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      Deontay Wilder’s return fight to be announced NEXT WEEK with Robert Helenius one of ‘several’ names in talks

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      DEONTAY WILDER’S boxing return could be announced NEXT WEEK with Robert Helenius one of “several” names in talks. Wilder’s career was left in doubt last October following a gruelling defeat in his epic trilogy bout with Tyson Fury.
      Deontay Wilder’s boxing return could be announced next week
      But recently, the American has been captured training again and was seen bumping into Francis Ngannou, 35, at a UFC training facility.
      His manager Shelly Finkel has now revealed an agreement for Wilder’s comeback fight is edging closer and could even come next week.
      Finkel told SunSport in New York: “Spoke with him on Tuesday, he couldn’t be happier.
      “He’s having a great time and he’s getting more attention now than ever before. He’s out in Vegas training and he’s very happy.
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      “He’s at the UFC gym training, we’re not exactly sure where the next fight will be yet but I would hope to have that together in the next week or so.
      “I think next week we’ll probably have an agreement and then an announcement.”
      Wilder, 36, was knocked out in round 11 against Fury, 33, after being floored three times but scoring two knockdowns of his own.
      The ex-WBC champion then went radio silent, leaving his boxing future in doubt.
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      But talk of a return soon surfaced as Wilder was seen publicly again and now back in training.
      Fury’s promoter Frank Warren even claimed the Bronze Bomber was going to fight his former sparring partner Helenius.
      But Finkel has clarified a deal with the Finish heavyweight, 38, has not been struck, although they remain in talks.
      He said: “There’s nothing done.
      “What happened on that, Frank and I are pretty close, and Frank said to me, ‘Are you looking at Helenius as one of the people as one of the ones you’re looking at? As I’m interested in him for Daniel Dubois’.
      “I said, ‘Yeah, I’m interested in him for Deontay.’ Then, all of a sudden he tells people that. And that’s how that all started.
      “At this moment, he’s just one of several we’re looking at.”
      Finkel added that Wilder’s targeted return date is in the last quarter of 2022, meaning he will fight before the year is over.
      Deontay Wilder and Robert Helenius are former sparring partnersCredit: Instagram @heleniusrobert
      Boxing manager Shelly Finkel and Deontay Wilder in 2018Credit: AFP or licensors More

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      Mike Tyson made secret trip to kids cancer hospital in Arizona but banned cameras as boxing icon’s kind side is revealed

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      MIKE TYSON once made a secret visit to a children’s cancer hospital – and banned any cameras from following him. The youngest heavyweight champion of all time was famed for his ferocious fighting style and intimidating presence.
      Shelly Finkel pictured with Mike Tyson in 1999Credit: AP:Associated Press
      But those closest to him saw Tyson’s kinder and caring personality, including his former boxing manager Shelly Finkel.
      SunSport spoke to Brooklyn’s Finkel while in New York, and the Hall of Famer revealed Iron Mike’s softer side.
      He said: “We were in Arizona, and while he was training he said, look I’ll do a drop in at a children’s cancer hospital. 
      “We go there and a lot of cameras were following us and he said, ‘Shell, stop them’. I said, ‘What do you mean?’ 
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      “He said, ‘Shelly, I don’t want them in the hospital. I’m not exploiting these kids for my visit’. 
      “That was another side of Mike that people don’t understand. And, he can be hysterical, just funny as anything.”
      Finkel’s history with Tyson dates back to when he was a teenage amateur sensation.
      And they first worked together in 1988 when Finkel brokered a closed-circuit pay-per-view deal for Tyson’s win over Michael Spinks.
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      But following the heavyweight’s infamous 1997 disqualification for biting Evander Holyfield’s ear, Finkel became his full-time manager.
      He said: “It was one of of the greatest trips of my life. The adventures with Mike Tyson were phenomenal.” 
      The manager took Tyson all over the world in an attempt to revive his career, with stops in England, Scotland and even Denmark.
      And Tyson’s immense popularity emphatically carried over around Europe.
      That included outshining music superstars, closing down shopping malls and using a police HORSE to beat the crowds.
      Finkel remembered: “When we went to London, we went over on the Concorde and George Michael was on our plane, we get off together, no one cared about him. 
      “Mike had never been in Europe to fight before and the crowds mobbed him everywhere. 
      “They tried to take the door off the limo, we stayed at the Grove House, everyday press would be out there waiting for us to go out, waiting for us to go somewhere.
      It was one of of the greatest trips of my life. The adventures with Mike Tyson were phenomenal.Shelly Finkel on managing Mike Tyson
      “While we were in Brixton, the crowds were so huge they had to pick him up and put him on a horse to get him out of the crowd. 
      “When we fought in Denmark, the crowds were so crazy they closed the shopping mall so it didn’t get overrun. That was life with Mike.
      “It was just phenomenal with him, always something, always enjoyable.”
      Finkel worked with Tyson right up until his final professional bout, a dire defeat to Irish-based American Kevin McBride.
      He recalled: “The last fight, I was in the locker room with him, we went in the backroom and he said, ‘Shelly, I don’t have it’. 
      “I said, ‘You can’t beat this guy?’ He says, ‘I don’t know. I just don’t have it anymore, I have no desire.’ That was his last fight.” 
      Finkel was in touch with Tyson as recently as two years ago, when the boxing icon made a shock comeback.
      Tyson, now 56, drew over eight exhibition rounds with Roy Jones, 53, and talk of a trilogy with Holyfield emerged.
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      But following Holyfield’s painful beating against former UFC champion Vitor Belfort, 45, the plug was rightfully pulled.
      Finkel remains managing, most notably with ex-WBC champ Deontay Wilder, 36, who is set for a return fight this year.
      Whereas Tyson continues to train amid rumours he could fight YouTuber-turned prizefighter Jake Paul, 25, who is 30 years younger.
      Mike Tyson after his comeback fight against Roy Jones Jr in 2020Credit: Reuters
      Boxing manager Shelly Finkel with Deontay Wilder in 2018Credit: AFP or licensors More

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      Deontay Wilder reveals he and Tyson Fury will NEVER be friends after heated epic trilogy of brutal fights

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      DEONTAY WILDER refuses to ever have a friendship with Tyson Fury.The pair have shared a magnificent trilogy – the sort that usually forms a bizarre and beautiful boxing friendship.
      Deontay Wilder has stated he and Tyson Fury will never be friends despite their epic trilogy of fightsCredit: Splash
      American heavyweight Wilder was stopped in his last two meetings with the Gypsy KingCredit: Getty
      But the 36-year-old Alabama power-puncher – who accused Fury of all manner of cheating to secure a draw and two iconic wins over him – says there is no chance of a bromance. 
      Speaking on the latest episode of the Kasich & Klepper Podcast, he said: “No, I don’t have a friendship with him. At all. 
      “Sometimes, as you’re growing up in the boxing world, you don’t really have too many friends that you compete against. 
      “A lot of guys don’t, a lot of guys think that the closer you get to a fighter, the less you’ll perform when you have to fight him, because you have got to understand there’s still competition.”
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      Despite all the trademark trash talk, Fury always fancied staying on good terms with the Bronze Bomber.
      Even after battering him in their third and final barnstormer, he marched across the ring and tried to celebrate their bravery together – only to be snubbed.
      The 33-year-old Gypsy King claims to be retired after the three legendary bouts.
      But Wilder – who has just started training again – has explained the pain of walking away too soon.
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      He said: “With fighters, you know when you know. Because our mentality always feels like we have another round in us.
      “When you love doing something you never want to stop, especially when you’re at a top level and you’re making millions of dollars.
      “But only a smart man knows when they’re able to stop, only a man that has invested his money, has done the right things in his career, can really know and say, ‘I can give it up and don’t have to come back no more’.
      “Most of the time guys 97 -98 per cent of fighters don’t have anything to show for their careers after they’ve retired. They only have things to show for while they’re in it.”
      SunSport expects Wilder to face the winner of stablemates Andy Ruiz Jr vs Luis Ortiz who collide on September 4.
      And then the 6ft 7in KO artist will then to try to muscle back in on the world title scene.
      And he explains how the hurt business works, with great experience.
      He said: “If you have the right mindset, if you have done the right things and had a plan, it’s easy to retire.
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      “This is a young man’s sport so you have to plan ahead. I’m a guy that plans ahead.
      “I tell my children that they’re blessed because not only do I think about their current situation and plan for them now, I plan for their future as well.” More

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      Jake Paul’s fight with Rahman Jr was not cancelled due to poor ticket sales and set to be in top 10 of MSG boxing events

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      JAKE PAUL’S fight with Hasim Rahman Jr was NOT cancelled due to poor ticket sales.The YouTuber turned boxer pulled the plug on the Madison Square Garden melee last weekend over an alleged 11th-hour weight demand from Rahman Jr.
      Jake Paul’s clash with Hasim Rahman Jr was cancelled last weekendCredit: GETTY
      Weight issues for Rahman Jr were reportedly the main reason for the cancellationCredit: GETTY
      MSG insist poor ticket sales weren’t to blame for the cancellation of the boutCredit: GETTY
      UFC president Dana White and boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, however, suggested Team Paul cancelled the fight due to poor ticket sales.
      But an MSG source told SunSport “sales were strong heading into Fight Week” and the short-notice cancellation was “not based on ticket sales.”
      Paul’s clash with Rahman Jr – the son of former heavyweight champ Hasim Sr – was reportedly on course to be one of the “top 10 of highest grossing boxing events” at The Garden in the last 15 years.
      Although the event hadn’t completely sold, MSG were anticipating a deluge of tickets being bought during fight week.
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      Paul’s first clash with a professional boxer was supposedly nixed due to weight issues for Rahman Jr – who reportedly only lost a solitary pound after agreeing to take the 200lbs clash.
      After learning of his weight issues, the New York State Athletic Commission refused to sanction the bout at under 205lbs.
      Rahman Jr is said to have then revealed he would weigh in at 215lbs and would “pull out” of the fight if he was required to be any lighter.
      An irate Paul fumed on social media: “Hasim Rahman Jr has pulled out of the fight.
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      “This is not a joke, I am devastated, I cannot f***ing believe this, we just found out this news.
      “This is another case of a professional boxer, just like Tommy Fury, being scared to fight me.”
      Paul, 25, is now reportedly targeting a showdown with former world champion kickboxer Andrew Tate – although The Problem Child has yet to publicly campaign for the fight.
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      The YouTuber turned boxer hasn’t set foot inside the ring since his brutal demolition of former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley last December.
      Paul flattened The Chosen One with a vicious overhand right to extend his record to a perfect 5-0.
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      WWE star Bobby Lashley approached to have BARE KNUCKLE fight against boxing legend Mike Tyson

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      WWE superstar Bobby Lashley has reportedly been offered a bareknuckle boxing match with Mike Tyson.The former WWE champion is no stranger to combat sports having competed in mixed martial arts for eight years and racking up a 15-2 record.
      Bobby Lashley was recently offered a bare-knuckle boxing matchCredit: WWE
      Lashley is no stranger to the fight game having competed in MMA for eight yearsCredit: GETTY
      The ex-WWE champion was reportedly offered a fight against boxing great Mike TysonCredit: INSTAGRAM@MIKETYSON
      And the 46-year-old recently claimed a representative from a prominent bare-knuckle boxing promotion approached him about facing Iron Mike at Madison Square Garden later this year.
      Lashley told Fightful Select the talks weren’t formal and were more of a “feeling-out process.”
      According to DAZN reporter Steven Muehlhausen, the promotion in question was Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship.
      He tweeted: “Confirmed: The company that has approached Lashley is Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC).
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      “Lashley has talked with them in the past as has Tyson, but money was a stumbling block then and isn’t the case now.
      “Tyson is back training in the gym with Rafael Cordeiro.”
      Neither Tyson – who returned to the ring in November 2020 – nor BKFC have commented on the report.
      The prospect of sharing the ring with former undisputed heavyweight champion Tyson intrigues former Bellator star Lashley.
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      But he’s under no illusions of the fight being an easy one, saying: “I’m a fighter.
      “Am I out here saying, ‘Yeah, I could go whoop Mike Tyson?’
      “That’d be stupid for me to say, and that would be disrespectful for me to say, so I’m not saying that.
      “I’m just saying that if I had an opportunity to fight Mike Tyson, I would take it 100 per cent,” he told Inside The Ropes.
      “It would be a huge honour to fight Mike Tyson. Look at the upside; if I were to catch ‘Iron Mike’ with a punch to put him down, I’m the greatest person in the world.
      “I’m in movies, I’m everywhere, I’m the biggest sports star in the entire world if that ever happened.”
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      Tyson, 56, made a spectacular return to the ring in November 2020 for an exhibition bout with fellow great Roy Jones Jr.
      Lashley, meanwhile, last competed in mixed martial arts six years ago – defeating Josh Appelt via second-round submission at Bellator 162.
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      ‘We’re getting back in the ring’ – Logan Paul announces he will RETURN to boxing in December after starring in WWE

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      LOGAN PAUL has announced his return to the boxing ring – and he’s eyeing a December dust-up.The YouTube superstar hasn’t set foot inside the ring since his eight-rounder with boxing legend Floyd Mayweather last June.
      Logan Paul hasn’t set foot inside the ring since his exhibition with Floyd MayweatherCredit: GETTY
      But the Maverick has announced he’ll be back in action in DecemberCredit: GETTY
      Paul was recently in action at WWE SummerSlamCredit: SPLASH
      But the 27-year-old is back in the gym and hoping to throw down before the end of the year.
      During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Paul said: “I’m a boxer again. We’re getting back in the ring.
      “We’re going to go from professional sport to professional sport. I want to get a fight in December.”
      An opponent for Paul’s comeback fight hasn’t been finalised, although he does have a couple of names in mind for his next opponent.
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      He said: “I have some people in mind, but I can’t say. You know you only get one first impression.
      “That’s part of my ability to make moments. I like making first impressions big, so I want to wait until we’re ready.”
      Paul has taken to the ring three times but has yet to have his hand raised.
      The American fought fellow YouTuber KSI to a draw in a London grudge match four years ago.
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      The pair renewed their rivalry in Los Angeles in November 2019, although Paul found himself on the wrong end of a controversial split decision verdict.
      Paul then took a huge jump in class last June by facing Mayweather in a Miami melee.
      The YouTuber turned WWE star shocked the world by going the distance with the former five-weight world champion.
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      Paul has hit out at Mayweather numerous times since their fight, accusing the Hall-of-Famer of not fully paying his purse.
      Paul was most recently in action at WWE Summerslam, where he defeated The Miz after landing a sensational frogsplash.
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      Tyson Fury’s rival Deontay Wilder leaves fans shocked with lean physique and incredible body transformation

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      DEONTAY WILDER has revealed his incredible body transformation since fighting Tyson Fury.The boxer, 36, was at his heaviest weight of 19st 11lbs when he lost to Fury in October 2021.
      Deontay Wilder looks transformed as he prepares for his next fight
      The Bronze Bomber weighed 19st 11lbs when he fought Tyson Fury in October 2021Credit: Getty
      He bulked up to help himself deal with Tyson’s huge size in the ring but he has since shed the pounds and has now shocked fans with how lean he looks.
      Fans commented on his smaller frame with some suggesting Wilder could become a cruiserweight.
      One Twitter user wrote: “Looks a cruiserweight man!! Skinny legs, skinny frame!”
      Another added: “He looks poorly sick I hope he is ok.”
      A third said: “This transformation is unreal.”
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      Wilder hasn’t set foot inside the ring since his brutal 11th-round KO loss to Tyson Fury in their epic trilogy fight last October.
      But the American recently dispelled suggestions of retirement by saying: “I can’t stop right here.
      “I must continue my journey. I have to, I have to.
      “I’m looking to resume my career for sure. I’ve got a lot of other things I’ve got to get out of the way.”
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      The Bronze Bomber has been training in the gym and recently posed alongside Badou Jack after sparring with the fighter, who is set to face Richard Rivera on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.
      Wilder also met UFC champion Francis Ngannou this week and revealed to the heavyweight that he is looking to “get back into the groove” – hinting at a possible return to the ring. More

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      Anthony Joshua v Oleksandr Usyk promo video drops featuring boxing legend Prince Naseem Hamed ahead of August 20 rematch

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      THE latest promo for Anthony Joshua’s rematch with Oleksandr Usyk has dropped – with fans excited for the much-anticipated bout.Joshua’s title reclamation mission takes him back to Saudi Arabia, where he will face the fearsome Ukrainian once again.
      Anthony Joshua is well up for his title rematchCredit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wlGPln2jEY
      Oleksandr Usyk is the reigning, defending champCredit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wlGPln2jEY
      Prince Naseem made a popular cameoCredit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wlGPln2jEY
      The Brit lost his heavyweight belts on an underwhelming night at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 11 months ago.
      But he will seemingly stop at nothing as he heads to the desert to try and claim back what he believes are rightfully his.
      The promo begins with a portion of commentary from the first fight, saying: “It was a fabulous performance from Oleksandr Usyk.
      “And Anthony Joshua loses his heavyweight titles. But he’ll be back.”
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      The advert shows AJ and Usyk both sat reflecting in empty gyms, before cutting to a shot of the vast Saudi desert.
      After shots of Saudi Arabia, the promo returns to the gyms, showing Joshua and Usyk in intense training for the fight.
      AJ, 32, is then shown checking out King Abdullah Sports City, where the fight will take place.
      Joshua and Usyk enter a local ring – with Prince Naseem Hamed making a popular cameo.
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      The 48-year-old former featherweight champion says: “It’s all going down in Jeddah.”
      Fans loved seeing his appearance, with one commenting: “Great Promo. Goosebumps!!! But, I was more gassed to see Prince Nas in the promo.”
      While another wrote: “Seeing that cameo from Prince Nas gave me chills!!”
      The promo finishes with Joshua and Usyk about to face off in the ring.
      UK-based fans will have to shell out a record £26.95 to watch the bout.
      Although Usyk has gifted it for free in war-torn in Ukraine.
      Joshua has been working up a sweat in preparation for one of the biggest nights of his career.
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      Former champion David Haye believes that AJ needs to employ the dark arts to get it done on August 20.
      He said: “He should be this close to getting a point deducted or disqualified, that’s how physical he needs to be because he’s a specimen like no other in the heavyweight division.”
      Usyk and Joshua faced off at the end of the promoCredit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wlGPln2jEY
      The duo will square up on August 20Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wlGPln2jEY More