Boxing

TYSON FURY and Francis Ngannou had a back and forth over the size of their fight ring. The boxing and MMA superstars collide in a crossover clash next Saturday in Saudi Arabia.
Tyson Fury fights Francis Ngannou in Saudi ArabiaCredit: Getty
Ngannou will be making his boxing debutCredit: 2023 Anadolu Agency
And according to Ngannou, they will box in a 24-foot ring which is the largest it can be.
But Fury hit back to deny requesting the larger ring when face to face with the ex-UFC champion.
Ngannou told TNT Sports: “I prepared to make him move less. And I know that he asked for the biggest size of the ring possible.”
Fury, 35, responded: “I didn’t ask for any ring. I’ll fight you in a phone box, no problem.”
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Ngannou, 37, replied: “OK So, you didn’t ask for a 24-feet ring?”
Fury said: “I didn’t ask for any size ring. I’ve not even spoke to the guys. I don’t get involved in the business.
“But the championship ring is only 20 feet. So, if they’ve asked for a 24-foot, let’s do it in a 20-foot. Easy.”
Ending the argument, Ngannou said: “They asked for 24.”
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Fury heads into the fight full of confidence and even gave away his game plan to Ngannou’s face.
He said: “I’m gonna knock him out inside six rounds. And shall I tell you how I’m going to do it?
“Get on the front foot, high arm, sticking him with a punishing jab, 19, 20 stone in the face, boom, boom, boom, bust him up, swell his eyes out, and then feint, slip, bang! KO. 
“On the front foot, not running away. On the front foot, hand-eye, let him hit the shoulder, slip, slip, bang, slip, slip, bang. Down in a heap.
“Listen, no one can take my power. Nobody. These heavyweights don’t have a chance.”
Fury and Ngannou facing offCredit: Getty More

TYSON FURY and Anthony Joshua are going to leave a giant heavyweight void only a freakish talent like Bakhodir Jalolov can fill.Never heard of him? Good, we barely have either.
Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan during the Asian GamesCredit: Rex
Jalolov also fights as a professionalCredit: AP
But the 29-year-old has the baffling southpaw stance of Oleksandr Usyk, the 6ft 7in size similar to Tyson Fury and the vicious power associated with Deontay Wilder.
Because of boxing’s pathetic and sometimes dangerous bureaucracy, the sensational leftie is still allowed to fly around the world winning amateur tournaments like the 2021 Olympics, while climbing up the paid rankings.
YouTube is sadly packed full of highlights of him chinning over-matched, young opponents in the unpaid code.
Prior to 2016, pro boxers were never allowed to fight an amateur, however the rules were changed to allow pros to fight at the Olympics.
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Some of the more recent Jalolov wins are hard to watch, he is clearly head and shoulders above most of his amateur opponents and some of them are getting knocked spark out.
Dozens of solid amateurs have been pulled out of super-heavy tournaments when they have seen Jalolov in the opposite corner.
And the 2019 demolition of Richard Torrez Jr probably contributed to that terrifying reputation.
So brutal was the first round KO of Torrez Jr – who is now a respected 7-0 pro – that the WBC sanctioning body even labelled it “brutal and criminal”.
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But the Uzbekistan monster has also been allowed to tot up 13 professional wins as he quietly waits to pounce on the belts once they are fragmented.
Usyk currently holds the WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight world titles, while the Gypsy King holds onto the WBC.
We are hoping and praying for an overdue undisputed decider very soon, potentially as early as December 23.
And then the four major titles are likely to fragment, with various mandatory challengers like Filip Hrgovic waiting in the wings.
Jalolov – a bizarrely gifted childhood wrestler and footballer – has been making a mockery of the amateur super-heavy class for a while.
To date he has won gold at the 2020 Olympics, the 2023 and 2019 world championships and four Asian Games.
Jalolov was a bizarrely gifted childhood wrestler and footballerCredit: @bakhodirdjalolov
The boxer won gold at the 2020 OlympicsCredit: @bakhodirdjalolov
He beat rising pros like Frazer Clarke before they went full-time.
But 2016 Team GB ace Joe Joyce does have an amateur win over the 6ft 7in leftie.
BoxRec has Jalolov’s amateur record at 102-15 which is not too far off the iconic legacies of 94-15 London 2012 winner Usyk and double golden boy Vasiliy Lomachenko, who made it to 396-1.
Last summer, Top Rank’s legendary promoter Bob Arum snapped up Jalolov and said: “Bakhodir Jalolov is one of the finest heavyweight talents in boxing today.
“His tremendous amateur credentials speak for themselves, and as a professional, he has proven to be equally devastating. 
“I truly believe he will be a heavyweight champion one day.”
Jalolov has probably slipped past the casual fan because younger professional rivals like Jared Anderson, Daniel Dubois and even teenager Moses Itauma have enjoyed more hype from their promoters and broadcasters.
But the ‘Big Uzbek’ is quietly mapping his path out to a world title shot.
Southpaws are a rare commodity in heavyweight boxing and in any division the unorthodox stance is usually assimilated with being tricky and technical.
But Jalolov wants to rip up that textbook and add power to his amateur class.
“I’m not just a puncher,” he said. “Of course, I can punch, and I know that I have power because every time I land, people go down.
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“But I have much more than that. I have a great footwork, feeling of distance and timing and speed.
“I’ll land one, but I’m not going to get hit and that’s my goal. Boxing is about ‘hit and don’t get hit’”.
‘Big Uzbek’ is quietly mapping his path out to a world title shotCredit: Rex More

TYSON FURY insists he won’t blow the biggest fight of his life like old enemy Anthony Joshua did.In 2019 the London 2012 legend was supposed to win his US debut against chunky little challenger Andy Ruiz Jr, before putting his WBA, IBF and WBO belts up against then WBC king Deontay Wilder.
Tyson Fury insists he is fully focused on fighting Francis NgannouCredit: Reuters
The Gypsy King faces Francis Ngannou next weekCredit: Getty
AJ took his eye off the ball and suffered a brutal four-knockdown loss to the Mexican and – even with a rematch win – the undisputed honour always evaded him.
Now Fury has the WBC crown and has agreed a decider with WBA, IBF and WBO boss Oleksandr Usyk.
All he has to do is survive the crossover challenge of MMA monster Francis Ngannou, who makes his boxing debut next Saturday night in Riyadh when they meet.
The similarities are striking and Fury uses the coincidences to hit Joshua – who lost back-to-back bouts with former amateur middleweight Usyk – with.
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“I am not looking past Ngannou,” he said. “I don’t look ahead to other fights or get involved in boxing politics.
“When you count your chickens before they hatch you usually come unstuck.
“I remember a few years ago when Anthony Joshua was in New York to box a little unknown called Andy Ruiz Jr but all he could talk about was fighting Deontay Wilder.
“He didn’t concentrate on the little fat fella in front of him and he ended up getting wiped out!
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TYSON FURY VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE CROSSOVER CLASH
“I don’t do stuff like that.
“I don’t care if Usyk is ringside, I am only looking forward to a good fight with Francis Ngannou.
“Whether it is easy or hard I will be prepared for it but I won’t be taking my eye off of it, especially not for some middleweight guy when I have a giant in front of me.”
Fury is going up against Ngannou in the ring and David Beckham on the box, with both sporting stars having their family lives revealed on Netflix.
But the 6ft 9in 20st behemoth doesn’t want to get into manhood measuring competition with Golden Balls, on or off the screen.
“I watched his show and thought it was good,” he said over Zoom from a Riyadh bed. 
“I’ve never been one for comparing people and all that, it doesn’t mean much to me.
“Who’s bigger, who has got more money, who has got the biggest dick. It’s irrelevant. 
“You just have to be happy with who you are as a person — if you have a small corey (Gypsy slang for penis) you have to own it and that’s it.”
Fury used to watch a couple of Rocky movies to psyche himself up to amateur tournaments as a gangly kid, so the recent death of Burt Young – who played no-nonsense Paulie in the iconic boxing franchise – caught him off guard and left a mark.
He revealed: “As you get a bit older, as we all are now, people start dropping off around you, people who are close to you, and it becomes a big part of our lives. 
“Someone has died, a friend, a relative, whoever. You keep hearing about all these famous people you used to watch on TV one at a time dropping off and soon it’ll be our turn. 
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“So we want to enjoy it while we’re here and that’s it.”
Fury v Ngannou will be exclusively live from Riyadh Season, Saudi Arabia on TNT Sports Box Office, Saturday 28th October, for more info: tntsports.co.uk/boxoffice
Fury claims he won’t make the mistake Anthony Joshua made when fighting Andy Ruiz JrCredit: AP
Fury suggested that Joshua wasn’t focused enough on Ruiz, which is why he lost the first fightCredit: Reuters More

TYSON FURY and Oleksandr Usyk shared a private phone call together before agreeing to their historic title unification. The pair of unbeaten champions have signed an agreement to meet in the heavyweight division’s first four-belt undisputed decider.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have signed to fightCredit: Reuters
Usyk and Fury shared a phone call togetherCredit: Getty
And according to Fury’s managerial rep Spencer Brown, the two actually shared a private conversation after striking a deal.
He told Boxing King Media: “Actually, Tyson and Usyk spoke to each other.
“And Tyson invited him after the fight to go to Morecombe with his kids to have a weekend away.
“Honestly, it was very easy it got done very simply and here we are today.”
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Brown revealed he had meetings with Usyk’s manager Egis Klimas in both New York and London.
And after a four-hour meeting between the two parties, a deal was signed and sealed.
Fury, 35, first returns next Saturday in Saudi Arabia against Francis Ngannou, 37, in a huge crossover clash.
And promoters then hope the Gypsy King will move onto the title unification with Usyk, 36, targeted for December 23.
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But the Ukrainian sparked doubt over the Christmas cracker having insisted he will need a 14-week training camp to prepare.
Brown responded: “I can assure you that is not the case. I spoke to his management last night about the situation, so did Frank and George Warren.
“We’ve had length conversations and that is not the case, we are full steam ahead for the 23rd.”
Fury and Usyk facing off against each otherCredit: Reuters More

ANTHONY JOSHUA has given an inside look of the retreat where he spent FOUR nights staying in the pitch black. The heavyweight superstar booked into the camp on October 14 and paid £2,000 to sit alone with his own thoughts in the darkness.
Anthony Joshua has given an inside look of his darkness retreatCredit: Snapchat @Ghost
The heavyweight superstar booked into the retreat on October 14Credit: Snapchat @Ghost
He paid paid £2,000 to sit alone with his own thoughts in the darknessCredit: Snapchat @Ghost
Now AJ has revealed a behind the scenes glimpse on his Snapchat of what the setup looked like.
The Sky Cave Dark Retreat is based in Southern Oregon near Klamath Falls and Joshua filmed himself arriving with a small suitcase.
Sat outside the hut, he said: “Many times I’ve asked myself this question; why did I put myself in this situation?
“But, this is where lions are made. Do you know I’m saying? Too many people don’t want to detach themselves.
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“What I’m trying to do is showcase to myself, there’s actually not much I need. I just need myself.”
Joshua, wearing a £370 Versace robe, enjoyed a camp fire outside before having a “detox” in the sauna and natural ice water.
And he posted a dark image with an eye emoji to symbolise his period in darkness.
Joshua opened up about the retreat before heading out in an interview with Men’s Health.
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He said: “I’m going to a place for four days where I will be on my own in total darkness, pitch black for four days.
“At the time it will be the worst thing ever, but then I think when I come out, I will say I wish I had done more.”
Joshua was alone for the duration and only given food slid under the door without any human contact.
And he revealed: “No phone. No TV. No radio. No audiobooks. Nothing.”
AJ paid £2,000 for the get away and said: “Life is all about experiences. I want to have more character and go through more experiences.
“I’m doing it for character. If I go for a walk in the woods, enjoy the scenery, the birds chirping, I’m going for peace.
“In this, though, it’s just me and my mind.”
Joshu gave a behind the scenes lookCredit: Snapchat @Ghost
Sky Cave Retreats in OregonCredit: Sky Cave Retreats
The retreat cost Joshua £2,000Credit: Sky Cave Retreats
Joshua was alone for the duration and only given food slid under the door without any human contactCredit: Sky Cave Retreats More

EDDIE HEARN has spoken out about what’s next for Anthony Joshua after his deal to fight Deontay Wilder collapsed.AJ had been lining up a dream bout with Wilder, but unfortunately saw the fight fall through.
Eddie Hearn has revealed the next move for Anthony JoshuaCredit: PA
AJ was hoping for a fight with Deontay Wilder, but negotiations fell throughCredit: Getty
And now Hearn has revealed what the next move will be for Joshua as a result.
Speaking to TalkSPORT’s Michael Benson, he said: “We were offered a deal that we accepted [but it fell through].
“It’s not my fault now that some of the alternatives may not be anywhere near the last number, so that makes us reconsider our options.
“We’re also in line potentially to fight for the IBF world title vs Filip Hrgovic/Otto Wallin.
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“So I don’t care about Deontay Wilder, he’s in his own problems, the guy ain’t fought for a year and his last fight was about 40 seconds. He don’t really wanna fight, I don’t think.”
Hrgovic’s undefeated record could prove a challenge for Joshua, while Wallin would also make a worthy competitor having only ever lost to Tyson Fury.
Although neither would leave fans frothing at the mouth the same way that a matchup against Wilder would.
The Bronze Bomber has long been in the sights of Joshua, but the American seems to have his eyes on a battle with Andy Ruiz Jr instead.
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Joshua could face Filip HrgovicCredit: Getty
Otto Wallin is another prospective competitor for AJCredit: Getty
Ruiz Jr seems keen on the idea too after he called out Wilder and demanded the two open up negotiations for a fight.
And the Mexican-American seems to be happy to waive some of the purse to make it happen, speaking to Fight Hub TV he said: “Me and him [Wilder] need to negotiate. We need to talk man-to-man, Let’s fight.
“If it’s not 50-50, let’s negotiate whatever it is. Let’s make it happen. I’m going to beat your a**e.”
Wilder looks likely to fight Andy Ruiz Jr next instead of JoshuaCredit: Getty Images – Getty More