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    Boxer, 18, dies with husband by her side days after being knocked out cold as rival posts emotional message

    MEXICAN boxer Jeanette Zacarias Zapata has tragically passed away aged 18.Zapata was knocked out in the fourth round of her GYM Gala International Boxing bout against Canadian boxer Marie-Pier Houle on Saturday night.
    Jeannette Zacarias Zapata has tragically passed away aged 18
    The Mexican was knocked out in the sixth round of her clash with Marie-Pier HouleCredit: GYM GALA
    Zapata began convulsing moments later and was promptly taken to hospital.
    Doctors placed the boxer into a medically-induced coma, although she eventually passed away with her husband by her side.
    The event’s promoter, Groupe Yvon Michel, announced the passing of Zapata on Thursday.
    A statement read: “It is with great sadness and torment that we learned from a representative of her family that Jeannette Zacarias Zapata passed away this afternoon at 3:45pm.
    “The entire team at Groupe Yvon Michel team is extremely distressed by this painful announcement.
    “We would like to offer our most sincere condolences to her family, loved ones, friends and especially her husband, Jovianni Martinez, who was at her bedside until her last moments.

    “Jovianni is devastated and extremely upset.
    “Under the circumstances, he does not wish to comment, therefore we ask that you respect his decision and allow the family to have their privacy.
    “In this painful period, you will understand Groupe Yvon Michel does not intend to comment further.”
    A devastated Houle paid tribute to her late opponent following the announcement, writing on social media: “I extend my deepest condolences to her family and spouse Jovanni Martinez.
    “Thank you for respecting my desire not to comment more.
    “The sad news of the departure of a great athlete like Jeanette Zacarias Zapata leaves me sad and devastated.
    “I offer my sincere and deep condolences to her family and husband Jovanni Martinez.
    “May God enlighten your soul and receive it in his glory.”
    The sad news of the departure of a great athlete like Jeanette Zacarias Zapata leaves me sad and devastated. Marie-Pier Houle
    The World Boxing Council also followed suit after learning of Zapata’s death.
    “A statement read: “The president of the WBC, Mauricio Sulaimán and the entire boxing family affiliated with the WBC, as well as all boxing, mourns this irreparable loss.
    “We send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Jeanette. May she rest in peace.”
    Prior to Zapata’s passing, a distraught Houle took to social media to wish her opponent a speedy recovery.
    She wrote: “Never, ever, is the intention of seriously injuring an opponent in my plans.
    “My sincere thoughts go to my opponent, Jeannette Zacarias Zapata, as well as to her family.
    “I wish with all my heart that she will recover.”
    Zapata’s clash with Houle, which took place at the IGA Stadium in Montreal, was her sixth as a professional boxer.
    La Chiquitaboom had lost three of her previous five fights, the last of which was a knockout defeat to Cynthia Lozano in May.
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    Eddie Hall reveals incredible body transformation as he sheds six stone and vows to KO Hafthor Bjornsson in THIRD round

    EDDIE HALL has lifted the lid on his epic body transformation after shedding SIX stone.Speaking to Muscle and Health, Hall also vowed to KO Hafthor Bjornsson in the THIRD round of their upcoming boxing fight.
    Eddie Hall has lost over six stone in his preparations to box Hafthor BjornssonCredit: Simon Howard – Muscle and Health magazine
    Hall weighed over 31 stone when he won World’s Strongest Man in 2017Credit: Simon Howard – Muscle and Health Magazine
    The strongman legend, 33, has been training like a Spartan following his move into the world of boxing.
    Fuelled by a desire to knock out old rival Thor, Hall has ditched the 31.4 stone (200kg) frame that saw him become the World’s Strongest Man in 2017.
    Instead, ‘The Beast’ now weighs a comparatively trim 24.8 stone (158kg).
    And after finding his ideal size for boxing, Hall is even more confident of bringing down ‘The Mountain’ when they clash next year in a rescheduled fight.
    He told Muscle and Health: “When I won the World’s Strongest Man I was almost 200kg. 
    “Right now I weigh about 158kg, so I’m 40 kilos or so down. 

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    “I’m happy to fight 158kg, to be honest. I’ll probably go in at this weight.
    “My game plan is to combine power, speed, agility, and endurance and I’ve got all four attributes nailed down. 
    “I can do ten three-minute rounds quite comfortably.
    “I think the third round will be the end for him. That’s what I’m aiming for.”
    As well as training hard, Hall puts his body transformation down to nutrition, dropping his food intake to 6,000 calories a day.
    But although that’s over double what most people eat, Hall has slashed his daily intake by HALF.
    He added: “In my Strongman days I was consuming upwards of 12,000 calories a day. That was just a constant cow grazing. 

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    ‘The Beast’ is now at a trim 24.8 stoneCredit: Simon Howard – Muscle and Health magazine
    Hall intends to maintain his weight for next year’s rescheduled fightCredit: Simon Howard – Muscle and Health magazine

    “All-day from the second I woke up to the second I went to sleep I’d have meals. I was probably eating eight meals a day with snacks in-between and lots of liquids like high-calorie smoothies. 
    “Now, I have four square meals a day and five protein shakes in-between to make sure I don’t dig too big a hole. 
    “I’d say I’m on roughly 6,000 calories a day right now. That’s half what I was eating when I was the World’s Strongest Man.”
    The British behemoth wants to KO Thor in the third round of their fightCredit: Simon Howard – Muscle and Health magazine
    Hall has cut his calories in half from 12,000 a day to 6,000 a dayCredit: Simon Howard – Muscle and Health magazine
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    Conor Benn desperate for family reunion with baby son and grandad Nigel after Granados clash

    CONOR BENN is close to tears when he thinks of seeing his dad again.The pandemic travel restrictions mean ring legend Nigel has still not met grandson Eli, who Conor and wife Victoria welcomed into the world in January.
    Conor Benn has been frustrated by the covid-19 pandemic in and outside of the ringCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
    Travel restrictions between Australia and the UK have kept Nigel and Conor Benn apart for too longCredit: The Sun
    But the 57-year-old icon is flying over in October to start an explosive speaking tour with brilliant rival Chris Eubank.
    And Benn, who fights Adrian Granados in Leeds on Saturday, will be at the airport arrivals with his baby boy for an overdue introduction.
    Conor, 24, told SunSport: “My dad is indeed coming over to do a tour with Eubank and if I was a fan I would quickly get a ticket for the first show because I don’t know how long that tour will last!
    “The idea of being at the airport arrivals gate with my son, his grandson, gets me emotional just thinking about it.
    “The thought of it has just given me butterflies even thinking about it and it’s still a month away.”
    Nigel was a wrecking ball in the ring and little has changed in retirement with house-proud Conor worried about the powerhouse crashing at his beautiful new home.

    “I will be there to pick him up with his grandson but he has been warned to arrive covered in bubble wrap because I cannot have him smashing up everything in the house,” Conor laughed.
    “He can’t help himself from trashing the joint.”
    Conor is also looking forward to showing his father the little empire he has built after 18 professional wins.
    The welterweight ace brought a family home in lockdown and he has completely refurbished it after some painful lessons in money-management at the start of his all-action career.
    “At the start of my career I tore the tendons in my hand and got my jaw broken and when I could not fight I realised I had spent a lot of my earnings,” he admitted.
    “I looked at all the designer shoes, bags and watches and wondered how they were going to help pay the bills.
    “I had to go through that, at the age of 20, to learn from it and realise. But now I have secured my family and like helping them all out.
    “It has meant a lot to my mum and dad to have money to look after me and my brothers and sisters but now I can tell them not to worry about me, they can look after my siblings.
    “I will never need a penny from my mum and dad now, it’s not in my nature. As the elder brother I want to protect them little siblings and my son and my wife.”
    Before Conor’s ruthless one-round KO of Samuel Vargas in April he stunned the weigh-in room by growling threats and warnings in word-perfect Spanish.

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    The intimidation tactic worked a treat as the fight barely lasted 80 seconds but The Destroyer is not sure if US-based Mexican Granados will get the same choice language.
    Conor said: “I lived in Spain for 12 years so I never really chose to learn the language, I just had to because all my friends were Spanish.
    “I haven’t spoken Spanish properly, with another Spanish person, for about 12 years so I have forgotten a few words, but when I want to get my message across I know what I am doing.
    “But some of these Mexican fighters that are brought up in America don’t even speak Spanish.
    “So I could end up whispering something to them at a press conference or weight-in and he could look at me like I am an idiot.”
    Benn’s rocketing profile means he has crossed over into the mainstream, with his “crushing it in the gym” catchphrase now earning him plenty of impersonators.
    Now just filling up his petrol tank is a media event and is almost used to all the attention – good and bad.
    “Just before my last fight I got out of the car just to put some petrol in and I ended up with a queue of 10 people asking for pictures,” he said.
    “I got in the car and said to my wife ‘babe. I must be famous now.’ 
    “I don’t see myself like that but I am getting more and more attention now and it is weird.
    “It’s a very weird feeling, when you just see yourself as a fighter, but it’s just a blessing.

    “There are still some people who ask for photos, speak to you very nicely and then slag you off.
    “I will never forget the face of one geezer, he got a photo with me and then posted it and slagged me off. I couldn’t understand why he asked for the photo.
    “I try to take everything on face value, face-to-face everyone has been very respectful.”
    Conor Benn is ripping through the welterweight division on his way to a world title shotCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
    Conor Benn looks good in training as he smashes personal bests after covid recovery
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    Hearn recalls looking like ‘a f***ing tosser’ at AJ’s loss to Ruiz and thinks it’s helped him prepare Warrington return

    EDDIE HEARN was perfectly prepared for Josh Warrington’s crucial comeback after looking like a prize penguin for Anthony Joshua’s shock first loss.The Matchroom boss chose AJ’s American debut against Andy Ruiz in June 2019 to wear a tuxedo to a fight for the first time and felt the fashion faux pas backfire.
    Eddie Hearn said he felt like a ‘f***ing tosser’ for wearing a tuxedo for Anthony Joshua’s loss to Andy RuizCredit: Getty
    It was the first time Hearn had done it and AJ lost to Ruiz Jr in one of the biggest shocks everCredit: AP
    But the Matchroom promoter said it helped him prepare for Josh Warrington’s loss to Mauricio LaraCredit: Dave Thompson Matchroom Boxing
    The long-way back that Watford’s heavyweight king took has helped Hearn and Warrington cope with the crushing blow suffered against Mauricio Lara in February and plan the rebuild.
    Warrington, 30, has already praised a video call with Joshua during his darkest hour for helping him out of the pits of despair.
    And, ahead of Saturday’s rematch in front of 20,000 Headingley fans, Hearn revealed how he learned to roll with the punches.
    Hearn recalled: “After selling old Madison Square Garden with AJ, that night I decided to wear a bow-tie and dinner suit.
    “I had never ever done that before for a fight but, I thought, for AJ at a sold-out MSG I should. And I look back at pictures now and think ‘what a f****** tosser!’
    “I walked the whole way home to New York’s Soho after the fight, about 3am I was bumping into British fans who wanted photos and answers and I just wanted to be left alone.

    “But dealing with nights like that helped me learn how to handle night’s like Josh Warrington’s loss.
    “Josh’s was harrowing because no-one was there and we heard everything. MSG was berserk so we didn’t hear it.
    “But the lows hopefully lead back to huge highs and when Josh wins on Saturday we can hopefully look back at the last few months and just say ‘what a ride’.”
    Hearn reached out to AJ after Warrington’s violent loss at an empty and silent Wembley arena and put the two fallen soldiers in touch to share war stories.
    The Leeds icon says the chat dragged him back on the road to redemption and Hearn believes it helped continue AJ’s learning process and that he will reach out again before the first bell.
    Hearn said: “Josh asked if AJ would have a chat because he was struggling.
    “But AJ struggled after the Ruiz loss and this felt even bigger because it was a horrible defeat in a silent and empty arena.

    “I had never asked AJ to do anything like that before but within an hour of swapping numbers AJ called him. I called to thank AJ but I think he enjoyed it.
    “Both of their nights went wrong, after problems for both in their build-ups. But both took immediate rematches and got the wins.
    “I am sure AJ will message him before the fight because you have to talk about these things.”

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    Oscar De La Hoya rules out Canelo Alvarez fight and wants Floyd Mayweather rematch ahead of ring return aged 48

    OSCAR DE LA HOYA says he is now targeting a rematch against Floyd Mayweather after ruling out fighting Canelo Alvarez.De La Hoya, 48, makes his return to boxing later this month when he fights ex-UFC man Vitor Belfort.
    Oscar De La Hoya is hoping for a rematch against Floyd Mayweather ahead of his boxing comebackCredit: AP:Associated Press
    De La Hoya had previously targeted former pupil Canelo AlvarezCredit: Getty
    It will be his first appearance in the ring for over a decade.
    And De La Hoya previously stated he wanted a piece of Mexican superstar Canelo, who he used to train, afterwards.
    However, De La Hoya has now backtracked on that decision.
    And he instead fancies a rematch against Mayweather, who won their first bout in 2007.
    De La Hoya said: “I changed my mind. Not because of anything or he’ll knock me out.
    “It’s just I thought it over and I’d actually rather call out – after I do two [comeback bouts] – Floyd Mayweather or Felix Trinidad.”

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    De La Hoya is certainly confident of advancing past Belfort, declaring: “This is not a game.
    “We don’t play boxing. We don’t play UFC. We don’t play MMA.
    “I literally said if we’re going to do this, let’s do it for real. Let’s not do this song and dance.
    “Let’s not do these exhibitions that we’re tired of. This is the real thing.”

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    But Belfort believes he can spring an upset, firing back: “When you step in the ring, you want the wars.
    “I’m coming into the sport that Oscar has mastered, and I’ve learned in training boxing at a different level.
    “My style is to come as a lion, and that’s what I’m going to do, no changes now.”
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    Katie Taylor set for mega New York showdown with seven-weight champ Amanda Serrano if she beats Jennifer Han

    KATIE TAYLOR is one win away from the biggest fight in women’s boxing and a potential headline slot at Madison Square Garden.The Ireland legend, 35, defends her undisputed lightweight crown against mandatory Jennifer Han on Saturday in Leeds, home of the Elland Road football team she grew up adoring.
    Katie Taylor takes on Jennifer Han in Leeds on SaturdayCredit: Sportsfile
    And the Irish superstar will set up a fight with Amanda Serrano (left) if she winsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    And promoter Eddie Hearn believes victory will tee the London 2012 golden girl up for a clash with SEVEN-weight champ Amanda Serrano next year.
    Despite Serrano’s incredible haul from super-fly to super-light, her previously low profile and paydays meant arranging a purse split with icon Taylor was a tall order and a summer 2020 clash was bitterly cancelled over cash.
    But Serrano has since enjoyed an MMA win, defended her unified featherweight titles and boxed on the mega-money Jake Paul vs Tyron Woodley PPV undercard, helping Hearn now see the pounds, dollars and sense.
    The Matchroom boss said: “Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano is the biggest fight in women’s boxing, by a country mile, and that is a fight that could headline Madison Square Garden.
    “We are trying to get that fight over the line but it is so difficult to do.
    “Thankfully Amanda Serrano’s value has significantly increased since we first made that fight so let’s see if we can get it made.”

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    Hearn even compares Taylor’s A-side appeal and superior worth to that of Anthony Joshua’s when he was trying to arrange undisputed clashes with Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury.
    He said: “Making Katie vs Serrano is a bit like when we tried to make AJ vs Wilder initially and even Tyson Fury.”
    “Those fights were really 70-30 splits but then Fury essentially beat Wilder in the first fight and then slaughtered him in the second and then we say ‘fair enough, it’s now 50-50’.
    “I do not believe we are there with Serrano but there was a point when I felt that fight was an 80-20 fight in Katie’s favour but the gap is closing because of what Serrano is achieving.
    “Katie is not demanding silly money or trying to con Serrano, but we need to make sure we get her a record payday for that fight.”
    ‘MUST MAKE SERRANO FOR MARCH’
    One other option on the Bray legend’s table is stepping up to welterweight to challenge undisputed 147lbs champ Jessica McCaskill.
    The American attended Thursday’s press conference in Leeds and Taylor made easy work of Christina Linardatou when she stepped up to super-light in November 2019.
    So it seems adding a few more pounds could help her become an undisputed champion in two weight classes pretty easily – before hopefully retiring undefeated.
    Hearn added: “There are mandatories to take care of but McCaskill was here at the press conference and if Katie moves up then she could become undisputed champion in two divisions.
    “I see Katie having one more fight after this – it could be McCaskill but we also have a lot of mandatories – and then we must make Serrano for March or April.

    “I want to see Katie get what she deserves, and I think she has so far.
    “But I feel that seeing her headline Madison Square Garden – with a fight and payday like Serrano – would be the icing on the cake.
    “But above all I would like to see her retire undefeated. I see her maybe fighting Serrano a couple of times and then I would love to see her walk away undefeated.”

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    Dillian Whyte next opponent likely to be Chris Arreola as Eddie Hearn names American as ‘frontrunner’

    PROMOTER Eddie Hearn has named American Chris Arreola as the ‘frontrunner’ to be the next man to face Dillian Whyte.The Brixton Bodysnatcher, 33, is looking for his next opponent as he continues his pursuit of getting a shot at becoming heavyweight world champ.
    Dillian Whyte is looking for his next opponentCredit: PA
    And Eddie Hearn thinks Chris Arreola could be that manCredit: Getty
    Speaking to talkSPORT, Hearn said: “With everything opening up, [it’s] the opportunity for him to fight at the O2 again.
    “It’s been over two years since he’s boxed in the UK in front of fans. Chris Arreola is probably the frontrunner.”
    Whyte’s last fight in front of a UK crowd was against Oscar Rivas at London’s O2 Arena in July 2019.
    Since then he’s fought Mariusz Wach in Saudi Arabia and Alexander Povetkin twice, once in Hearn’s garden and once in Gibraltar.
    Whyte lost his first fight against Povetkin – just the second defeat of his career – but redeemed himself by winning the rematch in March.
    Arreola, 40, has challenged for the world heavyweight title three times and has fought Andy Ruiz Jr, Deontay Wilder and Vitali Klitschko.

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    Hearn added: “That’s the fight I like because Arreola brings a war every time he fights, he just had a great fight with Andy Ruiz, and Dillian wants to fight Andy Ruiz.
    “So that would be a good statement to fight him.
    “We’re gonna do another massive show at the O2, we’ve got a press conference tomorrow to announce some interesting news as well.
    “Dillian Whyte back doing what he does best in all-out wars at the O2 as normality is upon us.”
    Dillian Whyte wants to become the next heavyweight world champCredit: Getty
    Discussing Whyte’s chances at securing a world title fight, Hearn said: “I don’t think he’s ever been content because we all feel like we haven’t got what’s fair with the WBC.
    “But it’s like a broken record, isn’t it? That will play on in the background legally, but he’s got to go out and do what he does.
    “Fight, entertain, have fun, keep pushing his cause.
    “Fights like Arreola – that will be picked up on a significant level in America – are gonna keep pushing his profile and pushing the fact that he deserves a shot at the world title.”
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    Anthony Joshua jokes with Eddie Hearn about getting tired in Klitschko and Pulev fights while trying to KO pair

    ANTHONY JOSHUA has joked about exhausting himself in his unforgettable clash with Wladimir Klitschko.AJ scored a stunning 11th-round TKO victory over Dr Steelhammer at Wembley Stadium three years ago to claim the unified heavyweight titles.
    Anthony Joshua scored a stunning 11th-round KO victory over Wladimir Klitschko in April 2017Credit: Getty
    But the Olympian gassed himself out going for the kill in the fifth roundCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd
    The fatigue Joshua suffered that night at Wembley has stayed with himCredit: Reuters
    But the Watford warrior looked to get the Ukrainian out of the ring in the fifth after dropping him midway through the round, going all out and eventually gassing himself out.
    That onslaught proved to be a costly one as a drained Joshua ended up being floored by Klitschko in the sixth.
    Promoter Eddie Hearn recalled Joshua’s hunt for the kill during a recent chat with the Olympian, saying: “It’s like watching you against Klitschko in the sixth round.
    “He was like [shakes fist in a circle] doing that and then he started chasing him around.
    “And then there’s like 20 seconds left and he’s like, huff, huff.”
    That fatigue lives long in the memory of the 31-year-old, who admits he was also too gung-ho in his KO victory over Kubrat Pulev last December.

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    He said: “It was the worst feeling, bro. It happened in the Pulev thing [too].
    “In the third round, I was hitting him and I was thinking, ‘Stop, stop.’
    “[But] I was still hitting him. In my head, I was like, ‘Stop, stop, stop, stop.
    “Bruv, I swear in my head I was thinking, ‘Stop, stop, stop.’
    “And then I chased him around the ring and went doosh. I thought, ‘Yes, I’ve got him.’
    “And the ref was like, ‘One.’ And I was like, ‘No.’ [Laughs]”
    “It was the worst feeling, bro.Anthony Joshua on being gassing himself out in the fifth round against Wladimir Klitschko
    Matchroom Boxing chief Hearn remembers Joshua’s reaction to the end of the fifth round against Klitschko all too well.
    He said: “You could almost see when the bell went at the end of that round and you were like this [shrugs shoulders], ‘Oh f**k.'”
    Going for broke is something Olympic gold medalist Joshua will refrain from doing unless he can be ‘efficient’ with his shots.
    He said: “That’s what I’m learning in this boxing. Skills, you’ve got to be confident in your head, practice how you’re gonna fight.
    “That’s one of those keys and all that stuff. You can’t practice different to how you fight.
    “You’ve got to practice head movement, boxing there, being aggressive.

    “But you’ve got to learn how to be efficient. How to let your shots go and how to be efficient.”
    Joshua will be hoping to remain calm and be efficient in his upcoming clash with former undisputed cruiserweight king Oleksandr Usyk.
    AJ will defend his unified heavyweight titles against the undefeated Ukrainian three weeks on Saturday in front of a sold-out crowd at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

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