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      Lionel Messi splashes out £175,000 on 35 gold iPhones for his World Cup-winning team and staff

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      LIONEL Messi splashed out £175,000 on 35 gold iPhones for his World Cup-winning team and their staff.The Argentinian star commissioned the 24-carat devices for every member of the winning squad and had them delivered to his Parisian apartment on Saturday.
      Lionel Messi splashed out £175,000 on gold iPhones for Argentina’s World Cup-winning team and staffCredit: Reuters
      The 24-carat devices have the player’s names, numbers and the Argentinian logo engraved on them
      Each phone has the player’s name, number and the Argentinian logo engraved on it.
      Last night a source said: “Lionel wanted to do something special and blingy to celebrate his proudest moment.
      “He got in touch with entrepreneur Ben Lyons and they came up with the design together.
      Ben, CEO of iDesign Gold, said: “Lionel is not only the Goat but he’s one of IDESIGN GOLD’s most loyal customers and got in touch with us a couple of months after the World Cup final.”
      READ MORE ON LIONEL MESSI
      “He said he wanted a special gift for all the players and staff to celebrate the amazing win but didn’t want the usual gift of watches.
      “So, I suggested gold iPhones inscribed with their names and he loved the idea.”
      Argentina triumphed in Qatar last year — with Messi, 35, named Player of the Tournament.
      A source said: ‘Lionel wanted to do something special and blingy to celebrate his proudest moment’Credit: Getty More

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      Jungle queen Jill Scott lined up to become first-ever female coach of a men’s side as she joins Man City

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      JUNGLE queen Jill Scott is set to become a youth coach at Premier League champions Man City.The Lioness, who won I’m A Celeb in November, is being lined up to eventually work with the club’s men’s teams.
      Jill Scott is set to become a youth coach at Premier League champions Man CityCredit: Getty
      The Lioness, who won I’m A Celeb in November, will be the first-ever female to coach a pro male teamCredit: Rex
      No female has ever managed a pro male team but Jill, 36, who helped England’s women win Euro 2022 last summer before retiring, is taking her coaching badges.
      She could make millions through brand deals and has been flooded with TV offers.
      But although she is set to be a pundit at this summer’s women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, Jill is determined to make her mark as a football coach.
      She has already reached Uefa B level and is now looking at her A licence, which would allow her to coach at a higher level.
      READ MORE ON Jill Scott
      And her first step in becoming a boss will be to coach some of the boys and girls at City’s academy.
      Jill, who made 111 appearances as a player for City’s women’s side, said she had been inspired by watching men’s manager Pep Guardiola at work.
      She said: “I went to a couple of his training sessions, which was great, and he came to watch some of ours.”
      Of the 12 teams in England’s Women’s Super League, only four have female managers.
      Most read in Football
      The star boss in the women’s game is Chelsea’s Emma Hayes, 46, who has been tipped to one day take charge of a men’s side.
      She was recently linked with the job at Championship side Queens Park Rangers but missed out.
      Man City are the current Premier League champions. Pictured Erling Haaland and Phil Foden More

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      I’m Europe’s top scorer and I’ve scored more goals than Erling Haaland & Marcus Rashford combined this season

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      A NON-league striker has netted more goals this season than Erling Haaland and Marcus Rashford combined.Player-coach Brett Pitman, 35, has 43 in just 34 games, making him the top scorer in Europe.
      Portchester ace Brett Pitman has 43 goals in just 34 games this seasonCredit: BNPS
      Erling Haaland has scored 27 nets for Manchester City in the Premier League this seasonCredit: Getty
      Marcus Rashford has bagged 14 goals for Manchester United so far this seasonCredit: EPA
      His tally for Hampshire side AFC Portchester dwarfs Haaland’s 27 in the Prem for Man City and Man United star Rashford’s 14 — and is almost double Chelsea’s entire total.
      Brett, who helped Bournemouth get to the Prem, said: “Compared to when I was playing in the top flights of football, it is pretty easy to score goals.”
      The ex-Bristol City star has five hat-tricks, one more than Haaland, firing his side to the top of the Wessex ­Premier League, England’s ninth tier.
      He has scored “headers, tap-ins, long rangers” but added: “I don’t want to get too carried away, Haaland is playing in the Premier League. I’m not.”
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      He has bagged five hat-tricks – one more than £64m Haaland – and has scored twice as many goals as Chelsea this season.
      And if his stunning goals per game ratio of 1.25 continues his tally will reach 60 by the end of the season.
      Pitman, originally from Jersey, signed for the tiny village of Portchester – known for its medieval fortress – partly as a favour to a mate.
      Before making the leap from Bristol Rovers last season he had played for Portsmouth, Bournemouth and Ipswich Town.
      Most read in Football
      He said: “I’m playing for a great team at the moment and that really helps.
      “We have got good players all over the pitch and it’s not just me that has been scoring goals.
      “I expected to score a lot of goals when I moved to Portchester, I still feel pretty fit.
      “I’ve scored a variety of goals this season, headers, tap ins, long rangers.
      “I know what I’m good at now and I’ve got the experience to know where I should be on the pitch.” More

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      How Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae have become America’s favourite new reality TV couple – and will make MILLIONS stateside

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      MOST couples leaving Love Island find the only thing shorter than their new careers is their romance.Tommy Fury and Molly-Mae Hague are the exception to the rule and are now set to break America, earning millions in the process as they cement their place as the Posh and Becks for the Instagram generation.
      Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury are poised to become a global power coupleCredit: Social Media
      Tommy poses with his belt after defeating Jake Paul in Saudi ArabiaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Molly-Mae with new arrival, baby BambiCredit: Instagram
      Power couple Molly-Mae and Tommy’s earnings
      The power couple, both 23 years old, met on the ITV2 show in 2019 and were reportedly worth £7million before Tommy took to the boxing ring against Jake Paul on Sunday night.
      Now, thanks to his victory against the American YouTuber in Saudi Arabia earning him a fanbase beyond the UK, PR experts believe Tommy will only see his earning power grow, with the help of super-influencer Molly-Mae.

      The Manchester-born boxer is reportedly set to receive a £1.6million purse from his victory against Jake – as well as 35 per cent of the pay-per-view money, taking his earnings up to at least £3.7million for the fight.
      Experts have predicted he’ll earn £10million by 2025, and that both Molly-Mae and Tommy will use this exposure in the States to break America.
      Read More on Tommy Fury
      PR Expert Jack Cooper, from Ed Hopkins PR, told us: “In terms of Tommy’s career, this was a huge step for him not only in terms of boxing but overall exposure for his brand.
      “He could certainly now be commanding up to six figures for a multi platform campaign, depending on the brand.”
      Meanwhile, Molly-Mae is already the highest paid Love Island star of all time, earning £4.8m a year for her role as creative director for Pretty Little Thing as well as £2million more from sponsored posts and her fake tan Filter brand.
      And with the birth of their first child Bambi last month, she is already eyeing a move into the lucrative “mumfluencer” sphere.
      Most read in Boxing
      Of all the couples to meet on Love Island, it is these two who have managed to monetise their profiles so effectively.
      Savvy Molly-Mae, from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, candidly described her decision to appear on the show as a “business move.”
      Already an established influencer before she entered the villa, she claimed that she wasn’t “bothered” if she found love or not.
      While she did end up falling for Tommy, and establishing one of the most enduring relationships to come out of the show, the couple only finished second.
      But her plan to boost her profile worked, and brands were queuing up to partner with her.
      The blonde star has spoken of how she shunned a £2million offer from a well-known high street brand because she didn’t wear their clothing, choosing to instead partner with Pretty Little Thing, the fast fashion giant.
      Two years later, they rewarded her loyalty by making her creative director.
      Ben Jeffries, CEO of Influencer, explained: “Influencer marketing is built on trust and authenticity, and it is incredibly transparent to followers when a brand partnership isn’t authentic.”
      Molly-Mae hammers home her “authenticity” with her enormously popular YouTube vlogs, in which she shares the details of her life, from driving to pick up Starbucks to going to the cinema with Tommy.
      Her most recent vlog, about the birth of baby Bambi, in which Molly-Mae reveals she pooed while giving birth, had 2.2million views.
      Tommy, who makes frequent appearences on Molly-Mae’s social channels, was a boxer before going into Love Island, although very much in the shadow of his heavyweight champion brother Tyson Fury.
      While brand work also poured in for him, Tommy chose to remain focused on sport but it has enabled him to reach an audience beyond the confines of UK reality TV.
      ‘Sexy, engaging couple’
      Culture expert Nick Ede agrees: “I think that Molly-Mae could really do well in the USA with Tommy by her side.
      “Her fabulous life is great fun and her social media is engaging.
      “Breaking the USA will always be hard for anyone.
      “But Molly-Mae and Tommy are a sexy, engaging couple.”
      Key to their success is that the couple see nearly everything in their life as content that can be monetised.
      Despite a terrifying break in at their Manchester apartment in 2021, in which thieves made off with £800,000 worth of items Molly had flaunted online, she wasn’t put off sharing the details of the Cheshire mansion she and Tommy bought last year.
      Her Instagram account Molly Maison documents the interior design and renovation of the £4million six-bedroom home, with the likes of England footballers Marcus Rashford, 25, and Jordan Pickford, 28, as neighbours.
      Announcing the beginning of her “new chapter” to her Instagram followers, she wrote: “I know a lot of you won’t have been expecting me to do a home account as I have become a lot more private about what I post of our home life.
      “However, having a home account is something that I have always dreamed of doing.”
      The account has 1.2million followers and opened up a new revenue stream from partnerships with home brands.
      And it seems the couple may have their eye on using daughter Bambi to earn even more dosh, too.
      The Sun has seen new documents filed to Companies House indicating she is undergoing a total overhaul of her portfolio, which will allow her to consider new brand opportunities.
      A source said: “Molly has top level advisers around her and is able to draw on their expertise.
      “She’s streamlining her businesses under the one name which will allow her to explore other avenues without setting up new firms.
      “It makes total sense as she begins to explore options around her new ‘mumpreneur’ image since she had Bambi.”
      Tommy and Molly met on ITV’s Love Island in 2019Credit: Rex
      Molly-Mae shows off her curves in a bikini in IbizaCredit: Instagram
      Tommy and Jake fight on Sunday nightCredit: Getty
      Champ and brother Tyson cheers Tommy’s winCredit: Enterprise
      Nick Ede believes the couple may have chosen their daughter’s unique name for strong branding.
      He said: “Her daughter’s name Bambi is brilliant and can be used from a brand point of view.
      “It’s fun and unique and also has a place in everyone’s childhood memories from the Disney film.”
      Nick predicts that Molly-Mae will follow in the footsteps of Towie’s Billie Faiers and Ferne McCann, as well as Loose Women panellist Stacey Solomon, by designing baby clothes for PrettyLittleThing.
      He said: “I can see Molly-Mae jumping on this bandwagon and appealing to her millions of fans by creating a baby-wear line.”
      Tommy faced online criticism throughout Molly-Mae’s pregnancy, as well as since Bambi was born, due to the fact he left his partner and new child in favour of training for his fight against Jake.
      In fact, he was so focused on beating Logan Paul’s brother that he moved out of their mansion and into a “hellhole” apartment.
      Before the fight, he told Sky Sports: “I’m in a training camp. I’m in bed nine o’clock every single night, I’m up 4.30/5am running. Solely focussed on this man.
      “One man is flying around the globe, coming here to do media stuff going here, there and everywhere and you’ve got one man that’s living in a hellhole.
      “I’ve moved out of my own house, I’m living in a little apartment, I’ve gone back to the dog mindset.”
      However, he proved his love for his daughter by wearing a jacket and shorts emblazoned with ‘Bambi’ when he entered the ring, while Molly-Mae sent supportive messages from home.
      Jack Cooper says the next move for Tommy should be to work with a “top-tier athletic brand” like Gymshark or MyProtein, and release a gymwear range for men.
      Breaking the USA will always be hard — they are more about talent there — but Molly-Mae and Tommy are a sexy, engaging couple.Nick Ede, culture expert
      He adds: “I’m sure the likes of Nike, Adidas are very much having internal talks.
      “I think this could be a huge move for him and could be a multi million pound deal.”
      But whatever happens for the couple, there’s no doubt they’re on their way to the big leagues, as they build Brand Hague-Fury.
      Read More on The Sun
      He finishes: “Together, as a couple, the opportunities are endless, from male and female clothing ranges, a homeware brand, to now even a baby brand.
      “With the status of online presence and combined following as well as winning over the nation and not making any wrong moves since leaving the villa, this power couple are definitely on their way to the rich list.” More

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      in Boxing

      Boxing could see its first billion-viewer bout after Jake Paul and Tommy Fury clash

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      BOXING could see its first billion-viewer bout after US YouTuber Jake Paul fights reality telly star Tommy Fury tonight.Experts say we are entering a new sporting age in which young social media fans will pay record sums to see their idols battle it out in the ring.
      Jake Paul and Tommy Fury pose after a weigh-in, a day before their match, in RiyadhCredit: AP
      Boxer Tommy Fury was on the 2019 season of Love IslandCredit: AFP
      Tommy and Jake are set to split a huge £8million fight purseCredit: Reuters
      Boxer and former Love Islander Tommy, and Jake, who has more than 20million YouTube subscribers, are set to split a huge £8million fight purse.
      Millions will tune in, despite both fighters being novices with only 14 bouts between them.
      The previous record came when Floyd Mayweather Junior took on Manny Pacquiao in the “Fight Of The Century” in 2015.
      Pay-per-view subscriptions generated £333million, with 4.4million watching the fight in the United States alone.

      But if Jake beats Tommy, he will go on to fight 29-year-old London-born YouTube star KSI, who has 41million subscribers over two channels, and 10billion video views.
      Boxing promoter Kalle Sauerland said on talkSPORT: “The whole nation would watch it.
      “The potential audience, without a doubt, you’re talking well over a billion views.
      “A billion is probably conservative. The numbers are insane.”
      Most read in Boxing
      Father-of-one Tommy, 23, says he feels like he has “won the Lottery” as he takes on 26-year-old Jake in front of a 15,000-strong crowd filled with A-listers at the Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia.
      The bout is expected to break UK pay- per-view records, with BT Sport charging £19.95 to see it live.
      Jake will be guaranteed £2.7million, plus 65 per cent of the pay-per-view receipts, giving him a potential £7.2million payday, including sponsorship.
      Tommy is getting £1.7million and 35 per cent of the PPV takings, giving him an estimated total of £3.8million.
      There is an additional £830,000 prize for the winner.
      Tommy’s reality TV partner Molly-Mae Hague will see the fight at home, having given birth to their daughter Bambi last month.
      Despite having had only six fights, Jake, from Cleveland, Ohio, is so sure of victory that he offered to change the terms to winner takes all, and added: “Tommy doesn’t know what he’s getting into, and after Sunday he’s going to hate the sport.”
      On the 5 Live Boxing With Steve Bunce podcast, Tommy hit back: “The guy can’t fight and I’m going to expose that on Sunday night.
      Read More on The Sun
      “It’s a massive fight and we’ll have A-list celebrities ringside. What more could I ask for? And thank God I’ve got Jake Paul and not a Russian with 30 knockouts. I’ve won the Lottery, haven’t I?
      “My life’s changed in the blink of an eye. One day I had nothing, clothes with holes in them, and I open my eyes again and I’m here. I’m taking it all in my stride.” More

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      I was UK’s first Wag & blew money like toilet paper – now I’m £500k in debt, says ex-glamour model Suzi Walker

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      AS Britain’s first Wag, she once enjoyed a lavish life of champagne, Gucci dresses and nights out with Victoria Beckham.Former model Suzi Walker admits she and her fellow England wives and girlfriends blew money like they were “getting through toilet paper”.
      Suzi Walker says she is now half a million in debt and has had to sell her possessionsCredit: Channel 4
      Suzi says her life changed when Ian Walker was called up into the England squad – the pair pictured at home in 1997Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
      But today she tells how she has been forced to pawn thousands of pounds of cherished jewellery after ending up with £500,000 of debt.
      Suzi, 52 — former wife of Spurs goalie Ian Walker and ex-partner of former Crystal ­Palace boss Simon Jordan — told The Sun on Sunday: “Ending up around half a million in debt and not having the money I once had has changed me as a human being.
      “I now know more than ever what’s important in life.”
      The former Page 3 girl says a costly court case and chronic health ­problems have left her having to sell off belongings.
      READ MORE ON WAGS
      Suzi, who married businessman Mark Pitman in 2018, and now lives in Ashtead, Surrey, ­continued: “I pawned and sold everything I could just to keep going.
      “Last year it was the engagement ring Mark gave me, which broke my heart, and some diamond earrings and a ring that were gifts from him.
      And I also pawned a diamond tennis bracelet worth thousands that Simon gave me.
      Cristal champagne
      “They were sold for something ridiculous, a couple of thousand, but were worth so much more.
      Most read in Football
      “I can see people might think when I’ve had such wealthy partners that I’d always have money but I’ve never wanted to lean on anyone. I’ve never married for money.”
      Suzi, who divorced Ian in 2007 after he bedded a Las Vegas lap dancer, was threatened with repossession of her £950,000 house just last week because she owes £20,000.
      It is money she now doesn’t have.
      The debts racked up after she and financier Mark had to shell out more than £600,000 in legal fees two years ago, trying to recoup ­millions that he claimed a company owed him in work fees.
      She says they won the case in 2021 but have still not recouped the money.
      Suzi, the inspiration for the character Chardonnay in Noughties ITV drama Footballers’ Wives, also spent £60,000 on health bills fighting a chronic illness that went un- diagnosed for years and which she is still convinced will one day kill her.
      She said: “I knew I was dying, but I couldn’t get a ­diagnosis from my local hospital. I paid to get private tests.
      “I’ve been so ill that I’ve barely been able to look at the post.
      “I was ignoring calls from the mortgage company, and the house is in my name.
      “It’s about a year’s worth of ­payments — I owe over £20,000 — but I’ve been able to show them GP notes as proof of my ill health and now I have a little more time to find the money.
      “It’s amazing my electricity and other things haven’t been cut off.”
      Suzi married her current husband Mark Pitman in 2018Credit: Oliver Dixon
      Wags used to swap expensive watches and drank only the finest Cristal champagneCredit: Oliver Dixon
      It’s all a far cry from her Wag years in the 1990s and 2000s.
      She became pals with Coleen Rooney, Alex Gerrard and Victoria Beckham as they saw their husbands Wayne, Steven and David play for England.
      She said: “We enjoyed the finest of everything when it was Euro 96.
      “We had some amazing times and Coleen, Victoria and Alex were lovely. It was the Wag fairytale.
      “But we used to blow money like we were getting through toilet paper.
      “We’d spend thousands at Gucci and Prada, drank only the finest Cristal champagne.
      “Coleen, Alex and I loved swapping Jacob and Co watches for other styles or Cartier diamond-encrusted ones.
      “I can’t remember the prices but they were worth thousands and thousands.”
      When Suzi got engaged to Ian in 1994 he was playing for Tottenham and she was an aspiring model.
      They went on to have daughter Sophie, now 24.
      Suzi said: “We weren’t rich then. I bought the engagement ring for about 20 quid from the department store Allders.
      “We rented our TV. Our ­relationship was not about money.
      “But when Ian got into the England team it became a different life.
      “He bought me a beautiful, pear-shaped diamond — God knows how much that cost.
      “I didn’t think about money. I’d get blow-dries to my hair every week. I had Botox. I would spend thousands every month on clothes.
      “I had fake tan, I had my boobs made bigger, smaller, then bigger again — I can’t even remember how many I had but I think they cost about £8,000 each time.
      “We flew first-class. I’d spend thousands having floral arrangements in our house at Christmas.
      “Ian gave me these amazing Cartier love bangle bracelets which were worth at least £10,000. I had a tennis diamond ankle chain.
      “I’d have a personal shopper at Selfridges. It seems crazy but it is just the life you got used to.
      “A pal joked we’d change cars more times than he’d change his underwear.”
      Suzi describes Ian as a “wonderful” dad and is adamant she would never turn to him for cash, despite the situation she is in.
      She said: “When I divorced him I got about £800,000. I put that towards a new home and getting my daughter into the best school.
      “I never went after him financially for more because I’m just not one of those greedy money people.”
      Suzi fell for then Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan and share a daughter togetherCredit: Oliver Dixon
      Not long afterwards, in 2007, Suzi fell for an even wealthier man in Simon Jordan.
      She said: “Simon would spend £50,000 on fine wines.
      He had a limo driver who would take me to Dior. It was on a different level.
      “One night at the Grosvenor House Hotel he got me a vodka and tonic.
      Set in the ice in the drink was a diamond necklace. I was blown away.
      We were so in love and I knew he wanted a child.
      So my gift back to him was to present him with my contraceptive coil to say: ‘I am happy to try’.
      “Another time there was a new Range Rover waiting for me outside the Grosvenor.
      “One night we went for dinner and he really wanted me to have a starter. When it arrived there was a diamond bracelet on the plate.”
      ‘I think I’m going to die’
      The couple split in 2008 and Simon is paying maintenance for their daughter Cameron, now 15.
      Suzi has been plagued by ill health for years and nearly died giving birth to Sophie.
      Then she was diagnosed with ME, which she now believes was a misdiagnosis.
      Suzi has struggled with ill health in recent years and been in and out of hospitalCredit: Oliver Dixon
      She said: “I’ve had decades of ill health but I think the stress of the 2021 court case made it worse.
      “Last October my face swelled up so I was unrecognisable. I kept falling unconscious.
      “I was getting lesions and bruises all over my legs and knuckles. I called dozen of ­ambulances because I felt so ill.
      “They’d say it was mental heath problems. Even Mark didn’t believe I was physically ill at one point, which really hurt.
      “There was a point last year I said to my mum, ‘I think I’m going to die’. And I just didn’t want to live any more.”
      Finally, earlier this year at the private Levitas Clinic in Guildford, Surrey, tests revealed Suzi has a rare and chronic variant of Lyme disease — the bacterial infection caused by ticks — called babesiosis.
      She said: “Getting a diagnosis was such a relief and I am speaking out to try to help others who may feel in the same situation. It has been absolutely dreadful.”
      The condition has led to Suzi suffering a host of other illnesses, including meningitis, brain inflammation and discharge behind her eyes.
      She says: “The clinic has literally saved my life because I was put straight on to some very strong drugs to help reduce the inflammation in my brain and body, and I was on IV drips daily. I’ve no idea how it got this chronic.
      “I don’t remember being bitten by a tick but it may have been decades ago.
      “Lately I’ve felt worse and there is no cure. I feel so ill I said to my mum recently, ‘I’ll be amazed if I’m alive by the end of this year’.
      Read More on The Sun
      “I still feel unwell and the money worries don’t help. But if this has taught me anything, it’s that money isn’t the most important thing.
      “I don’t know what the future holds. I just want my health back.”
      Suzi has been forced to sell off her jewellery to attempt to pay off her debtsCredit: Oliver Dixon More

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      in Boxing

      I’ll smash Jake Paul for what he said about Molly-Mae – this fight is personal, says Tommy Fury

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      AS major boxing grudge matches go they don’t get much bigger – or unlikely – than the upcoming fight between Tommy Fury and Jake Paul.The Love Island star and the US YouTuber will finally meet in the ring after years of trading verbal blows, and two postponements, in the most eagerly-anticipated bout of 2023.
      The upcoming fight between Tommy Fury and Jake Paul is finally happening after years of trading verbal blowsCredit: Rex
      23-year-old Tommy is pumped up for the fight against the US YoutuberCredit: AFP
      Tommy Fury said of Jake ‘He’s absolutely rubbish, I’ve been in boxing all my life. He can’t fight’Credit: Getty
      To say 23-year-old Tommy is pumped up for the fight is an understatement, thanks in no small part to Jake, 26, ruining his rival’s baby announcement and branding Tommy’s influencer fiancée Molly-May Hague the couple’s “breadwinner”.
      Ahead of the fight at the Diriyah Arena, Tommy left those in Saudi Arabia in no doubt of his determination to exact a bitter revenge on rival Jake for his barbed comments about Molly-Mae.
      As one insider at the build-up in Riyadh said: “Tommy says he wants to get revenge, and he won’t feel like he’s got it until he has knocked him clean out.
      “He’s angry, and he means every word — they’re not empty threats. This is personal.”
      READ MORE ON TOMMY FURY
      Speaking exclusively to The Sun, Tommy said: “He can say what he wants because talking is his game. Fighting is mine.
      “On Sunday night, it is not about who can talk the best. It is about who can fight the best. He’s absolutely rubbish.
      ‘Jake can’t fight’
      “I’ve been in boxing all my life. He can’t fight.
      “Jake Paul, he is what he is. He’s a white-collar boxer.
      Most read in Boxing
      “He’s going in there with somebody who wants to take his head clean off with every shot and he’s going to be dealing with everything that comes with a boxer.
      “He’s not dealt with that before and it’s a big jump.”
      Never before has there been a buzz this big around a fight between two such inexperienced boxers, who have just 14 official fights between them.
      The bout is expected to break pay-per-view records, which will handsomely top up their fight fees — which are believed to be around £4million between them.
      So for the fans tuning in to watch or listening for free on talkSPORT, how much action does Tommy think they will actually get to witness?
      “Tommy TNT Fury wins the fight. 9-0. Here we come,” he predicts.
      “It will be very, very lucky for him if he escapes the fourth round. Don’t be surprised if he goes in one or two.
      “Whenever I hit this guy, it’ll be over.”
      Jake, 26, ruined his rival’s baby announcement and branded Tommy’s influencer girlfriend Molly-May Hague the couple’s ‘breadwinner’
      It will be hard to see the reality TV star, half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, taken seriously in the sport, should the bout end in defeatCredit: Social Media
      It will be hard to see the reality TV star, half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, taken seriously in the sport, should the bout end in defeat — especially as he put his boxing career on hold in 2019 to appear on Love Island, where he met his other half.
      Even his own family have joked they’ll disown him if he loses.
      Tyson said: “I expect Tommy to chin him. If he doesn’t, he can stay in Saudi Arabia.”
      A defeat for Jake, meanwhile, is unlikely to derail his career.
      Many experts believe he will just reinvent himself in another sport, having previously dabbled with Mixed Martial Arts and even featured in WWE wrestling, while his promotions firm continues to go from strength to strength.
      But despite having only previously fought six fights, all of them with non-professional boxers such as retired NBA star Nate Robinson, Jake is the bookies’ favourite to win in what they predict will be an incredibly tight contest.
      And he also has the extra incentive of being awarded a ranking in the sport, should he win.
      Former Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson has tipped him to do just that, saying anyone who disrespects Jake “is out of their minds”.
      Speaking to talkSPORT’s Spencer Oliver, Iron Mike, 56, said: “He’s won against people that he shouldn’t beat. And listen, I don’t think they brought him here to lose.
      “He makes more money than the champions of boxing. So he’s an enigma.”
      Another boxing great, Floyd Mayweather, said: “It’s good that Jake Paul is able to take his social media following and get some new eyes on the sport of boxing.
      “And it’s a good match-up with those two. May the best man win.”
      Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays in the Saudi Pro League with Al Nassr, is expected to be among the 15,000 fans in the Diriyah Arena, while A-listers including US comedian Kevin Hart and superstar rappers Drake and Kanye West are also tipped to attend.
      It is yet to be confirmed if Tommy’s fiancée Molly-Mae will be joining the rest of the Fury clan in the Middle East, given she only gave birth to the couple’s daughter Bambi last month — which Jake informed the world about days before they did, much to their annoyance.
      During his pre-match trash talking, Jake claimed Tommy was forced into taking on the fight for a much-needed payday.
      The American said: “Molly is probably sitting there going, ‘Yo, I just had a baby — I can’t be the one to pay the bills the entire time’.
      “He is going to be paid 20k a fight, minus taxes. He can only pay for so many diapers. It’s a hard business.”
      Jake is so confident of a victory he even offered to change the terms of the bout during a pre-fight press conference, turning it into a winner-takes-all contest.
      He has been in Saudi Arabia for weeks on his training camp, which has been compared to some of the Rocky movies after he was filmed jogging alongside locals on the street. And speaking to Piers Morgan on TalkTV on Thursday night, Jake was supremely confident his preparation will help him get the edge over his long-time rival.
      Asked if he has “any doubt” the fight will end in anything other than victory, he replied: “No, I don’t. I’m confident in my preparation.
      “Anything can happen in a boxing match but you work to make those things not happen. He just doesn’t have the power, the capabilities, to do anything to be able to defeat me.
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      “You’re going to see me knock this guy out.”
      Whatever the outcome, the world will be watching.
      It is yet to be confirmed if Molly-Mae will be joining the rest of the Fury clan in the Middle EastCredit: Rex
      She only gave birth to the couple’s daughter Bambi last monthCredit: Instagram
      Jake sends Tommy warning ahead of fightCredit: Twitter @MostVpromotions More

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      in Soccer

      Mason Greenwood’s hopes of playing for Man United again could be dashed by club’s high-profile female stars

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      MASON Greenwood’s hopes of playing for Man United again could be dashed by opposition from the club’s high-profile female stars.The striker — due to be a dad in the summer — wants to return to the first-team squad as soon as possible after charges of attempted rape, ABH and controlling behaviour were dropped.
      Mason Greenwood’s hopes of playing for Man United again could be dashed by opposition from the club’s high-profile female starsCredit: PA
      The increasing importance of United’s table-topping women’s team has given them a strong voice – pictured Manchester United Women playersCredit: Alamy
      An aerial shot of the men’s and women’s teams’ shared training facilities – Manchester United’s Carrington Training GroundCredit: Getty
      But the increasing importance of United’s table-topping women’s team has given them a strong voice in any decision.
      England’s Euro 2022 winners Ella Toone, Mary Earps and Alessia Russo plus club captain Katie Zelem are regarded as leaders of the current squad.
      The men’s and women’s teams share some facilities at the training ground.
      And some players have told senior club officials they would be deeply concerned if Greenwood returned.
      READ MORE ON MAN UNITED
      A source said: “If Mason does come back, it is inconceivable that he would not have any contact with any of the women’s team.
      “Everyone at the club is very aware of what was alleged at the time of his arrest.
      “Likewise they know he had all charges dropped and is innocent.
      “The situation has been discussed within the women’s squad and some hold strong views.”
      Most read in Football
      Greenwood was arrested in January last year after a woman made claims on social media.
      Three weeks ago he was cleared of any wrongdoing. He remains suspended by the club but gets his £75,000-a-week salary. He is contracted until 2025.
      Natalie Burrell, founder of United Women’s Supporters’ Club, has said she never wants to see Greenwood in a red shirt again.
      She added: “United need to make a statement and letting him back would be the worst thing they could do.
      “It would set back our club in terms of what we’re trying to do with our women’s team and campaigns like Her Game Too, which aim to encourage women to play and watch football.
      “I don’t want to see him training, in a kit, or coming out at Old Trafford again. And I’m confident they won’t (let him).”

      United were previously criticised for not having a women’s team but finally launched one in 2018.
      Since then, the team has leapt to the top of the Women’s Super League and played at Old Trafford to huge crowds. More