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      Football cult hero Adebayo Akinfenwa handed surprise new job in completely different sport

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      FOOTBALL cult hero Adebayo Akinfenwa is set for a shock boxing debut.However, Akinfenwa won’t be joining a series of other senior athletes that have tried their luck in the ring.
      Football cult hero Adebayo Akinfenwa is set for a new role in a different sportCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      Adebayo Akinfenwa is crossing over to boxing for a non-fighting roleCredit: Rex Features
      According to talkSPORT, the Beast will be Wasserman Boxing’s MC and ring announcer for Friday night’s show on Channel 5.
      The striker will attend the boxing event, which will be headlined by Lyndon Arthur and Boris Crighton.
      This won’t be the first time the Islington-born star crosses over to the fight game.
      Akinfenwa also appeared on British promotion PROGRESS Wrestling last year.
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      The 40-year-old accompanied Olympic boxing star Anthony Ogogo for his fight against Malik at PROGRESS Chapter 145 – Wrestling Witch Face – Trick or Treat.
      The centre-forward announced his retirement from football in May after the League One play-off final, which saw his Wycombe Wanderers side lose 2-0 to Sunderland at Wembley.
      However, Akinfenwa returned to action less than a year later when he signed for Isthmian League side Faversham Town.
      The club stated: “Faversham Town F.C have landed a major coup, signing a hugely popular former professional striker.
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      “Adebayo Akinfenwa 40, joins the Lilywhites to further help bolster their frontline in their battle against relegation as he comes out of retirement.”
      The former Wimbledon star made his debut earlier this month against Lancing. More

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      Five biggest boxing fights that never happened including Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua and huge test for Mike Tyson

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      BOXING fans took another gut punch following the collapse of Tyson Fury’s fight with Oleksandr Usyk.The historic title unification would have seen all four heavyweight belts at stake for the first time in history.
      Tyson Fury facing off with Oleksandr UsykCredit: REUTERS
      But despite terms being agreed, talks broke down at the 11th hour amid a row over financials for a potential rematch.
      It proved to be a far too familiar story with yet another blockbuster bout facing the KO.
      Here, SunSport runs down five infamous tales of when fights failed to materialise.
      Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua
      Eerily similar, Britain’s two best had everything in place to unify the belts in Saudi Arabia in August 2021.
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      But Fury was contracted to a trilogy bout against Deontay Wilder, which the American forced through following a lengthy court case.
      AJ instead went on to fight and lose to Usyk, who kept onto the belts in their subsequent rematch.
      It set him up to replace Joshua in a fight with Fury – who had beaten Wilder again – but we have all seen the sad state of recent affairs.
      Although in a shock twist, AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn hopes the collapse of talks with Usyk could see Joshua instead fight Fury next.
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      Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have failed to fightCredit: AFP
      Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder
      The year is 2019 and it is Fury looking on from the outside with Joshua and Wilder owning the WBA, IBF, WBO and WBC titles respectively.
      And sports streaming service DAZN and Hearn were ready to prise Wilder over to jump ship.
      He was said to have been offered a three-bout deal – including a pair of fights with AJ – worth around £80m.
      But Wilder opted to reject it and stay with PBC and Showtime, going on to twice lose to Fury in their trilogy epic following their 2018 draw.
      The Bronze Bomber remains on the comeback trail with a score-settling showdown with Joshua among his current options.
      Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua are yet to fight
      Lennox Lewis vs Vitali Klitschko II
      Lewis was taken to the brink of defeat by Klitschko in their 2003 classic.
      But Klitschko was pulled out in round six following a horror cut, declaring Lewis the winner.
      The Ukrainian was ahead of the judges scorecards and in control of the bout, causing demand for a rematch.
      Klitschko went on to defeat Kirk Johnson and become mandatory for Lewis’ WBC title.
      But the British legend would later announce his retirement in 2004, causing the rematch to fall through.
      Vitali Klitscchko was beaten by Lennox LewisCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Lennox Lewis vs Riddick Bowe
      The heavyweight stars looked on course for a big rematch after Lewis beat Bowe in the 1988 Olympics.
      But the two could never see eye to eye in the professional ranks, meaning their super-fight went to waste.
      Quite literally when Bowe held a press conference in 1992 to throw his WBC belt in the bin to avoid facing Lewis.
      It meant Lewis was crowned the champion by the WBC but he never got the chance to share the ring with Bowe again.
      Only last year did the two appear to squash their near-four decade long feud as Bowe approached Lewis at a fight night and shook his hand.
      Riddick Bowe throwing the WBC belt in the binCredit: PA:Press Association
      Mike Tyson vs George Foreman
      Foreman was on a comeback trail in the 90s while Tyson struggled to keep consistency in his career.
      They even shared the same card in 1990 and looked on a collision course to clash.
      But Tyson would spend three years in jail for a 1992 while Foreman became the oldest heavyweight champ in history aged 45.
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      But by the time Tyson was released, Foreman soon lost his titles and later admitted he never really wanted to fight Iron Mike.
      He told ESPN in 2019: “If he missed you with his left, then missed you with his right, he’d bite you. I didn’t want to have anything to do with that. I didn’t want him.”
      George Foreman with Mike Tyson and Sugar Ray LeonardCredit: Facebook More

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      Anthony Joshua needed to be ‘helped up’ after being knocked out by David Price with a ‘big right hand’ in sparring

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      DAVID PRICE claimed Anthony Joshua had to be “helped up” after he knocked him out with a “big right hand” in sparring. The pair of British heavyweights were former training partners at Team GB’s Sheffield HQ.
      Anthony Joshua once admitted to being dropped in sparring by David PriceCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      And one session in 2011 stands out among them all as Price floored then-amateur champion AJ.
      Opening up on the incident, Price told iD Boxing: “I just caught him with a big right hand and down he went.
      “He had to get helped up, type of thing, and ushered out the ring.
      “And it was no big deal to me at the time, and there was no shame in that happening to you if I hit you.”
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      Joshua was one year away from winning Olympic gold in London, which later paved the way for two unified world title reigns in the professional ranks.
      And in 2018 he admitted to being put down by Price, just hours after leaving a police cell.
      Joshua revealed: “I had come out of a police cell the day I went up to training. I won’t use it as an excuse.
      “I was coming up to training camp, Thursday to Sunday, because I was on a development course.
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      “But I got nicked on the way to training camp – for just trouble – and I got out on the Saturday.
      “I started sparring as soon as I got up there, straight from the station, I do think he was very good at the time, very strong and I was making too many mistakes.
      “Those circumstances don’t help when you’re sparring an elite fighter.
      “I even had to get the train to Sheffield because they took my car – just to show my commitment. What I learnt was you cannot stop someone like me.
      “They say you have two types of fighters; those that get dropped and stay down.
      “But the ones you have to be wary of are the ones who keep on coming. You just cannot stop someone like that.
      I just caught him with a big right hand and down he went. David Price on flooring Anthony Joshua
      “I learnt it will take more than just power or durability to stop me.”
      Joshua, 33, is now set to return in the spring of 2023 following consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk, 36.
      AJ is scheduled to fight Jermaine Franklin at the O2 Arena on April 1.
      Meanwhile Price, 39, is currently retired and insisted he only ever made the sparring tale with Joshua public to chase a fight with the star.
      He said: “I never ever mentioned it until I started getting mentioned as a potential opponent for him in 2016 when he fought Erik Molina.
      “I was in the IBF top ten so it could have been a voluntary defence for him and I was calling for the fight and people were laughing at the thought of me fighting him, and that’s when I thought I’ll spill the beans then and let the people know that he isn’t indestructible.
      “Because at that time people thought AJ was the terminator and that he would never ever be hurt.
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      “Or it was this new generation of fans that people were talking about him and I thought I’d just let the cat out the bag type of thing.
      “Only for my own benefit, not to try and put him down it was to try and gain something from it myself. But it didn’t work out anyway, I didn’t get the fight.”
      David Price opened up about dropping Anthony Joshua in sparringCredit: Getty More

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      Oleksandr Usyk’s team send classy message to Tyson Fury after he reveals wife Paris is pregnant with seventh child

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      OLEKSANDR USYK’S promoter posted a classy message after Tyson Fury announced his seventh child is on the way.The Gypsy King revealed wife Paris is pregnant this week with a heartwarming snap of a date night they shared.
      The Furys announced Paris is pregnant with their seventh childCredit: Instagram / @parisfury1
      Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter Alexander Krassyuk, right, posted a touching message to the coupleCredit: Instagram @alex.krassyuk
      And despite falling out with Usyk’s camp over the collapse of his proposed fight with the Ukrainian, promoter Alexander Krassyuk has offered up his well wishes.
      He replied to Paris’ Instagram announcement saying: “Wow😍😍😍 Congrats mate @tysonfury. Great job. Wishing love, happiness and all the best to your family 👏.”
      Talks between the two parties failed this week with both blaming each other for the breakdown.
      Krassyuk accused Fury of making “unacceptable demands” which were disrespectful to a world champion like Usyk.
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      But Fury claimed Usyk was running scared and never wanted to fight him, suggesting he was “never man enough to tangle with the Gypsy King”.
      The WBC champion, 34, did not seem too bothered about the deal’s collapse as he enjoyed a date night with wife Paris on Thursday.
      He revealed his excitement with the pregnancy news saying: “All is not lost! I get to do date night with my beautiful pregnant wife Paris.
      “God is great. What a woman. Seventh incoming. Fantastic news to cheer me up.”
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      Paris, 32, most recently gave birth to one-year-old Athena in August 2021, who was placed in intensive care immediately after being born.
      The couple have two other daughters – Venezuela, 13 and Valencia, five.
      They also have three sons named Prince John James, nine, Prince Tyson II, six, and Adonis, four. More

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      Tyson Fury reveals wife Paris is pregnant with their SEVENTH child after Usyk fight blow

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      TYSON FURY has revealed that he and wife Paris are expecting their SEVENTH child.The Furys welcomed baby Athena to their clan in August 2021, with many expecting their young daughter to be their last child.
      Tyson Fury and wife Paris are expecting their seventh child
      The Furys welcomed baby Athena into the world last AugustCredit: INSTAGRAM@PARISFURY1
      Paris shared heartwarming images of Athena’s christening last AugustCredit: INSTAGRAM@PARISFURY1
      The Fury family is set to get a little bit bigger later this yearCredit: INSTAGRAM@PARISFURY1
      But they’ll be welcoming another bundle of joy into the world later this year.
      Tyson revealed the news on Instagram with a heartwarming snap of himself and Paris enjoying some snacks at the cinema.
      His accompanying caption wrote: “All is not lost!
      “I get to do date night with my beautiful pregant wife @parisfury1.
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      “God is great. Seventh baby incoming. Fantastic news to cheer me up.”
      Paris – Tyson’s childhood sweetheart – has yet to officially announce her latest pregnancy on her own social channels.
      Fury and Paris met at the age of 14 and married five years later when they were 20 and 19 respectively.
      Daughter Venezuela, 13, soon followed and were later joined by Prince John James, nine, Prince Tyson II, five, Adonis, four, and Valencia, three.
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      Baby Athena was born prematurely in August 2021 and died for three minutes before being revived by doctors.
      Tyson’s announcement of Paris’ latest pregnancy comes less than 24 hours after his heavyweight heartbreak.
      The Gypsy King’s eagerly-anticipated undisputed heavyweight title fight with Oleksandr Usyk collapsed on Wednesday after weeks of both teams trying to salvage the fight.
      Usyk agreed to Fury’s sensational purse demands but the historic showdown still failed to come to fruition, much to the annoyance of boxing fans.
      And an irate Fury took to Instagram on Thursday to vent his frustrations, saying: “Uysk, you proper little s***bag, bog-eyed, gappy-teethed, ugly little rat b*****d
      “You little slimy f****r. [You] tried all week to get out of it [the fight] begging for the rematch.
      “You proper little s***bag, bog-eyed, gappy-teethed, ugly little rat b*****d.
      Tyson Fury’s historic showdown with Oleksandr Usyk fell through this weekCredit: REUTERS
      The Gypsy King’s immediate fighting future is currently up in the airCredit: PA
      “You tried all week to get to it, begging like a little girl. You got your rematch and you didn’t even want to fight at that.
      “You little s***house p***y.
      “Always know, p****y, that you were never man enough to tangle with the Gypsy King ever in your life, you little s**thouse.
      “You little 14-stone coward. You little s***bag, you rat little b*****d.
      “Your full team know as well and all the lawyers have got [the] full information.
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      “You little ugly b*****d, keep running. Fight Dubois at the Copper Box, s**tbag.
      “And always know you, or anybody else like ya, could ever tangle with the Gypsy King.” More

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      Tyson Fury could RETIRE after undisputed fight with Usyk went up in smoke hints promoter Frank Warren

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      TYSON FURY could hang up his gloves following the collapse of his showdown with Oleksandr Usyk.The Gypsy King’s historic undisputed heavyweight title fight with the undefeated Ukrainian officially fell through on Wednesday after weeks of trying to resurrect the bout.
      Tyson Fury’s historic showdown with Oleksandr Usyk officially collapsed this weekCredit: Reuters
      The mouthwatering bout fell through after Fury’s constant moving of the goalpostsCredit: GETTY
      Promoter Frank Warren has revealed the Gypsy King could go back into retirementCredit: PA
      Fury, 34, is “down” following the collapse of the legacy-defining fight, so much so he could opt to bring down the curtain of his career.
      Promoter Frank Warren told SecondsOut: “Everything’s too raw at the moment.
      “Listen, he may retire. I don’t know what he wants to do. He’ll do whatever he wants to do.”
      Fury and Usyk were on course to crown an undisputed ruler of the heavyweight at Wembley on April 29.
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      The fight nearly went by the wayside when Fury demanded an outrageous 70 per cent split of the purse, which Usyk stunningly agreed to.
      The Gypsy King then demanded there be no rematch clause for the contest, a demand which has ultimately laid waste to the bout.
      WBC heavyweight king Fury took aim at the slick southpaw in an explosive Twitter rant on Thursday, saying: ”
      “Uysk, you proper little s***bag, bog-eyed, gappy-teethed, ugly little rat b*****d
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      “You little slimy f****r.
      “[You] tried all week to get out of it [the fight] begging for the rematch.
      “You proper little s***bag, bog-eyed, gappy-teethed, ugly little rat b*****d.
      “You tried all week to get to it, begging like a little girl. You got your rematch and you didn’t even want to fight at that.
      “You little s***house p***y.
      “Always know, p***y, that you were never man enough to tangle with the Gypsy King ever in your life, you little s***thouse.

      🥊 Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk – Date, live stream, TV channel and all you need to know about heavyweight bout
      “You little 14-stone coward.
      “You little s***bag, you rat little b*****d.
      “Your full team know as well and all the lawyers have got [the] full information.”
      The former unified heavyweight champ then taunted Usyk over his seemingly nailed-on showdown with mandatory WBA title challenger Daniel Dubois.
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      He continued: “You little ugly b*****d, keep running. Fight Dubois at the Copper Box, s**t bag.
      “And always know you, or anybody else like ya, could ever tangle with the Gypsy King.” More

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      Lawrence Okolie sets fire to his relationship with Eddie Hearn as he blasts him for ‘never stepping foot in a ring’

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      LAWRENCE OKOLIE remains close with mentor Anthony Joshua but has set fire to his relationship with Eddie Hearn.The 30-year-old WBO world cruiserweight champion has undergone a drastic overhaul of his career, parting with AJ’s 258 management team, the DAZN streaming app fronted by Joshua, and Hearn’s Matchroom promotional stable.
      Lawrence Okolie has claimed that Eddie Hearn does not understand everything about boxingCredit: Hamish Brown/SCTR
      As the boxing promoter has never stepped inside of the ringCredit: Rex
      Okolie only took up boxing after watching 33-year-old Joshua win the 2012 London Olympics, while working a shift in McDonalds. And he seemed close to Hearn after he guided him to a world title win in 2021.
      But, ahead of Saturday’s comeback bout against David Light after a year out settling these business disputes, Okolie explains his admiration remains for AJ but the same cannot be said of Hearn.
      The 18-0 Hackney ace said: “As people, me and Joshua are still friendly.
      “He’s someone that no matter what happens going forwards, I’m always going to have respect for. 
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      “My life has changed through his life if that makes sense. That’s something I’ll never take away from. Business is business. It is what it is. 
      “AJ is a fighter who understands certain things not like someone like Eddie – who has never been in a ring – will understand.”
      Okolie and fellow 2016 Olympian Joshua Buatsi have almost identical stories, coming from London, starring as amateurs, signing with AJ and Hearn and both recently leaving for Sky Sports, with plenty of bad blood.
      The always reserved and respectful Buatsi, 30, also parted on spikey terms, accusing Hearn of being deliberately misleading about his career.
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      And Okolie goes deeper, suggesting the way Hearn handles his fighters and the truth will have a negative effect on future generations of British fighters.
      “It’s not just about me and Buatsi,” he said. “If stuff keeps going the way it’s going then it will keep happening. 
      “I think what people need to understand is it is not about us. 
      “I’ve only got a few years in the ring left, god willing, then you have all the up-and-comers.
      “We went to a boxing gym on Wednesday, full of kids and we don’t know which one of them kids is going to be the next champion. 
      “They’re looking and wondering: ‘Why is Lawrence saying this, why is Buatsi saying this and why is the next person saying this?’ 
      “It’s just about helping the next ones that are coming through. That’s what we have to focus on.” More

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      Joe Rogan reveals reason Conor McGregor lost to Floyd Mayweather as UFC star accuses boxing legend of snubbing rematch

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      UFC commentator Joe Rogan reckons Conor McGregor came up short against Floyd Mayweather because he lacked ‘composure’.The MMA superstar entered the boxing world in the summer of 2017 to lock horns with the former five-weight world champion in a multi-million-pound bout aptly dubbed ‘The Money Fight’.
      Conor McGregor turned in a valiant display in his showdown with Floyd Mayweather in 2017Credit: GETTY
      But the MMA superstar ended up suffering a tenth-round TKO defeat to MoneyCredit: GETTY
      UFC commentator Joe Rogan reckons McGregor’s lack of ‘composure’ was his undoingCredit: GETTY
      McGregor started the contest well and landed some good shots on Money but ultimately succumbed to fatigue and was stopped in the tenth round of the Sin City showdown.
      And veteran UFC broadcaster Rogan reckons the Irishman would’ve had more success if he’d remained calm under the bright lights.
      During the latest episode of his Joe Rogan Experience podcast, he said: “He just wasn’t composed enough to go ten rounds with one of the greatest of all time.”
      Rogan was, however, impressed by McGregor’s display against the undefeated Mayweather, who is considered by many to be the greatest
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      He said: “Conor could’ve been a great boxer.
      “He could’ve been a great boxer. He’s got a tremendous uppercut, too.
      “The uppercut he caught Floyd with and he snapped Floyd’s head with.
      “Floyd was like, ‘Okay.’ That was legit. He just wasn’t composed enough to go ten rounds with one of the greatest of all time.
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      The greatest of all time.”
      McGregor, 34, has campaigned for a rematch with Mayweather in the years since their desert dust-up but the fight has yet to materialise.
      And The Notorious recently accused the boxing legend of going back on his word for a second bout.
      During an appearance on Fox Sports, he said: “That was the original [plan].
      “It was a verbal agreement, I box him, and he fights me.
      “But you know, he didn’t honour it. He didn’t honour it yet. Who knows?
      “I would go against him in another boxing bout, I’d like another crack at it.
      “I can always say it is another boxing fight and then just bend the rules a little bit when we’re in there maybe.”
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      MMA icon McGregor is set to return to the octagon later this year for a mouthwatering showdown with Michael Chandler, although a date for their clash has not yet been announced.
      The Dubliner hasn’t set foot inside the cage since breaking his leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021. More