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      in Boxing

      Anthony Joshua tells rival Tyson Fury the only way you’ll sell out Wembley is by fighting ME

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      THEY have been on a collision course for five years now.
      And if Anthony Joshua had met Tyson Fury sooner, then 99 per cent of the crowd would have been urging on AJ.

      Anthony Joshua still believes he is the biggest draw in boxing – ahead of heavyweight rival Tyson Fury

      Joshua was the undisputed people’s champion. Fury the big bad-mouthing wolf.
      We would all have expected Joshua to attack and for Fury to dance as well.
      But now, with the two British world heavyweight champions expected to announce a two-fight deal in 2021, all bets are off.
      Gypsy King Fury has become a folk hero — fighting back from drug problems and depression to obliterate Deontay Wilder and win the WBC crown in their second epic meeting in Las Vegas in February.

      Yet Joshua, who won back his WBA, IBF and WBO belts with a professional, but cautious, display against Andy Ruiz Jr last year, is adamant he is still the biggest draw in boxing.
      Joshua has been reluctant to talk about Fury in the past but — in this, his only exclusive newspaper interview before he defends his titles against Kubrat Pulev at Wembley Arena on Saturday week — he claims the Mancunian cannot rival him in a popularity contest.
      AJ said: “Tyson Fury is a talented, talented guy and he deserves all the praise he is getting right now but it is interesting when you talk about his popularity.
      “Because if Fury could have sold out 90,000-capacity stadiums, then he would have done. But he never has had the ability to attract those large numbers, not until he fights me. I have had those sorts of crowds against Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin at Wembley.

      The WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight champion is making his final preparations to fight Kubrat PulevCredit: Instagram @anthonyjoshua

      A two-fight deal has been agreed between Joshua and WBC king FuryCredit: Instagram @gypsyking101

      “I will fight Fury because in 50 years time, people will remember your character and I always want to be remembered as a risk-taker.
      “I fought for the world title in my 16th pro fight and even though people will say Charles Martin wasn’t a great champion — and he wasn’t — that win put me in the company of great fighters.
      “Then I beat Klitschko, a great champion, still early in my career.”
      After almost nine months without live audiences at major events, we can still recall Joshua as the Pied Piper of British sport.
      He sold out Wembley and Cardiff’s Principality Stadiums four times in 2017 and 2018 — unprecedented pulling power for a British fighter.
      And tickets for a Joshua-Fury showdown will be gold-dust. So what sort of fight can we expect when the two Brits finally get it on?
      Might Fury, 32, — for so long renowned as a defensive master craftsman — attack Joshua, as he so successfully attacked Wilder in a comprehensive seven-round demolition?
      Joshua said: “No I don’t believe he will. Fury is intelligent and what you saw against Wilder was a gameplan for a specific fight being executed very well.

      “He had identified Wilder’s weakness, that he cannot fight on the back foot, and he exploited that.
      “Fury knows I can fight on the back foot or front foot.
      “He knows if he tries to take it to me the same way, then he will suffer because I can counter that with my jab, with right hands from distance.
      “But, yes, people want this fight even more now they have seen we can both fight in very different styles.”
      Joshua, 31, avenged his shock defeat by unfancied Ruiz by out-boxing the Mexican-American in Saudi Arabia last time out.
      He added: “Fury surprised some people with the way he attacked Wilder — and I think I surprised some people by beating Ruiz in the boxing connoisseur’s style.
      “I was under a lot of pressure going into that fight. I was coming off a loss. So I stuck to a gameplan.
      “I wasn’t going to give anyone the chance to write me off — because they would have done if I’d lost again.”

      The longer I wait for Fury, the better prepared I’ll be
      Anthony Joshua

      While there is plenty of social media trash-talking from Fury, Joshua claims it was very different when the pair had a rare meeting while on holiday in Marbella this summer.
      Joshua said: “I was taking a stroll in Marbella and Fury was driving along when he saw this big black guy and realised it was me, so he pulled over!
      “He wished me luck against Pulev and I wished him luck against Wilder (when a third Fury-Wilder fight was on the cards).
      “I said hello to Fury’s wife and it was all very respectful — nothing like it is on social media.”
      Despite all the talk of Fury, Joshua is not complacent about the threat posed by 39-year-old Bulgarian Pulev — who pulled out of a fight with AJ through injury in 2017.
      Joshua said: “Pulev is named after a great Bulgarian warrior and he has that warrior spirit, he carries the hopes of his nation.
      “He is tough, he has a great jab and he will dig deep. He has found a way to beat every opponent, except Klitschko, but I know I have prepared well and I should be victorious.
      “I know lockdown has been tough but for me it has been a blessing.

      Joshua and Pulev were due to go head to head in 2017 before the Bulgarian pulled out with an injuryCredit: AFP or licensors

      Fury stunned the boxing world with his blistering performance to dethrone Deontay Wilder in FebruaryCredit: AP:Associated Press

      Fury and Joshua bumped into each other in Marbella earlier this year – and it was all very respectfulCredit: Refer to Caption
      “I have concentrated on training, on improving my boxing, all year. I haven’t had to do much commercial or promotional stuff, I have had more time with my family and more time to train seriously. And the longer I wait for Fury, the better prepared I’ll be.”
      Joshua is hoping a select crowd of 1,000 will be allowed into Wembley Arena for the Pulev fight.
      With London in Tier 2, promoter Eddie Hearn is waiting to hear whether the venue will be granted a safety certificate for spectators.
      Hearn is worried that Joshua may suffer without his usual huge crowd and pre-fight fireworks.
      But Joshua, the 2012 Olympic gold medallist, said: “I had a long and successful amateur career and I was used to fighting in small halls — I’ll draw on that experience.
      “I don’t know yet whether it’s safe to have fans inside but they would be lucky people to witness a world heavyweight title fight in such an intimate space.”
      When Joshua finally meets Fury, the tickets will be more precious still.

      The Watford star has used the coronavirus lockdown to focus on improving himself and get even betterCredit: https://www.instagram.com/anthonyjoshua/

      AJ will not have a sell-out roaring home crowd to cheer him on next Saturday

      Tyson Fury believes Anthony Joshua took his defeat to Ruiz with class and respect More

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      Anthony Joshua defends Daniel Dubois after Brit was accused of ‘quitting’ against Joe Joyce

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA has offered his support to Daniel Dubois and reckons the heavyweight hope was right to concede defeat against Joe Joyce.
      Dubois, 23, suffered his first professional loss when he took a knee in the tenth round of Saturday’s all-British bout — after sustaining a broken left eye socket.

      Daniel Dubois was accused of ‘quitting’ against Joe JoyceCredit: Richard Pelham – The Sun

      Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has leapt to his defenceCredit: Instagram / @anthonyjoshua

      Some fighters criticised Dubois for surrendering.
      But world champion Joshua says he wants to speak to the Londoner and tell him he is not regarded as a ‘quitter’.
      Joshua added: “If Daniel needs someone to speak to, he should call me.
      “It is easy for people to criticise from outside the ring — but some people have been out of order.

      “Daniel took a massive risk in taking that fight, as did Joe Joyce.
      “They both knew the dangers and they both put it all on the line.
      “I hear people talking respectfully about tapping out in MMA fights.
      “Then when a boxer stops because his eyeball is about to fall out, they call him a ‘quitter’ — are they serious?

      AJ, who defends his heavyweight titles against Kubrat Pulev on December 12 before eyeing an all-British unification showdown with Tyson Fury, added: “Daniel’s time will come. I believe I will fight both him and Joyce.
      “Joyce is underrated. He had a top amateur pedigree and it shows.
      “This is a great time for British heavyweight boxing — it has never been stronger — and those two guys are both a huge part of it.”

      Dubois, 23, suffered a broken left eye socket in his lossCredit: Richard Pelham – The Sun

      Dubois vs Joyce – Round by round More

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      in Soccer

      Jack Grealish critics blasted by Aston Villa chief Dean Smith after England ace was accused of diving against West Ham

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      DEAN SMITH blasted those who call Jack Grealish a diver — saying: Focus on his talent instead.
      The Aston Villa captain was called a ‘cheat’ by a member of the West Ham staff during the 2-1 loss on Monday.

      Dean Smith defended Jack Grealish after he was criticised for going down too easily against West HamCredit: Rex Features

      🗣️ “He was having a go at Jack calling him a diver and cheat”Dean Smith and David Moyes react to some touchline antics after incidents involving Jack Grealish on #MNF pic.twitter.com/fbuuWu4Ma4
      — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) December 1, 2020

      England’s new star Grealish has been fouled 40 times this season — the highest in the Premier League.
      The 25-year-old has played 810 minutes — being the subject of a foul every 20 minutes.
      And last season, the Villa ace topped the charts with a whopping 167 fouls against him in 36 league games.
      Some on social media have highlighted the exaggerated way he goes down.

      But Smith reckons he is being unfairly treated.
      The Villa boss said: “If referees are giving fouls, the reputation is unfair.
      “Does he go down easily? You tell me some of the top forwards who don’t go down easy.
      “He was again fouled a number of times against West Ham.”

      Grealish was blasted by opposition staff, players and fans for his fall on MondayCredit: Sky Sports

      Ollie Watkins missed his fourth penalty in six attempts in the defeat in East LondonCredit: AP:Associated Press

      Villa’s £33million striker Ollie Watkins saw his penalty crash against the crossbar — the fourth time the former Brentford star has failed to score in six attempts.
      Asked if he would consider changing his spot-kick taker, Smith said: “We will have a chat about it.”

      The Villa boss said there will be a conversation about who takes the next spot kickCredit: PA:Press Association

      Shaun Custis says it’s not over the top to compare Jack Grealish to Gazza More

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      in Boxing

      Anthony Joshua claims Tyson Fury showdown can lift spirits of nation after coronavirus lockdown

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA says he will fight Tyson Fury to lift the spirits of a sports-mad nation after lockdown.
      The two British world heavyweight champions have agreed to meet in a 2021 blockbuster  after years of anticipation.

      Anthony Joshua says he will fight Tyson Fury to lift the spirits of the nationCredit: Getty

      It promises to be the biggest fight in the nation’s boxing history.
      Joshua first defends his WBA, IBF and WBO belts against Kubrat Pulev at Wembley on December 12.
      Then he will switch focus on trying to secure a date to face the Gypsy King.
      On the potential unification showdown, AJ said: “Yes, the Fury fight is the one everyone wants and it will happen, 100 per cent.

      “It will be huge for the nation.
      “I am a risk taker, I have always taken risks and never dodged fights with anyone.
      “I want to be remembered as a fighter who gave the fans what they want.
      “But I don’t just want to be part of a great event — I want to win another great fight.

      “Everyone has been through some tough s**t this year with the virus.
      People have been suffering with their health and financially.
      “So it will lift every boxing fan, every sports fan, when this fight happens.”

      Tyson Fury is the WBC heavyweight champion of the worldCredit: Rex Features

      Tyson Fury believes Anthony Joshua took his defeat to Ruiz with class and respect More

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      in Boxing

      Chris Eubank Jr ‘disgusted’ by Daniel Dubois’ surrender against Joe Joyce despite gruesome eye injury

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      CHRIS EUBANK JR was ‘disgusted’ by Daniel Dubois’ surrender on Saturday night.
      Joe Joyce stunned Dubois by jabbing away brilliantly at the 23-year-old’s left eye until his eye socket and spirit broke in the tenth round of their London showdown.

      Dubois took a knee and was counted out in the tenth roundCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Chris Eubank Jr has become the latest man to take aim at DuboisCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Dubois was ahead on points but took a knee and was counted out.
      The heavyweight upset has split boxing, with Irish icon Carl Frampton and Dillian Whyte feeling Dubois quit in his first real test.
      But Olympic middleweight bronze medallist Anthony Ogogo, who was blinded in one eye after doing six rounds with a busted eye socket in 2016, leapt to Dubois’ defence.
      Ogogo, 32, said: “I’d hate to see your dreams end like mine did.”

      Brain injury charity Headway have claimed some of the criticism directed at Dubois is ‘dangerous and irresponsible’.
      His promoter Frank Warren said: “The last punch he took caught a nerve and it shot through him.”
      Eubank Jr called on his own warrior spirit to battle through a bloody defeat to George Groves with a split eye and also inflicted tragically life-changing injuries on Nick Blackwell.
      But he pulled no punches with his view on Dubois’ first professional defeat.

      Eubank Jr fought on for six round with a split eye against George Groves in 2018Credit: REUTERS

      Eubank Jr said: “If you can dish it out, you need to be able to take it.
      “He could have just run around the ring for the last three rounds, if his eye was that bad, but don’t ever take a knee and blame one bad eye.
      “It is one thing to take a knee when getting battered, I understand that, living to fight another day.

      I was disgusted
      Chris Eubank Jr

      “But I have no excuse for letting yourself be counted out when you are ahead and still in the fight. I was disgusted.
      “Dubois has a lot of potential but being young is not an excuse.
      “He is 23 and has knocked out 14 of his 15 previous opponents. He is young and has his career ahead of him but that was so disappointing.”
      Eubank Jr, 31, is stuck in California after being ringside for Mike Tyson’s pay-per-view clash with Roy Jones Jr.
      The Brighton ace was in camp with Jones Jr, 51, even mimicking 54-year-old Tyson’s trademark style — after lockdown turned a two-week trip to Jones’ Florida gym in March into a bromance marathon.
      Middleweight Eubank Jr enjoyed the ride but warned any talk about real fights for the 50-plus legends — against modern-day monsters — should be treated as fancifully as him fighting his legendary dad, Chris Snr, who is now 54.

      Joyce peppered Dubois with a series of jabsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Juggernaut extended his pro record to 12-0Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Eubank Jr added: “I know how hard it is to get in there to perform when the world is watching, so to do that, at their age, is impressive.
      “Like most kids, I pretended to be Mike Tyson in the mirror, bobbing and weaving, throwing hooks and uppercuts — and that was useful for Roy, 20 years later.
      “A lot of the other stuff around it, suggesting fights against current prime fighters or champions isn’t real, it’s hype and online-forum chat.
      “It’s entertainment, I don’t think it is dangerous because it is fantasy.
      “People still ask me about fighting my dad. In our primes and even right now, that’s crazy, it would never happen. I like to think of it as just fun and fantasy.”

      Dillian Whyte blasts ‘coward’ Daniel Dubois for ‘quitting’ as he stops fighting in shock defeat to Joe Joyce More

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      in Soccer

      Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp fears for players’ mental well-being faced with fixture pile-up during coronavirus pandemic

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      JURGEN KLOPP fears Prem stars are suffering emotional stress coping with fixture congestion amid the Covid-19 crisis.
      The Liverpool boss let rip at TV companies on Saturday, furious at a schedule he insists is damaging players’ bodies.

      Jurgen Klopp has bemoaned this season’s fixture pile-upCredit: PA:Press Association

      He said: “For players, it’s incredibly intense what we are doing.
      “We’re all happy and it is without any alternative that we play.
      “It’s great — love it — but it’s all on the backs of the players. They have to deliver.”
      Klopp told Uefa.com: “You don’t think about what they go through in the week. It’s pretty much the same for all of us, where you cannot see friends, your family.

      “Recovery is not only sleep — it is not only treatment.  It is giving yourself freedom to think about things you want to think about and not what you have to think about.
      “In the world at the moment, the biggest problem is we don’t have this time often enough and it keeps us tense.
      “It doesn’t help if then you have a game to play every three days at 110 per cent, in the best way.”
      Klopp will be missing a host of stars on Tuesday night, including Naby Keita who has not shaken off a thigh strain, as his side host Ajax in the Champions League.

      Klopp fumed as his side dropped two points late on at BrightonCredit: Kevin Quigley-The Daily Mail

      A draw will be enough for Liverpool to qualify for the knockout stage.
      And it means Klopp could rest players next week against Midtjylland.
      But the German said: “I actually don’t see it in that perspective. That would mean I could count on the points already.
      “We deal with how the situation is.”

      Abbey Clancy shaves off HALF of Peter Crouch’s moustache live on GMB despite ex-Liverpool star’s protests More

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      in Soccer

      Jose Mourinho did not park the bus – the onus was on Chelsea to beat Spurs and they failed

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      TOTTENHAM may have had six at the back at times — but do not accuse Jose Mourinho of ‘parking the bus’.
      Mourinho, of course, made that infamous jibe about Martin Jol’s Spurs when they ground out a 0-0 draw at his Chelsea in 2004.

      The onus was on Chelsea to win so don’t have a pop at Jose Mourinho for ‘parking the bus’Credit: EPA

      In the Stamford Bridge stalemate Spurs were very strong and organised defensively and at times looked a threat on the counter-attack.
      Mourinho had Moussa Sissoko and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in front of the two centre-backs — Joe Rodon and Eric Dier — and they worked really well together.
      Hojbjerg is a magnificent addition, an early candidate for signing of the season.
      ⚽ Read our Chelsea live blog for the very latest news from the Bridge

      What would happen was that, when Serge Aurier and Sergio Reguilon were going forward, Sissoko and Hojbjerg were happy to go into those full-back positions in case of a turnover.
      Sissoko drifted over to the right and Hojbjerg to the left.
      They always had a back four together so they weren’t going to be caught on the counter.
      When defending, Sissoko and Hojbjerg sat in front of the two centre-backs.

      They made sure there was no space for Timo Werner to capitalise with his pace.

      Tammy Abraham has good movement and he can look to stretch the game or come short.
      But if he dropped off, instead of one of the centre-backs going, either Sissoko or Hojbjerg would pick him up.
      You looked at Tottenham and it was like a back six on occasions but it was very organised – even if some did accuse Jose of ‘parking the bus’.
      There seemed to be four centre-backs at times — Dier, Rodon, Sissoko and Hojbjerg — allowing the full-backs to push wider.
      But I don’t agree Mourinho was just parking the bus.
      Only Liverpool and Chelsea have scored more than Spurs — 22 compared to 21 — but they have got the best defence in the league, with just nine conceded. And, of course, Tottenham are top.
      It is getting that balance right and Mourinho has done that.

      The onus was on Chelsea, being at home, but the big thing for Spurs was if they went forward they weren’t leaving themselves open — with Sissoko and Hojbjerg ensuring that did not happen.
      After his Manchester United stint, plenty have accused Mourinho of being a busted flush.
      But there is an argument at Old Trafford his hands were tied, with the players he wanted to get in but wasn’t able to.
      This season Spurs have had an outstanding summer transfer window, bringing in Hojbjerg, Reguilon, Gareth Bale, Matt Doherty and Carlos Vinicius.
      They are 100 per cent title candidates, as are Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City.
      This January is going to be one of the most important in a long, long time because the games are so condensed — and it could be the next batch of signings will decide who becomes champions.

      Lampard says Chelsea could have had more magic against Spurs More

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      in Soccer

      Funeral parlour worker who caused outrage by posing next to Diego Maradona’s body hands himself in to police

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      A FUNERAL parlour worker who caused outrage by posing next to football legend Diego Maradona’s body handed himself in to cops — after rumours spread that he had been murdered.
      A picture of Diego Molina holding the body and giving a thumbs up went around the world.

      Diego Maradona died of a heart attack aged 60Credit: EPA

      Funeral worker Diego Molina took a selfie next to Maradona’s bodyCredit: Twitter

      He went into hiding after two other staff in Argentine capital Buenos Aires got death threats.
      Authorities there are investigating “negligence” after claims an ambulance took an hour to reach the 60-year-old national footballing hero after a heart attack.
      Meanwhile a senior virologist has lashed out at the President of Argentina for allowing huge crowds to gather as Maradona’s body lay in state.
      Hordes of mourners lined the streets to pay their respects, many without masks sparking a potential new Covid wave.

      Friends and family carry the casket of the football legendCredit: Reuters

      Dr Arnaldo Casiro said: ”We have been saying constantly to the people to make sacrifices so we can try and have a Christmas and New Year, we tell them to maintain social distance and then we see the scenes we saw in the streets. It’s totally inconsistent with what we have said.
      ”Of course I was very upset by Maradona’s passing but knowing full well there would be such a massive movement of the people everything should have been organised in a better fashion so as to minimise risks.”
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