Boxing

TYSON FURY’S fight date against Oleksandr Usyk has reportedly been agreed for February 17 in Saudi Arabia.It comes after rival Anthony Joshua stepped in on December 23 to battle Otto Wallin.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to clash in Saudi Arabia on February 17Credit: Getty
Anthony Joshua is ready to fight on December 23Credit: Splash
Fury and Usyk were initially set to fight on that date in a winner-takes-all world heavyweight unifier.
But ESPN claims it was put on ice after Fury almost suffered a shock defeat to UFC legend Francis Ngannou.
And the Gypsy King will instead take on Usyk on February 17, with the Saudis playing host again.
Fury had been hoping to crown 2023 with a show-stopping battle against Usyk on December 23.
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The pair have been exchanging verbals for months, leaving fans on the edge of their seats.
But Fury stunned supporters when he announced he would first be taking on MMA icon Ngannou in a money-spinning bout in the Middle East.
The boxer was expected to make light work of his opponent but was floored during an incredible bout before being handed a controversial win.
It’s reckoned Fury was not in the right condition to make a quick turnaround for such a huge fight.
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As a result, rival Joshua has filled the vacant December 23 date with a battle against former Fury opponent Wallin.
The event will also see Deontay Wilder, who played out an epic trilogy against the Gypsy King, take on Fury’s training partner Joseph Parker.
As for Fury and Usyk, they are now set to collide in Saudi Arabia on February 17.
The reported agreement comes after former middleweight champion George Groves suggested Fury could retire from boxing instead.
Groves said: “He might retire. It might be the last time we see him. It’s not a dig.
“It makes no sense that he has a life and death fight with a cage fighter, who has been boxing for weeks, and that he had to get up off of the floor to win.
“He clearly wasn’t prepared and maybe he’d done a bit of training, but he hadn’t done any real training, any competitive training, his mindset was not there.
“People have said time and time again that when people doubt Fury, that’s when he rises to the occasion and he has proven that in the past.
“But does he really want to do that now, at thirty-five-years-old with all the things that he has achieved?” More

OLEKSANDR USYK has revealed that he will be switching sports should he beat Tyson Fury.The Ukrainian boxer is expected to take on the Gypsy King in February next year.
Oleksandr Usyk will take up a new sport if he beats Tyson FuryCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
He will fight the Gypsy King next yearCredit: Reuters
The two heavyweights were supposed to battle on December 23, but it was pushed back after Fury’s controversial win over UFC star Francis Ngannou.
The fight, however, could be Usyk’s last in professional boxing should he beat the Brit.
The 36-year-old has revealed that he has signed a contract to play football.
The Ukrainian will join Polissya in his native Ukraine on a one-year deal.
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He told ESNews: “I win, and then I go and play football.
“I have a contract signed with the number one football team [in Ukraine], Polissya number one!”
Back in February 2022, Usyk made an appearance for the club against Veres in a friendly match.
He did miss a sitter during his time on the pitch, but it did not affect the result as Polissya won 2-1.
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Usyk made an appearance for Polissya in a friendly match last yearCredit: Getty
He was also seen in a video put out by the club training with the rest of the players.
Polissya has previously confirmed the collaboration between themselves and the boxer.
A statement read: “The president of the club, Hennadiy Butkevich and Oleksandr Usyk concluded an official agreement on football cooperation for one year.
“Usyk will perform under No.17. Expect other details of the contract later.”
After his 14-minute cameo appearance, the southpaw admitted that he would like to try his luck in English football
He said: “England. I like it, it’s tougher. There’s fewer boys fall rolling and screaming, ‘Ouch.’
“I mean, they go toe to toe, the bone sticks out and they keep running. I like this kind of football better.” More

DANIEL DUBOIS is set to return on Anthony Joshua’s undercard in Saudi Arabia against disgraced American Jarrell Miller.Dubois, 26, suffered a second defeat of his professional career in August when he was knocked out by Oleksandr Usyk in Poland.
Daniel Dubois is looking to bounce back from a loss to Oleksandr UsykCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Dubois was counted out after Usyk dropped him in the ninth roundCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Much of the talk after the fight centred around the fifth round when Dubois sent Usyk down to the canvas – only for the referee to deem the shot a low blow.
Unified champion Usyk, 36, climbed off the deck after several minutes on the floor and went on to win by stoppage.
The loss comes three years after his first pro defeat at the hands of Joe Joyce.
But the showing Dubois produced against Usyk means he will remain in the world title picture.
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And he is now expected to make his comeback against undefeated Miller, 35, on the undercard of an event that will see both Joshua and Deontay Wilder face off against different opponents.
Miller was in line to take on AJ, 34, back in 2019 before he failed multiple drug tests and was booted off the show.
Andy Ruiz Jr took his place and ended up stopping Joshua in one of the biggest ever heavyweight shocks.
Miller, who has 26 fights and one draw on his record, did not fight between November 2018 and June 2022, before he returned with wins over journeymen Ariel Esteban Bracamonte and Derek Cardenas.
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Jarrell Miller failed drug tests in 2019 before he was due to face Anthony JoshuaCredit: Getty
Miller spent a lot of time trash talking Joshua before he failed his drug testsCredit: Getty
He then stopped ageing former world champion Lucas Browne, 44, in the sixth round of their clash back in March.
But he has done little to suggest he is a world-level contender in the division.
Meanwhile, AJ is set take on Swedish southpaw Otto Wallin, who slashed a 49-stitch gash into Tyson Fury’s eye when they boxed in 2019.
And Bronze Bomber Wilder, 38, – another Fury victim – will face the Morecambe giant’s best pal and training partner Joseph Parker.
SunSport understands the plan was for AJ to have another keep-warm fight in March and then launch a bid for the IBF heavyweight title.
But the money on offer from the kingdom convinced Watford’s London 2012 legend to suspend his carefully made plans and dive into the mega-money event.
The Brit’s inclusion on the show was confirmed on Monday when he posed for a photo with Turki Alalshikh, the new driving force behind Saudi’s entertainment and tourism takeover.
It replaces Fury’s undisputed clash with Usyk – which was originally set for December 23 but now looks set to take place in February. More

SHANNON BRIGGS is making a boxing comeback at the age of 51 and boasted that he is “still an animal”. Briggs, a former WBO world champion, was a feared puncher during his prime and scored 37 first-round knockouts.
Shannon Briggs is making a boxing comeback at the age of 51Credit: Getty Images – Getty
Lennox Lewis knocked out Briggs in 1998Credit: Reuters
Briggs lost to Vitali Klitschko in 2010Credit: AFP
But he was beaten by quality operators in Lennox Lewis – who scored a KO in 1998 – and Vitali Klitschko.
Briggs boxed up until 2016, stopping Emilio Zarate and then campaigning to fight David Haye.
Talks later broke down as Haye claimed the American wanted the bout on pay-per-view.
Briggs would spend years linked with a return against the likes of Lucas Browne, Alexander Ustinov and Fres Oquendo but the fights never came off.
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In 2017, he was suspended for six months by the WBA after a failed drug tests for high levels of testosterone.
Briggs also tried to organise exhibitions with boxing icon Mike Tyson and UFC legend Rampage Jackson to no success.
Although he has now claimed his return is back on during a podcast interview with old rival Jackson.
Briggs said: “The only reason I haven’t been active is nobody will fight me. They scared.
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“Listen, look at my resume. I’m 51, 000 years old and I still hit hard, I’m still an animal, look at me.
“You don’t lose power, no power lost and I can still take a punch.”
Briggs wants to fight for the world title once more and could try and break George Foreman’s record as oldest heavyweight champ, which is 46.
He said: “I’m coming back, yeah. This is my first fight. I’ll go on a ten fight run – that’s my goal.
“Yeah, I want to get back in shape, Champ. I want to give myself about a year of two, fight myself back into shape, and then I wanna go for something big, I want real boxers.
Briggs has not fought since 2016Credit: Arfa Griffiths – The Sun More