Heavyweight boxing

ANTHONY JOSHUA and Dillian Whyte will renew a bitter heavyweight rivalry when they share the ring once again. Whyte beat Joshua in a 2009 amateur bout but was stopped six years later in the professional ranks.
Whyte has twice beat heavyweight rival Chisora in the ringCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Anthony Joshua with pal Derek ChisoraCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Now they settle the score on August 12 at the O2 Arena in a must-win fight for both men.
Derek Chisora had two thrillers with Whyte, 35, losing the first on points in 2016 before being knocked out two years later.
And he has also shared the ring with AJ on occasions in sparring, leaving him well placed to predict the bout.
Chisora, 39, said: “There are so many factors playing in this thing already.
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“We’re five weeks away from the fight. AJ’s doing an eight-hour flight to Vegas.
“He’s gonna get there, jet-lagged, get tired, come back on an another eight-hour fight here when Dillian will be in London, training in Manchester.
“I think that in the first two-three rounds, Dillian will cause a bit of a commotion on AJ, but AJ will just bite his gum shield and round eight-nine Dillian gets knocked out.”
Joshua, 33, heads into the rematch knowing he risks a super-fight in Saudi Arabia against Deontay Wilder.
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But AJ refused to look to Wilder, 37, or Tyson Fury, 34, as he hit out at the pair.
He said: “Wilder and them lot have been doing my head in for years, you’ve seen now the shenanigans in the heavyweight division – even with Fury, saying he was training for Usyk, you can see all the lies going on so I don’t waste my time with time wasters.
“I just want to fight, get on with it. I’m going to be 34 this year, let’s crack on while I’m here, I’m not going to waste my time waiting for people and chasing for people.
“Even from the amateurs you could see the trajectory I was on; ready to get down, ready to put my neck on the line and fight whoever and it is still like that.”
Anthony Joshua beat Dillian Whyte in 2015Credit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

TYSON FURY laughed off claims he should be STRIPPED of his world title and goaded: “Keep on hating motherf***ers.” Fury has faced backlash as he prepares to announce his next fight against ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou.
Tyson Fury laughed off claims he should be stripped of his world titleCredit: Instagram @tysonfury
Francis Ngannou is set to fight Tyson Fury nextCredit: Getty
Deontay Wilder’s coach and Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter are among those to say the WBC champion should have his belt taken away from him.
But Fury seemed unremorseful as he hit back at the criticism.
He said: “Hey guys, little bit of clarification.
“I hear there’s a lot of unknown, irrelevant people talking about how I should be stripped of me belt.
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“Ha ha ha! Don’t hate the player, hate the game. I don’t have a mandatory.
“When I do have a mandatory, it will be dealt with just like every other mandatory I’ve ever had. Until then, keep on hating motherf***ers!
“And enjoy the little, little, little, tiny bit of money you guys are making. All the big Gs in the house.”
Fury, 34, failed in talks to fight Usyk, 36, this year in what would have been the first four-belt unification in heavyweight history.
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Now Usyk defends his unified titles on August 26 against mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois, 25, in Poland.
Meanwhile Anthony Joshua, 33, returns in a rematch on August 12 against Dillian Whyte, 35.
And a super-fight with Wilder is lined up for December in Saudi Arabia, leaving Fury frozen out of the picture.
So the Gypsy King turned his attention to Ngannou, 36, with the pair set to confirm what is believed to be an exhibition bout.
Usyk’s promoter Alex Krassyuk told Seconds Out: “I don’t think it should be relinquished, no.
“He can be stripped for only one reason if he does not comply with the WBC rules.According to my understanding, he does.
“At least he did, he fought [Dillian] Whyte for the mandatory, and now they have to appoint a new mandatory because a new mandatory is not appointed.
“So, he is not actually breaking any rule of the WBC, but from a sports point of view he has to be stripped because he stays inactive for so long and he’s cheating people [by] announcing fights that don’t take place.”
Oleksandr Usyk with promoter Alex KrassyukCredit: Rex More

DILLIAN WHYTE left boxing fans in absolute stitches with an X-rated question to Eddie Hearn.The Brixton Body Snatcher faced off with Anthony Joshua at their first pre-fight press conference ahead of their rematch in London on Monday afternoon.
Dillian Whyte went face-to-face with Anthony Joshua on MondayCredit: Richard Pelham – The Sun
The Brixton banger asked Eddie Hearn a very X-rated during the presserCredit: Richard Pelham – The Sun
Whyte’s cheeky question sparked scores of laughter during the presserCredit: GETTY
Matchroom Boxing chief Hearn mediated the presser, which was less eventful than their first presser eight years ago.
And he found himself in Whyte’s firing line for snubbing him during his recent stopover in the USA – during which he visited AJ in Texas.
That led the former WBC heavyweight champion to say: “Can I ask one question: “What does AJ’s balls taste like?”
The entire room – Hearn included – burst into laughter following Whyte’s cheeky question.
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Hearn took the jibe in his stead and replied by saying: “You might find out on August 12th.”
That sparked even more laughter, including from Joshua – who said: “F**k around and find out”
Whyte made sure he didn’t let Hearn have the last word, saying: “I think he’ll be teabagging you on the 13th.”
Boxing fans were quick to comment on the hilarious exchange, with one saying: “You gotta love Dillian.”
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Another said: “Dillian doesn’t half come out with some funny stuff – doesn’t give a s**t.”
And another said: “Superb delivery from Hearn. Fair play.”
One remarked: “Eddie has ruined Dillian here.”
Another chimed in: “Hearn must have got flashbacks to when Haye put it on him at a presser lol.”
Whyte and Joshua will renew their rivalry at The O2 Arena on August 12 – nearly eight years after their British heavyweight title fight.

Former unified heavyweight champion AJ will look to use Whyte as a springboard for a multi-million-pound December dust-up with Deontay Wilder.
And he admits the stakes are extremely high for his second domestic showdown with his long-time rival.
He said: “It’s a huge night for my career. I’m gonna be victorious, 100 per cent.
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“That’s my goal, that’s my plan. And yeah, that’s my motivation.
“So yeah, I’m looking forward to it. Respect to the team. May the best man win.” More

CHARLES MARTIN still wants to exact revenge on Anthony Joshua – who he fought with a “BROKEN RIB” seven years ago.The American locked horns with the former two-time unified heavyweight champion back in April 2016 in his maiden defence of the IBF title.
Charles Martin locked horns with Anthony Joshua seven years agoCredit: REX
The American was stopped in two rounds at the O2 ArenaCredit: NEWS GROUP NEWSPAPER LTD
Martin has revealed he went into the fight with a ‘BROKEN RIB’Credit: AFP
The fight proved to be an ill-fated one for the ‘Prince’ era of the division, which an imperious Joshua ended in just two rounds.
Martin’s disappointment with his performance that fateful night at The O2 remains, so much so that he’d rematch AJ for FREE.
The St Louis slugger told Boxing Scene: “I wanna fight Anthony Joshua so bad that I will donate my entire purse to a charity if he beats me.”
Martin, 37, still laments his decision to face Joshua while he was crocked and believes he’ll never get a second crack at the Watford warrior.
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He said: “I fought AJ with a fractured rib, and it was the worst mistake of my life. I’ve taken s**t for it since that day.
“He’ll never get back in the ring with me. He knows he got me at my worst.”
Martin suffered a decision defeat to Jared Anderson earlier this month but had his moments against the light-heavyweight prospect.
And he regrets taking the fight without a full camp, saying: “The old me could have never fought Jared Anderson on 11 days.
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“I have a whole different mindset now. Win, lose or draw, I just wanna fight the best and make entertaining fights.”
Martin is hoping for a quick turnaround and has some big names on his radar.
He said: “If [Deontay] Wilder and [Andy] Ruiz Jr can’t make a deal, I’d fight either of those guys. I also heard Efe Ajagba and Lenier Pero are possibilities.
“If not, I’ll take on another young prospect that no one wants to fight.”
He added: “I don’t have any more time to waste. I wanna fight in another big fight before the end of this year. I’ve always been my own worst enemy.
“I’d be off six to 12 months, roll off the sofa, take a fight and train for four or five weeks.
“It took me a long time to realize you can’t do that and be the best. Now I live in the gym, and hopefully it showed.
“Next time you see me, I’ll have a proper training camp and be even better.
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“When I look back on my career, I don’t wanna have any regrets about what could have been.
“I just hope people realise it’s not only about money for me anymore. I wanna be active and fight the best before I retire.”
Charles Martin suffered a decision defeat to Jared Anderson earlier this monthCredit: GETTY More

ANTHONY JOSHUA and Dillian Whyte will renew their rivalry for a bitter heavyweight rematch. AJ came out victorious in seven rounds in 2015, which came six years after he lost the original in the amateurs.
Anthony Joshua beat Jermaine Franklin in his last fightCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
Dillian Whyte also beat Jermaine FranklinCredit: Matthew Pover Matchroom Boxing
Joshua, 33, comes into the fight having returned with a victory over Jermaine Franklin, 29, in April.
And Whyte’s last bout was also against the American, edging out a disputed majority decision in November.
So it leaves Franklin in prime position to predict who will prevail between his two recent rivals.
He told iFL TV:“I think Joshua will beat Whyte. I don’t think it’ll be a hard fight for Joshua.
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“It was a little harder for Joshua to punch me cause it’s harder for bigger guys to punch down than it is for shorter guys to punch up, but you know when you’re taller, some of those shots are easier to get off. Yeah, I think beats Dillian.” 
Joshua heads into the fight knowing he risks losing a blockbuster against Deontay Wilder, 37, in December in Saudi Arabia.
And Eddie Hearn previously revealed his purse could be as much as £60m for the Middle East mega-bout.
But AJ must first beat Whyte, 35, or else the deal is off the table.
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Promoter Hearn told talkSPORT: “This one is wild because AJ has got the Wilder fight locked in for December.
“We had meetings last week with the Saudis. Obviously, that’s one of the biggest fights in boxing, and he wanted to fight in the interim.
“You know, he’s been working with Derrick James, he wanted to have that fight and he was insistent it was Dillian Whyte.
“I wasn’t over the moon because I know it’s dangerous. It’s a fight that is built off emotion, they don’t like each other.
“You saw what happened last time at the O2, it’s going to be an absolute firefight on August 12. That’s why it’s so dangerous.
“You’ve got that Deontay Wilder fight in December, he could’ve just waited and had an easy, gimme fight at the O2 – but he’s decided to roll the dice.”
Dillian Whyte, promoter Eddie Hearn and Anthony Joshua in 2015Credit: TIMES NEWSPAPERS LTD More

ANTHONY JOSHUA has tucked himself away in Texas to prepare for his rematch with Dillian Whyte.The former two-time unified heavyweight champion will renew his rivalry with the Brixton Body Snatcher in a domestic dust-up at the O2 Arena on August 12.
Anthony Joshua will renew his rivalry with Dillian Whyte on August 12Credit: NEWS GROUP NEWSPAPERS LTD
The former unified heavyweight champ has been training for the rematch in TexasCredit: INSTAGRAM@ANTHONYJOSHUA
Joshua has left his home comforts to train under world-champion coach Derrick JamesCredit: INSTAGRAM@ANTHONYJOSHUA
The Watford warrior is leaving no stone unturned ahead of his rematch with WhyteCredit: INSTAGRAM@ANTHONYJOSHUA
But unlike their first professional clash eight years ago, Joshua’s preparations will take place in Dallas under the watchful eye of new trainer Derrick James.
Joshua, 33, enlisted the services of James following his second successive loss to Oleksandr Usyk last August and has upped sticks to Dallas.
AJ’s new training base – the World Class Boxing Gym – is an old-school no-thrills training facility tucked away near a scrap yard in downtown Dallas.
And he’s sharpening his tools with some heavy-hitting sparring partners in preparation for the pressure-heavy Whyte.

Jeremiah Milton and Jeamie Tshikeva – who will be relative unknowns to casual boxing fans – have been brought in by Team AJ to give the Watford warrior some looks during this clash.
But he’s also brought in the experienced Michael Hunter to push him ahead of his must-win domestic dust-up.
Hunter, 35, has shared the ring with some big names during his ten-year career – including former undisputed cruiserweight champion Usyk.
Joshua, 33, shared post-training snaps with the hard-hitters to his Instagram story – flexing with the trio as they dripped in sweat following several gruelling and hard rounds.
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Anthony Joshua has been sparring with Jeremiah Milton, Jeamie Tshikeva and Michael Hunter ahead of his rematch with Dillian WhyteCredit: INSTAGRAM@ANTHONYJOSHUA
Joshua’s clash with Whyte will be his second outing under the tutelage of James – who also trains unified welterweight champion Eroll Spence Jr and Ryan Garcia.
And his move stateside has been nothing but work-related.
Ahead of his scrappy points win over Jermaine Franklin in April, AJ said: “I haven’t seen anything.
“I’m not there for anything else. I’m a serious person, I’m not there for anything else really.
“But one thing is for sure, throughout my career, this is probably the most serious time I’ve taken it.
“In terms of my food, my sleep, the way I’m training, I study the game and everything I’ve learnt.

“Me and Jermaine could chop it up and talk boxing for hours.
“Everything I’ve learnt about boxing, I’m always putting it into another camp.
“So everything I’ve been through – positive and negative – I’m using it to fuel this camp here.
“So I’m not really there to go out for coffees and talk about bulls**t.
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“I’m there to f***ing work and put my head down and get ready for a fight.”
Joshua will go face-to-face with Whyte at a press conference in London on Monday afternoon. More

CARL FROCH has listed SIX reasons why he believes Anthony Joshua would lose to Tyson Fury. The heavyweight rivals have tried but failed in the past to commence their Battle of Britain.
Tyson Fury has been backed by Carl Froch to beat Anthony JoshuaCredit: Getty
Anthony Joshua is set to fight Dillian Whyte nextCredit: Getty
Instead, Fury fought Deontay Wilder three times, drawing once but winning the two rematches.
And Joshua lost consecutively to Oleksandr Usyk in defeats that leave Froch doubting he could beat the Gypsy King.
He outlined his many reasons, telling Betting Sites: “They’re not giving Anthony Joshua a chance against Fury.
“I think it’s fair because he had back-to-back defeats to Usyk and he’s looking like a man that’s fighting with no confidence.
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“He doesn’t come forward anymore. He’s on his back foot, he’s defensive first and he gasses after 8-9 rounds.
“I don’t think he’s got the engine.”
Fury, 34, accused Joshua, 33, of rejecting the chance to fight him in September.
Instead, AJ returns on August 12 in a rematch with Dillian Whyte, 35, who he beat in 2015.
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It will serve as a risky preparation fight ahead of his proposed blockbuster against Wilder, 37, in Saudi Arabia.
Froch, 46, said: “This fight with Dillian Whyte that’s coming up – if he can beat him in style and look good then people are going to start saying, hang on a minute, that was a good win.
“He’s already beat him, Dillian Whyte’s been knocked out by Alexander Povetkin and Tyson Fury so it’s not going to prove anything.
“But it’s just going to show that he’s got him there and he believes in himself, he means business. If he can get the win in style that sets it up nicely.
“Whyte wobbled him early on and AJ dealt with him and got the job done. AJ fighting Whyte is better than him fighting someone like Jermaine Franklin in his last fight or whoever else gets pulled up to make him look good – it isn’t going to prove that he can go in against somebody like Deontay Wilder, Usyk in a rematch, or Tyson Fury.”
Carl Froch was been critical of Anthony JoshuaCredit: AFP More