Heavyweight boxing

UNIFIED heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk has refused to write off Deontay Wilder’s chances of beating Tyson Fury.The American will have what could be his final shot at redemption when he faces the Brit in a trilogy fight in Las Vegas this weekend.
Oleksandr Usyk isn’t writing off Deontay Wilder’s chances against Tyson FuryCredit: Reuters
Wilder was handed his first ever pro defeat in brutal fashion by the Gypsy King, who secured a seventh-round KO win in February 2020.
Usyk will be watching with a keen eye, with the potential of an undisputed heavyweight clash against the victor.
And while he says he doesn’t mind which of the two he has to fight in his bid for all the belts, the 34-year-old Ukrainian isn’t dismissing Wilder’s chances of becoming two-time champ.
Speaking to DAZN, Usyk said: “I will definitely watch.
“I don’t think too much about who wins. It will be a good fight. Don’t write Deontay Wilder off since he always has the knock-out punch. I will watch it for sure and I am curious who wins.
“I will fight with whoever holds the last belt. I don’t care if it is Wilder or Fury.” 
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When asked what his prediction for the fight was, he added: “No, I am not good at making predictions.
“The only prediction I give you is that I’ll have a fantastic dinner tonight.” 
Usyk is recovering after his 12-round unanimous points win against Anthony Joshua.
The Ukrainian secured the WBO, WBA and IBF titles after a brilliant boxing masterclass to hand the Brit the second pro defeat of his career.
Joshua has instructed his team to start the negotiations for the rematch where he will hope to repeat his previous revenge mission against Andy Ruiz Jr.
How Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder stack up ahead of the trilogy fight
Mike Tyson explains how ‘baby’ Anthony Joshua lost to Oleksandr Usyk More

HEAVYWEIGHT Deontay Wilder claims a unification bout between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua was “never going to happen”.The British stars were tipped to face each other earlier this year before the Gypsy King was ordered to fight the Bronze Bomber for a third time.
Deontay Wilder is getting ready to fight Tyson Fury for a third timeCredit: AFP
The Bronze Bomber wasn’t surprised Usyk defeated JoshuaCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Speaking to BT Sport, Wilder said: “The Fury-AJ talk, it was never going to happen. They never had a contract to begin with, that was all propaganda.
“There was nothing I was concerned about because I knew the truth, you know.
“Certain fans and people just take the first thing they hear without doing research and they just go away with it.
“People want to be first nowadays instead of being correct and that was the situation.
“One thing is for sure – when you put black ink to white paper, it’s sealed. It’s called a contract. And it’s hard to get out of that.
“As long as I knew I had that contract and we was going to activate it, there wasn’t no words or concerns about the the talk. It just hyped people up.”

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Fury, 33, and Joshua, 31, were expected to meet in Saudi Arabia for the undisputed heavyweight world title in August.
But the proposed fight was scuppered when a judge ordered the Gypsy King to face Wilder, 35, for a third time.
The two are now set to face each other in Las Vegas on Saturday night for the WBC belt, finally settling their long-running saga.
The collapse of his blockbuster meeting with Fury led to AJ fighting undefeated Oleksandr Usyk, 34, in September – with disastrous results.
The Brit suffered a points defeat to the Ukrainian and needs to win a rematch to keep his hopes of an undisputed clash with Fury alive.
But Wilder isn’t holding his breath and insists he wasn’t surprised Joshua suffered a second professional defeat.
How Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder stack up ahead of the trilogy fight
The American added: “Malik [Scott, Wilder’s trainer] always talks about Usyk and how skilful he is and different things.
“Coming from a cruiserweight… he definitely had his struggles. We’ve seen that with Chazz Witherspoon, with Derek Chisora.
“But styles make fights and with Joshua, he just had his number at that moment in time.
“And I think he’s going to have his number even more so the second time around.
“Like [Usyk] said, he’s going to be faster and I think he’s going to be a little bit faster as well.
“But who knows? It’s boxing, at the end of the day. We really don’t know until it’s time for things to happen.”
Deontay Wilder once again accuses Tyson Fury of being a ‘f***ing cheater’ More

TYSON FURY has promised to deliver another stunning KO win when he fights Deontay Wilder in their trilogy bout this weekend.In February 2020 the Gypsy King handed Wilder his first ever defeat – and in crushing style.
Tyson Fury is on top of the world as WBC heavyweight champCredit: Getty
Fury battered Wilder all over the ring, flooring the American twice before his corner threw in the towel in the seventh round.
It was Fury’s 21st stoppage victory in 31 fights – not bad for somebody who has previously had questions asked about his ‘power’.
Here SunSport checks out Fury’s five best KO wins as he gears up to defend his WBC heavyweight strap in Las Vegas.
Deontay Wilder II – February 2020
Fury felt cheated when the first fight between the pair was scored a draw in December 2018.
So the Gypsy King decided not to leave anything in the hands of the judges with a systematic beatdown of the Bronze Bomber.
Right from the first bell the Gypsy King completely overawed the previously unbeaten champ.
After being floored twice, Wilder’s corner ended his punishment in the seventh round and Fury was crowned a two-time heavyweight king.
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Deonay Wilder was left stunned by Fury’s power in their second fightCredit: Reuters
Wilder was left on the seat of his pants on the canvas by a rampant FuryCredit: Getty
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Steve Cunningham – April 2013
A real coming-of-age fight for Fury, after he was floored for the second time in his career by the usual cruiserweight.
That came in the second round, and seemed to spur Fury on as he begged Cunningham to keep coming at him.
A stunning right hook in the seventh round ended the fight.
It led to Fury’s famous ‘you can’t go swimming and not get wet’ in reference to trading blows with Cunningham.
And he could be repeating that again after Wilder III this weekend.
Fury was floored for only the second time in his career by Steve CunninghamCredit: Action Images – Reuters
The Gypsy King soon turned the tables and ended up KO’ing Cunningham in the seventhCredit: AP
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Martin Rogan – April 2012
There was a belt on the line in this 2012 scrap – the Irish heavyweight strap.
Fury, at 23, came into the fight 17 years Rogan’s junior, and as the rounds wore on the Gypsy King had slowed the Irishman down to a halt.
Rogan had produced the better work in the opening couple of rounds, but by the fifth it was all one way traffic.
After being floored by a vicious body shot in the third, Fury once again went to the bread basked dropping Rogan again before the game veteran’s corner pulled him out.
Martin Rogan was destroyed by some ferocious body shots from FuryCredit: Pacemaker Press
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Marcelo Nascimento – February 2011
This was probably the most brutal KO of Fury’s career.
It was far from a polished performance before the fifht-round KO , with both boxers lunging wildly much to the crowd’s delight inside Wembley Arena.
But the Brazilian flagged in what proved to be his last round of the fight.
Fury mixed up body shots with hooks to the skull, and it was a monstrous right that sent Nascimento faceplanting to the canvas and Fury chalked up another KO win.
Marcelo Nascimento was sparked out by Fury in 2011Credit: Lawrence Lustig
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Bela Gyongyosi – 2008
Just two minutes into his pro debut in 2009, Fury had left Gyongyosi in a crumpled heap on the canvas.
Again it was a body shot that did the damage – Fury bringing those brutal shots back by destroying Wilder in their second fight.
Gyongyosi had seconds before beckon Fury in – which the Gypsy King gleefully agreed.
As many expected, Fury made light work on debut against Hungary’s Bela GyongyosiCredit: PA:Press Association
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Tyson Fury’s dad John tells Deontay Wilder his son will ‘retire him’ and warns he needs to learn from Anthony Joshua More