Boxing

DEREK Chisora believes Anthony Joshua can rule the heavyweight division for a third time. The heavyweight fighter says his old training partner could grab his crown back despite losing it to Andy Ruiz Jr and then Oleksandr Usyk.
Derek Chisora has claimed AJ could rule againCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
AJ faces Wallin on December 23
AJ will be back in the ring against Otto Wallin on December 23 in Saudi Arabia.
If he gets the win that most people expect it will put him No2 with the IBF.
That belt is expected to become vacant following Usyk’s undisputed fight with Tyson Fury in February, assuming it goes ahead.
The sanctioning body has made it clear that the top two challengers – Filip Hrgovic and Joshua in this scenario – will fight for the vacant title.
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AJ, who has already beaten Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius in his latest bid for glory, could then have the option for taking on one of those for the title.
That could mean possibly delaying a long-awaited clash with Deontay Wilder.
He fights on the same card as AJ in December, taking on Kiwi Joseph Parker.
A win there would pave the way for a blockbuster clash between the American and fellow former champ AJ.
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Whichever route he goes down, Chisora has backed Watford Warrior AJ, 34, to regain his status as world champ.
Speaking on William Hill’s Up Front with Simon Jordan podcast he said: “He wants to be a three-time world champion and I will help him to get there.
“He can do it. He will do it because that will make him amazing, great.” More

EDDIE Hearn has outlined his prediction for Jarrell Miller’s upcoming fight against Daniel Dubois.The two heavyweights will come face to face on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s clash with Otto Wallin next month.
Daniel Dubois will face Jarrell Miller next monthCredit: Getty
Eddie Hearn believes one of the fighters will be stoppedCredit: PA
And Matchroom boss Hearn is not convinced that it will not go the distance.
Speaking to Fight Hub TV about the blockbuster night in Saudi Arabia, the 44-year-old revealed that he predicts one of the fighters to get stopped.
He said: “It’s a great fight. Miller will either get stopped or he’ll stop Daniel Dubois.
“If he gets stopped that’s the end of Jarrell Miller, if he stops Daniel Dubois he’s right back in the mix.”
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Miller approaches the December 23 fight off the back of a sixth-round stoppage win against Lucas Browne.
Should the 35-year-old defeat Dubois, Hearn expects him to call out Joshua for another proposed bout.
The two were due to face off in June 2019, but the fight was cancelled after Miller tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Andy Ruiz Jr then stepped in as a last-minute opponent and shocked the world by winning via technical knockout.
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Hearn admits there is still animosity between AJ and Miller over four years later.
He said: “Joshua wants to smash him up. Don’t forget the beef that those two had in New York, then the round table which nobody has seen yet but I’m sure it will get released one day soon. There is history there.
“We know why the fight didn’t happen and there are a lot of people from our side that aren’t happy with what he did.
“The fight has never come back round because I felt like he didn’t deserve it. But sometimes time is a good healer and if he can beat Daniel Dubois then I’m sure he’ll scream and shout in that ring and say ‘I want AJ’ and then commercially that fight becomes big.
“Good luck to Jarrell, I don’t have dislike or hatred towards him, I don’t like what I saw but good luck.” More

TOMMY FURY is in talks with boxing icon Roy Jones Jr over a shock exhibition bout, his dad John has claimed.The pair playfully agreed to share the ring after meeting one another in Saudi ahead of Tyson Fury’s crossover clash with Francis Ngannou last month.
Tommy Fury was last in action against YouTube sensation KSI last monthCredit: Splash
The former Love Island star recently agreed to face Roy Jones Jr, 54, in an exhibitionCredit: BOXING KING MEDIA
John Fury has claimed his son is now in talks to face the former four-weight champCredit: ALAMY
But that playful conversation, according to John, has led to very serious talks over a bout between the former Love Island star and the Hall of Famer.
He told The Daily Express: “We’re speaking to Roy Jones Jr; we can do something with him.
“I’m giving it some thought at the time of speaking. Roy Jones Jr is a great guy.
“He’s a lovely fella, a standup man and a hall-of-fame great.”
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Boxing legend Jones Jr, 54, is old enough to be the dad of 24-year-old Tommy, who narrowly eked past YouTuber KSI in his last outing in October.
When pressed further on the bout, John said: “Yeah, maybe it is an exhibition or something, whatever he wants to do.
“We’ve not really spoken in great detail, but he did say over in Saudi ‘Let’s do something’ and we’re all ears.
“We just need to sit down and see what is best for Tommy and Roy Jones Jr.”
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Tommy Fury eked out a controversial win over KSI in his last outing last monthCredit: GETTY
Undefeated cruiserweight Tommy seemingly jumped at the opportunity to face Jones Jr after the American jokingly proposed they fight on the undercard a show headlined by John and Mike Tyson.
Jones Jr said: “I said if your father fights Mike, me and you do the co-main event.”

A shocked Tommy: “Hey, let’s do it.”
Jones Jr responded: “That would be out of this world, brother. If they fight, me and him on the undercard.
“That would be out of this world.”
Tommy later said: “Let’s get this stuff made, regardless of if Mike and my dad don’t fight.
“Me and Roy Jones exhibition, why not?”
Jones Jr hasn’t set foot inside the ring since his 2020 exhibition with fellow icon Tyson, which ended in a draw after going the full eight rounds. More

JOHN FURY has given a shock assessment of Tyson Fury ahead of his fight with Oleksandr Usyk.The Gypsy King has pencilled in a February 17 date to fight Usyk, 36, in what would be a colossal four-belt heavyweight unifier.
John Fury said he has seen a ‘decline’ in son Tyson from in his last three fightsCredit: AP
He also warned Tyson to change tactics before his fight with Oleksandr UsykCredit: PA
However, while the WBC champion remains unbeaten, his most recent fight against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou gave him a mighty scare.
And Fury Sr, 59, has offered his take with a stark assessment of his son’s chances for the Usyk fight after being left shocked about his preparation levels before the Ngannou bout.
Speaking to the Metro via Free Bets UK, he said: “The 17th February is the date they have got to work towards.
“But in my opinion, Tyson needs a bit more time to get his conditioning right and his weight right.
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“For me it looked like he had lost 20lbs of muscle last time. Something was wrong.”
Before Ngannou, Tyson, 35, had fought against Dillian Whyte and Derek Chisora.
And while he collected wins in all three, John believes there has been a “decline” in his son’s form.
He continued: “For my money, his last three fights, I have seen a bit of decline. Not a decline in ability but a decline in strength, power and physical condition.
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“I don’t know what they are doing up there, you have to address it. He didn’t look himself out in Saudi.
“He didn’t look right, everything had changed about him, his demeanour, his body. I was puzzled.
“He said he had been training but there is training and there is training.
“If you’re going at your own pace no one is going to tell you otherwise, no one is going to offend you or kick you up the backside.
“No one can teach Tyson how to box, or teach him more than he knows. All they can do is put some muscle on there and make his body rock solid.
“For my money he looked fat-thin, he should have been better, a bit heavier with a lot more muscle.
“Tyson is a mammoth fella. He needs to power up in the body department and the only way you do that is a proper course and they take time and we don’t have the time.”
It is not the first time John has called out Tyson’s trainers, having previously hit out at SugarHill Steward.
And he also believes Tyson’s tactics will need tweaking before the Usyk bout.
John added: “He still won the fight [against Ngannou] because that is what he does best. But for my money, the tactics were all wrong too.
Tyson beat Francis Ngannou on points but suffered a scare after being knocked downCredit: Getty
“You don’t try meet an express train head on, do you? He would have been better boxing off the back foot, slipping and sliding.
“Against the old Tyson, Ngannou wouldn’t have landed a glove on him.
“They keep missing this in the corner. They aren’t looking at what the other man is doing. He needs to change it up. All of a sudden, they think one tactic works for all fighters but it isn’t like that.
“The style I am seeing is no good, it won’t be any use boxing Usyk like that, just stood in front of him.
“You have to be clever and agile, as much as he [Usyk] is. But unless you are trained to do that, what can you say?
“Usyk is nowhere near as big and powerful as Ngannou who is one of the hardest punchers in the world. But he is a skilful heavyweight and they need to practice for that.
“He is taking more punches now than he has taken in his whole career and that could have shortened his career.
“That is the worry we have got here. Tyson is a remarkable man but sometimes he needs to listen to a bit of common sense.
“Usyk is a tricky man and you have to be on your best to beat him and the style he has got now, it won’t do the trick. He has got it in his head he can knock everyone spark out.
“But no fighter in the world can keep taking big shots. He can’t keep taking them because all of a sudden a jab can sit you down. You have to be clever and the way he beats Usyk is more brain than brawn.”

TYSON FURY VS OLEKSANDR USYK: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT More

TYSON FURY is on course for another money-spinning showdown with former UFC champion Francis Ngannou.The Gypsy King was embarrassed by the boxing novice in their Saudi showdown last month, getting dropped in the third round on his way to earning a narrow points victory.
Tyson Fury locked horns with Francis Ngannou in a crossover clash last monthCredit: AFP
The Gypsy King was dropped in the third round of the Saudi showdown, which he narrowly wonCredit: GETTY
Promoter Frank Warren has revealed the Brit is in line for a rematch with the ex-UFC champCredit: GETTY
MMA man mountain Ngannou immediately began campaigning for a rematch after going the distance with the WBC heavyweight king, which the boxing-mad Saudis have already discussed.
During an appearance on The MMA Hour, Fury’s co-promoter Frank Warren revealed: “Tyson told me that he wants the rematch, and I know Ngannou wants it.
“Because after the fight we were out there, we met at His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh]’s house and we had quite a lengthy conversation.
“He’s a nice guy, by the way. He’s a really nice guy, good team around him, and I’m quite sure we’ll do it again.”
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Before Fury can think about definitively settling the score with Ngannou, he has the small matter of a historic undisputed heavyweight title fight.
The Wythenshawe warrior will look to become the first undisputed ruler of the heavyweights in over 25 years against Oleksandr Usyk on February 17.
The multi-million-pound deal for the Riyadh Rumble includes a two-way rematch clause, which could mean Ngannou will be waiting on the sidelines for a while before getting his second crack at Fury.
Warren said: “I don’t know [if it’ll be next for Fury]. It’s like jumping too far forward.
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The stats from the fight show Fury landed more punches overall and in the majority of the rounds
“Let’s get the big one [with Oleksandr Usyk on Feb. 17] out of the way first, and then we’ll see where we go. But I do think [it’ll happen].”
Vicious knockout artist Ngannou shocked the world with his boxing know-how in the crossover clash.
And after initially underestimating The Predator’s chances, Warren believes the Professional Fighters League pounder would give some of the other big names in the division a run for their money.
The Queensberry Promotion’s chief said: “Look, I’d like to think I know about boxing.“
“I’ve guided a lot of champions over the years, and a lot of my guys have gone into fights.
“Certainly with my fellow promoters in America — Don King and Bob [Arum] and so forth — as underdogs, and have won.
“And we’ve picked the right matches at the right time and won the fights.
“I think Ngannou will give any of the guys in the top 10 — and he’s ranked now, I think couple of the organizations have dropped him in there, and they should do it, he’s just gone the distance with the world champion.
“I think it’ll give all of them a problem, and there’s a couple of them there I think he could beat.”
Fury faces Usyk in a historic undisputed title fight on February 17Credit: Getty More