Mental Health and illness

Subterms

    Latest story

    275 Shares28 Views

    ‘I thought I was minutes away from lights out’ – Rio Ferdinand breaks silence on horror bug that put him in hospital

    by

    RIO FERDINAND has opened up about the health issue that left him hospitalised last week, revealing he thought he was close to “lights out”.The former Manchester United defender spent days in hospital and was forced to miss his punditry duties with TNT Sports.Rio Ferdinand has opened up about the health issue that left him hospitalisedCredit: PAThe former defender shared an update from his hospital bed last weekCredit: https://x.com/rioferdy5Ferdinand, 46, was set to provide analysis of Arsenal’s visit to Paris Saint-Germain before acting as co-commentator as United reached the Europa League final.Instead he was forced to watch on from a hospital bed and updated fans on his condition by sharing a photo of himself with his thumbs up.That was the aftermath of a serious ordeal for the former England defender, who had been suffering from a horrific stomach bug.The “crazy” illness left Ferdinand vomiting while he also experienced migraines and vertigo, making him feel like the “lights were out”.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHe said on his show, Rio Ferdinand Presents: “I had a mad virus. I thought lights were out at some point, I thought it was gonna happen. I thought I was minutes away from lights out, seriously.”I was in my house, I was in my bed like this [pained expression] and I couldn’t even open my eyes.”Then, the headache I had… I don’t get migraines or nothing else so I don’t know what they’re like. I thought my head was in a vice and my eyes were going to pop out.”Then, I was being sick, projectile vomiting in the toilet, I got back to bed and I was having vertigo. I was holding onto the sheets, I didn’t know where I was. It was crazy.”Most read in FootballFerdinand also revealed he went into a state of panic after doctors told him he would need a brain scan.He was even offered an ambulance, making the ex-England star even more nervous.Rio Ferdinand calls out Roy Keane and Gary Neville’s takes on Man Utd vs Man City Ferdinand continued: “I had to go to hospital and the doctor even said to me, “Do you want an ambulance”? So that’s when I knew.”He went, ‘We’re going to get your brain scanned’. I thought it was a virus or a flu or something so when he mentioned brain scan and the ambulance, the panic was nuts.”I went to hospital and I was in there for a few days. I couldn’t even enjoy the hospital food. The soup and the ice cream normally does wonders.” More

    More stories

    • 250 Shares73 Views

      in Boxing

      Ryan Garcia feared losing his kids at height of mental health battle but returns to boxing with chance of redemption

      by

      RYAN GARCIA feared losing his kids at the height of his public mental health breakdown – but returning to boxing is his chance of redemption.The American superstar has spoken honestly in the past about struggling with depression at times in his career. Ryan Garcia drinks from a beer bottle before his fight with Devin HaneyCredit: AlamyGarcia shares daughter Bela and son Henry with ex-wife Andrea CelinaCredit: INSTAGRAMGarcia with his first-born daughter RylieCredit: INSTAGRAMAfter beating Luke Campbell in 2021, Garcia took 15 months out of the ring to deal with personal problems behind the scenes. But his fight outside the ring threatened to derail his career before facing Devin Haney in New York last year. Garcia was openly drinking and admitting to smoking cannabis in the build-up to the bout, partying throughout his training camp. Mixed in with worrying social media outbursts and conspiracies, fans and even his loved ones grew concerned for Garcia. READ MORE IN boxingAmazingly, the troubled boxer made it to the ring and beat Haney in a shock upset, only for the result to be overturned after a failed drug test. Now Garcia is back after accepting a one-year suspension – but thankfully turned his life around during the 12 months out.He told SunSport: “That route I was on is not sustainable as a professional athlete. “You can’t be going about things in that manner as a professional and just changing my whole mindset, making sure that I get back to being the best fighter I can be and the best athlete I can be and that was the switch that I made.” Most read in BoxingGarcia revealed he hit his lowest point last June after trashing a Los Angeles hotel room – causing £11,000 worth of damage. He was arrested and charged with one misdemeanour count of vandalism – and feared he would lose his three children in the process. Ryan Garcia says his one-year-old son is already a champion in the making… and has his famous left hookGarcia, who went to counselling, revealed: “I mean, as a father you’ve always got to be thinking about what examples you’re giving to your children.”And I think as a mature man, you have to realise your mistakes and make changes, no matter how they come about.”And I think that’s important. I love my kids and I love my family and making sure that I’m a great example for them is a huge priority for me.”So, I cannot be making those type of mistakes and I take responsibility and I’m ready to show them how great their daddy really is.”Garcia shares his eldest daughter Rylie with ex-girlfriend Catherine Gamez and has Bela with his former wife Andrea Celina.And in December 2023, he welcomed son Henry into the world with Andrea, who he remains close with as they parent together.The Garcia clan rolled into New York ahead of his return fight against Rolando Romero tonight – with boxing allowing him a second chance. Garcia with his son HenryCredit: INSTAGRAMGarcia feared losing his kids in the height of his mental health battleCredit: INSTAGRAMGarcia with his eldest RylieCredit: INSTAGRAMGarcia said: “It’s everything, that’s my career. This is my livelihood, this is how I support my family.”And obviously it’s really important for me to be the best I could possibly be if I’m not that, then it’ll be hard to do anything else.”Garcia – who claimed he was drinking on the week of his fight with Haney – has cut out and traded any damaging vices. He said: “I’m just playing chess. Playing video games, playing golf, honestly.”A clip of Garcia’s woeful driving on the golf course emerged on social media and he laughed: “Yeah, that was bad, right? “But I gotta find some type of hobby, so it is what it is, just enjoying my time with the people around me and that’s it, living the life.”Garcia, 26, dropped Haney, also 26, three times in Brooklyn last April on the way to a surprise points win off the back of his turbulent prepration. Garcia says he was partying in the days before fighting HaneyCredit: FightHype Haney was dropped three times but Garcia’s win was overturned amid the failed testCredit: GettyBut the result was chalked off after Garcia tested positive for ostarine – known to boost muscle growth. He had returned clean tests with VADA in the build-up to the bout and his team blamed contaminated supplements for the positive result.But the positive tests were taken on the day of and 24 hours before the bout at the Barclays Center.Garcia, who was also fined nearly £1million, said: “At the end of the day, I know I didn’t cheat.”I’ll take the ban for a year and that keeps it moving fast. Everybody knows that I didn’t take it.”I know my team, we know we didn’t take anything, so honestly it doesn’t really matter to me at the end of the day.”People are gonna believe whatever they want to believe, they’re gonna believe I’m innocent, the large majority do believe that, so who cares?”Garcia is back in boxing after serving a drugs ban and turning around his mental healthCredit: GettyGarcia says he is better ‘mentally and physically’Credit: RexGarcia returns to top a stunning three-fight card in Times Square against former sparring rival Romero, 29. Haney features in his comeback bout against Jose Ramirez, 32, as a rematch with Garcia is targeted for October. Garcia said: “I think that he has a great chance to beat Ramirez. Ramirez is a little past his prime. So I expect both of us to win, for sure.” Despite his failed drug test and subsequent no-contest the beatdown of Haney has left question marks of the former champion’s confidence. And Garcia goaded: “I have no idea how he’s gonna go about himself. I just know that I was in his head the first time.”It’s hard to look past getting dropped three times, I mean, you have to address that within yourself. So I don’t know how he’s gonna handle that.” Garcia steps up to the 147lb welterweight division to face Romero and said: “I’m just ready to go.”I may have been acting crazy last time around but I was still feeling pretty good physically, but for me this time around I feel good both, mentally and physically.Read More on The Sun”So, you know, I’ve done this before. I’ve fought many fights in my life and I’m ready, I’m in shape, ready to go 12 rounds and ready to do my job.”Watch the full episode of The Sun’s Split Decision featuring exclusive interviews with Canelo Alvarez, Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney.Garcia returns against Rolando RomeroCredit: RexHaney faces Jose RamirezCredit: Alamy More

    • 238 Shares76 Views

      in Boxing

      Ryan Garcia says his one-year-old son is already a champion in the making… and has his famous left hook

      by

      RYAN GARCIA says his one-year-old son is already a boxing champion in the making – having inherited his famous left hook. The father-of-three has two daughters, sharing Rylie with ex-girlfriend Catherine Gamez and Bela with his former wife Andrea Celina. Ryan Garcia with his son HenryCredit: InstagramGarcia, famed for his left hook, says his son is a naturalCredit: GettyAnd in December 2023, he welcomed his son Henry into the world with Andrea, who he remains close with as they parent together.The American superstar named his youngest after his dad – who introduced Garcia and brother Sean to boxing aged just seven.Henry still helps train and corner his sons – and Garcia will be there for his boy should he choose to enter the family business. He told SunSport: “If I see him really wanting it, I’ll have no other choice but to support him like my dad supported me, so I can’t take that away from him.READ MORE IN BOXING”If that’s in his heart, like it was in my heart, I gotta be like what my dad did for me. “I have a great example of what it means to believe in your son, so I think that I’m gonna just carry that forward to my son.”If he believes in himself, truly, I believe in him and I know all the ins and outs of of the game now, so it could be that much easier for him.”Despite baby Henry not turning two for another six months, he is already practising his boxing skills with his famous fighting father.Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSGarcia revealed: “He already has the left hook though, which is crazy.”I’m not kidding. I do mitts and I didn’t even teach him that, I guess it’s in his blood.”Ryan Garcia opens up on failed drug test after having Devin Haney win stripped away from himGarcia, 26, returns to the ring on Friday night against former sparring rival Rolando Romero, 29, to headline an historic card in Times Square.It comes having served a 12-month ban for testing positive for ostarine – known to boost muscle growth – after fighting Devin Haney. Garcia had dropped Haney three times before winning a shock decision – only to have the victory overturned to a no-contest. He had returned clean tests with VADA in the build-up to the bout and his team blamed contemplated supplements for the positive result.But the positive tests were taken on the day of and 24 hours before the bout at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.Garcia, who was also fined nearly £1million, said: “At the end of the day, I know I didn’t cheat.”I’ll take the ban for a year and that keeps it moving fast. Everybody knows that I didn’t take it.”I know my team, we know we didn’t take anything, so honestly it doesn’t really matter to me at the end of the day.”People are gonna believe whatever they want to believe, they’re gonna believe I’m innocent, the large majority do believe that, so who cares?”I cannot be making those type of mistakes and I take responsibility and I’m ready to show them how great their daddy really is.Ryan Garcia Garcia suffered a public mental health breakdown both before and after his fight with Haney.He was even arrested last June and charged with one misdemeanour count of vandalism after causing £11,000 worth of damage in an LA hotel room.But thankfully, Garcia turned it around and has got back on track both mentally and physically after fearing he could lose his children. He said: “I mean, as a father you’ve always got to be thinking about what examples you’re giving to your children.”And I think as a mature man, you have to realise your mistakes and make changes, no matter how they come about.”And I think that’s important. I love my kids and I love my family and making sure that I’m a great example for them is a huge priority for me.”So, I cannot be making those type of mistakes and I take responsibility and I’m ready to show them how great their daddy really is.”Garcia tops the stunning three-fight card outside New York’s famous Times Square. Rival Haney, 26, also returns after a year lay-off to face Jose Ramriez, 32, with a rematch against Garcia planned for later this year. Both have to first win and rejuvenated Garcia added: “I’m feeling good. I mean, I’m just ready to go.Read More on The Sun”I may have been acting crazy last time around but I was still feeling good physically, but for me this time around I feel good both, mentally and physically.”So, you know, I’ve done this before. I’ve fought many fights in my life and I’m ready, I’m in shape, ready to go 12 rounds and ready to do my job.”Garcia’s son Henry was born in December 2023Credit: INSTAGRAMGarcia shares daughter Bela and son Henry with ex Andrea CelinaCredit: INSTAGRAMGarcia returns against Rolando RomeroCredit: Rex More

    • 288 Shares95 Views

      in Boxing

      ‘I know I didn’t cheat’ – Ryan Garcia opens up on failed drug test after having Devin Haney win stripped away from him

      by

      RYAN GARCIA has opened up on his failed drug test to insist: “I know I didn’t cheat.” The American star dropped Devin Haney three times on the way to a shock decision victory in April 2024.Devin Haney had his loss taken away after Ryan Garcia’s failed drug testCredit: GettyBut the result was soon overturned when it emerged Garcia tested positive for ostarine – a banned substance known to boost muscle growth. Garcia protested his innocence but accepted a one-year ban – opposed to fighting it like Britain’s Conor Benn. Benn tested positive for clomiphene – which can boost testosterone – and refused a suspension and instead battled the case. Eventually, UK Anti-Doping dropped the case against him – allowing him to fight on home soil again in defeat to Chris Eubank Jr. READ MORE IN BOXINGBut Garcia told SunSport: “What did he get out of that? People still think he cheated, so at the end of the day, I know I didn’t cheat.”I’ll take the ban for a year and that keeps it moving fast. Everybody knows that I didn’t take it.”I know my team, we know we didn’t take anything, so honestly it doesn’t really matter to me at the end of the day.”People are gonna believe whatever they want to believe, they’re gonna believe I’m innocent, the large majority do believe that, so who cares?”Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSBenn, 28, never shared the evidence that got his case dropped against him, opting to instead keep it confidential. And Garcia – whose team blamed contaminated supplements for his failed test – has not explained why ostarine was in his system. Ryan Garcia ready to fight Conor Benn and settle feud after rival’s ‘war’ with Chris Eubank JrHe added: “What we did find out is that it was at the lowest amount you could possibly find trace amount.”So again, it’s proven that there was such low dosage in my system that has no effect on my body, so that’s just the truth. It is what it is.”Garcia returned clean Voluntary Anti-Doping Association tests in the build-up to his bout with Haney. And the positive tests for ostarine were taken from tests on the day of and 24 hours following the fight at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.Garcia suffered a public mental health breakdown after his fight with Haney.He was even arrested last June and charged with one misdemeanour count of vandalism after causing £11,000 worth of damage in an LA hotel room.But thankfully, Garcia turned it around and has got back on track both mentally and physically.The boxer now returns against former sparring partner Rolando Romero, 29, on Friday night in a historic event staged outside in Times Square.I know I didn’t cheat. I’ll take the ban for a year and that keeps it moving fast. Everybody knows that I didn’t take it.Ryan Garcia on his failed drug test Haney, 26, is also on the same card against Jose Ramirez, 32, with a rematch planned if both are victorious. Garcia said: “I think that he has a great chance to beat Ramirez. Ramirez is a little past his prime. So I expect both of us to win, for sure.”Despite Haney regaining his unbeaten record in the aftermath of Garcia’s doping scandal – the beatdown still sticks in the memory of fans. And Garcia goaded: “I have no idea how he’s gonna go about himself. I just know that I was in his head the first time.”It’s hard to look past getting dropped three times, I mean, you have to address that within yourself.”So I don’t know how he’s gonna handle that.”Garcia decided against heading into an immediate rematch with Haney after his lay-off. He learned the hard way for mistakes made before his 2023 loss to Gervonta Davis, 30, which came off the back of a nine-month absence. Garcia said: “I learned my lesson with the Tank fight on not taking a tune-up. You gotta be active. Read More on The Sun”I don’t think taking a year off and going straight into the Haney fight makes sense for either one of us. A year off is a long time.”You need to get your timing back, everything back, real fights are much different than sparring, so it’s good that we both took a fight, I think.”Garcia returns against Rolando RomeroCredit: GettyHaney facing off with Jose RamirezCredit: Getty More

    • 250 Shares89 Views

      in Boxing

      Chris Eubank Jr’s torment over painful 6-year rift with idol dad… and how legend’s ‘crazy’ demands ‘cost his son £3m’

      by

      AS Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr face up in the ring tomorrow at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, not even the screaming crowds and bright lights will be able to hide a very conspicuous absence.While Benn will have his dad Nigel backing him up in his corner, Chris Eubank Sr will be nowhere to be seen – despite this fight opening another chapter in a more than three-decade-old Eubank-Benn rivalry.Chris Eubank Jr and his father have been caught up in an ever-deepening rift since 2019Credit: Getty Images – GettyThe legendary boxer has called Saturday’s fight, between his son and Conor Benn, a “disgrace”Credit: News Group Newspapers LtdTheir relationship has been damaged by the passing of Chris Eubank Jr’s brother, Sebastian, in 2021Credit: Instagram @chriseubankjrChris Eubank Sr has branded the fight a “disgrace” and accused his son of “making a mockery” of the family legacy – even calling for his boxing licence to be revoked after the younger Eubank cracked an egg over Benn’s face in a February press conference.But while the build-up to Saturday’s fight has exacerbated the rift, the fallout is nothing new – dating back to 2019.In recent years their fractured relationship has been overshadowed by the tragic death of two members of the family, while promoter Eddie Hearn even claimed Eubank Sr cost his son millions.Ahead of the showdown, 35-year-old Eubank Jr has faced an uphill battle to shed enough weight, with Benn poking fun at the “pain” his rival had been experiencing at a press conference on Thursday.Read More Boxing“What is pain, though?” Eubank Jr hit back.“I have a 31-year old brother who is buried in the desert in Dubai, that is pain. I have a son, three years old, he asks why can’t I see my daddy? Why can’t he take me to school? That is pain.“My own father, a man I idolised for my entire life, and he doesn’t speak to me. We haven’t spoken in years and he thinks I’m a disgrace. “These things are what pain is to me.” Most read in BoxingFor years, Chris Eubank Jr. could count on his dad’s support as he rose up to establish himself as a fighter in his own right. The father and son pair would often be sat side by side at press conferences, with Eubank Sr. helping to coach and manage his son’s career, and providing Eubank Jr. with critical feedback in between rounds.Driven by Rejection, Defined by Greatness | Behind the Gloves: Chris Eubank SnBut this close relationship would eventually come to an end, with a professional – and personal – break-up that left the younger Eubank heartbroken.“We don’t talk, he has shown no interest in my career for a long period of time now. He’s shown no interest in me in a long period of time,” he said in October.“As somebody who’s lost a son, I think that’s a pretty insane thing [for my dad] to be doing, an insane way to be acting – to kind of not be speaking to your remaining kids.”Fighting demonsEubank Jr added that he still wishes his father will have a change of heart and be there the night of the fight.“I would love for him to be involved. The fact that I even have to say that is insane. How is that even a thing?” he says.“His son is gonna fight the son of his arch-nemesis, [from] all those years ago when he was a world champion. How is it a thing that he may not be there?”The build-up to Eubank Jr vs Benn has reheated the rivalry between the boxing familiesCredit: GettyChris Eubank Jr’s dad was constantly by his side as he established himself as a boxerCredit: GettyEubank Jr says their rift began when he chose to forge his own careerCredit: GettyDoubling down on these feelings in March, he told Piers Morgan: “I still hope he’s there on the night, just like [Benn’s] old man will be. I honestly don’t know. I hope and I pray that he is, and I will do things to try and get him there.“He needs to be able to get over whatever demons he’s fighting. Now, this fight is either gonna enable him to get over those demons or unfortunately it’s gonna make those demons grow. I don’t know.”Conor’s father Nigel also urged Eubank Sr to attend, telling the BBC: “I don’t want him having a disagreement with his son.”We all want you there, so we can see each other after the fight and hug each other and say it is all over – so be there my friend.”Eubank Sr. hasn’t been seen in his son’s corner since 2019, and given their recent comments, it doesn’t seem like their relationship will be healing any time soon.By this time, Eubank Jr felt ready to start taking more control over his career – rather than simply becoming another version of his dad. But his father did not take this move well.“My old man was always next to me, and it got to a stage where I decided that I needed to walk my own path. He was not happy with that decision. That’s the start of it,” Eubank Jr told Morgan.I think it’s going to take me being out of boxing for him to come back into my lifeEubank Jr“I had to step out of that cycle because I felt it wasn’t working, and as my own man, I had learned enough and had done enough in the game to do my own thing, to walk my own path and not follow someone else,” he told the Mirror.Tragically, Eubank Jr added that he’d have to ditch his love of boxing to rebuild any relationship with the man who had given him so much.“At this moment in time, he’s having trouble separating the business and the boxing and the coaching from being just my dad.“I think it’s going to take me being out of boxing for him to come back into my life. I hope that’s not the case, but that’s how I see it.”I’m very appreciative of everything he did and everything he taught me throughout my life and my career, but I want to be my own man, and that’s what I’m doing now.”Family painHowever, their gap only widened after a pair of tragic deaths within the family. Much of Eubank Sr’s fury has been directed at the fact that his son is having to shed so much weight, fearing that boiling down to the 160lb needed will risk needless damage – akin to what left Eubank Sr’s own brother paying the ultimate price.Eubank Sr still mourns the death of his brother Simon, who faced a debilitating battle with dementia caused by boxing injuriesCredit: Instagram @harlemeubankThe older Eubank and his nephew Harlem lost Simon in 2023Credit: Louis WoodEubank Jr has had to drastically cut down his weight in order to make the cut for SaturdayCredit: https://www.instagram.com/chriseubankjr/“I don’t want my son getting down to 160lb. And that is why I have spoken about people trying to murder my boy by boiling him down to 157lb,” Eubank Sr told The Sun while choking back tears.“Trying to boil my son down to 157lb a few years ago, would have killed him. You might think the word ‘killed’ is a bit strong but my brother is dead from boxing. He lost his life from boxing, with frontal lobe dementia. “In the end, Harlem was feeding him with a baby bottle, he had to feed his own father. I didn’t have the strength to go and see my brother in the last six months of his life because he was locked in spasm all of the time he was awake,” he added.“That is boxing and 20 losses at the hands of the promoters. It’s a business and a racket and when you keep bringing the same guy in to lose, he ends up being killed.“He was my brother. It is real for us.”Chris Eubank Jr hasn’t made one decision, he doesn’t breathe without his dad’s say soEddie HearnEubank Sr’s brother, Simon, passed away aged 61 in September 2023 after a harrowing battle with dementia, believed to have been brought on by injuries sustained in the ring.In response, Eubank Jr’s promoter Ben Shalon agreed that trying to reach 157lb was “crazy”.“It was irresponsible for everyone involved that we asked Chris Eubank Jr to get 157. [It was] absolutely crazy that that was ever agreed to but we’re here now. He’ll make the weight and he’ll be ready to go,” he added, in reference to Saturday’s fight.Tragically, Eubank Jr also lost his brother, Sebastian, after the 29-year old passed away from a heart attack in Dubai in 2021.“That affected [my dad] in a deep way – it affected all of us,” he told Piers Morgan.“Mental health is a real thing. “That incident, coupled with the fact that we were already not seeing eye to eye, destroyed a large part of the relationship.”‘Crazy’ demandsBut the cost of the animosity has been financial as well as emotion, according to promoter Eddie Hearn, which may have driven the younger Eubank’s decision to step out of his dad’s shadow.In 2016, Eubank Jr was being lined up for a £3million bout against WBC, IBF, and WBA belt-holder Gennady Golovkin. Promoter Eddie Hearn blames Eubank Sr’s “crazy” demands for Eubank Jr missing out on a £3million bout in 2016Credit: GettyEubank Sr and his lawyers never ended up signing the contract for the fight against Gennady GolovkinCredit: PA:Press Association More

    • 225 Shares133 Views

      in Boxing

      Boxing saved Lyndon Arthur from life of crime on gritty Manchester streets after brother was tragically shot dead

      by

      LYNDON ARTHUR was just 10 years old when his brother was brutally shot dead – but it proved to be an inspiration to his boxing career. Zennen Blackburn was gunned down in Moston – near Manchester’s city centre – in 2002 but still the murder is unsolved. Lyndon Arthur ahead of his fight with Anthony YardeCredit: GettyArthur’s brother Zennen Blackburn, pictured, was shot dead in 2002Credit: YouTubeHis murder is sadly still unsolvedIt left younger brother Arthur heartbroken and confused and heading down the wrong path in his teenage years. That was until his uncle Pat Barrett – a former British and European champion turned trainer – intervened and brought his nephew to the gym. Barrett told the BBC in 2020: “He was sat on the pavement where his brother was shot. “And I drove on the estate and picked him up and took him back to my house, had a talk with him, calmed him down and he stayed with me for a week or two. READ MORE IN BOXING”Then I remember taking him to the gym, it was just a weights gym and I saw that once he was doing something, he picked up on the training. “So I said, ‘Okay then I’m going to take you to the boxing gym now.’ I’m proud of him for how he’s changed his life.” Arthur, who held the Commonwealth title, admitted: “I’m an estate kid and I grew up doing estate things. “It would have been easy for me to be in jail, it could have been easy for me to be dead. So boxing has changed my life.” Most read in BoxingChris Eubank Jr vs Conor BennTHE countdown is ON to one of the biggest boxing events of the 21st CenturyFamilial tension and a rivalry that has been brewing for years will finally be resolved when Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn meet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night.There has been huge drama in the build-up with the pair engaged in a war of words and multiple clashes in person.SunSport will have full coverage of the blockbuster clash all week and LIVE round-by-round coverage of every fight on a stacked undercard.Latest NewsAll the infoArthur now has a record of 24 wins and just two losses – coming against world champion Dmitry Bivol and Anthony Yarde. And he returns on Saturday on Chris Eubank and Conor Benn’s undercard at Tottenham’s stadium for a trilogy bout with Yarde. Arthur stunned his London rival in 2020 – before losing the rematch a year later – but he dedicated his shock victory at the time to brother Zennen. He said: “My brother, he died a few years ago, but he was here one million per cent.“My brother would have loved to have seen this, but he will be looking down now thinking, ‘Wow! That’s my little brother’.“I was 10 when he died and I could easily have gone the other way. I was never a gangster, but where we grew up it was full of people like that.“It would have been easy for me to go left. I’ve put a lot into boxing, 10 or 11 years now, I’m ranked in the world, I’ve just fought my second headline show and I want to be a world champion.”Arthur – who has a tattoo of his brother’s name on his arm – has a son of his own – Elellveay Van Arthur – who acts as another inspiration to his career. Uncle and coach Barrett said: “I’m proud of what he’s done with his life. “But the way boxing has turned his life around, it’s just that typical what you hear like the Mike Tyson story from the Bronx. Read More on The Sun”Lyndon Arthur’s story is no different from that and how he’s changed his life.” Arthur, now 33, added: “I’ve got a career that my mum would be proud of, my brother looking down would be proud of, anybody that I’ve lost around me would be proud of. My friends are proud of me.” Yarde and Arthur ahead of their trilogy fightCredit: GettyYarde won the 2021 rematch via fourth-round stoppageCredit: Richard Pelham / The SunArthur won the first fight in 2020 on pointsCredit: Getty More

    • 225 Shares97 Views

      in Soccer

      Former Liverpool star Fernando Morientes, 49, ‘almost died’ from pulmonary embolism that left him in hospital for days

      by

      FORMER Liverpool star Fernando Morientes has opened up on a horror health scare that left him hospitalised for days. The retired forward suffered a pulmonary embolism – a serious condition where a blood clot obstructs an artery in the lungs.Fernando Morientes has opened up on a horror health scareCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdMorientes – now a TV commentator – suffered the frightening ordeal while travelling on a plane. He told Spanish radio station Tiempo de Juego: “I was feeling ill after so many trips. “On one of them, my chest started to hurt, a stabbing pain below my sternum. “I thought it was something stomach-related and didn’t want to go to the hospital. READ MORE IN football “But that night I felt something and immediately went to the doctor. “They started looking at my heart and saw nothing until they found an effusion in the pleura. It was a pulmonary embolism.”Explaining his blood clot, Morientes said: “It’s a clot that formed in my knee due to the excess air on the plane and in the stationary car. “My blood began to thicken in the air and rose to my lung. I spent five days in the hospital, almost dying.”Most read in FootballWhat are the symptoms of a pulmonary embolism?Symptoms of a pulmonary embolism include:difficulty breathing that comes on suddenlychest pain that’s worse when you breathe incoughing up bloodYou may also have pain, redness and swelling in one of your legs (usually the calf). These are symptoms of a blood clot, also called DVT (deep vein thrombosis).Source: The NHSMorientes spent only a season at Liverpool – signing from Real Madrid in 2005 – winning the FA Cup. In Madrid, the striker won two LaLiga titles and three Champions League trophies.Morientes joined Valencia after leaving Liverpool and later Marseille for a season before retiring in 2010. But in 2015 Morientes came out of retirement aged 38 to play for DAV Santa Ana – a non-league side.Morientes, now 49, briefly managed third-tier Spanish side Fuenlabrada but was sacked after eight months.The former Spanish international – capped 47 times with 27 goals – now commentates and provides TV punditry. Morientes is now a TV commentatorCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

    • 263 Shares177 Views

      in Boxing

      ‘Changed my life’ – British boxer, 34, able to pay off mortgage after major contract blunder sees him bank huge sum

      by

      LIAM CAMERON landed life-changing money and can pay off his mortgage following a boxing contract cock-up.The 34-year-old lost four prime years of his career when he was banned for a cocaine-related charge in 2019.Liam Cameron has won a huge amount of money after a contract cock-upCameron fell out of the ring after a tussle with Ben WhittakerCredit: GettyWhittaker later left the venue in a wheelchairCredit: CHRIS DEANWhittaker will rematch Cameron in Birmingham on Easter SundayAfter overcoming mental health and addiction problems during his harsh exile, Cameron stunned 2020 Olympic silver Ben Whittaker in October.Red-hot Whittaker, 27, was supposed to steamroll the underdog but the pair fell over the top rope together and the favourite pulled out with an ankle injury, resulting in a draw.When the rematch contract- for the original 10-round Saudi Arabia clash – arrived, stating the rerun would be 12 rounds, Cameron quickly and shrewdly signed it, knowing Whittaker would not fancy it.The bungle means Cameron landed an extra windfall of around £100,000 and can now make up for the years he lost.READ MORE IN BOXINGAhead of Sunday’s Birmingham return leg, Cameron revealed: “It has changed my life because after this I can buy my house outright.“Mad isn’t it!“I cannot go into the exact figure but the additional fee is more than I got paid for the whole purse of the first fight.“I don’t know what else I might buy, I don’t even go shopping, that doesn’t interest me, I just like a good tracksuit.”Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSAt the end of six evenly matched rounds, when Whittaker was beginning to tire and look vulnerable, the pair clinched on the ropes and flipped over.Flashy Whittaker’s critics claimed he felt the pressure and pulled his opponent over, in an effort to escape the first loss of his promising professional career.Frazer Clarke faced his girlfriend’s wrath after car park row with David Adeleye and calls out rival to grudge fight The moment went viral and even the biggest wrestling company on the planet has tapped into the controversy.Cameron explained: “When I see any YouTube videos featuring me and Ben now, they all carry an advert for WWE on them, honestly!”Whittaker is a seriously proven amateur who went to the toughest parts of the world, to win dozens of events, against dangerous opponents.So being labelled ‘Quittaker’ in the wake of the bizarre bout ending must have stung – but the tough nut is refusing to show it.He hit back: “Critics don’t matter to me because you get them in every walk of life.“They are only talking about me because I am THAT guy.“If I go out and stop him the first round then people will still have things to say.Read More on The Sun“I shimmied it off, I might get ‘Quittaker’ tattooed on me afterwards – or have it written on my shorts.“But I will show the real Ben Whittaker on Sunday.” More

    • 238 Shares139 Views

      in Boxing

      Frazer Clarke was left feeling like ‘Phil Mitchell with a bottle of vodka’ after brutal Fabio Wardley KO loss

      by

      FRAZER CLARKE says he was left feeling like a real-life drunk Phil Mitchell in the aftermath of his devastating knockout loss to Fabio Wardley. The pair treated British fans to a 12-round modern classic in March 2024 – which ended in a draw. Fabio Wardley’s brutal KO of Frazer Clarke in their rematchCredit: GettyThe infamous meme of drunk Phil Mitchell on EastendersCredit: BBCSo there was nothing to split them heading into the Riyadh rematch last October – until Wardley knocked out Clarke in the opening round. Clarke needed emergency surgery on his jaw and cheekbone but returned to his partner and two children soon after. But opening up on the emotion of defeat, he told Ring Magazine: “Oh man, it was just… “You know when you used to watch episodes of Eastenders where Phil Mitchell was on a mad one with a bottle of vodka on the park bench? That’s how it felt every day to be honest.” READ MORE IN BOXINGClarke had to quickly dust himself down and transform from beaten boxer to dotting dad. And the father-of-two added: “You know what makes it hard? It’s the fact that when bad things happen in life, the world still carries on. “When I got back on the Monday morning, I went straight from the airport to my daughter’s school. “She’d seen what had happened in the fight and was all upset so I went to see her straight away.Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS“I wanted to just let her know that I was alright because I was very worried about what she’d seen. “Then I went to see my son too and we had a lovely night with the family just really being thankful that the situation wasn’t worse than it was. Frazer Clarke faced his girlfriend’s wrath after car park row with David Adeleye and calls out rival to grudge fight “It could have been a lot worse, the way it looked on TV. As mad as it sounds, we had a nice night with a lot of laughter and love, everyone was just happy I was back in one piece.“But then the next day, on the Tuesday, my Mrs went back to work, the kids had gone to school and I find myself at home on my own. “I just drew the curtains and stuck Only Fools And Horses on and sat there. I didn’t touch my phone for about a week because it was just blowing up. “And I couldn’t get away from seeing the knockout which I didn’t really want to see – so yeah, it’s a dark place.”Clarke – who won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 – had to fight calls to retire following his first professional defeat. But the 33-year-old has always backed himself – and had to do so again.He said: “You have this unwavering delusion that you are invincible and I’m not afraid to say that.You know when you used to watch episodes of Eastenders where Phil Mitchell was on a mad one with a bottle of vodka on the park bench? That’s how it felt every day to be honest.Clarke on his loss to Wardley“I’ve had some of my friends ask me how I’d get on against a prime Mike Tyson, Anthony Joshua or with Tyson Fury. “You seem to always back yourself and think you’ll find a way so I’m not embarrassed to say that,“I didn’t think what happened was possible and that’s just the headspace you get yourself into. “But looking back now I was probably a little bit naive against Fabio Wardley, who is a very dangerous puncher. “It did happen but this is what being a champion is about; reflecting and learning and I’m definitely doing that now.Read More on The Sun“I’m not taking that as a loss or a failure, it was just one of the biggest lessons I can ever get that’s going to propel me going forward in my career.”Clarke is back on Easter Sunday in Birmingham against Ebenezer Tetteh – on the undrcard of Ben Whittaker and Liam Cameron’s rematch. Wardley KOd Clarke in round one of their rematchCredit: Getty More