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      Craziest Mike Tyson stories of all time, like trying to fight a gorilla, using ‘fake penis’ and taking acid aged 11

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      MIKE TYSON will write yet another crazy chapter into his life story when he returns to the ring this weekend following a near TWO-DECADE hiatus.The formerundisputed heavyweight champion will make the walk to the squared circle early on Saturday morning for the unlikeliest of showdowns.Boxing legend Mike Tyson returns to the ring early on Saturday morning at the ripe old age of 58Credit: GETTYIron Mike will take on YouTube sensation Jake Paul in a crazy crossover clashCredit: GETTYThe fight with Paul is the latest chapter in Tyson’s crazy lifeCredit: NEWS GROUP NEWSPAPERS LTDCraziness and controversy have courted Tyson throughout his careerCredit: AFPIron Mike will make his first professional outing since quitting on the stool in his 2005 money grab against Kevin McBride against social media sensation Jake Paul – at the ripe old age of 58.The booking of a near-pensioner-aged Tyson, who looks to be in phenomenal shape, against the heavy-handed YouTuber has sparked outrage.All parties involved have been blasted, with fighters and fans alike branding the boxing legend “crazy” for stepping into the ring as he approaches the golden years of his life.Craziness and controversy, however, are two things New York native Tyson is all too familiar with as they have followed him around since he reached the pinnacle of the sport back in 1986.READ MORE ON TYSON VS PAULSo with that in mind, SunSport thought it’d only be right to recap some of the craziest moments of Tyson’s life.Taking acid as a child – 1977The streets of Brooklyn, in particular the notoriously rough neighbourhood of Brownsville, exposed a lot to a young Tyson – including drugs.Tyson succumbed to peer pressure and knocked back whatever was passed around to him, including acid at the tender age of eleven.During an appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, he admitted: “[I started doing drugs] as a kid, nine, ten years old.Most read in BoxingBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSJAKE PAUL VS MIKE TYSON: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE BOUT“Smoking and drinking. And as I got older, I tried acid. I was probably 11. Yeah, real young.”Mike Tyson tried acid at the tender age of 11Credit: GETTYFighting with Trevor Berbick with an STI – 1986TYSON FEUD Mike Tyson discusses street fight with Mitch Green before Donald Trump saved his careerThroughout thehistory of boxing, fighters have been compromised going in world title fights.But few can claim to have been dealing with a severe gonorrhoea flare-up as Tyson did before his history-making stoppage of Trevor Berbick in 1986.”I looked at my underpants a day before the fight and I noticed a discharge,” he wrote in his 2013 autobiography. “I had the clap.”I didn’t know if I had contracted it from a prostitute or a filthy young lady. I was given an antibiotic shot by a doctor.”Because of the antibiotic shot, I was dripping like a Good Humor bar [ice cream] in July. But I didn’t care; I was there to nail Berbick.”Mike Tyson fought Trevor Berbick while dealing with a gonorrhoea flare-upCredit: GETTYTrying to fight a Gorilla – 1989Tyson was at the peak of his powers in the late 80’s and felt like King Kong having blown through all comers with complete ease.And during a private trip to New York zoo with ex-wife Robin Givens, he offered a zoo-keeper £7,759 ($10,000) to let him fight a silverback gorilla.He said: “I paid a worker at New York’s zoo to re-open it just for me and Robin.”When we got to the gorilla cage there was one big silverback gorilla there just bullying all the other gorillas.“They were so powerful but their eyes were like an innocent infant.“I offered the attendant $10,000 to open the cage and let me smash that silverback’s snotbox! He declined.”Mike Tyson tried to fight a gorilla at a New York zoo in 1989Credit: GETTYImpregnating a prison guard – 1992-1995Tyson served just under three years in prison from 1992-1995 after being found guilty of rape, a conviction which saw him handed a six-year custodial sentence.And he struck up a relationship with a female prison guard, who he claims to have impregnated after having sex with her multiple times a day.”I had a girlfriend and I got a girl pregnant in prison,” he revealed in an episode of his podcast. “I was living a life in prison.”It was just meant to be. I was Mike Tyson and everybody gave me what I wanted.”Everyone talking like I was some tough guy or some cool guy. I was just a pig.”Mike Tyson had a sexual relationship with a prison guard while he was in prisonCredit: AFPBiting Evander Holyfield’s ear – 1997The most infamous moment of Tyson’s career is undoubtedly his biting of Evander Holyfield’s ear in their 1997 rematch in Las Vegas.Incensed by a number of head clashes with his rival, which he believed were intentional, Tyson twice tried to take a chunk out of Holyfield’s ears.He was successful at the second time of asking, so much so he was forced to spit out the top of Holyfield’s helix after tearing it clean off in the third round.Tyson was disqualified for the barbaric act, which initially earned him a lifetime ban and a £2.3million ($2m) fine. The ban, however, was rescinded 16 months later.”I bit him because I wanted to kill him,” Tyson said of the most famous in-ring incident. “I was really mad about my head being bumped and everything,” Tyson said.”I really lost consciousness of the whole fight. It took me out of my fight plan and everything.”Mike Tyson bit Evander Holyfield’s ear in their iconic 1997 rematchCredit: AFPTyson took a chunk out of his rival’s left earCredit: GETTYFighting while high – 2000Drugs and alcohol, as they had been for most of his life, were well and truly present in Tyson’s daily routine during his two-fight stint in the UK in the year 2000.And in his 2013 autobiography, he admitted to taking lines of “blow” and puffing on marijuana just moments before his brutal first-round knockout of Lou Savarese at Hampden Park.Mike Tyson obliterated Lou Savarese while high on cocaine and marijuanaCredit: AFPUsing a fake penis to pass a drug test – 2000Passing a drug test was, unsurprisingly, hard for Tyson to do when he was taking narcotics in the build-up to fights.And to ensure he passed the mandatory pre and post-fight tests, he made use of a whizzinator – which is a fake penis that can be worn and filled with clean urine – to fool drug testers.After admitting to being high during his beatdown of Savarese, Tyson wrote in his autobiography: “I had to use my whizzer, which was a fake penis where you put in someone else’s urine to pass your drug test.”Ahead of his exhibition with Roy Jones Jr in November 2020, he said of the device: “It was awesome, man, I put my baby’s urine in it.”One time I was using my wife’s and my wife was like ‘Baby you better not hope that it comes back pregnant or something’.”And I said, ‘We ain’t going to use you any more, we’re going to use the kid’, because I got scared that the p**s might come back pregnant.”Mike Tyson opened up on his use of a whizzinator to pass drug testsPress conference brawl with Lennox Lewis – 2002Tensions between Tyson and former sparring partner Lennox Lewis were well and truly high before their infamous pre-fight press conference in New York.And Tyson ignited a mass brawl seconds after the pair took to their respective podiums, punching one of Lewis’ bodyguards after he blocked him from getting to the Brit.Mike Tyson immediately confronted Lennox Lewis at their 2002 press conference in New YorkCredit: APIron Mike sparked a mass brawl by punching Lennox’s bodyguardCredit: APThe American bit Lewis’ leg during the brawl, which he received a whopping £260,000 fine forCredit: REUTERSThe pair rolled on the floor as members from both camps tried to intervene.READ MORE SUN STORIESThey were eventually separated, but not before Tyson managed to bite a chunk out of Lewis’ thigh.Tyson was slapped with a whopping £260,000 fine ($335,000) for the melee, after which he went on a foul-mouthed and homophobic tirade. More

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      I had two choices – either pick up the phone and ask for help or die, admits ex-Man City midfielder Jeff Whitley

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      JEFF WHITLEY has bravely opened up about his battle with addiction and recovery from the depths of despair.The 45-year-old starred for Manchester City and Sunderland and earned 20 caps for Northern Ireland between 1997-2005.Jeff Whitley has shared details about his recoveryCredit: Dave Pinegar – The SunWhitley’s cocaine use began during his addiction to alcoholBut behind the scenes, battles with alcohol and drugs led to problems off the pitch, including bankruptcy and a spell in rehab.Now in a position to help others, Whitley, who is the PFA’S player welfare executive, wants to raise awareness of the dangers behind addiction.He told the BBC: “Nearly every club had moved me on because of the off the pitch antics. Not being able to keep it together or say no to some of the times I went out.”I didn’t know how to keep it under control or even understand what the problem was.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS”Eventually the drink and the drugs really started to escalate.”I had two choices. I either keep doing what I’m doing and maybe die, or I pick up the phone and ask for help.”After getting to the point of where he was “sick of feeling this way”, Whitley knew he had to make a change.He phoned the Professional Footballers’ Association for help and, in a time frame that left him “amazed”, he was assessed by Sporting Chance before going through treatment and rehab for 26 days.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSHe exclusively revealed to The Sun in 2019: “I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and thought, ‘I don’t know who that guy is.’ I’d completely lost myself.”When you’re young and you’ve got a few quid in your pocket, it can be quite exciting and highly addictive.”But you go from being super confident and chatty to wanting to be on your own in complete isolation.”Whitley has been sober since entering rehab, but still continues to attend AA meetings and therapy.Former Man City midfielder Whitley now devotes his time to helping othersAnd after years of drug taking drove one of his brothers, Jack, to suicide in 2017, Whitley knows just how brutal substance abuse can be.In 2019, he backed The Sun’s End of The Line campaign to help raise awareness of the devastating dangers of cocaine and its impact on mental health.He explained: “You’re almost chasing that high from when you first took it, thinking that next line is going to be like the first one you took.”The insane paranoia is mind-blowing. Call it curtan-twitching- any siren, any noise, you think they’re after you. It’s a proper frightening place to be. “Whitley was shipped out on loan to Wrexham and Notts County during the final three years of his City contract, before joining Sunderland in 2003.He explained that the Black Cats, and later Cardiff, then “moved him on” for his off-field antics.His growing addictions ultimately led to his international career coming to a premature end after scoring two goals.Northern Ireland’s 1-0 win over England at Windsor Park in 2005 is one of the most famous nights in the country’s history.However, Whitley had to watch it from home after being sent away from the camp by manager Lawrie Sanchez for going out with team-mate Philip Mulryne.I was sick of being on this hamster wheel of living that way. You’re not living, you’re just existing.Whitley was still playing at a high level for Cardiff, but the damage was done. He would never play for Northern Ireland again.After being left jobless at the end his football career, he briefly worked in car sales before turning his attentions to using his experiences to help others.Jeff Whitley’s PFA WorkJEFF WHITLEY is part of the PFA’s Wellbeing department which provides support to more than 50,000 members.They offer a 24/7 helpline, a national network of counsellors, and a residential rehab at Sporting Chance Clinic.Fellowships, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Cocaine Anonymous (CA), are available as well with 12-step sponsored programme.The programme provides a solution and 12 steps of how to live life and implement those principles into daily life.The PFA Wellbeing team provide individual action plans for members on issues ranging from anxiety, depression, alcohol, drug use and gambling.They also go into all 92 clubs to assess players and educate Under-18s, U23s, first-team, women’s teams and staff on the dangers of alcohol and drug use.Any current and former PFA members can contact the Wellbeing team with emotional issues on its email address: wellbeing@thepfa.co.ukWhitley added that he understands that some players may not want to pick up the phone or ask for help.”I know how difficult it was for me to reach out. I was sick of being on this hamster wheel of living that way. You’re not living, you’re just existing.READ MORE SUN STORIES”When you are abusing your body with alcohol and drugs, and stuff like that, then you are going to go one of two ways.”Some of the people are not at that point. Just don’t hesitate to reach out, that’s what I would say.”Help for mental healthIf you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support.The following are free to contact and confidential:Mind, www.mind.org, provide information about types of mental health problems and where to get help for them. Email info@mind.org.uk or call the infoline on 0300 123 3393 (UK landline calls are charged at local rates, and charges from mobile phones will vary).YoungMinds run a free, confidential parents helpline on 0808 802 5544 for parents or carers worried about how a child or young person is feeling or behaving. The website has a chat option too.Rethink Mental Illness, www.rethink.org, gives advice and information service offers practical advice on a wide range of topics such as The Mental Health Act, social care, welfare benefits, and carers rights. Use its website or call 0300 5000 927 (calls are charged at your local rate).Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk, is the a mental health initiative spearheaded by The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales. More

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      in Boxing

      British boxer, 21, found dead in hotel room with ‘drug paraphernalia’ next to unconscious Australian star

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      A BRITISH boxer has been found dead in a Thai hotel room reportedly next to drug paraphernalia.The 21-year-old was with Australian Muay Thai star Jayson Tonkin in a room on the fourth floor in the coastal resort city of Pattaya.Muay Thai fighter Jayson Tonkin is in intensive care after being found with ‘drug paraphernalia’Credit: Asia Pacific Press via ViralPressJayson was found with a dead Brit in his hotel roomCredit: Asia Pacific Press via ViralPressCops said the two men were found just after midnight Wednesday with “drug paraphernalia” on the table after staff heard a commotion in the room.On arriving they found Jayson panicking “in a state of severe intoxication” about why the other person was “lying still”, local media reported.The Brit was dead and was shirtless, wearing just black shorts and a waist bag.A police spokesman said: “We have taken photos of the scene and collected all evidence. Read more on boxing”We believe he may have died from a drug overdose based on what we found in the room. “We will question his friend further when he is conscious.”Jayson was later taken to hospital and is currently in the ICU unconscious.Despite that, Thai cops, who take a hard line on drugs, could charge him with consumption or possession leading to up to five years in prison, the Daily Mail reports.Most read in BoxingJayson, originally from Manly in Sydney, moved to Thailand as a teen and had begun fight in Muay Thai bouts.A middleweight Muay Thai fighter nicknamed The Dingo, Jayson opened up about his struggles with drugs – and in particular methamphetamine – in a podcast about mental health made earlier this year.One fight planned for October 20 against WBC Muay Thai world number one middleweight champion, Tengnueng Sitjaesairoong had been cancelled after Monsoon rains had hit the area.The Foreign Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in Thailand and are in contact with the local authorities.”Jayson was in Thailand for Muay Thai fightingCredit: Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress More

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      Inside the weird world of Mike Tyson from smoking toad venom, blowing $300million and staring death in the face

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      MIKE TYSON’S world has included smoking psychedelics, running a cannabis empire and perhaps most surprisingly of all, now boxing again.The heavyweight icon is on the verge of returning to the ring 15 years after retiring on his stool. Mike Tyson runs a cannabis empire after his retirement from boxingCredit: Refer to CaptionTyson recouped his wealth through cannabisCredit: Social Media – Refer to SourceNow he is back in boxing once moreCredit: GettyTyson faces YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul on November 15 in Texas in a controversial clash slammed by many for the 30-year age gap.The youngest heavyweight champion of all time, aged just 20 when he won the belt, did have an exhibition with Roy Jones Jr in 2020. That was just a year after he first smoked TOAD VENOM in a bid to treat his substance addiction.The practise involves venom being extracted from the glands of the Sonoran Desert toad, dried into a crystalline substance and smoked in a pipe.READ MORE IN BOXINGEffects range from easing depression and post-traumatic stress disorder to panic, dysphoria and the complete loss of one’s sense of self.Tyson’s first toad venom smoking ceremony lasted 20 minutes and left him fearing for his life.Gerardo Sandoval, a pioneer for the practise, told The Times: “At the beginning he thought he was actually dying. He was demanding that I make it stop. “He launched himself towards me. He tried to give me a punch, then the toad fully grabbed him and he fell. It gave him a knockout. Most read in BoxingWhat is toad venom? By Jude EphsonToad venom is an extremely powerful natural psychedelic that is secreted in the glands of Colorado River toads. These toads are also referred to as the Sonoran Desert toad.In the 1980s, people used to lick these Colorado River toads to experience a hallucinogenic effect from the toad’s venom, which contained 5-MEO-DMT.Subsequently, people have now moved on from licking toads for their venom to smoking toad venom, in order to experience the widely-acclaimed psychedelic or hallucinogenic effect associated with the toad venom.The effects of this powerful venom begin within 30 seconds of ingestion and take full effect within 5 minutes.After this period, the user gets physically incapacitated for about 30 minutes.The effects of the fast-acting psychedelic substance take place within five minutes after ingestion.CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS“What Mike went through was almost like a rebirth. He stoppedtaking antipsychotic and sleeping pills because he wasn’t sad or angryany more. “He started to lose weight, he changed his diet, he shiftedinto a healthier mode of living.”Mike Tyson looks ripped at 58 as former heavyweight champ shows off impressive physique before Jake Paul fightTyson has now smoked the toad over 50 times since his frightening first experience.Iron Mike has also made fortunes from a cannabis empire of his own.There was once a time he filed for bankruptcy having blown through $300MILLION (£230m) during his prizefighting career. But he recouped his wealth in retirement as a pop culture icon, featuring in films like comedy classic The Hangover. He then ventured into the marijuana business and his company’s chief executive claimed they did nine figures in revenue last year.And his wealth is set to rocket up another $40m (£30m) when he shares the ring with 10-1 Paul over eight two-minute rounds. They were initially due to fight on July 20 but Tyson was forced to pull out after suffering a stomach ulcer flare up during a flight.Tyson is boxing’s youngest heavyweight world championCredit: GettyHe blew through $300m in his boxing careerCredit: GettyTyson spent three years in prisonCredit: HandoutIt was also just two years ago that the reformed Baddest Man on The Planet was pictured leaving Miami airport in a wheelchair due to sciatica. But Tyson has been passed medically fit to resume training, which he does six days a week in Las Vegas. He has three fledgling professional heavyweight sparring partners living in a shared house with coach Rafael Cordeiro.Billy White, a childhood friend who was also trained by D’Amato, recently reunited with Tyson.And White said: “Cus always taught us that age was nothing but a number, and Mike has looked 25 years old in that ring.”Tyson – who spent three years in prison from 1992 for a rape conviction – is happily married to third wife Lakiha Spicer. And she is described as as the mastermind behind Tyson’s business ventures, also helping run his current training camp. READ MORE SUN STORIESFlorida-based coach White, who witnessed Tyson’s rise, fall and reincarnation, compared him to a phoenix.White said: “He rises from the ashes, no matter what. There is noobstacle he can’t overcome.”Lakiha Spicer and Mike Tyson pictured togetherCredit: SplashTyson and Jake Paul are set to fight on November 15Credit: Getty More

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      in Soccer

      Ex-Arsenal star Jay Emmanuel-Thomas denies role in £600k Stansted Airport drug smuggling plot

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      A FORMER Arsenal star has denied being behind a £600,000 Stansted Airport drug smuggling plot.Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, 33, was detained by National Crime Agency officers after the haul of cannabis was seized.Ex-Arsenal star Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has appeared in courtCredit: GettyHe was allegedly behind a plot to smuggle cannabis into the UKCredit: National Crime AgencyEmmanuel-Thomas appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court todayCredit: PAThe former Arsenal star appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court today charged with importing Class B drugs.He denied the charge and was remanded into custody ahead of a provisional trial in May next year.The maximum sentence for cannabis importation in the UK is up to 14 years in prison.Emmanuel-Thomas was arrested in Inverclyde, Scotland, last month.Read more newsHis contract with Scottish Championship team Greenock Morton was later “terminated with immediate effect”.The NCA said the drugs were seized at Stansted Airport on September 2, with two women arrested and charged.Border Force officers allegedly found 60kg of cannabis in two suitcases which that arrived on a flight from Bangkok.Rosie Rowland, 28, and Yasmin Piotrowska, 33, also pleaded not guilty to the same charge today.Most read in FootballThey were bailed ahead of a hearing scheduled for all three defendants on January 6.Emmanuel-Thomas is a former England under-17 and under-19 international.Ex-Arsenal star Jay Emmanuel-Thomas charged with importing drugs after £600,000 worth of cannabis seized at airportHe began his career at Arsenal before playing for various clubs – including Ipswich Town, Bristol City, QPR, Livingston and Aberdeen.The striker signed a six-month contract with Greenock Morton in July.NCA senior investigating officer David Phillips said: “The NCA continues to work with partners like Border Force to target those involved in drug smuggling – that includes both the couriers and the organisers.”We would appeal to anyone who is approached to engage in any kind of smuggling to think very carefully about the likely consequences of their actions and the potentially life-changing risks they will be taking.”Emmanuel-Thomas was arrested last monthCredit: InstagramHis contract at Greenock Morton has been terminatedCredit: Kenny Ramsay More

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      How boxing legend played by Sydney Sweeney beat cocaine addiction before surviving murder attempt by vicious hubby

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      WITH a bullet lodged three inches from her heart and several stab wounds, boxing champ Christy Martin lay on the floor and prepared to throw in the towel.But then a voice in her head said it was not her time to die just yet.Boxing champ Christy Martin beat addiction and survived a murder attemptCredit: GettySydney Sweeney will play Christy in a film about her lifeCredit: instagram/sydney_sweeneyShowing incredible strength and de- fiance against her monstrous husband Jim Martin, who had just tried to kill her, Christy dragged herself outside, where a passing stranger took her to hospital.Now, 14 years on, the woman who made female boxing mainstream, fought as the undercard to Mike Tyson and was the first female slugger to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated, is being played by Sydney Sweeney in a movie about her life.This week, the actress was unrecognisable during filming on location in North Carolina.The as yet untitled flick will show how the fighter from small- town West Virginia took the sporting world by storm, earning more than £3million during 35 undefeated bouts, only to lose herself in domestic violence and drugs.READ MORE ON BOXINGChristy, now 56 and happily married to a woman having divorced violent former manager Jim, is keen to make one thing clear: “It is not a boxing movie.”She said in an exclusive interview: “That was the main thing I wanted to stress when I met the producers.‘Not born to box’“This is the underdog story. It’s about domestic violence, sexuality and sexual abuse.“I’m a coal miner’s daughter from a small town and no one expected I would make it. And at the same time, I had all these other things happening in my life.Most read in BoxingHuge Hollywood sexbomb unrecognisable on set of new movie – but can you guess who it is?“I hope it’s a movie that, in ten years, a father will sit down with his daughter and say, ‘These are the things I don’t ever want you to endure. I don’t ever want you pushed into a relationship’.“I want parents to watch it then say to their children, ‘If you’re gay, we will love you no matter what’.“I want people to know that to be a professional boxer, you don’t have to sell your soul to the devil. It’s a complex story and I hope it’s got a lot to say to lots of different people.”It was November 2010 when Christy, following years in an abusive marriage, finally plucked up the courage to walk out the door.Enraged Jim stabbed his wife multiple times in the chest and shot her once with her own pink revolver.The bullet narrowly missed her heart and her leg was cut almost to the bone.But in a heroic effort, she managed to escape and flag down help.Anyone But You actress Sydney, 27, signed up to play Christy despite — or perhaps because of — being famed for racy TV shows, rom coms and horror movies until now.Both women hail from unfashionable US towns. Sweeney is from Spokane, Washington, while Christy grew up in Mullens, West Virginia.But while the Hollywood star, who set pulses racing in Euphoria and White Lotus, is engaged to producer Jonathan Davino, Christy spent much of her life hiding her sexuality.Heterosexual actors playing gay roles has proved controversial in the past.Sydney coming onboard is huge. I met her over a Zoom call the other day. She has a mixed martial arts background, so she understands combat sports. It’s not exactly the same, but she understands the mentalityChristyBut Christy said: “I wasn’t worried that a straight person would be playing the part.“I was more concerned how she would feel portraying a gay person. I think she will do fine. It’s acting, so you get to be whoever you want, straight or gay.“Too much is put on that stuff. Let’s just be us and whatever happens, happens.”She added: “Sydney coming on board is huge. I met her over a Zoom call the other day. She has a mixed martial arts background, so she understands combat sports. It’s not exactly the same, but she understands the mentality.“I watched her in Anyone But You and I liked her. It will be interesting seeing her being me and I’m excited.“Sydney is an A-lister. If you ask a young guy who she is, they know her, so I think she’s pretty cool.”Christy first boxed in college, aged 18, when she was secretly dating a woman.Raised in America’s devoutly religious Rust Belt, her parents would not have approved and fighting was an escape.At her current home in Austin, Texas, Christy said: “I was definitely not born to box.Sydney has mainly starred in rom coms and horror films in the pastCredit: GettyChristy in the ring in 1996Credit: Rex“I accidentally stumbled into boxing while I was in college. I thought it would be a great challenge and I got hooked.“My mother wasn’t happy about it and my dad said, ‘If you are going to do it, get trained and don’t get hurt’. I trained very hard.“I think the instinct to go for a knockout came from the emotional turmoil within me. I knew I was gay and I knew it wasn’t going to be accepted.“My family was very religious. When I was six, an older cousin sexually molested me and I didn’t tell anyone because I was scared. I had a lot of internal turmoil and, when you get into the boxing ring, you can be aggressive and violent and that is acceptable.“But to learn the skills I had to spend hours in the gym on hand pads trying to improve my hook and jab. I had to work really hard. Nothing came easy for me.”‘Prayed to survive’The sporting star was 22 when she met Jim, who was 25 years her senior. They married in 1991, at a time when she was becoming a household name, on a run of 35 consecutive fights undefeated and appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1996.The same year, she fought on the undercard to heavyweight world champion Mike Tyson in a bout promoted by Don King.Boxing brought unimaginable riches and she estimates she made around $4million in a career that stretched from 1989 to 2012, and saw her win the WBC female super-welterweight title in 2009. Christy with her husband and trainer JimCredit: GettyThe boxing great and her wife, Lisa HolewyneCredit: instagram/christymartinpromotionsMeanwhile, her troubled personal life ended up bringing nothing but pain.She said: “Jim controlled every move I made and every person I spoke with. I was his ATM machine, his only source of income, and he isolated me.“I tried to love him and be happy, but he knew I had feelings for women and he would threaten to expose me. It was not easy to be accepted as a female boxer, and I was always worried my fans would turn against me if they found out I was gay.”In 2007, she began using cocaine to escape the misery and it took her three years to kick the habit.She said: “My husband was supplying me with coke and I was snorting it. Before I even got out of bed in the morning, he would bring a line to me. If I complained I was tired after the gym, he would crush up a line before I had the chance to take my gloves off. I would be up for days — coke, coke, coke — and I was drinking a lot of beer. I wouldn’t even leave the house because I was afraid someone would see me high.“I’m lucky I didn’t die. I looked in the mirror one night and thought, you look like an addict.When I lay down, I was ready to dieChristy on night Jim tried to kill her“And I had to accept, you don’t look like an addict, you are an addict.“It took me a couple of days to get clean, but I had to realise, this is not who I am.”Christy’s husband had always vowed he would kill her if she left him.And in 2010, when she finally plucked up the courage to walk out of his life, he attempted to make good on his word.Having found the strength to fight back from the brink, Christy now lives with fellow former boxer Lisa Holewyne, 58, who she fought in Las Vegas in 2001 and married 16 years later.Christy said of the night Jim tried to kill her: “When I lay down, I was ready to die.“But at some point during the attack, I told him, ‘You can’t kill me’, and I prayed to survive.“I believe God had a plan for me, which must be talking about domestic violence and stopping others from going down that path.“And I hope my ex spends every day of his life in jail.READ MORE SUN STORIES“If he ever gets out, I am convinced he will kill me and, who knows, he might. I still look over my shoulder sometimes. He always told me, ‘If I can’t kill you, I will find someone that will’.“I get the occasional message from someone who has been in jail with him, and that shakes me up a bit.”Jim stabbed wife Christy multiple times in the chest and shot her once with her own pink revolverCredit: AlamyChristy was the first female slugger to grace the cover of Sports IllustratedCredit: Supplied More

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      Ex-Man Utd star Paul Pogba breaks silence on his future amid talk of Juventus exit after winning drug ban appeal

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      PAUL POGBA has broken his silence on his future after seeing his doping ban reduced. The Juventus star had been banned from football for four years after testing positive for banned substance DHEA in August 2023.Paul Pogba has opened up on his future after seeing his drug ban reducedCredit: GettyPogba hinted at his next possible clubCredit: APHowever, having always pleaded his innocence and appealing against the decision, earlier this month the 31-year-old saw that sentence reduced to 18 months.That which will see him able to return playing the beautiful game in March 2025.But Pogba’s future remains up in the air, with his club confirming they are in talks with his representatives over his exit from the Turin outfit by mutual agreement despite having a deal valid until 2026.This has seen him linked with a shock free transfer to Marseille, with former international team-mate Patrice Evra claiming he will contact sporting director Medhi Benatia to seal the deal.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLEvra had said: “He wants to play football, wherever it is, for example why not OM?’ Evra said. ‘I’m going to call Benatia and tell him that the door is open.”Despite this claim, Pogba has dismissed the defender’s comments but refused to rule out a future switch.He told L’Equipe: “I laugh because he’s Uncle Pat, he said it jokingly.”I’m still under contract so it’s not credible. The possibility of coming to play in Ligue 1? Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS’I’m at a club, I’m just thinking about coming back and getting out of this situation. “Of course, you never know what tomorrow will bring, so never say never.”Paul Pogba was brought back to Man Utd to HUMILIATE Sir Alex Ferguson – I told him not to return, says Patrice EvraAsked specifically about his reduced ban, the former Manchester United midfielder added: “I was really happy. “I hadn’t done anything, why would they give me four years? “I’ll be able to go back to doing what I love the most. “It’s like I’ve been given another chance. “I’ve been given back something that had been taken away from me. “It’s a new lease on life. READ MORE SUN STORIES”March is tomorrow, it’ll come quickly. “And it’s something I can’t wait to do.”What is DHEA?PAUL POGBA tested positive for elevated levels of DHEA, a hormone that naturally occurs in the adrenal gland, in August 2023.DHEA, or dehydroepiandrosterone, can be used to naturally boost testosterone production. It does not produce testosterone itself.It is on the world anti-doping banned substances list and carries a maximum of four years if the athlete took it deliberately to enhance their performance.DHEA can legally be sold over-the-counter in the US as a dietary product, known as prasterone.It is also taken as an anti-ageing therapy, and to treat depression and the symptoms of menopause, although there is little evidence to suggest it is effective, and it can cause serious side effects.In 2022, UFC fighter Bobby Green received a six-month ban after testing positive for a DHEA.Green said he had not realised that DHEA was banned after seeing a video on YouTube, and took the supplement after his wife bought it from a supermarket. More

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      Former Brighton Premier League wonderkid Aaron Connolly bravely reveals all about alcohol addiction and treatment

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      EX-PREMIER LEAGUE wonderkid Aaron Connolly has bravely revealed his alcohol addiction fight.The Irish international forward, 24, completed a free transfer to Championship promotion chasers Sunderland last month as he looks to resurrect his career.Sunderland’s new signing Aaron Connolly has bravely revealed all about his alcohol addictionCredit: AlamyConnolly famously burst on the scene in the top-flight aged 19 at Brighton with a brace against Tottenham.He left the Amex – following disappointing loan spells at Luton, Middlesbrough and Italian side Venezia – four years later having featured more on the gossip pages than sport ones.Connolly did score eight times for Hull City last term but that was not enough to stop him from getting released.Now he has decided to tell his story to coincide with World Mental Health Day on Sunderland’s website.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLConnolly had left home for the South Coast aged 16 but he says everything changed after that day against Spurs.He said: “I remember it – 5th of October, 2019, it was a 12.30 kick-off. I’m never going to forget that day. It was one of the best days of my life, but also one of the worst because the following five years was from that.“I just stopped working, stopped doing the things I should have kept doing. I started to believe the hype, and I just didn’t turn into a good person after that. I was tough to be around.“I didn’t know how to deal with it, if I’m being honest. My parents tried, but they weren’t living with me. I was living with my ex-girlfriend at the time, and it’s hard because I didn’t ever feel like I had that authoritative figure to keep me grounded.Most read in ChampionshipIf you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.“My parents did try, but I just let myself believe everything people were saying online and it just took over. I always say to my parents, I started to live the life of a footballer without the football side of it.“That was the hardest thing to admit at the time, that I wasn’t doing all the things that had got me to the position where I could go and get my house and treat my family, and do all that sort of stuff.Brits are more likely to open up at the pub or on a walk than on the phone or over text, study finds“It hurts to look back and speak about it because I know if I had done everything right, maybe I would still be in the Premier League. Maybe I wouldn’t, but at least I’d know I’d given it all I could to try to stay at that level.”Connolly explained how both his on and off-field life began to spiral as alcohol became a bigger and bigger problem.He said: “It was obvious I had a problem with alcohol for a good few years.“I had my parents, who never drank before and were always telling me when I was younger to stay away from alcohol. That was always their thing because of addiction to alcohol in my family.“I didn’t listen, clearly. It got me into a lot of trouble and a lot of problems, and it just became something that I relied on.”It felt like my buzz used to come from football, and winning games and scoring goals, and it got to a point where the buzz was more from drinking alcohol than going out on a football pitch.“I used to look forward to the games finishing so I could have time to go and have a drink and socialise.”I say socialise, but it was just an excuse to go and get drunk, to go straight to alcohol, and that was where I got my buzz from, whereas before, it was always the buzz of football and being around an environment like I am now.”For three or four years, that just wasn’t there.”The star burst on the scene with two goals against Tottenham in 2019Credit: ReutersConnolly managed to rediscover some form at Hull despite his “life being a mess” but he finally realised he needed to take drastic action after he was released in June by the Tigers.He explained: “I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t live the way I was living. It was killing people round me, to be honest. My family, my friends. Mainly, it was killing me, really.“I had one of my best seasons last year at Hull, but off the pitch, my life was a mess. The manager at Hull, to be fair, always looked after me, and always tried to help.”But it just got to a point where, it wasn’t like life wasn’t worth living, it wasn’t a big dramatic thing, but it was just that my life was so unmanageable and I couldn’t control what I could do and couldn’t control my alcohol.“It just got to a point where I had to make a decision where I needed to go to a treatment clinic, and I spent a month there in the summer.”I just said to my agent, ‘I don’t want you to contact any clubs. I’m not doing this for football, I’m doing this so I can get my life back, and if stuff in football comes with that, then that’s a bonus’.“It wasn’t even the football that was taking the biggest battering in the end, it was my life, my relationships, my friends. Everything was just failing and falling apart.”When your parents are calling you and you’re not answering calls because you know you’re breaking their hearts, it’s time to realise that you’ve got a problem.”Now after sealing himself an opportunity at Sunderland, Connolly wants to tell his story in the hope that it might help at least one other person struggling.He added: “It’s an addiction, and the toughest thing I ever had to do was go in there. The PFA helped me pay for my treatment, and I know some people might not be able to afford it, but it’s important to know it’s not just park bench, vodka bottle. Anybody can get affected by it.READ MORE SUN STORIES“There’s no price tag or no amount of money in the world that can cure it. It’s a disease, an illness. But going to the clinic was the best and worst month of my life.“I just hope this might help people. I had everything every young boy would dream, but I couldn’t get hold of my addiction without that help.”The Irish ace was released by Hull City in the summer and decided to check into rehabCredit: PA More