Boxing

TYSON FURY is unfazed by Mike Tyson training Francis Ngannou for their upcoming clash in Saudi Arabia.WBC heavyweight champion Fury, 35, will step inside the ropes to take on former UFC heavyweight king Ngannou, 37, in a boxing contest on October 28.
Tyson Fury, left, will face Francis Ngannou, right, in a boxing clash next monthCredit: Getty
Mike Tyson is helping Ngannou train for the Fury fightCredit: The US Sun
Fury is an overwhelming favourite heading into the fight given he is unbeaten in 34 professional boxing bouts and Ngannou is making his debut.
In a bid to give himself the best possible chance, Ngannou has enlisted the help of legendary heavyweight champion Tyson, 57.
Fury’s father John named him after Tyson in the hope he would follow in his footsteps by becoming a world champion.
Yet while Fury has a great deal of respect for Tyson – who he first met in 2016 – he does not believe his involvement in Ngannou’s training camp will have any impact on the outcome of the fight.
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And he used one of Tyson’s most iconic phrases – ‘Everyone’s got a plan until they get punched in the face’ – to make his point.
Speaking to The Mail, Fury said: “Mike Tyson is a great guy. He is a living legend in sport.
“He is a living legend in boxing. He’s got a lot of knowledge on boxing, I think he will teach Francis a lot.
“But, I don’t [think] it would matter who trained Ngannou for this fight.
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“He’s got to fight Tyson Fury and I’m not an easy opponent for anybody no matter who is training you.
“So yeah, everyone’s got a plan until they get punched in the face. That’s exactly what’s going to happen to Ngannou when I fight him.
“He’s going to have this big plan and then he’s going to get punched in the face and it’s going to go all out the window.”
Ngannou last fought in January 2022 when he made the last defence of his UFC crown against Ciryl Gane in the octagon, winning by unanimous decision.
But he is now embarking on a new challenge as he steps into a pro boxing ring for the first time.
And he is buoyed by the help Tyson is offering him.
Ngannou said: “Having Mike Tyson present just makes you realise what is happening.
“You know that you have a fight and obviously you are serious about it but it seems like there is something missing.
“You’re like ‘Ok I have a fight but what else do I need’. Then you have Mike Tyson and he’s basically like the biggest boxing figure.
“It makes me think ‘Oh man, this is serious, very very serious. It doesn’t get more serious than this’.
“That alone brings you a lot of motivation. Even when you’re tired, even when you’re done for the day, I’m like ‘Man one more. I want to do one more’.
“I’m like ‘I just want to be like that man’. So all that stuff, has helped me mentally already.
“Then of course, there is the technical aspect that he is bringing too.
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“We all know how technical Mike Tyson was so obviously having his tips and hearing from him is very helpful for me.
“I won’t have his boxing style but I can definitely learn a lot from him.” More

BOXING fans have compared promoter Eddie Hearn to legendary comedy character David Brent after he named himself as one of the top three most famous stars in British boxing.Matchroom Sport chairman Hearn, 44, has guided the careers of some of the country’s best fighters in recent years including the likes of Anthony Joshua, Carl Froch, Kell Brook and Tony Bellew.
Eddie Hearn, right, is the promoter of heavyweight Anthony Joshua, leftCredit: Alamy
Tyson Fury is one of the biggest names in world boxingCredit: Getty
And he has also boosted his profile in the process, emerging from the shadow of his dad Barry Hearn – who founded and built Matchroom Sport for more than 40 years.
But the Essex-based promoter has received some backlash after claiming he is the third biggest name in British boxing behind heavyweight superstars Joshua and Tyson Fury.
Speaking to The Independent, he said: “If you asked someone on the street to name three people in UK boxing, they’d probably go: ‘Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Eddie Hearn.’
“Or something like that, top five maybe. That’s important.”
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This statement led to a hilarious response on social media as fans poked fun at the promoter for sounding like Brent – the cringe boss played by Ricky Gervais in British comedy The Office.
One said: “He is LEGITIMATELY David Brent. #boxing #Sessions.”
Another quoted one of Brent’s most famous lines from The Office, adding: “There goes Mr. Hearn. I must remember to THANK him.”
A third replied: “He is unbelievable.”
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David Brent is one of the most famous British comedy charactersCredit: Alamy
While a fourth responded: “‘That’s important’, not sure it really is…”
Hearn is currently negotiating a potential heavyweight dust-up between Joshua and American knockout artist Deontay Wilder for early 2024.
However, Saudi Arabian chiefs who had hoped to stage the fight are yet to confirm it is taking place.
And if it does not happen, Joshua will likely fight in December.
AJ, 33, has returned from back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk with successive wins against Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius.
There remains doubts about the Brit’s ability to compete against the elite of the division – namely Fury and Usyk.
Yet despite his three professional losses, Hearn remains eternally grateful to Joshua for what he has done for Matchroom.
He added: “He’s a one-off. Tyson Fury’s gone to great levels as well, but Joshua… We did a tremendous job with him and still do, but he was a one-off.
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“Without him, I don’t think our business would be where it is today; British boxing wouldn’t be where it is today.
“He was just a diamond that appeared in the sport.” More

TYSON FURY admits he’s saddened that Mike Tyson will be Francis Ngannou’s corner for their Saudi showdown.The Gypsy King faces the former UFC heavyweight champion in a controversial crossover Kingdom clash on October 28.
Tyson Fury faces Francis Ngannou in a crossover clash in Saudi next monthCredit: GETTY
Ex-UFC star Ngannou has enlisted the help of Mike Tyson for his professional box bowCredit: INSTAGRAM@FRANCISNGANNOU
The Gypsy King admits he’s saddened by Tyson’s decision to corner NgannouCredit: Getty
Boxing rookie Ngannou has enlisted the help of former undisputed heavyweight champion Tyson in a bid to shock the world in the ten-round exhibition.
And Fury, who was named after Iron Mike by his dad John, can’t help but feel down about the boxing icon trying to plot his demise.
The undefeated WBC heavyweight champion told Sky Sports: “I think that it’s sad, actually.
“The man that I am named after, a legend, has to go against me and then come out as a loser.
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“Having lost to a man who was named after him.
“I think that it’s sad and I think that he should be in my corner, not the opposing corner.
“But business is business and I understand that it’s strictly business.”
Tyson, 57, has been impressed by what he’s seen of Cameroonian clubber Ngannou in their brief stint working together.
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But Fury insists the American’s iconic mantra will ring true as soon as he sticks it on the MMA man-mountain.
He said: “No matter what he teaches this fella [Ngannou], no matter how much boxing training he does, everyone has got a plan until they get punched in the face.
“And I’m not sure who said that, but that is true. They’ve all got a plan until they get smacked in the mouth.”
Despite Tyson being on Team Ngannou, the Fury family still hold the New Yorker in the highest regard.
But that hasn’t stopped John from calling out the iconic heavyweight for a rumble on the undercard of his son’s controversial outing.
The 59-year-old told SecondsOut: “Why wouldn’t I not speak to Mike Tyson?
“I love the guy, I named my son after him. And if he wants to fight me on the undercard he can, no problem.” More

ANTHONY JOSHUA is “mentally broken” and not ready to fight Deontay Wilder, claims heavyweight Manuel Charr.AJ has reportedly agreed terms to fight Wilder, possibly before the end of the year.
Anthony Joshua is not ready to fight Deontay Wilder, claims Manuel CharrCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Wilder and Joshua have agreed terms to fightCredit: Getty
The Brit has bounced back from consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk by beating Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius.
But Charr believes Joshua needs more time and more fights to properly prepare for the best heavyweights in the divison, including Wilder.
Charr told Seconds Out: “Right now Joshua is mentally broken, you can see that.
“Against Andy Ruiz Jr when he got first knocked out, two losses against Usyk, he looks broken. He needs time. He is not ready for Fury.

“He needs five or six easy fights to get back to himself. If he fights Wilder next he can stop boxing after that. He is not ready for Wilder or Fury and not ready for me.”
However Eddie Hearn still believes Joshua can become undisputed champion by knocking out Wilder and then Fury.
The promoter admitted he might be slightly deluded but he has faith his fighter will reclaim his world champion status.
But first Hearn must find a venue capable of hosting a blockbuster fight between Joshua and Wilder.
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He is eyeing a potential bout at Madison Square Gardens or the Middle East, two places Joshua has fought before.
Hearn has also considered another warm-up fight before taking on Wilder after AJ’s proposed grudge match with Dillion Whyte was cancelled. More

EDDIE HEARN admits that he is “deluded” but insists he believes Anthony Joshua will knock out Deontay Wilder and then Tyson Fury.And he says that both he and his prize fighter “have the vision” of the former two-time heavyweight champ becoming the undisputed king.
Eddie Hearn says he might be ‘deluded’ but believes Anthony Joshua will be undisputed champCredit: Alamy
Talks for the long-overdue grudge match – which is currently targeted for January – between AJ and the Bronze Bomber resumed after Joshua knocked out short-notice replacement Robert Helenius last month.
The British heavyweight’s Matchroom promoter Hearn claimed this weekend that the fight had taken a huge step towards coming to fruition from a financial standpoint.
However, he also admitted they’re currently without a site for the dust-up, which should determine who is next in line to face WBC title holder Fury, while Wilder’s trainer Malik Scott has also cast doubt on the bout.
Many still hope that the Gypsy King himself will finally seal an undisputed showdown with Oleksandr Usyk, the man who dethroned Joshua.
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Many still remain unconvinced about AJ, even though he has bounced back from successive defeats to Usyk with two victories.
But Hearn told talkSPORT that he has no doubts that the 33-year-old will eventually climb back to the top of the heavyweight mountain, saying: “I’m Anthony Joshua’s No1 fan.
“In my head – call me deluded – but he’s gonna knock out Deontay Wilder and then he’s gonna knock out Tyson Fury, he’s gonna become the undisputed heavyweight world champion, and then we’re gonna sail off into the sunset.
“Call me deluded, I don’t care what you call me, I see it, we have the vision for that.”
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However, not many boxing fans appear to be as confident as Hearn.
Reacting to his bold claim, one tweeted: “Sorry Eddie but that’s not happening.”
“Oh, you crazy,” read another tweet, while a fellow social media user said: “Afraid not a chance! Wilder will finish AJ career if he chooses that route.”
And another said: “Eddie Hearn never amazes me with all his egregious comments.
“This has got to be the most outlandish comment by Eddie yet. Absolutely, unreal.” More