Boxing

TYSON FURY is set for fight talks NEXT WEEK with two opponents in the running… but they are NOT Anthony Joshua or Oleksandr Usyk. Fury saw talks for a four-belt unification – the first in heavyweight history – against Usyk collapse at the 11th hour.
Tyson Fury saw talks to fight Oleksandr Usyk collapseCredit: AFP
Anthony Joshua called to fight Anthony JoshuaCredit: Getty
It leaves the Gypsy King without an opponent but following Joshua’s return victory he called out his British rival.
But neither Usyk or AJ are on Fury’s radar, after his US promoter Bob Arum named Joe Joyce and Andy Ruiz Jr as frontrunners.
Arum told BoxingScene: “Joyce would be a possibility, assuming he gets by the Chinese fighter, because Tyson wants to fight this summer.
“And Andy Ruiz would be a possibility. We’re gonna be talking to Tyson next week.”
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Joyce, 37, returns tonight against Zhang Zhilei, 39, and with his eyes on Fury or Usyk’s title.
Meanwhile Ruiz, 33, is yet to fight since beating Cuban Luis Ortiz, 44, in September and still remains advised by boxing mogul Al Haymon.
Haymon’s stable regularly box on Showtime or Fox, but Arum does not see the TV allegiances as an issue for ESPN star Fury.
He said: “If that was the fight we were gonna make, I don’t think Al would stand in the way because we would be offering [Ruiz] a big opportunity, for a nice payday.”
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Joshua, 33, beat Jermaine Franklin, 29, in his comeback bout at the start of April and opened the door to facing Fury after.
It comes after Usyk, 36, was ordered into a WBA mandatory defence against Daniel Dubois, 25, with negotiations ongoing.

So it leaves Fury, 34, without an opponent for his summer return although a win for Joyce over Zhang sets up the Battle of Britain.
Joe Joyce and Zhilei Zhang facing offCredit: Reuters More

JOE JOYCE has slammed Tyson Fury over broken promises and the collapse of his fight with Oleksandr Usyk. Joyce is currently the WBO interim champion and mandatory challenger for the belt held by Usyk.
Joe Joyce weighing in to fight Zhilei ZhangCredit: Reuters
Tyson Fury saw talks to fight Oleksandr Usyk collapseCredit: Getty
But he has been made to wait for his shot, as the Ukrainian looked set to unify the division with Fury.
Although talks for their four-belt undisputed decider – the first in heavyweight history – broke down amid a row over financials.
And Fury failed to follow up on his vow to fight Joyce if the Usyk bout was scrapped, leaving the 2016 Olympic silver medallist fuming.
Joyce told Pro Boxing Fans: “What about the Usyk fight then? He should’ve had that. What’s he been doing?

“He said he wanted to fight me; he was going to fight me. He talks a lot, but he needs to back it up.”
Talks for Fury’s historic title unification with Usyk fell apart at the 11th hour due to a disagreement over the purse split for a potential rematch.
So the Gypsy King is now left without an opponent but is set for talks next week to determine his return fight in the summer.
Meanwhile Usyk, 36, has been ordered into a WBA mandatory defence against Daniel Dubois, 25, with negotiations ongoing.
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Joyce, 37, returns tonight against Zhilei Zhang, 39, and a statement performance could pave the way for his anticipated title shot.
Promoter George Warren said to Sky Sports:  “Joe is looking to put on a good performance, a devastating performance, like he did against Parker and keep building on that momentum.
“If Joyce comes through a tough fight with a big performance, he puts himself in that conversation.”
Joe Joyce and Zhilei Zhang facing offCredit: Reuters More

ZHILEI ZHANG has accused Anthony Joshua of turning down the chance to face him again following their bout in the Olympics.The 6ft 6in 278-pounder fights Joe Joyce at the Copper Box tonight for the WBO interim title.
Zhilei Zhang lost to Anthony Joshua in the 2012 OlympicsCredit: Getty
Anthony Joshua has been called out to a rematch by Zhilei ZhangCredit: Rex
It comes 11 years after he boxed Joshua in the 2012 Olympic quarter-finals, losing the super-heavyweight bout on points.
But over a decade later and Zhang is still out for revenge and claimed he attempted a rematch this year following his own loss to Filip Hrgovic, 30.
Although AJ later went on to face Jermaine Franklin, 29, in his comeback bout, winning on points at the start of April.
Zhang told the Metro, via Freebets: “So, after the Hrgovic fight, my team reached out to Joshua’s team and tried to make the fight happen, but we had no confirmation from them, nothing solid.
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“My team did reach out, there were a few conversations and then there was silence, with no outcome. Do I look at it as a no from him? Maybe.”
Joshua, 33, went on to win gold at the London Games, setting up a two-time world title winning career in the professional ranks.
Zhang, 39, captured silver and has championship aspirations of his own, including a rematch with AJ.
He added: “I wish I could fight him again after our encounter in the Olympics, it would be a great fight in the professional division.”
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Joyce, 37, is the mandatory challenger for Oleksandr Usyk’s title and will defend that position against Zhang, who is eyeing a crack at the belt.
He said: “If I win this fight, I want Usyk next. This fight is a WBO interim heavyweight title and also gives me a mandatory position.
“So, Usyk would be next for me following a win against Joe Joyce.”
Joe Joyce and Zhilei Zhang ahead of their fightCredit: Reuters More

JOE JOYCE reckons he is so well versed in boxing politics he could do a job as MP for Putney.The 37-year-old West London heavyweight was robbed of a 2016 Olympic gold by dubious judging.
Joe Joyce is set to lock horns with Zhilei Zhang in his next boxing matchCredit: Reuters
And now he has to wait in line while Daniel Dubois, who he beat in 2020, gets a crack at Oleksandr Usyk’s WBA, IBF and WBO belts ahead of him.
Thankfully, while Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder drop in the popularity polls over their ducking or delays, the unbeaten Juggernaut is taking huge fights.
But the bachelor of fine arts could have had a degree in boxing’s dark arts by now and manages a smile when asked how he copes with the frustrating hurt business.
Ahead of his Copper Box showdown with 6ft, 6in Chinese southpaw Zhilei Zhang, Joyce told SunSport: “Again with the boxing politics, it seems to be the bane of my f*****g career.
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“I have never had it easy, going back to those Olympic finals.
“And now I have to meander through the pro game, walking through opponents and jumping over hurdles just to fight the top guys.
“I reckon I could do a job as an MP after all this, I have ended up having to be quite the diplomat.
“I’ve talked about going back to university after the boxing career to do an art Masters but maybe I’ll retrain and take my politics experience into a ­second job.”
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Joyce did not even start boxing until he was 21 and spent a decade as an amateur before turning pro, so he has always been playing catch-up.
Early doubters deemed his unique style slow and clumsy.
 But now Joyce’s granite chin, relentless engine and thunderous power have made him a venerated veteran with a perfect 15-0 record, 14 of his victims being KO’d.
And the former rugby, diving and athletics ace and star student can look back on his old video nasties with pride, because it seems he has the rest of the division running scared.
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Joe Joyce has hinted at a career change in politics after finishing with boxingCredit: Getty
He said: “I like to critique myself after a fight.
“I like to look back and review my performance because, in the moment and with the adrenaline pumping, you don’t really know how you’re doing.
“When the punches are flying and the crowd is cheering it can fly by, so I like to get backstage or to the hotel and watch it all back.
“Watching some of my older fights, especially early ones in the amateurs, cringes me out a little bit but I can see how much my technique has really moved along.”
Joyce’s 2022 win over ex-world champ Joseph Parker was a fight-of-the-year contender, a bloody battle ended with a stunning left hook and the Kiwi’s first stoppage loss.
Joyce wants to win a world title before ending his boxing careerCredit: Reuters
And Joyce’s eyes light up when we tell him Parker and expert trainer Andy Lee said the KO artist boxed exactly how they anticipated but they had utterly no way of stopping him.
He beamed: “I am buzzing with that! That will do for me.
“I want to be considered a daunting task, I take that as a compliment.
“Some boxers are unpredictable but I guess everyone knows my style and it’s good for me that they can’t work it out or stop it.
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“It feels nice to start getting some of this credit because I was flying under the radar. Now I am climbing above the surface and hopefully beyond.
“It’s nice to be getting the support and the recognition — and the money ain’t bad either.” More