Boxing

DANIEL DUBOIS is set to appoint Mark Tibbs as his new trainer in replacement of Martin Bowers.
It comes off the back of his first defeat as a professional, against Joe Joyce in November.

Daniel Dubois is set to appoint Mark Tibbs as his new trainer in replacement of Martin BowersCredit: Richard Pelham – The Sun

Mark Tibbs pictured with Dillian WhyteCredit: Reuters

First reported by the Daily Mail, the heavyweight has held talks with Tibbs, son of veteran coach Jimmy, over becoming his chief cornerman.
But Bowers – who has been with Dubois since turning pro in 2017 – will remain as the 23-year-old’s manager.
Tibbs helped guide Dillian Whyte into a heavyweight title contender until their split last year, while he now trains super-middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders.
Dubois was stopped in round 11 against domestic rival Joyce, 35, after taking a knee and failing to beat the count.

The hard-hitting prospect was levelled with criticism after being accused of quitting.
That is despite Dubois suffering a cracked eye socket and bleed on retina as he boxed the majority of the fight with one eye and still led on the scorecards.
Joyce’s excellent performance and jabbing masterclass sets him up with a WBO ‘interim’ title fight with Anthony Joshua’s mandatory Oleksandr Usyk, 34.
But Dubois has been left with a rebuilding job and will be able to fight again in April with his recovery progressing well. 

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His promoter Frank Warren plans for the Londoner to return at least by May and said his lack of online presence will work in his favour.
Warren said: “He is not interested in social media, which is very good. He just wants to get on and fight.
“I met with him last week. He is not a braggart or a loudmouth and was quite philosophical.
“When he was caught, he said the pain was searing right through his head.
“He said it has happened and he has to get on with it. The pressure’s on him now, but it is not like he took a real belting or got knocked out.
“If he had been pulled out the round before, two judges had him ahead on their scorecard. We want to get him back out in late April or maybe May.
“All of us are very disappointed with what happened, but he is young and we are not going to rush him into anything.”

Dillian Whyte blasts ‘coward’ Daniel Dubois for ‘quitting’ as he stops fighting in shock defeat to Joe Joyce More

JAKE PAUL claimed Floyd Mayweather is ‘out of pocket’ and only doing exhibition bouts to protect his 50-0 record.
Mayweather is set to fight once more against Jake’s older brother Logan, though it has been postponed from the initial February 20 date.

Jake Paul claimed Floyd Mayweather is ‘out of pocket’Credit: Sky Sports

Jake Paul says Floyd Mayweather is only doing exhibition bouts to protect his 50-0 recordCredit: Twitter

But the unbeaten boxing legend also mapped out a plan for future exhibitions this year, against Jake and rapper 50 Cent.
The YouTube sensation responded by accusing Mayweather of being strapped for cash and desperate for easy-money opponents.
Jake, 24, told TMZ Sports: “It just came out of left field.
“It just seems like this guy is money hungry. It seems like he hasn’t paid his taxes or some s*** and he just wants to fight everyone.

“He’s almost 50-year’s-old and this guy is calling out people half his age. Who knows what Floyd Mayweather is doing?
“Honestly, he just looks like a clown, the response he gave me, it just doesn’t add up. He’s out of pocket and he’s struggling.
“He took an L and don’t get on social media if you’re afraid of getting your feelings hurt.”
Jake appeared uninterested in fighting Mayweather in an exhibition as he insisted the American icon is afraid of losing his winning streak.

He said: “I’m 2 and 0 with 2 KO’s with pro fights.

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“If Floyd wants to do these exhibitions, you know cool, but I’m a real fighter. He has to take me seriously.
“And I think the reason he wants to do these exhibitions is because he’s afraid to risk his legacy of his 50 and 0 record in case he were to lose.
“But, I’m not doing the exhibition s***. It doesn’t interest me. Those are like fake patty-cake fights.”
Mayweather, 43, and Logan, 25, are yet to announce their new fight date.

Jake Paul, left, pictured with big brother Logan
But Jake – who faces ex-UFC welterweight Ben Askren on April 17 – opened the door to boxing his brother’s next opponent in 2022.
He said: “This guy is out of his mind.
“He just calls me out, out of nowhere — same with 50 Cent! I mean, he hasn’t even fought my brother yet.
“It just seems like he’s losing his marbles, like what the f*** is this guy doing? We’ll see what happens with him and my brother.
“We’ll see how that fight goes and yeah I could totally see a Jake Paul vs Floyd matchup a year from now.”

Jake Paul taunts Floyd Mayweather and calls him out for 50-50 split fight and blasts ‘f*** your exhibition proposition’ More

ANTHONY JOSHUA and Tyson Fury’s proposed pay-per-view price has been blasted by Simon Jordan, who hit out at their £100million pay days.
The heavyweight champions are still in the process of finalising details ahead of their historic undisputed title decider.

Anthony Joshua is in talks to fight Tyson FuryCredit: �Dave Thompson/Matchroom

Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua’s proposed PPV price was slammed by Simon JordanCredit: PA:Press Association

😡 “I think it’s wrong.”💰 “We have to universally accept that both of these fighters have to get £100m each.”👎 “Why is it the fans’ incumbent responsibility to pay 40-50% more?”@SJOpinion10 slams the PPV prices being reported for Joshua vs. Fury. 🥊 pic.twitter.com/fjOZNui88c
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) February 4, 2021

A venue is yet to be decided while AJ and Fury’s UK and US TV broadcasters will need to strike a deal.
According to the Daily Mail, the box office cost could be up to £40 – which is £15 more than both superstars’ last fights.
Businessman Jordan, who formerly owned Crystal Palace and works as a guest speaker on talkSPORT, took aim at the price fans will have to pay.
He said: “There seems to be this default setting that we have to universally accept that both of these fighters have got to get £100m each.

“That’s been advanced by the promoters, it has to be £100m each.
“The reality of it is, because of Joshua’s profile in America, they can’t sell the pay-per-view in America in the way they perhaps could do with Tyson Fury or other fighters.
“So they are looking at a quantity of pay-per-views; they’re going to take it to the most repugnant part of the world for human rights issues because they can get paid £120m over there for facilities fees, so the timing of that means they can’t sell it to the American market.
“So they can’t get the quantity of pay-per-view buys.

“Rather than get the quantity, what they do is they up the price by the best part of 50 per cent to make sure that the two fighters must get this universally accepted – that we have all ‘accepted’ they must get – £100m each.
“And I look at it and go, ‘Hold on a second, aren’t these two Great British fighters that are supposed to represent something, why is it the fan’s incumbent responsibility to have to pay 40 or 50 per cent more because you can’t sell the fight to get the pay-per-views that you want to give the £100m each they must have?’
“We have to take it to a repugnant part of the world, where they have no human rights concerns, so they can get their £100m each that we have all accepted. I think it is wrong!”
The fight would become the expensive PPV fight in UK history, as for the first time ever the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight belts will ALL be on the line.
Joshua stars on Sky Sports in the UK and DAZN in America, while Fury is tied with BT and US giants ESPN.
Their opposing promoters and networks are set to come together, but the unification bout looks destined to go abroad.
With coronavirus restrictions preventing fans from attending in Britain, organisers are in talks with several foreign destinations.

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WANTED: 6ft 9in switch-hitting heavyweight with new-found KO power, Russian-ballet footwork and the boxing IQ of a veteran Vegas matchmaker.
If this undisputed clash is going to happen in the summer, Anthony Joshua and his team have a tough job on their hands tracking down suitable training partners to replicate the dimensions and abilities of Tyson Fury.

Tyson Fury celebrates his stunning seventh-round TKO victory over Deontay Wilder last FebruaryCredit: PA

Tyson Fury is set to throw down with fellow British powerhouse Anthony Joshua in the summerCredit: PA

But the Gypsy King’s two-fight trilogy with KO artist Deontay Wilder has left him with an iPhone packed with numbers for ideal AJ sparring.
The original clash in 2018 took Fury’s camp to Big Bear in California and then down to Freddie Roach’s Wild Card gym.
Joe Joyce did around 30 rounds with Fury for that iconic draw, American Jonathan Rice helped out and even AJ’s cruiserweight protege Lawrence Okolie jetted out to train alongside his mentor’s rival.
David Adeleye, George Fox and Jordan Thomas were the three young Brits who were flown out to Nevada to prepare for the sensational rematch win in February, with rising American star and Top Rank stablemate Jared Anderson sneaking a few rounds in also.

Now the pair are set to collide in Saudi Arabia in the summer and, with the lockdown travel restrictions playing havoc with training camps and plans, Fury and his team need to select their squad for the mega-money clash.
If Fury has to complete his camp in the UK, jetting Detroit trainer SugarHill Steward in, he will probably have to keep his sparring partners local to abide with coronavirus protocols.
Thankfully the boom in British heavyweight boxing means he has a deep pool to swim with.
And while Kiwi buddy Joseph Parker might be unable to fly in and mutual friend Derek Chisora could prefer to remain neutral for a fight with AJ, there will be a queue of nearby boxers eager to learn from Fury.

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David Adeleye
6ft 4in – 15st 9lbs – 4-0 
The University-educated 24-year-old learned enough in the last camp to know he would be crazy to miss out on a second course.
The West Londoner soaked up everything he could directly from Fury but also from trainer’s Andy Lee and Sugarhill Steward.
Under the same Frank Warren promotional banner as the WBC king, Adeleye watched Fury go through tactics and gameplans – even fake injuries – and never let anything leak out from the camp.
Adeleye is a couple of inches shorter and a couple of stone lighter than AJ but he would be a very handy man around the camp.

Tyson Fury could call on the services of David Adeleye ahead of his showdown with AJCredit: The Sun

Joe Joyce
6ft 6in – 18st 6lbs – 12-0
The Juggernaut is completely trusted by Fury, following their sessions in 2018 and few people on the planet know AJ’s playbook better than Joyce.
The Putney man was AJ’s understudy on Team GB, with Josh winning gold at the 2012 Olympics and Joyce having to wait until 2016 to land a harsh silver.
The pair are both promoted by Frank Warren so arranging more practice rounds would be logistically smooth.
But Joyce’s November destruction of red-hot prospect Daniel Dubois has thrown him into world title contention so he might not want to be a sparring partner any longer.
But, if the 35-year-old orthodox powerhouse has no problem taking instructions from Fury’s team, then both men could learn plenty from each other again. 

Tyson Fury could once again call on Joe Joyce to help him prepare for AJCredit: Getty
Daniel Dubois
6ft 5in – 17st 6lbs – 15-1
Four years ago, amateur prospect Dubois was in Bolton sparring Hughie Fury ahead of making his pro debut.
Halfway through and without warning, Hughie’s 27st cousin – in the midst of a doping ban and mental health battle – hopped over the ropes and danced with the wonderkid.
Tyson Fury only did a round with the visitor but he enjoyed it and kept an eye on Dubois’ progress, even praising him after he beat his cousin Nathan Gorman for the British title in 2019.
Dubois’ loss to Joyce has set his career back a few fights but that gives the 23-year-old plenty of time to learn and improve, the men at the top of his division are all around a decade older.
If Fury wants a rapid Adonis of a man who can replicate AJ in a number of aspects, then Dubois should jump at the chance to learn more from the master.

Daniel Dubois could be called in by Team Fury to mimick Anthony JoshuaCredit: Getty
Lawrence Okolie
6ft 6in – 14st 4in – 16-0 
Eyebrows were raised when the cruiserweight jetted out to LA to help Fury prepare for the first Wilder fight but it sounded like an ego-free exercise in development without any rivalry due to Okolie’s friendship and managerial deal with Joshua.
The idea of Okolie working with Fury ahead of an AJ fight is as unlikely as it is fascinating.
Would Okolie want to help and would AJ be happy sending him off to the opposing camp?
Could Okolie, 28, feed vital information back for his mentor to use against Fury or would the Gypsy King double-bluff Team Joshua and send Okolie back with fake gameplans, tactics and injury niggles?
This would be a soap-opera of a sparring agreement that could be hugely beneficial to someone very clever.
But with Okolie having a giant 82in reach and an awkward style, Josh might prefer to have him in his camp mimicking Fury’s best moves.

Lawrence Okolie has sparred with Tyson Fury in the pastCredit: PA

Tony Yoka
6ft 7in – 17st – 9-0
There are a handful of European heavyweights who could be drafted in like Filip Hrgovic, Guido Vianello and Kubrat Pulev but Frenchman Yoka, 28, would be the closest option.
The 2016 Olympic winner is blessed with the same sort of speed and athleticism that AJ thrilled Britain with in London four years earlier and he is young enough in his career to still need elite sparring.
Fury’s good friend and former sparring partner Dave Allen bravely took a beating from Yoka so he can vouch for his power and precision and let his fellow Brit know if he’s a suitable Joshua impersonator.

Tony Yoka could be a suitable Joshua impersonator for FuryCredit: Represented by ZUMA Press, Inc.

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