Boxing

CHRIS EUBANK JR and Liam Smith’s domestic dust-up has been finalised – but the pair’s eagerly-anticipated showdown WON’T take place this year.Talks over the all-English clash resumed after failed drug tests from Conor Benn nixed Eubank Jr’s historic showdown with the son of his dad’s arch-rival.
Chris Eubank Jr was due to face Conor Benn in a historic showdown last monthCredit: Getty
But an anti-doping violation from Benn nixed the eagerly-anticipated Battle of BritainCredit: PA
Next Gen is on course to face Liverpudlian Liam Smith early next yearCredit: Getty
December 17 was the targeted date for the Sky Sports battle, although Boxxer chief Ben Shalom has revealed the agreement has been reached too late for the middleweight bout to take place this year.
He told iD Boxing: “It’s just about the date now. I speak to Kalle [Sauerland] regularly.
“Everything is agreed and we’ll hopefully announce it next week.”
Former WBO light-middleweight champion Smith was gunning for a showdown with Eubank Jr before the Brighton middleweight opted to take a blockbuster bout with Benn.
READ MORE IN SPORT
There is certainly no love lost between the pair, who have repeatedly traded verbal jabs in the media.
Shalom added: “I’m looking forward to it. It’s a fight I’ve wanted to see for a long time.
“I was hoping we’d get it just in this year.
“But obviously, we’re looking at five weeks, six weeks from December 17 now.
Most read in Boxing
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
“[It’s] probably going to be slightly later.
“But, yeah, the fight will happen and it’s one the fans can look forward to. It’s one that I’m looking forward to.”
Eubank Jr, 33, hasn’t boxed since his February shutout of Welshman Liam Williams in Cardiff.
Smith, meanwhile, scored a fourth-round TKO victory over Hassan Mwakinyo in his hometown of Liverpool in September.
The Scouser was hoping to get his hands on Eubank before year’s end, saying: “I was open to that fight before he decided to fight Conor and now the Benn fight is off there is probably only one fight in Britain left for him and that’s me.
Read More on The Sun
“It’s an easy fight to make and I think we are both willing to fight each other so I am sure that it can be made.
“I would be ready for December, I fought in September and – by my usual process – I would be ready to go again in December.” More

JAKE PAUL has teased a fight with Andrew Tate after squaring up to the controversial influencer.Tate was banned from several social media platforms including TikTok and Facebook in August due to his “toxic” views on women.
Jake Paul and Andrew Tate squared off ahead of a potential fightCredit: Twitter / @jakepaul
Paul is on the lookout for his next opponent after defeating Anderson SilvaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Tate was a successful kickboxer before becoming an influencerCredit: Instagram/@cobratate
The former Big Brother star looks set to face off with Paul, who hinted that talks were underway.
Paul, 25, tweeted a video of the pair facing off shirtless next to a boxing ring with the YouTuber adding the caption: “Negotiations.”
The American previously showed an interest in fighting Tate, who boasts a 76-9 record in kickboxing.
Paul said: “This interviewer asked me recently would I fight Andrew Tate and that’s when I started to see this guy pop up all over the internet.
READ MORE IN BOXING
“I was like, ‘Oh that’s Andrew Tate’, but what I’m saying is that Andrew, if my brother doesn’t f*** you up, I will.”
Paul’s brother Logan also admitted he would love to chance to “f*** up” Tate, promising he would be “wheeled out on a stretcher” if they fought.
Logan had stated that he did not want to give Tate a platform but changed his mind because the Brit was “talking a lot of s***”.
Jake also said he does not share Tate’s opinions but declared himself a defender of free speech so gave his potential opponent a platform to speak out after he was cancelled.
Most read in Boxing
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST NEW CUSTOMER SIGN UP DEALS
Paul said of the decision: “I don’t roll with Andrew Tate. May KO his ass out in the ring one day soon.
“But I roll with freedom of speech.”
Tate – who is from Luton but now lives in Romania – was booted off social media platforms following a storm over his derogative comments on women.
And the 35-year-old used Paul’s Twitter account to say he is “a victim of my own success” and doesn’t care if people hate him.
Tate could be Paul’s next opponent after the 6-0 boxer defeated Anderson Silva at the end of last month.
Read More on The Sun
There is also talk of Paul finally facing Tommy Fury or even following in brother Logan’s footsteps by fighting in WWE.
Earlier this month Paul made his first WWE appearance after storming into the ring to attack The Usos. More

RICKY HATTON has promised to put on a show when he returns to the ring on Saturday night.The 44-year-old will will fight Marco Antonio Barrera in an exhibition at the Manchester Arena. 
Ricky Hatton is returning to the ring 10 years after his last professional fightCredit: Getty Images
Hatton will face Marco Antonio Barerra in a rescheduled exhibition bout
The bout was meant to take place in July, but was postponed because Hughie Fury – who was headlining on the same night – pulled out through illness.
It’ll be the first time Hatton has fought since losing to Vyacheslav Senchenko in his last professional fight 10 years ago.
Hatton has lost four stone and despite more than a decade away from the sport, has promised to entertain the crowd in his hometown.
He said: “The build-up couldn’t feel any better, I couldn’t feel any sharper than I feel there now, nice and sharp and explosive.
READ MORE IN BOXING
“Now we’re a couple of days away it’s about putting the finishing touches to it.
“All that matters is the performance and the show for the fans, which has always been mine and Marco’s priority. It will be exciting.
“We’ve had so many good times through our fighting careers and me going to cheer Marco on, him coming to cheer me on, me walking him to the ring, him walking me to the ring.
“I never thought this would be possible because he is a genuine, genuine hero of mine.
Most read in Boxing
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST NEW CUSTOMER SIGN UP DEALS
“If you’re a boxing fan and he’s not a hero of yours then you are not a boxing fan.
“Me and Marco said ‘not one person walks away Saturday yawning, no chance’, I said I’d rather not do it. He said ‘I know exactly what you mean Ricky’ and that’s the beauty of it.
“It will be exciting, but there’s a bit of professional pride because we’re both former champions, I’m not having him come and outbox me, I’ve no doubt he’ll be saying the same so it’s going to be good.” More

BOXING prospect J’hon Ingram has been touted as “the next Floyd Mayweather” by the man himself… but he is out to make a name of his own. Ingram is just 3-0 as a professional by finds himself in good hands under the watchful eye of Mayweather.
J’hon Ingram pictured with Floyd Mayweather after sparring
The lightweight returns to the ring on Sunday night in Dubai on the undercard of his mentor’s next exhibition bout.
And when they travelled to London to promote the Middle Eastern pay-per-view event, Ingram was given the highest praise possible.
Mayweather, 45, said: “This young fighter right here J’hon, I want you guys to look out for him.
“This could be the next Floyd Mayweather, we just never know.”
READ MORE IN boxing
But Ingram feels no pressure to live up to the five-division world champion’s words.
He said: “At the end of the day, I just want to be me, I don’t want to be compared to nobody else.
“I want to be loved for me. If they compare me as the next Floyd, I’m fine with that or whoever they want to compare me to.
“But I want to be known for me. There’s no pressure at all.”
Most read in Boxing
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
Ingram had only a short amateur career of 12 bouts and was destined for the paid ranks.
He said: “I didn’t have much amateur experience, I only had 12 fights but I always had a pro style in the amateurs.
“It was hard for me to get a lot of fights. Eventually, since I had that pro style we decided to go pro and ever since then it’s gone up.”
Ingram was first introduced to Mayweather by his coach Bobby McRoy last year.
Litte did he know, but Mayweather was looking for a sparring partner for an upcoming exhibition fight in Dubai.
It ended up taking place in May against Don Moore, which the American comfortably dominated over eight rounds.

🥊Floyd Mayweather vs Deji: RIng walk time, live stream, TV channel and STACKED undercard info
The first sparring session with Mayweather proved life changing for Ingram and gave him experiences money can’t buy.
He said: “I learned so much, every time I get in there I learn something.
“He looks good, he still got good movement and everything. He still has the pop and all of that.
“I didn’t get to work with him for this exhibition because he’s fighting a left-handed guy.
“I trained for him for his last Dubai fight and I’ve seen what he’s doing with his sparring partners for this one, he’s still sharp.”
Mayweather faces YouTuber Deji, 25, after Ingram opens up the show against Japanese kickboxer Koji Tanaka, better known as Kouzi.
Kouzi in September knocked out Mayweather’s bodyguard Jizzy Mack, real name Ray Sadeghi, in Japan.
Read More on The Sun
So Ingram is out to avenge the loss for his team and refused to engage in Kouzi’s trash talk and mind games.
He said: “I’m not a big talker. I do all that in the ring.”
Boxing prospect J’hon Ingram is 3-0Credit: ingramjhon
Kouzi and J’hon Ingram ahead of their fightCredit: @ingramjhon More