Heavyweight boxing

BOXING sensation Ryan Garcia has added some new ink to his body following his stunning comeback win over Luke Campbell.
The Golden Boy Promotions prodigy stopped the British lightweight last week with a vicious body shot.

Ryan Garcia’s new tattoo is of a lion wearing a crownCredit: INSTAGRAM@KINGRY

Ryan Garcia shared images of him getting his new ink with his millions of Instagram followers

Ryan Garcia scored a huge win over Brit Luke Campbell earlier this monthCredit: GETTY

Garcia, 22, showed the heart of a champion to recover from a second-round knockdown to finish the Olympic gold medallist in the seventh.
And the 135lb prospect has added a tattoo to his chest worthy of the grit and determination he showed in what was his toughest fight to date.
Garcia recently had a lion with a crown on its head permanently etched on his chest, appropriately putting it on his heart.
The baby-faced bruiser shared his new ink with his millions of Instagram followers, accompanying the post with crown and lion emojis.

Garcia’s revealing of his new tat came after he stunned the boxing world by revealing he intends to hang up his gloves when he’s 26.
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The WBC interim lightweight champion told Sirius XM: “I’m gonna move on to inspire people in a different way and to play my part in this battle against hate and confusion in America.”
Garcia’s sights are currently set on a showdown with fellow lightweight prospect Gervonta Davis, who he had a heated FaceTime call with during an appearance on the Hot Boxin’ With Mike Tyson podcast.

He told Davis: “Two rounds, baby, two rounds. Two rounds. You’re going to sleep.
“It’s not gonna hurt. I promise you it’s not gonna hurt. You’re gonna need a ladder to hit me. How tall are you? You’re 5-foot-5.

“You’re gonna need a ladder to hit me. You’re gonna need a StairMaster. Boy, you won’t be able to touch me.
“You ain’t never fought a 135er in your life. This is different. I don’t care what you say. You ain’t got nothing.”
Knockout artist Davis was incensed by Garcia’s rant, repeatedly saying: “We’re fighting next.”
That declaration was music to the ears of King Ry, who replied: “He said it. The world knows. He said it. Next fight. There’s no going back now.”

Ryan Garcia reveals he plans to win the fight against hate More

ANTHONY JOSHUA has started 2021 with a bang by showing off his devastating punch power in the gym.
The unified heavyweight champion is already training for a potential fight for the ages against long-time rival Tyson Fury.

Anthony Joshua has started 2021 with a bang as he showed off his devastating punch power in the gym

Anthony Joshua is already training for a potential fight with Tyson Fury

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Footage showed AJ on the pads, working on his jab, one-two combination and putting emphasis on a big left hook to the body.
It comes with Joshua braced for a double-header of fights with British rival Fury to determine who will be crowned undisputed king.
And while his sole focus is adding the Gypsy King’s WBC belt to his collection, AJ can’t help but look towards the future.

He told Sky Sports: “This isn’t the start of my career. I’m coming towards the end of my career.
“I’m not someone who lives in the moment and thinks that everything is just like for now.
“I’m always planning ahead so I’m coming towards the end of my career.
“Five years left and that’s basically an Olympic cycle.

“I’ve got an Olympic cycle and a little bit more left, so when you see the next Olympics happen is when I’ll be coming to the end of my career and the next generation will be coming through.”

Joshua, 31, and Fury, 32, are still in talks for a proposed double header, that could total £500million.
But with the UK hit with further coronavirus restrictions, promoter Eddie Hearn admitted the Battle of Britain could be hitting the road.
Hearn told the Mail: “Even before this current situation there was no guarantee we would do the first fight in the UK because it was almost impossible we would get clearance to have, say, 90,000 at Wembley in late May.
“Now it is far, far more likely that it will be abroad.
“There have been a lot of conversations between both sides in the past couple of weeks and we’re optimistic that we can tie up stuff in the next fortnight.”
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Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are still in talks for a proposed double header

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ANTHONY JOSHUA’s legacy will be defined by the fights he takes, and wins, in the next five years.
The unified heavyweight champion of the world recently revealed he intends to hang up his gloves before he hits the wrong side of 40.

Anthony Joshua celebrates his KO over Kubrat PulevCredit: AP

Anthony Joshua plans to retire from boxing well before he hits 40Credit: PA

The 31-year-old told Sky Sports: “Five years left and that’s basically an Olympic cycle.
“I’ve got an Olympic cycle and a little bit more left, so when you see the next Olympics happen is when I’ll be coming to the end of my career and the next generation will be coming through.”
For Joshua to be seen as a true heavyweight great, he must first see off all the remaining challengers in the division.
And there are five men, in particular, AJ has to trade leather with before it’s all said and done.

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Tyson Fury
A fight with Tyson Fury is one British boxing fans have been itching to see for years. And thankfully, it’s in the works.
Negotiations over the unification bout resumed after Joshua knocked out Kubrat Pulev last month and are progressing well.
Apart from Deontay Wilder, who is doing his utmost to land a trilogy bout with The Gypsy King, there’s absolutely no other reason this fight shouldn’t happen next.

Let’s just hope Wilder isn’t contractually entitled to a third bout with Fury so the long-running debate over the best heavyweight in the world can be settled this year.

Deontay Wilder
There’s simply been too much trash talk between Joshua and Wilder for this fight not to come to fruition.
The pair were at loggerheads long before Fury returned to the fray, although Wilder hasn’t mentioned his fellow Olympian for some time now.
Stylistically, Joshua vs Fury is a fascinating match-up that has all the ingredients to be an absolute fire fight.
And despite Wilder’s emphatic dethroning at the hands of Fury, there’s still some fan interest in the match-up.

Oleksandr Usyk
Former undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk might be a small heavyweight, but he still poses a sizeable task for Joshua to overcome.
The Ukrainian’s footwork and ability to cut angles, which were on full display in his decision win over Derek Chisora last November, would likely cause the often flatfooted Joshua some serious problems.
Regular observers of Usyk – the mandatory challenger for the WBO strap – are all too aware of this and are eager to see how Joshua would handle the slick operator.

Oleksandr Usyk’s footwork would be a real problem for Anthony JoshuaCredit: Mark Robinson
Andy Ruiz Jr
Like it or not, Joshua still has a score to settle with Andy Ruiz Jr – the man responsible for handing him his first professional loss.
There was no doubting he was the better man in their rematch in Saudi Arabia in December 2019.
But with the score level at one win apiece, can he truly say he’s better than Mexico’s first heavyweight champion without sharing the ring with him again?
And let’s not forget the condition Ruiz Jr – who had clearly been enjoying the high life after his stunning upset win – came in for his second showdown with AJ.
Despite the dominant nature of his Saudi revenge job, Joshua has to run this one back again.

Anthony Joshua put on a clinic in his rematch with Andy Ruiz JrCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Dillian Whyte
While we’re on the topic of trilogy fights, Joshua still needs to settle the score with fellow Brit Dillian Whyte.
If you count their amateur meeting in 2009, the series between Joshua and Whyte is level.
One could argue there’s no cause for a third fight as Joshua brutally knocked out The Bodysnatcher in their 2015 showdown.
But given the improvements Whyte has made since that setback, with the exception of his recent loss to Alexander Povetkin, a third fight with AJ is still marketable.
And I’m sure there’s few things Joshua would love more than to silence his domestic rival once and for all.

Anthony Joshua knocked out Dillian Whyte in December 2015Credit: Getty

Anthony Joshua ‘locked in’ as he trains for potential Tyson Fury blockbuster in weighted vest and chains More

ANTHONY JOSHUA has been warned he cannot fight Tyson Fury in the same way he did against Andy Ruiz Jr and Kubrat Pulev.
Joshua and Fury are on course to agree a historic undisputed title decider, which would have the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO belts on the line for the first time in heavyweight history.

Anthony Joshua knocked out Kubrat Pulev in round nine Credit: AP:Associated Press

Anthony Joshua beat Andy Ruiz Jr on points in 2019 Credit: Getty Images – Getty

AJ will come into the Battle of Britain off the back of beating Andy Ruiz Jr and Kubrat Pulev.
In both wins, he showed off a reformed patient and cautious style – ditching his traditionally aggressive and rugged approach.
But trainer Johnathon Banks – who corned Wladimir Klitschko against AJ and Fury – fears those tactics will not work in the biggest fight in British boxing history.
Banks told SunSport: “The fight is huge. I don’t care where you put it but especially if you put it in the UK, that’s huge.

“Fury is the only one that’s undefeated, so you have to give the edge to the undefeated guy, I’m assuming.”But it all depends on how AJ wants to fight. He can’t fight Fury like he fought Andy Ruiz in the second fight.”And he definitely can’t fight Fury how he just fought Pulev the last fight. He has to figure out another way of fighting Fury.”If AJ was to be real physical, that would be, to me, one of the best ways to fight him.”
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Banks watched Joshua pick himself up off the deck and practically beat Klitschko into defeat during their 11-round classic in 2017.
But two years beforehand, Fury jabbed and moved his way to a shock upset over the legendary Ukrainian, which sparked a new dawn in the blue ribbon division.

The Gypsy King famously won the battle of mind games before facing Klitschko in the heavyweight icon’s adopted home of Germany.
Along with his dad and uncle, Fury refused to fight until a layer of foam was taken out of the ring canvas, which they believed was inserted to halt his tricky footwork.
And Klitschko, now 44, again let his head rule over his heart with Joshua, as he refused to step on the gas at Wembley after dropping the Brit in the fifth.
He opted to take a more measured approach, but it only saw him surrender the heavyweight throne and sent into retirement.
It still leaves Banks – who nows trains middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin – equally frustrated when looking back at what went wrong in their final two fights.

Wladimir Klitschko was beaten by Tyson Fury in a 2015 upset Credit: AFP or licensors

Anthony Joshua stopped Wladimir Klitschko in 2017 Credit: Splash News

Wladimir Klitschko pictured with trainer Johnathon BanksCredit: Getty Images – Getty
He said: “On the one hand I knew we had issues in the ring before Fury and I knew we’d have issues in the fight.
“And on the other hand in the AJ fight, I knew Wlad could win but I just wanted him to go for the knockout when I told him to.
“But he didn’t get him at that particular time so that was a little bit frustrating but things happen sometimes in boxing’s that out of your control.”
Joshua, 31, and Fury, 32, are still in talks for a potential double header, that could total up to £500million.
But amid coronavirus restrictions in the UK, the nation’s two biggest boxing stars could be set for an away fixture.
A venue and date appears one of the biggest hurdles left to resolve, after the rivals agreed in principle a 50/50 split of the prize money.

Eddie Hearn casts doubt over Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury happening in UK More

BOXING champ Terri Harper had her gym raided by police after it was wrongly claimed it was open to the public.
Gyms across the nation are closed to the public following the Government’s decision to implement a third lockdown to combat the spread of coronavirus.

Terri Harper’s gym, which is owned by Stefy Bull, left, was raided by policeCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

Professional athletes, however, are allowed to continue using them under Government guidelines.
But three members of the public were seemingly unaware of that when they informed the police that Harper’s gym in Doncaster – which is owned by her trainer Stefy Bull – was still open.
Bull was left fuming, writing on Facebook: “5 police card and 12 police offers have turned up to my gym tonight after receiving not 1, not 2 BUT THREE reports (grasses) that our gym is open to the public.
“Gym is NOT open to the public it’s open to professional boxers – under the government ruling elite athletes can train as it’s a place of work.

“So for you THREE grasses police left politely as everyone in the gym was professional Boxers and coaches.
“Thanks to my friends Jimmy James Harrington and Ray Doyle for dealing [with the] situation in my absence.”
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WBC and IBO super-featherweight queen Harper was last in action last November, successfully defending her titles against Norway’s Katharina Thanderz.
Harper stopped the challenger in the ninth round with a vicious flurry after landing a crippling body shot.
After the fight, the Doncaster destroyer said: “That has made my year.
“I knew it would be a tough night and I hurt my back hand in the fourth round so I just jabbed and moved.

“I felt more mature and maybe it was because it was my 24th birthday just last week!”
Harper currently doesn’t have a fight booked, although a rematch with former Team GB standout Natasha Jones – who she fought to a draw last summer – is still very much on her mind.
Speaking ahead of the Thanderz fight, the undefeated Harper said: “I just fight who I’m told to fight.
“Thanderz was called as mandatory so that’s it. I’ve had my eye on her a good few months, maybe a year as a potential opponent so it’s not like she’s just popped out of nowhere.
“I learnt a lot after my last fight in many ways and I do want that rematch with Tasha down the line and also unifications.”

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WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO has hinted he could make a sensational return to the ring – but it would take a whopping £75million payday to lure him out of retirement.
The Ukrainian, 44, retired from the sport in August 2017 – three months after suffering an 11th round TKO loss to Anthony Joshua at Wembley.

Wladimir Klitschko has hinted he could make a return to the ringCredit: Getty

Wladimir Klitschko retired three months after losing to Anthony JoshuaCredit: PA:Press Association

Klitschko has repeatedly teased a comeback over the last few years and recently dropped another hint he could return to the ring in a motivational Instagram post.
He said: “I’m sending nothing but positivity and prosperity to all of you, especially those tragically impacted, 2020 punched and humbled all of us to the core.
“You know what people love seeing more than anything in the world? A COMEBACK!
“I want to see you all comeback strong in 2021!”

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Despite being the wrong side of 40, Dr Steelhammer reckons he can still mix it with the heavyweight division’s elite.
Last year, he said: “I still got it. Can I fight? Yes. Right now I keep my options open.
“There is going to be no comeback to come back and to break a jaw… it’s a comeback to break a record.

“Is it appealing? I would say yeah, it’s pretty cool. George Foreman did it. He was 45 I believe when he became champion, and it’s a pretty cool statement.”

In 2019, Klitschko reportedly received a £40million offer from DAZN to lace up his gloves again.
But according to the former unified heavyweight champion’s older brother, Vitali, it will take a whopping £75million offer to tempt out of retirement.
He told Abendzeitung: “When the news came that a TV channel had offered 40million dollars to Wladimir to make a comeback, I called him and asked what was going on.
“He said, “This is an offer that does not really interest me’.
“When, a few weeks later, I was talking about an 80million dollar offer, I called again and asked, “What is the situation now?”
“He said, ‘This is not an offer that changes my mind, maybe I’ll start thinking about it at 100 million dollars’.
“Never say never – and that has not changed in his status as a boxing retiree at the moment.”

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TYSON FURY has blasted Anthony Joshua for thinking he could succeed in any era of the heavyweight division.
The WBA, WBO, and IBF champion took to social media where he made the bold claim as he uploaded two photos of his ripped physique.

WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury tore into Anthony Joshua on TwitterCredit: Richard Pelham

Joshua, 31, captioned the images: “A great modern day fighter will be able to compete in any era.”
And Fury was quick to reply on the post as he referenced his defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019.
The 32-year-old said: “A great? My a***! You got ktfo by a chubby kid who had 3 weeks notice.
“You are a (sic) great at looking good on pics I must say whit whooo…..xxx.”

Before following up by tweeting: “That you out the window then chump!”
Boxing fans also shared the same view as the unbeaten WBC champion, as one user told Joshua: “You have to prove yourself as a great modern day fighter first.”
Another messaged: “You’d certainly compete, but you would lose to Ali, Holmes, Frazier, Foreman, Tyson, Lewis, Holyfield, Bowe…”
A third added: “The great Ali would knock you out without breaking a sweat calm it.”

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Though some were quick to defend AJ against the two-time Ring champion, as one said: “Fury isn’t fit to lace Joshua’s boots tbh.”
Meanwhile one remarked: “Coming from the guy whose fought only two top fighters
Another quipped: “Can you two stop flirting and announce a date please.”
Both men agreed to a two-fight deal last summer with a 50-50 split for the first bout and a 60-40 split going to the winner for the rematch.
Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn revealed last month that the two are close to agreeing a match-up in May or June with talks ‘progressing really well’.
Though in a blow for boxing supporters, Hearn believes that the eagerly-awaited contest is likely to take place outside of the UK due to the latest coronavirus lockdown.

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TYSON FURY will wipe the floor with Anthony Joshua in their heavyweight title unification bout, according to the WBC king’s little brother Tommy.
Negotiations over the long-awaited Battle of Britain resumed after Joshua’s ninth-round KO win over Kubrat Pulev in December and both parties are confident an agreement will soon be reached.

WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is on a collision course with Anthony JoshuaCredit: PA

Tommy Fury reckons his brother Tyson will wipe the floor with Anthony JoshuaCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

And former Love Island star Tommy reckons the fight will be the ‘easiest’ of his brother’s professional career.
He told The Daily Mail: ‘It’s definitely going to be a good fight but I’ve always said, from day one, it will be his easiest fight and I have no doubt about that.
“Joshua is tailor-made for Tyson, what a great build-up it’s going to be and what a great fight.”
Fury claimed the WBC title last February with a scintillating seventh round TKO of then-champion Deontay Wilder.

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But Tommy reckons Wilder – who has sought mediation to land a trilogy fight – is a far tougher opponent than AJ.
When asked if he thinks a fight with Joshua will be easier for The Gypsy King than his two encounters with Wilder, he added: “Yes, by a mile.
“Wilder would have knocked out Joshua within two or three rounds.

“I know it’s heavyweight boxing and you can never say never, but there is nothing in that fight against Joshua that worries me for Tyson, especially like the Tyson I’ve seen now.
“He can walk through walls, he’s invincible and it’s going to take some man to beat him and I haven’t seen him being born yet. To beat Tyson, you’re going to have to kill him.
“The only way you’re beating him is if you knock him out cold and he’s already been hit by the biggest puncher that’s ever lived.
“So how’s Joshua going to do it? He isn’t, so I think it’s going to be a very easy night for him.”

Tyson shares his brother’s confidence about the fight, telling Sky Sports: “I don’t think he is as good as people talk him up to be.
“And I don’t believe he believes it himself, I think he has a confidence issue after two shaky performances and boxing is all about form.
“On his last two fights he is not in form and, on my last two, I am.
“Momentum is with me and, because of that, I believe I take him out early, very early, maybe inside one or two rounds.”

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