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    Mike Tyson’s matchmaker Mickey Duff and others like him are vital for young up-and-coming boxers

    TO succeed at the abnormal art of matchmaking — whether it’s arranging fights or marriages — requires creativity ingenuity, inspiration and judgement.
    Frank Warren, in his 40 years as a top promoter, never feared innovation and he has just appointed three men to share responsibility of choosing the opponents for his 80 boxers.

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    Mickey Duff (right) is seen as one of Britain’s best-ever matchmakersCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    Steve Furness, Errol Johnson and Neil Bowers may be unknown to fans but they have the most important and thankless task in boxing.
    The decisions matchmakers come to are vital. Their main objective is to carefully nurture a youngster’s talent by providing competitive opposition without endangering them.
    It isn’t as easy as it sounds. The stress factor is high as a false move can lead to a kid getting a beating, which can ruin a career in a night.
    Warren admitted: “There’s no doubt matchmaking is by far the worst job in boxing.

    “But I have full confidence the men we have selected will guide the careers of guys like Daniel Dubois, with care and intelligence.”
    So what makes a matchmaker?
    The great Teddy Brenner, who made the matches at Madison Square Garden for 14 years, had a simple philosophy.
    Would it be a good action fight? Does the winner go into something important and would I pay to see it?

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    Duff was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1999Credit: Action Images – Reuters

    Bobby Goodman, who took over from Brenner, said: “The most satisfying thing being a matchmaker is to take a kid out of the  amateurs and develop him to being a champion and part of history.”
    Bruce Trampler is still one of the best in the business and has been working with Bob Arum for more than 40 years.
    He said: “How is it normal to persuade two people to punch each other in the head in front of an audience.”
    Carl Moretti, another veteran, said: “At times it’s easier to get a bill through Congress than make a fight.”
    Mickey Duff is seen as the greatest of Britain’s matchmakers.
    He was the mastermind behind 19 of our world champs — ensuring Frank Bruno, John Conteh, John H Stracey, Lloyd Honeyghan and Barry McGuigan did not suffer too much en route to glory.
    It wasn’t generally known that Duff was so good Madison Square Garden made him a lucrative offer to match for them but he did not want to live in New York.
    His friend Jim Jacobs, who managed Mike Tyson got Mickey to select a teen Tyson’s early opponents.

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    Duff selected a number of opponents for Mike Tyson in the early stages of his career

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    But Duff was far from infallible. When up-and-coming Terry Downes had his third pro fight, Mickey brought in an unknown Nigerian to  give him a decent workout.
    That unknown Nigerian happened to be Dick Tiger, who went on to become world middleweight and light-heavyweight champion.
    Downes hit the canvas three times and was stopped in the sixth round.
    Terry, who also went on to win the world middleweight crown, when asked who he would like to fight next memorably remarked: “That bleeding matchmaker.”
    Successful matchmakers are gold dust and few who have hit the heights like Brenner and Duff.
    Mickey, who died six years ago, didn’t rate many of his rivals. He would sneer: “Most of them couldn’t manage the cheeks of their a****.”

    Tyson Fury has mural of himself battering Deontay Wilder from rematch plastered on gym wall More

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    Luke Campbell vs Ryan Garcia fight CONFIRMED for December 5 for WBC interim title with just venue to be decided

    LUKE CAMPBELL has finally got a date to face Mexican sensation Ryan Garcia.
    Hull’s 2012 Olympic champ has been waiting for his crack at the lightweight golden boy for months and has finally been told that December 5 is the day.

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    Luke Campbell has finally been told he will fight Ryan Garcia on December 5Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

    Painfully, the WBC currently has two 9st 9lbs champions in ‘franchise’ champ Vasiliy Lomachenko and Devin Haney so Campbell will now only fight for the ‘interim’ honour.
    It’s been a frustrating wait for the 33-year-old Englishman as Garcia, 22, has spent most of lockdown trying to boost his social media followers instead of signing on the dotted line.
    But the father-of-three now has a Christmas cracker to focus on and he intends on punishing the fame-hungry American for keeping him waiting.
    He told SunSport: “Garcia has speed and power and a lot of social media fame but he also looks like he could take a good beating.

    “I still feel like a fresh up-and-comer but I am also ready to be the boogieman for these new kids on the block, I feel I am the toughest fight for all of these guys.
    “Garcia was supposed to fight on July 4, against Abner Mares who usually fights at featherweight and has not boxed in two years, but he pulled out because the money was not good enough.
    “Well I am no featherweight and I am raring to go so I will be a nightmare for him.”
    Campbell went 12 rounds with double Olympic champ Loma in August and the judges had him losing a wide decision in his second world title attempt.

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    The winner becomes the interim WBC lightweight champCredit: Getty Images – Getty

    MAN IN THE BOX
    Fury ‘talking nonsense’ by claiming Wilder better than Joshua, says Bellew

    TYS-ON THE MARKET
    Mike Tyson’s old homes include 21-bed mansion & house that’s now a church

    IRON FIST
    Frank Warren reveals night Mike Tyson punched him in face over £2m jewellery bill

    SPAR TURN
    Secret texts before Joshua defeat to Ruiz reveal American agreed to sparring role

    FAT CHANCE
    Mayweather says he was overweight for bizarre fight vs kickboxer Nasukawa

    A CUT ABOVE
    Fury has ‘far too much’ for Joshua… Wilder is a ‘tougher test’, says cutman

    The baby-faced veteran had plenty of options after impressing in the O2 clash but he is hellbent on landing that iconic green and gold belt.
    He said: “After the Lomachenko fight I had loads of options, big money fights, but I decided to continue my fight for the WBC world title, that green and gold belt is my dream.
    “In 2017 I boxed Jorge Linares for the world title, a bit too soon in my career, when he was a three-weight world champ and the best lightweight in the world.
    “I got beat in America on a split decision, that I still think I won.
    “The next time I took on the No1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet in Lomachenko and I think I had some real moments in that fight.
    “I will get another world title shot and I will take it. And there us nothing Ryan Garcia can say or do about it.”

    Luke Campbell v Vasyl Lomachenko – Round by Round More

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    Floyd Mayweather reveals he was overweight for fight with kickboxer Tensin Nasukawa and got told to ‘really go at it’

    FLOYD MAYWEATHER has revealed he was out of shape and overweight for a fight in Japan which he earned £2.5million a MINUTE.
    The retired 50-0 king took on featherweight kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa in an exhibition bout in 2018.

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    Mayweather says he was out of shape and overweight for his fight with NasukawaCredit: AP:Associated Press

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    ‘Money’ saw off the kickboxer in the first round of the one-sided brawlCredit: Reuters

    ‘Money’ sent Nasukawa crashing to the canvas three times before the fight was called off.
    It meant that, after guaranteeing himself a £7.6m payday for taking the fight, Mayweather made an obscene amount of money for just three minutes’ work.
    And it could have been even more had Mayweather ended it sooner – with the five-weight world champ revealing he was told to ‘really go at it’ against his novice 20-year-old opponent.
    World Boxing News carry quotes from Mayweather, 43, who spoke on the Club Shay Shay podcast.

    Mayweather said: “Well, they told me in Japan. I was going to go over there. Just move around with the guy. Take it lightly.
    “They said, ‘no, we want you to get in there and really go at it’.
    “As you can see in that fight, I was a little heavy. I wasn’t working out like I am working out now.
    “For that fight I wasn’t working out.

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    Mayweather was certainly a lot more defined for his fight against Pacquiao in 2015Credit: Getty Images – Getty

    THEATRE OF SCREAMS
    Hearn wants Rooney vs Ferdinand charity BOXING match at Old Trafford

    A CUT ABOVE
    Fury has ‘far too much’ for Joshua… Wilder is a ‘tougher test’, says cutman

    IRON FIST
    Frank Warren reveals night Mike Tyson punched him in face over £2m jewellery bill

    Pictured

    PAC TO BASICS
    McGregor trains with Italian coach who advised UFC star to stop ‘headhunting’

    SPAR TURN
    Secret texts before Joshua defeat to Ruiz reveal American agreed to sparring role

    “I would go to the gym and spar a couple of times, and then I went to Japan and picked up nine or 10 million.”
    Mayweather – who recently said he rates himself above Muhammad Ali because he ‘accomplished’ more than anyone – has been lined up with boxing fights against UFC stars Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
    The American already beat Irishman McGregor in their 2017 crossover bout in Las Vegas.
    But Mayweather – also in talks over a fight with YouTuber Logan Paul – has demanded £230m to make it happen – after laughing off the Irishman’s ‘soft punches’.

    Floyd Mayweather set to end retirement and fight YouTube star Logan Paul in sensational exhibition bout this year More

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    Mike Tyson’s incredible homes through his career, from 21-bed Connecticut mansion to an Ohio home that is now a church

    THROUGHOUT the years, as Mike Tyson rose through the ranks to become heavyweight champion of the world, the boxing legend bought and sold some incredible homes.
    ‘Iron Mike’ came a long way from the humble beginnings of his childhood home in Brooklyn to mansions filled with tiger cages as millions of dollars poured in.

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    Mike Tyson has lived in the most amazing homes dotted all over America

    After losing it all, Tyson, now 54, is once again worth millions after launching his company Tyson Holistic and flogging medical marijuana.
    And he’s even in line for a comeback – the knockout king is set to face Roy Jones Jr in an exhibition fight on November 28.
    But it’s his former homes that really amaze and show how the king of the ring loved living.
    NEW YORK
    Tyson spent most of his childhood years in a modest apartment in Brooklyn in Brownsville in the mid 1970s.

    It was a neighbourhood, at the time, that was a breeding ground for crime and most residents lived poorly.
    In the past, Tyson has admitted mixing with criminals as he looked for acceptance and joined a gang of petty thieves.
    But in his spare-time in the Brownsville abode, he became fascinated by pigeons.

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    Tyson spent the majority of his childhood in a Brooklyn apartmentCredit: YouTube

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    A young Tyson kept pigeons on the rooftop of the Brooklyn apartment
    He kept coops on the rooftop of the building and cared for the birds religiously.

    Today, apartments in the area can fetch up to £500,000.
    OHIO
    Tyson’s fall from grace began in 1992, when he was convicted of rape and was sentenced to six years in prison, of which he served three.
    Financially drained, he was forced to sell this incredible home in 1999 for around £855,000.
    Today, remarkably, it’s been converted into a church.
    But in Tyson’s day it boasted five bedrooms and a full-size pool and Jacuzzi alongside its tiger cages and basketball court, with the entire pad decked out with crystal chandeliers.
    The delipidated pool has since been turned into a sanctuary while the living room is now a gathering place.
    Remnants of the 53-year-old’s time still remain with the basketball court still intact, as well as Mike Tyson’s name etched onto the front gate.

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    Tyson’s Ohio home has been converted in a churchCredit: Johnny Joo

    The former house of pain is now the house of the LordCredit: Youtube

    The Living Word Sanctuary Church have converted Tyson’s tiger cages into a pavilionCredit: Youtube

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    Iron Make once had gates erected bearing his nameCredit: imgur / www.illicitohio.com

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    The delipidated pool has since been turned into a sanctuaryCredit: imgur / www.illicitohio.com

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    The marble interior had been sliding into a state of disrepairCredit: imgur / www.illicitohio.com

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    Originally, the house was decked out with chandeliersCredit: imgur / www.illicitohio.com

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    Tyson sold the property for around £855,000 in 1999Credit: imgur / www.illicitohio.com
    The old fireplace has since been turned into an indoor waterfall while the four-bay garage is now classrooms and a nursery.
    And the tall steel cages where Tyson kept his famous four tigers have been dismantled for a pavilion.
    CONNECTICUT
    In 2003, Tyson was declared bankrupt.
    That meant he had to sell up again – and a 52-room mansion in Connecticut he used to live in was eventually bought by rapper 50 Cent for £3.3million.
    Boasting 21 bedrooms, as well as its own nightclub the property is as lavish as Tyson has ever owned.
    The 50,000-square-foot property also has 25 bathrooms, an indoor pool and hot tub, an indoor basketball court, multiple game rooms, a green-screen room, and a recording studio.
    And the opulence doesn’t end there.
    Entering the property through a stately front gate, you’re greeted by a lion statue.
    However, the running costs – believed to be around £50,000-per-month – forced 50 Cent to sell the house in 2019.

    Mike Tyson’s former home in ConnecticutCredit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate

    In 2003, Tyson was forced to sell the property for £3.3m after declaring bankruptcyCredit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate

    At the entrance of the property you’re faced with opulent gates and a statue of a lionCredit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate

    Two staircases lead you to the first floorCredit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate

    The ground floor features marble floorsCredit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate

    The master bedroom offers incredible views of the gardensCredit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate

    A steel staircase in the master bedroom leads to another floorCredit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate

    The walk-in closets are glass frontedCredit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate

    Astonishingly, there are 25 bathroomsCredit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate

    This bathroom features a huge bathtub overlooking the gardensCredit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate

    The bathroom has a glass showerCredit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate

    The reception room features a Weber grand pianoCredit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate

    The property also boasts its own nightclubCredit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate

    One games room features pool tablesCredit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate

    Another games room has poker and roulette tablesCredit: Douglas Elliman Real Estate
    MARYLAND
    Tyson’s Maryland residence was bought with ex-wife Monica Turner in 1995.
    The pair lived there through the early 2000s, until the pair divorced after she claimed he committed adultery.
    Turner won the house in the divorce settlement, which is just 30 minutes from Washington DC.
    It features seven bedrooms, a large gym, game room, swimming pool, sports court and a piano room.
    It also overlooks the Congressional Country Club golf course, which has hosted several US Open tournaments.
    Back in May, the home was listed for sale at £7million.

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    Mike Tyson’s former Maryland home is up for sale for $8.5m (£6.4m)Credit: TTR/Sotheby’s International Realty

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    Credit: TTR/Sotheby’s International Realty

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    The interior of Monica Turner’s Maryland mansionCredit: TTR/Sotheby’s International Realty

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    The gourmet kitchen includes a fully-equipped butler’s pantryCredit: TTR/Sotheby’s International Realty

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    The stunning garden of the Maryland estateCredit: TTR/Sotheby’s International Realty

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    The home theater inside the home includes a poster for ScarfaceCredit: TTR/Sotheby’s International Realty

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    The master bathroom includes a giant round tubCredit: TTR/Sotheby’s International Realty

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    The home features its own spaCredit: TTR/Sotheby’s International Realty
    THE HANGOVER PAD
    In 2008, Tyson let Hollywood film director Todd Phillips into his £1.5million Las Vegas pad to film legendary scenes from the hit comedy movie.
    And what a lavish setting it is too.
    Found in the beautiful gated community called Seven Hills in the suburb of Henderson, it boasts six bedrooms, six-and-a-half bathrooms and its own private balcony.
    There’s also the incredible 18-hole Rio Secco Golf Club to enjoy, as well as four large private parks filled with basketball courts, tennis courts and football pitches.
    Like many new builds in Las Vegas within gated communities, the 5,740-square-feet mansion was built in an Italian style in 2001.
    Two-storeys in size, the entrance opens to a grand reception room with a 25-foot-high lit waterfall, which connects to the great room that has a wet bar and fireplace.
    Tyson lived in the property with third wife Lakiha, eventually selling it in 2016.

    Inside Mike Tyson’s former £1.5m Las Vegas mansion used in The HangoverCredit: LUXURY HOMES of Las Vegas

    The gorgeous property has an infinity pool with two spas and a waterfallCredit: LUXURY HOMES of Las Vegas

    There are six-and-a-half bathroomsCredit: LUXURY HOMES of Las Vegas

    The Italian-style property was built in 2001Credit: LUXURY HOMES of Las Vegas

    A 25 foot waterfall awaits you in the front entranceCredit: LUXURY HOMES of Las Vegas

    The kitchen boasts a centre islandCredit: LUXURY HOMES of Las Vegas

    The mansion is two-storeys in sizeCredit: LUXURY HOMES of Las Vegas

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    Hit movie The Hangover starring Bradley Cooper was filmed in Tyson’s houseCredit: Warner Bros
    HIS CURRENT HOME
    Today, back at the top, Tyson lives a life of luxury once more. And he loves living in Henderson, Las Vegas.
    Shortly after he sold ‘The Hangover’ home, he bought this nearby mansion for £2.5million.
    The 8,149 square-foot mansion in Henderson, Nevada, built in 2001, has plenty of indoor and outside space.
    There are six spacious bedrooms and six bathrooms in his mediterranean-style villa.
    Again, it’s found in the gated community of Seven Hills – so it’s surrounded by parks and tennis and basketball courts.

    Mike Tyson’s current Las Vegas homeCredit: Luxury Homes of Las Vegas

    Tyson paid £2.5m for his Nevada mansionCredit: Luxury Homes of Las Vegas

    ‘Iron Mike’ bought the lavish home in 2016Credit: Luxury Homes of Las Vegas

    The luxurious entrance features stunning marble floorsCredit: Luxury Homes of Las Vegas

    The master suite has a step-in tub and private balconyCredit: Luxury Homes of Las Vegas

    The outdoor space makes the property with a lagoon-like poolCredit: Luxury Homes of Las Vegas

    A resort-style swimming pool is the centre piece of the homeCredit: Luxury Homes of Las Vegas

    Lush gardens decorate the outdoor spaceCredit: Luxury Homes of Las Vegas

    An outdoor barbecue makes the home ideal for entertaining guests and al-fresco diningCredit: Luxury Homes of Las Vegas

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    Hearn wants Rooney vs Ferdinand charity BOXING match at Old Trafford

    A CUT ABOVE
    Fury has ‘far too much’ for Joshua… Wilder is a ‘tougher test’, says cutman

    IRON FIST
    Frank Warren reveals night Mike Tyson punched him in face over £2m jewellery bill

    FAT CHANCE
    Mayweather says he was overweight for bizarre fight vs kickboxer Nasukawa

    Pictured

    PAC TO BASICS
    McGregor trains with Italian coach who advised UFC star to stop ‘headhunting’

    SPAR TURN
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    The master bedroom is the height of comfort – featuring a master suite that has a huge step-up bathtub, a fireplace and a private balcony.
    A massive resort-style lagoon-like swimming pool and spa completes the picture.
    No wonder Mike is never leaving Las Vegas. More

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    Jake Paul drops sparring partner and breaks his tooth in leaked footage ahead of fighting ex-NBA star Nate Robinson

    JAKE PAUL dropped a sparring partner and broke his tooth in leaked footage ahead of the YouTuber’s fight against Nate Robinson.
    The American social media star faces ex-NBA player Robinson on the undercard of Mike Tyson’s boxing return on November 28.

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    Jake Paul dropped a sparring partner as he prepares to face Nate Robinson

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    Paul steps over his sparring partner after putting him on the canvas

    And Paul has been ramping up his preparations in the gym as sparring footage revealed him flooring an opponent.
    The 23-year-old lands a right hand over the top and follows up with a left hook that wobbles his sparring partner.
    And as he totters over to the other side of the ring, Paul lands another overhand right before swarming his sparring partner.
    Paul then floors him, before stepping over his man.

    Afterwards, Paul’s unnamed sparring partner reveals he suffered a broken tooth following the session.
    He said: “It’s different punching a person and a them punching a bag.
    “He got me a couple of times and knocked my tooth out.
    “I was like, ‘Damn, this is a different sport. I respect boxers now.”

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    Paul’s sparring partner reveals a broken tooth after the sparring session

    THEATRE OF SCREAMS
    Hearn wants Rooney vs Ferdinand charity BOXING match at Old Trafford

    IRON FIST
    Frank Warren reveals night Mike Tyson punched him in face over £2m jewellery bill

    A CUT ABOVE
    Fury has ‘far too much’ for Joshua… Wilder is a ‘tougher test’, says cutman

    Pictured

    PAC TO BASICS
    McGregor trains with Italian coach who advised UFC star to stop ‘headhunting’

    FAT CHANCE
    Mayweather says he was overweight for bizarre fight vs kickboxer Nasukawa

    SPAR TURN
    Secret texts before Joshua defeat to Ruiz reveal American agreed to sparring role

    Paul won his pro boxing debut in January, dropping internet rival ‘AnEsonGib’ three times before winning in round one.
    He wanted to face KSI, 27, who beat his brother Logan, 25, by split-decision last November.
    But he instead fights Robinson – who has not played in the NBA since the 2015-2016 season – in the co-headliner as Tyson, 54, boxes Roy Jones Jr, 51, in an exhibition.

    Jake Paul in training as YouTube star shows off ferocious uppercuts ahead of YouTubers fight with ex-NBA star Nate Robinson More

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    Manny Pacquiao ‘faces being stripped’ of WBA welterweight world title if he fights UFC star Conor McGregor

    MANNY PACQUIAO could lose his WBA world title if he fights Conor McGregor, reports say.
    The Filipino icon confirmed he is in talks to face McGregor, who lost his boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather three years ago.

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    Manny Pacquiao ‘faces being stripped’ of the WBA welterweight title if he fights Conor McGregorCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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    McGregor and Pacquiao both confirmed they are in talks to fight Credit: Twitter / @TheNotoriousMMA

    But according to World Boxing News, Pacquiao ‘faces being stripped’ of his welterweight title if he goes through the with mega-money headliner.
    The 41-year-old won the WBA’s ‘Super’ title in July 2019, beating Keith Thurman, 31, on points.
    He has not fought since, having seen his ring return delayed amid the coronavirus pandemic, meaning the belt has not been defended.
    It is claimed the WBA want Pacquiao to defend his title within the next sixth months against a ranked contender.

    McGregor’s manager Audie Attar, who last year linked up with PacMan, revealed talks are progressing for a fight in December or January with the Notorious.
    That would mean Pacquiao would need to box again in April to satisfy the WBA.
    Yordenis Ugas, 34, is the ‘Regular’ champion, and should PacMan be unable to face him in a unification, the Cuban could be elevated and Pacquiao stripped.

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    How McGregor and Pacquiao stack up ahead of their proposed fight

    THEATRE OF SCREAMS
    Hearn wants Rooney vs Ferdinand charity BOXING match at Old Trafford

    A CUT ABOVE
    Fury has ‘far too much’ for Joshua… Wilder is a ‘tougher test’, says cutman

    IRON FIST
    Frank Warren reveals night Mike Tyson punched him in face over £2m jewellery bill

    FAT CHANCE
    Mayweather says he was overweight for bizarre fight vs kickboxer Nasukawa

    Pictured

    PAC TO BASICS
    McGregor trains with Italian coach who advised UFC star to stop ‘headhunting’

    SPAR TURN
    Secret texts before Joshua defeat to Ruiz reveal American agreed to sparring role

    At present, the eight-division champ has no mandatory challenger, with Jamal James, 32, the No1 ranked contender.
    It allows Pacquiao to face McGregor, 32, but it remains unclear whether the WBA will sanction it as a title fight.
    And the governing body must also decide how long the champion can go without making a defence of his belt.

    Mayweather’s uncle expects a one sided beatdown between Pacquiao and McGregor More

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    Conor McGregor trains with unknown Italian boxing coach who advised UFC star to stop ‘headhunting’ to beat Pacquiao

    CONOR McGREGOR continued his training to face Manny Pacquiao and was told to invest more in body punching by an Italian trainer.
    McGregor was holidaying in the Liguria region of Italy and sought a place to train, having announced he will be boxing Pacquaio in his next fight.

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    Conor McGregor with Round Zero Gym owner Luca Riccardi

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    McGregor was looking for a place to train having holidayed in Italy

    The 32-year-old travelled to La Spezia and was initially denied entry at the Round Zero Gym, as Covid-19 regulations restricted the amount of boxers allowed inside.
    Gym owner Luca Riccardi told Città della Spezia: “He entered the door and asked me to use my gym for a week.
    “I looked at the [registered students] and saw that I have no room for him.
    “I had to send someone home, but those are the people that pay my bills, so I gently said I couldn’t take him in.”

    Riccardi’s son then convinced his dad to allow the former UFC champion to train the next day.
    He said: “He told me that I was crazy.
    “I spoke to my customers and asked them if that was cool for them.
    “Of course everybody agreed, telling me that they would have been proud of hosting him and they moved to a secondary, smaller room.”

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    McGregor sparred during his time in the Italian gym

    THEATRE OF SCREAMS
    Hearn wants Rooney vs Ferdinand charity BOXING match at Old Trafford

    IRON FIST
    Frank Warren reveals night Mike Tyson punched him in face over £2m jewellery bill

    A CUT ABOVE
    Fury has ‘far too much’ for Joshua… Wilder is a ‘tougher test’, says cutman

    FAT CHANCE
    Mayweather says he was overweight for bizarre fight vs kickboxer Nasukawa

    SPAR TURN
    Secret texts before Joshua defeat to Ruiz reveal American agreed to sparring role

    The trainer even took McGregor on the pads and watched on as he sparred, instructing the Irishman to mix up his variety of punches.
    Riccardi explained: “He warmed up and then asked me to train together.
    “I wasn’t embarrassed, I’m a coach so I treated him the same way I would have treated any other student.
    “I noticed that he almost never go for the body, he always looking for the headshot.
    “I even gave him a couple of advice since he’s willing to fight Pacquiao.
    “I have acted professional the whole time, because that’s what I am.
    “The only time I’ve been emotional was when Conor was sparring with my son and he turned to me and told me ‘he’ll be a champion’.”

    Mayweather’s uncle expects a one sided beatdown between Pacquiao and McGregor More

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    Tyson Fury has ‘way too much’ for Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder is ‘tougher test’, says Gypsy King’s cutman

    DEONTAY WILDER is a tougher test for Tyson Fury than Anthony Joshua, claims cutman Jorge Capetillo.
    The Gypsy King is likely to fight Wilder for a third time in Las Vegas in the first quarter of 2021, with a highly-anticipated unification bout with AJ then on the horizon.

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    Fury dominated Wilder back in FebruaryCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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    Cutman Capetillo helped Fury to victory over Otto Wallin last yearCredit: EPA

    While many fans are frustrated with the Bronze Bomber standing in the way of the all-Brit unifier, Capetillo believes it still presents the bigger challenge – despite Fury having dominated Wilder back in February.
    The cutman, who played a huge role in helping Fury, 32, to victory over Otto Wallin last year, believes that the American’s KO power makes him more of a threat than Joshua, 30.
    Speaking to Marc Gatford via MyBettingSites.co.uk, he said: “I think Wilder is tougher because of his natural power.
    “His record shows this. If you have 42 knockouts, that’s something you don’t see every day. So with all due respect, we got to be more aware of Wilder than Anthony.

    “I think Anthony is a great fighter, a great kid, a great human being. But I believe Tyson Fury is way too much for him.
    “Fury is a complete fighter; he’ll box you, he can stand with you – toe to toe.
    “He will be knocked down and won’t quit. He’ll keep getting up. All of those experiences make Tyson a better man, a better fighter – he’s the better fighter.
    “Anthony is a fighter that you have to be in front of for him to land, I don’t see too much creativity; feinting, using the jab more, head movement, knowing how to use the range and distance, using the ring.

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    Anthony Joshua is likely to be next after Tyson Fury faces Wilder for the third timeCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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    “Their IQ is different; their whole IQ is different. Anthony is a strong man who will come after you like he did with Andy (Ruiz Jr), but it will be a different fight with Tyson.
    “Tyson is the best fighter of this era and the heavyweight division and he proved it.”
    Fury generously helped Capetillo out during his time of need over the summer, sending him money to keep him afloat when Covid-19 forced his boxing gym to shut.

    Tyson Fury tells Anthony Joshua to grow a pair and step up to fight More