More stories

  • in

    ‘That guy will hurt you’ – WWE legend Ric Flair urges Jake Paul to avoid fighting 56-year-old boxing icon Mike Tyson

    RIC FLAIR has strongly urged Jake Paul to avoid fighting Mike Tyson. The YouTuber-turned boxer has refused to rule out a bout with Tyson, who he is friends with and 30 years younger than.
    WWE legend Ric Flair with Mike TysonCredit: Instagram / @ricflairnatureboy
    Jake Paul pictured with Mike TysonCredit: Twitter@jakepaul
    But WWE legend Flair insisted it is not a good idea – for Paul at least.
    He said on Joe Rogan’s podcast: “I’ll tell you what though, one thing he doesn’t wanna do is fight Mike.
    “He wants to fight Mike, I think. Mike’s in good shape too. Mike trains everyday. Yeah, he don’t wanna fight Mike.”
    UFC commentator Joe Rogan has been a big supporter of Paul’s boxing career, but also warned him about fighting Tyson.
    READ MORE IN BOXING
    Rogan added: “Like, I don’t give a f*** if you think he’s 55-years-old, that guy will hurt you.
    “If Jake Paul’s on the other side of the ring and sees Mike Tyson just f*****g bobbing and weaving, he’s gonna have a recognition.
    “He’s gonna look over and go, ‘Oh my God, that’s really Mike Tyson.'”
    Tyson, 56, retired in 2005 but made a shock comeback 15 years later for an exhibition bout with Roy Jones Jr, 54, which ended in a draw.
    Most read in Boxing
    CASINO SPECIAL – BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023
    It led to the likes of Paul, 26, being aligned with the heavyweight icon for a similar spectacle showdown.
    The American most recently lost to Tommy Fury, 23, in February and returns on August 5 in Texas against ex-UFC star Nate Diaz, 38.
    Tyson was a special guest in Saudi Arabia the week Paul lost to Fury and admitted it had him reminiscing about his heyday.
    He said on his podcast: “I just always wanted to be a fighter. That’s all I wanted to do my whole life was be a fighter, nothing else.
    “I miss this stuff, I didn’t think I’d miss it until I was at the weigh-in in Saudi Arabia for [Paul-Fury]. You miss being the centre of attention.”
    Tyson has been linked with a rematch  with Jones as well as a trilogy bout against old rival Evander Holyfield, 60.
    Up until now Iron Mike has remained happy in retirement but leaves the door open to another exhibition.
    Tyson told TMZ Sports: “I don’t know, I’m just chilling out.

    “I did that, I wanted to do that, I did that. People also in Saudi Arabia want me to do this stuff too. I don’t know, I could be persuaded.”
    Mike Tyson after his comeback fight in 2020Credit: Reuters More

  • in

    Mike Tyson, 56, open to stunning WWE return to face YouTube star Logan Paul for FREE… and vows to ‘kick his ass’

    MIKE TYSON is ready to make a stunning return to WWE to face Logan Paul and vowed to “kick his ass” – without even being paid. Tyson famously made his professional wrestling debut in 1998 while serving a boxing ban for biting Evander Holyfield’s ear the year before.
    Mike Tyson is ready to make a stunning return to WWE to face Logan PaulCredit: The US Sun
    Logan Paul has called out Mike Tyson beforeCredit: Splash
    And he later served as a special enforcer at WrestleMania 14 for Shawn Michaels and Steve Austin, earning $3million.
    Tyson again featured for the WWE in 2010 as a special guest host of Raw and two years later he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
    YouTube star Paul – also a crossover boxer – is the latest celebrity to make a splash in the WWE ring.
    And Tyson, 56, has opened the door to challenging the social media sensation.
    READ MORE IN BOXING
    He told Forbes: “Have you ever seen me wrestle before?
    “I would do it! I would kick his ass, yes I would do it. Even though I love him, though.
    “This is what I found out about WrestleMania: Everybody says ‘that’s fake, that’s fake.’ But the check is real.
    “Deep down inside—don’t let [WWE] know—I would do this for free.”
    Most read in Boxing
    CASINO SPECIAL – BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023
    Paul, 28, was linked with a boxing match against Tyson after his June 2021 exhibition with Floyd Mayweather, 46.
    The American hasn’t boxed since, having focused his efforts on the WWE after signing a deal with them.
    And Tyson talked down the chances of fighting Paul for real, despite making a boxing comeback of his own in 2020 for an exhibition bout.
    He said: “I don’t think he’s really that serious [about a boxing match], but I’m just happy he’s receiving the success that he has.
    “For my ego, I feel I had so much to do with that.”
    Mike Tyson made a boxing comeback in 2020Credit: Reuters
    Mike Tyson was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012Credit: WWE
    Mike Tyson with Shawn Michaels at WrestlMania 14Credit: AFP More

  • in

    I used to be Man Utd’s physio.. Jaap Stam performed a brutal WWE move on me at Gary Neville’s house party

    BEING a football physio means having to deal with plenty of injured players.But this former Manchester United physio ended up on the sidelines himself.
    Jaap Stam performed a wrestling move on an ex-Man Utd physio at Gary Neville’s partyCredit: Getty
    Thornley has opened up on Stam’s wrestling prowess
    That’s after Jaap Stam performed a brutal WWE move on him while at Gary Neville’s house party.
    Stam played for United between 1998 and 2001, making 127 appearances while winning a Treble and two further league titles.
    The Dutch defender was famous for his no-nonsense reputation.
    And he further cemented himself as one of the greatest centre-backs in history with strong spells at Lazio, AC Milan and Ajax.
    READ MORE ON MAN UTD
    However, while Stam worked hard, he liked to play hard too.
    Former Man United physio Rod Thornley can testify to that, having been ‘suplexed’ by Stam while at a house party hosted by team-mate Neville.
    Stam picked up Thornley during the bash and began performing a wrestling move on him, leaving onlookers speechless.
    Thornley told Undr the Cosh: “I think if you cross the wrong people in that dressing room you were gone very quickly. 
    Most read in Football
    BETTING SPECIAL – BEST FOOTBALL BETTING SITES IN THE UK
    “I mean look at Jaap Stam. That’s a big example of it. He said some bad things about the Nevilles and bang he’s gone out the club. 
    “He was a great lad. I remember him f***ing picking me up at a house party once and suplexing me on the sofa. I was like: ‘What you doing? We’re in the middle of a house party!’
    “(I did) Nothing! Just walked past him. It was a big house party at Gary Neville’s house and he just picked me up and f**ing suplexed me onto the sofa… (I said) ‘What the f*** Jaap!'” 
    Stam’s United exit in 2001 remains controversial, with Sir Alex Ferguson allegedly axing him for comments the ace made in a book appearing to criticise the club.
    Fergie previously said: “When I think of disappointments, obviously Jaap Stam was always a disappointment to me, I made a bad decision there.”
    Stam himself opened up on the transfer in his autobiography, saying: “I soon realised the club wanted to get rid of me. They also needed the money. 
    “Very soon the book became an issue again. It led to a conflict between me and the manager.
    “He told me that I had to be transferred. Then he said, ‘Will you please move to Lazio quickly?’ I agreed to do it. Right there and then. 

    “One quick conversation in my car at a petrol station in Manchester was enough for me to leave that big club. 
    “When I think about it now, and I have never talked about it before, I find it unbelievable I let that, as a player, happen to me.” More

  • in

    Watch Cristiano Ronaldo get booked for ‘WWE headlock’ in Saudi league as baffled fans realise ref is very familiar face

    CRISTIANO RONALDO was booked for a  “WWE headlock” take-down – as he was sunk by another former Manchester United striker.Ronaldo grappled an opponent to the ground as Al-Nassr slumped 2-0 in the Saudi Pro League, thanks to Odion Ighalo’s penalty double for Al-Hilal.
    Cristiano Ronaldo gets a talking-to by Prem ref Michael Oliver as Al-Nassr slumped 2-0 at Al-Hilal in the Saudi top-flightCredit: AFP
    Ronaldo shows his frustration during what could be a costly defeatCredit: AFP
    But fans were almost as stunned to spot a familiar looking referee as they were by legend Ron’s bizarre antics.
    Observers noted Premier League official Michael Oliver out in the middle, including ticking off the 33-year-old ex-Real Madrid attacker.
    Englishman Oliver, 38, has been reffing in the Prem since 2010.
    Ronaldo, though, will be more concerned by his rare failure to score and the major blow to Al-Nassr’s title hopes.
    READ MORE TOP STORIES
    They now trail Al-Ittihad, who have a game in hand, by three points.
    Fans were puzzled by the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s yellow card.
    One posted: “What’s up Cristiano Ronaldo?”
    Another taunted him by referencing his famous goal celebration: “Siiiiii” – following by two crying-with-laughter emojis.
    Most read in Football
    Meanwhile, Ighalo struck from the spot on 42 and 62 minutes to keep Al-Hilal’s own slim hopes of winning the league alive.
    BETTING SPECIAL – BEST SPORTS BETTING APPS IN THE UK
    The Nigerian, 33, was on loan at Old Trafford from Shanghai Shenhua in 2020-21, the season before Ron returned to United.
    Since then he’s been in Saudi Arabia – first with Al-Shabab, now with Al-Hilal in Riyadh. More

  • in

    ‘Dad’ calls out entire WWE and takes swipe at Logan Paul after Creator Clash victory

    NATHAN Barnatt called out the “entire WWE” and took a swipe at Logan Paul after his dominant Creator Clash win Saturday night.The YouTuber star known as Dad won his fight against AB Starkilla on the pay-per-view event in Tampa, Florida.
    ‘Dad’ fought in Creator Clash on Saturday night in TampaCredit: Instagram/@nathanbarnatt
    He took a shot at Logan Paul and called out the entire WWECredit: AFP
    It was his second straight boxing victory having beaten Matt Watson last summer.
    And the 42-year-old claimed he had a signed WWE contract “for the last ten years” and accused WWE stars of avoiding him.
    He said in the ring: “I would like to call out the entire company of the WWE.
    “If you know me and you’ve been watching me for 20 years on YouTube then you’ll know the WWE sent me a signed contract twice.

    “I still have that contract signed.
    “Triple H knows me, Vince McMahon knows me, half the roster knows me.
    “They’ve been dancing around me for 10 years and I’m not waiting any more.”
    Dad then turned his attention to Seth Rollins and his WrestleMania showdown with Logan Paul.
    Most read in Boxing
    He continued: “So Seth Rollins, you want to go toe to toe with a phoney YouTuber, a con artist?
    “How about you go toe to toe with a boxer, a YouTuber from the original days, who actually wins his fights?
    “I’ll be waiting for you at the front doors of your training facility until you answer.” More

  • in

    Logan Paul calls out Tyson Fury for CAGE FIGHT and says he would ‘choke out’ boxing world champion

    LOGAN PAUL has sensationally called out Tyson Fury for a CAGE FIGHT.YouTuber-turned-Wrestler Paul starred in Wrestlemania 39 on Saturday, facing off against Seth Rollins.
    Logan Paul has called out Tyson Fury for an MMA fightCredit: Splash
    The Gypsy King has weighed up MMA beforeCredit: AFP
    Paul’s brother Jake was recently on the receiving end of a defeat by Tommy Fury, but Logan now wants to get revenge by taking on boxing champ Tyson.
    However, rather than in a boxing ring, Paul wants to face Fury in the Octagon.
    Speaking to BT Sport, he said: “You know what I would do because I saw Tyson talking s***?
    “I would fight Tyson in a MMA fight.
    READ MORE IN BOXING
    “I really would, I don’t really care how big he is if you have not wrestled or done any ground work I don’t care how big you are, you better land the first two punches that you throw and they better knock me out.
    “Otherwise I’m taking you to the ground, I’m taking your back and I’m choking you out.”
    Fury himself has teased switching into the MMA.
    The 34-year-old trained with Darren Till during the build-up to his rematch with Deontay Wilder, while he also told Francis Ngannou he would box him in 4oz MMA gloves inside of a cage.
    Most read in Boxing
    BETTING SPECIAL – BEST SPORTS BETTING APPS IN THE UK
    Paul’s one and only pro boxing fight resulted in defeat to KSI – now his business partner for their PRIME drink – who made a special appearance at Wrestlemania.
    The Brit was wearing a PRIME outfit, and attempted to help Paul complete a Frogsplash on Rollins, before he was dragged onto the table for Paul to smash into instead.
    Paul also competed in an exhibition bout against Floyd Mayweather, which Money convincingly won.
    However, this did not stop Paul from declaring he would “knock out” Fury after his brother defeated Tommy, though Jake beating the ex-Love Island star never came to pass.
    The Gypsy King has not been a silent party against Paul either.
    Speaking weeks after Tommy beat Jake, he said: “Logan Paul, you little b****.
    “It seems that my little brother beat your little brother and now you’re both a pair of losers. All the Paul family suck.”
    It comes after talks for Fury’s heavyweight unification bout against Oleksandr Usyk fell through, despite Usyk agreeing to a 70-30 split.
    However, Anthony Joshua now seems to have Fury in his sights once again following his unanimous points win over Jermaine Franklin.
    AJ, 33, said: “Save all that s***. If we’ll f***ing fight, let’s go.
    “Shut the f*** up and that’s just how I feel because I got to save my energy for the fight.
    Read More on The Sun
    “I’ll be real, I’ll be real. I respect the man. He’s achieved a lot.
    “I just feel I don’t need to trash talk, verbally trash talk someone to make myself feel better.” More

  • in

    Anthony Joshua claims he would beat Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in boxing AND wrestling

    ANTHONY JOSHUA has claimed he would defeat Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in a boxing clash AND a wrestling match.The former heavyweight world champion takes on Jermaine Franklin on Saturday.
    Anthony Joshua joked he could beat Dwayne Johnson in boxing and wrestlingCredit: PA
    ‘The Rock’ has not fought in WWE since 2019Credit: Getty
    Ahead of the fight he sat down for a Q&A with two kids for DAZN.
    He was asked a range of questions, revealing the celebrity he would most like to date is Beyonce, and suggested he would likely work in construction if he did not take up boxing.
    Next he was asked who would win if he face off against the Rock, in both boxing and wrestling.
    AJ smiled cheekily and replied: “100 per cent me.
    READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
    “You’ve got to have belief in yourself.”
    Joshua, 33, makes his return to the O2 Arena this weekend for his first fight on British soil since his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in September 2021.
    And the Brit is well aware this could be his final bout if he loses, but he is confident of success after working under new trainer Derrick James.
    Meanwhile Johnson, 50, has not fought in WWE since 2019.
    Most read in Boxing
    Credit: SUNSPORT
    🥊 Anthony Joshua vs Jermaine Franklin – Date, live stream, TV channel and all you need to know about heavyweight bout
    CASINO SPECIAL – BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023
    He was once the dominant force in the sport before quitting in 2004 to focus on his acting career.
    Johnson topped the highest-paid actors list in 2016, 2019 and 2020 and decided to officially retire from wrestling in 2019 after making a return in 2014.
    Last year he featured in films such as Black Adam and DC League of Super-Pets, and he stars in Red One which is due for release later this year, which may mean his fighting career is over. More

  • in

    Watch Vinicius Jr try to ‘perform a suplex’ on De Jong as feisty El Clasico turns into WWE leaving fans in hysterics

    VINICIUS JR “performed a suplex” on Frenkie de Jong as the two stars got into it during Barcelona’s 1-0 Copa del Rey semi-final first leg win at Real Madrid.Carlo Ancelotti’s side hosted Barca at Santiago Bernabeu, and as per usual there was no love lost between the two sides.

    The rival pair wrestled each otherCredit: Reuters
    Frenkie de Jong appeared to inadvertently grab Vini’s crotch region
    The first major flashpoint occurred mid-way through the first-half, when Vini Jr and De Jong got into a tangle.
    As the pair jostled for the ball, De Jong’s hand appeared to inadvertently grab at Vini’s crotch region.
    The Brazilian subsequently threw his Dutch counterpart to the ground, with some fans likening it to a WWE move.
    It was the Real Madrid star that was penalised, despite replays suggesting that both were at it.
    READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
    One Barca fan argued: “De Jong is literally the one who carries the ball, Vinicius is going to steal it, legal struggle until Vinicius’s German Suplex.”
    Another Twitter user disagreed with this assessment, however, tweeting: “They both get into it, but somehow Vini is the one who gets booked.”
    A second whined: “Vinicius got a yellow for a De Jong foul. Disgusting.”
    And another added: “Vini in WWE.”
    Most read in Football
    BETTING SPECIAL – BEST FOOTBALL BETTING SITES IN THE UK
    Vini ‘performed’ a suplex’ on his opponentCredit: EPA
    A further user asked: “Did you see how Vinicius grabbed Frenkie’s neck and slammed him down like it’s a UFC match?”
    With both teams jostling for an advantage – it was Madrid who thought they’d landed first through Karim Benzema.
    But the Frenchman’s sublime finish was subsequently ruled out for offside.
    And the deadlock was then broken by Barcelona, when Eder Militao inadvertently turned into his own net.
    Franck Kessie then looked certain to have put Barca 2-0 up in the second-half… only for his OWN PLAYER Ansu Fati to block the ball from going in.
    Tempers continued to flare late on, with Barca boss Xavi booked in stoppage time for protesting to the fourth official.
    He needn’t have worried, however, as his side managed to hold firm during a late Madrid onslaught to take a 1-0 lead into the second leg at home.
    The duo both looked sheepishly at the refereeCredit: AP
    Franck Kessie fumed at team-mate Ansu FatiCredit: Reuters
    Fati’s block prevented a certain goalCredit: BT Sport Football More