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      Oleksandr Usyk refuses to succumb to same trick ‘most of Tyson Fury’s opponents fell for’ after watching previous fights

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      OLEKSANDR USYK won’t let his bid for heavyweight greatness be derailed by Tyson Fury’s shenanigans.The undefeated Ukrainian will bid to become only the second-ever male fighter to claim undisputed status in two weight classes when he locks horns with Fury a fortnight on Saturday.
      Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury will fight for all the heavyweight marbles later this monthCredit: GETTY
      Usyk has endured pre-fight digs and taunts galore from The Gypsy King ahead of their historic showdownCredit: EPA
      Usyk insists he won’t let Fury’s theatrics get the better of himCredit: AP
      Usyk has had to endure verbal jab after verbal jab from the charismatic and sometimes erratic Fury in the build-up to their long-overdue Saudi showdown.
      But unlike Fury’s opponents of yesteryear, the former cruiserweight king has – on the outside at least – not been rattled by the Brit’s antics – a calmness he believes is imperative to getting the better of him.
      He told Ring Magazine: “I really don’t think about Tyson Fury. I don’t look at the way he acts and what he does.
      “Most of his opponents fell for it. I don’t. For me, I focus on how I am, and how I prepare for when I go into the ring.”
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      Usyk and his team have studied Fury extensively for the best part of two years and believe they have the perfect game plan to hand The Gypsy King his first loss.
      He said: “Me and my trainer have watched his fights. We are preparing for everything.
      “We have to watch what he is doing. I don’t care about what Fury thinks about me.
      “He can underestimate. He can overestimate me. I don’t care. I have my plans for him. I have advantages over him that he does not know about.”
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      Usyk, 37, fully expects Fury to try to utilise his significant weight advantage in the clinch in a bid to tire him out.
      But he insists: “We are going to be the ones leaning on Tyson Fury [not the other way around].
      “To win this fight, I don’t need to be heavy, I need to be fast and quick. You never see a fat wolf in the forest.”
      Team Usyk are happy with how preparations for the historic showdown have gone, with manager Egis Klimas confident the slick southpaw will bounce Fury from the ranks of the unbeaten in devastating fashion.
      He said: “Usyk is always prepared mentally, he takes every fight very seriously.
      “We went through a lot to get this fight made. Usyk will beat Fury. I am sure it will not be easy.
      “I would not even be surprised if he stops Fury.
      “The reason I say that is Usyk will wear down Fury and stop him. Fury has made a lot of money. He is not hungry anymore.
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      “Like Oscar De La Hoya used to say.
      “If you have $80 million in your bank account and you are sleeping in silk sheets, it is not easy to get up at 5 in the morning to run.”
      Oleksandr Usyk is brimming with confidence ahead of the biggest fight of his lifeCredit: AFP More

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      Eddie Hearn breaks silence on claims Tyson Fury was floored by unbeaten cruiserweight in training for Usyk fight

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      EDDIE HEARN has addressed rumours of Tyson Fury getting dropped in sparring for his historic clash with Oleksandr Usyk.The Gypsy King is just over two weeks away from fighting the former undisputed cruiserweight king for all the heavyweight marbles in Saudi Arabia.
      Tyson Fury faces Oleksandr Usyk for all the heavyweight marbles later this monthCredit: EPA
      Fury was last month rumoured to have been dropped in sparring by Jai OpetaiaCredit: GETTY
      Opetaia’s promoter Eddie Hearn has dismissed the rumours as complete “rubbish”Credit: DAZN
      Fury, 35, enlisted the services of Alexis Barriere, Kevin Lerena, Moses Itauma and former IBF cruiserweight king Jai Opetaia to prepare him for his crack at undisputed glory.
      Opetaia, however, left the camp to prepare for his rematch with Mairis Briedis, a departure which coincided with claims he put Fury on his backside during one of their spars.
      But Hearn has dismissed the rumours – which Opetaia’s team denied – as complete “rubbish”.
      During an appearance on talkSPORT, the Aussie’s promoter said: “Jai Opetaia is with Matchroom, he’s a tremendous fighter. As far as I can see, it’s absolute rubbish.
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      “Jai Opetaia flew in, he did five rounds with Tyson Fury. I mean, he will set about him as he always does, but as I understand it nobody got hurt or dropped in the spar.
      “Then after that Jai went back because it’s all southpaws in [Fury’s] training camp [to prepare for Usyk], and he’s fighting Mairis Briedis who’s an orthodox fighter.
      “So I think it’s absolute rubbish, sparring stories are sparring stories.”
      In stark contrast to the rumours of Fury’s camp being in disarray, Hearn claims to have heard that the WBC heavyweight champion’s preparations are going swimmingly.
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      He continued: “As I understand it, Fury’s having a great camp and I think he’s taking it very seriously.
      “I expect a much better Tyson Fury in this fight against Usyk. Usyk looks razor-focused and sharp. It’s a 50/50 fight.
      “I think the Opetaia rumours are just rumours, complete rubbish.”
      Hearn, like many in the boxing world, was less than impressed by Fury’s display in his crossover clash with former UFC heavyweight champ Francis Ngannou last October.
      But he expects the burly Brit to be too much for slick southpaw Usyk to overcome in their Riyad rumble.
      He told Mo Boxing Problems: “I think Tyson Fury wins the fight. I think it’s a very tricky fight.
      “I don’t think it’ll be the greatest fight you’ve ever watched, but I think it will be fascinating.
      “But I think he will just be too good, he’ll mess around with Usyk and he’ll find a way.” More

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      Much-loved Sky Sports boxing tournament to be relaunched on another channel with new format

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      MUCH-LOVED Sky Sports boxing tournament Prizefighter will be relaunched on a new channel with a different format.The classic event saw multiple fighters compete through knockout stages before going on to scoop a top prize of £32,000.
      Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom are relaunching Prizefighter on DAZN with a huge cash prizeCredit: PA
      The popular show used to run on Sky Sports and was last on air in 2015
      A whopping 35 Prizefighters were held on Sky Sports, with the last boxing tournament coming in 2015.
      But the series is being relaunched by Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom, who have struck an agreement to broadcast it on DAZN.
      The reboot sees Prizefighter head to Japan for a tournament lasting three nights.
      And the jackpot has soared to an incredible £800,000 cash prize.
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      There’s even an £80,000 bonus incentive for every knockout a fighter produces.
      The eight-man series begins on March 31 and will be a middleweight contest.
      The opening event will be decided over 10 rounds, with the latter stages moving to 12 rounds.
      Brits Kieran Conway and Mark Dickinson, plus Ireland’s Aaron McKenna, will all be involved against opponents from Japan, France, America and China.
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      Stars who emerged from PrizefighterFive of the best…

      Audley Harrison (Heavyweight champ, 2009)
      Gavin Rees (Light Welterweight champ, 2009)
      Rocky Fielding (Super Middleweight champ, 2011)
      Lee Haskins (Super Flyweight champ, 2011)
      Mike Perez (International Heavyweight champ, 2011)

      Matchroom CEO Frank Smith said: “This is a fantastic way to start our landmark three-year deal in Japan.
      “Prizefighter was immensely popular with boxing fans in years gone by – and they will love this new inception of the $1million series. 
      “With a $100k knockout prize pot per event, the fighters will be going all out. It promises to be a thrilling spectacle, filled with tough 50-50 fights, that will capture attention around the world.“  More

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      Mike Tyson warns John Fury his pal is ‘coming for him’ after bizarre Russell Crowe row

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      MIKE TYSON warned John Fury that his friend Joe Egan is “coming for him” and bizarrely dragged Russell Crowe into the row. Tyson and Egan were famous sparring partners during his ferocious prime and even called the Irishman “the toughest white man on the planet.”
      Mike Tyson warned John Fury that his friend Joe Egan is ‘coming for him’Credit: X @BigJoeEgan
      John Fury was called out by Joe EganCredit: Alamy
      Egan was a national amateur champion but had only four professional bouts, going 3-1.
      He recently announced plans to come out of retirement and publicly challenged Tyson Fury’s dad John – but to no avail.
      So Egan has now turned to his old friend Iron Mike to help get the message out there.
      Tyson said in a video: “John Fury, you’ve got my friend Joe Egan really mad at you, saying you wanted to fight me.
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      “And he also told me that you told Russell Crowe that he was a fraud. So, Joe Egan is looking for John Fury, okay?
      “And if I’m able to see that fight – I hope it’s not in England because I’m a felon, I can’t go to England.
      “But he’s coming for you John Fury, for my honour.”
      Tyson had two fights in the UK, knocking out Julius Francis in Manchester and Lou Savarese in Glasgow.
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      But in 2013 he was banned from travelling over due to his 1992 rape conviction – which he served three years in prison for – because of immigration rules that were toughened up in 2012.
      Tyson, 57,has been called out several times by Fury’s 59-year-old father John.
      But John refused to entertain the callout from Egan, telling The Mirror: “Not interested in talking about those people. Can we move on please?”
      It comes after Egan said: “Hello everyone. I have one last hurrah in me. I haven’t fought in over 20 years.
      “John Fury is my friend and he is a good fighting man, same as myself, a good fighting man and I think the two of us would have a great boxing match.
      “Out in Saudi let’s show them YouTubers and them Saudi royals how two old warriors can perform.”
      Mike Tyson with Joe Egan (right) in 2007Credit: PA:Press Association More

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      Conor McGregor accused of not taking Michael Chandler ‘seriously’ as ex-boxing champ fears UFC star will get ‘beat up’

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      CONOR McGREGOR has been accused of not taking Michael Chandler “seriously” – which could lead him to a brutal beating.McGregor is set to make his long awaited UFC return against Chandler despite the fight not yet being officially confirmed.
      Conor McGregor pictured in December in Saudi ArabiaCredit: Getty
      Michael Chandler is expected to fight McGregorCredit: 2023 Zuffa LLC
      He raised eyebrows when he took to social media to claim he would face the American on June 29 at middleweight.
      That would be two divisions above his last fight weight and a jump of over TWO STONE.
      So retired former boxing world champion Carl Froch questioned McGregor’s commitment to the fight.
      Froch told Lord Ping: “Conor McGregor won’t be taking the fight that seriously if he fights at the higher weight class.
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      “It’s indication to me that he won’t be taking Chandler seriously in training and when you don’t prepare properly, he could end up getting hurt.
      “The mindset is not going to be right and he’s going to be unprepared and it could be really dangerous if he’s not training – he’s going to get beat up and knocked out or tapped out.”
      McGregor recently celebrated the trailer release of his Hollywood debut, starring alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in a Roadhouse reboot.
      But he also posted training footage to assure fans he is on track to fight for the first time since July 2021.
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      The Irishman, 35, has been sidelined since breaking his leg in the first round against Dustin Poirier, 34.
      And his return remains in doubt after UFC president Dana White shot down his claim of fighting in June.
      He said: “When Conor’s ready to fight, you know we’ll announce it. That’s what we do.”
      The historic UFC 300 card, set for April 13 in Las Vegas, is still without a headliner and McGregor hinted he will be the man to take it.
      He posted online: “McGregor on 300 seals the deal.”
      And Chandler, 37, replied: “I accept. See you soon.”
      McGregor facing off with ChandlerCredit: 2023 Zuffa LLC More

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      Deontay Wilder urged to RETIRE from boxing after hallucinogenic drug ‘took away his killer instinct’

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      DEONTAY WILDER has been urged by Carl Froch to RETIRE from boxing after hallucinogenic drugs “took away killer instinct”. Wilder in December suffered a shock defeat to Joseph Parker, which in turn blew his super-fight against Anthony Joshua. 
      Deontay Wilder after defeat to Joseph ParkerCredit: Getty
      Before the bout in Saudi Arabia, the American boasted of becoming a new man after taking psychedelic drug ayahuasca. 
      But retired former super-middleweight world champion Froch believes it contributed to Wilder returning gun-shy and to blame for his lacklustre performance. 
      He told Lord Ping: “I think ayahuasca affected Deontay Wilder’s performance, I think it took away his killer instinct and the desire to cause damage. 
      “I think it chilled him out too much, it’s not good for you. Bad move that. I think he should retire now, he’s lost to Joseph Parker, who lost to Diliian Whyte, come on. 
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      “He’s going on as well in age, he’s made plenty of money, he’s in touch with his spiritual side now and it’s put him at peace, but he’s no longer in a fighter’s frame of mind. He’s a lover.” 
      Wilder, 38, had just 40 seconds of action in nearly two years before he returned against Parker, 32. 
      And he landed only 39 punches from the 204 he threw, with onlookers scratching their heads at the showing. 
      In the build up, Wilder looked rejuvenated and revealed in an interview how it was inspired by his experience with South American psychoactive brew ayahuasca. 
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      The drug comes from stewing the leaves and stem of a jungle vine that grows in the Amazon rainforest, and it is usually drunk as a tea.
      Ayahuasca takes 20 to 60 minutes to kick in, and its effects can last up to six hours.
      Typical effects include visual hallucinations, euphoria, paranoia, and vomiting.
      It contains dimethyltryptamine – or DMT – which is deemed a Class A drug in the United Kingdom, making it illegal on these shores.
      Ayahuasca is also banned in the UK, but can be taken legally elsewhere.
      Wilder told The Telegraph: “Ah, man, ayahuasca has been… Man, it’s been one of the top things in my life that I’m glad that I’ve experienced.
      “One of the best journeys to experience, it’s been a beautiful thing for me, and if you ask my wife, she’ll say that it made me more sensitive.
      What are the effects of ayahuasca?While the drug may affect people differently, some of the common effects include:

      Nausea/vomiting
      Diarrhea
      Anxiety
      Euphoria
      Intense visual and auditory hallucinations
      Powerful emotions
      Increased body temperature
      Feelings of connection and unity

      “And she’s probably right, but it also made me happier as well. I find myself appreciating even the smallest of the smallest things – and not saying that I didn’t before – but the appreciation level has increased.
      “Ayahuasca has done some beautiful things for a lot of individuals, not only just including myself, where they brought affirmation to their life or some type of understanding of the path that they are running in their life.
      “I’m looking forward to doing it many, many more times. I’m actually looking to do it after this fight as well.
      “They made the medicine on site, the DMT, and it was just a beautiful experience. I highly recommend everyone to try it out, I really do, it really has helped me in my life.
      “I am one of the happiest people I know in life, and God is good.”
      Wilder has refused to retire following defeat but faces a fight to ever get the chance to face Joshua, 34, again.
      In a lengthy message to his fans just a day after the loss, the former WBC champion insisted his boxing story is not over. 
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      Wilder said: “I’m a warrior, I’ll be back soon. If not, then I appreciate the love and support everyone has given me over the years. 
      “Life is about falling and getting back up, you must get back up.”  More

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      ‘It’s crawling with rats,’ say neighbours of Amir Khan’s £11.5m ‘Dubai-style’ wedding venue surrounded by rubbish

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      FUMING neighbours have slammed Amir Khan’s £11.5million “Dubai-style” wedding venue – claiming it’s “crawling with rats” and surrounded by mountains of rubbish.The former world champion boxer, 37, is set to open the Balmayna building in his hometown Bolton next month.
      Amir Khan is launching a wedding venue in BoltonCredit: Doug Seeburg
      But locals are fuming about fly-tipped rubbish in a nearby alleywayCredit: CHRIS NEILL
      The Balmayna has taken seven years to build at a cost of £11.5millionCredit: CHRIS NEILL
      But residents say the venue is already a magnet for fly-tipping, with the alleyway next to it left in a “disgusting” state.
      Snaps show dirty mattresses, fridges, settees, wheelie bins packed with rubble and bags of rubbish dumped behind neighbours’ homes.
      Local shopkeeper Abdura Wadiya, 56, said: “It’s been a nightmare.
      “People come and just dump rubbish and we’ve had a lot of rats everywhere.
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      “There’s been a ton of rubbish outside my shop in the alley.”
      Adbura added: “I spoke to Amir Khan about it and he said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll sort it’.
      “And it looks like he has. He’s a good man.”
      Bolton Council workers were clearing the alleyway when The Sun visited.
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      Team boss Clive Haslam said: “We struggled to drive a van down here when we arrived as there was so much debris.
      “Fridges, beds, settees, wheelie bins full of bricks and all sorts have been dumped here.
      “It’s not actually the council’s responsibility – but we were asked to come, so we did.”
      THAT’S RUBBISH
      Shopkeeper Rebaz Chalabe, 43, said: “It’s taken a long time to build – more than seven years.
      “But it looks good and will be good for the area. I have been inside and seen it.
      “It looks magnificent and will be a great place to get married.
      “Hopefully it will be good for my shop with lots more people in the area.”
      Rebaz added: “The only problem has been the rubbish.
      “You get people coming from miles away dumping all their rubbish.
      “It has become a real fly-tipping hotspot and a problem for everyone.
      “But hopefully Amir will put up CCTV cameras and fingers crossed that will stop people.”
      Neighbour Baber Sayed’s house backs onto the rubbish-filled alleyway.
      Baber, 52, said: “The rubbish has been a real problem – and I worry about all the traffic when the venue opens.
      “There will be a lot of cars coming here.”
      BOXED OFF
      Khan’s glass-fronted wedding venue looms above neighbouring homes.
      The £11.5million building is lined with palm trees and boasts its own waterfall.
      But some locals have said that the building looks it belongs to Dubai, not Bolton.
      A spokesman for the Balmayna said: “With immense joy, the wait is nearly over.
      “We will soon unveil the grand opening of The Balmayna, Bolton’s newest wedding haven.
      “A splendid project between Excellency Midlands and Amir Khan, where elegance seamlessly meets excellence.”
      ‘TOUCH OF MAGNIFICENCE’
      Khan, who splits his time between Bolton and Dubai, is set to open the luxury venue next month.
      It’s said to be the “brainchild” of the boxer, who is married to and has three children with Pakistani-American YouTuber Faryal Makhdoom.
      The venue’s website says the site will be able to host “a wedding like no other in the UK” and promises it will exceed expectations.
      It reads: “This wedding venue is the brainchild of Amir Khan, the world champion boxer, ensuring a touch of magnificence and excellence in every celebration.”
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      Khan rose to fame after claiming silver at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
      The now-37-year-old lost to Kell Brook in a catchweight bout in Manchester in 2022 – but was later banned for two years for testing positive for Ostarine.
      Amir Khan’s business empireWITH a fortune estimated to be worth £40million, Khan has made some shrewd decisions for a life after boxing.
      His reality show Meet the Khans: Big in Bolton gave us a glimpse into his world with wife Faryal Makhdoom and their family.
      Khan is also the co-owner of India’s Super Fight League, which has attracted hundreds of millions of viewers.
      He also founded the Super Boxing League in India, which boasts a multi-million TV deal with Sony ESPN.
      The former world champion has launched his own promotion company called Khan Promotions.
      Khan’s first signing as a promoter was English amateur champion Tal Singh.
      And he will have his pick of local fighters from Bolton and Peterborough, as well as its surrounding areas thanks to his boxing gym, the Amir Khan Academy.
      Khan also launched his academy in Islamabad with the aim of training Pakistani amateur boxers to compete in future Olympics.

      The run-down alleyway next to the BalmaynaCredit: CHRIS NEILL
      A council worker clearing rubbishCredit: Steve Allen More

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      Tyson Fury ‘getting TURNED OVER’ in sparring for Usyk showdown as ex-world champ suggests training camp leak

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      TYSON FURY has been getting “TURNED OVER” by his sparring partners just weeks before his historic showdown with Oleksandr Usyk, it’s been sensationally claimed.The Gypsy King will finally throw down with the slick southpaw for all the heavyweight marbles in Saudi Arabia on February 17.
      Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk will fight for undisputed supremacy on February 17Credit: EPA
      The identities of Fury’s sparring partners for the fight were recently revealedCredit: INSTAGRAM@MATTMASSAGE95
      Former WBO cruiserweight champ Johnny Nelson has claimed Fury’s sparring partners have been getting the better of himCredit: GETTY
      Fury, 35, jetted out to The Kingdom with his team at the start of the month to continue preparations for the biggest fight of his life away from the distractions of home.
      But according to boxing pundit Johnny Nelson, his carefully selected group of sparring partners have been giving him a pasting.
      The former WBO cruiserweight champion told talkSPORT: “I’m hearing rumours of what’s happening in camp – I’m hearing that he’s getting turned over in the gym.
      “So this thing about appetite when he’s in the gym, I mean, he got shown his a***.
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      “I’m hearing these things and I’m thinking has he taken his eye off the ball, or has time caught up with him?”
      Nelson reckons Fury’s lacklustre display against former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is a testament to his belief that the WBC champ is no longer as focused as he once was.
      He continued: “In regards to his last fight, I put that down to him disrespecting the man in front of him.
      “And if you’re led to believe he had the best training camp, his legs had gone.”
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      Nelson believes the Fury of old would run through former pound-for-pound king Usyk but has serious concerns ahead of February’s fisticuffs.
      He said: “I’d expect Tyson Fury to beat Oleksandr Usyk, but the Tyson Fury who boxed Ngannou in his last fight gets knocked out.
      “If that Tyson Fury turns up then it’s done, it’s over.
      “The reason why I said ‘the legs are gone’ line is that I remember Tony Bellew saying it about David Haye and at first I was like, ‘What?’, but when I saw it I knew what he was talking about.
      “I might be saying something that might not be too popular – I expect him to win, I just think he dropped the ball in the last fight.
      “These rumours I’m hearing, I hope they’re just rumours set about by him.”
      Reports came out earlier this month that Fury had been dropped by former IBF cruiserweight champ Jai Opetaia during the Aussie’s brief stint in camp, a claim which has been vehemently denied.
      Tyson Fury will bid to become the undisputed ruler of the heavyweights next monthCredit: GETTY
      And Fury’s good pal and training partner Joseph Parker has hit out at the rumours, telling Boxing King Media: “Sparring is sparring but a lot of people will make up stories.
      “Nobody really knows what happens in sparring, only Tyson’s team know and Jai Opetaia knows.
      “I think that he flew back home because he has got sparring that he wanted to do back home and Tyson is sparring who he is sparring.
      “Only they know what happened and only they have the proof.
      “So I think all of these [rumours] are just stories from people who think they know what happened, but no one knows.
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      “I know that Tyson never got dropped and I want to go online and say, ‘Hey guys, he didn’t’.
      “But I don’t want to be a part of that, I just want to save my energy for my fight.” More