Heavyweight boxing

DECEMBER 11 is a date that historians have got their teeth stuck into.It was on that day in 1936 when a sombre King Edward VIII broadcast to a stunned nation that he was giving up the crown to marry Wallis Simpson.
Muhammad Ali hung up his gloves after his bout with Trevor Berbick in 1981Credit: Disney General Entertainment Con
The heavyweight king abdicated after 21 years in and out of the ringCredit: Getty – Contributor
And a week from Saturday, it will be the 40th anniversary of when boxing’s King announced he was abdicating after 21 magical, momentous, mesmerising and highly controversial years in and out of the ring.
It was December 11, 1981, when the incomparable Muhammad Ali, arguably the greatest world heavyweight champion of them all, unlaced his gloves for the last time.
What a relief it was to those of us who had been a part of Ali’s flying circus and had despairingly seen him declining slowly but surely into mediocrity.
Heartbreakingly, instead of retiring with the farewell fanfares he deserved, the man voted the outstanding sports personality of the 20th century ended his glittering 61-fight career in the Caribbean — and in the most farcical circumstances.
He lost a unanimous ten-round points decision to Trevor Berbick in what was advertised as the Drama in Bahama. More appropriately, the tawdry occasion should have been called Nonsense in Nassau.
It was held at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, which sounds grand — in fact it was a baseball field.

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The fight took place at the tiny Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre in the BahamasCredit: Rex Features
Proceedings were delayed two hours because nobody could find the keys to open the gates to the arena.
It beggars belief but once inside it was discovered there was not even a bell or gloves for the main event, it was beyond parody.
Someone was dispatched to the next field to take a bell from the neck of one of the grazing cows.
And Ali’s trainer Angelo Dundee got his secretary in his Miami office to arrange for a new pair of gloves to be flown over.

After his ignominious defeat against Larry Holmes a year earlier, the name Muhammad Ali was no longer saleable.
Three major American TV networks, CBS, ABC and NBC, boycotted his clash with Berbick — and none of the closed-circuit operators were in the slightest bit interested.
American broadcasters boycotted the December 1981 clashCredit: Getty
Ali was 39, facing a man 12 years his juniorCredit: Getty – Contributor
The fact James Cornelius, a Los Angeles car dealer, a convicted felon, arrested nine times for fraud and larceny, who also happened to be under FBI investigation, was the promoter probably had something to do with it.
I really found it deeply depressing as I watched Ali, the hero of the Rumble in the Jungle and the Thrilla in Manila, plus many other breathtaking battles, reduced to insignificance.
His speed and audacious skills had long been eroded — and what was left was a flabby middle-aged man a month short of his 40th birthday.
Gone forever was the supreme athlete that prompted Jim Murray, the Pulitzer prize-winning LA Times sports columnist, to write: “I want to borrow Ali’s body for a day — there are six men I want to beat up and six women I want to make love to.”
Ali was later subdued and philosophical when we all crowded into his dressing room. He simply said: “Father time has caught up with me — I’m finished. I’ve got to face the facts.
“We all grow old and this is the end. I’ve been doing this since I was 12.
Ali should have retired after his third fight with Joe FrazierCredit: Getty
“It’s a joy and relief to know that it’s over.”
He should, of course, have retired immediately after his brutal third fight with Joe Frazier in Manila.
But he carried on for six more years and had ten more fights against the advice of his doctor Ferdie Pacheco.
It is even possible if he had listened to Pacheco, Ali may still be alive today.
Ed Schuyler — one of America’s top boxing writers — spoke for billions when he said as we left Ali to his memories that evening: “Muhammad, thank you. You gave us a hell of a ride.”
And as I flew home from Nassau, with the festive season looming, it dawned on me I had just seen the Ghost of Christmas past.
Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua given huge boost as promoter Bob Arum reveals Gypsy King will fight three times in 2022 More

OLEKSANDR USYK’s team are in talks with Anthony Joshua’s reps about stepping away from their rematch.AJ is set to rematch the newly-crowned unified heavyweight champion next year but the undefeated Uysk has set his sights on an undisputed clash with WBC king Tyson Fury.
Anthony Joshua is currently on course to have a rematch with Oleksandr UyskCredit: REUTERS
But Team Usyk want AJ to step aside so they can unify the heavyweight divisionCredit: GETTY
And promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed preliminary step-aside talks are underwayCredit: REUTERS
And promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed the Ukrainian’s management have reached out to try to convince the Watford warrior to allow a mouth-watering showdown to take place.
The Matchroom Boxing chief told Boxing King Media: “We’ve had their team reach out to us.”
Hearn, however, has yet to speak to Joshua about foregoing his rematch with the slick southpaw, who schooled him in their September showdown.
He added: “At the moment, there’s communication between the two teams to say, ‘Is it something that [you’d consider].
“And the answer is; AJ has not been spoken [to] about this yet.
“I’ll deal with it and when I feel there’s an opportunity for Anthony and 258, we’ll sit down with them and present that to them.”

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Despite the opportunity being on the table, Hearn doesn’t want to broach the subject with Joshua until a viable offer has been made.
He continued: “But I don’t want to do that until I feel it’s the right opportunity because he’s not gonna be happy because he just wants to fight Oleksandr Usyk.
“But if there’s a route, there’s an offer and it makes sense, we’ll see. But right now, just conversations.”
Joshua, 32, suffered a lopsided points defeat to Usyk in their tussle at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and has vowed to exact revenge on his fellow Olympian.
But he recently hinted he was open to the possibility of stepping aside – if the ‘money is right’.
He told iFL TV: “I think people know not to approach me with that rubbish. People know not to approach me with that bull****.
“It may have come to my team but I think they know not to bring to me at the minute.
“At this stage of my career it’s not about the money, it’s about the respect. You’ve got to look at what I want out of this game; number one is respect, you don’t have to like me but you will respect me.
“The second is to go down as a throwback fighter, someone who was willing to fight the best in their division so that when I walk the streets with my son, my cousin and my nephews, people will know I’m a real fighter.
“In terms of stepping aside, I don’t know if that goes in line with what a morally stand for… but I want to be known as one of the smartest businessmen as well.
Joshua recently refused to rule out the possibility of allowing Usyk to fight FuryCredit: PA
“I want to make the smart decisions and if the money is right we would have to look at it but respect has more value than money.
“Will I take the step-aside money? If its a smart business move… will it affect my reputation and respect?
“Will I still get to fight the best fighters? Those are the three things I have to consider.”
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DEONTAY WILDER insists his ‘best is yet to come’ – despite his brutal loss to Tyson Fury.The American failed in his bid to reclaim the WBC heavyweight title from the Gypsy King in October, suffering a brutal 11th-round KO loss in their Sin City showdown.
Deontay Wilder renewed his rivalry with Tyson Fury in OctoberCredit: GETTY
The Bronze Bomber suffered a brutal 11th-round KO loss to the Gypsy KingCredit: GETTY
But the American insists his best is yet to comeCredit: GETTY
Although Wilder’s herculean effort to become a two-time world champion fell flat on its face, the Alabama slammer is adamant his best days aren’t behind him.
The 36-year-old said: “For me, this is not it, this is just the beginning. The best is yet to come from me.
“Although I have accomplished a lot of things, more than I could’ve imagined.
“I do still have goals in the sport, that’s why I still have love for it.”
The Bronze Bomber is champing at the bit to get back in the ring and plans to return to the gym once his broken hand is fully healed.
The Olympian told fiancee Telli Swift on her YouTube channel: “I’m looking to accomplish the goals that I still have left.

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“I broke my hand, so I’m in a healing process right now. Once this is over, I’ll resume training for sure.
“Boxing is a year-round sport, so you’ve always gotta be prepared, you’ve always gotta stay ready. After this, I’m looking to get right back in it.”
Unlike after his first defeat to Wythenshawe warrior Fury, Wilder has no excuses for his brutal knockout loss.
He said: “I’m grateful for that. I’m blessed all the way around.
“With that being said, it’s no complaints at all, we just move forward.
“You come up to a certain point, as humans we feel we come up to a dead-end or we fail, we think this is it for us.
“But when you’re travelling along your journey, nothing should be ‘this is it.’”
Team Wilder are targeting a May return for the ferocious power puncher.
Head coach Malik Scott told World Boxing News: “We should be back in camp, in my opinion, no later than March and fight in May.
“Or we may be back in camp before March. It all depends on how he recovers, how he’s feeling, how everything’s going.”
He added: “Deontay said he’s going to go on vacation, and I’m all for that, and in a few months, we’ll be back in camp, and he’ll be fighting.”
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ANTHONY JOSHUA took a tumble in the snow after heading off for a skiing trip ahead of a huge 2022.The British heavyweight, 32, is aiming to win back the WBA, WBO and IBF titles after being outpointed by Oleksandr Usyk in September.
Anthony Joshua is on a skiing holiday ahead of his rematch against Oleksandr UsykCredit: Instagram
Joshua took a tumble in the snow in Oregon in a clip he posted on InstagramCredit: Instagram
Olympic gold medallist AJ subsequently invoked his rematch clause to face the Ukrainian again, with the bout expected to take place in March or April.
And the former Olympic champion is taking a break in America before he starts a gruelling training camp.
Joshua took to Instagram where he shared a clip of him skiing at Mount Hood in Oregon to his 13.2 million followers.
In the video, Joshua took in the beautiful scenery as he made his way along the mountain.
He then can be seen slipping down on the snow – much to the amusement of his friends.
Captioning the post, he said: “Cold weather therapy.”

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His fans were loving the footage, as one user commented: “Like that you posted the casual fall.”
Another joked: “Like Bambi on ice.”
A third added: “Clean hearts always win.”
Meanwhile one simply stated: “Proper made me smile love it.”
Joshua has made changes to his coaching team ahead of the second dust-up against Usyk, as he insisted it was long overdue.
And he has even revealed that he wakes up thinking about his devastating defeat every day.
He told iFL TV: “A lot of times I wake up in the morning and the fight and fighting is on my mind. After the fight, you sleep on it.
Joshua could be set for a fight to face British rival Tyson Fury should he beat UsykCredit: Instagram

“You sleep on it after the fight and then what happens is you wake up on it and I’m waking up on it and it’s the right thing because you’ve got to use it as fuel for the day.
“I think about it a lot and not just on a physical thing but up here as well. I think about it a lot.
“That one made me think a lot and I could go on but I just care, I actually care. I don’t think, ‘eh, it’s a loss’. I actually deeply care.”
Joshua has made changes to his coaching team after suffering the second defeat of his careerCredit: Instagram More

TYSON FURY enjoyed a successful first night of his ‘Homecoming Tour’ at the 02 Apollo in Manchester alongside dad John.In what was the first of six events this month, the 33-year-old headed to his hometown following his epic trilogy win against Deontay Wilder.
Tyson Fury is currently on a UK tour following his trilogy win over heavyweight rival Deontay Wilder
Fury showed off his tour bus which he be travelling in across England, Scotland and Wales
And the Gypsy King is putting on a show for his adoring fans in the UK – where he has not fought since 2018.
Further events are to be held in Birmingham, Cardiff, Leicester, London and Glasgow until next week.
Prior to the show on Thursday night, Fury took to his Instagram story to express his excitement at the tour, with his dad a special guest live on stage.
Fury said: “It’s a lovely day here in Morecambe Bay. Hey, hey, hey, here at the gym, just finished.
“Hard session guys, have a lovely day.”
In another upload, he then showed his tour bus, where he remarked: “Guys, the tour bus has landed.

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“The tour starts now. Cannot wait to go on tour, got quite a few dates lined up, see you all there guys.”
Fury then shared a video of him with his son where he discussed his excitement at the tour.
And then he put up a clip of him in the green room waiting to go on, with the likes of John Fury, journalist and host Gareth A Davies and comedian Al Foran alongside him.
Foran even joked the pair had time to watch their beloved Manchester United edge out Arsenal 3-2 in a five-goal thriller.
In a post that was re-tweeted by Fury, he stated: “Don’t worry, we were watching, c’mon UNITED!”
Fury is making the most of his relaxation time ahead of a busy 2022, with his US-based promoter Bob Arum claiming he will fight THREE times next year.
The first night of Fury’s tour kicked off in Manchester, ahead of shows in Birmingham, Cardiff, Leicester, London and Glasgow
He told talkSPORT: “What I would like to see, and this is what he would like to see, getting in the ring at the end of February or March and doing at least three fights in 2022.
“Hopefully that is how it will all roll out, Fury is ready to fight anybody.
“I really believe that he is the pre-eminent heavyweight in the world, there is nobody out there that he would be reluctant to fight.”
Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua given huge boost as promoter Bob Arum reveals Gypsy King will fight three times in 2022 More

DECEMBER 11 is a date that historians have got their teeth stuck into.It was on that day in 1936 when a sombre King Edward VIII broadcast to a shocked nation that he was giving up the crown to marry Wallis Simpson.
Muhammad Ali hung up his gloves after his bout with Trevor Berbick in 1981Credit: Disney General Entertainment Con
The heavyweight king abdicated after 21 years in and out of the ringCredit: Getty – Contributor
And a week from Saturday, it will be the 40th anniversary of when boxing’s King announced he was abdicating after 21 magical, momentous, mesmerising and highly controversial years in and out of the ring.
It was December 11, 1981, when the incomparable Muhammad Ali, arguably the greatest world heavyweight champion of them all, unlaced his gloves for the last time.
What a relief it was to those of us who had been a part of Ali’s flying circus and had despairingly seen him declining slowly but surely into mediocrity.
Heartbreakingly, instead of retiring with the farewell fanfares he deserved, the man voted the outstanding sports personality of the 20th century ended his glittering 61-fight career in the Caribbean — and in the most farcical circumstances.
He lost a unanimous ten-round points decision to Trevor Berbick in what was advertised as the Drama in Bahama. More appropriately, the tawdry occasion should have been called Nonsense in Nassau.
It was held at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, which sounds grand — in fact it was a baseball field.

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The fight took place at the tiny Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre in the BahamasCredit: Rex Features
Proceedings were delayed two hours because nobody could find the keys to open the gates to the arena.
It beggars belief but once inside it was discovered there was not even a bell or gloves for the main event, it was beyond parody.
Someone was dispatched to the next field to take a bell from the neck of one of the grazing cows.
And Ali’s trainer Angelo Dundee got his secretary in his Miami office to arrange for a new pair of gloves to be flown over.
After his ignominious defeat against Larry Holmes a year earlier, the name Muhammad Ali was no longer saleable.
Three major American TV networks, CBS, ABC and NBC, boycotted his clash with Berbick — and none of the closed-circuit operators were in the slightest bit interested.
American broadcasters boycotted the December 1981 clashCredit: Getty
Ali was 39, facing a man 12 years his juniorCredit: Getty – Contributor
The fact James Cornelius, a Los Angeles car dealer, a convicted felon, arrested nine times for fraud and larceny, who also happened to be under FBI investigation, was the promoter probably had something to do with it.
I really found it deeply depressing as I watched Ali, the hero of the Rumble in the Jungle and the Thrilla in Manila, plus many other breathtaking battles, reduced to insignificance.
His speed and audacious skills had long been eroded — and what was left was a flabby middle-aged man a month short of his 40th birthday.
Gone forever was the supreme athlete that prompted Jim Murray, the Pulitzer prize-winning LA Times sports columnist, to write: “I want to borrow Ali’s body for a day — there are six men I want to beat up and six women I want to make love to.”
Ali was later subdued and philosophical when we all crowded into his dressing room. He simply said: “Father time has caught up with me — I’m finished. I’ve got to face the facts.
“We all grow old and this is the end. I’ve been doing this since I was 12.
Ali should have retired after his third fight with Joe FrazierCredit: Getty
“It’s a joy and relief to know that it’s over.”
He should, of course, have retired immediately after his brutal third fight with Joe Frazier in Manila.
But he carried on for six more years and had ten more fights against the advice of his doctor Ferdie Pacheco.
It is even possible if he had listened to Pacheco, Ali may still be alive today.
Ed Schuyler — one of America’s top boxing writers — spoke for billions when he said as we left Ali to his memories that evening: “Muhammad, thank you. You gave us a hell of a ride.”
And as I flew home from Nassau, with the festive season looming, it dawned on me I had just seen the Ghost of Christmas past.
Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua given huge boost as promoter Bob Arum reveals Gypsy King will fight three times in 2022 More

TYSON FURY would’ve wiped the floor with a prime Mike Tyson as ‘he’s way too big’ for the boxing legend.WBC heavyweight king Fury has repeatedly flirted with the idea of fighting the man he was named after in an exhibition bout.
Mike Tyson is eager to have an exhibition bout with boxing legend Mike TysonCredit: Rex
Boxing fans have been debating how a fight between Fury and a prime Tyson would goCredit: Getty
But promoter Bob Arum insists the hypothetical bout would be a blowout win for the Gypsy KingCredit: Alamy
The Gypsy King’s eagerness to share the ring with Iron Mike has made many boxing fans wonder how a fight between the pair would’ve gone down in their primes.
But veteran promoter Bob Arum believes the bour would’ve been a blowout victory for the 6ft 9in Wythenshawe warrior.
He told talkSPORT: “You know fight fans love to play mythical match-ups… if we ever saw a peak Tyson Fury against a peak Mike Tyson how does that fight go down?
“Well, there’s no contest. Tyson Fury would beat him, he’s way too big for him.
“What’s Mike Tyson going to do, jump up and land a punch on Tyson Fury?”
Arum reckons most of the heavyweights of yesteryear would’ve fallen at the hands of the Brit.

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He continued: “Heavyweights now are so tall and agile, which they weren’t before, that smaller heavyweights like Mike Tyson wouldn’t be competitive with him.”
Former undisputed heavyweight king Tyson revealed last year would’ve fought Fury with a lot of aggression and head movement on the inside if they competed in the same era.
He told Ring Magazine: “Against someone of Tyson Fury’s size, you’ve got to be aggressive, move your head and be elusive because if you stand still against a man that size, you’re an easy target.
“You need to attack, use angles and stay away from his punching distance.
“You need to be close, but you can’t stay at a distance that allows the bigger fighter to get off.”
Former unified heavyweight champ Fury was last in action in October against Deontay Wilder, who he knocked in the 11th round to retain his WBC strap.
Tyson, meanwhile, last took to the ring in November 2020 for an exhibition bout with fellow legend Roy Jones Jr.
Iron Mike plans to return to the ring in FebruaryCredit: EPA
And the Baddest Man on the Planet recently revealed to SunSport he plans to be back in the ring in February.
He said: “I am going to have a return fight in February.
“We are pretty skeptical about the opponent, but it will be a really stimulating opponent.”
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JAKE PAUL is going to ‘get badly hurt’ in his showdown with Tommy Fury, according to former world champ Amir Khan.The YouTuber turned boxer will face the youngest Fury brother in a Tampa tussle a fortnight on Saturday.
Jake Paul will face Tommy Fury in a grudge match on December 18Credit: https://www.instagram.com/jakepaul/
The Problem Child has vowed to score a stunning KO victory over the former Love IslanderCredit: BT Sport
But former world champ Amir Khan reckons the YouTuber could end up being ‘hurt badly’Credit: PA
Boxing novice Paul goes into the battle of Instagram celebs as a huge underdog due to his lack of experience.
And Khan reckons the former Disney star is cruising for a devastating bruising at the hands of Fury.
The former IBF light-welterweight champ told Pro Boxing Fans: “I think Tommy’s a great guy and a great fighter.
“I know Tyson, his brother really well. But, I just feel that Jake Paul is going to get hurt in this fight.
“I like Jake as a fighter, he’s messaged me a couple of times, but at the end of day Tommy is a future champion and he wants to fight someone like that, [Paul] can get hurt badly.”
Fury – the younger brother of WBC heavyweight champ Tyson – is planning to have a short night at the office against the divisive Paul.

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The former Love Island star said: “After our last fights on the same card, I rocked up with four people to his after-party.
“I saw him and what did he do? He didn’t [do anything].
“He sent a security man over to say: ‘Please leave’.
“When he gets in the ring with me, he will find his level. He’ll be out in the first round.”
But Problem Child Paul plans to test the 7-0 Fury’s heart by taking him into deep waters.
He said: “I will TKO him in the later rounds.

“He hasn’t had a fight past four rounds so I think he’ll be gassed.
“I think this will be the first time he’s getting punched in the face by someone who can actually hit and is the same weight as him.
“He’s always fought smaller guys with losing records. So I think he’s going to fade. I know he’s going to fade.”
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