Boxing

TYSON FURY has been urged to adopt the game-plan that won him his first world titles in his bid for heavyweight immortality.The Gypsy King will bid to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in over 25 years next month against former pound-for-pound king Oleksandr Usyk.
Tyson Fury finally throws down with Oleksandr Usyk next monthCredit: GETTY
The winner of the pair’s showdown will become undisputed heavyweight champCredit: EPA
Brit Dave Allen (right) has given The Gypsy King some pointers on how to beat the Ukrainian
A staggering 21 men have tried and failed to beat the Ukranian, who reigned supreme at cruiserweight.
None of Usyk’s opponents, however, have boasted the physical attributes of Fury, which Dave Allen believes he should use along with the tactics he deployed in his 2015 win over Wladimir Klitschko to have his hand raised.
Allen told BBTV Boxing: “If I was training Tyson Fury, I would go about it with the same tactics he used in the Klitschko fight, from experience of sparring both.
“Lots will disagree with me, but I wouldn’t advise anyone to go marching onto Oleksandr Usyk.”
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Allen reckons the speed and craftiness of Usyk could see Fury floored if he the burly Brit reckons he can bulldoze his way to victory.
He said: “Tyson’s been down the last couple of fights – you don’t want to walk on to a man with that ability and that speed.
“Start cautiously, lots of trickery, and if Usyk slows down then that size advantage in the aspect of bullying can come into play.”
Allen knows a thing or two about Usyk’s speed and power having previously sparred with the Olympic gold medallist, who stung him so badly during a spar that he had to stop the session.
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TYSON FURY VS OLEKSANDR USYK: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT
And he believes Fury could benefit by adopting a feint-heavy approach in the Riyadh rumble.
Allen said: “I spent a lot of the rounds trying to put pressure on him, bully him – it didn’t work.
“He’s a master at [dealing with that.] People have been doing that for years with him.
“I think you’ve got to frustrate him. Lots of feints, lots of movements, you’ve got to antagonise him.
“He’s not physically the strongest. He’s not the biggest puncher. This [his head] is where he wins the fights. And I believe Tyson is the only man capable of beating him at his own game.”
WBC heavyweight king Fury knows the size of the task on his hands next month but is confident of delivering an emphatic stoppage victory.
He said: “It’s going to one of the fights for the ages.
“I believe we are both destined to be here and to be in this big fight in Saudi Arabia, and there’s only one winner, and I am destined to become the undisputed champion.
“More than that, I am destined to cement my legacy as the No. 1 fighter in this era.
“To do that I have to beat this little man and that’s it, simple as.
“Easier said than done I understand, he’s a tricky man, good boxer, slick.
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“But I have seen many people like him before and when they fight the big men they struggle.
“He’s going to struggle on February 17 and he’s going to lose, I will break him for sure.”
Tyson Fury believes he’ll stop Oleksandr UsykCredit: GETTY More

ANTHONY JOSHUA’S ex-trainer said a fight with Francis Ngannou would be “easy”… and “shouldn’t even be sanctioned.” Ngannou is being touted as a potential next opponent for AJ after Deontay Wilder blew their £100million deal.
Anthony Joshua with former coach Robert GarciaCredit: Getty
Francis Ngannou is being touted to potentially fight Anthony JoshuaCredit: Reuters
Joshua had beaten Otto Wallin, 32, in Saudi Arabia but moments beforehand Wilder lost to Joseph Parker, 31.
So AJ’s super-fight with the American former heavyweight champion has been KO’d for now.
Joshua’s promoter named ex-UFC champion Ngannou along with Filip Hrgovic, 31, and Zhilei Zhang, 40, as alternatives to Wilder.
But Robert Garcia – formerly coach to AJ – slammed the idea of Ngannou facing Joshua.
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Garcia told ESNEWS: “It’s an easy fight for Joshua. Those fights shouldn’t even be sanctioned.
“Ngannou, fighting the heavyweight champion of the world, Fury, it shouldn’t have been sanctioned.
“It’s a disrespect to boxing not to train one single day for that fight. It was embarrassing.”
Ngannou, 37, put on hold his MMA career this year to fight WBC champ Tyson Fury, 35, in Saudi Arabia in October.
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He astonishingly dropped Fury only to be controversially beaten on points but his stock has risen.
So much so that he is now in the running for another huge boxing payday against Joshua, 34.
Hearn told iFL TV: “Right now, we have three fights that we’re in discussions for.
“They’re all big and that doesn’t involve Deontay Wilder for March. Our aim, and they’ve expressed this is to fight the winner of Fury-Usyk.
“That’s all we want to do, obviously there’s the Hrgovic fight out there for the world heavyweight title.
“There’s a Francis Ngannou fight out there which would be absolutely colossal.
“There’s other heavyweights as well, there’s a Zhang fight possible as well with Queensberry.” More

ANTHONY JOSHUA is being lined up with an “absolutely colossal” fight as an alternative to Deontay Wilder. AJ was set for a March 9 blockbuster against Wilder until the American blew the £100million deal by losing to Joseph Parker.
Anthony Joshua is being lined up with an ‘absolutely colossal’ as an alternative to Deontay WilderCredit: Getty
So now Joshua has to turn his attention elsewhere and Eddie Hearn wants him to fight the winner between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk.
But the promoter also named Filip Hrgovic, Zhilei Zhang and Francis Ngannou as other options.
It was ex-UFC champion Ngannou who floored Fury on his boxing debut only to controversially lose on points.
Hearn told iFL TV: “Right now, we have three fights that we’re in discussions for.
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“They’re all big and that doesn’t involve Deontay Wilder for March. Our aim, and they’ve expressed this is to fight the winner of Fury-Usyk.
“That’s all we want to do, obviously there’s the Hrgovic fight out there for the world heavyweight title.
“There’s a Francis Ngannou fight out there which would be absolutely colossal.
“There’s other heavyweights as well, there’s a Zhang fight possible as well with Queensberry.”
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Fury, 35, and Usyk, 36, are believed to have signed a two-fight deal that could produce a rematch between the pair.
And it would likely mean the winner would lose the IBF title for being unable to face mandatory challenger Hrgovic, 31.
So Joshua and Hearn are looking to capitalise by facing the Croatian for what would be a vacant title.
And Zhang, 40, is riding high off consecutive stoppage wins over Joe Joyce, 38.
But Ngannou, 37, is likely to be the most lucrative option even though he comes without a world title.
Francis Ngannou knocked down Tyson FuryCredit: Getty More

TERENCE CRAWFORD catapulted himself to the top of the mythical pound-for-pound rankings in the eyes of many in 2023.It was the year he finally fought, and beat, long-time rival Errol Spence Jr, and made history in doing so.

As he became the first man to become an undisputed champion in two separate divisions.
Naoya Inoue then replicated the feat on Boxing Day by beating Marlon Tapales to keep the argument of world’s best boxer alive.
Here, SunSport ranks their list of top ten stars in the boxing world.
1. Terence Crawford
Crawford, 36, managed only one fight in 2023 but it was a seismic one that could define his legacy.
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The manner in which he dominated Spence, 33, over nine rounds to capture all four welterweight titles cemented his place as No1 in the world.
Inoue has a strong case to rival Crawford but the Japanese star, in the lower weights, is missing that marquee name value victory.
Terence Crawford is SunSport’s P4P No1Credit: Getty
2. Naoya Inoue
With 26 wins and 23 knockouts, Inoue is among the most exciting fighters in the world.
And, with belts in four divisions, he is no doubt Crawford’s fiercest rival to the P4P throne.
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But, a win over another pound-for-pound rival is what prevents Inoue from topping this list.
Naoya Inoue is among the most exciting fighters in the worldCredit: Getty
3. Oleksandr Usyk
Having reigned as undisputed champ at cruiserweight and unified at heavyweight, Usyk, 36, is also a threat to Crawford’s throne.
And victory over Tyson Fury, 35, in their undisputed decider on February 17 would see the Ukrainian top the lot.
Oleksandr Usyk faces Tyson Fury nextCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
4. Devin Haney
Haney was the fighter of the year in 2023 with victories over Vasiliy Lomachenko and Regis Prograis.
Beating Lomachenko meant he retained his undisputed lightweight crown before moving up to win the WBC belt from Prograis.
Now a two-weight champ with an ever-improving resume, Haney’s place in the top five was secured.
Devin Haney celebrates defeating Regis Prograis
5. Canelo Alvarez
Once dominating the mythical rankings, defeat to Dmitry Bivol, also 33, left question marks over the Mexican’s standing.
But, since returning to super-middleweight, Canelo has got back on track and beat John Ryder and Jermell Charlo in 2023.
Mega-fights await the 33-year-old boxing legend in 2024 with David Benavidez and a rematch with Bivol touted.
Canelo Alvarez is still boxing’s top attractionCredit: Getty
6. Dmitry Bivol
Bivol endured a frustrating year boxing just once, a routine points win over Britain’s Lyndon Arthur, 32, in Saudi Arabia.
But he has signed to face fellow light-heavyweight champ Artur Beterbiev, 38, in another undisputed super-fight.
Victory over Beterbiev would put Bivol is the discussions for pound-for-pound No1.
Dmitry Bivol is known as Canelo Alvarez’s conquerorCredit: Getty
7. Artur Beterbiev
Beterbiev is boxing’s only champion with a 100 per cent KO ratio with all 19 of his wins coming inside the distance.
And he looked to be an unstoppable force until Londoner Anthony Yarde, 32, took the Russian to the wire before losing in round eight.
But equally for Beterbiev, beating Bivol would see him soar the rankings.
Artur Beterbiev is boxing’s only champion with a 100 per cent KO ratioCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
8. Shakur Stevenson
Stevenson is a three-division champion at the age of just 26.
He was recently elevated from interim WBC champ to full after Haney vacated the belt.
And while still unbeaten, Stevenson needs a marquee name to help see him rival the likes of Haney.
Shakur Stevenson is a three-division champion at the age of just 26Credit: Getty
9. Tyson Fury
Reigning as the undefeated heavyweight world champ, it is hard to leave the Gypsy King off the list.
And beating Usyk would be among his greatest ever achievements.
But having fought just once in 2023 – controversially beat MMA star and boxing debutant Francis Ngannou – Fury failed to gain ground in the rankings.
Fury is the unbeaten WBC heavyweight world championCredit: Reuters
10. Anthony Joshua
After knocking out Otto Wallin in Saudi it is fair to say Joshua, 33, is back.
But after Deontay Wilder was beaten on points by Joseph Parker the £100m blockbuster deal with AJ was KO’d.
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Now, Joshua could eye the heavyweight world title again as part of a huge 2024.
Anthony Joshua celebrates victory over Otto WallinCredit: Getty More