Boxing

TYSON FURY has chosen to fight unbeaten German Agit Kabayel on his UK homecoming, promoter Frank Warren revealed.
Fury decided to walk away from a trilogy bout with Deontay Wilder after the rematch clause expired last month.

Tyson Fury has chosen to fight Agit Kabayel on his UK homecomingCredit: Getty Images – Getty

German heavyweight Kabayel is unbeaten in 20 fightsCredit: ERIC GAILLARD

He will return to the ring on December 5 for a tune-up before focusing his efforts on an undisputed title decider against Anthony Joshua next year.
Warren confirmed the news and revealed a contract is being sent to Kabayel – a former sparring partner of Joshua’s – who has a day to sign it.
He told talkSPORT: “Tyson’s fighting on December 5.
“We’re giving the guy we want to fight, which is Kabayel, we’re giving him 24 hours now to sign the contract or we’re going to move on.

“He’s undefeated and has a win on his record over Derek Chisora. He [was] the European champion and he’s ranked by the WBC.
“That’s who’s sitting at the moment on a contract and we’re waiting.
“He’s got about 24 hours now to make his mind up to sign it and send it back or we’ll move on. He’s the fight, subject to the contract being signed.”
Fury, 32, dethroned Wilder, 35, of the heavyweight crown in February and the pair were already signed to a third fight.

Kabayel pictured with Anthony Joshua after sparring

But as the coronavirus pandemic delayed the return of fans, it continued to push back the bout.
In the end, Wilder’s rematch stipulation expired, allowing Fury to move on.
The Gypsy King had considered facing Oscar Rivas, 33, and Carlos Takam, 39, but both were teamed too small to replicate 6ft 6in AJ.
Instead Kabayel, unbeaten in 20 fights, was selected as the opponent.
Joshua sparred the 6ft 3in 28-year-old in 2018 before knocking out Alexander Povetkin and then prior to defeat against Andy Ruiz Jr in June 2019.
Kabayel is the WBA’s No8 ranked challenger, 15th in the WBC and ninth in the IBF.
Joshua, 31, faces mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev, 39, a week after Fury’s first fight on home soil in two years.
If both champions prevail, it sets up the first ever heavyweight world title fight with all four belts on the line.

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MIKE TYSON revealed he is at his lowest weight since he was 18 – as Roy Jones Jr hailed the pair of fighters as ‘freaks’.
The American boxing legends will both come out of retirement on November 28, for an eight-round exhibition bout.

Mike Tyson revealed he is at his lowest weight since he was 18Credit: Instagram @cannon_briggs

Tyson pictured in 1995 before fighting Peter McNeeley in Las VegasCredit: Reuters

It comes 15 years after Tyson quit the sport following two dismal defeats.
But the 54-year-old is adamant he has rolled back the clock, and weighs the same as when he made his debut at 15st 2lbs.
Tyson said: “The last time I was this weight was 17 or 18 years old
“I’m really happy with everything I’ve been doing, it’s down to confidence and self affirmation.

“It’s amazing, I’m just ready to do this. I can’t explain it in words.
“I’m going to go as long as this is working. My legend is going to be that I gave a lot more than I took.”
Tyson tipped the scales at 16.6st in his last five, in 2005 against Kevin McBride.
But he has dramatically transformed his body since picking up the gloves to train again, later releasing viral videos on the pads.

Jones, 51, – who only retired in 2018 – was left stunned by Tyson’s speed and power from the clips he has watched.
He said: “I think he looked awesome. He looked very good. I was really proud to see him bounce back the way he did.
“Most guys, at 54, they start counting themselves out. When I came in at 32 years old, you are considered an old guy.
“You couldn’t box anymore. Now to see Mike hit the body bag like that, the way he is doing it. It’s phenomenal. It’s crazy. We are freaks.”

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JAIME MUNGUIA split Tureano Johnson’s lip in half following a brutal uppercut before being declared the winner.
The former super-welterweight champion faced Johnson in his second fight at middleweight.

Tureano Johnson’s lip was split in half following a brutal uppercut

Jaime Munguia was declared the winner following the brutal uppercut

And the 24-year-old proved he carried the power up a division after landing a perfectly timed uppercut in round six.
As Johnson was pushing the Munguia back to the ropes, he walked onto a right uppercut that came right up the middle.
He took the shot and continued to walk forward until the referee spotted the gash and stopped the fight.
The ringside doctor then took a look at Johnson’s lip, now sliced in two, and deemed the Bahamian, 36, unable to continue.

As it was a punch that caused the cut, not an accidental headbutt, Munguia was awarded a technical knockout win.
Replays afterwards revealed Johnson’s lip split open and gushing with blood.
After moving to 36–0, Munguia called to fight WBC champion Jermall Charlo or WBO titleist Demetrius Andrade.

He said: “I see myself as one of the best at 160 pounds. So, yes, I would take a challenge against any of them.

“Charlo, it would be a more exciting fight with a bigger sow. It would lead to a more complicated fight with Andrade, but I would fight either of them.
“I was very anxious for this fight, and I really learned a lot from this fight.
“But with this, I’m ready for a title shot at 160 pounds.”

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GERVONTA DAVIS’ and Teofimo Lopez’s recent breakthrough wins shook up boxing’s mythical pound-for-pound rankings.
Vasilily Lomachenko came up against a younger and bigger man in a weight class about three divisions above his natural home as Lopez stunned the Ukrainian.

SunSport’s pound for pound top ten

It shot the masterful southpaw down the pecking order, with Davis’ stunning knockout against Leo Santa Cruz also moving him into the top ten.
Suddenly everybody’s P4P list – where skills and attributes are measured with weights out the window – had to be rewritten.
Giant heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury will never fight little Loma or Japan’s own pocket rocket Naoya Inoue so how do we know who is the better and more complete fighter?
We don’t. And we never will. But it’s painfully fun to try and work it out.

1. Terence Crawford – WBO welterweight champion – 36-0
A three-weight world champion with the brains to box in either southpaw or orthodox stance and the power to win 27 of his 36 fights early.
Lightweight, super-light (undisputed) and welter have all been conquered and a super-fight with Errol Spence Jr should have happened by now but was delayed by boxing politics and Spence’s October 2019 car smash.
Feared champions like Ricky Burns, Ray Beltran, Victor Postol, Julius Indongo and Amir Khan have all fallen at Bud’s sword and poor Brit Kell Brook is next up.
Crawford is 5ft 8in and naturally slim and could lose some of his best attributes going up any bigger, so the hardest thing for the softly spoken Nebraska ace is finding worthwhile opponents for him to face.

He is lined up against Britain’s former welterweight world champion Kell Brook in his next fight as the pair headline in New York this month.

2. Canelo Alvarez – middle and super-middleweight champion – 53-1-2

Alvaraez defeated Sergey Kovalev last NovemberCredit: Getty – Contributor
Quite rightly the Mexican legend is the clear leader at the top of many boxing fans’ lists but the controversial draw in the first Gennadiy Golovkin fight – and the failed drugs test before the second – have muddied the water for others.
It is spectacular that the flame-haired boy who started his career at the super-lightweight limit of 10st won the WBO light-heavyweight title from Russian powerhouse Sergey Kovalev, with a brutal body shot stoppage up at 12st 7lbs, last time out.
The 30-year-old has been accused of cherry-picking vulnerable opponents like Rocky Fielding and aging icons like Shane Mosley.
But the vanquished names on his CV – like Khan, Miguel Cotto, Golovkin, Danny Jacobs and Kovalev – should stand the test of time.
And the fact Floyd Mayweather outpointed him so handily in 2013 should just remind the world how good ‘Money’ was.
Canelo still has the two belts at middleweight as well as the WBA’s ‘Regular’ super-middleweight strap, but the vacated his light-heavy crown.
3. Tyson Fury – WBC heavyweight champion – 30-0-1

Deontay Wilder was dominated by British WBC heavyweight champ Tyson Fury in FebruaryCredit: Reuters
There are marks against Fury’s name also. Mainly the horrendous decision win over John McDermott when his professional career was just taking off and a lengthy doping ban that coincided with a hiatus due to mental health problems. 
But three of Fury’s performances either side of that 1000 day absence deliver him a top spot in this list.
The dismantling of 10-year champion Wladimir Klitschko in 2015, on his adopted home German soil was immaculate. It might have been less entertaining than Anthony Joshua’s win over the old master, but it was also three years earlier and much more one-sided.
Then came the two performances against Deontay Wilder, the original draw came after two lapses in concentration with clear signs of the 28st he ballooned up to still loitering around his waist.
And the second was a marvellous ‘up yours’ to those of us who doubted he had the power to out-bang the planet’s biggest puncher.
If The AJ fight can be made and Fury can dominate the unified boss, he will confirm his status as the finest heavyweight of his era and perhaps a few others also.
And his earlier mistakes will continue to fade with time and be overshadowed with unquestionable wins.
4. Naoya Inoue – WBA and IBF bantamweight champion – 20-0

Inoue has won 16 of his fights inside the distanceCredit: AFP or licensors
As mysterious as he is monstrous. Japan’s brutal finisher has battered his way through three divisions already and left his opposition in a heap.
A light-flyweight king inside six pro fights, super-fly boss by outing eight and now the unstoppable force at 8st 6lbs.
A terrifying 16 of Inoue’s wins have come inside the distance and four of his last five bouts didn’t reach the fourth.
Filipino veteran Nonito Donaire did take the 27-year-old the distance last time out in a November classic, showing younger future rivals how The Monster might be beaten.
But the 5ft 5in mystery man with the granite hands looks like carrying on his rampage unimpeded for now.
He moved to 20-0 after knocking out Jason Moloney on his US debut.
5. Vasiliy Lomachenko – 14-2

Lomachenko was on a 13 fight winning streak when he beat Luke Campbell last yearCredit: Getty Images – Getty
As an amateur, Loma racked up a 396-1 record – and avenged that solo defeat twice, for good measure.
So his new 14-2 pro score makes it seem like he was a hype job in a vest, who couldn’t handle the leap up from the unpaid ranks.
But the 32-year-old genius lost a world title shot in just his second pro fight and then raced to become a three-weight champion inside 12 bouts and the world eating out of his small but rapid hands.
A natural 9st fighter, it looked like he was fighting a 11st behemoth when he lost to 23-year-old Lopez and the brilliant young American is already looking to move up.
A drop in divisions will help Loma regain his rhythm and a fantasy fight with Top Rank promotional stablemate Inoue would rocket either minute master up higher.
6. Oleksandr Usyk – 18-0

Usyk finally faces Dereck Chisora on Saturday nightCredit: Getty – Contributor
The finest heavyweight at the 2012 London Olympics (Anthony Joshua won gold at super-heavy) and the undisputed cruiserweight king by July 2018.
The Ukraine southpaw now wants to join Evander Holyfield’s exclusive one-man club by becoming the undisputed king in the top tier too.
At just 6ft 3in, without Tyson Fury’s size or Deontay Wilder’s one-punch KO power, it will not be easy and his heavyweight debut against Chazz Witherspoon left him with too many bumps, bruises and unanswered questions.
But, like gym-mate Loma, if the ball-juggling, horse-riding mastermind can topple the bigger boys in the playground, he will rise through the P4P listings.
He made good progress by beating veteran Dereck Chisora on points, and maintained his WBO mandatory status for Joshua’s belt.
7. Teofimo Lopez – Undisputed lightweight champion – 16-0

Lopez claimed the WBO and WBA lightweight belts on Saturday to become undisputed lightweight kingCredit: Handout – Getty
The Brooklyn sensation doesn’t snatch Loma’s old No1 spot just for that one dominant points win, but he rockets into the list and looks on course to further his case.
The scintillating second-round KO of Richard Commey that earned him his IBF crown was either a fluke or a warm-up, to the Loma toppling, and it proved to be the latter in spades.
A rematch looks unnecessary and the champ has discussed trying his luck up at super-light.
With Top Rank stablemates Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez soon to clash for all four 10st belts, 23-year-old Lopez could reach immortality in record time.
8. Josh Taylor – WBA and IBF super-lightweight champion – 17-0

Scot Josh Taylor retained his belts with a first round victory over Apinun Khongsong last monthCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
In just 16 fights, the Tartan Tornado became the fighting pride of Scotland.
Six of Taylor’s last eight opponents were supposed to have been serious tests for the fearless 29-year-old.
But only last year’s 12-round fight-of-the-year contender with Regis Prograis seemed to take him out of third gear.
Ohara Davies was made to quit, ex-world champ Miguel Vazquez was stopped for the first time in his illustrious career, America sent red-hot prospect Ryan Martin over to halt the runaway freight train, he was sent packing in seven and Ivan Baranchynk lost a unanimous decision after being dropped twice.
Taylor’s form makes him the heavy favourite to beat WBC and WBO champ Jose Ramirez as soon as that undisputed decider can be made.
And then the Ben Davison-trained southpaw looks more than capable of packing on some more muscle and attacking the welters above him.
9. Manny Pacquiao – WBA welterweight champion – 62-7-1

Manny Pacquiao could face Conor McGregor next yearCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Even at 41 – with more defeats than some his P4P contenders have had competitive fights –  Pac Man deserves his place on the list.
An eight-weight legend who started off stuffing rocks into his pockets just to fight at 7st 10lbs way back in 1995, is still beating elite welterweight opponents 25 years later.
When he was still dreaming of decent meals instead of medals and belts, the Filipino lost his 12th fight.
But he now has the scalps of Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Adrien Broner and, as recently as July 2019, welterweight KO artist Keith Thurman.
But, if the southpaw hero takes up a bout with Conor McGregor next,  a money-spinning right he has more than earned, he slides right off this list and frees up a space for a serious star still making meaningful fights.
10. Gervonta Davis – WBA super-featherweight champion – 24-0

Gervonta Davis joins the P4P list after knocking out Leo Santa Cruz Credit: Esther Lin/SHOWTIME
Tank Davis had threatened to burst onto the P4P discussions had it not been for weight and disciplinary problems.
He first won the super-featherweight title in 2017, aged just 22, but lost it six months later after missing weight.
In 2018 he became a two-time champion and this year stepped up to lightweight to win the WBA ‘Regular’ title against Yuriorkis Gamboa after again initially missing weight.
For his PPV debut against Santa Cruz, he promised to be more professional and delivered as he successfully stepped back down to super-feather.
His performance in the ring was even better as he closed the show with a devastating left uppercut.
Reigning now in two divisions, with the right management the Floyd Mayweater-promoted protege could become the standout.
He has the power and punch selection to trouble anyone and the size to move up as Mayweather also talked up a super-fight with Lopez.

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GERVONTA DAVIS hugged Floyd Mayweather ringside after knocking out Leo Santa Cruz in an emotional moment between the pair.
Davis closed the show in emphatic style in front of the boxing legend, as a left uppercut in round six left Santa Cruz out for the count.

Gervonta Davis knocked out Leo Santa Cruz with a stunning uppercutCredit: Sean Michael Ham

Afterwards, he rushed to his promoter as Mayweather gripped the 25-year-old and appeared to whisper words of wisdom.
Davis even paid homage to his mentor as he replicated the famous Mexican ring attire that Mayweather wore against Oscar De La Hoya in 2007.
And the Baltimore banger – known as ‘Tank’ – did not disappoint in his first US pay-per-view headliner, stealing the show with the devastating left hand.
Four-weight champion Santa Cruz, 32, later tweeted to congratulate Davis and revealed he recovered well.

Tank won the WBA super-featherweight title as well as retaining his ‘Regular’ lightweight belt.
With Teofimo Lopez, 23, Ryan Garcia, 22, Devin Haney, 21, and Vasiliy Lomachenko, 32, surrounding Davis, the American has plenty of box office rivals.
But Mayweather, 43, insisted his protege is top of the pile.

Floyd Mayweather pictured with his protege Davis Credit: Esther Lin

Davis walked away with WBA super-featherweight and lightweight belts Credit: Sean Michael Ham

He said: “We really want to enjoy this victory. Soon, a fight is over, the first ten seconds ‘Who do you wanna fight? Who do you wanna fight?’

“Tank is the top dog. Tank is on pay-per-view for a reason. Tank is where he is at for a reason.
“So we don’t wanna come up here and call different names, we wanna fight him, we wanna fight him, we don’t want to do that.
“What we wanna do is let him go home, enjoy himself, his daughter, his family, his team, and then we will talk about that, 20-30 days from now, but he should be able to enjoy his victory.”

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