Boxing

ANTHONY JOSHUA’S clash with Kubrat Pulev could still end up being staged abroad — to cover an £8million Covid KO.
Watford hero AJ’s mandatory defence against the Bulgarian was meant to be at Tottenham’s new stadium in June, securing him a monster payday.

The venue for Anthony Joshua’s heavyweight title defence against Kubrat Pulev could yet be overseasCredit: AFP or licensors

One possible alternative is for the AJ vs Pulev fight to switch to Wembley Arena – after the success of Usyk against Chsiora

But the coronavirus crisis forced the fight to be delayed until December 12.
Promoter Eddie Hearn secured London’s O2 to host it and pleaded with Government to allow some socially distanced fans inside.
But latest lockdown rules floored that idea — leaving a huge financial blackhole.

And that may force them to seek out a venue outside the UK after Saudi Arabia stumped up £100m for Joshua’s 2019 rematch win against Andy Ruiz.

Having watched Oleksandr Usyk outpoint Derek Chisora on Saturday at Wembley Arena, Hearn said: “We have the best bubble in boxing and elite sport is not part of lockdown.
“We can sustain it — but we want to be a profitable business.
“We lost what would have been a £2m gate at the O2 for this fight.
“We made it up by sticking some of ours in, Sky adding some and the fighters taking less to balance it out.

“AJ was going to take £8m on the gate at Spurs so obviously he is taking a pay cut.
“We will try to have fans at the Joshua fight — but we could also take it somewhere internationally.”
If the fight did stay on these shores, then it makes more sense for Hearn to hold it at Wembley Arena after the successful Chisora v Usyk night.
Hearn added: “If we can’t have any fans inside the O2 then we will probably move the AJ fight here — as we have everything set up.

Eddie Hearn is eager to sort out a venue for Anthony Joshua’s fight with Bulgarian Kubrat PulevCredit: Reuters
“The problem is nobody has any confidence to agree to anything in December, let alone January or February. People won’t sign things for April or May as they don’t know if they will be open.”
Usyk’s 12-round scrap with Brit Chisora, 36, was watched ringside by AJ.
And the former undisputed cruiserweight king sent him a chilling message.
Staring straight down a camera lens, Usyk, 33, growled: “Anthony Joshua, hello, I am coming for you.”
And Hearn admits the Ukrainian might refuse to step aside and let Joshua leap into an undisputed decider with Tyson Fury — if he passes his Pulev test.
The promoter said: “Usyk is going to struggle at heavyweight as he gives away so much size and that is what makes him beatable.
“I think AJ and Fury rate Usyk very highly, but I don’t think they have the fear factor for him.
“AJ told me he had the fight really close and he thought Del did well. AJ wants to fight Usyk.

I still think Usyk is a huge favourite against Dubois — but Dubois does have great size.
Eddie Hearn

“It’s all business, money is important to them but Usyk wants a heavyweight world title.
“Everyone will want to fight Usyk and if we cannot do the Fury fight, then AJ will fight him.”
Usyk is WBO mandatory challenger for AJ’s titles and is next in line after Pulev gets his crack via his standing with the IBF.
If the involved parties cannot come to an agreement, Joshua could be forced to drop the belt — leaving Usyk to compete for the vacant strap.
And AJ prefers to move ahead with a two-fight mega deal with Fury that has already been financially agreed.
Hearn would have no problem with another young Brit getting a chance in No 2 ranked Daniel Dubois, 23.
He said: “We will do whatever is ordered and there will be a queue.

“Joseph Parker is No 3 and is fighting Junior Fa, who is No 6, so the winner will push for that No 2 slot.
“I still think Usyk is a huge favourite against Dubois — but Dubois does have great size.
“Usyk will box his ears off at the moment, yet the size advantage is huge and Dubois certainly punches very hard.”

David Haye says Derek Chisora is set to become WBO mandatory and fight Anthony Joshua if he beats Oleksandr Usyk More

DEONTAY WILDER has come up with a whole list of reasons to explain why he lost to Tyson Fury.
The Gypsy King inflicted the American’s first professional defeat when they clashed in the ring for the second time in February, following their initial bout ending in a draw.

Deontay Wilder was beat by Tyson Fury in their rematch but continues to make excuses for his performanceCredit: Getty Images – Getty

It was in the seventh-round that Wilder’s corner threw in the towelCredit: PA:Press Association

And from the moment he picked himself off the floor after his seventh-round loss, Wilder has not been short of excuses on why he wasn’t able to win.
The former champ has now come up with SIX reasons for defeat – among them his his heavy ring-walk outfit and an egg-shaped object allegedly in Fury’s gloves.
DRINK SPIKED
Wilder’s latest explanation came today, when he bizarrely alleged his drinking water had been spiked before the fight.
He told 78SPORTSTV: “About 15 minutes before going out to the fight, warming up on the mitts, it was perfect, I felt great.

“Until I went to the ring. That transformation, I was drinking certain water and stuff, trying to keep myself hydrated.
“I just start feeling weird. My water was spiked as if I took a muscle relaxer or something like that.
“This feeling here, it was a different feeling. It was like I had no control over my body, my legs was weak and stuff like that.”

Wilder has blamed everything from the referee to his coach to explain his defeatCredit: AFP – Getty

HEAVY COSTUME
The second notable excuse from Wilder – and probably his most famous – was when he claimed ring-walk outfit was too heavy.

Hours after his loss, he said his elaborate two stone costume – donned in a tribute to black history month – weighed him down and affected his performance.
He said at the time: “He [Fury] didn’t hurt me at all, but the simple fact is… that my uniform was way too heavy for me.
“I didn’t have no legs from the beginning of the fight. In the third round, my legs were just shot all the way through.
“I was only able to put it on [for the first time] the night before, but I didn’t think it was going to be that heavy.
“It weighed 40lb with the helmet and all the batteries. I wanted my tribute to be great for Black History Month. I wanted it to be good and I guess I put that before anything.”
TRAINER’S FAULT
The third tale for the 35-year-old was when he lashed out at his trainer.
Wilder did not agree with the decision to throw in the towel in the seventh round.

📋 Deontay Wilder’s reasons for the Tyson Fury defeat (so far):1⃣ Ring walk outfit was too heavy2⃣ Fury moved fist down within his glove3⃣ Fury put a heavy object in his glove4⃣ Water was spiked with muscle relaxer5⃣ Kenny Bayless was unfair6⃣ Mark Breland was disloyal pic.twitter.com/ucw4QnMZox
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) November 1, 2020

FOREIGN OBJECT
Fourth in the list of excuses did not originate from the American himself, but from a vlogger whose unfounded accusations were amplified by Wilder.
Fury, 32, was accused of cheating – an accusation he denies – by putting a heavy, egg-shaped object in his gloves.
Wilder said this weekend: “I highly believe you put something hard in your glove, something the shape and size of an egg… the reason why the side of head swelled up in the shape of an egg and left a dent in my head.”
The gloving-up process is carefully monitored by boxing authorities and there is no evidence supporting Fury finding a way to slip a heavy object in his gloves.
BIASED REF
Another one of Wilder’s big excuses included the ref being bias.
Official Kenny Bayless is experienced but found himself under attack for supposedly favouring the Brit boxer.
Wilder said: “Bayless had come in my dressing room, looked me in my eyes and said if I hit Fury in the back of the head – a rabbit punch – or hit off of the break, he would disqualify me or deduct two points from me.
“I guess those rules just applied to me because they didn’t apply to my opponent.
~He hit me in the back of the neck and the head all night and Bayless didn’t do anything about it, to the point I got lumps and bruises. That was a thing that was very frustrating to me.”

Fury got the win after the first fight between the pair ended in a drawCredit: Getty Images – Getty

INJURED
And last on the list of why Wilder lost to Fury included the fighter’s claims that he was carrying an injury.
He said an injury to his left bicep meant he was unable to train for months.
It’s a statement that has more credibility than the rest of what Wilder said, but some boxing experts said it would sound more believable if not for the other claims.

Deontay Wilder accuses Tyson Fury of cheating in their second fight More

BOB ARUM has hit out at Deontay Wilder over his wild, unfounded accusations as he compared the heavyweight boxer to President Donald Trump.
The Bronze Bomber took to social media on Saturday where he made a number of excuses as to why he lost to Tyson Fury.

Bob Arum has hit out at Deontay Wilder over his controversial social media video

Wilder has made a number of excuses as to why he lost to Tyson Fury in February

Wilder, 35, has still not got over the defeat he suffered in February as he continues to blame anyone but himself.
In the clip, he accused the Gypsy King of cheating, branded his former trainer Mark Breland as ‘disloyal’ and then stated somebody has spiked his water.
His controversial excuses have infuriated Fury’s US-based promoter Arum, as he labelled his American compatriot as ‘disgraceful’.
Speaking to iFL TV, the 88-year-old said: “We haven’t heard a lot from Wilder.

“So he is probably watching television, and all I can say about his Instagram post is that he is mimicking Donald Trump.
“In other words, lies come up with conspiracy theories. Do anything but put the blame on yourself.
“For him to castigate Kenny Bayless, the referee, and Mark Breland, his chief cornerman the way he did is disgraceful.
“Because they acted properly and they saved Wilder’s life from taking any further punishment.

“When he was completely out and getting thrashed by Tyson Fury.”
Anthony Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has also reacted to Wilder’s ridiculous video as he too expressed his anger at his excuses.
He said: “It’s ridiculous. Listen, park him to the side, let the big boys, the real men go at it.
“Unless you’ve got any real substance then be quiet, go back to the drawing board, work harder, let the hunger burn to become champion again.
“It’s gone from the costume, to now he’s been found out about AJ, to now something about the gloves. It’s getting worse and worse.”

Deontay Wilder accuses Tyson Fury of cheating in their second fight More