Boxing

ANTHONY JOSHUA has taken to Instagram to show off his new left hook.
The 31-year-old is preparing to take part in one of the biggest bouts in British boxing history when he fights Tyson Fury later this year.

Joshua is hard at work in the gymCredit: Instagram / @anthonyjoshua

AJ showed off his brutal punching power on social mediaCredit: Instagram / @anthonyjoshua

AJ is considered by some as the match-up’s underdog – with Mike Tyson claiming that his ‘telegraphed’ punches are a ‘recipe for disaster’ against the Gypsy King.
Joshua is having none of it, however, and took to social media to show off his explosive power.
He captioned a video of himself throwing vicious left hooks at a pad: “If it ain’t the upper cut it’ll be the left hook…”
While Joshua is hard at work in the gym, his promoter Eddie Hearn is putting in a similar amount of effort in getting the fight contract sorted.

The 41-year-old Matchroom supremo is locked in talks with Frank Warren and Bob Arum over getting details ironed out.
And according to Hearn, things are progressing well.
He told the Mail: “The first draft of the contract has now gone out to Bob Arum, which is obviously a good thing.
“The contract reflects the positive nature of the discussions we have had so far around this fight.

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“We now await their comments before we all move on to agreeing a location. We hope to have something signed within the next two weeks.”
Arum himself opened up to talkSPORT earlier this week on the talks.
He said: “I talked to Eddie yesterday.
“Eddie, with the Joshua people, will have the first draft of the contract to us on Tuesday.
“And then I will circulate it to Frank [Warren], to Tyson and to the various lawyers.
“We’ll then get back to Eddie with our comments and I really believe that this is pretty much a no-brainer because everybody are professionals and want this to happen.
“So I think shortly we’ll be able to tie this up and then jointly select the site.”
Hopes had been raised that the ‘Battle of Britain’ clash would be able to take place on home soil.

But with the restrictions and uncertainty, we’re looking for a site someplace else – be it the Middle East or Asia
Bob Arum

But given the current uncertainty in the UK, the highly-anticipated bout is more likely to take place in the Middle East or Asia.
Arum continued: “The appropriate place would’ve been the United Kingdom.
“But with the restrictions and uncertainty, we’re looking for a site someplace else – be it the Middle East or Asia.
“And I’m sure that once we get this document signed, we’ll jointly be able to select the site and get it announced.”

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CARL FRAMPTON and Barry McGuigan had one of those so-called special boxer-manager relationships which we were led to believe was made in heaven.
There have been many of those alleged perfect partnerships among the bent-nose brigade – so us cynics weren’t in the least surprised when double world champion Frampton acrimoniously split with his fellow Irish super-hero.

Barry McGuigan with Carl Frampton in happier timesCredit: Pacemaker Press

When their rancorous divorce was finalised in Belfast two months ago with an agreed out of court financial settlement it was thought their feud had been put to bed for good.
But Frampton resurrected their vendetta with a toe-curling outburst last week when he said he not only despised McGuigan but wouldn’t “p*** on him if he was on fire” – a statement that must have shocked fans on both sides of the Irish Sea.
It’s rare for fighters to finish their careers with the management team they started out with however successful they were in the beginning.
So many have ended in bitterness and the animosity is invariably the result of a disagreement over money.

There’s a long list of British world champions following the initial love-in who fell out with the men who launched them on the path to fame and fortune.
Among them are Frank Bruno, Lennox Lewis, Tyson Fury, Joe Calzaghe, Ricky Hatton, Naseem Hamed, Nigel Benn, John H. Stracey and Carl Froch.
It’s no different across the Atlantic. Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather Jr and Roberto Duran are classic cases.
Happily there are a few shining examples of perfect harmony. Sir Henry Cooper and his manager Jim Wicks, were as close as father and son.

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Henry Cooper and Jim Wicks had a great relationship in and out of the ringCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd

Cooper, British heavyweight champion for more than 11 years spent his entire 17 years in the ring with Wicks – not only was there never a cross word between them such was the mutual trust they didn’t even bother with a contract.
Jim, Cockney son of a Bermondsey docker, and Henry were down-to-earth lovable characters and whenever they talked about each other it was “We did this” and “We did that”.
Someone said: “Those two have been weeing together for nearly twenty years.”
Wicks was one of the old school and his methods would give modern sports scientists palpitations.
He used to take Cooper to lunch at a different Soho restaurant every day and made sure he had a couple of glasses of French red wine with his meal.
And the day before a fight he insisted Henry ate a dozen oysters as they shared a bottle of Krug champagne.
As soon as Cooper finished a training session in the gym above the famous Thomas A’ Beckett pub in the Old Kent Road he would take him into the bar and make him drink a double vintage port poured into a glass of stout.
Cooper’s longevity was down to Wicks making sure he was never overmatched.
When asked if he would allow Henry to fight the brutal Sonny Liston for the world title a horrified Jim said “I wouldn’t allow my ‘Enery to walk in the same street as ‘im”
Jim was also a master of the malapropism. My favourite was when he described his feelings after seeing Cooper floored in the last round against Zora Folley. He said “I thought I was about to ‘ave a cardigan arrest.”
About his mentor Henry said “Nobody could put one over Jim. Having him in my corner gave me peace of mind. He looked after me and taught me so much. As managers go he was the greatest.”

Wicks would find it impossible to get his head round what goes on in the the fight business today.
When Cooper was the biggest name in British boxing his entourage consisted of himself, trainer Danny Holland and Henry’s twin brother George.
When Anthony Joshua fought Kubrat Pulev last month his team was 23-strong – presumably all on the pay-roll.
Now that would certainly have given Jim Wicks a cardigan arrest.

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BILLY JOE SAUNDERS is finally set for his crack at Canelo Alvarez in May.
England’s WBO super-middle champ has fancied a shot at the biggest draw in world boxing since he won the middle version back in 2015.

Billy Joe Saunders is set for a super middleweight unification fight against Canelo Alvarez in MayCredit: ©Dave Thompson/Route One Ltd

Alvarez must first come through next month’s clash with Avni Yildrim unscathedCredit: USA TODAY Sports

And, as long as the Mexican four-weight comes through a mandatory defence against Avni Yildrim on February 27, a mouth-watering unification decider is on the table.
The pair were one day away from announcing this fight last year, before the pandemic floored it but promoter Eddie Hearn has helped resurrect it.
Canelo, 30, snatched the WBA, WBC and Ring Magazine belts from Callum Smith on December 19.
And now the 31-year-old undefeated Hatfields southpaw is on course to be his third opponent in five months.

The Smith win was Canelo’s only fight of 2020, thanks to the pandemic and his stand-off with former promoters Golden Boy, but the newly free agent is now on a spree as he aims to become undisputed champion.
Two-weight champ Saunders is 30-0 but is craving a career-defining fight and plenty inside boxing believe his slickest of skills might make him the best candidate to stop the Canelo steam train.
Canelo, like Mexico icon before him Oscar De la Hoya, always tries to fight on Cinco de Mayo weekend to cash-in on the crazy support from his fight-crazy nation.
The closest Saturdays to that festival date are May 1 and 8 so, as long as the Yildrim bout goes smoothly, all eyes are on the Spring.

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Saunders beat Martin Murray into retirement on December 5 in the sort of underwhelming match-up that has dogged his career.
And he made it clear in the aftermath that Canelo was at the top of his 2021 hit list.
He said: “I’m missing that big, big defining fight now. I think that you’ll see the best of me.
“A lot of people can talk a good game, but when it comes to it, can’t find a way.
“I believe on my night I’ve got every tool in the box to beat Canelo Alvarez.
“If i wanted to get my money I could have got my money a couple of times and f****d off.
“It’s not that, it’s not just about the money, the money comes with that.”

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CALLUM SMITH has revealed all about what it is like to step inside the ring with Canelo Alvarez.
The Liverpool hero lost his super-middleweight world titles to pound-for-pound superstar Alvarez, 30, in a wide unanimous decision last month.

Callum Smith has revealed what it is like to fight Canelo AlvarezCredit: Getty

The British star lost to the Mexican last monthCredit: Getty

And Smith suffered a suspected detached left bicep from the huge right hands the Mexican repeatedly thundered into his guard.
Canelo admitted he noticed the gruesome injury from as early as the fourth round and targeted Smith’s dangerous left arm.
But the 30-year-old Brit refused to visit a local hospital in case he was delayed travelling home or use the painful wound as an excuse for his first career loss.
Now back on home soil, he has opened up about the defeat and just how tough and ruthless Canelo is.

He told Sky Sports: “I was pretty happy with the first few rounds, there wasn’t much in them.
“In the second half I hoped to pick it up and come into the fight, which obviously didn’t happen.
“He had a good sixth or seventh then he took control. My arm [a tricep injury] was getting sore.
“He hit me with a good uppercut which had my nose going. It all happened at the same time, he took the fight away from me.”

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Smith continued: “He is very clever in terms of the jab. He walks you down. With anybody else, you would jab. But he wants you to jab because he’s a counter-puncher.
“So you don’t throw as many jabs and while you are waiting, he closes the space down without throwing anything.
“Then he jabs and hits you. You think: ‘How did that land?’ He keeps you guessing all the time. You are hesitant.
“His best asset was his presence and his defence. He was so hard to hit clean.
“When I was throwing he was riding them, making me miss. You aren’t landing so you stop fully committing to shots. He takes away what you are good at.”

Callum Smith left with gruesome bulging arm after suspected detached BICEP following Canelo Alvarez loss
When asked whether Canelo had targeted his damaged arm, Smith admitted telling the icon how much pain he was in – which resulted in his rival instantly inflicting more damage to it.
Smith added: “Towards the end, the swelling came up. He looked at it and asked: ‘Sore?’
“I laughed and said: ‘Yes it is’. I swore. His next shot, he targeted it!
“Sometimes if you get hit on the arm, it is bad accuracy. But he did it a couple of times. He’s an accurate fighter. I knew what he was trying to do. It was tactical from him.
“I don’t think anyone beats him. He may only lose if he keeps going up in weight but he’s put a stop to that. His defence is just too good.”
But when asked if he was the hardest puncher he had ever faced, surprisingly Smith said: “No. He can obviously punch but his power wasn’t ridiculous.
“I remember Groves hit me and I thought: ‘I don’t want to take one of those on the chin’.” More