Boxing

TYSON FURY revealed Hasim Rahman’s famous upset over Lennox Lewis sparked his love for boxing. The heavyweight hero was born into boxing with his dad John and uncle Peter both fighters.
Hasim Rahman knocked out Lennox Lewis in 2011Credit: Reuters
And Fury was trained by his father from the age of ten but never really had a passion for it.
That was until Rahman shockingly knocked out Lewis in their 2001 thriller in South Africa.
Fury, now 34, told iFL TV: “My first ever memory of boxing – like massive memory – was Lennox Lewis versus Hasim Rahman. The first one.
“We waited up all night to watch it and whack – he got chinned out in a few rounds didn’t he? And that was my first real, massive boxing memory.
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“Obviously I’d been watching boxing way before that, but not really ever interested in it until that moment.”
Fury was just 13 at the time but did not have his first bout in the ring until another three years later.
He weighed 14 STONE aged 14 and as a result was banned from junior amateur boxing.
Fury had a short 32-4 record in the unpaid ranks before turning professional aged 20 in 2008.
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Fast forward 14 years and he is the No1 heavyweight in the world, unbeaten in 34 fights and twice reigning as champion.
Fury revealed the first time he watched greatness in the ring up close was when Ricky Hatton beat Kosta Tszyu in 2005.
He said: “The first massive fight I went to was probably Ricky Hatton versus Kosta Tszyu, that’s as big as it gets.
“It was in Manchester and it was for the belt against a legendary champion.
“I believe there was about three or four other future world champions in there that night.
“Me, Crolla, Terry Flanagan, all from Manchester and all went on to win the world title. We were all inspired by “The Hitman” all of us.”
Tyson Fury revealed Hasim Rahman’s win over Lennox Lewis sparked his love for boxingCredit: Jamie McPhilimey More

TYSON FURY would have been “DESTROYED” by Lennox Lewis, said Irish boxing legend Barry McGuigan. Fury has the chance to prove himself as the undisputed heavyweight king if he secures a fight against Oleksandr Usyk in 2023.
Tyson Fury pictured in his trilogy bout win over Deontay WilderCredit: AFP
Lennox Lewis pictured training in 1999Credit: AFP
It gives the winner the chance to reign as the first ever four-belt heavyweight champion.
The last to lay claim as undisputed boss was Lewis, when the WBO was not recognised as a major title.
And although the division has moved on with the times, McGuigan insisted not even Fury could stand up to Lewis.
He tweeted: “I don’t hate anyone but I know Lennox Lewis would have destroyed Fury, compare their resumé there is no comparison, those are the facts.”
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Fury, 34, is unbeaten in his career as a two-time heavyweight champion.
His only blemish is a disputed draw against Deontay Wilder, 37, in 2018, a result many felt was controversial.
He later beat Wilder twice, adding to his iconic win over Wladimir Klitschko, 46, in what was considered a shock in 2015.
Fury also has three victories over Derek Chisora, 38, to his name and a brutal knockout over rival Dillian Whyte, 34.
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Lewis meanwhile, who announced his retirement in 2004, hung up his gloves with a 41–2–1 record.
Unlike Fury, he was beaten but the KO losses against Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman were avenged.
It means Lewis beat every man he ever shared the ring with, including Evander Holyfield after their disputed 1999 draw.
The British legend also beat Klitschko’s brother Vitali, Mike Tyson, David Tua, Shannon Briggs and Frank Bruno among others.
Lennox Lewis pictured with Tyson Fury More

ANTHONY JOSHUA needs a “stricter camp” after having it too “easy and quick”, his former trainer Robert Garcia said.AJ is on the scout for a new training team in America following consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
Anthony Joshua with former trainer Robert GarciaCredit: Getty
After the first, in September 2021, Joshua parted ways with long-time cornerman Rob McCracken, who led him to gold in the amateurs and pros.
He replaced McCracken with esteemed US mastermind Garcia, but following rematch defeat to Usyk, 35, the two have now also split.
The ex-world champion has opened up about the separation and revealed what Joshua, 33, must do ahead of his return.
Speaking in Spanish to Izquierdazo and translated by Boxing247, Garcia said: “Everything was kind of easy and quick for him.
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“He thought that that was the right way to do it, that he didn’t need to do it in another way.
“But when the time comes for this kind of fight, with fighters of a higher level, tougher fights, harder fights, you need a stricter camp, where he follows indications.”
Joshua was spotted training in Virgil Hunter’s California gym, where unbeaten American Andre Ward, 38, carved out his Hall of Fame career.
More recently, AJ was in Texas to link up with trainer of the year candidate Derrick James, who coaches Errol Spence Jr, 32.
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Joshua brought Garcia over to England for his camp before losing to Usyk a second time.
But he has been urged to set up shop in the States full-time and start from fresh.
Garcia said: “I feel that he is taking the decision about coming to the United States.
“Because, if he came to talk with trainers such as Derrick James, who is very busy here in the United States, I don’t think that AJ’s plan is to take him to Europe, maybe he is planning to stay here.
“And I will be happy to see him here, even if he is not working with me. AJ needs a change, a completely new change to what he is not used to.”
Anthony Joshua pictured training in TexasCredit: Instagram / @anthonyjoshua More

TYSON FURY still has unfinished business to take care of in his boxing career. Fury is currently in talks to fight Oleksandr Usyk in what would be the heavyweight division’s first four-belt unification bout.
Tyson Fury pictured at his book signing in WaterstonesCredit: Splash
Anthony Joshua has been called out by Tyson FuryCredit: Getty Images – Getty
It comes after Anthony Joshua was twice beaten by Usyk, 35, freezing him out of the title picture.
Fury, 34, still has a Battle of Britain bout against Joshua, 33, in his mind and fancies a stadium sellout in the future.
But AJ is not the only one the Gypsy King wants to settle his score with, pointing to retired pair David Price, 39, and David Haye, 42.
Price famously beat Fury in their 2006 amateur bout and pipped him to a spot in the 2008 Team GB Olympic squad.
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Fury told iFL TV: “I wonder if it would still sell out a stadium if me and big old David Price had a fight.
“Even though he’s retired, Old Trafford or Anfield I think we sell it out for the WBC World Heavyweight title.
“Or even if the WBC wouldn’t sanction it, we could do it for the North West title of Great Britain.
“The rivalry was that big for so long, and he was the only British person to ever beat me, amateur or pro. I think it’d sell out.”
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Fury has still not forgiven Haye for twice pulling out of their proposed pay-per-view fight set for 2013 and then 2014.
And he took the opportunity to mock his ex-rival for using a broken toe as an excuse for losing to Wladimir Klitschko in 2011.
Fury said: “I also think that a fight with the toe breaker would sell a stadium out. Do you think me and him [David Haye] would still sell out?
“There’s still three big rivalry fights in this country for me. Even though they ain’t active or whatever. David Price, David Haye Anthony Joshua. Three…
“So if you’re out there and I know you’re still out there and I know you’re still in the gym.
“I still think three of them fights sell out a stadium, and I really do mean that. It’s all about the ‘what if?’ isn’t it?”
David Haye twice pulled out of fighting Tyson FuryCredit: Getty Images – Getty
David Price pictured with Tyson Fury in 2017 More

DAVID PRICE claimed Anthony Joshua had to be “helped up” after he knocked him out with a “big right hand” in sparring. The pair of British heavyweights were former training partners at Team GB’s Sheffield HQ.
Anthony Joshua once admitted to being dropped in sparring by David PriceCredit: Getty Images – Getty
And one session in 2011 stands out among them all as Price floored then-amateur champion AJ.
Opening up on the incident, Price told iD Boxing: “I just caught him with a big right hand and down he went.
“He had to get helped up, type of thing, and ushered out the ring.
“And it was no big deal to me at the time, and there was no shame in that happening to you if I hit you.”
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Joshua was one year away from winning Olympic gold in London, which later paved the way for two unified world title reigns in the professional ranks.
And in 2018 he admitted to being put down by Price, just hours after leaving a police cell.
Joshua revealed: “I had come out of a police cell the day I went up to training. I won’t use it as an excuse.
“I was coming up to training camp, Thursday to Sunday, because I was on a development course.
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“But I got nicked on the way to training camp – for just trouble – and I got out on the Saturday.
“I started sparring as soon as I got up there, straight from the station, I do think he was very good at the time, very strong and I was making too many mistakes.
“Those circumstances don’t help when you’re sparring an elite fighter.
“I even had to get the train to Sheffield because they took my car – just to show my commitment. What I learnt was you cannot stop someone like me.
“They say you have two types of fighters; those that get dropped and stay down.
“But the ones you have to be wary of are the ones who keep on coming. You just cannot stop someone like that.
I just caught him with a big right hand and down he went. David Price on flooring Anthony Joshua
“I learnt it will take more than just power or durability to stop me.”
Joshua, 33, is now set to return in the spring of 2023 following consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk, 35.
Meanwhile Price, 39, is currently retired and insisted he only ever made the sparring tale with AJ public to chase a fight with the star.
He said: “I never ever mentioned it until I started getting mentioned as a potential opponent for him in 2016 it was, when he fought Erik Molina.
“I was in the IBF top ten so it could have been a voluntary defence for him and I was calling for the fight and people were laughing at the thought of me fighting him, and that’s when I thought I’ll spill the beans then and let the people know that he isn’t indestructible.
“Because at that time people thought AJ was the terminator and that he would never ever be hurt.
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“Or it was this new generation of fans that people were talking about him and I thought I’d just let the cat out the bag type of thing.
“Only for my own benefit, not to try and put him down it was to try and gain something from it myself. But it didn’t work out anyway, I didn’t get the fight.”
David Price opened up about dropping Anthony Joshua in sparringCredit: Getty More