Heavyweight boxing

ANTHONY JOSHUA has been warned off fighting Deontay Wilder next following consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua was bettered twice on the spin by Usyk, who won and then retained the unified WBA, IBF and WBO belts.
Anthony Joshua lost twice to Oleksandr UsykCredit: Getty
Deontay Wilder is linked with fighting Anthony JoshuaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Meanwhile, Wilder, 37, knocked out Robert Helenius, 38, in round one of his October comeback fight.
His manager Shelly Finkel and trainer Malik Scott have both called for the American ex-WBC champion to fight AJ in 2023.
But boxing legend Roy Jones Jr insisted Joshua, 33, cannot jump into a fight of such magnitude and danger off the back of defeat to Usyk, 35.
He told iD Boxing: “He can’t go into a Deontay Wilder fight after losing two fights to Usyk. That doesn’t make any sense at all.
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“Now if you find someone who isn’t quite the puncher that Wilder is, get yourself back and back to winning.
“Then, you can get comfortable to the adjustments that your new trainer will make you make.
“Once you get comfortable with those adjustments then you fight Wilder because hopefully those adjustments have made you better and you’ve got confidence… then you can get in the ring with Wilder because you probably can beat Wilder.
“But if you’re coming off two losses to against Usyk with the confidence being down already… if Wilder hits you, you don’t know.
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“That’s going to be crazy. Wilder is a phenomenal heavyweight; Wilder is one the hardest punching heavyweights in fighting right now.
“Against Wilder, you’ve got to be mistake-proof, you make a mistake with Wilder, and it could be over.”
Joshua is set to return in the spring in a confidence-building comeback fight.
And he is Stateside on the hunt for a new trainer after splitting with Robert Garcia, a role Jones Jr is open to taking.
Roy Jones Jr pictured with Chris Eubank JrCredit: Instagram / @chriseubankjr More

TYSON FURY and Oleksandr Usyk face rematching WITHOUT all four belts on the line, revealed promoter Frank Warren. The two unbeaten champions are in talks to put every heavyweight title on the line for the first time in history.
Promoter Frank Warren with Tyson FuryCredit: Instagram / @frank_warren_official
But the WBA have already ordered Daniel Dubois, 25, to fight Usyk, while the IBF have done the same for Filip Hrgovic, 30.
The unification will supersede the pair of mandatory challenges, meaning the historic undisputed decider is on track.
Although Hall of Famer Warren admitted if Fury, 34, and Usyk, 35, are to rematch, it could be after relinquishing some of the gold.
He told talkSPORT: “I’m not sure [about the rematch].
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“I mean we haven’t got into that, but I probably think there would be [a rematch clause] because, God forbid, one of them gets a cut eye or anything goes wrong – anything can happen in boxing as we know – then there would be.
“The four belts are on the line, and the winner gets them.
“If there is a rematch, I don’t think then the four belts will be on the line for it cause I don’t think the governing bodies will allow it.
“I think they’ll just say ‘right, you’ve got to get on with your mandatories now.’”
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Talks between the opposing camps are continuing with the super-fight headed to the Middle East.
And a deadline of March has been imposed as Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum provided an update in negotiations.
Arum said: “Both fighters absolutely want it.
“The managers and promoters all want it, so we’re just getting it together and working out where we’re gonna put it on – that’s really the situation.
“It’s gotta go on by March and so we’ve gotta all move quickly so over the next couple of weeks we will or we won’t get it sorted out.
“But everybody wants to do the fight, absolutely want to do it.”
Oleksandr Usyk is in talks to fight Tyson FuryCredit: Reuters More

ANTHONY JOSHUA has been offered coaching by Roy Jones Jr, who revealed talks between the pair. AJ is on the scout for a new training team in America following consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk.
Anthony Joshua has been offered coaching by Roy Jones JrCredit: Reuters
Roy Jones Jr and Mike Tyson pictured after their exhibition bout in 2020Credit: Reuters
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 Robert Garcia, but following rematch defeat to Usyk the two have split.
Now Joshua is trailing new coaches and boxing great Roy Jones Jr – currently Chris Eubank Jr’s trainer – has thrown his name into the hat.
Jones, 53, told Boxing Social: “We spoke and I do have a plan for him.
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“I haven’t told him yet, but if he likes the way that we get along in the gym, then for me, any fighter he fights is going to be a big fight anyway.
“But, you got to go with guys who are not quite as good as Usyk or Tyson Fury yet.
“We need two good fights to get yourself back into motion and they’ll be good fights, they won’t be no stroll fights they’ll be good fights.
“Then we go after either Usyk or Fury, whoever wins, but we do need two good fights to get him back and I already got two fights in my mind that I want, but I’ve got to talk to him and make sure that he is in agreement.”
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Jones retired as a four-time world champion, considered to be one of the greatest of all time.
Joshua, 33, meanwhile is set to return in the spring in a confidence-building comeback fight.
The likes of Dillian Whyte, 34, and Deontay Wilder, 37, have been teased for the summer of 2023.
For now, AJ is Stateside and was recently pictured with Errol Spence Jr’s trainer of the year candidate Derrick James.
Anthony Joshua is set to return in the springCredit: Getty More

TYSON FURY has been warned he could be in for a “rude awakening” against Oleksandr Usyk… like Anthony Joshua was.The unbeaten champions are in talks for the heavyweight division’s first four-belt unification.
Tyson Fury has been warned he could be in for a ‘rude awakening’ against Oleksandr UsykCredit: Alamy
Oleksandr Usyk is in talks to fight Tyson FuryCredit: EPA
It comes after Usyk, 35, twice beat Joshua, 33, to win and retain the WBA, IBF and WBO titles.
The Ukrainian then watched from ringside as Fury, 34, beat Derek Chisora, 38, in round ten of their trilogy bout in December.
It kept the historic unification bout on track, which looks set to be staged in the Middle East.
And Irish boxing legend Barry McGuigan talked up underdog Usyk’s chances.
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He told The Mirror: “Fury relies on his size and intimidation.
“But Usyk does not scare easily. The way he stared down Fury at the Chisora fight told us that.
“Usyk was too good for Joshua, who improved considerably in the second fight.
“Joshua is a decent attacking fighter too, better than Fury on the front foot.
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“Fury is essentially a boxer-fighter. He rarely comes forward until he has to. Speed is the issue.
“Usyk is not only a southpaw who moves brilliantly and takes a shot, he has epic speed.
“I think this is a much tougher fight for Fury than he thinks it is. And, like Joshua, he could be in for a rude awakening.”
Irish boxing legend Barry McGuiganCredit: Getty More

RICKY HATTON has another heavyweight super-fight on his wishlist as Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk close in on a deal. Fury and Usyk are in talks to put all four titles on the line for the first time in heavyweight history.
Ricky Hatton at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awardsCredit: Alamy
Oleksandr Usyk facing off with Tyson FuryCredit: Getty
But British boxing legend Hatton revealed pairing Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder would be his dream bout.
He told BeanymanNews: “You want to see Usyk and Tyson because they are the top two but if you ask me which fight I would rather see in the heavyweight division, it is Joshua vs Wilder.
“You would pay all day long for that. I wouldn’t like to call it, I think it would be a case of who lands first.”
Joshua, 33, is coming off consecutive losses to Usyk, 35, and is set to return in the spring of 2023.
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Meanwhile Wilder, 37, knocked out Robert Helenius, 38, in round one of his October comeback fight.
His manager Shelly Finkel is in talks with AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn over a blockbuster next year.
And Wilder’s coach Malik Scott wants the pair of former world champions to settle their score in the ring.
Scott told Kate Abdo: “I’m very interested in that. At this level of his career, I would.
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“One, the fight was supposed to have been happening, and two, he lost to Oleksandr Usyk two times.
“Three, I also believe Anthony Joshua is a big-time boxer. These guys are not getting old. Let’s get these big fights made.
“I would hate for so much time to go by, and we end up with another Riddick Bowe – Lennox Lewis type of situation.
“These greats didn’t get a chance to fight each other. These types of fights aren’t just good for boxing.
“They’re good for the world, for culture, and for the young kids that want to see this kind of fight.
“So, I just think it should happen, but we can want it all we want. AJ has to want the fight, his team has to want it, and Eddie has to want to do good business.
“Him and Shelly have to connect to make this happen. Otherwise, Deontay is going to do bigger and better things, whatever that may be.”
Deontay Wilder pictured with his trainer, Malik ScottCredit: AFP
Anthony Joshua is linked with a fight against Deontay Wilder in 2023 More

TYSON FURY and Oleksandr Usyk could still fight in London in front of 95,000 at Wembley Stadium. The unbeaten champions are in talks for the heavyweight division’s first four-belt unification.
Tyson Fury facing off against Oleksandr UsykCredit: Reuters
And the Middle East is the frontrunner to host with a hefty fee to bring the pair over being tabled.
But US promoter Bob Arum warned not to rule out a home fixture for Fury, who has sold over 150,000 tickets this year alone.
Arum told Sky Sports: “We are balancing a couple of significant offers from the Mid East and also there’s the possibility of doing the fight in the UK at Wembley with a massive 95,000 crowd in attendance.
“Fighters have a relatively short life and money is important. So if the money which has been proposed to us is real that has to be taken into consideration.
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“To go back to Wembley and do a fight before 95,000 people for me really stirs up the blood.
“It would be crazy. It would just be wonderful. It shouldn’t be too long before a final decision is made.
“We’ll have it all sorted out. I hope maybe by the end of the year.”
Fury, 34, packed out 94,000 at Wembley in April when he knocked out Dillian Whyte, 34.
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And in December he brought 60,000 over to Tottenham’s stadium for his ten-round beating of Derek Chisora, 38.
Usyk, 35, was ringside and faced off against Fury and the two are ready to put all four titles on the line by March of next year.
Arum said: “Both of them want the fight and so there’ll be very little, if any, [messing] around. We’ll be able to make that happen. I’m very, very confident.
“As I said the fighters have both agreed to fight each other next without any interim fights.
“Now the question is what’s the date and what’s the site. That fight is definitely going to happen and it will happen in the first four months of next year.”
Tyson Fury pictured with Bob ArumCredit: Getty More

FRANK WARREN said Tyson Fury’s undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk HAS to happen by March – or it will face total collapse. The unbeaten champions are in talks for the heavyweight division’s first four-belt unification.
Tyson Fury is in talks to fight Oleksandr UsykCredit: Getty
Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury have a deadline of March to fightCredit: AFP
Warren is leading negotiations on Fury’s behalf but admitted they face a race against the clock.
He told talkSPORT: “Both fighters absolutely want it.
“The managers and promoters all want it, so we’re just getting it together and working out where we’re gonna put it on – that’s really the situation.
“It’s gotta go on by March and so we’ve gotta all move quickly so over the next couple of weeks we will or we won’t get it sorted out.
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“But everybody wants to do the fight, absolutely want to do it.”
Middle East money men are ready to front huge sums to host the historic undisputed clash.
But Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum warned not to rule out Fury gaining home advantage with a stadium showdown in London.
Arum said: “Both fighters have agreed to fight, that is clear.
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“The question then is where the fight is held and that will be decided by the end of the year.
“There’s a couple of places in the Middle East that have expressed big interest and made offers and of course there is the possibility of doing the fight in Wembley Stadium.
“Whenever that fight happens and I believe it will happen within the first four months of the year, it’s going to be a huge, massive fight and I can’t wait to see it.”

Brad Jacobs of Top Rank with Bob Arum and Frank WarrenCredit: Getty
Tyson Fury facing off against Oleksandr UsykCredit: Reuters More