Boxing

TYSON FURY got back to reality by returning home to Morecambe for the school run – while showing off his horror eye injury. The Gypsy King was meant to be two weeks out from fighting in the heavyweight division’s first four-belt unification in Saudi Arabia
Tyson Fury got back to reality by returning home to Morecambe for the school run
Fury showed off his horror eye injury
But disaster struck when he suffered a freak injury in sparring that left him needing over ten stitches in his eye.
As a result, the historic undisputed title decider has been postponed until May 18 and Fury has momentarily closed up shop in Riyadh.
The father-of-seven was soon back home on daddy duty but already looking ahead to the rescheduled fight date.
Fury said: “Back to reality today. Back to the good old Morecambe Bay weather.
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“Rain, wind, cold. Back to the school runs. Back to real life stuff.
“Can’t wait to get back into training camp in Saudi and absolutely smash it.”
Fury was in the middle of a scheduled 12-round sparring session when Agron Smakici sliced him open with an accidental elbow.
Saudi’s boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh was quick to confirm a new date only three months down the line has been set.
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But the powerful politician revealed another pull-out would have a massive £10MILLION consequence to be paid out of either boxer’s own cash.
Usyk spoke out for the first time since the fight cancellation during a press conference in Valencia – where it was revealed he pushed for the penalty clause.
New footage appears to show moment Tyson Fury was cut by an ELBOW causing Oleksandr Usyk fight to be scrapped
His manage Egis Klimas said: “It was our request. We put that to the Saudi people, and they accepted it.
“If he pulls out, the money has to come from the fighter, not from Saudi.” More

TYSON FURY had the £10million forfeit clause forced upon him by Oleksandr Usyk’s concerned team after his second pull-out.The 35-year-old WBC heavyweight king pulled out of the February 17 undisputed decider with Ukraine’s WBA, IBF and WBO boss last Friday, after suffering a cut in sparring.
Oleksandr Usyk demanded a £10m forfeit clause inserted for his rescheduled Tyson Fury fightCredit: Getty
Tyson Fury’s cut that postponed the fightCredit: X @Queensbury
It was the second time in three months that the Gypsy King had pushed the iconic Saudi Arabia show back, after his dismal performance in the narrow October 23 win over boxing debutant Francis Ngannou got him another stay of execution.
And on Saturday night, when the rescheduled May 18 date was confirmed by new Riyadh boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, the powerful Saudi politician revealed another pull-out would have massive financial consequences.
The details remained vague but on Tuesday at a Valencia press conference, after his wasted training camp was finally closed down, Usyk’s manager Egis Klimas explained the smallprint.
“It was our request,” Klimas, who had a shouting match with Fury over video call at the weekend, said. 
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“We put that to the Saudi people, and they accepted it.
“If he pulls out, the money has to come from the fighter, not from Saudi.”
Usyk, who missed the birth of baby daughter Maria to complete his training camp, refused to pour salt in Fury’s stitched wound.
But he did add fuel to the suggestion that the video team Fury leaked allegedly showing the Brit giant suffer the injury while wearing a headguard – while sparring partner Agron Smakici was wearing giant padded gloves – could have been staged.
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“I saw it but I didn’t think about it,” he said about the grainy clip.
“I have mentioned before that there are certain measures taken by highly professional fighters, 20oz gloves, headguard, vaseline on the faces and gloves to avoid cuts and injuries. 
New date for Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk CONFIRMED after Gypsy King was forced to pull out of megafight with horror cut
“Otherwise you are jeopardising the whole event and being disrespectful to the people involved.”
And in one final chilling message to Fury, before he spends some time with his young family before starting another camp, he warned him not to pull any more stunts.
“We have to be cautious and treat this professionally”, he said. “And spend every minute we spend in the ring with attention and respect.
“To judge someone for his mistakes is a weakness. Even if someone is trying to play me then he is playing to my rules.” More

CARL FROCH has launched a stinging attack on Tyson Fury after the Gypsy King suffered a horror cut that caused his fight with Oleksandr Usyk to be postponed. Fury was due to contest in the first four-belt heavyweight unification on February 17 in Saudi Arabia against Usyk.
Carl Froch launched a stinging attack on Tyson FuryCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
Tyson Fury’s cut suffered in sparringCredit: QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS
But with just two weeks to go, disaster struck after he suffered a gruesome gash in sparring that required over ten stitches.
Initially, former super-middleweight world champion Froch – who has been embroiled in a feud with Fury’s dad John – blamed the Gypsy King.
He said on his YouTube channel: “I don’t think there’s any excuse for him to get cut. And you’re gonna say, ‘Oh well he got cut, it happens.’
“It never happened to me. Didn’t happen that often to a lot of top worlds champions, I could go through the list, Floyd Mayweather to Canelo Alvarez.
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“You can go down the list to all these tens and 20, 30 world title fights back to back to back with no pullouts from injuries.
“It never happened to me because I used to wear a face guard. I put a face guard on.
“You might see Tyson, he’s got these cheekbone protectors on his face guard.
“Close to a fight, two weeks before he could be putting a face guard protector on so you’ve got a bar on in front of your face.
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“No elbows or sharp edges of the gloves can get through so you mitigate getting injured.
“You don’t get any thumbs in the eye, you don’t get an elbow in the side of the eye. Stuff doesn’t get through
New footage appears to show moment Tyson Fury was cut by an ELBOW causing Oleksandr Usyk fight to be scrapped
“And that’s what you should be doing. In a fight of this magnitude you should be taking massive precautions.
“So I’m blaming his trainer, or himself or his team for not taking that precaution by wearing this face guard whether you’re uncomfortable in it or not.”
The fight has since been rescheduled to May 18 and both Fury and Usyk have agreed to forfeit £10MILLION of their own cash if they pull out.
Froch – a self-professed flat-Earther – later softened up on his stance after Fury showed off the extent of his gruesome gash.
He said: “We’ve seen the cut now, I did want to see it. I said, I love a conspiracy. But I wanted to see the stitches, I wanted to see the cut.
“Doesn’t look fresh to me, doesn’t look like an acute injury. The bruising is coming out, the swelling is coming down. The stitching is all scabbed up.
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“But regardless of what you think about all that, he’s got a cut and the fight is now rescheduled.” More

THE boxer who cut Tyson Fury in sparring and cancelled the “biggest fight” in boxing has spoken out to insist it was an accident. Fury was due to contest in the first ever four-belt heavyweight unification on February 17 in Saudi Arabia against Oleksandr Usyk.
Agron Smakici speaks out after accidentally cutting Tyson FuryCredit: YouTube @iFL TV
But with just two weeks to go, disaster struck after he suffered a gruesome gash in sparring that required over ten stitches.
As a result, the fight has been postponed to May 18 and before long images and footage of the doomed spar emerged.
It appeared to show Croatian heavyweight Agron Smakici land an elbow to the eye of Fury which caused the cut.
But Smakici has now spoken out to set the record straight from his point of view.
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He told iFL TV: “Unfortunately it looks like bad news because I cancelled the biggest fight. But it wasn’t on purpose.”
Smakici revealed the sparring session took place at midday in Saudi and was kicked off by Irishman Thomas Carty.
He then hopped in as a fresh body for Fury but after just three rounds the now infamous blow landed.
But Smakici is adamant it was a punch not an elbow.
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He said: “I’m telling you, it was a punch. I threw a punch, I know I feel the punch.
“But he was pulling my head forward and maybe it goes to the elbow. I didn’t do it on purpose.”
New footage appears to show moment Tyson Fury was cut by an ELBOW causing Oleksandr Usyk fight to be scrapped
Smakici was in camp with Fury for two weeks and only sparred four rounds with him as the training partners were being rotated.
And he did his best to mimic Usyk’s famous elusive southpaw style but he was met by Fury’s trademark showmanship.
Smakici, 33, revealed: “He did some tricks. He likes to speak like, ‘You little sausage, let’s go, come on.’
“He’s the type like that. We had some stuff like that in the sparring. Speaking like that.

“And in the third round, it happened – the cut. Before that it was interesting sparring, it very good sparring.”
Smakici holds a 20-2 boxing record and also made a successful MMA return last year to go 1-1 in the cage.
He has been used as a sparring partner for Anthony Joshua before and hopes to be welcomed back into Fury’s camp despite the freak injury.
Smakici said: “I would like to go back to the Fury camp to do the whole preparation with him.
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“The conditioning training, everything just to push him and motivate him. And I will put some on some elbow protection or whatever you need!
“They were really cool, they said, ‘Hey, it happens. You did great rounds, thank you very much.'”
Tyson Fury’s cut that postponed the fightCredit: X @Queensbury More

EDDIE HEARN has told Shakur Stevenson to come back to boxing whenever he is ready to stop sulking. Stevenson, regarded as one of the most talented boxers in the world at just 26, announced a shock retirement online.
Eddie Hearn blasted Shakur Stevenson’s boxing retirementCredit: Sportsfile
He posted: “I’m officially retiring from the sport of boxing I’ll be in the gym forever perfecting my craft and helping the next generation become great and chase they dreams but I ain’t (f*** with) this weak boxing game.”
Stevenson, 26, has been campaigning to challenge for the vacant WBO lightweight world title against Emanuel Navarrete, 29.
But the organisation instead picked Denys Berinchyk, 35, to fight Navarrete for the belt vacated by Devin Haney, 25.
So an enraged Stevenson – who holds the WBC 135lb title – announced his retirement in protest.
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But boxing promoter Hearn is not buying it.
He told FightHype: “It’s ridiculous. Like I don’t even know why we give this kind of stuff airtime.
“Like, Shakur Stevenson, one of the best pound for pound fighters on the planet, he’s so boring. How old is the guy, 26?
“Of course he’s not retiring. Just say to him, ‘Alright, mate. Bye. Come back to us when you’ve finished your tantrum.’ 
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“What Shakur Stevenson should be doing is actually getting off Twitter because I rate him as one of the top fighters in the world.
“Do you think a fan wants to read about Shakur Stevenson sulking about the politics of boxing and saying he’s retiring and then when he comes back, what, do you expect people to support him even more?”
New footage appears to show moment Tyson Fury was cut by an ELBOW causing Oleksandr Usyk fight to be scrapped
Despite Stevenson’s claim, he has opened the door to a swift return for the right price and fight.
He said: “I’m waiting for the opportunity for me to come out of retirement.
“I got a WBC belt. So all roads to undisputed, being at 135, it come through me.
“We can already see them unifying, Lomachenko and a Navarrete fight.
“They can’t become the undisputed champion without coming to get the WBC strap off of me.
“They can do whatever they want, but I’m still going to be right here waiting on everybody. My opportunity got to come.
“There’s no way of becoming undisputed at 135 without one of those dudes coming to see me.”
Shakur Stevenson claimed he is retired from boxingCredit: Getty More

JOHN FURY has challenged Carl Froch to a fight at Wembley to settle their war of words.The two men have become embroiled in a bitter feud since former unified super-middleweight champion blasted John’s son Tyson Fury.
John Fury has thrown down a challenge to rival Carl FrochCredit: Instagram / romanfury_
He wants to fight ‘The Cobra’ at Wembley and insists he won’t back out of itCredit: talkSPORT
It began when the 46-year-old Cobra questioned the WBC heavyweight champion’s career ahead of his undisputed showdown with Oleksandr Usyk.
Froch said: “What’s he ever done? Who has he actually beaten?”
Fury’s father hit back by calling his fellow Brit a “s******se” and then claimed that he would “kick him up the a***”.
That has not deterred Froch, who then questioned how the Gypsy King was allowed to suffer a cut in sparring, which ultimately led to his fight with Usyk being postponed, so close to fight night.
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Now the ever-outspoken Fury senior has come out swinging and wants to settle it the old school way with Froch.
Speaking in a video clip that was posted on Roman Fury’s Instagram story, John said: “Video to Carl The Snake Froch. You’re having plenty to say mate on your little podcast channel.
“John Fury’s rung the bell for you again, got you plenty of content, plenty of viewing figures that you were after.
“Listen, your mate George Groves said something very interesting. You and me, Wembley Stadium, 93,000 crowd. I’m up for that my friend.
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“You’ve had plenty to say. I have. I stand by every word that I’ve said. You don’t like me. Let’s see what you can do about it.
“Hater versus Top Father – that’s what we’ll call this. But, it’s got to make business sense. Because it’s a business, let’s not forget that.
Tyson Fury’s trainer shares behind-the-scenes pics of Gypsy King looking ripped before devastating freak eye cut
“Get your people to contact me directly… get the contracts drawn up, I will fight you, Wembley Stadium, this year.
“Don’t worry about that. John Fury will not back out of the fight with you my friend.”
Froch latest swipe at Fury came at the weekend as he blamed “sloppy” Fury’s trainer for allowing Croatian heavyweight Argon Smakici to get too close to the champ in sparring.
He said: “I don’t think there’s any excuse for him to get cut. It never happened to me. I used to wear a face guard.
“No elbows can get through so you mitigate getting injured. That’s what you should be doing before a fight of this magnitude – taking massive precautions.
“I’m blaming his trainer, I’m blaming Tyson himself for not taking that precaution, whether you’re uncomfortable in it or not.
“He’s got cut in sparring two weeks before the biggest fight of his life. This is the unification, undisputed heavyweight title fight we’ve all been waiting for.
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“At two weeks out he should be keeping his sparring partners at a distance, working on what he needs to work on when he’s fighting Usyk.
“Of course the guys are going to get close to you during sparring, but from the clips I’ve seen Fury was having a bit of a push around and a move, he was looking sloppy.”

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