Boxing

A FAMILIAR foe is at the front of the queue to face Anthony Joshua next after his return win against Jermaine Franklin. AJ bounced back from consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk with an uninspiring points victory over the American at the O2 Arena.
Anthony Joshua with promoter Eddie HearnCredit: Rex
Franklin had lost in November to Dillian Whyte, who was in attendance to watch AJ’s victory.
And promoter Eddie Hearn revealed Whyte, 34, is the leading name to fight Joshua, 33, next.
He told Chris Mannix: “I think that’s the frontrunner. I quite like the Otto Wallin fight, really, but he’s a southpaw.
“So if a deal can be reached with Dillian Whyte, then I think that would be a smart fight for both.”
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Joshua’s history with Whyte dates back to the amateurs, losing their thriller but avenging the loss by stoppage in the pros six years later.
And Hearn believes a series decider could bring the best out of AJ, who failed to blow away Franklin, 29, in his comeback bout.
Wallin – who gave Tyson Fury 47 stitches during his 2019 loss – is an alternative option for Joshua despite being a southpaw.
But with huge fights against Fury or Deontay Wilder on the horizon for AJ, an orthodox opponent for his return is more likely.
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Hearn said: “I like the [Otto Wallin] fight in that respect and because he had a good fight with Fury, but the problem is, he’s a southpaw.
“But when you’re progressing with a trainer, the last thing Derrick James wants is a southpaw, especially when you’re not going to go and fight another southpaw in Fury and Wilder.
“So why would you go and fight another southpaw?”
Dillian Whyte is in line to fight Anthony Joshua againCredit: NEWS GROUP NEWSPAPERS LTD
Tyson Fury needed 47 stitches after beating Otto Wallin in 2019Credit: Reuters More

TYSON FURY could turn to Andy Ruiz Jr as a summer opponent in the UK after talks with Oleksandr Usyk collapsed. Fury and Usyk were nearing a deal to unify all four heavyweight titles for the first time in the division’s history.
Tyson Fury could fight Andy Ruiz Jr in the summerCredit: Getty
Ruiz Jr beat Luis Ortiz in his last fightCredit: Rex
But terms for the undisputed decider on April 29 at Wembley collapsed amid a row over the finances for a potential rematch.
It has left Fury, 34, and his promoters looking for an alternative fight and Mexican-American Ruiz, 33, is among the options.
Bob Arum told Cornerman Boxing: “He’s been in Italy on vacation with his family.
“He’s back in England, and we’re talking to him, and we’re looking for the best available guy for him to fight this summer in the UK.
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“Maybe it’ll be Andy Ruiz or somebody like that.”
Ruiz was last in action in September, beating Luis Ortiz over 12 rounds which put him in line to face Deontay Wilder.
But the title eliminator failed to materialise, with Wilder instead linked with a crossover bout against ex-UFC champ Francis Ngannou, 36.
Meanwhile Usyk, 36, has now been ordered into a WBA mandatory title defence against Daniel Dubois with talks currently ongoing.
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Fury has teased fighting unbeaten Joe Joyce while Anthony Joshua has not been ruled out either.
But Hall of Famer Arum hopes Usyk can come through Dubois to set up the unification blockbuster in the Middle East before the year’s end.

He said: “Hopefully, if he’s (Fury) successful and Usyk is fighting Dubois over in the UK, and then in November or December, the two guys can meet in Saudi Arabia so that we can have one heavyweight champion.”
Oleksandr Usyk, Bob Arum and Tyson Fury in 2021Credit: Getty More

JOE JOYCE claimed Anthony Joshua is “ripe for the picking” after regressing as a boxer. Joyce was left unimpressed by AJ’s return win over 12 rounds against Jermaine Franklin – believing he would knock out the pair.
Joe Joyce has called out Anthony JoshuaCredit: Getty
Anthony Joshua beat Jermaine Franklin in his return fightCredit: Getty
He told Sky Sports: “I’d knock both of them out with their performance the other night.
“I’d definitely force a stoppage on Franklin and Joshua’s ripe for the picking.
“Not great but [Joshua] got the job done. He went 12 rounds, I thought he would come with some more firepower and aim to push a stoppage but he wasn’t really putting shots together.
“He was [using] single shots and boxed kind of like he did in the [Andy] Ruiz second fight. So it was a little bit disappointing.
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“He seems to have gone, in my opinion, a bit backwards. Hasn’t progressed. I think he lacked the combinations but I think Franklin was a tough guy.”
Joyce, 37, is currently the WBO mandatory challenger and interim title holder for the belt held by Oleksandr Usyk, 36.
It leaves him in a better position than Joshua, 33, in the title picture.
Joyce said: “That would be his route back in.
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“It would definitely be his way back in because I’m in front of him now, at last, high up the rankings and obviously got the WBO Interim.
“I was always trying to catch up with him but now I’ve overtaken him, so that’s good. That’s what I wanted.
“But I haven’t caught up to him financially yet so I need to have those big fights.”
Anthony Joshua and Joe Joyce at the 2016 OlympicsCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd More

TYSON FURY gains a leg up on his heavyweight competition thanks to the help of strength and conditioning expert Kristian Blacklock. The two first linked up in 2015, before Fury went on to shock and dethrone Wladimir Klitschko.
Strength and conditioning expert Kristian Blacklock with Tyson FuryCredit: https://www.instagram.com/kristianblacklock/
Boxing coach Sugarhill Steward, Tyson Fury, Kristian Blacklock and Isaac LoweCredit: https://www.instagram.com/kristianblacklock/
Tyson Fury and Kristian Blacklock began working together in 2015Credit: https://www.instagram.com/kristianblacklock/
Since then, they have had five more world title fights, including two knockout wins over Deontay Wilder, 37.
Coach Blacklock’s gym is based in Ormskirk, a market town in West Lancashire, where Fury also resides.
The Gypsy King spends at least two days a week with Blacklock, sometimes as many as four.
And when the WBC champion first returns to camp, he has a two week fitness based drills before getting back to his boxing.
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It all starts with a thorough warm up but as Blacklock explained to the Daily Mail, it was not something Fury was ever used to.
Blacklock said: “Tyson used to be nightmare when it came to warming up. Tyson used to turn up and expect to train.
“When I started working with him in 2015 he said he had never warmed up properly before. He didn’t warm up at all.”
Fury, 34, has become a heavy-hitter in recent years since linking up with American trainer Sugarhill Steward.
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But with four knockouts in as many bouts, Blacklock can also be credited for conditioning Fury’s powerful legs.
He said: “Everyone looks at Tyson and doesn’t think he has strong legs. I think it’s because he has such long legs.
“But, he does loads of leg sessions. His legs are really strong and his quads are big but people just see the massive long legs.”
Fury is also not shy of revealing his favourite leg-based exercises.
Blacklock said: “Tyson swears by lunges. He gets a lot of sparring partners coming in, good young pros, and they often join in with the S&C.
“They hear Tyson swearing by lunges. He says when you have strong legs in the ring it makes a massive difference.”
Fury recently started training to fight Oleksandr Usyk, 36, in the heavyweight division’s first four-belt unification bout.
He does loads of leg sessions. His legs are really strong and his quads are big but people just see the massive long legs.”Kristian Blacklock on Tyson Fury
But after talks broke down, Joe Joyce, 37, and Andy Ruiz Jr, 34, have been named as alternative opponents.
Fury drafted in ex-WBO champion Joseph Parker, 31, to help him train for Usyk and the two continue to push each other in the gym.
Blacklock revealed: “Joseph Parker can actually deadlift more than Tyson.
“If you look at their physiques, Tyson’s not got the best physique for deadlifting.
“He’s got really long legs. But Tyson can deadlift around 220kg. That’s proper deadlifts though.
“All the way to the floor and with a proper Olympic bar. This is a little bit higher and a little bit easier.
“‘For his length of leg to be able to do that is actually really impressive. Joe can actually lift a little bit more.
Tyson Fury working on a strength drill
“Joe can actually lift 240/250kg. But, Joe is about five inches shorter so it’s a lot easier for him.”
Blacklock also likes to keep his sessions sports-specific, ensuring Fury does not overdo it in the gym.
He explained: “If you factor in warm-ups, cool-downs and stretching, you’re probably looking at an hour and a half. Maximum.
“I don’t see any point in doing longer than that. Once you get over a certain amount of training, I think it just become pointless.
“Boxing is 36 minutes for a start so it’s not a full-on endurance sport in the way that a marathon is.

“They are stopping every three minutes for a minute rest. It’s only the top fights that are 36 minutes as well.
“Others are six, eight or 10 round fights. So going out for an hour long run is pointless.”
Tyson Fury with his training team in 2018Credit: Twitter @Tyson_Fury More