Heavyweight boxing

ANTHONY JOSHUA’S trainer Robert Garcia claimed only a style akin to a prime Mike Tyson could beat Oleksandr Usyk. Garcia, a former world champion, was recruited by AJ for his heavyweight rematch with Usyk, who he’d lost to the previous year.
Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion aged 20Credit: Getty
Oleksandr Usyk twice beat Anthony JoshuaCredit: Reuters
But it was a repeat result as Joshua came up short on points in Saudi Arabia last month.
It leaves ex-undisputed cruiserweight king Usyk still unbeaten in 20 fights and leading in boxing’s pound-for-pound list.
And according to Garcia, no one has the ferocious Iron Mike style needed to dethrone the Ukrainian.
He told FightHype: “Man, Usyk is very difficult.
READ MORE IN BOXING
“I don’t even know if there is any heavyweight that fights like that, but if we had a fighter like the old Mike Tyson, I think that style is probably the one that beats Usyk.
“But we don’t have anybody like that in the heavyweight division.
“As for the top guys, I don’t think there’s anyone who fights like Mike Tyson did, so maybe it’s going to be hard to find someone to beat him.”
Tyson, now 56, became the youngest heavyweight champion of all time in 1986, considered to be his most destructive of his era.
Most read in Boxing
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
After Usyk, 35, retained the WBA, IBF and WBO belts, he called for an undisputed decider with WBC champion Tyson Fury, 34.
But he wanted to wait until next year after returning to his war-torn homeland for the first time, having left friends and family to train.
That did not fit into Fury’s plans of returning by the end of the year, so he unexpectedly turned his attention to Joshua, 32.
And despite consecutive defeats, AJ accepted a 60/40 challenger’s split in return of a world title shot.
Fury’s promoter Frank Warren said contracts have been sent to Joshua for a December 3 bout at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
Anthony Joshua pictured with coach Robert Garcia
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have agreed to fight in DecemberCredit: Getty More

TYSON FURY and Joseph Parker are BANNED from sparring each other as it is “not going to end well”. The heavyweight pair have struck a formidable friendship in recent years and are now training partners.
Tyson Fury pictured with friend and training partner Andy LeeCredit: Instagram @joeboxerparker
Fury even advised Parker to link up with former world champion Andy Lee when the New Zealander was searching for a new coach.
But Lee does not allow the duo to spar in camp – as he fears for the worst.
Lee told Queensbury Promotion’s YouTube: “No, I don’t let them spar.
“It’s two alpha males in that type of environment, you know it won’t end well.
READ MORE IN BOXING
“Someone landing a good punch, the other one trying – it’s not going to end well, so keep them apart.”
Parker, 30, has set up base in Britain with Lee and Fury’s home training base in Morecombe.
The ex-WBO champ is training for his pay-per-view headline bout with unbeaten Joe Joyce, 36, next Saturday in Manchester.
Joyce is currently the WBO mandatory challenger for the belt held by Oleksandr Usyk, 35.
Most read in Boxing
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
Although he will fight Parker for the “interim” title, meaning should Usyk vacate his strap, the winner would be elevated.
And with a guaranteed shot at the belt as it is, Joyce has taken an almighty risk by agreeing to face Parker in the meantime.
Their contract does included a rematch option for Joyce, if he is beaten.

And in an interview with iD Boxing, Parker said: “I know deep down I back myself 100 percent to beat anyone.
“I want to beat Joyce first, twice, I have to beat him in September, have a rematch and beat him again then I’m free to fight anybody.
“He’s not even champion so he shouldn’t have a rematch clause, but it’s one of those things where they weren’t going to make the fight happen unless it was in place.
“I don’t need a rematch clause, for the Joshua fight I didn’t need a rematch clause because I backed myself and I back myself now.
“I think it shows a little weakness. Because the first time we negotiated with them they didn’t care about a rematch clause.”
Joe Joyce fights Joseph Parker on September 24Credit: Rex More

ANTHONY JOSHUA has officially been sent a contract to fight Tyson Fury – with the Battle of Britain edging ever closer. Promoter Frank Warren claimed paperwork was on the way to AJ’s team as they await a response for a WBC title fight on December 3 in Cardiff.
Tyson Fury is set to fight Anthony Joshua in DecemberCredit: Getty
Anthony Joshua has been sent a contract to fight Tyson FuryCredit: Getty
Warren revealed in his Daily Star column: “The contracts have been sent to Anthony Joshua’s team. They will have arrived on Friday morning.
“Now we wait for them to go through them and sign so we can get one of British boxing’s biggest events on.
“Since the passing of the Queen, Tyson has been respectful and kept his counsel while we work on the deal behind the scenes.
“The next step was sending over the contracts which we promised Joshua would arrive soon.
READ MORE ON AJ VS FURY
“I don’t anticipate there will be any problems. We all want this fight to happen.”
Both heavyweight stars found themselves in this position last August having agreed an undisputed super-fight in Saudi Arabia.
But Fury, 34, was ordered by a US arbitrator into a trilogy bout with Deontay Wilder, 36, which he won in round 11.
Although by then unification hopes with Joshua, 32, had collapsed following a points loss to Oleksandr Usyk, 35.
Most read in Boxing

FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
The pair rematched in Saudi Arabia last month with Usyk again emerging victorious on the cards.
Fury called to fight the Ukrainian for all four belts but the pound-for-pound star has ruled himself out until next year.
That caused the unpredictable Gypsy King to turn his attention to beaten-and-bruised AJ.
And perhaps willing to try and call a potential bluff, Joshua conceded terms to a 60/40 split.
Fury, seemingly not playing around, then ordered his team to make the unlikely deal a reality, with the fight now closer than ever.
Warren said: “The WBC title will be on the line but this will be as much about the bragging rights between the pair.
“For years we’ve wanted this to happen and we were close before but now seems to be the time it will finally happen.”
Tyson Fury with his promoter Frank WarrenCredit: PA More

TYSON FURY is back in sparring as he looks set to defend his WBC heavyweight title against Anthony Joshua in a Battle of Britain showdown.The Gypsy King’s 60/40 purse split demands have been been accepted by AJ, with the dust-up to take place later this year.
Tyson Fury enjoyed a sparring session with welterweight prospect Paddy DonovanCredit: Instagram: Paddy Donovan
Fury is gearing up to defend his WBC heavyweight title against Anthony JoshuaCredit: Instagram: Paddy Donovan
Donovan shared footage of him and the Gypsy King trading punches on his Instagram accountCredit: Instagram: Paddy Donovan
A fight is likely to be held at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on December 3.
SunSport have exclusively revealed how unbeaten Mancunian Fury already believes that Joshua is running scared of him.

Following two gruelling points defeats at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk, AJ has returned to training where he has been sparring cruiserweight prospect Richard Riakporhe.
And Fury has followed suit where he has been trading punches with welterweight star Paddy Donovan, who has won all nine of his fights inside the squared circle.
READ MORE ON TYSON FURY
The Irish ace, 23, shared footage of him and the 34-year-old sparring on Instagram.
In the video, both men can be seen going to work on the body where they showed off their rapid combos.
Despite being considerably lighter, Fury failed to go easy on the southpaw, who fired back with explosive punches of his own.
Captioning the clip, Donovan said: “Body work with Tyson.”
Most read in boxing
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed that both boxers have agreed terms over a mouthwatering match-up, with just their respected broadcasters now needing to find an agreement.
On where things stand, Hearn said: “We’ve accepted the terms in principle, there’s not a lot more to go in the agreement.
“The broadcasters – DAZN and BT, have got to get together and make that happen, which they’re all saying, the basis of sharing the pay per view is not a problem.
“So I actually think that we’ll be okay. I think it’s just with Fury you just never know.
“He could decide now I don’t fancy fighting this year or retire again, or is this a ploy to get the Saudis to pay more money to bring in Usyk?
“I don’t know. But all I can go on is what I’m being told by George Warren, which is 100 per cent they want this fight.” More

BOXING is the only sport that could stumble accidentally into the two biggest possible events when they make almost no sense.Tyson Fury – the 34-year-old WBC champion – should clearly be boxing newly crowned WBA, IBF and WBO king Oleksandr Usyk, 35
Anthony Joshua was twice beaten by Oleksandr UsykCredit: Getty
Tyson Fury has turned his attention to Anthony Joshua with Oleksandr Usyk eyeing Deontay WilderCredit: Rex
These two have won their group stages and knockout matches and reached the final of the heavyweight World Cup.
But in the ludicrous way this sport operates, the Gypsy King has put the undisputed decider with Usyk on ice and thrown Anthony Joshua a voluntary shot at his crown – despite him suffering two consecutive defeats.
You have to go back to 1951 and underrated legend Jersey Joe Walcott for the last time a heavyweight got a crack at the title off of back-to-back defeats.
But the WBC have parachuted AJ into their rankings at 6 to lubricate the greasy game even more, so their champ can do the business.
READ MORE in BOXING
But it’s not exactly great business either.
Just 18 months ago – after AJ had regained the three belts from Andy Ruiz in a Riyadh rematch and battered Kubrat Pulev – Saudi Arabia were ready to help make the Fury vs Joshua showdown a £200m scorcher.
And the Wembley rematch would have broken all British records, taking their potential earnings for a double-header close to £500m.
Now AJ has twice been dominated by Usyk, it’s pencilled in for Cardiff on a damp December night where they might make £5m on the gate and nick £60m in PPV buys – as long as they smash the UK record.
Most read in Boxing
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
The truth is both warring teams think the other side is bluffing.
AJ Boxing reckon Fury is cunningly trying to use their man to rush Usyk back into a four-belt decider when he has not yet recovered from outpointing Joshua on August 20 or seeing his beloved nation suffer Russia’s invasion. 
Team Fury fancy AJ’s broadcast backers and big-money sponsors will eventually baulk at the idea of their man suffering a hat-trick of humbling losses on the bounce.
It’s a high stakes game of chicken and even deadly serious Usyk is now having a crack at it.

Instead of believing in or sulking about AJ and Fury’s potential clash, Usyk has casually upped the ante and revealed he’s targeting a fight with former WBC ruler Deontay Wilder.
The same man Fury outsmarted once and pummelled twice in a brilliant but one-sided trilogy.
Wilder will at least have a comeback win on his record to end his painful baron run when he pummells Robert Helenius on October 15.

🥊 When will Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua take place? All you need to know on blockbuster bout
So in a couple of months we could have two heavyweight world challengers with a combined recent record of 1 win and 4 losses.
Boxing fans – paying Sky Sports, BT Sport and DAZN monthly subscriptions as well increasingly regular PPVs – deserve to see an undisputed champion in the blue riband division.
We should get AJ vs Wilder as a semi-final shootout to decide who faces the winner.
Finally throw Errol Spence vs Terence Crawford on to shut us all up for once, too.
But this is cruel and self-sabotaging modern boxing, where our heroes fight as many times in a year as KSI does in a night, Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao happens almost a decade too late and Lennox Lewis vs Riddick Bowe doesn’t happen at all.
So let’s put away our calculators and up-to-date rankings and sanctioning body guidelines.
And blindly hope that the most backwards sport on the curriculum bluffs its way arse-about-face into a couple of unexpected, unlikely and unbelievable bouts.
Read More on The Sun
But don’t be surprised if our Christmas stocking is actually stuffed with Fury vs Chisora 3 and Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin.
Because in boxing we seem to have nothing to fear but hope itself. More