Boxing

LAS VEGAS’ £1.6BILLION ‘Death Star’ stadium could now host the bumper showdown between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.The Gypsy King and AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn have both posted images of the stunning Allegiant Stadium onto their Instagram stories yesterday.
The £1.6BN ‘Death Star’ in Las Vegas could host Tyson Fury vs Anthony JoshuaCredit: Getty
Both the Gypsy King and Eddie Hearn shared images of the 70,000-seater Las Vegas mega-stadium on InstagramCredit: Getty
Tyson Fury is currently in Sin City after beginning his fight campCredit: Instagram / @gypsyking101
Eddie Hearn (right), pictured with Dana White and Billy Joe Saunders, is also in Las VegasCredit: https://www.instagram.com/eddiehearn/
And that has prompted boxing fans to speculate the venue may now be about to stage the clash of the heavyweight titans.
The biggest fight in the history of British boxing is close to being finalised, with both fighters and their respective teams going over the lucrative site offers they’ve recently received.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, China, and Singapore have all expressed an interest in hosting Joshua vs Fury.
But talks over staging the multi-million-pound bout at Wembley have also been had.
Each fighter has already penned the £200m contract to unify the division – but now a venue has appeared to enter the mix.
The Allegiant Stadium only opened last year and hosts the Las Vegas Raiders NFL team with a capacity of 70,000.
It stands in the Nevada desert and is the first mega stadium to be built in Sin City.
Vegas has hosted numerous legendary clashes in the past, with both the MGM Grand and T-Mobile Arenas only housing up to 20,000 spectators.
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The Allegiant Stadium, which cost $1.97bn to construct, has now emerged as an attractive option due to its sheer size.
It has been dubbed ‘The Death Star’ due to its impressive futuristic outer appearance.
And Vegas officials have now also announced they plan to allow venues to have 100 per cent capacities from June 1.
Fury is currently in Vegas to begin his fight camp and yesterday he sent tongues wagging and keyboards into overdrive after he reposted a video promoting the Allegiant Stadium to his Instagram story.
AJ’s promoter Hearn is also in the city, and he also shared an image of the stadium just hours after Fury’s post.
However, not everyone is convinced the Fury vs Joshua fight should be staged there due to a lack of demand from the American public:
No Americans would rather watch a episode of the tv show power rather than watch two brits we don’t know— ARTMANBOXING (@ARTMANBOXING) April 14, 2021

No way r they getting anywhere near filling that stadium.— Andrew Minett (@AndrewMinett1) April 15, 2021

Can’t imagine 70k selling out in the US tbh— Canvasmadness 🌐 (@BoxmadPlant) April 15, 2021

Hearn is confident the fight will be finalised in the near future, saying last weekend: “We are very close. Tomorrow [Sunday] both guys will be presented with the options for a fight in the summer.
“Joshua doesn’t talk much about fights – but he talks when it’s close. You can feel the excitement building.
“We are in a great place with several offers on the table. I’m quietly confident. It was nice to see Fury post with enthusiasm because he feels that we are close.
“The teams will get together. I will try to see Bob Arum on Tuesday. We’re nearly there. We have worked really hard and we don’t want to give in.
Anthony Joshua and the Gypsy King will unify the heavyweight divisionCredit: Instagram

“It [Wembley] will be presented. Financially, it’s not at the races.
“The question is: can we get 100,000 fans on July 24, the potential date in London? The answer is ‘we hope so’. It is difficult to make a decision on that basis.
“This is why it’s taking longer than expected. It’s the logistics, testing policies, crowds.
“But now is the time to make this fight. Now. The summer. We may not get this opportunity again. Both guys accept that and are ready for the challenge.”

Tyson Fury looks rapid on pads in training ahead of Joshua fight More

TOMMY FURY shared his frustration after being denied a visa to link up with his brother Tyson in Las Vegas. Tommy, 21, recently moved to 5-0 in his career, with the light-heavyweight set for a summer return.
Tommy Fury was denied a visa to link up with his brother Tyson in Las Vegas
Billy Joe Saunders and Tyson Fury training in AmericaCredit: Instagram / @gypsyking101
The Love Island star planned to jet out to America and train alongside the Gypsy King, who is preparing to fight Anthony Joshua.
But Tommy broke the news to his followers on Instagram that complications surrounding his flight to Vegas meant he unfortunately could not go.
He said: “So guys, as you can see I’m not in Vegas. A lot has been going on in the past week or so, that’s why I’ve not really been posting on here.
“It’s been, ‘I am going, I’m not going’ a lot of it’s been up in the air. So yeah, it’s been a bit of a stressed out week for me.
“But, I’m absolutely gutted because obviously I was packed up, went all the way down to Heathrow everything was sorted on this side, but not on the American side.
“It just wasn’t meant to be this time guys.
“There’s no stress now, we stay here, we keep riding, we keep training, ready for the next fight and when I’m allowed to go freely, that’s when I’ll be over there.
“I will get the experience and yeah that’s the update guys.
“Just thought I’d let you all that I’m not over there, I’m over here, in England and going to be training for the next fight. Fight date coming very soon.”
Tommy Fury on Love Island with partner Molly-Mae HagueCredit: Rex Features

Current coronavirus restrictions means anyone looking to travel out of the country must declare their legally permitted reason for overseas travel.
This includes work, and Tyson jetted out to Sin City last week, where he is expected to meet up with head trainer Javan SugarHill Steward.
Currently, he has set up at Top Rank’s private gym and was joined by Billy Joe Saunders, who fights Canelo Alvarez on May 8.
He also has son Prince with him, and shared pictures soaking up the Sin City sun.
The Gypsy King recently released a training video on the pads, where he hinted at the super-fight with AJ being moved to September 1.
Tyson, 32, and Joshua, 31, signed a two-fight deal in March, and promoters gave themselves a 28-day period to have a venue and date set in stone.

That deadline expired last weekend, but various site offers have been presented to both camps for a proposed July unification.
But if a deal cannot be agreed to fight at least by August, Fury’s dad warned his son will be forced to move on to a new opponent.
John, 56, told Sky Sports: “If this goes on any longer, he will need tune-up fights.
“Inactivity plays a big part in boxing. You’ve got to have activity under those lights.
“As a father, I wouldn’t be doing my job right. I won’t let it happen if my son isn’t on it. And if I say something to Tyson, he will take it on board.
“If the fight happens in June, July or even August we will take it. But if it runs into next year then we need to fight.”
Tyson Fury looks rapid on pads in training ahead of Joshua fight More

LIAM WILLIAMS has the chance to record one of the great wins on US soil when he travels to challenge for Demetrius Andrade’s title. The Welshman has gone Stateside for his first crack at gold, but will also need to become the first man in 29 fights to beat Andrade.
How Demetrius Andrade and Liam Williams compare
Williams has earned his shot the hard way, becoming mandatory for the WBO middleweight belt after seven wins on the spin.
But he has it all to do with Andrade, one of the most underrated technicians in the world.
Here, SunSport compares to to headliners record ahead of the world title bout.
Demetrius Andrade
The American was a standout amateur and represented USA at the 2008 Olympic Games.
But despite the great hope and promise behind him, Andrade was beaten in the quarter-finals by Korean veteran Kim Jung-Joo.
He decided to turn pro a couple of months later and quietly built up his record while climbing the ranks.
By 2013, Andrade won his first title as he edged out Vanes Martirosyan on points to win the WBO light-middleweight crown.
After just one title defence, a 13 month absence from the ring saw his title stripped. He would have three more fights before going to middleweight.
Andrade had just one bout at his new home of 160lb, before he challenged for the vacant title against Walter Kautondokwa.
The southpaw was due to face Billy Joe Saunders, until the Brit failed a pre-fight drug test, which he claimed was down to a nasal spray.
Andrade inherited the strap on points, and the most recent of his three defences came against Irishman Luke Keeler in January 2020.
Demetrius Andrade is the WBO middleweight championCredit: AP:Associated Press
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Liam Williams
Williams did not have as much of an extensive amateur career as Andrade but revealed he won 44 out of 49 bouts.
He turned pro in 2011 and won 16, with a draw against Tyan Booth following a head clash his only blemish, before his first big step up.
Williams faced former champ Liam Smith in April 2017 and was ahead on the cards before a gruesome gash caused him to be pulled out before round ten.
Smith won the rematch on points seven months later, to hand Williams consecutive defeats.
But like Andrade, the Brit moved up to middleweight, and a win over Mark Heffron was the pick of the bunch from his five fights up in weight.
Williams is a brutal body puncher and a self-proclaimed angry fighter, who works on pure aggression.
He is also a smart switch-hitter, with his skills honed under the guidance of esteemed trainer Dominic Ingle in Sheffield.
With 18 knockouts in his 23 wins, Williams is a proven puncher, more than Andrade on paper, and may have a size advantage.

Liam Williams challenges for Demetrius Andrade’s WBO titleCredit: Getty More