Heavyweight boxing

ANTHONY JOSHUA will fight Oleksandr Usyk if Tyson Fury faces Deontay Wilder in a trilogy bout, revealed Eddie Hearn.
AJ defends his unified titles against Pulev on December 12 and Fury was due to make his homecoming a week prior.

Anthony Joshua will fight Oleksandr Usyk if Tyson Fury faces Deontay Wilder in a trilogy bout Credit: Getty Images – Getty

Usyk is Joshua’s WBO mandatory challenger Credit: ©Mark Robinson Ltd

But the Gypsy King’s return to a British ring was cancelled and he could instead be forced into an immediate rematch with Deontay Wilder, 35.
Wilder has lodged a mediation to salvage his crack at redemption and Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum revealed the WBC champion is now likely to fight in February.
It means a potential undisputed title decider – which was targeted for May – would have to be backdated.
But Joshua’s matchmaker Hearn confirmed they have no plans to wait for Fury to have a fight beforehand.

Asked what AJ will do if Fury has to face Wilder, Hearn told iFL TV: “Fight Usyk.
“But we want the Fury fight, I can’t make that any clearer. The only fight that AJ wants if he beats Pulev is Tyson Fury.”
If Fury, 32, is to return to the ring early next year, Hearn warned Joshua, 31, will fight at the start of the summer, with or without him.
He said: “We can’t wait around, so just hold your horses until December 12.

Fury may be forced into a trilogy bout with Wilder Credit: PA:Press Association

“That’s they key date in the heavyweight calendar because if AJ can beat Puelv we want to make that fight (Fury) immediately for late spring or early summer of 2021.
“We don’t want to wait around for him to have another interim fight.
“The path was very clear; he was fighting on December 5th, he told everyone he was fighting no matter what, blah, blah, blah and we’re fighting December 12.
“Then we’re fighting each other. So it’s not, OK, we’ll fight on December 12 as he planned and promised and then you fight in March and we’ll see what happens.
“We’ve got the Usyk situation to sort out. As soon as we finish our fight, Usyk will be saying, ‘I’m mandatory now. Come on WBO let’s go’.
“Straight after our fight we need to know, do you want that fight next or not? And the answer has to be yes.”

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DEONTAY WILDER said Dillian Whyte is ‘obsessed’ with him as he vowed to face the Brit if his Tyson Fury trilogy is cancelled.
Wilder was dethroned of the WBC belt by Fury in February but was already signed to an immediate rematch.

Deontay Wilder said Dillian Whyte is ‘obsessed’ with himCredit: Rex Features

Whyte has a long history with former champion Wilder Credit: Reuters

But as the third fight of the series was backdated amid the coronavirus pandemic, the stipulation expired.
Wilder has now initiated a mediation to desperately salvage his crack at redemption.
But if his case is thrown out, there is only one man he wants to fight as an alternative.
Wilder told the Last Stand Podcast: “Dillian Whyte, I want Dillian Whyte and I want Dillian Whyte. The dude is obsessed with me, man.

“It feels like he acting like we went together and then we had a bad break up which we can’t get over.
“Maybe I have some good p**** or something, I don’t know? No homo.
“He always tried to come out with lies and all this. I’m the man that he wants to be, I’m the man that a lot of these fighters want to be.”
Wilder, 35, and Whyte, 32, have a long history dating back to 2017.

I want Dillian Whyte. The dude is obsessed with me, man.
Wilder on Whyte

During that time, Whyte was the WBC’s No1 ranked challenger but was never given a title shot.
As he waited, and Fury instead successfully challenged for the belt, he was eventually made mandatory.
In the end, Whyte’s guaranteed shot at the belt went up in smoke as he was knocked out by Alexander Povetkin.
He is set to rematch the 41-year-old Russian next year, after their initial date this weekend was axed after Povetkin tested positive for Covid-19.
Wilder also has a nervy wait as a decision on his trilogy with Fury is expected to be delivered this week.
If he is unsuccessful, Andy Ruiz Jr, Oleksandr Usyk, Joseph Parker and Robert Helenius are among the names he would want to fight instead.

Tyson Fury dethroned Wilder of the WBC belt in February Credit: Getty Images – Getty

Alexander Povetkin knocked out Whyte in August Credit: Mark Robinson Ltd
Wilder explained: “Ruiz will be one on the list, as far as hype – Helenius could be one of them – he could come back and get the hype.
“You got Parker, you’ve got Usyk and I would love to fight him. He called me out at one point in time.
“There’s a lot of guys on the list and when that phone rings, just accept that opportunity.
“Ain’t nothing nobody can say now. ‘Oh, I don’t want to fight him now?’
“No; you could have fought me, let’s keep that clear. Let’s make it clear, Wilder don’t run from nobody and never has. Never will.
“But we will see what happens man, it’s going to be exciting whatever happens.
“I’m an exciting fighter and I am must-see TV regardless and it all will reveal itself.”

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MIKE TYSON will wear iconic blank trunks in a nod to his 1980s world champion years for his comeback fight with Roy Jones Jr.
Iron Mike returns to the ring on November 28 for the long-awaited bout aged 54.

Mike Tyson will wear his iconic black trunks – made famous during the 1980s – for his comeback fight against Roy Jones JrCredit: Getty – Contributor

And he looks set to be back in his famous black shorts for the exhibition fight.
Tyson made the classic trunks part of his image during his years at the top of the sport.
Plenty of iconic photos from the late 1980s when he was at his absolute peak are complete with the simple all-black design – a far cry from the glitzy outfits of the modern era.
And as well as having the throwback black shorts, it looks as though The Baddest Man on the Planet will also be boasting a physique in November not dissimilar to the one he had at his world-champion best.

Pictures from training show the incredible body transformation he has gone through to get ready for his comeback, shedding the pounds and packing on the muscle by hitting the gym hard.
The fight against Jones Jr will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Thanksgiving weekend.
It is the first time Tyson has stepped back into the ring since ending his professional career in 2005 with defeat to Kevin McBridge.
The fight will be contested over eight, two-minute rounds.

No headguards will be worn but the fighters will be wearing larger 12-ounce gloves.
Technically the fight can only be stopped if there is a knock-out, but California State Athletic Commission executive director Andy Forster said he will stop it as soon as a cut appears.
But Tyson said: “We’re throwing punches at each other. This is going to be my definition of fun. Broken eye sockets, broken jaw, broken rib. That’s fun to me.”

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DAVE ALLEN released the moment Oleksandr Usyk left him “knocked out” after a left hand in sparring.
The British heavyweight – who announced his retirement from boxing aged 28 – helped Usyk prepare to fight Derek Chisora.

Dave Allen released the moment Oleksandr Usyk left him ‘knocked out’ after a left hand in sparring

Allen was caught with a left hook as he had his hands down

But Allen revealed on his Instagram story that he was left ‘unconscious’ while sharing the ring with the former cruiserweight king.
He then released the actual footage of the punch, which did not leave him floored, but “for all intents and purposes” KO’d.
Allen captioned the post: “Here is the spar with me and Usyk, was the last spar and if you can hear at around the 5 second mark I do a very loud snore.
“This is my last idea of what happened for the next 30 minutes but I didn’t go down and I finished the round but for all intents and purposes I’m knocked out from the second the left lands.”

In the clip, Allen walks towards Usyk with his hands down and was made to pay as a left hook landed right on his chin.
He then stumbles back and eventually walks forwards where Usyk appeared to hold him up and check if the the Englishman was OK.
Allen continues on but classy Usyk refrained from throwing a punch until the round was over.
The Doncaster fan-favourite retired with an 18–5–2 record with his biggest win against former WBA ‘Regular’ champion Lucas Browne.

Allen (right) helped Usyk prepare to fight Derek Chisora

But he admitted the sparring session with Usyk – who beat Chisora on points – was the ‘last straw’ in his decision to retire.
He said: “To be honest, when I sparred Usyk he knocked me unconscious.
“I never went over, I finished the round. But I can remember him hitting me.
“The rest of the round – next thing I knew I was stood outside the ring, packing my bag.
“I was concussed, so that was the last straw. I’m not an idiot so I know when it’s time to finish.
“Yeah, a lot of money could’ve been made, but at what cost? Being embarrassed. Being hurt is one thing, but being embarrassed is another.”

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