Boxing

ANDY RUIZ JR ‘made new friends’ and ‘lost control’ after shocking the world against Anthony Joshua.
But after the success got to his head and he was convincingly beaten in the rematch, the Mexican-American knew he ‘f***ed up’.

Andy Ruiz Jr admitted to enjoying the high life

Anthony Joshua beat Ruiz in their rematch Credit: Reuters

Veteran trainer Manny Robles – who was in the corner for both fights – blames Ruiz’s change in lifestyle for the loss.
And that ultimately led to a lack of motivation when he came to defending all that he had just earned.
Robles told MyBettingSites: “Andy admitted after the fight he f***ed up.
“He said he didn’t train properly and takes the blame – as he should.

“After that I don’t know what happened, he’s acting like he won the damn fight.
“I did the best I could under the circumstances, I showed up everyday.
“I decided to take the camp to Mexico to get him away from his new friends.
“I never saw these guys before he won the title, I never saw them, never knew who they were.”

Manny Robles, left, blames Ruiz’s change in lifestyle for the lossCredit: Reuters

Ruiz came in as a late replacement for Jarrell Miller, who ruled himself out of a shot at Joshua’s titles after three failed drug tests.
And AJ was then stunned as he was beaten in seven rounds, capping off a remarkable upset.
But as Joshua, 31, dedicated himself in training, Ruiz, also 31, enjoyed the high life of partying which would cost him the unified belts.
AJ reclaimed his throne with a points win, leaving Ruiz with a re-building job on his hand.
He started off by firing Robles and replacing him with Canelo Alvarez’s head coach Eddy Reynoso.
Ruiz is yet to return to the ring since his humbling defeat in Saudi Arabia.

Ruiz will now be trained by Canelo Alvarez’s head coach Eddy ReynosoCredit: @caneloteam

Watch Andy Ruiz Jr show off lightning-quick hands in training with new coach for comeback after Anthony Joshua loss More

JAKE PAUL has been labelled ‘ignorant’ and ‘embarrassing’ after claiming the coronavirus pandemic is a ‘hoax’ despite the huge worldwide death toll.
The Youtube superstar, 23, embarked on his boxing career with a victory over fellow social media celeb AnEsonGib in January.

Jake Paul has been slammed after claiming coronavirus is a ‘hoax’Credit: Getty

Now he is just days away from his second bout against Nate Robinson – and it is set to be on one of the biggest sporting nights for years.
The two men will clash on the undercard of the epic Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr event.
However, he recently sparked public outrage ahead of that clash during an interview with the Daily Beast regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, slamming it as a ‘hoax’.
And his fellow YouTuber Tyler Oakley was one of the first to call him out.

He tweeted: “This entire @thedailybeast interview… wow. what a mess. @jakepaul remains aggressively ignorant, & so embarrassing.”
In the interview, Paul claimed: “It’s time for us to open up. Obviously it’s a controversial subject, but it’s time for our nation to open up and go back to normal.
“There are people losing jobs, there are small businesses who are going bankrupt, there are millions of people who are unemployed right now, people are turning to alcohol and drugs to cope with everything that’s going on.
“This is the most detrimental thing to our society. Covid cases are at less than 1 percent, and I think the disease is a hoax.”

Meanwhile, Paul says his beautiful girlfriend Julia Rose ‘f***ing hates’ him due to his SEX BAN prior to his fight with Robinson.
Speaking to TMZ, Paul said: “I haven’t had sex in a while, which is difficult to do since I have a girlfriend and she’s hot as f***.
“She’s p***ed, man, she hates me. She just looks at me like, ‘I f***ing hate you, bro. Why can’t we do this right now?!’”

Jake Paul stunning girlfriend Julia Rose has fun in sexy beach photo shoot More

BLAKE McKERNAN is the ex-army machine gunner and Iraq veteran turned undefeated cruiserweight boxer.
And he faces the toughest test in his 13-fight career on Saturday, facing former two-weight champion Badou Jack.

Blake McKernan is the undefeated cruiserweight facing Badou Jack

McKernan is the ex-army machine gunner and Iraq veteran

McKernan had spent three-and-a-half years as a machine gunner in the infantry

McKernan does so on Mike Tyson’s undercard – the man who he named his son after and first inspired him to box.
The 33-year-old’s boxing journey began after his left the army in 2010 and started training as an amateur while attending Sacramento City College.
McKernan had spent three-and-a-half years as a machine gunner in the infantry, which included a one year stint in Iraq.
He revealed his upbringing and career in the military helped carve him into the boxer he is today.

McKernan told The Sacramento Bee: “To be a great fighter you have a lot of built up aggression or pain.
“That’s always been something that’s allowed me to excel in this industry.
“I have a lot built up from being a kid, teenager and adult, even from the military, that allowed me to push myself to a different level inside the ring.”
McKernan made the move into the paid ranks after six years in the amateurs, and while working for a mortgage company.

McKernan left the army in 2010 and started training as an amateur

The cruiserweight in 13-0 in his unbeaten career

He won his debut by knockout and has recorded five more over four years.
But he has been largely untested throughout his run on the domestic Stateside scene.
That will all change when he shares the ring with Jack, who held titles as super-middle and light-heavyweight and is signed to Floyd Mayweather.
But he claimed: “Badou Jack has never faced or even shared the ring with a man of the calibre of himself.”
The Swedish veteran found humour from McKernan’s comment and blasted that he was not worthy of a spot on Tyson’s undercard.
Jack, 37, said: “This guy’s a club-level fighter. We gave this guy an opportunity, he doesn’t deserve to be on this stage.
“He should show a little respect.”

McKernan has been largely untested throughout his run on the domestic Stateside scene

Jack was beaten by Jean Pascal on points last year
McKernan – who refused to be intimidated by Jack – understands he is the underdog but warned he will not feel pressures of the big occasion.
He explained: “It’s not that I can win, I know I’m gonna win.
“I don’t want to say that sounding arrogant, but certain people either fold under pressure, or toe the line and rise to the occasion.”
And while it will prove to be McKernan’s biggest night to date, for Jack it is just another day in the office.
He plans to use the fight as a way of preparing for a rematch against Jean Pascal next year, and donating proceedings to his ‘Badou Jack Foundation’.
Jack told SunSport: “This is a guy that talks a lot.

McKernan has won six of his 13 fights by knockout

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“I’m in great shape, I got a new trainer, Jonathan Banks, and we’re working on a lot of adjustments, throwing more punches etc.
“I’m going in there to hurt this guy.
“I’d rather fight Pascal straight away, but he don’t want it, and this is a big event, especially for my charity.”
Despite the brash persona McKernan appeared keen to show off, his trainer insisted he is a ‘people person’ who is just enjoying the big occasion.
Marcus Reaves said: “I think he can go all the way. There’s just a lot more building that we have to do.”
“I think some people think he’s cocky, but Blake is cool, down-to-earth.
“He’s a people person. He likes to be in a spotlight.”

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KO artist Joe Joyce is a heavyweight banger with the refined touch of a renaissance man. 
While excelling as an excellent amateur athlete, 6ft 6in Putney giant Joyce studied for a 2:1 in fine arts, graduating from Middlesex Uni in 2009 with a portfolio to be proud of.

Joe Joyce is a heavyweight banger with the refined touch of a renaissance manCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

An Achilles’ tendon injury wrecked Joyce’s plans of becoming an Olympic gold winning triple jumperCredit: Reuters

When an Achilles’ tendon injury wrecked Joyce’s plans of becoming an Olympic gold winning triple jumper, he picked up a pair of boxing gloves at the late age of 22.
The gentle giant was soon Anthony Joshua’s chief sparring partner at the Team GB base in Sheffield, sharpening AJ’s steel perfectly for his successful run at the London 2012 games.
With four more years under his headguard, Joyce followed in Joshua’s footsteps by racing to Rio with high expectations.
And he didn’t disappoint with a stoppage and two unanimous decisions taking him to the Brazilian final where he met Frenchman Tony Yoka.

For almost everyone inside the Riocentre, Joyce was the runaway winner, who would follow up a gold medal with the same sort of mega-money pro contract Audley Harrison and AJ were handed after their amateur pinnacles.
But deeply questionable judging handed Yoka a split decision win and Joyce – too polite and genuine a character to build a pro career on trash talk – was forced to build up from the bottom.
Even in almost-scandalous defeat, he was too articulate to abuse the system, saying: “It was the last bout of the night, the last medal of the Olympic Games 2016, and I thought that gold was mine. 
“I was landing shots on him all that last round, maybe two eye-catching shots.

“All throughout the bout, I was peppering him with shots, going through his guard. It was just the odd shot that he nicked it.”
Joyce started his pro career off at the end of 2017 and has enjoyed spells under esteemed trainers Ismael Salas, California-based Abel Sanchez and Adam Booth.
Now aged 35, he is 11-0 with ten KOs inside the distance and stands on the cusp of a breakout win that will launch him into world title contention.
During lockdown his life has been typically diverse, summer days were spent rollerblading around some of West London’s best parks.
At the home he shares with his inspirational mum, he enjoys playing on his virtual reality gaming console, the Oculus Quest headset, with boxing games like Creed and Thrill of the Fight.

Anthony Joshua alongside Joyce at the 2016 Olympics Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury has also sparred Joyce Credit: Refer to Caption

Joyce with his pint-sized coach Ismael SalasCredit: BT Sport
If Joyce enjoys a thrilling fight on Saturday, you can expect him to show off another of his artistic passions with some capoeira.
The Brit banger has studied the Brazil-based blend of martial arts and dance for years and demonstrated incredible skills for a man of his size in the ring.
Mum Marvel, who is 93 per cent blind, has played a huge role in her son’s career by inspiring him with sponsored walks up Mount Kilimanjaro to help fund eyesight-related charities.
When Dubois made a surprising and clumsy comment about Marvel, Joyce showed a rare glimpse of the aggression he will need at the Church Rooms in Westminster this weekend. 
A defeat at this age, against a wonderkid 12 years his junior, would set Joyce back almost irreparably.
But a win would sling him into the mix with the likes of Joshua and Tyson Fury.
If the heavyweight boxing landscape has become a bit predictable, then there is nobody better skilled or educated than Joe ‘The Juggernaut’ Joyce to paint a whole new picture.

Joyce ahead of his heavyweight headliner against Daniel DuboisCredit: Richard Pelham – The Sun

Daniel Dubois vs Joe Joyce promo More

JAKE PAUL said Floyd Mayweather is ‘the little kid here’ who ‘just wants attention’ – as the YouTuber wants to fight Conor McGregor.
The internet star’s brother Logan publicly called out Mayweather and claimed one of his punches on the 5ft 8in American would ‘snap the f***er in half’.

Jake Paul wants to fight UFC star Conor McGregor Credit: Getty Images – Getty

Floyd Mayweather and McGregor weighing in before their fight Credit: Reuters

It caught the attention of the 43-year-old, who tweeted: “These YouTube girls better find some Barbie dolls to play with because I’m not the one for the kid games.”
Jake, who fights on Mike Tyson’s undercard, did not take offence to the remark, and blasted Mayweather for wanting ‘relevancy’.
He told Daily Beast: “You know, it doesn’t bother me.
“At the end of the day, he’s like 5-foot-4, so he’s actually the little kid here, and obviously he just wants attention.

“He’s fiftysomething years old. He should be in retirement.
“So he just wants to get relevancy by talking about the YouTube kids, because we’re the ones popping off right now.”
Mayweather has not fought professionally since 2017, when he beat McGregor in ten rounds.
But he announced he would be returning to Tokyo next year – where he made £7million for a one round exhibition in 2018.

How Floyd Mayweather and Logan Paul compare ahead of their fight

And beforehand, he is even open for a complete mismatch against Logan, who lost his debut by split-decision against KSI last year.
Jake, 23, meanwhile, who faces ex-NBA player Nate Robinson, 36, on Saturday, wants to fight former UFC champion McGregor, 32.
He said: “I’m a real pro boxer, and people have to take me seriously.
“My goal is to fight Conor McGregor and some of the UFC’s biggest fighters in the boxing ring.
“I’m going out there to prove that I’m good enough to make those fights happen, and I’m good enough to beat those guys.
“That’s where my career and this boxing stuff is going to go for the next three years.”

Paul fights on Mike Tyson’s undercard Credit: Getty Images – Getty More