vs Usyk”It all depends on the result of the Hrgovic fight [with Dubois].”Because now we have locked Wilder to Jared Anderson in the card in Los Angeles.”According to Joshua, who was ringside for Fury vs Usyk, that fight will take place at Wembley Stadium.He told talkSPORT: “Whenever they tell me there’s a date, you know I’ll be ready 100 per cent.”It’s gonna be in London, Wembley Stadium.”This is what I’m being told. If that’s what they say, they normally back their word so let’s go with that.”Wembley, September 20 or 21.” More

TYSON FURY has been spotted at the rubbish tip less than TWO DAYS after losing the biggest fight of his career.The Gypsy King suffered a split-decision defeat to new pound-for-pound king Oleksandr Usyk in their undisputed heavyweight title fight in Saudi Arabia last weekend.The Gypsy King is already back to doing his dad duties around the houseTyson Fury suffered a split decision defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last SaturdayCredit: GETTYThe former WBC heavyweight champion was spotted at the tip with wife ParisThe 35-year-old was juggling binning the rubbish with a seemingly very important callFury hits the bags again after heading homeFury didn’t hang about in the Kingdom after coming up short for the first time in his professional career, flying home in a £34million private jet.And despite having just banked a cool £80million, he hasn’t wasting any time getting stuck into his household chores.Fury, 35, was spotted taking rubbish to the tip with his wife Paris – the mother of his seven children – on Monday morning.The former WBC heavyweight champion rocked a pair of sunglasses to cover his black eye and a baseball cap, which he wore backwards.READ MORE ON FURY VS USYKHe also donned the custom-made tracksuit he and his team wore throughout fight week.Just as he did when he was in the ring with Usyk, Fury had his hands full as he looked to dispose of the rubbish from his Morecambe mansion.The Wythenshawe warrior had several Asda bags in his hand as he tried to juggle a seemingly important phone call.Fury is no stranger to a quick return to reality after trading heavy leather having been put back on bin duty after his knockout of Dillian Whyte in April 2022.Most read in BoxingBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSAnd the fan favourite revealed he’d be visiting the tip today moments before taking his chartered flight home.He said: “We punched f*** out of each other for 12 rounds.Tyson Fury Ringwalk”I’m going to go home, eat some food, drink some beers, have some family time, walk the dog, go to the tip.”Fury fumed with the judges’ decision, sensationally claiming they’d scored the fight in Usyk’s favour because his homeland of Ukraine is at war with Russia.He blasted: “His country is at war.”So people are siding with someone whose country is at war. I won that fight.”Fury, who was watched by a star-studded crowd in Saudi, will have the opportunity to exact his revenge on Usyk in October, should he choose to exercise his rematch clause.He added: “I believe he won a few of the rounds, but I won the majority. It was one of the daftest decisions in boxing.”I’ll be back. The good little man got the decision.”We’ll go back to our families and I’ll see him again in October.READ MORE SUN STORIES”We’ll go back, rest up. I believe I won the fight but I’m not going to sit and cry and make excuses.”We’ll run it again in October.”Tyson Fury plans to rematch Oleksandr Usyk in OctoberCredit: GETTYUsyk poses with the WBC belt he took off FuryCredit: Credit: https://x.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1792116449420480692/photo/1AJ and Cristiano Ronaldo were among the sporting A-listers at ringside More

PLANS for Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua to finally throw down next year went up in smoke last weekend.The Gypsy King came up short in his bid to become undisputed heavyweight champion in his Saudi showdown with Oleksandr Usyk, suffering a split decision defeat.Anthony Joshua was ringside for Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr UsykCredit: GettyAJ had a front-row seat for Fury’s first professional lossCredit: PAUsyk’s victory has thrown a spanner into the works of Saudi Arabia’s plans for Fury vs JoshuaCredit: REUTERSFury’s long-time Brit rival AJ was ringside to see him suffer the first defeat of his professional career, which has laid waste to grand plans for them to duke it out in a spring slugfest.Saudi boxing kingpin Turki Alalashikh had plans in place for the duo to trade leather next March, provided Fury won both his fights with the Ukrainian.But a win for Fury in their October rematch will tee up a mouthwatering trilogy fight, which will likely take place in March 2025.SunSport understands Alalshikh was targeting Fury vs Joshua for the end of March 2025.READ MOE ON FURY VS USYKBut it will be pushed back to later in the year should a rubber match between Fury and Usyk come to fruition.The long-time rivals could, however, end up fighting THIS YEAR.The biggest fight in the history of British boxing could materialise if Fury opts against exercising his rematch clause.Despite initially hellbent on exacting his revenge, Fury is seemingly non-committal over a rematch with the slick southpaw.Most read in BoxingBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSAnd co-promoter promoter Frank Warren has admitted there is a chance the Brit doesn’t share the ring with the two-weight champion again.He told SecondsOut: “We are committed because there’s a contract signed. Wally Downes Jr reacts as Usyk dethrones Tyson Fury is epic Saudi clash”However, Tyson’s got to want to do it and Usyk has got to want to do it.”If one of them says, I’ve had enough’ that could be the case. And that would be their choice.”‘They’re two guys who gave everything in that ring, both of them.”The Queensberry Promotions chief added: “He did immediately say [he’d take the rematch] in the ring.‘But I told him he’s been away from his family since last December, two back-to-back training camps, no fight in between, it’s a long time to be away from his family.‘We don’t have to make any decisions about anything. It’s contracted, and if he wants to go through with it he’ll go through with it.READ MORE SUN STORIES”‘But who is anybody to pressure Tyson on what he should be doing. That’s his choice.”He’s the guy getting in the ring, he’s the guy who’s taking the lumps and that’s how it is.” More

TYSON FURY was saved from a brutal knockout loss only thanks to a “bizarre” refereeing decision, it’s been claimed.The Gypsy King came up short in his bid to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion since fellow Brit Lennox Lewis in his long-overdue Saudi straightener with Oleksandr Usyk.Tyson Fury faced Oleksandr Usyk for all the heavyweight marbles last weekendCredit: GETTYThe Gypsy King suffered a split decision defeat to the UkrainianCredit: PAFury was almost finished in the ninth roundCredit: TNT SPORTSBut referee Mark Nelson bizarrely stopped Usyk from landing a telling blowCredit: TNT SPORTSFury, 35, suffered a split decision loss in a Riyadh rumble that will live long in the memory.The Wythenshawe warrior looked to be cruising to a points victory before he was rocked by a huge left hand in the final minute of the ninth round.Fury was pinged around the ring in the final seconds of the stanza and was seemingly saved from a knockout loss by referee Mark Nelson, who stunningly intervened to give him a standing count.The decision to stop Usyk from landing a potentially fatal blow didn’t go unnoticed by boxing experts, including the champ’s former foe Tony Bellew.READ MORE ON FURY VS USYKDuring an appearance on Good Morning Britain, the former WBC cruiserweight titleholder said: “I thought Oleksandr Usyk was a worthy winner.”I thought in that ninth round, Tyson Fury does amazingly to stabilise himself.”But it was a bizarre incident in that it actually shouldn’t have been a count. “Tyson Fury is still standing and Oleksandr Usyk should still be allowed to throw punches.”Most read in BoxingBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSVictory over Fury saw Usyk become a two-weight undisputed world champion in only his 22nd professional fight.The Ukrainian now has a serious claim to be the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet.Wally Downes Jr reacts as Usyk dethrones Tyson Fury is epic Saudi clashBut Bellew also reckons his former foe is arguably the best fighter of the modern era.’The Bomber’ continued: “The most important thing is the right man was awarded the victory. “Because we couldn’t have had a decision that went wrong or sat wrong with boxing.”And ultimately, boxing has won on Saturday night. And it’s on the grand stage again.”Boxing is the greatest of all sports and on Saturday night, we saw why.”It was an amazing fight by two amazing fighters. “And Oleksandr Usyk cements his legacy as probably one of the greatest fighters of his era – if not the greatest.”Fusy vs Usyk: Round by round verdict
HERE’S how SunSport’s Chisanga Malata saw the fight as Oleksandr Usyk was crowned undisputed king of the world against Tyson Fury.
ROUND 1
Here we go. Both men look to establish dominance early by taking the centre of the ring.
Fury marches down the Ukrainian, who opens up with a stiff body shot.
The Gypsy King looks massive in comparison to Usyk, who is no dwarf whatsoever.
Usyk is happy to operate on the outside, although the early jab he’s eaten will have given him some food for thought.
Fury is trying to draw out attacks from Usyk, who is not putting too much into his punches.
Fury gets backed into the corner and channels his inner Muhammad Ali by doing the rope-a-dope.
Usyk lands a big overhand left just seconds before backing Fury into the corner.
Fury dodges the ensuing flurry and gestures to the crowd as if demanding them to acknowledge his head movement. USYK 10-9
ROUND 2
Usyk opens up the round with a big one-two that snaps back the head of Fury.
Fury tries to make light of it but that combo clearly stunned him.
Usyk is setting the stone and the pressure as he advances forward.
A big uppercut narrowly misses for Fury, who knows all too well that’s the shot to deploy on a shorter opponent.
Fury is throwing more punches but isn’t being as accurate as Usyk.
Usyk backs up Fury into the corner and lands a good three-punch combo.
But Fury comes roaring back with a hard body shot after circling away from danger.
Fury finally lands an uppercut, albeit to the body of the former cruiserweight king. FURY 10-9
ROUND 3
Fury is on his bike after the restart and lands a stiff straight right from range.
Usyk has decided to close the distance after eating that shot and is going to work on Fury’s trimmed-down torso.
A solid overhand left snaps back the head of Fury with just over a minute of the stanza remaining.
Fury lands a good combo with thirty seconds remaining. But he gets pushed back against the ring again and eats another flurry before the bell. USYK 10-9
Round 4
Fury goes to work to the body with two hard shots after the restart.
He’s absolutely loving this, dancing around after landing his shots.
But he’s still allowing himself to get backed up and invite the pressure from Usyk.
Fury lands a beautiful counter right as Usyk comes forward.
Usyk has his head snapped back by another hellacious uppercut.
Both men nearly land hard back hands before the bell, with Fury narrowly missing an uppercut and Usyk an overhand left. FURY 10-9
Round 5
Usyk takes the centre of the ring after the restart and looks to feint his way into range.
Fury is doing a good job of keeping the Ukrainian at bay when he looks to close the distance.
A rasping uppercut snaps back the head of Usyk.
Fury is hurting Usyk to the body with relentless hooks to the midriff. FURY 10-9
Round 6
Usyk is on the front foot straight after the restart and is looking to put Fury on the back foot again.
A hard body shot to the solar plexus gives Usyk more food for thought.
Fury almost closed the show with a huge uppercut with a minute and a half of the round remaining.
But he finds a home for it 20 seconds later and Usyk is in retreat mode.
Fury closes out the round with a bit of showboating, put his hands behind his back before resting his arms on the ropes.
A huge round for the Wythenshawe warrior. FURY 10-9
Round 7
Usyk once again closes the distance after the restart but he’s getting picked off at range.
And when he does take a step back, his body is getting blasted by nasty hooks.
Usyk finds a home for his straight left but Fury eats it like a packed lunch made by his loving wife Paris.
Another straight left snaps back the head of Fury, who circles back out of range to try to create space for a body shot
Usyk manages to close the distance with seconds remaining ad finds a home for a two-punch combo.
But Fury manages to circle away to hear the bell. FURY 10-9
Round 8
Fury is happy to operate on the back foot in the eighth and pick his shots.
But he gets his dome rattled by back-to-back straight left hands – which he brushes off before going back to feinting and trying to create space for a body shot.
Usyk briefly finds himself dealing with Fury’s weight in the clinch after landing a good straight left.
Fury is bleeding profusely from his nose. I’m not what caused the damage. Big round that for Usyk. USYK 10-9
Round 9
Fury is doing a good job of bamboozling Usyk with feints, but the Ukrainian continues to come forward.
But he’s slowly but surely allowing the gap to be closed, which leads to him eating a big left hand flush in the corner.
Fury gets hurt and is stumbling around the ring. It was a left hand that did the damage.
Fury doesn’t know where he is and is eating a barrage of crisp follow-up shots. He beats the count and the bell thankfully saves him. USYK 10-8
Round 10
Usyk – like the Big Cat he is – senses blood and isn’t giving Fury any respite.
Fury is barely throwing anything and what he is throwing is telegraphed and slow.
Usyk looks tired, but he needs to keep his foot on the gas pedal if he’s to have any chance of becoming a two-weight undisputed champion. USYK 10-9
Round 11
A desperate Usyk, spurred on by the plight of his fellow Ukrainians back home, immediately goes to work after the restart.
Fury tries to keep him at bay with the jab but is struggling to pump it out with the stiffness it had in the early rounds.
Usyk briefly traps the WBC king in the corner and lands a rasping left hand.
Usyk doubles up with two left hands that briefly back Fury against the ropes.
The round ends with yet another big overhand left from Usyk. USYK 10-9
Round 12
The fans in attendance at the Kingdom Arena cheer both warriors on after the final restart of the fight.
Fury is playing matador as Usyk looks to step into range to land his left hand.
And he finds a home for it with a minute and a half of the stanza remaining.
A chopping right hand sends Fury backwards, but he returns fire with a booking shot of his own that backs up the southpaw.
Fury puts his hands behind his back in a bid to goad Usyk to making a sloppy mistake in the closing seconds.
But he stays sharp as he looks to close the distance, which Fury times to initiate a clinch. FURY 10-9
TOTAL Fury 113 Usyk 114

Fury will have the opportunity to exact his revenge on the slick southpaw in a rematch in October, should he choose to exercise his contractual right to a second fight.And given his suggestion the Olympian was gifted the decision because his homeland is still in the midst of a war with Russia, it’s likely he will exercise it in the coming weeks.READ MORE SUN STORIESHe fumed: “His country is at war. “So people are siding with someone whose country is at war. I won that fight.” More

IF ever a fight demanded a rematch, then it was this instant classic.Even the clamour for an all-British duel between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will have to quieten down so that the dethroned Gypsy King can get it on again with Oleksandr Usyk, the new undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk put on a show for the ages in their undisputed showdownCredit: REUTERSTheir Riyadh rumble had thrills, spills and plenty of showmanshipCredit: REUTERSFormer WBC heavyweight king Fury looked to stay long with his jab and land shots from distanceCredit: REUTERSUsyk did a good job of closing the distance and finding a home for his left handCredit: PAUsyk, the fighting pride of war-torn Ukraine, confirmed his status as an all-time great by unifying boxing’s gold-standard division having already done the same at cruiserweight.All in the space of just 22 professional fights.A rematch is pencilled in for October, back in Saudi Arabia, though Fury refused to commit to it in the immediate aftermath of his first professional defeat at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena in the early hours of Sunday.But Fury-Usyk II is what the world is waiting for. Because this fight was a thrilling, white-knuckle ride which fully lived up to its hype and £120million purse.READ MORE IN BOXINGAs Fury put it “we punched the f*** out of each other for 12 rounds — my face is pretty busted up and he’s busted too.”First, Fury showboated, then he dominated, then he was destroyed by an extraordinary counter-attack from Usyk, which might have seen the fight stopped at the end of the ninth with the Brit flailing on the ropes like a drunken sailor.Referee Mark Nelson showed leniency — but certainly not clemency — towards Fury, who proved the strength of his jaw and the size of his ticker over the final three rounds.Just as he had done when poleaxed by Deontay Wilder en route to a draw in the first of his epic trilogy with the Alabama sledgehammer.Most read in BoxingBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSThis split decision from the judges was harsh on Usyk.But, outside of that ­explosive bombardment at the end of the ninth, there was nothing to choose between two outstanding technicians who refused to keep it cagey.Anthony Joshua’s reaction to Fury vs Usyk caught on live TV as Hearn reveals how it impacts blockbuster British fightNo holding, no spoiling, just 12 rounds of brutal, irresistible theatre.After the judges gave their verdicts, Fury claimed Usyk had got the nod because of a sympathy vote over the Russian invasion of his homeland.But later, he rode back on that claim. He was black-and-blue, beltless but almost bursting with pride.It was one of those rare occasions in sport when the loser recognises he has been part of something truly special, in the realisation defeat can be glorious.And you cannot doubt Fury’s ability to take it on the chin. Certainly not after the clubbing left from Usyk which ignited his demise.We had waited 25 years, since Lennox Lewis defeated Evander Holyfield, to witness the coronation of an undisputed heavyweight champion.Usyk is the first to reign supreme in this division during the four-belt era, adding Fury’s WBC title to his own WBA, IBF and WBO crowns.And Usyk is an extremely worthy champion — he has class, courage and an obvious human decency which is clear even through his broken English.And broken English, by the way, is Usyk’s trade. The 37-year-old has now defeated Tony Bellew, Derek Chisora, Joshua twice, Daniel Dubois and Fury in six of his last seven fights.Fury did, uncharacteristically, admit that his showboating tactics were a mistake.Tyson Fury hurt Oleksandr Usyk the body nuermous timesCredit: GETTYBut he was almost taken out in the ninth roundCredit: GETTYIf there were a rematch, the Lancastrian, 35, said: “I think I’d keep my defence a little tighter, more focused and not so much messing around.”The feeling is that Fury might not take up the rematch option. That he might meet Joshua next, even with no titles on the line and it no longer being the No 1 must-see contest for British fight fans.We will soon be back in alphabet-soup territory, with rival governing bodies squabbling over who should fight Usyk, who will not remain undisputed for long.And it is a shame this weekend’s stirring contest should have been part of Saudi Arabia’s aggressive sportswashing project, where all talk of appalling human-rights records is not tolerated by the regime’s PR attack dogs.Should Fury take the rematch or fight Joshua, his next contest will surely be back in Saudi.Saturday night’s show — which had a better atmosphere than previous big fights here, due to a decent turn-out of travelling Brits — will be seen as a major coup for the filthy-rich host nation.Still, this was a night where politics, both in the fight game and the real world, were forgotten for a brief while as two elite boxers elevated themselves, and their bloody art, to another level.READ MORE SUN STORIESAs Fury pondered his next move, he insisted: “I’m not boxing because I’ve got no money, I’m boxing because I love it.”In terms of love and money, another crack at Usyk should be his favoured option.The world patiently awaits the rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson FuryCredit: GETTY More