Heavyweight boxing

ANTHONY JOSHUA’s former coach is adamant he did “better than expected” in his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.Former two-time unified heavyweight champ AJ renewed his rivalry with the slick southpaw in a lucrative Saudi showdown in August – just under a year after being turned over in their Tottenham tussle.
Anthony Joshua renewed his rivalry with Oleksandr Usyk in AugustCredit: GETTY
AJ suffered a second successive defeat to the undefeated UkranianCredit: MATCHROOM BOXING
But former head coach Robert Garcia is adamant the Brit gave a good account of himself second time aroundCredit: GETTY
The Watford warrior had more success than he did in their first encounter – hurting the undefeated Ukranian in the ninth stanza – but ultimately suffered a split-decision defeat.
Robert Garcia helped devise the game plan for the Rage on the Red Sea and believes AJ gave a much better account of himself second time around.
The American told ESNews: “I went in there against Usyk and we still did better than anyone expected.”
Garcia, who was brought in to replace Joshua’s former long-time trainer Robert McCracken, has found himself out of a job following AJ’s second successive defeat to Usyk.
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He was given his marching orders in a frank phone call with the former champion.
He revealed: “Anthony called me and told me what he was doing.
“I understand you know, the way he is seeing things and honestly, I wish him the best.
“Even if it was me again, I understand they are trying to fight sometime in the spring, having to go to camp in England it was very difficult for me because I know that Jose [Ramirez] is fighting during that time.
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“So, I’ve got to train his a*** off to get him ready to fight. Also, Bam [Rodriguez] will be fighting during that time.”
Joshua is currently in America shopping around for a new head coach and was recently spotted training in Los Angeles with Virgil Hunter.
Garcia continued: “It’s not about Virgil Hunter doing a better job, Derrick James doing a better job or me doing a better job than his previous trainer.
“It’s about him getting out of his comfort zone and not being the boss and doing what he’s told to do in a place where he’s not comfortable.”
He added: “It doesn’t matter who it is, when he comes back, I know they’re going to pick him two or three easy fights so that’s going to make any trainer look good.
“But it’s a big difference I went in there against Usyk and we still did better than anyone expected.”
Joshua is expected to return to the ring in late March once he finalised his new coaching team, with a domestic dust-up with Dillian Whyte in his sights.
Anthony Joshua is set to return to the ring in “late March.”Credit: Getty More

ANTHONY JOSHUA has revealed shock plans to become an ACTOR after boxing – and has his eye on a surprising genre. The heavyweight is an Olympic gold medalist, two-time unified world champion and one of boxing’s biggest superstars.
Anthony Joshua has revealed shock plans to become an actor after boxingCredit: Handout
A career in the limelight has afforded AJ several opportunities to showcase his talents in TV adverts and on billboards.
And when looking ahead to life after boxing, Joshua fancies himself as a man for the big screen.
He told GQ: “I think after boxing I’ll be able to do acting because I’ve done a lot of commercial work.
“I understand what production teams want, I’m quite comfortable in front of the camera as well now.”
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Asked what role he would take, Joshua replied: “I wouldn’t limit myself but it’ll probably be more romantic.
“I don’t know how much success I’ll have in the film industry because I don’t know how good my American accent is.”
Joshua, 33, has starred in several ads for the likes of Lucozade, Lynx and JD Sports during his victory-laden career.
AJ took some time away from boxing following consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, 35.
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But he is set to return in spring as part of a massive 2023 – as Joshua admitted to trying to make the most of the remainder of his career.
He told GiveMeSport: “I’m baffled, I’m an old man, where’s the time gone?

“So I always look at it like I’m not at the start of my career and I’m not in the middle, I’m at the end.
“So that’s how quick time has gone, I’ve gotta really make sure now I put in the most work I’ve ever done and make these last years count.”
Anthony Joshua has not returned since defeat to Oleksandr UsykCredit: GETTY More

TYSON FURY’S undisputed super-fight with Oleksandr Usyk has been given a boost despite the WBA ordering Daniel Dubois into a title bout with the Ukrainian. The pair of unbeaten champions are in talks for the heavyweight division’s first ever four-belt unification clash.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk facing offCredit: Reuters
But amid negotiations, the WBA ordered their 25-year-old “regular” champion and mandatory challenger Dubois to fight Usyk.
It led to fears the title defence would get in the way of an undisputed decider, set for the Middle East next year.
But promoter Frank Warren reassured fans that the unification would supersede any mandatory defence – leaving everything on track.
He told his Queensberry YouTube channel: “He [Dubois] is next in the rotation. It’s agreed by the governing bodies.
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“He’s next, but obviously, a unification, which we’re working on, will take precedence. It will take priority.”
Usyk, 35, faced a similar situation when it was suggested the IBF could order him to fight No1 contender Filip Hrgovic, 30.
And Joe Joyce, 37, remains in line for a shot at his titles while standing as the WBO mandatory challenger.
Fury, 34, has named Brit Joyce, a former sparring partner of his, as a back-up alternative if talks with Usyk collapse.
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He made the claim after beating Derek Chisora, 38, in round ten of their trilogy bout at Tottenham.
Fury said: “If it doesn’t happen, for X, Y or Z reasons, then we’ll have Joe Joyce at Wembley.
“If the Usyk one does happen, then I’ll do him and we’ll have Joe Joyce at Wembley as well. Why not?”
Joe Joyce and Tyson Fury have sparred each other before More

ANTHONY JOSHUA has joked he is an “old man” and that his days of boxing could soon be behind him. Joshua, 33, is preparing for his next fight after being handed back-to-back defeats by Ukrainian champion Oleksandr Usyk.
Anthony Joshua has joked he is an “old man” in boxingCredit: AFP
Joshua has a number of fights lined up after his most recent defeat by Oleksandr UsykCredit: Reuters
A number of big fights are in the works for the two-time champion, but he has admitted he is not getting any younger and will soon hang up his gloves.
He told GiveMeSport: “I’m baffled, I’m an old man, where’s the time gone?
“So I always look at it like I’m not at the start of my career and I’m not in the middle, I’m at the end.
“So that’s how quick time has gone, I’ve gotta really make sure now I put in the most work I’ve ever done and make these last years count.”
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AJ revealed he was confident about a number of fights going into 2023, including a potential showdown against Deontay Wilder or a rematch bout against Dillian Whyte.
Meanwhile, Tyson Fury ruled out a fight against Joshua following the breakdown of talks ahead of their last proposed fight.
However, he admitted his biggest achievement was yet to come.
The Brit added: “My greatest achievement hasn’t been reached yet.
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“It will be when I make it out the other side of the fight game. I personally always thought I would probably cry when boxing is done, because I put a lot into it inside and outside of the ring.
“Like you put a lot into your work, you wake up, you sacrifice, you’re tired sometimes; all that type of stuff, we all go through it.
“Sometimes you have your bad days but I’ve always tried to be strong, well I am strong.
“I always felt like why I would be emotional after is because I would have reached the ultimate high because I made it through a very dark, tough industry.
“I think now it would be making it through healthy and being able to enjoy commercial stuff without pressures of having to train after, enjoying going back to your family, just chilling.
“So that will be my major achievement, I’m looking forward to that.” More

TYSON FURY is certain he will never fight Anthony Joshua and promised to knock out Oleksandr Usyk instead.Usyk has defeated AJ in back-to-back fights and Fury now wants a piece of the Ukrainian.
Tyson Fury has vowed to knock out Oleksandr UsykCredit: Getty
Anthony Joshua is still hopeful of fighting the Gypsy KingCredit: Reuters
Usyk and Fury could face each other early next yearCredit: Getty
He has vowed to knock out the world champion, claiming he is no match for the Gypsy King.
Fury, 34, also ruled out a possible match-up with Joshua, despite the latter promising a fight will happen before they both retire.
In an interview with iFL TV, Fury said: “I can guarantee you that you will not see it, 100 per cent.
“Like Carl Froch vs Joe Calzaghe, Ricky Hatton vs Junior Witter, it’s 100 per cent not happening.
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“I’m gonna knock out the guy who just beat him twice.”
Fury then changed his focus to the man he could face next – Usyk.
The pair’s representatives are in talks to make a fight happen and Fury vowed to dispatch the 35-year-old with ease.
He added: “I’m looking to fight Oleksandr Usyk, the man who’s got Anthony Joshua’s kryptonite, who made him cry after the fight,
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“‘I’m 18 stone.’ So? I’m 20 stone. I’ll beat him, he ain’t got no kryptonite to me.
“He’s f*** all to me. I’m gonna make him dance.” More

TYSON FURY plans to face Oleksandr Usyk twice, with a second bout taking place at Wembley. Fury is ready for his next challenge after besting Derek Chisora in their trilogy fight two weeks ago and is targeting unification clash with Usyk.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have been linked with a unification clashCredit: Getty
Tyson Fury wants to face Oleksandr Usyk twice in the Middle East and WembleyCredit: Reuters
The Gypsy King is looking to “make an example” of the Ukrainian with a fight in the Middle East before a rematch in London.
Fury told iFL TV: “There’s no man born who can beat me and I’ll stand and prove it against anybody, not a problem.
“Where I am in my life at the moment and where I am with my career, I wouldn’t want to take him out quite quickly.
“I’d like to get him in there in February, make an example of him and then give him a rematch and do it back at Wembley again.
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“If the Middle East can deliver like they’ve said they can for the last year or so then they’re going to deliver at the end of February and if they don’t then we’ll do it in England at Wembley.
“I don’t think it is a tough fight no. He’s nowhere near as tough as old Del Boy [Chisora]. He will not stand up to those punches like Derek did.
“When I watched the fight between him and Derek it was a 50/50 fight, it might have been 55/45 but it wasn’t no landslide.
“I’ve seen people like Usyk many times before, smaller men coming up to fight the heavyweight champion and 99 per cent of the time they get dusted up. I’m right out there on my own.”
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A fight between Fury and Usyk is being targeted for a date between February 18 and March 4.
However, the highly anticipated clash between the two heavyweights has hit a snag with the WBA ordering Daniel Dubois as the mandatory challenger for the Ukrainian.
But promoter Frank Warren, who represents both Fury and Dubois, has claimed the latter will step aside to allow the dream match to happen. More

ANTHONY JOSHUA is confident he will fight Deontay Wilder in 2023. The Brit, 33, is hoping to bounce back from two losses against Oleksandr Usyk and believes next year is going to be huge for heavyweight boxing.
Anthony Joshua is looking forward to a big 2023Credit: Getty
Deontay Wilder beat Robert Helenius in his last fight and is now targeting AJCredit: Getty
Joshua was asked by GQ if he would fight Wilder to which he replied: “Let’s look to the future. It will definitely happen.
“We’re in the same division, we’re in the same era, that means the fight has to happen.
“2023 is looming, it’s a big year for boxing, and that fight will definitely happen.”
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn recently confirmed that talks have begun between the two fighters.
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It has been reported that the bout could take place as early as March but this could prove too soon.
But fans will be wary of getting their hopes up after discussions over the two stepping in the ring in 2018 broke down and the fight never happened.
Next year could be huge for Joshua as he tries to salvage what some will call a stumbling career.
Dillian Whyte wants to get back in the ring with the 33-year-old in a rematch of the bout that saw AJ win in 2015.
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And there also remains the possibility of him facing Fury with the Gypsy King asking Joshua to “step up to the plate” and fight him.
Fury paved the way for the “big year for boxing” Joshua spoke about as he beat Derek Chisora.
Meanwhile, Wilder would not turn down a fourth bout with Fury and he does look set to favour a fight with Joshua over the mandatory clash with Andy Ruiz Jr. More