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    ‘They know there’s a cost of living crisis, right?’ – Boxing fans fume at DAZN price to watch Anthony Joshua fight

    FANS have been shocked at the price it will cost to watch Anthony Joshua fight Jermaine Franklin.The Brit will make his comeback against the American on April 1 at the O2 Arena in London.
    Anthony Joshua will return to the ring in AprilCredit: PA
    He will be fighting Jermaine Franklin (left) and it will be streamed on DAZNCredit: PA
    It will be his first fight since he lost his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk back in August.
    The bout will be shown live on DAZN in the UK.
    However, the monthly price to subscribe to the service has jumped from £7.99 to £19.99 per month.
    Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn has a partnership with DAZN and promoted what is coming up this year in a tweet captioned: “No PPV (Pay Per View). Just a small taster of what is to come in 2023.”
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    This has left many fans of the sport fuming with them taking to social media to vent their frustrations.
    One tweeted: “The cheek to say no PPV when the subscription fee to Dazn has just gone up.”
    A second commented: “Going to a supermarket to decide on whether to buy these eggs or get a DAZN monthly subscription is not the executive decision I’m prepared to be making in 2023, got dang it.”
    A third wrote: “They know there’s a cost of living crisis right?
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    “With BT I get moto GP, the footy, UFC and boxing. Sky the same plus NFL and F1. Dazn? Skye Nicholson and Turkish MMA. Bye, bye Eddie!”
    A fourth said: “Technically, it still is because you have to pay to view it on DAZN, and they have just magically increased the monthly fee to £19.99 per month, timely.”
    A fifth added: “No PPV but PPV price every month?”
    Speaking on the fight, Hearn has said: “You go into that fight in April – you know that with defeat, it’s all over, really. It would be a third back-to-back defeat.
    “And yet a great performance and a showreel knockout gets everyone saying, ‘We’re back, we’re back baby.’
    “That’s what I can’t wait for, because I love it when our backs are against the wall.
    “That’s the best moments and this is one of those moments for AJ. He wants a big fight in the summer.
    “The one that would make sense and the one that should be hopefully quite straightforward to make is the rematch with Dillian Whyte.
    “We’re open to a Deontay Wilder fight, we’re open to a Tyson Fury fight.” More

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    KSI forced to deny X-rated Prime drink advert is real after YouTuber and Logan Paul mocked by fighters and fans

    KSI was forced to deny an X-rated Prime drink advert was real after he was mocked.The UFC announced that Prime teamed up with KSI and Logan Paul as the new official sports drink of the MMA.
    Logan Paul and KSI at the launch of their partnership with PrimeCredit: Prime
    After the partnership with the drink was confirmed, KSI said: “What Logan Paul and I have achieved with Prime is simply mind blowing.
    “2 YouTubers with a dream, and now we’ve turned it into reality. Prime sponsors Arsenal FC and now the UFC.
    “What a time to be alive man.”
    But a fake ad has since been doing the rounds.
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    The picture showed KSI in a pink jumper taking a sip of a bottle near Paul’s lower half in an embarrassing position.
    KSI quickly revealed that it was in fact not real.
    The snap got posted to him on Twitter and he replied: “Tize bro, you know this is fake right? 😂.”
    Regardless, fans on social media have loving the made-up photo.
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    One said: “No wayyyyy 🤣🤣🤣.”
    A second said: “Don’t let him lie this is real haha.”
    A third said: “Na he told me this is 100% real no questions asked.”
    Another replied: “I don’t know man it looks pretty real to me.”
    The ad KSI claimed had been photoshopped which had Twitter users in hysterics More

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    Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin: Date, UK start time, live stream, TV channel, undercard for AJ comeback at O2 Arena

    ANTHONY JOSHUA is BACK as he prepares to face American Jermaine Franklin in a huge comeback fight. AJ hasn’t been in the ring since he lost his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk back in August.
    Anthony Joshua lost to Oleksandr Usyk for the second time back in AugustCredit: Getty
    Dillian Whyte beat Jermaine Franklin in tight circumstances back in NovemberCredit: Getty
    The former heavyweight champ is looking to get back into title contention, however, and is starting things off with a tasty clash against Franklin.
    The Michigan-born fighter lost a narrow decision to Dillian Whyte at the tail-end of 2022, but most thought he did enough to win the fight.
    Should Joshua beat Franklin, a rematch with Whyte, who he knocked out in 2015, would be well on the cards.
    Joshua’s career is effectively on the line, however, so he can’t take Franklin lightly.
    Franklin, 29, will be looking to catapult himself into the heavyweight title picture himself, and a win over Joshua would give him some newfound fame in the US.
    Robert Garcia is no longer Joshua’s trainer, with the Brit set to partner up with Derrick James out in Texas.
    Joshua will be hoping some fresh eyes in his corner can reignite his career, with future super-fights against Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder still on his mind.
    First things first – win emphatically against Franklin and those huge match-ups will be back on.
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    When is Joshua vs Franklin?

    Joshua’s big clash against Franklin will take place on Saturday, April 1.
    The event will be held at London’s O2 Arena.
    The fight will get underway at approximately 10.30pm UK time.
    The main card will begin at 6pm or 7pm GMT.

    What channel is Joshua vs Franklin and can it be live streamed?

    Joshua vs Franklin will be shown live on DAZN PPV in the UK.
    You can subscribe to DAZN in the UK for £7.99-a-month.
    The fight is available for live streaming on your mobile or tablet device from the DAZN app.

    How much will the fight cost?
    Joshua’s last fight against Usyk was priced at £26.99 on Sky Sports Box Office.
    Joshua vs Franklin will be on DAZN, but a price point has yet to be announced.
    Joshua vs Franklin full card
    The undercard for Joshua vs Franklin has yet to be announced.
    Check back at SunSport for all the latest news on the rest of the bill.
    What has been said?
    Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has said: “You go into that fight in April – you know that with defeat, it’s all over, really. It would be a third back-to-back defeat.
    “And yet a great performance and a showreel knockout gets everyone saying, ‘We’re back, we’re back baby.’
    “That’s what I can’t wait for, because I love it when our backs are against the wall.
    “That’s the best moments and this is one of those moments for AJ. He wants a big fight in the summer.
    “The one that would make sense and the one that should be hopefully quite straightforward to make is the rematch with Dillian Whyte.
    “We’re open to a Deontay Wilder fight, we’re open to a Tyson Fury fight.”
    Anthony Joshua will be looking to get back to winning ways against FranklinCredit: Dan Charity
    Who is Joshua’s new trainer Derrick James?
    Joshua had Team GB coach Rob McCracken in his corner for most of his career, but that all changed before the Usyk rematch.
    AJ brought in esteemed trainer of multiple world champions Robert Garcia.
    And though Garcia did implement a more offensive game plan against Usyk, the fight slipped away from Joshua, who has now decided to make another change.
    Joshua is set to link up with James, who trains both undisputed super-welterweight champion Jermell Charlo, and unified welterweight titleholder Errol Spence Jr.
    Both men are offensive-minded, with Spence Jr especially well-versed when it comes to educated pressure-fighting.
    James won the Ring Magazine trainer of the year award in 2017, but he also had his own fighting career once upon a time.
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    The Texan finished his career with a pro record of 27-7-1, but missed out on the chance to compete at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
    James is currently the only trainer in boxing to coach two fighters who hold multiple world titles.
    Derrick James (right) trains unified welterweight champion Errol Spence JrCredit: Getty More

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    Tyson Fury cries over love films and is completely different person to bad guy act, claims Oleksandr Usyk

    TYSON FURY is completely different to the “bad guy” act he puts together in front of the cameras, claims rival Oleksandr Usyk.Usyk also reckons that Fury loves watching romantic movies and gets so moved he “cries a little”.
    Oleksandr Usyk claims Tyson Fury watches and cries over love filmsCredit: Reuters
    Fury and Usyk are in line to fight in a blockbuster undisputed showdownCredit: Reuters
    Fury, pictured with wife Paris and their six children, is completely different to what he shows on cameras, claims UsykCredit: parisfury/Instagram
    The two undefeated heavyweights are in negotiations over a blockbuster undisputed title clash this year amid their ongoing feud.
    They had an intense confrontation after the British superstar defeated Derek Chisora in December.
    The Gypsy King delivered an expletive-laden tirade towards the Ukrainian, who was watching from the front row.
    But the 36-year-old claims Fury is completely different to what the fans saw after the bell at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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    Usyk told The Guardian: “I have been watching Tyson Fury get into the heads of his opponents for many years. And then I got into his head.
    “When there are no cameras, he is completely different.
    “He plays the bad guy for the cameras. I think he likes movies about love and when he watches them he cries a little.
    “That’s not a bad thing. When I watch some movies, I shed a tear too.”
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    When is Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk? Date, TV channel – everything we know so far
    Fury and Usyk may finally lock horns on April 29 in Saudi Arabia.
    It was initially claimed the fight could take place at Wembley, but that is now considered a back-up option.
    Fury has won 33 out of 34 fights, with one draw, whereas Usyk has been victorious in all of his 20 bouts. More

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    Anthony Joshua’s ring return confirmed with Brit taking on American Jermaine Franklin on April 1 at O2 Arena

    ANTHONY JOSHUA has confirmed his April 1 comeback against Jermaine Franklin.The 33-year-old London 2012 legend lost his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight world titles after back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
    Anthony Joshua has confirmed his April 1 comeback against Jermaine FranklinCredit: Getty
    Franklin lost to Dillian Whyte in NovemberCredit: Instagram
    Joshua announced the fight on social media on MondayCredit: Matchroom
    And he turned down a December Battle of Britain with WBC Gypsy King Tyson Fury to focus on his rebuild.
    That starts at the O2 on April Fools Day, with AJ under the guidance of new American trainer Derrick James.
    And Watford’s two-time champ says fans should get excited about his latest reincarnation.
    He tweeted confirmation of the fight on Monday afternoon alongside a promo picture and the caption: “A New Dawn 🌅”.
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    It is the first time in eight years that Joshua will NOT be fighting on pay-per-view, with the bout available to DAZN subscribers.
    However, those who are not subscribed to DAZN will have to either pay £19.99 for a one-month subscription, £9.99 per month for a full year, or £99.99 as a one-off payment for a full 12-month subscription.
    One person fuming about the bout is Dillian Whyte, who outpointed Franklin in November under the impression it was a semi-final for the Joshua showdown.
    The score between the pair is 1-1 and the 34-year-old Brixton Body Snatcher is raging he has been refused the chance to settle it.
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    Whyte told SunSport: “Everyone was told, all the boxing fans, that the winner of me and Franklin fights AJ, so this is a f***ed up thing.
    “I would have been better off losing the Franklin fight and getting the AJ fight!
    “It’s no surprise to me that they have chosen April 1 for this battle of the fools.”
    AJ was supposed to enjoy a December 17 gimme comeback – to recover from the two punishing points defeats he suffered against the Ukraine ace – and then fight Whyte in April.
    But that plan was another dud and now he is set to meet the modest American who was working in a roof insulation factory last year to feed his family.
    Whyte feels like he and the boxing fans are getting stuffed over this bout and he will not sit out in the cold until the summer.
    He even worries another AJ loss against the tough Michigan man will leave their third clash in tatters and a lot of people looking silly.
    “It hasn’t shocked me,” he said. “The people around Joshua are in the business of looking after him and running their whole operation around him.
    “I faced Franklin, the most dangerous and undefeated version of him, and beat him. He has lost his momentum and belief and he is easy pickings for Joshua now.
    “It was the first big fight of his career, Eddie was promising him many millions to fight AJ if he beat me, that was the fight of his life, and now he’s just an opponent.
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    “It’s not marinating the fight between me and Joshua, we’ve been waiting seven years already for it.
    “It’s protecting AJ because they all know that if he loses again he will probably jack it in and a lot of people will be left with their limp d***s in their hands.”
    Dillian Whyte fumed at missing out on a rematch with Anthony JoshuaCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing More

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    Fans question Tommy Fury’s preparation for Jake Paul fight as Love Island star spars brutal bare-knuckle boxer

    TOMMY FURY has divided opinion over his questionable training methods to fight Jake Paul. The celebrity boxing rivals are in camp after announcing the latest rescheduling of their bout, on February 26 in Saudi Arabia.
    Bare-knuckle boxer Danny Christie and Tommy FuryCredit: https://www.instagram.com/ifltvboxing/
    Jake Paul during a sparring session of his ownCredit: Instagram @jakepaul
    Paul, 26, has set up shop in Dubai, just 700 miles away from the scene of the pay-per-view fight in Riyadh.
    Meanwhile Fury, 23, has been training in Bolton at the Elite-Boxing in Bolton, headed up by head coach Alex Matvienko.
    And the gym welcomed Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship star Danny Christie through their doors to spar.
    Fans feared Fury made a mistake by bringing the bare-knuckle boxer into sparring opposed to a more traditional style.
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    One said: “He should be sparring real boxers.”
    Another said: “Another mistake from tommy.”
    One added: “Needs to be sparring top class boxers or people above him to prepare.. hope he don’t take it lightly.”
    But others suggested Christie’s style could match up well to Paul’s, who only debuted as a professional three years ago.
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    One said: “Pretty obvious why he’s chosen him for sparring you divs.
    “He will be quite similar to Paul in terms of technical ability quite crude and power reliant. Maybe a bit better technically than Paul if anything tbh he’s decent.
    “Will show tommy and his team ways to deal with that unpredictable unschooled if you style. Of course he’s sparring with other people, deary me.”
    Another argued: “Christie and Paul are similar styles! Good choice imo! Unorthodox!”
    One commented: “I’m a fan of this. Good little fighter is Danny and absolutely relentless. Good sparring for Tommy that.”
    Jake Paul and Tommy Fury facing off for the first timeCredit: Getty More

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    Jake Paul backed to beat Tommy Fury in grudge fight by ex-UFC star Luke Rockhold who says Brit ‘ain’t got no dog in him’

    JAKE PAUL will beat Tommy Fury, who “ain’t got no dog in him”, according to ex-UFC champion Luke Rockhold. Paul is finally set to face Fury on February 26, who has been forced out of the grudge match twice before due to injury and US visa issues.
    Jake Paul and Tommy Fury facing off ahead of their fightCredit: Reuters
    It will be the YouTuber-turned prizefighter’s first opponent with a recognised professional boxing record in his 6-0 career.
    But Rockhold – who left the UFC this year – blasted 23-year-old Fury’s boxing ability and predicted Paul to win the Saudi Arabia fight.
    He told InsideFighting: “You gotta have a dog in you. He ain’t got no dog in him. I’ve watched him fight. He doesn’t even finish his punches.
    “You know, he has no commitment to finishing it. He’s a show. He’s a show fighter. And I got Jake.
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    “And I don’t even think Jake has that much, like, he has commitment, at least. He doesn’t have patience.
    “He doesn’t have that f***ing mentality when he gets in the game, I think he’s blinded. He’s got that deer in the headlights, but at least he throws.”
    Paul, 26, beat UFC legend Anderson Silva, 47, in his last fight in October, his biggest win to date.
    But Rockhold, 38, mocked the victory and called to fight the American after mutually parting with the UFC.
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    He said to TMZ: “Stop trying to fight little dudes. F***ing [155] pounders. You’re a middleweight.
    “If you want to fight a middleweight, I got hands. We can do anything we want. I really don’t care. I’d beat that guy in my sleep.”
    “I got some freedom to do some things and as you can see, I like throwing hands these days.
    “Fight people your own f***ing weight. Straight up. And champions, a real champion, a real contender.
    “A real someone who can put you on your ass. not old guys, 55-year-olds, or lightweights.
    “You can’t even get above a welterweight, dog, So, step up.”
    Luke Rockhold called out Jake Paul after leaving the UFCCredit: Getty More

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    Jake Paul compared to boxing legend Muhammad Ali as he gears up for Saudi Arabia showdown with Tommy Fury

    JAKE PAUL is the best promoter in combat sports since boxing legend Muhammad Ali, according to Professional Fighters League founder Donn Davis.The Youtuber will compete in his seventh professional contest on February 26 when he faces Love Island star Tommy Fury in Saudi Arabia.
    Jake Paul will face Tommy Fury in the Middle East later this monthCredit: Getty
    Muhammad Ali is widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all timeCredit: Getty
    Paul, who boasted a substantial following before turning his hand to the fight game, has built on his online fame with six wins in the pro ranks against celebrities and MMA stars.
    Now he is preparing to take on a fully-fledged boxer for the first time in his career.
    But in the lead-up to the announcement of his bout with Fury, Paul also revealed he had signed a deal with the PFL to compete in MMA.
    And Davis feels his organisation have attracted the best self-promoter in the world.
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    Speaking to TSN, he said: “If you look at each of them individually, Jake is the best marketer and promoter we’ve seen in combat sports ever. Ever. Maybe since Muhammad Ali.
    “With Nakisa [Bidarian], he’s one of five people in the world that understand the economics and financials of pay-per-view. Maybe one of the five.
    “So, we have one of the best businessmen in pay-per-view and we have one of the best promoters and marketers in pay-per-view now exclusively on the PFL platform to help us build that division. Couldn’t be more exciting.”
    Ali is considered one of the greatest ever boxers, winning 56 of his 61 contests.
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    He was also renowned for his impact outside the ring.
    Davis’ comments have been widely criticised by the combat sports community.
    And UFC legend Daniel Cormier was one high-profile ex-fighter to vocalise his disdain for the comparison.
    He said: “Is there a comparison between Jake Paul and Muhammad Ali? Did I miss something?
    “Because we know that Muhammad Ali is the greatest promoter of our generation, of his generation, of our generation.”
    Paul is the bookies’ favourite to beat Fury – the brother of world heavyweight champion Tyson.
    When the pair came face-to-face last month, Paul said: “He’s going to get knocked out by a Disney star, plain and simple, that’s it.
    “You’ll see, you’ll see who the real professional boxer is. All these critics, all these people saying, ‘Fight a real boxer.’ Here we go.
    “Tommy has so much to lose, his family is going to disown him when I knock him the f*** out, plain and simple, that’s it.
    “Sorry Tyson, I love you but it’s over for your brother.”
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    To which 8-0 Fury responded: “I’ve beaten better people than you when I was 14 in the amateurs. I will school you. I’m not an MMA guy.
    “I was beating people better than you when I was 14, when you was messing about on Disney Channel, so don’t come round here pretending you’re about it when you’re not.” More