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      Watch Oleksandr Usyk fire title warning to Tyson Fury and claim he’ll fight Anthony Joshua ‘in space’ to land rematch

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      OLEKSANDR USYK has his sights set on the undisputed heavyweight title as he fired a warning shot in Tyson Fury’s direction.And the new champ claimed he would face Anthony Joshua ‘in space’ if he had to in order to make a rematch happen.
      Oleksandr Usyk beat Anthony Joshua via a unanimous decision on SaturdayCredit: PA
      Usyk sensationally defeated Joshua via a unanimous decision on Saturday night at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
      He took AJ’s WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and IBO titles and left the Brit immediately seeking a rematch.
      When asked by iFL TV if he wanted to face WBC-holder Fury for the undisputed title, Usyk said simply: “Of course.
      “And I’ll fight (Anthony Joshua) even in space.”
      Pundits and former pros have queued up to criticise Joshua’s tactics as he attempted to match Usyk’s silky skills rather than seek a knock-out.
      AJ himself claimed going 12 rounds with the Ukrainian set him in good stead to win a rematch, but Usyk said he still had a few tricks up his sleeve.

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      Tyson Fury is set to defend his WBC belt against Deontay WilderCredit: BT Sport
      Joshua was quick to say he would trigger a rematch clauseCredit: ©Ian Walton Matchroom Boxing
      Asked if he thought Joshua could change his styles, Usyk replied cryptically: “I can fight differently myself.”
      The Joshua camp is already eyeing next February or March as a potential rematch date, with promoter Eddie Hearn saying he wants it in the UK.
      But as the new champ Usyk now holds all the aces and does not appear to be in a rush to get back in the ring.
      He added: “Why should I be unhappy? We have a victory. We went through hell training so now we need to relax.”

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      Tyson Fury would have DESTROYED ‘damaged goods’ Anthony Joshua in three rounds, says Frank Warren after Usyk loss

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      TYSON FURY would have brutally dispatched Anthony Joshua inside three rounds – but that does not mean he should rush into an Oleksandr Usyk rematch.That is the view of Fury promoter Frank Warren after he watched Joshua lose his heavyweight titles in a stunning unanimous decision to Usyk on Saturday night.
      Anthony Joshua said he could not see from his right eye after the ninth roundCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Frank Warren claimed a fight with Tyson Fury could still happenCredit: PA
      Joshua immediately said he would trigger a rematch clause after he was schooled by the Ukrainian at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
      But Warren says that would be a mistake for ‘damaged goods’ Joshua and suggested a Fury fight could still be made.
      Warren told MailOnline: “He shouldn’t go anywhere near Usyk – he will never beat him.
      “In terms of fighting Tyson Fury, it can happen. Joshua losing has taken away the belts and he is damaged goods now.
      “But people would still buy into that fight. It can happen and it can happen in the UK.
      “He shouldn’t have a rematch with Usyk. I wouldn’t even think about it if I was him.”

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      The Fury and Joshua camps saw plans for a blockbuster clash collapse earlier this year after Fury was ordered by a court to face Deontay Wilder for a third time.
      And Warren claimed avoiding his man has been good for Joshua’s health after the display on Saturday.
      He added: “Tyson Fury would have destroyed him inside three or four rounds.
      “Tyson has great footwork, a great chin and his hands are as fast as Usyk’s and he is bigger – he would have destroyed Joshua.”
      Pundits and former pros have queued up to criticise Joshua’s tactics as he attempted to match the skilful Usyk’s boxing abilities rather than hunt a knock-out.
      Fury has so far remained quiet on his rival’s result – apart from liking a tweet hailing him as the ‘best heavyweight on the planet’.
      But Warren gave an idea of his thinking as he revealed Fury was sad to see chances of an undisputed bout go up in smoke.
      Warren told TalkSport: “All Tyson could see was a massive fight going down the drain.
      “I said to Tyson, ‘Can you imagine, if you were in there with him, how long that would’ve lasted?’”

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      Eddie Hearn says Anthony Joshua must trigger Usyk rematch clause More

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      Damning stats reveal Joshua’s low punch accuracy and Usyk’s total dominance after AJ loses titles in shock defeat

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      OLEKSANDR USYK triumphed over Anthony Joshua as he outboxed his opponent in every department.Punch stats show Usyk, 34, was in control throuhout the 12 rounds despite British judge Howard Foster scoring AJ ahead after eight rounds.
      Oleksandr Usyk was a lot more efficient than Anthony Joshua with his jab
      Usyk also made good use of his overhand left to wear down Joshua
      The Ukrainian landed 148 punches to AJ’s 123
      But it was Usyk who landed more punches, bigger punches, and it was the Ukrainian who was more efficient with his shots.
      AJ failed to use his height and weight advantage early on to impose himself on Usyk.
      Instead, it was Usyk who landed the big early punches and then came into the ascendency late on.
      He could have floored AJ in the 12th with a barrage of shots, landing a total of 29 punches in the final round – the most the Brit has ever faced in a single round.
      Despite the reach disadvantage, Usyk was more effective with his jab, landing 52 out of the 309 he threw – or 17 per cent.
      Joshua landed the same number but had over a hundred more attempts than his opponent with 427.
      Usyk dominated Joshua in power punches landed

      But AJ threw fewer power punches – 214 compared to Usyk’s 220 – and landed just 71 to the Ukrainian’s 96.
      It is little surprise it was Joshua hanging on by the end, with the 31-year-old landing just 33 per cent of his punches to Usyk’s 44 per cent.
      After a shaky start Joshua found his way into the fight but rarely troubled his opponent, despite throwing 641 punches in total.
      Usyk was more careful with his shot selection and countered Joshua well using his southpaw style, and landed 148 punches from 529 – 25 more than the Brit managed.
      Usyk claimed all four of Joshua’s world title belts with an emphatic win
      Usyk won via unanimous decision after coming close to a knockout in the final round
      AJ will now seek a rematch with Usyk More

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      Lenin Castillo given all-clear following brain scan after being raced to hospital following terrifying Callum Smith KO

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      LENIN CASTILLO has been given the all-clear after his brain scan on Saturday night.The boxer was rushed to hospital after he was brutally knocked out by Callum Smith but has thankfully been medically cleared by doctors.
      Lenin Castillo has been medically cleared by doctors after having a brain scan on Saturday night
      The boxer was brutally knocked out by Callum Smith at Tottenham’s stadium
      Commentators and fans inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium were stunned into silence after Castillo was floored in the second round.
      Castillo’s legs were shaking as he hit the deck, and medics immediately rushed into the ring.
      He was given oxygen as he was rushed to hospital. But fortunately he has received a positive prognosis.
      According to reports he recovered in the ambulance, underwent tests in hospital and was discharged a few hours later.
      Journalist Dan Rafael tweeted: “I texted Lenin Castillo’s manager to see how Lenin was doing after the KO by Callum Smith.
      “Here’s the response I received overnight: ‘He was released after a few hours. They did a brain scan. Everything fine. He’s at the airport now.’ Good news.”

      Boxing fans were stunned into silence after the KO
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      Sky Sports commentator and former boxer Matthew Macklin admitted he had ‘never seen anything like that before’.
      Smith was making his debut at light-heavyweight, and was predicted to make short work of Castillo on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s defeat to Oleksandr Usyk.
      And he duly delivered with a crushing right hand that ended the contest instantly.
      But the cheers from the North London crowd fell silent when it became apparent Castillo was in a bad way on the canvas.
      Referee Bob Williams was quick to move Castillo into the recovery position.
      Medics then rushed in to attend to the 33-year-old Dominican Republic boxer.

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      While Smith’s victory took a back seat, it was an impressive performance from the Liverpool fighter who is coming back off his first ever defeat against Canelo Alvarez.
      With new trainer Buddy McGirt in his corner, Smith drove his long levers into the visitor a handful of times in the opener and showed no signs of any long-term damage from the battering Canelo inflicted on his lead arm.
      And the second barely got started before Smith, 31, connected with a thunderous right hand that left his victim in a worrying state.

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      Tyson Fury taunts Anthony Joshua following shock Usyk defeat with ‘STILL the best heavyweight on the planet’ tweet

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      WORLD champ Tyson Fury’s team has mocked British rival Anthony Joshua by insisting he’s ‘still the best heavyweight on the planet’.AJ, 31, is no longer a world champ after losing his belts to undefeated Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, 34, on Saturday evening.
      Joshua suffered a shock defeat to Usyk on Saturday nightCredit: Getty
      MTK Global Boxing’s tweet
      MTK Global Boxing – Fury’s management team – tweeted on Sunday morning: “And STILL the best heavyweight on the planet.”
      The tweet was accompanied with a picture of Fury, 33, with his WBC and Ring heavyweight titles.
      The Gypsy King and AJ were widely regarded as the two best heavyweights in the division before the latter’s defeat to Usyk.
      Fans were divided on which British fighter was the best, although that argument – for the time being, at least – appears to have been settled.
      Fury has never lost a pro fight and has dethroned two heavyweight champs: Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wider.
      Joshua, meanwhile, has now lost twice to Andy Ruiz Jr and Usyk – and famous a mammoth challenge if he wants to regain his titles.

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      AJ was out-boxed by Usyk and the former champ’s career would be in tatters if he was to lose a rematch.
      MTK Global Boxing’s comments come just two days after Fury predicted Joshua would endure a tough evening against Usyk.
      The Gyspy King said on Friday: “I expect AJ to come out trying to box a bit more because of this new way he boxes now and uses his jab.
      “And he knows he doesn’t have the stamina to take a fight to somebody under sustained pressure, and keep that up, because he gasses after about three rounds.
      If that goes 12 rounds, I would fancy Usyk to get the decision because to get there, he’s going to have to outbox him.Frank Warren’s pre-fight prediction
      “And then he needs to take three or four rounds off.
      “So, he wouldn’t be able to do that against Usyk because Usyk will be on him all the time, making him fight.
      “So, I expect it to be awkward, maybe a bit of a chess match for a few rounds. And I expect AJ to run out of ideas, really.
      “If he doesn’t land on him early and get him out of there with big punches, then I see it being a tough night for AJ and maybe even a stoppage loss.”
      Anthony Joshua says he thinks he was winning until the ninth round in fight against Usyk More

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      Tyson Fury and Frank Warren’s pre-fight predictions come true after Anthony Joshua gets battered on points by Usyk

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      TYSON FURY and his promoter Frank Warren correctly predicted the outcome of Anthony Joshua’s fight with Oleksandr Usyk.AJ was well-beaten on points by the Ukrainian at Tottenham’s stadium on Saturday and his bitter rival Fury saw it coming.
      Tyson Fury and Frank Warren both predicted Oleksandr Usyk would beat Anthony Joshua on pointsCredit: AFP
      AJ was well beaten in 12 rounds by the Ukrainian after a nasty eye injury sealed the deal for UsykCredit: PA
      Joshua failed to make use of his 18lb advantage over former cruiserweight king Usyk who landed a barrage of heavy southpaw shots throughout the bout.
      Usyk finished with a flourish in the final rounds to put the result beyond doubt and seal the unanimous 117-112, 116-112 and 115-113 win.
      And Fury – who can apparently see into the future – said on Friday: “I expect AJ to come out trying to box a bit more because of this new way he boxes now and uses his jab.
      “And he knows he doesn’t have the stamina to take a fight to somebody under sustained pressure, and keep that up, because he gasses after about three rounds.
      “And then he needs to take three or four rounds off.
      “So, he wouldn’t be able to do that against Usyk because Usyk will be on him all the time, making him fight.

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      “So, I expect it to be awkward, maybe a bit of a chess match for a few rounds. And I expect AJ to run out of ideas, really.
      “If he doesn’t land on him early and get him out of there with big punches, then I see it being a tough night for AJ and maybe even a stoppage loss.”
      The judges’ scorecards revealed Joshua was actually leading after eight rounds before his nasty eye injury sparked a meltdown.
      But Fury’s promoter Warren also saw an upset coming.
      He said last week: “Anthony Joshua must be the favourite for the fight. He’s the bigger guy, much bigger, and he’s a big puncher.
      “Having said that, if [Joshua] doesn’t get rid of him, and if he’s still there after five or six rounds, then if it gets to the end of the fight…
      “If that goes 12 rounds, I would fancy Usyk to get the decision because to get there, he’s going to have to outbox him.
      ‘I’LL FIGHT WHOEVER’
      “And he’s obviously a very smart operator, you know how he’s going to fight – he’s going to try and get inside and underneath AJ’s jab.
      “If you can do that, you can give him a lot of problems. I hope he doesn’t though, because we want the big fight.”
      Joshua has vowed to fight Fury still even without his heavyweight titles.
      But Eddie Hearn has urged him to trigger his Usyk rematch clause immediately or risk NEVER getting the chance to win his belts back.
      Immediately after his defeat, Joshua claimed: “The road to undisputed and all that stuff, it’s good.
      “As I said, I’ll fight Fury, [Deontay] Wilder, without the belts.
      “The belts are fun. It’s great, it’s legacy. But with or without the belts, I’ll fight whoever.

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      “The road to undisputed is a nice title to have and a nice title to chase.
      “But would you still watch it, without the belts?
      “That’s the main thing – is you’ve got two competitive fighters in the ring from UK soil, that just want to go toe-to-toe.”

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      Anthony Joshua discusses losing to Oleksandr Usyk in post-fight press conference More

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      Five possible venues to host the Joshua v Usyk rematch including Kiev, London and Saudi Arabia

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA had hardly taken off his gloves before signalling he would trigger the rematch clause in his contract with Oleksandr Usyk.The Brit slumped to defeat by unanimous decision at the hands of the Ukrainian at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday.
      Anthony Joshua gave up his three heavyweight titles on SaturdayCredit: Getty
      Here are some of the places the rematch could take place in
      The result saw AJ lose his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight belts and any chance of a £500 million super-fight with Tyson Fury.
      Now begins the painstaking process of rebuilding AJ’s reputation with a rematch – and potential venues are already being suggested.
      Usyk wants to take the fight back to his native Ukraine and said he’s in no rush – but finances and the weather may have a say.
      PRINCIPALITY STADIUM, CARDIFF
      AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearne has already given two clues – he wants a date in February or March next year and is eyeing a UK location.
      For that, he’s going to need an indoor venue. Cardiff’s Principality Stadium has a retractable roof, 78,000 capacity, and hosted Joshua’s fights with Carlos Takem and Joseph Parker.
      Just one problem – Wales play three home games at the Principality in next spring’s Six Nations. That wraps up on March 19th.
      Cardiff’s Principality Stadium has already hosted two Anthony Joshua fightsCredit: Getty
      O2 ARENA, LONDON
      Few would doubt Hearn’s ability to sell out the Principality even with Joshua as the underdog, but there is a homecoming option.
      Joshua made his name at London’s O2 Arena with a series of brutal knockouts against the likes of Dillian Whyte and Dominic Breazeale.
      And after the uncertain performance at Spurs’ home ground on Saturday, maybe it’s time for AJ to go back to the safety of what he knows.
      Joshua famously faced Dillian Whyte at the O2 back in 2015Credit: Getty Images – Getty

      KIEV, UKRAINE
      Usyk now holds Joshua’s belts and all the aces when it comes to negotiations over a possible venue.
      The Ukrainian wants to fight in front of home fans – tricky for a February/March date when temperatures plunge to well below freezing in Kiev.
      Usyk has previously fought indoors at the 10,000-capacity Palace of Sports.
      Kiev’s Olympic Stadium is an option and hosted the 2018 Champions League final, but that would surely mean a summer date would have to be found.
      Kiev’s Olympic Stadium hosted Liverpool’s 2018 Champions League triumphCredit: Getty
      DIRIYAH ARENA, SAUDI ARABIA
      If the date calls for warmer climes, could AJ head back to the desert?
      The Brit faced Andy Ruiz in Saudi Arabia’s purpose-built Diriyah Arena the last time he had to win back his belts.
      Or perhaps Hearn could tempt another oil-rich state to host – Qatar’s brand new Lusail Iconic Stadium was mentioned for Joshua v Fury.
      The temporary Diriyah Arena hosted Joshua’s rematch with Andy RuizCredit: PA
      MERCEDES-BENZ ARENA, BERLIN
      Maybe the two camps will have to meet in the middle.
      If Usyk is determined to be the ‘home’ fighter but a winter date makes Ukraine impossible, he could follow in the footsteps of his heroes the Klitschko brothers.
      The Ukrainians made Germany their home during their glittering careers – Berlin’s Mercedes-Benz Arena has previously hosted UFC events and could be an option.
      Mercedes-Benz Arena is one of the biggest in GermanyCredit: Getty
      Oleksandr Usyk RETURNS belts to Anthony Joshua as Brit warns ‘see you soon’ in changing room after shock defeat More

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      Boxing fans furious that £500m mega-fight Joshua v Fury is ‘ruined’ after AJ’s shock loss to Usyk

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      BOXING fans are fuming that Anthony Joshua may never take on Tyson Fury after being beaten by Oleksandr Usyk.The Brit, 31, was taught a lesson by Usyk, 34, who came close to a knock-out before winning via unanimous decision.
      Anthony Joshua’s potential fight with Tyson Fury is now in doubt
      Oleksandr Usyk dominated Joshua and will be favourite for the rematch
      Joshua is keen to fight the likes of Fury and Deontay Wilder even if the world title belts are not up for grabs
      It is Joshua’s first defeat on home soil and now he faces the tough task of trying to win his belts back.
      His promoter Eddie Hearn says AJ has little choice but to trigger the re-match clause with Usyk – otherwise Joshua may never win back his belts.
      A failure to recapture his world titles would put significant doubt on Joshua being able to agree a fight with Fury.
      Also, Fury faces his own challenge to hold onto his own WBC title against Deontay Wilder next month.
      Should Fury win he could seek to unify the heavyweight divison next.
      And that could mean a fight with Usyk, not Joshua, if the Ukrainian wins once again in a rematch.

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      But AJ was adamant he would fight Fury even if the world title belts were not on the line.
      In his post-fight press conference Joshua said: “The road to undisputed and all that stuff, it’s good.
      “As I said, I’ll fight Tyson Fury, Wilder, without the belts.
      “The belts are fun. It’s great, it’s legacy. But with or without the belts, I’ll fight whoever. The road to undisputed is a nice title to have and a nice title to chase.
      “That’s the main thing – is you’ve got two competitive fighters in the ring from UK soil, that just want to go toe-to-toe.”
      Many boxing fans feel Joshua vs Fury – which was agreed earlier this year – will now never be realised.
      One wrote on Twitter: “Joshua is not relevant to Fury anymore. Fury said he had two maybe three fights left. Wilder then Usyk. Joshua is a fraud who gets found out against anybody half decent.”
      Another added: “Bang goes the Fury vs Joshua fight. The one mega-money fight that the whole of the boxing world wanted to see now down the pan!”
      A third said: “Can’t see Joshua v Fury happening now. No real value for Fury to fight against someone who lost to a cruiserweight. Think Joshua underestimated Usyk and came unstuck.”
      Jamie Carragher also weighed in, saying: “Is that Fury v Joshua off the cards now?”
      Many fans feel Fury will not face Joshua, as the Gypsy King could target Usyk instead
      Eddie Hearn reveals he wants Tyson Fury to beat Deontay Wilder and set up super fight vs Anthony Joshua in early 2022 More