Boxing

ANTHONY JOSHUA says he can be the key to Tyson Fury redeeming himself after the breakdown in talks to fight Oleksandr Usyk. Fury failed in his attempt to unify all four heavyweight belts for the first time in history after negotiations with Usyk collapsed.
Anthony Joshua returns again Jermaine Franklin on Saturday and wants Tyson Fury nextCredit: Getty
Fury’s talks to fight Oleksandr Usyk collapsedCredit: Getty
The historic title unification was KOd, reportedly due to a row over the financials for a potential rematch.
But now AJ and his promoter Eddie Hearn hope to capitalise by sealing a fight against Fury instead.
Joshua said: “There’s no better time to get Fury in the ring than now because he needs me to redeem himself from this circus, this letdown.
“He needs me so there’s no better time than for him to call my name out and I’m someone that will take on any challenge.”
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Joshua, 33, returns on Saturday at the O2 Arena against American Jermaine Franklin in a must-win comeback bout.
It comes after two consecutive defeats to Usyk where he lost and failed to regain the WBA, IBF and WBO belts.
The Ukrainian champion then hoped to take the trio of titles into an undisputed decider with Fury.
He even accepted a lowball 70/30 offer to get a deal over the line until talks ultimately halted at the 11th hour over terms for a rematch.
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Joshua still backs his two divisional rivals to fight but refused to point the finger and play the blame game after the bout broke down.
He told BBC 5 Live: “It’s not my position to slate or slag anyone off.
“I’m pretty sure that fight will happen because I feel like there could potentially be a method to the madness.
“If, number one, I was in that position [and] didn’t take that fight, how would people treat me?
“And number two, if I didn’t take that fight what would Fury have to say about me? So I’m not going to stoop to that level.
“I respect everyone that steps into the ring. But I just sometimes think some people should watch their mouths a bit.”
Tyson Fury facing off with Oleksandr UsykCredit: REUTERS More

FRANK WARREN has denied talks for Tyson Fury to fight Anthony Joshua after Eddie Hearn teased sending over contracts. The pair of heavyweight superstars have tried and failed in the past to commence a blockbuster Battle of Britain bout.
Tyson Fury with promoter Frank WarrenCredit: PA
Anthony Joshua and his promoter Eddie HearnCredit: PA
They even had an agreement in place to fight last December until talks once again collapsed.
Joshua, 33, now returns on Saturday against Jermaine Franklin, 29, in his must-win comeback bout.
Meanwhile Fury, 34, has been left in the lurch after his proposed title unification with Oleksandr Usyk, 36, suffered a similar KO.
Hearn could capitalise by pitting AJ against the Gypsy King at last with talks said to have already started.
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In quotes reported by Daily Mail, he said: “I have had talks this week with George Warren and fundamentally the original contract is still in place and we all know that the timing is perfect now, as it happens because of the circumstances with Usyk.
“This is the very last chance for this huge fight to happen. I expect to be exchanging pilot contracts with Queensberry soon.
“Maybe as early as next week. AJ knows there’s a big opportunity. At last. So much at stake now, but he also has his total focus on Franklin.”
Despite Hearn’s hope, Fury’s promoter Frank Warren hit back to talkSPORT: “It was a 30-second conversation.
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“That thing that was in the Mail yesterday, George rang Hearn and said, ‘What’s this all about?’ He said he was unaware of it. I’m just telling you what he said.
“George said it was less than a 30-second conversation and we’ve not even discussed it with Tyson.
“Really annoyed about that because that 100 per cent did not happen. ‘Contracts are gonna be signed in the next week’, it’s just absolute b****cks.
“This is what starts all that stuff going, I know you’re in the social media business and we are to a certain extent, but social media’s actually killing some of the fights because of the expectation level.
“Something’s exploded and the next minute it’s, ‘Why’s that not happened?’
“I don’t wanna be conducting negotiations through social media. That became part of the downfall of the fight with Usyk.”
Anthony Joshua ahead of his return fightCredit: Getty More

FANS are convinced that they know why Tyson Fury won’t fight Oleksandr Usyk.The revelation from fans comes after the emergence of footage showing Fury talking about his fight with Steve Cunningham.
Tyson Fury previously said that his bout with Steve Cunningham was his ‘hardest fight’Credit: Alamy
And fans think that is why he will not fight Oleksandr UsykCredit: Reuters
Fans made the argument after footage of an old Fury interview emergedCredit: https://www.tiktok.com/@thegreendevil20/video/7213436842291563781?_r=1&_t=8b1VRvNonTx
While Fury won the 2013 bout against the American with a seventh-round knockout, he claimed that it was his “hardest fight” he ever had.
In the TikTok video, Fury says: “Cunningham was the hardest fight I ever did have in my whole career, amateur or professional.
“The reason being, he was very slippery.
“The way I explain Cunnigham is like a conger eel pouring oil all in front of me.
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“I couldn’t pin him down, he was light on his feet, he was weighing 208lbs or something.
“He was a three-time cruiserweight champion of the world.”
The video then ends with a clip of the fight between the two in which Fury gets knocked down by a punch from Cunningham.
And fans believe that Usyk has a similar style to that of Cunningham and that is the real reason why Fury did not want to fight the Ukrainian.
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One commented: “Usyk reminded him and he avoided it.”
A second wrote: “Yep I remember this interview and Usyk is miles and miles better than Cunningham.”
A third said: “One thing is guaranteed, Usyk would be a harder fight in every way.”
A fourth user added: “I think the point people are making is that Usyk is a far better, technical, quicker fighter than Cunningham.”
Talks between Fury and Usyk collapsed amid a row over the financials for a potential rematch.
Both sides have blamed each other for failing to get it on.
The pair had agreed in principle to an undisputed fight on April 29. More

THIS is the jaw-dropping moment giant heavyweight Patrick Mailata put his 6ft 9in opponent on the floor with an incredible punch.The New Zealander stepped into the ring for a fight against rival Antonio Mireles and turned his legs to jelly with a brutal right hook.

Antonio Mireles’s legs turned to jelly after being hit by the powerful Patrick MailataCredit: Instagram / @SkySportsBoxing
Mailata knocked him down, but he did not claim victoryCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Eddie Hall won the World’s Strongest Man in 2017Credit: Alamy
Mailata weighed-in at an incredible 321lbs, which is ten pounds heavier than strongman Eddie Hall was for his “titanweight’ bout with Thor Bjornsson.
Mireles came into the fight with a perfect record, having won all of his previous six clashes inside the first two rounds.
However, the man nicknamed El Gigante was hit with the crushing right hand of his opponent in the third round and his legs buckled.
The American wobbled under the pressure before finally hitting the canvas after a flurry of follow-up blows
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The commentator said: “Down goes Mireles. He was on skates.”
Fans were just as shocked, one said: “Mailata is a beast.”
But Mireles miraculously managed to get back up before the referee’s count was over.
And nobody could believe what happened next.
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Mireles was inspired afterwards and put in an incredible performance to somehow claim victory via a split decision.
Some felt Mailata was hard done by, with a supporter saying: “He just got robbed big time.”
It was the second loss of his eight-match professional career.
Antonio Mireles continued his unbeaten run in the ringCredit: Getty More

HAVING sparred against Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, Fabio Wardley knows a thing or two about heavy hitters. However, he reckons none of them hit harder than Dillian Whyte.
Fabio Wardley has revealed who packs the heaviest punch in the heavyweight divisionCredit: PA
Dillian Whyte is famed for his left hookCredit: DAVE THOMPSON/MATCHROOM
Whyte is the only one of the quartet not to have won a heavyweight world title outright – holding the interim WBC title twice between 2019 and 2022 – but according Wardley, he packs the heaviest punch.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Wardley lifted the lid on his sparring sessions against some of the best boxers in the heavyweight division.
He said: “To date, I’ve ticked most of them off now.
“I’ve done Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Dillian Whyte, Oleksandr Usyk, Filip Hrgovic, Derek Chisora.
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“All the big names and top ten guys, I’ve ticked them all off, which is something I’m quite happy with and I’m thankful to them for giving me that opportunity.
“I’ve done more rounds with some than others.
“Like with Joshua I’ve only done maybe ten rounds in total, whereas with Hrgovic I spent about a month in Miami with him training and when you spend more time with someone there’s more opportunity for them to land some sweeter shots.
“But, the single time I’ve been hit the hardest is Dillian Whyte I think when he’s caught me with that quick check left hook a few times and it catches you by surprise.”
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15-0-0 star Wardley has been guided in his pro career by Whyte, who has been his manager since 2018.
Wardley’s next bout is pencilled in for Saturday on the undercard for the clash between Joshua and Jermaine Franklin.
The 28-year-old Ipswich fighter will be facing off with Michael Polite Coffie for the WBA Continental title.
Credit: SUNSPORT
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