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      Anthony Joshua weighs in at career heaviest for Jermaine Franklin fight as fans say ‘this isn’t even fair’

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA is fighting Jermaine Franklin at the heaviest weight of his career as he bids to blast him out.AJ – at 18st 3lbs – has packed on almost a stone to blast Jermaine Franklin out in his comeback bout, after consecutive Oleksandr Usyk loss, in a one-sided war.
      Anthony Joshua weighed in at 18st 3lbsCredit: Reuters
      While his opponent Jermaine Franklin weighed in at 18st 5lbsCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Franklin came in at 16st 10IbsCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Listen to free live commentary of Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin on talkSPORT. Download the app.
      AJ was 244lbs – 17st 6lbs – for the heartbreaking second Usyk defeat in August and 240lbs for the original loss 11 months earlier in Tottenham.
      But the 33-year-old marched into West London on Friday a hulking 255lbs – 1lb heavier than his previous most hefty against Carlos Takam in 2017 – and warned the 29-year-old American it’s going to be a brutal battle.
      He said: “I’ve got my gameplan, I’ve got my mind right.
      “I am ready for war.
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      “I know I can knock him out but I follow the process.”
      AJ admitted after the Takam fight that he had only ballooned up because the Frenchman was a last-minute replacement for Kubrat Pulev and he took his eye off the ball.
      But under aggression-loving Derrick James he seems to have packed on powerful muscle on purpose, to return to his most savage glory days.
      Franklin, 234lbs had been working in a roof insulation company when the call to fight Dillian Whyte in November came and landed in London a flabby 18st 5lbs.
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      But after being given a proper training camp for this life-changing opportunity, he ditched his beloved red meat and sugar and dropped 25lbs pounds to look lean and mean in Shepherds Bush on Friday.
      Fans have taken to social media to discuss AJ’s weight.
      One tweeted: “Franklin will get smoked. This isn’t even fair.”
      A second commented: “It’s a non contest.”
      While a third said: “AJ is the next Ivan Drago clone. True warrior, ducks no one. Fought the best.”

      🥊 Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin – Date, live stream, TV channel and all you need to know about heavyweight bout
      Franklin is hoping to catch AJ flat just like Andy Ruiz Jr.
      The chubby Mexican stunned AJ in 2019 but handed the three belts back after six months of scoffing and partying.
      Fellow underdog Franklin has gone the other way and dropped 25lbs for his shot at the British icon.
      He plans to catch Joshua with jetlag but he promises a shock victory would not be a first-class ticket back to obesity.

      “I like Andy but he just dropped the ball completely,” Franklin laughed.
      “I don’t know if he had people in his ear, or was it just the lights that got to him? 
      “But it won’t happen to me, no way at all.
      “He has a rematch clause if he loses but I won’t be blowing that if it happens?”
      When Franklin last visited to fight Whyte in November, he was rocked by the flight and time difference, floored for a fortnight and visited the doctors.
      So he’s shocked our Watford ace only flew back from his Dallas camp last Thursday and took only 10 tens to reacclimatise.
      “Last time I couldn’t probably do anything for like four rounds,” he said.
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      “I felt like I’d been in the gym the whole day. My body would just be extremely exhausted. I had no energy.
      “If Joshua has only just come in last week then maybe he has the same problem, maybe I catch him cold and early.” More

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      What does Mike Tyson’s face tattoo represent?

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      MIKE Tyson rose to fame for his boxing skills but is also instantly recognisable because of his face tattoo.The star has revealed in the past what his iconic tattoo means to him, but what does it represent?
      Mike has multiple tattoosCredit: EPA
      When did Mike Tyson get a face tattoo?
      Mike Tyson got his iconic face tattoo when he had his fight with Clifford Etienne.
      He got the ink in 2003 after his 50th victory.
      What does Mike Tyson’s face tattoo represent?
      During an interview in 2012, Mike explained what the meaning behind his face tattoo is.
      He said: “I just thought it was a cool tattoo. I was going to get a bunch of hearts and stuff. That would have been really stupid. I was going to be the man of hearts, baby. I was very close. Victor Perez, the tattoo artist, said, I ain’t doing that. I can’t do that.
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      “I said, ‘what do you think I should get?’ Because I was confused. Victor Perez is a good guy and said, ‘come back in a couple of days. I’m going to try and write up some stuff.’
      “I waited around, and two days later, he called and said, ‘Mike, I’ve got some tribal stuff.’ I said, ‘Woah, put another one over there.’ I was like, ‘this is cool; I like this.’ So he did it.”
      The tattoo takes inspiration from the traditional Maori tribe from New Zealand.
      Tyson’s tattoo covers the left side of his face and features tribal symbols.
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      It is also thought to represent strength, courage, and resilience.
      Does Mike Tyson have any other tattoos?
      Mike has some other tattoos as well as his face ink.
      He has the face of the Chinese leader Mao Zedong on his right arm as well as the portrait of Argentina Marxist Che Guevara on his ribcage.
      On Mike’s left forearm there is a tattoo of his ex-wife Monica Turner.
      The pair got married on April 19, 1997 but they legally separated on January 14, 2003.
      Monica had filed for divorce from Mike in January 2002, claiming that Mike had committed adultery during their five-year marriage.
      On his right shoulder, Tyson has Arthur Ashe who was a popular tennis champion, also known for being the founder of the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the defeat of AIDS. More

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      Usyk’s purse for doomed Tyson Fury fight revealed but Ukrainian would have earned three TIMES as much in Saudi Arabia

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      OLEKSANDR USYK’s purse for his axed fight with Tyson Fury has been revealed.The undefeated Ukranian was due to throw down with the Gypsy King in a historic undisputed heavyweight title fight – the first in nearly 25 years – on April 29.
      Oleksandr Usyk’s showdown with Tyson Fury collapsed earlier this monthCredit: REUTERS
      The Ukrainian was set to make a cool £15million for the historic undisputed boutCredit: Getty
      Usyk is now in talks to face Brit Daniel DuboisCredit: AP
      But Team Usyk pulled the plug on the bout after being given the run around by the WBC heavyweight champion and giving into his outrageous 70-30 purse split demand.
      And Fury co-promoter Bob Arum has revealed the former undisputed cruiserweight king was in line to take home a cool £15million for the Wembley war.
      He told Steve Kim: “If Usyk was in London, he was pretty well guaranteed between £12m-£15m (close to being $20M).”
      Fury vs Usyk was originally due to take place in Saudi Arabia, with both fighters set to receive a 50-50 split of the lucrative purse.
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      And according to Arum, both men stood to make a whopping £48m for the desert dust-up.
      He continued: “But he [Usyk] had talked previously to the Saudis who were interested in doing this fight but not until the winter.
      “They had apparently agreed to pay him $60m.”
      Usyk, 36, is now in talks to face Brit Daniel Dubois – the mandatory challenger for his WBA heavyweight crown.
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      CASINO SPECIAL – BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023
      But Triple D could be offered a step-aside deal in order for Usyk to have a summer showdown with Fury.
      Fury and Dubois’ promoter Frank Warren told talkSPORT: “If Usyk remains undefeated then there is a chance to get that done if it goes on in Saudi.
      “The other option is – Daniel Dubois is now the official mandatory – if there was a step aside situation and do the fight in July.”
      Usyk and Fury’s failure to finalise their clash was recently slammed by Anthony Joshua – who returns to the ring on Saturday night.

      🥊 Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk – Date, live stream, TV channel and all you need to know about heavyweight bout
      AJ said: “Honestly, I just can’t believe that no fights have been made at championship level.
      “But I’m just so happy that I can get back to work and get on with my job.
      “I’m looking forward to this assignment and I can’t wait.
      “Honestly, I’m really looking forward to it.” More

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      What happened to boxing legend Mike Tyson and where is he now?

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      MIKE Tyson burst onto the boxing scene and was immediately dubbed “The Baddest Man on the Planet”.18-year-old Tyson took the boxing world by storm with his explosive style and lethal punch earning him the nickname “Iron Mike”.
      Mike Tyson became a legend of the sport due to his style and recordCredit: Getty
      What happened to boxing legend Mike Tyson?
      Mike Tyson had a boxing career that still stands out as one of the best in the sport to this day.
      He still holds the record as the youngest world boxing champion, having won his title at the age of 20-years-old.
      When he burst onto the scene two years prior to this, he quickly cemented himself a reputation as a knockout specialist.
      He became WBC world champion in 1986, sadly a year after his trainer Cus D’Amato had died of pneumonia at the age of 77.
      READ MORE ON MIKE TYSON
      Tyson soon added the WBA and IBF titles to his WBC crown, making him the undisputed champion of the world.
      In 1990, he suffered his first defeat when he lost to James “Buster” Douglas in Tokyo.
      His boxing career was put on hold in 1991 when he was sentenced to six years in prison for a sexual assault.
      When he returned to the ring in 1996 he won the WBC and WBA titles with wins over Frank Bruno and Bruce Seldon.
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      The two-time heavyweight champion lost successive fights to Evander Holyfield in 1996 and 1997 before a crushing defeat to Lennox Lewis in 2002.
      Two further back-to-back defeats against Danny Williams and Kevin McBride led to Mike Tyson calling time on his boxing career in 2005.
      Tyson retired with a record of 50 wins and 6 losses, with 44 of these victories coming by knockout.
      He went on to star in Hollywood films The Hangover and The Hangover Part 2, starring alongside Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis.
      Mike Tyson has six children, Mikey Lorna, Rayna, Amir, Miguel, Milan, and Morocco.
      The former world champion has been married three times.
      Firstly married to Robin Givens from 1988 to 1989, he went on to marry Monica Turner from 1997 to 2003.
      Currently, he is married to Lakiha Spicer and has been since 2009.
      Where is Mike Tyson now?
      Since retiring from boxing, Tyson has had a number of ventures.
      Becoming an actor saw him feature in many TV shows and films, often in cameo roles and has also starred in biographic films about his career.
      He went on a tour performing on stage in a show called Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth where he tells his life story.
      Tyson went on to set up his own boxing promotions company called Iron Mike Productions.
      In 2016, cannabis was legalised in California and the following year, Tyson opened “Tyson Ranch” and has since overseen the growth of his multi-million dollar cannabis empire
      As a result of his pastime, the former boxer ventured into the podcast business with “Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson”.
      The popular podcast still airs to this day.
      He also acts as an angel investor to a number of companies.
      Most recently, he has expanded his business empire by opening a coffee shop in Amsterdam called Tyson 2.0.
      What is Mike Tyson’s net worth?
      Mike Tyson, 56, is estimated to have accrued over $300million throughout his boxing career, but ended up losing it all.
      Forbes claim his total career earnings could even have been as high as $685million.
      Currently, his net worth is believed to be in the region of $15m.
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      I’m a ring girl just like my mum – I’m living my dream and set for biggest night of my career at Anthony Joshua fight

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      CHLOE ELLMAN-BAKER is following in the footsteps of her mother as she prepares to ring girl for the biggest fight of her career.Chloe, 23, will be helping run the show as Anthony Joshua returns to the ring on Saturday to take on Jermaine Franklin at the O2 in London.
      Chloe Ellman-Baker will be one of the ring girls for Anthony Joshua’s fight against Jermaine FranklinCredit: https://www.instagram.com/chloe.eb/?hl=en
      Chloe is following in her mother Julie’s (right) footsteps who was also a ring girlCredit: COLLECT – Chloe Ellman-Baker
      Julie was a ring girl for Chris Eubank’s 1992 win over Ron EssettCredit: COLLECT – Chloe Ellman-Baker
      Listen to free live commentary of Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin on talkSPORT. Download the app.
      Chloe will be entering the ring alongside fellow ring girl and close friend Alissa King-Underwood.
      But she is not the first from her family to take up the profession of ring girling.
      Chloe’s mum, Julie, 57, also worked for Matchroom and was a ring girl during Chris Eubank Sr’s 1992 WBO super-middleweight title win against Ron Essett as well as his fight against Nigel Benn in 1993.
      Julie also won a total of 13 beauty competitions as well as completing a modelling course with the Vogue modelling agency.
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      She was crowned Miss Worthing and Miss Eastbourne within four days of each other in 1984 and Miss Brighton in 1986 as well as many other titles.
      Chloe told SunSport: “My mum was actually one of the core Matchroom ring girls when she was 24, she worked for Barry Hearn and now it is a bit crazy that I work for Barry’s son (Eddie Hearn).
      “I have a picture of her bringing out a flag at a [Chris] Eubank fight.
      Mother Julie knew Eddie’s father Barry HearnCredit: Instagram @chloe.eb
      Chloe now works with Barry’s son Eddie HearnCredit: Instagram @chloe.eb
      “I remember first calling my mum up when I first ever got a Matchroom job and I was like should I take this, and she was like ‘Oh my god Chloe it’s Matchroom’.
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      “I actually saw Barry at an event the other week and I FaceTimed my mum while I was with him and I was like ‘mum do you want to say hi’.
      “The first time I ever met Barry, he came up to me to say hello and said ‘say hello to your mum’, so I called her and told her that Barry Hearn says hello.
      “He recognised me straight away without asking my name, so I must look like my mum.”
      Just like Julie, Chloe has also won beauty competitions, taking the titles for Miss Teen Diamond United Kingdom in 2019, as well as the Teen Miss Regency International in 2020 in Las Vegas.
      In 2022, the Brighton babe also won the Top model of England and the Queen of Europe in Egypt.
      She will be joined by Alissa King-Underwood (L)Credit: https://www.instagram.com/p/CqV03mMraZh/
      Chloe believes it is the biggest event of her career so farCredit: Matchroom
      Chloe was recognised by BarryCredit: https://www.instagram.com/chloe.eb/?hl=en
      As the pair met during a Matchroom eventCredit: Instagram @chloe.eb
      Now managed by SBJ Management, Chloe insisted that while she did not get “any links” from her mum, Julie’s career did inspire her to go into the business.
      She added: “You know what it is, she has a massive collage of all the big events she has been too, the celebrities she has met over the years and it has been up for a very long time.
      “I will always ask her questions about it and she said. ‘oh well Chloe I have decided to go into the promotional world and that is how I landed all these big jobs and events’, so that was really a conversation starter for us.
      “I thought while I am at this age and I can do all these really cool glamourous jobs, I want to do what my mum did.
      “So I didn’t get any links from her in regards to Matchroom, it was just pure coincidence and been the same on a few jobs as I work with the British Touring Cars as well.
      “Mum is really close with Jason Plato and she worked with him and last year I worked with him too.”
      BIGGEST NIGHT OF CAREER
      Chloe has insisted that AJ’s fight against Franklin is the biggest of her ring girl career so far, as well as jokingly suggesting she has got one over her mum.
      She said: “This one is definitely the biggest, it even tops the ones my mum done when she was at Matchroom.
      “So I was like ‘I am going to get one up on you mum’.
      “It is like a pinch-me moment.
      “The biggest to date that I had was the Joe Cordina fight in Wales, it was my first ever ring girl job and I did not really know what to expect.
      “But my now best friend Alessi (also ring girling at the AJ fight) was helping out and teaching me the ways.
      “It was an incredible fight and an amazing knockout from Joe Cordina, the atmosphere was electric, it got me so buzzing I did not sleep that night at all.
      “I text my mum asking if I should just drive home from Wales as I was not going to get any sleep.”
      PROUD MUM
      Julie could not be prouder of her daughter as she said: “I am incredibly proud that Chloe is a ring girl at the AJ fight on Saturday.
      “I remember those days so clearly, from the weigh-ins to the electric atmosphere of the nights. It was great working for Barry Hearn and now Chloe is working for his son Eddie.
      “Modelling promotions and beauty pageants create a fun, varied life which includes travelling and meeting such interesting people from all walks of life.
      “But it does not last forever so I am also very proud that she has a degree in Architecture and Interior Design to fall back on.”
      Chloe graduated from Portsmouth University with a first-class degree and for a time worked at a company while also working as a ring girl and grid girl at the British Touring Cars.
      On the fight itself, Chloe is backing AJ to return to winning ways as well as revealing what the 33-year-old is like outside of the ring.
      She said: “I don’t think I should say, but let’s be honest who does not love Anthony Joshua, I know he is an absolute beast in the ring.
      “He is such a gentleman outside of the ring. I met him a few fights ago when I was last ring girling last, and he is such a down-to-earth guy and I had a proper chat with him.
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      “He always has time for you, which is lovely.
      “I am really excited, I think he is going to smash it on fight night and I can’t wait to see him in action as this is my first AJ fight.”
      Chloe has also won beauty competitionsCredit: https://www.instagram.com/chloe.eb/?hl=en
      Chloe has over 16k followers on InstagramCredit: https://www.instagram.com/chloe.eb/?hl=en More

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      Camera crew burst out laughing at Eddie Hearn’s ‘cheesy’ act during filming of Anthony Joshua v Jermaine Franklin advert

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      A CAMERA crew was left in stitches after Eddie Hearn’s “cheesy” act during filming.Hearn was promoting Anthony Joshua’s bout against Jermaine Franklin at the O2 Arena on Saturday.
      Eddie Hearn left a camera crew in stitches with a ‘cheesy’ actCredit: DAZN

      Anthony Joshua will be facing Jermaine Franklin at the O2 Arena on SaturdayCredit: PA
      The promoter took part in a DAZN video to tell fans where they can watch the heavyweight clash.
      It started with Hearn saying: “Tyson Fury tells porky pies, Simon Jordan got dealt with and I was a bit harsh on Roman Kemp.
      “But, you already know that. What you may not know if how to watch Britain’s finest, Anthony Joshua fight Jermaine Franklin at the O2, this Saturday, April the 1st.”
      After Hearn gave all the details about the fight, he then picked up a mug of tea before taking a sip and winking at the camera.
      READ MORE ON ANTHONY JOSHUA
      He then remarked: “That was a bit f***ing cheesy weren’t it.”
      This saw the crew behind the camera burst into laughter before the video ended.
      Two-time heavyweight champ AJ believes he is fighting for his boxing career, and has taken on his fourth trainer in three fights in the hopes of getting back to winning ways after back-to-back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.
      Listen to free live commentary of Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin on talkSPORT. Download the app.
      Credit: SUNSPORT
      🥊 Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin – Date, live stream, TV channel and all you need to know about heavyweight bout
      He said: “I think Eddie’s right [last chance to rebuild]. Because how long can this run go on for, three or four years? And you know how quick time goes.
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      “We’re saying this now and we can look back in two years, three years, and be like f***ing hell where’s the time gone?
      “So, if I was going to do another run after this, you’re talking about fighting into my forties and I believe boxing is a young man’s sport.
      “It takes a real solid character like Bernard Hopkins, George Foreman, Wladimir Klitschko or Alexander Povetkin to go on into their forties.
      “But this is a run I want to make successful and then, hopefully, go out on top.”
      The fight itself is expected to get underway at around 10:30pm UK time. More

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      ‘It could all work in AJ’s favour’ – Anthony Joshua told how to secure Tyson Fury fight after Jermaine Franklin

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA returns to the ring on Saturday following back to back defeats to Oleksandr Usyk.And a dominant win over American fighter Jermaine Franklin could set up a mouthwatering all-British showdown with Tyson Fury.
      Anthony Joshua returns to the ring on Saturday against Jermaine FranklinCredit: PA
      An AJ win could set up a showdown with Tyson FuryCredit: PA
      Listen to free live commentary of Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin on talkSPORT. Download the app.
      That is the view of former two-weight world champion Carl Frampton.
      The two heavyweights came close to fighting in the summer of 2021 before the Gypsy King was forced into a trilogy bout against Deontay Wilder.
      Fury currently does not have a fight in the calendar after talks with Usyk over an undisputed bout broke down.
      And Frampton reckons a commanding Joshua win on Saturday night would be a call-out to Fury.
      READ MORE ON ANTHONY JOSHUA
      Writing in his BBC column, Frampton said: “I’m not saying a win against Franklin will automatically set up the Fury fight, but I would love to see a stern, clear call-out – ‘I want Tyson Fury next’.
      “Fury might also be in a position now where he feels like he has to take that fight.
      “He may feel AJ is an easier fight than the Usyk fight, which quite possibly it is.
      CASINO SPECIAL – BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023
      “I think it could all work in AJ’s favour.
      Most read in Boxing
      “It could also be a chance for both Britons to get people back on side as well.”
      Top Rank chief Todd DuBoef also reckons the AJ vs Fury bout is the “biggest fight in the world” and could still happen this year.
      However, Frampton declared Joshua going the distance with Franklin would not be enough to set up a fight with Fury.
      While he also suggested a defeat to the American, who was beaten by Dillian Whyte last November, could be the “end” for AJ.”
      He warned: “A points win is not good enough. I want to see him get rid of Franklin early, stand in the ring and call out Tyson Fury.
      “Fury-Joshua is still huge. A massive fight not just for British boxing but also on a global stage.
      “A loss, and I think that’s the end for Joshua. Where does he go from there?”
      Credit: SUNSPORT
      🥊 Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin – Date, live stream, TV channel and all you need to know about heavyweight bout More

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      Wayne Rooney texts me when he’s drunk asking me for boxing fights saying ‘I’ll fight him and him’ reveals Eddie Hearn

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      EDDIE HEARN says Wayne Rooney drunkenly texts him and asks him for fights.The Matchroom promoter is currently preparing for his star man Anthony Joshua’s return to the ring against Jermaine Franklin at The O2 on Saturday.
      Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney regularly asks for celebrity boxing matchesCredit: Mark Robinson – The Sun
      Eddie Hearn says he receives regular texts from the former strikerCredit: Splash
      Ahead of AJ’s comeback, Hearn appeared on this week’s episode of That Peter Crouch Podcast.
      Lots of talk centred around the heavyweight star and his upcoming battle with the shredded American Franklin.
      However, the conversation then switched to the growing market for YouTube and celebrity boxing.
      Crouch asked Hearn: “Could any footballers go into it?”
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      Hearn said: “Rooney can fight, I’ve spoke to Wayne.
      “When Wayne has a drink, he’ll message me and he’ll start going, ‘I’ll fight him and I’ll fight him,’ and I get excited.
      “Sometimes I get a message from Wayne saying, ‘Make me vs so and so, make that fight.’
      “I’ll look at it in the morning and go, ‘This is massive.’
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      “So I’ll message him back, ‘Few glasses of red or [are you serious?]’
      “Then he won’t reply and I’ll go, ‘Damn.’ But Wayne can fight.”
      The Manchester United legend, currently managing DC United in the USA’s MLS, is a well-known boxing fan and sat ringside for Tyson Fury’s win over Derek Chisora in December.

      Rooney was also infamously knocked out by fellow footballer Phil Bardsley after Sun Sport exclusively revealed a kitchen sparring video.
      The icon then hilariously recreated the knockout punch while celebrating a goal for the Red Devils just days later.
      Rooney memorably recreated his kitchen boxing antics after scoring in 2015Credit: Mark Robinson – The Sun More