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    Jake Paul squares up to Andrew Tate ahead of potential fight after YouTuber opens talks with controversial influencer

    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.
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    “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.
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    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.
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    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

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    Tommy Fury accused of rejecting £1MILLION offer to rematch Anthony Taylor because MMA star was ‘too tough of a fighter’

    ANTHONY TAYLOR has accused Tommy Fury of rejecting a $1MILLION rematch offer… because he is “too tough of a fighter”. Taylor was beaten by Fury over four rounds in August 2021, on one of Jake Paul’s undercards.
    Tommy Fury beat Anthony Taylor in August 2021Credit: Getty
    The pair will once again be in the same ring as each other on Sunday night, just in separate bouts.
    Taylor faces another Love Island star in Jack Fincham, while Fury co-headlines the night against 5-2 American Paul Bamba.
    But Paul’s former sparring partner claims Bamba was only given the opportunity after Fury, 23, refused a rematch.
    Taylor, 33, told SunSport: “I was told they offered Tommy $1million to fight me in a rematch and he turned it down. 
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    “He simply said, ‘That guy is too tough of a fighter.’ It’s the same Tommy that didn’t accept our fight till three weeks out. 
    “I didn’t know I was fighting Tommy the first time until three weeks notice. He took over a month to sign the contract beforehand.”
    Fury returns with a celebrity grudge match against Paul, 25, in the pipeline if he gets past Bamba.
    Meanwhile, Taylor welcomes Fincham, 31, to the ring with the reality TV star set to make his professional debut.
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    Taylor said: “I just know he’s a freaking Love Island guy, I’m always fighting these Love Island guys. Just like Tommy f***** Fury. 
    “I heard he had 60 amateur fights, but that doesn’t mean anything to me.
    “I’m just going to steamroll through him like Mike Tyson does with his peekaboo style.” 
    Jack Fincham and Anthony Taylor ahead of their fightCredit: globaltitansfightseries More

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    Ricky Hatton vows to put on a show against Barrera and claims he feels ‘sharp and explosive’ ahead of big boxing bout

    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.
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    “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.
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    “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

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    J’hon Ingram is touted as ‘the next Floyd Mayweather’ by the man himself… but is out to make a name of his own

    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.”
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    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.”
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    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.

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    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.
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    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

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    Anthony Joshua to be trained by Roy Jones Jr as he prepares for comeback after devastating Oleksandr Usyk defeats

    ANTHONY JOSHUA will be trained by boxing legend Roy Jones Jr as he tries to get back to the top of the sport.The Brit is reeling after back-to-back defeats against Oleksandr Usyk that saw him lose his WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles.
    Anthony Joshua is set to link up with Roy Jones JrCredit: Getty
    Jones Jr is also training Chris Eubank JrCredit: PA
    AJ split with long-time coach and friend Robert McCracken for the Usyk rematch – but linking up with Robert Garcia made little difference.
    Speaking to talkSPORT, Jones Jr confirmed he will spend some time training the deposed champ.
    The 53-year-old said “He’s not [looking to tie himself down], he’s not.
    “He’s come to talk to me too, so I’ll be one of those guys talking to him and we’ll see what happens.
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    “We spoke the other day, so we’re gonna talk. He’s gonna come to the gym and see what we do.
    “If it works out well, that’ll be it. If it don’t, he can go on and find a better trainer.”
    Jones Jr has famously taken Chris Eubank Jr under his wing as he plots a world title clash for the Brighton hitter.
    Ahead of the Usyk rematch, Joshua went on a tour of US gyms before deciding on Garcia.
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    But the 33-year-old has revealed he does not want to tie himself down permanently to one trainer.
    He previously told Sporting News: “In terms of Robert Garcia, I respect him a lot.
    “He’s a really good man, really good trainer. Will I work with him again?
    “Yeah I would, but what I’ve said to Robert and the team as well is that I want to be a free spirit.
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    “You know, I locked myself down for 11 years with one coach, and now I just feel like I just want to learn as much as possible…
    “I feel I’m in a position where I’m able to work with anyone. So, yeah, who knows what will happen next year.”
    Jones Jr made his own boxing comeback when he fought Mike Tyson in an exhibitionCredit: Reuters More

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    Floyd Mayweather responds to Jake Paul’s fight callout but says YouTube star has ‘problems’ to deal with in Tommy Fury

    FLOYD MAYWEATHER responded to Jake Paul’s fight callout by telling him to focus on Tommy Fury. The YouTuber-turned boxer challenged Mayweather to a catchweight bout from 165lb-175lb.
    Floyd Mayweather training in Dubai ahead of his next exhibitionCredit: Getty
    Tommy Fury ahead of his fight in DubaiCredit: @GlobalTitansFS

    It came before his win over 47-year-old UFC legend Anderson Silva, the biggest win of his fighting career.
    Paul, 25, has since travelled over to Dubai, where both Mayweather and his rival Tommy Fury will be in action.
    Mayweather, 45, headlines the night against YouTuber and Paul’s first-ever opponent Deji, 25.
    Meanwhile Fury, 23, is the co-headliner against 5-2 American Paul Bamba, 33.
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    And Mayweather urged Paul to focus his efforts on the 2019 Love Islander by taking a swipe in the process.
    He said in Dubai: “See, a lot of times when you say certain things, you don’t want what you say you want.
    “So Jake Paul’s got problems right here (pointing to Fury). I mean, he’s doing good for what he’s doing.
    “Like I said, for what he’s doing. It is what it is, it’s a lot of talk.
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    “It’s different when you get to the highest level, Roy Jones can attest for that. Claressa [Shields] and so many others fighters.
    “Once he gets in there with a real fighter, that can really fight, it’s going to be over for him.
    “So he’s got to enjoy it while he can. Is he doing good? Absolutely, for what he’s doing. Guys 50, guys 40, of course.
    “Does he want to fight me? Of course, I’m almost 50-years-old, of course he wants to fight me.”
    Jake Paul called out Floyd Mayweather to a catchweight boutCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

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    How KSI’s brother Deji went from YouTube boxing ‘failure’ to fighting 15x world champ Floyd Mayweather as an all-new man

    YOUTUBE boxing star Deji went from self-professed “failure” to fighting boxing legend Floyd Mayweather as an all-new man. The social media sensation rose to fame as the younger brother of KSI, one of the most recognised faces on the internet.
    Floyd Mayweather and Deji ahead of their exhibitionCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    YouTube stars KSI and Deji
    Deji celebrating his first boxing win against Fousey earlier this yearCredit: Rex
    But Deji – full name Oladeji Daniel Olatunji – carved out a career for himself with over 16.2MILLION followers and subscribers.
    When KSI – real name Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji – signed to fight American Logan Paul, Deji featured on the undercard.
    It was a family affair as he faced Paul’s brother Jake in the co-headliner, losing by stoppage.
    As the world of influencer boxing grew, it was inevitable that Deji would be back in the ring again.
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    And that came in June 2021, during a YouTube vs TikTok event which saw him fight Vinnie Hacker, 20.
    But after ballooning up to over 14 stone for the fight, Deji was stopped in two rounds, quitting on his feet.
    Afterwards, he tweeted: “I’m sorry, I am a failure.”
    It set up a comeback fight greater than ever, as Deji, 25, claimed he would walk away from boxing if he lost to Alex Wassabi, 32, in March.

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    The former gamer switched gyms, training alongside coach Daley Perales and looked a new man.
    Unfortunately, it was a similar story as Wassabi ran out the victor following a close points decision.
    Deji’s first sign of resilience came in his emotional post-fight speech, in which he told his adoring fans he would not quit.
    He said: “If you guys want me to fight again, I’ll show you what I can do.”
    Deji added more muscle to his team with the addition of esteemed strength and conditioning coach Leon Wills.
    And together with boxing trainer Perales, they helped shape a new and improved Deji, who returned against online rival Fousey, 32.
    Deji lost to Jake Paul in their 2018 fightCredit: Reuters
    Deji was beaten by TikToker Vinnie HackerCredit: Getty
    Alex Wassabi celebrates his win over DejiCredit: Instagram @showstarboxing
    Deji’s improvement in his skills, fitness and mindset was there for all to see as he dropped and stopped Fousey in three rounds.
    He said after winning his first fight: “I have the best team ever. I have Daley, the best boxing coach ever, ever.
    “I have Leon, the best PT in the game and I have everyone out there showing their love. And that brought me out.”
    The YouTube scene stood up and took notice of Deji, but little did he know the win would capture the attention of boxing greatness.
    Global Titans, a newly-found Dubai-based promotion, had just signed Floyd Mayweather, 45, to an exclusive deal.
    American YouTuber Fousey was beaten by DejiCredit: Getty
    Fousey was dropped and stoppedCredit: Rex
    And they were seeking out competition for his first exhibition bout under their banner.
    Manager Liam Chivers, who works with a host of influencer talent, was approached to put forward some names.
    At the top of his list were Deji and AnEsonGib, who was a week away from his eventual win over Austin McBroom.
    Due to Gib’s upcoming bout, it was Deji who was put forward and later approved by Mayweather’s team.
    A deal was wrapped up within two weeks, setting the scene for one of boxing’s most extraordinary bouts.
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    The pair will share the ring over eight rounds in Dubai on Sunday night.
    And in a career in which has seen Deji always put so much on the line, this is his first fight where he truly has nothing to lose.
    Deji ahead of his fight with boxing legend Floyd MayweatherCredit: @GlobalTitansFS
    Coach Leon Wills with DejiCredit: @GlobalTitansFS
    Boxing trainer Daley Perales with DejiCredit: @GlobalTitansFS More

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    KSI’s coach reveals how many fights YouTube boxer is away from Jake Paul grudge match and names perfect return opponent

    YOUTUBE boxing sensation KSI is building towards a grudge fight with arch nemesis Jake Paul. The social media, rap and crossover fighting star returned to the ring in August, having not boxed since beat Paul’s brother Logan in 2019.
    Trainer Leon Wills with YouTube star KSI in 2019Credit: Getty Images – Getty
    Jake Paul is 6-0 as a boxerCredit: Reuters
    And he made up for the three-year layoff by winning TWICE on the same night, stopping musician Swarmz and boxer Luis Alcaraz Pineda.
    Meanwhile Paul, 25, recently improved to 6-0 by beating UFC legend Anderson Silva, 47, in his biggest win to date.
    KSI, 29, has vowed to settle the score with the American once and for all in the future, but the time is not yet right.
    Instead, his strength and conditioning coach Leon Wills believes they are up to three fights away from the judgment day.

    Wills told SunSport: “Jake is the pinnacle, right?
    “So his fights need to build up to fighting Jake, he needs to fight people that are credible enough to learn from and you get something out of. 
    “I think he’s got about two or three fights until he fights Jake, so he needs to climb the ladder. He’s got to climb his way up the ladder.”
    KSI returns on January 14 in the US, desperate to up his opposition after Swarmz, 25, and so-called professional Pineda, 23, offered little.
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    And it is a pair of Paul’s boxing rivals who Wills believes could offer KSI the perfect stepping stone.
    He said: “I think a Tommy Fury would be nice, it’s a challenge. 
    “KSI is also training with the London Shootfighters gym, so it depends what his coaches are teaching him whether he’d be ready for Tommy. 
    “Woodley is a good one but the thing is, he’d have to knock him out better than Jake knocked him out and that’s the issue. 
    “It’s motivation but then he might try too hard and that’s the thing, when KSI tries to hard he doesn’t really get the knockout. 
    “If he’s more relaxed and fluid in there, he’ll get the knockout easy.” 
    They’re both gonna be fit, they’re both gonna be fit, they have a lot to lose, it’s whoever outsmarts each other and fights their fight.KSI’s coach Leon Wills on Jake Paul fight
    Paul knocked out Woodley, 40, in round six of their rematch having beaten the ex-UFC champion on points previously.
    And he also bettered UFC icon Silva over the eight-round distance in. showcase of his development.
    Both Paul and KSI vowed sign off their bitter feud with a brutal KO, ending the argument once and for all.
    But coach Wills admitted it will be a battle of brains not brawn when they finally put it all on the line.
    He said: “That fight is gonna be about who can box who, who can have the intelligence. It’s going to be about boxing IQ, not brute force. 
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    “So whoever is going to be working behind the jab and setting up traps, that will be the winner. 
    “They’re both gonna be fit, they’re both gonna be fit, they have a lot to lose, it’s whoever outsmarts each other and fights their fight.” 
    KSI and Jake Paul want to fight in 2023Credit: GETTY More