Boxing

TYSON FURY is now the second longest reigning lineal heavyweight champion of all time.Fury won the honour when he dethroned Wladimir Klitschko, along with the WBA, IBF and WBO titles.
Tyson Fury is now the second longest reigning lineal heavyweight champion of all timeCredit: Getty
And although he vacated the straps after a hiatus from the ring, as the British legend was not beaten, he retained lineal status.
Fury would reign as champion again in 2020 by beating Deontay Wilder for the WBC belt.
He has since defended the crown three times and is in talks to unify the division against Oleksandr Usyk.
It would crown the heavyweight division’s first ever four-belt undisputed champion.
READ MORE IN BOXING
In that time period, Fury has reigned as the lineal champion for seven years and two months, surpassing Jack Dempsey’s record.
But he has some way to go to dethrone Joe Louis, who was on top for 11 years and eight months.
When Fury, 34, knocked out Dillian Whyte, also 34, last April, he called himself the greatest heavyweight of all time.
He said: “I’m the best heavyweight there’s ever been, there ain’t ever been one who could beat me.
Most read in Boxing
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST NEW CUSTOMER SIGN UP DEALS
“I’m not just being confident. Six foot nine frame, 270 pound weight, can move like a middleweight, can hit like a thunderstorm and can take a punch like anybody else.
“I’ve got balls like King Kong, a heart of a lion, the mindset of the Wizard Oz, it is what it is.”
Fury and Usyk, 36, are currently in talks for an April 29 fight at Wembley stadium.
Oleksandr Usyk is in talks to fight Tyson FuryCredit: Getty More

DEONTAY WILDER is a “free agent” after Eddie Hearn teased talks – paving way for an Anthony Joshua super-fight.Wilder revealed he is still on good terms with Premier Boxing Champions – but is speaking to other outfits.
Deontay Wilder announced himself as a free agentCredit: Getty
He told 78SportsTV : “No bad blood. I’m still part of PBC. I’m just an open agent, open fighter.
“I want to fight on all types of platforms, I’m willing to work with anyone. I have no problem with PBC, we’re still thriving.
“We’re still working together as far as I know of. Me and Al Haymon still communicate, there is no bad blood.
“We are working on a number of things and I shall return real soon, it has just been an ongoing thing dealing with the business of boxing.
read more in Boxing
“We have been travelling to all the different places, because I want to know what is going on and where it is going to take place.
“Once we get everything together, we are going to make an announcement and it is going to be amazing.”
Joshua’s alliance with sports streaming app DAZN and Wilder’s history with Showtime and Fox made a TV deal hard to negotiate.
But the American’s team have remained open to at last making a blockbuster deal with AJ.
Most read in Boxing
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST NEW CUSTOMER SIGN UP DEALS
Hearn was probed on whether he himself has spoken to Wilder and the promoter failed to deny it.
Asked by iD Boxing if he has spoken to Wilder, he responded: “Possibly.”
Joshua, 33, returns on April 1 against Jermaine Franklin, 29, following consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk, 36.
Meanwhile Wilder, 37, has been ordered into a WBC final eliminator bout against Andy Ruiz Jr, 33, with talks ongoing.
Anthony Joshua with promoter Eddie HearnCredit: Getty More

TYSON FURY and promoter Frank Warren are refusing to ever entertain a showdown with Anthony Joshua again.The rivals were on course to throw down in 2021 before Deontay Wilder threw a spanner into the works by winning his arbitration for a trilogy fight with Fury.
Tyson Fury offered Anthony Joshua a shock world title lifeline last yearCredit: Getty
But the eagerly-anticipated domestic dust-up failed to come to fruitionCredit: GETTY
Neither The Gypsy King or promoter Frank Warren will entertain the fight againCredit: PA
The biggest fight in the history of British boxing almost came to fruition late last year when Fury threw AJ a shock world title lifeline.
But negotiations failed to bear fruit, much to the frustration of Warren, who told SecondsOut: “I wouldn’t even want to go down that road again.
“We wasted a lot of time.
“I know you’ve got the people who wonder who was telling the truth, we were telling the truth.
READ MORE IN BOXING
“When you look at it, he never had a trainer or anything so what on earth were we negotiating for to fight in December.
“It’s just a waste of everybody’s time.
“I don’t want to keep going back to Tyson, Tyson won’t even entertain it at the moment, absolutely not.
“I don’t even want to bring up Anthony Joshua’s name to him.”
Most read in Boxing
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST NEW CUSTOMER SIGN UP DEALS
Fury, 34, said of throwing down with the former two-time unified heavyweight champ: “I don’t even go there anymore.
“No interest in any AJ questions. Zero. Man’s dead in my eyes.
“There’s no business between me and him to be done. Finished.”
Fury is currently in negotiations over a blockbuster undisputed heavyweight title fight with Oleksandr Usyk.
But talks have hit the rocks following a dispute over the 50-50 purse split, which Team Fury believe is unfair.

When is Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk? Date, TV channel – everything we know so far
Dad John told All Out Fighting: “That’s what the delay is with Tyson – they won’t pay him what he’s worth.
“They want him for nothing.
“They want to make the money, they want the lion’s share and to give Tyson the small end.
Read More on The Sun
“That ain’t going to wash with us. It’s the Fury’s way, or the highway, we bow down to no one.
“We are the kings of the ring at the minute.” More

EDDIE HEARN claimed Tyson Fury’s undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk is “not big enough” for Saudi Arabia – as Anthony Joshua is not involved.The unbeaten champions are still in talks for the heavyweight division’s first ever four-belt unification bout.
Promoter Eddie Hearn with Anthony JoshuaCredit: PA
But backers in Saudi Arabia have pulled out with Wembley stadium on April 29 now set to host.
Rival promoter Hearn insisted the mega-money in the Middle East is not being fronted as star man AJ is not fighting.
He told BoxingScene: “The fight’s not big enough.
“The fight’s not big enough for the money Tyson Fury wants because it doesn’t involve Anthony Joshua.
READ MORE IN BOXING
“[Joshua] may be the only guy that can command that kind of money, but hopefully we can make Tyson Fury [fight] against Anthony Joshua, and then Tyson will get the numbers he wants.”
Joshua, 33, first boxed in Saudi in 2019 when he avenged his shock loss to Andy Ruiz Jr, 33, six months earlier.
And he returned last August in another rematch but this time lost to Usyk, 36, who first beat the Brit a year beforehand.
It has set the Ukrainian up for an undisputed title decider against Fury, 34, which Hall of Famer Arum confirmed is eyed for London.
Most read in Boxing

When is Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk? Date, TV channel – everything we know so far
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST NEW CUSTOMER SIGN UP DEALS
Arum told iD Boxing: “We’re looking to put the fight at Wembley stadium and we’re getting close with the negotiations with both Usyk and his promoter K2 and with Tyson.
“So hopefully we can get busy with that fight as early as next week and get the thing going.
“We would like very much to do a press conference not only in London but to bring the fighters over to New York and to do a press conference in New York as well.”
Tyson Fury facing off with Oleksandr UsykCredit: Reuters More

TYSON FURY is willing to walk away from his showdown with Oleksandr Usyk if he doesn’t receive the “lion’s share” of the purse.Negotiations over the historic undisputed heavyweight title fight recently hit the rocks over Usyk’s demands for a 50-50 purse split.
Tyson Fury was seemingly set for an spring showdown with Oleksandr UsykCredit: REUTERS
But talks over the undisputed heavyweight title fight have recently hit the rocksCredit: GETTY
John Fury has revealed the fight has been delayed due to a purse rowCredit: INSTAGRAM
But Team Fury are adamant The Gypsy King is the A-side and deserves a bigger split of the pie with dad John telling All Out Fighting: “That’s what the delay is with Tyson – they won’t pay him what he’s worth.
“They want him for nothing.
“They want to make the money, they want the lion’s share and to give Tyson the small end.”
Neither Fury, 34, nor dad John will back down in the purse row, which could potentially scupper the planned April 29 dust-up.
READ MORE IN BOXING
John continued: “That ain’t going to wash with us. It’s the Fury’s way, or the highway, we bow down to no one.
“We are the kings of the ring at the minute.”
Usyk’s manager and pal Alexander Krassuyk jetted into London this week for showdown talks to try and finalise the first undisputed heavyweight dust-up in nearly 25 years.
Fury co-promoter Frank Warren told talkSPORT earlier this week: “We are very, very close to getting this [Fury vs Usyk] done. Very, very close.
Most read in Boxing
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023
“His people are coming in tomorrow and I’m hoping we’re gonna get some news for everybody. We’re close to getting it done.
“Tomorrow we’re gonna meet up. Alex Krassyuk, his promoter, is coming to the Arsenal vs Man City game with me.
“I’m hoping that if I can get enough wine down him that we can do the deal.
“We’re meeting him to get an agreement on the various scenarios to make it happen.
“There’s a few more hurdles for both sides to get over. They’re not [insurmountable], not at all. Location is the main thing.
“If we go abroad, then you go there for a premium, that’s the reason you do it.
“If not, then we get down to the reality of what it’ll be at Wembley where the numbers are what they are.

When is Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk? Date, TV channel – everything we know so far
“We broke the box office record with the fight vs Dillian Whyte last April.
“If we get this one on, I think that will break that record.
“I think it’s well in excess of a million [UK PPV] buys, one-and-a-half million.
“It’s not like we’ve got to go and sell Usyk, he’s beaten Anthony Joshua twice, the public know who he is. It’s not a tough sell at all.
“We’ve got a pencil on it [April 29] for obvious reasons, just in case, we’ve gotta make sure we’ve got some insurance. So there’s a pencil on the date
Read More on The Sun
“In a perverse way, I would like to see it at Wembley because I’d like to see all the records broken and obviously see the fight in the UK.
“But from the boxers and their bank managers’ point of view, they would like to maximise what they can earn for an historic fight.” More