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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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      TYSON FURY VS OLEKSANDR USYK: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT
      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

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      Boxing fans send Francis Ngannou chilling Anthony Joshua warning after seeing ex-UFC star’s latest gruelling workout

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      FRANCIS NGANNOU has received a chilling warning from boxing fans ahead of his clash with Anthony Joshua.The former UFC heavyweight champion will bid to shock the world again in his Saudi showdown with AJ on March 8.
      Ex-UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou throws down with Anthony Joshua next monthCredit: AFP
      The Predator recently gave fight fans a glimpse at his gruelling strength and conditioning trainingCredit: INSTAGRAM@FRANCISNGANNOU
      Boxing fans have warned Ngannou AJ will knock him out after seeing his latest training clipCredit: INSTAGRAM@FRANCISNGANNOU
      Ngannou is leaving no stone unturned for his Riyadh rumble with the former two-time unified champion, mixing gruelling strength and conditioning workouts between technical and sparring sessions.
      The Predator gave his followers a glimpse at his latest S&C session on Instagram earlier this week.
      But some fans reacted to it by issuing him a stark warning about the problems AJ will cause him.
      One wrote: “It’s not gonna look that easy, Champion. AJ is a bad guy too.”
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      Another said: “AJ go clear ur doubts.”
      And another said: “Anthony Joshua will knock Ngannou out [on the] button.”
      One remarked: “I love you bro, but sorry to say AJ will mess you up.”
      Another chimed in: “Don’t let your people fool you or make u too confident – but work hard. You’re my fav, but Anthony Joshua isn’t a playful stepping fighter.
      Most read in Boxing

      ANTHONY JOSHUA VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE CROSSOVER BOUT
      “He’s always calculative. Only short people still be Joshua’s problem for not.
      “But [a] tall stretch like you is a bang bang.
      “You might get some body shots from him and you might be shaken because Joshua doesn’t get exhausted easily!
      “Be ready For the Fight I love you both your fights both give me goosebumps.”
      Ngannou, 37, stunned the combat sports world last October when he cut and dropped Tyson Fury in their controversial crossover clash, which he lost via split decision.
      If I catch him then he’s going to sleep.Francis Ngannouon Anthony Joshua
      The former refugee knows he faces an uphill task to get the better of AJ but believes he can pull off a monumental upset in their March melee.
      He said: “If I catch him then he’s going to sleep.
      “Remember this is the heavyweight division and everyone is quite strong so you should keep your chin away.
      “If you put your chin in the right position and get hit – even by the lightest fighter – then you might wake up in the white room.
      “So, you better keep your chin away and fight smart.”
      Joshua’s Saudi showdown with Ngannou came to fruition following the collapse of his long-overdue grudge match with Deontay Wilder last December.
      During an appearance on The MMA Hour, AJ said of his next fight: “I thought it might be Wilder still, because the contracts were signed, and it’s still a big fight.
      “It’s still an amazing fight, it’s a crossover between UK and USA, all that good stuff promotional-wise, it’s still a good fight.
      “So no, I kind of let that one slide, and then it was the [Flip] Hrgovic situation, the [Andy] Ruiz situation.
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      “Then they put Francis there, and my team were like, ‘This is a good opportunity on this day in Saudi Arabia against this opponent. What are you saying?’
      “I said, ‘Let’s roll. Let’s go.’”
      Francis Ngannou is confident of doing a number on Anthony JoshuaCredit: Getty More

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      Raging John Fury threatens to kick ‘first-class s***house’ ex-boxer ‘up the a***’ for what he said about son Tyson

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      JOHN FURY has threatened to kick “first-class s***house” Carl Froch “up the a***” following criticism of his son Tyson. Froch, who retired in 2014 after knocking out George Groves in front of 80,000 at Wembley, has been outspoken since hanging up the gloves.
      John Fury furiously hit out at Carl FrochCredit: Getty
      Carl Froch questioned Tyson Fury’s careerCredit: Pinnacle
      Conor McGregor, Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua have all been on the receiving end of verbal onslaughts from Froch.
      And more recently so too has Fury, who had his whole career completely questioned by Froch.
      So it has left the Gypsy King’s father John furious as he blasted the former super-middleweight champion.
      He told Boxing Social: “He’s a first class s***house, wants a kick up the a***, and he’ll get it off me if he ever comes round me.
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      “They’re jealous because people are only interested in current champions. No-one wants to know about has-beens.
      “That’s why when you see the Furys out of boxing you’ll never see us again, we don’t hang around as has-beens.
      “You’re a bum Carl Froch, keep my son’s name out of your mouth because you ain’t good enough to kiss his f***ing a***.”
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      Fury, 35, faces Oleksandr Usyk, 37, on February 17 in Saudi Arabia in what is the first ever four-belt heavyweight unification.
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      It comes four months after he faced ex-UFC champion and boxing debutant Francis Ngannou, 37, in October.
      Fury was astonishingly floored but managed to escape with a controversial split-decision win.
      The aftermath of the fight caused Froch to questions Fury’s legacy and his famous wins over Wladimir Klitschko and Deontay Wilder.
      He told Luckyblock: “It leaves a lot of question marks.
      “How good is Tyson Fury? What’s he ever done? Who’s he actually beaten? He obviously beat Klitschko in a bit of a stinker.
      “That was just an awkward, horrible performance where he just got inside Klitschko’s head and messed him up with that jab.
      “After the Klitschko fight, Fury had those three big standout fights with Deontay Wilder.
      “But how good is Deontay Wilder now? He looked awful against Joseph Parker. So now you start questioning him.
      “Is Tyson Fury actually what we thought he was or has he been flattered by the lack of opposition. We’ll find out when he fights Usyk.”
      Tyson Fury faces Oleksandr Usyk nextCredit: Reuters More

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      Anthony Joshua ‘only wants to fight Francis Ngannou to win bragging rights over Tyson Fury’, claims ex-champ

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA has been accused of fighting Francis Ngannou only as a means to one-up Tyson Fury. Ngannou last year put his MMA career on hold to cross over to the boxing ring to face Fury in October.
      Anthony Joshua squaring off with Francis NgannouCredit: Getty
      And Fury almost suffered the most disastrous of nights having been dropped in round three and taken to the wire over ten rounds.
      He managed to escape with a controversial split-decision, keeping his undisputed title decider with Oleksandr Usyk, set for February 17, alive.
      So with a rematch ruled out, Ngannou struck a deal with AJ, whose super-fight with Deontay Wilder was blown after the American was beaten.
      But retired former super-middleweight champion Carl Froch believes Joshua is only fighting Ngannou to try and better Fury’s performance.
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      He told Lord Ping: “It’s bad for boxing because who wants to watch it?
      “Because when Joshua wins, what’s he done? What’s he achieved? F*** all.
      “All he wants is bragging rights to say he did a better job than Fury, but no one cares.
      “Joshua-Ngannou is a pointless fight. It’s doing nothing for boxing.
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      ANTHONY JOSHUA VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE CROSSOVER BOUT
      “Sure, it keeps him ticking over while he waits for the winner of Fury versus Usyk, but why not fight a real boxer; fight Zhilei Zhang, fight Joe Joyce, fight Daniel Dubois.
      “There are fights available to Joshua against top contenders and real boxers. But instead he’s jumping in with Ngannou in a pointless exhibition.”
      Despite Froch’s blast, boxing bosses in Saudi want the winner of Fury and Usyk’s unification bout to then fight the victory of Joshua and Ngannou.
      Tyson Fury facing off with Oleksandr UsykCredit: EPA
      Former super-middleweight world champion Carl FrochCredit: AFP More

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      I’m an unbeaten boxer looking to become the GOAT – and I’ve already bought an actual goat and called him Tootsie

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      BOXER Adam Azim is striving to one day be considered the GOAT – and he has laid the foundations by first getting an actual pet goat. Super-lightweight Azim is one of the hottest prospects in Britain right now, with a 10-0 record consisting of seven knockouts.
      Adam Azim has bought himself a pet goatCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      The unbeaten 21-year-old returns on the weekend, defending his Enock Poulsen at Wembley Arena.
      And he does so with a new face in his family – pet goat Tootsie.
      Azim told Boxing News: “Actually when you know where to look, you can buy goats from loads of places.
      “Once you know, you see them for sale everywhere. I was in the car and saw a sign saying ‘goats for sale’ so I thought ‘yeah’.
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      “There were seven or eight goats and you can just go there and choose one. I gave them £150 and then it’s mine.”
      Azim paid cash but quickly realised he would not be able to take Tootsie home to live with just yet.
      He revealed: “I realised that I couldn’t really take him home straight away because my house is getting an extension put on it right now.
      “But I didn’t just leave. I stuck him in the car and took him for a drive around the block first and then I took him back to the farm.
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      “Actually my dad only found out about the new goat because he saw loads of mud in the car.
      “I’ve called it Tootsie and I go and see it at the weekend. I can’t wait to get it home, I think I will have the right set-up for it in the garden.”
      Azim stopped Franck Petitjean in round ten of his last fight in Wolverhampton, where he won the European title in only his tenth fight. More

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      Joshua Buatsi vs Dan Azeez tale of the tape: How light-heavyweight stars compare ahead of huge Wembley showdown

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      JOSHUA BUATSI and Dan Azeez prepare to put friendships aside for British boxing bragging rights. The unbeaten light-heavyweight pair fight for the No1 contender spot for the WBA belt held by Dmitry Bivol.

      They were due to meet on October 21 at the O2 but injury forced Azeez out and a rescheduled date of February 3 at Wembley Arena was set.
      The two were once good friends, who mixed in mutual circles and shared several rounds of sparring together.
      But relationships strained when they signed fight contracts and that only intensified when Azeez pulled out merely days before the initial bout.
      Buatsi, 30, is a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and one touted for the future when he turned pro a year later.
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      And despite 17 wins and 13 knockouts in six years, the former amateur standout has been hampered with inactivity.
      Promotional and managerial shifts have not helped either.
      Buatsi is at the centre of a legal case between Matchroom Boxing, his former promoter, and Boxxer, who he last year signed for.
      And despite all the promise in the world, Buatsi has not yet been given the right opponent to truly showcase his talent.
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      At 6ft 2in, he has a reach of 74+1⁄2 in and uses it to full advantages with long, stinging attacks to head and body.
      Buatsi is one of the most spiteful punchers in the country and division worldwide.
      Azeez meanwhile stands just 5ft 10in and often comes up against much taller opponents.
      But he has adopted and seek and destroy style, bobbing and weaving on the front foot and launching hurtful punches over the top.
      He only has a reach of 70in, but Azeez also has 13 stoppages to his name, often overwhelming opponents with his leaping combinations.
      Azeez has had tough, domestic dust-ups against the likes of Hosea Burton, Shakan Pitters and Rocky Fielding.
      And it has earned him the British, Commonwealth and European light-heavyweight titles.
      A world title shot would be the next on the list and that is on the line against Buatsi, making for one of the fights of the year.
      Dan Azeez and Joshua Buatsi facing offCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More