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      Five potential next opponents for Anthony Joshua with Tyson Fury favourite but Usyk and Wilder fights possible

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA battered IBF mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev to retain his heavyweight belts and steamroll his way into 2021.
      Joshua’s stunning ninth-round KO of the tough Bulgarian paved the way for a huge all-British unification bout with Tyson Fury next year.

      Anthony Joshua goes into 2021 off the back of a convincing victoryCredit: ©Mark Robinson/Matchroom

      But who else is in the running to take on the Watford-born champ next?
      SunSport runs you through all the potential opponents for AJ in the New Year.
      TYSON FURY
      It is the one that everybody wants to see.
      Fury is the WBC champ after dethroning Deontay Wilder in February and a match-up would see ALL the heavyweight belts on the line.

      Eddie Hearn announced in June that a deal was in place for two fights next year.
      The fighters could make £100million each from a blockbuster showdown.
      And the Gypsy King immediately called out AJ after his win over Pulev, saying Joshua ‘s*** himself on live TV’ when asked about the fight and that he would ‘knock him out inside three rounds’.

      OLEKSANDR USYK

      Oleksandr Usyk is another available route for AJ to takeCredit: Mark Robinson
      Oleksandr Usyk is the WBO’s mandatory challenger after cleaning out the cruiserweight division and moving up from 14st 4lbs.

      The WBO are insisting dangerous southpaw Usyk is given a shot against AJ after he outpointed Dereck Chisora on Halloween and could refuse to sanction a bout with Fury.
      Alternatively, with Fury having not fought in nearly a year, Usyk could face Joshua if the Gypsy King chooses to have a warm-up bout after both a trilogy fight with Wilder and December homecoming bout were scrapped.
      Hearn said: “If we get the Fury fight made, we are going to be applying to the WBO to make that undisputed and if they say no we have to go to Usyk and try to make a deal.
      “If we can’t make the Fury fight for any reason, then we will fight Usyk 100 per cent. They’re kind of waiting to see what happens.”
      DEONTAY WILDER

      Deontay Wilder lost to Tyson Fury last time outCredit: Rex Features
      Deontay Wilder lost his WBC crown to Tyson Fury in February in the pair’s rematch.
      Wilder almost KO’d the Gypsy King in the pair’s first fight which ended in a stunning draw and they were set for a trilogy contest.
      But it was called off after the 35-year-old American’s contract clause expired.
      Wilder has made claims that his water was SPIKED against Fury, something Eddie Hearn branded ‘ridiculous’.
      But if AJ did want another shot at conquering the US he could take on Wilder – who he was linked with before Fury made his match-up with the Bronze Bomber. 
      And if Fury vs Wilder meet for a third time and the American wins, it could be an alternative route to being undisputed champ for AJ.
      ANDY RUIZ JR

      Andy Ruiz Jr could look to make a trilogy fight with Joshua in 2021Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd
      Andy Ruiz Jr shocked the boxing world by stopping AJ in New York in 2019 – stripping the Englishman of his cherished undefeated record.
      Joshua got immediate revenge on points in Saudi Arabia 12 months ago with months of partying after his huge upset success causing Ruiz to come into the bout overweight.
      But the Mexican-American boxer has undergone an incredible body transformation.
      And a trilogy could be on the cards next year after Joshua admitted he would love to knock Ruiz out.  
      DILLIAN WHYTE

      Dillian Whyte could renew his long-term rivalry with JoshuaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Dillian Whyte could finally get his wish and get back in the ring with old foe Joshua in 2021.
      Whyte reckoned AJ was ‘stuck between styles’ in a ‘strange performance’ against Pulev.
      The 32-year-old famously dished out a beating to Joshua in the amateurs before the world champ got his revenge in the pro ranks in 2015.
      The Body Snatcher has always been keen on another shot at beating AJ and could get his chance depending on how things play out in 2021. 

      Anthony Joshua Reacts To Epic KO and says Tyson Fury Is next More

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      Anthony Joshua reveals Floyd Mayweather told him boxing is ‘chess not checkers’ in cryptic chat after Kubrat Pulev fight

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      FLOYD MAYWEATHER told Anthony Joshua boxing is a game of ‘chess not checkers’ in a cryptic chat after the Kubrat Pulev fight.
      Boxing royalty Mayweather travelled to London to watch Joshua knock out Pulev in round nine.

      Floyd Mayweather told Anthony Joshua boxing is a game of ‘chess not checkers’Credit: ©Mark Robinson Ltd

      Mayweather watched ringside as AJ knocked out Kubrat Pulev Credit: ©Mark Robinson Ltd

      Afterwards AJ celebrated his devastating stoppage with the American legend ringside and the pair enjoyed a brief exchange.
      In a video uploaded by Matchroom, it catches the moment Joshua leans in to hear some words of wisdom from Mayweather.
      He then tells the camera: “He says it’s chess not chequers.”
      The unified heavyweight champion then referenced the chat on his own YouTube channel as he broke down his win.

      Joshua said: “I’m staying true to myself, learning every day, I get older, I get wiser, I learn that this boxing game is chess and not checkers.
      “I play a smart game and I make the right moves at the right time.”
      Joshua, 31, and Mayweather, 43, then spent an hour talking to each other backstage, promoter Eddie Hearn revealed.
      Hearn told iFL TV: “They were in there for about an hour talking tactics.

      “It was great that he was here.
      “I’m just chuffed, great performance, proud of AJ, a lot of pressure on him as always but onwards and upwards.”

      Promoter Eddie Hearn alongside Joshua and Mayweather Credit: ©Mark Robinson Ltd

      Mayweather was heard shouting instructions to Joshua, but it was his sparkling jewellery which caught AJ’s eye the most.
      He told DAZN: “I could hear him shouting, his bling bling was blinding me from certain angles.
      “If I could hit them numbers that he’s doing, I’d be doing the same thing.
      “He’s living life, travelling the world, he’s retired and he’s a great inspiration to the boxing community.
      “It’s great to have him in the house, it shows that heavyweight boxing is back on the map.”

      Anthony Joshua addresses fans live from the dressing room and says he’s staying true to himself and learning everyday after fight with Pulev More

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      Whyte vs Povetkin rematch ‘delayed again’ as Russian struggles to recover from coronavirus

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      DILLIAN WHYTE’s rematch with Alexander Povetkin is expected to be delayed again, according to reports.
      The pair were due to meet for a second time on January 30 as Whyte bids to win back the WBC interim title which he lost to Povetkin in August.

      The pair were due to meet next monthCredit: PA:Press Association

      However, according to TalkSPORT, the rematch will be pushed back once again as Povetkin needs more time to prepare as he continues his recovery from coronavirus.
      The rematch was originally scheduled to be fought in November but was postponed when Povetkin tested positive for Covid-19.
      Povetkin won the first bout between the pair by a fifth-round TKO, despite Whyte downing the Russian twice in the fourth.
      A venue is still to be confirmed for the rematch but Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn is only anticipating a ‘small delay’.

      Whyte was in attendance last night as Anthony Joshua beat Kubrat Pulev by ninth-round knockout.
      But Whyte was critical of his old rival despite Joshua successfully defending his WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight belts.
      Whyte told iFL TV: “It was a strange performance, it seemed like he was stuck between two or three different styles.
      “He’s got three different trainers in his camp. I don’t understand what’s going on there.

      “But he got the victory, so you can’t really complain.
      “I don’t why he let Pulev back in the fight.
      “He should’ve destroyed him. I thought Pulev was gone. Pulev didn’t pose much of a threat really.
      “In his prime he wasn’t the greatest of fighters, wasn’t the hardest hitter – what 12 knockouts from 27 fights?
      “He never really knocked anyone out devastatingly, he just wore them down. 
      “There wasn’t any risk of him knocking Joshua out and he wasn’t going to outbox Joshua for 12 rounds.
      “When the KO came, it came good. But I think he could have done it a lot quicker.
      “He seemed to be in that negative zone, where ‘I’m fighting, but I’m defending’. I don’t know it was a strange performance.”

      Dilian Whyte is brutally honest about AJ’s 9th round knockout of Kubrat Pulev More

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      ‘Impressive’ Anthony Joshua is ‘adding layers to his game’, Tyson Fury’s former trainer Ben Davison admits

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      TYSON FURY’s former trainer Ben Davison was full of praise for Anthony Joshua after his win over Kubrat Pulev.
      The British heavyweight champ knocked out the Bulgarian pretender in the 9th round at Wembley Arena on Saturday night.

      Ben Davison was full of praise for Anthony Joshua after his win against Kubrat PulevCredit: Getty Images – Getty
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      And Davison, who worked with the Gypsy King for two years from 2017-2019, said he was impressed by AJ’s versatility during the fight.
      However, he doesn’t think that Joshua will have enough in his arsenal to defeat Fury in their blockbuster bout set for 2021.
      “I’ve always ranked Joshua that little bit lower than the rest of the competitors because he was a little bit one-dimensional,” Davison told iFL TV.
      “Now he’s starting to show versatility. That’s fantastic, and it’s great that he’s working on that. But Tyson’s extremely versatile and comfortable being versatile. 

      “He’s comfortably pressing the action and keeping it long. He’s comfortable pressing the action and making it short. He’s comfortable orthodox and southpaw. 
      “That’s a really hard thing to overcome because if something’s working for Joshua then Tyson can take that away.
      “There will be moments in the fight where adjustments have to be made, and that’s why it’s become more of an intriguing fight now. 
      “There are layers to Anthony Joshua now that there weren’t before. I just think Tyson is more versatile and his non-punching activity rate is through the roof. 

      “He’s constantly got the opponent having to be aware and being reactive.”

      Joshua has added more layers to his fighting style, Davison saysCredit: Reuters

      The Gypsy King’s uncle and former trainer Peter Fury has also talked up Joshua ahead of the projected Battle of Britain that could be worth £100million to both fighters.
      Speaking ringside after his son Hughie beat Mariusz Wach on the AJ vs Kubrat Pulev undercard, Fury said: “Be a great fight.
      “Both up for it, aren’t they. So it’ll be a great fight if it happens. Both have different styles though, Tyson is a totally different style to Pulev.
      “It would be a great fight. Those shots [AJ landed tonight] wouldn’t be landing on Tyson so clean. He’s an exceptional talent but if AJ can land, anyone is going down.
      “But the same for Tyson – he’s a puncher as well. So it works both ways. It’s a pick’em fight to be honest.”

      Tyson Fury’s former trainer Ben Davison compares training Fury and Mike Tyson More

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      Boxing schedule: Fight dates, results, undercards as Joshua beats Pulev with Canelo, Smith and Golovkin all in action

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      BOXING has taken its fair share of punishment this year – but the sport is set to finish 2020 with a bang as a raft of massive bouts are yet to come.
      Anthony Joshua ended the British boxing year by knocking out Kubrat Pulev in the 9th round of their Wembley Arena clash.

      There’s still plenty to come stateside, with both Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin in action.
      And if that wasn’t enough, 2021 gets off to a cracker as Ryan Garcia faces Brit Luke Campbell.
      Check out SunSport’s boxing schedule for the rest of 2020 below…
      Major fight dates
      December 18 – Hollywood, Florida

      Gennadiy Golovkin (C) vs Kamil Szeremeta (12 rounds – middleweight IBF, IBO world titles)
      December 19 – San Antonio, Texas
      Canelo Alvarez vs Callum Smith (C) (12 rounds – super-middleweight, WBA & Ring Magazine titles)
      January 2 – Venue: TBC
      Ryan Garcia vs Luke Campbell (12 rounds – lightweight)

      Anthony Joshua poses with Floyd Mayweather after knocking out Kubrat PulevCredit: ©Mark Robinson Ltd
      Full boxing schedule 2020
      November 28 – London, England (BT Sport)
      Joe Joyce (C) def. Daniel Dubois (C) KO10 (12 rounds – heavyweight, British, Commonwealth, European titles)
      Hamzah Sheeraz def. Guido Nicolas Pitto TKO10 (10 rounds – super-welterweight)
      Jack Catterall def. Abderrazak Houya UD10 (10 rounds – super-lightweight)
      David Adeleye def. Danny Whittaker TKO2 (6 rounds – heavyweight)
      Jack Massey def. Mohammad Ali Bayat Farid UD8 (8 rounds – cruiserweight)
      Joshua Frankham def. MJ Hall (4 rounds – super-welterweight)
      Louie Lynn def. Paul Holt (8 rounds – featherweight)
      Mitchell Barton def. Matt Gordon (4 rounds – heavyweight)
      November 28 – Los Angeles, California (BT Sport Box Office)

      Mike Tyson DREW w/ Roy Jones Jr (Exhibition, 8 rounds – heavyweight)
      Jake Paul def. Nate Robinson KO2 (6 rounds – cruiserweight)
      Badou Jake def. Blake McKernon (8 rounds – light-heavyweight)

      Mike Tyson returns to the ring on November 28 vs Roy Jones Jr Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      December 4 – London, England (Sky Sports)
      Billy Joe Saunders (C) def. Martin Murray UD 12 (12 rounds, super-middleweight, WBO world title)
      James Tennyson def. Josh O’Reilly KO1 (12 rounds – lightweight)
      Donte Dixon def. Angelo Dragone UD6 (6 rounds – super-featherweight)
      Shannon Courtenay def. Dorota Norek TKO7 (10 rounds – super-bantamweight)
      Lerrone Richards def. Timo Laine UD8 (8 rounds – super-middleweight)
      Lewis Edmondson def. John Telford TKO3 (8 rounds – light-heavyweight)

      NINTCHDBPICT000623871020-1Credit: ©Dave Thompson/Route One Ltd
      December 5 – Arlington, Texas (Premier Sports)
      Errol Spence Jr (C) def. Danny Garcia UD 12 (12 rounds – welterweight, WBC & IBF world titles)
      Sebastian Fundora def. Habib Ahmed TKO2 (12 rounds, super-welterweight)
      Josesito Lopez def. Francisco Santana KO10 (10 rounds – welterweight)
      December 5 – London, England (BT Sport)
      Lyndon Arthur (C) def, Anthony Yarde SD12 (12 rounds – light-heavyweight, Commonwealth title)

      Errol Spence Jr beat Danny Garcia on points in TexasCredit: AP:Associated Press
      December 11 – Redditch, England (Channel 5)
      Sam Eggington def. Ashley Theophane, 10 or 12 rounds, junior middleweights TKO6
      Kaisee Benjamin def. Ben Fields (10 rounds – welterweight) UD10
      Stephen McKenna def. MJ Hall (6 – rounds super-lightweight) RET4
      Aaron McKenna def. Jordan Grannum (6 – rounds super-welterweight) RET2
      Michael Hennessy Jr def. Dale Arrowsmith (6 round – super-welterweight) UD 6
      Idris Virgo def. Kevin McCauley ( 4 rounds – middleweight) UD4
      December 12 – London (Sky Sports Box Office)
      Anthony Joshua (C) def. Kubrat Pulev KO9 (12 rounds – heavyweight, WBA, WBO & IBF world titles)
      Lawrence Okolie def. Nikodem Jezewski KO2 (12 rounds – cruiserweight, vacant WBO world title)
      Hughie Fury def. Mariusz Wach UD10 (10 rounds – heavyweight)
      Martin Bakole def. Sergey Kuzmin UD10 (10 rounds – heavyweight)
      Kieron Conway def. Macauley McGowan UD10 (10 rounds – super-welterweight)
      Florian Marku DREW w/ Jamie Stewart (8 rounds – welterweight)
      Qais Ashfaq def. Ashley Lane TKO4 (8 rounds – featherweight)

      Joshua KO’d Pulev in nine rounds at Wembley ArenaCredit: AP:Associated Press
      December 12 – Uncasville, Connecticut (Premier Sports)
      Chris Colbert (C) def. Jaime Arboleda KO11 (12 rounds – super-featherweight, WBA interim title)
      Ronald Ellis def. Mat Korobov RTD5 (10 rounds – middleweight)
      Richardson Hitchins def. Argenis Mendez SD10 (10 rounds – super-lightweight)
      December 12 – Las Vegas, Nevada (Fite TV)
      Shakur Stevenson def. Toka Kahn Clary UD10 (10 rounds – super-featherweight)
      Masayoshi Nakatani def. Felix Verdejo KO9 (10 rounds – lightweight)
      Edgar Berlanga def.. Ulises Sierra KO1 (8 rounds – super middleweight)
      December 16 – Sydney, Australia
      Tim Tszyu vs Bowyn Morgan (10 rounds – super-welterweight)
      Paul Gallen vs Mark Hunt (6 rounds – heavyweight)
      December 18 – Redditch, England
      Shakan Pitters (C) vs Craig Richards (12 rounds – light-heavyweight, British title)
      River Bent vs. Troy Coleman (8 rounds – middleweight)
      Sammy Cantwell vs. TBA (8 rounds – super-flyweight)
      Stephen McKenna vs. TBA (6 rounds – super-lightweight)
      Michael Hennessy Jr. vs. TBA (6 rounds – super-welterweight)
      Idris Virgo vs. TBA (4 rounds – middleweight)
      Brett McGinty vs. TBA (4 rounds – middleweight)
      December 18 – Hollywood, Florida (DAZN UK)
      Gennadiy Golovkin (C) vs Kamil Szeremeta (12 rounds – middleweight IBF, IBO world titles)
      December 19 – San Antonio, Texas (DAZN UK)
      Canelo Alvarez vs Callum Smith (C) (12 rounds – super-middleweight, WBA & Ring Magazine world titles)

      Canelo Alvarez hasn’t been in the ring since a KO win over Sergey Kovalev last yearCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      December 19 – Uncasville, Connecticut (Premier Sports)
      Nonito Donaire vs. Emmanuel Rodriguez (12 rounds – bantamweight, vacant WBC title)
      Jaron Ennis vs. Thomas Dulorme (10 rounds – welterweight)

      Nonito Donaire will look to win the WBC bantamweight world title on December 19Credit: PA:Press Association

      December 19 – Torrelavega, Spain
      Sergio Martinez vs Jussi Koivula (10 rounds – middleweight)
      Sergio Garcia (C) vs Andranik Hakobyan (12 rounds – super-welterweight, European title)
      Angel Moreno vs Mohammed Obbadi (12 rounds – flyweight, vacant European title)
      Kiko Martinez vs Pedro Gomes (8 rounds – featherweight)
      Jon Fernandez vs Abdessamad Nechchad (8 rounds – lightweight)
      Bernard Angelo Torres vs Costin Ion (8 rounds – featherweight)
      Kent Erik Baadstad vs David Trallero (4 rounds – heavyweight)
      December 26 – Los Angeles, California
      Julian “J Rock” Williams vs TBA (12 rounds, super-welterweight)
      James Kirkland vs Mark Anthony Hernande (10 rounds, middleweight)
      Darmani Rock vs TBA (10 rounds, heavyweight)
      Omar Juarez vs TBA (6 or 8 rounds, super-lightwight)
      Chavez Barrientes vs TBA (6 rounds, featherweight)
      Angel Barrientes vs TBA (6 rounds, super-bantamweight)
      December 31 – Tokyo, Japan
      Kazuto Ioka (C) vs Kosei Tanaka (12 rounds, super-flyweight, WBO world title)
      January 2 – Venue: TBC
      Ryan Garcia vs Luke Campbell (12 rounds – lightweight) More

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      Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury undisputed plans hit as WBO insist AJ fights Oleksandr Usyk in mandatory defence

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      EDDIE HEARN has revealed that Anthony Joshua may have to vacate the WBO belt in order to fight British compatriot Tyson Fury.
      AJ has repeatedly spoken of his desire to become the first undisputed heavyweight world champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999.

      Anthony Joshua beat Kubrat Pulev on Saturday night after knocking the Bulgarian out in the ninth roundCredit: ©Mark Robinson Ltd

      WBC champion Tyson Fury is keen to pit his wits against AJ in 2021Credit: PA:Press Association

      The 31-year-old – who ended a year out of the ring by knocking out Kubrat Pulev on Saturday night – holds the WBA, WBO and IBF belt, while Fury is the proud WBC champ.
      Both Hearn and the Gypsy King’s US-based promoter Bob Arum confirmed after the bout that talks will take place to pit AJ against Fury in 2021.
      But in a huge blow for Joshua, talkSPORT have claimed that the WBO may not sanction the undisputed fight.
      They state that the WBO have already given the 2012 Olympic gold medallist two voluntary defences – his rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr and for his KO win over Pulev.

      And they adamant that Oleksandr Usyk will be fighting for the strap next following his points victory over Derek Chisora on Halloween.
      Joshua is willing to fight Usyk, but it is understood that a bout against Fury is the No1 priority.
      In an interview with Behind The Gloves, Hearn has acknowledged that Joshua may have to relinquish his WBO belt.
      He said: “I just saw a tweet from (WBO president) Paco Valcarcel saying we know our commitments, and yes our mandatory is Oleksandr Usyk.

      Oleksandr Usyk is Anthony Joshua’s WBO mandatory challengerCredit: ©Mark Robinson Ltd

      “But if the WBO don’t want to be part of the undisputed fight, the biggest fight in boxing, the biggest fight of all time, there’s nothing we can do about it.
      “If they won’t, then we’ll speak to Oleksandr Usyk and try to agree something. If we can’t, we’ll vacate the belt.
      “If we have any chance of this sport surviving or growing then the governing bodies have to wake up.
      “With all due respect, there’s only one fight people want to see, and that’s AJ vs Fury.
      “Do you think any fan out there would not want it if we dropped the belt?
      “He wants to be undisputed, but it’s no problem to lose one. We’ll vacate them all if it becomes a problem.”

      Anthony Joshua Reacts To Epic KO and says Tyson Fury Is next More

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      Mike Tyson gave Tim Witherspoon and his daughter £2k from a bag full of money and financially ‘looked after ex-pros’

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      MIKE TYSON gave Tim Witherspoon and his daughter £2,000 from a bag full of cash in a secret act of generosity.
      The two heavyweight legends were in Liverpool doing a tour in 2010, speaking at dinner events.

      Tim Witherspoon revealed Mike Tyson gave him and his daughter £2,000 from a bag full of cashCredit: AP:Associated Press

      Tyson pictured after his boxing comebackCredit: AP:Associated Press

      Witherspoon, who has a British daughter named Shanayiah with an English woman, met Tyson in his hotel room.
      And when a bundle of cash was laid out on the bed, he was preparing to make an exit – before Iron Mike stopped him in his tracks.
      In an exclusive interview with SunSport, Witherspoon, 62, revealed: “My daughter from Tottenham and I were in our hotel room.
      “And Mike’s room wasn’t ready yet, so he came to our room.

      “Mike and several people came in and opened up a bag on our bed full of money and threw the money on the bed.
      “And I said to my daughter, ‘Come on, Shanayiah, let’s get out of here because they’re counting the money’.
      “There was a lot of money. Mike said, ‘Sit down! Where are you going?’ I said, ‘Well, we…’ He said, ‘No. Sit down, man’. 

      “He counted all the money and he gave me two grand. He was talking to me and my daughter.

      “I thought that was really good of him.”
      Witherspoon retired in 2003 as a two-time heavyweight champion.
      But afterwards, the American, who beat Brit hero Frank Bruno in 1986, struggled to find work.
      That was until Tyson, now 54, demanded Witherspoon be a special guest speaker alongside him.

      Former two-time champion Witherspoon pictured in 2014 Credit: Getty – Contributor

      Tyson demanded Witherspoon join him as a special guest speaker Credit: USA TODAY Sports
      Witherspoon said: “Even before in the old days, Mike was real generous.
      “The promoter wouldn’t put me on the dinner show and Mike told him to put me on.
      “Tyson got him to put me on the show.
      “I’m a former heavyweight champion of the world I knocked out Frank Bruno, but they didn’t want me to be on the shows.
      “Mike got me on and I also got paid. I think that was a good thing to do.
      “Mike knows we as boxers have to stick together. He enforced it and made them put me on their shows.
      “Because he thought it was wrong of them to turn their back on me.”

      Mike Tyson snubs Anthony Joshua as he names top five favourite current boxers featuring Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder More

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      Muhammad Ali was stood up by Elvis Presley as he arrived ‘high or drunk’ at 4am to watch sparring ahead of fight

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      MUHAMMAD ALI was once stood up by Elvis Presley who turned up “drunk or high” at 4am to watch the boxing legend in a sparring session.
      George Dillman, who trained with both the People’s Champion and Bruce Lee, revealed the two icons then went antique shopping after the King of Rock and Roll sobered up.

      Muhammad Ali: The Life of a Legend features amazing stories about the legendary fighter

      Elvis Presley once turned up 12 hours late to watch the heavyweight king sparCredit: Getty – Contributor

      Presley and Ali were famously close friends in the final years leading up to the former’s death in 1977.
      Elvis memorably gifted the heavyweight king with a custom-designed robe that mistakenly read “People’s Choice” ahead of his win over Joe Bugner.
      But Dillman recalled another time the legendary singer made another hilarious gaffe after he turned up needing a little less conversation during plans to watch Ali spar.
      Speaking to Fiaz Rafiq for his book, Muhammad Ali: The Life of a Legend, the American revealed Elvis arrived 12 HOURS late to a training session after a particularly wild night.

      He said: “Muhammad came over to me, and he said, ‘You can’t tell everybody. Tomorrow be here at 4 o’clock.’

      He showed up at 4 a.m. Ali woke up the cook and had the cook make some breakfast and coffee. Elvis, from what they told me, was a little high or drunk.
      George Dillman

      “He usually boxed at 2 o’clock – this is when he did his sparring. He says to me, ‘Tomorrow I’m going to train at 4 o’clock. Don’t come at 2 o’clock, come at 4 o’clock. You can’t tell your students, you can’t put it in the newspaper.’
      “‘Nobody’s to know that Elvis Presley is coming to watch me spar.’ I said, ‘Serious?’ He said, ‘Yes. Elvis Presley is coming here and we’re going to train, you and me. And I want Elvis to see what we do.’
      “Four o’clock came and we kept waiting and waiting. No Elvis. I’m going to make a long story short. Muhammad Ali, at about 6 o’clock, said ‘I’ve got to get my boxing in’.

      “So they started the boxing and he sparred with the sparring partners. Then after that we had dinner over in the kitchen and we sat around waiting for Elvis.
      “I think somebody called to say he was coming late, he’s coming late, he’s coming late! No Elvis, no Elvis, no Elvis! It got late at night, it was 9pm or 10pm at night. I said, ‘I’m heading home. I doubt he’s going to show.’ More