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      My dad died days after my greatest triumph, I put my Olympic gold medal in his hand in the coffin, says Oleksandr Usyk

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      OLEKSANDR USYK put his Olympic gold medal in his father’s coffin when he passed away.The heavyweight champion won gold at the London 2012 Olympics as his dad battled illness.
      Oleksandr Usyk put his Olympic gold medal in his father’s coffinCredit: X @boxingontnt
      Usyk won gold at the London 2012 OlympicsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Usyk was able to tell his father he was Olympic champion but did not see him before he passed away.
      The Ukrainian recalled: “My father was a tough man. He never told me sentimental words but, when I won the Olympics, he was already very sick.
      “I called him on the phone that evening and he told me he loved me. He said, ‘Now I’m ready to take death’. I told him, ‘This is only the beginning for us, there are professional belts,’ but a few days later my mum called at 2.30am and said, ‘That’s it, Dad’s gone’.
      “I flew to Chernihiv, where they lived, and, when I entered the room, he was lying in a wooden coffin.
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      “I took the medal and put it in his hand and said, ‘Here you go’. I know he’s up there in the skies watching me and he’s proud. I think about him every day, and I never miss a chance to tell my children that I love them.”
      Usyk has spoken about his father many times and has stated he was his biggest source of motivation.
      The 37-year-old often gets emotional when speaking about his dad and credits him for his success.
      Usyk said previously: “God rest his soul. He was the one who always motivated and forced me to train and study.
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      “Everything I have now is down to him. He put so much into me, taught me about priorities in life, which are family, sport and education.
      “He was a military man, by the way. My mum hated it when he taught me how to fight with a knife. She’d shout ‘Sasha, he’ll grow up to be a criminal, what are you doing?’
      “He’d be like ‘Get away, if he knows how to do it, he will never use it on others but when he needs to protect someone, that’s when he’ll use it.’”
      Mrs Usyk is the only happy person that the undisputed fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk was postponed More

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      Boxing ring girl Apollonia Llewellyn gives fans an eyeful as she spills out of skintight black PVC jumpsuit

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      APOLLONIA LLEWELLYN teased her fans and squeezed her body – into a skin-tight PVC outfit.The boxing ring girl took a leap of faith in her straining jumpsuit – as it was only half-zipped up at the front.
      Apollonia Llewellyn didn’t risk trying to totally do up her catsuitCredit: Instagram @apolloniallewellyn
      Things are looking up for Apollonia as her social media following soarsCredit: Instagram @apolloniallewellyn
      Admirers congratulated the influencer on her tanCredit: INSTAGRAM @apolloniallewellyn
      Size does matter as the model downsizes her bikiniCredit: Instagram @apolloniallewellyn
      The model, 24, went back to basics with a black costume with white trims.
      But she laced up the Instagram clips with three fire emojis and the message: “The best always x”.
      It comes after the Misfits star won praise for her tan-line when sharing bikini shots from a sauna and sprawling images across a bed in pink underwear.
      And the Yorkshirewoman has shown she has a hot sense of humour too.
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      She walked around Las Vegas in a crop-shot emblazoned with: “Your boyfriend stalks my Instagram.”
      If true, he might not be easy to find – as the Brit has 579,000 followers to hide amongst.
      Apollonia has revealed she fancies a go in the middle of the boxing ring, rather than parading around it.
      For the moment, though, her big-hitting is mainly done on social media.
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      It’s seven years since her first Instagram post and she also has 5.2million fans on Facebook plus 705k on TikTok.
      But despite her range of exotic poses, there’s one thing she won’t do.
      Boxing ring girl Apollonia Llewellyn stuns in bikini and wet T-shirt in ice bath video before flashing bum
      Apollonia says she has turned down £100k for a nude photoshoot  citing her family as the reason.
      But some people close to her might get jumpy if they see her latest outfit.
      Apollonia invited fans to ‘sit and stare’ at this pictureCredit: INSTAGRAM
      Fans were worried Apollonia’s top had shrunk in the wash before breakfastCredit: INSTAGRAM
      Apollonia enjoyed this bowl of pasta on a summer holiday to SantoriniCredit: INSTAGRAM
      Apollonia’s followers were in awe of the stunner’s hairdo hereCredit: INSTAGRAM
      Apollonia opted for this glamorous see-through numberCredit: INSTAGRAM
      Apollonia revealed he ‘idea of happiness’ is being ‘wind swept on the beach’Credit: INSTAGRAM
      Apollonia told fans ‘no caption needed’ for thisCredit: INSTAGRAM
      Apollonia left very little to the imagination as she ‘brightened fans’ Mondays’ in a skimpy wet T-shirtCredit: INSTAGRAM
      She has garnered her a huge social media presenceCredit: INSTAGRAM @apolloniallewellyn
      Apollonia shot to recognition as a member of the Misfits Boxing fight night team
      Apollonia has over 570,000 Instagram followersCredit: Instagram @apolloniallewellyn
      The model insisted she isn’t money-orientedCredit: Instagram @apolloniallewellyn
      She has turned down a staggering sum to pose nudeCredit: Instagram @apolloniallewellyn More

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      Eddie Hearn touts Liam Dillon vs Reece Bellotti as ‘British old-school classic’ ahead of NXTGEN’s seven-year anniversary

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      NEARLY seven years ago, Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing made a decision that would change the futures of prospects for years to come.For years, the promotion had performed a juggling act balancing showcasing their prospects’ respective rises up the ranks on big shows and filling cards with pay-per-view worthy fights.
      Matchroom Boxing began their NXTGEN shows back in March 2017Credit: MATCHROOM BOXING
      The likes of Jordan Gill have graduated from the series and become household namesCredit: SPORRTSFILE
      2020 Olympic gold medallist Galal Yafai has also featured on the NXTGen SeriesCredit: RICHARD PELHAM
      Matchroom Boxing supremo Eddie Hearn is thrilled with NXTGEN’s successCredit: SPORTSFILE
      Aware of the importance of doing justice to their up-and-comers and preparing them for bigger showcases to come, Matchroom created their wildly-popular NXTGEN series.
      The series has been a rip-roaring success, helping make the likes of Felix Cash, Jordan Gill and Galal Yafai – to name just a few – go from previous unknowns to household names.
      And to say NXTGEN is one of Hearn’s proudest achievements during his time at the Matchroom helm would be a major understatement.
      Hearn told SunSport: “It’s been great because a lot of the younger generation don’t get the opportunity to fight deep on the card.
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      “You’ve got guys that are headlining and co-main eventing.
      “The pressure of being in the press conference this week as the main event or a TV fight, a lot of guys that you bring through fight at five o’clock, six o’clock and you want to try to get them on the main card.
      “This is the opportunity to showcase them and build their profiles because you can’t be hiding that talent.
      “You have to show everybody how exciting and how good that next generation of talent is and eventually bring them on to the main shows at the big arenas.”
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      Reece Bellotti tops the bill of the latest NXTGEN show against Liam Dillon nearly seven years to the day since headlining the series’ first cardCredit: MATCHROOM BOXING
      NXTGEN’s maiden event was headlined by then-featherweight Reece Bellotti, who fittingly tops the bill of this weekend’s card at The Indigo at the O2 Arena just a few weeks shy of the seventh anniversary of his clash with Dai Davies.
      The British and Commonwealth Super Featherweight titles will be spoils for Bellotti this time around, provided he can get past undefeated Chingford clubber Liam Dillon.
      Eddie Hearn told Anthony Joshua some distressing news at Francis Ngannou press conference
      The match-up is, in the eyes of many, a throwback to domestic dust-ups of yesteryear
      “It’s old school, an old school classic this Saturday,” Hearn said of the clash of 130lbs tussle.
      “You’ve got a young guy in Liam Dillon against one of our favourites in Reece Bellotti – who has been up, been down, a very popular kid from Watford as well.
      “He’s won commonwealth titles. And it’s just one of those really good British old-school classics.
      “They won’t take a step back, both guys throw hundreds and hundreds of punches.
      “Both guys have got good chins, both guys can crack a bit.”
      Hearn has likened the tasty domestic super-featherweight clash to an ‘old-school’ British classicCredit: MATCHROOM BOXING
      This weekend’s main event isn’t the only fight veteran promoter Hearn is looking forward to.
      The 44-year-old said: “The undercard has also got some of our best young talent on it.
      “Cameron Vuong in a step up, Shannon Ryan – who looks like a future world champion.
      “Craig Richards back in action as well – and John Hedges as well.”
      Matchroom have an extremely exciting stable of prospects on their books, including the likes of Jordan Flynn, Hopey Price and the previously aforementioned Vuong.
      And with the continued benefits the NXTGEN platform provides, Hearn believes it’s only a matter of time before we see them competing in big and more meaningful fights.
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      He said: “These NXTGEN cards are about showcasing the future of the sport.
      “Some of these guys are going to fight for world championships in big arenas and this is a platform to bring them through.” More

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      Joshua Buatsi and Anthony Yarde set for all-British blockbuster as talks begin for Wembley fight in summer

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      JOSHUA BUATSI and Anthony Yarde are set for an all-British blockbuster amid talks for a Wembley fight in the summer. The light-heavyweight stars have long talked up a huge domestic dustup but promotional and TV alliances stood in the way.
      Joshua Buatsi and Anthony Yarde are set for an all-British blockbusterCredit: Reuters
      Yarde and Buatsi could fight in the summer at Wembley ArenaCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      But it appears bosses from Sky Sports and Boxxer – who represent Buatsi – and Queensberry Promotions and TNT on behalf of Yarde are ready to strike a deal.
      According to Boxing News, talks are already progressing behind the scenes with a summer bout eyed.
      And it would be expected to fall at the 12,500-seat Wembley Arena, where Buatsi recently beat London rival Dan Azeez.
      Yarde returns tomorrow night against Marko Nikolic but has called out Buatsi as the man he wants to face next.
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      Never have Sky and TNT – formerly BT – worked together on a shared pay-per-view.
      But the bridge was due to be gapped for Tyson Fury’s super-fight against Oleksandr Usyk on February 17.
      Before it was rescheduled to May 18 due to a cut Fury sustained in sparring, TNT, Sky and DAZN were all signed on as PPV broadcasters.
      It marked a huge step for boxing in the UK and broke down barriers previously starving fans of the biggest fights.
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      Buatsi’s promoter Ben Shalom told BBC Sport: “Buatsi-Azeez did so well on tickets and interest but Buatsi v Yarde is on another level. It’s another London grudge match.
      “I do believe the Anthony Yarde fight is what both Boxxer and Queensberry want and I believe that fight will happen in the next few months.
      Joshua Buatsi crowned British champion after being Dan Azeez
      “Buatsi wants to remain active. It’s the biggest fight for both of them and then we can see the winner fight for a world title.”
      Buatsi, 30, beat Azeez, 34, on points to become next in line for the WBA world title.
      But champion Dmitry Bivol, 33, is signed for a unification against Artur Beterbiev, 39, and a rematch could also follow.
      So with a world title challenge seemingly out of sight, he has set his sights on fellow Londoner Yarde, 32.
      Yarde was beaten by Beterbiev in a thriller last year for the world titles while also losing to Sergey Kovalev, 40, three years ago.
      Joshua Buatsi and Anthony Yarde pose togetherCredit: Twitter More

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      Anthony Joshua’s three-fight plan revealed by Eddie Hearn as Tyson Fury drops shock five-fight run after Usyk delay

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA is eyeing a world title shot after back-to-back wins this year, promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed.AJ will look to breathe further new life into his career in his crossover clash with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou next month.
      Anthony Joshua throws down with former UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou next monthCredit: PA
      A fight against mandatory IBF HW title challenger Filip Hrgovic will likely be next for AJCredit: RICHARD PELHAM
      Promoter Eddie Hearn hopes AJ will fight for a world title after the two boutsCredit: ALAMY
      Saudi boxing kingpin Turki Alalshikh wants to pit the winner of the Riyadh rumble against the victor of Tyson Fury’s rescheduled undisputed showdown with Oleksandr Usyk.
      The rematch clause in the pair’s contract, however, means a showdown with mandatory IBF heavyweight title challenger Filip Hrgovic will be next for AJ should he see off Ngannou.
      But Matchroom boxing chief Hearn believes the Watford warrior will eventually end up standing across the ring from the winner of Fury vs Usyk.
      He told iFL TV: “The timing worked perfectly for AJ to stop Ngannou and for Fury to win.
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      “We appreciate there’s this fight and this rematch, but you know how things are going to go.
      “Come on, you know how His Excellency moves.
      “When the biggest fight in the history of the sport is in front of you to make I’m sure as hell find a way to keep everybody happy and make that fight but it’s irrelevant right now.
      “We need that fight to happen and now that fight is happening two months after our fight.
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      “So it sounds more likely that if AJ is triumphant [he] will fight Filip Hrgovic for a world title, which is fine.
      “And then we’ll fight the winner of Fury vs Usyk.
      Inside Anthony Joshua’s amazing car collection
      “AJ is just like ‘Sign me up to everything, I’m going to beat everyone.”
      WBC heavyweight king Fury dispelled rumours of retirement this week by revealing plans to fight at least FOUR MORE TIMES after his dance with Usyk.
      The Gypsy King insists he won’t close out his career without back-to-back domestic dust-ups with Joshua, a declaration which was music to the ears of Hearn.
      The 44-year-old said: “I love to hear this. Boxing would be a worse or weaker place without Tyson Fury, keep him in the sport.
      “This is what I told you, he’s got the bit between his teeth. Good, I like seeing Tyson Fury like that.
      “Good luck to him, he says two Usyk fights but I believe there’ll be one. I love it, music to my ears.
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      “Guess what, Hrgovic is going to knock Ngannou out and beat Hrgovic if that’s what he’s got to do.
      “Then he’s going to knockout Tyson Fury.” More

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      Tyson Fury shares photo of blood-spattered headguard from spar session where he suffered horror cut that axed Usyk fight

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      TYSON FURY has shared an image of his blood-soaked headguard moments after he suffered a fight-postponing cut in sparring.The Gypsy King was last week forced to push back his historic undisputed heavyweight title fight with Oleksandr Usyk after sustaining a horror gash above his right eye.
      Tyson Fury was forced to postpone his historic undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk last weekCredit: EPA
      A horror cut in sparring forced the postponement of the biggest fight in the division for the last 25 yearsCredit: INSTAGRAM@TYSONFURY
      Fury has shared an image of his blood-soaked sparring gear on InstagramCredit: INSTAGRAM@TYSONFURY
      An accidental elbow from sparring partner Agron Smakici re-opened the scar tissue left from the 2019 cut Fury suffered against Otto Wallin.
      Footage of the incident was quickly released after the fight was officially postponed, and now Fury has taken to Instagram to share a snap of the head guard and gloves he donned for the ill-fated spar.
      Blood was visible on the right side of the head guard and was partially smeared on both of the white gloves he wore.
      Saudi boxing kingpin Turki Alalshikh moved quickly to secure a new date for the first undisputed heavyweight title fight in nearly 25 years after Fury’s unfortunate cut.
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      Fury and Usyk, 35 and 37 respectively, will now throw down in the Kingdom on May 18.
      WBC king Fury said of the unfortunate postponement: “This is not a blessing in disguise, but I take God’s will as it comes.
      “I was 100 per cent confident I was going to knock Usyk out. I was 100 per cent ready.
      “Why would I not want to fight for the biggest payday of my life?”
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      He added: “We got a new fight date. Very, very quickly – I suppose that was upsetting to a lot of people, but refreshing to a lot of good people.
      “Massive shoutout to Turki Alalshikh, they made the new date possible so quickly.”
      Oleksandr Usyk on incredible sacrifices made for postponed Tyson Fury undisputed fight
      “In life, sometimes s***y things happen to you but you never let it get to you.
      “You always keep moving forward. Look at that b*****d right there. Woah.
      “Nice little elbow right in the eye. Nearly cost me the biggest fight in my career. But what can you do, s**t happens.”
      Fury and Usyk will both be on the hook for £8million if they pull out of their rescheduled Riyadh rumble.
      Alalshikh said on The MMA Hour: “I have delayed it for May 18, I guarantee for both of the fighters £*million if someone escapes from the fight.
      “We will make the people around the world know if someone is scared.” More

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      Deontay Wilder says 20-hour plane journey to Saudi Arabia and lack of sparring led to defeat against Joseph Parker

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      DEONTAY WILDER said a 20-hour plane journey to Saudi Arabia and lack of sparring led to his downfall against Joseph Parker. Wilder came back after nearly two years out the ring in December against former world champion Parker.
      Joseph Parker beat Deontay Wilder on pointsCredit: Getty
      A super-fight with Anthony Joshua was already signed and ready to be sealed for March.
      But Wilder returned to the ring gun-shy and laboured to a points loss – with fans and pundits scratching their heads at the performance.
      The American has now broken his silence following the defeat and suggested his flight from Saudi was in part to blame.
      Wilder, 38, told ESNews: “It’s just the beginning of what I’m capable of doing with less than three weeks to train.
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      “And even in the training for that I had to travel two times, that was 20 hours of travelling and those guys were already in Europe.
      “They are only two/three hours away. I had to go to ten-12 hours hours with the whole trip. Breaking camp, all those things.
      “I’m not complaining, I’m just saying what I had to go through.”
      Wilder infamously blamed his 2020 stoppage loss to Tyson Fury on a heavy ring walk outfit, having his water SPIKED and his own coach conspiring against him.
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      And the ex-WBC champion – who fought Parker on five weeks notice – also blamed a shortage of sparring sessions as another factor for defeat.
      He said: “Camp-wise, we were prepared for everything.
      Deontay Wilder breaks silence on Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou after blowing blockbuster with British rival
      “Sparring went well, we didn’t get enough sparring that we wanted to get in with the time period that we had but we got some good sparring in.
      “And the sessions that we got in, they were good sessions but when I got into the actual ring it was a little hard for me to pull the trigger as people saw.
      “My timing was very off, I would come back to the ring and be like, ‘Damn, why can’t I pull the trigger? What the f***.’
      “I had those moments but it’s okay. I’m glad I got to experience a lot of things that’s it in boxing.
      “A lot of things I had to go through that I never thought I’d have to experience in life. But sometimes it’s like that.” More

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      Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk: New date CONFIRMED, UK start time, TV channel, stream, PPV price, undercard for huge fight

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      TYSON Fury is once again set to fight for the undisputed heavyweight titles against Oleksandr Usyk after postponing the original date. Fury suffered a nasty gash above his right eye in sparring earlier this month and saw his clash with Usyk on February 17 go up in smoke as a result.
      Fury and Usyk went head-to-head at a press conference late last year
      Tyson Fury suffered a cut that postponed the Usyk fight on February 17Credit: X @Queensbury
      Usyk revealed he missed the birth of his daughter at the beginning of the year to focus on training camp for Fury, but now he has to refocus on a new date.
      Fury holds the WBC title in boxing’s glamour division, while Usyk is in possession of the WBA, WBO, IBF and Ring Magazine straps.
      The pair have been on a collision course to fight for 18 months, following Usyk’s rematch win over Anthony Joshua in August 2022.
      Fury only just overcame boxing debutant and former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou last October, as he was knocked down in stunning fashion before going on to win the bout on points.

      And Fury’s latest scuffle in sparring with heavyweight Agron Smakici, which saw an 11-stitch cut open up below his eyebrow, will be another confidence booster for Usyk.
      The Ukrainian is looking become the first man in history to win undisputed titles at both cruiserweight and heavyweight – and he’s just one win away.
      A victory for Fury, on the other hand, would set up an all-British mega-bout with Anthony Joshua, who takes on Ngannou himself on March 8.
      When is Fury vs Usyk?

      Fury vs Usyk will now take place on Saturday, May 18 after the original date of February 17 was postponed.
      The Gyspy King has three months to recover from his injury, and if there are any more pull-outs this time around, a £7.9million fee will be paid to the opposing fighter.
      The fight will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
      Expect main event ring-walks to get going from around 11pm BST, with the main card likely to start from 6pm BST.

      Most read in Boxing

      What channel is it on and can it be live streamed?

      Fury vs Usyk will be broadcast on THREE channels here in the UK.
      You can watch the clash on TNT Sports Box Office, Sky Sports Box Office and on DAZN PPV.
      A price for the event has yet to be confirmed.
      You can stream the action from the TNT Sports Box Office app, Sky Sports Box Office app, or the DAZN app, all of which are available onto your mobile, tablet and Smart TV.

      Fury vs Usyk full card
      It has yet to be confirmed whether the original undercard will go ahead on the new date.
      But this is likely to be the scheduled night of fights:

      Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk – undisputed WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles
      Joe Cordina vs Anthony Cacace – IBF super-featherweight title
      Jai Opetaia vs Mairis Briedis – vacant IBF cruiserweight title
      Moses Itauma vs Ilja Mezencev
      Sergey Kovalev vs Robin Sirwan Safar
      Bakhodir Jalolov vs TBA
      Isaac Lowe vs Hasibullah Ahmadi
      David Nyika vs TBA

      Fury and Usyk have been in negotiations to fight since December 2022Credit: Reuters
      What has been said?
      “I just smiled,” Usyk said upon hearing of the postponement news.
      “And said ‘OK – I will finish my training and I will do my work stretching my back’.
      “Tyson. Hi, my brother. Don’t be afraid. I will not leave you alone.
      “I’m still happy – things happen, it’s life,” he said.
      “I’m very happy because I now go to Ukraine. I see my two daughters and my wife. I go to my church and pray. A little bit of rest and back to my camp.”
      Fury said of the postponement: “I am absolutely devastated after preparing for this fight for so long and being in such superb condition.
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      “I feel bad for everyone involved in this huge event and I will work diligently towards the rescheduled date once the eye has healed.
      “I can only apologise to everyone affected including my own team, Team Usyk, the undercard fighters, partners, and fans as well as our hosts and my friends in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” More