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      Inside Wayne Rooney’s boxing switch that is FIVE YEARS in making with both Jake Paul and KSI in Man Utd icon’s sights

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      WAYNE ROONEY’S plan to make a boxing switch might come as a shock to many – but it may just have been in the works for years. The Manchester United legend is an avid fan of the noble art and even trained as a schoolboy at an amateur club in Liverpool.
      Wayne Rooney has been linked with a stunning boxing switchCredit: Mark Robinson – The Sun
      But he chose football over boxing and went onto become one of England’s most talented players.
      Rooney retired from playing in 2021 and has moved into coaching – but it appears as though he has a masterplan to make a move into boxing.
      According to the Mirror, the Three Lions icon has held preliminary talks with Misfits Boxing.
      Misfits – founded by YouTuber-turned boxer KSI – homes to celebrity-style crossover bouts aired on streaming service DAZN.
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      It has seen stars of the social media, MMA and boxing world all compete in big-money events.
      And KSI once revealed Rooney actually reached out to him personally to try and discuss a fight between them.
      He said last January: “It’s funny – I hope he doesn’t get annoyed that I said this – but Wayne Rooney hit me up being like, ‘Oh, we should fight.’
      “And I said no. I just don’t want to do that. If Wayne Rooney is down, of course I think it would be good to have him in this space.”

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      Eddie Hearn – who promotes Anthony Joshua – has also discussed Rooney’s plan to get into boxing before.
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      Hearn said as far back as 2019: “He loves it. He’s been boxing in amateur clubs.
      Sir Alex Ferguson lost it with Wayne Rooney ’20 times a season’ for breaking legendary Man Utd boss’ tactical rule
      “Wayne would love to do a charity fight. All these guys, they love boxing.”
      And Hearn has even had messages from Rooney and talked up the former Birmingham boss returning to Old Trafford to fight Jake Paul.
      He told Rio Ferdinand last year: “I’ve actually spoke to Wayne a few times about the Jake Paul fight.
      “Normally, if he has a couple of glasses of red he’ll fire in a message to me at night going, ‘Listen, I wanna fight that geezer.’
      “Wayne can fight, he had a couple of amateur fights – but him against Jake Paul at Old Trafford, that’s actually a makeable fight.”
      Rooney, infamously knocked out in his kitchen by friend Phil Bardsley, has been out of work since being sacked by Birmingham in January. More

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      Boxing’s most iconic cutman ready to join Tyson Fury’s camp for Usyk fight and reveals tiny tactic to protect horror cut

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      BOXING’S most iconic cutman is ready to join Tyson Fury’s team to protect the horror cut that forced him out of fighting Oleksandr Usyk.And Jacob “Stitch” Duran – the best in the business – revealed the tiny tactic that will give Fury the edge in training for the rescheduled bout.
      Jacob ‘Stitch’ Duran is boxing’s most legendary cutmanCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Tyson Fury’s cut that postponed his fight with Oleksandr UsykCredit: QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS
      The Gypsy King was due to face Usyk in Saudi Arabia on February 17 in the first four-belt heavyweight unification bout.
      But a gash sustained in sparring just two weeks out from the historic undisputed decider forced Fury out until the postponed May 18 date.
      Duran estimates it will be a little over three months until the cut is fully healed and advised him to invest in a new head guard in sparring.
      He told SunSport: “The rule of thumb for cuts is 100 days, that type of thing. 
      READ MORE IN BOXING
      “But yes, he has plenty of time. From now and then he can work on so many techniques, so many different things without getting hit up here. 
      “There’s a lot of things that he can do in preparation and the final three or four weeks of preparation, if he wants to go hard let him go hard. 
      “I would recommend the headgear that has a bar, evidently what happened is the shot came upwards.” 
      Fury was sparring with a Paffen head guard with cheek protectors at the time of the injury.
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      But Duran insisted swapping it out for the larger version which has a bar across the face to guard the nose could be key to protecting the cut.
      He said: “Yeah. It’s not that bad! It’s more just the timing was bad than anything else.” 
      Legendary cutman Stitch Duran ready to join Tyson Fury’s camp to protect horror cut in rescheduled Tyson Fury fight
      Fury famously suffered a catastrophic cut in his 2019 win over Otto Wallin but somehow battled on to win a points decision.
      He needed 47 stitches as a result and also called on the experience and expertise of Duran for his following two bouts.
      And now Duran is ready to re-join Fury’s camp in a bid to once again save the WBC champion’s skin.
      He said: “That would be a great opportunity. But I’ve been in this game long enough that I’m just like a surfer, I just go with the waves. 
      “If it happens, it would make sense from a business aspect of it because I know Bob Arum requested I work with him the first time I worked with him.  
      “Does it make sense? Yeah, it makes sense from confidence more than anything else and technique.” 
      Stitch Duran has worked with Fury in the past More

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      ‘I can hit hard and he doesn’t blink’ – Inside the bloody sparring session that torpedoed Tyson Fury’s fight with Usyk

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      BOXING usually finds a way to shoot itself in the foot but humping itself in the backside is a new one!It could only be down to master-of-mischief Tyson Fury and his playground antics of gyrating into a sparring partner sparking the spicy exchange that led to the cut that forced the undisputed decider with Oleksandr Usyk fight to be postponed AGAIN.
      Tyson Fury was due to throw down with Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday nightCredit: EPA
      Their historic undisputed fight was postponed due to a huge cut above Fury’s right eyeCredit: QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS
      Fury suffered the unfortunate wound in sparringCredit: X formerly Twitter / @MichaelBensonn
      Croatian clubber Agron Smakici inflicted the fight-scuppering wound on FuryCredit: GETTY
      First, there were 18 months of painful negotiations and rows over rematches and percentages, that collapsed a couple of plans.
      Then the woeful October 23 display from the WBC king against boxing debutant Francis Ngannou caused the fight to be pushed back from December 23 to February 17.
      And then we learned on Friday, February 2 that the undefeated 35-year-old Gypsy King had suffered a cut over his right eye in a sparring session with Agron Smakici, that needed 14 stitches and forced the bout to go back again to February 17.
      Wild and far-fetched conspiracy theories about the cut surrounded the sport, doubters and critics even ridiculously suggested Fury had inflicted the wound on himself in a bid to avoid Ukraine’s 35-year-old WBA, IBF and WBO boss.
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      But SunSport can now reveal it was more of a You’ve Been Framed episode than a Soviet spy novel, that led to the cut that floored the first undisputed fight since 1999.
      Smakici, the 33-year-old southpaw heavyweight regularly headhunted to mimic the fighting style of Usyk for the likes of Anthony Joshua, became unwittingly the most infamous man in boxing.
      And he revealed that being on the receiving end of a playful romp from the 6ft 9in Morecambe showman was a shock he didn’t fancy, but that the subsequent cut was not the result of a revenge attack.
      When asked if he could confirm the whisper that Fury had copied the move made infamous among boxing fans by Adrien Broner and Marcos Maidana in 2013, he told us: “I have watched the Broner and Maidana fight, I know what happened.
      Most read in Boxing
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      “He tried to do the Broner to me and that was not OK with me.
      “I came to help him and we didn’t really know each other.
      New footage appears to show moment Tyson Fury was cut by an ELBOW causing Oleksandr Usyk fight to be scrapped
      “I am not a young kid, I am 33 and he is 35, we are the same ages.
      “Yes he is the champion but I could also become a champion and I can hit.
      “But it was a joke and I didn’t take it seriously, I was not angry, because he was laughing, he is funny. He is a comedian.”
      Smakici hopes he ended on great terms with Fury and has now planned to help his best pal Joseph Parker prepare for his March 8 shootout with another leftie giant in Zhilei Zhang.
      But he has one personal opinion on why the cereal winner looked a bit stale in the unusually timed final sparring session of his Riyadh camp.
      “I felt the spar was too early,” he said. “That’s just my opinion.
      “We had been sparring in the evenings, around 8-9pm, to be ready for the fight. But suddenly we were sparring at 12o’clock and still having breakfast at 11am.
      “The day before we had done hard sparring and the day before that, Wednesday, we had done strength training, conditioning and circuits. So there was a lot happening with our body and minds.
      “It was early sparring, at late notice,  we were in the middle of breakfast when we had to get ready.
      “But Fury was motivated, he said he wanted 12 rounds, he did three with Thomas Carty and then I came in.
      “He made jokes like, ‘Let’s go, little sausage.’ But he was very motivated, dancing in the ring and using his reach a lot.
      “I got in and used my style, it was physical, and we did some wrestling and good combinations.
      “Then the cut happened because we were tired.
      Agron Smakici reckons the cut was down to him and Tyson Fury being ‘tired’
      Fury immediately knew his 2019 scar tissue had re-openedCredit: X formerly Twitter / @MichaelBensonn
      Smakici believes their spar took place too early in the dayCredit: GETTY
      “I threw the left hook but my head was also going forward because he was pulling it, it was a bit like dirty boxing.”
      Boxing has a horrible habit of rewarding notoriety rather than quality.
      Smakici could laud himself as the man who floored the first undisputed fight in 25 years or boast about his success with AJ.
      But – after hundreds of rounds with Joshua and two weeks working with Fury – that is the absolute last thing he wants to do.
      He explained: “In sparring you sometimes have a bad day, or you try something new and when you’re sparring you change and rotate your partners a lot.
      “I might only do three rounds and then another guy does three and another does four, and Fury does all of them, it’s not equal or fair.
      “So I would never say or think I got the better of Fury because he is doing all of the rounds and we’re getting lots more rest.
      “Fury was very good in some spars and sometimes he was bad. But that is a training camp and that is sparring.
      “I am sure in the fight you will see the real Fury. He has been a professional fighter for a long time and has done some of the biggest fights, he has proven himself.
      “I have never said anything bad about him. He is a good person, he trains with his son and family, they are good people.
      “Fury is just focussed on the fight and I think he will put on a spectacular performance.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      “The rest is just rumours, Tyson has a good chin, he can take a punch. He has shown that in his fights and I can say it because I can hit hard and he doesn’t blink.
      “It was a special camp, just stepping in with Fury was special, because he is a legend for what he has done.”
      Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will now throw down in Saudi Arabia on May 18 More

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      Anthony Joshua receives chilling Francis Ngannou warning Tyson Fury didn’t heed ahead of risky crossover clash

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA has been warned not to make the same mistake Tyson Fury made against Francis Ngannou.AJ will continue his career rebuild with a shock crossover clash with the former UFC heavyweight champion in Saudi Arabia next month.
      Anthony Joshua throws down with former UFC champ Francis Ngannou next monthCredit: PA
      Ngannou shocked the world last October by dropping Tyson Fury in their crossover clashCredit: GETTY
      Fury’s cousin and trainer Andy Lee has warned AJ not to ‘underestimate’ the MMA mountainCredit: GETTY
      Ngannou shocked the world last October with his display in his Riyadh rumble with Fury, whom he cut and dropped in his split decision defeat.
      And Fury’s cousin and trainer Andy Lee has warned the Watford warrior not to overlook and “underestimate” the boxing novice in their desert dust-up.
      The former WBO middleweight champion told Boxing Social: “People are going to be interested because Ngannou put on such a great performance against Tyson.
      “It’s a great situation for Joshua because all of those unknowns that Tyson went up against have been dispelled now.
      READ MORE IN BOXING
      “The element of surprise in Ngannou is gone.
      “You’ve got to give Ngannou credit, he was a lot more savvy and a lot better at boxing than anyone might’ve given him credit for [in the build-up to the Fury fight].
      “He’s quite clever, he is very patient as well and you can see that he is strong.
      “Don’t underestimate being 280lbs of solid muscle.
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      ANTHONY JOSHUA VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE CROSSOVER BOUT
      “When you strip things back it is just two men and one of these guys is huge and is pure muscle.”
      AJ, like the rest of the boxing world, was stunned to see Ngannou put Fury on his backside in his professional boxing debut.
      Inside Anthony Joshua’s amazing car collection
      And Watford warrior insists he’ll be minding his Ps and Qs against the MMA man mountain.
      He said: “If Tyson underestimated Ngannou, I sure won’t. Francis has lost the element of surprise with me.
      “We knew Francis had a reputation as the biggest puncher in the world but the surprise was how well he boxed.
      “He was exceptional on the inside and made life very complicated for Tyson.
      “So much so that I do belong to the opinion that he beat Fury.” More

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      Seven possible opponents for Wayne Rooney including KSI and ‘animal’ former team-mate as talks revealed over shock fight

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      WAYNE ROONEY is in talks over a sensational boxing match – and there are plenty of potential opponents for the footie icon’s debut.The Manchester United legend has held preliminary talks with influencer boxing promotion Misfits – which is not governed by the British Boxing Board of Control – about a foray into the squared circle.
      Wayne Rooney is assessing his options after being axed by Birmingham CityCredit: GETTY
      The Manchester United legend is weighing up stepping into the boxing ringCredit: MARK ROBINSON
      Roo has held talks over a potential fight in KSI’s Misfits promotionCredit: PA
      An agreement, according to The Mirror, for Roo to take to the ring has yet to be reached – despite talks beginning a few weeks back.
      News of Rooney – who was part of an amateur boxing club when he was a kid – potentially fighting under the Misfits banner has stunned footie and boxing fans alike.
      And attention has quickly turned to who the former England captain could face in his debut.
      So with that in mind, SunSport is on hand with the seven top contenders to throw down with the former Birmingham City boss.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      Jake Paul
      A dust-up against YouTuber turned boxer Paul was touted last year by Matchroom Boxing chief Eddie Hearn, who revealed Roo often messages him about fighting.
      Problem Child Paul would likely entertain the prospect of fighting Rooney due to his huge name and the pay-per-view buys he would generate.
      But the fact he would have to do so on bitter rival KSI’s promotion makes the fight somewhat unlikely.
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      KSI
      Brit social media sensation KSI is the kingpin on Misfits along with pal Mams Taylor and no doubt will have been at the centre of the recent Rooney talks.
      Most read in Boxing
      KSI celebrates victory in the cruiserweight bout against FaZe Temperrr at the OVO Arena Wembley, London. Picture date: Saturday January 14, 2023. PA Photo. See PA story BOXING London. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Use subject to restrictions. Editorial use only, no commercial use without prior consent from rights holder.
      But the Youtube phenom claimed in December 2022 that the prospect of throwing down with the Premier League icon doesn’t whet his appetite.
      He said: “I don’t know, if Wayne Rooney is down of course I think it would be good to have him in the [influencer boxing] space.”

      KSI himself could be a possible opponent for Wayne RooneyCredit: GETTY
      Wayne Bridge
      Former Chelsea and England defender Bridge is no stranger to the boxing world having dipped his toes into it in 2018.
      Bridge locked horns with former Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews, whom he almost knocked out in their Sports Relief clash.
      He’s even been dubbed an “animal” by former Fulham midfielder and podcaster Steve Sidwell.
      So the former full-back would be a suitable opponent for Rooney should he be keen to lace ’em up again.
      Wayne Bridge took part in a charity boxing match in March 2018Credit: BBC
      Phil Bardsley
      Rooney’s former Manchester United team-mate is perhaps the man footie fans most want to see throw down with the 38-year-old.
      Bardsley knocked Rooney OUT COLD during what initially appeared to be a playful kitchen dust-up back in 2015.
      Footage of the incident exclusively obtained by The Sun – which Rooney mocked with his famous celebration against Tottenham – went viral.
      So it’d only make sense for Roo to want to exact his revenge on his old team-mate inside the ring.
      Wayne Rooney was knocked out cold by former team-mate Phil Bardsley in 2015Credit: THE SUN
      Jamie Vardy
      Leicester City legend Vardy is no stranger to a playful sparring session having had one with team-mate Wilfried Ndidi in 2020.
      The former England hitman dropped Ndidi with a swift left uppercut to the body, much to the amusement of his team-mates.
      It’s unknown, however, if Vardy fancies his chances in the ring.
      Jamie Vardy has tried his hand at sparring beforeCredit: GETTY
      Tyson Fury
      Competing under the Misfits banner isn’t in the WBC heavyweight champion’s five-fight plan, although he did take part in a shock crossover bout with former UFC champ Francis Ngannou last October.
      So, however unlikely the prospect of the pair sharing the ring is, it’s not entirely beyond the realms of possibility – especially considering Fury claimed he’d let Roo prepare him for Oleksandr Usyk.
      He said in December 2022: “I spoke to Wayne and he’s well up for it. We’re going to bring Wayne in for preparation for Oleksandr Usyk.
      “No [it’s not a joke], very serious. He’s going to come into camp for about four weeks to help me.”
      WBC heavyweight champ Tyson Fury claimed Wayne Rooney would him prepare for his clash with Oklesandr UsykCredit: GETTY
      Rio Ferdinand
      Roo’s former Manchester United and England team-mate revealed in late 2017 that he wanted to test himself in the ring professionally.
      The BBBOC, however, nipped his ambitions in the bud in May 2018 when they informed him that they WOULDN’T review his application to compete as a pro.
      READ MORE SUN STORIES
      But he could, should he want to, very well lace them up under the Misfits banner as they’re not sanctioned by the BBBOC.
      And there would be no bigger opponent – name-wise – available for him to fight other than his good friend Rooney.
      Rio Ferdinand had intentions of boxing in 2018 but saw his bid to get in the ring blocked by the BBBOCCredit: OnEdition More

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      I split Tyson Fury’s eye open after champ fired me up with crude act, reveals sparring partner Agron Smakici

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      TYSON FURY suffered the gruesome sparring gash that delayed the undisputed decider after a saucy prank backfired.The fun-loving 35-year-old WBC champ was in the final two weeks of training for a February 17 showdown with Oleksandr Usyk when bloody disaster struck.
      Agron Smakici has opened up on splitting Tyson Fury’s eyeCredit: YouTube @iFL TV
      The Croatian caught Fury with his elbow while the pair were sparringCredit: X formerly Twitter / @MichaelBensonn
      Fury was left with a huge gash above his eye that caused his bout with Oleksandr Usyk to be postponedCredit: X @Queensbury
      The Gypsy King was doing practice rounds with respected 33-year-old southpaw Agron Smakici in Saudi Arabia when he playfully thrust his crotch at the Croatian’s backside.
      The former MMA fighter – who was a crucial trainer parter for Anthony Joshua in his camps for Usyk and Otto Wallin – felt disrespected by the humping and knuckled down extra hard.
      And then a fiery exchange ended with Smakici landing a left hook on the undefeated giant and an accidental elbow following through and landing and requiring 14 stitches.
      Fury shared a gruesome snap of the cut online after the fact.
      READ MORE IN BOXING
      While talented leftie Smakici was gutted about his role in delaying the first undisputed decider since 1999 until May 18.
      But he and Fury parted on good terms, with the 20-2 ace agreeing to go and help his best friend Joseph Parker prepare for his March 8 shootout with Zhilei Zhang.
      Smakici told SunSport: “He did it but it was a joke and I didn’t take it seriously,
      “I was not angry, because he was laughing, he is funny. He is a comedian.
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      “Yes it made me a little more serious, it made me want to show him what I had.
      “But it was a clean punch and the elbow was not on purpose, I was just trying to give him better rounds and to show him that I deserved respect.
      New footage appears to show moment Tyson Fury was cut by an ELBOW causing Oleksandr Usyk fight to be scrapped
      “I got that respect in the sparring and afterwards he said ‘great sparring, accidents happening, everything before was great’.
      “Crazy things like this happen in boxing.”
      Fury has been approached for comment.
      ‘Like dirty boxing’Smakici has lifted the lid on what happened before he accidentally cut Fury, suggesting the timing of the sparring session was perhaps too early…
      “I felt the spar was too early,” he said. “That’s just my opinion.
      “We had been sparring in the evenings, around 8-9pm, to be ready for the fight. But suddenly we were sparring at midday and still having breakfast at 11am.
      “The day before we had done hard sparring and the day before that, Wednesday, we had done strength training, conditioning and circuits. So there was a lot happening with our body and minds.
      “It was early sparring, at late notice, we were in the middle of breakfast when we had to get ready.
      “But Fury was motivated, he said he wanted 12 rounds, he did three with Thomas Carty and then I came in.
      “He made jokes like ‘let’s go little sausage’ but he was very motivated, dancing in the ring and using his reach a lot.
      “I got in and used my style, it was physical, we did some wrestling and good combinations.
      “Then the cut happened because we were tired.
      “I threw the left hook but my head was also going forward because he was pulling it, it was a bit like dirty boxing.”

      Smakici has previously sparred with Anthony JoshuaCredit: Instagram @agron_smakici
      The 33-year-old is a well respected fighter with a 20-2-0 recordCredit: Getty
      Fury will now face Oleksandr Usyk on May 18Credit: EPA More

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      Apollonia Llewellyn flashes underboob in see-through red lingerie as she celebrates Valentine’s Day

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      APOLLONIA LLEWELLYN has treated her followers to a Valentine’s gift with her latest snap.The boxing ring girl shared a picture of herself posing in some lingerie to her adoring following on Instagram.
      Apollonia Llewellyn posed in some red lingerie as a Valentine’s day gift to her followers
      Apollonia is always wowing her fansCredit: Instagram @apolloniallewellyn
      Apollonia was sporting a red lingerie set as she smiled for the camera with a bouquet of roses.
      The 24-year-old shared the picture with the caption: “Happy Valentine’s Day!”.
      Fans were in awe of the racy snap and flooded Apollonia’s comment section with compliments.
      One wrote: “You look gorgeous!”
      READ MORE ON APOLLONIA
      While a second added: “Gorgeous! Happy Valentine’s day!”
      Another fan commented: “Very beautiful!”
      And a fourth simply wrote: “Wow.”
      Apollonia rose to fame as a ring girl during a Misfits Boxing event, but has since turned her attention to social media.
      Most read in Boxing
      The Yorkshire lass boasts over 579,000 followers on Instagram and works as a model alongside her social stardom.
      She ensures her fans are kept up to date with her lavish lifestyle as she travels the globe.
      Apollonia Llewellyn sends fans into meltdown by going make-up-free in lacy see-through dress for raunchy clip
      Apollonia is also no stranger to a racy picture and is often leaving her followers stunned by her daring posts.
      Most recently she gave fans a glimpse into her holiday as she posed in a bikini in Greece.
      And showed off her glamorous life as she was snapped next to a bright pink Lamborghini in a matching bodysuit.
      Inside Apollonia’s glamorous life as influencer, ring girl and model …
      Apollonia is regularly leaving her fans stunned onlineCredit: INSTAGRAM
      She is always travelling the globe and recently holidayed in New YorkCredit: INSTAGRAM
      The Yorkshire model also took a trip to SantoriniCredit: INSTAGRAM
      She made sure her followers were kept up to date with her tripsCredit: INSTAGRAM
      Apollonia is also no stranger to a racy picture onlineCredit: INSTAGRAM
      Apollonia shot to recognition as a member of the Misfits Boxing fight night team
      She now boasts over 570,000 Instagram followersCredit: Instagram @apolloniallewellyn
      She works as a model as well as being a social starCredit: Instagram @apolloniallewellyn More

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      I’ve worked as a cutman for over 1,000 fights but one was so brutal I almost PASSED OUT… they bled from head to toe

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      JACOB “STITCH” DURAN has lost count of the amount of fights he has worked over his career – but there is one he could never forget. Duran has cornered a who’s who in both boxing and MMA, spanning over four decades, so little can faze or shock the 72-year-old legend.
      Jay Hieron vs Jonathan Goule was the ‘bloodiest’ fight in MMA history
      Hieron was left covered from head to toe in blood
      Stitch Duran worked the cut for Hieron
      It was the bloodiest fight Stitch ever worked
      Stitch aiding Hieron’s gruesome gash
      But, in 2005, he worked in what at the time was described by UFC commentator Joe Rogan as the “bloodiest round in mixed martial arts history.”
      Jay Hieron was taking on Jonathan Goule in a welterweight bout when, in round two, he took a brutal knee to the forehead.
      Immediately, Hieron was drenched in blood and Duran knew he had a job on his hands.
      Duran recalls almost PASSING OUT from the sheer smell alone as Hieron was covered from head to toe in claret.
      READ MORE IN BOXING
      He told SunSport: “Jay Hieron got that one cut in the vein where you laugh and it popped out and he bled like a pig, to the point where both fighters had blood from the top of their head to the bottom of their feet. 
      “As I was cleaning Jay up, there was so much blood I literally got nauseated. The smell of that iron, that had to be the bloodiest fight. 
      “And Jay Hieron is so proud of it, the mat is up in Randy Couture’s gym in Las Vegas. So we’re intertwined in his history.”
      Despite Duran’s best efforts, the bleeding was so severe the fight was called off a minute into round three with Goule winning by stoppage.
      Most read in BoxingThe one that got away DESPITE working with the best of the best, the most notable name Stitch never cornered was Floyd Mayweather.

      Instead, Mayweather famously had the late Rafael Garcia – who died in 2017 – work his cuts and more importantly his hands.
      But Stitch did have the chance to join Mayweather’s team, telling us: “I walk into the gym with a friend of mine, barber shop type of thing and he’s going through guys wrapping his hands, as he does have problems. 
      “Well this one guy is wrapping his hands and I’m telling my friend right off the bat, ‘Too tight.’ Floyd is shaking his hands and the other guy is wrapping his other hand. 
      “Finally, they finish and Floyd and James Prince – his manager at the time – they walk into the dressing room and as he’s walking out Floyd is cutting the wraps off his hands. 
      “At that point I could have said, ‘Hey Floyd, I’ll wrap your hands.’ But out of respect for that cutman, I said nothing. 
      “Then of course, later on Rafael got the opportunity and the assignment and I’m glad he got the assignment because Rafael was a super, super, super guy. 
      “He never really got the credit that was due to him until Floyd gave him the opportunity. So everything worked out.” 

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      It marked the only ever time Duran – who estimates he has worked over 1,000 fights – was taken aback by an incident.
      He said: “That was the only time I ever really smelt the blood. There was that much blood to the point, I could smell the iron in it. 
      Legendary cutman Stitch Duran ready to join Tyson Fury’s camp to protect horror cut in rescheduled Tyson Fury fight
      “But it’s not usually an issue when it comes to smelling blood. At this point I ain’t got no time to be freaking out.” 
      Duran had a military background before moving into the sport of kickboxing, where he coached and promoted.
      From there, he made the life-changing decision to work fighters’ cuts and wrap their hands.
      No cornerman has had a bigger impact across the sports, with Duran working with the likes of Wladimir Klistchko and Tyson Fury.
      He has even featured in Hollywood movies, most notably in the Rocky series and Creed spin-offs.
      But away from the lights, camera and action, Duran has one of the crucial jobs in the ring.
      He said: “It’s definitely a pressure point. People ask me, ‘What does it take to be a good cutman?’ And I always say, ‘Composure.’
      “During those points you’ve got to keep your composure and give that fighter every positive airwave. 
      “He looks at you, and you look at him and you’ve just got to know what you’re doing a coach can be in the back but we’re in the front and centre.” 
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      Stitch Duran is the most iconic cutman in boxing historyCredit: Getty More