Heavyweight boxing

ROY JONES JR reckons Anthony Joshua came up short in his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk because the strategy wasn’t communicated to him properly.Joshua, 33, suffered a split decision defeat to the slick southpaw in their Saudi showdown in August.
Anthony Joshua suffered a second successive defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in AugustCredit: GETTY
Trainer Robert Garcia came under the firing line after the Saudi showdownCredit: PA
Roy Jones Jr believes Joshua didn’t have the strategy properly communicated to himCredit: GETTY
Coaches Robert Garcia and Angel Fernandez came into the firing line after the Jeddah jostle for giving AJ dodgy corner advice.
In an interview with OLBG, Jones Jr – who plans to work with the former two-time unified heavyweight champion – said of the duo: “They tried to make the change.
“But I think he did not really understand what they were asking for and it wasn’t communicated properly to him, so he could understand what was being asked of him – that’s my outside opinion.”
Joshua turned in a far better display in his rematch with Usyk than he did in their Tottenham tussle last September.
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But Jones Jr said: “I didn’t feel that the change he made was going to be good because you’re getting a smaller guy to teach you how to fight a big guy.
“So, it was a tough situation for Garcia because I don’t know if Garcia’s been put in that situation.
“I didn’t want to watch the second one because I didn’t want to lose my hope that he could beat Usyk.
“[My plan to beat Usyk], it’s the same concept that Garcia had in a sense, it’s just that Garcia is a shorter guy. He has a different way of doing it.
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“And to me it would be very difficult for him to communicate to Joshua how to do something – Joshua’s a tall guy and Usyk is a tall guy.
“It’s hard for a short guy to explain something to you that he never had to do. I’m not tall, but I had to deal with all of them.
“I went from junior middleweight to heavyweight. Nobody ever did that in the history of the sport.
“My range is a little bit different than Garcia’s.
Anthony Joshua is set to return to the ring early next yearCredit: GETTY
“I do understand what Garcia’s plan was, but sometimes different backgrounds, different ways of articulating things to people – sometimes they get it, sometimes they don’t – I don’t think he was able to articulate it to Joshua where Joshua really understood it.”
Joshua is expected to return to the ring early next year, although an opponent for the first fight of his rebuild has yet to be finalised.
He said earlier this month: “I don’t know [when I’ll be back].
“I was supposed to be in the ring this year, I’m going to be in the ring next year. I’ll be in the ring when I’m in the ring.

“I don’t want to make statements today and then I’ll get held to the cross.
“Do you know what I mean? When I’m ready, I’ll be back in the ring.” More

OLEKSANDR USYK has revealed his plans for retirement – but wants to fight Tyson Fury and Canelo Alvarez first.Usyk declared via his Usyk-17 promotion company that he will hang up his gloves after a maximum of three more fights as he does not intend to keep fighting once he passes his peak.
Oleksandr Usyk has confirmed he will retire after three more fightsCredit: PA
Oleksandr Usyk is targeting a dream match with Tyson Fury before retirementCredit: AP
Oleksandr Usyk also wants a bout with Canelo Alvarez before hanging up his glovesCredit: Getty
And the Ukrainian superstar stated that a dream match with Fury is among his priorities.
The 35-year-old would also like to lock horns with Canelo Alvarez before a farewell bout in Ukraine.
He said: “I can have three more fights at the very most.
“It is the most realistic to be in my top form. With Fury, Canelo and a farewell fight at Olympiyskiy.
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“With Canelo he said that he wanted to fight me. It would be a freak fight just for the sake of earning money.
“I only need to beat Fury and then it is time to retire for me. The unification of all the belts is much more important than just a fight or another defence.
“I want to outbox Fury and I don’t want to work that much just for another defence. There is much more that I can achieve.”
The undefeated heavyweight extended his streak to 20 victories after overcoming Anthony Joshua for the second consecutive time in Saudi Arabia earlier this year.
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Usyk has since been linked with a dream match with Fury, who seems set to come out of his own retirement.
The Gypsy King, who is also still undefeated, is expected to take on the Ukrainian at some point.
But Usyk is first eyeing a bout against Deontay Wilder, who lost two out of three fights to British superstar Fury.
Alvarez, on the other hand, emerged victorious out of last week’s trilogy bout with Gennady Golovkin.
The Mexican star boosted his record to 58 wins in 62 fights, of which he has lost two.
A fight with Alvarez would see them meet somewhere in the middle on weight, with the Mexican having gone up to light-heavyweight twice in the past and Usyk making his name at cruiserweight.
Meanwhile, Fury is closing in on a fight with Joshua on December 3, with official confirmation seemingly all that remains for the ‘Battle of Britain’ to take place.
The two heavyweights have agreed a 60-40 split purse in the Gypsy King’s favour, with AJ’s stock at an all-time low after losing twice to Usyk. More

TYSON FURY has called Anthony Joshua a “coward” – and said he only wants to fight “real men”.The Gypsy King was hoping to fight AJ in December after offering him 40 per cent of the purse.
Anthony Joshua rejected the chance to fight Tyson Fury in DecemberCredit: Getty
Fury beat Deontay Wilder twice and drew the other of their trilogyCredit: Getty
But Joshua would not agree to the terms before the deadline, with their hopes of giving fans a memorable all British-heavyweight clash all-but ending in September.
At the time, Fury said: “It’s official. D Day has come and gone.
“It’s gone past 5pm Monday, no contract has been signed. It’s officially over for Joshua.
“He’s now out in the cold with the wolfpack. Forget about it. Idiot. Coward!”
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Instead, WBC champ Fury will defend his belts against Derek Chisora at Tottenham on 3 December.
But Fury is still angry with Joshua and now says isn’t prepared to fight the former two-time world heavyweight champion.
Fury said: “No, there’s no glamour in fighting a coward, none. I don’t fight cowards, I only fight real men.
“That’s a glamour fight? No way. My glamour fight was fighting the 42-0 Deontay Wilder in America.”
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Regardless, Joshua is still hoping to return to the ring in 2023 after consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
Promoter Eddie Hearn told FightHub: “Joshua will be back very early next year now and I wanna see him get active.” More

TYSON FURY has eyes on Joe Joyce if his undisputed Oleksandr Usyk dream ends.WBC king Fury faces Derek Chisora on December 3 ahead of a March clash with WBA, IBF and WBO champ Usyk.
Tyson Fury will fight Derek Chisora next – but fancies taking on another Brit after thatCredit: Rex
Joe Joyce is undefeated as a pro and has already earnt the respect of FuryCredit: Rex
But the Ukrainian may have to fight mandatory challenger Filip Hrgovic instead or give up his coveted IBF crown.
That has led the Gypsy King to line-up Juggernaut Joyce as a back-up for an all-English bout.
Fury said: “If Usyk doesn’t want the fight let’s do Joyce at Wembley.
“Joe, get your skates on and get fit mush. If the middleweight don’t want no smoke then you are in.
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“I’m fighting three times next year, you can be one of them.
“I have Joyce as No 3 heavyweight champion in the world as I think only I can take Deontay Wilder’s power.”
Since snubbing Fury’s offer of a December 3 fight, Anthony Joshua has ruled out a ring return until March.
He is now expected to face the winner of Saturday’s fight between Dillian Whyte and Jermaine Franklin although fight fans still want to see Fury versus AJ.

Fury vs Chisora 3: Date, live stream and TV info for huge heavyweight bout
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But Fury has lost his appetite for that domestic battle.
He said: “There’s no glamour in fighting a coward. I don’t fight cowards, only real men.
“My glamour fights were Deontay Wilder in America, they were my glamour fights.
“This other-bum fight with Joshua over here was more of a Sunday roast, and only English people respected it.
“Usyk is top of the shopping list, I am head-hunting him.
“But when I splatter Usyk people will say he is too small and it was a mismatch.
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“I won’t get credit for beating a man half my size. It’s all for me to lose, nothing to gain.”
Fury vs Chisora on December 3 from Tottenham Stadium is live on BT Sport Box Office. Tickets are available at ticketmaster.co.uk More

BOXING fans have been left convinced a time traveller watched a Mike Tyson fight 27 years ago.Iron Mike needed less than a round to finish his contest with Peter McNeeley in August 1995 as he dropped him twice on the way to a swift victory.
The object many believe is a smartphone in the background of Mike Tyson’s 1995 fight
But those online have now been bamboozled by something outside the ring from that evening.
A still shot of Tyson looked as though it showed a smartphone in the background.
And, given the bout took place years before the technology first came out, it led some to suggest only a time traveller could have been there.
Pointing it out on social media, one person said: “This is a 1995 fight with Mike Tyson.
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“It’s still mystery, one man taking a video of Mike via Samsung star android model (white).
“Is he a time traveller? Please tell the facts about this.”
While another added: “Someone in the crowd is seen taking a picture from what appears to be a smartphone device, or a device way ahead of the 90s.”
However, the theory was ultimately shut down by those who worked out what the device was – a Fujix Simple HI8 Camcorder.
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They said: “Conspiracy theory solved. It was thought when Mike Tyson fought Peter McNeeley in 1995, that someone in the crowd was filming on what looked like a smartphone and was therefore a time traveller.
“Turns out it was a Fujix Simple HI8 Camcorder.”
The Fujix Simple HI8 Camcorder was released in 1993, making it the likely answer to the confusing debate regarding the Tyson image.
This is the device believed to be on show during the Tyson fight More

DEREK CHISORA was paid a visit by Anthony Joshua as he wraps up the final week of training camp for his clash with Tyson Fury.Fan favourite Chisora will challenge Fury for the WBC heavyweight title in a Tottenham trilogy fight a week on Saturday.
Derek Chisora is gearing up for a trilogy fight with Anthony JoshuaCredit: GETTY
Del Boy was recently visited in the gym by good pal Anthony JoshuaCredit: INSTAGRAM@DOMINICMENSAH_
Chisora flew out to Saudi to support AJ ahead of his rematch with Oleksandr UsykCredit: PA
The former world title challenger has left no stone unturned ahead of the domestic dust-up, putting in multiple training sessions every day.
And he was visited by pal AJ during one of his final cardiovascular endurance sessions.
The pair exchanged words as Chisora took a break from a punishing stint on the airdyne bike.
Chisora seemed to be in a jovial mode as he sat on the bike and chopped it up with the former two-time unified champion.
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War, 38, goes into his third encounter with Fury 2-0 down in their series having lost their 2011 and 2014 bouts.
But he reckons Fury has regressed since their rematch for the British heavyweight title.
He told BT Sport: “I think he was a better fighter when I last boxed him.
“Last time I fought him he was better, he was good, he was on point.”
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There won’t be any wild celebrations for Chisora if he shocks the world and hands The Gypsy King his first lost.
When asked how he plans to celebrate, he said: “Go home. Do the same thing I do every day.
“Go home and just chill. Winning or losing there’s only one place you’re going to go afterwards, and that’s home.
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“You chill, and then, from then, you know exactly what you’re going to do.”
Joshua, meanwhile, is currently targeting a return to the ring in the first quarter of 2023 following a second consecutive loss to Oleksandr Usyk in August. More