Boxing

OLEKSANDR USYK’S manager has slammed Tyson Fury for “playing around” after the Gypsy King was spotted taking a break in Saudi Arabia. Fury and Usyk are set to unify all four world titles for the first time in heavyweight history on February 17 in Saudi Arabia.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to fight on February 17Credit: Reuters
But before the historic unification in Riyadh, the Gypsy King enjoyed a family get away in Saudi.
A video posted by the head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority Turki Alalshikh showed off Fury’s trip away.
The WBC champion enjoyed a session paragliding and travelling on a speedboat while also flying on a private jet.
But Usyk’s manager Egis Klimas was not best pleased, as he responded: “When one is playing around another training hard.
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“We will see you February 17th.”
The title fight was set for December but first Fury faced ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou, 37, on October 28.
And he was astonishingly dropped by Ngannou, 37, and deemed fortunate to escape with a controversial points win.
Now Anthony Joshua, 34, and Deontay Wilder, 38, will fill the gap by fighting on the same card in different bouts.
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AJ faces Otto Wallin, 32, while Wilder takes on ex-WBO champion Joseph Parker, 31, who is a training partner of Fury’s.
Joshua is set to meet Wilder next year should they both win but the American also has his eyes on the winner between Fury, 35, and Usyk, 36.
Wilder said on The Last Stand Podcast: “If you’ve got all the belts, you’re gonna have to fight me.
“That’s still my goal – wipe out the entire division.”
Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder fight on the same cardCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

BOXER Arturs Ahmetovs has posted a video of himself controversially dropping women champion Claressa Shields in sparring.Ahmetovs uploaded a clip of Shields accusing an unnamed Russian sparring partner of taking padding out of his gloves.
Arturs Ahmetovs has posted a video of himself controversially dropping women champion Claressa ShieldsCredit: Arturs Ahmetovs – X
Shields was floored after a combinationCredit: Arturs Ahmetovs – X
In a follow up video, it shows three-division champion Shields being floored with a left hook and left on her back.
The two-time Olympian responded to the video on X, formerly Twitter, where she doubled down on the padding accusation.
She wrote: “I’ve never been Ko’d in 17 years and I’ve been dropped 2x all in a week of each other. I have no shame in that.
“But for a male fighter to literally take the padding out his gloves, he’s a punk. Him and coach Derrick Santos are bad for the sport!”
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She added: “I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want my opponent to have information of me getting dropped leading up to my fight.
“But why keep a video hidden for 5 years and you so big and bad.”
Ahmetovs’ coach Santos denied Shields’ accusations in the Instagram comment section.
He replied: “She is full of s*** they asked for help to spar why would we want to spar a women?
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“No one took padding out of the gloves. After she was accusing of this the gloves were handed to her coach.
“But more importantly she sparred 2 rounds prior where the Artur was instructed not to hit her hard, while he was working with her she started talking mad s*** at him and fouling him to point she tripped him.
“In the break he said what the is going on here, we are trying to help she is a women.
“What was replied was well punch her back , she is a big girl multi time champ. He even tried to help her up, nobody wanted that to happen.
“This also happened years ago and obviously the video was kept never seen.
“Even through all the comments of she would beat a guy, nothing was said derogatory towards her or spoken of this moment.
“That was done out of respect for her and nothing to be gained out of what happens in a sparring.
“Now she went to talking and he posted it. Now this is going to go around. Was it him? Or did she do it to herself?
“Years now. Even her coach said you had your chin up and got caught.”
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Ahmetovs holds a 6-1 record and has not fought since 2020.
Shields – who calls herself the Greatest Women of All Time – is 14-0 and in June retained her undisputed middleweight titles.
Arturs Ahmetovs is a 6-1 boxerCredit: @arturkah
Claressa Shields is a three-weight world championCredit: Getty More

DEONTAY WILDER has accused Anthony Joshua of using “one of the oldest tricks in the book” when it comes to selling tickets. AJ has proven to be one of the biggest boxing stars of recent years, headlining at Wembley, the Principality and Tottenham’s stadium.
Anthony Joshua has been accused by Deontay Wilder of manipulating ticket salesCredit: Alamy
Wilder blasted Joshua in a rantCredit: PA
And twice this year he returned in sellout fights at the O2 Arena.
But rival Wilder has accused Joshua’s team of manipulating the ticket sales by buying them out and issuing them on for free.
He said on The Last Stand: “I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again, it’s a difference between champions being born and being made.
“Joshua was made, he was a made fighter. They bought things, they gave him things.
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“Even with certain things, with the arena, ‘Oh, they sold this’. No, you didn’t sell out nothing. You comped tickets and you resold them.
“I know how the whole game works. I’m behind scenes. I know how things work.
“You wanted it to seem like it sold out, you put your tickets out there, and you build your own little ticket thing and you buy all your tickets.
“Now it seems like you sold out the arena. What you do? All you do is put it back on the market and resell it.
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“It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book, when it comes to the business and now people on the outside looking in, ‘Oh my God, they sold out faster than Michael f****ng Jackson’.
“Are you serious? That’s how it is. That’s how the trick is done.”
Wilder, 38, and Joshua, 34, prepare to share the same card in Saudi Arabia next Saturday.
AJ faces Otto Wallin, 32, while Wilder returns after over two years out against ex-WBO champion Joseph Parker, 31.
Should both heavyweight superstars win, it will set up a blockbuster years in the making as Wilder assured fans he still has a lot left to give.
He said: “I’m young. I just turned 38 but we have got to understand that I started very late. I started at 21.
“I haven’t had much damage on me. I’m still sexy, I still talk very well, I handle business very well. I’m still energetic.
“I think I’m a seasoned fighter right now. I’m seasoned right now and a lot of people will see it come December 23rd, what I mean by that.”
Joshua and Wilder could finally fight in 2024Credit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

CHRIS BILLAM-SMITH completed a dream Bournemouth double by defending his WBO cruiserweight world title against Mateusz Masternak.A day after The Cherries thumped Manchester United 3-0 at their old Trafford home –  the 33-year-old turned his local International Centre into his Theatre of Dreams.
Chris Billam-Smith enjoys his magnificent victoryCredit: Getty
Billam-Smith in the black gloves left Mateusz Masternak red rawCredit: Getty
After taking a handful of punishing rounds, CBS battered the Pole’s ribs in round seven and he refused to start the eighth for a sensational comeback win.
Billam-Smith had A-list fans like Harry Redknapp and Top Boy star Kano at ringside supporting him.
But it was the pals in the cheap seats that made the crazy racket when he made the short walk to the ring.
CBS took the centre of his ring instantly and slashed a couple of hooks into the challenger’s ribs when he was pinned on the ropes.
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In the first clinch CBS lifted the visitor briefly off of the floor and in the second he landed a whipped uppercut, a clever counter right hand also landed a couple of times for the Englishman.
In the second Billam-Smith gave us our first big scare when he was whacked by two punishing one-two combinations.
Both two-punch attacks landed flush and seemed to briefly stiffen the Brit’s legs but he coped and made it to the bell, but definitely lost the round.
The third had a nightmare start too, Masternak was landing his left jab easily and then a rapid combination rocked CBS’ head back.
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Masternak gave Billam-Smith big problems in rounds two and threeCredit: Getty
The masochist laughed it off and then launched his own assault, clipping the veteran with a combination that made him stumble backwards.
The champ landed a promising right hand early in the fourth but Masternak regained control again with faster, harder punches that landed and must have impressed the judges. It felt horribly like Billam-Smith was letting this slip away.
The fifth was another hard-to-watch session as the Dorset father-of-one shipped repeated blows and looked laboured and hurt.
In his 53rd professional fight, Masternak was supposed to wilt in the second half of the fight but by the sixth he was still solid and spiteful, catching shots on his gloves and returning fire.
Instead it was the younger and fresher man showing signs of exhaustion in the seventh and gazing over to his red corner looking short of ideas and inspiration.
But a raft of slashing bodyshots slowed Masternak down at the end of the session and got the home crowd cheering again for the first time in an age.
And then out of nowhere the fight was stopped when Masternak failed to start the eighth.
Champ Billam-Smith almost goes over the top with his celebrationsCredit: Getty More

LEE CUTLER survived a horror cut to be crowned English super-welterweight champion.In front of his home Bournemouth crowd, the flatmate and training partner of WBO cruiserweight champ and defending headliner Chris Billam-Smith beat Kingsley Egbunike on points.
Lee Cutler had to hold on for victory after this horrific injury near the endCredit: Lawrence Lustig

Cutler suffered his eye injury after Kingsley Egbunike caught himCredit: Getty
Reward for Cutler was the English super-welterweight crownCredit: Lawrence Lustig
The thrilling fight seesawed throughout, with Cutler the relentless aggressor but the West Londoner had a spear of a jab and clever counters.
Right at the last knockings, a precise Egbunike shot slashed a gruesome gash into Cutler’s left eyelid.
Thankfully there were only a few seconds of the fight remaining and the local legend secured fair cards of 96-95, 97-93 and 97-93.
Cutler and his BIC crowd roared with joy before he slipped out to celebrate and have stitches in the oozing wound.
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Victory rewards the 27-year-old’s decision to move away from the coast to London under a new team.
Cutler swapped former trainer Kev Thorniley for Josh Pritchard at Shane McGuigan’s gym.
Pritchard, as well as Shane and Barry McGuigan, cheered him on against a resilient Egbunike.
But Cutler’s injury was such that he had to call off a post-fight interview so he could get stitched up.
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His professional record now stands at 14-1, compared to 8-3-1 for Egbunike.
Cutler earned his successful shot at the title by defeating Stanley Stannard at Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium in May.
Lee Cutler hails his brutal win over EgbunikeCredit: PA More