Heavyweight boxing

LENNOX LEWIS weighed with predictions on potential fights between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk as well as Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder. After Usyk beat AJ for the second time in the space of 11 months, it set up a historic unification bout with Fury.
Lennox Lewis is the last heavyweight undisputed championCredit: Rex
Tyson Fury was in line to fight Oleksandr UsykCredit: Getty
It would provide the heavyweight division’s first four-belt undisputed champion.
The last man to have that accolade was Lewis, but he reigned with only three of the belts as the WBO title was not recognised at the time.
Lewis, 57, backs Fury, 34, to replicate his success and emerge as another undisputed king from Britain.
He told ESNews:  “I’m a Fury fan right now.
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I saw him beat Deontay three times and the way that he did it – he told us how he was going to do it.
“I didn’t believe him the second fight but I believed him the third fight and I watched him do it.
I always say a good big guy can always beat a good small guy.”
Joshua, 32, was linked with a mega-fight against Wilder, 36, following his latest loss.
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Lewis has an affiliation to Premier Boxing Champions, who promote Wilder.
So he went against the grain and picked against AJ when offering his prediction for the heavyweight dream-fight.
Lewis said: “Definitely Wilder.
“Wilder has that thing in him where he wants to hurt you and every time he throws that right hand he’s trying to damage with it – he’s throwing it with intent.”
Anthony Joshua and Lennox Lewis pictured in 2012Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Lennox Lewis and Deontay WilderCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

TYSON FURY and Anthony Joshua could split a staggering £60million in pay-per-view wages alone. Talks are officially underway between the heavyweight pair for what would be an unlikely Battle of Britain.
Tyson Fury called out Anthony Joshua to fightCredit: https://twitter.com/Tyson_Fury
Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are negotiating a super-fightCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Fury’s promoter Frank Warren, who claimed an offer will be officially be sent in writing, backed the super-fight to sell 2MILLION PPVs.
And if the box office price point took an expected hike to £30, that means with two million sold, at least £60m is generated already.
Fury, 34, took the unusual step of publicly revealing what he offered Joshua, 32, by claiming he would give the challenger 40 per cent.
So if Warren’s numbers are correct, the champion would walk away with £36m and AJ taking a handsome £24m.
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And that is all before sponsorship bonuses and ticket sales are accounted for.
Wales’ 75-000 seat Principality Stadium – where Joshua has twice headlined – has been eyed as a potential venue because it has a roof.
And even if fans face a fight with the winter cold, they would still be expected to pack Cardiff out.
Fury in April knocked out Dillian Whyte, 34, but announced his retirement from boxing after.
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But when Oleksandr Usyk, 35, beat AJ for the second time in 11 months, the Gypsy King’s mind was changed.
Usyk called Fury out in what would be the heavyweight division’s first four-belt heavyweight unification.
But the Ukrainian hero has ruled himself out until next year after returning to his war-torn home and family for the first time.
Whereas Fury is not willing to wait around and wants to return by the end of the year and therefore turned his attention to Joshua.
Anthony Joshua was beaten by Oleksandr Usyk for a second timeCredit: Getty More

TONY BELLEW has urged Anthony Joshua to be “hesitant” of accepting Tyson Fury’s 40 per cent purse split offer to fight him.The WBC heavyweight champion has claimed he has offered his British compatriot a 60-40 split in his bid to secure the dream dust-up.
Anthony Joshua has been offered the chance by Tyson Fury to challenge for his WBC titleCredit: Getty
Tony Bellew believes Joshua should be “hesitant” as accepting Fury’s termsCredit: Reuters
The Gypsy King could pit his wits against AJ at the Principality Stadium in NovemberCredit: Reuters
Fury, 34, has thrown the former WBA, IBF and WBO titleholder a bone with the offer of a winter clash following AJ’s consecutive defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
But the London 2012 Olympic gold medallist must decide by Wednesday whether he will accept the Gypsy King’s terms.
The offer is for the pair to pit their wits against each other at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium in November.
Promoter Frank Warren has declared that should the pair agree to a Battle of Britain bout, it could smash previous records by hitting two million pay-per-view buys.
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But former WBC cruiserweight champion Bellew believes that Joshua shouldn’t accept the “lowball” offer from Fury, as he stated he is still the biggest name in the heavyweight division.
Speaking on talkSPORT, said: “AJ is the biggest draw in the heavyweight division. It doesn’t matter if he’s lost twice, he’s still the biggest draw.
“Yes, he’s coming off the back of two defeats, but why is the best fighter in the world [Fury] calling his name? Why does he want to face him? You’ve got to ask that question.
“When you start putting out offers and saying, ‘I’ll give you 60-40,’ people like Anthony Joshua, they don’t bow to other people’s demands because the draw they bring is so big.
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“You can’t lowball a guy that generates what he generates. It’s madness.
This guy [Joshua] took boxing to Saudi Arabia. Just remember that. It’s never been there before.
“He has a lot of power to his hand. There’s a reason why he’s being called out.
“He’s coming off two defeats, yet Tyson Fury is calling his name. So if you’re going to be reasonable and say this is 50-50, I think it would be crazy not to take it.
“But at 60-40, if I was him, I’d be hesitant because you bring a lot to the table, probably more than the champion himself.
“This guy [Fury] has given up the most respected belt of them all. He’s no longer the Ring heavyweight champion. The reason he gave that up is because he changes his mind every five minutes.
“When Anthony Joshua announces a fight, he’s the biggest draw in the heavyweight division. That’s why the guys in Saudi want him.”
Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua’s tale of the tape More

FRANK WARREN believes that Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua’s Battle of Britain could smash previous records by hitting two million pay-per-view buys.The Gypsy King has offered his compatriot, AJ, a shot at his WBC title with a 40 per cent split of the purse for what would be the biggest fight the country has ever seen.
Tyson Fury’s co-promoter Frank Warren believes a fight with Anthony Joshua could top 2m PPVsCredit: PA
AJ’s camp were reportedly being sent a fight contract on TuesdayCredit: AFP
There are still doubts about the possibility of the fight happening, particularly given Fury’s team want it to take place in November – just two months after Joshua’s loss to Oleksandr Usyk.
But if it does go ahead, the undefeated WBC champion Fury has already declared that he would be the overwhelming favourite against Joshua.
AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed that contact had been made between the two camps with Warren telling talkSPORT that a written offer was being submitted on Tuesday.
Fury’s co-promoter also revealed that Fury is adamant that it will take place in the UK – despite whatever big-money offers arrive from overseas.
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And he believes that if they can deliver the fight that the world wants to see that it would become the most-bought boxing fight in UK history.
Warren said: “It will be in the UK and hopefully in November. That’s what we are looking at.
“How we make it work is that Tyson insists the fight is in the UK. So it’s got to work. He wants to fight here and deliver to the British fans.
“It will deliver a significant gate because there is massive interest from the British public and it will break all pay-per-view records. Whatever it generates is what it is worth.”
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Warren added: “Once they confirm they are interested and accept the position where we are, we will work collectively to maximise the income between us.
“It depends what the price of the fight is, who knows what it would be priced at. I personally think it could hit two million buys.
“The point is Tyson wants to fight here, that’s what he has said. He has said on numerous occasions that if he fights him he wants to fight him in the UK.” More

TYSON FURY has revealed he got “bored of retirement” and insists “nobody believe me anyway”.The Gypsy King announced he was hanging up his gloves after knocking out Dillian Whyte at Wembley back in April.
Fury retired after beating Whyte in April but has already announced his comebackCredit: Reuters
He continued with that stance for several months, before announcing after Oleksandr Usyk’s win over Anthony Joshua that he would come back to beat the Ukrainian.
Then on Monday, Fury claimed he wants to give AJ the opportunity to fight him, with the Morecambe-based boxer said to have offered Joshua a 40 per cent split of the earnings.
His openness to take on both Usyk and Joshua comes just three weeks after he was quoted as saying “retirement rocks”.
But Fury admits he grew bored of being out of the game very quickly, while also joking that none of the fans believed his departure from the sport in the first place.
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Speaking to The Ring magazine, the WBC champion said: “I got bored with retirement.
“I had five months out the ring and changed my mind. Nobody believed me anyway, did they?
“It was great. But nothing will ever compare with being heavyweight champion of the world.
“I love boxing. I absolutely adore it.”
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Fury is targeting a bout with Joshua in November, although that would seem unlikely given AJ only lost to Usyk last month.
It was Joshua’s third professional defeat and second in a row to Usyk, with the Brit now beltless in the heavyweight division.
And undefeated champion Fury feels if the two do meet that he would be the red hot favourite, something he believes makes the bout a no-brainer for AJ.
He said: “He would be a massive underdog, so he’s in a win-win situation.
“If everyone expects him to lose and he beats me, then he’s back on top and bigger than ever.
Credit: Getty
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“And if he’s lost three, what difference does it make if he loses four?
“Four losses means nothing. Look at Derek Chisora, he’s had 12 losses and he’s still battling away.” More

TYSON FURY has labelled Anthony Joshua a “massive underdog” in a blockbuster clash between the two British heavyweights.The Gypsy King has offered his compatriot, AJ, a 40 per cent split of the purse for what would be the biggest fight the country has ever seen.
Fury has called out Joshua for a fight towards the end of 2022Credit: Getty
Joshua has lost three times in his professional careerCredit: Getty
Many remain sceptical about the possibility of the fight happening, particularly given Fury’s team want it to take place in November – just two months after Joshua’s loss to Oleksandr Usyk.
But if it does go ahead, the undefeated WBC champion is confident he would be the overwhelming favourite against Joshua – who has lost three times in his professional career.
Speaking to The Ring magazine, he said: “He would be a massive underdog, so he’s in a win-win situation.
“If everyone expects him to lose and he beats me, then he’s back on top and bigger than ever.
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“And if he’s lost three, what difference does it make if he loses four?
“Four losses means nothing. Look at Derek Chisora, he’s had 12 losses and he’s still battling away.”
AJ’s first defeat came at the hands of Andy Ruiz Jr where he was KO’d in stunning fashion in New York three years ago.
He then regained his IBF, WBA and WBO belts with a unanimous decision victory in a rematch against the Mexican, before going on to beat Kubrat Pulev.
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Then last year he took on WBO mandatory Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and was outboxed by the Ukrainian.
A little less than 12 months later, he took on former undisputed cruiserweight king Usyk for a second time in Saudi Arabia, losing another decision.
Meanwhile, the only blemish on Fury’s record is a controversial draw against Deontay Wilder in 2018 – a bout many felt he won.
His best performances have come in two victories over Wilder, along with wins over Wladimir Klitschko and Dillian Whyte. More

TYSON FURY has reacted with laughter after discovering he could potentially have to face Deontay Wilder for a fourth time.The Gyspy King has faced the Bronze Bomber three times already and after drawing the first, he went on to record two convincing victories over the American.
Tyson Fury has reacted to the news he could face Deontay Wilder for a fourth timeCredit: Getty
After beating Wilder for the second time in October 2021, he then successfully defended his WBC heavyweight title in April by knocking out Dillian Whyte.
The 34-year-old has performed several retirement U-turns since, but he has now confirmed that he will fight again after failing to relinquish his championship.
He wants to unify the division by facing Oleksandr Usyk, but with the Ukrainian not ready to fight until next year, he has instead offered Anthony Joshua a mouthwatering title shot in what would be a bumper Battle of Britain.
Meanwhile, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has announced that Andy Ruiz Jr’s victory over Luis Ortiz was a semi-final eliminator to become mandatory challenger to Fury.
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And the Mexican, who famously dethroned Joshua to become world champ in 2019, will face the winner of Wilder’s comeback showdown against Robert Helenius on October 15.
Fury has previously declared how he feels that Wilder is the second best heavyweight on the planet after himself.
And he clearly feels that the 36-year-old will knock out all before him and set-up a potential fourth fight.
Reacting to the announcement, alongside a laughing emoji, he wrote: “Looks like ill [sic] be foghting [sic] wilder for the fourth time.”
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Meanwhile, Wilder is ready to fight Usyk if Fury prices himself out of a unification bout.
He said: “If he overprices himself, they know where to find me. £500million is definitely pricing himself out.
“I’m here, Deontay Wilder’s back. I’m here to make the division back strong and exciting again.
“I’m here for all the smoke. But we’ll see what happens. Boxing is a business. It’s strictly a business and you’ve gotta treat it accordingly.
“We’ll see how the business has to be handled for that fight to happen.” More

TYSON FURY reveals he could fight until he’s 50 with the WBC world heavyweight champion coming out of retirement to finally face Anthony Joshua.The Gypsy King, 34, has thrown the former WBA, IBF and WBO titleholder a bone with the offer of a winter clash.
Fury says he can go until he’s 50Credit: Getty
A Battle of Britain against Joshua could take place later this yearCredit: PA
Joshua has been offered 40 per cent to take a short-notice crack at Fury’s title.
The mid-November clash – on Fury’s backers BT Sport – would give AJ just around 10 weeks to prepare for the biggest fight in British boxing history.
However, Joshua is still recovering from the August 20 shootout with the 35-year-old Ukraine icon Oleksandr Usyk.
The highly-anticipated ‘Battle of Britain’ heavyweight bout could take place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales.
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And with excitement for the potential fight building, Fury has insisted he could carry on fighting until he’s 50.
The unbeaten Brit told Ring TV: “I’ve still got loads of time to do whatever I want.

“I’ll probably become the ‘New Mongoose’ (in tribute to the ‘Old Mongoose’, Archie Moore) and keep boxing at 50 years old (laughs).”
Fury says “underdog” Joshua has a golden ticket back to the top of the heavyweight mountain if he manages to beat him.
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Joshua could be “bigger than ever” should he pull off a win having lost three of his last five fights.
Fury said: “He would be a massive underdog, so he’s in a win-win situation.
“If everyone expects him to lose and he beats me, then he’s back on top and bigger than ever.
“And if he’s lost three, what difference does it make if he loses four? Four losses means nothing.
“Look at Derek Chisora, he’s had 12 losses and he’s still battling away.
“And in terms of DAZN, the fight can be on BT pay-per-view and DAZN pay-per-view.” More