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      in Boxing

      People think Jake Paul’s a trash-talking troll who is ruining boxing – but I’ve seen the REAL man when cameras are off

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      HE is the self-proclaimed Problem Child and bad boy of boxing – but away from the cameras Jake Paul is a TOTALLY different man.The YouTuber-turned-prizefighter might ruffle feathers with his outspoken persona but I’ve had a behind-the-scenes insight into the man.Jake Paul is the self-proclaimed Problem Child and bad boy of boxingCredit: GettySunSport’s Jack Figg has seen the real Jake – the humble man behind the bravadoJake is perceived as a trash-talking troll, flaunting his enormous wealthHe has made £80m from boxing alone, on top of his YouTube earningsIt’s given me a first-hand view of the REAL Jake – the secret side he’s kept hidden as he embarks on his trash-talking boxing career.Before earning £80MILLION from just 12 fights, Jake shot to fame as a controversial social media influencer and the internet’s favourite enemy.But that is not the man I’ve got to know.Admittedly, in our first interview – in May 2021 – he told me he was on track to become a BILLIONAIRE through boxing.And he had no problem bragging about being an evil troll behind his iPhone – rage-baiting fans into buying his pay-per-view fights.Jake has never been far away from controversy.He once drew widespread criticism for publicly calling Conor McGregor’s partner, Dee Devlin, a “four out of ten” in one sexist rant. But he later told us that was out of immaturity and wanting to make a name for himself.And he also announced the birth of Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague’s baby before the Love Island couple even had the chance to.But, actually being around Jake in the lead up to his bouts – from America to Saudi Arabia – has allowed me to see a wildly contrasting character to that of the online villain.Jake Paul renovates boxing gym in Puerto Rico for charityOne that he probably doesn’t want the public to see, as it would ruin the bad-guy persona he’s spent years honing and made millions from.Jake knows how to control his public image, angering fans enough to pay a hefty PPV fee – in the hope he’ll be on the wrong end of a vicious knockout.CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSBut it’s how the 28-year-old acts off-camera which stood out most.Before his February 2023 fight with Fury in Saudi, I was invited to Jake’s hotel suite at the Four Seasons for an exclusive one-on-one interview.He came in with his entourage of friends, family and team members, greeting everyone with fist bumps.I was taken aback at how calm Jake seemed – reclining comfortably on the sofa just days before his biggest and toughest fight to date.He is known for his controversial remarks and traded insults with Tommy Fury before punchesCredit: AFPThings threatened to boil over before their grudge matchCredit: ReutersTommy won the fight on points – Jake’s only professional lossCredit: GettyTruthfully, I expected to have to tip-toe through an interview with a prima donna.But he put me at ease instantly.He remembered my name, asked how I was doing, made small talk with everyone in the room – he was just a normal guy.Then, the second the cameras started rolling and the dictaphone turned on, the OTHER Jake arrived.The former TV actor jumped up, straightened his back and worked his magic.He vowed to prove his critics wrong and knock the professional boxer out.He fired a brutal dig at Tommy over his claims he’d retire if he lost.And he warned Molly-Mae to stay at home – as “nobody wants to see her cry”.Jake made controversial comments about Fury’s partner Molly-Mae Hague before the boutSunSport spoke to Jake in an exclusive sit down before his 2023 fight with Fury – and our reporter was shocked by his real-life personaAs soon as the interview stopped, so did Jake’s arrogance and bullish demeanour, as if he could stop the act at the drop of a hat.He even thanked me for MY time.Like many boxers and celebrities, you always see Jake surrounded by a large crew in public.But far from being full of security or hangers-on, Jake’s is made up of life-long friends who keep him grounded as he jets across the world.He remembered my name, asked how I was doing, made small talk with everyone in the room – he was just a normal guy. Then, the second the cameras started rolling and the dictaphone turned on, the OTHER Jake arrived.One new face in the entourage is glamorous Dutch speedskater Jutta Leerdam, who Jake has been dating since April 2023.After a few failed celeb romances – including a fake marriage to Tana Mongeau in 2017 – Jake seems totally loved-up, regularly seen cheering her on in the stands at ice rinks around the world.He is a doting uncle after brother Logan and model fiancee Nina Agdal welcomed his niece Esme into the world in September.And the former Disney star – who once only cared about fame and money – is now talking about having kids of his own.Jake is in a relationship with glamorous Dutch speedskater Jutta LeerdamCredit: InstagramThe couple are loved-up with Jake regularly supporting her in events across the worldCredit: Instagram / @juttaleerdamJake is now a doting uncle – and wants a family of his ownBrother Logan welcomed baby daughter Esme into the worldThe last time I spoke to Jake was in August of last year alongside members of the MMA media – who he is less familiar with.I watched as Jake gave more reserved answers until it got to myself and another journalist who he recognised.And then BAM.Gone were the soft-spoken replies and on the front-foot he went – insulting the likes of KSI and Fury, who had just publicly split up with Molly-Mae.He seemed far more comfortable mocking his rivals than he did talking about his charitable side – which the media by then had cottoned on to.Jake launched Boxing Bullies in 2021, a foundation encouraging kids to take up the sport.As part of that, he bought and renovated gyms in Puerto Rico – where he now lives – and once even donated his entire fight purse to charity.In January 2020, the night Jake made his pro debut, Puerto Rican women’s boxing legend Amanda Serrano was fighting on the undercard for under £5,000.Jake launched his Boxing Bullies charity in 2021Credit: Boxing BulliesThe charity aims to gets kids into boxingCredit: Boxing BulliesJake has donated millions to charity – a side of him not known to the general publicCredit: Boxing BulliesJake addresses youngsters in the gymCredit: Boxing BulliesWhen Jake caught wind of how disgracefully little the seven-division great was being paid, he signed her to his Most Valuable Promotions banner.Jake told us in 2022: “That’s why I was so baffled when I first met her about how much money she was making.“And how she was being mistreated and how she didn’t have that much of a big following online.“It didn’t make sense to me, I was like, ‘You’re one of the greatest fighters of all time, you should be getting paid millions of dollars’.”Jake is still known to splash the cash, never shy to show off his collection of Ferraris, private jet or expensive watches to his millions of followers. But he also likes to share his wealth, treating his team and even OPPONENTSSerrano is now a multi-millionaire having fought on some of boxing’s biggest cards – including a thrilling rematch against Katie Taylor as the co-main event for Jake’s infamous Netflix clash with heavyweight legend Mike Tyson.Gyms in Puerto Rico are now full of young women, inspired by Serrano’s story.Humble Jake – who is advocating for equal pay in boxing – insists that while he gave her a platform, the success is all down to Serrano.He’s on record saying: “All I did was shine a spotlight. And pretty much, Amanda Serrano did the rest.”This is a gym Jake renovated in Carolina, Puerto Rico, for champion women’s boxer Amanda SerranoCredit: Boxing BulliesHe fixed it up, adding a mural of Serrano in the gymCredit: Boxing BulliesIt was a surprise for the seven-weight world championCredit: Boxing BulliesJake was stunned at how little Serrano was earning per fight and has made it his goal to get equal pay in boxingCredit: Boxing BulliesJake is still known to splash the cash, never shy to show off his collection of Ferraris, private jet or expensive watches to his millions of followers.But he also likes to share his wealth, treating his team and even OPPONENTS.Four years ago, he beat ex-UFC champion Tyron Woodley and was due to face Love Islander Fury – brother to the legendary Tyson – in his next bout.But when Fury pulled out with a rib injury, Woodley filled in on short notice just before Christmas that year.In the festive spirit, Jake had already gifted his entire team Rolex watches worth £9,000 each – and shocked Woodley by saving one for him.But his villainous reputation preceded him to the point that Woodley took the timepiece to a jeweller to check if it was fake and if it had a TRACKER in it.Woodley revealed the watch was real and did not have a device to monitor his every move.Fury would again pull out of fighting Jake for a second time in August 2022 amid a US visa problem – and the whole event got cancelled.Jake gifted Tyron Woodley a Rolex before their December 2021 rematchA stunned Woodley had to take the watch to a jeweller to confirm it was realBut Jake paid the entire undercard half of their promised purses out of his own pocket to ensure that they were not left empty-handed.His generosity is a far-cry from the foul-mouthed punk celebrity who shot to fame on six-second social media app Vine and later YouTube.Misdemeanours and wild parties all helped Jake get sacked from his role on Disney Channel show Bizaardvark in 2017 after just two series.And the out-of-control youngster admitted to spinning down a spiral of drink and drugs while living the high life in Los Angeles.And, despite the threat of a boring cliché, Jake insists boxing really did save him from a life of degeneracy.He sold his £5m LA mansion and instead moved to Puerto Rico to focus on boxing and escape dangerous distractions.Jake bought a stunning eight-bedroom pad for £13m on the Caribbean island as well as building his own £3m two-storey gym with brother Logan.Even Jake’s biggest detractors can’t take away the commitment he has shown for boxing – spending a fortune on his training camps.Paul bought a £13m mansion in Puerto RicoCredit: Instagram @jakapaulThe vast plot contains eight bedroomsCredit: Youtube – Jake PaulJake built his own £3m gym in Puerto RicoCredit: YouTubeHe’s even got himself a private jetHe pays top-quality sparring partners so well that one told me he even bought a house with the money he made from Jake’s camp.Jake now has 11 wins and one loss on his record – with his first and so far only defeat coming against Fury.He is poised to announce his next fight and will do so after regaining his position as boxing’s most hated man.Jake had all generations of fans up in arms having brought 58-year-old great Tyson out of retirement in November.He took home £30million for 16 minutes of work and had over 100 MILLION people tuning in to watch on Netflix.But not even letting the beloved heavyweight legend see the final bell was enough to stop fans from praying for Jake’s downfall.What fans might not know is Jake invited a seven-year old cancer patient – Owen Obey – to watch the fight from ringside.Owen tragically passed the month after, but he did so after getting to watch his two heroes up close – and Jake made it happen.And while it’s clear his loyal crowd of critics won’t be going away any time soon – Jake will happily welcome them along for the ride.But he’ll do so laughing all the way to the bank – as he always does.Jake invited cancer patient Owen Obey to his fight against Mike Tyson More

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      in Boxing

      Fury quitting could KO Anthony Joshua’s career too – so what’s next for the man who made heavyweight boxing great again?

      by

      ANTHONY JOSHUA’S hard-earned bon voyage to boxing being snatched away by Tyson Fury’s latest retirement feels like the most unsatisfying ending to a glorious sporting story.Just days after the 35-year-old Watford legend vowed to hunt the Gypsy King down at the January 11 Ring Magazine awards, the Morecambe giant announced he was hanging up his gloves… again.Joshua’s emergence and domination helped make heavyweight boxing great againBut Fury’s decision to quit may have robbed AJ of his dream curtain call – and denied fans the chance to see the biggest fight in British historyCredit: PAIs it time for AJ to hang up his gloves too and enjoy a well-earned retirement?Credit: Instagram / @anthonyjoshuaJust as AJ cheerleader-in-chief Eddie Hearn announced he had reserved Wembley for the biggest fight in British boxing history, Fury pulled the plug.The decision won’t do Fury’s resume any harm. He got to Wladimir Klitschko 18 months before Joshua and he got to Deontay Wilder on three brilliant occasions, compared to AJ’s zero. And he held his own in a couple of Oleksandr Usyk defeats, making a close contest of the first, whereas AJ was dominated over both of his clashes with the Ukrainian master.After 15 years of heavyweight magnificence, it seems criminal that Joshua fans must now settle for a slugfest with Wilder diehards over who was the third best big man of their era.Especially when it seemed set in stone that Joshua and Fury would finally meet, over two stupendously-rich fights in Riyadh and London, and leave nobody in any doubt who the best Brit giant is since Lennox Lewis.Both men need redemption, both giants want to be big again after little Usyk belittled their size and abilities with four masterful performances and zero trash talk.If Fury has – and we are not buying it – walked away from the sport, and the £500million two-fight deal, then it leaves Our AJ with a problem.Joshua missed the Wilder boat and he was sunk by Usyk’s genius. Fury was his chance to get up back to the surface for air and potentially sail off into the sunset.He once told us that – in the middle of his bad boy days when he was saved from a serious stretch inside – he chose to treat his boxing career like a prison sentence.Amir Khan echos the nation in plead to Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua… and he speaks from experienceHe was going to eat, sleep, train and fight when and where he was told to.He was going to lose, sacrifice and yearn for the things that normal people take for granted.So that when he finished his time, he could become a free man and reap the rewards of his gruelling solitude at the deep end of the hardest sport.After a couple of failed appearances at the parole board, a possible legacy-defining win over Fury looked like his last real crack at a decent farewell strategy. But if Fury has beaten him to the exit and vanished with an earlier and more respected Klitschko win – plus the three sensational Wilder bouts – then he can lay claim to being the finest British heavyweight of his era, the UK’s greatest since Lewis.And what of second-placed Joshua? Does he plod on with high-risk-low-reward opponents who will target his frail confidence and chin like Daniel Dubois did with such devastating success?Or does he hang his gloves up too and go out on the back of a savage knockout that might itself end up cruelly defining a life and career worthy of so much more respect?We shall wait and see.Joshua, seen celebrating with his 2012 gold medal, has done his country proudCredit: PAHe became heavyweight champ in 2016 when he beat Charles MartinCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdHis clash with Klitschko in 2017 was named Fight of the Year and saw AJ add to his collection of world title beltsCredit: GettyJoshua has paid his dues and served his time to King and country. He deserves to walk out on his terms, to a roaring crowd that appreciates him and his underdog achievements.But while it has been an honour to cover his many high and lows in the ring, the finest story Fleet Street has on Anthony Joshua is one we can never write.It’s not a scandal or a cover-up or wrapped up in a non-disclosure agreement.It’s an act of utterly selfless kindness that he only agreed to do if we didn’t use it to flog a few more papers.With his exploits with the gloves on – his 2011 World Championships silver in Baku, London 2012 gold and two title reigns – he has got us jobs, earned us pay rises, helped us get mortgages and raise our children.But the handful of hacks who traipse around the country – and in and out of Saudi – won’t print the moment away from the ropes that endeared him to us forever.Because he asked us to.Robbing AJ of that final fight will be a stroke of evil genius from the mind-games masterIn a sport utterly built on hype and blags and bulls**t, he swore to secrecy the very people who could best celebrate his kindest deed.It’s what has always made it hard to report on his failings in the ring – but also why we will never let anyone question the integrity of the man away from it.It’s why most of us, like his legions of fans around the world, will feel gutted if the overdue Fury fight – after years of Gypsy-King torment and the savage September Dubois knockout – doesn’t materialise. For Team Fury, robbing AJ of that one huge final fight – one that made him break with protocol and admit publicly how much he needs it – will be a stroke of evil genius from the mind-games master.But it will leave Joshua trapped between a rock and a hard punch, having to choose between  a couple of underwhelming opponents he would be expected to beat, like Joe Joyce or Lawrence Okolie.Or fed to younger, hungrier, fresher predators like Fabio Wardley and Moses Itauma.The shock loss to Dubois has left AJ at an unexpected crossroadsCredit: GettyFellow Brit Moses Itauma is tearing through the heavyweight division and could be a possible opponent for AJCredit: GettyFabio Wardley, left, might also relish a chance to test himself against AJ if he sticks aroundCredit: GettyWith a personal fortune the Sunday Times Rich List rates at a very modest £200million, mega-money sponsorship deals with Hugo boss, Lucozade, UnderArmour and Range Rover, and a property portfolio that boasts flagship buildings in Mayfair and Bond Street, AJ has it all sewn up.Every major British broadcaster would bend over backwards to make him their star sports pundit or presenter and Sylvester Stallone would be wise to offer him a Rocky or Expendables script.But it seems much more likely that Joshua would prefer to vanish from the spotlight, help run the brilliant Finchley ABC gym with his mentor Sean Murphy and continue trying to discreetly support the amateur code of the sport that turned his life around.He may enjoy more of his Dubai holidays that he has enjoyed post-fight and offer him the sort of privacy he cannot get anywhere else.The most nourishing break we have seen him appear to take has been the most recent one to Nigeria where he mixed with locals, met presidents, trained kids, and reconnected with the home his parents left for the UK, and an unscheduled retirement may allow him to spend more time there.But whether this boxing crossroads leads him to hang up his gloves and become the first black James Bond who rules Hollywood – or he slips out of the spotlight and reinvests his fortune and experience and knowledge into grassroots boxing – bowing out flat on his face after a brutal loss to Dubois will feel like the cruellest end to a career that changed the nation.Not catching Wilder at his peak looks like a catastrophic clangerAnd fans will be left wondering how – after the London 2012 legend successfully rebuilt after heartbreaking defeats to Andy Ruiz Jr and Usyk – the golden-brick road led to a such a dramatic drop-off.That’s not to say everything AJ has touched up to this point has turned to gold.But whatever setbacks he has faced, he’s always seemed to find a way back.After success-after-masterstoke-after-windfall, Team Joshua made their first big mistake when they failed to make the undisputed Deontay Wilder fight over an 18-month period.AJ had wiped out Charles Martin for the IBF crown in 2016, became a sensation and added the WBA strap with the 2017 Wladimir Klitschko Wembley win and sealed the crucial third WBO belt with a cautious points win over Joseph Parker in 2018.All the while, Tyson Fury had been floored by a doping charge and a breakdown.And over in America and on a much smaller scale, Deontay Wilder was obliterating far lesser opponents.But when crunch time came, and hung around, Team Joshua infuriatingly failed to do a deal with the Bronze Bomber.And by December 2018 a resurgent Fury slipped in to face the Alabama slammer and reestablished himself as a major player with the iconic 12th round performance and thoroughly decent way he accepted a harsh draw.It looked like a poor AJBoxing decision then.And – following the two pastings Fury dished out to the American KO king to complete the trilogy and his dismal showings against Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang – not catching Wilder at his ‘peak’ now looks more like a catastrophic clanger.More was to follow too.The decision to draft in Andy Ruiz Jr at late notice for AJ’s Madison Square Garden debut in 2019 went disastrously wrongCredit: Getty Images – GettyFury got the better of Wilder in one of boxing’s all-time great trilogies – while AJ never tied down a deal to fight the Bronze BomberCredit: APFury also got to Klitschko before AJ which could be used in the battle for bragging rightsCredit: Getty – ContributorSix months after Fury’s freakish courage and confidence against Wilder made him a household hero again, the business brains behind AJ’s own bravery and skill blew his career horrifically off course.After months of training to rematch 6ft 4in Dillian Whyte in April, then 6ft 6in MMA trash talker Jarrell Miller at the start of June, the shameless American drug cheat was caught waddling round with Chernobyl levels of toxicity coursing through his clogged arteries.Desperate to keep their star attraction’s US debut on, AJ’s promoter Hearn and new broadcasters DAZN spent a week looking for a replacement and finally settled on a total outlier and underdog in Ruiz Jr.The unknown chubster’s only selling point was that he was Mexican and that would help the upstart streaming app – that had just handed AJ a £100million deal – navigate a perfect way into the lucrative South American and US markets.It didn’t matter that it was deemed a mismatch of Adonis vs a donut, it didn’t matter that Ruiz was only 5ft 11in, it didn’t matter that he had boxed six weeks earlier.Thankfully Ruiz’s appetite for fast food outweighed his desire to cling on to the WBA, IBF and WBO crownsIt mattered that the suits behind AJ had found a lamb for their cash cow to supposedly slaughter.AJ’s modest Birmingham coach Rob McCracken loathes interviews and wouldn’t let SunSport anywhere near him at the time.Thankfully the brilliant boxing writer Ron Lewis – a much-missed class act McCracken trusted – was there and paved the way for a chat.McCracken confirmed our fears that such a drastic change of opponent – at such late notice – was seriously dangerous. He knew that Ruiz Jr was a live dog in the fight and had been very unlucky not to beat Parker in his New Zealand backyard in 2016.He also knew AJ had been struggling with a medical problem that – to his and his team’s eternal credit – has remained top-secret to this day.We spotted, on his Monday arrival, a stye infection around his eye that hints at a struggling immune system.And on his walk to the ring he was chewing nervously before getting a relaxing massage in his corner – moments before the bell – when he needed the total opposite in red-hot stimulation.In the aftermath these alarm bells rang loud and clear but McCracken’s and our concerns would have been cooled by the first two Madison Square Garden rounds and the textbook knockdown his star student landed early in the third.But moments later, after curvy Ruiz Jr had bounced back up and clipped AJ around the temple, his perfect world started to unravel.Thankfully for Joshua’s rebuild and rematch, Ruiz Jr’s appetite for fast food and long parties outweighed his desire to cling on to the WBA, IBF and WBO crowns.And when he rolled into the desert re-run at 20st months later, Joshua jabbed and jigged back to prominence.AJ has built up a huge property portfolio, including this £20m site in London’s New Bond StreetCredit: Paul EdwardsAJ also bought the HQ of oil giant BP for £30mJoshua has landed some huge sponsorship deals, including with Hugo BossCredit: AlamyJoshua, seen here with Jamie Oliver, is also signed up to Land RoverCredit: GettyThe former champ’s commercial partners include Lucozade and Under ArmourCredit: PASadly the damage to the McCracken relationship was done and their classy decade-long partnership unraveled.The same man he revered and hailed as ‘The General’ and his very own Sir Alex Ferguson was marginalized and finally ousted.Fury’s lost years were between 2015 and 2018 when he failed a drugs test for nandrolone, went into the magnificent Klitschko win knowing his career was in freefall and then battled drink, drug, obesity and mental health problems. But Joshua wasted prime years of his career – between 2019 and 2022 – searching for improvement in all the wrong places, without a reliable boxing man in his corner to be the rudder for the ship.It’s massively commendable that he has promoted childhood friends to positions of power within his organisation and technical team.But when he chose an unproven trainer to help transform him from a 18st knockout artist to a stick-and-move stylist, somebody truly close to him should have spoken up.If Erling Haaland decided he was going to headhunt a pub-league coach to turn him into a left back, we reckon Pep Guardiola or dad Alf-Inge would step in and stop the disaster.The Dubois build-up was a horrific logistical failure by a team who had one jobInstead Team Joshua stocked up on sunglasses and cigars and enjoyed the private jets as Angel Fernandez, Joby Clayton, Robert Garcia and Derrick James came in and went out.In that time Usyk had snatched away all his belts over two fights and lowkey comeback wins over Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius had drawn low attendances and ungrateful boos from Wembley arena.It felt hard to criticise.Fighters are the bravest people in sport and, in almost every interview, we try to dig into their past and their darkness, while Premier League footballers get softballs about their transfer plans, boots deals or secret mistresses.So after that second loss in Saudi, when he broke down in tears and said he felt guilty for letting us – the United Kingdom – down, it was painful.But he has proven time and again he will only stop on his terms, and to see him happy  under trainer Ben Davison and knocking people like Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou out with throwback performances has been great.And although his media commitments are rare and rushed and shorter with every fight, he is yet to give us the sort of cold and empty interviews we usually expect.Joshua will recount to us his bricklaying days, the charge for cannabis possession, the brief time on remand at Reading prison, we even get the odd mention of son JJ who prefers scrambler motorbikes to boxing.AJ gave us gold before the Daniel Dubois fight about a recent row down a Watford pub where a young lad disrespected him and – rather than slip out the backdoor to avoid confrontation – he fronted up to the yob who understandably lost his bottle.Things seemed to be going so well – right up until that Dubois bout.But unlike the Ruiz stunner, the warning signs, like the fighter, arrived way too late.Unforgivably, AJ turned up for his IBF world title shot at a packed out Wembley stadium at about the same time chief support Liam Gallagher did, about an hour before the first bell.It was a horrific logistical failure for a team that had one job.And when Dubois almost decapitated him in the very opening round, those traffic excuses were not going to be enough to absolve the team of blame, as another rebuild ensued.Then, once Fury failed in his second attempt to beat Usyk, it seemed AJ had the ideal shot at redemption and revenge on a plate, against the perfect dance partner.Filterless Fury – whether due to his Traveller showmanship, bi-polar disorder or attention-begging dad – has always shown a desire to be loved and a willingness to share.Barring a couple of unscheduled and unscripted moments, AJ has remained uber-private and ice cool.Joshua funds and supports the Clean Herts Programme to help struggling kids around his home but his team politely rejects media approaches to cover events.Perhaps AJ is paying the price for being too planned and polished.In lockdown he came into the Sun office and worked on a campaign highlighting the magnificent work our NHS was doing.Fury opened his Instagram and home up to us and did a daily workout with the nation.Occasionally a child would run in causing beautiful chaos or Fury and childhood sweetheart Paris would embrace.It endeared the Fury family to the country, at a time of national crisis, and probably paved the way for the ITV docs, best selling books and Netflix series that followed.A PR executive ensconced in elite sport and showbiz once pestered me for the name of Fury’s big-money social media svengali.Like most of his contemporaries, was he paying a fortune to Freuds or Saatchi & Saatchi?The truth is he wasn’t giving a penny to Pinky & Perky.Fury and his band of brothers, friends, coaches and training partners do their shtick on a whim. But neither Fury or AJ needed a marketing campaign planned in a Soho vegan pet shop to sell their fight.It was box-office gold and we were champing at the bit to pack Wembley out and watch the desert version on Sky, DAZN and TNT at any price they wanted to set.We want to see AJ go out at the top, on the crest of a wave, not on his shield.Fury’s decision to quit has denied us fans the exit we wanted, and more importantly for AJ, the Hollywood farewell he deserves.AJ’s shrewd business brain has helped him amass a fortune of around £200mCredit: GQ / Matthew BrookeAJ and Eddie Hearn have some big decisions to makeCredit: GettyNo one could begrudge the former heavyweight king if he decided to sail off into the sunsetCredit: @anthonyjoshuaOr perhaps he will go back to where it all began, at Finchley ABC gymCredit: Mark Robinson More

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      in Boxing

      Daredevil Chisora keeps putting his life in danger.. a fight vs Anthony Joshua or Dubois must NEVER be allowed to happen

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      DEREK CHISORA thoroughly deserved his standing ovation after his outstanding victory over Otto Wallin in Manchester last Saturday.The thousands who packed the Co-op Arena were every bit as emotional as Del Boy after seeing him twice bludgeon the Swede to the canvas on his way to becoming the mandatory challenger for Daniel Dubois’ IBF world heavyweight title.Derek Chisora gave Otto Wallin a battering – but he should hang up his gloves nowCredit: ReutersThe 41-year-old has nothing left to prove after another warrior performanceCredit: GettyChisora soaked up the adulation as blood gushed from his badly cut eyes before his war wounds were eventually stitched.It was certainly an incredible performance for a man who has had a brutal 18-year, 49-fight career that has seen him win British, Commonwealth and European titles and twice fight for the world championship.But I’m afraid I can’t join in the general Chisora cheerleading party.There’s no getting away from the undeniable fact that after slugging it out over 12 rounds, at the final bell the battle-scarred Chisora looked every one of his 41 years.There’s no doubt Derek will be encouraged to take on Dubois or even Anthony Joshua as a 50th fight finale – either at a London stadium or in Riyadh.I will be accused of being a party-pooper, but that is a fight I would hate to happen.Two years ago, after Chisora took a terrible beating from Tyson Fury’s educated fists at Tottenham Hotspur’s ground, this column implored him to retire.I was in excellent company because so did his promoter Frank Warren.They may not be prepared to admit it publicly, but most boxing people – fighters, trainers and managers – know Chisora should have hung up his gloves a long time ago.But Chisora is a one-off law unto himself and he has no intention of taking advice from anyone – however good it is.There is no doubt he has become a cult figure with the fans – in fact his thousands of followers are boxing’s equivalent of cricket’s Barmy Army.Derek Chisora opens up on retirement and says people ‘don’t care’ about him in ‘scumbag’ sport of boxingDel Boy was left bloodied and bruised after his bout with WallinCredit: ReutersChisora asked fans if he should fight Daniel Dubois, Anthony Joshua or Oleksandr Usyk next – but the answer should be NONE of themCredit: GettyThey sing his name as soon as he climbs through the ropes and never stop.That’s because he gives them what they want to see – blood and guts. That’s all very well but it’s his blood and his guts he’s spilling – not theirs.I just wish I could understand Del Boy’s intransigent addiction to fame and pain.Chisora is a one-off law unto himself and he has no intention of taking advice from anyone – however good it isHe dotes on his two daughters and has given his family wealth and stability, having earned his fortune the hardest way possible.Yet this immensely brave and eccentric man continues to put his life in danger every time he goes to work when he has no need to.Maybe it takes a fellow fighter to fully understand Chisora’s mentality.A needless showdown against Anthony Joshua (left) or Daniel Dubois (right) could prove a step too farCredit: GettyJoe Calzaghe, one of Britain’s greatest world champions who retired with a perfect 46-0 record, perhaps has the answer.Calzaghe in a Foreword to Gareth A. Davies’ recently published and highly entertaining and informative book A Call of the Warrior, wrote: “Many people feel the call of the warrior.”And some of us find ourselves dedicating our lives to fighting in the ring. “It is a calling although we are not always able to fathom where it comes from.”But it’s there. To ignore the call of the warrior is to go against ourselves, to deny a deeply fundamental part of what makes us all human.”Whatever Chisora’s wishes, it must NEVER be allowed to happenSurely there can be no better way for Chisora to have taken his final bow than the adrenaline high and love he experienced as he walked back to his dressing room last weekend.The thought of him tangling with a young, fearsome punching tyro like Dubois – it has already been mentioned – sends shivers of fear up and down my spine. Whatever Chisora’s wishes, it must never be allowed to happen.Surely Del Boy wouldn’t risk going out being beaten up and counted out? But then, you can never legislate for Chisora. More

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      My dad survived Auschwitz by boxing and winning 76 forced fights to the death before pro career and Rocky Marciano bout

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      IN 1944, aged just 16, Harry Haft was forced into a concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Poland.To survive the Holocaust, the teenager was told to, literally, fight for his life.Harry Haft was the Holocaust survivor who went on to box Rocky MarcianoInmates at concentration camps were forced into bare-knuckle fights to the deathCredit: AFPFor the ‘entertainment’ of German SS officers, emaciated Jewish inmates were put together in a ring for bare-knuckle boxing contests – fought to the death – in front of jeering troops.The winner would get an extra slop of food, to keep them fit for their next fight.The loser, should he survive, would be deemed unfit to work as a slave labourer and shot on the spot, or taken to a gas chamber or crematorium. Haft, who boasted a strong physical stature, was recruited by an SS overseer called Schneider who taught him how to be a boxer.He fought for his life in 76 bare-knuckle death matches at a camp in Jaworzno, which was situated at a coal mine north of Auschwitz, and miraculously won every single one.Haft’s escape from the Nazis near the end of the war was also remarkable. In 1945, his Jaworzno camp was dissolved as the Soviet Red Army marched into German held-territory.Thousands of inmates were transferred to other camps, which gave some the opportunity to flee. Haft was one of those fortunate enough to get away.On the run, he would encounter a bathing German soldier who he would kill before stealing his uniform and wearing it as a disguise.Once he found refuge in a Displaced Person’s Camp operated by the US Army in Munich, he had the opportunity to win an amateur championship organised by the US armed forces.That was the catalyst for Haft to launch a professional boxing career that culminated in a bout with future heavyweight world champion, Rocky Marciano in 1949.Haft, who died of cancer in 2007 aged 82, was the subject of Hollywood movie The Survivor – directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Barry Levinson.Trailer for The Survivor, the story of Harry Haft’s incredible fight to survive the Holocaust SunSport spoke with Harry’s son Alan, who revealed the horror effects of the trauma and PTSD his father suffered.”My father was a fairly violent person,” he told SunSport.”PTSD wasn’t diagnosed in that era, and what he went through led to struggles in later life with his mental health.”He had nightmares all the time, he flew into rages and broke every window in our family home.”I remember he once saw a swastika in a history book and went out to hide in the local park. We had to go out to search for him.”I’m a second generation Holocaust survivor and because of my father’s PTSD, my childhood was tough.”He sort of ruined every holiday, exploding into a rage, and I lost count of the number of suicide attempts he made.”After finding his way to the Displaced Persons Camp following the end of the war, Harry put his boxing skills to good use in 1947 to win the Amateur Jewish Heavyweight Championship in an event set up to entertain US troops in Munich.A year later, he emigrated to New Jersey, where he vowed to become a prize fighter.Alan recalled: “My father told his aunt and uncle he wanted to be a prize fighter, and she asked him, ‘Why would you want to be a boxer? Haven’t you undergone enough punishment?'”He replied, ‘After all I’ve been through, what harm can a man with boxing gloves on his hands do to me?'”When my father died I put that quote on his gravestone.”Haft’s fight record was 13 wins from 21 fights, which culminated in that 1949 bout with Rocky Marciano, who would go on to become one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.But Alan told how Harry was paid a visit by American mobsters who wanted to fix the fight.Harry Haft’s son Alan speaking to SunSport from his home in AmericaHaft’s headstone includes the words he said to his auntFrom 1948-1949 Haft fought 21 times and won 13 boutsHaft hoped fighting the legendary Rocky Marciano would help reunite him with his long lost loveCredit: Getty – Contributor”He said two gangsters came into his dressing room before the fight and told him, ‘You’re going down in the first’,” Alan revealed.”So my father said to them, ‘Well, I’ve never gone down in the first round for anybody. You don’t scare me. The Germans didn’t scare me’.”Haft would suffer a third round knockout, but there was a bigger plan in play.Underpinning Haft’s tale of survival was a story of love.He was separated from his childhood sweetheart, Leah Pablanski when the German army took their city Belchatow in 1944. By fighting Marciano, some five years later, harry hoped to get his name in the newspapers so that, if Leah was still alive, she would come and find him.The years passed by and Harry married, had children, and set up his own fruit and veg store in Brooklyn.In his later years, Harry Haft struggled with PTSD from his harrowing ordealHowever, as incredible as it seemed, Haft was destined to meet Leah one final time.In 1963, he received a call from the Belchatow survivors’ association saying his former girlfriend was living in Miami under the married surname Lieberman.Haft took his family to Florida, where he asked Alan to call every Lieberman in the phone book at their hotel.Alan, who was 14 at the time, remembered: “I finally spoke with a man who said, ‘That’s my wife’ over the phone.”My dad immediately interjected, ‘Tell her that Harry Haft from Belchatow wants to see her.'”The man was reluctant and said she wasn’t seeing anyone. “So I told him, ‘Okay, if she changes her mind we’re at the Marseille Hotel.'”About 10 minutes later the phone in the room rings and it’s the husband. He said: ‘She doesn’t want to see anybody, but you she wants to see.”The Survivor captured Haft’s heartbreaking reunion with LeahHarry and Alan drove to Coral Gables where they met Leah. But the Leah he met was different to the one he knew when they were teenagers.”She was dying of cervical cancer, she was so skinny, she looked like a Holocaust victim,” Alan said.”I watched them go out in the garden for a little while and exchange some final words together. “It was the only time I ever saw my father cry.”In 2006, Alan told his father’s story in a book called Harry Haft: Survivor of Auschwitz, Challenger of Rocky Marciano.He couldn’t find a publisher to touch it, because the material was so dark.Eventually, it was published by Syracuse University – but there was little academic value in the book, which sold just 4,000 copies.Son Alan Haft told his father’s incredible story in a book, and there has also been a graphic novelThe story became a Hollywood movie starring Ben Foster as HaftCredit: United King FilmsHowever, it gained a new lease of life in, of all places, Germany — where it was republished.Cartoonist Reinhard Kleist bought a copy and was inspired to create a graphic novel of Haft’s life story.It was called The Boxer and would go on to win countless awards. It was then published around the world, and thrust Haft’s story into the mainstream.This would encourage writer Justine Juel Gillmer to pen a script that would end up on the Black List, an annual survey of the most-liked motion picture screenplays not yet produced.There, it caught the attention of Barry Levinson, who won the Academy Award for Rain Main and was compelled to make the movie.Starring X-Men: The Last Stand actor Ben Foster in the lead role alongside Hollywood legend Danny DeVito, The Survivor was critically acclaimed.Harry Haft, left, with son Alan before his death in 2007Haft, left, winning the Amateur Jewish Heavyweight Championship in 1947Haft knocked down his opponent to win the fight and a boxing career beganThe film’s child actors Kingston Vernes, Zachary Golinger and Sophie Knapp join Alan, his brother Marty and sister Helen Haft for the film’s premiere In New YorkCredit: Getty More

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      Misfits Boxing’s Carla Jade reveals her hardest battle is outside the ring – and the thing that would hurt her most

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      INCREDIBLE CARLA Jade has managed to juggle a blooming boxing career and a successful ring girl business alongside being a busy mum of four.But the brunette beauty, 35, wouldn’t swap her hectic life for anything else.Brunette beauty Carla Jade is the mum-of-four who has taken Misfits Boxing by stormCredit: Instagram @carla_jjadeCarla is the current Misfits Boxing lightweight women’s championCredit: PA’Killa’ Carla Jade recently defended her belt against Melanie Shah at Misfits Boxing 20Credit: PAJade was recently in action against bare-knuckle boxer Melanie Shah at Misfits Boxing 20 at Co-op Live in Manchester, where she defended her lightweight belt.It’s been a remarkable journey for the champ who has wowed her four kids with her exploits in the ring, as well as the fact she gets to rub shoulders with YouTuber KSI.However, despite barbs aimed at her online by her rivals on social media, and punches thrown by juggernauts in the squared circle, being a mother serves up tougher challenges.”Everyone always talks about the boxing and everything like that – but for me, my hardest battle is always outside of the ring,” Carla told SunSport.”I am always juggling everything and making sure everything’s done. You know, I’ve got the kids, I’ve got a business, then I’ve got the boxing.”I say it’s hard, but I have four amazing kids. They’re so lovely, so helpful.”They’re my whole inspiration. So as much as it’s hard, you can’t be upset because you’re busy juggling your lottery win. It’s the best thing ever being a mum.”The kids are the only thing in the whole world that… you know, obviously I love boxing, I love my friends, I love my family, but if you took them away from me that would hurt.”From ring girl to boxing sensationCarla’s children, aged 19, 18, 15 and 10, saw their mum in the ring before she became a Misfits Boxing sensation.Meet Sydney Thomas, The Next Big Ring Girl StarShe has regularly shown off her stunning figure at PFL and Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship events.While the fierce fighter also runs a stable of promo models with her own agency, Finesse Ring Girls.Carla said: “It’s funny because they didn’t care so much when I was a ring girl.”I think the only time my son showed an interest was when he saw an ad for BKFC when he was playing his FIFA video game, and he was like ‘oh, is that the show you worth with?’ “When I first started boxing, it wasn’t much of a shock to my kids because they already know I’m not a very conventional person.”At first they weren’t majorly interested, but when I won the belt they thought it was the coolest thing in the whole world.”Also, they’re not YouTubey kids, but they were impressed I get to hangout with KSI and other influencers who are big in their world.”I think now they’re kind of in awe of me!”So far, Carla’s children have yet to watch mum live in action at one of her bruising or bloody bouts.”Yeah, they don’t come to the fights,” Carla explained.Alongside her boxing career, Carla Jade is a ring girl and runs her own businessCredit: https://www.instagram.com/carla_jjadeGlam Carla’s kids have watched their mum in action in the ringCredit: Instagram @carla_jjadeCarla revealed that her son had a watch party with his friends for one of her fightsCredit: Instagram @carla_jjade”I did ask them if they wanted to come to my last fight – but being in Manchester it was a bit far for them to travel.”They watch it on TV, though. My son, bless him, is so cute. He had a watch party with his friends when I fought Nikki Hru.”I have to remember that they’re watching, so I can’t get too carried away and say something I shouldn’t! “But my older children understand it. They understand it’s work, so when I got slapped by Melanie in the press conference they knew it wasn’t like getting slapped in the street by someone!”The parenting juggleCarla admitted the hardest thing she faces as a Misfits boxer is the time it takes away from her kids.”Time management is really tough,” she confessed.”I have never really had a 9-5 job, so doing the school run hasn’t been an issue.”I’ll drop them off at school, go to the gym, get all my training done, then I’m able to pick them up later.”Sometimes sparring sessions are in the evening, depending on what girls are available. Before I go back out, I’ll do the dinner for them.Carla has made sacrifices to conquer the Misfits Boxing worldCredit: https://www.instagram.com/carla_jjadeCarla revealed eight-week training camps can take her away from valuable time with her four childrenCredit: https://www.instagram.com/carla_jjadeDespite an often gruelling schedule, Carla is grateful to be a part of Misfits BoxingCredit: https://www.instagram.com/carla_jjade”My 19-year-old can cook, so she prepares her own meals or will help feed the others. She’s an angel.””It can be hard when it gets closer to the fights and we’ve got proper eight-week training camps.”But, I am very lucky because if you break it down, it’s eight weeks, one night, and it’s good money.”Of course I get tired, and driving back home after a sparring session late at night is tough.”I’d rather do that, though, because it means I can have little moments with my children – like take the dog for a walk or draw a picture with my youngest.”I can’t complain. It’s a small sacrifice to pay. I’m the champ. If it was an easy life, everyone would be doing it.”A dangerous gameCarla knows she puts herself at risk in the ring, which hits home being a parent. “It’s only recently I thought about the dangers,” she told us.”Coming into it, I knew I would have to go and spar and get punched in the head by other girls.”At times, the next day I have suffered with a bad headache. You’re wearing eight ounce gloves, no head guards, so it’s proper boxing when it’s fight night.”It’s a serious sport, so I just make sure I protect myself, look after my body. I take my weight cut seriously, and Misfits look after us as well.”They make sure everyone’ s on weight, we are tested by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency), so they’ve proven to be such a professional organisation.Mum Jade confessed she has thought about the dangers her boxing career could poseCredit: Instagram @carla_jjadeCarla poses with sparring partner Aria Wild following a session in the gymCarla is happy to fight in the ring to provide for her familyCredit: Instagram @carla_jjade”At the same time, I could go out and, heaven forbid, get hit by a bus tomorrow.”I want to live my life to the full, provide for my family, and I think I can do that safely in the boxing ring”It’s great to have a place I can show off my skills, personality, and get paid.” More

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      My dossier of evidence shows Kyle Walker will NEVER escape desperate Lauryn Goodman – her restaurant ambush proves it

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      IT IS a question most, if not all, who have followed this unsavoury saga have repeatedly asked (whilst scrolling through the latest plot twist): When will this end?For over a year now, football’s love cheat extraordinaire Kyle Walker has been unable to escape a scandal of his own making – and God knows he’s tried.Kyle has only ever done one sit-down interview about the scandal: a full mea-culpa with The Sun’s Paul Sims when the scandal erupted in January last yearCredit: BackGridCountless newspaper interviews with Lauryn Goodman followed the bombshell news in 2020 that she was expecting a ‘miracle’ baby with KyleKyle’s wife Annie Kilner has been made countless offers for an interview, but each one has been turned downCredit: GettyA BBC podcast and a football academy for under-privileged kids in his home city followed in a bid to soften his much-maligned public image, but to no avail.He even moved to Italy to join AC Milan on loan until the end of the season in the hope of fleeing the feeding frenzy.But if he thought he could start afresh abroad, his ex-mistress Lauryn Goodman, who he secretly fathered two children with, has news for him.Last week, in a set of carefully choreographed pictures she beamed in front of a removal van and revealed she too was moving to Italy in order to be closer to him.Ironic then, that the first person to pose the question ‘when will this end?’, was Lauryn herself.Man City star Kyle Walker confesses to betraying ‘soulmate & best friend’ Annie Kilner in astonishingly honest interviewAnd yet, if you dig deep enough, you’ll find a paper trail of evidence that suggests she is deliberately willing the saga to carry on.Countless newspaper interviews followed the bombshell news in 2020 that she was expecting a “miracle” baby with Kyle, 34.Even more followed after she detonated his marriage to wife Annie Kilner in December 2023 by revealing he had secretly fathered a second child with her.For the record, Annie has done none (offers have been made, but each one turned down).And Kyle has only ever done one sit-down: a full mea-culpa with me when the scandal erupted in January last year.In her latest interview, published this month, Lauryn invited OK! Magazine into the lavish £2.4million four-bedroom home Kyle bought for her and the kids in East Sussex.Glossy pictures across multiple pages accompanied an interview in which she revealed her plans to move.She teased: “For the last year I wished to have the option to move abroad because, with all of the drama, I’d like a life reset – but I’m not sure how that looks for us at the minute or what that entails.”She had previously contemplated a move to Dubai amid fevered speculation that Kyle was sizing up a move to the Saudi pro league.Last week, in a set of carefully choreographed pictures, Lauryn beamed in front of a removal van and revealed she too was moving to ItalyCredit: BackGridKyle moved to Italy to join AC Milan on loan until the end of the season in the hope of fleeing the feeding frenzyCredit: GettyIn October 2024, Annie filed for divorce from KyleCredit: SplashBut she was adamant – remember, this was only days ago – when she insisted: “It makes no difference to me where Kyle is, he could be on Mars right now for all I care.”And yet, here she is packing up and preparing to move to Italy to be on his very doorstep.There was no furniture on the lorry, no plants, kids toys – just boxes. And in a complete departure from anyone who has ever moved house, Lauryn was positively beaming from ear to ear.Surely, this wasn’t a stunt to obtain media coverage, a constructed plot twist to secure column inches?This, the same woman who insisted in yet another interview in February last year: “I need this to end.”One has to wonder why on earth she would subject herself – and their children – to the ongoing agony and heartache she has long since documented in the column inches of this and other newspapers.In her OK! interview Lauryn, 34, says: “I’ve been through hell and back fighting for my children and then absolutely being crucified for it in the process.Kyle Walker’s ex Lauryn Goodman in bid to QUIT UK with their kids – and makes plea to Man City star for help”There were days where I would just cry my eyes out. I’d think, can I continue with this?”I have to, for my children, because I’m the only one that they can depend on. But how strong does one person have to be?”Her big move to Italy is supposedly scheduled to take place this week – as Kyle settles in with his new teammates in the iconic San Siro stadium.But this is not the first time she has prepared to follow the England full-back.In May 2021, she wanted to move 245 miles from her home in Brighton to the upmarket Cheshire village – and footballers enclave – of Alderley Edge.EXPLOSIVE MOVEShe viewed an £895,000 five bedroom property on a plush new development – just five miles from Kyle and Annie’s home.At the time, a source said: “As if things weren’t difficult already, this is going to take it to another level completely.”The explosive move never materialised after Kyle increased her housing budget from £1.85million to £2.4million in a bid to placate her to maintain her distance.There were repeated hints on social media too of the paternity of her second child to Kyle, a baby girl born in the Summer of 2023.It fed feverish speculation online and drove the number of followers to her Instagram account.In response to claims she had given birth to a baby with “another footballer” she replied: “Just to clarify I have not had a baby with ‘another footballer’ as per news articles.”I know there is speculation around little one’s father and like I’ve stated publicly when the time is right.”Followers were quick to question if she had stressed it wasn’t ‘another’ footballer because Kyle was, in fact, the father of both children.Lauryn dragged Kyle to family court but a judge sensationally ruled against most of her cash pleasCredit: PAIn his withering judgement – published last July – Judge Edward Hess was scathing of her behaviourCredit: SplashThe social media influencer shares two children with the footballer after a flingCredit: social.saviour/InstagramAnd on her Instagram bio she wrote: “Mummy to @kairowalker & KW”. Posts with a “countdown” to a new post followed.In his withering judgement – published last July – Judge Edward Hess was scathing of her behaviour.She laid a trail of breadcrumbs and had “not just cooperated with, but actively instigated” the feeding frenzy, he concluded.He added: “Throughout 2023, he (Kyle) sought to keep secret the fact that he was Kinara’s father.”It is clear from the evidence that he was understandably embarrassed about this fact and anxious about how his wife would react when she found out.”In his attempts to persuade the mother to go along with the retention of secrecy, the father gave way to many of the financial demands of the mother which he might otherwise have resisted.Timeline of Kyle Walker & Annie Kilner’s relationshipEarly years – Kyle and Annie first meet in Sheffield when she was 15 and he was 17Euro 2016 – Walker caught messaging Playboy model Carla HoweApril 2019 – Annie dumps Kyle after his alleged romps with reality TV star Laura BrownApril 2020 – Kyle allegedly hosts sex party with two escorts during covid-19 lockdownFebruary 2020 – Lauryn Goodman gives birth to Kairo, her son with WalkerNovember 2021 – Walker and Kilner marry in secretMarch 2023 – Lauryn announces her second pregnancySpring 2023 – Kyle allegedly flashes and kisses another woman in a Vodka Revolution bar in CheshireAugust 2023 – Lauryn gives birth to a daughterJanuary 2024 – Annie announces split from Kyle after two years of marriage. It emerges Kyle is the dad of Lauryn’s second child. Kyle begs for forgiveness in exclusive Sun interview. Lauryn brands him a ‘pathological narcissist’October 2024 – Annie files for divorceJanuary 2025 – Kyle moves to Italy alone, with Annie refusing to join him. “The evidence before me has amply demonstrated that the mother was able to leverage these substantial increases by hinting that she would go public on the paternity issue.”She also threatened that if she did not get what she wanted she would select a home a stone’s throw away from his in Cheshire…an idea which she knew horrified the father.”If the father thought that these rather generous house budget increases would keep his paternity a secret, he was to be disappointed.”The mother plainly had no intention of keeping the matter secret.”I won’t be scapegoated or bullied and made to feel like a villain.Lauryn GoodmanBut there was more.In the Summer last year, as Kyle and his England teammates plotted a course to the final of the Euros, Lauryn travelled to Germany with son Kairo to watch him “in real life”.But she didn’t go to Frankfurt’s Deutsche Bank stadium alone – she was naturally accompanied by a journalist and photographer.In an exclusive interview, featuring a blow-by-blow account of their trip, Lauryn said: “We are not here to please other people. It’s about Kairo and what is best for him and what is going to make him happy.”I won’t be scapegoated or bullied and made to feel like a villain. My children are my number one priority and they always will be.”Luckily I’m a strong woman and mother for them.”Lauryn even befriended Kyle’s neighbour in Cheshire – urging her to spy on him over the garden fence.Jasmine David said Lauryn became so obsessed it ‘was like being in Fatal Attraction’, the 1987 love rat revenge movieCredit: ZenpixThe couple have always put on a united front for the sake of the kidsCredit: InstagramJasmine David, 51, found herself caught in the middle of their bitter feud after befriending the Instagram influencer online.She was already at loggerheads with the England and Manchester City ace, 34, over a boundary dispute and took pity on Lauryn.In one text message Lauryn suggested Jasmine spy on Kyle and Annie – writing: “Needed to record that she was done. FML. Need all that on record. So BADLY.”Jasmine replied: “You can’t record somebody without their permission is (sic) illegal xx.”Lauryn wrote back: “Not to sell that you donut. You can have your phone recording in your garden.”Lauryn was madly in love with Kyle – that much was abundantly clear. I suspect he told her things she wanted to hear.In another message she speculates over the birthday plans for Kyle’s wife, model Annie Kilner.She refers to Instagram posts from Annie’s sister, Sian, who was booked in for a spray tan in Sheffield ahead of the celebrations.Lauryn texts: “Soooo I think they’re going out at the weekend. But probably not in Cheshire and I reckon he’ll join her, don’t you?”SPY CLAIMSIn fact, Annie partied at an Italian restaurant in Alderley Edge to celebrate her 30th.She posted pictures of her and Kyle – alongside the caption: “Wasn’t so bad turning 30 after all.”A day later, Lauryn posted a photograph of her in the same restaurant.Jasmine recalls growing increasingly uneasy as Lauryn obsessed over the Three Lions defender.She likened it to the 1987 thriller “Fatal Attraction”, starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close.She said: “Lauryn was madly in love with Kyle – that much was abundantly clear. I suspect he told her things she wanted to hear.”And she naturally wanted the relationship to develop further and wouldn’t let go when he chose Annie.”It spiralled into an unhealthy obsession.”I was Kyle’s neighbour and have been for years, but the truth is she knew more about what he was up to than I did.”I urged her to move on and live a happy life and to focus on her two beautiful children.”But she got caught up in it all and it got wildly out of hand.”Lauryn previously contemplated a move to Dubai amid fevered speculation that Kyle was sizing up a move to the Saudi pro leagueCredit: PAAnnie missed Kyle’s Serie A debut in the Milan derby, with the pair said to be barely speakingCredit: GettyDespite her many interviews, Lauryn had uncharacteristically appealed through her lawyers for Judge Hess to keep his financial remedies judgement private.It was perhaps understandable, given the likely contents.And so, in his final few paragraphs, Judge Hess lifted the car bonnet to reveal the inner workings of this particular scandal.He wrote: “It would be a nonsense, opening the court to ridicule, to try to redact or anonymise this judgment to prevent identification of the parties.”A perusal of the many hundreds of newspaper articles published about these matters clearly illustrates that the mother has not just cooperated with, but actively instigated, press coverage.”It sits ill for a person to come to court arguing for privacy for her children when, just a very short while earlier, she took a payment from the press to visit the European football championship with her son dressed in an England football shirt with the name ‘Daddy’ on the back.”If the children suffer any harm from the publicity of these matters, it has already happened, and it will largely be the result of the mother’s own decisions and actions.”And so, as Lauryn embarks on yet another chapter in this oh-so-long saga, the question still remains: When will this end? More

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      How it all unravelled for ‘new Pele’ Robinho – from joining wrong Manchester club to languishing in Brazil jail

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      ROBINHO was hailed from an early age as the new Pele – even by the man himself.But instead of becoming another Brazilian football legend, Robinho is now one of the game’s most notorious criminals.Robinho once had the world at his feet – now he languishes in a Brazilian jail cellCredit: EPARobinho was once dubbed ‘the new Pele’ but saw his career implodeCredit: AlamyThe Brazilian former player is now in the ‘prison of the famous’Robinho, left, with Ronaldinho after winning the 2005 Confederations Cup in GermanyCredit: GettyAt the age of 12, he joined Pele’s old club Santos. At 24, he became the most expensive player in English football history when he joined Manchester City for £32.5million as the marquee signing of their new Abu Dhabi owners.But at 41, he is serving a nine-year sentence for gang rape.An Italian court heard in 2017 how Robinho and five friends attacked a woman in a Milan nightclub in 2013.After years of legal arguments, he finally entered Dr Jose Augusto Cesar Salgado P2 prison in Tremembe, Sao Paulo state, in March 2024.In the institution nicknamed ‘the prison of the famous’, the winner of league titles in five different countries has high-profile murderers for company.And within football, he is the ultimate pariah, even in Brazil.When Santos tried to bring him back for a fourth spell in 2020, there was public outcry and a major sponsor cut ties with the club.Inside Robinho’s jailDISGRACED footballer Robinho swapped his luxury seafront home for a hellish overcrowded prison housing murderers and follow rapists.The Brazilian, who has an estimated £60million net worth, now spends his days in a tiny 8m squared cell, which he shares with another inmate. Some cells sleep up to six prisoners.His new neighbours include a man who killed his own daughter, a man serving 98 years for kidnapping and murdering a 15-year-old girl and a doctor who abused 39 sedated patients.Robinho’s cell is said to have only one single bed, a small sink and a toilet built into the floor.A small barred up window provides just a glimpse of the outside world.All 430 inmates are forced to wear matching outfits of a white T-shirt and khaki pants.The former Real Madrid star is given four meals each day – the first being at 6am and the last at 5.30pm.He will be expected to work during his time behind bars.Prisoners make items such as school desks and chairs, or even toilet disinfectant tablets – something the P2 jail is known for.Inmates can also take acting lessons and participate in workshops on reading, literacy, and origami.While Robinho’s fellow prisoners gifted him some football boots to play during recreation times.Santos and Robinho cancelled the five-month deal and a career that had promised so much ended in infamy.Pele, who later died in 2022, did not offer his thoughts on this occasion.Court finds Ex-Man City star Robinho ‘brutally humiliated gang rape victim’But he had plenty to say about the young Robinho.When Pele saw Robinho at 15, three years after the young man had joined his former club, the legendary No10 said the winger reminded him of himself.Similar glory soon followed, as Robinho helped Santos win the Brazilian championship in 2002 and 2004.A horrible consequence of his growing celebrity was the kidnap of his mother Marina de Silva Souza in November 2004. She was returned unharmed after six weeks in captivity following the payment of a ransom.And her son regained enough form to seal a move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2005.He went with the blessing of Pele, who said: “He is already the best player in Brazil and he has all the qualities needed to be one of the best in the world.”Robinho, like the rest of the Galacticos, did not quite hit the heights that ambitious president Florentino Perez had hoped.Yet over his three seasons, which brought two LaLiga crowns, he was the third highest scorer behind Raul and Ruud van Nistelrooy.But he was unhappy with his treatment by the Bernabeu bosses, who stopped him going to the Olympics and openly courted Cristiano Ronaldo.Robinho wanted out. But he did not end up where he thought he would.Robinho wanted Chelsea and is claimed to have believed he was joining Manchester United when he ended up at CityCredit: GettyHis transfer to Manchester City on deadline day in September 2008, hours after Sheikh Mansour completed his takeover, was not only one of the most expensive deal involving a British club – it also remains one of the most bizarre.Chelsea and their CEO Peter Kenyon were convinced they would reunite Robinho with former Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari, their new manager.So convinced that the Blues’ website started offering fans the chance to pre-order shirts with his name on.Instead, Robinho found himself being unveiled at the Etihad – much to his own confusion, it seemed.Robinho said: “On the last day, Chelsea made a great proposal and I accepted.”Decapitated inmates & jailhouse warlords – inside Brazil’s hellish prisons where ex-Man City star Robinho faces 9 yearsA reporter replied: “You mean Manchester, right?”. “Yeah, Manchester, sorry!” answered Robinho.He also responded to criticism of the move by Pele, who said the player had been badly advised.Robinho said: “I accept Pele’s criticism as he is the king of football, but if he had been me, he would have done the same.“Real did not want to retain me. They even used me as a potential exchange to sign Cristiano Ronaldo. But as that negotiation fell through, they wanted to retain me then.”One story – or urban myth – says that Robinho thought he was signing for Manchester United.That has never been proved, but the-then City boss Mark Hughes helped fuel the rumours when interviewed years later about the deal.Timeline of Robinho’s rape caseThe rape case involving Brazilian footballer Robinho spans several years. Here’s a brief timeline:January 22, 2013: Robinho was one of a group of six men convicted of sexually assaulting an Albanian woman in a club during his stint for AC Milan.2014: Brazilian media reported on the allegations against Robinho, but no formal charges were filed at that time.2017: Robinho was found guilty of sexual assault by an Italian court and sentenced to nine years in prison. However, he denied the charges and appealed the verdict.2020: After the appeal process, Robinho’s sentence was upheld by the Italian court. But due to the statute of limitations in Italy, he was not extradited to serve his sentence.2022: Robinho’s prison sentence is ratified.March 2023: Robinho surrendered his passport to authoritiesNovember 2023: Italian prosecutors said they felt Robinho should serve his time in Brazil.March 20, 2024: Brazil’s Superior Court formed a simple majority and voted for Robinho to serve the sentence in his home country.Hughes said: “It was a crazy day, there were bids going out for Lionel Messi and all sorts! “We finally managed to get Robinho over the line which was a hell of a statement, and the rest is history. “There’s probably a grain of truth in the rumour that Robinho thought he was actually signing for Manchester United. “He certainly didn’t recognise me when he turned up, he was probably expecting to see Sir Alex Ferguson at the airport! “He was probably a bit disappointed to say the least.”Robinho’s recollectionRobinho later recalled: “My first goal was to go to Chelsea as it was the only club to have made a formal offer. “But Real did not like Chelsea shirts with my name on being sold before sorting out the negotiations.“Also, they did not reach the value Real demanded so then Manchester City came in at the last minute to sign me.”Whatever the truth, Robinho started his City career well, scoring a fine free kick on his debut against, of all teams, Chelsea.But a 3-1 defeat by the Premier League’s original moneybags club underlined how far City had to go.And Robinho would not be there to see the glory years as he and fellow Brazilian signings Jo and Elano failed to impress.Mark Bowen, Hughes’ assistant, reflected: “What we found was, for all his talent, Robinho – and maybe Elano at the time, and Jo – yes they were sticking together but they weren’t putting the shift in. “When the going got tough in certain games, you could almost see Robinho thinking “What am I doing here? I’ve come from Real Madrid’.”That could cause problems, sometimes on the training ground and matchdays in the dressing rooms. “They wanted to see that commitment of putting the effort in.”Inside Robinho’s cell in the notorious prisonRobinho started his promising career at Brazilian giants SantosCredit: AFPRobinho returned to Santos in 2010, 2014 and 2020 – with the latter causing uproarCredit: Getty Images – GettyRobinho returned to Santos on loan in early 2010 and helped them win another Brazilian title.But he was unable to secure a permanent deal to go home and was instead sold to AC Milan for £15m.With 14 goals in his first season, Robinho was a key figure in Milan’s Scudetto triumph and he scored 11 more as they finished runners-up the following year.Injuries took their toll, however, and in 2013, the year of the rape, he almost returned to Santos twice before agreeing a new San Siro deal on a lower salary.More injury problems hindered Robinho again and in the summer of 2014 he made his second return to Santos.That reunion lasted just a year, only for another to appear, as the winger joined the talent exodus to the mega-rich Chinese Super League to play under Scolari at Guangzhou Evergrande.Robinho scored three times in 10 league games in 2015 as he claimed a title in a fourth different country.Then it was back to Brazil again, this time with Atletico Mineiro. In the second of his two seasons there, he received a one-off recall to the Brazil squad.He made his 100th and final appearance for his country in January 2017 in a friendly against Colombia.Brazil picked a group of entirely home-based players for the match that was staged to raise money for Chapecoense, the Brazilian club that had lost 19 players when their plane crashed on the way to the Copa Sudamericana final in Colombia.Robinho is still married to his childhood sweetheart Vivian GuglielmettiCredit: ReutersThe allegations against Robinho are said to have broken VivianCredit: ReutersRobinho admitted cheating on his wife but denied rape at his trialCredit: Instagram / @robinhoRobinho was still only 33 and seemed to gain a new lease of life when he moved to Turkey.After a promising season and a half at Sivasspor, he joined newly-rich Istanbul Basaksehir and helped give them bragging rights over their three big city rivals as they lifted their first Turkish title in 2019-20.But Robinho could not enjoy that fifth league crown of his career for long.Santos announced his latest return on October 10, 2020. But the backlash was swift.Brazilian media published transcripts of voice and other messages that formed part of the 2017 trial in Milan at which Robinho was found guilty of raping the woman.In one message, Robinho said: “I’m laughing because I couldn’t care less, the woman was completely drunk, she has no idea what happened.”Inside Robinho’s family lifeIN 2009, Robinho married Vivian Guglielminetti. The couple have two sons, Robson Jr, 17, and Gianluca, 14, and a daughter Giulia, 9.Robinho and Vivian’s love story began when they were teenagers.The childhood sweethearts had been together 12 years prior to tying the knot in July 2009 at the Casa Grande hotel in Guaruja, Brazil.At the time Robinho was already playing for City and was still the Premier-League’s highest paid player, earning £165k-a-week.Vivian initially postponed their wedding when Robinho was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a nightclub in Leeds earlier that year.The wedding was rescheduled after the case was dropped and Robinho and Vivian have remained together since – despite Robinho’s current convictions.But the allegations broke Vivian, who told police she stood there like a “stupid woman who doesn’t know anything”.Son Robson Jr is following in his father’s footballing footsteps, having signed a professional deal with Santos.He’s regarded as one of the gems of their youth academy and already has a release clause of over £40m, with European sides likely to come calling.In another chat Robinho insisted he did not have sex with the victim.His friend replied: “I saw you when you put your penis inside her mouth.”Robinho’s response was: “That doesn’t mean having sex.”Orthopride, a leading dental health firm in Brazil, cancelled its shirt sponsorship in protest at Robinho returning to Santos.Chief operating officer Richard Adam said: “We have enormous respect for Santos’ history. But at this point, we have decided to terminate the sponsorship contract.“Our audience is mostly female and, out of respect for the women who buy our products, we had to make that decision.“We want to make it clear that we were not previously informed about the signing of Robinho, we were taken by surprise by the news over the weekend.”Robinho and Santos finally read the room and cancelled the contract, leaving him to concentrate on his defence.The player always protested his innocence and claimed his sexual contact with the woman in 2013 was consensual.Brazilian jails are overloaded with dozens of convicts in a single cell in some placesRobinho was transferred to Penitentiary 2 of Tremembe, in Sao Paulo, where he will serve his nine-year sentenceCredit: Laurene Santos/TV VanguardaBut later in 2020, the Milan Court of Appeals upheld Robinho’s conviction and sentence, finding that he had “belittled” and “brutally humiliated” the victim and misled investigators with a false account of what happened.In January 2022, Italy’s Supreme Court of Cessation also confirmed the original trial’s findings and a month later an international arrest warrant was issued for Robinho.Brazil does not extradite its citizens to overseas jurisdictions and refused to hand over Robinho and his friend Ricardo Falco, who had also been found guilty of the rape.But in 2023, Italy asked Brazil to make them serve their sentences in Brazil under a law that had been introduced in 2017.On March 20, 2024, the Brazilian authorities agreed to impose the nine-year sentence on Robinho. Two days later, he was arrested and jailed – justice was finally served, 11 years after the crime.Robinho is now a different kind of celebrity.Some reports credit him with helping to set up a controlled version of Tinder that allowed inmates in his jail to make contact with those in a nearby women’s prison. It is a distasteful and disturbing idea.Among Robinho’s fellow inmates are notorious murderers, including Lindemberg Alves, a man who kidnapped and shot dead 15-year-old former girlfriend Eloa Cristina Pimentel in 2008.Despite that appalling crime, Alves was among the prisoners let out for 11 days over Christmas 2024, according to local reports.But Robinho spent the festive season behind bars.Cells at the Dr Jose Augusto Cesar Salgado P2 prison are between eight metres and 12 metres squared. Up to six men cram into each one.Robinho was once spoken of in the same breath as Pele. After one of football’s most shocking falls from grace, he is now forced to share the air with fellow criminals. More

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      From football’s poster boy to bench-warmer… Grealish now has more brand deals than goals & even keeper has more assists

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      THE images are iconic – a topless Jack Grealish, drenched by rain, fuelled by an almighty booze bender, riding an open-top bus and the crest of a wave.Manchester City had just won the Treble and the most expensive player ever purchased by English football’s richest club had played a major role in an historic triumph.Images of Jack Grealish celebrating Manchester City’s incredible Treble have become iconicCredit: AFPFans loved images of Grealish’s boozy open-top bus parade anticsCredit: AFPThe £100m star had played a pivotal role in City’s stunning trophy blitzCredit: GettyBut a year and a half later, what the hell has happened to Grealish?City’s Brummie wideman can barely get a game – he has played just 33 minutes of Premier League football since Christmas and has been an unused sub in four of City’s last six matches in the competition. Grealish is a creative player who has provided fewer Premier League assists (one) than goalkeeper Ederson (two) this season.And since that 2023 Treble, Grealish has had more sponsorship deals than his six top-flight goal involvements.He is a face of Gucci, of Pepsi, of Puma, of Bose audio equipment, of Airwayz drones and of Kinetica Sports nutrition.Last summer, cardboard cut-outs of Grealish adorned our supermarkets, urging us to spread Hellman’s mayonnaise on our barbecue burgers, while watching England at the Euros.Except that Grealish wasn’t there in Germany. He had been axed from Gareth Southgate’s squad, a shock late omission which prompted near-mutiny among some of his team-mates.   Grealish is a hugely popular figure with fellow players, one of those infectious personalities who illuminate a dressing-room.CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSTo England supporters he has been a cult hero, with his relative lack of game time often used as a stick with which to clobber the supposedly-cautious Southgate.Commercial partners lap up the good looks and ready smile that make him a natural-born poster boy.Grealish, whose sister Hollie has cerebral palsy, frequently engages with disabled fans in person and with video messages, as well as being an ambassador for Special Olympics UK.Moment Jack Grealish needs a helping hand at hotel as he lets his hair down in Dubai after missing out on Euros squadGrealish’s sister Hollie has cerebral palsy and Jack always makes time to engage with disabled fansCredit: @JackGrealishBut Grealish has largely been reduced to a bench role so far this seasonCredit: ReutersAlso, you won’t find too many members of the media delighting in Grealish’s descent – a sitdown interview with ‘Super Jack’ is a rare pleasure. The man is honest and engaging with a wicked sense of humour.The problem is the actual football.Asked about his decision to select Brazilian winger Savinho over Grealish in the 4-1 win over West Ham last month, Pep Guardiola was almost as brutal about his player as Ruben Amorim had been about Marcus Rashford.Although, while Rashford attracted plenty of interest during the January window before joining Aston Villa on loan, the idea of a move for Grealish was never seriously mooted.A sitdown interview with ‘Super Jack’ is a rare pleasure. The man is honest and engaging with a wicked sense of humour. The problem is the actual football.After that West Ham win, Guardiola said: “Savinho is in better shape and everything than Jack and that’s why I played Savinho.“Do I want the Jack that won the Treble? Yeah, I want it, but I try to be honest with myself.”They have to fight. You can say it’s unfair. Okay, if you think that, then it’s fine, but you have to prove (to me), ‘Okay, I’m going to fight with Savinho, to deserve to play in that position’, every single day, every single week and every single month.”I don’t have any doubt about the quality of Jack… I fought a lot for him to be here. “I know that he can do it because I saw him. I saw his level and I want that, every single training session and every single game.”This strongly hinted that – like Rashford at United – Grealish has not been training or preparing well enough.And since then, Grealish’s only Premier League appearance came as a sub at Ipswich, when City were already 5-0 up.Over the next five days, City will face Leyton Orient and Real Madrid.Fashionable Grealish inked a reported seven-figure deal with GucciCredit: InstagramGrealish penned a deal with Hellmans before the Euros – only to be dropped by EnglandCredit: CollectGrealish has signed more sponsorship deals than his six top-flight goal involvements since winning the TrebleCredit: SuppliedBose are another of Grealish’s sponsorship dealsCredit: BoseGrealish might get a run-out at Brisbane Road in the FA Cup on Saturday but is highly unlikely to start against the 15-time champions of Europe on Tuesday night.So what has gone wrong? Since his £100million arrival from Villa in 2021, there has often been a feeling that Guardiola has clipped Grealish’s wings, stifling his natural tendency to dribble and beat defenders, taking much of the joy out of his game.Southgate’s reluctance to start Grealish – who won 20 of his 36 caps from the bench during the former England manager’s reign – was born of the idea that the player was at his best as the main man in a limited Villa side.That he is a ‘big fish in a small pond’ player and that for England, as well as City, his influence is reduced.His reputation as a pretty-boy poser is lazy and unfair. Grealish is a fighter, who has taken more kickings than most, on and off the field.Interestingly, in three appearances as a No 10 under Lee Carsley, Grealish scored twice – doubling his international goals tally before he thanked the interim boss for “bringing back the enjoyment in an England shirt”. There is a widespread image of Grealish as a show pony, as Scotland’s Stephen O’Donnell admitted when he went public with his wind-up tactics after the goalless draw with the auld enemy at the Euros in 2021.“I was telling him how good looking he was and that I loved his calves,” said O’Donnell. “I was asking him how he got his hair like that.”Grealish engaged in ‘banter’ about his famous calves in a surreal exchange with the Shrek character Donkey on a pre-season trip to Orlando Universal Resort last summer.Grealish has another deal with boot manufacturers PumaCredit: PumaAnd has been promoting Kinetica sports nutritionCredit: SuppliedBut his reputation as a pretty-boy poser is lazy and unfair. Grealish is a fighter, who has taken more kickings than most, on and off the field.He became a father last year, will turn 30 this September and is contracted to City until 2027.With City well stocked for widemen – Savinho, Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and Jeremy Doku, as well as their new versatile £59million forward Omar Marmoush – it is surely time for him to seek a new challenge this summer.Grealish is too talented a footballer to warm the bench for much longer.He must rediscover the sense of adventure that made him a Treble-winner on a double-decker with a singular ability to light up a football ground. More