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      Anthony Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn opens door to ‘fascinating’ fight with Francis Ngannou after MMA star’s UFC exit

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      EDDIE HEARN has opened the door to a “fascinating” fight between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou. Ngannou is free to make a switch to boxing after walking out on the UFC while champion after failing to agree a new contract.
      Eddie Hearn opened the door to a ‘fascinating’ fight between Anthony Joshua and Francis NgannouCredit: PA
      Francis Ngannou has left the UFCCredit: Getty
      The Cameroonian called out Joshua, 33, and Tyson Fury, 34, with the prospect talked up by promoter Hearn.
      He told DAZN: “I think AJ is all about the biggest fights and the biggest challenges.
      “I think AJ has got his mind on becoming a three-time world champion, but a fight against Francis Ngnannou is fascinating.”
      Ngannou, 36, has been stripped of the UFC heavyweight title and confirmed he is eyeing a move into boxing.
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      He said on The MMA Hour: “I still want to achieve something in boxing and I want to stay in MMA as well.
      “I discovered MMA first in my life and I feel like I have some mileage to give in my sport.
      “In a perfect world, I go out there get some boxing match then get some MMA, depending on the challenges that are out there.
      “If they are out there, I want to fight the top guys in boxing. I don’t know, I think Fury has retired and come back.
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      “I don’t know where Fury is right now, but now it is time. Before, we could not do anything concrete beyond the social media stuff.
      “Whatever it is, if it is with Tyson Fury, I will take it. I have no problem doing boxing with 4oz gloves, we will figure it out.
      “Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua would be my first ideal opponent.”
      Francis Ngannou pictured with UFC president Dana WhiteCredit: Getty More

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      Kell Brook, 36, ready to make return and ‘desperate’ to fight Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith winner and will be ringside

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      KELL BROOK will be ringside to watch Chris Eubank Jr’s fight with Liam Smith – because he is “desperate” for the winner. Brook walked away on top after stopping long-time rival Amir Khan in six rounds last February.
      Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith ahead of their fightCredit: Getty
      Kell Brook will be ringside to watch Chris Eubank Jr’s fight with Liam SmithCredit: Getty
      But the former IBF welterweight world champion has struggled to avoid the temptation of a comeback.
      Brook’s intrigue will bring him to Manchester on Saturday, the scene of the crime for his retirement fight.
      Promoter Ben Shalom told Sky Sports: “Kell will be there on Saturday.
      “He’s desperate for the winner of that fight. He wanted the Eubank fight after the Khan fight.
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      “He feels he wants the winner of this fight whether that’s Liam Smith or whether that’s Eubank Jr.
      “There is a rematch clause, so if Liam does win Eubank will have the option with that one.
      “But there’ll be massive fights for whoever the winner is. Huge nights and Kell Brook definitely wants to be one of them.”
      Brook, 36, held talks to fight Eubank after stopping rival Khan, 36, but it led to nothing.
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      Eubank, 33, instead moved on to a mega-fight with Conor Benn, 26, but it was dramatically scrapped just days before.
      A failed drug test from Benn saw the bout scrapped with the welterweight now fighting to clear his name.
      Meanwhile, it left Eubank to turn his attention to former sparring partner Smith, 34, and neither can afford a loss.
      Shalom said: “Both of them want to fight again in the summer. “This a springboard to massive fights in 2023.
      “But this is the one they’re both focused on. Were Chris to lose this, it really will be difficult to come back from and Liam the same.”
      Chris Eubank Jr, promoter Ben Shalom and Liam SmithCredit: Getty More

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      Chris Eubank Jr vs Liam Smith predictions: World of boxing give tips ahead of huge middleweight clash

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      CHRIS EUBANK JR and Liam Smith meet in a middleweight clash that is dividing the boxing public. The pair of former sparring partners-turned bitter enemies put bragging rights on the line in Manchester on the Saturday.
      Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith ahead of their fightCredit: Getty
      Eubank, 33, is the odds-on favourite but insiders have warned not to rule out ex-world champion Smith, 34.
      Here, SunSport runs down opinions from inside the boxing world ahead of the weekend’s Sky Box Office bout.
      Liam Williams
      Perhaps the man to listen to most is Williams, 30, having shared the ring with BOTH men.
      The Welshman lost twice to Smith in 2017 and was dropped four times in a points defeat to Eubank last year.
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      But Williams predicted: “I think Smith is going to win.
      “I think it’s going to be a great fight nevertheless but I think it’s a Smith points win for me.”
      Prediction: Smith
      Liam Williams was beaten by Chris Eubank JrCredit: PA
      George Groves
      Retired Groves is another with great insight having spent years sparring Eubank before winning in 2018 while also losing to Smith’s brother Callum.
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      Groves, 34, told Sky Sports: “I’ve got a Eubank win. If he loses it’s his own fault.”
      He added: “If he punches with spite and volume, he might even stop Liam Smith, who has been stopped before by Canelo Alvarez who is obviously a pound-for-pound fighter.
      “But he can be hurt, he can be hurt to the body. If Eubank targets the body I think he might stop him.”
      Prediction: Eubank
      Chris Eubank Jr was beaten by George Groves in 2018Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      Carl Froch
      Froch, 45, shared sparring rounds with Eubank like his old rival-turned friend Groves.
      And the two former foes are reuniting on the night of the fight, with Froch keeping his cards close to his chest until then.
      He said: “It’s one I’m really looking forward to.
      “I’m going to wait until I work the show with my old mate George Groves before I work out who I’m predicting to win.”
      Prediction: Sitting on the fence
      Chris Eubank Jr and Carl Froch are ex-sparring partners
      Kell Brook
      Brook, 36, retired after beating Amir Khan, also 36, last February but will be ringside awaiting the winner.
      And he said: “I think it’s a good fight. It’s one I’ll definitely be watching. He’s not my cup of tea, Chris Eubank, I think we all know that.
      “I want Liam Smith to win. I believe he will win. I’m basing that on he’s underestimated Liam Smith.
      “You know he can punch, Eubank. He’s got a great engine. He’s not the best boxer in the world. It is a good fight.”
      Prediction: Smith
      Kell Brook wants the winner between Chris Eubank Jr and Liam SmithCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Amir Khan
      Khan and Brook do not agree on much, but they are both backing Smith to win.
      He said: “I’ve done some training with Liam Smith, always a hard worker, trains very hard. He was my training partner when I was fighting Canelo.
      “He’s a tough fighter, especially when he puts that attack on you, he’s got great pressure, throws some great shots and hits quite hard.
      “I’ve got Liam winning that fight. Even though a lot of people are going to favour the younger fighter in Chris Eubank Jr, I just feel experience in this case will take hold.”
      Prediction: Smith
      Amir Khan pictured with Chris Eubank Jr
      Josh Taylor
      Taylor, 32, is now training with Smith in Joe McNally’s Liverpool gym and unsurprisingly has backed his stable-mate.
      He told iFL TV: “It’s a close fight. I see Liam winning, I think Liam on points.
      “Just a much better boxing brain, much better experience, the more well-rounded fighter, much better.
      “But on the other hand you’ve got Eubank, he’s quick, he’s quite powerful and he’s got a good chin. But his boxing ability lets him down.”
      Prediction: Smith
      Josh Taylor has backed Liam Smith to bear Chris Eubank JrCredit: Alamy
      KSI
      YouTuber-turned crossover boxing has trained with Eubank before.
      And he has backed to his old mate to get the job donce once again.
      He said to Wasserman Boxing: “Yeah I think Chris is going to win.”
      “I think he’s just a different animal. I think he’s hungry. He’s just that suave guy who gets that win every time.”
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      Prediction: Eubank
      YouTube star KSI pictured with Chris Eubank Jr More

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      Sky Sports forced to apologise for ‘homophobic’ row between Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith at fiery press conference

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      BRITISH boxing raced back into the gutter for a dismal start to 2023 with homophobic jibes.Liam Smith vs Chris Eubank is an excellent middleweight battle at Manchester Arena on Saturday night.
      Chris Eubank Jr and Liam Smith ahead of their fightCredit: Reuters
      There are no plastic belts on the line, just honour and integrity – or so we thought.
      Because when Sky Sports clumsily gave Liverpool 34-year-old Smith the microphone and encouraged him to verbally attack his opponent, he obliged with veiled digs at Eubank’s hairline and sexuality.
      Smith started the slanging match by having a dig at Eubank’s personal life – which he shields from social media – and moved on to have a dig at his tattooed hairline, saying: “Has anyone ever seen Chris with a girl?
      “He’s 33 and he’s talking about having kids but you need a woman to have kids. I wonder if he wants to tell us something.
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      “This is not for laughs, but he’s posting photos of himself with Neymar in limousines, nobody in this room has ever seen you with a woman.”
      He followed it up with: “You have tried to talk about my hair.
      “I went grey when I was very young, shall we talk about your hairline or your beard getting tattooed on?”
      Eubank tried to keep things civilised by quashing the grubby exchange, but none of Sky’s broadcast team intervened to curb the downward spiral.
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      In the end, after much goading, Eubank replied: “My private life is my private life, that’s irrelevant to my boxing.
      “I am happy and comfortable. I used to think Tony Bellew was the biggest arsehole to come out of Liverpool.
      “But Liam has taken that number one spot now, that’s impressive.
      “What you’re asking is a bit fruity, about my hairline and beard. You’re asking me about my beard and my sexuality.”
      Sky Boxing presenter Anna Woolhouse was forced to apologise.
      She said: “We would like to apologise if you have been offended by the offensive language, personal and homophobic remarks made up on stage.”.
      It was a pathetic start to 2023, ruining the build-up to a genuinely excellent fight.
      Well, that escalated quickly.Chris Eubank Jr
      Smith is respected former super-welterweight world champion, from a fine fighting family.
      Eubank Jr is the free spirit who has made being the bad guy a business.
      They are both above mud slinging but are pushed to sell pay-per-views.
      And Smith was the first to start the x-rated insults, following an online exchange.
      The former super-welterweight world champ growled: “I have fought better fighters than Chris.
      “People think he has got under my skin but he has made a c*** of himself.
      “He has slid into my DMs and made a c*** of himself. He put it online and got slaughtered for it.
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      “The only people who will be shocked by my win will be the people who think I cannot box at 160lbs.”
      Later on, when the dirty had almost settled, Eubank Jr Tweeted: “Well, that escalated quickly.”
      Chris Eubank Jr. and Liam Smith fight in ManchesterCredit: Getty More

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      Eddie Hearn set to offer Salt Papi pro boxing contract as he calls him best YouTuber fighter

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      EDDIE HEARN wants to turn Salt Papi professional after his knock-out performance on the undercard of KSI’s recent boxing event.TikTok star Papi stole the show with a devastating second round knock-out of influencer Josh Brueckner.
      Eddie Hearn wants to turn Salt Papi pro after he impressed in his latest fightCredit: Rex
      The TikToker knocked out Josh Brueckner in the second round of their boutCredit: PA
      He caught the eye of boxer legend Manny Pacquiao who told Papi to “go for it”.
      Boxer Ryan Garcia also suggested 3-0 Papi should turn pro, revealing he wants to see the 28-year-old take on Jake Paul.
      Now Hearn reckons Papi is capable of fighting at professional level and wants to help him get there.
      He told the DAZN Boxing Show: “Salt Papi can fight. Salt Papi’s my favourite. I wanna turn Salt Papi pro.
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      “Leave him [at his current weight class], he’s a man of the people, he’s got a belly like me, we love him.”
      Logan Paul also called on his brother Jake to fight Papi, who also scored a brutal KO of Andy Warski in August.
      Papi said after the fight: “If KSI doesn’t want to fight Jake Paul, send me to Jake Paul and I’ll fight him.”
      Logan is all for it as he pleaded for the bout online.
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      He tweeted: “Salt Papi vs. Jake Paul I need it.”
      Garcia also wants to see the pair face off, he said: “I want to see Jake Paul Vs Salt Papi no cap.” More

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      Tyson Fury brutally mocked by Oleksandr Usyk with savage training picture as talks continue over unification fight

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      OLEKSANDR USYK mocked Tyson Fury in his latest Instagram story.The Ukrainian’s camp are locked in talks with the Gypsy King over a blockbuster unification bout.
      Oleksandr Usyk took to Instagram to mock Tyson FuryCredit: INSTAGRAM / @usykaa
      Usyk and Fury are on a collision courseCredit: Getty
      History is set to be made, with all four heavyweight belts having never been on the line in the same fight.
      As negotiations rumble on behind the scenes, a petty war of words has already broken out between the two fighters.
      Usyk, 36, has been referring to Fury as “belly” – recently asking: “Where are you?”
      Fury quickly responded, saying: “Usyk, calling out the Gypsy King with your pathetic little callouts, dosser.
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      “Rabbit, I’m coming for you rabbit. You’re getting it rabbit. And I’ll tell you what else, I’m going to bust you up real bad you little middleweight.
      “I’m going to slap you into a big pile of tattoos, sucker.”
      In his latest taunt, Usyk shared a picture of himself swinging an AXE at a tree stump.
      The WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champ labelled the stump with Fury’s twitter handle.
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      He added: “The rabbit is coming for you. Belly.”
      The fight is expected to take place in Saudi Arabia, with the Middle Eastern country set to offer a huge sum to host.
      But it could still be moved to London if the Saudis don’t stump up the asking price.
      Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum told BoxingScene: “Everybody agreed that if [Saudi Arabia’s] offer comes through and it’s real, that’s how we’ll go.
      “If not, we’ll do the fight at Wembley.”
      Usyk and Fury stared each other down in December at Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
      “The Cat” had been watching on as Fury eased past Derek Chisora in their trilogy bout.
      The belts are set to be unified later this yearCredit: Reuters More

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      Otto Wallin calls out Dillian Whyte to rearrange fight after 2021 cancelation and says winner should face Anthony Joshua

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      OTTO WALLIN wants to finally settle his score against Dillian Whyte – with the winner getting a shot at Anthony Joshua. The pair were set to fight in October 2021 with the victor challenging for Tyson Fury’s title.
      Otto Wallin wants to fight Dillian Whyte and earn a shot at Anthony JoshuaCredit: Getty
      Whyte faces off with Joshua at ringside after beating Jermaine Franklin last yearCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
      But Whyte pulled out with a shoulder injury and refused to reschedule, instead waiting out to face Fury in a losing effort last April.
      Now with Whyte in need of an opponent to kickstart the new year, Wallin thinks the time is right to finish their business.
      He told SunSport: “I would love to fight Dillian.
      “I’m not impressed with him and I’m still upset with him from the last time we were going to fight. 
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      “I was ready for that fight, I was going to beat him and earn another shot at fighting Tyson Fury again only for him to pull out from an injury he never really proved. 
      “I would love to fight him and teach him a really good lesson in there.” 
      Whyte, 34, returned in November and narrowly beat Jermaine Franklin in a disputed decision.
      Joshua, 33, was ringside fuelling speculation of a rematch between the two old rivals.
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      But AJ is set for a comeback bout on his own in April, leaving Whyte with time to fill.
      And Wallin, 32, proposes he be the man to do so, with the winner earning a fight with Joshua later down the line.
      He said: “I think it definitely makes sense and the winner would fight Joshua. 
      “I’d beat Dillian, so that would throw off their plan to fight Joshua of course, but I’d love that and I think that would be great.
      “I would love to fight Dillian, I’m still not a big fan of him.” 
      Joshua is coming off consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, the most recent in Saudi Arabia in August.
      I would love to fight him and teach him a really good lesson in there.Otto Wallin on Dillian Whyte
      He has taken time out of the ring since but is primed to return on April 1 at the O2 Arena.
      Wallin was one of the names considered for AJ’s return, having previously boxed in the amateurs and later sparring each other.
      But Franklin – off the back of his controversial loss to Whyte – looks to be the frontrunner to get the fight.
      And Wallin reckons he is considered too much of a risk for Joshua, having left Fury needing over 40 stitches after their 2019 bout.
      He said: “In all honesty it might make sense for Joshua to come back against an orthodox fighter, somebody that’s not a huge threat to him. 
      “I would love to fight Joshua and I think I could give him a really good fight and beat him. 
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      “But I think that’s a couple reasons why he wouldn’t want to fight me right now.
      “I’m a southpaw, I’m a good fighter and I gave Fury a really good fight. I think I’m more than what Joshua needs right now.”
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      Tyson Fury hugs wife Paris at airport as he returns from family holiday in Tenerife to prepare for Oleksandr Usyk fight

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      TYSON FURY has returned from a family holiday in Tenerife as he prepares to ramp up his training for the blockbuster bout with Oleksandr Usyk.The Gypsy King, 34, has been enjoying some downtime in early 2023 as he jetted off to the Spanish island for some relaxation.
      Tyson Fury hugging wife Paris in the airportCredit: SWNS
      The pair have been together since they were teenagersCredit: SWNS
      Tyson and Paris have six children with one anotherCredit: SWNS
      Fury has returned to England and will now train for the Oleksandr Usyk fightCredit: SWNS
      Fury and Paris with their six childrenCredit: Instagram
      Fury, wife Paris and their six children, flew out for a two-week vacation at the start of January.
      But they are now back in the UK and the world heavyweight champion was snapped hugging Paris as they waited to collect their suitcases.
      Paris has six kids with Tyson – Venezuela, 13, Prince John James, nine, Prince Tyson II, four, Valencia, three, Prince Adonis Amaziah, two, and baby Athena.
      Athena was rushed straight to the ICU after her birth in August 2021.
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      The worried parents were by their daughter’s side around the clock as she was treated in intensive care.
      And to their delight, she was eventually discharged and able to return home.
      Fury’s eight-person family will now return to Morecambe as the boxer begins his latest training camp.
      He ended 2023 with a one-sided beatdown of Derek Chisora to defend his WBC title for a third time.
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      Now he is on a collision course with undefeated Ukrainian Usyk, 36, for the undisputed heavyweight crown.
      Fury’s promoter Frank Warren revealed earlier this week that the clash between the two unbeaten fighters is set to take place in early April.
      During an appearance on talkSPORT, he said: “We’re expecting a couple of offers this week, but none of them have come through and then Tyson has to make his decision.
      “I hope it’s going to happen at the end of March, early April, that’s where we’re looking at the moment.
      “So, fingers crossed we get it over the line for that date, but it will definitely, definitely happen.”
      Negotiations are understood to be at an advanced stage, with a site deal one of the few matters to be resolved.
      Warren said: “We’re very far down the road, but there are a couple of things we’ve got to work on.
      “We’re trying to get to a point where we can announce it fairly soon and we all think it’s going to happen.”
      Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, right, came face to face last monthCredit: Reuters More