Heavyweight boxing

ANTHONY JOSHUA’s life was ‘saved’ by coach Rob McCracken in his September schooling by Oleksandr Usyk.AJ had the unified heavyweight titles ripped from his grasp by the slick southpaw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Anthony Joshua suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Oleksandr Usyk in SeptemberCredit: AP
Coach Rob McCracken has faced strong calls to quit following his AJ’s latest defeatCredit: REX
But John Fury believes McCracken ‘saved’ Joshua from being knocked out in the Tottenham tussleCredit: GETTY
McCracken has faced strong calls to quit Team Joshua following the spectacular defeat, but fellow coach John Fury believes the Team GB trainer’s advice saved the Brit from a career-ending knockout.
He told BT Sport: I’m not gonna knock Robert McCraken. Because I know, looking at that fight again, Robert McCracken was trying to keep him on his feet.
“He was giving him the advice to get to the 12th round and not get stopped.
“Because I think if AJ would’ve fought any other way, he would’ve got stopped.
“Usyk would’ve knocked him out. So it was a caution sort of thing and happy to come second best. Because what can you do if your man is in that frame of mind?
“It’s your job as a trainer to keep him on his feet. And whether he wins or not, it doesn’t matter.

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“Robert McCracken has saved his life, really, because he can come again. Can you imagine if Usyk would’ve counted him out?
“That would’ve been AJ finished for good, wouldn’t it? So Robert McCracken, I think, has saved him for another day.
“He can come back from that defeat because it wasn’t that bad. And why it wasn’t that bad is down to Robert McCracken.
“You know, he’s not a bad trainer is Robert McCracken. But like I say, does he teach dog fighting when he needs to?”
Fury – the father of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson – believes Joshua should show loyalty to his long-time coach and not give him the boot.
He added: “I’d kept McCracken, me. Because he’s been with him all this time, you’ve got to show him loyalty.
“He’s done the best he could for him. And obviously, Robert McCraken has his best interests at heart.
“All he needs to do is get somebody there that can teach him different stuff and then combine them together.
Eddie Hearn recently revealed AJ will return to the USA to continue to look for a new coachCredit: Matchroom Boxing
But Fury believes Joshua should stay loyal to the man who got him to the danceCredit: GETTY
“Work together with it. Do what Robert does and do what this other so-called new guy can do. If they’re out there.
“I don’t think they’re out there.”
Fury, 57, believes Joshua has all the attributes of a great fighter but lacks in the mental strength department.
He added: “It’s mental, a million per cent. Because with a strong mind, you can do anything. I was always told there’s no such thing as can’t.
“And when you think about it hard enough, there’s not many things you can’t do if you set your mind to it.
“And when a man that big can punch, he’s got the right physique, he’s got everything to be a great fighter.

“All he needs to do is get the knowledge of what’s missing. And that knowledge is learn how to go into trench warfare with your mind intact.
“With that belief in yourself that, ‘Right, I’m gonna die here today. It’s you or me.’
“And without that mentality, you’ll always spew it. You’ll look for the back door every time without that mentality.
“And for my money, he’s not looking for the back door. He could’ve took the back door with [Wladimir] Klitschko in the fifth round. He didn’t.
“Yes, he got beat up by [Andy] Ruiz. But he didn’t take the back door, did he? He got stopped, he was out on his feet. That was it, he couldn’t fight anymore.
“He didn’t hit the canvas and stay down. Do you know what I’m saying?
“He got up. So he’s got something to work with, hasn’t he? And when you look at it in-depth, he’s got a lot to work with.”
Joshua, 32, will bid to reclaim the unified heavyweight throne in a rematch with the Ukrainian early next year, although a date for their second showdown has not yet been finalised.
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ANTHONY JOSHUA has been urged to follow in Mike Tyson’s footsteps if he’s to beat Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.AJ is currently preparing for his rematch against Usyk after losing his world heavyweight belts to the Ukrainian last month.
Anthony Joshua has been urged to take up with trainer Ronnie Shields in AmericaCredit: Getty
Shields has coached numerous top fighters including Mike TysonCredit: Getty
Joshua has been visiting the USA to potentially hunt for a new trainer.
And one man he has been seeing is boxing icon Ronnie Shields, who worked with both Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield.
AJ also met with Shields’ assistant Dominick Guinn in Texas.
And he reckons Joshua will reclaim his belts from Usyk if he links up with Shields, setting up a highly-anticipated division unifier against British rival Fury.
Guinn told MyBettingSites: “Ronnie is an ex-champion and I’m a former fighter, though I never won a world championship.
“I think Ronnie has maybe 30 world champions who he has worked with and I’ve been in the ring with a lot of different guys.

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“Ronnie’s worked with Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, David Tua and Andrew Golota, so I really feel you’ll [AJ] get the best experience if you come to Houston, Texas.
“There’s a lot of places he could go but I’ll be honest with you, I really think if he landed in Houston, this would be the best place for him as far as learning and pushing him to the next level.
“If he comes, I’m predicting a spectacular performance in the rematch and I’m predicting him getting that WBC title from Fury or whoever as well.
“He already has all the tools, you just need the right person to bring it out of him.
“We’ll bring the dog out of him, the killer out of him, help him remember how it felt before he won his first title, before he beat Charles Martin and got that first belt. And the hunger he felt when he first won it.
“There’s always a time and a place for change. I don’t know his team. But if I was in his shoes, I would definitely make a change. 
“You’ve been dealing with the same people for so long and they can only take you so far, now it’s up to him if he wants to change. 
“He really needs to get out and see something else, different scenery, and I think it would be great for him to come to the United States.”

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TYSON FURY had to have injections in BOTH his elbows before his epic trilogy fight with Deontay Wilder.The Gypsy King retained his WBC heavyweight title with a thrilling 11th-round KO victory over the American in Las Vegas last month.
Tyson Fury retained his WBC heavyweight title with a stunning KO victory over Deontay WilderCredit: Reuters
The Gypsy King knocked the American out in the 11th round to notch his first title defenceCredit: Getty Images – Getty
The numbness in Fury’s elbows saw him struggle to jabCredit: Alamy
But bone spurs left Fury in ‘unbearable’ pain before the Sin City showdown, so much so he had to have numbing jabs in both elbows.
Dad John revealed to BT Sport: “To be honest, it wasn’t a boxing match, was it?
“Because Tyson was very bad injured going into that fight.
“He had to have chromosome injections in both elbows. Both elbows were numb and he’s since had an operation.”
The pain in Fury’s elbows left him unable to effectively utilise his usually fast and stiff jab.
John, 57, added: “He said, ‘I couldn’t box, I couldn’t work my jab.’ He said, ‘If I missed with the jab the pain, it would’ve put me in limp mode. I wouldn’t be able to fight.’

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“He said, ‘The pain when I was throwing the jab, it was unbearable. So I was fighting two people in there. I was fighting the pain in my own body and him.’
“So he said, ‘The only thing I can do is get close and make a war of it.’ He said, ‘I know I wanted to win more than him.’
“And that was it, he said, ‘Seek and destroy or be destroyed.’ That was me motto, he said. He either gets me or I get him.
“He said, ‘It all went out of the window in the fifth round when I got the knockdown.’
“He said, ‘I looked up and thought, ‘Here we are again. Dog fight mode. This is where I gotta go. Trench warfare.’
“And he was in there. And he was prepared to do that for as long as it took. And thank God that he was the winner.”
Tyson Fury feared he’d be in immense pain if he failed to land any of his jabsCredit: Alamy
Dad John revealed the Gypsy King had a six-hour operation on his injured elbowsCredit: PA
The pain in Fury’s elbows was so bad he had to go undergo a SIX-HOUR operation to relieve it.
John continued: “A six-hour all-day [operation] having it sort out his elbows because I think he had some bone spurs we had to get removed.
“[A] common thing in sportsman, especially in boxer. And, yeah, he was handicapped from the beginning.
“But the boxing side of it, it went out of the window. Because I knew it was going to be like that from the on.
“When I saw the look in his eye, he just wanted to destroy. Seek and destroy.
“And he did, you know. And believe me, exciting for the paying public, probably one of the most exciting heavyweight fights you’ll see.

“But boxing wise, he didn’t do nothing he trained.”
Fan favourite Fury is expected to return to the ring in March, with a showdown against fellow Brit Dillian Whyte potentially on the cards.
But promoter Frank Warren insists the WBC king won’t rush into a Battle of Britain with the Brixton banger.
The Queensbury Promotions chief told talkSPORT: “I don’t think anything will happen until the WBC has their convention, which is later this month and I don’t think that’s going to happen until then.
“There’s no rush and there’s no rush from Tyson’s perspective.
“As I’ve said to everybody, it doesn’t matter what anybody says. He will do what he wants to do.
“If the deal is right he’ll do it. If he doesn’t want to do it, he won’t do it. He’s his own man.”
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TYSON FURY has reacted to the four-year anniversary of Anthony Joshua’s x-rated message urging him to get back in the ring.Seven months after becoming unified heavyweight champ against Wladimir Klitschko, Joshua called out the Gypsy King – who had ballooned up to 28 stone and was battling with addiction – on Twitter.
Tyson Fury ballooned up to 28 stone in 2017
And his excessive weight gain sparked an x-rated message from Tyson FuryCredit: TWITTER
The tweet sparked a stunning return to the ring, which culminated with back-to-back wins over Deontay WilderCredit: Reuters
He tweeted: “@Tyson_Fury get fit you fat f**k.”
The tweet had the desired effect as it motivated Fury to shed the pounds and make a comeback, which he did in June 2018 with the help of former trainer Ben Davidson.
BT Sport’s Boxing account posted a tweet reminding their followers of the anniversary, which Fury liked and quote tweeted.
He wrote: “With the right mindset and focus you can achieve anything.”
After returning to the ring against Sefer Seferi, Fury would go on to face Francesco Pianeta before his first war with Deontay Wilder – which ended in a controversial split draw.
Back-to-back victories over Tom Schwarz and Otto Wallin followed for the Wythenshawe warrior before his emphatic dethroning of Wilder last February.

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The pair renewed their rivalry in October and took part in one of the greatest heavyweight fights of the modern era.
Fan favourite Fury came out of the Sin City showdown on top, registering an 11th-round KO victory after a thrilling back-and-forth affair.
It’s understood Fury’s next fight is being lined up for March.
Brit Dillian Whyte is on course to be the 33-year-old’s next opponent, although promoter Frank Warren insists the former unified champ is in no rush to fight the Brixton banger.

He told talkSPORT: “I don’t think anything will happen until the WBC has their convention, which is later this month and I don’t think that’s going to happen until then.
“There’s no rush and there’s no rush from Tyson’s perspective.
“As I’ve said to everybody, it doesn’t matter what anybody says. He will do what he wants to do.
“If the deal is right he’ll do it. If he doesn’t want to do it, he won’t do it. He’s his own man.”

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ANTHONY JOSHUA has been offered the opportunity to train with legendary boxing coach Freddie Roach ahead of his rematch with Oleksandr Usyk.AJ is under increasing pressure to drop long-time trainer Rob McCracken following his September schooling by Usyk.
Anthony Joshua has been urged to ditch coach Rob McCrackenCredit: Getty
McCracken has shouldered most of the blame for AJ’s defeat to Oleksandr UsykCredit: GETTY
And legendary trainer Freddie Roach has offered to train AJ if he ditches McCrackenCredit: Reuters
Anthony Joshua will rematch unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk early next yearCredit: Getty
And Hall-of-Fame coach Roach would happily welcome Joshua with both arms if he were to pitch up at the world-famous Wild Card gym.
The 61-year-old told iFL TV: “You know where my gym is.
“I do run into him once in a while, he’s a character, and I’ve told him all he needs to do is come home.”
Joshua, 32, is well aware of the calls for him to ditch McCracken but plans to stick with the Team GB coach.
The former unified heavyweight champ told iFL TV: “As a man, I have to do what’s right for me.
“I speak to Rob about it, and Rob, as a man, agrees that if it’s good for me, he’ll say ‘champ, you do what you’ve got to do’.

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“Rob’s not a controlling type of person, he’s very laid back and he’s happy to see the progression of what’s needed.”
Joshua will bid to reclaim the unified heavyweight titles from the undefeated Usyk early next year.
And the Watford warrior plans to take the slick southpaw’s ‘soul’ in their blockbuster rematch.
He told iFL TV: “I’m done with f***ing losing. I’m done with trying to learn the sweet science.
“The referee might get thrown on the floor in the next fight because this is war.
“It’s just straight war, I’m annoyed. I’m boiling up even speaking about it – it’s that passion to win.”

Joshua added: “He’s had like 400 amateur fights, he’s seen people that have tried to rough him up, millions of times, so to just try and adapt one style is silly.
“But for me, I have one thing in my mind, that’s war, that’s murder, that’s war, let’s go out there and hurt the guy.
“Take his soul to the point where he wants to give up. That’s what boxing’s about, I’ve learned that.
“You hit people constantly, keep on applying a certain amount of pressure, before they know it they’ll realise you aren’t going anywhere, you’re here to stay.
“With the game plan, that’s all I have in my mind at the minute, that one track, stay on course, take this guy to places he doesn’t want to go.”
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