Heavyweight boxing

TYSON FURY could be ordered to fight Deontay Wilder for a FOURTH time.The WBC have today confirmed Wilder vs Andy Ruiz Jr as a final eliminator for Fury’s title.
Deontay Wilder could face Tyson Fury for a FOURTH timeCredit: Getty
Andy Ruiz Jr will face Wilder to become mandatory challenger for Fury’s titleCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Fury will then be ordered to face the winner, who will become mandatory challenger for his WBC belt.
That’s if he beats Derek Chisora on December 3 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Wilder, 37, returned to action last month, a year after being beaten by Fury in their trilogy bout.
The Bronze Bomber brutally knocked out Robert Helenius in the first round of their October showdown.
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WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman was left impressed by Wilder in his devastating victory over Helenius.
Andy Ruiz Jr meanwhile beat Luis Ortiz via unanimous decision in September.
Like Wilder, the 33-year-old is bidding to become a two-time champion after he surprised the world in 2019 to knock out Anthony Joshua, before losing in his rematch with AJ.
On a bout between the pair, Ruiz told Boxing Social: “For me, I feel like I can take a punch.
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“I’m not saying he [Wilder] doesn’t hit hard or nothing, but just like Eddie Hearn was saying, I’m gonna get in, I’m gonna throw my combinations, I’m gonna be fast, explosive, and I throw that right had, in his temple, and he’s gonna go down.”
Despite one of the pair set to be mandatory for Fury’s title, the Gypsy King has an undisputed bout with Oleksandr Usyk in his sights.
Fury is targeting an epic showdown with the Ukrainian for early 2023.
Wilder on the other hand is rumoured as a potential opponent for Joshua.
Matchroom chief Eddie Hearn, who promotes AJ, said the pair could come to blows next summer. More

AFTER serving in the military and overcoming homelessness, there is no opponent who can faze Paul Bamba. So when Tommy Fury shares the ring with him on Sunday night, he must know the American has already been in the deepest possible trenches.
Tommy Fury’s next opponent Paul BambaCredit: @bambajuice
Paul Bamba poses with girls on InstagramCredit: @bambajuice
Paul Bamba smiles next to a FerrariCredit: @bambajuice
Bamba, 33, told SunSport: “I haven’t run into anything that has fazed me yet. Unless I’m about to die or something, nothing can faze me. 
“I’m a tough individual, if something is not going right, you always have a plan B to make plan A work, you make stuff happen.”
Bamba joined the military the day he turned 18, enrolling into the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California.
He spent seven months serving in Iraq, meaning the discipline required in a boxing career was drilled into him long before lacing up the gloves.
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Bamba said: “I would say the marine corps and the structure, it helps me a lot out when it comes to boxing because it’s all about sticking to it, repetition is key. 
“All those good things that we ignore sometimes, that’s what it taught me and helps me stick to it.” 
Bamba, who has posed as a model online, has had just seven bouts since turning pro in 2021, but won battles far worse outside of the ring.
He said: “When it comes down to mental strength, courage, fortitude, that’s one of my greatest strengths, because of the military. 
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“I would agree that it’s different, but helpful nonetheless because you go through a lot in the military and it teaches who you are, it amplifies it. 
“It gets you ready for the absolute worst possible things.” 
After coming out of the marines, Bamba moved from California to New York and worked minimum wage jobs.
But after falling on hard times, he found himself homeless and living on the streets.
To earn some cash, Bamba walked eight miles a day to spar at the Church Street boxing gym, making more money the longer he survived.
He remembered: “You could spar and get like $10 a round if you lasted. I hadn’t been eating, so I tried it, lasted one good round. 

“I got my ten bucks, I was able to eat and then I went back, did way better and made like 30 bucks. 
“I just kept going back and doing it and sticking to it.”
Eventually, Bamba began coaching at the gym and soon got back on his feet as a personal trainer, proving nothing could keep him down.
He said: “Your outlook on life is where you end up so I could’ve been mad about it and said, ‘Damn, I’m homeless and just sat on a bench all day.’ 
“Instead, I applied for probably like 100 plus jobs a day and was running around trying to make sure everything was alright. 
“I think that is a direct correlation to boxing because I think when times get tough, you’ve got to bite down on your gumshield and keep moving forward.”
Paul Bamba training to fight Tommy FuryCredit: @GlobalTitansFS
Bamba had four amateur bouts before turning pro and in just his eighth fight faces the brother of boxing royalty in Fury.
The British star is the younger sibling to heavyweight champion Tyson, who also had a stint on the hit reality TV show Love Island.
But his time on the small screen flew under the radar for Bamba, who said: “I don’t really watch TV but I know his brother’s amazing, Tyson Fury, that’s all I really know. 
“I know Tommy is a really good prospect, it’s his ninth fight but for me, I’m more concerned about the opportunity. It’s a win-win for me.” 
Bamba – who has already turned his life around – has the chance to change it forever by upsetting Fury in Dubai on Floyd Mayweather’s undercard.
He said: “It’s a great opportunity that presented itself, I have the underdog mentality, I’m not just somebody who lays down.
“I’ve seen a bunch of his fights and I don’t think anybody really tries to fight him, I think they’re just there. 
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“I could care less for a paycheque, no one has enough money in the world for me to throw away my ego or my pride. 
“I could go in there and change my life by f****** up a 23-year-old.” 
Paul Bamba and Tommy Fury face to faceCredit: @GlobalTitansFS More

TYSON FURY has drafted in the undefeated Alen Babic for some hard sparring ahead of his domestic dust-up with Derek Chisora.The Gyspy King has entered the final leg of training camp for his Tottenham trilogy fight with the former world title challenger next month.
Tyson Fury is gearing up for a December dust-up with Derek ChisoraCredit: GETTY
The Gypsy King is leaving no stone unturned ahead of the domestic dust-upCredit: INSTAGRAM@TYSONFURY
Fury has been getting in some hard rounds with Alen Babic ahead of fight nightCredit: INSTAGRAM@ALENTHESAVAGEBABIC
Fury has left no stone unturned ahead of his voluntary title defence, putting in gruelling session after a gruelling session.
Sparring has been as hard as ever ahead for the WBC heavyweight champion.
And Croatian clubber Babic has been brought in by Team Fury to give Tyson some solid rounds ahead of his third defence of the prestigious WBC strap.
Babic shared a post-training photo of himself and Fury to Instagram, writing on his story: “First three rounds.”
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Boxing fans were quick to comment on Babic being part of Fury’s training camp, with one saying: “I would love to have watch this.”
Another said: “Fury’s choice of sparring partners have always been great. Smart fighter.”
And another said: “I need to be a fly on the wall.”
One remarked: “I’ve never seen a fighter pick better sparring partners for opponents than Fury does for all of his fights.
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“It’s almost always the best possible emulation he can get for any said opponent, can’t wait to see who he’ll choose for [Oleksandr] Usyk.”
Another chimed in: “Sparring [Jermaine] Franklin, [David] Adeleye, Babic and probably many more too.
“Great to see him getting back into the swing of things after a long layoff.
“Hopefully he should be in prime condition for undisputed around March.”
Fury, 34, goes into his trilogy fight with Chisora 2-0 up in their series – which began 11 years ago.
But the Wythenshawe warrior is refusing to underestimate the veteran heavyweight, saying: “He [Chisora] done very well against Usyk.

Fury vs Chisora 3: Date, live stream and TV info for huge heavyweight bout
“And may I say, who the hell is Usyk?
“People didn’t know his name until he beat the bodybuilder [Anthony Joshua] the other day.
“He was a little, small heavyweight who wasn’t going to do anything against AJ when Chisora fought him.
“But then he stepped up and beat the big bodybuilder and now all of a sudden, he’s the killer. I don’t think so.
“Listen, I rate Derek Chisora as highly as I rate Usyk, and I will train as hard for Derek as I will for any man in the world.
“If I didn’t, I would have to be an absolute idiot – I will not underestimate Derek Chisora.
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“God forbid I got beat, it won’t be for the fact that I had an injury or I didn’t train hard enough, it would be the fact that I lost to a better man on the night.
“We’re going to have a fight and that’s it. It’s going to be a good fight too, because he doesn’t shy away and I’m running nowhere, so someone is getting chinned.” More

ANTHONY JOSHUA said a resurged Deontay Wilder is “more than ready” for a super-fight in 2023 and claimed: “It WILL happen now”. Wilder returned to the ring in emphatic fashion in October, knocking out Robert Helenius in a round.
Anthony Joshua said a resurged Deontay Wilder is ‘more than ready’ to fight in 2023Credit: Getty
Deontay Wilder after knocking out Robert HeleniusCredit: Getty
And it leaves long-time rival Joshua confident in sharing the ring with the American next year.
He said: “I think now, he is on a resurgence. I think he is realising that he has got three years left, so he wants to kind of tick off his hit list.
“Yeah, it will happen now, he’s more than ready now. Why not?”
Joshua, 33, is set to take the rest of the year off following consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk, 35, with a return eyed for February or March.
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It came after talks broke down for a December 3 title fight against WBC champion Tyson Fury, 34.
Dillian Whyte, 34, who fights unbeaten Jermaine Franklin, 29, on November 26 now leads the race alongside Wilder, 37, to fight AJ.
Hearn said in Abu Dhabi: “I think the winner of Dillian Whyte against Jermaine Franklin is a very, very good front-runner for the next fight.”
Joshua failed in attempts to secure an undisputed title decider with Wilder in the past, while the pair were undefeated champions.
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But Hearn has recently been in talks with Wilder’s manager Shelly Finkel to revive talks and informed AJ of the development.
He revealed: “Definitely. He was one of the names I mentioned to [Joshua] tonight. He just wants to fight everybody.
“It’s just a case of, not an easy fight, but an easier fight, before he goes into a Deontay Wilder or maybe a Dillian Whyte.”
Anthony Joshua with promoter Eddie Hearn in Abu DhabiCredit: /Mark Robinson#3/ Matchroom Boxi More

ANTHONY JOSHUA could be in line for a blockbuster bout next summer.Promoter Eddie Hearn has tipped AJ for a mega showdown with the hard-hitting Deontay Wilder.
Anthony Joshua is set to return to the ring in early 2023Credit: Getty
Eddie Hearn has talked up the chances of a clash against Deontay Wilder, while Tyson Fury could be another possibilityCredit: AP
Dillian Whyte, who Joshua beat in 2015, is a potential candidateCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
But the Matchroom chief hasn’t hasn’t ruled out an all-British encounter with Tyson Fury or Dillian Whyte either.
Joshua is currently taking time out of the ring to battle his mental demons following two defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
Hearn sees him returning in early 2023, ahead of a mega showdown in the summer.
Speaking on a potential dust up with Wilder, Hearn told Fight Hub TV: “I see that as fight two for Anthony Joshua, probably, but it depends when he fights.”
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Joshua is expected to have a “bigger fight” next summer against one of the leading names in the heavyweight division.
Aside from Wilder a grudge rematch against Whyte, who AJ KO’d in 2015, is a possibility.
WBC champion Fury could also be a candidate after the pair failed to agree terms for a December showdown.
Hearn continued: “AJ, if he fights earlier in the year, he’ll probably have his bigger fight in the summer, and that fight will be Dillian Whyte, Deontay Wilder, who knows what happens with Tyson Fury.”
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But Hearn is also eager to make sure whoever Joshua faces in his comeback bout is no pushover.
He added: “But AJ is not really interested in just having tickover fights — sometimes those fights are really dangerous in the heavyweight division.
“(Joshua) loves the Wilder fight, I’ve said it could be the biggest fight in boxing.
“And I know the Fury fight’s big but AJ against Wilder is a huge fight.
“We will continue those conversations with Shelly Finkel (Wilder’s promoter) and hopefully we can work with Deontay Wilder.”
Joshua was scheduled to hold talks with Hearn in Saudi Arabia over the weekend regarding his return to the ring.
Joshua has not fought since losing his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk in AugustCredit: Getty More